RPAGF Chapter 24 Father and Son Clash!
Chapter 24 Father and Son Clash!
After the father and son agreed on the price for the road repair, the atmosphere became relaxed again. Zhu Yuanzhang's gaze fell on the hot pot that was still steaming on the table. He picked up his chopsticks, took a piece of cabbage, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully, his face full of satisfaction.
He couldn't help but sigh, his tone full of admiration but also tinged with doubt: "Yao'er, this hot pot is really delicious! It's fragrant but not greasy, and the more you eat, the more flavorful it becomes. Why is it so delicious? I've eaten so many delicacies, but none of them can compare to this."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao smiled, put down his teacup, and slowly explained, "Dad, the reason this hot pot is so delicious is no accident. First of all, I have to talk about the hot pot broth. I've adjusted it dozens of times, using the finest spices, chili peppers, and beef tallow. It's simmered over low heat for most of the day to bring out such a rich aroma."
"Furthermore, there's the dipping sauce. The proportions of minced garlic, sesame oil, sesame paste, chopped green onions, and cilantro must be just right. Too much and it'll be greasy, too little and it'll be bland. It's all about bringing out the freshness of the ingredients to the fullest extent."
"The most crucial element is the ingredients. Whether it's cabbage, lotus root, or beef and mutton, they all need to be fresh, cut and cooked immediately to ensure the taste. Only then will the cooked food be tender and fresh enough. When these three elements are combined, the hot pot will naturally taste delicious."
Liu Bowen, who was standing to the side, also put down his chopsticks, nodded, and chimed in, "Young master is absolutely right. The reason why this hot pot is so delicious is not only because of its rich broth and delicious dipping sauce, but more importantly because of the wide variety of dishes that cater to all budgets."
"There are refreshing and palate-cleansing cabbage and lotus root, tender and juicy beef and mutton, as well as a variety of seasonal vegetables. No matter what your taste, you can find ingredients that suit your taste, and there is plenty to eat, so you can enjoy your meal to the fullest."
At this point, Liu Bowen's eyes glazed over slightly, and his tone became more expectant: "If one day, every household in the world could enjoy such a steaming hot pot, live without worry about food and clothing, and live in peace and contentment, then that would surely be a prosperous and peaceful world."
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's eyes lit up instantly. He paused, chopsticks in his hand, and a look of anticipation appeared on his face as he nodded repeatedly, "Old Liu, you're right! Absolutely right!"
"If every person in the world could have meat to eat at every meal, and every household could enjoy hot pot like this, without war or famine, and everyone could live and work in peace and contentment, how wonderful the whole world would be!"
Zhu Yao sat to the side, listening to the two's dreams, and couldn't help but roll his eyes, his tone full of disdain: "You two are probably dreaming, right? If you want every household in the world to be able to eat hot pot, you'll have to wait at least several hundred years."
Zhu Yuanzhang's hopeful expression froze instantly, his brows furrowing slightly: "Yao'er, what do you mean by that? Why do we have to wait hundreds of years?"
Zhu Yao spoke slowly, his tone becoming heavy: "Father, look at the world today, what kind of lives are the people living?"
"With heavy taxes and levies, most of the harvest from the land had to be handed over to the imperial court. We were lucky to have a full meal all year round, let alone money to buy meat, spices, or hot pot!"
"People in remote areas are even more miserable. In years of disaster, they have no harvest and can only eat tree bark and grass roots. They even resort to cannibalism. It is a blessing if they can survive. Let alone hot pot, they can hardly even afford simple meals."
"And what about those people oppressed by the government, those tenants exploited by landlords? They toil hard all year, only to end up with nothing. Survival itself becomes a problem. How can they possibly have the appetite for hot pot?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yuanzhang's expression gradually darkened, the atmosphere around him grew increasingly tense, and his face became extremely grim. He clenched his fists, his tone tinged with disbelief: "It can't be that bad, can it? Our...the court has done a lot over the years, reducing taxes, comforting refugees, and building water conservancy projects. How could we let the people live such a miserable life?"
Upon hearing this, Zhu Yao rolled his eyes again, his tone full of complaints: "Tax reduction? That's only a small part, and most of it ended up in the hands of landlords and officials. The common people didn't get much benefit at all."
"Appease the refugees? It's just for show; the refugees are still homeless and starving."
"Building water conservancy projects? It has consumed a lot of manpower and financial resources. Many people have been conscripted for military service, and their fields have been left uncultivated. It is not worth the losses."
He paused, his eyes sharpening, and said firmly, "Father, Zhu Yuanzhang did unify the country and end the war; that's his achievement. But it's also a fact that he didn't bring a good life to the people after unifying the country!"
"The people are filled with resentment. They are plagued by exorbitant taxes, oppression by officials, and land annexation. If this continues, it won't be long before some people follow in Zhu Yuanzhang's footsteps and rise up in rebellion against him!"
These words struck Zhu Yuanzhang and Liu Bowen like a thunderclap, instantly freezing them in place, their faces filled with shock, their pupils shrinking, and even their breathing stopping.
Zhu Yuanzhang suddenly stood up, his face ashen, his imposing presence exuding an aura. His eyes were sharp as knives as he stared intently at Zhu Yao, his lips trembling slightly, yet he could not utter a single word.
He never imagined that he was seen this way in Zhu Yao's eyes, and he never expected that Zhu Yao would dare to speak so frankly, saying that someone would rebel against him.
Liu Bowen was also terrified, his face turning pale. He quickly stood up, looking at Zhu Yao with a flustered expression, then at the furious Zhu Yuanzhang. Cold sweat broke out on his palms, and he inwardly groaned:
My lord, your words are incredibly audacious! You dare to speak ill of His Majesty and even say that someone might rebel. If you anger His Majesty, the consequences will be unimaginable!
The dining room fell into a deathly silence, with only the bubbling of the hot pot broth breaking the stillness. The atmosphere was so oppressive that it was hard to breathe, and Zhu Yuanzhang's anger was like a volcano about to erupt, ready to burst forth at any moment.
Zhu Yuanzhang's anger was almost bursting out of his chest. He pointed at Zhu Yao, his voice trembling slightly with rage, and demanded sharply, "You rebellious son! Since you are so dissatisfied with the court and so dislike old Zhu, isn't your current comfortable life, with its good food and spacious living, a credit to the court?"
"If it weren't for Zhu Yuanzhang unifying the country, would you have the peaceful life you enjoy today?"
Zhu Yao was not afraid at all, rolled his eyes again, and said in a calm tone without the slightest fear: "Father, you don't know how poor and miserable Chenzhou was back then. You have no idea how we survived back then."
"More than ten years ago, Chenzhou was plagued by war and chaos every year. There were displaced people everywhere. The crops in the fields were destroyed by the war, and there was no harvest. Natural disasters and man-made calamities came one after another. Drought and floods struck one after another, but the imperial court did not care. Not a single grain of food was given for disaster relief, and not a single official came to comfort us."
"At that time, there were starving people everywhere, and you could see people who had starved to death by the roadside. In order to survive, my grandfather and I led the remaining people in the village to plunge into the barren mountains and wilderness, to reclaim wasteland, working from sunrise to sunset. Even when we encountered wild animals or torrential rain and floods, we dared not stop."
"We endured year after year, suffering countless hardships. We ate tree bark and dug up wild vegetables. It was only with great difficulty that we were able to cultivate the wasteland, harvest crops, slowly eat our fill, and finally have the life we have today."