Ziwei was utterly perplexed, but wanting to leave a good impression, especially in front of Granny Gui, she feared that a poor performance would lead Granny Gui to report back to the Empress Dowager, thus displeasing the Empress Dowager. Therefore, even though Ziwei was very confused, she could only go to make the soybean paste.
"Ziwei, you'd better hurry up. You can't spend the whole day washing beans like you did yesterday." Granny Gui said casually, standing there cracking melon seeds as she looked at Ziwei, who seemed at a loss for what to do.
"Yes, I will definitely hurry today!" Ziwei could only agree.
Granny Gui watched Ziwei's retreating figure, secretly rolled her eyes behind her back, and then had Master Zhuang move the recliner she had been lying on yesterday to the backyard, keeping a close eye on Ziwei, while she comfortably lay on the recliner eating melon seeds.
Before they knew it, it was midday, the hottest time of the day, and Ziwei was still baking in the sun in the backyard. She wiped the sweat from her brow as she fermented soybean paste. Granny Gui even found a cool spot, moved a reclining chair there, and brewed herself a pot of tea.
Cining Palace
"When it gets hot, it makes me lose my appetite." The old lady felt irritated looking at the table full of steaming food.
Anke also found it difficult to put down her chopsticks. The weather was truly hot, let alone eating such hot food on such a sweltering day. Who could possibly stand it?
Qing'er remained silent. However, seeing that she didn't pick up any food, it was clear that she couldn't eat either.
"Add some more ice," the Empress Dowager instructed the palace maid who was fanning the water, looking at the melting ice in the vat.
"Your Majesty, it's not even summer yet. You're using so much ice; be careful not to catch a cold." Qing'er quickly stopped the Empress Dowager when she saw that she was about to add more ice.
Back at Mount Wutai, the Empress Dowager felt unwell and kept adding ice to the jar. As a result, she developed a fever that very night. Qing'er and Anke stayed by her side, caring for her without changing their clothes all night. The next day, the Empress Dowager still seemed unwell. That's why Qing'er was particularly strict about the amount of ice the Empress Dowager used.
"But it's just too hot, and the Imperial Kitchen hasn't come up with any new dishes. I have no appetite looking at this table full of steaming food." The Empress Dowager, of course, listened to advice, but looking at the table full of food, she still angrily slammed her chopsticks on the table. "It's always the same few dishes over and over again! What exactly is the Imperial Kitchen doing?"
"Your Majesty, you've really wronged them. What does the Imperial Kitchen cook? It's all made according to the palace recipes and the individual constitutions and stomachs of the ladies. Naturally, they wouldn't know what Your Majesty wants to eat," Qing'er said, speaking up for the Imperial Kitchen staff.
"Is An'an hot?" The Empress Dowager looked at An'an, who was holding a fan from a palace maid and fanning herself.
“Your Majesty is indeed hot, but what Sister Qing said makes sense. If a little heat and a little ice make Your Majesty feverish, it would be a real loss. As for these dishes, they are naturally not edible. But this has little to do with the Imperial Kitchen,” An Ke said truthfully.
An Ke quickly racked her brains. She was just thinking of making some cold noodles for the Empress Dowager when she glanced at the still-steaming food on the table. This immediately solidified her decision. "Empress Dowager, why don't you have An An prepare something refreshing for you in the imperial kitchen?"
The Empress Dowager then remembered that An'an loved researching food. So she nodded. "Should I send a few palace maids over to help you?" The Empress Dowager was still thinking about the clever palace maids in Cining Palace.
An Ke waved her hand, refusing. "No need, Your Majesty. There are plenty of eunuchs in the Imperial Kitchen to help out. Besides, no matter how clever the palace maids are, they are not good at these kinds of things. If we let them come along, they might not only be of no help, but they might even make things worse and cause trouble for Chef Zhuang."
Master Zhuang, although that old man is all smiles on the surface, who knows what he might be saying behind your back? But it's understandable. Think about it, the Imperial Kitchen supplies food to so many masters and empresses in the palace. The Imperial Kitchen is incredibly busy, and if they just cause Master Zhuang any trouble, it'll be enough to annoy him.
"Then let's listen to what An'an says." The Empress Dowager thought about it and realized that it made sense. If An'an ended up doing more harm than good, it would be a real loss. So she agreed to let An'an go to the Imperial Kitchen alone.
