Transmigrated as the Villain: Punching the Protagonist Group and Stepping on the Domestic Abuser - Chapter 9

The next day, a corpse was discovered near the Northern Pacification Marquis’s mansion. A man had died in broad daylight right beneath the emperor’s nose, and while the case was handed over to the Ministry of Punishments, the ministry had coincidentally received a confidential letter from the emperor before the morning court session. It contained only four characters: “Do not investigate deeply.”

The underlying meaning was rather subtle.

During the morning court session, the Northern Pacification Marquis maintained a natural expression, whereas the newly ascended emperor, who was usually gentle and composed, looked rather displeased. As soon as the court was hurriedly dismissed, Cao Lun and Minister of Works Xi Yan were detained for a political discussion.

Without removing his crown adorned with jade beads, Rong Jing slammed his hand heavily against the table.

Cao Lun said indifferently, “Not only did the man die, but he died in the alley right beside the Northern Pacification Marquis’s mansion. Liang Shenyu is telling you as clearly as possible that he killed the man. So much for past sentiments; he is warning you, Your Majesty.”

“For him to resort to murder, he must not have known that the man belonged to me.” Rong Jing pressed his lips together and turned his gaze to Xi Yan. “This matter will still require troubling Lord Xi.”

Xi Yan’s only son, Xi Chaodi, had married the sole princess of the palace last year, making him an imperial son-in-law. Naturally, Xi Yan was considered a relative of the imperial family, and he and Rong Jing had been in the same boat from the very beginning.

“Your Majesty, rest assured,” Xi Yan nodded. “It is just that beneath the Ministry of Works are the Nine Ministries, and many of those ministries follow the Prince Regent’s decrees. Although I am the Minister of Works, I am heavily restricted as well. The matter of Your Majesty taking personal rule brooks no delay!”

The final sentence was directed at Cao Lun.

Cao Lun gave a noncommittal response, his brow furrowing. “If the Northern Pacification Marquis were willing to state his position, even if it forced Rong Se into a corner, that would be fine. However, since he is currently sitting on the fence and watching from the sidelines while Rong Se has made no moves, it is difficult for us to make a move.”

Rong Jing stated, “If we cannot make a move in the open, we will do it from the shadows.” With a profound expression, he added, “Does the Court of Judicial Review not have our informant?”

Cao Lun exchanged glances with Xi Yan.

Hesitatingly, Xi Yan suggested, “We could perhaps give it a try. As long as we eliminate the capable people at his disposal, a single tree cannot make a forest!”

Cao Lun nodded slightly as well, then added, “Your Majesty, the imperial mausoleum is harsh and bitter, and the Empress Dowager’s sacred constitution is precious. Once the late emperor’s mourning period concludes, we should have her brought back as soon as possible.”

Rong Jing’s expression shifted slightly.

Frowning, Cao Lun asked, “What is wrong?”

Hesitating for a brief moment, Rong Jing replied, “News from the Empress Mother’s side has been cut off, and none of our people can get close.”

Cao Lun’s expression turned as dark as ink in an instant.

The day Rong Se forced Empress Dowager Cao to leave, it was clearly out of revenge for the incident involving guarding the imperial mausoleum years ago. While this matter was not exceptionally large, as long as they secretly brought her back, Rong Se surely could not storm into the inner palace to cause a scene.

They would present a fait accompli, and he would have no recourse.

Who could have anticipated that they would not even be able to lay eyes on a shadow of her now?

“This is going too far!” Cao Lun rebuked. “The Empress Dowager went to guard the late emperor’s imperial mausoleum, not to be placed under house arrest there!”

Xi Yan spoke softly from the side, “Your Majesty, Lord Cao, do not be impatient. Once Your Majesty takes personal rule, it is entirely possible that the Prince Regent will be reduced to a prisoner overnight. Welcoming the Empress Dowager back to the palace at that time will be effortless, won’t it? What is truly pressing is the matter at hand.”

Remaining composed, Rong Jing offered a silent assent.

Cao Lun had always doted on this direct younger sister, but seeing that Rong Se was currently dead set against releasing her, he weighed the situation repeatedly before helplessly nodding.

Meanwhile, far away in Panlong Mountain outside the capital, an airtight small wooden cabin stood with all doors and windows sealed shut, leaving only a small opening just large enough for a small bowl to pass through, which was further secured with a lock. Cao Yumin, who held the esteemed rank of Empress Dowager, was kept right inside.

Someone unlocked the small opening, flipped open the wooden panel, pushed through a bowl of unadorned coarse rice, and then efficiently locked it back up.

From within came a shrill, hoarse voice: “I am the Empress Dowager! How dare you! Open the door! Open the door! Let me out!”

