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

A meal of stinky tofu soup dumplings completely broke down Xiao Jingshi's last psychological defenses.

He finally nodded and agreed to Ye An'an's "unorthodox" money-making plan.

However, he put forward several conditions.

First, this matter must be kept absolutely secret. No one should be allowed to know that it is related to the Crown Prince's Palace, and Ye An'an's identity must not be exposed.

Secondly, the shop should be located in the most bustling area of ​​Beijing, but the storefront should be low-key, taking the route of high-end private cuisine.

Third, all accounts must be managed by people he sends to ensure absolute accuracy.

Ye An'an readily agreed to these conditions.

She only intended to be a behind-the-scenes boss, offering suggestions and talking, but she couldn't be bothered with the actual work of showing her face.

Thus, a secret project called "Eastern Palace Revenue Generation" was officially launched.

Xiao Jingshi's ability to act was even stronger than Ye An'an had imagined.

He quickly used his influence to acquire a three-courtyard house on Zhuque Street, the most expensive street in the capital.

He also selected a few clever and reliable guards from among his most trusted personal guards to be in charge of the shop's security and operations.

The accountant was a very meticulous old scholar who was directly transferred from the Crown Prince's Chamberlain's Office.

The "head chef" responsible for perfectly replicating Ye An'an's recipes in the kitchen is Chang Ting.

After having eaten several meals with Ye An'an, Changting was completely impressed by her culinary skills. When Xiao Jingshi entrusted him with this task, he was so excited that he almost kowtowed to the Crown Prince and the Consort on the spot.

All is ready except for the opportunity.

She locked herself in the small kitchen and spent three whole days teaching Changting and several other cooks who had been sent to learn how to make braised dishes and fried stinky tofu.

From the proportions of the braising liquid to the braising time for each ingredient, and even the oil temperature control and sauce recipe for stinky tofu, she shared everything without reservation.

Changting and his classmates studied extremely hard, putting in even more effort than when they were studying for the imperial examinations.

A few days later, a mysterious restaurant called "Wenxianglai" quietly opened on Zhuque Street.

There was no gonging or drumming, no firecrackers, not even a proper signboard; just a small wooden sign hanging at the entrance.

On its first day of opening, "Wenxianglai" only offered two dishes: a platter of braised delicacies and deep-fried stinky tofu.

Moreover, the rules are extremely strange.

It only opens in the late afternoon (Shen Shi) and operates for one hour each day.

Two dishes, each limited to fifty servings, while supplies last.

The price is outrageously high.

A platter of braised dishes costs two taels of silver. A serving of fried stinky tofu costs one tael of silver.

This price is enough for an average family to eat for a month.

At first, nobody came. People passing by saw the price and shook their heads, thinking the shop owner must be crazy.

However, Xie Zhao and Lu Chengyuan, as the "Chief Experience Officer" and "Special Promoter" of this project, had already received instructions from Xiao Jingshi and led a large group of playboys from the capital who loved to join in the fun.

"Boss, what's the best thing to eat here? Bring us all your signature dishes!" Xie Zhao shouted as soon as he entered the door.

When the two dishes were served, the young men who had come with him had different expressions.

The braised food platter was alright; although there were some strange things in it, the overpowering aroma still made it very appetizing.

But the "Golden Fried Stinky Tofu" dish deterred many people from ordering it.

"Brother Xie, are you sure you're not mistaken? This stuff... smells so pungent! Is it even edible?" a young master asked, pinching his nose.

"What do you know!" Xie Zhao's eyes lit up as if he had seen a long-lost relative. "This thing smells terrible but tastes amazing! It's a delicacy! Watch me eat it!"

He picked up a piece, dipped it in the sauce, and stuffed it into his mouth in front of everyone, then showed an expression of ecstasy.

Inspired by him, someone finally mustered up the courage to take the first bite.

Then, it got out of control.

"tasty!"

"My God, this tastes amazing!"

"These braised pig's trotters are so tender and soft! They melt in your mouth!"

"Boss! One more! No, ten more!"

For a moment, the small courtyard was filled with exclamations of praise.

The limited quantity of 100 servings of the dish was sold out in less than half an hour.

Those who missed out were filled with regret and despair.

The next day, before dawn, a long queue had already formed in front of "Wenxianglai".

The reputation of "Wenxianglai" spread like wildfire throughout the aristocratic circles of the capital overnight.

Word of mouth spread at a viral pace.

People have a natural curiosity and a tendency to follow trends. The more mysterious and limited something is, the more people will flock to it.

"Have you heard? A new restaurant opened on Zhuque Avenue, and even the Emperor has eaten there!"

"Really? What do you sell?"

"They only have two dishes, one braised and the other fried stinky tofu, and they're ridiculously expensive. You have to queue up every day and still can't buy them!"

"Let's go, let's go see it!"

The business at "Wenxianglai" is booming every day.

In just ten days, the old accountant's hands were trembling as he held the account books.

That evening, Ye An'an was playing chess with Xiao Jingshi in the courtyard.

Changting excitedly ran in, carrying a heavy wooden box.

"Your Highness! Your Majesty! Congratulations!"

He placed the wooden box on the stone table and opened it.

The box was full of gleaming silver and glittering gold ingots, which shimmered with a captivating luster under the moonlight.

"Your Highness, Your Majesty," Changting's voice trembled with excitement, "this is all the profit 'Wenxianglai' has made in the ten days since it opened. After deducting all costs, the net profit is... 1,200 taels of gold!"

One thousand two hundred taels of gold!

Even Ye An'an, a modern person, was shocked by this number.

She knew it would be profitable, but she never imagined it would be this profitable! The spending power of the wealthy in ancient times was truly astounding!

She picked up a gold ingot, weighed it in her hand, and found it heavy and cold to the touch.

She turned her head and looked at Xiao Jingshi, her eyes sparkling with a light brighter than gold, like a child eager for praise.

"Your Highness," she said, pressing the gold ingot into his hand, her eyes crinkling with a smile, "look, this is the money we earned."

Holding the still-warm gold ingot, Xiao Jingshi looked at the smiling woman before him, and the softest string in his heart was gently plucked.

What he saw was not the 1,200 taels of gold, but the radiant pride that emanated from her heart.

He felt that this was more exciting than any praise or achievement he had ever received before.