Chapter 12 Chapter 12 Winning and Losing

It is said that there has never been a poor harvest of ginseng in recent years.As expected, someone embezzled the products of Sungkyunkwan Academy. The so-called school field refers to the farmland owned by the school donated by the government or social figures to ensure the maintenance of the school and the supplement of funds.The vigorous development of schools after the Song Dynasty in China is largely due to the prosperity of the school field.North Korea established the Hyanggook* (educational institution in the Goryeo era——Translator’s Note) at the same time, it also formulated the school field system, exempting the land of Hyanggook

Taxes, but this brought about the disadvantages of land annexation, so later began to limit the number. Zheng Hao asked everyone to bend down as much as possible before the target appeared, and at the same time told the two soldiers near Xuetian to go back.We must go back before sunset today, because there is still something to do. Although the beginning of winter has passed, but before half an hour has passed, the back is warm.Following the sound of running water, Zheng Hao came to the edge of the valley, sat on the uneven stones to wash his face, and Jang Geum's face was reflected in the running water.

Zheng Hao shook his head vigorously and closed his eyes tightly.The figure of Jang Geum has occupied his mind, appearing in front of his eyes all the time.This looming shadow has to disturb him repeatedly every day, when will it be able to completely bury her deep in my heart.If things go on like this, Zheng Hao is worried that there will be a moment that is difficult to control. If he can't control himself, it will be the most terrifying. He had a nightmare last night, and when he woke up, he was vaguely worried that something would happen to Jang Geum.Spraining her ankle, breaking her agreement and disappearing for several days, losing her sense of taste... Thinking about it this way, isn't she a woman who often gets into trouble?Perhaps because of this, he was even more worried about her. Once she was not in front of him, he felt empty in his heart.

As a dignified man, it is an extremely honorable thing to be an officer of the inner guard who protects the king. However, if a man can carefully protect the woman he likes, that is another kind of happiness.Unexpectedly, by fate, this woman who could not accept her protection turned out to be the king's woman... Thoughts came flooding in, disturbing Zheng Hao's mood.Maybe it's because of the chestnut cake, didn't she once say that she hoped that the person who eats her food will have a smile on her face.It is true that there is a smile when I eat it, but why is my heart so painful after eating it, what kind of goddamn food is this!

Zheng Hao tried his best to get rid of distracting thoughts, reached into the cold stream, and took a handful of water.Jang Geum is still in the water and has not disappeared.Now, she is crying sadly in the water.Is it a phantom?Or did you open your eyes?Frightened and depressed, Zheng Hao looked up, only to find that Jang Geum was sitting on a rock high above the creek, with his head buried between his knees.It seems that it is not a phantom, but Jang Geum reflected in the water.Jang Geum twitched his shoulders from time to time, as if crying. Zheng Hao wanted to go up to say hello, but suddenly changed his mind and left quietly.He remembered that De Jiu once said that there would be a person from the imperial dining room to serve the nanny Shang Gong.Jang Geum is crying, if he talks to her now, he will hold her tightly in his arms and never let go.

Zheng Hao walked away in a depressed mood, Jang Geum didn't know anything, she was still reminiscing what Han Shanggong said. "I awakened the talent from you, but it turned into a poison that harmed you!" The more he thought about it, the more disappointed he felt, and Jang Geum began to complain about Han Shanggong.She did not think carefully, but she didn't feel that she should be punished so harshly. Although she had experienced countless twists and turns before, she had done a good job so far. At least in terms of cooking methods, this was the first time she had made a mistake .What's more, this is neither laziness nor opportunism, but trying to do better. In fact, all these should be considered as appropriate.

"I awakened the talent from you, but it turned into a poison that harmed you!" Thinking of Han Shanggong's words, another tear fell.To escape from the voice, Jang Geum stood up. It was not yet time to worship the Buddha, but the master abbot prayed in a low voice in the temple.In front of the gate of the Hall of Ultimate Bliss where the three Amitabhas are enshrined, there is a man with his back turned to this side. He is clearly Zhenghao.Zheng Hao seemed to be praying.Coincidentally, a layman passed by, and Jang Geum asked him. "What is that lord praying for?" "His mother passed away after giving birth to him, and he was injured three years ago, so he has to pray."

Jang Geum never knew that Zheng Hao was injured, he just guessed that he should be a son of a nobleman and married late.Such a calm and kind-hearted person actually hides a huge pain in his heart.Jang Geum stared blankly at Zheng Hao standing motionless in the center of the temple, his figure looked a bit bleak.That night, Jang Geum lay on the bed, tossing and turning sleeplessly. "Jang Geum! I found it, finally found it!" De Jiu smiled and raised the wine bottle. "I haven't seen wine and meat for such a long time, and I feel anxious. Now I finally found wine, but unfortunately there is no meat. Jang Geum, would you like to go hunting with me like before?"

"hunt?" "Yeah, it's delicious to catch a rabbit and drink with the rabbit meat." "But this is a monastery." "That's even more delicious! Since ancient times, the more banned things are, the more interesting they are. Do you know why they are banned? They are banned because they are interesting." Jang Geum didn't want to go, but was dragged down the mountain by De Guqiang.I thought there were only pine trees on the mountain, but when I got to a higher place, I saw maple trees, lacquer trees, maple trees and red maples, etc., all colorful.A breeze blows, which is refreshing.

Deok-gu and Jang-geum lit the branches and smoked the rabbit's nest.Rabbits have the habit of sleeping in their burrows during the day and being active in the woods at night, so this method is often easy to work.The two held their breath and waited for the rabbit to come out.Finally a rabbit jumped out. There was no net, so I had to open my skirt to cover the rabbit, but the rabbit ran away.So Jang Geum chased after him, and De Gou came to catch him, but the rabbit frequently escaped from under his crotch. Once it was about to be caught, and even looked at each other at close range, but the rabbit squeaked, as if frightened.Usually the rabbit only makes a "whoosh" sound, and only screams "squeak" when it is afraid, Jang Geum knows this very well.When she used to live in Baiding Village, she often went up the mountain to catch hares with the children of noble families.

