Ming Lingyi took advantage of the three-day Qingming holiday to set up a stall with Xiao Chun and Shi Mingyue. Business was surprisingly good.

Although she had encountered an unreasonable person like Zhao Shu on the first day, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

That evening, Shi Tianyun delivered a pushcart to Ming Lingyi. It was twice as large as the one she had previously asked Zhang Qi to build.

This cart wasn’t just bigger; it was also more functional. It had a special compartment for storing ice. If Ming Lingyi ever wanted to sell food that needed to be kept fresh, she could fill it with ice and likely use it for a full day without any issues.

Over the next two days, Ming Lingyi moved to a new spot, but a rumor that "the Crown Prince had visited her stall" on the day of the festival somehow began to circulate.

As a result, quite a few customers came, drawn by her reputation.

On top of that, Ming Lingyi’s salted egg yolk green balls were delicious in their own right. People may have initially come to try something new, but the word-of-mouth reputation that spread was based on her own skill, not just the fame of "the Crown Prince’s visit."

After the Qingming holiday ended, the renovations on Ming’s Restaurant’s two shops were still not finished, and the tall tables and chairs Ming Lingyi had requested were not ready either.

Ming Lingyi wasn’t in a hurry to open. She had plenty of savings now. Even if she had no business for a month, she no longer felt panicked or worried about where her next meal would come from.

"Tomorrow, we’re going to the brokerage to hire two guards," Ming Lingyi said.

Shi Mingyue was a little confused. "Miss." She pointed to herself. Wasn’t she the guard Ming Lingyi had already bought?

Ming Lingyi chuckled. "Look, think about what happened last time. Even though we were in the right, it doesn’t feel good to be bullied like that, does it?"

If Li Yun hadn’t arrived so promptly that day, the three of them—she, Xiao Chun, and Shi Mingyue—would have surely been roughed up.

Even if the Duke Jing Mansion had compensated them afterward, they couldn’t have avoided the pain.

That was exactly what Ming Lingyi wanted to prevent.

This was a necessary expense.

"Besides, when our restaurant expands, we’ll need more staff. We’ll need people to wait tables. Just the two of you won’t be enough for the front of the house," Ming Lingyi said.

Xiao Chun said, "Then shouldn’t we hire another chef, too? Miss, you’re doing all the cooking by yourself right now. Ming Yue and I can only help you with prep work."

Ming Lingyi was quite hesitant.

For a restaurant their size, two head chefs would be plenty.

But she had already promised Yao Niang a job. She was waiting for her to be released from prison so she could come work at the restaurant as a nun. If she hired another chef now, having to let them go later would feel a bit heartless.

"I’ll think about it some more," Ming Lingyi said.

"There’s something else I wanted to discuss with you." Ming Lingyi took a sip of mint milk. The flavor was refreshing, and she had grown fond of it recently. "We’ve made it through the toughest times, and there’s some silver in our accounts. We get plenty of customers for lunch and dinner, which is enough to cover our daily expenses. So, I was thinking... we should stop selling breakfast."

Waking up every morning to make breakfast was an exhausting task.

Ming Lingyi didn’t want to be so busy every day.

No matter how much silver you earn, if your days lose their joy and are filled with nothing but hard work, then life becomes meaningless.

Xiao Chun said, "If you say we’re not selling it, then we’re not selling it. I’ll do whatever you say, Miss."

Shi Mingyue also nodded. She, of course, would follow Ming Lingyi’s lead.

Ming Lingyi chuckled. She had hoped to discuss it and hear their opinions, but...

"Alright then. I’ll write a notice later and post it outside. When the new restaurant opens, we’ll no longer serve breakfast. That way, we can sleep in every morning," Ming Lingyi announced, making her decision.

She had been waking up early almost every day for the past two months. At the thought of finally being free from such toil, a smile bloomed on Ming Lingyi’s face.

"So, Miss... should I go tell Mr. Jiang?" Xiao Chun asked, winking.

For the past two days, that Mr. Jiang, Jiang Yuchuan, whom her miss had met by chance at Qinglong Temple, had been consistently patronizing their business.

Each time, Mr. Jiang would simply buy a large amount of food, then sit with a book at one of the simple tables and stools they had set out for customers. He was never a bother, but his presence was hard to ignore.

When they set up their stall near Qujiang, they would occasionally run into loafers.

Before she and Ming Yue could even act, they would always see Mr. Jiang send the men away.

Mr. Jiang’s method of sending people away was quite blunt; he would simply reveal his waist token.

It was only then that Xiao Chun learned Mr. Jiang was actually the Junior Minister of the Ministry of Justice.

So young, yet already a fourth-rank official. He was truly a gentleman with an exceptionally promising future.

Ming Lingyi pretended not to notice Xiao Chun’s teasing, though her face grew a little warm.

’If I wasn’t sure of Jiang Yuchuan’s intentions on the first day, how could I not understand them after these past two days?’

Before they packed up to return to Huaide Fang, Jiang Yuchuan had told her that once their new restaurant opened, he would be sure to buy their breakfast every morning on his way to the government office.

"Go if you want to," Ming Lingyi said, a hint of a smile in her eyes.

「In Taiji Palace」

Li Yun was listening to a report from the Hidden Guard he had assigned to Ming Lingyi.

"You’re saying she plans to go to the brokerage tomorrow to look at guards?" Li Yun asked.

"Yes," the Hidden Guard replied.

"Are the men we arranged last time still there?"

"You did not order them to be withdrawn, Master, so they are still at the brokerage," the Hidden Guard replied.

’Last time, his master had placed highly skilled Hidden Guards at the brokerage, just waiting for Her Ladyship to buy them. Who would have thought she’d end up buying a young girl instead?’

"Then you know what to do tomorrow," Li Yun said. "This time, you must get our man inside. No more mistakes." He paused, thinking. ’Since Ming Lingyi posted a notice about stopping breakfast service, running the restaurant must be too tiring for her.’ "Send a chef to her as well," he added. "You figure out how to make her accept them."

"Yes."

Li Yun was about to pick up the memorial on his desk again when he noticed that the Hidden Guard, who was never one to linger, had not yet left. His hand paused. "Is there something else?"

The Hidden Guard hesitated. "...Your Majesty, I... In the last two days, a man has been appearing frequently around Her Ladyship."

Li Yun asked, "Who is it? Is someone from Duke Jing’s side stirring up trouble again?"

When Li Yun thought about Zhao Shu’s rudeness toward Ming Lingyi that day, he had immediately sent a whip to the Duke Jing Mansion upon his return.

The message was for Duke Jing to properly discipline the children of his household, and it served as a huge slap in the face to the Duke Jing Mansion.

An imperial edict arrived at the Duke Jing Mansion along with the whip. Within two days, the Duke Jing Mansion had become the laughingstock of Shangjing City.

After all, for the Emperor to be so publicly disrespectful—practically pointing a finger and declaring that the mansion’s family lacked discipline—only Duke Jing had received such an "honor."

The Hidden Guard said, "...No. He hasn’t caused Her Ladyship any trouble. He’s just been a frequent customer at her stall and has helped drive away some loiterers." 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

If Li Yun couldn’t tell something was off by now, that would be the real surprise.

"A man?" Li Yun asked.