Late at night on May 11, in the west kitchen residence, all the palace servants were so tired that they fell asleep. It was really a hard day today.

Su Wan also rubbed her arms and then lay down on the bed. The other three palace maids in the room had already fallen asleep, but she always felt that something was wrong.

Moreover, at dinner time today, the chief steward of the Treasury Department ran directly to the inner palace, one to hide away and the other to find the powerful nobles.

Now that I've gone looking for it again, this matter isn't that easy to resolve.

Su Wan closed her eyes. The Lingtai Gate guards coming here today was an accident, but the extra thousand people from the Baochao Division was not an accident.

According to regulations, the Western Kitchen was indeed responsible for providing meals for a total of 1,546 people from the Baochao Bureau.

Taking care of just one meal has already made all the palace servants in the West Kitchen so tired, what about the next few meals?

It’s not that the Western-style kitchen can’t do it, but that the Western-style kitchen has always been short of staff, and the monthly allowances are not enough.

There are few people and few supplies, how can we cook?

It can hold up in the short term, but what about in the long term?

The next morning, Su Wan's guess was confirmed. Deputy Prime Minister Xi also came early and directly ordered that the morning's meal be increased to the portion for 1,600 people.

The extra shares for dozens of people are naturally for backup.

Since Deputy Prime Minister Xi said this, he must have received some news.

Today is May 12th. My breakfast is soy milk, fried dough sticks, fried dumplings, and some pickled vegetables.

Fortunately, I soaked enough soybeans yesterday and ground a lot of them.

As for frying these things, it’s not particularly difficult.

But after the palace servants in the west kitchen had worked hard to knead the dough yesterday, they were naturally a little dazed at this moment.

It’s not that they are lazy, but they are really tired.

But Su Wan knew that this was probably just the beginning.

When it comes to improving the food, Su Wan can do it, that's what she can do, but everyone's hard work cannot be replaced.

Even she had a hard time.

Although the Deputy Prime Minister of the West and the senior palace maids didn't let her do too much heavy work, the entire West Kitchen was busy now, and who wouldn't be tired?

Deputy Prime Minister Xi had already been kneading the dough for a long time, let alone others.

There's no way, there are too few staff in the west kitchen.

I'm afraid that's what the people in power value.

Last night we suddenly asked them to prepare meals for more than a thousand people, and the West Kitchen did it.

So what if it can be done?

It's just one night's meal.

There are still many meals waiting for them.

There are not enough people and ingredients, let's see how long you can hold out.

The nobles in power only needed to watch the show in the inner palace. What she did was to ask the palace servants of the Baochaosi to eat in another place, and it was a legitimate place to eat.

Don't do anything else.

As soon as she said this casually, the western kitchen was about to be overloaded.

Moreover, this overload operation seems to have no end in sight, just waiting for the day when they can no longer hold on.

One person does the work of five.

How long can it last?

It's a very effective way to achieve great results with little effort.

Su Wan fried another batch of fried dough sticks. This time, the dough sticks fried in advance were piled up like a small mountain, which showed that she was fully prepared.

But everyone in the west kitchen also worked hard with gritted teeth.

Deputy Prime Minister Xi naturally would not just sit there and do nothing, and said to everyone: "The head of the Imperial Food Department is already thinking of ways to transfer people over, and help will be available soon."

Most of the palace servants who could stay in the west kitchen with peace of mind were hardworking and even if they were slow-witted now, they knew that there was something fishy going on. They naturally nodded at this time, hoping that help would come soon.

Su Wan thought about what to eat at noon today. She estimated that after making breakfast, she would not even have time to rest. She would have to continue to prepare the ingredients for lunch, and the same would be true for dinner.

Humans are not machines, so this won't work.

Although the chief of the Imperial Food Department did not show up, whether it was yesterday or today when he leaked the news in advance, it is clear that the open and secret struggles over there are no easier than here.

Su Wan thought for a moment. She had thought about the possible situation that the West Kitchen might encounter yesterday, and naturally she also thought of some solutions.

But she can't do this.

When Deputy Prime Minister Xi took a short break, Su Wan came over, raised her head and whispered, "Aunt Deputy Prime Minister, can I tell you something?"

