The queen asked Li Mu not to bring food from home, but to cook it directly in the royal kitchen, which reminded Li Mu.
The taste of takeaway food is nothing compared to that of dine-in food. The food boxes can only keep the temperature warm, but not the color, flavor and flavor. The best time to enjoy most meals is when they are freshly cooked.
Fortunately, Zongzhengji Temple is within the palace, and it is only a few steps away, so the taste of the food will not change too much.
Compared with Xingbu Temple and Dali Temple, the Tianlao in Zongzheng Temple is naturally much higher in specifications.
The prisoners detained here are either rich or noble, either relatives of the emperor or important officials. Especially in the past, Zongzheng Temple was a refuge for the children of the royal family after they committed crimes. The facilities and treatment inside were far from comparable to other government offices.
Especially after Zhang Chun's special arrangement, if the prison cell in the Criminal Department is a standard single room at Home Inn for seven days, the one where Li Qing of Zongzheng Temple now lives is the presidential suite of the Hilton.
The food at Zongzheng Temple should be pretty good, but Li Mu was still worried that she wouldn't be able to get used to it.
Inside Zongzheng Temple.
The sun was just right in the morning. Zhang Chun and King Shou were sitting in the courtyard of Zongzheng Temple, basking in the sun and sipping tea.
Zhang Chun personally brewed a cup for King Shou and asked with a smile: "Your Majesty, this is a good tea collected by the official. How do you like it?"
King Shou took a sip, clicked his tongue, and said: "Yes, I didn't expect that you are also a tea lover. Do you still have this tea? Give me a ten-pound or eight-pound tea. I will take it back and drink it slowly..."
…”
Zhang Chun regretted: "Unfortunately, this is the last one..."
King Shou glanced at him with disdain, then suddenly sniffed and said, "What does it smell like? It's so fragrant..."
Zhang Chun's nose also twitched. After thinking about it for a while, he murmured: "Why does this smell so much like when I was in Yangqiu County? On the street at the county government office gate? The smell of that noodle stall...
"
He couldn't help but swallowed his saliva and said, "That old woman's noodles are really outstanding. I really want to try them again..."
Li Mu carried the food box and walked into Zongzheng Temple. He greeted Zhang Chun and said, "I'll deliver food to the boss."
Zhang Chun had already given instructions to the officials in Zongzheng Temple Tianlao. When he saw Li Mu coming in from a distance, Zhang Gu, who was in charge of Tianlao, opened the cell door.
Before Li Mu walked into the Tianlao, Zhang Chun came over and asked, "Have you cooked the noodles?"
Li Mu nodded and said, "The boss used to like to eat noodles from that restaurant the most."
Zhang Chun rubbed his hands and said, "If I like this one, if you have more, give me a bowl."
Lao Zhang helped him a lot this time? Li Mu was too embarrassed to refuse and said, "If you want to eat, come to the imperial dining room later."
"Okay..." Zhang Chun responded? Then he said in surprise: "Did you cook this noodles in the imperial kitchen?"
"if not?"
"Cough, cough..."
Zhang Chun covered his mouth and coughed a few times, then suddenly said: "I suddenly don't want to eat that much. I want to go home and eat what my wife cooked. You go and deliver it to Capt. Li quickly. It won't taste good if it's too late..."
…”
Seeing Li Mu walking into the heavenly prison, Zhang Chun sighed and said, "Li Mu, Li Mu, please be more careful..."
Li Mu walked into the Tianlao and faintly heard Zhang Chun talking about snacks.
Lao Zhang reminded him again that he would pick up two more boxes of snacks from the imperial dining room tomorrow. The imperial chef in the palace specializes in making pastries and his skills are superb. When he goes back in the afternoon, he will also bring a box for Liu Hanyan.
In the past, it was difficult for Li Mu to order things from the imperial kitchen, but it is different now.
The Queen granted him the right to enter the imperial kitchen and control all the ingredients. Although this was suspected of seeking personal gain with power, it was also done deliberately by Li Mu.
