Chapter 87

Xia Hongsheng, gazing longingly, did not forget to find a blacksmith to forge items. After preparing everything, he finally waited for the holiday to arrive.

As soon as the sky began to brighten in the early morning, Xia Hongsheng was already at the door. Qi Yong led several soldiers who had already loaded the items Xia Hongsheng had prepared onto the carriage. He then climbed onto the carriage himself and, following the drumbeat, led Qi Yong straight to the Mingde Gate. Not far from the Mingde Gate, he saw a large group of people. Among them, a man in white robes and riding a white horse was particularly eye-catching. He was holding a folding fan in his hand, looking incredibly flamboyant. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be Li Ke?! The contrast was quite significant. Xia Hongsheng smiled, having already noticed over the past few days that Li Ke was the leader among this group of playboys, a true ringleader. Heh, in a few years, when Li Chenggan and Li Tai were older, this guy wouldn't be so carefree anymore.

Or perhaps, he would become even more unrestrained. Historically, during the rivalry between Li Chenggan and Li Tai, neither of them seemed to have targeted Li Ke, as Li Ke had protected himself by deliberately portraying himself as a man without ambition and a dissolute playboy. Incidents like riding horses to trample fields and gambling, which led to his demotion from a governor to a prefect, seemed to have occurred after Li Shimin said, "Ke is as heroic and resolute as I am." This strategy was effective, so neither Li Chenggan, Li Tai, nor Li Zhi, when he became the crown prince, had any intention of harming Li Ke. Unfortunately, it was ultimately the excessive suspicion of Changsun Wuji that led to Li Ke's death. Although he was posthumously rehabilitated during the Shendragon era, it was too late, as he was already dead. In fact, among Li Shimin's sons, the ones truly capable of expanding the Tang Dynasty were Li Chenggan and Li Ke.

This group of playboys all rode horses, and there were also many carriages nearby, some of which contained people Xia Hongsheng recognized from the Hongwen Pavilion, as well as many unfamiliar faces.

As the carriage approached, Xia Hongsheng jumped down and was spotted by Fang Yiai, who rode over and said, "Haha, Brother Xia, why are you still in a carriage? That's for women. A real man should ride a horse to feel the thrill!"

Xia Hongsheng didn't get angry, just smiled and pointed to the carriage, saying, "We're going hunting, so of course, we need to cook and eat on the spot to enjoy it. I'm not riding a horse because I brought a magical tool for outdoor barbecues—don't eat it later."

"Outdoor barbecue? Magical tool?" Fang Yiai was puzzled, not understanding what Xia Hongsheng meant.

"Ah, Junior Brother, are you going to do it yourself again?" Xu Qixian, who had arrived early, came over when he saw Xia Hongsheng and immediately became excited. "Forget about the rest, I want to eat a whole beggar's chicken! I haven't had it for over a month, I really miss it!"

Hearing Xu Qixian's words, a burly man rode over and asked in a deep voice, "What is this beggar's chicken? Why does Brother Xu miss it so much?"

Xia Hongsheng looked over and saw a stranger he didn't recognize. Hearing that he knew Xu Qixian, it seemed that Xu Qixian had arrived early and introduced everyone. The burly man dismounted and bowed, saying, "I am Cheng Chumo. I believe this must be the newly ennobled Lord Xia Hongsheng? I often hear my second brother speak of you. Your poem 'Loyalty to the Country' is truly inspiring. My second brother now howls it at home every day, and my father, upon hearing it, was also very moved and wanted to befriend you. He even performed a set of horse spear techniques in the front courtyard, hahaha..."

"Uh..." Xia Hongsheng smiled, recognizing the name as Cheng Chuliang's brother, the eldest son of Cheng Yaojin. He then said, "Haha, you'll see, Brother Cheng. For now, I'll give you a tip: eat less dry food on the way, save your appetite!"

As they introduced themselves and waited for others to arrive, they eventually set off in a grand procession.

These playboys were not without skills. They could ride horses at high speed while shooting arrows with both hands, which impressed Xia Hongsheng. He took the bow and arrow from Qi Yong and tried a few times, but couldn't find a target.

"Master, there!" Qi Yong pointed to a patch of grass and whispered.

