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

"Ye! An! An!"

Xiao Jingshi practically gritted his teeth as he squeezed out those three words.

He felt that his good upbringing, cultivated over the past twenty-one years, was on the verge of collapse at this moment.

This woman is practically testing his limits!

In the courtyard, when Ye An'an heard this angry call, she was not afraid at all; instead, her eyes lit up.

She's here! Her chief tasting officer for today has finally arrived!

She turned around, gave Xiao Jingshi, whose face was ashen, a bright smile, and waved the strainer in her hand.

"Your Highness, you've come at the perfect time! It'll be ready soon, and I guarantee you'll have the first piece!"

"..." Xiao Jingshi was so angry at her heartless attitude that he was speechless for a moment.

The woman in the pavilion behind him was almost in tears. My Your Highness, please control the Empress! If she continues to act like this, the entire Eastern Palace will be turned into a pickling vat!

Ye An'an ignored them, her eyes fixed intently on the tofu in the oil pan.

Strangely enough, the stench reached its peak when the tofu was first put into the oil, but as the frying time increased, the pungent smell began to slowly change.

A strange, smoky aroma, a blend of soy products and oil, began to seep out from the stench.

It smells bad, yet it smells good.

It's a flavor that's both extremely contradictory and extremely alluring.

Soon, the tofu cubes were fried until their outer skin was golden and crispy, puffing up into little pillows.

Ye An'an used a slotted spoon to scoop it out, drained the oil, and placed it on a plate.

Just looking at it makes you want to eat.

She then brought out the secret sauce and kimchi that she had prepared in advance from the kitchen.

The sauce is made with minced garlic, chili, soy sauce, oyster sauce, and various spices, giving it a savory, slightly spicy flavor. The kimchi is made with cabbage and carrots, and has a sweet and sour taste.

She used chopsticks to poke a hole in the middle of the fried stinky tofu, poured in plenty of sauce, and then topped it with a layer of refreshing kimchi.

A classic, perfect fried stinky tofu dish is complete!

"Done!" She presented the first serving of stinky tofu to Xiao Jingshi as if it were a treasure.

The golden-brown, crispy tofu, paired with a bright red sauce and colorful kimchi, looked vibrant and presented an excellent presentation.

Moreover, upon closer inspection, the pungent odor had diminished considerably, replaced by a rich aroma of soy sauce and soybeans.

However, thinking of its "poison gas bomb"-like power just now, Xiao Jingshi instinctively took a step back, his face full of resistance.

"Take it away," he said coldly, feeling that even looking at it was an eyesore.

"No, Your Highness, please try it! It's really delicious!" Ye An'an pleaded, unwilling to give up. "You can't judge a book by its cover, and the same goes for tofu. You can't discriminate against it just because it smells bad!"

"..." Xiao Jingshi's temples throbbed from her twisted logic.

Just when the two were at an impasse, a savior descended from the sky.

"Wow! Crown Prince's sister-in-law! What delicious food are you making again! It smells so good!"

The two little gluttons, the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince, have found their way here again, having caught a whiff of the aroma from who knows where.

The two of them ran over and looked at the golden, tempting stinky tofu on the plate; their mouths were practically watering.

"What is this? It looks delicious!" the Ninth Prince asked, pointing at the tofu.

"This one's called 'Golden Pillow'," Ye An'an said, her eyes darting around as she quickly gave the stinky tofu a more sophisticated name. "Want to try some?"

"Yes!" the two little ones said in unison.

Ye An'an immediately put a piece on each of their plates.

The two little ones, without any hesitation, opened their mouths and took a big bite.

"Click—"

The crispy outer layer cracked instantly.

Next comes the piping hot, soft tofu, as tender as steamed egg, mixed with a savory sauce, which bursts in your mouth.

"Ugh—!"

The two little ones' eyes widened instantly, their mouths were stuffed full, and they couldn't speak. They could only pant and nod frantically.

good to eat!too delicious!

The outer crust is crispy, the inside is tender, the sauce is fragrant, and the kimchi is crunchy!

All the flavors and textures blend together perfectly, creating an unprecedented and incredibly impactful delicious experience!

Looking at his two younger brothers' blissful expressions as they were conquered by the delicious food, Xiao Jingshi felt a slight wavering in the strong barrier in his heart.

Is it really... that delicious?

"Brother! This golden pillow is so delicious! You should try it too!" The Seventh Prince, having finally swallowed what was in his mouth, immediately began recommending it to Xiao Jingshi.

Ye An'an seized the opportunity, picked up the plate, handed it to him, and looked at him with expectant eyes.

"Your Highness, please do me a favor. Just pretend I tricked you and try a small bite, okay?"

Her voice was soft, with a hint of coquetry.

Xiao Jingshi looked at her, then at the "Golden Pillow" on the plate that she had poked a hole in and that was filled with sauce, and a fierce internal struggle began to unfold in his mind.

Finally, he took a deep breath, as if he had made a momentous decision.

"...Just a small bite."

He picked up a piece from the plate and stiffly brought it to his mouth.

Under the breathless gaze of everyone, he closed his eyes and took a bite.

"Click."

A crisp sound rang out.

The next second, Xiao Jingshi's body jolted violently.

For the first time, an expression of "subversion" appeared on his perpetually icy face.

It was a kind of shock that...reshaped one's worldview.

He expected it to smell rotten, but it turned out to be an exquisitely caramelized aroma.

He thought it would have a disgusting texture, but it turned out to be extremely tender.

It smells bad, but it can smell so good.

Fragrance can be so exquisite.

It smells bad but tastes good. These six simple words were truly experienced by him at this moment through his taste buds.

His chewing motion went from stiff to hesitant, and then to...enjoyment.

He finished the piece of stinky tofu very quickly.

He opened his eyes and looked at Ye An'an with an extremely complex expression.

Ye An'an raised her eyebrows at him triumphantly, as if to say: How about it? Are you convinced now?

Xiao Jingshi didn't speak; he simply picked up a second piece from the plate.