CH 47

Chapter 47 - Homework

“Niangniang, this Xian Fei does not have you in her eyes.” Shu Fei glanced at the cat’s paw prints and felt a toothache.

“How dare he show this to the Empress Dowager!”

Lu Guifei sneered: “He is not afraid of anything, so what is Bengong afraid of? Since Xian Fei has the heart to show filial respect to the Empress Dowager, Bengong will help him succeed.”

After finishing drawing, all the concubines went to Ci’an Palace, except for Su Yu who was rushing back to prepare lunch for the Emperor.

The long scroll slowly unfolded in front of the Empress Dowager, and the complex and gorgeous patterns dazzled the viewers.

“Aijia’s eyes are getting worse and worse, it’s up to you to decide.” The Empress Dowager didn’t have the patience to look at it and said with a smile to Lu Guifei.

“Sisters’ craftsmanship is so good that this concubine can’t make up her mind.” Lu Guifei looked at the long scroll pretending to be embarrassed and pointed at several places.

“Just like this painting of “Luan and Phoenix Bring Prosperity” which is very exquisite, and the lines are something that this concubine has never seen before, so it must be beautiful to embroider; And this “Hundred Butterflies Passing Through Flowers” is so lifelike, it would be even better if it were embroidered with gold thread…

The Empress Dowager followed Lu Guifei’s hand full of jewelry with waning interest and suddenly discovered the “Plum Blossom” beside the “Hundred Butterflies Passing Through Flowers”. Curious, she asked the palace maid to bring the scroll over for a closer look.

Lu Guifei coldly curled her lips, she pointed at that spot on purpose, fearing that the Empress Dowager would not see the cat’s paw print.

Making a fool of the Empress Dowager, even if the Emperor dotes on Xian Fei, he won’t let him off lightly.

“Isn’t this the paw print of the divine cat?” The Empress Dowager examined for a moment and was immediately happy.

“Aiya, I haven’t seen you for a few days but this little paw has grown a little bit.” As she spoke, she fondly touched the paw print with her hand for a moment.

How did she not think of this before, using the paw prints to decorate the blanket? Thinking of the snow-white velvet blanket covered with black paw prints, just like if the little golden furball stepped on it from head to tail, it would be extremely amusing

“Empress Dowager is wise, that is indeed the paw print of the divine cat.” Lu Guifei replied with a stiff face.

She held her heart and waited for the Empress Dowager to fly into a rage, when she asks who did this, she would be able to give away Su Yu in a disguised manner, but looking at the Empress Dowager, she didn’t seem angry at all.

“Aijia thinks this is very good.” The Empress Dowager’s face was full of smiles.

“Whose idea was this, Aijia should reward them well.”

Several concubines looked speechless at each other, and Lu Guifei’s face was as black as the bottom of a pot.

The misfit Su Yu naturally was not aware of all the punishment and rewards that he was missing out on. He offended the Cat Daye and wanted to make something delicious to apologize to him.

He left the absurd dream he had in the morning behind him and very magnanimously went to deliver the meal to the Emperor.

At noon, when he arrived at the Imperial Study, Su Yu looked around for a long time but he didn’t see Sauce.

“What are you looking for?” His Majesty frowned slightly and stared at Su Yu discontentedly.

“How come I didn’t see the divine cat?” Su Yu was not afraid of the Emperor now, so he asked him with a grin.

“Hmph.” An Hongche snorted coldly.

This stupid slave, Zhen is right here so what are you looking for? Is Zhen not as good-looking as a stupid cat?

Su Yu stared at the Emperor’s expression. He didn’t understand why this man was making trouble again. Blinking, he picked up a chopstick and put a piece of fish into the jade bowl. “Try this sweet and sour mandarin fish.”

His Majesty’s complexion became even worse. The mandarin fish was sweet and sour, he never liked this kind of food. He glanced at Su Yu’s eyes full of expectation, pursed his thin lips, picked up the chopsticks, and sent the golden fish flesh dripping with sauce into his mouth.

The flesh of the mandarin fish was fat and spineless, when fried it was golden brown and crispy. The fish flesh and spine were separated, just like a blooming chrysanthemum. Crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, it tasted delicious.

Only this time the sauce was not as sweet and greasy as An Hongche usually abhors, instead it was his favorite salty flavor.

