The Beauty Within the Gates
Chapter 92
Mixian Tower, one of the four great restaurants of the Eastern Capital, was famous throughout Great Feng. It was a luxurious place frequented daily by the city’s noble and powerful households, and countless young masters from prestigious families came here to spend lavishly in order to display their status.
The original owner had been a wealthy local merchant with a solid family fortune. But in recent years, he had become involved in gambling and had squandered most of his property. It was said that not long ago, he had even transferred ownership of the restaurant.
The new owner was a wealthy merchant from out of town who had never shown their face. The one in charge of managing the place was a shopkeeper surnamed Wen. Who could have imagined it would be the Wen family of Fengcheng?
Just now, in everyone’s eyes, the Second Master Wen had been a fallen man of poor background, living by trade, but he turned out to be the owner of such a restaurant.
Sixth Young Lady Yang’s face was lit by the fireworks before her, and all color drained from it. She stood there, stunned and dazed.
The Second Princess also stopped walking and did not continue forward. She, a dignified princess of the realm, had been slapped hard in the face tonight. Not only had she lost face, but she feared even her reputation was gone. She had always been loved for being approachable, gentle, and proper. Her imperial father had even once used her as an example for her elder and younger sisters. She hated herself for being so shallow and vulgar tonight. The moment she closed her eyes, everything in her mind went dark.
Second Young Madam Zhu of the Earl Mansion was the first to speak, pressing her voice low with hatred. “That Eldest Madam Wen has simply played us all for fools. She kept saying that the Wen family’s second branch had been ruined not long ago by the Second Young Lady, and that even the Xie family had been dragged into bankruptcy. How, then, did this enormous restaurant suddenly appear? So, she thought that if my Earl Mansion learned of the Wen family’s wealth, we would go ask them for money?”
Second Young Madam Zhu had said plenty today about the Wen family’s second branch. She knew that the Sixth Lady had invited Second Young Lady Wen over because of those words of hers. But in the end, she had discovered that everything was false. Along with her, the Sixth Young Lady and the Second Princess had also lost face. How was she supposed to clean this up?
If her aunt found out that she had caused such a disaster on this trip, who knew how she would punish her? Fear rose in her heart, and she quickly tried to smooth things over for herself, directing all blame toward Eldest Madam Wen.
A group of noblewomen gathered together on ordinary days to chew over gossip, if not about this person, then about that one. The Second Princess was filled with regret, hating herself for having somehow lost her senses tonight and gotten mixed up with such people.
The fireworks were still blooming in the sky when the Second Princess turned back and took her leave from Sixth Young Lady Yang. “Cousin, enjoy yourself properly today. It is late, and I must return. I won’t keep you company any longer.”
Knowing that her good intentions had led to a bad result, Sixth Young Lady Yang did not dare urge her to stay. She saw her at the door, then returned dejectedly. A perfectly good birthday had turned into this. How could she still be in any mood to enjoy herself? Forcing up her spirits, she accompanied everyone through the fireworks display, endured until they had eaten the longevity noodles served by the restaurant, and only after seeing the guests off did she finally manage to catch her breath.
She sat silently in a chair for a while, then suddenly covered her face and began to cry. “What kind of birthday did I just have? I’m afraid people will remember it for the rest of their lives…”
—
After Wen Shuse was led out of the elegant room by Xie Shao in front of everyone, they went downstairs together. Her hand was held in her husband’s, his broad palm nearly wrapping around her entire hand. She tilted her head to look at his profile. Even when his face was taut, he was still so good-looking.
His words just now had taken all the blame for the bride switch between the two families onto himself. The implication was that he had long desired her, that he had been the one to like her first. He had given her more than enough face.
Only then did she ask him, “Husband, why did you come?”
Xie Shao glanced sideways at her. This time, it was his turn to feel disappointed that she failed to live up to expectations. If he had not come, was she going to keep letting them bully her?
