In the past, he had been extremely picky about his food. Nine out of ten dishes would end up being not to his liking.
But now…
There were only two dishes and one soup, and neither the color nor the smell seemed appetizing, but he seemed to be enjoying them very much.
After Zhao Yuanjing was finished eating, he asked the same question, "What is this dish called?"
Liu Dequan looked at the maid.
The maid stuttered and seemed as if she didn't dare say it.
Liu Dequan grew impatient. "Is your jaw stuck? Tell us what it is!"
The maid bowed her head and said two words very softly.
Liu Dequan couldn't hear her clearly, so he went closer to her.
The maid repeated herself.
This time, he heard her clearly.
Liu Dequan's expression was very exciting to watch now.
He immediately bent down to look at that dish again.
Honestly, he himself had never eaten anything like this.
After all, he was the Crown Prince's trusted eunuch who followed the Crown Prince everywhere. So even though he seemed small and lowly compared to the Crown Prince, he enjoyed a high status everywhere else, and he only ate the best food available.
Liu Dequan was very puzzled now.
Mo Chun had always been a very steady and reliable person. Why had she suddenly made a crazy decision to serve the Crown Prince something so filthy?
The Crown Prince was still waiting for an answer.
Liu Dequan had no choice, so he went close to Zhao Yuanjing's ear and quietly told him what it was.
Zhao Yuanjing froze for a while and looked as if he thought he had heard wrong.
He glanced at Liu Dequan.
Liu Dequan broke out in a cold sweat and looked down at the floor. He didn't dare to meet the Crown Prince's eyes.
The Crown Prince was a neat freak.
Even subordinates like himself didn't eat this sort of thing, but the kitchen had actually dared to serve this to His Highness. It was probably time to change everyone inside the small kitchen.
Just as Liu Dequan was thinking about firing everyone in the small kitchen, the Crown Prince calmly said, "This dish tasted pretty delicious. Liu Dequan, pass it to the ladies to try."
The ladies he was referring to were obviously Consort Chen, Filial Lady Guo of Excellence, and Lady Lin of Decorous Service.
Food left behind by the highest-ranking person was given as a bonus to the servants. That was common practice, and it was the servant's honor to receive it.
Compared to the Crown Prince, even his concubines were considered servants.
Liu Dequan carried the plate and used the silver chopsticks to divide it into three portions and placed it in front of the three concubines.
Since it had been given to them by the Crown Prince, they had to eat it.
Consort Chen had been delicate and pampered ever since she was a child, and when she smelled the food, she felt like vomiting. But she couldn't possibly vomit here. She had to eat it happily.
She picked up one piece and put it in her mouth.
The taste wasn't too bad, but this texture…
It was so weird.
Filial Lady Guo of Excellence had always been an obedient character, so she politely used her chopsticks to eat it, thanked the Crown Prince, and showed no other expression after that.
But Lady Lin of Decorous Service acted differently. In order to make herself look as if she shared the same tastes as the Crown Prince, she beamed brightly and kept complimenting the food as she forced herself to polish off the little plate in front of her.
After she was finished eating, she wiped her lips with a handkerchief and smiled beautifully. "It smells a little strange, but it tastes pretty good."
Zhao Yuanjing used one hand to support his chin as he looked at the ladies calmly with his long phoenix-shaped eyes. There was no expression on his handsome face at all.
The Crown Prince had a weak body constitution, but whenever he used his eyes to stare coldly at others like this, he always made the hearts of others freeze over.
"All finished eating?" asked Zhao Yuanjing emotionlessly.
"Your Highness, the three ladies have finished eating," replied Liu Dequan.
Zhao Yuanjing nodded slightly and said, "Tell them what this is."
The three of them looked toward Liu Dequan.
Liu Dequan chuckled silently, cleared his throat, and declared in a high voice, "Ladies, this dish is called Vinegared Pig Viscera in Oil."
Pig...viscera?
There was something about this dish's name that made them feel uneasy.
Lady Lin of Decorous Service asked, "What's pig viscera?"
Liu Dequan answered, "It refers to the pig's large intestine, an internal organ of the pig."
All three concubines were stunned for a moment.
After that, Consort Chen immediately started vomiting.