Chapter 67 (Grilled Fish (Part 2)...)

Prince Chang also smelled it and looked at the butler: "What kind of dish is this? It smells so good?"

The housekeeper smiled and explained, "It's the grilled fish sent by Miss Yan from the Xiao family. She said it needs to be heated in the oven before it can be eaten. I'm asking someone to heat it up. It will be ready soon."

Lord Xue's eyes lit up. Miss Yan from the Xiao family?

The one his son likes?

You are so familiar with Prince Chang?!

Normally, if a chef from someone's family sends something, the name of the host family will usually be mentioned. Now that Miss Yan is directly mentioned, it is definitely not an accessory of the Xiao family. My wife said that it was just the chef of the Xiao family, so I'm afraid it was a misunderstanding.

Lord Xue coughed lightly, and once again hesitated to speak: "Your Highness..."

As soon as the two words came out, he smelled the fragrance getting stronger and stronger, which successfully diverted his attention.

When he looked up, he saw a servant carrying a meal that looked quite filling. He placed a thick cloth on the table and put a large iron plate underneath. The soup inside was bubbling due to the heating.

The protagonist of this dish is a fish.

A fish that looks quite large and extremely plump!

Lord Xue stared at the food with great delight, without saying a word. What else could he say? If he said one more word at this moment, he would delay the delicious food.

At this time, a fair and handsome little boy who looked about seven years old came over. His eyes and brows were somewhat similar to those of King Chang.

Lord Xue still managed to speak: "I have met His Majesty the Great Grandson."

"Hello, sir." Ah Heng replied politely and sat on the other side of King Chang.

Prince Chang rubbed his head and asked, "Where's your mother?"

Ah Heng pouted unhappily and whispered, "Mom told us to eat first, so she won't come out."

Prince Chang shook his head and said, "Ah Heng, go and invite your mother over. There is so much food, how can the three of us finish it? Don't worry about those red tapes."

"Yes!" Ah Heng was immediately happy when he heard this, and ran out happily to call people.

Even from a distance I could still hear him calling for his mother.

"Your Highness is very filial." Lord Xue said with a smile.

Prince Chang smiled and nodded, "Yes, this child is kind-hearted."

It was also his kindness that woke him up from the chaos and made him see his own responsibilities.

Lord Xue's smile also became more genuine. A kind-hearted superior would make his followers feel more at ease. Although he did not dare to choose anyone before, Prince Chang had once been the crown prince, so in his heart, he still had more weight than others.

Soon Princess Chang also came over.

Lord Xue bowed again, and then the meal officially began.

There were a lot of delicious food on the table. In addition to the grilled fish that took up a large space, there were also crispy pork, spicy chicken wings and other foods served on the side. However, the large portion was more eye-catching.

Prince Chang called him, "Master Xue, you are welcome. Eat more."

Then, as the master, the first piece he dropped fell on the big fish.

The fish is big and plump, with tender meat. The skin is a little browned, but it is soaked in the salty, spicy and slightly sweet soup. The fish meat can be peeled off with a little force of chopsticks.

The tender white fish meat with a piece of tough fish skin and the soup are sent into your mouth.

The fish meat is big but has few bones. When you take a bite, the first thing you taste is the delicious soup. Then you take a sip with the tip of your tongue and chew the fish meat and skin together. It is tender but not rotten and very delicious.

"tasty!"

A light shout was heard, and Prince Chang was stunned for a moment, almost thinking that it was himself who spoke, but he quickly realized that it was Lord Xue.

The older man beside him was looking at the grilled fish in amazement, his eyes full of love: "Your Highness, Miss Yan's cooking skills are amazing! I didn't expect fish could be cooked like this. I went to the food court two days ago and had grilled fish. I thought it was delicious, but I didn't expect it to taste so different in this way."

The key point of grilled fish is its tenderness. The fish meat becomes soft and rotten with the slightest touch. Sprinkled with a thick layer of seasoning, it tastes very rich.

The fish at the barbecue stall was delicious, but it was too small and not satisfying.

But the fish in front of me is big enough, fresh enough, and tender enough!

The soup is also delicious enough. The fish cooked in this soup tastes different from the heavy spices of the grill. It is slightly spicy, slightly salty and sweet, and has the scent of charcoal fire.

Make him unable to stop!

Prince Chang was dumbfounded. He had heard before that the Minister of Revenue loved delicious food, but he didn't expect that he loved it so much. He also remembered that his father had told him before that the reason why Lord Xue was appointed as the Minister of Revenue was because this man's only hobby was eating.

How much can you eat?

He is not greedy at all, not to mention he is not very courageous, so the emperor feels at ease with him in this position. Now it seems that this is indeed the case.

