Chapter Thirty-Seven: Caring for the Common People
After everyone had eaten and drank enough, they removed the banquet and made a pot of fragrant green tea. Everyone sat around and started talking and laughing again.
Dakui took the tea bowl, took a sip and said, "This tea is too light to be good." Master Feng smiled and said, "Tea has the effect of clearing the mind and refreshing the mind. It is already late and drinking strong tea is not good for sleep." Dakui said with a smile.
I couldn't help but ask: "I don't understand why many people like to drink tea even though it is bitter?"
Master Feng took a sip of tea and said: "The way of tea lies in the state of mind, and it pays attention to cultivating the mind and calmness. The tea ceremony has a long history and cannot be described in just a few words. It has the indisputability of Buddhism, the inaction of Taoism, and the meanness of Confucianism. It can be said to be simple.
But the tea contains the essence of the three religions. The tea tastes bitter because it has medicinal and conditioning effects. There is also an allusion here. During the Warring States Period during the Wu-Yue struggle, King Gou Jian of Yue was defeated and captured. Later, in the palace of Wu King Fu Cha
Along with his family, he was reduced to a slave. Gou Jian spent his days lying on the firewood and tasted the bitterness of his gallbladder. After more than ten years, he finally got what he wanted and returned to his hometown, finally achieving hegemony. Therefore, the Tao of Tea still has a bitter and inspiring meaning."
Dakui scratched his head and said: "I didn't know before that there are so many ways to make tea." Master Feng chuckled and said: "Now we just make a simple pot of tea, but we are very particular about special occasions. Some of the processes are difficult to explain in a sentence."
Before Da Kui could ask any more questions, a government servant walked in outside the door. When he came closer, he cupped his hands and said, "Sir Zhang, Huang Shijie from the Longping Zhengtong Escort Bureau wants to see you." Da Kui was stunned when he heard this...
When Master Feng saw Da Kui in a daze and said nothing, he wondered: "What are you thinking, sir?" Da Kui was surprised: "Huang Shijie from the Zhengtong Escort Agency is here." Master Feng asked puzzledly: "So what if he is here?"
Dakui was at a loss and said: "He doesn't know that I am the official." Master Feng was stunned for a moment, and suddenly said: "Sir, are you saying that he doesn't know that the envoy to Jiangnan is Master Zhang?" Dakui nodded, and Master Feng laughed.
: "Master Zhang has passed by now, how can he act like a child?"
Dakui defended: "When I went down the mountain, my master told me: 'Poverty can see the coldness of the world, poverty can see the warmth of people'. I have always looked like a beggar. Later I met Huang Shijie's daughter Huang Ying. I fell in love with her but I couldn't open my mouth.
So Tang and his eldest brother asked the King of Wu to grant me a marriage, but I was still worried. I was afraid that Huang Shijie's family would be too poor and love the rich, so they went to his house to make trouble." Dakui continued after a pause: "If I hadn't heard that Luo Dahai was killed,
I won’t come to meet you either.”
Master Feng asked in confusion: "Don't you want to marry Miss Huang as soon as possible?" Dakui hesitated: "It's not that I don't want to, but I still have big things to do." Master Feng couldn't help but ask: "I don't know what big things are in your mind.
?" Dakui stood up and said: "I escorted my escort to Shunyuan City, where there was a famine. I wanted to raise food in the rich lands of Lin'an and Longping and send it to Shunyuan, where people would starve to death every day. But King Wu
The decree granted to Huang Ying said that as soon as I meet Huang Ying, the marriage will be consummated immediately, so..."
Master Feng stood up and cupped his hands and said: "Master Zhang cares about the selflessness of the people, and my subordinates admire him very much." After saying this, he bowed to the end.
The four guards, Xu Yuan, Dong Hu, Tian Feng, and Zhou Kai, also stood up and raised their hands and said: "It is our duty to serve the country and the people. Everything depends on Master Zhang's orders."
Da Kui looked around at his five subordinates, nodded and said, "Okay, everyone, sit down." Everyone sat down as instructed. Da Kui muttered, "I think that Mr. Huang, the old escort, must be here because of Luo Dahai's business.