Although the west kitchen was busy, they would naturally listen to what Su Wan had to say.

But a note was directly stuffed into Deputy Xi Cheng's hand, and she said seriously: "Please hand this note to the head of the Shangshi Division."

"Perhaps I am being superfluous. The commander has already thought of this idea."

idea?

Deputy Prime Minister Xi opened the note curiously, only to see Su Wan's handwriting on it.

I only wrote less than twenty words.

Zhang Wang Restaurant in Anqingfang, General Manager of the Baochao Division.

Deputy Prime Minister Xi didn't understand, but seeing Su Wan's sincere expression, he thought for a moment and said, "I'll send someone to deliver it right away."

But after thinking about it, he said, "I'd better go."

Although she didn't understand what it meant, her instinct was to avoid letting others see it.

Su Wan didn't expect that before she could even persuade him, Deputy Prime Minister Xi had already set off. He actually trusted her so much?

Then she naturally cannot let down this trust.

However, judging from Deputy Prime Minister Xi's expression, he seemed to be unable to change his mind for the time being.

I guess you'll understand what this means soon.

It is not convenient for her or Deputy Prime Minister Xi to do this matter, and only the most powerful Chief of the Shangshi Division can do it best.

Do you remember the restaurant opened by the Zhang and Wang families in Anqingfang? There were more than a dozen restaurants of all sizes near Lingtaimen.

On weekdays, they rely on the palace servants of the West Outer Palace for their livelihood, especially the Baochaosi, which has the largest number of people and is closest to the Lingtai Gate, which is almost the source of all their income.

After all, the restaurant is close to the imperial palace, and ordinary people would not travel so far to eat here.

Moreover, only the Li Family Pig's Trotter in this restaurant is relatively good, and sometimes common people patronize it. The taste of the rest of the restaurants is average, and they only earn money from the people in the West Outer Palace.

But the taste is average, but they can open so many stores and even drive away restaurants with good food. Naturally, they have some background.

The backer of the Zhang and Wang families was the general manager of the Baochao Division.

The steward gave them protection, they gave him money as a tribute and were respectful to him on a daily basis.

However, if the Zhang and Wang families gave the silver as a tribute, but the chief manager of the Baochaosi did nothing, that would be unreasonable.

You have to do something when you get money.

Everything was "normal" before, but starting from last night, the chief steward of the Treasury Department asked all palace servants to go to the west kitchen.

Presumably, the Zhang and Wang restaurants in Anqingfang must be very deserted. If there are no customers in the restaurant for a day, then not only will the restaurant not make money, it will definitely lose money.

Things like rent, store space, labor and materials, as long as the store is open, you're burning money.

Su Wan just didn't believe that the Zhang and Wang families didn't feel sorry for their money. How much money would they lose in a day with more than a dozen restaurants?

They spent the money they gave as filial piety, and the store had so much expenses in vain, but all the customers were driven away, and they were driven away by the people who gave the money as filial piety.

Is this reasonable?

That’s definitely not reasonable.

Since they can do this business, the Zhang and Wang families must be no good people. It would be strange if they didn't go to find the manager of the Baochao Division.

The Zhang and Wang families might be able to endure without customers for three or four days, but if there were no customers for a long time, they would definitely have an internal conflict with the chief steward of the Baochao Department.

Businessmen pursue profits. If they lose all the profits, won’t they still fall out?

The Zhang and Wang families are not afraid of wearing shoes even if they are barefoot, but the treasure banknote manager still has his dignity and wants the position, so he will inevitably compromise.

It's okay not to compromise and go against the Zhang and Wang families, but these two families must have evidence of his bribery. With the help of others behind the scenes, the manager of the Baochao Division will definitely have many concerns.

Everyone knows the proper balance between the two.

This treasure bank director does not seem like the type of person who would devote himself to serving the powerful and sacrifice himself.

I guess I'll just muddle through.

Going against the West Kitchen is a task from above, and living off the profits from the Zhang and Wang families is the real life.

Su Wan looked at the manager of the Baochao Department, who was probably this kind of person.

The current situation is that the chief steward of the Imperial Treasury Department is forcing the Zhang and Wang families to operate at overload on purpose in entertaining the palace ladies.

