Conceptual melting pot, the fusion of all realms starting from the Qin Dynasty.

"me..."

Just as Princess Honglian was feeling awkward and anxious and didn't know what to say, Chen Hao quickly extended another invitation: "It seems that the princess didn't eat enough in the palace because of etiquette. Why don't you sit down and try what we common people eat?"

"Since...since you, Chen Hao, have invited me to dine with you again and again, then I will give you face."

Honglian forced herself to remain calm as she spoke to Chenhao.

"Yes, yes!" Chen Hao looked at Honglian with a slightly doting gaze, not wanting to offend her. "Then Princess, please come and sit down, and taste the flavor with this humble subject."

...

P.S.: I've already signed a contract, so please feel free to read! I'd also like to ask for your support with favorites, monthly tickets, flowers, reviews, and recommendations!

Chapter 033 Lady Mingzhu's Summoning

"Umm~ Umm~!"

Princess Honglian and her charming little maid, once seated at the dining table, were like two little tigers, completely disregarding all the dining etiquette they had learned in the palace.

"This is so delicious!" the charming maid exclaimed. "I've never eaten anything this good in the Han King's palace."

As she spoke, she looked at Yan Lingji with envy and said, "Sister Yan Lingji, your cooking skills are really good."

Yan Lingji elegantly finished chewing the food in her mouth before smilingly replying to the charming maid, "Little Chuntao, if you want to learn, I can teach you."

"Once you've learned how, you can cook for you and Princess Honglian yourself."

The charming maid named Chuntao immediately beamed with delight: "Really?"

"Of course!"

Yan Lingji nodded with a smile.

Gulu!

Honglian took a sip of the soup, swallowed the food in her mouth, and then spoke: "Sister Yanlingji, the food you make seems to be different from the baking, roasting, braising, slicing, frying, steaming, and boiling methods we usually use?"

"And the seasonings and spices inside seem to be better than those in the royal palace?"

Looking at the dishes on the table that she had never seen before, Honglian couldn't help but wonder if the chefs in the Han King's Palace were really among the best in the Central Plains.

Yan Lingji glanced at the dishes on the table and said to Honglian with a smile, "I wasn't really familiar with cooking techniques like stir-frying, quick-frying, braising, deep-frying, stewing, simmering, quick-frying, mixing, marinating, braising, smoking, rolling, scrambling, baking, etc."

"Chen Hao taught me all of this; I'm just starting to learn."

"As for the spices, seasonings, vegetable oils, and even the purified water used for cooking, Xiao Chenhao specially collected and extracted them for the sake of food."

"That's why you think it's so delicious, Red Lotus!"

In fact, the food in the Han royal palace was not necessarily worse than what Chen Hao ate here; it was just that due to the limitations of the era, the variety of food was far too limited.

The food was constantly being repeated, and Princess Honglian naturally grew tired of it.

That's why they found it so delicious after tasting the kind of delicious food they had never seen before at Chenhao's place.

"Huh?!" Honglian looked at Chen Hao in surprise: "Chen Hao, don't you know that a gentleman stays away from the kitchen? How do you know so many cooking skills?"

"The writers and brothers I know all wish they could stay far away from the kitchen and never get close to it again."

“I’m not a Confucian disciple.” Chen Hao rolled his eyes at Honglian helplessly. “Besides, the real meaning of ‘a gentleman keeps away from the kitchen’ is what Mencius said when he advised King Xuan of Qi to implement benevolent governance.”

"A gentleman, when dealing with birds and beasts, cannot bear to see them die when he sees them alive; he cannot bear to eat their flesh when he hears their cries."

"Therefore, a wise man keeps away from the kitchen."

"I never imagined that Confucian disciples these days would take things out of context and not even want to go into the kitchen."

"Wow, that's amazing!" Honglian's eyes sparkled as she looked at Chen Hao with admiration. "Little Chen Hao, you can actually remember these ancient texts so clearly."

Chen Hao was speechless!

He then remembered that Honglian was the kind of girl who didn't like studying, often skipped classes, and liked to practice swordsmanship.

...

Shortly after Chen Hao and the others finished their meal and cleaned up,

A palace maid suddenly entered Qingpingzhai: "Is Chen Hao, the owner of Qingpingzhai, here? Madam Mingzhu requests your presence."

"Madam Mingzhu?!"

Upon hearing this name, Honglian, who was sitting in the inner room digesting her food, suddenly came out with a puzzled look and grabbed the palace servant to ask, "What does that old hag, Lady Mingzhu, want to do by inviting Chen Hao into the palace?"

