Peter sat on the mahogany carved chair, watching the guards place the steaming plates on the dining table in front of him one by one. The fragrant smell slowly floated to the tip of his nose, making his mouth water.
.
Even though the little tsar's stomach was already growling with hunger, he still forced himself to endure it, waiting for the guards to place the last beef soup pot with white steam "gurgling" and boiling bubbles in the center of the table.
After leaning slightly and retreating, he couldn't wait to pick up the chopsticks on the side and prepare to eat.
When he was in Tsarist Russia, the tableware he used were knives, forks and spoons. During these two years of living abroad, Peter gradually learned to use chopsticks.
Although he was not used to using such utensils at first and could not pick up vegetables, now Peter can skillfully pick up a large piece of raw beef roll with serving chopsticks and throw it into the soup pot.
Outside, heavy winter snow was falling, and there was a small stove burning red charcoal fire under the copper pot on the indoor dining table.
It's freezing outside, but it's warm and cozy around the dinner table.
Through the misty white steam, Peter saw the delicious beef rolls rolling up and down in the red oil soup pot like red carp. He couldn't help but feel absent-minded for a moment. He felt that since his father died of illness when he was four years old,
, He never had such a peaceful meal without any worries.
Even though the Qing Emperor was furious with him in the morning, he knew that living in this inn was a rare safe place in the world. He didn't have to worry about assassins suddenly appearing, and he didn't have to worry about whether he would be able to see the sun the next day, let alone
He watched in discomfort as the people escorting him fell one by one in front of him.
Smelling the strong aroma of rice and being the only one in the guest room, Peter could not help but relax completely and looked at a chrysanthemum tofu in a white porcelain soup cup.
, the ordinary tofu pieces were cut into blooming chrysanthemums by the chef with superb knife skills. A few bright red wolfberries and a few light yellow chrysanthemum petals were sprinkled on the "chrysanthemums", and the color looked very soft.
He couldn't help licking his lips. He felt that people from the Qing Dynasty were really good at cooking. A piece of tofu could be made into flowers. He didn't know what his daily meals would be like after he followed the Qing Emperor to live in the capital.
Would it be better?
Thinking of this, Peter picked up the small celadon bowl with his left hand, held the male spoon in his right hand and stretched out his arm to scoop himself a small bowl of beef soup sprinkled with green scallions from the soup cup next to the chrysanthemum tofu.
Although the chrysanthemum tofu looks good, the broth is more to Peter's liking.
The beef soup was rich in ingredients, and some pepper was sprinkled before it was served. Peter put the small celadon bowl to his mouth, blew on it a few times, and after the soup on the surface cooled down, he raised his neck and drank it in one breath.
Half a bowl of beef soup.
Although the soup was a bit hot to the mouth, after the soup flowed down his throat and into his empty stomach, Peter felt comfortable from the inside out, from top to bottom. The taste of the beef soup was beyond the little tsar's expectation.
, he raised his neck and drank the remaining half bowl of beef soup in two or three gulps.
Just when he was holding the long serving chopsticks and trying to fish out the beef rolls that had boiled and floated up in the soup pot, he heard the guest room door "squeaking" again and being pushed open from the outside.
Peter looked up at the door curiously, and saw the imperial guard guarding the door saying coldly, "You go in," and then two Tsarist Russians with some fine snow on their shoulders stepped across the threshold one after another.
walked in.
Seeing the person coming, Peter's eyes lit up, he quickly stood up from his chair, walked around the dining table and walked quickly towards the door, shouting happily:
"Golovin, Menshikov!"
Golovin was a courtier in Tsarist Russia who supported Peter. He was now middle-aged, a few years older than Kangxi. He had been escorting Peter on his escape for the past two years, and his fatigue was visible to the naked eye like a thick fog.
Looking at him, the man in his thirties already had several deep wrinkles on his forehead. The dark brown curly hair on his head was also much thinner, and most of it was white. He looked like a man in his forties.
Menshikov is one year younger than Peter. He is a hot-blooded boy with auburn curly hair and small freckles on his face.
He was different from Golovin. Menshikov was born in poverty in Tsarist Russia and was an orphan from the bottom of society since he was a child. Even though he was only eleven years old, he had already experienced a lot of ups and downs in human life. By chance, he was chosen by Peter.
Take him with you as a close guard. Although they are master and servant, they are more like like-minded playmates with similar temperaments.
"Your Majesty, these big pigtails didn't bully you, did they?"
Menshikov, who had not seen their little tsar for several days, saw Peter and bowed to him. Then he held his arm and looked up and down like an old hen guarding its young.
