The five servings of stir-fried noodles were quickly eaten up. At the end, only Su Wan was left, slowly finishing her small half bowl. The others subconsciously stared at her, making Su Wan feel a little embarrassed.

It's not her fault that she eats slowly!

"How can you make such a simple noodle so delicious?" The eunuch said subconsciously, "If all the food in the western kitchen is cooked like this, who would go out to eat?"

Su Wan smiled: "This is only suitable for small pots. This is not the way to cook a big pot of rice."

Even the amount for five people is already the limit.

The young eunuch nodded, still feeling a little unsatisfied, but the remaining noodles had been used up, so it was not appropriate to ask for another portion.

The other three palace maids and the cook had the same expression.

This was the most filling and best meal they had when they were in the palace for a day or two.

In fact, the ingredients are very simple, but the taste is so delicious that you can’t wait to eat two more bowls.

After dinner, the young eunuch stayed to help clean up and said, "My name is Wei Jun. I'm fifteen this year. I entered the palace two years ago. How about you?"

First he passed the pickles to them, and then they ate together, and they became familiar with each other.

After Su Wan and the others introduced themselves, the young eunuch Wei Jun laughed and said, "I didn't expect that I am still quite old. If you have any problems in the future, just go to the Southern Imperial Household Department to look for me. Just say you are looking for Wei Jun. They will all know."

"Remember, don't go to the Shangbaojian on the right. The people there are not easy to get along with."

After Su Wan and the others nodded, the young eunuch Wei Jun thanked them again and then hurried back to the Imperial Household Department. As he had been there for too long, the place had been locked.

It is a serious crime to delay returning.

Su Wan and the others knew that there were not many government offices like the Shangshisi where one could delay returning to one's residence.

The Shangshisi was responsible for food in various government offices and the inner and outer palaces.

The Imperial Household Department where the young eunuch Wei Jun worked was responsible for the screens used in the inner palace and various furnishings.

It was a hard job. This time when Wei Jun entered the inner palace, he also counted the screens used in the spring and put them back in the warehouse. The ones for the summer had been prepared in advance. When the seasons changed, their Imperial Household Department was always the busiest.

But he just reminded the difficult-to-get-along-with Shangbaojian that this place was particularly special. In the early years, it could be said to be the most prosperous place among the several government offices in the outer palace.

The entire outer palace, whether it was personnel or things, or the gold, silver, copper, and five tokens used for entering and leaving the office, were all allocated by the Shangbaojian.

It is a respectable and responsible department.

But in recent years, it has been mostly used for imperial favors, and gradually became just a place to store names. It only takes orders from Concubine Jiang, who is in charge of official affairs in the inner palace, and has no right to make decisions on its own.

To put it bluntly, the Shangbao Jian was once powerful, but now it has declined and is full of people with connections.

No wonder the young eunuch Wei Jun said it was difficult to get along here.

Everyone is in a similar situation on the west side of the outer palace of the imperial palace.

After Su Wan and the others cleaned up the west kitchen, they returned to their residence. It was a bit late because they had wasted some time today.

When they went back, some people in other residences had left cakes for them. The others were able to pick up their monthly salary on time because the four of them had done extra work.

Su Wan and the other three looked at each other.

Chunxiang, Xiaoyue and Yushu felt that if they could have the special meal prepared by Su Wan every day, they could come home late every day.

Until now, the three of them still think that bowl of stir-fried noodles is delicious.

So much so that when I went to the western kitchen to work the next day, my heart was already beating fast before I even had time to eat.

If nothing unexpected happens, their Western Kitchen will continue to perform stably.

People in the kitchen usually get up earlier than others. The first group of palace maids on duty have to start preparing at around 3 o'clock in the morning.

Make sure others can have breakfast before 4 o'clock.

Su Wan was fine, she was mentally prepared.

But when Chunxiang and others thought about the hot noodles they had last night, they kept wondering if it was just a dream.

Maybe I ate such delicious stir-fried noodles in my dream?

Just as Chunxiang finished speaking, Xiaoyue next to her reminded her, "The right-hand man who will be on duty today is a very strict person. Don't say that we are being treated differently."

Xiaoyue knows a lot of information, so what she says is usually correct.

Su Wan also realized that today was already April 11th, so she had to switch from Aunt Yonglan on the left to Aunt Fengping on the right.

If the left person in charge is more fierce towards outsiders, then the right person in charge is fierce towards both insiders and outsiders, and she is extremely strict with rules. The atmosphere is particularly serious when she is on duty, but things are done very quickly.

Two people in charge rotate every ten days and supervise in the morning, noon and evening, while the remaining one goes to the government office to work.

This was also the first time for the four little palace maids to meet the Right Master.

Fortunately, Su Wan and the others arrived in time and caught the roll call in the west kitchen.

The right-hand woman, Aunt Feng Ping, was also wearing a light green official uniform. She looked very serious, with no expression on her face and spoke very briefly. She looked at Su Wan and the others and just acknowledged them before letting everyone get back to work.