*
Shufangzhai
Little Swallow was enjoying the delicious food on the table, while Golden Lock stood to the side, absentmindedly watching the doorway. Bright Moon and Colorful Clouds were fanning Little Swallow.
"Little Swallow, it's so hot outside, why hasn't Miss returned yet?" Jin Suo looked at the blazing sun outside, extremely worried. What if Miss suffered heatstroke under such intense sunlight? And she was just a powerless palace maid; if anyone were to intervene, it would have to be Little Swallow.
When Xiao Yanzi heard Jin Suo calling her, she couldn't help but look up at the sky. She also glanced at the doorway and indeed didn't see Ziwei. "Maybe Ziwei is eating in the imperial kitchen," Xiao Yanzi thought. She was quite carefree, but you couldn't entirely blame her, since Ziwei had eaten in the imperial kitchen yesterday.
Jin Suo thought about it and realized that her mistress hadn't returned yesterday either. So, she listened to advice and gradually lowered her guard.
Meanwhile, Erkang, who was serving in the Emperor's presence, had his mind elsewhere. The moment he saw the replacement arrive, he immediately made his escape, intending to go to the Imperial Kitchen to check on Ziwei.
After Ertai and Yongqi finished discussing academic issues, they were walking along the palace corridor when they ran into Erkang, who was on his way to visit Ziwei in the imperial kitchen.
So the three of them hit it off and decided to go together.
Anke avoided the sun, walking leisurely along the cool path until she reached the imperial kitchen.
And at this moment, the imperial kitchen was indeed as busy as An Ke had imagined.
Master Zhuang, who had intended to take a break and have some tea, turned to look at the young mistress who had just stepped in. This mistress was not to be trifled with; she dared to act arrogantly even in the palace. Even if she was in a bad mood and tore down the imperial kitchen, no one would say a word.
He hurriedly moved his obese body, put on a professional fake smile, and scurried towards An Ke. "This servant greets Princess Yong'an. May Princess Yong'an be blessed."
Looking at Chef Zhuang's physique, An Ke felt sorry for him. The weather was already hot, and with so many people coming and going in the imperial kitchen, the air circulation was poor, making it even hotter. He also had to come out to bow frequently, and judging from the sweat pouring down his forehead, he was clearly suffering terribly from the heat.
"Master Zhuang, please rise. I'm here to prepare a refreshing dish for the Empress Dowager. Have someone boil all the greens and peanuts, and cut the cucumbers into thin strips. Also, bring three bowls of flour." An Ke instructed Master Zhuang to prepare the ingredients while thinking about the steps for making cold noodles.
"Yes, besides these, Princess, is there anything else you need? Should we assign someone to help you?" Master Zhuang asked casually, though he was actually quite nervous. The other ladies and concubines in the palace were waiting for lunch, and if the princess asked for more help, the imperial kitchen might be overwhelmed. So he only asked a polite question, hoping that the princess wouldn't need any assistance.
Of course, if the princess needs help, he will find someone to assist her, no matter how busy he is.
"No need, no need. Just prepare these things and put them aside for me. Also, boil some water and stand aside with a large bowl filled with cold water." Anke thought for a moment and added.
"Yes!" Master Zhuang was overjoyed and quickly moved his plump body around to see who wasn't very busy. After looking around, he found that everyone was occupied.
Just then, Master Zhuang remembered Ziwei in the backyard. He quickly went to the backyard. The first thing he saw was Granny Gui, who was sheltering under a tree. But he didn't know what to do with Granny Gui. Besides, Granny Gui was there to supervise Ziwei's work, so the task could only be placed on Ziwei.
Master Zhuang stood at the doorway and called out to Ziwei, "Miss Ziwei, come to the imperial kitchen and boil some vegetables and peanuts. Cut the cucumber into strips and boil a pot of water while you're at it."
When Granny Gui saw Chef Zhuang assigning tasks to Ziwei, she didn't say anything. Anyway, the Empress Dowager had sent Ziwei to help out in the imperial kitchen, so whatever she or Chef Zhuang asked Ziwei to do was within Ziwei's duties.
Upon hearing Master Zhuang's voice, Ziwei first looked towards Granny Gui, seeing no sign of impatience on her face. Only then did she walk towards Master Zhuang. "Master Zhuang, besides these, what else do you need?"
