Delicacies Destiny Episode 9 Recap
> Delicacies Destiny Recap
The Prince arrived outside Yeting Palace and, upon hearing Ling Xiaoxiao loudly cry out "Lighter, it hurts!" , became anxious and immediately rushed in, kicking open the Yeting Palace gate while shouting, "Who dares touch Xiaoxiao!" Inside, he found Ling Xiaoxiao sitting upright on a chair, surrounded by palace maids who were kneading her shoulders and back, and presenting dishes from the imperial kitchen to seek her advice.
Ling Xiaoxiao had been surrounded by imperial kitchen staff wanting to learn dishes, so she had devised a plan for them to bring their cooked dishes for her to taste and evaluate. She carefully tasted and inspected each dish, giving pertinent advice: the candied apples were not fresh enough and added to the pot too late; the bird's nest soup was too sweet and needed less water; and the braised pork was overcooked, a bit burnt.
A matron then appeared, displeased with Ling Xiaoxiao not working, and scolded her, stating she was there to work, not behave this way. Ling Xiaoxiao agreed and was about to leave, but she was stopped by the palace maids, who were from the imperial kitchen and had many more dishes awaiting her guidance.
The palace maids then pulled the matron away, silencing her with food and declaring they would do Ling Xiaoxiao's work, ensuring the matron could not trouble Ling Xiaoxiao. Ling Xiaoxiao then asked the Prince what he was doing. The Prince, realizing his frantic door-kicking act was rather transparent, stammered that he was testing the quality and sturdiness of the Yeting gate.
Finding the result unsatisfactory and realizing someone had again cut corners, he instructed Eunuch Zheng Li to take his imperial decree and punish those responsible for the door. Eunuch Zheng Li smiled and dismissed everyone, leaving only the Prince and Ling Xiaoxiao. The Prince had been so worried Ling Xiaoxiao was suffering, unable to eat or sleep, but found she was living more comfortably than in the Imperial Kitchen.
He asked if she didn't want to return to the Imperial Kitchen. Ling Xiaoxiao found his behavior amusing but explained he was mistaken; she was testing food daily and was becoming 'melancholy from overeating,' wishing she could quickly return to the Imperial Kitchen to cook for His Highness.
The Prince was very happy to hear this, but still disbelieving: if she wanted to return to cook for him, why did she make a meat dish to anger his mother, the Queen? Ling Xiaoxiao immediately explained that she made the meat dish not to anger the Queen, but for balanced nutrition.
She was glad the Prince came, as she had intended to explain it to the Queen, believing the Queen, being so fond of the Prince, would listen to him. The Prince, however, disagreed, thinking the Queen might already be unwilling to speak to him because he had just angered her to the point of fainting.
The Queen, who had been angered to the point of fainting, had just woken up when she heard Matron Gu report that the Prince had kicked open the Yeting Palace door and taken Ling Xiaoxiao out, which saddened her even more. She could accept the Emperor not visiting her, but the Prince defying her wishes and turning against her was particularly unbearable, causing her to shed tears.
The Queen was resting in bed when a matron reported that the Prince had broken into the Yeting gate, taken Ling Xiaoxiao out, and kicked the door down. The Queen sat up in anger, exclaiming how unbecoming such behavior was for a Prince. The matron comforted her, saying the Prince was young and it was normal for him to sulk. The Queen grew even angrier, stating that when the Emperor was his age, he had already married several consorts.
She felt the Prince did not care about her, his mother, at all. The Queen was heartbroken, feeling that if the Emperor didn't care, and her son was also turning against her, there was no meaning in being the Queen. Ling Xiaoxiao and the Prince seemed to have discussed a plan, though the Prince was unsure if it would work. Ling Xiaoxiao's fearlessness made him question his own apprehension.
Meanwhile, an imperial physician was treating the Queen, repeatedly reminding her not to worry, as agitation would be detrimental to her health, and advising her to rest peacefully. However, the Queen found it difficult to let go of her worries. Soon after, Ling Xiaoxiao came to visit the Queen, having heard she was unwell, which surprised the Queen. Ling Xiaoxiao had specially prepared a dish and again presented roasted suckling pig.
