Chapter 44 Butter Hot Pot
"Brother Jiang is really..." The man in the bamboo hat stopped laughing and said, "I don't know what to say."
Prime Minister Jiang, who has been increasingly showing his claws in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty, has been gathering his strength until today by keeping a clean demeanor and concealing it from everyone. Even the man in the bamboo hat cannot easily draw a conclusion about what he is thinking.
But this does not hinder their cooperation.
He picked up the wine glass at hand, lifted the bottom of his hat and poured the wine into his mouth. Jiang Yuanhua's eyes passed by the slender neck that was exposed at that moment without leaving a trace.
"This was presented to me by an official from the Great Zhou Dynasty. I think you will like it." Jiang Yuanhua pushed the sandalwood box in his hand over.
The box, which was carved with intricate and delicate patterns, had a strong sandalwood scent. The man in the bamboo hat opened it and saw a jade Buddha lying quietly in the box.
This piece of jade is white in color and has no impurities inside. It is of extraordinary quality. The jade Buddha does not look like it was carved, but seems to be naturally formed.
"Brother Jiang, you're so thoughtful." The man played with it for a long time before putting it back into the sandalwood box. "I haven't forgotten what I promised you."
Only then did a smile appear in Jiang Yuanhua's eyes.
...
at the same time.
A very low-key and inconspicuous carriage came out of the palace and turned around many times before returning to the main road.
This type of carriage is very common, and there are many of this style on the street. It disappeared from the street in a short while.
The carriage was ordinary, but the people inside were extraordinary.
There was a man and a woman sitting in the carriage. They looked like a couple, but in fact they were each thinking about their own things and there was no sound at all.
They were Concubine Zhang Shufei and Yan Xuanyu.
Concubine Zhang Shu...or should I call her by her name, Zhang Yuezhi.
Although the carriage was not comfortable, Yan Xuanyu had a rare moment to relax because he was out of sight of others.
The capital city has already felt the festive atmosphere of the New Year. Everyone has a smile on their face, and even the hawkers' cries on the streets are louder.
Yan Xuanyu watched with interest for a while, then leaned back to rest.
He... is also pretending to be tired.
The closer it gets to the critical moment, the more he pretends all the time.
Yan Xuanyu did not have such strong willpower, and he was also tired at this time. Once a person is extremely tired, he will inevitably show some fatigue and fragility.
Zhang Yuezhi saw all of Yan Xuanyu's actions and was trying to figure it out when she suddenly heard the emperor ask her.
Yan Xuanyu half closed his eyes: "I heard that you fell ill some time ago?"
Zhang Yuezhi didn't know why the emperor remembered her and took her out of the palace, so she could only respectfully say, "Your Majesty, I have caught a cold and have been ill for a few days."
"No need to be so polite outside," Yan Xuanyu said. "I heard you're feeling depressed. What's going on?"
Zhang Yuezhi's eyes suddenly widened, and her fingers trembled as she grabbed the corner of her clothes.
During this period of time, she had seen and heard what the emperor had become and what he had done.
The emperor doted on Concubine Shen very much. Zhang Yuezhi could sense that Concubine Shen was far from being as harmless as she seemed. In just a few months of entering the palace, she had already had conflicts with the three of them, intentionally or unintentionally.
But Zhang Yuezhi didn't care, so he just smiled and let it go.
But everyone in her palace thought she had suffered a great injustice, which is a bit funny to think about.
It's just one day at a time.
Allowing Concubine Shen to be arrogant in the harem was one of the many things the emperor did.
But when she saw him again today, Zhang Yuezhi suddenly had a hunch that this kind of expressionless person was the real him...
Yan Xuanyu didn't know that his casual question would cause the other party to diverge so much.
"Don't you want to stay in the palace?" Yan Xuanyu opened his eyes.
Now is not the right time. When the time is right, if they want to leave Yan Xuanyu, of course he will agree. If they want to stay in the palace, that's also fine.
He had wanted to discuss this issue with the three of them, but because of the difference in status and the bad impression left on them by previous emperors, he had never been successful, so he gave up the idea.
