After the palace servants had finished tidying up, Wan Anran walked into the newly renovated main hall of Chuxiu Palace, and her heart, which had been floating in the air, finally settled down.

Living in a side room is definitely a different experience from being in charge of your own life. After wandering around for a while, Wan Anran decided to treat herself to some food first.

For example, a certain thing.

While living in Xianfu Palace, Wan Anran sometimes craved the food, but upon seeing Consort Xuan and Noble Lady Nara, she had to suppress those thoughts.

Consort Xuan's background goes without saying.

Nara Noble Lady's father was of humble origin, merely a sixth-rank cavalry officer. However, the Nara clan was a prominent family, and by her generation, Ukumafa had become a concubine of a high-ranking princess, possessing considerable wealth. At home, Nara Noble Lady was a pampered and cherished young lady.

Wan Anran would get nagged by the two of them for mentioning anything slightly unusual, let alone this thing. But now that she lived alone in the palace, no one could control her, right? The more she thought about it, the more she realized it made sense, and the happier she became. With a slight stirring in her heart, Wan Anran called Hai Tao over and whispered a few words to her.

Hai Tao was initially completely bewildered.

Then her eyes widened like saucers, and her jaw nearly dropped to the ground. Hai Tao covered her mouth tightly with both hands, afraid that she would scream if she let go. It took her a long time to regain her senses.

Hai Tao looked terrified, her tongue seemingly tied in knots as she spoke: "Master, you, you, you really want to eat that thing?"

"Why can't I eat it?"

"I've never heard of anyone eating this in the palace!"

"That's because people don't know how good it is."

Wan Anran argued confidently, "If it's mutton offal, then of course it's edible too. Besides, traditional Chinese medicine says it can replenish qi and nourish the body, so it can certainly be used in cooking."

"..." Hai Tao stared wide-eyed.

"Just have someone fetch it and cook it in Chuxiu Palace," Wan Anran nudged her.

"My lord..."

"Go on, go on, and come back quickly!" Wan Anran pushed Hai Tao out the door.

Hai Tao stomped her feet.

Her face turned pale and then flushed. After standing there in contemplation for a moment, Hai Tao turned and went to look for Ju Bai.

Even if you want to take this, you have to do it secretly.

It's safer to ask Ju Bai, who's often out running errands, about these things.

Ju Bai still looked completely bewildered.

When she realized they were asking for pig intestines... no, pig offal, she was so shocked her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. She opened her mouth to speak, but Hai Tao immediately silenced her: "Don't scream!"

"Waaaaah!"

"I already told you not to shout."

"Waaaaaah~"

Ju Bai finally managed to pull Hai Tao's hand down, then rolled her eyes at her, annoyed: "I didn't want to call out, I almost got suffocated by you, Sister Hai Tao..."

Haitao glared at her.

Ju Bai coughed: "This kind of thing isn't allowed in the palace..."

Haitao thought so too.

How could imperial concubines eat pig intestines? Aside from being used as a medicinal ingredient and for conditioning purposes, who would dare to even think about such a dish on a normal day?

If others find out...

Hai Tao sobbed and covered her cheek: "The problem is that this thing is not available in Chuxiu Palace, so we have to go to the Imperial Kitchen to get it."

Orange-white eyes rolled.

She calmly offered a solution: "Let's just say we're here to pick up some snacks, and then tell them secretly."

"If it can be made in Chuxiu Palace, why would you need to go to the Imperial Kitchen?" The principal concubines and other concubines all have small kitchens in their palaces. Not to mention snacks, many concubines choose to have their breakfasts and lunches made in the palace.

"Why don't we just say that Master wants to eat this? Do you think the people in the imperial kitchen would dare to say anything more?" Ju Bai replied bluntly.

That's the truth.

Hai Tao's eyes lit up, and then she put her hands together and said, "Ju Bai, this matter is entirely up to you."

Orange White: "...Huh!?"

Feeling strangely burdened by this unexpected matter, she pouted and headed towards the imperial kitchen.

The imperial kitchen staff were quite surprised by Ju Bai's arrival. The young eunuch who was most familiar with her quickly ran forward and asked, "Miss Ju Bai, what brings you here?"

