Ch 94: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Yu Jiuque suddenly remembered why this place seemed so familiar to him.

It turned out that back when he had just been assigned to the Imperial Horse Bureu by the Eastern Palace, he had once brought Western Palace officers here to arrest someone.

The target was the youngest son of the former Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. According to reports from informants, it was said that he had close connections with a group of Hu merchants who frequented Shengjing, raising suspicions of colluding with foreign enemies.

When the Western Palace made arrests, even current ministers could be thrown into prison directly, let alone the son of an assistant minister.

However, Yu Jiuque, who had handled the case, knew well that this so-called “close connection” was simply because the young master, who had never been short on money, had a particular fondness for the strange and exotic trinkets brought by the Hu merchants from the Western Regions, as well as the slender-waisted Hu dancers who accompanied the merchant caravans.

What drew attention, though, were the riches that slipped through his fingers.

Sure enough, further investigation revealed that the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was a massive embezzler. Taking advantage of the fact that the Minister of Revenue was elderly and no longer involved in matters, he had devised several schemes to funnel money that should have entered the national treasury into his own pockets.

The result was that the main perpetrator was sentenced to death by hanging, while his family was demoted to slave status and exiled a thousand miles away.

It was precisely because of this case that Yu Jiuque made a name for himself in the Imperial Horse Bureau.

Now, looking back, it was perhaps due to his rising fame after that case that he became a target, ambushed while on a mission outside the capital.

Everything in the past was always interconnected, one event leading to another.

The only exception was his encounter with Qin Xia, which had been completely unexpected.

He still remembered clearly that this gambling den had been called the Chengjin Gambling Den.

When they had arrested the assistant minister’s son, it had caused quite a commotion, and the gambling den had also been implicated, forced to close down.

The once-bustling money-squandering den had now “vanished like smoke.”

When Qin Xia first heard that the place used to be a gambling den, he had shown clear displeasure.

He wanted to run a legitimate business and didn’t want to be associated with a place that had once been a “crime scene.”

To his surprise, Yu Jiuque, upon hearing the broker’s explanation, gave him a reassuring look and still said, “Since we’re already here, let’s go in and take a look.”

Considering Yu Jiuque’s identity, Qin Xia figured he probably knew the reason the place had been investigated.

If he said it was fine, then it really was fine.

Seeing Qin Xia nod as well, the broker wiped nonexistent sweat from his forehead.

“I’ll open the door right away. Please wait for a moment.”

As he turned around, he smacked his lips in thought.

This couple was intriguing—the man had a distinct accent, yet his demeanor was far from ordinary, and the younger man didn’t seem like someone content to stay in the household either. They likely had some sort of background.

The broker shook his keyring, searching for the one that fit the large brass lock in front of him, thinking to himself that he didn’t want to know anything else; he just hoped to lease out the place soon, collect his commission, and be done with it.

Little did he know, behind him, Yu Jiuque was quietly explaining the “past life” of the Chengjin Gambling Den to Qin Xia.

“No wonder you were keen to take a look inside.”

Qin Xia was examining the small building before him when a thought came to mind, and he asked, “Is there a lotus pond nearby?”

Indeed, there was a lotus pond, right behind the gambling den.

Yu Jiuque took one look and immediately understood where Qin Xia’s “lotus pond sentiment” came from.

Even though they were separated by a thousand miles, they both still thought of Qinan, where all they had was a small courtyard and a modest eatery.

“Please take a look, what a beautiful view,” the broker said as they stood on the second floor, gazing outside.

In the lotus pond below, fresh green leaves rose gracefully, standing tall like canopies.

It was indeed a scene worthy of being captured in a painting.

With just that turn…

It was as if they had descended from the clouds back to the ground.

The shop had been closed for a long time. During that time, it wasn’t that no one came to look at it, but as soon as they found out that the secret police had once arrested someone here, they immediately shook their heads like rattles, and no one dared to take it, no matter how cheap the price.

