Transmigrated into an Ancient ABO Fantasy World: A Culinary Comeback - Chapter 24

The two shared a joyful breakfast together, after which Wang Xiaojin headed off to tend to the shop.

Peace did not last long. One evening, while the family was gathered for dinner at the Manor, devastating news arrived: Emperor Li Ren had passed away. The Prince hurriedly donned his formal court robes and rushed to the palace to join the Sixth Prince, hoping to stabilize the empire during the transition of power.

Xie Yu’an looked at Wang Xiaojin with deep concern. “Will my father be alright?”

Wang Xiaojin took her hand and gave her a reassuring smile. “He will be fine. There is no one left to challenge the Sixth Prince. Eat your dinner; with the Prince there, nothing will go wrong.”

By the hour of the Pig (late night), the Prince finally returned. As expected, the transition of power was seamless. With the Third Prince having already fallen from grace, the Sixth Prince’s ascension was the inevitable trend, and no one raised an objection.

Wang Xiaojin spoke with the Prince in the study for a short while before returning to the bedroom. Xie Yu’an was still awake, huddled under her covers with only her sparkling eyes showing. “How is my father?”

Wang Xiaojin undressed and climbed into the bed. “Everything is fine. It went perfectly smoothly.”

“Then…” The girl started to ask more, but she realized late that Wang Xiaojin was propping herself up on one arm, watching her with an intense, burning gaze. Yu’an felt a surge of shyness, but she realized that since they were already married, perhaps it was finally time.

As if their hearts were one, Wang Xiaojin sensed her thoughts and slowly leaned down.

“Don’t…” Yu’an whispered, though her voice held no real resistance.

“Why not?” Wang Xiaojin asked, showing a rare, assertive side to the Princess.

Outside the bedroom, the flower branches swayed in the night breeze for a long time before finally coming to rest.

After the Sixth Prince ascended the throne, life seemed unchanged on the surface. However, Wang Xiaojin noticed a shift. Wang Qi sent a letter stating that the Yulong merchants coming to franchise the burger shops had become arrogant and rude, as if joining the business was a favor they were granting to the Wang family. This hidden arrogance felt like the calm before a storm.

The Prince, however, was unconcerned. He continued to attend court faithfully, even believing that the new Emperor’s firm policies were correct.

Little did he know, a web of treason was already being spun around him. A charge was fabricated, accusing him of conspiring with the Jiang people in the northwest. The Prince was thrown into prison, and the northwest military forces were dismantled and reorganized.

Wang Xiaojin surrendered nearly all her wealth to corrupt officials just to keep the Prince alive and ensure that she and Yu’an were not immediately dragged down with him. But she knew deep down that it was only a matter of time before they were targeted.

It was during this time that the “Men in Black” with the sinister black energy reappeared. Anyone who criticized the Emperor was eliminated. They even incited the public to seize the property of others, most of which ended up in the national treasury.

Wang Xiaojin realized with horror that the Sixth Prince might actually be the leader of these dark forces. Taking advantage of a lapse in surveillance, she fled the city with Xie Yu’an in the middle of the night, racing toward Dongyang County to convince her mentor, Xie Xing, to retreat with them to the Jiang Kingdom.

They fled across the border into Jiang with their remaining assets and hundreds of Shadow Guards, finally breathing a sigh of relief once they were safe. On the road, the Princess had initially refused to leave her father, only agreeing to flee when Xiaojin promised she would find a way to save the Prince.

Upon reaching Zicheng, the group was exhausted and worried. Chen Xi provided them with a place to stay, and after a period of rest, they gathered to discuss their next move.

Wang Xiaojin asked Xie Xing, “What position has Fan Xi reached? How can we contact him?”

Xie Xing shook her head. The escape had been so hurried that their secret lines of communication were broken.

Meanwhile, in the Yulong Imperial Palace, Li Wei was in a rage, scolding his spies. A eunuch soon announced: “Your Majesty, Lord Shi Zhong seeks an audience.”

Shi Zhong, who was actually Fan Xi in disguise, was an official who had supposedly bought his way into the bureaucracy. He was extremely cautious and humble. Li Wei had taken a liking to this man because he was so devoted; he would always kneel on both knees and perform grand salutes, even when told it was unnecessary.

Shi Zhong entered and knelt. “Your Majesty, Wang Xiaojin has fled. I humbly request to be appointed as the Minister of Pursuit. I will surely capture her and present her to you.”

Li Wei’s expression softened. “Rise. One merchant is nothing. Our priority is gathering supplies to march on the Jiang Kingdom. Increase taxes by another ten percent!”

Without hesitation, Shi Zhong replied firmly, “Your servant obeys! I will go through fire and water for Your Majesty. Once the great cause is achieved, the history books will surely name you the Greatest Emperor of All Time!”

“Hahaha, good!” Li Wei laughed loudly.

In the Jiang Kingdom, Xie Xing advised against having Fan Xi strike immediately. “If he acts now, it will look like a random assassination. We wait until he is universally hated and the people are pushed to their limit; that will be the right time.”

It happened exactly as Xie Xing predicted. Li Wei’s reign collapsed under the weight of his own tyranny. Fan Xi, now a trusted inner confidant, stayed by his side. One day, while Li Wei was bedridden due to his own excesses, Fan Xi visited him under the guise of concern. With a single strike from the small golden sword Wang Qi had given him, he ended Li Wei’s life.

Following the plan, Fan Xi used his influence and the support of the military to declare the end of the tyranny. When the news of Li Wei’s death spread, the people of the kingdom took to the streets in celebration, many in tears of joy.

When the news reached Jiang, Wang Xiaojin remained calm. “With the way the Yulong people are, if one Li Wei is gone, there will eventually be a second and a third.”

Ambitious men tried to seize the throne, but the Prince, who had been secretly released used his fame and military connections to suppress them. He then pushed Wang Xiaojin to take the throne. Given the Prince’s renown and Xiaojin’s reputation for helping Yulong refugees in Jiang, the opposition faded.

Wang Xiaojin ascended the throne and ruled with the same benevolence as Li Ren, allowing the people to rest and recover.

Years later, in the imperial gardens, laughter filled the air. Two young children were running across the grass with Xie Yu’an watching over them. Seeing Wang Xiaojin return from court, the two little ones giggled and lunged toward her.

Wang Xiaojin caught them both in her arms, and the family laughed together.

Wang Qi, standing nearby, asked why she didn’t fundamentally change the flawed systems the previous Emperors had left behind. Xiaojin smiled and replied, “Master told me: If the people change, I change. If the people do not change, I do not change.”

Everything, in the end, found its peace.

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