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 began to rain heavily. A young man who looked like a scholar was coming down the road from Jungle Temple. When he reached a 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 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 Conglin Temple. It was raining heavily on the way. I remembered there was a Taoist temple here and wanted to seek shelter from the rain."

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

The scholar was fair and handsome, and looked innocent and kind. He nodded quickly when he heard this: "Of course not, I just wanted to take shelter from the rain."

Seeing that he was kind, the nun felt relieved. She brought him another cup of hot tea and went on with her work. It was raining, and there were many things to do in the Taoist temple, so it was impossible for her to stay here all the time.

Besides, the Taoist temple 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, but 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 acacia 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 wall, and half of the flowers fell inside the yard and half fell outside.

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

The boy finished reciting the poem slowly, with a smile on his face all the time.

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

The smile on the boy's face slowly disappeared, and he frowned and looked towards the courtyard.

But he could see nothing through the courtyard wall.

After a long while, the young man took a deep breath and changed another poem, but after finishing this one, there was still no -

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

The young man froze and said apologetically, "I saw the locust flowers falling in the rain from a distance, and felt sad, so I came over to take a look..."

The fierceness in the nun's eyes faded a little, but she was also quite disgusted. Maybe scholars are all weird, just like the little girl in this yard. When the locust flowers fell before, she cried out of sadness. When asked why she was crying, she wouldn't say anything.

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

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

She said unhappily, "Please leave as soon as possible."

The scholar smiled and said, "There seems to be no one in this yard. Can you let me take a closer look at these flowers?"

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

The scholar had no choice but to turn around dejectedly.

As soon as he turned around, his face turned completely gloomy. He looked back at the acacia tree, and a trace of confusion flashed in his eyes. Didn't they say... that he lived in the yard where the acacia tree was? There was no such tree in other yards. He must have found the right one. How could there really be no one there?

Xiao Mansion

There is one more person in the Xiao family.

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

Although the Xiao family was as low-key as ever, because of the good news of the razing of Wuta a few days ago, all the major families in Kyoto were still paying attention to the Xiao family and were aware of any changes.

So someone came to the door immediately.

I don’t know why, 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 to stew bone soup for her to drink.

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

But Dongdong, the clever little boy, 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.

People were in the Taoist temple before, but after a long time, no one can remember it.

Things are different now. In addition, the Xiao family has made many military achievements, and Prince Chang is becoming more and more powerful in the field. Naturally, the Xiao family, which is on good terms with Prince Chang, is also the first choice of many people for marriage.

So many people came to propose marriage.

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

By the way, what happened to Hsiao Wai-ya 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 the death of Xiao Waiting, Mrs. Xiao and Xiao Huaiqi were also in trouble. Although the others were fine, the Xiao family was actually abandoned. However, the remaining power was enough to shock this group of people.

At this time, the person who took up the banner of the Xiao family was Xiao Huaiwu. 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 got a chill and thought of the storybook she was reading under the locust tree.

As a modern person, she reads novels quickly, and a storybook has so many words that she could only remember the general content after reading it quickly. Now she suddenly thought of Xiao Huaiya and the Fourth Prince. Aren’t they exactly like those in the storybook?

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

Kyoto was in turmoil, and as a member of the Xiao family, Xiao Huaiya naturally could not have stayed in the Taoist temple. However, based on Yan Qiushu's understanding of her in a short period of time, she was certainly not the kind of person who would rush into public view, so there was not much written about her. However, she must have been 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 storyline 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 the middle of 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 script and the drama are so similar!

"Plop!" With a sound, the bone on the spoon fell into the soup.

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

Yan Qiushu came back to her senses and tapped his head unhappily: "Be more reserved, Wan'er and Pingsong are both playing games, but you can't help it, and it's only been half an hour."

Dong Dong 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 something to drink, so we won't bother her."

Xiao Pingsong nodded: "Yes!"

Dongdong made a face and snorted.

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 disgusting.

She sniffed it and nodded, "Okay, Wan'er, Pingsong, Dongdong, come and get the bowl, 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.

Each person has a bowl of soup.

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

The fire in the stove has 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 boxes.

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

"Good!"

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 finish 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, suddenly perked up. He sat up immediately, tidied his hair and clothes, made sure that the veil covered him tightly, then sat upright on the bed and asked the maid to invite the person in.

Yan Qiushu walked in slowly, opened the food box with Shui Yu, put the soup bowl and the big bone on the table, and said softly: "Fifth Miss, I made some soup and some food with the big bone. The oil on it has been removed, so it is not greasy. The doctor said that your injury is just right for bone soup at this time. Do you like it? If you don't like it, don't force yourself."

"Miss Shu is so 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 quite a heavy 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 in the future." Yan Qiushu said with a smile.

