Qin Jingheng straightened the wrinkles in his robes but made no move to change. He stepped out of the study, with Xu Shenzhi following closely behind.
Stepping into the elegantly decorated dining hall, Qin Jingheng glanced around and noticed that there were only six tables set up inside.
Apart from his main seat and the secondary seat reserved for Xu Shenzhi, there were only two seats on each of the left and right sides below.
There were four people sitting there, all of whom were unfamiliar faces.
Qin Jingheng glanced at them and thought, "These four people... do have an extraordinary air about them."
His clothes were made of high-quality fabric but in an understated style. He sat there in a relaxed posture, without the awkwardness and obsequiousness that ordinary merchants would show when meeting royalty, nor the aloofness and arrogance that famous scholars deliberately displayed.
When her gaze met Qin Jingheng's scrutiny, she was unusually calm and composed, with even a faint smile playing on her lips.
There was little sense of awe or any other obvious emotion; it was as if they were simply attending an ordinary gathering.
Qin Jingheng stopped five or six steps away and did not immediately go forward.
Upon seeing this, the four men slowly rose and gracefully bowed, saying, "Greetings, Your Highness Prince Zhao."
They were courteous, but lacked any warmth.
Qin Jingheng did not respond immediately, but instead cast a probing gaze at Xu Shenzhi beside him.
Xu Shenzhi immediately stepped forward and explained in a low voice:
"Your Highness, four gentlemen have come from afar, saying they wish to discuss a... big deal with you."
He deliberately paused slightly on the phrase "big deal".
Qin Jingheng's heart stirred slightly, and he had some vague guesses.
He now holds the title of military supervisor and has been newly enfeoffed as King Zhao, thus wielding considerable power.
Compared to his elder sister, who enjoyed a high reputation in the Northern Army, he was indeed far inferior in this regard and urgently needed to find his supporters.
Whether one wants to build influence within the military or appease local authorities, money is indispensable for bribing officials.
In the past, he never personally handled these financial transactions and business matters, leaving them all to Xu Shenzhi.
However, due to the previous floods in the sixteen prefectures, the income of his many properties shrank drastically during the summer and autumn seasons, and he was worried about a tight budget.
Could it be that Xu Shenzhi has found a new and reliable way to make this arrangement?
If that's the case, then arranging this dinner is worthwhile.
As his thoughts raced, Qin Jingheng remained expressionless and nodded slightly: "I see. Please, everyone, have a seat."
"Thank you, Your Highness." The four thanked him again in unison and calmly took their seats.
Soon, the maids filed in and served the dishes.
Qin Jingheng only glanced at it, but his brows involuntarily furrowed.
What was laid out on the table was not the spicy and fragrant flavors commonly found in the southern region, but several extremely exquisite seasonal dishes from Fengjing.
The first dish is warm soup, like jade broth.
The essence of this soup lies in its ingredients, specifically a type of white eel produced in the warm waters surrounding Fengjing.
Its entire body is like jade, without scales or many thorns. Because it is bathed in the warm currents of hot springs all year round, its flesh is exceptionally plump and tender, and has a unique refreshing aroma.
During the White Dew season, as the autumn waters gradually cool, it is the perfect time for warm soup fish to be at its most flavorful and delicious.
However, once removed from the unique temperature and quality of the warm soup, this fish will die within half a day, losing all its flavor.
Take the fattest and most succulent middle section of a fresh, warm jade eel, debone it with a silver knife, and slice the meat into thin, translucent pieces.
The soup base is made by simmering matsutake mushrooms, goji berries, and yellow millet in spring water over a low flame overnight, and then filtering it to obtain a golden and clear rice soup.
When served, boiling rice porridge is poured into a jade bowl containing raw eel slices, instantly cooking the fish slices and causing the eel meat to unfold like jade pieces.
With its incredibly smooth texture and rich, mellow soup, it is an unparalleled delicacy for moisturizing dryness and nourishing the body during the White Dew season.
