Zhu Di: My fourth son is a great emperor of all time?

Chapter 98 Hot Pot's Debut, Making a Fortune

The Ming Dynasty prohibited the slaughter and consumption of beef!

Where did this butter come from?
It all comes from the cow!

Good heavens, Prince Qi has such audacity! This is blatant defiance of His Majesty's decree!

Dog would never dare to write the word "butter" again!

"Your Majesty..." Gou'er glanced at Zhu Di's expression.

Oh no, this is terrible.

"Write."

The dog trembled all over at Zhu Di's single word.

This is a bad start; he doesn't want to lose his life here.

But now the emperor has issued an order that it must be written!
After the butter has been successfully rendered, we need to fry it and remove it from the oil, preferably filtering it.

Next, use rapeseed oil, which is edible oil extracted from rapeseed flowers, and add scallions, ginger, garlic, green onions, star anise, cloves, cinnamon, bay leaves, cardamom, fennel seeds, and other spices to fry until fragrant.

what?
What is all this?
The dog's hands trembled even more violently.

How can I write about things from foreign lands that I've never even heard of?
But Zhu Di stood beside him with a dark expression; he was terrified!

I had no choice but to grit my teeth and write down all the homophones I knew, and that was a rough way of memorizing them.

[Finally, the crucial ingredient, chili peppers, must be added. These are all chili peppers, but different varieties have different levels of spiciness and aroma. This is where the chef's skills are tested; they need to match the peppers to a ratio that suits their culinary style and is acceptable to the eater.]

chili?

What is this again?
Zhu Di couldn't help but exclaim, "It's all red, I wonder where it came from!"

Speaking of chili peppers, we have to thank our Yongle Emperor. He ordered Zheng He's voyages to the Western Ocean, which opened up maritime routes, and chili peppers were introduced to the Ming Dynasty from Mexico via these sea routes. In some places, they were also called sea peppers or frankincense. They weren't only found in Xunzhou.

"Hmph, that's more like it." Zhu Di was a little smug. It seemed he hadn't been completely without merit after all.

But what is Mexico? Why haven't I heard Zheng He mention it?
It's a pity that chili peppers weren't introduced to the Ming Dynasty until later, so even our Yongle Emperor had never seen or tasted them.

Ah. I see.

Zhu Di sighed. Although governing a country is not something that can be accomplished overnight, hearing that his people would receive some benefit from his strategies in the future would make it all worthwhile.

Upon seeing this, Zhu Di began to find the food in front of him tasteless again.

[The combination of chili peppers, lard, and vegetable oil allows for the creation of unique personal styles by different chefs. Some renowned Xunzhou cuisine chefs, unwilling to leave Xunzhou, have opened various restaurants there, including those specializing in hot pot.]

[And hot pot, naturally, requires both fire and a pot.]

This stainless steel pot is shaped like the Yin-Yang symbol, borrowing its form to represent the harmony of Yin and Yang.

This pot was personally designed by Prince Qi!

This way, you can cook chili broth on one side and even coconut chicken on the other.

[They're in the same pot, yet they don't mix. They don't interfere with each other, yet they both receive the heat of the charcoal fire.]

Those who prefer spicy food and those who prefer clear broth can each choose what they like, while family and friends can still eat from the same pot and at the same table. This is what Prince Qi meant by "harmony in diversity."

Harmony in diversity.

What a wonderful concept of harmony in diversity!

Zhu Di slammed his hand on the table and burst out laughing. The principle he had worked so hard to understand had been expressed by his fourth son in a desolate place like Xunzhou, all through a pot.

This principle, though seemingly about eating, is actually also about governing a country and the world!
There is no battle that lasts forever.

Zhu Di worked so hard, spending so many years on horseback, all for the sake of ensuring that no one would dare to bully us again!
So that I can sit down with my family and enjoy a safe and warm meal!
Regardless of their preferences or tastes, once they sit down to eat, they are subjects of the Ming Dynasty—a belief ingrained in the very bones of the people.

What a wonderful concept of harmony in diversity.

You are your own person, and I am my own person, but we each take what we need and eat in the same state.

Fourth brother, do you have more surprises in store for your old man?

Meanwhile, at the Prince Qi's residence in the capital, Zhu Gaoshuo discovered that he could also observe the sky alone, and began to examine it with great interest.

It seems that I'll be doing quite well in Xunzhou from now on, even getting to eat hot pot.

However, Tianmu was quite interesting. He thought he would be exposed soon, but Tianmu showed mercy.

While hot pot, coconut chicken, and other such dishes are important, they are not the foundation of a nation. My father, whose mind is always on war, is probably about to realize that something is wrong.

But now, Zhu Gaoshuo himself is also thinking about it; he really wants to eat a hot pot, the kind that's really spicy.

Sigh, for now I'll just have to make do with a simple boiled water pot.

Why don't we order this to be eaten today?
Thinking of this, Zhu Gaoshuo stopped looking at the sky and, taking advantage of Wang Ao's absence, secretly went to get some good food!

The cook in Prince Qi's residence was no longer surprised to see Zhu Gaoshuo in the kitchen. He simply asked out of curiosity, "What is Your Highness Prince Qi looking for this time?"

Zhu Gaoshuo just sighed and said, "Never mind, I'll go out and buy it myself."

After research, Xu Dadao finalized his hot pot recipe, and now he's ready to try using it to cook vegetables.

This is Kui Xing Chicken, a local specialty of Xunzhou; this is Kong Cai, a local specialty of Xunzhou; this is sweet potato, introduced from overseas…

The dishes displayed on the canopy were all things Zhu Di had never seen before.

So many foreign dishes?!
And it's so fresh.

"Could it be that the fourth brother has already started growing vegetables in Xunzhou?"

"And the livestock I mentioned earlier, I didn't see them either."

"With so many spices, dried goods are certainly easier to preserve, but what about fresh goods?"

"How big of a ship would it take to transport so many dishes, and how often would it need to make those trips?"

"And what Tianmu said about the chili peppers from Mexico is something that only appeared in later generations. Where did Fourth Brother get them from?!"

Zhu Di's hands trembled, and the meat on his chopsticks fell off.

This kid seems to be living a peaceful and carefree life, but behind him lies terrifying power!

You might be able to fool others, but you're dreaming if you think you can fool your father!
This pot was originally called the Yin-Yang Pot, but Prince Qi said it was a bit of a mouthful and not approachable enough, so he changed it to the Mandarin Duck Pot, symbolizing harmony between husband and wife. Now, many people like to buy the Mandarin Duck Pot from Xunzhou when they move into a new home.

Are there so many that they can be sold?
Fourth brother, you're being foolish! What if someone buys it and forges it into a weapon? Wouldn't that be creating trouble for yourself?
Wait a minute, isn't this "other person" referring to the legitimate imperial court?

Zhu Di was so angry he was confused.

He simply put down his chopsticks; the meal was incredibly frustrating. Being an emperor was truly humiliating. What was most frustrating was that, as the father of the fourth son, this kid wouldn't tell his own father anything.

(End of this chapter)