CHAPTER 7 – The Cooking Competition
367 Words
Three weeks later, a royal decree arrived.
The Emperor was hosting a Grand Culinary Competition. Mid-Autumn Festival. All noble houses invited. Winner got: tax exemption for a year. Pearl-studded crown.
"Chat," Wanwan said, "I'm entering."
【You can't cook. You burn water.】
"I can cook modern. That's the point. Ancient palate meets future cuisine."
She spent a week preparing.
Her dish: Korean-style fried chicken with honey glaze. Pickled radishes. Bubble tea as a palate cleanser.
But on the morning of the competition, she discovered her honey had been replaced with vinegar. Her chicken with stale meat.
"Chef Zhang," she said calmly, "I know what you did."
He paled. "Princess, I don't know what you're—"
"You're fired. But first, you're going to help me fix this. You owe me that much."
Chef Zhang stared at her. Then he nodded.
Together, they created something better. A honey-vinegar glaze. Tangy and sweet.
The fried chicken was crispy. Golden. Glistening.
The radishes were perfectly pickled.
The bubble tea was topped with cream and cinnamon.
The competition was in the palace's main hall.
Twenty noble houses. Peking duck. Braised abalone. Steamed fish with ginger.
All beautiful. All traditional.
Then Wanwan stepped forward.
"Your Majesty, I present something entirely new."
The Emperor—an elderly man who loved novelty—took a bite. His eyes widened.
He took another bite. Then a second piece.
"What is this sorcery?" he demanded.
"Fried chicken, Your Majesty. With a modern twist."
He ate the entire plate. Drank the bubble tea. Declared her the winner on the spot.
【HOST WON A COOKING COMPETITION. +5,000 Likes.】
【Likes: 234,567. Viewers: 25,432.】
The nobles were outraged. The servants were thrilled.
And Xiao Jingxing, watching from the sidelines, couldn't stop smiling.
When Wanwan got her crown, she looked at the Emperor.
"Your Majesty, can I ask for something instead of the tax exemption?"
"Anything," he said. Still licking honey off his fingers.
"Let me teach your palace cooks bubble tea. I want this beverage to bring joy to everyone in the realm."
The Emperor was so moved he gave her a title.
"Innovator of the Realm."
【SHE'S A NATIONAL HERO. +10,000 Likes.】
- Writer
