Chapter 96
"It's all thanks to this soy sauce! I can tell it tastes completely different from the bean paste I have at home!"
"Fifty cents a bottle? That's not expensive! I'll be the first one to buy it when it goes on sale tomorrow! With this, my wife's cooking will definitely taste ten times better!"
In the crowd, several inconspicuous men in plain clothes glanced at each other quietly, then quickly left the scene and headed straight for the Ministry of Revenue.
At this moment, Li Deyu, the Minister of Revenue, was leisurely sipping tea in his office. Spies sent to the Eastern Palace reported that the Crown Prince and Crown Princess had been quiet in recent days. He assumed they had been confused by his Tai Chi tactics and were retreating.
"Sir! Sir! Something bad has happened!" An official rushed in crawling.
"You are so flustered, how disgraceful!" Li Deyu put down his teacup in dissatisfaction.
"Sir, please go and have a look! Suzaku Street... the entire Suzaku Street is almost overturned by the Crown Princess!" the official said breathlessly.
Li Deyu frowned and, surrounded by his subordinates, half-believing and half-doubting, arrived at the yamen gate. As soon as he stepped outside, a strong, indissoluble aroma of meat filled his nose. He looked up in the direction of Zhuque Street and saw a crowd of people there, as lively as if it were Chinese New Year.
Soon, the spies who were sent out came back and reported the grand occasion of the Fresh Food Festival in detail.
After hearing this, Li Deyu's face turned extremely ugly. For the first time, he stopped twirling his beard.
"What a great Crown Princess...what a good trick to cut off the source of the problem!" He squeezed out a few words from between his teeth.
While he was still leisurely "studying the rules," others had directly held their product launch on the street, and it was so successful. This time, the Ministry of Revenue was completely put on the defensive.
The people of the entire city knew the benefits of "Imperial Fresh" and were waiting for the government to distribute the product. If he delayed any further, it would not be prudent, but incompetent, a figurehead, and a blatant defiance of the Crown Prince and public opinion!
"Sir, what should we do now? The Ministry of Revenue is almost going crazy with questions from people in other government offices. They are all asking when they can buy 'Imperial Fresh' and want to bring a few bottles home." The assistant minister asked anxiously.
A fierce glint flashed in Li Deyu's triangular eyes. He knew he had underestimated the Crown Princess. This round, he had lost. If he continued to resist, he would only lose more miserably.
"What should we do?" He snorted coldly, "Prepare the car! Go to Suzaku Street!"
When Li Deyu's official sedan appeared on Zhuque Street, it immediately caused a small commotion.
He got out of the sedan chair, looked at the bustling scene in front of him, and smelled the fragrance in the air that made him a little greedy, his old face tense.
Tingyu got the news and came forward with a neither humble nor arrogant attitude, bowing and saying, "This servant greets Minister Li."
"Where is the Crown Princess?" Li Deyu asked in a deep voice.
"Replying to the Minister, the Queen is in the palace. The Queen said that she dared not trouble the Minister in person for such a small matter." Tingyu's words were polite, but there was a hidden meaning in them.
Li Deyu's face twitched again. He knew that this was a show of force from the other party. He took a deep breath and forced out a smile that was uglier than crying: "The Crown Princess cares about the people and is a blessing to the country.
Promoting 'Imperial Fresh', a great cause that benefits both the nation and the people, is the unshirkable responsibility of our Ministry of Revenue! Go back and tell the Crown Princess that I have summoned all the capable personnel in the Ministry overnight to work overtime. Within three days, we will come up with a comprehensive promotion plan! We will ensure that 'Imperial Fresh' is on every household's table in the capital as quickly as possible!"
He spoke with such passion and righteousness that it seemed as if he had been the staunchest supporter of the "Yupinxian" project from the very beginning. The surrounding people, unsure of the true meaning, thought the Minister of Revenue was a good official who cared about the people, and they all applauded.
Tingyu smiled secretly in her heart, but remained respectful on the surface: "Then on behalf of the queen, I would like to thank Minister Li first."
Li Deyu did not stay any longer. He got back into the sedan chair in shame and fled from this place that made him lose face.
In the East Palace, Song Qingyuan couldn't help laughing after hearing Tingyu's report.
"This old fox changes his expression faster than turning the pages of a book." She said to Shen Yanzhi who was standing beside her.
