"Liu Heng, the heir of the Marquis of Xuanping, has his sights set on the restaurant."
The restaurant was raking in gold daily, registered under the Song Family's name. On the surface, it appeared to have no powerful backing, like a child holding a gold ingot that everyone wanted to snatch.
Qi Huan had anticipated this situation.
"We can sell him the recipe, but tell him the crucial hot pot base is bought from the black market," she thought.
She was going to fleece him good.
In recent days, she had been unpacking numerous packages and selling them to the black market through Ximen Ye. Both parties were making a fortune.
The money earned was given to Xiu Yuan to establish an orphanage, which in turn earned her more points.
After tasting success, she started selling everything that wasn't convenient to sell elsewhere on the black market.
Selling an additional hot pot base wouldn't be a problem.
With this in mind, Qi Huan's lips curled into a smile, her eyes twinkling as she asked, "How's the search for the chili peppers I asked you to find earlier, sir?"
"Miss Qi, following your instructions about the general location, we found similar chili peppers in the Southern Liang region. Is this the kind you were looking for?" Xiu Yuan replied, handing her a small cloth bag.
Qi Huan opened it and looked inside, her smile widening. "That's right, these are the chili peppers."
"Please buy several estates in Southern Liang to grow these peppers specifically. After they're transported back by merchant caravans, we can sell them dried or ground into coarse chili powder."
"Moreover, we can use them to make the hot pot base."
Qi Huan pulled out a recipe for the hot pot base from her sleeve, which she had prepared earlier.
This recipe was based on her past life experiences and the ingredient list on hot pot base packages, summarizing the general steps and ingredients.
However, the exact proportions would need to be adjusted by experienced chefs based on actual conditions.
Xiu Yuan accepted the recipe, unfolded it, and studied it carefully.
Star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, baizhi, tsaoko, kaempferia galanga, tangerine peel, fennel, dried chili peppers, green Sichuan peppercorns, red Sichuan peppercorns, beef tallow, and more...
The ingredients were quite complex.
It would have to be sold at a high price once prepared!
Qi Huan had the same thought!
Before returning home, she first went to the small house where she stored the tuberculosis medicine and bought another batch of hot pot base to stack up, preparing to sell it on the black market later.
Unlike the house connected to the Mingyu Tea House, this was her delivery point with Ximen Ye.
After she finished collecting the cardboard packaging, Ximen Ye, who had received the news, rushed over.
Qi Huan walked out of the room and immediately saw the handsome man leaning against a red pillar under the porch.
She took the opportunity to explain the hot pot base situation to him clearly.
"The restaurant I opened with the Song Family has caught the attention of the Marquis of Xuanping's heir. His power is too great, and there's no need for a direct confrontation. So I've decided to sell him the recipe, but for the crucial hot pot base, I plan to trick him into buying it from the black market."
"Please set up a stall in the black market and fleece him for all he's worth!"
The Marquis of Xuanping's power might reign supreme throughout the Capital City, but the black market was lawless territory and didn't care about his status.
In the black market, only silver mattered.
Of course, the Marquis of Xuanping could use his army to sweep through the black market, but that would invite endless retaliation from various factions.
He'd have to watch out for sacks over his head when going out, poison in his food, and traps in the toilet...
Therefore, Qi Huan felt at ease entrusting the hot pot base to Ximen Ye to sell in the black market.
And at an exorbitant price, no less.
"When the time comes, Liu Heng will realize that making money isn't as easy as he imagined."
"Even if he makes money selling spicy soup or spicy stir-fry, it will all end up back in my pocket eventually."
As she spoke, her big, bright eyes looked incredibly innocent, but the mischievous smile playing at the corners of her mouth was quite lively.
Ximen Ye was dazzled by her radiant smile. He straightened up slightly, his lips pressed together, a cold glint in his eyes.
Liu Heng, the heir of the Marquis of Xuanping.
He made a mental note of the name.
