062. Brown Sugar Glutinous Rice

Rong Se kept his composure and decided not to go to court. He allowed rumors to spread in the court and lived comfortably in his mansion.

Although it was past the beginning of autumn, the weather was still not cold. A large pot of steaming glutinous rice was steaming in the stove room. Rong Se rolled up his sleeves and tied his hair up with a wooden hairpin. Looking neat and tidy, he instructed Xiao Si to bring the glutinous rice into the yard, pour it flat on a rattan winnowing basket and spread it out to dry.

Yun Zhi had official business to attend to, so only Yun Chu, Lan Ying and Liang Shen Yu, who claimed to be ill and did not attend court, were left in the mansion. The three of them gathered outside the stove room.

Lan Ying poked her head out and said, "My Lord, we can't finish eating so many steamed buns."

“Those aren’t for you.”

Rongse prepared several celadon bowls in the kitchen, put a few homemade green plum preserves on the bottom of the bowls, then spread a layer of brown sugar, topped with soaked raw glutinous rice, then added another layer of brown sugar and glutinous rice, and finally spread some pitted dried red dates on the top.

"This is today's lunch. I've also made Yun Zhi's portion. He's on duty today, so I'll send someone to deliver it to him."

Lan Ying and Yun Chu were not surprised. If someone was missing from the meal at the mansion, the prince would make an extra portion and send it out.

"Okay." Lan Ying looked around curiously, "What are those hanging outside used for?"

Rong Se turned to look at the boiling water, put the steamer in place, put a few bowls of glutinous rice on it, and added water one by one until it covered the glutinous rice. He replied without looking away, "Don't bother me with brewing wine. Go get some mulberry paper to seal the jar for the lychee wine you brewed yesterday."

Lychees are also good things. At this time of year, lychees are about to be gone. Yesterday, Rong Se was busy for a long time, peeling and cored the lychees, tearing them into pieces and squeezing out the juice. He put them into a jar and added koji powder, rice wine and sugar. He used the heavy brewing method to brew a jar of lychee wine. Even the lychee shells were soaked in rice wine at night. He would wait for two days to take them out, dry them, fry them, grind them into powder, and make lychee fragrance.

When it was time to work, it was De Yunchu who turned around and asked someone to get mulberry paper, while he himself moved the wine jar from the cool place in the stove room and prepared to seal it.

Rong Se said to the outside world: "Prepare a bigger wine jar for brewing rice wine later."

Lan Ying immediately ran out to prepare.

Liang Shenyu was the only one left outside the door, and Rong Se didn't intend to leave him alone, so he waved and said, "Come in too."

Liang Shenyu usually dressed elegantly, but this morning Rong Se ordered him to wear a martial arts robe. When he entered the room, he shook his head and said with a smile, "It seems that you have already thought of how to use me this morning."

Rong Se put away the shrimp meat and pestle without the shrimp thread, "Why, you are not happy?"

Liang Shenyu dared not to do that, and said in a gentle voice: "Of course not, I'm happy to help."

"Pound this into a paste." Rong Se pointed at the shrimp.

After Liang Shenyu started to cook, Rong Se hurriedly prepared the sauce, put peanut oil and minced garlic into the pan, and when the minced garlic turned golden, added soy sauce, pepper powder and other seasonings. Finally, put in the peeled tomatoes and stir-fry until they turned bright red. When the sauce was done, the shrimps had become a paste.

"Almost done, I'll do the rest." Rong Se put a small piece of lard into the shrimp paste, sugar and a little salt, then added some starch, and stirred clockwise. His sleeves fell down a little during the movement, and Rong Se called out, "Liang Shenyu, help me roll up my sleeves."

Liang Shenyu reached out to roll up his sleeves and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his forehead.

Rong Se was content.

When the shrimp paste can be flipped over without falling off the pan, squeeze it into shrimp cakes and fry them in a pan. When both sides turn golden brown quickly, add chopped green pepper and sauce. Sprinkle with chopped green onions when taking it out of the pan. The shrimp paste is very chewy and has a full color, aroma and taste.

Liang Shenyu's expression changed slightly, and he couldn't help but laugh softly and said, "How virtuous."

Rongse went to lift the pot of glutinous rice, and without turning his head, he said, "Who left this family starving?"

A family.

Liang Shenyu was suddenly stunned.

He had been alone for too long, and suddenly he realized that during the days he had lived in the Regent's Palace, this luxurious palace had rarely seen the worldly affairs. Neither the Yun brothers nor Lan Ying nor Rong Se looked like master and servant.

They really look like a family. They don't even show any manners when they meet Rongse, especially Lanying, who is disrespectful and coquettish. But now, he is gradually integrating into their group.

"That can't be helped—" Lan Ying came back with her hands behind her back, hopping around, and said with a smile, "My master's cooking is delicious, right, Marquis Dingbei?"

Liang Shenyu came back to his senses and praised him, "Yes, your craftsmanship is unmatched."

The two of them sang in unison, praising Rong Se to the point of being overwhelmed. They immediately restrained themselves and said, "Okay, let's get ready to eat."

After the glutinous rice was taken out of the pot, it was scraped along the wall of the bowl and then the brown sugar glutinous rice was placed on a plate. Yun Zhi's portion and a small plate of shrimp balls were put into a food box by Rong Se separately, and the rest were put on a plate and sent to Jinshanxuan to be served.

Rong Se usually takes care of herself before meals. When she was washing her hands with Liang Shenyu, she suddenly heard him say, "Does the prince like this kind of day?"

Rong Se paused for a moment, then smiled at him from the side, "Don't you like it? You stay in the palace all day long."

