Chapter 138 Long-lived Wu Chongmin

Author: six silent

It was nearly noon, and there was still light snow falling in the sky. The imperial driver drove back to Qianqing Palace from Wuying Palace.

"Your Majesty, my maid has been preparing to make a good stew of a lamb leg for your Majesty early in the morning. Now is the time when the bones and meat are crispy. Your Majesty, would you like to finish the hot soup first? My maid will go and pass on the meal."

The meat strips torn from the lamb leg are soaked in the milky white soup together with the fragrant yam, and sprinkled with minced scallions.

Shen Shiqing took it and drank it, and continued to let Sanmao change out of her dragon robe.

Looking at the snowflakes still falling outside, she said:

"The snow has been thick everywhere in the past two days, so all vacant palaces and houses in the palace must be carefully inspected."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty, my servants and Ergou are taking turns watching. Only the roof tiles of the house under the porch were crushed. The places where the female officials live have been newly renovated. Nothing will happen."

"I'm not just letting you see this." Shen Shiqing shook her head, "It's snowing all day long, and if the little eunuch on guard duty hides in an empty house to avoid the snow and no one knows, I'm afraid someone will die." When it snows and the weather is very cold and wet, make a soup made of mutton bones and radish and everyone will drink it.”

The gratitude on Sanmao's face was almost dripping from his round face. Before he even had time to respond, he knelt down and kowtowed three times.

"Thank you, Your Majesty, for being considerate of us. I kowtow to Your Majesty on behalf of the daughter of the eunuch in the palace!"

After saying that, there were three more "boom boom booms".

After kowtowing nine times, the three cats jumped up from the ground and continued to help their prince take off his boots.

Looking at the solid marks on his head, Shen Shiqing laughed:

"I'm just talking about a trivial matter. Is it worth your efforts?"

"My slave still feels that I didn't hit her hard enough. Regardless of whether it's a big or small matter, it's a good thing that the Emperor is thinking about us slaves." Although his forehead hurt, the three cats were still happy.

Looking at his appearance, Shen Shiqing could only smile lightly.

"These days, all the trivial matters in the womb are weighing on you. Do you feel tired?"

"Your Majesty has a lot of things to do every day. He doesn't feel tired even after reading the brochures and watching the third watch every day. What's the point of tiring me, slave, with such trivial matters?"

After changing the boots for the emperor, Sanmao handed the snow-stained boots to the young eunuch and ordered:

"The leeward area in front of Wuying Hall is prone to snow accumulation. Go and tell the people cleaning there to stop slacking off, so as to save those old people from falling again when they come and go."

The little eunuch responded quickly and ran out holding his snow-covered boots.

After a while, the imperial meal was also brought over by the young eunuchs.

After Shen Shiqing became the emperor, on the one hand, he wanted to pay taxes and reduce the expenses in the palace, and on the other hand, he also wanted to make the officials live easier and faster.

Taizu Dayong came from a bitter background and was not only harsh on his descendants, but also harsh on his ministers.

In the previous dynasty, all officials could go to restaurants to give themselves toothpastes at noon, but in this dynasty, all officials must eat meals sent by Guanglu Temple.

It's fine if you are a high-ranking official. You can always have a good meal in the morning and evening. The low-ranking officials and petty officials in the Liubu and Liuke Hanlin Academy are short of money and rely on this meal in the yamen every day to satisfy their hunger. Some even secretly bring meat home. , making them feel uncomfortable eating every day, and Shen Shiqing didn't think they could focus on official matters.

So she directly recruited the servants of Guanglu Temple to draw the account books and calculate the daily expenses clearly. On the one hand, she changed the recipes and added some methods so that the officials could eat something warm in the winter. On the other hand, she decided to die. The amount of meat and vegetables, what Baiguan eats every day, is what is put on her table.

As a result, the daily imperial meals were mainly based on fresh vegetables and grains from three animals, and expensive dishes such as venison, wild goose, and lamb were not allowed to be served except during the New Year.

The so-called "looking at the dish" is completely omitted.

The cooking methods have also changed from the original various types of deep-frying to become much lighter and more delicious.

Of course, she only left the wild vegetables ordered by Taizu to the emperor.

She still quite likes to eat such seasonal delicacies. As for other emperors, she is the emperor anyway.

After such a change, Guanglu Temple not only spent less on royal meals, but also spent less on meals for all officials than before. Shen Shiqing did not take back the money saved from the officials. Instead, he asked Guanglu Temple to use the money to make some simple and delicious snacks, and distributed two to each person to the officials of various ministries.

Those with money would naturally look down on such snacks, but those with no money took them as good things. When the Minister of Guanglu Temple came to report this, he hurriedly praised her kindness.

After receiving this compliment, Shen Shiqing did not forget to let people stare at the account books of Guanglu Temple. There was clearly an extra amount of money on the account books. The snacks made were sold cheaply, and the price difference between them when they were resold to the common people was huge. It is impossible for no one to pay attention to a sum of money.

Even the matter of eating for all officials is so complicated, let alone other things.

As long as things in this world are profitable, she, as a king, must guard against others becoming selfish for profit. Some selfish motives can be used according to the situation, but there are more "selfish motives", especially when the entire Dayong court is lying. The selfish motives of the ministers...

Seeing the aroma of the emperor's royal meal, Sanmao also felt comfortable. He was about to serve the emperor another portion of shepherd's purse meatball soup when he raised his eyes and saw the curtain at the palace door move.

