Chapter 5

At least it's not just eating bran and vegetables, Fei Qian consoled himself.

Swallowing a piece of millet cake, he picked up a bowl of mutton soup and took a sip. Although the ancient cuisine was pure and natural, free from any preservatives, and of the highest quality, Fei Qian still couldn't help but sigh secretly.

Even though adding a bit of cinnamon to the mutton broth was considered a delicacy in the Han Dynasty, it was something that most people couldn't afford.

It was much better than the bean porridge he had when he first arrived in the Han Dynasty.

However, after eating such food for a long time, he even started to miss the modern flavoring oils and hot pot water.

As for Sichuan dishes like twice-cooked pork, fish-flavored shredded pork, husband and wife lung slices, boiled beef, Kung Pao chicken, and Mapo tofu;

Suzhou and Zhejiang dishes like West Lake vinegar fish, Longjing shrimp, fragrant braised pork, West Lake lotus root soup, Jinling meatballs, and three-layer duck;

And other dishes like Buddha Jumps Over the Wall, Luohan Vegetarian Feast, Dragon and Phoenix Banquet, and Burnt Tail Banquet, which Fei Qian had enjoyed in the modern era, he could only imagine them now, and then swallow the saliva that wouldn't stop flowing...

In the development of Chinese cuisine, the invention of any dish was closely related to the social productivity and production tools of the time.

Fei Qian originally thought that with his experience as a half-hearted foodie from the modern era, he could at least rival the imperial chefs in the Han Dynasty, or at least become a renowned chef. However, he was severely discouraged by the primitive kitchen utensils.

Three things played a crucial role in modern Chinese cuisine: stoves that could control the heat, woks with good heat conductivity, and ample plant oil.

Only with these three conditions could a variety of dishes be created, and cooking techniques like stir-frying, frying, and boiling become more diverse.

The nomadic tribes like the Xiongnu and Xianbei, not to mention the Han Dynasty, even during the Tang and Song Dynasties, did not have mature stoves. They only had bonfires, and the only cooking methods were roasting and boiling.

In comparison, the Han people had a bit more variety, with methods like steaming and stewing in addition to roasting and boiling. However, it was still quite monotonous. For example, the most famous and top-tier imperial dish, which was only made on major festivals or celebrations and made every Han person dream of, do you know what it was?

The famous Five Cauldron Feast! During the reign of Emperor Wu of Han, Zhuang Fu Yan once said: "A man would rather be cooked in five cauldrons than eat from them in life!" Even if one couldn't eat the food cooked in the five cauldrons while alive, being cooked in them after death was acceptable.

This was such a profound love for the Five Cauldron Feast!

Don't think the Five Cauldron Feast was a complicated and exquisite dish. In fact, it was just boiling meat in five bronze cauldrons with plain water...

Ideals are full, but reality is harsh.

The Han Dynasty did not have iron pots, which only appeared in the Tang Dynasty. Cauldrons were for nobles, and most people in the Han Dynasty cooked with copper pots or earthenware jars. These were thick and round, with small handles. The handles and the bottom of the pot heated up to the same temperature, so anyone without iron palm training shouldn't even think about flipping the pot, or they might break it...

By the way, plant oil was rare in the Han Dynasty. The only common plant oil was sesame oil, which Zhang Qian brought back from the Western Regions, hence it was called "hemp" and was very expensive...

Fei Qian had initially tried to excel in the culinary world.

When Fei Qian expressed his dissatisfaction with the food and announced that he would cook delicious dishes himself, Uncle Fu let him indulge once.

However, when Uncle Fu saw Fei Qian pouring the expensive sesame oil into the copper pot, his eyes started twitching. Then, when he saw Fei Qian turn a bunch of green herbs into black charcoal because he couldn't control the heat in the thick copper pot, he couldn't bear it anymore.

From then on, Fei Qian, the wastrel, lost the right to enter the kitchen, and a star in the culinary world dimmed before it could rise.

However, if there were minor improvements, Uncle Fu could accept them.

For example, the millet cake, after steaming and then slightly roasting, Uncle Fu approved. It became even more fragrant and crispy, and Uncle Fu thought, "Our young master is indeed wise."

Another example was the plain boiled mutton, which could be stewed with a bit of cinnamon to remove the greasy taste. Uncle Fu approved of this and secretly added the cinnamon each time, fearing that others would learn the young master's secret recipe.

So, the food in ancient times was actually quite limited. Because of this, only the upper class and those in power had enough food to become fat and healthy, known as "blessed."

One of Uncle Fu's wishes was for Fei Qian to become more blessed, as he always felt Fei Qian was too thin after his illness.

Every time Fei Qian ate, he would invite Uncle Fu to join, but Uncle Fu always shook his head with a smile.

