The Female Psychology PHD Got Time Travelled To The Royal Harem

Chapter 20

At noon, the Xuanwu Emperor ate very little, causing the Imperial Kitchen to spend half a day investigating whether there were issues with their cuisine and flavors.

It wasn't until the two imperial chefs who went to the Hexi Palace to "learn the craft" returned, that they learned Concubine Zhenji was going to make barbecued meat again that night.

Many veteran chefs who had worked in the palace for decades didn't think much of it, believing the Emperor only indulged Concubine Zhenji's whims. If it were another consort, they doubted he'd be able to swallow such food!

To the few young chefs eagerly discussing how novel and interesting these barbecuing methods were, the older chefs felt the youth didn't take things seriously and simply wanted to take shortcuts.

But cooking has no shortcuts—either the food is delicious or it's not. The noble lords and ladies in the palace all had discerning palates and could taste everything.

To make a name for oneself in the palace, one needed real skill.

Jiang Xinyue also believed this.

To win over the Xuanwu Emperor's heart and conquer his stomach, she needed real culinary skills.

Fortunately, she hailed from a future era renowned for its cuisine. Casually whipping up some barbecue or hotpot would suffice to impress the food-deprived ancients.

Having not eaten his fill at noon, by 3 pm the Xuanwu Emperor couldn't hold out any longer, his stomach growling audibly.

"Wang Dequan, has anyone from the Hexi Palace sent word on when we'll dine?"

Wang Dequan was also hungry and hadn't eaten enough, grimacing as he replied, "Your Majesty, they said it won't be until 7 pm. Perhaps you'd like the evening meal served first, and treat the barbecue as a late-night snack?"

"No!"

The Xuanwu Emperor sternly refused, forcing himself to ignore the emptiness in his belly as he diligently reviewed the memorials.

He had already waited so long, how could he give up now by dining early?

"Wang Dequan, do you smell the aroma of barbecued meat?"

After a moment, the Xuanwu Emperor sniffed the air. "Is Zhenji grilling the meat already?"

Wang Dequan's eyes lit up as he hurriedly said, "This servant will send someone to inquire."

"No need!"

The Xuanwu Emperor felt that asking so persistently made him seem overeager and unrestrained.

He closed the memorials and changed into a deep purple robe. "Since I've finished my official duties, I shall go see for myself how this barbecue is prepared."

Jiang Xinyue had scheduled the barbecue for between 7 pm and 9 pm.

On summer evenings, darkness fell slowly. At 7 pm, the sky was not yet completely dark, so for a bonfire gathering, it would be better to wait until night had fully set in.

The Office of Music and Dance in the palace received orders from Concubine Zhenji to perform instrumental music for the Emperor, Empress Zhu, Consorts Liang and De, and the young princes and princesses that night, requiring rehearsal.

During palace banquets, they usually sent beautiful dancing girls and singing maidens, with the instrumentalists merely accompanying them.

It was rare for Concubine Zhenji of the Hexi Palace to favor instrumental music, so the musicians seized this opportunity to showcase their talents, meticulously rehearsing a piece that combined twelve different instruments.