Do you know that my grandfather was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple?

Chapter 21 Dead End

This move by the government directly quelled the rumors circulating outside.

Wang You only remembered that Fan Da Xiangong died on his way to his new post, but he did not know the exact time.

If we calculate the time, it should be about right.

Seeing that Wang You was in a bad mood, Wang Zhuo asked with concern, "Second brother, what's wrong?"

"fine."

Wang You shook his head and smiled slightly, "Why isn't the food here yet?"

Sometimes, the more you know, the more distressed you become.

"Everything else is fine, but the crispy-boned fish will take a while to arrive."

Wang Zhuo laughed and said, "I heard that the Crispy Bone Fish is simmered over a low flame for two hours until the bones are soft and the meat is tender, hence the name Crispy Bone Fish."

"It takes that long? Maybe we should skip it and try it next time when we have more free time."

Wang You had assumed that the crispy fish was fried, but he was surprised to find that it was actually braised over low heat.

Two shichen is four hours, which isn't too long for a foodie.

But he's leaving tomorrow, so he can't waste time eating fish.

"Ha ha."

Wang Zhuo laughed and said, "Most guests can't wait that long. The Yu family here starts preparing in advance according to the time. It's just that we arrived a little early, so we'll probably have to wait a while."

"Too."

Wang You suddenly realized that the ancients weren't stupid either; most people didn't have the time to wait four hours for food.

Of course, you can also send someone to make a reservation in advance.

However, this is still not ideal, and some guests who come temporarily or specifically because of its reputation will not be able to eat there.

Just then, a servant outside announced that the waiter had brought the dishes.

Private rooms in restaurants like this are usually divided into inner and outer rooms.

Actually, it was just separated by a screen; the master ate inside, while the attendants ate outside.

After Wang Zhuo gave his permission, the waiter soon came in carrying a tray.

There were two dishes on the tray, one of which was the mandarin fish and fake clam dish that Wang Zhuo had mentioned, which is also one of the signature dishes of the Fish Restaurant.

On a large flat plate, there were rows of open clams.

"Please enjoy your meal, esteemed guests."

The waiter served the dishes, bowed, and left.

Wang You stared blankly at the clams on the plate.

The dish name says "fake clams," but what happened to the real ones served?

Although clams are not as easy to kill as sea fish, Luoyang is located inland, so how can they be kept fresh?

"This isn't true."

Wang Zhuo explained, "This is made by scalding mandarin fish slices with shrimp broth and then placing them in clam shells."

Wang You examined it carefully and found that it was indeed somewhat different from a real clam. He hadn't realized it at first because he had seen the clam shell.

"Try it."

Wang Zhuo picked up his chopsticks and placed a piece of fish on Wang You's plate.

Wang You picked up his chopsticks, put some fish in his mouth, and savored it carefully. His eyes lit up as he said, "The fish has the elasticity and smoothness of clams; it really does look somewhat like them."

Although Shouzhou is also inland, it is much closer to the sea than Luoyang.

Clams can be enjoyed even when the temperature is not high in spring and autumn.

Therefore, there is nothing wrong with what he said.

As expected of a practice passed down from the imperial court, it is truly ingenious.

Wang You initially thought it was just a gimmick, but after trying it, he has come to accept this claim.

Outside cooks simply make whatever is available, but only the imperial chefs in the palace would devise a substitute when the emperor wanted something but it wasn't available.

"Eat more if you like, and order another serving if you're still hungry," Wang Zhuo said with a smile.

"Yes, big brother, you can eat too," Wang You said.

The two brothers ate and chatted, and Wang You also mentioned that their father had asked Wang Zhuo to go to the capital with him.

Wang You was still young, and it was not appropriate for him to go to the capital to visit families who were on good terms with the Wang family.

Wang Zhuo is different; he is the eldest son and not young either.

He studied in Luoyang, and every year before returning to Shouzhou before the New Year, he would visit Bianjing (Kaifeng).

"My mother mentioned this in her letter. I have already asked the teacher for leave. I will inform the teacher later, and we will go to Bianjing first thing tomorrow morning," Wang Zhuo said.

Neither of them drank alcohol, and Wang Zhuo ordered a total of eight dishes, with the crispy fish being the final dish.

Crispy-boned fish is made by simmering small crucian carp for several hours. The meat remains intact but the bones are very soft.

Wang You was increasingly looking forward to his trip to Bianjing. If Luoyang already had such delicious food, Bianjing would only have even more.

He's already prepared to spend over a month eating his way through Bianjing (Kaifeng).

After finishing their meal, it was already getting dark. Wang Zhuo took Wang You to a nice inn, agreed to meet him early the next morning, and then left.

After Wang Zhuo left, Wang You went out for more than an hour to explore the charm and historical atmosphere of this ancient capital before returning to the inn to wash up and rest.

Perhaps because he had been on the boat the whole way and hadn't slept very soundly, Wang You unusually stayed in bed the next day.

Wang Zhuo came looking for him, and he only got up after Xiaoman called him.

After washing up, Wang You came to the outer room and said somewhat apologetically, "I came back late from my outing last night, so I slept in a little longer. I'm sorry to have kept you waiting, big brother."

"It's alright."

Wang Zhuo snapped out of his daze, gave a forced smile, and said, "Let's set off after breakfast."

"Big brother, is something the matter?" Wang You noticed that Wang Zhuo's expression was off and asked.

"News came this morning that Lord Fan passed away on his way to take up his post in Yingzhou."

Wang Zhuo said with a sorrowful expression, "I heard that Prime Minister Fan was unwell and had petitioned the Emperor to allow him to return to his post after he recovered. The Emperor refused, so he had to go to Yingzhou to take up his post while still ill, and that's how he died on the way."

The Emperor has been far too harsh on Lord Fan!

"Ugh."

Wang You looked at his grief-stricken brother and didn't know how to comfort him.

The Director of the Imperial Academy in Luoyang greatly admired Fan Da Xiangong's character and morality, and especially loved his work, "The Yueyang Tower".

Not only was one of its lines displayed outside the Imperial College, but "The Yueyang Tower" was also a required text for students of the Imperial College.

As a result, the students of the Imperial Academy in Xijing held Fan Da Xiang Gong in high esteem.

Now that I have learned of the passing of Master Fan, sadness is inevitable.

Wang You remained silent for a long time before comforting him, "Big brother said that the Imperial Academy of Xijing highly agrees with the ideals of Grand Master Fan. Although Grand Master Fan has passed away, there are so many people who uphold his legacy. I think he would be very gratified if he knew this in the afterlife."

"right!"

Wang Zhuo said firmly, "We students of the Imperial Academy in Xijing will certainly fulfill the legacy of Grand Chancellor Fan and complete his unfinished work."

Wang You: "..."

He was just saying it to comfort Wang Zhuo, how come he took it seriously?

Despite the students of the Imperial Academy in Xijing praising Master Fan so highly.

But if these people actually pass the imperial examinations and enter officialdom in the future, it's really hard to say how many of them will still be able to support reforms.

Do those people who highly praise Master Fan truly agree with his ideals?

I'm afraid that's not necessarily true.

It was only because the Director of Studies at the Imperial Academy in Xijing praised it, and given the prevailing social environment, that they had no choice but to praise and agree.

Of course, there are definitely some people who genuinely agree with this, but such people are not many.

Moreover, once they enter officialdom and become beneficiaries, it's hard to say how many of them will remain untainted by the corrupt environment.

I just hope my older brother's enthusiasm is just a passing fancy, and that he won't end up in the dead end of reform after he becomes an official.