Xia Hongsheng turned and saw a wild rabbit hiding in the grass. His eyes lit up; rabbit meat was delicious when grilled! He drew the bow and arrow, but it was so heavy! Xia Hongsheng strained with all his might, his face turning red as he pulled the bow, aimed, and released. The bowstring snapped back, and the arrow fell a few steps in front of him, while the rabbit remained unaware.

"Uh, Master, let me do it!" Qi Yong, who had been struggling, finally spoke up, his face red.

Xia Hongsheng rolled his eyes, "Laugh if you want, I've never learned archery, I can't do it."

He handed the bow and arrow back to Qi Yong, who, upon receiving it, drew the bow smoothly and shot the arrow, which hit the rabbit straight in the eye, killing it instantly.

Impressive! Xia Hongsheng turned and gave Qi Yong a thumbs up.

"Let them have their fun, I'll stick to my old job." Xia Hongsheng looked at the group of madmen galloping into the forest and said, "Come on, Qi Yong, let's unload the stuff!"

In the future, every time he went out to play, Xia Hongsheng was always the chef. He didn't like drinking and wasn't good at playing cards, so when a group went out, he was in charge of cooking. Xia Hongsheng had all the necessary tools and was skilled, so he was always invited. Being single and having no one to keep him company, he naturally went out whenever called, and his culinary skills helped him make friends no matter where he worked. Now, with everyone hunting and his horse-riding and archery skills lacking, he decided to return to his old job and cook.

These playboys brought their servants and guards, who followed their masters on horseback. The servants were already preparing by the Qujiang River, gathering stones to build stoves and finding firewood. The women gathered on the grass near the river, chatting under the tents set up by the servants.

Qi Yong called a few servants to help unload Xia Hongsheng's "magical tool" from the carriage. As they carried it over, people's attention was drawn to the large and strange object. The servants stopped their work, and the women's curiosity was piqued. Qi Yong seemed to enjoy the attention, walking proudly with the object.

"Master! I've brought it!" Qi Yong shouted as he reached Xia Hongsheng.

"Showing off!" Xia Hongsheng rolled his eyes and said, "Good, start the fire and heat the charcoal."

Qi Yong and the servants started the fire, while Xia Hongsheng began setting up the other items: iron skewers, fish tongs, and various vegetables. A few servants from other families saw and were surprised, quickly coming over to apologize but were sent away by Xia Hongsheng.

"Brother Xia, what are you doing?" A voice came from behind. Xia Hongsheng turned and saw an unfamiliar woman standing there, curious about the items in his hands and the barbecue grill and thick iron plate in front of him.

"Oh, I'm preparing for an outdoor barbecue. Haha, when they return from hunting, we can start." Xia Hongsheng bowed and replied.

"Outdoor barbecue? What is that?" The woman was puzzled.

Seeing someone talking to Xia Hongsheng, the other women gathered around, curious about the object the servants had carried over but hesitant to approach him. Now that someone had started the conversation, they all came over.

"Brother Xia must be making something to eat. His food is always delicious." Xu Hui and Chang Le, who had been somewhere else, saw the group of women and came over, realizing Xia Hongsheng was among them.

"A real man doing this?..." The first woman looked at Xia Hongsheng in surprise, with a hint of disdain in her eyes. The other women were also taken aback.

Xia Hongsheng didn't care, not wanting to explain further. He had never lived by others' opinions and didn't care about what they thought, focusing on preparing his items.

Xu Hui stepped forward and squatted down, saying, "Brother Xia, I'll help you. How do we do this?"

"Simple, just help me skewer the prepared items on these iron skewers. Don't fill them too much, leave about an inch of space at the front." Xia Hongsheng handed her a set of iron skewers and called to Qi Yong, "Where's the wine?"

Qi Yong ran to the carriage and brought back a jar of wine, which Xia Hongsheng had specially prepared over the past few days. Although the ingredients were limited, it still had some flavor.

"Chang Le, I'll help you too." Princess Chang Le, Li Lizhi, seeing her friend helping, also squatted down to assist Xu Hui.

Xia Hongsheng looked but didn't stop them. Today was for fun, and there was no need for formalities. Li Lizhi, who was usually quiet and gentle but lacked vitality, might relax and enjoy herself by helping with the barbecue.