“I didn’t put as much sugar this time.” Su Yu couldn’t help but curl the corners of his mouth when he saw surprise flashing in his beautiful eyes.

He used to think that cooking for the Emperor was a job, although he was very dedicated it was just a job after all. But after yesterday’s date, his mentality was different. He just wanted to cook delicious food for him in different ways, and seeing him eating happily, he also felt happy..

“It’s barely acceptable.” His Majesty said with a straight face, but the corners of his mouth couldn’t help rising. This stupid slave even remembered that Zhen doesn’t like sweet food and especially changed the ingredients of the dish.

“Reporting to the Emperor, King Su and King Ling are asking for an audience.” Wang Gonggong came over to inform him with a look of embarrassment.

According to reason, the Emperor should not be disturbed when he is eating, but the two Qinwangs said that there was something urgent. In addition to the palace being under martial law last night, the two Qingwangs were busy working all night, one outside the palace and the other inside the palace. Their faces were covered with wind and frost, it was unbearable to look at.

“What’s the urgent matter now?” The corner of An Hongche’s lips, which had just rose, immediately became a straight line.

Su Yu frowned. Stopping halfway through the meal to talk about work would likely provoke indigestion. He had a mind to advise the Emperor to finish his meal before talking, however, sometimes national affairs cannot be delayed for even a moment. If he delayed something important because of his words, it would be troublesome.

“Your Majesty has something important to do, so Chen will leave first.”

Seeing that Su Yu put down his bowl and was about to get up, His Majesty pressed him down and then said to Wang Gonggong. “Let them come in.”

“Seeing the Emperor, may my Emperor live for ten thousand years, ten thousand years, ten thousand of ten thousand years.” The two Wangyes kneeled down and saluted in an orderly manner. Su Yu quickly got up to avoid it and then bowed to the two Qinwangs when the Emperor allowed them to rise.

“Xian Fei is here too.” King Su greeted Su Yu expressionlessly.

“I told you, I could smell the fragrance from outside…” King Ling stared at all the dishes on the table, and before he could finish the sentence, he was elbowed by his older brother.

“Is something wrong Imperial Uncles? If it’s not urgent, let Zhen eat lunch first before talking.”As if His Majesty couldn’t see the hungry eyes of his two uncles, he picked up a piece of fried shrimp dipped in soy sauce and threw it into his mouth.

Because now Su Yu received the Emperor’s share, it directly led to the enrichment of his Majesty’s lunch. Previously, there were only two pitiful hot dishes and two cold dishes, but now it has been upgraded to six main courses, two side dishes, one soup, and one dessert.

Sweet and sour mandarin fish, crispy golden brown, juicy, and fatty; Stir-fried shrimp in soy sauce, cooked with Su Yu’s special seafood soy sauce, bright and colorful with a deep fragrance; Last night’s twenty’s oysters were directly brought by Su Yu and roasted with minced garlic, thin and tender…

The dessert was seafood tofu pastry, he originally wanted to make a seafood tofu pastry with kimchi, but because there was no kimchi it was too late to temporarily marinade it, so he mixed shrimp and crab meat with tofu, brushed two layers of sauce, pasted a layer of glutinous rice on the front and back, and pan-fried on both sides until they were brown. The Emperor ate one bite at a time and was very satisfied.

“Your Majesty, Chen has been working hard all night, and we even didn’t have time to eat breakfast.” King Ling rubbed his hands, he knew that his nephew was the most heartless, if he didn’t say it straight away, he would be rejected without any hesitation.

“I implore Your Majesty to bestow lunch.”

“Seventeenth Brother is right.” His Highness King Su echoed with a righteous face.

Su Yu looked a the two Qinwangs in surprise, asking to eat with such a precious and important tone, it sounded like a secret code no matter what.

“Ask the imperial kitchen to add some dishes.” His Majesty twisted a piece of the seafood tofu pastry and took a big bite.

Although the Emperor’s shares were handed over to Xian Fei, His Majesty’s shares did not actually have a clear number. The imperial kitchen would still prepare the Emperor’s three meals on time, in case Xian Fei was upset and refuses to cook for the Emperor, so the dishes were served quickly.

The ministers were granted a meal with the Emperor. They had to eat at separate tables, so the two imperial uncles set up another table beside them.

Since they were granted a feast, the Emperor should symbolically bestow one or two dishes in front of him to his subjects to show his benevolence.

