Potato flour is vermicelli made from potato starch.
"Pulled raw potatoes are mashed into mashed potatoes, washed repeatedly with water, filtered through linen and left overnight, the clear water is poured off, and the remaining turbid water is dried in the sun. The remaining powder is ground into fine powder to make potato starch. Potato starch is kneaded into dough with salt and cut into strips to make potato flour."
While Zhu Xiang was seasoning the soup, he explained in detail to the old King of Qin.
Even Cai Ze stared at Zhu Xiang with an indescribable look. Do you really want to teach the King of Qin how to make potato flour? !
"You once said that potatoes are not easy to store. Is it easier to store after being made into potato flour?" asked the old King Qin.
Zhu Xiang said: "It won't be extended much, but there are more ways to eat it."
As expected of the old Qin King, he hit the point right away. Unfortunately, the storage time of potato flour in this era was not long.
Modern dried potato flour can be kept for several years, but it is vacuum-packed and stored at low temperatures.
The difficulty in storing potatoes is that they contain too much water, and the difficulty in storing potato vermicelli is that starch products easily absorb water and rot.
After the potatoes are harvested, they are stored in a cellar away from light and ventilated regularly. They can be stored for more than three months. If the weather is cold and dry in the north, they can be stored for half a year if you are lucky.
Once potato flour gets wet, it will become moldy within a few days.
In modern society, the problem of moisture can be solved by simply putting potato vermicelli in a plastic bag. In ancient times, there were no cloth bags that could isolate the air, so potato vermicelli is not a way to extend the storage time of potatoes, but just another way to eat potatoes.
Zhu Xiang introduced to the old King of Qin in detail the difficulties associated with the storage of potatoes and potato flour, and the old King of Qin sighed repeatedly as he listened.
"Potatoes have a high yield and are easy to eat, but they have a short storage time. Millet has a low yield and is more complicated to eat, but it is easy to store and has a longer storage time." The old King Qin said, "You kept reminding me in Changping that I should not order the promotion of potato planting throughout the country just because the potato yield is too high. If I didn't listen, perhaps the potatoes would have gone bad before the tax was collected into the treasury."
After the water boiled, Zhu Xiang skimmed off the foam on the surface of the soup and said, "That's right. The state needs to collect taxes from grains with shells, such as millet, wheat, and rice, so it should urge farmers to plant the grains that the state needs to collect taxes on in good fields. Potatoes can be planted in the vegetable gardens in front of farmers' houses as supplementary food, and then replanted on a large scale in years of famine to help with disaster relief."
The old King of Qin said: "Qin calculates taxes based on the grade of land and the number of people. If they plant some potatoes on the untaxed wasteland, perhaps they can feed more people after paying taxes."
Zhu Xiang tasted the soup, nodded with satisfaction, and continued to season it by adding dried vegetables: "Your Majesty is wise. Greed for small gains will lead to losses in big gains. The strength of a country depends first on its people. Only with a population can there be continuous tax revenue. Under the premise of ensuring national grain reserves, the people should be fed and clothed as much as possible. In such a country, even if an ambitious person appears, the people will not follow him. The common people are easy to satisfy. As long as they don't starve to death or freeze to death, who would be willing to do something that will cost them their heads?"
The old King of Qin also laughed. He smiled and shook his head: "According to what you said, the Qin people will not rebel, but the six countries will not stop attacking Qin just because of the King of Qin's benevolence."
Zhu Xiang said: "What I am talking about now is what Qin should do after unifying the world. As for the six kingdoms, there is nothing to be afraid of. There are too many talented people who can offer advice to the King of Qin to unify the world, and I am not a shortage of one."
The old Qin King took a bowl, scooped a bowl of soup and took a sip, then panted for a long time: "What is this taste? It's more spicy than ginger."
