Ask the Nine Ministers

Chapter 415: Taste
As I emerged from the King's tent, the weather had cleared up.

The danger of last night seemed to be dispelled by the scorching sun. The drills on the training ground, the smoke from the kitchen, and the neatly arranged tents were all orderly under the sunlight, exuding a sense of vitality amidst the solemnity.

Xue Sui pulled his cloak tighter around himself. "The sun is very warm, which is a good omen."

Li Zhao turned to look at her. "It's rare for the weather to be sunny. Shall we go for a walk?"

Xue Sui was slightly surprised: "Your Highness isn't busy with military affairs? Has Xiao Dingshan uncovered anything during the interrogation?"

Li Zhao's lips curled up, "There's no rush. Military affairs are never-ending. There's no need to kill and bury Xiao Dingshan on the spot..."

Xue Sui was taken aback by his sudden joke, then smiled and said, "It would be disrespectful for Xue Liu to refuse Your Highness's refined taste."

Upon hearing this, Li Zhao's smile warmed even more. "Then it's settled. Tomorrow at noon, I'll take Ping An out of the camp for a trip."
-
The next day at dawn, Li Zhao prepared a carriage, taking only his two close attendants, Yuan Cang and Lai Fu. Xiao Zhao originally wanted to come along, but upon hearing that Guan Ya was still recovering from his injuries and needed someone by his side, she volunteered to prepare medicine and take care of him.

Xue Sui acquiesced.

Li Zhao changed into a slightly worn jacquard velvet robe and a matching cloak, which softened his sharp edge. At first glance, he looked like a young master from an ordinary, well-to-do family.

Xue Sui wore a thick fox fur-collared cloak over her plain jacket and skirt, with the hood loosely tied on her head, covering her short hair and revealing her pretty face.

The two walked side by side, their shadows stretched long by the sunlight. The man was handsome and the woman was pretty, looking quite like a young country gentleman couple.

After leaving the Shilipo camp, the carriage slowly made its way onto the official road.

Xue Sui lifted the curtain and gazed at the snowy scenery along the way, feeling a sense of curiosity.

"Where is Your Highness taking me?"

Li Zhao raised an eyebrow: "My wife, guess?"

"Who is your wife?" Xue Sui glared at him. "If you don't explain clearly, I won't go, lest you abduct women and children."

"Don't be angry, my wife." Li Zhao raised his hand and gently pinched the tip of her nose, a smile appearing in his eyes.

“There’s a small town outside Yongding City called Qingshiyi. There’s a mutton soup place there with an excellent broth, made with decades-old techniques… In this harsh and cold land of western Xinjiang, to have such a delicacy is a real shame if you don’t try it…”

Xue Sui couldn't stop laughing at his words.

"It sounds like His Highness frequents this place? Could it be that there's a beautiful proprietress who's bewitched His Highness?"

Li Zhaolang laughed loudly: "What are you thinking about all day? You'll see how beautiful she is when you meet her in a bit."
-
The town is small, built along a tributary of the Wei River. Shops line both sides of the main road, with thick bluestone slabs in the middle. Much of the snow has been swept to the sides and melted, making the road surface somewhat slippery.

The war did not reach this area.

There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and the shops were somewhat deserted, but there were still steamed bun shops, blacksmith shops, and general stores. The aroma of food helped to alleviate the winter chill, and there was at least some human warmth in the air.

The carriage stopped at the street, and the two walked along the street. Perhaps it was the unusual short hair under her hood that drew glances from time to time, with some people pointing and scrutinizing her...

Xue Sui leaned closer to Li Zhao and said, "Since Your Highness intends to travel incognito, why not dress more plainly? That way, you won't attract attention..."

Li Zhao looked down at her, a smile in his eyes.

"Look at my handsome face, how can I dress up to look like an ordinary person?"

Xue Sui: "..."

She had never seen anyone praise themselves so confidently before.

But it must be said that Li Zhao was absolutely right.

With his overall air of wealth and the noble bearing he developed from being raised in the royal family, it was impossible for him to fake a poor and shabby appearance...

"You're happy to be stared at, but I'm not willing to be a monkey for everyone to watch..."

"What's there to be afraid of? Let them see if they want to. With my wife looking this good, I'm proud."

Xue Sui's ears burned slightly, and she gave him a reproachful look.

"Not serious!"

The mutton soup shop that Li Zhao mentioned was at the corner of the street, with the old but eye-catching signboard that read "Liu's".

