What people in her own store saw was that Su Wan was good at business.
The guests were looking at the stinky tofu and eating it.
Is it really that delicious?
Doesn't it taste so stinky?
At this time, there were already circles of people gathered nearby.
The reason is naturally because stinky tofu is very popular, and also because it has the same owner as the first Malatang restaurant in Kyoto.
One smells good, the other smells bad, which is also a strong contrast.
Anyway, people around are very curious.
Since you can get two pieces for one penny, why not give it a try!
In fact, this thing can be sold at a very high price, but tofu is cheap after all. Secondly, it is also a cheap delicacy in later generations, and someone will surely discover the trick in the future.
Don't underestimate the wisdom of the ancients.
Those who eat more will naturally find the trick.
Driven by the two officials from the Guanglu Temple, many people bought the food. Most people chose to put a few slices on small plates and then go to the Malatang restaurant next door to eat them.
Wei's mother and sister were both very welcoming.
Although that business is not theirs, because of their relationship with Gui Niang, their admiration for Su Wan's methods, and their gratitude to Su Wan for giving them the opportunity to make money, they will do their best to take care of it.
Besides, many customers came and ordered malatang!
Many people looked at the black stinky tofu and simply closed their eyes and put it into their mouths, but after eating it, they understood why the two officials liked it so much.
This thing is worth it!
It's so delicious that you want to bite your tongue off!
In less than a day, this delicacy that smells bad but tastes delicious immediately attracted many people.
Even if it's just for the sake of curiosity, I want to try it.
Su Wan naturally also helped in the store, but her aunt asked her to have a good rest and forced her to sit aside and play, saying that she and Jing Ju could handle it completely.
It is indeed easy to run a stinky tofu shop. When there are not too many people, one person can do it.
Su Wan finally had no choice but to sit down.
Seeing that my aunt was moving quickly and efficiently, her expression was less restrained than in the Su family's small courtyard, and she looked much happier.
That’s it. From now on, the stinky tofu shop can run smoothly.
Su Wan looked at the Guanglu Temple officials who had gone to the spicy hot pot restaurant to eat, and brought out two plates of stinky tofu from the food table.
Just now the two of them just tasted it, but they couldn't squeeze in later.
Su Wan expressed her gratitude and naturally gave some gifts to her.
Seeing that it was Su Wan who sent it, they didn't hesitate and said with a smile, "Then we are lucky to have it."
Looking at their happy faces, I knew that the imperial examination was going well.
The imperial examinations of the Ministry of Rites have always been an important matter, selecting talents for the court, worrying about family successions, and so on.
They are from the Guanglu Temple, otherwise they would definitely still be busy.
After all, the imperial examination list has been released, and the palace examination will be arranged later.
The two people from Guanglu Temple said, "That's the last happiness. In fact, we were not very busy during the imperial examination, but the four imperial banquets at the end of the imperial examination were the job of Guanglu Temple."
The Guanglu Temple has always hosted sacrifices, large-scale banquets, etc.
The four banquets for the imperial examination were also one of their important tasks.
However, Su Wan was still curious about which four banquets these were. She had only heard of the Lu Ming Banquet and the Qiong Lin Banquet before, and they were held at different times.
One of them explained: "It's called four banquets, but actually this time we're holding two banquets."
"The four banquets are Luming, Qionglin, Yingyang, and Huiwu."
"As the names suggest, the first two are literary tests, and the last two are martial arts tests."
"And the Deer Singing and Eagle Soaring are held after the provincial examination."
"The Qionglin that comes later, the Wushu Contest, is held for newly minted Jinshi."
"They say there are four banquets for the imperial examinations, but in fact there are two banquets, because the previous two have already been held in their respective county governments."
Su Wan understood now.
Generally, the imperial examinations consist of the Tongshi, the Xiangshi, and the Huishi.
After passing the exam, you will be called a scholar, a juren, or a jinshi.
Regardless of whether they were civil or military, the banquets for the provincial examinations were held in their hometowns, while the banquets for the latter were held in the palace.
