Chapter 8: Yu Xiang Shredded pork benefits the lower class

Shuangxi clung to Zhu Yunwen’s legs, crying out and pleading for him not to cook. he even said, “A nobleman should stay away from the kitchen” he had never seen an emperor cook before.

He was tossed aside by Zhu Yunwen.

Nonsense, do you really think I’ve never read a book?

In the “Mencius, King Hui of Liang” chapter, it says: “Regarding birds and animals, when a noble person sees them alive, they cannot bear to see them dead; when they hear their sounds, they cannot bear to eat their flesh. Therefore, noble persons keep their distance from the kitchen.”

In the “Book of Rites, Jade Carvings” there are similar words left behind: “Noble persons keep their distance from the kitchen, they do not tread upon any living beings with blood and breath.”

The original intention is to tell the king that one should have benevolence and should not advocate or engage in killing, and it has nothing to do with “being ashamed of the kitchen.”

Furthermore, what has never seen an emperor cook before?

Did Emperor Taizu Zhu Yuanzhang not personally cook when he was a beggar?

If he picked wild vegetables from the roadside, it would still require cooking, wouldn’t it?

Liu Yi kept kowtowing, blood dripping from his forehead, yet he still goes on saying that the Imperial Kitchen has let the emperor down, and as long as the emperor says a word, he will immediately find a rope to end his own life.

Just cooking a meal, why so many things to fuss about?

Zhu Yunwen became angry and ordered Shuangxi to stand aside, instructing everyone from the Imperial Kitchen to watch. Then he picked up a knife and gave a threatening glance to Shuangxi, who was about to approach. He grabbed a carrot and started chopping it.

Shuangxi was stunned.

The people from the Imperial Kitchen also widened their eyes in surprise.

The palace maid on the side had her mouth wide open, staring motionlessly.

The emperor knows how to chop vegetables?

How strange! How could the emperor possibly know how to chop vegetables, and he even cut them into thin shreds.

Wood ear mushrooms?

Chinese lettuce?

Meat?

Oh my God, the emperor actually wants to eat meat during the period of mourning?

This goes against etiquette.

If the civil officials were to find out, wouldn’t it cause a major uproar?

Shuangxi stared at the people from the Imperial Kitchen, indicating that whoever dared to leak any information would face consequences.

The people from the Imperial Kitchen had no interest in looking at Shuangxi’s gaze. They were sweating profusely, fearing that if the emperor were to cut his hand, they might lose their heads.

“Light the fire.”

Zhu Yunwen finished cutting the ingredients and put some vinegar in a bowl. He looked at the hard, yellow sugar cubes and sighed.

During the early Ming Dynasty, refined white sugar was not yet available.

White refined sugar appeared during the Jiajing emperor’s reign of the Ming Dynasty. Later, when Song Yingxing wrote ‘The Exploitation of heavenly treasures’ he specifically described the production method of refined rock sugar in a section called ‘Gan Shi’ (Sweet Cravings).

Zhu Yunwen was uncertain whether the Jiajing emperor’s reign would occur in the future, after all it was Zhu Di’s lineage.

There was also a gap of two hundred years between him and Shen Kuo^[1]Shen Kuo (Chinese: 沈括; 1031–1095) or Shen Gua, courtesy name Cunzhong (存中) and pseudonym Mengqi (now usually given … Continue reading, It’s unreliable to expect them, to enjoy the privilege of having white sugar.

Ma Enhui hurriedly arrived at the Imperial kitchen from the Chang’an Palace. Upon entering, she happened to see Zhu Yunwen cooking and was so shocked that she almost fainted. She looked at the eunuchs, palace maids, and Shangshanjian staff standing idly by, Ma Enhui was on the verge of losing her temper.

“Don’t be angry, it was I who ordered them to stand aside,” Zhu Yunwen said.

Zhu Yunwen scooped two portions of Yuxiang Shredded pork , picked out a portion of the shredded pork, and called over the palace maid from before. He instructed her, “Take this and bring it to consort Ning.”

The palace maid expressed her thanks and carefully placed it in a food container before quickly leaving.

“My beloved consort, come and taste it.”

Zhu Yunwen motioned to Ma Enhui.

Ma Enhui looked at Zhu Yunwen with confusion, uncertain, and asked, “How could Your Majesty know how to do such… thing?”

Mid-sentence, she stopped herself from uttering the word “lowly.”

Zhu Yunwen picked up the chopsticks and handed them to Ma Enhui, saying, “A bowl of porridge, a meal, one should cherish the origin of its scarcity; a thread, a piece of cloth, one should always remember the toil behind its production. These days, I have been contemplating that food is of utmost importance to the people. If even our royal family doesn’t understand how to be frugal, how can we effectively guide the masses?”

