Delicacies Destiny Episode 14 Recap
> Delicacies Destiny Recap
The Emperor presented Ling Xiaoxiao with a difficult choice: if she desired to become the Crown Princess, her past as an Imperial Chef would not be held against her, but she would be forbidden from entering the kitchen ever again. Alternatively, if she wanted to continue her culinary path as an Imperial Chef, she must sever all ties with the Crown Prince and stay away from him.
The Crown Prince, recognizing Ling Xiaoxiao's deep love for cooking, pleaded with the Emperor for more time for her to decide. The Emperor granted her seven days. That evening, the Crown Prince took Ling Xiaoxiao to the kitchen. Believing she might ultimately choose him and give up cooking, he wanted her to enjoy the kitchen while she still could.
He promised that if she could no longer cook, he would cook for her, specifically making the "vegetable patch egg" she had once taught him. Though clumsy, getting dirty, and even burning his hand in the process, his dedication touched Ling Xiaoxiao, making her smile. He deeply embraced her, promising to give her anything she desired that he could provide. Ling Xiaoxiao gently stroked his cheek, and they held hands, savoring the moment.
The Empress later summoned Ling Xiaoxiao, urging her to consider her options carefully. The Empress offered to wholeheartedly teach Ling Xiaoxiao the ways of managing the palace if she chose to be Crown Princess, confident that Ling Xiaoxiao's intelligence, combined with her guidance, would make governing the inner court achievable. However, if Ling Xiaoxiao chose to be a chef, the Empress warned that she must cleanly and completely sever her romantic connection with the Crown Prince.
Ling Xiaoxiao thanked the Empress for her advice and departed. The Crown Prince, fearing Ling Xiaoxiao would leave him, sought out Ling Xiaoxiao again. He informed her that he had already selected skilled chefs from various regions, who, while perhaps not as talented as her, were among the best. These chefs would be ready to cook for her after their wedding, ensuring she could eat whatever she wished.
He openly expressed his fear and reiterated his willingness to give up everything, even his position as Crown Prince, for her. Ling Xiaoxiao, who had earlier poured him a cup of water he didn't drink, smiled and reminded him that her initial reason for entering the palace was to promote her family's culinary heritage.
The Crown Prince, still not fully grasping her true desires, believed that as the Crown Prince, he could simply command things, and no one would dare disobey. Ling Xiaoxiao, with another smile, told him she had made her decision. Later, Ling Xiaoxiao opened a cabinet where she kept her clothes and the Ling family cookbook. With profound reluctance, she placed a red string, a gift from the Crown Prince, inside the cabinet and then firmly closed the door.
That same night, the Crown Prince, unable to sleep, placed a beautiful hairpin he had prepared for Ling Xiaoxiao under his pillow, imagining adorning her with it, before finally drifting off to sleep. On the decisive day, Ling Xiaoxiao appeared wearing the uniform of the Imperial Kitchen, signaling her choice to remain an Imperial Chef. The Crown Prince, seeing her choice and ignoring his pleading gaze, was furious.
He returned to his chambers, overturned a table of dishes in a fit of rage, and smashed his precious hairpin. In the Imperial Kitchen, some hoped Ling Xiaoxiao would not return, but Ming Mei believed otherwise. Indeed, Ling Xiaoxiao soon appeared outside the palace gates, her decision disappointing some who felt she had chosen poorly. Ling Xiaoxiao, having made a choice she felt forced into, found it difficult to let go of the Crown Prince.
While cooking, she frequently became sad when alone and accidentally cut her fingers. Though angered by her decision, the Crown Prince still cared deeply for her. Discovering her injury, he immediately attended to her, bandaging her wound and summoning an imperial physician. He held her hand, telling her he understood her aversion to palace rules and ceremonies and could explain this to the Emperor.
He questioned why he could give up everything, including his position, for her, yet she could not abandon cooking for him. Ling Xiaoxiao, feeling wronged, explained that it was easy for him to speak so confidently because he was not the one making the difficult choice. This deeply saddened the Crown Prince, and he left without a backward glance.
Understanding the Crown Prince's distress, Zheng Li advised him to seek counsel from a married woman who could persuade Ling Xiaoxiao by highlighting the advantages of marriage. Convinced this was a good idea, the Crown Prince immediately requested Princess Xiangning to return to the palace. Princess Xiangning and her consort were seen by outsiders as a devoted couple, inseparable even during palace visits, though this perception was largely due to the Princess's persistent demands.
The Crown Prince confided everything about his situation with Ling Xiaoxiao to Princess Xiangning, seeing her as a lifeline. Noticing the Crown Prince's deep affection, the Princess took it upon herself to help. In the Imperial Kitchen, everyone gathered to roast sweet potatoes. Imperial Chef Shen offered a cooled sweet potato to Chun Chan, who accepted it, prompting playful teasing from others about the "sweetness" of the potato, which caused Chun Chan and Imperial Chef Shen to shyly withdraw.
Princess Xiangning arrived at the Imperial Kitchen, disguised as a new assistant chef by removing her ornaments, and began chatting extensively with Ling Xiaoxiao about sweet potatoes. After enjoying their conversation, Princess Xiangning remembered her task and led Ling Xiaoxiao to the Imperial Garden. There, amidst paired ducks on the lake and birds in the trees, Ling Xiaoxiao's thoughts remained solely on cooking, oblivious to the romantic symbolism.
Princess Xiangning, after heartily enjoying Ling Xiaoxiao's delicious cooking to the point of burping, finally remembered her purpose and advised Ling Xiaoxiao to find a companion, suggesting the Crown Prince was the ideal choice. Meanwhile, the Empress arranged a selection for the Crown Prince's consort, a proposal he found impossible to refuse and reluctantly accepted. Princess Xiangning, aware of the Crown Prince's true feelings for Ling Xiaoxiao, then devised a strategy for him: to reject the Empress's arrangement by deliberately "finding fault" with the candidates.