The owner was a middle-aged, burly man with a full beard, possessing the straightforwardness and ruggedness typical of people from western Xinjiang, and was far from being "beautiful."

Upon seeing two well-dressed men and women enter with servants, he immediately greeted them with a broad smile and a loud voice.

"Please come in, sir. The mutton soup is fresh out of the pot and still piping hot..."

Li Zhao found a table by the window and sat down, glancing at Xue Sui.

"Two bowls of mutton soup, with plenty of meat and little offal. A plate of good quality lamb leg meat, served hot."

Yuan Cang and Lai Fu sat down at the table next to them, ordered the same soup, and added two baskets of mutton buns.

"Alright! Please wait a moment, everyone, it'll be right there..."

The boss shouted as he turned and left.

Li Zhao stared at Xue Sui and smiled, "I'm sorry to trouble you, a monk, but this place is all meat..."

Xue Sui: "I have returned to secular life."

Li Zhao chuckled softly.

The mutton soup was ready-made and served quickly. In the rough porcelain bowl, the soup was milky white, the mutton slices were extremely thin, steaming hot, and there was no gamey smell.

Li Zhao filled the soup bowl to the brim and pushed it in front of her, saying, "Try it."

Xue Sui scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and put it in his mouth, his eyebrows slowly rising.

"It's very delicious, even better than the ones in Beijing."

The owner happened to be bringing over some flatbread and chimed in, "Of course, these are local sheep, raised on water from the Wei River..."

Li Zhao smiled at him but didn't reply.

He simply picked up the vinegar jar and dripped a few drops into Xue Sui's bowl.

"Add some vinegar to cut through the greasiness."

Seeing his natural movements and gentle demeanor, Xue Sui felt a slight stirring in his heart, even more so than when he was the Crown Prince in the capital.

Perhaps, this is the meaning of life.

There was no power struggle, no sword fights, only the people in front of me and the warmth of a bowl of hot soup.

But with the flames of war still burning, they could only cherish the fleeting moments of peace they had stolen from this chaotic world.

As they were talking, more guests came in one after another.

Friends and companions gathered, creating a noisy atmosphere.

Just then, a commotion suddenly broke out near the shop's main entrance.

A man dressed in foreign attire slammed his fist on the table, cursing and swearing in a local dialect.

He had a curved knife at his waist and looked to be no more than twenty years old, but he had a thick, short beard that made him look particularly fierce and savage.

"It's not like I'm not going to pay. I was in a hurry today and didn't bring enough money. I'll just pay you back later, okay? What nonsense are you spouting?" The waiter said with a forced smile.

"Sir, please be kind. This is a small shop with limited funds, so we don't offer credit."

"Bullshit!" The foreign youth was already impatient, and his spittle almost landed on the waiter's face.

"When I drink in your capital city of Liang, I always pay the bill at the end. Who do you think you are to challenge me?"

Upon hearing this, the boss bowed apologetically to Li Zhao and Xue Sui, then turned and walked towards that table.

"Sir, please speak more politely. If you're looking to cause trouble in my shop, don't you even know where you are?"

"Enough with the nonsense!" the foreign youth retorted defiantly. "I just didn't bring enough money today. What are you going to do about it?"

"Paying for meals is a matter of course," the boss said in a booming voice.

"No money!"

"If you don't have money, leave something as payment!"

"You fucking want to die."

They were all hot-tempered, rough men. They would argue fiercely over a few words, their faces turning red, like fighting cocks.

Enraged by what he had been said, the young man from another tribe suddenly drew his sword from his waist and slammed it onto the table with a clang, his eyes wide open.

"Say that again, you son of a bitch? I've traveled all over the country and never seen such a shady shop. Even the Emperor of Liang wasn't this arrogant. Today, I'm going to tear this lousy shop down..."

The surrounding diners burst into laughter.

"Oh ho, quite the boast."

"With his character, he's probably just a dream come true, isn't he?"

"Haha, that's right! Let's finish this meal first, that's the important thing."

"Yes! Settle the bill... Stop showing off and acting all high and mighty..."

The shop owner, who dared to open a shop in such a place, must have seen his share of things. Hearing this, he calmly waved his hand, and several employees rushed into the kitchen, grabbing tools—rolling pins, cleavers—and aggressively surrounded the entrance, completely blocking it.

