The evening feast had started. In the grand hall of the Imperial Palace, every regal family member had shown his presence except the Emperor and the Empress. The guests who were invited had taken their respective seats. As soon as the announcement of the arrival of the Emperor and the Empress was made, everyone stood up from their respective seats, the Emperor and Empress of Han.
Once the Emperor and Empress had taken the seats, others took their seats. "It is a glorious moment to see all the Kings and governors of Han province. The great Han benefited after the merger of tiny provinces in it," Han Wenji pronounced with a warm smile on his lips.
"Your majesty, we are extremely happy to be a part of the great Han Empire," voiced the governor of North-Western province, Bingzhou province, Qiu Jiewo proudly. Others also agreed with him.
Han Wenji raised the golden cup, which had wine in it. "Let's cheer for the prosperity of Han on this auspicious day," Han Wenji asserted. All the people present in the grand hall raised their cups and drank wine after the emperor. "The feast has begun," Han Wenji stated, and everyone started eating.
The crown princess looked at the crown princess. "Are you still hungry after eating so much?" Sheng Li asked. Ying Lili did not answer him and continued eating. Sheng Li picked a slice of fish meat and placed that on the plate on which Ying Lili was eating. Ying Lili tilted her head and raised a brow.
"Eat that," Sheng Li stated.
Ying Lili put that aside. "Do not irritate me," Ying Lili affirmed.
"Father," Sheng Li suddenly spoke, which diverted everyone's attention to Sheng Li. Han Wenji looked at the crown prince with inquisitiveness. "Father, on this auspicious day I think that the crown princess must serve the special custard she has learned from her mother," Sheng Li pronounced.
Ying Lili stopped eating and skeptically peered at the crown prince. "What is the crown prince trying to say?" Weng Wei questioned.
"Mother, one day the crown princess and I were talking about the city of Juyan," Sheng Li proclaimed and turned his eyes towards Ying Lili. "My crown princess told me that her mother knows a special custard which she has also learned from her. Since we all are gathered here today so, I think that the crown princess must serve us that special custard," Sheng Li suggested and then gazed back at the empress.
"But, now we all have started eating. The crown princess must be hungry as well," Jian Guozhi asserted and smiled.
"Respected first brother, my crown princess has eaten so much during lunchtime that she is full and now wants to make a custard for us," Sheng Li proclaimed. Jian Guozhi tightened his fist and looked at Yongzheng. "Your highness, the custard is already prepared as the sweet dish. We can eat the custard from her highness's hands in the morning," Yongzheng opined.
"It is my birthday. I want to eat right now the custard made by my crown princess," Sheng Li expressed his desire.
"The crown prince is acting like a child!" Sheng Li heard King Ji Kai Huang saying.
"Child?" Sheng Li mumbled. "Who said this?" Sheng Li in a fit of rage asked. Ji Kai Huang gulped in fear when Han Wenji intervened. "Since it is your birthday, your wishes I must fulfill. The crown princess is also willing for this. We all will wait for the custard that the crown princess will serve as a sweet dish," Han Wenji pronounced.
Sheng Li thanked his father. Ying Lili stood up from the seat, bowed her head, and left from the grand hall with court lady Xu for the royal kitchen.
Sheng Li grinned, looking at Jian Guozhi who was giving a broad smile to him. "You escaped your death today, but for how long? I will kill you at any cost," Jian Guozhi thought in his mind.
Ying Lili was outraged after Sheng Li suddenly, out of nowhere, expressed his desire to eat the custard. "I know he did this to trouble me. I wish I could beat him to a pulp…no, not beat but kill him," Ying Lili muttered in anger. Court Lady Xu told the crown princess not to say such things openly.
"Court lady Xu, I am angry. How will I make custard for so many people?" Ying Lili murmured. In a while, they reached the royal kitchen. The Royal Chef bowed and the other kitchen assistants bowed their heads seeing the crown princess. "You may lift your heads," Ying Lili stated. "Royal chef, I need to make custard for 150 people. Please bring the cauldron," Ying Lili ordered.
"Yes, your highness," the Royal chef looked at one of his assistants and gestured to him to do that. Ying Lili rolled up her long sleeves while Court lady Xu made her wear an apron. "Your highness, you can instruct us about the recipe," the royal chef opined.
"I have to make it. Just assist me in the work. Chop the dry fruits and bring the rose petals as well," Ying Lili ordered. Milk was poured into the cauldron and the burner flame was increased using more wood. The fruits were brought there, and the assistants started cutting them. Ying Lili, on the other hand, was checking the milk as it needed to be dense to a certain limit. "Your highness, may I ask why are we using rose petals in this custard?" The royal chef humbly asked.
"In Juyan we used to do that. Rose tea is beneficial for health, so we use it in custard as well," Ying Lili replied and tried picking the lid from over the cauldron when two servants came ahead and helped her.
In the grand hall, everyone was enjoying the meals and at the same time talking with each other. "An hour is going to pass. The crown prince has made the crown princess work for just a custard!" Jian Guozhi sarcastically spoke.
"It seems the first brother is not interested in the custard made by my crown princess," Sheng Li argued. Jian Guozhi chuckled upon hearing the statement of Sheng Li when the maidservants entered there with trays in their hands. In every tray, there were 8 bowls filled with custard.
"The custard is here!" Prince Weng Yu excitedly said.
Ying Lili smiled hearing that and came towards Sheng Li who was smiling at her. She picked the bowl and placed it on the table. "You did not put salt in it, right?" Sheng Li asked.
Ying Lili twitched her lips as she took the seat beside him. "Then do not eat it," Ying Lili snapped at him.
"The sweet fragrance of rose is coming out of this custard. It is making me drool," Lei Wanxi loudly said in an excited tone. The Emperor and the Empress agreed with the sixth prince. They all started eating. Ying Lili peered at Sheng Li who was taking in the sweet smell of the custard. "How did you make it? I thought you do not know how to cook," Sheng Li looked at Lili for the answer.
"Just eat," Ying Lili stated. Sheng Li smiled and sipped the custard. He was out of words because the custard was delicious. The proportions of the flavors were perfect. Everyone there was enjoying eating that sweet dish. "It is so tasty," Ying Lili heard Sheng Li, so he ate more. He put the spoon in the bowl and turned to Ying Lili. "You made this, right? Because I still doubt," Sheng Li queried.
"Of course, I made it," Ying Lili replied and picked the spoon to taste the custard when Sheng Li started coughing. Ying Lili turned her head to him when she saw Sheng Li was coughing blood. Ying Lili stared at Sheng Li with blood in his hand, and the next second he fell from his seat.
