Although the emperor of the Yong Dynasty had passed away five years ago, according to his final decree, the crown prince was too young to ascend the throne.
Now only ten years old, aside from learning how to review memorials with Ji Ke in the afternoons, he spent most of his time studying at the Guozijian.
During this period, as a minister assisting in governance, Ji Ke had to carefully read every memorial, provide annotations and solutions, and also coordinate officials in handling cases.
Moreover, he had not relinquished his role as the Supervisor-in-Chief. Not only was he responsible for ensuring the safety of all food, clothing, and supplies within the palace, but he also had to manage the guards and servants in the rear palace.
With such immense power and such a broad scope of control, it was all too normal for people to say he had ulterior motives.
But Jiang Ning didn’t quite believe it.
A person with ambition and a desire for power would not have such an open and desireless gaze, nor such a cool and transcendent demeanor.
“What are we eating today?”
Ji Ke was dressed in a long black-patterned robe on a white base, embroidered with orchid grass motifs. At that moment, he sat upright at the table, his eyes lowered as he looked at the lid on the table, appearing ascetic and noble.
He asked this not because he wanted to eat—it was merely a habitual question.
Jiang Ning stood to the side, gently fanning the aroma seeping through the cracks toward his nose, trying to pique his curiosity and appetite.
“Though you can’t see it, you can smell it. Why not guess what it is, Your Excellency?”
Ji Ke’s expression remained unchanged, but he subtly twitched his nose, catching a whiff of a sour, spicy aroma tinged with the numbing scent of Sichuan pepper.
Like a conditioned reflex when quenching thirst by thinking of plums, upon smelling this sour and spicy fragrance, he instinctively swallowed, though in truth, he felt no desire to eat.
Yet he was somewhat surprised. His fondness for sour and spicy foods was something from long ago, and Jiang Ning had never prepared such dishes before. Logically, she shouldn’t have known.
“Why make this kind of flavor?”
Ji Ke wasn’t curious about the dish itself; he was curious about Jiang Ning’s reason for making it.
“Of course, it’s to suit Your Excellency’s taste.”
Jiang Ning smiled, her eyes curving as she intensified her efforts to fan the aroma toward Ji Ke. “Well? Having smelled this familiar scent, does Your Excellency feel your appetite stirring?”
As someone widely resented and envied, Ji Ke rarely showed any particular preferences—it was a major taboo. Yet, unexpectedly, Jiang Ning had discovered this about him.
He suppressed his slight surprise without a trace, answering her question as he always did.
“It’s not familiar. My appetite remains as bland as ever.”
Looking at his pursed lips, Jiang Ning couldn’t help but sigh inwardly. The unfamiliarity was a lie, but the bland appetite was true.
For over two weeks now, Ji Ke had never expressed a desire to eat anything. His tastes were something Jiang Ning had gradually discerned by subtly adjusting the dishes and flavors each day.
To survive, Ji Ke would symbolically eat a little at each meal, deceiving his own stomach.
He himself hadn’t noticed, but Jiang Ning observed it clearly.
With the same dishes, he would pick out the sour or spicy parts to eat a little, while the rest he would finish perfunctorily. Though the difference was slight, Jiang Ning had noticed it nonetheless.
Thus, this dish came into being—
“First attempt to revive Your Excellency’s appetite: Freshly made summer bouncy cold noodles!”
Jiang Ning suddenly lifted the lid. Ji Ke leaned back slightly to avoid her sweeping hand, his ink-black eyes turning to the two dishes placed on the redwood tray.
On the right was a portion of cold noodles rich with seasonings and an enticing aroma. On the left was a bowl of tea-brown… something.
“What is this?”
"This is the milk tea I brewed to counteract the spiciness." Jiang Ning moved the bowl back slightly and slid the plate of cold noodles in front of him.
"Take a look at these cold noodles. I made them from rice paste, kneaded and steamed over and over just to get three or four sheets."
