Yu Zhizhi began stir-frying scallions, ginger, and garlic. After frying them until golden, she added a jar of fermented paste and kept stirring continuously. After a quarter of an hour, when the sauce turned reddish-brown, she added the mashed chili paste.
Repeating the same motion, she kept stir-frying.
“Achoo!”
“Achoo!”
The kitchen was filled with a strong spicy aroma. Not only Yu Zhizhi, but even Aunt He kept sneezing.
Next, Yu Zhizhi added Sichuan peppercorns, sugar lumps, and rice wine.
Finally, she added the ground spice powder and continued stir-frying.
It took her more than an hour to finish making the hot pot base.
That was already considered fast.
Even if she had spent several more hours refining it, the Sixth Prince—tasting hot pot for the first time in his life—might not even notice the subtle differences.
So she was already being very sincere.
The aroma of the hot pot base was rich and overpowering. While she was cooking, the fragrance drifted out through the cracks in the door, attracting Yun Haodong, Fang Lanzhu, and Yun Xiaocheng.
But after staying for a while, they couldn’t take it anymore and covered their noses.
Yu Zhizhi had no choice but to chase them away.
After all, there were already two people suffering in there—no need to add more.
At dawn.
Yu Zhizhi didn’t sleep in. After waking up, she did a simple grooming.
Her mother had bought her more than ten new outfits yesterday, likely knowing she left the Prime Minister’s residence with nothing.
Perhaps she also didn’t want her to keep wearing Yun Yuqing’s old clothes.
In the end, she chose a light purple pleated skirt.
Passing through the front courtyard, she ran into her father, Yun Haodong.
“Daughter, are you heading out?”
“Yes. I’m going to buy some ingredients.”
She had already told them last night that she would be hosting the Sixth Prince today to resolve their misunderstanding.
They naturally had no objections.
After all, the Sixth Prince’s status was far beyond that of their small merchant family.
“Let Ping’an go with you.”
He Ping’an, the son of Uncle He and Aunt He, usually drove the carriage and ran errands.
Yu Zhizhi thought for a moment and agreed.
She had many types of ingredients to buy—though each portion wasn’t large, together they would be too much to carry alone.
Besides, she also needed to go to Fuju Restaurant in advance.
Watching Yu Zhizhi buy beef and fatty slices at the butcher’s stall, then purchase beef tripe, omasum, and aorta, He Ping’an couldn’t help asking:
“Miss, are you really using these organs for cooking?”
“Of course.”
“That’s not advisable—the smell is too strong.”
If the Sixth Prince found out she was using such smelly offal to entertain him, their misunderstanding might only worsen.
“Don’t worry!”
Yu Zhizhi had her methods.
For her, hot pot without offal wasn’t complete.
She even wanted to buy duck intestines and pig’s blood later.
If the Sixth Prince didn’t eat them, she would.
She couldn’t just sit there as decoration—and she had prepared enough for three people anyway.
Whenever she ate hot pot, she had the appetite of two.
Half an hour later, after all the ingredients were bought, Yu Zhizhi instructed He Ping’an:
“Take these back, wash them thoroughly, and have Aunt He prepare a pot of pork bone broth.”
“Understood, Miss.”
Yu Zhizhi also carefully explained how to clean the offal.
However, she planned to handle the beef and fatty slices herself, since slicing meat for hot pot required precision—otherwise it would affect the texture.
After that, she rushed to the blacksmith’s shop to pick up the copper hot pot stove, then hurried straight to Fuju Restaurant.
Fuju Restaurant was the top establishment in the entire Chu Yun Kingdom—if compared to modern times, it would easily be a five-star restaurant.
Especially the main branch in Haidong District, where only the wealthy and powerful dined.
Naturally, the prices there were anything but cheap.
In the past, the original host and He Yang had frequented this place often and were considered regulars.
But today, Yu Zhizhi wasn’t here to dine.
Carefully carrying the copper hot pot stove, she entered Fuju Restaurant—only to be stopped by two servers at the entrance.
What was this supposed to mean?
Were they worried she couldn’t afford the bill now?
They wouldn’t even let her in.
Yu Zhizhi refused to accept it and shouted, “I want to see your manager! Otherwise, I’ll go outside and spread the word that your restaurant looks down on common people!”
“You—”
One of the servers got angry and was about to grab her when Manager Luo quickly stepped in to stop him.
With his round belly, Manager Luo walked over slowly, smiling.
“Miss Yu—oh, no, I should call you Miss Yun now. What can I do for you?”
This smiling fox had cheated the original host many times before—always recommending the most expensive dishes and wine.
“Manager Luo, let’s talk somewhere private.”
They moved to a private room on the second floor.
Yu Zhizhi got straight to the point. “I’m here to rent a private room.”
Manager Luo’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“You want to rent a room without dining here?”
Yu Zhizhi nodded.
He was half right—she wasn’t refusing to eat, she just wasn’t ordering food.
She had brought her own hot pot and ingredients.
Manager Luo refused outright. “No!”
What kind of customer comes to a restaurant just to rent a room and order nothing?
How would the restaurant make money?
“I’m only renting it for one day.”
Yu Zhizhi looked at him with a sly smile. “If you refuse, I’ll expose the fact that you sold me fake wine before.”
He Yang had told the original host about this, though she hadn’t cared at the time.
But now it was useful leverage.
Manager Luo’s flickering eyes confirmed the truth.
Afraid she would make a scene, he had no choice but to agree.
Yu Zhizhi nodded in satisfaction. “So, how much is the rent?”
Manager Luo held up five fingers. “Five hundred coins for a day.”
What a rip-off.
Yu Zhizhi scoffed. “Why don’t you just rob me? One hundred coins.”
Manager Luo was displeased. “Impossible! Renting to you costs us at least three taels in lost business. Five hundred coins is already cheap.”
Yu Zhizhi sneered. “The Jade Luochun Peach Blossom Wine you sold me cost one tael per bottle. Are you sure it was authentic?”
“If I report you, and it’s proven fake, you’ll have to compensate triple. You can calculate the loss yourself.”
Grinding his teeth, Manager Luo glared at her. “Fine! One hundred coins it is!”
Goal achieved, Yu Zhizhi glanced around the room.
Not too big, not too small—just right.
“I’ll take this one.”
Seeing Manager Luo hesitate again, she shot him a cold look, and he immediately backed down.
“Do you sell charcoal here?”
Why would she need charcoal?
Was she planning something drastic?
Renting a private room… closing the door…
The more Manager Luo thought about it, the more frightened he became, cold sweat breaking out on his forehead.