Help! The cunning and treacherous minister and I were reborn together!

On the fifth day of the tenth month, three major events occurred in Shengjing City.

First, His Majesty announced the selection of imperial consorts, ordering officials of the sixth rank and above in Shengjing to submit lists of eligible women in their households; second, His Majesty dispatched thirteen circuits of censors to inspect various prefectures and counties, investigate all departments, and eradicate evil and wickedness!

The third event, of course, is the opening celebration of the restaurant owned by the wife of the Commander of the Leopard Guard!

The Weiyan Tower was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and firecrackers were set off in unison.

Chu Lanyin jumped off the carriage, and several young ladies also got off from the carriages behind her. They walked over chatting and laughing, and were probably the close friends Chu Lanyin had mentioned.

The servants handed the gifts to the waiter and quickly drove the carriage away.

Yuan Zhi pulled Chu Lanyin, who was in the lead, back: "I didn't even have time to say that the carriage can be parked in the backyard."

“My dear cousin, you don’t know, those ladies travel with a huge entourage of carriages and servants, afraid of being outdone by others. Your backyard is probably not very big, so we’ll make some room for them so you won’t have trouble arranging things later.”

"How thoughtful! Come on, let's go see the private room I prepared for you!"

Yuan Zhi led them inside. Chu Lanyin and the others were all dressed in fine clothes and had an outstanding demeanor. The waiters in the lobby could tell at a glance that these people were either rich or noble, and they immediately bowed and greeted them with smiles.

I used to think my employer was just making empty promises, but now it seems they really do have connections!

The girls had never been to a restaurant before, so everything was new and exciting to them. They touched this and looked at that.

Chu Lan asked, "Sister-in-law, did you design all of this?"

"It's just a small part. They removed a partition wall and added some decorations, but the rest is the same as the original restaurant."

"what is that?"

“Du Shaokang’s portrait,” Yuan Zhi whispered in her ear, covering her mouth, “was taken from your cousin’s storeroom.”

Chu Lanyin patted her chest and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'm very discreet and definitely won't leak anything. But what if my cousin comes and sees it one day?"

“I warned him not to come.”

"My cousin-in-law is awesome!"

The group went up to the second floor, where the maids bowed to them. One of the girls exclaimed in surprise, "There are even maids! Madam Xiao has really thought of everything!"

Yuan Zhi smiled and thanked her, but Chu Lanyin said "Hey," "Forget it, you should call me Manager Yuan here."

"My mistake! My mistake! Please forgive me, Manager Yuan!"

"You don't have to call me anything, just call me whatever you like."

The maid opened the door, and Yuan Zhi led them into the private room. After inviting everyone to sit down, she said, "I invited you here to hear your opinions, but so far, I've only heard you praising me!"

"It's perfectly fine!" Chu Lanyin pushed open the window, her voice as melodious as a nightingale's, "Sister-in-law, I know why you opened the restaurant here!"

Yuan Zhi smiled sweetly: "Why?"

"Right behind is Chongwenfang, where many officials, wealthy merchants, and literati reside. A restaurant located here will surely be bustling with customers!"

"You're right!"

Yuan Zhi stood by the window and gazed into the distance, his eyes filled with ambition.

The maid knocked on the door and said from outside, "Master, we have a distinguished guest visiting downstairs."

"Just come!"

Yuan Zhi agreed and handed the menu on the table to Chu Lanyin, "Take a look and see what you want to eat. After you've chosen, give it to the maid. I'll come back in a bit."

"Sister-in-law, go ahead and do your work, don't worry about us!"

Yuan Zhi hurried downstairs, and just as he reached the small platform, he was met by a waiter leading people up.

"Oh dear, I've neglected Madam Liang, please forgive me!"

"I know you're busy, so I said there's no need to announce it, but your servant insisted, saying that the master instructed that all the guests coming today are distinguished guests and you must personally receive them!"

“Well, I was late too.” Yuan Zhi waved for the waiter to leave, then, seeing the round-faced girl following behind Madam Liang, said, “Miss Liang has become even more beautiful and lovely these past few days!”

