Chapter 358 Jiangdong
After the sacrifice was completed and the troops were settled, Emperor Zhao attended the banquet prepared for him by the people of Yangzhou. As everyone expected, he changed into a bright red robe and wore a fu hat, but he did not add hard wings for the convenience of eating.
In other words, after showing off his power, the official did not do anything else, but immediately started to make the ruler and the people one family.
However, although Emperor Zhao would not cause any trouble, he could not stop the local people in Yangzhou from causing trouble - almost all the wine and food for the banquet were contracted out, and someone would take the initiative to explain almost every glass of wine and every dish.
Of course, this cannot be blamed on Sun and Wei, because the instigator was none other than Zhao Jiu.
About a year ago, Emperor Zhao had done something similar in Tokyo, where he had taken over all the official expenses and royal titles... Not only was it free, but he also charged for it... Of course, the benefits were immediate. At least Zhao Jiu didn't wear the old clothes of Emperor Taishang Daojun at the Mid-Autumn Festival last year. The court officials also had their own sacrificial robes, and even the fruits given to the ministers of the Secret Cabinet at the end of last year were much richer.
So what can we say about Sun Jinglie responding to the call to save money? Besides, in a sense, this can be regarded as the monarch being familiar with local customs, which is a part that everyone likes to see.
In fact, in the beginning, these introductions were quite respectable… For example, when serving a glass of wine, the person who served the wine would probably say how many years the restaurant had been famous, and who had written poems about the wine; when serving fruits and vegetables with the wine, the person would also probably talk about the place of origin and related stories… And every time, there would be officials, scholars, monks and Taoists present who would trace back the relevant cultural origins.
On the other hand, Emperor Zhao was not stupid either. He took a sip and said a few words of praise, which seemed harmonious and natural.
But suddenly, when a dish that looked very familiar to Emperor Zhao came up, the scene changed abruptly.
"Good instructor, you know that this Jianyan Royal Duck is different from other dishes. First of all, it uses authentic Huaishang wild duck. The duck is fat in autumn, which is a good time for duck hunting...
"Secondly, there are two secrets when pickling. One is that the salt must be fried in advance so that it can be flavored and the skin can be tightened. The other is that the duck's stomach must be filled with osmanthus flowers so that the duck meat can be fragrant...
"Finally, it has to be cooked over a slow fire. Only in this way can the duck skin be white and tender, and the duck meat be plump..."
"Stay still."
Zhao Jiu finally couldn't help but interrupt the man. "Jinling Osmanthus Saltwater Duck is world-famous. There are written records of it as early as the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Yangzhou and Jinling are separated by a river, so it is not uncommon to have saltwater ducks. But why is it called... Jianyan Imperial Duck? Is there any allusion? Was it given by the Queen Mother?"
"So that the officials know."
This person, who was said to be a famous silk merchant in Huaizuo and a member of the Zhao Emperor's Royal Maritime Trade Company, was immediately solemn upon hearing this, and fell to the ground in front of the table, answering seriously. "This duck is not an ordinary sweet-scented osmanthus salted duck. It is named after the emperor's reign not because the empress dowager appreciated it, but because it is said that in the early years of Jianyan, when the emperor led the royal army to stop Wanyan Wushu, the fourth king of the Jin thieves, on the Huai River, the people of Huaizuo once offered this thing to the emperor as a tribute, so it became famous..."
Zhao Jiu was stunned for a moment, then immediately smiled and said, "Yes, I remember now. That's what happened. Minister Lin of the Ministry of Revenue took the duck to Bagong Mountain that day. Minister Hu of the Ministry of Works ate it the fastest. Although I also liked it, I only ate half of it. It was because I remembered that the garrison in Xiacai, Huaibei, did not have such a delicacy... So, I crossed the Huai River that night and went to Xiacai to deliver the remaining half of the duck to Zhang Boying along with Liu Guangshi's head... It's been seven years, but it seems like yesterday. I didn't expect that the duck was actually yours?"
When the emperor talked about the events of the day, he thought of countless allusions, elegant tunes, and poems, and prepared to continue.
However, there are people who are much faster than them!
"I am deeply grateful to the emperor for saying this." The local silk merchant who presented the duck bowed to the ground in tears as the whole audience was stunned. "I was overjoyed when I heard that the duck from my own duck shop could be presented to the emperor. Later, I heard that the emperor was working hard in Huaishang and was often worried about the country... Therefore, when the difficulties in Huaishang were solved, I invested in purchasing all the duck shops that were presented to the emperor, and specialized in making Jianyan imperial duck. Who would have thought that I could present this to the emperor today? I... I am satisfied with my life."
Everyone was stunned, but they could only carefully glance at Emperor Zhao.
Unexpectedly, Emperor Zhao was not angry at all when he saw this man's exaggerated performance. Instead, he sighed for a moment under the careful gaze of everyone, and then stroked the table and said:
"It's rare that you have such a heart! It's just a pity that although the crisis on the Huai River has been resolved, the crisis on the Yellow River has not been resolved. Today, I am still like the day on Bagong Mountain. I am grateful for the loyalty of the people of Huaizuo, but I am also worried that the soldiers in the imperial camp cannot enjoy it... What a pity! What a pity!"
"Your Majesty!" The man raised his head hastily, but then changed his expression. "After the duck is pickled, if it can be dried in the shade, it can be stored for several months even in winter. Although it is only a white body, I have always wanted to serve my country. There is also extra money at home, and I can't work hard. Before the New Year, I can send Jianyan imperial ducks... I can send 3,000 imperial ducks to the imperial camp to reward the soldiers!"
Zhao Jiu finally slammed the table and said, "You have such ambitions, how can you still be a commoner? You should be granted a title and reward your offspring for their good birth... After today's banquet, you should report the names of your two sons and nephews. If they are good at literature, you can ask Sun Jinglue to recommend them to the Imperial College. If they are good at martial arts, you can ask Liu Tongzhi to join the imperial guard!"
This chapter is not finished yet, please click on the next page to continue reading the exciting content!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
