Chu Fan said hurriedly: "Don't panic, everyone. I'm just upset by the bitter taste of this dish."
Chu Fan instructed Eunuch Li, "Little Li, quickly go to the imperial kitchen and summon the imperial chefs to come over and ask them to explain why this dish is so bitter and unacceptable."
Since Chu Fan entered this strange world, the dishes he tasted had a bitter taste to some extent. In the first few months, this bitterness was not very obvious, so Chu Fan did not pay much attention to it. Perhaps it was because he had not yet adapted to the eating habits of this world after traveling to this world.
However, as time went on, the bitterness became stronger and stronger, and even today it was so unbearable that Chu Fan could hardly put the food into his mouth. This situation made him feel extremely distressed and dissatisfied, and he felt that he could no longer bear it.
This is also the reason why Chu Fan decided to take action and had to call the imperial chef who was in charge of cooking.
Chu Fan simply wanted to understand what was going on. He couldn't help but wonder if there was some deep-seated grudge between him and the chef. Why were the dishes so bitter that it affected his dining experience? If there was any grudge, it should have been poison. Why would he torture himself by making the dishes so bitter?
As soon as Chu Fan finished speaking, the entire pavilion fell into a dead silence. Time seemed to freeze at this moment. Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound. After all, no one knew why Chu Fan did this.
A moment later, Eunuch Li hurriedly led a team of imperial chefs to the outside of the pavilion. Each of these imperial chefs looked nervous, obviously feeling uneasy about Chu Fan's sudden summons.
They knelt cautiously on the ground, their hearts filled with confusion and anxiety. They didn't know what mistake they had made to be summoned to the place where His Majesty the Emperor was dining.
Moreover, when Eunuch Li went to call them, he was obviously extremely angry, which made the imperial chefs even more uneasy, and they even began to doubt whether they could still save their lives.
Chu Fan didn't notice the subtle changes on their faces and asked directly, "Who cooked today's dish? Please try it yourself. Why is this dish so bitter that it's almost inedible? Is this something human can eat?"
At this critical moment, the old imperial chef felt great pressure, but he had to step forward and walked to the center of the pavilion with heavy steps. He carefully picked up the chopsticks and picked up a piece of green vegetable to taste it carefully.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he trembled and replied, "Your Majesty, the reason this dish tastes a bit bitter is mainly due to the taste of salt. Apart from that, there is nothing wrong with the other ingredients and cooking methods."
Chu Fan raised his question with a confused and puzzled look on his face: "What's wrong with salt? The food I ate a few days ago didn't taste this bitter."
The old royal chef replied, "Your Majesty, for the past few months, the kitchen has been using refined salt imported from Gan Country. However, just a few months ago, Gan Country unilaterally announced a halt to trade with our country, which has resulted in us being unable to import refined salt from Gan Country. Currently, the refined salt we previously purchased from Gan Country has run out, so we have been forced to switch to using coarse salt produced in our own country."
After listening to the chef's explanation, Chu Fan said in a calm but firm tone, "Please bring me the coarse salt that's currently in use so I can examine it carefully."
The old imperial chef ordered a young imperial chef beside him, "Jia Di, please go to the kitchen and take out the salt we have stored so that His Majesty can personally inspect it to ensure its quality."
At this time, a young royal chef immediately rushed to the kitchen and brought a bag of very rough salt. Chu Fan looked at the pieces of stones with various colors, and he knew that these salts contained a lot of toxins and were not edible for humans.
Chu Fan asked, "Is this kind of salt consumed in the Wei Kingdom now?"
The old imperial chef replied, "Yes, Your Majesty. In the past, we were able to import refined salt from the State of Gan, but a few months ago, the State of Gan suddenly cut off trade with our State of Wei, leaving us with only this coarse salt."
Chu Fan frowned. Eating too much salt like this would obviously cause poisoning. If the people of his Wei State consumed such salt for a long time, there would definitely be problems.
Chu Fan asked, "Is there really no problem with this salt?"
The old imperial chef replied, "This coarse salt is already the highest quality salt currently available in the Wei Kingdom. After extensive investigation and experimentation, we've discovered that while the salt produced by Wei's local salt mines is relatively coarse, after our careful processing and purification, its quality has reached acceptable standards. While there may still be some shortcomings in taste and color, we have done our utmost to ensure that the quality of the palace's food is not significantly affected."
The old imperial chef's words did not dispel Chu Fan's doubts. Instead, they made Chu Fan even more worried and uneasy about the salt situation in Wei. Chu Fan originally thought that he only needed a few days to successfully complete the system task and then return to Blue Star.
However, he now had to seriously consider his diet. If he had to eat food made with toxin-laden coarse salt every day, he was worried that he might be poisoned to death in this alien world before he even had the chance to return to Blue Star.
This worry made him feel extremely anxious, because he knew that if he could not solve this problem, his life would be greatly threatened.
Chu Fan quickly replayed in his mind the popular science videos he had watched during his time on Blue Star, those scenes about the ancient and traditional methods of making salt.
Mu Xi and the others also watched quietly as Chu Fan's mind was filled with various thoughts. Chu Fan remained silent during this period, as if he was thinking deeply about some important decision.
The imperial chefs, trembling and kneeling on the ground, were filled with immense fear. After all, Chu Fan, as the emperor, could decide their life or death with just one order. In this tense atmosphere, everyone awaited Chu Fan's final decision, their hearts filled with uneasiness.
After thoroughly understanding the entire process of ancient salt production in his mind, Chu Fan decided to give up the idea of eating for the time being.
Chu Fan issued clear instructions to everyone in the courtyard: "Xiao Lizi, select a few capable eunuchs to prepare some iron pots and ceramic basins. As for the kitchen staff, you will immediately take action and bring all the coarse salt in the kitchen here. Qiuyue, you will be responsible for leading the palace maids to get some silk. We need these materials to complete the next work."
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