What the Queen needs is not a royal cook. If he does what a royal cook should do, wouldn't he really become a royal cook?
Li Mu learned from the palace drama that the concubine who pleases the emperor the most is definitely not the kind of concubine who is obedient in everything and has no personality at all. She occasionally does something out of the ordinary within the limits and sometimes keeps it fresh.
With a sense of mystery and mystery, you can gain long-lasting favor.
Of course, he is not the Queen's concubine, but it is the same as being a friend or a minister.
He asked the jailer to open the cell door, walked in, opened the food box, and said, "I don't know if the food at Zongzheng Temple is to your liking, so I cooked you a bowl of noodles."
Li Qing picked up the chopsticks and after taking a bite, he said unexpectedly: "The taste of this noodle..."
Li Mu smiled and said, "I learned it from the old noodle seller. It tastes similar to what she makes, right?"
Li Qing said softly: "I went back to Yangqiu County later and learned that the old woman had passed away. Her son and daughter-in-law continued to run the noodle stall, but the noodles cooked were different from the original ones. I still
I thought I would never taste the same taste again in this life.”
Li Mu smiled slightly and said, "Whenever you want to eat, just tell me and I will cook it for you."
After Li Qing finished eating the noodles, Li Mu sat for a while, packed up the food box, and walked to the imperial dining room.
In the imperial dining room, there is also soup he made for the queen.
Using the Queen's kitchen to cook noodles for others and leaving her alone, even if Li Mu was really lacking in brains, he would not do such a stupid thing.
It's just that the Queen's soup needs to be simmered longer. Li Mu went to Zongzheng Temple and had to wait for a while when he came back before the soup was ready.
It's said that he relies on women for food. After Li Mu's unremitting efforts, both the Queen and Li Qing now rely on him for food.
Li Mu took the soup and came to the entrance of Changle Palace.
Shangguan Li stood at the entrance of the palace, glanced at him and said, "Your Majesty is not here, you can go back."
Li Mu said regretfully: "It's a pity. I have been boiling your Majesty's soup for more than two hours. It won't taste good after a while. I'd better take it back to Zhongshu Province to drink it myself."
Just as he turned around, Shangguan Li moved his ears and said, "Your Majesty is back."
Li Mu handed him the soup cup in his hand and said, "I have to go back to Zhongshu Province. I would like to ask Commander Shangguan to deliver it to His Majesty."
Shangguan Li walked into Changle Palace carrying the soup cup and placed it on the table in front of Zhou Wu. After opening the lid of the soup cup, a fresh and rich fragrance wafted out.
Master Mei's throat moved, and he said with a smile: "Let me tell you, how could he forget His Majesty? This soup must have been simmered for so long, so he must have put in some effort. I just went to the imperial kitchen to ask, and he just gave it to Zong Zheng."
The temple sent a bowl of noodles..."
Zhou Wu took a sip of the soup and suddenly felt a little embarrassed. It seemed that she had misunderstood Li Mu just now.
She thought he was using her royal kitchen to show hospitality to others, so she was angry for a while, but the anger in her heart immediately disappeared and she said: "Mei Wei, send him two boxes of tribute oranges from the south..."
Lord Mei said: "Didn't Your Majesty say that the oranges were very sour, so didn't you want to send them to me?"
Zhou Wu said: "Now that I think about it, the oranges don't seem so sour anymore..."
Master Mei nodded and said, "I'll go right away."
Zhou Wu suddenly said: "Wait..."
Zhongshu Province.
Li Mu sat in the duty room for a while. After finishing today's official business, he sat quietly for a while and began to write official documents.
This official document ordered the Ministry of Justice to re-investigate the case of Li Yi fourteen years ago.
Although Li Mu asked the Queen for instructions on this matter, he could not let the Queen directly issue an order.
As the king of a country, she should have the concept of taking the overall situation into consideration. If just because of Li Mu's words, she would subvert most of the court, what would the courtiers think?
They will think that this is sycophancy and chaos in government.
