(31) Chicken stew with mushrooms
The plain white screen is embroidered with verdant landscapes, the peaks and ridges are lofty, the mountain cliffs are steep, decorated with layers of different shades of greenery, and a clear spring between the mountains is meandering, twisting and turning, as if flowing.
This is the little prince's Zaide Palace, next to the queen's Lizheng Palace, the palace decorations are all treasures, it is said that this temporary move out of the screen, it is said that it is the finished product of seventeen or eighteen show girls spent several months.
However, there are a lot of these things in the palace, although they are rare, they are not the things that attract Wei Qing the most.
The screen was shining with light, and Wei Qing and the shells were in the inner room.
This was originally a gallery house, but it was not surrounded by walls because it was connected to the back room of the Zaide Palace.
There are doors in the front and back of the screen, the little prince's side leading to the gate, and Wei Qing's side leading to the kitchen.
Wei Qing didn't wait long here, and the little prince's friend seemed to be his classmate, or some official sent his son under his knees to do the accompanying reading—Wei Qing guessed, otherwise how could he just come back in time to come back with the little prince who was out of school?
It's just that the man is much taller than the little prince, and his figure is slender, but it is not very real through the screen, and he only knows that his steps reveal a kind of relaxation and leisure.
He sat quietly at the table with the little prince, without speaking, raising one hand to support his cheeks, without more movements, but people couldn't help but imagine a delicate face, picturesque eyebrows, maybe blinking in leisure.
Now I am looking forward to the admiring voice of this "picky" son.
Wei Qing nodded at the shell, and she sensibly opened the food box on the table, took out the dishes, and handed them to the hundred families guarding the screen.
Interestingly, the eunuchs and palace maids around the little prince are always changing their names, and every time the little prince learns a new textbook, the attendants around him can get a new name.
As soon as Baijia put the plate on the table, the sound of shells came from behind the screen:
"I heard that Gongzi had a loss of appetite, so he chose the best black chicken for Gongzi, simmered and boiled, and after half an hour, he took out the deboning, supplemented by fresh tea tree mushrooms picked from the edge of the southwest Camellia oleifera Garden, stewed in a casserole, skimmed off the oil slick three times, and then served it to Gongzi."
The people presented the bowls, chopsticks and spoons, and the hundred families skillfully scooped them up with a small long spoon, ready to put them in their mouths to test the poison for the prince.
The amber gray soup and the chicken intertwined with the slender tea tree mushrooms can be seen in the soup bowl, and although they are left in the food box for some time, they do not interfere with the faint fragrance diffusion, which makes people want to taste it.
It seems that he heard about himself, and Matsutsuki remembered the chef who only remembered to praise how good the ingredients he used a few days ago, and compared to this one, although today's dishes sound simple, they are more attentive.
Song Yue raised her hand to stop Baijia from tasting first, lifted the soup spoon in the bowl and scooped it into his own bowl, signaling him to test the poison by himself, and then sent a spoonful to his mouth.
It was a very light taste, not as nourishing as the chicken soup he had tasted - that was the first time he tried the poison tonic soup for the Queen Mother, and he could feel the effect in his mouth, full of medicinal herbs and oil flowers, and it was hard for him to forget.
Although it is also chicken soup, this chef has really put in a lot of effort, just tea tree mushrooms, black chicken and simple seasonings can make the taste complete and delicious, without a trace of fishy smell and greasy, without the hustle and bustle, harmonious and complete.
Matsutsuki really wanted to show his enjoyment of the chef's delicacies from the inside out, but he already had a body memory on weekdays, and his expression involuntarily rose to the floor, and it was difficult to swallow.
The little prince was looking forward to it, thinking that with Matsutsuki's performance of wanting to be the first to taste, he would win, but he didn't expect it to be the same as before.
A little depressed, he unwillingly stretched out his chopsticks and picked up a tea tree mushroom and put it in his mouth, and then glared at Song Yue in disbelief: "You don't even think this is delicious?" ”
Song Yue shook her head and said softly, "It's delicious." ”
Li Chongxuan thought that he was worried about hurting Wei Qing behind the screen, so he also lowered his voice: "You also commented on the last cook." ”
"It's really delicious."
Matsutsuki didn't explain, just waved the spoon as fast as she could, trying to explain what she meant with her actions.
It's just that he misses a small point - the way he eats is really very indescribable.
This little prince has seen before:
It was the first cold he had since he could remember, surrounded by a bunch of imperial doctors, everyone had a black-brown medicinal soup in their hands, and they had to be forcibly poured several large bowls every day, and the bitter breath filled his heart and lungs.
At that time, he frowned and closed his eyes and drank quickly—in order to get better quickly and no longer suffer from this hellish torment.
Corresponding to the appearance of Matsutsuki closing her eyes and enjoying it, drinking quickly and hard, it is simply a reproduction of painful memories!
"Don't force yourself," the little prince couldn't bear it, stretched out his hand and pulled Songyue's sleeve, and his face was embarrassed: "This prince shouldn't invite her to come, don't you drink if you don't want to......"
"Your Highness, it's really delicious."
"You're so reluctant to deceive."
“...... If it doesn't suit the appetite of the son, the son should not be reluctant. The sound of shells came from within.
The two ends of the screen were not very far away, so even if they lowered their voices, Wei Qing and Beike could hear them clearly.
Originally, Beike didn't believe that someone disliked his own cooking skills, and the actions of that person were the same as those who begged for food, but unfortunately, Li Chongxuan comforted her one after another and broke her illusions.
Shell was a little frustrated and wanted to comfort his own cultivator, but Wei Qing was still in his own world.
She knew that the boy did like her dishes very much—every time he ate it, although it was a little hasty, he was still savoring it slowly, and his head was always at the same angle, probably reverently and earnestly studying the color of the soup.
If this son is trying to force herself, she doesn't believe it, although it is just a ball of light, she can feel the appreciation of that person—from a confidant she has never met.
I really want to see him, Wei Qing thought to herself, but forget it, I think it's a young child of a family, no matter what the reason, the palace concubine is not allowed to meet him.
If it weren't for the little prince's plea today, they wouldn't even have a chance to be separated by a screen.
Wei Qing patted the shell's hand, signaling that she didn't have to be like this, and after thinking about it, she still couldn't help but speak: "Childe's appreciation, Yiqing knows, if Gongzi has a dish he wants to taste, he can ask His Highness to tell Yiqing." ”
With that, she got up and bowed her head and left through the door behind her.
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The spring is just right, the sun is shining, and it is still a little hot, Wei Qing came out of the Zaide Hall thoughtfully, and subconsciously didn't want to return to his palace so early.
I don't know why I'm worried in my heart, so I slowly paced in the long palace road, obviously the imperial garden is not far away, but I don't have the intention of wanting to watch it.
There was no end to the palace road, she walked along the side for a long time, and when she was tired, she turned around and returned the same way.
The agarwood-colored clothes have a solemn atmosphere, like a waiter strolling out of the hall of incense, but it is a treasure satin, lively in the sun, but walking elegantly, like a melancholy lion cat - worthy of the prince family.
Although they only met by chance on the road, Wei Qing had an intuition that this unknown big cat was the son behind the screen just now.