"Supervisor, the person has arrived."
Jiang Ning did not look up directly as before, but instead kept her head down, gazing at the floor while holding the red tray.
The floors in the waterside pavilion were waxed, gleaming and spotless, reflecting slightly clear shadows.
She watched the shadow of the person in the reflection set down the memorial, cough lightly a few times, his cool tone tinged with a hint of hoarseness.
"No need to keep your head down the entire time. Present the items."
Indeed, those with poor appetites often don't enjoy good health.
Eunuch Fu took the wooden tray from her hands, stepped forward, and placed it on the desk.
During the time she had spent preparing the food, most of the memorials on the desk had been processed, and the Little Crown Prince, who had been buried up to his head in paperwork, finally revealed his face.
Though still young, he already showed hints of handsomeness. His eyes still held a childlike innocence, but as he sat upright, he kept glancing frequently at the wooden tray.
Ji Ke, on the other hand, watched her with a calm gaze.
Her hair was disheveled, her temple stained with blood, and the hem of her simple ruqun was dotted with mud and torn in several places, reduced to tatters. Her entire appearance conveyed just two words: disheveled.
The only redeeming feature was her eyes—bright, shining, and tinged with a smile that made one feel as though nothing in the world could be too difficult. It was rather endearing.
But even so, he held no expectations for the food inside.
"Open it."
As the lid was lifted, a familiar tea fragrance wafted out faintly, accompanied by a hint of sweet peach aroma, easing some of the summer heat in this sweltering season.
Ji Ke lowered his gaze, pausing for a moment when his eyes fell upon the four soft, round dumplings.
They were rather cute.
The Little Crown Prince could hardly sit still upon smelling the aroma. He had just lifted his bottom when Ji Ke's glance from beside him made him sit back down.
Ji Ke looked up at her, his gaze devoid of any disdain yet compelling a sense of submission.
"What is this dish called?"
"This dish is called Oolong Peach Snowy Dumplings."
Ji Ke felt the name was somewhat inappropriate—such cute snowy dumplings had nothing "seductive" about them. But naming was the chef's prerogative, and it wasn't his place to comment.
Jiang Ning had no idea of his inner thoughts. Seeing him merely staring at the contents of the tray, she grew somewhat nervous.
When she first entered the waterside pavilion, she had observed carefully. The room was filled with the fragrance of tea, and a complete set of tea-making utensils indicated his love for tea.
On a nearby table, sour plum juice was brewing, yet the brocade box beside it was filled to the brim with sugar cubes, suggesting he had a sweet tooth.
The ingredients in the kitchen were mostly vegetarian, indicating he usually ate very lightly. The fact that he reviewed memorials in the waterside pavilion instead of the study showed he feared the heat.
Having observed so much, she was confident he would like this dessert. If he didn't even taste it, wouldn't all her efforts be in vain?
Just as she was thinking of how to persuade him, she saw Ji Ke reach out and pick up one of the snowy dumplings. He gently squeezed it a few times before taking a bite, and she couldn't help but feel slightly stunned.
The snowy dumpling felt soft, delicate, and cool to the touch, round and adorable. But when bitten into, it didn't break apart immediately as expected. Instead, the soft, chewy skin stretched slightly, releasing the tea fragrance within.
The skin was cool, immediately dispelling some of the summer heat. It exuded the aroma of tea, carrying a faint, sweet, glutinous flavor—soft yet resilient, pleasantly chewy. Hidden beneath the skin was a creamy, tangy sweetness, rich with the fragrance of milk.
He usually disliked sourness, but this tartness was balanced by the sweet, fresh peach wrapped inside. Mixed with the tea and glutinous aroma of the skin, the sourness transformed into sweetness.
With one bite, the flavors of tea, milk, and peach blended together, while the soft, glutinous texture paired with a dense, juicy filling, all accompanied by a refreshing coolness perfect for beating the heat. It was truly a rare delicacy, and undeniably suited his taste perfectly.
Ji Ke remained seated upright and proper, yet there was something subtly different about his demeanor. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, he finished one snow bun and reached for a second.
The eunuchs around, who had previously remained unperturbed, exchanged glances, their faces practically adorned with question marks. Even Jiang Ning was somewhat stunned.
She had thought he might take a few more bites, but she never expected him to finish an entire one.
