Chicken essence

Gazing at the retreating figure of the man in blue, Emperor Yuanjing's face remained expressionless, like a cold, hard sculpture.

The inner palace had twenty-four palaces, where Emperor Yuanjing's concubines and children lived. Emperor Yuanjing's harem was not lively at all; the Chuxiu Palace had not accepted any young and beautiful women for more than ten years.

Wei Yuan arrived at the palace of the Empress, the head of the inner palace, with ease. After announcing his arrival, he entered the palace and saw the Empress sitting on a soft couch.

The empress, who was once the mother of the nation, had lost a lot of weight since she came in; her once round and dignified face had become sharp and pointed.

She is an extremely beautiful woman, nearing forty, yet still radiant. Though she has lost the vivacity and brightness of her youth, time has carefully sculpted her inner beauty, and her mature and dignified charm is unmatched by ordinary young girls.

"Why has Duke Wei come?" The Empress smiled subtly, gazing at the face of the man in blue. His features were strong, with a high nose, thin lips, and deep-set eyes that held an indescribable air of vicissitude.

The graying temples made him appear even more mature and charming.

Wei Yuan was the first to bow his head. "I heard the Empress is ill?"

The Queen smiled and said, "I'm fully recovered."

"His Majesty said that the Empress has not had a good appetite lately, and sent me to check on her."

The Empress's smile faded, and she looked at him calmly. "Did he send you? Doesn't Duke Wei know I'm ill?"

Wei Yuan hesitated for a moment, then shook his head and said, "I've been very busy with official duties lately and didn't know the Empress was ill."

The Empress turned her face to the side and said in a flat tone, "I'm tired."

"Your Majesty should drink less tea; it's not good for your spleen and stomach." Seeing the Empress's impatience, Wei Yuan bowed and said, "This humble subject takes his leave."

Wei Yuan!

The empress suddenly called out to him.

Wei Yuan had his back to him and did not turn around.

The Empress opened her mouth, as if to say something, but due to various concerns, she ultimately said nothing.

A thousand words were hidden in her beautiful eyes, but Wei Yuan couldn't see them.

Wei Yuan left the Empress's palace, a gentle breeze blew, causing his blue robe to flutter in the wind.

He truly didn't know the Empress was ill, because the spies he had planted nearby had been eliminated by Emperor Yuanjing some time ago. The Empress, however, was unaware of this.

These things could not be said in public, so the Empress could only be left to misunderstand.

Ahead, the tall and slender Princess Huaiqing was leading her maids and guards.

She wore a white palace dress embroidered with vibrant plum blossoms, and over it was a thick cloak to keep warm; she was elegant, noble, and refined.

She was very different from her mother when she was young.

"Duke Wei!" Princess Huaiqing bowed.

"Your Highness," Wei Yuan returned the greeting with a bow, casually explaining, "His Majesty heard that the Empress has a poor appetite and is unwell, so he sent me to visit her on his behalf."

Princess Huaiqing hummed in agreement. Her father, the Emperor, had long since stopped visiting the inner palace. He only thought about cultivating immortality and longevity every day. He would only pay attention when a concubine in the palace fell ill, and usually he would just send someone to visit her.

"The palace maids who serve her say that the Empress Dowager hasn't been eating much lately," Huaiqing said.

"If one goes on a hunger strike after a prolonged illness, it will leave lasting health problems." Wei Yuan frowned, but in front of Princess Huaiqing, he skillfully concealed his worry, expressing only the concern befitting a subject.

Princess Huaiqing smiled slightly, seemingly unconcerned. Her voice was crisp and clear, with a distinct quality. "I was just about to summon Xu Qi'an, and since I've encountered Duke Wei here, I'll save my guards the trouble of making an extra trip."

Wei Yuan asked in astonishment, "What do you mean by that, Your Highness?"

Princess Huaiqing said, "Xu Qi'an has a special secret recipe that can enhance the flavor of food a hundredfold, leaving a lasting and unforgettable taste. Your Majesty has a poor appetite, so this recipe is a good opportunity to try it."

