Chu Qiao's face suddenly turned pale. It wasn't that there was anything wrong with what she just said, but that she had hidden a special identity. It would have been fine if she had just explained it to a little cook, but the person listening turned out to be Xue Wanyue.
How could she explain where this knowledge came from?
Xue Wanyue is the food manager in the palace, so she will not be suspicious.
If Li Chunxiang is investigated, Chu Qiao has reason to believe that Chunxiang and even Chunxiang's family members must know nothing about Artemisia serrata, Baili Xiang, and Asafoetida.
"Lord Shang Shi! I think this is... I'm talking nonsense." Chu Qiao explained eagerly.
Are these nonsense? These are definitely not nonsense. Chu Qiao has studied them before, and she even touched these spices with her own hands.
But in the current situation, Chu Qiao secretly prayed, hoping that Xue Wanyue knew nothing about grassland spices. Maybe she could escape this disaster by saying so.
"Except for the asafoetida you just mentioned, which is a bit strange, I have heard about the others. They are very interesting and I like them very much." Xue Wanyue smiled slightly.
She actually knew about Artemisia and Thyme. It seemed that Chu Qiao had underestimated the Director of Food Shang. Chu Qiao slowly raised her head and looked over carefully, trying to judge from Xue Wanyue's expression how good the Director of Food Shang was at this moment.
doubt her.
But just when Chu Qiao raised her head, Xue Wanyue also looked at Chu Qiao's face. After just one glance, her brows furrowed. She seemed to have thought of something.
"I remember you, are you Li Chunxiang from the Imperial Kitchen?"
Xue Wanyue was very surprised. Wasn't this the female cook who boldly looked up at her in the imperial kitchen? She never expected that a little cook could be so proficient in grassland spices? That's very clear.
What's worse now is that Xue Wanyue still remembers her name. She can't escape even if she wants to.
"Yes, it's a slave. I came here with Chef Mao. It's really offensive to run around like this, but I'll go back right away." Chu Qiao said, and when she looked back, she found Chef Mao and the others.
I don't know where she went, they must have left her behind accidentally.
Without them, Chu Qiao felt even more uneasy. Maybe Xue Wanyue didn't believe her.
"Just now, I was here just now, maybe I went to the windproof stable over there."
Chu Qiao closed her eyes and lowered her head. Before receiving Xue Wanyue's order, she did not dare to pursue him, so she could only stay here without daring to say a word.
Xue Wanyue saw Chu Qiao's nervousness. She looked away and walked to the fence. She looked at the sheep walking back and forth and whispered.
"This time the Queen of Mongolia came to the palace. In addition to the decorations, she also had a sad thing in her heart. The emperor and the queen both hoped to entertain them hospitably and show the style of a big country. This state banquet is not about being good, but about being nice.
It should be even more exciting and make the Queen of Mongolia happy."
"My slave understands." Chu Qiao responded in a low voice.
Xue Wanyue was surprised to hear Chu Qiao's explanation. She looked at Chu Qiao again and asked.
"Do you understand? Tell me, what do you understand?"
"My servant understands that Lord Shang Shi is very anxious." Chu Qiao replied in a low voice.
"Haha, what a child. He speaks so directly. Yes, I am very anxious, that's why I came here to have a look and try to find a solution."
After Xue Wanyue finished speaking, she actually stretched out her hand and took Chu Qiao's hand affectionately. She didn't take into account the disparity in status between her and Chu Qiao at all, and she was very kind.
"How much do you know about the grasslands and how much do you know about Mongolian food? I really want to know. Can you continue what you just said?"
"Chunxiang is afraid that he has misled Lord Shangshi."
Chu Qiao looked at Xue Wanyue holding her hand, and felt an indescribable sincerity. She didn't know whether she should say what she wanted to keep in her heart, but it was obvious that she was not showing off her worries.
Maybe this food manager is different from others and is not a suspicious person.
If Chu Qiao needed to speak urgently, she probably wouldn't have searched Li Chunxiang's background endlessly. It seems that Xue Wanyue doesn't have the energy now.
"Tell me, just think that I have some free time right now and someone is with me to talk to." Xue Wanyue said.
"Yes, that's what Chunxiang said."
The fear in Chu Qiao's heart dissipated, and she hoped that the next words could help Xue Wanyue relieve her worries and anxiety. Most importantly, she also hoped that the state banquet would be better organized and give some tips to the director of Shangshi.
"Master Shangshi should know that the most famous spice in the family is rose."
"Of course I know." Xue Wanyue responded. She still didn't let go of Chu Qiao's hand, and her attitude was still so gentle.
"On the grassland, there is a kind of wild rose with a pleasant aroma. Many people use it to smoke tea and make wine. But they don't know that it can also be used as a spice for food. This spice is especially liked by female diners. It is pickled in summer.
Make rose petals and turn them into rose sauce. If you smear some on the roasted mutton, how will the effect be? There are also some pepper and artemisia, wild onions and garlic. If you mix them slightly, you will definitely create different flavors.
It also conforms to Mongolian people’s familiarity with fragrance and eliminates the feeling of a foreign country.”
Chu Qiao said it very naturally. This was what she was thinking while standing by the fence just now.
Unexpectedly, after she said these words, Xue Wanyue suddenly held her hand hard, and Chu Qiao raised her eyes in panic. She didn't know what she said wrong, or whether she said too much and was so presumptuous that she made Lord Shang Shi dissatisfied.
"Why are you just a cook in the imperial kitchen?" Xue Wanyue was really puzzled. What Chu Qiao just said touched her heart and also revealed the question she had been confused about.
Eliminating the feeling of a foreign country for the Mongolian queen is the most important aspect of preparing a meal, and it is also something she cannot fully grasp.
"I'm really just a cook."
Chu Qiao took a step back and lowered her head. She didn't understand what Xue Wanyue meant by asking. Is there anything wrong with her being a cook?
"Sir Shang Shi, I should go find them, otherwise I won't be able to go back after dark." Chu Qiao couldn't care so much anymore. She picked up her skirt and turned around to leave. She walked in a hurry, as if she was running away.
The palace daughter standing next to Xue Wanyue was about to chase Chu Qiao, but was stopped by Xue Wanyue.
"No need to chase."
"Lord Shangshi, you haven't given the order yet. She left so rudely. She should be punished." The palace daughter said displeased.
"She was just frightened. It doesn't matter. Someone will prepare the sedan in a moment. I want to go back to the palace."
Xue Wanyue had already gotten the answer she wanted, so she ordered the palace maid to set off back to the palace. After getting on the sedan, she opened the sedan curtain and looked back, but Chu Qiao had long disappeared.