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

Faced with Xie Zhao and Lu Chengyuan's longing eyes, Ye An'an finally softened.

"Alright, alright, look at you all, so pathetic." She shook her head with a smile. "On the day His Highness departs, I'll have it all ready and give each of you a small jar, okay?"

"Long live Your Majesty!" Xie Zhao immediately gave an exaggerated bow, his face beaming with joy.

Lu Chengyuan also cupped his hands in thanks and said sincerely, "Thank you, Your Majesty."

Xiao Jingshi watched from the side, and although he didn't say anything, a barely perceptible hint of... displeasure flashed in his eyes.

He felt a little resentful that his exclusive "limited edition" had been given away.

However, seeing Ye An'an's bright smile, he ultimately didn't say anything.

Even with dried meat and smoked meat, Ye An'an felt it wasn't enough.

When marching and fighting—or rather, when providing disaster relief—the most common food was dry rations and white rice. Those things were bland and tasteless; eating too much of them could drive a person crazy.

We must prepare some "food accompaniments" for them.

An idea immediately popped into Ye An'an's mind—to make bibimbap sauce!

Moreover, you should make two kinds. One is mushroom and meat sauce, which is savory and versatile; the other is a more luxurious and extravagant crab roe sauce.

Just do it.

The next day, Ye An'an plunged into the small kitchen again.

She made the mushroom and meat sauce first.

She had the kitchen prepare the finest pork foreleg, with a 3:7 ratio of fat to lean, and personally chopped it into evenly sized minced meat.

For the shiitake mushrooms, choose plump dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them in warm water until softened, and then dice them.

Everything is ready, so let's heat the oil in the wok.

She first put scallion segments, ginger slices, and a few star anise into the pot and slowly fried them over low heat until fragrant, then took them out.

Next, pour the minced meat into the pot, quickly stir-fry until it changes color.

The aroma of the meat burst forth instantly as the hot oil pressed in.

Then, she added diced shiitake mushrooms and continued to stir-fry, allowing the flavors of the mushrooms and the meat to fully meld.

The most crucial step is seasoning.

Ye An'an generously poured a large amount of soybean paste and sweet bean sauce into the pot, which are the main sources of saltiness and savory flavor.

A little soy sauce was added to enhance the flavor, and rock sugar was added for color and flavor.

Finally, she scooped in a large spoonful of her homemade chili oil to enhance the complex spicy flavor.

After putting all the seasonings into the pot, she added enough boiling water to cover the ingredients, then covered the pot, turned the heat to low, and simmered it slowly.

"Glug... Glug..."

In the pot, the sauce was boiling, and diced meat and shiitake mushrooms were floating in the bright red broth.

An indescribable, extremely overpowering aroma of soy sauce wafted from the small kitchen.

This flavor is richer than braised meat and more direct than smoked meat; it seems to possess a kind of magic that can instantly arouse one's most primal appetite.

The seventh and ninth princes, who were sunbathing in the courtyard, smelled this aroma, dropped their toys, and ran towards the kitchen with their short legs.

"Sister-in-law! It smells so good!"

"What delicious food are you making?"

The two children clung to the kitchen door frame, peeking their little heads in and staring longingly at the pot.

"I'm making bibimbap sauce." Ye An'an said with a smile when she saw the two little gluttons. "I'll mix it with your rice when it's done."

"Bibimbap sauce?" The two little ones looked confused, but their mouths were already watering at the sight of the bright red sauce.

After simmering over low heat for nearly an hour, the broth in the pot had thickened, and every diced meat and shiitake mushroom was evenly coated with the sauce, becoming glossy and shiny.

Ye An'an took a bite and nodded in satisfaction.

Salty, fragrant, fresh, and spicy, the flavors are distinct yet perfectly blended together.

This stuff is absolutely amazing, not only for mixing with rice, but also for sandwiching with steamed buns or mixing with noodles!

"Fuyun, go steam a few bowls of rice!"

Soon, steaming hot white rice was served.

Ye An'an served each of the two little princes a small bowl of rice, then scooped a large spoonful of still-steaming mushroom and meat sauce and poured it over the rice.

White rice, topped with bright red meat sauce and garnished with emerald green scallions, looks so appetizing that it whets the appetite.

"Eat quickly."

The two little ones couldn't wait any longer. They picked up their little spoons, mixed the meat sauce and rice together, and then shoveled it into their mouths.

"Waaah...it's delicious!"

"This sauce is so delicious! I could eat three bowls of rice with it!"

The savory flavor of the meat sauce is perfectly infused into every grain of rice. The rice's natural sweetness balances the saltiness of the meat sauce, creating a harmonious blend.

The two little ones ate until their mouths were greasy and their cheeks were bulging, not even bothering to lift their heads.

Ye An'an felt a sense of accomplishment watching them wolf down their food.

Just then, Xiao Jingshi walked in from outside.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, he smelled the rich aroma of soy sauce and saw his two younger brothers eating happily.

"Brother!"

The two little ones saw him, their mouths full of food, and greeted him indistinctly.

Xiao Jingshi walked to the stone table, looked at the half-pot of meat sauce left in the bowl, and his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

Ye An'an could tell from his expression that he was craving something again.

She smiled, got up, went into the kitchen, served him a bowl of rice, and poured a spoonful of meat sauce on it.

"Your Highness, would you like to try some? It's a freshly cooked rice killer."

Xiao Jingshi did not refuse. He sat down, picked up his chopsticks, and followed the example of the two little ones, mixing the sauce and rice together.

He picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

The next second, a hint of amazement flashed in his usually cool eyes.

He never imagined that ordinary white rice, with a spoonful of sauce, could become so delicious.

The rich aroma of the sauce, mixed with the sweetness of the rice, seems to have a magical power, making it impossible to stop eating.

The bowl of rice was quickly emptied.

He put down his bowl, looked at Ye An'an, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

How many more surprises does this woman hold that he doesn't know about?

"How is it?" Ye An'an asked expectantly.

Xiao Jingshi was silent for a moment, and then, for the first time ever, he took the initiative to pick up the empty bowl on the table and hand it over.

"...Another bowl, please."