The Wu family next to Li Zhi was dressed in yellow clothes today, dressed beautifully, and when he saw the emperor's blank expression, he smiled on the side, "Your Majesty, don't forget Ma Zhou." ”

Ma Zhou, the prime minister of the Taizong Dynasty, a scholar from a humble family, but finally became the prime minister of the court and won the trust of Emperor Taizong. It can be said that Ma Zhou is an excellent example, although some people are from ordinary backgrounds, but their talents cannot be concealed, what they lack is just an opportunity to display their talents.

At that time, Ma Zhou was a small official, and he was embarrassed by the officials, so he resigned and went to travel the world, and finally settled in Guanzhong and became the doorman of Chang He, the general of Xuanwu Gate. Once Taizong asked hundreds of officials to write a recital to make suggestions on the government, Chang He didn't know how to write, so he asked Ma Zhou to write one on his behalf.

As a result, the next day, this piece was presented to the emperor, but Li Shimin was amazed after reading it, and called Chang He to ask, Chang He didn't dare to hide it, and said that it was written by his own doorman Ma Zhou. After Li Shimin figured out Ma Zhou's identity, he did not look down on this humble person, but made an exception for him, and even made Ma Zhou the prime minister in the end.

The story of Taizong and Ma Zhou can be described as a good story of the monarch and the ministers knowing each other.

Li Zhi smiled when he heard this, he had also witnessed and admired Ma Zhou's talent, but he felt that Wu's words were a little too much praise for that kid, and there were a few talents like Ma Zhou in the world.

Limited by their background, many poor scholars generally have a broad vision, not to mention those small landlords in the countryside.

"Whether it's really talented or not, Your Majesty will know if you try it."

·······

The sudden arrival of Princess Gaoyang and her entourage surprised Li Xiao.

Although he has accepted that this former lover has become a new neighbor, Wan Niang does not like her very much, and her arrival has also changed the atmosphere in the courtyard a little.

Originally, the family was happy, but Gao Yang brought a group of men and women who were obviously nobles, which inevitably made the atmosphere not so relaxed.

For Li Zhi and Wu, Gao Yang's introduction to Li Xiao was his friend, a couple.

The details were not revealed too much, and Li Xiao did not find anything.

He never imagined that this very young-looking couple would actually be Li Zhi and Wu Zetian.

"It's the first time I've seen a pair written on the peach charm."

Li Zhi watched as Li Xiao wrote the pairs all over the table, some of which were written on peach symbols, and the rest were cut out of red paper and written on them.

"These pairs are very festive and auspicious, and they are suitable for the occasion, so right, and Saburo is so talented."

Li Xiao was a little embarrassed to be praised like this, but it was just some Spring Festival couplets, and these Spring Festival couplets were commonly used in later generations, he just came with them, not his own original.

"When I go back, I will also write a pair on this year's peach charm at home."

"Pairs are written on the peach symbol, I call them Spring Festival couplets."

"Spring Festival couplets? These two words are appropriate, the couplets of the Spring Festival, good. Li Zhi was greatly admired.

Remembering that Gao Yang said that the strategy of Ping Goguryeo came from this son, Li Zhi didn't believe it at first, and he thought in his heart that the strategy might have been heard by Li Xiao from Xue Rengui or Cheng Yanjin, but why didn't Xue Rengui and Cheng Yanjin personally present it to him, he felt that there might be something else hidden.

But now, seeing these couplets, he thinks maybe this kid can really say something like that.

"Well, it smells so good."

A burst of aroma hit, and Li Zhi couldn't help but sniff his nose.

Gao Yang covered his mouth and chuckled lightly, "It must be what the San Lang family is doing again." ”

"Actually, it's nothing, just prepare some Chinese New Year's Eve dinner."

"What Chinese New Year's Eve meal is so fragrant?" As the Son of Heaven, Li Zhi has the world's top imperial kitchen team to cook for him, but his appetite has never been very good, and he often can't eat anything, so he is also thinner. No matter how much effort the chefs put into it, there is always no improvement.

Today, the emperor said that the Chinese New Year's Eve meal of the small landlord's house was so fragrant in this small courtyard in the countryside, which undoubtedly made many people around the emperor very puzzled.

