Although Ang Lee's status was very high, he could not enter the Imperial Gardens to hunt without the Emperor's decree. The Crown Prince and the other princes could not do the same. Only the Emperor had the privilege of entering the Imperial Gardens.
However, Li An did not have much interest in the royal gardens. It was just that there were fewer disturbances and more plants and animals. There were too many traces of man-made carvings, and it was far less interesting than a natural, primeval forest.
Ang Lee stopped at a place where the plants were more lush. He squatted down and carefully examined the plants under his feet. Then, he got up and walked a few steps to continue examining the nearby plants.
After some investigation, Ang Lee found a lot of herbs. Moreover, the further away from the road, the more types of herbs there were and the rarer they were.
For example, many Chinese herbs that could cure diseases appeared on the land of Shaoling Plain. Ang Lee only needed to squat down to see a few herbs, such as Angelica, Bupleurum, Astragalus, and so on. They were all easier to find.
The herbalists outside the city would also come to collect them from time to time. After drying them, they could be used to cure diseases and save people.
Before the cement road was built, the people who came to collect herbs had to walk to Shaoling Plain. After the road was built, they could easily drive a cart to collect herbs. The efficiency of labor was greatly improved. At the same time, many herbs near the capital were almost extinct. Wild herbs, especially the rare ones, were getting fewer and fewer.
Sometimes, in order to obtain more and better precious medicinal herbs, one could only go to the faraway Mount Li to collect them. After all, the terrain there was more complicated, and many places were difficult to enter by human means. There was less man-made destruction, and the density of medicinal herbs was naturally higher.
However, because the cement road to Mount Li had been built recently, many people would go to Mount Li for sightseeing. It was more convenient for herbalists to go to the mountain. Therefore, the wild environment was worse than before. However, Mount Li was big enough. The ecology of this era was also very good. Even if many herbalists did not listen to the advice to only collect herbs in Mount Li, they could not collect all the herbs in Mount Li.
Nature was like a treasure trove. It had too many inexhaustible resources, selflessly serving mankind.
In the Shaoling Plain, Ang Lee collected some Angelica. Then, he went to Mount Li and found that the density of Angelica in Mount Li was higher. The size of the Angelica he collected was also larger than that in the Shaoling Plain. However, the collecting environment was slightly worse. It was close to the sides of the road, so it was definitely difficult to find this kind of medicinal herb. Only by taking the path deep into Mount Li could he find the medicinal herb he wanted.
After all, if they grew on both sides of the road, they would have been picked up long ago. How could they be kept? Especially the big ones, they were more conspicuous. As long as they were discovered, they could not escape the fate of being picked.
The guards who were traveling with him helped Ang Lee to pick the Angelica. Thus, before the sun set, Ang Lee and his group had collected more than a jin of Angelica. It could be said that they had a bountiful harvest.
This trip not only allowed them to appreciate the natural scenery outside the city more carefully, but they also harvested more than a jin of Angelica. It could be said that this trip was not in vain.
As for why they only collected Angelica and not other medicinal herbs, it was because Ang Lee wanted to use these Angelica to make dishes in the evening. He had not cooked chicken soup with Angelica as an ingredient for a long time.
Moreover, the effect of the chicken soup made with freshly picked Angelica would be better and the taste would be more delicious.
The guards who traveled with him not only helped Ang Lee pick Angelica, but also picked some other medicinal herbs when they encountered them. They mainly picked poria cocos, wolfberries, and even a glossy ganoderma, which made Ang Lee a little overjoyed.
When they were about to return, Ang Lee actually found a few pheasants, which made Ang Lee overjoyed. He had already thought about it. After returning, he would use Angelica and other ingredients to make chicken soup. The ingredients used were naturally the ecological chickens raised at home, but now he actually saw pheasants. The taste of these pheasants was definitely more fragrant and delicious than the chickens raised at home. It could satisfy people's appetite more.
Since the pheasants had delivered themselves to the door, there was no reason not to catch them. Ang Lee and his subordinates worked together and easily caught a few pheasants and put them in the trunk of the car.
After returning to the courtyard, the sun had already set. Ang Lee asked the people in the kitchen to deal with the pheasants. As for how to cook, Ang Lee would do it himself. The people in the kitchen only needed to clean up the pheasants.
