Beef delivery
In the Fu family study, Yinxing used fire tongs to stir the charcoal fire in the stove, trying to make it burn brighter.
Fu Zhiqiao looked at the account books sent from Qingzhou and smiled slightly. With the Spring Festival approaching, not only did Taibai Tower make a fortune, but Taibai Wine Shop in Qingzhou also performed quite well.
More importantly, seeing that everyone in Liujia Village was making a fortune, it would be a lie to say that they weren't envious. Some quick-thinking people immediately came up with an idea.
The village chief of Fenshui Village was a quick-witted man. He tried to pull some strings and eventually got in touch with Wenjiang, asking if Taibai Winery would continue to buy peaches and millet, and if so, if they could buy peaches and millet from Fenshui Village.
Wen Jiang had already heard that Fu Zhiqiao wanted to expand production, so he readily agreed. Not only that, he also contacted several surrounding villages, saying that as long as they grew the crops, Taibai Winery would buy as many as they could grow!
With Liujia Village setting an example, several surrounding villages are preparing to plant sorghum on a large scale.
After processing the reports from all parties and sorting out the accounts of each shop, Fu Zhi Qiao finally had some free time.
Looking at the big red lanterns hanging under the eaves, her smile grew even brighter; the atmosphere of the Spring Festival is infectious.
"Have the braised beef and roasted lamb leg for Xie Zhuo been delivered?" Fu Zhi Qiao always called Xie Zhuo by his name directly, and Yin Xing was used to it. She replied, "They have been delivered. De Fu just sent someone to report that the young master received them personally."
Fu Zhi Qiao nodded. In a few days it would be New Year's Eve. In addition to sending New Year's gifts to business partners, she also needed to send New Year's gifts to Zhou Miao Si, Gao Jiu Yong and other people she was on good terms with. Fu Zhi Qiao had already prepared the New Year's gifts and was just waiting for the time to arrive so she could send them over.
Meanwhile, Xie Zhuo returned to Prince Duan's residence with the food box and ran into Xie Chi.
The thick wooden food box couldn't contain the enticing aroma; this smell... it's so familiar...
Xie Chi asked, "Is this beef?"
Xie Zhuo nodded.
Xie Chi had tasted the beef and mutton from Taibailou before, and he recognized the unique aroma immediately. He first looked at the food box, then looked at Xie Zhuo and asked in confusion, "Isn't Taibailou's beef sold out?"
"They're sold out; these were specially reserved for me."
Xie Chi was immediately delighted upon hearing this. He didn't ask why Taibai Tower wanted to send Xie Zhuo beef, but simply ordered his servants to bring out his treasured premium Taibai wine.
Soon, the head chef in the Prince's kitchen received the notification. He rolled up his sleeves and directed his men, "Quickly prepare the small charcoal stoves; the Prince wants barbecue tonight!"
The roasted lamb leg and braised beef were prepared at Taibailou and then brought back to the Prince's Mansion. Because of the cold weather, both dishes were cold when they were brought back from Taibailou and had to be reheated before they could be eaten.
Upon hearing the prince's order, the people in the kitchen immediately took charcoal and began to light the stove.
The stove had just been lit when Yuzhuxuan sent someone over to urge them: "Master Zhang, is the Princess's bird's nest porridge ready?"
Upon seeing that the visitor was Chun Tao from the Princess's courtyard, Master Zhang smiled and replied, "Miss Chun Tao, Her Majesty's bird's nest porridge is ready and is being kept warm over a low flame!"
Chun Tao nodded in satisfaction, then noticed several servants fiddling with the charcoal stove and asked, "What are they doing?"
Master Zhang replied, "His Highness wants roasted meat for dinner and has instructed us to light the charcoal and the stove."
Chun Tao didn't think much of it. Seeing that someone had served the bird's nest porridge, she took the porridge and returned to Yuzhuxuan.
Granny Zhang smelled a cigarette on her and asked, "You went to the kitchen to get some porridge, why do you smell like smoke? Don't go to the room to serve her later, lest you offend the Princess." As she spoke, Granny Zhang pointed to the little maid next to her, and told her to take the tray from Chun Tao's hands.