Yan Xuanyu was full of anticipation for the next place he was going.
After so many days of recuperation, his sense of taste and smell has gradually recovered, but of course this matter cannot be made public, so even Li Zhongxian does not know about it.
What was even more surprising was that after he completed a bunch of tyrant tasks, he actually received an extra reward that could slowly strengthen his body from the inside.
For someone who hasn't tasted anything for such a long time, Yan Xuanyu's expectations for the spicy and stimulating taste are extremely high.
....
Zhang Yuezhi's eyelashes trembled slightly, feeling uneasy because of Yan Xuanyu's question. She seemed to want to say something, but at this moment, the carriage slowly stopped.
"Your Majesty, we're here."
The coachman outside the curtain said.
Yan Xuanyu said, "Today, let's just say I'm taking you out of the palace to relax. Would you like to take your entourage with you to go for a stroll?"
He felt that Concubine Zhang was probably holding back her emotions in the palace. Yan Xuanyu had good intentions, but he heard Zhang Yuezhi politely reject him.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, but there is nothing I want to see." Zhang Yuezhi's expression did not seem fake.
"Then come with me to see what the hot pot restaurant is like." Yan Xuanyu had no choice but to give up.
He was the first to get off the carriage, and Li Zhongxian followed behind, opening the carriage curtain and smiling, saying, "Your Majesty, please get off."
Zhang Yuezhi slowly followed him out of the carriage. She looked up at the closed door in front of her... a restaurant?
Hot pot restaurant?
She was a little confused. She had just heard the words "Hot Pot Restaurant" from the emperor's mouth. What kind of name was this?
This name of course comes from the real name Fei Yan Xuanyu.
...
Standing on the street, Zhang Yuezhi felt as if she was in another world. She had not been out for many years since she moved from the prince's mansion to the palace.
But she really didn't think there was anything interesting to see here. Beijing was not where she grew up, and there was no one she knew there.
Even if she wanted to go for a walk, she didn't know where to go.
As soon as they got off the carriage, the door that had been tightly closed opened, and a man who looked like a boss came out to greet them, "Sir, you're finally here!"
Yan Xuanyu said "hmm", "How are the preparations going?"
"Everything is ready. The 'hot pot' you requested has arrived yesterday and has been placed in place." The person in charge is named Gu. He is a shrewd man who is always able to keep an eye on all directions and have good hearing.
Manager Gu glanced calmly at the carriage behind the young master and the woman following him.
The carriage was a common sight in the capital. The woman was dressed simply, without jewelry, and her hair was tied up in a bun—a sign that she was married, like a lady from an ordinary family. However, the hairpin on her head...
As he spoke, Director Gu's smile grew wider.
Zhang Yuezhi watched the man interacting with the emperor and realized that this "Hot Pot Restaurant" was a restaurant business outside the emperor's palace, but the name was too strange.
The group walked in under the leadership of Manager Gu.
Zhang Yuezhi silently watched the layout inside, and at first glance he found that the layout here was so unique!
As soon as you enter the hall, there is a passage that looks like a small bridge. You can hear the sound of gurgling water coming from below, as if there is running water underneath.
Zhang Yuezhi looked down and saw a few small fish swimming through the gap.
Several private rooms are separated around the hall, and the entire hall is decorated with red ribbons. The wooden carvings placed around it are lifelike, which shows that a lot of thought has been put into the layout of the restaurant.
Manager Gu quickly said, "We have followed your instructions, sir. Do you think there are any deficiencies?"
"Not bad!" Zhang Yuezhi was very happy to hear the emperor's praise.
Zhang Yuezhi shook his head, wondering why the emperor had the whimsical idea of acquiring property outside the palace. The restaurant's layout was indeed quite nice, but there were already several large restaurants in the capital. If the emperor were to reveal his identity in secret, he would be competing with the people for profit. If he asked a senior official to become the restaurant's owner, who knew what the profit and loss would be.
Moreover, Zhang Yuezhi had observed that the location of this place was indeed ordinary and not the most prosperous area in the capital, so it must be difficult to do business here.
