Ch 106: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Yu Jiuque once mentioned that the young crown prince didn’t have any particular food preferences.

When his appetite was poor, nothing tasted good to him. But when he was in a good mood—like when he was lured by sweets or coaxed with pomegranate drinks—he could eat anything that was placed in front of him.

If anything, he had a child’s taste, favoring sweet things and dishes he hadn’t seen before.

Though it sounded simple, the matter of feeding the young crown prince had nearly driven the palace chefs to despair.

Even Qin Xia, despite his skill, spent several days thinking about it, carefully selecting a few special dishes. After Yu Jiuque reviewed them and confirmed they were unlike anything served in the palace, Qin Xia prepared them in advance, ready to serve them today.

Because these were dishes for the crown prince, and to avoid any mistakes, Qin Xia handled every step of the preparation himself.

The first dish was Cherry Meat.

He believed there wasn’t a child who wouldn’t be intrigued by such a name.

This dish didn’t actually use cherries; it was named for the vibrant red color of the meat, which resembled cherries.

He used high-quality, lean pork loin, cut into small, square pieces about the size of cherries. The meat was marinated with egg whites, a bit of rice wine, and a generous amount of cornstarch.

Once marinated, the meat was fried in oil until golden and crispy, then set aside to drain.

In a separate pan, a sweet and sour sauce made primarily of tomato sauce and sugar was heated until it bubbled. The meat was tossed in the sauce until evenly coated, then thickened with starch before being served.

The second special dish was Stuffed Chicken Wings with Rice.

Large, plump chicken wings were deboned to create the shell for the dish.

A fragrant sticky rice stuffing was prepared using corn, peas, carrots, and diced bacon.

The sticky rice was carefully stuffed into each marinated chicken wing, sealed with toothpicks, and then pan-fried until golden brown and fully cooked.

The result was a crispy, golden exterior with a tender, savory filling. The flavors of the chicken and the bacon melded perfectly, offering both texture and taste in every bite.

Since the crown prince was just a small child and wouldn’t be able to eat much, Qin Xia didn’t prepare an excessive number of dishes, as doing so would contradict the emperor’s intention for a modest meal outside the palace.

In addition to the two dishes above, he also made Soup-Filled Beef Meatballs.

These were essentially bursting beef meatballs (or “pee-pee beef balls” as they’re humorously called), but Qin Xia renamed them for the occasion to avoid any crude connotations in front of the young prince.

The beef, sourced from Rong County, was repeatedly pounded to a fine paste. The meatballs were filled with gelatinous pork skin, similar to the concept of soup dumplings.

When the pork skin melted during cooking, it created a flavorful soup inside the meatball.

To add a creative twist, Qin Xia wrapped each meatball in a layer of crispy dough, similar to the process of making hand-grabbed pancakes, brushing the dough with oil and pan-frying it until it was crispy and golden, with a sprinkle of black sesame seeds on top.

Each small meatball was packed with meticulous care.

Of course, there had to be a dessert to delight the young prince.

It was chestnut season, and the rich, powdery sweetness of chestnuts was perfect for a dessert.

Chestnuts were steamed, peeled, and mashed into a paste. Using a teacup as a mold, Qin Xia made small chestnut cakes, similar to the base of a birthday cake. The cakes were topped with more chestnut paste and garnished with whole roasted chestnuts.

The result was a chestnut cake, sweet and rich.

For the main staple, Qin Xia prepared a dish of jade-colored rice and a plate of three small fried snacks, shaped like gold ingots, flower drums, and shells. The gold ingots were savory, while the other two were sweet.

For the vegetable dishes, he made stir-fried bean sprouts with egg and stir-fried asparagus lettuce—simple yet flavorful, with bean sprouts adding a crunchy texture.

All of these were carefully prepared to appeal to the crown prince’s tastes and ensure a delightful meal.

This meal, though lacking in exotic delicacies, was made from ordinary ingredients, transformed by Qin Xia’s skilled hands into something extraordinary.

By the time the young crown prince arrived at Heguang Pavilion, his stomach was already growling with hunger.

