Pei Liang was familiar with those plaques. After all, they belonged to the leading members of the culinary alliance she had founded herself, all of them famous grand restaurants throughout Jiangnan.
Though institutions resembling it had also existed in the original novel, they differed in scale, function, and operating model.
One of its functions was to protect member establishments when they came under malicious attack.
For instance, if local hooligans came looking for trouble, the association would contact the neighborhood boss and find out what was really going on.
Was it merely some small-time thugs acting on their own? Had someone higher up given the order? Depending on the circumstances, they would either deal with it themselves or mediate between the parties.
And if they encountered someone like Wei Yingshu, maliciously challenging one restaurant after another, the alliance had mechanisms in place for that as well.
Unfortunately, Wei Yingshu was the heroine of the original novel. With her superb culinary skills, the halo of destiny around her, and the emperor backing her, she had actually forced several of the alliance’s flagship restaurants to close their doors.
Pei Liang knew perfectly well why Wei Yingshu had done it. After all, Pei Liang had been the one to make her suffer through prison.
Knowing that Jiangnan was where Pei Liang had made her fortune, that Chef Sui and the other famous chefs of Jiangnan were all close friends with her—even tied to her by bonds that could never be severed—and that a little investigation would reveal the so-called culinary association to have been established entirely through Pei Liang’s efforts, Wei Yingshu would naturally understand that this was Pei Liang’s territory, her sphere of influence.
How could she possibly let it go?
Pei Liang could understand the heroine’s logic, of course. Her actions had no logic to begin with.
What Pei Liang could not understand was the spineless emperor’s.
The empire was tottering on the brink of collapse, and the crisis in the capital had yet to pass—or at least, that was how things appeared to them. Yet he still allowed people to stir up trouble in the only purse they had left.
Wei Yingshu was, in the end, only a minor player. The intelligence Pei Liang had received along the way had already given her a general understanding of Jiangnan’s current situation.
The officials who had fled with the emperor must initially have assumed that the capital could not hold.
In their eyes, it was already quite an achievement for Shi Feiyu’s ragged, undersupplied army to prevent the Northern Barbarians from sweeping straight south.
Having abandoned the capital and its foundations, the nobles and ministers who held power would certainly have to establish themselves in a new “royal capital.” Yet Jiangnan was already dominated by entrenched interests, and its economy was flourishing.
There was only so much to go around. If they wanted a share, they would inevitably have to snatch it from someone else.
For a time, not only the wealthy merchants of Jiangnan but even ordinary tradesmen suffered a tremendous shock.
Plunder was invariably accompanied by chaos. These days, the people of Jiangnan walked the streets in constant fear. The economy had contracted sharply, and aside from the pleasure houses along the Qinhuai River, where was there any trace left of its former prosperity?
Pei Liang would have bet that, with this cowardly emperor’s foolish methods, even if Shi Feiyu had never rebelled in the original novel, someone would have overthrown him sooner or later.
The only truly correct and far-sighted political decision he had ever made in his life was probably appointing Shi Feiyu to head south and suppress the bandits all those years ago.
Wei Yingshu saw that Pei Liang remained silent and assumed she was shocked by her appearance.
A poisonous delight flickered through her eyes as she sneered. “Owner Pei, you never expected this, did you? After parting at First Pavilion that day, you never thought you would see me alive.”
Pei Liang smiled. “Life rarely goes as one wishes. Just as Shopkeeper Wei would rather not see the rats in her kitchen, but wishing them away would hardly make them disappear.”
Wei Yingshu’s face twisted viciously. Did Pei Liang really not understand the situation? Anyone could see at a glance that things were different for her now. She had even forced her own uncle-master’s restaurant and those of her old acquaintances to close.
What gave her the confidence to remain so calm?
Wei Yingshu gave a humorless smile. “Owner Pei, surely you’ve seen all these signboards strewn across the ground? The proprietors and chefs who were so devoted to welcoming you back believed themselves to be your close friends. Yet you don’t even recognize the ancestral signboards they regard as dearer than life itself. I’m afraid you’ve left them feeling deeply betrayed.”
“So these are restaurant signboards? I thought Shopkeeper Wei had run her own business into the ground and, consumed by envy of these famous establishments, paid out of her own pocket to have them made as tokens of admiration.”
Wei Yingshu had not expected Pei Liang to remain so shamelessly stubborn even in these circumstances. She gave a cold laugh. “Then I’m afraid I’ve disappointed you, Owner Pei.”
“At first, I did want to experience the unique appeal of Jiangnan’s famous restaurants. But everything I saw was thoroughly unimpressive. The moment I got serious, I claimed all these signboards for myself.”
