Hot pot?
Upon entering the venue where the banquet had been held last time, and seeing the round tables with steaming hot pots of chili oil on them, the Duke of Wei couldn't help but smile.
They quite enjoy eating this in the northern winter, but it's unexpected to be able to enjoy hot pot while admiring the snow in the Jiangnan in June. It's truly interesting.
The princess smelled the strong spices emanating from the restaurant, a strange smile playing on her lips.
Looks like they're about to take action.
Forcing that woman to reveal herself with these reliable things won't be that easy!
"Everyone, everyone, it's cold outside, please come in and sit down!" Chen Qing came downstairs and hurriedly invited everyone to the best viewing platform upstairs.
"Hey, in this weather, hot pot with ice-cold fruit wine is just perfect!" Chen Qing gestured for everyone to sit down and poured a glass for each person.
The princess glanced at it; the colorful fruit wines, served in clear glasses, with a few ice cubes, looked quite appealing paired with the steaming hot pot.
Moreover, these fruit wines have an incredibly refreshing aroma that is very refreshing and helps to cut through the greasiness of the food. As a result, the heavily oiled and spicy hot pot seems much more palatable.
"Does Lord Chen also have a taste for this?" Duke of Wei asked, sitting down first.
Having been in Jiangnan for a few days, he found the local cuisine truly delicious, especially the meats he had never seen before. They tasted even better than domestically raised beef. He thought to himself, "Such good meat would be perfect for hot pot!" Before he knew it, Chen Qing had arranged it for him, and his appetite was immediately whetted.
The eldest princess and Shen Laoda glanced at each other, said nothing, and found a seat. The young men who had followed them also took their seats. In the past few days, they hadn't encountered any food that didn't suit their taste. The delicacies of Jiangnan these days, especially the food, were truly impeccable. Even a simple lettuce leaf seemed to taste crisper and sweeter than those in the capital. They could just eat it with their eyes closed.
" Lord Chen, you've used quite a lot of spices." Minister Pang sat down without changing his expression and skillfully prepared the dipping sauce. Garlic paste added aroma, sesame oil removed spiciness, chopped green onions added color, and a touch of vinegar and oyster sauce enhanced the freshness. The amount was just right, clearly showing he was a seasoned hot pot connoisseur.
Chen Qing was slightly taken aback by what he saw, while the Princess stood to the side, smiling as she cooked slices of meat.
You think you can replicate the original with this little bit of information? That's incredibly naive.
Although she didn't think much of this woman who was throwing herself at Lu Ming, she had to admit that the other party was impeccable in hiding her true colors. It wasn't like no one had targeted her before; she could drink three jars of realgar wine, how could a few slices of hot pot meat expose her true nature?
"Oh, it seems Minister Pang is used to this kind of food." Chen Qing sat down with a smile, "I was initially worried that a scholar like Minister Pang would prefer light and elegant flavors, but I was overthinking it."
"How can you be so pedantic?" Minister Pang laughed heartily. "A person has to experience all kinds of flavors to know the joys and sorrows of life, right?"
"That makes sense," Chen Qing quickly raised his glass, "Come on, let me toast everyone!"
Seeing this, the others also picked up their glasses, and seeing Chen Qing finish his drink in one gulp, they didn't hesitate much and followed suit.
Instantly, a chilling sensation ran down their throats and into their abdomens, sending a shiver down their spines!
" Lord Chen, did you add that kind of ice from outside to your wine?" The Duke of Wei's eyes widened.
"How is it? Not bad, right?" Chen Qing smiled. "I added just a little bit, and the amount was just right for my body to handle. Then the alcohol kicked in and I felt warm right away. It's like experiencing both ice and fire, and it takes some effort to make it well."
The group closed their eyes, savoring the wondrous taste, and nodded repeatedly. The Duke of Wei, in particular, felt the heat rising in his stomach and burst into laughter. "What a delightful experience of ice and fire! Truly fascinating! Fine wine, fine wine indeed!"
The two sons at another table nodded repeatedly. Many soldiers below were initially surprised, but as they savored the experience, they squinted their eyes in enjoyment. This was truly interesting.
However, the eldest princess looked towards Minister Pang's direction.
No one knows for sure what kind of demons or monsters the group in the Earth Dragon Cave are, but what is known is that they possess the attributes of Earth Serpent.
Snakes are associated with yin and cold, and they are afraid of both heat and cold. To be honest, this kind of extremely cold yet instantly hot drink is quite incompatible with them.
But at first glance, Minister Pang seemed completely unharmed, his eyes closed and a look of pure enjoyment on his face. "So that's how it is, so that's how it is. There really is such a flavorful wine in the world. Ah, I've truly seen something new. Lord Chen, this place is truly wonderful."
"Is that so?" A cold glint flashed in Chen Qing's eyes. "I'm glad the Minister likes it!"
Minister Pang smiled slightly, about to reply, when suddenly his expression changed drastically, his entire face turning blue in an instant. Then, his face swelled up like a toad, and the next second, he vomited a large amount of foul-smelling black water. Everyone was so frightened that they all stood up. Duke of Wei and the others also frowned and stood up, looking at the other party coldly.
"You—" Minister Pang looked at Chen Qing in astonishment, but when he opened his mouth, he realized that his voice had turned into a woman's voice, and everyone around him was looking at him strangely.