With Peter.
Judging from his posture, it seemed that as soon as he found a bruise on Peter's body, Menshikov would immediately turn into a wolf cub and bite the "big pigtails" that imprisoned them.
After Golovin entered the room, he quickly glanced at the decoration in the guest room and the steaming meals on the dining table. He felt relieved when he saw that the conditions here were much better than those in the house where his entourage lived.
, leaned towards Peter and said:
"Your Majesty, it's great that you're okay."
When Peter saw his two confidants, his heart was filled with joy.
He was naturally generous and righteous by nature, and he did not pay much attention to status during the great escape. Although he had told his subordinates many times that there was no need to call him "Tsar", his subordinates did not listen to him and he did not bother to correct them.
Now that the dinner table was full of delicacies, Peter simply grabbed the arm of a confidant and led the two of them to the dining table.
The imperial guard guarding the door looked at the three Russians in the room and chatted happily, then they all sat at the dining table and started eating, and then closed the door with a click.
Hearing the sound of the door closing behind him, Golovin frowned slightly and looked at Peter, who was sitting across the dining table, and asked hurriedly:
"Your Majesty, I heard that you had met with the Qing Emperor this morning. What kind of person is the Qing Emperor? Is he willing to help you regain power in Tsarist Russia?"
Menshikov couldn't help but swallow a few times when he looked at the table full of delicious meals. After hearing Golov's words, he struggled to move his eyes away from the delicious meals and looked at him with the same worry.
He looked at Peter.
Peter knew that if he didn't serve these two men with food, they would rather go hungry than reach out.
He did not say anything, but stood up from his chair, picked up the spare tableware that was empty on the right side of the dining table, handed a set of chopsticks, spoons and dishes to each of Golov and Menshikov, and used serving chopsticks to cook the dishes.
The beef rolls were taken out of the soup pot, divided equally into the small white porcelain plates in front of the two of them, and he raised his chin to indicate that they should eat the beef first.
The two confidants thanked Peter for his kindness, and obediently picked up two pieces of beef with chopsticks and put them into their mouths. Upon seeing this, Peter sat back on the chair. After the two of them swallowed the meat, he rubbed his fingers and said:
"In the morning, I did meet Aixinjueluo Xuanye. He said that he would never use a single soldier to help me return to Tsarist Russia to seize power."
When Golovin heard these expected words, although he couldn't say he was disappointed, he still couldn't help but frown tightly.
After all, Menshikov is a young man, and is limited by his background. He is not as worried about government affairs as Golovin, and he does not understand these tortuous politics. He has not yet mastered power and does not know the wonderful taste of power.
, is still very immature, and his thoughts are very simple. He regards Peter more as the master he protects. As long as Peter is not in danger and is safe and sound, he will be happy from the bottom of his heart.
After rolling down a few slices of fragrant beef, Menshikov couldn't help but lick his lips. He was impressed by the skills of the imperial chef who accompanied Kangxi to the post station. He continued Golovin's words and curiously asked:
"Your Majesty, what did you and the Qing Emperor talk about?"
Hearing this, Peter couldn't help but raise his right hand and rub his forehead, organize some words in his mind, hit the table with his slightly clenched right fist, and said irritably and aggrievedly:
"The Qing Emperor is an out-and-out old fox. He regards our goods as food expenses for us living in the capital. He said he would protect me and grow up safely, but after I take charge, he wants me to
Cut off one-fifth of the land to give them to the Qing Dynasty."
The two people sitting across the dinner table heard the first half of Peter's words, and their hearts finally fell back into their stomachs. After all, the purpose of their escape was to allow the little tsar to save his life under Princess Sophia's assassinations. But when they heard this,
After finishing the second half of the sentence, I was so angry that I almost spat out a mouthful of blood.
"Bah! One-fifth of the territory? How dare the Qing emperor think about it? Why didn't he just grab it for free?"
The grumpy Menshikov couldn't help but stood up from the chair with a bang, grabbed his reddish-brown curly hair with his hands, and walked on the ground irritably while cursing.
Golovin's face suddenly turned cold, and his fist on the table hardened. He felt that the Qing emperor was a bit too bullying, so he opened his mouth.
Seeing the angry expressions of his two confidants, Peter also put his right elbow on the table, put his right hand under his nose, and circled his mouth and chin without speaking, obviously also wanting to hear the opinions of his two confidants.
Menshikov bit his lip, looked sideways at Peter and lowered his voice:
"Your Majesty, why don't we go to the capital and just run away secretly on the way?"
"childish!"
