Archaeological discoveries show that in the Shang Dynasty, in order to make pork more delicious, people had already undergone sterilization surgery on poor boars and sows, and they were so leisurely and elegant that they even drew pictures and added words to this matter.
However, firstly, there were no antibiotics in ancient times, and the wounds of poor pigs were easily infected after sterilization; secondly, people lacked meat, so the more pigs bred, the better. It was good enough to eat meat, and people would not be picky about the taste of meat. Only wealthy families such as dukes and ministers would castrate pigs.
Because people were hungry at that time, pig pens were built next to toilets, and pigs were fed human feces. The parasites and the fishy smell of pork were terrible. Therefore, even if there was technology to castrate pork, wealthy families did not like to eat pork.
Over time, people began to regard pork as "cheap meat".
However, the Chinese have always been very pragmatic. As long as the food tastes good, they don’t care about the quality of the food.
Zhu Xiang had the Lin family's support and there were only two people in his family, so he was considered a semi-wealthy family. He barely raised a few pigs using modern methods to satisfy his appetite.
After Lin Zhi ate the pork from his family, he sent people to raise pigs under Zhu Xiang's guidance.
What's the big deal about spending some grain? As long as the meat tastes good, that's all. Although Lin Xiangru didn't get a title because of his low birth, the position of Shangqing allowed the Lin family to afford to eat castrated pigs raised with grain and pig grass.
Therefore, Zhu Xiang didn't lack the meat and oil to eat.
Seeing the baby Qin Shi Huang's face flushed with joy as he ate the steamed eggs, Zhu Xiang smiled with satisfaction.
Thinking about the simple food at home, Zhu Xiang couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
In his previous life, he loved reading novels about farming and food because of his job. But as a professor of agronomy, he certainly knew that novels were just for fun. If he really traveled through time and space and wanted to get rich by using food, then forget it.
To put it simply, "delicious" means the best ingredients, including oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and spices. How can ordinary people get the best ingredients? Oil and seasonings are indispensable for delicious food.
The spices worth thousands of gold were simply impossible for ordinary people to obtain. Even salt, without the conditions to use modern industrial purification, would have to be purified to the point where there was no bitterness. I don’t know how many times it would have to be repeatedly brined. Such expenses were beyond the reach of even ordinary scholars.
As for oil, if you can use it to fry meat and sell it, then your family can definitely eat meat every day; if you can use vegetable oil... Let alone the current variety of vegetable oil, even in the Ming and Qing dynasties, the families who could grow cash crops were either wealthy merchants or tenants of wealthy merchants. If they were poor, how could they get vegetable oil every day
It’s not that people couldn’t make delicious food in ancient times, it’s just that ordinary people couldn’t make delicious food. Those restaurants that can sell delicious food can’t be backed by ordinary families, otherwise they wouldn’t even have enough ingredients, oil, salt, sauce and vinegar.
It was not until Zhu Xiang became Lin Xiangru's retainer and took charge of all of Lin's fields and villas that he had the chance to eat something that could be considered delicious.
Now, after years of hard work, Zhu Xiang can make the crying Qin Shi Huang cub smile and temporarily forget the pain of being abandoned by his biological mother. Zhu Xiang feels a sense of relief that it was all worth it.
My little Qin Shi Huang is so cute.
"Fill your stomach first, there will be delicious food in the evening." Zhu Xiang handed the empty bowl to the old servant and said to Ying Xiaozheng who was licking his lips carefully, "Let's take a bath first, and shave your hair. There are many fleas in your hair."
Ying Xiaozheng hesitated for a while and asked, "If I don't call you father, you still want to support me?"
Zhu Xiang nodded: "Of course."
Ying Xiaozheng hesitated again and whispered, "Is it the same as Lu Buwei, a rare commodity worth keeping?"
Xue, who was watching from the side, showed a surprised look.
Zhu Xiang laughed again: "I'll call you Zheng'er, okay?"
Ying Xiaozheng nodded slightly.
Zhu Xiang said, "Zheng'er, you are very smart. Let me test you. Why did Lü Buwei need to use the phrase 'rare goods are valuable' to convince your father when he used money to support him?"
