The Zhongshufang was responsible for managing the copying of books by the Zhongshu Sheren in the palace, or writing imperial edicts according to the requirements of the emperor, issuing imperial edicts, and then reporting back to the emperor after issuing them.
Although it is located in the outer palace of the imperial palace, it is also the connecting point between the inner and outer palaces.
No one in the North Kitchen expected that the eunuch from the Central Study would come over, and because he was extremely hungry, he went straight to the kitchen.
This kind of thing has happened before, but it was relatively rare.
Everyone was stunned.
You must know that this eunuch holds a low position and will definitely not be able to see the saint, or even any noble person.
But he could see his superiors, and his superiors could see saints, nobles, and ministers.
How could I allow him to smell like stinky brine?
When it comes to Su Wan making stinky tofu in the North Kitchen, some people have asked whether it is feasible. Both the North Prime Minister and most of the palace people think it is a big deal.
After all, this is the outer palace, and the palace maids who come to eat are also ordinary palace maids. Even if they eat some leeks on a normal day, it is nothing wrong. When the leeks are just harvested, the saint will taste them with the nobles.
Although there is a bit of a peculiar smell, the saints and nobles will wash up after eating, and ordinary palace servants will do their own work, so there won't be any problem.
It must be said that no one in the palace can eat these strange-tasting things. Only those who serve the saints and nobles, and ministers, have to be decent when meeting the saints.
Most other people are fine.
Leeks were included in the recipes of the West Kitchen for this reason. People working in the West Outer Palace might not come into contact with dignitaries for five or six years after entering the palace, let alone a saint.
So just eat it, no big deal.
Chives were also written about in the Song Dynasty books of Su Wan's time and space.
Among them, a scholar named "Benxin Weng" wrote a recipe for leeks using a line from the Book of Songs, "I think of the ancients, their smell is like that of orchids."
It can be seen that this is not something that cannot be put on the table.
The situations and rules of each dynasty are different, so it is difficult to generalize.
For example, if we say that nowadays people use porcelain to drink tea, everyone thinks it is elegant, but there was a time when people would laugh at people using porcelain. Different times have different rules. Many people like sunflowers nowadays, but a Ming Dynasty scholar specifically noted that they were "the worst". This scholar also wrote about his love for the zither platform. At the same time, a contemporary bibliophile liked the zither platform that he called "vulgar" and praised it as "rare in the world".
Whether it's leeks or stinky tofu, it's not that "unconventional", it's just a personal preference.
There are slightly more palace servants and officials coming and going in the North Kitchen, but their positions are not that high, so as long as it is not something particularly strange, basically nothing will happen.
Otherwise, when Su Wan said she wanted to make stinky tofu, she would definitely be stopped directly.
Not to mention, these things are just the private food of the palace servants. They are not used when they are not on duty and do not disturb others, so there is no problem.
There were hundreds of people coming and going in the North Kitchen, and they were in the outer palace, so how could they be so strict?
To sum up, as long as you are not serving the saints and nobles in the inner palace, and as long as you don't bring things in front of them, it's okay.
Of course, if the saints and nobles want to eat it, that is another matter.
According to custom, some emperors would dig wild vegetables to eat themselves.
Anyway, you can cook and eat the food, but it won’t affect your job.
As for being seen by the young eunuch in the Zhongshufang, it was completely an accident.
The high-ranking eunuch in the Central Study, who was proud of his status, would not go to the kitchen on his own initiative. There was already food to eat in the small kitchen, so this could not be considered negligence on the part of the North Kitchen; it was a complete accident.
The young eunuch almost fell down when he smelled the scent.
Fortunately, the head maid from the North Kitchen came over immediately, covered the food, and said, "This is the new food that has been researched. You should stay away from it so as not to get stained by the smell."
"New food? What can be so ugly?" The little eunuch looked at his cuffs and said with a sad face, "It's over. Some of it got on my clothes. I'll go back and change my clothes. Sister, just give me something to eat. If I wasn't so hungry, I wouldn't have gone to the kitchen."
