Chapter 11 Financial Crisis Now that the "scientific research" has yielded results, ...
Now that the "scientific research" had yielded results, Cheng Qianyue became determined to challenge the Prince's kitchen. She demanded a variety of dishes for each of her three meals a day. At first, she requested only one or two dishes, mostly wild spring vegetables or things not typically prepared in the palace, such as vegetarian buns filled with wild orchid, cold dandelion salad, and fried spring rolls made with various wild vegetables. Later, the variety of dishes increased significantly.
The head eunuch of the Prince's kitchen was happy to earn a reward. If anything new came in that day, he would tell Ruoyun or Xiaoyingzi, who helped carry the meals.
For example, "Today, Qingfeng Division has some newly delivered lambs. These lambs are tender and fragrant when roasted. Would you like a plate?" Or, "Today, the kitchen has bought some elm seeds from outside. They taste very fresh and delicious, whether steamed or fried. How would you like to eat them?"
Cheng Qianyue was just worried that she had run out of creative ideas when the kitchen staff offered her a way out. So she would take whatever the kitchen staff suggested, but she still decided how to eat it herself.
That morning, Ruoyun took a moment to report to her: "This morning, Xiaoyingzi said that the kitchen bought two basins of small fish and shrimp from the river and asked if Gege wanted them."
"Of course I want it, why wouldn't I?" Cheng Qianyue laughed as soon as she heard that. Fish and shrimp were rare in the Forbidden City. She had lived in the palace for so long and had never seen a dish made with big fish and shrimp. Cough cough, that's a bit of an exaggeration. To be specific, she hadn't seen whole dishes, but she could still see shrimp and the like.
Perhaps they were afraid the fish bones would get stuck in their master's throat? Or perhaps they disliked its strong fishy smell? Or perhaps the Manchus lived on the grasslands before entering the Central Plains and didn't eat this much? In any case, it was definitely not in the meal rations.
Later, Cheng Qianyue inquired and found out that it wasn't that the emperor didn't eat fish, but those were all tributes, such as sturgeon from the Northeast, shad and silver carp from Jiangnan. Since they were tributes, the emperor had the final say on whether to keep or discard them. As for ordinary grass carp and carp, the kitchen staff would purchase them, but as mentioned before, those were things that exceeded the allotted quota, and one had to ask for them to be served.
Cheng Qianyue told her, "I want a plate of deep-fried food. Don't coat it with too much flour. Before frying, marinate it with scallion and ginger water and salt. Make sure it's golden and crispy." She originally wanted to add cumin powder and chili powder on top, but she wasn't sure about the Second Prince's taste, so she said, "Put the Sichuan peppercorns, cumin, and chili powder in a separate small bowl. Don't sprinkle them directly on top."
By morning, the plate of fried small fish and shrimp was on the table for the Second Prince, Yinreng. Lately, he had been particularly fond of steamed buns made with wild vegetables and diced tofu, and he had a plate of them with every meal. He would take a bite of the bun, then pick up the crispy fish and shrimp, and a look of satisfaction would spread across his face.
Cheng Qianyue reminded him, "Sir, the things next to you are seasonings. The small dishes contain Sichuan peppercorn powder, cumin seeds, and chili powder."
Yinreng simply poured the three small dishes together, stirred them, and then sprinkled the sauce in. Cheng Qianyue was secretly pleased; so this young master could handle spicy food. And the fact that he kept picking at that dish with his chopsticks meant he also liked fish and shrimp.
After serving this gentleman, it was time for her to indulge in a feast. There was still a third of the fried fish and shrimp left on the plate, and she ate them one by one with her hands without even using chopsticks. Although a little cold, they were still crispy. Later, finding it too troublesome to eat them one by one, she simply took a solid steamed bun and made a sandwich.
Mmm, the salty and savory aroma is irresistible. It's been so long since I've tasted this flavor; it's so satisfying.
After finishing her meal, she ordered the extra dish for the afternoon: a fish head with chopped chili peppers. She asked for less chopped chili peppers on top, since the master couldn't be eating with his mouth watering from the spiciness, but more fermented black beans and minced garlic. Since the Second Prince liked fish, she decided to cater to his taste.
When Ruoyun returned from ordering, she had a long face. Cheng Qianyue immediately noticed and asked, "What's wrong? Did the kitchen staff ask for money again?"
