Chapter 10 Springtime Wild Vegetables Cheng Qianyue's mind has been focused on food lately...
Cheng Qianyue has been preoccupied with food lately. She had originally planned to take care of him in terms of clothing, food, housing, and transportation, but in the end, she found that the room for maneuver she had was extremely limited.
Look.
The clothes were made from fabric provided by the Imperial Household Department and by embroiderers from the needlework workshop. As for his residence, Xian'an Palace was nominally the Second Prince's domain, and there was nothing to complain about within the royal inner court. As for travel, well, he was confined and forbidden from leaving without imperial decree, so there was no need to mention any ceremonial processions or carriages.
After much thought, only food remained as the solution.
What should we eat? What could be better than the imperial cuisine? Does the Second Prince have any particular preferences?
With this question in mind, Cheng Qianyue began to observe Yinreng's diet.
Speaking of the meals of the Second Prince Yinreng, it is said that the food he used to eat was prepared by the chefs of the Yangxin Hall kitchen, but after he was deposed as crown prince, his meals came from the Prince's Kitchen.
This brings us to the difference between these two kitchens. In the palace, the Imperial Kitchen was just a general term; it actually comprised many smaller kitchens, such as the Empress Dowager's Kitchen, the Inner Kitchen, the Outer Kitchen, the Princes' Kitchen, and the Imperial Guards' Kitchen, among others. The Inner Kitchen, located opposite the Hall of Mental Cultivation, was specifically for cooking for the Emperor and Empress, and thus had the alternative name of the Hall of Mental Cultivation Kitchen. The Princes' Kitchen, as the name suggests, was specifically for cooking for princes and princesses.
With the change in status, even the food treatment was downgraded from the Yangxin Hall kitchen to the Prince's kitchen, which was a huge difference.
Cheng Qianyue: It's easy to go from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Thinking about it this way, it's understandable that he can't accept this fall from grace. Alas, how many people in this world have met tragic ends because of their fall from grace and subsequent decline?
That day at lunchtime, Cheng Qianyue served Yinreng as usual. She noticed that Yinreng didn't seem to have any particular preference when faced with the food on the table. He would take a bite or two of each dish, then eat half a bowl of soup, a bowl of rice, and two or three small steamed buns about the size of a thumb before stopping.
Cheng Qianyue couldn't help but wonder, "Isn't it true that a person who eats little has a bad temper? What's wrong with this meal? Is it not to their liking?"
Yinreng indeed had little appetite today. After finishing his meal, he put down his chopsticks and glanced sideways at Cheng Qianyue. It was time to offer her a handkerchief to wash her hands. But instead, he saw her looking at the table full of food with a solemn? longing? expression.
Yinreng: ......
His interactions with her over the past few days had led him to believe that this princess seemed somewhat dim-witted. He held this opinion because her thoughts were far too blunt—not in her words, but in her eyes. Fortunately, she wasn't the type to ramble on, otherwise his opinion of her would have been even lower.
"What's wrong?" he couldn't help but ask. "Are you hungry?"
Cheng Qianyue then came to her senses and was suddenly flattered. She quickly said, "No, no." She didn't dare to say that she just wanted to see what the other person liked, and hurriedly stepped forward to offer the handkerchief on the tray.
Yinreng thought to himself, "I don't believe you at all." After wiping his hands, he said, "Have someone serve tea. You don't need to serve me here."
Cheng Qianyue agreed and left. Then someone came in and cleared away the food. After Cheng Qianyue came out, she did not return to the backyard. Serving in the front yard had one advantage: she could enjoy a good meal with Yinreng.
The young eunuch from the front courtyard had already eagerly greeted her as she came out, and asked softly, "Princess, which dish would you like to have?"
Cheng Qianyue immediately straightened up and said, "Leave three dishes. The braised mutton, the bird's nest with duck strips, and the stir-fried bamboo shoots."
