Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

"Huh? Me??" Xiao Mo was stunned for a moment. She didn't expect Shen Qing to be willing to entrust such an important matter to her.

"I'm young and don't know anything, Master Guo..." she said subconsciously.

Guo Tiancheng quickly said, "All I know how to do is cook. I can't read a single word. I can't do this."

He is old, but that doesn't mean he is capable.

He's spent half his life working around the stove, so he'd never refuse to cook, but running a business is out of the question.

"No, no, don't look at me, I'm even worse." Situ Liang quickly waved his hands.

He's a master at being funny and playful, but serious matters like this are not his forte.

He doesn't like doing it either.

There was a reason why Shen Qing chose Xiao Mo from among the crowd at Zhiwei Restaurant.

Firstly, Guo Tiancheng and Situ Liang, master and apprentice, were indeed not a good match. One of them only knew how to cook and was illiterate, while the other was always loud and boisterous and very unreliable.

Xiao Mo, a wealthy young lady, not only read many books but also learned the ways of business.

The art of business management was something that young ladies from wealthy families in ancient times were required to learn, mainly so that they could marry well in the future.

The matriarch of a wealthy family, who holds the power over the household's finances, cannot afford to be incompetent in managing the family business.

Although Xiao Mo had no practical experience, she had theoretical knowledge.

That's a promising talent. Let Zhao Wan mentor him, and he'll definitely be fine.

"Sister Shen, I... I'm afraid I might mess things up..." Xiao Mo said worriedly.

She wanted to do it, but with such a large restaurant and so many diners, what if something happened...?

"What's there to be afraid of? Everyone has a first time. Besides, there's Awan. If you don't understand anything, just ask Awan," Shen Qing encouraged.

Zhao Wan, who was standing next to Xiao Mo, also took her hand and said, "Sister Shen is right, I will help you."

"Don't be afraid. When I first took over Zhiweixuan, I had no experience running a restaurant. Now I'm incredibly skilled."

"Just do your job without worry. If you encounter any problems, just ask me."

Zhao Wan must have a very good mindset. When Shen Qing entrusted Zhiweixuan to her, she accepted it without hesitation.

Whenever she encountered a problem, she would run to her father, who was an old businessman.

People should learn by doing; if they are afraid of this and that, they will never take the first step.

"I..." Xiao Mo gritted her teeth, "Sister Shen, Sister Zhao, I will try my best!"

She didn't want to turn down the opportunity, and she also hoped to help Shen Qing.

Seeing this, Shen Qing nodded with satisfaction: "Alright, it's settled then."

"Master Guo, I'm counting on you to oversee the food preparation."

Guo Tiancheng has been a chef the longest and has the best skills.

"Don't worry, I can handle the cooking perfectly well."

Zhao Wan: "Sister Shen, the restaurant will probably be too busy without you. I'll go and ask for a few more chefs."

"Sister Shen, we will definitely clean the house properly. We will wash all the dishes and chopsticks thoroughly, so don't worry."

"Sister Shen, I will try my best to learn from Sister Zhao Wan."

"..."

In no time, everyone in the restaurant started talking about it, some even with tears in their eyes.

There's a feeling that Shen Qing is gone and will never return.

Shen Qing comforted everyone for a while before they calmed down.

Of course, she couldn't stay in the palace forever; freedom was the thing she couldn't bear to part with.

She wouldn't rebel, but she's a master at cooking.

Therefore, she will do her best to complete the system tasks, obtain the prayer candle, change the dynasty, and establish a new wise ruler.

Xiao Mo felt at ease leaving the restaurant and Zhiweixuan to Zhao Wan.

As for the ingredients, just like with Zhiweixuan before, the system will handle everything rationally, so there's no need to worry about the ingredients at all.

......

Before long, it was time for Zhiwei Restaurant to open.

The diners outside grew increasingly agitated.

"They're about to open! My jianbing guozi (Chinese crepe) and my bobo chicken!"

"Beautiful and kind-hearted Lady Shen, please bless me so I can definitely eat jianbing guozi today!"

"I really want to eat this! My mouth is watering!"

"..."

Standing at the very front was Crown Prince Nangong Jing; he had asked someone to help him queue up when he left yesterday.

At this moment, Nangong Jing looked smug, his cloudy eyes filled with determination.

Today, besides coming to eat, his main purpose was to bring Shen Qing into the palace.

He didn't need to guess to be certain that Shen Qing would agree, because he had hidden Shen's mother in a top-secret place.

This time, he was fearless.

"Hmph, still eating? You can forget about eating here again," Nangong Jing thought to himself.

How can a lowly person be worthy of such a title?

Such exquisite delicacies as those of Lady Shen were only fit for the noble royal family.

Just then, with a creak, the door of Zhiwei Restaurant opened.

Shen Qing immediately spotted the fat prince's disgusting face.

Raise your hand.

Snapped--

A very loud slap.

The fat prince's left cheek swelled up instantly.

The diners present all fell silent, staring at Shen Qing in utter shock.

"You you you—"

"You dare to kill someone with force? I, I, I..."

Nangong Jing was so frightened that he kept backing away.

He wanted to show off, but before he could even begin, he got slapped across the face.

No, didn't he know Shen Qing's weakness? Why does he still feel so scared?

"Oh, sorry, it was a slip of the hand. I didn't mean to kill anyone."

Shen Qing wiped her hands with a handkerchief; the fat prince's face was oily and his hands were really dirty.

She had intended to say goodbye to the diners, but when she opened the door, she saw the fat prince, and she simply couldn't resist touching him.

Nangong Jing covered her face and said tremblingly, "You, you, you must enter the palace, voluntarily become a cook."

"I know, I didn't say I wouldn't enter the palace," Shen Qing said calmly.

"Then, then, then, let's go now..."

Shen Qing rolled her eyes at Nangong Jing.

In fact, she could have used her martial arts skills to force Nangong Jing to release Shen's mother.

After all, everyone cherishes their life, especially someone like Nangong Jing who lives a life of luxury and is terrified of dying.

If she makes even the slightest move, Nangong Jing will definitely not be able to withstand it.

However, she has already decided to work hard to complete the mission, win the wishing candle, and overthrow the tyrant.

In that case, she needs a reason to leave Zhiwei Restaurant.

"Ladies and gentlemen, due to some special reasons, I have to enter the palace to become a cook, so I will no longer be able to cook for you."

"But don't worry, Zhiwei Restaurant will operate normally, and all the food can be purchased as usual."

Upon hearing this, Nangong Jing was instantly overjoyed, forgetting the pain on his face, and even couldn't help but shout, "That's great!!!"

When the diners heard Shen Qing's words, it felt like the sky had fallen.