The judges kept the secret on the preliminary selection day. This was the answer that Lu Sanlang, who was solely responsible for organizing the imperial chef selection competition, never changed when faced with many people who inquired about information.
Therefore, before Ge Yong and other three old gentlemen, Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing and other three distinguished nobles came, they saw only Wan Yuanbao and two other wealthy businessmen from the capital ascending the building, and behind them there were three ordinary people looking around as judges.
The chef thought it would only be judged by six people, but his initial disappointment was as real as it gets.
After all, no one is sure that they will be able to pass through the layers of screening and finally get into the royal kitchen and get the title of royal chef. Their greater hope is to win the favor of the powerful. When the time comes, a compliment can win themselves a great reputation.
When I open my own restaurant in the future, I will have some bragging rights.
But as the important guests arrived one by one, the chefs began to get excited. When they heard that Princess Yongping was coming and that they would even celebrate their birthdays at the Xinglong Tea House today, they were not excited, but excited!
No matter what the results of the selection of the royal chef are, when the time comes they will be the ones who have hosted the princess’s birthday banquet. How honorable!
Not only the chefs were excited, but the people who came to join in the fun today were also excited, because Chu Kuan, the eunuch in charge of the eunuch who was ordered to accompany Princess Yongping, announced with a smile that it was Princess Fangchen, and Princess Yongping personally composed a question.
Invite all the chefs who are taking the imperial chef exam today to make a birthday snack that can only be eaten in one bite, and the cost needs to be controlled, the lower the better.
However, in addition to the tasting portions of the many guests upstairs, forty people present will also be randomly selected to taste and judge the dishes.
Hearing the thunderous cheers below, Princess Yongping, who was staying alone on the third floor, smiled faintly, and then said to Chu Kuan: "The two birthday girls, Zhu Ying and Zhang Shou, have not come for a long time, and I feel depressed even if I stay here alone.
Besides, although this is the place where my father originally wanted to enjoy the scenery, it doesn’t make sense to keep it empty. Why don’t we invite Grand Master Ge, Duke Zhao and others to come up?”
Although the Queen was deposed, the Emperor even personally asked Princess Yongping to help the Queen Mother with palace affairs. However, Princess Yongping pushed back in front of the Queen Mother. The reason was all ready - there were female officials in the palace and there was no need for her at all.
It's troublesome, and the most important thing is that since the queen has been deposed, the other concubines in the harem are all in peace, and there are not many things to take care of. Why can't she be allowed to supervise the payment of monthly payments to the concubines?
Thinking that he secretly appreciated Princess Yongping's wisdom when he heard this, Chu Kuan smiled and said: "The princess said so, and that's what she should do."
With Princess Yongping's order, he naturally had to make this trip in person. After all, those few were famous veterans and nobles. Even the emperor would not neglect him, let alone him? Although it took a little effort.
, but he still invited people over quickly. As for the fat little Lu Sanlang, he said with a smile that he would stay down below to take care of things, so he went with them.
When these top dignitaries went up to the third floor, many of the heads of society and wealthy businessmen on the second floor couldn't help but feel a little regretful. However, including the two richest men, Wan Yuanbao and Fourth Master Hua, no one felt that they were really qualified to go and fight with Yong.
Princess Ping had a banquet in the same building with a noble lady like Princess Ping. Even though Emperor Taizu had always sneered at the idea of men and women not being intimate, there was still a difference between men and women.
Therefore, the two of them could only joke to their tablemates that it was the princess's birthday, and they should also give some congratulatory gifts. Such a very natural suggestion naturally aroused a voice of agreement. As for those who had not prepared anything in advance, for
For people like them who are not short of money, it has never been an important matter!
But at this moment, the sharp voice of a young eunuch suddenly came from the stairs.
"The princess said that today is her birthday, and she had made an appointment in advance with Miss Zhu from the Duke of Zhao's Palace and Dr. Zhang from the Imperial Academy to celebrate it together. But since it was not a birthday celebration, she just took the opportunity of the royal chef selection to go to the Xinglong Tea House to have a taste of the famous chef's skills.
So I won’t accept gifts today, just enjoy delicious food. If you want to celebrate your birthday, just go back and wait for the order from upstairs to have a drink and celebrate your birthday together!"
This stopped some people from trying to flatter others, so everyone looked at me and could only accept the matter. At the same time, they secretly made a note that if they encounter this important day again in the future, they must be prepared in advance.
.
You know, even though there have been rumors outside that Zhang Shou, Zhu Ying and Princess Yongping have the same birthday, but because this day happens to be the Mid-Autumn Festival, they have been so busy recently with the imperial chef selection that they almost all
forget!
