Episode 15 recap: Rong Er transformed into the Little Kung Fu Chef and participated in the competition.
The judge announced that Rong Er had been eliminated, and everyone was very shocked. Rong Er herself couldn't believe it and insisted that it was impossible for her to have made a mistake. She refused to accept the competition result. Judge Shao Ying was very angry, saying that the ingredients were all prepared together and divided into different vessels, but the first two contestants' dishes were the same, only Rong Er's had an extra ingredient - sanqi.
Shao Ying wanted to eliminate and dismiss Rong Er, but Li Qi said that since all the imperial concubines and the Emperor were present, they should seek the Emperor's decree before making a decision. Shao Ying had no choice but to report the matter to the Emperor. Rong Er insisted that it was absolutely impossible for her to have made a mistake, and Emperor Puyi also said he didn't believe Rong Er could have made an error. Jing Yi Taifei asked Li Taifeng and Shuang Xi to taste the dish, so Rong Er would be convinced. After tasting, they said they couldn't detect any sanqi.
Jing Yi Taifei took the opportunity to say that a small palace maid dared to defy a second-rank official and deceive the Emperor and the imperial concubines. Li Qi quickly stepped forward and said that sanqi was a medicinal herb, and they should have the imperial physicians taste it. The Emperor agreed, and to everyone's surprise, the physicians also said they couldn't detect any sanqi.
In the midst of the confusion, Li Qi said that the bowl of soup was newly served, and they should taste the one Rong Er had sampled during the competition. The Emperor immediately asked for that bowl to be brought. After tasting it, the physicians confirmed that there was indeed a trace of sanqi, but the flavor was extremely mild and hard to detect.
The Emperor questioned Shao Ying, but Li Qi said it was not Shao Ying's fault. They then brought out the small eunuch who had served the dishes, explaining that he had been injured and accidentally contaminated the soup with sanqi. The Emperor ordered the eunuch to be expelled from the palace and pardoned Rong Er and Shao Ying, announcing that all three contestants would advance to the next round.
Liu Gonggong was very angry that his efforts to eliminate Rong Er had failed. The eunuch told him not to worry, as Rong Er may have escaped this time, but she wouldn't be so lucky next time. That night, Wu Tian used the excuse of tasting the soup to pour hot soup on Rong Er's hands, scalding them and causing blisters. Qing Er saw this and was very worried, as the next round of the competition involved knife skills, and Rong Er's injured hands would make it difficult for her to participate.
Cai Bi gave the knife that Shou Xi's aunt had previously used to Rong Er, hoping she could use it to win the competition. Liu Gongong's eunuch bribed the imperial physician to put a numbing and weakening drug in Rong Er's medicinal ointment for her hands. When Rong Er was cutting tofu, she felt a bit lacking in strength, and recalled Shou Xi's aunt's strict requirements. Cutting tofu was not just about practicing techniques, but also about cultivating one's state of mind. Wanting success too quickly would not lead to true achievement, so Rong Er slowly adjusted herself.
Shuang Xi's signature Huaiyang dish was lion's head, Li Taifeng made squirrel mandarin fish, and Rong Er made literary tofu. In the end, all three advanced to the next round. The third round was the tasting test, where they had to select two kitchen assistants to make a soup, a steamed bun, and a dish. Li Taifeng's soup was very delicious, and the Emperor praised it highly. However, Rong Hui Tai Fei said there was a problem with the soup, as it contained a prohibited palace drug that could make the food unusually flavorful but addictive if consumed long-term. Li Qi brought in the imperial physician who confirmed the prohibited drug in the soup, enraging the Emperor and resulting in Li Taifeng being taken away.
The competition continued with just Rong Er and Shuang Xi left. The Emperor felt Shuang Xi's steamed buns were slightly better, but preferred Rong Er's dish. It came down to the soup, and the Emperor felt Rong Er's soup reflected the chef's sincerity, so he declared Rong Er the winner. He awarded her the position of Head Chef of the Imperial Kitchen and asked what reward she would like, to which she requested the book "Jade Food Sutra", which the Emperor then granted her.
Due to the use of the prohibited drug, the Emperor dismissed the entire Imperial Kitchen staff and placed Rong Er, the chef from Chonghua Palace, in charge of the Imperial Kitchen. Liu Shou Gui, feeling his source of income was cut off, wept at home. When Liu Er saw him, he excitedly ran to the newspaper office to report the good news.
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