Chapter 17 Imperial Kitchen Picks
Before Uncle Wu went back to rest, he felt quite hungry, so he secretly started cooking and made a small pot of fragrant and smooth crucian carp porridge, sharing a bowl with Zhen Su. Perhaps the crucian carp porridge really had a calming effect, because after finishing a bowl, both the old man and the young man had smiles on their faces.
News spread rapidly through the palace, and all departments and bureaus were visibly busy, even before the imperial edict was officially issued.
Masakatsu was secretly excited. The emperor was about to return to the palace, and foreign envoys were also about to arrive, which meant that the doctor was likely to start preparing to poison the emperor again.
The Imperial Kitchen finalized the banquet menu for the envoys the next day. Given the tight schedule, there would be no major changes unless something unexpected happened.
So that night, Shinju went to the breeding area, hid in the shadows, and released his six senses.
Sweeping inch by inch, amidst the myriad shades of blue, red, purple, and green, a dozen or so scattered spots, all in black, were clearly visible, and quite large in size.
The inky black color, which had not been seen for the past few days, finally appeared here.
"I caught you." Shinjuku couldn't help but curl the corners of his mouth.
.
With its black tiles and red walls, pavilions and towers, imperial flags standing tall, and elegant potted flowers dotting the landscape, the bricks and stones on the ground are as clean and bright as pebbles in water. The pond water changes with the appearance of golden fish swimming in the water. The guards are dressed in fine armor and hold sharp guns. Everywhere you look in the palace, there is a scene of order and newness.
The hospitality extended to the envoys from Feng Kingdom, which included a number of important welcoming ceremonies.
Wang Yan, the envoy sent by Feng Kingdom, refused to follow the proper procedures to enter the palace upon arriving in the capital. Instead, he insisted on wandering the streets and alleys, leaving a large group of imperial guards behind. He then caused trouble everywhere, but fortunately, the imperial guards intervened and quelled the disturbances. However, this envoy Wang had incurred the wrath of the people, yet he still laughed at the people of Nian Kingdom for not being able to take a joke, saying that they must be living such miserable lives that they hadn't learned to laugh.
The guards dared not speak out against their anger. It was nearly dusk when they finally managed to safely escort the envoy into the palace. However, the envoy's provocations did not stop, but instead intensified.
"What kind of tea is this? In our country, it's not even worthy of being used to scald a teacup. Is this all you can offer me? Don't you have tea imported from our country? Why don't you bring it to me? Why do you insist on using this lousy tea from your country?"
“Your Nian Kingdom may be small, but surely you have at least a few decent-looking people! None of these palace maids and eunuchs are pretty; they're disgusting to look at. I definitely won't be able to eat a thing at the banquet later, and right now I have no appetite at all.”
The chief eunuch and his entourage all looked somewhat stiff, but they had no choice but to still belittle themselves and say a few nice words in front of him.
However, Wang Yan was completely unmoved. "What are you standing there for? You can't even understand human language, you slave. Get out of here."
Despite the envoy's humiliation, the kingdom could not execute him, and there were orders not to sever ties with Feng. Feng was a vast and powerful nation, and Nian already expended enormous resources each year just defending against Feng's subtle border provocations and encroachments, suffering considerable military losses. However, precisely because Nian was the only truly formidable opponent in Feng's surrounding region, one that Feng had always considered a thorn in their side.
In comparison, this was merely a slight verbal offense, which the head eunuch laughed off, pretending not to understand, and was actually just going through the motions.
To everyone's surprise, the royal envoy seemed completely unconcerned about provoking a conflict between the two countries, and easily lifted the chief eunuch up with one hand.
"You, Your Excellency, what are you doing?!" The head eunuch's neck was caught, and his face turned ashen, his legs dangling in mid-air.
Wang Yan simply said, "I told you to get me a new batch of people to serve me. Are you really that clueless, you eunuch, or are you just pretending?"
"This servant, this servant..."
Hearing the commotion, the guards outside the door were about to rush in when they were stopped by a graceful figure who suddenly appeared. The person then walked to the edge of the daybed in the hall, picked up the porcelain pot, and poured water into a teacup.
Then, a voice that sounded like both a woman and a man rang out, “Your Excellency, it is a rare privilege to visit our Nian Kingdom. Although our country is not as rich in resources as yours, and the tea we grow here is not the best, the water and soil here are of the finest quality. Why not sit down and enjoy some of it?”
Wang Yan looked at the newcomer, scrutinized him for a moment, then suddenly released the head eunuch, reached back to the edge of the bed, and sat down opposite the man.
The newcomer, Lin Wu, slowly blinked his fox-like eyes, which were adorned with bright red eyeshadow, and the red mole under his eye seemed to flicker for a moment.
He sat down and bowed, saying, "Just call me Eunuch Lin. This servant greets Your Excellency."
.
The sounds of string and wind instruments filled the air, and celestial music flowed freely. At the main table, a sumptuous feast was laid out, with lychee wine, sweet syrup, silver chopsticks and jade bowls, fresh fruits and dried fruits, all arranged in a pleasing and orderly fashion, a dazzling array of delicacies.
At the hour of Xu (7-9 PM), royal relatives and important officials entered the venue one after another. However, the envoy from Feng Kingdom deliberately delayed and did not arrive at the banquet. When he saw the old eunuchs looking anxious, he wanted to laugh. In the end, it was only after Eunuch Lin Wu persuaded him a few times that Wang Yan finally raised his dignified leg and arrived late.
What he didn't expect was that the Emperor was even later than him. To this day, at the very top, there is only a carved dragon-shaped couch, but no one is in sight.