The moment she had left just now, he had remembered. His little wife was rather fierce at home, but toward outsiders, she always wore a smiling face. Whatever Second Madam asked her to do, she did. That day, she had even gone out alone in a sulk and wandered for half the day.
Today was Sixth Young Lady Yang’s birthday, and with the Second Princess hosting the gathering, all those who came were well-known noblewomen of the Eastern Capital.
A noblewoman, as the name suggested, was a woman with a long tongue.
His little wife’s thoughts were simple. If she accidentally entered such a place, would it not be like a little white rabbit stumbling into a wolf’s den, left to be bullied by others?
The moment he thought of this, he could no longer wait. It was far better for his little wife to follow him on a walk to digest her food.
As soon as he went upstairs, before he had even entered the room, he heard those words from Sixth Young Lady Yang. Both families had been responsible for the bride switch, yet with her clever tongue, Sixth Young Lady Yang had absolved the Xie family entirely in order to curry favor with them and pressed all the blame onto his little wife.
Questioning whether he liked her?
Was that not laughable? Who said he did not like her? His little wife was his very lifeblood.
He squeezed his little wife’s small hand and did not answer her question. Instead, he lowered his voice and scolded, “Why didn’t you use even a fraction of that sharp tongue you wield against me at home? Could that Sixth Young Lady really stand a chance against you?”
Seeing her husband look as though he were protecting his food, Wen Shuse’s heart trembled, and a warm current surged up within her, steady and comforting.
She did not know when it had begun, but it seemed that as long as her husband was beside her, she never had to worry. Even if the sky collapsed, he would be able to hold it up for her. She leaned lightly against her husband’s shoulder and muttered softly, “That’s because Husband always gives way to me…”
Her soft voice carried a hint of coquettishness, the sort most capable of stirring a man’s desire to protect her. Helplessly, he said, “So this treasure I hold in my palm and raise so carefully, you just let others bully you like that?”
What kind of sweet talk was this? So beautiful it was deadly.
The young lady lifted her eyes in astonishment. Looking at the undisguised partiality in her husband’s gaze, she nearly drowned in his tenderness and praised him, “Husband’s mouth has finally learned to bloom.”
She thought of what he had said to her on their wedding night, “Aren’t you talking too much? Didn’t your family teach you any restraint?”
For him to change this much today, it was all because she had used her own flesh and blood as a shield to polish him into shape. Now that the flowers had bloomed and had borne fruit, no one else could come and snatch them away. “Don’t worry. Next time, I won’t be polite. Since I have such a husband at home who attracts others, I must work hard no matter what.”
See? When that mouth of hers turned against him, when had it ever lost?
The two came down from the upper floor. Uncle Wen had just hurried back from the Minister of Rites’ residence and came toward them, greeting her warmly. “Second Young Lady…”
Then he looked at her husband beside her. Thinking that Wen Shuse had already revealed everything, his face lit with joy. “Young Master, you’ve finally come today.”
Earlier, when the servant had called him “Young Master”, Xie Shao had already found it strange. Now that he had heard it again, suspicion filled his heart.
The young lady did not stop him either and asked, “Where have you been, Uncle Wen?”
Uncle Wen happened to have something to discuss with her, so he made an inviting gesture. “Second Young Lady, let’s speak inside.”
He led the two of them toward a private room on the first floor, asking as they walked, “Have the dishes lately suited your taste?”
Wen Shuse held her husband’s hand and followed behind him. “They’ve been quite good.”
“Once the food is packed into boxes and carried all the way over, the flavor naturally isn’t as fresh as when it first comes out of the wok. When the Second Young Lady has time, you should come to the restaurant more often to eat. It tastes better here.” As he spoke, he asked again, “Did Li Qi serve the seafood?”
Wen Shuse nodded. “We just finished eating.”
“How was the flavor?”
Wen Shuse smiled and praised it with one word: “Fresh.”
