At night, the moonlight fell lightly, casting on a silver-white gauze for the beautiful courtyard of Jingyang Palace.

The heat accumulated during the day receded, and occasionally there were gusts of wind, faintly carrying the refreshing fragrance of flowers.

In the middle of the hall, the old-fashioned square table was full of exquisite meals.

Steamed lamb, distilled crab meat, shark fins with three shredded ingredients, stewed duck giblets, braised deer tendons, golden Siu Mai, milk rolls, candied cherries, fruit-stuffed lotus, flower pots, eight-treasure diced meat were included.

The dishes were colorful and lustrous. The fragrant and delicious smell lingered on the nose, which was mouth-watering.

There was a small charcoal stove in the middle of the pot, and several thumb-sized meat segments were stacked on the iron gridiron.

A little eunuch held a silver tweezer and kept turning the meat over the fire.

The charcoal fire burned up. With the blazing sound, large and small oil bubbles continued to emerge from the meat segment and drip down the gridiron.

The room was full of the unique aroma of cooked meat.

Two pieces of roasted meat on the tweezers were covered by the sauce and put into the plates of the Emperor and Gu Yunxi.

Huanan Xin smiled at the beauty on the seat.

"Dear, taste the roasted bear cub's paw. How do you like it?"

Gu Yunxi picked it up and bit half the piece of meat down lightly.

The bear cub’s paw was roasted by fire, and the meat quality was damaged by the heat.

Now it was tender with a crispy crust, which was delicate as a paste on the tongue. Except for the taste of a mouthful of viscous sweet and sour sauce, she couldn't taste other flavors.

Seeing that she lowered her head and said nothing, Huanan Xin took the meat on his plate and blew it on with his mouth. Then he handed it to her with pampering eyes.

"Dear, open your mouth. In the past, when I was a prince, you always fed me. Now give me a chance."

Gu Yunxi disdained him in her heart.

She didn't love Huanan Xin. In the face of the piece of meat that had been blown by him, she was resistant in her heart. How could she still take it and swallow it?

"Your Majesty, thanks, but is this roasted bear cub's paw one of the dishes prepared by the Imperial Kitchen for the cooking competition?"

Gu Yunxi shook her head slightly, deliberately interrupting him.

Huanan Xin put down the meat segment and felt confused.

"Yeah, what's wrong? This is one of the five dishes."

Gu Yunxi glanced at a table of delicacies with her clear eyes and asked.

"What are the other four dishes?"

Huanan Xin ordered.

"Liang Zhen."

The eunuch bowed down and used the serving chopsticks to choose the three dishes closest to Gu Yunxi's seat. He took some food from each dish, put it into the food plate, and offered it to Gu Yunxi.

Then he scooped a bowl of white soup for her.

Gu Yunxi recognized these three dishes: eel paste with oil, fish slices like hibiscus flowers, and steamed dried scallop.

To make the eel paste with oil, the chef should heat the oil and saute the shallots. Then he should add the blanched fresh eel segments and seasonings to stir-fry them.

The eel was fragrant with strong flavors. It was famous for the crackling sound of oil on the plate after serving.

To make fish slices like hibiscus flowers, the chef should debone the fish, slice it, saute it with the egg white, put some sauce, and then serve it with a garnish.

This dish was bright and the taste was delicate and soft. The most difficult test was the knife skills and the food presentation tips.

When the finished dish was served, the fish was arranged like a blooming hibiscus flower, so it got the name.

To make steamed dried scallop, it required the chef to steam dried scallop and shark fin with soy sauce. Compared to the first two dishes, the method was easier.

Gu Yunxi tasted these three dishes one by one and chewed them slowly and gracefully.

She had to admire that the imperial chefs were the top of the chefs. The handmade dishes were precise and impeccable when it came to knife skills, appearance, and taste, as well as the handling of the heat during the cooking process.

Gu Yunxi took a bowl and tasted a few mouthfuls of soup. She frowned and was slightly confused.

"Your Majesty, I wonder the ingredients of this white-burned soup."

Huanan Xin smiled and looked at Liang Zhen.

Liang Zhen smiled and said in a feminine voice.

"Your Grace, that's a good question. The main ingredient of this soup is fresh lungfish, which is the most popular fish in Ying State."

"The internal organs of this lungfish are highly poisonous, and it is also difficult to handle."

"The lungfish His Majesty and you eat is carefully handled by the most experienced cook in the Imperial Kitchen, and the soup has been tried by her first. You can rest assured."

"I see."

Gu Yunxi put down the jade bowl with a smile and looked at the four dishes and one soup again with her slightly flashing eyes.

The arrangement of the Imperial Kitchen was also reasonable.

Roasted bear cub's paw, eel paste with oil, fish slices like hibiscus flowers, steamed dried scallop, and boiled lungfish soup integrated five cooking techniques, such as burning, frying, stir-frying, steaming, and stewing, each of which was not repeated.

In terms of the precious ingredients, it was indeed superior.

However...

Gu Yunxi slowly frowned. Seeing this, Huanan Xin looked a little nervous.

"Dear, is there anything wrong with these dishes?"

Gu Yunxi shook her head.