The guards were Rong Se’s men, so they naturally ignored Empress Dowager Cao’s threats. Strictly adhering to their orders, they remained entirely silent.

Orders had been given from above long ago: Empress Dowager Cao was not permitted to come out, nor was she allowed to see the light, and no one was allowed to speak a single half-word to her.

In just two short days, Empress Dowager Cao had already thrown several hysterical tantrums, repeatedly threatening to commit suicide. Yet, no one paid her any mind up to this point, and she remained quite alive.

The person delivering the food kept a completely expressionless face, paying no heed to the clattering sound of shattering porcelain from inside as they walked away.

The master had given instructions: whether she chose to eat was up to her, as only two meals were delivered a day. Once she grew hungry, she would naturally know to eat.

From inside the room behind came another round of desperate curses and screams. The room, sealed off from light, was pitch black and devoid of any light, where one could not even see their own hand. Having gone without washing for many days, Empress Dowager Cao was in a disheveled state, and surrounded by the boundless darkness and silence, she gradually began to feel terror.

After accidentally cutting her foot on a piece of porcelain she had smashed herself, she no longer dared to move rashly, shrinking into a corner and weeping while trembling.

Yet, she did not want to die.

Her son had already become the emperor, and her son had defeated that whore and bitch!

As long as she killed that whore’s son as well, she would be welcomed back to the capital, and she would be the most noble woman under the heavens!

Just wait another day. Or perhaps two days.

Rong Se was busy with the reopening of Fusheng Restaurant. After all, he was not the original owner, and Fusheng Restaurant could be considered as having changed hands once. He had rewritten the menu and spent whole nights hurriedly recording every dish he could remember in detail, knowing that even the strongest mind required reference materials.

Over time, forgetting was inevitable, and this place certainly did not provide an internet for him to freely surf.

While he understood the script of the Jin Dynasty, the translation process involved converting simplified characters into Jin characters, which added an extra step of cognitive processing. Therefore, he remained more accustomed to using a hard-tipped pen and simplified characters, employing a bamboo-tube brush split at the tip, so the recipes he wrote down were entirely in the simplified characters he was familiar with.

However, the recipes handed over to Fusheng Restaurant were a selection of several dishes, which were transcribed using Jin characters before being given to the establishment for promotional use.

Once one was willing to invest capital, combined with Fusheng Restaurant’s excellent geographical advantage, within a mere three days, it completely shed its usual desolate atmosphere. The novel dish names and high-profile publicity attracted a great number of people.

Rumors circulated wildly among the common folk for a time.

Word had it that after Fusheng Restaurant changed hands, an incredible chef had arrived, creating dishes unique across heaven and earth, with the grand opening eagerly awaited.

Managing this task was Lan Ying, who reported smugly to Rong Se, who was buried in writing without knowing what: “Master, I guarantee that the entire city of Jinjing knows about our Fusheng Restaurant opening this month!”

Without even lifting his head, Rong Se offered a word of praise: “Well done.”

Hesitating for a moment, Lan Ying spoke softly once more: “However, there are quite a few ugly rumors going around, Master. Should we really do nothing about them? As long as I spread the word, I am certain no one would dare speak ill of Fusheng Restaurant!”

“Pay no attention to them,” Rong Se said. “Let them spread whatever they like, as long as the momentum is raised high enough. Everything will become clear on the day of the opening.”

Tastes differed, and there were always those eager to tear down others. Rong Se cared little for such gossip; his dishes were genuinely one-of-a-kind in the Jin Dynasty. Once they opened, if anyone came to cause trouble, it would not be too late to deal with them then.

“Understood.” Lan Ying nodded, then added with apparent casualness: “Ah, Master, it is getting late.”

During these past few days, all the meals in the manor came entirely from her master’s hands, prepared with endless variety to the point where Lan Ying was no longer as terrified of Rong Se and even dared to harbor designs on his cooking.

Utterly unaware of her intentions, Rong Se continued to write away with his head down. “Hm, this prince is not tired yet.”

Lan Ying was left speechless, her expression hesitant as she tactfully suggested: “Then tonight, what are we having?”

Rong Se’s pen paused.

So, it turned out she had been indulging in wishful thinking just now?

Yun Chu entered the door carrying a plate of grapes chilled in well water, running right into Rong Se as he walked out with a blank expression. Yun Chu paused and asked, “Your Highness?”

Rong Se plucked a grape, then reached out and tapped Lan Ying on the forehead. “On the day Fusheng Restaurant opens, if there aren’t enough people, sell her off to cover my meal expenses.”

Lan Ying was speechless.

Yun Chu nodded and said, “Understood. Where are you heading, Your Highness?”

Rong Se answered indifferently, “To cook.”