Chapter 66 (Grilled Fish (Part 1)...)

Xue Mansion

Xue Jiahe hurriedly ran back to his mansion from the food street.

Went directly to the main courtyard.

It just so happened that Xue's parents were there too. Although it was not time for him to rest, as the Minister of Revenue, Lord Xue's schedule was not that busy. Because there would not be much need for money in the future, he would go home after finishing his work.

He was still eating the snacks he had bought on the way back.

Mrs. Xue's complaints echoed in his ears: "You're always away from home. I wonder how out of control your son has become. We're waiting for the results to be announced, and I was thinking of settling down with Prince Jin first, but he's acting like he's been possessed by a female ghost. He's always away from home, and I can't see him until dark!"

"Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings, so why worry so much? I asked Lao Wu, and he said he was very confident in this exam. Considering his age, even if he didn't get into the top three, he would definitely be an outstanding young talent. Is he still worried that no girl would like him?"

Lord Xue looked chubby, just like a Maitreya Buddha. When he smiled, his eyes narrowed, and his chubby white face looked quite cute.

He spoke in a gentle voice and calmly comforted his wife. They had been together for decades. Although they had many frictions when they were young, he had already known how to treat his wife over the years.

As he spoke, he did not forget to pick up an egg roll in his hand.

I don’t know why there are delicious foods in Kyoto every now and then recently. They smell so fragrant and sweet, and he never gets tired of them.

Mrs. Xue glared at her husband, but he was so focused on this that she felt a little discouraged. She said angrily, "Isn't this just too hard for me? Our family has devoted all their efforts to training the eldest child, which is what we should do. Who knew that the fifth child would be so successful? If we don't help him, I'm afraid he'll only favor the eldest child in the future..."

It happened that her husband came home early today, so she wanted him to help persuade her, but she found that her husband was so calm!

Master Xue said with a smile: "Old Five is a kind child, and he is not one to care about things. He won't blame you. It is better for you to make him happy."

Madam Xue sneered, "Happy? If he really marries the Xiao family's cook, I wonder how he'll ever be able to meet people in the future! How will he still be happy then? Especially since he sees his eldest brother marrying a noble lady!"

Lord Xue was embarrassed and didn't know how to answer this question.

At this moment, the protagonist of the conversation came over himself. The young man was very fast and ran all the way over. His face was flushed and his eyes were full of anxiety. Mrs. Xue thought something had happened. Her heart skipped a beat and she stood up to greet him.

Xue Jiahe was already angrily questioning: "Mom, did you go to the Xiao family to propose marriage without telling me?!"

Madam Xue froze and gave a dry laugh: "It's like this, Lao Wu, mother did it, but she refused..."

Xue Jiahe confirmed this and became even more furious. He was usually gentle and seldom got so angry that he wanted to jump up and down like this. He ignored etiquette and growled, "Are you crazy? You proposed to me to take a concubine! Why didn't she refuse? She's a good girl, why should she be my concubine? Isn't this an insult?!"

"What's wrong with taking a concubine? With her status, being your concubine is too high for her, not to mention that I gave her the position of a noble concubine in the first place!" Madam Xue was also angry at her son's accusation. She said angrily: "She refused not because she didn't want to be a concubine, but because she didn't want to be your concubine. She came back with Xiao Liulang and would rather stay in the Xiao family without a name and status, cooking for them every day to please them!"

Xue Jiahe became even angrier: "No, you're talking nonsense!"

Madam Xue angrily said, "How could I say such nonsense? It was Madam Jiang who proposed the marriage. She came back and told me in person that she was thinking about Xiao's Sixth Son!"

"Then she won't be my concubine!" Xue Jiahe said firmly.

Although he had known this girl for a short time, he still believed that she was not such a person, not to mention that when they first met, those children called her sister, and it was obvious that she was not of the same generation as Xiao Jia Liulang.

Madam Xue scoffed coldly, "With her status, what else could she be but a concubine? Look, even the second son of the Xiao family married the eldest daughter of the Song family! What does she have?"

Xue Jiahe calmed down. Continuing to explain to his mother, who was used to judging things by family background, was pointless. He simply shook his head and said, "You can think whatever you want. But mother, let me tell you right now: you are not allowed to interfere in my marriage from now on!"

Mrs. Xue exploded: "I can't interfere? I'm your mother——"

"Okay, okay, Madam, I'll talk to Lao Wu, calm down..." At the critical moment, Lord Xue, who had been watching the show for a long time, put down the package his son had casually thrown on the table, wiped the cake crumbs from the corner of his mouth, and stopped his angry wife.