"Uncle! You go there!" "Where, where?" "This way, this way!" Jang Geum chased the rabbit towards De Jiu, and De Jiu squatted down with his arms outstretched, with his posture in place, it still seemed impossible to catch him.As expected, the rabbit avoided De Jiu who was rushing towards him, and quickly ran away again.Suddenly, Zheng Hao jumped out from behind the bushes and grabbed the fleeing rabbit. "Catch it, catch it!" When catching the rabbit, De Jiu moved slowly, like an old cow pulling a broken cart, but when he saw the rabbit caught in Zhenghao's hand, he rushed towards it like an arrow.Deok Goo chattered endlessly in front of Zheng Hao, Jang Geum suddenly felt embarrassed, his skirt was rolled up awkwardly, his hair was loose, and stuck to his sweaty forehead. Killing a rabbit is as easy as pie in the presence of skilled hands.However, before the rabbit on the fire was cooked, De Jiu had already drunk three glasses of wine and passed out. "He was supposed to hold two glasses of alcohol." "Then still shouting and drinking every day?" "Using the uncle's own words, if he steals too much wine from the house, he will be scolded by the aunt, so he has mastered the method of getting drunk after drinking." Zheng Hao laughed.Jang Geum remembered that when he was caught catching rabbits in the past, he had to be whipped by his mother every time, and the expression on his face became serious.Now she's catching rabbits with the men again, wishing someone could swell their calves so badly.The mother who beat her calf back then is no longer alive, leaving only her unfilial daughter, who has never even prayed like Zheng Hao. "Xu Neiren, it seems that this is not the first time you have chased a rabbit." "When I was young, I was often beaten by my mother for catching rabbits, but I still often went to catch hares with the children of noble families." "Why are you alone now?" "It's all because of me. My mother, and my father, who used to be an officer of the Internal Guard, are all because of me..." "Is it the inner guard where I am now?" Zheng Hao asked Jang Geum in joy and surprise.At this time, Jang Geum started crying again. "I'm so sorry for letting you see this embarrassing look." "No, it's not. I asked the wrong question and touched your sore spot. I should be the one to say sorry." He said it was embarrassing, but Jang Geum still refused to stop crying.Occasionally, she tried hard not to cry, but the more she tried to hold back, the louder she cried and the more tears she shed. Zheng Hao couldn't find the right words to comfort Jang Geum, so he could only look at the sky blankly.In the night sky with bright moon and few stars, a comet wagged its tail and fell.I once heard people say that if you make a wish at the moment when a shooting star passes by, the wish will come true.But I have too many wishes, and before I can finish them, the comet has already disappeared. "Please bless her to make food with a smile on her face after eating, please help this woman realize her wish, and please bless me to always be by her side." A person's life is like a comet, fleeting and fleeting.In this short life, there are so many wishes to be realized, and so long. The medicinal materials were used up, so Zheng Runshou hurried to buy medicinal materials.It just so happened that Zheng Hao also went to the market at the foot of the mountain to do business, so they went together.The two separated in front of the pharmacy and made an appointment to meet in an hour. Then Zheng Hao went to the wine tent, where he made an appointment with the officer in plain clothes to analyze the information they had collected. The ginseng lost by Xuetian was indeed transported to Choi Bansu's trading company.The first task this time is to collect information, so it is time to return to the Inner Forbidden Mansion.Zheng Hao asked the other officers to go back first, but he himself decided to stay for a while. Jung Ho and Jang Geum meet up and head back to the mountain together.Without turning his head, Zheng Hao could feel someone following him behind him. "one two three four……" If he came out alone and had no scruples in his heart, he might be able to handle it, but with Jang Geum by his side, it would be a bit difficult to deal with four people.Zheng Hao hoped that these people were just watching, and it was best to wait until the next time.However, the villains seemed to be laughing at Zheng Hao's innocence, and they had already stood in front of the two of them while speaking.Zheng Hao quickly blocked Jang Geum behind him, and hastily drew his sword in his hand.Fortunately, it is just relying on the large number of people, and there are no powerful characters.In the blink of an eye, Zheng Hao has knocked over three, and the last guy is slowly backing away.The guy who steals ginseng from the field will not be very good at swordsmanship. Jang Geum was already stunned, Zheng Hao took her hand and ran away.While looking back to see if anyone was chasing him, he was busy taking care of Jang Geum, and before he reached the mountain temple, Zheng Hao was out of breath.He asked Jang Jin to sit on the pine stump to catch his breath, only to hear a "whoosh" in his ears, and a sharp arrow shot past.The sharp arrow passed over Jang Geum's head, and it missed Jang Geum by a hair.Looking back, the villains were chasing after them, and there were more people than before. It seemed that they didn't even want to give