xymnovel Chapter 12: The famous Ming Dynasty dish - Braised Chicken in a Clay Pot, Zhu Yuanzhang's defen
Chapter 12: The famous Ming Dynasty dish - Braised Chicken in a Clay Pot, Zhu Yuanzhang's defen
After finishing lunch, Xu Miaoyun sat down and rubbed her stomach, a satisfied smile on her face.
Liu Yan rested her chin on her hand and reached for a tissue to wipe away the remaining soup from the corner of Xu Miaoyun's mouth.
Xu Miaoyun blushed with embarrassment after realizing what had happened.
Liu Yan smiled knowingly. There are not many sweet words in this world, and a girl's blush is better than a long speech.
Zhu Di took a deep breath, his jaw clenching so hard it made a cracking sound.
"Ji Gang!"
"Your subordinate is here!"
"Go and investigate for me, see if there's any way to allow someone to travel to the future!"
"I'm going to meet this brat named Liu Yan!"
Ji Gang: ......
Zhu Gaochi: ......
Your Majesty, we really can't find this information.
......
The sunlight streaming through the window seemed to coat Xu Miaoyun with a radiant glow.
Xu Miaoyun spoke as if reminiscing.
"I wish our Great Ming Dynasty had such delicious food."
Upon hearing this, Ye Yang put down his teacup and then smiled mysteriously.
"Actually, your Ming Dynasty also has a famous dish that has been renowned throughout history."
Upon hearing this, Xu Miaoyun's eyes lit up instantly.
"Really?"
Liu Yan nodded and spoke in a serious tone.
"Of course, my husband, when have I ever lied to you? This dish is called braised chicken in a clay pot."
Upon hearing this, an eerie silence fell over both the sky and the surrounding area.
Xu Miaoyun blinked, her face full of anticipation.
"Clay pot braised chicken? That sounds delicious! Is the chicken braised in a clay pot? Like beggar's chicken?"
Liu Yan picked up her teacup, took a slow sip, and a meaningful smile appeared on her lips.
"The principle is similar: put a person... put a chicken in a copper vat, and then put a fire underneath to roast it."
"While it was roasting, the chicken thrashed and struggled in the vat, its claws scratching against the walls with a clanging sound."
"When it's cooked to perfection, lift the lid of the vat and wow! It's crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and smells amazing."
Xu Miaoyun listened intently, nodding repeatedly.
"Wow, that sounds amazing! Which imperial chef invented this dish?"
Liu Yan put down her teacup, her smile deepening.
"It wasn't invented by the imperial chefs. The one who invented this dish was the emperor of your Great Ming Dynasty."
"emperor?!"
Xu Miaoyun's eyes widened.
"To be precise, it was Emperor Xuanzong of Ming, Zhu Zhanji."
Liu Yan said slowly and deliberately.
"And the ingredient he used to make this dish was his second uncle, Zhu Gaoxu, the Prince of Han."
In the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, in front of the Fengtian Hall.
Zhu Yuanzhang had just picked up his teacup to take a sip when he heard these words. His hand trembled, and the teacup crashed to the ground, shattering completely.
"What?!"
"His lofty vision brings blessings, and his generous support ensures his constant well-being."
This is a five-character generational poem personally composed by Zhu Yuanzhang for Zhu Di's lineage. It is used sequentially starting from the grandchildren, with the second character differing depending on the branch.
Following this naming logic, Zhu Gaoxu was Zhu Yuanzhang's grandson, and Zhu Zhanji was Zhu Yuanzhang's great-grandson.
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up, his eyes wide like copper bells, and his expression was extremely interesting.
It was a complex emotion that combined anger, shock, and disbelief. Zhu Yuanzhang even wondered if he had misheard.
At this moment, the officials in the Hongwu court were also in an uproar.
Xu Da's mouth was so wide open it could fit an egg.
"The emperor strangled his own uncle?"
Liu Bowen's muscles twitched.
"Should we use a bronze vat instead?"
The hall erupted in chaos, with discussions rising and falling. Everyone was stunned by the truth behind the "chicken stewed in a clay pot."
Zhu Yuanzhang's face was ashen, and the veins on his temples throbbed.