I ordered the prison to be sealed and the case was tried overnight, but he still doesn’t know about it. It’s better for Master Feng to go out and explain the matter to him clearly and let him go.”
Master Feng stood up and said, "Okay, let me go down and talk." Master Feng was about to leave when Dakui said again: "Don't ask him to meet Luo Dahai, otherwise my identity will be revealed." Master Feng agreed, turned around and left.
The door.
Da Kui sat there in a daze. Xu Yuan, Dong Hu, Tian Feng, and Zhou Kai saw that Da Kui was deep in thought and could not disturb him. After a while, Master Feng came back. Da Kui raised his head and asked: "Old escort Huang
Leaving?" Master Feng said: "Leaving, my subordinates told them that Mr. Zhang had taken a rest and would not see guests. In addition, he told them that Luo Dahai had been vindicated, so that they could rest assured."
Dakui asked doubtfully: "Them?" Master Feng said: "There is also a girl with a black veil on her head. She is the Huang Ying that the adults mentioned." Dakui nodded and said thoughtfully: "Tomorrow, Longping will
Mr. Wang of the mansion will supervise the execution, and then you all return to Longping. I will go back to the master's gate tonight, and when I come back, I will make plans with Mr. Wang to raise food."
Master Feng said frankly: "My lord, the matter of raising food is not a trivial matter, and it is not within your authority. I feel that this matter needs to be reported to the King of Wu. Now our Ming Dynasty is preparing for war, and we need a lot of rations. Your Majesty collects them."
If the grain does not pass through the King of Wu, there may be trouble." Dakui said: "In this case, Master Feng will write a memorial and send Xu Yuan and Dong Hu to send it to Yingtian to present to the King of Wu."
Master Feng nodded, got up and went to get the Four Treasures of the Study and a blank memorial. Tian Feng came over and helped him knead the ink. Master Feng took the blank memorial and spread it out on the table. He picked up the pen and fed the ink, and after a while he wrote: Jiang Nantong
The political envoy Zhang Dakui reported that in the past, I inspected the territory of Shunyuan in Guizhou Province, but this area has been plagued by locusts. The people were displaced and had a hard time, and now they are starving and dying in the wild. The minister requested to collect grain and rice from the rich areas in the south of the Yangtze River.
One hundred thousand pounds were escorted to Shunyuan for disaster relief. I hope His Highness the King of Wu will grant me permission, and I will kneel down and beg for it.
Master Feng picked up the memorial and blew it dry gently, then presented it to Da Kui and said, "Your Majesty, please take a look at it. Is it appropriate for me to word it this way?" Da Kui looked at it and said, "That's very good." After that, he asked Dong Hu to take his seal.
A seal was stamped on the memorial. Master Feng folded the memorial and wrote on the cover "Presented to the King of Wu for personal viewing" in five small regular scripts. When the ink dried, he took out the folded box and placed the memorial in the box and presented it to Da Kui.
.
Dakui took the memorial and said: "Xu Yuan and Dong Hu." Xu Yuan and Dong Hu stood up and clasped their fists and said: "My subordinates are here." "I'd like to trouble you to send this memorial to Yingtian overnight and give it to General Tang He for presentation."
King Wu." Xu Yuan took the memorial, and the two of them clasped their fists and said, "I obey my orders." After saying that, they turned around and left the room.
Dakui stood up and said, "I'll leave then. You can kill Pang Zhidong tomorrow and then go back to Longping Mansion together as I ordered." Master Feng and Tian Feng Zhou Kai clasped their fists and said, "I obey my orders."
Dakui took the Longquan Sword, put his waist badge in his pocket, and went out.
Jiahe County is a small city with low city walls and only a few veteran soldiers guarding the city gate. Da Kui strode out of the city gate. The few veteran soldiers didn't even ask. Da Kui's clothes said it all.
After leaving the city gate, he reached out and lifted up the hem of his robe and tucked it around his waist, then took the road and ran all the way south. He had a knot in his heart and had to apologize to his mentor. Longping Mansion is more than a thousand miles away from Tiantai Mountain. According to Dakui's foot power, tomorrow at noon