The little lady in the dining room

Chapter 171 Ambition
Xue Li's last sentence was a little louder, so before the things were picked up, everyone began to guess what they were going to do based on the materials.

Need sewing?Never heard of it!
Miss Ruan, aren't you from Shangshi Bureau?Do you have friends in Shangfu Bureau?
Sydney waited calmly, and after a while, the ingredients were served.

In addition to the needle and thread, there are two things in total, one of which is minced chicken.This is what she said to Dou Sha: "Go to the kitchen and have a look, and prepare meals for a later banquet. There will probably be seasoned minced fish or minced chicken, whichever is fine, bring some, and they will prepare separately at this time New ones are in time."

The other is bean sprouts, served in a big bowl, they are all thicker.The heads and tails of the bean sprouts have been neatly chopped off, and they are placed in a black porcelain bowl, making them extraordinarily white and tender.A light fragrance comes out, very refreshing feeling.

In addition, there is a small porcelain bowl with clear water in it.

Xueli cleaned her hands first, threaded the embroidery needle, and soaked it in the water bowl.Then, holding a needle in his hand, he buried the thread in the minced chicken.

The cotton thread went back and forth four or five times in the minced chicken, and she waited for a while, then lifted the embroidery needle and pulled out the thread.

The originally pure white cotton thread has been filled with minced chicken, turning into a light flesh color.Without raising her head, Xue Li picked up a bean sprout and passed the embroidery needle through one end.

Although I picked thick bean sprouts, they were not much thicker than embroidery needles.All the wives stared straight at the eyes. After the embroidery needle was pierced, they could see its position against the light. There was no deviation at all, and it pierced straight out from the other side.

Xueli pulled the needle and thread, and put the bean sprouts that had just passed through the minced chicken into the plate at hand.

Everyone was dumbfounded, and even the maids who followed were all in awe.

Sydney felt... too happy!
She thought that she would never have the chance to cook this dish for others to eat in her life!

This dish is very famous, and all the court ladies from Shangshi Bureau know it, but no one has ever cooked it.

This dish is called "inlaid silver sprouts". Silver sprouts refer to bean sprouts, which must be embedded with things.

This is an authentic palace dish, adhering to the principle of "the ingredients can be ordinary, but the preparation must be exquisite", and it is unbelievably delicate.

However, the one who loves this dish the most in history is really not very famous. There are all kinds of reputations that harm the country and the people and act arbitrarily. As a result, everyone from the emperor to the courtiers is avoiding this famous dish. Enjoyment is easy for the emperor to be tainted with the word "faint emperor", so the Shangshi Bureau had no choice but to let the maids know that this dish has a lot of knowledge, but not let them make it.

Therefore, Sydney is really the first time to cook this dish!She was only 11 years old when she first heard about this dish. Afterwards, she was very curious and poked a whole handful of bean sprouts with an embroidery needle.

As a result, of course, all of them failed, and none of them could poke from beginning to end!After all, thick bean sprouts are also very thin!
Now she is also good at courage, and feels that after ten years of dealing with the kitchen, she should be able to control this dish.Try it out, it's really good!
After skewering a small half plate, Sydney's eyes were a little sour.Only then did she raise her eyes to look at the wives around her, and casually pushed the plate with redundant needles and threads: "Don't you want to try?"

"..." Everyone woke up like a dream, and it was the fifth princess who said first, "No, no, we, we won't fight against each other..."

Is this also called "finishing the previous process by yourself in the room"? !Mrs. Ruan, your usual "hands-on" way to relieve boredom is so particular and meticulous!

The housewives were secretly surprised, so Sydney had no choice but to explain to Dou Sha how to cook this thing.

When Wei Chen took the bride back to the mansion, the two had to rest separately.

The bride can go to the small room prepared early in the courtyard to touch up her makeup and have a snack; the groom who left the house early in the morning and went back and forth can also go to another small room to drink tea slowly.

In fact, Wei Chen was so happy that he didn't feel thirsty at all along the way. It wasn't until the tea was served in front of him that he suddenly felt...so thirsty!
He poured down a cup full of tea in one breath, and as soon as he handed over the cup to signal for more, the waiter didn't dare pour any more for him.