Xu Qi'an paid out of his own pocket to invite Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao to a brothel to listen to music. The two colleagues finished their work of passing on life's legacy while listening to the music.

This was Xu Qi'an's way of making up for them, especially Song Tingfeng, who donated a full five taels of silver to the orphanage. As an unmarried playboy, his living expenses were secondary; if he couldn't afford to go to the Imperial Academy of Music, he would feel a deep sadness.

Leaving the brothel, Zhu Guangxiao and Song Tingfeng, having eaten their fill of eels and abalone, were extremely satisfied. They hadn't walked far when they were stopped by a mounted man with a gong, who complained, "Where have you been fishing? We haven't been able to find you for ages."

"What is it?" Xu Qi'an asked.

"Duke Wei requests your presence," the gong-bearer announced.

The person invited was naturally Xu Qi'an. Song Tingfeng and Zhu Guangxiao knew their own limitations, waved goodbye to their philanthropic colleagues, and continued their street patrol.

Upon returning to the yamen and entering the Haoqi Tower, Xu Qi'an saw Wei Yuan sitting at his desk reading a book.

The chief eunuch put down his book and said, "I heard from Huaiqing that you have a secret recipe that can enhance the flavor of dishes."

Is Huaiqing really that gossipy? He spreads such trivial matters everywhere. Xu Qi'an was taken aback for a moment, "A mere trick, not worth Duke Wei's attention."

"The Empress has been having a poor appetite and is in poor health lately. I would like to try your recipe," Wei Yuan said gently.

The Empress is Huaiqing's birth mother. Huaiqing Wei Yuan to ask me for chicken essence. Xu Qi'an nodded in realization. Seeing that no one was in the tea room, he took out a small jade mirror, gently tapped the back, and a jar the size of a head fell out, which he caught steadily.

The fruits of Chu Caiwei and Song Qing's labor are all here; he only left Chu Caiwei a small bottle of chicken essence.

Wei Yuan opened the jar, sniffed it, and immediately frowned. He smelled a slightly pungent umami odor.

"This is called chicken essence," Xu Qi'an explained.

Chicken bouillon is a blended product, with monosodium glutamate (MSG) and guanylic acid (GAN) as its core components. The combination of these two ingredients has a synergistic effect.

The term "chicken essence" is quite profound, having three meanings, one of which is the seasoning we see here.

Another type is chickens that have become spirits, called chicken spirits. And yet another type is a product unique to men.

After closing the lid and returning the jar to Xu Qi'an, Wei Yuan summoned an official. "Have the cook prepare a bowl of noodles."

Xu Qi'an understood and followed the official out.

A quarter of an hour later, Xu Qi'an returned with a bowl of egg and shredded pork noodles and placed it on Wei Yuan's table.

Wei Yuan nodded. "Take a bite and help me test for poison."

There was only one pair of chopsticks, Xu Qi'an used the other end to take a bite.

After waiting a moment to confirm that the little gong hadn't been poisoned by the noodles he had served, Wei Yuan finally picked up his chopsticks.

Xu Qi'an said quietly, "Perhaps the poison was smeared on the chopsticks."

Wei Yuan was taken aback, then roared, "Get out!"

Xu Qi'an didn't leave. He grinned. Having spent so much time with Wei Yuan's father, he knew that Wei Yuan was someone who never truly got angry; his composure was terrifyingly profound.

As expected, Wei Yuan ignored him and lowered his head to eat his noodles.

Chewing on the chewy noodles, he was somewhat surprised by their texture, experiencing for the first time the taste buds were stimulated by MSG. When he took a sip of the broth, Wei Yuan's eyes suddenly lit up.

"How was it?" Xu Qi'an asked expectantly.

"No matter how hard a chef tries, they can't make this taste." Wei Yuan nodded in satisfaction. The Empress had grown accustomed to the delicacies of the palace, and her loss of appetite was partly due to her own lack of appetite and her tiredness of the palace food.

Xu Qi'an could feel the approval in Wei's father's eyes.

