Tang Dynasty: Slacking off in the Imperial Kitchen, exposed by Si Zi

Chapter 213 is more difficult than I imagined.

Chen Yao rushed over to take her pulse.

As he pressed three fingers against the cunguan ruler, his expression changed little by little.

"Pulse—the pulse is slowing down! The wiry and hesitant feeling in the Guan position is lessening, and the heart rate—is stabilizing."

He pressed it for a while longer.

"The pulse at the cun position is stronger now."

Chen Yao pressed and released his fingers on the Empress's wrist, checking it three times in succession.

"It's safe! It's really safe!"

Li Shimin's knees buckled, and he almost knelt on the ground.

He stood up, leaning on the edge of the bed, his forehead covered in sweat, it was hard to tell whether it was from anxiety or fear.

Empress Zhangsun's breathing became deeper and longer, and the bluish-purple color on her lips gradually faded, revealing a light pink underneath.

Her eyelids twitched and opened a crack.

"His Majesty----"

The sound was so soft it was almost inaudible.

Li Shimin grasped her hand firmly.

"Don't talk, just sleep."

Empress Zhangsun's lips curved slightly, her eyelids closed, and her breathing became long and even.

Fell asleep.

No one in the hall dared to utter a sound.

Su Mu took the casserole off the charcoal stove and placed it on a small table with a damp cloth.

"The remaining porridge can still be drunk after it cools down. After he wakes up, feed him half a bowl again, but he should only drink the rice oil on top."

He wiped his hands and walked towards the palace gate.

"Su Mu".

Su Mu stopped.

"I know."

Su Mu did not turn around.

"But this is only a backup plan. Congee can stabilize the spleen and stomach, but not the lungs. The fermentation liquid for the cloud cake should be ready today; I need to keep an eye on it when I get back."

He paused for a moment.

"Also, the medicinal properties of this batch of ginseng rootlets are a bit lacking. I have enough here, but to truly repair her pericardium, the existing ingredients alone won't last for a thirty-day treatment."

"I need better medicinal herbs."

Li Shimin took two steps forward.

"What do you want? I..."

"I haven't decided yet. I'll wait until I get back and check the color of the fermentation liquid before I decide."

Su Mu pushed open the palace door.

The sky outside was already bright, and the glazed tiles of Taiji Palace were bathed in the golden-red glow of the rising sun.

Li Lizhi chased after him.

She burned two blisters on her fingers, but she held them in her palm so no one could see them.

"Su Mu, Mother—are you really alright?"

Su Mu took a few steps, then turned around.

"You did a good job guarding the fire today."

Li Lizhi pursed her lips.

Su Mu had already turned around and was walking towards the imperial kitchen.

The only sound in the passageway was his footsteps.

Fifty-five days.

There are 55 days left.

Porridge can prolong life, and cloud cake can mend, but to truly pull a person back from the clutches of death...

He needs to find a way to pry something harder out of the system.

Su Mu clenched his fist and quickened his pace.

The heat in Chang'an in May was unreasonable.

The sun begins to scorch the earth from dawn, and by noon, the bluestone slabs are so hot that you could fry an egg on them.

The locust tree leaves on both sides of the path were drooping and withered, and even the cicadas on the trees were too lazy to chirp.

Su Mu lay on the rocking chair, fanning himself with a palm leaf fan twice before stopping.

The air I was fanning was all hot, and the more I fanned myself, the more irritable I became.

The speckled chickens in the backyard crawled into the shade and lay down, their combs a deep, purplish-red.

The shepherd's purse flowers in the vegetable garden had long since withered, but the potato seedlings were still quite vigorous, although the edges of the leaves were a bit scorched.

The waterwheel turned as usual, its creaking sound a bit more muffled than usual.

The water level in the ditch had dropped again, and it was only by scraping the muddy bottom with bamboo tubes that they could scoop it up.

Su Mu sat up and wrung out his clothes, which were soaked through.

The system panel flashed before my eyes.

