Chapter 26: Sending out an undercover agent to plot against a future famous minister...
The kitchen in Magistrate Tang's private residence occupied an entire side room. It was completely empty, with only the utensils that had been added after they moved in.
Several palace maids and eunuchs were sitting at the doorway, casually peeling shrimp.
Aunt Fang paused for a moment, then asked in surprise, "There are river shrimp today?"
"Auntie, my master was in charge of the purchasing today. He said the water in Yiyang County is very sweet, and the river fish raised here are very delicious." A little eunuch repeated the words like a parrot.
Qi Chengming recognized him; this was Eunuch Zhang's apprentice.
The two head chefs he obtained from the imperial kitchen were Aunt Fang and Eunuch Zhang. When he initially took them in, he briefly inquired about their backgrounds:
Aunt Fang is a master pastry chef; even the simple porridge and side dishes she ate before entering the palace have a homely flavor. Before, when she worked in the imperial kitchen, these pre-palace skills were too rudimentary, leaving no room for her to shine. Who would have thought that Qi Chengming wouldn't value her pastry skills, but instead, those homely dishes would become so sought-after?
Because she had offended the head eunuch in charge of the palace, no one dared to associate with her, and she didn't even have a servant. She was thoroughly tormented for a while. When Qi Chengming contacted her privately before leaving the palace, he had anticipated that she would agree. Leaving the palace, she might still be able to make a name for herself, which was better than never getting ahead in the palace...
—And Eunuch Zhang was the thin, frail chef who did not have the "lucky face" of a traditional cook. Such an appearance was indeed not valued in the ancient palace.
Unlike Aunt Fang, he and his apprentice weren't ostracized by everyone; they were simply quite idle in the imperial kitchen. Eunuch Zhang was skilled at cooking meat dishes, especially those with strong flavors, which the Empress Dowager clearly enjoyed. However, chefs with similar skills managed to keep him out of the running and forced him to sit on the sidelines every day.
To make a living, he had no choice but to learn how to cook some river delicacies in the imperial kitchen, hoping it might open up some opportunities. He drifted along like this, visibly unable to rise in rank. The other day, when Xiao Chengzi went to inquire, Eunuch Zhang readily agreed, even bringing his apprentice along.
“…Oh.” Aunt Fang understood what was going on after hearing it for a moment.
A knowing look flashed across her face as she introduced, "Your Highness, I'll learn how to make these new dishes with Eunuch Zhang tonight."
Aunt Fang was trying to curry favor, and Eunuch Zhang, who came out of the kitchen after hearing the commotion, was indeed grateful. He waited anxiously for Qi Chengming's reaction, his not-so-young face full of hope and humility.
"Let me see..."
Qi Chengming glanced around at the kitchen preparations and casually called out, "Then tonight you two will make fried shrimp, fried fish, fried chicken legs, fried mushrooms, and lotus root. Prepare the vegetables first... and make the batter I mentioned."
"Alright!" Aunt Fang replied briskly, exchanged a glance with the grateful Eunuch Zhang, and then each called over a maid and her apprentice to help with the fire.
Xiao Dezi followed quietly beside him, a hint of confusion on his face. He never asked questions when outsiders were around, remaining like a shadow until Qi Chengming spoke. Qi Chengming lightly patted the young eunuch, signaling him to tell him the answer when they were away from others.
This unspoken understanding made Xiao Dezi's eyebrows immediately lift with joy.
Just now, Qi Chengming thought about it for a moment and understood why Aunt Fang, who was so eagerly looking forward to it, could bear to give half of the opportunity to Eunuch Zhang.
Aunt Fang understands just how important stir-frying, a new cuisine that pairs perfectly with iron woks, will become in the future.
'So, he's a smart person.'
Qi Chengming praised her in his heart, and his goodwill towards Aunt Fang increased even more.
Since the start of the trip, Aunt Fang has firmly established herself as the head of the kitchen, shining brightly because her cooking is perfect for the convoy's long journey, and because Qi Chengming loves this home-style cooking. All the dozen or so people in the kitchen listen to her.
