"Ouch, even the Emperor and the Crown Prince have praised the deliciousness of the food. How tasty must it be! Why not show us your skills here, Miss Shen? Let us also broaden our horizons?"
Xiao Yu had already anticipated Wen Zhao Yi’s words, but if she cooked on the spot, wouldn’t it be an admission that she was indeed a cook? Where would that leave Prince Qing’s dignity?
Thus, after looking around, Xiao Yu shrugged with a hint of regret, "I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint Lady Zhao. This isn’t the right place for cooking. If Lady Zhao is interested in this civilian girl’s culinary skills, whenever you leave the palace, you could visit my ’Fisherman’s Noodle’ to give it a try. If it’s inconvenient, you could also ask someone from the Prince Zhao Mansion to help with purchasing the ingredients. Still, the fresher the food, the better it tastes. In case there is some mishap on the way and it affects the flavour, or something else, I’m afraid I wouldn’t be able to explain properly. Wouldn’t you agree? So, please, when you have time, leave the palace and taste it for yourself."
Wen Zhao Yi’s face immediately darkened. What did she mean by that? She knew full well that she couldn’t leave the palace unless her family made some contribution that granted them access to the palace. Normally, it’s harder to meet someone than it is to reach the heavens, let alone leave the palace. Was she here to ridicule?
However, Xiao Yu, to silence the others, thought of a solution.
She approached the Empress and bowed, "I humbly report to the Empress, since all the Ladies and young masters are interested in the civilian girl’s skills, then I shall be bold enough to perform a demonstration today?"
The Empress, not yet aware of what she intended to do, frowned and asked, "Didn’t you just say...,"
"At this time, it’s perfect for desserts. Why don’t I make a fruit dessert for everyone? However, we need to prepare a wide variety of fruits,"
The Empress knew that if she didn’t do something today, these people wouldn’t easily let it go. So she sighed, "Granted."
With that, Xiao Yu left the main hall and headed to the Imperial Kitchen. Meanwhile, the eunuchs also hurriedly carried out the Imperial Decree to find fruits in the Dining Room.
The Imperial Kitchen was large with lots of ingredients and a heap of eunuchs, all watching her. In such circumstances, it was impossible to pull off anything sneaky.
So she made a simple milk pudding, steaming a total of thirty bowls; it was almost lunchtime, so naturally, there was no need for so much.
She stayed in the back kitchen for an hour. After that hour, the eunuchs packed the steamed puddings into food boxes and led the way to the Changchun Palace.
Worried about problems, she didn’t dare to lead but watched carefully from behind, being cautious the entire journey, fearing any slip-up.
Of course, four bowls were delivered to the Imperial Study because she couldn’t forget those three.
By the time all the fruits had been transported to the main hall, the Ladies were already growing impatient.
"Please taste the freshly made milk pudding first, ladies. I will now perform for everyone."
In the center of the main hall, there was a table filled with fruit. She had already procured a suitable knife from the Imperial Kitchen. The fruits had been cleaned, and she began her performance of the Thai-style fruit platter.
As it was late autumn, there was a variety of fruits available - tangerines, apples, pears, persimmons, bananas, pomegranates, and more. This text is hosted at novel{f}ire.net
She used these fruits to sculpt adorable little animals and also carved various lifelike flowers from the remaining fruits.
Because she carved in front of everyone, her hands moved very fast, taking less than ten minutes to complete a piece. She focused solely on her work, completely unaware that she had become the center of attention. Everyone forgot the pudding in their hands; even though the dessert was delicious, it was no match for the spectacle before them which they found absolutely breathtaking.