Xiu Yue was kneading dough while Luo Sheng stir-fried the minced meat topping.

Kneading dough was quite particular, but the crowd who only knew how to eat couldn’t tell the difference. What attracted them was still the aroma wafting from the stir-fried minced meat.

A large iron wok sat over the fire. After the pork belly slices—sixty percent lean, forty percent fat—were fried to release their oil, scallion segments, dried red chilies, and other seasonings were added and stir-fried continuously. When the rich aroma spread, chili powder was added, making that spicy fragrance even more intense.

Seeing each piece of pork belly coated with a layer of bright red chili powder, Sheng Sanlang couldn’t help swallowing: “Cousin, it looks quite spicy.”

Luo Sheng splashed fragrant vinegar into the wok and continued stir-frying, saying: “It tastes delicious.”

This straightforward answer left Sheng Sanlang with nothing to say, yet he was reluctant to move away and just squatted by the pot watching eagerly.

Seeing Luo Sheng add clear water and cover the pot, no longer able to see that pot of bright red, glistening pork belly slices, Sheng Sanlang couldn’t help asking again: “Cousin, how long until we can eat?”

When cooking, Luo Sheng was very patient and explained warmly: “It needs to simmer for at least half an hour.”

The aroma drifted out from the cracks of the pot lid in wisps, increasingly able to stir up the gluttons in people’s bellies. By the time Luo Sheng transferred the finished minced meat topping into a deep ceramic jar and began preparing the sour broth, Xiu Yue had already started cutting the noodles.

Sheng Sanlang’s curiosity arose again: “Cousin, why do you need to make a separate broth?”

Luo Sheng’s hands didn’t stop moving as she asked in return: “Does Cousin know what’s particular about making delicious minced meat noodles?”

Sheng Sanlang shook his head.

How would he know? He just knew that anything his cousin made would definitely be delicious.

Luo Sheng smiled: “To make minced meat noodles delicious, the topping must be oily, the broth must be thin, and the noodles must be scalding hot. This broth can’t be the water used to cook the noodles—you need to make fresh sour broth.”

Sheng Sanlang clicked his tongue: “So there are so many particulars.”

Luo Sheng lowered her eyes, drizzling the topping oil into the broth, saying lightly: “To do anything well requires extra care.”

Wei Han, who’d been silent all along, glanced at Luo Sheng upon hearing this, then his gaze quietly shifted down to rest on the pot of freshly made sour broth.

It seemed like it would taste very good.

At this moment, Xiu Yue had already finished cooking the noodles. After ladling them out into blue porcelain bowls, she added the minced meat topping and poured in the sour broth. Bowl after bowl of tangy, spicy, fresh, and fragrant minced meat noodles was complete.

“Time to eat!” Hong Dou called out cheerfully.

Wei Han stared expressionlessly at the several bowls, counting silently in his heart: One, two, three…

If he hadn’t miscounted, they were two bowls short.

Watching Sheng Sanlang and the others rush forward, each grabbing a bowl of minced meat noodles and wolfing them down, Wei Han grew even more silent.

Shi Yan couldn’t help saying: “Miss Luo, why aren’t there any for the Prince and me?”

“Is that so?” Luo Sheng looked at Hong Dou with an innocent expression.

Hong Dou cradled her bowl, her eyes wide as saucers: “Wasn’t the Prince’s escort of our miss to the capital exchanged for our miss’s dagger studded with gemstones? It’s not like our miss hired you—why would we need to provide meals too?”

Shi Yan was choked speechless and couldn’t help looking at Wei Han.

Wei Han lowered his eyes, his face cold and aloof.

This fool—did he want him to step forward and argue just to mooch a bowl of minced meat noodles?

But he still wanted to eat the noodles. If he couldn’t eat them today, when they returned to the capital he’d assign Shi Yan to scrub chamber pots and bring one of Shi Yan’s brothers on future trips instead.

Shi Yan secretly shivered.

No good—today he absolutely had to get his master to eat this bowl of minced meat noodles, or else his master would assign him to scrub chamber pots later, and the opportunity to accompany his master on trips would be taken by one of his brothers—eldest brother Shi Huo, second brother Shi Yan, or fourth brother Shi Yi.

The intense sense of crisis made the young guard’s mind flash with inspiration, blurting out: “We’ll pay!”