Before Peter could speak, Golovin retorted coldly:
"What you said is simple. Then why are we waiting for the Qing emperor in these deep mountains and forests? Now we have no money, no food, and no goods. If we escape halfway, what will we eat and drink in the future?"
When Menshikov heard what Golovin said against him, he also closed his mouth and remained silent.
"Golovin, do you have any good ideas?"
Peter didn't expect his little playmate to give any good advice at all. After all, he didn't have much life experience, so he looked at Golovin who was still sitting in the chair with a hopeful look on his face.
Golovin lowered his head and frowned in thought for a long time. He looked at the chrysanthemum tofu on the table. This dish looked very gentle, just like the impression they had of this Qing woman along the way. She was gentle and gentle in running the house and took her husband as her husband.
sky.
After he made up his mind, he raised his head and looked at Peter, and said very seriously:
"Your Majesty, you are twelve years old. You are handsome and powerful. Why don't we marry with the Qing Dynasty like Mongolia did? You can marry a beautiful Qing princess as your wife!"
"What?"
Peter and Menshikov couldn't help but widen their eyes in shock when they heard that Golovin had said something about marriage after being silent for a long time.
Both of them are teenagers. At this age, they have never thought about getting married.
Peter frowned slightly, remembering that Kangxi had "threatened" him in the morning, and wanted to detain him in the capital so that he could marry and have children and become a Russian master, or go to Qintian Prison to work for him as a minister.
Golovin looked at the little tsar and did not react. Mainkov, who was one year younger than Peter, was also dumbfounded. He pursed his lips and repeated his words:
"Your Majesty, I feel that as long as you marry the Qing Emperor, the current predicament will be solved."
When Peter and Menshikov heard this, they both turned their attention to Golovin.
Golovin coughed twice, raised his right hand and made a "four" gesture, and patiently explained:
"I heard that there are four princesses under the Qing Emperor. They are just marrying princes on the prairie when they marry in Mongolia. But if they marry you, they will be the mother of a country! And you are so handsome and talented.
You are outstanding and tall, so the Emperor of the Qing Dynasty may not like you."
"If our two countries get married, the Qing Emperor will have to send troops to help you regain power for the sake of his daughter, right? We will discuss the territorial issue then, and to be honest, your current situation is not really good.
You cannot return home, and the noble ministers of Tsarist Russia are also intimidated by the power of Princess Sophia and dare not marry their daughters to you. Your mother's family has also lost power and its population is withering. Moreover, how can the noble daughters of Tsarist Russia compare to the great power?
Princess, from my perspective, this marriage is a great thing, and the Qing Dynasty women are gentle, so I feel that you are worthy of a princess who is of noble birth and has a gentle temperament!"
After listening to Golovin's analysis, Menshikov's eyes suddenly lit up.
Now that the master is facing this precarious and dangerous situation, if he really becomes the son-in-law of the Qing Emperor, then there is no need to worry about his personal safety.
The more he thought about it, the more he felt that Golovin's suggestion was reasonable. Menshikov's eyes became brighter and brighter, and he looked at Peter expectantly.
Peter tapped the table with the fingertips of his right hand. He admitted that Golovin's proposal was very convincing and attractive.
But every boy and girl yearns for their future partner to some extent. What's more, Peter has a strong nature and hopes to regain the throne that belongs to him independently through his own efforts instead of relying on nepotism.
Furthermore, from the bottom of his heart, he still hopes that his future wife will be the girl he likes, and does not want to give away the position of queen beside him just for his own safety, and considering Kangxi's
The attributes of the old fox made Peter nervous.
Anyone with a discerning eye can see that although the woman's status has indeed become noble after marrying him, Kangxi only has four daughters. Compared with the iron-clad Mongolian prince, he may not be willing to marry his daughter to him. The future is uncontrollable and the future is uncertain.
The titular young emperor of Tsarist Russia.
Golovin saw that the little tsar sitting opposite was silent for a long time and did not answer him. He couldn't help but urged him again:
"Your Majesty, what do you think? If you agree, I can discuss marriage with the Qing Emperor."
"Don't talk about it yet," Peter waved his hand and refused.
After careful consideration, he spoke out what was in his heart:
"Golovin, Menshikov, you have never dealt with the Qing Emperor. He is not someone to be trifled with, and he has a lot of tricks. Anyway, there are still several years before I grow up. Let's go this time.
Let’s follow him back to the capital first, and we’ll postpone matters like marriage and territory later.”
"Look, the rice on the table is almost cold. Menshikov, please add some clear soup to the soup pot. Let's eat first."
