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

The next morning, Ye An'an was dragged out of bed by Chen Zhu.

"Your Majesty, please get up quickly. Chief Eunuch Gao has come to deliver an imperial decree, saying that the Emperor and the Empress summon you and His Highness the Crown Prince to the palace for lunch today."

"What?" Ye An'an sat up groggily, rubbing her eyes. "Going to the palace for dinner?"

It took her a while to realize what was happening.

It seems those two boxes of braised food last night had a remarkable effect! They managed to seduce the Emperor and Empress so quickly.

"Okay, I got it." She yawned and slowly got out of bed to wash up.

Since she was going to "meet the emperor," she naturally couldn't dress too casually. Ye An'an chose a bright but not too flamboyant autumn-colored ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress), and her hair was neatly styled into a drooping horse bun, adorned with a few exquisite pearl hairpins. She looked both gentle and pretty.

After she finished getting ready, Xiao Jingshi sent Changting to invite her over.

The two met at the entrance of Tinglan Water Pavilion, and then rode together in the imperial carriage towards Yangxin Hall.

The two of them barely spoke the rest of the way.

Ye An'an was too lazy to talk. She was still savoring the taste of the braised pig's trotters from last night and wondering if she could braise another pot today.

Xiao Jingshi, on the other hand, didn't know what to say. He looked at the woman sitting quietly beside him and felt a strange sensation in his heart.

There was a time when he loathed her to the extreme, feeling that she was just a nuisance forced upon him by his father. But now, he finds himself becoming more and more accustomed to, even somewhat...enjoying, the feeling of having her by his side.

Especially the food she makes...

Thinking of this, Xiao Jingshi's stomach growled at an inopportune moment.

Hearing this, Ye An'an turned to look at him, winking mischievously, "Your Highness, are you hungry?"

A faint blush crept onto Xiao Jingshi's handsome face at a visible speed. He coughed lightly, turned his head, pretending to look at the scenery outside the window, but uttered two stiff words: "No."

Ye An'an almost burst out laughing when she saw his reddened ears.

This Crown Prince is so innocently adorable.

……

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, lunch had already been laid out.

Emperor Xiao Yuanzheng and Empress Wei sat at the head of the table. When they saw Xiao Jingshi and Ye An'an enter, they both showed gentle smiles.

"Your subject (daughter-in-law) pays respects to Father Emperor and Mother Empress." The two bowed respectfully.

"Get up, everyone, sit down." Xiao Yuanzheng raised his hand. "I called you all here today for nothing special, just for the family to have a simple meal together."

Although it was called a casual meal, the dishes on the table were still exquisite, like works of art, prepared by the imperial kitchen.

Ye An'an looked at the dishes and inwardly grimaced.

It looks nice, but the taste will definitely be bland and tasteless.

Sure enough, although the atmosphere was relatively harmonious during the meal, everyone lost their appetite.

Xiao Yuanzheng and Empress Wei were clearly still thinking about the braised dishes from the previous night. Xiao Jingshi, on the other hand, was savoring all the dishes Ye An'an had prepared. Only Ye An'an genuinely found them unpalatable.

After the meal, the palace servants served tea and snacks.

Empress Wei held Ye An'an's hand, smiling kindly: "An'an, that braised dish you sent yesterday... it was really delicious. I haven't tasted anything so sweet in a long time."

"I'm glad Mother is pleased." Ye An'an said modestly with a smile. "Those are all rather unrefined things, and the methods are crude. It is my good fortune to receive praise from Mother."

"Hey, you can't say that," Xiao Yuanzheng interjected, looking at Ye An'an with admiration in his eyes. "The quality of something doesn't depend on its origin, but on the care put into the cooking. I've tasted your braised dishes, and they certainly have something special about them. Especially that... fatty intestines, so soft, tender, and fragrant, I really enjoyed them."

His Majesty the Emperor himself said he likes braised pork intestines!

If this gets out, the price of pig offal in the capital will probably skyrocket overnight.

Ye An'an was overjoyed inside, but she remained modest on the surface: "Father, you flatter me."

Just then, a commotion arose outside the hall.

"Royal brother! Royal sister-in-law!"

Two clear children's voices came from afar, and then the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince, two little dumplings, ran in like a gust of wind.

As soon as they entered the hall, they went straight for Ye An'an, each grabbing one of her legs.

"Crown Prince's sister-in-law! We heard you've entered the palace!" The Seventh Prince looked up, his eyes sparkling.

"Sister-in-law, what delicious food did you make today? Is there any for us?" The Ninth Prince was even more direct, asking for food right away.

The arrival of the two little ones instantly enlivened the atmosphere in the hall.

Empress Wei shook her head, both amused and helpless, as she looked at their greedy little faces.

Ye An'an squatted down, pinched their little cheeks, and laughed, "Unfortunately, today, my sister-in-law is here to freeload, and didn't bring any good food. But..."

She deliberately drew out her words, "I made some braised dishes yesterday, and there's some left. There are braised duck wings and braised duck neck bones. Would you like to try some?"

"Yes! Yes!" the two little ones exclaimed in unison, nodding vigorously.

Ye An'an stood up with a smile and gave a few instructions to Fuyun beside her.

Not long after, Fuyun returned from the East Palace carrying a food box.

As soon as the food box was opened, that familiar aroma of braised food wafted out again.

The seventh and ninth princes immediately surrounded them, each picking up a braised duck wing and eagerly starting to gnaw on it.

"Mmm! Delicious!"

"These duck wings smell amazing! The meat is so chewy and delicious!"

The two little guys were eating with their mouths full of oil, their little cheeks bulging, like two little hamsters stealing food.

They were eating so deliciously that even Xiao Yuanzheng and Empress Wei, who were standing nearby, couldn't help but swallow.

"Um... is there anything else?" Empress Wei couldn't help but ask.

Ye An'an quickly handed over another plate.

Thus, a peculiar scene unfolded in the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

His Majesty the Emperor, His Majesty the Empress, and the two young princes each had a braised duck wing in their hands and were happily munching on it, completely abandoning their usual dignified demeanor.