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

Chapter 215 A Feast of Ice!

He picked up the spoon.

He scooped up a big mouthful and stuffed it into his mouth.

The crushed ice hit my teeth and shattered. The sweetness of watermelon juice spread from the tip of my tongue to the back, while the yogurt, coated with ice shards, slid down my throat.

A chill spread from my chest to my limbs!

The hairs on my back stood on end.

Li Shimin gripped the spoon, frozen for three seconds.

Then he started stuffing a second spoonful into his mouth.

Li Lizhi had already picked up a bowl.

She ate more elegantly than Li Shimin, taking small sips.

The ice melted between her teeth, and the rich flavor of the yogurt and the sweet taste of the cantaloupe mingled together. Her eyelashes trembled a few times, and the spoon hovered above the rim of the bowl for a long time before she put it down.

Little Sizi ran over and tugged at Li Shimin's sleeve.

"Aiya, aiya! What a great godfather!"

Li Shimin's mouth was full of ice crystals, and his speech was indistinct.

"Ugh—!"

"The contract with the kids is almost over! Dad, give them a piece of the duck!"

Li Shimin moved the bowl two inches closer to himself.

Little Sizi's mouth shrunk.

"You're such a cheapskate!"

Su Mu brought out another bowl from the kitchen and placed it in front of the little girl.

"Don't take your father's bowl, this bowl is yours."

Little Sizi picked up the bowl, and just as he scooped up a spoonful, he suddenly shrank his head.

"Ouch!!! Toothpaste! My tooth's going to fall out again!"

After shrinking it, the spoon went back into the bowl.

Su Mu leaned against the courtyard wall, watching the father and daughter arguing and fighting.

The system panel flashed briefly in the corner of my field of vision.

[Temporary Mission: Ice and Snow World]

Progress: 30%

[Hint: The task requires you to let the Tang Dynasty royal family experience the complete world of ice and snow. Currently, this is only a small-scale tasting and does not yet meet the standards for a grand feast.]

Su Mu crossed out the prompt.

%.

It seems that a few bowls of shaved ice aren't enough; we need a big one.

He looked up at the scorching sun.

"His Majesty."

Li Shimin scooped the food to the bottom of the bowl, the spoon scraping the porcelain surface with a sound.

"Um?"

"Have someone move twenty large vats into this yard tomorrow."

Li Shimin raised his head, watermelon juice still dripping from the corner of his mouth.

"What are you doing?"

Su Mu did not answer directly.

"Prepare another two thousand catties of sieved saltpeter."

Li Shimin stopped eating.

"Two thousand catties?"

"Didn't you want Taiji Palace to be cooler?"

Su Mu yawned.

"A few bowls of shaved ice won't cool you down. You have to make mountains of ice and pile them up in the palace to make it cool."

Li Shimin slowly put down the bowl.

"How much ice do you want to make?"

Su Mu stretched.

"Enough for you to host an ice feast."

Little Sizi's ears perked up again.

"An ice banquet?!"

She rushed over and hugged Su Mu's leg.

"I want to go! I want to go!"

Su Mu bent down and flicked her forehead.

"Go, but you have to help Guoguo with the chores."

"What are you doing, duck?"

"Move the watermelons."

Little Sizi raised his arms and puffed out his cheeks.

"Xizi is incredibly strong!"

Su Mu couldn't help but laugh.

Li Shimin put down the bowl and tapped his fingers twice on the table.

His mind was already working.

Saltpeter ice making, screening and purification, and copper basin freezing.

Once these three links are connected, ice will no longer be a rare commodity used for digging rivers and storing ice in cellars during winter.

Ice can be made in May, ice can be made in July, and ice can still be made in September!

It doesn't rely on the sky or the river, as long as there is saltpeter and water.

It's useful in the palace, and it's useful in the military camps; heatstroke is the biggest fear during summer marches.

"Su Mu".

"Um."

"Can this saltpeter be used again after it's been used once?"

Su Mu picked up the bucket of saltpeter and shook it.

"Evaporate the water, and the saltpeter will precipitate out, allowing it to be reused."

Li Shimin tapped his finger heavily on the table.

He stood up and strode towards the courtyard gate. He stopped at the gate, turned back, picked up the last half-eaten bowl of ice on the table, and gulped it down.

"Tomorrow, two thousand catties of saltpeter and twenty large vats. I will personally oversee their delivery."

By the time we finished making the iced drinks, it was already quite dark.

Li Shimin left with the little ox, and Li Lizhi also returned to Changle Palace.