“Those so-called century-old establishments have lost even their ancestral signs. Naturally, they no longer have the face to continue operating.”
As she spoke, Wei Yingshu kicked the signboard of Yixiang Restaurant forward and said maliciously, “Yixiang Restaurant did have some skill. Its food even reminded me of my father’s cooking. But it was still far inferior to his. I couldn’t stand watching such mediocre fare put itself on display, so I dealt with it as well. It wasn’t a century-old establishment, but no matter.”
“Surely Owner Pei doesn’t object?”
Pei Liang said, “Miss Wei, you’re mistaken. If we’re speaking of culinary skill alone, Chef Sui may indeed have been just a shade inferior to Wei Qigui in his prime.”
“But when it comes to management and training younger chefs, Chef Wei wasn’t fit to carry Chef Sui’s shoes.”
As she spoke, she glanced at Wei Yingshu with a faint, mocking smile. “After all, with the experience of Shopkeeper Wei and her mother standing as evidence, comparing Chef Wei with Chef Sui is hardly respectful.”
“You—” Wei Yingshu clenched her teeth. “How dare you insult my deceased father?”
“How have I insulted him?” Pei Liang asked. “By stating the facts?”
Wei Yingshu knew that when it came to verbal sparring, no one could ever gain the upper hand against Pei Liang. But she refused to believe that Pei Liang truly did not care about these signboards.
She gave up trying to win through words and smiled languidly. “When that so-called second-rate culinary alliance was forced to disband, I heard that Owner Pei was the one who founded it.”
“Given the current situation, how does Owner Pei intend to resolve it?” Wei Yingshu asked calmly. “If you simply let matters take their course and allow these famous restaurants to fall into decline, I’m afraid it will be difficult for anyone to accept you as the leader of any organization you try to establish in the future.”
“Our paths have crossed before. I suppose I can still point you toward a way out.”
Pei Liang said, “Oh? What does Shopkeeper Wei suggest?”
Wei Yingshu’s expression suddenly turned solemn. “Compete with me.”
“If you win, I’ll return every one of these signboards to you.”
“But if you lose—you will disappear on your own and leave General Shi forever.”
Pei Liang had not expected that, even after things had reached this point, Wei Yingshu would still be hung up on this matter. She truly found it utterly baffling.
But when Wei Yingshu saw that she remained silent, her expression grew even more unpleasant. She said anxiously, “You have no idea what the situation is like now—or what sort of difficulties General Shi is about to face.”
“You’re nothing but a powerless merchant’s daughter. No matter how much money you have, what could you possibly do to help him?”
“If you truly have General Shi’s best interests at heart, then you should recognize your own position and stop yearning for someone who is entirely beyond your reach.”
Pei Liang’s teeth began to ache from the sheer sourness of it all. She tentatively asked Wei Yingshu, “Are you saying this to me, or to yourself?”
Wei Yingshu assumed that Pei Liang was mocking her for being a cook as well—someone who had even once found herself behind bars.
She let out a cold laugh, her smile carrying an air of lofty superiority. “Since I understand the current situation, I naturally already have a way to resolve it.”
“Owner Pei, what will you do?”
“Will you continue entangling yourself with General Shi for the sake of your own selfish desires, or will you put his interests first—”
“Of course I’ll satisfy my own selfish desires~” Pei Liang said.
Wei Yingshu smiled in satisfaction and was just about to speak. The words had already reached her lips when she finally realized what Pei Liang had said.
She stared at Pei Liang in disbelief. “What did you say?”
Pei Liang stepped closer to her and said carelessly, “Selfish desires. Between a man and a woman, is there really anything more important than that?”
“Aren’t you afraid that—”
“Shopkeeper Wei!” Pei Liang interrupted impatiently. “Don’t presume to lecture others about a field you know nothing about. Granted, you’re standing high enough now to see far and wide.”
“But trapped as you are behind a leaf that blocks your view, with no ability to clear the clouds and see through the mist, you actually think a towering mountain needs a single pebble to hold it up. How laughable.”
“Besides, for all your grand talk of righteousness, you’re still driven by selfish desires underneath it all. So don’t put on that look of disgust and contempt toward the choice I’ve made.”
Wei Yingshu felt that this woman was utterly nonsensical. Did she really think that after General Shi had rendered such great service, he would be rewarded with a meteoric rise?
Ignorant wretch. She knew nothing at all.
Yet Wei Yingshu could not say so openly in front of everyone. She lowered her voice instead. “What about the signboards of all these restaurants? Are you going to abandon them too?”
