thefictionvixens Chapter 75 A Plea for the Common People
Chapter 75 A Plea for the Common People
The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Yesterday, His Majesty sent over a bright red fruit. I ate it, and it was delicious."
Shen Shixi asked Bai Ping to take people to the small kitchen to prepare meals while she kept the Empress Dowager company.
"Where's Tingyue?"
"Look at those two, they're really something. They fight when they meet, and they ask each other questions when they don't." The Empress Dowager joked with Aunt Qingruo.
Aunt Qingruo laughed and said, "They're just like children. Who wasn't like that when they were young? You spoil them so much. If someone spoils them, who will ever grow up?"
Shen Shixi gave a thumbs up, "Auntie's words are truly insightful! If the Empress Dowager were such a cruel and mean old lady, I would definitely keep my distance from her and wouldn't dare to get close to her, much less make trouble with Tingyue."
She massaged the Empress Dowager's legs, and the Empress Dowager laughed and poked her forehead, "Was your mouth blessed by the high priest of Zunshan Temple?"
Shen Shixi giggled and fell onto the Empress Dowager's lap, burying her head in her arms. "Oh, Empress Dowager, please stop! Are you trying to make me laugh myself to death so you can inherit my little plot of land in the courtyard?"
The Empress Dowager embraced her, and both she and Aunt Qingruo laughed.
Yang Tingyue went to stroll in the Imperial Garden and returned quickly. When she saw Shen Shixi, she became very hostile.
Today's lunch was prepared according to Shen Shixi's menu, and naturally, the imperial kitchen also delivered the Empress Dowager's lunch according to the prescribed portions.
The dishes were served, and the emperor arrived, along with the empress.
"Why is she here too!" Yang Tingyue disliked the Empress very much, but only dared to mutter in a low voice, and had no choice but to follow Shen Shixi to pay her respects.
"This concubine greets Your Majesty and Your Majesty the Empress, wishing you ten thousand blessings and peace!" Shen Shixi bowed very respectfully, her manners impeccable.
"Rise!" The emperor helped her up.
"The Empress has also arrived. Please sit down. Today's lunch was prepared by Consort Yuan. She asked me to taste her new crops. If they are good, we will promote them in the future."
"I've heard that Consort Yuan's cooking is better than Consort Qiong's. May I ask what dishes Consort Yuan has prepared today?"
Although the Empress smiled gently and dignifiedly, and her words were not particularly offensive, they still made people feel uncomfortable.
Shen Shixi knew perfectly well that the Empress was putting on airs as the mistress of the house in front of her. It was an open scheme, and there was nothing wrong with it.
"This meal today is on behalf of all the common people. To be honest, these ingredients are too crude and unworthy to be served on the tables of royalty and nobility. But for ordinary people, they are a delicacy."
"I have prepared this banquet in the hope that Your Majesty will appreciate it on behalf of the people, and that it may be promoted in the future, so that our Great Zhou Dynasty may be prosperous and free from hunger and thirst, and need not be burdened by the toil of farming and weaving!"
The Empress Dowager nodded. "Consort Yuan is right. When the people are well-fed and clothed, the world will be at peace. I will also have a good taste today, and the Empress should also have a good taste. Although the inner palace is not allowed to interfere in politics, it is alright if they help taste the food."
Shen Shixi had the dishes brought out, along with portions prepared by the imperial kitchen for the masters, one person per table, a separate meal system.
Otherwise, she would have to stand there serving food and setting rules for people.
Who told her to be a concubine?
Today's main dish is the one prepared by Shen Shixi.
A "Five Grains Abundance" dish was made by steaming sweet potatoes, potatoes, corn, peanuts, and yams in a small steamer.
Shen Shixi highlighted the sweet potatoes, potatoes, and corn, and everyone tasted them.
The Empress Dowager said, "Perhaps this is the first time I've eaten this. The potatoes are soft and fluffy, the sweet potatoes are sweet and sticky, and although the corn is a bit coarse, just as Consort Yuan said, it's excellent for filling our stomachs."
The corn of that time had not yet been improved, so it was naturally not as sweet and juicy as the fruit corn eaten in later generations, nor as soft and sticky as glutinous corn.