Even the Wu clan was greatly surprised.

As the most favored concubine by the emperor's side, the Wu family usually tries his best to prepare meals for the emperor, but it is difficult to please the emperor.

"What do you do, take us to open our eyes." Wu asked with a smile.

"Yes."

Li Xiao felt that these nobles probably ate a lot of all kinds of delicacies from the mountains and seas on weekdays, so they were a little interested in this simple meal in the countryside, which was just like the people in the city who liked to go to the countryside to eat farmhouses and eat firewood rice in later generations, and they just had a different feeling when they ate.

Today's Chinese New Year's Eve, the Chinese New Year's Eve dinner in the Li family compound was very richly prepared, killing pigs and slaughtering sheep, except for no beef, chicken, duck and fish.

Today, the people in the courtyard on Lanxi Street and nearby Zhuangli will come back for the New Year, and there are many people, so Li Xiaoding's Chinese New Year's Eve dinner is mainly hot pot.

It's still early now, and the fragrance wafting over there is actually making a hot pot base.

Because of the discovery of something as magical as chili peppers in the space, Li Xiao couldn't help but start trying to make authentic Sichuan hot pot base.

Chili pepper, Sichuan pepper and butter, combined with a few kinds of seasonings, can make an excellent red oil base. This kind of spicy and spicy taste, once concocted, makes the people of Lijiazhuang love and fear.

What I love is that this taste is unique, numb and spicy, and spicy and enjoyable. The scary thing is that it is spicy, it can make people cry and snot, and the spicy one is covered in sweat.

But the strange thing is that spicy is spicy, but after the spicy, the refreshing energy is not to mention how refreshing.

Some people even have a headache and brain fever, and after eating this spicy hot pot, they are suddenly refreshed and comfortable, and they are all smooth.

"Why is this thing so spicy, fiery red, is it refining medicine?" Li Zhi looked at the red base in the cauldron suspiciously.

"This is not alchemy medicine, this is making the seasoning base for hot pot. With this base, it is very convenient to eat hot pot, first hang a pot of soup, and then add this base material, you can eat hot pot. Li Xiao explained with some smugness.

The spicy hot pot with chili peppers is very refreshing.

Without spicy, the hot pot has no soul.

The recipe of a good hot pot base is different, but it is always inseparable from butter, pepper, chili, and then onions, ginger and garlic must also be available, and others will even add dozens of spices such as cinnamon, star anise, fennel, pepper, bay, cumin, etc.

Li Xiao is doing it simpler now, but he has a few key things.

"Is there soup hanging in the pot over there?"

Li Zhi felt that the closer the base pot became, the more smoky it became, pungent but refreshing. He stepped away a little and pointed to the other cauldrons.

"Oh, that's really hanging soup, eating hot pot not only has to have a good base, but also has to have a good soup. As the saying goes, no chicken is not fresh, no duck is not fragrant, no bones are not thick, so there must be a good combination of raw materials when hanging the soup to ensure that the soup is delicious. ”

The soup in that pot was already milky white and fragrant.

"What's in this pot?"

"An old hen, an old duck, fifteen catties of pig bones, and five catties of fresh crucian carp."

"I can't imagine that chicken, duck and fish are cooked together, it is so fragrant, but why don't you use beef and sheep bones instead of pork bones?" Li Zhi asked again.

Li Xiao smiled.

In the eyes of the aristocracy, pork has always been cheap.

"Mutton has meat, beef is fishy, although pork is cheap meat, but it is suitable to stew pork bones with chicken, duck and fish, which is very fragrant. As for the beef and mutton, the rest is thinly sliced and eaten in a hot pot to taste more delicious. ”

"Oh, I see, I can't imagine that there are so many exquisite combinations, then I'm going to give it a try today to see if what you said is true, but I don't know if San Lang is willing to entertain."

"The visitor is a guest, you are a friend of the princess, and naturally a friend of my Li San, as long as you don't dislike the dilapidated cottage, it's too late for me to be happy."

Li Zhi nodded hehehe, and made a special explanation, "I don't need to prepare any other drinks and dishes, just eat your hot pot today." ”