Liang Shenyu took advantage of the fact that no one was around, gently put his arm around his waist, and whispered in his ear: "How could I not like it?"

Rongse himself likes it too.

Yun Chu is always worried, Yun Zhi is silent and reliable, Lan Ying is lively and cute. At first, they only wanted to defuse the mines for themselves, but after some time, he, who is used to being single, actually starts to care about them.

They are all miserable people, whether it is the three siblings, Liang Shenyu, or even Rong Se herself, they have all lost their loved ones and have unbearable pasts.

Rong Se thought that Liang Shenyu had also been wandering alone among the mountains and rivers for a long time.

"Sanlang." Rong Se raised his head and kissed Liang Shenyu's jaw. "You have a family now."

Liang Shenyu was stunned, then he lowered his eyes slightly, with a complicated expression, and sighed: "Prince, it's really..."

He was speechless.

Rong Se just smiled and said, "Let's go and have dinner."

.

The brown sugar glutinous rice is soft, sweet and paired with fried shrimps with rich sauce, both of which are dishes that Dajin has never had before.

Since there are few varieties, quantity is the key. Rongse now cooks by the pot. After all, there are many people in the family and everyone can eat, so the lunch on the table will be cleared quickly.

After eating and drinking his fill, Rongse hurried to the yard to make his own rice wine. He did it himself, spreading the glutinous rice into the wine jar and pressing it down, leaving a space in the middle, then sprinkled in koji powder and added water, and he was busy and happy.

Liang Shenyu stood in the corridor and looked at him with a gentle look.

At some point, Yun Chu walked up to him, looked at the Regent who was busy in the courtyard, and said softly, "Your Highness, you think differently, don't you?"

Liang Shenyu smiled and said, "It is very different from what has been rumored."

"Not entirely." Yun Chu exhaled, "If a few months ago, the prince was no different from the rumors, it should be... on the night of the palace banquet, His Majesty hosted a banquet to welcome the marquis, and after the prince came back, he suddenly became a different person."

That was also when Liang Shenyu first met Rong Se.

After Yun Chu finished speaking, Liang Shenyu recalled carefully that when he first entered the palace, the Regent King was still unfathomable and cold-hearted, but it seemed that at a certain point, his temperament suddenly changed.

Yun Chu did not go into details, and said in a very light voice: "To be honest... we all think that the prince is doing very well now. Before this, he always looked like he might burn his boats and die together at any time, as if there was nothing in the world that he cared about except hatred. I don't know what changed the prince, but his knot with Your Majesty and Cao has not changed. The prince has chosen his own path, but I have to bravely ask the marquis."

"How sincere is the Marquis to him?"

Yun Chu's protectiveness was too obvious. Liang Shenyu thought that Rong Se's kindness was not in vain.

"Me and him." Liang Shenyu paused, then smiled softly and said, "Different paths lead to the same destination."

This is a statement of position.

Yun Chu looked at him deeply, "If the prince believes in you, I will believe you once, but Marquis Dingbei..." His voice was slightly deep, and he said firmly: "If you say one thing and mean another, and do something to let him down in the future, my two brothers will make you regret it even if we risk our lives."

Yun Chu was a commoner, with no achievements or official positions, and was just a steward in the palace. However, Liang Shenyu did not feel offended by this, because he knew that Rong Se had never treated Yun Chu as a servant.

"Don't worry." Liang Shenyu said politely, "That day will never come."

"That would be best."

Yun Chu turned and left.

After he left, Liang Shenyu pondered for a long time, and finally felt relieved.

He was like this when he met Rong Se, so the past is not important, what is important is the person in front of him.

Liang Shenyu knew very well who he liked.

Rong Sesi had no idea what Liang Shenyu and Yun Chu had said. It was noon and the weather was hot. He ordered people to put the wine jar in the cool place above the ice cellar. The job was done and someone came to clean up the stall. Rong Se wiped the sweat off his face as he walked to the corridor. Liang Shenyu handed him some cool tea and fanned him with a fan.

"These things can be done by telling others to do them, why do you have to do them yourself?"

"I'm used to it." Rong Se exhaled, "It's quite interesting. I'm free anyway."

He started cooking to fill his stomach, then he treated it as a job, and now it has become a natural thing. Besides, he really can't get used to Dajin's strange diet...

Even if he taught them how to cook, the taste of each person's dishes would be different. Rongse still liked to eat what he cooked himself.

After a while, seeing that Liang Shenyu didn't say anything, Rong Se raised her eyes and looked over. She saw that this man was looking at her quietly with gentle and focused eyes.

"Why are you looking at me?" Rong Se asked suspiciously.

"Nothing." Liang Shenyu smiled, "I just think it would be nice to be able to retire and return to the countryside one day."

Rong Se thought for a moment and said, "Once you win, you won't have to defend the border any more."

Liang Shenyu smiled but said nothing.

In fact, there is no difference between being at the frontier and being in the court. He originally did not want to be a loyal minister like his father, to be suspected by the emperor for being too successful. He wanted to have power in his own hands so that the monarch above all others would not dare to interfere. Only in this way would he not be like his father and brother, who died on the battlefield as a conspiracy and were loyal but could not even save their families.

If the emperor is unkind, then he will be above the imperial power.

Liang Shenyu didn't care about loyalty or treachery. He just wanted to have enormous power and to establish his reputation as a man of great merit who could shock his master.

But now that Rong Se was in front of him, the anger in Liang Shenyu's heart was actually dissipated a lot.

I even thought that if I could retire from the army, live with him forever, and become a carefree traveler enjoying the mountains and rivers, it would be the ultimate happiness in this world.