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

Only after the emperor and Zhao Gou left did the staff of the imperial kitchen dare to raise their heads.

Shen Qing had already started kneading the dough again. Her expression was calm and focused, as if nothing had happened before.

"Madam Shen, is there anything I can help you with?" a royal chef stammered.

"Steward Shen, please feel free to give any instructions." Another imperial chef spoke up.

"Manager Shen, your braised pork intestine noodles are so delicious! We all admire you so much!"

"..."

The imperial chefs spoke with a tone full of awe, for today they had truly witnessed how obedient the emperor was to Shen Qing.

They were all filled with regret. Why weren't they the ones who stepped forward to help Shen Qing that day?

Wang Erdan is really lucky.

Shen Qing replied without looking up, "Everyone should continue as before, doing what they're supposed to do. I don't need your help for the time being."

"Also, please don't call me Steward Shen, just call me Madam Shen, I'm more used to it."

The diners have always called her Madam Shen, and she's gotten used to it.

The title "Manager Shen" sounds awkward.

"Don't worry, Madam Shen, we'll definitely work hard!"

"Madam Shen, from now on we will listen to you completely."

"You're absolutely amazing when it comes to cooking!"

"You're amazing! You spotted the flour had been tampered with at a glance. You truly are a top-notch cook!"

"..."

Seeing that Shen Qing was not putting on airs and was acting as usual, the people in the imperial kitchen were relieved.

After all, when Shen Qingchu came to the Imperial Kitchen, they all stood behind Li Fuquan.

Fortunately, Madam Shen wasn't one to hold grudges.

Everyone got busy, as the imperial kitchen had a heavy workload every day.

Only Sun An remained paralyzed on the spot, his expression extremely awkward.

He wanted to step forward to express his gratitude to Shen Qing for saving his life, but he was too ashamed of his previous actions to do so.

In addition, he was so frightened that his legs were weak and he couldn't muster any strength.

He slumped to the ground, looking even more groggy, until everyone else had gotten busy.

But no one was willing to talk to him.

Li Fuquan is dead, and everyone in the Imperial Kitchen avoids him like the plague. Some people even took a detour when passing by him.

After a long while, Sun An finally managed to get up from the ground.

He gritted his teeth, forced himself to come to Shen Qing, and said with a flushed face, "Madam Shen, thank you for saving my life. I was wrong before, and I have let you down."

"I can never repay your immense kindness. If you ever need my help in the future, I will go through fire and water for you!"

If it weren't for Madam Shen, I would be dead today.

Even if it's awkward, he has to say these things.

Moreover, he will try his best to atone for his previous behavior.

He will never refuse any request from Madam Shen in the future!

Shen Qing continued working, calmly replying, "It's alright, I was just stating the facts, no reward is needed."

"I must repay you!" Sun An said anxiously. "You saved my life, and I will obey your orders from now on."

"You want noodles, right? I'll start the pot for you!"

Sun An was in a hurry, afraid that Shen Qing would reject him.

He felt uneasy if he didn't do something to repay such a great kindness.

Shen Qing sighed slightly. Sun An wasn't a particularly wicked person. Although he had said some harsh things to her before, he was wholeheartedly devoted to his master, Li Fuquan.

It's just a pity that I gave my heart to the wrong person.

"You don't need to cook. Just do what you're supposed to do. I'll let you know if I need anything."

"Really?" Sun An's eyes lit up, eager for Shen Qing to give him the order right now.

Shen Qing nodded: "Really."

"The best way you can repay me now is to do your job well."

"Okay, okay, don't worry, Madam Shen, I will definitely work hard and never slack off!!!"

Sun An's face lit up with joy, his legs were no longer weak, and his heart was no longer troubled. He hurriedly ran to his seat and began to peel potatoes diligently.

Madam Shen is kind-hearted and capable; he will definitely work hard to put Madam Shen at ease.

If Madam Shen gives him any instructions in the future, he will do whatever it takes, no matter what it takes!

......

The emperor was already racking his brains.

"Dog, tell me, where do you think Madam Shen will choose first?"

The palace is so big, it's really hard for him to guess.

Zhao Gou wore a bitter expression. He dared not make any wild guesses. If he guessed wrong and the emperor missed his target, he would definitely be punished.

"Your Majesty, how could this servant possibly guess?"

"Are there any patterns in the locations where Madam Shen sets up her stall, according to those rumors you've heard?" the emperor asked, still unwilling to give up.

"There's absolutely no pattern to it," Zhao Gou sighed. "And Madam Shen always likes to do things unexpectedly."

"Unexpected?"

The emperor's interest grew even stronger.

"Yeah, selling steamed buns at the ghost market, braised pork ribs at the entrance of the academy, snail rice noodles at the entrance of the brothel..."

The more the emperor listened, the brighter his eyes became: "Steamed dumplings, braised pork ribs, snail rice noodles—I've never heard of any of them."

"It'll definitely taste delicious!"

"This is so unexpected, so the location for this first stall is definitely not the market. Madam Shen will definitely choose another place."

"Let me think about it, let me think about it..."

"I've got it!" The emperor's eyes suddenly lit up. "What about the area in front of the Golden Palace? That place will definitely surprise you!"

Zhao Gou: "..."

The Golden Palace was where ministers discussed state affairs, and the daily morning court session was also held there. To set up a stall at the entrance of the Golden Palace was, frankly, a eunuch like him felt it was a bit excessive.

"...Probably not. This is our first time setting up a stall, and there are so many places in the harem, plus a market..."

After Zhao Gou finished speaking, the emperor became even more enthusiastic: "If you say it's impossible, then it's entirely possible! That perfectly matches Lady Shen's penchant for surprises!!"

"It must be the Imperial Palace today! Let's go, let's go to the Imperial Palace and wait there in advance!!"

Zhao Gou: "..."

Well, he has no right to speak.

Let's just go with the Golden Palace then. Anyway, His Majesty hasn't been there in a long time.

If we go now, we might even run into those diligent and experienced ministers.

I only hope that His Majesty will not get angry or scold me if he guesses wrong.

Shen Qing rolled out the noodles and stewed the pork intestines, then took Wang Erdan directly to the market.

She had promised Zhao Gou she would go to the market, and she was also curious about what this makeshift market would look like.

As for answering the emperor earlier that the location was random, that was purely to make the emperor go through more trouble.

Since it was the emperor who wanted to play, she naturally had to let him have his fill.