In the capital, ever since Chongzhen sued the Imperial Ancestral Temple for the burning of the Fengyang Emperor's Mausoleum, he had lost a lot of weight in just a few days. Empress Zhou felt really distressed when she saw it, but her husband was very stubborn.
, she couldn't persuade him at all, so she could only secretly ask Wang Chengen to think of a way to change the emperor's vegetarian diet, otherwise if he continued like this, the emperor himself would collapse before the bandits were put down.
Following the instructions of the Empress, Wang Chengen discussed with the director of Shangshang Shangyin to mix chicken soup into the emperor's vegetarian meal and cook it with expensive seasonings, so that there would be meat in the vegetarian meal and the emperor's body would not be weak due to the lack of meat.
Go down.
As a result, the taste of the chicken soup was not hidden from Chongzhen. The young emperor knew that this was the kindness of his servants below, but he could not swallow the meal with chicken soup anyway, and scolded Wang Chengen who came to deliver the meal with a cold face: "I
You fast and live in sobriety and do not eat meat, in order to resolve the anger of God and alleviate the resentment of your ancestors. You are a bastard, you have been with me for many years in vain, but you don't know my difficulties, you are selling dog meat on the head of a sheep, and you specialize in deceiving.
What are your intentions in tempting me to break the precepts!"
Wang Chengen was so scolded that he was full of grievances but didn't know where to express his grievances. He dejectedly walked around the high wall of the Wenhua Palace and walked back slowly along the west path. He saw Concubine Tian riding a carriage from the white stone building.
After getting off the bridge, he hurriedly stepped forward to say hello: "I have seen the noble concubine!"
Seeing that it was Wang Chengen, Concubine Tian stopped her carriage and asked, "How much did the emperor eat today?"
Wang Chengen shook his head and said: "I only drank half a bowl of white rice porridge, and the rest of the dishes were taken away."
When she heard that her husband was still the same as before, not even eating the meat or vegetables cooked by the food supervisor, Concubine Tian immediately frowned and said, "What did the emperor say?"
Wang Chengen said with a bitter face: "The emperor said that eating meat is a great disrespect to the ancestors and gods, so he scolded the old slave."
"Damn, you deserve it! You know that the emperor is not easy to deceive, but you still cooked these meals containing meat, aren't you asking for a beating!"
"I'm so dizzy that I can't think of a good way. I can't teach Long live the Lord to be so hungry! Besides, the Queen has given orders, so I have to give it a try." After saying that, Wang Chengen sighed and looked at the Emperor.
Torturing himself like this makes this old slave feel really uncomfortable.
Concubine Tian thought about it and realized that it was really impossible for her husband to continue like this. She had to think of a way, so she said to Wang Chengen, "I have a way, you might as well try it."
As soon as he heard that the imperial concubine had a solution, Wang Chengen hurriedly said: "The imperial concubine made it clear."
Concubine Tian said angrily: "You guys! You just don't use your brains and copy things here and there. You don't know how to adapt and create new things. You just hang around and hang around for a while. How can you make progress?"
"That's what the empress is admonishing." Wang Cheng'en nodded.
"You are too honest. How can you show your ability by just plainly mixing chicken soup with vegetables? Even a three-year-old child can eat it and be able to do a good job? You can ask me to teach you, but you have to give it to me.
Try your best."
Wang Chengen had been practicing for a long time, but he couldn't understand the meaning of Tian Guifei's words, so he hurriedly said: "I will keep my kindness in my heart. If there is anything I can do, it will only depend on your words."
Concubine Tian smiled sweetly and said: "You are the chief minister of etiquette, and you are also an old man who lives in the emperor's house. I don't dare to work for you. It's just that Huan'er is most likely to get angry in spring and winter. If you have fresh vegetables and fruits for recuperation,
That’s good.”
"Prince Ding is the favorite of Lord Long Live, and this matter will be taken care of by this servant." Wang Chengen thought it was a big deal, and he felt relieved when he heard that Prince Ding wanted to eat some fresh fruits and vegetables.
Seeing that Wang Chengen agreed, Concubine Tian couldn't help but laugh: "Okay, okay! In fact, it's not unreasonable for Shangshan Superintendent to cook meat-based dishes, but it just didn't cover up the fishy smell."
"How can we cover up the fishy smell? Unless there is no trace of meat." Wang Chengen was a little troubled.
Concubine Tian Guifei said: "This is not difficult. Remove the feathers from a raw goose, remove the liver, intestines and other dirt from the tail hole, then stuff the vegetables into it, put it in the pot and boil it over high heat, take out the vegetables immediately, and the goose meat tastes delicious. Soak it into the vegetables. Wait for the vegetables to cool down, wash them with wine, and the fishy smell will be almost gone. Then cook them again with sesame oil. This is the meat in the vegetables!"