Only Su Mu and a table full of bowls and plates remained in the courtyard.

After tidying up the kitchen, Wang Dequan greeted everyone and left.

Su Mu slumped in the rocking chair, his arms hanging limply.

Today, I spent most of the day moving saltpeter, freezing ice, cutting melons, and juicing. My back is sore from all the work.

He closed his eyes and rocked the chair twice.

The courtyard was so quiet that you could hear the creaking of the waterwheel turning.

The May night breeze finally brought a touch of coolness, creeping in over the wall and dispelling the lingering smell of melon in the kitchen.

The bolt clicked once.

It's very light.

It wasn't the sound of Xiao Sizi banging on the door, nor was it the way Li Shimin would kick it open.

Su Mu did not open his eyes.

"Miss Fang, it's already this late."

The footsteps paused for a beat, then continued walking in.

"Mr. Su has really good hearing."

Fang Qingjun came in carrying a bamboo basket.

The basket was lined with coarse cloth, and several bunches of dried flowers were placed on top of it.

There were honeysuckle, chamomile, and a few small purple flowers that the Scottish herdsmen couldn't name.

"I left in a hurry during the day and forgot to leave these behind."

She placed the bamboo basket on the stone table and flicked the dried flowers with her fingers.

"These are honeysuckle flowers drying on Zhongnan Mountain. I had them sorted three times, removing all the over-opened ones. You mentioned last time that you should use unopened buds for medicinal cuisine, I remember that."

Su Mu opened one eye.

The honeysuckle appeared pale in the moonlight, its buds firm and uniform in size. He reached out and picked one, bringing it to his nose.

"Okay, this batch is usable."

Fang Qingjun's lips curved slightly, but quickly returned to their usual shape.

She wasn't in a hurry to leave.

I moved a small stool and sat down at the stone table, pouring handfuls of dried flowers from the bamboo basket onto the table and starting to sort them.

Put the honeysuckle in one pile, the chamomile in another pile, and the small purple flowers in a separate pile.

He carefully examined each flower with his fingers, occasionally picking one up and turning it over to look at the calyx. Those that weren't in good condition were tossed into the waste bin next to him.

Su Mu leaned back in his rocking chair, watching her work in a half-hearted manner.

There were only two people left in the courtyard, with an oil lamp on the corner of the table, its flame flickering in the evening breeze.

Fang Qingjun's profile flickered in and out of focus under the light.

She wasn't wearing any jewelry today; her hair was held up with a wooden hairpin, and a few stray strands slipped down from behind her ears and hung in the crook of her neck.

Su Mu withdrew his gaze and stared at the sky above.

The night sky in Chang'an was much cleaner than in modern times.

The stars were scattered densely, and the Milky Way stretched across the middle, so bright it seemed unreal.

"Mr. Su."

"Um."

Fang Qingjun's hands didn't stop; she held a honeysuckle flower and examined it over and over.

"Don't take what Sizi said the other day to heart."

Su Mu snorted.

"If I were to take a five-year-old girl's words to heart, I'd need a lot of free time."

Fang Qingjun did not respond.

She put the honeysuckle into the good pile, and then picked up another one.

There was a moment of silence.

The sound of footsteps of the night patrol guards changing shifts came from outside the courtyard wall, the faint clanging of armor plates coming closer and then further away.

"Mr. Su."

"What's wrong now?"

Fang Qingjun stopped.

She didn't look at Su Mu, but stared at the pile of dried flowers on the table.

"What kind of woman do you want to spend your life with in the future?"

The rocking chair creaked.

Su Mu tilted his head back from the chair and glanced at her sideways.

Fang Qingjun's face was buried in the side where the light didn't reach. Her hands rested on the pile of dried flowers, her fingertips slightly curled, her nails digging into the petals.

Su Mu turned his head back and continued to look at the sky.

"What kind are you looking for?"

He thought about it.

"Can you cook?"

Fang Qingjun's fingers tightened slightly.

Su Mu shook his head.

"No, I'm a cook myself. If I hire another cook, we'll end up opening a cafeteria."

He changed his posture, putting his hands behind his head.

"Let's find someone who can let me chop wood in peace."

Fang Qingjun raised her head.

"firewood?"

"Um."

Su Mu stared at the Milky Way.

"No fuss, no trouble, no getting me into trouble every few days. I'll chop my wood, she'll do her work, and we won't bother each other. We'll call each other when the food is ready, and then we'll each rest after eating."

He yawned.

"How wonderful it is to have peace and quiet."

Fang Qingjun lowered her head.

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