"I've been busy since before dawn. It's almost lunch time and I haven't even had a sip of water."
The head maid smiled and helped him sit down. She saw that his cuffs were indeed stained with brine, and quickly asked someone to find some ready-made fruits: "If you want to use it as a cushion, go back and change your clothes. We will cook you some soup noodles."
"Okay, luckily I'm not on duty for a while, otherwise I would definitely be scolded to death." The young eunuch rubbed his face, still puzzled: "What kind of food is this? Why is it so smelly? Is it safe to eat? Is it really not spoiled?"
The head maid of the North Kitchen couldn't answer this series of questions, and only said, "It will be ready this afternoon. If you are curious, you can come and try it. But you are not allowed to say that our food is spoiled. We are very careful in our kitchen. It's still the first month of the year, so how can things spoil so easily?"
It's okay for something to stink, but bad? No!
The young eunuch took a few bites of the food. Since it was his fault for opening the lid without permission, there was nothing much to say. However, he was curious. Could there really be something delicious?
When I opened it just now, it was pitch black inside and didn't look like it was edible at all.
The thoughts of this young eunuch reflected the thoughts of almost everyone in the North Kitchen.
Su Wan has never had any problem with cooking, so she won’t fail in this matter, right?
But Su Wan was from the Imperial Kitchen after all, so no one could say much.
When Su Wan heard this while counting the roster with the left and right officials, she was also shocked. These were snacks that she had made privately with the palace servants in the North Kitchen, and it was indeed not easy to take them out.
Unexpectedly, it was smelled by the eunuch in the study.
Bei Youzhi said, "It's okay. We are familiar with the eunuchs in the Central Study. They come here to eat every day and won't say anything."
"You also spent money to get those things, so they won't hinder your work. Even if you go to the saint, he won't say anything."
Besides, this matter would never reach the ears of the saint. At most, the arrogant eunuchs in the Central Study would say a few more words. But the Northern Kitchen does things uprightly, so what can this little thing do to anyone?
As Su Wan listened, she always felt that the female officials here were indeed quite bold, but she probably had their own reasons for doing so.
They are not afraid of anyone when doing things, and they don't live in fear.
Su Wan looked at the full notebook in her hands.
If this is the way to do the job, it's actually not bad.
After lunch, only a few officials were eating there. The young eunuch who had just changed his clothes was also invited to eat the soup noodles. Naturally, he didn't say anything, but was full of gratitude.
But after this incident, Su Wan and her friends still found a small, remote kitchen to store the stinky tofu.
Those who followed Su Wan were basically little girls who loved to watch the fun. Su Wan had been here for half a month. She was soft-spoken, smart, and had a good relationship with the young palace maids here.
Many people are also curious about what kind of fragrant and smelly things Su Wan can make.
But at this time, we just cut some tofu and soak it separately.
We have decided to fry after dinner. The job will be done by then. After eating, we can go back to wash up and sleep, which will not affect our duty.
All the brine and tofu were also transferred.
Many people joined Su Wan in doing this, and they looked very happy.
On the other side, the young eunuch who had eaten noodles with soup had just finished his meal and rinsed his mouth, and immediately returned to the study.
Today, not only he is busy, but the entire inner palace is also busy.
The emperor in the Qinzheng Hall was furious, and imperial edicts came down one after another, either scolding the princes or asking the officials how to do their jobs.
The reason was simple. It was the officials below who reported that Taoists in Yizhou, a hundred miles away, had been found cursing the saint. They also cursed the saint to die early and let the princes ascend the throne so that the Taoists would be better off.
The viciousness in the words made the saint dizzy and even more certain that it was a curse. No wonder he always felt powerless, it turned out to be because of these Taoists!
As for letting the princes ascend the throne, although no specific prince was mentioned, it is right to scold them all together.