"Alang, you are going to cook by yourself again! What are you going to cook today? "
Yun 'er was hungry and ran to the kitchen to steal food. When she saw Ang Lee rolling up his sleeves, she knew that Ang Lee was going to cook by himself.
"You came to steal food again. Today, I am going to make chicken soup. The taste is very delicious, but the quantity is too small. There is no share for you."
Ang Lee first praised the dishes as delicious, then made it clear that there was no share for Yun 'er.
"Chicken soup, can't you let me drink a mouthful?"
Yun 'er said coquettishly.
Ang Lee smiled and said, "Let me tell you, the taste of chicken soup is very good. If the madams can't finish the whole pot of chicken soup, there might be one or two mouthfuls left. Then you can have it orally."
After saying that, he began to cook.
"Four madams can finish a large pot of chicken soup. Is it that delicious?"
Yun 'er frowned and put the stolen red date into her mouth. After chewing a few times, she gently spat out the date pit on her hand and continued to eat the second red date.
"Alang, all three pheasants have been cleaned up. Do you want to chop them up?"
One of the kitchen staff asked.
Ang Lee hurriedly shook his head and said, "No need, no need. Just leave it like this! Continue to prepare the peanuts, red dates, black fungus, and ginger slices. Wash the freshly picked angelica and slice it. Hurry up. "
To be honest, how could this be considered as Ang Lee personally cooking? This was completely ordering others to cook. He didn't even do much himself.
"Alang, everything is ready."
The few male servants in the kitchen quickly prepared all the ingredients Ang Lee needed.
Ang Lee looked at Yun 'er, who was still secretly eating red dates. He frowned and said, "You're still eating? You've gained a lot of weight. Squat down and start the fire."
"Alang, you want me to start the fire?"
Yun 'er asked in surprise.
Ang Lee gently patted Yun 'er's head and said unhappily, "What's wrong with asking you to start the fire? Alang has personally cooked, can't you start the fire?"
"Sure! Alang, if you want me to personally start the fire, can you let me take a sip first? A small sip is fine too! "
Yun 'er actually opened her mouth to discuss the conditions with Ang Lee.
"Aiyo, you actually dare to talk about conditions. You're getting bolder and bolder. Burn your fire well. If you perform well, I can let you have a taste of it."
Ang Lee said with a smile and asked Yun 'er to quickly start the fire.
Yun 'er naturally knew how to start a fire. This wasn't difficult at all. As long as it was a normal person, it would be easy.
At this time, there were already matches. It was a gadget invented by Ang Lee. After the invention, it was quickly recognized by the common people. They felt that it was a very practical gadget and it was popularized in a very short period of time.
After Yun 'er lit the firewood, Ang Lee got someone to pour water into the pot and boil it. After that, he placed the three pheasants into the pot and cooked them for a while before scooping them up.
The purpose of doing this was to remove the fishy and dirty smell from the pheasants. Only then would the pheasants be delicious.
After pouring away the dirty water in the pot, he boiled a pot of clean water. Then, he put the three clean pheasants, ginger slices, angelica, peanut kernels, black fungus, and other ingredients into the pot. He covered the pot with the lid and kept it boiling.
"Alang, how long will this take?!"
In just a short while, Yun 'er's face was already covered in sweat. Moreover, there was a large black pot on her cheeks. She looked quite interesting.
"It will take at least an hour. Burn the fire well. You have to keep it burning. Haha!"
Seeing Yun 'er suffer, Ang Lee said with a smile.
In fact, burning a fire was not a big crime. Moreover, it was late autumn and the fire was still very warm. However, Yun 'er usually did not do this. She did not master the technique very well. She was too close to the mouth of the pot, and if she was too far away, she seemed to find it difficult to control the fire inside.
A normal dinner would require at least eight dishes and two soups. This was Ang Lee's minimum dinner standard. The chicken soup was one of the soups. Thus, one soup and eight dishes would be enough.
Fortunately, the kitchen facilities were very complete. There were a lot of cooking utensils and a lot of ingredients. Many male servants in the kitchen could work together to make dinner.
"Alang, other than this chicken soup, what else are we eating tonight?"
A male servant asked.
