Chapter 55

55. Taro Grits Cooked in Mash Night Soup

Seeing that his brother changed his words faster than he could eat, Pei Niancheng couldn't help becoming suspicious:

"Brother, you don't have to be like this. I know that my brother doesn't like these tedious and tiring things. If you don't want to, there's no need to force yourself to attend just for a winter solstice feast..."

Pei Nianyu chuckled, still immersed in the almost free task reward that the system gave him:

"Then how could it be? Of course it's impossible to go for you. But..."

So he said the task issued by the system again.

"I think this medicinal food system is very useful. Maybe it can restore Ye Feng's internal strength. What do you think?"

Pei Niancheng: "..."

The resentment in His Majesty's heart is so sour that he is about to burst out of water.Think about when he was treated like this when he was a majestic Ninth Five-Year... Oh no, since his brother came over and liked to mention a shadow guard boyfriend, his treatment seems to have plummeted.

Seeing Pei Niancheng's expression of not wanting to talk at all, Pei Nianyu felt a little embarrassed:

"Ahem... Well, after this medicinal food system is opened, I can also show you if there is a prescription for preventing and treating hair loss..."

As soon as he mentioned this, Pei Niancheng remembered the nightmarish black sesame food a few days ago, and he became very angry. He couldn't help but patted the table, and said angrily as if he was a majestic king:

"I told you, there is nothing wrong with my hair!"

The tone was low and fierce, if someone unfamiliar heard the wrath of the emperor, they would definitely be terrified.

However, Pei Nianyu didn't like this at all, and raised his eyebrows:

"Hey, Your Majesty, are you not happy?"

It was as if he couldn't see Pei Niancheng's black face. After speaking, he snatched back the food box he was about to open:

"Since there are so many opinions, then don't eat this pastry. There are black sesame seeds added to the puff pastry... I just left this box for Jiang Xue and the others to eat."

Pei Niancheng became anxious for a moment, his entire face drooped, and while he was grabbing the food box, he said in a cowardly tone:

"Hey, hey...brother! My good brother... let me take this box of meat pastry rolls back to the palace for supper..."

Pei Nianyu just said casually and loosened the food box.

The miserable Pei Niancheng swept around the small kitchen of his palace, packed up all the finished snacks, and then hurried back to the palace.

………………

After sending off the hungry ghost brother, Pei Nianyu quickly got busy.

The winter solstice banquet will be held tomorrow afternoon, and there will be hundreds if not thousands of princes and ministers attending the banquet from the first rank to the third rank.And even if there are as many imperial chefs in the imperial dining room cooking the banquet non-stop, it will take several hours to finish.

Therefore, he had to go to the palace to start production tomorrow morning.In other words, before that, he had to design all the dishes and experiment with the exact method for demonstration tomorrow.

Pei Nianyu did some calculations in his mind, and there were only... more than six hours left until the next morning.

Gan!

Don't sleep tonight!

Using his lightness kung fu, he went directly to the study, and summoned Jiang Xue and the others:

"Let Xia Yao help me find out the records related to the banquet system of the past dynasties. Old He, you send someone to the palace and ask the Ministry of Internal Affairs to ask the specifications of the meat products presented at the banquets of various governments in recent years.For the record, let me estimate what materials will be available tomorrow."

"Yun Shao...uh...you cook some simple meals that can fill your stomach...I'm in a hurry, and then go to the big kitchen to prepare all the ingredients that can be brought out now."

"Ye Feng... Ye Feng isn't here, is he?"

Everyone shook their heads in unison.

Pei Nianyu breathed a sigh of relief:

"Leave him alone, don't bother him, don't let him know what I'm up to. Jiang Xue, go and find a way to stabilize him, such as going to his room to ask martial arts or something... Cough cough."

After all, he would definitely stay up all night until the next morning. If he didn't sleep, Pei Nianyu guessed that Lou Yefeng would not dare to rest.

Jiang Xue was so happy that she was about to jump up:

"...obey the order!"

