My Fantastic Chef Wife

356. Is It That Delicious?

Translator: ChowvanLee

Ye Xiaoxian was stunned the moment she heard this.

‘Empress Dowager is standing on my side?’

‘Empress Dowager didn’t take this chance to beat me up or take away my title as the Princess?’

Li Chengkun had known that Bao Yuda and Tao Baoqun were lying. They dared to come to file the suit first because they knew Xiao Baoshan had no one to rely on in the capital city. However, Empress Dowager was protecting Ye Xiaoxian now. Li Chengkun waved his hand and said, “Empress Dowager ordered to give each person five strokes. But I think it’s not enough. Add five strokes to each and forbid them from hunting for three years.”

Tao Baoqun and Bao Yuda didn’t expect this consequence. They cried for mercy.

But how could anyone dare to stand up and beg the Emperor for them?

…

Ye Xiaoxian returned to the palace.

She rode about on a horse today, and now the old wound pricked badly. She reckoned it must have cracked open. She had been suffering all the way and didn’t tell Xiao Baoshan.

Her stomach was on the bed and she asked the two maids who usually served her by her side to check on her wound.

The maid glanced at the wound and said, “Ah, the blood is oozing! You have to apply the ointment right away.”

Ye Xiaoxian said, “Then do it now. Apply the cool ointment I used last time.”

At the moment, Empress Dowager was here, too.

Ye Xiaoxian was on the bed and was not convenient to bow to Empress Dowager. Besides, she didn’t want to bow, so she didn’t move and only give Empress Dowager a glance.

Empress Dowager walked over to her and glanced at her wound. Then she frowned and said, “I thought you’re perfectly well. It turns out that your wound has turned to this. You know you’re injured, so why do you ride today? Now look at you!”

Ye Xiaoxian said, “I don’t want him to know that I am injured.”

“You are quite a couple.” Empress Dowager said in a flat tone.

“Uh huh, thank you for saying that.” Ye Xiaoxian thought, ‘Empress Dowager couldn’t understand me. After all, she might be acting in front of everyone. There is no love between her and State Preceptor.’

But how could Empress Dowager not understand her?

Empress Dowager had been bullied in the palace before, but she didn’t reveal it to State Preceptor even if she had the chance. She was afraid that State Preceptor would worry about her.

Now she thought about it, ‘I was too naive back then. How could State Preceptor be worried about me?’

Empress Dowager didn’t say anything else and returned to her own place.

She had wanted to send a maid to tell Xiao Baoshan that Ye Xiaoxian was injured and wanted to see how Xiao Baoshan would react. But now she thought better of it.

‘What’s the point of testing them like this?’

‘My daughter doesn’t want to let Xiao Baoshan know about her injuries. If I tell him, I would be disgusted by my own daughter.’

Ye Xiaoxian applied the ointment and put on her clothes. After a while, the Imperial Kitchen sent the food over, including her portion and Empress Dowager’s portion.

Ye Xiaoxian thought that Empress Dowager would be eating in her own room, but unexpectedly, Empress Dowager came to eat with Ye Xiaoxian.

Ye Xiaoxian could only stand by the table while eating because of pain.

Empress Dowager asked with concern, “Do you feel better after applying the ointment?”

“Yes, thanks for your care,” Ye Xiaoxian said.

She remembered that Empress Dowager had stood up for her, so she added, “By the way, thanks for your help today, Empress Dowager. No matter what your purpose is, thank you.”

When Empress Dowager heard this, she couldn’t help smiling at Ye Xiaoxian, “You think I have a purpose in helping you?”

Ye Xiaoxian thought, ‘You must want something.’ But she kept her mouth shut.

Empress Dowager sighed and stopped. She picked out the meat in her plates and put it into Ye Xiaoxian’s bowl.

Ye Xiaoxian asked with surprise, “Empress Dowager, what are you doing?”

Empress Dowager smiled again. “Didn’t you really like guessing what I’m thinking? This time, can you guess what is my purpose?’

Ye Xiaoxian did not know what to say.

Obviously, she didn’t know what Empress Dowager was thinking about, but as  for the meat, she felt happy to eat it.

While enjoying the delicious pork, Ye Xiaoxian raised her head and glanced at Empress Dowager. She found that Empress Dowager was looking at her, too.

Her eyes… looked as if Li Hongmei was looking at her.

However, it was only a fleeting glimpse. Empress Dowager quickly looked away and Ye Xiaoxian continued to eat in confusion.

…

The days on the hunting ground were like dancing on the tip of the sword, dangerous but sweet.

Empress Dowager almost freed Ye Xiaoxian and Xiao Baoshan. They could do whatever they liked in this place.

Because they had met Tao Baoqun and Bao Yuda on the mountain that day, Xiao Baoshan didn’t take Little Ye to hunt after that. They were now wandering around the lake.

According to the regulations, as long as preys one hunted on the mountain were registered, he our she can handle the preys by himself or herself. The preys could be cooked or be sent to Imperial Kitchen.

A few previous comrades of Xiao Baoshan happened to hunt two wild boars. They were going to take them back and roast them, so they invited Xiao Baoshan to join them.

Xiao Baoshan asked for Ye Xiaoxian’s opinion. If Ye Xiaoxian agreed, they would go.