them a chance to breathe, so they could only keep running.Zhenghao knew that he would pass by a hermit's house before arriving at the monastery, so he had no choice but to go there for a while.Coincidentally, the hermit slowly walked out of the kitchen. "Hush, there are bad guys chasing us, please show us a place to hide." Not daring to delay, the hermit led them straight to the backyard, opened the door to let them in, and told them not to worry, the place was not visible from the outside.The hermit did not forget to tell them not to come out until he tricked the bad guys away. "My lord! What is going on here?" "I sent my men to check things out, and it seems that they have been targeted." Zheng Hao talked perfunctorily about Jang Geum, all his energy was focused on the movement outside.Jang Geum calmed down a little, and then he noticed the scenery in the warehouse.It is more appropriate to say it is a granary than a warehouse.Cotton bolls, water shields, dried pumpkins, asters, dried asters, dried vegetables, pepper leaves, bellflowers, bracken, beetroot... all kinds of wild vegetables are neatly bundled with straw and hung in bundles on the ceiling.From seeds such as pumpkin seeds and safflower seeds, to teas such as schisandra, wolfberry, Polygonatum odoratum, persimmon leaves, chrysanthemum, pine leaves, green tea, papaya, etc., as well as matsutake mushrooms, pellagra, broom mushrooms, fungus... everything There are all kinds of plants that grow in the ground. Hearing the sound of the door opening, the hearts of the two of them sank suddenly, and the hermit poked his head in. "They're gone, they can come out now." The hermit said the bad guys were probably hanging around, so left them at home for dinner. There are wild vegetables all over the room.Zheng Hao and Jang Geum were alone together, a little awkward with each other, neither of them sat down, until the hermit brought the dinner table, they just stood still. "This is a vegetarian meal, there are no good dishes." "It's so rich, why don't you say there's no food?" Zheng Hao took the dinner table and sighed.The miso soup exudes a savory taste, and all kinds of vegetables look very attractive. "Ms. Xu should also try it, it tastes very good." Zheng Hao tasted a spoonful first, and then urged Jang Geum to eat it quickly.Jang Geum's mouth was dry and he didn't want to eat at all. He accidentally took a spoonful of miso soup and drank it, and was suddenly taken aback. "Even the palace can't make such a delicacy." "How is it possible! How can it be compared with court cuisine!" "I didn't just say it casually, how did this happen?" "What? No, don't say that." "Really, please teach me the secret recipe!" "Is there any secret recipe? No." Since then, Jang Geum has been following the hermit closely, pestering the hermit to pass on the secret recipe to himself.No matter how much she pestered her, the hermit only said that there was no secret recipe and refused to answer. "Where do you get wild vegetables?" "Go to the mountains and have a look. There are wild vegetables all over the mountains. Where else can we pick them?" "Then please tell me how to dry wild vegetables." "Oh, wild vegetables are all dried in the sun, should I dry them myself?" The hermit must have a secret recipe, otherwise, with his big rough hands, he would never be able to cook such delicious soups and dishes. The nanny Shang Gong's condition became more and more serious, and she fell into a coma several times a day, and it was difficult to open her eyes, but she just kept begging for rice in a daze due to the high fever.I don't know what kind of rice she wants, and she still can't forget it when she is dying. Jang Geum is puzzled and regretful at the same time, thinking that he will help her find it no matter what. Chang Geum thought this way, walking around in the monastery, seeing the hermit looking for a place with good light to dry rice, his speed was astonishingly slow, but his movements were extremely pious.It happened that Jang Jin was looking for rice, so he picked up a few grains of rice and chewed them in his mouth. "Before it's dry, the rice steamed in an iron pan will dry out immediately." "Steam the rice in an iron pan and then dry it in the sun. Is it firmer than white rice?" "of course." "So after the rice is dried, will it feel sticky and sweet when chewed?" "It seems that you understand it very well!" "So that's it, Shang Gongmao's rice!" "Are you looking for steamed rice?" "What is steamed rice?" "The rice fields on the ridge are harvested later, so it is difficult to dedicate the new rice to the ancestors in mid-autumn. The unripe rice is harvested, first steamed in an iron pot, and then dried in the sun." "Sir, can you give me some of this rice?" "This rice is not good!" "I just need a little bit, she might leave at any time." "That's not okay. Even if the light is good, it needs to be dried for more than four days before it tastes. When the rice is completely dry, it can be eaten after grinding it with a mill." "I can figure out a way to make it dry faster." Jang Geum wrapped the rice in his skirt like a thief, and hurried away. "A good meal is not afraid of being late... You can't eat this kind of rice even if you take it back..." Chang Geum ignored the hermit's concerns, and only asked De Jiu to light the firewood, and put the rice back on the pot lid. "I don't have so much time to bask in the sun. Uncle, go and get