Once they reached the private room, Uncle Wen ushered the two of them to their seats and sat down as well, then began speaking of serious matters. “This time, with the new crown prince’s enthronement, His Majesty attaches great importance to it. In a few days, a banquet will be held in the palace, and all officials will be invited to celebrate. Several days ago, His Majesty summoned the Ministry of Rites and instructed Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Rites to choose one among the four great restaurants of the Eastern Capital to enter the palace and present dishes.”
If Mixian Tower won the bid, the emperor’s payment and rewards were one matter. The four great restaurants of the Eastern Capital were packed with guests every day and were not exactly short of that little money.
The second matter was reputation, and that was the real prize that made the four great restaurants fight until their heads broke.
If one could present their restaurant’s signature dishes at the crown prince’s congratulatory banquet, their fame would rise by an entire level. In the past, the four great restaurants had been evenly matched, each with its own strengths. But if one of them won this chance, it would pull ahead of the other three, take first place, and become the foremost restaurant of the Eastern Capital.
“Today, the Minister of Rites summoned the owners of all four great restaurants for a visit.”
These were all internal management affairs of the restaurant. For the manager to seek her out and discuss them, Xie Shao did not know when his little wife’s relationship with the restaurant had become so close.
The young lady did not look at her husband’s expression. She asked Uncle Wen with concern, “How did it go?”
Uncle Wen shook his head. “The owners of all four great restaurants were summoned to the main hall and questioned. Nothing else was said. They only asked each family what its specialty dishes were, then dismissed us.”
As for which one they favored, it was truly impossible to tell. But those who did business all had experience that once something became impossible to read, eight times out of ten, it was going to fall through.
Uncle Wen was anxious too. He had once been only the manager of an ordinary tavern. It was Second Master who had valued him, brought him to his side, and during all those years in Fuzhou, entrusted him with managing the family assets. He had made mistakes and lost money before, but Second Master had never blamed him, treating it all as experience for him to grow from. Now, the Second Master had even entrusted such a large restaurant to him with complete confidence.
This was an enormous trust. He could not miss any opportunity to make the restaurant famous. He had been working behind the scenes as well. “I’ve sent people to inquire, and Minister Jiang has a family heirloom he’s looking to sell.”
Wen Shuse was taken aback. “What treasure?”
Uncle Wen lowered his voice. “A family heirloom. This old servant has seen it. It is indeed genuine.”
Wen Shuse’s brows furrowed.
Being able to gather the owners of the four great restaurants of the Eastern Capital into a net and wait to slaughter them, such a fat opportunity came once in a thousand years. Who would be willing to miss it? What method could allow one to obtain benefits while keeping oneself clean, leaving no evidence for those above to investigate?
“The other three families have all offered prices.” Uncle Wen raised his fingers and indicated a number. “If we add more on top, the other three will surely raise their offers too. At that point, if it reaches some astronomical sum, Minister Jiang won’t be able to close the matter properly. I fear that in the end, no one will gain anything.”
To have grown so large in the Eastern Capital, none of the four great restaurants lacked money. If this bidding truly turned into throwing silver around, it would likely be even more intense than gambling.
Wen Shuse lowered her head in thought.
Uncle Wen could not think of a solution for the moment either. “With the hundred-some thousand taels Second Young Lady gave me last time, plus the restaurant’s working funds, and if we truly compete, we won’t be weaker than anyone…”
Uncle Wen spoke calmly, but the husband beside her and the servant behind him could not remain calm at all.
A hundred-some thousand taels.
Given by the young lady.
His gold had only been one thousand taels, and Second Madam had already taken half of it to buy a residence…
A suspicion flashed through his mind. Her husband’s brow lifted, and his gaze fixed tightly on his little wife.
The young lady was busy. Leaning forward, she instructed Uncle Wen, “Uncle Wen, go draft a purchase contract. We’ll first pay a portion as a deposit, and set a two-day deadline for the remaining silver. For breach of contract, write in a penalty of ten times the amount.”
He had already become Minister of Rites. If it truly was a family heirloom, how could he possibly be willing to sell it?
