Chapter Fifty-Six: Exposing Qian Shanduo (Part Two)

According to the original plan, the roast duck was still snatched away by Qian Shanduo, earning the emperor’s admiration. After two or three flawless dishes, Mingtian played his trump card—the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall—but served only a minuscule portion, just a few bites, keeping most of it for himself.

With so little, the emperor would certainly be left unsatisfied and demand to see Qian Shanduo, ordering him to make more. Forced to prepare the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Qian Shanduo would find himself in a hopeless predicament, with an outcome too obvious to need stating.

Afterward, the emperor would inevitably investigate the true creator of the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall. Sooner or later, it would be revealed as Mingtian. At that point, by offering the emperor a full serving, he would win the coveted Golden Medal of Culinary Excellence and restore Zhao Ke’s honor.

This plan was complex and had a low chance of success; Mingtian himself was far from certain, but wanted to try nonetheless.

He never imagined, however, that Yin Chan would so perfectly understand his intentions and deliberately assassinate Emperor Qi Ming today.

For Mingtian, this was a golden opportunity!

With the emperor gone, Mingtian devised a new scheme, one with a hundred percent chance of success.

It should be noted that the kitchen actually had tools to keep dishes warm, but Mingtian had deliberately avoided using them!

Letting Xiao Baojuan fly into a rage over the roast duck was the true start of the plan!

No matter how skilled a chef is, it’s impossible to anticipate an unfamiliar dish! Besides, Qian Shanduo was not especially talented—how could he have guessed that the famously delicious Peking duck would become so unpalatable once cold, to the point of enraging the crown prince?

Now, with a piece of roast duck sticking to his chest, Qian Shanduo was utterly bewildered.

He had secretly tasted Mingtian’s roast duck before, and it had been a peerless delicacy! He simply couldn’t comprehend why, in the prince’s hands, this dish had become so vile.

At this moment, Qian Shanduo’s plump body trembled like a sieve, all his earlier swagger gone.

Admitting he made it—neglect of duty, defying the imperial will: death by slow slicing.

Confessing he stole someone else’s dish—deceiving the sovereign: death by dismemberment.

Either way, the punishment was excruciating.

“Wh-who is Qi-Qian Shanduo?! S-s-step forward!” The stammering crown prince, unable to resist the lure of the throne, prematurely referred to himself as “I, the Emperor.”

Yet this arrogance only fueled his anger further. After a few minutes without response, Xiao Baojuan exploded: “If…if no one steps forward, you’re all…all guilty of deceiving the sovereign—the entire kitchen will…will be sentenced to death by dismemberment!”

It had to be said, listening to him stammer was exhausting, but at least he could be understood.

The kitchen staff, all struck with terror, fixed their eyes as one on Qian Shanduo.

Seeing this, Xiao Baojuan strode forward with awkward haste, lacking all royal dignity, rushing up to Qian Shanduo like an uncouth peasant.

“You…you’re Qian Shanduo?!”

At last, Qian Shanduo experienced the adage: “Those who follow the righteous path have many helpers; those who stray are left alone.” Before he could answer, the surrounding chefs all nodded in perfect unison.

Realizing he could hide no longer, Qian Shanduo turned ashen with fear, snot and tears streaming down his face. “Your Majesty, spare me!”

Eager to ingratiate himself, he didn’t even call Xiao Baojuan “Your Highness,” but went straight for “Your Majesty,” groveling as he kowtowed.

“Spare…spare you?”

Qian Shanduo might be wicked, but it was clear Xiao Baojuan was no better.

He planted a foot on Qian Shanduo’s head and spat, “You…you dare serve m-me this g-garbage and…still beg for mercy?”

As he spoke, he ground his foot into Qian Shanduo’s head for emphasis.

In front of the entire court, the crown prince showed no regard for his image, resorting to violence that shamed the royal family.

Xiao Baojuan looked barely twenty, but his size was remarkable. He stood about five feet tall, with a waist that easily exceeded one hundred and twenty centimeters. With his full weight pressing down, it seemed he might crush Qian Shanduo’s head.

