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

The atmosphere in the imperial study was quite awkward for a moment.

The sound of His Majesty the Emperor gnawing on chicken feet, "crunch crunch," echoed in the quiet hall.

Ye An'an and Ye Feng, the brother and sister, stood below, unsure whether to leave or stay. They could only keep their eyes down and pretend they hadn't seen or heard anything.

Xiao Yuanzheng was happily munching away when he looked up and met Ye An'an's strange gaze, which seemed to want to laugh but dared not.

His action of gnawing on the chicken feet froze instantly.

His face flushed red instantly.

"Cough! Cough cough!" He quickly put down the chicken feet in his hand, using a violent cough to cover his embarrassment. "Um... I... I was just researching the... manufacturing process of this thing! Yes, the manufacturing process!"

"I think this thing has a crisp texture, a salty and savory taste, and... it can be preserved for a long time, so it seems... it seems it could be one of the options for military rations!"

He forcefully elevated the issue of eating snacks to the level of a matter of national importance.

Ye An'an was practically laughing hysterically inside.

My Emperor, you've come up with such a lame excuse!

Chicken feet as military rations? Do you want your soldiers to each have one on the battlefield and "fight chickens" with the enemy?

However, she still had to put on an expression that said, "I see, Your Majesty is wise."

"Father is wise!" she said solemnly, bowing deeply. "Father is absolutely right! That's what I think too!"

Ye Feng stood to the side, watching his sister spouting nonsense with a straight face, and the emperor who was so obsessed with saving face that he suffered for it. He couldn't help but twitch his lips.

He felt that the people in the capital were all incredibly cunning.

"Hmm." Seeing that Ye An'an had given him a way out, Xiao Yuanzheng breathed a sigh of relief. He put on his usual airs and resumed his imperial dignity. "Since you also think it's feasible, then... besides instant noodles, do you have any other methods that are more suitable as military rations?"

He's determined to use the excuse of "studying food" to his advantage.

Upon hearing this, Ye An'an's eyes lit up instantly.

She knew her chance had come.

"Father, I do indeed have one!" she said confidently.

"Oh? Tell me about it."

"The product made using my method can be temporarily called... 'compressed biscuits'."

"Compressed biscuits?" Xiao Yuanzheng and Ye Feng both looked puzzled.

"Yes!" Ye An'an nodded and began to explain in detail, "This is a type of extremely dense dry food made by mixing flour, sugar, oil, and some nuts and meat floss, then subjecting it to strong compression and repeated baking to remove all moisture!"

"It has three advantages," she said, holding up three fingers.

"First, it is small in size, light in weight, and easy to carry. A small piece may only be the size of a palm, but it contains enough heat to support an adult male in high-intensity physical exertion."

"Secondly, it has an extremely long shelf life. Because it has undergone repeated baking, it contains almost no moisture. As long as it is wrapped in parchment paper and placed in a dry place, it will not spoil for a year or two."

"Thirdly, and most importantly, it's extremely filling! You might only need to eat a small piece and drink some water to keep you full all day!"

Ye An'an's words shocked Xiao Yuanzheng and Ye Feng once again.

Especially Ye Feng, as a general who has led troops into battle for many years, knows all too well what the advantages Ye An'an mentioned mean for an army.

Its small size and portability mean that soldiers can carry more ammunition or conduct longer-distance raids.

A longer shelf life means that logistical pressure will be greatly reduced.

A strong feeling of fullness is the ultimate goal pursued by all military rations!

"An'an, what you... what you said, is it all true?" Ye Feng's voice trembled.

"Of course it's true!" Ye An'an patted her chest to assure him. "Second Brother, if you don't believe me, I can make it right now and show you!"

"Very well!" Xiao Yuanzheng slammed his hand on the dragon throne, making the decision immediately. "Today, I will personally witness just how magical your 'compressed biscuit' really is!"

"Gao Jin! Convey my decree: today's lunch will be served in the Imperial Study! Have the Imperial Kitchen bring over everything the Crown Prince's concubine needs!"

Thus, the Imperial Study, the power center of the Great Liang Dynasty, was once again transformed into... a temporary kitchen, an unprecedented event.

