Chapter 40 - 39 Eating Noodles

The Emperor’s mood had been sour lately, with the Empress Dowager watching him closely. Li Shengan said the pressure was immense. Having sealed the imperial brush, there was no need to attend the morning court, and there were far fewer petitions. Even if he were to spend his days indulging in the harem, eating and drinking with his young mistresses, the censors wouldn’t say a thing. But Zhao Junyao didn’t want to go anywhere. Yesterday, he visited the Empress Dowager, and the Noble Consort had followed right on his heels, putting on an act. It spoiled his mood entirely. He didn’t want to visit the Empress either. She was barely twenty but acted as if she were eighty. She carried herself with dignified propriety, but in reality, she was steeped in a dreary agedness. It was said that she had recently become obsessed with copying Buddhist scriptures. Wasn’t that something only old ladies enjoyed? Consort Yun had just suffered a miscarriage and was also in low spirits. Two people in foul moods together would only make things worse! Better not to bother. Consort Ning was gentle and kind but a bit foolish, unable to follow even half a sentence he said. She only spoke of the Princess, her thoughts clearly not on him. Consort Hui Pin was clever, knowing how to manage her emotions, but the Second Princess had just turned a year old and needed her mother’s care. Every time he visited, the child cried heart-wrenchingly as the Wetnurse Nanny carried the princess away. No matter how well Consort Hui Pin disguised it, he could sense her heartache. When the Second Princess saw him, she wouldn’t even let him hold her, automatically branding him ’the bad man who kept her from seeing her mother.’ Zhao Junyao’s face darkened, a wave of helplessness sweeping over him. From then on, there was only one purpose for his visits to Consort Hui Pin: to see the princess. Further down the line were Consort Zheng Pin, Honored Lady Hu, and Lady Xia. Consort Zheng Pin wasn’t attractive, ranking at the bottom of the harem, and he disliked her. He had never really given her a proper look from the start. Honored Lady Hu was lively and could ingratiate herself with others, but she was a bit haughty, forgetting her own name with a little too much favor. As for Lady Xia... Zhao Junyao scrutinized each of his young mistresses, only to find that it was Lady Xia who truly suited his taste. Thereupon, the supreme Emperor decided with a clap: "Honored Lady Xia is to accompany me in the Imperial Study Room!" "Right now?" Li Shengan appeared surprised. Wasn’t it usually after dinner, when there were fewer people, that the Emperor had Lady Xia accompany him? And now, it wasn’t even noon yet. "When I command you to go, just go! Stop fussing!" "Yes, yes, yes!" Li Shengan disappeared with utmost haste. Two quarters of an hour later, Xia Ruqing rode in a warmed sedan chair, entering Zhaochen Palace openly and honorably. Honored Lady Hu from the neighboring Lijing Pavilion saw this and wished she could bite her silver teeth to pieces with hatred. "Greetings, Your Majesty," Xia Ruqing said, approaching cautiously to offer her respects. She had heard that the Emperor was in a poor mood lately, so she had to be extra careful. On the way here, Eunuch Li had mentioned that the Emperor hadn’t had a proper meal for two days. It was a pitiable situation, really. She had always thought that an emperor’s palate must be cultivated from treasures of gold and jade. She never expected the imperial cuisine to be worse than ordinary home-cooked meals. For the wealthiest man in the Great Chu Dynasty, how hard could it be to have a common meal?! The difficulty lay in the fact that he was the Emperor! Zhao Junyao was practicing calligraphy, an art that calmed the mind. His father had taught him to never let his emotions hold sway, no matter the circumstance. If it wins, you lose! Upon reflection, it was indeed so. Xia Ruqing rolled up her sleeves and began grinding ink meticulously by his side. She added water with a small silver spoon and rotated the ink stick around the inkstone, circle after circle. In the study, only the sound of the grinding ink echoed. Zhao Junyao, with a Wolf Hair Brush soaked in thick ink, executed each stroke with deliberation and in a single flourish. The fragrance of ink permeated the air. By the time he put down his brush, it had passed the time for the noon meal. The Emperor was writing so intently that no one dared to disturb him. Li Shengan led the Palace