Tang Dynasty: Slacking off in the Imperial Kitchen, exposed by Si Zi

Chapter 134 Dishwater? This isn't it!

Li Lizhi chuckled and nudged Su Mu with her elbow.

"You may seem careless, but you're actually more meticulous than these sugar threads."

Su Mu looked completely innocent: "What do you mean by detailed? There's only this much candy left, and if we don't draw something complicated, we won't be able to use it all up."

Just then, a series of clicking sounds came from the side.

The group turned to look.

Little Sizi was holding the newly drawn dragon, but the dragon's head was gone.

The little girl's mouth was stuffed full, her cheeks bulging, and she was chewing with great effort.

"Didn't you say you'd only lick it once?" Su Mu raised an eyebrow.

Xiao Sizi covered her mouth guiltily, mumbling her explanation, "Xizi—Xizi only licked it once—that head was too big—it fell in by itself!"

Before he could finish speaking, footsteps came from the courtyard.

The door was pushed open, and Li Shimin strode in.

He had just finished court, still wearing his bright yellow dragon robe, and looked exhausted, clearly having been quite annoyed by the old men in the court.

"Are they all here?"

As soon as Li Shimin entered the room, he smelled the sweet aroma. He frowned and his gaze fell on the headless sugar painting in Xiao Sizi's hand.

"Sizi, what are you holding in your hand?"

Little Sizi was startled and quickly hid the sugar painting behind his back.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

Li Shimin narrowed his eyes, looking at the remaining half of the body: "A dragon?"

Seeing that he could no longer hide it, the little dragon had no choice but to take out the bare dragon body and hold it in front of Li Shimin, hoping to please his father.

"Look, Dad! This is a dragon that Guoguo drew! It's so majestic!"

Li Shimin's face twitched as he looked at the dragon's body with its neck severed.

prestige?

Headless, what's so impressive about that!

"Where's the head?" Li Shimin pointed to the broken end.

Little Sizi blinked her big eyes twice, stuck out her little tongue and licked the sugar crumbs from the corner of her mouth, looking completely innocent.

"Ah Ye's head—sweet and crunchy! Xi Zi ate it all!"

The room fell into a deathly silence.

Li Lizhi pinched her thigh hard to keep herself from laughing out loud.

Fang Qingjun kept her head down, her shoulders shrugging.

Su Mu turned around to clean the stove, his shoulders shaking violently.

Li Shimin stood there, touched his neck, and felt a chill.

He looked at his little daughter, who was begging for praise, and then at the headless dragon body. He wanted to get angry but couldn't bear to, and he wanted to laugh but felt it was bad luck.

Finally, the Tang emperor could only take a deep breath and glare fiercely at Su Mu.

"Su Mu! What kind of rubbish is this?! Next time, draw something more solid!"

Su Mu suppressed a laugh, turned around, and solemnly cupped his hands in greeting.

"Your Majesty is right. Next time, I'll put in more sugar, and I guarantee your dragon neck will be harder than a city wall. It'll knock out that girl's front teeth, and then no one will want to eat your head."

Li Shimin was so speechless that he rolled his eyes, flicked his sleeves, and sat down on the kang (a heated brick bed) in a huff.

"Draw one for me too! I want—a giant tiger! The kind that eats people!"

The cold wave that hit Chang'an was more severe than in previous years.

The sun hid behind thick clouds, refusing to peek out.

The north wind, carrying fine ice shards, pattered against the window paper.

The streets outside were sparsely populated, and even the most cold-resistant night watchman hunched his shoulders, unwilling to strike the gong.

The room in the backyard of the imperial kitchen, which had its chimney modified, became the only place in the entire palace where people wanted to linger.

"Achoo!"

As soon as Li Chengqian entered the room, he was hit by the heat wave and sneezed.

His nose was red from the cold, and the embroidered prince's robe he was wearing looked thin. He was shivering like a winnowing basket.

Empress Zhangsun followed behind, her face even paler than the snow outside.

She clutched her chest, suppressing the itch in her throat, but the warmth of the room eased her tense shoulders slightly.

"Mother, please slow down."

Li Chengqian turned around to help him up, his voice thick with a nasal tone.

On the kang table in the center of the room, there was a black ceramic jar.

Su Mu was holding a small copper spoon, scooping out a dark brown powder.

Little Sizi had arrived long ago and was kneeling by the table, her big eyes fixed on the black powder in the spoon, her little brows furrowed into a deep frown.

"Hey, is this coal ash?"

The little girl stretched out her finger to poke it, but then hesitated, afraid of getting it dirty. "Is it the ash we took out of the stove?"

Su Mu slapped her hand back and added a spoonful of white sugar to the earthenware jar.

"This is called cocoa powder, a type of soot that's more expensive than gold."

"You're kidding! It's all dark and gloomy, it can't be good!"

Although Xiao Sizi said that, he honestly leaned over and sniffed twice.

I didn't smell any coal smoke, but there was a strange bitter taste mixed with a mellow aroma that I had never smelled before.

Su Mu ignored the little glutton and turned around to sit firmly on the copper pot on the stove.

The milk in the pot was boiling, bubbling and releasing a rich, milky aroma that filled the room.

He poured in the bowl of prepared brown powder.

The originally snow-white milk was instantly stained, turning into a thick, dark brown. Su Mu stirred it in one direction with chopsticks, and the aroma changed.

It's no longer just a milky aroma; it has gained a richer, deeper flavor.

It's like dry wood in late autumn, or like aged vinegar that has been stored for many years, where the sourness has been removed, leaving only its mellow flavor.

"Is this medicine?"

Li Chengqian found a seat and sat down, looking at the pot of black soup with a furrowed brow. "I have seen similar medicinal soups in the Imperial Medical Bureau. They turn this color when they are overcooked."

Empress Zhangsun also hesitated.

She's so weak that she's used to taking medicine and feels nauseous at the smell of bitterness.

"Whether it's medicine or not, you'll only know after you drink it."

Su Mu took a few white porcelain cups.

The scalding brown liquid poured down, swirling in the glass.

Immediately afterwards, Su Mu magically pulled out a handful of snow-white cubes from the food box next to him.

This thing is soft and bouncy; it bounces back when you squeeze it in your hand.

"What is this?"

Li Chengqian's eyes widened. "Clouds?"

"More or less."

Su Mu casually tossed it aside.

The few snow-white cubes fell into the dark brown hot soup and floated gently on top.

As the heat wafted up, the edges of the cube began to melt, drawing out strands of white, sweet syrup that slowly seeped into the black vortex.

Black and white are clearly distinguished, and steaming hot.

"Give."

Su Mu pushed the first cup in front of Empress Zhangsun, saying, "Warm yourself up."

Empress Zhangsun picked up the cup.

The porcelain cup was scalding hot, and the temperature traveled from my fingertips all the way to my wrist, dispelling the chill from my bones.

She looked down at the melting white clouds, the peculiar fragrance lingering around her nose.

I took a tentative sip.

It has a slightly bitter taste upon first bite.

The bitterness was very direct, even a little astringent, like holding the cold of winter directly in your mouth.

Empress Zhangsun frowned slightly, just about to put down her cup.

A rich milky aroma mixed with an exquisitely silky texture washes over the tongue.

Then, the melted white cube brought just the right amount of sweetness, instantly neutralizing all the bitterness.

All the hardships come.