Chapter 249 Spring Breeze Warms the Heart
There are no years in the mountains, and no years in the palace.
A skinny eunuch walked slowly in the West Garden. He looked haggard, like a candle in the wind.
There were footsteps behind him, and the eunuch stopped and asked, "Any news?"
The person who came was Wang Ze, who had encountered Fu Cheng last time. He bowed his head respectfully and said, "Commander, they have traced a palace maid from that time. The palace maid could not bear the torture and said that when the late emperor was in Qingjiang, someone asked to see him. As for what was said, I don't know, but then His Majesty ordered the boat to sail... Then came the news that the late emperor fell into the water."
The eunuch raised his eyes, and in his dark eyes, it seemed as if a knife flashed, "Find that man! Dig three feet into the ground! Find him for us!"
"Yes." Wang Ze bowed respectfully.
A eunuch came hurriedly, "Commander Yan, His Majesty summons you."
The eunuch nodded and swept his cold eyes over the other person. The eunuch couldn't help but feel cold all over, as if he had been washed by the light of a knife.
Emperor Jiajing stood outside the hall with his hands behind his back.
The eunuch quickly walked up the steps and bowed, "Your servant Yan San greets Your Majesty."
Emperor Jiajing looked at him with his hands behind his back, "Back then, the Yan cavalry followed Emperor Chengzu and dominated the country. During the Jingnan Campaign, they blocked many assassination attempts in Nanjing. When the army approached Nanjing, the Yan cavalry sneaked into the city and persuaded the generals to open the city gates. They became famous in one battle."
Eunuch Yan San lowered his head and clenched his fists. "But the late emperor died in an unclear manner. Then there was the Renyin Palace Incident. The Yan Cavalry was incompetent. I... deserve to die!"
"Just today, Chang Wei Bo was assassinated in the street." Emperor Jiajing said coldly: "The assassin came from the Altan tribe in the north, but without anyone's cooperation, how could he sneak into the capital smoothly?"
"Someone is testing me, no, they are provoking me!" The voice of Emperor Jiajing seemed to come from the sky, "Find them."
Yan San raised his eyes, "I obey your orders!"
He turned and strode away.
Lu Bing passed him by but did not look at him.
He knew that there was a power in the palace that only obeyed the emperor. It was passed down from generation to generation. If it weren't for this power, Emperor Jiajing would have died in obscurity when he came to Beijing alone.
"Chang Wei Bo was assassinated in the street, what are the Jinyiwei doing?"
The Jiajing Emperor's voice was very soft, even gentle, but Lu Bing knelt down and bowed his head. "I just learned the news and have sent someone to investigate the matter. I am incompetent!"
"The Imperial Guards are incompetent. Why are they incompetent?" Emperor Jiajing looked at his brother coldly. "What have they been concentrating on all day? Hmm!"
Lu Bing lowered his head, and his back could be seen trembling. "I will die!"
"Go check it out!"
"Yes!"
Lu Bing stood up and said, "Your Majesty, I learned a piece of news before I came here. Chang Wei Bo ordered the execution of Huang He, the deputy envoy of the Altan envoy, in the street."
Emperor Jiajing looked at him calmly, "Behead him?"
"Yes." Lu Bing said, "The one who did it was Sun Chonglou, the guard beside Chang Wei Bo."
"Where is the head?" asked Emperor Jiajing.
"Sun Chonglou threw away his head, and it was taken away by a wild dog and disappeared." Lu Bing didn't know what he meant.
"What a pity." Emperor Jiajing said calmly: "This is a great head. It should be sent to the nine frontiers!"
Emperor Jiajing watched Lu Bing go away and said coldly: "I am not a dictator, and I cannot bear to see my subjects seeking personal gain. Lu Bing..."
The voice gradually became lower.
……
Zhu Xizhong's main task on weekdays was to accompany Emperor Jiajing. If Emperor Jiajing had nothing to do, he could make his own arrangements.
But Yan Song was different. As the chief minister, he had to sit in the palace every day to handle various affairs.
"Duke, Xu Jie has made some unusual moves recently. It seems that he can't stand the loneliness after lying dormant for many years." Aide Huang Liao raised his glass.
"Your Majesty needs someone to restrain Yan Song and his son." Zhu Xizhong casually put the wine glass on the table.
"Why didn't the Duke volunteer?" Huang Liao smiled and said, "After all, the Duke Cheng's family has always been trusted by the emperor. They are better than Xu Jie, right?"
