The door opened, and it was indeed the shopkeeper they had seen in the kitchen before.
The chef looked relieved of a heavy burden as he happily handed Fengming and the others over to the shopkeeper. He left impatiently and headed towards the kitchen. It seemed that he was busy going back to try out the new recipes Fengming told him.
"Please come in, my master is waiting for you."
After the chef left, the shopkeeper's attitude became obviously humble. He maintained the attitude of facing a superior, slightly hunched over and leaning sideways, like a professional doorman, extending a palm to invite a few people in.
Feng Ming thought to himself, "Oh, it seems someone else invited us here."
But there is nothing to be afraid of. Let's display the traditional virtues of the Chinese nation. Since you are here, just go in and take a look.
The interior clearly did not look like a room that would normally be open to the public to receive guests. It was very clean and elegant. The incense burner was lit with the fragrance of pine wood mixed with some lemon and citrus. There were a few blooming flowers on the windowsill. The shelf in the corner was filled with books. In front of the shelf was a desk and a complete set of four treasures of the study. One of the hanging brushes even had ink dripping down... It seemed that this must be a very comfortable house.
"Your Highnesses, I apologize for not welcoming you in person."
A slightly youthful voice came from behind the pillar hidden by the curtain, followed by the sound of wheels rubbing against the ground, which was getting closer and closer.
A big fool came out with a wheelchair!
Sitting in a wheelchair is a frail young man with a pale face, wearing a moon-white gown and holding a folding fan. If it weren't for his pale face, he would be a standard yandere male protagonist in a romance novel.
"Who is this?"
Fengming realized that it was really him who was talking just now, but she didn't know who this person was. He called them "Your Highness", obviously knowing their identities, so she could only cast a puzzled look at the shopkeeper who greeted them in.
The shopkeeper, however, seemed to want to pretend that he didn't exist, and he lowered his head and hands and moved aside.
"Oh, look at me, how rude of me! It really was too presumptuous."
The frail young man, who Fengming thought had a problem with his legs, stood up shakily. The big man pushing the wheelchair behind him hurried forward to support him.
The frail young man stood up, folded his hands, and performed the standard Daqing etiquette: "The Third Prince of Dongyao, Changmin, greets Her Royal Highness the Grand Princess of Daqing, Her Royal Highness the Third Princess, and the Young Prince."
Unexpectedly, this person turned out to be the Third Prince of Dongyao. Fengming thought carefully about whether he had seen him at the banquet in the Dongyao Palace before. After thinking for a long time, he vaguely remembered that there seemed to be such a person that day. Moreover, if he looked closely at this person's eyebrows and eyes, he did seem to be somewhat similar to Xishan. Presumably, no one would pretend to be the Third Prince of Dongyao.
"Meet the Third Prince."
Although there were still many doubts in her heart, she had to follow the proper etiquette and replied to the sickly young man... uh, Changmin, the third prince of Dongyao.
It seemed that after standing for just a short while, the Third Prince could no longer hold on. As soon as Fengming and the others returned the greeting, he sat back in his wheelchair with all his strength.
Seeing Fengming and the others' slightly concerned and curious eyes, the Third Prince smiled bitterly: "I'm really sorry, I have been weak since childhood and have to rely on a wheelchair to travel all year round, alas..."
Fengming and the others didn't know what to say.
"Ah, look why I'm talking about health again. Your Highnesses, please take a seat. I'm the chef of this tavern and I'm sorry to interrupt your meal. I bet you haven't had time to eat anything yet."
Fengming and the others just maintained appropriate business polite smiles and obediently sat down at the dining table that was already filled with delicious food. It seemed that the Third Prince had made preparations in advance. Not only were there the same dishes they had just ordered, but there were also Dongyao's special dishes. The table was full, enough to show the host's respect for the guests.
"I wonder why the Third Prince invited us here?"
One does not visit without a motive, and one who shows kindness without a motive is either a traitor or a thief. These ancient sayings are reminding Fengming that although the Third Prince in front of him looks harmless and even a little weak that makes people lose their guard, it is often this kind of person that one should be most cautious of.
"Heh~ Her Royal Highness is a straightforward person. Why don't we start by writing the food? Even if it's not as good as Her Royal Highness's cooking, it's still edible."
Fengming had already taken off her veil and was not covering it up. She looked at the Third Prince's expression openly. It was so confusing. She really couldn't figure out what the Third Prince was trying to do.
"Then we won't be polite, please~"
Fengming made a gesture to the third prince, who smiled gently and picked up his chopsticks. Since they were all young people, they didn't pay much attention to the rule of not talking while eating. They ate and talked at the same time, and the atmosphere was very harmonious.
After three rounds of wine and five dishes, everyone seemed to be about sixty percent full. Fengming felt that the time was about right.
"Third Prince, I think you can now tell me why you invited us here?"
"Yeah, it's not just because you're treating us to a meal."
Feng Xiyun ate carefully for a while, but he always felt that no dish was as delicious as the ones cooked by Feng Ming. He was really in no mood. Now that he saw that the business was finally being discussed, he became interested.
"Haha, Your Highness, why don't you call me Changmin? We are of similar age, so why not address each other by our first names?"
Feng Ming: "...I don't want to!"
There was silence in the room for a moment. Fengming didn't want to call this Third Prince by his first name. Who would want to be on such a good terms with you?
"Oh, Changmin, okay. We look about the same age, so let's call each other brothers from now on, right, sis?"
Fortunately, Feng Xiyun jumped out to rescue him. Although he didn't quite understand why Feng Ming didn't speak, he always felt that it was strange that the third prince called his sister's name.
"Well, yes, it's okay for you and the Third Prince to be so compatible."
The third prince looked at Fengming and then at Feng Xiyun. Naturally, he understood what Fengming meant and did not force him. The curvature of his smile did not change at all, and he did not force him anymore.
"Hey, Changmin-ge, it's been so long. We've already eaten and drunk. What is it that you invited us here for? Can you tell us?"
"Oh yes, please wait a moment."
The Third Prince gestured to the shopkeeper, who had been standing behind them with his hands down, pretending to be a wallflower. The shopkeeper, behind a curtain, quickly brought out several wooden boxes and placed them on the table. The Third Prince reached out to open them, but he looked incredibly unwell, and the lids seemed a bit heavy. Opening the boxes was so hot that two unnatural blushes appeared on his pale face.
The big fool who was pushing his wheelchair wanted to take out a handkerchief to wipe his sweat, but he refused. He reached into the box and took out a few letters and some papers and handed them to Fengming.
Feng Ming took it and gave it to Feng Xiyun and Feng Yuyun respectively. They didn't quite understand what it meant. But when Feng Ming saw clearly what was drawn on the paper, his face suddenly changed and he looked at the third prince!
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