The shrill screams of the personal maid in the courtyard grew fainter and fainter. Before long, complete silence returned. Presumably, she had been beaten to death.
Hu Qinzhu's heart ached as if being stabbed by a knife, but she was helpless.
After this incident, almost all the servants she was used to having around had been replaced by Hu Maolin. Not to mention trying to secretly send out any messages, her boudoir was now like an impregnable fortress, not even a fly could get out.
Hu Qinzhu was both sad and angry. She really didn't know what else she could do to send a message to Li Ying. So she could only rest her cheek in her hand and lean against the small window, frowning deeply.
I don't know how much time had passed when a small, grayish hawk flew over. Perhaps because it had just molted, its feathers were a bit messy, but it still stood proudly not far away, sizing her up with its golden hawk eyes.
Hu Qinzhu waved at it. The little hawk wasn't afraid of people. It took a couple of steps towards her, and before long, it spread its wings and flew away without a trace.
As for Hu Maolin, after smashing a few cups and making a ruckus, he finally calmed down a bit. He changed into a moon - white long gown and sat down leisurely in front of the table to enjoy his tea.
"Any news from His Majesty?" he asked casually.
A young servant quickly presented a new cup of tea respectfully and reported, "My lord, the imperial kitchen did send a message. It said that the eldest princess is going to arrange a very skilled chef to take care of His Majesty's diet and told us to assist."
Hearing this, a look of contempt grew stronger on Hu Maolin's face.
What an over - confident Li Ying!
There was no such thing as a "very skilled chef"! It was clearly just her boasting!
She was just an ordinary country woman. By a stroke of luck, she had managed to cook a few novel farm dishes that were barely edible. In the end, they were not suitable for formal occasions.
The eldest princess had been deceived by her and was willing to vouch for her in front of His Majesty. That was the princess's foolishness. If he exposed Li Ying's half - baked skills, it would be a serious crime of deceiving the emperor!
The more Hu Maolin thought about it, the more pleased he became. It was as if he could already see the miserable scene of Li Ying and Lu Xunguang admitting their crimes. He carefully asked about the time when the so - called "chef" would enter the palace, changed into his court clothes, and excitedly went to complain to the emperor.
As for Li Ying, at this moment, she had changed her clothes and washed her hands. She was busy in the eldest princess's kitchen.
The eldest princess looked at the dishes Li Ying was preparing. The dishes in the bowls and plates seemed familiar, but she couldn't name them. A look of suspicion appeared on her face.
Li Ying noticed her confusion and smiled brightly. Then she explained without reservation, "These are the tender shoots of the Chinese toon tree. These are the pagoda tree flowers I picked from the back mountain on the outskirts of the capital yesterday. In the bamboo basket are shepherd's purse, Chinese kalimeris, and lucerne. They are all wild plants that grow in the countryside. It's understandable that Your Highness, who has lived in the deep palace for a long time, doesn't recognize them."
As she introduced them one by one, her hands didn't stop. Before long, she had washed and trimmed these various spring herbs.
Seeing the increasing look of concern on the eldest princess's face, Li Ying knew that she must be worried about what would happen if these rough things made His Majesty, the emperor, sick.
Li Ying was confident. While skillfully blanching the various wild vegetables to remove the bitter taste, she said softly, "Your Highness, please rest assured."
"Shepherd's purse can harmonize the spleen, promote diuresis, stop bleeding, and improve eyesight. As recorded in Guangxi Chinese Herbal Medicine Annals, eating it can strengthen the spleen and promote digestion, and relieve indigestion. Lucerne can clear away heat and toxins, nourish and strengthen the body, expel dampness, and benefit the five internal organs."
"The dishes selected today may seem like common farm produce that are not suitable for formal occasions. In fact, they are the tender shoots that have been bathed in the spring sunshine and rain and have grown after lying dormant for a whole winter. They are full of vitality."
"Using these wild delicacies in the dishes can not only cure His Majesty's illness caused by over - eating greasy food, but also allow him to taste the wild charm and the beauty of spring."
She spoke so convincingly and clearly. Moreover, the blanched vegetables were truly lush and fresh, and there was a faint, refreshing floral fragrance.
His Majesty's carriage would arrive at the eldest princess's mansion in a moment. Now that the arrow was on the bowstring, there was no turning back. The eldest princess could only silently recite the saying "If you use someone, don't suspect them; if you suspect someone, don't use them" and let Li Ying continue with her preparations.
The newly - grown Chinese toon shoots in spring had a dark red sheen on each tender leaf. When finely chopped, the strong aroma of Chinese toon immediately filled the whole kitchen.
This kind of vegetable with a very distinct "personality" didn't need much seasoning. Just crush the sweet and tender spring water tofu, mix it with the Chinese toon shoots, add a few eggs, sprinkle a little salt, and then transfer it to the pot to bake slowly over low heat.
To make the Chinese toon baked egg more smooth, Li Ying specially prepared some broth. The fried egg cake had a golden glow on both sides. It was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Cut into small square pieces, it was fragrant but not greasy, and very appetizing.
The fresh fragrance of shepherd's purse could neutralize the greasiness of meat, so it was most suitable for making stuffing.
In the minced pork stuffing, add the broth in five batches. Only when the stuffing has fully absorbed the broth and been well - kneaded can it burst out delicious juice when eaten.
Mix the shepherd's purse with the chopped mushrooms, dried shrimps, egg skins, and meat stuffing. Season it with scallions, ginger, yellow rice wine, and pepper to remove the fishy smell, and then add sesame oil to lock in the moisture. Carefully make neat pleats and wrap them into fried dumplings. Each dumpling was shaped like a crescent moon. Fried until golden and crispy, they had a very strong aroma.
The other half of the shepherd's purse was chopped and stir - fried in oil in the pot. After frying out the fragrance, pour a thin layer of water starch to thicken it.
This thickening sauce was a real test of the chef's skill. If it was too thin, the dumplings would break easily when wrapped; if it was too thick, the taste would be sticky and not smooth enough.
After thickening, the last bit of rough taste of the shepherd's purse disappeared. Then take fresh small yellow croakers, remove the big bones and fish skin, and only keep the clean and tender meat. Mix it with the cooled shepherd's purse paste.
Wrap the stuffing of shepherd's purse and yellow croaker into long spring rolls. Fry them over low heat until cooked, and then fry them again. The outer skin would be more crispy, and the greasiness would be reduced by half when eaten.
The eldest princess took a bite while it was still hot, and her eyes immediately lit up.
She thought she had tasted all kinds of rare delicacies, but these two snacks made by Li Ying, although seemingly ordinary, were really mouth - watering and hard to resist when chewed carefully!
The heart that had been hanging in mid - air finally settled down. Her face had just relaxed for a moment when, as if suddenly thinking of something, she frowned again.
"Boss Li, you've mentioned many times that His Majesty has been feeling unwell because of eating too much greasy food and having indigestion. Although the shepherd's purse and yellow croaker spring rolls taste good, but..."
She looked hesitant, but Li Ying smiled calmly and casually picked up another plate of green and fresh side dishes.
"Your Highness, don't worry. I've got it covered."