Opening a Tavern in the Tang Dynasty

Cheng Yaojin, eating his barbecue, waved his hand and shouted to his servants, "Go, pull the carriage to the back."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Chumo hurriedly said, "Dad, wait a minute, there are still things on the carriage. Those big prey haven't been unloaded yet. We can't just forget about it." Then he walked towards the carriage to check.

After a while, Hua Da Jiao came over with a beer bottle. "Hey? Why is there a glass bottle here? This is a good thing. It looks rare. I don't know what it's used for. I have to keep it well."

Cheng Yaojin stroked his beard, his eyes lit up, and he said to Cheng Chumo, "Son, tomorrow I will tell His Majesty about this barbecue. It tastes really good. Maybe His Majesty will like it too."

"If we can spread this barbecue method throughout the palace, it would be a great achievement, haha."

As soon as Qin Huaidao returned to the mansion, Qin Qiong came out to greet him and said anxiously, "Dao, you're finally back. How was your outing today? Did you find anything new or interesting? Tell me about it quickly, I can't wait to hear it."

Qin Huaidao had an excited look on his face and smiled as he replied to his father, Qin Jing: "Dad, today was really interesting. Cheng Chumo and I went hunting together and had a great harvest."

"Then we grilled the prey by the stream. The grilled meat was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the aroma was fragrant."

"We also drank some wine with the barbecue, which was simply delicious. We laughed and talked all the way, it was so enjoyable." As he spoke, he also gestured the movements of barbecue.

"Okay, okay, go and rest. Dad has to go to court tomorrow."

The next day, Cheng Yaojin swaggered into the court.

When there was a brief break in the courtroom, he cleared his throat, stepped forward, and said loudly, "Your Majesty, I made a surprising discovery yesterday that I must share with Your Majesty. My younger brothers and I went out with Yu Yu's family, got some game, and then cooked it using a method we call barbecue."

Qin Qiong stepped forward and said, "Yes, yes, yes. Qin Huaidao also said this when he came back. Barbecue means roasting the prey over a fire, sprinkling some salt, spices, etc. on it while roasting."

"After a while, the meat was roasted to a golden and fragrant aroma, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. The taste was amazing when I took a bite. It was much more delicious than the usual steaming, boiling or stewing methods."

Li Shimin nodded and said: "If we can also set up this barbecue method in the palace, we can grill together around the fire in our spare time. It will not only enjoy the delicious food, but also add some fun. How interesting it would be."

He ran to the bedroom and said: "I will go to Zuixianlou immediately, you guys can do whatever you need to do."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Yaojin hurriedly bowed and responded loudly, "Your Majesty is wise. The barbecue at Zuixianlou is indeed excellent. Your Majesty will surely enjoy a feast on this trip. We obey your order and will now withdraw."

The other ministers also saluted and shouted in unison: "Your Majesty, may you be well and we respectfully send you off."

Li Shimin waved his dragon robe, changed into casual clothes, and hurried to Zuixian Tower with a few attendants.

Yuyu had just settled two sheep, one big and one small, and a weasel in the vegetable garden behind the tavern, and was clapping her hands: "We'll have the barbecue soon, you guys can take a walk first."

Xiaoyu heard a commotion in front of her and turned around to see that it was the current emperor Li Shimin who had arrived. "Your Majesty, you are here!"

Yuyu quickly straightened her clothes and trotted forward to greet him: "Your Majesty has arrived. I was preparing roast lamb today!"

Seeing this, Li Hao hurried forward, bowed, and said, "Your Majesty, it is an honor for me to have your presence in person. Today's roast lamb is prepared using a new method. I guarantee that Your Majesty has never tasted such a unique delicacy. I hope Your Majesty will take the time to enjoy it."

Emperor Li Shimin smiled and raised his hand to signal everyone to excuse themselves. He laughed heartily and said, "Haha, I heard that old man Cheng Yaojin talk about how delicious this barbecue was in the court. I was curious and came straight here."

"Let's see how tempting this roast lamb is. I'm looking forward to feasting on it today."

Several people hurriedly drove the sheep to prepare for processing, and Yu Yu's family talked while they were busy.

Xiaoyu smiled and said to Yuyu, "Yuyu, we must roast this mutton well today so that His Majesty will be satisfied."

Yuyu clapped her hands, her eyes sparkling, and nodded in response: "Mom, I know, I will help you. His Majesty will definitely like our roasted lamb."

Li Hao skillfully led the sheep to the right place while saying, "This sheep looks plump and tender. It will definitely be delicious when roasted. We'll have to sprinkle more of our special seasoning on it later."

Li Shimin watched from the side and said excitedly, "Haha, I find it interesting to see you all so lively and bustling. I really don't know much about the art of preparing lamb, so you guys have to do it well. I'm really looking forward to the roasted lamb, I think it will taste really good."

After preparing the sheep, Yu Yu and his family set up a grill and lit a bonfire in the open space in front of Zuixian Tower.

Yuyu ran around happily, helping to pass the seasonings and other things, muttering, "Roast the mutton until it smells delicious and serve it to His Majesty."

Xiaoyu carefully cut the mutton into appropriate sizes, skewered them with bamboo sticks, and slowly grilled them on the grill: "Small pieces are easier to chew."

She turned the bamboo skewers while grilling and sprinkled various seasonings on it from time to time. The mutton gradually became golden and oily, and the aroma began to spread in the air.

Li Hao, watching the fire from the side, said to Li Shimin with a smile, "Your Majesty, please wait a moment. This mutton must be roasted to the perfect temperature, crispy on the outside and tender on the inside to be the most delicious. I guarantee you will never forget it once you taste it."

Li Shimin stood aside, watching them busy with interest, and responded with a smile: "Haha, I'm not in a hurry, I'm just waiting to taste this delicious roast lamb. Looking at this posture, I believe it must taste great."

As the aroma of roasted lamb grew stronger, more and more people gathered around the open space in front of Zuixian Tower.

Curious children crowded in the front, staring at the greasy mutton with wide eyes, their little noses constantly sniffing the tempting aroma: "Wow, mutton roasted for the emperor must be especially delicious!"

The adults also stretched their necks, watching and whispering to each other: "Today is really an eye-opener. To see lamb roasted for His Majesty, this is quite a grand occasion."

Even the street vendors couldn't help but put down their business and come over to watch the fun: "What kind of way is this? Watching the fun is enough, but I can't even learn how to use the seasoning."

Everyone stared at the actions of Yu Yu's family, hoping to see the roasted lamb coming out of the pot as soon as possible.

Soon, the skewers of mutton were finally roasted. They were golden in color and had a fragrant aroma that penetrated into people's noses.