food queen

Chapter 740
Yan Wenzhen let out a long breath of relief, and silently recited the Buddha's name in his heart.

However, the Empress Empress looked very bad when she came back from Zichen Palace.All the people in Fengzhang Hall immediately raised the tone that they had let down just now.

For several days in a row, the empress was not happy, she couldn't eat well, and even the emperor made a face when he came over.

Yan Wenzhen tried his best to prepare the meals, but the matter had nothing to do with the meals themselves. The ministers in front of them repeatedly wrote to ask the emperor to choose a beautiful concubine. The queen was in a bad mood, so naturally she didn't like eating anything.

"Beauty pageant?" Yan Wenzhen was taken aback after hearing Cherry's words, "Empress Empress..."

"That's what the empress said." Cherry whispered.

"Hey!" Yan Wenzhen sighed heavily.I thought that everyone in the world said that the Queen's mother is the most noble woman in the world, but even the most noble woman can't get the complete love of a man?

In the evening, the emperor was dealing with government affairs in the Zichen Palace and hadn’t come back yet. It was said that several assistant ministers were surrounding the emperor to discuss important matters about Jiangshan Sheji. Yan Wenzhen made a water shield soup for the queen, a plate of emerald shrimp dumplings, and a plate of yam and purple sweet potato. Cake, a plate of cold bird's nest shreds and a plate of pickled cucumbers were sent to Fengzhang Hall.

The queen was in a bad mood, and the maids guarding the side were not as casual as usual.

After Yan Wenzhen came in, he greeted the queen, and took out the same food from the food box and put them on the small square table.The queen glanced at these dishes, and pointed to the shrimp dumplings.The orange next to it held a shrimp dumpling on a small blue and white porcelain plate and sent it to the queen's mouth.

The queen ate two shrimp dumplings, drank half a bowl of water shield soup, and then waved her hands to signal that they were all withdrawn.

Yan Wenzhen came forward to bless the body, and lifted the square table with the little maid.

"Just wait." The queen said suddenly.

"Yes." Yan Wenzhen hurriedly agreed, and took two steps back.

"Your Majesty has been on fire for the past few days, did Imperial Physician Wei give you the prescription for medicinal food?"

Yan Wenzhen hurriedly replied: "Go back to your mother, it has already been delivered. The servants have already opened the list of ingredients and asked them to prepare."

"Are the ingredients for the small dining room also purchased by the imperial dining room?" the queen asked Sun Defu next to him.

"Ms. Hui, in order to ensure the quality of the ingredients, all the ingredients needed in the palace are purchased and inspected by the imperial dining room, and then selected and delivered according to the needs of Fengzhang Palace." Sun Defu said.

"Who is in charge of purchasing ingredients in the imperial dining room?" Han Qian asked again.

"Mrs. Hui, it's Zhang Shou, the head chef of the third-rank imperial chef." Sun Defu replied.

"Who is Zhang Shou to Zhang Ruixiang?"

"...is his nephew."

"Uncle and nephew?"

"Go back to your mother, it's my uncle and nephew."

The queen laughed lightly when she heard the words: "It's rare for a family where both uncles and nephews enter the palace."

"Back to your mother, Zhang Ruixiang entered the palace in the same year as the servant. His hometown was hit by a flood just like the slave's hometown. His family fled in all directions and lost contact. Both Zhang Ruixiang and the servant entered the palace to survive. His nephew Zhang Shou was in the palace five years ago. At that time, their home was hit by another flood. Zhang Shou was abducted by human traffickers and transferred to the palace as a slave. After entering the palace, his uncle and nephew contacted him."

The queen sneered indifferently: "I don't care about these twists and turns. Zhang Ruixiang is in charge of the imperial dining room, and his nephew is in charge of purchasing. Do you think this is appropriate?"

"The slave understands." Sun Defu hurriedly bowed in response.

"Let Zhang Ruixiang choose one for the shopping errand and the chief manager of the imperial dining room." The queen said lightly.

"Yes." Sun Defu replied, "I'm going to spread the word, this servant."

"Tell Zhang Ruixiang that the vacant seat is for Wen Zhen," the queen said.

"Yes." Sun Defu agreed and went out.

Yan Wenzhen stood beside her but was a little dumbfounded, not knowing what to do for a moment.

"Why, are you not satisfied?" the queen asked with a smile.

"Slave... I am grateful to the empress for her kindness, but this... this purchase is of great importance. I am afraid that this servant will not be able to handle the errand..."

The Queen smiled and asked back: "Your Yan family's Jiahe Tower was famous in the capital before, why, as the owner, don't you know how to select good ingredients?"

"This, servant girl understands a little bit, but..."

"Are you afraid of taking responsibility?"

"No, the Empress trusts her servants. Even if a servant dies, it will be difficult for her to repay her kindness." Yan Wenzhen lifted up her dress and bowed slowly, "Wenzhen thank you for your kindness."

"Don't be so busy thanking him, maybe that old man Zhang Ruixiang voluntarily resigned from his position as the chief manager of the imperial dining room in order to protect his nephew. It won't be too late for you to come thank you after this matter is settled."

Yan Wenzhen kowtowed again: "Yes. Wenzhen respectfully obeys the Queen's order."

The head manager of the imperial dining room and the head chef of the third-rank imperial kitchen can choose one of the two, even a fool would know to choose the former.Zhang Ruixiang is not stupid, so naturally he would not make a wrong choice.

In this way, the purchase of the imperial dining room fell on Yan Wenzhen's shoulders.

