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

Xiao Jingshi was genuinely shocked.

He had lived for twenty-one years, read countless books of sages and virtuous men, and considered himself knowledgeable and worldly-wise, yet he had never seen such an "unconventional" way of cooking.

A dry, hard flatbread and a packet of ordinary powder, when mixed with boiling water, can be transformed into a bowl of hot soup noodles with perfect color, aroma, and taste.

"Your Highness, don't just look at it, try some!" Ye An'an handed him a pair of chopsticks, smiling like a little fox who had just stolen some cream. "If you don't eat it now, the noodles will get soggy."

Xiao Jingshi snapped out of his daze, took the chopsticks, and looked at the noodles in the bowl with a complicated expression.

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

The noodles were surprisingly smooth and chewy, with a unique charred aroma from being deep-fried. Although the soup base was made from powder, the flavor was exceptionally delicious and rich, in no way inferior to noodles cooked fresh in broth.

good to eat!

Simple, quick, yet incredibly delicious.

Xiao Jingshi finished the bowl of noodles in no time, even drinking every last drop of soup.

He put down his bowl, looked at Ye An'an, and remained silent for a long time.

He felt he needed to re-evaluate the woman in front of him.

Every dish she made and every word she said constantly refreshed his understanding and overturned his worldview.

Just how many more shocking things like this are hidden in her mind?

"How is it, Your Highness?" Ye An'an looked at him expectantly. "Isn't this instant noodle amazing?"

"...Hmm." Xiao Jingshi remained silent for a long time before finally squeezing out a single word.

A simple "hmm" was the highest praise he could give.

"With this, no matter how busy or tired you are on the road, as long as you have a pot of hot water, you can have a bowl of hot soup noodles anytime," Ye An'an said, a genuine smile on her face.

At that moment, looking at her smiling face, Xiao Jingshi felt a warm current suddenly surge in his heart.

He knew that she did all of this for him.

To ensure he could eat well and be comfortable during that arduous journey.

This sentiment warmed his heart more than any delicacy.

……

The day of departure arrived quickly.

The day before her departure, Ye An'an packed up all the things she had prepared over the past few days, filling two large food boxes.

She called Xiao Jingshi to Tinglan Waterside Pavilion and showed him her "love bag" one item at a time.

"Your Highness, look." She opened the first food box, inside which were neatly wrapped beef jerky and smoked meat in oil paper.

"This is spiced beef jerky, and this is spicy beef jerky. You can eat them directly when you're hungry; they'll fill you up."

"This is smoked meat. It's best to slice it and steam or stir-fry it before eating. Of course, if you're too lazy to cook it, you can eat it plain, but it'll be a bit tough."

She opened the second food box, which contained several earthenware jars of different sizes.

"This is mushroom and meat sauce, a perfect accompaniment to rice. When you don't have any other dishes, just scoop a spoonful and mix it with rice, it's absolutely delicious."

"This is crab roe sauce. It's precious, so use it sparingly. You can mix it with noodles or spread it on dry food."

"And this too," she said, picking up a small package wrapped in cloth. Inside were dozens of golden-yellow noodle cakes and packets of seasoning. "This is instant noodles. Remember, you must use boiling water to make them, cover them, and wait three minutes before eating."

She was like a worried old mother, nagging and explaining clearly how to eat each item and the precautions.

Xiao Jingshi listened quietly, watching her busy figure for him, his eyes filled with an unprecedented tenderness.

Changting watched from the side, his eyes wide with amazement.

My goodness, the concubine has packed up an entire kitchen for His Highness!

Beef jerky, smoked meat, bibimbap sauce, crab roe sauce, and that magical instant noodles...

Changting was practically drooling just listening to it.

He felt that this arduous task of going to Jiangnan had suddenly become something to look forward to.

"Have you remembered everything?" Ye An'an finished explaining and looked up at Xiao Jingshi.

"I've got it." Xiao Jingshi nodded, his voice slightly hoarse, a huskiness he himself hadn't even noticed.

"That's good." Ye An'an seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. She closed the food box and pushed it in front of him.

After doing all this, she took out a thick letter from her bosom and handed it over.

"And this, you take it too."

Xiao Jingshi took the letter, somewhat surprised: "What's this?"

He thought she would write some ordinary letters reminding him to take care of his health or expressing her longing for him.

But Ye An'an's expression was unusually serious.

"Your Highness, this is more important than all the food I've prepared for you." She looked into his eyes and said, word by word, "When you arrive in Jiangnan, you must read this as soon as possible. It contains some methods I know for preventing the plague. Although I don't know if they will work, you must take them seriously."

plague.

Upon hearing those two words, Xiao Jingshi's expression instantly turned serious.

He hadn't expected that she would even have considered that.

He held the heavy letter in his hand, his heart filled with mixed emotions.

He felt that what he held in his hand was not a letter, but her heavy, burning sincerity.