Secrets of Yuqing Palace

Wanyu stood up and looked at the three people respectfully holding up the stone slabs in their hands for her to choose.

She carefully examined each slab of stone.

The first stone slab was good in every way, but Wanyu thought it looked a bit like rock, probably found near the rockery.

The texture of the rock is not resistant to high temperatures and easily cracks after heating, so stone slabs made of this material are not even within Wanyu's consideration range.

Let’s look at the next piece.

Wow, I can tell at a glance which path it was pried off from.

The surface has been manually polished and is very smooth, but still a little thick.

Moreover, the heavy texture and uneven heat dissipation of the stone slab make it obvious that it is not suitable for barbecue.

That’s right, Wanyu plans to bring a stone slab and ingredients the day after tomorrow and have a delicious stone slab barbecue with Sister Amur on Xiangshan Mountain.

The temperature in Beijing has started to drop in October, and she still wants to have a hot meal.

Wanyu chose the last piece. Although the surface of the stone slab has a natural grainy feel, its texture is uniform. It can continuously release heat after heating, and the material is heat-resistant.

She could tell at a glance that this was the same stone material as the one by the river.

She still remembered the time in her previous life when she went camping and fishing by the river with her classmates and friends.

This is the kind of stone slab we found by the river.

After washing, you can grill meat and fish directly on the stone slab. The grilled food is very delicious.

She looked at the nervous servant in front of her, "Where did you find this?"

The servant replied nervously, "To answer...to answer the princess, this servant found it by the pond near the Chaoxia Courtyard."

Wanyu turned around and looked at Xia He, "Xia He, leave this stone tablet and reward him with one month's salary."

"Yes, Grid."

The servant knelt down excitedly and kowtowed, thanking loudly, "Thank you... Thank you for the reward, Princess."

"I thank you for the reward!"

The other two were very disappointed.

After the housekeeper took the three people away, Wanyu gave instructions to Xia He.

"Xia He, take the servant with you and bring this stone slab to the kitchen."

"Have the kitchen staff clean the slabs and scald them with hot water."

"Then set up the stone slab, put charcoal or firewood underneath, and roast the stone slab well."

"After the slate is heated, brush it with oil twice and bake it again."

"If there are no cracks on the slate, ask the kitchen staff to cut some lamb and pork slices and marinate them in advance."

"Then the slices of meat are laid out on a slab of stone to make a roast, which is added to the evening meal."

"Oh, and grill some vegetables, like lotus root, lettuce, leeks, etc."

"Ask the kitchen staff to bake an extra portion so you can try what barbecued meat on a stone slab tastes like."

Xia He bowed and said with a smile, "Yes, thank you for the reward."

After Wanyu finished explaining everything, she took Xia Lu to the main courtyard with peace of mind.

"Mother, my daughter is here."

A smile flashed in Fucha's eyes, and then she put down the account book in her hand.

"Come in quickly."

"What are you busy with today?"

"I heard you looking for slate and making pasta in the front yard."

Wanyu took Fucha's arm and said, "It's still a secret now. I'll tell you at dinner."

Fucha smiled and shook her head.

"Oh, mother, sister Amur sent me a letter today, inviting me to visit Xiangshan the day after tomorrow to see the maple leaves."

"Yes, mother knows about this. But she only asked you out?"

"There is also my second sister, but she said she is preparing for the Golden Festival recently."

"She might enter the palace by then, so she won't have time to accompany us to Xiangshan the day after tomorrow."

Fucha asked, "Do you want your third brother to take a leave of absence the day after tomorrow and go with you?"

"Otherwise, mother is still a little worried about you two girls."

Wanyu shook her head. "No need. Third brother, studying is more important. Just ask Amado to arrange a few guards for me."

"And Prince Wen's Mansion will definitely prepare guards for Sister Amur."

"Well, when the time comes, don't leave your guard maid by your side."

"My daughter knows, don't worry, mother."

Wanyu chatted with Fucha for a while, and the fourth child, Shi Mujin, who was studying with the teacher in the front yard, came back from get out of class.

"Mother, Third Sister, I'm back."

Wanyu poured him a cup of hot tea and asked with concern, "How was your study today? Did you understand everything the teacher said?"

"Don't worry, Third Sister. The teacher explained it very well. There's nothing you can't understand."

Fucha also said: "That's good. If you encounter something you don't understand, wait for your third brother to come back and ask him for advice."

The mother and her two children were talking to each other sweetly, and before they knew it, it was You hour.

Both Shi Wenzhuo, who was on duty, and Shi Liha, who was studying at the Imperial College, returned one after another.

At dinner, compared to the usual dishes, there was an extra grilled meat and a mixed vegetable dish.

Fucha was puzzled, "I didn't ask the kitchen to prepare barbecue."

She turned around and looked at Nanny Zhaojia who was waiting on the side, but she shook her head.

Wanyu smiled mysteriously and said, "Mother, I asked the kitchen staff to prepare this."

"Didn't you ask me what I was doing this afternoon?"

She nodded at the two dishes, then winked at her parents and brothers.

"Here, these are the two dishes on the table."

The father and his two sons had no idea what the mother and daughter were talking about, and they all looked at Fu Cha.

Fu Cha helplessly explained, "Today, a servant from the mansion came to report that our Third Lady had mobilized the maids and servants in the mansion to look for the stone slab."

"If she's satisfied, I'll give her a month's salary as a reward."

Wanyu chuckled.

"Didn't Sister Amur invite her daughter to go to Xiangshan to see the maple leaves the day after tomorrow?"

"I'm used to having three meals a day, and I can't stand just eating snacks and candied fruits."

"So I thought I could bring some food with me and have the maids and servants cook for me when I got to Xiangshan."

"I thought of the stone barbecue, and I'm just going to give it a try today."

"If it tastes good, I can ask Mammy to bring some slate and fresh ingredients the day after tomorrow."

Fu Cha said dotingly, "You, really, no matter what you suffer, it's not your little mouth that suffers."

Shi Wenzhuo was immediately surprised and said, "Is this the new food that Yu'er has researched? Then my father must try it."

After saying that, the little maid behind him put a few pieces of stone-grilled meat and some grilled vegetables on the small plate in front of him.

"Mmm, rich, tender, juicy, and not greasy at all."

"It's nothing like the meat we grill when we hunt outside. It's not only woody, but also has a smoky smell."

After listening to her father's comments, Shi Liha immediately asked the maid who served the dishes to give her some to try.

Shi Wenzhuo continued, "It's my first time eating roasted lotus root, and it's really good."

Wanyu tasted it herself and nodded with satisfaction.

Although it is much worse than that of later generations, the later generations had more seasonings, which are really incomparable to today.

However, it does allow Xia Lu to learn more about the foreign merchants coming to the capital when she visits the shops outside, and to see if they have any new and exotic spices.

After tasting the two dishes baked on the stone slab, several others also praised them highly.

The Shi family does not have the rule of not talking while eating or sleeping at the dinner table. Instead, they like to chat while eating to enhance their relationship.

In fact, this was also initiated by Wanyu. Since she was a child, she always kept talking while eating at the dinner table.

And when she speaks, she must get a response from her family, otherwise she will continue talking to you.

Over time, everyone developed this habit.

Shi Mujin looked at Wanyu with sparkling eyes.

"Third sister, I haven't seen Sister Amur for a long time."

"Shall I go to Xiangshan with you the day after tomorrow?"

"I can't make the decision on this matter. You have to ask my father and mother for their opinions."