There is a happy inn in the capital.

Chapter 296 The Prince Dies from Overdose

A conclusion was reached on the way.

The Tenth Prince has an insatiable sweet tooth, an absolute sweet tooth. If you want to please him, just add as much sugar as you can, until it's cloyingly sweet, and you'll win him over.

No, why would she want to take down the tenth prince? The tenth prince is useless anyway.

After delivering the empty bowl, Li Shuchen returned to the pavilion to serve, secretly glancing at Yuan Yi's portrait, which was already half-finished.

No, no, drawing so fast won't do. How can I make the Tenth Prince wait impatiently? How can I make him feel annoyed?

So Li Shuchen walked over to Yuan Yi, pointed to the portrait, interrupted Yuan Yi's painting, and began to ramble: "Painter Yuan Yi, the Tenth Prince's features are well-defined, and his jaw is prominent. His chin should be sharper, as if sculpted by a knife, to truly show the Tenth Prince's handsomeness."

Upon hearing this, Yuan Yi glanced at the Tenth Prince, and then, considering what Li Shuchen had said, nodded solemnly: "Thank you for your guidance, Miss Li."

Immediately began redrawing the painting

Li Shuchen nodded in satisfaction; hadn't this bought them time?

He then added, "The Tenth Prince's phoenix eyes are unique; the outer corners of his eyes should be elongated to make them appear more slender and beautiful."

Yuan Yi nodded and began revising the painting.

Li Shuchen continued, "The Tenth Prince's nose is high and straight, like a towering mountain. It should be a little higher to capture the essence of the Tenth Prince."

Yuan Yi continued to nod and continued revising the drawing.

Li Shuchen kept talking: "The Tenth Prince's lips are slightly thin and symmetrical. We must get the proportions right to draw the Tenth Prince's extremely beautiful thin lips."

Yuan Yi fully agreed with what Li Shuchen said and changed all the points mentioned above.

Half an hour had passed, and Li Shuchen stood smugly beside Yuan Yi, smiling obsequiously at the Tenth Prince.

Tenth Prince, please don't be impatient, I haven't finished yet, there's more to come!

Yuan Yi sketched out the lines and began to color the painting.

Li Shuchen's lips curled into a smile as he began to speak again: "The Tenth Prince's eyes are deep and dark; when you apply the color, his phoenix eyes must be as black as possible."

Yuan Yi nodded

Li Shuchen pointed with her small hand: "The Tenth Prince's lips are pale; the color should be lighter to match."

Yuan Yi then nodded.

Li Shuchen continued pointing downwards: "The white jade pendant at the Tenth Prince's waist must be drawn in detail to showcase the Tenth Prince's taste."

Yuan Yi continued to nod.

Under Li Shuchen's "guidance," a painting was finally completed after one hour (two hours).

Li Shuchen glanced at the finished portrait and had to admit that Yuan Yi's painting skills were indeed superb. The flowers were all vibrant and beautiful, and the lotus pond was crystal clear. In particular, the twin lotus blossoms were exquisitely crafted; one could almost smell their fragrance through the paper. The nobleman in the bright yellow robes seemed to be enveloped in the lotus fragrance, even his cold aura seemed to melt away.

The tenth prince stood up, rubbed his wrist with his slender hand, and looked sharply at Li Shuchen.

Li Shuchen felt guilty under their gaze and gave an awkward laugh.

"You seem to have quite a bit of knowledge about portraits."

The chilling voice pierced straight to the top of Li Shuchen's head.

Li Shuchen shuddered, took the painting from Yuan Yi, handed it to the Tenth Prince, and muttered something under his breath.

"This humble woman knows nothing of painting techniques, but the Tenth Prince is so handsome that he captivates the hearts of all women in the world. This humble woman cannot ignore the Tenth Prince's beauty, nor can she bear to let his beauty be tarnished. The Tenth Prince's beauty should be clearly known to this world and to future generations, that there is such a heart-stirring man in the world."

The tenth prince's lips curled slightly, remaining noncommittal.

