Su Wan came out of the Guandi Temple and still felt that Yan Pei was weird, but he just said that he was busy recently and there was nothing else.
Forget it, never mind her.
But Yan Pei didn't expect to see Su Wan again so soon.
The story begins when she returned to the west kitchen.
Now most of the palace is empty, even the West Kitchen is quite idle. After the Deputy Prime Minister of the West discussed with the left and right officials, they agreed to the request of the Armory Bureau.
After all, it's all past and it's time to move on from it.
However, Su Wan privately heard from Zuo Zhizhang that this was a suggestion given by Deputy North Prime Minister. Based on Deputy West Prime Minister's personality, he would most likely not agree.
The Military Affairs Bureau is sincere and has a good attitude.
More importantly, the old prison warehouse did rely on the small kitchen of the Armory.
The Military Equipment Bureau is not as good as before, and everyone knows that the mistakes made in the past were not their fault.
In this case, there is nothing wrong in letting the Armory Bureau learn from the Western Kitchen.
The Deputy Northern Prime Minister also said that since the West Kitchen had been embarrassed by the military incident in the past, it would be worth all the difficult work to regain face now.
Su Wan felt that this was appropriate.
Deputy Northern Prime Minister is quiet, but he is very knowledgeable and truly magnanimous.
The Armour Bureau asked the young palace maid to act not only to gain sympathy, but also to show that they were submissive. It would certainly not work to show that they were submissive directly to the adults.
Seeing that Su Wan was intelligent, General Xu came up to her.
Sure enough, those words were heard intact by Deputy Prime Minister Xi and the left and right officials.
The Imperial Kitchen made a decision quickly. What was discussed in the morning was already decided in the morning. They asked Su Wan to go to the Armory Bureau to tell General Xu and the kitchen cook, Lao Zhao.
If you are free at noon today, you can send a few smart and obedient people to the west kitchen at noon. Don't send some frivolous people. After all, the west kitchen is full of women. If anyone shows any frivolous behavior, they will be kicked out directly.
Since General Xu and the cook Lao Zhao went to talk to Su Wan, and it was Su Wan who passed the news, there was naturally no problem.
Su Wan thought they would have to discuss it for a while, but she didn't expect the decision to be made in the morning. She became even more curious about Deputy Prime Minister Bei.
Su Wan brought Yu Shu with her when she went there.
After passing the Guandi Temple and walking north, you will pass the Old Warehouse and finally reach the Armoury Bureau. The gate of the Armoury Bureau is very spacious, but only male soldiers come in and out, and they are not allowed to walk around much on weekdays.
Fortunately, the military equipment department is large enough, and there is a horse training platform at the back. The soldiers are usually busy there, but there are naturally gatekeepers in the front.
Seeing the little palace maid coming, she was a little curious: "What are you doing standing at the door of the Armory? The swords here are blind, so be careful."
Su Wan smiled and bowed to him: "We are palace servants from the West Kitchen. We have come to see General Xu and General Zhao. May I ask if the general has given any instructions?"
The soldier at the door opened his eyes wide and said, "Of course I have given instructions. When the palace servants from the west kitchen arrive, they must enter first."
Seeing the soldiers react, Su Wan understood everything.
No wonder he only brought the cooks from the Military Equipment Bureau to the West Kitchen. This was all General Xu's idea.
And the soldiers in the Armory also knew about this.
How could I not know?
Everyone knew that the food in the west kitchen had become exceptionally delicious in the past month.
Anyway, people in the old prison warehouse talk about the food in the western kitchen every day. With so much talk, who wouldn’t be itchy?
Fortunately, General Xu cared about them. He took the unconvinced cook Lao Zhao to the west kitchen to try the food, and said that all our chefs should be sent to the west kitchen to learn.
Now when the palace servants in the West Kitchen saw it, they knew that it was done.
Looking at General Xu, with his muscular build and full beard, he is actually a brave and careful man.
Yes, you can’t be a general if you are brave but not wise.
Of course, the title of general is just a respectful title, not real power. He is still under the Ministry of War, but his position is General of the Internal and External Armies.
