Ancient Foodie Survival Guide Chapter 98
Translated by Serena Love
Edited by Azure
Chapter 98: Glutinous Rice-Stuffed Chicken Wings (2)
As soon as the crown prince stepped in, all the ladies looked at him shyly. He was as handsome as the bright moon and clear breeze. If they could marry him as a princess, it was worth all the merits accumulated from their previous life.
Today, all the ladies came together to meet the Queen hoping that the crown prince would come to greet his mother, but didn't expect him to come this early.
After discussing the political affairs with the Emperor, the crown prince wanted to go back to his place and change his clothes before coming to see his mother. He didn't expect to smell the fragrance when passing by the Queen's place, so he turned a corner and went to the Queen with a smile.
He saluted the Queen and Concubine Lin, and after the salute, he couldn't wait to walk over to the table.
The Queen's eyes were gentle, and she scolded him, "Your cousin is also here. Why don't you say hello?"
The Queen's niece sat beside her holding her breath and lowered her head shyly, which made the ladies next to her feel jealous.
Suddenly, the crown prince was embarrassed.
"Cousin." He greeted warmly.
"Cousin…?" The Queen's niece lifted her eyes slightly, her apricot eyes filled with waves. She smiled slightly, and then she froze.
"Cousin, long time no see." The crown prince said to Jiang Shuyao.
The ladies were left speechless, the Queen stood frozen in shock, and even Concubine Lin was momentarily taken aback. Yet, amidst the stunned silence, Jiang Shuyao and the crown prince remained unfazed.
When the crown prince interjected Xie Xun's letter and asked for sauce, he called Jiang Shuyao "Cousin." So Jiang Shuyao was not too surprised. She was about to answer, but the Queen said, "Cousin?"
The crown prince looked at the honey-glazed chicken wings wrapped rice on the table, and his eyes lit up. With a little tenderness in his footsteps, he sat lightly next to the Queen and replied, "Exactly. The Queen and the Imperial Concubine Lin are sisters, so——"
After speaking, he finally saw all the ladies sitting next to them, and he was shocked.
Oh, so many people.
There was a slight tension in his heart.
Seeing the crown prince's eyes cast over them, the ladies withdrew their puzzled, hateful, and admiring eyes. They bowed their heads shyly.
They felt that the crown prince hadn't looked away for a long time, and they even breathed very lightly for fear that they did any behavior that would be indecent.
The gaze of His Royal Highness stayed for a long time. Could it be that your highness favors someone?
They grabbed their handkerchief nervously.
The crown prince had finished counting the heads, and he felt a little heavy. There were so many people. He looked at the plate of chicken wings stuffed with rice and felt a little confused. These chicken wings shouldn't be for them, so it should be okay if he eats it happily?
When the Queen saw his eyes retracted and then stuck to the chicken wings stuffed with rice, she quietly reminded him, "Why don't you say hello? Could it be that you haven't seen her in a few years, and you can't recognize your own cousin?"
The crown prince regained his senses from the daze and cast his gaze to the ladies again. Finally, he found his cousin, who looked quite serious.
He smiled and said hello. Looking at his cousin, whom he hadn't seen for many years, his eyes were slightly vacant.
The crown prince's cousin trembled—unable to resist the charm of the crown prince's slightly peachy eyes, her face was blushing.
The crown prince looked away, and his heart became calmer.
If he remembers correctly, this cousin was just a little girl when she came to the palace a few years ago. Good fellow, she drank three bowls of meat soup in one go.
This woman is also dangerous.
The Queen noticed the strange atmosphere and cast a suspicious look at Concubine Lin.
Concubine Lin was a little proud after eating a chicken wing. She has an attitude of watching a good show. She wiped her mouth, saw the Queen looked at her, but she smiled and shook her head.
The Queen thought that she was thinking too much and said, "These days flew so fast. In the blink of an eye, you are already at the age of choosing a wife."
The crown prince was a master of composure. Even as his thoughts lingered on the rice-stuffed chicken wings, his demeanor remained that of a serious and modest gentleman. With a soft, helpless sigh, he addressed the Queen Mother, "...Queen Mother."
The Queen stopped and turned to her mind about choosing a wife.
The crown prince thought to himself that he couldn't just say "I want to eat" directly. He still had to introduce a topic and bring it along with the wave.
So he said to Jiang Shuyao, "Why did my cousin come here today? Where is Boyuan?"
Jiang Shuyao said, "The imperial concubine asked me to come. I happened to make something, so I borrowed the Queen's dining room here."
The crown prince raised his eyebrows. Aha! This time, he could immediately lead the topic to eat!