With superior numbers, the foreign man was immediately at a disadvantage.

His face flushed red, and his eyes turned fierce.

"What? You want to fight? A tiger fallen into the plains is bullied by dogs. If you've got guts, just wait... I'll go back and get my money, then I'll come back and smash up this lousy shop of yours."

He made a move as if he was about to force his way through the door.

"Want to leave? Leave some money for your meal first..."

The two sides were on the verge of a fight, with swords drawn...

Suddenly, a hand reached out and firmly placed on the boss's shoulder.

"Shopkeeper, harmony brings wealth."

The visitor was none other than Li Zhao.

He looked around and calmly smiled as he advised, "When you're traveling, there will inevitably be times when you're short on cash. Why get upset over such a small thing? I'll treat this brother to his meal."

He turned to the shopkeeper, placed a silver ingot on the table, and said, "Cut two more catties of good mutton, wrap them up, and give them to this brother... Consider it my treat."

Seeing his generous spending and extraordinary demeanor, the boss softened his tone.

"Sir, this meal, plus the table he broke, wasn't cheap..."

Li Zhao raised an eyebrow. "How much?"

"Fifty...fifty taels!"

The shopkeeper was clearly trying to put him in a difficult position, but Li Zhao didn't even lift an eyelid. He simply took out another silver ingot and placed it on the table. "Is that enough?"

"That's enough, that's enough. Thank you for your generosity, young master..." The shopkeeper finally smiled broadly, "But this is... too much... we don't need this much."

"No need to look anymore," Li Zhao said calmly. "The rest is just to calm the men's nerves."

He remained calm and composed, ignoring the boss's profuse thanks after speaking, and without even glancing at the foreign youth, he turned and walked back, calmly sat down, picked up the mutton soup on the table, and gently blew on it.

The young man from another ethnic group stood there for a moment, then suddenly strode over to Li Zhao's table, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed, performing a somewhat imperfect gesture of respect.

"Thank you for your help, hero. I will remember your kindness today. When I return with my men, I will repay you handsomely."

Having said that, he flicked his sleeves and strode away, mounting the horse tied to the door and galloping off.

Xue Sui watched his retreating figure, raised an eyebrow, and asked, "You know him?"

Li Zhao shook his head. "I don't know him."

Xue Sui looked at him with a half-smile, "Young Master Li is so generous?"

Li Zhao took a sip of soup and said casually, "It's just a little bit of silver. Let's keep things peaceful."

Upon hearing the phrase "harmony is the most precious thing," Xue Sui found it amusing.

She scooped up a spoonful of mutton soup and sipped it slowly, saying softly, "That man looks like a roughneck. Aren't you afraid he might be one of Xiao Yan's men..."

“Doesn’t seem like it.” Li Zhao put down his bowl, his eyes cold and clear. “He is reckless, but his eyes are not evil. The curved knife at his waist is of a special design, and the turquoise on the hilt is of excellent quality, definitely not something an ordinary mountain dweller would possess… Making a good connection with him might… be useful in the future.”

Xue Sui smiled and suddenly felt that the mutton soup was even more delicious.

"So that's why. It turns out that the fifty taels of silver were just a trial balloon, a way to curry favor."

Li Zhaogang paused, the spoon he was about to put to his lips. He looked up at her with an innocent expression: "The way you're saying it makes it sound like I did it on purpose."

"Who knows?"

Xue Sui smiled, stopped teasing him, and focused on drinking her soup. The delicious broth warmed her as it went down her throat. She narrowed her eyes slightly, her thoughts seemingly drifting away.

Seeing that she remained silent for a long time, Li Zhao stretched out his arm and gently touched her hand with the end of his chopsticks.

"What are you thinking about?"

Xue Sui snapped out of her reverie and smiled at him, "I was thinking that once we return to the capital, we won't be able to enjoy such delicious mutton soup anymore."

Li Zhao laughed and said, "What's so difficult about that? I'll have the imperial kitchen learn how to do it."

Xue Sui shook his head: "I'm afraid we can't learn the taste of the sheep raised in the mountains and waters of the Western Frontier."

“Then come often.” Li Zhao put down his soup spoon, his gaze fixed intently on Xue Sui’s eyes, his tone gentle and earnest. “I’ll go with you wherever you like.”

　Li Zhao: Readers are saying, is my method... sweet or not?

　　Xue Sui: Sisters, don't spoil him.

　　(End of this chapter)