Among the many complexes in the Western Garden, there was one complex that could not be ignored, and one could smell the mouth-watering aroma as one approached the building.
This complex is the imperial kitchen.
Jiajing emperor cultivate fairy alchemy night and day, however, in addition to their own royal seal a long and a let a person read a breath can not finish outside the immortal number, there is no point on the body with the immortal touch, the mortal body of Jiajing emperor naturally can not rely on the wind and drink the dew to survive, can not be separated from the three meals a day, so this is the Imperial Catering Room is the West Garden in the focus of the department.
The Imperial Catering Room was originally in the southeast of the Forbidden City, according to the I Ching gossip east of the main wood, south of the main fire, wood and fire, the Imperial Catering Room attribute is fire, so the distribution of the Forbidden City in the southeast. However, with the Jiajing Emperor to avoid living in the West Garden, the Imperial Catering House from the Forbidden City transferred to the West Garden, the direction is also in the southeast direction of the West Garden.
West Garden of the Imperial Catering Room is mainly for the Jiajing Emperor service kitchen, the whole world’s most delicious delicacies are mostly born here, do not look at the Imperial Catering Room is only for the Jiajing Emperor’s services, the scale of the Imperial Catering Room is not small. The imperial kitchen is an independent hall, the light of the big room has more than 30, the imperial kitchen has more than 20 people, these are the chef in charge of the chef; there are also kitchen service 50 people, these are to the imperial kitchen to play the small chef, responsible for picking and washing vegetables and cut meat and noodles and other underhanded work; in addition to 30 people, these are to do some physical work, water, lift vegetables, and so on. In addition to these people, the Imperial Catering Room has more than eighty eunuchs, the Imperial Kitchen can not walk in the West Garden, these eunuchs are responsible for on the dietary delicacies, specifically responsible for the transmission of meals, waiters, sitting and other things.
In fact, I have to say that Jiajing emperor in the diet is a frugal emperor, the size of these personnel on the whole than Zhengde and other predecessors to be less than a hundred people, not to mention and the latter days of the Qing dynasty compared to the later years, if and the latter days of the Cixi Empress not move more than one hundred dishes a meal compared to the Emperor can be used to describe the simplicity of the diet of the Emperor.
At this time it was already past noon, the sun shone on the glazed tiles of the imperial dining room reflecting the colourful light.
There are two eunuchs at the entrance of the Imperial Dining Room, the two are anxiously looking out at the entrance of the Imperial Dining Room, holding the Buddha’s dust and pacing back and forth, favouring the feminine sighs for a while and a while. The two have been waiting here for more than an hour. But has not yet seen the small eunuch who went to send the presentation of the meal sheet returned, has sent two small eunuchs to inquire about the news, the news is also only temporary Hou.
“His holiness this has been two meals have not eaten, starve the dragon body can do ah.”A slightly shorter eunuch in charge of food paced while sighing.
“That’s right. Our hearts are all clenched, it can’t be that our Imperial Catering Room has done something wrong.”Another Catering Eunuch was similarly anxious, with an uneven level of worry.
“What are you talking about with this crow’s mouth, last night’s meal was rewarded.”The slightly shorter eunuch in charge of food hurriedly waved Buddha dust twice, as if he could wave away bad luck.
“Yes yes. Eunuch Liu said yes.”The other eunuch in charge of food nodded repeatedly, his heart slightly relaxed.
It was no wonder that he was worried at first, Emperor Jiajing could be said to be the most severe emperor towards eunuchs apart from Emperor Yuanzhang and Emperor Yongle, Emperor Jiajing looked down on eunuchs and felt that eunuchs were only worthy of cleaning the toilets to the toilets, if Emperor Jiajing found out that the eunuchs had made a mistake, a beating with a cane would be a light one.
“Dare I ask the two eunuchs, the meal order hasn’t arrived yet, what kind of dish is this going to be?”
While the two were waiting, Imperial Chef Liu, the chef of the Imperial Catering Room, walked out. Arching his hand towards the two eunuchs who were standing at the door, he asked.
