nycdaug Chapter 593 The Last Holiday
Chapter 593 The Last Holiday
Ying Tianfu.
Zhao Zheng finally agreed to Empress Ma's request.
But how to properly present this night between today and tomorrow to the crown prince, the true beneficiary, the founding monarch's son, and the father of the grandson of the crown prince?
Even Zhao Zheng felt it was a big job.
Furthermore, how could Zhao Zheng possibly miss the last holiday before this turbulent period?
He should give himself a short break.
The long-term operation of multiple tasks has also caused Zhao Zheng a lot of mental fatigue.
More importantly...
Zhu Biao, the crown prince, was not someone whom Emperor Zhu Chongba needed to pretend in everything, nor was he someone whom the grandson Zhu Yuntong needed to teach in everything.
He was able to be himself a little under surveillance.
"That's it, Your Highness! Come with me quickly to grab a spot!"
"Lord Zhao? There are still many government affairs to be dealt with, so let's leave it at that..."
When Crown Prince Zhu Biao first left the capital, he felt heavy-hearted, but he was concerned about the answers to the questions that both his mother, Empress Ma, had been asking.
Whether as the crown prince of a country or as a son, he needs to muster his energy to pay attention.
After all, even the Emperor Zhu Chongba, the father of the emperor, had many feelings about Zhao Zheng's patriarchal identity recently.
It's even rarer for the two to collide.
Furthermore, the recent series of misfortunes that have befallen the Zhao family have made him, as the crown prince, feel guilty for not protecting the Zhao family well.
To everyone's surprise, Zhao Zheng led him on a relaxed journey, showing no intention of getting to the point.
Upon seeing an unknown stall, he was expected to rush over with him to secure a spot!
"Lord Zhao, Lord Zhao, why don't we wait until after we've finished our business!"
"Phew! Serious business?"
"Does Your Highness think that the affairs of a nation are more numerous, or the affairs of a county are more complex?"
Crown Prince Zhu Biao's words were interrupted by Zhao Zheng, who then continued walking passively without stopping.
The puppet was really old; it had barely run two steps before Zhao Zheng felt somewhat powerless.
Perhaps it's because he's getting old that he can't help but look back and forth.
"Hmph! Lord Zhao, how can the complexities of a county or prefecture compare to the affairs of a nation?"
Crown Prince Zhu Biao thought that Zhao Zheng had finally gotten to the point, and even though he didn't understand why he had been running around in a bad mood the whole way, he could only follow.
"The talent of a county can govern a country, and the affairs of a county are also related to rites, military affairs, law, and officials. What difference is there between a county and a country?"
Seeing that Crown Prince Zhu Biao had been fooled, Zhao Zheng continued running while spouting nonsense and reflecting on his own thoughts.
"this......"
Crown Prince Zhu Biao indeed began to think, and Zhao Zheng finally took two steps ahead again.
until--
"Boss! Two bowls of kelp and bone broth, please!"
"okay!"
We've arrived at the stall.
"Young manager, have some soup first. You're already panting after just a couple of steps. You can't keep up with me at all."
"Uncle Zhao is young and strong. If I want to surpass him, I still need to learn a lot from him."
Upon arriving at the stall, the two naturally changed their identities.
Zhao Zheng was used to it, and Crown Prince Zhu Biao didn't feel anything was wrong either, calling him "Uncle" very naturally.
"Sir, you must be a merchant. Here's the soup, please enjoy!" The waiter naturally didn't sense anything amiss.
"Don't worry, gentlemen. Although my stall may look a bit run-down, the taste is absolutely no worse than what you get at those big restaurants! Otherwise, so many people wouldn't be lining up to come here."
"If you two don't believe me, go out and ask around. Everyone knows that on this street, our soup is the only one of its kind!"
"Even the lords of the Holy Palace are certain that it won't be long before we can have a shop! It's just that the lords of the Holy Palace seem to be very busy lately and haven't come for a long time."
An inexperienced young master, and a seasoned uncle.
At stalls like his, this is the most common combination you see in Yingtian Prefecture.