Pei Liang nodded. “That’s true. It would be difficult to keep running the restaurants without their signs.”
A satisfied expression appeared on Wei Yingshu’s face. But before her smile could fully bloom, she heard Pei Liang continue, “Looks like I’ll have to go home tonight, gather all the shopkeepers, and have them work overtime to come up with new names.”
“Hopefully, none of them will accidentally end up with the same one.”
“You—” Wei Yingshu clenched her teeth. “Have you no shame? You’ve been utterly defeated, and you still have the nerve to keep your restaurants open?”
“Your Wei family has repeatedly passed off mediocrity as excellence, and your reputation throughout the trade has already been ruined—yet you still dare to remain in business. What do we have to be ashamed of?”
“If only the best chef in the world were allowed to open a restaurant, I’m afraid diners everywhere would object. The culinary world needs a hundred flowers to bloom. We lost to Shopkeeper Wei, and all our shopkeepers have already closed their establishments to reflect on it for these past few days. No one can say they have no sense of shame.”
Wei Yingshu had not expected Pei Liang to refuse to take the bait and simply resort to shameless obstinacy. Her features twisted with rage.
Then she suddenly noticed Jiang Yuying standing beside Pei Liang.
Until now, she had been so consumed by hatred and negotiations that she had completely overlooked the man beside Pei Liang.
Only now did she see that he was in the prime of his youth, perhaps two or three years younger than them.
Yet he had a handsome face and an air of refined clarity. Judging by his clothes and bearing, he was clearly no ordinary attendant—he was likely the young master of some prominent family.
A smile that said “You’re no better than me” appeared on Wei Yingshu’s face.
She said, “I remember that back when Shopkeeper Pei was at Tianxiang Tower, you repeatedly presented yourself as a chaste and virtuous woman. You would openly or subtly mock me for meeting with friends, insinuating that I was wanton.”
“Because of that sharp, slanderous tongue of yours, my reputation was damaged, and I was often ridiculed for no reason.”
“I had thought Shopkeeper Pei was deeply devoted to General Shi—so devoted that you would wish to wear a chastity arch over your head every day, just to prove your innocence. Who would have thought that Shopkeeper Pei would now behave so improperly as well?”
Pei Liang said nothing, but Jiang Yuying spoke first.
He asked Pei Liang in confusion, “Sister, does General Shi dislike seeing us being close?”
Wei Yingshu smiled. “Before trying to curry favor with this young gentleman, you should first find out the background of another family’s daughter. Don’t let someone’s petty vanity and selfish interests lead you to offend a powerful family and bring disaster upon your entire household.”
“General Shi holds the highest rank among ministers. He is a man who stands tall beneath the heavens and above the earth. How could he tolerate another person coveting what belongs to him?”
The moment she finished speaking, Jiang Yuying asked excitedly, “So if he can’t tolerate it, did he leave?”
Wei Yingshu: “……”
Pei Liang shrugged. “Why does Shopkeeper Wei always like to use things you yourself have done to mock me?”
She continued, “I still have some business to attend to, so you’ll have to excuse me.”
Wei Yingshu stared fixedly at Pei Liang’s back until she disappeared from view. Only then did she let out a cold laugh. “If you want to open a shop, you’d better see whether you can keep it open.”
The same went for the competition. Here, it was not up to Pei Liang to decide.
* * *
After leaving Food Street, Pei Liang went straight to Chef Sui’s home.
Since the restaurant had closed and things outside had been unsettled lately, the entire Sui family had been staying indoors.
When Pei Liang returned, they finally seemed to have found their backbone.
Chef Sui said, “That daughter of the Boss is far too outrageous. I thought that, since she had at least been taught by the Boss, even if she had previously been deceived by her birth mother, she would retain some of the Boss’s generosity of spirit.”
“Who would have thought she would be exactly like that poisonous woman—if anything, she’s even worse.”
“Do you know why so many restaurants have been unable to escape her? Other than the connection between her and me, what reason would anyone else have to accept her challenge?”
“If they refused, it would be street thugs harassing them today, and government runners coming to cause trouble tomorrow. They simply wouldn’t be allowed to carry on doing business.”
“My skills were inferior, and there’s nothing to say about losing and closing the restaurant. I knew from the start that this girl had come with bad intentions, so rather than wait for her to make trouble, I challenged her first. Once I lost, I took the opportunity to close up and avoid further trouble.”
“Who could have guessed that even after my entire family shut ourselves indoors, we would still be harassed time and again?”
Madam Sui said, “Exactly. A few days ago, Ping’an was almost abducted in the street while returning from his private school.”
