My Lord, my wife said she doesn't have time to talk to you.

Fu Shiyan's gaze still lingered on Youcheng Mansion, secretly thinking about his next plan.

Meanwhile, in the Shen Residence, Lord Shen was still writing furiously in his study. The densely packed memorials all described the benefits of opening up and supporting commerce for the Wu Kingdom.

At this moment, the drizzle outside was falling again. Huaying, who was washing noodles in the kitchen, kneaded the dough skillfully. Thinking that she would be able to let her family taste the cold noodles she made herself tomorrow, a smile appeared on her lips.

Suddenly, she heard Qinghe bowing to her brother outside the door, and then Shen Nanxing walked into the kitchen.

Huaying asked curiously, "Second brother. Why are you in the kitchen so late?"

Shen Nanxing scratched his head and smiled, "I didn't eat enough tonight, so I wanted to come to the kitchen to find something to eat. Sister, what are you doing?"

He walked to Huaying and looked at the dough soaked in water, his eyes full of confusion.

"You'll know tomorrow. Check the kitchen to see if there's anything you like to eat. I'll go back after you finish here." Huaying urged Shen Nanxing while steaming the washed gluten in the pot.

Shen Nanxing took a chicken drumstick and stood by the stove, eating while saying, "Little sister, you have changed a lot during the time you were away from home. You can even cook delicious food now."

Huaying smiled and said, "People always change. It's different outside than at home, so you naturally have to learn to take care of yourself."

As she spoke, she took out the steamed gluten and cut it into small pieces for later use.

Shen Nanxing said, "Yeah, that's true. But when you came back this time, you seemed to have become much calmer."

Huaying smiled but did not respond to him.

Concentrate on preparing the sauce and chili oil for the cold noodles, preparing the seasonings one by one.

Shen Nanxing waited for his younger sister to finish doing all this before leaving the kitchen with her and going back to their respective courtyards to rest.

After washing up, Huaying quickly fell asleep. Fu Shiyan, who was standing on the roof of the Shen Mansion, watched Huaying's lamp go out before flying away.

The next morning, the sun was shining and the sky was clear.

The atmosphere in the Hall of Supreme Harmony in the palace was solemn and dignified. The emperor sat on the dragon throne, his face majestic and solemn, wearing a dazzling dragon-patterned robe, shining with an awe-inspiring light.

Below the emperor, the ministers were lined up in an orderly manner, and they each presented their own memorials to the emperor in turn.

When it was the turn of the Left Prime Minister, he presented a memorial concerning the development and support of commerce.

After Prime Minister Shen's words were spoken, all the ministers began to discuss this topic.

Some ministers supported the left prime minister's point of view, believing that opening up business and supporting merchants would help the economic development of Wu State, increase tax revenue, promote trade with neighboring countries, and create some income opportunities for local people. Why not do it?

However, other ministers held different opinions. They were worried that excessive opening of trade might lead to a large gap between the rich and the poor in Wu State and instability among the people.

Amid the discussions of his ministers, the emperor listened quietly to what each courtier said.

His eyes were deep and wise as he thought about the pros and cons of what the ministers had said.

In the end, no conclusion had been reached by the time the court was adjourned, so they decided to discuss it again tomorrow and adjourned the court.

When Lord Shen returned home, he saw his wife had been waiting in the hall for a long time.

He walked over slowly, took off his official hat while talking to his wife, changed into a light casual suit, then washed his hands and sat down at the table.

I glanced at the daily meals on the table, but didn't see the cold noodles that Huaying mentioned.

Just as he was wondering, he saw Huaying leading Qinghe, each holding a tray with a few bowls of freshly made cold noodles on it.

Qinghe carefully placed the cold noodles in front of each person, then stepped aside and waited to be served.

Huaying looked at Lord Shen with a smile on her face and said softly, "Dad, please try it. How does it taste?" After saying that, she looked at her father expectantly.

My mother and brother were also curious about this new food.

Lord Shen took the lead in picking up a piece of cold noodle with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. After chewing it carefully, a hint of satisfaction flashed in his eyes. He nodded and praised: "Well, not bad. This cold noodle has a smooth texture and the spiciness inside is the first time for me to taste it. The taste is very unique."

Hearing her father's praise, the dimples on Huaying's face appeared from time to time.

The second brother at the side couldn't wait to take a big bite of the cold noodle, and said to Huaying while eating, "It's delicious. Do you have any more? I've been waiting for this all morning."

Huaying was amused by her second brother's greedy look and said to him gently, "Eat slowly, there's more."

At this time, Shen Nanting said to his father while eating, "Father, today I asked around and a colleague told me that he only knew that Prime Minister Fu's second son had a chronic illness since childhood, so he had been raised in the courtyard. Few outsiders had seen his appearance. As for his name, I do know it. It seems to be Fu Shiyan. It is said that he unfortunately passed away in the fire."

Shen Nanting told his father all the information he had obtained.

When Huaying heard Fu Shiyan's name, her expression became focused. She pricked up her ears and listened carefully while eating.

Lord Shen frowned slightly. If Fu Shiyan from the Prime Minister's Mansion is dead, then is Fu Shiyan from Taohua Town really just a coincidence?"

He looked at Huaying, wanting to ask her some questions about Fu Shiyan, but he saw that his daughter had a strange look on her face, as if she was thinking about something.

After dinner, my father called Huaying to the study and asked her about Fu Shiyan.

When Huaying said that Fu Shiyan had a younger sister named Shi Nuan, Lord Shen pondered for a while. He suspected that Fu Shiyan in Taohua Town might be Prime Minister Fu's second son, so he said to Huaying, "Ning'er, father will be on vacation in a few days. Are you willing to accompany father to Taohua Town?"

This news was exactly what Huaying had been asking for, and she was more than happy to hear it.