Chapter 89
His unyielding demeanor further infuriated the King of Qi. He paced back and forth in the palace like a trapped beast. He had intended to confront Shen Yanzhi and give him a warning, but he found himself punching cotton, unable to exert any force.
Suddenly, his eyes fell on the business layout map in front of Song Qingyuan and a small celadon bottle next to it, which was the sample of "Imperial Fresh".
"What is this?" He walked over, grabbed the bottle, uncorked it, and sniffed it. The strong aroma of soy sauce made him frown. "It smells like beans. What the hell is this?"
"This is soy sauce." Song Qingyuan said coldly.
"Soy sauce?" The King of Qi scoffed. "I thought it was some kind of treasure. Second brother, you've really grown up. Instead of thinking about how to help the country, you're scouting for these kitchen items with a woman in the East Palace. Don't forget, you're the crown prince now! The future emperor! Do you think you can secure your throne by relying on these bottles and jars?"
He became more and more excited as he spoke, and he raised his hand, wanting to throw the bottle of "Yupinxian" to the ground.
"Stop!" Song Qingyuan shouted sternly.
Almost at the same time, Shen Yanzhi moved. His figure was as swift as a ghost, and he instantly appeared in front of the King of Qi and grabbed his wrist. The King of Qi felt a sharp pain in his wrist, as if it was being crushed. The bottle in his hand fell to the carpet with a clang.
"Shen Chonghuan." Shen Yanzhi's voice was as cold as ice. "You can humiliate me, but you can't humiliate her. And you can't touch her things." For the first time, his eyes revealed an undisguised murderous intent.
The King of Qi shuddered at his gaze, sobering up. He then realized that the man before him was not only his second brother, but also the King of Yan, who had fought his way out of a sea of blood and corpses, and the crown prince who had just overthrown the King of Wei and commanded a large army.
"You...what do you want to do?" King Qi's voice trembled a little.
Shen Yanzhi slowly loosened his hand, and a circle of clear purple-black fingerprints appeared on King Qi's wrist.
"Third brother, you're tired today." Shen Yanzhi's tone returned to calm, but the coldness still lingered deep into his bones. "Come here, send His Royal Highness the Prince of Qi back to the palace. Tell the people in the Prince of Qi's palace that the prince has caught a cold and needs to rest in the palace for a month. No one is allowed to visit him."
This is not seeing someone off, it's clearly house arrest!
The King of Qi was shocked and angry, but he didn't dare to say another word. He could feel that if he dared to provoke him again, Shen Yanzhi would really destroy him without hesitation.
Two guards from the Eastern Palace came in and expressionlessly asked the King of Qi to leave. The King of Qi struggled a bit, but was eventually carried away in disgrace.
Silence returned to the hall.
Song Qingyuan walked over and picked up the celadon bottle on the carpet. Fortunately, it was not broken. She looked at Shen Yanzhi and said softly, "If you treat him like this, your father will..."
"He will understand." Shen Yanzhi interrupted her and took her into his arms. "Father kept him just to be my whetstone. Today, I just told Father that this stone is too brittle and cannot withstand grinding."
He paused, his tone softening, "Besides, he should never, ever, try to throw your things in front of me."
Song Qingyuan's heart warmed, and she buried her face in his chest. She knew that the Prince of Qi's provocation was only the beginning. Turbulence was brewing within the Eastern Palace. But with this man by her side, she had nothing to fear.
And at this moment, in the imperial palace, the Hall of Mental Cultivation.
Emperor Shen Chong listened to the eunuch's report on what had just happened in the Eastern Palace without any expression on his face.
"Under house arrest for a month?" he asked calmly.
"Yes, that's what His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered." The eunuch answered cautiously.
Shen Chong was silent for a long time, then suddenly laughed, with a mysterious meaning in his laughter.
"Interesting. This prince of mine is even more domineering than I imagined." He waved his hand, "Got it, leave."
The eunuchs bowed and left as if they had been pardoned.
Shen Chong walked to the window and looked towards the East Palace with a deep look in his eyes.
"Chonghuan is a useless chess piece. But that's all right. Let the Second Brother have some peace and quiet for a month and think carefully about how to take on the position of Crown Prince." He muttered to himself, "I want to see how sharp this newly unsheathed sword of yours is."
The Prince of Qi's house arrest didn't cause much of a stir in the capital. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that this was the new Crown Prince asserting his authority. The powerless and reckless Prince of Qi, embroiled in the Crown Prince's crossfire, was simply asking for trouble. Within the court, the tide of change was becoming increasingly clear, and some officials who had previously been on the sidelines began quietly siding with the Crown Prince.
Shen Yanzhi seemed unfazed. He continued to handle government affairs daily, familiarizing himself with the workings of the Eastern Palace. However, he was busier than ever. Besides the memorials from the six ministries, the emperor began to hand over military affairs, grain transport, and even some old cases to him, intentionally or unintentionally. He euphemistically called it "sharing the emperor's worries," but in reality, it was a new round of tests.
Song Qingyuan, on the other hand, devoted all his energy to the promotion plan of "Yupinxian".
Sun Jimao was indeed a seasoned businessman, and he understood Song Qingyuan's "hunger marketing" strategy perfectly, executing it flawlessly. He personally visited the owners of the top restaurants in Beijing, "Zuixianlou" and "Wangjiangyue."
At first, the two shopkeepers weren't impressed by the dark soy sauce. Beijing had plenty of delicacies, and they had no shortage of condiments.
Sun Jimao didn't say much, but just smiled and asked the restaurant's chef to make the simplest braised pork using "Yupinxian" and the bean paste they usually used.
The result speaks for itself.
Braised pork made with ordinary bean paste, while delicious, has a slightly astringent bean flavor and a darker color. The dish cooked with Yupinxian, on the other hand, boasts a vibrant red color and a rich, mellow sauce flavor. Not only is there no hint of bean flavor, but it elevates the pork's inherent deliciousness to a whole new level. The flavor is so fresh it's almost mouth-watering.
The master chef from Zuixianlou, who had even worked in the imperial kitchen, took one bite and was stunned. After a long pause, he muttered, "This... this is the true 'fresh' taste! I've been cooking for thirty years, and today I've really broadened my horizons!"
The two shopkeepers' eyes lit up instantly. They were both shrewd people and immediately realized the huge business opportunities behind this thing.
Sun Jimao then slowly laid out the conditions for cooperation: free supply, but a special wooden sign promoting "Imperial Fresh" would be placed in the most conspicuous place in the lobby, with small gold-plated characters engraved on the sign - "Produced by Sky Realm, Eastern Palace Imperial Fresh".
The words "Eastern Palace" rang out, and the two shopkeepers' hearts trembled. This was no longer a simple business; it represented a status and honor. How big a deal would it be for their restaurant to be able to use the imperial products of the Eastern Palace?
The two of them immediately made a decision. Not only did they agree to all the conditions, they also took the initiative to propose that the "Imperial Fresh" series of dishes should be the restaurant's flagship product and be available in limited quantities daily.
In the next few days, a trend of "Imperial Fresh Products" quietly swept through the circles of power and wealth in the capital.
At first, several dukes who had been to "Zuixianlou" and "Wangjiangyue" were having a small gathering with friends. They praised the new "Imperial Fresh Red Braised Pork" and said that its taste was delicious and lingered in the nose for three days.
Word spread quickly, and soon anyone with a bit of status was proud to have a bite of "Yupinxian" food. And if you didn't order a dish from "Yupinxian" at Zuixianlou, you'd be considered a country bumpkin who had never seen the world.
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