“Fortunately, the people you left behind, along with the brothers from the Caobang, were watching over us. Even if that wretched woman has risen to power, she doesn’t have many people at her disposal. Otherwise, the consequences would have been unthinkable.”
Sui Ping’an was Chef Sui’s only son. The little chubby boy was nearly ten now, and he had already shot up, no longer chubby.
When he saw Pei Liang return, he clung tightly to his older sister and refused to let go.
Pei Liang patted him on the head and asked Chef Sui, “What about the other shopkeepers?”
“After closing, I’m the only one being harassed. But unlike me, they have simple households. A whole extended family to feed—if we keep our doors closed like this, we’ll soon be reduced to begging for scraps.”
Pei Liang reassured him, “Don’t worry. We’ll be able to reopen soon. I noticed that many of the shop signs were damaged at Shopkeeper Wei’s place. While we have the time, everyone should have new ones made.”
Though Pei Liang was not the president of the Culinary Guild, she had only declined the position because of her young age. If one were speaking of the guild’s true decision-maker, then, based on past experience, whatever she said was never empty talk.
Thus, hearing her words, the shopkeepers and proprietors felt half their worries lift. Each family began ordering new signs, contacting suppliers, and notifying their staff.
When Wei Yingshu learned that these people actually dared to resume business on their own, she was furious.
Could the authority and intimidation she had brought with her really be worth less than one offhand, ignorant remark from Pei Liang?
Wei Yingshu had always felt superior to Pei Liang, only to be thrown into prison by her in a single turn of events. Desperate to prove once more that she was no inferior to this woman, Wei Yingshu was all the more enraged.
At present, however, she had no time to go around dealing with them one household at a time. Instead, she already had a plan that would accomplish three things at once.
It would make Pei Liang suffer a crushing defeat, destroy the confidence of her followers, and, most importantly, let General Shi see who was truly capable of helping him.
Everything was now in place.
That day, Pei Liang was at the Jiang residence discussing important matters with the Old Guildmaster of the Canal Gang when one of the people she had planted in the Sui household came looking for her.
He said that the emperor had issued an edict. Having heard that Chef Pei possessed culinary skills renowned throughout Jiangnan and the capital, and that her ancestors had once earned praise from a former emperor, His Majesty had also learned that she was now reviving the Number One Restaurant Under Heaven and had become the talk of the town.
The emperor was greatly intrigued. Since he was preparing a banquet for General Shi, the hero of the northern campaign, he had summoned this famous chef to the palace to prepare a feast.
When Pei Liang received the imperial edict, she nearly laughed aloud.
She had been fretting over how to get the best seat for the spectacle—and now the emperor had delivered one straight to her.
With everything arranged, Pei Liang practically skipped her way to the temporary imperial palace in Jiangnan.
Consequently, when Wei Yingshu saw her, Pei Liang’s face was alight with excitement and anticipation. Wei Yingshu had been prepared to mock her, believing that no matter how impervious Pei Liang was, she would still have to bow before a single imperial decree. But all the words she had prepared stuck in her throat.
She smiled. “Owner Pei, when we parted that day, did you ever imagine we would meet again on the same stage so soon?”
Pei Liang was just about to reply when she turned and spotted a face that was not entirely unfamiliar.
“Wait—is that Young Master Gao?”
Beside Wei Yingshu stood a young eunuch dressed in an official eunuch’s robes. His rank appeared fairly high. But judging by his features, who else could he be but Gao Lezhang, the Vice Minister’s son?
Gao Lezhang seemed ashamed to face an old acquaintance. When Pei Liang addressed him, he said nothing.
His expression merely grew even colder and more haughty.
But Pei Liang acted as though she could not read the room at all. Looking toward Wei Yingshu, whose expression had also briefly turned complicated, she said, “If I remember correctly, when Shopkeeper Wei was imprisoned, it was Young Master Gao who rescued you in your hour of need and accompanied you south.”
“When I first heard about it, I was deeply moved by Young Master Gao’s devotion. The courage it must have taken to abandon his parents, wife, and children for Shopkeeper Wei—what man could summon such resolve?”
“I had originally thought that, since the two of you had been brought together by the depth of your feelings, you would by now have tied the knot. I was even silently offering you my blessings.”
“Who would have thought that, once you reached Jiangnan, Young Master Gao would suddenly discover that he had other ambitions—namely, to pursue a future within the imperial palace?”
“How astonishing.”
“That’s enough!” Wei Yingshu cut in sharply. “We’ve long experienced Shopkeeper Pei’s sharp tongue. But as a woman, you ought not to flaunt your verbal talents at every opportunity. What good does it do you to kick a man when he’s down and heap endless scorn upon him?”