Unexpectedly, before he could catch his breath, he heard Jiang Shuyao say, "My husband, I guess he's resting. In the morning, everyone went out to eat and drink together. He was injured, so he should be a little tired."
The crown prince held his teacup strongly for a moment.
"...Ate and drank in the morning?" He said with difficulty, "With the colleagues from the East Palace?"
Jiang Shuyao nodded, "Yes."
The crown prince's hand holding the teacup was shaking, "What did you eat?"
Jiang Shuyao smiled and said, "It's nothing. It's just some grilled sausage I made myself and grilled fish."
The crown prince's hand suddenly tightened. He held his teacup tightly and looked down sadly.
Wow. Wow.
This group of people was still watching the stars and moon with him yesterday. Chanting poems, drinking, and chatting, talking from poems and songs to political ambitions, but today they left him behind to eat together!
Oh, brotherhood, it is nothing more than that.
He stared fiercely at the chicken wings. I must get this plate today! Humph.
The Queen saw him staring at the chicken wings, so she followed along, "You just came here, and she made the chicken wing stuffed with rice. It tastes very good. You can try it."
A little guy inside the crown prince's heart frantically rubbed his hands, just waiting for these words.
He couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks and bite off the chicken wings.
The crispy, sweet and salty chicken skin, the tender and juicy chicken, the full and elastic glutinous rice, the rich umami taste mixed with the fragrant rice and exploded in the mouth. The steamy chicken had plenty of juice mixed with honey on the surface. It was sweet and fresh but slightly spicy. There was no need to worry about bones or side dishes. It was all meat and rice in one bite; delicious but also satisfying.
The crown prince was chewing on the chicken wing stuffed with rice. It seemed that all the entanglements of love, hatred, disappointment, and grievances had disappeared in a split second.
He swallowed the chicken wing. The chicken wings were so delicious, and he wondered what the fish and sausage should taste like.
When the crown prince came, the atmosphere had become a little awkward.
He originally wanted to sit for a while and leave, but now staring at the plate full of chicken wings, his golden buttocks are just like sticking to the seat, motionless.
He can't carry a plate of chicken wings and rice, but he wondered to himself whether it was feasible.
Seeing that he had eaten a big piece of chicken wing stuffed with rice, the Queen felt that she could get to her point, but the crown prince's chopsticks stretched to the next one.
"Cough." The Queen coughed slightly, motioning the crown prince to pay attention.
The crown prince looked up, puzzled and suddenly thought of the ladies sitting next to him. The speed of his chopsticks suddenly accelerated, and he picked two rice-stuffed chicken wings to his plate, almost drawing an afterimage in the air.
Queen: ...
She forced a smile and said, "Well, since the delicious food is made, it can't only be enjoyed by Bengong, the royal concubine, and the prince. It's better to divide it up, so everyone can get a taste."
The Queen gave a wave of her hand, and a eunuch stepped forward, bowing as he took away the plate of chicken wings. A young eunuch then approached, knife in hand, ready to carve the remaining two pieces into smaller portions.
As the knife sliced through the crispy surface of the rice-stuffed chicken wings, the tender, buttery skin gave way, releasing the savory juices with each cut. The meat was so tender it seemed to melt at the tip of the knife, revealing the gleaming, translucent glutinous rice and vibrant green beans nestled within.
The ladies who were close by swallowed softly.
The eunuch continued to cut. The glutinous rice was soaked in the chicken juice, and it was tightly stuck together, glowing with a lustrous luster. The chicken juice dripped on the plate, and the fresh and oily aroma blended together, which was very attractive.
A court lady took some chopsticks and distributed them to the ladies.
They glanced at the crown prince and saw that he hadn't seen them. They were a little disappointed and lazily picked up the chicken wing piece.
As soon as they put it in their mouth, their eyes widened.
How could it be so fresh? The fresh and tender chicken juice seems to permeate every stick of glutinous rice. Every time they chewed, they could feel the surging of chicken stock. Even those who are used to eating delicious dishes had to admit that Jiang Shuyao's food was really good. It was really really good.
Though it was merely glutinous rice and chicken—far from the luxurious ingredients of crab meat or venison—the taste was no less exquisite, rivaling the finest dishes made with the rarest of ingredients.
They set down their chopsticks, wiping the corners of their mouths with quiet restraint. The lingering fragrance still danced on their palates, and though hunger had not touched them, a newfound appetite stirred within after just one bite.
They suppressed the surprise in their eyes and tried their best to make their expressions look plain.
The Queen liked the "harmonious" atmosphere of sharing food with others and smiled, "How does it taste?"
