Chapter 6

So that's how it is, so that's how it is!

Qin Shaoyou waved his arms and legs, unable to contain himself, "I finally understand!"

That plaque is a treasure.

It's a pity that his old father didn't recognize its value, while the Zhou family saw its worth.

The plaque was written by the Prince of Dai, who later became the Crown Prince. The Crown Prince was extremely fond of the food here, so he left his calligraphy. Then he died under mysterious circumstances. This person was the Empress's own son. Now, rumors in the market say that the Crown Prince was harmed by the Empress. There are two possibilities: one, the Empress harmed her own son, and there's no wall that doesn't let the wind through, so it caused all sorts of rumors. The other possibility is that the Crown Prince really died suddenly. When the Empress ascended the throne, some people dared not openly oppose her but were still discontented, so they fabricated these rumors to criticize the Empress, indirectly undermining her legitimacy.

But what about the Empress... How will the Empress counteract?

Even someone like Deng Jian, a lowlife, knows that the more you hit someone, the more you need to show affection to the one you hit. For Wu Zetian, who was historically ruthless but possessed infinite political wisdom, the only way to crush the rumors was to let the world know that she loved this son immensely. If the Empress loved the Crown Prince, how could she harm him?

This is a very simple logic.

So... this plaque has great use. If Qin Shaoyou hangs the plaque now, the rumor-ridden Luoyang and the suddenly deceased Crown Prince might spark a new round of discussions. If the Empress learns of this news, what will she do?

The first possibility is to reward the Chunlou Restaurant. Since the Crown Prince loved the food here, as a loving mother who misses her son, she would naturally give generous rewards. Others would see that the Crown Prince liked this restaurant, and the Emperor values it, showing that the Emperor loves the Crown Prince.

Another possibility is to completely crush the rumors. The Empress might even come here herself to mourn the deceased Crown Prince. She just needs to sit here, like the Crown Prince did, look at the words he wrote, and eat the same delicious food he enjoyed, which would be enough to show the Empress's maternal love.

So what about the Chunlou Restaurant...

Qin Shaoyou was in tears, about to become rich and famous. That's Wu Zetian. As long as she comes here and tastes his dishes, if she likes them, then... a bright future lies ahead.

In short, the plaque is just a tool to attract attention. Hanging the plaque would be a political show to crush the rumors, with Wu Zetian as the main character, the Chunlou Restaurant as the stage, and himself, though just a minor character, would still be satisfied even if he only got a small role.

He was a worldly person, no, he was just a tiny ant at the bottom of the empire. Lofty ideals and saving the world were too far from him. All he could do was pick up the scraps from the nobles' fingers, ensuring his own wealth and comfort, living a shameful life as a rich young man. But... even if it was shameful, Qin Shaoyou liked it.

Moreover, to win a woman's heart, you need to win her stomach. With his culinary skills, if he put in some effort, making Wu Zetian taste the delicious food at the Chunlou Restaurant, perhaps...

Qin Shaoyou's eyes were already sparkling.

He didn't care about Deng Jian. Was the ruffian so arrogant? Wait until he gets rich and powerful, and he'll show him a thing or two.

"Qin Shou, Qin Shou... Quickly, find the plaque, clean it well, and hang it out, right on the front door. Wealth and honor are just around the corner, ha ha..."

A plaque was already hanging on the front of the Chunlou Restaurant. Qin Shaoyou stood under the door, feeling a thousand emotions. It seemed that with the Crown Prince's calligraphy, the entire Chunlou Restaurant was shining.

But Deng Jian still wouldn't leave, still licking the plates, ruining the mood. Qin Shaoyou shook his head, trying to endure the disgusting sight.

Business hadn't improved in the past few days, which was to be expected. Qin Shaoyou wasn't worried. As for the plaque outside, he wasn't concerned that the palace would be unaware. He was educated and knew that historically, Wu Zetian, upon ascending the throne, had spies all over Luoyang to consolidate her rule. It wouldn't be long before the news reached the palace.

The Zhou family came in a rage. This time, it was the same person in charge, Liu Yang. He was furious. The Zhou family had obtained the plaque hoping to attract the Empress, and then the family's master would cook his special dishes. If he could win the Empress's favor, he might be summoned to the imperial kitchen, becoming a royal chef, which would bring great benefits to the Zhou family. Now that Qin Shaoyou had hung the plaque, it naturally caught Liu Yang's attention. He came in a rage, shouting, "Qin, since you've hung the plaque, it's useless to us. Pay back the silver you owe us immediately, or you'll regret it. We'll go to the officials."

