59. The four seasons and the five grains are abundant and ripe

Pei Nianyu was very surprised that the director of the ball could come up with any suggestions for improvement, and thought, does this guy still have some real talents?So the attitude was a little better, and he nodded and said:

"Which dish is it? Let's hear it."

The ball manager smiled obsequiously, pointed to a stove next to him, and said:

"Mr. Chef, please take a look. This dish uses steamed Taihu Lake white fish and East China sea yellow croaker as two main ingredients, which are arranged on both sides of the dish. There is abalone in bone broth as the core in the middle of the fish. I personally think that,Can the rapeseed core around the fish be replaced with freshly boiled fresh shrimps cut into strips, and the cooked red color might be more festive?"

"..."

The chefs around heard what their chief manager said, and suddenly looked at each other, and the noisy voice suddenly stopped.

Pei Nianyu tilted his head and looked at him for a while, then suddenly smiled and said:

"Another person who didn't listen carefully?"

A few people in the distance have already begun to cover their mouths and snicker, but the ball manager is still in a daze:

"Listen... what are you listening to?"

Pei Nianyu flipped through Byakugan very bluntly:

"Do you know the name of this dish?"

"No... I don't know. Mr. Chef, you haven't said anything yet..."

"Pfft, you don't even know the name, so what's the meaning of you talking to me?"

The people next to him have already started covering their eyes.

"This dish is called Emerald Sanbai, Sanbai refers to the fish, and jade naturally refers to the rapeseed heart. The cabbage heart is bright green, and the fish is tender and white, just like emerald with warm jade. You can pair it with a red one., what is that?"

"Besides, there is already a lot of fish, and a few prawns are added. Do you think there is not enough seafood? This rapeseed is used to clear greasy and fishy smell, which is completely opposite to the effect of shrimp. Shrimp is fresh and sweet, while fish isShrimp and fish are two completely different tastes. You don’t want to understand, just think about how to make it look good, how can you understand the true meaning of this dish?”

After being scolded by Pei Nianyu, the manager of the ball just lowered his head and dared not speak.He was really wronged in his heart. When Pei Nianyu was talking about this dish, he was outside. How could he hear the explanation about this dish.

It's just that this reason is afraid that dare not say it out loud.If he told the truth, then Mr. Shenchu would definitely think that he didn't listen well, so he wanted to come over to flatter him.At that time, his status in Mr. Shenchu's heart will definitely be lower, isn't it worth the loss.

After such an outburst, the manager of the ball no longer dared to disturb Pei Nianyu, but it made Pei Nianyu feel a lot quieter in front of him.

After a while, when Pei Nianyu was inspecting those stoves, suddenly a young eunuch with a very young face came to him, stood beside him, saluted respectfully, and said:

"Mr. Chef, I also have a dish here, and I thought of a way to improve it. Would you like to listen to it?"

Before Pei Nianyu could reply, the head of the imperial dining room next to him had already reprimanded the little eunuch before him:

"Didn't you see that Mr. Divine Chef is busy? Xiang Ping'en, how can your meager level of skill make such a fuss in front of Mr. Divine Cook?"

While sneaking a look at Pei Nianyu's expression, seeing that Pei Nianyu was not angry, he was a little relieved.After offending Pei Nianyu one after another, he no longer expected to get Pei Nianyu's advice.

He was just afraid that the little boys under him would not look at him, so don't let Mr. Chef run away in anger. In the end, the winter solstice banquet was ruined, and he would never be able to bear the blame from the superiors.

However, Pei Nianyu didn't pay attention to the head of the imperial dining room. He looked at the little eunuch named Xiang Ping'en. Although the little eunuch looked respectful and habitually humble, he was firm and powerful when talking about the dishes.

There was a little searching and curiosity in those eyes. Pei Nianyu had seen such eyes before. It was a look that only appeared when a person was searching for something he liked.

So he didn't mean to be disturbed at all, and still asked:

"How to improve, which dish is it? Just tell me, don't be afraid."

