Chapter 81 Making Meat
"I don't know the details, but it's pretty close. My relationship with them is too sensitive, and I can't explain it to my father either. Most importantly, my identity is also sensitive. If something like this suddenly happened, even if my father doesn't suspect me, I wouldn't believe it myself!"
"So you're just going to ruin your own future to prove your innocence?" Zhu Biao stared at Zhu Chong in disbelief. "Second brother, you're so confused!"
"What else?" Zhu Chong asked Zhu Biao, "Brother, how can I convince our father? He clearly knows about my relationship with the Xu family's daughter, yet he chooses this critical moment to marry her to me. What does this mean? Is he disgusting me or the fourth brother?"
Zhu Biao was speechless after hearing this. What Old Zhu did was indeed not right. The Xu family was almost criticized by people in Yingtian Prefecture because of this incident. As the matter was about to be settled, Old Zhu did this again. It was really puzzling.
"No matter where our father sits, I understand his paranoia. He's afraid I'll rebel. After all, I'm the heir to the throne after you. He's worried that I'm connected to the Xu family and recruiting refugees in Yunnan to rebel!"
"Second brother!" Zhu Biao's expression suddenly changed, his eyes became extremely complicated, and his breathing became noticeably heavier.
"But I never thought of rebelling!" Zhu Biao's expression became much more relaxed after Zhu Chong said this, but it immediately became complicated again.
"The throne of the Crown Prince belongs to you, big brother. No one can take it away from you. If anyone dares to rebel against you, I will risk my life to kill that bastard!"
"Besides, only fools would become emperors. Look at our father, he only takes two days off a year. Is that being an emperor? He's just enduring his life. I cherish my life and won't rebel. It's fine for you to be emperors, and it's fine for me to be a commoner!"
"Second brother, you..." Zhu Biao didn't know what to say at this moment. After a long while, he sighed softly, "You are such a jerk!"
"Alright, alright, stop being unhappy." Zhu Chong laughed. "We've already spoken frankly. Now I have a few requests. Big Brother, please help me."
"You say." Zhu Biao was a little curious when he heard Zhu Chong say this. What would he ask for help when he didn't even want the position of prince?
"The Qin Palace is gone now, so my marriage to the Xu family should be annulled. If my princess wants to leave, don't make things difficult for her. Don't stop her from going anywhere."
"Well..." Zhu Biao hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "I will do my best, but you also know that Father sometimes acts on impulse."
"Yes, I understand." Zhu Chong nodded and continued, "Also, I have taken in some orphans in Yingtian Prefecture, all of whom are refugees. I am afraid I can't take care of them in my current condition, so I hope that big brother..."
"No problem." Zhu Biao agreed immediately, then thought for a moment, took out a purse from his body and handed it to Zhu Chong. Zhu Chong opened it and saw that it was a bag full of gold beans.
"Spend less, I'll arrange for someone to meet you, and it will be more convenient if you have any urgent or difficult matters."
Zhu Chong really had no way to repay Zhu Biao's kindness, but thinking that he was his younger brother, he accepted it with a smile.
A few days later, Zhu Chong's courtyard was no longer deserted. Zhou Xiuying, Yang Miaozhen, and Tang Sai'er all moved in.
Thanks to Zhu Biao's help, Tang Sai'er's brothers and sisters were properly settled in. Tang Sai'er was worried about Zhu Chong, so she followed Zhou Xiuying and Yang Miaozhen and lived in the courtyard, saying that she would be Zhu Chong's maid and serve him.
Zhu Chong did not comment on this, but he did not object either. He now seemed to be very satisfied with this kind of life.
He eats well, drinks well, and sleeps well every day, and has three beautiful ladies serving him. His life can be said to be very comfortable.
But Zhu Chong is not someone who can sit idle. He can find something different from any random thing.
Just like this day, Zhu Chong was strolling in the courtyard after dinner when he unexpectedly smelled a familiar fragrance. After taking a closer look, he found that it came from the kitchen. He couldn't help but ask Tang Sai'er beside him, "Who is in the kitchen? What are they doing?"
"Sir, it should be Sister Xiuying and Sister Miaozhen who are cooking the meat." Tang Sai'er's tone was not sure.
"Cook meat?" Zhu Chong was a little curious. What did people in ancient times cook?
During the Ming Dynasty, the most common meals for Zhu Chong were either boiled or grilled. Due to the limited variety of condiments, nothing he ate could be considered a gourmet meal, even the imperial meals were just that.
Yang Miaozhen lived in the late Song Dynasty, and Zhou Xiuying lived in the Qing Dynasty. Zhu Chong was really surprised that these two women could make fragrant ingredients together.
When they arrived at the kitchen door, the aroma was even stronger. Zhu Chong could smell the scent of soy sauce, which was spicy. Upon closer inspection, he found that Zhou Xiuying and Yang Miaozhen were pressing something into the soy sauce jar. Looking more carefully, he found that they were putting meat in it.
"What are you doing?" Zhu Chong asked curiously.
"My Lord, we are making braised pork." Zhou Xiuying replied seriously, "Please don't come in, or you'll get your clothes dirty."
"No problem!" Zhu Chong became more interested when he heard about making braised pork. However, when he carefully watched the way Zhou Xiuying and Yang Miaozhen made the braised pork, suddenly an idea flashed in his mind.
"Don't make the braised pork yet. Take the meat out. I need it very much." Zhu Chong gave an order. Zhou Xiuying and Yang Miaozhen were shocked, but they still did as he said. They took out all the pork that had just been put into the soy sauce jar and followed Zhu Chong outside.
Zhu Chong returned to the room and came to the desk. He picked up the goose feather pen he had made, dipped it in ink, and began to write quickly.
"Take these prescriptions and go to the pharmacy to buy all these things. They will be of great use to me." Zhu Chong gave Zhou Xiuying and others notes and silver money, and the three girls did as he was told immediately.
With no one around, Zhu Chong went straight to the small kitchen and washed the meat again. Then he quickly lit the fire on the stove and started adding water to the pot.
"My Lord, how can you do such rough work? Let me do it!"
Zhu Chong was busy when Zhou Xiuying, who was the first one to come back from shopping, suddenly rushed into the kitchen. Seeing Zhu Chong cooking himself, she was immediately startled and quickly came up to do the work.
"Have you bought the things?" Zhu Chong didn't mind and let Zhou Xiuying take over the work in his hands. Anyway, what needed to be done had been done, and now all he had to do was add water to the pot.
"Young Master, why are you in the kitchen?" As he was speaking, Tang Sai'er and Yang Miaozhen also came back.
Zhu Chong looked at the things the three women bought for themselves, and began to sort them out, wrapping them in clean gauze. Then, he threw them into the pot of water that had not yet boiled, along with the chopped meat.
When the water boiled, a refreshing meaty aroma came out from under the lid of the big pot. The three girls in the kitchen smelled the meaty aroma and their eyes suddenly lit up.
Seeing the light in the girls' eyes, Zhu Chong smiled slightly. This was just the beginning. When the meat he really wanted was cooked, it would taste even better than now.
Before he could take another bite, Zhu Chong was afraid that they would bite his tongue.
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