some back." "Yeah, it's done right away, but that idiot hermit is drying and collecting, collecting and drying all day... It's going to annoy me to death." When Chang Jin brought in the hastily dried rice, the nanny Shang Gong sat up with difficulty, chewed three or four mouthfuls and then stopped. "...Nurse, isn't this the rice you want?" "It seems to be..." "Then what do you think?" "It doesn't have that smell..." "Not that smell?" "But thank you very much." Looking at the nanny Shang Gong lying down again, Jang Geum was somewhat disappointed.I thought it must be this kind of rice, and even deliberately boasted about it, but in the end it was a waste of work. Both De Gu and Zheng Hao advised Jang Geum to just do his best.Jang Geum couldn't listen to a word, and she was in the same mood as she was in the cave a long time ago, giving wild strawberries to her dying mother. The nanny Shang Gong also seemed to have given up on the idea of ​​eating rice, and her condition worsened, and now she even struggled to drink the medicine, almost vomiting two spoonfuls after drinking one spoonful.The medical officers Zheng Yunshou, De Gu, and Zheng Hao were all watching. Jang Geum was feeding Shang Gong with medicine when the door opened. "This... the steamed rice has been completely dried..." The hermit grabbed a handful from the rice basket and handed it over, and the nanny Shang Gong, who had even spat out the soup, chewed hard. "This one is very solid, chew it and see." A smile slowly bloomed on his face, and then two lines of tears fell down. "Now I can go to the underworld with peace of mind. Please put this rice in my coffin, and I will give it to my brother when I get there." Crying for a while, chewing for a while, all the regrets of the nanny Shang Gong's life were vented in this instant.Jang Geum was stunned. She came to the kitchen and chewed a handful of steamed rice. It did have a sticky and fragrant taste, which was incomparable to rice dried in a pot. "The secret recipe... isn't this the secret recipe?" Jang Geum couldn't help talking to himself, when the hermit came in. "There is no special secret recipe. No matter whether it is wild vegetables or rice, it is just harvested in the sun in a place with good light...The so-called secret recipe is the piety of waiting patiently." "Yes, my mother said that food can't fill your stomach. You have to eat it with sincerity to make your stomach full. So no matter how anxious I am, I won't deal with it. Let people eat it before drying it. The rice..." After hearing these words, Jang Geum didn't know what to say. Jang Geum seemed to have suffered a heavy blow. When he walked out the door, he found that Zheng Hao was looking at Shaoyao Mountain with his hands behind his back. "Now I understand that I was indeed wrong. I used the excuse that my nanny Shang Gong might die at any time, and pretended to be smart, and offered the rice in a hurry, but it didn't impress Shang Gong's heart, but the rice brought by the foolish hermit was the real one." It moved Shang Gong." "You also want to let her eat it quickly. How can you say you are smart?" "No, I only now understand what my master Han Shanggong said. She said that my talent hurt me, and she was very worried that I would become a person who has no sincerity and only knows how to show off my talent." "I really envy you for having a good master. Your master believes in you as much as I do. You may make temporary mistakes, but you will never give up hope. It is such a simple and beautiful wish to make food that makes people who eat it smile. " When the word "smile" was mentioned, a gentle smile appeared on Zheng Hao's face.Jang Geum seemed to be infected too, looking at Zheng Hao with a bright smile. The breeze was blowing in the temple, and the mountain haze from the top of the mountain slowly covered the whole temple.A layer of green twilight covered the mountain temple, and the figures of Jung Ho and Jang Geum standing opposite each other were full of warmth.Jinying entered the Ilju Gate and hid immediately after finding the two of them. Jang Geum and Zheng Hao didn't notice anything. Jang Geum was the first to discover Nanny Shang Gong.Opening her clenched fist, she found that she was holding a handful of rice.Finally took away Mi who was looking for so hard, her expression was very peaceful. When returning to the palace with the spirit tablet of the nanny Shang Gong, the hermit prepared a heavy burden for Jang Geum. "Because I eat it every day, I didn't think about it before. I mixed dried shiitake mushrooms, anchovies and various wild vegetables and mashed them into powder. It might taste good if you put a little in soup or mixed vegetables Woolen cloth." Chang Geum thanked him again and again, and left Yunyan Temple.When I came here, I was alone, but when I went back, there were De Jiu and Zheng Hao, and the three hundred miles seemed not so far away, not to mention that she had just realized an extremely precious truth. Chang Jin wanted to go back quickly to see Han Shanggong and Liansheng, so he quickened his pace.The situation in the palace is very different from when Jang Geum left. The highest palace's condition worsened, and he could no longer take care of himself. Coupled with the spread of colds, many palace ladies fell ill.During this period, the topic of the second round of competition came out: sashimi that can be eaten all year round.This is undoubtedly the problem