I opened a tavern in Datang/Datang: My peerless talent was exposed

In addition, he is the uncle of the country and is a commoner acquaintance with Li Shimin, so it is inevitable that the eldest grandson Wuji not only has to take care of his own bureaucracy, but also has to worry about other departments.

This time, it was all about money, because the treasury ran out of money.

Not to mention being blackmailed by Jieli this year, Li Shimin has an ambitious plan to build water conservancy and open up farmland everywhere. At the same time, he has to organize his armaments.

This sum of money is everywhere, Dai Zhou, Minister of the Household Department, is buzzing every day.

When Li Shimin heard his eldest grandson Wuji complain that the treasury had no money, he also had a headache.

The national treasury at this time is not like later generations. There are various sources of income. At this time, there are only two sources of income.

One is taxation, which constitutes the bulk of the country’s fiscal revenue. At this time, the Tang Dynasty implemented the land equalization system and the rent adjustment system, and the burden on farmers was not large. Moreover, there was no salt tax and tea tax at this time, and alcohol was prohibited. Happy, but the treasury is nervous.

Another source of income is official sales. Salt and iron are sold by officials. These things that are closely related to life are not only strategic materials, but also a large amount of income.

But neither of these two can make a fortune right away, unless Li Shimin is willing to increase taxes, but this is not even mentioned for Li Shimin who pays special attention to people's livelihood.

After much deliberation, he couldn't think of any good solution, so Li Shimin simply took Changsun Wuji to visit his Guanyin maidservant.

But hearing that Empress Changsun had a hidden illness, Changsun Wuji almost jumped up from the chair, and now he couldn't care about the courtesy of the emperor and ministers, so he hurriedly asked about the specific situation.

So while walking, Li Shimin told about the fact that he took the eldest grandson empress to Zhang Nuo's shop for dinner, and Zhang Nuo saw the hidden illness.

And thinking that Changsun Wuji also knew Zhang Nuo's father, he specifically explained Zhang Nuo's identity and introduced Zhang Nuo's answer in detail.

When Changsun Wuji heard that his sister was not in an emergency, his heart was more than half relieved, and then he heard the news of the son of the old man, and he was also very emotional.

However, Changsun Wuji was a little bit disapproving of Zhang Nuo's miraculousness in Li Shimin's mouth. After all, he was just pointing out the country.

Li Shimin saw that it didn't matter if Changsun Wuji didn't quite believe it, so he turned and said,

"Auxiliary machine (named by Changsun Wuji), after tomorrow's court, you change your clothes and go over with me to have a look. Don't say anything else, the craftsmanship of the shopkeeper Zhang alone is definitely worth a try. I will never forget it, but Don't reveal your identity."

The eldest grandson Wuji had nothing to do, so he happened to go to see how the son of an old friend who was praised by Li Shimin was doing.

If he is really a pillar of talent as Li Shimin said, then he must recruit some people. The shortage of people under his command is very serious.

The two monarchs and ministers came to the harem where the queen was, and happened to meet the imperial physician who was talking to the eldest grandson empress after the examination.

Seeing Li Shimin coming in, Empress Changsun hurried over to salute after receiving the report, while the imperial physician honestly reported the results of the examination.

After a careful examination by the imperial physician, Empress Changsun was indeed suffering from a gas disease, but the current symptoms were extremely mild. On weekdays, Empress Changsun occasionally had chest tightness and cough and didn't pay much attention to it. She was afraid that Li Shimin would be worried, so she never told anyone about it.

If it wasn't for Zhang Nuo telling the truth this time, I'm afraid it won't be known until the disease has deepened to a certain extent.

But the imperial doctor also said that as long as you take care of it carefully, not to mention recovering, at least it will not be a big problem to keep it going.

Although this result was not completely satisfactory to Li Shimin, at least it was more than half relieved, God knows how much he wanted to kill these imperial physicians when he first returned to the palace.

Now the imperial physician saved his life, and Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji felt relieved.

In the evening, Changsun Wuji was left by Li Shimin to have dinner together. After all, he also has the identity of the elder brother of Empress Changsun. It is not easy for siblings to meet each other. Now that they have met, let's have a meal together It's also good to chat.

