CHAPTER 561: CHAPTER 561 FRESH

Bi Zhu followed behind Su Jin, heading towards the main gate of the Prince Mansion.

They had to wait at the gate for a while for the carriage since it was a sudden decision to leave the mansion.

After Fu Su Jin boarded the carriage, Bi Zhu also climbed on.

From start to finish, Su Jin never thought of notifying Princess Nanzhang or the Old Madam before leaving the mansion.

When Princess Nanzhang found out, she inevitably became angry, "She comes back every other day, why not just move back!"

The maids naturally didn’t dare to respond.

But the frequency of the Heir’s Wife returning home was indeed a bit too much.

And it wasn’t just returning home, but frequently leaving the mansion as well.

The Drunken Immortal Pavilion.

It was lunchtime again.

Prince NanAn and a few others came once more.

There were still three thousand taels left by Prince Yun at the counter of Drunken Immortal Pavilion that they hadn’t finished spending.

But after eating there for so many consecutive days, the repetitive meals were getting a bit tiresome.

They walked up the stairs.

A young attendant carried a tray behind them.

A waft of fragrance drifted over, and the Heir of Marquis Beining sniffed the air.

"This dish smells nice," he praised.

Prince NanAn turned around and saw the dish on the tray held by the young attendant.

A dish that was both visually and aromatically appealing, yet one they hadn’t tasted before.

"What dish is this?" Prince NanAn inquired.

The young attendant hurriedly replied, "This is Lizhi Fried Shrimp."

Who would have thought lizhi could be used in cuisine?

By the looks of it, the lizhi were fresh.

In the face of such delicacies, it wasn’t considered where the fresh lizhi came from.

"Looks good, serve us two plates later," Chu Shun declared generously.

The young attendant was at a loss for words...

Before the young attendant could say anything, a loud voice came from the side:

"If you want to eat lizhi, just call me ’big brother’ and I’ll send you a plate," the Heir of Duke Chong said with a laugh, waving his folded fan.

Chu Shun frowned.

The young attendant quickly added, "These lizhi were brought by the Heir of Duke Chong, with the kitchen helping to prepare them."

Prince NanAn suddenly remembered.

The last time lizhi were offered as tribute, the Emperor only kept one plate for himself and gave all the rest to Su Jin.

This incident enraged the Empress Dowager, and so with the new tribute of lizhi, she was the one in charge of them.

Two plates were sent to the Emperor, leaving him with no say over the rest.

A box was sent to Duke Chong’s Mansion, and after distributing some to the concubines and various ministers, it was all gone.

Feeling consistently suppressed, the Heir of Duke Chong wanted to use the occasion with the lizhi to regain some face.

Thus he hosted a gathering at the Drunken Immortal Pavilion, having them prepare this dish of Lizhi Fried Shrimp.

Eating lizhi like this was considered stylish, showing Duke Chong’s Mansion’s favored status!

Prince NanAn shook his folded fan and laughed, "Just one plate of lizhi to get us to call you ’big brother’?"

"Wouldn’t our ’big brother’ title be a bit too cheap then?"

"Why don’t you call us ’big brother’, and I’ll give you a whole box of lizhi!"

The Heir of Duke Chong laughed, "You think you can give me a whole box of lizhi?"

The Heir of Marquis Beining looked at the Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo Mansion and asked, "Why hasn’t the Conscience Ice Shop returned after sending someone to transport the lizhi?"

The Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo Mansion shook his head, "It should have arrived by now."

He patted Prince NanAn on the shoulder, "In a few days, we will have as many plates of it as we want."

Prince NanAn, unwilling to argue further with the Heir of Duke Chong, stepped onto the stairs.

Prince NanAn preferred to avoid disputes, or perhaps he never intended to pick a fight with the Heir of Duke Chong.

But the Heir of Duke Chong wasn’t about to miss such a good opportunity to suppress Prince NanAn and his group.

"What, are you only good at talking?" the Heir of Duke Chong taunted.