“That’s right!” Ruoyun said angrily, raising her pinky finger and imitating the head eunuch, “The kitchen can still afford to supply the dishes today, but starting tomorrow, some of the trendy dishes will probably have to be reserved for the princes and princesses.”
When they say this, they are usually implying that the money they were given before has run out and it's time to send them more money.
Cheng Qianyue laughed at first, but after laughing, she also felt that the people in the kitchen were not being fair.
She had given them money twice. The first time, she gave them five taels, enough for five days' worth of food. The last time, she gave them another five taels, but that only lasted three days. Although she knew that everyone involved in the purchasing, preparation, and cooking process probably deserved a tip, the way she was spending money was still terrifying. She only had fifty taels of silver a year, and in less than ten days, she had spent one-fifth of her annual allowance.
Ruoyun bit her lip and tentatively asked, "Princess, didn't Second Master reward you for eating well?"
Cheng Qianyue was taken aback.
No, he just ate. After he finished, he wiped his mouth and at most said a couple of things like "it tasted good," but he didn't mention anything about giving her a tip. She wondered, could it be that this man was unhappy about something and was secretly tormenting her?
That shouldn't be happening!
Ruoyun was also desperate. If things continued like this, their princess would starve to death. She whispered, "How about we slow down a bit, or order a couple of dishes every now and then to change things up?"
Cheng Qianyue almost got led astray by her, and after thinking for a long time, she finally shook her head. The Second Prince hadn't lost his temper in a long time, and it was hard to say if it was due to these dishes. If she abruptly stopped serving them, who knew what he would think, or if it would trigger his fragile nerves again?
Seeing her shake her head, Ruoyun couldn't help but stomp her foot. "Then what should we do, Princess? We can't, we can't spend it all on this. You'll be broke in less than a month."
Cheng Qianyue gritted her teeth and said, "Don't I still have jewelry?" When she entered the palace for the imperial concubine selection, she didn't bring much with her. To avoid attracting attention, she only wore a pair of silver-plated copper bracelets, which weren't worth much. However, after entering the palace, the Fujin bestowed upon her a lot of jewelry, including headdresses, bracelets, pendants, and so on, all in pairs.
She pulled open the drawer under the dressing table, where her annual allowance and loose copper coins were stored. Only six five-tael silver ingots remained. She took out two and gave them to Ruoyun, saying, "Send them over this afternoon; they should last a little longer." Then she took out a gold bracelet from the dressing table. It was originally a pair, but she had given one to Chen He to use for treating the young eunuch; now only one remained.
She weighed the bracelet in her hand; it must have weighed at least two taels, which was worth about fifteen or twenty taels of silver. "Let's use it like this for now. If it's not enough, we'll give it to them. After a few more days, I'll find a way to ask the Second Master for a reward."
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Ruoyun didn't say anything more, and said "okay" with a bitter face.
Sure enough, after the money was sent, the kitchen staff became even more obsequious. Now they not only focused on the dishes, but they could also offer detailed explanations for the porridge, snacks, and soups.
It was delicious, but it cost money, so Cheng Qianyue was experiencing both pain and pleasure.
As a result, the ten taels of silver ran out of money again in less than five days. Cheng Qianyue gritted her teeth and asked Ruoyun to send the gold bracelet over. However, before sending it over, she made a difficult decision and ordered a bunch of troublesome things.
The wind picked up last night, and the sun barely peeked out this morning, completely obscured by thick clouds. It might rain by evening, and this kind of weather is perfect for hot pot.
Cheng Qianyue listed her requirements on her fingers: "I want a clear broth hot pot, with only scallions and ginger, and a handful of bean sprouts and mushrooms for flavor. But I want the meat to be fine, tender lamb, one plate of each cut, at least seven or eight plates. I also have another requirement: the lamb must be fresh and thinly sliced, and it must not fall apart when placed on the plate, and it shouldn't fall off even if you hold the plate at an angle."
"If they don't cut it well, humph, I'll smash their stove!" She took the opportunity to vent her anger.
Ruoyun repeated the question in her mind and nodded, "Are there any other princesses you want?"
"Yes!" Cheng Qianyue continued, "I want a plate of shrimp paste, any kind of shrimp, peeled, deveined, and mashed into a paste. I also want a plate of noodles, not hand-pulled egg noodles, but oil-pulled noodles, those are chewier. As for vegetables, tell them to bring a plate."
He took a breath and said, "Bring the seasonings in small bowls. I want finely chopped scallions, minced garlic, cilantro, chili peppers, and diced pickled mustard greens. Also, bring sesame paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, and everything else. You can't leave out any of them."
