Chapter 198

Truly smart, but that's not how the word is used; it's easy to have ambiguity...

Wang Yang's expression was calm: "Do you think if I wanted to trick you, I would tell you about the trick?"

Seems like that...

Xiao Baoyue pondered, seemingly accepting this explanation.

Sigh, rule number one of defending against tricks: never easily believe a rhetorical question.

Rhetorical questions are mostly a form of induction, and the induction seems reasonable, but it is actually guiding you to agree with the rhetorical question yourself.

Girl, you are still naive.

Xiao Baoyue said: "I have told you everything I should tell you. The Young Master can continue to talk about the Partisan Prohibitions now; what is that major crux feared by the Son of Heaven?"

Although naive, she is eager to learn; she is teachable...

"You haven't told me everything."

"How have I not?"

"You haven't said anything about your subsequent plan; after you determine which tribe of the Southern Barbarians it is, what do you intend to do?" Wang Yang asked.

"Things must be done step by step; knowing in advance is of no use to you."

Wang Yang nodded: "Understood."

Xiao Baoyue's expression changed: "You wouldn't want to..."

Wang Yang smiled: "Learning must be done step by step; knowing in advance is of no use to you."

Xiao Baoyue looked at Wang Yang, her tone becoming solemn: "You asked me just now what my intention was in memorizing the 'Comprehensive Examination of the Southern Barbarians,' and I have already answered."

Wang Yang said nonchalantly: "Yes, so I am continuing to ask now."

"You didn't say you would continue to ask before." Xiao Baoyue began to argue seriously.

"It's not too late for me to say it now."

"But when you asked me beforehand, you didn't explain that after you finished asking, you would ask again."

"And I didn't say that after I finished asking, I wouldn't ask anymore either."

Xiao Baoyue's eyebrows moved slightly, her eyes carrying a bit of disappointment and resentment, piercing straight at Wang Yang:

"I have already told you everything I could, but you still want to use your unfinished discussion on Partisan Prohibitions to continue to threaten me and ask me questions, right?"

Even someone not very sensitive could feel that Xiao Baoyue's emotions were clearly wrong. But Wang Yang seemed to have noticed nothing, repeating jokingly:

"I have already told you everything I could, but you still want to hide things and continue not to answer my questions, right?"

Xiao Baoyue slowly withdrew her gaze from Wang Yang, as if she had suddenly lost all interest, her long eyes dim, and she didn't speak, not knowing what she was thinking.

Wang Yang stretched, stood up, and yawned: "It's about time, I'll take my leave first. I heard the roast duck at Liuheju is good; I'll go back and buy two to taste."

Xiao Baoyue had no reaction to Wang Yang's idle chatter, nor did she try to keep him as she usually did, lowering her eyes, her face turning cold bit by bit, like snow, like frost.

She sat there, motionless.

Even after Wang Yang left, her posture did not change at all.

The maidservants in the room all lowered their heads, not daring to make a sound. Xiao Baoyue slowly extended her finger, flicking the wine cup in front of her bit by bit, and with a crack, the exquisite cup fell to the ground and shattered, wine spilling everywhere.

Two maidservants tremblingly stepped forward, one to clean up the fragments, the other to wipe up the wine. Xiao Baoyue's red lips parted slightly, and she softly uttered one word: "Get out."

The two maidservants hurriedly retreated to their original positions.

Xiao Baoyue raised her head and added a word: "All of you, get out."

The maidservants didn't even dare to breathe, all exiting the room.

Xiao Baoyue said: "Xinyi."

A young girl wearing soft lilac clothes walked out from the side hall, with willow-leaf eyebrows and a small waist, not wearing a sword, with two silver hairpins steadily inserted in her hair. She looked thin, small, soft, and weak; it was hard to imagine that this person was Xiao Baoyue's personal guard, and all the martial maidservants were under her command.

"Young Mistress." The girl bowed to Xiao Baoyue.

"What do you think?" Xiao Baoyue asked.

The girl smiled sweetly, revealing a canine tooth: "Kill him."

Xiao Baoyue said irritably: "I'm talking about him as a person."

The girl frowned and thought for a while, then said: "Arrogant because of his talent, not knowing what's good for him!"

Xiao Baoyue shook her head, her pretty face like ice: "He is not arrogant because of his talent; he wants to manipulate me..." Her face grew colder and colder, word by word: "He! Actually! Wants! To! Manipulate! Me!"

The girl's small face turned fierce: "He actually dares to manipulate the Young Mistress, kill him!"

Xiao Baoyue's chest heaved, and she clarified emphatically: "He is not manipulating me; he just has the delusion of manipulating me! Delusion, but he hasn't succeeded!"

The girl was stunned, seemingly trying to understand the Young Mistress's meaning, then her small face turned fierce again: "He actually dares to have the delusion of manipulating the Young Mistress, kill him!"

Xiao Baoyue said with a dark face: "I can't kill him now! But that doesn't mean I can tolerate him indefinitely!"

The girl was eager to try: "Just give the order, Young Mistress, Xinyi will handle it!"

Xiao Baoyue's palm gradually clenched: "You take people now..."

Just as she was speaking, Seeing Lian San's voice came from outside the room:

"Young Mistress, when Wang Yang left the restaurant, he left a few sheets of paper for Manager Xue, saying they were to be forwarded to you."

Xiao Baoyue's cold eyes remained silent.

Xinyi turned toward the door, her small nose slightly wrinkled, displeased:

"Seeing Lian San, can you have some discernment? The Young Mistress is already unhappy because of this person, and you're still helping him forward things! Just burn them..." After finishing, she felt it was inappropriate and immediately added: "Or just leave them aside for now, and look at them after the Young Mistress has calmed down."

Seeing Lian San smiled slightly and didn't speak.

