The arrival of Emperor Zhaokang once made the scene very embarrassing.
Tao Ti was still a little dazed, Pei Yan gently squeezed her fingers, and then she came back to her senses, and hurriedly saluted and greeted everyone.
Emperor Zhaokang raised his hand, "Get up, everyone, just keep busy as before, don't be tied up just because I'm here."
Everyone said they obeyed, but they knew in their hearts that as long as the emperor was around, it was impossible for them to let go.
Pei Yan walked up to Emperor Zhaokang with a warm smile, "Father, I am very happy that you can come."
Emperor Zhaokang looked at his son who was taller than himself, patted his shoulder, and showed kindness in his eyes, "Well, let's take a seat."
Fortunately, the round table was big enough, so it wouldn't be too crowded if Emperor Zhaokang was alone.
Emperor Zhaokang sat on top, and on the left and right were Princess Jingyang and Pei Yan. Concubine Xu Gui and the fifth prince sat beside Tao Ti. Awkward-
Arranged according to their status, Emperor Zhaokang sat in the upper seat, and the Gu family siblings just sat in the lower seat opposite him. The two Gu family juniors did not dare to raise their heads throughout the whole process. After all, the death of their grandfather and aunt was related to Emperor Zhaokang. Moreover, the emperor relegated their Gu family to the harsh and cold place like Shazhou, and they have been there for so many years, so their emotions towards Emperor Zhaokang are very complicated, they are respectful, afraid and resentful.
On the other side, the brothers and sisters of the Xu family happened to sit across from Qinghe and Xie Xiaogong. Qinghe and Xu Guangji were fine, and the two looked at each other from time to time, full of affection, shyness and joy. But the more the two of them flirt, the more embarrassed Xu Wenchan and Xie Xiaogong are on the side...
Young Master Xie held the teacup tightly, and he went to visit Xu Wenchan several times, but she deliberately avoided looking at him, and stared down at the porcelain bowl with lotus patterns in front of the table in a daze.
He didn't understand why she rejected him so much
In the previous few contacts, he asked himself, and there was nothing offensive or inappropriate.
If he had to find out some inappropriate behavior, maybe his words at the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet were too abrupt, but he was also concerned about it, worried that she would be pointed out to Pei Changzhou by his uncle. At that time, he thought that no matter whether Xu Wenchan liked him or not, he had to fight for it.
After that, he tried to explain to her many times, but she avoided it.
Xie Xiaogong was very worried, he just felt that the sweet honey kumquat water became bitter.
Is he not good enough? He examines himself.
The birthday party started in such an inexplicably awkward atmosphere.
The maid removed the dried fruit, candied fruit, and pastries from the table, and replaced them with four kinds of pickles, sweet-scented osmanthus mustard in hot sauce, dried purple incense, assorted coriander, cucumber in shrimp oil, and a cup of Junshan Silver Needle per person.
Afterwards, cold dishes, appetizers, soups, main dishes, snacks, porridge, etc. were served, and soon a large round table was filled to the brim. Most of the dishes are made by the royal chef of the dining room. Tao Ti mainly made six main dishes, the delicious and rich Buddha jumping wall, the bright red color and spicy spicy chicken, the tender and delicious crab meat with double bamboo shoots, and the sweet and sour bomb Ya’s palace fried shrimp balls, spicy boiled fish fillets with ten miles of fragrance, and finally a breaded leg of lamb with full ethnic flavor.
Emperor Zhaokang scooped up a bowl of Buddha jumping over the wall to drink, and saw that the soup was clear in the white porcelain bowl, and he could smell the long aroma of wine under his nose.
Take a bite, the essence of forty precious ingredients such as sea cucumber, abalone, shark's fin, scallops, pigeon eggs, fish maw, scallops, pigeons, etc. are fully dissolved in the soup, making the soup rich and delicious, meaty but not greasy, soft and tender Soft and moist, with endless taste.
After Emperor Zhaokang drank half a bowl of soup, he looked up at Tao Ti, "This soup is not bad, but why is it called Buddha Jumping the Wall?"
Tao Ti replied modestly, "The original name of this dish is Fushouquan. Later, a literati came here admiringly. He happened to smell the rich aroma when the altar was simmering and opened. The fragrance of Qixian floats around, and the Buddha abandons Zen and jumps over the wall'[1], which means that the Buddha will jump over the wall to eat when he smells this fragrance. This story is interesting, and gradually, the name of Buddha Jumping Over the Wall has spread.”
Emperor Zhaokang narrowed his black eyes, and asked lightly, "Didn't you think of this dish yourself?"
Tao Ti honestly said, "My daughter-in-law found this dish in an old cookbook. It was a chef from Fujian who researched this dish. My daughter-in-law just imitated a pot according to the record in the recipe."
