Zhang Yan no longer has a rigid need for food, but is more interested in satisfying his appetite.
When he was in Langyuan City, Zhang Yan often wandered around the city and bought and tasted delicious food when he saw it. Later, I started to have errands in the martial arts academy and errands in the miscellaneous academy, and then I finally stopped. In addition, Sister Mei at home is very good at cooking and often learns new dishes from her friend who used to be a chef in a restaurant. Zhang Yan is also very good at eating at home.
But the banquet in the palace greatly exceeded Zhang Yan's expectations.
I thought that the higher the grade, the more delicious the food would be. Wang Nian often visits the imperial kitchen, and when he comes back, he talks in his sleep about "it's delicious" and "I want to eat more". On Zhang Yan's first day here, he was also treated to a meal in the emperor's study. Although it was simple, it was delicious.
But now at the big banquet, the dishes on the table are exquisite, and the dishes are arranged like paintings. But picking it up with chopsticks and putting it in your mouth is a completely different experience. You can't say it tastes bad, after all, the ingredients are there and the chef didn't just blow them out. But if you want to say it's delicious, you can't really talk about it. The taste is bland, and even the seasoning salt seems to have been deliberately used less.
Are you afraid that it will be so delicious that your subordinates will think about it all day long? So it was deliberately made like this?
In fact, Zhang Yan had misunderstood. State banquets are no different from ordinary meals. They have fixed rules. There are regulations for the dishes, tastes, and even tableware. Unless there are special circumstances, future royal families are not allowed to change it at will. Even the chefs for state banquets are not the same as the chefs who supply the palaces on weekdays.
Therefore, the weird taste of the state banquet can only mean that the taste of the late emperor of Nanyuan Kingdom who set the rules for this banquet is really weak to the extreme.
However, although the chefs are not the same group of people, the eunuchs and maids who can serve in the imperial kitchen will not change.
"Hey! Little steamed bun! Little steamed bun!"
Just like that, Zhang Yan was still sighing that the original flavor of the "Emerald Shrimp" in the bowl was actually pretty good. Wang Nian, who had been sitting beside him and was bored, suddenly jumped up from his seat and shouted loudly. He shouted to a little palace maid who was holding a plate not far away.
small bun? Zhang Yan immediately remembered that Wang Nian had caused trouble in the palace before, scared the prince and the crown prince to shit and even burned down a side palace. It seemed that the cause was to help a palace maid named Xiao Mantou. Have you met the real owner now?
Zhang Yan turned his head and saw that Wang Nian beside him had already trotted towards the palace maid.
"Little steamed bun, it's me, your brother Shitou!"
"Shi, Brother Shitou. I, I have to work, I, I have to leave first." Little Mantou was so frightened that his face turned pale. They had been personally warned by the head of the imperial dining room before, not to make any mistakes when serving food, not to say a word, to go in and out quickly, and to never delay during the dinner, affecting the appetite of the nobles at the table.
Especially not long ago, Xiao Mantou was beaten, and Yang Rui and Wang Nian made a big fuss in the palace. In fact, Xiao Mantou is in the most difficult situation. If Yang Rui hadn't been reminded by the guards around him and then took the initiative to find the head of the imperial kitchen to take care of him personally, the little steamed bun would have peeled off even if he wasn't beaten to death.
As a servant, because you have hurt the prince, you will be punished regardless of whether you are wronged or not. This is customary. Of course, after Yang Rui came forward, Xiao Mantou was spared due to his status in the royal family at this time.
At this banquet, Xiao Mantou didn't expect that Wang Nian was there and was stopped. He was worried that he would be punished again if he went back, and he was also worried that Wang Nian would get into trouble again. While replying to Wang Nian, he wanted to leave quickly.
"Little steamed bun, where are you going? Let me help you. I can also serve the plate." Wang Nian was bored, and the food on the table was not to his liking. How could he be willing to meet a playmate after all?
