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

A meal of spicy hot pot completely changed Xiao Jingshi's impression of Ye An'an.

This woman no longer seemed as arrogant, domineering, and mindless as before, only knowing how to pester him with every means.

She is flamboyant, but not annoying; she is direct, but she has her own sense of propriety and rules.

Especially the food she cooks...

After returning to Jingming Palace, Xiao Jingshi still had the spicy and savory taste lingering in his mouth, which made him, for the first time ever, savor the memory.

However, in the following days, no more "tribute" was sent from Tinglan Water Pavilion.

Ye An'an seemed to have forgotten about him, living a fulfilling life in her small courtyard every day, and never mentioned bringing him food again.

This caused Xiao Jingshi to feel a strange sense of irritation.

Before we knew it, the weather turned cold, and winter arrived in Beijing.

That morning, Xiao Jingshi spent the entire morning handling government affairs in the council hall, only to find his stomach empty.

Changting brought over the imperial kitchen's breakfast, which was still the same few simple dishes of porridge and side dishes.

Xiao Jingshi only glanced at it before completely losing his appetite.

He put down his chopsticks, and for some reason, the taste of that day came to mind again.

The more he thought about it, the more upset he became.

That woman, didn't she know to send it again? Even if it was just that... pancake thing... it would have been fine.

He felt annoyed and regretted refusing the pancakes that morning.

"Changting," he said abruptly.

"Your servant is here."

"What did the pancakes taste like that day?" Xiao Jingshi asked casually.

Changting was stunned for a moment, then realized that his master was craving it!

He quickly began to describe it vividly: "Your Highness, the pancakes were so fragrant and crispy, the eggs inside were as tender as tofu, and the sauce was a perfect balance of salty and sweet, plus the crispy fried dough sticks... Oh my, I've never eaten anything so delicious in my entire life!"

He was practically drooling as he spoke.

As Xiao Jingshi listened to his description, his Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.

He was even hungrier.

My mood worsened.

He waved his hand, signaling Changting to remove the leftovers from in front of him, his resentment towards that heartless woman deepening even further.

……

At this moment, Ye An'an, who was being resented, was busy in the small kitchen of Tinglan Water Pavilion.

Winter is here, it's cold, so we should eat something warm.

Today she plans to make two kinds of steamed dumplings—one with shrimp and bamboo shoot filling and the other with mushroom and pork filling—along with a pot of warming oden.

Fuyun and Chenzhu helped out, one rolling out the dough and the other wrapping the dumplings; the three of them worked together very well.

Inside the steamer, rows of plump, white dumplings are neatly arranged, with thin skins and generous fillings, making them look very appealing.

In the earthenware pot next to it, a broth made with kelp and bonito flakes was bubbling away, with various ingredients such as white radish, konjac knots, lucky bags, fish balls, and chikuwa floating in the golden soup, emitting a warm and delicious aroma.

"Wow, Your Majesty, this smells so good!" Fuyun sniffed, looking completely delighted.

"This is called oden, it's the most comforting thing to eat in winter." Ye An'an said while watching the fire. "When the dumplings are done cooking, we'll dip them in the sauce I made, I guarantee it will be so delicious you'll fall off your eyebrows."

Once the food was ready, Ye An'an, as usual, served out the best portion first.

"Chenzhu, take this to the Empress Dowager," she instructed.

Although she didn't like to pay her respects, she still had to maintain appearances. Sending her food every now and then to cultivate goodwill couldn't hurt.

"Yes, Your Majesty." Chenzhu replied steadily and carried the food box to Fengyi Palace.

……

Inside the Phoenix Palace, Empress Wei was reading with her two young princes—the seventh prince and the ninth prince.

These two young princes were born to other concubines, but were raised under the Empress's name.

When Chenzhu came in carrying the food box, Empress Wei was somewhat surprised.

When she opened the food box and saw the delicate steamed dumplings resembling ingots and a steaming bowl of richly filled oden, a smile flashed in her eyes.

This daughter-in-law certainly knows how to handle things.

"Did this come from the Crown Prince's concubine?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. Our Lady said it's getting cold, so she made some hot dishes. Please have a taste." Chenzhu replied respectfully.

Empress Wei nodded and instructed the palace maids to serve the dishes.

She first picked up a translucent shrimp dumpling and put it in her mouth.

The sweetness of the shrimp, the crispness of the bamboo shoots, and the thin yet chewy dumpling skin combine perfectly in her mouth, creating a delicious flavor that brightened her day.

Taking another sip of the oden soup, its sweet and warming taste seemed to dispel all the chill in my body.

"Hmm, not bad." She rarely gave a compliment.

The seventh and ninth princes, who were standing nearby, had long been attracted by the aroma and were watching eagerly.

"Mother, what is this? It smells so good!" the Seventh Prince couldn't help but ask.

"This was sent by your sister-in-law, you should try it too," Empress Wei said with a smile.

The two little ones cheered and each took a steamed dumpling filled with shiitake mushrooms and pork.

"tasty!"

"It's so delicious!"

The two little princes ate with gusto, their mouths greasy, finishing their portions of dumplings in just a few bites, and then staring longingly at the remaining dumplings on the plate.

"Mother, is there any more? I want more to eat." The Ninth Prince tugged at Empress Wei's sleeve and pleaded.

Empress Wei smiled helplessly: "That's all. That's all the Crown Prince's sister-in-law sent."

The two young princes immediately looked disappointed.

The Seventh Prince's eyes darted around, and he suddenly had an idea. He pulled the Ninth Prince aside and whispered, "Let's go to the East Palace and ask my sister-in-law! She definitely has some more!"

Upon hearing this, the Ninth Prince immediately nodded vigorously.

So, after leaving the palace, the two little foodies, relying on their memories and asking around along the way, headed straight for Tinglan Water Pavilion.

When they arrived, Ye An'an and Fuyun were having a pleasant meal in the courtyard.

"Crown Prince's sister-in-law!"

A clear, childlike voice rang out. Ye An'an looked up and saw two adorable little dumplings standing at the gate of the courtyard, staring longingly at the food on her table.

Ye An'an recognized them as the Seventh Prince and the Ninth Prince she had met when she paid her respects that day.

She immediately laughed. Had these two little ones found her by following the scent?

"Oh, it's the two princes! Come in quickly," she greeted them warmly.

The two little princes didn't stand on ceremony and came running in, their eyes never leaving the steamed dumplings and oden on the table.

"Your Highness, can we have some more?" The Seventh Prince looked up at his mother, his eyes full of longing.

"Of course! Plenty!"

Ye An'an loves children the most, especially such an adorable little foodie. She quickly asked Fuyun to get clean bowls and chopsticks, and then brought out a new basket of steamed dumplings from the kitchen.

The two young princes ate with great relish, mumbling between bites, "It's a hundred times better than what's served in the imperial kitchen!"

Ye An'an was amused by them and burst into laughter, filling the courtyard with joyful sounds.

Just then, Xiao Jingshi, who had finished dealing with government affairs and was in a bad mood, returned to the East Palace with a sullen face.

He had just stepped into the courtyard of Tinglan Water Pavilion when he saw this scene—

His concubine was laughing heartily, enthusiastically serving food to the two young princes. Meanwhile, his two younger brothers, who were usually somewhat afraid of him, were eating with their mouths full of oil, their faces beaming with happiness.

On the stone table was the steaming hot food he had been longing for that morning.

The warm and lively scene contrasted sharply with his aloof and lonely demeanor.

Xiao Jingshi stood rooted to the spot, his feet seemingly nailed to the ground, unsure whether to move forward or backward.