That sort of competitive scarcity tactic was addictive.
Even the formidable General Wei Yuan couldn't help but wander through the first-floor dining area several times. Eventually, he clapped a robust man on the shoulder—someone whose table was stacked with empty plates—and asked, "So, how's the food here?"
"Delicious!"
The man, who had been quietly gorging himself in a corner seat, had paid no mind to the commotion at the counter earlier and certainly didn't recognize General Wei Yuan. He assumed the man questioning him was someone hesitant to spend five hundred coins on a meal and wanted to know if it was worth the price.
So, he launched into a passionate pitch.
"Brother, if you've got the coin, you really ought to try it! I've never had anything this good before. Word is, these dishes used to be exclusive to His Majesty himself! The life the Emperor lives… truly enviable."
General Wei Yuan: "..."
Honestly, he'd attended many palace banquets before.
But quite a few of the dishes served in this restaurant were ones he had never seen at those banquets. Still, the food must be genuinely good—everyone around him was eating with unrestrained joy, not pausing even for conversation.
If the first floor was already this good, then the second floor...
Gulp.
He swallowed involuntarily.
Perhaps he should go home and try persuading his wife. Maybe they could start with a silver-tier membership? That would save them ten percent.
From the upper floor, Yun Shu observed this moment and smiled.
"Even General Wei Yuan is tempted. The heat is just about right."
She did have some natural business sense, didn't she? Well, it was all common practice in the modern world.
Satisfied with General Wei Yuan's conflicted expression, Yun Shu turned and withdrew to the private room on the fourth floor.
"Your Highness."
Almost as soon as she stepped inside, Ah Ku appeared at her side.
Noting the presence of Yun Chuhuan, Cen Yiyi, and Ting Xue, Ah Ku didn't speak aloud. He leaned forward and whispered a few words into Yun Shu's ear.
Yun Shu paused, then sighed internally.
Could she not even have a moment of peace?
Of course that damned Crown Prince had come with ulterior motives!
"Find a way to discreetly switch that item," she instructed in a low voice.
Once Ah Ku departed, she took a sip of tea without a trace of emotion. Then, under the curious gazes of Yun Chuhuan and the others—who clearly wanted to ask but weren't sure if they could—she slammed her teacup heavily onto the table.
"Outrageous! I must return to the palace and report this to Father Emperor!"
Yun Chuhuan, Cen Yiyi, and Liu Ziming: "???"
What just happened? Did the tea fail to calm her down and instead make her even angrier?
Now fully sated and eager for some excitement, Yun Chuhuan jumped to his feet. "Fifth Sister, I'll go back to the palace with you!"
"No need."
Yun Shu curtly dismissed him. "Who knows what might happen here while I'm gone? You stay and keep an eye on things. This Princess refuses to be the victim of another plot by conniving scoundrels."
Yun Chuhuan: "?"
He opened his mouth to ask more, but Cen Yiyi tugged on his sleeve, yanking him back into his seat.
"Ow!!"
When did this crybaby get such a strong grip? He rubbed his tailbone in pain, glaring at Cen Yiyi.
"What was that for?!"
Startled at first by his outburst, Cen Yiyi then remembered Yun Shu's earlier reassurance: as long as she remained under Yun Shu's protection, Yun Chuhuan wouldn't dare harm her over small matters.
She clenched her fists and gave herself a silent pep talk.
A few seconds later, she shouted back, "Why are you yelling? Didn't you hear what Her Highness just said? We need to stay here and keep watch!"
Yun Chuhuan: "!!!"
Not only was he stunned, but so were Liu Ziming and even Xiao Anzi.
The timid young lady from the Cen family had just yelled at the Sixth Prince—and he didn't even retaliate!
Incredible!
Still reeling from the shock of watching a former crybaby transform into a fiery little pepper, Yun Chuhuan didn't know how to react.
Meanwhile, Cen Yiyi felt fantastic.
If she had known she could stand up to him like this, she wouldn't have endured so much before!
Snorting coldly at Yun Chuhuan, she straightened her back with a serious look.
"Her Highness was clear. Someone in this restaurant is trying to harm her."
...
Back in the private room, Yun Chuhuan finally regained his composure. The small group—none of whom were over twenty-five—began seriously analyzing who the villain might be.
Elsewhere, having given Wukong a few additional instructions, Yun Shu had already boarded her carriage. Now that she was alone, her expression eased completely, none of the earlier fury in sight.
The Crown Prince plotting against her? That had always been within expectations.
What was there to be angry about?
If anyone should be frustrated, it was the Crown Prince himself—his scheme was doomed to fail today.
The carriage rocked gently as it made its way back to the palace. Yun Shu wasted no time. The moment she stepped off, she strode directly toward the Imperial Study.
"Father Emperor, you must see justice done for your daughter!"
Splat.
Her indignant yet surprisingly strong voice rang out from outside the door. Inside, Emperor Xuanwu's hand jerked, sending a splash of ink across the painting he'd been laboring on in a rare moment of leisure.
His mouth twitched as he set down his brush with a sigh, lifting his gaze toward the furious figure who stormed in.
"Did you not say you would oversee the restaurant's opening today? What is this nonsense now?"
"Father Emperor, Crown Prince Brother appears to have tried to poison your daughter!"
"..."
Those reckless words erased what little mirth remained on Emperor Xuanwu's face. His expression turned grave.
"Do you understand what you're saying? 'Appears to have tried'? Are you telling Us this accusation is based on guesswork? Do not tell Us that you have no proof and came here fueled by imagination."
"Your daughter may be unreliable, but not that unreliable."
Fuming at being doubted, Yun Shu puffed up.
"If you don't believe me, surely you trust the secret guards you assigned me? Today, with the restaurant opening, I saw Crown Prince Brother come by. I felt uneasy, so I had one of your guards shadow him in case any assassins tried to harm him. If anything had happened, I, the princess who has clashed with the Empress, would be the first to be suspected.
But instead of finding assassins, the guard saw Crown Prince Brother slipping something into his own food."