Chapter 49: The Flavor Restaurant

After leaving the imperial court at noon, Li Shen headed straight out of the palace. Upon arriving at the Boutique Pavilion, he shared his morning thoughts with Wang Hongfu.

Wang Hongfu asked in utter confusion, "Your Highness, where are we going to put them once we buy them back? More importantly, where should we bury them?"

"Bury them? Why on earth would we bury them? Burying such wonderful things—how utterly wasteful! I should bury you instead."

"If we don't bury them, Your Highness, how else should we deal with them?"

"Eat them."

"Eat them?!" Wang Hongfu's jaw dropped. Were bugs even something people could eat?

"Look at you, acting like you've never seen the world. Go to the imperial estate and find some men. Purchase locusts from the disaster-stricken areas at two cash per catty. Tell them that if the villagers live far from the county town, they should simply wash the locusts clean with spring water, remove their wings, and preserve them with a small amount of salt. For those, we'll pay an extra cash per catty. Once they are brought back, we'll process them ourselves. Renovate that tavern we bought right next to the Boutique Pavilion and prepare for a grand opening. As for the chefs, I'll ask His Majesty for a couple when I return to the palace later, and we can recruit the staff from the imperial estate. If there are no able-bodied men, even idle housewives will do. I want this tavern open within three days. Name it the Flavor Pavilion. Hurry up now—time is money!" Urged by Li Shen, Wang Hongfu rushed off.

Not daring to delay Li Shen's affairs in the slightest, Wang Hongfu galloped off to the imperial estate without stopping to catch his breath. Meanwhile, Li Shen returned directly to the imperial palace and made his way to the Ganlu Hall. After Wang Dean announced his arrival, Li Shen was admitted.

"Greetings, Father."

"Hmm, what brings you here?" Li Shimin knew that Li Shen had just left the palace.

"Father, are there any elderly imperial chefs from the Directorate of Imperial Food who are about to retire from the palace? Give me two of them," Li Shen requested directly.

"What do you want with imperial chefs? Don't tell me you're planning to open a tavern outside the palace walls." Li Shimin knew Li Shen too well; everything he did was purely to make money.

"Father is truly perceptive—indeed, that is the case. I am planning to open a Flavor Pavilion outside the palace in three days, but I lack chefs. Isn't Father planning to streamline the palace staff this year? That's why I wanted to ask if anyone in the Directorate of Imperial Food is due to leave." Li Shen knew that to cut expenses, Li Shimin had continuously reduced the number of eunuchs and palace maids.

"Wang De, are there any imperial chefs scheduled to leave the palace?" Li Shimin asked. If Li Shen took them in, it would at least provide a way out for those people.

"Reporting to Your Majesty, there are five imperial chefs in the Directorate of Imperial Food, all around fifty years of age. Due to declining physical strength, they need to leave the palace this year." As the head of the inner palace, Wang De was the one who managed such matters. Who stayed and who left was entirely up to him.

"Then I'll take all of them. Have them pack up; I'll take them out of the palace in three days. I'll discuss their wages with them myself." Li Shen had originally thought getting two would be a stroke of luck, but he never expected there to be five.

"Very well, Wang De can make the arrangements shortly. Li Shen, I know you are spending your own money to buy up the locusts for the sake of the imperial court. I understand your intentions, but you must act within your means. You shouldn't have much money left by now, right?" Li Shimin estimated that Li Shen had less than one hundred thousand strings of cash remaining, along with perhaps fifty thousand piculs of grain. The rest had either been spent on purchasing mountains and land or donated on behalf of Princess Li Mengjiang.

"Father, do not worry. I still have some funds, and the winery is in continuous production. Besides, this venture just might turn a handsome profit."

"Oh? Then how do you plan to handle the locusts you purchase?" Li Shimin asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Didn't I just mention it? I'm opening a Flavor Pavilion," Li Shen replied.

"A Flavor Pavilion... You actually intend to eat the locusts?!" Li Shimin nearly dropped his jaw in astonishment.

"Indeed. Locusts are extremely nourishing. They can strengthen the spleen and stomach, relieve coughing, and calm asthma. Furthermore, they are high in nutrients, and regular consumption can build up one's physique." Seeing Li Shimin's ignorance, Li Shen patiently offered an explanation.

"Are these claims written in that ancient book of yours again? Ever since ancient times, no one has ever eaten locusts. Can they really be eaten?" Li Shimin brought up the ancient texts yet again. All of Li Shen's strange knowledge seemed to stem from an elusive ancient book that no one else could ever find.

