Diqin Designer

Chapter 69 Tofu and Bamboo Slips
The dish on the plate was white and divided into large pieces. It seemed to have been made not long ago and there was still a slight heat on it.

The way to eat it is to pick up one of the pieces, put it in the dipping dish next to it, dip it in water and then eat it.

The eunuch who came to report said, "Master Li Nian said that this dish is called 'tofu pudding'. Master Li Nian also made it today. After tasting it, he made this dish to present to the king. Master Li Nian also said that there are many ways to cook tofu, but it is not convenient now, so tofu pudding is more suitable."

What Li Nian sent to Ying Zheng was tofu pudding. Although both tofu and tofu are soy products and are prepared in a similar way, there are still some differences.

It took him several days to make this. Of course, it takes more than just the time to make the tofu pudding, but also the time to make the tools. He doesn't do it all the time.

Tofu, or bean curd, is said to have been created by Liu An, King of Huainan during the Western Han Dynasty, according to some records. He was the king of Huainan who conspired to rebel during the reign of Emperor Wu and committed suicide after the failure of his plot. In "The Emperor of Han Dynasty", he was caught by Huo Qubing, who was still a child.

It is rumored that the mother of King Huainan liked to eat soybeans. Once, due to illness, his mother could not eat whole soybeans, so Liu An asked people to grind the soybeans into powder. Fearing that the powder was too dry, he poured some water into it and boiled it into soy milk. Fearing that the taste would be bland, he added some brine. As a result, it became a lumpy substance, which is tofu pudding.

The mother of King Huainan was very happy after eating it, and her illness got better, so tofu became popular.

Soybeans and many kinds of beans were called "shu" in this era. Shu rice is rice made with beans. It is one of the staple foods commonly consumed by people of low status and poor family.

Li Nian's purpose of making tofu is mainly to meet his own life needs. He always has to find a way to make his life more comfortable in this era, right?
Looking at the tofu pudding on the plate, Ying Zheng said to Meng Yi who was standing beside him, "I am working hard on government affairs here, but this kid is just preparing food. Doesn't he share my worries?"

Although the words were a reprimand, Meng Yi did not hear any dissatisfaction from Ying Zheng's tone.

Looking at the tofu pudding on the plate, Meng Yi said with a smile: "Isn't Li Nian just helping the king to relieve his worries?"

Ying Zheng heard this and said, "Well, I'll try this tofu pudding and see what it tastes like."

Picking up the chopsticks from the tray, Ying Zheng picked up a piece of the so-called "tofu pudding", but he didn't expect that the tofu pudding was rotten.

How could this thing be so soft and fragile?

Realizing that the tofu pudding was fragile, Ying Zheng took some more strength and tried to pick up another piece. This time he succeeded. He put the tofu pudding in the dipping dish, dipped it in the saucer, and then put it in his mouth. A strange taste immediately rushed into his taste buds.

It was light and smooth, yet mixed with the spiciness of the dipping sauce, giving Ying Zheng an experience he had never tasted before.

You can tell it's made from beans, but it tastes different from beans. I just feel like the flavor is not complete enough.

Ying Zheng changed his mind and realized that it must be because he lacked some things from later generations, so although this thing could be made, it did not reach the taste that later generations should have.

At this time, he also knew what the other sauce was. It turned out to be the sauce made by Wu Yu, which also contained some seasonings such as green onion and ginger to make the tofu pudding light and tender.

After eating a mouthful of tofu pudding, Ying Zheng did not continue immediately. He threw the few bamboo slips he had just read to Meng Yi.

"Mr. Meng, take a look too. Tell me what you think after you finish reading it!"

Because of Li Nian, Meng Yi's status beside Ying Zheng is higher than in original history.

Because only a few people knew the identity of Li Nian's future visitor, and the others were either eunuchs, guards, or palace maids, and only Meng Yi was a minister.

In the case that he did not want to expose Li Nian's identity as a visitor from the future, when Ying Zheng encountered certain things, only Meng Yi could discuss with him. He couldn't ask those eunuchs and palace maids about how to govern the country, right?

Meng Yi took the bamboo slips. He had brought them to the palace today and given them to Ying Zheng, but he had never read the contents inside them. This was the first time he had read them.

After opening the first scroll of bamboo slips and seeing the words recorded on it, Meng Yi quickly understood the purpose of Ying Zheng asking him to read the bamboo slips.

During this period of time, he and Ying Zheng listened to Li Nian's lectures and gained a lot. He felt that some of what Li Nian said made sense.

Meng Yi was reading the bamboo slips. Ying Zheng picked up the chopsticks and continued to eat tofu pudding, but with his other hand he picked up a scroll of bamboo slips sent by Li Nian and read it.

As expected, the bamboo slips recorded the method of making tofu. It had only one purpose, which was to allow him to find an opportunity to spread the method of making tofu throughout the world.

"This kid is really thoughtful. This thing is made of beans, but it is not as hard to swallow as bean rice. This method will surely spread throughout the world, and the person who made it will surely be remembered by the world. But this kid did not hesitate at all and presented it to me directly. Isn't he worried that I will take away his credit?"

Ying Zheng ate while watching the tofu making method. Although he did not cook, he could see that tofu was quite simple to make and that tofu tasted better than bean rice. He believed that tofu would surely be loved by people all over the world. How much reputation would he gain as the person who "pioneered" the tofu making method?

'Maybe this guy didn't think about these things at all, he just thought that taking it out would make the world eat better, so he took it out. Maybe he thought it was insignificant, just a cooking method, he has more.'

"But no matter what your idea is, how can I take credit for your achievements?"

Ying Zheng could see the benefit of spreading the tofu-making method in his name throughout the world, which would surely help people of the world get rid of some of their fear of him and gain some love.

But he won't do that.

He put down this scroll of bamboo slips and picked up another one. The previous scroll recorded the method of making tofu, so what would this scroll record?
When he opened it, Ying Zheng frowned. There was something written on the bamboo slip, asking him not to execute all the alchemists who refined the "elixir of immortality", but to keep those who were useful.

In the bamboo slips, Li Nian said some words that were difficult to understand, such as "science" and "chemistry", but Ying Zheng understood the overall meaning. It was false that the alchemists could refine elixirs to make immortals, but they could refine something else that would be of great help to the Qin Dynasty.

There are many benefits listed above, but the one that attracted Ying Zheng the most was that it could improve the strength of the Qin army. The army of later generations became powerful because of the development of gunpowder.

With the current army of Daqin, it is difficult to maintain control over the seven kingdoms, and he also wants to occupy more land, even occupy territories outside the Nine Provinces, making Daqin the first empire on which the sun never sets in Chinese history.

So, when the number of troops is difficult to change, the only option is to enhance the combat effectiveness of the army itself.

Originally, it took a thousand Qin troops to occupy one place, but now it only takes a hundred Qin troops, so naturally, nine more places can be occupied.

He originally wanted to kill all the alchemists after the chickens and rats that consumed the things made by the alchemists died, to vent his hatred for being deceived, but now after seeing the bamboo slips presented by Li Nian, he decided to change his mind.

Except for Hou Sheng, Lu Sheng and Xu Fu, the other alchemists can be spared for the time being.

"Well, let's save their lives!"

　感谢“基本力统一”大大2张月票、感谢“无言5858”大大2张月票、感谢“九月的眷恋”大大1张月票、感谢“书友20191103195751246”大大1张月票、感谢“天帝道心”大大1张月票

　　
　
(End of this chapter)