Almost on the second day after the sign was put up, all the Youjian Restaurant’s regular customers knew the news that the restaurant would be closing temporarily.

Some rejoiced, some worried.

The one overjoyed was none other than Grand Commander Luo.

Sheng’er was bringing the restaurant’s head chef to the autumn hunt!

What did this mean?

It meant the head chef would be cooking for Sheng’er.

If the chef was cooking for Sheng’er, would he, as her father, have to worry about not getting a meal?

For several days in a row, Grand Commander Luo happily hummed little tunes, leaving the entire Jinlin Guard bewildered and secretly suspecting their Grand Commander had been possessed.

Those worried were naturally Minister Zhao and the others.

When the Emperor left the palace to relax, he generally wasn’t willing to bring civil officials along, preferring to leave them behind to handle government affairs.

After all, if everyone went to play, who would do the work?

Moreover, at their age, traveling long distances to hunt in the mountains and forests was too taxing.

Unable to go, with the Youjian Restaurant closing—worrying!

During court sessions, Emperor Yong’an keenly noticed that certain elderly ministers’ emotional fluctuations were rather significant. For a time, he silently postponed several matters he had wanted to discuss.

Better to wait until after returning from the autumn hunt to talk about them.

The day before the Youjian Restaurant closed for business.

This day they closed earlier than usual. The main hall was brightly lit, with enticing aromas.

Seeing that everyone had eaten their fill, Luo Sheng spoke. “The restaurant closes tomorrow. Let me make the arrangements.”

Everyone set down their chopsticks and looked obediently at Luo Sheng.

If they performed poorly and got left behind, life wouldn’t be worth living.

“Hong Dou, Xiu Gu, and Xiao Qi will accompany me to the autumn hunt. Everyone else will wait at the restaurant for our return.”

The arrangement for Xiao Qi had required considerable thought from Luo Sheng.

Bringing Xiao Qi to the autumn hunt would certainly not be as safe as leaving him in the capital.

But Xiao Qi was her younger brother, the young prince of the Zhennan Prince’s residence. No matter how worried she was about his safety, she couldn’t treat him like a caged canary.

Her younger brother needed to see a broader world and meet a more outstanding group of people.

As for Du Feibiao and Lu Hu, the two were mountain bandits by origin after all. As long as they didn’t cause trouble, they could stay at the restaurant as Xiu Yue’s grand-nephews, chopping firewood and tending fires.

Bringing them to the autumn hunt was naturally unnecessary.

Upon hearing this arrangement, Luosai Huzi’s face turned red with anxiety. “Boss, Xiao Qi has never been separated from me since he was this big!”

It wasn’t that he was truly worried about Xiao Qi—these past days he’d seen how well the boss and Xiu Gu treated Xiao Qi. It was purely that being left behind meant not being able to eat Xiu Gu’s cooking, which was hard to accept.

Seeing Luosai Huzi like this, Xiao Qi couldn’t help but plead. “Boss—”

He now knew that the boss was cold on the outside but warm-hearted, not a demon woman at all.

That’s why he dared to plead.

Luo Sheng reached out to ruffle Xiao Qi’s head, smiling. “If Xiao Qi can’t bear to part with your big brother, staying behind together is also fine.”

“I can bear it!” Xiao Qi blurted out.

Luosai Huzi’s face turned from red to black, gazing at the dark-faced youth with heartache.

Xiao Qi had changed—

Xiao Qi grinned, showing a mouthful of white teeth. “Big Brother, we’ll be back very soon.”

Luosai Huzi ignored him with a black face.

Zhuang Han was much calmer than Luosai Huzi.

He knew there was nothing for them in this.

Rather than thinking about such things, better to ask Xiu Gu to make more delicious food.

“Auntie, your nephew really can’t bear to part with you.” Zhuang Han looked at Xiu Yue with tiger eyes full of tears, deeply sincere.

Xiu Yue didn’t know whether to laugh or cry, consoling him. “Today I specially made an extra pot of braised pork knuckle to leave for you all.”

Zhuang Han’s eyes brightened. “So that pot of braised pork knuckle was left for us.”