At this moment, Liu Yan was completely unaware that his words had directly ignited the Hongwu and Yongle dynasties, while he was still earnestly explaining things to Xu Miaoyun.
"Emperor Yongle (Zhu Di), who was also your ex-boyfriend, died during his northern expedition in the twenty-second year of Yongle's reign."
"Crown Prince Zhu Gaochi ascended the throne in succession, becoming Emperor Renzong of Ming."
"Emperor Renzong was a good man, but unfortunately his health was not good, and he died after only ten months on the throne."
Xu Miaoyun covered her mouth in surprise.
"Ten months? That means he hasn't even warmed the throne yet!"
Liu Yan helplessly shrugged.
"That's right, the throne was later passed to his son Zhu Zhanji, who is known in history as Emperor Xuanzong of Ming."
"Zhu Zhanji was only twenty-seven years old when he ascended the throne. He was young, vigorous, and ambitious."
"But he had a problem: his second uncle, Zhu Gaoxu, who had made great military achievements. Zhu Gaoxu always felt that he was more suitable to be emperor than his elder brother, Zhu Gaochi. After Zhu Gaochi died, he felt that it should be his turn, not his nephew's."
"Therefore, in August of the first year of the Xuande reign, Zhu Gaoxu raised an army in Le'an Prefecture to rebel, imitating his father's 'Jingnan Campaign' and attempting to 'purge the court of corrupt officials'."
Xu Miaoyun frowned.
Did he succeed?
Liu Yan shook her head.
"If he had succeeded, Zhu Di would not have been the only prince in history to have successfully rebelled."
"The newly enthroned Zhu Zhanji personally led the army to Le'an Prefecture."
"Zhu Gaoxu never expected the emperor to come in person, which terrified the morale of the city's garrison."
In September, Zhu Gaochi surrendered the city, was stripped of his title and reduced to commoner status, and placed under house arrest inside the Xi'an Gate.
"and then?"
Xu Miaoyun pressed for details, her eyes filled with curiosity.
"And then..."
Liu Yan picked up his teacup and took another sip, his tone becoming nonchalant, according to historical records.
"One day, Zhu Zhanji visited Zhu Gaoxu, who was under house arrest. What they talked about is not recorded in the historical records. In the fourth year of the Xuande reign, Zhu Zhanji visited his second uncle, who was under house arrest."
"But Zhu Gaoxu was probably still resentful. As Zhu Zhanji walked by, he suddenly tripped him, causing the emperor to fall to the ground."
Xu Miaoyun gasped.
"Emperor Xuanzong of Ming was furious and ordered a large bronze vat weighing 300 catties to be brought in and Zhu Gaochi to be trapped under it."
"You think that's all?"
"No, Zhu Gaoxu was strong enough to lift the bronze vat."
Zhu Zhanji was even angrier and ordered people to pile up charcoal around the bronze vat and set it on fire.
Liu Yan paused here, looked at Xu Miaoyun's wide-eyed eyes, and said, word by word:
"The bronze vat was burning red-hot, and Zhu Gaoxu was roasted alive inside."
"This is the origin of 'Clay Pot Braised Chicken'."
In the fifth year of the Hongwu reign, in front of the Fengtian Hall.
The air in the hall seemed to freeze.
Everyone stood frozen in place, like statues.
Zhu Yuanzhang's expression could no longer be described as "iron-faced"; it was the calm before the storm, the muffled sound from beneath the ground before a volcanic eruption.
"To roast one's own uncle to death in a copper vat?"
Zhu Yuanzhang's voice was terrifyingly low, as if it were squeezed out of his chest.
"What a wonderful braised chicken in a clay pot! What a wonderful braised chicken in a clay pot!"
Zhu Yuanzhang valued family ties the most in his life. Unexpectedly, after his death, his uncle first seized the throne from his nephew, and then his nephew turned his uncle into a stewed chicken in a clay pot!
At this moment, Zhu Yuanzhang completely broke down! His eyes searched left and right among the crowd.
Sensing a hint of murderous intent, Prince Yan, Zhu Di, shrank his neck and tried to hide in the crowd, but he was still spotted by the old Zhu at a glance!
Zhu Yuanzhang ripped off the jade belt from his waist and said sternly.
"Guards! Bring Emperor Yongle here! We want to ask him how he educated his descendants!"