“No good at all,” Pei Liang replied. “It simply makes me feel better.”
“You—”
“Yingshu, don’t bother arguing with her.” Gao Lezhang’s voice had become somewhat shrill. “She’s nothing more than a grasshopper in late autumn.”
The two tried to ignore Pei Liang, but they were in the same place, busy with preparations behind the scenes. If Pei Liang truly wanted to pick a fight, how could they possibly avoid her?
Pei Liang briefly listed a few of the special materials she needed, appearing almost absurdly perfunctory.
Wei Yingshu sneered inwardly. She was being this arrogant because she had clearly forgotten the defeat she had suffered at Wei Yingshu’s hands several years ago.
Just as Wei Yingshu was reassuring herself with that thought, Pei Liang spoke again.
“Come to think of it, Young Master Gao—oh, no. I suppose we should be calling you Eunuch Gao now.”
“Back then, Eunuch Gao brought people to rescue Shopkeeper Wei, so you must have had plenty of manpower at your disposal. Later, you traveled south with His Majesty’s retinue, and should have been perfectly safe.”
“It’s impossible that you were caught up in some riot or dispute and suffered that… unspeakable injury. So, in a situation like this, aside from it being the result of Eunuch Gao’s personal ambitions, the most likely explanation is that you were harmed by some treacherous villain.”
At her words, Gao Lezhang’s entire face twisted into something hideous. It seemed she had guessed correctly.
In the original novel, although Gao Lezhang failed to win the heart of the woman he loved, his final ending could still be considered a good one.
It seemed that the force of the plot—and the heroine’s halo—had protected only her.
Once the situation was sorted out, the answer was not difficult to deduce.
In the original story, Wei Yingshu had never suffered that imprisonment. Moreover, she had been at the height of her influence in the capital, so when Gao Lezhang took her away, he did not need to make elaborate plans.
But things were different this time. The emperor had already decided to flee south, and order was on the verge of collapsing. Yet as the son of a high-ranking official, Gao Lezhang could not openly break the law.
The court was already consumed by endless infighting. After being beaten so many times, he should have known how to avoid causing trouble for his family.
Thus, he could only secretly take Wei Yingshu away first, then join up with the others along the way, clear her name as a criminal, erase her record, and allow her to return to the light of day.
But although his disappearance during that period had made things easier for Wei Yingshu, it had also brought him fatal trouble.
Gao Lezhang’s father, Minister Gao, had always been a wily old fox in court. Even now, he remained in a high position and enjoyed the emperor’s special favor. He was still a powerful figure in Jiangnan.
With the Gao family’s protection, it was unlikely that anyone would dare attack him openly. That left only the period when he had been missing.
As for the person who had made the move—Gao Lezhang was nothing more than a useless playboy with no achievements in court, and after years of watching him lose all sense over a woman, the Gao family had evidently given up on him in that regard.
An attack by political enemies would not have had much effect either. And for the method to carry such an obvious element of personal humiliation and vengeance, the target could only have been Gao Lezhang himself.
As for who was most likely to have done it, the answer went without saying.
Pei Liang curled her lips into a smile. “Speaking of which, how is Young Master Fang doing? He was a regular guest at my First Pavilion, after all. We parted ways that day, and I haven’t heard how he’s been lately.”
Sure enough, the moment Gao Lezhang heard his brother-in-law’s name, he completely lost control.
His eyes reddened as though he had been reminded of some terrifying memory. He looked like a vengeful ghost, throwing himself at Pei Liang in a frenzy.
Pei Liang kicked the chair beside her in front of herself, and Gao Lezhang stumbled over it, falling to the ground in a miserable heap.
The little eunuchs nearby hurried to help him up. As he struggled madly, he knocked over a number of things, and the commotion drew the chief eunuch from outside.
“What’s going on? His Majesty is about to begin the banquet, yet you can’t even prepare things properly without making a mess. Aren’t you afraid of losing your heads?”
Seeing Gao Lezhang, who was the most out of control, behaving like a madman, the chief eunuch was startled.
“With him in this state, how can he attend to His Majesty? Hurry and drag him away. Make him come to his senses.”
A eunuch who failed to do his duty and disturbed the Emperor’s presence had committed a grave offense. That so-called “coming to his senses” was unlikely to be pleasant.
Wei Yingshu watched helplessly as Gao Lezhang was dragged away, then stared at Pei Liang in disbelief. “I know what you’re planning. You’re simply afraid that with Young Master Gao helping me, I’ll have an overwhelming advantage.”
