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

Chapter 21: Empress Zhangsun's illness flares up, and Little Sizi begs for help!

The weather in Chang'an these past few days has been like a giant, stuffy steamer.

The cicadas were howling incessantly in the treetops, which was quite irritating.

There wasn't a breath of wind, and all the flowers and plants in the Imperial Garden drooped their heads, looking half-dead.

Inside the Lizheng Hall, the doors and windows were tightly closed.

The old men in the Imperial Medical Bureau said that the Empress suffered from "qi ailment," meaning she couldn't tolerate wind or cold.

On a sweltering day, the room was still filled with the burning of benzoin incense, mixed with the lingering bitter smell of medicine that never dissipates, making it hard to breathe.

"Cough...cough cough cough!"

A heart-wrenching cough came from the bed.

Empress Zhangsun curled up, her body trembling violently with each cough, her face flushed red, and the veins on her neck bulging.

Li Shimin sat on the edge of the bed, patting her back with one hand while his other hand was clenched into a fist, his knuckles turning white.

"Guanyinbi, just bear with it, the medicine is here."

Wang Dequan knelt before the bed, holding the bowl of dark, viscous medicine, his hands trembling slightly. The medicine was still steaming, and a strong, bitter, and fishy smell of Chinese medicine assaulted his senses.

Empress Zhangsun barely managed to stop coughing, and looking at the bowl of medicine, her throat involuntarily spasmed.

I've been drinking it every day for the past few days, with every meal.

My stomach has long been ruined by this bitter liquid; just smelling it makes my bile want to come out.

"Erlang...I really..."

Empress Zhangsun weakly waved her hand, her voice terribly hoarse, "I can't drink it..."

"You have to drink it even if you can't!"

Li Shimin's eyes reddened with anxiety. He picked up the medicine bowl, scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and held it to his wife's lips. "The imperial physician said that these herbs are for strengthening the body's foundation and nourishing the vital energy. After drinking them, the cough will stop."

Empress Zhangsun, not wanting to offend her husband, forced herself to swallow a mouthful despite feeling nauseous.

bitter!

That kind of piercing bitterness burned all the way down the back of my tongue to my stomach.

"vomit--!"

Before I could even swallow the medicine, my stomach started churning.

Empress Zhangsun suddenly pushed Li Shimin's hand away and leaned over the bed to dry heave. She vomited up the medicine she had just taken, along with the little rice soup she had barely managed to drink that morning.

"Mother!"

Little Sizi, who had been huddled in the corner, burst into tears.

She saw her mother vomit; her usually gentle and beautiful face was now frighteningly pale.

Half of the medicine bowl in Aye's hand had spilled, and the dark medicine was splashed onto his bright yellow dragon robe, making it look particularly glaring.

The imperial physicians knelt on the ground, kowtowing repeatedly, muttering "Your Majesty, I am incompetent" and "Please calm your anger, Your Majesty."

Little Sizi wiped away her tears and rushed out of the Lizheng Hall with her short legs.

The sun outside was scorching, making the floor tiles scorching hot.

She didn't care about the heat, and even lost one of her silk shoes, running barefoot towards the imperial kitchen.

The imperial physician was useless.

There was nothing his father could do.

Only that pot that can make glowing rice!

My brother is so amazing, he'll definitely find a way to save his mother!

……

The backyard of the imperial kitchen.

Su Mu, shirtless, moved his homemade recliner to a shady spot against the wall. He held a slice of chilled watermelon, eating it with gusto.

In this awful weather, only watermelon can keep me alive.

"Brother--!"

A heart-wrenching cry shattered the afternoon's tranquility.

Su Mu's hand trembled, and the red-fleshed, black-seeded watermelon almost fell to the ground.

He looked up and his heart skipped a beat.

Little Sizi was covered in sweat, her hair was messy and stuck to her face, and her originally pink face was covered in tear stains.

One foot was bare, the sole of which was red from being scalded by the hot floor tiles.

This little rascal sometimes cries, but it's mostly fake crying to trick her into giving him food.

Judging from the way things are today, I'm truly heartbroken.