Ying Xiaozheng opened his mouth slightly: "Ah?"
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Think about it. If Lü Buwei was replaced by your father's uncle, that is, your uncle. If your uncle finds your father and says he wants to provide money to help your father return to Qin, does he need to say something like 'rare goods are valuable' to gain your father's trust?"
Ying Xiaozheng frowned: "No need."
Zhu Xiang said, "Your father was a rare treasure to Lü Buwei because they were strangers. If they wanted to cooperate, they needed interests to link them together. I am your uncle, the only brother of your biological mother. Even if I find you after you become the King of Qin, you will give me an official position. You will even be very good to me to make up for the fact that the Queen Mother of Qin abandoned her own brother."
Zhu Xiang sighed and sneered, "Chunhua never feels guilty for doing something wrong, so she won't let you kill me to cover up her past evil deeds. She only gives me things from a high position and makes me grateful. Just like what she wrote to me, leaving you, Zheng'er, to us to raise and asking us to thank her."
"So, Zheng'er, even if you don't call me father, I am still your uncle and your relative. But now you are a member of the Qin royal family, and I dare not give you to others to raise, lest you get angry when you grow up and take revenge on us."
After saying that, Zhu Xiang reached out and scratched Ying Xiaozheng's nose hard.
While the First Emperor is still his son, bully him more!
Ying Xiaozheng covered his nose and said defensively: "I can't."
"Okay, Zheng'er won't. Go take a shower first. Seeing so many fleas on your head makes me itchy all over." Zhu Xiang picked up Ying Xiaozheng and left. "Xue, don't forget to spray the place where Zheng'er has been. Don't let the fleas survive!"
Xue said, "I know."
Ying Xiaozheng shrank his neck. He felt his uncle and aunt’s disdain for him.
After Zhu Xiang arrived at the bathroom, he first shaved Ying Xiaozheng's head, leaving only a small patch of hair on both sides of the temples, and then burned all the hair with fire.
Death to fleas!
Then, he used two buckets of water to rub Ying Xiaozheng's body vigorously, turning Ying Xiaozheng's body from black and yellow to pink.
Ying Xiaozheng looked at the cloth bag that could produce bubbles in amazement and asked curiously, "What is this? Soapberry?"
Zhu Xiang said: "The soap bag contains saponified fat. If you are curious, I will teach you how to make it later."
Zhu Xiang once wanted to make soap, but couldn't find a strong alkali.
He found limestone and burned it into quicklime. The alkaline solution obtained by filtering the lime solution and wood ash solution could only turn animal fats into a semi-solidified state.
Zhu Xiang used cloth strips to make a net bag to hold the half-solidified soap, which became a bath ball wrapped in soap.
He had wanted to sell soap bags to make some money, but he thought that he did not have enough power to protect himself, and selling such novel goods would only bring disaster. Now he could still make a living, so in addition to using them for himself, he only gave them as gifts to the Lin family and friends.
Ying Xiaozheng poked the bubble. The bubble disappeared.
He poked the bubble again. It didn't disappear, but stuck to his fingertips.
He opened his eyes wide in surprise and poked the bubbles hard. Some bubbles disappeared, and some bubbles stuck to his hands.
He blew into his hands and bubbles flew into the air.
Then he puffed up his cheeks and blew hard, and bubbles flew all over Zhu Xiang's face.
Zhu Xiang: “…”
Ying Xiaozheng suddenly lost his mind: "..."
Zhu Xiang: "Puchi... Hahaha, are bubbles fun?"
Ying Xiaozheng's face turned red, hesitant for a long time, then covered his face with his hands.
shameful!
Just now he was questioning whether his uncle kept him because he was a rare commodity, but now he is playing around. Where's his brain? !
"Okay, stop covering your face. We're not done yet." Zhu Xiang filled a narrow bathtub that was about the size of a bathtub in later times with hot water, took off his clothes, and hugged Ying Xiaozheng to take a bath together. He continued to rub Ying Xiaozheng, "Zheng'er, you're so dirty."
Ying Xiaozheng: “…” Um… Curl up your little toe.
