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

The crisp "click" sound was like a thunderclap, exploding in the ears of everyone in the hall.

All eyes were fixed on the glistening roast duck, which looked like a piece of red agate.

They could even see a layer of glistening, scalding oil seeping from the duck skin as the knife tip sliced ​​through.

The scene, the sound, the aroma...

Everything combined to create an indescribable, ultimate allure.

Inside the main hall, the sound of people swallowing their saliva could be heard one after another.

Even Emperor Xiao Yuanzheng, sitting on the dragon throne, couldn't help but lean forward slightly from his seat, his eyes fixed on the duck without blinking.

He had lived most of his life and had tasted countless delicacies. Even the imperial chefs could prepare duck in various ways, such as Eight Treasure Duck and Crispy Duck…

But he never imagined that a duck, just by looking at it, hearing it, and smelling it, could so captivate a person's heart and soul.

Standing in the center of the main hall was the master chef with the best knife skills in the imperial kitchen.

He was so nervous that his palms were sweating.

He had sliced ​​meat his whole life, but never before had he felt the knife in his hand weigh a ton as much as he did today.

Because standing behind him was Ye An'an, the Crown Prince's concubine.

What he wanted to make was a "divine object" personally guided by this "grandmother" level deity.

He took a deep breath, steadied himself, and then began the most important "performance" of his life.

The cleaver in his hand was as thin as paper and as sharp as the wind.

Instead of slicing the meat directly, he carefully sliced ​​off the crispiest piece of skin from the breast of the roast duck.

Then, he placed the still-warm duck skin into a delicate little white dish.

Immediately, a palace maid presented the first dish of "prize money" to the emperor's desk.

Next to the plate was a small pinch of pure white, snowflake-like... granulated sugar.

"Father," Ye An'an stepped forward and introduced softly, "the first bite of this roast duck is all about the crispiest skin. Dip it in white sugar, and it melts in your mouth, fragrant but not greasy."

Dip it in sugar?

Xiao Yuanzheng looked at the piece of duck skin, thinner than paper and glistening with oil, then glanced at the plate of white sugar next to it. His face showed the same look of suspicion he had when he first saw bubble tea.

Is this... possibly tasty?

However, having experienced countless "it's actually good" moments before, he didn't hesitate for long this time.

He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of duck skin, and gently dipped it in the sugar dish.

Then, under the watchful eyes of civil and military officials, envoys from various countries, and everyone else, he slowly put it into his mouth.

next second.

His eyes suddenly widened.

A burst of unprecedented, dazzling light erupted from those usually deep and dignified eyes.

"Click..."

The moment his teeth touched the duck skin, an extremely faint yet incredibly clear crisp sound exploded in his mouth.

The duck skin was as thin as a potato chip and incredibly crispy.

Next, the thin layer of scalding hot fat beneath the duck skin melted instantly on his tongue.

The rich, sweet, and oily aroma, with its fruity and smoky notes, instantly filled his entire mouth.

And that little bit of white sugar just right, neutralizing the greasiness of the oil and bringing out the subtle sweetness of the duck skin itself.

Crispy, fragrant, crunchy, sweet, and moist...

Countless wonderful textures and flavors exploded on his taste buds, layer upon layer.

In that instant, he felt as if he wasn't eating a piece of duck skin.

Instead, they are eating a cloud, the most delicious cloud, formed from sunlight and fire.

good to eat.

It was so delicious that he forgot his identity as an emperor.

It was so delicious that he felt that everything he had ever eaten before was just a compromise.

He chewed very slowly.

He couldn't bear to swallow this unparalleled delicacy.

Inside the main hall, everyone held their breath, staring at the emperor on the dragon throne, who was completely "petrified".

They didn't know what kind of taste could make the emperor, the most powerful man in the land, show such an "uncomfortable" expression.

Finally, Xiao Yuanzheng swallowed the piece of duck skin in his mouth with great difficulty.

Then, he did something that shocked everyone.

Instead of using chopsticks, he reached out and picked up a piece of duck skin from the plate, dipped it in sugar, and quickly stuffed it into his mouth.

Then, he revealed the same blissful, almost heavenly expression as before.

Now, no one doubted it anymore.

In everyone's mind, only one thought remained.

I want some too!

Now!immediately!immediately!

As if hearing the thoughts of everyone, the master chef who carved duck in the center of the hall began his real performance.

The knife in his hand flew up and down, as fast as lightning.

He sliced ​​off pieces of duck meat, skin and all, evenly thick and thin, with effortless skill, and arranged them neatly on a plate.

In no time, he had sliced ​​a whole roast duck into two beautiful plates: one with only the skin and the other with slices of duck meat.

The remaining duck carcass was immediately sent back to the kitchen to be used to make a pot of milky white duck carcass soup.

One duck, three ways to cook it; making the most of its resources.

Soon, the sliced ​​roast duck, along with the accompanying paper-thin lotus leaf pancakes, bright green scallions, refreshing cucumber strips, and a dish of sweet bean sauce, were served to each guest's table in a continuous stream.

Ye An'an personally went to Xiao Jingshi's side and demonstrated for him.

She picked up a lotus leaf pancake, spread it in her palm, and used chopsticks to spread a layer of sweet bean sauce on it.

Then, add a few crispy duck skin slices, a few tender duck meat slices, and a few scallion shreds and cucumber strips.

Finally, with a skillful roll, a beautiful, plump duck roll is ready.

"Your Highness, please have a taste." She handed the first duck roll to Xiao Jingshi.

Xiao Jingshi took it and, imitating her, took a big bite.

The next second, his expression was exactly the same as his father's just now.

The softness of the lotus leaf pancakes, the crispness of the duck skin, the tenderness of the duck meat, the spiciness of the scallions, the refreshing coolness of the cucumber, the savory-sweetness of the sweet bean sauce...

All the flavors and textures blend, collide, and sublimate perfectly in the mouth!

good to eat!

It was so delicious that it made you feel that life was complete at that moment.

He looked at the woman beside him, who was smiling at him, and his heart was overflowing with feelings of pride and love.

He felt incredibly fortunate to have her.

Inside the main hall, the others had long since abandoned any regard for etiquette.

Everyone followed Ye An'an's example, rolled up their own duck meat rolls, and then enjoyed them immensely.

"Waaah... This is so delicious! How can this duck be so delicious!" This was Xie Zhao.

"Crispy but not greasy, tender but not dry, this is a divine product, a divine product indeed!" This was said by Lu Chengyuan.

Even the envoys from various countries were completely captivated by this unprecedented delicacy.

As they ate, they chattered away in their own language, praising Ye An'an with eyes full of awe and...greed.

They believed that the most precious treasures of the Great Liang Dynasty were neither silk nor porcelain.

Instead, it's this person in front of me, the Crown Prince's concubine, who can turn the rotten into the miraculous!

A grand state banquet was completely transformed into a massive "I was wrong" moment about Peking duck.

Looking at the bustling scene before her and listening to the continuous exclamations of praise, Ye An'an wore a satisfied smile.