The person standing by the window became the most senior imperial chef in the imperial kitchen.
"The eldest princess has started kneading dough again."
He reported to the emperor in real time.
"Have they failed again?" The emperor's vision went black.
If that's the case, then it's better not to make the noodles. He has already felt their filial piety, and there's no need to let their old father starve to death on his birthday!
"It doesn't seem like it. His Highness the Crown Prince had already kneaded the noodles and was probably waiting for them to rise a second time."
"Judging from this, His Highness the Crown Prince and the others must be preparing longevity noodles for Your Majesty!"
"Congratulations, Your Majesty! Congratulations, Your Majesty! Although the process of making longevity noodles is a bit time-consuming, the meaning is especially auspicious!" the imperial chef said to the emperor.
The other imperial chefs echoed this sentiment, praising the princes and princesses for their pure and filial piety.
The emperor was very pleased to hear their praise.
But after waiting outside for so long, his legs were aching, and he didn't know when he would finally get to eat the longevity noodles.
"How long will this second proofing take?" Zhang Shunde, acting as the emperor's mouth double, asked this question that the emperor was particularly concerned about.
"It will take about half an hour," the royal chef said.
Half an hour...
The emperor's vision went black again.
"Your Majesty, why don't you wait in the palace?" Zhang Shunde suggested cautiously.
The emperor had already been waiting here for almost half an hour, and there was no way he could stand and wait for another half an hour.
He went inside the hall to rest.
Outside the kitchen, someone was specifically assigned to guard the window sill, keeping a close watch on the activity inside and reporting the latest developments to the emperor.
While waiting for the dough to rise, Ye Jingchen was also a little worried. Although their noodles had been made for a while, the emperor should be able to wait, right?
But even if he couldn't wait, it was no use. The kitchen of Chengqian Palace had been occupied by them. If he wanted to eat, he would have to have his meal served from the main kitchen.
Finally, the dough had risen enough, and Ye Jingchen quickly told Ye Jingming and Ye Jingyu to start a fire and boil water.
Once the water was just starting to boil, it was finally time to cook the noodles.
The rested noodles are very elastic, and Ye Jingchen stretches them even longer when cooking them.
"Crown Prince/Royal Brother, slow down, be steady!" Ye Jingyu, Ye Jingyu, and Ye Jingyan said in unison.
They were genuinely worried that Ye Jingchen would break the noodles at this step.
If this step fails, they will truly collapse!
Fortunately, Ye Jingchen's hands were very steady, and in the end, all the noodles were safely put into the pot.
Although the preparations took so long, the noodles only took a few minutes to cook. Ye Jingyan had already prepared the seasonings in the bowl. Ye Jingchen scooped out the cooked noodles, put them in the bowl, and poured hot soup over them. A bowl of longevity noodles was finally cooked, and most importantly, it didn't break.
Ye Jingchen then added a poached egg to the noodle soup and placed it on top.
The final step was to present the bowl of noodles to the emperor, but no one else dared to do so.
What if the bowl breaks if I'm not careful...
I can't even imagine it!
Everyone shook their heads and looked at Ye Jingchen.
So in the end, Ye Jingchen carefully carried the bowl of longevity noodles out of the kitchen, into the main hall, and presented it to the emperor.
"Father, I have heard that ordinary people consider it an honor to eat a bowl of longevity noodles made by their children and grandchildren on their birthdays. These longevity noodles are made from a single noodle, symbolizing a long and healthy life. My elder sister, younger brother, younger sister, and I cooked this bowl of noodles together. Please enjoy it, Father!"
Although it took quite a while to get this bowl of longevity noodles, but—
The emperor looked at the eight pairs of eyes before him, which were both apprehensive and expectant. Although he hadn't eaten the noodles yet, he already felt extremely satisfied.
"You're so kind!" he said, reaching out to take the bowl.
"Father, there are specific ways to make these longevity noodles, and there are also specific ways to eat them. You have to finish them in one go without stopping, and you also have to drink all the soup, which symbolizes a long and prosperous life," Ye Jingchen said to the emperor as he handed him chopsticks.
Anyway, it's already this late, and even if the kitchen starts preparing breakfast now, it's too late. If the emperor doesn't want to go hungry, he'll definitely have to finish it all.
The emperor was particularly interested in this bowl of noodles. He rarely ate noodles like this, and this was the first time he had ever eaten longevity noodles. There looked like a lot of noodles in the bowl, but was there really only one strand?
He picked up the noodles and searched through them, and sure enough, there were only two broken pieces.
He picked up one of the noodles, rolled it up with his chopsticks, and wanted to see just how long it was.
Eight pairs of eyes were watching him roll the noodles. If he moved even slightly, someone with a weak heart would have a heart attack.
"Father, it's bad luck for the noodles to break. Can you stop playing?" Finally, Ye Jingyu couldn't stand it anymore and reminded him pleadingly.
The emperor's hand, which was holding the noodles, froze.
He looked at Ye Jingchen and the others, only to find that everyone was staring at him expectantly, or more accurately, at the noodles that were rolled up on his chopsticks.
This is a bit awkward...
"You have to eat it in one bite, you can't bite it off?" the emperor asked Ye Jingchen.
This bowl of noodles looks like a lot, how can you eat it in one bite?
Ye Jingchen was also quite curious, but the explanations were all the same.
"Why don't you roll up all the noodles and swallow them in one gulp, Father?" he suggested.
Fortunately, this bowl of noodles wasn't for them to eat, but for the Emperor.
The emperor is an adult; if he opens his mouth wide enough, he should be able to swallow it whole, right?
The emperor glanced at the remaining seven people, and amidst their anxious gazes, continued to slowly roll the noodles until he reached the end.
"There really is only one!" he said in surprise, looking like he had never seen anything like it before.
"Father..." Even Ye Jingshu couldn't stand it anymore and reminded him.
The emperor stopped teasing them and ate all the noodles in one gulp.
His bite put all the children's minds at ease, and they all breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, nothing unexpected happened.
Thinking this, several people gave Ye Jingchen a rather resentful look.
It's all my brother's fault!
The longevity noodles were chewy and springy. Although they couldn't compare to the taste of many imperial dishes the emperor had eaten, they were made for him by his children. They were a testament to the children's filial piety. For that reason alone, this bowl of noodles was more delicious than any imperial dish he had ever eaten.
After finishing the noodles, the emperor ate a poached egg and drank all the noodle soup, showing him special respect.
"Can you tell me how this bowl of noodles was made?" After the palace servants cleared away the empty bowls and chopsticks, the emperor asked them after they had all found a place to sit down.
“Father, my third sister and I kneaded the dough together,” Ye Jingshu said.
"Father, I kneaded the dough with my fifth brother!" Ye Jingyu said.
“Father, my second brother and I lit the fire to cook the noodles together,” Ye Jingyu said.
"I made the noodles myself, and the seasonings were prepared by my second sister!" Ye Jingchen concluded.
No one should be left behind!
"Rewards! Everyone will be rewarded!" The emperor couldn't help but smile. Although the longevity noodles weren't sweet, his heart was filled with sweetness.
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