Su Mu dropped the watermelon, took a few steps over, scooped up the little meatball that rushed towards him, and placed it on a wooden stool in the shade.

"What's wrong?"

Su Mu frowned, took a damp cloth from the side and wiped her face. "Who bullied you? Or did you fall?"

"Brother... save your mother..."

Little Si grabbed Su Mu's hand, its nails digging into his flesh.

She cried so hard she could barely breathe, her little body trembling.

"Mother coughs... she vomited a lot... that dark, watery stuff... Mother is in so much pain..."

Su Mu understood.

Empress Zhangsun's illness flared up again.

Historical records state that Empress Zhangsun died of a respiratory illness.

To put it simply, this disease is severe asthma combined with a lung infection. In the hot and humid summer, the respiratory tract is under heavy burden, which can be even more life-threatening!

The imperial physicians mostly prescribed strong medicines to clear the lungs and stop coughing. These medicines are bitter and cold, which can damage the stomach. Empress Zhangsun is currently weak and cannot withstand the effects of such potent medicines.

"Don't cry."

Su Mu's voice turned serious, his usual playful demeanor gone. "Have some water first, I'll make something for your mother."

"It has to be sweet..."

Little Sizi sobbed, her big eyes brimming with tears, "That black water was too bitter, Mother couldn't drink it... The pot is sweet, Mother will definitely love it."

Su Mu nodded and turned to walk towards the stove.

If a bowl of medicine were brought out at this time, the Empress would probably vomit just from the smell.

It has to be something to eat.

It has to be something that can cure diseases.

Su Mu closed his eyes and searched his mind.

[The host is detected to have an urgent medical and dietary need. Special ingredient library unlocked: Premium Fritillaria Powder (50g)]

This time, the system is quite sensible.

Su Mu opened his eyes and took out a purple clay stew pot that he didn't usually use from the cabinet. This thing is breathable and heats evenly, making it perfect for slow cooking.

Main ingredient: pear.

The Laiyang pears stored in the system space are large, thin-skinned, and so juicy they practically burst out.

The pear wasn't peeled; pear peel is good for clearing heat and moisturizing the lungs.

He used the tip of his knife to open a lid on the top of the pear, removed the core, and left a small cavity.

Additional ingredient: white fungus.

This is not the yellowed, aged silver ear fungus from the palace, but a top-quality product that is pure white and as white as jade.

Soak the dried white fungus in warm water, remove the stems, and tear it into small pieces about the size of a fingernail. To get the white fungus to release its gelatinous substance, it needs to be torn into small pieces and stewed for a long time.

Su Mu stuffed the white fungus into the pear's belly, and added a few red dates and goji berries.

Finally, and most importantly.

He took out a small paper packet.

That was fritillaria powder given by the system.

This stuff is ground very finely, is pale yellow, and has a faint, pleasant fragrance, without any of the strange smell of traditional Chinese medicine.

Fritillaria cirrhosa moistens the lungs, relieves cough, and dissipates phlegm and nodules; it is a holy medicine for pulmonary diseases.

However, if you boil it directly in water, it will taste slightly bitter.

Su Mu added a large piece of yellow rock sugar into the pear's belly.

He extracted this rock sugar a few days ago when he had nothing to do. It was crystal clear and had an extremely pure, sweet sugarcane flavor.

Cover with the pear lid, place in a stewing pot, and fill the surrounding area with the remaining white fungus and rock sugar water.

Fire broke out.

This time, we won't use a high flame.

Su Mu moved the firewood in the stove, leaving only a few pieces of hard charcoal that could burn for a long time, and kept the fire burning slowly.

The masterful control of the heat was brought to its peak at this moment.

He could feel every slight change in temperature inside the stew pot.

As the water boils, the pear flesh begins to soften, the gelatinous substance from the white fungus slowly seeps out, and the rock sugar melts, its sweet molecules perfectly blending with the fritillaria powder under high temperature.

Time passed little by little.

The stuffy heat in the woodshed seemed to have dissipated considerably, replaced by a refreshing and sweet fragrance.