Tang Dynasty: Slacking off in the Imperial Kitchen, exposed by Si Zi

Chapter 11: A cup of milk tea brings surprise to the Empress!

The last rays of sunlight lingered over the imperial city, and the wooden gate to the backyard of the imperial kitchen opened a crack once more.

Su Mu tossed a newly made bamboo tube in his hand, looking at the two sisters peeking in from the doorway with an impatient expression.

"The last time."

He shoved the bamboo tube into Li Lizhi's arms.

"If your dad manages to snatch it away again, even if you cry until the Great Wall collapses, I'll be out of stock."

This was made from the scraps he had saved from between his teeth, which he then reheated.

This time, Li Lizhi learned her lesson. She didn't dare to say much after getting the item and hid it deep in her sleeve, covering it tightly with both hands as if she wanted to embed the bamboo piece into her flesh.

Little Sizi wasn't in a hurry to leave.

She clung to the door frame with her two small hands, her big, clear eyes darting around Su Mu before finally settling on his long, slender hands.

"Brother..."

The little girl stood on tiptoe and made her request in a childish voice.

"Can I still come tomorrow morning?"

Su Mu paused, raising an eyebrow, as he was about to close the door.

"Again? Do you think this is a breakfast stall?"

"No, no!"

Little Sizi got anxious and stretched out his chubby fingers to indicate his name.

"I want those white, soft buns with lots of meat! The buns from Shangshiju are too thick, they're so dry."

That's a pretty specific requirement.

Su Mu looked at the exquisitely beautiful little dumpling, and swallowed the words of refusal that were on the tip of his tongue.

Forget it, even raising a cat requires feeding it, let alone a Tang Dynasty princess who knows nothing but eating.

"Okay, tomorrow morning."

Su Mu waved his hand, signaling them to get lost.

"But let me tell you this first: if you want to eat something good, you have to go early, or there won't even be any soup left."

"Mmm! Xizi's up so early!"

Little Sizi was very satisfied and skipped away, holding her sister's hand.

……

Inside the Lizheng Hall, the smell of medicine was so strong it was almost unbearable.

Empress Zhangsun leaned against the couch, clutching a square silk handkerchief in her hand, occasionally covering her mouth and coughing softly.

Her dignified and gentle face was pale with illness, and her brows were slightly furrowed, clearly indicating that she was feeling unwell in her chest.

On the small table next to me was a bowl of dark, bitter medicine. Just the smell of it made my stomach churn.

"Ah Niang!"

Little Sizi rushed into the hall like a gust of wind, not even bothering to bow, and pulled out the bamboo tube hidden in her sister's sleeve as if presenting a treasure.

"Drink this! It will make you feel better!"

Empress Zhangsun forced herself to look at her youngest daughter's rosy cheeks and managed a weak smile.

"Where did you find these wild berries?"

Her voice was a little hoarse, and her breathing was unsteady.

Li Lizhi was a little nervous and subconsciously tried to straighten her skirt, but was caught by Empress Zhangsun's seemingly gentle but all-seeing eyes, and her movements froze in mid-air.

"Mother, this is...this is the dew I found over there. I heard it's excellent for moisturizing the lungs."

Li Lizhi forced herself to lie, her palms sweating profusely.

Empress Zhangsun did not expose the truth, but simply accepted the still-warm bamboo tube.

The bamboo tube lid was lifted.

The strange, sweet caramel aroma mixed with the refreshing scent of dried tangerine peel instantly dispelled the stuffy medicinal smell in the hall.

Empress Zhangsun's chest, which had been tense due to coughing, inexplicably felt a little relieved by the fragrance.

She tentatively took a sip.

The warm liquid slid into my mouth.

It wasn't as bitter as I expected, nor was it overly sweet.

The sweet and cooling properties of monk fruit, the qi-regulating properties of dried tangerine peel, and the rich flavor of goat milk are perfectly blended with the caramel.

The liquid slid down my throat, and wherever it passed, the hot, itchy feeling seemed to be soothed by a gentle hand.

"Cough...cough cough..."

Empress Zhangsun coughed twice more, but this time, the thick phlegm that had been stuck deep in her throat for half a day was loosened by the warm flow.

Her eyes lit up slightly, and she took another big gulp.

This time, I truly felt comfortable.

The tightness and pain in my chest lessened considerably, and even my stomach, which hadn't eaten much all day, felt a warm sensation.

"nice one."

Empress Zhangsun breathed a long sigh of relief, and her originally pale face regained some color.