His fat body stood in front of the mother and son, trying to persuade them from both sides, then he pulled his son and ran out.

As they walked away, Xue Jiahe's anger subsided. He was not a very strong-willed person, but his mother's behavior this time was too insulting. No wonder the girl looked at him like that. When he thought of the other person's eyes, he felt ashamed and uncomfortable. He felt listless, but more of a sense of powerlessness.

This is his mother. Even if he is angry, he can't really do anything. He and that girl are just not destined to be together.

At this moment, he didn't want to face his father's persuasion, so he said, "Dad, I want to be alone for a while."

"Son, wait a minute, tell dad first, where did you buy this cake?" Lord Xue held his son.

Xue Jiahe: "..."

He stated his location with a frustrated look on his face, and then continued walking. Lord Xue took note of it carefully, but he didn't let go. Instead, he pulled him to a pavilion and said seriously, "Son, although your mother did something wrong, she was doing it for your own good. You have to think it over. If you really don't want the wife she chose for you, then your father won't be able to help you much in the officialdom in the future. Don't feel unfair."

Xue Jiahe pursed his lips and said in a deep voice: "My son can fight for it himself. Besides, he doesn't want to be a high-ranking official. He just wants to be a parent official. He has traveled a lot in the past three years and will not care about these things."

"That's good." Master Xue smiled cheerfully, "You are sensible. I will remember what you said, but there is one more thing."

"You say." Xue Jiahe said.

Master Xue muttered, "Who on earth is that girl? How can you like her?"

Xue Jiahe shook his head: "In fact, she didn't tell me her name. I heard the children of the Xiao family call her Sister A Shu, but I don't know her last name, and she doesn't like me. According to my mother, she must be a distant relative who is staying at the Xiao family."

Mr. Xue touched his chubby chin, thought for a moment, and said to his son, "If you really like it, try again."

"In fact, Prince Chang has risen. The situation is completely different now. I think Prince Chang is likely to be the final winner. The Xiao family has always clearly supported Prince Chang. Once Prince Chang ascends the throne, the Xiao family will definitely be the center of attention. Dad will also try his best to help you and see if I can calm that girl down and make her reconsider."

Xue Jiahe was immediately surprised: "Really?"

Master Xue patted his belly and said with certainty, "Of course it's true! But whether it will work or not, Dad doesn't know. It all depends on whether the girl likes you."

This reply successfully brought the listless young man back to life.

The father and son smiled in tacit understanding and went their separate ways.

One went back to the study, and the other went to the food street.

The one who went to the food street was Lord Xue.

As he walked, he kept complaining, "Wow, a food street has actually opened. It's all his fault that he has been too busy lately. He really had no idea about it. He doesn't know how many delicious foods he has missed!"

So Mrs. Xue, who was waiting for her husband to come back in the main courtyard, waited and waited, until the housekeeper said that the master had gone out to eat.

Mrs. Xue stamped her feet in anger: "All you do all day is eat! Is this a pig reincarnated?!"

February 25th is the day when the results of the imperial examination are announced.

On this day, the sound of firecrackers could be heard from time to time in various places in Kyoto. These were the notifications sent by the major government offices to the candidates who had passed the exams, and the candidates' families would set off firecrackers to express their celebration.

Although no one from the Xiao family took the exam, many well-off families had children who took it.

Some people who pass the exam will give gifts and then receive gifts in return.

Some families are wealthy and powerful, and the gifts they give are also very powerful, such as cherries!

A lot of cherries were sent, and Yan Qiushu also shared a lot of them. She really liked eating cherries, so every time they were sent to her, she would finish them in less than half a day.

Maybe she ate too fast, which made the Xiao family think that she really liked it, so they bought a lot of cherries themselves. It happened that cherries were ripe during this period, and many families would get some as gifts. For example, the Prince Chang's Mansion sent a lot of cherries, and gave some specifically to Yan Qiushu.

So when Yan Qiushu came back to her senses, the cherries almost drowned her.

This is a bit too much to eat!

The main reason is that two of the three children go to school, so they can only play with her at night. Wan'er also has a small appetite, so it would be a waste if the cherries were not finished and went bad.

She was just thinking about making grilled fish with lychees, but unfortunately lychees only ripen in May, June and July, so it would be difficult to eat them now.

Yan Qiushu looked at the pile of cherries and subconsciously thought of replacing them.

Anyway, the lychee grilled fish does not actually have lychees in the dish, it is just placed on top as a decoration. If cherries are used, it is the same.

