The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Marquez was surprised to hear this: "Really? You also do business?"

"Really? The Yunxiang restaurant you went to dine at last time is ours. So are all the restaurants called Yunxiang in Beijing. We also have branches in Quanzhou and Macau," said Min Xi.

Marquez was impressed by this, and he said to Min Xi: "In this case, I hope we can cooperate in the future."

"Okay! When the time comes, you can tell us what goods you need, and we will prepare the best goods for you." Min Xi stretched out his hand to shake hands with them, "Then look forward to future cooperation!"

Yun Ji also came up to shake hands with them: "Looking forward to a pleasant cooperation!"

Two days later, the palace sent the gifts that the emperor had bestowed on the Spanish delegation to the Siyi Pavilion. They were all kinds of exquisite porcelain, brocade, lacquerware, embroidery, writing brushes, ink, paper, inkstones, calligraphy, painting, etc. There was also a complete set of the Four Books and Five Classics. It was probably intended to allow the Spaniards to be influenced by the saints' thoughts, but it was basically like talking to a cow because no one could recognize Chinese characters.

The value of the rewards was no less than the tribute paid by the Spanish delegation, and it was even more. There was no other way. The Chinese, who have always been respectable and strong-willed, would never let their guests suffer any loss when entertaining them.

Marquez and his companions accepted the emperor's reward and went on a shopping spree in the capital. By the time they left, they had almost filled up an entire grain ship.

Min Xi and Yun Ji went to Shichahai Wharf to see off the Spanish envoys and agreed with them to do business on Luzon Island in the future.

As for why Min Xi and Yun Ji did not expose the identity of the Spanish envoy, it was because in ancient times when information was not well developed, it was not uncommon for merchants to go to foreign countries as envoys to meet the king. If they had not gone to Portugal in such a mess, but had sailed their own ship, they could have said that they were envoys of the Ming Dynasty and would definitely have enjoyed VIP treatment.

This group of Spaniards was not the first nor the last to pretend to be envoys. When Ming merchants went to small countries in Southeast Asia and West Asia, they also pretended to be envoys of the imperial court to get free food and drinks.

Receiving the Spanish delegation were the busiest days for Min Xi since he entered the Honglu Temple. Once the Spanish envoys left, he had some free time again and could leave early as before and go back to his own work.

Shortly after the Spanish delegation left, it was the annual Mid-Autumn Festival. Mid-Autumn Festival is a big day, and Min Xi would make mooncakes himself whenever he was free. This year he had to make even more, at least to send a portion to his colleagues in the government office. Although he could buy mooncakes made by his masters at Yunxiang Pastry Shop and Yunxiang Restaurant, they were not as sincere as making them himself. Min Xi hadn't made pastries for a long time, so he felt a little itchy.

In order to make enough, Min Xi started preparing a few days in advance. Nowadays, in Daming, you can find materials for any filling you want, so the mooncakes he made have egg yolk lotus paste, lotus paste, red bean paste, five kernels, fresh meat, and ham flavors. Make a little of each, and pack some to give away when the time comes, so that you can have more face.

Early that morning, after Min Xi finished his report at the government office, he said, "Is there anything else? If not, I'll leave first. The mooncakes are not finished yet, so I'll go back and bake them."

All his colleagues knew that he was making mooncakes, and everyone was waiting for his mooncakes, so no one had any objections when he left as soon as he arrived.

Lu Huaifang, who was also the chief clerk, said, "I really envy Lord Min. I have been miserable these past two days."

"What's wrong with Lord Lu? The festival is almost here, how could it be so tragic?" Min Xi stopped and asked as he was about to leave.

Lu Huaifang said: "It's autumn now, and those Koreans are here to take advantage of us again."

"Have the Korean envoys arrived?" Min Xi asked curiously.

Lu Huaifang was also a talented person. He understood Korean, Later Jin language and Mongolian. He was responsible for the envoys from the foreign countries in the north. These foreign countries were closest to the capital of the Ming Dynasty, and the envoys came most frequently, so he was the busiest person every year.

Lu Huaifang raised his hand and wiped his face: "They arrived yesterday. They really know how to pick a day. They don't let us have a good Mid-Autumn Festival!"