"Power is sweet. Once you hold great power, you can control the country. Just thinking about it is intoxicating. But look at the fate of those who have held power..."
Zhu Xizhong sneered, "Since the founding of the Ming Dynasty, how many people like Hu Weiyong have had a good end? If Xia Yan hadn't been saved by Qingzhi, the grass on his grave would be three feet high by now."
Huang Liao sighed.
"You scholars have a problem!" Zhu Xizhong said bluntly, "As long as you can hold power, you are willing to be infamous for eternity and die a violent death. You call it showing off your knowledge, showing off your ambitions, and leaving your name in history. In fact, you are just obsessed with money and greed."
Huang Liao smiled bitterly, but was unable to refute.
"As the Duke of Chengguo, a close minister to His Majesty, I have a life of wealth and glory that no one can shake. As long as nothing goes wrong, my children and grandchildren will be the same. This person! He must be content. If he is not, he will be drowned by his own desires sooner or later."
These were the words spoken by Duke Cheng before his death.
"I wanted to live cautiously, but my ancestors told me to serve the king with confidence." Zhu Xizhong smiled proudly, "So, I just followed my heart and lived happily."
Zhu Xizhong totally despised Lu Bing's despicable means of seeking personal gain.
"Duke, Duke!"
A servant came in hurriedly.
"Who died?" Zhu Xizhong asked casually.
Huang Liao was already accustomed to the old dude's style, so he was not surprised at all.
"Duke, the second master was assassinated in the street!"
Bah!
boom!
The wine glass fell to the ground, and the table was knocked over by Zhu Xizhong who suddenly stood up, the plates were broken, and the wine and food were splashed.
While Huang Liao was still digesting the news, Zhu Xizhong had disappeared.
"Prepare the horses! Gather all the guards in the palace."
"Duke, where are you going?"
"kill!"
By the time Huang Liao reacted and chased after him, Zhu Xizhong had already rushed out of the house with his guards.
"Duke, the Second Master is not dead, bah! Look what I said. The Second Master is fine!"
The only sounds in the wind were the long neighs of horses and the thunderous sound of horse hooves.
Jiang Qingzhi is making hot pot.
He made some kimchi last year and waited until this year to open it.
Soak the dried chilies in water until they are soft, then pound them. Do not pound them into a paste, but into small pieces.
This is Ciba Chili.
Heat up a pan with oil and add ginger slices and garlic.
Swish!
After sautéing, add a large amount of oil and then add the glutinous rice peppers and stir-fry.
Then it’s time to boil.
Gurgle, gurgle, the oil in the pot gradually turned red, and the water vapor became less and less.
Pour the sour broth from the kimchi in.
Suddenly, a fragrance rushed straight to my head.
Red and sour soup!
It's been a long time.
Jiang Qingzhi squinted his eyes in ecstasy. "Where is Qingzhi?"
"Uncle is in the kitchen."
"Damn, is there something wrong?"
Zhu Xizhong rushed into the kitchen.
"Old Zhu." Jiang Qingzhi turned around.
"Damn, I'm scared to death." Zhu Xizhong walked over and punched Jiang Qingzhi on the shoulder.
Jiang Qingzhi coughed dryly and pointed at the sword on his waist, "What are you doing fully armed?"
Zhu Xizhong breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that he was fine, and then he turned around and said, "It smells so good! What kind of food is this?"
“Sour soup.”
"Tsk! It's bright red and looks good."
"have a drink?"
"Bring out the best wine." Zhu Xizhong turned around and ordered like a host, "Also, prepare the dipping sauce that Qingzhi prepared last time. Also, do you have tofu pudding? Um, prepare a separate dish of chili oil, and remember to add aged vinegar... Tsk tsk! I've been craving this for a long time."
Jiang Qingzhi didn't ask him why he came, and Zhu Xizhong didn't say anything either.
Many times, warmth is like the spring breeze, and it is best to let it come quietly.
"Qingzhi!"
Xia Yan entered the kitchen and saw that Jiang Qingzhi was fine. He was supporting his thighs with his hands, and his breathing sounded like an old horse that had been pulling a cart for a long time.
"Mr. Xia is in for a treat." Jiang Qingzhi hurried over to support the old man, "Don't worry! Aren't I fine?"
