If you dare to complain, I won't be happy to entertain you!
Jiang Shan glanced at Fu Qiyuan and led his men to the backyard.
The backyard is quite spacious, except for a shed built in the northeast corner, which can just fit two tables.
The waiter brought over tables and chairs, brewed tea, and invited the guests to sit down.
Judge Pei's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Jiang actually made them eat in this drafty shed?
Did she know who Imperial Censor Wu was? Even if she didn't, didn't the man surnamed Fu know?
How dare they treat the Imperial Censor with such disrespect!
Magistrate Pei sat down angrily, ready to seize the opportunity to find fault with Jiang Shan.
"Where's the menu? Is this how you treat your guests?" Magistrate Pei pounded on the table impatiently.
They were all wearing official robes, and anyone with eyes would know to show them respect. Only this woman surnamed Jiang didn't take them seriously at all. It's infuriating!
The waiter quickly brought over the menu, along with two plates of freshly steamed cakes.
This is an extra gift because of Lord Fu!
Imperial Censor Wu smiled and took the menu, glanced at it, and pushed it aside, saying, "Please tell Boss Jiang that we want to eat hot pot, and ask her to prepare two hot pots, one spicy soup and one seafood soup."
The waiter responded and quickly retreated.
Now that Censor Wu has spoken, who would dare to disagree?
Local officials in Yuzhou City all knew that Jiang's private kitchen's hot pot was a local specialty, and it was a perfect opportunity for these country bumpkins from other counties to broaden their horizons, which naturally pleased them greatly.
As for the country bumpkins from other counties, the hotpot that Imperial Censor Wu specifically asked for without even looking at the menu must be delicious!
The only one who was unhappy was Magistrate Pei.
He wanted to order more hearty and elaborate dishes to win over Imperial Censor Wu, but a hot pot was enough to appease him. Out-of-towners just don't know the ropes!
Magistrate Pei thought wistfully.
When the two hot pots were served, the country bumpkins from the outlying county were stunned. Weren't we supposed to be having hot pot? Why is it just a pot of soup?
First, serve the hot pot broth, then add the seasonings.
Two different flavored condiments are placed in front of each person, so there's bound to be one that suits you!
Next came two small carts, each filled with three tiers of different dishes, including seafood, beef and mutton, various beautifully presented meatballs, and vibrant green fruits and vegetables.
Then, Imperial Censor Wu nimbly stood up from his chair, rolled up his sleeves, and chuckled, "Come, come, let me tell you, there's a proper way to eat this hot pot! First, you need to put some seafood and meat that need to be cooked in the pot to enhance the flavor of the broth. After that, you can cook whatever you like. These seasonings include spicy, numbing-spicy, and savory flavors. Feel free to use them, hahaha!"
As they were talking, Imperial Censor Wu brought out a plate of beef, a plate of mutton, a plate of seven-colored meatballs, a plate of rice cakes, and a bowl of mushrooms, and sat down contentedly.
The country bumpkins from other counties, smelling the aroma of the hot pot broth, opened their mouths wide, nodded and swallowed hard, their eyes filled with undisguised admiration for Imperial Censor Wu.
They followed suit, bringing the dishes from the cart to themselves and waiting to eat.
The savvy local officials smiled subtly, playing along with Censor Wu's subtle maneuvers by asking questions that would precisely tickle Censor Wu's sore spot.
"Sir, this soup smells really good, can we drink it directly?"
"I suggest you don't drink it; it's too salty!"
"Sir, this beef has been cooked long enough, can we eat it now?"
"Hey, eat quickly, eat quickly, it'll get tough if you cook it too long!"
"The dumplings are seven colors, is there any difference?"
"Of course there are differences. The fillings are different; there's meat, seafood, vegetables, and... Lord Li, slow down! You can't put it directly in your mouth, it'll be hot!"
As they were talking, Lord Li let out a painful wail, covered his mouth, and jumped up.
"Look, look, I haven't even finished speaking yet! These meatballs are all scalding hot with broth! Quickly have some fruit tea to cool down!"
Imperial Censor Wu felt he was really worried sick, but what could he do when these officials from other counties had never eaten hot pot before?
If I was just there to show my support at first, I would have truly appreciated how amazing this hot pot was after I actually ate it!
On such a cold day, while eating a steaming hot pot, a group of civil officials somehow managed to exude the heroic spirit of military generals.
The feeling of rolling up your sleeves and eating meat and drinking alcohol to your heart's content is simply amazing!
As expected of the Imperial Censor, even his dining etiquette is extraordinary.
Even though Imperial Censor Pei ate his fill, he didn't see the most valuable seafood, which was as big as a washbasin. In his opinion, this was a sign of disrespect and a great breach of etiquette!
Desiring to dampen Jiang Shan's arrogance, he summoned a waiter in an official tone and asked why there were no ghost crabs or prawns.
The waiter's face clearly said, "You're just a nouveau riche bumpkin," but he spoke respectfully, "Sir, you may not know this, but the seafood flavor of ghost crab is too strong. If the main ingredient of the soup base is seafood, then of course there's no problem. But the current soup base is mainly meat and bone broth. If we add ghost crab, it will greatly affect the taste of the original soup, and the whole pot of soup will be ruined!"
Upon hearing this, Imperial Censor Wu became somewhat displeased. He disliked seafood, regardless of whether it was a ghost crab or a king crab; he simply didn't like it!
His face immediately darkened, and he said, "How about we set up another table for Lord Pei?"
His superior was clearly displeased, so Magistrate Pei's expression changed, and he forced a smile, saying, "I was just saying it casually, please don't take offense, sir!"
As they left the shop, having eaten and drunk their fill, the cashier bowed and chuckled, "Table number forty-five spent a total of eleven taels and seven mace. The owner said he'd give us a 20% discount, so it's nine taels and three mace in total!"
Several officials from other counties were visibly taken aback, and even Imperial Censor Wu, who was walking in front, turned around to look.
Prefect Leng took out his money pouch from his waist, took out two full-value silver ingots and handed them over, saying with a smile, "This is ten taels, the rest is a tip, keep the change!"
"Thank you so much, sirs! We're giving you five fruit tea vouchers as a bonus. Please take care, and we look forward to welcoming you back next time!"
Even after walking quite a distance from the shop, Imperial Censor Wu's eyes remained fixed on the fruit tea coupon in Prefect Leng's hand.
Prefect Leng smiled and handed over the fruit tea coupon in his hand.
"One coupon can get you a free cup of fruit tea?" After confirming that it was correct, Imperial Censor Wu put the five fruit tea coupons into his sleeve.
Go to Beijing, Cheng Mansion.
With the help of Granny Cheng, Madam Cheng, her eyes red and swollen, followed Old Madam Cheng's head maid to the inner room.
"Mother, why did you rush me here? Is it because of my elder brother's matter? I have already pleaded with the Princess, but she can't help him either. Perhaps we should ask my uncle..."
"This isn't your older brother's business, and it's none of your concern. It's about your son!" Old Mrs. Cheng interrupted her daughter, pushing the letter on the table forward expressionlessly.
"Yuan'er?" Madam Cheng picked up the letter and began to read it, puzzled.
As she watched, she cried out in horror, "That woman is pregnant with Yuan'er's child? That bitch...!"
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