Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 2727. Chu's Slender Waist
The King of Qin's reaction was quick.

Zhou Ju just let out a "hot" sound and quickly withdrew his lips and teeth. However, some of the hot brown sugar juice still flowed out, and the tip of his tongue felt numb and tingling.

The tempting sweet fragrance in the air became more and more scorching.

Zhou Ju could even hear the rumbling of his stomach.

There was silence in the hall for a moment.

The King of Qin put down the sugar cake as if nothing had happened, and now looked at Zhou Ju with a smile: "I thought you had eaten it in Lanchi Palace."

This was obviously a joke. Zhou Ju had followed the King of Qin for many years, and now he rolled up his sleeves to show off:
"Your Majesty, please have mercy on me. This Zhuzhe sugar was so sweet when it was boiled that I couldn't help stirring it myself. The bursting sugar juice burned the back of my hand, leaving blisters like this."

Otherwise, how would he know it would be so hot?
The kitchen staff said nothing, and he really thought it was so easy!

After it cooled and formed, he did take two bites. But he absolutely could not let the king know this—even if the king had already guessed it, he could not say it out loud.

General Zhou Ju had a good sense of how to play the victim. As soon as he finished speaking, he served a bowl of duck soup to the King of Qin:

"Your Majesty, please try this. Qin Qing prepared three old ducks. One is for Your Majesty, one is for her to enjoy, and the other is for Your Majesty's reward."

The duck soup was now at the perfect temperature. Ji Heng slowly took a sip with a spoon, then raised his brows slightly, "It's more flavorful than what the palace chef usually serves. Come, give the remaining portion to the general."

Zhou Ju smiled and agreed. This arrangement was indeed what he expected.

As for him?
Oh! Your Majesty, there will still be half a jar left later!
The winter melon is soft and refreshing, the stewed duck meat is tender, and the soup is just the right amount of salty and fresh. After finishing a bowl of duck soup, the sugar cake is also just right.

When you take a bite, you will find the crispy and soft layer of dough slightly soaked in sugar juice. The thick brown sugar wraps the aroma and sweetness and blends into your mouth. Just one bite will make you instantly satisfied.

Ji Heng's nerves, which had been tense for the entire day, finally relaxed completely at this moment. He savored the taste slowly while making arrangements:
"Tell the palace chef to quickly make more sugar cakes, and give them to the three dukes, nine ministers, and all the generals."

"Also, the name of this Zhuzhetang is inappropriate. Has Qin Qing chosen a new name?"

If it's called Zhuzhe, wouldn't it be easy to guess the ingredients? Zhou Ju nodded and said, "Qin Qing didn't name it, but she occasionally speaks quickly and calls it brown sugar."

"Brown sugar..." Ji Heng looked at the wheat cake in his hand. It was more like brown sugar than brown sugar. But the color name gave him a new association: "If it's red, could there be yellow, white, and other colors?"

Zhou Ju couldn't answer this question, so he just said, "Qin Qing never said that. But she is quite particular about food, clothing, housing, and transportation. In my opinion, Your Majesty should just wait until tomorrow."

This is true.

This Qin Qing was always graceful and composed in everything he did, but when it came to matters of life and delicious food, he clearly couldn't wait even a moment.

"I allowed her to present her thoughts in person, so why didn't she come in person?"

Zhou Ju bowed. "I have delivered the order. But Qin Qing has said: What she has learned is disorganized. If I report back hastily, I am afraid it will delay the affairs of the great kingdom."

"So it will take some time."

"Also, Qin Qing sent a palace maid to ask: If Your Majesty has some spare time after dinner, she is willing to offer treasures again."

The wheat cakes were sweet and delicious, and Ji Heng finally raised his eyebrows: "Oh? She is really willing to give up all those secret things?"

In addition to the underwear that was not displayed one by one, her box also contained a strange-looking black board, which she had only briefly mentioned when she presented the medicine.

There was a purse on the outside of her strange-looking clothes. The maids had already reported that there was also a black board on it, which Qin Qing treasured very much.