However, she has to cook the emperor's meals in the small dining room by herself every day. If she checks the accounts and inspects the ingredients every day, she really doesn't have that much energy.Zhang Ruixiang recommended two helpers to Yan Wenzhen as the chief manager of the imperial dining room.

How could Yan Wenzhen not know that the queen's intention this time is to prevent Zhang Ruixiang from being the dominant family in the imperial dining room?Naturally, at this time, he would no longer use the person he recommended.But she is not stupid, knowing that Zhang Ruixiang cannot be offended, so she took the two people recommended by him to the small dining room of Fengzhang Palace, and borrowed two reliable people from Madam Xu. The Imperial Dining Room helps manage the accounts.

In this way, Zhang Ruixiang will not be offended, and the errands assigned by the queen empress will be properly handled.

A beauty was selected from the harem, and the imperial dining room was much busier than before.Yan Wenzhen watched coldly, seeing that the emperor never asked any questions about the five beauties selected, and the empress seemed to have fulfilled her mission after the beauties entered the palace, and never paid any attention to those beauties.

The maids and eunuchs are all used to winking. Seeing this, they naturally have no illusions about these beauties. Everyone is busy with their own duties. Even if there are one or two minds, they can manage their own affairs. Nunnies and eunuchs go to discipline.Yan Wenzhen knew even more in her heart, as long as she kept an eye on the emperor and queen's diet and the accounts of the imperial dining room, it would be fine.Never ask more questions about other things.

The fifth day of May, Duanyang Festival.

The queen empress did another unexpected thing, and gave the beauties selected into the palace to the prince as his side concubine.It's fine for others, especially Gao Meiren, who was actually given to the sick and sick King Yan who hanged half his life on medicine every day as a side concubine. Then Princess Yan is a famous shrew. I am afraid that it will not be long before it will be grinded to death.

The Gao family expressed dissatisfaction at the time and made a fuss at the banquet.

Yan Wenzhen was worried that the queen would lose her temper because of this incident, so she stewed lily and lotus seed soup in the small dining room early, and walked around in front of the small stove worriedly.

"It's okay." Mother Xu persuaded, "You can cook your lotus seed soup at ease."

"Are you really going to be okay? I heard it's a lot of trouble." Yan Wenzhen was not as calm as Madam Xu.

Madam Xu is someone who served the former empress. She has been in the palace for decades, so she naturally knows the emperor's temperament and understands the situation in the palace. If there is trouble, it will not be the empress who suffers. Don't worry."

"I hope." Yan Wenzhen scooped up a little lotus seed soup with a bamboo spoon, and then picked up a little soup with a small soup, put it in his mouth and tasted it, and when he thought it was all right, Fang took the small earthen pot off the stove with a square towel on it set aside.

"You've been busy for a long time, and you haven't had a sip of water yet. Let me watch over here. Go take a rest and eat something." Madam Xu said.

Yan Wenzhen said again: "Thank you mama. Your Majesty likes sweet things. This lotus seed soup is not sweet enough. When it is warmed up, add some honey."

"Understood, don't worry." Mother Xu replied.

A farce finally came to an end, the queen was not offended, and the emperor looked calm.It was the old lady of the Gao family who was so angry that she fainted and was carried away from the palace.

After Yan Wenzhen heard about it, she sighed leisurely, admiring the queen's empress's courage from the bottom of her heart, and was also relieved by the emperor's love for the queen.

For a woman to be so favored by her husband for a lifetime is worth it no matter what.

When the pomegranate blossoms were like fire, the queen gave birth to a princess.The emperor named the princess Tianxin as if he had found a treasure.

Yan Wenzhen not only had to take care of the queen's food during the confinement period, but also had to watch the ingredients and seasonings in the imperial dining room every day. She was so busy every day that she never touched the floor, but her cooking skills greatly improved because of this.

Just as she thought, the ingredients in the imperial dining room not only collected all the ingredients in the world, but the empress also asked people to specially cultivate a lot of ingredients from overseas, such as peppers, tomatoes and other ingredients that Dayun did not have, which opened Yan Wenzhen's horizons.

Whether it's the imperial dining room or the small dining room in Fengzhang Palace, Yan Wenzhen is like a fish in water.

The princess's full moon feast happens to be in June.During the hottest time of the year, many people cannot eat two meals a day during this month.There is also a custom among the people not to visit relatives and friends in June. The reason is that it is too hot, and everyone does not like to visit or entertain guests in well-dressed clothes.

"The princess's full moon banquet should not invite too many people, just invite a few sisters-in-law from my mother's family." The queen said lazily, leaning on the couch.

"The two eldest princesses and several princesses should also come in for a seat." Apple reminded in a low voice.

The queen nodded and said: "Then invite the two eldest princesses, Princess Cheng, and Princess Yan together, and then call the eldest sister of Ninghou Mansion, Xiyue, by the way, Princess Wei might not be interested Come into the palace, just call Yanran."

"So, since there aren't many people, the banquet will be held in the water pavilion in the imperial garden, right? It's cooler by the water and more ventilated." Pingguo'er said again.

"You look at the arrangement, Wen Zhen has to pay more attention to the dishes." The queen said, and turned to look at Yan Wenzhen who was standing beside her.

Yan Wenzhen hurriedly took out a piece of paper from her bosom and offered it with both hands: "The maidservant has arranged all the dishes, here is the list, please have a look at it, Madam."

"Well, I just like your temperament of being prepared for a rainy day, steady and reliable." The queen praised.

(End of this chapter)