Chronicles of the Qin Dynasty

Chapter 66, Section 65. Slaying day and night.
Prince Qian's stomach immediately started rumbling.

At midday, smelling the aroma of food at Zhangtai Palace, he clearly had a good appetite and was about to have a big meal.

However, his father got angry for no reason, and the three siblings scolded him repeatedly, so he naturally dared not eat anything anymore.

I only drank that cold, sweet tofu pudding, and I didn't even finish it.

But at this moment, the aroma of the brown sugar pancake was truly overwhelming, and it looked unlike anything he had ever seen before. So when he saw Qin Shi across from him slightly gesturing for him to "please," he immediately picked up the pancake.

With one bite, the hot brown sugar syrup immediately touched his tongue, but fortunately the maid waited a while before bringing it in, so he frowned slightly but still chewed it heartily.

Crispy, fragrant, and sweet.

His eyes were slightly narrowed and his eyebrows were raised. Although his demeanor remained unchanged, he ate much faster, which made it clear that he had a good appetite and was very pleasing to the eye.

Qin Shi couldn't help but laugh and said, "Let's try steamed buns too."

The cook, Huo, was very diligent. During Qin Shi's stay at Zhangtai Palace, she had already tried making vegetable and meat buns following the instructions.

The filling for steamed buns with stir-fried wild garlic and eggs tastes a little strange, but it is still very fragrant.

Minced pork mixed with wild green onions results in a slightly different texture, but it's definitely pork and green onion buns.

There were also sugar packets, fish sauce packets...

Because they were made for the nobles in the palace, they were only the size of small steamed buns. Prince Qian ate them one after another, and in the blink of an eye he had tasted every flavor.

Then he looked at the sweet and savory tofu puddings and accepted both, quickly devouring the food in no time.

The maids brought him hot towels to wipe his hands and tidy him up. The half-grown boy, who could eat and drink well, quickly straightened his back and became a noble prince of Xianyang Palace again.

Seeing Qin Shi smiling and watching him while drinking tea, Wang Ziqian couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed. After a pause, he changed the subject and asked, "Qin Qing, the tofu you mentioned earlier is ready. What is tofu?"

Qin Shi then asked him, "Would the prince like to come with me to the palace kitchen to take a look?"

Prince Qian immediately stood up: "I want to see why my father is so biased! The chefs at Lanchi Palace are better than those at Xianyang Palace!"

Qin Shi couldn't help but chuckle, and then explained, "It's not that the chefs at Lanchi Palace are better than those at Xianyang Palace, but rather that I'm the one who gives them guidance at Lanchi."

However, since the King was in Xianyang Palace, the palace chefs obviously hadn't had time to learn such skills or spread them within the palace.

Prince Qian snorted coldly, then couldn't help but say, "Since Father King allowed Qin Qing to reside in Lan Chi, he must value your talent. Now Qin Qing is busy with kitchen affairs, which is trivial."

Qin Shi sighed inwardly: This is the real reason why she accepts a six-hour commute each way!

But since nothing has been done yet, it's not convenient to say that.

Although Wang Ziqian's tone was harsh, it also contained a subtle reminder.

She replied, "Thank you for your concern, Your Highness. I understand perfectly well."

Prince Qian snorted and said nothing more.

Because a prince was coming, Qin Shi led his men to the palace kitchen and found that the chief cook, Zhu Kui, still had people kneeling in front to greet him.

Prince Qian was used to this and didn't even glance at him before striding inside.

After looking around, he calmly commented, "He's quite diligent."

Even without the king's presence, his youthful appearance exuded a certain air of authority. His face, somewhat resembling Ji Heng's, was now calm and composed. The Imperial Kitchen Assistant dared not be negligent in the slightest, and respectfully said:
"It is my duty."

Qin Shi, impatient with their back-and-forth, went straight to the point:
"How's the tofu coming along?" The head cook's spirits lifted, and he quickly led her to the stone slab placed to the side.
The fine linen cloth was gently lifted, revealing the milky white tofu to everyone.

The woman took the bowl and chopsticks handed to her from the side, and carefully took some from each piece of tofu for Qin Shi to taste.

But Qin Shi was already very satisfied.

Although you can still taste the raw smell of soybeans, the soft tofu is especially tender, while the firmer tofu can be stewed for a long time.

There are still some old tofu products that are under heavy pressure and have not yet been completed, but what she has now is already satisfactory enough. How to research and expand on them is not something she needs to worry about.

In this day and age, tofu contains protein, amino acids, and vitamins.

Moreover, the main ingredient is the most common soybean. If it can be promoted nationwide in one or two years, and even if it can save one person's life, it is something she should do.

She was extremely satisfied:
"Tonight, I'll make a dish of wild scallion mixed with tofu, and also stew a pot of crucian carp and tofu soup or fish head and tofu soup, and send it to Zhangtai Palace."

The Imperial Kitchen Assistant, seeing his bright future drawing ever closer, beamed with pride: "Yes, sir!"

Although the prince had never eaten it before, that didn't stop him from immediately saying, "I want some too!"

Qin Shi nodded: "Okay, prepare more for Prince Qian as well."

……

Meanwhile, at Zhangtai Palace.

Upon hearing the report from the eunuch, Zhou Ju immediately replied, "Your Majesty, Minister Qin requests to have dinner with us this evening, saying he has something to discuss."

Ji Heng paused, writing, and asked, "I heard that she has already begun experimenting with papermaking?"

"Yes." Zhou Ju smiled and said, "This item will take some time to produce. If everything goes smoothly, since we have tested several kinds, it can be obtained in a month or even three months."

It is now the end of July. If it can be obtained in February or March, it will be a joyous occasion to announce to the world in October, the start of the new year.

Ji Heng sneered: "The remnants of the six states still harbor treacherous intentions, and the scholars of the world also call Qin a tyrannical state. If paper were made, and thousands of scribes were ordered to write all the documents in the world, I would like to see if these people would still have such backbone!"

“In that case,” he calmly put down his brush, then said in a deep voice, “Since Qin Qing has important business to attend to, then allow her to come.”

Then he thought of his disappointing children and sighed again: "If I were not weak and sickly, why would I need no one to entrust my eternal legacy to?"

Thinking back to the foolish words Prince Qian had uttered at the palace gates, and Princess Wen's wavering resolve, he couldn't help but feel a headache coming on again.

“Even Qin Qing knows that power is earned through striving upwards, not by waiting for others to bestow it upon you… But my three children…”

Not to mention Princess Wen, even Prince Qian and Cheng Hu did not have the same ambition to strive for power.

If he had looked like this when he was eleven or twelve, he would probably be long dead by now! Or perhaps he would be a mere echo of the late queen, obeying her every command.

If that were the case, how could the mighty Qin Dynasty have had six states submit to it?
The issue of succession is a sensitive yet unavoidable topic.

Zhou Ju originally thought that he must die for the king in the future, but after hearing what the king said to the general, he couldn't help but feel uneasy.

Therefore, he boldly offered his opinion:

"Your Majesty is vigorous and in the prime of your life. Even if you fight every day, you will still be able to maintain your health."

"I believe that with so many affairs arising in the world, Your Majesty need not force yourself to write 120 catties of memorials every day. If you have some free time, you may invite your ladies to come and keep you company."

Here I am! I'm gritting my teeth and persevering today as well.