Chapter 2: Guiji Braised Foods. That was a carefully crafted disguise made of human skin. ...
Liu Shanyuan was indeed a little surprised.
Looking at the past and present, the Daliang Dynasty had relatively few ethical constraints.
Take the capital city for example, there were women from the common people marrying into the husband's family, and there were also a few female officials in the officialdom serving in the Hanlin Academy, the Shi Ge Academy and other places.
But most of them are girls from prominent families.
The rules are strict and well-organized.
It's rare to see such a free and unrestrained young lady.
"Who is this Miss Gui?" Liu Shanyuan habitually stroked the pendant around his waist, then lowered his hand uncomfortably.
Seeing that he did not put on airs, the soldiers who were warming themselves around the fire also responded.
"She is an outsider. It is said that she came to the Zhenbei military camp to look for her relatives."
"Here, the Danu have launched repeated surprise attacks, and we've fought countless battles. I imagine her husband has long been killed in battle..."
"But Miss Gui's martial arts skills are very good!"
Despite all the gossip, the young lady's background remains a mystery.
Liu Shanyuan just asked casually. Although recommending filial and honest officials was one of the annual assessment criteria for the then superiors, in the northern border, taxation of money and grain was the top priority.
When the granaries are full, people will know etiquette. If they can't even solve the problem of food and clothing, who would care about such a trivial matter as discovering talents?
What a pity.
As the new prefect, his biggest concern is border stability.
"Reporting to the Lord, it is the end of the year and the depth of winter, and supplies are scarce. The Danu people in this border area are mainly nomadic and may come to plunder at any time."
When talking about this matter, Commander Cai also frowned.
"I boldly predict that with Laba approaching, they will surely be unable to hold back and invade."
Liu Shanyuan calculated with his fingers that the first priority for a new official was to save his life.
"We heard at the post stations along the way that the emperor's hand-picked champion of the Jinke martial arts exam, the Zhenbei Vanguard Major General, is on his way."
The butler interjected at the right moment.
"Then I hope this martial arts champion can hurry up." Cai Miao's eyes revealed a hint of contempt. "Otherwise, if we delay until the Great Cold and close the mountains, the journey will be difficult."
In the third year of Chengshuo, the government was in a state of decline and chronic problems were difficult to reverse.
The civil and military officials who were exiled to the northern border were the worst of the worst.
Cai Miao was dismissive.
He sent a team of soldiers to escort Liu Shanyuan and others through the not very busy streets and stopped in front of the government office.
"Is it possible to live here?"
The housekeeper rubbed his frozen hands, and his hesitant voice changed its tone.
The four big characters "Zhenbeifu Yamen" are written upright.
That's right.
The drum in front of the hall was thrown casually in the snow.
The dilapidated door panel swayed in the cold wind, making an unpleasant creaking noise.
Walking through the front yard, I saw that the words "A Bright Mirror Hangs High" written on the plaque in the main hall were covered with a layer of dust.
The thin evening glow cast mottled light and shadows through the lattice windows, and the solemn government office was silent.
"Who's here? They're looking for the prefect in the east of the city..."
The old man, who had just woken up and was still groggy, appeared in front of everyone carrying a fur coat.
"Mr. Weng, this is our new prefect of Zhenbei - Mr. Liu Shanyuan." The soldier in charge bowed.
"Another change?" the old man yawned, speaking with a thick northern accent. "Four new officers in three years! Hey, the more they change, the worse it gets!"
"Oh, don't talk nonsense!" The soldier in charge was frightened and quickly coaxed the old man aside.
Liu Shanyuan and the housekeeper didn't quite understand and looked at each other.
The Daliang Dynasty had a vast territory, and it had always been a big problem for officials from the capital to communicate in dialects when they went to other places to take up posts or conduct inspections.
"Your Excellency, please allow me to report that the conditions in our Zhenbei government office are indeed rather shabby. Therefore, the new governors have basically all built new residences..."