"Eating dogwood is a kind of dogwood, also called Yuejiao. The Shu people seem to call it Aizi." Zhu Xiang said, "Cornus oil tastes spicier than ginger and is suitable for warming the body. If your Majesty is not used to it..."
Before Zhu Xiang finished speaking, the old King of Qin drank the broth with dogwood oil in one gulp.
He let out a long sigh, wiped the sweat from his forehead, his face flushed, and he looked refreshed: "Okay! Another bowl!"
Zhu Xiang: “…” He vaguely saw the old Shaanxi man from his previous life.
The diet of Qin at that time was no different from that of the other six states. The lower class ate bean rice and wheat rice, while the upper class ate carefully selected millet and yellow rice. Without a high level of productivity, there were no snacks.
Zhu Xiang had seen the dry food that Qin soldiers could only receive when they were on a forced march. Unhulled millet, yellow rice, wheat and beans were ground into powder and then baked with a little coarse salt, which was very similar to the "fried noodles" of later generations.
Although there are "cooked cakes" made of millet and sorghum nowadays, in order to make the pot cakes that existed in the Shang Dynasty according to later legends, better quality flour must be used.
Although stone mills had already appeared during the Warring States Period, the way of eating wheat from wheat rice to flour did not appear until the Han Dynasty. After the great development of productivity in the Tang Dynasty, when village civilians could also use stone mills, wheaten food became popular among the people. Even if there were, soldiers would not be so extravagant as to use dry food as armor.
The food in modern Shaanxi is very different from that in Qin State.
But the way the old King of Qin looked as he held a bowl of chili soup was exactly the same as Zhu Xiang's impression of the old Shaanxi people in winter.
Shaanxi people love spicy food, and spicy oil is a dish. The Qin pepper cultivated there is one of the best pepper varieties in China. Just like Shanxi people can make soup by adding some vinegar to boiling water, Shaanxi people can drink noodle soup with spicy oil until their faces are flushed.
The old king of Qin actually fell in love with the taste of dogwood oil at first bite. If the peppers were taken out, would the old king of Qin have to ask the imperial physician to study how to treat hemorrhoids
Zhu Xiang decided that if he could borrow a stone mill from a wealthy household along the way, he would grind flour to make noodles and make a bowl of noodles with dogwood oil for the old King of Qin. He would then secretly draw a picture of the old King of Qin holding the bowl and slurping noodles and keep it in his tomb.
If we are lucky enough, the things in his tomb can be dug out in the future, and visitors can point at the portraits and say, "Look! There is no difference between the people of Shaanxi thousands of years ago and those thousands of years later!"
The more Zhu Xiang thought about it, the happier he became, and the corners of his mouth couldn't help but curl up.
The old King of Qin wiped his mouth and looked at Zhu Xiang in confusion as he suddenly smiled foolishly.
"Cai Qing, what happened to Zhu Xiang?" The old King of Qin took the water from Cai Ze and moistened his burning throat, and asked in a low voice, "Do you need me to call a doctor to see him?"
When Cai Ze heard the old King of Qin call himself "I" to Zhu Xiang, and although his attitude became more friendly and respectful when he changed to himself, he used "I", and his worries about Zhu Xiang were slightly alleviated.
Cai Ze smiled and replied, "Zhu Xiang always has many wonderful ideas in his mind. He often does two things at once. If he thinks of something interesting, he will smile inexplicably and even dance with joy."
The old King of Qin stroked his beard and said, "I have heard that in ancient times, when wise men became enlightened, they became like Zhu Xiang."
Cai Ze shook his head: "Zhu Xiang is not enlightened, he just has a very erratic personality. He is definitely not thinking about any great principles right now."
The old King of Qin signaled Cai Ze to go and ask with his eyes.
Cai Ze walked up to Zhu Xiang and patted him on the shoulder: "What are you so happy about? Why did you suddenly laugh in the middle of discussing strategy with the Lord?"
Zhu Xiang came back to his senses and said, "I was wondering if I could borrow a stone mill along the way to grind the wheat into flour and make noodles."