As Su Wan expected, the western kitchen continued to perform well today, and everyone who ate there had only one thought.

It doesn’t matter whether it tastes good or not, as long as I’m not starving to death.

With this thought in mind, even with the serious Aunt Feng Ping coming to inspect, no one, whether they were in the west kitchen or the palace servants eating outside, dared to say a word.

When Su Wan took the tribute to the Guandi Temple, the Right Hand Holder Feng Ping looked at her and asked, "Are you twelve years old?"

Su Wan answered yes immediately.

Aunt Feng Ping stared at her for a moment before nodding.

When Su Wan walked out of the west kitchen gate, she subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief.

Such a strong pressure.

Fortunately, Xiaoyue found out the news, and they kept the fact of having special meals a secret, otherwise they would definitely be punished!

This Aunt Feng Ping, who is in charge of the right hand, looks like someone who is not easy to mess with!

It was already about five in the morning, and the April sky was already getting light.

Su Wan carried the food box and walked along the palace road to the Guandi Temple in the north. On the south side opposite to her, the poor eunuchs and guards from the Shangbaojian and Yuyongjian were going to the western kitchen in the middle to have breakfast one after another.

All the expressions are the same, eating is like going to a grave.

How can there be such a disgusting meal!

Among them was the young eunuch Wei Jun from the Imperial Household Department. Like the palace maid Xiaoyue and others, he was still missing the noodles he had last night and always felt that it was so unreal!

But he didn't dare to say this out loud, because he also knew that the person on duty in the West Kitchen now was Aunt Feng Ping, the Right Instructor, and he didn't want to cause trouble for Su Wan.

But he had an idea in his mind. If it came true, he would be able to eat the delicious food made by Su Wan every day!

What should I do if I feel even hungrier when I mention Su Wan?

Su Wan had already walked into the Guandi Temple at this time. The door of the temple was still ajar to facilitate people to come and offer offerings.

However, as soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she saw a boy of about fourteen or fifteen standing inside. The boy was wearing black clothes. When he heard the noise behind him, he immediately looked over with a sharp gaze that made her subconsciously take a half step back.

Su Wan blinked and asked, "Who are you?"

The handsome young man looked over and realized that she was a young palace maid from the west kitchen. He said slowly, "Serve Emperor Guan."

As he spoke, the handsome young man lit the incense and candles in an orderly manner, which made Su Wan subconsciously breathe a sigh of relief.

Aunt Yonglan had said before that there would be little disciples serving Guandi coming here from time to time, which was normal, and their western kitchen was also responsible for the little disciples' food.

However, this little disciple has a terrifying aura and doesn't look like an ordinary person.

Su Wan felt a little uncomfortable, but she still tiptoed swiftly to arrange the fruit plate, replacing yesterday's fruit with fresh ones.

The handsome young man crossed his arms and watched her trying to put the fruits and vegetables in place. He simply reached out to help her put them in place and said casually, "You can go now."

After she left, he could go to Bingzhangsi through the side door, so he helped her arrange the offerings.

Su Wan looked at the porridge in the food box and suddenly didn't know what to do. Should she offer it to Lord Guandi or to the little disciple who came to clean early in the morning?

Suddenly I felt like I was giving someone a bottle of poison.

The handsome young man saw her conflicted look and looked into the food box, which contained a bowl of porridge and a plate of pickles.

Since she was serving Guandi under the guise of serving him, the young man naturally knew all the rules, that is, this little palace maid not only had to take care of Guandi's meals, but also his other duties.

But there's nothing to be fussed about.

Su Wan made up her mind: "Well, these are your breakfast."

"And these."

Su Wan said, taking some of the fruits and vegetables from yesterday and saying, "Or you can eat these."

Anyway, the things that were taken away were usually distributed to the palace servants to eat, and Aunt Feng Ping, the Left Minister, would not say anything.

The young man narrowed his eyes and hummed casually.

Su Wan was relieved, but she kept looking back: "Remember to eat fruits, you must remember."

As a member of the western kitchen, she couldn't just say that the breakfast was too bad, so she had to be more tactful!

The breakfast in the Western kitchen is still stable, with half-cooked millet porridge, a strange mushy smell, and hard steamed buns.

This is the ceiling of the unpalatable food industry.

The existence that Su Wan called the Dark Canteen is really scary!

After Su Wan left, the young man stared at a bowl of watery millet porridge, the obviously stale steamed buns next to it, and a plate of pickles, and frowned slightly.

If she eats these things every day, it's no wonder she is so short and thin.

But it did arouse the boy's curiosity.

Yesterday, the little palace maid cried because these things were so unpalatable. Are they really that unpalatable?

The boy gently picked up the bowl, slid his calloused fingers along the edge of the bowl, and took a sip. The boy's usually calm expression paused at this moment.

Is this something that humans can eat?

When the young man walked to the martial arts hall with a serious face, he frightened the soldiers who came to teach martial arts and military tactics, and immediately asked: "Third Prince, what happened? Uncle Zhang, or the Censorate?"

