Hearing this list of dish names, the old man in gray robe was stunned.

But soon, his gray eyebrows relaxed and he laughed, "I didn't expect that the little girl is so young, but she knows how to eat."

Tao Ti chuckled, "Of course."

The grey-robed old man looked at her, and then noticed the maidservant behind her, and his cloudy eyes moved slightly, and he smiled, "I fish for fun. And I have tried a few of the dishes you just mentioned, but the taste is just so-so... I have lived to such an old age, and I have never tasted many fish dishes that can be called delicious."

Tao Ti raised her eyebrows, thinking that either the old man was too picky, or he just didn't meet a good chef.

But coming back to the point, where does this grey-robed old man come from?

Looking at his attire, his gray hair was fixed with a simple wooden hairpin, he was wearing a grey cotton robe, and a pair of black soap boots. His attire was really plain and ordinary, just like a servant in a royal palace.

Judging from the old man's demeanor and the relaxed look in his eyes and brows, he is obviously not just a servant.

While Tao Ti was watching, the old man in gray robe took off the fish hook and raised his hand to put the fish back. Tao Ti came to his senses and said hurriedly, "It's not difficult to make fish delicious."

The gray-robed old man paused and looked back at her, "Does a little girl like you know how to cook?"

Taoti nodded, her dark and bright eyes rolled around, and said, "If you trust me, catch two more fish and I'll cook a few dishes for you to try."

The old man in gray robe stared at her: Has this little girl guessed his identity?

Tao Ti also met the old man's gaze openly: Being able to fish so leisurely in the palace, and at this age, he must be the old prince, right? Well, it doesn't matter even if I guessed wrong, at least I can get two fish to eat, it's not a loss.

The old man and the young looked at each other for a moment, and then they both laughed.

The old man in the gray robe stroked his gray beard and said with a smile, "Are three fish enough?"

Tao Ti raised her hands and gestured, saying, "Three of this size should be enough for the two of us."

The gray-robed old man raised his eyebrows and looked at her, "You want to eat too?"

"Of course." Taoti blinked and pretended to understand. "You fished and I cooked. It's not too much for me to eat half, right?"

This little girl is quite interesting.

The gray-robed old man laughed twice, "Not too much, not too much."

Perhaps it was because he fished here every day and released the fish he caught that the fish in the lake became bolder and took the bait as soon as they saw it. After a while, the old man caught three big, fat carps.

These fish were probably thinking, why didn't this guy play by the rules today and actually caught the fish he said he would?

The fresh fish were rolling on the ground. After a while, a boy with a bucket appeared from nowhere. After putting the fish in the bucket, he stood quietly by and waited for the old man to collect his fishing rod.

When Tao Ti saw this situation, he had basically confirmed the identity of the old man in front of him.

However, seeing that he seemed unwilling to mention his identity, Tao Ti was too lazy to break through the window paper and just pretended not to recognize him.

The old man put away his fishing rod, turned to Taoti and said, "Let's go to the kitchen."

"Okay." Tao Ti agreed with a smile.

Linglong found a gap and stepped forward, lowering her voice and saying, "Crown Princess, you came here for the banquet, why... did you go to the kitchen again?"

Tao Ti said, "I suddenly wanted to eat fish."

This was her true feeling. As soon as she saw the fish, her mind was filled with all kinds of fish dishes, and the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to eat it.

exquisite,"……"

No matter how depressed and confused they were, they still went to a small kitchen.

The cooks in the small kitchen were all shocked and astonished when they saw the old man coming. When they saw a young lady with elegant manner and gorgeous clothes following the old man, they were even more confused and misty.

Before they saluted, the old man raised his hand to stop their movements and said calmly, "Leave two to help in the kitchen, and the rest can go down and rest."

Everyone in the kitchen quickly agreed, leaving only two maids to help in the kitchen.

Tao Ti walked around the small kitchen, looked at the existing ingredients, and had an idea in her mind.

"Old man, can you eat spicy food?" she asked.

“…Not bad.”

It's easy as long as you can eat spicy food. Tao Ti gave him a faint smile and said, "Then you can go out and sit down for a while. The dishes will be ready very quickly."

The old man nodded slightly and said with a smile, "Then I will wait for your skills."

As soon as the old man left, Tao Ti started to prepare the three grass carps.

She planned to make three dishes and one soup: a boiled fish fillet, a chopped pepper fish head, a sweet and sour crispy fish, and a three-fresh fish ball soup.