Zhu Xiang touched Ying Xiaozheng's bony back and said, "Still very thin."
Ying Xiaozheng: “…” Um… He folded his hands.
Zhu Xiang lifted up Ying Xiaozheng's little paw and said, "Your nails look like they were chewed by a dog. Have you never trimmed them?"
Ying Xiaozheng bit his lips and his cheeks puffed up.
"Trim your fingernails and toenails, change into clean clothes, and grow some flesh, then you'll look like my child." Zhu Xiang pinched Ying Xiaozheng's cheek, which was covered with skin. "Can you please tell others about your identity? You can only say that you are my nephew. Remember that?"
Ying Xiaozheng: "Yeah... I know."
He bit his lip again and said in a low voice: "I can't go back to Qin either."
He finally remembered why he was crying in his dream.
"You will definitely be able to go back." Zhu Xiang comforted him, "Your father secretly left Zhao State, and the King of Zhao must have used you as a hostage to replace your father and keep track of your whereabouts. When your father is made the crown prince, Zhao State will definitely send you back to Qin State."
Although the "Historical Records" recorded that Zhao Ji hid with the First Emperor's child and thus escaped being killed, the King of Zhao returned Zhao Ji and the First Emperor's child right after King Zhaoxiang of Qin died, and it was obvious that he had been controlling the whereabouts of the mother and child.
Zhu Xiang finally cleaned the dirty Ying Xiaozheng, and sighed while holding the clean and tender Qin Shihuang cub in his arms while taking a bath.
"Although the princes often have conflicts when they are married, it is always closer than not having any marriage. Since Queen Dowager Xuan, the high positions in the Qin harem have been mainly from Chu, which has brought many benefits to the Qin. The nobles of Zhao are not stupid. Originally, Qin and Zhao had been at war frequently and there was no chance for marriage. If there is a chance for a Zhao woman to become the queen mother of Qin, they will definitely seize it."
"The Queen Mother has the power to participate in politics. If Chunhua wants to make a difference in the court, she must seek help from Zhao. At that time, Zhao might be able to interfere with Qin's former dynasty through the harem like Chu did."
Ying Xiaozheng turned his head quietly and looked at his uncle in surprise, who had no idea how shocking his words were.
Zhu Xiang's eyes were blank, and he didn't realize Ying Xiaozheng's surprise. He continued, "When King Wuling of Zhao was in power, King Wu of Qin suddenly passed away. Qin was in chaos and Zhao was strong. King Wuling of Zhao strongly interfered with the succession of the Qin throne and sent troops to escort the current King of Qin, who was a hostage in Yan, to Qin, trying to disrupt Qin."
"Unfortunately, he did not expect that the hostage, who had never received any education as an heir, would turn out to be a wise and capable ruler. His plan failed."
"Although the current King of Zhao is very immature in state affairs, the ministers in the court are very wise. They will definitely use King Wuling of Zhao's strategy again and use you to interfere and disrupt the succession to the throne of Qin. In order to gain more power, Lu Buwei will definitely work hard to facilitate this."
The water was a little cold, Zhu Xiang stood up from the water and wrapped himself in a dry cloth to help Ying Xiaozheng wipe the water.
"You don't have to worry about not being able to see your mother in the future. When your father becomes the crown prince, she will definitely return to Qin with you and become your good mother again."
Zhu Xiang complained in his heart, that’s strange.
Because Sima Qian wrote Records of the Grand Historian long after the pre-Qin period, many historical materials were collected from the folk, so he wrote many contradictory folk legends into Records of the Grand Historian, leaving it for future generations to figure out for themselves.
For example, there are two versions about the identity of Qin Shihuang's biological mother, "Zhao Ji": she was a singer and the daughter of a wealthy family.
It was difficult to get research funding at the university, so most professors who went out into the wild would travel together to save money. Zhu Xiang often went out with colleagues who studied archaeology and plants and animals. It just so happened that these disciplines also had a lot of room for mutual assistance.
After Zhu Xiang fainted once, he remembered what the archaeology professor had mentioned.
