The slender man disappeared in an instant after finishing the soup made by the veiled woman. "Really, this bowl has been with him for so many years. It's a pity that it's broken!" The veiled woman gently lifted her hand as the bowl fell to the ground, causing it to stop in mid-air.
"Gigi, your moves are getting lighter and lighter. I originally thought I had to remake it! The standard for allowing you to go out and travel is getting closer and closer to what I expected. Not bad!" The voice of the slender man sounded in the veiled woman's mind.
"Thank you, Uncle Qian, for your care over the past three days, but I really can't delay any longer. I'm leaving today, and I hope that when I return to the capital in five years, Uncle Qian will have already been promoted and left the North Gate!" Chan Shou said to Wang Qian in front of him.
"I also hope that, as the Seventh Prince said, I have nothing else to offer. I'll just send a cavalry regiment to protect you to the end of this journey. When you reach Yangcheng, let them return directly!" "Thank you, Uncle Qian, goodbye!"
Starting from the towering north gate of Zhenbei Pass, Qi Shou and his entourage set off northward.
"Fu Gui, what do you mean by 'those in power protect each other while those who protect the people are looked down upon'? You have encountered far more people than I have. See if you can enlighten me!" This was the sentence that had been haunting Chan Shou's mind since his first day at Zhenbei Pass, keeping him awake all night.
"Master, you shouldn't worry about this matter. Your servant can indeed explain a thing or two!" Fu Gui was about to tell his master a story, but Chan Shou's face had turned black!
"Sh-Sir Shou, I'm sorry. I'll remember from now on!" Fu Gui said nervously.
"It's okay, but if you make the same mistake again, I will punish you! So, you can freely refer to yourself as a servant. Call me 'Master'! Come on, tell me a story!" Qi Shou smiled sincerely.
"We have two newbies in our kitchen, um, um..." Fu Gui couldn't think of how to describe them for a moment. "Servants? It doesn't seem to satisfy the child in front of me," he thought.
"Newbies, Fu Gui, don't be too nervous. Time will change your thoughts. Remember the most important thing: you are a living person in this world! You don't have to depend on anyone to be valuable! We grew up as good friends, not as master and servant with strict ranks."
Shou, I know. I know how fortunate Ji Xiang and I were when the Sixth Prince was still alive. He would teach us to read and write, and you and the Eighth Prince would secretly feed us your food and snacks when there were no outsiders around. During our free time, we would play together in the palace! Others don't know how envious Ji Xiang and I were to live like normal people. Those eunuchs and palace maids, even if the nobles didn't say anything, those in charge would torment them for some reasons!"
"It will change, let's work together!" Qi Shou placed his hand gently on Fu Gui's shoulder and patted it lightly.
After Fu Gui stabilized his emotions, he continued the story.
"The two newcomers, one is clever and witty, while the other is a bit foolish! I heard from others that he can't even count to ten. Their job is simple: to help the royal chefs clean the new dishes and meat that arrive at the Imperial Kitchen. This job keeps them busy during mealtimes but leaves them plenty of leisure time otherwise. They can also wash the vegetables and meat needed for later in advance. On that day, when my ancestor went to the Imperial Kitchen to supervise the banquet for the Empress Dowager's birthday, he happened to find some mud on a cabbage in a corner. When he brought those two in, the clever and witty one immediately started blaming the foolish one, saying he forgot to clean it. At that moment, their supervisor on the side also began to criticize them, and the chefs from that area also came over, accusing them of being careless and not working seriously. After hearing all this, my ancestor was ready to hand them over to the Eunuch Bureau for punishment, but the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen also came to supervise. He pulled my ancestor aside and told him that the foolish newcomer hadn't been fooling around; after finishing his share of washing, he had been called to do something else. Hearing this, my ancestor naturally understood that the problem lay either with the clever and witty newcomer or with their supervisor. As expected, when my ancestor mentioned that someone had proven the foolish one innocent, the two supervisors started blaming the clever and witty newcomer. In the end, under the punishment of the Eunuch Bureau, all three of them confessed the truth. That day, after they finished washing, one of the newcomers went to help, while the other returned to his residence to rest. The eunuch who managed them accidentally dropped the vegetables during inspection, but by then, my ancestor had already arrived at the door of the Imperial Kitchen. It was too late to wash them again, so they had to be put back in place. The head of the area in charge of the chefs had always had some dealings with that eunuch, so when he gestured, he helped him out."
"And the ending?" Qi Shou understood the reasoning behind it after listening, but a story without a clear conclusion wasn't much of a story!
"They all died! The two supervisors were beheaded for their collusion and negligence. The clever and witty newcomer, because of the initial blame, was not trusted by the Eunuch Bureau. At the same time, being just a newcomer with no one to support him, he ended up going mad by the time he came out and eventually jumped from a height. The foolish newcomer, a month later, neglected his duty, causing sewage to flow onto the sacrificial sheep heads. He was also taken to the Eunuch Bureau for punishment!" Fu Gui's face turned extremely ugly by the end of his statement.
"I can understand the endings of the first three people, but the last one. I don't think he would have made such a mistake. Is there another reason behind it?" Qi Shou pondered for a moment before asking.
"The eunuch who died first was a confidant of the head eunuch in charge of the Imperial Kitchen!" Fu Gui whispered.
"I see, that makes sense. But he really had some nerve! Five years from now, when I return to the capital, I will have this matter investigated. If it's as we suspect, I will make sure he pays with his life!"
Qi Shou's guards and a company of cavalry from Zhenbei Pass arrived at the southernmost county seat of Nan'an Prefecture, Jin County, before nightfall.
This place was a must-pass location for leaving Beijiang by land, so there were many merchants. It wasn't bustling, but it was lively enough.
"Your Highness, Ning Zhong and his family have been waiting for the Seventh Prince for a long time!" Ning Zhong bowed to Qi Shou as he got off the carriage.
"Ning County Chief, there's no need for such formality. I'm tired from the journey. Please take me to tonight's accommodation. I'll be departing for Yangcheng tomorrow!" Qi Shou had no intention of making friends with this flattering official.
Upon hearing Qi Shou's words, Ning Zhong had no choice but to have the prepared banquet cancelled. He walked in front of the carriage and led the way to the inn he had carefully arranged for Qi Shou.