The little boy sitting opposite Lord Xue was eating cherries that were slightly soaked in soup. They were sweet and salty, and inexplicably delicious.

Suddenly, he heard such praise, his eyes lit up, and he said in a crisp voice: "Yes! Sister Shu is amazing! She can make a lot of delicious food, popcorn, cakes, spicy strips, barbecue, all made by her!"

"They gave me some hotpot two days ago. It's delicious. My parents like it!"

Master Xue was busy eating, and when he heard this, he asked in surprise, "She made all this?"

He was not unfamiliar with these things, because after the Lantern Festival, popcorn became his snack and he would buy it from time to time. Until a few days ago, he found that the mobile popcorn vendor had also moved to the food street. As soon as he went there, he felt like a bumpkin who had just arrived in the city.

I've never seen anything, but I want to eat everything.

In the end, he had to lean against the wall and was scolded by his wife.

I didn't expect that she did all this???

Ah Heng nodded proudly: "Of course, it was all done by Sister Ah Shu!"

Lord Xue was somewhat surprised. This was too incredible. He asked, "How old is this girl?"

It doesn't make sense. For my son to like something, he should be about the same age, right? How can he be so amazing?

Ah Heng counted on his fingers and said, "Seventeen years old?"

Lord Xue swallowed his saliva, and his heart suddenly became hot. He originally just supported his son because he liked him, but now, he put down his chopsticks, took a sip of wine, gave himself a little courage, and then said: "Your Highness, Princess, Little Highness, you seem to be very familiar with Miss Yan from the Xiao family?"

Prince Chang also stopped eating and raised his eyebrows, "Not bad, what can I do for you, sir?"

Lord Xue smiled sheepishly, "I am ashamed to say that I love Miss Yan, but my wife did something wrong and offended Miss Yan. However, neither I nor I knew about this matter. We only found out about it two days ago. I have been wanting to apologize to Miss Yan. I wonder if Your Highness can help make some connections?"

His expectant gaze shifted from Prince Chang to Princess Chang.

Full of hints.

Princess Chang naturally understood that it was most appropriate for a female relative to discuss such matters, and she was also moved.

As the former Crown Princess and now Princess Chang, she knew the situation of some ministers in Kyoto. The son mentioned by the person in front of her should be Xue Wulang who had just passed the exam and was preparing for the palace examination.

That's a fine man.

The Xue family is of high status, and if this could work out, it would benefit both parties.

She and her husband looked at each other and were about to nod after confirming, when Ah Heng suddenly spoke up in a vigilant tone: "No!"

Three adults:?

Princess Chang was especially shocked.

Son, do you, a little kid, know what the adults are talking about?

Soon, Ah Heng told them that he not only knew, but also understood very well. He said seriously, "Sister Ah Shu is Dong Dong's future aunt, she can't marry anyone else! Dong Dong will be angry, and Uncle Xiao Liu is very old. Mother-in-law said that I was born when Dad was this old, it's so pitiful, you can't let Sister Ah Shu marry someone else."

"Hiss!" Lord Xue took a deep breath, his face full of surprise: "Is what the young prince said true?"

Princess Chang was surprised: "I haven't heard of it? Ah Heng, how did you know?"

Ah Heng puffed out his chest proudly: "I am Dongdong's best friend, of course Dongdong told me!"

"Dongdong, who told you this?" Princess Chang asked softly.

Ah Heng thought for a moment and said, "It seems that it was Grandma Xiao who said that?"

At this point, Princess Chang felt that she didn't need to ask any more questions. She smiled helplessly and looked at Lord Xue.

Silence is better than words at this moment. Lord Xue noticed the gaze, sighed, and muttered to himself, his wife said that the Xiao family would never let Xiao Liulang marry Miss Yan, but didn't Mrs. Xiao say it herself?

It turns out that not everyone pays so much attention to the door lintel!

He was heartbroken and could only comfort himself by picking up a piece of meat that connected the fish's belly and head, cutting it in the soup, and eating it in one bite.

The fish here is the most tender and fresh, without any bones at all. When you take a bite, it feels like there is something slippery and soft in your mouth. It really melts in your mouth and then slides into your stomach.

Really delicious!

The delicious food made him feel a little better, but he felt even more heartbroken when he thought that the opportunity to eat delicious food as he pleased was gone.

Ah Heng was stunned when he saw his favorite place being pinched, his little mouth pursed, and he felt a little lost.

But it seems that this adult is quite sad because he couldn't marry Sister Shu?

Forget it, he won’t say anything more.

Eating elsewhere is also delicious.

For example, the fish meat around the belly is tender and smooth, and the bones are all big, making it easy to eat. Then take a bite of the cooked bean sprouts inside, which are just the right amount of salty and light, and you don’t even need to eat it with rice!

A wonderful lunch ended.

