roccoschili Chapter 76 The food at the Qin Prince's residence was a bit "ahead of its time".
Chapter 76 The food at the Qin Prince's residence was a bit "ahead of its time".
Inside the carriage, thick, intricately patterned Western Region velvet carpets were laid out; precious agarwood was burning, its scent completely different from the solemn and dignified incense in the palace, carrying a decadent and luxurious atmosphere.
"Yan'er, let me tell you, we've suffered so much today, we're in the same boat, we must make it up to you!"
Yang Jun plopped down, wincing in pain as the movement aggravated his wound, but this did not dampen his enthusiasm for discussing food.
"Uncle, let me show you what the food of nobles should eat is like! The new chef at my manor makes an absolutely amazing dish called 'Golden Minced Meat and Jade Slices'! It uses live fish imported from Jiangnan, sliced as thin as cicada wings, and topped with golden orange peel strips—it melts in your mouth!"
"And there's braised bear paw, simmered in fine wine for a full six hours until it's tender and falls off the bone! Rich but not greasy!"
"We're not like Father Emperor, who was practically abusive! He grew up suffering, and he thinks the whole world should share his hardships! That's unreasonable!"
Looking at his uncle, the prince, who, despite being flogged, was still preoccupied with food and drink and spouted nonsense, Yang Yan's smile grew even more genuine.
He suddenly realized that although he wasn't going to Lingnan as the governor and didn't hold any official position, it wasn't entirely a bad thing.
At least, having such a lively companion along the way shouldn't be too boring.
……
The extravagance of the Prince of Qin's mansion exceeded Yang Yan's imagination.
If the magnificence of the imperial palace is built upon a foundation of dignity and order, then the Qin Prince's Mansion is an unrestrained and overwhelming display of luxury.
The mansion does not have those cold, hard bluestone paths; instead, it is paved with smooth, warm jade.
The pillars of the corridor are wrapped in gilded silk, and glass wind chimes hang under the eaves, making a crisp sound in the wind.
The servants, dressed in uniform soft silk clothes, moved silently, their faces bearing just the right smiles—neither obsequious nor aloof.
This hardly resembles the residence of a prince who has just been reprimanded by the emperor and is now in seclusion to reflect on his mistakes.
This is clearly a complete money pit.
Yang Yan was secretly astonished and finally understood why Yang Jian was so angry.
This style is completely contrary to Yang Jian's governing philosophy of "every piece of clothing and every meal should remind us of the difficulty of obtaining them," and is a blatant provocation.
Yang Jian himself ate salted vegetables in the palace, while his son slept on warm jade in his mansion.
How could he not get beaten up?
The banquet was held in a warm pavilion in the back garden of the Prince's Mansion.
The surrounding area was filled with exotic flowers and plants, and even precious trees transplanted from the south. The temperature was maintained by earthen ceilings and charcoal fires.
Yang Jun was probably really hungry, so he didn't care about etiquette and pulled Yang Yan to sit down.
The dishes were served one after another.
The first dish was "Golden Minced Meat and Jade Slices," which Yang Jun had boasted about in the car.
In the center of a huge ice platter, crystal-clear fish slices, cut as thin as cicada wings, are piled up into an exquisite little mountain.
The fish meat had a pale pinkish-white hue, and under the illumination of the surrounding glass lamps, it shimmered with a warm glow.
On top of the fish slices, a layer of fine, hair-like golden orange peel is sprinkled, just as the ancient saying goes: "golden minced meat and jade slices," with a golden color like gold and a white fish like jade, like a masterpiece of art.
Holding ivory chopsticks, Yang Jun pointed impatiently at the plate of fish, "Don't underestimate this simple dish of sashimi; it's incredibly elaborate!"
Raw fish slices? And then plated with ice?
Yang Yan paused for a moment, then started eating. After all, historical records show that people in the Sui and Tang dynasties had a habit of eating raw fish slices. He was just worried about parasites in the fish, but nothing else.
