"You are praising the wrong person, Empress. The imperial chefs had nothing to do with this barbecue." After eating a few skewers, Emperor Deming felt even more tempted. He pointed at the now-empty plate and laughed, "This was grilled by Minister Zhao. Many officials wanted a bite, and I had to be thick-skinned just to bring this plate back."
The resentful gazes of those officials had been far too obvious for him to ignore, but he had been determined to get his hands on that barbecue.
Zhao Yan was considered a prominent figure at court. Many scholars studied for the Imperial Examination specifically with the hope of entering the government and becoming officials like him, which was proof enough of Zhao Yan's great influence.
Chapter 641