Chapter 76: The Night Banquet (5)
"Sons and daughters welcome their father, emperor and queen mother!"
As soon as the slowly approaching golden chrome car, Brother Li Xian hurriedly led the crowd to greet him, bowed and saluted.
"Hey, Xian'er, Xian'er, why did you stop here?"
Li Xian and the others saw the salute together, and two little eunuchs rolled up the curtain of the golden chrome car left and right, and Gaozong looked out from the carriage, and saw that the little brothers were actually driving on the avenue that was still some distance away from the garden, and couldn't help but be a little confused, and asked in confusion.
"If you go back to your father, you and your mother will travel, and the children should be the forerunner, which is the filial piety that the sons and daughters should fulfill, and I implore the father, the queen mother, and the quasi-sons and daughters to protect the left and right, so as to be safe."
When Gaozong asked this, Li Xian really didn't know how to answer, so in desperation, he could only turn his gaze to Li Xian, but saw Li Xian bowing unhurriedly and explaining with a smile.
"Hey, you kid, that's it, that's it, then it's good to guard."
Gaozong naturally didn't know that Li Xian's stomach had countless twists and turns, and he was not surprised when he heard Li Xian say this, he smiled and waved his hand, and casually agreed to Li Xian's request, but he didn't notice a trace of essence flashing in the eyes of the martial queen sitting beside him.
Hey, it's really going to be done tonight, good guys, and you're almost in the trap! Gaozong didn't notice the change in Empress Wu's eyes, but Li Xian's eyes were very sharp, and the glimmer of essence in Empress Wu's eyes was just a flash, but he couldn't hide Li Xian's intentional observation, and his heart tightened, and he had already determined the arrangement of Empress Wu, and couldn't help but secretly shout that he was lucky, but Li Xiancheng's mansion was deep, although his heart was already vigilant, but his face was still full of Chengzhi's incomparable smile, and he happily went to the side of the golden chrome car, and acted as an accompanying escort in such a manner.
Picking up is a big deal, the amount of red tape is really extraordinary, even if Gaozong is just going to the "family banquet", but the etiquette that should be there is no less, since Gaozong and others got off the car, the martial arts have all become kowtow insects, kneeling and kowtowing to work non-stop, stunned to the time when the sky is dark, finally Gaozong and other distinguished guests are all welcomed into the banquet hall, each sat down, the wine and food are on one after another, even if the family banquet officially began, according to the old practice, it is naturally the martial arts brothers who are the hosts on the toast, Then there was Gaozong's instruction, and the martial queen returned the salute, and it was a good toss, until the first song and dance came on, and a group of people waited for some free time.
The Wu family has been rich for generations, and the Wu brothers are in high positions, although the banquet they have purchased is not as dazzling as the dishes of the palace banquet, but it is also extremely rich, and the dishes are sent up from time to time like flowing water, and the few sons in front of everyone are full of locality, but the people here are the most noble people in the world, what food has not been enjoyed, naturally there is little interest in those wine and food, even if it is to move chopsticks, that is, it means a little, taste it, most of them just enjoy the song and dance, and take out a few words, The atmosphere of the whole family banquet has always been very bland, and even a little dull, even if the martial brothers can be flattering and gags to create an atmosphere, but it will not help, just like that, the two songs and dances have passed, and the family banquet is coming to an end.
Food, Li Xian doesn't eat, wine, if you don't drink it, Li Xian will never touch his lips, he really can't avoid the toast of the martial brothers, that is, he can do it casually, although he sits up straight, it seems that his mind is all on the song and dance, in fact, the corner of his eyes glances at the Helan mother and daughter sitting diagonally opposite from time to time, secretly vigilant, ready to respond at any time, however, to Li Xian's expectation - the song and dance have passed two times, and I haven't seen anything wrong with Helan's mother and daughter, which makes Li Xian irritable for no reason, But at this moment, he didn't dare to talk nonsense, so he could only suppress the irritability in his heart and wait with complicated feelings, just because Li Xian himself couldn't tell whether he hoped that the accident would happen well or not.
"Your Majesty, the queen mother, Weichen has been an official in Shizhou for several years, although he has not made much achievements in government affairs, but he has made a slight gain in the food road, and occasionally gets a dish, he does not dare to hide his secrets, and he will come out to invite His Majesty and the queen to appreciate it." Just after the second song and dance retreated, Wu Weiliang stood up with a smile, strode to the hall, bowed deeply to the chairman of the board of directors Gaozong and Empress Wu, and said in a wordy manner.
"Oh? I was very curious about this, so Aiqing would send that dish to the general. Gaozong actually didn't really want to come to this so-called family banquet, but since Empress Wu opened his mouth, he couldn't help but come, and his interest was naturally not high, it was just a matter of coping, and he didn't open Jinkou much this night, but at this time, listening to Wu Weiliang's words, he really came to some interest, so he sat up straight, waved his hand, and signaled Wu Weiliang to hurry up and offer treasure.