Over time, the broker became too lazy to bring people here anymore.

If Qin Xia hadn’t mentioned the word “lotus pond,” he wouldn’t have remembered this unlucky place.

Qin Xia reached out his hand toward Yu Jiuque, and the young man naturally took it as they walked together.

The two of them stepped over the dusty threshold one after the other, occasionally having to duck to avoid the cobwebs hanging from the ceiling.

The broker, rubbing his hands together with a smile, said, “It may look a bit dirty now, but if you look closely, the beams, the pillars, the floor—it’s all made of good wood, far from rotting or decaying. Just get a few maids to tidy up, replace the window paper, and it’ll be bright and clean again, I guarantee!”

Just as he finished speaking, Qin Xia sneezed from the floating dust in the air.

The broker immediately shut his mouth and stopped rambling.

To be honest, it really was dirty in here.

Every step they took left a clear footprint.

But in Qin Xia’s eyes, what the broker said wasn’t entirely wrong. This gambling den had once been a favorite haunt of the idle rich, and clearly, its patrons had included high-ranking officials and nobles. A lot of effort had been put into the decor.

Besides, the layout of old gambling dens was actually quite similar to that of teahouses or inns—tables filled the hall on the first floor, while the second floor had private rooms where people could gather for games like Pai Gow.

Soon, Yu Jiuque sneezed three times in a row.

Qin Xia couldn’t stand it any longer. He waved his hand in front of his face to clear the dust and pointed toward the door leading to the backyard. “Let’s go outside and take a look.”

The backyard was much simpler, and aside from being cluttered, there didn’t seem to be any major problems.

“Who owns this place now?” Qin Xia asked, neither entirely satisfied nor entirely dissatisfied.

This time, the broker answered quickly.

“Don’t worry, this shop now belongs to the estate of the Princess of Siyang, and it’s completely clean and legitimate.”

As for how it became part of the princess’s estate, Qin Xia didn’t care. Even if the shop had a questionable background, he wasn’t worried. He trusted that once they left, Yu Jiuque would send someone to investigate.

Because of its “criminal record,” the annual rent for the shop was set at 450 taels.

In such a location, there was no fear of anyone snatching it up. Qin Xia simply said he would think about it and left with Yu Jiuque.

However, instead of returning to their residence, they took a carriage to the outskirts of the capital.

On the way, Yu Jiuque told Qin Xia a bit about the Princess of Siyang.

The Princess’s father had been the late emperor’s brother, with the title of Duke Dun.

The title Dun, meaning warm, kind, loyal, and harmonious, suited the Duke perfectly. It was said that even when he was a prince, he had been as soft and gentle as dough.

Yet, this soft-hearted father had produced a son with a completely opposite temperament.

“As for the Princess of Siyang’s husband… she chose him herself from among the successful scholars during the imperial examinations.”

However, the term “chosen husband from among the scholars” isn’t entirely accurate.

The Prince consort was the second-place bangyan during the late emperor’s reign. Typically, when the top three scholars paraded through the streets on horseback, people either marveled at the zhuangyuan, the first-place winner who conquered the imperial examination, or admired the dashing and elegant tanhualang, the third-place scholar. The one caught in the middle, the bangyan, often went unnoticed.

But somehow, the Princess of Siyang had set her eyes on him, casting fruits and flowers at him in the street as a sign of her affection.

The Princess of Siyang was highly favored by the late emperor. When a noble young lady like her expressed a desire to marry the bangyan, what could the emperor say against it?

Thus, an imperial decree was issued, granting them marriage, with a lavish dowry and a grand wedding procession.

It sounded like a romantic tale.

“However, rumors have it that the Princess of Siyang and her husband haven’t been getting along. Since the end of last year, the Princess has returned to the royal residence, under the pretext of caring for the ailing prince consort.”

