I will make Qin Shi Huang immortal in the Great Qin Dynasty.

Before the banquet began, Qin Tian was filled with anticipation.

For twenty years, he ate wild fruits and vegetables and unseasoned roasted meat in the mountains. Now he can finally have a normal meal.

On his way here, he had already pictured a culinary scene in his mind: the imperial cuisine of the Qin Dynasty must be a feast of delicacies from land and sea, a feast for the eyes, nose, and palate, making one's mouth water.

However, reality gave him a resounding slap in the face.

Qin Tian picked up a piece of roasted meat, put it in his mouth, chewed it, and his expression was complicated.

The taste... how should I put it?

It wasn't bad, but it definitely wasn't delicious.

The meat was cooked through, with a slightly charred skin and a tender, juicy interior.

The problem is that, apart from salt, there are almost no other seasonings on it.

No cumin, no chili, no pepper, no star anise, no cinnamon, no soy sauce, no oyster sauce.

These are all seasonings that were introduced to China in later generations; none of them exist in this day and age.

The salt also tasted somewhat bitter, probably because the refining technique was not sophisticated enough and impurities were not completely removed.

The bitter taste of salt sprinkled on grilled meat...

Qin Tian could only say that it was slightly better than the salt- and oil-free roasted meat he ate in the mountains, but really only slightly better.

He took another bite of the stewed mutton.

The mutton was stewed until very tender, and the broth was whitish, but the flavor was still bland. Apart from the natural freshness of the meat and the saltiness of the salt, you could hardly taste anything else.

There's no ginger to remove the fishy smell, no scallions to enhance the flavor, and no cooking wine to add aroma.

These things do exist; scallions and ginger were already used as seasonings in the pre-Qin period.

However, the stewed mutton that Qin Tian ate didn't have much ginger, and the gamey smell wasn't completely removed. It always had a faint, lingering muttony taste after tasting it.

The millet rice was quite good; the golden-yellow millet rice was cooked to the perfect consistency, with a smooth texture and a subtle grain aroma.

But that's all; without side dishes, eating only millet rice is bland and tasteless.

The wine was an unexpected surprise.

It is mellow and sweet, smooth on the palate, with a hint of sweetness from grain fermentation, and tastes much better than the cheap liquors of later generations that cost tens of dollars a bottle.

Qin Tian drank two more cups and felt a warm sensation from his throat to his stomach, which was very comfortable.

He silently gave this "Imperial Qin Cuisine" a score in his mind.

Five points, out of a hundred.

Sure enough, he was overthinking it.

The rich and diverse culinary culture of later generations was gradually formed through the accumulation and inheritance of countless generations over two thousand years.

During the Han Dynasty, Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions brought back grapes, walnuts, sesame seeds, and broad beans.

During the Tang Dynasty, the Silk Road introduced spinach, eggplant, and figs.

Cooking techniques developed greatly during the Song Dynasty, and frying, stir-frying, and deep-frying became widespread.

Chili peppers, potatoes, corn, and sweet potatoes, which were introduced from the Americas during the Ming Dynasty, completely changed the eating habits of the Chinese people.

It is now the Qin Dynasty.

Stir-frying hadn't even been invented yet.

During the Qin and Han dynasties, the mainstream cooking methods were boiling, roasting, and steaming; stir-frying only became popular on a large scale in the Song dynasty.

As for the chili peppers, cumin, and black pepper that he craves, they still grow quietly on the American continent and the Indian peninsula, separated from this land by thousands of miles and a two-thousand-year time gap.

Qin Tian silently chewed on the roasted meat, maintaining a calm and indifferent expression on his face, but tears were flowing in his heart.

He suddenly missed the hot pot, barbecue, and spicy hot pot from his previous life, and even began to miss the food in the university cafeteria that he and his classmates had complained about for four years.

Well, it's good enough that we have something to eat.

Qin Tian adjusted his mindset and continued eating.

He ate at a leisurely pace, his demeanor composed, a stark contrast to the cautious eating habits of the ministers around him.

The ministers ate while secretly observing him, their chopsticks moving tentatively as if to confirm whether the earthly food would offend the immortal.

Ying Zheng sat in the main seat, with a table full of dishes in front of him, but he ate very little.

His gaze swept over the people in the tent from time to time, taking in everyone's expressions and reactions.

Li Si's prudence, Meng Yi's observation, Zhao Gao's calmness, Hu Hai's somber mood, and the complex expressions of other officials, whether awe or curiosity.

When everyone's attention was more or less focused on Qin Tian, ​​Ying Zheng put down the bronze jue in his hand and cleared his throat.

The tent fell silent instantly.

Everyone put down their chopsticks and stopped chewing.

Ying Zheng stood up.

He was extremely tall; the moment he stood up, the entire tent seemed to shrink in size.

His complexion was ruddy, his eyes were piercing, and his voice was loud and clear.

"I hereby announce—"

He paused for a moment, his gaze sweeping over everyone present before finally settling on Qin Tian.

"I pay homage to the immortal Qin Tian, ​​and ask him to be the national teacher of my Great Qin."

There was a moment of silence in the tent, and then everyone stood up.

Li Si was the first to act.

He picked up the wine cup in front of him, turned to Qin Tian, ​​bowed, raised the cup above his forehead with both hands, and said respectfully, "Li Si greets the Grand Preceptor."

Meng Yi followed closely behind, raised his wine cup, and bowed in the same manner, his tone even more enthusiastic than Li Si's: "Meng Yi greets the Imperial Preceptor."

Then came other officials, one after another, rising and falling.

Some people offered wine, while others bowed; their methods differed, but their attitudes were remarkably consistent in their respect.

Qin Tian put down his chopsticks, stood up, and nodded slightly to everyone in return.

Ying Zheng looked at Qin Tian's reaction, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.

Neither humble nor arrogant, neither proud nor impatient—this is the demeanor a national advisor should possess.

Those alchemists, upon receiving rewards, would kowtow repeatedly, as if they wanted to have "gratitude" written all over their faces, acting as if they had never seen the world before, which made people feel contempt for them.

Qin Tian is different.

He doesn't need to please anyone because he doesn't need to get anything from anyone.

He came not for wealth and glory, nor for high office and riches, but for his, Ying Zheng's, immortality.

Ying Zheng felt a slight warmth in his heart, but he showed no sign of it on his face. He sat back down in the main seat, raised his wine cup, and said loudly, "Gentlemen, let us drink this cup to the full to congratulate the Grand Preceptor."

"Congratulations to the Imperial Preceptor!"

Everyone responded in unison, the clinking of wine cups producing a crisp and pleasant sound.

After a few rounds of drinks, the atmosphere relaxed a bit.

The officials began to whisper among themselves, and some offered Qin Tian a toast. Qin Tian accepted all the toasts without hesitation, emptying his glass without changing his expression.

He drank heartily and acted with ease, a stark contrast to the ministers who were cautious and hesitated for a long time before taking a sip.

Ying Zheng sat in the main seat, his gaze fixed on Zhao Gao. He suddenly spoke, his voice not loud, but loud enough for everyone to hear.

"Zhao Gao, go and dance to entertain everyone."

The tent fell silent instantly.

It was so quiet it was as if someone had grabbed everyone by the throat.