Volume 1, Chapter 30: Cooking (2)

Her gaze trailed from his long, jade-like fingers to his moist, thin lips. Xue Wu paused, only then belatedly grasping Shen Ran’s intent.

Unwilling to dampen his spirits, Xue Wu, though shy, stood on her tiptoes and took the initiative to press a kiss to his lips. However, due to her nervousness, the kiss was slightly off-center, landing barely at the corner of his mouth.

She then reached up to rub her burning cheeks, deliberately avoiding the hint of amusement in Shen Ran’s eyes. "It is getting late. Your Majesty, please return to the palace to rest. Your subject will go prepare the meal—oh!"

Before she could finish, she was pulled back by Shen Ran. He laughed, "Even if it isn't being made for me, there is certainly no reason for you to toil alone. I shall assist you."

He could be mad, and he could be cruel. Yet, if he set his mind on pleasing someone, there was almost no one who could resist him.

Hearing this, Xue Wu was both surprised and guilty. "Your Majesty is of golden stature; how could you do such things—"

Shen Ran smiled. "Why?"

"Is A-Wu looking down on me?"

"Are you afraid I will ruin your craft?"

Xue Wu shook her head. "Of course not."

Shen Ran chuckled. "Then do not refuse."

Xue Wu: "..."

...

According to Xue Wu's initial plan, she intended to simply stir-fry two or three dishes. However, with Shen Ran joining in, two or three dishes would be far from enough. She racked her brains and finally managed to pull together four dishes and one soup.

A plate of scallion-braised lamb.
A plate of stir-fried eggs with carrots.
A plate of shredded potatoes in vinegar sauce.
A plate of shiitake mushrooms with winter melon strips.
And a bowl of fresh bamboo shoot and ham soup.

In the home of an ordinary family, these dishes would be considered delicacies that might not even be tasted during the New Year. In the Imperial Palace, however, they appeared quite meager. By custom, even if left uneaten, the Emperor’s dinner should consist of at least thirty-two hot dishes, each one rare and costly, not including the various fruits, desserts, and soups.

Xue Wu looked at the mediocre dishes she had prepared and frowned slightly, feeling they were hardly presentable.

She whispered, "Your Majesty, I feel these dishes are truly too few. Perhaps I should have the imperial chefs prepare a few more. Your Majesty? Your Majesty?"

Xue Wu called out twice, but received no response from Shen Ran. Instead, she suddenly caught the fragrant scent of roasted meat.

She froze. Just as she turned to follow the scent, she saw him handing her a plate of roasted lamb leg.

Although everything had been nearly prepared, and there was little need for Shen Ran’s help beyond handing over ingredients, he had not been idle. While Xue Wu was busy stir-frying, he had been roasting the lamb leg on the side.

Shen Ran’s eyes were filled with warmth. "I haven't roasted meat in many years; I don't know if I've grown rusty. Taste it and see how it is."

Xue Wu followed his cue, picked up her chopsticks, and delicately tasted a piece. Her eyes widened slightly. The roasted lamb was incredibly delicious. In all honesty, it was no less than what the imperial chefs could produce, perhaps even superior.

She had never heard that Shen Ran possessed such skills. An imperial prince had no need to cook, after all. The more she came into contact with him, the more she felt there were many facets of this man that she did not understand.

Xue Wu’s heart felt complicated. She said with great sincerity, "I have never tasted such delicious roasted lamb, but when did Your Majesty learn to do this?"

"When I was a hostage in Rongdi," Shen Ran said calmly. "Life as a hostage is not easy, after all. If I did not do it myself, no one else would do it for me."

He mentioned it casually, as if it were a trivial matter. But upon hearing the word "Rongdi," Xue Wu’s heart gave a sharp jolt, and she could not help but knit her brows.

She was well aware that in his youth, the late Emperor had sent Shen Ran to Rongdi as a hostage for three years.

The Great Zhou was fertile and prosperous, but the neighboring Rongdi lands were barren, with scarce grain yields. Consequently, the Rongdi army would frequently invade or raid the borders of the Great Zhou to plunder women and supplies, leading to constant warfare. Due to the chronic lack of food and clothing, the people of Rongdi were notoriously fierce, valuing strength above all else and favoring violence to suppress violence. Whether civilians or soldiers, they fought recklessly as if their lives meant nothing.

In contrast, although the Great Zhou had conquered the realm on horseback, the generals and soldiers had grown increasingly complacent after years of comfortable living. This was especially true during the reign of the late Emperor, Shen Jianning.

Though Shen Jianning had inherited the throne thanks to his mother’s illustrious family, he was by nature mediocre and cowardly. He lacked ability, was jealous of talent, refused to listen to any advice, and insisted on acting according to his own arbitrary whims.

Faced with the increasingly arrogant and unbridled aggression of Rongdi, not only did he fail to take any effective countermeasures, but he instead retreated blindly. He claimed that for the sake of friendship between the two nations, as long as Rongdi promised not to invade again, he would send them supplies annually. To show his sincerity, he would even send a princess for a marriage alliance.

After much discussion, Rongdi accepted Shen Jianning’s proposal. However, they were not satisfied with merely receiving a princess. The men of Rongdi were warlike; they viewed women, who were physically weaker, as commodities to be traded. They believed a woman was no different from a sheep or a cow; even the Emperor’s daughter, despite her noble status, was merely a tool for political marriage.

For the Great Zhou to send a princess was no different than sending another piece of cargo. They demanded that an imperial prince be sent to Rongdi as a hostage. In the eyes of the Rongdi people, an imperial prince was inherently far more precious than a princess. Only by sending a prince could the Great Zhou demonstrate its true sincerity.