Early in the morning, Qingyan got up early, dressed in her everyday clothes, and easily tied her hair into a bun with a gold hairpin. She quietly went to the temporary small kitchen. Sulan was a little surprised to see the Fujin get up. Qingyan was supposed to get up at a specific time, but today she got up early.
"Have you prepared everything?" Qingyan specifically instructed Sulan to prepare breakfast yesterday.
"Ready?" Su Lan quickly stepped aside, and Qing Yan went into the small kitchen, took a look, and nodded in satisfaction.
On the small stove on the left, the thick millet porridge, which had been simmering overnight, was still bubbling away. On the cutting board, there were soaked black fungus and chopped onions.
She planned to prepare breakfast for Yin herself, as he had been saying for the past few months that she hadn't taken care of him.
That sarcastic tone made Qingyan want to laugh.
"Master, this servant is all ready!" Su Lan watched as Qing Yan took the copper basin from the side, poured flour into it, and prepared to knead the dough.
"I'll make breakfast for your master, none of you should interfere." Qingyan thought for a moment about the breakfast menu: onions and wood ear mushrooms, cold bean sprouts, seaweed salad, homemade kimchi and a plate of spicy pollack, a bowl of red date and millet porridge, a bowl of shrimp wontons, and some random snacks.
Besides millet porridge, Qingyan had to do everything himself. Fortunately, he got up an hour early, which was just enough time for Yin to finish all of this last night, according to his usual wake-up time.
"How much of the Eight Treasures Pickles from the capital are left?" Qingyan asked as she spoke, having already prepared the dough for scallion rolls, sweet potato buns, red bean buns, and milk-flavored buns.
These foods are best enjoyed with millet porridge, eight-treasure pickles, and side dishes.
Later, after Yin turned over, he reached out and touched the bed. He was the only one there. He quickly got up. Where did Qingyan go?
He picked up the bathrobe beside him, put it on, and walked to the inner side of the car, where the twins were fast asleep.
"Su Peisheng!" Yin called out to Su Peisheng in a low voice at the door.
At the entrance, Su Peisheng had prepared warm water for washing up. Just now, Qingyan came out of the inner chamber, which startled them all. They gave her the water for washing up that had been prepared for Yin.
"Master, you're up?" Su Peisheng led his servants in and quietly greeted the Fourth Master.
"Where is the Fujin?" Yin stood up but did not see Qingyan, and felt very uneasy.
"Reporting to Your Majesty, the Fujin has gone to the small kitchen." Su Peisheng followed Qingyan's instructions and was not allowed to say that she was preparing breakfast specifically for Yin.
Since the marriage, Yin had repeatedly ordered Qingyan not to go to the small kitchen anymore.
"Mmm!" Yin felt a warmth in his heart; Qingyan cared most about him.
After washing up, he put on his light mauve casual clothes and left the tent, leaving Su Peisheng inside to wait for the children to get up.
Yin stood at the door of the small kitchen and saw Qingyan quickly making steamed buns. One by one, the small steamed buns took shape in her hands and were placed in steamers.
"Little darling, didn't I tell you not to go into the small kitchen?" Yin's voice rang out from behind her, and Qingyan shuddered in fright. She'd been caught red-handed again!
Waaaaah!
Qingyan stuck out her tongue as she turned her back to him. Fortunately, all the pastries were already finished. The bottom steamer was filled with red bean buns, the second layer with purple sweet potato buns, and the third layer with milk-flavored buns. Now, the top layer of small flower rolls would be finished in just two or three more.
"I wanted to make you breakfast; it's been a long time since I've done it!" Qingyan dismissed Sulan and the others, leaving only the couple in the small kitchen.
Yin looked down and saw that each small noodle dish was only about the size of her little fist, enough to eat one bite at a time. Each drawer contained ten, representing perfection.
"What else did you make?" Yin glanced to the side and saw that several cold dishes had already been mixed. It seemed that Qingyan had been awake for quite some time.
“These are all your favorite dishes. It’s a bit hot, and you probably don’t have much of an appetite eating breakfast from the Imperial Kitchen.” Qingyan often prepared three meals a day for Yin.
Especially after entering summer, Yin lost his appetite. Every year, the sweltering summer was the time that Consort Tong worried the most. In the princes' quarters, Yin often tried to lose weight.
"You've worked hard!" Yin hugged her slender waist tightly and rested his face on her shoulder.
Looking at the bright red cold dishes beside him, his appetite instantly increased. These delicious cold dishes and exquisite pastries all showed Qingyan's thoughtfulness.
Although her cooking wasn't as refined as the imperial kitchen's, he found it delicious.
"Should we send some to the imperial tent?" Qingyan specifically asked Sulan and Sushu to show her how to make it, so that they could make some and send some to the imperial tent.
According to Imperial Physician Yuan, Emperor Kangxi and Consort Tong suffered from a loss of appetite on their journey back to the capital.
With Emperor Kangxi disciplining many of the chief stewards of the Imperial Household Department, the people in the Imperial Kitchen dared not create any innovative dishes, just to ensure that they would not cause any problems.
In the summer, even the hottest dishes wouldn't whet anyone's appetite.
"Send it over." Yin looked at the refreshing cold dishes and decided to send some over, at least so that his mother could have something to eat.
Since returning to the capital, Consort Tong had lost a considerable amount of weight, and when Yin heard this, his mood naturally became even more depressed.
He hoped that his mother could comfortably get through the hot summer. With good arrangements made for Qingyan, Yin would send them over to Consort Tong.
"Have Sulan and Sushu learned it yet?" Yin didn't want Qingyan to prepare these things herself, since they were all food that would be ingested. If Xiaoguai prepared them herself, it would be difficult for her to get away with it if trouble arose.
"Hmm, should we give the recipe to Shu?" Qingyan also planned to give the delicious recipe to Consort Tong so that they could avoid competing with the Imperial Kitchen as much as possible.
Furthermore, giving these foods to Consort Tong would give her an extra bargaining chip in her quest for the emperor's favor.
The concubines all envied Consort Tong for having such a capable daughter-in-law. Last year, Emperor Kangxi spent the hot summer in Chenggan Palace and did not lose weight for the first time, which made the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital very happy. Even the Empress Dowager in Cining Palace was very kind to Consort Tong and even rewarded her with several precious jewelry and headdresses.
In fact, the imperial concubines did not lack these sets of headdresses; the Empress Dowager's gift was a great honor.
"Yes, tell Shu about the taboos as well. Don't mention onions or wood ear mushrooms." Yin remembered Kangxi's dietary restrictions and spoke directly to Qingyan.
ah?!
Qingyan was taken aback. Kangxi really liked eating onions and wood ear mushrooms. Before, when they went on a campaign, she had Fei Yanggu bring them quite a lot.
Every time it was used up, even Fei Yanggu said that His Majesty's dosage was really quite large.
“If we send them secretly, Father Emperor will eat them all. If we hand them over to the palace, they will be easily discovered.” Yin couldn’t help but sigh, “Being an emperor is not good at all.”
The food served at the entrance is only allowed to be eaten in three bites; the rest is basically thrown away.
"Mm!" Qingyan nodded. Yin also liked this dish; the father and son really did have similar tastes. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please go to m.qidian.com to read.)
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