[Side Quest Progress: Defying Fate (Empress Zhangsun's Story)]

[Yun Gao Treatment: Day 4 completed, lung meridian repair progress 12%]

[Warning: Current reserves of medicinal herbs are insufficient to complete the entire course of treatment]

[Recommendation: Obtain high-level medicinal herbs by completing temporary tasks]

Su Mu scrolled to the bottom of the task list.

[Temporary Mission: Ice and Snow World]

[Mission Objective: To provide the Tang Dynasty royal family with a complete summer refreshment feast]

[Task Reward: 1 Millennium Xuan Papaya (Core Ingredient for Empress Zhangsun's Medicinal Cuisine)]

Millennial Xuan Papaya.

Su Mu's finger hovered over the panel for a moment.

This item is ridiculously expensive in the system shop; he couldn't even get enough points for it in half a year. Now it's being given away for free?

He turned off the panel and got off the rocking chair.

"Wang Dequan".

"Your servant is here!"

"Go to the Imperial Household Department and get three hundred catties of saltpeter. It must be the best quality, with as few impurities as possible."

Wang Dequan wiped the sweat from his face and hesitated for a moment.

"Three hundred catties? Mr. Su, last year you taught Princess Chang Le that method, and His Majesty had the Ministry of Works do it too, but the ice that came out was never quite right—although the Imperial Household Department still has quite a bit of saltpeter..."

"Go move it first, I need it."

Wang Dequan ran away.

Su Mu went into the kitchen.

The earthenware urn in the corner sat quietly; the fermentation liquid had been taken out, the urn had been washed clean, and it was empty.

He took something out of the system space.

A wooden bucket about half the height of a person.

The inner wall was coated with tung oil, so it is waterproof.

A smaller copper basin.

It was polished until it shone.

A thick wooden stick, with one end flattened, is used as a stirring rod.

Take it out again.

A whole watermelon.

Thin-skinned, red-bodied, with few seeds, it makes a "thumping" sound when tapped.

Melon farmers in Guanzhong cannot grow melons of this quality.

Half a melon.

The flesh is honey-yellow, and you can smell its rich sweetness as soon as you cut it open.

There's also a can of yogurt.

It's so thick it clings to the sides of the cup, with a layer of milk skin forming on the surface.

Su Mu stacked the items on the cutting board and glanced back at the sun outside the window.

heat.

It's fucking hot.

Just right.

The courtyard gate was kicked open.

Little Sizi, the little girl, was carried in by her wet nurse.

Her legs were draped over the wet nurse's waist, her whole body resting on her shoulders, her face pressed against the wet nurse's neck. Her bun was completely undone, stray hairs stuck to her forehead, and her face was sunburned red.

"Pork, pork—"

His voice was weak and listless.

"It's so hot! I'm going to melt!"

Su Mu walked over and reached out to touch her forehead.

hot!

It wasn't the kind of burning sensation you get from a fever; it was just from being exposed to the sun.

"Where have you been running around like a madman?"

The wet nurse curtsied, her voice weak.

"In reply to Mr. Su, the little princess insisted on going to the Imperial Garden to see the flowers, and wouldn't listen to anyone's advice. She complained of being hot halfway there, so I carried her back."

Su Mu took the little girl off her wet nurse's back and placed her on the stone steps beside the well. He drew half a bucket of well water and wrung out a piece of cloth.

The towel was placed on her forehead.

The little ox whimpered and shrank its neck, panting comfortably the moment the cool cloth was placed on it.

"Hey bro, it's so cold!"

"What's so cold about it? I'll show you something even colder in a minute."

The little rhinoceros's ears perked up.

At this moment, Wang Dequan returned.

Four eunuchs followed behind him, in pairs, carrying two large sacks.

The sack was tied tightly, and it made a dull thud when it hit the ground.

Su Mu untied a bag and reached inside to grab a handful.

Saltpeter.

The grayish-white crystalline particles were sharply defined, and a cool sensation came from my palm.

He rubbed it between his fingers and brought it close to his nose to smell it.