After Lord Xue discussed the details with Prince Chang, he left with satisfaction and a sigh, and went back to tell his son the bad news.

Xue Jiahe was suddenly struck by lightning.

It would have been better if he had lost hope at the beginning, but just when he had lost hope, his father rekindled his hope. He thought he could succeed, but after just two or three days, it failed again.

Miss Yan is indeed the daughter-in-law chosen by the Xiao family for Xiao Waiting.

He felt mixed emotions and didn't know what to do.

Finally, he chose to lock himself in his study for several days to calm his fluctuating emotions.

Mr. Xue was so frightened that he came to see his son every day. It was not until three days later that he came out calmly.

After three days of adjustment, he no longer felt uncomfortable.

I also clearly realized that they really were not meant to be together.

It was such a vague liking, and it was only a liking after seeing her a few times, so it couldn't be said to be very strong. If it weren't for what Madam Xue did, he might have given up after not seeing her for a while. But her making a fuss made him feel guilty towards that woman, so he had such a big emotional fluctuation.

Master Xue was worried that his son would get stuck in a dead end, but he didn't expect that his son would come to his senses so quickly. He was relieved, but he still felt guilty about his son, so he said, "In the future, Dad will not let your mother interfere in your marriage. I will let your mother reject the county lord. You can fight for whoever you like."

"Thank you, Dad!" Xue Jiahe smiled calmly.

The father and son smiled at each other and let the matter go.

With Lord Xue's words, Madam Xue had no choice but to reject the idea of ​​marriage with Prince Jin, no matter how reluctant she was.

Three months later, Xue Jiahe successfully won the palace examination, which aroused the envy of countless people. He also seemed to be favored by the Sixth Prince's sister, the Eighth Princess. However, before everything was settled, he asked to be demoted to a lower position, wanting to go to the local area for training.

This was a demotion for the top scholar. With the help of Lord Xue's lobbying, the emperor readily agreed and left in early April.

During this period, Prince Chang had already left with the military pay.

At this time, Kyoto fell into a strange silence. The Fifth Prince's faction and the Sixth Prince's faction only made minor movements.

It was not until May that good news came - Uta was completely defeated!

The most outstanding achievement was that Xiao Huaiwu sneaked into the military camp alone, killed the enemy commander, and escaped unscathed, laying a solid foundation for Xiao Huaiting to lead the army to flatten Wuta.

Afterwards, Xiao's army did not give Wuta a chance to catch his breath and attacked Huanglong all the way.

Wuta was not a big country to begin with. Due to its remote location, most of its people ate meat. Although their individual strength was higher than that of the soldiers of the Great Zhou, their numbers were still not that advantageous.

Now that the soldiers of the Great Zhou were well fed and well clothed, their strength had increased, and naturally their fighting capacity was stronger. In addition, Xiao Huaiwu, who had been preparing for five years for the old hatred, was there, and the entire army was united, determined not to stop until Wuta destroyed the country. So everything went unexpectedly smoothly.

When the real news of victory reached Kyoto, the whole country celebrated.

Mrs. Xiao was so excited that she expressed her desire to fulfill her vow.

Mrs. Xiao believed in Buddhism, or maybe not really in faith, but just had a thought in mind. The Bodhisattva in her small Buddhist temple was brought back from Jungrin-ji Temple, the most popular temple in Kyoto.

During those years, her heart was sick and she tortured herself like a possessed person. Her only comfort was to worship Buddha.

She hopes that one day God will return her husband, son and son-in-law to her.

But now, although she no longer has the dream, her sons and daughters can return safely from the battlefield, and she has avenged the deaths of her second, third and fourth sons-in-law, which is her greatest joy. She wants to fulfill her vow and visit her daughters in the Taoist temple on the same road as Conglin Temple.

It was naturally a good thing that Mrs. Xiao was willing to go out. As the young lady, Xie Qingyun made arrangements immediately.

Except for Xiao Huaiqi, all the masters of the Xiao mansion accompanied him out.

Including the three children, Dongdong, Wan'er and Xiao Pingsong, Yan Qiushu naturally went along as well.

When noble families worshipped Buddha, they did not have to walk from the city to the temple outside the city like ordinary people did. They only had to sit in a horse-drawn carriage until they reached the foot of the mountain, and then they had to get off and walk on their own.

When Yan Qiushu jumped off the carriage, she discovered that this temple was really very popular.

There were a lot of people at the foot of the mountain alone, including many monks and Taoists setting up stalls to tell fortunes. Men, women, young and old walked around, just like a market, but no one made any loud noises.

Some devout people would even kneel three times and kowtow nine times.

Dongdong, who was here for the first time, jumped down next. He had a big bulging pouch on his waist, which was quite conspicuous. He quickly covered it with one hand, looked outside, and exclaimed: "Wow, so many people!"