Qin Shaoyou looked at him calmly, "The plaque is mine. I can hang it if I want. What's it to you?"

"You, you..." Liu Yang was furious. He had brought two men, ready to fight.

At that moment, someone slapped the table, and it was Deng Jian, the freeloader.

Deng Jian glared and shouted, "Who dares to cause trouble here? Are you tired of living? This is where I eat for free. If Qin Shao is hurt, who will I eat from? Get out now, or you'll regret it."

Liu Yang was intimidated by Deng Jian's imposing presence and couldn't help but ask, "Who are you?"

"My name is Deng Jian."

One of the men behind him quickly whispered something in Liu Yang's ear. Liu Yang's face turned red and white, and he finally glared at Qin Shaoyou, "We'll see."

"Fine, we'll see." Qin Shaoyou didn't take him seriously, but his eyes fell on Deng Jian, noticing a glimmer of potential. He narrowed his eyes, starting to calculate.

Deng Jian glared back, "What are you looking at? I'm hungry, give me food!"

"There's no food, only porridge," Qin Shaoyou said, bargaining.

"Then give me five bowls."

Qin Shaoyou was taken aback, cursing in his heart, "You scumbag."

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

In the Qiyun Hall of the Hebi Palace.

The bedroom was adorned with cloud-topped sandalwood beams, and the crystal jade walls were lit by soft lamps. In the center of the bedroom, a precious silk canopy embroidered with silver-threaded hibiscus flowers hung. The light breeze outside the hall made the curtains flutter. Behind the purple curtains, a faint figure was hunched over a golden desk, reading something by the light of the lamp. Her golden phoenix crown was visible, and every time she wrote, her shoulders moved slightly, causing the tassels on the crown to tremble.

She had been sitting there for a long time, at least an hour, maintaining the same posture.

Outside the curtains, a graceful figure stood, the Empress's attendant, Shangguan Wan'er. She wore a red official's robe, standing still, her beautiful face showing no expression, like an ice sculpture, always ready to follow the Empress's orders.

Shangguan Wan'er, as usual, waited for the Empress to review the memorials. Recently, the Empress's mood had been bad, and Shangguan Wan'er knew the Empress's thoughts. The Empress had just ascended the throne, and many things needed to be done. Although the officials praised her, there were hidden dangers behind the praise.

First, the Empress's surname is Wu, not Li.

Second, the Empress is a woman.

During the Tang Dynasty, women's status was not low, but since the time of Yao and Shun, no woman had ever been an emperor. The Empress had opened a new chapter, but she was also subject to much doubt.

A few days ago, the Imperial Treasury requested an investigation into the death of the former Crown Prince Li Hong.

A month ago, a censor submitted a memorial, reporting that a hen in Shu had crowed like a rooster, causing a stir in the county and spreading rumors that this was a sign of yin and yang imbalance and the reversal of heaven and earth.

These seemingly ordinary messages seemed to haunt the Empress's mind.

Shangguan Wan'er saw the slightly weary figure behind the curtains, her thoughts drifting, trying to guess who was manipulating the hidden forces.

"Cough, cough..."

A light cough came from behind the curtains.

Shangguan Wan'er snapped back to reality, smiled slightly, and bowed, "What are your orders, Your Majesty?"

The figure behind the curtains remained still for a long time, then seemed to tap the table lightly, and said lazily, "Has the investigation of the Hengzhou Prefect Pei Zhen been completed?"

Shangguan Wan'er replied, "The officials have already reviewed it and confirmed it was a false accusation."

Silence fell behind the curtains.

She seemed to be writing with a vermilion pen, but after a while, she suddenly said, "But I have already ordered his arrest."

A short sentence, soft but chilling.

Although the wrong person was arrested and the investigation was false, after severe torture, who could guarantee that he wouldn't bear a grudge?

So the figure behind the curtains said slowly, "You draft the edict. Let Suo Yuanli handle this, and leave no room for future trouble."

Shangguan Wan'er sighed inwardly, but her face remained expressionless as she bowed, "Your subject obeys."

"There is one more thing. In Luoyang, there is a restaurant called Chunlou. Hong used to eat there and loved the food. He left his calligraphy there. Investigate this matter."

Shangguan Wan'er, like a puppet, remained expressionless, bowing, "Your subject obeys."

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