Xie Pei, who had just moved from Xiting to the remote Chonghua Palace in Xiwai Palace, threw the imperial edict aside, scaring the eunuch who delivered the edict to kneel down.
Unexpectedly, the Third Prince raised his eyebrows and said, "It wasn't me who scolded you, why should I care?"
So the situation had originally subsided in the morning, but in the afternoon, the Saint became angry again because of the attitude of the Third Prince.
Fortunately, there were two mages from the inner palace to comfort him, otherwise who knows when the saint would lose his temper.
It’s still more comfortable to have a bowl of noodles in the North Kitchen.
The young eunuch was thinking while doing his duty, and subconsciously thought of the pot of pitch-black, smelly thing.
Can it really be eaten?
Can you just ignore him? Just don’t eat it yourself.
Although he was only standing at the end when the imperial edict was passed, his mission was still important.
In the north kitchen, they just cut the tofu and laid it out evenly, waiting for the evening to come.
These things don’t require any effort, otherwise how can they be called snacks.
During dinner time, Su Wan followed the attendants as usual, watching the palace servants coming in one after another. Each of them was in a hurry and obviously had many errands to do.
It is obvious that there is unrest in the inner palace.
When I heard that Xie Pei moved to Chonghua Palace, I was not surprised at all.
He had said before that if I had anything to do, I could go to the Guanxin Hall on the south side of the palace road to find him, and opposite the Guanxin Hall was the Chonghua Palace.
It was obvious that he was going to move out of Xiting.
However, moving out also means that he is going to officially compete in the ring.
That's not right. With his behavior, he has long been against the saint and the two princes.
But those people couldn't find any handle on him, so they couldn't do anything. He was so arrogant this time, and who knows what kind of trouble he will have later.
As for those Taoists, Su Wan had reason to suspect that it was the inner palace master who directed and acted out the incident himself.
The incident of the fake monk years ago made the saint distance himself from those magicians. After all, the fake monk was in collusion with the magicians' disciples, and the saint would not tolerate this.
But once the Taoist curse case came to light, the magicians were put to use again.
Judging from the expressions of the officials who came to dinner that Su Wan saw, they were basically all disgusted. They were probably originally happy that the saint was staying away from the wizard, but now they are back to square one.
What happens in the court has nothing to do with Su Wan, and will not shake the foundation of the country now.
Su Wan always felt that the six grand secretaries in the court were as stable as Mount Tai, and it seemed that nothing major would happen in the court.
Is this also how I feel?
The main saint is useless, not the first day.
Su Wan thought about it and felt that if she said these words, ten heads would not be enough to chop off.
Maybe I can only talk to Xie Pei?
However, Xie Pei was soon sent away from Kyoto to Yizhou to thoroughly investigate the case.
Why Xie Pei?
The reason was naturally that he directly threw the imperial edict. Such an arrogant action avoided suspicion. Even if the saint hated him, he understood that he also hated the other two princes.
The saint still knows something about the art of checks and balances. Let Xie Pei investigate, and he will surely get to the bottom of it.
It would be best to expose the true colors of these people.
Even if you hate some people, you have to use them because they are capable.
Su Wan heard that Xie Pei would set off early tomorrow morning.
Being a prince is not easy. Running around is very tiring.
The North Kitchen is similar to the West Kitchen. Many people come here, so they are naturally well-informed about the news.
However, the West Outer Palace has no contact with the Inner Palace, so these government affairs are not as important as those of the North and South Kitchens.
Su Wan was basically eating melons and doing things at the same time, and she also heard about the two concubines in the inner palace fighting with each other. Both of them were decent and refused to break up, but everyone knew that they had already broken up.
They also went to the saint to apologize for the Taoist curse, shouting that they and their children were innocent.
This step is quite consistent.
Unfortunately, the saint was busy discussing Buddhism with the master and did not take them seriously. He waited in vain at the door of the Qinzheng Hall for several hours. It was heard that he was still standing outside. He also said that Xie Pei should not be allowed to check, otherwise something would be found even if there was nothing.
