After dealing with Mufeng Butterfly, Zhihe wanted to continue making things difficult for Xiao Jiu, but unfortunately, Zhonglin appeared and interrupted her spellcasting. Little did Zhihe know that Xiao Jiu had genuinely wanted to cast a spell to beat her up just then; she should consider herself lucky that Zhonglin showed up and allowed her to escape a disaster.
Although Zhihe was a Princess and Donghua's adoptive younger sister, over the years she had relied on Donghua as her backing and had never seriously applied herself to cultivation, no matter whose disciple she became. Her combat ability was truly weak. Although Feng Jiu was young and hadn't paid close attention in class either, she possessed an abundance of practical combat experience! As the Princess of Qingqiu, she had caused trouble since childhood, creating plenty of havoc and getting into countless fights. Moreover, because she was kind-hearted, whenever she went out and witnessed injustices, she would act righteously and jump into even more fights. Zhihe, on the other hand, considered herself dignified and was kept safely under Donghua's wing, leaving her with virtually no combat experience. Therefore, in terms of sheer combat strength, without any outside interference, Zhihe would definitely not be a match for Feng Jiu.
However, because of Zhonglin's intervention, Feng Jiu and Zhihe did not end up fighting. Zhonglin punished Feng Jiu by sending her to work in the kitchen to shut Zhihe up...
This outcome satisfied neither Zhihe nor Feng Jiu. After Zhonglin and Zhihe left, Feng Jiu sat unhappily by the lotus pond where Mufeng Butterfly had fallen for a long time... When she returned to the kitchen to work, she passed beneath a carefree tree and saw the carefree flowers blooming. Thinking that since even the carefree flowers were blooming, she should let go of her own vexations. Along the way, she gathered some carefree flower petals beneath the tree, and back in the kitchen, she added Rain-Time Flower Root, East Sea crystal, and purple-gold honey nectar to make carefree flower pastries...
Meanwhile, Liansong and Siming were playing a game of go. As they played, Siming noticed that Liansong kept wearing a troubled expression. Seeing that the board was indeed unfavorable for him, Siming smiled and said, "Third Prince, it's just a game of chess, why take it so seriously?"
Liansong replied, "A game of chess wouldn't normally make me this distressed, sigh!"
This instantly piqued Siming's curiosity. "Then why doesn't Your Highness tell me what is troubling you so much? Perhaps I can be of some help?"
Liansong shot him a mischievous grin. "You actually can be of help."
Seeing Liansong's expression, Siming instantly regretted speaking. Liansong continued immediately, "The Emperor has invited me to a discourse on the Dao!"
With a wicked smirk, Liansong looked at Siming. There was no need to say anything else—how could Siming not know what that meant? The taste of that plate of Sweet and Sour Fish last time was something that would truly remain unforgettable for the rest of his life!
Siming wanted nothing more than to shake his head and offer a few flattering remarks so that Third Prince Liansong would go to Taichen Palace to "face his doom" alone. But before he could even shake his head, a thought suddenly crossed his mind: Little Highness! Perhaps if he made this trip to Taichen Palace, he might run into Little Highness? With a sudden pivot, Siming wiped away his grimace, hatched a plan, and respectfully said to Liansong, "This minor immortal has recently grown quite interested in the Dao. Might I accompany Your Highness to Taichen Palace to seek instruction from the Emperor?"
Liansong was taken aback. He felt that Siming should have understood the hidden meaning in his words. If Siming understood, why would he still be willing to go? Last time, Liansong had tricked Siming into going to Taichen Palace and eating the Sweet and Sour Fish personally cooked by the Emperor, which had caused Siming to pass out on the spot, and afterward Siming had even used Chengyu to blackmail him. Out of consideration for Chengyu, Liansong had intended to let Siming off the hook this time, never expecting that Siming would actually volunteer to accompany him. Liansong wondered if Siming had some other motive.
In the main hall of Taichen Palace, Donghua and Zhihe were hosting a banquet for Liansong and Siming. It was grandly called a discourse on the Dao, but in reality, it was just an excuse to make them taste Donghua's culinary creations.
