SWDnovel Chapter 27 Li Shimin's "Incognito Visit"!
Chapter 27 Li Shimin's "Incognito Visit"!
Chapter 27 Li Shimin's "Incognito Visit"!
Su Mu took a knife and cut the round cake into diamond-shaped pieces.
Click!Click!
The sound of the knife cutting through the air was incredibly crisp, making one's ears itch.
"Eat."
Little Sizi didn't even need to say anything. He grabbed a piece from the very edge, and without caring whether it was hot or not, he opened his mouth wide and took a bite.
"Crunch!"
That one bite made a frighteningly loud noise.
"Huff, huff, huff!" The little girl gasped for breath from the heat, but she couldn't bear to spit it out.
The outer starchy shell is so crispy it crumbles, while the corn kernels inside burst with flavor when you bite into them. The scalding hot juice explodes on your tongue—sweet! So sweet!
It's a natural, sun-kissed sweetness, and with the layer of semi-melted white sugar on top, it's a double whammy of sweetness.
"Great! This bean is bursting with juice!" Little Sizi exclaimed, crunching loudly, "It's so sweet it'll make your teeth fall out!"
Li Lizhi looked at the golden piece and hesitated before reaching out her hand.
The lingering taste of the raw juice from peeling the corn still lingered on my fingertips.
She picked up a piece and blew on it gently.
Take a bite off a corner.
酥！
Extremely crispy.
Next comes tender.
The unique aroma of corn instantly filled my mouth, with no greasiness from the lard, only a sweet and fresh taste.
Li Lizhi felt that her hour of hard work had not been in vain.
How can this thing taste so good?
It was just simple grains, without any fancy ingredients or even meat.
But once you put it in your mouth, the satisfaction is even greater than if you had eaten a whole roast goose.
"This is—the one we just peeled?" Li Lizhi swallowed the food in her mouth and looked at the half-eaten pancake in her hand in disbelief.
"Otherwise what?" Su Mu leaned against the stove, taking a piece and chewing on it himself. "Every grain is hard-earned, don't you understand that principle? Doesn't it taste better when you peel it yourself?"
Li Lizhi was stunned for a moment.
indeed.
If the Imperial Kitchen had served this on a normal day, she might have just found it novel.
But now, every single kernel of corn is peeled by her own hands. She knows how hard it is to peel off that husk and how hard it is to break off that stem.
This sense of participation made the sweetness in my mouth seem even richer.
"Um.
Li Lizhi nodded, unusually unpretentious, and said sincerely, "It does smell better."
She finished a piece in a few bites and then reached for the winnowing basket.
The fingertips touched another chubby little hand.
The little girl was protecting the last two large pieces, watching her older sister warily.
"Sister, you've already bought three pieces!" The little girl's mouth was covered in sugar crumbs, like a kitten that had just stolen some cream. "Leave a little bit for Father!"
Li Lizhi's hand froze.
Oh no, I forgot about Father.
She looked at the huge food box next to her, and then at the few remaining scraps in the winnowing basket.
Wasn't that a really big pancake just now? How did it disappear in the blink of an eye?
Su Mu looked at the two sisters staring at each other and shook his head helplessly.
"Alright, stop fighting over it."
He pointed to the half-basin of corn kernels remaining on the cutting board.
"I'll make another one and take it back to your poor father."
Li Lizhi breathed a sigh of relief and withdrew her hand somewhat embarrassedly.
"that----"
She glanced at Su Mu, hesitated, and then asked, "Can I tell my father about this method of making ice with saltpeter when I get back?"
Although Su Mu said he wouldn't keep it a secret, it was, after all, someone else's unique skill.
Su Mu poured a new spoonful of batter into the pot, and the sizzling sound rang out again.
"Say whatever you want."
He didn't turn his head, his tone lazy.
"But you have to tell your father that while the ice is good, the corn fritters are even better."
