She led the whole village to prosperity by raising koi fish.

Chapter 11: Fighting for Love with a Knife

When Su Yuning was punished by being made to stand facing the wall in repentance, the Zhou siblings came to find her. The woman, not wanting her to lose face in front of her friends, spared her punishment and even allowed her to meet her friends outside.

"Why are you here? Isn't Young Master Zhao with you?" Su Yuning asked anxiously, glancing towards the door as she spoke.

Zhou Xi smiled calmly and replied in a gentle tone, "Young Master Zhao has already gone back. Only my brother and I came."

Then, Zhou Dong added, "Sister Zhou, there's still a lot of barbecue left from the picnic. I thought you weren't full, so I brought you some skewers!"

"Thank you." Su Yuning accepted the skewers and invited them inside. "You're here! Come in, have a seat, and have some tea!"

"No, no, the hunting tools are still over there in the back mountain. Let's get together another day!" Zhou Xi quickly waved his hand and refused.

"I'll go up the mountain with you!" Su Yuning suggested.

"But..." The siblings hesitated whether or not to take her with them.

"I'll talk to my parents about it and then give you an answer!" Su Yuning replied without hesitation.

The siblings had no choice but to nod in agreement.

A moment later, Su Yuning ran out with a big smile and replied to them.

"It's all decided! Let's go!"

"Okay!" The Zhou siblings readily nodded in agreement.

In the bustling city, Su Muyang was wiping tables, counters, and floors in the teahouse as usual.

Just then, a new waiter ran up to him and tugged at his sleeve. Su Muyang, without turning around, continued wiping the table and said in an impatient tone,

"Get to the point! Don't delay my work!"

"Brother Su, someone outside is looking for you. They sent me to deliver a message!" The new colleague told him everything.

"Who is it? Male or female?" Su Muyang asked curiously.

The new employee answered truthfully, "Two men."

"Tell them I don't have time to waste with them," Su Muyang replied with a gloomy face.

"This...isn't that inappropriate? They claim to be Miss Su's friends and came specifically to invite you for drinks," the new waiter said.

"Su Yuning's friend? Could it be that Young Master Zhao?" Su Muyang muttered to himself.

"I don't know either. You should go and check it out yourself. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave." The new waiter said this and went to work in the kitchen.

Su Muyang put the rag back in its place, straightened his clothes, took a deep breath, and then strode out of the teahouse with his back straight.

However, when he arrived at the door, he found two new faces and was immediately confused.

"Greetings, Young Master Song! My young master is a good friend of Miss Song. He has come here today to invite you to dinner and drinks. Please take good care of him!" the guard said bluntly.

“Okay.” Su Muyang nodded in agreement, and then walked with them toward the most bustling restaurant in the city.

Peony Pavilion, a famous restaurant in the city, is entirely constructed of wood. Every beam and every plank exudes a rustic yet elegant atmosphere. From the outside, the entire building resembles a beautiful wood carving, with smooth, natural lines and exquisite craftsmanship.

Su Muyang, Ye Beichen, and their guards entered the restaurant. The floor was covered with thick wooden planks, which creaked softly underfoot, as if telling a story of bygone eras. The walls were also made of wooden planks, engraved with various exquisite patterns and designs. Some depicted landscapes, while others portrayed a variety of figures, all vividly portrayed and breathtaking.

The ceiling features a unique wooden beam structure, its crisscrossing beams creating a beautiful and elegant effect. Sunlight streams through the windows, casting play of light and shadow on the beams, creating a dreamlike atmosphere. Furthermore, the restaurant is furnished with numerous wooden pieces; each table, chair, and bench is meticulously crafted, combining practicality with aesthetic appeal.

The Peony Pavilion has three floors in total. The ground floor is where guests listen to opera and have tea and snacks. The second floor is where city people gather for meals. The third floor consists of private rooms, which are where high-ranking officials and dignitaries dine, and also a good place for merchants from the north and south to conduct business.

The private room contained a rosewood table and several carved wooden chairs. Beautiful landscape paintings hung on the walls, adding to the room's unique charm. On the table sat a jar of peach blossom wine and some delicate side dishes. The three sat down, and Su Muyang then spoke, asking…

"Brothers, did you invite me over for dinner because you want something from me?"

Ye Beichen filled the wine cup in front of him, handed the wine pot to his guard, and then calmly responded.