Beside him, the Little Crown Prince stared blankly for a moment before snapping back to reality, reaching for one himself and taking a bite. After chewing thoughtfully, he widened his eyes and looked at Jiang Ning.
"You should stay. Even if Ji Ke doesn’t want you, my Yu Shanfang will keep a position open for you!"
Jiang Ning didn’t respond. Given the relationship between these two, it probably didn’t matter much who her employer was.
The Little Crown Prince turned to Ji Ke, eager to know the outcome.
"Ji Ke, what do you think? Is it delicious?"
Having already polished off the second one, Ji Ke wiped his hands, lifted his gaze to look at her, his expression largely unchanged as he gave a dignified nod.
"…Acceptable."
Eunuch Fu, standing nearby, couldn’t help but glance at the plate now holding only one bun. How was this merely "acceptable"? Clearly, he was quite fond of it. It had been so long since he’d seen the Supervisor eat this much.
"I heard Tianxiang Restaurant has long been in decline. I never expected there to be a junior like you among them."
Even before Jiang Ning entered the palace, news of her having taken up the challenge had already been relayed, along with her identity.
"You flatter me, Lord Ji. They at Tianxiang Restaurant are not worthy of me."
There was no trace of arrogance or pride in Jiang Ning’s tone; her expression was calm, as if she were merely stating a fact.
Ji Ke was somewhat surprised, but considering how she had run halfway across the city to escape an arranged marriage, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
"Your culinary skills are indeed far superior to theirs, and the dishes you conceive are quite innovative."
The Little Crown Prince picked up the last bun, his cheeks stuffed full, his gaze shifting back and forth between Jiang Ning and Ji Ke.
Ji Ke set the handkerchief aside and began outlining his requirements.
"I primarily reside in Zheyue Palace within the palace grounds and seldom leave, so you will also rarely have the opportunity to go out. However, you will have your regular days off each month as usual, and you may request leave from me for personal matters on weekdays. Your monthly salary will follow the palace’s standards for imperial chefs. How does that sound?"
This didn’t come across as a condescending command but rather resembled her past job applications. Not only was this employer exceptionally handsome, but the terms he offered were also quite favorable.
Accommodation and meals were provided within the palace, leaving little need for spending. Monthly holidays were stable, the employer was gentle and didn’t pressure her for performance, and most importantly, she had the opportunity to unlock ingredients by stamping seals.
Jiang Ning was no fool; she had already formed an idea while cooking earlier.
If she could find opportunities to unlock the raw materials and kitchenware in the System, she could later open a restaurant or tavern outside the palace, sourcing ingredients directly from the System, which would save a significant amount in costs.
This was practically a choice with limitless returns.
"Thank you, my lord!"
Ji Ke nodded, instructing someone to clear the plates. He then picked up a memorial from the side and handed it to the still-chewing Little Crown Prince, though his words were directed at Jiang Ning.
"You don’t need to prepare dinner tonight. Take your time to pack your belongings and start tomorrow."
"Yes."
Before leaving, Jiang Ning turned and bowed respectfully.
"My lord, after suddenly consuming so much glutinous food, you should drink plenty of water, or your stomach may not handle it well."
Ji Ke was momentarily taken aback, his dark eyes glancing at her before he nodded and turned back to continue teaching the Little Crown Prince how to review memorials.
Ji Ke’s Zheyue Palace was not far from the Little Crown Prince’s bedchamber, and its style differed from what she had seen along the way.
If other palaces were opulent and magnificent, his bedchamber was like an orchid or jade tree, fragrant with flowers and plants.
In every aspect, Ji Ke did not behave like a eunuch but rather like a nobleman from an aristocratic family. Jiang Ning even wondered who could possibly be intimidated by such a temperament.
The palace maid A Tao, who had guided her earlier, was also from Zheyue Palace. After bringing Jiang Ning back to Zheyue Palace, she gave her a waist token, briefly explained a few things, and then hurriedly left.
Jiang Ning certainly couldn’t just sit there all afternoon. After a quick wash, she changed into palace attire and headed to the small kitchen in Zheyue Palace.
The Little Crown Prince was young and fond of good food. Perhaps the matter of the seal could be approached through him. Before that, she needed to make some snacks to build a good relationship with him.
