Jiang Changning wanted to play the role of a good host, so Emperor Xuanzhi had to go along with her and make her happy. He felt sorry for Jiang Changning who was unhappy last night.
Hangzhou not only has the picturesque West Lake, but also the mouth-watering Hangzhou cuisine.
Hangzhou cuisine belongs to Zhejiang cuisine, one of the eight major cuisines. Zhejiang cuisine is famous for being “fresh and unique”, and pays attention to selecting fresh ingredients and retaining the original flavor of the ingredients.
Jiang Changning took Emperor Xuanzhi to Fengweilou, a famous restaurant in Hangzhou with numerous signature dishes. "My father brought me here when I was a child."
Going up to the second floor, Jiang Changning said again: "I remember there was a statue of the God of Wealth here."
"It turns out that Madam is a regular customer of our shop." The waiter said with a smile.
"I came here more than ten or twenty years ago. At that time, the head chef here was Master Cen Wang. The Dongpo pork he cooked was absolutely amazing." Jiang Changning said with a smile.
"The current head chef of the shop is Master Cen Ping, the son of Master Cen Wang. His cooking skills are even better than his master's."
"Oh, then I must try this Dongpo pork today."
"Madam, I'm sure your Madam will be satisfied with our Dongpo Pork." The waiter said confidently.
Dongpo pork, also known as rolled pork and braised pork, is a traditional dish based on pork. It is both Zhejiang cuisine and Sichuan cuisine and is a favorite of many diners.
The food came out very quickly.
It is worthy of being a famous restaurant in Hangzhou, the cooking standard is first-class.
As soon as the Dongpo pork was served, the aroma of meat filled the air. After Chang Youzhong had tested the poison, Jiang Changning picked up a piece and put it in Emperor Xuanzhi's bowl, "Master, try it."
"Madam, please share." Emperor Xuanzhi reciprocated the gesture and picked up a piece for Jiang Changning.
Jiang Changning's appetite had already been aroused by the rich aroma of meat, so without saying much, he picked it up and took a bite.
The skin is thin and the meat is tender. The flavor is mellow and juicy. It is fragrant and glutinous but not greasy. It melts in your mouth and is so delicious that you almost bite your tongue.
After eating a piece, Jiang Changning exclaimed: "It's delicious, even better than the Dongpo pork I remember."
"Don't just eat Dongpo pork, try Longjing shrimp."
Longjing Shrimp combines tea and shrimp, making this dish fresh and tender.
The shrimps are white and tender.
The tea has a delicate fragrance and elegant color.
The shrimp has the fragrance of tea, and the tea has the freshness of shrimp.
The tender green tea buds are not only an embellishment of color, but also a finishing touch to the taste.
"It's delicious. The quality of Fengweilou is the same as always." Jiang Changning picked up the West Lake vinegar fish and ate it.
The fish meat is tender and delicious, and the proportion of vinegar is just right. It does not make you feel sour, but instead brings out the sweetness of the fish to the fullest.
After eating a piece of glutinous rice lotus root with osmanthus, which left a lingering fragrance in his mouth and was sweet but not greasy, Jiang Changning liked it the most and ate several pieces in a row.
The dishes were delicious, and paired with the fine Shaoxing rice wine, Jiang Changning was extremely satisfied with the meal, and his mood improved. "Master, I won't go back to the palace yet. I want to go shopping."
The capital has its own prosperity, and Hangzhou has its own bustle.
"The master will accompany you."
Jiang Changning was surprised, "Master, aren't you going to meet those officials?"
She really came for fun during the southern tour, but Emperor Xuanzhi did not.
Emperor Xuanzhi's southern tour was to observe the people's sentiments and learn about the administration of officials.
It was enough that he could take time to accompany her to worship her parents.
"Today, the master is under the control of the lady. He will go wherever the lady tells him to go."
Jiang Changning smiled, "Then the master will accompany the lady shopping."
"The master not only accompanies the lady, he also helps her pay the bills."
"Thank you, sir." Jiang Changning smiled.
Jiang Changning led Emperor Xuanzhi to the market, which was crowded with merchants and very lively.
