Chapter 156: Number One Estate Under Heaven

At this time, in the Empress's Palace quarters, the Empress was in the small kitchen preparing the midday meal.

"Is the lotus duck that His Majesty likes best ready yet? It must be simmered over a low flame for two shichen."

"Rest assured, Your Highness! Preparations began before dawn. Today's midday meal has all been prepared according to His Majesty's preferences."

The Empress nodded, a faint smile on her face: "Today is the anniversary of the day I was crowned Empress. Every year His Majesty comes to keep me company."

"You are the Empress, naturally the most important person in His Majesty's heart." The wet nurse beside her produced a porcelain vial and said with a smile, "Your Highness, this is what you instructed this old servant to prepare. As long as you take it on the same day you consummate with His Majesty, you will certainly conceive a royal heir."

Just then, a palace attendant announced that Eunuch Li had arrived.

"Eunuch Li is here; His Majesty won't be long now." The Empress swallowed the pill.

Before long, Eunuch Li walked in, followed by two young eunuchs.

"Greetings, Your Highness."

"Please rise, Eunuch Li," the Empress said with a smile. "When will His Majesty be coming over?"

"To reply to Your Highness, His Majesty cannot dine with Your Highness today and has specially sent this old servant to deliver a gold and jade ruyi to Your Highness."

Upon hearing Eunuch Li say that the Emperor would not come, the Empress's expression instantly stiffened.

"His Majesty, he…"

"His Majesty is busy with affairs of state. His Majesty says you are fond of gold and jade ruyi and has specially sent this old servant to deliver it." Eunuch Li waved his hand, and the young eunuch behind him presented the ruyi.

After Eunuch Li left, the Empress picked up the ruyi and gripped it tightly.

"Your Highness, what should we do now? His Majesty isn't coming, yet you've already taken the medicine."

A flash of anger crossed the Empress's eyes, but more than that, humiliation.

He thought to dismiss her with a single ruyi.

Hah.

She looked at her own belly and whispered a few words in the wet nurse's ear.

By this time, the Emperor had already begun his meal. Eunuch Li looked with a troubled expression at the plate of greens set before the Emperor and could not help but inwardly curse the imperial chef.

This fool!

To actually stir-fry the Emperor nothing but a plate of greens—not even a single shred of meat.

"Your Majesty, let this old servant attend to you…"

"No need." The Emperor picked up a portion of greens himself and said with some nostalgia, "When she was still here, she would often stir-fry a few small dishes. We would sit facing each other like an ordinary husband and wife. Now…" His eyes grew slightly red, and the corners of his lips curved into a faint, bitter smile: "My beloved, such a fine meal, I can only enjoy it alone."

He put the vegetables into his mouth, and the next instant, his eyes suddenly widened.

This dish…

This dish was actually more delicious than meat! Most importantly, after eating these vegetables, he could actually feel a faint warm current flowing through his body, exceedingly comfortable, and the fatigue in his body was swept away entirely.

Under Eunuch Li's astonished gaze, the Emperor ate the entire plate of stir-fried vegetables clean.

"Your… Your Majesty…"

"Quickly, send someone to Prince Li's residence and ask him where these vegetables came from."

"Yes."

The Emperor's reaction was within Mo Junyan's expectations.

Even he found these dishes incomparably stunning, let alone his imperial father, who was extremely fond of fine food?

"This Prince only obtained this little bit. Go back and tell my imperial father that This Prince has no more here either."

"Your Highness, please do not make things difficult for this humble one." The guard who had come to inquire gave a bitter smile. When he entered the residence, he had already seen the manservants carrying two baskets of vegetables into the kitchen.

"This Prince's silver didn't come blowing in on the wind. If my imperial father wants to eat them, let him buy them with his own silver."

"May I ask… where can these vegetables be purchased?"

"Hao Family Restaurant."

"Hao Family Restaurant?" The Emperor could not help but feel curious upon hearing this name. "What is the background of this Hao Family Restaurant?"

Eunuch Li's eyes darted about as he hastily said, "Your Majesty, this old servant remembers now. Some time ago when Jingcheng suffered the snow disaster, Weimei Zhai raised the price of grain several times over, and the common folk could not afford to buy. It was this very Hao Family Restaurant that opened its granaries to release grain and sold it at a low price, ensuring that all the common folk had grain to use."

The Emperor nodded upon hearing this.

So that was it.

This brat was actually using this method to remind him to commend the manager of the Hao Family Restaurant.

Before many days had passed, an enormous plaque was sent forth from the Palace, carried all the way with beating gongs and drums, making a full circuit around Jingcheng.

"Number One Estate Under Heaven."

The people of Jingcheng all stopped to watch.

In the end, the plaque stopped before the doors of the Hao Family Restaurant.

At this time, Chi Nan Yi was still in her space making pills.

Manager Hao ran quickly upstairs.

"Boss! Boss!"

Manager Hao knocked incessantly on the door.

"What is it?"

"Boss, you had better come down and see! It looks like something sent out from the Palace, and they want you to receive the reward in person!"

Chi Nan Yi put on her mask and came downstairs, where she saw a eunuch standing at the door. Behind him, several imperial bodyguards held up an enormous plaque, and behind them, guards carried several large chests.

"Will the boss of the Hao Family Restaurant not come promptly to receive the edict?" The eunuch's shrill voice urged. By now, the street was packed so tightly that not a drop of water could trickle through, everyone wanting to see the spectacle.

The people of the Hao Family Restaurant all knelt on the ground following Chi Nan Yi.

"By the mandate of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: The Hao Family Restaurant released grain for disaster relief during the snow disaster, and We are deeply gratified. We hereby bestow a personally written inscription, one thousand taels of silver, twenty bolts of silk, a pair of jade ruyi, and one jadeite cabbage lamp. From this day forward, the Hao Family Restaurant shall be renamed Number One Estate Under Heaven. Manager, give thanks for the grace."

Chi Nan Yi was somewhat surprised by this imperial edict and its rewards.

After all, she had done these things not for the court's rewards, but to suppress the Meng Family and promote her own restaurant.

Now it counts as an unexpected joy.

"Thank you for your great favor."

The eunuch handed her the imperial decree, smiling as he said, "The shopkeeper's great joy—besides this joy, there is another joy."

"Please inform the eunuch."

"The Emperor ate the dishes from your restaurant, found them incomparable in flavor, and has specially ordered you to present vegetables to the palace daily."

Vegetables?

How could the Emperor have eaten his own vegetables?

Could it be that…

Chi Nan Yi instantly understood.

It must have been Mo Junyan's doing.

"To earn the Emperor's appreciation is an honor for these vegetables."

Chi Nan Yi produced a purse and said, "I've troubled the eunuch today."

The young eunuch hadn't expected her to be so adept; his smile became more sincere as he said, "Shopkeeper, allow me to remind you: be careful in all things."

Chi Nan Yi raised an eyebrow slightly, countless thoughts flashing through her mind, before finally fixing her gaze on the opposite Delicious Hall.

The young eunuch saw that she understood his reminder, and his smile deepened.

"In that case, I shall return to the palace to report."

"Thank you, eunuch."

Chi Nan Yi ordered the sign of the Hao Family Restaurant removed and replaced it with a red‑lacquered, gold‑lettered "World's No. 1 Restaurant", then had a red cloth draped over it, awaiting the day of reopening.

The craftsmen Mo Junyan brought in worked at great speed; it seems that soon, the World's No. 1 Restaurant will officially open.

The unexpected joy today is largely thanks to Mo Junyan's effort.