Ch 114: Guide to Feeding a Villainous Husband

Asking Qin Xia to recreate the ancient dish really hit his sweet spot, especially since it was tied to an important national banquet. He was more than happy to take part.

The most important part was that he had also received an old record detailing the dish “Hunyang Mohu.” Ever since Yu Jiuque gave it to him, he hadn’t been able to put it down. Not only did it contain information about “Hunyang Mohu,” but it also detailed other dishes, which he eagerly explored.

After digesting the meal, Yu Jiuque returned to the bed and continued embroidering the Five Poisons. Only one toad remained to be completed on the baby’s belly wrap. Meanwhile, Qin Xia, reclining against a pillow, was slowly turning the pages of the book. Whenever he found something interesting, he would point it out to Yu Jiuque.

“This dish is called Phoenix Fetus. Can you guess what it’s made of?” Qin Xia asked.

Yu Jiuque paused his needlework, thoughtfully replying, “Since it’s named after a phoenix, it must involve poultry. Is it chicken eggs, goose eggs, or perhaps pigeon eggs? It couldn’t be quail eggs, could it?”

Seeing Yu Jiuque rattle off several guesses, Qin Xia shook his head with each one, prompting Yu Jiuque to think even bigger.

“There’s a bird in the mountains called the golden pheasant, with feathers as colorful as a phoenix. The palace even has an ancient painting of it, ‘Golden Pheasant Among Hibiscus.’ Could it be its egg?”

Qin Xia smiled and tapped the page of the book. “You’re thinking too deeply and have gone off track.”

He then revealed the answer. The Phoenix Fetus dish primarily involved two ingredients. The first was chicken embryos, which were unlaid eggs still inside the hen. Commonly referred to as “unborn eggs” by the people, there was a saying that children shouldn’t eat them, as it was believed to make them dizzy. The second ingredient was fish milt, which is the sperm sac found only in male fish, with pufferfish milt being considered the most delicious.

“That makes sense,” Yu Jiuque mused. “Phoenix, phoenix—male phoenix and female yellow bird. In culinary terms, that translates to chicken eggs and fish milt.”

Yu Jiuque couldn’t recall ever eating fish milt before, as such refined delicacies were rare, even in the palace.

As they continued reading, they found that no specific method for the dish was written, only that broth and animal fat should be used. Qin Xia pondered for a moment and surmised that the dish was likely first cooked in broth to enhance its flavor, then stir-fried.

The counterpart to the Phoenix Fetus was a dish called White Dragon 髓. The record was even more vague, stating only that it used perch meat, and 髓 referred to a type of meat stew, likely a fish soup.

Both the “dragon” and “phoenix” names were just symbolic, meant to bring good fortune.

With that in mind, Qin Xia said, “Once we recreate Hunyang Mohu, we should rename it. There’s no need to use such an awkward name from foreign tongues.”

Yu Jiuque agreed, “We could ask His Majesty to bestow a name. Dishes served at the imperial banquet are always given grand titles.”

For example, a bowl of porridge might be named Longevity Porridge, or a dish of meat might be called Worry-Free Meat. The possibilities were endless.

The two of them chatted, never once entertaining the idea that they might fail to recreate the dish. Qin Xia was confident in his culinary skills, and Yu Jiuque had unwavering faith in him.

By the time they had read half the book, Yu Jiuque’s toad embroidery was nearly complete, save for the eyes. He yawned, and Qin Xia, noticing the time, closed the book and leaned over to tidy up the embroidery kit.

“It’s getting late; we should get some rest.”

He called for the attendants to bring in water for washing, drew back the bed curtains, and fluffed the bedding. A scent ball filled with calming incense hung from the bed canopy, and the brazier was moved closer for warmth.

Qin Xia helped Yu Jiuque lie down on the bed and handed him the long body pillow he had grown accustomed to hugging lately. Yu Jiuque shifted around a bit before finally finding a comfortable position.

