hsntnovel Chapter 2643 The Banquet is in Progress
Chapter 2643 The Banquet is in Progress
After listening to Li Shen's explanation, everyone looked at the bowl of golden steamed eggs in front of them.
Its color is like gold, and its aroma is so enticing that it makes one's mouth water.
Empress Zhangsun carefully picked up a golden spoon, took a spoonful, and put it in her mouth. The rich and delicious aroma was indescribable to her.
Soft, tender, and slightly bouncy, with a rich egg aroma, it melts in your mouth with a mellow and sweet aftertaste.
"How is Mother? Is it good?" Li Shen asked eagerly.
To be honest, he was also afraid of messing things up. If the food didn't taste good, all the boasting he had just made would be backfired.
And it was done in front of so many people.
"Hmm, not bad, the taste is very delicious." After a long while, Empress Zhangsun nodded and praised Li Shen, who was looking forward to it.
"Hahaha, as long as Mother thinks it's delicious, that's all that matters." Li Shen laughed triumphantly upon hearing this, finally feeling relieved.
If this doesn't taste good, my own father will probably laugh at me for the rest of his life, and might even have it engraved in his tomb so he can continue to look at it after he dies.
"Erlang, you should try it too. It's quite different from the steamed eggs we usually have." Empress Zhangsun looked at Li Shimin beside her.
"It's just steamed eggs with some medicinal herbs, what's so special about it?" Li Shimin said, picking up the golden spoon and taking a bite.
Then he narrowed his eyes for a moment before continuing:
"It's not much different from regular steamed eggs."
"cut."
Li Shen curled his lip upon seeing this, thinking, "Who does this stubbornness remind me of? Even the late emperor didn't seem to be like this."
At this point, the people at the other tables also tasted the steamed egg, and they immediately started discussing it.
"What delicious food! Is this an egg?"
"Of course, didn't you just hear Prince Ji say it's called steamed egg custard?"
"Tenth Brother is indeed very talented; all these delicious dishes are his creations."
The applause below made Li Shen even more smug.
"Isn't it a bit too overcooked?"
"Hmm, ginseng tastes a bit bitter."
"Sister, it's much worse than last time."
Just as Li Shen was feeling smug, several discordant voices suddenly rang out. Li Shen turned around sharply to look for the speakers.
Chengyang, Sizi, and Hengshan, the three little guys, were sitting not far away, whispering to each other.
As they ate, they commented on the steamed eggs in their bowls with great focus, so much so that they didn't even notice Li Shen approaching them.
Li Shen bent down, put his head between Si Zi and Heng Shan, and listened without saying a word.
Suddenly, Hengshan unconsciously turned his head and saw a huge face next to him, which startled him so much that he screamed:
"Ah~~~"
Hengshan was only a teenager, the youngest of the group, and was naturally timid. He usually played with Sizi, taking advantage of his status as a bully.
Her shout startled the other two as well. When Si Zi turned around, she saw Li Shen shout the same thing.
"Oh my god."
She learned that sound from her little niece, Xixi, who often exclaims "Oh my god!" when she's surprised.
Si Zi often went to Prince Ji's mansion to play and learned from him.
"What are you three saying? Do you think I can't hear you?"
Li Shen glared at the three girls with a stern face.
"Ten...ten..." Hengshan was so nervous that she couldn't even speak. They had just been discussing how bad the steamed egg was.
They had eaten this steamed egg at the Prince Ji's residence, and it was much tastier than this one.
“Brother.” Li Shen finished the sentence for Princess Hengshan, and Princess Hengshan nodded vigorously.
Sizi wasn't afraid, but she felt a little embarrassed for taking advantage of others and then talking badly about them behind their backs.
"Tenth Brother, we all say this steamed egg is especially delicious. Right, Sister?"
As he spoke, Si Zi gave Princess Chengyang a wink.
Chengyang nodded obediently.
"Yes, yes, this is delicious."
"Hmph, do you think I didn't hear you? You can forget about getting any food at Prince Ji's residence from now on."
Li Shen snorted and stood up to leave, but Princess Hengshan grabbed his arm:
"Tenth Brother...no!"
At this point, she was no longer nervous. There was nothing to be nervous about when it came to food; the food at Prince Ji's residence was even better than that in the imperial palace.
Especially when hanging out with Xiaoxixi, there are so many delicious things to eat.
"Alright, you three, behave yourselves." Empress Zhangsun scolded her three daughters.
These three are also a handful. Putting aside their lack of marriage prospects, their personalities are just too unpredictable.
As a princess, she should have been a well-bred lady, gentle and refined, but in recent years she has become increasingly outrageous.
"Yes, Mother." The three of them were still very afraid of Empress Zhangsun; she would really beat them if they disobeyed.
There's a trend of teaching children in the imperial harem right now.
"Shen'er, don't listen to their nonsense. Your mother thinks it's delicious."
Li Shen returned to his seat, and Empress Zhangsun comforted him.
"This... Mother, please don't be offended. Actually, what they said is right; the heat was a bit too much."
The child guessed that perhaps the cook was a little afraid because she was preparing meals in the inner palace.
Li Shen made up an excuse, but he didn't say it was because of the system. When cooking in the inner palace, every ingredient had to be strictly inspected, and there were eunuchs watching over you.
Nothing that has not been inspected should be put into dishes, including seasonings and spices.
Some people even write down the steps of cooking so they can refer to them later. In such cases, it's normal for the cooking time to be delayed.
Li Shen's steamed egg dish is prepared by measuring the time in breaths.
"Alright, let's continue serving the dishes." Li Shimin naturally understood what Li Shen meant, but it was unavoidable.
Those who managed to get something fresh were specifically told to avoid such complicated procedures, otherwise it would have cooled down long ago.
Li Shen's whole family came to eat. Li Shimin did not believe that Li Shen would die with him, so he just kept an eye on the cook.
Next, several signature dishes from the Prince Ji's residence were served. These dishes were delicious and visually appealing, and even more authentic than those served in restaurants.
Everyone raved about the food, but Li Shen didn't get up to introduce it; the main event was yet to come.
These few dishes alone were enough to amaze everyone. Even the most ordinary sweet and sour pork left these unsophisticated people in awe.
Children and women especially love sweets, and the three little girls kept going. When Xixi saw that she couldn't win against her three aunts, she started to grab the sweets with her hands, but luckily Lu Dingniang stopped her.
There are also various wild game from Liaodong Road, such as grouse and wild duck.
Regardless of the quality of the ingredients, the fact that they come from wild game thousands of miles away makes it feel like a luxury.
There were also sea cucumbers from Liaodong, and all kinds of seafood. Everyone ate in silence, only focusing on eating.
Even Li Shimin stopped attacking Li Shen.
"Father, Mother, I toast you with a glass of gratitude for your guidance over the years. May you enjoy boundless happiness and longevity."
Li Shen stood up and picked up a glass of wine.
“My son has grown up. From now on, you must not act so recklessly. Listen to your father’s teachings. If you do not wish to be an official, then enjoy all the riches and honors you deserve.”
Empress Zhangsun said softly.
(The mountains dance like silver snakes, the plains gallop like wax elephants, vying with the heavens in height.)