Li Ying naturally understood that the emperor was suspicious, and those who stood out were often targeted.
However, this supreme ruler had never given up on separating her from Lu Xunguang. He even believed that, coming from a humble background, she was far beneath Lu Xunguang, a "red - topped merchant." So she had to take action to prove her worth.
Li Ying thanked Uncle Pei for his advice and said softly, "Your Grace, please rest assured. I've already thought of a way to handle this."
The queen had been using her essential - oil therapy to take care of her health for over a month. Roughly calculating, it was just the right time for her to enter the palace to pay her respects.
The first dessert she made with extra - rich dark chocolate could just be sent into the palace for the queen to taste.
After melting the chocolate and stirring it smoothly with butter, she added a little wine and let it cool. Meanwhile, she whipped the egg liquid.
She sifted flour into the smooth and thick egg liquid, stirred it evenly, then poured in the chocolate paste. After mixing well, it became a fragrant cake batter.
Li Ying found some hat - shaped small bowls as molds for baking the cake. She put the cake batter into the ice cellar for half an hour and then it was ready to be baked in the kiln.
The fire in the oven was extremely strong. The high temperature quickly softened and cooked the surface of the cake batter, making it puff up. After just a short while of baking, it could be taken out.
The demolded chocolate cake looked like a slightly - raised hill. When a silver spoon gently dug into a corner, the warm, semi - cooked chocolate paste slowly flowed out.
After sifting a thin layer of white powdered sugar on it, this small chocolate lava cake really looked like a volcano with floating snow, simple and interesting.
Wine and chocolate were a perfect match. The faint aroma of the wine enhanced the richness of the chocolate. The soft cake and the silky filling provided two completely different textures, leaving a lingering aftertaste.
After the queen tasted the cake in her hand and heard Li Ying softly introduce that this dessert was called "lava cake," a satisfied smile appeared on her face.
"The name is quite ingenious. It's really hard for you to be so meticulous in controlling the heat to bake this ordinary - looking cake into something with a unique flavor."
"Li Ying, I'm really curious about what other wonderful ideas are hidden in your head."
The queen drank another bowl of milk curd. Finally, looking at Li Ying contentedly, she chatted with her for a few minutes about daily matters, then asked seriously, "I assume you didn't just come to pay your respects today. Tell me, are you in some trouble?"
Since the queen had seen through her, Li Ying didn't act coy. She smiled generously and said, "Your Majesty is so intelligent. My little thoughts can't be hidden from you."
Then she calmly took out another pot of amber - colored wine and presented it to Queen Pei.
"Your Majesty, when I was brewing beer for Uncle Pei to reward the soldiers guarding the southern border as ordered, I thought that His Majesty is diligent in handling state affairs, so I brewed a medicinal wine with health - strengthening effects for His Majesty."
The wine she presented was the "Sanle Wine" recorded in ancient books.
The so - called "Sanle" referred to Haritaki, Vibhitaki, and Emblic Myrobalan, which were Phyllanthus emblica, Terminalia billerica, and Terminalia chebula in the pharmacy.
Phyllanthus emblica cleared heat, cooled the blood, helped digestion, and promoted the production of body fluids to relieve cough. Terminalia chebula astringed the intestines to stop diarrhea, cleared the throat and restored the voice, and was a good medicine for treating phlegm - heat stagnation in the lungs. Terminalia billerica cleared heat and toxins, astringed and nourished the blood, and harmonized various medicines.
When these three were combined, pounded with their cores into bean - sized pieces, and brewed with honey and mountain spring water, the resulting Sanle Wine had a fragrant aroma.
The faint herbal smell intertwined with the delicate fragrance of honey. The amber - colored wine was smooth on the palate, with a sweet aftertaste.
Thanks to Su Buchi and the little princess from the southern seas who always remembered her love for and talent in cooking, and who had traveled a long way to find these rare spices and fruits in the Central Plains, Li Ying was able to successfully brew this wine and present it to the emperor.
She specially found clean and intact conch shells with a faint satin - like sheen to hold the "Sanle Wine."
The tail of the conch had many cavities that could store wine. When using the conch shell as a vessel, after the wine in the shell was drunk, the wine in the tail would slowly flow out, creating a strange feeling of "never - ending drinking."
Although the queen was not allowed to drink, looking at the small pool of fine wine in the conch shell, it was like "a jade bowl holding amber - colored light."
After hearing Li Ying explain in detail the health - preserving effects of the Sanle Wine, the queen thought that in the past ten days, the emperor had indeed been in a bad mood and in poor health because of the extravagance of the Jiangnan Textile Commissioner and the corruption, betrayal, and collusion with the enemy of Commissioner Cao. Li Ying's medicinal wine was just what was needed.
She ordered the palace maid to taste the wine. After confirming that it had a lingering aftertaste and was a fine brew, she happily accepted the wine.
"A Ying, you did a great job in preparing the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. I'm very satisfied. Now you've brought such wonderful wine to relieve my and my brother's worries. I'm really pleased."
"If you have any rewards you want, just tell me."
The queen spoke kindly. She not only ordered someone to prepare a seat and serve tea but also affectionately called her "A Ying." She even gently stroked Li Ying's palm with her well - maintained fair hand.
Li Ying understood.
Previously, when she was recommended by the princess to take care of the queen's health and was entrusted with organizing the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet, the queen only regarded her as a useful maid. But now, after she presented the "Sanle Wine," she was clearly regarded as a trusted confidant by the queen.
Her visit to the palace this time seemed to be to present the chocolate lava cake, but in fact, presenting the wine was the most important thing.
To be bold, although her cooking skills were unparalleled in the world, in the eyes of the royal family who were used to eating the most precious delicacies every day, it was actually nothing.
Using the "Sanle Wine" as a lead, she smoothly brought up the matter of brewing military wine and preparing military rations for Uncle Pei in front of the queen.
This seemingly casual remark was actually a subtle reminder to the queen that now, she had become an indispensable and powerful assistant to Uncle Pei.
Since ancient times, the imperial court and the harem have been closely related. Today, Queen Pei gave birth to the legitimate son of the middle palace, bringing glory and wealth to the Pei family and making Uncle Pei a highly - ranked official. Tomorrow, Uncle Pei would surely rely on his military merits in guarding the border to ensure Queen Pei's continuous favor in the harem.
For her own future status and favor, Queen Pei would surely be more polite to her, Uncle Pei's "partner."
Seeing that Queen Pei's words and actions towards her were more affectionate, Li Ying knew that her goal had been achieved.
She still looked calm and composed, smiling and saying, "It's my honor to relieve Your Majesty and His Majesty's worries. How dare I ask for any rewards!"
She paused for a moment and then said, "Your Majesty, there is indeed something on my mind. After much thought, I still think it's not right."
"Although the case of Commissioner Cao's corruption and betrayal has been settled, it still disrupted the Empress Dowager's birthday banquet. His Majesty is filial. This might not be appropriate..."
Hadn't Queen Pei also been thinking about this matter over and over again?
Now that Li Ying brought it up on her own initiative, the queen knew that she must have an idea. With a look of joy on her face, she asked eagerly, "In your opinion, what should I do to make up for this and make the Empress Dowager and His Majesty happy?"