"If every word spoken by the Emperor of Tian Sheng that day was true, then what shall become of the Eldest Prince?
This is, after all, Tian Sheng territory. Is the Eldest Prince not afraid that the Emperor of Tian Sheng will use us as a sacrificial offering to rally his forces?"
"If I were afraid, I would never have come here!"
Inside the posthouse, there was no floor heating. Even with the doors and windows tightly shut, the cold seeped in, making it nearly unbearable.
Yet the Eldest Prince, clearly provoked by the words of Prince Lian's heir, flung aside his quilt in a fury. Wearing only a single thin robe, he strode over with heavy steps and stood before him.
"Don't forget your true purpose for coming here!"
He seized the collar of Prince Lian's heir, his gaze dark and threatening.
"This is your only value. If you cannot even manage this one task,
then even if you return alive this time, what use is a Lian Qinwang Manor stripped of all worth? What do you suppose Father will do?"
"…"
What would he do?
Of course—eradicate it, root and branch, without mercy.
Prince Lian's heir fell silent.
He truly feared death.
Who didn't?
But if death was his fate regardless, and he could choose between dragging his own kin down with him or taking Tian Sheng people to the grave, he would not hesitate to choose the latter.
The fury blazing in his chest was abruptly extinguished, as though doused in ice water.
At last, after a long silence, his voice came hoarse and low.
"What do you want me to do?"
…
Three days later, the long-awaited opening of Tian Waitian restaurant finally arrived.
Yun Shu had specially requested a day off from Grand Preceptor Ye. Before dawn had even broken, she set out with Yun Chuhuan, leaving the palace and heading straight for the restaurant.
She had assumed that arriving so early would mean the streets were quiet, with few people about.
Yet the moment they arrived, they discovered the street outside Tian Waitian was already jammed full—rows upon rows of people blocking every inch of space.
The din of chatter and arguments carried clearly, even from dozens of steps away.
"Heavens above! Why are there so many people?
Five hundred wen for a hundred dishes is certainly absurdly cheap, but are there really this many folks in the capital who can throw down five hundred wen just for a meal?
This is truly the capital!"
"What do you mean 'can afford it'? We're all here trying our luck!
Didn't they say you can enter the lottery with just one copper coin for a chance to eat for free?
Spots are limited. Of course we had to come early if we want even a sliver of hope!"
"You're all here for food? I came because I heard the restaurant is infused with dragon energy. Even in the dead of winter, it's warm like spring inside, without a single brazier!"
"No way, really?"
"Not entirely true. My neighbor's wife's elder sister's husband's younger cousin works at Tian Waitian. She said the warmth comes from some invention Her Highness created. It's called 'floor heating'.
If you ask me, the most attractive thing here isn't the heat—it's the dishes.
I heard these are recipes once reserved for the Emperor himself. Common folk like us never even got to see them, let alone taste them!"
"Heh heh, I've been starving myself since the day before yesterday just for this meal!"
…
"There are so many people!"
Inside the carriage, Yun Chuhuan lifted the curtain and peeked outside. He swallowed nervously.
"Fifth Sister, do you think I've got any luck?"
Yun Shu: "What?"
"Why ask that all of a sudden?"
"Well…"
Yun Chuhuan, eyes pitiful, fished a single copper coin out from his belt and held it up miserably.
"I was thinking maybe I could try for one of the free meal spots too."
"???"
Had her foolish younger brother been swapped?
This was the same Yun Chuhuan who once tossed around ten-thousand tael notes without batting an eye. Even with his allowance now reduced to a mere ten thousand taels per month, it was still an enormous sum.
So how could he be down to a single copper coin?
Yun Shu gave him a sidelong glance, clearly unimpressed.
"If you're regretting your earlier promise to support Tian Waitian now that your allowance has shrunk, just say so. What do you think one copper coin is going to do—buy goodwill?"
"No no no… You know how much I love the new dishes you came up with!"
Yun Chuhuan clutched that copper coin as though it were his last lifeline. His face twisted in anguish, on the verge of tears.
"I really only have this much left!
I found this one wen by chance, wedged in the crack of a brick!
If not for that, I wouldn't even have this!"
The look on the little troublemaker's face was so genuinely distressed that even Yun Shu, knowing full well he had no acting skills to speak of, began to feel puzzled.
"Where's your money? Don't you still get ten thousand taels a month?"
"…"
Did he really have to tell Fifth Sister something this humiliating?
Ugh. Fifth Sister would be so smug about it.
She'd never been punished before. Not once.
In fact, rumor had it that Imperial Father had sent her a new imperial edict just two days ago—along with yet another heap of rewards.
Those rewards might've come straight out of his own forfeited funds.
Clutching his lone copper coin, Yun Chuhuan finally cracked.
"I got punished again! Five hundred gold taels! Wuwuwu, Father Emperor is so heartless, docking five whole months of my allowance without hesitation!
And Mother Consort is even crueler! I begged her to split the fine over ten months, to just give me five thousand taels per month until it's paid. She refused! She said not a wen until the fine is fully paid! Wuwuwu!"
Yun Shu: "…"
"Enough."
Trying to stifle a laugh, she reached out and patted the sulking brat on the shoulder. For the sake of how generously he'd treated her in the past, she passed him a silver note worth one hundred taels.
"Here. Your share of the profits from the Capital Weekly."
"Profits?"
The sudden windfall of a whole hundred taels left Yun Chuhuan blank-faced, clutching the note in dazed confusion.
"Didn't you invest in the Capital Weekly earlier?"
Yun Shu raised a brow and explained casually.
"Since the initial investment was a bit steep, we've barely broken even so far.
Originally, I planned to wait until cheap paper became widely available. Then I'd rebrand it as the Capital Daily and shift to a low-margin, high-volume strategy.
Once the profits rolled in, I'd give you a much bigger share all at once.
But seeing you're in such dire straits now, I figured I'd give you your current portion first."
"…"
Yun Chuhuan didn't really understand all that "low-margin high-volume" talk. All he knew was that this investment, which he'd only made for bragging rights, had actually turned into a lifesaver just when he needed it most.
He stared at the silver note, once something he would've dismissed as pocket change. Now he gazed at it with reverence, flipping it over again and again.
Finally, with a flourish, he thrust the note at Yun Shu like it was worth a million taels.
"Five hundred wen for a meal, right? I'll buy ten! In advance!"
===
We've reached Chapter 100!
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