For many civil and military students, the Deer Singing Banquet and Eagle Flying Banquet in various provinces are already grand enough.
However, it is slightly inferior to the more advanced Qionglin Banquet and Huiwu Banquet.
After all, these two banquets were granted by the saints and hosted by the four departments and six bureaus of the palace and the Ministry of Rites and the Guanglu Temple. It was also a proud moment in life.
Being able to appear at such a banquet means that they have already stepped half a foot into officialdom and their lives are about to be rewritten.
The successful candidates in the literature examinations also had to compose a poem of respect and harmony to express their joy. Wen Tianxiang also composed a poem of respect and harmony on such an occasion.
Although the military examination is not as important as the civil examination, the scale of the banquet is also quite large.
Anyway, whether it is the Qionglin Banquet or the Huiwu Banquet, they are both very important.
At the end, an official finished eating the stinky tofu happily and said, "If nothing unexpected happens, your Shangshi Department will also have to send people over to help. You should be prepared."
Su Wan has been responsible for the liaison between various departments.
She was considered as the "young master" of the Imperial Kitchen, so it was only fitting to let her attend the imperial examination banquet.
Who made her familiar with the people in Guanglu Temple and also a good cook?
In fact, the superior had mentioned it to her before, otherwise Su Wan would not have taken the initiative to ask again.
Just go, you can also see the world.
However, the Guanglu Temple official said, "This banquet is different from the past. In the past, the two sides were held separately. This year, the garden next to the Qionglin Garden is also open. I guess the civil and military officials will be held together, but the dishes on each side have their own emphasis, so it is difficult to organize."
That’s the tip, Su Wan nodded in thanks.
Speaking of Qionglin Garden, Su Wan also knew that the name of Qionglin Banquet came from this.
Qionglin Garden is a unique and beautiful place located in the Royal Garden in the west of the city. It was specially gifted so that students can drink to their heart's content.
But this is liberal arts.
The military examination was simple and rough, so he brought the new successful candidates from the military examination to the Ministry of War to celebrate. Unexpectedly, this year they were right next door.
Is this a competition between liberal arts students and sports students?
Su Wan raised her eyebrows, thinking she was overthinking it.
It's simply that the Ministry of Rites wants the imperial examination to have a better ending.
Do things from beginning to end. If you did so well before, there is no reason not to do it well at the end.
This is simply the aftermath of the internal circulation brought about by the Tianbei Hall.
If Tianbei Palace hadn't tried to steal the limelight, the Ministry of Rites wouldn't have worked so hard to make it so good?
I didn’t expect that the Sad Hall that day could actually have some positive effect.
In addition to the imperial examination, Su Wan also heard a few words of the final message from Tianbei Palace. It was nothing more than that the leader would be beheaded in two days, and then the Third Prince would re-establish the list, check all the temples in the world, check the monks' houses and fields, and so on.
This was a long and tedious task, but the Ministry of Revenue laughed out loud because it felt that a lot of property could be confiscated.
The saint was reluctant at first, but when he heard that he could confiscate the money, he kept silent.
Today, the national treasury can barely support the various expenses of Tianxiang Kingdom, and not a single extra copper coin can be taken out. It is no exaggeration to say that the national treasury is poor. Who would not want some extra money?
But His Majesty the Third Prince will probably be busy for a while.
But even so, he still found time to convert several closed temples into charity churches, Anjifang and nursing homes.
As the name suggests, it is a place to shelter the poor, orphans and the elderly.
Even the two officials sighed: "Although he sounds young, his ability is evident."
"It seems that he has never suffered any loss since he took office."
"If he were here, Tianxiang Country would have hope."
The last sentence was spoken in a very low voice, and Su Wan pretended not to hear it.
Awesome, Xie Pei.
While dealing with the already trivial and huge tasks, you can also find time to do good deeds.
Now that he has just dealt with the Tianbei Palace, the people are grateful, so his promotion of these welfare institutions is more effective than anyone else's words.
Su Wan only sat here for a while and soon went to help, while there was already a long line at the fried stinky tofu shop outside.
