The table of food prepared by Feng Yu Heng contained mostly foods that were eaten normally. The way they were prepared was proper, and they looked very pretty. Most importantly, the taste was unique. The foods held their original aromas, but they also smelled slightly of medical herbs. The bitter scent of the medical herbs had been removed, leaving behind a sweet and pure flavor. Mixing them in with the dishes, the people were left feeling moved by the smell.
“This is…” An shi was the first to express her surprise. She wanted to ask why it smelled a bit like medical herbs, but she also felt that it did not seem to be medicine. Where would such fragrant medicine be found?
Feng Yu Heng immediately dispelled her doubts: “This food cooked with medicine.”
“Food cooked with medicine?” The matriarch was stunned. She then remembered a time when she was sick two years prior. The doctor had also tried to treat her with food cooked with medicine. She had to drink congee cooked with medicine every morning, but that congee tasted even more bitter than normal medical soup. Ever since that time, she thought there to be no difference between food cooked with medicine and normal medicine; food cooked with medicine was just medicine. Now, had Feng Yu Heng made them a table of medicine?
Looking more carefully, she also felt that this so-called food cooked with medicine was different from the one she had tried that year. Un, there was also congee this time, but this congee was a pure white, which made people drool.
“What food cooked with medicine, isn’t it just medicine.” Feng Zi Hao snorted, sarcastically saying: “Mother has gone and prayed for the fortune of the family, but upon returning, she is given medicine to eat. Feng Yu Heng, what sort of heart do you have?”
Nobody said a word, aside from people like Yao shi trusted Feng Yu Heng, there were plenty of others who had these doubts.
Feng Yu Heng did not argue with Feng Zi Hao. Instead, she stood up and began ladling Chinese olive and bird breast soup into bowls. As she ladled, she began to explain the dishes on the table: “Food cooked with medicine is part of Chinese medicine’s food therapy. Its essence is mixing Chinese medicine with foods that compliment them to make dishes. From there, they are made into fragrant and flavorful dishes. This is what is meant by medicine is food. It is the turning of medical ingredients into food, and using the food to bolster the effects of the medicine. The medical ingredients make use of the food’s nutrients, and the food aids the medical ingredients. The two complement each other two bring out the best in each other.”
“After all that, in the end, isn’t it still just medicine!” Feng Zi Hao was extremely disdainful, “I will not eat medicine. Take it away. Change it for normal food.”
No one paid any heed to Feng Zi Hao’s temper. Everyone was a little moved by Feng Yu Heng’s explanation; moreover, these dishes seemed very exquisite and had a nice fragrance. If it were really possible that the food was delicious and could help improve their health, why would they not eat it?
The matriarch looked at the bowl of soup before her and asked Feng Yu Heng with interest: “What is the name of this soup?”
She replied: “It’s Chinese olive and bird breast soup.” In reality, many of the medical herbs could not be found in Da Shun. Something like Chinese olives were even harder to find in this era, but she had her own pharmacy. Taking out something from the later eras was not a problem.
The matriarch naturally would not understand this name. She thought it was simply chosen for how it sounded, thus she continued in asking: “Then what effect does it have?” She asked while taking a sip. After it entered her mouth, she felt a sweet and fragrant taste. The taste of the medical herbs and meat blended together, leaving a long-lasting memory. The matriarch could not help but drink some more.
Feng Yu Heng saw that she liked drinking it and quickly explained: “Although this soup looks rather normal, it can help moisten the lungs and reduces internal heat. Now that it is Autumn, it is easier for internal heat to rise. Using this to reduce that heat is best.”
Hearing her say this, everyone felt refreshed and picked up their spoons to have a taste.
Chen shi could not help but praise Feng Yu Heng: “A-Heng is really amazing. Seeing you like this, mother can be at ease. Thinking about it, when you marry into Yu Palace, there will not be a situation that you can not handle.”
Feng Yu Heng smiled. Using the common-use chopsticks and spoon, she gave each female at the table a piece of lamb and said: “Roasted Chinese angelica and lamb, while making it add Chinese angelica, dried rhizome, and dates. It is very effective in providing nutrients to the body. It can also give your face a rosy luster. Not only does it make your skin glossy, it can also make your skin look a near translucent white and give it plenty of elasticity.”
Hearing these words, the females quickly stuffed their mouths with the lamb. The meat was soft, fresh, fragrant, and a bit sweet. It was a taste they had never experienced when eating lamb.
Feng Yu Heng smiled and gave Feng Zi Hao a portion of tremella and pigeon egg: “Eldest brother, this dish was made especially for you.”
“For me?” Feng Zi Hao snorted, “I am not sick. I will not eat medicine.”
Feng Jin Yuan finally lost his patience and put down his chopsticks to reprimand him: “Zi Hao, if you continue this nonsense, then scram back to Jian Ling Pavilion!”
Feng Zi Hao feared his father the most. Upon hearing his father become angry, he quickly shut his mouth and glared at the bowl of tremella and pigeon egg. He could practically determine that the words Feng Yu Heng would say next would not be anything pleasant.
Sure enough “Tremella and pigeon egg combines the nutrients for strengthening the body from the tremella and the replenishing abilities of the pigeon egg. Add on the yang of walnut kernels, yin and yang can both be replenished at the same time. It is most beneficial for eldest brother’s body.” 1
Feng Zi Hao blushed furiously from her words, as he angrily pointed at Feng Yu Heng: “Are you or are you not a girl? Are you not embarrassed to say such things out loud!”
Feng Yu Heng was confused, “You are not embarrassed to have such an illness, so why should I be embarrassed to speak of it? Eldest brother, do not forget, this illness was first diagnosed by A-Heng. Medical practitioners should not avoid things, so why can I not speak of it?”