Ye Xiaoxian happened to be bored after staying by Empress Dowager’s side for a long time. It was rare for her to come out and have a barbecue, so she volunteered to roast the wild boars for everyone.

Everyone knew that Ye Xiaoxian had once been the chef in the banquet of the palace. Now that she was willing to roast the wild boars for them, they warmly welcomed her.

The boars were different from sheep. The meat of boars was harder. If the cooking measure was wrong, the boar meat would be hard to chew.

Ye Xiaoxian didn’t do it with her own hands. Instead, she instructed others to prepare the seasoning and then rubbed it on the boar meat. In the end, the meat was put on the grill.

She asked them to keep the big bones, and then started to stew the bone soup on the stove.

The few of them were busying. After a while, the smell of the meat was floating in the air.

In the past few days, people could smell the offensive odour from the lake, but Ye Xiaoxian’s seasoning was special which made the meat fragrant after that.

People nearby smelled the meat fragrance and couldn’t help but come over to watch.

Ye Xiaoxian was turning the meat and rubbing the seasoning on it from time to time.

The seasoning dripped onto the firewood, which burned even more intensely. The meat smelled more and more fragrant, sizzling with oil oozing out.

Some bold men came over to have a chat and waited for the meat. As long as they got thick skins, they believe they could taste some meat. They were all from high-ranking officials’ families. They did not lack meat cuisines in their daily life, however, that was probably why their tastes were spoiled and ordinary cuisines couldn’t meet their needs.

At the moment, Empress Dowager was nearby and she smelled the meat, too.

Seeing a large crowd by the lake, she sent an old maid to ask who the cook was.

The maid came back soon and reported that it was Ye Xiaoxian who was roasting wild boars by the lake.

Empress Dowager said flatly, “Tell Princess Ning Yuan. Send some to me after the meat is done.”

The old maid was stunned for a while and then went to deliver the words quickly.

…

Ye Xiaoxian’s roast meat finished soon.

Xiao Baoshan’s comrades originally wanted to share among themselves, but with so many people watching, they were embarrassed not to share. They could only cut the meat into small pieces, so each one could have some.

One of Empress Dowager’s old maids also came over. She told Ye Xiaoxian about what Empress Dowager had said. Ye Xiaoxian didn’t mind sharing some with her. She cut off a big piece of meat and the old maid took it back.

The old maid originally thought Empress Dowager didn’t like meat, so she couldn’t have such a big piece of meat, especially such oily wild boar meat.

She thought that Empress Dowager would have a slice of the meat or two.

She didn’t expect Empress Dowager kept eating the meat.

At first, she ate it with chopsticks. Later on, she felt it was inconvenient, so started to eat the meat with her bare hands, which were covered with oil.

After she finished, she even licked her fingers.

The old maid was shocked.

‘Since when does Empress Dowager become so into meat?’

By the lake, the meat was quickly finished. Some people were unsatisfied and wanted more.

Therefore, someone suggested that they could ask for wild boars from other hunters. Ye Xiaoxian could roast the meat and they could share the meat together.

Ye Xiaoxian told them except for wild boars, she could roast chicken and rabbits, too, as long as the meat was cleaned.

As a result, people around heard that Ye Xiaoxian’s roasted meat was particularly fragrant, so they all took their preys over.

Some officials’ wives heard that Ye Xiaoxian was good at roasting meat, so they advised their husbands to bring the preys they had caught over.

For a time, the field by the lake became a barbecue site. People put on more than a dozen barbecue grills and cleaned the meat by the lake. Then Ye Xiaoxian was like a chef and found herself a few helpers to roast the meat together.

The smell of meat was getting stronger and stronger. Not only people around the lake, but also the people in the palace could smell the meat.

Li Chengkun was originally reading books in the palace, but after smelling the fragrance of meat, he couldn’t sit still, so he called a eunuch over and sent him out to see who was toasting meat and why it smelt so good.

The eunuch came back soon, saying that it was Princess Ning Yuan. Because its smell attracted many people, the lakeside was now filled with barbecue grills.

Li Chengkun couldn’t help but lick his lips and ask the eunuch to bring some back.

He still remembered very clearly the roasted lamb in the last banquet, but he didn’t have the chance to let Ye Xiaoxian roast meat for him again.

By the lake, when everyone saw Li Chengkun’s personal eunuch was actually here, they all stood aside.

Looking at Ye Xiaoxian, who was busy around different grills, the eunuch thought Ye Xiaoxian had the spirit of a master chef. It looked like she was busy with something sacred.

Xiao Baoshan, on the other hand, was worried that Ye Xiaoxian would get tired, so he was also helping her.

Someone told Ye Xiaoxian to be flexible because the personal eunuch of the Emperor was here, and told her to cut off some cooked meet for him.

Rabbit meet was ready, so Ye Xiaoxian gave it to the eunuch.

The eunuch took the rabbit, cut it into small pieces, and then brought it to Li Chengkun.

Li Chengkun couldn’t stop eating the meat.

From time to time, the eunuch reminded him, “Your Majesty, please take it easy. You should eat as little roasted food as possible to avoid suffering from excessive internal heat.”

However, Li Chengkun couldn’t stop, and only left a rabbit butt in the end.

The eunuch shook his head helplessly and thought, ‘Is it really that delicious?’