The name "Zhao Ji" does not appear in the late Ming Dynasty novel "Records of the Warring States Period". Neither the name of Qin Shihuang's mother was recorded in unofficial history nor in official history.
From this point, we can see that "Zhao Ji" could not have been born into an aristocratic family. Although there were no biographies of women in the pre-Qin period, the surnames of aristocratic women who were given titles of empress or queen mother in the palaces of princes were recorded. For example, the Queen Mother Xuan and the Queen Mother Huayang both had the surname Mi. "Zhao Ji" was given the title of "Empress Dowager" but had no surname, so she was definitely not an aristocrat.
Therefore, it is normal that the "Zhao Ji" in this time and space is the commoner woman "Chunhua".
Zhu Xiang thought about the series of vicious and stupid things his elder sister had done, and felt even more sour in his heart, thinking that his sister was very much in line with the character of "Zhao Ji".
Even if she wanted to kill her own son for her adulterer, and still dreamed of helping her illegitimate son become the King of Qin, she knew without thinking that even if the coup succeeded, with so many members of the Qin royal family, how could an outsider take over the throne? Whether she won or lost this coup, she would not be able to escape the tragedy.
Who would have thought that Qin Shihuang was really good to her? After a fit of rage, he took her back to Ganquan Palace and continued to serve her. She lived out her old age comfortably, was posthumously honored as "Empress Dowager", and was buried with King Zhuangxiang of Qin.
Even if she abandons her son and runs away now, when Zhao sends her back to Qin, the abandoned Qin Shi Huang will still have to take good care of her.
I just hope that she won't do such a stupid thing this time, considering that I didn't raise Qin Shi Huang's cub well.
When Zhu Xiang helped the fragrant baby change clothes while sighing, and walked to the front hall with the hot baby in his arms, Ying Xiaozheng finally came back to his senses from his shock: "Uncle, you know so much!"
"A lot? These are all news that ordinary people can get." Zhu Xiang asked in confusion, "King Wuling of Zhao escorted the current King of Qin back to his country, and the transaction between Lü Buwei and your father was widely spread among the people."
Ying Xiaozheng was confused: "Is that so?"
Zhu Xiang nodded: "Yes."
Ying Xiaozheng frowned. He intuitively felt that this was not the case, but what his uncle said did make sense.
Finally, he yawned due to overworking his brain and lay motionless in his uncle's arms.
After taking a shower, Ying Xiaozheng felt sleepy and hungry. He didn't want to think about anything. He just wanted to eat and then sleep.
The small bowl of steamed eggs before taking a bath only aroused Ying Xiaozheng's appetite, but did not seem to help fill his stomach.
Zhu Xiang was so cute when he saw Ying Xiaozheng narrowing his eyes and nodding his head that his heart trembled.
Zhu Xiang didn’t like children much before, but the one in his arms is different.
He is our first emperor! Zulong, do you understand? That is completely different.
Even though Ying Xiaozheng is not cute now because he is too thin, Zhu Xiang likes his nephew the first emperor and has a very high filter.
He couldn't help but lower his head and rubbed his cheek against the top of Ying Xiaozheng's newly shaved head: "Zheng'er, are you sleepy? Do you want to go to bed directly?"
Ying Xiaozheng immediately tried to open his sleepy eyes wide: "No, I'm not sleepy, I need to eat!"
"Okay, let's eat first." Zhu Xiang said distressedly. Look how hungry the child is. When he was told to eat, his eyes, which were too sleepy to open, became round.
When Zhu Xiang carried Ying Xiaozheng to the dining table, Lin Zhi had already started eating with chopsticks in one hand and spoon in the other.
He complained while eating: "Why is there still porridge in the evening?"
Zhu Xiang put Ying Xiaozheng on the mat, and seeing that he couldn't reach the bowl, he took him back to his arms and let him sit in his arms: "The goat milk soup is made for the child in the afternoon, not the main meal. I'm afraid he will have indigestion for dinner, so drinking some porridge is just right. Xue, cut a salt-baked chicken for him to go with the porridge, so that he won't complain."
Xue said: "It has been prepared long ago. Mr. Lin went to the kitchen to choose the chicken to eat before his lover came."
