122. Married Life

Le Qianxue hurriedly checked her clothes. Fortunately, they were still intact.

Seeing this, Zhan Lianjing frowned slightly. What did she take him for? Did she think he would take advantage of someone in a vulnerable state? Although, he admitted, he did have such a fleeting thought just now...

"Didn't I fall asleep lying on the table?" Le Qianxue asked.

"I was afraid you would catch a cold," Zhan Lianjing replied, "so I carried you up."

"Catch a cold? The weather is still so hot; how could I possibly catch a cold?" Le Qianxue glared at him. This man was truly lacking in common sense.

Zhan Lianjing didn't even blush as he continued, "I was also afraid you would wake up with a stiff neck. Instead of being grateful, you’re here complaining about this and that..."

Le Qianxue shut her mouth. Fine, she had indeed said a bit too much.

However, she hadn't eaten anything since she arrived, and she was feeling quite hungry now. She didn't know if anyone was still cooking at the Qianjin Pavilion, but since it was so late, perhaps there was no one left. As for Zhan Lianjing, there was no need to mention him; he always did as he pleased, and since he was injured, moving around was not ideal for him.

She twisted her fingers. Should she do it herself? But her culinary skills were not exactly impressive. In the past, she had focused on medicine and only had a passing interest in medicinal diets. Now, she just wanted to make some noodles, but she didn't even know what ingredients to use. If she just boiled them in plain water, the taste would surely be terrible.

While Le Qianxue was still pondering this, Zhan Lianjing noticed her serious expression and asked, "What are you thinking about?"

"Food," Le Qianxue blurted out.

Zhan Lianjing realized she hadn't eaten and, given that it was now the middle of the night, she must be starving. He blamed himself for not being more attentive. He stood up, his movements still remarkably elegant.

Le Qianxue looked up at him. "Where are you going?"

"To make you something to eat," Zhan Lianjing said.

Le Qianxue was stunned. "You know how to cook?"

This was absolutely astonishing. The first prince of the Tianlong Dynasty actually knew how to cook? This was major news.

Zhan Lianjing simply said, "For you, yes. For anyone else, no."

Le Qianxue blushed. It seemed she was someone special after all. However, seeing him about to head out, she quickly said, "You are injured. How can you go to the kitchen?"

Zhan Lianjing thought about it and realized she was right, but he figured that as long as he kept his movements small, it would be fine. "Then you can be my assistant."

Le Qianxue nodded. Since she was the one who wanted to eat, it wouldn't be right to let Zhan Lianjing do all the work alone.

Upon reaching the kitchen of the Qianjin Pavilion, they found it well-stocked and quite spacious. It used to be managed by Yin Susu, so Le Qianxue was somewhat familiar with it. She searched everywhere for noodles, only to suddenly realize that this was ancient times—there were no instant noodles here. If she wanted noodles, she would have to make them from scratch.

Le Qianxue’s face fell, feeling quite disheartened. Zhan Lianjing inspected the ingredients, selected a few, and said, "Come, help me prepare the ingredients."

Le Qianxue felt her spirits lift. It didn't matter if there were no instant noodles; she had a "God of Cooking" prince on her side.

They spent the better part of an hour bustling about. Le Qianxue’s stomach was practically flat from hunger, and because Zhan Lianjing couldn't do much himself, the physical labor fell entirely on her. However, Zhan Lianjing didn't stop barking orders from the sidelines...

"Move faster, it's burning!"

"Add some firewood! What are you doing without a fire? Don't add the vegetables yet, the pot isn't even hot enough."

"Why did you add so much salt? It'll be inedible!"

Le Qianxue was covered in sweat. Being tormented by Zhan Lianjing like this, she had cursed him dozens of times in her heart. She only wanted to eat some noodles; why did she have to cook so many dishes? She was exhausted. It seemed cooking was truly a difficult craft. Fortunately, she was born into the Tang Sect and not a family of chefs, or she would have been miserable.

Eventually, Le Qianxue managed to prepare several dishes. Under Zhan Lianjing’s guidance, they actually looked quite presentable. Le Qianxue felt delighted and couldn't wait to dig in.

Just then, a waiter from the shop walked in. "What’s going on? Is there a mouse in the middle of the night?" Upon seeing them, he immediately knelt down. "Greetings, Prince Zhan."

Zhan Lianjing said nonchalantly, "Rise."

The waiter stood up, but upon realizing who it was, he panicked. "Did the Prince call for this servant? I failed to hear you. Please, Prince Zhan, forgive me."

Hao Yue had long since instructed the staff that if Zhan Lianjing wanted anything, they were to do it immediately. But now that Zhan Lianjing had cooked for himself, the waiter felt his head was on the chopping block.

Zhan Lianjing seemed to be in a good mood. "I didn't call for you. You may leave."

The waiter, trembling with fear, still felt uneasy, but seeing that Zhan Lianjing’s expression was darkening, he quickly retreated. It seemed he was just getting in the way.

