Volume 1 Princess Taiping Grows Up Chapter 65: Family Dinner (Part 1)
The biggest difference between stir-frying and steaming is that the flavor will spread when the food is almost cooked.
When the onion, ginger and mutton are put into the pot and the color of the mutton changes, the whole kitchen is filled with fragrance.
Li Zhi sniffed, turned his head and said, "It seems like I'm in for a treat today. I didn't expect Chen'er to have such cooking skills."
Wu Zetian said: "As a princess of a country, cooking here is simply..."
Although I have to admit that the smell is very appetizing.
"It's okay, Chen'er just needs to study it, and then he can teach it to the imperial chef in the palace in the future." Li Zhi was very open-minded about this.
But then, when he saw Li Yuechen grabbing the big iron pan with one hand and starting to stir-fry, he couldn't help but nodded and sighed in his heart: What a good skill!
He could naturally see that the iron pan was not clean. In fact, if Li Yuechen wanted to, he could stir-fry it with one hand.
But in order not to shock the world too much, he still used the bottom of the pot to support the edge of the stove and used some skill to flip it over.
After a while, a pot of fragrant stir-fried lamb with green onions was served on the plate.
This time, Zhang Chengxin didn't even use the silver needle to try it. Instead, he took a bite directly and then stood by and waited.
However, in order to keep it warm, he ordered the eunuch next to him to cover it with a porcelain basin.
Li Yuechen jumped down from the stool: "Grandpa, please try it later. If you think it's good, I will prepare the New Year's Eve dinner this year, okay?"
"Okay, let's see who is better between Chen'er and my imperial chef!" Li Zhi smiled and stretched out his hand to rub her face.
Wu Zetian, who was standing beside him, reminded him, "In the future, you should study these matters on your own and never show them to others!"
"Don't worry, mother. I understand!" Li Yuechen raised his head and agreed with a smile.
After about twenty minutes, Zhang Chengxin nodded: "Saint, Madam, I believe everything is fine."
Li Zhi couldn't wait any longer. He ordered the eunuch to take the porcelain basin away and directly picked up a piece of mutton and put it into his mouth.
"Um--"
After letting out a rough groan, Li Zhi nodded while chewing: "Not bad, not bad... Mei Niang should try it too!"
Wu Zetian also picked up a piece and tried it. Her reaction was not as strong as his, but she still nodded: "Not bad!"
Then the two tried the egg fried rice. Although it was not as delicious as the stir-fried lamb with green onions, the fresh taste still made Li Zhi praise it.
Li Yuechen stood beside him with a smile: "Grandpa, can I prepare the dinner this year?"
"Okay!" Li Zhi agreed, "But Chen'er, let the imperial chef handle this matter in the future."
"I can teach them." Li Yuechen said, "Then grandma and mom can eat the delicacies I research every day."
"Yes." Li Zhi nodded and called a group of imperial chefs over: "You will follow the princess to learn this new cooking method recently. If you learn it well, I will reward you!"
Li Yuechen stood beside Li Zhi, with her hands on her hips, and waved her hands like him: "If you can develop new dishes based on what I taught you, this princess will also reward you!"
Seeing her acting like a devil, the people around her blushed and wanted to laugh but didn't dare to.
Only Wu Zetian grinned and said, "Chen'er, you are overstepping your authority!"
"No problem, no problem..." Li Zhi waved his hand nonchalantly, bent down and rubbed his daughter's head, "In the future, you don't have to call yourself 'this princess', just call yourself 'this palace'."
Li Yuechen looked puzzled: "But I don't have a title yet, right? How can I call myself this palace?"
When Li Zhi heard her question, he was stunned, then he looked at Wu Zetian and laughed.
"Hahaha...silly child, isn't 'Taiping' a title?"
"Isn't that a Taoist name?" Li Yuechen asked with his head tilted and his big eyes open.
"Hahaha..." Li Zhi seemed to feel healed when he saw his daughter's look and started laughing again.
Zhang Chengxin came over and whispered, "Your Highness, the Taoist name bestowed by the saint is equivalent to a title."
"So that's how it is..." Li Yuechen nodded.
Then he turned around, put his hands on his waist and waved to the imperial chefs: "If you can develop new dishes based on what I taught you, I will..."
"Shut up!" Wu Zetian suddenly stopped him, "Is this title just for your enjoyment?"
"Hehe, I'm just giving it a try..." Li Yuechen smiled awkwardly, then took her hand and started to swing: "Just wait and see, mother. This year's banquet will definitely be very interesting."
…
There are only a few days left until the Chinese New Year, and Li Yuechen needs to make careful preparations.