of the empress dowager's preference for Cui Shanggong. Even if steamed salted fish will lose its taste in summer, how can there be sashimi that can be eaten all year round?Except for Jeju Island, Cui Banshu is in charge of all the delicacies produced by mountains, rivers, land, and oceans in the country. For him, nothing is impossible. For this reason, Han Shanggong and Cui Shanggong both went out of the palace to search for materials. By chance, when they were not there, there was a chaotic incident of searching the palace maid's residence.In the middle of the night, the head of the inner guard personally came to the Supreme Palace.At that time, the unitary card has passed. Not long ago, there was a big-character poster incident in the East Palace. The inner guards conducted a secret investigation and found a suspicious person, but let him slip away while following him.According to inferences, the suspect should be hiding in the room of Shanggong, the imperial dining room, so the head of the inner guard asked the Supreme Palace to allow them to search the room. Lian Sheng helped the Supreme Palace outside, and all the maids in the imperial dining room stood in the courtyard outside the residence.Every room is brightly lit, only two rooms are not lit. "Why are only these two rooms not lit?" "The two Shang Palaces have accepted the order of the Empress Dowager and left the palace." As soon as the voice of the Supreme Palace fell, the soldiers of the internal guards rushed into the room and began to search.The prisoner hid in a closet in Choi Sang-gung’s room, and the soldiers gagged him and dragged him away. After the turmoil subsided, the most noble Miyamoto lost more strength on his inflexible legs, and sat down on the ground slumped.Cui Shanggong's room was like a barren weedy field. When the prisoner was dragged out of the closet, books and other items fell together, and his eyes were full of mess.The Supreme Palace ordered the people in the house to clean Cui Shanggong’s room, but cleaning the room is still the next step, the first thing to do is to find the scattered jewels.In terms of property, the Cui family is not inferior to any wealthy family, and the types and quantities of jewelry owned by Cui Shanggong are almost comparable to the queen. The Most Noble Palace was about to speak when he suddenly found a book scattered in front of the door.The pages of the book were opened, and there were some words like sesame seeds written on it. From the pictures, it can be seen at a glance that this is a book related to food.The paper was faded, yellowed, and frayed. It seemed that this was a cooking record for many years.I wanted to read it, but the content of the book always attracted the attention of the most noble palace. From the first page, the most noble palace stared round.Every time she turned a page, her complexion changed drastically, and finally she trembled.This is the cooking record specially passed on to the Supreme Palace, and it was passed directly to Cui Shanggong from the previous Supreme Palace, surpassing Ding Shanggong. "These shameless things! This is a secret handed down to the most noble palace... Cui Shanggong, you don't care about me so much!" The eyes of the most noble palace were breathing fire, like a cat in the dark staring ahead, its eyes full of hostility. The main culprit of the big-character poster has been identified, and it is the other prison of the East Palace.In order not to let things leak out, they have been conducting secret investigations all the time.I don't know why, but the atmosphere in the palace always makes people feel strange. Coupled with the flood of colds, it is almost a mess.Min Shanggong and Changyi's pulse condition was chaotic, they felt uncomfortable for several days, and finally they were bedridden. When Jang Geum came back, an unexplained evil was spreading in the palace.Seeing Jang Geum's return, Han Shanggong not only did not show joy, he didn't even say a word.Jang Jin asked her what the topic of the competition was, but she just gave Jang Jin a look, as if she was facing a stranger.If not, when Jang Geum returns to the job she has left for a long time, she will definitely feel satisfied and fulfilled. Jang Geum was making porridge with wolfberries and wormwood that he had learned from the hermit, and he couldn't help getting excited.Cook porridge with the water soaked with goji berries, add the pounded wormwood, and season with salt and honey. The porridge made in this way not only tastes good, but also prevents colds.Jang Jin was thinking about making it for Han Shanggong while pounding wormwood. At this moment, Jinying came in and stood beside her. It had been a long time since they prepared food side by side like this. At this time, Han Shanggong and Cui Shanggong were also standing side by side, picking vegetables and preparing to put them into their own food. "Nurse Han Shanggong refuses to forgive me, it seems that she hasn't calmed down yet." "But you've got enough." I haven't seen Jinying for a long time, and when I was happy, Jang Geum boldly spoke out what was in his heart, but he got a vague answer. "The things I most want to have in this world, the things I don't want to tell others in my heart, you already have them all." Jinying resisted to swallow what he wanted to say.The sight of Jang Geum and Jung Ho standing side by side at Yunam Temple tore Jinying's heart. She threw the food package