But the rumors spreading outside were vivid, saying that the Prince consort had severely offended the Princess, and now he was just waiting for the divorce papers and to be stripped of his rank, ready to return to his hometown.

“Which goes to show that a forced marriage doesn’t bring happiness.”

After hearing all this gossip about the imperial family, Qin Xia concluded with that statement.

Yu Jiuque, however, responded, “Not necessarily.”

After all, wasn’t his own marriage with Qin Xia also a forced one?

When fate arrives, no one will care how they met the other person.

It’s just that finding a good person in this world is rare.

Their journey to the outskirts wasn’t short.

As the carriage moved along, Qin Xia fed his husband dates stuffed with walnuts.

Yu Jiuque, always worn out by paperwork, was in dire need of nourishment, in Qin Xia’s view.

The dates had been roasted in an iron pot, giving them a crispy, charred flavor that paired richly with the walnuts.

By the time they got out of the carriage, a gust of wind blew past, and the scent of dates lingered in the air, swirling around their robes.

Before them stood the imperial estate bestowed upon Yu Jiuque.

The steward of the estate was surnamed Zhong. His entire family worked at the estate.

For estate stewards in the households of high-ranking officials, there was usually plenty of opportunity for profit. But Steward Zhong wouldn’t dare to be greedy under Yu Jiuque’s watchful eye.

Who was his master?

The head of the eunuchs in the palace, in charge of both the inner court and the imperial household, supervising the Western and Eastern Palaces—the fearsome Lord Yu, known as the Nine-Thousand-Year Lord.

With just a flick of his finger, Yu Jiuque could uncover any corrupt official in the court who had embezzled even a couple of taels of silver, let alone a lowly estate steward.

So ever since Steward Zhong took the post, he had lived in constant fear, working diligently and loyally.

Last year, when he delivered the estate’s first harvest to the lord’s residence, since he had taken over the estate midway through the year and the yield was poor, he even spent his own money to buy additional goods, fearing that any fault would land his entire family in prison.

Despite knowing exactly who he was serving, Steward Zhong had never met Yu Jiuque in person.

Upon learning that the lord and his family had suddenly arrived, he ran from the fields so fast that he nearly lost his shoes.

“Your humble servant, Zhong Cai, greets the lord!”

Zhong Cai?

Qin Xia thought to himself, could it be that this steward’s parents had foreseen he would grow up to be an estate steward, giving him such an apt name?

Yu Jiuque also smiled slightly, his tone calm, not as intimidating as Steward Zhong had imagined.

“Rise.”

This time, he didn’t come just to visit the estate he had never set foot on, but also to have the steward recognize important people.

When Steward Zhong learned that the tall, elegant young man by the lord’s side was the lord’s husband, he was stunned.

He had always assumed that the eunuchs in the palace, like the palace maids, couldn’t marry. Who would have thought that the lord had a husband!

He was quick-witted, and although his mind was in turmoil, he swiftly showed respect and greeted Qin Xia with a bow.

“This humble servant greets the master and wishes him well.”

Recognizing people, of course, requires observing them closely.

Steward Zhong squinted into the slightly glaring sunlight and saw two individuals who looked like heavenly beings.

Lord Yu’s husband, Qin Xia, was handsome with a friendly and approachable demeanor.

The lord himself, Yu Jiuque, had phoenix eyes, thin lips, and long brows extending into his temples.

By comparison, it was clear that the former, Qin Xia, would be easier to get along with.

After he quickly took in the scene and made a mental note, Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque were already making their way forward.

Steward Zhong followed them and began explaining the current situation of the estate.

The estate had 60 acres of fertile land, making it one of the largest estates in the outskirts of the capital.

Because it was close to Shengjing and the land was rich and valuable, every inch of it was worth its weight in gold.

Each year, they planted wheat, soybeans, sorghum, and various fruits and vegetables.

Upon receiving news to plant sugar beets, Steward Zhong had already cleared two acres for the crop, and they were currently sowing seeds.

