Chapter 02 The Second Kill

Xiaoyu has been cooking in the kitchen in the west courtyard for seven days.

During these seven days, let alone meeting the prince or poisoning his food, she couldn't even touch the gate of the East Courtyard.

After sending the three ladies off for lunch that day, Xiaoyu sat at the door of the kitchen, worrying about what to do.

At the table next to him, Manager Zhu had a full stomach and burped with satisfaction: "What's wrong, Xiaoyuer?"

Xiaoyu looked at him accusingly: "Manager Zhu, didn't you promise me to get rid of the manager and chef of the East Court so that the two of us could take over? It's been seven days, why is there no movement at all? Are you trying to trick me into cooking for you for free?"

"How can you look at me like that, Xiaoyu'er?" Manager Zhu covered his chest sadly. "You really hurt your brother Zhu's heart."

The two of them had been together for a few days, and Xiaoyu had already figured out his temper and was not afraid of him: "So, tell me, what have you done these days?"

Manager Zhu chuckled, his face chubby, white and tender, "Of course I'm going to find out where the prince is. As far as I know, the prince may come to the garden this afternoon."

"What does his going to the garden have to do with our desire to rise to the top?"

Chief Steward Zhu had a look on his face that said, "You're stupid!" "The prince is a very busy man. He must be going to the garden to relax. Why would he relax? Either for state affairs, or because he's in a bad mood and can't eat. Then why don't you put some delicious food in the garden to attract the prince?"

Xiaoyu looked at him: "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious. When have I ever joked with you?"

Xiaoyu stood up and thought that it would be better for her to find a solution on her own than to rely on Manager Zhu.

Zhu, who thought he had a brilliant idea but was ignored by Xiaoyu, was not convinced and stood up with his hands on his stomach. He asked, "Is my idea not good?"

Xiaoyu said, "Do you think the prince is some nobody that you can lure over by just putting something there? Besides, if he goes to the garden, someone will definitely clear the area beforehand, so how can we get in? Manager Zhu, you can come up with such a rubbish idea. I wonder how you became the manager. Do you have someone above you?"

"You figured this out?" Manager Zhu smiled shyly and made a gesture to shut up. "Oh, this is a secret. My brother-in-law won't let me tell you."

She was right.

Xiaoyu stared at him suspiciously: "Who is your brother-in-law?"

Manager Zhu approached her and whispered, "I told you not to go out and shout."

"That's a must."

Chief Steward Zhu clenched his fist, leaned over to Xiaoyu's ear, and whispered, "It's the chief steward of the palace."

Xiaoyu looked at him in shock. The chief steward of the palace was a close follower of the prince, who could follow him closely. His status was much higher than that of the chief steward of the East Courtyard or the chief steward of the West Courtyard.

Under his expectant gaze, Xiaoyu slowly raised her thumb, with a face full of admiration: "Manager Zhu, you are really amazing when you speak."

Manager Zhu waved his hand to signal her to keep a low profile.

Xiaoyu said, "Since your brother-in-law is the chief steward of the palace, can you use a small backdoor to transfer me directly to the East Courtyard?"

Manager Zhu rejected her without a second thought: "No."

“Why?”

Zhu explained seriously, "You have been here for too short a time, and the people in the palace cannot trust you yet. What if you poison the prince's food?"

If Xiaoyu didn't understand his temper, she would have thought that he saw through her little thoughts and told her not to act rashly at this point.

"You really are so quick to speak."

In other words, he was terribly stupid. Now Xiaoyu believed that the chief steward was really his backstage. Otherwise, with the character of Chief Steward Zhu, could he be the chief steward of the palace?

He is also the chief steward of the Regent's Palace.

Xiaoyu reacted quickly and took the initiative in an instant: "Then when I delivered cakes in the garden, weren't you afraid that I would poison them? Or did you know that the prince wouldn't eat them at all and you were lying to me?"

"Please, I am so wronged!" Manager Zhu cried, "I must have watched you the whole time you made the cakes. If you go to the East Courtyard, no one will watch you three times a day."

"Okay, I'll trust you for now. Then what should I cook?"

Chief Steward Zhu held up his chin and looked up at the sky: "The prince doesn't have any favorite food, nor does he have any taboos. He can eat anything sweet or salty, but he has a poor appetite. During meals, he only takes a bite of each dish and then finishes it."

Fart has a poor appetite and only eats one bite of each dish, probably because he is afraid that people will know his taste and poison him.

Xiaoyu thought for a moment and nodded, "Okay, then I'll make a few more, and the prince can eat whichever one he likes."

Manager Zhu immediately smiled happily and followed her to the kitchen: "This is a good idea."

Xiaoyu looked away unhappily, knowing that he said so much just for a few bites of food.

Although the kitchen in the west courtyard was not as well-equipped as when she was at the door of the palace, it was a royal residence after all, and it had everything it should have. Xiaoyu spent half a day making five cakes: "Look, rose cake, lotus leaf soup, water chestnut cake, mung bean cake, and wine-brewed glutinous rice balls."

All of this was done under the supervision of Chief Steward Zhu, but he still tasted each one and said, "It's really good. I dare say this water chestnut cake is definitely better than the one made in the East Courtyard. Xiao Yu'er, you are amazing."

"That's right." Xiaoyu put all the cakes into the lunch box, "Let's go to the garden?"