Ma Enhui looked at Zhu Yunwen, gracefully bowed, and exclaimed, “A bowl of porridge, a meal, one should cherish the origin of its scarcity; a thread, a piece of cloth, one should always remember the toil behind its production. Your Majesty’s wisdom is a blessing to the people.”

“Your Majesty is wise.”

Shuangxi and the members of the Imperial kitchen quickly knelt down and echoed in unison.

Zhu Yunwen waved his hand and said, “Rise, everyone. Let’s refrain from extravagance and waste in the future. Unless necessary, let the breakfast and dinner be reduced from twelve courses to six, and the lunch from twenty-four courses to twelve.”

“Since Your Majesty has set an example, the meals in the harem should also be reduced accordingly.”

Ma Enhui quickly suggested.

Zhu Yunwen nodded slightly and said, “The Consorts and concubines should not waste, but the meals of the lower-ranking palace maids and eunuchs should be enhanced, They should not have fewer than two dishes. Let the Imperial kitchen learn this dish and distribute it to them as well.”

Ma Enhui expressed gratitude on behalf of the palace maids and eunuchs, and under Zhu Yunwen’s encouragement, she took a bite of the Yuxiang Shredded pork, Her eyes lit up, and her hands moved faster. She ate a few more bites and then looked at Zhu Yunwen with a slightly embarrassed expression. She exclaimed, “Your Majesty, for the dinner, I would like to have this dish.”

“Haha, would the beloved consort like to try learning it?”

“Can I learn it too?”

“Why not? Liu Yi, prepare the ingredients…”

Zhu Yunwen smiled and called out.

Outside the Imperial City, near the Desheng Gate(Gate of Virtuous Triumph), the Laundry Bureau.

The palace maid, Luo Yan’er, tiredly leaned against a pillar, looking up at the night sky, and sighing deeply. Her stomach grumbled and growled loudly.

It was so late, yet they weren’t allowed to eat. She heard that the female official in charge was summoned to the palace. She wondered if it was because there was an issue with the laundry she had washed or if there was some favor bestowed upon the palace.

But regardless, it had nothing to do with her.

The lowly palace maid could only live a lowly existence.

Luo Yan’er remembered her father, who was executed due to Lan Yu^[2]Lan Yu (died 1393) was a Chinese military general and politician in the early Ming dynasty. His ancestral home was in present-day Dingyuan County, Anhui. In 1393, Lan Yu was … Continue reading Case, and her mother, who couldn’t bear the pain and took her own life. Their once-warm family was shattered in an instant.

Her uncle had sold her to the palace, unfortunately she had no money to bribe anyone. She had offended a eunuch in charge and was ultimately assigned to the Laundry Bureau, living a life worse than death, all for a meager meal.

That was all there was to it.

But now even meals are not to be served on time.

*Gurgle*.

Her stomach growled once again. Outside, she could hear the clamor of excitement, indicating that the palace had arranged some rewards.

“Sister Yan’er, Sister Yan’er, come quickly!”

A palace maid in her late teens emerged from a distance, calling out loudly.

Luo Yan’er felt a pang in her stomach and couldn’t get up, so she waved her hand in the direction of the maid.

The maid turned around and walked out. Not long after, she came running back with two food containers in her hands, a smile beaming on her face. She placed the food containers next to Luo Yan’er and said, “Well, this is our dinner.”

“Dinner? Qiao Hui, are you sure you didn’t make a mistake?”

Luo Yan’er looked at the food containers.

Since joining the laundry bureau, she had never used these food containers before. During meal times, there was always someone arranging the food, and they would go to a separate compartment near the large stove to eat. If they were late, there might be nothing left to eat, leaving them with empty stomachs.

Eating from food containers?

This is unheard of.

Qiao Hui smiled brightly, holding her own food container, and said, “Sister, take a look.”

Perplexed, Luo Yan’er opened the food container and saw a serving of cabbage, which was a common dish they had during regular meals. After removing the cabbage, she looked inside and found another dish.

Red, green, black… Ah?

And there’s meat too?

How is this possible?

Luo Yan’er looked at Qiao Hui in astonishment.

Qiao Hui leaned in beside Luo Yan’er and opened her food container. Inside, the dishes were exactly the same as Luo Yan’er’s. She said, “I just heard about it. This dish is called Yuxiang Shredded pork, a delicious delicacy introduced today by the Imperial kitchen.”

Luo Yan’er swallowed and asked in disbelief, “How could the dishes from the Imperial Kitchen reach our laundry bureau?”

Seeing that there was no one around, Qiao Hui whispered, “I heard that this dish was invented by the Emperor himself, who ordered that all palace maids and eunuchs must have at least two dishes per meal.”

Surprised, Luo Yan’er picked up her chopsticks, took a gentle bite, and her eyes became moist. She whispered, “The grace of his Majesty…”

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