"Your Majesty, these four dishes and one soup are really the delicacies of the world. The color, fragrance, and taste are impeccable."

"However, the news of the spies says that people from Ying State have brought a large number of rare ingredients here."

"But at the moment, I find that bear cub’s paws and eels are indeed the most common ingredients for us."

"Do you mean the news is not reliable?"

Huanan Xin was surprised and slowly frowned.

"I dare not draw a rash conclusion. Your Majesty, please forgive me..."

Gu Yunxi was uneasy and got up to kneel.

"What are you doing? I don't blame you."

Huanan Xin smiled generously. He raised his hands to help her and became mild-eyed.

"Dear, there is nothing wrong with your meticulous thinking, but you have reminded me."

"Ying State is an island country in the Eastern Sea. The ingredients they bring must be mostly seafood. How can they bring any bear cub’s paws, eels, and the like?"

"However, the fish slices like hibiscus flowers you just tasted are indeed made by the most popular Samen fish in Ying State."

If it hadn’t been for the fact that this cooking competition was about the state system of Da Yi, Huanan Xin would not have been so concerned about who would be the winner.

After a moment of concentrated thought, Gu Yunxi was determined.

"In case of accidents, it is better for me to prepare more dishes."

Huanan Xin looked overjoyed and turned his hand to hold this intelligent and charming little woman into his arms.

"Your Majesty!"

Gu Yunxi was frightened by the man's burning gaze but did not dare to resist him. She had to sit on his laps and snort.

The lingering feelings of affection grew deeper on the young Emperor's handsome face. He held her with his strong arms, not allowing her to leave him easily.

The exuding tenderness and love in his eyes turned into a large net, firmly locking her face with shyness. He laughed.

"As my concubine, you still don't want me to touch you?"

Gu Yunxi took coquetry as a weapon, and her voice was so delicate and gentle like a warbler's cry that no one could lose his temper.

"Did you touch me once? Please let me go down. Your Majesty, thanks to you, I can see so many good dishes today. I still want to eat more."

"Well, Dear, you eat food and I hold you. If it doesn't work, let me feed you once tonight."

He pinched the woman's sharp and delicate chin with his two fingers. When the Emperor was about to bow his head and ask for a kiss, suddenly several conversations came from outside the palace.

"I pay respects to you, Your Highness. His Majesty is accompanying Her Grace to have dinner now."

"Oh, it's all right. I just happen to get here."

It was the voice of Zhiqi and Jingle.

Gu Yunxi was secretly pleased. She twisted her neck and shouted towards the outside.

"Is Ying'er coming? It's hot outside. Let her in."

Huanan Xin was instantly depressed like a frosted eggplant, listlessly letting go of the little woman.

Jingle raised the curtain and entered and her timid gaze implied a hint of nervousness. She saluted the Emperor and Gu Yunxi, and then she hurriedly looked at the jade-carved dragon wine pot on the table.

The imperial wine had been added some condiment by herself, and now she had to see them drinking it in order to be at ease.

"I have said that you can't leave Shuofeng Hall!"

Huanan Xin was once again disturbed. He was upset, holding golden chopsticks and taking vegetables into his mouth.

The girl bowed her head silently and said.

"Your Majesty, I know my fault. I will return as soon as I confess to you and Her Grace."

Gu Yunxi stood up with a smile and lovingly held the girl.

"Ying'er, you come just in time. I and His Majesty are having dinner. Join us and share the food with us."

This naughty girl made a big fuss in the Ninth Prince’s Mansion after the Ninth Prince rejected the marriage with her, and Gu Yunxi had already heard about it.

She did have some admiration for the girl's boldness and courage.

There was nothing wrong with trying to strive for her own happiness, but the mistake was that she loved the wrong person and should not flirt with another woman's husband.

Jingle glanced at Gu Yunxi and responded in a low voice.

"I’m not hungry. This time, it is my fault. I shouldn't make you angry, Your Majesty. I’m willing to pour wine for you and Her Grace. Please do not blame me and spare me this time, Your Majesty."

With that, the girl reached for the wine pot with slightly trembling fingers.

To add drugs to the imperial food without authorization was a grave sin of deceiving the Emperor.

However, for the sake of Ninth Uncle, Jingle wanted to try again and ignored anything!

Grabbing the wine pot and pouring two cups, Jingle offered the first cup to the Emperor. She looked humble.

"Your Majesty, please."

Huanan Xin looked at her and sighed lightly. Then he took the wine cup and drank it all.

Feeling at ease more, the girl proposed the second toast to Gu Yunxi.

Gu Yunxi smiled gently.

"Your Highness, thank you. I just recovered from smallpox and I will prepare for the cooking competition. I'd better not drink alcohol for the sake of safety."

Huanan Xin agreed.

"All right. Give me the cup. I drink it for you."

"Well..."

Jingle was suddenly gloomy and upset.

Drinking two cups of wine, Huanan Xin was pleased and admired.

"Great!"

Then he turned to the girl standing beside the table.

"Go back, Ying'er. Stay in Shuofeng Hall for a few days. When the envoy of Ying State enters the court, you can get out of Shuofeng Hall."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I’m leaving now."

Jingle turned and walked outside the palace. A sly smile quietly appeared at the corner of her mouth.