“Ptui! Useless fools! I told you to find a chef, and this is who you brought? What is this slop? Are you trying to poison me?”
Inside the Princess’s Residence, Xiao Wanyu furiously threw her chopsticks to the floor, her face livid with rage.
The palace maids instantly knelt down in terror, not daring to lift their heads.
“Princess, this is already the fifth chef we’ve hired. Are you still not satisfied?”
The maid looked at Xiao Wanyu with helplessness in her eyes. This was the fifth renowned chef they’d brought in over the past few days, yet Xiao Wanyu remained furious. One bite was all it took to set her off again.
They had all tried the food themselves and found nothing wrong with it. They truly didn’t understand why the Princess was still so dissatisfied—it felt like she was looking for trouble on purpose.
“Satisfied? How could I be satisfied? This is pig slop, absolutely disgusting.”
Xiao Wanyu’s face was filled with fury. She couldn’t believe anyone could serve food like this.
“Could it be… perhaps you’re just used to the Prince Consort’s cooking, so—”
“So what? Are you saying I’m doing this on purpose?”
Before the maid could finish, Xiao Wanyu’s cold gaze swept over her like a blade.
“This servant doesn’t dare, I don’t dare…”
“Princess, what’s gotten you so upset?”
At that tense moment, a man’s voice suddenly came from outside. Moments later, a graceful young gentleman entered, folding fan in hand. When he saw Xiao Wanyu, he gave her a warm smile and asked.
“Brother Yuanyi, you’re here.”
The anger on Xiao Wanyu’s face instantly vanished. She stood up quickly and walked to Ji Yuanyi, her voice soft.
“I’ve just returned from the Hanlin Academy. Since I was passing by, I thought I’d stop in to see the Princess. What could have made you so upset today?”
“But the Hanlin Academy isn’t on the way to the Princess’s Residence, is it?”
Xiao Wanyu blinked in surprise at his words.
Ji Yuanyi froze for a moment. Clearly, he hadn’t expected her to notice that detail—let alone call it out in front of everyone.
His face instantly showed a hint of embarrassment, clearly unsure how to respond.
“Oh, I get it! Brother Yuanyi, you purposely came to see me but felt embarrassed, so you made up an excuse, didn’t you?”
Seeing his expression, Xiao Wanyu immediately guessed the truth.
“Brother Yuanyi, if you want to see me, just come. The gates of my Princess’s Residence are always open to you. You can come whenever you want—there’s no need for excuses.”
Xiao Wanyu smiled brightly.
“Princess, although you and the Prince Consort are now divorced, you and I are not yet engaged. If I, an unrelated man, frequently enter the Princess’s Residence, it could stir up gossip and bring you trouble. If we had the Emperor’s blessing for marriage, no one would dare say a word.”
A glint flashed in Ji Yuanyi’s eyes as he sighed, playing the part of the gentleman burdened by propriety.
“True. It’s all Father’s fault for not granting the marriage sooner. He said we should wait for the divorce rumors to settle before making it official.”
“I really don’t understand what he’s afraid of. He’s the Emperor! Who would dare speak nonsense? Cut out their tongue, that’s what!”
“Alright then, Brother Yuanyi, I’ll go to the palace in a few days and urge Father to grant us the marriage right away.”
Xiao Wanyu looked at Ji Yuanyi with determination.
“Very well!”
Ji Yuanyi replied with a gentle smile.
“Just now I heard the Princess seemed displeased. May I ask what happened?”
Having achieved his goal, Ji Yuanyi glanced at her again. From outside the gates earlier, he’d already heard her shouting like a lioness.
“It’s nothing but these useless people! They can’t even find a decent chef. The food here is so awful I can’t even swallow it. I haven’t had a proper meal in days.”
Xiao Wanyu grumbled in frustration.
“I see… then how about this—Princess, would you allow me to take you out for a proper meal?”
“Brother Yuanyi, you’re taking me to eat something good? Where to?”
Xiao Wanyu’s eyes lit up at the offer.
“You may not have heard, but just yesterday, a new restaurant opened in the East Market. It’s called ‘Old Hai Li.’ Its cuisine and dining style are quite unique, very different from what we’re used to. I hear the taste is excellent. Why don’t we go try it together?”
Ji Yuanyi looked at her and suggested.
“Old Hai Li? What a strange name. Is it really that good?”
“Alright, then let’s go take a look. Let’s go, Brother Yuanyi.”
Xiao Wanyu agreed immediately and left with Ji Yuanyi, heading straight for the East Market.
…
“Your Highness, shall we return to the Princess Jinyang’s residence first?”
At that moment, a luxurious carriage entered the Capital. Guarded on all sides, bystanders quickly cleared the way, afraid to get too close.
“No need. Go straight to the palace.”
Inside the carriage, Princess Jinyang, Xiao Chuo, gave the order. She had no intention of returning to her residence.
Her heart surged with emotion, and her eyes gleamed with purpose.
She didn’t want to waste even a single moment. She had to seize this opportunity and take care of everything immediately. Only once all matters were settled could she finally relax. Otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to sleep soundly.
After all, she had waited two years for this opportunity. She absolutely could not let it slip away.
“Yes!”
Upon receiving her order, the carriage turned directly toward the palace.
…
“So, how was Changning today?”
In the palace, Emperor Xiao Yuanwu sat with the Empress, questioning the steward maid from the Princess’s Residence, eager to hear about Princess Changning’s recent state.
It had been several days since her divorce from Qin Yan, and both of them wanted to know how she was faring without him.
“Your Majesty, Your Highness, the Princess has been extremely irritable today. Dozens of palace maids and eunuchs have been punished. She’s been dissatisfied with the meals in the Princess’s Residence—five or six chefs have already been replaced, yet she remains unhappy.”
The steward maid didn’t dare hide anything and reported the situation honestly.
In short, everything was in chaos.
“Heh, it’s not that the chefs don’t suit her taste—it’s clearly that she misses the meals Qin Yan used to prepare for her. Now that he’s gone, even her appetite’s gone with him.”
Emperor Xiao Yuanwu sneered coldly. In an instant, he saw through it all.