Li Shuchen waited for a long time without receiving a response. He cautiously glanced up at the Tenth Prince and saw him staring intently at the portrait, a faint smile playing on his lips. He then mustered his courage and said...

"Tenth Prince, it is not easy for a painter to create a painting. If you are satisfied with this painting, would you be so kind as to reward me with some silver coins?"

The tenth prince raised his head, gestured to the servant to put away the portrait, and said calmly, "Reward him with one hundred taels of gold."

Li Shuchen accepted the money with both hands, happily tucking it into his pocket. The Tenth Prince might be a bit arrogant, but he was certainly generous.

"Thank you for the reward, Tenth Prince."

I glanced up at the blazing sun; it was already noon.

Li Shuchen smiled and said, "Tenth Prince, would you like lunch?"

The tenth prince sat down and gave a wink to the servant beside him.

The servant said, "Miss Li, please serve the meal."

"This humble woman will go and deliver the message; please wait a moment, Tenth Prince."

Li Shuchen strode towards the kitchen, his mind racing.

If she added more sugar to the dish and won the Tenth Prince's favor, would he reward her with some gold as well?

Soon we arrived at the kitchen, and a wave of heat hit us as soon as we entered. The girls were all busy, flipping large ladles, and the table was piled high with dishes.

Li Shuchen took out a plate of each dish, and except for the meat dishes, she added sugar or honey to everything else if possible, without holding back at all.

"Li Shuchen, who are you trying to kill with all that sugar and honey?"

Princess Changning leaned against the door, watching Li Shuchen operate...

Li Shuchen mouthed: "Tenth Prince"

Princess Changning immediately straightened up after seeing this and walked anxiously to Li Shuchen's side, saying, "Are you crazy? Aren't you afraid he'll kill you? Don't let him go!"

The honey jar was seized by Princess Changning.

Li Shuchen whispered, "The Tenth Prince loves sweets, the sweeter the better, the sweeter the better, he's happier that way. He even rewarded the painter with a hundred taels of gold."

Princess Changning: Really?

Why would I lie to you? Give me the honey jar, I'll add some more.

Li Shuchen took the honey jar and continued adding honey, displaying extreme extravagance. Remembering the questions asked by the guests ahead...

"Is no one causing trouble?"

Princess Changning thought for a moment and said, "They're all behaving quite well for now."

"that line"

Li Shuchen stopped, looked at the dishes with excessive sugar, nodded in satisfaction, and called eleven girls over to serve the dishes.

"Changning, I'm leaving. Please take good care of the guests ahead."

"Um"

Eleven young women, carrying dishes, followed neatly behind Li Shuchen.

Li Shuchen entered the pavilion with a smile on his face.

"Tenth Prince, you have been waiting long. Now, I will introduce the dishes for this Hundred Flowers Banquet."

The tenth prince looked up at the serving girls, but said nothing.

Li Shuchen ignored him and gestured for the first girl to step forward and place the dishes. After she finished, he began to introduce the dishes to her.

"This first dish is called 'Tulip Salad.' It's made with colorful tulip petals on the bottom and topped with juicy cherry tomatoes. In the middle, there's a small bowl of honey. The Tenth Prince can dip the cherry tomatoes in the honey and eat them; it's very sweet and appetizing."

The tenth prince had no expression, his face was cold.

Li Shuchen continued, "The second dish is called 'Fried Roses'..."

The tenth prince's expression remained indifferent.

Until Li Shuchen introduced the sixth dish

"This sixth dish, named 'Exploring Flowers in the Mist,' can conjure up a misty fog that surrounds the dish, a rare folk magic trick."

The tenth prince glanced at the fruit platter in front of him and gave Li Shuchen a disdainful look.

Li Shuchen was instantly enraged, struggling to control his facial expression while inwardly thinking, "I'll teach you to be so arrogant, you'll be the one who makes a fool of yourself later."

The girl stepped forward carrying a kettle, aimed the spout at the small hole in the center of the fruit plate, and poured hot water into it vertically.