Chapter 120: Chapter 120: If You Dare to Scheme Against Yu An Again, I’ll Pretend I Don’t Have You as a Son

’He left the palace specifically to avoid Yu An and her family, but now... did he just walk right into a trap?’

Yu An didn’t even look up. "If you’re buying, get in line. Next."

The Beastman whose turn it was hurried forward. "I’d like one order of mashed potatoes with rice."

Ignored, the Third Prince should have left immediately. But when he smelled the fragrance, some strange impulse made him stay.

Of course, as a Prince, how could he possibly queue up obediently?

He gave his attendant a look, and the attendant immediately took out a gold coin and bought a Beastman’s spot in line. The Beastman, holding the gold coin with a delighted expression, went back to the end of the line.

Yu An glanced over but said nothing. After the Third Prince ordered one of each—the rice noodles, the wheat noodles, and the rice dish—she nodded. "That’s three hundred gold coins for the three items."

The Third Prince’s eyes widened. "Yu An, are you robbing me?!"

"No, wait. It clearly says one silver coin per order on your sign. Why is it one hundred gold coins for me?"

"It’s the family price," Yu An said with a shrug and a slight smile. "Third Brother, I’m your little sister. Shouldn’t an older brother support his sister’s business?"

"Besides, the one cooking the noodles is Chef Jiao. Three hundred gold coins is already a bargain, and that’s only because we’re family."

The Third Prince was furious. "You..."

"If you don’t want to buy, then step aside." Yu An’s smile vanished in an instant. "Don’t worry, I won’t spread the word that the great Third Prince can’t even afford three hundred gold coins."

The Third Prince: "..."

’Does she even need to spread it? So many people heard and saw everything!’

Nobles valued their reputation above all else, and the Third Prince was no exception. He gritted his teeth and took out three hundred gold coins.

Yu An’s smile returned. "Three orders, ready. Here you go."

The Third Prince shot her a glare and stomped away angrily. The tempting aroma of the mashed potatoes made his mouth water nonstop. As soon as he returned to his residence, he immediately picked up a bowl of mixed noodles to taste.

’I’ve made up my mind,’ he thought. ’If it doesn’t taste good, I’ll go complain to the Mother Empress and have Yu An...’

But with just one bite, the Third Prince froze.

"Your Highness? Your Highness?"

The attendant asked worriedly, "Is it because the noodles are terrible? Should we go to the palace right now and tell Her Majesty that Princess Yu An has swindled you?"

"We are going to the palace!"

The Third Prince shot to his feet. "Ready the carriage! I’m going to the palace immediately to see the Mother Empress."

Before the attendant could suggest sending someone to trash Yu An’s stall, the Third Prince continued, "Also, send someone to buy more. Buy as many as you can! This Prince wants to eat his fill when he gets back!"

The attendant was dumbfounded.

’So it’s not that it was terrible, but that it was too delicious?’

’Then why go to the palace?’ 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝒆𝒘𝙚𝓫𝙣𝙤𝒗𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝙤𝙢

The Third Prince had no time to answer his questions. He rushed to the palace to see the Beast Emperor at top speed and presented the other two dishes—the mixed rice noodles and the mixed rice.

"So?"

The Beast Emperor glanced at the Third Prince and asked nonchalantly, "What is it you want?"

The Third Prince was used to the Beast Emperor’s coldness and stated his purpose directly. "Mother Empress, your son believes that what Yu An... what Sister An said about the Beast God’s dream is true. However, you are the Beast Emperor. The Beast God should have sent the dream to you."

"But since the dream was sent to Sister An, she should reveal its entire contents, so that you may be the one to pass it on to the common people."

He paused, then lowered his head. "But the common people are slow-witted and probably won’t be able to learn how to make it. Why not have the Imperial Family produce the food and sell it to them instead?"

"That’s not a bad idea," the Beast Emperor said, the corner of her mouth twitching. "Then tell me, how should it be priced?"

