After the golden carp was cooked, it was able to stand upright on the plate, appearing to be jumping.
That's interesting.
Princess Jianning asked, "Is this carp real or fake?"
Yuan Bao replied, "Your Highness, this carp is real, freshly killed, and there is absolutely no falsehood in it!"
Princess Jianning said, "I guess the carp stuck to the plate after it was cooked."
Yuan Bao shook his head: "It's not stuck to the plate. Please guess again, Princess."
Princess Jianning said, "I'm not guessing anymore, just reveal the answer!"
Yuan Bao laughed and said, "It's actually very simple. There's a chopstick in the plate. Just stick the carp on the chopstick, and it will keep jumping."
"Oh, I see!" Princess Jianning exclaimed in sudden realization.
Doron asked, "Then how do the chopsticks stand upright in the plate?"
Yuan Bao explained, "First, drill a hole in the plate, then insert the chopsticks into the hole, and they'll stand up!"
Doron laughed: "Interesting, interesting, very novel."
Wei Xiaobao reminded him, "Don't just focus on the presentation of this dish, quickly taste the carp."
Yuan Bao said respectfully, "Your Highness, please taste my 'Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate'!"
Wu Sangui picked up his chopsticks, looked at the "carp leaping over the dragon gate," used his chopsticks to open the carp's belly, added a slice of fish, and began to taste it.
"Sweet and sour carp?" Wu Sangui frowned slightly.
Yuan Bao said, "Yes, the carp I cooked is sweet and sour."
Wu Sangui put down his chopsticks: "I only like to eat braised carp, I don't like sweet and sour flavors."
Instantly, Yuan Bao raised his eyebrows.
A look of regret flashed in his eyes.
Wu Sangui said, "My dislike for sweet and sour flavor is merely a personal preference. Judges, please do not be influenced by me. Continue to taste and make a fair judgment."
Feng Xifan picked up a piece of fish, tasted it carefully, and nodded in appreciation.
After tasting the fish, Princess Jianning smiled and said, "This dish is only unique in its presentation; as for the taste, there's nothing special about it."
Duolong said, "Braised carp is a fairly common dish. If you want to whet the appetites of the judges, simply relying on a unique presentation is clearly not enough!"
After tasting it, Wei Xiaobao said, "Being a person is like cooking; don't just have a pretty face without substance! This dish has a fancy presentation of leaping over the dragon gate, but the taste of the carp doesn't stand out, let alone leave a lasting impression. It's a failure!"
Hearing the comments, beads of sweat appeared on Yuan Bao's forehead.
He knew he couldn't win.
Wu Yingqi said, "To be fair, this 'Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate' dish is quite appealing in appearance and tastes alright. If it weren't sweet and sour, my father and I would both enjoy it."
The implication is that Wu Yingqi also doesn't like sweet and sour carp.
Wu Yingxiong said, "Please, Father and all the judges, vote for 'Carp Leaping Over the Dragon Gate' by Chef Yuan Bao of 'Drunken Immortal Pavilion'!"
As a result, only Feng Xifan voted.
Yuan Bao was extremely embarrassed.
A burst of laughter erupted from the audience.
Getting only one vote is too embarrassing.
Suddenly, Wei Xiaobao raised his hand: "Considering that the 'carp leaping over the dragon gate' design is quite novel, I'll give Yuan Bao a vote as encouragement!"
Yuan Bao hurriedly clasped his hands in thanks: "Thank you, Lord Li! Thank you, Lord Li!"
Two votes isn't too embarrassing.
Yuan Bao said, "Your Highness, I am willing to serve you."
Wu Sangui waved his hand: "No need, no need, you can leave."
The scene erupted in laughter.
Yuan Bao's face turned bright red.
Seeing no hope of victory, he decided to seek refuge with Wu Sangui, hoping to obtain 100,000 taels of silver and beautiful women.
But Wu Sangui refused outright.
"This guy is shameless. Doesn't he even take a piss and look at himself in the mirror? Why would the prince recruit you into his service?"
"His Highness needs a highly skilled martial arts master, not a cook from a restaurant!"
"He overestimated himself and made a fool of himself, hahaha..."
The crowd mocked Yuan Bao and kept gossiping.
Yuan Bao, dejected, slunk off the stage.
Wu Yingxiong announced: "Please welcome the last contestant of this round!"
The sixth contestant was a middle-aged man.
He was thin, with a mustache, and piercing eyes that revealed a hint of shrewdness and cunning.
Judging from his appearance, he is not a kind person.
The middle-aged man reached out and picked up a large pot, placing it on the octagonal table of the referee team.
"What kind of dish is this?" Princess Jianning asked.
The middle-aged man said, "Your Highness, this is—catfish cooked in an iron pot!"
After saying that, the middle-aged man lifted the lid of the pot, revealing steaming hot food.
Inside the pot were pieces of reddish-brown fish, and around the edge of the pot were a dozen or so golden-yellow flatbreads.
Wu Sangui asked, "Which sect do you come from?"
The middle-aged man said, "Your Highness, I am Yu Bufan, the leader of the Qingcheng Sect!"
Wu Sangui's eyes lit up immediately: "So it's the Qingcheng Sect Leader Yu! I've heard of him before, and seeing him today, I can see that he is indeed extraordinary!"
Yu Bufan clasped his hands in a fist and said, "Your Highness is too kind."
Wu Sangui pointed at the iron pot: "Why are there flatbreads in this dish?"
Yu Bufan said, "The broth of the catfish in the iron pot is very rich and extremely delicious. Dipping the flatbread in the broth makes for a unique flavor!"
Wu Sangui laughed and said, "Eating the flatbread dipped in vegetable sauce reminds me of the dishes in the countryside."
Feng Xifan said, "Sect Leader Yu, you've been famous in the martial arts world for a long time. When did you learn to cook?"
Yu Bufan chuckled a few times: "I love food, and I study cooking in my spare time."
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