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"Eh?" Ye Xiaohan's heart skipped a beat. The Third Prince wouldn't have come up with another ridiculous idea, would he?
"So, what does the Third Prince mean...?" Ye Xiaohan asked cautiously, fearing he might make some outrageous request.
Murong Jing fiddled with the dishes and said, "This meal wasn't satisfying enough. You need to cook for me personally and prepare something delicious. It doesn't have to be too complicated; just whip up about seventeen or eighteen dishes."
That was quite a low demand—just seventeen or eighteen dishes. Ye Xiaohan chuckled to himself but agreed nonetheless. After all, he really should thank him properly this time.
Moreover, it was just one meal; it wasn't an unreasonable request.
"Alright, it's settled then." Ye Xiaohan glanced at the progress of the tavern's cleanup and added, "We won't finish today, and tomorrow we'll need to restock supplies, so we can't open for business. Why don't you come over tomorrow? I'll cook for you."
This way, everything could flow seamlessly without disrupting normal operations.
"Sounds good, then it's tomorrow." Murong Jing was pleased. Ye Xiaohan's medicinal cuisine skills had improved significantly and were even better than those of the head chef in the kitchen.
It was just that she was usually too busy to cook often. Previously, during an event at the tavern, Ye Xiaohan had prepared dishes for the guests to taste.
Murong Jing had always loved food, especially curious about things she hadn't tried before. Although Ye Xiaohan's cooking still fell short compared to the Royal Chef's in some aspects, her creativity was something the Royal Chef lacked.
Having grown tired of the monotonous delicacies of mountain and sea, Murong Jing became interested in the dishes at Cup Mo Ting Restaurant, which is why she frequently visited and became a regular customer.
Knowing that she would get to enjoy many novel dishes tomorrow brightened Murong Jing's mood. She specifically instructed that a table full of unique new dishes be prepared before leaving with her attendants, satisfied as she returned to the palace.
After sending off this capricious prince, Ye Xiaohan joined in on the cleanup efforts.
The tavern staff worked together diligently, making significant progress.
The next day, Ye Xiaohan woke up early and took six attendants to purchase fresh ingredients for a feast for the Third Prince.
Thanks to centuries of culinary experience distilled into recipes, preparing seventeen or eighteen dishes was no challenge for Ye Xiaohan, who had read various types of books including cookbooks.
Four cold dishes, four desserts, six hot dishes, two medicinal dishes, one soup, and a steak made for a perfect large spread.
To ensure novelty, Ye Xiaohan incorporated a variety of Western-style dishes into the menu.
Even though the Third Prince could enjoy a variety of regional delicacies in the palace, could he possibly taste unique dishes from around the world?
Ye Xiaohan had gathered culinary delights from all corners of the globe, blending Eastern and Western flavors into this one meal. She was absolutely confident that these dishes had never been served here before, ensuring they were one hundred percent novel and even bizarre.
Wasn't the Third Prince particularly keen on trying something new? This was as novel as it could get; now it was up to him to see if he dared to pick up his chopsticks.
In fact, it turned out that the Third Prince's capacity for acceptance was quite remarkable.
After expressing his astonishment at Ye Xiaohan's secret stash of never-before-seen recipes, Murong Jing grabbed his chopsticks and sampled each dish.
Especially with the Curry Potato Chicken, he displayed a look of disdain while unhesitatingly shoving it into his mouth.
Yang looked on in shock; some of these dishes were ones he had personally sourced the ingredients for and had watched Ye Xiaohan prepare, yet he still couldn't bring himself to eat them.
To his surprise, the Third Prince devoured them without hesitation. Truly, a prince was different from an ordinary person.
Ye Xiaohan also realized that this Third Prince was not only a leisurely individual but also a big foodie!
“Third Prince, do you find today's meal to your liking?” Ye Xiaohan asked with a smile, already knowing the answer from the half-empty plates before her.
Murong Jing swallowed his food, set down his chopsticks, and turned to Ye Xiaohan, praising her: “Not bad, not bad. Very good. These dishes are quite distinct; I've never had anything like them in the palace. You've passed this time.”