The little boy smiled and persuaded: "Your Excellency, please bear with it, it will be inconvenient to show respect at the banquet."

……All right.

Wei Chen pursed his lips and endured it, and touched his sleeve with his fingertips between his folded arms. He couldn't help frowning slightly, and lowered his eyes to look at his sleeve.

There was a scratch on the unconscious suit, it wasn't scratched, it just wrinkled the material.It can't be seen from a distance, but it is obvious to the touch.

... Yuxiang did a good job!
He managed to pass the vegetable cutting level, went in to pick up Su Zixian, and when he came out with Zixian, it was probably because Zixian was reluctant to part with the people in Jiugeyuan, so Yuxiang thought she was unwilling to leave .

Then it rushed towards him, an outsider. If he hadn't practiced kung fu to stabilize his legs, he would definitely fall on his back with this attack!
The Jiuge Courtyard is too lively!
Wei Chen brushed his sleeves with his mouth curled, and asked the boy casually, "Is Sydney here yet?"

"It's here, it's early." When Mrs. Ruan was mentioned, the boy's eyes were full of freshness. "I also showed my wife a hand in the side hall and made a dish. What's it called...Inlaid silver buds? All the ladies in the house I was so shocked. I didn't see how she did it, but I heard the maid next to her tell the chef how to cook it. Hey, that method is really..."

Wei Chen doesn't need to listen anymore.Your Majesty may not have eaten this dish, but he has!

In the past, when they went to various places to inspect, corrupt officials were guilty, and entertained the imperial guards with good wine and food, hoping that they would raise their hands and not tell the truth.This inlaid silver tooth is one of the ones that impressed him deeply. No matter how delicate the previous work is, the next step is not to fry it directly in the pan, but to put the prepared silver buds in the strainer and heat them with boiling water. Drizzle the pepper oil on top.

After pouring once, you have to shake them to turn them over, then sprinkle some fine salt on them, and then pour them again.

As for how many times it needs to be poured in total, the cook needs to pay attention to it.If it’s too little, it won’t work, it’s not cooked; if it’s too much, it won’t work, it will be mushy.I could only observe carefully, seeing that the bean sprouts were ripe and turned translucent, and I could see the thin strands of minced chicken or minced fish inside, so I stopped immediately and put them on the plate.

...Pears still have this skill? !

Wei Chen was taken aback for a while, and the next moment he was thinking, since such a famous and almost lost dish is made, it is a waste to just let the wives watch it.

He pressed his voice and said to the boy: "If she doesn't eat the dishes after cooking, she will bring them to the adults. Don't mention anything else, just say that Lady Ruan made it herself."

Serving overcooked dishes would depress her value, so just such a dish with silver buds inlaid is just right.The dishes are delicate enough, and she made them by herself, but the quantity is not much. Does it mean "rewarded by the empress"... Hehe, you adults can decide for yourself, no one said that anyway.

After Wei Chen gave his orders, he couldn't help being thirsty, so he went to the table and poured out half a cup.Beside him, the servant hesitated a little: "My lord, Mrs. Ruan made the arrangements herself."

Wei Chen looked slightly condensed: "What?"

The servant bowed: "Miss Ruan first asked the wives what they meant, and the wives laughed and said that they would always think about it after eating. Madam Ruan confessed that after it was finished, it would be sent to some important adults, called Emperor Ping An She took the eldest son of the emperor with her. She also taught Emperor Ping'an a few words, which basically means that you have worked hard for the state affairs, thank you, my lords."

Wei Chen could hear a little smile.

This pear, has it grown?

Her arrangement was more detailed than his just now, and she thanked all the adults directly. Isn't this what "the empress has rewards" means?

But she didn't show her face directly, and let the child do it for her, which happened to avoid the possibility of others saying that her heart was higher than the sky.

