Chapter 69 (Bone Soup + Sauce Bones...)

On the afternoon of the day Xiao Huaiya was taken away.

There are fewer pilgrims here and fewer people on the road.

The sky gradually became gloomy, and it happened to rain heavily at this time. A young man who looked like a scholar was coming down the road from the jungle temple. When he reached the fork in the road, the rain was getting heavier. He didn't wear an umbrella, so he carefully put a scripture in his arms, turned his foot, and took the fork in the road.

The Taoist temple was not far away, and he arrived there in just a moment.

At this time, the door of the Taoist temple was still open. Noticing someone coming, the female nun guarding the door came over to inquire.

The scholar bowed and said, "I just came down from the Jungle Temple. I encountered heavy rain on the way. I remembered there was a Taoist temple here and wanted to seek shelter there."

"Please come in, kind person." The nun returned the greeting, invited him in, and helped to lead him to the pavilion with an umbrella. "There are other kind women in the Taoist temple. Please do not wander around casually."

The scholar was fair and handsome, looking innocent and kind. He nodded quickly when he heard this: "Of course not, I'm just taking shelter from the rain."

Seeing that he was kind, the nun felt relieved. She offered him another cup of hot tea and then went about her business. It was raining, and there was a lot to do in the Taoist temple, so it was impossible for her to stay here all the time.

Besides, Daoguan is very poor. If the Xiao family hadn't sent them a lot of money every month, they would still be busy repairing the roof.

After the people left, the scholar did not rest there obediently as he said. Instead, he held the teacup, took a sip, shook his head and put it down. The tea was bitter and not tasty.

He looked around the entire Taoist temple, and when he saw the white flowers on the locust tree, his eyes lit up. He picked up the umbrella left here by the nun, walked straight along the corridor of the pavilion, turned his foot, and walked towards a path.

Because it was raining, there was no one around the Taoist temple, so he successfully came to the yard with the locust tree. The locust tree grew next to the yard wall, and half of the flowers fell inside the yard and half fell outside the yard.

The young man seemed to be very fond of it. Under the heavy rain, the delicate white petals fell to the ground and were stained with mud. He picked up two petals, as if they were in his heart, and slowly recited a poem in his clear voice: "Yesterday I rode away with my whip, and returned home strolling among the falling flowers in the spring rain..."

The boy finished reading the poem slowly, with a smile on his face.

However, until it was over, except for the sound of raindrops hitting the umbrella, there was not even the sound of a flying bird in this world!

The smile on the young man's face slowly disappeared, and he frowned and looked into the courtyard.

But he couldn't see anything through the courtyard wall.

After a long while, the young man took a deep breath and changed to another poem. However, after finishing this poem, he still did not...

Just as I finished my inner complaints, I heard a sharp shout in my ears: "Good man, didn't I tell you to wait outside in the pavilion? Why are you running here?"

The young man's face froze, and he said apologetically, "I saw these locust flowers falling in the rain from afar, and felt a little distressed, so I came over to take a look..."

The fierce look in the nun's eyes faded a little, but she was still quite disgusted. Maybe scholars were all weird, just like the little girl in this yard. When the locust flowers fell before, she cried sadly and refused to say anything when asked why she was crying.

Wasn't it because she was unhappy that she kicked him?

The same goes for this young man. How can flowers not fall when it rains?

She said angrily: "Please leave immediately."

The scholar chuckled, "There seems to be no one in this yard. Could you please let me take a closer look at these flowers?"

"Even if there is no one here, we can't be here. There is no one in this yard, but there are female benefactors in other yards!" The nun stepped forward and urged like driving chickens and ducks.

The scholar had no choice but to turn around dejectedly.

As soon as he turned around, his face darkened completely. He glanced back at the acacia tree, a hint of confusion flashing in his eyes. Didn't they say... that they lived in the yard where the acacia tree was? There were no other yards with this tree. He must have found the right one, but there was really no one there?

Xiao Mansion

There is one more person in the Xiao family.

The news that Xiao Huaiya, the fifth daughter of the Xiao family, had returned soon spread to everyone in Kyoto.

Although the Xiao family has always been low-key, the news of the victory of flattening Wuta a few days ago has just been reported back. The eyes of the major families in Kyoto are still on the Xiao family, and they are aware of any changes.

So someone came to the door immediately.

I don’t know what it was for, but every time someone came over, Yan Qiushu always felt that Mrs. Xiao’s face didn’t look very good.

She was a little curious, but did not ask around. Instead, she asked the doctor in the mansion. After learning that Xiao Huaiya had suffered a fracture for almost ten days, she started stewing bone soup for her.