After a while, however, he opened his eyes again. “Why do I feel a bit hot? Maybe we should take the brazier out.”

Lighting the brazier at this time of year wasn’t too early, considering the chilly nights. In another month, the cold would really set in, and they’d need to start preparing the heated floors.

“Weren’t you feeling cold just a few days ago? Why are you suddenly hot tonight?”

Qin Xia, feeling concerned, touched Yu Jiuque’s forehead, then his hands.

Seeing Qin Xia’s expression change slightly, Yu Jiuque chuckled. “You noticed something different, didn’t you?”

At the end of the blanket, Yu Jiuque moved his always-cold feet to Qin Xia’s leg, and surprisingly, they were warm too.

“I heard from Madam Xu that as the pregnancy progresses, it’s common to feel hot more often.”

In his previous life, Qin Xia hadn’t had much experience with pregnant women, so he didn’t know these details. But since Madam Xu had said it, there likely wasn’t anything to worry about.

He got up, tucking the blanket around Yu Jiuque.

“I’ll have the brazier removed, but we should still have you checked tomorrow.”

There was no need to trouble the imperial physician; the regular doctor who frequently visited the estate would suffice.

Once the brazier was taken out, the air in the room felt clearer. Qin Xia put out the lights, climbed back under the covers, and the two of them snuggled together for a peaceful night’s sleep.

Being tasked by the emperor to recreate the dish Hunyang Mohu was no small matter. Qin Xia didn’t have much time.

Not only did he have to finish the dish before the delegation arrived in the capital, but it also needed to be served to the emperor for approval.

Because of this, the next day, when Qin Xia arrived at Heguang Pavilion, he asked Gao Yang to take extra care with the daily operations. Aside from special guests or signature dishes, Qin Xia would no longer be personally involved, freeing up his time to focus on the complicated preparation of this exotic dish.

For Gao Yang, this was both a responsibility and an opportunity. There were dishes he knew how to make, and although Qin Xia had approved them, they hadn’t yet been served to the customers.

Now that his wife had returned to Qinan County, taking Gao Han along to accompany her, they were visiting their elders to pay their respects. The family had decided to bring their youngest son to the capital before the new year so that the whole family could be reunited. Gao Yang firmly believed that as long as he stayed loyal to Qin Xia and worked hard, there was no fear of not being able to support his family.

“Rest assured, I’ll take good care of the kitchen. Nothing will go wrong,” Gao Yang promised earnestly.

Qin Xia had no doubts about him, so he nodded in approval and then headed to the counter to check the accounts.

The accountant was trustworthy, his family being in this profession for generations, and the ledgers were written meticulously, with every entry accounted for.

“Surprisingly, business has been quite good since that incident,” Qin Xia remarked after reviewing the books for a moment.

Although Qin Xia was there daily, he often spent more time overseeing the kitchen.

The accountant smiled and said, “It’s more accurate to say that ever since that incident, more customers have been coming to our restaurant. With all the recent trouble caused by the Hu people in the city, people know that they met their match at Heguang Pavilion, so they now feel that this place is the safest.”

How could it not be safe? The Chief Eunuch had arrested people on the spot. By now, his and Ah Jiu’s relationship must have spread across the entire capital.

In the past, Yu Jiuque used to worry that his reputation would negatively affect the restaurant’s business. But as long as the food was good and the place was peaceful, who cared who owned the restaurant?

And in the eyes of the common folk, any official brave enough to arrest Hu people in public couldn’t possibly have a bad reputation.

As Qiu Chuan passed by with a white towel draped around his neck, he chimed in, “Speaking of which, both the scallion wrapped pancakes and gourd stuffed with meat have been selling quite well these past few days. Everyone’s been enjoying them. Boss, should we consider creating a few more dishes with gourd?”

