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

Princess Jing finally couldn't resist. She ate the plate of braised chicken feet that Ye An'an had served her, leaving not a trace of the braising liquid at the bottom of the plate.

When she came to her senses and realized what a stupid thing she had done, she met the strange looks of the diners in the courtyard who wanted to laugh but dared not.

Her face suddenly turned a deep purplish-red.

Shame!

What a shame!

She has never been so humiliated in her life!

Looking at Ye An'an across from her, who was smiling like a fox, she wished she could disappear into a crack in the ground.

"Hmph!" She squeezed out a word through gritted teeth, slammed the hundred-tael silver note heavily on the table as payment, and then, without looking back, led her people away from "Wenxianglai" in a disheveled state.

Watching her fleeing figure, a burst of suppressed laughter finally erupted in the courtyard.

The "Jingwangfei's True Fragrance Incident" involving "smelling the fragrance" quickly became the latest laughing stock in the capital.

And as a result, the reputation of "Wenxianglai" became even more renowned.

……

Ye An'an has made her small business a great success in Beijing.

Meanwhile, Xiao Jingshi, far away in Jiangnan, also ushered in one victory after another.

Under his iron-fisted governance and Ye An'an's "advanced" epidemic prevention system, the plague that had already begun to show signs in Jiangzhou City was miraculously nipped in the bud.

Although there are still sporadic patients in the city, thanks to timely isolation and effective sanitation measures, there has been no large-scale outbreak or spread.

Drinking boiled water, wearing masks, and washing hands frequently—actions that were initially considered "nonsense" by everyone—have now become the code of conduct for everyone in Jiangzhou City.

People have noticed that since adopting these habits, fewer people are getting sick.

Most of the patients who were forcibly isolated gradually recovered under the careful care of the imperial physicians.

Facts speak louder than words.

The people of Jiangzhou have gone from initial resistance and doubt to their current trust and gratitude.

They all knew that it was His Highness the Crown Prince who saved their lives with the "divine magic" taught to him by his "reclusive master".

For a time, Crown Prince Xiao Jingshi's prestige in Jiangnan reached its peak.

After the threat of the plague was lifted, Xiao Jingshi immediately began to deal with another, more troublesome matter—corruption.

With lightning speed, he seized the property of the Jiangzhou prefect and a number of officials involved in the river embankment repair funds.

The gold and silver treasures found in their mansion were piled up like mountains, enough to build ten more river embankments.

With witnesses and physical evidence, the evidence of the crime is conclusive.

Xiao Jingshi immediately ordered that all corrupt officials be executed on the spot as a warning to others.

At the same time, he opened the granaries to distribute grain, comforted the disaster victims, recruited laborers, and used the confiscated silver to restart the river embankment repair project.

After a series of combined measures, Jiangzhou, which had been lifeless, was revitalized.

Good news kept arriving, one after another, sent to the capital by express courier.

"The epidemic in Jiangnan has been brought under control, and there is no longer any concern about its large-scale spread!"

"The Jiangzhou corruption case has been solved, all the main culprits have been brought to justice, and millions of yuan in illicit funds have been seized!"

"The riverbank repair project has been restarted, the disaster victims have been properly resettled, and the public is at peace!"

When this news reached the capital, it shocked the entire court and the public.

No one expected that His Highness the Crown Prince would handle his first official business trip outside the capital so well and so efficiently.

Inside the Hall of Mental Cultivation, Emperor Xiao Yuanzheng, upon reading the report sent from the south, was so excited that he slammed his hand on the table and exclaimed "Good!" three times in a row.

"Good! Good! Good! You truly are worthy of being my son!"

He looked at the epidemic prevention measures described in detail by Xiao Jingshi in the report, his eyes filled with amazement and incomprehension.

"Drinking boiled water, wearing masks, isolating patients... these methods are unheard of, yet so effective. Who exactly is this 'reclusive master' Jing Shi mentioned in his letter? How could he possess such extraordinary abilities?"

He was puzzled.

In the Phoenix Palace, Empress Wei listened to the palace servants read out the good news, her face filled with relief and pride. She murmured, "It's good that everyone is safe and sound."

Only Ye An'an, upon hearing the news, finally felt completely relieved after months of anxiety.

He's fine.

He succeeded.

She was alone in the room, first laughing foolishly, then her eyes welled up with tears.

Just then, Changting rushed in from outside, carrying a letter in her hands.

"Your Majesty! Your Majesty! A letter from His Highness!"

Ye An'an's heart skipped a beat.

She practically snatched the letter from Changting's hand.

The envelope bore Xiao Jingshi's familiar handwriting.

With trembling hands, she opened the envelope.

The letter paper no longer contained the cold, impersonal language of official reports.

He first briefly reported that he was safe, and then devoted a great deal of space to describing in detail how her "epidemic prevention manual" played a vital role in Jiangnan and saved many lives.

His words were filled with amazement at her wisdom and...gratitude.

"...Without your method, Jiangzhou would have long been a living hell. You deserve the greatest credit for this."