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

Xiao Jingshi's appearance seemed to freeze the air in the entire courtyard.

Steward Liu's legs went weak, and he almost knelt down. He quickly bowed and saluted, "This servant...this servant greets Your Highness the Crown Prince!"

Cui Die was so frightened that she trembled all over, buried her head low, and dared not make a sound.

Xiao Jingshi ignored them and looked directly at Ye An'an, bypassing the crowd.

Today, she is completely different from the woman yesterday, dressed in an elaborate wedding gown and wearing heavy makeup. A bright red dress makes her skin look as white as snow, and her eyes and brows exude a vibrant charm, both charming and adorable.

A strange feeling, hard to explain, flashed through Xiao Jingshi's mind, but he quickly suppressed it.

"What happened?" he asked.

Before Ye An'an could speak, Steward Liu interrupted, trying to play the victim: "Your Highness, it is...it is the Crown Prince's concubine who wants to expel Cui Die from the palace. This servant feels that this is sudden and wants to...want to ask for the reason."

"That's her courtyard. There are many other palace maids there. If this one doesn't suit your taste, just change to another one." Xiao Jingshi looked at Steward Wang with a questioning look in his eyes.

Ye An'an crossed her arms and explained slowly, "It's nothing serious. She took it upon herself to use something I made to curry favor with His Highness. My Tinglan Water Pavilion has few rules and can't afford such a self-willed servant, so I wanted to ask her to find another job. But Steward Liu thought I was making a mountain out of a molehill and insisted on 'upholding justice' for me."

In just a few words, she clearly explained what had happened and how Steward Liu had overstepped his bounds.

After listening, Xiao Jingshi turned to Steward Liu expressionlessly: "The Crown Prince's concubine is the mistress of the inner courtyard. How to deal with the people in her courtyard is up to her. Steward Liu, from today onwards, the things you need to do will be handed over to Steward Zhang."

When Steward Zhang, who was resting, heard the news, he jumped for joy. "The Consort is our lucky star!" he exclaimed. He immediately ordered that no matter what kind of servant the Consort wanted, he would find one for her.

His voice wasn't loud, but it carried an innate air of authority.

Steward Liu was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat and hurriedly kowtowed, "This servant knows his mistake! This servant will never dare to do it again, please give this servant another chance, Your Highness!"

"As for you," Xiao Jingshi turned his gaze to Cui Die, his eyes icy, "you have committed insubordination and acted on your own initiative. You are hereby expelled from the Eastern Palace and will never be employed again."

This punishment is even harsher than Ye An'an's.

Cui Die's vision went black, and she collapsed to the ground.

After dealing with the two, Xiao Jingshi turned to Ye An'an and said awkwardly, "The servants of the Eastern Palace are unruly. Deal with them if you encounter them again. I've been busy with other matters lately and have neglected to discipline them."

He was actually... apologizing?

Not only was Ye An'an stunned, but Chen Zhu and Fu Yun behind her, as well as Chang Ting behind Xiao Jingshi, were all stunned.

When has their arrogant Crown Prince ever apologized to anyone?

Ye An'an quickly realized what was happening. She waved her hand dismissively, "It's nothing, just a small matter. Your Highness is so busy, why did you come all this way in person?"

Xiao Jingshi was taken aback by her direct question.

Why did he come here?

He himself couldn't explain it clearly.

Perhaps it was because after Changting returned, she kept looking at him with an extremely regretful gaze, and kept muttering "It smells so good," "It tastes so good," and "Your Highness, you've lost out big time."

Or perhaps, he developed a slight curiosity about his nominal concubine.

He pursed his lips and abruptly changed the subject: "You...are you having breakfast?"

He could smell it; the rich fragrance he had smelled in the study before still lingered in the courtyard.

"I finished eating a long time ago," Ye An'an answered readily. "But I'm about to make lunch. If Your Highness hasn't eaten, why don't you stay and have a meal with us?"

She was just being polite; she never expected him to agree.

To everyone's surprise, Xiao Jingshi remained silent for a moment, then nodded: "Alright."

One word, concise and to the point.

Ye An'an: "..."

Looking at the aloof and serious crown prince in front of her, she suddenly found it rather amusing.

"Alright, Your Highness, please go inside and have a cup of tea. I'll be right there." She gestured towards the main house.

Xiao Jingshi went inside as instructed.

Changting followed behind, so excited he almost moved his hands and feet in unison.

There's hope! There's definitely hope! Master has finally seen the light!

Ye An'an shrugged and turned back to the small kitchen.

She originally planned to eat mala tang (a spicy hot pot dish), since the dishes in this dynasty were all bland and watery. Now, she could have more ingredients!

She sent Chenzhu to the Imperial Household Department's food warehouse to retrieve the freshest tripe, bamboo shoots, fish balls, beef, as well as various mushrooms and vegetables.

She herself was in the small kitchen, preparing the base for the spicy hot pot.

She put butter in a pot, picked all the chili peppers from the yard, heated it up, and then added a large amount of dried chili peppers, Sichuan peppercorns, broad bean paste, and more than a dozen spices that she had secretly kept, and stir-fried them over low heat.

Soon, a domineering, spicy aroma, along with a rich, savory sauce, wafted out of the small kitchen, even more enticing than the smell of the pancakes that morning.

Xiao Jingshi, who was drinking tea in the room, paused slightly when he smelled this aroma.

What does this taste like?

Spicy, but not pungent; instead, it has a magical quality that makes your mouth water.

He had lived for twenty-one years and had never smelled anything like it.

Half an hour later, Ye An'an had lunch set out on the stone table in the courtyard.

A huge copper pot sits in the center of the table, filled with a bubbling, bright red broth and various colorful foods.

"Your Highness, please." Ye An'an greeted.

Xiao Jingshi came out and looked at the scene before him, a hint of confusion appearing on his usually calm face.

"This is……?"

"Mala Tang." Ye An'an picked up a pair of long chopsticks and started slurping it up.

Looking at the food smeared with chili oil in the bowl, Xiao Jingshi's extreme germaphobia made him instinctively want to refuse.

But the smell was just too wonderful.

He hesitated for a moment, but with Ye An'an's encouraging gaze, he finally picked up the piece of tripe and put it in his mouth.

The next second, his eyes widened suddenly.

The tripe is crisp and chewy, and the numbing, spicy, fresh, and fragrant broth explodes in your mouth, creating an unprecedented and impactful taste experience!

good to eat!

This was the only thought in Xiao Jingshi's mind.

For the first time, a look of shock appeared on his face.

Ye An'an looked at him and smiled smugly.

"How was it? Not bad, right?"

Xiao Jingshi didn't say anything, but sweat silently dripped from his forehead. He took a big bite, breathed on it, took another bite, and then nodded.

In a great mood, she picked up her chopsticks and began to eat heartily.

The sun is just right, the breeze is not dry.

In the courtyard, the usually aloof Crown Prince, for the first time, shared a bowl of steaming hot and spicy tang with his concubine, enjoying it immensely.

Although they didn't exchange a single word, the rising mist seemed to subtly bring the two of them closer.

Changting watched from a distance, thinking with satisfaction: What are aloof immortals and gentle ladies? They are all insignificant compared to the absolute deliciousness!

He could almost see the bright future of his master being completely submissive to the Crown Prince's concubine.