Sichuan Hot Pot, Good at Drinking and Eloquent (Bonus Chapter)

Chapter 47: Sichuan Hot Pot, Drinking and Conversing (Bonus Chapter)

As evening approached, a special wooden table in the living room was set with a bronze hot pot right in the center. Boiling water rolled within the pot, where countless spices and seasonings drifted about. Unfortunately, lacking chili peppers, they had to substitute them with other pungent plants.

On another nearby table, washed and sliced ingredients were laid out in abundance. Pork, beef, mutton, tripe, sliced kidney, and other offal were thinly sliced and arranged in separate plates, accompanied by a rich variety of vegetables.

Around the hot pot table were also many unfamiliar dishes that even Wan Niang could not entirely identify.

Just as they were about to begin, a hearty voice rang out: "National Master, with such a rare delicacy, you didn't even summon Us. Truly stingy."

"Greetings, Your Majesty!" Everyone hurriedly bowed.

"Rise!"

"Your Majesty, you flatter your subject too much. These are merely ordinary victuals, quite incomparable to the delicacies of the imperial kitchens."

"It seems We arrived at just the right time. Everyone knows the National Master's culinary skills are peerless; it has been quite some long while since We last tasted food personally prepared by the National Master." Without a shred of ceremony, Ying Zheng plopped down onto a chair.

"You may all withdraw!" Yang Zimo dismissed the attending servants of the estate. The Emperor's food, naturally, had to be handled by his own personal attendants.

"The National Master is truly blessed, with a virtuous wife and such well-behaved, sensible children," Ying Zheng praised, looking at Yang Zimo's wife and daughter seated at the same table.

Originally, Wan Niang and the children were not qualified to dine at the same table as Ying Zheng. Yang Zimo had intended to set up a separate table, but Ying Zheng had insisted it was a family banquet and that he had come uninvited, so such formalities were unnecessary.

"Your Majesty is too kind!" A look of pride flashed across Yang Zimo's face.

"Your Majesty might not know this, but a hot pot is only lively when eaten with a crowd. Eating it alone takes away half the fun!" Yang Zimo began to introduce the concept of the hot pot.

"National Master, what is the purpose of dividing the pot in the middle?" Ying Zheng noticed the bronze hot pot was split into two halves, one side filled with white broth and the other with red broth.

"Your Majesty, this white broth has a mild flavor, suitable for women, children, and the elderly. The red broth is numbingly spicy, offering a completely different culinary experience. By dividing the pot in two, mirroring Yin and Yang, I call it the Mandarin Duck Pot." Yang Zimo prepared a dipping sauce dish for Ying Zheng and explained carefully.

"Ah! One Yin and one Yang, the harmony of Yin and Yang, just like this realm—only with both firmness and gentleness can it be properly governed. How does one partake in this, National Master?" Ying Zheng picked up his chopsticks, ready to partake, only to realize there was nothing in the pot except for the raw meat arranged on the table.

"Your Majesty, eating hot pot is different from ordinary meals. Whatever Your Majesty wishes to eat, simply pick up a portion with your chopsticks, place it into the corresponding broth, and swish it around. Generally speaking, vegetables take just a few breaths, while meats require a little longer. Once cooked, dip it in the sauce and put it straight into your mouth to eat—like this!" Yang Zimo picked up a slice of mutton, swished it in the red broth for ten breaths, placed it in his dish to coat it with sauce, and immediately popped it into his mouth, wearing an expression of pure bliss.

Ying Zheng immediately imitated Yang Zimo's technique and swished a slice of beef himself. He placed it in his mouth, chewed a few times, and likewise revealed an expression of utmost enjoyment.

As Ying Zheng mastered the art of eating hot pot, the table instantly became lively. Paired with a few cups of fine wine, the sensation was truly beyond description.

"This creation is splendid. My appetite has never been particularly good in the past, but today I unexpectedly consumed so much. Had my stomach not been lacking in space, I would have gladly eaten more." Looking at the greatly diminished ingredients on the table, Ying Zheng sighed in admiration.

