Chapter 40 What's there to show off?

Princess Yongxin disliked Cai Boju very much.

As for why he disliked him, it was because of Prince Qi, Xiao Huaijin.

Princess Yongxin would definitely hate anyone Xiao Huaijin disliked, so no one else could say what really happened today, but she would just say whatever came to mind.

What's there to be afraid of!

Whether she speaks the truth or not, what others say might lead those with ulterior motives to believe that she is hiding something.

But Princess Yongxin was known for her arrogance and domineering nature, so she didn't care at all. She said what she thought, without taking sides or deliberately targeting anyone.

“It was Cai Boju who got it himself.”

It was all filthy and bloody, and they made us eat with them.

Luckily we didn't eat with him. Auntie, look, the rabbit meat wasn't even cooked yet! How were we supposed to eat it?

"Doesn't it look disgusting?" Princess Yongxin said, pointing at the rabbit meat on the dining table while covering her mouth and nose.

As soon as Princess Yongxin finished speaking, Aunt Cui, Chief Physician Liu, and Minister Ye immediately looked at the dining table of the Crown Prince, several princes, and the princess.

really……

There seemed to be a piece of undercooked rabbit meat on the table...

"Master of Ceremonies Yue! You are the lady in charge of this place today. What exactly is going on here?"

“Tell me everything in detail.” Aunt Cui immediately looked at Master of Ceremonies Yue.

Master Yue breathed a sigh of relief, stepped forward, and recounted everything that had happened at Xiaoyao Terrace.

...

According to the original schedule, the meal would be served after 3:45 AM.

But everyone waited a little longer.

Why wait?

The young marquis Cai Boju, who arrived early, relied on his familiarity with the place, having visited the princess's villa several times with Prince Zhao, and led his men to wander around aimlessly.

Upon seeing the eunuchs set up roasting racks in front of each dining table, Cai Boju immediately had an idea.

"The roasted meat prepared in the palace is all from captive-raised animals, and it doesn't taste good."

The truly delicious meat is the kind caught in the wild.

That kind of wild food tastes the best!

Not only is it delicious, but it's also chewy!

I went with my uncles twice when I went to the north to deliver clothes to them.

On that vast grassland, rabbits and wild sheep were hunted, skinned, and roasted on the spot.

You wouldn't believe it, you can build a stove with a few stones, then skewer fresh mutton and rabbit meat on tree branches, and then roast them over the fire...

The oil was dripping straight down...

It smells so good!

Unlike the meat we have now, which has no chewiness at all and is marinated with all sorts of random things.

The soldiers from the north were not used to this kind of food...

"Aren't there mountains behind here? I'll go take a look; maybe I can hunt a couple of wild animals!"

Then, ignoring everyone else's attempts to stop him, Cai Boju led the two people beside him and ran up the mountain behind him.

At first, everyone wanted to dissuade him, but King Zhao spoke up.

"It's alright, he comes here often and is familiar with the back mountain."

There are few wild beasts or animals in the back mountain.

Maybe he'll come back empty-handed!

Everyone laughed.

Yes, the Imperial Guards have already searched the back mountain several times. Where would Cai Boju find so many wild animals to catch?

Princess Yongxin made no attempt to hide her sarcasm.

"What a show-off! As if he's the only one who's been to the North? As if he's the only one who knows how to hunt!"

Everyone knew that Princess Yongxin looked down on Cai Boju, so they quickly laughed it off and changed the subject.

Princess Shou Kang even pulled Princess Yongxin aside to talk, preventing her from continuing.

It's her birthday banquet, after all; it wouldn't be good if they started arguing at the banquet.

After all, Princess Yongxin was a member of the late Empress Dowager's family; it's best not to offend her if possible...

Everyone thought that Cai Boju would return empty-handed after running to the back mountain.

Unexpectedly, Cai Boju came down from the back mountain a short while later, followed by two fat rabbits that were struggling.

"The climate in the outskirts of Beijing is good. I didn't expect the rabbits raised on the hill behind here to be so fat."

They caught two at once.

Look how powerfully it kicks with its hind legs; it's obvious it runs around in the mountains often.

Rabbit meat tastes better this way.

Today, I'll let everyone taste my cooking.

As Cai Boju spoke, he pulled a dagger from his boot, intending to bleed and skin the two rabbits...

The eunuch serving him hurriedly took the two rabbits to the kitchen to prepare them.

That's the rule.

Firstly, they were afraid of getting the guests' hands dirty, and secondly, the kitchen staff also needed to check whether it was suitable to be served on the table.

Or perhaps we should consult a physician to see if it clashes with the other dishes in today's meal...

But Cai Boju wouldn't let go.

"I can do it myself. Who knows when you guys will finish it!"

Wild game should be eaten wild.

In the North, this is how we eat. Everyone's together, so there's no need to worry about anything else.

Eating meat heartily and drinking wine heartily—that's the true nature of a man.

As he spoke, Cai Boju personally slaughtered two rabbits, and even skinned and bled them himself...

Cai Boju personally handled the entire process, from the very last slaughtered rabbit being placed on the grill, without letting anyone else take over.

Everyone watched everything Cai Boju did.

Nobody stopped them.

The crown prince was too lazy to stop him.

King Zhao felt that Cai Boju was one of his men, so there was nothing wrong with his actions.

Isn't it said that the soldiers in the north often sit on the ground like this, eating meat and drinking wine in large quantities?

Cai Boju is going to the north. Isn't that a pretty normal thing to do?

When people mention Cai Boju, don't they all say that he has the demeanor of an old marquis?

King Zhao smiled and joked a few more times, then watched Cai Boju roast the rabbit meat he had prepared.

After grilling the rabbit for a short while, Cai Boju cut the half-cooked rabbit meat in half.

Looking at the rabbit meat that was still oozing blood, almost all the ladies present frowned.

"This is how you roast rabbit meat to make it tender and juicy!"

In the North, everyone loves to eat this kind of grilled, half-cooked food.

This is the kind of barbecue that makes you feel real and energetic!

Come on, everyone, have a taste!

Your Highness, Prince Zhao, Prince Wu, Twelfth Prince, and Your Highness, please try it!

The taste is definitely more delicious than you think!

As he spoke, Cai Boju personally delivered the rabbits to everyone's tables.

The crown prince immediately frowned.

"I almost forgot, His Highness the Crown Prince has a weak stomach and cannot eat such raw and strong food."

"Your Highness, let me bake some more that are a little more cooked." Cai Boju seemed to have just thought of something, and suddenly smiled and said a few words to the Crown Prince.

"Don't bother, I don't like rabbit meat, you don't need to worry about it!" The Crown Prince waved his hand dismissively.

The Crown Prince did not intend to pay any attention to Cai Boju's blatant sarcasm.

He's just a clown...

Cai Boju smiled, and seeing that everyone was just staring at him instead of eating, he immediately used his dagger to fork up a piece of rabbit meat that was still dripping with blood and stuffed it into his mouth...