Chapter 411.2: Trouble Arising
Everyone relaxed a breath. Ten some people, each carrying either one, two, or four things, completely determined according to the tray’s size.
However, when Eunuch Mu saw the two copper pots, his brows furrowed, “Who let you prepare two pots, just one is needed.” On one table, to be eating separately with the w.a.n.gfei, if he really goes back like this, even if master doesn’t skin him, he still won’t have a good look. This kind of small mistake, if he were to make twice, then he can just return to the furnace to be remade.
The people of the imperial kitchen looked to one another in dismay, but since the person following by Jin Qinw.a.n.g’s side said so, then certainly can’t go wrong with doing as told. After all, if there’s a mistake, won’t these two also be blamed along with.
After clearing away one pot, they swiftly sent everything over.
Eunuch Mu quickly followed after. As for Gong mama, she fell back a little, and once everything was all taken away, she finally followed up. Inadvertently, she glanced back, seeing a chicken entering a pot not far away. From the looks of it, it should be for some imperial consort. Going into the pot at this time, it’ll be ready just in time to drink when the evening banquet ends.
Gong mama didn’t pay much attention, directly leaving the imperial kitchen.
Although all the imperial meals didn’t go through the main door, with this many people, and moreover, at this time, there also weren’t any new dishes, it really couldn’t be more conspicuous.
The dishes that were originally on the table all got cleared away, and the copper pot got placed in a place neither too far nor too close between the two of them. Surrounding the pot were the various sides, and when it couldn’t fit anymore, another table was added. A dazzling lineup, it was arranged quite exquisitely. Although getting viewed as something not that presentable, in Jing Wan’s eyes, it was still pretty good. Just, when ordering, she didn’t notice, but looking at it now, did she order a bit too much? Moreover, over half were all added by Gong mama.
However, Jing Wan soon after recalled, seemingly that one sitting above, for a meal, even if it’s the morning meal, it was all kinds of light pastries, rice dishes, three tables of various porridge, a small table of pickled vegetables, chicken with mushrooms, three ingredient duck, shredded chicken and vegetables, stewed beef, stewed chicken, white cabbage stew with meat slices, stewed lamb, mutton stewed with spinach and tofu, donkey meat stewed with white cabbage, sliced mutton with radish, duck strips with stir fried sea cuc.u.mber, diced duck with immortal rice[1], roasted sagittaria[2], meat stewed with jade bamboo slices, shredded lamb stewed with vegetables, fried spring rolls, meat stir fried with shredded cuc.u.mber and chives, smoked pork belly, tofu stewed in spiced soy sauce, smoked dried meat stir fried with vegetables, shredded white cabbage with chili oil, five spice smoked bean curd, immortal meat slice soup, boiled pork spine, boiled plain pork, and so on. And based on the different seasons, there will even be various changes. The various tofu products were still okay, and for the most part, won’t be wasted, but things such as chicken, duck, fish, and so on, that was just heheh, because usually it was just extracting a small portion, for instance, duck tongue, or for instance, grouper fish’s cheek meat. To want to fill a plate, how many ducks, how many fish did it take………….
(T/N: I thought I was going to die before I reached the end of this paragraph. Btw this list is based on an article on what ancient emperor’s ate, which quoted from the last emperor of the Qing dynasty Puyi’s memoir. This list was precisely his breakfast list, yes, just breakfast.)
Speaking of which, Le Cheng Emperor was still considered a rather frugal emperor, but his every meal was still at least thirty to forty dishes, and if it’s keeping someone for a meal, or a relatively formal setting, then going over a hundred was also something very normal. Just like today, although on the table, it appears as if there was always a dozen or so dishes, but switching out round after round, it has been swapped out at least four times. One can imagine, just how much got wasted.
And of these things, there weren’t many that can be eaten. Majority were all ‘flower but no fruit[3]‘, cost with no benefit, built but with no nutrients, dull with no flavor.
To put it bluntly, aside from setting the occasion, it really didn’t have any practical use.
Every time encountering this kind of situation, Jing Wan all can’t help but complain inside. It really wasn’t that she was small-minded and petty. It truly was too wasteful, and moreover, the things that are wasted, who would dare to boldly say that they aren’t good. How many people wanted to eat, but were all unable to even catch scent of it.
The people in the palace divided into three, six, and nine ranks, don’t a.s.sume that the leftovers from above, the others can just reuse. That was just a daydream.
Having experienced it often, it was difficult to not be calm. In comparison, these sides right now really weren’t much. Moreover, Jing Wan genuinely felt that this antique soup was actually a relatively frugal way of eating. The sliced fish was using the entire fish, and the vegetables also weren’t just the core. To not be presentable and what not, that was definitely a rumor. In the history of her past life, during a certain dynasty, whenever winter came, the emperor for the most part would always be matched with a hotpot every day. Furthermore, during a certain birthday banquet, hotpots were used to hold a five thousand some people ‘thousand men banquet’. Can this be called unpresentable?
(T/N: I believe Jing Wan is referencing to the Qing dynasty Emperor Ganlong’s thousand men banquet where he invited over five thousand people on a whim. Actually, there’s a line Jing Wan said before coming to the palace, ‘timely snow foretells a prosperous year’, this is the exact line Emperor Ganlong said when he decided to hold this banquet. 千叟宴 literally translates to ‘thousand old man feast’.)