Yingtian Prefecture will make every self-righteous person realize their own shortcomings.
"Drink."
Zhao Zheng picked up a serving and began to enjoy it.
Crown Prince Zhu Biao could not ask any more questions, especially since the waiter seemed to have assigned them identities and mentioned the Zhao family. He could only drink the soup for now.
However, this one drink had unforeseen consequences.
"Uh-huh!?"
"Delicious, isn't it?" Seeing Zhu Biao jump up so beautifully, Zhao Zheng wasn't surprised at all, he just smiled.
"Why is this?" However, this unique and fresh taste, which he had never experienced before, surprised Crown Prince Zhu Biao.
He was the crown prince, yet he had never tasted such a level of delicacy.
"This stall hasn't been open for long, and the ingredients are all brought by the master chef himself, so naturally they couldn't have entered the capital," Zhao Zheng continued to explain with a smile, but a complex look flashed in his eyes as he observed the Crown Prince's reaction.
"Could it be kelp? But the imperial kitchen has made it before, so it doesn't make sense."
Crown Prince Zhu Biao remained conflicted, believing that this soup was also part of the answer, and thus incorporated it into the answer.
Zhao Zheng had no choice but to explain: "It is kelp, but it's not kelp. The imperial kitchen needs to prioritize taste, so it's impossible to update it in time."
"The correct way is to wash and crush the kelp, boil it with a large amount of spring water, and then simmer it until the soup turns light yellow. Pour it out and filter it, then boil it again until it becomes thick. After cooling, wait for the water to evaporate, leaving a white powder."
"Then this white powder is mixed with water that has been treated with wood ash, boiled, and the water evaporated, leaving a pile of powder crystals, and only then is it successful."
After he finished speaking, he saw that Crown Prince Zhu Biao was completely confused, but his head was pounding with effort to memorize it.
Zhao Zheng shook his head again: "It's not that complicated."
“One day the harvest was bad, and there were a lot of kelp scraps that couldn’t be sold. It would be a waste to throw them away, so we stewed them all together. After eating them for a few meals, they naturally became a good product.”
"Waiter, check out!"
"Alright! Take care, sir!"
Now, anyone who came would know that Zhao Zheng had lost his temper.
Only Crown Prince Zhu Biao was unaware, still holding the bowl of soup.
"Hey, sir, your uncle is definitely a connoisseur, and a true master chef who has traveled all over the country."
"Please forgive my insolence, you should follow now."
The waiter couldn't believe that a customer had figured out his secret just by tasting it and could describe it in such detail.
But seeing that Zhao Zheng only spoke and didn't seem to care, it became clear that Zhao Zheng had no interest in taking away their business.
On the contrary, from the perspective of the Crown Prince Zhu Biao, a young master from a merchant family, he has to be cautious and wary.
"Ah, yes!"
Fortunately, the Crown Prince Zhu Biao, who was lost in thought, finally came to his senses, put down his bowl, and followed Zhao Zheng, which finally relieved the waiter.
......
"Uncle! Uncle! Where are we going next?"
"Just take a walk."
When Crown Prince Zhu Biao caught up with Zhao Zheng, he finally noticed Zhao Zheng's unusual behavior.
But it wasn't the kind of tantrum that Xiao Er thought it was, typical of an elder throwing a tantrum.
"Uncle?"
"nothing."
Crown Prince Zhu Biao was confused, wondering if he had done something wrong. He was not willing to let Zhao Zheng misunderstand him, so even when they were in a place where no one was paying attention, he continued to address him as before.
Has the head of the Zhao family ever had such a forlorn expression?
Crown Prince Zhu Biao had never met him.
However, this time, Zhao Zheng did not give him an answer.
Even after returning to the Eastern Palace and parting ways with Zhao Zheng, Crown Prince Zhu Biao still couldn't figure it out.
"Your Highness, Marquis Chengyi has passed away."
"Let's first visit your residence with the respect due to a Grand Tutor to express our condolences. I will go and request my father to grant you a posthumous title."
"Yes."
"Lord Zhao, what's wrong...?"