It was noon. The people in Zhang Village who sold things were reluctant to eat, but Emperor Li Longji had to eat.
People from the Shangshi Bureau came with food from the imperial kitchen and delicacies from outside.
Li Longji was in a good mood today, so he invited the three prime ministers and one minister to eat together in Xingqing Hall.
Everyone watched as the person tasting the food started eating.
The cooking methods were all learned from Li Yi and Zhuangzi, and the chefs were ordered to keep it a secret.
Everyone had a folding table and folding chair in front of them. They also learned from Li Yi and Zhuangzi.
Then …
They saw a dish with a few intact frogs on the plate. They were skinless.
The food tasters also saw it. They exchanged glances, took a deep breath, reached out with their chopsticks, and ate.
Originally, there was a trace of heroism, but after eating it, they simply couldn't stop.
After eating a frog, they still wanted to eat more, but they endured it.
Li Longji, Zhang Shuo, Lu Huaishen, Yao Chong, and Wei Zhigu all stared. It could be eaten? And it looked delicious?
Wei Zhigu swallowed his saliva. He was in a good mood. Since His Majesty had invited him to eat, it meant that His Majesty didn't plan on continuing to punish him.
Yao Chong was depressed. He knew what was going on. Wei Zhigu ran to Li Yi and Zhuangzi that day and sent twenty craftsmen back.
The irrigation project was already being prepared, and Wei Zhigu was once again valued by His Majesty.
They thought about waiting and waiting. Waiting for the food tasters to be fine.
Fortunately, they found a good method this time. There was a metal box with hot water in it, and the dish tray was stuck in it.
It was still what they learned from Li Yi and Zhuangzi, but Zhuangzi had a large box stuck in a trough with hot water in it.
This way, the food could still be warm if nothing happened to the food tasters.
Why didn't they think of this before?
Fifteen minutes passed. Very good.
The palace maids served the dishes, and each of them placed a small plate on the table.
There was a plate with a frog on it. Looking at the color, it seemed to be a braising method. How familiar.
Li Longji ate a few mouthfuls of other dishes before he got bored. He picked up the frog and took a bite with his eyes closed.
Oh, it's delicious. The frog actually tastes good. The texture is soft with tendons. The taste is sweet and fragrant.
The four of them watched as Li Longji took a bite.
In less than a hundred breaths of time, according to Li Yi's method of chewing and swallowing, the frog entered his stomach and spat out the bones.
"Get me another one." Zhang Shuo recalled the order.
"Me too." Wei Zhigu felt that it was most suitable for him to eat.
The other two, plus Li Longji, added another one to their team.
After eating, he still wanted more.
"If he has the guts, he would eat in Li Yi's Zhuangzi Canteen." Yao Chong gave his analysis.
Lu Huaishen agreed, "Yes, it has a special taste and texture. It's suitable for both drinking and eating. "
Li Longji picked up a silk handkerchief to wipe his mouth and asked Gao Lishi, "Where did the frog come from?"
"Your Majesty, we bought it from outside the palace. Nine twists and turns of hashma, one hundred coins each." Gao Lishi gave the answer.
"Good, what a good nine twists and turns of hashma. Why does it sound like a toad? One hundred coins each, it's not expensive. Who sold it? "
Li Longji felt that a hundred coins for a toad was fine.
The palace was rich, and the dividends from the spiced tea eggs were five hundred coins each. A toad for a hundred coins was acceptable.
Gao Lishi revealed a smile, "The people from Zhang's village sold it in the East Market early this morning. They said that it was Li Dongzhu's recipe. I also asked the seller."
Gao Lishi then repeated how the Muramasa had shouted and bragged about it.
Yao Chong gritted his teeth and said, "It's Li Yi. That's right. Can the villager think of 'tasting all eight directions and tasting all nine continents, a drop of mellow fragrance is hard to find' and 'turning the Yin and Yang into mandarin ducks, the stench of the street is strangely fragrant'? I don't believe it. "
"I also thought about it. Don't miss it when you pass by. People have many choices in life … What a passerby loses is the past."
Lu Huaishen agreed. Was this selling?
Zhang Shuo chuckled, "Selling a toad is better than yesterday's clouds and last night's galaxy. Does it have anything to do with a toad?"
"Perhaps it does." Wei Zhigu held back his laughter, "Doesn't a toad bask in the sun during the day and croak with the moon and stars at night? Hahahaha …"
In the end, he couldn't hold back.
"In the future, tell the outside buyers in the palace that they are not allowed to buy anything. Why should I spend a hundred coins to eat a toad?"
Li Longji and the ministers laughed together, then suddenly realized.
One hundred coins each? The palace was also poor.
"Your Majesty, the cost must be very low," Yao Chong said with certainty.
"I second that." Zhang Shuo agreed.
The other two nodded. That's right. Li Yi's things were cheap, but they were expensive.
Gao Lishi interrupted with a smile, "Your Majesty, I know the price of a toad outside. One hundred for ten coins, alive."
"Really?" Li Longji really didn't know the price of ordinary things.
"I don't dare to lie." Gao Lishi promised.
He continued, "I've never heard of only ordinary people eating a toad, only the legs, or the whole toad."
"Brother Yi's cooking is naturally different." Li Longji said casually.
Everyone in the hall had different reactions. They heard 'Brother Yi'. His Majesty was used to it.
Whenever Li Yi was mentioned, he would call him 'brother'.
Li Longji looked at everyone's expressions and smiled, "Pick up another toad. It's bought with money. It's a pity not to eat it. Gao Lishi. "
"Your Majesty." Gao Lishi bowed.
"Go get more soy sauce. Remember to ask Brother Yi to make some nine turns or something and bring it back." Li Longji was prepared to save money. One hundred coins each. Black! How black!
"Yes!" Gao Lishi smiled. He was prepared to ask for a few more.
Li Yi and Li Dongzhu were rich. They sold things at a high price but were worthless. He warned the people in the palace.
They were not allowed to speak of it, and they were not allowed to cause trouble.
"Your Majesty, I feel comfortable eating this frog." Yao Chong also wanted it, but he was reluctant to buy it.
"We second the motion." As if they had discussed it, the other three people spoke at the same time.
"I second the motion of eating a toad. Gao Lishi, ask for more. Ask for more every time we go until the season is over." Li Longji agreed.
***
The matter of eating toads in Xingqing Hall had nothing to do with the outside world.
After the people of Zhang Village finished shopping, they only drank water. They were not willing to spend a single coin.
They drove the ox cart back. Someone wanted to buy the braised frog soup, but Zhang Xiao refused to sell.
This soup could still be made when they returned.
If others used this soup to make toads, wouldn't the village earn less money?
Before the third quarter of the morning, the four ox carts slowly returned to the Ba River.
The carts got on the bridge. Before they reached the other side, the villagers on the other side of the bridge ran over.
There were three people.
When they got closer, they looked at the things on the cart. There were a lot of cloth and copper coins in the basket.
"Sold?" The person asked.
"Sold. One hundred coins, eighty thousand coins." Zhang Xiao nodded to the person who came and said the number. He wanted to cry.
Today was just a trial sale. He had earned eighty thousand coins and bought four big pots. The more he sold them tomorrow, the more money he would make.
The Zhang Village could finally live a good life.
Even if he, the village chief, were to die, he could still tell his ancestors that he was not bad.
Of the three people who came up, two of them looked at the things on the cart and ran away.
When they reached the entrance of the village, they shouted, "The village chief is back. He sold it for eighty thousand coins. There is a lot of cloth on the cart and a new big pot …"
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