Wang Yan was still furious, so he pulled Eunuch Lin to his side and asked him to help serve the food and taste the dishes.
Eunuch Lin bowed his head in agreement, and took the opportunity to give a wink to someone waiting not far away. After receiving the signal, Lin Wu's face tightened considerably, his lips pressed together, and he glanced at the empty seat at the top of the table out of the corner of his eye.
The delicacies prepared by the Imperial Kitchen were already laid out on the table. Just as Eunuch Lin was about to pick up his chopsticks to taste the dishes, a group of people suddenly appeared beside them. The chief eunuch of the Imperial Kitchen, who was at the front, bowed to Wang Yan and said, "Your Excellency, we will arrange for you to taste the dishes right away."
Wang Yan then flipped his palm and pointed, a disdainful smile curving his lips. "With Eunuch Lin helping me, I don't need your ugly, rotten apples. They look unappetizing. Get out of here."
Upon hearing this, the eunuch in charge couldn't help but twitch his face. Reluctantly, he took a step to the side, intending to lead the team away. At this moment, the person behind him was revealed.
The person behind him, dressed in a light blue robe and simple attire, should have paled in comparison to the opulent backdrop. However, his slightly lowered golden eyes were like the finishing touch, instantly overshadowing the magnificent palaces and jeweled buildings behind him, making them insignificant. It was as if a captivating spell had been cast upon them, leaving only this one figure in Wang Yan's sight.
Wang Yan couldn't take his eyes off it for a second. Seeing this, Eunuch Lin Wu almost dropped his silver chopsticks, clenched his jaw tightly, and a trace of resentment flashed in his blinking fox eyes.
Shinju didn't look up at them, but that didn't stop him from seeing their reactions clearly. He could clearly sense the strong malice emanating from one of them. Combined with the Lin surname mentioned by the messenger, Shinju immediately suspected that this Eunuch Lin was most likely the Lord Lin who had tripped him up in the outer palace.
Masakatsu remained calm, pretending not to notice their gazes, and turned to follow the admiral.
Wang Yan panicked immediately, but the words had already been spoken, and it would be undignified to try and take them back, making it seem as if he valued the Nian Kingdom too much. Wang Yan remembered the purpose of his trip, so in the end he didn't call out to Zhen Su and could only watch them leave.
Eunuch Lin turned his gaze away from Wang Yan's regretful, stiff face and began to taste the dishes one by one from the side.
Meanwhile, Masakura, having just returned to the side hall with the admiral, was informed that the procedure had been changed. He would have to taste the dishes under the emperor's watchful eye, and there was no room for carelessness. Therefore, he now had to wait by the emperor's seat.
Masakatsu could only carry the food box and, under the watchful eyes of the admiral and other high-ranking eunuchs, slowly walk into the banquet hall, then past the performers, stepping into the central area where the imperial relatives, nobles, and concubines were gathered. At this moment, everyone's eyes suddenly focused on him, filled with surprise and curiosity.
As Shinju approached the top position, the gazes grew increasingly sharp, seemingly fixed on him with a tangible intensity. However, Shinju was already accustomed to being the center of attention. Recalling the days when he topped the Tianyuan Ranking and served as the sect leader, such a scene was nothing special. Therefore, Shinju remained unhurried, his expression more relaxed and natural than that of royalty, as if he were attending an ordinary family banquet. Before long, Shinju reached the top position and knelt on a cushion just two steps away from the Emperor's couch.
"That person was there to serve the food, but all the dishes have been served, so why is he sitting there and not leaving?"
"Shouldn't our Imperial Concubine be the one to serve the dishes? Why is it that this time the servants are the ones who deliver the food..."
"That's really a servant?! Looking like that, is it even reasonable?"
Those who saw Shinjuku for the first time could not believe that he was just a lowly cook, after all, his demeanor and appearance were truly astonishing.
Those who recognized Shinjuku were extremely surprised.
"How could it be him?!" The Third Prince and the First Princess were both surprised, which drew frequent glances from their mother, Consort Yan.
"What's with the formalities? What's all the fuss about? It's just a simple meal service. There have been many things happening in the palace lately, so His Majesty is just being cautious." That's why he had the meal server come forward to serve him, instead of letting her, the head of the six palaces, do it herself.
Consort Yan didn't take it to heart, but she was a little anxious, wondering why the Emperor was so late.
Meanwhile, seated on his high throne, Shinju was also pondering when the Emperor would finally arrive.
Then, he glanced down at the seats reserved for princes and dukes, but didn't see that familiar figure, and breathed a sigh of relief. Come to think of it, it made sense; that person always appeared and disappeared unpredictably, so it wasn't surprising that he wouldn't appear in such formal settings.
Just as Shinjuku was lost in thought, an old but loud voice rang out from outside the hall—
"His Majesty has arrived!"
The performance in the hall stopped immediately, all the dignitaries rose to their feet and bowed, and the servants all knelt down, including Shinjuku.
A tall and slender figure stepped past, his steps as graceful as a blooming lotus. Wherever he passed, only a faint scent of ambergris remained, along with the swaying shadow of a platinum dragon-patterned cloak.
Shinjuku pressed his forehead to the back of his hand, still silently waiting for the word "Rise," but the next moment, he heard footsteps stop in front of him, and then, a gorgeous lower garment in shades of red maple and purple came into his peripheral vision.
Along with it came that familiar yet domineering aura.
Shinjuku's golden eyes twitched, and he suddenly raised his head.
A note from the author:
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I'm out of drafts (sad). I might revise the story from time to time.
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