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

The small kitchen instantly became bustling with activity.

Xiao Jingshi, Lu Chengyuan, and Xie Zhao stood at the kitchen door, watching Ye An'an command the two maids in an orderly manner, like a general in command.

None of them left.

On one hand, they were attracted by Ye An'an's powerful confidence and charisma; on the other hand, they were genuinely curious about what kind of delicious food this seemingly unappetizing pile of things could become.

"The key is to caramelize the sugar. You must use low heat and stir slowly, otherwise it will burn and taste bitter." Ye An'an instructed the two maids while keeping an eye on the pot.

The rock sugar in the pot slowly melted in the hot oil, changing from transparent to light yellow, then to tiny bubbles, and finally to a beautiful jujube red.

"Now! Pour in the boiling water!"

At Ye An'an's command, Fu Yun immediately poured a ladle of boiling water into the pot with a "sizzle".

Instantly, steam rose, and a sweet caramel aroma filled the air.

"Wow, it smells so good!" Xie Zhao couldn't help but sniff. The fishy smell from before seemed to have been diluted a lot by this sweet fragrance.

Once the caramelized sugar was ready, Ye An'an took charge of the process herself.

She added enough water to the pot, and then, like an old pharmacist preparing medicine, began to add various spices.

Large pieces of cinnamon, star-shaped star anise, dark green bay leaves, as well as fennel seeds, cardamom, cloves, angelica... more than a dozen spices were thrown into the pot without any hesitation.

Next, she added a large amount of scallion segments, ginger slices, and a whole pot of soy sauce and cooking wine.

Soon, the clear sugar water turned into a dark-colored soup with a rich, savory aroma.

As the temperature rises, the flavors of various spices are fully released, blending with the salty aroma of soy sauce and the sweet aroma of caramel to create an unprecedented, extremely complex, and domineering fragrance.

The aroma wafted from the small kitchen and filled the entire courtyard of Tinglan Water Pavilion.

"My God, what is that smell again?" Xie Zhao felt like his nose wasn't enough to take it all in. "How can it smell so good? Just smelling this makes me want to eat three bowls of rice!"

Lu Chengyuan was also amazed. He had never imagined that these seemingly ordinary spices could produce such a wonderful chemical reaction when mixed together.

Although Xiao Jingshi's face remained expressionless, the slight twitching of his nostrils and the involuntary movement of his Adam's apple betrayed his inner turmoil.

He lived for twenty-one years. The imperial chefs in the palace could make all the most exquisite dishes in the world, but none of them had such a strong, aggressive, and captivating aroma.

The broth bubbled and simmered in the pot, its aroma growing stronger and stronger.

Ye An'an scooped up a little soup with a spoon, tasted it, and added some salt and seasonings according to her own judgment.

"Alright, the foundation for this family heirloom-level broth is now complete." She clapped her hands in satisfaction, then looked at the basket of cleaned ingredients, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Now, the moment of miracle is about to begin!"

She picked up a plump, clean pig's trotter and, under the astonished gazes of the three men, solemnly placed it into the pot of boiling braising liquid.

The pig's trotters sank into the dark broth and were instantly submerged.

Then came the second one, the third one...

Then came chicken feet, chicken gizzards, duck wings, duck collarbones...

Finally, there was the plate of pig intestines, which looked the most "horrible".

Once all the ingredients were submerged in the braising liquid, Ye An'an covered the pot with the lid.

"Now, all we have to do is wait." She wiped her hands, a smile of triumph on her face.

Waiting is the most agonizing thing.

Especially when that domineering aroma of braised food keeps escaping from the gaps in the pot lid, attacking your sense of smell from every angle.

Xie Zhao could no longer sit still. He paced back and forth around the stove like an ant on a hot pan.

"Your Majesty, how much longer do we have to wait? This fragrance is driving me crazy!"

"Haste makes waste, especially when it comes to hot braised dishes." Ye An'an looked at him amusedly. "These things need to be braised slowly over low heat to absorb the flavor. Especially pig's trotters and large intestines, they can't be cooked in less than an hour."

One hour!

Xie Zhao let out a wail.

As time ticked by, the atmosphere in the small kitchen became somewhat strange.

Four grown men and two young maids stared intently at the pot, no one speaking. The only sounds were the bubbling of the pot and the sounds of everyone swallowing their saliva.

Finally, amidst everyone's eager anticipation, Ye An'an announced, "It's almost time, it's ready to be taken out of the pot!"

She took a deep breath, as if she were about to unlock some treasure, and slowly lifted the pot lid.

"boom--"

A fragrance ten times stronger than before, mixed with the rolling heat, burst forth instantly!

Everyone in the kitchen was so overwhelmed by the aroma that they couldn't help but take a step back, only to be drawn together as if by a magnet.

The pot of braising liquid, after being simmered for more than an hour, had become even darker and shinier.

The once pristine white ingredients have now turned an enticing deep reddish-brown, coated with a layer of translucent, slightly trembling braising sauce that glistens with an oily sheen under the light.

The aroma of meat, soy sauce, and spices blends perfectly, creating an irresistible temptation that defies description.

"My God..." Xie Zhao stared at the scene in the pot, completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape enough to fit an egg.

Is this... is this still the same "garbage" he saw before?

This is clearly a pot of priceless treasure!