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

While slowly cutting the fruit after the meal, Ye An'an openly eavesdropped.

Well, people are obligated to help others after they've provided a sumptuous dinner. What's wrong with eavesdropping? It's not unreasonable, is it?

When she heard the words "empty treasury," "funds," and "Wang De'an," her mental radar went off instantly.

Short of money?

Or is it because they lack funds for something as important as repairing river embankments, which benefits the country and its people?

Her little scheme immediately started racing through her mind.

She herself was short of money! Although she was a concubine of the Crown Prince and received a substantial monthly allowance, her wildly imaginative culinary plans were all incredibly expensive. Her trip outside the palace today only strengthened her resolve to find new sources of income.

Now, His Highness the Crown Prince is also short of money.

Isn't this like someone delivering a pillow when you're sleepy? What a coincidence!

She could have easily combined her money-making scheme with his national crisis!

Thinking of this, Ye An'an felt a surge of heat in her heart, and even stopped cutting the fruit. She carried a plate of neatly sliced ​​oranges and walked out from behind the screen with a graceful air.

"cough."

She cleared her throat deliberately.

The three people who were having a serious discussion in the study stopped abruptly and all looked at her.

Xie Zhao's face still held a hint of indignation, Lu Chengyuan looked deep in thought, while Xiao Jingshi frowned slightly, seemingly troubled by this problem.

"Have you gentlemen finished chatting?" Ye An'an smiled and placed the fruit platter on the table. "Have some fruit to aid digestion and cut through the grease."

Her appearance was like a spring breeze, instantly dispelling the heavy atmosphere in the study.

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Lu Chengyuan politely cupped his hands in thanks.

Xie Zhao looked embarrassed and scratched the back of his head: "Um... Your Highness, did we disturb you?"

"No, no." Ye An'an waved her hand, but her gaze turned to Xiao Jingshi, and she asked casually, "I think I just heard you guys saying... you're short of money?"

Her question was so direct that Xie Zhao and Lu Chengyuan's expressions stiffened for a moment. Matters concerning the national treasury were considered confidential; how could they be discussed so casually in front of the women of the harem?

Xiao Jingshi looked up at her, his eyes filled with a hint of inquiry, but he did not deny it.

"It's just a minor inconvenience," he said casually.

"Oh..." Ye An'an drawled out, then changed the subject, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him, "Speaking of which, I also discovered a treasure that can make a lot of money when I left the palace today!"

"Oh?" Now, not only Xiao Jingshi, but also Lu Chengyuan and Xie Zhao became interested.

Xie Zhao went even further, asking, "What treasure has Your Highness discovered? Is it some rare and exotic item that recently appeared in the West Market?"

"That's far more valuable than any rare treasure." Ye An'an smiled mysteriously. "How about this, you definitely won't believe me just by talking, so I'll take you to see my 'treasure.' Your Highness, gentlemen, would you do me the honor?"

She extended the invitation, her eyes gleaming with a sly yet confident light.

Looking at her radiant appearance, Xiao Jingshi felt a great deal of his frustration caused by state affairs dissipate. He was very curious about what this woman was really up to.

He nodded. "Lead the way."

Ye An'an immediately beamed with joy and led the three grown men in a grand procession toward her small kitchen.

When the door to the small kitchen was pushed open, an indescribable stench mixed with the smell of meat wafted out.

Fuyun and Chenzhu were inside, laboriously processing the large basket of pig offal as instructed by Ye An'an. The two maids' faces were scrunched up in a grimace, clearly disgusted by the smell.

The expressions on Xie Zhao and Lu Chengyuan's faces changed instantly when they saw the basket of dark, sticky stuff.

"What...what is this?" Xie Zhao pinched her nose, took a step back with a look of disgust, and said, "Your Majesty, the treasures you mentioned...could this be it?"

These things were simply thrown away or fed to the dogs in their Marquis's residence; even the servants wouldn't eat them.

Although Lu Chengyuan didn't speak, his tightly furrowed brows showed his attitude.

Xiao Jingshi was a germaphobe, and his face darkened when he smelled the odor. However, unlike Xie Zhao, he did not show obvious disgust. He simply looked at Ye An'an quietly, waiting for her explanation.

"That's right! These are them!" Ye An'an, as if she didn't see their disgusted expressions, walked enthusiastically to the basket, pointed to the pig trotters and pig intestines that had already been processed, her eyes shining.

"Don't let their ugly appearance fool you. Once I clean them up and braise them with my secret recipe, the taste... wow, you'll absolutely devour your tongues!"

She turned to the three skeptical men, patted her chest, and assured them, "Your Highness, trust me this once. This stuff is extremely cheap to make, but when prepared properly, it's an unparalleled delicacy. Not only will it fetch a good price, but it'll also be a very prestigious gift. Maybe it'll even fill that hole in your water conservancy fund!"

Her words were resounding and full of powerful confidence.

Xie Zhao and Lu Chengyuan exchanged bewildered glances, both thinking that this Crown Prince's concubine must have gone mad. Using this pile of unwanted waste to fill the national treasury's hole? That was utterly absurd.

However, looking at Ye An'an's incredibly bright eyes and the undeniable confidence on her face, Xiao Jingshi, almost inexplicably, felt that... perhaps he could give it a try.

"What are you going to do?" he asked.

Upon hearing that there was a chance, Ye An'an immediately perked up.

"The most crucial element in making this is a good braising liquid! This braising liquid gets better with age; it's a family heirloom! Today, I'll show you what it truly means to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary!"

After she finished speaking, she ignored them and rolled up her sleeves to give orders to Chenzhu and Fuyun.

"Chenzhu, go and bring me all the spices we bought today: star anise, cinnamon, bay leaves, fennel seeds, cloves...!"

"Fuyun, heat the oil in a wok, add plenty of rock sugar, let's caramelize it first!"