——Her heart is higher than the sky?Who said that?Wasn't the rewarding dish given by the prince Di Ji?At a very young age, the Tian Family Empress knew to show compassion to the courtiers on behalf of her father, isn't that very sensible?This shows that the mother taught well!
He also learned to bend the corner to make a good name for himself.It is true that those who are close to Zhu are red, and those who are close to the king of Huai are wilted.

After a short rest, it was almost time to salute, and Wei Chen took Su Zixian to the main hall.

The process of the evening ceremony was less festive and more solemn than Su Zixian imagined.

All the guests were very quiet and solemn. She and Wei Chen ate prison food and drank Hebei wine together. At first, she was somewhat blushing and shy, but then her mood became more serious. She didn't think it was embarrassing. It's an important part of life.

Xue Li watched intently from the table, feeling spontaneous envy in her heart.

Actually speaking, she and Xie Zhao spend so much time together, it should be a good time for this blind ceremony.But looking at it now, she still couldn't help thinking: It would be great if the Queen Mother didn't die of illness!Without the period of filial piety, she might have already performed the evening ceremony!
That night, Sydney inevitably drank a little too much.

This envy helped a little bit, and more importantly, the good sister who has been with me for so long is getting married!Happy for her!The wine cup in my hand can't stop!

So even though all she had prepared was fruit wine, when she returned to the palace, she was still a little drunk, dizzy and unsteady.

The emperor arrived at the Jiuge Courtyard one step ahead of her, and came out to greet him when he heard the movement outside.When he arrived at the gate of the courtyard, before he could go in and take a closer look, the visitor bumped into his arms.

As soon as Xueli smelled the scent, she knew it was him, so she didn't let go, she leaned on him and put her arms around him: "Zixian is married, oh..."

Xie Zhao laughed: "Why are you sighing, it's a good thing."

It's a good thing, she just feels a little empty in her heart.After all, they have been together for more than ten years. Now that Su Zixian is married, she feels that something important is missing in her heart.

She was limply in his arms, and Xie Zhao could tell that she had drunk too much, so he hugged her and sent her into the room, and sat on the couch and looked at her with a smile: "Mr. You sent someone to tell me about the inlaid silver buds, and it's a good job."

Silver buds?Oh, he should be referring to what she asked A Yao to send to the courtiers.

When Xueli thought of this, the smile on her face faded away. She turned over to face him, hugged his hand, and said sleepily: "When I did this, I was scared. I thought about it back and forth. Many times, after giving the order, I even observed the faces of the wives outside for a long time."

Xie Zhao's face also froze slightly, realizing that she hadn't finished speaking, and asked her, "What happened?"

Xueli shook her head vigorously with the strength of the alcohol, and then remained silent for a while.

...Is this really drunk?Can't react?

He was about to ask someone to give her some hangover soup when she suddenly tightened her hand, "Xie Zhao."

Xie Zhaoqian was stunned, and waved his hands to make the others back out.

She sat up and said, "You know what? When I saw them perform the evening ceremony today, I was in a hurry and wanted to marry you as soon as possible."

Then he was relieved: "But apart from that moment, when I faced the wives today, I was afraid what would happen if I was still not sure about these things after the funeral period, and I didn't have the ability to be a queen."

Xie Zhao's expression froze, and it was the first time that she was so worried about this matter.

He thought she was just a little "natural" fear. After all, the span from just guarding the Jiugeyuan and taking the children to cook to becoming the queen's mother is really big, but he never thought that she would take the initiative to think deeply What to do if you are not qualified all the time.He was afraid that this matter would become a burden on her heart, so he almost never told her what he really planned in his heart when pushing her out to practice, but it still made her feel pressured?
It was because of this that she suddenly asked Ah Yao and the others to send inlaid silver buds to the courtiers?She was afraid and wanted to work hard to qualify herself for the back seat?

It seemed that he had ignored her concern before.

Xie Zhao thought about his words and tried to coax her, but she suddenly moved closer, her chin resting on his shoulder: "Shall I tell you to 'play first before cutting'?"

He smiled and nodded: "You say."

Sydney looked solemn: "Starting tomorrow, I will take the initiative to find out how the queen should do things. I will intervene in many things that I can intervene in. I will make my own decisions where I should make decisions—I I will try my best not to pester you for advice, but if I do not make a mistake, Your Majesty..."