Those who haven’t eaten it are curious, and those who have eaten it want to try it, so they have to queue up.
By the next day, there were unexpectedly more and more customers coming to eat the fried stinky tofu. I guess this stinky tofu became famous in just one day.
It sounds weird, but tastes so delicious.
Such a contrast will arouse the curiosity of many people.
But this time it is not so easy to imitate, as stinky tofu has its own skills.
The time passed very quickly during the few days I was out of the palace.
From the Malatang shop to the stinky tofu shop, business was booming. When Wei's mother and sister Wei thought of this, they couldn't bear to let Su Wan leave.
But everyone understood that her being able to take a vacation was already a privilege in the palace.
So I have to return to the palace in the afternoon of March 22nd.
Aunt Gui only stayed in the store for a short while that day, then went back to prepare a sumptuous lunch specifically for Su Wan.
I won’t be doing business at the store for the time being. I just want to spend more time with my daughter.
My aunt also took out a few pieces of clothing. The materials of these clothes were obviously much better than before, and they were all bought by my aunt with her own money.
Anyway, there is no need to worry about Su Wan's clothes for all four seasons, as her aunt has prepared them early on, and she also knows that she is growing taller, so she makes clothes that fit her well.
After leaving the Su family, the aunt still accompanied Su Wan to the palace gate. She left reluctantly only when she could no longer go through.
Su Wan looked at the departing carriage and then at the palace.
This time when I came back, I had a different feeling. The palace didn’t seem so scary.
Once you come out, there will be a second and a third time.
Who knew that as soon as Su Wan returned to the palace, she heard people talking about stinky tofu, and others were talking about the eldest prince and the second prince being incompetent and furious in the palace. Especially the eldest prince, he said that he did not collude with people from Tianbei Palace, and not only did the saint not believe it, but Concubine Jiang also didn't believe it.
He was almost made sick by anger.
But whether he is sick or not is not important. What is important is that saints are also sick.
Many people speculated that it was a gas disease.
But the saints themselves do not admit it.
The situation in the court has even become clear.
Only Xie Pei is the most powerful one.
Su Wan secretly felt something was wrong, but then she thought about the guy and thought that he might have noticed it, but she didn't care.
He must understand that if you want to gain something, you have to take risks.
When Su Wan returned to Shangshenjian, she unexpectedly felt as if she had been away for a long time, but in fact it was only more than a month?
She went to the inner palace in mid-February, and now it is late March, so it's about the same time.
The Shangshenjian was still busy as before, but he was busy with familiar things.
It is now March, and we are waiting for each place to change its menu, etc. The only difference is that last time Su Wan was the one who submitted the menu, but this time she becomes the one who reviews it.
There are not many adjustments needed in each place, and the palace servants in each place are already experienced.
In addition to this matter, a list of palace maids who are leaving the palace will be compiled this year. Aunt Yonglan, the head of the Imperial Kitchen, will be in charge of this matter. She will see which palace maids have completed their six-year terms and whether they want to leave or stay in the palace, and then make arrangements for each of them.
Except for the palace maids who were able to be promoted, most of the palace maids definitely wanted to go out, as there was not that much freedom in the palace for them.
So this statistical list made everyone very happy.
It was rare that Imperial Concubine Jiang did not cause any trouble, and the severance pay she allocated was quite generous. Many palace maids of marriageable age who were still hesitant were also ready to leave. With this money, they could settle down in the suburbs or the capital.
I don't know about other places, but Su Wan helped to count the roster and found that the palace maids from the Shangshi Department were fine when they went out. At least they knew how to cook something. Those who could cook could be cooks, and those who couldn't cook could also do the job efficiently.
This year only the Qing troops were sent out, and no palace maids were conscripted, so things were relatively simple.
The roster will be finalized in mid-April, and the palace servants will leave the palace in mid-May.
Some people were worried that if so many palace servants left the palace, the Shangshisi would be even busier.
Su Wan smiled: "If the palace maids of the Imperial Food Department leave, will the palace maids of other departments not leave? I guess the number of meals that our Imperial Food Department is responsible for will decrease."