The name sounds complicated, and it has been changed again and again by several saints. Anyway, the name of this title is actually not a big problem, the main thing is how many people you have.
Su Wan and Yu Shu walked in. The place was clean and tidy, but it was as empty as the old prison warehouse next to it.
The two of them were waiting for someone at the corner gate. Xie Pei, who had just come out of the main courtyard, stopped and simply walked back.
We can’t let Su Wan see it, at least not now.
Just thinking about those words this morning.
Playing the victim?
No, he is really miserable.
Xie Pei brainwashed himself with a wooden face, but things soon got better.
One of the soldiers went to deliver the message, while Su Wan and Yu Shu sat on a small stool and waited.
After all, this is the Military Affairs Bureau, and it is not allowed to enter and exit at will.
Seeing Su Wan playing with the sachet of mugwort leaves, Yu Shu said enviously, "We were busy last time during the Dragon Boat Festival and didn't celebrate it well. But afterwards, your aunt gave you a sachet, which was really nice."
Su Wan smiled: "Well, she really treats me well."
Yu Shu sighed.
The closer it got to the time when she could see her family this month, the more nervous she became.
She received a monthly salary of two taels of silver last month. She originally wanted to keep two cents and give the rest to her parents.
But the person who came to see her was indeed a maid in her family, and she also explained that her mother helped to keep the monthly salary in the palace.
This month it is probably still the same.
Su Wan looked at her and put the sachet away.
Before she could speak, she heard a hurried voice coming from the inner courtyard: "Su Wan, I knew you could convince Deputy Prime Minister Xi."
"It's not my credit. Deputy Prime Minister Xi was happy to do it." Su Wan didn't like to take credit for herself, so she naturally told the truth.
General Xu smiled and looked at his small kitchen brothers behind him, and went to learn how to cook!
In this palace, other things are fine.
You can't even eat badly! Eating well is important!
The Armory Bureau has a small kitchen and it's not convenient to eat there for free, but it should be okay to learn now, right?
And according to the Third Prince's wishes, he reconciled with the Imperial Food Bureau.
Although General Xu did not understand the deeper meaning, he still did as he was told.
Their Third Prince is young, but he does things differently. Since he was very young, General Xu can always see the shadow of his grandfather.
No, compared to the brave and warlike old general, the Third Prince has a bit more of the royal family's ruthlessness and foresight, which makes him like a saint who has been forbearing all the time.
Who cares.
Now that I have joined the Third Prince's sect, I must be loyal.
And making some delicious food would be even better for the Military Equipment Bureau.
Although Lao Zhao's cooking skills are good, they are just good. Compared with the food in the west kitchen now, they are far inferior.
Otherwise, why was Lao Zhao so dissatisfied after tasting a piece of steamed buns this morning?
After having breakfast, I was completely convinced.
Would this happen if the food wasn’t tasty?
Definitely not!
There is no need to say more now, just take people there.
Sure enough, the news that people from the small kitchen of the Armoury Bureau went to the western kitchen to learn how to cook spread quickly.
It was okay for the newcomers in the palace, but the old people there were extremely surprised.
I thought the conflict between the Armory Bureau and the Western Kitchen would never be resolved, but now it has disappeared. In the past, the Western Kitchen only made delicious food, but now even the planning has become good. This is too rare.
With the intentional connivance of the Deputy Prime Minister of the North and the Armory Bureau, the reputation of the West Kitchen became widely known in the Outer Palace.
The nobles in the palace have all left, and everyone is already idle, so it would be nice to have some gossip to chew on.
After recent events, the reputation of the Western Kitchen for delicious food has been firmly established, and it is no longer the Western Kitchen that was looked down upon before.
Su Wan listened to these changes and felt deeply moved.
That is to say, Concubine Jiang was not around. If Concubine Jiang was still around, these rumors would definitely not have spread so much.
When Concubine Jiang and others come back in July or August, the reputation of the West Kitchen will no longer be suppressed, which will be just the right time to meet the March appointment.
But when I thought about that person's plan, I felt it couldn't be that simple.
But she also noticed that the wind direction in the palace kept changing, and no one knew what the situation would be like until the last moment.