She wanted to say "Don't blame me", but Xie Zhao narrowed his eyes and said, "I'll help you."

Oh, it's even better this way!

Xie Zhao also took the opportunity to cheer her up: "You can't intervene in your current capacity but you want to intervene, you can tell Chen Jijiang, and he will do it for you!"

Ok!

The smile on Xue Li's face recovered a little heartlessly, and she fell headfirst on the couch, ready to welcome the day when she would carry a knife into battle.

In any case, Xie Zhao was used to seeing Xue Li being soft, and many times he would feel that she was too soft, but after getting used to it, he accepted her as such.

He will remind her of the importance that the queen must hold, and he thinks it's okay if she doesn't want to deal with other trivial matters.Anyway, there are not no queens who only show up during festivals or major events, and usually hide in the Changqiu Palace.

So after listening to Sydney's oath, he didn't hear anything from Jiugeyuan for a few days in a row, so he consciously put the matter aside for the time being, voluntarily acquiescing that she was drunk and talking nonsense that day or was blamed by Wei Chen Zixian The evening ritual stimulated my head to get hot on the spur of the moment.

In the Jiuge courtyard, Xue Li carefully studied how to deal with the matter in front of her as if she was facing an enemy.

From the second day after Wei Chen Zixian's evening ceremony, Jiugeyuan began to receive posts one after another, with the same content - apologizing for the rudeness.

Among the people who posted the post, there were no family members like the fifth princess, nor the wives and daughters of important ministers in the court. Most of them were the family members of small officials in Luo'an, and there were also wives of people like imperial guards and general banners. .

After saving seven or eight posts, Sydney compared these posts and roughly understood what was going on.

These people were the ones who urged her to cook in the side hall that day, or they were stingy or not very good at talking.At that time, she felt that cooking was inappropriate, and thanks to the fifth princess explaining to her, many of the family members of these small officials were like this, so she didn't think it was too strange.

Right now, she understands the reason for their apology. It should be that they talked about it with her husband's family after returning to the mansion. The husband's family is not happy. I must know that some people cannot afford to offend, so I hurried to remedy it.

Xue Li held a few posts, pondered in a daze for a while, then raised her head and asked Nanny Bai: "Sister Bai, tell me, is it okay if I don't see them?"

Bai Momo smiled and asked, "What do you think?"

Xueli thought for a while, then frowned slightly: "I mean... these people's official positions are very low. If there is a queen, they are definitely not the ones who can go to the Changqiu Palace to meet them. Even if it is a banquet in the palace during the New Year When it’s time, it’s definitely not their turn to attend the banquet.”

So let alone a legitimate queen, even with her current status, she has never seen them in the palace, and the clan relatives and high-ranking wives who sat together yesterday were somewhat unfamiliar with them.

"Their husband's family asked them to send a post to the palace to apologize because they were afraid that I would be troubled when I became a queen in the future, but when I really saw them, it would make the queen's majesty even more, wouldn't it?" Xue Li asked Nanny Bai with her chin in one hand.

Bai Momo smiled brightly: "Yes, that's the reason."

Sydney strikes while the iron is hot: "Then tell me, if it is really the queen, what should I do?"

"It's really a queen... If you mind this and feel unhappy because of this, you can send someone to reprimand or even fine you and reward you. If you don't mind that much, or you want to appear generous and don't pursue it too much, There are other ways too."

Sydney: "Tell me about it."

Nanny Bai told her: "These people are really not allowed to come in to see the queen, so it's not appropriate for you to comfort them personally and express that you don't mind. If you want to have a good reputation among the small officials, you are at most short of one." The people around you go out to the door to appease and say a few good words, and this face will come to an end."

This really opened up the disparity in one fell swoop!
Xue Li began to think about which person around her would be suitable, but Bai Nao reminded her: "However, I think that you can't just think about supporting your virtuous name, ma'am. You can act both hard and soft, and it is best to make people think that you are generous and that you are clear about rewards and punishments."

(End of this chapter)