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

It was the winter solstice, and none of the little ones came to bother us.

Ye An'an dragged Xiao Jingshi into the small kitchen early in the morning to get things busy. Today she was going to make two kinds of dumplings: the classic pork and cabbage filling, and her own creation, mackerel and chive filling.

"Your Highness, you absolutely must help me today." Ye An'an smiled and tied an apron around Xiao Jingshi's body. "If you don't eat dumplings on the Winter Solstice, your ears will freeze off."

Xiao Jingshi helplessly let her handle him: "Okay, but I don't know how to wrap them, so you have to teach me."

Ye An'an's eyes curved into crescent moons. "The dignified Crown Prince can be stumped by a mere dumpling?"

Xiao Jingshi sat down seriously and picked up a piece of dough.

However, those hands, capable of writing the most beautiful calligraphy and wielding swords to kill enemies, proved incredibly clumsy when faced with soft, mushy dough. The dumplings he made were all sorts of oddities—some looked like sleepy wontons, some had their filling spilling out, and some were simply lumps of dough.

"Hahahaha!" Ye An'an laughed uncontrollably. "Your Highness, are you making dumplings or molding clay figures?"

Xiao Jingshi blushed for once, staring at the strangely shaped "work" in his hand, his ears turning a suspicious pink.

After Ye An'an finished laughing, she leaned over and wrapped her arms around him from behind, teaching him step by step: "Come on, learn with me. First, put the filling in the middle, not too much... Yes, then fold the two sides together and pinch them tightly... Then gently squeeze with your thumb and forefinger..."

Her breath brushed against his ear, her warm little hands enveloped his big hands, and her soft body pressed against his back.

Xiao Jingshi's Adam's apple bobbed, his voice slightly hoarse: "An An..."

"Hmm?" Ye An'an was still immersed in the fun of making dumplings and did not notice anything unusual about someone.

Xiao Jingshi suddenly turned around, trapping her between himself and the desk. He looked down at her, his eyes brimming with restrained emotion: "Do you know... what you're doing is dangerous?"

Ye An'an blinked, and her cheeks slowly flushed red.

Just as this ambiguous atmosphere was about to escalate—

"Your Highness! Your Highness!"

A messenger dressed in imperial guard uniform, sweating profusely, rushed into Tinglan Water Pavilion in a panic, even forgetting to salute.

His appearance was like a bucket of ice water, instantly extinguishing all the romance in the room.

Xiao Jingshi frowned, released Ye An'an, and turned to look at the newcomer. Before he could speak, the messenger knelt on one knee, his voice sharp and hoarse with fear:

"Your Highness! Urgent military report from the southern border, 800 li away!"

Urgent dispatch?

Ye An'an's heart skipped a beat. Although she didn't understand military affairs, she knew what the urgent 800-li courier service meant—it was a transmission method that was only used in the most urgent and dangerous situations.

Xiao Jingshi's face instantly darkened: "Speak."

"The barbarians broke the alliance, amassed an army of 100,000, and launched a surprise attack on Zhennan Pass at midnight last night!" The messenger's voice trembled. "General Zhou, the garrison commander of Zhennan Pass, led 3,000 soldiers in a desperate battle until dawn... General Zhou died for his country, and none of the 3,000 soldiers survived!"

"Zhennan Pass has fallen! The barbarian army is advancing rapidly, its advance aimed directly at Jiangzhou! The prefect of Jiangzhou has urgently sent word that there are fewer than 5,000 soldiers in the city capable of fighting, and the food supplies are only enough to last half a month! If Jiangzhou falls as well, the barbarians can directly enter the heart of the Central Plains! The southern border... is in imminent danger!"

These words were like a thunderbolt, shattering all the warmth in the courtyard.

Ye An'an's hand trembled, and the dumplings in her hand fell to the ground, covered in dust.

One hundred thousand troops? Zhennan Pass fell? Three thousand soldiers were wiped out?

She suddenly turned her head to look at Xiao Jingshi.

His face, which had just been filled with a gentle smile, was now completely drained of color. In those eyes that were always brimming with doting affection, surged a fury she had never seen before—a cold, murderous fury that could freeze everything.

His aura changed in an instant.

The gentle crown prince who clumsily made dumplings and whose ears would turn red when she teased him was gone. Standing before her was the crown prince of the Great Liang Empire, the future emperor who would rule the world.

Xiao Jingshi slowly stood up, his voice as cold as ice:

"Have arrangements been made for General Zhou and his family?"

"The entire Zhou family, consisting of thirty-seven people, has been escorted to the capital. His Majesty has issued an edict to give General Zhou a grand funeral and posthumously confer upon him the title of Marquis of Zhennan."

What is the military strength of the southern states?

"Jiangzhou has less than 5,000 soldiers available for battle, while neighboring Guizhou and Liuzhou can mobilize a total of 20,000 troops, but it will take time."

An elderly eunuch dressed in a bright yellow robe hurried in, his face showing anxiety. Before even entering the room, he announced loudly, "Your Highness, His Majesty's decree—"

Xiao Jingshi's eyes sharpened, and he immediately released Ye An'an, straightened his clothes, and turned to face the person who had come.

Eunuch Gao Jin was panting heavily, showing how urgently he had arrived. After stopping, he didn't even bother wiping the sweat from his brow, and bowed, saying, "His Majesty summons His Highness the Crown Prince to the Hall of Mental Cultivation immediately for a meeting. It concerns the war situation in the Southern Frontier and cannot be delayed!"

The Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Ye An'an's heart sank.

When she looked at Xiao Jing, she found that his expression had completely changed. It was a cold and stern look she had never seen before; the gentleness between his brows had vanished completely, replaced by the majesty and ruthlessness unique to an imperial family.

"Wait for me," he whispered in her ear, his voice trembling almost imperceptibly. "Wait for me to come back."

After saying that, he resolutely let go of her, turned around and strode away with Eunuch Gao.

The winter sun in the courtyard was still warm, and the dumpling wrappers on the counter had dried out, but the fillings emitted an enticing aroma.