“You’re so petty, yet so vicious. Young Master Gao has already fallen to rock bottom, and you still had the heart to treat him this way?”
Pei Liang looked at her in bewilderment. “Shopkeeper Wei, what are you talking about? This man was the one who took the lead in setting a trap and forcing my father to wager against Tianxiang Tower, nearly destroying my family. I haven’t forgotten any of that. Are you asking me to forget it for you?”
“Back then, Young Master Gao was riding high, and he showed no mercy to my already declining Pei family either.”
Although Li Shen had been the one to take action at the time, it was Gao Lezhang and the others who had first arranged the scheme to force Little Chef Pei into the challenge.
There were simply too many high officials’ sons and wealthy young masters to deal with one by one. Besides, they were merely the outer layer of an entire dynasty.
Strip away that outer layer, and the rest would naturally cease to exist. Exchanging a few barbed words was nothing more than idle amusement, a way to sharpen one’s tongue.
Wei Yingshu hated Pei Liang to the depths of her soul, but she was even more jealous that this woman—clearly caustic, vicious, shameless, and deeply calculating—could still win General Shi’s favor.
That was what she found most impossible to accept.
Fortunately, not long afterward, the Emperor’s banquet began, and the two cooking stations were wheeled out for Pei Liang and Wei Yingshu.
The imperial residence in Jiangnan naturally could not compare with the actual palace in the capital. But true to the Emperor’s habit of never changing his extravagant ways, the residence, while lacking some of the palace’s grandeur and imposing magnificence, was even more lavish and ornate.
The banquet was attended not only by Shi Feiyu, but also by several senior court officials, princes, nobles, and other members of the aristocracy.
Among them was Shi Feiyu’s biological father, Marquis Shi.
The moment Pei Liang and Wei Yingshu appeared, Shi Feiyu’s expression changed. He looked anything but pleased.
The Emperor, however, seemed to have anticipated this. He smiled and said, “My esteemed subject has returned victorious. Naturally, this victory banquet should be something out of the ordinary.”
“These two are renowned chefs from the capital. They share a deep connection, and both are beauties in the prime of their youth.”
“Chef Wei’s skills are very much to My liking. She repeatedly requested the opportunity to compete openly and fairly against Chef Pei. I found the prospect quite intriguing, so I brought all of you esteemed subjects here to judge the contest personally.”
“I hear that Chef Pei and Lord Shi are very close. Surely you must be pleased to see this as well.”
There was a deeper meaning in the emperor’s words. He had clearly heard about the private relationship between the two. It was unclear whether Wei Yingshu had used it as an argument to persuade him, or whether the emperor himself had made plans based on the information.
Clearly, he was using Pei Liang to intimidate Shi Feiyu.
Shi Feiyu’s grip tightened around his wine cup. Pei Liang was not suited to appear here tonight.
He was just about to say something when he looked up and saw a smile spread across Pei Liang’s face.
The unease he had felt over this unexpected development immediately vanished.
Of course. They had been back in Jiangnan for several days now, and this was precisely the sort of place where she could display her abilities to the fullest. With her sharp instincts, how could she possibly fail to take advantage of an opportunity like this?
Thus, the words that had been on the tip of Shi Feiyu’s tongue became, “That is excellent indeed. This truly is an extraordinary victory banquet.”
Yet the emperor and the ministers around him felt no delight upon hearing this.
Though the emperor had spoken courteously, Shi Feiyu had accepted his words so brazenly and without the slightest sign of feeling unworthy of such praise that he appeared astonishingly arrogant.
It seemed their concerns had not been unfounded.
It took several breaths before the smile on the emperor’s face no longer looked so unpleasant.
He withdrew his gaze and turned toward the arena. “You may begin. Each of you will prepare three dishes, and the winner will be decided between you.”
“I hear that both of you are particularly skilled at preparing fish. Chef Pei’s grandfather even won the favor of My Imperial Father because of it. Be careful not to disappoint My expectations.”
Those words carried considerable weight. Disappointing the emperor was no trivial matter. Every sentence was layered with hidden barbs, criticizing one person while ostensibly referring to another.
Pei Liang found it rather amusing. After returning to Jiangnan, Shi Feiyu had been separated from the personal guards he had brought with him through one pretext or another, all arranged by the emperor.
Now, even though he was attending the banquet without armor or weapons, the emperor still regarded him with such wariness. Anyone—even a blind man—could see what the emperor intended.
With these thoughts in mind, Pei Liang’s hands did not slow in the slightest.
She reached straight into the water tank that had been wheeled over from the side and pulled out a fish.
