The Eldest Prince's supply of ingredients arrived far faster than expected.
As he busied himself with preparing the food, he shamelessly continued attempting to cozy up to Yun Shu.
"Does the Princess enjoy grilled skewers like these?"
"They're not bad," Yun Shu replied, seated beside Yun Chuhuan, the two of them sifting through the so-called rare delicacies the Eldest Prince had brought.
"As long as it tastes good, I enjoy it."
"In that case, the Princess must visit Bei Xiang one day. The cuisine there is truly delightful."
While Yun Shu's attention was elsewhere, the Eldest Prince discreetly sliced open one of the hollow flatbreads, quickly sprinkled a fine medicinal powder inside, then brushed it with oil as if nothing had happened, finishing with a few sesame seeds to mark it.
Outwardly, he remained all laughter and warmth.
"Strange as it sounds, this method of preparing skewers reminds me very much of our traditional food in Bei Xiang. It also uses open flame for cooking."
As he spoke, he skewered several of the oiled flatbreads and placed them above the fire.
"These are already fully baked, but heating them again with oil and a sprinkle of seasoning transforms the taste entirely."
"It's still just bread," Yun Chuhuan muttered with clear disinterest.
Compared to the other unfamiliar ingredients, the humble flatbread didn't look like anything special and failed to catch his attention. He rummaged around and found a small black jar, opened it, and took a sniff—nearly ascending to the heavens on the spot.
"Wait—why does Bei Xiang eat poop?!"
"You jest, Sixth Prince."
Seeing the expressions of disgust now spreading across the others' faces, the Eldest Prince quickly retrieved the jar and tucked it away.
"This is a type of fermented fish. It can be stored for an extremely long time. The smell is strong, but the flavor is actually quite exceptional."
"Then you should eat it yourself!" Yun Chuhuan exclaimed, wrinkling his nose.
He sniffed the fingers that had touched the jar's stopper and immediately regretted it. "The smell's not coming off. It's cursed."
He poured water over his hands from three full flasks, but the stench lingered stubbornly.
He thrust his hands toward Liu Ziming in desperation. "Smell it for me. Tell me—am I imagining this or is it really that bad?"
Liu Ziming, honest to a fault, leaned in and took a deep breath.
"I think it's not… not too—ugh!"
Yun Chuhuan, horrified: "!!!"
Cen Yiyi: "…"
Clutching her nose with one hand, Cen Yiyi held up a dried mushroom she had just found in the pile with the other. She sidled quietly over to Yun Shu and whispered, "Princess, look at this little dried mushroom. Isn't it adorable?"
"This is…"
Yun Shu had been half-listening to Yun Chuhuan's drama, but now turned her head for a quick glance—only for her gaze to sharpen immediately.
This "adorable" little thing looked awfully familiar.
"Oh, that's a mushroom I once tasted in Nanyue when I went on behalf of Bei Xiang to offer congratulations to the new emperor.
It's tender and juicy, fragrant with a hint of sweetness, and pleasantly chewy. Quite delicious, really. Sadly, it only grows in the mountains of Nanyue and cannot be cultivated in Bei Xiang.
I liked it so much that before I left, I had people dry some and bring them back for me. And since Emperor Xuanwu's Wanshou Festival was soon approaching, I brought them here as well."
Seeing that Yun Shu seemed interested in the mushroom, the Eldest Prince quickly seized the opportunity to show further "sincerity."
"There weren't many to begin with, so I've only eaten them once myself—and only a small portion at that. But if the Princess would like to try, I can rehydrate a few and roast them for you."
"No need," Yun Shu said curtly.
Well now. He even dared to make dried fungus out of Jian Shouqing?
Was he trying to die?
She waved a hand firmly. "Since it's so rare, I won't take what you treasure for myself."
"To share my favorite delicacy with the Princess brings me joy. How could that be called taking something from me?" the Eldest Prince said with magnanimous flair, misreading her rejection as polite modesty.
Without hesitation, he plucked five pieces of Jian Shouqing into a bowl to soak.
Then, he casually pulled the earlier batch of grilled flatbreads from the fire.
"They're ready, Princess. Do have a taste—"
Crack.
The branch that had held the skewered flatbreads had been over the fire all this time without issue, yet the moment the Eldest Prince took it off to offer to Yun Shu, it snapped without warning.
The golden, crispy flatbreads tumbled to the ground and rolled through the ashes, picking up dust and grime.
Yun Shu sighed with faint regret.
"It broke again.
Tell me, Eldest Prince—could it be that Heaven is warning me? That you and I are not destined to be joined?"
"It was just an accident," the Eldest Prince said, trying to laugh it off. "How can you take that as some divine omen of ill-fated marriage?"
Conveniently, he forgot how earlier he had declared their shared taste in skewers to be a sign of fate.
With an awkward chuckle, he took out several more flatbreads and, while everyone's attention was elsewhere, once again doctored one just for Yun Shu.
A few minutes later, as he attempted to present this carefully prepared treat, he stepped on a loose stone and twisted his foot slightly—causing the skewered bread to once again fall to the ground before it could reach her hand.
The Eldest Prince stared blankly. "What…?"
Was something really interfering?
That nagging suspicion returned: someone hidden in the shadows, a true master, protecting Yun Shu. That explanation made the most sense… but if so, they must have witnessed him lacing the food. Why had they not acted?
"What weighs on the Eldest Prince's mind?" Yun Shu asked suddenly.
She had already noticed the first time. The flatbread meant for her had been marked with black sesame seeds—unusual, as she well remembered from modern times that authentic hollow flatbreads did not typically include them.
Just to be sure, she had glanced at the others that had fallen earlier.
None of those had sesame seeds.
She hadn't drawn any conclusions then. She'd merely taken note.
Now, seeing that the new flatbread—again meant for her—was adorned with the same extra sesame seeds, a faint smile played at her lips.
"Do you suppose this is Heaven's warning too, Eldest Prince?"
"How could it be?" the Eldest Prince forced a laugh.
"Merely… a day full of curious coincidences, that's all."