Chapter 15 The Temptation of Hot Pot
The efficiency of the Regent's Palace is no exaggeration.
In less than half an hour, the outer room of the main bedroom had been transformed into a temporary "hot pot restaurant".
A huge bronze pot sat atop a small red clay stove, its bottom filled with the rich, buttery broth that Jiang Mianmian had personally instructed her to prepare in the kitchen. As the charcoal fire licked at the pot, waves of red smoke surged and billowed. The domineering, intense aroma of numbing spiciness, strong enough to awaken the most primal human appetite, instantly filled the entire room, ruthlessly dispelling the original cool and elegant atmosphere of the royal palace.
The table was laden with a dazzling array of dishes: freshly sliced premium marbled beef, tender pink lamb rolls, crisp and juicy black tripe, meticulously cleaned duck intestines, beef aorta, luncheon meat (actually minced ham made by the imperial kitchen), and a variety of vibrant green vegetables.
Jiang Mianmian sat at the table, holding a pair of long chopsticks in her hand, her eyes fixed on the bubbling bubbles in the pot, her gaze a hundred times more affectionate than when she looked at Shen Jin.
[Boiling over! My source of joy! This chili oil, this Sichuan peppercorns, this is the light of life!]
[I'm starving! I'm just a heartless, mindless eating machine right now. Shen Jin, you'd better not hold back, because once I start eating, even I'm afraid of what I'll do!]
Shen Jin sat opposite him, holding a cup of sour plum drink to relieve the spiciness (which Jiang Mianmian had insisted on preparing). Looking at the table full of red and oily food, even he, who was usually calm in the face of a collapsing mountain, couldn't help but swallow.
This smells...it's really delicious.
The fragrance was somewhat overpowering, even "shamelessly" trying to get into my nose.
“Your Highness,” Jiang Mianmian swallowed hard, poured a plate of fatty beef into the pot, and then looked up at him with an extremely bright smile, “This hot pot is all about ‘grabbing’ it. The meat won’t taste good if it gets tough, so please don’t put on airs.”
[Hehe, I'm saying that, but I'd really love for you not to eat. If you don't eat, this whole table is mine! Judging by your delicate skin, I bet one bite of the spiciness will make you cry.]
His brows were slightly raised, his expression composed.
It's so spicy it'll make you cry?
He's a dignified regent who's braved countless dangers; would he be afraid of a little chili pepper?
"Your Highness is overthinking this," Shen Jin said calmly, stretching out his chopsticks and, imitating Jiang Mianmian, picking up a slice of already cooked beef.
The beef was coated in chili oil and had a few peppercorns hanging on it; it looked...very challenging.
Shen Jin hesitated for a moment, then, with an elegant and resolute air, put the beef into his mouth.
boom--!
In that instant, Shen Jin felt as if he had swallowed a ball of fire.
Spicy! Scalding hot! Numb!
The unprecedented thrill exploded in his mouth like a bomb, rushing straight to the top of his head. His pupils dilated instantly, and his originally fair and handsome face flushed crimson at a visible speed.
"cough……"
Shen Jin wanted to cough, but remembering the ancestral precept of "not speaking while eating or sleeping," he forced it back. He picked up the plum juice, wanting to take a sip to calm his nerves, but his hands trembled slightly.
Jiang Mianmian frantically stuffed meat into her mouth while secretly observing Shen Jin's reaction.
[Hahaha! Look! It changed color! It changed color! Shen Jin has transformed into a red-bottomed monkey!]
[He's practically dying from the spiciness but pretending to be calm? Look at the sweat on his forehead, it's almost dripping into the bowl! Oh my, his lips are swollen like sausages, I really want to laugh, what should I do? Hold it in, Jiang Mianmian, you have to hold it in, if you laugh out loud you'll be silenced!]
Shen Jin's hand holding the cup froze.
Red-bottomed monkey? Sausage lips?
He had never been described with such outrageous words in his entire life!
If it were anyone else, the grass on their grave would be two meters high by now. But the owner of these words was eating with gusto, his mouth full of oil, a look of pure happiness on his face. His carefree demeanor made it impossible for the speaker to get angry.
Even after the initial pain subsided, the lingering meaty aroma in his mouth and the pleasant sensation of slight sweating made him feel... a little addicted?
"The taste..." Shen Jin put down his cup, his voice a little hoarse, "It's acceptable."
"Right, right!" Jiang Mianmian's eyes lit up, and she picked up another piece of duck blood for him. "Try this. Roll it in the oil sauce to cool it down and enhance the aroma!"
