Episode 5 recap: Qi Wang's Mid-Autumn Feast: Protecting Cheng Biyuan.
Cheng Biyuan arrived at the imperial kitchen and was amazed by the dazzling array of ingredients and seasonings. However, the royal chefs nearby looked down on this rustic cook and belittled her. Angry at their disdainful attitude, Cheng Biyuan poured out the peony she had pickled to show them. To her surprise, a pile of rotten radishes poured out of the jar, leaving Cheng Biyuan dumbfounded.
The menu of the imperial kitchen had already been submitted to the court, and secretly changing the dishes without authorization was a serious offense. The other royal chefs were eager to see Cheng Biyuan's embarrassment. The Mid-Autumn Palace Feast began, and Cheng Biyuan, representing the Qi Wang Mansion, presented her own creation, "Phoenix Piercing Peony." It was a famous dish from Luochuan, traditionally made with golden peonies. However, Cheng Biyuan used red peonies in her dish. The Emperor became furious and questioned whether Cheng Biyuan intended to deceive him. Confidently, Cheng Biyuan explained that she deliberately chose red peonies because they symbolized prosperity, beauty, and the Emperor's majestic aura, representing his wisdom and the country's stability.
The Emperor was greatly pleased and praised Cheng Biyuan's culinary skills after tasting the dish. It turned out that there was no time to pickle the yellow peonies, so Cheng Biyuan cleverly used the red amaranth from the imperial kitchen to add color. The Emperor jokingly suggested that Qi Wang should keep Cheng Biyuan in the palace, but Qi Wang politely declined. Just then, a subordinate reported that a confidential military letter had gone missing. Liang An'er hastily claimed to have seen Cheng Biyuan entering the imperial kitchen with something resembling a confidential letter.
The Emperor ordered a search, and indeed, they found the military letter in the imperial kitchen with the imprint of red amaranth. Cheng Biyuan immediately knelt down to defend herself, but the Emperor intended to throw her into the dungeon. Qi Wang stepped forward and stood in front of Cheng Biyuan, grabbing the sword aimed at her with his bare hand.
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