"They said that the assassin looked like a demon, tall and strong. I was... Ouch!" Xia Yan suddenly cried out, and Jiang Qingzhi quickly helped him sit down, "Are you cramping?"
"I didn't pay!" Xia Yan slapped his thigh. Jiang Qingzhi twitched. "Don't slap my leg! What do you mean I didn't pay?"
"I was drinking! I ran away when I heard the news that you were assassinated and forgot to pay."
Xia Yan was not the kind of person who would refuse to pay his debts, so Jiang Qingzhi immediately asked someone to help him pay the bill.
"Cousin!"
The two princes also came.
"I said my uncle is fine." Prince Jing said to Prince Yu with a look of disdain.
"But who was it that ran and lost his shoes just now?" Prince Yu counterattacked.
"Haha!" King Jing sneered, "Who bumped into the doorpost earlier?"
Prince Yu reached out and touched his forehead, where there was a swelling.
"You are all in luck." Jiang Qingzhi said with a smile, "Let's prepare the meal."
A huge pot was placed on the stand and everyone sat around it.
They were all looking at Jiang Qingzhi.
Jiang Qingzhi pointed at the side dishes piled up on the side and said, "Pick some up and cook them yourself. The tender ones will cook faster."
He picked up a few slices of mutton and counted silently in his mind...
"almost."
Jiang Qingzhi tasted it.
acid!
Fragrant!
Spicy in the middle.
"How?" Xia Yan couldn't wait.
"Delicious!" Jiang Qingzhi swallowed the mutton, "This is the taste!"
Everyone started moving.
Jiang Qingzhi was still savoring the taste of the sour soup, and when he came to his senses...
Of the more than ten side dishes, less than 20% were left.
Zhu Xizhong uses chopsticks very quickly.
Prince Yu and Prince Jing ate to their heart's content, completely disregarding royal etiquette.
Old Xia Yan was struggling with the tripe in his mouth...
Jiang Qingzhi was dumbfounded.
He was stunned.
And then, nothing was left.
Seeing those idiots looking uncomfortable with their stomachs, Jiang Qingzhi asked someone to boil hawthorn water.
"Is it that serious?" Jiang Qingzhi sighed, and then asked someone to prepare noodles, add some mushrooms and meat slices, and make a pot of sour soup noodles with the remaining sour soup.
"You did it on purpose!" A few idiots who were full were greedy again. Zhu Xizhong smelled the fragrance and was eager to eat, but the food was stuck in his throat and he had no place to put it.
After dinner, everyone went to the study.
Xia Yan took a sip of hawthorn water and coughed dryly.
The old man showed off his power as the Prime Minister, "In the 25th year of Jiajing, Zeng Xin proposed to recover Hetao."
Thinking of Zeng Xin, Xia Yan's eyes were filled with sadness. "Later, a spy from the Hetao tribe was gathering information in the capital, but was caught and fled immediately. His Majesty was furious afterwards, and many people from the Five Cities Military Department were arrested. Lu Bing was scolded by His Majesty that time... He turned pale."
He took a sip of hawthorn water and asked, "Do you understand?"
Zhu Xizhong nodded, "Zeng Xin suggested to restore the system. For many people, restoration is not a big deal. The big deal is... Lord Xia can use this to greatly increase his prestige."
King Jing said: "So someone opened a hole and let the spies from the Hetao tribe in."
Prince Yu sighed, "Then, Altan's secret agent can successfully reach the capital this time..." He looked at his uncle, "The battle of the Tiger Guards and the Left Guards made the guards surrender. From now on, my uncle can lead the rectification of the guards. Some people are afraid, so another loophole is opened."
"Who is that person?" Xia Yan looked at everyone.
Jiang Qingzhi took a sip of tea and said, "The best response is a head!"
Zhu Xizhong stood up and said, "The circle of nobles and relatives in the capital is well-informed. I will handle this matter."
"Although I have enemies everywhere, beggars still have a few friends. I will go find them for a drink later." Xia Yan stroked his beard, looking calm, but a long-lost stern look flashed in his eyes.
The two princes were somewhat embarrassed.
Prince Yu asked, "Uncle, what can we do?"
"Just eat it." Jiang Qingzhi smiled, then stood up, his demeanor suddenly changing.
"Sun is different."
"Uncle!"
Sun Bu Tong came in.
"Find those gopher rats. I'm going to hang them myself."
"Leader!"
(End of this chapter)
