Brocade clothing as the country

Chapter 40
Now that Emperor Wanli had revealed his identity, Zhang Cheng didn't sit down after standing up. Hearing the emperor's inquiry, he stood respectfully aside and casually glanced at Wang Tong, who was kneeling there, and then lowered his head again.

Seeing Wang Tong hesitating there, Wanli, who was full of food and drink, was not in a hurry, but said casually:

"Stop kneeling, get up and talk!"

Wang Tong stood up after thanking him, without much hesitation, and asked in a low voice:
"Your Majesty, is the food made in the imperial dining room in the palace so unpalatable! See how happy Your Majesty is every time he eats in the villain's shop!"

I thought that officials wanted money, but I didn't expect Wang Tong to ask this sentence. Emperor Wanli was taken aback, and replied smoothly:
"Those old products in the imperial dining room, the food they make is bland and tasteless. When it is served, it is half-cold and lukewarm. It is said that it is prepared early in the big steamer. It is mutton all day long. After saying a few words, I knelt down. On the ground, this is the ancestor's rule, where you can enter!"

"May I ask Your Majesty, how is the food here?"

Before he knew it, the topic had turned to another place. Emperor Wanli licked his lips, picked up his chopsticks and cleaned the bottom of the plate with dried shrimps and cabbage, nodded and said:
"At the very least, the cooking here is delicious, fresh, and hot enough, so it's comfortable to eat."

Wang Tong leaned forward a few more steps and said with a smile:

"Have you not eaten before your Majesty came to the shop?"

"I have to go to court again, and I have to listen to my master's teaching, and I have to learn about sages and frugality for lunch, so why not come to your place to eat!"

Unknowingly, the topic has changed from rewards to meals, Wang Tong smiled and bowed and said:

"Please come back tomorrow, Your Majesty. The villain still has some new things for His Majesty to try, and try the skills of the villain."

"Okay, okay, the widow will definitely come over tomorrow!!"

Even the emperor is only a 13-year-old emperor, let alone an emperor who grew up under the care and discipline of the queen mother, Feng Bao, and Zhang Juzheng.

At this time, Emperor Wanli was still very naive, and his character was more like a child. Before he knew it, he had forgotten what he had just rewarded, and was happily thinking about the "new things" for tomorrow. Can't stop asking again:
"What's new?"

"Your Majesty forgives the crime of not telling me, and I will know tomorrow."

Emperor Wanli nodded excitedly, swept away the dried shrimp and cabbage heart three times, got up to leave, but stared at Wang Tong with doubtful eyes, and asked inexplicably:
"Wang Tong, how old are you this year?"

"Returning to Your Majesty, the villain is 13 years old and five months old this year!"

"Several months younger than me, why is he so big? I'll talk about it tomorrow. After a long time, my mother gave me time to let the widow come out. I still have to listen to Wang Guoguang's history lecture in the afternoon..."

After saying a few casual words in a low voice, Emperor Wanli got off the chair supported by Zhang Cheng, waved his hand and left the shop, and Wang Tong hurriedly knelt down to see him off.

Before going out, Zhang Cheng turned his head and nodded to Wang Tong, as if he didn't want to say hello, but had other intentions.

As soon as Emperor Wanli left, Wang Tong got up from the ground and sat in a corner, and began to think hard. He was not a chef at all, and now he has almost exhausted the stock of the year. If he wants to come up with something new, what will happen? How difficult.

Wang Tong was no longer in the store to take care of him in the afternoon, but was thinking in his living room. The cook of Zhenxing Building was from the capital, so he also sent someone to invite him over.

The dishes and snacks that I have eaten, seen or even heard of in my memory are reported one by one, to see if the cook knows it or not, and if I know it, I will delete it immediately.

When it was getting dark, Wang Tong was a little desperate. Many of the dim sum dishes he knew were either available in this era, or they could not be made due to the lack of materials. Never heard of it.

Not to mention things like potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn. Every time he uttered a word, or even drew a figure on paper with a charcoal pen, the cook was dumbfounded.

In the end, Wang Tong could only be dejected and realize that these things should not have been introduced to the capital. As for the so-called seafood and freshwater, there are only frozen or dried products in the capital now, and there is nothing to do.

During dinner, Widow Ma came over and asked Wang Tong to eat, but Wang Tong refused. She couldn't bring out new things tomorrow, and she couldn't maintain the freshness of the little emperor. Not worth it.

After finally opening up such a situation, I really can't bear to give up like this, what should I do.

A bell sounded from outside the window, it was the signal that the gate of the imperial city not far away was closed, and it was already too deep. Wang Tong patted his forehead, gave five liang of silver to the cook in Zhenxing Building, thanked him and sent him away.

Wang Tong sat in the room and sighed, but he heard someone knocking on the door, maybe it was Widow Ma and Zhang Shiqiang who came over, should they explain the situation in case, Wang Tong was a little worried, it seemed that he wanted to do the last thing. Bad plan.

The staff and helpers of Delicious Restaurant had already gone back after a busy day. The shop was cleaned and deserted. Wang Tong went to take down the door panel, but was stunned for a moment.

There was only one person outside the door, whom he didn't know. He wore a cotton cap with ears and a short-breasted cotton robe. He was dressed like a commoner. He was about 30 years old. He was holding a lantern in one hand and a bundle in the other.

There is no night life in this era. Except for the privileged class, there is a curfew at night. It is especially strict near the imperial city. shoot to kill.But the person outside the door is obviously not from South Street.

"Master Wang, it's cold and windy outside, how about letting me go in and talk?"

With a high-pitched and feminine voice, Wang Tong squinted his eyes to look at the other person's face, and found that the other person had no beard. Men in this era have to grow their hair and beard, so he was actually an eunuch.

Wang Tong was puzzled, so he stepped aside and invited the person in. After the eunuch entered the door, he took off his cotton cap first, looked at the display of the delicious restaurant by the light of the lantern, and said with a smile:

"All of you from the White Palace meet up here for dinner. It's a fresh look, and you can feel extravagant. I happen to have an errand and missed it. Who would have thought that I would be sent here at night."

This person spoke lightly, Wang Tong was feeling bored and didn't want to answer, the eunuch took a lantern and looked around the room, found the spot where the light was on, then clasped his fists and said with a smile:
"I'm Zou Yi, the Internal Supervisor is on duty, and the Supervisor of Rituals is holding a pen, and Eunuch Zhang has a message to Mr. Wang!!"

"Eunuch Zhang?"

Wang Tong was stunned for a moment, he didn't know who Eunuch Zhang was, the middle-aged eunuch coughed a few times, and explained with some embarrassment:
"It's the father-in-law who accompanied the emperor during the day. He was the emperor's companion when he was in the East Palace, and now he is the eunuch holding the pen."

It's true that they don't know, but everyone looks like they should know, Wang Tong said something ashamed, but Zou Yi said straight to the point:
"Eunuch Zhang said, your place is just a small restaurant. There are so many fresh dishes, but it would be good if you can keep the emperor looking back. Tonight, Eunuch Zhang asked me to give you a solution, Mr. Wang!"

*****
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(End of this chapter)