She heard that the soups made by other chefs in the mansion were too greasy.

It was the clever little Dongdong who went to inquire and secretly told her that someone had come to propose marriage.

Xiao Huaiya is almost twenty-two this year. According to her current age, she is already twenty-three, which is much beyond the marriageable age for women in the Great Zhou Dynasty. She is an old maid, and everyone thinks she should get married.

The person was in the Taoist temple before, but after a long time, no one remembered him.

Things are different now. In addition, the Xiao family has made many military achievements, and Prince Chang is becoming more and more powerful. The Xiao family, who are on good terms with Prince Chang, is naturally the first choice for many people to marry into.

So many people came to propose marriage.

It's just that Xiao Huaiya's appearance was ruined. Although Yan Qiushu didn't know how serious the situation was, women in ancient times must have suffered a lot of discrimination. The corresponding blind date might not be much better. It's no wonder that Mrs. Xiao was angry.

Speaking of which, what happened to Xiao Huaiya according to the original plot?

Yan Qiushu thought about it. The book didn't mention much about the Xiao family, but the Xiao family was an important stepping stone for Zhou Zejing to become emperor. Because of Xiao Huaiting's death, Madam Xiao and Xiao Huaiqi were also in trouble. Although the others were fine, the Xiao family was actually ruined. However, the remaining power was enough to intimidate this group of people.

At this time, it was Xiao Huaiwu who took up the banner of the Xiao family. Xiao Huaiya also seemed to have mentioned it. It seemed that the Fourth Prince asked her to travel around the world with him, but was rejected. This time she returned to the Taoist temple and became a real Taoist priest.

etc!

The fourth prince?

Yan Qiushu suddenly shuddered and thought of the storybook she was reading under the locust tree.

As a modern person, she reads novels at a glance. A storybook has so many words that she only remembers the general content after reading it quickly. Now she suddenly thinks of Xiao Huaiya and the Fourth Prince. Aren’t they exactly like the ones in the storybook?

A disfigured female general and a prince who doesn't like fighting for power.

Kyoto was in chaos, and as a member of the Xiao family, Xiao Huaiya naturally couldn't be hiding in the Taoist temple. However, based on Yan Qiushu's brief understanding of her, she was definitely not the one who would rush to the front of others, so there was not much written about her. But she was definitely the one who led the troops to attack the fifth and sixth princes.

It just fits the storyline perfectly.

The only difference is probably that these two people are not together.

Yan Qiushu took a deep breath. So this storybook was actually tailor-made for Xiao Huaiya, right?

It's no wonder she thinks this way. As an outsider, she already knows the ending of the Xiao family. Now that she is in it, she can know more clearly what position the Xiao family is in and how many people are plotting against them.

The characters in this story are so similar to those in the drama!

With a "plop", the bone on the spoon fell into the soup.

The milky white soup exuded a meaty but not greasy aroma. Dongdong stretched his neck and looked eagerly: "Sister Shu, is it ready? It's been simmering for almost an hour."

Yan Qiushu came back to her senses and knocked on his head in annoyance: "Be more reserved. Look, Wan'er and Pingsong are both playing games, but you can't help yourself. It's only been half an hour."

Dongdong chuckled, glanced at his brother and sister, and said seriously: "Their noses are broken, they can't smell!"

Wan'er stuck out her tongue and laughed at him: "No, we can smell it, but Sister Shu will definitely give us a drink, so we won't bother her."

Xiao Pingsong nodded: "Yes!"

Dongdong made a face and groaned.

Yan Qiushu stirred the soup in the pot again. There was still a lot of meat on the big bones. No spices were added, only some ginger, which made the soup milky and delicious.

She scooped up the layer of oil on top, so it didn't look greasy.

She sniffed it and nodded, "Okay, Wan'er, Pingsong, Dongdong, come and get the bowls. You can drink now."

"Here we come!" The two children who were playing cards at the stone table outside came over quickly. Dongdong was in the kitchen and was the first to rush over.

One bowl of soup per person.

As for the rest, Yan Qiushu took out the big bones, spread a thick layer of sauce on them, brushed a layer of oil on them, and put them in the oven.

The fire in the oven has already been lit and the temperature is very high. Put the big bones in and cover them with a lid. They can be taken out in just a cup of tea, sprinkled with some barbecue seasonings, and roasted for a while.

Now you can pack the food box.

The three children still had a lot of soup left in their bowls, so Yan Qiushu didn't let them follow: "You guys drink slowly, I'll take it to your aunt."

“Okay!”

The three children nodded obediently, but their eyes were fixed on the big bones on the table. They each had one, but they had to drink the soup before they could eat it.