The most troublesome thing about eating fish is fish bones. Tao Ti knows the location of fish bones very well. She uses a kitchen knife flexibly to easily remove the fish bones, leaving only the clean and shiny fish meat.

The two maids who were helping in the kitchen were stunned and couldn't help but sigh to Linglong, "Your wife is so amazing!"

"Of course." Linglong and Yourongyan raised their chins, and their admiration for the Crown Princess increased a little more.

The three grass carps were all very big. Tao Ti first cut a plate of neatly-cut fish fillets, and then scraped out a bowl of delicate fish paste. After preparing these two items, she began to process the fish heads.

The method of cooking chopped pepper fish head is very simple. Put a layer of green onion, ginger and garlic on a large porcelain plate, place the marinated fish head on it, and then put a layer of finely chopped peppers on it. The bright red peppers should completely cover the fish head. Then put it in a steamer and steam it over high heat.

While the fish head was being steamed, Tao Ti started making fish balls. She mixed the translucent shrimp and the delicious fish meat in a certain proportion, then added an egg white and stirred. With her slender fingers, she moved flexibly, and soon a plate was filled with plump, white fish balls.

At this time, the chopped pepper fish head is also steamed. When the steamer is opened, a white mist spreads out, and the spicy flavor of the chopped pepper and the fresh fragrance of the fish spread out, making people both salivate and love it.

Tao Ti sprinkled chopped scallions, ginger and garlic on the surface of the chopped pepper fish head, and then poured hot oil on it. There was a "sizzling" sound, and the aroma of the chopped pepper, the fish, and the scallions, ginger and garlic were all brought out by this spoonful of hot oil.

The maids who were watching stared with their eyes wide open, their throats moving up and down, as greedy as cats.

"It smells so good..." Linglong stared at the delicious-looking fish head with chopped pepper. She didn't expect that something like fish head could smell so good.

"There are even more delicious ones." Tao Ti replied with a smile and started making sweet and sour crispy fish.

Clean the whole fish, cut both sides into peony-shaped cuts, add green onions, ginger, salt, rice wine, pepper powder, etc., and marinate for a while. Coat it with a paste made of egg liquid and starch, and finally pat it with a layer of dry starch. After making sure the whole fish is coated with the paste, put it into a 70% hot oil pan and fry it.

The aroma of fried fish is more overbearing than that of steamed fish. Soon after the crispy fish was put into the pan, the tempting aroma filled the entire kitchen.

Even the old man waiting outside couldn't help swallowing his saliva when he smelled the smell. He turned his head to look towards the small kitchen and muttered, "You know what, it smells really good!"

In the small kitchen, seeing that the fish was fried until crispy and golden, Tao Ti quickly took it out of the pan and put it on a plate. She then sprinkled the unique sweet and sour sauce evenly on the fish and sprinkled a layer of green onions on it. A crispy and delicious sweet and sour crispy fish was ready.

Then, she started to make boiled fish fillets and three-fresh fish ball soup.

The boiled fish slices were not even cooked yet, but the old man outside could not resist the temptation of the aroma, walked to the door of the small kitchen, and asked loudly, "Little girl, how long will it take to be ready?"

The fragrance tickled his heart like a cat's paw, making him look forward to it very much.

Tao Ti turned around and looked at the old man who was looking eagerly, a sly smile flashed across her dark eyes, "You have to wait a little longer, at least... half an hour."

When the old man heard this, his eyes widened immediately, "Ah? Another half hour is needed, no way!"

He ignored the heavy smoke in the kitchen and walked in. When he saw the already prepared chopped pepper fish head and sweet and sour crispy fish, his cloudy old eyes lit up, "Not bad, very good. I think these two dishes are enough, don't make them, let's eat now!"

Tao Ti pointed at the fish fillet simmering in the pot with a spoon and said, "Are you really not going to make it? Are you willing to give up this boiled fish fillet?"

The old man looked into the pot and saw the snow-white fish fillets boiling in the bright red oil. The aroma was so fragrant that just looking at it made his mouth water and he couldn't wait to get a big bowl of white rice to eat it.

He pursed his lips, trying to suppress his greed, "Go ahead, do it... I'll go outside for a walk first."

If he didn't leave, he would probably die in this small kitchen.

Fortunately, Tao Ti didn't make him wait too long.

These dishes are all quick dishes, and Tao Ti is efficient, so it took her less than half an hour to prepare all three dishes and one soup.

