Chapter 145: The Architect

"Thanks to the Princess Consort, Li Dancheng's son, Li Yucheng, is under house arrest at the Prime Minister's residence. Because of this, the rampant arrogance of the city guards has subsided quite a bit recently. However... alas," Master Hua sighed heavily as he spoke.

Liu Ling'er asked with confusion, "Isn't it a good thing that the city guards aren't as overbearing as usual? Why is Master Hua sighing?"

"You may not be aware, Your Highness, but although the city guards have kept a low profile, the young scions of the capital have recently been using the excuse of 'ensuring shop security' to demand 'maintenance fees' from us every few days. They are like vampires. We run small businesses and it isn't easy to begin with; with them constantly coming to stir up trouble, many shops have already been forced to close. Those who refused to give in found their doorsteps splashed with dog blood or excrement the very next day, and their shops were smashed to pieces. Truth be told, they are even worse than the city guards."

Master Hua only shared a few words, but his gnashing teeth were enough to prove that his grievances were genuine.

Liu Ling'er slapped the table. "This is outrageous! How can such rampant conduct go unchecked? It's like harvesting leeks—one crop after another. Why haven't you reported this to the authorities? Do they not care?"

Master Hua gave a bitter laugh. "The authorities? Ha! If reporting to them worked, no one would dare act so lawlessly. Most of these young scions are the offspring of court officials; the government offices are practically their family property. Whoever reports them faces retaliation. The lucky ones end up with broken families, and the unlucky ones lose their lives."

Liu Ling'er did not fancy herself a savior, but after hearing Master Hua's plea, she felt she could not keep her conscience clear without doing something. After a moment of thought, she said to him, "I will take this matter on. As it happens, I have been planning to open a restaurant. Would you be willing to stoop to help me with it?"

Hearing the Princess Consort extend an olive branch, Master Hua's heart skipped a beat. Although he would no longer be the boss, his status would effectively rise; he would suddenly have someone powerful backing him. Even though he had seen much in his years of running a restaurant, he was at a loss as to where to put his hands. He stammered, "Since the Princess Consort thinks so highly of me, I am duty-bound to serve. I will certainly do my utmost to attend to your affairs."

After Master Hua left, Liu Ling'er pondered for a while before rising to head to the kitchen. She picked up some pastries and made her way to Baili Xian’s study. Her own organization, the Tianfa, was still in its infancy, and she might eventually need to leverage the power of the Virtuous Prince.

To ensure Baili Xian would be willing to help her when the time came, she needed to put him in a good mood now, making it difficult for him to refuse her later.

She knocked on the door and heard a voice from within: "Enter." Carrying two plates with one hand, she opened the door with the other. Upon entering, she saw Baili Xian lying on a tiger-skin chair, reading a book with such intense focus that he did not even look up when she stood beside him.

*This man certainly knows how to enjoy life,* she thought. *Is that chair really made of tiger skin? I wonder if it’s genuine. Given his status, it’s unlikely to be fake.* Liu Ling'er had never been in Baili Xian’s study before, so she looked around and spotted some truly novel items.

Baili Xian had finished all his official duties yesterday, and today, he was hiding in his study, stealing a half-day of leisure to read and sip tea. Although he had instructed that no one should disturb him, he had also mentioned that they should knock if there was an emergency. Hearing the knock earlier, he assumed it was one of his subordinates coming to report news, so he remained focused on his book.

After waiting for a long time without a word from the visitor, Baili Xian frowned and set his book down. "What are you doing in—"

Before he could finish, he saw Liu Ling'er standing there with the pastries, glancing around. A sudden wave of panic washed over him, and he hastily shoved the book under the tiger skin. "Ling'er, why are you here?"

Liu Ling'er retracted her gaze, noticing Baili Xian’s empty hands. She had clearly seen him reading just a moment ago—how did the book vanish in the blink of an eye? Had she misread the situation?

*Forget it, don't overthink it. Focus on the task at hand.* She placed the pastry plates before Baili Xian and smiled. "Virtuous Prince, you seem quite busy lately. Since you have some spare time, I specifically brought some pastries from the kitchen. These are freshly made; do have a taste."

With that, she picked up a snow-white pearl pastry and offered it to Baili Xian’s lips, gesturing for him to try it.

Baili Xian did not eat it immediately but scrutinized her with suspicion. "You’re being unusually attentive for no reason. Tell me, is there something you need me to help you with?"

*Damn, your eyes are sharp. You saw right through me.* Though she thought this, she pouted playfully, "Can't I come to see you without wanting something? It seems my good intentions have been taken for granted. If you won't eat it, fine. If you won't, I will!"

She popped the pearl pastry into her own mouth and chewed with deliberate force, as if she were biting into an enemy rather than a pastry. Seeing this, Baili Xian suddenly felt embarrassed, realizing he had judged her unfairly.

He chuckled. "Ling'er, feed me again. I’ll eat it this time. Even if it were poison, I would swallow it willingly without batting an eye."

"Shameless! How cheesy," Liu Ling'er teased. "I'll have you know I put hemlock in that one just to kill you." Despite her sharp words, she picked up another piece from the other plate and held it to his lips.

As soon as Baili Xian finished that one, she picked up another. "Try the truffle and osmanthus cake. The crystal jade cake is also good, have some of that. And this rose ball is delicious..."

After several pastries were down his throat, Liu Ling'er showed no signs of stopping. Baili Xian couldn't take it anymore. "Ling'er, that's enough. I'm full. If I eat any more, I'll burst!"

"Oh, is that so?" Liu Ling'er stopped. "In that case, you've been so busy lately, you must be exhausted. Let me give you a massage."

Before Baili Xian could respond, she walked behind him and began to knead his shoulders with just the right amount of pressure. Baili Xian wanted to refuse, but as soon as she began, he fell silent. Her massage was truly comfortable; he wouldn't have minded if she did this for a lifetime.

Seeing how much Baili Xian was enjoying it, Liu Ling'er felt the time was right. "Virtuous Prince, do you remember the property you gave me in the bustling district? I want to turn it into a restaurant. Do you know of any skilled carpenters who could help me with the interior renovations?"

Baili Xian mused for a moment. "I know a few carpenters, but if you want the interior to be exquisite, you should see someone else. The architects under his command will certainly leave you satisfied."