in2ebook Chapter 246 Little Five Has Made It Great
Chapter 246 Little Five Has Made It Great
"Your Majesty, the item has been brought and is in this servant's satchel." Li Quan respectfully took off the slightly worn but very clean satchel from his body, held it forward with both hands, and then bowed to the Emperor to report.
Seeing this, Li Desheng, who was standing to the side, dared not be negligent in the slightest. He quickly stepped forward and carefully took the heavy satchel from Li Quan's hands. Then, he turned around and walked quickly back to the emperor, raised the satchel above his head, and respectfully presented it to the emperor, who was sitting upright on the dragon throne with an expectant look on his face.
Upon seeing this, the Emperor's eyes flashed with urgency. He hurriedly reached out and took the satchel, as if afraid that he would miss some rare treasure if he was a moment too late.
Upon receiving the satchel, the Emperor, barely settling into his seat, eagerly unfastened the clasp and quickly opened it. At the same time, as if remembering something important, he turned to Li Desheng beside him and loudly ordered, "Quickly prepare a clean bowl, a spoon, and a pot of boiling water for me!"
After receiving the order, Li Desheng hurriedly withdrew to make arrangements. Not long after, three palace maids filed in, each carrying steadily the items the emperor needed—a flawless white porcelain bowl, a gold-inlaid and jade-embroidered spoon, and a pot of steaming hot water. These items were placed neatly on the table beside the emperor.
Upon seeing that everything he needed had been prepared, the Emperor immediately scooped out two large spoonfuls of fragrant oil tea noodles from the small cloth bag and poured them into the bowl without saying a word.
Immediately afterward, he instructed Li Desheng to quickly pour an appropriate amount of boiling water into the bowl. Upon receiving the instruction, Li Desheng hurriedly picked up the kettle, carefully positioned the spout over the bowl, and began slowly pouring in the hot water. The Emperor, meanwhile, personally held a spoon and continuously stirred the water rapidly. With the crisp sound of the spoon striking the bowl, an enticing aroma of oily tea noodles gradually spread like an invisible wisp of smoke, instantly filling the entire palace.
The Emperor stared intently at the oil tea powder in the bowl, his spoon spinning rapidly incessantly, carefully breaking up every clump of powder. After much effort, when the oil tea powder in the bowl was finally completely stirred into a smooth and even paste, with no lumps visible, the Emperor nodded in satisfaction, signaling Li Desheng that he could stop pouring water.
"This smells so delicious!" The Emperor murmured to himself, his eyes fixed on the bowl of freshly brewed oil tea noodles before him. He narrowed his eyes slightly, as if he could already imagine the wonderful taste.
After waiting a short while until the temperature was just right, the Emperor carefully picked up the bowl and took a small sip. In that instant, his previously calm face suddenly lit up with surprise, and his eyes shone like bright stars.
"Hmm, the taste is truly excellent! Li Desheng, I never expected my fifth son to be so successful!" The Emperor was overjoyed and turned to look at Li Desheng, who had been waiting respectfully to the side, praising him with a smile.
"This servant congratulates Your Majesty." Eunuch Li quickly bowed and greeted the Emperor with a broad smile.
The Emperor nodded in satisfaction, then took a big gulp of oil tea noodles with relish, and couldn't help but sigh: "Consort Zhuang really knows how to raise children. Look at this little fifth child, not only is he clever and quick-witted, but he can also come up with such novel ideas."
Upon hearing this, Li Quan quickly echoed, "Your Majesty is absolutely right, but His Highness the Crown Prince is also outstanding and in no way inferior."
The Emperor nodded slightly in agreement: "Yes, that's true. The Empress has certainly made great contributions in raising the children."
As they spoke, the Emperor had finished the bowl of oil tea noodles in his hand. Still somewhat unsatisfied, he put down the empty bowl, turned his gaze to Li Quan, and asked, "By the way, did your master give you any other instructions?"
Li Quan hurriedly stepped forward and replied respectfully, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Concubine said that all matters have been detailed in the letter, and there is no need for this servant to relay the message separately, in order to prevent any omissions or errors in the communication."
After listening, the Emperor nodded thoughtfully, then took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth and continued, "So that's how it is. This oil tea noodle dish was actually made by my Fifth Prince. Moreover, according to her, it was specially prepared as rations for the soldiers in the border camp."
"Your Majesty, these rations seem rather cumbersome to eat," Li Desheng asked, his face full of doubt.
The Emperor smiled slightly, waved his hand, and said, "Li Desheng, don't find it troublesome. This dry ration can be eaten directly. Its convenience is especially evident during military campaigns."
Even if war breaks out in winter, I will not need to worry about the supply of provisions in the field!
"Oh? It has such a wonderful effect?" Li Desheng asked, his eyes wide with surprise.
"Hmm. Li Desheng, think about it. All you need to do is have each soldier carry a long cloth bag of oil tea powder on their back. This way, it won't take up too much space and will satisfy their hunger. It's truly a rare and wonderful thing," the Emperor said with great interest.
Li Desheng nodded repeatedly in agreement, smiling broadly as he said, "I never expected the Fifth Prince to be such an intelligent person."
The Emperor nodded slightly in agreement: "Indeed, the Fifth Prince has made a great contribution this time. Not only did he invent such practical dry rations, but the letter also mentioned that eating this oil tea noodles with dried meat has a unique flavor, which can be described as a masterpiece."
At this point, the Emperor gently put down the two prescriptions in his hand, a hint of joy flashing in his eyes: "What's even more remarkable is that Consort Zhuang has considered everything so thoroughly, even writing down the detailed methods for making this oil tea noodles and dried meat. We just need to give the order and have people make them according to the prescriptions."
"Xiao Wu has done a great service this time. The letter also mentioned a palace maid named Zhi Xiang who was close to the Consort. She helped Xiao Wu make the oil tea noodles, and she deserves a reward."
However, since Zhixiang was a maid who accompanied the Imperial Concubine during her dowry, they hadn't yet figured out how to reward her.
At this moment, Li Quan stood there quietly with his hands clasped together, as if he hadn't heard anything.