The palace garden was located in the middle of the east and west courtyards, and also became the dividing line between the two places. Xiaoyu had been there alone and saw four energetic guards standing outside the small gate leading to the east courtyard.

Today the prince was going to visit the garden, so the four guards moved to the small corner gate connecting the west courtyard and the garden.

Seeing them from a distance, Xiaoyu stopped and said, "You can't get through, Manager Zhu. They are guarding there."

Manager Zhu put his hands behind his back and walked forward leisurely: "It's hard for you to deal with these four minions. Look to your brother Zhu."

"They still listen to you? Wow, Manager Zhu, you are so awesome." Xiaoyu followed him closely with a food basket on her shoulder, not forgetting to flatter him.

Zhu, the chief steward, was so flattered by the compliment that he brought her to a stop in front of the guards, raised his head and said, "I am here on the orders of the chief steward to bring some snacks to the prince."

The guard standing in the front said, "Stop it, Old Zhu. The snacks for the prince are always made by the kitchen in the East Courtyard. Why are you bothering the West Courtyard manager?"

After being rejected in front of Xiaoyu, Manager Zhu felt ashamed. He said angrily, "Then will you let us in?"

The guard looked at him, then at Xiaoyu hiding behind him: "She can, but you can't."

"Hey you..."

Seeing that Manager Zhu was about to roll up his sleeves and curse, Xiaoyu quickly stopped him and said, "Manager Zhu, I'll do the errands. You just wait here for my good news."

Although it is autumn now, the midday heat is still very strong. After such a torment, Zhu Zongguan also broke out in a sweat. He followed Xiaoyu's words and went down the slope, "Okay, then you go quickly and come back quickly."

Xiaoyu nodded and walked into the garden carrying the food basket.

There was a pond of three mu in the garden, so it was cooler than outside. Xiaoyu swam around and finally saw two men in a small pavilion beside the pond. One of them had a sword on his waist and was standing outside the pavilion.

The other person was sitting in the pavilion, looking down at the book in his hand.

Being far away, Xiaoyu couldn't see his appearance clearly, but judging from his figure, he didn't look like the nine-foot-tall, green-faced, fang-toothed monster as rumored outside.

He looks more like a weak and noble young man.

Xiaoyu continued to walk forward, but before he got close to the pavilion, he was stopped by the man with the saber, who coldly asked, "Who are you?"

Xiaoyu bowed her head and said, "Your Excellency, I am Xiaoyu, the chef of the West Courtyard. I am here on the orders of the chief steward to bring some cakes to the prince."

She didn't say which steward it was. Anyway, there were many stewards in the palace. If something happened, Steward Zhu would not be implicated.

The cold-faced guard opened the food box and checked it, then turned and led her to the pavilion. "Your Majesty."

It seems that this is the current Regent Zhou Xunran, her target for assassination.

Every time the little fish took a step forward, he could hear his heartbeat getting more intense.

Getting closer and closer.

Her target was now right in front of her.

Xiaoyu thought it was a pity. If she had known it would go so smoothly, she would have hidden a dagger on her body.

Now such a good opportunity has been wasted.

She stopped at the table, took out the food from the lunch box, and placed it in front of the two of them one by one.

Before leaving, Xiaoyu boldly glanced at the Regent. He looked to be about 25 or 26 years old, very thin, with almost no flesh on his face, almost skin and bones. Only his eyes, like a deep and quiet lake, had a magical attraction that wanted to suck people into the unknown depth of the lake.

[I thought he was a difficult person to deal with, but he's such a sickly person. Three days, at most three days, I can take him down!]

Xiaoyu had just finished speaking when she heard him say, "Get her out of the house."

The sound was indifferent and cold, like icicles under the eaves after a snowfall in early winter.

When she saw the cold-faced guard's gaze falling on her, Xiaoyu finally realized that the 'she' that the Regent said "drive her out of the house" was actually her!

Xiaoyu opened her mouth to beg for mercy, but the cold-faced guard covered her mouth and dragged her backwards.

They dragged Xiaoyu to the corner gate, where the cold-faced guard threw her on the ground and said to the four guards at the gate and Chief Zhu who was waiting there, "The prince said to kick her out."

Having said that, he turned and left.

Xiaoyu sat on the ground, rubbing her sore buttocks and refusing to get up. Seeing that Manager Zhu was about to ask her, Xiaoyu spoke first, saying pitifully, "Manager Zhu, did I offend you in some way? Why did you hurt me when I was fine?"

Manager Zhu also felt aggrieved. He had finally found a chef who cooked delicious meals, so how could he let go so easily?

"I didn't hurt you. How could I bear to hurt you? Tell me from the beginning what happened. Why did the prince chase you out of the palace?"

Xiaoyu also knew that he was a senior foodie, and he would not do anything to harm her even for the food she cooked. She rubbed her butt and stood up, telling her everything she had said and done since she entered the room, "I didn't do anything out of the ordinary, why did he chase me away?"

Manager Zhu was also puzzled. "There is nothing we can do. Since the prince has spoken, unless he changes his mind, no one can make a difference. Xiao Yu'er, it's a pity that we have a deep bond. I can no longer eat the food you cook."

After he sighed, he said flatteringly, "Before you leave, can you finish making the marinated duck in the kitchen? I have never eaten this kind of duck before."

How could Xiaoyu be in such a good mood?