The little eunuch named Xiang Ping'en bowed to Pei Nianyu after listening to it, then got up and said:

"It's not a big dish, and my level is limited. Mr. Chef, I can't see any shortcomings in the meat dishes you cook. What I want to talk about is the noodle dish called Wugu Fengdeng Noodles."

Pei Nianyu reacted for a while before realizing that the name of the Wugufengdeng noodles was made up by himself.Five grains refer to the five crops of rice, broomcorn millet, millet, wheat, and bean, which naturally belong to the country's important capital in a society that is still a small-scale peasant economy.

However, it is very difficult to make all these five things into noodles, so the Wugufengdeng noodles are just noodles made by Pei Nianyu's selection of some miscellaneous grains.

Then, five colors are mixed, and a bunch of noodles of each color is selected. When the noodles are finally placed on the plate, the noodles of the five colors are grouped into five balls and placed in five rows in the noodle bowl.

This noodle, to be honest, how delicious is the multigrain noodle.Although Pei Nianyu can eat it naturally, those princes and nobles who are used to eating fine rice flour may find this kind of food difficult to swallow.

Therefore, this "five grains harvest noodles" is only politically pleasing, implying a harvest of grains, harmony of the five elements, and a smooth weather.He didn't expect to gain much food value from the taste, but for this particularity, if the courtiers were amazed, it could be regarded as completing the task, right?

Therefore, this is the only dish among the banquet dishes he designed that is only used for face-saving projects.

As for the soup... The noodles were already so unpalatable that Pei Nianyu didn't bother to bother with other ingredients - anyway, few people would really eat a few mouthfuls.Naturally, it's just a clear soup, and it can also highlight the distinct colors.

However, the little eunuch named Xiang Ping'en said:

"The subject thinks that although the five grain harvest noodles have a good meaning, the taste is a bit rough. And the taste is a little bland, so I'm afraid it's hard to please."

The head of the imperial kitchen frowned immediately after hearing his speech, thinking that Xiang Ping'en is still so naive, how could he speak so bluntly of Mr. Master Chef?

Pei Nianyu said curiously:

"What idea did you think of?"

After all, this dish was the result of his laziness, and he just wanted to fool something with a strong meaning, but someone actually saw the flaw.

"I think it's better to use corn and mushroom soup as the base. From my understanding, this five-grain harvest noodle is to praise the hard work of thousands of farmers, so it's not suitable to use too much meat, but should be vegetarian. MushroomsThe mushrooms are fresh, and the corn is sweet and has a grain fragrance, which is a perfect match for this multigrain noodles."

"And after putting it on the plate, you can also sprinkle corn kernels in the middle of the five balls of noodles, just like the golden rice in the harvest."

"Mushrooms are delicacies from the mountains, and corn is the high-quality grain that His Majesty has just introduced from the Western Regions. If it is added to the five grains, will it look more abundant?"

Pei Nianyu thought to himself, what was introduced was obviously the seed he gave him.Three large sacks of finished corn, plus a pack of seeds, cost him a total of several thousand food value, which is not expensive.However, for Pei Niancheng, it is of great significance.

It's just that he didn't expect that he didn't give Xiaosheng many bags of finished corn.He thought that most of them would be used for saving seeds, but he allocated a lot to the imperial dining room for the winter solstice feast.It seems that Pei Niancheng has also spent a lot of money. Letting the corn show his face is probably also to show some people something at this banquet.

That's none of his business, though.

Pei Nianyu felt that this method was feasible, so he made it as soon as he said it. The noodles were already made, and the noodles were boiled in the pot here, and the semi-finished mushroom soup was added with corn and then stewed.

After the noodles were cooked, Pei Nianyu poured the corn and mushroom soup into it, and thickened the soup a little to make the soup thicker.

In the end, someone specially assigned to arrange the plate——

Golden corn kernels are sprinkled in the middle of five noodles of different colors, and the thick soup next to it overflows with the sweetness of sweet corn and the delicious fragrance of mountain delicacies, but it does not overwhelm the guests.The aroma of miscellaneous grains in the middle is simple but heavy, giving people a simple sense of satisfaction.