Little Steamed Bun turned his head and glanced at Wang Nian timidly. He really didn't dare to stay any longer and could only let Wang Nian follow behind him.
This scene made many people laugh, but they all laughed moderately, and the scene was not suitable for making a joke about Zhang Yan. Even Emperor Yang Sheng just smiled and didn't feel dissatisfied with Wang Nian's behavior of leaving the table midway.
Of course, many people quietly cast disdainful glances at Zhang Yan at the table. He was so rude during the palace banquet, but Zhang Yan turned a blind eye. The secret passage is that low-class people are just low-class people. No matter how talented they are, they cannot change their vulgar nature.
But whether it was for fun or contempt, no one said anything to his face. The emperor has already acquiesced, does he need others to interfere?
Then I saw Wang Nian carrying a plate and following a little palace maid through the banquet from time to time.
Not long after the last dish was served, Wang Nian insisted on dragging Little Mantou, who had finished his work, to the table where Zhang Yan was, saying that he wanted to introduce his brother and teacher to Little Mantou.
At other times and on other occasions, Xiao Mantou might have followed Wang Nian over to greet Zhang Yan. But now she clearly saw that the emperor was sitting at the table Wang Nian was pointing to! How dare you go to the little steamed bun over there? The head is like something that just can't pass.
The two children froze in the hall. A pair of eyes looked over. It didn't matter if Wang was crushed, and he wasn't afraid, but the little steamed bun was almost scared to tears.
"Haha, come here."
The only person who could take the initiative to speak in the hall was Emperor Yang Sheng. He liked Wang Nian's monkey-like temperament very much, and since he was Zhang Yan's student and brother-in-law, he was particularly kind. Seeing that the two children were getting into each other, his curiosity aroused and he asked Little Mantou and Wang Nian to go over together.
This frightened the little steamed bun so much that he didn't dare to move. A eunuch on the side quickly came over to remind him, and the little steamed bun followed Wang Nian in a panic to the front table.
After seeing the gift, the emperor smiled and asked Wang Nian a few words, such as "How do you know the little maid in my palace?" Later, he remembered that his palace was burned down, so he smiled and said, "So you beat me just for her." He killed several members of the royal family and burned down my palace?"
Wang Nian was laughing and laughing throughout the whole process without any stage fright, while Xiao Mantou was kneeling on the ground without daring to lift his head, and his body was even trembling slightly. How could she dare to be as wanton as Wang Nian when she was like duckweed? At a young age, I already know the meaning of living in an ignoble way.
Suddenly, Zhang Yan spoke, smiled and said warmly to the little steamed bun kneeling on the ground: "Little girl, raise your head and tell me your name?"
Perhaps because of Zhang Yan's gentle voice, or perhaps because he didn't dare to disobey anyone present, Little Mantou cautiously raised his head and looked at Zhang Yan. Seeing a face with a friendly smile, Little Mantou felt inexplicably relaxed and seemed to be less nervous.
"To my lord, my name is Liu Rui."
"Brother, Liu Rui is my friend. Her nickname is Xiaomantou. I named her..."
Zhang Yan glared and stared back at Wang Nian's next words. Then he smiled again and looked at the little girl who was still kneeling.
This girl is one or two years younger than Wang Nian, and should be about the same age as Yang Rui. Delicate appearance, a little thin.
"Liu Rui, I have something here, can you help me get it for a while?"
Zhang Yan took out a walnut-sized regular hexahedron from his arms, which was the talent ruler. It's just much smaller than the one he first refined. Now that he carries it with him, he won't miss it easily just because he's not sure when he encounters an opportunity.
Liu Rui didn't dare to say no, so Wang Nian ran over and helped pass the ball, and finally the talent ruler came into Liu Rui's hands.
"Don't be afraid. Close your eyes and don't think about anything. Just count in your mind."
"I, I can't count."
"Then Wang Nian will help you count, okay?"
"okay!"
Before fifteen could be counted, a dazzling brilliance suddenly lit up on the talent ruler, making Zhang Yan's heart beat fiercely.