When the old man who was strolling outside heard the maid come to report that the food was ready, he immediately walked into the yard. If you didn't know, you would think it was some serious incident.

Under the lush sycamore tree, three dishes and a soup were placed on the stone table. The aroma was tempting and the presentation was beautiful, especially the sweet and sour crispy fish, which had two carrot-carved bunnies next to it.

"Old man, come and try my cooking." Tao Ti said with a smile and handed him a pair of chopsticks.

"Okay." The old man took the chopsticks with a smile, and his eyes towards Tao Ti were much more loving.

He first tasted a mouthful of the fragrant boiled fish fillet, which was covered with a layer of spicy red oil and dotted with green chopped green onions and coriander. It was bright red and green, and very beautiful.

The white and tender fish fillets are covered with soup. Once you put them in your mouth, the spicy and fresh taste stimulates your taste buds. The fish fillets are tender and elastic, without any earthy smell. Instead, they are so delicious that you can't stop eating.

In order to take care of the old man's stomach, Tao Ti didn't make the dish particularly spicy. Seeing the old man eating piece after piece with chopsticks, Tao Ti didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and hurriedly advised, "Don't just eat this dish, try something else."

The old man came back to his senses and coughed a little embarrassedly, "Yes, yes, try something else."

As he spoke, he stretched out his chopsticks towards the plate of golden-red sweet and sour crispy fish.

The fish skin is fried to a crispy texture, the fish meat is white and tender, and the sauce is sweet, sour, salty and fresh, which is very appetizing. Compared with the spicy boiled fish fillet, this sweet and sour crispy fish is obviously more suitable for children and the elderly.

“Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, sweet and sour, this fried fish is excellent!”

"Whether this sweet and sour crispy fish is delicious or not depends entirely on the sauce. If the sauce is well seasoned, the taste will be perfect." Tao Ti said, and then asked with anticipation, "Why don't you try this chopped pepper fish head?"

“…”

The old man's eyes fell on the chopped pepper fish head, and he couldn't help but hesitate, "Is the fish head edible?"

For a noble family like them, they had never eaten fish heads, chicken heads, duck heads, etc., so it was inevitable that they would find it difficult to pick up their chopsticks.

Tao Ti sincerely recommended it to me, "If you trust me, just try it. I guarantee it will taste good."

elder,"……"

He took another look at the chopped pepper fish head. He saw the bright red chopped peppers covering the white and tender fish head meat, which was steaming and fragrant...

Well, it looks pretty good.

With the mentality of giving it a try, the old man took a piece of fish with chopsticks and put it to his mouth. As soon as he took a bite, he was stunned -

The rich and tender texture, the spicy and delicious soup, the freshness of the fish itself and the freshness of the chopped pepper are fully mixed together, the taste is really amazing! !

"How is it, not bad?" As soon as Tao Ti saw his reaction, she knew that he was captivated by the food, and smiled faintly, "If you are still not full after eating these, I will cook some noodles for you. This soup is perfect for mixing with noodles."

"Okay, okay..." The old man responded without hesitation, picked up the whole fish head and put it into his bowl, then started to eat it with satisfaction.

Seeing the old man eating so happily, Tao Ti didn't hesitate to pick up the bowl and chopsticks and started to eat.

One old and one young, their faces were red from eating and they couldn't put their chopsticks down.

Linglong smacked her lips: Didn't the Crown Princess have lunch just an hour ago? How long has it been? She's still eating?!

The servants in the courtyard were all shocked: it seemed that they had not seen their old master eating so happily for a long time, this young lady's cooking skills were really amazing!

The two of them devoured the three dishes in a swift manner, and at the end, each of them held a bowl of warm three-fresh fish ball soup to relieve the spiciness in their mouths.

The old man ate several fish balls before he exclaimed, "The fish balls are fresh and chewy, without any fishy smell, and have a delicate and refreshing taste. Your cooking skills are really amazing!"

Tao Ti smiled and said, "Thanks to the fresh fish you caught."

The old man squinted his eyes in enjoyment and took another big sip of soup.

"Crown Princess, we have been out for almost an hour. If we don't go back, Changya Pavilion won't be able to find you, and I'm afraid they will be busy." Linglong came to Tao Ti's side and reminded her in a low voice.

Tao Ti slapped her forehead. Oh, right, she had forgotten that there were still a lot of people in Changya Pavilion. Let alone the others, Xu Wenchan would definitely be anxious if he saw that she hadn't come back for so long.

It’s all because of the food that misled people!!!