Of course, there are some that I have not forgotten. Wan Yuanbao sighed and pressed his chest. They were the three mutton-fat jade pendants that he had spent a lot of money to have people think about. The Qingya one he planned to give to Princess Yongping, and the Nai one that he planned to give to Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying.
They were a pair, and he felt that he might not be able to give them away today.
Fourth Master Hua also touched the secret pocket in his sleeve, thinking that it was just Princess Yongping and Zhu Ying. One of them liked calligraphy and painting, ancient books, and the other liked gold and jade jewelry. Such valuable things are definitely worth it today.
I can't send it out. But this birthday gift for Zhang Shou was carefully prepared before he went to Beijing. Maybe he can still send it out today.
This thing is completely worthless to many people, but to a maverick like Zhang Shou, it may be very appreciated.
Just as some waiters started shouting downstairs, and a chef had already prepared snacks, which would be brought up for tasting immediately, there was suddenly another commotion below, followed closely by the person next to the window.
Someone looked around, and then Lu Sanlang chuckled and said, "Teacher and Miss Zhu are finally here together!"
As soon as these words came out, the four people burst into laughter.
However, among the laughter, some people thought of Zhu Jing, Duke of Zhao, who was on the third floor, but they couldn't help but wink. Before his daughter got married, she was paired with her future son-in-law all day long. This Duke of Zhao was really informal to the extreme.
But some people thought sourly that if they had a daughter, they would definitely be willing to betrothed to a handsome gentleman like Zhang Shou.
However, when Zhu Jing, Duke of Zhao on the third floor, faced the banter of several colleagues and elders, he smiled on his face and was troubled in his heart. If he had known this, why would he have agreed to marry Zhang Shou at the end of the year? Even if he was forced, he would not
Zhang Shou and Zhu Ying must be forced to get married as soon as possible. Otherwise, what is going on like now when they are not married and just go in and out together like a young couple?
Even if Zhu Ying comes with Princess Yongping, it would be better than having both of them appear now!
Miss Zhu didn't know what her father was feeling. Of course, even if she knew, she would still smile and scold Zhu Jing for being too old-fashioned. She took the first step and climbed up to the second floor, where she saw that the huge place was almost empty.
It was full - because Zhu Jing, Ge Yong and other six people went up to the third floor. Now, Lu Sanlang had arranged for several people to take the extra seats on the second floor.
There is no doubt that the people who were arranged were civilians who came to join in the fun. Lu Sanlang let a few of his confidants wander around on the first floor below, claiming to randomly select a few people, but they all seemed to be quite honest. At this moment,
A few commoners who came from middle-class families at most were mixed in with a group of businessmen who were at least owners of restaurants, and they looked a little timid no matter how they looked at them.
Seeing this scene, the corners of Zhu Ying's mouth curled up slightly, and then she smiled briskly and said: "Today is the birthday of me, Ah Shou, and Princess Yongping. I chose this day as the preliminary day for the imperial chef selection. I specially chose this day.
Benefits obtained from the emperor! So, everyone, eat well, drink well, and finally judge, just treat it as a festival!"
Zhang Shou couldn't help but smile at Zhu Ying's very rustic words about eating and drinking. He saw the old salted fish beside him, the young monk Guantao looking around, and three other young monks without scars on their heads.
Seeing Zhu Ying's words, she was obviously stunned, and then said with a smile: "Did you hear everything? Go up to the third floor in a while, eat and drink well, don't take it too seriously."
To put it simply, when I went up to the second floor, I saw many people wearing silk and satin sitting in four seats. The old salted fish, who was used to seeing big winds and waves, acted calmly. Guan Tao was still young, so he just took a few more curious glances. The three of them
A country monk who was born in the lower courtyard of Zanghai and has not yet been ordained or received an ordination certificate, is already a little worried.
The furthest they had traveled before was to Cangzhou. Who would have thought that they would be able to go to Beijing in this life? And the task was to go to Beijing to farm? And when Zhang Shou took them to the third floor, they heard that Zhang Shou and others
The three young people, who should be called novices to be precise, were almost dumbfounded by the names they used when greeting them, and the old Xianyu who took the time to explain to them.
Hearing Zhang Shou address one of them as Zhao Guogong, and said with a smile that he had never expected to have the National People's Congress come to visit, Lao Xianyu said on the side: "Remember, that is Dr. Zhang's future father-in-law, Zhao Guogong, and Zhu Guogong, who is in charge of Cangzhou.
The eldest son is the eldest son of Duke Zhao, and the one who is wandering around the fields and setting up cooperatives is the second son of Duke Zhao."
Hearing Zhang Shou call the middle-aged man who was obviously younger than Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing as Qin Guogong, Lao Xianyu was busy explaining that he was the current Yin of Shuntian Prefecture, and his son Zhang Chen still opened a weaving workshop in Cangzhou.