Exquisite dishes were served one by one. King Ling kept peeking at the food on the Emperor’s table. An Hongche glanced at his good-for-nothing imperial uncle in disgust and asked Su Yu to take a plate and choose two shrimp, two fish, two oysters, and two tofu pastries…In the end, only two of each were lying alone on a huge plate, and he served it to the two imperial uncles. They didn’t mind the small amount, so they took them and ate them.

Su Yu blinked, and he discovered that what the two Wangyes said before was really not a secret code.

After lunch, the two Wangyes really had something to discuss with the Emperor, King Su led the Emperor back to the imperial study and Su Yu tactfully withdraw.

“Hey, Jin Tang ah.” Walking behind him, King Ling suddenly stopped Su Yu.

“That thing called chili pepper, do you need more?”

Su Yu froze for a moment before realizing that King Ling was calling him. “Of course I want it.”

“I still have many chili peppers in my Fu, I’ll have some sent to your palace some other day.” Leaving such a meaningful sentence, King Ling turned around and quickly followed the footsteps of King Su and the Emperor.

Su Yu frowned slightly, he always felt like there was more to King Ling’s words.

In the afternoon, he paid a visit to the State Teacher, who was as elegant and leisurely as ever. He just told him to study the <Fish Killing Heart Law> carefully and that he was going to test his knowledge tomorrow.

Su Yu couldn’t help making a bitter face, he really couldn’t understand the <Fish Killing Heart Law>.

What acupoints? What Inner Q? As a cook, he doesn’t know anything about it.

“If you don’t understand you can ask the Emperor.” The State Teacher twisted a piece of the seafood tofu pastry.

“Add some cornel juice to the oil and the fried glutinous rice will be more delicious.”

The juice of cornel was spicy, did he want to fry tofu pastries in spicy oil? Su Yu thought for a moment.

“The cornel juice is slightly bitter, it would be better if it’s replaced by chili pepper.” He had never used cornel, an ancient spicy sauce, before because he simply disliked the bitter taste, which after all was different from chili pepper.

The State Teacher nodded. “Chili pepper is a fine good, I’ll ask King Ling to send some to you some other day.”

“Boom!” Just then, there was a loud noise upstairs, like the sound of something breaking.

Su Yu looked up and saw that there were no stairs on the second floor of the Anguo Tower, there was only an empty hole leading straight to the top floor. In the middle hung an elegant silk ribbon, decorated with tiny bells. When the wind blew it would sound out that ethereal ringing.

The State Teacher frowned slightly.

“Go back first, I’ll go up and take a look.” After that, he ate the last piece of the tofu pastry, stepped onto the black gold steps, and walked to the third floor, he then wrapped the soft silk around his wrist and gently tapped his toes. Like a white swallowtail butterfly, he floated up to the fourth floor. Su Yu couldn’t see any further up.

It turned out that all the people in the royal family were experts, floating up and down the buildings…Su Yu looked up for a long time. After reading it, he felt as if the book in his hands <Fish Killing Heart Law> was a heavenly book.

Thinking about the “Student Assessment” tomorrow, he decided to ask the Emperor for advice.

But in the evening, the Emperor said that he would not come to Yexiao Palace tonight, nor would he call Su Yu to Beiji Palace, he also didn’t even send the Cat Daye who hadn’t forgiven him.

Su Yu suddenly found himself in trouble.

“His Majesty can’t come every day, you can relax.” Xiao Shun looked at the distressed Xian Fei and didn’t know how to comfort him.

“It won’t do, I have to find him.” Su Yu suddenly stood up and went to Beiji Palace with his food box.

The author has something to say:

Small Theater:

Concubine A: I heard that His Majesty won’t go eat at Night Snack Palace tonight.[TL_Note: Yexiao Palace->Night Firmament Palace and here she uses a different xiao character; Yexiao -> Night Snack Palace]

Lu Guifei: What’s so strange about that?

Concubine B: I heard that the Emperor will not summon Xian Fei to Beiji Palace tonight.

Lu Guifei: Are you serious?

Concubine C: I heard that Xian Fei has taken the initiative to go to Beiji Palace to wait on his bed.

Lu Guifei: Wretched seductress

Little Fish: Your Majesty, you can’t abandon me at this critical moment

Cat Gong: Humph Humph Humph, now you know how important Zhen is.

Little Fish: QAQ Xueba, seeking guidance for homework