The Empress Wei looked at the three little figures before her, all looking like mischievous thieves caught in the act—especially Ye An’an, whose expression was equal parts guilty and comical—and found herself oddly amused.
Maintaining her composure as the Mother of the Nation, she spoke slowly, her voice betraying no emotion: “Stand up.”
“Thank you, Mother Empress,” Ye An’an and the two young princes replied, trembling slightly as they rose.
“What are you doing here?” Empress Wei’s gaze finally landed on the sizzling iron griddle.
Ye An’an’s mind raced.
She couldn’t very well say she was running a street stall in the palace!
Thinking quickly, she forced a sweet, apologetic smile: “Mother Empress, your servant… I am experimenting with a new dish. It’s cold outside, so I wanted to make something hot to warm the body. It’s called… teppanyaki.”
“Teppanyaki?” Empress Wei repeated the unfamiliar name, curiosity flickering in her eyes.
“Yes, yes!” The Seventh Prince, sensing a way to smooth things over, quickly chimed in. “Your Highness, the Tepsanyaki made by the Crown Prince’s Consort is amazing! Especially the chicken wings!”
The Ninth Prince nodded eagerly, pecking at the words like a little chick: “Mm-hmm! Much better than the roast meat in the palace!”
The two children’s comments immediately eased the tension.
Empress Wei looked at their greasy little mouths, then at Ye An’an, and couldn’t help but feel a twinge of curiosity.
“Oh? Really that good?”
Seizing the moment, Ye An’an knew this was her chance to diffuse the situation entirely.
“Mother Empress, words won’t convince you. Why don’t you try some yourself?” She said as she deftly picked up clean tongs, taking a perfectly glazed honey chicken wing from the iron plate, along with a lightly spiced piece of tofu, and placed them on a pristine white porcelain plate.
“I’ve made them mild in flavor, so you can taste them,” she said, presenting the plate with both hands.
Madam Gui immediately stepped forward, prepared to test for poison with a silver needle.
But Empress Wei waved her off. “No need.”
There was a strange trust in her eyes toward Ye An’an, perhaps because Ye An’an’s gaze was so clear and free of any shadow.
She let a palace maid take the plate and moved to sit at the stone table.
Under the tense scrutiny of everyone around, Empress Wei picked up her chopsticks and first sampled the golden tofu.
The exterior was lightly crisp, the interior soft and tender, the cumin and spices perfectly balanced—aromatic but not overpowering.
Her chewing paused for a moment, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes.
The flavor… was indeed unique.
Next, she set down the chopsticks and, imitating Ye An’an and the children, picked up the honey chicken wing with her hand.
The surrounding palace staff were stunned.
The dignified, poised Empress, so careful of her manners, was… eating with her hands?
Empress Wei didn’t care. She took a gentle bite.
The skin was crispy and caramelized, with a hint of honeyed sweetness; the meat inside was tender and juicy, pulling off the bone easily.
Delicious!
Nothing she had ever eaten in the palace compared to this.
This was pure, simple, and full of life—the kind of food that carried the warmth of fire and the soul of the kitchen.
She couldn’t stop after one bite, and soon the first chicken wing was gone.
She even licked her fingers to savor the sauce, momentarily forgetting her usual composure.
Ye An’an watched, her heart bursting with triumph.
Success! Another soul captured by her cooking!
Quickly, she offered a warm towel and said, “Mother Empress, there’s more in the pan. Try some more?”
Empress Wei wiped her hands with the towel, regaining her composure, and cleared her throat. “No need. The flavor is fine, though… not very refined.”
Her words suggested propriety, but her actions were honest.
“All the leftovers, pack them up. I’ll take them back to Fengyi Palace.”
“Ah?” Ye An’an was momentarily stunned.
“You hesitate? Are you unwilling to part with them?” Empress Wei arched an eyebrow.
“N-no, of course not!” Ye An’an quickly shook her head. “I just worried they’d get cold and lose their flavor.”
“Not a problem.” With a wave of her hand, Empress Wei had Madam Gui and the maids swiftly pack every remaining chicken wing and tofu from the griddle, along with the freshly prepared chili and cumin powders.
The scene resembled a raid more than a meal.
Ye An’an watched her carefully prepared “bait” for the Crown Prince swept away, feeling both helpless and amused.
“Oh, my Crown Prince, if you don’t come back soon, you won’t even get a scrap!”
Satisfied, Empress Wei prepared to leave with her “spoils.” At the door, she turned and called back to Ye An’an: “Your little kitchen—what else do you need? Make a list, and the Imperial Household Department will send it tomorrow.”
Then, surrounded by attendants, she left in grand fashion.
Ye An’an stood there, dazed for a moment, before realization dawned.
This was… a slap and a sweet fruit in one?
No—it was more like stealing her food and reimbursing her for ingredients!
This Empress… truly a clever one.
…
Back at Fengyi Palace, Empress Wei had the packed teppanyaki reheated.
She dismissed all attendants except Madam Gui.
Then, she fully let herself go.
She shed her formal attire for a comfortable casual outfit, discarded her chopsticks, and grabbed a chicken wing with her hands.
“Delicious! So delicious!” she mumbled, half in bliss.
Madam Gui watched, her face showing a rare, gentle smile. “Your Majesty, I haven’t seen you enjoy a meal like this in ages.”
“Yes,” Empress Wei sighed after finishing a wing, picking up a piece of tofu. “I had almost forgotten that food could taste like this. The meals in the palace before… they’re nothing in comparison.”
She picked up another wing, lamenting: “Think about it—my early life in the boudoir, learning propriety; the later life in the palace, obeying rules… I lived like a wooden puppet. I’ve never eaten with such abandon. Half my life gone, and I endured all those bitter days…”
Her eyes glistened slightly.
Madam Gui quickly offered a handkerchief.
Empress Wei waved it off, finishing the last bite, and smiled again.
Her admiration for Ye An’an had reached its peak.
This daughter-in-law wasn’t just clever—she reminded the Empress how to live.
Just then, a eunuch announced outside:
“His Majesty the Emperor has arrived!”
Startled, Empress Wei instinctively tried to hide what she was holding.
But it was too late.
Emperor Xiao Yuanzheng strode in, and immediately caught a whiff of the rich aroma. His eyes fell on the Empress, her lips glistening with oil, with a pile of… unidentified items before her.
His brow furrowed.
This contradicted the image of his poised, restrained, and light-eating Empress.
Yet…
The aroma alone—rich, vibrant, full of life—roused even the Emperor’s appetite.
Even he, having tasted all the world’s cuisine, felt his hunger stirred by the fiery, homey scent.