He picked up a piece of fish as instructed. The fish trembled slightly on the tip of his chopsticks, as if it would break if he applied too much force.
I dipped it in the special sauce on the side—it was made of minced garlic, ginger, and plum sauce—and put it in my mouth.
The moment it touched his tongue, it was cool and smooth, followed by the unique sweetness of the sea fish, mixed with the slightly bitter yet refreshing aroma of orange peel, and the sour and spicy sauce. It could only be described as having a rich flavor. It was probably the most flavorful dish he had ever eaten in the Sui Dynasty.
"How about it? Not bad, right?" Yang Jun boasted proudly. "This fish was just brought from the East Sea, transported all the way to the capital by fast horse with ice! By the way, Yan'er, have you ever been to the East Sea? Have you ever seen that boundless ocean?"
Yang Yan paused slightly in his mouth movements.
Direct shipment from the East China Sea? Fresh throughout the entire journey?
In the Kaihuang era, when transportation was underdeveloped, the logistics costs were astronomical. Moreover, this almost obsessive pursuit of "umami," coupled with the exquisitely refined aesthetics of plating...
Yang Yan put down his chopsticks and looked intently at his third uncle, who was enjoying his meal.
In that instant, an absurd thought flashed through his mind: Could it be that this Prince Qin is also a... time traveler?
But this thought lasted for less than a second before Yang Yan rejected it in his mind.
He looked at Yang Jun's carefree expression, with sauce still on his lips, and shook his head inwardly.
What time traveler would end up like this?
If one were a time traveler familiar with the course of history, they should have stopped before embarking on such a massive construction project. Even if it was just to save their own lives, they should have put on a frugal and thrifty act in front of Yang Jian, instead of acting like a foolish deer who gets punished for trying to give their emperor father a good meal.
The person in front of me is nothing more than a spoiled, arrogant, and pleasure-seeking... feudal remnant.
Yang Jun, completely oblivious to his nephew's inner turmoil, assumed Yang Yan was stunned by the spectacle and became even more smug, waving his chopsticks and urging, "You've never seen the ocean before, but you don't need to be so stunned, do you?"
"The ocean... I've seen it in books, magnificent and vast, but I've never seen it with my own eyes," Yang Yan replied calmly, concealing the curiosity in his eyes.
"Eat quickly! This is very nutritious! If you wait too long, the ice will melt, and the fish will taste terrible! You've suffered a lot with your father; he's much stricter with him than with us brothers, so he probably hasn't had much good food..."
Next came a series of dishes, including steamed bear paws that were so tender they practically fell off the bone, roast suckling pig with its golden-brown and crispy skin, and "crab-stuffed orange" that exuded a rich aroma of wine and crab flavor. These were top-tier dishes that had only been seen in classic texts like "Qimin Yaoshu" or the menus of previous dynasties' imperial courts.
Each dish is exquisitely luxurious, with rare ingredients and intricate preparation, leaving one speechless.
As Yang Yan ate, he sighed inwardly.
This is the taste of power.
Just moments ago, he was in the Liangyi Hall, putting on an act for the emperor over a few salted radishes and millet rice; now, he was enjoying a life of luxury and debauchery in the Qin Prince's mansion. This immense sense of disorientation gave him a feeling of being in another world.
However, just when Yang Yan thought he had used up his limit on surprises for the day and his nerves had become numb to luxury.
A seemingly unremarkable dish was gently placed in the center of the table by a maid.
It was a minimalist white jade plate, with no fancy decorations, just a plate of emerald green vegetables.
The vegetables were very common, just cabbage (Chinese cabbage) which is common in Guanzhong during this season.
But the problem lies in its condition.
The cabbage was a vibrant, bright green, as if it still carried the morning dew from the fields, and had not turned yellow or black due to the heat.
Each leaf of vegetable was evenly coated with a layer of glossy, transparent oil, shimmering with an alluring luster under the candlelight.