Baozi Xishi's Struggle

Chapter 542: Finally Leaving the Palace

"Even in the summer, if you add more salt and oil when making meat sauce, it can be preserved for ten days or so, and it is very convenient to eat on the march."

"If the general feels it is necessary, I will teach the soldiers."

General Zhou was naturally happy to see Shen Yu willing to teach, so he said readily: "This is not a home-cooked pasta recipe, how can you ask for the recipe for nothing?"

"How about this, when you send me back to the palace today, please bring me some fried noodles. I will make some for the emperor to try. I think it would be great if the army had some."

Shen Yu knew that General Zhou wanted to recommend this noodle dish to the emperor and ask the emperor to allocate some money to purchase the recipe.

Seeing that her goal had been achieved, she naturally agreed with a smile.

In the evening, the two arrived at the palace gate. As usual, Shen Yuru went back to Kangning Palace with the eunuch who was waiting to pick her up at the palace gate, but General Zhou handed over a sign asking to see the emperor.

Shen Yu had no idea what General Zhou said to the emperor when he met him, but early the next morning, the emperor sent someone to tell Shen Yu to teach the soldiers how to cook the fried noodles.

Shen Yu followed the order and even divided the recipe of the fried noodles into two flavors, which she wrote down in the fool's recipe she compiled.

The imperial chefs in the palace are most concerned about what Professor Shen Yu teaches every day.

It was learned that the emperor ordered Shen Yu to teach a secret recipe of an exotic country, but no reward came down.

Chef Liu from the small kitchen of Kangning Palace and others couldn't help but feel sorry for Shen Yu.

Everyone felt that the young cook had suffered a great loss this time.

How could this exotic recipe be so easy to obtain? How could it be taught so easily?

General Zhou simply told Shen Yu that the emperor also thought the fried noodles tasted amazing, and the army should prepare some and take some with them, which would be convenient to eat on the road and could also stabilize the morale of the troops.

The emperor praised Shen Yu's cooking skills greatly. As for the reward, he had other plans, and people would know in a few days.

As for what the reward was, the emperor did not say, so General Zhou naturally did not dare to chase the emperor to ask.

He didn't expect that the emperor didn't even mention the fact that Shen Yu wanted to be rewarded with some money for offering this recipe. When he saw Shen Yu the next day, he had to explain awkwardly and never mentioned the matter again.

Shen Yu originally wanted to give it a try and sell this recipe, which was useless to ordinary people and merchants, to the army which was more suitable for it. If he could get some rewards by the way, that would be the best.

So she taught the recipe of instant noodles but didn't receive any reward. Although she was a little disappointed, she thought that there was no use for her to keep the recipe, so she comforted herself and put the matter behind her.

Seven or eight days passed in this way, and the soldiers had already mastered the dishes on the menu. Shen Yu and General Zhou reported to the emperor, and Shen Yu's teaching was successfully completed.

It was already the twelfth lunar month, and the imperial kitchen in the palace had begun preparations for the New Year, and the palace servants were visibly busy.

Because Shen Yu was only responsible for the Empress Dowager's diet and only cooked one or two dishes for each meal, he became the most idle chef in the palace.

Since Shen Yu entered the palace and cooked in the empress dowager's small kitchen, Mrs. Lu has visited the empress dowager twice.

Because they were in the palace, when Madam Lu met Shen Yu, she only told her to cook carefully, serve the Empress Dowager well, and not to miss home.

Although the Queen Mother had recovered long ago, she never mentioned letting Shen Yu leave the palace early.

After Shen Yu finished his class, he stayed in the small kitchen of Corning Palace to cook.

Every day, she would prepare some fresh food for the Empress Dowager in different ways, and the dishes were almost never repeated.

During this period, the Queen and the Imperial Concubine often came to visit the Queen Mother. Ever since they had eaten the fresh dishes made by Shen Yu here last time, the two of them always stayed at the Queen Mother's place for a free meal under the pretext of visiting.

The Queen's favorite dish is the golden pumpkin soup made by Shen Yu. It is sweet but not greasy and has a rich and fragrant taste.

Every time I came, I would inform Shen Yu in advance and ask Shen Yu to make this soup at noon.

The Imperial Concubine thought that the steamed osmanthus fish made by Shen Yu was extremely delicious, even better than the fish made by Chef Yu, who was known as the best fish cook in her palace.

She was not satisfied after eating it once, so she sent someone to deliver fish early the next morning. She also rushed over at noon to get a free meal, which made the Queen Mother shake her head at her greedy look.

Because of these two dishes, Shen Yu happily received another wave of rewards.

Although the Emperor came here every day to pay his respects to the Empress Dowager, it seemed that as the New Year was approaching, he became busier. He only had one meal here and then left in a hurry.

On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the imperial kitchen prepared eight-treasure porridge and distributed it to the concubines in the palace and all the civil and military officials in the court.

And Shen Yu, who was neither a concubine in the harem nor an official of the previous dynasty, unexpectedly received the Laba porridge specially awarded by the emperor.

Shen Yu originally thought that everyone in the palace had Laba porridge, but he didn't expect that the chefs were all envious after knowing this.

According to them, even the chief chef in the imperial kitchen had never received the Laba porridge personally selected by the emperor. Miss Shen is going to be promoted and has a bright future.

Shen Yu smiled and said, "I think the emperor probably rewarded me because he was happy to see that the empress dowager was in good health after I took care of her diet."

"I will be leaving the palace in a few days, so please don't make any random guesses."

However, the chefs still insisted on their own opinions, saying that Shen Yu was very lucky and that the emperor would definitely reward her. If she could not be rewarded because she was a woman, the emperor would definitely give her some generous gifts.

Shen Yu thought they were just joking, but he didn't expect that after a few days, they would come true.

On the twelfth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Queen Mother called Shen Yu to her in the morning and said lovingly, "I will send you out of the palace today. These days, it is all thanks to your careful preparation of meals that I have recovered so well."

"I eat the meals you cook for every meal. If I don't let you go, I won't be willing to let you go."

Shen Yu had been accompanying the empress dowager these days and had developed a bit of nostalgia for the place. However, reason told her that no matter how good the palace was, it was not her home. It would be best for her to leave the palace early and return to Anping County after getting married.

Shen Yu knelt down hurriedly to thank the empress dowager and say goodbye. Just as he stood up, he heard the eunuch come to report that Madam Lu had arrived.

Yesterday, the Empress Dowager sent someone to the Lu Mansion to inform her that Shen Yu would leave the palace and go home today, so early in the morning, Madam Lu came to pick him up.

The two men bid farewell to the Queen Mother again. Although the Queen Mother was reluctant to let them go, she still smiled and waved her hand, allowing them to leave the palace.

When they reached the palace gate, Eunuch Wu, who was ordered to escort the two out of the palace, held a small wooden box in front of Shen Yu and said with a smile: "Miss Shen, this is the wedding gift from the Empress Dowager."

"The Queen Mother said that Miss Shen has served you wholeheartedly these days, so she specially gave you this gift. Open it when you get back and let Miss Shen take it. There is no need to thank her."