"Thank you very much in advance." Xiao Huaiya also smiled back with a soft voice.

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, and he 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: "By the way, Dongdong and the others are still waiting for me in the yard, so I won't disturb them."

She said hello and turned away.

He even closed the door when he left.

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

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, almond-shaped eyes, a small nose with a high bridge of the nose, and beautiful and rosy lips on her palm-sized face.

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

But on the face, a finger-long scar abruptly 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 the sides, perfectly destroying the softness of the cheek. At first glance, the first thing people saw was the slanted scar.

Hsiao Wai-ya was not too sad, as she had gotten used to it after so many years. However, she still could not show the scar in front of other people openly, and the veil she had worn for so 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 get angry because of this. Fortunately, she was not that kind of person and left on her own initiative.

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

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

Then she took a small sip and saw that the mellow soup did not taste mellow at all in her mouth. The light salty fragrance and the meaty taste that soaked into the soup made her tongue tip tremble with pleasure.

Although I went to the Taoist temple to avoid the evil, I still followed the temple's dietary rules and hadn't eaten such a delicious meal for a long time.

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

After making sure that the taste was to her liking, she didn't stop, her eyes curved as she drank sip after sip. She drank happily, smacking her lips twice, revealing a smile, and her almond-shaped 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 on a big plate on the tray.

Different from the rich and mellow taste of the soup, the aroma emanating from the corn bones is somewhat pungent, even more fragrant than the toasted bun that Dongdong saved from his mouth to give 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 outermost 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 take a bite, and when you chew it, you can smell the aroma of sauce mixed with the grilled ingredients attached to the outermost part. It is really salty and spicy, soft and tasty!

The fatty parts of the meat seem to have been cooked away, leaving only the lean meat. After being moistened 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 the meat was even more delicious and not greasy!

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

However, there was not much meat on this big bone, and even if two pieces were put together, it was barely enough. She finished it without realizing it. Looking at the remaining condiments on her fingertips, the girl, who had not eaten enough, hesitated for a moment and licked her fingertips.

Mm~ it tastes good too!

This condiment tastes good even when sprinkled on white rice, right? !

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

So enviable!

Sometimes, you really get what you want. Just when Xiao Huaiya was muttering that her mother was so happy, the door creaked open and Mrs. Xiao hurried over. Her eyes quickly fell on her and she was stunned when she saw her licking her fingers. "Are you so hungry?"

Xiao Huaiya: “…”

Kyoto Tea House

Zhou Zejing sat in a private room on the second floor, holding a cup of tea in his hand, leaning against the window, listening to the storyteller's sometimes high-pitched and sometimes low voice in the teahouse in the lobby on the first floor, feeling bored.

Until I saw a familiar figure coming down the stairs.

He stared at it for a few more seconds, quickly recognized it, smiled slightly, 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 and looked at Zhou Zejing, saying in a deep voice, "I went to Yuxia Temple, but didn't see anyone."

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

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

Zhou Zejing said helplessly: "We waited for the rainy day, and just happened to run into the news that Xiao Huaiting returned victoriously. Maybe it really is..." He narrowed his eyes and whispered: "God bless the Xiao family."

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

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

Zhou Zejing smiled and looked at the person opposite him: "Are you really not leaving this time you come back?"

When Prince Huai mentioned this, he smiled grimly: "I won't go. If I continue, I'm afraid the world will really become the second place. How can I change the dynasty? In just two short years, I didn't expect such a big change. The second place has emerged."

Zhou Zejing lowered his eyes, revealing a hint of deep thought.

He hadn't expected things to change so drastically. His originally sure chances of winning had become 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, "When you come back, I will have a helper, A Ke, we need to discuss how to deal with King Chang!"

"It's not that difficult," Prince Huai said softly, curling his lips strangely, "I originally planned to come back in half a year, but when the news of my coronation came, I had to regret it in advance. It just so happened that on the way back, I took the water route, and there happened to be a storm on the sea that day. I thought I was dead, but I was unexpectedly rescued and accidentally entered an isolated island."

"I got a good thing on this island. It only takes a small amount of poison to poison someone. If it's more serious, they may even convulse, have difficulty breathing, and even suffocate to death. For this reason, I found someone to do an experiment. Even if they only eat a little, they will be sick for the rest of their lives, and no one can cure it yet."

While Prince Huai was speaking, 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 find it? !

Prince Huai was quite proud: "If this thing is cooked properly, it is actually very delicious, and the production volume is not small, which is beneficial to the country and the people. This time, I will serve this thing. At present, I don't know where it is poisonous. I just need to arrange it just right. No one would have thought that something that can fill the stomachs of the people of the world can actually kill people."

When Zhou Zejing heard this, he took a deep breath, shocked and delighted.

Let the people of the world be full!

This kind of thing is really exciting!

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