Hearing that Yan Qiushu was coming, Xiao Huaiya, who was lying on the bed and was so bored that he was scratching the wooden board, was cheered up. He sat up immediately, tidied his hair and clothes, made sure that the veil covered him tightly, and then sat upright on the bed and asked the maid to invite the person in.

Yan Qiushu walked in slowly and opened the food box with Shui Yu. They placed the soup bowl and large bones on the table and said softly, "Fifth Miss, I made some soup and some food with the bones. I've removed all the fat from the bones, so it's not greasy. The doctor said that your injury is just right for bone soup. Do you like it? If not, don't force yourself."

"Miss Ashu is too polite." Xiao Huaiya was flattered. Even though she knew that this guest in the mansion often cooked for her mother, she was still a guest after all. She didn't expect that just because she didn't like the greasy soup in the kitchen, the girl would make it herself and send it to her.

This is a very important gift for a young lady from a noble family.

"It's okay, I like cooking too. Dongdong is right. If you like it, I will have someone send it to you next time." Yan Qiushu said with a smile.

"Thank you very much in advance." Xiao Huaiya also smiled back, her voice soft.

Seeing this, Yan Qiushu pushed the tray towards her and said with a smile, "Would you like to try it?"

Xiao Huaiya's smile froze slightly, and she whispered, "It's not convenient for me right now, can I..."

Yan Qiushu didn't react for a moment. When she pinched her veil, she remembered and quickly stood up: "Oh, Dongdong and the others are still waiting for me in the yard, so I won't disturb them."

She said hello and turned to leave.

He even closed the door before leaving.

Xiao Huaiya breathed a sigh of relief, listened carefully until everyone outside had gone far away, and then slowly lifted the veil. The lower half of her face was revealed under the thick veil.

Her facial features are quite similar to those of Xiao Huaiwu and Xiao Huaiyu, but they are more delicate and soft. She has willow-shaped eyebrows and almond-shaped eyes on her palm-sized face. Her nose is small but the bridge of her nose is high, and her lips are beautiful and rosy.

If Yan Qiushu saw this face, she would definitely praise it. This is the appearance that the original owner's mother most wanted the original owner to grow up to be, weak but not lacking in color, plain but not dull.

But right on the face, a finger-long scar suddenly appeared on the cheek. Due to the proliferation of scars, there was an obvious bulge on the smooth cheek. The scar was too sharp, becoming pointed from the middle to both sides, which perfectly destroyed the soft feeling of the cheek. At first glance, the first thing people saw was the slanted scar.

Xiao Huaiya was not too sad. She had actually gotten used to it over the years. However, she still could not show the scar in front of other people. The veil she had worn for many years had become her armor.

At least apart from her mother and the doctor, even her two sisters rarely saw her face.

She lowered her eyes and smiled bitterly. In fact, she was quite afraid that Miss Shu would be angry because of this. Fortunately, she was not that kind of person and left on her own initiative.

When Xiao Huaiya lowered her eyes, she saw the steaming soup on the bedside table. It smelled fragrant and not greasy at all.

Xiao Huaiya picked it up carefully, blew on it with her little lips slightly pursed, and the milky white soup created ripples, and the thin layer of fat on top was blown away.

Then she took a small sip, and saw that the rich soup was not rich at all. The light salty fragrance and the taste of meat soaked in the soup made her tongue tremble with pleasure.

Although I went to the Taoist temple to avoid the crowd, I still followed the temple's dietary rules. I haven't eaten such delicious food for a long time.

Xiao Huaiya felt satisfied after taking this sip, but the soup was still a little hot, so she blew on it hard and took another sip. It was indeed delicious and not greasy!

After confirming that the taste was what she liked, she didn't stop, her eyes curved as she drank one sip after another. When she was happy drinking, she smacked her lips twice, revealing a smile, and her almond eyes were full of joy.

Like young Wan'er.

Unfortunately, there was no one else in the room, so naturally no one saw it.

After finishing a bowl of soup, Xiao Huaiya was completely satisfied. As soon as he put down the bowl, he saw two big bones placed on a large plate on the tray.

Different from the rich and gentle taste of the soup, the aroma emanating from the corn bones was a bit pungent, even more fragrant than the toasted bun that Dongdong saved from his mouth for her in the carriage on the day they came back!

She stretched out her slender fingers, picked up a large bone, and took a big bite.

This big bone has been roasted, and the outer part of the meat is a little crispy, but the whole meat is very soft because it has been stewed for a long time. It is easy to bite off. When you chew it, you can smell the aroma of sauce, mixed with the barbecue ingredients attached to the outer part. It is really salty, spicy, soft and flavorful!