The Queen, seeing yet another meat dish, initially said she wouldn't eat it and flew into a rage. However, recalling that punishing Ling Xiaoxiao by sending her to Yeting had caused her to fall out with the Prince, she listened to Ling Xiaoxiao's explanation. Ling Xiaoxiao explained she intended to use dietary therapy to heal the Queen's "wind condition" and ensure her royal health.
Although roasted suckling pig was just an ordinary meat dish, its most important message was to tell the Queen that a balanced diet of both meat and vegetables was necessary for health. She advised that if the Queen didn't believe her, she could ask Imperial Physician Liu.
Imperial Physician Liu, who had known the Queen had been a vegetarian for over ten years and had always avoided offending her by discussing it, now confirmed that Ling Xiaoxiao's words made sense and were true. He added that a daily combination of meat and vegetables could make food more fragrant and delicious, provide complete nutrition, and even delay aging and promote health and longevity.
He had not dared to inform the Queen earlier, and Ling Xiaoxiao had consulted him before making the roasted suckling pig. Upon hearing this, the Queen forgave Ling Xiaoxiao and let go of past grievances. Just then, the Emperor also arrived, having heard the discussion. He wanted to know what kind of vow could make the Queen, who had been a vegetarian for so many years, maintain her diet.
Matron Gu dared to tell the Emperor that the Queen's vow was made before Buddha for the Emperor's lifelong health, prosperity, and well-being, which was why she was willing to be a vegetarian for life. The Emperor was very moved upon hearing this. He told the Queen that she didn't have to do this; he would naturally take good care of his own body, and if her health were to suffer, he could not enjoy this prosperity and well-being alone.
He advised her to break her vow. The Emperor knew he had overlooked the Queen's feelings and felt remorseful, affirming her irreplaceable place in his heart. Although he had consorts for amusement, the Queen would always be his only trusted support. His great praise helped the Queen resolve her emotional conflicts and finally become happy. Later, Xi Yan was telling ghost stories in the palace, scaring everyone except Ling Xiaoxiao, who remained unmoved.
Xi Yan, determined to challenge Ling Xiaoxiao's bravery, specifically warned her that the palace path in front of the Imperial Kitchen was haunted, and if anyone called her at night, she absolutely must not respond. That night, Ling Xiaoxiao walked along the palace path, feeling somewhat nervous. Just then, a voice called her from behind, startling Ling Xiaoxiao so much that she didn't dare turn her head, instead bumping headlong into the Prince.
The Prince protected Ling Xiaoxiao, grazing his hand in the process. The Queen later arranged for the Prince to host a banquet for the palace staff returning home. The Prince requested Ling Xiaoxiao to assist him. Ling Xiaoxiao was worried, as she had never organized such a large banquet before, and only wanted to focus on cooking. The Prince, with hidden meaning, told Ling Xiaoxiao that she would have to learn eventually, which made her hesitant to meet his eyes.
For several days, Ling Xiaoxiao was busy arranging the banquet menu, and the Prince constantly followed her everywhere. Ling Xiaoxiao would often find herself staring blankly at the Prince, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment, finally feeling that his affection for her was not unrequited. One day, while Ling Xiaoxiao was cooking, the Prince stayed by her side watching. This made Ling Xiaoxiao nervous and distracted, causing her to mistakenly add the wrong seasoning.
When the Queen tasted it, she couldn't believe it was Ling Xiaoxiao's cooking. Ling Xiaoxiao dared to try it herself and confirmed the Queen's assessment, quickly admitting her mistake. The Prince immediately stepped forward, smoothly pleading for his own punishment, and was ultimately sentenced to twenty staff blows. The Prince wanted to use his injury as an excuse to keep Ling Xiaoxiao by his side, but Ling Xiaoxiao managed to slip away, citing the ongoing banquet preparations.
After three difficult days, the Prince personally made Ling Xiaoxiao dumplings from her hometown and fed them to her. This gesture deeply touched Ling Xiaoxiao, making her feel very sweet and significantly shortening the distance between them.
