Xiong Xiaoyi chuckled and took his seat: "I won't say, I won't say. I'm beholden to those who feed me."
"What are you laughing at? Trying to show off your white teeth?" Yun Lie gave Xiong Xiaoyi a cold glance, tightening his grip on his chopsticks.
Xiong Xiaoyi quickly shrank his neck and buried his head to pick up his rice bowl.
Although his glare was directed at Xiong Xiaoyi, Luo Cuiwei, who was sitting not far from him, also felt a chill. So she also stopped smiling, sat up straight, and picked up her bowl without looking to the side.
This Prince Zhao seems to dislike seeing others laughing and joking? Write that down.
Yun Lie caught a glimpse of her suddenly serious and tense posture out of the corner of his eye, and felt inexplicably annoyed, yet he didn't know how to make amends.
He wasn't even talking to her, so what's with him looking all serious like that while standing there with someone else?!
****
Even after finishing the meal in a somewhat dull manner, Luo Cuiwei still couldn't seem to find a reason to continue provoking Yun Lie the next day.
Yun Lie forcibly ignored the faint panic in his heart, and raised his eyebrows triumphantly as if he had won a battle.
As he emerged from the dining hall, he walked slowly ahead, with Luo Cuiwei and Xiong Xiaoyi following a step behind.
Out of politeness, Xiong Xiaoyi whispered to Luo Cui with a smile, "I didn't expect that a pampered young lady like you would actually be able to cook."
Luo Cuiwei glanced at Yun Lie's retreating figure and lowered her voice to reply with a soft laugh: "I often travel all over the country. Although it's not as tough as being in the army, there are many inconveniences when you're out and about. If I couldn't even cook something to eat, wouldn't I have starved to death long ago?"
“That’s true,” Xiong Xiaoyi nodded, smacking his lips with a smile, “That stuffed pork in jade was really good!”
The thick "bear paw" gave her a thumbs up.
Walking ahead alone, Yun Lie, taking advantage of the fact that the two people behind him couldn't see his face, silently curled his lips and chuckled to himself: You haven't eaten meat in a long time at all; any meat that enters your mouth tastes delicious.
Luo Cuiwei's eyes flashed, and she smiled at Xiong Xiaoyi like an old friend: "General Xiong seems like a very honest person, yet he can also say such polite things? This flattery is a bit exaggerated and hypocritical."
Xiong Xiaoyi frowned as expected. "How is this just polite talk? How is it exaggerated and hypocritical? I have truly never tasted a better stuffed meat dish than this!"
Although Yun Lie, who was walking in front, did not turn around, he kept his ears perked up, listening to the movements of the two people behind him.
Upon hearing this, he sensed something was wrong and suddenly stopped, causing Luo Cuiwei to bump into his back unexpectedly.
Yun Lie turned around and saw Luo Cuiwei covering her nose with tears in her eyes. He was about to apologize, but she didn't even look at him. Instead, she turned to Xiong Xiaoyi and said in a deep voice, "My chef makes even better food."
Yun Lie's mind went blank again. Just as he was about to rush over and cover Xiong Xiaoyi's gaping mouth, he heard Xiong Xiaoyi blurt out—
"I don't believe it!"
Before the words had even finished, Luo Cuiwei, with a sly smile and teary eyes, continued, "Tomorrow I'll bring the head chef over and cook again. If it's really better than mine, Xiong Canjiang will be punished with a jar of wine. I ask Your Highness to be my witness then!"
At that moment, Yun Lie really wanted to punch Xiong Xiaoyi into a bear meat pie.
Gluttonous and talkative, what use are you!
6. Chapter Six
After Luo Cuiwei left, Xiong Xiaoyi was undoubtedly beaten up.
“...She was there just now, so I didn’t have a chance to say anything,” Xiong Xiaoyi said as he saw Yun Lie leave after the fight. He quickly got up from the ground, wincing and hissing in pain as he chased after him. “I’ve investigated. The Luo family in Jingxi has been in business for three generations. They have a clean background and no ties to the court. They don’t rely on either side.”
Emperor Xianlong currently has only three sons and two daughters who have been granted permission to establish their own residences. The position of heir apparent is currently vacant, and the undercurrents among the princes are well-known and difficult to discuss.
At this critical juncture, Yun Lie had to be wary of the Luo family's sudden overtures, coupled with Luo Cuiwei's tireless efforts to visit him under various absurd pretexts over the past few days.
Although Yun Lie has been stationed on the border of Linchuan for most of the year, and the Prince Zhao's mansion has never been involved in court intrigues, they still have some reliable informants in the capital. On Yun Lie's orders, Xiong Xiaoyi got up early this morning and went out, and in just half a day, he obtained this information.
The news that Xiong Xiaoyi reported was somewhat unexpected to Yun Lie. He hesitated for a moment, and then a secret joy suddenly welled up in his heart.
This sudden surge of joy was completely irrational. He didn't bother to think about it, and with a straight face, he casually said, "Oh. There's something fishy about this unsolicited kindness."
Xiong Xiaoyi said, "I have instructed them to follow the leads and investigate further. We should have some leads in three to five days at most."
Since the Luo family of Jingxi is simply a business and has no connection to the imperial court, it shouldn't be difficult to investigate them.
****
The Prince Zhao's residence was in the east of the city, while the Luo family lived in the western suburbs. By the time Luo Cuiwei's sedan chair leisurely stopped at her door, it was already nearly dusk.
She left home before dawn today, served as the head cook at Prince Zhao's residence, and went to great lengths to find a reason to meet Yun Lie tomorrow from Xiong Xiaoyi. By now, she was inevitably feeling quite exhausted.
The sedan chair stopped for a while, but she just sat there blankly, staring into space.
"Uncle Shouxing said that Young Master Fengming got into some trouble..." Xiahou Ling peeked in from outside, lifting the sedan curtain.
Luo Shouxing had been in charge of the Luo family for many years, and everyone respectfully called him "Uncle Shouxing".
Luo Cuiwei sat up abruptly, took Xiahou Ling's arm, and stepped out of the sedan chair, whispering, "What did Luo Fengming do?"
Since Luo Huai was injured, Luo Cuiwei has effectively become the backbone of the Luo family. Luo Shouxing, who was originally standing at the door, saw her get out of the sedan chair and hurriedly stepped forward, his face full of anxiety.
"Young Master Fengming went to Nanhuifang today, and got into a fight with someone for some unknown reason. He was arrested by the Jingzhao Prefecture..."
Nanhuifang is a bustling area in the capital, with everything you could want for eating, drinking, and entertainment. The Luo family often meets with people in Nanhuifang to discuss some business matters, so it's not surprising that Luo Fengming would be there.
However, Luo Fengming is a rather refined person, so it's rare for him to get into fights with others outside.
"Where is he? Has he returned?" Seeing Luo Shouxing shake his head, Luo Cuiwei frowned. "Was he imprisoned by the Jingzhao Prefecture because he couldn't afford the fine?"
According to the Great Law, in cases of street fights, as long as no one dies, the party at fault simply has to pay some medical expenses and fifty taels of silver to the Prefectural Governor of the Capital to be exempted from caning and fifteen days in prison, and can return home to reflect on their actions.