paranoianovel Chapter 2644 Extreme Luxury
Chapter 2644 Extreme Luxury
"Alas, I do not have high expectations for you. I only hope that you will avoid trouble. You are already of age and should restrain your temper."
If you assist your elder brother and share the burdens of the court, I will be content.
As for achieving great deeds and establishing a career, I don't expect you to do that."
Li Shimin sighed. His son was indeed sensible when he was young, but you never knew if he was genuinely sensible or just acting.
He has lowered his demands on Li Shen again and again, and now he has almost no demands at all, as long as he doesn't cause trouble.
He was content with occasionally helping Li Chengqian.
"I will heed your teachings." Li Shen bowed respectfully. He was a bad kid, but there were advantages to being a bad kid.
Parents are still not satisfied if their good child scores 99 points, but if their bad child scores 60 points, their parents will praise them and celebrate, thinking that they have finally passed.
No matter how well Li Chengqian did, Li Shimin was never satisfied. But as long as Li Shen didn't harm anyone, Li Shimin would be overjoyed and comfort his ancestors.
After Li Shen finished offering his toast, he sat down, and the others followed suit, offering toasts and auspicious words.
Originally, Li Chengqian was supposed to start, but he didn't expect Li Shen to suddenly offer a toast first.
Although there was some lack of respect for age, Li Chengqian didn't say anything, after all, Li Shen was just that kind of independent and unconventional person.
But after he finished toasting, he learned the reason: Li Shen took advantage of their toasting to feast and eat heartily.
Li Chengqian's eyelids twitched as he watched; this guy was far too cunning.
After one batch of dishes was served, the palace maids came and cleared the plates away, and then another batch arrived.
Li Shen stood up and introduced them to Li Shimin one by one:
"Father, this dish is called 'Wanfu Meat'."
"This dish is called 'Gold Inlaid Jade.' It is made by removing the heads and tails of bean sprouts, hollowing them out, and stuffing them with minced meat."
Bean sprouts existed as early as the Tang Dynasty and were not a rare commodity, but Li Shen's actions seemed somewhat out of place.
They actually stuffed minced meat into those tiny bean sprouts?
Li Shimin picked up a bean sprout and examined it closely; indeed, he could vaguely see the fleshy color inside.
When you put it in your mouth and chew it, you can indeed taste the fresh aroma of bean sprouts and the texture of meat.
At this moment, he truly wished to resurrect Wei Zheng, to show this old man what true extravagance was.
You were always making things difficult for yourself back then, why don't you make things difficult for Li Shen instead?
"Shen'er, isn't this... a bit too extravagant? It's just a family dinner, is it really necessary to go to such lengths?"
Even Empress Zhangsun couldn't stand it anymore. Bean sprouts skewered on meat—was that something a human could even think of?
I took a bite, and although the taste was unique, it wasn't to the point of being abnormal. This was more about luxury than deliciousness.
"Reporting to Mother, it was indeed quite laborious. For these few dishes, I instructed two hundred maids from the inner palace to begin making them early this morning."
Several hours had passed, and they had only managed to prepare a few dishes.
Li Shenbing reported that, in order to ensure freshness, and since preparations could not be made in advance, the only option was to use a large number of personnel to make up for the lack of productivity.
This thing is indeed difficult. After trying it a few times, Li Shen was about to lose his temper. You definitely can't do it without patience.
He only intended to show off in the palace; he definitely wouldn't eat it at home—it's too much trouble, and he can't wait.
"Two hundred people made this? Shen'er, you're becoming more and more outrageous."
Consort Wei glared at Li Shen and angrily rebuked him. "Isn't this just extravagance and debauchery? How is he any different from King Zhou in the Records of the Grand Historian?"
Li Shen was too embarrassed to speak after being reprimanded. He regretted it a little, wondering if he had overdone it.
He really wanted to explain that he doesn't usually eat like this, but judging from how other people looked at him, even if he explained, they might not believe him.
Birds and beasts, swallows in the clouds, cattle and sheep on land, seafood from the sea. Li Shen prepared everything this time, and some of them were beyond description in terms of taste; even the ingredients took a long time to prepare.
"Tenth Brother, what other dishes are there for everyone to watch the performance?"
Li Shimin stared at Li Shen expressionlessly. He had guessed that today's event would be extravagant, but he hadn't expected it to be this extravagant.
There are still so many seafood ingredients available this season! Not only in the palace, but even among the aristocratic families outside, there isn't any.
Li Shen agreed and, forcing himself to speak, began his introduction:
"Ah, this is Songjiang perch, stewed turtle with Polygonum multiflorum, ginseng and black chicken soup, and roast suckling pig with gold leaf."
Li Shen named them one by one, but didn't mention the production method or materials. He was afraid of angering his father and getting beaten up.
But his silence didn't mean Li Shimin wasn't curious. He simply picked up the golden spoon and took a sip of the soup.
The soup is clear and bright, like amber, with a bittersweet aftertaste. Taking a small sip, a warm current immediately flows from the throat to every part of the body.
Li Shimin nodded repeatedly and asked:
How is this soup made?
Upon seeing that it was ginseng and black chicken soup, Li Shen quickly replied:
"Report back to Father, fetch Korean ginseng from Liaodong Road. It should be as thick as a child's arm, with all the hairs and whiskers intact. Slice it with a jade knife, then put it in a stewing pot and steam it for six hours."
Li Shen gave a brief introduction.
This Korean ginseng, as thick as a child's arm, is already luxurious enough.
"And this one?" Li Shimin asked, pointing to a brightly colored chicken standing to the side.
“This…” Li Shen hesitated, wondering whether he should speak.
“Even if you don’t say anything, there will be records later, and I will find out eventually,” Li Shimin said calmly.
"Sigh," Li Shen sighed. Since things have come to this, he might as well speak.
"Father, this dish is called 'A Hundred Birds Paying Homage to the Phoenix.' It uses a seven-colored phoenix that is at least three years old. After removing its feathers and cleaning it, it is stuffed with precious ingredients such as shark fin and scallops."
Then...capture another hundred different kinds of birds, taking only their breast meat, mincing it into a paste, adding spices, and smearing it on the surface. Steam it for five hours, while simultaneously fumigating it with sandalwood.
Li Shen's words were met with complete silence. Everyone had just eaten the dish; the meat was tender and delicious.
I thought that bean sprouts skewered with meat was luxurious enough, but I never expected there to be something even more outrageous: taking only the breast meat from a hundred kinds of birds.
If this guy became emperor, he'd definitely be a tyrant.
Putting aside everything else, only the Prince Ji's Mansion could afford to do this, given the precious materials and the immense human and financial resources required.
"Hehehe." Li Shimin laughed, a laugh that made Li Shen feel uneasy and cold.
"You unfilial son, your extravagance and debauchery are beyond description; you are utterly devoid of conscience."
"What? Father, how am I so heartless? Eating a dish makes me heartless?" Li Shen immediately retorted upon hearing this term.
While it is indeed a bit too extravagant, you can't say I'm completely heartless.
“Father, although I only took the breast meat, I didn’t throw away the rest. I gave it all to the servants to eat, so there was no waste.”
Li Shen felt he could still put up a fight.
"Hmph, even so, you only took the breast meat. Has anyone in history eaten it this way?"
Li Shimin snorted coldly. If this got out, the imperial family would lose all face.
“I’m spending my own money, not the government’s. What’s wrong with that?” Li Shen asked loudly.