The first thing is to ask the imperial chef to list all the things available for the New Year and see what dishes can be cooked.
I have to say that you can still get some vegetables in the palace in winter. I heard that they are grown in hot springs, but not only is the quantity small, but they are also small.
After reading it, Li Yuechen had a clear idea in his mind. He practiced in the morning and changed his activity in the afternoon to writing recipes.
Write down all the recipes you can think of now and let these royal chefs learn from them.
Unfortunately, none of these imperial chefs could read, which made Li Yuechen feel helpless. It was really not easy to teach illiterate people.
Fortunately, the Chinese New Year is not far away, so Li Yuechen decided to let them watch on New Year's Eve.
Although these people are illiterate, they have rich experience in cooking and can basically get the hang of it after watching it once.
By the end of the year, there were a lot more things happening in the court.
Various reports from all over the country over the past year have been pouring in, and the number of memorials on the desk is several times more than usual.
My mother Wu Zetian seems to be glued to her chair recently. She hardly moves except for sleeping or going to the toilet.
…
Near the end of the month, Li Yuechen called Xiaohe and Zheng into the inner hall.
When the two came in, they saw Princess Xuancheng and Princess Yiyang were also there. They were a little curious for a moment, not knowing what they were going to ask.
Li Yuechen saw them coming and asked directly: "I just want to ask, what do you think of the sanitary napkin? Is it practical?"
Almost everyone was shocked by Li Yuechen's straightforward usage. They looked at each other for a moment, feeling a little embarrassed to answer.
Seeing that they all lowered their heads and didn't speak, Li Yuechen was a little confused: "What's going on? Tell me!"
"This... is not bad..." Princess Xuancheng spoke first, but her voice was as soft as a mosquito's.
If children's hearing wasn't generally good, I wouldn't be able to hear what she was saying at all.
Seeing someone taking the lead, Princess Yiyang nodded and said, "It's much more useful than before."
Then Li Yuechen turned his head again and looked at Xiaohe and Zheng with a questioning expression.
The two also tried to make their voices sound calmer: "This thing is very useful. If possible, I would like to use it again in the future."
"That's good !" Li Yuechen nodded. Since they had all done the experiment, they decided to give their mother a gift.
So I went to the clothing bureau, got two new pairs of pure cotton underwear and a few sanitary napkins, and went to Renshou Hall.
He did not ride his tricycle this time, because it felt a bit crowded now that Li Yuechen was sitting in it.
So I threw it to Shangguan Wan'er and let her do what she wants with it. Anyway, I guess it will be thrown to my second brother Li Xian soon and let his children play with it.
…
Arriving at Renshou Hall, Li Yuechen greeted Zhang Chengxin at the door and skipped in.
Because the weather was a bit cold, Li Zhi leaned almost completely in front of the small pot for boiling tea: "Chen'er came a little early today."
Li Yuechen chuckled: "Today I am here to give my mother a gift!"
As he spoke, he walked to the table and opened the thing wrapped in silk in his hand.
Wu Zetian looked down and asked casually , "What is this?"
Pretend! Keep pretending!
Li Yuechen complained crazily in her heart, "As the head of the harem, if you don't know this, which is known to everyone in Anfu Palace, then you'd be in vain as the queen!"
In the harem, as long as more than two people knew something, there was no way Wu Zetian would not know about it. It just depended on whether she was willing or not.
Of course, even though he was thinking about it, he still had to show a proud look on his face as he introduced it to her: "This thing was specially researched by me for you, mother. This is..."
After Li Yuechen gave a brief explanation, Wu Zetian reached out and touched her head: "Chen'er is thoughtful."
"Hehe, that's right!" Li Yuechen smiled and raised his hand to gently massage her legs. "Grandpa and mom are tired every day, and this is the only way I can share the worries for you two adults."
Li Zhi, who was standing next to them, watched the interaction between the mother and daughter and a smile appeared on his face.
Of course he knew about the underwear, and he asked the Clothing Bureau to make some for him to try on on the first day.
It’s a pity that Wu Zetian wore it very comfortably, but he felt it was too tight!
Fortunately, the people in the Clothing Bureau are not simple. As senior tailors, they immediately knew where the problem lies and have recently been trying to make a men's style with pockets.
At the same time, they also knew that Li Yuechen had let other people try it before sending it to them, and they liked her careful filial piety even more.
The only thing that makes Li Yuechen feel a little regretful is that currently only the royal family and the powerful can afford this thing. It seems that he still needs to find a way to promote the cultivation of cotton and bring down the price.