For the palace banquets in the winter, everyone all eating some more hotpot, by letting the living Enma ‘blow wind’ into his old man’s ears more, if even Le Cheng Emperor all agreed, would the people below dare complain? And once Le Cheng Emperor is gone, wasn’t there still the living Enma? The so called ‘subordinates follow the example of the superior’, even if not good, it would still have to be good.
In a single day, this table of theirs, don’t know how many times it has become the focal point. That’s why, when once again getting stared at, it was also not feeling anything.
Jing Wan calmly began personally dipping the things in to eat, naturally not forgetting a certain someone idly waiting to eat by the side. A certain someone was a carnivore, and on normal days in the manor, Jing Wan would also ‘force’ him to eat quite a bit of vegetables, so tonight, she’ll just satisfy him for once, letting him eat a bit more meat.
Speaking of which, unless someone that really didn’t like hotpot, otherwise, eating hotpot was definitely when vegetables were consumed the most.
Getting served by his own wife, Li Hong Yuan naturally welcomed everything. Originally, because of practicing martial arts year round, when openly eating, this appet.i.te definitely wasn’t small.
And perhaps Li Hong Yuan’s appet.i.te was indeed very good, or at least, Le Cheng Emperor has never seen him eat this much before. In the past, he occasionally would share a meal with him, this old man, but the number of times he would lift his chopstick was all limited. As for his other sons in this aspect, Le Cheng Emperor really never paid attention. The son he cared the most about having a relatively obvious change, it was impossible to not notice, “Old six likes antique soup?”
Li Hong Yuan had the sliced meat between his chopsticks nonchalantly sent into his mouth, slowly eating. Afterwards, he finally ‘charitably’ gave Le Cheng Emperor a glance, “At least right now, feel it’s not bad.” He was merely giving his wife face, that’s all.
Regardless of whether or not after this meal, this son will just not like it anymore, in any case, Le Cheng Emperor right now was quite happy, “Someone come, let the imperial kitchen prepare a share like theirs for this emperor.”
With an example to follow, the imperial kitchen this time naturally moved very quickly. The other dishes in front of Le Cheng Emperor also got cleared away completely.
Le Cheng Emperor naturally didn’t need to do anything himself. There were an ocean of people willing to serve him. If possible, those imperial consorts all hated that they can’t personally pull up their sleeves and go forward.
Le Cheng Emperor excitedly picked up the slice of meat that the attendant had dipped into the boiling water and placed into his bowl. The taste actually wasn’t considered good. However, he still forced it down, and nonchalantly swept a glance at his own son, feeling confused inside. What’s this, in the past, the reason why this son didn’t use his chopsticks much whenever he shared a meal with him was because his taste was relatively peculiar?
To continue to eat or not, this was a problem. Just, since it was already placed on the table, if he doesn’t eat, won’t it put his son in an awkward situation?
Le Cheng Emperor’s subtle expressions, quite a few people all took in, and quite a few that were beginning to stir all halted their thoughts. Regardless of whether they think it’s good or not, if his Majesty feels it’s not good, then you can’t eat anymore. Yet, Li Hong Yuan was completely unconcerned, still nonchalantly eating.
Jing Wan looked towards Le Cheng Emperor with a smile, “Imperial father, eating antique soup very much emphasize on controlling temperature. How about you call over an imperial chef to prepare. Towards grasping temperature control, no one can compare with them, so the things prepared by them, the taste certainly will also be the most proper.”
Le Cheng Emperor cooperatively revealed a look of realization, “This emperor was just thinking, why this meat taste a bit strange, even thinking it must be because the cooking method was different, yet turns out it was because of this. ———Stupid thing, don’t know how yet still showing off, quickly summon an imperial chef.” He nearly caused his son to lose face, all this dog’s fault.
That inner court attendant promptly begged for forgiveness, inwardly crying. This matter, to say it was a small matter, it was indeed small, but to say it was big, it can also be big. It completely just depended on what Le Cheng Emperor thought. Right now, he perhaps won’t lash out, but after the fact……..that aftermath, practically didn’t dare to think about.
Although the people of the imperial kitchen served the entire imperial palace, the one they cared about the most naturally was still the emperor. By casually obtaining a compliment, they can just have large amounts of bestowments. And once they reach a certain age, they can also leave the palace. Relying on these bestowments, it was more than enough for them to wealthily live out their remaining years. If they were to then open a restaurant, or perhaps work for some other n.o.ble personage, and then take in a satisfying disciple, then everything was naturally even more perfect.
Of course, there was a big premise to this, not encountering any shameful dark secrets of the inner palace. If encountered, the possibility of literally losing their head was very high.
[1] It’s also known as immortal vegetable, and pearl vegetable. It’s a type of edible algae, most likely related to the sea grapes. The scientific name is nostoc sphaeroides.
[2] In chinese it’s called a type of mushroom but it’s really a root vegetable, similar to a potato. It’s the root of a flowering plant called sagittaria sagittifollia. It’s well known in making arrowhead chips, which are just ‘potato’ chips made from these roots.
[3] An idiom meaning pretty on the outside but hollow on the inside.