In this vast world, there were three things he cared about.
First was money, the foundation of their Misty Rain Pavilion.
Second was the Song Family, which was A'Che's dying wish.
A promise made to his lord, to be kept for life.
Third was his cousin.
He liked her and was willing to protect her from the bottom of his heart.
He only cared about these three things, and Liu Heng had offended two of them!
This could not be tolerated!
Ximen Ye narrowed his eyes, his smile unwavering.
"You should head home now. I have some business to attend to, so I won't be going with you."
Qi Huan looked up at him and said, "I wasn't planning on going with you anyway."
Although they were cousins in name, they weren't actually related. Moreover, they were both of marriageable age, so it wasn't appropriate for them to ride in the same carriage.
It could easily lead to misunderstandings.
And she would never let the Song Family or A'Shu misunderstand.
So she had never even considered giving him a ride.
Watching her retreating figure, Ximen Ye gritted his teeth but could do nothing but kick the stone pillar in frustration.
A moment later, he returned to the Misty Rain Pavilion with a slight limp in his left foot.
That night, Liu Heng was sleeping soundly, dreaming that he was about to lift Zhuang Jingxian's red veil, when he was suddenly awakened by a beating.
A sack was thrown over his head, and he couldn't see anything. His beautiful dream suddenly turned into a nightmare, and he began to wail like a ghost and howl like a wolf.
He had always been the one bullying others, how could someone be bullying him now?
"St-stop! Stop!"
"Do you know who I am? ... Ouch!"
The person outside the sack was ruthless and didn't say much, just kept beating him. He... began to beg for mercy.
"Please spare me, good sir!"
Ximen Ye sneered, "Call me grandfather."
"Grandfather, please spare me!"
"Good grandson." Ximen Ye flexed his wrists and continued to beat him.
"I've already called you grandfather, why haven't you stopped?"
"Did I ever say I would stop if you called me grandfather?"
Liu Heng thought carefully, "I suppose you didn't."
...
The next day, Liu Heng appeared stark naked on the bustling Phoenix Street, his body covered in bruises.
The common folk who had been bullied by him in the past all came to watch the spectacle.
"Heaven has opened its eyes, this little tyrant has finally gotten what he deserves!"
"... Evil deeds will be repaid in kind. It looks like he was..."
Liu Heng woke up in pain, grimacing as he said, "You're talking nonsense! Be careful, or this young master will tear your mouth apart!"
He had only been robbed, not... violated!
Last night, after all the silver on his body had been taken, he heard another mischievous voice say, "Boss... hehe! His clothes are quite nice. If we strip him and send them to the pawnshop, we could get quite a bit of silver."
Then, the man who had made him call him grandfather said with disdain, "If you want to strip him, do it yourself."
"Alright! Then the silver from selling the clothes belongs to me, right?"
...
Recalling this, Liu Heng's face turned the color of pig liver. He wanted to explain, but the pain was too much for him to speak.
"Look, the little tyrant's face is red! It must be true that he was..."
At this moment, a burly man folded his arms across his chest and said, "In these times, even men aren't safe?"
"Haha, Wang Laoliu, you're too confident!"
The common folk were discussing animatedly until the Marquis of Xuanping's guards arrived with a menacing air. Then they scattered quickly, fleeing the scene.
On the empty street, Liu Heng buried his face in the ground.
After returning to the mansion, it took him a long time to recover his composure.
Upon hearing the news, the Marquis of Xuanping was both angry and furious.
"Go and investigate who Heng has offended!"
After the time it takes to burn an incense stick, a subordinate reported back: "My Lord, ... the young master has offended quite a few people recently. Here's a list with specific reasons."
The Marquis of Xuanping glanced at the thick booklet handed to him and was rendered speechless. His anger got stuck in his throat, neither going up nor down, choking him half to death.
While the Marquis of Xuanping's household was still investigating who was behind this, the actual mastermind, Ximen Ye, was busy shucking corn in a field.