After the meal, Su Wangua was so full that she almost forgot about the stinky tofu.
It’s a pity that Su Wan has forgotten it now, but the other palace servants in the North Kitchen will not forget it.
After all, it takes a lot of skill to make something smelly taste good.
It’s a pity that durian didn’t appear in this era, otherwise this kind of thing should be easy to explain?
Su Wan was surrounded by several palace servants and taken to a remote small kitchen. Although the kitchen was covered, she could still smell some odor.
This taste is so touching.
Fortunately, everyone washed up after returning home, so they were not worried about others smelling it while on duty.
However, in Su Wan's opinion, the taste does not linger for long, even not as long as that of hot pot.
To eat stinky tofu, you just need to wash up a bit; to eat hotpot, you need to marinate your clothes.
There were three or four palace servants who came to join in the fun, including a senior palace maid. The others had not finished their work yet, and would come over to eat together after they finished.
In that case, let’s get started!
Su Wan looked at the soaked tofu.
The tofu that had been soaked in brine for four or five hours had already absorbed the brine. The tofu had already been boiled and had many tiny pores inside that absorbed the brine. Now, after this, the tofu pieces not only turned black in color, but also became smelly.
In fact, it is the smell of sulfide, which is volatile, so it smells particularly bad.
These tofu look dark and don’t look like they are edible.
But at this time, Su Wan had already heated the oil and was ready to start frying.
The black tofu is a bit like dark cuisine. The next steps are easy to do. Just heat the tea seed oil to 70% hot and fry them directly in the pan.
The already cooked tofu should have a charred texture on the outside, and the pores inside the tofu should be denser. The honeycomb-like texture will allow the tofu to absorb more seasoning soup.
Moreover, the frying process can produce a chemical reaction with the decomposed sugar and amino acids to reduce the odor and cause the skin to undergo non-enzymatic browning, turning it into the common bluish-brown color. If there is more color, it will become black.
It’s complicated to say, but the stinky tofu becomes more obviously black after frying, but now it has a shiny black color on it, which is obviously more pleasing.
People with a keen sense of smell can already smell a faint fragrance.
Take the fried stinky tofu pieces out of the oil pan. The surface is crispy. Drain the oil and eat them directly.
But Su Wan also prepared a bowl of sauce. Of course, you can also directly pour the Hunan chili oil on it, but this will make the dish a little more complicated.
The sauce is a mixture of Hunan chili oil, sesame oil, and a little bit of broth that is always kept in the northern kitchen. If you like cilantro-flavored dishes, you can also add some cilantro.
Pour this bowl of sauce on the fried stinky tofu. Even though the food is black, it already has a tempting aroma.
Among them, the bravest palace maid had already picked up the chopsticks!
But the first bite was still taken by Su Wan!
Take a bite of the stinky tofu with a crispy skin, and the fine pores inside that have been boiled and fried will absorb the prepared sauce, filling your mouth with spicy fragrance and tenderness.
What does it mean to be crispy on the outside and soft on the inside? This is it!
Seeing Su Wan’s surprised expression, the rest of the people couldn’t help but try it.
This delicacy with a very unique way of eating instantly captures the hearts of most people!
Some people think it is too strange and are hesitant to try it, but most people have already tasted its deliciousness.
They are both made into tofu, but this tofu is really different! It really makes people linger on the taste!
It is worthy of being the delicacy that Su Wan recommends.
However, the bowl of stinky tofu with chili and coriander that Su Wan made for herself is probably going to dissuade many people. It can not only dissuade those who hate stinky tofu, but also those who don't eat spicy food, and even more so those who don't eat coriander.
But if you like these three kinds of food, it will be the greatest satisfaction for your taste buds.
A bite of crispy and tender stinky tofu can satisfy so many tastes!
This is a dish that is ordinary yet extraordinary.