Miss Liang has two dimples on her cheeks when she smiles.

"Manager Yuan is also stunningly beautiful, even more so than before."

The group went upstairs, and Madam Liang nodded in satisfaction when she saw the maids serving her.

Madam Xiao is meticulous in every aspect; she is truly an extraordinary person!

The maid led them to a private room. Before Madam Liang could speak, Yuan Zhi pointed to the side and said, "Lan Yin and her friend are next door. Miss Liang is about the same age as them, so you can get to know each other."

Madam Liang pondered, "Wouldn't it be a bit abrupt to come directly to their door?"

"There will be singing and dancing in the main hall later. The maids will inform you one by one. As long as Madam Liang and your daughter do not miss it, they will surely be able to achieve their wishes."

"Thank you."

Yuan Zhi unfolded the wine list, "Madam and Miss can try these two: mulberry wine and plum wine. They are sweet and not spicy, making them suitable for women."

“Okay, let’s try both.” Madam Liang looked at the menu. “Any side dishes you would recommend?”

Yuan Zhi pulled the maids over, "They have tasted every dish. If you have any questions, Madam, just ask them."

The maidservant curtsied and introduced the dishes one by one.

Madam Liang took a moment to look up. "I need to choose a time. Manager Yuan is very busy, and I dare not take it all by myself. Please go quickly!"

"Thank you for your understanding, Madam. I'll be right back."

Yuanzhi helped them close the door, went downstairs, and went to the shop entrance to greet them.

In the blink of an eye, Madam Li and her daughter, along with Lord Zhao's family, all arrived. After settling them in, Yuan Zhi went to Chu Lanyin's room for a cup of tea.

"The shop is so busy, why didn't you ask your cousin Xiao Rong to come and help you?"

Yuan Zhi twitched the corner of her mouth, thinking to herself, "Let's not talk about that anymore!"

Ever since her mother-in-law argued with her and Xiao Zong over the power to manage the household, the girl has been caught in the middle and has simply stayed indoors, embroidering every day.

"She's staying home to cultivate her character! She's reached marriageable age, and her mother-in-law wants her to settle down."

Chu Lanyin propped her head up and said, "What's so good about getting married? You have to serve your husband, take care of your in-laws, and you can't even go out and have fun. I'd rather never get married!"

Yuan Zhi said, "The Chu family has a kind and gentle family tradition, and the old man dotes on you. It's not a big deal if you never get married."

The girl opposite me said with a worried look, "I don't want to get married either, but my parents definitely won't agree. Lan Yin, I really envy you for having such open-minded elders!"

The daughter of the Vice Minister of Revenue said, “We who are born into wealthy families cannot even decide our own marriages, so it is even more difficult for girls from poor families.”

Two years ago, Jiaozhou suffered a severe drought. My uncle was ordered by the emperor to provide disaster relief, where he encountered a pair of wolfish parents. They accepted the government's relief grain but didn't give a single grain of rice to their daughter, giving it all to their young son.

My uncle argued with them, but they said their daughter was already engaged and didn't count as part of their family anymore; if she wanted to eat, she should go to her husband's family's house! I was furious when I heard that; I can't imagine how heartbroken that girl must be!

Girls from wealthy and powerful families rarely get to witness the suffering of the world firsthand, so it is quite rare for a young lady from a high-ranking official's family to have empathy.

Yuan Zhi looked at her with deep respect.

Chu Lan slammed her wine glass down on the table. "How could there be such parents in the world! And what happened to that girl later?"

"My uncle gave her food and watched her eat it, doing so every day until the disaster relief ended. After my uncle returned to Beijing, I heard nothing from her; perhaps she got married!"

A girl in plain clothes took a sip of wine and said, "My father is in charge of inspecting Jiaozhou. My sister gave me the address, so I'll send someone to check it out when the time comes. It's on the way."

The vice minister's daughter said, "Oh, right, your father is a censor. Look at my memory!"

She asked her maid to bring her paper and pen and wrote down the address.

Yuan Zhi found it increasingly strange; their back-and-forth singing sounded like they were making up a story.