But what about the other head chef, Eunuch Zhang? He had no presence at all, never showed his skills in front of His Highness, and was a transparent person in the caravan kitchen, only able to help out and make some unimportant dishes.
Today, Aunt Fang could choose to completely suppress him, making His Highness only see her as his favorite. But don't forget... Aunt Fang and Eunuch Zhang have different strengths, especially Eunuch Zhang, who can cook meat dishes and strong-flavored dishes. The recipes His Highness gave to the kitchen to work on, which are all made in iron pots, are all of this type.
—Should we offend a master chef who is foreseeable to rise to prominence in the future?
Aunt Fang is a smart woman. Even if she studies now, she can't catch up to Eunuch Zhang's level, so it's better to curry favor beforehand and not put pressure on him. Besides, even if most of the dishes served in the iron pot are meat-based and heavily seasoned, does that mean the future Qi Chengming won't like vegetarian food?
Aunt Fang should have figured it out during the time she's been observing Qi Chengming. He has a very balanced diet—he loves both vegetarian and meat dishes. It's not based on health preservation, but simply on his own taste, where he emphasizes a balance between meat and vegetables and can't forget either.
Therefore, Aunt Fang knew that her skills would not decline and that His Highness would be unable to do without her in the future.
...To remain so clear-headed in the face of a visibly perceptible crisis and the fleeting glory that others might enjoy, Aunt Fang is truly a wise woman. Especially considering that she suddenly went from being ignored in the imperial kitchen to becoming the powerful steward of the caravan, flying from the mud to the sky in an instant, she still knew how to tactfully relinquish this lucrative opportunity, without becoming excessively arrogant and conceited.
With that kind of personality—even if she doesn't cook, she can succeed at anything!
Qi Chengming pondered this matter in his heart, and the more he looked at Aunt Fang, the more pleasing she seemed. Indeed, it was the right decision to have her train the apprentices. Learning the craft was secondary; what truly benefited them was if the trainees learned some of her character, thoughts, and ways of handling things.
"Your Highness, should we fry it at this stage?" Aunt Fang's voice rang out.
She was a pastry chef, and the batter she made easily met Qi Chengming's expectations. On the other side, there were neatly arranged pieces of dough, and the oil in the iron pot was already hot. Aunt Fang asked uncertainly.
Chefs have a keen sense of heat control, and even though Aunt Fang had never tried it before, she instinctively felt it was time to put it in the pot.
“Yes.” Qi Chengming knew how to cook all the basic dishes in his previous life—for no other reason than that he was a poor man and wanted to save money by cooking for himself, so he nodded with certainty.
The dough pieces were dropped into the oil, instantly making a crackling sound. The dough pieces floated and rolled in the lard, slowly expanding as if inflating, and were fried to a golden brown and crispy like fried dough sticks. A fragrant aroma began to fill the kitchen.
This is making guobi, the crispy stuff in jianbing guozi. Once fried, it can be broken into crumbs and used as a substitute for breadcrumbs on fried foods.
On the other side, the taciturn eunuch Zhang, following Qi Chengming's instructions, removed the heads and shells from the shrimp, gutted the small fish, chopped the chicken legs and wings, sliced the mushrooms and lotus root, seasoned them, and then coated them all with flour and egg wash. Just as he finished this step, his skillful apprentice brought over a small dish of the cooled, fried dough crumbs.
Eunuch Zhang picked up a river shrimp with his chopsticks and rolled it in the crumbly fried dough.
"The oil is hot, go ahead and add it." Having supervised this far, Qi Chengming had nothing more to worry about, and he nodded with satisfaction.
Ancient seasonings were not as abundant as modern ones. Expensive pepper was unavailable in this small county town, and soy sauce and chicken bouillon were simply unavailable. Qi Chengming remained silent, letting the two master chefs use the old methods to enhance the flavor—a marinade made with whole chicken broth, shrimp juice, clam powder, mushroom and bamboo shoot powder, and garlic and dogwood.
