Guan Zhiyue sat in the bathtub, thinking about what Li Qishang had told her about opening a restaurant.
This was indeed very appealing to her, but many of the raw materials weren't available here.
She needs to find a way to resolve these issues so that she can continue to avoid being suspected in the long run.
First of all, chili peppers are the biggest problem; the rest...
If the imperial chefs didn't use it, then the imperial physicians certainly did.
So things like bay leaves, cinnamon, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns were all available in this era.
The only exception was the chili peppers; the chili peppers grown in the small patch of land in the backyard were wild chili peppers picked from the mountain.
This cannot be used as an ingredient for hot pot base; you need to find a way to get those red chili peppers.
Another issue is cattle; in this country, cattle are primarily used for plowing.
Cattle cannot be slaughtered privately, so the issue of beef tallow needs to be addressed!
Guan Zhiyue sat inside and thought about many things.
She tossed her hair, trying to stop thinking about it, and decided to check her space again when she got back to her bedroom.
Is there any other way?
Here at Chengqian Palace.
"Brother, do you still keep your word?"
Li Qishang swaggered in.
They saw the emperor still discussing state affairs with several ministers.
He disliked hearing these things the most, so he turned and left.
This left the ministers and the emperor somewhat puzzled.
It seems like the carefree king really does act on whims, just like a child.
"Speaking of this Prince Xiaoyao, he is almost twenty years old, and it is time for him to leave the palace and establish his own residence."
Upon hearing this, Li Qiji looked up and glanced at the minister who had spoken.
He lowered his head again, and after a long while, he said, "Really?"
His tone was icy, and a chilling aura emanated from him.
It instilled in everyone present a sense of impending death, as if it were about to strike.
"Your Majesty, this old minister was confused and misspoke. Please forgive me."
The minister in the purple court robe immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, admitting his mistake.
Li Qiji raised his head from reading the memorial and said calmly, "Since it's a mistake, then punish him!"
The old minister listened, trembling with fear, and dared not say another word.
They waited a long time for the emperor's next punishment.
Li Qiji slowly spoke, "In that case, your salary for this month will be confiscated!"
The minister seemed to breathe a sigh of relief and said, "Yes, Your Majesty!"
Li Qiji rubbed his temples, looking somewhat troubled, and said, "Now that we've finished discussing it, let's proceed with what we agreed on! You may leave!"
The four ministers inside the room quickly knelt down and bowed, saying, "Yes, Your Majesty, long live the Emperor!"
Li Qiji stopped looking at them and waited for them to leave on their own before sending Jiwu to fetch Li Qishang.
"Brother, I've come to ask for your promise."
Before Li Qishang even reached the house, he started shouting loudly at the door.
Li Qiji looked somewhat troubled and glanced at Hua Quan.
Hua Quan, being very sensible, had the door closed.
"What, has Your Highness decided what kind of shop you want to open?"
Li Qishang said with a hint of smugness, "Of course, Your Majesty, let me tell you..."
My sister-in-law's cooking is so delicious! It's a pity you've imprisoned her in the cold palace.
You haven't even tasted her cooking; it's absolutely amazing!
"Hmph, no wonder the head chef of the imperial kitchen came to report this today."
Last night, the Carefree Prince took a lot of meat from the imperial kitchen; apparently, he went to the Cold Palace to freeload a meal.
Li Qishang scratched his nose somewhat awkwardly and said, "Hey, brother, how can you say I'm freeloading? You should thank me!"
If I hadn't gone to the Cold Palace for a meal, my sister-in-law wouldn't have had a single meat dish to eat.
Boiled vegetables every day—it makes me feel cold and unhealthy just looking at them.
Besides, my sister-in-law is such a big girl, how can she survive without eating meat?
Upon hearing his younger brother's words, a flicker of tenderness flashed in Li Qiji's eyes, so quickly that he himself didn't even notice it.
However, this was noticed by Li Qishang, who had been staring at him.
"So, it turns out that my brother also has feelings for my sister-in-law."
Why keep her confined to the cold palace and never visit her?
Li Qishang asked himself in his heart,
He wore the same smile as always, as if he knew nothing.