After thinking for a moment, she put down the bowl in her hand and said to the old man, "Old man, please wait for me for a while."

Having said that, she went into the kitchen again.

Linglong was dumbfounded. What was the Crown Princess doing? Why did she go back to the kitchen again?

Fortunately, she came back quickly this time, holding a large bowl of steaming vegetarian noodles in her hand.

"Old man, if you can still eat, you can use the broth of the chopped pepper fish head to mix with the noodles." Tao Ti put the noodles in front of the old man and straightened up. "It's getting late. I have to go back first."

Seeing her turn around and leave, the old man couldn't help but call her, "Little girl, why don't you ask about my identity?"

Tao Ti turned around, smiling, her eyes curved, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly, "Have some noodles."

Having said that, she took Linglong away.

Looking at the backs of the master and servant leaving, the servant muttered in confusion, "This young lady is really strange. She answered questions that were not asked."

The old man said nothing, but picked up the noodles with his chopsticks.

When I saw that there was only one long noodle in the whole bowl, and it was not broken at all, I couldn't help but shake my head and laugh out loud -

"Yes, yes, Yan'er really married a good wife!"

………

When Tao Ti arrived at Changya Pavilion, the last play had just ended and the Crown Prince's wife was preparing to take everyone to the garden to play pot tossing.

Seeing Tao Ti coming back, the Crown Princess came forward to say a few words of concern. Tao Ti just said that the scenery of the palace garden was charming and she forgot the time while strolling around.

This statement was reasonable, and the Crown Prince's wife did not ask any more questions. She led the group to change the venue while chatting and laughing.

Xu Wen Cicada has a keen nose. As soon as he got close to Tao Ti, he could smell the fragrance of food. "Ati, did you find something delicious? Hmm, it smells like fish!"

Tao Ti was just about to explain the whole story to her when she saw a light willow-colored figure gracefully walking towards her.

"Song Yuning pays her respects to the Crown Princess. Long live the Crown Princess." The soft and delicate voice made people's ears melt.

"Hey, why are you here?" Tao Ti recognized at a glance that the person in front of her was the one who spoke for her in Tianyi Pavilion before.

Song Yuning was a little surprised to see that she recognized her, but she smiled and said, "Crown Princess has a really good memory. She actually still remembers me."

Tao Ti had a good impression of her and exchanged a few words with her with a smile. After learning that she was the granddaughter of Master Song, her attitude became more humble.

After chatting for a few words, Song Yuning suddenly said to Tao Ti, "Crown Princess, may I have a word with you?"

Tao Ti was slightly stunned, "......?"

Xu Wenchan frowned and looked at Song Yuning warily, muttering, "Just talk, why do you need to borrow my permission?"

She didn't think that two people who had just met had any big secrets to tell each other. Arti was her, Xu Wenchan's, good friend, and no one could take her away!

Tao Ti also felt a little puzzled, but seeing Song Yuning's watery eyes looking at her pleadingly, she finally nodded, "Okay."

Xu Wenchan looked at Tao Ti gloomily, like an abandoned woman, feeling aggrieved and pitiful.

Tao Ti patted her shoulder and comforted her, "Okay, go play pot tossing for a while, I'll be back after talking to you."

………

The palace garden is very large, with jagged rockeries and winding stone paths, covered with bamboo and hanging vines, which is very quiet and elegant.

"Ms. Song, do you have anything to say to me?" Tao Ti asked straight to the point.

"I, I..." Song Yuning bit her lip.

Obviously she had a lot to say, but for some reason, she got closer to the Crown Princess. Seeing her calm and composed demeanor, Song Yuning suddenly felt that her previous concerns and worries were completely unnecessary.

Tao Ti stared at Song Yuning, who looked a little awkward and confused, and blinked her clear eyes.

After waiting patiently for a while, seeing that she still didn't say anything, Tao Ti had no choice but to say, "If you don't have anything to say, then let's go back?"

Song Yuning then said, "I, I know that you took poison on your wedding night."

Tao Ti's expression froze slightly, "......?"

Song Yuning said, "But that's all in the past, and I don't want to blame you for anything. But His Highness is a really good person. Since you're married to her, I hope you can treat her well. It's really not easy for her."

Taoti, "Huh?"

What is happening?

Could it be that Song Yuning and Pei Yan have some unknown past?

Her little head was filled with big question marks, and she automatically came up with a bunch of messed up and bloody plots.

For a moment, the look he gave Song Yuning became somewhat subtle.

