Chapter 510 Steelmaking is more fun

Ah Hua was dumbfounded as she held a bowl of piping hot porridge. There were so many people, it wasn't enough to share!

"Greetings to His Royal Highness the Crown Prince!" Su Boyan and his companions hurriedly stood up and saluted.

"Stand up! I'm sorry to bother you today! Everyone, please make yourself at home!" Li Chengqian also realized that the reception room was too crowded.

In addition to the princes and princesses, there were also Du He, Fang Yiai, and Chai Lingwu as study companions.

The men of the Su family made room for them, brought in two tables, set out bowls and chopsticks, and served porridge.

"What is this black stuff?" The princes and princesses looked at the pieces of preserved egg in the spoon. It looked strange, but smelled delicious.

"Preserved eggs! Duck eggs are wrapped in special firewood ash." Su Ying replied.

The Su family had eaten preserved egg and lean meat porridge once or twice in Lingnan, but this was their first time having preserved egg and vegetable porridge. They still found it soft, salty, fragrant and delicious.

Li Chengqian and others took small sips of the porridge. It was very thick, with the sunflower leaves softened and sticky. Combined with the alkaline aroma of the preserved eggs, it was extremely delicious.

"Mmm, delicious!" Li Tai quickened his pace and finished his meal in a few bites. "Another bowl, please!"

Ah Hua looked at Su Ying in embarrassment, "It's gone!"

I clearly had cooked a lot, but so many people showed up at once that each person only got half a bowl.

"It's just this little!" Li Tai didn't believe it.

"Fourth Prince, there really is nothing left. If you like, you can take some preserved eggs back and make porridge." Su Ying advised.

These preserved eggs were bought when the ship docked in Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas. Seeing that the duck eggs were fresh and large, the ship bought thousands of bags of preserved eggs and salted duck eggs.

When you stay at Fulong Inn, you can use the kitchen to make porridge.

Fuwang was so confused that everyone in the Fulon Inn along the way learned how to make preserved eggs, salted duck eggs, and various ways of eating them.

By the time they arrived in Chang'an, there were only a few preserved eggs and salted duck eggs left.

"Where is I?" Li Chengqian was a little unhappy because Qingque always got ahead.

"I have them all!" Su Ying said with difficulty. She could no longer keep the little stock she had.

"Master Xiao Su, there's me too!" Yu Zhang raised his head from the bowl and said loudly.

"Can you give me a few too?" Without waiting for Su Ying to answer, the third prince Li Ke said gently.

"That's right, Master Xiao Su, there are several of us!" the Fifth Prince Li You shouted, "You can't favor one over the other!"

"Yes, Lord Xiao Su, and us three brothers can't be left behind!" Du He said vaguely with porridge in his mouth.

"Sir, there are not many preserved eggs left!" Ah Hua said weakly.

These princes and noblemen are like gluttons, they want more after eating!

"It's okay, go get it! And boil a few salted duck eggs. If there is any white porridge, bring some!" Su Ying ordered. She couldn't let the guests go hungry.

"Salted duck eggs? But they are the duck eggs pickled in Suzhou and Yangzhou as recorded in "Qimin Yaoshu"?" Li Ke asked in surprise.

Su Ying raised an eyebrow, "Third Prince also likes to read books on farming seasons?"

Salted duck eggs appeared in Suzhou and Yangzhou during the Southern and Northern Dynasties, and there is a clear record of this in Qi Min Yao Shu.

"Occasionally, I'll find the locals salting leftover duck eggs. I never thought I'd have the chance to try some today!"

Li Ke smiled modestly and asked, "Which book records preserved eggs?"

"Uh, I figured it out myself!" Su Ying lied with her eyes open.

"I accidentally sprinkled some lime from the pile at home on duck eggs. When I peeled the eggs, I found that they tasted good, so I tried making some."

Xiaotao and Atang looked up at their elder sister in surprise but said nothing.

Su Boyan and his men rubbed their noses awkwardly. "Do you believe what I said?" My sister is good at making random remarks.