On the brink of disaster, Qian Shanduo suddenly had a flash of inspiration. Keeping his kneeling posture, he pointed to Mingtian.

“Your Majesty! This dish may have been made by me, but this kitchen hand assisted me. My technique was flawless, but because he bore a grudge, he tampered with the dish out of spite. Your Majesty, my loyalty is unwavering—you must believe me! It’s this little wretch who has insulted you!”

Though Qian Shanduo was fat, his tongue was surprisingly nimble; he rattled off this speech in mere seconds.

Hearing this, Xiao Baojuan’s face froze, then his malicious gaze shifted to Mingtian.

Oh, don’t look at me. You’re even uglier than Qian Shanduo—I feel sick. Please stop looking at me, or I’ll be ill.

Mingtian turned his face away. It was only at this close distance that he realized how hideous Xiao Baojuan truly was.

“You…are you the one who insulted…me?!” Even at a distance of about three meters, and outdoors no less, Xiao Baojuan’s bad breath was impossible to ignore.

No, this stammering fool must die! If he stole my woman and she had to kiss him every day, wouldn’t that be unbearable?

“Your Majesty.”

Though he detested the idea of kneeling, custom demanded it, so Mingtian shuffled forward on his knees.

In contrast to Qian Shanduo’s abject groveling, Mingtian was calm and composed. “Who made the dish is not important. What matters is that one of us has insulted Your Majesty. Wouldn’t you agree?”

Xiao Baojuan was taken aback, not quite understanding. “What…what are you getting at? S-speak plainly!”

“Your Majesty, look.” Picking up a piece of roast duck, Mingtian continued, “A dish of this quality is an affront to the imperial family, to the State of Great Qi, to the Imperial Culinary Bureau, and most of all, to you.”

His words clearly pleased Xiao Baojuan. “A-and then? What…what are you trying to say?”

“What I mean is…”

Mingtian tossed away the roast duck. Despite his dislike for the prince, he bowed his head and spoke with measured grace.

“Only the most inept chef could produce such a dish. Since one of us has insulted you, neither of our words can be trusted. We must prove ourselves through our culinary skill!”

Xiao Baojuan, clearly not quick-witted, needed a moment to process this. Mingtian paused deliberately, then continued.

“According to tradition, the day after tomorrow Your Majesty will ascend the throne. All the clans will pay homage, and there will be a general amnesty. The palace will surely host a grand banquet! Why not seize the opportunity to showcase the cuisine of Qi before all the clans? I propose we divide the kitchen in two, each of us leading half the chefs in a culinary contest! The chef who produces such abysmal fare is certain to lose—and the loser shall be executed by slow slicing!”

At these words, the court erupted in astonishment.

A faint smile curled at Mingtian’s lips.

Qian Shanduo, meanwhile, stared at him in utter shock, as if he couldn’t believe what was happening. Had he been saved? Would he live after all?

Not a chance. There’s no way I’ll let you escape so easily.

Sorry, just because I’m good-natured doesn’t mean I’m a pushover.

Now that Mingtian’s killing intent had been aroused, there was no turning back.

Not far away—

At the palace gates, Wang Jingze watched everything and nodded with a smile. Turning back, he addressed Yu Nizi, who stood behind him.

“Yuer, are you ready?”

Yu Nizi seemed to have become a different person. Her eyes were dull, utterly devoid of light.

“Yes, Yuer is ready.” Her voice was flat, without a trace of emotion.

Last night’s events had utterly ruined her.

Wang Jingze smiled faintly, then his expression sharpened.

“Once Mingtian proposes his plan, I’ll send you to meet the prince. Serve him well, and exchange the princess. The emperor was killed by Mingtian and Yin Chan, but without our help, that worthless prince would never have survived.”

“Yes, Yuer understands.”

At that moment, Xiao Baojuan pondered, almost tasting again that Phoenix Crystal dish from yesterday, drool running freely down his chin.

“A…a culinary contest? I…interesting! Good! I…I approve!!!”