Facing Zhen Mi's little face full of hope, Liu Xiang didn't want to tell her about Zhen Yi's condition, nor did he want to say that there was nothing he could do. He couldn't bear to say anything.
Zhen Yi has been ill for more than half a year. Although she did not invite Hua Tuo or Zhang Zhongjing, she has invited more than a dozen famous local doctors in the past few years. She treats her carefully every day, which can be regarded as extending her life for several years. Now her condition has worsened and there is no medicine.
Doctors say that time is running out.
He held on for a breath just because he wanted to see Zhen Jiang pregnant.
The Zhen family is also following his wishes and organizing weddings for their children of appropriate age. He does not want to delay his children's marriage because of himself.
According to etiquette, when a parent dies, the children must observe mourning for at least twenty-eight months, and most people choose to observe mourning for three years.
According to the moral standards of the Han Dynasty, Zhen Yi was a good father.
What could he use to pass off as dragon meat? Liu Xiang murmured in his mind. He was trying to trick the child with his talk, and originally planned to use donkey meat to fool him, but he wanted to stop the little girl from crying first.
Now, I have to think of a gimmick dish.
The first thought that came to mind was Taishi Five Dragon Soup. Then I thought about it. This is a Cantonese dish. Its original name is Taishi Five Snake Soup. It uses five kinds of venomous snakes as the main dish. Don’t say you don’t know the production process of this thing. Even if you do,
There was no way, he couldn't find all the venomous snakes that live in the south.
After thinking carefully, he remembered a dish he had heard of in later generations, also called Wulong soup, which was said to be stewed with the bones of flying dragons, the meat of earth dragons, the blood of Zilongs, the skins of Oolongs, and the seeds of golden dragons.
Make a bowl of soup, it is as delicious as dragon meat.
The preparation method is simple, and the ingredients are all delicious and nutritious things that can be found. No matter whether they are real or made-up, it is enough to be able to make it and it is full of gimmicks.
That’s it!
As for whether it tastes like dragon meat?
Who has ever eaten a real dragon?
Liu Xiang said yes, then it must be yes.
Feilong is flower-tailed hazel chicken, which is donated every year by King Weuchudae of Buyeo. It is an excellent ingredient. You only need to add a little salt to make the soup, and the taste is extremely delicious. With this base, the taste is indisputable.
Tulong refers to eel. The eel meat is tender and delicious, and has no fishy smell. It is also a good food.
Because eels grow in fresh water and go to the deep sea to lay eggs, fishermen thought that this thing appeared out of nowhere. In addition, it has no scales and looks nothing like a fish. Instead, it looks like a legendary dragon, so it is called
Made an earth dragon.
It probably means a creature that emerges from the earth and looks like a dragon.
Zilong refers to eel. Monopterus eel was regarded by the ancients as a close relative of the dragon, so it is also known as little dragon, dragon cub, and Zilong. It tastes good and can nourish the body. It is an excellent food.
Wulong refers to sea cucumber, which was a delicacy of the palace in the Han Dynasty. There are records about this in "Linhai Soil and Foreign Objects".
According to legend, it was the alchemists from the East China Sea who presented the elixir to Qin Shihuang.
The golden dragon refers to the carp. The legend of the carp leaping over the dragon gate has been around since ancient times. The large golden-red carp was regarded as the golden dragon by the ancients.
Golden dragons are not uncommon. The fins and lips of the Yellow River carp are red, and the scales are golden. It is a specialty of the Yellow River Basin. The legend of the carp leaping over the dragon's gate is also spread because of the appearance of this fish.
Liu Xiang calculated in his mind that there is hazel pheasant in the house. King Fuyu only paid tribute this year. Sea cucumbers can be bought at the beach when the weather gets warmer. Monopterus eels are not common in Jizhou, but they are also available. There are no eels, so you have to buy them from
It was transported from the southern part of Lelang County.
There are ice-free ports in Lelang County and the south of Jizhou. Taking advantage of the low temperature, food is not easy to spoil. In winter, a group of maritime merchants saw business opportunities and began to switch to selling seafood and fish. In previous years, maritime merchants in Youzhou
In Maodong, this year there was another amount of income.
I sent my attendants to tell me, "Just wait." The spawning period of carp is March of the solar calendar, and you have to wait until the second month of the lunar calendar to catch the ones with seeds in their bellies.
Thinking of this, Liu Xiang tricked little Zhen Mi and said, "It takes time to prepare. I have to wait until the second day of February when the dragon raises its head before I can cook for you."
Zhen Mi counted on her fingers and was extremely disappointed. She pursed her lips and begged: "There are still more than two months! Can't we do it now?"
Liu Xiang wiped the tears on her face with a handkerchief, and coaxed her in a serious manner: "No, we must take the bones of the flying dragon, the flesh of the earth dragon, the blood of the dragon, the skin of the black dragon, and the blood of the golden dragon on that day.
The seeds must be mixed into a soup."
What he said seemed to be true. Zhen Mi was frightened, her big watery eyes blinked, and she listened very seriously.