Su Wan was in the west kitchen teaching everyone how to prepare today's lunch.
It's simple to say, it's sesame sauce and gluten cold noodles. General Xu has never tasted this food, but he took the opportunity to learn and mixed in. A bite of spicy oil and sesame sauce cold noodles made him eat three big bowls in a row, and the rest of the people were naturally no exception.
Not to mention the five cooks from the Armoury Bureau, even the palace servants in the West Kitchen ate their fill first.
There is nothing wrong with eating in the kitchen. You have to taste everything. How can you go hungry while sitting by the stove?
Su Wan teaches carefully and everyone works seriously.
Just waiting to surprise everyone at noon.
I don’t know if it’s a psychological reason, but when we think about the fact that there are no nobles in the inner palace, everyone speaks more relaxedly.
Although it is hot outside, I feel relaxed inside and it doesn't feel that hot. If I eat some delicious cold noodles at this time, I can probably lie down leisurely all day.
Days like this are pretty happy.
The five chefs from the Armoury Bureau were indeed carefully selected and did not dare to say anything nonsense, which made the palace maids in the west kitchen laugh.
Since we made the cold noodles together in the morning and made a lot, the Bingzhang Bureau could also get some, as long as they could help wash the noodles.
What's the difficult task for the strong and sturdy soldiers of the Armoury Bureau? Just do it now!
Su Wan didn't expect that teaching the soldiers to cook actually saved effort for the people in the West Kitchen, and it was actually a good thing?
They were having a great time. As June gradually turned into summer, many palace servants lost their appetite. But if they didn't eat, they would not have the energy to work.
But when noon came, everyone still went to the west kitchen consciously, just in case the food there whetted their appetite.
The western kitchen certainly did not disappoint them, with dishes like roujiamo, cold noodles, hot and sour soup, each one more appetizing than the other.
The person who said he had no appetite walked into the west kitchen and completely forgot what he had just said.
Everyone laughs at the cook Lao Zhao, everyone is the cook Lao Zhao!
I enjoyed the food in the West Kitchen. Nowadays, most of the restaurants outside the palace have closed down.
This has little to do with Western restaurants. When it comes to restaurants on the streets, they must have an advantage to stay open, either they are cheap or delicious.
But the previous restaurants outside Lingtai Gate were not like this, because they relied on the power of the former chief steward of the Baochao Department to open any restaurant. What do you mean, my cooking is not as good as yours? That's easy, I just drove away all the delicious ones. Anyway, the palace people couldn't go out for too long, so they could only buy food nearby.
Now that their backer, the former general manager of the Baochaosi, is gone and the Zhang and Wang families are in jail, naturally they can't continue their business.
However, as these junk food restaurants closed down, snack shops with good taste gradually opened up.
After all, apart from restaurants like Li's Big Pig's Trotter that have secret recipes and are still quite attractive, the food in other restaurants tastes far worse than that of the Western Kitchen.
Since the restaurant can’t compete, then just open a snack shop. The palace people also like snacks.
But at this moment, there were a few people waiting anxiously in front of the snack shop, just waiting to see if any of the Shangbao Palace Guards were going in or out of the Lingtai Gate.
The snack shop owner looked at them and subconsciously wanted to go to Lingtai Gate to report. How could someone dare to sneak around the palace gate in the middle of the day?
But seeing how they were dressed, with an obviously unused towel on their shoulders and a small teapot and food box in their hands, I knew who they were.
Isn't this the teapot you can find on the streets of Kyoto?
The "tea bottle carrier" here refers to a person who walks around teahouses on weekdays to get news and inquire about situations. He will also help if anyone has problems.
The host would give some money as a reward for their help, and they also make a living from this.
If Su Wan saw it, he looked a bit like a news dealer and an intermediary.
Anyway, these are all called "tea bottles".
The people involved are complicated. Those who are interested will naturally try to make people happy, while those who are thick-skinned will immediately refill someone's empty bowl in the teahouse and then ask for a reward right away.
Anyway, this industry is not very popular.
It's like when you are walking on the street and someone suddenly offers to polish your shoes. Regardless of whether you need it or not, they will polish your shoes first, and then ask you for money.
