My Fair Princess: The Queen's Rebirth

The next day.

All the chefs in the imperial kitchen were called to the Qianqing Palace.

This is the first time for the chefs to come to the Qianqing Palace.

They still don't know why they were notified to come to the Qianqing Palace. They even think that someone has committed something that has implicated them. So they kneel on the ground trembling with fear, as if walking on thin ice, and dare not make a sound or even breathe.

"Your Majesty...Your Majesty...Your Majesty."

The head cook stammered.

The emperor's head ached as he heard this and he interrupted, "What's the emperor? What's the emperor? I called you here today to discuss the matter of the imperial kitchen."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty." The head chef was so frightened after hearing this that he almost fainted on the ground. "Is it that the dishes we cooked are not good, or is there something wrong with it? Your Majesty, please tell me clearly."

The emperor coughed speechlessly at the sight and continued, "You haven't done anything wrong, nor have you done anything inappropriate. It's just that I've recently decided to hold a cooking competition. As for the rules, let's take a crispy duck dish as an example. You must replicate the exact taste. Of course, you can also improve on it. In short, whoever has the best taste and receives the most votes will receive a reward."

The voice just fell.

The cooks kneeling below began to discuss.

“Crispy duck?”

"Crispy duck is just roast duck."

"Well, we've made this many times in the imperial kitchen," one of the cooks said confidently, "I can make it even with my eyes closed."

The emperor listened to their discussion calmly, then he turned to Xiao Luzi and asked him to bring the prepared crispy duck.

Xiao Luzi nodded and trotted out, then waved to the eunuchs who were already holding crispy duck not far away, "Hurry up and don't dawdle. If you delay the serving of the food, you will all be dead."

After hearing this, the eunuchs carrying the crispy duck quickly quickened their pace and headed towards the Qianqing Palace.

"Hurry, hurry, bring the crispy duck in and put it on the table." Xiao Luzi kept urging, "You, you, you're the one at the back, looking around. What are you looking at? Do you think your neck is too heavy? If you really think your neck is too heavy, then come with me to the clan office."

The eunuch following at the back was so frightened that his legs went weak, but fortunately he reacted quickly. He quickly caught up with the team and walked into the Qianqing Palace to place the crispy duck neatly on the table.

After he left the Qianqing Palace, he was stopped by Xiao Luzi, the supervisor standing at the door.

Xiao Luzi looked at him sharply and asked, "What's your name? How old are you? Where do you work now?"

"My name is Little Li, and I'm twelve years old," Little Li replied respectfully. "I've only been in the palace for a year, and I haven't been assigned any proper work yet. I'm just an idle eunuch, and I'll go wherever there's work."

Xiao Luzi couldn't help laughing after hearing this, "I see."

"If you have no other instructions, then we will withdraw first." Little Leo lowered his head and did not dare to look the other person in the eye.

"Keep your head up."

"Yes." Little Leo raised his head obediently but still looked at the ground, "I'm ugly."

After hearing what he said, Xiao Luzi said, "Not bad, you're not too bad looking. From my perspective, your features are quite pretty. So from now on, you will serve me in the Imperial Court."

"Thank you, Eunuch Lu, for your appreciation."

Seeing that he could serve under Eunuch Lu in front of the emperor, Little Li immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed repeatedly to express his gratitude, "Thank you, Eunuch Lu, for promoting me. Thank you, Eunuch Lu, for promoting me. I will never forget your great kindness."

"Alright, get up," Xiao Luzi said. "Now that you're in front of the Emperor, you're no longer a lowly servant. Stop kneeling and kowtowing so often. We can't bring shame to the Emperor, okay?"

"The slave knows."

Little Leo answered.

"Okay, follow me in."

In the afternoon.

The news that the chefs in the palace were going to compete in cooking skills also spread to Xiao Mansion and Bachelor's Mansion.

When Xiaoyanzi heard the news, her reaction was more excited than anyone else.

"Ertai, are you sure about this?" Xiaoyanzi asked Ertai again and again, fearing that he had misheard. "Could it be that you heard wrong? The people in the imperial kitchen are all selected through layers of selection before being appointed."

Ertai pursed his lips and said, "Xiaoyanzi, you are doubting my ears. How could I have heard it wrong? Besides, if you don't believe me, you can ask my brother."

At this moment, Erkang also nodded and said, "Xiaoyanzi, this is absolutely true, and it is even truer than Zhenzhu. After the court session this morning, the emperor did not leave the Qianqing Palace directly, but called all the chefs from the imperial kitchen over."

"That's right." Ertai paused and then spoke again, "And this matter was told to us by Xiaoluzi, who is close to the Emperor. So, how could what Xiaoluzi said be false?"

After hearing what Ertai and Erkang said, Xiaoyanzi nodded in relief. "Has the date for the cooking competition been set?"

"How could it be so fast? The Emperor called the chefs over today to let them taste the crispy duck first." Erkang said, "I think the Emperor will inform us of the specific time for the competition tomorrow."

"In that case, we'll definitely need judges for the cooking competition." Xiaoyanzi stepped forward and took Ertai's arm. "I'm going to go to the palace to find the Emperor and ask him to let me be a judge for the competition."

As soon as Xiaoyanzi finished speaking, Ertai and Erkang quickly shook their heads and rejected Xiaoyanzi's request.

Seeing the two of them actually shaking their heads in tacit understanding, Xiaoyanzi said, "Don't reject me so quickly. You should know that I, Xiaoyanzi, have been traveling around the world and have tasted all kinds of delicious food. I've eaten everything that flies in the sky, walks on the ground, and swims in the water. It's just that these things are gifts from heaven, but...but my tongue is first-rate...If you don't believe me, you can ask Liu Qing, Liu Hong, and the others."