Guide to Traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty.

Chapter 1230 Epilogue : Xie Laoliu is a big scumbag

The Maya collected cacao beans a little differently than the modern process.

It is to directly pick the cocoa fruit, let it ferment naturally and then dry it, and then roast the shell over fire to take out the cocoa beans.

From start to finish, you don't even need to rinse it with clean water.

The big bag of cocoa beans that Xie Yan got were roasted without being washed, and there was a layer of residue from fermented and decomposed pulp on the surface.

It looks a bit dirty, but it's difficult to peel it off directly.

Xie Yan felt that the cocoa beans seemed damp, so he simply asked the chef to fry them first.

He tried pounding a few re-fried ones and found that the residue layer would automatically fall off and the impurities could be quickly filtered out with a sieve.

"Get some goat's milk!" Xie Yan ordered.

The princess's family raises several ewes, which are used specifically for milk production. The milk production period after giving birth is 8 months.

While the cook was cooking goat milk, Xie Yan began to think about how to make chocolate.

He had already found out in Sifang Pavilion that if the Mayans were to make it, they would first grind it into powder, then add water, corn flour, chili peppers and other seasonings.

The final product is a paste-like beverage, which is shaken repeatedly to make the paste full of bubbles and drunk directly without waiting for it to solidify.

Xie Yan tried to use the Mayan method of making it, but instead of adding corn flour, chili peppers, etc., he added goat milk and sugar.

After some hard work, wait for it to solidify.

Xie Yan took a bite and thought it tasted okay. After all, he was adding ingredients while tasting it.

But the taste is extremely rough and not silky at all.

Moreover, the appearance is very ugly, with holes all over the surface and inside of the chocolate.

"Go find Daiyu and ask her to bring the finest filter from the laboratory." Xie Yan said to a kitchen worker.

The finest filter in the laboratory has never been used. The first time it was used was to sift cocoa paste.

In the piano room.

Zhu Tangxi asked curiously, "Why hasn't Liu Lang come back yet?"

Qingluan was just about to go and ask when someone came from the kitchen.

When Zhu Tangxi heard that Xie Yan wanted to use a laboratory filter, he didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "Why don't I dare to eat it?"

Qingluan volunteered: "I will taste the food for Your Highness."

"Go and see what he is doing." Zhu Tangxi said.

Qingluan and Daiyu took the strainer and ran to the kitchen together.

Xie Yan was not waiting there foolishly. He found that after high-speed stirring, the cocoa paste would become more delicate and smooth, which seemed to be the same effect as whipped cream.

So, a kitchen worker was ordered by Xie Yan to stir the food frantically.

After the filter was brought over, Xie Yan shook and filtered the stirred cocoa paste to quickly remove the bubbles and lumps inside, as well as the small amount of impurities that remained.

Now look at the appearance of the cocoa paste, there are only two words to describe it: silky!

We worked until the evening and finally made the first batch of chocolates. We used the molds used to make pastries, and the shapes of flowers were very pretty.

Xie Yan asked the chefs to divide up the defective products.

"What a nice smell!" Qingluan leaned closer to smell it.

It has the caramelized aroma of cocoa and the light milky aroma of goat's milk.

Xie Yan said to the cook, "Re-roast all the cocoa beans that have regained some moisture, but be careful not to burn them. After frying, store them carefully to prevent them from getting damp."

Taking Qingluan and Daiyu, Xie Yan returned to the piano room.

Zhu Tangxi took a look and said with a smile, "I've been busy for so long, and it turns out to be Mayan pastries."

Xie Yan said: "The Mayans wouldn't make this. They even added cornmeal and chili peppers to it. Sister, try it."

Zhu Tangxi picked up the chocolate, gently bit off a piece, and his eyes suddenly widened.

Qing Luan asked curiously: "Your Highness, is it delicious?"

"Delicious." Zhu Tangxi took another bite, carefully savoring the texture and taste.

Qingluan thought: It looks really delicious. What kind of cakes hasn’t the princess eaten?

Xie Yan sat happily beside him, feeling particularly accomplished.

Qingluan was thinking about the matter of sleeping with the emperor tonight, so she took the opportunity to flatter him and said, "Liu Lang has been busy in the kitchen all afternoon, just to make this kind of cake for His Highness. If this matter gets out, the girls in and outside Luoyang City will be envious. How can their husbands love their wives so much?"

"You're the only one who can say it." Zhu Tangxi smiled proudly.

She felt the chocolate in her mouth became sweeter, and when she looked at Xie Yan again, her eyes were full of tears.

Xie Yan said: "Only eat two pieces a day, don't eat too much. After you finish these, I will make them for your sister."

Perhaps it was because of her pregnancy that the princess was more prone to mood swings.

She chewed the chocolate and thought about the past few years. She was so moved that she wanted to cry: "Liu Lang, how can you treat me so well? It's like a dream."

"If I'm not nice to my sister, who else can I be nice to?" Xie Yan felt that the intimacy value had exceeded 100, and the extra value was a hidden value.

If it were a love game, I would definitely be able to unlock special plots.

Zhu Tangxi put away the remaining chocolates and asked Qingluan to put them on the bedside cabinet.

Qingluan muttered to herself: This must be so delicious that even I won’t share a piece.

Had dinner.

Zhu Tangxi asked: "How much of this cocoa is left?"

Xie Yan said: "The Mayans only paid tribute with one sack. Including the ones I failed in my trial, I used about one tenth of it today."

"Only nine-tenths left?" Zhu Tangxi felt it was a pity. She liked chocolate, especially the chocolate made by Xie Yan himself. Xie Yan smiled and said, "You can let the Queen Mother taste it. If she likes it, she can include cocoa in the trade goods and even introduce cocoa trees from America."