"This food easily causes internal heat. Since Your Majesty is not accustomed to eating hot pot regularly, it is best to consume it in moderation. Later, Your Majesty can send some imperial chefs over, and I will instruct them in its preparation."

"In that case, I must trouble the National Master."

"I wonder if the National Master has any sound suggestions for the future of Great Qin?" Having eaten and drunk their fill, the two men shifted their conversation to affairs of state.

Hearing them discuss important matters, Wan Niang promptly took the children and left the living room. Shang Ying also led his guards to maintain a perimeter three zhang away, securing the surroundings.

"Regarding Great Qin, this subject does have a few shallow views." Yang Zimo took a sip of fine wine and prepared to speak.

"Your Majesty, look at this square table. It is like the land beneath our feet, and this hot pot is like Great Qin. These surrounding side dishes are like the tribal nations scattered around Great Qin," Yang Zimo said, pointing to a fish in the dish.

"The Xiongnu of the past were like the fish in this dish—their flesh plump and tender, of superior quality. When the fish is in the water, it is slippery and impossible to catch. But once a person sets down bait and the fish takes the hook, it becomes a delicacy upon the plate. Whether Great Qin desires clear broth or spicy broth depends entirely on which side this fish meat is placed."

"Next, consider the Donghu, Linhu, and other tribes—they are like this dish of twice-cooked pork. The pork comes from the pig, and it is raised by Great Qin itself. Whether it grows well depends entirely on how well the master feeds it. Fat or lean, it is ultimately just a dish on the dining table. There is no escaping it; even if it turns into a wild boar, it must still be dragged back, slaughtered, and eaten."

"Look then at the lands of Baiyue, which are like this Mapo Tofu. Everyone knows its fragrance, but its numbing and spicy kick is not something everyone can endure. If Great Qin wishes to eat this Mapo Tofu, it must wait for it to cool down slightly. Otherwise, eating it too fast will burn the mouth."

"The Yuezhi and the various Western Regions states are like this Kung Pao Chicken: troublesome to eat, allowing only a small morsel to be picked up at a time, with more seasoning than meat. Great Qin must exercise patience and simply pick out the chicken cubes one by one to consume them."

"As for Parthia, Rome, and the Maurya Empire, they are like the boiled cabbage in clear broth on this table. To someone unskilled in cooking, cabbage is nothing special. But in the hands of a master, this same cabbage can become the aristocrat of vegetables. Although making boiled cabbage is troublesome and tests a chef's skill, with genuine care and ample time, the resulting creation becomes an extraordinary delicacy.

And our Great Qin is this hot pot. Once these ingredients are on the table and dropped into the pot, whether they become the spicy red flavor or the mild white flavor is entirely decided by Great Qin.

Leaving aside whether we can finish eating it all, even if we decide not to eat the hot pot anymore, whatever food remains in the pot is simply poured out along with it." Yang Zimo introduced the dishes to Ying Zheng one by one, comparing them to the surrounding nations. This filled Ying Zheng with a sense of novelty.

"The National Master's meaning, I understand. What Great Qin must do now is to find a way to get these dishes onto the dining table, is that it?" Ying Zheng looked at Yang Zimo with a smile.

"Precisely, Your Majesty. Once the dishes are on the table, we can eat them however we please."

"In your view, which dish should we eat first?" Ying Zheng suddenly asked.

"Let us eat the tofu first; it is not only tender and delicious, but also easy to digest!" Yang Zimo chuckled.

"Splendid!"

The sovereign and his subject exchanged a smile, simultaneously raising their chopsticks and reaching for the tender, silky tofu in the dish. As for the numbing spice of the tofu, both men chose to ignore it. If this plate of tofu lacked the accompaniment of spice, how could it possibly do justice to Great Qin's fine teeth and vigorous stomach!