"Greetings, Princess Honglian."

The palace servants were also surprised to find Princess Honglian in Qingpingzhai, and quickly bowed to her.

Then, without pausing, he replied to Princess Honglian: "Your Highness, Lady Mingzhu has heard in the palace that the owner of Qingpingzhai is a master painter, so she wishes to invite the owner of Chenhao to the palace to paint a portrait of her."

"You're quite vain!"

Honglian muttered aloud.

Upon seeing this, Chen Hao quickly walked over and asked the palace servant, "When did Lady Mingzhu say I should enter the palace?"

"Of course the sooner the better!"

Seeing that Chen Hao and Princess Honglian were familiar with each other, the palace servants became much more polite. "Actually, Madam Mingzhu's instructions came down yesterday, but palace matters require a lot of procedures, so it took a while to get here."

Chen Hao was not surprised by this.

After all, for a hot-blooded young man like Xuan, the favorite concubine of King Han An, to enter the palace would inevitably require going through numerous requests for permission.

Otherwise, if this matter could be passed so easily, King Han An would probably already be wearing a thick layer of green hats on his head.

"In that case, I will prepare my painting tools and go to the palace with the palace servants."

Chen Hao did not refuse.

Firstly, Lady Mingzhu is ostensibly Han Wang An's most favored concubine, so how could anyone refuse her demands?

If Chen Hao wanted to live peacefully with Yan Lingji in Xinzheng City for a while and didn't want to be wanted by the entire Korean state, then he would have no choice but to go to the palace and see Lady Mingzhu.

Furthermore, Chen Hao was very interested in this Lady Mingzhu, who was jokingly called the Great Shark, and wanted to know if she had not been successfully seduced by the King of Han, as netizens had speculated.

"Then I will wait here for Boss Chen Hao."

The palace servants politely bowed.

"Wait, I want to go with you too!" Princess Honglian hurriedly called out to Chen Hao, "That old woman is no good. I'm worried about you going alone, Chen Hao."

As she spoke, Princess Honglian patted her little chest and said confidently:

"Don't worry! With me here, absolutely no one in the Han royal palace can harm you."

"Then I'll leave it to you, Princess Honglian!" Chen Hao smiled and then went up to the calligraphy and painting room on the second floor.

...

Yan Lingji followed Chen Hao to the calligraphy and painting room on the second floor.

While helping Chenhao pack up his paintbrushes and paints, she said to him with concern, "The Han King's Palace is a deep and mysterious place, and no one knows how many secrets are hidden inside. So, little Chenhao, you absolutely have to be careful this time."

"Don't worry, Yan Lingji."

Chen Hao gently hugged Yan Lingji and then said, "I only went into the Han King's Palace to paint a portrait of Lady Mingzhu. It wasn't like I sneaked in."

"Besides, with my current abilities, even if something unexpected happens, I can still escape if I want to."

"Mmm!" Yan Lingji rested on Chen Hao's shoulder and quietly enjoyed the moment.

...

P.S.: I've already signed a contract, so please feel free to read! I'd also like to ask for your support with favorites, monthly tickets, flowers, reviews, and recommendations!

Chapter 034 Clash with Madam Mingzhu

After tidying up the painting tools they needed, and using them for about half an hour, Chen Hao, along with Princess Honglian and the palace maid, arrived at the residence of Lady Mingzhu in the Han King's Palace.

Soon, a maidservant reported Chen Hao's arrival to Lady Mingzhu:

"Madam, Mr. Chen Hao from Qingpingzhai has arrived."

"but..."

The maid glanced at Madam Mingzhu, hesitated for a moment, and then quickly reported, "Princess Honglian seems to have come along as well."

"Oh?!"

Madam Mingzhu, who was lying on the soft couch, sat up and muttered to herself in surprise, "I didn't expect that Honglian and the owner of Qingpingzhai were already so familiar with each other?"

"This is indeed a bit unexpected!"

However, Madam Mingzhu paid no attention to Princess Honglian, who had a childlike personality; the two were simply not on the same level.

Lady Mingzhu could easily outmaneuver Princess Honglian with a simple trick.

Lady Mingzhu, with her elegant demeanor, instructed her maid, "Bring Chen Hao and Princess Honglian from Qingpingzhai to the side hall. I will be there shortly."

Then she got up to change her clothes.

"Yes!"

The maid maintained a respectful posture the entire time, never raising her head, and slowly turned and walked towards the door.

...

Soon, Chen Hao and Princess Honglian were led to a side hall.