Letting the people who work in the palace leave the palace can actually reduce a lot of burden on the palace.
Take the western kitchen for example, there are more than one hundred people working and more than one thousand five hundred people eating.
There are less than ten people from the West Kitchen who are of the right age to leave the palace this time. According to a rough calculation based on the proportion, there will be about 150 to 160 people from the West Outer Palace who will leave the palace.
So it is a relief for the palace as a whole.
With so many fewer people to feed and so many fewer people receiving monthly wages, the palace's expenses could immediately be relieved.
Su Wan thought about it and realized that it was no wonder that Concubine Jiang agreed so readily. She must have wanted people to leave a long time ago.
It's not the first day that she wants to cut back on spending, but only she knows where the money from the cuts has gone.
Anyway, this is a win-win situation as it reduces the number of people.
It is not difficult to count this number. Just ask each kitchen to report the number of people. Once it is determined that the time to enter the palace has come, they can all leave together in mid-May.
Master Wei Jun and Deputy Chief Chai were among them.
He has even arranged his retirement life. Although Wei Jun's matter interrupted his plan, Wei Jun has made back his money and is gradually paying it back to his master. He is also better to his master and will definitely support Deputy Manager Chai until the end of his life.
This also made many people envy him, as it was not easy for a eunuch to have a good end.
But everyone knows that this was the karma that Deputy General Manager Chai had accumulated himself. When he gave the money to his apprentice to settle the account, he probably didn't expect that the money could be recovered.
Who would have thought that now that the money has been recovered, the apprentice has become even more filial.
There are many big things in the palace, but there are also many small things. When Su Wan is busy, she listens to these things and always feels that the breath of life is particularly strong.
Less than a quarter of an hour after she returned to the palace, Li Rongrong also entered the palace. The two did not have much contact outside the palace. They were mainly reminiscing with their families. Five days was actually not a long time to spend with family.
As for the other two palace maids, they left the palace early and rested at home. Some people said that their relatives came to visit them, but the two of them wanted to open a restaurant.
Su Wan wasn't sure about the details, but she heard that the superior gave them a lot of money privately, enough for the two of them to open a shop.
All these big and small things are done.
The palace examination had also ended, but the emperor dragged his sick body to take part in it. He selected the top three candidates, and the three of them rode their horses through the imperial street, which was met with laughter.
Sure enough, things happened in Kyoto very quickly. The matter of Tianbei Hall was forgotten. Everyone was discussing how knowledgeable the top three were, who had a Jinshi degree, and who had relatives who could become officials.
In addition, the military examination was also going on, and it was also very lively, with assistance from the Ministry of Rites and presided over by the Ministry of War. Questions ranged from leading troops to fighting, to tactics and strategies, to battle simulations, and finally a fist-fighting competition.
As the saying goes, there is no first in literature and no second in martial arts.
This statement is indeed correct. It is said that the martial arts champion is nine feet tall, with broad arms and a strong waist. He can fight five people at the same time and he also has some strategies.
One could almost call him General Xu’s biological son.
General Xu from the Armoury Bureau was just this type of person. After hearing the rumor, he actually went to take a look. The martial arts champion was only twenty years old and was very arrogant.
But as a natural talent and a young man, it is normal to be arrogant.
Anyway, the Ministry of War is also happy.
However, the martial arts champion was not as lucky as the literary champion, who was praised by the saint himself.
This also shows the difference between civil and military affairs.
But no one cared about this matter. They were all immersed in the joy of the end of the imperial examination.
I heard that in several restaurants in Kyoto, there were failed candidates and successful candidates drinking and chatting, and the guards in the lively city had to make several extra trips to make sure everyone didn't cause any trouble.
They are playing around.
The Guanglu Temple began to prepare for the Qionglin Banquet and the Huiwu Banquet, two of the four banquets for the imperial examination.
Because the two gardens were combined into one, a temporary martial arts banquet was held in the garden next to Qionglin Garden, and the two gardens were temporarily connected.
