Chapter 251: The queen’s summons

Ye Jiayao left before Liuli came out. If Liuli knew that she had heard You’s lecture, she would certainly not be happy.

The next day, Chunyu took a half-day off, and took uncle Jiang and mud laborers to the farm, while Ye Jiayao was invited to the chamber of commerce. Now she was the point figure of the chamber of commerce. She had the right to participate in any affairs in the chamber of commerce.

The three presidents, together with several senior members of the chamber of commerce, confirmed the three matters formally raised by Lu Xiaotian yesterday.

The food festival was scheduled on October, but the training of chefs should begin as soon as possible.

The first batch of trainees were mainly cooks from various restaurants. As the key trainees of various restaurants, they were already equipped with certain cooking skills, who learned quickly. After three months, they had achieved remarkable results, which was equivalent to a promotion class.

The courses were arranged by Ye Jiayao, whose temporary students were Lu Xiaotian , Duan Qilin, Ye Jiayao and Zhong Xiang.

The field was provided by Duan Qilin. His family still had an old residence, which had been empty all the time. Since it was an ancestral residence which cannot be sold and he was not in a hurry to use money, it was better to do a good deed with it than to make it idle. A group of people went to Duan’family’ old residence , which was located in the west of the city. The environment was good, quite clean, and the courtyard has two ways. Although it was an old residence, the Duan’family had always sent people to maintain it, to keep it clean and tidy, and now they only need to repair a few cooking stoves and add a board to make it a school.

Everyone was very satisfied with this place. Lu Xiaotian decided to rent this place at the market price and could not let Duan Qilin suffer a loss.

As for the repair of cooking stoves and the purchase of things, Duan Kirin also took the charge of it, and the Chamber of Commerce was responsible for the costs. After half a month, the school would start.

 Everyone had no objection. After finishing all these, it was almost dusk. Lu Xiaotian suggested that everyone go to the vegetarian restaurant and it’s his treat today.

Ye Jiayao said sheepishly: ” There is some affairs to handle in my family, so I shall not attend it.”

Lu Xiaotian did not force her either. After all, she was a woman and a wife. How could she be as comfortable as them men? He said: ” Another day, he would specially invited Shopkeeper Ye and Heir-son Lord.”

Ye Jiayao smiled: ” That’s a deal!”

After saying goodbye to all the people, Ye Jiayao hurried back to the house, cause she did not dare to delay the meal at home and let everyone wait for her.

As soon as she got back to the house, had the housekeeper greeted her: ” Second mistress, thank god you come back. I have been looking for you all the time.”

Ye Jiayao was surprised: ” Why?”

The housekeeper said, ” The queen summoned you, so I went Tian Shangju to look for you, the people there said that you went to the chamber of commerce and I went to the chamber of commerce, but you were not there either. I didn’t know where to find you, so I just had to come back.”

Ye Jiayao heart thumped: ” When was the queen’s summon?”

The housekeeper said with a sad face, ” It’s about an hour ago.”

Ye Jiayao was a little worried that the queen must get unhappy when the response was delayed for so long time.

Ye Jiayao was in a hurry to order the driver to wait at the door and go back to get dressed. Since she could not dress so casually when she was going to visit queen, which could also be a sin to be disheveled!

She hurried back to get dressed and asked Qiao Xi to tidy her hair style again. She asked Xiangtao to told to her mother-in-law that she would not have dinner at home and would go to the palace first to visit the queen.

Xiangtao said, ” Second mistress, you just don’t worry. Madam has already been afraid you will be late and has sent people to ask about it for many times. Later, I will go and give her the message.”

Ye Jiayao rushed to the palace and entered Chaohua palace of the queen

Concubine Shu should be there too. It was the time for dinner. The two most exalted women in Huaisong dynasty were still waiting for her, which made Ye Jiayao uneasy. So she plead guilty once met them.

” I didn’t know that you had summoned me and couldn’t arrive here in time. I ask empress and noble consort for forgiveness.”

Concubine Shu smiled: ” You are really a busy woman …”

Ye Jiayao panicked: ” I’m just messing around.”

The queen’s tone was gentle: ” Today was also a temporary occasion to announce your entrance to the palace. Those who don’t know are not to blame. Stand up and have your seat.”

Ye Jiayao said nervously, ” I am uneasy that I has kept you waiting for so long time. Empress would better let me stand and listen to your teachings.”

Concubine Shu covered her mouth for her smile and said to the queen, “Elder sister, everyone said that Ye Jinxuan was a wonderful person. She was really interesting as expected.”

The queen looked at Ye Jiayao with a gentle smile and said, “I said I won’t blame you. Sit down!”

So Ye Jiayao sat down.

” Today you are summoned here is for the wedding banquet of King Yu and princess Ruan. The imperial kitchen has drafted a menu. We both are not satisfied with it. I heard that you are adept at organizing the banquet. Formerly, the old princess of Helian Mansion’s birthday party and the wedding banquet of Liuli were both well done by you, so we asked you here to discuss about it.” The queen said slowly.

When Ye Jiayao heard about this, her suspending heart was relieved. She could not do anything else well, but it was not a piece of cake to arrange the wedding banquet, after all it was a royal banquet, and she did not dare to guarantee.

” Empress, can you let me have a look at the menu proposed by the imperial kitchen?”

The queen gave a wink and the servant girl nearby presented the menu.

Ye Jiayao carefully read it. The menu was a standard royal banquet. There was nothing wrong to pick, she didn’t know what aspect the two empresses were not satisfied with, and said: ” Let me ask the two noble empresses, do you have some specific requirements?”

