Holding the Emperor Hostage : Chapter 6: Buying Hearts

Yin Shuhuai stretched lazily and got up to go to the dining hall.

The iron wok, iron griddle, wire mesh, and iron stove forged by the Iron Bureau had already been delivered to the palace. Yin Shuhuai’s lunch was a dish of taro braised chicken, prepared by the imperial chef according to the menu Yin Shuhuai had provided.

The specific method was to cut taro into chunks, deep fry them first until the surface turned golden, then set aside. Then cut the chicken into pieces, stir fry them in the wok until golden, rendering out the fat, then add the prepared seasonings of scallion, ginger, star anise, evodia, Sichuan pepper, and fermented bean paste, stir fry them until fragrant, and finally add the taro with an appropriate amount of water, then simmer over low heat for the time it takes one stick of incense to burn.

A dish of taro braised chicken with a bright red color and excellent appearance was thus steaming hot as it came out of the wok.

Having crossed over for several days, Yin Shuhuai, whose mouth had grown bland enough to taste like bird, looked at the bright red taro braised chicken on the lacquered plate and could not help taking a deep breath. In an instant, a rich and spicy aroma hit his nose, making Yin Shuhuai feel a rush of pleasure from the tip of his nose straight to the crown of his head!

This was the flavor!

Yin Shuhuai swallowed his saliva, picked up a piece of chicken and put it in his mouth. He had to admit, the skill of the imperial chef was truly impeccable. Even though it was their first time making this dish, they had managed to grasp the essence of taro braised chicken.

The tender chicken, after being simmered over low heat, had long become moist and soft. The rolling broth had infused the spicy heat of the seasonings and the powdery sweetness of the taro into the soft chicken. Not only was it a feast for the eyes and nose, but even the broth had become thick and enticing. The wafting aroma permeated the cold waves of deep winter, making one’s fingers itch to dig in.

“It is truly too delicious!”

Yin Shuhuai sniffled emotionally and picked up another piece of taro. The soft and sweet taro was saturated with the savory chicken and the spicy seasoning, with a finish of perfectly blended heat and sweetness, so fragrant that he enjoyed it with narrowed eyes.

Besides this aromatic taro braised chicken, there was also a plate of iron griddle tofu on the table. The tender tofu was cut into cubes, fried on the outside until crispy and golden, topped with a special sauce made by the imperial chef. One bite and it was crispy outside, tender inside, exceptionally savory.

Yin Shuhuai sighed with satisfaction, reached out and picked up a steamed bun, broke it in half, stuffed it with iron griddle tofu and taro chicken pieces, and wolfed it down.

The history of Chinese people eating steamed buns can be traced back at least to the Warring States period. But in the Yin Dynasty, steamed buns were not yet called steamed buns. They were called “flour raised cakes.” As the name suggested, they were cakes steamed from fermented flour. It was not until the Three Kingdoms period, when the legend spread that Zhuge Liang used dough wrapped around beef and mutton to substitute for human heads in sacrifice, that these steamed cakes were renamed “mantou.” If one studied it seriously, the evolution of the name for steamed buns could fill a detailed essay. Unfortunately, Yin Shuhuai was not interested in the history of steamed bun names. He only knew that after crossing over for so long, he could finally eat a proper meal.

“Now this is what I call eating!”

After a whirlwind of devouring, Yin Shuhuai put down his chopsticks and contentedly took a sip of sugarcane juice.

In order to make the iron griddle tofu and taro braised chicken that would satisfy His Majesty, the Court of Imperial Entertainments had used at least a dozen chickens and half a board of tofu for practice. Yin Shuhuai alone obviously could not finish all of this. So he distributed the remaining chicken and tofu to the eunuchs, palace maids, and imperial chefs who had been busy all morning, and considerately told them that if they did not like spicy food, they could also use the iron wok to stew chicken or fish. When stewing chicken, they could add some dried mushrooms to enhance the flavor. When stewing fish, they could also add some tofu to the pot, which would taste even better.

Speaking of this, Yin Shuhuai could not help complaining: “The Iron Bureau is really too stingy. Why didn’t they forge a few more woks? There’s no room on the stove to line them up.” If there had been room on the stove, he could have had everyone in the entire rear palace eat iron wok stewed fish and iron wok stewed chicken today.

When Yin Shuhuai said these words, he had obviously forgotten that he had originally only wanted one iron wok to improve his meals. If not for the ten cartloads of treasures Huo Yan had gifted, which had opened his appetite and broadened his horizons, Yin Shuhuai would not have become so bold.

Sure enough, human nature is to want more after getting something.

Yin Shuhuai glanced at his game interface, which was still accumulating energy waiting to be unlocked, and casually sent Huo Yan a flying flower message: “Does the Chancellor like taro braised chicken and iron griddle tofu?” If he wanted to eat them, he would have to have the Iron Bureau forge more iron woks and iron griddles.

The emperor who cared about the pleasures of the palate was committed to letting everyone eat delicious food. Even in the food scarce deep winter, they would not have to suffer through unpalatable steamed meat, salted fish, and coarse textured millet rice.

After sending the message, Yin Shuhuai patted his hands in satisfaction. Noticing that noon had passed and the eunuchs and palace maids in Chongde Hall had not yet eaten lunch, he told them to rotate shifts and go eat.