Two flowers bloom, each showing its own beauty.
Not to mention how the new prefect and his staff would deal with this impoverished start.
The next day, Guiji Braised Food Shop, which was only ten feet away, opened.
Guizhier added an appropriate amount of water into the medicine pot, put away the gauze bag containing spices, and the preparation of a pot of braised food was coming to an end.
She looked calm and focused, and her hands and feet were nimble and deft.
There are many kinds of game in winter, lurking in the snow-capped mountains like elves, and the North provides them with a good habitat.
As a professional chef, Gui Zhier said:
Wild boars are so cute, of course they have to be made into braised meat!
She had a good harvest when she went up the mountain yesterday. When she lifted the ice at the shallow water level, she found snow clams lying on the muddy ground at the bottom of the pond.
Guizhier picked up the basket and picked up the food while thinking about how to fry, stir-fry, and deep-fry.
After closing the woven buckle lid, she closed her eyes and meditated for a few seconds, and the item in her hand disappeared.
Now, back to Guiji Braised Food Shop.
She heated oil in a pan, cut the chili peppers diagonally, shredded the ginger, sliced the garlic, and used her skillful knife skills to prepare the snow-sleeping clams.
Heat the oil to 80% and stir-fry until fragrant.
She flipped the large iron spoon twice, added chili peppers and stir-fried until cooked. A rich aroma gradually wafted out of the shop.
"Oops, I'm late. What's the menu today?"
"The sign says braised wild pork and stir-fried snow-sleeping clams. I can already smell the aroma!"
"Take it home and have a couple of drinks, it's delicious."
Guiji Braised Food Shop is open every Friday and tenth day of the month, and the rest of the time depends on my mood.
Two tables for diners can be reserved, and the rest of the people can only wait in line.
There is only one exception - the border guards.
Everyone could understand this, because Miss Gui was a widow who came to the Zhenbei military camp to look for her relatives, and she always had to establish good relations with the army.
Guizhier spreads out the oil paper, packs the golden and crispy stir-fried vegetables, simply ties a knot with a thin hemp rope, and then sells them.
There was a long queue of people outside the door, but she was not in a hurry.
There is also a slow-cooked vegetarian soup in the casserole.
She beat in an egg and stirred it evenly to form layers of thickened egg yolks.
"Fifteen copper coins per copy, limited to two copies per person."
Guizhier opened the curtain of the small window, her voice clear and crisp. Although it was an old custom, she still shouted that before starting the sale.
This sound is full of the flavor of fireworks, and brings out a sense of happiness in the howling cold wind.
After all, food has been the most important thing for people since ancient times.
"The young lady is getting more and more beautiful! Give me one portion of each of these two dishes." Aunt Cai stretched out her hand from the sleeve of her cotton coat, and the copper coin gleamed.
She is the most loyal customer of Guiji Braised Food Store.
Not only for the delicious food, but also for Guizhier.
"Please take it and eat it while it's hot." Guizhier smiled gently.
She has a straight nose and slightly thick eyebrows, which makes her look heroic.
But there is also a pair of eyes that are like the autumn sky, clear and bright, adding a touch of classical beauty.
Her jet-black hair was tied into a simple bun, adorned with a silver hairpin.
Aunt Cai felt that Miss Gui was not only a good cook, but also had great martial arts skills.
Although his incompetent son is a general in charge of city defense, he is still single at the age of thirty, so becoming a son-in-law would be a good choice for him.
In response to this, Gui Zhier sighed helplessly in her heart:
The red thread cannot be tied randomly, your son has a crush on the most popular beauties in Yaoyue Tower.
Although Guizhier only opened a braised food shop, she knew many people's secrets.
For example, the guest invited today is the new prefect.
He was thin, with a scholarly air between his brows and a calm demeanor.
Guizhier knew at a glance that the white hair on the prefect's head might be real, but the wrinkles on his forehead and corners of his eyes might not be.
It is a carefully crafted, natural-looking human skin disguise.
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