Old Qin King: "That's what you're laughing at?!"
Zhu Xiang: “… Hmm? Hmm.” He couldn’t just say that he wanted to leave the picture of the old King of Qin slurping oil and splashing spicy noodles in the tomb for future generations to dig up, right
Cai Ze sighed, bowed to the old King of Qin and said, "Don't blame me, Your Majesty. Zhu Xiang is simple by nature. He can be happy for a while just thinking about what to eat next."
The old King Qin was speechless: "I see."
He was just testing Zhu Xiang and listening to Zhu Xiang's strategy, the atmosphere was very serious. When it came to food, Zhu Xiang seemed to be possessed, and instantly turned into a little fool, not looking like a talented person at all.
Cai Ze said: "Zhu Xiang came from the countryside. Although he knows the etiquette and hierarchy, he always does surprising things. He is used to being spoiled by his elders and is so rude to the king... Zhu Xiang, quickly apologize to the king!"
Although Zhu Xiang didn't react, he still followed Cai Ze's words and immediately bowed to the old King of Qin to apologize.
The old King of Qin smiled and helped Zhu Xiang up: "I am also Zhu Xiang's elder, there is no need to apologize."
Cai Ze said with a straight face: "Your Majesty is a king first, and then an elder. Since Zhu Xiang wants to serve as an official in Qin, he must understand this. Please punish him!"
The old King Qin laughed.
He patted Zhu Xiang on the shoulder and said, "What Cai Qing said makes sense. Although I won't blame you, many people in Qin care about hierarchy. You have to get used to being a minister."
Xue walked slowly towards them holding Ying Xiaozheng's hand.
When Ying Xiaozheng heard his great-grandfather's words, the corners of his mouth turned down.
Obviously, my great-grandfather cared a lot about dignity. If he didn't care about dignity, he should have done what he did and given my uncle a position that was only inferior to the King of Qin. There was no need to care about the so-called etiquette and respect between me and my uncle, and no one else had the right to talk about etiquette and respect to my uncle.
After listening to the old King of Qin's punishment of Zhu Xiang, which allowed Zhu Xiang to eat only potato flour and not meat, Ying Xiaozheng, with a stern face, let go of his aunt's hand, walked to the old King of Qin, and took the initiative to grab the old King of Qin's fingers.
The old King of Qin froze and looked down at his chubby great-grandson.
Ying Xiaozheng said naturally, "Uncle Zeng, I would like to have a bowl of soup first, is that ok?"
The old King of Qin nodded and asked someone to serve Ying Xiaozheng a bowl of soup.
Ying Xiaozheng took small sips of the less spicy broth that Zhu Xiang had specially prepared for him. After drinking, he wiped his mouth with a handkerchief and folded it, leaving not a drop of oil on his face or body.
Many people with children showed looks of surprise on their faces.
The old King of Qin nodded with satisfaction and said to Zhu Xiang, "You have taught Zheng'er very well. This time the punishment will be waived and you can eat meat."
"Thank you, my lord!" Zhu Xiang carefully observed the old King Qin's words and actions.
If he wanted to gain a foothold in Qin, talent was secondary and the most important thing was the love of the King of Qin.
The fact that the King of Qin allowed him to get along with him as a junior proved that there was a lack of such a "junior" who behaved rather unbridled in words and deeds around the King of Qin.
But although the King of Qin needed someone to "share the peaches", if he really shared the peaches he had eaten with him, he would definitely bear a grudge and kill people.
Zhu Xiang needed to find out the approximate range of this boundary as soon as possible before reaching the Qin State.
When he arrived in Qin, he lost the opportunity to live with the Qin king day and night, and had no conditions to explore.
After eating a bowl of potato noodles with dogwood oil, the King of Qin became very interested in the "noodles" and made a detour to find a stone mill to grind the flour before continuing on his way.
