"…You're going to avenge me?"
He was still young, after all. And having grown up spoiled and sheltered, used to acting however he pleased without consequence, Yun Chu Huan was ill-prepared to deal with Yun Shu's machine-gun string of arguments. Just when he thought he was catching up, she threw in a sudden twist that left him even more confused.
"How exactly will you do that?"
"Attend me!"
Yun Shu didn't bother explaining. With a wave of her hand, she gave her order with all the dignity of a proper princess.
"Drag that insolent chicken that offended the Sixth Prince out at once and slaughter it. As for the dead root that tripped His Highness, dig it out completely. Leave no trace of its miserable existence."
Yun Chu Huan: "…"
Somehow, he felt he had been brushed off, but he couldn't quite prove it. He blinked, still dazed, not yet sure where the logic had faltered when Yun Shu cut through his thoughts again.
"Sixth Brother, would you prefer your fried chicken with cumin, five-spice, garlic, or something spicier?"
"…What are those?"
Yun Chu Huan had never even heard of such flavors. Whatever fog had clouded his mind vanished instantly as he perked up and scampered back to Yun Shu, eager to learn more about these new delicacies.
Outwardly, Yun Shu claimed that no one in the small palace kitchen knew how to prepare fried chicken and promptly sent everyone out to wait in the courtyard. The moment she was alone, she sank her awareness into the villa and swiftly ordered multiple batches of fried chicken on her phone, removing all the packaging before plating everything neatly onto fine porcelain dishes.
Meanwhile, in the Imperial Study, Emperor Xuanwu's expression twisted ever so subtly as he confirmed once more with his hidden Dragon Shadow Guard.
"You're saying that Yun Shu was punished by the Grand Preceptors today to copy The Doctrine of the Mean, but she only wrote thirty characters before dragging the Sixth Prince and the others off to… pluck tail feathers from chickens?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Emperor Xuanwu: "???"
The Dragon Shadow Guard were the most elite and secretive agents in the realm. Every one of them had undergone grueling training, willing to risk their lives to carry out the Emperor's will without emotion or bias.
In other words, everything they reported was accurate and objective.
But still. A thirteen-year-old girl who could barely write thirty characters… could she really be the one the Simulation Life Selection System had claimed would help resolve the hardships faced by impoverished scholars across the land?
Emperor Xuanwu could not fathom it.
In the end, he waved the guard away.
"Keep a close watch. Not a single detail is to be missed."
"Yes, Your Majesty."
The Dragon Shadow Guard gave a slight nod, and in the next breath, his figure vanished without a trace, as silent as when he had come.
By then, Yun Shu had already returned to the palace hall with Yun Chu Huan and the others in tow.
Several plates of golden, crispy fried chicken had been arranged neatly across the table.
The intoxicating aroma filled the air, so tempting it made one's mouth water. Yun Shu picked up a drumstick and placed it before Yun Chu Huan.
"Here. This was the one that dared offend you. I made sure to save it just for you."
"…Thank you, Fifth Sister."
Although the reminder of his earlier embarrassment still stung, the unfamiliar, delicious food soon stole Yun Chu Huan's attention entirely.
He grabbed the drumstick with barely a pause and bit into it eagerly. The crispy golden skin and juicy, tender meat burst with flavor, overwhelming his senses. His eyes lit up. For a moment, the dignified prince could not even find the words to praise it—he just kept eating.
Cen Yiyi and Li Zi Ming followed his lead. They tried every flavor available, even the spicy ones that made them wince and fan their tongues. Yet none of them let a single bite go to waste.
By the end, all of them leaned back against their chairs, bellies round and full, savoring the aftertaste.
"Fifth Sister," Yun Chu Huan declared solemnly, "I've decided."
"Decided what?"
Yun Shu, the only one not stuffed to the brim, sipped her tea calmly to cut the grease as she listened to Yun Chu Huan's bold announcement.
"From now on, I'm sticking with you!"
Yun Shu: "…"
Incredible. Even in a modern world overflowing with food options, McD's and Uncle Kentucky were enough to win over legions of children.
And now, just one meal of fried chicken had secured her the allegiance of the future tyrant prince.
She arched her brow slightly, but before she could say anything, her freshly recruited little brother straightened up—clutching his full belly with some difficulty—and leaned toward her with the same eager look he'd worn earlier that morning when begging for milk tea.
"Fifth Sister, could you write down the recipe for this fried chicken?"
"The recipe, hmm…"
Yun Shu had anticipated this from the moment she chose to lure Yun Chu Huan in with food.
So she remained composed and nodded lightly.
"I don't mind giving it to you, but the key is, a few of the ingredients are extremely rare. Most people won't have them."
"They're expensive?" Yun Chu Huan asked.
He hesitated only a moment before waving a hand grandly.
"It's fine. My mother has plenty of silver. Even if this recipe calls for a five-hundred-year-old ginseng root, she can find a way to get it for me!"
And he wasn't exaggerating.
Yun Chu Huan's mother, Noble Consort Liu, was the daughter of Prime Minister Liu Yankun. Before producing such a powerful official, the Liu family had already been the richest clan in Jiangnan for generations.
Noble Consort Liu had grown up surrounded by gold and jade, never needing to count coins. Even after entering the palace, her father continued to spoil her lavishly. She doted on Yun Chu Huan even more—indulging him to such an extreme degree that whatever he wanted, he would get.
It was no wonder that his temper had grown so wild and unchecked.
And this was precisely why Yun Shu had chosen him as her pawn.
Her own mother had passed away not long after giving birth to her. Though her maternal grandfather still served in court, he lived modestly and rarely concerned himself with the affairs of the Fifth Princess.
If she wanted to introduce certain foods into this world openly, she would need to do it through Yun Chu Huan.
She pulled out a small porcelain bottle of chili powder, which she had prepared in advance, and placed it on the table.
"See, it's not about price. This spice here—I got it from a palace servant by chance. She said her relative had once traveled overseas on a merchant ship and brought it back. You can't find this anywhere in Tian Sheng."
"Overseas?"
Yun Chu Huan pulled the stopper from the bottle and leaned in, curious.
"AH—ACHOO!"