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

Ye An'an used a plate of snowflake pastries to temporarily soothe her unfulfilled longing.

But she didn't expect that the dessert she made unintentionally would cause a new "food storm" in the palace the next day.

When Empress Wei came to visit her, she tried a piece and was immediately captivated by its novel texture and rich flavor.

"Oh my, my dear An'an, just how many more wonderful things are hidden in your head?" The Empress praised between bites, "This is both crisp and chewy, sweet but not cloying, more than a hundred times better than what the imperial chefs make!"

She immediately "confiscated" most of Ye An'an's remaining plate of snowflake pastries, saying she would take them back for the emperor to try as well. Naturally, this pleased the emperor greatly.

The emperor even issued an imperial edict, ordering Ye An'an to include the recipe for snowflake crisps in the "Wenxianglai" sales list. He felt that such a good thing should not be enjoyed by him alone, but should be shared by all the people of the world to taste his daughter-in-law's cooking.

Ye An'an was both amused and exasperated, and could only accept the order.

Thus, "Wenxianglai" gained another wildly popular dessert in Beijing, following its braised dishes and popcorn. Long queues formed outside the shop every day, with countless ladies willing to spend a fortune to buy a box of limited-edition snowflake crisps.

Ye An'an's business empire has expanded even further without her even realizing it.

However, the taller the tree, the more the wind blows. The more glamorous she became, the more jealous she attracted. This was especially true of the noble ladies of the capital who had once thought highly of themselves but were now completely outshone by her.

Prince Jing's Mansion.

Ever since her previous attempt to imitate Ye An'an's braised chicken feet and her two consecutive defeats at the Liren Pavilion for "opening a business scam," Princess Jing has become a laughing stock in Beijing's high society.

She secluded herself from visitors for a long time, even refusing to attend palace banquets under the pretense of illness, for fear of seeing Ye An'an's face, which made her grit her teeth in hatred.

But her staying indoors doesn't mean she can't hear news from the outside world.

The news of how booming the business of "Liren Pavilion" was, how hard it was to find the snowflake pastry at "Wenxianglai", and how the Crown Princess was favored by the Empress was like needles pricking her heart every day.

What she found most unbearable was Zhang Qinghe, who used to follow her around obediently and follow her every word. Now, Zhang Qinghe was also starting to outwardly comply but inwardly defy her, and even seemed to be plotting to replace her.

Although Zhang Qinghe was confined to her quarters by the emperor because of the previous incident, the Grand Tutor and the Zhang family behind her still wielded considerable power. They had not given up on the idea of ​​sending her to the Eastern Palace.

On the contrary, they became even more active after Xiao Jingshi left.

They began to promote Zhang Qinghe within the elite circles of Beijing. They bribed several of the most famous tutors and so-called "fashion icons" in the capital to lavish praise on Zhang Qinghe's talent and taste.

She was said to be proficient in all the arts, including music, chess, calligraphy, and painting, and to have an innate, elegant aesthetic sense when it came to makeup and clothing. It was even said that she had developed a "divine lipstick" that was more moisturizing and had a more beautiful color than the "Flowers in the Mirror" lipstick.

That day, Princess Jing received a gold-embossed invitation from Zhang Qinghe, inviting her to a "lip rouge tasting event" hosted by Zhang Qinghe at her residence.

"A tasting event? She doesn't deserve it!" Princess Jing looked at the invitation and sneered disdainfully.

She had no good feelings whatsoever towards Zhang Qinghe, the "ungrateful wretch" who had once been her pawn but now wanted to climb over her to the top.

But her dowry maid advised, "Your Highness, you should still go. Miss Fu is currently very popular among the noble ladies in the capital. If you don't go, it will seem like you're afraid of her and that you're petty."

"Moreover, I've also heard that her lipstick seems to have some merit. Many ladies and young women who have used it say it's even better than the one from 'Liren Pavilion'."

"What?!" Princess Jing was instantly stunned upon hearing this. Even better than Ye An'an's? How could that be?!

She didn't believe it! She wanted to see for herself what Zhang Qinghe was up to!

……

The back garden of the Fu residence was filled with distinguished guests, their elegant attire and graceful figures creating a vibrant atmosphere. Almost all the prominent ladies of the capital were present.

Zhang Qinghe, dressed in a flowing white dress and with delicate makeup, stood in the center of the crowd, receiving their praise. Being the center of attention brought back a glimpse of the confidence she once had in Jiangnan.

"Moonflower, this lip balm of yours is amazing! The color is so perfect!"

"Yes, yes, and it's so moisturizing! I've been applying it all morning, and my lips aren't dry at all!"

Zhang Qinghe listened to these compliments and a reserved yet smug smile appeared on her face.

"You flatter me, ladies," she said softly. "Yuehua only managed to obtain an ancient recipe from the palace by chance, and then haphazardly mixed in some precious spices she found in the Western Regions. How can it compare to the Crown Princess's exquisite 'Flowers in the Mirror'?"

She spoke modestly, but her eyes gleamed with undisguised provocation and ambition.

She knew that Ye An'an relied on nothing more than some opportunistic and novel tricks. What she wanted to achieve was genuine, elegant, sophisticated beauty that belonged to high society.

She wanted to use her so-called "ancient formula lip rouge" to prove that she understood what true "beauty" was better than Ye An'an.

Princess Jing sat to the side, watching all this with a cold eye, inwardly sneering. She picked up Zhang Qinghe's prized work, which was in an exquisite mother-of-pearl inlaid box on the table.

Upon opening it, I found a deep red balm inside. The color was indeed purer than that of commonly available lip balms, and it had a unique exotic spice scent.

She dabbed a little with her fingertip and applied it to her lips. It definitely felt much more moisturizing and smooth than regular lip balm.

Could it be that she has really found some amazing remedy? A hint of displeasure and jealousy flashed through Princess Jing's mind.

Just then, a small commotion suddenly arose at the entrance to the garden.

Everyone turned around and saw several noble ladies who were on good terms with the Ye sisters escorting the third and fourth young ladies of the Ye family as they walked in.

Their appearance instantly attracted everyone's attention.

Because their makeup was so unique. Especially their lips, whose color was no longer the same old red, either dark or light.

Instead, it was a gentle, wonderfully pinkish-orange color that they had never seen before.

The color was understated, yet it made their skin appear exceptionally fair and radiant, giving them a gentle and sophisticated air.

"My God! Yunyun, what... what are you wearing on your lips? The color is so beautiful!" a young lady couldn't help but exclaim.

"Yes, yes, what's this color called? I've never seen it before!"

Zhang Qinghe's smile froze instantly. Looking at the strange color on Ye Yunyun's lips, a color she had never seen before, a strong sense of unease welled up within her.