Control the water in the dry pot, add oil when it reaches about 60% heat, saute chopped green onions and ginger until fragrant, then mix in the zhu yu (a type of condiment) and stir well before adding cooking wine.

Pour water into the pot and add red yeast rice water for coloring.

Red yeast rice has been the best natural dye for coloring dishes since ancient times, and the red yeast rice wine sold in the market is brewed from red yeast rice.

After adding the red yeast rice water, the entire pot of soup turns a bright red, appealing to the eye.

Jiang Yanyi added a bit of sugar to enhance the freshness, which added depth to the flavor, and a little soy sauce for seasoning.

Once the water boiled, she placed the blanched spare ribs into the pot, adding bay leaves, cinnamon, and star anise to simmer on low heat.

The meat aroma from the spare ribs became richer under the influence of the spices.

The natural color from the red yeast rice made the ribs look red and glossy, very appealing.

Once the ribs were tender, she could have simply served them as they were.

But to make General’s Ribs, there was one more step: deep frying.

Jiang Yanyi asked the kitchen staff to bring some sweet potato starch for her.

She coated the cooked spare ribs with starch, then heated a generous amount of oil in the pot.

When the oil temperature was right, she fried the ribs until the coating was crispy and golden, then removed them along with a small dish of fried peanuts.

She left a bit of oil in the pot, tossed in some chopped green onions, and sautéed them along with the zhu yu and green peppercorns to release their fragrance.

Then, she added the fried spare ribs and peanuts, stir-frying them together for flavor before plating them.

If she had time, she could have added some fried dough twists at this stage, but today she was running short on time, so she skipped the dough twists.

The ribs were done just in time for the meal.

The Marquis of Xing’an had come to Xizhou, and with Chu Changping now a general under Feng Shuo, he had to accompany the Marquis, so he wouldn’t be back for lunch.

The family still gathered to eat in the courtyard of the Chu family’s elders.

During the meal, when Chu Huibao saw the long-awaited pickled cabbage fish, her eyes practically sparkled.

After picking up her chopsticks, she was solely focused on picking up fish and devouring rice.

Old Madam Chu had specially seated Jiang Yanyi and her brother next to her, probably because she had noticed earlier that her two grandsons had been cold toward them and wanted her grandchildren and grandchildren-in-law to understand her importance to Jiang Yanyi and her brother.

Jiang Yanyi picked up a piece of spare rib for Old Madam Chu.

Noticing the lake-green pouch hanging from Jiang Yanyi’s waist, Chu Chengmu’s younger sisters scrambled to serve her food.

Even Chu Huibao, who was usually all about food, reluctantly placed a piece of fish she had just picked up into Jiang Yanyi’s bowl.

In contrast, when it came to him, the ones who had once favored him seemed to ignore him now.

The more he watched, the more uncomfortable he felt.

Seeing Jiang Yanyi serving Old Madam Chu the spare ribs, he said, “Grandmother is old and has weak teeth; it’s hard for her to eat fried foods.”

Jiang Yanyi sensed his displeasure and assumed he was just worried about Old Madam Chu. “These spare ribs were softened before frying, so they’re easy to eat,” she replied.

At this point, Old Madam Chu had already bitten into a spare rib.

The outside was crispy while the inside was tender.

The zhu yu and peppercorns added a spicy flavor to the golden-brown crust, exactly to Old Madam Chu’s liking.

With just a light bite, she was able to chew off the meat.

The meat was tender, and the flavor of the spices had completely infused into it, making it incredibly delicious.

Old Madam Chu smiled at Chu Chengmu and said, “Grandmother loves to eat, and I can still bite into it!”

Turning to Grandfather Chu, she added, “These ribs are delicious; you should try them too.”

Chu Chengmu thought Old Madam Chu was intentionally giving Jiang Yanyi a way out.

He knew that his grandmother favored his aunt’s children, so he didn’t say anything and quietly took a piece of spare rib to eat.

After biting into the crispy exterior, he found that the meat was indeed as tender and flavorful as Old Madam Chu had said.

He was momentarily taken aback.

He took another piece and praised, “The cooks in our household are quite skilled.”

Chu Huibao made a face at him, “These ribs and the pickled cabbage fish were both made by Second Sister, not by the kitchen staff.”

With the piece of spare rib he had just picked up hovering at his mouth, he found himself in a dilemma—he couldn’t decide whether to eat it or not.

After hesitating for a while, he finally opened his mouth and ate it, but he didn’t take any more of the spare ribs or pickled cabbage fish, even though he thought both dishes were the best.

Noticing that he wasn’t fighting her for the pickled cabbage fish anymore, Chu Huibao proactively offered him a piece, saying, “Second Brother, why aren’t you eating fish anymore?”

Faced with all the gazes from the people at the table, Chu Chengmu answered with a clear conscience, “I don’t like eating fish.”

Chu Huibao looked at him suspiciously; he had just been competing with her for fish.

Chu Shubao discreetly pinched Chu Huibao’s hand, and she understood her sister’s hint to keep quiet and focused on eating.

Although Chu Chengmu didn’t reach for those two dishes, the aroma still wafted into his nostrils.

He stole a glance at Jiang Yanyi, who was sitting next to Old Madam Chu and eating gracefully, and tried to endure it!

He ate slowly, knowing that according to the Chu family’s dining habits, there would definitely be leftovers by the end of the meal.

