Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 450: Zhang Shou's Extra Question
The judges' list on the preliminary day will be kept confidential. This is the answer that Lu Sanlang, who is fully responsible for organizing the Royal Chef Selection Competition, has never changed when facing many people who have inquired about the news.
Therefore, before the three old gentlemen including Ge Yong and the three nobles including Duke of Zhao Zhu Jing arrived, when they saw that only Wan Yuanbao and two other wealthy merchants from the capital had gone up to the tower, and there were three common people looking around behind them as judges, many chefs thought that there were only six people coming to judge, and their initial disappointment was tangible.
After all, no one was sure that they could pass the selection and finally enter the imperial kitchen and get the title of imperial chef. Their greater hope was to win the favor of the powerful. Then a word of praise could earn them great reputation and give them something to brag about when they opened their own restaurant in the future.
But as important guests arrived one by one, the chefs began to get excited. When they heard that Princess Yongping was coming and would even celebrate her birthday in the Xinglong Teahouse today, they were not just excited, but thrilled!
No matter what the result of the imperial chef selection is, when the time comes they will tell others that they were the ones who organized the princess' birthday banquet. How prestigious!
Not only the chefs were excited, but the common people who had come today specially to join in the fun were equally excited, because Chu Kuan, the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department who was ordered to accompany Princess Yongping, announced with a smile that it was the princess' birthday, and Princess Yongping had personally posed a question, asking all the chefs who were taking the imperial chef examination today to prepare a birthday dessert that could be eaten in just one bite, and also that the cost had to be controlled, the lower the better.
However, in addition to the food being tasted by the many guests upstairs, forty people present will be randomly selected to taste and judge the food.
Hearing the thunderous cheers below, Princess Yongping, who was staying alone on the third floor, smiled faintly and said to Chu Kuan, "Zhu Ying and Zhang Shou, the two birthday boys, have not come yet, and I feel bored staying here alone. Besides, although this is the place where my father wanted to enjoy the scenery, it doesn't make sense to keep it empty all the time. How about inviting Grand Tutor Ge, Duke Zhao and the others to come up?"
Although the Queen was deposed and the Emperor even personally ordered Princess Yongping to help the Queen Mother with palace affairs, Princess Yongping strongly refused in front of the Queen Mother. Her reasons were all ready-made - there were female officials in the palace and she didn't need to get involved. And most importantly, since the Queen was deposed, the other concubines in the harem were all living in peace and there was not much to take care of. She couldn't be asked to supervise the payment of monthly wages to the concubines, right?
Thinking of how he secretly admired Princess Yongping's wisdom when he heard this, Chu Kuan smiled and said, "Princess is right, it should be so."
With Princess Yongping's order, he naturally had to go there in person. After all, those people were all famous old ministers and nobles. Even the emperor would not neglect them, let alone him? Although it took a little time to talk, he finally invited them up quickly. As for the fat guy Lu Sanlang, he smiled and said that he would stay downstairs to take care of it, so he followed him.
When these top dignitaries went to the third floor, the heads of the association and wealthy merchants on the second floor could not help but feel a little regretful. However, including the two richest men, Wan Yuanbao and Hua Siye, no one felt that they were really qualified to have a banquet with a princess like Princess Yongping. Even though Emperor Taizu had always sneered at the idea of sex, there was still a difference between men and women.
Therefore, the two could only joke to the people at the same table that since it was the princess' birthday, they should also present a gift. Such a very reasonable suggestion naturally aroused a lot of approval. As for not having prepared anything in advance, it was never a big deal for people like them who were not short of money!
But at this moment, a little eunuch's sharp voice suddenly came from the stairs.
"The princess said that today is her birthday, and she has made an appointment in advance to celebrate with Miss Zhu of the Duke of Zhao's mansion and Doctor Zhang of the Imperial Academy. But since it's not a full birthday, she just took the opportunity of the imperial chef selection to come to the Xinglong Tea House to taste the skills of the famous chefs. So today she won't accept any gifts, but will only enjoy the food. If you want to celebrate her birthday, wait for the order to come down from upstairs, and then have a drink to celebrate the birthday together!"
This was considered to have blocked the attempts of some people to flatter, so everyone looked at each other and had no choice but to accept this matter. At the same time, they secretly made a note that if they encountered this important day again in the future, they must prepare in advance.
You know, even though there had been rumors outside that Zhang Shou, Zhu Ying and Princess Yongping were born on the same day, because that day happened to be the Mid-Autumn Festival and they were so busy with the imperial chef selection recently that they almost forgot about it!