After assigning the task, Pei Nianyu faced a table of various food literature piled up in the study, and his whole body entered a state of high-speed operation.

The banquet dishes in the palace are not just a simple dish, but more connotation lies in some political significance in it—especially the Winter Solstice Banquet, one of the most grand banquets of the year.

Therefore, how to design a banquet dish not only considers the material and flavor, but also considers the appearance of the dish and whether it is placed on the table.In addition, the time is tight, and the efficiency of the finished product needs to be considered... For example, some dishes that take several days to hang the soup alone have to be discarded.

In the end, in view of the fact that the Dajing Dynasty had neglected cooking for many years and had always had a rough food style and culture, Pei Nianyu had to be responsible for inventing a bunch of corresponding politically beautiful meanings for each dish and giving it an imposing name...

Pei Nianyu moved his pen like a wind, and while checking, he jotted down some dish designs, as well as the historical origins and meanings that seemed to be serious but were all newly compiled.

The papers were written one after another, and then flew out, and before one knew it, the night was getting darker, and the stars and the moon were hanging high.

Xia Yao, who was in charge of sorting out the notes and studying the ink, was stunned. When did her prince draw on the postings on weekdays, not slowly and calmly?

She had never seen this battle before today, and even Xia Yao, who has always done things neatly, was a little overwhelmed, hurriedly sorting and transcribing these papers, sweating profusely while holding the pen:

"My lord... can you slow down..."

Pei Nianyu looked at the stack of papers:

"Huh? How much is this..."

Thinking back to when he was in college, his thesis was tens of thousands of words a day, so this is naturally not a big deal.

Xia Yao wants to cry but has no tears:

"Could it be that the slaves copied too slowly..."

………………

On the other side, Lou Yefeng felt a little worried when he saw that his master had not returned to Hanqiu Pavilion's sleeping hall until the night was completely dark.

He casually asked a maid outside the courtyard:

"Do you know where the prince is now?"

The maid wondered:

"My lord has been in the little study all the time, why don't you know?"

"..."

Lou Yefeng kept silent and went back to his bedroom in the side courtyard of Hanqiu Pavilion.

Just now he didn't show it at all in front of the maid, but when he returned to the room, he couldn't hide the confusion and slight hesitation on his face.

Although the two of them were not always together, the master didn't tell him when he didn't return at night, and even a servant girl knew about it, but he, the shadow guard who accompanied him, didn't know...

Lou Yefeng quickly deduced that the master must have avoided him on purpose.

But...is there anything that needs to be in the study...but you don't let him know it on purpose?

Is the master busy with something... didn't see the master at dinner, and don't know if the master is eating well.

Thinking wildly like this, Lou Yefeng went to the small kitchen to cook a bowl of black-bone chicken and yam soup, put it in a food box and prepared to take it to the study.

However, when he came to the outside of the study, he hesitated again.He lingered for a while with the food box in his hand, thinking that his duty was to serve by his side, how could he not fulfill his duty.At the same time, he was hesitating that the master had made it clear that he would not let him know, if he went so hastily, would he offend the master...

Until he heard Xia Yao's miserable voice, he thought that someone else's master was squeezing her a maid who didn't know martial arts, so he gently pushed open the wooden door of the study:

"Xia Yao, go and rest on your own, let me come here."

Pei Nianyu's pen stopped, and he turned around stiffly:

"Ye Feng? You...why are you here..."

Seeing this, Xia Yao breathed a sigh of relief, rubbed her sore wrist unobtrusively, and quickly retreated away with a wink, at the same time giving Lou Yefeng a hundred praises in her heart.

Lou Yefeng didn't dare to look up at his master's expression, he just lowered his head and gently put the food box on the table.

However, after hearing Pei Nianyu's question, he mistakenly thought that the master was blaming him, and couldn't help but pause. He quickly raised his head to look at Pei Nianyu, then quickly lowered his head, and his eyes fell back:

"The subordinate, Chao Yue, inquired about the master's presence without authorization, so...he made some food and came here."

