After returning to the capital to farm, the abandoned concubine made a comeback.

New ideas for food, but also a problem with ingredients.

Lin Qin smiled mysteriously and whispered a few words in Zhu Ling's ear.

Zhu Ling was taken aback at first, then a smile appeared in his eyes and brows: "Your Highness, do you want... I will accompany you."

What Lin Qin wants to do is to introduce modern hot pot into ancient times!

In her opinion, there's nothing that a hot pot meal can't solve; if there is, then two meals will do!

Without hesitation, Lin Qin immediately began preparations.

Hot pot with two broths, tripe and duck intestines, beef and mutton...

Just thinking about it makes my mouth water.

But here's the problem: where did they find these ingredients in ancient times?

First, there's the chili pepper.

The victory with the chopped chili fish head made Lin Qin realize that chili peppers were a rare commodity in ancient times.

She searched every shop in town, big and small, but couldn't find a single chili pepper.

"Your Highness, what are you looking for? Look at you, all sweaty." Matchmaker Wu approached with a gossipy look on her face, fanning herself with a palm leaf fan.

Lin Qin sighed helplessly: "Looking for chili peppers? Has Aunt Wu seen any?"

Upon hearing this, Wu the matchmaker's eyes widened like saucers: "Chili peppers? Those things are so spicy and pungent, how can you eat them?"

Lin Qin was both amused and exasperated; this was truly a case of a skilled cook being unable to cook without rice.

Without chili peppers, the soul of hot pot is gone!

"Your Highness, if you'd like something spicy, I know of some strange red fruits that Butcher Zhou sells. He says they come from the Western Regions and are incredibly spicy!" Matchmaker Wu said mysteriously.

Upon hearing this, Lin Qin immediately perked up, thanked him quickly, and headed straight for Butcher Zhou's butcher shop.

"Brother Zhou, I heard you have some red berries from the Western Regions?" Lin Qin asked directly.

Zhou the butcher was a big, burly man. Upon hearing this, he immediately took out a cloth bag from behind the counter, opened it, and found it full of bright red chili peppers!

Lin Qin was so excited she almost jumped up; this was like rain after a long drought!

"How much are these?" Lin Qin asked impatiently.

"Not for sale!" Butcher Zhou said gruffly. "This stuff is too spicy; I'm keeping it to repel insects!"

Lin Qin was dumbfounded. She had finally found some chili peppers, but they wouldn't sell them!

Undeterred, she began to reason with Butcher Zhou, appealing to his emotions and logic, extolling the medicinal and culinary value of chili peppers in a dazzling display.

But Butcher Zhou was unyielding; no matter what Lin Qin said, he simply refused to sell.

Lin Qin sighed; it seemed she would have to find another way.

At this moment, Zhu Ling walked over, saw Lin Qin's worried expression, and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Qin explained the whole story to Zhu Ling.

After hearing this, Zhu Ling's lips curled up slightly. He walked up to Butcher Zhou, took out a silver ingot, and placed it on the counter: "I'll buy these chilies."

Butcher Zhou looked at the silver, then at Zhu Ling, hesitated for a moment, and finally shook his head: "Your Highness, this..."

Zhu Ling's eyes narrowed, and Butcher Zhou immediately shut his mouth.

"I want these chilies," Zhu Ling said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

Butcher Zhou had no choice but to obediently hand the chili peppers to Zhu Ling.

Lin Qin looked at Zhu Ling, her heart filled with gratitude.

With the chili peppers sorted out, the next step is the other ingredients...

Lin Qin looked at Zhu Ling and slowly said, "Your Highness, I..."

Lin Qin pondered the ingredients needed for the hot pot broth, such as duck intestines and tripe, which probably didn't exist in ancient times.

She decided to settle for something similar and use similar ingredients instead.

So Lin Qin started going from street to street, asking everyone she met if they knew anything that was "crisp and chewy".

However, the responses I received were mostly blank stares and head shakes.

"Crisp? Chewy? Miss, are you talking about pig's ears?" a food vendor asked cautiously, afraid that he had misunderstood the strange request of this well-dressed lady.

Lin Qin sighed. Although pig ears were crispy, they were nowhere near as good as tripe or duck intestines!

She asked several vendors, some said beef tendon, some said pork cartilage, and some even said fried grasshoppers...

Lin Qin was completely bewildered, feeling like she was talking to a brick wall.

These ancient people really didn't know how to appreciate the finest foods!

Lin Qin roared inwardly, was her hotpot dream about to be stillborn?

Just when Lin Qin was about to despair, Zhu Ling appeared.

He stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a long black robe, seemingly surrounded by an aura that instantly attracted everyone's attention.

"What is Your Highness looking for?" Zhu Ling walked to Lin Qin's side, his tone gentle, a stark contrast to his coldness when facing others.

Lin Qin told Zhu Ling about her hotpot plans and the problems she encountered, her tone tinged with helplessness.

After listening, a smile flashed in Zhu Ling's eyes. This woman always managed to come up with some strange and unusual things.

He pondered for a moment: "I may be able to help with what the princess requests."

Zhu Ling truly lives up to his title of prince; his connections are indeed extensive.

He sent people around to inquire, and they actually found some ingredients similar to duck intestines and tripe.

Although it's not exactly the same, it can at least be used as a substitute in terms of taste.

Looking at these "alternatives" laid out in front of her, Lin Qin felt a spark of hope ignite in her heart.

She looked at Zhu Ling gratefully: "Your Highness, thank you!"

Zhu Ling looked at the light flashing in Lin Qin's eyes and his heart stirred.

He couldn't help but move closer to Lin Qin and whisper in her ear, "Your Highness, there's no need to be so polite..."

