Red Mansion and Crimson Pearl

Chapter 286: Who are the surnames of the two restaurants?

Daiyu glanced at Qingwen.

Qingwen hurried to the door, closed the crack, pressed the bolt, and said, "The princess is here. Who is outside?"

"We are the personal guards of Governor-General Ding Zhitai of Liangjiang, and we are here to deliver a letter to the princess and Magistrate Cao."

People outside the door were very respectful.

Then the two guards said, "Waist badge."

After a while of rustling, the guards' voice rang out: "Reporting to the princess, we have checked and found that they are Governor Ding's personal guards."

Daiyu looked at Qingwen and nodded.

Qingwen then opened the door: "Come in."

Two guards entered each room one by one and delivered the letter accurately.

Daiyu nodded with a smile, said "thank you", and asked with a smile: "I also came here on a whim, how did you find me?"

But the two of them looked strange. One of them said, "I went to the tourist spots to look for it, but couldn't find it. It was almost noon, and I thought the princess would have dinner, so I looked for a restaurant."

The other one continued, "I originally went to Yingtian Prefecture to look for Magistrate Cao. I thought Magistrate Cao would be near the government office and eat at the Xue family's restaurant, but he was not there. So I guessed that I might have run into the princess, so I asked around and came here."

Daiyu raised her eyebrows: "Is that restaurant owned by the Xue family?"

"Yes."

"The Xue family, the royal merchant family of the former Ziwei Sheren?"

"Yes."

Daiyu smiled faintly and said nothing.

The guard in Daiyu's room couldn't help but ask, "My lady, do you like the food in this restaurant?"

Daiyu was surprised: "It's very authentic. What's wrong?"

"This restaurant was brought as a dowry by my mistress." The guard smiled and bowed, "It is a blessing for my family to be able to serve the princess and make her happy."

Daiyu chuckled: "Is that so? If so, then let your Madam Ding treat me to a meal!"

"This is truly a favor from the princess. My governor is honored!" The guard smiled and bowed.

Daiyu also laughed and called the shopkeeper over.

The shopkeeper had been waiting at the door for a long time. He hurried in upon hearing the news, bowed and apologized, and was about to kneel down: "I have no eyes to recognize a great man..."

Daiyu hurriedly ordered him to stop kneeling: "Stop it! I still want something from you!"

The shopkeeper stood up upon hearing the order.

"Take your restaurant's best dishes and add the sweet-scented osmanthus duck, braised chicken, stewed vegetable core and beauty liver that I just had.

"When dinner is almost over, send it to the weaving house and tell them that Miss Lin ordered it for the old lady to taste."

Daiyu smiled.

Since this restaurant was a dowry of Madam Ding Zhen, she naturally knew that the rear hall of the Weaving House was now the Empress Dowager's palace.

Miss Lin is the Princess Zhaoqing in front of her, who else could that old lady be? !

Queen Mother!!!

Even their own restaurant could serve dishes to the Empress Dowager!

The shopkeeper was so overjoyed that he knelt down again and kowtowed twice: "Thank you, Princess, for your honor!"

Lin Daiyu smiled and said, "This is not a favor from me, it is actually a test!

"The Queen Mother has been to Jinling several times and has eaten the best and most authentic Jinling cuisine with His Majesty. Her tongue is definitely not to be fooled.

"If you don't use your full abilities and let the Queen Mother find fault with you, I will lose face and I might even come and destroy your reputation!"

The shopkeeper immediately patted his chest and assured: "I am not afraid of losing my head, and I dare not be perfunctory to the Queen Mother and the Princess!

"Besides, we are in the business of cooking. If we make the diners unhappy, we will destroy our reputation and even our store, which is what we deserve!"

Daiyu smiled brightly and nodded repeatedly: "That's right. I also have several restaurants in the capital.

"Tell your wife that when she goes to the capital, I will invite her to my restaurant for dinner. If the food is not good, it is up to her to decide."

The shopkeeper was overjoyed and bowed repeatedly: "I don't deserve it! I would like to thank the princess for her kindness on behalf of our aunt!"

Daiyu nodded with a smile.

The shopkeeper tactfully excused himself and took the guard who was listening blankly beside him with him.

The guards in the other room bowed to Cao Yu, then left and closed the door.

The shopkeeper smiled and nodded to the two guards, then enthusiastically invited them to sit at a table downstairs and served them some orange peels and melon seeds to help them digest food.

Then he pulled the two guards around to the back of the counter and asked hopefully, "It is said that our eldest daughter didn't die of a sudden illness? Our sixth brother actually left a child?!"

The two guards looked at each other and couldn't help asking him, "Where did you hear that?"

“Oh! Don’t worry about it! Just tell me if it’s true or not!!” The old shopkeeper was so anxious that his eyes turned red. He stamped his feet and grabbed the wrists of the two men.

The two guards exchanged glances and whispered to the shopkeeper, "Uncle, we won't hide it from you. But you must not tell anyone!

"Especially don't be so rash as to ask the master and the mistress!"

The shopkeeper was almost about to raise his hand and swear, urging them to speak quickly.

The guards then quietly told him the news, and added: "We see that Princess Lin is determined to seek justice for Miss Zhen.

"Because this matter was the responsibility of Jiangning County, the origins of Miss Zhen were revealed in front of the Emperor and the Empress Dowager.

"But the masters of your Zhen family are not decent people and are unwilling to acknowledge this girl!

"A number of important officials of the imperial court are involved in this, so I'm afraid there will be more trouble.

"We all know that the old uncle was originally the eldest girl's foster brother, and later followed Master Zhen Liu to school, so he is the closest to the two of them.

"But uncle, you should also understand that Madam is in trouble, right?"

The shopkeeper had already burst into tears. He was extremely unhappy when he heard this: "What's so difficult about this!?"

"Those masters of your Zhen family are using the reputation of our brothers and sisters to threaten Madam! Why do you think Madam is sick?!"

The guard had no choice but to tell the shopkeeper everything.

The shopkeeper was so angry that he trembled all over: "You don't even want your own flesh and blood, and you use other people's flesh and blood to threaten them!

"They are so shameless, they don't even fear being struck by lightning! No wonder our sixth brother left home overnight when he heard that his sister was ill!

"If I don't leave, I'm afraid I'll lose my life in their hands!"

The two guards looked at each other, not wanting to talk any more about the Zhen family's past scandals, and hurriedly said goodbye.

After returning to Taishang Camp, he reported the whole matter to Ding Mingyi in detail.

Lin Daiyu and Cao Yu then opened the letter and read it.

Daiyu smiled softly as she read: "Governor Ding begged me not to let Miss Zhen return to the Zhen family.

"Even if she lives in the capital, his wife will provide the girl with food, clothing, shelter and transportation. Just don't let the Zhen family know."

Cao Yu also sneered: "Governor Ding ordered me not to worry about the Zhen family's attitude. He also said: Don't pay attention to their nonsense!"

Daiyu chuckled and put the letter aside: "It seems that the maid who came to me did a good job of asking. Mrs. Ding is indeed a person with a conscience."