These people were watching from afar at Lingtai Gate, and were obviously a little impatient.
They also knew that this was the palace gate, and there was a reason why they dared to come here.
It has been a long time since they last saw the young eunuchs in the Shangbao Palace, let alone the two general managers of the Shangbao Palace. They are feeling very sad.
These three tea bottle carriers usually don't get along with each other, but now they are chatting together.
"I originally thought that the two chief stewards of the Imperial Treasure Bureau were not looking for me, but for you."
"So am I? I thought you had found something good to present to the steward."
"Then who made the money?"
The snack shop owner became more and more confused the more he listened. What did this mean?
In the end, it was the big pig's hoof from the Li family next door who patted him on the shoulder and explained in a low voice what had happened.
We have to start from when the food in the western kitchen was bad to when it tasted good.
Everyone knows that the improvement in the food in the West Kitchen has affected the restaurants in Lingtai Gate that were cheating people out of their money, allowing the palace maids in the West Outer Palace to save money and eat better.
Otherwise, there would be no place for snack shop owners today.
But it affected not only the Zhang and Wang restaurants, but also the idle men who walked the streets carrying tea bottles.
These three were especially so. They had gotten in touch with the two stewards of the Shangbaojian at some point. They were also very clever. They went all over Kyoto to get delicious food for the two stewards. As long as they had good food, they would receive generous rewards.
The two general managers of the Shangbaojian did not have much contact with them, and it was basically handled by their subordinates.
The three of them relied on searching for food and had no worries about food and clothing on a daily basis.
But now it has been almost two months and the Shangbaojian has never contacted them again, so it is hard to believe that they are not anxious.
I originally thought that it was because of the help of the other two people that I couldn't find good food, so I was turned away. Today, I met them by chance in a teahouse. I saw that they were listless and their clothes were not as bright as before.
After the three of them discussed it, they found out the truth.
The Shangbaojian didn’t look for these three people at all?
Could it be that there are other tea bottles to replace them? But I haven't heard of it in the circle.
So they didn't even finish their lunch. The three of them, each carrying an exquisite food box, waited at the gate of Lingtai Palace, even if they could find someone who was the Shangbao Palace Supervisor!
They will definitely ask the reason.
After Li's Pig's Trotter finished speaking, the snack shop knew what was going on.
But I am also curious about how delicious the food in the west kitchen is that these two stewards who have tasted all the delicacies would give up eating out and eat in the cafeteria every day?
It's incredible.
The male owner of the Li family's pig's trotter was still happily chatting about gossip, but the female owner pulled him back and stopped him from saying more.
The hostess looked in the direction of the palace and had a vague guess in her mind.
Why did their family happen to get the secret recipe and how did they happen to squeeze out the Zhang and Wang families? Maybe the secret recipe was given by the Western Kitchen. Their store can only be grateful and there is nothing more to say.
Only the male owner was laughing foolishly, thinking that it had nothing to do with him.
After being warned by the hostess, the male owner finally said seriously, "If that's the case, then the West Kitchen will be our benefactor in the future. We must repay them if we have the chance."
Not only because of the recipe, but also because they helped drive away the bullies Zhang and Wang's family, the couple had long remembered it.
Now he looked at the three people holding tea bottles at the door with a different look. What if the three of them made trouble and caused trouble for the west kitchen?
If the three of them heard this, they would definitely cry out for injustice.
They were just idle guys from the neighborhood, how could they dare to do such a thing? They just wanted to ask the reason.
But the big pig's hoof of the Li family didn't know about it. After discussing it, the couple decided to ask other palace servants to go to the Shangbaojian and the West Kitchen.
It is not easy to ask other palace servants to pass on the message to these three people, and it is not easy to lead them even if they are paid. After all, they are not familiar with each other, and who knows what kind of trouble may arise.
But the Li family’s pig’s trotter is different. Just for the sake of his braised pork rice, you can bring this news without even paying for it.
In fact, it was bad luck for the three of them. It would be fine if it was normal, but now the nobles in the inner palace have gone to the temporary palace to escape the summer heat, so the entire palace doesn't have to be busy, let alone exchange cards with the Shangbaojian.
