novelraw Chapter 362 What If the Emperor Dislikes It?
Chapter 362 What If the Emperor Dislikes It?
It took a while, but Xiao Weizi eventually returned.HUFFING AND PUFFING, he carried in a big bag.
Inside there was everything: all kinds of dried vegetables, shiitake mushrooms, mushrooms, dried tofu, peanuts, dried melon strips, white fungus, bird’s nests, and so on.
There was also a big pack of top-grade dried fish.
There were plenty of fresh vegetables as well, such as Chinese yam, lotus root, lettuce, greens, and so on.
There was meat too: ribs, freshly killed fish, and chicken.
Lastly, there was corn flour, bean flour, sorghum flour, rice flour, and so on.
The variety was vast; he had taken a bit of each, and it all added up to a big pack.
Xia Jieyu’s palace had all sorts of cooking utensils, so the food only needed a little preparation before it could be eaten.
This way, the master wouldn’t go hungry.
Xiao Weizi put down the bag and hurriedly kowtowed.
"Brother Xiao Xi, when you go back, please greet Xia Jieyu for me and tell her this servant feels guilty!"
Xiao Xizi just laughed.
"Don’t worry, our master has always been aware of your kindness!"
Xiao Xizi helped Xiao Weizi up, and then they each went their own way.
「...」
「Qingya Residence.」
Xia Ruqing stared at the pile of goods on the ground, utterly astonished.
"I..."
"I just wanted some soup, Xiao Xizi, how could you..."
Has he moved the entire Imperial Kitchen’s storeroom over here?
Xiao Xizi then recounted everything he had seen and heard at the Imperial Kitchen.
Xia Ruqing narrowed her eyes.
"Xiao Zhangzi? That name sounds unfamiliar."
"Is he new?"
Xiao Xizi nodded. "He was just transferred from the Ministry of Internal Affairs!"
Xia Ruqing nodded in sudden realization.
"No wonder!"
The Ministry of Internal Affairs? They must be the Empress’s people. I just offended the Empress, and she’s been so influential lately. Being inconvenienced is inevitable. But still, there’s no need for this, to the point where I can’t even get a meal. This is truly beyond my expectations.
Xiao Xizi cautiously said, "Whatever you wish to eat, this servant will have someone prepare it right away!"
Xia Ruqing surveyed the items on the ground and then said with a faint smile, "No need. We have our own vegetable garden in the backyard, and the weather is getting cold. I’ll cook myself!"
Saying this, she directed Xiao Zhu Zi, "Carry all these things inside!"
She then added, "Xiao Xizi, you’ve done well. Since... the master chefs of the Imperial Kitchen are all busy, let’s not trouble them any further! From today onward, there’s no need to fetch meals from there. We’ll cook for ourselves!"
Xiao Xizi was somewhat surprised, but considering his master’s personality, it wasn’t entirely unexpected.
Just as they were speaking, Zi Su entered, carrying another large bag.
"Master, this was sent by Eunuch Xiao Weizi!"
Xia Ruqing looked and smiled.
"Xiao Weizi came? Where is he?"
Zi Su said hesitantly, "Eunuch Xiao Weizi said he felt too ashamed to come inside. He delivered the items in the rain and then left!"
Xia Ruqing’s smile grew even brighter.
"See? At least someone still remembers me, right?"
She then instructed them to put everything away. "Store these things properly. From today onward, we’re cooking our own meals!"
"Yes, Master!" Zi Su and Zi Yue replied, starting to tidy up together.
「...」
「In the evening」
With the addition of rain, the weather had grown quite cool.
The small kitchen’s stove blazed fiercely.
Da Bai and Little White sat to one side, keeping watch, while Xia Ruqing stood by the stove, stewing soup.
Even though she was more than seven months pregnant, she often walked around and thus had good stamina.
Moreover, "cooking" for her was really just about watching the heat; she didn’t have to do any other menial tasks.
So, it wasn’t tiring at all.
On the contrary, she was in high spirits.
SIMMERING in the small stove was a pot of pork rib soup.
