The imperial chefs initially only wanted to show some respect to Hong Ye; they didnāt really think a village girl could cook anything special. However, when the aroma filled the air, everyone immediately put away their disdainful expressions.
Since there were many people, Yang Ruxin didnāt dare to make too little, so she prepared eight dishes and one soup: boiled fish slices, boiled pork slices, Kung Pao chicken, twice-cooked pork, stewed radish and shrimp, eggplant boxes, vinegar cabbage, and old vinegar peanuts, finally adding a sweet corn soup.
They were all the most ordinary home-cooked dishes.
Of course, during the preparation, all the ingredients that could be sourced from her space were substituted in.
"Madam, why does your cooking smell so good?" Hu Jia, the head chef of the Imperial Kitchen, which was equivalent to a head chef position and a fourth-rank official, couldnāt help but drool when he smelled the fragrance of a womanās cooking, despite his culinary skills being handed down from his ancestors and always favored by the emperor and empress.
"Perhaps my cooking method is different from yours," Yang Ruxin smiled and pointed to a few bowls nearby, "Iāve set these aside specially. If Head Chef Hu doesnāt mind, you can have a taste."
Hu Jiaās eyes lit up.
The following Du Juan quickly pulled out two jars of sauce and handed them over.
"These are made in my workshop. One is spicy, the other is savory. Please, Head Hu, have a taste." Yang Ruxin smiled, then asked Hong Ye to help find someone to carry away the eight dishes and one soup.
Even though the shrimp sauce and spicy sauce were sold in Beijing by the Eighth Prince, the palace really didnāt use them because everything in the palace was provided by specialized suppliers, and not just anyone could bring things in.
Previously, the Emperor wanted her to supply vegetables. She hadnāt agreed, but that didnāt mean she wouldnāt in the future.
Being an Imperial Merchant yields the highest profits.
However, this needed to be done gradually, as currently all supplies were provided by the Gong Family, which was Xiao Jinās auntās family.
So she would start with the shrimp and spicy sauces, which the Gong Family didnāt have, thus avoiding any immediate conflict.
Because it was hot, there was no need to worry about it getting cold. As the small eunuch carried the dishes from the Imperial Kitchen to Kangshou Palace, the aroma wafted along the way, causing passersby to turn their heads frequently.
"Madam, this smells truly fantastic." Aunt Hong Ye couldnāt help but take several deep breaths, "Even though itās a bit pungent, it just feels satisfying..."
"Itās even more enjoyable to eat this in winter." Yang Ruxin smiled; anything produced from her space was absolutely top quality, irresistible to anyone, "With a cold wind blowing outside, using this for hot pot indoors, working up a sweat, that feeling..."
"Will I have the fortune to enjoy this this winter?" Hong Ye didnāt consider herself a glutton, but for some reason, when she heard Yang Ruxin speak, she suddenly felt her mouth begin to water.
"If the shop opens, there will be, or if Iām still in Beijing, you could come to my house to eat." Yang Ruxin smiled.
Hong Ye could only sigh; she was a palace maid and, although she held a certain status in the palace, she couldnāt leave the palace freely, and even if she did, she couldnāt stay out long.
Yang Ruxin naturally thought of these things too and didnāt mention it again, as she was also helpless in this regard.
"What is that smell?" At this moment, the Emperor and several of his sons were returning from court and caught a whiff of the aroma.