This is chocolate, chocolate!!!
Holding the chocolate wrapped in gold leaf, Wan Anran almost shed tears of emotion.
Of course, in this world where no one knows or understands how great chocolate truly is, Wan Anran choked back a sob, barely managing to suppress her emotions. However, her slightly reddened eyes and strange expression made Lian Nan's heart skip a beat.
Could it be that Consort Qi is harboring resentment?
Lian Nan quickly explained, "Her Majesty the Empress knows that Consort Qi likes all kinds of novel and rare items, so she specially asked the Emperor and sent rare and precious items from the storeroom to Consort Qi."
"I know." Wan Anran perked up and nodded with a smile. She rubbed her eyes shyly. "Please ask Miss Liannan to thank Her Majesty the Empress for my kindness. I just didn't expect this stuff to be so bitter, but the bitterness has a kind of indescribable fragrance. I'll have to try making something good from it later."
Sensing the interest in Consort Qi's voice, Lian Nanti's heart, which had been pounding in her chest, finally settled. She instinctively replied, "Then this servant will await Consort Qi's good news... um."
Does that sound a little strange?
"You ordered this flavor before Consort Qi even sent it?" Lian Nan's face flushed slightly. Before she could explain, Consort Qi replied with a smile, "If I really figured it out, how could I possibly leave out a portion for Her Majesty the Empress? Don't worry, Miss Lian Nan."
Lian Nan curtsied and left with a smile.
Back in the courtyard, she told the Empress everything about Consort Qi's reaction. Empress Niohuru breathed a sigh of relief: "As long as it suits her tastes."
Whose thoughts are being considered?
As they were talking, a voice suddenly rang out from outside. Kangxi, dressed in casual clothes and looking quite energetic, strode in.
"Your Majesty, I pay my respects."
"Why such formalities, Your Majesty?" Kangxi smiled and helped the Empress inside. The Emperor took his seat at the head of the table, and palace maids quickly served him tea.
"Why has His Majesty come today?"
"I want to tell you something... about Consort Yi." Kangxi picked up his teacup, took a sip, and then placed the teacup on the table.
He suppressed his smile and his expression turned serious. Just as he was about to speak, Kangxi's attention was drawn to the plate of peach blossom pastries on the table.
The delicate pink color and unique shape surprised him. Kangxi picked up a piece and said, "Is this a new pastry from the Imperial Kitchen? It does look quite unusual, but it's a bit rough..."
Upon closer inspection, it's not just some.
Looking at the peach blossom pastries, each one of which looked different, Kangxi's face darkened: "What's the Imperial Kitchen doing these days? How dare they send over such flawed pastries?"
Emperor Kangxi looked displeased.
He was just about to instruct Liang Jiugong to give the entire Imperial Kitchen a good scolding when he heard the Empress coughing.
Hmm? Something seems off?
Kangxi looked up with a hint of confusion, his gaze meeting that of the pouting eldest princess. The princess's face scrunched up, looking aggrieved: "Father, this wasn't made by the imperial kitchen, it was made by your son!"
Emperor Kangxi looked embarrassed.
He knew all too well that his words had hurt his adopted daughter's young heart.
Although she was an adopted daughter, raised under the Empress's care and with a close relationship with the Crown Prince, the eldest princess was already the daughter that Kangxi cherished and loved most. Seeing that the eldest princess's eyes were red and filled with tears, he quickly praised her: "So it was the eldest princess who made this? I knew this design was ingenious, only our wise and intelligent eldest princess could have come up with it."
"Father..."
"Um?"
The eldest princess snorted.
She muttered to herself, "The shape of these peach blossom pastries was conceived by Consort Qi..."
Kangxi became increasingly embarrassed.
It was rare to see the Emperor speechless after being choked up, and a smile appeared in Empress Niohuru's eyes. Of course, she quickly changed the subject: "Your Majesty, I just had Liannan send some things to Consort Qi."
"Is this what you said before?"
"Yes! I heard from Lian Nan that Consort Qi likes it very much, and even said that she would send it over if there are any results." The Empress replied with a smile.
"Isn't that right?" Compared to the Empress, who was in a good mood, Kangxi felt a pang of jealousy. He snorted, "Things that were clearly taken from my treasury are not mentioned at all, even though they were taken from my own treasury."
For example, these peach blossom pastries.
After examining a pastry for a moment, Kangxi took a bite and savored the flavor for a long time, exclaiming, "Our eldest princess's skills are truly excellent!"
As for Consort Qi's contributions...
It's all because she didn't give me peach blossom pastries; that credit is completely gone now!
The eldest princess managed a weak groan.
The Empress sighed, "Consort Qi made it with the eldest and second princesses, and only allowed the two of them to take some with them. How could Consort Qi forget the Emperor's share of anything? Your Majesty, you are so petty."
He's like a little kid.
The Empress muttered to herself, but ultimately refrained from saying it out of respect for the Emperor.
Kangxi did not deny this point. Perhaps he had developed a habit of being fed? In any case, whether he liked the food or not was one thing, but it was absolutely unacceptable if he didn't get his share.
Leaving aside Consort Qi's matter for the moment, Kangxi coughed and brought up Consort Yi's matter again: "Consort Yi..."
Wan Anran was unaware that the peach blossom pastry had sparked another discussion between the Emperor and Empress, who were engrossed in fiddling with the large piece of chocolate.
She was determined to push the chocolate to its limits, hoping to win the hearts of the Emperor, Empress, and Crown Prince.