—I'll say it again, he really can't stand the dogwood anymore!
That evening, a sumptuous platter of fried foods was served. The cold noodles, which served as the main course, were topped with golden double-yolk fried eggs, and the crystal-clear wine cups were filled with the rich aroma of Dukang wine. This was what Qi Chengming had ordered to be served.
"..." He couldn't wait to try a bite of the crispy fried shrimp, then took a bite of the flavorful fried chicken leg, his eyes welling up with tears.
Although the taste is quite unfamiliar, that's the joy that comes from the explosive heat of fried food!
"You've fried a lot in the kitchen, so share some with everyone." Without Qi Chengming's reminder, Aunt Fang and Eunuch Zhang had made many imperfect dishes all afternoon in order to experiment with the best way to cook them, which filled the stomachs of everyone around them.
In ancient times, before the invention of iron pots and stir-frying methods, the sudden introduction of "fried food" as a powerful weapon was an overwhelming attack. Many imperial guards spent the entire afternoon swallowing their saliva, and their eyes couldn't help but wander while on duty.
"Alright." Eunuch Zhang replied hesitantly. He wasn't quite sure why he had been kept behind, but he was also a little excited. His Highness was finally going to speak with him privately.
Qi Chengming pondered for a long time.
During the silence, Eunuch Zhang shifted his weight from side to side several times, indicating that he was not as mentally strong as Aunt Fang and was somewhat uneasy.
Qi Chengming wasn't deliberately ignoring him; he was planning something else entirely. Since he had decided to research glass and cement after arriving in Liuzhou, and was also preparing to sell the soap he was currently making, the caravan needed to be assembled as soon as possible, ideally dispatched en route to separate it from his own fleet.
There are a few other things... that need to be prepared for as soon as possible.
"I heard you're good at making spicy, strongly flavored dishes?" Qi Chengming asked. "What ingredients do you use?"
"Yes, I use dogwood and mustard in my cooking. I have some secret recipes to remove the bitterness from dogwood and the astringency from mustard," Eunuch Zhang said hastily. He must have some skills to have made it into the imperial kitchen.
"I need someone skilled in making wasabi and fried food to go on a business trip to work for me. They won't be back for a while... maybe quite a while." Qi Chengming's fingers tapped involuntarily on the table. He wasn't testing his subordinate, so he gave his choice directly. "Eunuch Zhang, is your apprentice's skill up to par?"
"Is this matter very important to Your Highness?" After a few moments of silence, Eunuch Zhang boldly asked.
Qi Chengming studied his subtle expression and noticed that Eunuch Zhang seemed to be struggling with something: "...Sort of, but there's no rush."
Zhang, the eunuch, sweated even more. His cheek twitched as if a piece of flesh had just been cut off. He steeled his heart and said, "Your Highness, I am willing to go. Little Youzi's skills are not yet up to par."
"Little rascal?"
“He is my apprentice.” When Eunuch Zhang said this, his expression had returned to calm; he had made up his mind completely.
The young sly one's skills would be impressive even outside the palace, but compared to his own consummate mastery, it pales in comparison. If Your Highness's matter is truly important... if...
Should we stay with the caravan and keep the prince quiet, relying on our accumulated relationship to move forward steadily? Or should we take a gamble and use this very important mission to gain the prince's approval from the outside world? Which of these two options offers a better future?
Eunuch Zhang was emotionally unstable. He had had enough of being ignored, and his heart was constantly tormented as he desperately wanted to gain his master's approval.
He wanted to take a gamble.
Moreover, making such a choice in itself is, in His Highness's eyes, a declaration of loyalty.
"Alright." Qi Chengming genuinely felt that sending Eunuch Zhang was much safer than sending his apprentice, and Eunuch Zhang's importance in his heart increased. He quietly instructed, "These next two days, I'll arrange for a team to stay behind. You'll go with them to a place to find someone..."
