Early this morning, just as I finished preparing a new medicinal cuisine for Chief Ashen, I heard a lively commotion coming from the palace.

"Fenglin! Fenglin! Something big has happened!" Jade ran into the kitchen gasping for breath, "The envoy group from Northaven has arrived! The Emperor is hosting a grand state banquet tonight!"


Northaven? Isn’t that our northern neighbor? I remember the geography books saying it’s covered in ice and snow year-round, with fierce and bold people. The relationship with our Flameheart has always been a bit delicate.

“So what if the envoy delegation is coming? What does that have to do with our imperial kitchen?” I said carelessly while packing the medicinal cuisine into the food box. “Anyway, the head steward is in charge of preparing the state banquet. We junior cooks just need to do our usual work.”

“You haven’t heard yet!” Jade leaned in mysteriously. “This time, the Northaven envoy delegation brought their royal chef! I heard they’re planning to showcase Northaven’s culinary skills at the state banquet!”


“Oh.” I nodded, still not seeing how this concerned me.

“Your reaction is way too calm!” Jade sighed helplessly and patted my shoulder. “They’re here with a challenge in mind! What if Flameheart loses to Northaven in culinary skills? How embarrassing would that be!”


"This... is indeed a problem. But as a mere novice lady-in-waiting, I suppose it’s not my place to step forward, is it?"

In the afternoon, the entire Imperial Palace was bustling with activity. Precious ingredients were continuously delivered to the imperial kitchen, and even the top chefs, rarely seen, were all mobilized.

While I was holding a food box, preparing to deliver medicinal cuisine to Ashen, the eunuch, I was stopped by the chief steward.

"Feng Lin! Don’t just stand around! Tonight’s state banquet is of utmost importance. Go and assist with some basic ingredient preparations."

"Yes!" I promptly replied, and had no choice but to set the medicinal cuisine aside for the moment.

By evening, the grand banquet hall had been splendidly decorated, glowing with opulence. The enormous round table was adorned with exquisite tableware, and various incense burners emitted a subtle, elegant fragrance.

I stood at the kitchen door and peeked outside, only to see the grand hall filled with officials dressed in luxurious attire. The most eye-catching was the Northaven envoy group, clad in heavy fur coats that they didn't remove even in the warm hall, appearing majestic and robust.

"Your journey from afar honors Us deeply."The emperor raised his wine cup, "Tonight’s banquet is solely to enhance the friendship between our two nations."

"Your Majesty is too kind," the leader of the Northaven envoy group, a middle-aged man with a graying beard, spoke in a resonant voice, "Our visit to Northaven, aside from discussing trade matters, is also to experience the culinary skills of Flameheart."

Oh? It seems Jade was right; they did come with a challenging attitude.

"Hahaha, then We shall humbly present Our skills," the emperor laughed heartily, "Servants! Serve the dishes!"

For the next hour, the top chefs from the imperial kitchen took turns presenting their skills, creating one exquisite dish after another. Braised lion's head, sweet and sour fish, white-cut chicken, dry-fried green beans... Each dish was a masterpiece in color, aroma, and taste.

The envoys from Northaven nodded in approval after tasting the dishes, and the atmosphere seemed quite harmonious.

I breathed a sigh of relief in the kitchen—it seemed the culinary prowess of Flameheart was still impressive!

But at that moment, a tall man from the Northaven envoy delegation stood up.

"I am Jamukha, the royal chef of Northaven. Today, I am honored to taste the delicacies of Flameheart, truly an eye-opening experience," he said in a deep and commanding voice. "However, I would also like to humbly present a dish of my own and exchange skills with everyone."

"Oh?" The emperor's interest was piqued. "Then I look forward to witnessing Master Jamukha's culinary artistry."

Jamuka smiled slightly and took out a piece of peculiarly colored meat from his pack. The meat appeared pale blue, with a faint chill emanating from it.

"This is a specialty of Northaven—frost wolf meat," Jamuka said. "Frost wolves live in the icy plains of the far north. The meat is delicious and has the added benefit of warding off cold and strengthening the body."

Wow! That meat looks so special! Even though my nose is far away, I can still catch a crisp, refreshing aroma, completely different from the meats we usually encounter.

Jamuka skillfully prepared the frost wolf meat, his knife work and technique showcasing profound expertise. In less than half an hour, a fragrant dish was ready.