Wei Yuan took a porcelain bottle from the compartment and handed it to Xu Qi'an, who took it and poured some water from the jar into the porcelain bottle.

Then it was handed back to Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan shook his head, not taking it, and looked at the jar. "The contents of the bottle are for you; that's mine."

Xu Qi'an's expression froze instantly.

dusk.

Palace maids brought out stacks of delicious dishes, filling the room with their rich aroma. But the Empress looked listless, her brow furrowed in displeasure.

"As I said, a bowl of plain porridge will suffice."

The palace maid whispered, "Duke Wei just sent over his secret recipe, instructing us to make sure Her Majesty gets something special."

Another palace maid said hopefully, "Your Highness, please try some."

They had already tried it; the taste was unique and unforgettable. Having lived in the palace for so many years, they had tasted all sorts of delicacies for their masters.

The taste today is an unprecedented sensory experience, making me realize that the delicious food I've eaten before was nothing special.

Upon hearing that it was Wei Yuan's arrangement, the Empress sighed, reluctantly scooped up a bowl of soup, and tasted it with a furrowed brow.

A strong umami flavor exploded on the taste buds, and with a gulp, the throat bobbed in the long neck, and it was swallowed subconsciously.

Then, the Queen drank the soup, mouthful after mouthful, without the slightest resistance or disgust.

"I'm suddenly feeling a bit hungry, please serve some rice." The Empress handed the bowl to the maid, gazing expectantly at the delicious food spread across the table.

The next day, just after dawn, a eunuch from the Empress's palace brought a batch of gold, silver, and jade artifacts to the Nightwatchers's office.

Wei Yuan received the eunuch at the Haoqi Tower. This eunuch, who was clearly an old acquaintance of Wei Yuan, sat casually at the table, sipping the tea that Wei Yuan had personally brewed, and said with a smile:

"Where did Duke Wei find this secret recipe? Her Majesty the Empress enjoyed it very much last night."

Wei Yuan stared at him, somewhat nervously asking, "No loss of appetite? How much have you eaten?"

The eunuch chuckled, "She's eating more than ever before, even more than when she's in good health. This morning, Her Majesty the Empress, for the first time ever, asked about the lunch menu."

Wei Yuan smiled sincerely.

Just after noon, Xu Qi'an was summoned to the palace by Princess Huaiqing. In the bright and elegant room, he met the mature princess whose breasts could be placed on the table.

She remained as aloof, noble, and beautiful as ever. If one ignored her voluptuous figure, one would think that Her Highness was a pure white lotus from a snow-capped mountain, untouched by the world.

"I had lunch with the Empress Dowager today. It seems your recipe has been improved?" Princess Huaiqing asked.

"It's all thanks to Senior Brother Song and Miss Caiwei," Xu Qi'an said.

Princess Huaiqing nodded. "I somewhat miss that taste, but Mother Empress is stingy and won't give it to me. Do you have any more?"

"That's all." Xu Qi'an immediately shook his head. "The entire jar was given to Duke Wei and sent to the Empress."

He actually did have some, and there was even a small bottle, but he couldn't give it to Huaiqing; he had to keep it for Biao Biao.

It wasn't that Princess Lin'an held a particularly high position in his heart, but rather that she was too much of a troublemaker. The emperor's harem wasn't that large, and such novelties as chicken essence would inevitably reach Lin'an sooner or later. That didn't matter, after all, it was a gift from Wei Yuan.

But Princess Huaiqing knew who the real "instigator" was. With Huaiqing's cunning, she knew that Biao Biao would act like a jealous woman who had spilled a jar of vinegar and vent her anger on Xu Qi'an.

After all, in Princess Lin'an's heart, Xu Qi'an had already abandoned his evil ways and become her henchman.

Princess Huaiqing frowned slightly, "But I heard that Wei Yuan sent half a can of chicken essence to the Empress Dowager."

"Huh?" Xu Qi'an was taken aback and looked at Huaiqing.

Huaiqing looked at him, and the two fell silent.

P. S.: I was exhausted in the middle of the night last night, and I'm completely drained today.