Ju Bai replied calmly, "Isn't it because Chef Zhao's cooking is so good? Our young mistress likes it very much and specially instructed me to fetch a box of pastries made by Chef Zhao!"

Chef Zhao was the one who had received praise from the Emperor and Empress because of Wan Anran. After that, he rose rapidly through the ranks and became the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen in just over a year.

He squinted his eyes with delight upon hearing this.

Chef Zhao stepped forward with a smile: "This humble servant thanks Master Qi for her kindness. What would Master Qi like to eat today?"

See? It's been delivered right to our doorstep.

Ju Bai grabbed Chef Zhao and pulled him inside, saying, "Chef Zhao, let me explain in detail."

Chef Zhao was still a little confused.

Once he entered the kitchen, Ju Bai explained his purpose in detail.

Chef Zhao was completely dumbfounded: "Huh? Master Qi really wants this?"

There are many kinds of pig intestines.

Even after washing, it's difficult to remove the fishy and pungent smell. Aside from impoverished areas where people might wash it and cook it with strong seasonings, or use it to render oil, the rest is usually just discarded.

Upon hearing that the Chuxiu Palace wanted this item, Chef Zhao wondered if there was something wrong with his ears. He stared at Ju Bai expectantly, then saw her nod up and down: "That's right."

Chef Zhao: ...

"It's wrong to be right!" His mind was a complete mess, and he grabbed the little eunuch and shouted, "Sam-soon, pinch me!"

The eunuch named San Shun blinked.

He just spun and twisted it around, and the chef Zhao screamed in pain, "Ouch, my god! It hurts! It hurts! You bastard, San Shun!"

It hurts, it hurts so much!

Chef Zhao bared his teeth and picked up a rolling pin, ready to hit someone.

Sam-soon covered her head and ran away in a panic: "My lord! My lord! You said it yourself—"

...Is this really not a dream?

Chef Zhao steadied himself, his face alternating between pale and flushed as he stopped cooking. In the end, he decided to trust Consort Qi—who knew what new tricks she might have up her sleeve? Chef Zhao gritted his teeth: "Alright! Miss Ju Bai, does Consort Qi have any other requests?"

"Master said that the large intestine needs to be cleaned and then rubbed with salt, vinegar, flour and pepper. It should take at least the time it takes to brew a cup of tea," Ju Bai said earnestly, and it sounded quite convincing.

Chef Zhao took a deep breath.

He called over an apprentice and whispered instructions for a moment. While the apprentice hurriedly went out to fetch something, Chef Zhao asked the eunuch to take Ju Bai to the tea room to rest: "Miss Ju Bai, please wait a moment. I will bring it to you as soon as I have finished processing it."

Ju Bai responded.

A young eunuch led her to sit in the tea room—a treatment that Ju Bai could hardly imagine in the past. Usually, she would stand outside the door like the other palace maids, waiting for the stewards of the imperial kitchen to come out.

Ju Bai couldn't help but recall the days when she first arrived at Xianfu Palace, a silly smile appearing on her face. She held her teacup, sipping water, and stared blankly at the palace maids and eunuchs hurrying to and fro outside.

This person is a servant of Consort Daijia in Changchun Palace.

Consort Dai is favored; look at how obsequious the little eunuch is… he's probably been paid. Even though she arrived last, she was the first to leave.

Ju Bai, showing little interest, shifted her attention to another person.

This person was from Consort Zhang's side in Yikun Palace. Consort Zhang was originally quite favored, but unfortunately she encountered Consort Yi, and was confined to the courtyard and unable to go out.

The emperor's favor naturally faded when he no longer saw her, and with the arrival of Consort Guo, she had no place in Yikun Palace.

Without the emperor's favor, even the palace maids beside her were timid and hesitant, and she would only lower her head and mumble in agreement when the young eunuch reprimanded her. As for the meals? They were taken away by one person after another, and she was the very last one to receive them.

Ju Bai shook his head.

If it weren't for her mistress being favored, the palace maid in front of her would be treated the same way she was. She held her teacup and watched the palace maid leave with the food box, then suddenly murmured something.

A figure approaching from afar...

