Blissful Days After Widowhood - Chapter 485

In contrast to Feng Yu, who could only assign a few inconspicuous individuals within his household, Emperor Zhengyuan had eyes within the Feng family—someone who used to be a subordinate of Feng Yuan and served as a guard in Duke Lu’s Mansion.

As Mrs. Qin and Mrs. Lu engaged in their heated exchange, the words exchanged were not entirely private. Those skilled in martial arts could discern a significant portion of their conversation. A spy compiled their words into several pages, which were promptly delivered to the imperial palace overnight.

Emperor Zhengyuan then learned a crucial piece of information—the Lu family had presented a dowry ranging from 200,000 to 300,000 taels!

This substantial sum, even for the revered ruler of the nation, was not insignificant. The Feng family, already powerful, had gained additional wealth, and having a military background with past leadership roles raised concerns about their loyalty.

The prospect of a powerful family with considerable funds was unsettling. Fearing potential instability, Emperor Zhengyuan took action that night, dispatching investigators to thoroughly examine the financial affairs of the Feng family.

Within two days, the Emperor discovered that, following the marriage into the Lu family, the Fengs had not acquired any new properties or hired additional personnel. However, Look up to Heaven they operated became increasingly profitable.

This provided some reassurance to Emperor Zhengyuan, but not complete satisfaction. The profitability of the Look up to Heaven eased his concerns a bit, but he remained vigilant. He understood that if the restaurant faced losses again, it would be challenging to replenish the considerable sum of two to three hundred thousand taels. Consequently, he ordered further investigations to continue.

In the course of the inquiry, attention turned to Yonghe Palace. During that period, Concubine Feng had displayed considerable generosity, frequently rewarding individuals with one hundred taels for various tasks.

Unaware of the circumstances behind Concubine Feng’s behavior—resulting from her conflict with Qian Sansi, who orchestrated a deliberate neglect of her needs—Emperor Zhengyuan had the palace servants of Yonghe Palace arrested for some mild interrogation. Through this process, he learned that, in recent months, Concubine Feng had spent tens of thousands of taels solely on rewarding palace servants.

Emperor Zhengyuan found this expenditure unacceptable. While rewarding palace servants with a few taels for errands was customary, the act of spending hundreds of taels in total and more than 10,000 taels overall exceeded the bounds of a reward and could be interpreted as bribery.

The situation with Duke Lu’s Mansion kept Emperor Zhengyuan awake at night, and the presence of someone in the palace attempting to win the favor of palace staff, coupled with the extravagant spending by Concubine Feng, raised concerns. If Lu Xu were not merely four years old and Emperor Zhengyuan had no prior knowledge of Feng Yuan, he might have suspected that the family was plotting a rebellion.

Putting aside the question of conspiracy, the interrogation of the palace servants from Yonghe Palace yielded more than just financial details. The revealed how Concubine Feng had instigated the wet nurse to continually caution Lu Xu to be wary of Gu Ye.

Summoning the wet nurse for questioning, Emperor Zhengyuan discovered that the information matched the previous accounts. The wet nurse repeated many of Concubine Feng’s original words, providing additional cause for concern.

Emperor Zhengyuan had initially hoped that Lu Xu, despite being influenced by Concubine Feng, could be molded into a better individual as he grew older. Consequently, he allowed Lu Xu to reside in the Xiefang Hall, attending classes and sharing meals with Gu Ye. It was clear that the Emperor intended for the two brothers to live harmoniously.

However, Concubine Feng’s continuous attempts to sow discord between the brothers frustrated Emperor Zhengyuan. The actions of that family had caused concern before, and this latest development pushed Emperor Zhengyuan to his limit. After regaining composure, he acknowledged that Concubine Feng had given birth to Lu Xu for him, and, upon looking at the child’s face, decided not to diminish her status. Instead of dismissing her, he dealt with the bribes alongside the palace servants to cleanse the palace.

As for Duke Lu’s Mansion outside the palace, Emperor Zhengyuan took a different approach. He sent two beauties with the most uneasy temperaments, stating that he had heard about Feng Yuan’s loss. As Feng Yu had been residing in the palace for an extended period, and Feng Yuan had no other children, Emperor Zhengyuan sent the two beauties to extend the family lineage. This was seen as a reward to Duke Lu after disciplining Concubine Feng—a mix of punishment and reward that seemed reasonable.

The potential results of sending the two beauties to Duke Lu and the dynamics between the Feng and Lu families evolving from in-laws to enemies were not within the jurisdiction of Emperor Zhengyuan. The outcomes of such matters were beyond his control.

Since the previous altercation, Gu Yin had rarely heard news about Duke Lu from Gu Ye. With Concubine Feng falling out of favor, unable to leave the palace and convey information, and the Feng family occupied with internal matters, Gu Yin naturally stopped worrying about affairs that were not her own and finally found some peace.

 …… 

In mid-May, Chef Xu arrived in the capital accompanied by two young apprentices.

Regarding the base camp in Hanshan Town, the apprentices, having undergone extensive training, began instructing other chefs in the restaurant. After a year of preparation, both Chef Xu and his apprentices set off from Hanshan Town.

Chef Xu took some time to familiarize them with the operational dynamics of fast-food restaurants, enabling them to operate independently.

Separated for over half a year, Gu Yin dearly missed not only her apprentice but also the two with him. With a free day at hand, and Wu Qingyi also at home, the two decided to visit the city and reunite with them.

Upon reaching the pier, the carriage was parked at its edge, and amidst the bustling crowd, Gu Yin spotted Chef Xu standing out prominently. Accompanied by Cai Dao and Zhen Ban, they carried several sizable bags.

As they disembarked from the boat, the trio, one portly and two slender, navigated through the crowd towards the spacious area, wearing blank expressions on their faces.

When Gu Yin and Wu Qingyi sought them out, they overheard Chef Xu exclaim, “My dear, this is the capital. If nothing else, this pier alone is several times bigger than the one in our town!”

Both were taken aback, and in response to Chef Xu’s words, they simply nodded without uttering a word.

Chef Xu mused to himself, “I don’t know if the master’s ‘Food of Heaven’ in the capital is open or not. If we inquire, can we find out the location?”

Given the abundance of restaurants, finding the right one could be challenging. If it mirrored the setup in Hanshan Town, with a single branch enjoying good business, they might have success in their inquiry. However, Chef Xu expressed concern, “There are as many stalls on the wharf as there are small store… How long has it been since she came to the capital! She always reports good news but no bad news, and doesn’t like to disturb others. I tell you, in case ‘Food of Heaven’ business here in the capital is not as good as we thought, you two are not allowed to show disappointment. You can’t make that Old Master unhappy!”

In response, Gu Yin, both helpless and amused, asked, “Am I the ‘Old Master’?”

Chef Xu and his two young apprentices quickly turned their heads toward the voice, shouting simultaneously in surprise, “Master.” 

More excited than his apprentices, Chef Xu’s eyes welled up with tears. He began wiping his eyes, saying, “Master, you are so cruel. You said that you would check the situation around here first, and after settling down, you would send someone to pick us up. But it’s been a while…”

Gu Yin apologized sincerely, “I’m truly sorry. Managing the business here is not as easy as I thought, and it’s only this year that our family’s business could be considered settled.”

Chef Xu nodded understandingly and then continued, “During this time, thinking of you, I couldn’t eat well, and I couldn’t sleep well. Don’t leave us in the future.” His words were heartfelt, and Gu Yin couldn’t help but feel excited at the reunion of master and apprentice.

However, Chef Xu appeared more robust and rosy than when they had last parted, making his words seem somewhat incongruent.