The roast-tail banquet for Su Buchi was by no means something to be taken lightly.
The events of today had spread far and wide, and all the officials in the capital already knew about it.
Su Buchi, the newly crowned top scholar, was nothing more than a pedantic scholar from a “backwater place”. It was a stretch for others to deign to exchange pleasantries with him as a form of courtesy. Since this young man didn't know his place, they would teach him a lesson and show him who really ruled the capital.
Li Ying knew that hundreds of pairs of eyes were fixed on Su Buchi, just waiting for him to make a mistake. After a quick calculation in her mind, she immediately came up with a plan.
This roast-tail banquet had to be exquisite and refined, but not overly extravagant. So, she would have to put a lot of effort into the cooking methods.
The horse caravan specially arranged a team of people to transport all kinds of seafood from the fishing village. The shrimps and crabs were fresh and lively, perfect for making a rich broth.
Li Ying personally supervised the kitchen. She simmered the broth until it was extremely thick. Then she took a tender chicken breast, minced it into a paste, and added it to the pot. She simmered it over low heat, repeatedly skimming the broth.
The chicken breast absorbed all the cloudy scum in the seafood broth, leaving behind a broth so clear that it was like a bowl of mountain spring water. But the flavor was extremely rich. Every sip was like a powerful tide hitting the tip of the tongue. The fresh aroma burst in the mouth like flying petals and shattered jade.
There was a small greenhouse in the Lu Mansion where the magnificent peonies were in full bloom. Li Ying carefully plucked the peony petals one by one. She added top-quality fish maw to the seafood broth and simmered it until it turned a pale jade color. Then she calmly brushed the broth onto the peony petals.
After the broth cooled, the gelatin in it solidified. By peeling off the petals, she obtained “crystal petals” that were identical in shape.
She arranged the crystal petals in groups of three or five and reassembled them into the shape of a peony flower in a white porcelain soup bowl. These broth petals were as thin as cicada wings and seemed ready to break at a touch. Even the veins of the peony flower were clearly imprinted, a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Even Su Buchi, Lu Xunguang and the others, who were used to seeing Li Ying cook, couldn't help but be secretly amazed.
She took a bowl of warm spring water and put the crystal peony into it. With a gentle stir, the petals melted in the water and turned back into a bowl of delicious soup.
Su Buchi never expected that even a warming soup at this “roast-tail banquet” would be so elaborate. He couldn't help but click his tongue in wonder.
Li Ying calmly presented a bamboo mat. On it were neatly arranged twenty-four delicate wontons in a riot of colors.
“The green cabbage wontons are filled with bamboo shoot and fresh meat. The yellow crepe-like wontons are filled with broad bean and yellow croaker. The orange plum-shaped ones are filled with sea urchin...”
As she carefully dropped the various wontons into the pot, Li Ying explained with a smile.
What she made was a dish called “Twenty-Four Wontons for Promotion”. She used various fruits and vegetables to dye the wonton wrappers and wrapped them with twenty-four kinds of seasonal ingredients to make twenty-four different-looking wontons, corresponding to the twenty-four solar terms such as the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It was extremely elegant.
Li Ying had stored all kinds of vegetables in her space long ago. Making this “Twenty-Four for Promotion” was just a bit more complicated in the wrapping process.
The common people who came to the banquet never expected that they could taste cucumbers from midsummer in late autumn. They whispered to each other, wondering how this young and upright Lord Su had managed to preserve them. They all clicked their tongues in admiration.
The twenty-four kinds of wontons were either clear and green or pink and charming. When fished out and placed in the peony soup, they were all gentle and elegant. They were pleasing to the eye and even more satisfying to the palate.
Another specialty of the fishing village was bamboo. By splitting fresh bamboo tubes and slowly roasting them over charcoal, the nutrients in the bamboo would be released by heat and become a small spring of sweet water, which was called “water in fire” in the medical classics, that is, bamboo juice.
The bamboo juice tasted slightly bitter at first, but it had a clear bamboo aroma, a long aftertaste, and the effect of clearing the lungs and moistening the throat. It was used to cook five-colored rice. Although it was a very light white porridge, the essence of the bamboo was all boiled into the rice soup. It was soft, delicate, and fragrant in the mouth.
She strained the cooked and mushy rice and only left the thick “congee without rice grains”. Then she deboned the stewed wild pheasant, took only the tender meat, minced it into a very fine paste, and cooked it in the congee base. Thus, the world's number one soup - “pheasant soup” - was made.
The aroma of the meat and the bamboo blended perfectly. The taste was extremely smooth and delicate. Although it looked plain and seemed very light, it was comforting with every mouthful and had an endless aftertaste.
Li Ying's series of actions were smooth and effortless, as if flowing clouds and running water.
The peony broth, pheasant soup, and wontons she made all seemed very simple dishes, but using plants in the cooking was extremely elegant and appealing. Even those like Inspector Lin, who had intended to humiliate Su Buchi, couldn't find any fault.
The common people enjoyed such an exquisite banquet for free, so they all praised it highly. When they were drunk and happy, Su Buchi picked up a wine cup, stood upright, and looked around seriously.
“People often say that when a fish leaps over the Dragon Gate, it must be scorched by thunder and lightning on its tail before it can turn into a dragon. Therefore, in all dynasties, when a scholar passed the imperial examination, he must hold a roast-tail banquet to celebrate.”
He spoke slowly. Seeing that all the guests had put down their chopsticks and were looking at him intently, he continued calmly, “I, Su, am not very talented, but I have a different view on this roast-tail banquet.”
“It is said that when a mountain tiger attains the Way and transforms into a human form, only its tail remains unchanged. Therefore, it must burn off its tail before it can enter the mortal world.”
“Today, I enter officialdom and hold this banquet to entertain the people in the city. I only hope that from now on, I can burn off all my bad habits like the tiger's tail and seek justice for everyone for generations to come!”
His impassioned speech was sonorous and powerful. The common people were deeply touched. The scholars who had not yet obtained any official titles were also boiling with enthusiasm. They were eager to try, not seeking to leap over the dragon gate and become a dragon, but only hoping to plead for the people and be honest and upright officials.
“Lord Su!”
Someone in the crowd called out first and bowed deeply to Su Buchi. The common people echoed in unison. For a moment, all the people at the banquet were respectful, clearly showing great respect for Su Buchi.
Li Ying and Lu Xunguang exchanged a look - their junior uncle had got off to a good start and won the hearts of the people, which was naturally of great benefit to them.
However, the manager of the Yunlai Restaurant and others couldn't help but feel a heavy stone pressing on their hearts.
They had intended to give this young man Su Buchi a hard time. Unexpectedly, with the help of Miss Li, this roast-tail banquet not only didn't turn into a laughingstock but also gave them a chance to gain fame!
This man was really not to be underestimated!