Chapter 178: Chapter 148: Why Not Ask About Your Fish Soup

Arriving at the familiar small kitchen, the Empress directed Wen Ranchen on handling the fish, preparing the ingredients, putting them in the pot, adding water, each step explained in great detail.

She originally thought that with Wen Ranchen’s cleverness, she would have surely learned it by now.

Unexpectedly, when she picked up the chopsticks to taste a bite from the pot, she found it utterly indescribable.

So bitter.

“Did you not remove the fish gall?”

Wen Ranchen was silent; he took the fish out of the pot and indeed had not removed it.

Strange, he clearly remembered that he had removed the gall earlier.

There was no choice, Wen Ranchen could only prepare another fish.

While Wen Ranchen was cleaning the fish, the Empress casually said from not far away, “A man doesn’t have to be strong all the time, he can occasionally show his vulnerability to the woman he loves.”

Wen Ranchen paused in his descaling, but soon resumed normally.

This time, still under the Empress’s supervision step by step, but in the end, after putting the fish in the pot and having the Empress taste it, the flavor was still off.

Very strange, exceptionally strange taste, she couldn’t even tell what caused such a flavor.

“One more time.”

So Wen Ranchen began his third journey of preparing fish.

The Hidden Guards, who were hiding in the shadows, felt deeply moved by this scene. Dark Ten directly said, back in the Northern Land, the mighty General is now here in the palace preparing fish, truly unexpected in the twists of life.

Unexpectedly, just as these words were uttered, Dark Seven smacked him upside the head, “Wake up, the General is preparing fish for the Princess’s soup, do you think every person preparing fish gets to make soup for the Princess?”

Dark Ten thought, indeed, never expected the fool to be himself, and he cried sadly.

It took Wen Ranchen nearly seven fish to finally make a bowl of fish soup that could barely be consumed.

The Empress had already given up; she never expected that the smart Wen Ranchen would be so clueless about cooking. It’s not a big deal, as gentlemen stay away from the kitchen. While Wen Ranchen not knowing culinary skills is fine, he showed a great deal of enthusiasm for cooking.

Being stared at so resolutely by Wen Ranchen, seeing him murmur tenderly, “I wanted the Princess to taste the soup I personally made,” no one could refuse such a Wen Ranchen, and for this reason, the Empress gave him six more fish to work with.

By now, she really couldn’t take it anymore and decided to let her daughter bear this suffering instead.

“It’s good enough at this point.”

With that, she urged Wen Ranchen to quickly deliver the soup to the Princess.

The Empress stood at the entrance of Yi Fen Palace, thought about it, and still chose not to enter.

She trusted the character of Wen Ranchen.

“Dark One.”

“I’m here.”

“Go watch, and note down everything the Princess and Chen’er say.”

“Yes!”

As it was nearing dusk, the Empress arranged everything and then went happily to find the Emperor for some fun.

Shen Jingxian was awakened by the sound of the door opening, her consciousness clear yet her eyes stubbornly refused to open.

She heard someone call her, saying something to her, she wanted to respond, but her eyes wouldn’t open, so she reluctantly squeezed out an ’um’ as a response.

Then Shen Jingxian felt herself being lifted, and something warm was placed against her lips.

She tried hard to open her mouth, and a gentle liquid wrapped around her tongue.

What a…

What a strange taste!

Shen Jingxian was instantly wide awake.

The torturous taste on her tongue was so overpowering that not even the sight of Wen Ranchen’s stunning appearance upon opening her eyes could cure it.

Perhaps seeing Shen Jingxian’s pained expression, Wen Ranchen asked nervously, “Your Highness, what’s wrong?”

Struggling to swallow what was in her mouth, Shen Jingxian asked, “What is it you have…”, why does it taste so odd.

It was an indescribable taste, like something made from the finest ingredients and spices yet somehow turned into a mess, sticky and yet not fully so.

Wen Ranchen, “This is the fish soup I made for Your Highness.”

Shen Jingxian: …

She remembered what she had said before she fell asleep, that she didn’t want chicken soup, she wanted fish soup.

She didn’t expect Wen Ranchen would actually make it for her.

The remainder of her unspoken words, she forcibly swallowed down; she didn’t want to hurt the young man’s self-confidence.

Looking again at the bowl of fish soup, clear and bright yet with a peculiar burnt smell, Shen Jingxian told herself that quicker death meant quicker rebirth, and gulped it down in one go.

Watching the empty bowl, Wen Ranchen couldn’t help but smile as he saw the Princess slightly frowning, he couldn’t resist reaching out to smooth her brows.

“Is there something troubling Your Highness?”

Why don’t you ask about your fish soup?

“No,” Shen Jingxian replied stubbornly.

Wen Ranchen paused, retracting his hand, suddenly speaking earnestly, “Your Highness, do you still remember our promise?”

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