Chapter 110: Chapter 110: If You Can’t Beat Them, Join Them

How could Ming Lingyi possibly let the matter slide with just a few words of apology and assurance?

"After the sentencing, remember to have the silver ready," Ming Lingyi said with a smile.

Zhang Zhidong and Liu Lingxing had watched the entire spectacle unfold: how Ming Lingyi first drove the men out without a shred of mercy, then feigned weakness to exploit the holes in their story. She then led the Jingzhao Mansion’s patrol to "coincidentally" overhear the men confessing their crimes, getting them sent straight to jail.

At that moment, both of them were staring, mouths agape, and it took a long while for them to snap back to reality.

Zhang Zhidong swallowed hard. He had previously thought the boss of Ming’s Restaurant was far too gentle, which was why people with ill intentions dared to cause trouble. He had even been sweating with worry earlier, thinking that if Boss Ming got tangled up with those scoundrels, he would have to step in and help no matter what.

He never expected that when Ming Lingyi came out, she would have no intention of reasoning with them at all. She simply dealt with the men in no time at all.

’Isn’t that... a little too fast?’

Now, looking at Ming Lingyi again, he no longer thought this young lady looked gentle and mild, like someone anyone could push around.

Zhang Zhidong felt that Ming Lingyi seemed to possess an indescribable aura. To him, it was almost like that of the Sacrificial Officer at the Imperial College, and it made him afraid to act out of line.

’The only difference... hmm, is that I think Ming Lingyi is far more captivating than the Sacrificial Officer! It’s as if she’s glowing, making me want to steal a few glances.’

Liu Lingxing caught his friend sneaking glances and waved a hand in front of Zhang Zhidong’s face.

"What are you doing? Snap out of it. Why are you staring at Miss Ming like that?" Liu Lingxing said.

Zhang Zhidong whispered, "Don’t you think Miss Ming is incredible? She’s just a young woman, yet she wasn’t even scared to tears."

Liu Lingxing gave his friend a complicated look. "You haven’t started getting ideas about Miss Ming, have you?"

After all, they were both of an age where marriage could be discussed.

They hadn’t started looking for prospective partners yet, as most of them wanted to wait until after the spring examinations next year. They planned to decide on such a lifelong commitment only after achieving an official rank.

When Zhang Zhidong heard this, he nearly leaped out of his seat.

A rare look of mortified embarrassment appeared on his chubby face, which flushed bright red.

"Wh-what are you talking about! That was admiration! Respect!" Zhang Zhidong began to speak much faster in his agitation.

Unexpectedly, after he said this, the look Liu Lingxing gave Zhang Zhidong became even more complicated.

’He isn’t trying to hide his true feelings, is he?’

After dealing with the minor dispute, Ming Lingyi returned to the restaurant. Seeing the diners’ varied expressions, she smiled slightly. "Some trouble occurred today and disturbed everyone’s pleasant meal. Our restaurant will be giving out complimentary plum juice today, as a small token of our apology to you all."

The moment Ming Lingyi finished speaking, Wu Zhao Yi and Wu Zha’er were already serving the plum juice to the customers at every table.

In an instant, the atmosphere in the restaurant became lively once more.

"Oh, we just watched a bit of a show, it’s no problem at all! This plum juice is really delicious. Since it’s free today, hehe, I’ll have to be shameless and ask for two big bowls!"

"Isn’t Wangxian Building that restaurant in the West Market? Why are they causing trouble for Miss Ming? I heard Wangxian Building has powerful backers. Miss Ming, you should be careful in the future."

"You can’t be too gentle when dealing with people like that. Miss Ming did the right thing. Otherwise, everyone will think they can come here and take advantage."

The diners had gotten a show, it hadn’t affected them personally, and Ming Lingyi had even given them free plum juice. How could they harbor any ill will? The atmosphere in the restaurant was excellent.

After exchanging a few words, Ming Lingyi quickly returned to the back kitchen.

Only after the lunch crowd had left did Ming Lingyi finally sit down on a stone bench in the backyard to ponder the day’s events.

Wangxian Building. Of course she knew of this restaurant. It was quite famous in the West Market.

The patrons who went to Wangxian Building all had plenty of silver in their purses.

The prices there were more than two or three times what she charged at her restaurant.

Ming Lingyi certainly didn’t think she was stealing business from Wangxian Building.

Wangxian Building was a full three stories tall and occupied a vast area. How could her small, two-shop neighborhood eatery possibly compare?

While Ming Lingyi was lost in thought, Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue didn’t disturb her. The two of them, along with Wu Zhao Yu, who they’d pulled along, hid behind the doorway. Three heads poked out in a line, watching their mistress—the Empress—sitting in the backyard.

Wu Zhao Yi and Wu Zha’er didn’t dare to peek. They were busy in the main hall, putting the tables and chairs back in their proper places and cleaning up.

"If you ask me, we should just go storm their gates," Wu Zha’er said in a low voice.

"Didn’t those sons of bitches already confess in the street? They were sent by Wangxian Building, so we should go confront them directly," Wu Zha’er continued.

But he had barely gotten half the words out before his head was smacked hard.

Wu Zhao Yi nonchalantly withdrew his hand and looked at Wu Zha’er. "Her Highness hasn’t said anything yet. What gives you the right to speak? Your nerve is growing. Don’t think you can forget your station just because Her Highness is easygoing."

Wu Zha’er: "..."

While Ming Lingyi was sending Xiao Chun out to inquire about who the boss of Wangxian Building was and what kind of backing they had, Li Yun had already received the news in the palace.

The reason Li Yun hadn’t left the palace to find Ming Lingyi recently wasn’t that he’d given up hope. It was because he physically couldn’t.

The last time Ming Lingyi entered the palace to personally cook a meal, she had provoked Li Yun severely before she left. The hand she had pressed against his chest had been unreserved, forcing him to stay in bed for two full days.

He suffered from a constant low-grade fever, and the Imperial Physicians from the Imperial Hospital all but took up residence in Taiji Palace.

Once he felt a little better, Li Yun handled state affairs while also remembering to have Wu Zhao Yu and the others report to him daily.

When he saw the secret message from Wu Zhao Yu, Li Yun’s brows knitted together in a deep frown.

Although the troublemakers from that day had been interrogated and thrown in jail, Wangxian Building, the party they implicated, had simply sent a waiter out with some compensation money and neatly extracted itself from the whole affair.

On Li Yun’s desk right now was the very information Ming Lingyi desperately wanted: a clue to the identity of Wangxian Building’s boss.

"Liu Ye, prepare the horses. We are leaving the palace." Li Yun crumpled the note on the desk in his palm and casually tossed it into the incense burner.

A pained expression crossed Liu Ye’s face. The Imperial Physicians had repeatedly instructed that the Emperor needed to rest quietly for the next month. But if the Emperor was truly determined to leave the palace, how could the likes of him possibly stop him?

This time, however, Li Yun was stopped before he could even leave the palace.

The only person who could stop the master of the Imperial Palace now, aside from the Empress who was not currently in the palace, was the Crown Prince.

Of course, Li Yan hadn’t come to stop Li Yun from leaving the palace. He still hadn’t been able to return to the Imperial College for his lessons and was being kept in the Eastern Palace by Li Yun.

As soon as he heard his Father Emperor had left Taiji Palace, Li Yan didn’t have to think twice. His intuition told him his father was probably going to find his mother.

He couldn’t beat him, so he had to join him.

He wouldn’t stop his Father Emperor from leaving the palace, but he could certainly tag along with his own dad, couldn’t he?