Preserved eggs originated in the Ming Dynasty. Someone accidentally discovered that duck eggs wrapped in lime were transparent, chewy and delicious, and thus this delicacy was born.

Su Ying did it effortlessly, and her brothers and sisters did not expose her. They did not understand why, but they knew Su Ying had her reasons.

"Master Xiao Su, do you have the recipe? Give me a copy! I'll learn how to make it when I get back! And salted duck eggs." Li Tai didn't doubt it at all.

This preserved egg porridge is salty and fragrant, and it is especially soft and sticky when paired with sunflower greens. He likes it.

"Yes, I want to do it too!" the others shouted.

"Don't make a fuss, don't make a fuss. I'll write down the recipe and instructions later, and you can take them!"

Su Ying didn't expect that a small preserved egg would be so popular.

After a while, Ah Hua and his sister came in with white porridge and salted duck eggs.

The salted duck eggs are divided into four parts. The shells of the duck eggs are white or green. The egg yolks are golden yellow, soaked in oil and sand, and are exquisite and beautiful.

Each person picked up a piece, picked up a little egg yolk with chopsticks and put it in his mouth.

Salty, crunchy, and fragrant, take a sip of hot porridge, the taste is amazing!

No one spoke, everyone just focused on eating. Anyone who spoke was a fool!

Finally finishing a bowl of porridge, Li Tai sighed comfortably, "I never thought that white porridge could be so delicious with salted duck eggs!"

Li Chengqian silently rubbed his stomach. He was so full. It was the first time he had eaten so much!

Ah Hua brought in baskets of preserved eggs and salted duck eggs.

A group of people surrounded us and we divided it up one by one.

Each person got five preserved eggs and five salted duck eggs. Except for the Su family, everyone present had a share, including the Hu brothers, Ah Hei, and Ah Niu.

He also wrote about the recipes and production methods of preserved eggs and salted duck eggs.

"Your method of making salted duck eggs is quite different from the Qi Min Yao Shu." Li Ke looked at it and asked, "Do you have any explanation?"

"Over the years, people have accumulated a lot of experience and made improvements in the production of 'Qimin Yaoshu'.

For example, washing duck eggs and drying them in the sun for a day or two will make them golden red and sandy after pickling, making them easier to absorb oil.

Su Ying pointed out the key points, "This step is not clearly stated, and many people don't know its true meaning, and just think it is draining water."

"Just as Lord Su said, the secrets of technology are hidden in the inadvertent details?" Li Chengqian suddenly understood.

Su Ying praised: "Exactly! Many technologies have roughly the same process, and who is better is often hidden in the small details."

"The General is planning to rebuild the blast furnace and steelmaking furnace using your method. This will further improve ironmaking technology. But what about steelmaking? Are there any improvements?"

After Li Chengqian finished speaking, his eyes casually swept over his fifth brother Li You and seventh uncle Li Yuanchang.

In the morning, the emperor called them together and assigned them tasks.

Li You and Li Yuanchang were very depressed when they learned that they were assigned to participate in the blast furnace project.

Not only was it stuffy and hot, they were not interested in it. They would rather participate in Li Tai's sugarcane sugar making and Li Chengqian's firearms research and development, thinking that those were more interesting.

"Steelmaking is a complex science. Different steels can be made by varying the content of various trace materials.

Carbon steel for common appliances, structural steel for building bridges, alloy steel with special hardness, spring steel, rolling bearing steel, etc.

These steels with different functions are used to equip our Tang Dynasty army, build roads and bridges, and manufacture processing machine tools and tools.

These are the necessary supports for the rapid development of our Tang Dynasty! Otherwise, with this little bit of iron and inferior steel, what kind of deterrent weapons and firearms can we make? "

Su Ying said this and looked at the prince meaningfully. Li Chengqian understood what she meant and knew that it would be used in large quantities in firearms.

"What you said makes me feel that steelmaking is more fun." Li Tai was tempted.