Jiang Ning looked as if she were enthusiastically recommending a favorite to a close friend, gesturing animatedly with excitement.
Ji Ke sat quietly without a word, his ink-black eyes shifting between her and the cold noodles, as if he had never encountered such fervor before.
"Look at this crystal-clear skin—"
The skin of the cold noodles she pointed to was thin yet resilient, refracting small specks of light under the sun and emitting a faint aroma of rice.
"Look at this aged vinegar, these sesame seeds, these crushed peanuts, these cucumber shreds, and this carefully fried chili oil."
Jiang Ning couldn’t help but lick her lips, grateful she had eaten her fill before coming.
"Now, see this wonderfully elastic texture—"
Jiang Ning picked up a porcelain spoon and tapped the cold noodles shimmering in the sunlight. The resilient skin wobbled like jelly, looking delightfully bouncy.
As she tapped the cold noodles with the spoon, Jiang Ning grinned and raised an eyebrow at Ji Ke, silently boasting about how delightfully springy her noodles were.
Strangely, Ji Ke didn’t find the scene annoying at all; instead, he found it rather amusing.
Unconsciously, a faint smile touched his lips, like a flower branch breaking through ice—cool and elegant, yet tinged with a hint of captivating beauty.
"Bring the chopsticks."
Snapping out of her daze, Jiang Ning quickly leaned over to fetch the chopstick holder from the side and handed it to him, feeling a little embarrassed for her momentary distraction.
To cover her awkwardness, she pushed the cold noodles even closer. "My lord, please try it."
Ji Ke mixed the cold noodles thoroughly. The dark aged vinegar and red chili oil dyed the translucent skin a deep crimson, while sesame seeds, peanuts, and other seasonings tumbled within. Scallions peeked through intermittently, and as the noodles stretched and snapped back, they rippled like waves in the air.
Ji Ke casually swept the dark hair that had fallen forward back behind him, parted his thin lips, and took a bite of the cold noodles.
The first sensation was cool, springy, and glutinous. The noodle skin rolled on his tongue alongside sesame seeds, peanuts, and chili, then released a rich, savory aroma as his teeth pressed down.
The most flavorful element was the chili oil. The finely ground chili, lightly coated in flour and fried to a crisp, lingered fragrantly in the mouth. Its crunchiness held its own alongside the sesame seeds and peanuts.
Paired with the tang of aged vinegar and the numbing spice of chili oil, and balanced by the refreshing crunch of cucumber shreds to cut through the richness, the combination was just right.
Ji Ke took bite after bite, finishing more than half of the small plate.
The chili was fragrant and crispy, not overly spicy, but as Ji Ke hadn’t eaten chili in a long time, fine beads of sweat formed on the tip of his nose after finishing the small portion. His thin lips turned a deep red, as if tinted with rouge.
Though it was quite spicy, Ji Ke didn’t lose his composure. He merely breathed lightly, wiped his mouth, and lifted his gaze to look at her. His eyes held a faint mistiness, though he didn’t notice it himself, and he gave a slight nod.
"Acceptable."
Jiang Ning was already accustomed to his Ji-style critiques. As she fanned him with her hand, she placed the bowl of cool milk tea in front of him.
"My lord, quickly, have some milk tea to soothe the spiciness."
Having eaten the cold noodles, Ji Ke hadn’t planned on consuming anything else, but the spiciness was indeed uncomfortable. So, he picked up the tea bowl and took a few sips.
The milk tea was cool, with a light dairy flavor that was overshadowed by the rich aroma of black tea, yet it still absorbed the creamy richness of the milk perfectly. It was smooth and sweet to drink, and the spiciness in her mouth subsided considerably.
After a flurry of activity, Ji Ke wiped his mouth and looked at the plate in front of him, momentarily stunned.
Today, he had not only eaten half a portion of cold noodles but also drank a small bowl of milk tea—an unexpectedly large amount for him.
Seeing the plate with most of its contents gone, Jiang Ning nodded with satisfaction.
