The Princess and Her Rough-Rider Khan
Chapter 284 Silent Guard (First Update)

Chapter 284: 284 Silent Guard (First Update)

Ali handed the bag of pastries to the customer, smiling, "Take care, honored guest, do come again next time."

Outside the doors of Ruyi Square, a large crowd of customers was queuing up; Ali glanced up and saw a familiar figure. He looked closely, hardly believing his eyes—it was indeed Li Xianyun who had returned.

Overjoyed, Ali noticed that Li Xianyun had grown thinner after half a month but looked even more attractive.

Ali let someone else take his place at the front and walked up quickly with a beaming smile, "Young Master, you’ve returned from the Border Market."

Before leaving for the Border Market, Li Xianyun had told Ali of his intentions for the trip.

"Mm," Li Xianyun nodded slightly, "Has everything been running smoothly?"

Ali grinned, "Ever since the eighth month festival, business at Ruyi Square has suddenly boomed. Lots of people are saying they’ve had our pastries, ice porridge, and preserved fruit at a palace banquet. From word-of-mouth alone, people from Shangjing come pouring in, almost creating deserted streets elsewhere. Ruyi Square’s reputation is soaring, even the children in the streets know of us now."

Unable to contain his curiosity, he asked, "Young Master, what exactly happened? Why is everyone saying Ruyi Square supplied the food for the palace banquet?"

Li Xianyun’s lips curved into a slight smile, "You don’t need to know why, if others say that Ruyi Square’s pastries were for royal use, just keep silent. Turning a blind eye will benefit Ruyi Square without causing any harm."

Ali chuckled mischievously, "That’s what I thought too, hence if people bring up the palace banquet, I just laugh it off, neither denying nor confirming it, which leaves no room for criticism."

Li Xianyun was very pleased with this; Ali’s judgment and grasp of the situation showed that she hadn’t misjudged him.

"You’ve done very well."

Watching Li Xianyun with admiration, Ali smiled, "Young Master, was your trip to the Border Market successful?"

"Fairly successful, I’ve signed contracts with both Houtang’s Xingfang Restaurant and Houliang’s Qingxiang Pavilion. They need a large amount of peach and apricot preserves. So, we’re going to be busy, but Ruyi Square should continue operating normally. I’ll assign the task of making the preserves to the preserve workshop next to Shitoutun."

Ali looked up at Li Xianyun with adoration, "Young Master, are you speaking of the renowned Xingfang Restaurant and Qingxiang Pavilion?"

In the confectionery business, Xingfang Restaurant and Qingxiang Pavilion are leading names with fame that span across the world.

Such prominent confectioneries would normally not take notice of their small-scale operation.

Li Xianyun laughed softly, "Indeed, it is them. You must have confidence in yourself and Ruyi Square. Work hard, and one day Ruyi Square will be just as celebrated as Xingfang Restaurant and Qingxiang Pavilion."

"Really?"

Ali appeared somewhat skeptical.

"Of course, it’s true. Nothing can be achieved without effort. How could you know the outcome without trying?" Li Xianyun paused, then continued, "In the future, if anyone from Xingfang Restaurant or Qingxiang Pavilion contacts you, let me know."

"Alright."

As they conversed, they had entered Ruyi Square.

Ali accompanied Li Xianyun on an inspection of Ruyi Square. Kitchen maids, young servants, and doormen all showed the utmost respect to Li Xianyun, the owner, stopping to greet her.

Under Ali’s leadership, Ruyi Square was running smoothly, whether it was the kitchen, the main hall, or the Accounting Office. Li Xianyun was very satisfied.

As they were about to leave, Li Xianyun looked at Ali and asked, "I noticed many businesses in West Market have met with misfortune. How did Ruyi Square manage to avoid such disaster?"

Since Ruyi Square had put on quite a show to attract customers, it would have been impossible for the Rebel Army to miss it.

Ali, still shaken by the memory of the rebellion, began, "Actually, Ruyi Square was about to be besieged by those thieves, but just as they reached our doorstep, a group of masked men appeared and killed all of them. If not for those masked men, Ruyi Square might have met with misfortune too."

Li Xianyun’s expression flickered slightly, for she already knew who those men in black were sent by.

At that time, Yelu Yan must have been overwhelmed with affairs, yet he still kept her Ruyi Square in mind, how could that not touch her heart?

This man might appear rough, but in reality, he was as nuanced as a fine thread and considerate to the minutest detail.

He placed her matters right at the top of his heart.

He protected her quietly, without ever seeking credit.

Seeing that Li Xianyun was lost in thought, Ali inquired, "Young Master, you know who protected Ruyi Square, don’t you?"

The Young Master’s influence is vast, and the friends he makes are surely dragons among men, incomparable to others.

Li Xianyun pursed her lips and smiled, not answering his question, but instead said, "Ali, you must emphasize every day that for those of us in the food business, cleanliness is of utmost importance, followed by the taste of the food. For a shop to earn a good reputation is difficult, but to gain a bad one is as easy as flipping one’s hand. Now that Ruyi Square is thriving, we need to be even more careful. Complacency leads to failure. We must ensure that the staff of Ruyi Square remain diligent in their work, not slack off because business is good, or neglect the customers. All that is unacceptable."

She paused and then continued, "Also, employing people is like panning for gold in a swift river. If some are lazy and passive, their wages can be settled and they can be dismissed, to avoid damaging the entire reputation of Ruyi Square."

"Yes!" said Ali.

The Young Master is indeed prescient. Seeing Ruyi Square’s booming business, many people have become restless, wanting to be lazy before doing much work. Some, even relying on their previous acquaintance with Ali and being former waiters themselves, were starting to disobey orders.

Ali truly regretted hiring people he knew.

Li Xianyun merely made one round and spotted the issues, pinpointing them with such accuracy that one couldn’t help but admire her.

Li Xianyun looked at Ali and said earnestly, "Hire based on merit, not on relationships, otherwise it will be difficult to manage, and it may even lead to ruin."

Ali nodded, now fully understanding from experience.

Li Xianyun glanced at Youlan, who took out a book from her wide sleeves and respectfully placed it in Li Xianyun’s palm.

Li Xianyun handed the book to Ali: "This is a gift for you."

"When you have free time, read more books. There’s a saying that goes well, ’In books, one can find houses of gold, in books one can find ladies as fair as jade.’ Books can teach you many things. Many of the questions that puzzle you in reality, can be answered through books."

"Thank you, Young Master."

Li Xianyun, with her entourage, left Ruyi Square and set off for Shitoutun.

The carriage swayed and rattled along, and drowsiness came over Li Xianyun. Last night, Yelu Yan hardly let her rest, and they had been reckless twice at noon, leaving her feeling as though her waist was about to break.

Such a barbarian.

Li Xianyun closed her eyes; the rocking of the carriage was quite comfortable, and she soon fell asleep. This sleep lasted the entire journey, and she didn’t wake up until they were almost at Shitoutun.

After catching up on her sleep, Li Xianyun immediately felt sharp and clear-headed, as if everything around her was shining bright.

She lifted the curtain and looked outside. Not far away, a series of drying rooms stretched across the salt flats, creating a beautiful and orderly landscape with rows of workshops lined in succession.

When Li Xianyun went to the salt flats, she made a detour to Nata’s house, just in time to deliver the gifts for the three children.

Chicken feather shuttlecocks, slingshots, tops.

When buying gifts for Yelu Xuan in Tianshui County, Li Xianyun thought of the poor children at Nata’s home, so she bought some extra.