Finally, the little girl stopped crying. Liu Xiang rubbed her temples because her head was buzzing and hurting just now.
"Just wait patiently. As long as you don't eat ice in winter, I will make you this Five Dragon Soup."
"You promise!"
"I never lie."
Zhen Mi jumped off the soft couch and ran out, but Zhen Jiang carried her back and lectured her: "What are you doing in a hurry?"
Zhen Mi jumped up and down and replied: "I'm going to tell my father that his illness will be cured soon!"
Zhen Jiang was a little distracted. She was not as easy to deceive as a child, but rationally she felt that she couldn't believe it, but she looked at Liu Xiang with eyes full of anxiety and hope.
How could Liu Xiang answer? He could only smile and said, "Let's go over and see your father."
Zhen Jiang lowered his head and sighed in disappointment. He looked at the excited Zhen Mi but said nothing.
The three of them put on their cotton robes and came to Zhen's Mansion.
Zhen Yi has lost a lot of weight, her cheekbones are protruding, her skin is sagging, and her face is sallow. She struggled to get up to pay her respects, but Liu Xiang quickly raised her hand to stop him: "Mr. Zhen, please lie down and rest. There is no need to be polite."
Zhen Yi smiled weakly, still persisted in half-sitting up, and bowed her hands in greeting: "I have met my lord."
Zhen Mi happily rushed to the bedside, chattering about making Wulong soup, and vowed: "When father eats it, his illness will be cured, so be patient and wait."
Zhen Yi touched the little girl's hair kindly and replied with a smile: "Okay, I'll wait for you. You go out to play with your mother and sister."
I have something to say to Liu Xiang.
Mrs. Zhao took her two daughters out of the room, and Zhen Yi sighed:
"When my lord trapped me and my family in Lu County, I thought that it would be difficult to accomplish anything if the right time did not come. But my lord insisted that man can conquer nature and forged ahead step by step. I saw it in my eyes and was shocked in my heart. Now, the foundation has been completed and the time has come.
The time has come, but I have to pass away, and it will be difficult for me to see my lord take off. Alas, it’s so sad that the year will never end!”
Liu Xiang didn't know how to persuade him. He was extremely ill and it was difficult to cure him with medicine and stone. People cannot escape from birth, old age, illness and death.
He had no choice but to coax: "On the second day of February, when the dragon raises its head, I will make you a bowl of Five Dragon Soup. You have to wait until that day and you will get better."
Zhen Yi smiled happily: "Okay, I will wait until that day."
He took a breath, relaxed his breath, and continued: "The wisest decision I made in this life was to marry my daughter to the lord. I hope Jiang Er can have children for the lord."
He was breathing a little fast and seemed to have no strength, but he still advised: "My lord, heirs are a major matter related to the foundation. This is the foundation of the country. My lord has not cared about it in the past. This is not good. It is better to take the concubine as soon as possible."
Give birth to a son who will inherit the ancestral hall, so that all the subordinates can feel at ease."
Liu Xiang held Zhen Yi's hand and said with emotion: "I have written down what Mr. Zhen said. I will also take care of Mr. Zhen's family. You just need to rest in peace and recuperate, and don't waste any more energy."
"Thank you... Lord." Zhen Yi was so weak that she couldn't speak clearly.
Seeing that he was so tired, Liu Xiang helped him lie down and stood up to say goodbye: "Mr. Zhen, rest in peace and recuperate. I will see you again later."
Zhen Yi's condition was so weak that she could not survive for less than half a month. After all, she passed away at the end of November without waiting for the Wulong Geng that Zhen Mi had longed for.
Liu Xiang's idea of using a placebo to make amends came to nothing.
I could only bear the pain and give the order, with the courtesy of a marquis, that the funeral should be held on the fifth day and buried in the fifth month. I would personally wear sackcloth and mourn, and keep vigil at night.
The five-day funeral refers to a ritual that was gradually formed after the coffin was buried for five days without covering the coffin and waiting for the person to be resurrected. In ancient times, medicine was underdeveloped and there was a fear of misjudgment.
Burial in May is the time for the tomb to be repaired. During this period, the coffin will be set up to cool down the coffin with ice. After the tomb is repaired, the coffin will be supported for burial.
With him keeping vigil, many people came to pay their respects, and Zhen Yi's mourning was extremely prosperous.
Mrs. Zhen is extremely grateful.
But Liu Xiang's behavior was mainly for other people to see. After Zhen Yi died, his two sons were too young to control the situation. The Zhen family is the largest grain merchant under his command, with competitors outside and inside.
There were various stewards and shopkeepers, but two teenage children could be eaten alive by them.
There can be no trouble.
Therefore, he stood guard in front of Zhen Yi's soul, guarding the stability of food under his rule.
Before the grain in Changping's warehouse could be used, he had to rely on the Zhen family's shops to stabilize the price of private grain.
Xun Yu arrived in Jizhou at this time, and the two met for the first time in Zhen Yi's mourning hall.