Lanqin was busy in the kitchen, preparing various wild vegetables and game, and also cooking some home-style dishes according to her mother's recipes. Thinking about how Kangxi had eaten everything, probably even dragon liver and phoenix gall, she realized he had lost his appetite.
Lanqin looked at the fish soup in the pot, watching the aroma wafting out from the bubbling pot, and said to the palace maid beside her, "Keep an eye on it. When you take it off the heat, just sprinkle some chopped scallions on top. Not too much, not too little."
Then, Lanqin glanced at the dishes she had prepared and said to the other palace maids, "Each of you carry one and serve the dishes!"
After saying that, Lanqin and Sihua went out together.
"Oh my, look, they've finally arrived. Minrou, you've been waiting so long for your father. He's been so eager to eat the food you've prepared!" Consort De exclaimed, echoing Emperor Kangxi's words.
Lanqin had the same expression as the Fourth Master; she was first stunned, and then she remembered who this "Minrou" was.
"I've kept Father Emperor and Mother waiting. The dishes will be served soon!" Lanqin said, glancing at the Fourth Prince.
In no time, Lanqin had spent over an hour preparing the banquet dishes, about a dozen in total, all laid out on the table. In reality, she had simply brought over dishes she considered delicious from later generations, and all of them were dishes she herself could make; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to prepare them. Compared to the chefs in the palace, Lanqin's skills were like a child trying to compete with Lu Ban (a legendary master carpenter).
After the palace maids placed the dishes on the table, they all withdrew. Lanqin sat to the left of Consort De, while the Fourth Prince sat to the left of Emperor Kangxi, the two of them sitting opposite each other.
Lanqin was genuinely a little nervous. After all, this was the first dinner she had prepared for Emperor Kangxi and Consort De, and it really felt like an ugly daughter-in-law finally meeting her in-laws. She cautiously observed Kangxi's reaction.
"Minrou, can you introduce what dishes you've prepared?" Kangxi looked at the dishes on the table but didn't find anything particularly special about them.
"Father, Minrou's dishes aren't any better than those made by the head chefs in the Imperial Kitchen. However, these dishes don't use too many ingredients or seasonings; they're all about preserving the original flavor. For example, the dish closest to you is called 'Chicken Stew with Mushrooms.' It uses a three-month-old chicken, stewed with fresh shiitake mushrooms. It's incredibly fresh and tender. I only added salt to maintain the original flavor of the ingredients. Would you like to try it?" Lanqin said kindly. She remembered that her mother used to make this dish the best, and she had eaten it countless times, so she naturally knew the technique by heart. Moreover, chickens from three hundred years ago didn't eat chicken feed, so their meat was exceptionally good.
Emperor Kangxi had naturally tried countless ways of cooking chicken, and he wasn't particularly interested in chicken. However, seeing Lanqin's eager eyes, he nodded to the eunuch serving him.
Besides Lanqin, Consort De and the Fourth Prince were also a little nervous, wondering if Lanqin's dishes would suit Kangxi's taste. Kangxi then picked up a piece of chicken that the serving eunuch had placed on his plate and put it in his mouth.
Kangxi chewed slowly. The young chicken was very tender, and although his teeth weren't very good anymore, it was still very comfortable to chew.
"Not bad, how come the chicken I've eaten before never tastes like this?" Kangxi said to Lanqin after taking a bite of chicken.
"Father, please try this braised eel in wine." Lanqin felt a sense of relief and immediately recommended another dish that she had specially recalled, a recipe she had learned from her maternal grandfather.
Once Emperor Kangxi had enjoyed the first bite, the rest went much more smoothly. In no time, he had tasted all of the dozen or so dishes.
"Excellent, my beloved concubine, you should try some too. How come Minrou's cooking is so good!" Kangxi said.
Seeing that Emperor Kangxi used it well, Consort De also used some and nodded, saying, "This girl's cooking skills are really good. The first time she came to my place, she made it for me and Consort Qi, and it was delicious."
Lanqin sighed inwardly: "These people, used to the cuisine of imperial chefs, their tongues are numb from all the rich broths and seasonings. No wonder they have no appetite. I simply used the simplest ingredients and reduced the amount of seasoning, and they were amazed. Indeed, everything follows the same principle: first simplifying to complicate, and finally simplifying back to simplicity—the essence remains the same despite all the variations."
"Thank you for your kindness, Father Emperor and Mother Mother. I will try my best to cook more in the future, as a way of showing respect to my parents-in-law," Lanqin said.
The Fourth Prince's eyelids twitched. He glanced at Lanqin, wondering what this little woman meant. Did she mean she was going to live in the palace from now on and not go back?
"Alright, Fourth Prince, are you willing to let your concubine stay in the palace for a few more days?" Kangxi asked.
"Your subject, your subject is willing," the Fourth Prince said against his will.
Lanqin glanced at the Fourth Prince with a half-smile and said, "Your daughter-in-law is also willing to stay here with Mother and cook more meals for Father and Mother. I hope Mother won't send me away."
"You little rascal, when has your mother ever disliked you!" Consort De laughed. "Why don't you stay here until the world pays tribute?"
"That's good. Your Majesty will take you hunting then. Fourth Prince, you go too. It's been a long time since you've gone hunting with me. Crown Prince, Third Prince, Fifth Prince, Seventh Prince, Eighth Prince, Ninth Prince, Tenth Prince, and Fifteenth and Sixteenth Princes, you've all grown up, haha." When Kangxi read the Tenth Prince's name, he paused, probably thinking of the poor Thirteenth Prince.
"Your Majesty, it has been a long time since you went hunting. Take the children with you, and I will stay here in the palace," said Consort De.
"No, you must go too. This time, I will take everyone with me. You will all go, and the princesses will be included, as well as the princes' principal and secondary wives. I have already made the arrangements, and in a few days someone will go to various places to count the number of people. You don't need to worry about it." Kangxi seemed to be in high spirits, after all, this was to showcase the power of the Qing Dynasty to a foreign delegation.
"Father, with so many people this time, we'll have to send some over. After all, what are those foreigners up to? I think we need more guards," said the Fourth Prince.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I'd better not go. Otherwise, who will manage all the affairs in the palace?" Consort De said.
“Of course there will be people around. You may come with me. I can’t be all alone in front of those foreigners,” Kangxi said.
A rare hint of embarrassment flashed across Consort De's face as she said, "Isn't there also Consort Yi?"
"How could she possibly handle such an important occasion? My beloved Consort is more suited to stand by my side at such a moment," Kangxi said, slightly displeased, as he thought of Consort Yi.
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