After taking a look at the little eunuch next to him, the little eunuch quickly slipped out against the wall.

After a while, the little eunuch came back again.

But he didn't say anything, he just kept winking at the three cats.

Knowing that nothing bad was going on, Sanmao's heart sank and his movements became even gentler.

"Just tell me if you have something to say. I can eat three meals a day, but the things I encounter are not the same. They need to be settled immediately."

As she spoke, Shen Shiqing stuffed the piece of steamed bun she was holding into her mouth and poured it down with shepherd's purse soup.

The little eunuch who had just gone out to ask questions quickly knelt on the ground:

"Back to the emperor, Mr. Yiji sent someone to tell him that Wu Chongmin, a thousand households in Zuoshaoying Camp, is dead."

Hearing this, Shen Shiqing picked up another piece of steamed bun:

"Let the messenger from outside come in."

As soon as she finished speaking, a eunuch wearing a green robe entered the Qianqing Palace.

"Has an autopsy been performed on Jin Yiwei's widow? How did Wu Chongmin die?"

"Back to Your Majesty, Mr. Sishu also transferred his wife from the Ministry of Punishment. He and the soldiers of Jin Yiwei were identified and tested. Wu Qianhu died of heartache. At first glance, it looked like intestinal tract infection, but in fact he was poisoned. "

Hearing the words "Jiaochangsha", Shen Shiqing took a bite of the steamed bun in her hand.

Chewed it a dozen times and swallowed it.

"Did anything unusual happen to Wu Chongmin before his death?"

The little eunuch knelt on the ground and trembled:

"Back to Your Majesty, Wu Qianhu died after having breakfast today. The gangsters heard the shouting outside and rushed in. They had already arrested everyone in the Wu family. After careful questioning, they found that the cook had made breakfast. It was the same as usual. There is nothing unusual at all, the poison was poisoned in Wu Qianhu’s tea cup, and the person who poisoned it has not been found yet.”

"cup?"

Shen Shiqing frowned: "It's only been half a month since Wu Chongmin was injured on his arm. He hasn't stopped taking muscle-building medicine to stop bleeding, so how can he drink tea?"

The little eunuch said quickly: "Your Majesty is wise, I will go back and send a message right now! Find out everything."

"Go ahead."

Shen Shiqing nodded, and after the little eunuch left, she dipped the steamed bun into the soup of winter bamboo shoots and roasted chicken breast and ate it.

"Three cats."

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty."

"Have someone bring in the high-ranking female official."

Gao Wanxin, the female imperial official, is currently busy sorting out the case files. Shen Shiqing allowed her to put the case files in the Maoqin Hall, which was probably where she was at this time.

Maoqin Hall is one of the auxiliary halls of Qianqing Palace. It is only a few steps away. When Gao Wanxin arrived, Shen Shiqing was changing clothes in the Nuan Pavilion and explaining something to Sanmao.

"Wei Chen has met your Majesty."

"High female official, I plan to leave the palace. Now a chicken and four mice are outside the palace. I want to take the three cats out, and the palace will be left to you."

Gao Wanxin didn't expect that this was what His Majesty was going to order. She looked at Sanmao with some surprise, and saw Sanmao raising his head and trying his best to purse his lips - but he couldn't hide the proud look on his face.

If he had a tail, it could carry him to heaven now!

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Your Majesty will definitely guard the palace gates. It's just that the weather is cold and the roads are slippery. Your Majesty must take care of your dragon body."

Shen Shiqing nodded:

"You first follow the emperor to the Chaohua Palace. After an hour, you send a message to Wenyuan Pavilion, saying that all those who have written to Zhuo Shengquan to plead for mercy, let the cabinet compile a list."

"yes."

After explaining a few more things, Shen Shiqing, wearing a moon-white flying fish suit under the dragon's cloak, got on the royal chariot and headed to Xiyuan.

After arriving at Xiyuan, it was much easier to get out of the palace. An inconspicuous carriage slowly left Xiyuan following the convoy of the Neifuku, and headed north.

"For a thousand households, it's a pretty good place to live."

Standing outside Wu Chongmin's house, Shen Shiqing looked at it carefully.

The three cats followed her, holding an umbrella for fear that the snow would fall on their prince.

This is a three-entry courtyard with five rooms and seven shelves in the main hall. It looks similar to the former Shen residence, and it conforms to the regulations of a fifth-grade military attache. However, when Shen's residence was purchased, her father came from the sixth-grade Hanlin Academy. According to the revision, the main house only had three rooms and five bays. Even if there were additional buildings later as my father was promoted, they were still not as good as this fifth-grade mansion that looked brand new inside and out.

Knowing that the emperor was coming, Yiji, dressed as a royal guard, hurriedly came out to greet him.

"Has the Wu family's property been investigated before?"

"Back to the emperor, Wu Chongmin has a hundred taels of silver in his account and more than four hundred taels of foreign debt. These hundred taels of silver are the dowry for the concubine he took this summer."

Listening to this, Shen Shiqing smiled faintly: "What he did in this account was quite innocent."

Is there anyone in Dayong's guard who doesn't take free money? Especially people like Wu Chongmin, who can even buy and kill the slaves they let out, let alone himself?

"Back to your Majesty, I heard that Wu Chongmin's house was just renovated last year. This servant feels something is a little strange and is planning to take someone to dig up the yard inside and outside."
To be continued...