If not abolished

Chapter 188 Longevity Noodles

Qingyun Palace

"Why has Your Highness been so absent-minded these past two days? Is something troubling you?" Hu Shanxiang saw that although Zhu Zhanji was reading a book, he hadn't turned the page for a while. It was obvious that he was not concentrating on reading, which was rare for Zhu Zhanji.

Zhu Zhanji put down the book in his hand and said, "There is indeed something I don't know how to do."

"Is it a political affair?" Hu Shanxiang was still quite alert. First, she didn't have the brains of the heroines in those palace fighting dramas who could give these people advice and all the twists and turns of the ancients. Second, she didn't want to be labeled as a politician.

"It's not what you're thinking. It's also a family matter, so it doesn't hurt to ask you." Zhu Zhanji walked over and sat opposite her.

Hu Shanxiang felt relieved after hearing what he said, "Then tell me, Your Highness. Maybe I can really give you some advice."

"After the Mid-Autumn Festival, it will be my father's birthday, but I don't know what birthday gift to give him. So I'm a little worried..."

"This is indeed a difficult problem... If it's the Crown Princess' birthday, there are many options to choose from, but I really don't know what to give to a man on his birthday. Does His Royal Highness the Crown Prince have anything he likes? It's always right to start from his preferences." Hu Shanxiang couldn't think of anything for the moment, so she had to come up with an idea.

"My father likes calligraphy and paintings, but I've already given him most of these in previous years, so I don't know what to give him this year?" Zhu Zhanji didn't want to do the same thing this year.

"So, Your Highness wants to give a thoughtful gift this year so that His Royal Highness the Crown Prince will remember it?" Hu Shanxiang extracted the meaning of this sentence from his words.

"That's indeed what I meant. Do you have any good ideas?" Zhu Zhanji felt that as a grown man, he was not as thorough as a woman in this regard, so he came to ask Hu Shanxiang.

"Emmmmm, if you want to show your affection, you have to send it to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's heart. If it's my father's birthday, then the most thoughtful gift I can think of is to make a bowl of longevity noodles. But isn't this a little too ordinary and not presentable..." Hu Shanxiang regretted saying this. What was she talking about? Longevity noodles...

Zhu Zhanji did not refute immediately, but thought seriously about the feasibility of this matter. "It seems that no one has done this before. It is ordinary, but not embarrassing. It can be tried."

"Ah, Your Highness, do you really want to give it a try? But doesn't the old saying go: A gentleman never hires a chef. If Your Highness really goes to make a bowl of longevity noodles by himself, I'm afraid she will tell on you if the Crown Princess finds out." Hu Shanxiang didn't expect that he was really going to do it.

"What's the big deal? Mother won't blame me." Zhu Zhanji dispelled her concerns. "However, I may not be able to do it. I may need to find someone to teach me when the time comes. Do you know how to do it?" Zhu Zhanji naturally didn't want to do this in front of the palace maids and cooks, so he had to ask Hu Shanxiang if she knew how to do it.

Hu Shanxiang didn't expect that she had something to do with this matter. She blinked her eyes and said, "I just said this casually. I have always had this idea, but my father has not had the chance to taste it yet. But I can make ordinary noodles, but I am afraid that these longevity noodles are a little difficult." Hu Shanxiang thought that Zhu Zhanji probably didn't want a lot of people to watch.

After thinking for a while, she said, "Your Highness, how about this? I let someone teach me first, and then I will teach you? How about it?" Hu Shanxiang came up with a good idea.

"This is indeed a good idea." Zhu Zhanji nodded.

Hu Shanxiang did what she said and asked someone to teach her how to make longevity noodles the next day.

"What did the Crown Prince's Concubine Sun say just now? You want to go to the kitchen and learn how to make longevity noodles? This... No, this won't do. If you want to eat, just give an order and let the servants make it. Why do you have to cook by yourself?" After Yan Nan and the others heard about Hu Shanxiang's idea, they immediately raised objections. Not many concubines would cook by themselves.

"That's right, Crown Princess, please cook properly. No, this..."

Hu Shanxiang looked at their excited expressions, swallowed her saliva, and thought, this is because they heard that she was going to learn. If they heard that Zhu Zhanji was going, these people would probably kneel down. Fortunately, let her try the waters first.

"Oh, I just want to learn it and show off my skills on the next birthday of His Highness. What's wrong with you? It's just making noodles, why are you making such a fuss?" Hu Shanxiang found a reason to convince them.

