Five Contemplations Hall was also called the dining hall. Put plainly, it was the refectory where the temple's monks ate. Although the emperor had come to Heavenly Dragon Temple to observe a vegetarian fast, that did not mean he would eat and live alongside the monks. Two imperial chefs had been brought from the Imperial Palace specifically to prepare his meals for the month. The other guards had no such culinary blessings; they could only eat communal meals with the monks of Heavenly Dragon Temple. Hu Xiaotian received the same treatment.
His current task was to lead these twenty guards in overseeing the emperor's meals. Naturally, they were not expected to cook-that was the job of the two imperial chefs. They were responsible for supervising food safety throughout the entire process. Hu Xiaotian divided the twenty men into two groups to stand watch in shifts, ensuring nothing slipped through the cracks. In truth, theirs was only the first checkpoint. Once the food reached the old emperor, it would undergo a second inspection. Every layer was checked to ensure there was no room for error.
Heavenly Dragon Temple housed over twenty thousand monks, so naturally it had more than one dining hall. The one assigned to them stood in the west courtyard. Previously, it had been shared with the Buddhist Sutra Pavilion, but for safety's sake, the courtyard gate connecting the two areas had now been locked. This dining hall was reserved exclusively for their use. Three meditation rooms beside it were also provided as temporary quarters for the guards.
By the time they settled in, it was nearly the second watch of the night, but preparations for the emperor's breakfast had to begin immediately. The two imperial chefs had brought plenty of ingredients with them. After familiarizing themselves with the