"I do have a favor to ask of you, and I wonder if you can help me."

Su Muyang chuckled, "What's so difficult about that? Just tell me and I'll listen. As long as it's something I can help with, I'll do my best!"

"I want your help to break up Su Yuning and Young Master Zhao, and then bring me and her together." Ye Beichen's response was shocking.

"What?" Su Muyang was stunned. He even doubted whether he had heard correctly.

"Our young master has already made things clear. You just need to do as he says. You'll be well rewarded after it's done," the guard replied impatiently.

"Why do I feel like this is just empty promises?" Su Muyang said unhurriedly. "There will be benefits after it's done, so it's obviously unreliable."

With a loud "thud," Ye Beichen threw a bag of silver onto the table.

"This fifty taels of silver is a deposit. I will give you another one hundred taels of silver after the deal is done."

Although Su Muyang loved money, he knew that a gentleman acquires wealth through proper means, so he still pushed the money bag in front of Ye Beichen. Then, Su Muyang picked up his wine glass and drank the wine in one gulp, promising under the influence of alcohol...

"As long as my sister is happy and content, I can help you unconditionally!"

Ye Beichen was so moved he almost cried. He poured Su Muyang another drink and then excitedly pulled him to drink heartily together.

"Su Yuning is so lucky to have such an understanding and kind older brother like you. Enough said, all our feelings are in the wine. Let's drink until we drop!"

"Alright, let's drink until we drop!" Su Muyang agreed, and then continued to drink with them until his guards were drunk and lying on the ground, and the young prince was passed out on the table. Only then did Su Muyang leave the restaurant, staggering and drunk.

At the foot of the mountain, Su Yuning discovered not only hunting equipment but also a barbecue grill. She looked at Zhou Xi with suspicion and asked, "Where did this barbecue grill come from? It looks a bit like Young Master Zhao's barbecue grill."

Zhou Xi didn't hide anything from her and told her the truth, "This is Young Master Zhao's barbecue grill. He left it for us."

"Sister Zhou, should we use the remaining ingredients to make a barbecue, or go hunting in the mountains?" Su Yuning asked.

Zhou Xi replied seriously, "How about this, I'll go hunting, Zhou Dong will go fishing, and you stay here and skewer the fresh ingredients."

"Okay," Su Yuning agreed, and then obediently did as she was told.

As night deepened, the vast expanse of darkness seemed to blanket the earth like an endless black cloth, inspiring awe. The bright moon, like a silver platter, hung high in the sky, casting a cool, gentle light, like a clear spring flowing through it, bringing a touch of mystery and tranquility to the inky night.

Su Yuning and the Zhou siblings started their picnic. Su Yuning ate the tender and delicious grilled chicken wings, Zhou Xi ate grilled fish and grilled mushrooms, and Zhou Dong had no choice. He ate whatever skewers the two girls left behind, since he claimed to be a tolerant and forgiving man.

"Speaking of which, I've been running around all day and I'm exhausted. Can I have some freshly made grilled skewers?" Zhou Dong couldn't help but complain.

"No way!" the two girls replied in unison, leaving Zhou Dong with no choice but to remain silent. He understood that boys couldn't win arguments with girls.

"Which restaurant did Su Xiaomei buy the lotus fish for?" Zhou Xi asked curiously as she handed Su Yuning a new skewer of grilled meat.

"It was delivered to Young Master Zhao's restaurant. His restaurant pays a pretty high price for ingredients." Su Yuning was simple-minded and naive, so she chose to answer truthfully.

"Where is his restaurant located in the city? Can I deliver the goods to it for you?" Zhou Xi continued to ask.

"The restaurant is right across from Jixiang Grain Shop. Why did you decide to help with the deliveries, sister?" Su Yuning asked, puzzled.

"Oh, it's just to earn a few errand fees, little sister, please give me a chance." Zhou Xi's eyes darted around, and she quickly came up with an excuse to brush it off.

“Alright, let’s keep things clear between sisters. I’ll give you ten copper coins for each delivery.” Su Yuning replied, “Don’t complain about the small amount of money, sister. I’m just running a small business, so I can’t earn too much.”

“No problem!” Zhou Xi readily agreed.

Afterwards, Su Yuning ate a few grilled shrimp, Zhou Xi ate grilled rabbit meat, and Zhou Dong finished off the remaining skewers.