Min Xi smiled and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Lord Lu. The Korean envoys came last year, right? Why do they come every year?"

Lu Huaifang couldn't help but complain: "Why else would they say they are begging for money? They were forbidden to come, but they came anyway. Goryeo is small and poor, very shabby, and every year they bring a little bit of local products as tribute, but when they leave, they ask for everything, even rice and noodles. It's really strange. After all, it's a country, how come they can't even grow food! If all the vassal states of our Ming Dynasty were like this, I would be in big trouble, and it wouldn't be enough to fill their holes."

"I'm busy making mooncakes these days, so I can't help Lord Lu. I'll help you after I'm done." Min Xi said.

"Go ahead and do your work. We are all waiting to eat mooncakes."

Min Xi rode his bike back to make mooncakes. Today he would make the last batch of fresh meat and ham mooncakes. After they were finished, they could be given as festival gifts tomorrow, just before the festival.

Min Xi and his family's cooks and servants worked all day, and Yun Ji came to help when he came back. Finally, all the mooncakes were baked before going to bed. Everyone packed the mooncakes. The boxes for the mooncakes were made of bamboo and had a small handle. The bamboo boxes were carbonized and very exquisite. Each box contained eight mooncakes. The egg yolk lotus paste had double yolks and was as big as two of the others. There were two each of the red bean paste and five-nut mooncakes, and one of the other types.

Seven small mooncakes surround the big mooncake, like many stars holding up the moon, which is very beautiful. In addition, the petty officials of the Honglu Temple also have mooncakes, but they don’t have exquisite mooncake boxes, and the quantity is smaller. Each person has four mooncakes, and the flavors are random, of course, not repeated. They are wrapped in kraft paper, and a square of red paper is placed in the middle of the rope to show festiveness.

Yun Ji arranged for Tao Xing to deliver mooncakes to relatives and friends early tomorrow morning.

Min Xi had a lot of mooncakes to deliver, so he specially drove a horse-drawn carriage to carry the mooncakes to the government office. When Min Xi arrived, everyone looked at him eagerly. Min Xi smiled and greeted everyone: "Come and help carry the mooncakes."

So the clerks came to help and found that in addition to the bamboo boxes, there were two large baskets of packaged mooncakes in the carriage. It seemed that they also had a share!

Min Xi said, "Please help me carry the ones in the bamboo boxes to the government office. The ones in the baskets are for all of you. Xue Lai will help me distribute them, one pack per person. I have counted the number, and there should be enough."

"Thank you, sir!" Everyone was overjoyed. They also had some. This was really great. Although the government had given everyone festival gifts, including meat, wine and mooncakes, who wouldn't want to get more? Besides, they heard that Lord Min's cooking skills were particularly good, so everyone couldn't wait to try his cooking skills.

“By the way, your mooncakes may not all taste the same. Everyone open the blind boxes. I hope they are all your favorites.” Min Xi said with a smile.

After he finished speaking, he went to his own office and delivered mooncakes to the other officials in the yamen one by one.

Some people couldn't wait to eat it tomorrow, and took a bite of it impatiently: "Wow, this mooncake is actually salty!"

Min Xi smiled and said, "Some of them are salty. The one you are eating is the fresh meat mooncake."

The adult laughed in astonishment: "How strange! I can understand that rice dumplings have meat, but I didn't expect that even mooncakes have fresh meat, and the taste is very special. It's really strange and wonderful!"

"Meat mooncakes are eaten in Yunnan. I tried making some and wanted everyone to have a taste." Min Xi said with a smile.

Yun Ji brought mooncakes to the government office and distributed them to his colleagues in the Hanlin Academy one by one. Everyone ate mooncakes in the government office without paying attention to details. Zhang Juzheng and Hanlin scholar Lu Dai came to the Hanlin Academy together. Seeing everyone eating mooncakes, Zhang Juzheng asked, "Oh, are you celebrating the festival in advance? Who sent the mooncakes?" He noticed that there was a box on everyone's table.

Yun Ji scratched his head embarrassedly: "To answer the elder, it was sent by this humble official."