He had woken up early that morning, and during breakfast, his mind was preoccupied with leaving the palace and waiting for Yu Jiuque to come and fetch him, so he didn’t eat much or pay much attention to his meal.

As a result, he had been eagerly anticipating this next meal for quite some time.

Not only was he looking forward to eating, but he was also curious to finally meet Qin Xia—the legendary chef, known for his delicious cooking and as Yu Jiuque’s husband. What kind of person was he, to make Yu Jiuque willing to marry him and bear his child? And to even prompt the emperor to break tradition and grant him special rewards as the spouse of a eunuch?

The crown prince maintained an outward composure, but inside, his curiosity was bubbling over.

Hand in hand with Yu Jiuque, he stepped over the threshold of Heguang Pavilion.

Soon, some of the regular patrons recognized Yu Jiuque.

They didn’t know about his other identity; they only knew him as Qin Xia’s husband and the co-owner of Heguang Pavilion.

“Little boss, long time no see! Is this your relative’s child?” someone sitting nearby asked casually, joining the conversation.

Yu Jiuque responded politely and smiled, “Enjoy your meal. I must be on my way.”

Compared to his authoritative presence in the court, dressed in his official robes symbolizing his immense power, this was a completely different side of him.

Even the disguised guards accompanying them couldn’t help but think to themselves: Those ministers in court don’t even get this kind of treatment—yet these diners, just by spending a few taels of silver, can earn a smile from the grand attendant!

But Yu Jiuque didn’t care. Here, at Heguang Pavilion, he was just the little boss—not the Chief Eunuch or the Grand Attendant.

A restaurant welcomes guests from all over, and if you don’t greet them with a smile, would you meet them with a scowl?

The crown prince had never seen his Grand Attendant like this before. Looking up at him, he too was unconsciously influenced by the warm atmosphere of the restaurant, and his mood lightened considerably.

After taking their seats, even though the doors and windows were closed, the surrounding private rooms empty, and guards stationed outside, the crown prince still felt uncomfortable insisting on the strict protocols of ruler and subject. He didn’t want Yu Jiuque to sit beside him as a servant during the meal.

Yu Jiuque, after apologizing, took a seat further down the table.

A series of delicious dishes were soon brought in, one by one, and placed on the table.

After announcing the names of the dishes, the accompanying eunuch followed protocol and tasted the food first, but the crown prince could hardly wait to start eating.

It was clear that he had never been so eager to eat in the palace.

A piece of Cherry Meat landed on his plate, accompanied by jade-colored rice, the red and green contrasting beautifully, making it all the more appealing.

After eating two pieces, he found the sweet and sour flavor appetizing. The sauce had soaked into the rice, making even the rice taste better.

He moved on to the Stuffed Chicken Wings with Rice.

At first, when he heard the name of the dish, he wondered how chicken wings could be stuffed with rice—thinking it might just be a gimmick.

But when he took a bite, he was surprised to find that the chicken truly was stuffed with soft, sticky rice.

As his cheeks puffed out with food, his eyes widened in amazement.

“This dish is excellent!”

He ate with great enthusiasm, unable to resist praising the meal.

But it wasn’t over yet—soon the crispy soup-filled beef meatballs gave him a third surprise.

Beneath the crunchy layer of dough was what seemed to be an ordinary meatball, but it burst with flavorful broth upon biting into it. The soup was a rich, savory beef broth, delicious and satisfying.

The table also featured finely crafted small fried snacks, and a chestnut cake served in tea cups that he hadn’t seen before.

The crown prince first ate a little ingot-shaped snack, then a small shell-shaped one, crunching away, unable to stop.

Even the two stir-fried vegetable dishes tasted better than those in the palace.

There was no need for anyone to urge him to eat. By the time he was done, if Yu Jiuque hadn’t reminded him, he might have eaten himself into discomfort.

When he finally set down his chopsticks, the crown prince didn’t want to leave.

“Uncle, is there really no way for Boss Qin to enter the palace as an imperial chef?”

If he could eat like this every day, he was certain he could grow tall and strong, just as his father and mother hoped!