They arrived at the field and saw a group of tenant farmers working together.

After observing for a while, Qin Xia asked about the yield per acre. After getting a rough idea, he remarked that two acres of sugar beets wouldn’t be enough.

“Expand it to five acres for the first year. That should be sufficient. We can add more later.”

Steward Zhong had been managing estates for half his life. Although he dressed in fine silks and didn’t need to work the fields, it was clear that he understood agriculture well.

Since Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque knew little about farming, they followed the steward’s suggestions.

By noon, the sun was blazing.

The two had been walking around for some time, squinting against the brightness. Sensing the situation, Steward Zhong seized the moment and invited the two masters inside for tea and a spring banquet.

The tea was a well-known variety called Yulu (Jade Dew). It was a favorite among the nobility in the capital, and tea houses sold it in varying grades according to quality.

Although the Yulu tea from the estate wasn’t top-tier, it was still this year’s new tea.

Yulu was known for its fresh and fragrant taste, with a captivating aroma.

Qin Xia quite liked it and sipped several cups in a row. Yu Jiuque noticed this and thought to himself that he should send someone to fetch some high-quality Mingqian Yulu for them.

After two cups of tea, the dining table was set, and the spring banquet was served. Qin Xia noticed that Steward Zhong truly knew how to cater to people. The dishes, led by the spring platter, consisted of fresh spring vegetables and chicken, duck, fish, and shrimp raised on the estate—nothing too extravagant.

This way, he could show that he managed the estate with care without making anyone think he was rich enough to afford rare delicacies from both land and sea.

It turned out to be a stroke of luck, as both Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque preferred simple dishes like these.

The tradition of enjoying spring platters during the spring season had a long history.

In the two dynasties before, the spring platter even had a special name: the “Five-Spice Platter,” which was served on the day of the Spring Festival and mixed five spicy vegetables together.

To capture that spicy flavor, ingredients like green onions, garlic, and leeks were essential, combined with wormwood and mustard greens, though it hardly made for an appealing dish.

Some regions replaced the leeks with yellow chives, and added lotus root and peas, with a sprinkle of vermicelli. This tradition evolved over time, adjusting to suit the general public’s taste.

By the time of the Dayong Dynasty, pungent ingredients like onions and ginger had become mere seasonings for stir-fried spring dishes, while the vegetables in the spring platters were a mix of seasonal produce and wild greens from the mountains.

The spring pancake was perfectly round and at just the right temperature. Qin Xia picked up a pair of chopsticks and placed a spring pancake on his plate, adding some vegetables and rolling it into a neat little “bundle” before offering it to Yu Jiuque.

Qin Xia’s rolled pancakes were always just right—two bites were enough to finish one, and the bottom wouldn’t leak. Even when eaten by hand, there was no mess.

After Yu Jiuque finished his, he mimicked the process and rolled one for Qin Xia.

Besides the spring platter, there was also a steamed yellow croaker, a plate of boiled river shrimp, stir-fried chicken slices, a deconstructed smoked duck, stir-fried spinach with tofu skin, and stir-fried bean sprouts with eggs.

There was plenty of rice prepared as well, and though Steward Zhong had never met Yu Jiuque before, he had clearly been instructed, knowing that the lord had quite an appetite.

After the meal, the dishes were cleared, and Steward Zhong returned to offer his respects once more.

He mentioned that he had specially prepared a variety of freshly picked spring vegetables, baskets of live fish and shrimp, several wild pheasants, hares, and bamboo rats, as well as tender first-harvest red cherries.

Since he knew that Qin Xia was a skilled chef, he naturally catered to his tastes.

The estate had no shortage of food. What wasn’t available in the fields could be found in the mountains, where the land had no owner.

“Cherries already in season?” Qin Xia asked with interest.

Steward Zhong replied, “Typically, cherries aren’t ripe yet at this time of year, but it’s been warmer earlier this year. These are wild cherries from the mountains near the estate. We were surprised to find many already turning red, so I had people pick them fresh today. Cherries are delicate and lose their color overnight, becoming inedible.”