It's just that as soon as the food was served, Empress Changsun began to sigh,

"Your Majesty, where do you think shopkeeper Xiao Zhang came up with so many gourmet delicacies? They are all common ingredients. How come the ones he made are so delicious?"

"My concubine is not a greedy person, but after eating the lunch at noon, seeing what the royal chef in the palace is cooking, I don't even want to talk."

Li Shimin also didn't know whether to laugh or cry, he didn't even have much appetite when he looked at the plates of dishes carefully prepared by the imperial chef in front of him.

"Guanyin maidservant, there is an old saying that it is easy to go from frugality to extravagance and it is difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. When I conquered the world, I came here like that.

But now, after eating two meals from shopkeeper Xiao Zhang, the chef's craftsmanship actually started to dislike him. Thinking about it, I feel a lot of emotion! "

Changsun Wuji couldn't help being a little surprised when he heard that his younger sister was talking about the craftsmanship of the shopkeeper Xiao Zhang.

One must know that Empress Changsun is known to be diligent, thrifty and virtuous, and she never seeks enjoyment, but now she is obsessed with food. It seems that the shopkeeper Zhang can't be underestimated at least in terms of cooking skills!

But it's already night now, and the entire Chang'an City is about to have a curfew, and the shopkeeper Xiao Zhang must be closed, so he can't just smash the door to eat.

So Li Shimin and his wife both frowned and barely ate a bowl of rice without touching the dishes on the table.

I don't know, I thought the husband and wife both ate bran-swallowed vegetables, which was hard to swallow, but Changsun Wuji ate quite well, and he wondered, this skill is already pretty good, so why do we have to make dragon livers? Can the phoenix marrow be served?

After the meal, a servant brought tea to digest the food. Li Shimin and his grandson Wuji continued to discuss the previous topic, how to give money to the treasury.

But after discussions and discussions, they finally fell into a dead end, either to increase taxes for the people or to have no money.

But now the world has only been stable for ten years, and the common people managed to survive the exorbitant and miscellaneous taxes of the Sui Dynasty, so they can live a good life for a few years by relying on the light and thin taxes. This increase in taxes should not force the common people to rebel!

On the other hand, Empress Changsun who was accompanying her suddenly said thoughtfully,

"Since it's about making money, why doesn't Your Majesty go to shopkeeper Xiao Zhang and ask? It may not be certain that you will get something."

Li Shimin's eyes lit up when he heard the words, that's right, shopkeeper Xiao Zhang is a good hand at making money, how could he forget him!

Chapter 13 Li Shimin Calls for Help

Although Changsun Wuji felt a little displeased with asking a common man about important national affairs, it was his sister Empress Datang who kept making suggestions, and even His Majesty didn't object, so he didn't have to come over to disgusting people.

On the other hand, he was really aroused by this shopkeeper Xiao Zhang. He really wanted to know what kind of opinions this son of an old friend, who was not as young as a weak crown, could express on this important national event that was difficult for both the monarch and his ministers.

So just after the morning court the next day, Changsun Wuji hurried home to change clothes, and then waited for Li Shimin's arrival outside the palace gate as agreed before.

Not long after, the monarch and his ministers got into the same carriage and went straight to Kaihuafang.

In the carriage, looking at Changsun Wuji who had already changed into the purple official robe, Li Shimin still couldn't help reminding, "Auxiliary machine, when you get to shopkeeper Xiao Zhang, you can call yourself Old Sun. The name of Changsun is too eye-catching. If it’s not from your family, I’m afraid no one will believe it.”

Changsun Wuji nodded speechlessly, so let's call him Laosun, even His Majesty is called Lao Li, and it doesn't matter if he is called Laosun.

But when he arrived in front of Zhang Nuo's small shop, Li Shimin was surprised to see that Zhang Nuo was eating with several servants.

Zhang Nuo got up early this morning and was extremely corrupt. Just after waking up, Gouzi's younger sister, Zhang Xiaomei, came over with warm face wash water and a handkerchief, and she could wipe her face while sitting on the bed.