Song Yuning pursed her lips and said gently, "That's all I want to say. Anyway, I hope you and His Highness will be fine, Crown Princess."

After a moment of silence, Tao Ti stared at Song Yuning, her tone very calm, "Although I don't know much about your past relationship with the Crown Prince, you shouldn't have said these things to me - first of all, the Crown Prince is a very good person, I know, and I will treat him well. Secondly, I don't need you to teach me how to be a Crown Princess. Finally... well, there's nothing more to say, let's go."

Song Yuning was surprised and wanted to say something. Her lips moved slightly, but she finally lowered her eyes and said hesitantly, "The Crown Princess is right. I overstepped the boundaries."

"..." Tao Ti pursed her red lips and didn't say anything, just walked back.

Before he had taken two steps, he heard laughter coming from behind the moon-shaped gate not far away, mixed with words like "Prince".

Tao Ti paused slightly, raised her ears and listened.

Seeing that she seemed to want to go forward to check, Song Yuning, who was following behind, could not help but remind her in a low voice, "Crown Princess, that seems to be a gathering place for the boys. It would be inconvenient for you to go over there."

Tao Ti thought about it and realized that this was the truth. She turned around and said to Song Yuning, "Thank you for the reminder."

As soon as he finished speaking, he heard the word "sickly person" coming from the other side of the Moon Cave Gate.

Sickly child...Prince...

Tao Ti's brows suddenly frowned. What are those little bastards in there gossiping about?

Song Yuning and Linglong naturally heard it as well, and their faces turned unhappy.

Before they could react, a honey-colored figure flashed before their eyes.

When I looked up again, Tao Ti had already gone towards the moon cave gate.

exquisite,"!!!"

Hurry and follow.

Song Yuning, "!!!"

Although I knew that there were only foreign men behind the moon-shaped cave door, for some reason, I couldn't help but want to follow and take a look.

Behind the Moon Cave Gate is a quiet and elegant courtyard with swaying bamboo shadows and sparkling lake light. A group of noble young men are drinking and having fun here, as happy as gods.

Tao Ti did not rush in, but stood outside the door and observed for a while.

When he looked up, he saw a familiar face - the third prince Pei Changzhou.

Pei Changzhou, wearing a royal blue robe, was seen sitting on a bench, surrounded by a group of noble men, some standing and some sitting still, all dressed in gorgeous clothes, well-dressed, but saying all kinds of flattering words.

They can praise him if they want, but they have to praise one and criticize the other. While praising Pei Changzhou, they also don't forget to criticize Pei Yan.

Pei Changzhou had obviously drunk some wine as well, and was a little carried away. Listening to the flattery, he said "I don't deserve it" and "Be careful with your words", but he couldn't hide the smugness in his eyes and eyebrows.

"Your Highness, you are too modest. In my opinion, your character and talent are no less than that of the Crown Prince. He was just born a year earlier than you..."

"Hey, why are you in such a hurry? The Qin Tianjian has already said that he won't live past the age of 23. It's only been two years. By then, won't the position belong to the Third Prince?"

"If one's virtue is not matched with his position, there will be disaster. If he is truly magnanimous and virtuous, he should have taken the initiative to give up his position and rest in peace instead of occupying this position all the time."

“…”

Tao Ti's mouth twitched as she thought to herself, these people are too bold. They actually dare to talk so loudly about the crown prince in broad daylight. They really want to die.

But from another perspective, doesn't it mean that Pei Yan's power is gone, so these people are rushing to curry favor with Pei Changzhou? After all, if Pei Yan really can't live past the age of 23, Pei Changzhou is indeed the most popular candidate to succeed the crown prince.

Thinking of this, Tao Ti became furious. How could a scum like Pei Changzhou be the crown prince?

Does he deserve it?

Pooh!

As she was mumbling in her heart, she heard a burst of obscene laughter in her ears——

"Come to think of it, I didn't expect the Crown Princess to be so pretty. I only took a sneak peek, wow, that face, that figure...really nice."

"No matter how good-looking you are, what's the point? With the prince's body, it's even a question whether he can do it at night, hahahaha."

"Hey, that's true."

"It's a pity for such a beautiful girl. She is now a widow in life and will be a widow in death in the future. No wonder she refused to marry into the East Palace before. What's the point of marrying a woman if she can't even have fun at night?"

“Hahahahahaha…”

Taoti, "..."

She clenched her fingers into fists and took a deep breath.

Okay, these little bastards can pack up and prepare to die.