It is called "plain" because the ingredients are very common. It is called "strange" because of the strange taste, which stinks from a distance but smells fragrant up close, making people feel surprised.
The palace maid who was eating stinky tofu couldn't help but say, "It's actually the same type as the stinky mandarin fish in Anhui cuisine. The stinky mandarin fish is also stinky but fragrant, so it feels similar."
Su Wan's eyes lit up when she saw that the palace maid in front of her had pretty eyebrows and curved eyes, like a girl from the south of the Yangtze River.
“Are you from Huidi?”
"Well, we also have stinky tofu, which is made in a similar way." The palace servant said with a smile, "After eating this stinky tofu, I actually feel a little nostalgic."
"It's a pity that I can only cook fresh mandarin fish, not stinky mandarin fish."
Su Wan does know how to do it, but now is not the season for eating mandarin fish, otherwise she would definitely make two to try.
The stinky mandarin fish was just as the palace maid described, smelly but fragrant, and tasted salty and spicy. It was really a great dish to go with rice.
While the two were discussing, the rest of the people were eating stinky tofu quickly.
Why does this thing get more addictive the more I eat it?
After everyone had eaten the stinky tofu, they walked out of the small kitchen to smell the fresh air and laughed subconsciously.
Days like this are quite happy.
Being busy and eating delicious food is just a way to relax after get off work.
Soon Su Wan was no longer able to explode, and the others were able to take over, allowing her to have a good rest in the yard. The only drawback was that there was no fruit wine to accompany her, otherwise this night would have been particularly wonderful.
That’s what they say, but Su Wan is young, so even if the fruit wine is available, she probably won’t be allowed to drink it.
The female officials in the North Kitchen knew that the palace maids who were not on duty were having fun in the small kitchen, but they did not try to stop them. They let them take a break as they finally had a chance to relax.
After today, Su Wan will also leave the North Kitchen and go to the North and South Kitchens to take up duty, as a small farewell.
The only thing stuck was the little eunuch who came when dinner was about to end. As soon as he arrived at the north kitchen, he sniffed around and laughed at himself. That thing could not be smelled unless you got close, so why did he do this?
After dinner, the eunuch asked, "Have you finished making that stinky food? Is it delicious?"
The palace servant in the North Kitchen had not tasted it yet. Seeing that he was the eunuch who had eaten the stinky tofu at noon, she said, "It must be delicious. I heard them praising it so much. I'll go after the North Kitchen is locked at night."
The eunuch's eyes lit up. It was okay when he was busy, but when he was free, he couldn't help but wonder, can such a smelly thing really be eaten?
With this thought, I feel uneasy.
I happened to be here for dinner, and subconsciously wanted to try it, so why not give it a try?
But when the young eunuch arrived, there were only a few slices left. The palace maid who was frying the stinky tofu saw that he had seen stinky tofu at noon, so she gave him one or two pieces.
This was so amazing that the young eunuch's eyes lit up.
Really!
It smells bad, but tastes so delicious?
Moreover, he can eat spicy food and also likes coriander. All the flavors mixed together make him smack his lips.
The young eunuch was just about to ask for a few more pieces, but he heard the palace maid inside shouting that they were all gone, so he had to give up.
That being said, he looked at a pretty little palace maid, whose smile made people unable to help but look at her a few more times. He was putting the last of the stinky tofu into the food box, nodded to everyone and left.
Why can she get so much?
Didn’t you say it’s gone?
As soon as this question came up, the palace maid next to him said, "She made this thing, so it's only right that she gets a larger share."
It's amazing that such a young girl can be so creative!
At this moment, Su Wan was holding the food box in one hand and one third of the marinade in the other.
This marinade will be her heirloom from now on. If she serves it every day, the stinky tofu will become more and more delicious!
Just now several people wanted to ask her for some, obviously they discovered the magic of it.
It's a pity that this is the imperial palace after all, and we can't do it anytime and anywhere. It's a pity.