If both parties want to visit each other, that’s fine. If they don’t want to visit each other, they can just stay at two separate banquets.
This method is quite clever as it avoids comparing the two. It is a banquet anyway. If you think this one is not good, then go next door.
As expected, the Imperial Food Department was going to assist the Imperial Household Department. Not only was Su Wan sent there, but capable palace maids from all the kitchens were also to be transferred.
The food for this banquet must be prepared exceptionally well so that both the host and the guests can enjoy themselves.
Although it is said to be such a large banquet, there were already established rules before, so we just need to hold it according to the previous specifications.
With the four departments and six bureaus appointed by the Guanglu Temple, many things are assigned to various departments, so there is basically no need to worry about anything.
The people transferred from the Imperial Food Department were added to the existing four departments and six bureaus as a supplement and also as a help.
People from the Shangshisi who are not needed will be filled in, and the eunuchs from the Yuyongjian will also be transferred to the Accounting and Setting Department of the Four Departments and Six Bureaus, which is specifically responsible for various banquet items, such as curtains, screens, etc.
As for Su Wan, because of her skill in making plain dishes, she naturally had to make the most exquisite dish, which was the last dish served at the banquet.
In this situation, people would naturally be assigned to the Kitchen Department among the Four Departments and Six Bureaus.
The rules of each dynasty and generation are different, and the food is also not the same, but white banquet is very important. After all, it is the second to last dish, and it can fill the stomach and ensure that everyone can eat well.
The last dish is the egg soup, which is another matter and we won’t talk about it for now.
Let’s take a closer look.
Su Wan was assigned to the White Case Group in the Kitchen Department. The White Case Group was further divided into Small White Case and Big White Case. Among them, the so-called Small White Case department also had palace staff from the Dessert Department.
This shows how careful the division is.
The details of the various divisions of labor are beyond anyone's imagination. Looking further down, there are people who specialize in picking vegetables, people who specialize in cutting onions, and everyone has their own position. If there is a mistake in any link, it can be discovered at the first time and corrected immediately.
As expected, it is the Guanglu Temple that hosts large-scale banquets in the palace. Its organizational ability is too strong.
After all, a banquet has more than just these things to take care of. One also has to count the names of the successful candidates, their place of origin and age, and ensure who comes and who doesn't.
This will ensure that the banquet goes smoothly.
This is very similar to a story she heard when she was learning to cook.
Let’s say an official heard that a man from one of the four departments and six bureaus who worked in the kitchen department came to the county from a big family.
I want to ask her to help me cook a meal and try her cooking skills.
Who would have thought that this cook actually said that she couldn't cook. Although she was in the kitchen, she was only responsible for cutting onions and knew nothing else.
From now on, you can see how detailed and professional these departments are.
Only with such professional arrangements could such a large banquet be hosted in ancient times, right?
But looking at the people in the Guanglu Temple, they seemed to be doing things with ease. I wonder how many such tasks they have done.
After Su Wan got her assignment, she was about to leave the palace again!
Why does she feel like she has only been in the palace for a few days?
As mentioned before, the upcoming Qionglin Banquet and Huiwu Banquet will be held in the Royal Garden in the west of the city.
Therefore, in addition to the people from the four departments and six bureaus who were originally going there, those who were temporarily transferred there to help also had to set off and prepare.
The banquet began on April 6th, an excellent day.
They will go to the Royal Garden on the first day of April to prepare.
Although these things were complicated, they did not seem chaotic. It was obvious that all the departments had already made preparations. The neat team slowly gathered together, starting from Dong'anli Gate and moving step by step towards the west of the city.
Such a neat team of palace servants, with guards carrying the Zhanfeng flag in front and behind, perhaps some of the people who have just arrived in Kyoto don’t know what’s going on.
But the people who were born and raised in Kyoto all clapped their hands and said, "The Four Imperial Examination Banquets are about to begin!"
"The number one scholar is going to attend the Qionglin Banquet!"
Anyone who has read the novel would open his eyes wide. The Qionglin Feast! Isn't that something from the novel?
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