“Lord Liu, we are more anxious than you ah, but today is not the same as in the past, the Holy Spirit has two meals have not eaten, you have to ask for proper instructions to sit, if it is not done to the taste of the Holy Spirit, we suffer a chastisement is small, the Holy Spirit starvation of the dragon body is a big deal na.”Catering eunuch is also anxious.
“The saint fasted for half a month has also been vegetarian for half a month, have to supplement some meat meat is good.”Liu imperial chef said.
“We all understand what Lord Liu said, but this meal list has not yet been sent back. Why doesn’t Lord Liu still prepare it according to the meal list you mentioned first.”The Catering Eunuch thought about it and said to Imperial Chef Liu.
“That will have to do.”Imperial Chef Liu nodded and was about to prepare to return to the Imperial Catering Room to prepare His Majesty’s meal.
Just then, he suddenly heard the excited voice of another eunuch in charge of meals. “Quickly, quickly, look Xiao Dezi has returned.”
The small dezi in the mouth of this Cuisinart eunuch is the small eunuch they sent to present the meal list, the small dezi ran very fast, the atmosphere is not catching up with the air, like a general who has won a big battle, excitedly handing over the meal list in his hand solemnly to the Cuisinart eunuch who was waiting at the door.
The food eunuch took the meal list. He couldn’t wait to read it, and his face looked a bit strange after reading it.
Waiting for Liu Imperial Chef to see the meal list to understand why the two Catering Eunuchs have some strange expressions, this returned meal list is completely different from what they submitted, there is not a single dish that is the same.
Bamboo shoots stewed pork, steamed fish head, braised aubergine, stewed chicken, shredded pork with fish, marinated chicken legs, steamed crab (no salt), sweet and sour fish, spicy chicken wings …..
The more Imperial Chef Liu looked at this menu, the weirder he felt, these dishes were a bit hard to get into in general, it was not clear how His Holiness suddenly wanted to eat these dishes.
However, finally know what to make.
Liu imperial chef took the meal list and quickly returned to the imperial kitchen, the menu in his hand to pass on to the chefs, and then the imperial kitchen this food machine began to move. The Imperial Chef is worthy of being the Imperial Chef, the dishes on the meal list will soon be presented in front of the eyes of all the people with all the colours and flavours.
There were a total of nine dishes on the meal list, which was definitely extravagant for ordinary people, but for the emperor, it was still too little.
In order to enrich His Majesty’s cuisine, the imperial chefs also prepared another six dishes, making a total of fifteen dishes, which were passed on by the eunuchs to Emperor Jiajing’s palace.
While Zhu Pingan was arranging the tenth bookshelf, Zhang Siwei came again, saying that the Holy Lord had passed another small note over. Hearing that the Holy Spirit had passed another note, Zhu Pingan put down the book in his hand and followed Zhang Siwei to the hall of the Hanlin Academy.
This time to the Jiajing Emperor to run errands to send the note is a small yellow door, is Zhu Pingan’s acquaintance Feng Bao, is no longer the morning of the Huang Jin. It is also, Huang Jin is Jiajing Emperor’s side of the big red man, but also the first time in charge of the East Chamber, which has so much time to do errands.
When Zhu Pingan entered the hall, he felt that the atmosphere in the hall was a bit strange, the Hanlin’s in the hall were all looking at themselves.
“Ta-Jen Zhu, this is from His Holiness.”Feng Bao unfolded the small note in his hand and said to Zhu Pingan.
Err.
Gave it to me?
No wonder the atmosphere in the hall was so strange, no wonder they were all looking at themselves, so it turned out that His Holiness had specially given the small piece of paper to himself this time. Having received a small note from Emperor Jiajing when he first arrived, there was no wonder it made them like this. Just, what kind of note did Emperor Jiajing pass to himself, he had only just joined, Zhu Pingan was curious about the content of the small note.
“Subject, receive the decree.”Zhu Pingan knelt down to receive the note.
After receiving the note, Zhu Pingan opened it, and then cried and laughed a little after reading the content of the small piece of paper, because there was only a simple sentence on it:
“Sweet and sour fish is better for dinner.”