A sudden chill ran through him, and he immediately touched the surface, only to discover that Minister Pang's skin had long since cracked open, revealing a face covered in snake scales!
"Using food and drink to force him to reveal himself? My lord, not to discourage you, but I'm afraid that really won't work."
Last night, Chen Qing had already made all the arrangements. He was just one step away from completing the task: how to force Madam Lu to reveal herself in public. Only in this way could he legitimately use the charge of plotting against a court official to establish his authority over Lu Ming!
But this crucial step is not easy to take. The opponent is slippery and obviously very experienced. To expose them in public, special methods are needed.
Tian Heng naturally hoped for a more respectable reputation, so that his family could be considered legitimate in the capital and he would have the opportunity to bring them to Jiangnan.
But he never expected Chen Qing's plan to be like this, and he could only manage a wry smile.
"My lord, you don't know, but that woman in the Lu Household is somewhat special," Tian Heng explained. "Many people know that Lu Ming's wife came from the Earth Dragon Cave and is a snake-type demon, but for so many years, no one has been able to produce any evidence. Once, someone who was an enemy of the Lu Household deliberately tested her with realgar wine. That woman drank three jars in front of everyone and was completely unharmed. After that, the rumors that the Lu Household's wife was a snake demon were greatly extinguished."
"Realgar wine?" Chen Qing laughed, "That's impossible. No matter what level of demon it is, it's impossible to avoid its own weakness."
"Perhaps that woman is just patient enough."
"Absolutely impossible." Chen Qing shook his head. "If she could drink three jars of realgar wine just by enduring, then having a weakness would be no different than having none at all. She didn't rely on endurance!"
"Does Your Majesty know what methods she used?" Tian Heng asked hurriedly.
What he feared most was that his lord underestimated that woman, but now it seems that his lord was not entirely unaware!
"This is the bottle." Chen Qing picked up the bottle he had just confiscated and said, "This is the Flying Star Bottle, which has the effect of traversing space. Once it is bound to its owner, the person and the bottle are connected. Everything she eats can flow into this bottle. Let alone three large jars, even three hundred jars or thirty thousand jars, she can drink them without any problem!"
"So that's how it is?" Tian Heng approached curiously, looking at the ornate bottle in Chen Qing's hand. "It's quite amazing, but is this bottle, connected together, only used for storage?"
"No, that's not true," Chen Qing said quietly. "It also has the power to travel through time!"
Time travel?
"No matter how far away she is, as long as this bottle is there, she can pop out of it at any time!"
Upon hearing this, Chen Ying Tian Heng both instinctively took a step back, almost because they thought the thing might crawl out of the bottle.
"This bottle must have been abandoned. You can tell from the stench of the water inside. After the emergency evacuation, she dumped all the garbage she usually stored into this bottle, which explains the continuous flow of foul-smelling water."
"Such a good thing, you just give it up like that?" Chen Ying couldn't help but ask.
"Because there are many of them." Chen Qing squinted and said, "These bottles can be replicated. As long as human flesh and blood sacrifices are continuously offered, the bottles can be replicated continuously. I estimate that over the years, Madam Lu has at least several thousand, if not ten thousand, bottles in her possession, and they may even be scattered Central Plains."
Everyone: "."
This sounds truly terrifying. Many noble families might own such exquisite bottles, but who would have thought that a man-eating snake could crawl out of them at any moment?
"I see, I see!" Tian Heng suddenly realized!
No wonder the Lu Household was so successful back then, seemingly able to obtain any kind of intelligence. No matter how tightly those powerful families controlled things, they could still find a way to assassinate their direct descendants.
So there was something there!
Who could have imagined this?
A bottle meant for display could actually be a magical artifact with such terrifying power. He suddenly remembered that there seemed to be a similar bottle in his wife's room.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
That bottle seems to have been placed in the lady's room. No wonder Lu Ming seemed to have no doubt that I would rebel back then, and delegated all kinds of authority. It turns out there was such a thing. Perhaps the other party overheard my and my lady's pillow talk. Of course he would trust me!
If he showed even the slightest sign of rebellion, that wicked woman could climb out of the bottle at any moment and wipe out his entire family.
"My lord, then what about this?" Tian Heng's expression changed drastically. If this was the case, how could Chen Qing capture the other party?
Who knows how many bottles this wicked woman has secretly planted all over the world? Couldn't she just leave at any time?
Furthermore, since I've already shown my face, given the other party's vicious nature, wouldn't they vent their anger on the Tian Household?
"Don't worry!" Chen Qing patted Tian Heng on the shoulder. "I assure you, neither Lu Ming nor his venomous wife will survive until tomorrow!!"
--
"What have you done?" The woman who had shed her skin stood up, her foul-smelling snake scales spreading out and bursting through Minister Pang's skin, making her look extremely gruesome.
The four forces below were in turmoil, especially the people that Minister Pang had brought with him, who were all startled and jumped up!
Minister Pang... is he actually a demon?
Apart from the Duke of Wei, who seemed rather surprised, everyone at Chen Qing's table remained quite calm, especially the Eldest Princess, though she was also quite curious.
What exactly did Chen Qing do to so silently and effortlessly eliminate the other party, leaving them with nothing but their physical body?