Shen Yanzhi also smiled. He took her hand and kissed her gently on the lips. "It was your 'Red Braised Pork' that was so fragrant that he had to bow his head."
He looked into her eyes, which held the stars, the sea, and a freshness and agility he had never seen before. "Qingyuan, you did a great job."
A simple compliment made Song Qingyuan's heart sweeter than honey.
The impact of this fresh food event goes far beyond this.
On the night when Li Deyu returned home in disgrace, an unexpected person delivered a letter asking to see the prince.
The visitor was Zhang Daxueshi of the Hanlin Academy. A veteran of three dynasties, Zhang had students and former officials throughout the government and the country. He was a man of integrity, never participating in factional disputes. Even the emperor had to respect him. But he had one well-known hobby: he loved food.
Shen Yanzhi met him in the study.
"Today, I, an old minister, have come to ask His Royal Highness the Crown Prince for something." Grand Secretary Zhang went straight to the point, his old eyes sparkling.
"Grand Master, please speak."
"I beg Your Highness to share two bottles of 'Imperial Fresh' with me." Grand Secretary Zhang smacked his lips, savoring the taste. "Today, I had my servants line up to get a bowl of braised pork. The taste...tsk, tsk, it lingered in my mouth for three days! I've lived for seventy years and have tasted every delicacy in the world, but I've never tasted anything this rich and delicious. It's a pity that the Imperial Fresh Club only gives it away, not for sale. This is really frustrating for me."
Seeing this venerable old scholar anxious for a bite of food like a child, Shen Yanzhi and Song Qingyuan couldn't help laughing.
"You are so kind, Grand Secretary." Song Qingyuan stepped out from behind the screen and personally presented an exquisite gift box. "These are just some small gifts. How dare I trouble you to come in person? Here are ten bottles. Please take them back home and savor them slowly."
When Zhang Daxueshi saw the gift box, his eyes widened. He took it in his arms like a treasure and thanked him repeatedly.
"Your Highness, Your Majesty," he put away his things, his expression becoming more serious. "I came here today not only to ask for soy sauce, but also to tell you something. 'Imperial Fresh' is a good thing, but even the tallest tree in the forest will be destroyed by the wind.
The King of Wei, having suffered such a great loss, would never let it go. His mother's surname was Chen, and the Chen clan controlled the private salt trade in the Jiangnan region. Your Highness's salt reforms and the promotion of "Imperial Fresh" had shaken their foundation.
They may not dare to do anything openly, but their covert tactics are likely to be endless. Your Highness and Your Majesty, please be careful."
These words are undoubtedly a timely help.
Shen Yanzhi and Song Qingyuan looked at each other, stood up, and saluted solemnly to Zhang Daxueshi.
"Thank you for your advice, Grand Secretary."
Grand Secretary Zhang accepted the gift calmly and said with a smile, "This old minister does not take sides or form factions. I only believe in one principle. Whoever can make the people live a good life and make this country more stable, this old minister will admire them. Your Highness and Your Majesty, take care of yourselves."
After saying that, he hugged the box of soy sauce and walked away contentedly.
After seeing off Grand Secretary Zhang, the study became quiet for a while.
"It seems like we have gained an unexpected ally." Song Qingyuan said softly.
"Not really an ally." Shen Yanzhi shook his head. "But he represents a group of people. A group of loyal ministers who are tired of factional strife and just want peace and prosperity for the country. They see everything we do.
As long as we walk the right path and behave properly, they will not become our enemies, and may even become our helpers at critical moments."
Song Qingyuan understood. The people's hearts were their strongest backing. Whether it was the common people on the streets or the upright officials in the court, as long as they could win their hearts, their path would be more stable.
"Oh, right," Song Qingyuan suddenly remembered something and pulled an invitation from his sleeve. "I've already prepared the invitation for the cooking competition. The first place prize is 500 taels, and the honorary title of 'Eastern Palace Royal Chef'. Your Highness, what do you think we'll catch when we throw this bait?"
Shen Yanzhi took the invitation and smiled slightly when he saw the words "Inviting famous chefs from all over the world to join us in the imperial feast."
"I don't know what kind of fish you'll catch." He handed the invitation back to her, his eyes full of trust and support. "But I know that you'll make the capital even more lively."
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