The Shangbaojian was fine when they received the news, but the West Kitchen was completely confused when they received the news.
What does this have to do with them?
Is it wrong for them to cook delicious food? If so, they must be very wrong!
The two eunuchs at the Shangbaojian didn't mind and asked the young eunuch to give them another reward, but the meaning of his words made them uncomfortable.
The two stewards said that they would not be needed in the future!
No!
Could it be that all the food in Kyoto is not as good as the Western Food House?!
The young eunuch couldn't help but say, "You haven't eaten it. If you have tasted the food in the western kitchen, you will definitely think so."
"I have followed the chief steward for quite some time, and I have also eaten with him, but compared with the cooking skills of the little palace maid Su Wan, I am far behind. If it weren't for the fact that lunch time has passed, I would definitely bring you some food to try."
Compared with the cooking skills of the little palace maid Su Wan, all the delicacies in Kyoto are far inferior, right?
How is this possible!
Let’s not talk about how many delicacies there are in Kyoto.
The food in some restaurants has been praised even by saints, especially the eggplant boxes in Ximen, which were so delicious that the late emperor ordered people to line up to buy them.
How could a little palace maid compare to her?
The young eunuch thought about the taro and fruit pulp icy glutinous rice balls that Su Wan was making, and said with a click of the tongue, "I'm not exaggerating at all when I say this. It's OK if you don't believe me."
"I will definitely not visit you as often as I do now in the future. Absolutely."
No matter what these three people thought, the little eunuch hurried back to the palace. Who would want to run out in such hot weather?
He is still waiting to eat the dessert made by Su Wan!
He had never eaten iced glutinous rice balls before, and this time he was also thanks to the two stewards!
When it comes to summer desserts, taro balls are definitely a classic among classics, but how do you add glutinous rice balls to them?
Wouldn’t it taste weird?
It was when I was tidying up the small ice cellar in the western kitchen that I found some ingredients in the corner that had not been used for a long time. I decided to make a dessert to help everyone cool down.
The glutinous rice balls were left over from the Lantern Festival and had been left there with no one taking care of them. Now that they were dug out and cooked, everyone felt too hot, so they simply made them into a cool dessert in the small kitchen.
After Su Wan said this, everyone was definitely interested.
Just then, someone from the Shangbaojian came over to exchange information about the tea bottles. The two stewards of the Shangbaojian must have heard the news that they were going to make desserts, so they rushed over.
Su Wan laughed: "If I did it, you guys will definitely be included."
These stewards have taken care of the west kitchen, so how could I not care about them?
All the ingredients are prepared. The purple sweet potatoes, which are essential for making taro balls, should be steamed and crushed separately. Pay attention to the moisture of the powder when crushing. Then add tapioca flour and knead it into a ball. Then cut it into small strips and finally cut it into the shape of taro balls that we often see. Now put it in the pot and cook it.
Purple sweet potato balls are purple taro balls, while sweet potatoes are yellow taro balls. Put the two colored taro balls in a bowl and add the cooked small glutinous rice balls.
Taro balls are soft and chewy, and glutinous rice balls are even more sticky.
It’s a pity that there is no coconut milk now, otherwise I would just mix it and put it in the ice cellar, and nothing else would be needed.
The dessert in the bowl was already very beautiful, purple, yellow and white. Su Wan also took out some dried plums and chopped apples and put them all in. This bowl of rich ingredients was a delight to look at.
But such desserts can be eaten all year round, and there is nothing special about them now.
After the ingredients are prepared, put them directly into the ice cellar, then take out a piece of edible ice and start making shaved ice!
Shaved ice!
This is the essence of summer desserts!
It may have no taste, but it must be dense.
Nowadays, shaved ice can be made with an ice shaver, but it is not a good idea for Su Wan to crush the ice directly. Not to mention the effort, with her small body, she would be tired if she couldn't finish two bowls of shaved ice.
In fact, you can easily turn ice into smoothie by putting ice cubes in a container, pouring in honey plum water, sprinkle a little salt, and then shaking the sealed container.
