Food starts with Mapo Tofu

Chen Nian and Fu Xin talked a lot last night.

In fact, these things have been held back for a long time in my heart. On the surface, in reality, only more than a year has passed.

But with Chen Nian studying for more than 20 years, he spent almost a hundred years in the dream space.

It can be said that this secret has been in Chen Nian's heart for at least seven or eighty years. In reality, he can't find anyone to tell it, and he can't tell it in the dream space.

After finally having a friend like Fu Xin who is receptive and able to chat with, Chen Nian also poured out all these things through his drunkenness.

Because apart from Fu Xin, Chen Nian really didn't know who to talk to. After all, the dream space where Fu Xin lived was independent of reality, and even if he knew it, it wouldn't affect him to continue learning cooking in this dream.

Even if it was his mother, even Hongdou, he felt that he shouldn't tell them about this.

If other people heard this, they would think they were probably crazy.

In the early morning of the next day, Fu Xin still arranged a carriage to send Chen Nian and Song Qingzhou into the palace.

But this time they received a new task after entering the palace.

That is the imperial examination began again.

In the past, these candidates first passed the small examination to become scholars, and then passed the yearly examination and scientific examination to obtain the qualifications to participate in the rural examination.

Only at this point can they continue to compete with others.

Those who have passed the provincial examination are Juren. At this time, they also have two choices. One is to give up the examination and return to the village with the title of Juren to become a lord.

If you become a Juren, you will have a tax-free quota. At this time, there will be many farmers in the village willing to hand over their land to the Lord Juren, but the premise is that the share that the Lord Juren draws cannot be more than that drawn by the court.

Usually they don't go too far in order to be sustainable.

Anyway, I don't need to work, I just need to collect food from these landlords, which is a no-cost business.

In addition, after having the title of Juren, it is equivalent to gaining a certain reputation and status in the village.

That's why Fan Jin was so excited after winning the exam, because once he won the exam, it was like completing a small class transition.

However, after winning the exam, some scholars who want to go further will go to Beijing to rush for the exam and take the exam.

The general process of the general examination and the rural examination is similar. It is also divided into three sessions, each of which lasts three days.

They had to spend a total of nine days in the examination room, eating, drinking and drinking in the small room arranged for them by the imperial court.

There are high walls around, and the walls will be covered with thorns. This is also to prevent people from cheating, and there are people patrolling during the day and night.

Once it is found that someone leaves the seat to exchange answers, pass a note or make a sound for ventilation, the patrolling army will immediately detain the person and put on a wooden shackle to show the public.

Listening to Song Qingzhou's narration, Chen Nian couldn't help but think of one day when the teacher talked about Wen Tingyun's poems in Chinese class in high school. In addition to the content of the poems, the teacher also told them something about Wen Tingyun.

Although he himself did not pass the exam, he often acted as a gunman for others, that is, taking the exam for others, and helped many candidates realize their dreams.

And the teacher also said at the time that once Wen Tingyun acted as a shooter for eight candidates in an examination room at the same time, which was amazing. As a result, Wen Tingyun was demoted after this incident happened, and the examiner was also unlucky.

"The imperial examination is equivalent to the high school entrance examination, the college entrance examination, and the postgraduate examination. Sure enough, the country is very strict about education at any time. Now the college entrance examination papers are also escorted by armed forces. The specifications are not low."

After Song Qingzhou finished speaking to Chen Nian, he said: "After a while, there will be the test. After the test, there will be the palace test. In the palace test, the top three must be selected, that is, the number one scholar, the third place, and the second place. But after that, we will start to get busy again."

"Because we are going to have a Luming Banquet?"

Song Qingzhou shook his head: "It's not the Luming Banquet, it's the Qionglin Banquet. The Luming Banquet is a banquet for the new imperial examination candidates after the provincial examination. It got its name because of the large amount of venison used in the banquet. The reason why the Luming Banquet is set up is to show the emperor's great grace, and on the other hand, it also represents His Majesty's importance to talents. At the same time, I would like to tell everyone that the Luming Banquet is a banquet set up by His Majesty to find and value talents. I encourage everyone to make persistent efforts and strive for better results so that they can pass the exam." Sergeant, to attend the Qionglin Banquet where you can meet His Majesty.