Of course, there were some that he had not forgotten. Wan Yuanbao sighed and pressed his chest. Those were the three mutton-fat jade pendants that he had spent a lot of money to have carved. The elegant one he intended to give to Princess Yongping, and the ones he gave to Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying were a pair. Today, he felt that he might not be able to give them away.
Fourth Master Hua also touched the hidden pocket in his sleeve, thinking that Princess Yongping and Zhu Ying were fine, one of them loved calligraphy and ancient books, and the other loved gold and jade jewelry, so such valuable things would definitely not be given away today. But this birthday gift for Zhang Shou was carefully prepared before he went to Beijing, so maybe he could still give it away today.
This thing is completely worthless to many people, but for a maverick like Zhang Shou, he may appreciate it very much.
Just as the waiters downstairs began to shout that the chef had already prepared the snacks and would send them up for tasting, there was a sudden commotion downstairs. Then someone looked out the window, and then Lu Sanlang laughed and said, "The teacher and Miss Zhu are finally here together!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone in the room burst into laughter.
But amidst the laughter, some people remembered Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing who was on the third floor, and they couldn't help but wink. His daughter hasn't even married yet, but he's been hanging out with his future son-in-law all day long. This Zhao Guogong is really too casual.
But some people even thought sourly that if they had a daughter, they would definitely be willing to marry her to a handsome gentleman like Zhang Shou.
However, Zhu Jing, the Duke of Zhao on the third floor, was smiling when faced with the jokes of several colleagues and elders, but he was conflicted in his heart. If he had known this, why would he have agreed to Zhang Shou's marriage at the end of the year? Even if he had to force them, he would force Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying to get married quickly. Otherwise, they would go in and out together like a young couple . What's the matter?
Even if Zhu Ying came with Princess Yongping, it would be better than the two of them appearing together now!
Miss Zhu had no idea what her father felt. Even if she knew, she would have smiled and complained that Zhu Jing was too old-fashioned. She went up to the second floor first and saw that the huge place was almost full - because Zhu Jing and Ge Yong and six others went up to the third floor, and Lu Sanlang had arranged a few people in the extra seats on the second floor.
There was no doubt that the people who were arranged to come up were civilians who came to join in the fun. Lu Sanlang asked a few of his confidants to wander around the first floor below, claiming that he randomly selected a few people, but they all looked honest. At this moment, a few civilians who were at most from middle-class families were mixed in with a group of businessmen who were at least the owners of restaurants and restaurants. No matter how you looked at them, they seemed a little timid.
Seeing this scene, Zhu Ying's lips curled up slightly, and then she smiled cheerfully: "Today is my, Ah Shou's and Princess Yongping's birthday. I chose this day as the preliminary day for the imperial chef selection. It's a benefit I specially asked the emperor for! So, everyone, eat well, drink well, and give the judges in the end. Just treat it as a festival!"
Zhu Ying's words of eating and drinking well were full of rural flavor, and Zhang Shou at the back couldn't help but smile. He saw that Lao Xianyu beside him, the young monk Guan Tao who was looking around, and the other three young monks without scars on their heads were obviously stunned when they heard Zhu Ying's words, so he smiled and said, "Did you hear it? We will go up to the third floor later, eat and drink well, don't take it too seriously."
The words were simple. When we went up to the second floor, we saw many people dressed in silk and satin sitting in four seats. The old monk, who felt he had seen a lot of storms, remained calm. Guan Tao was still young and just looked at them curiously. The three country monks who were from the lower branch of Zanghai and had not yet been ordained or obtained the certificates of ordination were already a little worried.
The farthest they had ever gone was to Cangzhou. Who would have thought that they would be able to go to Beijing in this life? And their mission was to farm in Beijing? When Zhang Shou took them to the third floor, they heard the names Zhang Shou used to greet people, and the explanations that Lao Xianyu hurriedly gave them. The three young people, who should be called shami to be precise, were almost dumbfounded.
Hearing Zhang Shou addressing one of them as Duke Zhao, and then saying with a smile that he had never expected to have such a great person come, Lao Xianyu said, "Remember, that is Dr. Zhang's future father-in-law, Duke Zhao. The eldest son Zhu in Cangzhou is the eldest son of Duke Zhao, and the one wandering around the fields and setting up a cooperative is the second son of Duke Zhao."
