Chapter 23 Salting the Prince
My chance arrived.
Herdanba, still harboring resentment that the Wan Nu King had given Yin Xiu to the Herchi King, submitted a request to lead the army south.
The Eastern Consort, wanting military merit for her son, forced the idle little prince into the command council.
I bribed the head cook and begged him to take me along.
The army marched south for more than half a month before setting up camp for the final battle.
The night before we set out, I secretly added a packet of muscle relaxant to the little prince’s wonton noodles.
On the battlefield the drug took effect. He had no strength.
A single arrow pierced his lung.
Herdanba quickly sent word to the royal court to report the death, but the Eastern Consort refused to accept it. She demanded, “We want to see the man alive, the corpse dead.”
I suspected she feared Herdanba would not try hard to save him.
Unfortunately, by the time the letter arrived the little prince had already died.
It was the height of summer on the grasslands.
Transporting the body back to court would take at least seven days.
By then it would be completely rotten.
How could Herdanba clear his name?
I immediately offered a solution, claiming I knew how to keep the body from decaying.
After weighing his options, Herdanba had no choice but to try anything. He agreed.
Then he watched helplessly as I took coarse salt and pickled the little prince.
Sprinkling salt, drawing out moisture, hanging the meat.
The entire army watched the process.
Only then did I feel I had reached the peak of my profession.
Who would have thought a little cook would one day personally pickle a crown prince?
Looking at the perfectly cured salted heir, pride bloomed under my feet.
I had said long ago that I would pickle him.
Not only had I done it, I had done it perfectly.
I was truly capable.