The second dish is Golden Cicada Fried Linglong.
If we're talking about seasonality, this dish is undoubtedly the one.
The seasons are fleeting, so we must utilize nature's artistry.
The so-called "golden cicada" does not refer to the autumn cicada, but specifically to the cicada flower and cordyceps that emerge from the soil around the time of the White Dew solar term in a specific willow grove along the Ba River in the eastern suburbs of Fengjing.
At this time, the cicada larvae have not yet emerged from their molts and are parasitized by specific fungi, forming a rare strain that resembles a cicada pupa and has flowers blooming at the top, resulting in a delicious and unique flavor.
The harvesting of cicada flowers must be completed within several hours after they sprout from the soil; otherwise, the flowers will disperse their spores, greatly reducing their value.
Ba Liu cicada flowers, due to their superior quality, have historically been a tribute item.
After being picked, the fruit must be placed in a damp willow basket and carefully transported to the palace, as any bumps or jostling could damage its delicate appearance.
The method is not difficult: select whole, plump cicada flowers and marinate them lightly with fine salt and pepper.
Then coat it thinly with a batter made of rock sugar powder and refined flour, and deep-fry it in sesame oil over low heat until golden brown.
The outer skin is crystal clear and crispy like glass, while the cicada flower inside is tender and juicy.
The third section features a camel hump made of emerald green.
The camel hump comes from the strongest adult Bactrian camels that were sent as tribute from the Western Regions, while the icy green is a wild stone fungus found in the high mountains.
It gets its name from its emerald green color and its growth in shady, cold cliffs.
Harvesting is extremely dangerous, the yield is rare, the texture is crisp and tender, far surpassing that of ordinary wood ear mushrooms, and it carries the cool fragrance of pine forests.
Boil the cleaned camel hump until half-cooked, slice it thinly, and stuff it with sliced shiitake mushrooms, matsutake mushrooms, and minced chicken.
Wrapped in lotus leaves, steamed in a bamboo steamer with branches of pine trees from the Cold Mountain.
The fragrance of lotus leaves and the smoky aroma of pine branches permeate the dish, perfectly neutralizing the greasiness of the camel hump.
Camel hump has a rich and smooth texture that melts in your mouth, while scallops and matsutake mushrooms provide a crisp and chewy texture.
The fourth dish is nine-layered osmanthus and honey-preserved jujubes.
The value of this dessert lies in two things: the dates and the honey.
Lingzao (a type of jujube) comes from one of the few century-old jujube trees on the banks of Huafang Pond, which, according to legend, were planted by the emperor himself.
These dates are shaped like chicken eggs, with a deep red color that is almost purple. They have small pits, thick flesh, and an incredibly sweet taste. They are also considered auspicious because they are imbued with the spiritual energy of the palace.
During the White Dew season, jujubes just turn from red to purple, reaching their peak sweetness.
The honey used is not ordinary flower honey, but osmanthus honey made by Chinese bees raised by monks in an ancient temple in the southwest.
This bee collects honey from wild osmanthus trees in the mountains, giving the honey a cool and delicate fragrance that complements the rich aroma of jujubes.
This honey is produced in very limited quantities and is mostly reserved for the royal family; it is extremely rare and expensive to find outside the royal family.
Use a silver hairpin to lightly prick small holes in freshly picked jujubes, place them into a whole piece of translucent amber-colored peach gum, and then pour in osmanthus honey to slowly soak them.
Seal it in a celadon jar and place it in a cool, shady place in a cellar for seven days.
Upon opening, the aroma of honey, dates, and osmanthus blends together and fills the air.
The jujubes, soaked in honey, are as translucent as jade, while the peach gum is soft, smooth, and chewy.
Qin Jingheng took a few bites and raised his eyebrows slightly.
In this remote southern border region, far from the capital, one can find such fresh, authentic, and exquisitely luxurious Fengjing cuisine.
“Mr. Xu,” Qin Jingheng said in a slightly somber tone, “this is perhaps a bit too extravagant.”
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