Chapter 125
In the East, there's a concept called "food as medicine" where eating is directly connected to health.
The Tuscan Empire doesn't have a concept like "food as medicine" where eating is directly linked to health, but these gentlemen believe in health theories based on the four elements theory.
'Does it make sense that birds are far superior, then meat, and vegetables and fruits are the lowest?'
The Emperor greeted me with a smile as soon as he saw me.
"Baron Rothschild, yes. Are you preparing well for the wedding, any difficulties?"
To be honest, there's nothing particularly difficult since the Duke is taking care of wedding-related matters.
The Duke said I'd be busy with many things I have to do directly about a week before the ceremony, but conversely, that means I'm free until then.
But I can't say there's nothing difficult because the Duke is doing everything, so.
"Thanks to Your Majesty giving me much guidance, I'm somehow progressing well."
"That's good to hear. I will also attend this wedding, so tell the Duke that."
I doubted my ears for a moment.
The Emperor was coming to my wedding?
Well, actually it's not strange for the Emperor to come to the wedding of Duke Visconti's granddaughter.
But the husband is just a baron, so originally he shouldn't have come...
'Duke Visconti also said he's coming not in his capacity as Duke but because it's his granddaughter's wedding.'
We've already arranged to rent the Grand Cathedral, but it seems the scale will be much larger now.
"Duke Visconti is a loyal subject who has served the empire for generations and a founding contributor, and you are a pillar who will shoulder our empire. It would be stranger if I didn't attend this joyous occasion of these two families uniting. Don't you think so too?"
There's no logical fallacy in what the Emperor is saying.
But like a shrimp's back breaking in a fight between whales, if the Emperor moves directly, the Duke and I will just suffer.
'It's similar to the President coming to our house.'
If the Emperor comes, Duke Sforza will be forcibly dragged along too, and counts belonging to that faction will flock in droves.
If counts come, viscounts and barons will come too, so it will become a very hot place.
I feel like begging him not to come, but…
"It's too much honor for someone as lowly as me, Your Majesty."
"I have to show others how much I cherish you. Duke Visconti, that guy made a preemptive move, but. Also, you're the only one who can fulfill my wishes."
You said you want absolute monarchy, right?
Now I'm just a noble showing promise, so even if I don't have the power to reorganize the power relationship between nobles and the Emperor in the direction the Emperor wants.
Someday when I go higher, I'll reorganize the power structure centered on the Emperor.
It's not that I'm trying to backstab Duke Visconti.
'I just need to split open the guild guys' bellies and distribute them appropriately to the Duke and Emperor.'
Then the Emperor will gain absolute monarchy, and Duke Visconti will become the noblest noble.
"Anyway, you said you'd present medicine. Where is the medicine you said you'd bring?"
"I didn't bring any special medicine. But I want to present food that's good for Your Majesty's health and tastes good. If you eat it consistently, it will be better for your health than tonics."
The Emperor tilted his head hearing words he couldn't understand with his common sense.
"What on earth does that mean?"
It's common knowledge that eating a proper mix of meat and vegetables is good for health.
But in our Tuscan Empire, that idea isn't a universally accepted concept.
'Fatty meat, large amounts of spices.'
Because there's a fixed notion that this is medicine and food suitable for nobles.
"Your Majesty and the nobles of the Tuscan Empire are eating too much meat at every meal."
While Koreans eat just over 60 kg of meat per year, the upper classes of the Tuscan Empire like nobles and merchants eat close to 100-120 kg of meat at minimum.
Without exaggeration, it's like eating one bowl of rice and one and a half bowls of meat per meal.
For knights running around to death in armor in the military it might be okay, but if nobles who are essentially administrative officials eat meat like that.
Obesity is basic, and they can't help but suffer from all sorts of adult diseases like fatty liver, high blood pressure, diabetes.
"Of course, eating like this does match the four elements theory, but. After careful thought, eating only a lot of meat, the most superior ingredient, is also violating the order God created. Think about it, if there was only air in the sky God created, how could living things survive?"