Thinking of Yan Qiushu, I did it. The house had everything. After the winter, Manager Yao started raising fish. The chickens and ducks were well fed, so the fish naturally ate well too and grew fat.

When Manager Yao heard that she wanted to cook fish, he immediately sent someone to deliver the fish.

They were all fat, and Yan Qiushu was afraid that she couldn’t handle making grilled fish.

As it turned out, she really couldn't do it, and in the end it was Aunt Xu who did it, and she was guiding her from the side.

After a whole big fish is processed, it is split in the middle and the belly is cut open. It is then marinated with soy sauce, salt and other seasonings. When the time is almost up, it can be coated with oil and baked in the oven.

While the fish is being grilled, the seasonings have to be prepared on the other side. After eating the grilled fish, you can also eat the side dishes inside, and you also need to keep adding soup. Because the amount of chili is limited, the soup has a peppery, slightly sweet taste.

It is topped with lotus root slices, corn, bean sprouts and other side dishes. When the grilled fish is taken out of the oven, the texture of the fish has become much firmer, and the fish skin is slightly browned. Because it has been marinated, it is now emitting a light and non-fishy fish aroma.

Put the cooked ingredients into the prepared large iron plate, then place the whole fish on it with its back facing up. Pour the soup in the pot on it and let it slide down little by little, submerging half of the body of the grilled fish, leaving only the carved back exposed. Put four bright red cherries on the body of the fish, and finally put it on the barbecue stove to continue heating it.

So this grilled fish is ready!

There was no one else in the yard at this time. When the grilled fish was ready, only Shui Yu and Aunt Xu came to cheer. However, they were very considerate and when they saw the finished product, they exclaimed, "It smells so good!"

"It's sweet and fragrant, and the cherries look beautiful too. I'm sure many people will like this grilled fish!"

Yan Qiushu nodded in satisfaction. She looked at the grilled fish, whose juices were already bubbling from the fire at the bottom. She took a deep breath, smelled the aroma, and whispered, "Besides, the price of the fish doesn't seem expensive. If this works, we might be able to make more money."

Shui Yu chuckled: "Of course you can, but would you like to eat this grilled fish yourself, or send it to Madam Xiao?"

Yan Qiushu looked at the sky and said, "It's still early, so we can make another one. Let's have this one sent to Prince Chang's Mansion for Ah Heng and the others to eat as a return gift."

None of the gifts from other guests were given to her specifically, except for the cherries sent from Prince Chang's Mansion, which was given to her separately.

Then naturally she would have to return the gift separately.

Everyone else has everything else, so just order something delicious.

"Okay, I'll send someone to deliver it right away." Shui Yu responded immediately, and Yan Qiushu rolled up her sleeves and started to make the second pot.

Here we are still making delicious food, it is leisurely and comfortable.

However, the court was once again caught in a strange situation because of a military report.

Just as the court was about to end, another battle report appeared, and this time it was another victory report!

More than ten days ago, Xiao Huaiting captured three cities of the Uta Kingdom in one fell swoop. It was the biggest victory since the two countries went to war. At that time, the people of Kyoto were very happy.

Another piece of good news at this time would be a good thing.

However, the bad thing is that some people still don't want this war to continue.

In fact, this war was not necessarily fought at the beginning. It was just that some people wanted the Xiao family to leave. But who knew that this battle would be so evenly matched?

This Xiao family's sixth son is too powerful.

Even surpassing his father and brother!

Clearly, the military pay wasn't much, and everyone was lucky to have enough to eat. How could they have the energy to fight? After a period of struggle and concessions, this war should, in the minds of some, be over.

However, this almost broke through Uta!

The old emperor didn't want him to continue fighting, otherwise the military merit would be taken away by the Xiao family again. In fact, he could also find a trusted general to obtain the power of marshal and snatch the military merit.

However, he did this once many years ago, and the commander never returned. It was said that he had contact with the enemy and was killed directly.

But the old emperor knew that the Xiao family had killed him on purpose, and he really couldn't control some things that happened outside, so at this time he didn't think of sending another general to attack, he just thought that it was enough.

He is old and doesn't want to make so much trouble. He just wants to enjoy his old age. Of course, before he dies, he has to kill the head of the Xiao family, who he hates the most, to ensure that the Xiao family will not overthrow the dynasty.

This is where the disagreement lies. Those headed by King Chang and King Shun firmly support continuing the war, while King Xuan, King Jin and others support not fighting. Currently, the pro-war faction has the upper hand, and their reasons are very sufficient, but the two sides are at a stalemate.

