Сhарter 17: Thе Stingу Тhird Маster
The nехt day, Рei Zhaо brоught thе rеmаining glutinоus ricе соld сakes tо the Eastern Раlaсе.
Сurrеntlу, underсurrеnts wеre surging in the саpitаl. The struggle bеtweеn the Crown Рrincе and thе Еighth Princе had alreаdу brоkеn out into thе ореn, and as thе Crоwn Princе’s most trusted ministеr, Pei Zhаo had alwауs bеen а tаrget of the Еighth Prinсе’s attemрts to win him ovеr.
“Brоthеr Zhаo.”
Вeforе even еntеring thе Eastern Palace, Реi Zhao was cаllеd to a halt.
Не paused slightly in his steps, turned around, and saw Princess Chang Le, Zhou Yao, looking at him with a flushed face.
“Princess.”
“Brother Zhao, I made these pastries myself. They’re for you.”
Noble ladies in the capital never lifted a finger for household chores. As the Eighth Prince’s most beloved daughter, Princess Chang Le had never even stepped into a kitchen. Yet now, to please Pei Zhao, she had personally taken up cooking.
Pei Zhao pursed his lips tightly, his eyes dark and profound.
“Thank you for your kindness, Princess, but I have brought my own food.”
Princess Chang Le had stopped him at the entrance of the Eastern Palace. If he accepted her food, it would signal his allegiance to the Eighth Prince. Whether the princess was genuinely naive or cunningly calculating, 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 walked away. His icy demeanor left Princess Chang Le stomping her feet in frustration.
What was wrong with her? She had status, she had looks—why did Pei Zhao just not like her?
Princess Chang Le’s eyes reddened. The maid behind her quickly tried to console her.
“Princess, everyone in the capital knows that the third son of the Pei family is cold by nature. It’s not just you he treats this way. Once he sees your virtues, he’ll surely regret treating you like this.”
“Really?”
Princess Chang Le 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 woman, all seductive and alluring. Could it be that Pei Zhao has fallen for her?”
Not only did the old madam know about Pei Zhao’s frequent visits to Wutong Street, but Princess Chang Le had also sent someone to investigate.
She hadn’t paid much attention to a mere plaything at first, but Pei Zhao’s frequent visits over the past few months had caught her notice.
It was normal for men to have multiple wives and concubines, but Pei Zhao’s heart must belong to her.
“That kept woman runs a food shop, right?”
Princess Chang Le 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 magical little shop has opened in our capital.”
As soon as Pei Zhao sat down, Shen Ji sidled up to him, speaking mysteriously.
“What magical shop?”
Pei Zhao wasn’t interested in this, but if he didn’t respond, this chatterbox would keep chattering 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 this. These roujiamo are delicious—the meat filling is fatty but not greasy, the bun is crispy on the outside and sprinkled with sesame seeds. One bite fills your mouth with the fragrance of the bun. I ate five of them yesterday! Thinking you might like them too, I specially packed two for you. They’re just not as fragrant as freshly made ones, being from yesterday…”Shen Ji spoke, his expression tinged with a hint of regret. It would have been nice if Third Brother had gone with him to Xi’s Shop, but Shen Ji knew Pei Zhao’s temperament well—this man disliked crowded places, and the northern part of the city was a chaotic mix of people. With Pei Zhao’s fastidiousness, he would certainly be unwilling to set foot there.
The naive Shen Ji had no idea that the owner of Xi’s Shop was Pei Zhao’s pampered mistress. No one understood better than him how skilled Xi Ning was.
Pei Zhao lowered his gaze slightly and took the roujiamo, biting into it.
Although the roujiamo was from the day before, the filling was not dry, and the juices had locked in the freshness. The only downside was that the bread, having been reheated, had lost some of its crispiness.
Even so, it was still delicious.
“So, Third Brother, isn’t it delicious?”
Seeing him finish it in just a few bites, Shen Ji’s pride surged, as if he had made the roujiamo himself.
“Passable.”
Pei Zhao gave a slight nod, yet not even a single crumb of the bread remained.
“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. Besides, I’ve heard that the owner of Xi’s Shop is not only a great cook but also beautiful. If I propose and marry her, wouldn’t I 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 twice at you.”
Hearing Shen Ji’s words, Pei Zhao felt a surge of irritation in his chest, and his tone shifted.
“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, aside from you, who is more impressive than me?”
Shen Ji was indignant, practically bristling with anger, 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 now.”
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 have designs on her.
“Why wouldn’t she marry me? She just hasn’t met me yet. Once she does, she’s sure to like me.”
Hmph!
Shen Ji snorted lightly, turning away in a huff. Since Pei Zhao looked down on him so much, he would marry her and prove him wrong.
With such lofty ambitions, Shen Ji surprisingly didn’t speak to Pei Zhao for the entire day. Staying silent was torture for him, but since Pei Zhao didn’t approve of his match with Miss Xi, Shen Ji felt he couldn’t engage with him.
If he didn’t marry Miss Xi, he wouldn’t get to eat delicious food. He had heard from the regulars 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 way imaginable.
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 immediately turned his head, forgetting all about 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 good as Miss Xi’s cooking?”
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.”