Although Xiao Yan couldn't come to see her during this period, he often asked people to send things over. Even Gu Helian often thought of ways to send some food and drink to her and her aunt, as if they were afraid that they would suffer in the palace. Feeling wronged.
Seeing Zhou Yuchang's surprised expression, Tang Ning explained to her with a smile in his eyes.
"Brother should have gotten this from the Gu family. Someone from the Gu family got some vegetables grown out of season. They are not found anywhere else in the capital." She asked Yue Jian, "How did these things come in? Are there any in other palaces?"
Yue Jian replied: "Don't worry, lady, this dish is brought in from the imperial kitchen. In addition to Shi Lanti going to Mrs. Wenxinhou's place, it is also available in Shoukang Palace and other places."
It's just that there are only a few in the Queen Mother and others' rooms, and there are more in the East Side Hall and the South Side Hall where Madam Wenxinhou and Rong Yue are talking.
Tang Ning felt relieved.
In winter, shabu-shabu pots are the warmest. The hot silver charcoal is placed in the stove. The copper pot is placed on it and the soup inside starts to boil within a moment.
The extremely thinly sliced mutton is rolled in the soup and you can eat it. When dipped in the sauce prepared in the imperial kitchen, there is no smell at all.
"tasty!"
Qian Qiyue's eyes lit up, and her face was filled with the surprise of eating delicious food. Even Zhou Yuchang, who had always been well-behaved, used the chopsticks in her hands a little faster. The meat slices floating in the pot were scooped up in just a moment. Yue Jian was next to her and put down some meat. Got some in.
"This mutton tastes really fresh and tender. It doesn't even have the slightest bit of odor. It's not like the mutton we usually eat." Qian Qiyue said.
Yue Jian stood aside and said: "This sheep is a unique treasure sheep in Zuozhou. I heard that it eats the freshest forage transported from the north and drinks mountain spring water from Lingya in Zuozhou. And because it is small, It’s a sheep season, and we only sell young sheep within a year, so there won’t be any bad smell when you eat it.”
Zhou Yuchang's eyes widened: "So this is the treasure sheep?"
She was a little surprised and said: "This sheep came out in Xijue Tower before. A small plate of meat is only about ten thin slices and costs more than ten taels. I heard that this sheep is also very rare in Zuozhou because it is not easy to raise. A tender sheep can be sold at a sky-high price, and many powerful people in Beijing can't even buy it even though they are queuing up?"
Qian Qiyue tilted her chopsticks: "A dozen taels?? That's it?!"
She looked at the mutton that she had just stuffed into her mouth, and her liver hurt suddenly. Then she had eaten a lot of money.
Tang Ning laughed out loud when he heard this: "This sheep is indeed good, but it is not that rare. It's just that rare things are valuable."
This treasure sheep is actually a cross between the grass-eating sheep from Beiling and a kind of Tan sheep from Southern Qi. Because of its tender meat and warm and sweet taste, it is extremely popular in Zuozhou and Yanzhong. Gu Helian probably saw one of them. If there is a business opportunity, people will be ordered to publicize the preciousness of this mutton.
They are fed pure grass in the north and fed with spring water from Lingya Mountain. The food is very nourishing and extends their lifespan.
And because Gu Helian released the news that raising this sheep was difficult, the fodder was precious, and the output of the sheep was not much in a year, he ordered someone to restrict the sales of this sheep. The lamb, which originally only cost a few taels of silver per head, was suddenly sold at a sky-high price.
Things were fine over there in Zuozhou and Yanzhong, with only about ten or twenty-two sheep at most. But when you went south to the territory of Southern Qi and north to the capital of the Wei Dynasty, the price of the sheep increased a hundred times, and a lamb could even be It can be sold for hundreds of taels of silver and is extremely hard to find.
There are many dignitaries in this capital, and people from aristocratic families love to compare themselves. Ordinary people would not even dare to look at such expensive things, but for those who are rich, it is the object of comparison, and everyone wants it. Prove that your family is better off than others.
Tang Ning had met people from Gu's Trading Company before and heard with her own ears how the manager of Gu Helian Sect provoked those big households and induced them to spend money. She also saw with her own eyes that the price of this sheep had been rising day by day since the beginning of winter.
Tang Ning picked up a chopstick of mutton and put it into Qian Qiyue's bowl: "It's all here. No matter how expensive it is, we don't need to spend money. Let's eat it quickly."
When Qian Qiyue heard this, she stuffed a chopstick into her mouth: "That's right. If you don't eat, you won't eat for free."
She was asked to buy and eat this thing herself, and her father had to break the legs of her prodigal son.
Now it’s all for nothing, eat a few more bites!
Tang Ning and Zhou Yuchang couldn't help laughing when they saw her eating meat.
The copper pot was steaming hot, and the three of them chatted and laughed happily. Tang Ning didn't think about the Queen Mother's affairs for a while. When they finished eating, the three of them leaned on the soft couch to catch their breath. Qian Qi Yue rubbed her belly and was about to speak when she heard the sound of laughter coming from outside the house.
There was an open window next to the soft couch, and you could see the courtyard when you looked up, but you saw Fu Jinrou in a white cloak walking in, talking and laughing with two other young girls.
Qian Qiyue leaned against the window and pouted: "She is quite at home. It has only been a few days, but her relationship with the Xuan family girl has become so good."
Zhou Yuchang couldn't help but frown. She had been on good terms with Fu Jinrou before, but after being "pointed out" by Qian Qiyue to learn about Fu Jinrou's affairs that day, she became more wary of Fu Jinrou. However, she never took the initiative to become enemies with Fu Jinrou. It was just because of the years of friendship with Qian Qiyue that she chose to trust her best friend.
Fu Jinrou's temperament has nothing to do with her, but she makes good friends with the Xuan family...
Zhou Yuchang whispered: "The Queen Mother has been treating Jinrou very differently these days. It's not surprising that she has a good relationship with Xuan Qiwen."
Qian Qiyue rolled her eyes: "Then she must take care of the Fu family's reputation."
What kind of trouble did the Xuan family cause before with Cui Lin? Mrs. They were sent out of the city and buried casually, without even entering the Xuan family's ancestral grave.
Let's not talk about Xuan Qiwen, who had just two months after her mother died, and she was dressed up in a gorgeous way. Let's talk about the Xuan family.
Many people in the capital were afraid that the Xuan family's bad reputation would tarnish their own reputation. Even Mrs. Cui, who had a close "relationship" with the Xuan family, avoided Xuan Qiwen after entering the palace.
Fu Jinrou was good, in just two or three days she became acquainted and like a long-time friend.
"Mrs. Fu knows that she is afraid that she will get angry." Qian Qiyue muttered.
Zhou Yuchang also frowned when she heard this. She stopped just as she was about to speak, but Xuan Qiwen, who was walking towards the inside, suddenly turned around and walked towards the East Side Hall.
Zhou Yuchang hurriedly lowered her voice: "Tang Ning, Xuan Qiwen and the others are here."
Tang Ning leaned on the couch and said nothing. She just looked out the window and saw those people coming this way.
Yue Jian whispered: "Girl, do you want me to go out and stop you?"
Tang Ning said quietly: "No need."
She was a little curious as to what Fu Jinrou wanted to do by encouraging the Xuan family girl to come over.
