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

"Don't just stare! Hurry up and get a plate!"

At Ye An'an's command, Chenzhu and Fuyun, who had been waiting nearby, immediately came over with several large white porcelain plates.

Ye An'an picked up the strainer and carefully scooped the food out of the pot.

The first things to come out of the pot are the chicken feet and duck wings, which cook the fastest.

They were braised until the skin and flesh were tender and mushy, their dark red skin glistening with oil, and with the slightest shake, it seemed as if the meat would fall off the bone. The rich aroma, when smelled up close, was even more overpowering and unreasonable.

"Gulp."

Xie Zhao swallowed again, his eyes glued to the plate. If Lu Chengyuan hadn't been holding him back, he probably would have stuck his head into the dish.

Next up are pig's trotters.

The braised pig's trotters are completely unrecognizable. The skin is a glossy amber color, plump and bouncy, and covered with a thick braising sauce. A gentle poke with chopsticks reveals their soft, chewy, and elastic texture.

Finally, there was the dish that truly tested everyone's mental fortitude—braised pork intestines.

After a long braising process, the large intestines are stewed until tender and flavorful. After being cut into small sections, the inner walls are thoroughly cleaned, and the layers of casings, soaked in the braising liquid, turn an enticing dark brown. The original fishy smell has completely disappeared, replaced by a rich and mellow aroma of meat and braising spices.

Three large platters of braised dishes, steaming hot, were placed on the stone table in the courtyard.

Ye An'an then took out the garlic paste, chili oil, and vinegar that she had prepared earlier from the kitchen and mixed several dipping sauces.

"Alright, everyone, please enjoy!" She gestured for them to taste, her face beaming with undisguised smugness.

However, none of the three men at the table moved.

Xie Zhao wanted to eat but didn't dare to be the first. He looked at the glistening pig's trotters on the plate, then at Xiao Jingshi, his eyes filled with longing.

Lu Chengyuan was still in shock. He simply couldn't reconcile the delicious-looking braised food in front of him with the basket of offal he had just seen in the kitchen.

Xiao Jingshi stared at the plate of glistening, braised pig's trotters, his brow still slightly furrowed. Reason told him that this dish was of "lowly" origin and shouldn't be eaten by someone of his status. But the overpowering aroma was like an invisible hand, constantly scratching at his heart and tempting his appetite.

His obsessive-compulsive disorder and his appetite were locked in a fierce internal struggle.

Ye An'an noticed their hesitation and shook her head with amusement.

She picked up her chopsticks, grabbed the fattest chicken foot, and brought it directly to her mouth, gnawing on it without a care for her image.

"Mmm...delicious!"

The chicken feet are braised until they melt in your mouth. With a gentle purse of your lips, the skin and meat fall off, leaving your mouth full of collagen. The salty and savory flavors are tinged with a hint of sweetness, and the complex taste of various spices bursts on your tongue.

She ate with great relish, and the sounds she made were a silent temptation to others.

"Your Majesty, this servant also wants to try some..." Fuyun, who was watching from the side, couldn't help but whisper as her mouth watered.

"Eat up! Don't be shy, there's plenty for you today!" Ye An'an waved her hand.

The two maids cheered and immediately picked up their chopsticks, each taking a piece of duck wing and eating it carefully.

"Mmm...it's so delicious!" Fuyun took a bite, her eyes lighting up. "These duck wings are so flavorful! They're fragrant, spicy, and chewy!"

Chenzhu nodded repeatedly as she ate, completely forgetting how much she had previously disliked these things.

Inspired by them, Xie Zhao finally couldn't resist anymore.

"I...I'd like to try some too!"

He gritted his teeth, stomped his foot, and picked up a chicken gizzard that looked to be the least "dangerous".

The chicken gizzards were cut into decorative patterns. After being braised, the cuts on the dark reddish-brown surface slightly opened up, resembling a small flower.

With his eyes closed, he fearlessly put the chicken gizzard into his mouth.

The next second, his eyes widened suddenly.

The chicken gizzards were crisp and chewy, making a satisfying crunch when you chewed them, and the savory flavor of the braising sauce had perfectly permeated every crevice. Delicious! Simply delicious!

"Delicious! This is delicious!" Xie Zhao exclaimed excitedly, then reached for the plate of pig's trotters with his chopsticks without stopping.

He picked up the smallest piece and, under the watchful eyes of everyone, stuffed it into his mouth.

The pork skin was soft, sticky, and full of collagen, while the lean meat underneath was braised until tender and flavorful, rich yet not greasy. The mellow aroma of the braising sauce instantly filled his entire mouth.

"My God..." Xie Zhao murmured incoherently, his eyes narrowing with happiness, "These pig's trotters... how can these pig's trotters be so delicious!"

Seeing Xie Zhao's blissful expression, Lu Chengyuan finally put aside his doubts. He politely picked up a piece of pig's trotter and began to savor it in small bites. Immediately, his gentle and refined face revealed the same shocked yet enjoyable expression as Xie Zhao's.

Now, only Xiao Jingshi remains at the stone table, having not yet touched his chopsticks.

All eyes were on him.

Ye An'an found his arrogant expression of wanting to eat but being too proud to do so extremely amusing.

She personally picked up the largest and most beautiful pig's trotter, placed it on a clean plate, and presented it to Xiao Jingshi.

"Your Highness," she said with a smile, her voice carrying a hint of seduction, "try it. I guarantee it's very clean, not dirty at all."

Xiao Jingshi looked at the crystal-clear, trembling pig's trotter on the plate, then looked up at Ye An'an's smiling eyes, which seemed to see right through him.

His Adam's apple bobbed again.

Under everyone's gaze, torn between reason and appetite, he finally, slowly, extended his esteemed chopsticks, the ones he used to hold and review memorials.

He picked up the pig's trotter, hesitated for a moment, and finally put it in his mouth.

In that instant, time seemed to stand still.

Rich, soft, savory, slightly sweet... countless complex flavors and textures exploded on his discerning palate, like a flood bursting its banks.

good to eat.

It was so delicious that he forgot his germaphobia, his rules, and even what the food originally looked like.

His mind was blank.