Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

Upon opening the purchasing module, Shen Qing discovered that in addition to hot pot base, there were many other ingredients that did not exist in ancient times.

For example, fish tofu, tempura, shrimp paste, and even hot pot dipping sauce.

Compared to before when there was only hot pot base, the ingredients now are much more abundant.

Sure enough, the mission had officially begun.

According to Yan Wenli, there weren't many guests at the hot pot banquet today; it was just to open a door in the circle of powerful and influential people.

Therefore, Shen Qing only purchased ten portions of hot pot ingredients.

Just like before, ingredients that didn't exist in ancient times appeared out of thin air, while ingredients that did exist in ancient times were sent directly to the Yan family.

Before long, some fresh vegetables and meat were delivered to the Yan residence.

These ingredients all need to be processed.

As evening approached, Yan Wenli arrived.

"Madam Shen, let's go."

"Set off?" Shen Qing was taken aback. Wasn't the hot pot banquet at the Yan residence?

"Let's go to the Lotus Blossom Pavilion in the west of the city."

Lotus Blossom Pavilion was a garden that Old Master Yan built in the west of the city in his early years. It was located on the banks of the Jade River. Fresh water was drawn into the garden, and a pond was dug to form a lake, which was planted with lotus flowers.

It's early summer now, the lotus flowers haven't bloomed yet, but the lotus leaves are already forming a canopy. At this time of evening, with a cool breeze blowing, it's perfect to have hot pot.

Upon hearing the name, Shen Qing knew it must be an extraordinary place.

Anyway, it's all about raising the price of hot pot.

She nodded, asked no more questions, and took a bunch of ingredients and other tools with her, following Yan Wenli, Xin Heng and others to the Lotus Blossom Pavilion in the west of the city.

Once inside the Lotus Blossom Pavilion, Shen Qing truly experienced the joy of a wealthy family.

Walking along the winding corridor, a gentle breeze blows, lotus leaves sway in the wind, creating waves of green, and a thin mist hangs in the air. Taking a deep breath brings a feeling of unparalleled comfort.

The Lotus Blossom Pavilion was quite large, with many pavilions. After walking for quite a while, they finally arrived at the pavilion where the hot pot banquet was to be held that day.

This area is large, has the best scenery, and the widest view.

Inside the pavilion were six tables of moderate size, which were where the guests would sit.

There was a screen at the very front, and two people were sitting behind it.

Shen Qing raised an eyebrow and pointed to the shadow window: "Are they going to put on a shadow puppet show?"

"Yes, to add some excitement, we even created a shadow puppet show for the hot pot, adding a touch of mystery!" Yan Wenli said with a hint of pride.

He did a lot of design work to get to where he is today.

Shen Qing smiled and said, "Then I wish us great success today!"

Speaking of which, she was also a little curious about what Yan Wenli and Xin Heng had done, after all, this was a delicacy that cost six hundred taels of silver.

A short while later, a burst of laughter and chatter came from the other end of the corridor:

"The scenery here is quite nice. I wonder what kind of rare thing it is that's worth six hundred taels of silver. I'm really curious right now!"

"That's exactly what I meant. We definitely have to try something this expensive."

"To fetch a price of six hundred taels of silver, it must be extraordinary. Let's wait and see!"

"..."

A group of young men strolled over leisurely, all dressed in brocade robes and adorned with jade pendants, clearly indicating they were not short of money.

Shen Qing watched from the side, not knowing when Yan Wenli and Xin Heng had disappeared.

"Gentlemen, we've arrived. Please take your seats," said the servant who led the way.

The young men looked around and then plopped down on the floor.

"Say, what's all this secrecy about? And who sent us the letter?"

The servant replied, "Gentlemen, there's no need to ask any more questions. You're here simply to enjoy the delicious food."

These young men had no idea who had invited them here; they had all received mysterious letters promising the most exquisite food in the world.

These spoiled young men loved nothing more than seeking novelty and excitement. When they saw a meal costing six hundred taels of silver, they all became curious.

Shen Qing could see everything inside the pavilion from a distance, and could also hear the conversation inside.

In her opinion, Yan Wenli and Xin Heng did not personally invite these people because they probably did not want to arouse suspicion.

After all, one was the Minister of Revenue and the other the Minister of Works; the two of them standing together clearly wanted money.

These young masters, though not short of money, didn't have the habit of throwing it away.

"They say they're enjoying a delicious meal, but there's nothing on the table!" a young man dressed in purple shouted.

He was dressed in a purple robe, holding a fan in his hand, his hair was tied up with a purple hair crown, his face was covered in makeup, and even his lips were painted with lip rouge, making him look extremely flamboyant.

"Young Master Lu, please don't be in a hurry. This is an exquisite delicacy, and the way it's eaten is naturally different from other foods," a servant explained from the side.

This young master Lu is named Lu Yan, and he is the heir of the Duke's mansion.

He had a serious illness when he was a child, and the monks at the temple said that if he wanted to grow up safely, he had to be raised as a girl.

Therefore, not only was his nickname Lu Yan, but before he was fifteen, he dressed exactly like a girl.

Although he has now switched back to men's clothing, he has never given up the habit of wearing makeup.

Because of this, Duke Lu has lost count of how many times he has been angry.

"When can we start? We've been starving for ages, we came here on empty stomachs!" The speaker was Song He, the young master of the Marquis's mansion.

He was a free spirit, spending his days eating, drinking, and having fun. He was also a big mouth; whatever he knew, it was practically known throughout the entire capital.

"Wait a minute, wait a minute, look, it's getting darker and darker." The servant chuckled and pointed to the sky.

By this time, it was already getting dark, and a gentle breeze blew across the lake, carrying a hint of moisture, which made people feel refreshed and relaxed.

The lotus leaves in the distance swayed incessantly, making them difficult to see clearly.

A melodious zither tune rose from afar, as sweet and melodious as a nightingale's song.

Everyone was captivated by the music.

When the song ended, it was completely dark.

Before anyone could react, the front window suddenly lit up.

"It's a shadow puppet show!" someone exclaimed in surprise.

The shadow puppet slowly began to move, and at the same time, a sound reached everyone's ears.

"Legend has it that the ancient Kitchen God descended to earth and bestowed upon mortals a medicinal recipe, which contained an essence of the earth called 'Stove Heart Soil'..."

As the voice narrates, the shadow puppets also bring the corresponding scenes to life.

Shen Qing watched with some curiosity; this was the first time she had ever seen an ancient shadow puppet show.

In this environment, it feels like watching an open-air movie, which is quite interesting.