Ye An'an, leading several imperial chefs from the imperial kitchen, along with Fuyun and Chenzhu who rushed to the scene upon hearing the news, began her great undertaking of "military food revolution".

She first had the imperial chef prepare a large bowl of dough. In addition to the finest flour, she generously added a large amount of lard, maltose, roasted sesame powder, crushed peanuts, and even some dried pork floss.

What she's going to do is a deluxe version: an energy bomb.

The dough was kneaded and divided into evenly sized portions.

Next comes the most crucial step – compression.

Lacking modern compressors, Ye An'an came up with a makeshift solution.

She had two huge, flat, and thick stone slabs brought to her and cleaned them thoroughly.

Then, place the dough pieces on the stone slab below, separate them with oil paper, and cover them with another stone slab.

"Come on, Second Brother!" she called out to Ye Feng, "It's your turn!"

"Me?" Ye Feng pointed to himself, looking completely bewildered.

"Yes! It's you! You're strong! Stand on this stone slab and stomp on it with all your might! Jump! Use all your strength to press this dough down firmly! The firmer the better!"

Ye Feng: "..."

He looked at the two stone slabs, then at his sister who was looking very serious, and felt that his worldview had been refreshed once again.

To send a dignified deputy general of the Zhenbei Army to... step on a pancake?

If this gets out, how will he maintain his authority in the military?

"Hurry up, Second Brother! What are you standing there for!" Ye An'an urged.

Ye Feng glanced at His Majesty the Emperor beside him, who also looked curious and even eager to try. In the end, he gritted his teeth, stamped his foot, and decided to go for it.

He took off his boots, leaving himself in only socks, and stood on the cold stone slab.

Then, take a deep breath and start... jumping.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

His imposing body rose and fell on the stone slab, each movement powerful and heavy.

The entire imperial study seemed to tremble along with him.

Gao Jin watched from the side, his heart aching, and he kept wincing.

Good heavens, this is the floor of the Imperial Study! What will happen if it gets damaged!

After Ye Feng's "violent" stomping, the pancake was compressed to an extremely dense state, its thickness reduced to only half of its original size.

"Alright!" Ye An'an nodded in satisfaction.

Next comes baking.

She had the pressed dough baked repeatedly over the lowest heat.

Until the last bit of moisture in the dough is baked dry, the whole pancake becomes as hard as a rock, and its color turns an enticing golden brown.

The first "compressed biscuit" is finally fresh out of the oven.

It looked ordinary, just a plain, even somewhat ugly, dry biscuit.

"Second brother, come and taste the fruits of your labor." Ye An'an handed the still-warm cake to Ye Feng.

Ye Feng took the cake and felt that it was extremely heavy and hard.

He forcefully broke off a small piece and put it in his mouth.

The next second, his eyes lit up instantly.

Fragrant!

So delicious!

The aroma of toasted flour, the rich fragrance of lard, the nutty aroma of sesame and peanuts, and the savory aroma of pork floss—all these flavors blend together perfectly to create an incredibly satisfying and rich taste.

Moreover, this pancake becomes more fragrant the more you chew it, with a firm texture and not dry at all.

"Delicious!" he exclaimed sincerely.

"Just being good at eating isn't enough," Ye An'an said with a smile. "Second brother, try drinking some water again."

Ye Feng, still somewhat skeptical, took a large gulp of water.

Then, something amazing happened.

He felt that his stomach was full and he no longer felt hungry.

A strong, unprecedented feeling of fullness instantly rose from his stomach.

He only ate a small piece!

But now he felt as if he had eaten a whole roasted lamb!

I'm full!

I'm more full than ever before!

He stared dumbfounded at the piece of bread in his hand, then at his amazing sister, completely speechless.

"This is a deluxe version of compressed biscuits; we can only make a smaller batch. For military rations, we need to add less sugar."

He understood that military rations were consumed in large quantities and sugar was expensive, but that didn't matter; he could just add a little less. Besides, he knew that what he was making today wasn't just a pancake.

It is an unparalleled treasure capable of changing the fate of the Great Liang Dynasty!