The young eunuch agreed and then invited her into the tea room. The tea room was located east of the main hall and south of the east side hall. It was a small three-room room; the outer room had a stove for heating hot water, while the inner room had rows of cabinets holding teacups and other items. An octagonal table was set up next to the tea stove, where Cheng Qianyue ate her meal. At this moment, Ruoyun returned with her meal box.
Cheng Qianyue's meals were not as plentiful as the princes'. She had plenty of pork and fresh vegetables, and a plate of mutton every other day, but other foods like chicken and duck were only available every few days. Bird's nest was out of the question; it was practically unavailable. Therefore, she preferred to eat at Yinreng's meals. As for her own meals, she used what she wanted, and gave what wasn't available to Ruoyun. Any leftovers were given to the eunuchs who did menial tasks in the inner quarters.
Ruoyun came in and laid out the food, saying as she did so, "The eunuchs in the back room have been very attentive lately. Xiaoyingzi and the others even wanted to help me carry my meals."
Cheng Qianyue smiled and said, "If they're willing, then they're willing. It'll save you some trouble."
After lunch, while Yinreng took a nap inside, she went back to the backyard, pondering how to improve his meals. Well, of course, "improve his meals" is too grandiose; she really just wanted to come up with some creative ideas.
Surprisingly, things were quite different in the palace. Even so, the food prepared in the imperial kitchen wasn't without its flaws – the focus was on safety. Just like how you wouldn't see kidney beans in a modern school for fear of undercooked food poisoning, the Forbidden City's kitchens wouldn't serve such potentially problematic food. They only prepared seasonal vegetables that were guaranteed to be safe.
In addition, the kitchen staff prepares meals according to fixed meal plans. The person in charge of the kitchen prepares the meal plans for the following month in advance, specifying what dishes, soups, and snacks will be served each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The plans are then submitted for approval before the cooks can prepare the meals according to these plans.
What if you suddenly crave something to eat one day, but it's not in your meal plan for that day?
Easy, just order. But there's one thing: what you order isn't included in the rations, so you'll have to pay the chef to cook it separately! Of course, you can't use the word "buy" in the palace. What's the palace like now? A vegetable market? If it's something a chef offers as a tribute, the master will reward him.
Then Cheng Qianyue prepared to order. What should she order? She didn't know what Yinreng liked, so she could only order what she liked that wasn't available in the palace.
What's good to eat in spring?
Cheng Qianyue's eyes lit up. She wanted to eat dumplings with shepherd's purse and pork, as well as scrambled eggs with toon sprouts! Once she made up her mind, she immediately took action. She took out five taels of silver from the box and gave it to Ruoyun, saying, "Go to the kitchen later and tell them that I want to eat dumplings with shepherd's purse and pork, and also a plate of scrambled eggs with toon sprouts."
Ruoyun said with difficulty, "Princess, putting aside whether the kitchen staff can even purchase these two things, the flavor of toon is very strong. Is it alright for you to serve the prince with this?"
Cheng Qianyue whispered in her ear, "One reason is that I want to eat it myself, and the other is that I want to please the Second Prince!"
Upon hearing this, Ruoyun didn't hesitate. She picked up the silver and said, "Then leave the princess to me. If it's tonight, it will be tonight, and at the latest tomorrow. What you want will definitely arrive."
After a while, Ruoyun returned to report, saying that the kitchen staff said they hadn't prepared any wild vegetables or toon leaves for today, but they should be able to deliver them for breakfast tomorrow morning. She said, "I specifically told them to make breakfast earlier tomorrow."
Cheng Qianyue nodded and took a pleasant afternoon nap. This good mood didn't fade until she went to work in the front yard that afternoon, a smile constantly appearing on her face.
The servants who served their master usually had a blank expression unless there was a happy occasion. It was rare to see one of them standing in the middle who was secretly happy from time to time, so Yinreng found it quite unusual.