Since the ingredients unlocked by the System were only flour and starch, she could still make cookies and win him over with sweets.
The small kitchen in Zheyue Palace still had mostly vegetables and fruits, but to her delight, she discovered a small bag of dried fruit. Although it wasn’t completely dried, it was perfect for adding to cookies!
Jiang Ning retrieved low-gluten flour, butter, and sugar from the System’s store, along with eggs already available in the kitchen, and turned to prepare the fire.
There was no oven here, and the baking oven was likely in Yu Shanfang. To bake dried fruit cookies with a similar crispiness, controlling the heat was crucial.
It couldn’t be too high, nor could it produce too much steam. She also had to constantly flip them to avoid burning.
Jiang Ning hadn’t baked much with firewood before, so she treated this as an experiment.
As the temperature in the kitchen rose and the butter melted sufficiently, Jiang Ning poured in the sugar and began whisking manually with a hand mixer again.
“Poor my hand.”
Jiang Ning’s own hands were already well-trained, so manual whisking was no trouble. However, Jiang Shiyu’s hands were too delicate, requiring frequent breaks. After the butter lightened in color and slowly expanded, she began adding the eggs.
Once the eggs were thoroughly mixed with the slightly yellow butter, came the more tedious step: sifting in the low-gluten flour.
To ensure the flour fully blended with the slightly fluffy butter, sifting once wasn’t enough—it had to be done at least three times, kneading the flour in each time. After repeating this three times, Jiang Ning was utterly resigned.
She set the kneaded dough aside, casually poured in the bag of dried fruit, and continued her kneading endeavor.
“I must get the imperial seal to unlock the electric mixer.”
If she opened a shop in the future and the customer flow increased, she’d be kneading until who knows when.
Jiang Ning shook her sore arms, shaped the kneaded dough into a rectangular block, and hung it in the well. She then returned to the kitchen to figure out how to control the fire.
She laid several sheets of parchment paper in the pot, didn’t add too much firewood under the stove, and after maintaining a steady temperature, retrieved the dough from the well.
It had indeed taken shape but was still slightly damp, requiring extra care to bake slowly over low heat.
Jiang Ning took a deep breath, placed the sliced dried fruit cookies on the parchment paper, and began carefully controlling the bellows and flame temperature.
The parchment paper was of good quality. Although the edges curled slightly, it wasn’t brittle enough to crumble. The cookies on the paper slowly rose from the bottom, emitting faint cracking sounds.
The once dense and sticky batter had become light and airy, its color shifting from a hard yellow to a tender, golden brown. The sweet aroma of cookies wafted through the small kitchen, exactly like the scent from an oven-baked batch.
“Success, success!”
Muttering excitedly with a beaming smile, Jiang Ning still didn’t dare to move recklessly. She carefully pulled the bellows, keeping a close eye on the fire and the cookies.
Now, their bottoms and edges had puffed up into the proper cookie shape. All that was left was to maintain the temperature, drying out the insides without letting the bottoms burn.
In an oven, the heat was evenly distributed, so this wasn’t a concern. But here on the stove, the heat came from the bottom—if the temperature rose even slightly, the bottoms would scorch.
They were in the final stage; she absolutely couldn’t mess up now—
“Ah!! Your Highness!”
A blood-curdling scream suddenly rang out, startling Jiang Ning, who had been fully focused. Her hand jerked, yanking the bellows hard.
The flames, previously suppressed, surged upward, eagerly licking the iron pot as if eager to burn freely.
“Damn it!”
Jiang Ning hurriedly picked up the cookies one by one from the pot and placed them on a plate, but many had slightly burnt bottoms, and some likely hadn’t dried out inside, making them less crisp when eaten.
Though still fragrant, some were burnt, and others weren’t crisp enough. This batch of cookies was mostly a failure, leaving her feeling utterly frustrated.
Jiang Ning turned and left the kitchen, opening the side door of Zheyue Palace to see who had so callously wounded a little cook’s heart.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw a large crowd gathered around the lotus pond opposite. A drenched consort sat on the bridge, looking pitiful, while a tall man in gray stood before her.
Hearing the noise, the man turned his head. His dark, somber eyes swept over the cucumber Jiang Ning was holding, and his thin lips parted slightly.
“Something the matter?”