The eunuchs and palace maids looked at Yin Shuhuai in shock. They had not expected that His Majesty would bestow upon them, these lowly people, the food he had cooked. For eunuchs and palace maids living in the palace, food invented by a noble person was no different from something they had made with their own hands.

Throughout history, nobles only showed respect to those above them. Even when showing consideration for those below, at most they would bestow some silver money. When had one ever seen a ruler serving his subordinates?

What virtue or ability did they possess, that they could receive such respect from His Majesty?

Yin Shuhuai was baffled by their stares. He was telling them to rotate shifts for lunch, not to eat their last meal before execution. Why were they all looking at him like that?

After everyone had finished lunch, Yin Shuhuai enthusiastically led everyone to tinker with the iron stove for heating.

When Yin Shuhuai was in university, he had spent some time teaching in a mountain village. The iron stove he had the Iron Bureau forge was the kind he had seen during his mountain village teaching. It could be used for warmth and roasting fires, and you could also boil water and roast sweet potatoes on top. Oh, the Yin Dynasty did not have sweet potatoes, so roasting taro and chestnuts would work too!

As Yin Shuhuai directed the eunuchs in assembling the iron stove, he mused: “When you get off duty and rest, you can gather together to warm yourselves and chat. Roast some chestnuts and drink some hot water. This is what they call the warmth of human life.”

Of course, they also needed to pay attention to ventilation in the room. They absolutely must not get carbon monoxide poisoning.

After speaking, Yin Shuhuai instructed Zhuang Wuwei: “Go supervise the Iron Bureau and have them forge a few more iron woks and iron stoves. At least let everyone in the palace have access to them. The weather is getting colder and colder. Don’t let anyone freeze.”

The eunuchs and palace maids on duty looked at His Majesty with moved expressions and immediately knelt to thank him for his grace. They had not expected His Majesty to be so benevolent, actually specially designing iron stoves for them to keep warm.

Truly worthy of being a His Majesty who had lived among the common folk for sixteen years. He indeed understood the hardships of the common people better than nobles who had grown up in the palace from childhood.

It must be known that the Chongde Hall where Yin Shuhuai lived had no need for such things. Because when the palaces of the emperor and the various imperial consorts were first built, hollow double walls (fire walls) and underground passages (fire passages) were specially constructed for heating. The charcoal burning openings were set beneath the eaves outside the hall. In winter, as long as charcoal was burned in the openings, the heat could spread through the double walls and fire passages to the entire hall, making the interior as warm as spring.

Although Yin Shuhuai was a puppet emperor, a puppet emperor was still an emperor. At least his food, clothing, housing, and travel were all the best. No one would be foolish enough to mistreat the emperor over such small matters. But the places where eunuchs and palace maids lived were not so comfortable. Many low ranking laborer eunuchs and palace maids, including imperial consorts who had lost in palace intrigue, and wives and daughters of criminal officials who had been assigned to the rear palace after conviction, could only live in the most remote and shabby parts of the rear palace. Not only did they have to bear heavy labor, but in winter they could only rely on their bodies to tough it out.

Even favored attendants and palace maids dared not eat their fill when serving nobles, for fear of passing gas and offending their masters. And the most powerful batch of eunuchs in the palace had already been slaughtered when Huo Yan killed Zhang Jian. Those who survived had originally been the lowest level small fry.

Most of these people came from poor backgrounds, naturally honest and timid. Even after entering the palace, they had not managed to scheme their way up. That was why they had survived when Huo Yan cut down the eunuch faction, and had subsequently been arranged by Huo Yan to serve Yin Shuhuai in Chongde Hall.

One could imagine how inconceivable Yin Shuhuai’s golden words were in the eyes of the many eunuchs and palace maids. When he let the eunuchs and palace maids serving him eat their fill, and issued an edict to the Iron Bureau, personally designing iron stoves for them to keep warm. If eunuchs still had value to be won over, what value did the palace maids who would die of old age in the palace and the imperial consorts of previous emperors have? Yet His Majesty had even thought of their circumstances. One could only say that His Majesty was naturally benevolent and kind.

That night, eunuchs and palace maids who had gone off duty gathered together and said with tears of gratitude: “The noble families and court officials all regard us as worthless grass. Apart from His Majesty, who else treats us as human beings?”

Somehow, these words spread outside the palace. Huo Yan, who was constantly paying attention to the movements within the palace, learned of Yin Shuhuai’s actions of buying people’s hearts with food and iron stoves. He said disdainfully to his trusted advisors: “Raised in the hands of a common wet nurse, indeed he only knows a woman’s kindness.”

As the emperor, he actually expected to win people over with such small favors. Did he not know that petty people fear power, not virtue? The more magnanimous and benevolent a superior appears, the less the people below will fear him, and the more likely they are to betray him.

After saying this, the Chancellor once again tremblingly picked up the flying flower message that had suddenly appeared on his study table at noon today, and flew into a rage: “As the emperor, if he wants iron woks and iron stoves to buy people’s hearts, he can simply issue an edict to the Iron Bureau. Why make someone go through extra trouble? Is he threatening me?”

“And you useless fools, someone got into the study right under your noses and you didn’t notice at all. If one day my head gets cut off, would you all still not know?”

“Simply outrageous!”