Chapter 10

In fact, it’s not that the Crown Prince is stingy with ingredients or unwilling to treat the newly recruited retainer well. It’s just that the chefs in the prince’s residence are too careless in their cooking techniques, and they fail to bring out the true flavor of the food.

Take the originally exquisite sea bass, for example. The fish scales are not cleaned thoroughly, the fishy smell is not removed, and it’s unclear how it was steamed. Not only does it lack flavor, but the meat is also tough.

Although Jiang Xiurun had experienced hardships in her past life as a princess in Bo State, she had always enjoyed a life of luxury and abundance, born with a refined palate.

Throughout a person’s life, there are ups and downs. Eating simple meals is not a problem, but what she cannot tolerate is the mistreatment of originally delicious ingredients by those who lack taste.

This kind of disappointment is like a young and beautiful girl being violated by a rustic man, leaving the observer with a sense of frustration.

As for the other dishes on the table, they are mostly lacking in flavor.

It’s probably because the owner of this residence is not picky; as long as his stomach is full, he seems to allow the chefs to remain unambitious and negligent.

Although Jiang Xiurun doesn’t want to show a disgusted expression, her meal is quite disappointing.

Feng Liwu is not a hospitable host, but he notices the displeasure on Young Master Jiang’s face—a young man with a handsome appearance, delicate fingers holding chopsticks, but lazy in using them, only picking at the rice with each bite. The scene of him swallowing with small bites even carries a hint of charm.

A young man should be straightforward and hearty, but he happens to be born with such a delicate and effeminate appearance. It’s no wonder his father could use words like “exquisite beauty” to describe him. It’s fortunate that this young man is cunning, deliberately darkening his eyebrows, or else his father might mistakenly think he’s mocking the Emperor of Great Qi for indulging in same-sex love and chop off his head.

Seeing her not enjoying the meal, Feng Liwu straightforwardly asks, “Is the food not to your liking?”

Jiang Xiurun feels that she shouldn’t invest too much effort in helping the Crown Prince with state affairs in the future. Since she has taken money, she should do some tasks. It’s better to give some guidance on a meal that is barely palatable, considering it a small contribution.

So, she points at the sea bass and says, “This fish is steamed too long, and the spices used cover up the original freshness of the fish. If I’m not mistaken, the chef frequently lifts the lid, letting the flavor escape. Also, the fish scales and internal organs are not cleaned thoroughly, so how can the fishy smell be removed? And this stir-fried pork with bamboo shoots…”

Although Jiang Xiurun doesn’t cook, during her past life, when she was raised by Qin Zhao in an outer residence, she enjoyed watching the chefs cook in her free time. She has a knack for giving insightful comments, and her critique is on point.

Unfortunately, Feng Liwu did not feel anything wrong with the full table of dishes.

However, he was determined to appease this talented individual. How could he be stingy with food and drink? He immediately instructed the steward next to him to relay Young Master Jiang’s words to the chef and ordered him to prepare a new set of dishes. If it wasn’t done well, the chef would have to leave.

In no time, another plate of sea bass was brought to the table.

Feng Liwu gestured for Jiang Xiurun to go ahead and start eating.

She took a bite, and her eyebrows relaxed. The true taste of the fish was revealed through this cooking method!

Feng Liwu also took a bite with a delicate taste and discovered the change in flavor caused by different cooking techniques. This was a first for the Crown Prince, who wasn’t particularly concerned about food and drink.

Subsequently, new dishes were served one after another, and the two of them ate in silence, focusing on their own meals. After finishing the meal, Jiang Xiurun thanked the Crown Prince for his hospitality, and then, with a polite excuse, she left.

As she was leaving, Qin Zhao, holding a box wrapped in cotton, raised it with one hand and handed it to her, saying with a raised eyebrow, “Here, this is a reward from the Crown Prince.”

His expression and gaze carried a hint of disdain, as if this Young Master Jiang were nothing more than a parasite attached to the Crown Prince, akin to a fallen noble.

In theory, giving money did not require the involvement of a guard general who protected the Crown Prince. However, for some reason, Qin Zhao felt annoyed by the way this young man ignored him. He took the box from the steward himself and approached Young Master Jiang to strike up a conversation.

Jiang Xiurun, now confident, had no intention of letting General Qin take advantage of her. Since she and Qin Zhao were both minions of the Crown Prince, this General Qin could forget about fooling her.

Without even looking at him, she said to the maid beside her, “Qian’er, take it, and also give General Qin some loose change as a reward.”

Qian’er, who had begged her way to this position, was accustomed to the grand gestures of reward from the big shots. She broke off a small piece of gold from the box, flicked it between her fingers, and dropped the loose change into Qin Zhao’s arms with a clinking sound, saying, “This is the reward from the Young Master. Go buy yourself some wine!”

Having said that, she jumped onto the carriage, sat next to the coachman, and instructed him to drive back home.

As the wheels rolled away, in the blink of an eye, the carriage left the alley, leaving Qin Zhao with a red face and a thick neck, smashing the loose change fiercely against the wall.

This young man, as a guest, should have some self-awareness and not repeatedly show him disrespect. Does he really think that being favored by the Crown Prince will guarantee him a smooth journey?

Humph, let’s wait and see!

As for the matter of the Crown Prince recruiting her as a retainer, Jiang Xiurun did not inform her brother. When she left that day, Feng Liwu had instructed her not to publicize his connection with the Bo state for the sake of the state’s dignity due to the fact that the Bo’s prince was becoming a retainer for the Crown Prince of Great Qi.

