Chapter 50: Friend
Below the paper were listed three dishes: Sour Cabbage Fish, Tomato Fish Balls, and Braised Kidney Fish.
Then she unfolded the paper for everyone to see: “You all heard it, this King wasn’t bragging. Lord Yan said it was good, right!”
Even Han Xing couldn’t understand what the Prince was planning to do, only thinking she was creating new recipes, a youthful whim, wanting praise.
Everyone laughed: “That’s right, it was indeed delicious. The Prince’s cooking is excellent!”
Jinsui said with a smile to Yan Jiulang:
“Lord Yan likes it, so come often. You are the first friend this King has made in Yandi. No matter when you come, this King will make delicious food for you!”
The star for bringing goods for Border City fish balls, it’s you!
Yan Jiulang was stunned for a moment. When was the last time someone had sincerely told him, “You are my friend”?
Right, it must have been when he was eight years old…
He poured a cup of wine for himself and Jinsui, raised his cup, and said: “It is Yan’s honor to be friends with the Prince.”
The wine is a bit lacking. Next time I come, I’ll bring you some good wine.
Yan Jiu had always been meticulous about food and refined in his habits. This was the first time he had eaten this kind of communal meal, and with a group of rough soldiers, yet he found it quite enjoyable.
Cheng Yu started singing after a few drinks, singing Chu Ci, and it sounded quite good.
Jinsui tapped her bowl with chopsticks to keep the beat, occasionally shouting words of encouragement.
Wei Assistant Secretary was sweating anxiously nearby. Why wasn’t the Prince using this opportunity to chat more with Lord Yan? What was this drunkard singing about?
Han Xing ate with her head down the entire time, but Jinsui noticed this fellow stealing dishes from the table, skewering seven or eight fish balls with her chopsticks like candied hawthorns.
She quietly passed them to Hei Hu behind her. Hei Hu opened his mouth wide and ate them like skewers, three or four at a time…
The meal lasted until the moon was high. Yan Jiu naturally couldn’t go home and stayed overnight in the Border City.
Then Jinsui witnessed how extravagant it was for the head of a gentry family to stay overnight outside. Several servants came first to clean, as if sweeping away dust for the New Year, even sweeping the roof.
If the ground weren’t made of yellow mud, they probably would have washed it with water. All the bedding and linens on the bed were replaced, and a canopy was hung.
A carpet was laid on the floor by the bedside, and there were tea stoves, chamber pots, and washbasins, all brought along.
Jinsui watched and sighed: “Damn it, he’s more like an Imperial Prince than this King!”
She pulled Wei Assistant Secretary over and asked: “Are you sure Lord Yan brought gifts when he came? He didn’t just bring things for himself, did he?”
Unexpectedly, Yan Jiu overheard her. He chuckled softly and personally brought over an exquisitely carved lacquer box, handing it to Jinsui:
“I came in a hurry and didn’t prepare a grand gift. Please don’t mind it, Your Highness.”
Jinsui opened it and saw a thick layer of silk wrapped around a jade pot, which was clearly very valuable.
Jinsui originally wanted to say that this item wouldn’t be useful in the Border City, so why not just give her the cash equivalent.
Then she felt it would be too embarrassing. She was Li King now and couldn’t do such petty things.
She accepted the gift with a smile and said:
“How could this King dislike such a generous gift! Thank you, Lord Yan. This Border City is harsh and cold, and this King has nothing to give in return.”
“How about this: when Lord Yan encounters any unclear points while reading the Thirty-Six Stratagems, I will explain them to you.”
She thought for a moment and felt her return gift was too light, so she raised her hand and said: “Please wait a moment.”
She didn’t give the jade pot to Wei Assistant Secretary to store. She turned and went back to her room, putting it into her space.
Then she took out a box of energy bars, put some into a glass jar, and carried it out, stuffing it into Yan Jiu’s arms:
“I noticed Lord Yan likes sweets. This box of Imperial Court candies is for you.”
Hei Hu behind her was anxiously scratching his ears. Giving away such delicious brown sugar cubes to an outsider? I haven’t had brown sugar in so long.
Refuse it! Lord Yan, quickly refuse it!
You are an adult, and the head of the family, how can you love candy?
Yan Jiu actually refused: “Heh, this item is even more valuable than what Yan has gifted. Yan cannot accept it.”
Jinsui pointed at the energy bars: “It’s just a sweet snack. Eat it as a treat while you read. It’s not expensive.”
