"Even outside of the master, the majority of people in Chang'an are illiterate. What you're saying..."
“I don’t care about others; he has to learn from me. He calls me master, but I’ve never treated him as a servant. I’m teaching him to read, and whether he’s willing now or not, he’ll thank me in the future.”
As Lu Xuan spoke, he stirred the braised pork simmering in the pot. Pork wasn't popular in this era. Because of its strong, unpleasant smell and poor taste, only the lower classes ate it, and even then, not in large quantities. In Chang'an, mutton was the best-selling meat. As for beef, it was 'forbidden' to eat.
This pot of braised pork has been simmering for two hours. The meat is tender and juicy, and a rich aroma fills the entire courtyard. The servants in the yard are so tempted that they keep glancing into the house.
"What delicious food do you think the host has prepared this time?"
"How would I know? The dishes the host makes are all made with secret recipes that you can't find anywhere else on the market."
"That's true, but the master is too strict with himself. Last time, he took one bite of the stewed ribs and gave it all to us. I took it back for my youngest son. He almost ate the bones. Even so, the master still complained that it was unpalatable and couldn't bring himself to eat it."
"That's right, and there was that braised pork knuckle last time. It was such a big piece of pork knuckle, and the host just took a sniff and gave it all to us. I was so full that night."
"Yes, even the host can't bring himself to eat such delicious food. I really don't know what he considers delicious."
"Putting everything else aside, this stew seems a little different. The aroma is different from the ones I've had before."
"Yes, yes, I wonder if the host will give us more to eat this time."
Inside the room, Lu Xuan turned up the heat, reducing the sauce of the braised pork until it thickened. Then he made a bowl of it, picked up his chopsticks, and added a piece to eat.
After forcing himself to swallow, Lu Xuan put down his chopsticks with a regretful expression.
"It still doesn't work," Lu Xuan said with a regretful expression.
He had indeed collected most of the seasonings available in the era to remove the pork's gamey smell. However, that smell seemed to have become one with the meat itself. No matter how he prepared it, the odor was always there. This completely killed Lu Xuan's interest in this delicious braised pork.
He casually called over a servant and handed him the bowl of braised pork.
"Take these and eat them."
"Thank you, master." The servant happily carried the braised pork away. Lu Xuan's plan to improve his life had once again failed.
Yes, this wasn't the first time he'd failed. Ever since settling down in Chang'an, he had dedicated himself to improving his living environment.
First, there were clothes, something he didn't know anything about. But still, relying on his experience, he managed to make a few pairs of shorts... to make his little brother a bit more comfortable.
Then there's the matter of diet.
In his past life, he was also a gourmet. He often wandered the streets and alleys, searching for hidden culinary gems. Mainly because he was short of money and couldn't afford high-end restaurants. Besides, the streets and alleys actually concealed all sorts of unique and delicious foods. Because of this hobby, he also learned some cooking skills and tried to recreate some of the dishes he had eaten at home. Although most of the time it ended in failure, just one success would make him happy for a long time.
However, when he arrived in the Tang Dynasty, he discovered that there were far too many things he needed to change if he wanted to recreate the delicacies of his previous life.
First of all, in the Tang Dynasty, there wasn't even a suitable wok for him. Most iron pots were thick iron pots used for stewing. He had to find a blacksmith himself and experiment little by little until he finally forged a suitable pot.
Then there were spices. The names of the spices at that time were completely different from those in later markets. He tried them one by one, and in the end, he could only barely gather about 60% of the required amount. The rest probably hadn't appeared yet.
Next came the ingredients. The main ingredient in this era was mutton. However, Lu Xuan actually preferred pork. However, domesticated pigs in this era hadn't yet undergone castration. This was the source of the pork's strong, unpleasant smell.
Because pigs that have not been castrated secrete excessive amounts of sex hormones, which seep into their flesh, the pork has a strong, unpleasant odor.
Lu Xuan actually understood the root of the problem: castration. But the crucial issue was that he didn't know how to castrate pigs... Who the hell would learn this skill just to eat pork? Sometimes he really wanted to ask those transmigrated predecessors: Why do you even know such an obscure skill? Were you all prepared to transmigrate long ago?
After thinking for a long time, Lu Xuan finally gave in.
"Old man, do you know where there are pig farms around Chang'an?"
"What's wrong, boss? Haven't you had enough pork yet?"
Lu Xuan: "......"
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Chapter Thirty-Four: Lesser-Known Crafts
The Imperial City, the Eastern Palace.
The prince held a white piece in his hand, hesitating to make a move. On the other hand, Changyuan looked calm and composed, as if victory was already in his grasp.
After a long while, the crown prince sighed and dejectedly put down the chess piece.
"Hey, Changyuan, your chess skills have improved again. I can't keep up with you anymore."
"His Highness the Crown Prince is too cautious in his strategy, which has caused him to miss several opportunities to turn the tide of the game."
"Yes, that's just my personality. That's why I need you, Changyuan. Now, all the civil and military officials in the court follow the lead of the Right Chancellor, and my father is wary of me. I can only proceed with extreme caution. One wrong step could lead to utter ruin."
“Your Highness is right. In court, Your Highness is indeed at a disadvantage. Therefore, Your Highness needs to consider other aspects.”
"It's easier said than done. As the Crown Prince, I'm under the watchful eyes of countless people. If I dare to contact any court official in private, dozens of memorials will be on Father Emperor's desk the next day. Sigh... By the way, how's your observation of that County Magistrate Lu that we talked about last time?"
When the Crown Prince said this, his expression was actually somewhat dejected. He was a dignified Crown Prince, yet when recruiting his own people, he could only choose a barbarian from the Western Regions, a mere eighth-rank county magistrate of Wannian County...
Changyuan didn't speak, but clapped his hands. A group of servants took their seats one by one and served more than a dozen novel dishes.
"Your Highness, please try these dishes first," Changyuan said, pointing to the dishes on the table.
"Oh, is this another new dish created by that County Magistrate Lu?"
"That's right."
The prince took a bite of each one with great interest.
"Hehe, this person is indeed unique in the culinary arts. Although not all of these dishes suit my taste, they are all quite remarkable. Some are even delicious. Even the imperial chefs in the palace have never made these dishes. I really don't know how he came up with them. However, these alone are far from enough. Just tell me what's wrong. I know you must have discovered something different."
"We did find some differences. For example, all of these dishes were recipes that County Magistrate Lu had discarded."