Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 4948. Simple Diet

Xianyang is really too big.

Although it was still early when we set out, it was already night again when we returned to Lanchi.

Bonfires were lit on both sides of the road leading to Penglai Island on the Orchid Pond. The lotus flowers and lotus leaves in the pond were dancing in the steaming night breeze. Behind the palace in the distance, a giant stone whale about 400 meters long seemed to have just jumped out of the boundless lake.

It is especially beautiful under the moonlight.

Qin Shi paused.

Then she instructed Chi Nu: "Remind me tomorrow morning to enjoy the lotus in the morning light."

"I'll ask the chef to come over later. I want to eat fried lotus and lotus leaf glutinous rice chicken tomorrow morning. I'll tell him how to make it."

She never underestimated the wisdom of the ancients, so there was no need to explain everything in detail now, because those who could work in the Xianyang Palace had their own creativity and intelligence.

Chi Nu agreed, and Wu Zi also became happy: they were the personal maids serving the King of Qin, and the palace chef would ask them to taste whatever the King of Qin ate.

Firstly, it was the flattery of the palace chefs.

Secondly, it also makes them more considerate of their superiors.

If they don't know the answer to any of the questions, and Qin Jun says that he is tired of eating brown sugar wheat cakes, will they reply: How can wheat cakes be boring?

Since returning to Lan Chi, they have eaten many delicious foods!

So Wu Zi said boldly, "Lord Qin has a good appetite, and the palace chefs all like him very much. But they are also quite worried: Lord Qin's three meals a day are too simple, and he always finishes them."

"The palace kitchen staff are worried that the service may not be done properly, so they are especially careful to tell this to me."

Qin Shi burst out laughing.

Although it was sometimes troublesome for her to specify the meals every day, she did not ask for anything else besides what she specified, so she was actually the easiest lord to serve in the entire Xianyang City.

In this era where the meals of the rich and powerful are often prepared with ten or eight dishes and two urns or four pots, she only ordered two grilled fish and a dish of salt and pepper wheat cakes tonight, which was already extremely simple.

Moreover, she could basically finish all the food she took every day. Even if there was leftovers, there wouldn't be too much leftovers.

Such eating habits seem too simple, even crude, in the luxurious city of Xianyang.

Chi Nu then asked kindly, "Does Lord Qin feel that his food and drink are too extravagant? I dare to offer you a reward to the servants if you can't finish it all."

"If it is too simple, I am afraid I will lose my status as a nobleman of Qin Jun."

Order 108 dishes, take a few bites yourself, and give the rest to the servants?

Qin Shi shook his head.

Chi Nu, Wu Zi and the other four were personal maids. They had their own dietary standards. The palace had strict rules and regulations, and every drink and bite had a fixed pattern.

Even though meat, eggs and milk were a little scarce, after the Qin Dynasty, there was always fresh food available every day and the palace kitchens provided pampering, so there was never a shortage of food.

Therefore, even if his diet was [simple], it would not prevent them from being full. Moreover, Qin Shi did not really think that he was simple.

She simply prepared as much as she could eat, but the chicken, duck, fish and meat she ate every day were all delivered from Shanglin Garden at night.

Even if it is a bowl of overly simple sunflower vegetable soup, the sunflower vegetables are freshly picked from the imperial garden of the palace kitchen, and it takes no more than an hour from picking to cooking.

The weather is hot now, and in order to ensure the freshness of fish and shrimp, Shanglinyuan needs to add ice to the water every time it delivers them.

In this era without ice machines, many ministers and ladies of low status in the Xianyang Palace could not even enjoy the consumption of ice.

Is this simple?

She has already gone through so much trouble just to prepare two or three dishes. If she has to prepare ten or eight more just to save face... why bother?

Therefore, even if Akame's method would not cause food waste, she still shook her head and refused to use it:
"That's my eating habits. Since they serve me, there's no need to worry about what others say. They just need to do what I like."

After thinking for a moment, he added, "If there's any misunderstanding with the king, I'll report it to Governor Zhou."

It was rare for her to say something so irrefutable. Chi Nu Wu Zi nodded together and agreed solemnly.

……

The Lan Chi Palace was already brightly lit. The bronze Spring God lamp trees on both sides of the main hall were removed and temporarily replaced by silver Minglu Spring Platform by the craftsmen.

Branches spread out from the stag's tall antlers, and at the end of each branch was a small silver cup, which was filled with the same mermaid oil as that in Zhangtai Palace, lit with rush.

Every time Qin Shi looked at it, he would be dazzled by the jumping flames, and then he would marvel at the luxury of Xianyang again.

And tonight, under the bright firelight, maids were holding nanmu tables lined with dark silk cloth, and they stood in a row respectfully.

In the candlelight, the four golden crowns shining with colorful starlight are the "Four Seasons God Golden Crowns" that Ji Heng admired.

But seeing it with my own eyes, it was more beautiful than Zhou Ju had described, and more luxurious than Qin Shi had imagined.

The gold, after repeated hammering, was delicately engraved with cloud patterns and auspicious beasts, and the pearls, jade and gems inlaid on it were skillfully carved and also shone brightly at this moment.

Behind the golden crown, two rows of maids held small boxes filled with pearl hairpins, jade rings, and necklaces. For a moment, the entire main hall of the Orchid Pond was ablaze with jewels and overflowing with wealth.

After all, if the king were to give a reward, four golden crowns alone would not be enough. Naturally, some miscellaneous items would have to be added to highlight the nobility of the treasure.

A maidservant bowed and said, "The king said that Qin Qing is simple and frugal, owning no pearls or jade, and does not wear necklaces or jade pendants. Therefore, I have specially given you various jewelry to please you."

Qin Shi remained silent.

The so-called jade necklace, which Wu Zi had taken out and shown to her when she got dressed that morning, was a pure gold necklace with cloud patterns, Kuilong and auspicious beasts, also inlaid with pearls, jade and precious stones.

The jade pendant is made of the finest jade, with multiple layers of green pine, agate, gold beads and other intricate beads and jades stacked on top of each other...

In short, just weigh it and you will know that it weighs no less than two kilograms.

It’s not that she doesn’t have a necklace or jade pendant, it’s that she clearly loves her neck!

But now looking at these jewellery sent as a gift, although I don’t know where they came from, I can see their complexity and beauty, which are even better than the small pieces of jewellery I picked out at the beginning.

Some of the maids following behind him gasped secretly, which was particularly obvious in the silent hall.

Qin Shi was also dazzled for a moment.

If she could be favored by the king and often obtain such wealth and splendor, she would definitely try her best to create greater glory in the future.

When I thought about how the beauties in the harem were actually vying for such beautiful pearls and jades, I understood it instantly!
If she cannot wear this golden crown of the four seasons god on her head, what is the meaning of her dressing up in this life!
Qin Shi admired it silently, thinking that he had lost all worldly desires and seen through everything after his serious illness. Unexpectedly, he had not seen through it at all, and was even addicted to it.

Praise Your Majesty!

She wanted to try them all on right now, but she saw that Fu Cai had already summoned three maids to comb her hair. She remembered that it had taken her two quarters of an hour to comb her simple high bun today, and she had to use hair oil...

That's it.

She reluctantly glanced at the room full of brilliance again, and ordered the black seeds to be stored in the warehouse:
"Take a shower and change your clothes."

Regarding the Qin Dynasty jade necklace: You can recall the long string of jade pendants worn by Queen Jiang when King Zhou ascended the throne in Fengshen...

good looking.

Really heavy.