Feng Jin Yuan felt a bit of dread wash up. This daughter of his really would not let go of any opportunity to lose him some face! His only son to his first wife had become like this, now he had almost become the laughing stock of the entire capital.
The matriarch was also helpless. Feng Zi Hao did indeed have such an illness. Even if he wanted to avoid it, it was not possible at this point. Perhaps it would be better to eat more of Feng Yu Heng’s food cooked with medicine. Maybe it could help a little.
Thinking like this, she said to Zi Hao: “Your sister is doing this with good intentions. Quickly eat it! If it really has an effect, then this recipe will be followed by the servants for your every meal!”
Feng Zi Hao was angry on the inside, but he did not dare to oppose the matriarch. He could only grit his teeth and receive the bowl. When he received it, however, he placed it to the side adn refused to touch it.
Feng Jin Yuan glared at him and angrily said: “Vile spawn!”
Chen shi quickly said: “Zi Hao is too naive. Husband, do not get angry with him. After today, this concubine will definitely take care in teaching him. This concubine is certain that Zi Hao will change for the better.”
Feng Jin Yuan did not want to contradict Chen shi. After all, her performance today, up to this moment, was very decent. He also truly hoped that Chen shi could maintain this and reform Zi Hao. Teach him to know some human affection, thus he nodded and did not say anything else.
Feng Yu Heng glanced at Chen Yu and found that Chen Yu kept her head lowered without saying anything. She also did not get close to Chen shi. The work she had done previously in maintaining the peace was now done by Chen shi. As for her elder brother’s character being attacked, she had absolutely no reaction.
The matriarch took care of everyone eating and said to Feng Yu Heng: “How about explaining some more dishes.”
Feng Yu Heng smiled and gave a simple but clear explanation: “This is a cold dish of pig heart mixed with elevated gastrodia, oriental arborvitae seed, Chinese angelica and wild jujube. It helps with falling asleep and eliminates fatigue. Assorted lotus root slices, it quenches thirst, reduces internal heat and replenishes blood. Shredded chicken and sheet jelly mixed with sesame paste, this is good for the liver and kidney, darkens the hair and helps slow aging…”
She gave an explanation for every dish, causing everyone to fight over the food. Even Feng Jin Yuan found interest in this.
In these dishes, most of the medical herbs had been delivered from Hundred Herb Hall; however, every dish had some special medical ingredients that were secretly retrieved from her pharmacy. For example, in the dish of ginseng chicken, it used a piece of five-hundred year old ginseng. The effect would naturally be better than normal ginseng.
Han shi’s body had always been poor. Hearing that these medical herbs had some effect, she could not help but eat some more of each dish. Perhaps there was some psychological effect, but she really felt that she had recovered quite well. She also felt that she was no longer as dazed as she was previously.
As for Chen shi, this was a change from the forceful way she ate previously. She now ate slowly one bite at a time. She now ate and continuously praised the taste of the dishes. The matriarch also ate an awful lot and could not be bothered with speaking.
But nobody could have foreseen that as they were eating, Chen shi would suddenly fall backwards.
Sitting beside her, Feng Jin Yuan’s reaction was fast, as he subconsciously reached out to support her; however, Chen shi was too heavy, and this grab also caused Feng Jin Yuan to also fall to the ground.
After this, Chen shi began to convulse for some reason. A bit of white foam appeared at the corner of her mouth. A little while later, she actually began to vomit.
Fen Dai felt nauseous and quickly hid behind Han shi, not wanting to look at Chen shi at all.
The other people were stunned in place, completely struggling to understand. They were happily eating, so why would this sort of thing happen.
“Go call a doctor! Quickly go call a doctor!” The matriarch used her cane to slam the ground while yelling, and some servants immediately departed.
Just as everyone was scrambling about in a hurry, Chen Yu, who was still sitting at the table, suddenly put her head in her hands and furrowed her brows tightly. She weakly said: “My head really hurt. What exactly is happening?”
Fen Dai suddenly said: “It shouldn’t be from the medicine, right?”
The matriarch was stunned, then she thought of the table full of food cooked with medicine, her heart suddenly filled with doubt. But after feeling out her own body’s condition, she did not feel that anything was wrong? Those dishes with medical herbs were very exquisite, and she felt that they were very delicious. She even wanted to have some more.
Han shi also felt this was odd and quietly muttered: “The food cooked with medicine shouldn’t have any problems, right? I feel that they had quite a good effect after eating them.”
“What do you understand?” Fen Dai quietly rebuked her: “Do not speak nonsense.”
But still, the people felt that there was nothing wrong with the food. Presently, Chen shi and Chen Yu were the only ones with any reaction, so they couldn’t help but feel more cautious. For a while, nobody dared to continue eating. Of course, they could no longer stomach eating because Chen shi vomiting was truly too disgusting.
Some servants busied themselves with cleaning up the mess. Feng Jin Yuan took off his now-dirty robe and handed it to a servant. Not long after, another servant came and gave him a clean robe.
“So your plan was to poison us to death!” Feng Zi Hao once again began his attack. This time, he spoke boldly and assuredly. He pointed at Chen shi, who was on the ground, and said; “My mother just returned to the manor, and you come out with this trick. Feng Yu Heng, what sort of heart do you have?”
Feng Jin Yuan’s expression also sank and coldly said: “A-Heng, give father an explanation.”
Feng Yu Heng blinked: “Everyone ate the food. Does anyone feel anything wrong?”
On this point, everyone was quite obedient. Aside from Chen shi and her daughter, everyone shook their heads.
The matriarch glanced at everyone and spoke: “Guards! Go bring the person in charge of the kitchen!”
1: Yin is female energy, while yang is male energy.