He sometimes wondered why she was always so happy. Even when he scolded and humiliated her before, she didn't take it to heart. A few days later, she was playing kicking sandbags with the lowly eunuchs in the backyard.
In previous years, when he was still the Crown Prince, there were many happy occasions and smiles were a common sight. However, from last year until now, there have been few joyful moments in Xian'an Palace. Even the eunuchs serving him always look timid and fearful, which is infuriating to look at.
He watched her grind ink, pause for a moment, then a smile would appear on her lips. After a while, she would grind again, and then she would smile again.
Yinreng has recently been trying to temper his temper, spending half a day practicing calligraphy in his study every day. Calligraphy is the best way to calm the mind and achieve tranquility. But now that he's become curious, he can no longer continue writing.
"What are you laughing at?" he asked.
Cheng Qianyue quickly put down the long, rectangular inkstone in her hand and bowed, saying, "I didn't want to disturb you, Master. This servant is guilty."
Smiles are contagious. Yinreng, too, was now somewhat irritated by the smile, and casually told her to get up, then asked, "Alright, I forgive you. Tell me, what are you thinking about?"
Cheng Qianyue wanted to eat it. When he asked, she thought, "Oh, this is a good opportunity to make this matter public." However, she didn't reveal the surprise in advance. Instead, she boldly said, "Master, can this servant keep you in suspense for a moment?" She raised her head slightly and smiled ingratiatingly, "Actually, you'll know tomorrow morning."
Yinreng didn't expect her to joke with him, but he was in a good mood today, and it had been a long time since anyone had spoken to him like that, so he said, "Alright, I grant your permission. Let's see what tricks you have up your sleeve."
The next day, Cheng Qianyue's order arrived, packed in an extra food box. Ruoyun solemnly handed it to her with both hands, as if it were an important cultural relic.
Cheng Qianyue thought to herself: Miss, you are too solemn. Anyone who didn't know better would think there was some kind of treasure inside!
When they arrived at the dining area in the main hall, the eunuchs had already set out the meal: a table full of various kinds of porridge, side dishes, steamed buns, and pastries.
Cheng Qianyue walked to Yinreng's side with the things and said softly, "Your Majesty, this servant has come to the end." Seeing that Yinreng looked over, she continued in detail, "This servant thought that spring is the time to eat wild vegetables, so I asked the kitchen to make a plate of dumplings with shepherd's purse and fresh meat filling, and a plate of scrambled eggs with toon leaves. I don't know if you would like to eat them."
As she spoke, she noticed that Yinreng's expression slowly changed. It wasn't an angry look, but rather a look of disbelief, like he was looking at a fool, or perhaps he was pleased or gentle? In short, his gaze was too complex for her to decipher.
Just when she thought he wouldn't know how to use it, Yinreng spoke up: "Isn't it the season for eating wild vegetables? Then put it in front of me."
Cheng Qianyue breathed a sigh of relief. The eunuch serving beside her quickly moved the steamed buns and porridge in front of Yinreng to another table, and she personally opened the food box and placed the items in front of him. It must be said that the kitchen had prepared quite a complete set; they had even provided vinegar, pickled garlic, and side dishes for eating dumplings.
Cheng Qianyue put the things away, and then she saw Yinreng staring blankly at the items. After a while, he ate all the dumplings on the plate with the toon and scrambled eggs.
Cheng Qianyue: No, leave some for me! But seeing that he liked it, she still felt quite accomplished. However, she still had to advise him: "Sir, toon leaves are slightly poisonous. Although they have been blanched, you should still eat less of them."
Yinreng slowly stopped what he was doing. He ate a plate of dumplings and then stopped eating the rest. He let out a sigh of relief and gave Cheng Qianyue a rare kind expression: "Not bad."
Cheng Qianyue felt as if she had defeated a boss in a game, her heart leaping with joy: "If you enjoy the food, this servant will be happy."
She thought, "Wow, focusing on the food really works!"
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com