Chapter 19: Three Admonitions

A-Wei had once stayed at a southern restaurant for a while, learned a few southern dishes from a southern chef, and his skills were quite authentic.

He said that according to common southern cooking methods, Mopan Mopan Xungu mushrooms are used as side dishes, added to main dishes as garnish.

After dicing, slicing, and shredding, add scallions, ginger, garlic, chili, and Hu Jiao to overpower the mushroom flavor; following this method, pair with red or white meat, and fry, boil, stir-fry, deep-fry, blanch, steam, braise, or make soup, creating many different dish combinations!

On A-Wei's first day at the Shangshan Hall Imperial Kitchen, Eunuch Hai took the opportunity to set a challenge, asking him to show off a little skill.

To prevent him from passing off inferior goods and slipping through, he deliberately required him not to use side-dish techniques, insisting he must prepare a single-dish meal!

After accepting the challenge, A-Wei took a fresh, plump Mopan Mopan Xungu mushroom.

He used a knife to slice the mushroom into uniform thin slices, each about two fingers wide and thick, totaling dozens of slices.

Next, A-Wei took several green bamboo skewers and wove them into two roughly "sun"-shaped grilling nets.

He sandwiched the mushroom slices between the grilling nets front and back, pressing the Mopan Mopan Xungu slices tightly against the bamboo skewers, and tied secure knots outside the grilling nets to fix the mushroom slices in place.

A-Wei placed the bamboo skewer grilling nets above the charcoal fire and slow-roasted them over low heat.

He frequently flipped the grilling nets so both sides of the mushroom slices heated evenly.

While roasting, A-Wei tasted the mushroom slices to judge the heat level and cooking time.

When the mushroom slices turned from white to golden yellow, becoming soft and crisp, and the unique aroma of Mopan Mopan Xungu spread out, A-Wei immediately removed the grilling nets; the roasting was complete.

Outside the grilling nets, A-Wei prepared his secret seasoning, made from soy sauce, Sichuan pepper, vinegar, sugar, salt, garlic, and ginger.

He poured the seasoning over the mushroom slices between the grilling nets; the seasoning quickly merged with the hot mushroom slices, making a "sizzle" sound.

Once the seasoning coated the mushroom slices, A-Wei carefully flipped the grilling nets so both sides of the mushroom slices were soaked in the seasoning.

A-Wei picked up the bamboo skewers, flipped the roasted mushroom slices out of the grilling nets, and served them on a plate.

Because the simple grilling net woven from bamboo skewers resembled two "sun" characters, the dish was named: Two Suns Clamped.

After Eunuch Hai finished writing down the dish name, Two Suns Clamped was sent directly to the Guanglu Temple for poison testing along with the other evening meals.

The three duty poison testers, after tasting Two Suns Clamped, praised it endlessly, calling it a heavenly delicacy!

Since A-Wei had not been castrated, he could not enter the palace and could only stay in the Imperial Kitchen to clean.

One shichen later, Eunuch Hai returned to the Imperial Kitchen in high spirits. He found A-Wei and proudly praised him: "Little Wei-zi, your Two Suns Clamped... is truly remarkable!"

"Oh, Eunuch Hai, look at how you praise... you flatter me too much; I cannot bear such praise!"

A-Wei still did not know exactly what had happened, but seeing Eunuch Hai's joyful expression, he guessed something good must have occurred.

"After the Emperor tasted it, he praised it endlessly!"

Eunuch Hai continued: "According to regulations, the Emperor may not taste the same dish more than three bites; yet tonight, the Emperor could not stop, and in one breath... finished the entire plate of Two Suns Clamped!"

"Finished it!" A-Wei said with a shocked face.

Eunuch Hai: "Yes, finished it."

A-Wei: "May I ask... after the poison test, how many slices remained?"

Eunuch Hai, seeing A-Wei suddenly look serious, also put on a serious expression and thought carefully. Then he said: "When sent to the Guanglu Temple, I recorded it: exactly ten slices; three poison testers, each tasted one slice, so seven slices remained..."

Upon hearing "seven slices," A-Wei felt much relieved.

Eunuch Hai: "What's wrong? You scared me!"

"Eunuch Hai, you do not know..."

A-Wei continued: "That Mopan Mopan Xungu mushroom is known as 'Southern Ginseng,' with effects of replenishing Qi, benefiting blood, calming the spirit, and dispelling evil... but there is one thing to note specially: it has slight toxicity; eating too much causes internal heat!"

"Then what should be done?" Eunuch Hai asked seriously.

"Seven slices is fine, not an overdose. I once heard an old chef say..."

A-Wei suddenly spoke timidly: "This so-called 'internal heat' can actually be treated as a yang tonic; after a period of yin-yang balance, venting the heat, everything will be fine!"

"Hahahaha... A-Wei, you, you, look how you scared me!"

After putting down the big stone hanging in his heart, Eunuch Hai said with relief: "Rest assured, tonight the Emperor will... surely be vigorous and display great masculine power!" After speaking, both laughed heartily.

The next day, early morning, Eunuch Ming brought Ninth Lord to the Imperial Kitchen, found Eunuch Hai and A-Wei, and asked who made yesterday's Two Suns Clamped?

How was it made?

Learning it was A-Wei's work, Ninth Lord immediately promoted A-Wei to Second-Rank Assistant Chef, in charge of procurement!

