Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Cheng Chumo hurried forward, saluted, and replied, "Your Majesty, I have fulfilled your mission and have a very good harvest. Not only did I hunt three wild boars, but I also unexpectedly caught many sheep, pheasants, and a nest of rabbits."

Li Shimin raised his eyebrows slightly, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "Oh? It seems that your trip was quite successful. How did you hunt these sheep? There are so many of them."

Yuyu couldn't contain his excitement and rushed to say, "Your Majesty, those sheep are so interesting. They suddenly rushed over like crazy and then all crashed into the tree, so we took them down effortlessly."

Upon hearing this, Li Shimin was stunned for a moment, then he threw his head back and burst into laughter. "Such a miracle actually happens in this world! This sheep has fallen into your trap. It's truly a blessing from heaven. This kind of harvest will surely bring glory to the tavern and satisfy everyone's palate."

Xiao Yu also smiled and said, "Your Majesty is absolutely right. With these prey, we can barbecue a lot more."

Li Shimin nodded in praise: "Very good, very good. In that case, you should go back and rest well first, and deal with these preys. Don't get too tired."

When everyone returned to the camp, they saw that the ministers had already lit a blazing bonfire in the center of the camp. The grill above the fire was filled with various meats, oozing with oil and exuding a fragrant aroma.

A minister came forward with a smile and said, "You are finally back. How was the hunting harvest?"

Cheng Chumo put down the prey on his shoulder, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and replied, "It's quite rich, with wild boars, sheep, pheasants and rabbits."

When the ministers heard this, they all looked at him with envy.

Xiaoyu, Yuyu and Lihao found an empty seat and took out the barbecue ingredients they brought one by one.

Xiaoyu skillfully began to prepare the fresh mutton. As she skewered it, she said to Yuyu and Lihao, "We have to show off our skills today and let everyone taste our tavern's special barbecue flavor."

Yu Yu nodded excitedly: "Okay, Mom, I'll help you sprinkle the seasoning." As she said that, she picked up the jar of seasoning, eager to try.

Li Hao was responsible for making a fire. He piled up the charcoal and lightly lit it with a fire starter, and the flames slowly rose.

When the fire gradually stabilized, Xiaoyu put the skewered lamb on the grill. As soon as the lamb came into contact with the hot grill, the fat began to slowly seep out, dripping onto the charcoal fire and splashing small sparks.

Xiaoyu flipped the lamb skewers from time to time, gently shaking a small bottle of secret seasoning in her hand and sprinkling it evenly on the lamb.

As soon as the seasoning touched the mutton, it instantly emitted a rich and unique aroma. This aroma was like a lively elf, quickly spreading in the air.

The ministers who were originally sitting in front of their respective grills, enjoying the fruits of their own grilling, suddenly smelled this fragrant aroma.

Cheng Yaojin sniffed, frowned, and then looked at the skewers on his grill, which were slightly bland in color and aroma. He couldn't help but shake his head and thought, "Why don't my own grilled ones smell good in comparison?"

Lord Qin, who was standing nearby, also noticed something was wrong and muttered quietly, "Where does this aroma come from? It's so tempting! In comparison, our roasted food seems bland."

The ministers looked over, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

Lord Zhang couldn't help but ask, "Who's baking over there? The aroma is truly captivating. Compared to this, my roasted food is simply worlds apart."

Lord Fang also echoed: "That's right, this fragrance seems to have magical powers, it makes people salivate, I must go and see what it is."

As they spoke, several ministers stood up and walked towards Xiaoyu and the others.

Xiaoyu, Yuyu and Li Hao did not pay much attention to the ministers' gazes and continued to bake attentively.

Xiaoyu put the prepared rabbit on the grill and brushed it with oil while saying, "This rabbit meat needs to be roasted tenderly, and the heat must be controlled precisely. Yuyu, go get some of our special sauce."

Yu Yu responded and trotted to get the sauce.

Li Hao turned the two wild boars over and said, "This wild boar's meat is thicker, so it will take a while to roast. But it will definitely smell delicious when it's done."

Xiaoyu nodded in agreement. "That's right. Let's roast this wild boar until the skin is crispy and the inside is juicy. It will surely make everyone praise it."

As he spoke, the roasted rabbit gradually turned golden under the licking of the flames, and the fat dripped down, the fragrance becoming more and more intense, blending with the mellow aroma emanating from the roasted wild boar next to it, and filling the entire camp.

Mr. Zhang came forward, pointed at the food on the grill with a puzzled look on his face, and asked, "What is this?"

Xiaoyu raised her head and replied with a smile, "This is barbecue, Master Zhang. We have a lot of details to our barbecue. From the preparation of ingredients to the combination of seasonings, to the grilling temperature, there are a lot of tricks to it."

Master Zhang frowned and continued, "Why does it taste so different from ours? It's clearly the same thing, so why is yours so delicious?"

Li Hao patted the charcoal ash off his hands and said proudly, "Of course, we're grilling lamb, rabbit, and suckling pig. Before grilling, each ingredient is marinated in our tavern's special sauce. That sauce is our exclusive secret recipe, and no one else has it."

"Also, controlling the heat when grilling is extremely critical. When to flip it over and when to sprinkle the ingredients are all the result of years of experience. You can't just grill it and get this flavor."

Yuyu also chimed in, "Yes, sirs, we often make these barbecues in the tavern on weekdays, and the diners always praise it. Today we have brought this skill to the camp, and we guarantee that everyone will be satisfied with the meal."

After hearing this, the ministers showed expressions of sudden enlightenment and a little envy. They all gathered around, staring at the food on the grill, and couldn't wait to taste how delicious this unique barbecue was.

Xiaoyu looked at the food on the grill and turned to ask everyone, "Are you ready?"

Yuyu's eyes sparkled as she replied excitedly, "Okay, okay, but I feel like it will taste better if we wait a little longer. Mom, let's grill it a little longer."

Xiaoyu smiled and nodded, then patiently turned the lamb, rabbit and pork on the grill a few times and sprinkled some seasoning evenly on them.

Before long, the alluring color and increasingly rich aroma indicated that the food was done. Li Hao sniffed and shouted with a smile, "It's done, it's done!"

Yuyu also cheered: "Wow, it smells delicious, the smell is so tempting, it tastes better than what we grilled in the pub."

The ministers who had gathered around because of the aroma swallowed their saliva when they heard this.