Emperor Kangxi was indeed very confident.
If such a magical tool existed that could erase writing, how could it not have appeared by now, and why would Europeans be the first to possess it? He didn't think he would lose at all, until Ferdinand Verbiest, who had been summoned, honestly answered: "Just rub it with breadcrumbs, and the black lead lettering will disappear."
Kangxi: ...There really is one!?
Unconvinced by superstition, he ordered the palace servants of the Imperial Household Department to build stoves in the hot spring resort and, according to the recipe provided by Ferdinand Verbiest himself, use repeatedly sifted wheat flour to make delicate, fluffy, and soft bread.
When Wan Anran arrived, it was just as the bread was coming out of the oven. The freshly baked bread carried its unique wheat aroma, and the rich fragrance made Wan Anran's nose twitch. Her mind drifted to certain breads she hadn't seen in a long time: sweet and soft milk rolls, crisp and tempting croissants, European-style breads rich in nutty flavor, and fancy breads filled with ingredients like sausages, cheese, and taro paste…
Wan Anran took a deep breath.
It had been a long time since she'd had bread. She eagerly stepped forward, and to Nan Huairen's surprise, sliced the bread and popped it into her mouth without hesitation. The bread was slightly rough in texture and had a slightly sour taste, perhaps due to improper fermentation or a problem with the yeast itself.
Emperor Kangxi stared blankly at Consort Qi's actions.
Because her movements were so fluid, Kangxi didn't realize he should have stopped her until she put it in her mouth. He was both amused and exasperated: "Consort Qi, this was intended for testing."
Wan Anran blinked: "Hmm? Breadcrumbs should be used to wipe the black lead strips, right? Freshly made bread might not be usable?"
Ferdinand Verbiest was increasingly shocked.
He dared not look directly at the noble lady, and lowered his head slightly as he replied, "Your Majesty, it is indeed as Your Highness the Empress said; a small piece of bread will suffice."
Emperor Kangxi was increasingly surprised.
He asked with some curiosity, "Has Consort Qi ever seen anything like this before?"
Wan Anran said confidently, "When I was a child, I would occasionally go to a church on the street. The priest there was named... Michel. He was drawing at the time and happened to introduce bread to me."
That's no lie.
When the original owner was young, she actually accidentally wandered into a church and learned the priest's name. As for the drawings, those were obviously fake, since the original owner only stayed for a short while before being taken away by the servants who came to pick her up.
Ferdinand Verbiest was both surprised and pleased.
He never expected that there would be a royal concubine in the palace who was connected with God. Ferdinand Verbiest could not hide his excitement: "Yes, yes, it is a pity that Father Michel received God's call five years ago and has returned to heaven."
Emperor Kangxi did not pay attention to this.
He stared at Consort Qi: "You actually tried to fool me?"
If you've seen the painting, you'll surely know that black lead strips can be erased with bread, right? Wan Anran shook her head repeatedly: "I had long forgotten, I only remembered it when I saw the bread."
Emperor Kangxi looked suspicious.
Wan Anran felt slightly guilty, but when she saw Nan Huairen, her heart stirred: "It's true, Father Michel even introduced me to a kind of bread... called focaccia?"
Ferdinand Verbiest smiled nostalgically.
He interjected, "This is an Italian bread, which is as important as rice in my hometown. When it is baked, you can add some herbs, onions, bacon and various cheeses."
Kangxi reluctantly dismissed his suspicions.
Wan Anran stared at the stove for a while, then circled it once before looking at Kangxi with great interest: "Your Majesty, this stove won't be dismantled for the time being, will it?"
Wan Anran's eyes sparkled.
Kangxi hesitated: "Hmm... Hmph?"
Wan Anran was immediately satisfied.
In a good mood, she walked back, deciding to try making some bread herself. First, she needed to prepare a natural sourdough starter, as well as jam and other things. Oh right... Wan Anran stopped and took the rest of the bread with her.
When Yinzhen turned around, he got to eat some snacks: honey bread rusks and bread pudding. The former was made by cutting bread into long strips, spreading a sauce made of honey and butter on them, and then baking it. It was sweet and rich, and left a lingering aftertaste. He finished the whole small plate in the blink of an eye.