"Brother, do you still stand by your promise to give me thirty million?"
Li Qishang's words pulled Li Qiji, whose thoughts had drifted away, back to reality.
Li Qiji looked at him and asked, "What shop?"
"Mandarin Duck Copper Hot Pot Restaurant!"
Li Qishang recalled the hotpot he had last night, and was completely lost in memories. It was just so delicious!
With such delicious food, how could he not promote it to others? This was the first step for him to get rich!
"Oh? What is this? Why does it sound so strange?"
Li Qishang quickly explained, "This is just a kind of food."
"So, you mean you're opening a restaurant?"
"Yes, so you'll definitely give me some money, right, brother?"
Li Qiji casually remarked, "What kind of restaurant requires thirty million taels?"
"Oh dear, brother, don't worry about this for now. I'll definitely pay you back when I've made some money, okay?"
"Where did you learn this skill?"
Li Qiji did not answer his question, but instead asked another question.
Li Qishang sat down sadly in a nearby chair.
His legs were still hanging loosely on the handle, and he opened his flashy fan and kept fanning himself.
"This is the delicious food I ate in the Cold Palace last night. Oh, right..."
And that stinky tofu—I'm sure my elder brother has never tried it before.
"That deliciousness is beyond your imagination, brother." Li Qishang said, licking his lips as he spoke.
This made Li Qiji and Ji Wu, who had tried the delicious stinky tofu,
They couldn't help but swallow hard, thinking of the carefree king.
We had already tried them while you were still outside; what you're talking about now are all things we've already eaten.
"Oh, I see! So you're going to open a stinky tofu restaurant?"
Li Qishang looked at his older brother with some surprise and asked in shock, "Brother, do you know what stinky tofu is?"
These words made Li Qiji somewhat embarrassed. Should he say he knew or not?
He then thought for a moment and said, "Isn't that what you said?"
Li Qishang didn't think much of it, and sat back down, continuing to fan himself, saying, "If brother eats that stinky tofu and that hot pot with two broths,
He would certainly agree without hesitation to give my younger brother the money to start this restaurant.
Suddenly, Li Qiji thought of something and looked at Li Qishang sitting in the chair, saying, "Since you say it's so delicious, then get it for me to try."
"Once I'm satisfied with the meal, the money will naturally be paid for, and I'll even find you a shop in the best location in the capital."
Upon hearing this, Li Qishang jumped up from his chair and darted to Li Qiji's desk in two steps.
With her hands resting on the desk, she looked at her older brother's face and said excitedly, "Is that really true?"
"A promise is a promise!"
"Okay, deal!"
So, the foolish Li Qishang was tricked by his older brother into going to Guan Zhiyue to ask for food to satisfy his appetite.
Li Qishang jumped up happily and said to his brother, "Brother, just wait for the delicious food! I'll go get you some."
Li Qiji watched Li Qishang run away and shook his head with a smile.
Then he remembered what his brother had just said.
The food provided to the Cold Palace by the Imperial Kitchen was all meatless. Thinking of the women in the palace, he looked at Hua Quan with cold and desolate eyes.
Hua Quan was startled by the stare and cautiously looked up in Li Qiji's direction. What he saw shocked him.
"Your Majesty..." Hua Quan knelt down with a thud, speaking cautiously.
Who arranged the food in the Cold Palace?
Hua Quan wiped away non-existent sweat from his brow and said, "Your Majesty...the food in the Cold Palace has always been the same, so..."
"Furthermore, Her Majesty the Empress has not been serving meals in the Imperial Kitchen recently; they have been cooking for themselves in the Cold Palace."
Li Qiji thought for a moment and said, "From now on, the food for the Cold Palace should be prepared by the Imperial Kitchen according to the Empress's standards."
Hua Quan asked, somewhat puzzled, "Should it be a side dish or prepared as is?"
"Let them cook the side dishes themselves!"
"yes."
Hua Quan seemed to have thought of something and said somewhat cautiously, "Your Majesty, since you care so much about the Empress, why don't you let her move out of the Cold Palace?"
Li Qiji said nothing more and continued to work on his memorials.
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