Prince NanAn was quick-tempered.

He had already found the Heir of Duke Chong quite displeasing.

And now he was provoking him.

Prince NanAn wanted to hit him.

Upstairs, inside a private room.

Prince NanAn wore a face of anger.

After so many days of fishing, why was his temper still so short-fused?

No improvement at all.

A little provocation and he was already raging.

It’s lucky Chu Shun and a few others were around to hold him back a bit.

If he were alone, he might have resorted to fists already.

Actually, it wasn’t just Prince NanAn who was angry, Chu Shun and the others were too.

It’s just that he happened to catch sight of his own servant earlier, clearly indicating his father was dining upstairs.

If they did start a fight, there was a likelihood of being punished at home, kneeling in the ancestral hall.

With Chu Shun restraining Prince NanAn, the fight wasn’t going to happen, even though there were many waiting below for a good show.

Prince NanAn withdrew his gaze and ascended the stairs.

But he hadn’t walked far when a servant quickly entered, hurried up the stairs to their side, and whispered a few words.

Immediately—

Prince NanAn and the others straightened their backs.

"Bring those carts to the entrance of Drunken Immortal Pavilion," Prince NanAn instructed.

The young attendant acknowledged and quickly went downstairs.

Chu Shun and others didn’t go back to the private room.

The Conscience Ice Shop was not far from Drunken Immortal Pavilion, so they expected their arrival quickly.

Seeing them behaving meekly, Heir of Duke Chong felt delighted, and the Heir of Wu’an Bo chuckled, "Who would’ve thought they’d have their comeuppance, truly gratifying."

The young attendant carried the dish into the room, where the Heir of Duke Chong and others ate Lizhi Fried Shrimp.

This dish wasn’t something one had many opportunities to eat.

If it weren’t for the precedent set by the Emperor who gifted a box of lizhi, the Empress Dowager wouldn’t have dared to award Duke Chong’s Mansion with a box.

After finishing a plate, a commotion rose from downstairs.

The voice of Prince NanAn could be heard, "Indeed, lizhi are rare."

"But today, we Commandery Princes are happy!"

"As long as you’re having a meal at Drunken Immortal Pavilion today, we’ll let you all have a taste of what lizhi are like."

At the entrance of Drunken Immortal Pavilion stood three young attendants.

Chu Shun gestured, "Bring the lizhi inside."

Two young attendants went out and carried a box inside.

Prince NanAn went over and opened the box.

It was filled to the brim with lizhi.

Prince NanAn and his group each gave away four lizhi.

The young attendants of Drunken Immortal Pavilion distributed the lizhi.

The diners downstairs were all very grateful.

They had had dried lizhi before, but these fresh ones were something not many had tasted.

Peeling away the skin, the flesh appeared like creamy jade, a gentle bite releasing a blend of sweet and sour flavor.

The young attendant carried the tray upstairs.

As he reached the door, he hesitated to knock.

This room belonged to the Heir of Duke Chong.

Sending lizhi to him now would certainly shame him.

The young attendant lacked the courage, so he bypassed it and knocked on another door, "Sir, may I enter?"

"Come in," Prince NanAn said.

The young attendant entered.

Seeing it was Prince NanAn and his group, he couldn’t help but twitch his mouth fiercely.

After all, these were Prince NanAn’s sons.

Sons at one table.

Father at another.

He dared not treat Prince NanAn and his company like just anyone else.

The tray, piled high with lizhi, was placed entirely on the table.

Without a word, he promptly withdrew and closed the door.

Marquis Jingguo and others looked at the lizhi, still emitting cold air.

He picked one to taste, "Fresher than the tribute ones by a few notches."

The Eldest Young Master of Duke Dingguo furrowed his brow, "I reckon they didn’t have their fill last time and, relying on their ice-making ability, sent people to transport these from the lizhi-producing region."

Going to such lengths just for some food.

If such effort were directed elsewhere, would they still cause headaches every day?