The queen looked at concubine Shu with a gentle smile: ” Let sister raise some requirement!”

Concubine Shu also did not refuse it, and mused, ” These dishes are too old – fashioned. Can you make something new?Moreover, the emperor meant to be decent but not too extravagant. ”

Ye Jiayao thought for a moment and said, ” Princess Ruan is from south Vietnam. What if add a few flavors of south Vietnam to the menu, which is novel and unique.”

” good idea, what does sister Shu think?” Queen said.

Concubine Shu said, ” That’s a good idea. Is there any else idea?”

Ye Jiayao said with a smile: ” Since it’s the wedding banquet of King Yu and princess Ruan, I dare not be careless. Can you allow me to go back and ponder over it and give you reply tomorrow?”

The two empresses looked at each other and agreed. The queen said slightly, ” That’s very good. The emperor attaches great importance to this wedding banquet and you must be careful.”

Ye Jiayao received the order with courtesy.

When getting out of the palace gate, she suddenly saw Xia Chunyu waiting for her outside the palace gate.

” Chunyu, why are you here?” Ye Jiayao quickly came up to meet him.

After seeing that she was safe and sound, his heart was relieved. Perhaps it was because that concubine Mei summoning her last time left him a dark memory. As soon as Yaoyao entered the palace, he was worried. Therefore, when he came back from the villa, no sooner had he heard that Yaoyao had been summoned to the palace by the queen than he immediately rushed to here. Knowing that nothing would happen, he still had to come here to assure it.

” The queen summoned you, what was that?” Asked Xia Chunyu as he helped her to get into the carriage.

Ye Jiayao said: ” To be exact, it is the empress and concubine Shu who summoned me.”

 A little smile twitched his lips: ” So, is it for King Yu’s wedding banquet?”

Ye Jiayao smiled: ” You got it.”

Sitting in the carriage, Ye Jiayao explained concubine Shu’s request, especially the emperor’s proposal that it should be dignified but not too extravagant, and Huaisong is rich in flowing oil, and King Yu married the princess of south Vietnam, which was related to the diplomatic relations between the two countries. Was it not willing to pay for the money?

Xia Chunyu shook his head and smiled, ” You don’t know anything about this. Although the war in Simon has ended, it has cost a lot. Moreover, the drought in the north has affected a large area of the country. Even if the reduction in grain output can be disastrous, say nothing of the huge sum of money on disaster relief …”

Ye Jiayao startled, the northern drought?She hadn’t heard any news at all, but after an afterthought, she was in ancient era, traffic and communication were not that developed, even the imperial court could not have known the news at the first time, let alone other common people.

” Also, Huaisong looks rich, but in fact its foundation is very weak. It swelled in corruption. Therefore, this year the emperor will make up his mind to vigorously purge the official discipline and reform the salt tax …” Xia Chunyu added.

Ye Jiayao sighed: ” It seems that it’s not easy to be an emperor!”

Xia Chunyu smiled: ” Do you think being an emperor is just that carefree?I am by the emperor day by day. I can tell clearly that the emperor is diligent and loving. ”

Returning to marquis house, Xia Chunyu said, ” You go to see your mother first. She knew that you went into the palace, and she was a little worried. I was going to make some dishes in the kitchen.”

Ye Jiayao said, ” Just let the cook make some noodles. I’ll just have some.”

Xia Chunyu felt his stomach with a bitter face: ” I’m getting hungry. Just some noodles is not enough for me.”

Ye Jiayao was surprised: ” Didn’t you eat?”

Xia Chunyu looked at her and arched an eyebrow: ” What do you think?”

 Ye Jiayao’s heart warmed up, he must have known that she had entered the palace, and been a little worried so that he came here before eating anything.

” Okay, then let the kitchen cook a few more dishes and I’ll accompany you to drink two cups.” Ye Jiayao chuckled.

You was glad to hear that the queen had handed over the matter of King Yu’s wedding banquet to Ye Jiayao. At the beginning, she still hated that this daughter-in-law was a cook, but didn’t expect that the cook could do much more, even being summoned for royal wedding banquet.

” Then you have to do it well,”You said .

” Well, I will go back to ponder over the menu in a moment and show it to the empress and the imperial concubine tomorrow,” Ye Jiayao nodded.

” Then you shall go back early and don’t have to come here for greetings. Oh, by the way, you haven’t had dinner yet. I asked Zhou Xing’s family to keep the food for you. Mother Sun, you go and give your orders.” You said.

While Mother Sun was going to give the order,Ye Jiayao said. ” Mother Sun, you don’t have to do it. Lord prince didn’t eat either, so he has already sent people to the kitchen to arrange it.”

You said:” Has Chunyu returned?”

Eh, didn’t she know Chunyu had already returned?Ye Jiayao had to said perfunctorily, ” Well, he has come back. He went to the farm today and just came back.”

Fearing that her son might be hungry, You hurriedly drove Ye Jiayao away.

Liuli knew that the wedding banquet of King Yu was handed over to Ye Jiayao on the third day. She heard that originally the queen and concubine Shu just wanted Ye Jiayao to draw up a menu. Who knew that after seeing Ye Jiayao’s menu, they handed over the entire wedding banquet to Ye Jiayao, saying that many dishes on it were not even available to the imperial chef but only to Ye Jiayao.

After learning of it, Liuli was very angry. The Ye’s was so tricky that she deliberately made some dishes that the royal chef could not make, so as to show how powerful and capable she was. Moreover, was she so interested in King Yu’s wedding banquet just in order to please King Yu?