It's unclear whether this should be considered a reward, an official reward or a royal reward. In any case, everyone present was fortunate enough to enjoy it. It was a new type of pastry created by the king himself, which he said should be called cake.

  It's really delicious.

  The Great Song is a world shared by the Son of Heaven and the scholar-officials, where even delicious food is shared.

  "Your Honor, I think it's best if we don't mention the cake incident to the gentlemen."

  When the emperor was about to reward his close ministers with cakes, the empress spoke up and said that she didn't want to cancel the reward, but hoped that Xi'er's self-created matter could be ignored.

  Xier warms up the book, and the masters all advise to stop while it's still good. A gentleman keeps a distance from the kitchen, if the masters find out that this thing was created by Xier, it will be another heap of trouble.

  These days, the queen doesn't let Zhao Xi read books after school, so Zhao Xi thinks of ways to secretly eat snacks during experiments.

  In addition to cakes, he also made bread and puff pastry.

  It's always like this when eating, can't let the palace servants have all the leftovers... Every time new pastries come out of the oven, it's the servants who get to enjoy them first.

  Not only was the official unhappy, but even the empress felt that Xi'er had been wronged. The food made by Xi'er was not something those lowly people deserved to enjoy.

  So, there are many delicious pastries made by Zhao Xi accumulated in the palace.

  "The words of the saint are indeed correct, I understand."

  ……

  Du Yan has been a bit worried lately, being pestered by his little grandson.

  The pastries bestowed by the official have been gone for two or three days. The bigger grandson wants to eat them, but dares not speak out. The smaller grandson has been humming and eating cake these few days.

  Everyone has run all over the capital, but they still can't find this new-style pastry called cake.

  "Fu Xiang, did the official's family give you that cake and is there any left?"

  "Duke Xiang said with embarrassment that Yan Guo had been bothered by inferior grandson for several days, all because of this cake."

  "The lower officials have searched all over Bianliang City and have never seen such food before. Yan Guo is preparing to request some food from Your Majesty."

  "Together?"

  Du Yan and Fu Bi looked at Han Qi who had just spoken up, exchanging a glance of amusement... Each family having their own worries about food, it was indeed an unusual conversation.

  They all arrived too late, when they rushed to Wende Hall, they saw Fan Zhongyan holding a cake...

  "Government..."

  "Chen Lin, go get some more cakes and distribute them among the gentlemen."

  Zhao Zhen understood the Empress's meaning, but he didn't understand why Xi'er wouldn't let him reward her with a lot of food.

  It's nothing more than some food and gifts from over the years. Never has anything been as cost-effective as cake.

  However, Zhao Zhen still listened to his son's words and smiled in his heart, pretending to be reluctant.

  ……

  "Father, have there been any grand ceremonies at the imperial court recently?"

  "Xier, the timing of the ceremony is not fixed yet. You are still young and cannot participate in the ceremony for now."

  Zhao Zhen thought that Zhao Xi was asking about academic matters again, and he felt both happy and worried. He was happy because Xi'er was clever and eager to learn, but worried because Xi'er was too mischievous, even the officials in the imperial court had ordered him to stop studying.

  "Dad, who attended the banquet?"

  "At the time of Jingyan, in the capital, those above the fifth rank, regardless of their mission, all had to attend Jingyan."

  "Father, may I have a cake during the ceremony?"

  Zhao Zhen was stunned, these days Xi Er has been refusing large rewards, what does this mean?

  "Xī ér, what's going on now?"

  "Dad, I have my own plans."

  Alright, Zhao Zhen didn't think much about it either.

  With his brain power, he really can't figure out what Zhao Xi wants to do.

  "Xi'er, as usual, there will be a dragon boat festival with offerings on the 5th day of the 5th month. It's just around the corner. Your father is sending you a cake as a reward."

  It was a ten-day period, and Zhao Xi felt that time was a bit tight, but the inner palace had plenty of miscellaneous servants to make desserts, so it should be enough.