But she just thought about it and didn't say it out loud.
...
Yan Xuanyu didn't know what Zhang Yuezhi was thinking. He randomly chose a private room and went in, and asked Manager Gu to bring two copper pots.
"Do you like spicy food?" Yan Xuanyu asked.
Zhang Yuezhi had been thinking about the restaurant issue for a while, and she was slow to realize that Yan Xuanyu was asking her.
"Even I am fine with it." Zhang Yuezhi came back to her senses.
Yan Xuanyu turned to Gu Zhushi and said, "Bring out two spicy hot pots, so I can see how you guys are doing."
After saying that, he took the paper from Mr. Gu's hand and handed one to Zhang Yueyi beside him.
Zhang Yuezhi took it and looked at it carefully, only to see rows of... names of ingredients written on it?
Yan Xuanyu on the opposite side has already started calling out names.
"Hand-rolled noodles, bean sprouts, black fish fillet, hand-beaten pork meatballs, lamb rolls..."
The Great Zhou did not ban beef and mutton.
"I need this much first." Yan Xuanyu returned the paper to Manager Gu.
Manager Gu looked at Zhang Yuezhi and said with a smile, "What does Madam want?"
Zhang Yuezhi still didn't react and didn't know why she ordered these ingredients. Were they going to cook them all together?
"I want... the same thing as you." Zhang Yuezhi nodded, "Excuse me, Master."
Director Gu was flattered and said, "You are too kind."
After saying that, he led his men out of the private room and prepared to leave. After a while, two servants came with pots.
Zhang Yuezhi originally thought that the emperor's idea of acquiring property was a bit naive, but now she realized that her idea was too simple.
A mouth-watering aroma wafted from the pot held by the servant. It had the spiciness of dogwood and a fresh fragrance...
She observed the strange-looking "pot". This "pot" was made of copper and had a bulge on it. The servant placed the pot on the table, opened the small lid, added charcoal and other things, and it was ready.
Plates of ingredients were placed in front of them, and the lamb rolls were huge.
Yan Xuanyu laughed so hard while watching this, it’s rare in modern times!
The mutton was sliced very thinly, and he couldn't wait to pick up a few slices with chopsticks and throw them into the pot.
The smell of the beef hot pot was really overwhelming for Yan Xuanyu. Looking at this familiar thing, he actually had an absurd feeling of returning to the modern era.
"As long as it's just the two of us, there's no need to be too restrained." Yan Xuanyu said and ignored Zhang Yuezhi.
He knew that as long as he was here, it would be difficult for the other party to let go no matter what.
The tender red mutton rolls changed color after being put into the pot. The pot was bubbling and sending up large amounts of fragrant hot air. He picked up a piece, rolled it in the prepared dipping sauce, and then put it in his mouth.
tasty!
Of course, this dipping sauce is not as rich as modern hot pot, it is just some seasonings and minced garlic, but the advantage is that the lamb rolls are fresh and tender, and are coated with a little bit of the beef hot pot soup.
The only bad thing is...
Yan Xuanyu's body had not eaten such stimulating food for a long time, so he had to drink water continuously to relieve the spicy feeling in his mouth.
Originally, Zhang Yuezhi was very restrained, but the smell in front of her was too tempting and too novel for her. Seeing that no one was serving her, she knew that she had to cook the pot herself. She followed Yan Xuanyu's example and put in a few thin slices of mutton and some bean sprouts.
She had never seen this bean sprout before. The top looked like a soybean, but what was that long white beard underneath?
Zhang Yuezhi also picked up the mutton and dipped it in the dipping sauce. The moment she put it in her mouth, the freshness, fragrance and spiciness all exploded in her mouth. The mutton did not have any smell of mutton, it was really delicious!
Yan Xuanyu enjoyed the meal very much. The hand-made pork meatballs were mixed with egg liquid, which made them chewy and elastic.
It’s so nice to eat hot pot in the middle of winter.
He glanced over and discovered that Zhang Yuezhi had also been eating like him without raising her head, but her posture was still very elegant.
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