The Empress's No.1 Lackey-Chapter 459 - 374, A Negotiation that Changed the Dynasty’s History (Part 1)

"Yes," Xu Junling smiled with graceful sweetness, nodding her head as if to say, this is as it should be.

...

Zhao Douan fell silent, then spoke softly, "Why didn't the Commandery Princess mention this before? If I remember correctly, you only mentioned taking me to tour the night scenery of Hu Ting and arranged a banquet."

Prince Huaian wants to see him!

This truly caught Mr. Zhao off-guard. Although on their way here, he vaguely sensed from the Little Princess's behavior that she seemed to have prepared some kind of surprise.

But to meet Prince Jing on the first day in the city, followed by a native lord of the Huai River, Prince Huaian...

Such a tight schedule was still somewhat unsettling for him.

The key is...

There was no preparation.

Xu Junling feigned ignorance, playing dumb, "Oh, did I not mention it? Maybe I forgot for a moment? Or perhaps Lord didn't hear?"

Zhao Douan sighed. There was no helping it with this astute Commandery Princess, but he wasn't displeased in his heart.

In terms of position, him meeting with Prince Huaian as a representative of the court would undoubtedly send out a positive signal.

This is the cunning thoughtfulness of a great family, catching Zhao Douan off-guard and leaving him no time to fully prepare, thus taking the upper hand in this meeting.

Yet, such an extravagant welcome was also to his advantage, making it hard to be upset...

Well then, considering this, arranging for Xu Junling, this lady, to handle this matter was also a reflection of insightful planning. If Prince Huaian's son, Xu Qian, had come to carry out this "deception," Zhao Douan would not have let it pass easily.

Amidst these thoughts, he also perked up and turned to look at Eunuch Hai and the others following him:

"So many people..."

Xu Junling's smile was sweet:

"The sixth floor of Da Feng Tower, apart from the top floor for observation, my father has arranged a private banquet for Lord on the fifth floor, and the fourth floor has also been set for a feast to accommodate all of you."

Alright... no wonder they booked the whole venue so grandly, even considering the guards.

The old Tributor chuckled:

"Let's go, let's go, I'm indeed hungry, and I'd like to try the delicacies of the Huai River. The last time I came to Da Feng Tower was decades ago."

Haitang, Lang Shiba, Ji Yue, and the Lihua Hall Jin Yi were all somewhat tempted.

Only one floor apart, they were not worried about any danger... Zhao Douan pondered briefly, then nodded his head and continued up the stairs.

The entire Da Feng Tower was exceptionally quiet and well soundproofed. Walking inside, one could hardly hear any noise from outside.

Upon reaching the fourth floor, as expected, the diligent Da Feng Tower staff respectfully awaited, with the Commandery Princess's brother, Princely Heir Xu Qian, at the forefront.

Xu Qian's gaze was quite complex as he greeted Zhao Douan and then respectfully said to Mr. Hai:

"Eunuch Hai, please."

If it were an ordinary guard, there would be no need for the Princely Heir to accompany personally, but Hai Chunlin's status was different.

As the head of the Imperial Family's Tributors, having served three generations of emperors, he warranted the company of someone significant.

"Hehe, alright," Eunuch Hai was carefree, leading his soldiers to their seats.

Lihua Hall Servant Lv Shui and others stayed on this floor.

Leaving only Zhao Douan and Xu Junling, they proceeded to the next floor.

...

...

When Zhao Douan stepped up the staircase to the fifth floor, he saw that the entire spacious and luxurious level was brightly lit by brilliantly adorned lamps.

Precious knotted carpets were spread on the floor, and each corner lamp post shone as if it were daylight.

Within this floor, servants evidently from Prince Huaian's mansion stood respectfully with bowed heads all around, while at the center under everyone's guard, there was notably a long table that drew attention.

On the table, rested a spindle-shaped bamboo tray with a symmetrical large green fish laid across it.

At the moment, behind the long table, stood a portly, fair-faced elderly man with maintenance so thorough his true age was nearly indiscernible.

He tied an apron around himself, wielding a narrow knife, handling the green fish—a wet flutter of hands with each move added another cut to the fish body, indicating he was at the final steps of preparing ingredients.

"Father, Lord Zhao has arrived," Xu Junling announced softly with a respectful gesture.

Was this fish-slaying "merchant" none other than Prince Huaian, Uncle Zhenbao of the Great Yu Dynasty, who commanded numerous fleets along the Huai River and held vast riches, Xu An?

Zhao Douan was surprised.

Even having seen the portraits of the Eight Princes, he still found it hard to associate an Imperial Royal Prince with a chef personally killing fish in a restaurant.

Prince Huaian had just finished the final cut and lifted his head, his plump face's eyes meeting Zhao Douan's gaze.

"Subordinate Zhao Douan, greets the Prince," Zhao Douan bowed with a smile.

His attitude toward this person was quite different from Prince Jing's.

When Prince Huaian smiled, it was like the Buddha in the temple:

"Hehe, today is not a formal meeting. Since you are acquainted with my daughter, you may address me as you would a younger generation."

Zhao Douan went with the flow and replied with a smile:

"What Prince says is true, junior did not expect that in addition to being a renowned gourmand across the Great Yu Dynasty, you also possess such culinary skills."

A good compliment must hit home.

Prince Huaian indeed expanded the corners of his mouth a bit more and only heard the Commandery Princess next to him say with a smile:

"My father enjoys cooking at home, just not often, but this time I was able to taste the fish cooked by my father thanks to your presence."