Qin Xia put the ledger back in its place and reminded him, “Now that your boss’s identity has been revealed, we’ve got many eyes watching us. That day, the Sharong people caused trouble first, so it was justified. But right now, Dayong is on good terms with the Qiang people, and although the Sharong have sent emissaries to strengthen ties, it wouldn’t be wise to serve too many dishes featuring hulu (gourds), or it might seem like we’re rubbing salt in the wound.”

Qiu Chuan scratched his head. “I don’t get it. The Sharong dislike us so much, so why are they going out of their way to send emissaries and make peace?”

Qin Xia flicked the back of his head. “That’s court business, not something for us to speculate about.”

Then, noticing Ah Jian nearby pretending to wipe tables but clearly eavesdropping, he said, “Don’t go poking your noses where they don’t belong. Just remember these four words: be cautious with your words. Now get back to work.”

Qiu Chuan covered his head, and with Ah Jian, they both bowed their heads and replied, “Yes, boss.” Before running off, Qiu Chuan suddenly remembered something and reported, “Boss, regarding Miss Ying and her father, I’ve followed your instructions. We found them a doctor and gave them some silver, so they don’t have to worry about the Sharong people seeking revenge.”

Qin Xia nodded and waved him off.

…

Two days later, the large barbecue stand set up outside the main kitchen of the Grand Attendant’s residence was finally completed.

Beneath it was a charcoal pit, with an iron rack suspended above. Since it was outdoors, they built a wind and rain cover around the grill to block smoke and dust.

The iron rack was quite large, capable of roasting an entire sheep.

Just from this barbecue setup, it was clear that Qin Xia had started to develop ideas about how to recreate the dish “Hunyang Mohu.”

“I’ve thought this through several times. Given its name, the outer layer should be a whole sheep, not a cow. Otherwise, it would’ve been called Hunniu Mohu. Since this dish is intended to diminish the Sharong people’s arrogance at the state banquet, I believe we should recreate it as authentically as possible, or it might come across as inauthentic.”

Yu Jiuque agreed with this approach. “I was thinking the same. A whole cow can weigh hundreds of pounds, and roasting it through would be difficult.”

He then added, “But there’s one thing I can’t figure out. This dish sounds like a typical Sharong people’s style of grilling meat. How did it end up becoming a lost recipe?”

Qin Xia had already figured out the key to the problem.

“This dish is grilled meat, but not just any simple grilled meat. Think about it, when you stir-fry a dish, you still have to consider which ingredients cook faster or slower. You add the meat first, then the vegetables; otherwise, the meat might be undercooked while the vegetables are overcooked.”

As he spoke, he gestured, saying, “Stuffing a goose inside a sheep, and then a chicken inside the goose, follows the same logic. These meats differ in size and cooking times, not to mention they have bones and flesh that cook at different rates. If you just throw them all together on the fire, one end would be burnt while the other is still raw—how would that be edible?”

“Moreover, mutton has a gamey taste, and goose and chicken have their own poultry smells. If you don’t handle these odors properly, the flavors will mix unpleasantly. A mistake in seasoning could make the dish inedible, even for people accustomed to raw meat. A dish worthy of being a ‘reward’ shouldn’t merely focus on being cooked.”

Yu Jiuque nodded in understanding.

“That makes sense. The Hu (Sharong) people’s cooking methods are nowhere near as refined as Dayong’s. Now that the grill is set up, do you have a plan? When the emperor asks, I can report back.”

Qin Xia thought for a moment and then said, “In my view, the intricacy of this dish lies in its layers. I don’t plan to focus on the outside but rather on the inside.”

He continued, “What if, after the sheep is cut open, you find a goose, and inside the goose, a chicken, and inside the chicken, a pigeon, and inside the pigeon, an egg… How would that be?”

Yu Jiuque, following his description, couldn’t help but have his eyes light up with excitement.

“If you truly manage to make such a dish, it will surely become a staple of Dayong’s imperial banquets.”

Qin Xia smiled.

“Let’s hope that when the time comes, the emperor will bestow a fitting name for the dish.”