Zhu Xiang glanced at Lin Zhi and said, "Then what are you complaining about?"
Lin Zhi said: "I don't want to drink porridge, I want to eat noodles."
"Next time." Zhu Xiang scooped a bowl of shepherd's purse and lean meat porridge for Ying Xiaozheng, "It's a little hot, blow it before drinking."
It was the first time that Ying Xiaozheng ate in someone else's arms and he felt very uncomfortable.
But in the end, the aroma of shepherd's purse and lean meat porridge tempted him to forget his discomfort. He took the small wooden spoon, blew twice, drank a spoonful of porridge, licked the corner of his mouth, and ate neatly, not like a child at all.
Lin Zhi exclaimed in amazement: "My child is a circle older than him. If I let him eat by himself, he will get rice all over his head and body."
Zhu Xiang said proudly: "My Jia Zheng is smart, there is no point in being jealous!"
Ying Xiaozheng bit down on the wooden spoon and almost broke his baby teeth.
Xue's hand shaking as she held the plate almost dropped the salt-baked chicken on the table.
Lin Zhi looked at Zhu Xiang with an indescribable look: "You just raised the child, why do you act as if the child is yours? You can't have children either."
Zhu Xiang said: "I tell the truth."
He rubbed Ying Xiaozheng's bald head: "Ignore him, eat yours."
It was the first time that Ying Xiaozheng was praised, and his face turned redder than the candlelight next to him.
He shrank his nose, uttered an inaudible "hmm", and straightened his little body even more.
Etiquette is not to talk while eating or sleeping, but most of the time people are too lazy to follow this etiquette. Instead, they chat most happily while eating and sleeping.
Lin Zhi took a bite of a salt-baked chicken leg and said, "He does look smarter than other kids, but not too smart. Didn't you say he called himself Ying Zheng? That's wrong."
Ying Xiaozheng looked up at Lin Zhi.
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "I am your uncle's friend, you can call me uncle. Uncle, I want to tell you, it is wrong to call yourself Ying Zheng. Men use their surnames, so you should be called Zhao Zheng."
Ying Xiaozheng's face changed drastically, and he placed the wooden spoon firmly on the table. Just as he was about to refute, Zhu Xiang spoke first and said, "You are wrong. It's okay for him to call himself Qin Zheng, but it's definitely wrong to call himself Zhao Zheng."
Lin Zhi raised his eyebrows: "Oh? What did I say wrong? The royal family of Qin and Zhao are originally from the same clan."
Zhu Xiang drank a bowl of porridge in one gulp, wiped his hands, picked up another chicken leg, and tore off the meat from the chicken leg one by one: "Surname is the source, clan name is the nobility. The clan name is the fief of the family, so it will change with the fief. This is how many clan branches under the same surname came about."
"The ancestors of the royal families of Zhao and Qin are both Fei Lian, the ancestor of the Ying surname. Fei Lian had two sons, the eldest son E Lai and the second son Ji Sheng."
"E Lai is the ancestor of the Qin royal family, and Ji Sheng is the ancestor of the Zhao royal family."
"E Lai was originally the patriarch, but he was a minister of the Shang Dynasty. When Zhou attacked Shang, E Lai died in battle, and the lineage of Ji Sheng was designated as the patriarch of the Ying clan by the King of Zhou."
"Afterwards, Ji Sheng's fourth-generation grandson Zaofu served King Mu of Zhou and made great contributions in driving the chariot. He was granted the fief of Zhaocheng, so 'Zhao' became his surname."
Zhu Xiang put the shredded chicken into Ying Xiaozheng's bowl.
Ying Xiaozheng had been concentrating on drinking porridge, not even touching the side dishes on the table. Seeing that he was restrained, Zhu Xiang helped him tear the chicken.
"Fei Zi, the fifth-generation grandson of E Lai, was rewarded with the land of Qin for his meritorious service in horse breeding. He was named Qin Ying, on par with Zhao Ying. From this time on, the surname of the Qin royal family should be 'Qin'. Even if it was not at that time, after Qin Xianggong escorted King Ping of Zhou and was named a 'vassal', the surname must have been 'Qin'."