"Yes, Wechen obeys!" Wu Weiliang saw that he had successfully aroused Gaozong's interest, and he was very excited, and hurriedly agreed to the promise, and did not retreat, so he stood in the hall, and slapped his palm gently, and immediately saw two pretty maids carrying a tray from outside the hall, and there was a large sea bowl on the tray, and the heat was steaming, but the bowl was covered with a lid, and it was impossible to see what was inside, but there was a strong fragrance that spread in the lobby in an instant, so that people smelled it, and they had a great appetite.
"Your Majesty, please see." When the two maids walked to the hall, Wu Weiliang walked closer, stretched out his hand to lift the lid on the big bowl, made a gesture of "please", and said with a smile.
"This, this is tofu?"
Gaozong is lustful but not delicious, he has never cared much about eating, and he has not studied too much, but no matter what, the basic food concept is still not lacking, and he stared at the things in the big bowl for a long time, how to look at it and think that it was just ordinary tofu, but he was not sure, hesitated for a moment, and then tentatively said in confusion.
"Your Majesty is wise, this is exactly tofu."
Wu Weiliang smiled and bowed and replied affirmatively.
"Huh? Aiqing, isn't this tofu made of gold? ”
As soon as he heard Wu Weiliang's answer, Gao Zongke was not happy, he felt like he had been tricked, but it was not good to attack the martial arts family in front of the martial queen, his face immediately became gloomy, and he sneered coldly.
"Your Majesty, although this thing is tofu, it is not the tofu you usually see, and there is something special in it." Under Gaozong's displeasure, the atmosphere in the hall immediately darkened, but Wu Weiliang was not nervous, and explained with a smile, but he deliberately sold Guanzi, and still refused to say what was inside.
"Oh? I'm curious about what this thing is, so Aiqing might as well come out. Gaozong looked at the bowl of tofu suspiciously, then at Wu Weiliang, scratched his head, and asked with some disbelief.
"So that Your Majesty can know that this thing is indeed tofu, but the raw material is not soy milk, but egg white, duck brain, beef paste and other things are boiled by secret methods, and its freshness and tenderness can be described as unparalleled, which is not unusual, and what is even more rare is that there is something in this tender tofu - loach!" Wu Weiliang smiled proudly and explained loudly.
"Loaches?"
Loache is a cheap thing, naturally it is impossible to go to the imperial dining room, although Gaozong has heard of it, but has never really seen this thing, at this time when he heard that the tofu is a loach, he couldn't help but be stunned, I really don't understand what this loach can have.
"Your Majesty, although this loach is out of the pond, but it is not an ordinary paddy field, it is to take its fat, feed it with cow paste every day, wash it with water, clear its intestines with aged vinegar every day three days before the pot, and then nourish it with ginseng soup, so that it tastes, when it is ready to go to the pot, it is also particular, that is, this living creature and tofu are merged into the pot, slightly with ginseng soup as the base, slowly boiled with a simmer, the loach is afraid of heat, the soup is slightly hot, then they have drilled into the tofu, to be cooked, the tofu has been closed, the loach is turned into the tofu, its taste is very fresh, and there is the miraculous effect of nourishing the skin, Food can be beautiful. Wu Weiliang explained eloquently, and especially pointed out the effect of beauty and beauty, which surprised everyone.
"Alas, the third uncle said that this thing is so magical, the concubine body is really unheard of, isn't it really a miracle to nourish the face?" Women always love beauty, Helan Minyue heard that this thing can nourish her face, and she became energetic, and she didn't wait for Gaozong to speak, and she exhaled angrily.
"Madam Mingjian, this thing does have the miraculous ability of nourishing the face, and the lower official is a recipe obtained from the hands of an immortal chief, and he really doesn't dare to lie and coax the saint." Wu Weiliang had long heard that Helan Minyue, the niece, was now Gaozong's new favorite, and when he saw his question, he didn't dare to slack off a little, so he hurriedly bowed down and replied.
"Really, the concubine is really insightful." Helan Minyue's mouth opened slightly, and her big eyes looked at the plate of tofu, as if she was extremely tempted.
"Okay, Aiqing has a heart, well, Yue'er is happy, then use it first." Gaozong is not particular about eating, even if Wu Weiliang speaks beautifully, Gaozong will forget it after listening to it, but he doesn't pay much attention to it, but when he saw that Helan Minyue was moved, he smiled and made a will, and rewarded this plate of tofu to Helan Minyue.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, concubine."
As soon as Helan Minyue heard this, she was happy, and she smiled at Gao Zongfu with a blessing, opened her mouth, and thanked her delicately, but her eyes were aimed at the magical tofu.
Everyone present is extremely noble, so naturally they will not have the intention of competing with Helan Minyue, besides, since Gaozong has opened the golden mouth, no one dares to fight on the spot, so they can only watch with a smile as the plate of tofu is handed to Helan Minyue's mother and daughter......