The next day, Pei Zhao brought the remaining glutinous rice cold cakes to the Eastern Palace.
Currently, undercurrents were surging in the capital. The struggle between the Crown Prince and Prince Xian had already erupted into the open, and Pei Zhao, as the Crown Prince’s most trusted minister, had always been a target of Prince Xian’s attempts to win him over.
“Brother Zhao.”
Before even entering the Eastern Palace, Pei Zhao was called to a halt.
His steps paused slightly as he turned to look. Princess Changle, Zhou Yao, was gazing at him with a flushed face.
“Princess.”
“Brother Zhao, these are pastries I made myself, for you to eat.”
Noble ladies in the capital never soiled their hands with menial tasks. As Prince Xian’s most beloved daughter, Princess Changle had never even stepped into a kitchen. Yet now, to please Pei Zhao, she had personally taken up cooking.
Pei Zhao pressed his lips tightly together, his eyes dark and profound.
“Thank you for your kindness, Princess, but I have brought my own food.”
Princess Changle had stopped him at the entrance of the Eastern Palace. If he accepted the food, it would signify his allegiance to Prince Xian. Whether the princess was truly naive or deeply scheming, Pei Zhao wanted nothing to do with her.
“I have official duties to attend to and must take my leave.”
After saying this, Pei Zhao bowed slightly and departed. His icy demeanor left Princess Changle stomping her feet in frustration.
What was wrong with her? She had status, she had looks—why did Pei Zhao simply not like her?
Princess Changle’s eyes reddened, and the maid behind her quickly tried to console her.
“Princess, everyone in the capital knows that the third son of the Pei family has a cold temperament. He isn’t just like this with you. Once he sees your virtues, he will surely regret treating you this way.”
“Really?”
Princess Changle sniffled, half-believing the maid’s words.
“Of course,” the maid replied, steeling herself.
“But there’s already another woman by his side—that kept mistress, alluring and seductive. Could it be that Pei Zhao has taken a liking to her?”
Not only did Old Madam know about Pei Zhao’s frequent visits to Wutong Street, but Princess Changle had also sent someone to investigate.
She hadn’t paid much mind to a mere plaything, but Pei Zhao’s frequent visits over the past few months had caught her attention.
It was normal for a man to have multiple wives and concubines, but Pei Zhao’s heart must belong to her.
“That kept mistress runs a food shop, right?”
Princess Changle tossed the food box to the maid, twisting her handkerchief as she gritted her teeth and asked.
“Yes, it’s in the northern part of the city.”
“Good! Let’s go and meet her!”
…
“Third Brother, did you know? A divine shop has opened in our capital.”
As soon as Pei Zhao sat down, Shen Ji sidled up to him, speaking mysteriously.
“What divine shop?”
Pei Zhao wasn’t interested in this, but if he didn’t engage with Shen Ji, the chatterbox would prattle in his ear all day.
Shen Ji pulled out an oil-paper package from his robe. When he opened it, steam wafted out, carrying the aroma of meat mixed with scallions. Pei Zhao couldn’t help but glance over.
“It’s this Xi’s Shop, located in the northern part of the city. If I weren’t such a foodie and a wanderer, I’d never have discovered it.”
Shen Ji looked proud as he handed the oil-paper package to Pei Zhao.
“Third Brother, try it. This roujiamo is delicious—the meat filling is fatty but not greasy, the bread is crispy on the outside with sesame seeds, and every bite fills your tongue with the fragrance of the bread. I ate five of them yesterday! Thinking you might like them too, I specially packed two for you. Though, overnight ones aren’t as fragrant as freshly made ones…”Shen Ji spoke, his expression tinged with a hint of regret on the surface. It would have been nice if Third Brother had gone with him to Xi’s Shop, but Shen Ji understood Pei Zhao’s temperament. This man disliked crowded places, and with the northern part of the city being a chaotic mix of people, Pei Zhao’s fastidiousness would surely keep him from setting foot there.
The simple-minded Shen Ji had no idea that the owner of Xi’s Shop was Pei Zhao’s pampered mistress. No one knew better than him how skilled Xi Ning was with her craft.
Pei Zhao lowered his gaze slightly and took the roujiamo, taking a bite.
Although the roujiamo was from the previous day, the meat filling wasn’t dry, and the juices had locked in the freshness. The only downside was that the crust had lost some of its crispiness after being reheated.
Even so, it was still delicious.
“How is it, Third Brother? Isn’t it delicious?”
Seeing him finish it in just a few bites, Shen Ji’s pride surged in his eyes, as if he had made the roujiamo himself.
“Passable.”
Pei Zhao nodded lightly, not even leaving behind a single crumb of the crust.
“If you like it, Third Brother, let’s go to the northern part of the city today. Xi’s Shop has so many delicious things, and I’ve also heard that the shop’s owner not only cooks well but is also beautiful. Do you think if I propose and marry her into our family, I’ll have endless delicious food to eat in the future?”
Shen Ji rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought, completely unaware that the man beside him had turned livid.
“You want to marry?”
Shen Ji scratched his head. “Not really, but if it’s Miss Xi, I could reluctantly agree.”
“Hmph, she wouldn’t look at you twice.”
Hearing Shen Ji’s words, Pei Zhao felt a surge of irritation in his chest, and his tone changed.
“Third Brother, how can you say that? I’m the legitimate son of the Minister’s household. What right does a mere cook have to look down on me? Has she even met any other distinguished men? In the capital, besides you, who is more impressive than me?”
Shen Ji was indignant, his whole body bristling, while Pei Zhao remained indifferent.
“Hmm.”
“Hmm? What do you mean by that, Third Brother?”
Does Miss Xi look down on him, or does she have a better match in mind?
His mind was slow, unable to grasp Pei Zhao’s meaning.
“She won’t marry you. Give up on that idea sooner rather than later.”
After saying this, Pei Zhao pushed him away in disgust. This childhood friend not only stole his food but now also wanted to steal his woman. Even if he didn’t like Xi Ning, he would never allow Shen Ji to covet her.
“Why wouldn’t she marry me? She just hasn’t met me yet. Once she does, she’ll definitely like me.”
Hmph!
Shen Ji snorted lightly and turned away in a huff. Since Pei Zhao looked down on him so much, he would marry her and prove him wrong.
Filled with such lofty ambitions, Shen Ji surprisingly didn’t speak to Pei Zhao for an entire day. Staying silent was torture for him, but since Pei Zhao didn’t approve of his potential match with Miss Xi, Shen Ji felt he couldn’t engage with him.
If he couldn’t marry Miss Xi, he wouldn’t get to eat delicious food. He had heard from the regular customers at the shop that Miss Xi knew how to make many dishes, all of which he had never tried before.
Once he married her, he would definitely have Miss Xi cook for him in every possible way.
Thinking of those delicious foods, Shen Ji swallowed his drool.
Pei Zhao silently shifted his seat, moving farther away from him.
He didn’t want to admit that this glutton was his friend.
However, after being busy for half the day, Pei Zhao was also hungry.
He took out the glutinous rice cold cake, and sensing the presence of something delicious, Shen Ji abruptly turned his head, completely forgetting his vow not to speak to Pei Zhao.
“Is this also made by your family’s cook?”
“No.”Pei Zhao swallowed a piece of cold cake, the sweet taste making him squint in enjoyment.
Shen Ji drooled with envy, “Where did you buy that? Is it as delicious as what Miss Xi makes?”
In his mind, Miss Xi was now the best cook, and every chef had to be compared to her.
Pei Zhao lowered his gaze slightly, a smug smile curling at the corner of his mouth.
“It’s just as delicious, but you can’t have any.”