The latter involves cutting the remaining bread into cubes, even if they are oddly shaped, just put them in the bowl randomly, then sprinkling some dried fruit or the like. Next, mix the eggs, milk, heavy cream, and sugar together and pour the mixture into a bowl. Finally, place the bowl in a pan, pour water around the sides, and bake until the pudding is perfectly set.
Both were delicious.
Moreover, because there wasn't much bread, Wan Anran only left some for Yinzhen, so Yinzhen, who occasionally ate alone, was in a better mood.
Immediately afterwards, Wan Anran began preparing the starter culture.
To obtain high-quality bread, you need high-quality sourdough starter, and nowadays, natural sourdough starter is the only way to obtain it. It is made with whole wheat flour and water, and then carefully cultivated. The sourdough starter from the first two days needs to be discarded. Wan Anran believes that the reason why the bread tasted sour and bitter before was probably because the sourdough starter itself was contaminated with other bacteria. After discarding the poor-quality sourdough starter, the subsequent sourdough starter is very suitable for making bread.
Seven days later, Wan Anran started making bread.
From ordinary white bread to milk bread rolls, honey and sesame bread rolls to filled bread, Wan Anran even specially made a rich and sweet red bean paste, which later became known as custard. Once this idea was opened up, the variety of breads opened up in Wan Anran's mind like a shower of flowers.
For example, Italian pizza.
Of course, Wan Anran calls it a sliced cheesecake, or sandwiching meat slices, lettuce, and mayonnaise between two slices of bread, which is the future hamburger.
Of course, it was impossible for Wan Anran and Yinzhen to finish the large quantity of bread. From the Grand Empress Dowager to the Empress Dowager, from the princes to the princesses, and even the emperor and ministers, everyone got a taste.
The novel bread was simple to make and didn't make your hands dirty, which surprised many ministers, especially since it's something to eat occasionally nowadays. Emperor Kangxi also bestowed it upon many of the envoys who came to the Qing Dynasty, eliciting rare expressions of astonishment from them.
One of the envoys exclaimed in shock.
He savored the delicious and simple hamburger, his eyes filled with undisguised amazement: "The bread is fluffy and soft, comparable to the finest white bread, not to mention the juicy meat slices, large chunks of egg, and tender leafy greens inside. Oh, and the sauce is the best part! It's amazing! I never imagined I could eat such delicious bread after leaving home!"
The envoys' fervent demeanor startled Emperor Kangxi.
Recalling Ferdinand Verbiest's statement that bread was as important as rice in Europe, Emperor Kangxi simply instructed Consort Qi to write down a recipe and send it to the Court of Colonial Affairs, ordering them to make bread to entertain the envoys, so that the envoys would feel at home and further demonstrate the Qing Dynasty's hospitality.
Emperor Kangxi was in a very good mood.
When he later told Consort Qi about it, Wan Anran was greatly surprised. She never expected that something as simple as bread could cause such a stir. After her initial surprise, Wan Anran changed the subject: "Your Majesty~"
A sweet, soft voice, almost pleading.
Kangxi shuddered. Usually, when Consort Qi spoke in this tone, it was definitely not good news. His vigilance instantly spiked, and he looked at Consort Qi suspiciously: "...What is it?"
"You forgot? Bread rusks."
"Ah..." Kangxi had really forgotten, or rather, he had already believed what Consort Qi had said, and had long since accepted the fact that bread could erase pencil marks.
Wan Anran pulled Kangxi inside.
She excitedly presented a sketch, holding a piece of bread in front of Kangxi. With just a gentle rubbing of the dry bread, she could erase the pencil marks left on the drawing paper.
"Won't ink work?"
"...Of course not!" What was the Emperor thinking?
Emperor Kangxi felt a moment of regret.
He also thought of the ingenious use of pencils and breadcrumbs. If pencils could be mass-produced, they could be reused repeatedly with just a small piece of bread, which would surely save royal families and nobles, not to mention ordinary scholars, a lot of money on education.