"If he wants to eat it, let him peel it himself next time."
Li Lizhi: "————"
She imagined her father, dressed in a dragon robe, sitting on this small stool, struggling with corn husks.
The scene was too beautiful for her to imagine.
but----
Li Lizhi looked down at her slightly red fingertips, then at Xiao Sizi, who was squatting on the ground picking up fallen corn kernels to eat.
It seems that tricking Father into doing work next time might not be such a bad idea?
Anyway, as long as it's said to be "experiencing the hardships of the people," Father Emperor will definitely come happily.
Thinking of this, Li Lizhi's lips curled into a sly smile.
"Okay, I'll definitely bring it."
The side hall of the Liangyi Hall had its doors and windows tightly closed.
Wang Dequan held a set of worn-out blue eunuch robes in trembling hands, looking more distressed than if he had been asked to remonstrate to the death.
Li Shimin, however, was in high spirits. He tore off the jade belt from his waist and casually tossed it onto the soft couch.
He stared at the outfit, finding it pleasing to the eye no matter how he looked at it.
By simply wearing this suit, one can sneak into the backyard of the imperial kitchen and witness firsthand the "master" who can turn pork into flowers, and incidentally—
This is the key point—
Take a bite of that hot, freshly made golden pancake!
"Your Majesty—this—this is against propriety!" Wang Dequan said with a bitter face, still trying to persuade him further.
Li Shimin glared at him and reached out to grab the clothes.
"Enough nonsense! I'm going to observe the people's conditions, do you understand? What does it mean to travel incognito? Making a big fuss is called an imperial tour, that's for show. Only in this way can we see the real things."
He quickly put on a crew-neck shirt, a turban, and even specially glued two fake beards on his chin, which he didn't know where he got them from.
Looking in the bronze mirror, the majestic emperor was gone, replaced by a slightly plump, shrewd-looking old man.
"How is it?" Li Shimin turned around.
Wang Dequan's lips twitched, and he reluctantly gave a thumbs up: "Your Majesty—you are wise and mighty. Even if your clothes are a little torn, they can't hide your dragon—that...you know...aura."
"Alright, just stay here and keep watch. Don't see anyone who comes; just say I'm taking a nap."
Li Shimin stuffed the jade pendant that symbolized his status into his sleeve, crouched down, and slipped out through the small door of the side hall.
The sun was setting in the west, and the summer heat had not yet dissipated.
The bluestone slabs on the palace path are still hot to the touch.
Li Shimin kept his head down and tried to walk as close to the wall as possible.
The journey was relatively smooth. He encountered two patrols of imperial guards, who both mistook him for an old hand from the Imperial Food Bureau or the Inner Palace Service Bureau on official business and didn't even raise their eyelids.
This feeling of being ignored gave Li Shimin a long-lost sense of freedom.
Passing through this imperial garden, you'll reach the territory of the imperial kitchen.
The air seemed to already smell that alluring sweet fragrance.
Li Shimin felt as if he had wings and could fly over there.
Just as I turned through the moon gate, I bumped into a wall of people.
"Ouch!"
Li Shimin covered his nose and took two steps back. The man opposite him was sturdy and didn't move an inch.
broken.
Li Shimin's heart skipped a beat.
That physique, that firmness, that upright and unyielding spirit.
He lowered his hat brim, spoke in a high-pitched voice, and didn't dare to look up. He turned to slip away, saying, "I'm sorry, I'm blind and have offended you, sir."
"stop."
The voice was as cold as ice shards in the dead of winter.
Li Shimin's back stiffened, but he didn't stop; instead, he quickened his pace: "My lord, you're busy. We have urgent business to attend to—"
"Where is Your Majesty going?"
The man didn't chase after them, but stood there calmly, his tone more effective than any immobilization spell.
Li Shimin's feet seemed to be rooted to the ground.
He slowly turned around, raised his head, and forced a smile that looked worse than a grimace.
,