After hearing this method, Wang Chengen was overjoyed and said: "Thank you for your advice, I will ask Shang Shanjian to prepare it."
Concubine Tian smiled and said: "The dishes will be prepared tomorrow and I will deliver them to the emperor."
...........
In the late afternoon, the first minister Wen Tiren led all the ministers to kneel down and ask the emperor to return to the palace. Chongzhen was not moved at all and only ordered them to do their best. Seeing this, the ministers had no choice but to go back.
It was getting late, with low clouds and a sharp frosty wind. Several eunuchs came from a distance carrying palace lanterns. Ma Yuancheng, the eunuch in charge, and others were shivering in the cold wind. When the palace lanterns came closer, they saw that the people were actually from the Chengqian Palace. Concubine Tian hurriedly kowtowed.
Concubine Tian didn't wait for him to speak, and then reported to the room: "Your Majesty, I have made some side dishes, please taste them."
Chongzhen's voice came from inside the house, "Come in, I can't believe you have any intentions."
After Tian Guifei entered the house, she saw that her husband's cheeks were getting thinner and haggard day by day, his eye sockets were sunken, and his complexion was pale and dark. She couldn't help but feel sad and her eye circles were red. She lowered her head and took out the dishes from the food box.
Chongzhen didn't even look at the dishes and just asked: "How is Huan'er?"
"It's okay! He is clamoring to come see the emperor, and I am afraid that he will make noise and make the emperor uneasy." Concubine Tian replied as she put the dishes on the table.
Chongzhen sighed softly: "I am usually very busy with state affairs, and I have no time to take care of my few children. When there is peace in all directions, I will take them down to the south of the Yangtze River to see the great country left by our ancestors."
"I am also looking forward to that day. Jiangnan is my hometown! Your Majesty, I picked these vegetables with my own hands. You can try them."
When Chongzhen heard that the concubine had picked it herself, he couldn't bear to offend her, so he picked up one with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. Seeing this, Concubine Tian couldn't help but smile.
"It tastes good!" After Chongzhen tasted it, he found that the green vegetables were indeed delicious. He immediately had an appetite and picked up a few more chopsticks, full of praise.
Concubine Tian Guifei saw that Chongzhen was eating with great interest, so she did not disturb him. Instead, she burned ambergris, set up the great sage's musical instrument, tuned the strings and rhymes, and stroked him briefly, and the air of sadness suddenly spread.
The sound of the piano is desolate and melancholy, like a poor and trapped wanderer. At dusk and sunset, the hometown is hard to find, full of sorrow and sorrow. It is also like a young girl locked in a spring boudoir, sad and sentimental.
Chongzhen was so moved that he listened to it. After playing the melody for a long time, there was still the faint sound of wind and rain in his ears, and he chanted: "The road is long and long, and I will search up and down. It starts with depression, and then becomes bold, which makes people feel excited. Once you shake it, you can compose a wonderful piece of music worthy of your name. This is your advice!"
"Concubines should not be allowed to remonstrate. As long as the emperor works hard to provide more food, the Ming Dynasty will be revived, and the ancestors will turn their anger into joy, regardless of temporary gains and losses."
After hearing this, Chongzhen nodded, and then gritted his teeth and said bitterly: "I will definitely use the heads of the escaped thieves to sue the Ancestral Temple!" He put down the jade chopsticks, stood up and walked around, feeling cruel in his heart: I can't wash away this humiliation. , I will never return to the palace in this life!
.............
Shaanxi, Xi'an.
Sun Chuanting, who succeeded Lian Guoshi as the new governor of Shaanxi, did not wait for Xi'an officials to greet him outside the city. He rode alone into the governor's yamen, activated the seal sealed by the outgoing governor Lian Guoshi, and immediately posted a notice: There was a cold wind on the road to Futai Master. , all the officials who came to see him expressed their disapproval, and would sit down for business in three days.
After the notice was issued, Sun Chuanting immediately ordered people to send maps and books of Shaanxi and surrounding provinces and prefectures to the internal signing room, and made a huge sand table with his own hands. The topography of Sanqin mountains, rivers, passes and other terrains were clearly visible at a glance.
When the third day came, officials of all sizes rushed outside the governor's yamen early in the morning, waiting to pay homage to Xinfutai. After midnight, a yamen servant came out and said that the lord was still ill and the time to pay homage would be postponed. They all went back to the yamen to handle errands and listen to the news. Everyone listened. We had no choice but to leave in a hurry.