But with the "apprentices" from the Armoury Bureau around, Su Wan didn't even need to shake the smoothie, as there were naturally people with enough strength to do it for her.
When the smoothies are ready, spread them evenly on the bottom of the dessert bowl. The smoothies and honey plum water blend perfectly, looking crystal clear and beautiful, and even glowing in the sun.
Then take out the various colored taro balls, ice rice dumplings, ice plums, and ice apple cubes that have been put into the ice cellar for a while, and evenly arrange them on top of the dessert smoothie.
Is there a more perfect summer drink than this bowl of dessert?
This dessert not only looks beautiful, but it must also taste great. How could they not know whether it tastes good or not after watching Su Wan make it!
Sweet, sticky, sour and sweet taste, icy and smooth smoothie.
Sweetness in sourness, beauty in blandness.
It’s a bowl of dessert that’s beautiful enough to be painted!
Even the right-hand man on duty was amazed by the dessert made by Su Wan and said: "This dessert can definitely be included in the list of the dessert department under the miscellaneous warehouse."
The list recorded all kinds of palace desserts, all of which were exquisite and delicate.
If the cautious right-hand man says so, then this bowl of two-color taro and plum ice glutinous rice balls is definitely worthy of the name.
Su Wan smiled and said, "Don't be sentimental, let's eat."
yes!
They were so amazed by the beauty of the dessert that they forgot to eat it!
Only the palace maids in the West Kitchen here can enjoy it directly, but the palace maids in the Imperial Household Department, the Imperial Treasure Department, and the Treasury Department must take the desserts back to their respective offices quickly, as several stewards are waiting!
If they knew that the desserts Su Wan made were so delicate, delicious and elegant, they would definitely come here.
The people from the Armoury Bureau were no exception. The five "apprentices" who followed them, as well as the cook Lao Zhao, had to be brought to General Xu, otherwise General Xu would definitely be angry, and then they would have to run for two more hours?
Cook Lao Zhao paused, thinking of the man in the study. Normally, only a few people in the Armament Bureau knew him, but he had to be there. It would be wrong to not give him such a delicious meal.
Cook Lao Zhao opened his mouth and said, "Our General Xu has a big appetite, bring him two bowls!"
I've never seen anyone asking for food so righteously, nor have I seen anyone letting his boss take the blame so righteously!
But all the heavy work just now, including the heavy work in the big kitchen, was done by people from the Armoury Bureau. They eat a lot, but they also do a lot.
Su Wan is a fair person, so naturally she has no objection.
The Right Hand Man didn't say anything. Although the ingredients looked complicated, they were not particularly expensive, so he just gave them.
Besides, her index finger twitched slightly, thinking that this bowl of dessert was really rare.
After seeing off the palace servants from various ministries, five or six palace servants from the western kitchen in the small kitchen finally picked up their own bowl of dessert and subconsciously scooped up the beautiful taro balls with their spoons.
Not only does it look good, it tastes good too!
The ice glutinous rice balls are soft, sweet and moist, and the aroma of glutinous rice is fully exuded. If they are close to the smoothie and plums, there is a slight sweet and sour taste. The crispness of the apple also makes the dessert more layered.
The last is a spoonful of smoothie. When you put it in your mouth, you will shiver subconsciously, and feel refreshed all over in the summer.
Summer honey plum smoothie is soft, refreshing, tender and sweet.
Before I knew it, the small bowl was empty.
Su Wan also smiled as she ate.
She really likes cold desserts in summer.
Su Wan was enjoying the food while others looked at the small bowl in shock.
How come you finished eating?
I clearly haven’t eaten much!
The people at the Armory Bureau were really cunning, they actually asked for an extra bowl in advance.
But now even if I eat another bowl, it still won’t be enough.
It’s a scorching summer day outside, is there anything more cooling than this bowl of dessert made by Su Wan?
Let them see that going to the palace to escape the summer heat is not as good as eating a bowl of these two-color taro and plum ice dumplings!
Su Wan had just put down the small bowl when she saw everyone looking at her intently, their expressions all revealing the same meaning.
Please!
Make another bowl! They want more!
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