Going on an incognito visit to understand the people's sentiments, well, saying this may seem like flattery.
For Zhu Youxiao, the appearance of Beijing at that time, as well as its customs and people, were something he had never seen before!
So, he actually just visited the temple fair and watched the fun.
Candied haws, crystal clear syrup, red little fruits, several children surrounded the vendor, shouting happily, "You have a string, I have a string," pointing at the candied haws on the straw.
Give me two skewers, one for yourself and one for Zhang Yuer. This poor girl actually starved to death in the palace.
"Thank you..." Zhang Yu'er was about to bow to express her gratitude, but when she saw the young emperor glaring at her, she quickly stopped.
Before leaving the palace, Zhu Youxiao had instructed that people should not call names or thank others randomly in public, and that anyone who revealed their identity would be severely punished.
It smelled sour and fragrant. Zhu Youxiao nodded slightly. He could taste the flavor of his childhood again in the Ming Dynasty.
"You want to eat too?" Zhang Yuer looked at Bai Niangniang curiously. The girl was wrapped in fur with only her big head showing. The girl was stretching out a little claw to scratch her.
Zhu Youxiao took a look, bit off a fruit, held it in his hand and handed it to Xiaobai's mouth.
The heterochromic eyes blinked, and the big head tilted. Xiaobai ignored him as if he was disgusted, and meowed at Zhang Yuer.
If you don’t want to eat it, then forget it. Zhu Youxiao rolled his eyes, threw the fruit into his mouth, and started chewing it with a crunch.
White Snake also ate one, as if she was trying something new, but the taste seemed not to suit her taste, so she shrank back into her fur and was held in Zhang Yu'er's arms with one hand, like a little baby.
Zhang Yuer really wanted to eat it, but since the emperor was beside her, she didn't dare to be too presumptuous. Seeing the emperor turn around and walk forward, she hesitated for a moment, slowly put the candied haws to the side of her tongue and licked it. It was sweet.
Looking at the emperor's back, Zhang Yuer took a light bite. It was sour and sweet, fragrant and crispy, and tasted really good.
The temple fair was lively, but Zhu Youxiao found it chaotic. Without a unified plan, it was a spontaneous market, with stalls scattered everywhere, with no space to place them. How could it not be chaotic?
Moreover, there are quite a lot of goods at the temple fair, including jade, antiques, Beijing-style silk fans, jewelry, etc., as well as household items, but Zhu Youxiao has no shortage of these!
Therefore, eating while strolling became the theme of Zhu Youxiao and his companions' visit to the temple fair. There were all kinds of steamed buns, stewed meatballs, sesame candies, meatballs, rice cakes... There was not much of each to eat, and Zhu Youxiao just wanted to taste them.
Zhang Yuer got her fill of the craving and became more and more bold and relaxed with each meal.
Zhu Youxiao also bought a beautifully crafted cloth bag from the stall and slung it across the maid's shoulder, which was bulging with food.
In addition to the food, the acrobatics were also quite attractive, mainly because Zhang Yuer had never seen them before.
Zhang Yu'er watched with wide eyes as she performed somersaults, tightrope walking, and other tricks. Zhu Youxiao, accustomed to even more spectacular performances in later generations, had to stop and watch inconspicuously to take care of her.
It was almost one o'clock in the afternoon, that is, at noon, when Zhu Youxiao and others finished visiting the temple fair and walked out along the street.
"Your Majesty, the Zhuangyuanju is in front. I heard that they have several signature dishes that taste very good." Wang Tigan came closer and spoke.
Zhu Youxiao thought for a moment and said, "Then go and try it!"
Wang Tigan hurriedly called a few guards to escort the emperor to Zhuangyuanju.
The entrance of Zhuangyuanju is not small, and the pillars outside are carved with beams and painted with rafters. You can tell at a glance that it is of high quality.
Entering the store, I looked around and found that the furnishings were even more elegant. There were calligraphy and paintings hanging on the walls, bonsai on the floor, tables and chairs made of mahogany, and the floor was solid wood, free of formaldehyde and pollution.
It takes a lot of thought to make the lobby look like this, without the usual clutter and noise of a hotel.
"Dear guests, please come this way." The waiter was also very perceptive. He saw that these people were not simple people, so he politely invited Zhu Youxiao and Zhang Yuer to the private room on the second floor.
After ordering a few signature dishes and waiting for the waiter to leave, Zhu Youxiao nodded and said, "The guards outside have worked hard. Wang Tigan will order a table for them. You two should sit down too. Standing there is too conspicuous."
The table was quite big. After Wang Tigan went out to make the arrangements, he returned to the private room and sat down with Zhang Yuer.
"This Zhuangyuanlou restaurant is really thoughtful. The names of the dishes are exactly what the candidates are thinking." Zhu Youxiao casually glanced at the menu and said with a smile, "I just wonder what kind of dish has been renamed to attract good luck?"
Wang Tigan smiled apologetically and replied, "Other servants don't know, but this one, Du Zhanyao, knows it's the braised lion's head."
Can you be the best by eating a meatball?
Zhu Youxiao chuckled, disagreeing in his heart, but not taking it seriously. As long as the food tasted good, it was fine.
At this time, many guests came into the hotel, all of whom came to eat after visiting the temple fair. Among them were several candidates preparing for the imperial examination.
If you pass the imperial examination, you can not only be called a master and not kneel when meeting the county magistrate, but also be qualified to serve as a low-level civil servant (official), and you will also have many financial benefits.
In the Ming Dynasty, Juren were generally exempt from taxes on 400 acres of land. It didn't matter if the family didn't have so much land. Many farmers would entrust their land to the Juren's name to reduce taxes and labor service.
In other words, the taxes that should have been paid to the country were taken away by scholars and gentry with official titles.
In addition, Juren and Jinshi often received "cabin money" when traveling outside.
Because the Ming Dynasty favored scholars and those with official positions and honors were exempt from taxes, many merchant ships would hire Jinshi or Juren as "talismans" on board. When they encountered the tax collection counter, they would ask them to come forward and deal with the tax, and all commercial taxes would be exempted.
In this way, Jinshi and Juren did not have to do anything, just showed up and registered their names, and they could eat, drink and travel for free, and they could also earn money, which was called "cabin money".
All merchants are dishonest. The amount of money they paid for their seats was naturally far less than the normal amount of taxes they paid. The Jinshi and Juren scholars got a small advantage, the merchants made a huge profit, and the government was the only one who was taken advantage of.
Therefore, in the Ming Dynasty, if you passed the imperial examination, you could become wealthy financially, unless you just passed and didn't have time to enjoy the benefits.
Zhuangyuanlou is a high-end restaurant that ordinary people dare not set foot in, but for most scholars, it is still affordable.
"Waiter, what is this dish that won three prizes in a row?" Like Zhu Youxiao, there were many people who had just arrived and only saw the fancy names of the dishes but had no idea what they were.
"Sir, this Lianzhong Sanyuan is also known as Four Happiness Meatballs." The waiter explained with a smile.
Another candidate raised a question, "What about this amazing achievement?"
"Sir, this dish is also known as steamed chicken with shallots."
"Passed the imperial examination?"
"Braised pork ribs with pig's trotters!"
…………
Regardless of the ingredients and taste, just for the meaning, you have to order it!
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