Emperor Zhaokang just asked casually, and seeing that she answered honestly, he hummed in a low voice, turned sideways, and gently persuaded Princess Jingyang and Pei Yan beside him, "Taste this soup, too. Thick but not greasy, with a tangy aroma, it is worth a taste."
"Yes." Princess Jingyang and Pei Yan replied with a smile, and both scooped up a bowl. After tasting it, I couldn't help but my eyes lit up, and I boasted, "Not bad, it's delicious and fresh."
Those present were drinking the soup, while the fifth prince couldn't wait to scoop up a large spoonful of Kung Pao shrimp balls. He was very happy to eat, and he didn't forget the sixth princess, so he hurriedly said, "Xiao Liu, these shrimp balls are delicious. One bite One, sweet and sour, you can eat it too."
Princess Six obediently said, "Okay."
Xu Wenchan was more interested in the breaded leg of lamb. A whole fresh and tender leg of lamb was wrapped in golden brown and crispy bread. Just looking at the crispy bread on the outside was enough to attract your mouth.
It's just that no one has tried this dish so far, and she can't go beyond the rules, so she can only hold back her saliva and pray in her heart: Take a look at this breaded leg of lamb! ! It's so fragrant and big, don't you want to eat it? If this leg of lamb is cold, the taste will be greatly reduced!
Just as she was shouting in her heart, a voice suddenly sounded from the opposite side, "Uncle, mother, do you want to try this leg of lamb? This kind of practice is rare, and the taste should be good."
Xu Wenchan was startled, then raised his eyes quietly, and saw the handsome profile of Young Master Xie.
Her heart seemed to miss a beat, and she quickly lowered her head like an ostrich.
It would be a lie to say that there was no joy just now, but... Xu Wenchan, Xu Wenchan, don't think so much, just eat the leg of lamb honestly!
She unceremoniously pushed back the deer that just wanted to jump in her heart. The fawn uttered a feeble cry.
Breaded lamb leg is a delicacy in Xinjiang. It is marinated with fresh lamb leg, sprinkled with salt, cumin, and spicy noodles, and then made out of dough. Roll the dough into a thick noodle cake, and then marinate the whole leg The leg of lamb is wrapped in the dough, then sprinkled with a layer of onion to remove the smell, and finally baked in the oven.
Because the heat of the roasted leg of lamb is very important, Tao Ti not only sent two eunuchs to guard the side of the kiln, she also went to the kiln for a walk when she was free, and then made this breaded leg of lamb that is crispy on the outside and loose on the inside .
Because of Grandpa Xie's reminder, Princess Jingyang ordered the palace staff to cut up the bread and distributed some meat and bread to everyone present. After everyone tasted it, they were full of praise——
"The aroma of wheat is strong, and the more you chew, the more fragrant it becomes. This mutton is really tender, and gravy comes out of your mouth after one bite." Xu Guifei said.
"Yeah, it's really delicious, especially the bread on the outside, which is crispy and chewy!"
"The mutton inside is also good. It's just right and tender, and the sauce is fully marinated. It's spicy and delicious."
The eldest princess put down her chopsticks gracefully, and looked at Tao Ti appreciatively, "Ah Ti, did you spend a lot of effort on this dish?"
Tao Ti smiled, "It's a whole morning. But as long as it tastes good, it's worth it."
Pei Yan tasted it here, and said softly, "The mutton and bread still have a fruity aroma."
Tao Ti raised her eyebrows, "Because it is grilled with fruit charcoal, it will be more fragrant."
Pei Yan looked at her cheek with a little pride, and his eyes became more and more gentle. If there were not so many people present, he would have hugged her and kissed her, but at this moment, he could only restrain himself.
"You've cooked so many dishes today, Arti, you've worked hard."
After a pause, he leaned closer to her, and said in a voice that only two people could hear, "I'll give you a shoulder squeeze when I go back at night."
His scorching breath brushed against Tao Ti's skin, and her ears burned unconsciously.
The last time he said he would rub her waist, rubbing her waist, after the last toss, her waist became even more sore!
"You don't need to pinch your shoulders. It's your birthday today. I'll ask Linglong to pinch your shoulders later." Tao Ti refused with firm eyes, feeling scared.
Pei Yan's eyes were fixed, and when she saw her white and tender ear tips dyed pink, she also understood.
He raised the corner of his mouth, a bit dumbfounded.
What he said just now really didn't mean that much, I didn't expect her little head to jump so far all of a sudden.
but…
Pei Yan stared at her charming side face that was rosy in white, and his eyes darkened.
He didn't mind having another good meal in the evening.