“Pay?” Hong Dou pointed at the large bowl in her hand. “Look at this—the noodles are white, thin, firm, and smooth; the oil is glossy, the taste sour and spicy and fragrant. Can such excellent minced meat noodles be bought with money?”

Shi Yan instinctively glanced over. Saliva welled up again as he smiled ingratiatingly: “We’ll pay more.”

Hong Dou stuffed her mouth full, and seeing her own miss had no objection, swallowed the noodles and pursed her lips: “Then tell me—how much per bowl?”

Shi Yan rapidly calculated.

Generally speaking, a bowl of minced meat noodles cost fifteen coins. Miss Luo’s minced meat noodles were valuable—giving one tael of silver should be plenty, right?

Shi Yan held up one finger.

“One hundred taels?” Hong Dou frowned and turned her head to ask Luo Sheng’s opinion. “Miss, what do you think—”

Luo Sheng smiled: “That’s fine. Xiu Gu, cook two more bowls of noodles.”

Shi Yan’s heart and liver both trembled.

One hundred taels of silver for a bowl of minced meat noodles? Was this eating noodles? This was eating silver ingots!

Would his master flay him alive?

Shi Yan looked at Wei Han tearfully.

Wei Han remained coldly aloof.

Heartache was one thing—showing it was impossible.

He had two hundred taels of silver, but using it to exchange for two bowls of noodles—what difference was there from being a fool? Forget it. Having experienced Miss Luo’s black heart, he’d just prepare some dry rations in the future.

Shi Yan roughly grasped his master’s meaning and reluctantly handed over two banknotes.

Hong Dou took the money with one hand and passed over the bowls with the other, her face full of reluctance: “It’s only for the Prince’s sake. Otherwise, one hundred taels per bowl couldn’t be sold—after all, our miss isn’t short of money.”

Shi Yan’s wrist trembled as he inhaled sharply.

If it weren’t that a bowl of minced meat noodles cost one hundred taels to buy, and if he weren’t so hungry, he really wanted to slam this large bowl on this girl’s forehead.

This was truly infuriating!

The young guard, so angry his lungs hurt, held his bowl and slurped away.

So fragrant!

Wei Han, who ate elegantly but whose movements were absolutely not slow, quickly finished a bowl of minced meat noodles and glanced at Shi Yan.

Shi Yan was licking his empty bowl.

Sob sob sob, was this really minced meat noodles? It was truly too delicious! He’d thought such a large bowl of noodles would fill him halfway, but who knew it only filled the gaps between his teeth.

Wei Han coughed lightly.

“Master?”

Wei Han’s tone was indifferent: “Go buy another bowl.”

The final situation was this: Sheng Sanlang ate six bowls, Wei Han ate five bowls, and Shi Yan ate three bowls.

Wei Han took out his snow-white handkerchief to wipe the corners of his mouth, feeling somewhat regretful.

He could still eat two more bowls, but he was already in debt…

It was all that rice bucket Shi Yan’s fault for eating three bowls!

The aloof Prince Kaiyang glanced at his young guard.

Shi Yan felt deeply wronged.

He could still eat five more bowls, but when he wanted a fourth bowl, his master’s expression looked like it had frozen into ice beads, so he could only go hungry.

Hong Dou, who’d also eaten three large bowls of noodles, swept her gaze over the three people with a disdainful expression, thinking coldly: What three rice buckets! Fortunately, once they reached the capital, she wouldn’t need to provide meals anymore.

Perhaps the party pursuing Miss Luo hadn’t yet discovered their sent men had failed, or more likely, Prince Kaiyang’s addition had deterred the hidden bandits—the next several days were peaceful and uneventful, and the group smoothly arrived at the capital.

The city gates were visible in the distance. Wei Han reined in his horse and said to the blue-curtained carriage: “Miss Luo, we’ve reached the capital. Let’s part ways here.”

The carriage curtain swayed slightly, revealing the young lady’s calm features.

“Fine.” Luo Sheng was brief and to the point, saying only one word.

Hong Dou squeezed forward and stuck her head out the window, waving an account book in her hand: “Your Highness, for these past days’ meal expenses, you owe a total of three thousand five hundred taels. Please send it to the Grand Commander’s residence as soon as possible.”