"The Qionglin Banquet is also a necessary procedure after each imperial examination. The specifications of the Qionglin Banquet are much higher than that of the Luming Banquet. Even the dancers and musicians on the banquet are from the palace. Your Majesty and the court officials toasted with the new Jinshi, which also means that these Jinshi are all disciples of the Son of Heaven.

But for many Jinshi, the Qionglin Banquet is probably the only chance to see His Majesty up close in their life, and it is also a time to get acquainted with the ministers of the court and China. "

"Isn't that going to be grand?"

"It's natural. These new scholars are the foundation of the country. Many of them will be stationed in various ministries and become leaders after many years. Besides, how can the banquet attended by His Majesty not be grand?"

"That's true."

Song Qingzhou nodded: "However, the Luming Banquet and the Qionglin Banquet just mentioned are also set up for civil servants. In addition, there will be the military examination. At that time, the martial arts candidates of the rural examination will participate in the Eagle Yang Banquet, while the Wu Jinshi will participate in the Wu Jinshi. It's just that this martial arts banquet will have to wait until half a year later."

"Understood Master, but I'm still a little curious about Qionglin Banquet and the previous banquet for the envoys of the Great Food Kingdom, which one has a higher standard?"

"Of course it's Qionglin Banquet. One is an outsider and the other is one of our own. How does this compare?"

"Yes." Chen Nian nodded.

They must do better for their own people, and these new scholars are the hope of the future of the Great Xia Dynasty.

Thinking about it now, Fu Xin must have eaten along the way.

"I didn't expect this old boy to enjoy this kind of food for so long before I did. I didn't torture him at that time, and asked him what dishes were served in the Luming Banquet and Qionglin Banquet? If I knew it earlier, I could think about it more."

"Mistake, mistake."

But since Chen Nian returned to the palace again, he resumed his previous work flow every day.

In the last two months, Chen Nian made many flavors of ice cream and ice cream for the emperor, and later made some milk tea.

The feedback received is that they all like it.

It's just that although it has entered September, the weather is still hot.

Old age still has to get some novelty things for them.

But now that there are ice cream, milk tea, ice cream and those cold desserts, what else can we do.

After finishing his work this evening, Chen Nian applied to go to the warehouse to see if there were any other materials that could be used to make some novel and delicious food.

In this way, I walked around inside and out, and I have seen most of the things in it.

In the end he settled on a few.

"This seabuckthorn can be used, whether it is made into ice cream, ice cream or milk tea, it is sweet and sour, and it will surely satisfy those noble people.

And the grapes seem to be able to do something new. Before, they just squeezed the grapes into juice, but this time they can make a fuss about the grape pulp. "

There is nothing particularly novel, so Chen Nian can only continue to make troubles with the fruits he has made before, but this time he plans to make some yogurt again.

Yogurt also occupies a large part of the market in the various beverages of later generations.

It’s just that at the moment of aging, we have to consider whether the emperor and those ladies can get used to drinking it, so we have to get some out and try it out first. If they like to drink it, they can dig deeper into the yogurt, and if they don’t like it, they just give it up.

Just when Chen Nian was about to leave after looking at the warehouse, he suddenly saw an open belt in the corner, with some black beans in it, which looked a little familiar.

"Master Zhao, can you bring the candlestick closer, I want to see what's inside."

Mr. Zhao is in charge of the warehouse here. Although his grade is not as high as that of Chen Nian, every time Chen Nian sees him, he still calls Mr. Zhao directly. Anyway, it is correct to be polite.

After hearing this, the other party leaned over and took a look there: "Oh, this is a tribute from the south. When I put it in the warehouse, I saw that it was written on the Ming Road. It seemed to be Nanya ink... the ink was obtained from some place. That place is far away.

After Daxia's fleet came back, they first traded some goods in the south, and then the officials there brought the goods as tribute, but no one knew how to use this thing, and it tasted bitter, so they kept it there. "

Chen Nian was a little surprised when he heard it, because he just picked up this thing and smelled it when Mr. Zhao introduced it, and then looked at the appearance of this bean, which felt a bit like cocoa beans.

In addition, Mr. Zhao said just now that this thing was brought back from overseas...

During this period, cocoa were widely distributed in South America, and there is a South in the place name mentioned by Mr. Zhao...

This makes Chen Nian feel a little surprised.

If you have cocoa beans, you can make chocolate by yourself. Once you make chocolate by yourself, you can make a lot of desserts. Others don't know how to make this thing, but I know it.

