Chapter 429 Four dishes and one soup

After the stone gate opened, a wide area like before was revealed. The difference was that this time there was not just one person waiting, but five people.

The five old men, all with white hair and beards, had different appearances. Some were fat and had a broad smile on their faces, looking friendly, not like examiners, but more like businessmen.

Some of them were tall and, although they had white hair, their physiques were much stronger than those of ordinary young men. Their muscular bodies made their wide robes fill out, as if they were one size too small for them.

Some people are short in stature, with a shrewd look in their eyes, as if they can calculate all your belongings in the next second just by glancing at you, which makes people shiver inexplicably.

There was another man who was thin, bald, and had a tough look. He was not tall and his muscles were not strong, but his temperament was more courageous and more dangerous than that of the tall old man, like a robber.

The last person is also the most ordinary one among the five old men. He has an ordinary appearance and a medium build, neither tall nor short, neither fat nor thin. He is not different from ordinary people at all. He has a calm, steady and peaceful temperament.

And such an ordinary person, sitting among four people of different appearances, also seems extraordinary.

These four people were vaguely following him, which made this old man seem even more mysterious.

The five of them were sitting around the table, waiting for their arrival.

Xu Qing and Yan Xian were stunned when they came in. They had originally expected that it would be just like the previous two tests, where they would pass them one level at a time.

Why are there five people coming at once this time?

Before they could ask their questions, the ordinary old man sitting in the middle said, "Since you two have successfully passed the first two levels, it proves that you are qualified to become the heirs of the Greedy Wolf Pot."

The fat old man said: "However, this is just the qualification. Whether you can truly become the heir of the Greedy Wolf Pot depends on your performance in the future."

Xu Qing asked: "Excuse me, gentlemen, who among you will be the judges for the next assessment?"

The old man sitting in the middle said, "All five of us are."

"Both?"

Yan Xian was surprised and asked, "You can't ask us to pass five tests in one go, right?"

The old man smiled and nodded: "You are right. From now on, you will only have one chance to take the test. Either you pass all five tests at once, or you will fail completely."

"This……"

Xu Qing and Yan Xian looked at each other, and Xu Qing asked, "Excuse me, old sir, what are the requirements for the assessment?"

The old man said, "The banquet consists of four dishes and one soup."

Four dishes and one soup.

After hearing this, Xu Qing and Yan Xian immediately understood.

No wonder the next five assessments were brought together into one place, it turns out it was for this reason.

There are many types of banquets, such as the famous Confucius Mansion Banquet, Manchu-Han Banquet, Shaowei Banquet, Luming Banquet, etc., which usually represent the luxury and refinement of the culinary world, and the best food and the finest meat, such as dragon liver, phoenix marrow, bear paws and leopard fetuses. Anything flying in the sky, swimming in the water, running on the road, whether it can move or not, as long as it is delicious, precious and rare, will be presented at the banquet.

Only the utmost luxury can be worthy of the word "banquet".

However, there are exceptions.

Four dishes and one soup is the exception.

Speaking of four dishes and one soup, it is actually very famous in history.

It originated from Zhu Yuanzhang, the first emperor of the Ming Dynasty. He was a fierce man who overthrew the Yuan Dynasty and conquered the world with just one bowl. He was a grassroots among the founding emperors of all dynasties. Because of his poor background, Zhu Yuanzhang could not stand the extravagant life.

At a birthday banquet held for Empress Ma, Zhu Yuanzhang entertained civil and military officials. However, the dishes on the banquet were unusually simple. There were only four dishes and a bowl of soup. The dishes were radishes and greens, and the soup was tofu soup. There was not even a trace of oil. It could be said to be pure and clean.

After the banquet, Zhu Yuanzhang announced publicly that in the future, officials could only have four dishes and one soup at banquets, and anyone who violated the rules would be severely punished.

These four dishes and one soup have become a model of integrity.

The old man said, "After the previous two tests, you should all be very clear that the seven seals of Mount Tai are to demonstrate the character of an emperor, and these four dishes and one soup are the best proof of this."

The fat old man said: "However, you have to prepare more than just four dishes and one soup."

The tall old man said: "These four dishes and one soup should embody the five virtues of faith, diligence, frugality, wisdom and righteousness."

The short old man wrote out these five words, handed them to the two of them, and said, "There is no limit on the ingredients or time for this test. As long as you can make these four dishes and one soup and meet these five virtues, you will pass."

The strong old man said: "In the end, only one person can become the heir of the Greedy Wolf Pot. I hope you will do your best to make a dish that you will not regret."

The old man sitting in the middle said, "Although there is no time limit, the five of us are old and cannot eat as much as we did when we were young. If we are full, then this test will be over. If the two of you fail to present a complete five-course meal before we are full, then unfortunately, we can only declare you a failure."

Xu Qing understood in his heart that it still depended on speed. Whoever could present five dishes first and fill the appetites of the five judges first would be the winner.

The old man asked, "Any more questions?"

Xu Qing and Yan Xian shook their heads at the same time.

The rest depends on their respective abilities.

"Very good. Then I declare that the assessment officially begins."

As the old man finished speaking, the surrounding walls cracked in the middle again, revealing countless dazzling array of ingredients.

This time, perhaps because the five tests were combined into one, the variety and quality of the ingredients were much higher than the previous two tests. There were also many legendary precious ingredients that were rarely seen in daily life, or even only heard of, such as the extremely precious Eight Delicacies. They were now placed on the table one by one, waiting for them to use.

However, the two of them didn't even glance at them, treating these extremely precious ingredients that would make anyone excited when seeing them as nothing.

The reason lies in the topic of this assessment - four dishes and one soup.

If the four dishes and one soup, which are a model of integrity, were to be prepared with these precious and luxurious ingredients, wouldn’t that go against its original intention?

In this case, no matter how delicious the food is, it will probably not be up to standard.

Therefore, their target was placed on the most common ingredients, and they did not even bother with those slightly expensive and precious ingredients.

The five elders at the table all nodded slightly when they saw this scene.

"It seems that these two people are indeed extraordinary."

The thin old man said: "It's just that it's a daunting challenge to make delicious dishes with ordinary ingredients."

"Only in this way can we see the skills of a chef. Using precious and rare ingredients to make delicious dishes is just icing on the cake. Using ordinary ingredients to make the ultimate delicacy is the pinnacle of excellence."

"good."

The rest of the people nodded in agreement.

(End of this chapter)