After the emperor tasted them, he said, "These dishes are quite good for filling one's stomach."
The Empress had never eaten such coarse food before, and she couldn't say whether it was good or bad, so she remained silent.
Shen Shixi said, "Your Majesty, the promotion of crops should also be linked to their yield. That is to say, the same piece of land will yield different harvests depending on the crops planted. You can have the Ministry of Works compile statistics on the yields of these crops and compare them with the wheat and rice that are currently commonly planted in our Great Zhou, to see which is higher and which is lower."
With this data, future promotion will be much easier.
Shen Shixi also had people make braised pork with potatoes, stewed beef brisket with tomatoes, stewed pork rib soup with corn, spicy chicken with chili peppers, and candied sweet potatoes.
Steamed Five Grains Harvest is a common dish for ordinary people, but anything that doesn't benefit the nobility or appeal to the ruling class will never be widely promoted.
As expected, the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and the Emperor were very interested in these dishes and praised them highly.
The emperor clearly enjoyed spicy food. When he took his fifth bite of the spicy chicken, the empress reminded him, "Your Majesty, you've already had four bites. Enough is enough. Please restrain yourself!"
Shen Shixi paused for a moment as she reached for the spicy chicken for the sixth time, but what did it have to do with her?
When Aunt Qingruo was serving the Empress Dowager, she paused for the fifth time as she picked up a candied tomato with her chopsticks. The Empress Dowager shook her head, and Aunt Qingruo changed the direction of her chopsticks.
Yang Tingyue muttered, "My older cousin doesn't seem comfortable eating, but isn't today supposed to be about trying new dishes? What's wrong with taking an extra bite?"
Shen Shixi ignored them and focused on eating. All the dishes today were her favorites; otherwise, why would she go to such lengths to prepare them?
Knowing she could never return once she entered the palace, she went to great lengths to find these crop seeds, hoping to gain technical investment within the royal family, a large conglomerate.
If we talk about the emperor's favor, it's like the clouds in the sky, gathering into rain and dispersing into wind. It's far less tangible than the gratitude of the common people. The well-being of the people is an indestructible talisman.
The Empress Dowager glared at Yang Tingyue, "Eat your food properly!"
The Empress smiled and said, "Your Majesty, I remember that Sister Tingyue is about the same age as Consort Yuan, right? Their birthdays seem to be only a few days apart. Consort Yuan's is March 18th, and Sister Tingyue's is in February. I wonder if she has chosen a husband yet?"
Everyone knows that Yang Tingyue desperately wants to become her cousin, the emperor, as a concubine.
When the Empress mentioned this, her heart jumped into her throat. She secretly glanced at the Emperor, while Li Yuanke focused on eating.
For him, eating was the most important thing. Just now, the Empress said that he had eaten several bites of spicy chicken, but he only heard about it briefly and continued eating as usual.
Shen Shixi saw this and reminded him, "Your Majesty, chili peppers are a heaty food. They taste good, but eating too much can irritate your stomach. It's better to eat less. The weather is dry this time of year. I'll have the imperial physician prepare some herbal tea for you later."
Li Yuanke said, "Next year, plant more of this chili pepper in the palace."
On the Empress's side, the Empress Dowager sighed, "It's not that easy. There are many talented people in the court, but she looks down on this one and that one. I can't do anything about her."
Yang Tingyue lowered her head, feeling very disappointed. Her cousin hadn't even glanced at her just now.
The Empress laughed, "Of course! Sister Tingyue must already have someone she loves. I wonder who it is? Why don't you tell us quickly? With the Empress Dowager and the Emperor here, we'll pluck even the moon from the sky for you!"
Yang Tingyue lowered her head shyly, her eyes darting around at the emperor, revealing the thoughts of a young girl.
Shen Shixi didn't care. The Empress's virtue was her business, and it had nothing to do with her.
What was the Empress's intention in doing this? Was she trying to curry favor with the Empress Dowager? But the Empress Dowager didn't want Yang Tingyue to enter the palace. Seeing the Empress's scrutinizing gaze fall on her, Shen Shixi suddenly realized.