Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

In Zhang Jingwei's room, the red and white hot pot was bubbling and the aroma was overwhelming. Everyone was drooling, waiting for the food in the pot to be cooked.

At this moment, Huangfu Ling blinked her bright eyes and asked curiously, "What was the name of that thing you asked Dad to drink just now?"

Zhang Jingwei smiled and answered confidently, "Oh, that's citron. I call it 'lemon'. It tastes sour and delicious!"

Jiu'er, who was standing by, nodded thoughtfully upon hearing this and said softly, "The citron is undoubtedly the citron. It has the effects of relieving qi and eliminating phlegm, soothing the stomach and soothing the liver. However, according to medical records, there is no mention of this medicine being able to treat arthritis!"

Zhang Jingwei quickly waved his hands and explained, "The point isn't the citron itself, the key is to get my father-in-law to drink plenty of water!"

Huangfu Lingxiu frowned slightly and retorted, "My father likes to drink water very much on weekdays. He can drink at least two or three pots of tea a day."

Zhang Jingwei frowned and sighed helplessly, "That being said, the tea he usually drinks is incredibly bitter, even I find it hard to swallow. Drinking it for a long time like this will definitely harm his body. Besides, his alcohol tolerance is really not good, and he has such a strong addiction to alcohol."

Hearing this, Huangfu Ling couldn't help but glare at Zhang Jingwei angrily and was about to scold him.

However, Jiu'er spoke first, "Actually, what he said is not without reason. This paralysis is called 'White Tiger Bite' in the distant Northern Desert. When treating this disease, local grassland witch doctors often lock up patients, forbid them from eating, and only provide them with water. Every day, these patients will suffer from unbearable abdominal distension and pain due to excessive water intake. But surprisingly, not long after, these patients are able to ride back on horseback and continue herding!"

Qian Ming said in surprise, "It's really unexpected that our young master is also familiar with witch doctor's methods."

Zhang Jingwei smiled faintly and replied calmly, "This is the power of knowledge. That's why we should read more every day!" As he spoke, he turned to look at the steaming pot. Seeing that the dishes inside were almost cooked, he greeted everyone warmly, "Come on, come on, don't hesitate, hurry up and try your chopsticks!"

At this time, Jiuer couldn't wait to pick up a piece of tender meat from the pot of boiling red oil. After putting it in her mouth and chewing for a while, her eyes suddenly lit up, as if she had discovered a new world. She shouted excitedly: "Wow, this tastes amazing! It's so rich and mellow, and the taste is even more spicy and stimulating. It's so comfortable to eat! In Zhang Jingwei's words, it's so spicy that it's satisfying." After that, she quickly picked up several pieces of meat with the chopsticks in her hand and began to eat them with relish.

Mu Tou, who was standing beside him, was so spicy that he kept sticking out his tongue, gasping for air, and muttering, "Hiss... Why do I feel like this thing isn't as delicious as you guys say, hiss..."

Seeing this, Liu Guanjin couldn't help but laugh and scolded, "You're just a blockhead. People told you to eat vegetables, but you insisted on challenging those red peppers. It's good enough if you don't die of the spiciness!"

Hearing this, Zhang Jingwei quickly explained with a smile, "If you really feel that the spiciness is too much for you, you can try dipping it in this oil sauce. It's made with mashed garlic and sesame oil, and it's incredibly fragrant!"

Mu Tou nodded, seemingly understanding, then actually picked up the saucer filled with seasoning and stood up, ready to drink it all in one gulp. This comical move immediately caused everyone present to burst into laughter.

Zhang Jingwei smiled helplessly and shook his head, then angrily said, "Are you mentally ill? Do you think you're being funny?"

Jiu'er also laughed awkwardly a few times, feeling a little embarrassed. She quickly reached out and pulled Mu Tou back to his seat, and patiently corrected him, "Oh, it's the 'dip' as in dipping sauce. You're so stupid!"

