Chapter 1329: Trick

Editor: Henyee Translations

Princess Consort and Auntie Fu were taken aback.

Auntie Fu hastily inquired, “Treasure in the palm? What does that mean?”

Qiao Xuan explained with a smile, shedding light on her idea.

Auntie Fu turned towards Princess Consort Dao, her face glowing with excitement. “Your Majesty, Madame Shao’s idea is brilliant! It seems quite workable. What do you think?”

They were discussing the challenge of preparing a thousand chickens and a thousand fishes, a test set by Qingdi to create difficulties. Madame Shao’s proposal was a fitting response—a tit-for-tat strategy.

Princess Consort was pleasantly surprised. She hadn’t anticipated such a creative solution from Qiao Xuan.

Her eyes brightened as she slowly nodded and smiled. “This idea seems plausible. Now, what about the other two dishes?”

Qiao Xuan was equally prepared for the other challenges.

Addressing the seemingly impossible task of creating a dish that was both cold and hot, Qiao Xuan suggested casually, “For the dish with contrasting temperatures, we can encase ice in a batter and deep-fry it. By serving it before the ice melts, we can achieve the effect of being both cold and hot.”

Princess Consort: “…”

Auntie Fu. “….”

Princess Consort’s expression remained puzzled, and Auntie Fu struggled to hold back her laughter. “Madame Shao, what an ingenious idea! Truly remarkable!”

Princess Consort, though she found herself admiring this unconventional solution, couldn’t help but voice a concern. “But can deep-fried ice cubes truly be considered a dish?”

Other challenges proved relatively straightforward.

While the idea of deep-frying ice was initially incredulous, the skilled chefs, with well-mixed batter and quick execution, could overcome this obstacle. Ice was readily available year-round for the royal family, making it easily obtainable.

Before Qiao Xuan could elaborate, Auntie Fu voiced her discontent, “Your Highness, you are as benevolent and considerate as the Crown Prince, but Qingdi has crossed a line. Why should we engage in a fruitless argument with them? They’re clearly trying to create difficulties for us, and we shouldn’t be compelled to play by their rules. We have the final say in this matter!”

Qiao Xuan silently concurred with Auntie Fu’s perspective. Princess Consort seemed to have been bound by excessive decorum for too long.

After pondering for a moment and realizing her limited options, Princess Consort reluctantly nodded and sighed, “Very well… you’re right. What’s your alternative, then?”

Subconsciously, Princess Consort turned her gaze towards Qiao Xuan, indicating her belief that Qiao Xuan could resolve the issue.

Qiao Xuan, aware of the deliberate challenge thrown her way, wasn’t contemplating cooking techniques but rather how to outmaneuver Qingdi and leave no room for objections.

Her approach to problem-solving was unique, and her intelligence shone brightly under pressure. Her train of thought diverged from the norm, yielding entirely different outcomes.

Moreover, she possessed a rudimentary knowledge of cooking, which, coupled with her keen wit, allowed her to devise a creative solution.

With a brief pause, Qiao Xuan’s lips curled into a sly smile as she declared, “Their demand is absurd. How can a cooked fish be alive? It’s not a matter of making things difficult; it’s a matter of shamelessness on Qingdi’s part!”

“Absolutely!” Princess Consort concurred with Qiao Xuan’s perspective, her tone resolute. “But even though we understand that, we must find a way to resolve this. The reputation of our empire is at stake, and the Crown Prince cannot afford to be seen as ineffectual.”

As the Crown Prince, he was expected to navigate and surmount any challenges that arose. There was no room for compromise.

After a moment of contemplation, Qiao Xuan’s eyes lit up with determination as she said, “If Qingdi is resorting to such shameless tactics, we cannot simply acquiesce. I do have a plan.”

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