Zhihe said, "Third Prince and Star Lord Siming have come to appreciate the flowers and discuss the scriptures. Zhihe has specially fetched aged vintage wine that weathered the frost of yesteryear, and I hope you all will not find Zhihe's culinary skills lacking."
Siming responded politely, "Frost-weathered brew has a clear and lingering sweet aftertaste. For Princess Zhihe to possess such refined tastes is truly rare among female immortals." Siming was elevating Zhihe in front of Donghua purely out of social tact. However, he genuinely hadn't been in contact with Feng Jiu for several days; had he known beforehand that Feng Jiu had suffered so much bullying from Zhihe, let alone flattering Zhihe, he would have definitely dropped veiled and overt sarcastic remarks at her expense.
Donghua commanded, "Serve the Sweet and Sour Fish."
Even though they had mentally prepared themselves before coming, upon hearing the Emperor utter those four words so decisively, Liansong and Siming still instinctively turned to run, only to halt halfway and sit back down. Siming had no choice, but Liansong at least had his folding fan—he was so terrified that he used the fan to cover his nose.
Donghua announced, "This is Sweet and Sour Fish cooked using a new technique. Have a taste."
Neither Liansong nor Siming wanted to eat it, and they began exchanging passive-aggressive, "courteous deferrals."
Siming said, "Speaking of which, it's quite shameful. The first time this minor immortal tasted this Sweet and Sour Fish, I lost my composure and entered a state of meditative trance right on the spot without even sitting in meditation. I gained profound insights into many puzzles that had long troubled me, and looking back, the memory remains as fresh as ever!" As he spoke, he cast a gnashing-of-teeth glare at Liansong. "Why not let the Third Prince take the first taste today, so he can guide me in properly savoring the Emperor's Zen intent once again?"
Liansong demurred, "I wouldn't dare, I wouldn't dare. I've already tasted it once and the impression was particularly profound; such a good thing doesn't need to be experienced a second time."
Just as the two of them were at a stalemate, Donghua suddenly spoke up, "I smoked it with white sandalwood incense, so the flavor is certainly different. Third Prince, please." He looked at Liansong with a calm expression, but anyone familiar with the Emperor knew he was holding back a mischievous grin at that moment.
Liansong looked back at the Emperor. After a brief stalemate, seeing that the Emperor had no intention of backing down, Liansong could only sigh, accept his fate, and pick up his chopsticks. With trembling hands, he plucked a piece of Sweet and Sour Fish. Before eating, he cleared his throat, wearing the expression of someone bravely marching to his execution. He brought the chopsticks all the way to his mouth, but simply couldn't swallow it. After building up his psychological defenses for a long time, he forcefully shoved it into his mouth. Siming watched him with a mixture of amusement and anticipation.
Liansong felt as though he was about to pass out as well. He took a few deep breaths and even coughed twice. Seeing this, Siming nodded with an "I knew it" expression. Although Donghua felt Liansong's expression was overly dramatic, he also knew he had failed again, and let out a helpless sigh, muttering two words of critique under his breath: "Melodramatic." With that, he looked expectantly toward Siming.
Siming blocked his forehead with his hand, hoping Donghua wouldn't see him. At that moment, Liansong, having finally caught his breath, slammed his hand onto the table: "Exquisite!" Siming repeated the word "exquisite," barely able to keep from laughing out loud.
Fearing the atmosphere was becoming awkward, Zhihe stepped in to smooth things over. "My adoptive brother's dish is truly delicious. In these Nine Heavens, only my adoptive brother possesses such extraordinary culinary skills."
Donghua asked again, "What does the Third Prince think?"
Liansong chugged a large mouthful of water, wanting to rinse his mouth, but not daring to do so in front of the Emperor, he ended up swallowing the water instead.
Liansong choked out, "This glass-tailed fish is naturally fishy to begin with. After being smoked with white sandalwood incense, it is both bitter and fishy! This wretched state is precisely like my heart. I must properly ponder the Emperor's profound intentions."