Shen Jin looked at the trembling piece of duck blood in the bowl, and then heard the voice in her heart:
Eat more spicy food to detox. You always seem so cold; you just need some "fire" to warm you up. This hot pot meal will definitely open up your meridians!
A slight stirring appeared in Chen Jin's heart.
Indeed, ever since he took the first bite, he could clearly feel that the true energy in his body was circulating more smoothly, and even his hands and feet, which were always cold, felt warm.
It seems that this so-called "junk food" (that strange word in Jiang Mianmian's mind) is actually a tonic for him?
Thus, this meal turned into Shen Jin's first "binge eating" in his life.
The two of them took turns eating with their chopsticks, enjoying the meal immensely.
The room was filled with steam, and the charcoal fire crackled.
"Your Highness, tripe should be cooked seven or eight times up and down! Don't overcook it!" "Your Highness, that's ginger! Don't eat it!" "Your Highness, have a sip of soup... oh no, this soup is too spicy, don't drink it, it can easily cause a stomach perforation."
Jiang Mianmian ate and gave instructions at the same time, completely forgetting that the person sitting opposite her was the ruthless regent, and only regarded him as a novice who had just started cooking hot pot.
Shen Jin was surprisingly cooperative, doing exactly what was asked, completely abandoning his usual airs.
until--
The plates on the table were all emptied.
Finally, only the largest, thickest, and best-looking piece of black tripe remained on the plate.
Two pairs of chopsticks simultaneously reached for the piece of tripe.
The air suddenly became quiet.
Jiang Mianmian's eyes sharpened instantly as she looked at Chen Jin's chopsticks.
[Let go! Shen Jin, let go of me! This is the last piece! This is the king of tripe! I've been eyeing it for ages, deliberately saving it for last!]
[You're a prince, you've tasted so many delicacies, can't you have some manners? Don't try to take this piece of beef stomach from me!]
Looking into Jiang Mianmian's eyes, which were filled with the words "protecting food," and listening to the furious roar in her heart, Shen Jin suddenly found it very interesting.
The princess, who usually fawned over him and acted weak, finally revealed her true colors when faced with food.
“Your Highness,” Shen Jin said, holding one end of the tripe between his fingers without letting go, raising an eyebrow. “I just heard you say that tripe needs to be dipped seven times and then eight times to taste good. I counted, and it was only dipped six times, two more times are needed.”
"I'll help Your Highness with the hot water!" Jiang Mianmian immediately said, trying to snatch it with her chopsticks. "Your Highness's hands are precious, let me do this rough work!"
Trying to fool me? No way! What's in my bowl is mine!
Shen Jin smiled slightly, and with an extremely nimble twist of his wrist, he avoided Jiang Mianmian's chopsticks. Then, with lightning speed, he dipped the piece of tripe twice in the red soup.
Seven up, eight down.
Perfect.
Then, under Jiang Mianmian's desperate gaze, he picked up the piece of tripe and put it into... his own mouth.
"哢哢-"
The crisp sound of chewing echoed in the quiet room.
Jiang Mianmian's heart was broken.
[You beast! You animal! You even stole the last bite of meat from your wife! Shen Jin, you have no heart! I hope you get diarrhea after eating this! I hope you get pimples! I hope... Waaaaah, my tripe...]
Seeing her expression of utter despair, as if she had lost the whole world, Shen Jin finally couldn't help but chuckle softly.
That smile was like ice and snow melting, like a spring breeze caressing the face.
His face, slightly flushed from the spiciness, looked exceptionally vivid and handsome at that moment, even the beauty mark at the corner of his eye seemed to be glowing.
Jiang Mianmian stared in disbelief for a moment.
[Holy crap... this jerk's smile... is actually kind of handsome? That's cheating! Using his good looks to distract myself from my sadness about losing my tripe? Humph, do you think I'm that shallow?]
Okay, that's me. I'll forgive you for that smile. Next time I'll just buy a couple more plates.
He swallowed the tripe with a calm and collected handkerchief, wiped his mouth, and felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.
"Are you full?" he asked.
Jiang Mianmian patted her round belly and slumped in the chair, not wanting to move: "I'm so full. Thank you for your hospitality, Your Highness."
I just want to lie down... I just want to turn into a puddle of mud... Is this what carb coma is like? It's so blissful.
“Now that you’re full,” Shen Jin stood up, straightened his robes, and regained a more serious demeanor, “let’s digest our food.”
"How do I get rid of it?" Jiang Mianmian looked at him warily. "I'm too tired to walk anymore and don't want to go for a walk in the garden."
"I won't go to the garden."