I'm saying this but I don't know what it means.
To put it very simply, all types of food have the properties of the four elements.
Mythical beasts like the phoenix (which don't exist) have the property of fire, meat has the property of air, fish have the property of water, vegetables and fruits have the property of earth.
The superiority of ingredients is determined in the order of fire > air > water > earth, but to listeners it's nonsense that makes them wonder what this bullshit is.
But to persuade someone who sincerely believes in the four elements theory and four humors theory, you have to explain according to that, right?
'If you break it down little by little slowly, the other person won't feel resistance.'
"That's right. We need air, water, and earth to live."
"So eating a proper mix of meat, vegetables, fruits, and fish will be good for your health. That also matches the principle of creation."
The Emperor gave a look to his chief physician.
No words were exchanged, but the chief physician nodded in agreement with my words.
'There's no point in trying to persuade them by talking about vitamins or nutritional balance. This is right.'
"Moreover, the food I newly devised brings out the original taste of ingredients to the maximum. It's eating the grace God allowed us in the most correct way."
"The original taste of ingredients."
"I think it would be better for you to try it directly once rather than me explaining a hundred times. Chief Physician, please check if the food I'm going to provide is harmful to His Majesty's health."
Originally if I persuaded this far, I could just ignore the physician and make it.
'Since I'm using all ingredients from the imperial palace and I'm not cooking myself, there's no worry about poisoning.'
But if I ignore the physician, it's obvious that gossip will spread among law nobility that Baron Rothschild is ignoring them.
So I'm going through troublesome procedures and getting permission for each thing.
You can't live without making enemies in life, but I should try to minimize the number of people antagonizing me.
"Hmm, it's a somewhat strange interpretation of meals based on the four elements theory. But Baron Rothschild's words don't go against reason. Moreover, the balance of meat, vegetables, fruits, and seafood is appropriate... In my view too, while eating mainly meat is good, it might be good to try eating as Baron Rothschild recommends once."
Hearing those words, the Emperor immediately gave orders.
"Bring out a meal according to the course Baron Rothschild thought of."
**
After quite a long time passed, the court chef brought out a salad according to the simplified course order.
"This is a salad of thinly sliced lettuce and shallots with a vinegar-based dressing drizzled on top."
The Emperor gave me a puzzled look.
"Do we really need to eat such lowly vegetables like this?"
Frankly speaking, you only need to eat meat once a week, but at your age you should eat vegetables every day.
You should eat three meals a day and it's not enough, you Emperor.
"A meal balanced in the four elements is the most delicious and healthy. Didn't the physician say it's fine?"
No matter how high-ranking a person is, they can't help but be humble before a doctor, especially their personal physician.
Why? Because everyone wants to live long and healthy.
'If you want to live well, you should listen to the doctor.'
"You've never disappointed me, so I'll trust you."
Then the Emperor started eating the salad with a fork.
At first he seemed a bit reluctant, but maybe because his body needs vegetables?
He even requested another bowl.
'Thanks to me changing his meals, he'll live a bit longer.'
"...... I never knew vegetables with just vinegar dressing could be this delicious."
No, that's because your body needs vegetables and vitamins so it tastes delicious.
"It might be because Your Majesty's body needs the energy of earth."
And dishes made with ingredients I thought were nutritionally necessary kept being served before the Emperor.
He ate the salad well, and finished all the meat dishes without leaving anything too.
After finishing the meal, the Emperor smiled with satisfaction and asked the physician:
"Physician, can I keep eating like this from now on? Until now I thought it was natural to feel bloated and uncomfortable after meals because of age. But eating as Baron Rothschild said, my body feels much lighter."
The physician carefully answered the Emperor's question:
"It deviates a bit from the four humors and four elements theory, but Baron Rothschild's eating method emphasizing natural harmony doesn't seem wrong either."
The Emperor smiled very contentedly and said:
"I hear there's been bad rumors lately about the restaurant you newly opened. Is the food you just presented the solution to that problem?"