Huangfu Ling picked up a piece of meat and put it in his mouth, chewing it, frowning slightly, and muttered, "Why does this meat taste weird?" Zhang Jingwei, who was standing by, heard it and explained with a smile, "Haha, this is not ordinary meat. It's sheep's tripe. It might be a little overcooked." As he spoke, he also picked up a piece of sheep's tripe from the pot, skillfully coated it with mashed garlic, and stuffed it into his mouth without hesitation and started chewing.

At this time, Mu Tou, who was sitting nearby, sniffed and wiped his nose vigorously with his sleeve. He made a hissing sound and asked, "Master...Master, you really don't find it spicy? It's almost making me cry." Zhang Jingwei glanced at Mu Tou and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Mu Tou, if you really can't stand this spiciness, don't force yourself. You can try the clear soup pot next to it. It's made with old geese and tastes just as delicious!"

After hearing what Zhang Jingwei said, Mu Tou turned his head doubtfully and looked at Jiuer who was eating with gusto on the other side. He asked curiously: "Hmm...hiss...Jiuer, don't you think it's spicy?" Jiuer kept putting food into her mouth and answered vaguely: "Spicy! Of course it's spicy! But this kind of spiciness is so satisfying!" Hearing Jiuer say this, Zhang Jingwei suddenly narrowed his eyes and smiled. The smile seemed to know everything and was unpredictable. After a while, he asked softly: "Jiuer, I heard that your ancestral home is in southern Xinjiang?" However, faced with this question, Jiuer just replied lightly: "No comment!" and continued to immerse herself in enjoying the food. Looking at Jiuer's reaction, Zhang Jingwei's smile became even deeper, as if he already had the answer to her life experience in his heart.

……

At the same time, far away in the deep forests of Wuzhou, a scholar in a long green jacket, carrying a bag of things wrapped in oil paper, quickly walked into a hidden thatched hut.

There was a Zen master sitting in the room, writing quickly at his desk.

The scholar in blue clothes stood respectfully aside and said to the Zen master in front of him, "Teacher, look, this is the famous hot pot material from Yunzhou! It is said that you can use it by simply pouring it directly into the pot after boiling the water." After that, he handed the bag of hot pot material to the Zen master with both hands.

The Zen master nodded slightly to show that he understood, and then he said slowly, "Okay, go and cook it. Call me when you are done."

After receiving the order, the scholar in green clothes quickly turned around and got to work. Before long, a rich aroma filled the air, and the hot pot with the red oil base was ready. The scholar in green clothes deftly poured all kinds of fresh vegetables and meats into the steaming pot.

After a while, the blue-robed scholar ran up to the Zen master and shouted excitedly, "Teacher, the food is ready, you can eat now!"

The Zen master softly replied, "Hmm," and then walked to the table and sat down. He first reached out his bamboo chopsticks, carefully picked up a piece of jade-white tofu, and slowly chewed it. At this moment, a subtle raise of his eyebrows was inadvertently revealed, but it was still keenly detected by the blue-robed scholar who had been watching his teacher's every move. Then, the Zen master picked up a piece of fat and lean meat and put it into his mouth to savor it carefully.

Seeing this scene, the scholar in green couldn't help but laugh and said, "Oh my, it's been a long time since I saw you eating meat. I think this hot pot with unique flavor is very much in line with your taste!" As he said, he couldn't help but eat it with relish.

The master and his disciple were sitting around the table when suddenly the scholar in green stood up, his face flushed red, snot and saliva streaming down his face. "Water! Water! Hiss..."

The Zen master narrowed his eyes slightly, looked at the food in front of him with a smile on his face, and asked softly, "Do you think this dish is spicy?"

The scholar in green clothes responded hurriedly: "Aren't you spicy? It's spicy enough for me!" As he said that, he stuck out his tongue and fanned himself with his hands, trying to relieve the burning sensation in his mouth.

The Zen master laughed and said nonchalantly: "It's spicy, but it's this spiciness that makes people feel so warm! I'm going to eat more tonight." No matter how delicious it was, he still chewed it elegantly, with an intoxicated expression on his face.

Seeing this, the scholar in green couldn't help but gasp again, then nodded quickly and said, "Then eat more! But be careful not to get irritated!" After that, he carefully took another small bite, but was still irritated by the strong spicy taste and frowned.