He also specially issued an oral decree: henceforth, every evening meal must include a Mopan Mopan Xungu mushroom dish!

A-Wei, bowing low and kneeling to listen to the decree, immediately responded: "But... but Mopan Mopan Xungu is not a local crop, entirely dependent on imports from the Southern Seas, this..."

Ninth Lord said dismissively: "I know this, which is why I ordered you to 'be in charge of procurement'."

After thanking for the favor, A-Wei was beaming with pride, and even Eunuch Hai could not help but look at him with new respect!

No one in the entire Imperial Kitchen expected that A-Wei, who had arrived less than two days ago, would rise three ranks with a single dish!

From a cleaning helper cook, he soared directly to Second-Rank Assistant Chef!

After learning the news, my Lord Tu, as soon as court dispersed, rushed to the Shangshan Hall Imperial Kitchen to inquire about this matter; worried about A-Wei, he feared that rising too fast would bring joy turning to sorrow, causing a tragedy to repeat!

Although the Emperor's kitchen need not fear being ruined, A-Wei's promotion speed was truly too unexpectedly fast.

After learning the full story, my Lord Tu took A-Wei outside the kitchen and privately warned him: "There are three things you must firmly keep in your heart..."

A-Wei: "Uncle, rest assured, I will definitely remember."

my Lord Tu: "One, do not seek to stand out; in all matters, listen to Eunuch Hai."

A-Wei: "Understood."

my Lord Tu: "Two, do not handle money!"

A-Wei: "This... is somewhat difficult..."

"How so?" my Lord Tu asked, puzzled.

A-Wei: "I am in charge of procurement; how can I not handle money?"

my Lord Tu: "Then fine, do not touch the food money; you only manage buying the vegetables!"

A-Wei: "..."

Lord Tu: "The last rule: keep your mouth shut. Whatever happens in the palace, once it enters your ears, let it rot in your belly. Do not spread it around! Do you understand?"

After A-Wei agreed, Lord Tu finally left with a sense of relief.

On the fifth day after entering the kitchen, Eunuch Hai finally took A-Wei out of the palace to purchase ingredients.

The work of buying vegetables was no stranger to A-Wei; when he worked part-time at restaurants in the past, he had done it countless times.

He followed Eunuch Hai and his group, visiting the spice shops in Chengxi, the north-south goods market in Chengnan, the fruit and vegetable market in Chengdong, and the dried goods from beyond the frontier in Chengbei, turning over every single one.

A-Wei knew all the shops along the roads of Jingcheng; there were even hidden shops in some alleys that Eunuch Hai did not know, but A-Wei did.

That said, one thing puzzled A-Wei: clearly, a string of cash could buy a whole basket of eggs, yet Eunuch Hai insisted on spending two taels of silver just to buy a single egg!

Back in the Imperial Kitchen, A-Wei quietly told Eunuch Hai: "Eunuch Hai, those eggs... you bought them too expensive! I know an egg merchant; a whole basket for one string of cash!"

Eunuch Hai glanced at A-Wei and said disdainfully: "Go, go, go, what do you know!"

A-Wei, who did not understand the ways of the world, grew anxious and added: "A whole basket for one string of cash; such cheap eggs, only a fool would refuse them!"

Eunuch Hai looked at him sideways and asked: "Are you calling me a fool?"

"No, no, no... I didn't mean that!" A-Wei quickly slapped himself twice and apologized: "Oh my, look at this mouth of mine, it deserves a beating, it deserves a beating!"

Eunuch Hai did not take it to heart, but said earnestly: "Matters in the palace are not like you common people playing house; buying wherever it is cheap is not that simple."

A-Wei: "Please, Eunuch, bestow your instruction."

Eunuch Hai: "How many shops in all of Jingcheng rely on eating from the palace? Do you know that?"

A-Wei: "This... this humble one truly does not know."

"Spending two taels to buy a single egg, would I not know I bought it too expensive!"

Eunuch Hai continued: "You could use one string of cash to buy a whole basket of eggs, but... what about those others who sell a single egg for two taels of silver? How many people are involved in this? How could they let you off? Could you sleep soundly at night?"

At this moment, A-Wei remembered his uncle's warning, telling him not to meddle with money; in an instant, a bolt of lightning shot up from his tailbone all the way to the crown of his head, waking him up on the spot!

Eunuch Hai continued: "I do not know how much benefit that shopkeeper of yours gave you, but..." Before Eunuch Hai could finish speaking, A-Wei went *pa* and knelt on the ground, quickly kowtowing to apologize!

"What is wrong with you?" Eunuch Hai did not understand what act A-Wei was putting on this time.

"Eunuch Hai, forgive me!" A-Wei quickly explained: "This humble one is new here, does not know the rules, and did not realize I blocked your path to wealth; I beg Eunuch Hai to forgive me!"

Seeing A-Wei's pitiful state, Eunuch Hai laughed! He said: "I thought something was wrong with you; it's nothing, nothing, get up and speak."

Seeing that A-Wei was a piece of material, with a good nature and knowing when to advance and retreat, Eunuch Hai took him as an adopted son! A-Wei was also very pragmatic, immediately changing his address to: Father Hai. Henceforth, in the Imperial Kitchen, the two addressed each other as father and son.

With Eunuch Hai's protection, plus A-Wei holding the title of Second-Rank Assistant Chef and leading procurement matters, in the Imperial Kitchen, he could say he walked with his head held high, like a fish in water.