usatvline Chapter 106 Crab roe and people's fat, squeezed dry by aristocratic families?
Chapter 106 Crab roe and people's fat, squeezed dry by aristocratic families?
Chapter 106 Crab roe and people's fat, squeezed dry by aristocratic families?
Li Shimin took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and savored the moment.
He picked up the spoon and scooped out a large chunk of rice covered in crab roe.
The Tang emperor always had a whirlwind-like, decisive manner when he ate.
One bite.
Li Shimin suddenly opened his eyes.
That rich, irresistible aroma rushed straight to the top of his head from the tip of his tongue! He felt as if every pore on his body had exploded in that instant.
This is no ordinary crab.
This involves removing all the bones and bits of crab meat, leaving only the most succulent and oily part!
No need to peel the shells yourself, no need to worry about getting pricked, every bite is full of real meat and oil.
"good!"
Li Shimin slammed his hand on the table, making the spoon in the bowl jump.
Su Mu glanced at him: "Eat slowly, this stuff is high in cholesterol. You're not young anymore, so take it easy."
Li Shimin didn't listen to anything about cholesterol; all he knew was that this bowl of rice finally brought flavor to his mouth, which had been bitter from worrying about state affairs these past few days.
Li Shimin only slowed down after eating two bowls of rice.
He leaned back in his chair, looking at the few bamboo baskets still crawling around in the corner of the yard.
Those were the remaining few crabs, which hadn't been killed yet.
One of the largest male crabs, perhaps startled by Su Mu killing its companion, was now rampaging around in the cage with its two large, hairy pincers raised, making the bamboo strips crackle.
That menacing, snarling appearance was quite intimidating.
Li Shimin squinted, staring at the crab for a long time, before suddenly asking, "Mr. Su, what do you think this crab is?"
Su Mu was picking his teeth with a toothpick when he heard this, and casually glanced at the cage.
"What else could it be?"
Su Mu casually remarked, "He looks fierce, brandishing big pincers and spitting bubbles, but he's just a bluffer."
""
Li Shimin raised an eyebrow: "Oh? A bluff?"
"you do not say."
Su Mu pointed at the crab, "Look at it, straddling the road and blocking everyone else's way. But really? No matter how hard its shell is, it's just for show."
Su Mu stood up, walked to the cage, and kicked it.
The crab immediately shrank into a ball and stopped waving its pincers, looking incredibly cowardly.
"This thing is full of oil, it's overflowing with oil."
"They usually act like big shots in the river, thinking they're the boss. But if they were actually put in a pot and heated over a big fire, they'd turn red instantly and be completely dead."
He said that simply because he was tired from dismantling the crabs and casually complained that they were difficult to handle, but quite juicy.
But Li Shimin interpreted these words differently.
Li Shimin's expression gradually froze, and his eyes became deep.
Rampant and domineering —
They're blocking the road and not letting anyone walk on it.
Hard shell, but full of oil and juice inside.
Is this talking about crabs?
This is clearly referring to the powerful and influential families in the imperial court who hold sway over the lifeline of the Tang Dynasty!
Which of the five surnames and seven clans wasn't incredibly wealthy? Which of them wasn't a local tyrant? Relying on the protection of their ancestors, they were so powerful that they even dared to defy imperial authority!
They look imposing on ordinary days, but if you make the slightest move, they'll raise their pliers to grab you.
Li Shimin's anger flared up instantly.
A few days ago, because of the water conservancy project, those powerful families made excuses in the court, saying that it affected the feng shui. In fact, they were just afraid that it would affect their own farmland interests.
"In your opinion, sir—"
Li Shimin leaned forward, lowered his voice, and asked with a hint of seeking advice, "What should we do if there are too many crabs and they block the river?"
Su Mu didn't catch the hidden meaning in those words, taking it as a question about how to deal with the remaining crabs.
"That's easy."
Su Mu yawned, flicked the toothpick, and said, "Since it has oil in its belly, let's squeeze it dry."
"Squeeze dry?"
Li Shimin's breath hitched.
"yes."
Su Mu said matter-of-factly, "It's no use reasoning with this kind of thing; it won't understand. Just throw it in the pot and make the fire burn brighter."
Once all the oil has been rendered out, mix it into the rice, and that'll be a real treat for our palates.
Su Mu pointed to the empty bowl on the table: "Look, that crab was so fierce just now, but now it's obediently gone into our stomachs, and it even served us very well!"
boom!
It felt like a lightning bolt struck Li Shimin's mind.
What a genius!
This is a true master!
They likened aristocratic families to crabs and governing a country to cooking.
What's the use of reasoning with those aristocratic families and talking about righteousness? They're just a bunch of beasts who can't understand human language!
We must start a big fire and use plenty of oil to extract all the wealth they've plundered from the people, and use it to nourish the people of the world!
What's this called?
This is called taking from crabs and using them for the benefit of the people!
Li Shimin suddenly stood up, paced back and forth in the courtyard, and the more he thought about it, the more he felt that Su Mu's words contained great wisdom.
What does it mean that once it's cooked, it's easy to handle?
That means suppressing the arrogance of these powerful families and letting them rise to prominence, so that the Tang Dynasty can truly be restored to its former glory.
"Sir, you are truly a man of great talent!"
Li Shimin suddenly turned around, bowed deeply to Su Mu, his face flushed with excitement, "Hearing your words is better than reading books for ten years!"
"I—I'll go back right away and have someone start a fire to take care of those biggest crabs!"
Su Mu stared at him, completely bewildered.
What's wrong with Li Er this time?
It's just crab rice, why make such a big deal out of it?
"If you want to eat, then eat. Don't bother with all this fancy stuff."
Su Mu waved his hand, "Take the rest with you. Don't make me deliver them to you; it's too tiring."
Li Shimin was not annoyed; instead, he laughed even more heartily.
He felt that Su Mu was avoiding suspicion and did not want to interfere too much in politics, only offering some advice at the dinner table.
This is the demeanor of a recluse!
"Take them all! Take them all!"
Li Shimin waved his hand and shouted to Wang Dequan, "Take this cage of crabs, and the leftover oil, back to the Liangyi Palace for me!"
He wanted to eat this bibimbap while writing his notes, carefully considering how to deal with those old, powerful families!
Wang Dequan quickly called the eunuchs to come up and move the things.
Little Sizi was holding the bowl that had been licked clean when she saw her father about to leave. She reached out her little hand and tugged at Li Shimin's clothes.
"Father, leave some of that sticky, oily stuff for Mother."
With a grain of rice still clinging to her lips, the little girl spoke with a lisp, "Mother will definitely be overjoyed!"
Li Shimin looked down at his daughter's oily little face and his heart softened.
"Stay! Stay all!"
Li Shimin picked up the little boy and kissed him hard on the face. "If your mother eats this good stuff, she'll definitely recover quickly!"
Li Lizhi had finished eating and was wiping her mouth with a handkerchief when she saw her father looking so energetic and felt that something was amiss.
However, she didn't think much of it. After all, she had enjoyed the crab roe and rice dish so much that even the empty crab shells looked much better to her.
"Well then—Su Mu, we'll head back now."
Li Lizhi stood up and gave Su Mu a slight curtsy.
Su Mu slumped in the bamboo chair and waved the palm-leaf fan in his hand: "Take care and don't come back. Remember to close the door behind you, so the smell doesn't get carried away by the wind."
The courtyard fell silent again.
All that remained were the empty bowls on the table and the lingering, overpowering aroma of crab oil in the air.
Su Mu looked at the messy pile of crab shells and sighed.
"A group of foodies."
""
He shook his head. "They didn't even bother to clean up the table after they finished eating."