After that, Xiaomei Zhang even dressed and waited on her, and even helped Zhang Nuo comb her hair after she was dressed.

It seems that the corruption has reached the extreme, and it seems to be similar to the scene in the TV series that Zhang Nuo originally thought, but in fact Zhang Nuo is really not used to it.

Later generations took care of themselves for so many years, when did they enjoy this kind of treatment?

To put it bluntly, I am not afraid of people's jokes. When Zhang Nuo was born, he probably dressed and ate by himself since he was in kindergarten. How could his parents have the time to greet him and rush to buy vegetables and open the door for business.

Unfortunately, when Zhang Nuo packed up and came to the front yard, he was a little unhappy.

why?Because there is no breakfast!

Although the material life in the Tang Dynasty has improved compared to before, it is still not affluent, so the people at the bottom are still used to two meals a day.

Zhang Nuo couldn't bear it, it was really hard for him not to eat breakfast.

So, amidst Erniang's sincere apology, Zhang Nuo resolutely went into the kitchen, intending to give a sample to the new cook at home.

Chinese cabbage, eggs, and pancakes left over from yesterday, all put together to make a large fried pancake.

Erniang was already very embarrassed to see the master's family go to the kitchen by herself, but now she saw that the master's family even cooked for her family of three, she almost burst into tears.

What is this?

It's fine if you don't know the habits of the master's family on the first day of work, but even the master's craftsmanship is hard to match. This is the rhythm of being laid off!

He persuaded Erniang with good words, explained her daily routine and eating habits, and finally persuaded the family of three to come down to eat together.

And the meal was another meal, which made the family of three barely sit at the same table with him to eat.

While eating, Zhang Nuo explained the shops Gouzi was going to buy later and the types and quantities of purchases.

After such a long time, the other party has long been familiar with Zhang Nuo's side. From the previous cash payment, it has become a ten-day payment.

So Gouzi just needs to go over there and report Zhang Nuo's name, then organize the vegetables to be bought today, make a record and bring them back.

Gouzi was memorizing it attentively, only to find that two guests who seemed to have an extraordinary bearing came in and hurriedly reminded Zhang Nuo.

Zhang Nuo looked up and found that it was Lao Li, so he hurriedly got up to greet him.

"Lao Li, why are you here at this hour, it's not time for lunch yet."

At this time, Li Shimin didn't have the courage to say something in front of the hall, and he greeted Zhang Nuo with a smile.

"Hello shopkeeper Xiao Zhang, you said it's not time for dinner, so you're going to eat now?"

Zhang Nuo led the two of them to the seat where Lao Li often sat, and replied with a smile,

"My family is different from other families, because I have to get up and work in the morning, so naturally I have to eat three meals a day. We had a late breakfast, and you guys gathered for an early lunch. No, they collided!"

Li Shimin nodded, just eat one more meal, as long as the family has this condition, don't say three meals, no one cares about ten meals, he was just a little surprised that Zhang Nuo actually sat at the same table with his servants for dinner.

"This is the old grandson, who is doing business with me in a group. I have been telling him that the food here is delicious, and even my wife likes it. No, he also came to taste it. You have to let it go." The old grandson has seen and seen."

Zhang Nuo is happy, Lao Li is a good person, not only he is generous, but he can also introduce friends.

Seeing that Lao Sun is also a rich owner, don’t you like such high-ranking customers when you open a restaurant? You don’t even order the dishes, you just serve them, and you don’t have to worry about not being able to afford the money.

Smiling and nodding at Changsun Wuji to say hello, Zhang Nuo hastened to call Gouzi to go shopping. The freshest mutton hasn't been brought yet.

Gouzi also knew that he was in a hurry at the moment, so he ran out without even bothering to wipe his mouth.

Zhang Nuo is going to do a big job today, and he plans to come up with some signature dishes.

At that time, even if you become an official yourself, you can recruit a few chefs to learn how to do it. As long as you become famous, you are not afraid that you will not be able to make money.

And his secret lies in the five spices, star anise, and cinnamon he got back from the pharmacy yesterday.