Qi Chengming's voice was so low that even Xiao Dezi, who was waiting at the door, couldn't hear it.
Eunuch Zhang's expression shifted from confusion to realization, then to solemnity, and finally to a resolute determination to complete the task: "Your Highness, I will certainly not let you down."
"Hmm, don't let anyone notice." Qi Chengming sat back in the main seat, his voice returning to normal. "Little rascal... his name sounds the same as other people's. Is that his real name or something else?"
"It's a name I was given after I was assigned to his side. Originally, I was called Zhang You... Please, Your Highness, bestow upon me a new name," Eunuch Zhang hurriedly said.
"From now on, everyone should call him Zhang You," Qi Chengming decided immediately. In ancient times, eunuchs treated their masters and apprentices like father and son, even sharing the same surname, so he wouldn't change his name. But "Little Youzi" and "Wanderer" would be hard to distinguish, so it would be best to call him by his full name from now on.
then.
Two days later, when Qi Chengming was about to set off again, he brought a new group of miners with him, but Zhang, the eunuch from the kitchen, stayed behind. Everyone knew that his old injury had suddenly flared up and he couldn't get out of bed, so he had to stay and recuperate.
The others in the kitchen shook their heads in pity—it seemed Eunuch Zhang was about to rise to power. What bad luck! He clearly didn't have the appearance of good fortune; he was destined to be unlucky.
In the kitchen, only Aunt Fang remains in charge. Although Zhang You has taken over from his master and is now the one who makes fried food for Qi Chengming every day, he has not been promoted to the rank of Grand Eunuch.
Qi Chengming knew perfectly well that this was the seat he had reserved for Eunuch Zhang.
What he had to do was also very simple.
First, have Lao Hua, the liaison officer sent by the Marquis of Weiyong, integrate the men outside, disguise them as a caravan, and secretly cut ties with the convoy to clear out routes in the surrounding area, preparing for future sales. We'll use this soap as a test. The routes are already established; the black market network in Yiyang County hasn't been dismantled yet.
He then had the caravan take Eunuch Zhang along, delivering him to a character in the later part of the succession struggle story who would assist the new emperor.
Now that Qi Chengming had finalized his long-term mission, he carefully reviewed the original plot to see where he could draw upon his knowledge. In doing so, he remembered a character from the story:
That famous minister started from humble beginnings and had only one well-hidden weakness: a fondness for food and drink.
The plot hasn't unfolded yet; the struggle for the throne is still in its early stages, and the original male lead hasn't even made his move. That renowned minister is also relatively unknown. What if Qi Chengming, at this crucial moment, preemptively befriended him and won him over, disguising himself as a talent scout?
This was inspired by Master Huang's story.
New Emperor, your renowned minister is about to disappear—he will become my renowned minister in the future!
...
With this arrangement, Qi Chengming and his group were finally ready to leave.
They've got money this time.
With his deep pockets, Commander Mao hired three boats in Yiyang County, turning them into a fleet that could travel south along the Ru River. Traveling by water from here would be much faster, and the fleet didn't abandon the mules, horses, and carts of the caravan, as they would need to be rotated halfway through the journey and halfway across the water.
"I've never been on a boat before in my life," Xiao Dezi said, feeling very excited as he peered out from the deck.
"It's spacious up here, and we can even walk around. It's really nice." Xiao Chengzi was quite satisfied. Compared to the cramped conditions on the convoy where he could only sit or walk, he was very pleased with the space on the boat.
The river along the way was clear, with low-hanging willow branches. Occasionally, one could see a few villages and women washing clothes by the riverbank. Fishermen also paddled small boats on the river…
With its beautiful mountains and clear waters, it offers a rural landscape unlike anything found in Beijing.
Everything was so novel that not only the two personal eunuchs, but also the people from the other ships were all talking about it, peering out from the side of the ship. Even the most monotonous scenery didn't feel boring at all.
"You won't think that way in a couple of days," Qi Chengming chuckled.