"This..." When Lingzhi and the others heard that it was for His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, they didn't know how to refute it. After all, it was the Crown Princess's intention, and they didn't want to obstruct her too much.

They looked at each other, seeming somewhat helpless, and said, "Since the Crown Princess has made up her mind, we servants cannot stop her too much. However, this is only this time, and we won't allow it to happen next time."

"Okay." Hu Shanxiang nodded.

After much persuasion, Hu Shanxiang finally came to the small kitchen. When the people in the kitchen saw her, they felt as if they were facing a great enemy. They were also startled in their hearts, thinking that they had done something wrong.

"Hehe, don't worry, everyone. I'm just here to learn how to make longevity noodles. Everyone should just do what they need to do." Hu Shanxiang looked at them tremblingly.

It took them a while to believe that Hu Shanxiang really came here to learn something.

"Princess Crown Princess, these two are the best cooks at making noodles. Let them teach you." The nanny in charge brought two people to Hu Shanxiang.

"Okay, Ma'am, go ahead and do your work. I'll follow you and learn from you," said Hu Shanxiang.

"Is the Crown Princess planning to learn how to make longevity noodles?"

"Yes, I've never done it before, and I don't know how to do it?"

The first step is to knead the dough. Hu Shanxiang has seen this before. It is to mix water and flour. It seemed very simple when she watched others make it before. But when she tried it herself, she realized that the proportion is not easy to control. Either there is too much flour or too much water. Later, it took the help of palace servants to knead the dough. This is only the first step. It seems that making a bowl of longevity noodles is really not easy.

The second step is to let the dough rest. This is actually quite simple. You just need to put the kneaded dough somewhere and let it ferment.

The third step is to take the rested noodles and knead them into a long strip. This is what makes longevity noodles different from other noodles. There is only one strip in a bowl of noodles, which symbolizes longevity.

Kneading dough is not easy either. Your arms need to be strong, and the thickness should be as close as possible without too much deviation.

After an afternoon, Hu Shanxiang finally finished making this bowl of longevity noodles.

After it was ready, she cooked it herself and put vegetables and eggs in it.

When Zhu Zhanji came back in the evening, Hu Shanxiang's noodles were just out of the pot.

"Where is the Crown Prince's Consort?" Zhu Zhanji came over and didn't see Hu Shanxiang, so he had to ask the palace maid.

The palace maids looked at each other, not knowing what to say for a moment. If His Royal Highness knew that the Crown Prince's Consort was in the small kitchen, then...

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is asking you a question? You are all mute. Where is the Crown Prince's Consort?" Wu Cheng asked again when he saw that they looked left and right but no one spoke.

Zhu Zhanji seemed to have thought of something, and without waiting for their answer, he walked towards the small kitchen.

When the palace servants saw Zhu Zhanji's actions, they hurriedly followed.

Zhu Zhanji was just walking over when Hu Shanxiang came out carrying the bowl of noodles.

"Hey, why are you here? It's just right. Try what I just made. Hurry and help me bring it to you. It's so hot." Hu Shanxiang just happened to see him come in, so she handed the bowl to him.

Zhu Zhanji originally thought that she was just being coquettish when she said it was hot, but when he took the bowl in his hand, it was indeed very hot.

"How can you carry it by yourself when it's so hot? At least ask someone to bring a tray." Zhu Zhanji said.

"I'm in a hurry, I forgot." The two of them walked to the hall with the bowl of noodles, "Your Highness, how about trying it? This is the result of my working on it for an entire afternoon."

"An afternoon?" Zhu Zhanji looked down and saw Hu Shanxiang's red fingers that were burned, and felt distressed. "Does your hand hurt?" Zhu Zhanji remembered that she was in terrible pain.

"It's just a burn, it doesn't hurt, Your Highness, don't worry."

Zhu Zhanji hadn't even eaten yet, so he said, "It must be delicious if you cook it."

"Your Highness, how would you know if you haven't eaten yet?"

"I just know."

"I originally wanted to cook a few dishes for His Highness to let him taste my cooking skills, but I didn't expect this noodle to be so time-consuming. I didn't have time to make it. I don't know if I will have the chance next time. They didn't let me enter the kitchen today. They talked for a long time before letting me learn, and they also said there would be no next time."

"There really won't be a next time. It's too hard. I won't let you do it again." Zhu Zhanji said with concern.