Li An thought for a moment and said, "A bowl of stir-fried cabbage with beef, a serving of stir-fried pork with mushrooms, and a serving of steamed grouper. Also, forget it. I'll ask the madams about the remaining dishes! See what they want to eat? "
"Yes, Alang."
The male servant responded and went to prepare.
Soon, the other dishes began to be prepared. The entire kitchen was filled with all kinds of smells. There was the smell of spicy food, the smell of meat, the smell of vegetables, and a smoky smell. In short, there were many smells and they were very pleasant to smell.
Previously, the smell of the kitchen was completely dominated by the smell of beef and pork. However, not long after, an even more fragrant smell covered the smell of beef and pork. That was the smell of the chicken soup made by Ang Lee.
The fragrance of pheasant was much higher than that of beef. In addition, fresh angelica, turmeric, and other spices were added. It was impossible for it not to be fragrant.
"Alang, it smells so good!" There's also the smell of Chinese herbs. This is even more fragrant. Can I have a taste? "
Yun 'er looked at Ang Lee with a pleading look. Her expression was very pitiful.
Ang Lee smiled and said, "Look at how greedy you are. This is only the beginning. It hasn't been completely burned. The smell is still alright, but the taste in your mouth is much worse. We still need to continue simmering until the essence of all the ingredients fuses into the soup. Only then will it really taste good. Haha!"
The more concentrated the soup was, the better it tasted. After all, anything that was concentrated was the essence. Of course, it couldn't be too concentrated. There was a perfect concentration, which could also be called the best concentration.
The smell of pheasant was strong to begin with. Coupled with the continuous cooking of the fire, the fragrance spread into the inner residence. This made the ladies and children who were chatting in the yard smell it.
Tang Er asked. With such a fragrant smell, she had long run to the kitchen. Man 'er and Han' er followed, and even Ya 'er and Grass ran over. Only Yan Ruyu and company sat in the yard without moving. They knew that they had to pay attention to their statuses and couldn't run to the kitchen. Otherwise, what kind of image would that have?
However, it had been a long time since they smelled such a fragrant smell. To be able to drift from the kitchen to the inner residence, it was obvious how fragrant the dish was.
"What a fragrant smell! It's chicken soup, right? "
Yan Ruyu sniffed for a long time before she made a judgment.
Li Hanlu thought for a moment and said, "Not only is it chicken soup, but it seems to be pheasant. The roosters raised at home don't smell so fragrant. Yes, it must be pheasant."
Man Man said, "Sisters, why do I smell the smell of angelica? It seems to be in the smell of chicken. The smell of chicken and angelica fuses together. It smells fragrant."
Yan Ruyu frowned and said, "It seems to be true! Amidst the fragrance of chicken, there is indeed the fragrance of angelica. Sister, your nose is really sharp. You can even smell such a subtle smell. "
"Only our husband can think of using Chinese herbs to stew chicken."
Li Hanlu said with a smile.
As the concentration of the soup increased, the fragrance in the air became even stronger. It made one drool. Even Ang Lee couldn't help but want to take a bite.
"Alang, it's been more than two hours. It should be done, right?"
Yun 'er gulped and asked.
Ang Lee gently lifted the lid of the pot. Immediately, an even stronger fragrance of the soup wafted out, making one feel comfortable.
"Father, it smells so good! I want to drink it. "
Tang Er was the first to make a request.
"Father, I want to drink it too. I want to drink it too."
Man 'er and Han' er also made requests.
Ang Lee saw that the concentration was about right, so he nodded and said, "Prepare big bowls, two big bowls, and a few small bowls."
The two large bowls naturally had to be brought to the inner court. The reason why he prepared some small bowls was so that the people present could take a small sip and have a taste. Li An had promised Yun'er that he would let him take a sip and have a taste. How could he go back on his words?
The big bowls were full and were immediately taken to the backyard. Each small bowl only had one sip. Ang Lee handed these small bowls full of concentrated soup to Yun 'er and the other servants one by one, letting them have a taste.
"Father, where's mine? I want to drink it, I want to drink it. "
Tang Er didn't get any soup and shouted.
Ang Lee said unhappily, "Tang Er, come with me. We have two big bowls. Let's go. "
After that, he pulled Tang Er away.
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