He'd been on a boat before in modern times, and even then, he found it unbearable after a while; how much more so in ancient times? Eating fish for days and seeing water all the time would just become boring. And there was an even more important problem…
Qi Chengming couldn't help but walk towards the bedroom next to the cabin to visit Steward Song.
"Ugh...!" Song Gu lay there, his face pale, sweat beading on his forehead, and he couldn't help but curl up and vomit into the bucket again. A young eunuch hurriedly took care of him.
When the young eunuch raised his eyes and recognized who had entered, his tone became flustered and urgent: "Your Highness... cough cough, don't come in! This place is filthy... ugh!"
He can't even speak properly anymore.
Qi Chengming quickly stepped back outside the door to stop him: "Stop talking. Just take good care of yourself. I had someone buy some mint leaves to boil and make you drink more of the water. I'll also share some of those fruits with you. Put them in the room to freshen up the smell; it will make you feel much better."
Yes, seasickness is an unavoidable problem.
"Luckily I'm not dizzy..." Xiao Dezi shrank back, still feeling a bit scared. Xiao Chengzi's face was a little pale, but after pinching his nose and drinking several bowls of bitter medicine, vomiting until he was completely dizzy, he inexplicably felt less dizzy, which was alright.
On all three ships, more than half the passengers suffered from seasickness. The difference was that many people gradually adapted after a few days, while others had more severe symptoms, like Steward Song, who was bedridden.
"Xiao Dezi, Xiao Chengzi, and Bi Shu, you'll have to work hard these next few days and help out wherever you can." Qi Chengming could only call a few close people together for a small meeting. "Remind the Imperial Guards to be on high alert and watch out for river bandits."
For example, the task of going ashore to buy things every few days had to be handed over to Xiao Dezi.
Qi Chengming admitted that the fleet was at its weakest during this period when everyone was not used to the new environment, so they had to be on high alert to prevent any mishaps.
“Yes.” Bishu replied, her expression turning somewhat gratified and admiring. She then said in a low voice, “...As expected of His Highness, he thinks much further ahead than we do. If we hadn’t recruited this group of miners, we might not even have enough people to patrol.”
Most of the miners were kidnapped from nearby states, and many of them could swim. Although they were weak and hadn't fully recovered, they were enough to hold their own for the two days leading up to the chaotic boarding, preventing the ship from becoming a laughingstock with most of its fighting capacity gone.
In the last couple of days, the guards have recovered, and the miners have been able to help them with some tasks, explaining the local climate to them. Having common topics to discuss, they've gotten along much better.
"..." Qi Chengming smiled absentmindedly.
He had been thinking about the caravan ever since it was sent out, but the ships were moving quickly with the wind and current, and he hadn't received any news of contact for a long time. He couldn't put his mind at ease.
Whether this soap business will be successful... please give me a definite answer!
Every day on the ship, I just read books and write plans for daily tasks; the waiting is too agonizing.
More than a week later, the fleet arrived at Wuling. Qi Chengming announced that they would take a good rest and stop for three days before setting off again. Traveling by water is also a kind of torture for people, and it was time for them to stop and take a break.
Perhaps it's because this stoppage has lasted too long—
That night, Qi Chengming finally received the agonizing news from Lao Hua.
...
Wuling.
It's the place name from the famous "Peach Blossom Spring," and even now, Qi Chengming can still recite the text from his junior high school textbook: "During the Taiyuan era of the Jin Dynasty, a man from Wuling made his living by fishing. He followed the stream, forgetting how far he had traveled..."
Perhaps it was the filter, but when Qi Chengming looked at the scenery on both sides of the river, he only felt that it was a beautiful place with green mountains and clear waters, birds singing and flowers blooming—it was just missing a large expanse of peach blossoms to make it even more dreamlike.
The veteran contacted the ship and appeared quietly late at night.
When the door was knocked on, it was Xiao Dezi who woke Qi Chengming. He recently learned that his prince was involved in some secret, but he knew very well what he should and shouldn't know, so he conscientiously went out to guard the door.