"Yes, let the Queen Mother have a taste too!" Zhu Tangxi laughed like a little fox.

Qingluan stood by and listened to their conversation, hoping that time would pass quickly. She had already chosen the most attractive underwear and couldn't wait to wear it for Liu Lang to see.

Zhu Tangxi glanced at Qingluan from time to time.

The more anxious Qingluan became, the more amused the princess found it, and her jealousy faded a little.

Which woman is willing to share her husband?
The princess is no exception.

But I’m pregnant, and I can’t let my husband keep it to myself.

It was almost time to go to bed, so Zhu Tangxi asked Xie Yan to accompany her back to her room, and then they took off their clothes and went to sleep in each other's arms.

Qingluan widened her eyes, wanting to say something but stopping herself.

She really wanted to ask: Your Highness, have you forgotten something?
But she didn't dare to ask and could only retreat outside silently.

Seeing that Qingluan was depressed, the other maids didn't know how to comfort her, so they went back to their rooms to sleep, leaving only one of them on duty outside to take a nap.

Zhu Tangxi leaned in her lover's arms, closed her eyes and said, "When I fall asleep, go find Qingluan."

"I'll sleep with my sister." Xie Yan coaxed quickly.

He had already figured out the princess's ways, and the strategy of retreating to advance was very useful. He could make the princess happy by just coaxing her, and the princess would help him think about the rest.

Zhu Tangxi reached out and grabbed Xie Yan's handle, saying with evil humor: "Let's see how long you can hold it in."

Xie Yan didn't know whether to laugh or cry, and turned into a domineering president: "Woman, you are playing with fire."

"Forget it, I won't tease you anymore, go quickly," Zhu Tangxi pecked her lover's cheek, "I am very happy today, and the cocoa cake is delicious. If you have another woman in the future, don't ignore me. You must always coax me, I like being coaxed by you, even if you lie to me."

Xie Yan said: "I will not lie to my sister. I will coax her for the rest of my life."

Zhu Tangxi nudged into his arms: "Your words are enough. Go quickly and don't let Qingluan wait too long."

Xie Yan continued to flirt with the princess, saying sweet words to her for a long time and giving her enough emotional value before he asked three times and ran to Qingluan's room.

As soon as he left the princess' bedroom, Xie Yan felt his heart burning and extremely excited, as if he was having an affair.

Scumbag!

The maid on duty outside was dozing off in a blanket. She suddenly opened her eyes and woke up when she heard the noise.

When she saw Xie Yan coming out, she quickly stood up and greeted him.

"Shh!"

Xie Yan whispered, "Continue to sleep and don't make any noise."

The maid lay back down, watching Xie Yan walk away, and began to wonder: When will it be my turn? I don't know if the princess will agree. Oh, I really want to eat the cakes made by my husband. They must be delicious.

Qingluan was crying in the room, sobbing softly on the pillow.

She didn't know why she was crying, she just felt very wronged, like a beggar waiting for alms, but in the end she was fooled by the rich.

"Boom boom boom!"

"Young lady, I'm coming in."

Qingluan suddenly stopped sobbing, feeling both embarrassed and happy, and quickly got up and lit the lamp.

Xie Yan pushed the door open and walked in: "Are you still asleep?"

"Ah."

Qingluan responded, turned her back and quietly wiped away her tears.

She used a kerosene lighter to light the kerosene lamp.

The room suddenly became bright, and Xie Yan saw a person wearing only underwear, with his smooth, white shoulders and back completely exposed.

The excitement of cheating became stronger and stronger. He had been lusting after Qingluan's body for a long time.

Without saying anything more at this moment, he walked over in three or two steps and hugged Qingluan from behind: "Good sister, you missed me so much."

Qingluan trembled all over, and felt her legs weaken and unable to stand. She said with rapid breathing: "Don't call me sister, that's a special title for princesses."

"I'm going to shout, Sister Qingluan, Sister Qingluan..." Xie Yan leaned close to her ear and kept saying.

"Yes, yes, I'm listening. You are only allowed to shout like this tonight." Qingluan was so happy. She knew she shouldn't do this, as if she had stolen something from the princess, but she really liked this immoral feeling of stealing.

Just as Xie Yan was about to pick her up by the waist, Qing Luan said, "Wait a minute."

Xie Yan didn't understand what he meant.

Qingluan broke free from his embrace and ran to the drawer to get a pair of red candles. She also took out a wine pot and a wine glass from somewhere.

Light the red candles and fill the wine glasses.

Qingluan raised her cup with a serious look on her face and said, "I am of humble origin, and I am not worthy of being married to Liu Lang. I only ask that the red candles be stopped for this night so that we can drink from each other's cups like a princess' wedding. When I am old and ugly, I will be abandoned by Liu Lang, and I will be willing to do so and I will have no regrets in my life."

Xie Yan had come here with the intention of having an affair, but when he heard these words, he suddenly felt a little ashamed.

I feel ashamed towards both the princess and Qingluan.

I am such a scumbag. Girls in ancient times were so easy to deceive.

Xie Yan raised three fingers: "I, Xie Yan, swear here that I will never abandon Qing Luan in this life. If I break this oath..."

"Don't talk nonsense." Qingluan reached out and covered his mouth. She was deeply moved and thought she had met her true love.

Under Qingluan's affectionate gaze, Xie Yan raised his glass, crossed his arms and drank the wine.

Qingluan turned around and extinguished the kerosene lamp, leaving only two red candles burning. She lowered her head shyly and said, "Please have mercy on me, Liu Lang."

(End of this chapter)