Although Lin Dan had left in a hurry, she had handled everything properly. Not only had she transferred the shop to Madam Qin, but she had also sent a letter to Cook Qiu, explaining the situation. After reading the letter, Cook Qiu was so furious that his fingers trembled. He could never have imagined that the Yan family could be so despicable as to bully a widow and her orphaned child, even going so far as to set fire to their shop. It was simply lawless!

Seeing the dark expression on Cook Qiu’s face, the old shopkeeper asked what had happened, but Cook Qiu shook his head, unwilling to go into detail. After all, it was his master’s private matter so it wasn’t appropriate to spread it around. As if recalling something, Cook Qiu furrowed his brows and asked, “Are there any guests in the front hall? Go and check.”

A short while later, the old shopkeeper returned and reported, “There are already five or six tables of guests, all waiting for Shopkeeper Lin.” Qiaoyuan Restaurant currently has an unwritten rule, which was whoever arrived first would place a number card on their table and wait quietly. The first five guests were guaranteed to enjoy the mysterious cook’s dishes, while those who came later might also be lucky enough to taste them. Even so, those who couldn’t secure a top ten spot would rather stay, order a few dishes, and savor the aroma and sight of the food from other tables, satisfying their senses in some way.

As a result, people would arrive at the restaurant early, all vying for seats. Once they got a spot, they would cling to it stubbornly, refusing to leave no matter how much others persuaded them.

Lowering his voice, Chook Qiu asked, “Has Prince Cheng arrived?”

“Yes, he has been sitting in the restaurant since early morning. I’ve even hired a few performers to entertain him at the front.” The old shopkeeper replied. It would have been more surprising if the prince hadn’t shown up. Ever since he had tasted Lin Dan’s cooking, the prince had come to Qiaoyuan Restaurant at the same time every day. Later, realizing that the restaurant was becoming more popular and fearing that he might miss out on Lin Dan’s dishes, he specifically sent a servant to stay at an inn across the street. The moment the restaurant opened, the servant would rush in to secure a number card and a seat, waiting for the prince to come and dine.

These veteran gourmets in the capital were all very particular and it wasn’t easy to please them. But if someone’s culinary skills could capture their taste buds, they would protect that cook like a treasured possession. For example, Marquis Yongding once had a favorite cook whom he took everywhere with him. After that cook passed away, the marquis lost his appetite for months and became so emaciated that he eventually left the capital, the place of his sorrow, and went to fight at the border.

Cook Qiu used to think that this story was somewhat exaggerated, but now that he knew that that cook was his master’s father, he suddenly understood the marquis’s reaction. If Lin Dan’s culinary skills were already so extraordinary, how exceptional must her father Lin Baotian’s skills have been?

But the man was gone, and no matter how much Cook Qiu longed to meet him, it was futile. What mattered now was seeking justice for his master. With this thought, Cook Qiu whispered, “Go and tell the guests that the great cook has left and will no longer be cooking at Qiaoyuan Restaurant. Tell them to disperse.”

The old shopkeeper turned pale with fright. Without Lin Dan, how could Qiaoyuan Restaurant continue its business?

Cook Qiu nudged the old shopkeeper and sighed, “Go on, tell them not to wait any longer.”

The old shopkeeper left in a daze, and before he could even finish his sentence, the guests erupted in complaints. The most agitated of them all was the Prince Cheng, whose hand shook, followed by his beard. His wrinkled old face twisted as if he had swallowed poison. Ignoring the old shopkeeper and the waiters’ attempts to stop him, he strode into the kitchen, a place he would normally never set foot in, and demanded from Cook Qiu, “Is it true that the great cook won’t be coming back? Where does she live? Tell me and I’ll personally go to invite her back!”

In the past, the prince had thought about hiring the other party as a private cook and had even sent his steward to persuade her, but he hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the other party. The prince respected talented cooks deeply, so if the other party was unwilling, he had no choice but to respect her decision. Wherever she cooked, he would go to eat. Surely, that would be acceptable? But now, even that wasn’t an option. She had left without a word! If he had known, he would have abducted the person long ago!

Prince Cheng was filled with regret, clutching Cook Qiu and demanding to know the whereabouts of the great cook. Only then did Cook Qiu, feigning reluctance, reveal the entire story of Lin Dan’s conflict with the Yan family.

He didn’t expect the prince’s eyes to widen and his mouth to drop open in shock. Then the prince’s expression turned mournful and even his voice quivered, “Are you saying that the person who cooked here is the same Shopkeeper Lin from Hometown Dishes Restaurant in the Southern District? T-they are the same person?”

Cook Qiu found Prince Cheng’s reaction strange but nodded nonetheless.

“If they are the same person, then with the cook gone from here, Hometown Dishes Restaurant will also close down?” The prince’s face gradually showed signs of despair. Coincidentally, it wasn’t typical for someone of the prince’s status to wander around the south side of the city, but his servants often went to the docks to collect goods. Craving a snack, they would bring back some of Lin Dan’s braised dishes. One day, the prince encountered this tantalizing aroma at his doorstep and it instantly captivated him. After tasting the dish, he became obsessed, demanding that his servants fetch some every night for his supper. Without it, he couldn’t sleep, as if he were addicted.