…
In a blink of an eye, it was New Year's Eve. Following Li Yuechen's suggestion, this year's dinner was held at the Shangshi Bureau.
Anyway, we just need to move the big round table over. There are no outsiders here, so it doesn’t matter where we eat.
Although the table and chairs were already set up, almost the entire family gathered around and watched her cook.
On the other side, a group of royal chefs stood nearby, watching and discussing something in low voices.
The biggest problem with cooking is the smoke. Li Yuechen opened the window next to the stove. Because the temperature next to the stove is high, the smoke will fly out through the window.
A rich aroma filled the air around the stove, and a Tang Dynasty version of beef and tofu was soon ready.
In fact, the law in the Tang Dynasty prohibited the killing of cattle. If a cow at home was sick or something, it was necessary to report it to the government and send someone to investigate. Only if the situation was confirmed could the cow be killed.
But since they are royal...it doesn't matter.
Seeing the delicious dishes coming out of the pot, Crown Prince Li Hong, who was standing at the front, couldn't help but sniff: "What a nice smell!"
"Yes, this dish looks appetizing!" Li Xian chimed in, "I didn't expect Yuechen to have such cooking skills!"
"Anyway, whether Yuechen understands it or not, he will come up with new things. I'm almost used to it." Li Xian said with a smile.
Li Zhi patted his son's head and said, "That's right. I'm used to it now."
Li Lun said nothing, but just stared at the food boiling in the pot in front of him with his big eyes. He smacked his lips twice and seemed to have swallowed a mouthful of saliva.
The two sisters were at the back, looking at Li Yuechen, who was standing on a chair and cooking, with a smile on their faces, their beautiful eyes full of admiration.
Usually, her two elder sisters live with her, so compared with the emperor or other princes, this younger sister actually brings them more surprises.
She seems to know everything, has a different opinion on everything, and always has new ideas and practices.
Among the people present, they were the only two who knew the most about Li Yuechen. At this moment, they thought it was natural that Li Yuechen knew how to cook.
"Okay, stop standing here and watching. Second brother, please help bring the dishes to the table." Li Yuechen reminded with a smile.
Li Xian was stunned: "Why let me go? A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen. I am the King of Pei..."
Before he could finish his words, he inadvertently saw Li Zhi and Wu Zetian, both of whom were looking at him with smiles on their faces.
"Ahem..." Li Xian cleared his throat, "Yuechen is right. Today is a family dinner, and it is my duty to serve the two adults..."
As he spoke, he reached out to pick up the prepared dishes and put them on the table. The other sons and daughters also asked Li Yuechen what they could do.
"Prepare the dishes and chopsticks." Li Yuechen reminded.
The other children also turned around and started fighting for the bowls and chopsticks.
Li Lun and Li Xian were fighting for a bowl: "Brother, I'm the youngest, so leave these trivial matters to me..."
"That's wrong. Today's family dinner doesn't need to be so formal. Silang and your brother love each other very much. Today, your brother should do something to give back..." Li Xian said as he grabbed the bowl.
The two sisters covered their mouths and chuckled as they watched the scene, wanting to laugh but holding it back.
Li Zhi and Wu Zetian smiled at each other, and surprisingly did not teach them a lesson. Instead, they watched them fight with each other.
As the eldest brother, Li Hong originally had a stern face and wanted to give them a lecture, but when he saw that the couple were smiling and in a good mood, he opened his mouth but said nothing.
Zhang Chengxin, who was serving nearby, probably couldn't help it anymore, so he quietly turned his back and lowered his head, but his shoulders were still twitching.
Li Yuechen cooked the dishes one by one, and soon the table was filled with several plates. There were all kinds of fresh food that they had never seen before, filling the entire table.
Then Li Yuechen took out another processed fish, cut a few cuts on it, and put it into the boiling oil in the pot.
Seeing this scene, Wu Zetian's face was full of black lines: "Chen'er, this fish..."
"Don't ask!" Li Yuechen interrupted her and turned her head to show a cute smile: "As long as mother doesn't ask, it's the same as not knowing!"
"Nonsense!" Wu Zetian growled.
"Okay, okay, no problem." Li Zhi smiled, "This ban is just for show. I have wanted to abolish it for a long time, but it is difficult for Emperor Gaozu to say it openly... It is better to turn a blind eye."
Li Xian and the others looked at each other secretly and smiled at each other.
In fact, they had secretly eaten carp before, but they had only eaten it raw. They didn't expect that this fish could be cooked in other ways.
Now that Li Zhi has made his attitude clear, they all began to look forward to it.
