Chapter 637: Old Madam Wang’s Identity
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
The Return to One Essence Nourishing Soup had another name, which was the Nine One Soup. As the name implies, it was a soup formed from nine types of soup.
Different soups had different tastes. Being able to combine nine types was a test of the chef’s culinary skills.
The soup favored by Princess Yongchang was even more special. Each type of soup required the simmering of eighteen precious ingredients, with only a single bowl of the essence extracted.
After the nine types of soup were combined, they had to be simmered with high-quality silver charcoal. The heat and timing had to be just right. If they did not make it well, it would affect the final product.
Even King Xiaoyao had never tasted it before.
When he was born, Princess Yong Chang had long left Wanning City. It was also from then on that the world said that there was no longer a true Nine One Soup in the world.
Later on, he heard that there was an imperial chef in the palace who was an expert at making Nine One Soup. When he was young, he had once asked his Royal Father to try it.
However, Royal Father reprimanded him especially sternly.
Later on, Royal Father suddenly became irritable and muddle-headed, and the Crown Prince, his elder brother, was imprisoned. At that time, he was still a naive young boy, unable to protect himself amidst the unpredictable intrigues of the court.
Later on, he witnessed his Royal Father being killed by eunuchs, and he witnessed it with his own eyes. He also suffered a hidden illness during that palace coup, and later on, his legs were completely paralyzed.
After learning that his leg was crippled, he locked himself in his room and refused to see anyone. His brother, who had gained a foothold in the Imperial Court, went to see him. He was afraid that he would commit suicide and asked him if he had any requests.
He made two requests. The first one was to be allowed to train a secret team, comparable in size to his sister-in-law’s. The quality of the team would depend on his own abilities.
His brother did not even frown and agreed on the spot.
The second thing was to drink a bowl of authentic Return to One Essence Nourishing Soup.
His brother’s eyebrows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill flies, and his face was filled with reluctance.
However, in the end, the bowl of soup was still placed in front of him. His brother had personally given it to him to drink. At that time, King Xiaoyao only felt that it was the best bowl of soup he had ever drunk in the world. The soup was rich in color, and the fragrance crawled from the tip of his tongue to the tip of his nose, then from the tip of his nose to his throat, and finally warmed his stomach.
Because he had never drunk the real soup before, King Xiaoyao had never doubted that the soup was authentic. He only felt that he had fulfilled his long-cherished wish, and the little frustration and gloom in his heart seemed to have disappeared.
It was not until many years later that King Xiaoyao learned from the retired imperial chef that he had indeed drunk the Nine One Soup back then, but it was not the so-called Return to One Essence Nourishing Soup.
Return to One referred to the essence of nine returning to one. However, his brother had only found someone to brew nine ordinary types of soup and poured them together to finally concoct that strange taste.
Of course, it was also delicious, but according to the imperial chef, it was the difference between an authentic and a fake.
Many years later, King Xiaoyao had even tried to beat around the bush, hoping to find out the truth from his brother. However, when his brother found out, he did not look guilty at all. He said to him, “It’s indeed not the kind of soup that Princess Yong Chang once drank. But it doesn’t matter much, after all, what you want to drink is not the soup that requires numerous precious ingredients. It’s just a sip of nostalgia, a sip of faith.””
After that day, he was completely convinced by his brother.
He also admired his brother abnormally. Indeed, during the period when his leg was crippled, all King Xiaoyao needed was a thought to survive.
Later, his Imperial Sister-in-law told him, “Just let him brag. He’s actually just feeling sorry for the medicinal herbs and ingredients and is stingy.”
Even the extravagant royal family did not dare to make that kind of soup casually.
The ingredients used by Princess Yong Chang could still be sold or even in high demand after she was done with them.
However, it is unacceptable for the ingredients used by the royal family to be treated in such a manner, as it might give the impression that the royal family is facing financial difficulties.
Thinking of this, King Xiaoyao’s thoughts became even more complicated.
Could it be that so many years later, he would have to drink a fake again?