Although Jiang Xiurun didn’t know the purpose behind Feng Liwu’s decision, it aligned perfectly with her wishes. She had no desire to involve herself in political affairs. By the time she left the capital three years later, she believed she had accumulated enough wealth to ensure her and her brother’s security in the latter part of their lives.

As for the fate of the world, whether it would be unified under the rule of Great Qi or if Liu Pei of the State of Liang would rise to prominence, she had little concern.

However, after the battle at the academy, the talents of Jiang Herun, the prince of Bo State, became widely known. Many people witnessed the battle, and everyone was deeply impressed by this seemingly frail prince.

As Great Qi revered great scholars, a sixteen-year-old youth showing such brilliance was enough to make him a prominent figure in the city of Luo’an. Even the noble daughters of this royal household were curious about the demeanor of the prince from Bo State, wanting to witness it firsthand.

So, when invitations flooded into the residence of the prince of Bo State like snowflakes, Jiang Zhi, as the elder brother, was genuinely uneasy. He cautioned Jiang Xiurun, saying, “When did you befriend so many noble guests? We are currently hostages, without any allies. We must be cautious when making connections. If we are not careful and leave behind any handle, it could bring disaster upon us!”

Jiang Zhi’s words were not intended to scare Jiang Xiurun. Just yesterday, every hostage in Luo’an heard a shocking piece of news: the hostage from the state of Yan, who had been in the capital, was killed in his own residence. The eighteen-year-old prince of Yan was a darling of the noble families in Luo’an, enjoying a carefree life of socializing and banquets.

Then, the situation suddenly changed. The emperor of Yan passed away, and a new emperor ascended the throne. Yan was an important ally for Great Qi in suppressing the border tribes. With the change in emperors, the alliance could not be shaken.

The new emperor demanded the consolidation of the alliance, and the condition was to have the Great Qi Emperor kill his own biological brother, who was currently in Luo’an. This was to eliminate the possibility of him returning to Yan and challenging the throne.

Considering the pros and cons, the Yan hostage became a negligible sacrifice. The Great Qi guards, who had suddenly arrived, subdued him on his fragrant mat, and his head, severed, was wrapped in lime and sent back to Yan.

The saying “the hare dies, the fox grieves, and the same kind suffers” left all the hostages in the capital silent.

The fate of the hostage from Yan was not an isolated case. Even as hostages from powerful nations, they were unsure if they could return home smoothly in the future.

And what about royal siblings like Jiang Zhi and Jiang Xiurun, who were already not favored by the royal family?

Jiang Xiurun understood her brother’s concerns, but being well-versed in worldly affairs, she knew that even if she and her brother acted cautiously, they couldn’t change the ultimate fate of a crumbling nation.

Given the circumstances, she decided to seize the opportunity and see what changes could be brought about in this reborn life.

Now that she had connected with Crown Prince Feng Liwu, she had to appear as useful as possible. In case of any unforeseen events, she wanted the Crown Prince to provide some protection.

If her guess was correct, the reason the Crown Prince didn’t want to publicize her allegiance to him was likely to use her status as a hostage to gather information from other countries. If that was the case, she couldn’t afford to shut herself off from the world.

So, Jiang Xiurun arranged the numerous invitations in front of her, carefully considered each one, and decided to attend them one by one.

However, for individuals like Yang Jianzhi and others from the Yang family, Jiang Xiurun politely declined the invitations, finding excuses.

In her previous life, she knew that these individuals were fond of indulging in same-sex relationships. Going to such households as guests might lead to unwanted advances. If her shocking secret were to be exposed, wouldn’t Feng Liwu be infuriated? Therefore, she preferred to keep her distance from those who were overly curious.

Now that Jiang Xiurun was financially comfortable and had added more staff to her household, with chefs, stablemen, and others at her disposal, along with newly tailored clothes, including some for her brother, she was well-prepared.

Her approach to attending social events became more composed.

She understood that disguising her features, such as altering her eyebrows, could raise suspicions. Instead, she decided to play down her feminine side and emphasize a more masculine appearance. Therefore, the custom-made clothes included shoulder pads to add bulk, shoes with extra insoles, higher collars to cover the throat, and other adjustments.

The style of the clothes was designed to be wide and fitted, enhancing the masculine charm that Jiang Xiurun naturally exuded in male attire. When the young prince from Bo State, dressed in flowing robes, appeared gracefully at the Duke’s residence in Luo’an City, many unmarried noble ladies attending the banquet were momentarily captivated, thinking to themselves, “Could there be such an elegant and handsome young man in the world?”

However, not all women were impressed by this beautiful youth, such as Tian Ying.

When Tian Ying saw Jiang Xiurun taking a seat in the hall, she glanced briefly and then sneered, “A slender young man, how can he compare to the majestic and upright appearance of the Crown Prince?”

The Duke was sociable, and this banquet was held to celebrate the birthday of his niece, Han state hostage Tian Ying. As a result, many hostages from various countries attended the event.

Even the Crown Prince Feng Liwu received an invitation. This time, Tian Ying came to the capital with the intention of impressing the young and prestigious Crown Prince. Naturally, she sought her uncle’s help to create opportunities and leave a lasting impression on Feng Liwu.

Therefore, her dress and appearance today were alluring and enchanting.

However, Jiang Xiurun couldn’t help but feel that the Crown Prince’s eyes, when assessing women, were as indiscriminate as his tongue when talking about all kinds of things—a waste of nature. Despite Tian Ying’s meticulous dressing, Jiang Xiurun suspected that the Crown Prince might only see her value for utility. As for her charming appearance, it probably held little significance in his eyes!