Chapter 263: The Ancestor’s Strict Selection

Chapter 263: Chapter 263: The Ancestor’s Strict Selection

Not daring to touch the main parts of the landscape, the children aimed their chopsticks at the edges.

Most of it was unassuming vegetables, like radishes.

They lifted the pieces to their mouths.

They hadn’t expected much, but in that instant, they were completely blown away.

The usually mild-tasting radish was bursting with juice, cool and refreshing with every bite.

It wasn’t overly seasoned, yet the flavor was exquisitely fresh and savory.

All the children’s eyes lit up. Their desire for delicious food overcame their reverence for the artwork. Their chopsticks moved faster and faster, and the exquisite pavilions and towers began to disappear...

[It’s such a shame to watch it get eaten...]

[But Nan Zhi said it herself—if it’s food, it’s meant to be eaten!]

[I’m drooling like crazy. Why does this dish have to be beautiful *and* delicious?!]

[You can tell just from the kids’ faces. That cold platter must be insanely good, way beyond what I imagined.]

[Exactly. Cold platters are usually just light appetizers meant to not outshine the main course. But look at them! They look happier eating this than they would eating expensive tuna!]

[Kids don’t lie. This one dish alone is enough to declare a winner!]

[Hold on, hold on. We need a completely convincing victory. The main event is still to come!]

[I’m already excited for the next dish! Look! Nan Zhi is moving!]

...

Nan Zhi’s gaze lingered on the children for only a moment before she moved on to the next step.

What she was preparing today was the court banquet she used to present to the Emperor each year as an Imperial Chef in the Otherworld.

This court banquet was as much a performance as it was a ceremony.

The guqin played by Qi Pei’er and the Jade Bell at Nan Zhi’s waist were part of this performance—a perfect fusion of music and cuisine.

After all, this performance, personally orchestrated by Nan Zhi, had captivated an Emperor who had seen every luxury the world had to offer in an ancient era where cuisine reigned supreme. Bringing it to this world was an overwhelmingly unfair advantage.

Was the Wangchuan Map Sample the peak of the performance?

Of course not. The real show was just beginning.

For a truly exquisite feast, even the order in which the dishes are served is an art form.

As the Suiyuan Food List says: "Salty dishes should precede bland ones; rich dishes should precede light ones; dishes without soup should precede those with soup. The world holds five original flavors, and one cannot cover them all with salt alone. When you sense a guest is becoming full and their palate is growing weary, you must use spice to revive it. If you fear a guest has had too much wine and their stomach is tired, you must use sweet and sour notes to reawaken them."

The first course Nan Zhi served was a cold platter, also known as an appetizer.

Next would come the stir-fried dishes, followed by the main course, or the "grand dish," and finally, desserts and sweet soups.

And so, a flowing stream of delicacies was born from Nan Zhi’s hands, presented one after another before the crowd.

Moreover, Nan Zhi’s menu consisted almost entirely of restored ancient recipes—

Spring Pancakes, Stir-fried Gold and Boiled Jade, Steamed Goose with Bamboo Shoots, Mountain Dweller’s Three Crisps, Jade Cicada Soup, Wontons with Bamboo and Fern Shoots...

With every dish she presented, Nan Zhi would recite a fitting line of poetry:

"Pancakes like silkworm paper, too delicate for the wind; greens like fine floss, too soft to be sewn. Rolled with chives and lettuce, a hint of purple unfolds; with radish slivers like ice, a chill that bites the teeth."

"Stir-frying yellow gold in a greased pan; boiling white jade in a pot of rice."

"New shoots and mushrooms sprout, tender wolfberries are picked; pine wood is burned to cook for one’s honored elders. Why should one scorn the finest foods of the human world? The flavors of the mountains and forests are naturally sweet."

"..."

The children listened, only half-understanding.

As elementary schoolers, they couldn’t be expected to fully grasp the meaning of the verses.

But that didn’t stop the cultural identity ingrained in their very bones from sparking their boundless imaginations.

The tiny bowls and small plates were filled with the unique artistic beauty of the nation’s landscapes and traditions.

While savoring the food, the children even began to subconsciously memorize the verses Nan Zhi recited, repeating them in their innocent, young voices...

Before long, the clear sound of recitation began to echo through the simple, ordinary cafeteria.

It mingled with the rising steam and fragrant aroma of the food, touching a soft spot in everyone’s heart.

The livestream chat went quiet for a few seconds before erupting with emotional comments:

[I wish I could teleport through the screen!]

[This atmosphere is absolutely incredible. If I had witnessed a feast like this when I was a kid, I would probably never forget it for the rest of my life!]

[LMAO, compared to the culture of our ancestors, stuff like kaiseki cuisine gets crushed into dust!]

[Forget cultural confidence, I’m culturally arrogant now! If anyone asks, it’s because our ancestors are the greatest in the world!]

[As a grad student in history, I can say that Nan Zhi’s grasp of ancient etiquette is spot-on and incredibly detailed! I’m going to get my advisor to watch this!]

[I’m so curious what your advisor thinks!]

[My advisor’s here! She says Nan Zhi’s every move carries an ancient elegance, like a banquet scene from an old painting... I’m paraphrasing a bit, but that’s the gist of it!]

[AHHH my advisor’s expression just got super serious. I thought something was wrong, but it turns out she’s saying Nan Zhi’s whole process is incredibly valuable as a reference. It’s like the murals from a mysterious tomb that was just discovered, even the dishes look similar. She says she needs to contact Nan Zhi, AHHH!]

[For real? How did this suddenly take a turn I don’t understand?]

[Eh, who cares about all that? My brain is completely filled with food! I want to eat too! I’m ordering takeout!]

[LMAO, when it comes to elegant rituals, who can possibly compete with a great nation that has five thousand years of history! It makes a certain someone look so petty and provincial by comparison!]

...

The livestream chat was in a state of wild celebration.

Even though they weren’t there in person, just seeing the looks of pure bliss on the faces of the children and the other attendees—relaxed and utterly content—told them how magnificent this feast was.

Emotions are contagious, and they all seemed to share in that joy. After all their previous frustration, they finally felt vindicated and proud, eager to hold their heads high.

In truth, they had no idea that this was a toned-down version of what Nan Zhi was capable of.

The state banquets she had prepared in the ancient court of the Otherworld were far more elaborate. When it came to the hot courses, the focus was on fine wines paired with specific side dishes.

This meant that one did not simply toast at will. The imperial wine had to be drunk one cup at a time, following a strict procedure.

With each cup raised, a different accompanying dish would be served, each one specifically chosen to complement that particular type of wine.

Furthermore, the menu for every banquet was unique.

For one banquet she remembered, there were fifteen rounds of wine, which meant a full thirty different accompanying dishes, such as Flower-Steamed Quail, Lychee Pork Kidneys, and Three-Crisp Soup...

Interspersed throughout were musical performances, with the pipa, sheng, xiao, di, zheng, and qin all taking their turns.

That was the true imperial style—the absolute pinnacle of luxury.

But now... well, the children couldn’t drink, and the full pomp of a royal banquet would be far too extravagant.

So, everything had been a simplified version.