Ziwei originally wanted to leave a good impression on Granny Gui, but the weather was just too hot. Even inside the imperial kitchen, it was better than being exposed to the sun in the backyard.
"Oh, and while you're at it, fill a basin with some cool water and set it aside for later use," Master Zhuang suddenly remembered.
"Yes!" Ziwei hurried to prepare these things.
Master Zhuang hurried toward the warehouse, as he still needed to get the three bowls of flour that the princess required.
Only then did Granny Gui speak up, "Master Zhuang, are the people from the Imperial Kitchen short-handed? Let Ziwei go and help." Granny Gui was purely curious.
"That's right, all the ladies and mistresses in the palaces are waiting for lunch. It just so happens that Princess Yong'an also came to the Imperial Kitchen, saying she wanted to personally prepare some refreshing lunch for the Empress Dowager. She took a walk around the Imperial Kitchen and found that everyone was busy. Then she remembered that Ziwei's work wasn't too busy right now, so she asked her to come and help out." Chef Zhuang sighed helplessly.
Upon hearing that Princess Yong'an had arrived, Granny Gui immediately put down the melon seeds and tea she was holding. "Then give me the flour. See if there's anything else that needs to be done in the Imperial Kitchen. You don't need to worry about things here. I'll go and give this flour to the Princess." It would be good to curry favor with the Princess.
Master Zhuang glanced at Granny Gui, remembering that she had been resting and watching over things since arriving these past two days. Today was different, though. But he didn't dwell on it. He simply handed the flour to Granny Gui with a friendly smile. "Thank you so much, Granny Gui."
"Sigh, I just see that your imperial kitchen is quite busy. Anyway, I'm just sitting around doing nothing. It'll be good for me to help the princess out." After saying that, Granny Gui stopped talking and, holding the flour in her hands, began to look for An Ke.
Because An Ke frequently came to the imperial kitchen to prepare delicacies, the Emperor specially set aside a cool corner for her there. Every senior palace servant knew where it was. Without further hesitation, Granny Gui headed straight for the princess's own kitchen.
As soon as they reached the door, they saw the princess. Granny Gui's wrinkled face instantly broke into a smile. "This servant greets the princess. May the princess be blessed. Princess, here is the flour you requested."
Granny Gui also served the Empress Dowager. An Ke could recognize her voice even without turning her head. "Then I'll really trouble Granny Gui. Xingxing, bring the flour."
Granny Gui stood to the side, smiling, and said, "No trouble at all, no trouble at all. It is my honor to serve the Princess. Does the Princess need me to do anything for you? Don't look down on me because I'm old, I'm still very nimble."
An Ke didn't want to refuse such eager free labor, so she didn't. "Does Granny Gui know how to knead dough?" Of course, she had to ask before asking her to do anything, lest she end up making things worse. That would really be shooting herself in the foot.
"Yes, yes, I can do it." Granny Gui was afraid of losing the opportunity to impress the princess. "This is a small matter, I can handle it."
Anke didn't dampen Gui Mama's enthusiasm. She simply gave Xingxing a wink. Xingxing immediately knew what her princess wanted to do.
So, he placed the three bowls of water that the princess had just mixed with color in front of Granny Gui, himself, and the princess.
“Then let’s use the water in front of us to knead the dough first,” Anke said, rolling up his sleeves as he stood beside him.
The three bowls of colored water were all vegetable juice. After all, there were no edible pigments in this era.
"Yes!" Granny Gui naturally did as the princess instructed, after all, the princess was the most enthusiastic food enthusiast in the palace. She simply did as she was told.
The three of them worked quickly and finished preparing three different colored doughs.
Just then, Xingxing handed Anke a tool that Anke had specially made based on the dough extruder of later generations.
Anke took the tool, cut the dough into several parts with a knife, put each part into the tool, and squeezed it out to form a round dough. Granny Gui watched with admiration.
Xingxing quickly placed the round dough that the princess had made onto the flour to prevent them from sticking together.
Anke: As expected of my personally trained apprentice, you're on the right track! ?(^o^)?
Anke and Xingxing worked together seamlessly, making Granny Gui, standing to the side, seem somewhat at a loss and helpless.
In no time, all the dough had been shaped into round balls. Anke looked at the round balls covering the entire work surface and felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Then, she remembered the ingredients she needed for her cold noodles.
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