Chapter Twenty-Three: Deliciousness

"Mmm, mmm!" Li Chengqian nodded. "So, what do you plan to do?"

"In the palace... everyone protects him, there’s no chance at all. Why not lure him out and have someone give him a good beating?"

"Lure him out of the palace?"

"That’s not a good idea," Li Chengqian hesitated, recalling how his last venture outside the palace had earned him a harsh scolding from Emperor Taizong. If he did such a thing again, the consequences would be dire.

"Elder brother..."

"You may not fear Father, but I do!" Li Chengqian rolled his eyes. "I'm already the Crown Prince; Father has high hopes for me. How could I go against his wishes and leave the palace as I please? What’s more, to go outside just to deal with my own younger brother—if Father were to find out..."

"Brother, you’re being far too cautious," Li Tai said dismissively. "If you’re afraid of Father’s wrath, I’ll go myself. If I don’t teach him a lesson, I won’t be able to swallow this grievance!"

...

Days passed in the blink of an eye.

Li Lizhi’s cooking skills grew even more refined. Each time she went to the imperial kitchens, tantalizing aromas would waft through the air. The guards and maids of Lizheng Hall inhaled greedily and whispered among themselves, "Her Highness has gone to the kitchen again—it must be bacon fried rice!"

"We’re in for a treat tonight!"

"We must eat our fill!"

For several days, they all tasted Li Lizhi’s dishes. The bacon fried rice was the most sought after, almost a daily staple.

"Here it comes, here it comes!" Amidst lively shouts, Li Lizhi emerged carrying the dishes.

"Hahaha..." Luo Tong could barely contain himself. "Thank you, Your Highness. Let me have the first taste!"

"Don’t rush!" Li Lizhi picked up her chopsticks and rapped Luo Tong’s hand hard. "Zhi gets to try first and give me a score! Then you can eat."

"Alas!" Luo Tong sighed. Every time, Li Zhi got the first bite. He could only accept the leftovers. Well, considering Li Zhi was a prince, he would endure.

Many guards, maids, and eunuchs looked on eagerly. Only after Li Zhi tasted and approved would they be allowed to share.

"Sister, your cooking is getting better and better... This bacon fried rice captures the essence of my own culinary skills!" Li Zhi, with the air of a little adult, offered his critique to Li Lizhi’s food.

Satisfied with his praise, Li Lizhi finally relaxed. "I have definite news—Uncle Li Ji will return to the capital the day after tomorrow. Father will host a banquet in the Hall of Supreme Harmony to welcome him home. At that time, I’ll present this dish as a surprise!"

"You’ve practiced for days just for this?" Li Zhi asked.

"Of course! I want everyone to know that my culinary skills are the finest in the land, hehe..." She glanced at Li Zhi, her brows knitting into a warning. "You’d better not steal my credit!"

"Hahaha..."

"Don’t worry, I won’t compete with you!" Li Lizhi’s public display of her cooking talents would be just the thing for Cheng Yaojin to see. Even a princess could learn to cook and win praise from Emperor Taizong and the entire court—no matter how distinguished his own son was, could he be more noble than Li Lizhi? By then, the task assigned by the system would be smoothly accomplished.

...

The morning light was brilliant, streaming through the gap in the window and shining on Li Zhi’s face. He rubbed his eyes and sat up. "Mother, I’m not going to class today..."

"Me neither!" Li Lizhi poked her head out from the next room.

They exchanged a knowing smile, as if they had plotted this together.

"Why not go to class?"

"We have things to do! Mother, don’t worry about us!" Li Zhi quickly got up and washed, seizing the moment when Empress Zhangsun wasn’t looking to sneak out of Lizheng Hall.

Li Lizhi and Luo Tong went with him.

They made their way to the imperial kitchens, where the chefs were already hard at work preparing lunch. There was an imperial decree: Li Ji was returning victorious, and His Majesty would hold a welcome banquet for him in the Hall of Supreme Harmony.

By custom, the imperial kitchens had to prepare dozens of exquisite dishes. Time was tight and the workload heavy—they had to start in the morning to stay on schedule.

"Everyone, come here, quickly!" Li Lizhi climbed onto a table and waved to the chefs.

All of them stared in surprise—who was this little girl? She could move freely in the imperial kitchens, and her bearing and splendid attire clearly marked her as someone of high status, at least a princess.

"Insolence!"

"Why aren’t you bowing to Her Highness?" Luo Tong’s thunderous shout sent the staff to their knees. "Greetings, Your Highness!"

Li Lizhi mustered her courage, put her hands on her hips, and declared, "Mother just instructed me to take charge of today’s lunch. All of you are dismissed—we don’t need you here!"

"What?"

The chefs stared in shock.

A steward eunuch hurriedly protested, "Your Highness, the Hall of Supreme Harmony requires twenty-four tables of the highest quality dishes at noon, plus the consorts, princes, and princesses in all the palaces—hundreds of dishes in total. If we leave, the kitchens can’t function, and the meal will be delayed. What are we to do?"

"I’ll handle everything," Li Lizhi replied. "You may all go."

But who would dare take such a risk, with their lives and livelihoods at stake? If anything went wrong, Li Lizhi’s noble status would shield her from consequences, while the servants would lose their heads for the slightest mistake.

"Spare us, Your Highness!"

"I told you to leave, not to forfeit your lives! If you d