she brought with her down the mountain, and at the same time threw away conflicts and confidence, nostalgia and conscience.Since she couldn't squeeze into Zheng Hao's heart, she could only dedicate all her feelings to the palace and cuisine, as well as the power of the Cui family. Because of this, Jinying went to Cui Shanggong impulsively, saying that she was ready to read the cheat book. "I was so obstructive at the time, but you insisted on going out to let the wind go. It seems that you are sensible now." In the past, Jinying, who thought that talent and ability were enough and did not need any cheats, has undergone such a big change, and Cui Shanggong cannot but be excited about it.When Cui Shanggong opened the closet door and was about to pass the cheats to Jinying, he found that it was not the same as before, so he couldn't help being a little nervous.Han Sanggong was talking to Jang Geum, and Cui Sanggong was rummaging through the entire closet.Han Shanggong said that she found raw fish that can be eaten all year round, and asked Chang Jin to taste it.Hearing Han Shanggong talking to him, Jang Geum was so happy that he stuffed the fish into his mouth immediately.One bite, the mouthful is full of fishy smell, which is really disgusting. "Even if it's disgusting, don't spit it out, just keep chewing!" Jang Geum couldn't disobey Han Shanggong, neither swallowed nor spit out, so he had to continue chewing, chewing and chewing, there was a unique taste, this kind of fish was more pliable than ordinary fresh fish, with a cool aftertaste. "It's a spotted ray. I bought it by accident from a Jeolla-do sailor when I went to Jemulpo* (the ferry in the middle of Incheon in the Joseon Dynasty-translator's note). Usually only people on the seaside of Jeolla-do eat it. Get it, you can eat it all year round." "Is it good for the body?" "I went to the pharmacy and asked about it. Spotted rays can eliminate phlegm, promote digestion, benefit blood circulation, and clean the intestines. This is the most suitable for the king." Although I don't know what Cui Shanggong is looking for, it seems that he is not looking for spotted rays.Han Shanggong has returned to his former gentleness and kindness, and Jang Geum, who is full of confidence in the second round, can finally stretch his legs and sleep peacefully.At this very moment, as Han Shanggong's competitor, Cui Shanggong was feverish and trembling.Cui Shanggong was worried that the inspector Shang Gong would come to search her room at any time after learning of the loss of the secret book, but when he heard that the most noble palace had already come, he immediately fainted. There are still four days until the game time.If this problem is exposed in front of everyone on the day of the competition, not only himself, but also the promotion of Shang Gong will not be able to get rid of the responsibility.The promotion of Shang Gong did not follow the procedures and regulations. If the responsibility is questioned, I really don't know how the Empress Dowager will punish her. At Xushi two days before the official match, the two Shang Gong went to find the most noble palace.Cui Shanggong first apologized to the most noble palace, and Tiao Shanggong persuaded him kindly from the sidelines. Since the secret book has found its owner, there is no need to bring up the past.Gao Shanggong still did not speak, Cui Shanggong took another step back and said that he would not serve sashimi in the second round of competition.After listening to them, the Supreme Palace said quietly. "If you finish talking, please come back." The gentle policy towards the most noble palace came to naught, and Titiao Shanggong and Cui Shanggong began to try to cancel the game.In fact, this was superfluous at all, because of an unexpected incident, the situation developed in a direction that was beneficial to them. That night, the Inner Hospital announced the news that infectious diseases were raging in the palace.It turned out that what made many people bedridden was not a cold, but an infectious disease, which was said to be a strange disease whose cause could not be found.The infectious disease this time was different from the usual ones. It looked like a cold, but it was too late when the patient and the internal hospital found out. The king immediately issued an edict, and anyone with slight symptoms must be resolutely isolated.The characteristics of infectious diseases determine that it will never allow the slightest delay, as long as the face changes slightly, it will become the subject of isolation.In addition, the chance of contagion through food is higher, so the people in the imperial dining room must strictly check. That night, Wu Jianhu was instigated by Cui Sanshu, and even gathered the medical officers of the inner hospital to isolate the Supreme Palace.Accompanied by military officers, the inspector came in half-hidden and asked the Supreme Palace to go to Yongjin Valley.The Supreme Palace felt that something was strange, but since it was an edict, it could not be disobeyed no matter what. The game was over, and the confident Han Shanggong and Jang Geum felt like they had collapsed. They didn't know when the highest palace would come back.There was a vacancy in the position of the most noble palace, and the promotion of Shanggong hurriedly encouraged the empress dowager. The queen mother thought that such a problem was not important when the epidemic