Once the man left, Le Qianxue glared at Zhan Lianjing. "There was someone here to cook all along. Why did you insist on doing it yourself? I get it now—you knew I wouldn't let you cook, so you used that as an excuse to drive me to do it."

"I didn't think that. You're the one who thought that," Zhan Lianjing replied.

Le Qianxue gritted her teeth. Truly, one could never trust Zhan Lianjing. To vent her frustration, she devoured almost all the food, only to discover, for the first time, that her own cooking wasn't half bad.

Seeing her so pleased with herself, Zhan Lianjing didn't have the heart to dampen her spirits. "You might want to remember that I was the one teaching you the whole time."

Le Qianxue huffed. "But it was still my hands that did the cooking. Don't be so smug."

Zhan Lianjing smiled. Le Qianxue had such delicate, slender fingers; he truly didn't want her to have to cook. Those hands were meant for healing.

After eating and drinking to her heart's content, Le Qianxue grew sleepy again, though it wasn't good to sleep right after a full meal. Back in the guest room, she saw several reports on Zhan Lianjing’s small table and asked, "What are these?"

They didn't look like official court documents.

Zhan Lianjing replied, "These are reports submitted by my people. They contain a great deal of information." He picked one up and showed it to her. "This one is from the capital of the Liangjin Kingdom."

Le Qianxue opened it and found several notes stuck together, written in different handwritings. She read them and frowned. "The Eighth Prince of the Liangjin Kingdom killed his father to seize the throne?"

Zhan Lianjing nodded. "My sources are faster than the court's. I suspect the old emperor will know soon enough."

"But... the Liangjin Kingdom isn't exactly a powerhouse," Le Qianxue said, her expression darkening. "I’ve heard that the Eighth Prince is brutal. Even though he was the eighth son, he killed all his older brothers to ensure no one would compete with him for the throne."

This news had spread far and wide. Everyone said the Eighth Prince of Liangjin was unimaginably cruel, capable of killing his own brothers. Now, murdering his father to steal the throne was hardly a surprise.

Zhan Lianjing added, "The Eighth Prince, Zi Ye, is a troublesome character. The old emperor was always wary of him. If he becomes the emperor of Liangjin, it will surely pose a threat to the Tianlong Kingdom. Now, what the old emperor feared has finally come to pass."

Le Qianxue remarked, "Zi Ye... that’s a rather feminine name. Why don't you take this opportunity to sit back and watch them fight it out?"

Zhan Lianjing chuckled. "Do you know that Zi Ye has no interest in the world? Do you know why he seized power?"

Le Qianxue pouted, signaling him to continue.

Zhan Lianjing said, "He wants to compete with me to see who is superior."

Le Qianxue nearly choked, coughing twice. "You’re kidding. When did you two have a 'thing'? That’s just... I... I can't wrap my head around that..."

Zhan Lianjing was speechless. "What are you thinking? We are both men; what could possibly happen? It's just that Zi Ye is a strange man. He doesn't love power, but he loves being the best in the world. He doesn't like people calling me the 'Number One War God,' so he declared that he must defeat me."

"Haha, the old emperor must hate you to death for attracting someone like Zi Ye," Le Qianxue couldn't help but laugh. "That’s not all; now that he’s the emperor, it won't be long before he comes looking for trouble with you."

Zhan Lianjing was unfazed. "If he has the guts, let him come. Just don't let him blame me when he dies."

Le Qianxue was impressed by his bravado. She said slowly, "Why are you so arrogant? You still can't move against the old emperor yet, can you?"

Zhan Lianjing was candid. "The time isn't right yet. I can't move against the old emperor, but he doesn't dare touch me, either."

Le Qianxue agreed. Court politics were truly complex. Having been immersed in them for years, Zhan Lianjing certainly knew more than she did and likely had a more thorough plan.

She looked through the papers again, but there was nothing more of interest regarding the Liangjin Kingdom. However, her eyes caught a line at the bottom.

"Wow, it turns out you're so wealthy," Le Qianxue said, stunned.

Zhan Lianjing looked on, feeling composed. He had said long ago that he had enough money for her to squander. Otherwise, where would the ten thousand taels she demanded come from?

Le Qianxue did some quick math and said, "You have so many shops set up in the Liangjin Kingdom. This is comparable to the Yan family. You must be the second wealthiest person in the world."

Zhan Lianjing had spent eight years of painstaking effort, so naturally, he had achieved something. He patted her head and said, "The Yan family has a century of foundation and connections that I cannot compare to. The money I earn is meant to be spent; maintaining my subordinates requires a lot of wealth."

Le Qianxue nodded and asked, "How much is Hao Yue's monthly allowance?"

Zhan Lianjing replied, "Hao Yue and Zhui Xing are my personal aides. They collect the money and distribute it themselves. I told them to decide their own salaries. Originally, they thought five hundred taels each would be enough, but when I found out, I told them to take five thousand each."

Le Qianxue was stunned. He was truly a generous boss and master.