Yu Jiuque smiled and replied, “In response to Your Highness, Qin Xia has mentioned that he’s just an ordinary commoner. Rather than becoming an imperial chef, he prefers living freely among the people.” The sounds of the lively atmosphere from the floor below echoed up to the private room.

Yu Jiuque gestured for the crown prince to listen for a moment before continuing, “And besides, Your Highness, even with Qin Xia outside the palace, whenever you wish, you can still enjoy his cooking. But if he were to enter the palace, the common people would no longer be able to.”

The crown prince pondered this and nodded thoughtfully. He asked Yu Jiuque, “Is this what Father meant by ‘sharing joy with the people’?”

Yu Jiuque nodded in agreement.

The crown prince understood. Even though his father was the ruler of the empire, and he was the heir to the throne of Dayong, they could not monopolize such a skilled chef just for their own enjoyment.

“You have a good husband, Uncle. I want to reward him.”

The crown prince then turned to his attendant with a serious expression and instructed, “Go and summon Qin Xia to meet me.”

Qin Xia soon arrived.

He had already changed out of his cooking clothes, which smelled of smoke and oil, and was now dressed in fresh robes, waiting in the nearby private room.

When he entered, he bowed respectfully, and the crown prince immediately granted him permission to rise.

At first, Qin Xia stood with his eyes downcast, only lifting them when the crown prince spoke.

The crown prince had always assumed that cooks were big, burly men, but to his surprise, the man before him had a refined air, dressed like a scholar with a square hat. If someone had said Qin Xia was a man of sage culture, the crown prince would have believed it.

He even seemed like a perfect match for Uncle Yu.

Sitting behind the table, the crown prince carefully studied Qin Xia from head to toe, nodding gravely once he had taken in every detail. Then he began eagerly asking all the questions that had been brewing in his mind.

“Is there really no cherry in Cherry Meat?”

“How do you stuff rice into chicken wings?”

“How is the soup in the beef meatballs made?”

…

Qin Xia listened attentively and thought the crown prince must have a mind filled with a thousand curious questions.

He patiently answered each one, and the crown prince was completely engrossed in his explanations.

Yu Jiuque couldn’t help but wonder if, once the crown prince returned to the palace, he might even write an essay about the dishes from this meal.

…

In the palace, after lunch, the crown prince usually took a nap.

Seeing the crown prince yawn, Yu Jiuque decided to send him back to the Grand Attendant’s residence for a short rest.

“Your Highness, how about a half-hour nap? After you wake up, we can head to the charity clinic and the southern market. I promise you won’t miss any of the assignments the emperor gave you.”

The emperor had tasked the crown prince with investigating the grain prices, salt prices, and even the cost of buying and selling servants through the brokerage markets during this trip outside the palace.

At first, the crown prince, with all these duties on his mind, was reluctant to nap. However, after receiving Yu Jiuque’s reassurance, he nodded in agreement.

The sedan left Heguang Pavilion and headed toward the Grand Attendant’s residence, with Qin Xia following along after entrusting the restaurant to Gao Yang.

Once they arrived, they made sure the crown prince was settled for his nap. Only then was Yu Jiuque able to slowly move, supporting his aching back, to the side wing.

The main bed in the master courtyard had been given to the crown prince, so he and Qin Xia had to rest here for the time being.

“Do you want to take a nap too?” Qin Xia, seeing how exhausted Yu Jiuque looked, felt a pang of sorrow. He gestured for his husband to elevate his legs.

“I’ll give you a massage.”

But Yu Jiuque gently blocked his hand.

“I’m not tired. I’ve been sitting all day, barely walked a few steps.”

It was just that he had to stay mindful of the crown prince’s safety, which kept his mind a bit tense.

On the other hand, Qin Xia, having prepared an entire meal by himself, wasn’t exactly relaxed either.

“Let’s both take a nap, just for the time it takes to burn an incense stick.”

With that, he instructed the servants to wake them when the time was up, then removed the pillows at the head of the bed and pulled Qin Xia down to lie beside him.

Outside, the trees swayed gently, casting shadows as the afternoon sun lingered.

Embraced together, they managed to steal away a peaceful half-hour of sleep.