The fatty parts of the meat seem to have been cooked away, leaving only the lean meat. After being seasoned with these seasonings, it doesn't feel greasy at all.

Xiao Huaiya originally thought that the soup was delicious enough so that she, who had been a vegetarian for many years, would not feel uncomfortable, but this meat was even more delicious and not greasy!

After finishing one bite and confirming that it was perfectly suited to her liking, she couldn't wait to take the second bite.

However, there wasn't much meat on the big bone, and two of them together were barely enough. She finished it without realizing it. Looking at the remaining condiments on her fingertips, the girl, who hadn't eaten enough, hesitated for a moment and licked her fingertips.

Mm~~It tastes good too!

This condiment is delicious even when sprinkled on white rice, right?!

Is this the kind of food her mother spends her days enjoying?

So enviable!

Sometimes, whatever you think comes true. Just as Xiao Huaiya was muttering that her mother was really too happy, the door creaked open and Madam Xiao hurried over. Her eyes quickly fell on her and she saw her licking her fingers. She was stunned for a moment: "Are you so hungry?"

Xiao Huaiya: "..."

Kyoto Teahouse

Zhou Zejing sat in a private room on the second floor, holding a cup of tea, leaning against the window, listening to the storyteller's voice in the teahouse on the first floor, which was sometimes high and sometimes low, and he felt bored.

Until I saw a familiar figure coming down the stairs.

He stared at it for a few more seconds, quickly recognized it, smiled faintly, and counted to three in his mind.

When I counted to three, the door of the private room was pushed open.

A young man who looked like a scholar walked in. After closing the door, he frowned slightly and looked at Zhou Zejing. He said in a deep voice, "I went to Yuxia Temple, but didn't see anyone."

Zhou Zejing was speechless and said softly, "Of course I didn't see him. It just so happened that Madam Xiao went to the Jungle Temple to fulfill her vow that day and brought him back."

"Brought it back?!" King Huai asked unhappily, "Why did you go there on that very day?"

Zhou Zejing said helplessly, "We waited for the rain, and just happened to hear the news of Xiao Huaiting's triumphant return. Maybe it really is..." He narrowed his eyes and whispered, "May God bless the Xiao family."

These two pieces of news just happened to coincide with each other, and the person was taken back, causing King Huai, who had returned from his travels outside, to return empty-handed.

Prince Huai had just sat down and drank a cup of tea when his eyes revealed a clear gloom and mockery. He sneered, "God bless the Xiao family? If it really was God's blessing, the second son of the Xiao family wouldn't have died. Not only would he have died, but he also took away his two brothers-in-law, leaving his sister a widow for many years."

Zhou Zejing smiled and looked at the person opposite him: "You are really not leaving this time?"

King Huai mentioned this and smiled grimly: "I won't leave. If I continue, I'm afraid the world will really become the second in command. How can I change the dynasty then? In just two years, I didn't expect such great changes to happen. Now the second in command has emerged."

Zhou Zejing lowered his eyes, looking thoughtful.

He didn't expect things to change so drastically. His originally sure chances of winning became difficult because of this change.

He underestimated the importance of the second prince in the emperor's heart.

As the former crown prince, his identity is very special.

Must die!

Thinking of this, Zhou Zejing raised his eyes and said, "Now that you're back, I have a helper, A Ke. We need to discuss how to deal with King Chang!"

"It wasn't that difficult," King Huai said softly, his lips curled strangely. "I had originally planned to return in six months, but when the news of my coronation arrived, I had to change my mind early. Coincidentally, on my way back, I was traveling by water, and a storm happened to break out at sea that day. I thought I was dead, but I was unexpectedly rescued and ended up on an isolated island."

"I've found something really good on this island. Even a tiny bit of it can cause poisoning. A more severe dose can even cause convulsions, breathing difficulties, and even death from suffocation. I've specifically conducted experiments on people for this reason. Even if someone only eats a tiny bit, they'll be permanently ill, and no one has yet been able to cure it."

As King Huai spoke, he used a teacup to measure the weight.

Zhou Zejing looked at it and was speechless: "Such a large portion, how did you let him eat it?"

The size of a cup of tea!

Are you a fool if you can't figure it out?!

King Huai was quite proud. "If this thing were cooked properly, it would actually be very delicious. It could even be produced in large quantities, benefiting both the country and the people. This time, I've served it up. We don't know if it's poisonous yet, so I just need to arrange it just right. No one would have thought that something that can fill the stomachs of the people could actually kill them."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Zejing took a deep breath, shocked and surprised.

Let the people of the world have enough food!

This kind of thing is really exciting!

Especially since it can help get rid of certain people...