This also shows that the King of Qin would act arbitrarily according to his own preferences. Prime Minister Fan sent letters several times, saying that there were many important documents piled up and needed the King of Qin to deal with personally, but the King of Qin would still take a detour for a bite of food and delay his journey.
Zhu Xiang kept this in mind and tried his best to show off his cooking skills.
He even took out his own small wok and showed the King of Qin his amazing skills of flipping the wok and making fire, and fried a plate of dried vegetables and bacon for the King of Qin.
The old King of Qin went from initially saying "I don't care about the desire for food", to ordering dishes in advance, and then to sighing and asking Zhu Xiang to train a chef for him as soon as he arrived in Xianyang. Their conversation finally moved away from "asking for advice" and they could chat about daily life.
At this time, Zhu Xiang asked the old King of Qin about the etiquette and court rules of Qin.
The old King of Qin, who was quite close to Zhu Xiang and Ying Xiaozheng, readily agreed and personally taught Zhu Xiang and Ying Xiaozheng the ins and outs of ministers and nobles in the court to avoid making a fool of themselves and offending others.
Ying Xiaozheng was "taught" by himself in his dreams, so he learned very quickly; although Zhu Xiang had almost a photographic memory, the twists and turns still tangled his mind and he couldn't figure it out.
The old King of Qin had had enough of being a teacher. While teaching his great-grandson, he scolded Zhu Xiang, saying, "You are worse than a little kid!" The smile on his face became much lighter every day, and he no longer looked like a kind old man.
Cai Ze watched all this and came out to smooth things over when Zhu Xiang "played too much".
Bai Qi realized something. He sighed and wanted to pretend that he knew nothing, but occasionally he couldn't help but smooth things over and say something nice to Zhu Xiang.
The old King of Qin patiently continued to teach Zhu Xiang under the guidance of Cai Ze and Bai Qi. When Zhu Xiang had sorted out the current ministers and noble factions of Qin, they finally arrived at Xianyang City.
At this time, it was already mid-February, with birds singing and grass growing.
Zhu Xiang looked from afar at the crowds of people coming to greet the King of Qin outside the city of Xianyang.
They stopped the carriage in advance to tidy up. Zhu Xiang returned to his carriage and sat with Cai Ze; Ying Xiaozheng sat next to the old King of Qin; Xue was in the family's carriage.
"Today is the day we truly enter Qin." Cai Ze said, "Zhu Xiang, are you okay?"
Zhu Xiang smiled and said, "What do you mean good or bad? Haven't I always been good?"
Cai Ze said: "It's just the two of us, so you don't have to force yourself to smile. You have done your best to please the King of Qin. I know you are determined to realize your ambitions in Qin. But you are also a person with a heavy heart..."
Zhu Xiang rubbed his face and whispered, "Don't worry, I know my limits."
Cai Ze frowned: "Now when I hear you say 'be sensible', I get nervous!"
Zhu Xiang said, "Don't worry, I know my limits. I just tried to please the King of Qin with delicious food, and I'm not a sycophantic minister. Am I not just as good to Lin Weng, Lian Weng, and Xunzi?"
Cai Ze was silent for a while, then sighed softly: "It's different, you know it's different. Zhu Xiang, promise me one thing."
He sighed again and said in a deep voice: "Don't go down a dead end."
Zhu Xiang laughed: "I thought you were going to say something? Don't worry, what I fear most now is death. I want to live, and live a very long time, so that I can promote the improved varieties to more places and help more civilians avoid starvation. I really cherish my life now."
If he died without accomplishing anything, how could he be worthy of those who died for him
"I will live and become the most powerful person in Qin besides the King of Qin."
Zhu Xiang straightened his collar, smoothed out the wrinkles on his sleeves, and adjusted the crown that held up his mottled hair.
"Brother Cai, it's time to enter Qin, please."
Cai Ze closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and then opened his eyes.
"please."
(End of this chapter)