  It's going to be a hassle again, even the empress is surprised, every day after Zhao Xi finishes school, she accompanies him.

  Zhao Xi first went to the edge of the palace wall, found a quiet and dilapidated palace, moved all the things in the entire palace out, and then let the imperial kitchen build three large earth ovens inside the palace.

  And also asked the queen for Wan Niang... This palace maid dared to eat two pieces of cake after knowing they were poisonous, which is quite bold.

  If he knew that this palace maid was seeking death, he probably wouldn't think so.

  Zhaoxi gave one order after another, and the entire inner courtyard sprang into action. Wan Niang was unable to control the situation, so the Empress Dowager personally took charge. She simply made an appearance, letting these servants know that there was still her behind Wan Niang's back.

  Zhao Xi learned from Sun Fu's side that the number of people attending the imperial banquet, and Liu Yi bought paper boxes from outside the palace...

  Zhao Zhen was very displeased with the banquet, and had the scholars tell him how to be a good emperor... He himself was already over thirty years old, had been on the throne for more than twenty years, and had been in power for over ten years, did he need them to teach him?

  Everyone has their own demands and stance, although it's about explaining Buddhist scriptures, who doesn't mix in their own personal opinions?

  The official opened the banquet, which allowed the gentlemen to enjoy themselves, and took the opportunity to announce the new policy.

  The banquet was solemn, of course, no snacks or fruit could be placed... Zhao Xi had already prepared everything.

  When the banquet ended, each departing official received a paper box containing cake.

  I've long heard that the imperial family bestowed a new type of pastry on the officials, and today I got to see it, and was also rewarded... The heated debate at the banquet table with flushed faces is worth it after all.

  ……

  "Mother, does Uncle have business?"

  Three days after passing the imperial examination, Zhao Xi suddenly asked the empress a question out of the blue after school.

  "What's the matter with Xier? Just tell her to buy it and that will be the end of it. Don't contact Mother's sister's family about this."

  "Mother, I naturally understand. It's just that this matter cannot be handled by our own family members, and I don't want to cause trouble for Father. Mother, regarding the business transactions in the rear garden, have the gentlemen advised Father?"

  Empress Cao finally understood. Xue Er wanted the imperial harem and her relatives to do business together.

  "Xī ér, rǔ yù fàn mài hé wù?"

  Translation: "Xi'er, what do you want to sell?"

  Cake.

  Empress Cao always treated cakes as a rare food, so she thought they were somewhat useful when rewarding. The other day, I saw Zhao Xi letting the imperial kitchen build a large earthen oven, and she also saw that Zhao Xi's wisdom had never been spoken before.

  I didn't think this...this could actually be sold.

  To be honest, although she was in the imperial palace, Cao felt that her life was not as carefree as it had been when she was younger. In the vast inner courtyard, every time there were expenses to be incurred, she had to count on her fingers and also consider the attitudes of the various officials in the imperial court.

  "What should be done now?"

  "Girl, just let uncle buy out the houses next to the palace wall of the Cake House, and the other children will take care of themselves."

  He indeed had a plan. At this time in Beijing, people kept going in and out of the dessert shop, constantly asking if there were any cakes for sale...

  These days in the imperial court, various government offices and public buildings, from time to time there are people sighing about the cake matter. Mostly it's a kind of complaint, grumbling about the scarcity of official rewards.

  The officials are really reluctant to make requests to the government again... because of a meal, they have asked for rewards several times, and the officials can't bear to do so.

  It was during these one or two days that everyone in Bianliang knew about a new type of pastry called cake, which only existed in households of fifth-rank officials and above.

  The utility theory and scarcity marketing, these tricks that were later played to death, were first used by Zhao Xie in the Song Dynasty.

  Zhao Xi didn't need to think about it, he already knew that Bianliang City was now filled with the resentment of cakes.