I started as a concubine, and I made the crown prince cry with my delicious food.

Several hours later, the brand-new copper baking pan arrived. Ye An'an held it, examining it from all angles, utterly satisfied. Every groove was polished smooth and delicate, with consistent depth—simply perfect!

Next, we need to prepare the ingredients.

In this era, octopus was called "Shiju," a common seafood in coastal areas. The imperial kitchen delivered the freshest octopus, chilled and preserved. Ye An'an instructed the imperial kitchen staff to blanch the octopus and then cut it into chewy small cubes.

The preparation of the batter was an eye-opener for the young maids. Ye An'an used her pre-prepared Japanese broth—a rich soup simmered for two whole hours with dried kelp and bonito flakes—plus low-gluten flour and eggs to create a bowl of golden-yellow, fragrant batter. She prepared finely chopped onions and shredded cabbage as side dishes.

The sauce is the soul of the dish. She makes her own teriyaki sauce using soy sauce, mirin, and sugar.

The most troublesome part is the salad dressing.

Ye An'an used egg yolks, a lot of oil, and a little white vinegar to whip the mixture by hand. Without an electric mixer, she could only use chopsticks to stir constantly in one direction, round and round, without stopping.

Fifteen minutes later, my arms started to ache.

Half an hour later, my wrist started to tremble.

"Your Highness, shall I do it?" the palace maid asked with concern.

"No way!" Ye An'an insisted through gritted teeth, "I have to do this myself; if I use the wrong force, it won't emulsify!"

She continued stirring, sweat beading on her forehead, her hair sticking to her cheeks, looking utterly disheveled.

Just then, a slender hand reached out and grasped her wrist.

"Your Highness?!" Ye An'an looked up in surprise. Xiao Jingshi had arrived at the imperial kitchen at some point.

"Let me help you." Xiao Jingshi's large hand enveloped her small hand, guiding her to stir it together. "Will this feel better?"

The warm palm and steady strength made Ye An'an feel the soreness in her arm disappear.

The imperial kitchen was completely silent as everyone watched this scene with bated breath—His Highness the Crown Prince was actually cooking for the Crown Princess to make sauce?!

Fifteen minutes later, the miracle happened.

The liquid, which was originally separated into oil and water, suddenly began to thicken, and its color changed from transparent to milky white, becoming increasingly fine and smooth...

"We did it!" Ye An'an exclaimed excitedly, "Your Highness, we succeeded!"

She turned around excitedly and threw herself into Xiao Jingshi's arms.

Finally, there's bonito flakes. These are thin slices made from a type of fish called "bonito," smoked, dried, and then shaved. She discovered them by chance in the spice storeroom of the imperial kitchen last time.

With everything ready, Ye An'an returned to her bedchamber carrying the brand-new takoyaki baking tray.

Xiao Jingshi personally brought over a charcoal brazier, and the hotpot also joined in the fun, squatting to the side with its round eyes curiously staring at the strange copper plate.

"Let's begin!" Ye An'an placed the baking tray on the charcoal fire and brushed it with a thin layer of oil.

The oil sizzled on the hot copper pan, instantly filling the air with a fragrant aroma. Ye An'an poured the prepared batter into the groove; the golden batter bubbled on the copper pan, looking incredibly appetizing.

Then she sprinkled on diced octopus, diced onions, and shredded cabbage.

When the bottom of the batter had slightly solidified, she took out two thin bamboo skewers and began to demonstrate her "unique" skill of flipping the meatballs. With a gentle stroke and flick of the skewers along the edge of the groove, a half-cooked, golden-yellow meatball was perfectly flipped over. Her movements were so fluid and graceful that Xiao Jingshi and his cat "Hotpot" watched in stunned silence.

Soon, golden, round, and fragrant takoyaki balls were freshly made. Ye An'an placed the baked balls on an exquisite white porcelain plate, brushed them with a layer of reddish-brown teriyaki sauce, squeezed on some milky white salad dressing, and finally sprinkled them with a handful of light, dancing bonito flakes.

