xymnovel Chapter 65 Snow and barbecue go perfectly together!
Chapter 65 Snow and barbecue go perfectly together!
Wang Lun jumped off his horse and rushed forward, wanting to embrace Zhao Yupan, but suddenly remembered that this was a feudal era, and such an action might displease her.
He forcefully withdrew his hand and said with a smile, "Jade Plate, what brings you here?"
Zhao Yupan smiled brightly: "If you don't go to Tokyo to see me, can't I come to see you?"
She looked Wang Lun up and down. Compared to before, Wang Lun had become more handsome and energetic in the past six months. He was no longer the pale-faced scholar he used to be.
"What a mess you've made! You dared to lead a rebellion!"
Zhao Yupan looked neither angry nor angry, his eyes fixed on Wu Song and Lu Zhishen behind Wang Lun, and said, "These two are obviously heroes, no wonder you have the courage to rebel."
Wang Lun smiled and introduced Wu Song and Lu Zhishen to Zhao Yupan. He then ordered Zhao Si to light the stove and placed the prepared items beside it.
Zhao Si, Wu Song, Lu Zhishen, and Qin He tactfully stepped aside and went to a willow tree not far away.
Zhao Si was very clever; he prepared two stoves, and the four of them lit a fire under the willow tree to keep warm.
Wang Lun and Zhao Yu sat cross-legged by the stove, and Wang Lun took out an iron plate and placed it on the stove.
"What is this?" Zhao Yupan asked curiously.
"Please wait a moment, this is the barbecue I've prepared for you, a simplified smokeless barbecue."
Wang Lun placed the iron plate on the stove, first warming a pot of wine on the other side of the stove. Then, he used chopsticks to pick up some prepared slices of meat from the iron plate, which immediately made a sizzling sound, and the aroma filled the air.
Zhao Yupan was both surprised and delighted: "Oh my, it smells so good! I didn't know you could roast it like this."
Barbecues were already quite popular in the Song Dynasty, especially during the spring outing season. Literati and poets would prepare charcoal and food, find a place in the wild to cook, drink wine, compose poems, and talk about love, enjoying themselves immensely.
During the Northern Song Dynasty, charcoal fire was commonly used for grilling. Food was skewered on iron or wooden sticks and placed over charcoal to slowly roast, being turned over frequently to ensure even heating.
It tastes great when grilled this way, but when oil drips onto the charcoal fire, it produces a lot of smoke, often making people's clothes smell bad.
Wang Lun had previously commissioned Tang Long to create some special iron pans for grilling, which would avoid the problem of excessive oil fumes when grilling meat.
There is a small hole on the left side of the iron pan. When there is too much oil on the iron pan, it will flow down through this hole and be caught with a tool below, so as to prevent the meat on the baking pan from turning into deep-frying.
The meat slices on the baking tray were all cut very thinly, and the chef marinated them according to the method taught by Wang Lun.
The roasted pork belly slices were golden brown on both sides in no time, so Wang Lun picked them up with chopsticks and placed them on the plate in front of Zhao Yupan.
The wine jugs, plates, and chopsticks used here were all from the residence of the Prefect of Jizhou, made of the finest silver and exquisitely crafted. After the Liangshan heroes conquered Jizhou, Zhao Si brought these utensils for Wang Lun to use.
But Wang Lun wasn't used to these things. He usually ate meat and drank wine with Wu Song and other leaders. Only when he heard that Zhao Yupan had arrived did he quickly take out his treasured silverware.
Zhao Yupan ate a piece of roasted meat and immediately praised it highly: "It's delicious, much better than what the cook in my household makes."
Now that she is Princess Jiade, she already has her own residence.
Wang Lun took out a piece of tender lettuce, carefully wrapped another slice of pork belly in it, and handed it to Zhao Yupan, saying, "Roasted meat with lettuce is the perfect combination."
Zhao Yupan asked curiously, "This dish... can be wrapped around meat?"
With Wang Lun's encouraging gaze, she took a bite, her eyes immediately lighting up. She wrapped the pork belly in lettuce, which reduced the greasiness of the meat and added the fresh aroma of the lettuce, making it taste even better.
