After all the necessary ingredients and condiments were prepared, Chu Fan ordered the imperial chefs in the imperial kitchen to start cutting the vegetables.
The imperial chefs expertly handled the various ingredients, cutting them into even sizes and preparing them for the next cooking steps. These were the very same imperial chefs that Chu Fan had initially instructed Eunuch Li to bring the ingredients and seasonings to the craft department.
Meanwhile, Chu Fan took on the role of head chef. He stood in front of the huge iron wok, looked around at Mu Xi and the other women, and then said, "Now, who wants to help pull the bellows?"
"Let me do it, let me do it, let me do it. I feel a little cold standing like this." Tang Ji responded excitedly. She was not a person who could sit still, and the long wait made her feel a little bored.
Chu Fan looked at Tang Ji with an expectant look, and said with a smile, "Thank you for your help. Tang Ji, it's up to you from now on."
Tang Jimian came to Chu Fan's side looking very proud. She straightened her back and said in a firm tone: "Just tell me what you want to do."
Chu Fan patiently explained the basic operation of the stove to Tang Ji, detailing how to properly pull the bellows so the flames could be effectively controlled. As Tang Ji followed Chu Fan's instructions, they could clearly see the flames grow noticeably stronger.
Tang Ji found this process very novel and interesting. She excitedly pulled the bellows quickly and watched the flame in the stove grow bigger and bigger. Tang Ji felt a great sense of accomplishment.
Chu Fan looked at Tang Ji playing with full energy and fun, and couldn't help but shook his head helplessly.
Chu Fan gently reminded her, "Tang Ji, I'm cooking, not forging iron, so there's no need to pull so fast. Please slow down a bit. The flame is already big enough; if the fire is too strong, the food will easily burn. Also, if you pull the lever of the bellows so quickly, the bellows will easily be damaged due to overuse."
After hearing Chu Fan's words, Tang Ji began to pull the thing in her hand carefully. She no longer pulled it as vigorously as before, but became cautious.
As for whether Emperor Chu Fan could cook for himself, this was not a concern for these women without official positions. They had no right to interfere or comment. Criticizing whether His Majesty had done something wrong was the responsibility of the censors. No one here was qualified to judge whether the emperor was right or wrong.
In addition, in this world, there is no traditional concept of "gentlemen stay away from the kitchen", so even if the emperor cooks himself, they will not feel surprised or strange.
There was another more important reason, that is, they were all very curious about what kind of delicacies Chu Fan could make. After all, Chu Fan had previously extracted the miraculous drug penicillin from discarded food.
When Chu Fan cooked the first dish, Mu Xi, several other women, and palace maids such as Qiu Ya were all stunned. Although they had noble status, they had never tasted such delicious food before.
Not to mention dishes cooked by an emperor himself. From ancient times to the present, no emperor has ever been willing to put aside his noble status and cook for others after ascending the throne.
For them, it was worth it even if they sacrificed their lives for an emperor who was willing to humble himself and cook for them personally.
After all, which woman doesn't dream of a domineering emperor falling in love with her?
When Chu Fan finished the last step and served the fragrant twice-cooked pork on the table, Mu Xi and the others could no longer contain their excitement. They looked at the delicious food on the table and couldn't help swallowing their saliva. They realized that Chu Fan's cooking skills were indeed extraordinary. Every dish exuded a mouth-watering aroma.
Seeing the reactions of these women, Chu Fan felt very proud. In his previous life as a delivery boy, he had learned a lot of cooking skills from those restaurants. He didn't believe that the dishes he made wouldn't make you all drool.
At the same time, the palace maids also behaved very cleverly, and they quickly set out the rice bowls and chopsticks. These palace maids were not Qiu Ya and the other three palace maids, but other palace maids who were waiting on the side.
Qiuya noticed that Chu Fan had made delicious dishes with all the ingredients brought from the imperial kitchen, so she instructed the palace maids to prepare them.
The moment Chu Fan put down the spatula and announced that cooking was over, Qiu Ya signaled them to enter the yard and arrange the tableware in an orderly manner.
Chu Fan turned around and warmly invited Mu Xi, Tang Ji and the other girls: "Everyone, please feel free to sit down and enjoy this delicious meal together."
Mu Xi and the other ladies had been close to Chu Fan since childhood, and Tang Ji, with her cheerful, informal personality, wasn't bound by formalities. As for Liu Xueyu, her relationship with Chu Fan was even closer, even allowing them to playfully play in bed. So, naturally, they sat down to enjoy this sumptuous dinner.
However, Chu Fan did not invite Eunuch Li, Qiu Ya and others to dine together. The reason was simple: the stone table in the palace had limited space, and if everyone sat down, there might not be enough space.
Chu Fan also understood that as servants serving the emperor in the palace, Eunuch Li and Qiu Ya were well aware of the palace rules and the hierarchy.
They understood that as servants in the palace, if they really dined at the same table with the emperor, it would be a great disrespect to the royal rules, and it would be like they really didn't want to live.
Chu Fan hadn't forgotten Eunuch Li, the palace maids Qiu Ya, and the chefs in the imperial kitchen. He had already carefully prepared the dishes they needed. Otherwise, Chu Fan wouldn't have asked the imperial kitchen to prepare so many dishes.
Chu Fan knew that although the eunuchs and palace maids were not of high status and were often looked down upon in the palace, he always respected and appreciated them. Therefore, he specially prepared delicious dishes for them.
Chu Fan gave instructions to Eunuch Li, Qiu Ya and the others. He pointed to the dishes on the stove and said, "There are still some dishes on the stove. You can take them down and enjoy them."
Upon hearing this, Eunuch Li, Qiuya, and other palace maids burst into tears of gratitude. They knelt on the ground and thanked him in unison, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace."
In their hearts, this was more than just a meal; it was a supreme honor. Even in the unique state of Wei, eunuchs and palace maids rarely had the opportunity to enjoy the food prepared by the emperor himself. They were extremely grateful for Chu Fan's kindness, and their hearts were filled with respect and joy.
Although they were eager to taste the delicious food made by Chu Fan, they still chose to keep their distance and abide by the palace rules. They brought all the dishes to the outside of Chu Fan's yard to eat.
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