Hearing Zhang Shou calling the middle-aged man who was obviously much younger than Duke of Zhao Zhu Jing "Duke of Qin", Lao Xianyu was busy explaining that he was the current prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, and that his son Zhang Chen was running a weaving workshop in Cangzhou and was doing very well.
Hearing Zhang Shou call Weinan Bo, Lao Xianyu quietly reminded the four monks, that he was the head of the Military Equipment Bureau, in charge of all the cannons and firearms of the court and the military. As for hearing Zhang Shou and Ge Yong greet each other, he was busy explaining the relationship between them.
As for Princess Yongping, who was as cold and indifferent as the bright moon in the night sky, the three young monks fell into a statue state as soon as they heard Zhang Shou call her "Princess". Although they had just heard what Zhu Ying said, who would have thought that the princess did not hide her true appearance?
The fact that the three of them and Guan Tao were brought up by Zhang Shou was both new and strange to the others. Princess Yongping couldn't help but think that if she hadn't changed her arrogant and self-admiring temper, she would have turned against Zhang Shou long ago just because of his strange behavior.
Even though she often appeared at the Yuehua Tower literary gatherings in the past, that was different from showing up in public in the usual sense. She rarely showed her true colors in front of those scholars. What was going on today when Zhang Shou brought three big monks and one small monk here without even saying a word?
And he is a fake monk without any scars from ordination!
Zhang Shou could certainly sense Princess Yongping's confusion and a bit of shame. After meeting several elders and relatives one by one, he pulled Guan Tao over first, then said with a smile: "I have said before that I gained a lot from my trip to Cangzhou. The biggest gain was that I found a lot of ingredients transplanted from overseas."
"Today is Yingying's and my birthday, and it is also the preliminary round of the imperial chef selection. So if Princess Yongping doesn't mind, I would like to give the chefs an extra question."
Seeing that Princess Yongping raised her eyebrows slightly but did not speak, some of the others showed curious expressions, such as Weinan Earl Zhang Kang, while some showed knowing sneers, such as Chu Ying who was well aware of his habits.
However, since Princess Yongping, who had brought Chu Kuan with her and was obviously representing the emperor, didn't say anything, the others who could be classified as Zhang Shou's relatives and friends would naturally have no objection.
"These four are monks from Cangzhou's Canghai Lower Temple. The young monk Guantao followed me to Beijing a long time ago. He grew up reciting scriptures. The other three just came from Cangzhou and have been working diligently to grow those overseas ingredients over the years. This time they also brought a lot of new and exotic ingredients that we have never seen or eaten before, which they have successfully grown over the years."
“Since these are ingredients that most people have never seen, let alone eaten, it’s certainly not easy for chefs to cook them right away when they see them for the first time. So, I have asked my cook Aunt Liu to give those chefs a demonstration, and then ask them to create their own dish using overseas ingredients after tasting them.”
At this point, Zhang Shou revealed a mischievous expression: "It has only been a few days since I came back from Cangzhou, and my cook has already learned how to use these ingredients in dishes. In other words, if you want to be selected into the imperial kitchen, of course you have to learn and apply what you have learned. Being able to cook something that you have seen and eaten for the first time, I think this should be a talent that the imperial chef in the imperial kitchen should have!"
Zhu Ying tried hard to hold back her laughter, especially when she saw the self-righteous expression on Lao Xianyu's face behind Zhang Shou, she almost broke down. Aunt Liu didn't figure out how to use those overseas ingredients in her dishes on her own, it was clearly Zhang Shou who taught her step by step!
How can those chefs who spend all day burying themselves in the stove compare to Zhang Shoubi who can determine the characteristics of the ingredients at a glance, and then make the most reasonable combination to make the most delicious taste!
Of course Zhang Shou didn't know that the eldest lady would regard him as a genius who could identify ingredients without any instruction just because of the few times he cooked in Cangzhou. The reason why he proposed such an additional topic was not only to embarrass the chefs under him, but also to develop new cooking methods for new ingredients as quickly as possible in this era, and to promote these delicacies at the same time.
Especially peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, peanuts... these things are simply indispensable delicacies on the tables of later generations!
When Princess Yongping heard Zhang Shou's reason, which seemed flawless at first glance, she couldn't help but look at the four monks again. She saw that the three older ones lowered their heads uneasily and didn't dare to look her in the face, while the younger one looked around curiously, but when he met her gaze, he didn't know how to avoid it, but stared at her straightly with clear and bright eyes. Her anger finally subsided.
So, after a moment of silence, she smiled and said, "Okay, then I'll follow your suggestion and add this question to the competition!"
