Tang Dynasty: Slacking off in the Imperial Kitchen, exposed by Si Zi

Chapter 7: Happy Milk Tea in the Tang Dynasty, so delicious you can't stop drinking it!

Soon, the last rough porcelain bowl was slammed heavily onto the wooden table, making a dull thud.

Li Lizhi straightened up and felt that the arm she used to play the zither and flute was no longer her own.

Ten slender, jade-like fingers were soaked in well water until they turned white, and the tips still retained the slippery feel of lard.

She, a dignified princess of the Tang Dynasty, was reduced to washing dishes for a servant just for a few pieces of meat.

Shame, indignation, grievance, and the strange satisfaction of having her stomach full churned within her.

"I'm done washing."

Li Lizhi gritted her teeth and pushed the gleaming wooden basin forward, her voice so cold it was icy.

Su Mu was sitting on the woodpile with his legs crossed, playing with a few small, round, dark balls in his hand. Hearing the noise, he lazily got up and strolled over.

He stretched out a finger and scratched the rim of the bowl.

"improvise."

Su Mu gave his assessment and casually scooped a ceramic jar from the water vat beside him. Fine water droplets clung to the jar's surface, the result of his efforts to calm the water at the bottom of the well for most of the hour.

Open the lid.

A rich aroma of tea mixed with milk bursts forth!

Unlike the strange-tasting milk soup with scallions, ginger, and salt in the Tang Dynasty, this flavor is sweet and fragrant. Just one whiff is enough to soothe the dryness in your throat by half.

Li Lizhi originally wanted to walk away, but it felt like her feet were rooted to the spot.

Su Mu took two bamboo cups, scooped two spoonfuls of the dark little balls into them, and then lifted the earthenware pot. With a "whoosh," the brownish liquid poured into the cups, creating dense foam.

"Here, your wages."

Su Mu handed him a cup.

The outer wall of the bamboo tube exudes a refreshing coolness.

Li Lizhi hesitated for a moment, but still reached out and took it.

It feels cool to the touch.

She tentatively took a sip.

It didn't have the fishy or muttony smell I expected.

The first taste is a slightly bitter tea flavor, followed by a rich milky aroma that explodes on the tongue.

The most amazing thing is the sweetness of the caramel, which is not cloying but has a rich and mellow aftertaste after being cooked at high temperatures.

The cool liquid slid down my throat, instantly extinguishing the sweat I'd worked up from washing the dishes.

"Hmm?"

Li Lizhi's eyes widened suddenly.

Something slipped into my mouth.

Round and soft.

She chewed it subconsciously.

bouncy and springy!

The moment her teeth sliced ​​open the little dumpling, a faint sweet potato aroma wafted out. Soft and chewy, it bounced back and forth between her teeth, a texture she had never experienced before that gave her a jolt.

"Delicious!"

These two words were blurted out without any thought.

Li Lizhi disregarded all decorum and took another big gulp from the bamboo cup.

The chilled caramel milk tea, with a few pearls, churned and danced in my mouth.

So cool!

This is a hundred times tastier than the ice-crust mountain that my father bestowed upon me!

The little girl next to her was already impatient, holding a bamboo cup that was bigger than her face, and drinking it down until her cheeks were bulging and her mouth was covered with milk stains, looking just like a little kitten stealing food.

"It's delicious...it's so delicious!"

The little ox let out a burp, squinted its eyes contentedly, and dangled its two little feet in the air. "Sweet, and with bouncy little balls! Brother, what's this?"

"Pearl milk tea."

Su Mu casually made up a story, "Those black ones are pearls."

"Zhenzhu?"

Little Sizi tilted her head, swallowed the meatball she was happily chewing, and said, "Isn't that something you wear around your neck? I didn't realize Zhenzhu was so good to me! I've been wasting my time on that!"

Su Mu couldn't help but laugh out loud, reaching out to ruffle the little girl's hair: "Don't chew on your mother's jewelry anymore, it breaks your teeth."

When her mother was mentioned, Xiao Sizi's excited face suddenly fell.

She put down the bamboo cup, twisted her two small hands together, and looked at Su Mu timidly with longing in her big eyes.

"Brother..."

"What now?" Su Mu was tidying up the pottery jars.

"I...I want to bring a little bit for A-Nian." Little Si sniffed, her voice soft and sweet, with a slight lisp from her still-growing baby teeth. "A-Nian has a cough, drinks bitter medicine, and is unhappy. Drinking this sweet liquid will definitely make A-Nian smile."

Li Lizhi paused, and the cup of milk tea in her hand, which she hadn't finished drinking, suddenly felt heavy.

The Empress Dowager is ill and weak, and these past few days she has been coughing so badly that she can't sleep at night.

She looked at Su Mu, her eyes less arrogant and more pleading: "Um... could you...?"

"cannot."

Su Mu refused outright.

The two sisters' faces instantly fell.

Su Mu turned around, reached into the shade behind the stove and pulled out another bamboo tube, then took out a smaller earthenware jar.

This jar hasn't been used to cool well water; it's still warm.

"With her health, is she trying to kill herself by drinking something so cold?"

As Su Mu muttered to himself, he poured warm liquid into the bamboo tube. "This one is less sugary. I've also changed the tea leaves to a base made with dried tangerine peel and monk fruit, which is good for moisturizing the lungs and relieving coughs. Forget about the pearls, they're hard to digest."

He found a clean lotus leaf, sealed the mouth of the bamboo tube, tied it tightly with straw rope, and casually tossed it to Li Lizhi.

"Hold on tight, we won't clean it up if you spill it."

Li Lizhi caught it in a flurry of activity.

The bamboo tube was warm, and the warmth seemed to seep from her palm into her heart. She stared blankly at the man in front of her, dressed in coarse linen clothes and with soot on his face.

This person... has a sharp tongue, but isn't a bad person at heart.

"Th-thank you."

Li Lizhi's voice was as faint as a mosquito's buzz.

Little Sizi's eyes lit up instantly. She pounced on Su Mu and hugged his leg, rubbing her milk-stained face all over his trousers. "Thank you, handsome buddy! You're the best! From now on, save all the good stuff for you!"

Su Mu pulled his leg out with disgust: "Alright, hurry up and go. Those old fogies from the Imperial Kitchen will be coming to inspect again soon. Don't let them implicate me if they catch you."

……

As the sun began to set, it cast long shadows on the red walls and glazed tiles of the palace.

On the palace path leading to the Lizheng Hall, two figures, one tall and one short, were sneaking along the wall.

Li Lizhi held the bamboo tube tightly in her arms, afraid of bumping or damaging it.

Little Sizi followed behind, glancing back every now and then. His guilty look was obvious to anyone who wasn't blind.

"stop."

A majestic, deep voice suddenly boomed from the front.

Li Lizhi froze, almost throwing the bamboo tube in her hand away.

She stiffly raised her head.

Li Shimin, dressed in casual clothes, stood in the middle of the road with his hands behind his back, his brows furrowed.

He had clearly just finished court; his face was etched with fatigue and irritability, especially his slightly chapped lips, which indicated that this Tang emperor was extremely thirsty and hungry.

"Ah...Ah-ye."

Li Lizhi hurriedly bowed, trying to cover the things in her arms with her wide sleeves.

Little Sizi was a beat slow to react and bumped into her sister's leg. She covered her forehead and was about to cry out in pain when she looked up and saw her father's dark face. She immediately put her little hands behind her back and stood up straight.

"Hello, Father! Goodbye, Father!"

After saying that, Xiao Sizi was about to run away.

A large hand precisely grabbed the back of her collar.

"Why are you running?"