"Please taste it, Your Majesty," Jamuka said respectfully, presenting the dish to the emperor.

The emperor took a bite, and his eyes immediately lit up. "Excellent! The meat is tender and has a unique, refreshing fragrance! Truly a rare delicacy!"

The other officials also tasted it and couldn't stop praising it.

Seeing this scene, the chefs from our imperial kitchen had somewhat unpleasant expressions on their faces. Although no one said it out loud, everyone knew this was a silent competition.

At that moment, Zamuhe spoke again: "Thanks to His Majesty's kindness, I dare to propose a small suggestion."

"Please go ahead," the emperor motioned for him to continue.

"I heard that the Flameheart Dynasty has a precious fire carp, known for its delicious meat and rich nutrition," Zamuhe's eyes flashed with cunning. "I would like to use our frost wolf meat and your dynasty's fire carp to create a fusion dish, symbolizing the union of friendship between our two nations. What does Your Majesty think?"

As soon as these words were spoken, the hall immediately fell silent.

Although I'm not politically sensitive, I could also sense that this proposal was more than it seemed. Using representative ingredients from both nations to create a fusion dish? This was clearly a challenge!

"Interesting!" The emperor nodded, "I find this proposal excellent! Attendants! Bring the finest Flame Carp!"

Soon, several lively Flame Carps were brought in. These fish were entirely crimson, their scales glistening under the light, a specialty of our Flameheart Dynasty.

"Then, let the imperial chefs of Flameheart Dynasty complete this fusion dish!" Zamuhe made a gesture of invitation, though his eyes clearly carried a challenging gleam.

The head steward’s expression turned serious. He whispered with a few top chefs for a moment, then reluctantly accepted the challenge.

For the next hour, I watched in the kitchen as our top chefs were swamped with work.

Frostwolf meat and Flame Carp, one extremely cold, the other extremely hot—the properties of these two ingredients were entirely opposed. No matter the method used, the resulting dish was either overwhelmingly fishy or had a strangely bizarre texture.

"No! The frost wolf meat has too much cold energy; it can't suppress the fishy smell of the fire carp!"

"I tried neutralizing the cold energy of the frost wolf meat with the heat of the fire carp, but the effect is strange. The two flavors just won't blend together!"

"Should we add some other seasoning?"

"It won’t help! These two ingredients are completely incompatible!"

Watching the chefs at a loss, I felt anxious too. Although I don’t understand politics, I knew that if this challenge failed, it wouldn’t just be the imperial kitchen’s reputation at stake, but the entire dignity of Flameheart.

Time passed minute by minute, and the atmosphere in the outer hall grew increasingly tense.

Finally, the head chef gritted his teeth and ordered the prepared dish to be served.

I secretly followed behind and saw the emperor take a bite. His brows immediately furrowed. Although the other officials didn’t speak, their expressions were equally displeased.

On the contrary, the members of the Northaven envoy group were all beaming with joy, and Zhamuhe smugly stroked his beard.

"It seems this fusion dish is indeed quite challenging." Zhamuhe intentionally spoke loudly, "But it's no surprise, as the culinary cultures of Northaven and Flameheart are vastly different. Achieving a perfect blend is no easy task."

His words were polite on the surface, but in reality, they were mocking us.

The emperor's expression also turned grim, and the atmosphere in the grand hall instantly dropped to freezing point.

At this moment, the emperor suddenly spoke up, "Wait, I recall someone."

He turned to the chief steward, "Fetch that young girl named Fenglin."

What?! I almost jumped out of my hiding place when I heard my name.

Why would the emperor think of me? I’m just a trainee court lady! How could I possibly be relevant in such a situation?

"Your Majesty, Fenglin is only a trainee court lady..." The chief steward hesitantly replied.

"I remember her displaying extraordinary gustatory abilities in the case of Consort Grace," the Emperor waved his hand, "In this current situation, perhaps she might have a different perspective."

It's over, it's over! My legs are starting to tremble. How could I not be nervous in front of so many people, including foreign envoys!

But the Emperor's order cannot be disobeyed, so I had no choice but to brace myself and enter the grand hall.

"Your humble servant Feng Lin pays her respects to Your Majesty," I knelt and performed the ceremonial greeting, my voice trembling.