When an emperor ignores the overall situation of the court and the people of Zhou Dynasty because of a certain minister or concubine, the courtiers will unite against her, because this is a sign of the country's demise. The ministers will not allow it, and neither will the four major academies.
Sit back and watch.
Even compared to this matter, whether Li Yi died unjustly is not that important.
Therefore, Li Mu wanted to show that although the Queen dotes on him, she also has a certain limit. Once it exceeds that limit, I am afraid that he will be eliminated in the name of "Qingjunzi".
Before the official document in hand was finished, Master Mei came.
She placed two boxes of oranges on the table in front of Li Mu and said, "These are tribute oranges from Nanjun. Your Majesty asked me to give you two boxes to try."
Li Mu said: "Thank you Your Majesty for me."
Master Mei said: "Your Majesty does not want your thank you."
Li Mulu was stunned for a moment and asked, "What else does your Majesty want?"
He had already given everything he could give to the Queen. She couldn't just reward Li Mu with two boxes of oranges and make any excessive demands on him...
Lord Mei glanced at him and said: "From now on, whether you are making soup or cooking noodles in the imperial dining room, they will be sent to Changle Palace first."
Li Mu was stunned for a moment and asked: "Is this...what does your Majesty mean?"
Lord Mei knocked him on the head and said: "Your Majesty is so broad-minded, will you be angry because you brought her soup in the future?"
This sentence is what she believes. No one knows how stingy the Queen is than Li Mu.
Li Mu nodded helplessly and said, "I understand, no matter what I do from now on, I will always think of Your Majesty first. Is that okay?"
After saying that, he was hit on the head again. Lord Mei glanced at him and asked: "What's your tone? It's as if His Majesty is forcing you to send it first..."
Li Mu had no choice but to assure her that he was willing and sincere to put the Queen first, and only then did Master Mei leave with satisfaction.
Li Mu looked at her back and felt that something was getting worse and worse with her these days. If this continued, it might be really difficult to get married.
But Li Mu had more important things to do right now, and he didn't have time to provide her with psychological counseling.
After he finished writing the official document, he took two tribute oranges and came to the Shilang Yamen.
Liu Yi was reading the book. Li Mu walked over, placed two oranges on his table, and said, "Master Liu, take a break and have an orange."
Liu Yi looked at the two oranges and said in surprise: "It's not the ripe season for oranges yet. There are a few mother trees in Nanjun that will bear fruit a month or two earlier, but the spiritual oranges on the mother trees are used as tributes."
…”
Li Mu smiled and said, "This is the tribute orange gifted by Your Majesty."
Liu Yi looked at Li Mu with envious eyes and said: "Master Li is really enviable. There are not many of these tangerines in the palace. Every year, the palace cannot get enough. It is difficult for foreign ministers to get one. During the reign of the first emperor, the harem only had the queen and the emperor."
Only the imperial concubine can get a box..."
He only picked up one orange and said: "One of these treasures is enough for me. I never thought that I could taste the taste of oranges from my hometown in the capital of China."
Li Mudao: "It turns out that Mr. Liu's hometown is Nanjun. It's okay. Mr. Liu can just eat it. If it's not enough, I still have it. Your Majesty rewarded me with two boxes..."
Liu Yi was not only envious but also shocked after hearing this.
The Queen Mother and the Crown Princess were so favored by the late Emperor that they only received two boxes in total. His Majesty actually directly rewarded Li Mu with two boxes. There were really many courtiers in the palace, and she only favored one person...
He peeled an orange, ate a few petals, and exclaimed: "It is indeed a carefully cultivated tribute orange. If a mortal can eat one, no disease will invade within three years..."
The two chatted for a while, and then Li Mu took out the official document and said, "By the way, there is another official document here that needs Mr. Liu's signature."
"Little things."
Liu Yi picked up the official document and just picked up the pen, ready to sign her name.
Then his body trembled, and the pen in his hand did not drop. He looked at the official document and fell into a long silence.
After a while, he looked up at Li Mu and said with some resentment: "Master Li, I only ate half of your orange..."