In this way, there will definitely be a continuous supply of chocolate in the future. Just thinking about such a future almost made Wan Anran burst out laughing.
However, it's easier said than done.
Once it officially started, Wan Anran discovered many problems.
This thing was more like cocoa powder than chocolate. Along with the cocoa powder came a recipe, and Wan Anran realized that there were many differences between chocolate now and chocolate of the future.
Currently, Westerners use cocoa blocks as beverages and medicines, and almost no one uses them as a snack. The process generally involves grinding fermented cocoa beans into a paste, adding fennel, vanilla, cinnamon, almonds, hazelnuts, and various herbs, then cutting it into small pieces after it solidifies. When using it, it is soaked in hot water or milk and stirred well.
Upon opening the gold leaf, Wan Anran could see coarse particles without close inspection; it was more like coarse cocoa bean pulp than chocolate. For solidified cocoa liquor to become the smooth chocolate we eat today, it would require multiple grinding processes.
Wan Anran sighed: ...
It's so hard to find something good to eat!
Why don't you try it out first?
Wan Anran broke off a small piece and put it in a cup, then poured in cooked milk and put the lid on.
A round hole was drilled in the top of the lid. A wooden stick of the right size was placed in it, and the cup was stirred vigorously for a while. When the lid was opened again, a strange fragrance could be smelled.
Hai Tao and the others looked on curiously.
After the foam in the cup subsided, a brownish liquid appeared before everyone. Wan Anran took a sip. The bitterness was softened by the sweetness of the milk, and there was also a rich aroma of nuts. Wan Anran added some honey and sugar, and after the bitter taste came a faint sweetness... but it wasn't sweet enough, far from sweet enough.
It still didn't work.
Wan Anran downed the bitter chocolate in one gulp, her eyes fixed intently on the chocolate bar: "We're in for a lot of work now!"
Grinding, fine grinding.
First, the work was done on a stone mill, and then the heavy lifting was left to the palace servants of the Imperial Household Department. The people of the Imperial Household Department racked their brains but still couldn't meet Consort Qi's requirements, so they had no choice but to send it to a rapeseed oil pressing workshop to grind it using a large beam.
When the palace servants from the Imperial Household Department brought it again, the coarse particles in the chocolate were no longer visible. Wan Anran broke off a small piece and melted it again in a double boiler, revealing a smooth chocolate liquid that looked like milk.
Once you've confirmed that the chocolate is in perfect condition, the next step is the most crucial one: transforming the bitterness into sweetness.
Wan Anran then put the prepared condensed milk and syrup into a double boiler and cooked them together, stirring until smooth. For example, the chocolate syrup was almost black, but this time the chocolate color was slightly lighter.
Place it in a buttered ceramic bowl and let it solidify. Your sweet milk chocolate is ready! If you find milk chocolate a bit plain, you can add hazelnuts and raisins to make nut chocolate.
"All done!" Wan Anran shouted happily. The chocolate was the thing that had taken the most effort out of her so far. After more than half a month, she finally saw results. Wan Anran happily made the chocolate into various shapes, then put them in a box and tied them with bows.
One, two, three, four, five...
The Empress Dowager and the Empress Dowager, the Empress and the eldest princess, Consort Rong and the second princess, and of course, Consort Xuan, Consort Yi and Noble Lady Nara's share cannot be omitted.
Hai Tao coughed.
Wan Anran glanced at her, her hands still busy: "Yes, yes, yes, Haitao, you really are a housekeeper. The Emperor, the Crown Prince, and Wan Fu won't be shortchanged either."
After sending the palace servants out to deliver the chocolates, Wan Anran brewed herself a cup of rich chocolate milk tea and enjoyed some crispy chocolate pastries. This life could be summed up in two words: blissful.
When Ju Bai returned, his expression was somewhat strange.
Wan Anran glanced at her: "What's wrong?"
"Your Majesty, it's being said in the palace that Consort Yi intends to hand over her unborn child to the Empress Dowager for upbringing," Ju Bai replied softly.
"Consort Yi!?" Not only was Wan Anran shocked, but Hai Tao and the others who had just returned were also full of surprise.
Wan Anran frowned slightly: "This pregnancy is only three or four months along at most, why would you suddenly say that you want to hand it over to the Empress Dowager to raise?"
This sounds really strange.
Ju Bai was also puzzled, and her expression was somewhat strange. She hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "I heard from people in the palace... perhaps they want to win over the Empress Dowager?"
The Empress Dowager's favor towards Consort Qi was evident to all.
Although the Empress Dowager has toned down her behavior considerably compared to the past, she still summons Consort Qi to Cining Palace for talks every few days, and the rewards she bestows upon the Eleventh Prince are so numerous that they initially aroused jealousy, but now they no longer even have the energy to be jealous.
Who wouldn't want the Empress Dowager's support?
To put it bluntly, if she could get the Empress Dowager's support, she could even challenge both the Empress Dowager and Consort Tong! Under these circumstances, Consort Yi's choice seems rather meaningful. For example, Hai Tao's eyes revealed a hint of anger: "Consort Yi has gone too far!"
Her own mistress had saved her life before, so wasn't Consort Yi stabbing her mistress in the back by doing this? Wan Anran stopped Hai Tao from speaking and shook her head: "Consort Yi has always been straightforward and honest, she's not like that."
The words had barely left his mouth.
A young palace maid pushed open the door and entered: "Your Highness, Consort Yi has arrived."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
