Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

[Ding—Congratulations on obtaining the title "Famous Restaurant Under Heaven" personally inscribed by the Emperor! Zhiwei Restaurant's reputation continues to rise. Please continue your efforts!]

A notification sounded in my mind.

To be honest, Shen Qing didn't really want the emperor's calligraphy. As the saying goes, one's handwriting reflects one's character, and the emperor didn't look like someone who could write well.

But unfortunately, she simply couldn't refuse the phrase "her reputation continues to grow."

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

"No need, no need. If Lady Shen wants, I can write many more. Don't you already have Zhiweixuan? Would you like me to write another one called 'Zhiweixuan'?"

Shen Qing quickly waved his hand: "No need, no need, thank you Your Majesty..."

Please don't go and ruin Zhiweixuan.

"Hahaha, Madam Shen, don't be so polite. Just tell me what you want." The emperor burst into laughter.

Shen Qing: "..."

I really don't want it.

He forcefully changed the subject: "Let's talk about the palace banquet..."

Hosting a palace banquet is not a simple matter; a lot of preparation is required beforehand, and it cannot be done on a whim.

Moreover, if a palace banquet is to be held, many dishes will need to be prepared, and she certainly cannot manage it all by herself.

"Don't worry, girl. You just need to cook, and leave everything else to the servants."

"So, how many tables do we need?" Shen Qing asked.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "A table full is fine. You can make anything that I haven't eaten before."

She has no interest in random stalls; she'd rather just enjoy the food in a peaceful way.

Shen Qing's eyes widened in surprise: "...Just one table?"

Wait, what kind of palace banquet is this? Why doesn't the Empress Dowager just tell her to cook a whole table of dishes?

This must be something the Empress Dowager wanted to eat herself, right?

"...Your Majesty, I want more people to taste my delicious food," Shen Qing said directly.

Her mind is now completely focused on her mission.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, the day for the Liao Kingdom to pay tribute is fast approaching. If the envoys can taste Lady Shen's delicacies..." Zhao Gou said from the side.

The envoy is already on his way and should arrive in the next few days.

The emperor, however, was oblivious to state affairs and knew nothing about it.

As for the Empress Dowager, she devoted herself to Buddhist worship every day and didn't care about anything else.

"That's right!!" The Emperor clapped his hands. "If the Liao people taste Lady Shen's cuisine, they will surely be amazed. This will demonstrate our dynasty's strength and give them a shock!"

The Empress Dowager nodded: "That's right, then let's set the date of the palace banquet on the day the envoys arrive, so that those Liao people can broaden their horizons!"

Shen Qing: "..."

She didn't want the Liao people to broaden their horizons; she only wanted the current dynasty's royal family to broaden their horizons.

"On the day of the palace banquet, why not let all the royal relatives come and have a taste..."

Upon hearing this, Zhao Gou immediately chimed in, "Your Majesty, Your Majesty, Lady Shen is right. Since this palace banquet is to be held, it should be a grand affair to give those Liao people a good slap in the face."

"Not only the imperial relatives, but also the masters within the palace and the court officials outside—we'll invite them all to the palace. Those Liao people have certainly never seen such a grand palace banquet before; they'll definitely feel ashamed of themselves!"

The sisters seem to want to hold a grand palace banquet, so he must help them fulfill their wish!

The emperor's eyes lit up when he heard this.

He already had a picture in his mind: tables full of delicious food, where he could eat as much as he wanted without any purchase restrictions.

Those Liao people will surely eat like they've never eaten before, wolfing down their food without any manners, and then he'll have a good laugh at them.

Awesome, so awesome! Just thinking about it makes me feel great!

"Go ahead, go all out!" the emperor suddenly shouted.

The Empress Dowager nodded. She had no objection; it was a good way to demonstrate national power and make the Liao people suffer.

After some discussion, the decision to hold a grand palace banquet was made.

After the news spread, the palace and the surrounding area were in an uproar.

Everyone in the palace: Finally, we can taste Lady Shen's delicious food!

The courtiers outside the palace: Waaah, we miss Lady Shen so much! Finally, we can enjoy the new dishes again.

Shen Qing didn't need to worry about any of the preparations for the palace banquet; all she had to do was cook.

That day, she opened the system.

"Draw dishes for the palace banquet."

[Ding—Drawing dishes for the imperial banquet...]

[The extraction has been completed.]

The ten dishes are: Wolf Tooth Potatoes, Crispy Fried Milk, Takoyaki, Grilled Tofu, Grilled Gluten, Hand-pulled Pancake, Stir-fried Snails, Fruit Salad, Waxberry Iced Rice Balls, and Lychee Rose Sparkling Drink.

[There's no limit to what you can buy for this palace banquet, so please keep up the good work, Host!]

Shen Qing: "..."

Are these dishes really suitable for serving at a royal banquet?

Isn't this just like bringing all the snacks from modern night market stalls over here?

But she had to admit that just looking at the names of these dishes made her mouth water.

With such a table full of food, I can't even imagine how happy she could be.

......

The Liao Dynasty's envoy delegation had been traveling for many days and was passing through Ping'an County on this day.

The third prince, Yelü Qi, is the key figure in this mission.

He had a long face, high cheekbones, deep-set eyes, and a wide nose. His hair was braided into small braids at his temples, giving him a dignified and imposing appearance.

"Third Prince, we'll be in the capital in another hour."

Yelü Qi glanced out of the carriage window; the place was bustling with people.

There were quite a few people ahead of us, seemingly queuing to buy something.

"It's hot. Let's find an inn here to rest for a while and set off again in the afternoon," Yelü Qi decided instantly.

Traveling in the sweltering heat is unpleasant, let alone the long journey; he had no desire to arrive at the emperor covered in dust.

"Yes."

The servant did as instructed and continued walking forward.

As they were walking, the carriage suddenly stopped.

"Third Prince, there's no way forward." The servant's voice was tinged with shock.

Yelü Qi looked outside and saw that it was so crowded that the carriage couldn't pass at all.

I only glanced at it from afar and saw that there were people queuing, but I never expected there to be so many people.

Just then, several voices rang in my ears:

"Madam Shen is the most beautiful woman in the whole world!!"

"Waaaaah, when is Madam Shen coming back?"

"Calling for Lady Shen! Calling for Lady Shen!!"

"....."

All of this sounds very unusual, even a little strange.

The most beautiful woman in the world? Who is so arrogant?

Yelü Qi immediately became interested and jumped off the carriage: "Let's go take a look."

He wanted to see what the most beautiful woman in the Great An Dynasty looked like.