Although the flavors were somewhat lacking, they were acceptable given their novelty. Despite being distinct, it didn't sound much like praise.
Ye Xiaohan smiled and replied, “As long as Third Prince is satisfied! If you enjoy it, you can come to our restaurant often in the future; I’ll make sure to reserve a top-notch private room for you.”
“Sounds good.” Murong Jing was pleased; having delicious food without being jostled or bothered by noise was certainly ideal.
After finishing his words, Murong Jing picked up his chopsticks again and continued his tasting adventure.
Watching the Third Prince enjoy his meal brought a flicker of inspiration to Ye Xiaohan.
Since even a prince who rarely left the palace loved these dishes so much, perhaps she could consider adding them to her current menu?
However, launching so many new and novel dishes at once was too eye-catching. It would be better to start by introducing one or two items, allowing for adjustments to the flavors to suit the tastes of the diners in the capital.
This way, they could attract customers with new dishes without risking unpalatable flavors that might affect business.
It was a perfect plan.
A new sales strategy emerged in Ye Xiaohan's mind, continuously refining itself as he thought about it more and more, feeling increasingly feasible.
With ready-made taste testers available, Ye Xiaohan began to question the first taster.
"Third Prince, which of these dishes do you find most to your liking?" Ye Xiaohan silently opened his mental notebook and started recording.
Murong Jing savored the flavors for a moment before pointing at the Bacon and Egg Tart. "This one, although the ingredients are simple, has a rich flavor that is much better than the steamed egg with salted meat I usually eat."
Good, the first dish was noted down.
"What about this dessert? Is it too sweet?" Ye Xiaohan asked, gesturing toward a French Crème Brûlée.
Murong Jing hesitated for a moment, then took a spoonful and tasted it. After a while, he said, "The sweetness is fine; it's just that it's too soft and fluffy when you bite into it, which isn't great."
A texture issue? Ye Xiaohan jotted down "pending" behind the Crème Brûlée.
Female customers would likely prefer this soft texture; it could be tested as a limited offering.
Next, Ye Xiaohan inquired about other dishes, seeking Third Prince's opinions. A foodie’s perspective often represented a broader taste preference.
Murong Jing did not shy away from this topic; he was completely devoid of his usual impatience. He answered every question Ye Xiaohan posed and even offered a few suggestions that were quite practical.
This surprised Ye Xiaohan; he hadn’t expected Third Prince to have such redeeming qualities. Had he been overly cautious due to his status?
Even within the palace, there were good people and bad people; not everyone was malicious.
The two found common ground and engaged in lively conversation. Since they weren’t open for business today and didn’t need to entertain guests, it was a perfect opportunity to relax.
Yang listened intently from the side, savoring the conversation. Even though he couldn't taste the food himself, just hearing them talk made his mouth water, as if he had already experienced the flavors.
Just as they were debating how much rock sugar was ideal for making sweetened pig trotters, a commotion erupted from downstairs.
Ye Xiaohan felt a jolt of alarm; she was almost developing a psychological aversion to such sounds. Whenever she heard them, it seemed like trouble was brewing again.
"What’s going on?" she quickly stood up and hurried down the stairs.
Yang followed closely behind her; if there was indeed trouble, having another person would be helpful.
The restaurant wasn't open today, so there shouldn't be any customers around. Surely, it couldn't be that someone was causing a ruckus? That would be too outrageous. Had she angered someone again?
However, halfway down the stairs, she unexpectedly ran into someone.
"Gu Bei?" Ye Xiaohan peered down and noticed that there were hardly any people left; a few guards of the Third Prince were approaching with swords drawn, surrounding them.
It seemed that Gu Bei had clashed with the guards earlier, causing all that noise.
Ye Xiaohan patted her chest and complained, "So it’s you! I thought someone else had come looking for trouble. You scared me half to death."
Gu Bei's gaze fell on her, and seeing her unharmed eased his tension. His eyes then shifted upward to Murong Jing, who was leisurely strolling toward them.
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