However, as chopsticks reached in and out of the plates for the spare ribs and pickled cabbage fish, the ribs disappeared at an almost visible speed.

Chu Chengmu felt that his willpower was starting to crack under the pressure of “enduring.”

There’s still sauerkraut fish.

He comforted himself.

Chu Huibao scooped around in the sauerkraut fish pot, and after fishing out the last piece of fish, she scooped a couple more times, confirming that there was no more meat left.

She then said a bit disappointedly, “There’s no fish left…”

Chu Chengmao: “…”

The crack in the word “endure” grew larger.

No problem, at worst, he could soak some rice in the soup.

Chu Chengmao stubbornly stayed until the end.

Before the old lady of the Chu family left the table, she asked him with concern, “Maog’er, haven’t you eaten well outside?”

Look at how hungry the child is; he has already eaten so much rice.

Chu Chengmao nodded at the pot of sauerkraut fish.

The old lady instructed him to eat slowly and to let the kitchen prepare more if it wasn’t enough.

She had eaten a bit too much during this meal, so Jiang Yanyi and Chu Shubao accompanied her for a walk to aid digestion.

Everyone gradually left the table.

Chu Chengbai, grieving the death of his beloved concubine, looked haggard.

His wife, Xue, spoke softly and gently, seemingly the epitome of tenderness, but the upward curve of her lips carried a hint of mockery.

Liu was heartbroken for her son and wanted to go to the kitchen to make a soup for Chu Chengbai.

Once the dining hall was finally empty, Chu Chengmao was just about to scoop some sauerkraut fish soup into his bowl when a swarm of servants rushed in to clear the table.

Chu Chengmao’s face turned sour. “What’s going on?”

Seeing that he had put down his chopsticks, the young servant, thinking he had finished eating, shyly smiled and pointed to the pot of sauerkraut fish. “Second Young Master, since you’re done, can we give this pot of soup to us? Everyone is planning to soak rice in it.”

Chu Chengmao: “…”

He silently put down the soup ladle. “You take it away.”

It was just a pot of sauerkraut fish; what was so special about it?

The young servant happily took the pot of sauerkraut fish away, and the maids began to clear the table.

Chu Chengmao felt a surge of frustration.

Damn it, he actually cherished it!

---

Feng Residence.

Today, a feast was to be held to entertain the Marquis of Xing’an.

The chefs at Feng Residence prepared an array of delicious dishes, each more exquisite than the last, all sent to the front hall.

Feng Shuo sat in the main seat, with the Marquis of Xing’an seated at the first position on his left, followed by several of the Marquis’s trusted generals.

On the right, the high-ranking generals under Feng Shuo, including Chu Changping, were already in attendance.

Having played a role in persuading the Marquis of Xing’an, Lu Linyuan was also seated at the table, though at the very end.

He looked a bit thinner than before, but his demeanor was calm, clearly having undergone much refinement.

“I’ve long admired Your Highness’s reputation. It’s a great honor for me, Yang, to discuss grand plans with you today,” the Marquis of Xing’an, nearing fifty and sporting a beard, spoke.

Perhaps due to years of self-cultivation, despite being a military general, he emanated a scholarly air.

He raised his glass to Feng Shuo. “I toast to Your Highness.”

“No need for such formality, Marquis. The difficulties in Danzhou owe much to your assistance,” Feng Shuo replied, raising his glass in return.

The strong liquor burned as it went down, offering little more than a painful sensation.

Jiang Yanyi was not in the antique soup shop today; the distance from there made it impossible for her to taste anything.

“The battle in Danzhou was won narrowly because the Emperor didn’t expect Yuzhou to rebel. Once the court mobilizes troops, Yuzhou will inevitably face battle,” the Marquis of Xing’an sighed.

On the surface, he spoke of Yuzhou being in a precarious situation, but he was really seeking credit from Feng Shuo.

The fact that they caught the court off guard allowed Chu Changping to lead his family to safety, and Yuzhou’s military contributions could not be overlooked.

Feng Shuo replied, “Rest assured, Marquis. With two hundred thousand troops stationed in Xizhou, sending thirty to fifty thousand to Yuzhou for defense is no problem.”

With five thousand troops under his command, a small place like Yuzhou would not be a problem; if he sent another thirty to fifty thousand troops, it would become uncertain whether Yuzhou would remain under the Yang or Feng name.

The Marquis of Xing’an did not expect to hit such a soft spot.

Since he agreed to ally with Feng Shuo, he would not easily break the relationship, and what he said now was merely to carve out more interests.

Chi Qing was best at playing the good and bad cop with Feng Shuo, and immediately added, “Marquis, do try this roasted suckling pig. It’s made from a wild pig freshly caught from the mountains. It tastes better than ordinary pork.”

The Marquis of Xing’an picked up his chopsticks but then set them down. Naturally, he did not come to Xizhou just for a meal with Feng Shuo.

Since Feng Shuo was unwilling to engage in the covert conversation, he decided to be direct.

The Marquis of Xing’an said, “Your Highness, I won’t beat around the bush anymore. I only have one daughter, and I’ve come this far with Yuzhou’s strength for her future. Since you’re still unmarried, Yuzhou is willing to form a marital alliance with Xizhou.”

This meant he wanted Feng Shuo to marry his daughter as his primary wife.