Uncle Wen froze. At first, he did not react, but the husband beside her showed admiration in his eyes. The young lady’s mind was truly quick.
After a moment, Uncle Wen finally understood. “I understand now. No wonder Second Master often praises Second Young Lady. Young Lady Boss is indeed clever. I’ll go have someone draft it at once and send it to Minister Jiang.”
Wen Shuse nodded. “Good. Uncle Wen, go on.”
Uncle Wen rose and bowed to Xie Shao apologetically. “Forgive me, Young Master, for not receiving you properly on your first visit. Whatever you wish to eat, simply instruct the servants below.”
Today, Wen Shuse had not deliberately hidden it anymore. After the conversation just now, her husband must have already begun to suspect. Now, with Uncle Wen’s single phrase, “Young Lady Boss,” her identity had been completely exposed.
She did not know what reaction he would have, but it likely would not be calm.
Their household had once been so “poor” they could barely keep the pot boiling. In order to maintain their livelihood, he had been forced into a minor official post.
When he obtained a few taels of silver, he pinched and squeezed every coin, splitting one copper into two to spend. He could not bear to eat well himself and gnawed dry flatbread every day, yet bought sweet-and-sour pork for her, the great wealthy merchant of the Eastern Capital.
He had secretly copied books to earn money, only to save a little private fund for emergencies, and had even argued with the book-copying shop owner over a bit of payment. He rose before dawn and returned only after sunset, earning twenty taels a month, less than a single dish from her restaurant could earn.
When they arrived in the Eastern Capital, they could not afford to stay in a restaurant and chose a cheap inn instead. He had lain stiffly in bed, not daring to move, afraid the bed would creak. He had nearly shed tears of frustration over not being able to buy her clothes, stung by her sharp remarks until he finally went to claim his official post, risking his life to earn the reward money, all so she could live a better life.
He couldn’t bear to see her eating coarse grains alongside him, couldn’t stand the thought of her dressed worse than other young ladies, and couldn’t endure the shame she might feel because of his poverty.
Today, he had wholeheartedly wanted to bring her to Mixian Tower for a meal of rare delicacies, hoping to bring a smile to her face. How could he have known that she was actually the young lady boss of the very restaurant, rich beyond measure?
If it were she in his place, after experiencing all those things, she would have wanted to skin the other party alive.
In her heart, she had already prepared herself to accept her husband’s furious backlash. Her gaze secretly drifted toward the husband beside her.
Her husband’s expression was just as complicated and unreadable as she had expected. Only after a long while did he force out a smile and say to Uncle Wen, “We are family. No need to stand on ceremony.”
Uncle Wen turned and walked out.
Once the door closed, the room fell silent.
Wen Shuse lifted the teapot. “Husband, have a cup of tea and calm down.”
X Xie Shao curled his lips into a cold, dry smile and took the teapot from her hands. “How would I dare trouble my wife? You’re the Young Lady Boss of Mixian Tower, with ten thousand strings of wealth and a high status. I, your humble husband, could not possibly bear such honor.”
Judging by that strange, sarcastic tone, he was likely very angry. Wen Shuse pouted, then leaned closer and hugged his arm, coaxing him softly. “I only found out after entering the capital, too. Does Husband believe me?”
“With your glib tongue, should I believe you?”
Wen Shuse turned and pointed at Minzhang. “It’s true. If you don’t believe me, ask Minzhang. Last time, when I came here with him, that servant treated me like I was nothing. No respect at all. I was upset too, thinking that once Husband became successful one day, I would definitely come back and recover this bit of dignity. Who would have known that servant’s retribution would come so quickly? I actually turned out to be the Young Lady Boss of Mixian Tower. My husband doesn’t know how delighted I felt inside. Logically speaking, Second Master Wen deceived me, so I should be angry, but I don’t blame him at all. In this world, who wouldn’t want to suffer such a happy deception? One moment, your father at home can’t even afford to eat, and next, he tells you he was merely experiencing life. In truth, he’s actually a big boss.”
“Mm. Keep making it up.”