These are essential condiments in the kitchen in later generations.But at this time, it is a medicinal material that is not commonly used in pharmacies.

Gouzi was indeed a clever man, and instead of waiting for all the vegetables to be bought back, he sent the mutton back immediately.

I still brought it back with the guy from the mutton shop.

Two steaming mutton leaves were just placed in the kitchen.

Zhang Nuo planned to make a whole sheep banquet today, and Erniang was called in to help.

Erniang looked at Zhang Nuo, a white and clean young gentleman, skillfully handling the pieces of mutton, and then processed and cooked them in ways she couldn't understand, and she couldn't help but admire him.

Just by smelling the taste, you can tell that the things you made are extraordinary, but when it comes out of the pot, is it really good?

And seeing that the person in the main family handled three or four pots in an orderly manner at the same time, Er Niang felt that she was really under a lot of pressure.

Just kidding, Zhang Nuo's future generations can cook two or three tables of dishes at the same time, but now these dishes are considered wool?

Not long after, plates of fragrant dishes were brought up like flowing water.

Changsun Wuji looked at the dishes in front of him, feeling inexplicably more confident in Li Shimin's evaluation of Zhang Nuo.

This culinary skill has been proven, so doesn't that mean that the shopkeeper Xiao Zhang is really an unborn talent?

Chapter 14: Governing a Big Country Like Cooking Small Fresh Food

Because Zhang Nuo was eating breakfast before, he was interrupted by Li Shimin when he was halfway through eating, so he is still hungry at the moment.

Not being polite to them, he sat down with the fried pancakes that he hadn't finished before.

Li Shimin didn't care about Zhang Nuo's familiarity at all, he still liked this blunt way, and he was obviously more interested in the staple food that Zhang Nuo brought.

"Shopkeeper Xiao Zhang, you seem to be particular about this plate of staple food. Why don't you give us a piece? Are you afraid we won't be able to eat it?"

Zhang Nuo smiled blankly, what is this? If you are hungry, just say it,

"Lao Li, what you said is wrong. If you want to eat it, just say it. I'm not afraid that you don't like this fried pancake. You must know that these are not expensive things. Womb cabbage (Chinese cabbage), chicken (egg) , Overnight pancakes, made of these three things, if you don't mind me, I'll get you two."

Li Shimin looked more and more greedy now, and there was nothing embarrassing about it. He had the biggest meal in the world, so he nodded and asked for one.

At the moment, Changsun Wuji was also interested in this extremely simple but fragrant staple food, so he also ordered a portion.

Zhang Nuo nodded and went to the kitchen. Fried pancakes really don't have much technical content, the only thing that needs to be paid attention to is the seasoning.

It happened that there was still mutton stewed in the kitchen, so Zhang Nuo took out a piece of mutton and cut it into minced meat and sprinkled it in the pancakes. After a few simple stir-fries, a plate of fragrant fried pancakes with minced meat came out of the pan.

At this moment, Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji were facing the stir-fried mutton on the table, and their mouths were full of oil. When they saw the fried pancakes, they took them immediately, not afraid of being hot, and put a chopstick into their mouths immediately.

As soon as the pancakes entered the mouth, the fragrance of cabbage, the richness of mutton, the softness of pancakes and the deliciousness of eggs filled every corner of the mouth.

Far from being mutually exclusive, the mixed flavors form a subtle harmony, blending into a distinctive yet mouth-watering delicacy.

Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji didn't even have time to talk at the moment, they kept pushing fried pancakes into their mouths.

Zhang Nuo smiled and ate his fried pancakes in a leisurely manner, adding a chopstick of mutton from time to time.

The mutton is stir-fried with the cabbage bangzi. The cabbage bangzi not only relieves greasy, but also is fresh and refreshing. It goes well with the originally greasy mutton.

After a while, Li Shimin and Changsun Wuji ate up the whole plate of fried pancakes, took another sip of wine, and finally had time to talk.

Changsun Wuji didn't say anything else at the moment, he really admired the chef's cooking skills, and said with a thumbs up,