As they spoke, a maid brought over a plate of washed cherries—small, round, and bright red, inviting to the eye.

Both Qin Xia and Yu Jiuque tasted a few, savoring the unique flavor of wild cherries. They were full of fruitiness, sweet with a hint of tartness, making for a refreshing treat after the meal.

On the way back.

In the carriage, the young man became drowsy after the meal, leaning against Qin Xia’s shoulder in a slanted posture.

Here, he didn’t need to maintain the dignity of an official, so he could relax however he liked.

After Qin Xia gently adjusted him to a more comfortable position, he gazed out through the carriage curtain at the slowly receding scenery.

In less than a month in Shengjing, he had already grown fond of the city.

Although Qinan County was peaceful, it was too small. It didn’t have the diversity of Shengjing, where you could even see Hu people with high noses and deep-set eyes on the streets.

This sense of inclusiveness, openness, and bustling activity made Qin Xia, whose soul came from the modern world, feel more at home.

As they returned from the outskirts and entered through the city gates, the streets in the early afternoon were at their quietest.

Vendors, weary under the sun, lazily called out their wares, yawning after every few shouts.

In this drowsy atmosphere, Qin Xia heard a woman calling out, selling fried dough sticks.

“Fried dough sticks! Three wen for one!”

“Fried dough sticks! Three wen for one, five wen for two!”

After only a couple of calls, she paused, replaced by the irritated voice of a man.

“When did you take these dough sticks out of the fryer? They’re already soft and limp. You should sell them to me for one wen each.”

In the capital, everything was expensive. Even a bundle of firewood cost money. Selling dough sticks for one wen each wouldn’t even cover the cost, and Qin Xia knew this very well.

Here, freshly fried dough sticks sold for five wen each, made with white flour and oil, as long as half a man’s arm.

The young woman selling them grew anxious.

“Sir, selling them for one wen is impossible. If you want, I can give them to you for two wen each, how about that?”

“Do you think I’m short of that one wen? I just can’t stand you trying to pass off these limp dough sticks! One wen each—are you selling them or not?”

At this point, it was clear the man was bullying her.

Qin Xia lifted most of the carriage curtain and gave a few instructions to the guard walking alongside the carriage.

Yu Jiuque, who was resting in his arms, also heard the commotion and opened his eyes.

Soon, the guard returned, holding the trembling man as easily as one would hold a small chicken.

“Master, how should we deal with him?”

The man, seeing the finely adorned carriage before him, realized he had gotten himself into serious trouble and was so frightened he felt the urge to relieve himself.

Qin Xia wanted to stand up for the young woman, but he wasn’t sure how to handle the situation. He couldn’t very well order the man to be beaten and driven away, could he?

This was Yu Jiuque’s cue.

“Send him to the Bingmashi (military police). Judging by his behavior, he’s likely a repeat offender.”

The capital had three Bingmashi offices, with responsibilities similar to local law enforcement in small towns.

Once this scoundrel spent some time there, he would surely come out reformed.

The man, upon hearing this, panicked. All he had wanted was to extort a few dough sticks. In the past, he’d only swiped a couple of sesame buns, groped a young woman in a crowd… Alright, maybe he’d also stolen a few wallets. But did that really mean he had to be sent to the Bingmashi?

His legs gave out, and the stench of urine filled the air.

The guard, thoroughly disgusted, quickly whisked him away, not wanting him to offend the master’s senses.

Qin Xia then stepped down from the carriage and pulled out some silver to buy the dough sticks.

The young woman selling them had witnessed the entire scene and immediately bowed to Qin Xia in gratitude.

“Thank you, kind sir, for your help.”

“No need for formalities,” Qin Xia said as he gently helped her up. “How many dough sticks do you have left in your basket? I’ll take them all.”

