Page 886

Lin Yuan had not even opened her mouth when Xia Zheng refused on her behalf. Did he really see himself as a Prince’s Consort? Even if she were truly a Prince’s Consort, she wouldn’t have to lift a finger to serve!

"I say, cousin, is Fragrant Full Building short of chefs?

To actually come to our place and poach people!

" After glancing at Tang Ruyan, Xia Zheng let out a cold laugh and said, "The food made by my woman, is it something you can eat?

My woman is not some random person off the street you can grab to serve plates and introduce dishes! "

Xia Zheng was never polite when he spoke, and this time he was especially merciless toward Tang Ruyan, causing her to stiffen and her complexion to pale.

Someone grabbed off the street to serve plates and introduce dishes—wasn’t that referring to her?

Lifting her somewhat hazy eyes, Tang Ruyan glanced at the man beside her. Even though she knew he wasn’t truly sincere towards her, for some reason, at this moment, feeling aggrieved, she especially hoped he would offer her some comfort.

However, the result was always disappointing.

Having heard Xia Zheng’s words, Zhao Hongsheng’s mouth twitched, and he hurriedly laughed to smooth things over, "My cousin is right. Miss Lin is the Third Prince’s sworn sister, how could she casually cook? It was Ruyan who was presumptuous. I hope the young lady won’t take it to heart."

"Not take it to heart?" Xia Zheng curled his lip, "What if I did take it to heart?

Tang Ruyan’s lips trembled. This Young Master Xia, could it be he wanted her to apologize to that little village girl?

How could that be possible? She was the distinguished daughter of the Magistrate, and this girl, isn’t she just someone who happened to curry favor with Xia Zheng and the Third Prince? What else does she have over me?

Zhao Hongsheng naturally understood this but, having already spoken, if he were to take his words back, wouldn’t that make him appear petty?

"Yanie, won’t you quickly apologize to Miss Lin?"

"Your Highness!"

"Yanie, aren’t you always sensible? Do not throw a tantrum, apologize quickly," Zhao Hongsheng hinted at her with a nudge of his eyes, the implication clear: endure the momentary loss, there will be time to get back at them later.

Tang Ruyan inwardly smiled bitterly. He was willing to make her suffer the current loss; what else would he consider for her in the future?

"Miss Lin, I was presumptuous just now, I hope you won’t mind it."

Indeed, this Tang Ruyan was quite the character, able to accept such openly unfair treatment. If it were Lin Yuan, she surely would have been furious by now. Lin Yuan inwardly applauded and viewed Tang Ruyan with newfound respect.

But the most frustrated wasn’t Tang Ruyan, it was definitely the cloaked man in the next room.

It was he who had initiated the challenge against Lin Yuan, and yet the other party did not even deign to face him.

Not only did he end up snubbed, but he was also reprimanded at length by that little girl, truly irritating!

As he was seething with frustration, the cloaked man suddenly heard the usually silent Zhao Hongde say something, causing his pupils to constrict and his nerves to tense.

Only to hear Zhao Hongde ask, "Second brother, I wonder if you would allow the Third Prince to meet the head chef of your establishment?"

Zhao Hongsheng’s finger paused, his eyes narrowed slightly, and with a sneering smile that didn’t reach his eyes, he said, "Does my dear brother wish to poach the head chef from my winehouse? Hehe, when did I ever hear that you had opened your own place? Surely the Fragrant Full Building isn’t after my people as well, you already have Miss Lin, don’t you? "

This Zhao Hongsheng was truly skilled at changing the subject; within two sentences, he had redirected the topic back to her.

Zhao Hongde clearly wasn’t so easily led astray, he laughed and said, "Elder brother is speaking too seriously, where have I opened a winehouse? I only feel that this fragrance of the Lilies is very familiar, as if I have tasted it before. Therefore, I wished to meet the chef."

Zhao Hongde was a very straightforward person, unlike Zhao Hongsheng who would take eighteen turns to make his point.

With these words, many people present understood him.

He had always been living in the palace; since he mentioned the taste was familiar, it was obvious he suspected the chef was from the Imperial Kitchen.

A chef from the Imperial Kitchen secretly leaving to take charge of a winehouse’s kitchen was a grave disrespect towards the Emperor, a serious crime.

If this got out, not just the Imperial Chef, but even the Drunken Immortal Residence that harbored him, and even Zhao Hongsheng himself could face punishment!

Tang Ruyan, with a twinkle in her eye, laughed and said, "It’s no surprise the Third Prince finds it familiar, as our Drunken Immortal Residence and the Drunken Immortal Tower in the capital are correlated, maintaining the same style and taste in their dishes.

It’s not impossible for Your Highness to find the taste familiar. "

Really? Although he occasionally visited the Drunken Immortal Tower, but...

Zhao Hongde’s eyebrows furrowed tightly. He couldn’t help feeling that this taste was not quite the same as that of the Drunken Immortal Tower in the Capital City!

"Come, come, dear brother, we’ve been talking about the dish for so long, we’ve forgotten about the wine.

This wine is the best from the An Family Winehouse, available only in our Drunken Immortal Residence and Drunken Immortal Tower, nowhere else can you even catch a glimpse of it.

Come, brother, taste the wine and see how it is. "

Zhao Hongsheng personally filled their glasses to the brim, his behavior, which seemed to overtly conceal something, only intensified everyone’s speculations.

Exchanging a glance, Lin Yuan and Xia Zheng curved their lips in a knowing smile but said nothing more.

Having finally managed to send off this group of ancestors, including Lin Yuan, Zhao Hongsheng slammed his palm on the table in anger—this was the most humiliating meal he had ever had in his life!

The man in the cloak hung his head heavy with dejection, kneeling on the ground, not daring to utter a single word. However, this could not dispel Zhao Hongsheng’s rage.

"Fool! What have I always told you? Not to expose ourselves, not to give it away, and what have you done? They didn’t even need to find your slip-up, you delivered it to them on a silver platter!

It seems like you don’t want your head, do you?

If you don’t want it, go knock your head against the door until you die. Don’t drag me down with you!"

The cloaked man lowered himself further, his voice choked with sobs, "Your Highness, forgive me, forgive me! It was my eagerness to show off that led me to use the cooking methods from the Imperial kitchen. I will never do so again, never again!"

Zhao Hongsheng waved his hand and swept the bowls and dishes on the table to the floor, one of the lids striking the cloaked man squarely on the head. Yet the man didn’t even dare dodge and took the blow directly, blood instantly trickling down his forehead.

This sight did not quell the fury in Zhao Hongsheng, but remembering that both the man before him and his deceased mentor had been the pillars of the Drunken Immortal Residence and Tower, he couldn’t bring himself to punish him further.

"Get back to the Capital City! And don’t show your face around here for a while!"

The cloaked man, as if granted amnesty, kowtowed repeatedly in gratitude, yet his heart harbored deeper resentment towards Lin Yuan and Zhao Hongde.

Zhao Hongde’s status was too high for him to touch, but as for that despicable little wretch, he sneered to himself, ’Just wait, I will make you suffer soon enough! ’