Attendants to clean up the desk, then said, "Your Majesty, it is time for your midday meal!" Zhao Junyao’s displeasure had also dissipated quite a bit, and he nodded, signaling to have the meal prepared. He glanced at Xia Ruqing again and said, "Have them make a few dishes you would like to eat!" "Yes!" Xia Ruqing replied obediently, without any affectation. Seeing that the Emperor seemed to have calmed down, Li Shengan felt greatly relieved and said to Xia Ruqing with a smile, "What would the Honored Lady like to eat? I will have them prepare it right away!" Lady Xia was truly a godsend. The Emperor had been eating without relish for the past two days. Hopefully, he would eat a bit more at midday today. Otherwise, if this continued, what would happen if it harmed the dragon physique? Xia Ruqing thought for a moment and said, "Is there anyone in the kitchen who knows how to make noodles?" Li Shengan was stunned for a moment, then quickly replied, "Yes, yes, yes! There’s a master from Guanxi who makes excellent willow leaf noodles. Would the Honored Lady like to have this?" Xia Ruqing nodded and said again, "And some simple home-cooked side dishes. It doesn’t matter what, as long as they are light and tasty!" Seeing that the Emperor had not made any remarks, Li Shengan presumed he must also be satisfied, and he left cheerfully. At Zhaochen Palace’s small kitchen, the chefs were also worried. The Emperor was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with the imperial cuisine; it was sent in only to be returned untouched. For these top Imperial Chefs, recruited from all over, this was a disgrace. Weren’t they once chefs for whom people would beg for a single dish? But now, it wasn’t a matter of their skill; it was the rigid rules of imperial cuisine they were forced to adhere to. Thus, when Master Li from Guanxi heard that Lady Xia wanted to eat his willow leaf noodles, he was so moved that tears streaked down his face. "Finally, I have the chance to show off the specialty I’m most proud of!" The other Imperial Chefs watched with envy. Li Shengan then added, "The Honored Lady also said she wants some tasty home-cooked side dishes, anything will do; the important thing is that they must be light and delightful!" The Imperial Chefs looked at each other, then after a few seconds: "The tofu fish from our Southern Sichuan is delicious—fragrantly spicy and memorably savory..." "That won’t do; it’s too spicy. The Honored Lady said it needs to be light. Our honey-glazed lotus root slices from Jiangnan are the best fit!" Another Imperial Chef dismissed this. "No, no, no, the Emperor doesn’t like sweet flavors. The stewed chicken with mushrooms from my hometown is the best—it’s fresh and tender, and there’s soup to drink..." "The Honored Lady specifically requested something light, and you suggest stewed chicken, which is so greasy..." The Imperial Chefs argued and clamored, until Li Shengan knocked heavily twice. "Enough!" he barked. "Listen carefully, it’s home-cooked dishes, not hometown dishes! They must be light yet tasty. Get it done quickly and don’t delay!" The Imperial Chefs answered in unison, "...Yes!" Master Li was already kneading the dough—not just white flour, but also dough mixed with bean flour, sweet potato flour, and mixed grain flour. The dough was kneaded until firm. As the water boiled, his knife danced, swift cuts transforming the dough into pieces that became willow-leaf shapes as they plunged into the water. Once cooked to perfection, he scooped them out and plunged them into cold water to firm up, making them even chewier. At that moment, a Little Eunuch came running over. "The Honored Lady said to prepare some more of the fried shiitake mushroom and beef tidbits from last time, to be poured over the noodles!" Master Li cheerfully agreed; Lady Xia had been served by him on her last visit, after all. It wasn’t much trouble. With all the ingredients ready at hand, a plate of golden-fried shiitake mushroom and beef tidbits was prepared in no time. Though a bit different from last time, it was still very aromatic. The midday meal was served dish by dish, and everything Xia Ruqing had ordered was present: stir-fried lotus root slices, sautéed shredded vegetables, sautéed dried bamboo shoots and ginkgo nuts, as well as simple tofu mixed with scallions, and wood ear mushrooms mixed with red onions. The willow leaf noodles were served in a small white jade jar, with various toppings and that plate of golden-fried beef tidbits placed alongside.