Concubine Lin knew how they would answer as soon as she saw the ladies' expressions. She smiled without saying a word, raising her eyebrows and waiting.
Sure enough, the Queen's niece spoke first,"Mrs. Xie is truly ingenious. This dish is incredibly delicious, though I must admit, it’s a bit rich for my taste."
"Yes," another voice chimed in, "I prefer a lighter flavor."
"It tastes great, but I'm used to being a vegetarian. I still feel a little uncomfortable with chicken or other meat."
They gritted their teeth and spoke lies but feeling uncomfortably hungry.
Concubine Lin snorted lightly, smiling without saying a word.
A group of little girls just had this ability. She glanced at the growing crown prince. Misfortune came out of the mouth, don't you know?
Before the crown prince said anything, he suddenly heard a eunuch shouting outside, "The emperor is here--"
The gentle and virtuous Queen, the seductive and charming concubine Lin, and the crown prince who was displeased because of the ladies' picky words heard this voice and looked at the plate neatly and consciously.
There was only one chicken wing left on the plate.
As soon as the Emperor arrived, his voice echoed through the room, "Queen, what kind of delicacy have you prepared here? The aroma reached me from quite a distance."
The ladies who intended to belittle Jiang Shuyao's craftsmanship stiffened.
As soon as the Emperor came in, he was stunned when he saw such a large group of people. When he saw that the crown prince was also there, he instantly understood what was going on.
The ladies saluted him one after another. The Emperor arrived, so they withdrew respectfully after saluting. Jiang Shuyao was about to leave but was held down by the Queen.
The Emperor said "no need for formalities" and walked towards the Queen.
With the sovereign present, the rest of the chicken wings could only be his.
The Queen introduced it and asked the Emperor to taste it. The Emperor did not refuse and picked up the rice-stuffed chicken wing, savoring the taste, "Fat but not greasy, tender and smooth—superb!"
The ladies have only retreated halfway, and their faces suddenly felt burned when they heard this comment.
The Emperor, who had tried all the delicacies the world had to offer, was still full of praise. Who were they to pick and choose?
But the Emperor's voice kept on going. They heard the Emperor, who had always been aloof, and they didn't dare to look directly, talked to Jiang Shuyao kindly, "Where did you learn this craft? Did you figure it out by yourself? You are really a talented person from your generation."
Their faces hurt even more as if they had been slapped. They quickened their pace and fled.
After they left, the Emperor finished the chicken wings but remained in place.
Concubine Lin understood what he meant and got up. She took Jiang Shuyao away, "I haven't seen you for a long time, and I will talk to you in private."
After Jiang Shuyao left, the Emperor's heart, who was ashamed of having more meals, finally felt better. At least if Jiang Shuyao was here, he couldn't sit for a long time. Fortunately, Concubine Lin had something to say to her and led her out.
Only the Empress and the crown prince are left, so the conversation topic was not hard to approach.
The Emperor asked, "Those ladies just now are candidates for the crown princess?"
The Queen said, "Indeed." She turned her head and asked the crown prince, "Did you like any of them?"
The crown prince sighed, "Mother, I can't even tell who they are. How can I take a fancy to them?"
The Queen urged to introduce him, "The eldest lady of Minister Ling's family, she is fifteen years old, and she is very talented and beautiful. What do you think?"
Crown prince: "She thinks the chicken wing rice is not delicious enough. No."
Queen: ...Oh, at this time, you can tell who is who?
She endured and said patiently, "What about the third young lady of Minister Li's family? Gentle and virtuous, exquisite and wise--"
Before she finished speaking, the crown prince interrupted her again, "Don't mention it. She said she doesn't like to eat meat."
The Queen choked and said, "The fifth young lady of Minister Zhou's family was good. She didn’t say anything."
The crown prince disliked her as well, "She won't work either. She ate three pieces in one breath. Everyone else only ate one piece."
Queen: ...
She couldn't hold her smile anymore, "What about the lady who only ate a piece and didn't speak?"
The crown prince waved his hands frantically, "No, no. It's like she doesn't know how to taste good food. How boring."
The Queen took a deep breath. She had never lost her temper after being in the palace for so many years. She was extremely satisfied with such an excellent emperor, but at this moment, she suddenly had an impulse to scream.
She pressed her voice and said, "Then you—"
She just got up but was interrupted by the sound of "hiccup hiccup."
The crown prince covered his heart, suddenly started hitting his chest, and quickly poured tea into his throat.
Just now, his father came suddenly, so he threw two pieces of chicken wings into his mouth. Before he had time to chew, he choked.
---
[T/N: I heard your stomach grumbling from here, so here we go.]
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