Chapter 123 Offering Food
Helian Jing played chess with the emperor in the Purple Palace, and told him the interesting things that happened on his way from Jinan to Jinling, especially the time he dug a hole on the slope and made a beggar bird.

The emperor laughed happily from time to time and thought to himself: This Li Yao is really a wonderful person.

"Check, Xiaojing, you lose again." The emperor jumped on his horse to check, and Xiaojing had nowhere to escape.

Helian Jing curled his lips and said, "Your Majesty, this game doesn't count. I was distracted."

The emperor laughed out loud. Although Xiaojing was a bad chess player, he was frank and cute, and it was fun to play chess with him. If it were any other minister, they would definitely say that the emperor was a superb chess player and that they would admit defeat. But Xiaojing would say... it doesn't count.

"I'll give you a break, come again." The emperor said generously.

"One more shot." Helian Jing became more and more demanding.

The emperor glared at him, "You little brat, you really dare to make a request."

Helian Jing said confidently: "The emperor and I are not at the same level in chess skills. It is only fair to give up one more cannon."

The eunuchs and palace maids beside them couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh.

The emperor sneered: "You are the only one in the world who admits defeat so confidently."

Helian Jing chuckled and said, "Your Majesty, this is called self-awareness."

The emperor was amused by him and said with a smile: "Then I will let you have another shot. If you lose again, I will punish you severely."

Helian Jing said cautiously: "Your Majesty, can you tell me what the punishment is? Otherwise, I will be so frightened that I can't move freely!"

The emperor deliberately scowled and said, "Don't make excuses for your poor chess skills. Play chess."

The two began to fight against each other again. This time Helian Jing focused and put in all his effort. He didn't want to lose so badly every time.

This round lasted for a long time, and both sides suffered heavy casualties, but Helian Jing still lost. The emperor was very pleased: "What else do you have to say this time?"

Helian Jing said unhappily: "I accept defeat wholeheartedly."

"Huh, do you look like you are convinced?"

Helian Jing was about to clarify when he heard the eunuch's announcement.

"The Queen has arrived..."

The queen walked into the Purple Palace with great grace and bowed to the emperor. Helian Jing also stood up and greeted the queen.

The emperor asked, "Why is the queen here?"

The queen smiled gently and said, "I heard that the emperor summoned Li Yao from Tianshangju to prepare the imperial meal, and I also wanted to join in the fun."

The emperor then remembered that it was time for lunch, and ordered the palace servants to go and see why the meal had not been served yet.

Helian Jing said: "Li Yao is very particular about cooking. This is his first time making a meal for the Emperor, so he has to be even more particular. It is understandable that it is a little slow."

The emperor thought about it and agreed. This was a spur of the moment decision. Most people would have been frightened and stunned.

"Xiao Jing is right. If the emperor is hungry, let the imperial kitchen serve some snacks first," suggested the queen.

"No, let's wait a little longer. Queen, why don't you summon the Crown Prince as well? I haven't had a drink with him for quite some time."

The queen was delighted: "I will send someone to pass it on."

Soon, the prince arrived, and Eunuch Gao brought people from the imperial kitchen to serve the dishes.

Eighteen dishes were laid out, and Eunuch Gao sang out the name of each dish as it was served.

The emperor looked at them one by one and couldn't help but praise them secretly. The imperial cuisine in the palace was known for its exquisiteness, but the dishes made by Li Yao looked even more exquisite and beautiful than those made by the imperial chefs in the palace.

The Queen asked, "These two flying dragons are so lifelike, and these flowers, what are they made of?"

Just as Eunuch Gao was about to reply, Helian Jing spoke up first, "Your Majesty, these are all carved from radishes. This is Li Yao's specialty. This is the first time I've seen him carve. I was stunned."

The prince had been to Tianshangju and ordered this dish before, saying, "This dish of carp leaping over the dragon gate was created by Li Yao himself, and it is more delicious than the original recipe."

Helian Jing recommended with a smile: "Your Majesty, this iron plate mushroom dish was also created by Li Yao. Try it, the taste is so unique."

Eunuch Gao used silver chopsticks to serve food to the emperor.

There were also palace maids who served food to the queen.

The emperor took a bite and found the crispy aroma of the fried meat patties and the tenderness of the mushrooms blended together to create a very special taste.

"Not bad, not bad." The emperor nodded in praise.

After tasting a few dishes, the Emperor did not want Lord Gao to serve the dishes anymore, as he said it was too slow to wait for him to serve the dishes and such delicious food was too much to wait for.

"Why is there no soup? Eunuch Gao, didn't you tell Li Yao that the emperor likes to drink soup?" asked the Queen.

Eunuch Gao replied, "Li Yao said the soup will be ready in a while." As soon as he mentioned soup, it arrived.

A eunuch brought a jar of Shaoxing wine into the palace.

Everyone was wondering, is this wine or soup?
"This is it. I saw Li Yao making it. The process was so complicated that it made me dizzy." Eunuch Gao said with a smile.

Helian Jingxin said: Yaoyao, oh Yaoyao, it is too ungentle to use a wine jar to hold the soup. There are so many containers in the palace, why don’t you pick a good one?
Not only Helian Jing, everyone else was a little disappointed when they saw this jar, because the previous dishes were so amazing.

The eunuch lifted the upside-down bowl and removed the lotus leaf that covered the jar. Suddenly, a rich meaty aroma wafted out along with the rising hot steam.