Although it doesn't seem to have any use, it is usually placed next to the pillow when going to sleep.

As the ruler of the world, although he did not covet these things, it was wrong for him to know the other party's vague words and not report them.

Zhou Ju laughed and said, "I don't know either. Qin Qing only asked me to ask the king for instructions. I don't know..."

Ji Heng glanced at him, clearly noticing that he, the Imperial Chariot Officer, was quite optimistic about Qin Qing. However, there was no way he could finish the cart full of official bamboo slips, so why not give up some free time? He slowly ate his dinner, nodding, "Approved."

……

Qin Shi enjoyed this dinner very much.

It's the 4th day here.

The first three days in the carriage were fine, but now that she was settled and completely relaxed, and having expended considerable mental and physical energy today, she had a good appetite.

At this moment, he was holding earthenware bowls and clacking out two bowls of duck meat and winter melon, a bowl of duck soup, and two big, round brown sugar pancakes.

Only then do I feel satisfied.

Yi Ming couldn't help but remind him not to overeat, but Qin Jun didn't seem to be full at all, so she became happy instead:
"Mr. Qin has a good appetite, is big and strong, just like us old Qin people."

Qin Shi was confused: huge and muscular?

She then realized: Oh, in the Qin Dynasty, bigness was considered beautiful.

Whether it is the layout of the palace or the physique and appearance of people, everyone cares about this.

The clothes are loose and the palaces are magnificent. "Huge" does not mean stupid and strong, but tall and strong.

During the Qin Dynasty, balanced nutrition was already available to everyone, so her height was not very tall, 165cm, which was not unusual. But compared to this era, she was already excellent.

She did lose a lot of weight after her illness, but now she has strong bones and plump flesh. She has a healthy physique that would not be called "fat" if she appeared on camera.

In the eyes of the old Qin people today, nature is particularly beautiful.

If you add to that her smooth cheeks, which were hairless from eating fine grains, her neat, white teeth, and her thick, healthy, long black hair...

A 7-point appearance should be increased to 9 points.

Chi Nu presented a bronze mirror to her. She stared at it for a while and felt very satisfied.

After eating and drinking, Qin Shi was in the mood to joke: "Is there anyone who doesn't look like an old Qin person?"

Wu Zi said, "Yes. Madam Chu, who lived in the side hall of Xianyang Palace, was sent from the Chu Kingdom—now the land of Chu. Therefore, she was born with a delicate and slender figure, her waist like a willow in the wind, and her dancing posture was charming."

This is also understandable in the Qin Dynasty: The King of Chu likes a thin waist, and many people in the palace starve to death. This is exactly what the King of Chu is talking about!

It's normal for aesthetics to spread from one person to another. Furthermore, the tribute cloths from Chu were exceptionally intricate and beautiful, so it was clear that everyone shared this sentiment.

Qin Shi's curiosity suddenly arose: "Since this Madam Chu can live in the side hall of Xianyang Palace, I guess she is very favored by the king, right?"

Chi Nu explained slowly, "Madam Chu dances beautifully, and when the king is tired, he loves to watch her."

"As for whether to pamper..."

She lowered her head and suppressed a laugh. "The King once said she was panting every few steps, and that even eating nothing would not keep her strong. How could she give birth to a healthy prince or princess in the future?"

"If that's the case, why bother with her? It's a waste of effort."

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[The king's true character is gradually revealed, and he is not the usual cold and pure king...]

[Brown sugar is made by boiling sugarcane juice, while black sugar is made by boiling brown sugar further, with more caramel content]

The King of Chu loved thin waists, and many in the palace starved to death. This refers to King Ling of Chu during the Spring and Autumn Period. Even his ministers considered a thin waist beautiful, and their faces, from head to toe, were all dark and yellow from hunger, and they were weak and limp.

[Yanhao - From Zuo Zhuan. Originally, it referred to gifts given at a banquet, signifying friendship and goodwill. Later, it came to be used to describe a harmonious relationship between husband and wife (including sexual intercourse).]