Translator’s Note: It was my 50th birthday yesterday, so two bonus chapters!!!

Wen Mingtang hurriedly put on her outer robe and went out of the house. Then… she immediately saw Lin Fei carrying a food box at the gate of the courtyard.

Subconsciously glancing around Lin Fei, she didn’t see Zhao You, who was always by his side. Wen Mingtang then remembered that Zhao You had broken his leg while rushing to eat dinner and had been sent back to recuperate.

“Master Wen!” Seeing Wen Mingtang, Lin Fei pointed to the food box in his hand and said, “We recently hired a cook from Sichuan. He just sent over some food! It’s made with the sweet potato noodles you made earlier. Would you like to try some?”

Although he came to see Wen Mingtang because he had used the sweet potato noodles Wen Mingtang had sent earlier, it wasn’t just for that reason.

Lin Fei frankly said, “This might be too spicy for others, but it’s just right for you and me!”

This Lin Shaoqing was really quite frank! Wen Mingtang took a deep breath, inhaling the familiar sour and spicy aroma. Although she hadn’t seen the food in the box yet, after hearing Lin Fei mention “sweet potato noodles,” she had already guessed what it contained.

“Is the food in the box a dish called Suan La Fen?” Wen Mingtang took a deep breath, suppressing the craving stirred by the sour and spicy smell, and asked Lin Fei.

Lin Fei hummed in agreement, glanced at Wen Mingtang, and said, “Master Wen really knows this!” Before Wen Mingtang could speak, he said, “Let’s go to the kitchen to eat!”

Wen Mingtang nodded and was about to follow Lin Fei when Lin Fei glanced at her robe and said, “It’s chilly at night, Master Wen, go put on an outer garment before you come back. I’ll wait for you in the kitchen!” With that, he turned and left without waiting for Wen Mingtang to reply.

Wen Mingtang, who had never noticed Lin Fei’s “imposing” demeanor before, experienced it for the first time today. Although his tone was calm as he told her to put on a coat before going, it inexplicably left her no room to refuse.

Wen Mingtang understood Lin Fei’s good intentions, so she went back inside to put on a padded jacket and skirt before heading to the kitchen.

Before she even entered the kitchen, she heard Liu Yuan’s exclamation from inside: “Spicy food is truly something to love and hate. Even though the human tongue can’t handle such spiciness… well, Lin Shaoqing is different, I’m talking about our tongues! Tsk tsk, yet just smelling that aroma makes one’s mouth water involuntarily!” With two “slurping” sounds of noodles, Liu Yuan, with noodles in his mouth, continued, “The rest of the ingredients are the same, the soup is also made with meat broth, but after smelling that sour and spicy aroma, this bowl seems a little bland and off!”

Liu Yuan’s exclamation had barely faded when Lin Fei’s response rang out: “Then should we exchange yours with Master Wen’s?”

“Then I’d rather not!” Liu Yuan slurped up another mouthful of noodles and said, “I’ve already eaten quite a bit of minced pork in this bowl. It wouldn’t be fair to Master Wen to switch it now!”

Of course, eating quite a bit of minced pork was just an excuse. Liu Yuan glanced at the thick layer of red oil floating in Lin Fei’s bowl not far away, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw that Lin Fei’s lips had turned noticeably redder after eating a couple of bites of Suan La Fen.

Lin Shaoqing was known throughout the Dali Temple for his love of spicy food. He usually ate Master Wen’s spicy dishes without batting an eye. Compared to this new chef from the Jingyun Marquis’s residence, he felt even more how “mild” Master Wen’s cooking had always been.

“I’m afraid not only my mouth can’t handle this Suan La Fen, but my stomach can’t handle it either!” Liu Yuan rubbed his stomach and sighed, “My heart is willing, but my strength is insufficient!”

Wen Mingtang entered the public kitchen just as Liu Yuan was lamenting his “willingness but insufficient strength.”

Liu Yuan, who was just reminiscing, noticed Wen Mingtang coming in and immediately pointed enthusiastically at her bowl of Suan La Fen, saying, “Master Wen can finally be a customer today!”   

Wen Mingtang smiled and responded, smelling the rich, sour, and spicy aroma in the air. Following Liu Yuan’s finger, she looked at the bowl of Suan La Fen in the red oil broth on the table: the translucent sweet potato noodles were rising from the bright red oil! The transparent noodles, coated with a layer of red oil, glistened enticingly! Besides the sweet potato noodles, the toppings were equally plentiful: stir-fried minced pork, a golden-brown fried egg, fried peanuts, and garnished with finely chopped cilantro and scallions, adding a touch of vibrant green.

At first glance, the red broth and abundant toppings truly whetted her appetite!

Wen Mingtang walked over and sat down, picking up his chopsticks and taking a bite of Suan La Fen. Before even tasting it, the overpowering aroma of the tangy and spicy flavor made him exclaim, “I’ve rarely seen a chef in Chang’an who excels at this kind of cooking!”

The sweet potato noodles were smooth, soft, and chewy, soaking up the flavor of the hot and sour broth. He slurped them down, the broth and all.

The spiciness was enticing, and the sourness was incredibly appetizing. The combination of the two stimulated his nose and taste buds, making him involuntarily swallow his saliva just from the unique aroma.

The minced pork gravy was also made with a hot and sour flavor, slightly thicker than the broth, and mixed with the sweet potato noodles, it was also very delicious!

Wen Mingtang pressed the fried egg into the sour and spicy broth with her chopsticks, slurped up a few mouthfuls of noodles, and waited until the fried egg was fully soaked in the broth before picking it up and taking a bite: the fried egg was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, and firm and delicate on the yolk. It was slightly dry to eat on its own, but after soaking in the broth, it was all smooth and delicious!

Wen Mingtang slurped up her noodles and ate the fried egg while enjoying the sour and spicy broth.

Across from her, Liu Yuan, Bai Zhu, and Wei Fu, who had started slurping their noodles earlier, had already finished their sweet potato noodles, let out a satisfied burp, and were organizing the case files while discussing the case.

“Lin Shaoqing is right, those people will definitely go all out today,” Liu Yuan sighed, “but I didn’t expect them to even bring heavy crossbows. Luckily, Lord Zhao lent us men, otherwise… tsk tsk, I really don’t know what would have happened!”

“That demeanor… they’re clearly soldiers and officials from our country, but they look as fierce as some people’s privately kept assassins!” Liu Yuan said, “If we hadn’t taken precautions, I’m afraid no one in the entire yamen would have been able to leave!”

Hearing Liu Yuan’s sigh beside her, Wen Mingtang chewed on the Suan La Fen, and for some reason, the originally appetizing spicy and sour minced pork now tasted strange.

What exactly happened in the past hour?

…

The heavy crossbows, usually stored in the military warehouses for use against external enemies and rarely seen, were now scattered haphazardly across the streets of Chang’an. The once meticulously maintained Zhuquefang Street was a sight to behold, with not a single patch of smooth ground visible. From the large patches of broken pieces, one could vaguely glimpse the devastation of the past hour.

The physician, along with his apprentice, was bandaging the wounded officers and soldiers!

Having eaten a bowl of sweet potato noodles to slightly fill their stomachs, Liu Yuan and Bai Zhu emerged from the Dali Temple office, just as a constable returned to report: “Liu Sichen, Bai Sichen, the Military Affairs Battalion commander Li Zhou, who is in charge of the heavy crossbows, has been subdued by us. Should we interrogate him immediately?”

(End of Chapter)

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