Why does he look so familiar? Ju Bai let out a soft "hmm" and stared intently at the person. The person was talking to Zhang Changzai's maid, and then they quickly separated.

“San Shun, so Consort An also sends people to the imperial kitchen to get meals?” Ju Bai suddenly asked.

“That’s not Consort An’s maid, she’s Consort Zhang from Consort An’s courtyard. Everyone in the palace calls her ‘Big Consort Zhang,’ and those in Yikun Palace call her ‘Little Consort Zhang.’ I heard they’re cousins ​​and have always had a good relationship.” San Shun glanced at her and answered without any surprise.

Ju Bai thought for a moment: "This Consort Zhang is the one who gave birth to two princesses...?"

Sam-soon nodded: "Yes, yes, it's her."

Ju Bai nodded thoughtfully.

She was about to ask more, but just then Chef Zhao came out: "Miss Ju Bai, I've put some snacks on the bottom of the food box for you, and on the top layer."

You can keep it hidden from everyone on the street.

Ju Bai smiled and thanked Chef Zhao, then quickly picked up the food box and hurried back to Chuxiu Palace.

Wan Anran had been eagerly anticipating this for a long time.

Seeing Ju Bai return, Wan Anran was overjoyed and rushed forward to greet him. The group quickly entered the courtyard and had someone close the door. Wan Anran then hurriedly carried the food box into the kitchen.

The head of the kitchen looked completely bewildered.

He thought he had done something wrong to please his master, so he knelt down and apologized with trepidation. Wan Anran told him to get up and then told them to leave: "Today, I will cook for myself."

"……ha?"

"Hurry up and hurry up!" Wan Anran shooed the group out of the kitchen and took charge of cooking herself.

In my past life, I was a food vlogger.

However, after arriving at the Qing Palace, aside from some barbecue and hot pot, there was no opportunity to cook for oneself. Looking at the familiar yet unfamiliar stove, Wan Anran felt much more energetic, and the first thing she did was to quickly take out the raw large intestine from the food box.

Chef Zhao cleaned it very thoroughly.

The raw large intestine had no unpleasant odor. Wan Anran blanched it in cold water for the first time, then took it out and rinsed it again before placing it in a stew pot. The stew pot looked simple, but it had locks on both sides to seal it tightly, and a unique vent on top.

It looks unremarkable, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it a pressure cooker from the Qing Dynasty. After simmering it for half an hour, it was taken out and drained, then soaked and mixed with a sauce made of maltose and vinegar. Finally, the palace servants used fans to dry the sauce on top.

Once the outer skin is no longer moist, it can be fried in oil. At this point, the head of the kitchen rushed in, wailing, "Master Qi! Master Qi, you mustn't, Master Qi!"

What if the oil splashes out?

Just thinking about it made the head of the kitchen think he might as well just take out a rope and hang himself!

"It's just an explosion..."

"My lord, oh my god, waaaaah!" The head steward of the kitchen cried with snot and tears streaming down his face, making Wan Anran's hair stand on end.

And yet, delicious food was right in front of me.

Wan Anran and the head chef exchanged glances, their eyes crackling as they met.

Consort Qi vs. Head of the Imperial Kitchen.

In the end, Wan Anran was defeated. Under the watchful eyes of the head chef, she was powerless to back down and could only repeatedly remind him not to ruin the pig intestines she had finally obtained.

What if it gets destroyed?

Hehe, tomorrow I'll send you to the imperial kitchen to slaughter a pig and get its large intestine.

The head of the imperial kitchen did everything in his power.

How could he possibly mess up a mere pig intestine? The fried pig intestine is golden and glossy, with a vibrant color and an irresistible aroma. After cooling, it's plated and served with sweet chili sauce or a dry dipping sauce—the taste is simply divine…

Cool!

Wan Anran couldn't wait to pick up a piece of food with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth. With a chew, the crispy outer layer and the soft fat seemed to melt together in her mouth.

This is the taste.

Wan Anran quickly had someone bring over some wine, and he enjoyed the crispy pork intestines to his heart's content.

Of course, when she ate, she also asked the head chef to make a braised pork intestine dish—crispy pork intestines with a little wine. As for rice, braised pork intestines are definitely the best choice!