Honestly, after spending so much of her money, the kitchen staff still have to put in a lot of effort to chop and blanch it properly!
By evening, the hot pot she ordered was delivered. Because she had ordered a lot of things, including a pot, various plates and bowls, it arrived earlier than usual.
Cheng Qianyue went inside first to report to the Second Prince. Once inside, she walked to Yinreng's side and whispered, "Your Highness, dinner is ready."
Yinreng glanced at the clock on the tall cabinet opposite him. "It was delivered earlier than usual today."
"Yes." Cheng Qianyue then mentioned the hot pot incident: "I noticed it was cold today, so I asked the kitchen staff for a pot and some freshly sliced mutton. They probably sent someone to inform us early on to ensure the food was fresh."
It's already March and they're still ordering hot pot?
Yinreng couldn't help but laugh. In the palace, people started eating hot pot in October when winter began, and it would last until early February at most. After that, hot pot became rare. So he said, "Just bring out the hot pot, nothing else is needed."
Cheng Qianyue agreed and went out to call the eunuchs to serve the meal. One of the eunuchs first placed the charcoal in the copper basin, while another quickly set up the pot on top. The others began to serve the dishes: eight plates of freshly sliced, bright red mutton, as well as shrimp paste, pulled noodles, and vegetables that Cheng Qianyue had ordered.
Various seasonings were also placed in small bowls, and bottles and jars of different sizes were arranged on the cutting board, looking very festive with their red and green colors.
In addition to these, the kitchen also gave us four extra plates of steamed buns, but not many, four in each plate, each no bigger than a fist. There were also four side dishes: cold daylily salad, cucumber salad with vinegar, pickled chive blossoms, and peanuts.
These things couldn't fit on one table, so the little eunuch moved another table next to it, and only then could they all be placed.
Looking at the extra gifts, Cheng Qianyue thought to herself: "Those guys in the kitchen are actually quite capable!"
Yinreng didn't need any extra service while eating; they just waited for him to finish so they could bring him a handkerchief and tea to rinse his mouth. Cheng Qianyue stood beside him and watched as he threw a plate of mutton into the pot with one chopstick. In less than a minute, the meat had changed color. He scooped it out with a few chopsticks, dipped it in sesame sauce and chive blossoms, and then put it in his mouth.
Ah, watching people eat makes it look so delicious. Her thoughts wandered; did modern restaurant servers also suffer the same pain as her, only able to watch and not eat?
Just then, Yinreng spoke up, "Don't stand there, sit down and eat with me."
Is it really possible?
Cheng Qianyue suddenly raised her head, her eyes sparkling as she looked at him. Yinreng didn't really look at her, he just gestured with his chopsticks towards the opposite side.
Yay, we can eat at the table now!
Cheng Qianyue bowed and readily sat down opposite him. Since she couldn't see his face because of the pot, she became a little bolder and let herself go.
First, she prepared a dipping sauce for herself. Except for the taste of chive blossoms, which she didn't like, she put everything else into the sauce bowl. After the dipping sauce, it was time for the main event. She hurriedly picked up a plate of mutton and put it in the sauce. In no time, she scooped it out, eagerly dipped it in the sauce, and put it in her mouth.
The steaming hot mutton is infused with the rich aroma of sesame paste, while other ingredients such as scallions, garlic, and chili peppers serve as garnishes.
After taking one bite, Cheng Qianyue was immediately satisfied.
I must say, this mutton is truly excellent. It's tender and fragrant, with absolutely no gamey taste. Moreover, the chef's knife skills are superb; the meat is sliced so thinly and finely that each slice stays intact even after being put into the pot.
Yinreng and Cheng Qianyue ate like they were competing to see who could eat the most meat. In no time, they had gone through five plates of meat. Cheng Qianyue was eating with great enthusiasm and was about to throw in some shrimp paste when Qi Liao stood up. Just then, someone came in from outside to announce that the Princess Consort had arrived.
Yinreng paused with his chopsticks and said, "Let her in."
He could sit and talk, but Cheng Qianyue couldn't. She immediately stopped eating and rushed outside to greet the Fujin (principal wife). As soon as the Fujin entered, her expression changed when she saw the pot on the table, and the next second she knelt down straight.
Cheng Qianyue froze on the spot: Huh? What are you doing? What are you doing?!
A note from the author:
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