Shen Jin walked to the antique shelf next to him, opened a hidden compartment, and took out a heavy mahogany box.
He walked back and placed the box on the table in front of Jiang Mianmian with a loud "thump," which sounded quite heavy.
"Open it and take a look."
Jiang Mianmian looked at him suspiciously.
What is this now? Is it another prank like the "green tea bitch" incident? Or is this dessert?
She reached out and opened the box.
The next second, a burst of golden light almost blinded her dog eyes.
Inside the box, neatly arranged were strings of coin-shaped keys, each with an ivory plaque bearing the words "Storehouse," "Accounting Office," "Granary," and "Treasury." Beside the keys were several official seals representing the highest authority in the Prince's residence.
This is... the central authority of the Regent's Palace?
Jiang Mianmian was dumbfounded.
[Holy crap? What does this mean? Are you making me the housekeeper?]
"Now that the Princess Consort has entered the manor, the power of managing the household affairs should naturally be handed over to you," Shen Jin said calmly. "From tomorrow onwards, the Princess Consort will be in charge of all the food, clothing, daily necessities, and social interactions of the entire manor."
Jiang Mianmian pulled her hand back as if she had been electrocuted.
"No way! Bro! I just want to be a lazy bum who lives off others, I don't want to be a professional manager!"
[Being a housekeeper is so tiring! You have to read the accounts, manage the servants, deal with all sorts of social obligations, and prevent the servants from embezzling… It's more mentally taxing than fighting zombies in a post-apocalyptic world! This is 996! This is 007! This is capitalist exploitation!]
【I refuse! I strongly refuse! Take away this junk! Give me silver notes instead!】
Looking at her face, which clearly showed her resistance, and listening to her heart-wrenching rejection, Shen Jin's smile deepened.
Women all over the world fight tooth and nail for the right to manage the household, but she sees it as a monstrous threat.
"The Princess Consort is unwilling?" Shen Jin asked knowingly.
"This concubine...this concubine is terrified." Jiang Mianmian immediately adopted a weak and incompetent demeanor. "This concubine has been dull-witted since childhood, is bad at arithmetic, and is also lazy. I am afraid I cannot manage this vast palace and will fail Your Highness's trust..."
"It's alright."
Shen Jin interrupted her, "You can learn arithmetic if you're not good at it. I'll have the accountant teach you. You're lazy... I saw you were quite agile when you were grabbing the meat earlier."
Jiang Mianmian: [...]
“But Your Highness…” Jiang Mianmian still tried to struggle.
Shen Jin suddenly leaned down, put his ear close, and whispered:
"Didn't the princess complain that the food at the palace wasn't good enough? Didn't she complain that her monthly allowance wasn't enough? If you were in charge of the household, you could decide what you wanted to eat and buy. The storerooms had top-quality bird's nest, deep-sea shark fin, and delicacies from all over the country... Even if you wanted to eat hot pot every day, no one would dare to stop you."
boom--!
That was absolutely perfect precision strike!
Jiang Mianmian's defenses collapsed instantly.
[Eating hot pot every day? Premium bird's nest? I can buy whatever I want!]
[This...this temptation is too great! This isn't a butler, this is a black card with unlimited credit!]
Although work is tiring, but... for delicious food, for making money, for achieving financial freedom in this feudal society... I'll give it my all!
Jiang Mianmian's eyes darted around, and her expression immediately changed. She hugged the mahogany box tightly, as if it were her own son, her face showing an unwavering and resolute look:
"Since Your Highness trusts me so much, then I... I will reluctantly give it a try. For Your Highness, for this family, I am willing to devote myself wholeheartedly, even unto death!"
[Hehehe, I've got the vault keys! My secret stash of cash, here I come! Once I've made my share, I'll dump this mess back on its heap!]
Shen Jin shook his head as he looked at her greedy and greedy appearance.
To skim off the top?
The entire palace belongs to her; she can take whatever she wants.
"In that case, Your Highness will have to work hard." Shen Jin straightened up. "Tomorrow morning, the steward will bring the stewards from each household to report to you. Get some rest."
After saying that, he glanced at the messy table and walked towards the clean room with satisfaction.
Tonight, after a good meal and feeling warm, even the little fox who always wanted to run away was kept in check.
These days are getting better and better, and there's more and more hope for us.
Behind her, Jiang Mianmian sat on a chair, hugging a box full of keys and grinning foolishly, with a little red oil still on the corner of her mouth.
What she didn't know was that this wasn't the beginning of "financial freedom" at all, but rather the first step in her forced evolution from a "couch potato" to a "domineering CEO."
The game of "who is the hunter and who is the prey" has only just begun.
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