gnovel Chapter 8: Li Shimin's Gluttony
Chapter 8: Li Shimin's Gluttony
Li Shimin brought his youngest daughter back, his suspicious gaze sweeping back and forth between his two daughters. "What's that smell coming from? It's all oily smoke and the smell of milk."
He twitched his nose.
The taste was very faint, but extremely unique.
Unlike the refined elegance of incense in the palace, this is a sweet fragrance full of the warmth of everyday life. It's somewhat like burnt cane sugar, yet mixed with a refreshing hint of tea.
Li Shimin's Adam's apple bobbed involuntarily.
He had been arguing with that old scoundrel Wei Zheng in the Taiji Hall all afternoon, and his mouth was dry. The mutton soup he had eaten at noon had long been digested, and now his stomach was rumbling with hunger.
"What are you holding in your hand?" Li Shimin's gaze locked onto the bamboo tube in his eldest daughter's arms.
Li Lizhi's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously hid the bamboo tube behind her back: "No...it's nothing, just some...dew."
"dew?"
Li Shimin laughed in exasperation.
Whose dew can emit such an enticing fragrance?
Without wasting words, he simply held out his hand: "Give it to me."
"Father, this is for Mother..." Li Lizhi said anxiously.
"For your mother?"
Li Shimin's expression turned solemn, and he spoke with righteous indignation, "Then I must take a look. What if something of dubious origin from outside the palace harms the Empress's health? I will first examine the Empress for poison."
Without waiting for a reply, he snatched the bamboo tube away.
The bamboo tube felt warm to the touch and was polished to an extremely smooth finish; its texture was even more lustrous than that of jade artifacts from the palace.
Li Shimin removed the lotus leaf that had been sealed.
boom!
The suppressed aroma exploded instantly.
The sweetness of monk fruit, the citrus aroma of dried tangerine peel, the richness of goat milk, and the unique flavor of caramel blend together to create an indescribable allure.
Li Shimin originally just wanted to take a sip to taste the flavor.
He brought the bamboo tube to his mouth.
The warm liquid slid into my mouth.
In that instant, Li Shimin's tightly furrowed brows suddenly relaxed, his eyes widened, and a hint of shock flashed in his pupils.
It has absolutely no fishy or musty smell like goat milk! Not at all!
Only silky smoothness, rich flavor!
The slightly sweet liquid flowed down my throat, moistening my esophagus that had been parched all afternoon. Wherever it passed, it was like spring rain nourishing all things, dispelling all the dryness and heat.
"this……"
Li Shimin wanted to speak, but his mouth simply wouldn't obey him.
The body instinctively raised the bamboo tube.
Glug! Glug! Glug!
He didn't stop for a moment.
By the time Li Shimin came to his senses, the bamboo tube was already upside down. The last drop of brown liquid fell onto the tip of his tongue, leaving a lingering sweetness.
Cool!
Feel completely refreshed!
Li Shimin let out a long sigh of relief, feeling that he could go back and fight Wei Zheng for another three hundred rounds.
"Ah Ye..."
A child's voice, trembling with tears, pulled him back to reality.
Little Sizi stared tearfully at the empty bamboo tube, her mouth agape: "It's gone...it was for A-Niang...it's all gone..."
Li Shimin blushed.
cough.
Careless.
He, the emperor, stole his wife's medicinal ingredient; what would become of him if word got out?
"Ahem!"
Li Shimin cleared his throat awkwardly, trying to regain some of his imperial dignity, "I...I did this for your mother's safety! Well, after personally testing it, this thing is not poisonous, and...it is still edible."
Is it still edible?
Li Lizhi stared at the bamboo tube, its opening licked clean, and her lips twitched slightly. "Is that even edible? That's like a wolf in sheep's clothing!"
"Speak."
Li Shimin shook the empty bamboo tube in his hand, his eyes sharpening, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority, "Where did this come from?"
This unique cooking method, this skill that can completely remove the fishy smell of goat milk and blend the aroma of tea so perfectly, is something that the incompetent people in the Imperial Food Bureau could never have done.
Even the so-called famous chefs outside the palace couldn't do it.
Li Lizhi and Xiao Sizi exchanged a glance.
Their eyes met in mid-air: We absolutely cannot betray our handsome boyfriend!
"I found it!"
The two spoke in unison.
Li Shimin raised an eyebrow: "Found it?"
"Yes...yes!" Little Sizi was a little guilty, but for her boyfriend's sake, she went all out, "I found it...I found it by the roadside! Maybe some fairy accidentally dropped it!"
Li Lizhi also chimed in, forcing herself to speak up: "Yes, Father, when I passed by the Imperial Garden, I saw this exquisite bamboo tube and picked it up. It smelled sweet, and I intended to take it back to show Mother, but I didn't know what was inside."
Li Shimin saw through his two daughters' clumsy acting perfectly.
But he didn't expose it.
He lowered his head and carefully stroked the bamboo tube in his hand.
This is not from the palace.
The bamboo tubes are not carved with dragons or phoenixes, but they are polished to be extremely smooth, preserving the original texture of the bamboo joints.
The cut was smooth and rounded, without a single burr, clearly indicating that it was cut off with an extremely sharp knife and then carefully polished.
This knife skill...
The image of that golden rice ball and the finely chopped, evenly cut meat flashed through Li Shimin's mind.
is a person.
It's definitely the same person!
There really was an unparalleled master hidden within this imperial palace!
He neither sought official positions nor wealth, living in seclusion, yet through his two children, he sent the Empress this lung-nourishing drink.
What kind of spirit is this?
This is a noble sentiment of being concerned about the country and its people, caring for the emperor and empress, yet being indifferent to fame and fortune!
An indescribable excitement welled up in Li Shimin's heart.
"Good job finding it! Good job finding it!"
Li Shimin smiled meaningfully, put the bamboo tube into his pocket, and waved his hand, "Since it was found, then this bamboo tube belongs to me. You all go back and keep your mother company. We'll take you to this place where you found things another day."
After saying this, Li Shimin put his hands behind his back, hummed an unknown tune, and walked briskly toward the Ganlu Hall.
With a clear conscience and the lingering taste in his mouth, he was in a very good mood.
We must get the Hundred Riders Division to find this "expert"!
It's a waste of his talent to stay in the Imperial Kitchen as a hermit. With such skills, he should be in the Imperial Kitchen, cooking for me... no, for the Empress every day!
Watching his father's departing figure.
Li Lizhi and Xiao Sizi both breathed a sigh of relief.
"Sister." Little Sizi tugged at Li Lizhi's sleeve, her little face full of worry, "Father took the bamboo tube away, what will happen to Aniang if she can't drink her sweet water anymore?"
Li Lizhi sighed, squatted down, and used a handkerchief to wipe the milk stains from her younger sister's mouth.
"It's okay, we'll go again tomorrow."
Li Lizhi glanced in the direction of the imperial kitchen, her eyes flickering. "There are many bowls there, Sister... just go wash them."
For a bite to eat, isn't washing dishes all it takes?
She endured it!