was raging, so she rejected the suggestion of promoting Shang Palace in one sentence.However, the queen mother couldn't stand her coming to advise every day, and finally had to give her the power to appoint the agent of the most noble palace.Fortunately, there is a premise, that is, it is limited to the period before the highest palace returns to the palace. Titiao Shanggong called together all the Shanggongs who worked in the imperial dining room and burning the kitchen, and selected the most noble palace as an agent.Needless to say, the seat of the most noble palace is of course Cui Shanggong.The atmosphere in the imperial dining room was already disturbed, but now it was even more disturbed. Cui Shanggong immediately summoned all the members of the imperial dining room. The palaces headed by Han Shanggong stood in the front row, and the wives and maids came in one by one, found their seats and sat down.The venue calmed down, and Cui Shanggong finally came in.Judging by her walking posture and gaze, I am afraid that it is difficult for a person who has received the grace of God to be so rebellious. "This is the newly appointed agent of the most noble palace!" As soon as Han Shanggong finished his first sentence, the room suddenly swelled up, like a pot that had just boiled.This news is too unexpected!All the people with long mouths are talking endlessly. "Everyone be quiet, and salute to the agent Supreme Palace!" Han Shanggong was the first to salute.Although deep inside she was filled with anger and disappointment, sighs and frustration, she concealed it well on the surface with a look of disapproval.Cui Shanggong, who accepted the salute, pursed his lips, unable to hide his joy. "Nurse Ding Shanggong needs to recuperate due to illness. During this period, there are still many important matters to be dealt with, so I will replace the most noble palace. In case of emergency, I hope everyone can obey my command and strive to act in unison without chaos Because of the raging infectious disease, many people could not stay in the palace, and the imperial dining room was short of manpower, so we first transferred the Jinshang Palace in the Empress Dowager Hall, Li Shanggong in the Taiping Pavilion, and Zhao Neiren from the East Palace to the imperial dining room in the main hall." Jang Jin felt deeply disturbed, but she still felt that "it's not enough", so she patiently waited for the next chapter.Jang Geum is worried that once Cui Shanggong gains power, he will treat Han Shanggong slowly if he acts as the agent of the most noble palace. "Four days later, a Chinese envoy will go to North Korea. In order to obtain the consent of the great powers on the issue of the canonization of the son, the imperial court requires special attention to this matter, and there must be no negligence in the reception and ceremony of the envoy. That is to say, The most outstanding court lady should take on the important task. Han Shanggong, did you hear that?" In fact, her meaning was obvious, she just wanted to let the most talented Han Shanggong and Jang Geum go, but she deliberately said it in a tone of superiors to subordinates. "I trust Han Shanggong, so I entrust this matter to you." Cui Shanggong continued to pretend. No one wants to go to the Taiping Pavilion, it is a place that is easy to be ignored, there are constant troubles, the envoys deliberately make things difficult, and it is impossible to live a comfortable day.No matter how well you do it, you will end up miserable sooner or later, and there is no credit or reward at all. Han Shanggong was demoted to the Taiping Pavilion, and still worked in silence.Maybe I was too sad and didn't want to show it, but seeing her calm and almost stupid look, Jang Geum was so anxious that he finally couldn't help asking. "Aren't you sad, mother?" "How can you not be sad?" "Aren't you worried?" "I'm worried as hell." "Then how can you be so free and easy?" "I'm not free and easy!" Han Shanggong answered frankly and simply.Jang Geum didn't ask anything, and her depressed mood couldn't be relieved, she stared blankly at Han Shanggong.At this time, someone from the Taiping Museum came in and put down a letter, saying that it was delivered by Jiang Dejiu, who was waiting for the order, and then turned and left. Looking at Jiang Dejiu's letter, Han Shanggong was no longer free and easy.She threw away the fish she was packing and opened the letter, Jang Jin could see that Han Shanggong's hands were shaking. The letter was sent from Yongjin Valley.四天以前，韩尚宫派德九去看望丁尚宫，回来把情况告诉自己。丁尚宫在信上说自己根本就没得传染病，很快就会回宫，并在结尾嘱咐韩尚宫千万不要动摇。 “可恶的家伙……狠毒的家伙……” 看完信后，韩尚宫自言自语地骂着，手指瑟瑟发抖。 “最高尚宫还好吗？” “最高尚宫没有患传染病。她千叮咛万嘱咐叫我不要动摇，长今你也不能动摇，知道吗？” 韩尚宫握紧拳头说道。透过她的目光，长今看到一种天崩地陷也决不退缩的倔强和悲壮。 当时，中国以种种借口推迟朝鲜元子的世子册封。大王为此忧心不已。使臣赶在这个时候来到朝鲜，其接待事宜当然就比大王的御膳更需要小心谨慎。此次前来的正使*（首席使臣——译者注）尤其喜好美食，在中国也是出了名的。长番内侍叮嘱完毕就离开了，这时医女施然送来了汤药。使臣中有个患消渴症*（消渴症，即糖尿病——译者注）的人，内医院特意送来了汤药。 吴兼护和使臣面对面坐在宴会桌前。胡子长而雪白的使臣一看就知道是个怪人，出人意料的是他竟然说得一口流利的朝鲜语。 “正使大人什么时候学会朝鲜语了？” “我小时候的乳娘是朝鲜人。” 吴兼护夸张地点了点头，这时餐桌端了上来。整洁素雅，没有一样荤腥，满桌子都是素菜。吴兼护立即叫来长番内侍怒斥一顿，严令重做。不料，重做之后端上来的仍然是清一色的蔬菜。 看见正使脸色大变，吴兼护冷汗直冒，如坐针毡。 “正使大人在此，你们做的这是什么鬼东西……” 吴兼护气得浑身发抖。这时，徘徊在门前的韩尚宫恳切地进来禀告说。 “对不起！正使大人以带病之躯远道而来，所以……” 吴兼护什么解释也听不进去，气势汹汹地命人把韩尚宫带下去。长今从女佣那儿听说后，端着茶水进来，正好看见韩尚宫被人带走，便不顾一切地跑进来跪在地上。 “你……你……你这女人又想干什么？一个内人……一点礼节都不懂，竟敢……” 此时此刻，长今早已无暇听吴兼护说话了。 “经过了长途跋涉，消渴症会加重的。对于消渴症患者来说，食物保养远比汤药重要。如果食物调节不合理，什么药都没有用。所以，韩尚宫甘愿抛开那些能够显示她才华的料理，特意为大人做了有益健康的食物。” “赶快把这个女人带走，让人重做大人爱吃的山珍海味！” “美味只是暂时的，终有一天会变成伤害身体的毒药，请大人明察！” “这个疯女人，来人啊！