"Rise," the Emperor said kindly, "I know you have unique insights into ingredients. Now, I have a task for you: create a fusion dish using frost wolf meat and fire carp. What do you think?"

I stole a glance at Zamuhe, only to see him looking at me with a scrutinizing gaze, his eyes filled with disdain.

"A little girl?" Zamuhe sneered, "Your Majesty, a challenge of this level is probably not something a child can handle, is it?"

Hearing this, a sense of defiance surged within me. Though I knew nothing about politics, when it came to cooking, I would not admit defeat so easily!

"Your Majesty, I am willing to give it a try," I mustered my courage and said.

"Good!" The emperor nodded, "Then take a look at these two ingredients first."

I walked to the table and carefully observed the frost wolf meat and the fire carp.

The frost wolf meat was pale blue in color, icy cold to the touch, yet its texture was firm, and the grain was clear. Taking a sniff, it had a refreshing aroma, with a hint of wildness.

The fire carp, on the other hand, was completely different. Its body was fiery red, the scales warm, and the flesh tender, exuding a rich and savory fragrance.

"These two ingredients indeed have conflicting properties..." I murmured to myself.

"May I ask Master Zamuhé," I turned to Zamuhé, "if I could taste the frost wolf meat you just prepared?"

Jamukha was somewhat surprised but still nodded, "Of course."

I carefully tasted a small piece of frost wolf meat, closing my eyes to savor its flavor.

The taste of this meat was quite unique. Aside from a cool and refreshing aroma, there was something else... hard to describe, like the purity of ice and snow, or the vastness of the grasslands. Moreover, the cooking method was quite special, using minimal seasoning to preserve the natural flavor of the ingredients.

From this dish, I seemed to sense the rugged, bold folk customs of Northaven, as well as their respect and understanding for natural ingredients.

"Master Jamukha's skill is truly remarkable," I sincerely praised. "From this dish, I can feel the unique culinary philosophy of Northaven."

Jamukha's expression softened slightly but still carried skepticism, "Then how do you think we should address the issue of these two ingredients conflicting with each other?"

I pondered for a moment, and a bold idea suddenly emerged in my mind.

"Your subject has an idea," I took a deep breath, "though I’m not sure if it’s feasible."

"Let’s hear it," the emperor encouraged.

"Generally, handling incompatible ingredients requires balancing through water and fire cooking, but the properties of frost wolf meat and fire carp are too extreme." As I spoke, I organized my thoughts, "Your subject thinks that since conventional methods won’t work, we might as well do the opposite."

"Do the opposite?" Chagamha frowned, "What do you mean?"

"Instead of using external forces to balance, we utilize the intrinsic energies of the two ingredients to counteract and complement each other." My voice grew more confident, "Just like the Taiji diagram, where yin and yang oppose yet generate each other, achieving balance through conflict."

The hall was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and everyone was waiting for me to continue.

"What exactly is the method?" the emperor asked curiously.

I walked up to the frost wolf meat and fire carp, and said earnestly, "Your subject wishes to attempt a special method of handling. By directly colliding the cold energy of the frost wolf meat with the heat energy of the fire carp, the two energies will neutralize each other at the moment of collision, ultimately achieving a delicate state of balance."

"Nonsense!" Zhamuhe sneered, "Ingredients don't have any energy! Do you think this is martial arts training?"

Ignoring his mockery, I continued, "Every ingredient has its unique properties, just like people have personalities. The 'personality' of frost wolf meat is calm and reserved, while the 'personality' of fire carp is passionate and unrestrained. If we force them to merge with external force, it will only destroy their inherent nature. But if we let them collide and blend naturally, it might produce unexpected chemical reactions."

The emperor's eyes lit up, "Intriguing! How do you plan to execute this?"

"Your subject will need some special tools and seasonings..." I began to list my requirements.

In the next half hour, I began my attempt under the gaze of the crowd.

First, I sliced the frost wolf meat into thin pieces and used a special technique to keep it at its lowest temperature. Then, I processed the fire carp into similarly thin slices and maintained their optimal heat using another method.

The crucial step came—I alternately layered the two ingredients, weaving them together so they made the most direct contact.

"What... what is he doing?" some officials whispered among themselves.

I paid no heed to the surrounding chatter, focusing entirely on my task. The moment the two ingredients touched, I could sense a wondrous transformation taking place...