The Third Prince kept his head down, missing the expression on the Beast Emperor’s face. He declared passionately, "This food is a rare treasure, a gift from the Beast God himself! Sister An sells it for one hundred gold coins an order. Considering that it’s not easy for the common people to earn money, how about we set the price at one gold coin per order?"

"The Mother Empress is busy with state affairs. Your son is willing to share your burden!"

After he finished speaking, the room fell silent. The Third Prince couldn’t guess what the Beast Emperor was thinking. Just as he was about to sneak a peek at her expression, a teacup came flying straight at his head.

The Third Prince didn’t have time to dodge and was hit squarely on the forehead!

"Idiot!"

The Beast Emperor’s rebuke followed. "Do you think I’m deaf or blind? Can’t you see and hear for yourself?"

"We will pretend you were never here today. If you dare to scheme against Yu An again, this Empress will pretend she never had you as a son!"

The Third Prince was still in a daze as he was thrown out.

He couldn’t understand it at all. His proposal was clearly beneficial to the Beast Emperor, yet she had berated him without a second thought.

And was it just his imagination, or did he sense a trace of... gentleness in the Beast Emperor’s tone when she mentioned Yu An?

After walking for a while, the Third Prince suddenly recalled something. When he was young, he used to enjoy bullying Yu An. The Beast Father was very indulgent and even helped cover for him. But ever since Yu An got the birthmark that disfigured her and her temperament changed drastically, the Beast Father had strictly forbidden him from bullying her anymore.

’Thinking back,’ he mused, ’although Yu An’s temper had become explosive back then, and she was bold enough to hit me, I could have easily fought back if I had just a few more people to help.’

’So, why did the Beast Father stop me from bullying her?’

At this thought, the Third Prince turned around, intending to go and ask for a clear answer.

Yu An’s stall was a massive hit. When the nobles heard that the Third Prince had not only paid one hundred gold coins for an order but also sent someone back to buy more, they couldn’t sit still any longer.

They also sent people to buy some, but unfortunately, the line was already incredibly long. If they queued up now, they definitely wouldn’t get any.

So, they used their "cash power" and bought the spots of several Beastmen in line.

The Beast Emperor’s own younger brother, Lei Wang, was a great lover of fine food. Every time a deli came out with a new delicacy, he was always the first to buy it.

But all those foods tasted more or less the same, and Lei Wang had long since grown tired of them.

Hearing from a servant that a new delicacy had appeared in the city, Lei Wang rushed over with his men without delay. On the way, the servant recounted the rumors he had heard.

"Taught in a dream by the Beast God? That’s just a lie to drive up the price. Only those foolish commoners would believe it."

Lei Wang was deeply scornful, treating it as a joke to be heard and forgotten. But as he got closer to the food cart, he instantly threw his own words to the back of his mind.

Just as she had with the Third Prince, when Yu An caught sight of Lei Wang, she casually said, "One hundred gold coins an order. How many do you want?"

Lei Wang was taken aback. "Look up and see who I am."

’I’m Yu An’s uncle! Does a family elder have to pay just to eat a little something?’

’And the price is so expensive, too! What, do relatives have to pay extra?’

Yu An looked up. "Mm, I looked. One hundred gold coins."

Lei Wang: "..."

He frowned and said a few words, all from the position of an elder, admonishing Yu An not to take advantage of his good temper and quote whatever outrageous price she wanted.

"So are you buying or not?"

Ao Wu had lost his patience listening to this nonsense. Every word was a reprimand aimed at Yu An. If Yu An hadn’t told him beforehand not to get physical, he would have chased Lei Wang away long ago.

’An elder shows no kindness, yet expects the younger generation to be filial?’

’In your dreams!’

Lei Wang could afford one hundred gold coins, but he felt that if he actually paid it obediently, it would be too humiliating.

He gritted his teeth. "I’m not buying! This King will go to the palace at once to see the Beast Emperor. I’d like to ask the Beast Emperor if she ever taught you to respect your elders!"