Zhao Douan was flattered.

But Prince Huaian shook his head, picked up a cloth to wipe his hands, and said earnestly:

"While my culinary skills with fish aren't as good as those of Da Feng Tower, when it comes to good ingredients, I always feel at ease handling them myself. Generally, for one meal, six parts of the credit goes to the chef and four to the manager... Moreover, each ingredient has its own flavor and should not be mixed indiscriminately..."

"It's like in recent years within the Great Yu Dynasty, guests are customarily entertained with hot pots during winter, and the hubbub has become annoying; moreover, each dish has its proper cooking time, and should be served or removed at the right moment, barely missing a beat. Now, they all are cooked at once over the fire, can their flavors remain good? And those who now use alcohol as a substitute for charcoal thinking they are clever don't realize that after boiling too long, the flavor will change..."

Zhao Douan was speechless, he did not expect that starting a topic would lead to the other party talking non-stop... No wonder he had the nickname of "Gourmet Prince."

Though not fully understanding, he could tell that the Prince was indeed very knowledgeable about food.

Xu Junling said helplessly, "Father, Lord Zhao must be hungry tonight."

Prince Huaian laughed heartily and said, "Indeed, I've been rambling on. Someone, go cook it and tell the kitchen to serve the dishes."

At once, a servant girl approached and took the big green fish downstairs.

Others joined in clearing the long table.

Prince Huaian took off his apron and made a gesture. Zhao Douan immediately followed, sitting down with the father and daughter at the nearby prepared Eight-Immortal table.

He was facing Xu An across the table, with the Commandery Princess accompanying them at the side.

With footsteps approaching one after another, those servant girls from downstairs brought up dishes, and in the blink of an eye, the table was covered with beautifully plated, fragrant, and delicious dishes in a circle.

Only leaving a large empty space in the middle, clearly reserved for the fresh fish that was still being cooked.

Zhao Douan glanced at the table and saw the dishes were mainly "river delicacies," with others as supplements. The eight plates of river delicacies encircling them were particularly striking.

He then looked towards the window to the side, which was slightly open, barely revealing the distant sparkling lights, seemingly from the barges and boats on the water.

"That's Yansuo Lake," explained Prince Huaian:

"This lake has a history of over a thousand years, used to release the floodwaters when the Grand Canal was dug in the previous dynasty. Although it was originally a scenic spot, it wasn't very famous until Hu Ting gained popularity due to the opening of the Canal.

Located outside the city, it still is not far. At night, there are decorated boats moored there. Its prosperity, though, is overshadowed by the section of the Huai River called 'Lv Shui.' Hence, it's recently been called 'Little Huai River.' Unfortunately, in the eighteen prefectures of the Great Yu Dynasty, there are over a dozen contenders for the title 'Little Huai River.'

Ha, its scenery, aside from the ancient deity statues carved into the mountain, holds nothing special. In my opinion, its reputation exceeds reality, largely inflated by poets' praises.

However, my daughter has a different view, saying it has its own charm and earnestly wrote several poems about it."

You better be simply talking about Yansuo Lake and not alluding to something else... Zhao Douan smiled:

"I've only been at Hu Ting for half a day and haven't had the chance to visit it yet."

"Is that so? There is no rush," Prince Huaian smiled. He leaned back in his chair, filling the space with his portly figure:

"In my opinion, while natural landscapes are secondary, people are the most worthwhile scenery to savor."

"Such as?" Zhao Douan bantered.

With great interest, Prince Huaian said:

"Like, for instance, the commotion you had with Xu Jinglong on the river, and also the personal visit of Xu Wen to Zhuozheng Garden."

Onto business then!

Zhao Douan knew small talk had passed, and he immediately tensed, his thoughts quickened, and with a joking tone, he said:

"Your Highness is well-informed, even knowing about my encounter with Prince Jing's son on the river, could it be you witnessed it with your own eyes?"

Prince Huaian smiled, "Indeed, I happened to see it."

He actually admitted it!

Zhao Douan was startled for a moment, realizing that the sense of being watched on the official boat came from this Gourmet Prince before him.

After a moment of contemplation, Zhao Douan revealed a smile:

"Is that so? What a coincidence. Well then, tonight's banquet wasn't whipped up on a whim after seeing Prince Jing heading to Zhuozheng Garden, was it?"

Prince Huaian looked slightly surprised, but nodded with a smile: "Indeed, it was."

Admitted again!

Xu Junling, sitting beside them, explained with a smile:

"Father indeed arranged this dinner hastily after I told him about it, so it's truly not because I didn't inform Lord Zhao in advance."

The tone of innocence.

I'll believe you when hell freezes over... Zhao Douan thought cynically, watching as the father and daughter duo tag-teamed, maintaining control over the direction of the meeting from start to finish.

This won't do at all... Of course, he wouldn't believe this was a simple dinner.

And he knew very well that if he continued to follow their lead, he would always be at a disadvantage.

After pondering briefly, Zhao Douan smiled understandingly and promptly bent down to pick up a wine jug, stood up to pour Prince Huaian a cup, and looked toward the Commandery Princess, who raised her hand to cover her wine cup, smilingly indicating that she would substitute tea for wine.

Putting down the wine jug, he used this series of actions to intentionally interrupt the father and daughter's control of the conversation.

Only then, did he leisurely say:

"Wouldn't you be afraid that Prince Jing would hear about our private meeting and misunderstand your stance and intentions, Your Highness?"

...

Next chapter before midnight.