It had been slow-cooking for more than two hours now.
Xia Ruqing picked up a ladle and scooped a little to taste.
"Too bland. Add some salt! A bit more vinegar, and it’ll be ready!"
With that, she scooped in half a spoonful of salt, stirred it, and tasted it again.
"Mm! That’s perfect!"
Xiao Xizi held out a soup tureen, and Xia Ruqing slowly poured the soup into it.
Additionally, Xia Ruqing stir-fried a dish of shiitake mushrooms with baby bok choy and prepared a chilled, sour bamboo shoot salad.
Using an old-fashioned iron stove, she steamed two bowls of rice, with firewood burning beneath.
The heat was distributed evenly, and by the time the rice was cooked, a thick layer of crispy rice crust had formed at the bottom of the pot.
As the pot gradually cooled, this crust began to curl up and could easily be pried off with a spatula.
A bite revealed it to be both crisp and fragrant.
For her evening meal, Xia Ruqing ate more than half a bowl of rice, drank some pork rib soup, and had a fair amount of both the baby bok choy and sour bamboo shoots.
Cradling her belly, feeling somewhat stuffed, she lay on the couch and chuckled, "Good thing I haven’t lost my cooking skills. At least I won’t starve myself!"
Xiao Xizi hurriedly approached and said, "The delicious aroma reached me from so far away! Master, could we servants have a taste of the leftover dishes?"
Xia Ruqing laughed and playfully tapped him. "When did you become so cheeky? I can’t finish it all anyway. It’s all yours! When you collect your food rations later, consider these as extra dishes."
Xiao Xizi and Xiao Zhu Zi were overjoyed.
"Thank you, Master!"
After her evening meal, Xia Ruqing felt full and satisfied.
She walked around the room a few times to aid digestion.
Then she lay on the couch and played with Da Bai and Little White for a while.
By Hai Hour (9-11 pm), she started to feel sleepy.
Zi Yue came in, carrying a cotton quilt.
"Master, this quilt was sunned and aired out a few days ago. This servant has kept it stored in a chest ever since!"
"The weather is getting cooler. You should change your bedding to something softer and warmer!"
With that, she deftly made the bed for Xia Ruqing.
Da Bai and Little White were the first to jump onto it.
When Xia Ruqing slipped under the covers, the two cats snuggled next to her pillow.
Little White cutely kept rubbing his head against her, while Da Bai watched her with a cool, aloof expression, as if he were her personal guardian deity.
Xia Ruqing kissed Da Bai, stroked Little White’s small head, then closed her eyes and fell into a sweet sleep.
Some affairs in the palace don’t even need to concern me. When the time comes, certain people naturally won’t live long!
「...」
「Jiaofang Hall」
Just like the previous few days, the Empress was overseeing preparations for the evening meal.
She had tried carefully to please him many times, but the Emperor did not like the meals she prepared.
So, the Empress commanded that every possible dish be made.
She instructed, "Tell the Imperial Kitchen to prepare a little of every type of soup. When the time comes, whatever the Emperor fancies, we’ll serve more of that!"
Yu Lan felt something was amiss. "Your Majesty, what if the Emperor doesn’t like any of them?"
The Empress responded indifferently, "Even if he doesn’t like them, we can’t let them go to waste. Just bestow them upon others."
Yu Lan frowned, murmured her assent, and left.
There’s something inappropriate about this. Making so many soups? The Imperial Kitchen only has so much staff; if they’re all occupied here, what about everyone else?
She didn’t have time to ponder further, as the Empress was already summoning people to set the table.
In the center of Jiaofang Hall, an extravagant table was laid, teeming with dishes.
There were over eighty dishes in total.
After hesitating several times, Sister Ji finally ventured, "Your Majesty, the Emperor dislikes extravagance and waste. Are we sure this is alright?"
The Empress looked at the spread and frowned, as if she too sensed something was wrong.
Nevertheless, she cast aside her inner doubts, simply stating, "Before, we only served a few dishes, and there wasn’t a single one the Emperor liked. Now that we’ve prepared so many, there must be something he will enjoy!"