This chapter opens with Biyuan cheng's uncle scolding his servant for serving her a dish of "imperial honey roasted chicken" . He tells her that the dish is a "secret recipe" that was passed down from her family for generations. He says that Biyuan's "soup of longings" has brought tears to her eyes, and that she should look for a better cook. Biyuan says that she would like to work for the prince, but she can't because she's afraid that the rumors about the prince being "arrogant and overbearing" will be true. She asks the steward to let her go home after the meal, but the steward says that he'll stay and make the soup for her every day.