Su Ren agreed to be the envoy, and the rest was a matter of procedure. Liu Ci and Su Ren both wrote memorials and sent them to Chang'an together. The next half month was spent waiting for news from Chang'an. In the past, officials could only
To be an official, one must either be an official in the imperial court or an official in a vassal state. Su Ren wants to do both together this time, which can be regarded as a precedent.
In order to thank Su Ren, Liu Ci specially held a banquet. In fact, Su Ren didn't like this kind of banquet. Not only was he not full but it was also a waste of time, but he was the protagonist today and he had to come. Just after noon, the car sent by the King of Hengshan
They arrived at Cuixiang Tower. For such a formal occasion, Su Ren specially wore a black robe and a crown that symbolized the Marquis of Guannei. This was the first time for Su Ren to wear such a crown, which felt particularly special when placed on his head.
uncomfortable.
Standing outside the door, you can hear the sound of music and dancing in the palace. King Hengshan liked the Book of Songs, so every time he came here, he heard all kinds of strange and weird tunes. Huang Zhongda Lu is not everyone who can appreciate it, and Su Ren is one of them.
one.
The one who welcomed the guests was Xi Ci. Since he was to be an official of the Hengshan Kingdom, he could not be greeted by the King of Hengshan, as that would mess up the etiquette. According to the discussion between Wei Qing and the King of Hengshan, Su Ren's official was also a visitor, and he could be regarded as a visitor to Wei Qing.
Qingping level. However, the visitor Su Ren is different. Not only does he have a court background, but he was asked to do so by the King of Hengshan. Therefore, the status of the visitor Su Ren is only slightly lower than that of the Prime Minister Xi Ci.
It’s beef boiled in plain water again. It tastes tasteless and tastes irritating. Human beings have eaten raw meat since the beginning of their birth. Later, when they learned about fire, they ate barbecue, and then they invented the kettle and began to cook meat. Boil
One of the advantages of meat is that it can draw out the blood inside the meat and cook the meat from the inside out, which is simpler than the technical work of barbecue.
However, the cook's skill in cooking meat was so poor that he didn't even add any seasonings or salt. It's strange that a big pot, a bucket of water, a large piece of meat, and a fire could make something delicious.
The meat is not good, and the wine is not good. The so-called fine wine also has a sour taste and tastes bitter in the mouth. Some people say that the invention of winemaking was actually due to a mistake in making vinegar. Su Ren had seen winemaking
Vinegar. When I was in my hometown in my previous life, my grandmother would make vinegar every autumn. It was sour, pure and fragrant. But Su Ren had never seen wine making, but thinking about it, it should be the same. It seems that that statement is correct.
He waved to the slave behind him, who hurried over. Su Ren ordered: "Go get some salt and anhydrous (the Han people call vinegar anhydrous), and some other condiments."
The only servants who can serve important guests here are servants with a wink. He nodded without asking why and hurriedly went to help Su Ren get something. Liu Xiao sat closest to Su Ren and didn't understand Su Ren's behavior. He glanced at it and sneered.
, he wanted to see what Su Ren was up to.
The servant was also quick in his work, and soon came in with a plate, which contained some scattered things. The variety was not diverse and the number was not complete. To Su Ren's surprise, he actually brought an empty small bowl. Su Ren turned his head
He glanced at the servant and nodded slightly.
Although they are all seasonings, they look very different from those of later generations. Su Ren can only taste them one by one and mix them little by little. Put the salt first, then the vinegar, forget about the braised sauce, and some spices, Sichuan peppercorns,
You can add a little fennel and the like, and dogwood is a good choice because of its spiciness. Su Ren was very focused on cooking, turning a blind eye to the singing and dancing in front of him. He put a plate of condiments into his bowl little by little, and soon half of it was done.
bowl.
Liu Xiao felt strange. He had never seen anyone do this in his whole life. If you find the banquet boring, just leave. Why do you need to do such a thing? He coughed lightly: "Mr. Su, what are you doing..."
Su Ren didn't even raise his head: "Make a seasoning bowl. This boiled meat is really inedible."
"Condiment bowl? What's it for?"
Su Ren put the last bit of seasoning in and handed the tray to the slave behind him. He picked up a knife and cut off a piece of beef in front of him, dipped it in a bowl, and then stuffed it into his mouth: "Is this how you use it?"
Although there are too few types of seasonings and the taste is not very pure, they are strong in that they are natural. All the seasonings here have no pesticide residues, no messy pollution, and they are organic. With this seasoning bowl, you can cook meat in plain water.
The taste immediately changed.
Seeing Liu Xiao looking at him, Su Ren handed a piece of meat dipped in seasoning to Liu Xiao. Liu Xiao frowned and took it, studied it carefully for a long time, and found nothing different except a faint sour smell. Slowly
I put it in my mouth and after just one taste, my eyes lit up. It is indeed more delicious than boiled meat, at least it is acceptable to the taste.
Su Ren smiled at Liu Xiao and leaned comfortably on the cushion, eating meat while watching boring songs and dances. Liu Xiao quickly turned around and asked the slave behind him to get the seasoning. He believed that since Su Ren had done it, he
It certainly can.
All this was seen by Liu Ci. He remained silent and wanted to see Liu Xiao's final result. Following Su Ren's example, Liu Xiao put the seasonings together based on his own observations and the feeling of eating them in his mouth.
Put it together. Looking at a bowl of dark water, Liu Xiao tore off a piece of meat, dipped it in eagerly and stuffed it into his mouth. His whole face turned green, and he really wanted to spit it out, but he couldn't do that in this situation.