Coupled with the faintly just right seasoning of pepper, basil, and star anise, it is like being in the mountains and fields, and a full bowl is full of joy of harvest.

Pei Nianyu decided on the name:

"In that case, let's call it Wugu Fengdeng Golden Noodles."

…………

Pei Nianyu supervised them to complete a round of work, corrected all the inappropriate parts, and modified some detailed procedures. His work today was truly finished.When asked about the time, it was already half past the hour.

This first round is just for trial use, and all the finished dishes are discarded.After that, it was time for each stove to cook the hundreds of dishes for the banquet.

Seeing that his mission was completed, Pei Nianyu finally breathed a sigh of relief.Then he brought Lou Yefeng and Jiang Xue back to Fangchen Palace.

This Fangchen Palace was the place where he lived with Pei Niancheng when he was the fourth prince. Later, he left the palace to build a mansion, but no one else lived in this Fangchen Palace.

On weekdays, when he came to the palace, he usually settled in the side hall of Pei Niancheng's imperial study.It's just that today he also brought some shadow guards and his former grand lady, so he placed them here.

As soon as he entered, he asked:

"Are you going to wait here for a day? I'm afraid the imperial dining room will not prepare meals with you."

Seeing Yun Shao blinking at the side, he suddenly raised his hand, holding a long food box in his hand, and said with a smile:

"The master probably didn't see it just now, and while they were busy, his subordinates made some snacks and a few dishes, and then brought them outI knew that everyone was going to be hungry."

"You food box...cough, take the sheep by hand?..."

Yun Shao smiled faintly:

"Borrow, borrow."

Pei Nianyu was dumbfounded.

After a little repair in this hall, Pei Nianyu changed his clothes and finished taking a bath, but when he went out, he found Wu Bingzhong waiting for him, and he couldn't help but wondered:

"Eunuch Wu, the banquet should start in two hours, right?"

"Going back to His Royal Highness King Yu, His Majesty invited you to go to Changning Palace to visit Zhuang Taifei."

Concubine Zhuang was one of the four concubines of the late emperor. Due to physical reasons, she was childless all her life, but somehow she was promoted to the concubine position early, with a tranquil nature and a detached position.

After Pei Nianyu and Pei Niancheng's biological mother Lan Guiren passed away, Concubine Zhuang felt pity for them and put them in her palace to raise them for a period of time.

However, she didn't record the two of them under her own name, and they were still regarded as descendants of noble people.He didn't show too much concern on weekdays, and his attitude towards them has always been indifferent, as if he brought a child from a relative's family.

However, this is convenient for Pei Niancheng, a cross-travel product, to be launched in the early stage, develop secretly, and accumulate part of the power and resources in the early stage.And because Concubine Zhuang didn't join in the fun on weekdays, and being one of the four concubines, no one dared to come to Changning Palace to cause trouble. After a period of quiet life, they spent their youth in peace.

The two brothers naturally knew in their hearts that Concubine Zhuang wanted to protect them, and her low-key style did not make them stand out.

When they were eight or nine years old, Concubine Zhuang stopped raising them.At the same time, the dispute over the heir apparent between the former prince and the second and third princes began to emerge, and the situation in the palace became increasingly tense, so the two brothers almost cut off the superficial contact with Concubine Zhuang very tacitly.

Concubine Zhuang also noticed something, and she recuperated behind closed doors in Changning Palace all day long, living in seclusion.

As for later, the former prince failed to seize the heirloom and was abolished, and the former queen was secretly bestowed to death because of certain incidents.The other two or three high-ranking concubines were somewhat implicated, either being demoted or dying for no apparent reason.

Therefore, after Pei Niancheng became a great treasure, there was only Concubine Zhuang left among the high-ranking concubines in the late emperor's harem. Pei Niancheng immediately honored her as Concubine Zhuang, and the two brothers often came to visit during festivals.

