Chapter 88

As the fire beside them burned brightly and the charcoal quickly turned red, Xia Hongsheng directed the servants to move the red-hot charcoal into the barbecue grill. He then placed the thick iron plate on top. This way, one side of the grill could be used for skewers, while the other side could be used for teppanyaki. Turning around, he saw Xu Hui and Princess Chang乐 (Li Lizhi) had already threaded the skewers. He then jumped out and said to them, "Thank you for your help. Let you two try my skills first!"

As he spoke, he placed the skewers on the grill. Soon, a fragrant aroma spread. Xia Hongsheng began to sprinkle the seasonings he had prepared and brushed oil on them. With the sizzling sound of the oil, the air was instantly filled with a mouth-watering aroma. Soon, Xia Hongsheng took the skewers off the grill and handed them to Xu Hui and Li Lizhi, "Here, try them. The skewers are very hot, be careful not to burn yourselves."

The two women took the skewers from Xia Hongsheng, looking at them uncertainly, unsure where to start. They also looked at Xia Hongsheng, feeling that his eating style was rather unrefined, especially in front of so many people. Xia Hongsheng, noticing their hesitation, smiled and turned to get a plate. He then removed the food from the skewers onto the plate and handed it to them. Servants had already brought chopsticks, and the two women picked up a piece and put it in their mouths, immediately widening their eyes.

"Delicious..." Li Lizhi exclaimed.

"Alright, you two can grill whatever you want. Don't let the servants do it. The fun of barbecuing is in doing it yourself. The food you select and grill yourself is the most flavorful. Try it, you'll see," Xia Hongsheng said with a smile to Xu Hui and Li Lizhi. Li Lizhi was still a bit hesitant, but Xu Hui, having seen Xia Hongsheng do it many times, had no prejudice and immediately picked out a few skewers she wanted to try, placing them on the grill as Xia Hongsheng had done. After a moment of hesitation, Li Lizhi, unable to resist her curiosity, also started grilling.

Xia Hongsheng guided them, which surprised the servants greatly. They looked at the three of them with a mix of shock and fear, some even trembling. They tried to dissuade Xia Hongsheng several times, but he was annoyed and scolded them away.

Xu Hui and Li Lizhi became more and more enthusiastic as they grilled, forgetting their reserve. They chattered excitedly, deciding what to grill next and asking Xia Hongsheng about the seasonings. They were lively and spirited, full of energy... well, maybe "full of energy" wasn't quite the right word, but Xia Hongsheng was pleased to see the vitality of young people.

The other women, though they didn't grill themselves, enjoyed the food Xu Hui and Li Lizhi had grilled, praising it highly. The disdain they had previously felt towards Xia Hongsheng disappeared, and a few of the bolder ones even looked eager to try it themselves.

Soon, the sound of hooves was heard. Looking up, they saw Li Ke riding over. He dismounted and approached, but Li Lizhi, engrossed in her conversation with Xu Hui about what to grill next, didn't notice him.

A few servants quickly approached Li Ke and said something, but he waved them away, instructing them to handle the animals they had hunted. He then walked over alone.

Xia Hongsheng, seeing him, smiled and shrugged, continuing to flip the food on the grill. Xu Hui and Li Lizhi hadn't noticed him yet, still chattering and laughing as they competed for the seasonings.

For some reason, Li Ke, seeing Xia Hongsheng's carefree and relaxed demeanor, felt a sense of envy. He took a deep breath and, to everyone's surprise, walked over to the grill, picked up a few skewers, and placed them on the grill, imitating Xia Hongsheng.

Li Lizhi finally noticed Li Ke and was startled, instinctively hiding behind Xu Hui, her eyes wide with fear, "Third, Third Brother... When did you...?"

"Try the skewers your sister grilled," a skewer suddenly appeared in front of Li Ke, blocking his view of Li Lizhi.

Li Ke took the skewer, and Xia Hongsheng also took one, eating a few bites and nodding.

Li Ke, imitating Xia Hongsheng, took a bite and his eyes lit up. He looked at Li Lizhi, "Chang Le, when did you learn to cook? This is... Ha ha ha, I think it's even better than the food at Zui Xian Lou!"

Li Lizhi's face turned red, her voice soft, but she breathed a sigh of relief, "It's all the seasonings Xia Hongsheng prepared. Just put them on... Third Brother, I..."

"Is it that simple? Then let's see who can make the better skewers, brother and sister! Ha ha ha..." Li Ke interrupted Li Lizhi, laughing.

"Exactly, it's like climbing a mountain. You start from the bottom, overcome the fatigue, and finally conquer the mountain. Standing at the top, the world is at your feet. The same goes for these things. You prepare the seasonings, grill the food, and when it's ready to eat, getting praise from others is very satisfying," Xia Hongsheng patted Li Ke's shoulder, "When it's time to relax, you should relax. Don't always be so rigid. Take advantage of your youth and make small mistakes; people won't say much. As you grow older, opportunities to relax like this will become fewer and fewer."

