While the palace servants were packing their belongings, Wan Anran walked lightly to the edge of the flower bed and carefully examined it by parting the leaves.
The tomatoes have grown round and plump.
Some were still green, while others were a mix of green and red. The heavy fruits hung from the branches, and two bright red tomatoes caught Wan Anran's eye.
She excitedly reached out and broke off a piece.
If the tomato is firm but not too soft, it means it's ripe.
Wan Anran wiped the tomato with her handkerchief, then casually took a bite. Red juice splashed out, and the familiar sweet and sour taste flooded her mouth—this was exactly the taste Wan Anran had been looking forward to and missing the most.
"Master!?" Hai Tao stared at the scene in horror.
Tomatoes are common nowadays, but they are mostly used as decorative plants; no one has ever tasted their fruit.
And Consort Qi actually ate it like that?
The palace servants who turned around upon hearing the news were stunned and nearly fainted from fright.
Haitao was the first to come to her senses.
She dropped what she was holding and rushed to Wan Anran's side, while Zisu turned around and ordered the palace servants to immediately fetch the imperial physician.
In stark contrast to them was Wan Anran.
She looked at the palace servants who had surrounded her, feeling both annoyed and amused: "Why are you all making such a fuss?"
"Master, you can't eat tomatoes!" Hai Tao cried out, her voice trembling with tears. She held Wan Anran tightly, her almond-shaped eyes wide open, filled with panic and fear.
"Tomatoes are not poisonous."
Wan Anran hadn't expected to scare Hai Tao, so she quickly reassured her, saying calmly, "There were some in my yard when I was little, and I often secretly picked them to eat. They tasted sweet and sour and were quite delicious."
Wan Anran spoke with righteous indignation.
It's fine to investigate this matter; you should know that while many people don't eat tomatoes, quite a few grow them. If the five-pointed star-shaped yellow flowers are pleasing to the eye, many members of the imperial family and court officials like to plant and cultivate them in their courtyards. Naturally, they were also planted in the Wanliuha clan's residence.
Of course, the predecessor had never tasted it.
But who would remember something that happened so many years ago? When the Emperor inquired about the matter out of suspicion, Wan Anran expressed complete reassurance.
Hai Tao and the others were completely bewildered.
To be honest, if it were any other concubine, people would have been suspicious. But since it was Consort Qi who did it, it seems... it seems... there's nothing to suspect? After all, Consort Qi is known for her love of food, which sounds like the kind of person who would do something like this at a young age.
Even so, we cannot let our guard down.
Stunned, Hai Tao still helped Master Qi sit down inside the hall, craning her neck to wait for the imperial physician to arrive.
Why summon the imperial physician as soon as you return to the palace?
Not only did the Empress send Granny Zhou to visit, but the Empress Dowager also dispatched Su Mala to Chuxiu Palace to check on the situation.
The imperial physician looked at him strangely.
There's nothing bad to eat in the palace, yet the mistress of the palace seems to have a penchant for all sorts of strange things. He stared at the tomato for a long time, but couldn't recall anything about tomatoes from his memory, nor did he notice anything wrong with Consort Qi's pulse.
If there are no symptoms, there is no way to treat it.
In the end, the imperial physician could only instruct the palace servants to observe carefully and be cautious, and to notify him only if anything unusual happened.
Upon hearing that Consort Qi had stolen and eaten the fruit from the tomato blossoms, the Empress Dowager, the Empress Dowager, and the Empress were both amused and annoyed. Emperor Kangxi, however, casually asked, "Did Consort Qi say whether the tomatoes were tasty or not?"
Liang Jiugong was stunned.
He chuckled and said, "As expected of the Emperor! Consort Qi even specifically mentioned that tomatoes are both sour and sweet and very delicious."
Emperor Kangxi chuckled to himself.
He instructed his attendants to notify the imperial physicians that even if Consort Qi said she could eat it and that it tasted good, it still needed to be examined. Finally, Kangxi instructed, "If there is truly no problem, then let Consort Qi do what she wants."
After three to five days, seeing that Consort Qi was lively and energetic, the imperial physician finally breathed a sigh of relief and tentatively determined that the tomatoes were non-toxic.
Kangxi shook his head.
When he returned to Kunning Palace, he couldn't help but complain to the Empress: "There are so many delicious foods in this palace, isn't Consort Qi already making a fuss enough? Why does she have to make these ornamental ones? Aren't you afraid of something going wrong if she eats them! Even if the imperial physician says there's no problem, it's only been three to five days. We'll have to wait and see what happens later."
Emperor Kangxi was somewhat curious about what Consort Qi had said about how delicious it was. However, curiosity aside, in Kangxi's eyes, life was of far more important.
The Empress chuckled.
She glanced at the Emperor helplessly: "That's all Consort Qi is good for, so just let her be."
Kangxi thought about it and agreed.
Speaking of Consort Qi, she was honest and did not compete for the emperor's favor. She raised the eleventh prince very well and was also ambitious and studied and wrote diligently. Apart from being a glutton, there was nothing wrong with her.
Kangxi nodded thoughtfully.
Speaking of which, he always smelled a strong fragrance in Kunning Palace. Kangxi looked around in confusion, and finally his gaze fell on the Empress: "What is the source of this fragrance?"
The empress, having failed to conceal the truth, puffed out her cheeks.
Granny Zhou suppressed a laugh and beckoned the palace servants to bring up the food that was still warm on the stove.
Kangxi glanced at the Empress.
His expression was a half-smile: "The Empress is secretly eating alone without my knowledge?"
The queen acted as if she were completely innocent.
She smiled gently and said, "Isn't that what His Majesty said?"
"What did I say?"