Yan Qiushu and her group naturally walked straight up.

There was a maid who was very strong to support Mrs. Xiao. The others could walk by themselves and tried their best. The three children also tried their best. When they got tired, they drank some water and continued walking.

Halfway through the journey, the group sat down to rest for a while. When they stood up again, Wan'er and Dongdong could not hold on any longer.

Yan Qiushu looked around and found that the maids who followed her up were also very tired. Seeing their weak arms and legs, she became a little anxious.

How do these two kids solve this problem?

Before she could ask any questions, Yan Qiushu saw Xiao Huaiyu straighten his clothes and roll up his sleeves, looking more capable and neat. Then she squatted down and hugged Dongdong.

"Miss Third, you..." Yan Qiushu was quite worried.

The next second, the slim girl, with one effort, easily picked up the fat kid who was heavier than Wan'er, and then said to Xiao Pingsong: "Pingsong, you hold Wan'er."

"Yes!" Xiao Pingsong nodded obediently, and came over and picked up Wan'er easily.

Yan Qiushu was stunned.

She had tried to hug Wan'er before!

Of course I failed and was even laughed at by the little girl.

Xie Qingyun came over with a smile and said hurriedly, "Didn't I tell you? Most of the people in the Xiao family have learned martial arts. After a while, Wan'er will also have to learn martial arts. By then, she may be stronger than you."

Yan Qiushu silently closed her jaw in shock and said, "Take me with you."

No wonder the third daughter of the Xiao family was able to beat her ex-fiancé so hard that he cried for his parents. She had always found it unbelievable when she heard about it before. Xiao Huaiyu looked like such a gentle woman. Although she was not as cold and aloof as Song Mingdai, she was almost the same.

I didn’t expect it to be like this!

Xie Qingyun chuckled: "Okay, I'll write down your request. When Wan'er starts learning martial arts, I'll tell the master to bring one more."

Yan Qiushu coughed lightly and quickly retracted her words: "I'm just kidding. I'm too old and not suitable for this."

"She's not married yet, she's still a little girl." Xie Qingyun patted her head with a smile and continued to climb up.

The temple was built halfway up the mountain, and it took quite a while to walk up there. By the time they finally arrived at the temple, it was already too late. Madam Xiao went to fulfill her vow, Xie Qingyun and others went to pray, and Yan Qiushu also followed suit and drew a fortune stick to ensure her safety and wealth!

She even shook out a lucky number, which made her so happy that she couldn't close her mouth.

When Mrs. Xiao came out and saw her happy face, she also laughed and said, "What good fortune did you pray for? Did you pray to the Buddha to grant you a good marriage?"

Yan Qiushu smiled happily: "I asked the Buddha to make me rich, and the Buddha agreed!"

Mrs. Xiao was speechless for a while, then shook her head and said, "He is really just a child, he has not grown up yet."

After fulfilling their vows, the group strolled around the temple and had a vegetarian meal before starting to go down the mountain. When they were three-fifths of the way down the mountain, there was a fork in the road. Instead of going down directly, they walked towards the fork.

This road is much quieter than the temple, but I only met two pilgrims along the way.

This is the Taoist temple where Xiao Huaiya, the fifth daughter of the Xiao family, temporarily resides, Yuxia Temple.

As soon as they reached the door, a female nun who was sweeping the floor recognized them. When she heard that they were here to see Hsiao Huai-ya, she led them inside directly.

There were no adult men in their group, so they could go straight through. Before they reached the back of the Taoist temple, Mrs. Xiao, who took medicine all year round, smelled the medicine keenly. She became anxious and quickened her pace.

When they arrived at the courtyard where Xiao Huaiya lived and confirmed that the source of the smell of medicine was here, Mrs. Xiao became even more anxious. She didn't care about etiquette and pushed open the door and went in.

Yan Qiushu was a step slower. Before entering, she noticed that there was a locust tree in the yard. It was in season and had clusters of small white flowers, which were very beautiful. It happened to be a little windy today, so the locust flowers fell all over the ground. Just looking at the scenery was quite romantic.

When she entered, she saw a woman lying on the bed, reading a book in her hand. Her legs were tied with several wooden boards, tightly tied with white cloth. There was also a bowl of hot, bitter medicine on the bedside table.

This should be her room, but even so, the woman was wearing a veil, covering the lower half of her face tightly, leaving only a pair of red, puffy eyes that looked like she had been crying, revealing a pitiful look.

At this moment, his eyes were wide open in shock and guilt because of his mother's sudden arrival. He dropped the book and his first reaction was to pull the quilt over his legs.

The book therefore fell to the ground, revealing its name - The Biography of Pingniang.

Yan Qiushu: “……?”