After all the guests had left, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review slowly walked up to Li Ying and asked in a deep voice, "Boss Li, are you satisfied with my apology?"
Li Ying pretended to be puzzled and asked with a confused look on her face, "My lord, how did you know..."
The minister snorted and sneered, "That young man surnamed Su has been begging everyone he can. Nowadays, there's hardly anyone in the court who doesn't know that he's gone to great lengths just to meet me."
He casually tossed a silver ingot over. "This is the wine money from that day. Boss Li, you've seen me. If you have something to say, you should speak up straight."
Li Ying took the silver but didn't rush to ask about the private salt case. Instead, she flattered him with a charming smile.
"My lord, you're as clear - sighted as a mirror. How could I ever hide my little thoughts from you?"
These words pleased the minister greatly. He laughed and said, "That old stubborn Yan Lianzhi has been inflexible all his life, and his disciples are just like him. But you, young lady, are so adaptable. You really suit my taste."
As he spoke, he seemed to remember something, and a hint of imperceptible regret flashed in his eyes.
Li Ying keenly noticed that faint hesitation and asked, "My lord, you seem to be very familiar with Lord Yan. Do you know his only female disciple, the mistress of the Ping'an Bank, Mrs. Lu?"
The minister was slightly taken aback. He seemed not to have expected that this young girl could so easily see through his innermost feelings. His expression showed a bit of surprise.
He said calmly, "That girl was very resourceful. You do have a bit of her former charm."
There was a momentary look of emotion in his eyes, as if there was also some indescribable... guilt? Li Ying couldn't see clearly. Just as she was about to ask further, the minister quickly regained his calm and unassailable appearance. He looked around and asked, "Do you want to open a wine shop in the capital with my help?"
Li Ying nodded repeatedly. The minister then said, "Your cooking skills do suit my taste. But I never interfere in the business of merchants in the capital. You've miscalculated if you came to me for this."
Li Ying smiled and said, "The Zizai Fang has always kept a low - key. If it weren't for Manager Wu telling me, I would never have associated you with such a mundane business. Since you're so unassuming about the Zizai Fang, how could I dare to expect your help with my business? I have no other requests. I'm already satisfied that the guests at the banquet today could taste my cooking."
She was very confident in her cooking skills. Many of the guests at the banquet had tasted her dishes, and the look of admiration in their eyes was not feigned. If they were promoted in the future, they would surely remember her and become potential customers for her "Celebratory Banquet".
Her good sense of propriety pleased the minister. He chatted with her a bit more, asking about Yan Lianzhi's health, and then ordered his butler to bring out a plate of reward silver.
Li Ying took the silver and counted it briefly.
The capital was an expensive place. Although she had opened several shops and earned some money, the prices in those remote fishing villages and small towns were nothing compared to those in the capital.
With this income, she could choose any prime - location shop in the market.
She thanked the minister, then bowed and politely took her leave.
Manager Wu was waiting outside. Seeing her come out with the reward, he smiled at her and said, "Congratulations, Boss Li. In this capital, there are very few people whom our lord favors. After today, your cooking skills will surely become well - known!"
Li Ying knew he was right.
On the day she held the "Celebratory Banquet" for Su Buchi, in order to quickly build a reputation in the capital and to contrast with the extremely luxurious and elaborate dishes of the Yunlaixuan, she used mostly inexpensive and high - quality ingredients, targeting the ordinary people in the capital.
Today's banquet was like driving a solid wedge into the officialdom of the capital.
She smiled brightly, took out two silver ingots without hesitation, and gave them to Manager Wu.
"Manager, if it weren't for you making the connection, I'd still be like a headless fly, wandering around the city. This is just a small token of my appreciation. Please don't decline. Consider it as money for you to buy wine."
Manager Wu was secretly impressed by this young girl's smooth way of dealing with people. He didn't stand on ceremony with her and generously put the silver into his sleeve.
"Boss Li, then I won't be polite."
"There are still some miscellaneous things in the Zizai Fang. Another day, when those fish - sauce delicacies are developed, I'll have to invite you to come and taste them and give us your opinion."
This wasn't just polite talk. Li Ying nodded in agreement. As she watched Manager Wu's figure disappear in the distance, just as she was about to turn around, she was suddenly pushed hard.
Caught off guard, she fell to the ground. Fortunately, her thick winter clothes protected her from getting hurt.
Li Ying looked up and saw that the one who had pushed her was a dirty - faced teenage boy. She thought he had just accidentally bumped into her and didn't take it to heart. She simply patted the dust off her clothes and was about to get up.
She had only taken a few steps when she felt a tug on her clothes. Looking back, it was that teenage boy, staring at her with hatred in his eyes, his dirty little hands tightly grabbing her hem.
Li Ying thought hard and couldn't remember ever having a feud with this child. She was very puzzled as to why he hated her so much. She stopped with good temper and asked softly, "Little brother, do you need something from me?"
The boy snorted and spat on the ground angrily.
"Bah! Who's your little brother? Don't try to get familiar with me!"
"My father ate your roasted chicken butt and died of a sudden abdominal pain! An eye for an eye. You owe me my father's life!"
A dirty little beggar was making a scene on the street with a young and well - dressed girl, and the word "fatal incident" came out of his mouth. Immediately, it attracted a lot of people to gather around and watch.
"Isn't this Boss Li from the barbecue stall?"
Some sharp - eyed diners recognized her at once. Hearing what the teenage boy said about someone dying after eating her food, they all felt scared.
Seeing this, the boy became even more aggressive. He clung to Li Ying tightly and refused to leave no matter what. He wailed and demanded an explanation from her.
Li Ying thought this was very strange. She had prepared all the skewers herself. Especially the roasted chicken tails, she knew that there were glands in the chicken tails. If not properly processed, they would not only taste fishy but also be harmful to the human body. So she had cut them off cleanly.
Where did this claim of someone dying after eating them come from?