Chun Tao paused for a moment, then handed the tray to the maid beside her. She raised her hand and smelled her sleeve; there was indeed a smell of smoke. She remembered that she had just witnessed the servants lighting the charcoal stove in the kitchen, and that must have gotten the smell from there.
She explained it to Granny Zhang.
"Barbecue?" Granny Zhang was a little surprised.
It's no wonder Granny Zhang was surprised. Using charcoal for cooking is uncommon in the Great Wei Dynasty. It's the dead of winter, and charcoal is very precious. Ordinary families use firewood for heating, so they wouldn't dare use charcoal for cooking. Besides, the cuisine of the Great Wei Dynasty is mostly stewed or boiled, and roasted meat has only recently become popular.
Granny Zhang and Chun Tao exchanged a few more words at the doorway.
Hearing the commotion, and seeing that no one had come in for a long time, Zuo Murui, who was in the room, asked, "Granny Zhang?"
Upon hearing Zuo Murui's voice, Granny Zhang quickly waved for Chun Tao to change her clothes. She led the maid back into the room and handed the bird's nest porridge to Zuo Murui, saying, "Your Highness, Chun Tao went to the kitchen just now and saw the servants lighting the charcoal stove. They said His Highness wants to have barbecue!"
Zuo Murui was hungry, but there was still more than half an hour before dinner, so she had to drink some bird's nest porridge to fill her stomach first. After drinking a couple of mouthfuls of bird's nest porridge, her stomach warmed up before she spoke: "Why do you suddenly want to eat barbecue?"
Before Granny Zhang could speak, footsteps sounded outside the door again. It was Xie Chi's servant who said that dinner tonight would be barbecue, and that they would be eating half an hour earlier than usual. He asked the Princess to move to the dining hall.
Zuo Murui nodded after hearing this, indicating that she understood.
When Zuo Murui arrived, the father and son were already waiting in the dining hall.
Looking at the empty table, Zuo Murui asked, "Didn't Your Highness say you wanted to eat barbecue?"
With a broad smile, Xie Chi invited Zuo Murui to sit down: "Madam, don't worry, we'll be eating soon."
As they spoke, the maids and servants brought over a charcoal stove and placed the lamb leg on it to heat it slowly. The braised beef could be eaten both hot and cold. The kitchen staff steamed the braised beef in a pot for about half an incense stick's time. The solidified braising liquid slowly melted, and the beef, half-submerged in the braising liquid, gleamed with an enticing sheen, making one's mouth water at first sight.
Zuo Murui looked at the lamb leg and a large plate of braised beef, and her brow twitched. This cooking was clearly not something she had made in her own kitchen.
Xie Chi noticed the questioning look on Zuo Murui's face and explained, "This barbecue was brought back by Huai Yan from outside. It can be eaten after heating it up."
When it came to good food, Xie Chi became more talkative: "Madam, let me tell you, the beef and mutton at this restaurant are absolutely amazing..."
Before he could finish speaking, Zuo Murui pressed on, "Which restaurant?"
"Taibailou, you have no idea how delicious their beef and mutton are. Once you've tasted it, you'll never forget it. It's a pity they stopped selling it half a month ago. Today, thanks to Huaiyan, we were able to enjoy this rare delicacy."
Zuo Murui was stunned, the words "Taibai Tower" kept echoing in her mind. She was familiar with the name Taibai Tower; she had already thoroughly investigated Fu Zhiqiao's background and knew that Taibai Tower was Fu Zhiqiao's asset.
Didn't Fu Zhi Qiao leave the capital? Why is she back in the capital doing business again? Also, why did she send barbecue to Huai Yan? Is she still trying to seduce him?
She couldn't help but turn her gaze to Xie Zhuo.
Sensing Zuo Murui's gaze, Xie Zhuo could roughly guess what she was thinking, and immediately smiled brightly, allowing her to look him over generously.
Zuo Murui had a lot of questions, but because Xie Chi was there, she couldn't say much.
Before long, the aroma of roasted lamb leg grew stronger and stronger.
Xie Chi took a deep sniff and smiled with satisfaction: "This is the taste!"
The maidservant serving the dishes took a knife and sliced the mutton. Xie Chi urged Zuo Murui and Xie Huaiwei to eat quickly, and then he picked up his chopsticks first.
