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

This hot pot feast lasted until the moon was high in the sky.

Everyone ate until their bellies were round, then slumped in their chairs, looking both satisfied and utterly resigned.

The ingredients on the table were devoured in a flash, with about 70-80% being consumed. The broth in the three pots had already been refilled several times.

"Burp..." Xie Zhao let out a burp without any regard for appearances, patting his round belly and exclaiming, "I can't take it anymore! I feel like I've never eaten this full in my entire life. Your Majesty, this hot pot is simply divine!"

"Yes," Lu Chengyuan put down his teacup and exclaimed sincerely, "This kind of thing should only exist in heaven, and it is rare to hear of it on earth. Today's meal has truly broadened Chengyuan's horizons."

Ye Feng was even more direct. He raised his wine glass to Ye An'an and said with great bravado, "Little sister! Your cooking is amazing! I've traveled all over the country for so many years, and I've never eaten anything this good! If anyone dares to bully you in the future, just tell me, and I'll twist their head off and use it as a chamber pot!"

His words, though crude, were filled with the most sincere brotherly and sisterly affection.

Ye An'an found it both funny and touching.

Xiao Jingshi listened from the side. Although he didn't say anything, his relaxed brows and posture showed that he was in a very good mood.

He looked at Ye An'an, at her rosy cheeks flushed from the steam of the hot pot, at her bright eyes sparkling with pride at receiving praise, and felt an immense sense of satisfaction and peace.

After a satisfying meal, the conversation gradually shifted from food to more serious matters.

Xiao Jingshi inquired about Ye Feng's purpose in returning to the capital.

Upon hearing this, Ye Feng's smile vanished, replaced by a solemn expression.

"Your Highness, to be honest, I have a very urgent military matter to report to the Emperor upon my return to the capital," he said in a low voice.

"The Tatars in the north have started to act up again lately."

"They have amassed tens of thousands of cavalry and have repeatedly provoked us on our border. My father suspects that they want to take advantage of the fact that our Great Liang has just suffered from floods in the south and its national strength has been weakened, in order to gain some benefits."

Upon hearing this news, the atmosphere at the table instantly became heavy.

"What does the imperial court mean?" Xiao Jingshi asked, frowning.

"My father's meaning is, fight!" A fierce glint flashed in Ye Feng's eyes. "We must fight! And we must fight them hard! Only by terrifying them and making them submit can we secure at least ten years of peace on the border!"

"But..." Lu Chengyuan said worriedly from the side, "The war in the north is no small matter. Food, weapons, and logistical supplies—each one is a huge expense. The national treasury has just been somewhat relieved due to the floods in Jiangnan, and I'm afraid... it will be difficult to support a large-scale war."

Lu Chengyuan's words hit the nail on the head.

When it comes to war, money is the deciding factor.

"Yes," Ye Feng sighed, a worried look on his face. "This is also what troubles my father the most. The northern border is bitterly cold, and our soldiers eat the coarsest dry rations all year round. Sometimes, they don't see a single drop of oil for months on end. In the freezing cold, they can't even get a sip of hot water."

"The soldiers' bodies simply couldn't withstand the hard, chewy flatbread and dried meat they ate. Every winter, the number of non-combat casualties was alarmingly high."

As he spoke, he glanced at the still-unfinished, dazzling array of hot pot ingredients on the table, his eyes filled with envy and... a hint of bitterness.

"If... if our soldiers on the border could also have a hot meal like this, how wonderful that would be..." he murmured to himself.

He does not mean that.

When Ye An'an heard her second brother's words, her heart suddenly skipped a beat.

She remembered the things she had prepared for Xiao Jingshi before he set off for Jiangnan.

Dried meat, sauces, and... instant noodles.

Aren't these things tailor-made for military campaigns?

She had only thought about making sure Xiao Jingshi ate well on the road, but she never considered what these things meant to the real army, to the soldiers who were guarding the borders for the country in the freezing cold.

It's not just food.

That's heat, that's physical strength, that's fighting power!

Even life itself!

A bold idea began to grow wildly in her mind.

She could tell her second brother how to make these things and have him take them back to the North!

Wouldn't this improve the food situation for the soldiers on the frontier?

Wouldn't this allow her to do her part for her father and the entire Zhenbei Army?

Thinking of this, Ye An'an's heart instantly turned burning hot.

She looked at her second brother, who was frowning with worry over national affairs, and then at the Crown Prince beside her, who was also deep in thought about national affairs.

She suddenly felt that she could also do something for this country.

More than just being a cook who only knows how to cook.

She put down her chopsticks and looked at Ye Feng. Her eyes, which were always smiling, were now filled with an unprecedented seriousness and earnestness.

"Second Brother," she said, her voice soft but exceptionally clear, "I have a way that might... help the soldiers eat better."