When Li Yu arrived at Prince Qing's Mansion, Timothy Richard and Pu Lande had already arrived.
Yikuang was very happy and energetic when he saw it today. After all, he felt that his Western learning during this period was not in vain, and he was finally proud of the Queen Mother.
Although what he has learned is only superficial knowledge, people don't think so: I am already a prince, so it would be a great honor to put in some effort to learn, okay?
What kind of bike do you want? Is it possible for me to go back to the drawing board and remake it?
After Li Yu arrived, they exchanged greetings with each other, and Yi Kuang sat at the dinner table with the three of them. Yikuang clapped his hands, and a maid immediately brought over a plate of melon seeds.
Li Yu was a little surprised. He thought it was at least a Manchu banquet. If not, it would be fine to have some pastries first. Why don't they just serve melon seeds? Maybe they should be invited to watch a play first.
However, Yi Kuang was very proud and pointed at the melon seeds and introduced to the three of them: "These are not ordinary melon seeds. The name is Bingxin melon seeds. They are a snack that even the Queen Mother and Lafayette praised."
"dessert?"
Timothy Li picked up a melon seed and was about to eat it, but Yi Kuang reached out to stop him. Then he picked up a few melon seeds, put them directly into his mouth, and chewed them whole.
"Your Majesty, melon seed shells are too hard and are very bad for the intestines and stomach!" Puland said quickly.
Yikuang laughed loudly: "That's why it's unusual. The shells of these melon seeds can also be eaten. Please give it a try."
Li Yu and the others each picked up a few and put them in their mouths. Sure enough, they broke into pieces as soon as they chewed them. The melon seed shells were actually made of flour! Moreover, the melon seeds inside are fresh and refreshing, and have a strong mint aroma.
Mrs. Timothy was shocked: "Your Majesty, how did you do this?"
Yi Kuan said: "The melon seeds need to be peeled one by one first, and the larger ones are soaked in freshly squeezed peppermint oil overnight and left to dry. Then use five thin sheets of different colors to press out the melon seed skin and wrap it Melon seed kernels are kneaded into the shape of melon seeds one by one, and then roasted."
When it comes to eating, drinking and enjoying things, Yi Kuang is really sensible.
Li Yu was shocked. This plate of hundreds of melon seeds would probably require at least four or five people to make it all day and night.
Timothy Richard and Purland applauded: "It's so ingenious and wonderful."
Just like modern people like to eat popcorn when watching movies, Cixi liked to eat some melon seeds when watching a movie. But eating melon seeds is such an "elegant" and extremely troublesome thing. How could Lafayette do it? Besides, if he eats a bitter melon seed, the cooks in the imperial kitchen will probably be punished.
So I don’t know who came up with this magical idea and made melon seeds that can also be eaten in their shells, named Bingxin melon seeds. Cixi liked it very much and often kept a small plate at hand when watching a play.
You can not only enjoy the fun of eating melon seeds, but also save the trouble of eating melon seeds.
Elegant and timeless!
Yikuang is also an old theater fan, and he is not short of money, so he hired a few people to make melon seeds for him.
Yikuang was also very proud. In terms of "enjoyment" alone, even the British princes and princes were nothing more than rich men in the countryside in his eyes.
The Manchu and Qing dignitaries at that time developed the art of serving people to the highest level. Everyone should have seen He Shen's luxurious life on TV. Sometimes he doesn't even need to use chopsticks to eat, and even after he poops, a maid will wipe his butt with a hot towel.
When Li Yu was a child, he once thought that he was unable to take care of himself.
So, in Yi Kuang's eyes, when it comes to enjoyment, what can the British aristocrats enjoy! Not to mention enjoying it, there are some things they can think of!
Li Yu sighed lightly, not knowing what to say.
This is just an appetizer before the meal. The subsequent bird's nest and eight immortal soups, roasted suckling pig, mushrooms and sea cucumbers, and steamed sea bass are all carefully made. Even the most ordinary cabbage only uses the innermost part of each cabbage. Made.
After a table full of dishes, we went directly to the Beijing Junior Suite.
However, for Yikuang, the most greedy Prince Qing in the Qing Dynasty, he would come here once or twice a week, which was really a small dish for him.
Li Yu had the most expensive meal in his life. Fortunately, he was trained in the modern catering industry and had seen the market.
Timothy Richard and Purland were truly shocked. Where have they ever tasted this in the UK?
Not to mention them, even the British in the 21st century have an incredibly simple diet. It’s hard to imagine that a country that was the first to give birth to modern civilization has developed for hundreds of years, but its food culture is just “Fish and chips”!
There is no shortage of tomatoes or eggs, so why can’t we make scrambled eggs with tomatoes? !
Li Yu couldn't figure it out anyway.
Not only in the UK, when he was an exchange student in Germany, he found that the Germans also had a very simple diet, always eating hamburgers and hams. His German classmates explained it to him: because they didn’t want to waste energy on eating.
Although there is some truth in it, Li Yu still thinks it's too ridiculous. People are like iron rice and steel, okay?
After three rounds of wine and five delicious dishes, at night, the telescope brought by Purland on Li Yu's stand allowed Yikuang to see the rings of Saturn, and the imaging effect was even better than Cixi's.
Prince Qing was so happy that his beard was blowing, and he even gave another one to Li Yu.
The telescope is indeed a good thing, and Li Yu even had some bold ideas, and his huge knowledge base of astronomy could finally be put to use.
The next day, the Empress Dowager Cixi received the reward, awarded Li Yu 200 taels of silver, and ordered him to teach Si Gege how to use a telescope.
The most convenient thing for the Queen Mother to access now is the four-grid grid. If she learns it, it will prevent Cixi's telescope from being idle again, and she can relieve her boredom at night.
After all, what Lafayette wants most now is to enjoy life! If you have no children, you can only look for fun elsewhere.
The young prince Zai Zhen also knew about this. It was not easy to get a reward from the Queen Mother. He found Li Yu in Tongwen Hall.
"Teacher Li, are you free today?"
Now that he is being asked to teach directly, Li Yu can't shirk the blame: "It's rare to be invited by Mr. Bei, so of course I'm free."
"That's great, let's go have a drink together."
"drink wine?"
"Yes, by the way, I would like to ask you some advice about foreigners. The imperial court has issued a notice asking me to prepare to go to England."
"I see, let's have a drink together!"
Li Yu also wanted to see what the bar looked like more than 100 years ago.
The palace must have its own special car - a carriage. And it’s the best model with wheels at the rear and doors opening on both sides. It’s definitely a BMW!
In the late Qing Dynasty, if you could have such a carriage at home, the cost and maintenance expenditure would probably be more than just a BMW, at least it would be a Rolls-Royce level. The cost of hiring a carriage driver alone is hundreds of taels of silver per year, because being a carriage driver at this time is also an absolutely advanced technical job.
The carriage pulled the two of them to a foreign bar in Dongjiaomin Lane. After getting off the car, Li Yu was shocked when he saw the name of the bar. He even wondered if he had returned to the 21st century, because the name of the bar was: Watsons!
I'll be a good boy! That’s right!