There have been unusual changes in the palace in the past, but the Third Prince has never had such an expression.

The boy waved his hand, signaling to start today's homework.

Nothing much, just had an incredible breakfast.

The young man thought for a moment and said, "Do we still have to prepare the food for the Armory Bureau ourselves?"

The soldier nodded in confusion: "Yes, the food in the west kitchen is too bad, there is nothing we can do."

To the south of the West Kitchen are the Imperial Household Department, the Shangbao Department, and the Baochao Department which is a little further away.

To the north is the Guandi Temple, and further north of the Guandi Temple is the Old Warehouse, and then the Armory.

Originally, all six places belonged to the west kitchen, but the Military Equipment Bureau was confident enough that they asked for permission and were able to build a stove in their own Military Equipment Bureau.

Therefore, the Western Kitchen was only responsible for the other five government offices.

I didn't expect that I left the Western Kitchen because the food was bad.

Two years later, it still tastes terrible.

Before the young man could say anything, the soldier immediately said, "You mean, we can start from this aspect? Imperial Concubine Jiang controls several kitchens, so there must be omissions. We can start from this aspect!"

In several kitchens, Concubine Jiang must have spent money on them to some extent. The west kitchen is the most remote, so it must have spent more money there.

What if she and the Jiang family behind her are brought down?

The boy glanced at him indifferently.

If it were that simple, that would be great.

The conversation here ended here. Su Wan returned to the west kitchen and silently said sorry to the young disciple who served Guandi.

It was really embarrassing that the food she took out of her hands tasted so bad.

After Su Wan came back, she continued to help pack up.

The palace maids in the west kitchen are particularly motivated today. They received their monthly salary yesterday and are now discussing how to spend it.

The four new palace maids looked envious when they heard this.

Next month, next month they can also get their monthly salary!

But just after washing a few dishes, she saw Wei Jun, the eunuch from the Imperial Household Department yesterday, waving at her.

Fortunately, the breakfast was almost finished by now, and Aunt Feng Ping, the Right Minister, had returned to the office, otherwise she would definitely be criticized.

When Su Wan came over, the eunuch Wei Jun said, "Su Wan, do you want to earn more money?"

Su Wan looked at him in surprise: "How do you earn it?"

"How about cooking for my master, the deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department?" Wei Jun said immediately, "It definitely won't take up too much of your time in the western kitchen. I'll just make some food when I have time."

"Besides, my master is in charge of you, so there will be no problem."

Is this possible?

Su Wan subconsciously asked: "Does the palace allow it?"

The young eunuch Wei Jun laughed and said, "This kind of thing happens everywhere. It's just a matter of borrowing someone's money. If you help me and I help you, there will be no problem."

The inner palace has its own rules.

The outer palace has its own rules.

Wei Jun has been in the palace for two years, so he understands this.

They could all use the excuse of going out to buy food, and borrowing a palace servant was really not a big deal for these deputy stewards and those in charge.

Seeing Su Wan's excitement, Wei Jun immediately said, "He has a poor appetite recently, and he dislikes greasy food outside. Whenever he doesn't eat well, he always gets angry. Just think of it as helping me."

"And you don't have to go anywhere else. There are still many small kitchens in the western kitchen. You can just find a secluded place with no one around to start a small stove. This will not let too many people know and will save you a lot of trouble."

"You can still eat along, right?"

The rest is fine.

The last point made Su Wan’s eyes light up.

She can eat it too!

Yes, she cooks for the deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department, so of course she can eat with them, it’s just a matter of using an extra pair of chopsticks.

Think about the dark canteen where the western kitchen is stable, and then think about your own cooking skills. Is there anything you need to consider?

She earned this extra money!

Su Wan asked, "Does your master have any dietary restrictions? What meals does he cook?"

Seeing that Su Wan showed signs of agreement, the young eunuch Wei Jun immediately said excitedly, "There is nothing to avoid, as long as it is soft and easy to digest. Only breakfast and lunch are prepared. The master is a Buddhist and does not eat after noon."

"I'll give you five cents of silver every month. It's not much, but we'll prepare the ingredients you need every day. Just take the time to go to the small kitchen in the west kitchen to cook."

"We will find someone to help you, you just need to cook."

The most tedious steps in cooking are washing and cutting vegetables, and then cleaning up.

The cooking part in the middle is actually the easiest.

Besides, cooking in the small kitchen in the west kitchen wouldn't take up much time.

Five cents of silver.

She made this money!

The most important thing is that she doesn’t have to eat dark food anymore, which is really cause for celebration.

The young eunuch Wei Jun was so happy that he cried.

He no longer had to eat in the west kitchen, and could also enjoy meals cooked by Su Wan. Was there anything better than this in the world?

Definitely not!

He had to quickly persuade the deputy chief steward of the Imperial Household Department to go to the right manager of the Western Kitchen to plead for mercy.

Now, whenever he thought about the meal Su Wan cooked last night, everything he ate had no taste. No one could understand this feeling!