Xiu Yue smiled. “Braised pork knuckle can keep for ten days in the dog days of summer without spoiling. Now that the weather has cooled, it can keep even longer.”

“What use is keeping it longer? We’ll finish it in two days at most.” Luosai Huzi said with heartache.

“I also made some baked flatbread, five-spice flavored.”

Zhuang Han and Luosai Huzi were deeply moved upon hearing this, saying in unison, “Auntie, you’re too good to your nephews!”

Why didn’t they have such an auntie earlier?

Xiu Yue fell silent.

With grand-nephews like these, was it too late to say she didn’t want them anymore?

Luo Sheng looked toward Shi Yan.

The young guard who had been watching the excitement immediately felt his scalp tingle, sensing an ominous premonition.

No way—wasn’t it assumed he would go to the autumn hunt?

“This trip out of the capital won’t be short. You should stay at the Luo residence. If anything comes up at the restaurant, you can handle it.”

“Boss!” Shi Yan felt as if a bolt of lightning had struck him hard on the head, leaving him dizzy.

“The matter is settled.”

“Miss Luo!” The young guard struggled in vain.

He just remembered—he was Prince Kaiyang’s man!

His master would definitely bring him along to the autumn hunt. How could Miss Luo leave him behind?

Luo Sheng curved her lips in a smile. “His Highness instructed you to come to the Luo residence to tend geese.”

Shi Yan was dumbfounded.

He’d forgotten—he thought he was just the Youjian Restaurant’s most excellent server and enforcer.

Sheng Sanlang heavily patted Shi Yan’s shoulder. “San Huo, take good care of my cousin’s geese while we’re gone.”

This Shi Yan kid usually always wanted to compete with him for the title of best server. Now he could see the difference in status, couldn’t he?

Even if his cousin didn’t bring him, his uncle would bring him.

In a delightful mood, Sheng Sanlang walked home with a spring in his step.

Shi Yan, on the other hand, became like an eggplant touched by frost, trudging heavily behind.

“Elder sister.” Luo Chen spoke up.

Luo Sheng looked at him.

The youth pointed disdainfully at the dark-faced youth following beside Xiu Yue. “Why must you bring him to the autumn hunt?”

“Just right to keep you company.”

Luo Chen frowned tightly, dissatisfied. “I don’t need him as company.”

Luo Sheng smiled. “I think you do.”

“I don’t.” The youth’s face turned cold, somewhat irritated.

Luo Sheng was being partial. What keeping him company—she clearly just wanted to bring that dark-skinned boy out to play.

Luo Sheng habitually ruffled Luo Chen’s head, smiling. “Your body is weak. You really should stay in the capital to recuperate properly. Traveling long distances to hunt makes me quite worried.”

Luo Chen’s whole body stiffened.

A threat—this was absolutely a threat!

Father listened most to Luo Sheng’s words. If she went back and said this to Father, he would definitely be left behind.

“Do you really not need a playmate?” Under the moonlight, the young woman’s smile was gentle, but in Luo Chen’s eyes it was comparable to a demon woman’s.

“I need one.” Luo Chen squeezed out these two words, walked up to Xiao Qi, and impatiently grabbed his hand.

Xiao Qi was astonished, then grinned. “I’ve hunted badgers before. Badger meat is really delicious.”

Luo Sheng watched the two youths holding hands, smiling with satisfaction.

In the Eastern Palace, the atmosphere was somewhat tense.

For the first time since disfiguring herself, the Crown Princess stood before Wei Qiang, suppressing her anger as she asked, “I heard His Highness is bringing Lady Yu to the autumn hunt?”

Wei Qiang set down his book scroll and said indifferently, “The Crown Princess is injured and needs to recuperate properly. I’m having one or two concubines accompany me to attend to my needs. Is there a problem?”

Every year at the autumn hunt, to avoid criticism he would go together with the Crown Princess, not bringing any concubines.

But this year was different.

The Crown Princess’s face was ruined. Appearing before outsiders would disgrace the imperial family. Bringing concubines along was perfectly reasonable.

“His Highness may bring anyone else, but not Lady Yu.”