After attending the morning court session, Rong Se made his routine round at Fusheng Pavilion. The new chefs were already skilled at whipping up the restaurant’s signature dishes, so aside from researching recipes back at the manor, Rong Se rarely came out to cook anymore, unless someone paid a high price to specifically request Fusheng to cook personally.
Just as he was preparing to leave, Blue Oriole hurried into the back courtyard and whispered, “Master, a table of guests in the private pavilion specifically requested that you prepare all our signature dishes. One of them is from the Zhu family.”
A flash of deep thought crossed Rong Se’s eyes. The Zhu family in Jinjing was undoubtedly part of Minister of Revenue Zhu Lanshan’s faction.
Previously, the restaurant with the best business in the capital was also an enterprise belonging to the Zhu family.
“They come with ill intentions,” Rong Se shook his head, rolling up his sleeves as he prepared to chop vegetables.
Blue Oriole muttered with some displeasure, “Are you really going to cook for them? This subordinate can just help you chase them away.”
“We run a business to open our doors; how can we chase customers away?” Rong Se said in a relaxed tone. “We cannot go against money.”
Besides, he was still waiting for people from the Zhu family to show up anyway.
Zhu Lanshan was undoubtedly a corrupt official and a core member of the old faction led by Cao Lun. Now, although the old eunuch Zheng Fu’s whereabouts remained unknown, were not the members of the protagonist group cropping up everywhere you looked?
In the original book, the destruction of the Yun family and the loss of all their loved ones were the handiwork of Zhang Haicheng, the Prefect of Jizhou.
Rong Se chopped the vegetables stroke by stroke, his expression growing increasingly gloomy and cold.
Fifteen years ago, during the fifth year of Yongshi, Emperor Rong Xu was on the throne. That year, a severe drought struck Jizhou. Yun Hexu, a scholar from Yunhe County, and his wife, Lady Yun Mei, donated supplies for disaster relief. Zhang Haicheng, who had just been promoted, requested disaster relief funds from the capital, but the silver was skimmed layer by layer. What actually reached Zhang Haicheng was nowhere near enough for relief, so under the pretext of a refugee rebellion, he raided thirteen commercial gentry families, among whom was the Mei family.
The Yun brothers only believed this was the work of Zhang Haicheng, but Rong Se knew clearly that while gentry families lived extravagantly and the Ministry of Revenue was indeed strapped for cash, Zhu Lanshan was certainly not poor. In fact, such vicious tricks as framing families and raiding their properties were all thought up by that bastard Zhu Lanshan.
In the original book, Liang Shenyu used precisely this information to persuade the Yun brothers to betray the original owner.
Rong Se placed the chopped vegetables into a plate, his expression somewhat cold. Preserving his own life was one aspect, but on the other hand, it was his own personal desire.
Rong Se had always known that he was merely an ordinary person, yet he still knew what right and wrong were. Even though he wasn’t noble enough to risk his life for chivalrous deeds, at least within the scope of his own abilities, he should do something. This was the faith of being born human; he would always believe in light and hope.
People who have been caught in the rain always want to hold an umbrella for others, too.
Besides, what Zhang Haicheng and Zhu Lanshan had done genuinely disgusted him.
Rong Se thought expressionlessly, wondering how Zhu Lanshan would react once he discovered that Fusheng Pavilion had stolen the business of Qifeng Residence, and then found out about such a cash cow as himself.
Only two people were seated in the private pavilion. The middle-aged man was luxuriously dressed and twirled an ivory folding fan in his hand, perfectly projecting the demeanor of a merchant. The other man looked slightly plump and fawned obsequiously, “Manager Zhu, why trouble someone of your stature with such a small matter? This lowly one will definitely get it done for you.”
Zhu Hong was a household servant of Zhu Lanshan, but even knowing he was just a slave, he was still a dog belonging to the Minister of Revenue. Outside, he could still put on arrogant airs, and even low-ranking officials had to show him respect.
“You’ll get it done?” Zhu Hong took a sip of tea and cast a cold glance at him. “Manager Xue, Fusheng Pavilion has turned into the premier restaurant in Jinjing.”
Xue Shao was the manager of Qifeng Residence, so he naturally knew this lord could not be offended. He awkwardly shut his mouth.
Qifeng Residence had always enjoyed soaring business, so he naturally hadn’t paid much attention to other restaurants in the capital. Relying on a towering tree for cool shade, who could have expected Fusheng Pavilion to rise to prominence in Jinjing within a mere month? By the time Qifeng Residence’s entrance became desolate and quiet, they realized the situation was amiss.