Now that I think about it, it depends on whether the palace maids in the West Kitchen can't hold on first, or the chief steward of the Treasury Department can't suppress the two families first.

If the Western Kitchen collapsed first and the food went wrong, then the Imperial Kitchen would be completely defeated.

If the chief steward of the Baochao Division cannot suppress those two families, he will definitely give in and allow his palace maids to eat at Andingfang.

There are only so many palace servants, and now that Anqingfang has guests, it means that the pressure on the West Kitchen has been reduced and there is no need to be so nervous.

This time, it's a competition of who has longer endurance.

Su Wan wrote her opinions on a piece of paper and handed it to the chief of the Imperial Food Department.

Don't worry about what comes next.

There were officials who instigated the Zhang and Wang families to cause trouble.

The West Kitchen can’t accommodate so many palace guests now, but Anqingfang can.

As long as the chief steward of the Imperial Treasury Department lets his palace servants go to Anqingfang for meals, the pressure on the West Kitchen will certainly be reduced.

Taking advantage of the opportunity, you can also find more palace servants and assign them to the West Kitchen until the West Kitchen is fully staffed and the ingredients are prepared.

Give them time to stay in the West Kitchen, and by then they will have no problem entertaining not only 1,500 palace servants, but even 4,000.

As I said, there were too many and too many people from the Baochaosi Palace who came too quickly, and the West Kitchen was unable to accommodate them all at once.

If we give the western kitchen five or six days to prepare, this move of the powerful nobleman will be completely useless.

Originally, the West Kitchen could only watch as the palace servants came over, and was helpless.

But the customers that the Western Kitchen doesn't want for the time being are the ones that Anqingfang Restaurant is vying for. Since you want them, I'll give them to you.

Isn't it just diverting the palace servants temporarily? When the West Kitchen has the capacity, they can be easily taken back. After all, the food in the West Kitchen is delicious.

Su Wan is naturally very confident.

But today was only the second day that the palace servants from the Baochao Division came to the west kitchen to eat. The Zhang and Wang families were not actually that anxious. They knew that the Baochao Division's chief steward must have appeased them in advance.

So the Zhang and Wang families knew that their business would be delayed for a few days.

It will only delay them for a few days, and they will still give this face to the steward.

But it doesn't matter. The head of the Shangshi Bureau who is adding fuel to the fire will appear soon. If you are not anxious, someone will instigate you to be anxious.

Su Wan wrote another list and folded it.

In Su Wan's opinion, with the current high-intensity work, the palace maids around her would not be able to bear it within a day.

How could she just watch everyone hurt themselves because of overwork?

After Su Wan finished writing, she looked for someone from the Imperial Household Department in the crowd and happened to see Wei Jun who came to eat.

Wei Jun is very punctual for eating every day.

Su Wan went straight to him and said with a smile, "Help me deliver this braised pork recipe to the restaurant in Anqingfang."

"Give it to the owner of Li's Big Pig's Trotter. This recipe will surely help his business prosper."

Wei Jun looked confused. Does Su Wan know that boss?

Then I definitely don’t know him.

Su Wan just wanted to be a pusher.

More than a dozen restaurants are losing money. Su Wan doesn't believe that the Zhang and Wang families can sit still. Even with the comfort of the general manager of the Baochao Department, they are still anxious.

If their store is deserted and empty at this time, but the Li's Big Pig's Trotter next door is crowded with customers because of the good recipe, the anxiety will inevitably increase.

Once these people become anxious and worried, bad things will happen.

They will try every means to pull the people from the Baochaosi Palace to their side.

At that time, the palace servants in the west kitchen will have a chance to catch their breath.

Su Wan put away the papers she had just used, and there was no sign of what she had done.

She didn't do anything, just wrote two notes.

For her, cooking is the most important thing!

How about she make a braised pork rice? The ruddy and non-greasy braised pork sauce is paired with white rice. Is there a more classic way to eat it than this?

Also, should the summer menu be redrafted? It would be a bit inappropriate to let the people in the West Outer Palace eat the spring menu all the time.

After this busy period is over, she will make a braised pork rice for everyone and then draft the summer menu!