"It smells so good..." The queen couldn't help but take a deep breath, feeling intoxicated by the fragrance.

"Quick, serve me a bowl to taste." The emperor urged impatiently. He had never smelt such a fragrant soup before, and he couldn't tell what the fragrance was made of.

After tasting the food, the eunuch immediately served a bowl to the emperor.

Everyone looked at the emperor expectantly, their mouths salivating at the aroma.

"It has a rich aroma and is extremely delicious," the emperor praised.

The eunuch who served the food scooped three more bowls of soup for the queen, the prince and Helian Jing.

Helian Jing took a bite and was filled with aftertaste. He muttered, "It's so delicious, so delicious that I almost bit off my tongue. Li Yao is really not nice enough to have hidden this. I'm so familiar with him, but I've never tasted this soup before."

The prince smiled and said, "This should be Li Yao's most valuable skill! Today, I am grateful to my father for helping me."

"What is the name of this soup?" the emperor asked the eunuch who served the dish.

The eunuch said, "Your Majesty, Chef Li said that this soup has not yet been named. If Your Majesty thinks it is good, please give it a name."

The Queen said, "Why doesn't the Emperor summon Li Yao to the palace?"

The emperor has this intention.

Ye Jiayao had been listening to the announcement outside the palace. Eunuch Gao came out and said, "Chef Li, the emperor has summoned you."

Ye Jiayao asked in a low voice: "Is the emperor satisfied with today's lunch?"

Eunuch Gao smiled and said, "I'm very satisfied, Chef Li, you've got luck."

Ye Jiayao breathed a sigh of relief. She had tried her best. It could be said that today was the most attentive cooking she had ever done. But she did not dare to be overconfident. There are always people better than you, not to mention that this place gathered the best chefs in the world, and everyone had a unique skill. Even if she won, it would be because of the newness and novelty.

Entering the palace, Ye Jiayao looked at her nose, and her nose looked at her heart. She didn't dare to look around. Although she wanted to see the emperor's face very much, this was the emperor's face! The emperor's face could not be offended, and the emperor's face was unpredictable.

"I, Li Yao, pay my respects to the Emperor and the Empress. I wish the Emperor eternal blessings and a long life. I wish the Empress eternal beauty and good health. She may live a thousand years." Ye Jiayao kowtowed respectfully.

Helian Jing couldn't hold back his laughter, Yaoyao was about to start flattering him again.

It was the first time that the emperor and empress heard such congratulations. They found it very fresh and useful.

"Li Yao, is this soup homemade?" the emperor asked in a friendly manner.

Ye Jiayao didn't dare to say that she created it herself, as it involved copyright issues. Although she believed that no one would sue her, she was a self-disciplined person. She said, "This soup was made by the locals when I traveled to the coast of the South China Sea. I processed and improved it to make it into this shape."

Upon hearing this, the emperor's favor for Ye Jiayao increased a little. He could completely say that this was his own creation and no one would disbelieve it. He became famous all over the world with just one dish, but he said that he learned it, which showed that he was an honest man.

"The same dish tastes different when prepared by different people. Why? It's just because of your dedication. Li Yao, today, I have seen your dedication." said the emperor.

Ye Jiayao said modestly, "My master has always taught me that every ingredient has its own unique flavor. As long as you understand the characteristics of the ingredients and cook them carefully, you can create endless delicious flavors. Then those who taste them can also feel your dedication, just like the music played by a pianist, which allows those who hear it to feel his mood at the moment. I am very grateful that the emperor has tasted my dedication, which shows that the emperor's perception and understanding of food are profound, which is unmatched by ordinary people."

The emperor laughed out loud and was very pleased. This boy is really good at talking!

The prince and Helian Jing smiled at each other. They had both experienced Ye Jiayao's eloquence.

The emperor said: "Li Yao, although this dish was not created by you, you made it extremely delicious. I will name this dish for you."

Everyone held their breath, curious about what the emperor would name this dish.

The emperor stroked his beard and thought for a moment before saying, "When the dish is opened, the aroma of meat fills the room, and even Buddha would jump over the wall. Your dish is so fragrant and intoxicating, and has an endless aftertaste that even Buddha would be tempted. How about I name it 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall'?"

Ye Jiayao was stunned. History always repeats itself in a surprising way. It seemed destined by heaven that no matter which time, dynasty or era, this dish would be called "Buddha Jumps Over the Wall."

"Thank you very much for the name, Your Majesty. After all, Your Majesty is very knowledgeable and erudite. The name 'Buddha Jumps Over the Wall' is very appropriate and vividly reflects the rich aroma of the dish. I had also thought of names like 'Fu Shou Quan' and 'Man Tang Xiang' before, but compared to this, my idea was too vulgar." Ye Jiayao was overjoyed.

The prince said gently, "The emperor personally gave the dish its name. Li Yao, you are the first person in the dynasty to enjoy this honor."

Ye Jiayao kowtowed again and said, "This is an honor for me and for this dish. I am lucky to be liked by the emperor. I am willing to present this dish to the emperor and make it an imperial dish that will be remembered forever."

The emperor could no longer hide his love for Li Yao. Now he finally understood why Helian Xuan, Xia Chunyu and Xiao Jing were so fond of a little chef. This man had superb cooking skills, was eloquent and considerate, and was so handsome and lovely. It was hard not to like him.

The emperor joked, "This is your specialty, are you willing to offer it to me?"

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(End of this chapter)