There are a wide variety of goods in the market, and it can be said that everything is available.
Jiang Changning did not enter the shop, but just lingered on the stalls. Seeing the little things on the stalls, he thought, "This little fisherman will definitely like it."
"This little white guy will like it."
"Xiao Ming will like this."
"Xiao Qian will like this."
He bought a bunch of things and said he would take them back for his children.
Emperor Xuanzhi kept looking at her with a doting smile. It was obvious that those things were what Jiang Changning liked, but she insisted on using her children as a shield.
He knew it, but he had no intention of exposing her because he just liked to see her cunning and cute little look.
After strolling around the market, Jiang Changning bought many things, including trinkets, small ornaments, bamboo roots, wood carvings, handkerchiefs, purses, and a host of other miscellaneous items.
"Oh, why did I buy so many things? I'm sorry to have cost you so much money." Jiang Changning said politely.
"Madam's smile is worth a thousand gold." Emperor Xuanzhi said with a smile.
Seeing that it was getting late, the couple got on the carriage and returned to the palace.
After dinner, Jiang Changning spread the things he bought all over a long couch and asked Xiaochun and Banqin to help him sort them.
Emperor Xuanzhi was sitting nearby drinking tea. Seeing this, he smiled and said, "Why did you buy these handkerchiefs? Isn't the embroidery in the palace better than that on the street?"
"Master, this is Suzhou embroidery, one of the four famous embroidery styles. It is no worse than the embroidery in Beijing. Moreover, the patterns of Suzhou embroidery are beautiful and the ideas are ingenious. Look at this cat playing with a butterfly. Isn't it cute?"
On the white handkerchief was embroidered a yellow cat with soft fur and soft colors.
A fluttering butterfly unexpectedly encounters it, and the picture uses movement to contrast with stillness, making the expression very lifelike.
"Cat" is homophonic to "mao", and "butterfly" is homophonic to "die". Eighty is called "mao" and ninety is called "die", which means longevity.
Emperor Xuanzhi raised his eyebrows and asked, "Are you going to give this handkerchief to Xiao Yu'er?"
"It's for my mother. I have to bring her a gift when I go out. Thank you for your hard work in taking care of the children for me."
"Mother will like it." Emperor Xuanzhi said with a smile.
"This handkerchief has a good meaning and the embroidery is also very good. Look at the stitches connected closely together, the colors are connected naturally, and there are no needle marks. It fully demonstrates the characteristics of Suzhou embroidery, which are 'flat, neat, fine, dense, uniform, harmonious, bright and smooth'. It is really a good embroidery."
After Jiang Changning finished praising him, he sighed, "If this embroidery is to be displayed in the Xiuwei Building, it would cost at least five taels of silver, but it is sold at a small stall for ten copper coins. It is really a waste of money."
"This is why you don't bargain." Emperor Xuanzhi suddenly realized.
"Embroidery is hard on the eyes and not an easy job, but I don't need that much money," said Jiang Changning.
Emperor Xuanzhi smiled even more deeply, his queen was truly a kind-hearted and wonderful person.
After Jiang Changning packed his things, he took a shower, changed his clothes, and went to bed to rest.
After a good night's sleep, the next day, Emperor Xuanzhi summoned officials, and Jiang Changning went to Lingyin Temple with several officials' wives.
Lingyin Temple is one of the ten famous temples of Zen Buddhism and also one of the famous ancient temples in Jiangnan.
It is located on the west side of West Lake, with its back against Beigao Peak and facing Feilai Peak. The two peaks are sandwiched between each other and the forests are lush.
Although Jiang Changning did not have the empress's ceremonial guard and was dressed in casual clothes, the people in Lingyin Temple had long known that the empress would come to burn incense, and had cleared out all the idlers in the temple.
The abbot of Lingyin Temple led all the monks in the temple to welcome Jiang Changning at the mountain gate.
"Amitabha, I am honored to meet Her Majesty the Queen. May Her Majesty be safe and happy."
Jiang Changning clasped his hands together in return, "Amitabha, Master, long time no see, I hope you are well."
She came to Lingyin Temple because Xu Shang was a friend of her father.
(End of this chapter)