Seeing that Pei Nianyu didn't speak, Lou Yefeng's heart tightened, and he immediately added:

"If the master doesn't like the subordinate here, then the subordinate will leave immediately..."

Who knew that Pei Nianyu was just secretly delighted that Lou Yefeng didn't seem to care about whether he slept or not, so he didn't realize it for a while, after hearing this, he hurriedly put down his pen and said:

"No, no. How could I not be happy that you are here? By the way, I can smell the aroma of any delicious food you made, so bring it here."

Lou Yefeng looked at the expectant look on his master's face, finally let go of his heart, took the bowl of black-bone chicken and yam soup out of the food box, and said a little embarrassingly:

"Of course it can't compare to the craftsmanship of the master..."

Pei Nianyu looked at the mellow soup that was as tender and white as milk. There was not even a trace of oil in the soup, and he sniffed the light and fresh aroma of the onion, ginger, and peppercorns, which were well prepared.It is neither greasy nor less fresh than black-bone chicken.

Just smelling the aroma, Pei Nianyu couldn't help but growl in his stomach, and he started to roll involuntarily, as if he was urging Pei Nianyu to eat the chicken soup quickly.

"My level is not that high...Ye Feng, you are almost ready to become a teacher."

After all, Pei Nianyu ate up the bowl of soup gracefully but quickly.

Lou Yefeng next to him was sitting on the side, quietly watching the master enjoy the things he made, his eyes gradually softened.

On weekdays, he practiced cooking a lot in private, in order to make the master less tiring by doing it himself.He could tell long ago that the master's taste was getting more and more tricky, and even the dishes made by Yun Shao were not in line with the master's wishes.

All he can do is rely on his grasp of the master's taste over the years and try to make the master eat as much as he likes.Now that his martial arts have not yet recovered, even if he can serve his master more in these matters, it would be good.

A bowl is clean, the saltiness is moderate, the primary and secondary are in order, and the taste is completely in line with his wishes.Pei Nianyu couldn't help but frowned contentedly, and looked at him:

"As expected, my family, Ye Feng, cares about me the most. In the middle of the night, he specially made food and brought it here... To be honest, delivering soup is actually secondary. The point is that you came here to accompany me for a reason, right?"

Lou Yefeng was overwhelmed by the words, and quickly corrected him:

"...cough, it's just a subordinate's job."

Pei Nianyu deliberately approached and said:

"Yo, the shadow guard instructor is also responsible for cooking for the master?"

"..."

Lou Yefeng's cheeks were slightly red, he was speechless, so he could only turn his head away, and said to him from left to right:

"What is Master doing today?"

Pei Nianyu stared at him for a long while with an expression of "seeing through but not revealing", before saying what happened tomorrow.

Lou Yefeng nodded:

"Come here and help the master tidy up."

After eating and drinking enough, Pei Nianyu picked up a pen to continue the literature, while Lou Yefeng took over Xia Yao's previous work and copied it seriously.

The work efficiency and habits of the shadow guards are naturally incomparable to Xia Yao, who is used to the slow pace of the palace. After Lou Yefeng took over, he quickly finished the accumulated workload.

However, Pei Nianyu glanced at him from the side, it was already very late, but there was no sign of fatigue on Lou Yefeng's face.He knew that the Shadow Guard's ability to stay up late and cultivate immortality was extremely strong, but his Ye Feng was still recovering, so how could he be willing to let Ye Feng accompany him all night.

"Ye Feng, there's not much content left, I'll do it, you go back and rest first."

In fact, this is wrong, because after the design is completed, he has to go to the big kitchen to try it one by one to see how it tastes, but naturally there is no need to tell Lou Yefeng.

Lou Yefeng didn't know what came to mind, he paused while holding the pen, and tentatively said:

"The maids in your courtyard are all asleep, I... why don't I ask my subordinates to wash up for the master today..."

Pei Nianyu:???

Is this the meaning of delivering tofu to my door?

