EBE Chapter 109 Banquet
Chapter 109 Banquet
Not only the emperor, but also the empress dowager was eating it for the first time. However, the eldest princess reminded the empress dowager that she was not suitable for eating spicy food due to her age, but it was okay to try it for the first time, since the spiciness was too strong.
This wasn't the first time the Empress had eaten it; she was preparing the banquet food, so of course she had to taste it beforehand to ensure its quality.
But no matter how many times you eat it, the taste of this Wen Ding is just so good.
The ministers who were seated below also began to eat, and the originally quiet banquet suddenly became lively.
"This tastes absolutely delicious!" A chorus of praise suddenly rang out.
Just as they were enjoying the hot pot, the singing, dancing, and music in the center of the banquet began. Normally, they would have been attracted by the dancers, but today they were all focused on their work, their eyes glued to the pot, afraid that someone else would take away the food they had just cooked.
The emperor and empress dowager at the head of the table also ate quite a bit.
The emperor, however, didn't seem to be able to handle spicy food well, and was sweating profusely. He usually chose not to eat it to maintain royal decorum, but today he abandoned his decorum and ate it with gusto.
"Yanran, you just said this is called spicy hot pot?"
"It is indeed Your Majesty!"
"The flavor of this spicy hot pot is so intense! It's unlike any other delicious food I've ever had before. I've never seen this kind of spicy hot pot before."
"Your Majesty, this Wen Ding is a replica of the delicacies described in Mr. Wuming's storybook, and this spicy hot pot is also made with chili peppers, so naturally the taste is different."
When the princess mentioned Wuming, the emperor pictured a young woman, but he soon became interested in the pepper the princess mentioned.
"What is this pepper?" The Emperor suddenly recalled a memory. "I remember that this pepper was brought back from overseas by a seafarer. I even gave you a pepper plant that was offered as tribute."
"Your Majesty guessed correctly. This chili pepper was discovered to be edible by chance, but its flavor is too strong. However, when paired with some meat dishes, it tastes quite good. Today is the Winter Solstice, so it's a good opportunity for Your Majesty and the ministers to try it." The eldest princess felt a pang of heartache just thinking about it.
After returning to her residence from the palace last night, she picked all the chili peppers from her own household to make enough for today's spicy soup base. She hadn't even tried any of the chili peppers from her own household yet!
Ever since she learned that bell peppers were edible, she had the gardener cultivate a plot of land in the mansion specifically for planting them, and planted the secluded bell peppers in this plot, checking on them morning and evening.
"Oh? The Empress must have taken your advice to eat like this at this banquet, right? You've always been full of clever ideas since you were little." The Emperor teased her with a half-smile.
"Brother, you're making fun of me! I don't have any wicked ideas. This way of eating is becoming popular among the common people. I just happened to try it and thought it was quite good, so I shared it with my sister-in-law. Sharing is worse than enjoying alone, and it just so happens that everyone at the banquet can try this new thing. For this banquet, all the chili peppers in my household are gone! They've all been contributed!"
"Haha, so that explains why you're so indignant today."
"Brother, you have to compensate me for the pepper!"
"What's so difficult about that, Fude?" The emperor turned his head and called out to the eunuch behind him.
"Your Majesty, I am here." The eunuch, whom the emperor called Fude, bowed and walked to the emperor's side.
"Give the order to have all the peppers planted in the Imperial Garden picked and sent to the Princess's residence."
"Yes, sir." The eunuch acknowledged the order and left.
"Are you satisfied now?" The Emperor turned his gaze back to the table.
As expected, the princess smiled and squinted her eyes, covering her lips with her handkerchief as she smiled. "Thank you, Your Majesty. But if Your Majesty wants to eat chili peppers, please don't ask Yanran for some."
Before the emperor could speak, the Crown Prince, who had been quiet all night, suddenly chimed in, “Aunt, these peppers have a high yield and require little land. If we pick these peppers today, new fruits will grow in a few days. Next time Father wants to eat peppers, he won’t need to ask Aunt for them.”
"Oh?" The princess feigned surprise at the opportune moment. "This plant can actually grow fruit in a few days? Then I must have the head chef of my residence try cooking some dishes to taste."
"This food can dispel cold, so Mother and Father should eat more of it," Qi Jingyue said to the two of them.
"Does this chili have so many benefits?" The emperor was somewhat surprised, but he had to admit that the spicy hot pot tasted excellent, and he couldn't stop eating it.
"Besides this pepper, there is something else I want to show you at this banquet, Your Majesty."
Yanran started acting mysteriously again, which piqued the emperor's curiosity once more.
"Oh?"
"Did Your Majesty notice the palace maids changing coal at the bottom of the cauldron just now?"
When this was mentioned, the emperor seemed to remember it, but he didn't pay much attention to it at the time.
What else can coal look like?
"Of course it's different. Didn't Your Majesty notice that this coal burns without smoke or color and is extremely easy to ignite?"
After hearing what she said, the emperor realized that it seemed to be true.
Then, the princess had a palace maid present the items.
Not only were the Empress Dowager and the Emperor drawn to the cloth bag in her hand, but even the ministers who were engrossed in eating below the stage were paying attention to the situation at the head of the table.
The princess opened the cloth bag, and everyone's attention was drawn to what was in front of her.
The opened cloth bag was covered in black and gray dust, and inside the bag were three hollow objects neatly stacked.
"What is this?" the Empress Dowager asked.
"This is honeycomb briquettes. Honeycomb briquettes burn more completely than coal, are easier to ignite, and are colorless and smokeless. More importantly, they are inexpensive. Coal is relatively expensive in China, and ordinary people are reluctant to use it in winter. But if we use honeycomb briquettes, every household can use them in winter!"
Upon hearing this, not only were the ministers below the stage stunned, but even the emperor was caught off guard.
“Your Highness, I recall that this method of making honeycomb briquettes appeared in Mr. Wuming’s new storybook. It seems to be very simple. I wonder if Your Highness also made it using the method written by Mr. Wuming.”
At this moment, a minister suddenly stood up and asked a question.
The eldest princess blinked, unsure whether this person was arranged by His Highness the Crown Prince, but she still explained, "It was made using the method from 'The Little Chef of Jin Dynasty' written by Wuming."
Upon hearing the princess's answer, the man gasped, "If that's true, then the people of Jin Dynasty are blessed! If production can keep up and it can be promoted nationwide, then the people will be able to use coal even in winter!"
Not to mention the high price of domestic coal, its production was also low. Ancient coal mining technology was rudimentary, and the coal mined was supplied not only to the imperial palace and ministers, but also sent to the northern frontier.