"His Majesty said that eating these tomatoes might cause harm, so I, your humble servant, decided to test them on myself for His Majesty's approval." The Empress displayed great righteousness and integrity.
Kangxi's trust was a complete fabrication.
His gaze shifted to the earthenware pot, where a delicious dish, unlike anything Emperor Kangxi had ever seen, was served.
The large chunks of meat were covered with a layer of reddish-brown oil, and there were also chunks of carrots and taro-like objects. The whole dish was filled with a rich aroma, but what was puzzling was that Kangxi could not tell the difference.
Although he couldn't tell, he immediately pointed out the problem: "Why don't I see any tomatoes in it?"
Lian Nan respectfully introduced, "Your Majesty, Consort Qi peeled the tomatoes, mashed them into a puree, added citron juice and sugar, and cooked it until thick to make a sauce, which she then added to this braised beef brisket and potatoes in wine."
"There's wine inside?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, this wine was also selected from the offerings presented by foreigners last time."
The empress suddenly realized.
Kangxi's gaze, however, fell on something else: "...Potatoes?"
"It's also called yam, a common food among the common people," the Empress replied with a smile. "I heard that a batch was sent by Torbi, specially for Consort Qi to try."
Goodness! It seems like like father, like daughter.
It was one thing for Consort Qi to meddle in all sorts of nonsense in the palace, but for Tuoerbi to actually help her search everywhere? Just thinking about it made Kangxi feel incredibly exhausted.
"These stars would be better used for getting things done."
"Torbi is diligent in his work; didn't His Majesty just praise him?"
Kangxi: ...
He couldn't be bothered with the Empress. In his opinion, she was clearly just infatuated with Qi Pin, so everything she did was right. Seeing the Empress guarding her food and watching him warily, Kangxi snorted coldly. He stepped out of Kunning Palace, deciding to go to Chuxiu Palace to find out what was going on.
Wan Anran was busy in Chuxiu Palace.
With tomatoes in front and potatoes behind, she's been incredibly busy these days.
Starting with the most basic scrambled eggs with tomatoes and tomato egg drop soup, Wan Anran also made hot and sour soup, tomato beef soup, sweet and sour pork, tomato fish...
The imperial chefs were completely captivated by tomatoes, devising numerous recipes within just a few days. The only regret was that the emperor still harbored a strong aversion to tomatoes, making it difficult for tomato-based dishes to grace the imperial table.
However, Wan Anran was still quite happy.
After all, tomatoes don't grow in large quantities; it's just this little flower bed of mine. If everyone loved cherry tomatoes, would I even have a chance to eat them?
Seeing that there was a shortage of ingredients for all tomato dishes except for tomato sauce, Wan Anran turned her attention to potatoes.
There are far more potatoes than tomatoes.
Besides, how many delicious dishes can potatoes be made into? Wan Anran recalled potato noodles, mashed potatoes, fried potatoes, roasted potatoes, pan-fried potato pancakes, hot and sour shredded potatoes, dry-fried potato slices...
Wan Anran sucked on her saliva.
Her hands moved faster and faster, the first thing to do was to prepare the potato starch. This stuff takes time and needs to be prepared first. When Kangxi arrived at Chuxiu Palace, he found that while the other palaces and courtyards were exquisite and elegant, Chuxiu Palace had been transformed into a rural courtyard.
Look at all those bamboo baskets piled up in the courtyard, and then look at the eunuchs and palace maids bustling about. Kangxi stood at the door for a long time before finally mustering the courage to go inside.
For a long time, no one noticed the emperor's presence.
Kangxi found Consort Qi, who was diligently mashing potatoes with her head down. The steaming potatoes were piping hot and emitted a faint aroma. Wan Anran added salt and black pepper to the potatoes, mashed and mixed them well, then added starch and kneaded them into a non-sticky dough.
Cut them into long strips and fry them in oil. Serve them with sweet and sour cream sauce or ketchup. Wan Anran ate several strips before finally showing a satisfied smile.
Just as she reached for the next one, a hand shot out from the side, taking one and putting it in her mouth. The potato strips were crispy with a slightly charred aroma, but aside from a hint of saltiness, they weren't particularly tasty. Kangxi's gaze fell on the two dipping sauces.
Emperor Kangxi ate cream with dipping sauce many times.
"The red thing on the right? Is it chili sauce?" Kangxi casually dipped some in and put it in his mouth.
The sweet and sour taste bursts in your mouth instantly.
This sauce seems to be a perfect match for potato fries. The crispy texture paired with the sweet and sour sauce makes you want to eat more than a few.
"Your Majesty?" Wan Anran was startled.
"Hmm... what are you all busy with in your courtyard?" Kangxi found the food quite delicious and ate several more pieces. "I've never tasted this sauce before. What is it again?"
Wan Anran remained silent for a moment.
She answered softly, "Your Majesty, this is tomato sauce."
Kangxi: ...
He stared intently at his fingertips, and after a moment of contemplation, Kangxi calmly picked up another finger and put it in his mouth. Then, pretending nothing had happened, he asked again, "What's going on in the courtyard?"
"I'm making starch, I'll make potato starch noodles later," Wan Anran answered honestly.
Potato starch is probably similar to mung bean starch, right?
After tasting the sweet and sour tomato sauce and being proven wrong, Emperor Kangxi couldn't help but crave the pot of braised beef brisket and potatoes with wine in the Kunning Palace.
I wonder what kind of deliciousness it was?
Thinking of it, Kangxi leisurely sat down and said, "Consort Qi, bring a serving of braised beef brisket and potatoes in wine."
Wan Anran: ...
Judging by your demeanor, someone who didn't know better would think Chuxiu Palace was a restaurant outside!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
