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

The "duck wing feast" at the Hall of Mental Cultivation ended with everyone thoroughly satisfied.

The two little princes, the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince, clung to Ye An'an's arm, refusing to let her leave, and insisted that she promise to tell them first whenever she made something delicious.

Seeing this warm and lively scene, both Xiao Yuanzheng and Empress Wei showed long-lost, heartfelt smiles.

As Ye An'an walked back to the East Palace after leaving the Hall of Mental Cultivation, she was in such a good mood that she felt like she could fly.

The "Culinary Diplomacy" initiative was a great success!

Now, the emperor, empress, crown prince, and princes have all been captivated by her culinary skills, and her position in the palace can be said to be as secure as Mount Tai.

So, next, it's time to move on to the second step of the plan—making money!

Ye An'an glanced at Xiao Jingshi, who was sitting upright beside her, pretending to rest with his eyes closed, and cleared her throat.

"Your Highness."

"Hmm?" Xiao Jingshi opened his eyes and looked at her with a calm expression.

"Regarding that thing we talked about yesterday... about money, I have an idea, but I don't know if I should say it," Ye An'an tentatively began.

Xiao Jingshi raised an eyebrow, seemingly somewhat surprised that she would bring this up on her own initiative.

"Please feel free to speak."

"I think my braised dishes can be sold for money," Ye An'an said bluntly, her words sure to be surprising.

"..." A rare look of astonishment appeared on Xiao Jingshi's face.

He had considered that she might offer some insights typical of women confined to their homes, such as cutting expenses or auditing accounts, but he never expected that she would actually want to... do business?

Or should she use her status as the Crown Prince's concubine to sell... pig offal?

"Nonsense!" He almost instinctively rejected it. "You are a concubine of the Crown Prince, the future mother of the prince. How can you engage in such merchant activities? What kind of decorum is this!"

"Manners? Can manners be eaten? Can manners be used to repair river embankments?" Ye An'an had already anticipated his reaction, so she wasn't angry at all, but instead argued her point.

"Your Highness, think about it. You've tasted my braised dishes yourself. Father, Mother, and even the Seventh and Ninth Princes—who doesn't like them? What does that prove? It proves there's a market for them!"

She started counting on her fingers, calculating the accounts for Xiao Jingshi.

"The ingredients for making braised dishes—pig's trotters, large intestines, chicken feet, duck wings—were these all considered 'offal' and unpresentable in the palace and in the homes of high-ranking officials? Were they either thrown away or given as gifts to servants?"

Xiao Jingshi remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

"So, the cost of these things must be extremely low, almost negligible?"

"But after I use my secret recipe to braise it, it becomes a delicacy that even the Emperor praises! How much profit is involved? Your Highness, have you calculated it?"

Ye An'an's eyes shone with an astonishing light, revealing a clear vision for her business and an insatiable thirst for money.

"We don't have to sell in the palace. We can find a trustworthy person to open a small shop outside the palace. We can call it 'Yupinzhai' or 'Empress's Braised Dishes' or something like that. The name has to be catchy! We'll only target the highest-end market and sell exclusively to those wealthy nobles and royalty."

"Think about it, even the Emperor says this braised pork intestine is delicious, how could they not be curious? How could they not want to buy it? We can use a scarcity marketing strategy, limiting the supply each day. If you want some, you have to pre-order! As for the price... naturally, it has to match its 'Imperial' status!"

Ye An'an became more and more excited as she spoke, as if she could already see countless gold ingots beckoning to her.

Xiao Jingshi was stunned by her series of imaginative yet seemingly reasonable business ideas.

Looking at the woman in front of him, who was beaming with excitement and full of energy, he realized for the first time that she not only knew how to cook, but also... had such an amazing business mind?

His mind, filled with Confucian classics and the way of governing the country, had never entertained such a "heretical" idea.

In his view, the social hierarchy was scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, with merchants being the lowest class. As the crown prince, he was concerned with how to enrich the country and strengthen its military, and how to appease the people. He never thought of using this method to "make money."

However, Ye An'an's words were like a pebble, creating ripples in the calm lake of his heart.

He had to admit that what she said... seemed to make some sense.

"This matter... is absurd." He was still denying it verbally, but his tone had lost its initial firmness.

"What's absurd about it?" Ye An'an looked at him defiantly. "A gentleman loves money, but he earns it honestly. We earn money with our own skills, without stealing or robbing, openly and fairly. How is that absurd?"

"Besides, this money isn't for my own enjoyment, it's to fill the hole in your water conservancy funds, isn't it? I'm helping you share your burdens, Your Highness!" she said, giving a wronged look that said, "I'm doing all this for you."

Xiao Jingshi was both amused and exasperated by her behavior.

He was silent.

He was considering the feasibility of this.

Seeing his expression, Ye An'an knew there was hope. She decided to add fuel to the fire.

"Your Highness, I know it's hard for you to accept right now. How about this, give me three days, and give yourself three days. I'll cook another dish to prove to you what true 'turning lead into gold' really means."

"What dish?" Xiao Jingshi asked subconsciously.

Ye An'an's lips curled into a mysterious smile as she slowly uttered four words:

"Fried, stinky, bean curd, tofu."