At this moment, she was walking on the palace road from the North Kitchen to the residence of the Shangshanjian. The North Kitchen was not far from where she lived. She had walked this road every day for the past half month and was already very familiar with it.
Even the person who suddenly appeared in front of me looked familiar.
Xie Pei always comes here before going out. How could Su Wan not be familiar with him?
Both hands suddenly felt lighter, obviously Xie Pei was helping to hold it steady. He asked curiously, "What's for dinner today?"
It was also because Xie Pei was too busy today, he really didn't know what was in it, he only knew that it must be for him.
The two of them naturally crossed the southern palace road and went to the Guanxin Hall.
This Guanxin Hall had obviously been cleaned, but the furnishings inside were rather old, and it was obvious that they had been put together temporarily.
But why are the furnishings inside so similar to those in the Guandi Temple? And this low table, could it have been moved from there?
When Su Wan took a closer look, it was true!
Before Su Wan could ask, she saw Xie Pei had already retreated seven or eight steps, which looked extremely exaggerated.
Xie Pei, who was always calm, frowned, as if he had encountered some kind of ferocious beast. It was the first time Su Wan saw his reaction like this, and she almost laughed out loud. She didn't care about the table anymore and deliberately asked, "What's wrong? Don't you dare to eat?"
Su Wan ate a piece and showed it to Xie Pei: "It's really delicious. Do you want to try it?"
The guard Zang Dongxin behind him almost vomited. Is this sure not to be poison?
Can you eat something that tastes like this?
As a well-trained guard, he almost couldn't help but step out to stop it.
But this is Su Wan again.
Since appearing beside the Third Prince, all the information about her ancestors for eighteen generations has been clearly investigated. She is also a smart and kind-hearted Su Wan.
From any angle, she would not harm the Third Prince.
But what does this thing taste like???
Xie Pei was still frowning. Having been poisoned a few days ago, he felt that no poison he had ever eaten was as bad as this one.
Su Wan still wanted to laugh, but seeing that Xie Pei was really in trouble, she put the things away and prepared to close the lid of the lunch box.
Some people just don’t like the taste and don’t like to eat it, and we must respect that.
Unexpectedly, the lid was not put back yet. Xie Pei frowned and asked, "Did you do it?"
Seeing Su Wan nod, Xie Pei stepped forward and took the chopsticks from Su Wan's hand: "Then I'll eat."
If it was made by Su Wan, I would try it.
Even if it tastes bad, I still want to try it to see how bad it tastes.
It has been a long time since he last ate anything cooked by Su Wan.
Su Wan was slightly surprised and explained, "Many people really don't like the taste. Don't worry, I'll make you something delicious later."
But having said this, thinking that Xie Pei would be leaving Beijing for Yizhou tomorrow, it seemed that there was nothing he could do for the time being.
Xie Pei naturally thought of this, and took the chopsticks firmly, feeling that what he said was as if he had made up his mind: "It's okay, I'll try it."
The guards in the dark really wanted to stop it!
The taste of this thing is not poison, but worse than poison!
Is it true that the always cautious Third Prince is not worried that Su Wan will harm him?
But Xie Pei had already dipped the stinky tofu in Hunan chili, and didn't even give Su Wan time to stop him, and ate the whole piece directly.
Don’t!
She knew that Xie Pei couldn't eat spicy food very well and his taste for cilantro was just average, so she didn't put these two things in the sauce. After all, the Hunan chili was well-deserved of its reputation, so how could he eat it all!
Just now she was still thinking that for people who can’t eat spicy food, pickles, or stinky tofu, this thing is absolutely a dark dish!
Is Xie Pei stupid?
He also chews slowly and savors his food?
After a while, Xie Pei's slightly swollen lips rose slightly.
“It’s delicious and fragrant.”
Is this okay?
Su Wan tilted her head and looked at Xie Pei. Was he telling the truth? But no matter how she thought about it, it was funny.
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