To do it, I had to hold my breath and swallow the unpalatable piece of meat like I was constipated.
Liu Ci sighed and shook his head slightly. In order to cover up his son's embarrassment, he picked up the wine glass and said, "Zi Heng is on my mission to Huainan for this time. I am very grateful. If you can persuade Brother Wang to go to Chang'an with me, I will
The king has great rewards."
Su Ren hurriedly sat down and picked up the wine glass: "I will do my best. As long as the imperial court orders it, I will rush to Huainan Kingdom immediately."
Xi Ci smiled and said: "Mr. Su is so dedicated, your Majesty can rest assured!"
The three of them had a drink together, and the song and dance also ended at this time. Without the unpleasant music and boring dance, Su Ren felt a lot more relaxed. A few gray-haired guys opposite were still talking about the beauty of the music and dance just now.
Several of the dancers who flattered the palace were indeed unique, and each had their own demeanor. Liu Ci smiled when he heard this.
“What do Ziheng think of music and dance?”
"I don't understand or understand it!" Su Ren looked confused: "I am a merchant, so I can't understand this thing."
"Hahaha, Zi Heng is so humble!" Liu Ci smiled and picked up the wine glass again: "Here, have another drink!"
Everyone hurriedly picked up their wine glasses. This time the host and guest were Su Ren, so the conversation naturally turned to Su Ren. Instead of talking about Huainan, they talked about Su Ren's current situation of settling Yue people. Liu Ci reluctantly ceded the land of Jianghuai to
Although he didn't say anything, he felt a little uncomfortable. A few days ago, Xi Ci made an analysis and said that the land of Jianghuai would become a treasure in the hands of Su Ren. Liu Ci naturally agreed. He wanted to know about Su Ren.
How will it be run?
Xi Ci knew Liu Ci very well, took a look at Liu Ci's expression, and asked Su Rendao: "It is said that Mr. Su built a city in Jianghuai. I wonder if the city he built can be named?"
"When we get up, let's call it Jiangsu. What does the Prime Minister think?"
"Jiangsu? The land of Jianghuai has revived. What a good name. It seems that Mr. Su is going to show off his talents in Jiangsu."
Su Ren smiled: "It doesn't count to show off one's talents, as long as the Yue people who move back don't make trouble! The Yue people are rough and difficult to treat. If they don't move inward, they will become a serious problem for my man sooner or later. I hope they can do well in Jianghuai
Live your life! In fact, I have another idea. Jianghuai is also considered the hinterland of the Han Dynasty. There are our Han Dynasty cities on the front, back, left and right. If the Yue people make any changes, it will be easier to deal with them."
"I admire Mr. Su's foresight and foresight!"
"Thank you for your help, Your Majesty. If Your Majesty hadn't wanted to do this, it would have been difficult to accommodate so many Yue people."
Liu Ci smiled bitterly twice: "It's your job to share the worries of the imperial court."
Liu Xiao drank a lot of wine to make what he just ate not so disgusting: "I heard that Mr. Su has built many houses and shops in Jiangsu City. Will you allow me to buy them?"
"It's natural. As long as the second young master has money, he can buy as much as he wants, but we have to discuss the price carefully."
Xi Ci smiled and said: "It seems that Mr. Su is prepared to sell it at a good price? Aren't you afraid that someone will buy your Jiangsu city?"
"Is the Prime Minister interested? It is very expensive. Not counting the money to build the city, I have invested tens of millions of dollars in the buildings and facilities in the city. If I want to sell it, it will have to be at least ten times higher."
"Ten times!" Liu Ci was surprised.
Su Ren nodded: "Jiangsu City is close to the river, and can be transported by water or land. For this city, the official roads around the city have also been renovated. I am also planning to build a bridge over the river. Once this bridge is connected, no matter what
It is very convenient to transport goods from the south to the north or from the north to the south. I believe that within a few years, Jiangsu City will become the main road between the north and the south, and ten times the profit is still relatively small."
Su Ren's words, or arrogance, shocked everyone. Among other things, building a bridge over the river has exceeded everyone's expectations. No one has ever had such a crazy idea from ancient times to the present, regardless of whether it is possible or not.
If you dare to do this, it is enough to prove that Su Ren is a madman.
Liu Ci nodded: "If you put it this way, ten times is indeed not much. If everything Ziheng said comes true, the future of Jiangsu City will be limitless, and I am afraid that even Lu'an will be out of reach."
"My goal is to build Jiangsu City into the second largest city in the Han Dynasty after Chang'an!"
Su Ren's heroic words made the atmosphere of the banquet depressing. Those who can sit here today are all important ministers of Hengshan Kingdom. Who can not worry about a tiger like Su Ren lying next to Hengshan Kingdom? Su Ren dares to think and do anything
, leading 10,000 county soldiers, he dared to attack the old nest of Minyue and won. If Su Ren had other motives, wouldn't Hengshan Kingdom be in great danger?
The banquet was still going on, but no one had the intention to continue drinking. Seeing that it was getting late, Liu Ci left with worries, and was helped down, and the banquet ended just like that. Wei Qing was designated to see Su Ren off, and as soon as he climbed up
When the carriage was in the carriage, Wei Qing said: "Sir, why do you say this? Are you not afraid that the King of Hengshan will restrict Jianghuai?"
Su Ren smiled: "If you don't tell him, he will be constrained, but if you tell him, he may not dare to do it." After saying that, Su Ren closed his eyes to rest, and no matter how Wei Qing asked, he remained silent. (To be continued)