Xiao Baoyue still sat motionless, nor did she speak, and she had no intention of letting Seeing Lian San send the papers in.

Xinyi looked at Xiao Baoyue and said to Seeing Lian San: "You go down first."

Seeing Lian San smiled again, bowed his body, but his feet didn't move.

Xinyi thought to herself: Seeing Lian San has no discernment! The Young Mistress hates that person the most right now, and you're holding his things and not leaving; isn't this just waiting to be scolded?

"Bring them in." Xiao Baoyue suddenly said.

Xinyi: Eh?

Xiao Baoyue's room never allowed men to enter, and although Seeing Lian San was a eunuch, he was no exception. So he just bowed, presenting the papers with both hands, but his body remained where it was. But now the maidservants had all been driven away by the Young Mistress, and the martial maidservants could not come out unless it was an emergency. The papers didn't have wings, so the scene froze right there.

Xinyi stood there foolishly for a while, then suddenly saw the Young Mistress looking at her. She blinked at the Young Mistress, but the Young Mistress didn't blink back, just stared at her.

Is there something strange on my face?

Xinyi was just about to look for a mirror when Seeing Lian San suddenly coughed, and the papers in his hand moved forward.

Xinyi then realized that delivering things was her job now! She hurriedly walked out the door!

When she took the papers from Seeing Lian San's hand, she saw his steady expression and only felt awkward!

He was laughing at her!

Not laughing on his face, but laughing in his heart!

Tch, guessing the Young Mistress's mind correctly, is that something to be proud of?

Xinyi glared at Seeing Lian San, then presented the papers to Xiao Baoyue.

Xiao Baoyue took them into her hand, glanced at them with a face like frost, and snorted coldly: "I knew it, he had already written it, intentionally not saying it, heh, too late!"

Xiao Baoyue began to read the discussion on Partisan Prohibitions written by Wang Yang, and discovered that it was actually written continuing from where he had stopped earlier! This guy had already planned it, how abominable!

Xinyi asked curiously: "Did he admit his mistake?"

"Admit what mistake? He is tricking me..."

"Trick... tricking?"

Xiao Baoyue said while reading: "It's about the same as scheming."

Xinyi was full of question marks; scheming isn't a good word either, Young Mistress, why are the corners of your mouth curled up so high???

She thought about it but couldn't understand, and asked again: "Young Mistress, then what you ordered me to take people to do before..."

Seeing Lian San stood outside, shaking his head in pity.

Xiao Baoyue was startled, then her gaze fell back onto the paper: "Take people to Liuheju and buy a roast duck back."

Eh???

Xinyi was completely confused.

Wang Yang's house was eating roast duck today.

At that time, roast duck was also called "duck roast," and there was another method of specifically roasting duck breast, called "Fan roast."

But whether it was roasting the whole duck or roasting duck breast, there were no Beijing-style pancakes or Nanjing-style braising sauce.

The roast duck at Liuheju had recently become quite "popular" in the city because they had newly developed a special dipping sauce that added honey, and the ducks were specifically chosen to be sixty to seventy-day-old ducklings. Wang Yang had heard more than one person rave about how delicious it was, so he bought fifteen on the way back, keeping three for his own house and sending two each to the Commandery School, the Lady Xie Mansion, the Assistant Governor's Mansion, the Zong Residence, the Yu Mansion, and the Liu Mansion. Then he had Sister Song prepare pancakes and scallion shreds to go with it, and from Wang Yang himself to the gatekeeping servant, everyone ate until their mouths were full of fragrance.

After the meal, little A-Wu began to collect the duck frames, saying they would be used to make soup tomorrow. Wang Yang stopped A-Wu: "Forget it, we won't be eating at home tomorrow."

Little A-Wu thought the Young Master was going to treat everyone again... what was that word the Young Master used... oh right, eating out! It was really too expensive! She hurriedly said: "Actually... the duck frame soup is very delicious! The Young Master can go eat out with Sister Chen, and we can drink duck frame soup at home."

Chen Qingshan said seriously: "It's fine, I'll treat this time."

"No one needs to treat this time. You all go to the Assistant Governor's Mansion; I've already agreed with Lady Le, she will send a carriage to pick you up tomorrow morning, and they'll provide the meals. As for me..." Wang Yang smiled, "someone will provide my meals too."

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Note: ① "Book of Southern Qi, Biography of Empress Chen, Consort of Emperor Huan Xuan": "In the ninth year of Yongming, an edict was issued for the four-season sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, and Emperor Huan Xuan offered pancakes and duck stew." (The original character has 'moon' on the left and the right side of 'que' on the right, which cannot be typed on an input method.) Hu Sansheng's note: "Pancakes, today's northerners can make them. The dough is fluffy and soft. Used to roll meat and eat, also called rolled pancakes." ("Comprehensive Mirror for Aid in Government, Qi Annals 3")

② "Qi Min Yao Shu for the Common People, Raising Geese and Ducks 60": "For the kitchen, ducklings over a hundred days for geese, and sixty to seventy days for ducks, are best. Beyond this, the meat is hard."

③ Regarding the name "Fan roast," Mr. Miao Qiyu believes it is "mold roast," but the passage in "Qi Min Yao Shu for the Common People" about "Fan roast" (see 【Author's Say】) does not mention a mold, so Mr. Miao believes it was a small note of "also called Fan roast" under the previous item "pancake roast" that mistakenly slipped into this place as a title, so the original name of this dish is not "Fan roast."

I know nothing about the issue of mold roasting in food history, so I dare not comment, but from the perspective of philology, I think Mr. Miao's theory has some merit. But since there is no definitive proof, I will still call it "Fan roast" according to the statement in "Qi Min Yao Shu for the Common People," though it may be wrong.