She clasped Yao Jingyun’s hand and nodded, “Your Highness, please rest assured. I will treat Pingting like my own sister and ensure she is not wronged.”
With Zhao Jiaqi’s promise, Yao Jingyun felt relieved. She took out a letter from her wide sleeve and handed it to her, “When I left the capital, the Prime Minister’s wife specifically entrusted this to me, saying it must be delivered to you personally. I haven’t read its contents!”
Zhao Jiaqi held the light letter, her heart filled with mixed emotions. She quickly asked, “What happened with the Prime Minister’s affairs? Has His Majesty investigated it clearly?”
“The Prime Minister is fine and has been reinstated. I won’t elaborate on the reasons.”
Yao Jingyun looked back into Zhao Jiaqi’s apricot eyes and said, “Although this fiefdom is humble, being far from the capital, a place of intrigue, is a good choice. At the very least, it will protect you. You and Fan Zehao must remember not to get involved in any factions to ensure your safety!”
The Imperial Noble Consort was giving them a well-intentioned warning. Zhao Jiaqi, though unsure why she was suddenly saying this, knew how to handle certain matters.
“Please rest assured, Your Majesty and Your Highness. We will uphold our original intentions!”
Yao Jingyun chuckled, “His Majesty trusts your actions as a couple, otherwise, he wouldn't have sent so many people. His Majesty is also aware of the matters concerning the trade city and understands your difficulties. This time, he specifically asked me to bring twenty thousand taels of silver notes. This is His Majesty’s private money!”
She took a brocade box from the small tea table beside her and handed it to her, “The silver notes are all here! His Majesty also asked me to relay a few words to you.”
Zhao Jiaqi was still surprised about His Majesty’s private funds when she was, in the next second, shocked by His Majesty’s whispered message.
She was quite curious, and asked with a smile, “Your Highness, please speak!”
Yao Jingyun imitated Huangfu Jintao’s expression at the time, serious yet helpless, “Fan Zehao, this stubborn donkey, you need to manage him more when you have time. Learn the tricks of those scholars, and don’t let him always resort to force. There are countless people in this world who dislike such methods, can you eliminate them all?”
“You need to learn to use less reputable people to do your bidding. Sometimes, gentlemen cannot help with certain matters. As long as you uphold your principles and guard the borders, and work for the welfare of the people, it’s alright if some people are greedy. At most, you can use other means to make them give some back. You are smarter than that donkey; you don’t need me to teach you, you can understand some of these principles.”
“Regarding the affairs of the fiefdom, you can proceed with confidence. If there are people who don’t understand their place, you can dismiss and investigate them. I will bear any consequences, so don’t worry!”
Yao Jingyun’s imitation of the Emperor’s demeanor while speaking these words amused Zhao Jiaqi and also warmed her heart.
“Does His Majesty know about the incident where all the account books in the fiefdom were burned?” Zhao Jiaqi asked the Imperial Noble Consort after expressing her gratitude.
Yao Jingyun gave her a knowing glance, “Whether he knew or not, he knows everything now. Some people even added fuel to the fire and accused you. In the end, His Majesty only said one sentence, ‘Prince Zhenguo did well, it sounds like something he would do,’ and had the accuser dismissed and investigated.”
Zhao Jiaqi was unaware of these details. However, it was rare for the Emperor to defend someone so openly in court.
“Thank you, Your Highness, for informing me. However, this region is quite chaotic. The influence of the four great families has already encroached on local governance, with collusion between officials and merchants, which we cannot permit.”
Yao Jingyun nodded, this was also something the Emperor did not want to see. The ultimate consequence of collusion between officials and merchants was that the common people suffered.
“By the way, General Fang Jingchen will be arriving next month. Your fiefdom will become lively again then!”
“Grandfather is coming?”
The moment Yao Jingyun nodded, Zhao Jiaqi felt her heart was strong enough, otherwise, with such startling news coming one after another, she wouldn't be able to bear it.
Then, she felt something was amiss, “The border is busy building the trade city, and the Zongsheng Kingdom is currently very well-behaved, with no signs of ill intent. At this time, General Fang coming…”
Yao Jingyun sighed at Zhao Jiaqi’s sharp mind and whispered a few words into her ear. Zhao Jiaqi was so startled that her mouth hung open.
What was His Majesty’s intention?
The Grand Marshal of the Army was only utilized when fighting wars. After the war ended, this position was abolished. How could her husband suddenly be appointed to this title again?
“Your Highness, has His Majesty made a mistake?”
The Emperor was such a cunning person, how could he make such a mistake? Although Yao Jingyun was also unsure of Huangfu Jintao’s intentions, based on current actions, it was beneficial to the Fan brothers.
As long as the Fan brothers did not fall, her daughter’s happiness would remain, and she would mobilize the entire maternal clan to assist the Fan brothers.
Zhao Jiaqi returned to her room with the letter and the brocade box. Only then did she realize her back was drenched in sweat, unsure if it was from pleasant surprise or fright.
She opened the letter from the Prime Minister’s wife. It contained no major news, only informing her that the royal residence was doing well and to pay close attention to those prefects.
Zhao Jiaqi understood the implication; perhaps one of those five prefects was a spy for someone else.
With this in mind, she changed her clothes, cast aside her distracting thoughts, and went to the dining hall for a meal. Twelve dishes were laid out, each exquisitely prepared.
Every dish looked appetizing, and their presentation was novel, making one hesitant to eat them.
Fan Zehao looked at the fancy dishes and said in his rough manner, “They look good, but I wonder how they taste! Hopefully, they are not just for show.”
His comment caused the three imperial chefs standing nearby to turn pale.
Fan Zehao tasted a bit of each dish, nodding as he said, “As expected of imperial chefs. These dishes are not only good-looking but also delicious.”
Another statement of approval made the three imperial chefs beam with pride, holding their heads high and straightening their backs.
To be an imperial chef and serve the Emperor in the palace was a dream for many. If their skills were not good, then there would be few capable cooks in the Yun Kingdom. This was no empty boast.
Fan Zehao was unaware of their thoughts, but he was determined to keep these imperial chefs in the royal residence.
With his wife pregnant, she needed to be prioritized. After she recovered from childbirth and the confinement period, they could be allowed to go out.
In the afternoon, Zhao Jiaqi assigned these individuals their roles.
Next to the trade city, Zhao Jiaqi had a row of workshops built, along with several more buildings, constructed according to modern housing specifications.
The latrines were built separately, and the only drawback was that each household did not have its own private courtyard. If they wished to farm, they could do so on the open spaces outside the buildings. Zhao Jiaqi had planned all of this.
She had three imperial chefs and, with the help of Murong Sheng, Peng Shuo, Dong Ziheng, and Leng Xiyuan, four business partners, she initiated the opening of restaurants.
She provided the manpower, and the four of them provided the capital. Profits were to be shared equally. In this way, three restaurants were opened, with one imperial chef stationed at each. With these imperial chefs, it was impossible for the restaurants to not do well.