At this moment, the emperor also knew that if they could find Ye Lang, every problem would be solved. But at the same time, he knew that finding Ye Lang was almost impossible. If he could be found, that girl from the Ye Clan and his precious daughter would have calmed down long ago instead of throwing tantrums there.
He found this rather miraculous as well. Although everyone knew Ye Lang was nearby and had not left, they simply could not find where he was. And this was not the first time; every time, he ended up somewhere no one would have thought of.
This time, although Ye Lang had not deliberately hidden from them, the place he was in was still beyond anyone's imagination!
"I hope he doesn't do anything too outrageous this time. Scaring them a little is enough; don't let him actually do those things," the emperor said with a headache.
For no reason at all, why did that brat have to go scare those people? Now he had run off, leaving the rest of us here to suffer!
"Uh, I don't think he would..." Ye Chengtian said, sounding utterly unconfident.
"..." The ministers fell silent. Among them, those whose daughters or granddaughters were among the talented young women seemed to understand that they had to muster every ounce of strength to protect them. They could not count on the royal family or the Ye Clan.
They wondered inwardly: if Ye Lang really did those things, would these two men, as sovereign and father, punish him? Perhaps they would, but certainly not severely.
"Hey, hey, he's your son. How could you not know?" The emperor seemed not to notice everyone's expressions and continued chatting nonsense with Ye Chengtian—no, it was a serious conversation between ruler and minister. At least, that was what he called it.
"How would I know? It's not as if you don't know him. From childhood to adulthood, has he done few foolish things?" Ye Chengtian shook his head helplessly.
"That's true. Let's not talk about that for now; we'll deal with it if something really happens. There's something I find strange. Who is this Zhen Xiaoyan, and why would she make that brat lose his head and help her?" The emperor suddenly remembered this key figure.
"Zhen Xiaoyan—I looked into her. She is the granddaughter of Count Zhen Tianming," Ye Chengtian replied. He knew the emperor was asking about Zhen Xiaoyan's identity; he should have already heard about everything else.
The emperor thought hard for a moment, then said, "Oh, him. I have some impression of him. It seems the Zhen family has run restaurants generation after generation. Are they still doing that now?"
The Zhen family was not within the empire's center of power; one could say they could not even reach its fringes. Thus, these people were not familiar with them. If not for this incident, the people here would likely never have noticed the Zhen family's existence. For the Zhen family, this was instead a stroke of luck, making the road ahead far brighter.
The reason the emperor remembered them was that the Zhen family had once served as royal chefs. Favored by an emperor, they had received this hereditary title.
No wonder people of the world tried every possible means to approach people like emperors. So long as they pleased them, they could make you shine in boundless glory anytime, anywhere, allowing your descendants to enjoy the shade of your blessings. Of course, it could also bring the disaster of extermination, but countless people were still willing to take that risk.
"They are. Zhen Youwei Restaurant is also considered a century-old traditional establishment of our Xiangkong Empire," Ye Chengtian replied.
Zhen Youwei, it was said, was the name of that royal chef, and the restaurant had been named after him. Back then, with Zhen Youwei's peerless cooking skills, it had flourished for a long time.
However, like the businesses of many Lineages, the Zhen family's restaurant rose and fell with the abilities of its family managers. Over the past few decades, it had declined. Of course, that was only compared to its former days. In the eyes of ordinary people, the Zhen family was still a great family—well, only in the eyes of ordinary people!
"Let's not discuss that first. I find one thing very strange. Does Zhen Xiaoyan possess culinary skills like those of her ancestor? Otherwise, why would that brat of your family care so much? These past few years, he has been neither hot nor cold toward anything. Even when it came to his own affairs, he might not make such a huge move," the emperor questioned.
"I heard Zhen Xiaoyan's cooking is truly unparalleled, and that is the only thing she is unparalleled at." Though Ye Chengtian's answer was not very direct, it made everyone clearly understand that nothing other than Zhen Xiaoyan's cooking could possibly attract his son.
"Chengtian, do you think we should place a little bet too, and wager on Zhen Xiaoyan winning?" The emperor seemed to grow more interested the longer they talked, forgetting that he was still in court.
"You think so too? I already had someone place ten thousand gold coins for fun!" Ye Chengtian said with a smile.
"...You truly are shameless!" The emperor despised Ye Chengtian with his eyes. After all, he still paid some attention to his image while in court.
Ye Chengtian seemed to understand what the emperor meant, then replied with his eyes, "Same to you..."
"Your Majesty, why do you think Zhen Xiaoyan will win? With her qualifications, how could she possibly win?" one minister said indignantly. The reason for his indignation was naturally that he was the elder of one of the talented young women.
Some of the other ministers were the same, likewise dissatisfied with the emperor and Ye Chengtian's view. Naturally, they would not show it too strongly; it was a measured sort of displeasure.
"With Zhen Xiaoyan's qualifications, it truly should be impossible for her to win. The problem is that there is that miraculous brat from the Ye Clan. It is hard to say what the outcome will be," the emperor said with a smile and a shake of his head.
"Your Majesty, you cannot let Ye Lang act recklessly. If that happens, I can only have my granddaughter withdraw from the competition!"
"Yes, if that happens, we may as well all withdraw. That would be better than letting him harm our daughters."
"Do not panic, everyone. I will not let him break the rules. I will certainly ensure that this competition remains as fair as before. If you are afraid, then I will specially permit you to serve as judges for this competition. Then you will not have to fear anyone being bribed. Rest assured, I will send the most elite imperial guards and the City Guard to protect your safety!" the emperor immediately said. At this moment, he had to show that he favored no one. In truth, he had never intended to favor anyone; these ministers had merely misunderstood.
What use was protection? That brat had slipped away time and again even under such airtight surveillance before. If he truly wanted to deal with you, then the outcome could not be guaranteed.
Ye Chengtian watched the ministers settle down and secretly laughed to himself. He seemed rather proud of this matter. Of course, outwardly, he put on a stern and earnest expression, as though he too would certainly do his utmost to protect these people.
Before you continue