Only Lao Hua and Qi Chengming remained in the cabin to talk.
"The soap and the remaining stolen goods were sold, for a total of 135,000 taels of silver."
Old Hua's voice was low and soft as he reported, his tone tinged with a hint of joy, "To open up the route, the caravan spent 20,000 taels of silver, and another 30,000 taels of silver to prepare the expensive raw materials for the rest. The pepper and spices His Highness requested have also been purchased. We're short-handed... and the Marquis of Weiyong's residence has sent another batch of veterans."
The war dragged on year after year, leaving countless veterans missing limbs and unable to fight, forced to return home. Finding work to support their families was difficult. Many veterans could only grit their teeth and continue farming their meager crops, supporting each other to barely survive. The Marquis of Weiyong's estate provided relief and visits annually… but it was a drop in the ocean, what good was it?
Now that they've been sent over, both sides have gotten what they wanted.
As long as those veterans can endure the hardships of the journey, the remaining fatigue is nothing. They can earn enough money to support themselves, their comrades, or their wives and children.
Old Hua dared to report this because he knew his prince wouldn't mind.
As expected, Qi Chengming didn't react at all.
"...Is it really that expensive?" His attention was entirely focused on the silver. Although he knew that the tributes and stolen goods were extremely profitable, it took him a while to find his voice.
This is incredibly profitable!
In any case, the caravan now has its start-up capital. From now on, on the way to Liuzhou, the caravan's artisans and miners can make soap every few days—the current scale of handmade soap production is just right. The caravan will then anonymously sell the soap to distant places and bring the profits back.
"Phew, well done." Qi Chengming praised sincerely and let out a soft sigh of relief.
Ever since he transmigrated, he has been plagued by the anxiety of being broke.
Even after raiding a bandit stronghold and making a fortune, Qi Chengming's eagerness didn't subside, because it was an unstable source of income. He urged everyone to come up with all sorts of ways to generate revenue, all for this moment—when the Prince Rui's mansion could earn a living through its own abilities.
Qi Chengming could finally sleep soundly at night.
He even did some calculations before going to bed—
The money from the caravan is no longer being used, but the fleet still has 60,000 taels of silver.
It's been over a month since we set off from the capital, covering more than a thousand li (approximately 500 kilometers). If we hadn't had the money for a boat, I don't know how long it would have taken. Next, we only need to travel for another half a month, half by land and half by water, to reach Liuzhou.
"Now that the caravan selling soap has proven feasible, I can submit my daily task." Qi Chengming breathed a sigh of relief. His plan was already written, and he clicked submit without hesitation.
The [Daily Task: Find a way to make money] has been marked as (completed).
The infrastructure system rewarded the employee with a book, "A Friend of Dual-Use Military and Civilian Talents," and 50 points.
Qi Chengming's gaze suddenly froze: "..."
He hadn't really looked at the title of the new book properly before, but now that he looked closely... Good heavens, isn't this one of the legendary three great transmigration novels?!
The legendary book that if a time traveler could collect all three divine books, they would be invincible in ancient times!
Qi Chengming suddenly sat up in a daze, lit a candle, and, holding his breath, opened the book—
He was no longer sleepy at all.
-----------------------
Author's Note: This is today's update and a bonus chapter to thank Deepwater Torpedo!
It should be clear that I pay more attention to the interaction and portrayal of the reborn officials.
The current storyline revolves around recruiting retainers on the road and earning money to prepare for infrastructure development, so there's a significant amount of screen time spent traveling.
Because he had more opportunities to interact with his subjects along the way, once the protagonist actually arrived in his domain, it wasn't as convenient for him to wander around. It was more suitable for him to stay put and work on infrastructure.
However, once we reach the waterway, I can speed things up. Otherwise, it would be too slow to arrive in Liuzhou even after dozens of chapters of travel.
So—there's probably one more event coming up in Liuzhou!
.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com