When he heard that the new cook at Qiaoyuan Restaurant was not coming back, he had originally thought that, at the very least, he could still enjoy the braised dishes from the Hometown Dishes Restaurant prepared by Shopkeeper Lin, whose skills were just as impressive as the great cook’s. But what was the outcome? It turned out that the two of them were actually the same person. In other words, the only ‘two cooks’ who could satisfy Prince Cheng’s picky palate were ‘both’ gone, and he would never get to taste ‘their’ dishes again.

As an old gourmet who would rather starve to death than live without good food, the storm of emotions in Prince Cheng’s heart was beyond imagination.

He gritted his teeth and said, “How arrogant of Imperial Cook Yan! This is the first time I’ve heard that dishes prepared for the Emperor are off-limits to others. Does that mean I’ve been committing treason every day by eating them? Why not just drag me out and execute my entire clan? Betraying one’s teacher and ancestors? Nonsense! I witnessed the whole affair from start to finish back then. The Yan family turned right and wrong upside down, twisting the truth. There wasn’t a single good person among them!” With that, he stormed off in a fury.

Prince Cheng hadn’t yet tired of eating the Immortal Boneless Fish and had been eagerly awaiting it all morning, only to receive such bad news. Naturally, his temper flared. When he thought about how he would never again taste Shopkeeper Lin’s dishes, he grew even angrier and shouted, “Come, follow me to Yan Family’s Restaurant!”

The accompanying guards had initially thought he was going to eat at Yan Family’s Restaurant, but instead, they saw him stride to the entrance, ignoring Second Brother Lin who was squatting on the steps. He pointed at the plaque on the beam and ordered, “Smash that sign for this prince!”

The guards hesitated for a moment but quickly recovered and used bamboo poles to knock down the plaque, then stomped it into pieces. Second Brother Lin, utterly confused, didn’t dare to intervene and could only cry out pitifully, “Your Highness, why are you smashing our signboard? We didn’t offend you in any way! I’ll kowtow and apologize, please spare us!”

First, there was Marquis Weiyuan, then the Prince of Dianqian, and now Prince Cheng had arrived. Each of these titles was higher and more powerful than the last. What on earth had the Yan family restaurant done to offend them? Second Brother Lin was bewildered and terrified, feeling as if his heart was being fried in oil.

“Hmph, as long as Shopkeeper Lin doesn’t return to the city, this prince won’t allow you to hang up your sign. If you don’t believe me, try it!” Prince Cheng said with a menacing tone, pointing at the shattered plaque on the ground. He was the late Emperor’s brother, who had helped him seize the throne, and the current Emperor’s uncle, who had assisted him in ascending to the throne. With control over the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Bureau of Palace Affairs, he had power and prestige. How could a mere imperial cook dare to provoke him? He personally stood up for Lin Dan, and even if the Emperor himself came, he wouldn’t dare order the Yan family restaurant to rehang their sign. Yan Family’s Restaurant was sure to suffer this loss.

The people of the Western District were known for their opportunism. Seeing several important figures targeting Yan Family’s Restaurant one after another and hearing rumors of counterfeit liquor and toxic soup, they had already lost faith in the restaurant’s reputation. They watched the commotion for a while before gradually dispersing, whispering as they left, “Who knows what heinous deeds Yan Shouye committed to provoke such divine wrath? We can’t go to this restaurant anymore. Doing so would offend these three families. It’s not worth it, not worth it!”

Hearing such remarks repeatedly, Second Brother Lin grew increasingly desperate. He never imagined that these people were all standing up for Lin Dan. She had only returned to the capital for two or three months. How had she managed to make such powerful connections?

Meanwhile, Yan Shouye was dragged into the yamen by the steward of the Prince of Dianqian’s residence to face charges. Although only a dog had died, it had died for the princess of the third rank, who was set to enter the palace as a consort in two months. The imperial edict had already been issued, so the officials naturally dared not neglect the matter. They seized Yan Shouye who was endlessly pleading for justice and gave him a good beating.

Despite his usual swagger, Yan Shouye was nothing in front of noble figures like the Prince of Dianqian. He was beaten so severely that he cried out for his parents, begged for mercy, and almost passed out. In the end, he paid ten thousand taels of silver and was dragged to the mansion’s entrance to kowtow and apologize to the princess before the matter was settled.

When he returned home half-dead and learned that Prince Cheng had smashed the sign of Yan Family’s Restaurant and left a message that they couldn’t reopen until Lin Dan returned, Yan Shouye finally couldn’t hold on any longer and spat out a mouthful of blood from sheer rage.

Madam Zhou, who had been strutting around yesterday, causing trouble at Hometown Dishes Restaurant, was now like a wilted eggplant, anxiously asking, “What should we do? With so much trouble, can we still open our restaurant?” After living in wealth and luxury for so long, she feared being reduced to her former status more than anyone else.

“We can, why can’t we? Langqing is still an imperial cook in the palace, just let her plead with the Emperor. The Emperor has some affection for her, so as long as she speaks up, not to mention remaining as an imperial cook, she can even become a consort.” Yan Shouye said through gritted teeth. “Someone come, send a message to Langqing, tell her the family is in trouble and she needs to return.”

The servant dared not delay and immediately took the silver notes to deliver the message at the palace gate. Unfortunately, the Yan family had underestimated Lin Dan’s connections. Though she kept to herself, it didn’t mean those who cared for her wouldn’t fight on her behalf.

Robbin: Since this is longer than my other projects, I will be unlocking two more chapters a week. The new schedule would be— one chapter every Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. (˶ᵔ ᵕ ᵔ˶)