Sun Chuanting was staring at the sand table in the yamen in a daze when he suddenly heard the guard outside the door report: "Master Li is here to check on the master's condition."
Master Li?
Sun Chuanting was wondering about Mr. Li when he heard someone calling his cousin outside the door: "Brother Bai Ya, do you have time to meet me?"
"Ah! It turns out that Brother Li has arrived. I was just thinking about paying a visit to my house, but I didn't wait until I arrived! Please come quickly! Please come quickly!"
Sun Chuanting hurriedly stepped forward, affectionately took the arm of Li Bingchang, the governor of Shaanxi Province who had resigned due to involvement in state affairs, and humbly sat down, cupping his hands and saying: "I just arrived in Xi'an, my eyes were darkened, and everything was not taken by surprise. , busy all day long, not having a moment of leisure. You and I have a friendship of the same age, and I should go to see you, but I have the emperor's order, and I cannot abandon the public service for personal reasons. Besides, before the settlement, there is a lot of relationship between you and me, and I am afraid that it will be tainted. Brother Li's good reputation is actually somewhat incompatible, so he hesitates to decide."
Li Bingchang was a thin man with a slight beard, wearing a green Taoist robe. He had a smile on his face, but he could not hide the anxious and depressed look on his eyebrows. Hearing Sun Chuanting's smooth words, he felt a little pretentious and felt angry. He and Sun Chuanting were Wanli brothers. Forty-seven years of fellow Jinshi scholars are all in the top three. Sun Chuanting is ranked forty-one, forty-two places higher than him. We have known each other for more than ten years, but we usually live in the same place across the country and don't have much contact with each other. There was no friendship at all, so he was expelled. The two of them rose up and fell down, and their fortunes were very different. They felt that the hero was short of breath and could not show off his strength. He laughed dryly and said: "Brother Bai Ya, you are being too polite, in public and in private." It should be Brother Nian who is here."
Sun Chuanting couldn't figure out what the word "private" meant for a moment, so he poured a glass of wine and handed it to him: "Have a cup of rice wine from Yudi's hometown."
Li Bingchang smiled and said: "The ancients said that guests on a cold night treat tea as wine, but Brother Nian uses it in the opposite way, which shows that we are very friendly! If Brother Nian has any unkind invitation, Brother Nian must have thought carefully about it."
"You and I both contribute to the imperial court, how can we ask for anything unkind?"
Li Bingchang ignored it, took a sip from the cup and praised: "Good wine! Jinbo is intoxicated in Yanmen Prefecture. This wine is golden in color and mellow in smell, which is as good as Jiangnan rice wine!"
"Jinbo is intoxicated in Yanmen Prefecture, and there is June and Autumn in the world." This is a poem written by Zhao Bingwen, the Minister of Etiquette of the Jin Dynasty, who praised Daizhou rice wine. Li Bingchang's hometown is far away in Bashu, and he has been an official in the north for many years, so he knows a lot of customs.
"Brother Nian is so knowledgeable!" Sun Chuanting pointed out: "This Beiqi yellow wine is made from refined millet. Although it is not as famous as the Huadiao wines brewed from Jianhu water, it is as sincere as the foolish brother treats his old friends. Feelings."
Li Bingchang stood up, bowed to the ground, and said: "Bai Ya calls me an old friend, instead of neglecting me because I see a useless member. If I have something to say, I will make it clear."
"If you have any orders, please tell me directly."
"Let me go!" Li Bingchang said word by word, his tone was very urgent.
"Why did my brother ever stop me?"
"Okay! I have one more thing to ask of you. Lend me thirty or fifty soldiers to escort me into Sichuan."
Sun Chuanting said in surprise: "Brother Nian is not a corrupt official, and the box and cage are not heavy. Why do so many people need to escort him?"
"In my entire life as an official, I am confident that I have never done anything harmful to nature, and I am not afraid of thieves who kill people and steal goods."
"What is Brother Nian afraid of?"
"You understand in your heart."
"How do you say this?"
"There is no need to hide it from me. You must have received an urgent document from Hong Junmen. The rogue bandit Gao Yingxiang passed through Tongguan and invaded Shaanxi. Now that I have resigned, I no longer have to live or die with the city of Xi'an."
"You are in a hurry to leave, so why is this happening?" Sun Chuanting couldn't help but touch the document in his sleeve. He was worried that the news would be leaked, and the whole city's soldiers and civilians would be panicked, and the situation would be uncontrollable.
"good."
Sun Chuanting asked straight to the point: "When will Brother Nian prepare to leave for his hometown?"
"The sooner the better."
To be continued...