Lettuce already existed in the Song Dynasty, and the Song aristocracy valued health and wellness; apart from those who practiced martial arts, most nobles preferred vegetarian food. Lettuce was a common vegetable on the Song Dynasty table, used in soups or as a side dish.
The book "Shan Jia Qing Gong" records some dishes made with lettuce and other ingredients, which shows the universality of lettuce in daily diet.
Wang Lun touched the silver pot with his hand; it was already warm. He then poured two cups of wine, and the aroma of the wine immediately filled the air.
He had long wanted to brew his own wine, but he never had the time to do so. However, after drinking the "Three Bowls and You Can't Cross the Ridge" wine from Jingyang Ridge, he and Wu Song naturally liked the wine very much, and the other leaders gradually got used to drinking it as well.
Wang Lun then ordered a large quantity of wine from the tavern to be purchased, and even warmly invited the shopkeeper to join Liangshan, but was refused. Wang Lun did not force him, but simply sent people to buy wine regularly.
The two clinked their glasses together, both delighted, and drank their wine in one gulp.
"What have you been doing all this time? You've given up being a proper bandit and dared to rebel."
Regarding Wang Lun's capture of Jizhou, Zhao Yupan did not question him from the moral high ground of the imperial court. Instead, he was happy for Wang Lun and thought he had done something great.
She loved martial arts from a young age, and as the eldest daughter of the royal family, with her mother being the Empress, a paragon of virtue, she became a favored child of heaven, and no one could control her.
She usually enjoys dressing as a man, practicing martial arts and archery, and roaming the world. After meeting Wang Lun, she and Wang Lun caused a great disturbance in Jizhou, killing a local tyrant and winning the cheers of the entire city.
She seemed to have found the meaning of life.
So this is what killing the tyrant was all about, and this is why the people supported it so much.
After hearing about Lin Chong's deeds from Wang Lun, she immediately wanted to kill Gao Yanei in Tokyo after returning home. However, she failed several times and was instead reported to the Emperor by Gao Qiu.
This resulted in her being grounded for two months.
She was the one who asked Wang Lun what he had done first, but then she started chattering on about what she had done in Tokyo.
Wang Lun listened attentively and didn't forget to add wine and meat to her plate.
Zhao Yupan's silvery voice echoed through the pavilion, sometimes laughing, sometimes feigning anger, as she chatted very congenially with Wang Lun.
Especially after hearing about Wang Lun's deeds of rescuing Wu Dalang in Yanggu County, punishing Ximen Qing, and becoming sworn brothers with Wu Song, she was even more invigorated and wished she could accompany Wang Lun to another county to do the same thing again.
After chatting for a long time, Zhao Yupan sighed and got down to business: "You attacked Jizhou, and Cai Jing, Gao Qiu, and Tong Guan are very angry. They sent Zhang Shuye and Huyan Zhuo to punish you."
"Huyan Zhuo is highly skilled in martial arts... But judging from what you've said, you also have many fierce generals under your command. Zhang Shuye once served as an envoy to the Liao Kingdom. He was unparalleled in wisdom and courage, and even the Liao Kingdom wanted to recruit him."
"They brought 10,000 troops. I overheard them discussing dividing their forces into three routes: Huyan Zhuo would launch a frontal attack, Han Tao would lead troops to attack Yuncheng, and Peng Qi would lead troops to make a flanking maneuver from the south, preparing to attack Liangshanbo."
Without the slightest hesitation, Zhao Yupan revealed Zhang Shuye and Huyan Zhuo's plan.
She had drunk a few glasses of wine, and with the warmth of the fireplace, her cheeks were flushed, making her look even more beautiful.
Hearing her speak, Wang Lun mustered his courage and reached out to grasp Zhao Yupan's soft hand.
Zhao Yupan paused, trying to break free, but Wang Lun still held her. She was somewhat flustered and continued, "You...you must be careful...they...are not easy to deal with."
As she finished speaking, she also grasped Wang Lun's hand in return.
The pavilion fell silent, and the two gradually drew closer. Finally, Zhao Yupan leaned on Wang Lun's shoulder, admiring the snow falling outside and the picturesque landscape.