Uncle Fu was happier watching Fei Qian eat than eating himself, standing by with a smile. In his heart, as long as the young master ate well, slept well, and was healthy, that was the happiest thing.

Fortunately, Fei Qian had sold a few pieces of glassware, otherwise, even eating plain boiled mutton would be a problem. Sigh, if only there were chili peppers, he could at least make boiled fish or boiled mutton...

Speaking of beef, Fei Qian suddenly remembered something and asked, "Uncle Fu, Cui Xiaolang sent a visiting card yesterday, inviting me to his estate in the next few days. What do you think?" Of course, Cui Hou mentioned in the card that the main purpose was to enjoy the mountain scenery, drink tea, and discuss classics, and only mentioned at the end that a cow had recently died on the estate, and he invited Fei Qian to come and eat.

Although the Han government strictly prohibited the random slaughter of oxen, a "fallen" cow was not considered slaughtered. Eating a whole cow feast in the Han Dynasty was like eating at a Michelin-starred restaurant in modern times, something ordinary people rarely had the chance to do. Therefore, Cui Hou's invitation was quite high-class.

"About the Cui family... I've heard rumors," Uncle Fu hesitated but decided to speak. "There's a good family in the north of the city. It's said that the Cui family wanted to buy their family heirloom jade but couldn't. Soon after, the son of this good family was accused of colluding with the Yellow Turban rebels and thrown into prison. The family, with no other options, was advised to offer the jade to the Cui family, and only then did they receive a verdict of no evidence. Also, it's said that Cui Hou has many connections with the city's knights and has many skilled hands in his estate..."

Fei Qian frowned, "So, it's better not to go?"

Uncle Fu shook his head, "The Cui family is a former imperial minister, with many connections in the court. If the young master refuses without reason, it might not be good." Indeed, even though they were retired officials, they still had influence. Even if the Cui family had declined, a camel that has fallen is still bigger than a horse, and Fei Qian, with his status as a branch of the He Luo Fei family, couldn't compete.

In modern terms, it would be like a former national-level family inviting a reserve government official to a banquet, and the official refusing. That would just be awkward.

Yes, not going would be a slap in the face.

In the Han Dynasty, such a slap could turn friends into enemies. The most typical example was Tian Fen and Dou Ying during Emperor Wu's reign. Tian Fen was the prime minister, and Dou Ying was the Marquis of Wei Qi. Once, Tian Fen met Dou Ying's good friend, Guan Fu, and joked, "Guan Fu, I want to visit Marquis of Wei Qi, but since you are in mourning, let's skip it."

Guan Fu, however, took it seriously and said, "If you want to see Dou Ying, it must be for something important. How can I let my personal mourning delay your state affairs? Let's meet Marquis of Wei Qi tomorrow at noon."

Tian Fen found it boring and thought Guan Fu didn't understand jokes, so he just hummed and left.

But Guan Fu thought Tian Fen had agreed and told Dou Ying. Dou Ying prepared all night, cleaning the courtyard and preparing food, and waited with his wife from morning to night, but Tian Fen never came.

Dou Ying asked Guan Fu, "Didn't you say Prime Minister Tian Fen was coming?" Guan Fu was also puzzled and rode to the prime minister's residence, only to find that Tian Fen had forgotten and was already asleep. Dou Ying felt humiliated and began to oppose Tian Fen everywhere.

In the Han Dynasty, face was sometimes more important than in later times.

In the end, he still had to go.

Fei Qian felt a headache. If what Uncle Fu said was true, then the Cui family's sudden invitation had a bit of a "first courtesy, then force" meaning. The Cui family, like the good family's jade, was now eyeing the glass, and if he had to give it up, would it have any butterfly effect?

Worse still, what if the Cui family was insatiable?

Fei Qian couldn't help but curse in his heart. Why did the other time travelers in TV shows and novels invent things so easily, and everyone around them, from the emperor to the common people, was so kind and naive, believing anything? But when it came to him, just a little glass, and he was already being watched, and had to worry about his personal safety. What kind of situation was this!

He could only deal with it as it came. What else could he do? Many things weren't ready yet, and running away now would be too early.

"Since we can't avoid it, let's go!" Fei Qian made up his mind. It would be a small test. If he couldn't pass such a test, how could he survive in the face of so many threats? However, there might be another way, which was to deal with his own family.

The big fish eat the small fish, and the small fish eat the shrimp. If he was the shrimp, he just needed to find a big fish to intimidate the Cui family, the small fish. In modern times, if you didn't want to listen to your boss, you at least had to get close to your boss's boss.

"By the way, Uncle Fu, where is the Cui family's estate? Do you know? How far is it from the city?"

"I know. It's not far, about eight or nine li north of the city, at the foot of the North Mang Mountain."

Fei Qian nodded, "Oh, that's not too far. But, North Mang Mountain, why does this place sound so familiar?"