Xia Hongsheng didn't lower his voice, and everyone around heard him. Some were thoughtful, others indifferent. Xia Hongsheng realized his teacher's habit of wanting to educate people had kicked in again. After a few more words, he changed the topic, "Get some people to help me slice the meat. Let you all try the iron plate grilled meat."

The servants, hearing Xia Hongsheng, quickly went to prepare. Xia Hongsheng instructed them, "Don't slice the meat too thin, about the thickness of chopsticks."

After that, Xia Hongsheng handed the grill to Li Ke and the others, sitting down beside them. More women joined in, and Xia Hongsheng was pleased to see everyone enjoying themselves. As more women joined, Li Ke also stepped back.

"Ha ha, Jing Shi, this thing..." Li Ke's eyes lit up, "It's really convenient, look..."

"This is called a barbecue grill. Go to the blacksmith in the Western Market; I've already given him the plans," Xia Hongsheng understood Li Ke's meaning and said. In this era, there was no concept of patents, and with so many nobles in Chang'an, a blacksmith wouldn't dare refuse someone of Li Ke's status, no matter how ethical he was. Xia Hongsheng gave him the plans, and in return, the blacksmith wouldn't charge for the grill. However, Xia Hongsheng considered building a few workshops on his estate in Jingyang, hiring blacksmiths and carpenters.

"Ha ha, thank you, Jing Shi!" Li Ke bowed and said, "Speaking of which, in your poem 'Loyalty to the Country,' you mentioned the hooves going south and people looking north. Now, the only threat to our northern border is the Turks and Goguryeo. The Western Turks are manageable, but the Eastern Turks are very troublesome, controlling the Tiele and Xueyantuo. They are our greatest enemy. As for Goguryeo, the previous dynasty's three campaigns against Goguryeo were unsuccessful and led to chaos. Now, we are at peace."

"I know what you're getting at, but the conditions for war are not yet ripe. We can't fight the Turks for now," Xia Hongsheng said, lying back on the grass with a blade of grass in his mouth.

Li Ke nodded, "I understand, but I can't help feeling angry. The Han had the Xiongnu, and we have the Turks. They are all from the same land. For thousands of years, these nomads have invaded and been repelled. We have fought and pacified them, but they never learn."

"Ha ha, because we are the righteous ones. The Great Tang Empire shows benevolence. I'll tell you, if you only fight and don't occupy, no matter how many times or how long you fight, the Central Plains will remain the Central Plains, the grasslands will remain the grasslands, the Tang people will remain the Tang people, and the Turks will remain the Turks. Even if you defeat and scatter them now, in a hundred or two hundred years, they will rise again and become a threat. It won't work," Xia Hongsheng said, crossing his legs and smirking.

"Really?!" Li Ke, hearing this, became very interested, turning to look at Xia Hongsheng, "What do you mean?"

"That's all for now. I can't explain it further, at least not now," Xia Hongsheng sat up, hearing the sound of hooves. He turned and saw that the others had returned, so he stood up and walked over.

After dismounting, the group gathered around the grill, intrigued by Xia Hongsheng's setup. They couldn't resist the urge to try it themselves, ignoring the etiquette and starting to grab the skewers, pushing the women aside. A few of the more assertive women scolded them, and everyone laughed.

The meat sizzled on the iron plate, the aroma enhanced by the seasonings, making it even more enticing. Li Ke, Li Yexu, and Wei Shuyu maintained some decorum, but Cheng Chumu and Cheng Chuliang looked like they hadn't eaten in centuries, sniffing the air by the iron plate. Li Yexu frequently glared at them, "Back off, don't drool on the meat!"

"Alright, it's ready, you can eat!" Xia Hongsheng announced.

An arm immediately shot out and quickly retracted. Looking up, Xia Hongsheng saw Cheng Chumu had already stuffed a whole piece of meat into his mouth. Xia Hongsheng stared in disbelief, amazed that he wasn't burned...

"Delicious! Delicious!" Cheng Chumu exclaimed, immediately reaching for more. The others, finally reacting, pushed him aside and surrounded the iron plate, grabbing the food.

"He he he... Brother Jing Shi..." Cheng Chuliang's eyes gleamed as he approached.

"Brother Jing Shi..." Li Yexu also approached, his eyes wide.

Xia Hongsheng looked at the group in front of him with a black line on his face, "Go to the first blacksmith in the Southern Market and have it made. I've already given him the plans. As for the seasoning recipes, I'll write them down for you later."

"Ha ha, good brother!"

"Ha ha ha ha, the Cheng family loves this kind of straightforwardness! Brother Xia, come to my house for a feast later!" Cheng Chumu laughed, his face covered in grease. Xia Hongsheng felt like rolling his eyes.

The group played and laughed all day, returning home only as the sun set, thoroughly satisfied.