Drive with great interest.
When he heard Zhang Shou calling Weinan Bo, Lao Xianyu whispered to the four monks, three large and one small, that they were the heads of the Arms Bureau and were in charge of all the cannons and firearms of the court and the military. As for Zhang Shou and Ge Yong saying hello,
At that time, he was busy explaining the relationship between everyone.
As for Princess Yongping, who is as cold and indifferent as the bright moon in the night sky, the three young novices fell into a state of sculpture when they heard Zhang Shou's "Princess". Although they had just heard what Zhu Ying said, who would have thought that the dignified Princess and
Not hiding your true face?
And the three of them and Guan Tao were brought up by Zhang Shou, which was both new and strange to the others. Princess Yongping couldn't help but feel that if she hadn't lost her former solitary and arrogant temper,
She had changed a lot, but just because of Zhang Shou's strange behavior, she had already turned against him.
Even though she had often appeared at Yuehua Tower literary gatherings in the past, it was still different from public appearances in the usual sense. She rarely showed her true face in front of those scholars. Today, Zhang Shou didn't even say a word, and just turned to the three elders.
What's going on when a young monk is brought here?
And he’s still a fake monk with no ring scars!
Of course, Zhang Shou could sense Princess Yongping's confusion and a bit of shame. After meeting several elders, relatives and friends one by one, he first pulled Guan Tao over, and then said with a smile: "I have also done this before.
As I said, I gained a little bit from my previous trip to Cangzhou, and the biggest gain was that I found a lot of ingredients transplanted from overseas."
"Today is my and Yingying's birthday, and it is also the preliminary competition day for the Royal Chef Selection, so if Princess Yongping doesn't mind, I would like to give an extra question to the next chefs."
Seeing Princess Yongping raising her eyebrows slightly but saying nothing, some others showed curious expressions, such as Weinan Bo Zhang Kang, and some showed clear sneers, such as Chu Ying, who was well aware of his habits.
However, since Princess Yongping, who came with Chu Kuan and obviously came on behalf of the emperor, said nothing, the other people who could be classified as Zhang Shou's relatives and friends would naturally have no objections.
"These four are all monks from Zanghai Lower Monastery in Cangzhou. Young monk Guantao has followed me to Beijing for a long time. He grew up reading scriptures since he was a child. The other three have just come from Cangzhou. They have all been working hard to grow overseas ingredients these years.
.This time they also specially brought many novel ingredients that we have never seen or eaten before, which they have successfully grown over the years."
"Since it is an ingredient that most people have never seen or eaten, it is not easy for the chefs to start cooking it immediately when they see it for the first time. Therefore, I have asked my cook Aunt Liu to cook it for the chefs.
Let the chef give a demonstration, and then ask them to taste it and then create their own dish using overseas ingredients.”
Speaking of this, Zhang Shou showed a narrow expression: "It has only been a few days since I came back from Cangzhou, and my cook already knows how to use these ingredients to prepare dishes. In other words, if you want to be selected into the imperial dining room, of course you have to learn it live.
Being able to use it flexibly. Being able to put into dishes what is the first time you see it and eat it for the first time, I think this is the talent that the royal chef of the imperial kitchen should have!"
Zhu Ying tried her best to hold back her laughter, especially when she saw the matter-of-fact expression on Old Xianyu's face behind Zhang Shou, she almost failed. Aunt Liu had never figured out how to use those overseas ingredients in her dishes.
It was clearly Zhang Shou who taught me step by step!
How can those chefs who have their heads buried in the stove all day long be able to determine the characteristics of the ingredients at a glance, and then make the most reasonable combination to make the most delicious Zhang Shoubi!
Of course Zhang Shou didn't know that the eldest lady would actually regard him as a genius who knew how to distinguish ingredients without a teacher because of the few times he cooked in Cangzhou. The reason why he proposed such an extra question was of course not just for the sake of
It’s hard for the chefs below, but it’s to develop new ingredients and new methods as quickly as possible in this era, and at the same time promote these delicacies.
Especially peppers, potatoes, pumpkins, peanuts... these things are simply indispensable delicacies on the tables of future generations!
When Princess Yongping heard Zhang Shou's flawless reason at first glance, she couldn't help but glance at the four monks again. She saw that the three elders lowered their heads uneasily, not daring to look directly at her at all, and the younger one.
He looked around curiously, but when he met her gaze, he didn't know how to avoid it. Instead, he stared straight at her, his eyes clear and bright, and her anger finally gradually dissipated.
So, after pondering for a moment, she smiled and said: "Well, I will follow your suggestion and add this question!"