It's a black lead strip... but what is this?
Kangxi pondered this, intending to send someone to investigate thoroughly. Just then, Wan Anran grabbed Kangxi's arm and shook it vigorously, crying, "Your Majesty—Your Majesty—Your Majesty!"
Emperor Kangxi said helplessly, "Stop calling me that."
He pushed up Consort Qi's cheek and replied irritably, "I know, it's just a southern tour."
Mid-September of the 23rd year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign.
This was Emperor Kangxi's first southern tour, and it was quite a grand affair. Wan Anran, dressed in auspicious attire, finally boarded the carriage with a stiff smile. Once seated, she immediately rubbed her cheeks and instructed Haitao and Zisu to remove her headdress and change her clothes.
A carriage for long journeys needs to be more spacious and comfortable.
Besides the soft couch and tables inside the carriage that Wan Anran was riding in, there were also books, chessboards, the Four Treasures of the Study, and of course, pencils, which had recently become popular in front of and behind the court. They were quite popular because of their good quality and low price, and even amazed the envoys from various countries.
While Kangxi was pleased with himself, he also had a strong desire to promote it.
Although it cannot be said that it is universally accepted by the general public, many academies and private schools have begun to use it.
Getting back to the topic—besides that, the carriage also had drawers and chests containing blankets, fabrics, and various clothes. In addition, there were two other carriages behind it containing items exclusively for Consort Qi, making it a truly luxurious and extravagant place.
Wan Anran finally breathed a sigh of relief after taking her hair out of the stylist.
She leaned against the swaying carriage, dozing off with her eyes half-closed; the journey ahead was far longer.
The carriage moved slowly, stopping and starting.
The food there truly surprised Wan Anran; it was simple and much more bland than what she ate in the palace.
Yinqi pouted, looking rather unhappy.
He rummaged through the vegetables, which weren't very good quality, his face looking rather grim, even a little indignant: "We've finally come all this way, shouldn't we eat some local specialties or something?"
"Father's move is to prevent local authorities from exploiting the people," Yinzhen replied.
"...Why? It's just a local specialty..."
"There are precedents for this. Do you know the story of Emperor Yang of Sui?" Wan Anran asked in return.
"Emperor Yang of Sui?"
"That was a long, long time ago, when an emperor was traveling south on a dragon boat. He demanded that all the prefectures and counties along the way pay tribute with food. However, the food that was delivered piled up like a small mountain, and the people in the procession could not finish eating it all. So they had to discard and bury the food. Then he felt that the people were blocking his way, so he ordered the government to relocate them and even captured some people to serve as boatmen..." Wan Anran described vividly.
"..." Yinqi's eyes widened, and he swallowed hard: "And then?"
"The Sui Dynasty is over!"
"..." Yinqi was so frightened that he trembled.
"Emperor Yang of Sui became a ruler who brought about the downfall of his country."
“…Waaah.” Yinqi couldn’t even utter a word.
Even though he was young, Yinqi still understood this.
Yinzhen saw his mother frighten his sixth brother into cowering like a quail, and a hint of a smile flashed in his eyes. He was about to dissuade him when he heard his mother's voice again: "Your Majesty's goal is to become a monarch of a prosperous era, and none of these things can be done."
Yinzhen couldn't help but laugh.
He glanced to the side and saw his mother's eyes shining brightly, her voice firm and resolute, brimming with confidence.
Yinzhen chuckled to himself.
He suddenly seemed to realize something: If his father heard these words... that would be interesting. After all, if one of his wives or concubines had said these words in his past life, he would surely have been moved, wouldn't he?
But Yinzhen never expected this.
Outside the door, Kangxi's hand, which had been pushing the door open, froze in place. His eyes widened, and after a moment he couldn't help but laugh.
He didn't go in; instead, he turned and left.
Distracted by his worries, his originally heavy steps became much lighter, which amazed Liang Jiugong, who had just finished instructing the palace servants to follow him.
You must say Master Qi is very lucky.
How could it be as if she had opened her third eye, so perfectly scratching the emperor's most comfortable spot?
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