"This tastes even better than the loquat syrup prescribed by the Imperial Medical Academy."

Little Sizi clapped his hands with joy when he heard his mother praise him.

"Yeah, yeah! I knew it was good! That one's pretty... um!"

Li Lizhi reacted quickly and covered her sister's mouth.

"As long as Mother is happy, that's good...that's a blessing for Sizi."

Empress Zhangsun held the bamboo tube and slowly drank from it, but her gaze went beyond the tube and landed on Li Lizhi's valuable Shu brocade Liuxian dress.

Below the hem of the skirt, near the top of the shoes.

It was covered with a few inconspicuous wood chips and some dark gray dust.

That's not something that should be in the Imperial Garden.

Only in dilapidated, neglected places, or woodsheds piled high with scraps, would you find such aged sawdust.

"Beautiful".

Empress Zhangsun put down the bamboo tube, her voice soft and unreadable.

"From which deity did you obtain this dew?"

Li Lizhi's heart skipped a beat, and she lowered her head, not daring to look into her mother's eyes.

"It's...it's the deity from my dream who appeared to me in that dream..."

She was so embarrassed by the lie that she made herself blush.

Empress Zhangsun sighed softly and beckoned Li Lizhi over.

She stretched out her slender fingers, picked up a small, curled piece of wood shaving from her daughter's skirt, and held it up to Li Lizhi's eyes.

"These immortals certainly have a unique place to live."

"Chopping wood?"

Li Lizhi looked at the evidence and her mind went blank. It was all over!

How could she forget to clean the hem of her skirt!

The woodshed was filthy and messy. She was squatting on the ground washing dishes when she must have accidentally brushed against it.

"Mother, I..."

Li Lizhi knelt down with a thud, but bit her lip and refused to say Su Mu's name no matter what.

That was her promise, and it was for that bite to eat... no, it was for loyalty!

"Your subject knows his mistake! But... but that master really doesn't want to show himself, and your subject cannot break his promise."

Empress Zhangsun looked at her daughter's fearless expression and then at Xiao Sizi beside her, who was nervously covering her mouth and dared not speak. Suddenly, she smiled.

There was a hint of amusement in that smile.

When did this interesting person appear in the palace?

Get up.

Empress Zhangsun threw the wood shavings into the incense burner and watched them turn to ashes.

"Since the expert does not wish to show himself, I will not force him."

She patted the little ox's head gently.

"As long as you don't cause trouble or hurt yourselves, your mother will pretend she doesn't know anything."

"but……"

Empress Zhangsun changed the subject, shaking the empty bamboo tube in her hand.

"If you go again tomorrow, remember to bring one for Mother as well."

……

The night was as still as water in the backyard of the imperial kitchen.

The commotion ahead had long since subsided, leaving only the occasional ticking of the water clock.

Su Mu was not asleep.

By the moonlight, he held the chipped machete in his hand and gestured towards a thick log.

Sitting on those wooden stools in the woodshed is really uncomfortable.

How can a modern soul who knows how to enjoy life tolerate this kind of quality of life?

"Snap!"

Knife up and down.

Wood chips flew everywhere.

The god-like knife skills applied to woodworking are simply a game-changer.

The hard log was like tofu in his hands, being shaved, polished, and pieced together.

No nails were used; it relied entirely on mortise and tenon joints.

In less than half an hour.

A uniquely shaped, curved recliner appeared in the open space of the woodshed.

Su Mu lay down and tested the curvature.

Comfortable!

With the spine perfectly supported, this is the life a human being should live.

[Ding! Detected that the host has actively improved their living environment, in line with the "God of Cookery's Aesthetic of Life"]

[Task Completed: Create a comfortable rest area]

[Rewards: Divine Pastry Skill (Beginner), Soup Dumpling Ingredient Pack (Unlocked tomorrow at 5 AM)]

Su Mu rested his head on his arms, looking at the few stars that were leaking in through the broken skylight, and a smile appeared on his lips.

Soup dumplings?

This system is quite efficient.

Didn't that little girl just now clamor for "white, soft, and meaty" steamed buns?

The steamed buns of this era have either a hard dough, dry fillings, or too much mutton fat that makes them greasy.

Since I promised that little glutton, let her see what it means to be "like a lantern when lifted up, and like a chrysanthemum when put down"!

What does it mean to burst with juice in one bite, so delicious it'll make your tongue tingle?

"tomorrow……"

Su Mu closed his eyes and adjusted himself into a comfortable position on the recliner.

"I'll be busy."