The nobles and high-ranking officials present were not entirely unfamiliar with the reputation of First Pavilion Under Heaven. After all, the skill of filleting an entire fish while it was still alive was astonishing enough simply to hear about.
More than one person there had even personally visited First Pavilion Under Heaven to sample its dishes.
But just as everyone assumed Chef Pei would display her exquisite knife skills like Chef Wei beside her, they saw her put the live fish directly into the wok of oil. She did not even perform the most basic steps of scraping off the scales or gutting it, let alone filleting it whole.
She did not completely immerse the fish in oil. Instead, she shallow-fried it in a generous amount of oil, cooking it for an extremely short time.
It was dipped on each side for only a moment before being taken out. She then used the oil remaining in the wok to stir-fry the sauce and seasonings.
The finished sauce was milky white. Rather than the thick, rich consistency of an ordinary starch-thickened sauce, it looked more like a fish-and-tofu soup simmered until its broth turned creamy white.
Pei Liang prepared the dish extremely quickly. Her food was already ready, while Wei Yingshu was still dealing with her fish.
Wei Yingshu glanced over at Pei Liang’s side and frowned. After confirming that there was no hidden trick, she gave a cold laugh inwardly.
Pei Liang, however, showed not the slightest trace of nervousness at facing the emperor in a culinary contest. In fact, she appeared even more composed and relaxed than she had when she challenged the members of the Chi family.
Next, Pei Liang took a basin from beneath the table. Inside was a piece of meat—skinned, boned, and headless—from some unknown animal. Judging by its size, it looked somewhat like a quail.
The meat had already been marinated. After carefully inspecting it, Pei Liang placed it on the grill.
Some of those present had watched her roast an entire pig before, so they could not help feeling a little disappointed at the sight. Turning to look at Chef Wei’s side, where elaborate techniques followed one after another and the finished dishes were a feast for the eyes, the contrast was all the more striking.
For a moment, they felt that Chef Pei’s skills were hardly fit for such an occasion. Perhaps she had simply been nervous and flustered at the prospect of appearing before the emperor.
That said, the finished dish was undeniably mouthwatering. It was merely lacking the exquisite refinement of Chef Wei’s creations.
While the two chefs worked, the guests raised their cups and exchanged toasts, occasionally enjoying performances by stunningly beautiful dancers.
As the guest of honor, Shi Feiyu naturally received the most attention.
The emperor pointed toward one of the dancers. “You have been looking in that direction for some time, my dear subject. Are you captivated by the beauty of her dance?”
“If so, I shall bestow her upon you. Go and pour wine for him.”
Shi Feiyu shook his head. “I was not watching the dancer. I was merely dazzled by Chef Pei’s culinary skill and lost myself in the moment.”
No one present had expected Shi Feiyu to be so bold as to speak so openly and without the slightest hesitation, even when the emperor was clearly attempting to use the female chef to make things difficult for him.
The emperor had long intended for Shi Feiyu to marry the Seventh Princess, and Marquis Shi had already accepted the match on his son’s behalf.
According to propriety and established custom, Shi Feiyu was therefore the princess’s betrothed—in other words, the future prince consort.
By informing the emperor at such a time that he had feelings for a common woman, Shi Feiyu was essentially giving him an opening to suppress his arrogance. The emperor’s gift of a dancer was a mark of grace; openly showing affection for another woman when he was promised to the princess was nothing short of audacious.
The emperor’s expression darkened, and Marquis Shi hurriedly said, “Feiyu has had too much to drink and spoken out of turn. I hope Your Majesty will be magnanimous.”
Shi Feiyu, however, personally undermined his father’s attempt to smooth things over. With a faint, mocking smile, he said, “There is no need for Father to be so fearful. Now that the war has ended in a great victory and His Majesty is in high spirits, this is precisely the time for us to be a little unrestrained.”
“His Majesty invited Owner Pei to the palace knowing full well that I, Shi Feiyu, have long been enamored of this lovely lady. He did so to ease my lovesickness. Given His Majesty’s thoughtful intentions, why should I put on some evasive pretense? To be neither open nor decisive would instead risk deceiving the emperor and acting against his wishes.”
Marquis Shi was caught in the middle, so anxious that cold sweat nearly broke out across his body.
His son’s glorious military achievements had brought him increasing arrogance and recklessness, making the situation ever more difficult for his father.
Marquis Shi looked at the emperor with trembling apprehension, only to see His Majesty struggle to force a smile.
“What you say is quite right, my dear subject. Now that the war has ended in victory, both sovereign and subjects are rejoicing. There is no need for such rigid formalities.”