Zhu Ling moved closer to Lin Qin and whispered in her ear, "Whatever the Princess wishes to do, I will support you." His warm breath brushed against Lin Qin's ear, and she smelled his unique, cool pine scent, causing her cheeks to involuntarily flush.

A warm feeling welled up in her heart, and this sudden ambiguity made her heart race.

Just then, a cute little system popped up in Lin Qin's mind: "Congratulations, host! The chopped chili fish head is selling like hotcakes, earning fifty taels of silver! New recipe unlocked: Spicy crayfish!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Qin immediately perked up.

Fifty taels!

Get rich!

Spicy crayfish?

This is great stuff!

She could almost see the silver flying into her pocket like snowflakes.

"Your Highness, what are you thinking about?" Zhu Ling asked curiously when he saw Lin Qin suddenly looking radiant.

"I'm thinking... how to make more money!" Lin Qin blurted out, then realized she had let something slip and quickly corrected herself, "I'm thinking... how to cook even better dishes!"

Zhu Ling looked at Lin Qin's sparkling eyes, a slight smile playing on his lips. This woman was truly extraordinary.

Lin Qin couldn't wait to check the new recipe provided by the small system. The ingredients needed for spicy crayfish were not hard to find; the key was the ratio of the seasonings.

She studied the recipe carefully, already simulating the cooking process in her mind.

"The princess seems quite confident in this new dish?" Zhu Ling looked at Lin Qin with great interest.

"Of course!" Lin Qin said confidently, "Your Highness, just wait and see!"

However, things did not go as smoothly as Lin Qin had imagined.

When she excitedly took the recipe to Chef Qian, she was met with his sarcastic remarks.

"Crayfish? Those dirty things can be used in cooking? Your Highness, please don't joke with me!" Chef Qian said with a look of disdain.

Lin Qin took a deep breath, trying her best to suppress the anger in her heart.

She knew that Chef Qian had always harbored resentment towards her, and since the great success of his chopped chili fish head dish, he had become even more envious.

"Chef Qian, just follow the recipe. You don't need to worry about anything else," Lin Qin said firmly.

Seeing Lin Qin's insistence, Chef Qian had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

However, he secretly sabotaged the process, deliberately messing up the proportions of the seasonings, hoping to completely ruin Lin Qin's spicy crayfish dish.

Lin Qin was unaware of Chef Qian's little tricks; she waited expectantly for the spicy crayfish to be served.

As evening fell, the aroma of spicy crayfish filled the entire farm.

Lin Qin couldn't wait to take a bite, and was immediately stunned.

"This taste..." Lin Qin frowned, "Something about it is strange?"

Zhu Ling also took a bite, and his face immediately darkened.

"Chef Qian!" Zhu Ling called out coldly.

Chef Qian walked over cautiously, secretly pleased with himself, knowing that his plan had succeeded.

"Your Highness, this..." Chef Qian feigned innocence.

"Did you make these crayfish?" Zhu Ling's tone was icy, as if it came from the cold winds of hell.

Chef Qian trembled with fear and stammered, "It...it was me who made it..."

Zhu Ling suddenly stood up, grabbed Chef Qian by the collar, and lifted him up...

Zhu Ling lifted Chef Qian up like a chick, his eyes sharp as knives: "How dare you fool me and the Queen?"

Chef Qian was terrified, a warm current surging in his crotch. He stammered, "Your Highness, spare me! I... I just accidentally mixed up the seasonings..."

"Accidentally?" Zhu Ling sneered, loosening his grip, and Chef Qian collapsed to the ground like a lump of mud. "Guards! Drag this idiot away and give him fifty lashes!"

Chef Qian's screams echoed over the farm, startling a flock of birds.

Lin Qin felt little pleasure at the sight, but rather a sense of helplessness.

It seems that chefs in ancient times were really hard to manage!

Back in the kitchen, Lin Qin looked at the failed attempt at making spicy crayfish and sighed.

It seems I can only rely on myself!

Following the system's prompts, she adjusted the preparation method for the new dish.

Although there were no crayfish in ancient times, she found a similar river shrimp, which was small in size but very fresh.

Lin Qin rolled up her sleeves and began working in the farm kitchen.

She washed the river shrimp, removed their heads and tails, and then marinated them with her secret seasoning.

If there were no chili peppers, she would use spices such as dogwood and Sichuan peppercorns instead. Although the taste was different, it had its own unique flavor.

As time went by, a peculiar aroma began to fill the kitchen.

This aroma is unlike any other dish before; it's spicy with a hint of sweetness, stimulating the taste buds and making you want to explore it further.

While busy, Lin Qin pondered her next steps.

Spicy crayfish is just the beginning; she has many more culinary ideas she wants to try.

But can all the ingredients needed for these creative ideas be found in this era?

And then there's Zhu Ling. He taught Chef Qian a lesson today, so what further actions will he take towards her next?

Lin Qin's heart was filled with anticipation, but also a little apprehensive.

More importantly, what kind of trouble will Chef Qian cause this time?

Lin Qin didn't believe he would give up so easily.

As night falls, the farm is brightly lit.

In Lin Qin's kitchen, a plate of fragrant "spicy river shrimp" was freshly made.

She couldn't wait to pick one up and put it in her mouth.

"Mmm..." Lin Qin closed her eyes, savoring the unique flavor. "Although it's not quite the same as spicy crayfish, this taste is absolutely amazing!"

Just then, a deep voice sounded in Lin Qin's ear: "Your Highness, what delicious food is this?"

Lin Qin suddenly opened her eyes, only to find Zhu Ling already standing behind her...