Zhou Xi took a few sips of wine, then pulled Su Yuning aside and bombarded her with questions, "Little sister Su, let me ask you a few things. How did you meet that young master? Why did he take you home? Are you dating him?"

Su Yuning felt a little embarrassed, so she handed her a glass of spring water. "Sister is probably drunk. Drink some water to sober up."

"Tell me, are you two dating or not? I'm your older sister, you shouldn't be hiding this from me," Zhou Xi said in a very unreasonable and domineering manner.

"No, there isn't any at all," Su Yuning replied helplessly, and Zhou Xi fell silent.

"Zhou Dong, it's getting late. Hurry up and help your sister home, or your uncle will worry," Su Yuning kindly reminded him.

"But we haven't packed the grill and hunting gear yet. Maybe we should leave later," Zhou Dong said worriedly.

"You guys go first, I'll clean up." After saying that, Su Yuning quickly cleaned up the kitchen waste and then carried all sorts of items to the hunter's house.

The night was as dark as ink, and the moonlight poured down like water, illuminating the surrounding mountains, rivers, and trees, making everything exceptionally clear. Bathed in moonlight, they created beautiful and moving scenes, captivating all who beheld them. At this very moment, in the pavilion of the palace's rear garden, Young Master Zhao was drinking alone in his sorrow. Just then, Princess Wan'er approached him with graceful bearing.

"Brother, why are you here alone? Didn't Father and Mother forbid you from drinking alcohol? What's wrong with you today?"

Zhao Shouyi replied, "To be honest, my relationship with Su Yuning doesn't seem to be progressing very smoothly. I've met her parents, but they don't like me and their attitude is very unfriendly."

Wan'er didn't directly say anything bad about Su's parents, but expressed her opinion in a tactful way, "Is there some misunderstanding? They wouldn't treat you so badly for no reason."

“Uh… Su Yuning and I went on a picnic together, and her parents didn’t know that. Thinking about it, they were probably angry that I wasn’t thoughtful enough,” Zhao Shouyi replied frankly.

"Just be more careful next time," Wan'er replied with a sweet smile.

Then, Wan'er actually snatched the wine pot from Zhao Shouyi's hand, poured herself a full cup of wine, and then looked at the moon and drank the wine by herself.

"Why are you drinking too? A young lady like you, aren't you afraid people will laugh at you?" Zhao Shouyi teased her.

Wan'er replied dejectedly, "Your Majesty, you don't know this, but Su Muyang and I were forced to break up."

"Why? Who forced you two to break up?" Zhao Shouyi asked, his face full of confusion.

"Who else could it be? My father and mother, of course. Next month, Wan'er will be sent to the grasslands for a political marriage." Wan'er replied sadly.

"When did this happen? How come I didn't know?" Zhao Shouyi was very worried, and then he scolded her, "You, you're not young anymore. You can cancel an unsuitable marriage. Are you stupid? Don't you know how to refuse?"

At this moment, Wan'er's tears fell to the ground like beads from a broken string, pattering and splashing.

Zhao Shouyi was not good at comforting girls, so he could only awkwardly wipe her tears with his sleeve and then take her out of the palace to the restaurant to find out what was going on.

It was already late at night.

Zhao Shouyi brought Wan'er a cup of hot tea, watched her drink it, and then asked her what was wrong.

"Tell your brother why we agreed to the marriage alliance. Our Song Dynasty is already very strong, and we don't need to use marriage alliances to build good relations with the borders."

Wan'er replied, "Actually, Wan'er still has feelings for Su Muyang, but my father said that if I continue to be willful and refuse to marry him, he will lock Su Muyang up. After that, my mother told me that as long as I agree to the marriage, she will give Su Muyang wealth and a title, and I can live a comfortable life without worrying about food and clothing. Why not?"

"As long as you don't regret it." Unable to persuade him otherwise, Young Master Zhao could only offer his support, and he replied helplessly.

"I can't bring myself to say 'break up,' I feel it would be too hurtful. Please, Your Majesty, help me convey this message," Wan'er said sadly.

"This is between you two, why do you want me involved? Do you think he'll believe me if I tell him?" Zhao Shouyi retorted helplessly.

But when Wan'er shed tears again, Zhao Shouyi had no choice but to agree to help her.