"Of course they can, and they are quite delicious. Most importantly, they are exceptionally tonic. Think about it, Father: people always say these disasters are sent down by the heavens—some blame the local officials for a lack of virtue, while others blame the imperial court. But if we actually eat them up, do you think anyone will dare spread rumors in the future?" Li Shen explained.

After pondering for a moment, Li Shimin asked, "Can they truly be eaten?"

"Truly edible, and quite savory."

"Very good. Then we shall host a locust banquet right in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate. All civil and military officials will attend, and the common people of Chang'an will be invited to watch. The populace of Chang'an is currently panic-stricken and scrambling to hoard grain; I fear it could trigger a genuine famine. The Ministry of Revenue has already begun transporting grain from the granaries into Chang'an. If the people realize that these locusts are not some ferocious calamity, it will pacify the public's fears. Go make your preparations—the locust banquet will take place in three days." Li Shimin was a shrewd and capable emperor. The moment he heard Li Shen's proposal, he knew how to maximize the political benefits. How much influence could a mere tavern run by Li Shen possibly have? It could never compare to the overwhelming influence of the imperial court.

"Then I will go prepare the ingredients. Tomorrow, I'll begin instructing those five men on how to cook them. Shortly, I'll have Wang Hongfu gallop back with a fresh batch." Tongzhou, the disaster area closest to Chang'an, could be reached in less than half a day by horseback, so time was more than sufficient. The real challenge lay in the grueling work of catching them; he would need to have them make nets beforehand.

Without lingering, Li Shen followed Wang De to the Directorate of Imperial Food. In the Tang Dynasty, spices were as valuable as currency, sold by the tael, with a single tael costing around seven or eight strings of cash. Even the imperial palace had limited stores. After searching for a long time, Li Shen finally found cumin—also known as Persian fennel—and plenty of black pepper. Li Shen had his men grind both cumin and pepper into powder so that the flavors would penetrate quickly while also saving on the expensive spices. Regrettably, there were no chili peppers, but everything else was accounted for.

By noon the next day, Wang Hongfu delivered a cartload of locusts, which had been caught using nets throughout the night and were still alive. Li Shen had them hauled to the Directorate of Imperial Food, where he set aside a portion to begin his experiments. He had eaten plenty of them in his past life and knew the cooking methods well, but this was his first time actually cooking them himself. Li Shen decided on four preparation methods: tossed in cold sauce, charcoal-roasted, stir-fried on high heat, and deep-fried. With limited ingredients, he had to make do.

Thus, throughout the afternoon, Li Shen began directing the five imperial chefs in their experiments, utilizing these very ingredients with a primary focus on mastering the heat control. Imperial chefs were truly masters of their craft; once they grasped Li Shen's theoretical knowledge, they began pondering and experimenting. By evening, they had finally succeeded. In truth, the process was quite simple once the cooking steps were explained; the rest was just practice. As long as the ingredients were sufficient, trial and error would eventually lead to success—all the more so for veteran imperial chefs.

By the morning of the third day, the common folk of Chang'an were already abuzz with the news. The Emperor, alongside all civil and military officials, was going to hold a grand locust banquet right in front of the Vermilion Bird Gate to eat locusts. This was an unprecedented feat; no one had ever dared try it before. The ordinary people had never even imagined that such creatures were edible, let alone dared to consume them—how could one eat a plague sent down by the heavens? Consequently, crowds of citizens flocked to witness the spectacle. The vast plaza before the Vermilion Bird Gate had been cordoled off by the Imperial Guard, their swords and sabers unsheathed and gleaming. Rows of archers stood poised along the city walls, creating an airtight security perimeter. Seating arrangements had already been put in place, and every official in the capital, including their deputies, was required to be present. Anyone holding the rank of the sixth grade or higher in Chang'an had to attend. Meanwhile, a temporary pavilion had been erected near the city wall as a makeshift kitchen for the imperial chefs. At this moment, Li Shen was supervising the final preparations. Several large water vats were being used to wash the locusts, and those that required marinating had already been soaked in advance. Furthermore, the locusts had been kept from eating anything for the past two days, rendering them thoroughly clean.

Shortly thereafter, Li Shimin emerged accompanied by a hundred-odd civil and military officials. Once Li Shimin took his seat, the officials seated themselves according to their official ranks. Wang De walked over and asked Li Shen, "His Highness the Prince of Ji, His Majesty asks if everything is prepared. May the banquet begin?"