He looked at Lou Yefeng's slightly expectant expression, and at the same time his fingers clenched tightly because of some nervousness, his heart was almost filled with joy.

This progress is a bit big!

Although his family, Ye Feng, was still not used to expressing his thoughts directly, but... he was already very content to be able to take the initiative like this.

However, he really doesn't have time to sleep tonight, this benefit... I'm afraid he can only wait for the next time.

Pei Nianyu's mood fell immediately, and he nodded absently:

"Okay, it's up to you."

Lou Yefeng, who got the permission, was secretly delighted, lowered his head and concentrated more on the work at hand, completely oblivious to the fact that the master on the other side of the room quietly lit a sleep-promoting incense.

The incense was a good thing that Pei Niancheng specially left for him. It was colorless and odorless, so he couldn't detect it at all.They have also trained to use internal force to resist this kind of tranquilizing incense on weekdays, but his internal force is meager at this time, so naturally he can't know the slightest.

But for a moment, Lou Yefeng suddenly felt drowsy, his limbs gradually softened, and his heart suddenly became alert.Just as he was about to react, the next moment he couldn't resist the soothing drowsiness, tilted the tip of the pen, lay down on the desk, and fell asleep quietly.

Pei Nianyu stepped forward, intending to lift him up and put him on a soft couch in the warm pavilion to the east of the study.Unexpectedly, perhaps it was because Lou Yefeng subconsciously knew that he had slept abnormally, and his body was still seventy percent alert.

As soon as Pei Nianyu touched his arm, Lou Yefeng suddenly pinched the pulse door back in his sleep, with such force that two deep bruises were pinched on his wrist.

"Hiss...it hurts..."

Pei Nianyu was angry and funny at the same time, thinking that this person was so dishonest in his sleep.Hastily mobilized his internal strength to gently shake his five fingers like iron claws away, then attached his ear to him, and whispered:

"Be obedient and sleep well."

I don't know if he heard the master's voice in his sleep, but after Pei Nianyu said this, Lou Yefeng really stopped struggling and fell asleep peacefully.

Only then did Pei Nianyu smoothly pick him up and put him on the soft couch behind the screen.

He looked at Lou Yefeng who was sleeping peacefully and motionless on the soft couch. He wanted to take advantage of the danger and do whatever he wanted with him, but after thinking about it, he decided to give up. He had to get up early tomorrow so he wouldn't disturb his sleep.

He only lightly rubbed the top of his hair, then got up and left.

…………

After putting down Lou Yefeng, Pei Nianyu took the stack of notes and went to the big kitchen to find Yun Shao and the others.

"It's probably like this. Yun Shao, help me see if it's feasible, and then we two will try. Jiang Xue, Lao He, you two come and help me."

Jiang Xue covered her face: "Master, are you sure you want to let me into the kitchen?"

"Uh... don't touch the stove..."

He Qi sighed: "Return to the master, the subordinates can't do anything."

Pei Nianyu immediately thought of Ye Feng's cooking standards that had improved by leaps and bounds, so he was very disgusted:

"As a shadow guard, you can't cook. What do you think I want you for?"

He Qi was expressionless: "Which shadow guard will study this?"

Pei Nianyu is confident:

"My Ye Feng!"

With the spirit of not fearing death, He Qi asked back:

"Then why doesn't the master let Professor Lou come?"

Pei Nianyu looked gentle:

"That won't work, I just tried to coax him to sleep."

He Qi: "..."

While the two were talking, Jiang Xue suddenly reached out and grabbed Pei Nianyu's lapel:

"A hair fell on the clothes... Hey, there are still several hairs."

What Jiang Xue said, Pei Nianyu recalled a joke from his previous life, that is, if someone goes to work in clothes covered in cat fur—then he must be deliberately showing off that he has cats...

At this moment, Pei Nianyu suddenly felt that he was similar to himself now.So very solemnly said:

"Well, it's probably Ye Feng's hair. Just now he was lying on my chest and I hugged him to sleep for a while."

Everyone: "..."