Xie Huaiwei quickly picked up a piece of beef with her chopsticks and put it in her mouth, revealing a blissful expression.
After Xie Chi took a couple of bites of meat, he noticed Zuo Murui staring blankly at the beef in her bowl and urged her, "Try it!"
Under Xie Chi's urging gaze, Zuo Murui picked up her chopsticks. She picked up a slice of beef, a thinly sliced beef tendon covered with crisscrossing tendons, which became translucent under the candlelight. Zuo Murui took a small, refined bite.
"How is it? Does it suit Madam's taste?"
"Hmm, it's really good." As she savored the delicious food, the struggle on Zuo Murui's face gradually faded.
The braised beef and roasted lamb leg did taste very good, but the thought that they were made at Fu Zhi Qiao's restaurant made her feel conflicted.
Zuo Murui finished her dinner with mixed feelings.
Xie Chi sipped some wine and ate a couple of bites of meat, and by the end of dinner he was already half-drunk. Zuo Murui had a lot of questions to ask Xie Zhuo, but seeing the situation, she had no choice but to help her husband back to the courtyard.
In Yuzhu Pavilion, Xie Chi was fast asleep on the bed, but Zuo Murui was preoccupied with worries. Could it be that her son was still having an affair with that merchant's daughter?
Zuo Murui couldn't sleep well all night because she was thinking about things. After much thought, she decided to ask Xie Zhuo for clarification.
The next morning, Zuo Murui came to Xie Zhuo's courtyard. Without beating around the bush, she went straight to the point: "You still have ties with that woman?"
Xie Zhuo was not surprised at all. He had already prepared for Zuo Murui's reaction. His attitude of wanting to marry Fu Zhiqiao had always been clear. It was just that his mother was too stubborn and obstructed him.
"Do you just ignore what your mother says? Do you even respect me as your mother?" Zuo Murui was furious at his reaction.
Xie Zhuo paused for a moment, the smile on his face slowly fading away. "Does Mother Consort want to separate us again?"
Zuo Murui's face stiffened.
A hint of sadness appeared on Xie Zhuo's face. "My son is already in this state. All he wants is to marry a wife who suits his heart. Is Mother going to stop him from even this simple request?"
As he spoke, his voice gradually lowered, "Besides, which family would be willing to marry their daughter to me?"
Zuo Murui tightened her grip on the handkerchief, her expression nearly breaking down. She took a deep breath and forced a smile. "Mother will not stop you from seeing her, nor will she prevent you from bringing her into the manor. However, you cannot marry her!"
Zuo Murui had been observing Xie Zhuo's expression. Seeing him frown, she immediately said confidently, "Huaiyan, Mother will definitely find you a good marriage!"
"A marriage as good as the Yu family's?" Xie Zhuo asked softly, his dark eyes like bottomless black holes.
Mentioning the Yu family, Zuo Murui blushed, and the atmosphere immediately became awkward. She had been the one who pushed for this marriage with the Yu family, but it had resulted in her son being criticized... Zuo Murui felt her strength gradually draining away, and she dared not look Xie Zhuo in the eye.
"I'm sorry for what happened with the Yu family, but... sigh, I don't want to be the villain who breaks up a loving couple, but the merchant's daughter's status is too low, and she is really not a good match for the Prince's mansion! Huaiyan, you are the future Prince Duan, and the woman you marry must be a virtuous and gentle noble lady. What kind of talk is it to marry a merchant's daughter?" Zuo Murui stammered, feeling a little annoyed. Even if her son had taken a liking to the daughter of a minor official, she wouldn't have objected to this much.
A man should marry a virtuous woman. What use is it to marry a woman of low status who offers no help to his family?
Zuo Murui wanted to say something more, but Xie Zhuo interrupted her, "I understand Mother's feelings... but I truly love her."
Xie Zhuo knew very well that Fu Zhi Qiao was proud and would not choose to stay by his side just because of his status as a prince. She would rather marry a commoner than become a concubine in a royal palace. Only sincerity could win over such a woman.
He had already lost her once, and this time, he would never let go.
"You!" Seeing Xie Zhuo's unyielding attitude, Zuo Murui was furious, but she was helpless in the face of her son's firm attitude.
The mother and son parted on bad terms once again.
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