"Master Zhao, I seem to know what this is, but can you help me to find out if there are any other rare items in the same batch of goods?"

Master Zhao nodded: "Wait a moment."

Then he left with the candlestick for more than ten minutes, and came back with the warehouse directory.

"This batch of sent things are all on it."

After Chen Nian took it, he turned it on with a candle and began to read it.

But it doesn't matter if you look at it, the more Chen Nian looks at it, the more frightened he becomes.

Many of the above things are too important for this era!
"Master Zhao, do you know where these things are stored? I am very interested in several of them."

"I know, I saw these things put into storage with my own eyes, even those that have never been used, I know where to put them."

"Then can I trouble Mr. Zhao to take me to have a look? If those things match my ideas, I am afraid Mr. Zhao will make a great contribution this time!"

"Really? Are these things from a barbaric land? I heard that many people there don't even have clothes, and they look black and black, just like uncivilized savages."

"Really! Master Zhao, can I lie to you? If these things are still there, they might affect the people's livelihood of the Great Xia Dynasty!"

Mr. Zhao also became excited when he heard this. Although he is just a warehouse manager, if Chen Nian can carry forward these things, and then say a few good words for himself that everyone discovered it together, wouldn't he be successful on the spot?
Then he took Chen Nian to look at the ingredients brought back by the Great Xia Dynasty fleet going south one by one.

"It's done, it's done, it's bigger this time!"

"Corn, potatoes, peppers, sweet potatoes, and coffee!"

"This is what Chinese civilization needs most at present!"

After reading it, Chen Nian asked Mr. Zhao to put all these things away and put them in one place.

"Master Chen, what should we do next?"

"Next?" Chen Nian smiled cheerfully, "The next thing is naturally going to face saint!"

……

The next day, after Chen Nian finished making snacks as usual in the morning, he stopped Wang Jin.

"Wang Gonggong, when I was looking for ingredients in the warehouse yesterday, I found some very important ingredients. I wonder if I can bother Wang Gonggong to help report to His Majesty that I want to face the saint."

Wang Jin was a little puzzled after hearing this, because in the past, the most thing that Chen Nian asked himself to do was to let himself observe whether His Majesty liked his new snacks.

But I never said that I was going to face the saint.

Because as usual, the qualification of old age is not enough to make such a request.

"Master Chen, what exactly did you find in the warehouse?"

But Chen Nian shook his head: "My lord, it's not that I'm concealing it on purpose, it's because these things are of great importance, if I pass them back and forth in the middle, I'm afraid I may have missed something, please forgive me."

Wang Jin didn't know what Chen Nian had found in the end, but he still planned to help Chen Nian with another message.

Because he feels that old age does not seem to be aimless.

So on this day, after he came to the imperial study again with the snacks made by Chen Nian, before Li Xu waved him out, he bent down and said, "Your Majesty, when the slaves were going to pick up the snacks today, Mr. Chen said that he had something important to face. He found some very important ingredients in the storeroom. However, the slaves don't know what Mr. Chen found. I don't know Your Majesty..."

Li Xu was also a little puzzled. Although he, the emperor, had never been to the palace treasury, he probably knew what was there.

"He didn't say?"

"Well, the servant asked, but Mr. Chen said that there might be some omissions in the transmission, so he wants to tell you in person."

Li Xu thought for a while: "After I finish eating, call him over when you deliver the dishes."

After hearing this, Wang Jing slowly exited the Imperial Study Room.

About seven or eight minutes later, he heard the emperor's voice again, walked in respectfully to collect the dishes, and carrying the food box, he came to the imperial dining room again.

"Master Chen, Your Majesty has asked you to come over."

"Thank you father-in-law."

Immediately afterwards, Chen Nian followed Wang Jin to the Imperial Study Room.

Entering it, Chen Nian saluted first.

"Tell me, what did you find in the warehouse? You have to come to see me to explain it?"

"Your Majesty, this time I found something good in the warehouse. If it can be used well, it may solve the problem of food and clothing for many people."

Hearing this, Li Xu immediately regained his spirits!

The whole person couldn't help but sit up straight.

"Is this true?"

"Chen Nian, even if you are the royal cook of the palace, if you fabricate this matter randomly, I will punish you!"

"Your Majesty, I dare to guarantee the head of the item, the things I found are really important!"