As expected of her—not only had she coaxed Ji Ke into eating half a bowl of cold noodles, but she had also calculated the spiciness and managed to get him to drink most of the milk tea.
With most of today’s nutrition replenished, she planned to serve him some fruit in the evening to round it out.
Jiang Ning nodded contentedly. The sense of intimidation she had felt when first meeting Ji Ke had diminished significantly, and her tone when speaking to him couldn’t help but become more relaxed.
"Sir, may I pick the loquats in the palace?"
No one dared to pick the loquats in Zheyue Palace, and they hung in clusters on the branches, golden and plump, looking juicy and sweet.
Every night before bed, Jiang Ning would stand under the tree for a while, gazing at them. She had been craving them for a long time.
Finally freed from the lingering spiciness, Ji Ke let out a soft sigh and nodded.
"You may."
Jiang Ning nodded, packing everything back into the meal box. "In a few days, I’ll make loquat syrup for you to soothe your lungs."
Ji Ke paused for a moment, giving a slight nod before rising and returning to his desk. He picked up his brush and began reviewing memorials.
His posture was straight, and his expression had returned to its usual calm. If not for his still-red lips, Jiang Ning might have thought what she had just witnessed was an illusion.
"By the way, if Empress Zheng summons you again—"
Ji Ke’s gaze was cool as he looked at Jiang Ning, his expression indifferent.
"If a life-threatening situation arises, you may refuse her outright. Although that waist token isn’t worth much, it still holds some weight in this palace. It is I who pay your monthly salary, not the Neiwufu. In principle, you are not obliged to serve anyone in the palace. Understood?"
Ji Ke usually maintained an outwardly cold but inwardly warm demeanor, speaking respectfully even to the imperial consorts, which had led Jiang Ning to overlook certain things.
But now, seeing the aura around him, she suddenly felt the reality of it.
Ji Ke was not only the head of the Dongchang and a regent minister but also the de facto ruler of the Yong Dynasty. Even when referring to the empress, he had simply said, "You may refuse her outright."
Jiang Ning nodded in acknowledgment, took the meal box, bowed, and excused herself. As she left the waterside pavilion, only one thought crossed her mind—
Damn, her boss was truly impressive.
If she could get him to inscribe a plaque for her shop and publicly claim him as a partner, wouldn’t she make a fortune just from his reputation alone?
This was a big opportunity—she needed to think it through carefully.
As Jiang Ning, dreaming of her money-making plans, left the waterside pavilion, the Little Crown Prince arrived right after his classes ended.
Seeing from afar that Jiang Ning was gone, he sighed with slight disappointment—he had been waiting for the milk tea she had mentioned.
"Your Highness, next time, this servant will have Jiang Ning wait for you so you won’t miss her."
Eunuch Fu followed behind him, holding a horsetail whisk to shield him from the sun.
The Little Crown Prince waved his hand. "No need. Ji Ke would scold me for being greedy if he found out. We’ll see her when the time comes."
Eunuch Fu nodded in agreement, then seemed to remember something.
"The other day, this servant heard from those serving in Zheyue Palace that Jiang Ning made some kind of milk tea again. It's said to be incredibly fragrant and mellow. If Your Highness wishes to drink it, this servant can bring it to you at Guozijian without telling the Supervisor."
The Little Crown Prince halted his steps, suddenly looking up at him with a wronged expression: "What? You've all had it already?!"
"This servant hasn't, but those on duty at Zheyue Palace that day did get to taste it."
The Little Crown Prince's face immediately puffed up like an angry steamed bun. Hugging his arms, he stomped ahead in a huff.
That Jiang Ning—she doesn't keep her word! She clearly promised to let him try it first, yet she lied to him!
He won't stamp her documents anymore!
Author's Note:
Others: Wow, the boss is really impressive, I want to latch onto their coattails.
Jiang Ning: Wow, the boss is really impressive, I need to figure out a way to make them my tool person.