“What Yan meant was the glazed glass jar. This must be Western Regions glazed glass. I haven’t seen such transparent glazed glass artifacts in Yandi.”
Yan Jiu now believed the story of Li King selling treasures in Wei Prefecture. Such a valuable glazed glass jar, and she used it to hold snacks.
Jinsui slapped her forehead. She had really gotten carried away after a couple of drinks and hadn’t thought of this just now!
She quickly pushed the glass jar into Yan Jiu’s hands and smiled: “Since this King has given it to Lord Yan, how can I take it back.”
“If Lord Yan feels it’s too valuable, then give me a little more in return!”
Ignoring Wei Assistant Secretary, who was coughing so hard his throat was almost hoarse, she continued:
“However, a return gift like the jade pot is not necessary. This King doesn’t need it in the Border City.
This King has three thousand soldiers to feed, and with autumn approaching, winter supplies are not yet sufficient.”
“If Lord Yan is willing to reciprocate with some provisions, cotton, linen, or charcoal, this King would be very happy to accept.”
Wei Assistant Secretary secretly pinched his thigh. My Prince! What a great opportunity to befriend Lord Yan, and you’re only thinking about money!
Only then did Yan Jiu, under Hei Hu’s disappointed gaze, accept the jar and promise:
“Your Highness, rest assured, Yan’s return gift will surely satisfy you.”
Jinsui was overjoyed. All the young masters of the gentry from the Sixteen Prefectures of Yandi, come visit the Border City!
This King has plenty of glass jars!
She knew that these ‘treasures’ were valuable for their quality, not quantity. If she took out another double-sided mirror like the one sold to Young Master Jin, it could still sell for five thousand taels, but if she brought out ten, it would only sell for a thousand taels at most.
This kind of item needed the right timing. Like now, using it as a gift exchange was the most cost-effective.
As Li King in Yandi, she had the title but no real power. If the gentry of the Sixteen Prefectures joined forces to trouble Li King.
Even with ten thousand taels of silver, she couldn’t buy much grain and supplies. But through exchanges like this with Yan Jiu, even if Yan Jiu cheated her, the supplies she got would be more cost-effective than buying them herself.
Another transaction completed, Jinsui was very satisfied and treated the major client with even better demeanor.
Before going to bed, she instructed the cook to prepare the white flour, as the Yan family members would be having breakfast tomorrow, and it needed to be made meticulously.
When she turned off the lights and went to sleep, she noticed the light in the guest room was still on. Yan Jiu’s silhouette was cast on the window, and he was holding a book and reading.
What a patient fellow. If she were captivated by a book, she would definitely skip meals and social interactions to finish reading it first.
The fact that he could wait until now to read the Thirty-Six Stratagems showed his temperament.
The next morning, Jinsui personally cooked a bowl of tomato fish ball noodles for Yan Jiu’s breakfast.
She escorted Yan Jiu and his entourage ten miles outside the Border City. Only when their convoy became a black dot did she turn her horse around and say to Wei Assistant Secretary with a smile:
“Didn’t you say before that even with the Border City open for trade, there was nothing to sell?”
“Now there is. Let’s open an eatery and sell fish ball noodles first.”
“The shop will be named ‘Forceful Restaurant’, and next to it, put up a banner that reads ‘Yan Jiulang ate it and said it was good’!”
“Haha, I guarantee the business will be booming!”
Wei Assistant Secretary really wanted to twitch his mouth to express his feelings, but his teeth ached whenever he twitched, so he could only cover his mouth and advise:
“Your Highness, you can’t do this! What will Lord Yan think if he sees it? How can you take something said at the table and hang it up as a banner!”
He looked pleadingly at Cheng Yu, hoping Cheng Yu would side with him and try to persuade the Prince together.
Unexpectedly, Cheng Yu burst out laughing: “That’s a great idea! Lord Yan of Yanzhou saying it’s good will surely become a golden signboard.”
“The Prince made a mistake at the banquet last night. When writing that sentence, we should have gotten Lord Yan’s signature.”
Jinsui slapped her thigh: “This King thought the same thing! I was just afraid you’d think I was too petty.”
“He hasn’t gone far yet. How about we chase after him now and get his signature?”
Wei Assistant Secretary truly started crying now. He jumped off his horse and hugged Jinsui’s horse’s head:
“Good Prince, this subordinate will let you hang the banner. Please, please don’t go find Lord Yan for a signature!”
Although both were embarrassing, the degree differed. Wei Assistant Secretary knew how to choose.