She lifted the cloth covering the basket, revealing about twenty dough sticks.

She had fried them earlier that afternoon, but since they hadn’t sold, she had to lower the price just to recoup her costs.

“Please take them all, sir. I won’t charge you.”

Qin Xia noticed her clothes. Though made of fine cloth, they were quite old, and upon closer inspection, the cuffs had been patched.

Even in the capital, beneath the emperor’s feet, there were still impoverished people.

Qin Xia extended his hand, insisting that she accept the money—twenty dough sticks, six coins of silver.

He handed her a small piece of silver, and when she weighed it in her hand, she realized it was slightly more than needed.

Seeing that Qin Xia had no intention of changing his mind, the young woman could only bow again toward his departing figure.

She watched as the carriage disappeared into the distance, certain that her benefactor had entered the inner city.

Clutching the silver tightly, she silently vowed to visit the inner city sometime soon. If given the chance, she wanted him to taste freshly fried, hot dough sticks next time.

Cold dough sticks, even in the eyes of street thugs, were worthless and an easy target for bargaining.

No one would have expected Qin Xia to bring the entire bag of dough sticks into the kitchen, intending to use them for dinner.

In the kitchen, the servants were tasked with peeling the river shrimp brought back from the estate, removing the shells and cleaning the veins, then chopping the shrimp into a fine paste.

Qin Xia specifically instructed them to use the back of the knife for chopping, as using the blade could turn the shrimp into a mushy texture, ruining its quality.

Once the shrimp paste was ready, Qin Xia added the egg whites of two eggs, along with salt, green onion and ginger water, and a little homemade seasoning he had ground himself from dried seaweed and shrimp shells—a substitute for MSG.

After seasoning and thoroughly mixing the shrimp paste, he added a bit of cornstarch. The result was his homemade shrimp balls.

Washing his hands to remove the shrimp smell, Qin Xia began cutting the dough sticks.

Dough sticks are typically twisted into two strands, so he separated them first, then cut them into segments. He carefully stuffed the shrimp paste into each segment with a small spoon.

Once stuffed, he smoothed the ends, dusted them lightly with cornstarch, and gently fried them in oil over low heat.

Since dough sticks are already fried, the key was to control the heat carefully—if it was too high, the shrimp filling would remain raw while the dough stick would become overcooked.

The process didn’t take long. Once they were done, the previously limp dough sticks had regained their crispiness, turning golden brown and appetizing.

Qin Xia plated them and served them with a side of simple mayonnaise he had made earlier using vegetable oil and egg yolk.

“This dish is called You Tiao Shrimp.”

Qin Xia tasted half of one and then explained to Yu Jiuque, “Actually, it would be even better with some fruit. Back in my hometown, it was popular to add pineapple to it.”

Only after saying this did he realize—where would they find pineapples in Dayong?

So he quickly added, “Pineapple is a southern fruit. It has a spiky exterior, but when you cut it open, the inside is yellow, juicy, and sweet.”

Yu Jiuque understood that when Qin Xia spoke of “hometown,” he didn’t mean Qinan County, but his true place of origin.

But this “pineapple”…

As Yu Jiuque ate the shrimp-stuffed dough stick, he pondered and then said, “Is this the kind of fruit that has tough leaves, and when peeled, the flesh inside looks like it’s covered with scars that need to be scraped off before eating?”

He added, “And after eating it, it makes your mouth feel tingly.”

The more Qin Xia listened, the more surprised he became.

“You’ve seen pineapples before?”

Yu Jiuque nodded affirmatively.

“I saw this fruit called boluo in the palace. It’s a tribute from Guangfu.”

Qin Xia realized he had underestimated Dayong.

There were still many ingredients waiting to be discovered in this era.

“Then next time, let’s get some pineapples,” he said with a smile in his eyes.

“I’ll make you Pineapple You Tiao Shrimp and Sweet and Sour Pineapple Pork.”