Because the old emperor didn't give in.

After struggling for a long time, the old emperor finally slowly turned his gaze to Lord Xue from the Ministry of Revenue. This old man was clever and knew how to protect himself. He sighed in distress and said, "Lord Xue, what do you think?"

This sentence successfully attracted the attention of all the civil and military officials in the court. Lord Xue touched his fat belly and habitually wanted to laugh it off and get it over with.

But before he could finish his words, his eyes fell on Prince Chang, his eyes sparkling. He took a deep breath, gritted his teeth and said, "Your Majesty, I don't understand war, and I don't know whether this war should be fought. However, the Ministry of Revenue can only allocate funds once at most. If it takes too long, for example, three months, then it won't work..."

The old emperor smiled gently, "I think so too. After all, if we continue to collect taxes, I'm afraid the people will complain!"

However, Prince Chang stepped forward at this moment and shouted, "Father, I believe this difficulty is not difficult to resolve. Although I am poor, I am willing to donate three years of tax revenue from my fiefdom to support the Duke of Zhenguo in his fight!"

The old emperor, King Xuan and others: "???"

Prince Shun then stepped forward and said, "Father, I am also willing to donate two hundred thousand taels of silver to ensure that the people along the border of our Great Zhou live and work in peace and contentment!" He then looked at the ministers behind him and said, "I'm sure you all feel the same way."

Court officials: “???”

One of them even bumped into Lord Xue secretly. It was all his fault that they had to bleed.

Following this blatant compliment, everyone came out and gave a lot of silver. The old emperor was so angry that he rolled his eyes, but he still gritted his teeth and agreed to the idea of continuing the fight.

"Since Prince Chang is so supportive, let Prince Chang escort the military pay this time." The old emperor gave an order, glanced coldly at his son who had been hurt, and shouted: "Dismiss the court!"

"Farewell, Your Majesty!" the court officials bowed and said in unison.

The court is dismissed.

Many people secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Lord Xue wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and slowly followed behind him with his fat body swaying.

It’s not that he doesn’t want to walk fast, he’s just fat and doesn’t have enough strength. It’s a long way from the Golden Throne Hall to outside the palace, so he can’t take a sedan chair.

Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded in my ears: "Thank you, Lord Xue, for your help in the court."

Lord Xue chuckled and said, "Your Highness is too polite. I am only trying my best."

Prince Chang smiled faintly. "You've just solved a big problem for the Xiao family army. I should be grateful. Sir Xue, are you busy for a while? If not, why don't we go to Prince Chang's Mansion for a drink? I still need to consult Sir Xue about the allocation of military pay."

Master Xue was startled and clicked his tongue: "Isn't this a bit too bad?"

Are you sure he's not forming a clique for personal gain? Will His Majesty think he's joined Prince Chang's camp?

He has always been neutral and will not help anyone to avoid being dragged into the mess. Now it's just a matter of a thought. Will he decide on his faction?

Prince Chang laughed. "No, I really want to ask Master Xue for advice. If we are open and honest, no one will care. Hiding and concealing will only make people suspect too much. After all, this money has to be handed over to the Ministry of Revenue by you gentlemen, and then allocated by the Ministry of Revenue. I am only responsible for the transportation."

Yes, that makes sense!

It just so happened that Lord Xue also wanted to inquire about the girl. He originally planned to find someone else who was on good terms with the Xiao family, but if he could really get in touch with Prince Chang directly, it would be a good choice.

So he nodded and said, "Excuse me for disturbing you then."

"You are too polite, Lord Xue." Prince Chang bowed and smiled, his attitude humble.

The two men walked side by side. Although they walked slowly, they were noticed by many adults, who did not ask any questions. When they heard that Prince Chang had something to ask, they were very understanding and ignored it.

These two people should not form an alliance for the time being. After all, just now in the court, it was revealed that three years' worth of tax revenue from Prince Chang's fiefdom was swindled away by this stingy person!

Some people laughed secretly, but when they thought about how they had also been cheated, they couldn't laugh anymore. They just couldn't stand the fat man anymore.

Lord Xue noticed the look in his eyes, and found that there was nothing strange in it, so he felt more at ease. He followed Prince Chang into Prince Chang's mansion, and as soon as he sat down in the living room, he was about to ask tentatively.

Suddenly he smelled a fragrance that made him drool.

Master Xue choked on his saliva and said, "Your Highness, the chef in your house is really good. This tastes so delicious!"