A perfect takoyaki (octopus balls) dish, with its perfect color, aroma, and taste, is now complete.

"Your Highness, please try it!" She handed the first serving to her family's "number one taster".

Xiao Jingshi looked at the novel and adorable round little things on the plate, especially the bonito flakes that seemed to come alive and dance slightly in the steam, and a curious expression appeared on his face. He picked one up with a bamboo skewer and carefully put it in his mouth.

The next second, his eyes lit up. The outer layer was slightly charred and crispy, while the inside was extremely soft and piping hot. The chewy octopus pieces and crisp vegetable bits were mixed in the delicious batter, creating an incredibly rich and layered texture.

The sweet and salty teriyaki sauce and rich salad dressing elevate the flavor of the takoyaki to a whole new level. So delicious! So delicious you'd want to swallow your tongue!

"How is it? Delicious, right?" Ye An'an looked at him expectantly.

"Hmm." Xiao Jingshi nodded reservedly. But his nonstop actions completely betrayed his true thoughts. He quickly devoured a plate of six small meatballs by himself.

After finishing his meal, he looked at Ye An'an with lingering interest, his eyes seeming to ask: Is there more?

Ye An'an was amused by his adorable child-like appearance asking for candy: "Yes, yes, yes, plenty!" She then quickly made several more plates.

"Imperial sister-in-law! Is the Imperial sister-in-law there?"

A clear, childlike voice broke the ambiguity. The Ninth Princess and the Eleventh Prince burst in like two small cannonballs.

"Sister-in-law, Mother's stories aren't very interesting. We want to hear you tell us the story of 'Snow White'!" The two little girls each hugged one of Ye An'an's legs, looking up at her with expectant eyes.

Xiao Jingshi was overjoyed to be addressed as "Imperial Sister-in-law," and his displeasure at being interrupted vanished instantly. He deliberately put on a stern face: "No manners, calling me... well done, continue next time."

"Brother, you're blushing!" the Ninth Princess exclaimed with sharp eyes.

Ye An'an blushed and pushed Xiao Jing Shi away, then smiled and called to the children, "Alright, first help your sister-in-law make takoyaki, and then we'll tell a story."

Soon, the sizzling sound of oil filled the copper pan. One by one, the golden, round balls tumbled lightly under Ye An'an's bamboo skewers. As the rich aroma wafted out, even the hot pot seemed to meow loudly.

"Your Highness, ah—" Ye An'an tied up a steaming little dumpling, carefully blew on it, and brought it to Xiao Jingshi's lips.

Xiao Jingshi took a bite from her hand; the outer layer was crispy, the inside chewy, and the delicious juices exploded on his tongue. He ate a little too quickly, and some milky white salad dressing got on the corner of his mouth.

Ye An'an casually wiped it away with her fingertips. Before she could pull them back, he gently took her fingertips into his mouth. His deep eyes stared intently at her, with a tender intimacy that made him oblivious to their presence.

"Cough cough!" The eleventh prince covered his eyes. "Sister-in-law, I want to be fed too!"

In the afternoon, Ye An'an, unable to stay idle, began researching new drinks. She felt that drinking only milk tea was a bit monotonous, so she started making canned roasted milk tea.

She found several small earthenware pots and put black tea, red dates, goji berries, and a few roasted peanuts she had made herself into them. Then she placed the pots directly on the charcoal fire to roast them slowly. When the tea leaves and red dates inside emitted a roasted aroma, she poured in boiling hot fresh milk.

Let the milk continue to boil and simmer in the earthenware pot until the aroma of milk, tea, and the sweetness of red dates are fully blended together. Finally, add a large spoonful of rock sugar.

The afternoon tea was a lively affair. Ye An'an fed the children while telling them the story of Snow White. Xiao Jingshi sat to the side, holding a warm jar of roasted milk tea. Looking at the group of adults and children, he suddenly realized that this was probably the peaceful and prosperous world he had been trying his best to protect.