Coming here today was also for the purpose of tasting what Fusheng Pavilion’s dishes were truly like, and then persuading Fusheng Pavilion’s chef to seek greener pastures elsewhere.
Soon, the first dish of braised eggplant was served. With its rich aroma and bright colors, Zhu Hong’s expression grew much heavier as he took a bite.
The exterior was crispy while the inside was tender and soft, yet completely ungreasy, entirely different from the fried dishes produced in their own restaurant.
Zhu Hong’s expression shifted slightly, and he secretly thought that even the imperial chefs in the palace’s imperial kitchen probably didn’t possess such culinary skills!
The subsequent dishes were served one after another. Although the plating wasn’t particularly exquisite, the flavor and texture were truly one of a kind. Zhu Hong tasted them sequentially, his expression shifting from solemnity to excitement.
This was like striking gold!
When all the dishes were fully served nearly an hour later, Zhu Hong stopped the waiter and said, “Call your chef to see me.”
The waiter, long accustomed to the proprietor’s temperament, immediately refused, “Esteemed guest, I am truly sorry, but our proprietor does not receive guests.”
“Proprietor?” Zhu Hong pondered for a brief moment, not expecting that the one who made these dishes was actually Fusheng Pavilion’s proprietor. Then, he said with meaningful implication, “My master serves as an official in the court. Your proprietor had better not put on airs and miss out on a great stroke of fortune!”
Catching the underlying meaning, the waiter dared not cause offense and said with a bitter face, “Guest, please wait a moment. This lowly one will go report this to our proprietor.”
This wasn’t the first time such an incident had occurred, and the waiter still couldn’t figure out why their proprietor always avoided these big figures. He sighed as he went out, tracked down Blue Oriole, who was dressed in a light blue long skirt, and relayed the whole matter.
Blue Oriole was holding a plate of grapes chilled in a well. Looking unimpressed, she said, “Alright, I’ll go meet them.”
She handed the grapes to the waiter, not forgetting to instruct, “Deliver these to the proprietor. It’s so hot outside, and the kitchen is still burning fires; make sure the proprietor doesn’t get overheated.”
Though young, Blue Oriole had a fine figure, stunning beauty, bright eyes, white teeth, jade-like skin, and alluring phoenix eyes, though she always carried the untamed air of a wanderer of the pugilist world. With brisk movements, she pushed open the door and smiled at the two men inside, “I hear the two esteemed guests wish to see our proprietor. Let this maid offer my apologies on their behalf; our proprietor does not see outsiders.”
Zhu Hong’s initial amazement turned into gloom upon hearing this. He tapped his ivory fan against his palm, speaking pointedly, “Young lady, aren’t you speaking a bit too prematurely?”
Blue Oriole had already received instructions from her master not to give them any pleasant faces, so she immediately let out a fake, mirthless laugh and scoffed, “Not premature at all. Our proprietor never sees guests. We open our doors to do business; if guests come to eat, then eat properly. As for anything else, it’s really unnecessary. And as for this, Manager Xue, right?”
Blue Oriole glanced briefly at Xue Shao. “You are also a restaurant manager. Showing the grace to come dine here today surely doesn’t mean you came looking for trouble, does it?”
Having his identity called out directly, Xue Shao wasn’t flustered thanks to having Zhu Hong backing him up. He scoffed with a laugh, “Young lady, seeing that you are so young, let me offer you a few pointers. Don’t be blind to greatness and offend a person of noble status!”
Zhu Hong also said with a gloomy expression, “Just a cook, putting on airs. Don’t end up regretting it!”
“Guests don’t need to trouble yourselves,” Blue Oriole offered a smiling, graceful curtsy, then turned and left without lingering to spar with them further.
Both Xue Shao and Zhu Hong were left stunned.
It was as if she had merely come over to drop a single sentence telling them that their proprietor wouldn’t see them, and then left cleanly without any room for negotiation.
Seeing Zhu Hong’s face darken like ink, Xue Shao immediately chimed in, “This little girl is utterly lacking in manners! Managing Zhu, what should we do now?”
A ruthless glint flashed across Zhu Hong’s eyes as he let out a low laugh, “A mere cook dares to be this arrogant? There will come a time when he’s crying!”
Xue Shao immediately buttered up, “Yes, yes, yes.”