Pei Nianyu recalled some of the past, and couldn't help but sigh a little. After changing his clothes, Pei Niancheng's imperial chariot was already waiting at the gate of Fangchen Palace, followed by several ceremonial guards in order, and the spacious palace street was crowded..

"Oh, how can I bother Your Majesty to wait in person."

Pei Niancheng lazily said from the imperial chariot:

"You think too much, I just passed by here, took a nap, and waited for you by the way."

Pei Nianyu suddenly snickered:

"Actually, you might as well go to Changning Palace first..."

"Why?"

Pei Nianyu showed his figure, leaped up to the roof with light effort, and went straight to Changning Palace, leaving only one sentence:

"Because you are slower than...me..."

When the word "slow" was said, Pei Nianyu drifted away so much that he could barely hear him.

"..."

Pei Niancheng's nose was going to be crooked with anger, it's amazing to have a body with deep internal strength!You didn't practice it yourself!

When the imperial chariot arrived outside Changning Palace, Pei Niancheng sat leisurely on an old elm tree, looking down at the mighty guard of honor from top to bottom.

"Tsk, I just dislike that your imperial chariot is too bumpy. Speaking of which, it's not like you don't know martial arts, and it's not impossible to use some light skills."

Pei Niancheng sighed unobtrusively, and shook his head: "I use lightness kung fu in the palace? What are you thinking about?"

………………

The two entered the Changning Palace, Concubine Zhuang ordered someone to set up a thick gauze screen between the two rooms in the hall, and dismissed all the maids and eunuchs in the room, and then greeted Pei Niancheng, and the three sat facing each other.

After exchanging a few greetings as usual, the topic became easier.

In fact, Concubine Zhuang was only about forty years old. After the death of the first emperor, she was considered to have made a head start. She had the most respected status in this harem, and she was carefree. On the contrary, her mentality became younger and younger.Sometimes he would lead a group of concubines and Huang Kao nobles to play around for a while.

I don't know what was mentioned, Concubine Zhuang suddenly asked Pei Nianyu:

"I don't know if His Royal Highness King Yu's lifelong event has a clue?"

Hearing this, Pei Niancheng immediately winked at his brother relying on the screen to separate him.

This is probably the problem that no matter what age you have to face - being urged to marry by the elders.

In fact, Concubine Zhuang's questioning Pei Nianyu was only half of the purpose, urging Pei Niancheng was the real thing.

After all, it is important to be orderly, and Pei Nianyu's marriage has not yet been settled, and Pei Niancheng can't go past his brother.A few years ago, when Pei Niansheng was urged to marry, he used Pei Nianyu as a shield without exception.

And because he knew the existence of the Peach Blossom Gu, he couldn't help but be thankful that this shield could block it for many years.Who knows this year...

Pei Niancheng winked desperately, Pei Nianyu pretended to be invisible, smiled slightly when he heard this, and sold his brother without hesitation:

"Thank you, Concubine, for your concern. My marriage has actually been finalized not long ago."

Pei Niancheng's eyes suddenly went dark.

Sure enough, Concubine Zhuang's next sentence was to ask Pei Niancheng when she was going to choose a concubine. The harem had been empty for a long time, and she was boring as an old concubine.

Unprepared, Pei Niancheng had no choice but to use his basic training as a politician, and immediately began to make up excuses, and finally dealt with it after a flurry, and then stared at his dear brother resentfully.And Pei Nianyu just snickered, looking gloating.

Unexpectedly, Concubine Zhuang finished bombarding Pei Niancheng, then turned her head to point at Pei Nianyu, and said in a very gentle tone:

"I don't know which lady is so lucky to be chosen by His Royal Highness King Yu. Today's winter solstice banquet, the princess should come to the banquet together, can I have the honor to meet you?"

When Pei Nianyu heard this, his gloating expression quickly stopped.

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Pei Nianyu: The old building is out to work, no one dares to snatch you...