Volume 1 The Wind Rises Chapter 41: Gift of Horse
"It is best to use charcoal for outdoor barbecue. The fire is strong enough and the heat is even enough. The key is that there is no smoky smell from wood."
"People who are impatient are afraid that the meat will burn when grilling, so they like to keep turning it over. This is a big taboo. If it is not grilled thoroughly at once, it is easy to cause the outside to be burnt while the inside is not cooked. Don't be bothered by the application of sauce. During the grilling process, the longer the time, the more water and fat will be lost in the meat, and the taste will be dry. You should brush some sauce on the game to keep the game moist and enhance the flavor."
"Be careful not to brush too much at once. If it's too salty, it will lose its original flavor."
"The game grilled in this way has a delicate texture, and the flavor of the meat mixed with the flavor of spices is mouth-watering."
Luo Youdu talked about his barbecue experience in later life.
Because during the conversation, Luo Youdu discovered that Fu Qing'er liked hunting and liked to roast the game she hunted . She would sit in the wilderness and look at the stars in the sky while tasting it.
Naturally, Luo Youdu talked about the barbecue tips of later generations.
In the past, Fu Qing'er always asked people to collect firewood on the spot when hunting, and she had never prepared charcoal for barbecue. Listening to Luo Youdu's detailed description, her eyes sparkled with surprise and her mouth watered. She couldn't wait to try it.
Suddenly she thought of something and blurted out, "Can I be good at archery if I join the army?"
Luo Youdu smiled and said, "It's one of the six arts, so I naturally understand it."
He's not bragging.
Before the Song Dynasty, ancient literati, except for the Jin Dynasty when they were influenced by the Wei and Jin styles, could not be said to be weak scholars.
Our ancestor Confucius was a 1.9-meter-tall Shandong man. Not only was he good at swearing, he was also very fierce in fighting. Even three or five big men couldn't get close to him.
It's just that later generations demonized him.
The literati of the Han and Tang dynasties were not weak at all. Respecting literature and appreciating martial arts were the labels of the era, and it did not develop in an abnormal direction.
It was the Song Dynasty's emphasis on civil affairs over military affairs that led to the epoch-making progress of the imperial examination system.
If a scholar wants to become an official, he has to study madly and read non-stop.
Studying hard for ten years has become a habit.
Especially with the emergence of the eight-legged essay , scholars all over the world racked their brains to study it, and they had no energy to practice archery.
Over time, the things left by our ancestors have deteriorated.
Scholars and the weak are associated together.
The world now values military power over culture, and this is also an abnormal era.
Perhaps because of this, before Luo Youdu traveled through time, the original owner had put a lot of effort into archery. Although he didn't have the ability to shoot an arrow through a target from a hundred paces away, it was not shameful to show it off.
Fu Qing'er did not continue the topic. She looked at Feng Zhu walking into the hall with a hint of regret in her eyes. She said, "The military officer knows my father?"
Luo Youdu nodded and said, "It's a pleasure to have seen you once!"
Fu Qing'er smiled and said, "Father never praises others, but he praises the military officer endlessly. He specially left a letter of recommendation and asked me to give it to the emperor at some time. He also said that he would choose a good horse for the military officer when he returns to Daming Prefecture. What happened today, I'm afraid that donkey is not easy to ride, so I, your daughter, will give it to him on his behalf."
Luo Youdu was surprised. He didn't expect Fu Yanqing to prepare a letter of recommendation for him. He was overjoyed. Fu Yanqing's letter of recommendation was much more important than those from Fan Zhi, Wang Pu and Wei Renpu.
This letter of recommendation will play a crucial role in whether one can gain a foothold in the military.
"Madam Fu Er, thank your father for his appreciation on my behalf!"
Luo Youdu bowed respectfully to Fu Qing'er.
Fu Qing'er waved her hand and said, "Okay, don't be polite. If you really want to thank someone, thank my father later. Come on, follow me to choose a horse..."
Luo Youdu was a little hesitant.
Fu Qing'er said, "If you don't accept it, I won't submit the letter of recommendation!"
Without hesitation, Luo Youdu agreed instantly.
Fu Yanqing's letter of recommendation was too tempting. If Fu Yanqing's conditions had not exceeded his authority, he would have agreed without hesitation, even if it meant marrying into the family as a son-in-law.
Fu Qing'er led Luo Youdu to the stable and said, "By the way, I heard that the emperor will hold a spring hunt next year. We should take this opportunity to see the young talents of our Great Zhou. When the time comes, we must see the archery skills of the soldiers."
Luo Youdu suddenly realized that this was the reason for giving the horse as a gift.
She had asked about her archery skills before, but avoided horseback archery. She must have known that she didn't even have a horse, so how could she ride and shoot? A warm feeling surged in her heart.
"Thank you, Madam Fu Er!"
Fu Qing'er raised her lips and said, "Except for my Bao'er, you can pick any of the others."
Luo Youdu didn't know the art of horse selection, so he just picked a common brown horse.
Anything that can appear in this stable is not ordinary. The brown horse is low-key.
Fu Qing'er smiled and said, "General Luo has a good eye. This is a Hequ horse, a breed introduced by General Huoqi when he recaptured the Hequ area. It has a gentle temperament and is very powerful when running. Because the horse's back is broad and stable, it is most suitable for riding and shooting."
Luo Youdu thanked him again and led the old donkey, whose hooves were a little weak, away from the Prince of Wei's Palace.
Fu Qing'er gently stroked the neck of Bao'er's divine horse. The divine horse, feeling relaxed, wanted to lick Fu Qing'er affectionately.
With a snap.
Fu Qing'er slapped him in disgust.
Feng Zhu laughed out loud with great joy, "This Bao'er is in heat at the right time, and he's actually in heat for a donkey. It seems that the Second Lady and General Luo have a great affinity."
Fu Qing'er laughed and scolded, "Talk about yourself! You secretly looked at others without even trying to cover up."
Feng Zhu and Fu Qing'er grew up together and were the most unruly in private. She joked, "I don't know who it is, but they can't stop talking. If it wasn't for the fact that it was already dusk, I wouldn't have the heart to interrupt them."
Fu Qing'er was speechless for a moment. When she came to her senses, she was also secretly surprised. She had originally planned to stay for a while, but she forgot the time when she was chatting. The other party talked about things that he was good at and liked. As they chatted, they felt like they were talking to each other from the heart and regretted meeting each other too late.
He couldn't help himself for a moment and revealed the matter of the spring hunt, and for some unknown reason he also gave away a horse.
It turned out that the last time she entered the palace, her sister Queen Fu received special instructions from her mother Lady Guoguo and told Guo Rong about finding a husband for Fu Qing'er.
Guo Rong immediately became interested and thought about organizing a small spring hunt, inviting all the noble families in Bianliang to join in, in order to promote the spirit of martial arts.
Although Guo Rong had the idea of using civil power to control military power, he knew in his heart that to conquer the world, they really had to rely on brave generals who could fight on the front lines.
Select a group of second-generation generals with good performance, promote them and reward them, and win the hearts of the people.
The more Fu Qing'er thought about it, the more puzzled she felt. Was she possessed?
Luo Youdu rode the divine horse that had not yet been named and returned to the mansion with the donkey whose legs were weak from working hard.
As soon as he entered the yard, he saw Lao Hu rushing out. He ignored his mount and asked, "My dear, are you going back? Why didn't you tell me?"
Luo Youdu asked with a hint of understanding: "What's wrong?"
Old Hu said awkwardly, "Isn't it rare to have a divine colt? I want to mate them a few more times and feed them some food!"
Case solved!
