Ministers Begging Me to Ascend the Throne

Chapter 799: Chapter 390: Injustice for the Tenth Prince

Recently, there have been rumors that the tenth Prince is going to be exiled to Lingnan as a prince. This has caused quite a stir in the capital.

Although the ministers in the court do not support Zhao Yao in his bid for the throne, it doesn’t mean that they dislike the tenth Prince. On the contrary, many ministers are fond of the tenth Prince, who is neither powerful nor favored.

Zhao Yao, the tenth Prince, may not be particularly bright in academics, but he is exceptionally clever when it comes to making things. Aside from creating a new loom, a curved plow, and new paper, every year he also makes a new type of tea, which all the court ministers adore.

Moreover, the tenth Prince Zhao Yao is unpretentious and approachable. He doesn’t engage in schemes or conspiracies, making interactions with him genuinely comfortable and reassuring.

Another aspect that endears Zhao Yao to some ministers is his refined taste in food. Zhao Yao not only produces new tea annually, but he also comes up with new dishes every year.

Stir-frying, hotpot, and barbecue are all new cooking methods introduced by Zhao Yao. He has developed many delicacies using these three methods, which have become very popular.

A few years ago, the tenth Prince even used pepper as a cooking ingredient, which unexpectedly resulted in delicious dishes. Nowadays, pepper has completely transformed from a spice to an essential culinary ingredient. As for chili, it was initially used as a potted plant, and no one thought it was edible until Zhao Yao used it in cooking. Although dishes with chili are quite spicy, they have a unique flavor.

Nowadays, chili has also become an indispensable ingredient for many households when cooking. Chili can be stir-fried with almost any dish, and it’s delicious even when stir-fried with eggs.

In the realm of cuisine, the tenth Prince is absolutely a connoisseur; no one is better at savoring food than him.

Zhao Yao doesn’t consider himself an expert, but many ministers and commoners do. Some ministers who have a good relationship with Zhao Yao often invite him to taste their new dishes. If they can get a "not bad" from Zhao Yao, then their new dish becomes famous.

When Zhao Yao was very young, he often exchanged delicacies with the ministers in Lanyuan Pavilion. Later, without realizing it, he was invited by the ministers to taste delicious food. Initially, Zhao Yao only tasted food at certain ministers’ homes, later he was also invited by food enthusiasts in the capital to try their dishes.

Zhao Yao himself is interested in tasty food, and as long as someone invites him to eat, he rarely refuses and gives fair evaluations or advice. Gradually, he became known as a famous gastronome. Some taverns and restaurants in the capital would invite him to taste their dishes. If they received a verbal "not bad" from Zhao Yao, the restaurant’s business would become booming.

Zhao Yao was initially unaware of his becoming a gastronome and didn’t understand why it happened. By the time he realized it, he was already a famous gastronome. Zhao Yao did not mind this outcome.

Zhao Yao, who had no official duties, would usually walk through the streets and alleys of the capital with Tong Xi, tasting and discovering the culinary delights of each area.

Every year, Zhao Yao also publishes a cookbook. This cookbook introduces various delicacies he discovered over the past year and the new dishes he created. He provides detailed introductions to each dish’s preparation in the cookbook without holding back any secrets.

Cookbooks are extremely valuable, and chefs would guard them closely, never letting the recipes leak out. Zhao Yao’s complete openness in sharing each dish’s preparation is truly unconventional.

While people called him foolish, they also thanked him for publishing the cookbook.

Zhao Yao doesn’t feel there’s anything wrong with publishing his cookbook. He believes that delicious food should be shared, as it tastes better when everyone enjoys it together. Moreover, if the good recipes were hidden away, how could they be passed down if something were to happen in the future?

He is influenced by the dream of Zhao Yao, believing that cuisine is also a kind of culture that should be passed down to future generations.

Although Zhao Yao has no support from ministers in the court for his bid for the throne, his reputation among the people is excellent. He holds a high status in the hearts of scholars nationwide because he produced inexpensive and useful new paper and printing technology. He also holds a good reputation among the common people for inventing the curved plow and new looms, as well as creating heated kangs and warm cotton clothing. Among merchants, his standing is exceptionally high; not mentioning other merchants, just the tea merchants treat Zhao Yao as the "God of Wealth."