As Zhu Xiang spoke, he tore off a piece of chicken breast for Ying Xiaozheng.
Ying Xiaozheng looked at the shredded chicken in the bowl, feeling a little confused.
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "Eat, don't be restrained."
Lin Zhi put down his chopsticks and said, "Why don't you just say it directly? The Elai clan has always had a bad relationship with the Jisheng clan and was unwilling to rely on the Jisheng clan and call themselves the 'Zhao clan'. Later, Qin became a vassal state, and Zhao was only the Marquis of Zhao in Jin. So they were even more disdainful of using the 'Zhao clan'?"
Zhu Xiang rolled his eyes at Lin Zhi and said, "I didn't say that. You said it."
Zhu Xiang was not afraid of Lin Zhi's flattery. In this era, the nobles and retainers dared to say anything behind closed doors. Lin Zhi and his friends often ate and drank at their homes while pointing fingers at all the princes in the world, including the King of Zhao. His words were just pure academic discussion, far inferior to what his friends often said.
Lin Zhi laughed: "You, you really dare to say anything."
Zhu Xiang defended himself: "I didn't say anything. I just sorted out the family tree of the Qin and Zhao royal families. You are talking nonsense."
Lin Zhi smiled but said nothing, changing the subject: "According to what you said, isn't it wrong for him to call himself Ying Zheng?"
Zhu Xiang said: "Since the Zhou king moved east, wars have been frequent, rituals and music have collapsed, and the world has gradually stopped following the previous surname rules, and now only refers to the surname or clan name together. Moreover, after the Qin State became king, it avoided referring to itself by its surname and only referred to its title or position..."
Zhu Xiang paused and closed his mouth.
Lin Zhi teased, "Go on, why don't you continue talking."
Zhu Xiang shook his head.
Lin Zhi smiled and said, "What can't be said? The whole world belongs to the emperor, so the emperor has no clan name, but uses his surname as his surname. The King of Qin is ambitious and refuses to mention his surname. He is waiting to seize the world of Zhou before calling himself that!"
Ying Xiaozheng opened his mouth so wide that the shredded meat in his mouth fell out.
He finally understood why he would occasionally call himself "Ying Zheng" in his dreams, and he also finally understood why he would be ridiculed and hated every time he called himself "Ying Zheng"!
The emperor has no clan name, but uses his surname as his clan name, so his future self who has unified the country and become the emperor can only be "The First Emperor" and "Ying Zheng".
But he certainly can't call himself this now!
No one taught him before, and he didn't understand these things at all just by looking through the scattered memories of his future self. It was only then that Ying Xiaozheng realized that he really couldn't call himself "Ying Zheng" now.
He said seriously, "I understand. From now on I am Gongzi Zheng!"
Lin Zhi: “…” He was originally arguing with Zhu Xiang, why did he suddenly feel a little embarrassed
Zhu Xiang immediately put on a kind smile: "Zheng'er is so smart!"
As expected of the son of the First Emperor, he has been domineering since childhood! Even if he claims to be wrong, he is still aiming for the title of the Son of Heaven!
Zhu Xiang sighed in his heart.
Lin Zhi almost choked. He coughed dryly a few times and said, "Okay, okay, yes, yes, your nephew is the smartest. I'm done eating and will go back first. I still have to talk to my father about the Qin hostage living in your house. I wonder if my father will have a headache."
Zhu Xiang said, "It doesn't matter where I live. The Qin hostage lives in my commoner's house, so the King of Zhao should feel more at ease."
Lin Zhi was silent for a while, then smiled bitterly and said, "He would indeed do so, alas."
He stood up and left. Zhu Xiang quickly washed his hands and went out to see him off.
When Lin Zhi got on the carriage, he looked back at Zhu Xiang for a while, but in the end he did not ask what was in his mind. He just smiled and said goodbye to Zhu Xiang.
The carriage drove towards the city. Lin Zhi closed his eyes and sighed for a long time before he spoke to himself.
"Zhu Xiang, if the King of Zhao still refuses to employ you, will you return to Qin with Zheng'er?"
He couldn't ask.
(End of this chapter)