都干什么呢！快把这女人拉下去！” “请您用上十天……不，只要五天！” 长今被人拖着往外走，仍然恳切地呼喊不止。正使一直盯着吴兼护，这时好象听见了长今的最后一句话，终于有了兴趣。 “你说五天是吗？五天之后没有进展的话，你和你的主子都由我随意处置，是吗？” "yes!" “就算我要你的性命也可以，是吗？” "yes……" “好！我就给你五天时间。不过，我是个对食物很挑剔的人，不会因为对身体有益就吃没有味道的东西。” 终于，韩尚宫暂时得救了。她们究竟是多活五天，还是永远活下去，一切就掌握在长今手里了。 消息不胫而走，很快就传到了太后殿。崔尚宫刚刚当上代理最高尚宫就受到责难，气急败坏地跑来找长今，冲她虎视眈眈。 “你跟韩尚宫一样愚蠢！滚出去！从今往后，正使大人的膳食由我来做！” “我不能滚出去！” "what?" “嬷嬷您出去吧。正使大人跟我约好了，这五天时间就由我来为他料理饮食。所以今后五天的时间里，我才是这个厨房的主人。我会尽心尽力完成我的任务，请您出去吧。” 崔尚宫怒不可遏，咬紧牙关出去了。可恶的丫头，就算当场把她掐死也不解恨，可是她说得句句在理，自己也不好再拗下去。索性趁此机会稍信给哥哥，要他帮忙准备满汉全席的材料。 说不定这反而是好事呢。习惯了油腻食物的正使嘴巴挑剔，不可能满足于长今奉献的绿色蔬菜，只要自己及时献上一桌满汉全席，一切不就迎刃而解了，既能立功，又可以除掉韩尚宫和长今，一举两得，而且斩草除根…… 长今寻找光线充足的地方晒野菜。先磨碎晒干的香菇，接下来就是鯷鱼和海带。第一天的食物是大酱汤和野菜。从舀第一勺开始，正使始终紧锁眉头，直到餐桌撤掉仍未舒展。 第二天，长今选用的材料是各种海藻，包括海带、紫菜、盐角草和莼菜等，看着就很新鲜，然而正使依旧紧锁眉头。第三天是加进带鱼煮的海带汤。第四天是豆腐火锅。第五天是水泡菜和竹筒饭。这些食物依次吃下来，正使仍然愁眉不展。 长今已经用尽了浑身解数，有气无力地走出了料理间。内人和女佣们正在帮助崔尚宫搬运满汉全席的材料，猪肉十五斤、鸭子八只、羊肉二十斤、甲鱼四只、大鹅五只、鹿肉十五斤，另有六只鸡、二十斤鱼，甚至连鹿尾都准备好了。这些长今早就听连生说过了。 单是母鹿子宫、熊掌、天鹅、孔雀、田鸡等野生动物和飞禽就有数十种之多，还有虎鞭做成的清汤虎丹、四不象头做成的一品麒麟面、鹿眼做成的明月照金凤，等等等等。二百多种山珍海味，正使总共吃了四天四夜，日日笙歌不断，夜夜呼酒唤醉。 尽管结果还没出来，长今已经抑制不住眼泪了，仿佛毕生体力耗尽般地无精打采。虚脱、绝望、崩溃，她想大哭一场，但是韩尚宫和丁尚宫都不在身边。要是做得出像华丽酒席那样迎合别人的事情，那么韩尚宫和丁尚宫现在一定过得无忧无虑。正因为做不到，所以两位尚宫才被隔离。刹那间，长今感觉自己也与世隔绝了，独自一个人，很孤独，孤独得冰凉彻骨。 正使正在享用崔尚宫满汉全席中的鲨鱼鳍子汤。因为放入了蔚珍*（地名——译者注）进贡的鳕蟹肉，更为这道汤增加了不可言喻的美味。满汉全席每一轮都有二十多种主菜和副菜，再加上冷食、干果、蜂蜜煎饼和水果等，一般有三、四十种。一个主菜配以四个副菜，叫做众星捧月，四颗星星围绕一个月亮，指的是侍奉皇上的众多臣子。 不管怎么样，正使的确是神清气爽地享用着满汉全席。因为长今曾以性命做赌注，为了让她亲耳听见结果，便把长今也叫了过来。正使尽情地吃完了，放下碗筷说道，“山珍海味，到此为止”。咧嘴陪笑的吴兼护和崔尚宫没听懂正使的意思，目瞪口呆。 “就是因为贪图美味可口的油腻食物，我才患上了消渴症，可我还是改不了，结果病情越来越重了。可是，我又不是朝鲜人，更不会在这里待太久，你只管做我喜欢吃的食物不就行了，为什么要这么固执呢？” 正使这话是问长今的。 “我只是遵照嬷嬷的意思行事。” “她又是什么意思呢？” “不管什么情况，都不能做害人的食物，这是厨师必须遵循的原则。” “就算给自己惹来麻烦也不怕吗？” “正使大人不也看见被拉走的嬷嬷了吗？” “好，真是一对倔强的师徒！我明白了，厨师有厨师的原则和信念，食客也应该有原则！厨师考虑我的身体，我怎能专拣有害的东西吃呢？从今天开始，直到离开朝鲜，我的饮食就交给这对倔强的师徒了！” 长今哽咽难言。起先只因性命无碍，所以稍微安下心来，但当她切实感觉到韩尚宫的准确以及自己就是她的徒弟时，长今哭了。 正使爽快地应允了册封世子的事宜。大王和太后兴奋难当，因此而立功的人却是吴兼护和崔尚宫，因为总体负责使臣接待的人正是吴兼护。 但是不管怎样，韩尚宫获得了释放，这已经让长今感到无比的幸福，仿佛她拥有了整个世界。事实何尝不是这样，最爱的人就是自己的一切。 因为极度伤心而卧病在床的王后终于站了起来，她就是文定王后。章敬王后生下儿子仁宗后五天便因褥疮去世，接着爆发了以士林派为中心的废后慎氏的复位风波，但在可能动摇王子地位的舆论影响下，最终由尹之任的女儿登上王后宝座，她就是中宗的第二继妃文定王后。 文定王后自幼丧母，与保姆尚宫结下了胜过血缘之亲的深厚感情，保姆尚宫的死在王后心中留下莫大的遗憾。在如丧考妣的痛苦中病了几天，王后终于振奋精神，派人去叫那个在保姆尚宫临终之前悉心照料的御膳房内人。 长今跟随长番内侍来到中宫殿，尽管是初次相见，然而王后与长今之间已经彼此有了好感。 “保姆尚宫走得舒心吗？” “是的，娘娘。她说跟王后娘娘在一起的日子非常幸福。” “是啊，我和她之间的感情比和母亲还深。我应该亲手做的事……连最后一面也没见到……” 后来，王后泪流满面，悲不自禁。长番内侍赶紧转换话题，努力宽慰王后。 “娘娘，这孩子肯定能送尚宫嬷嬷平安上路的。我也是通过这次的太平馆事件才重新认识了她。” 王后娘娘好象对太平馆事件很感兴趣，长番内侍便把事情经过从始至终细说一遍。早晨给太后请安时，王后把这件事讲给了太后。提调尚宫为此蒙受了巨大的羞辱，竟然给患有消渴症的正使大人上满汉全席，还把一切当成自己的功劳，至于实情则隐瞒不报，只字不提。太后大为恼火，斥责道，你太可恶了，主子有病，你还是只做那些逢迎口味的食物。 此外还有一件事，也让提调尚宫和崔尚宫很不如意。传染病没有进一步蔓延，原因也查清楚了，是与肝脏有关，所有隔离到雍津谷的宫女们全都回宫了。太后娘娘下令召集御膳房的所有宫女，并且亲自指示丁尚宫回宫。 在众多宫女之间，由闵尚宫搀扶着走过来的人分明是丁尚宫。韩尚宫、长今、连生、昌伊都眼含热泪迎接丁尚宫。 “真是见鬼了，这么多人怎么就没人说句话？” “嬷嬷，听说您行动不便，我们都很担心。” “我还有事没做完，所以就硬挺过来了。” 这时，崔尚宫和提调尚宫也来了。 “嬷嬷竟然也来迎接我，其实您没必要这样做。听说你替我受了不少苦啊？” 丁尚宫话中带刺，不过她们等的另有其人，别监报信告说太后娘娘要来，所以她们才出来迎接。 太后带领王后一起出来，她首先看到丁尚宫回来，便安下心来，随后又提起了前一段时间已经遗忘的比赛。 “听说你冒着生命危险为中国使臣进献了好食物？” “是的，不过应该说是我的上馔内人长今……” “好，这个我也听说了。起初我觉得没什么，就没当回事，后来听了王后的一番话，我才有了些感想，所以今天就到这里来了。王后说，御膳房的最高尚宫岂能只会做做食物，有时候也得凭借信念和思想扭转君王的意愿！” 所有的人都侧耳倾听，只有长今轻轻抬头去看王后。正巧王后也把目光投向长今，两人便用眼睛给了对方一个温柔的微笑。 “只有这样，才能保证大王的龙体健康，难道不是吗？所以说呢，虽然这次我没有规定题目，不过我想把韩尚宫的绿色蔬菜和崔尚宫的满汉全席作为第二轮比赛的题目。第二轮比赛结果，韩尚宫获胜！” 接着，太后又提出最后一轮比赛的题目。 “这次没有题目！做你们想做的食物，送给大王和我。味道和健康，同时表达你们的心意，这就足够了。” 比赛日期定于太后的寿辰。鉴于年景不好，大王和元子的生日都过得十分简朴，所以只要代表你们的心意就行了。说完最后一句，太后就离开了。 长今激动不安地回到宿舍，小心翼翼地打开母亲的料理日记。 “今天，我和朋友一起做了柿子醋，埋在璿源殿后院的龙柏树下。我们约定，以后不管谁做了最高尚宫，谁就可以把柿子醋据为己有。” 读着母亲的日记，有好几次长今都情不自禁地笑了。每次读到这儿，长今不由得心生疑惑。跟朋友一起做完柿子醋，然后趁人不注意埋到龙柏树下。长今很容易就在脑海里勾画出两个天真无邪的内人的身影。长今心里很想知道，母亲的朋友到底是谁呢？ “不会已经成了最高尚宫吧？” 长今脑海里突然浮现出崔尚宫的面孔，情不自禁地打了个寒战，然后就笑了起来。 就像自己和连生，困难的时候两个人一起哭，高兴的时候两个人一起笑，什么事情也没有的时候，对方的存在本身就是安慰。自己会不会也跟连生一起做柿子醋，装起来埋到后院的稠李树下？如果说自己和连生争夺最高尚宫的位子，这几乎是不可能的。也许连生会撅着嘴说，你又耍我。 突然，长今想起了今英，脸上的笑容立刻消失了。她们两个之间，今后倒有可能争夺最高尚宫的位子。从什么时候开始，两人之间就变成了这种没有善意拼命竞争的关系呢。 现在，今英的心里只有必须胜利的欲望。必须胜利，这样才能证明自己的才华比长今天生描绘美味的能力更强，她希望长今因此受到严重的打击。今英之所以主动承担为太后做粥和饭后甜点的任务，就是受了这种残酷欲望的驱使。 韩尚宫决定以八卦汤为主菜。甲鱼的瘦肉和肝脏以旺火上炒熟，放在一边，再浇上冬虫夏草和鸡肉熬的汤，放入甲鱼蛋一起煮。韩尚宫出去购买冬虫夏草，直到宴会前一天晚上仍然没有回来，长今担心极了。 韩尚宫被一群恶人带走后，关进一座仓库里，她根本不知道这是什么地方。崔判述信不过妹妹的豪言壮语，看出局势不利，就派人紧盯住韩尚宫，趁出宫时将其绑架。结果，这次的食物又只能由长今一个人做了。 长今的鲍鱼内脏粥与今英的五子粥相比，简直寒酸极了，她只选择了鲍鱼的内脏。今英用五种果实的种子，即桃仁、杏仁、核桃仁、松仁和芝麻熬成五子粥，更讨太后欢心。长今的荞麦煎饼似乎也比韩尚宫*（按上下文推断，此处应为崔尚宫，可能原文出现了印刷错误——译者注）的明太包饭稍逊一筹。 崔尚宫的主菜是凉拌鸡肉生参。太后和大王赞不绝口，称赞鸡肉和豆汤混合调出的味道清淡甜美。听见自己野心勃勃的主菜获得称赞，崔尚宫以为自己已经胜券在握了。 韩尚宫没有回来，所以无法做八卦汤，情急之下，长今只好做起了凉拌海鲜。平平凡凡的凉拌海鲜没有吸引太后的目光，太后连筷子都没动，看见王后在吃，她也就装模做样地夹了一口。接着太后又尝了一口，这回她开始细细品位了。 “嗯。真没想到，殿下，我还是第一次尝到这么清爽香甜的味道呢。“ “感觉就像海鲜在嘴里蠕动，不是吗？” 王后说道。 “我还以为只是普通的凉拌海鲜呢，想不到味道这么独特，怎么做的啊？” 大王也点了点头，问长今。 “以前宫里主要使用松子汁，凉拌菜的优势也就是清爽感，却因为使用松子汁而减弱了，这是缺陷所在。所以我做了蒜汁，蒜能祛除鱼腥味，加强清凉感觉。” “哦，原来如此。既不像芥末那样的刺鼻，甜中带酸的味道让人觉得满口清新。” 尽管长今早有准备，然而面对这种大大超出期待的反应还是有些不知所措。凉拌海鲜是自己和母亲，以及母亲的朋友一起做的料理，所以就更加特别。长今原想在蒜汁中加入特别的醋，想来想去，便想起了母亲在料理日记中提到的柿子醋。在找柿子醋的过程中，长今吃了不少苦头，然而所有的辛苦都不白费。太后和中宗的反应就是证明。 “母后，这种清爽味道好象不止是来自大蒜，莫非另有秘诀？” “听大王这么一说，还果真如此。是啊，除了大蒜，你还用了别的什么材料吗？” “是的，我还用了埋藏二十年的柿子醋。” “哎呀呀……二十年，足够江山换两代了，不是吗？” 太后满意地拍打膝盖，王室贵族们也都惊叹不已，相互对视，连连点头。过了一会儿，太后推说两道凉拌菜全都完美得无可挑剔，难以评判胜负，就把决定权让给了大王。大王思量片刻，然后郑重说道。 “两道凉拌菜都无可挑剔，不过，柿子醋竟然能保存几十年，想想这种精神，我觉得后者更好。” 长今的脸上终于露出了喜悦，对于这个结果的期待，要比对那次事关韩尚宫和自己性命的正使的评价更为殷切。 不管双方的激烈比赛结果如何，宴会还是在欢乐祥和的气氛中继续进行。幸好韩尚宫及时回来，长今更受鼓舞。没有时间诉说自己遭受的苦难，师徒二人开始忙着准备下一道食物。松口蘑烤排骨、叫花鸡、海鲜石锅拌饭、野草莓果茶、炸水参红枣卷等，一个接一个按顺序呈上餐桌。对方呈上了烤醉虾、烤乳猪、蟹黄拌饭、釉子果茶和蜜炸山参。 竞争最激烈的要数叫花鸡和烤乳猪，还有就是海鲜石锅拌饭和蟹黄拌饭。叫花鸡就是把生鸡包进莲叶再涂上泥巴烤熟，而烤乳猪是从母猪肚子里取出小猪烤制，两道菜的形式和味道截然不同。莲叶隐隐飘香的鸡肉，轻轻萦绕在舌尖的乳猪味道，实在令人难以决断。 海鲜石锅拌饭关键在于以石头为锅，那是一个只容一人饭量的小锅。当时的时代，不仅富家人口众多，穷人也有很多儿女，即使大铁锅做饭都经常不够吃。只给一个人做饭的锅，而且还是石头雕琢出来的，的确是个绝妙的好主意。 比赛快要开始的时候，韩尚宫找到工曹攻冶司*（朝鲜时代隶属于工曹的机构，主要负责雕琢金、银、玉器，或者冶炼铜铁器材等——译者注）特别订做了只为大王一人料理御