The Empress’s Little Chef

She was once a destitute cook who had been reduced to living on the streets. One secret-recipe sweet-and-sour fish dish sent her by mistake into the Empress’s banquet, sweeping her into a treacherous maelstrom of power. When the warmth and bustle of the imperial kitchens meet the bloody storms of the court, she uses the flavors of her cooking to soften even the coldest hearts. In return, the Empress offers her empire as a bride price and vows to protect her for a lifetime of peace. Within these palace walls, where people devour one another, the two women take food as their boat and cut through the darkness, composing a breathtaking love story that goes straight to the heart.