“Still, since you favor this woman, I shall not be the villain who stands in the way of another’s happiness. If you truly like her, then take her into your household. With the Seventh Princess’s virtuous and generous nature, I imagine she will not object.”
Shi Feiyu smiled. “Your Majesty jests. What does my marriage have to do with the Seventh Princess?”
“Hiss—”
The sound of people drawing in sharp breaths could almost be heard throughout the hall.
The atmosphere had already been tense and insincere. After Shi Feiyu repeatedly refused to show the slightest deference, it began to feel as though the mask had finally been torn away.
The emperor gave Shi Feiyu a long, penetrating look. “You certainly know how to make jokes, my dear subject.”
It seemed that Shi Feiyu truly favored that woman—not to an ordinary degree. This was an unexpected delight.
Just then, the dishes prepared by Pei Liang and Wei Yingshu were finished.
The Emperor took the opportunity to steer the conversation toward the culinary competition.
With a smile, he said, “From the confident looks on both chefs’ faces, I presume these three dishes represent the culmination of your lifelong culinary expertise.”
He then gestured to the eunuchs. “Serve the dishes.”
The first course was brought out, and the covers over both dishes were lifted at the same time.
Judging by appearance alone, Wei Yingshu’s fish was clearly more exquisite.
She had also used the technique of filleting a fish while it was still alive. The entire fish lay vividly upon the plate, its presentation meticulous and full of charm.
The fish broth was clear and translucent. With scenery carved from vegetables arranged around it, it looked like a living spring. A fish was half-hidden beneath the surface, its head poking slightly above the water. Its pair of eyes seemed almost lifelike, gazing at the diners before it with an air of expectation and melancholy.
Wei Yingshu’s painstaking preparations had not been in vain. Nor was it undeserving of the reputation she had earned in the original story, where a single banquet of her dishes could change the Emperor’s mind.
Sure enough, when the Emperor saw the fish, it seemed to stir something in his heart. His expression immediately grew wistful.
He praised it before everyone present. “No wonder I have been unable to eat or sleep these past several months, troubled by the war against the Northern Barbarians. Only the dishes prepared by Chef Wei, with all the thought she puts into them, have enabled Me to eat.”
“Chef Wei possesses not only superb culinary skill, but also a clear understanding of My thoughts. Time and again, the dishes she prepares happen to accord perfectly with My state of mind.”
As he spoke, he reached out with his chopsticks and picked up a piece of fish. After tasting it carefully, he praised it again. “The flavor is incomparably fresh and rich. With a single bite, it is as though one can taste the essence of the entire river.”
“If I am not mistaken, Chef Wei must have combined several varieties of shrimp, crab, and fish, simmering them together while eliminating any clashing flavors to find the finest combination. That must be how you achieved a broth as clear as a spring, yet so intensely fresh and flavorful.”
Wei Yingshu smiled. “Your Majesty is wise. That is indeed how it was made.”
The Emperor asked, “And what is this dish called?”
Wei Yingshu glanced at Shi Feiyu, bit her lower lip, and answered softly, “It is called—Gazing Through the Autumn Waters.”
The Emperor nodded, the wistfulness on his face deepening. He turned toward Shi Feiyu and said, “Gazing Through the Autumn Waters. That has also been My state of mind these past few days.”
“When I received the report that Your Excellency had defeated the Northern Barbarians, My heart surged with excitement, and I could hardly calm myself. I wished I could meet you at once and share in the joy of this great victory. Yet you were delayed on the road and did not arrive for a long time. Have I not spent all these days gazing through the autumn waters, waiting for you?”
At this point, even the densest person would have realized that the Emperor was beginning to make an issue of things.
No matter how arrogant Shi Feiyu might be because of his military achievements, so long as he had no intention of rebelling on the spot, he ought to have been terrified and begged forgiveness after hearing the Emperor speak this way.
Yet the Emperor waited and waited, while Shi Feiyu continued sitting calmly at his side. The Emperor nearly smashed his wine cup ahead of schedule.
But Shi Feiyu seemed completely oblivious to the atmosphere, which had grown so tense it was ready to split apart. He even reminded the Emperor, “Your Majesty, it is time to look at Chef Pei’s dish.”
The Emperor was furious inside, but his expression grew even more solemn.
He turned his gaze to the fish prepared by Chef Pei. Without Wei Yingshu’s masterpiece to overshadow it, the dish would not have been considered ordinary.
But the moment he remembered that the fish had not been scaled or gutted, the Emperor did not even want to look at it.
When he tentatively prodded the fish, it suddenly sprang to life—as though it hadn’t been fried in oil at all—and dove into the milky-white soup, vanishing from sight.
“Wh-why did that happen?”