Menshikov nodded hurriedly, walked to the dining table in a few steps, picked up the copper kettle containing clear soup, and poured it into the boiling red oil soup pot.
He was an orphan. He had enough to feed himself and the whole family was not hungry. He had always been directed by Peter to hit him. Seeing that Peter now clearly had his own ideas, Menshikov knew better and stopped talking and just obeyed.
He sat back on his chair and happily ate the food Peter put on his plate.
Golovin knew that the little tsar was practicing the "drag trick", and he was a little disappointed. He felt that in the final analysis, the old tsar died of illness too early. The little tsar had no one to teach him the way of an emperor, and his heart was not cold enough to do it.
To make a choice.
But the little tsar himself was unwilling to take the initiative to bring up the matter of marriage. As a minister, he could not force himself to press the little tsar's head to make him agree to marry the Qing princess, and he was not qualified to mention the marriage to Kangxi, so he had to deal with the next step.
All the words he wanted to comfort me were swallowed back in frustration.
The three of them stopped talking, and ate the food on the table as if their resentment had turned into anger.
The snowflakes in the sky were falling thickly and densely. Golovin in the guest room in the front yard talked about the princesses. Kangxi, the imperial concubine, Prince Yu and others who had finished their meal in the backyard were also holding hot digestion tea and listening.
Watching the empress dowager sitting on the soft couch angrily recount the contents of the story she had heard.
The twins leaned against Mama Huang, one on the left and one on the right, with their eyes wide open, holding suction cups filled with warm milk in their hands, watching how the four sisters standing in a row in front listened to Mama Huang.
Teaching.
Kangxi, who was sitting on an armchair side by side with the imperial concubine, lowered his head and took a sip of the fragrant tea with a leisurely expression.
To be honest, he was stunned when he heard the Empress Dowager's scolding when he first entered the door. He still couldn't figure out what shameless thing he had done behind the Empress Dowager's back to turn the Queen Mother, who was always gentle and easy to talk, into a different person.
He looked cheerful in the past, as if he had blown up a firearms camp, and cursed "him" in Mongolian in a nondescript manner.
If the imperial concubine hadn't been so careful and asked "What was the emperor doing just now?" it was clarified that the empress dowager was scolding the "scumbag emperor" in the nonsense book. Otherwise, based on those words, the relationship between the aunt and the concubine
There are cracks in the relationship.
Recalling the content of the empress dowager’s angry remarks at that time:
"The Ai family has lived for most of their lives, and they have never seen such a shameless, inhumane emperor!"
"Haha, you tell me that even this kind of person can be the emperor, then doesn't it mean that as long as you teach a dog to hold a pen with its paw, then it can "woof, woof, woof" and learn to criticize memorials without any teacher?"
"Let the Aijia say, this emperor should be sent to be castrated, and then have someone take a big hammer in front of his face and smash his evil roots to pieces, so that he, a rotten person, will be spared the trouble in vain.
Got a good girl!"
"..."
Kangxi's hand holding the tea cup couldn't help but pause, and he shivered all over.
The imperial concubine sitting next to him listened to the empress dowager taking as a model the tragic experience of a princess who fell in love and married the wrong person, resulting in the loss of her family and her family. If the princess does not have self-respect and self-love, what should she do?
What a bleak ending, I nodded in agreement while listening.
The eldest princess Fulana, who was standing at the front, glanced out of the corner of her eye. Bandi, Wuergun, and Garzang, who were standing side by side on the left, looked red-faced and suppressed their laughter.
"Well, in short, the Ai family has said all that should be said. You four, remember that you are the princesses of the Qing Dynasty and the most noble and good girls in the world. Don't be brainwashed by your mother-in-law's family after you get married.
It's time to give up on your own princess's house, and learn from those silly words, just like me, the princess, and go to other people's houses to serve your parents-in-law like a little irritated little daughter-in-law, and in turn, you are still irritated."
The Empress Dowager put her left and right arms around her two twin grandsons, who were full of fragrant milk, and said to the delicate granddaughters who were standing side by side like flowers.
Ke Jing couldn't help but laughed out loud, and said coquettishly to the Empress Dowager:
"Mother Huang, don't worry. My granddaughters have been studying in the academy for several years. How could they be so stupid?"
The third princess Yimu, who is the shyest, also smiled and said:
"Mother Huang, what the fourth sister said is right. We will not be like the princess in the story, who doesn't care about anything just for the sake of love."
The second princess Mo Yaqi also winked and said playfully:
"Good Mama, with Khan Amma and the prince's second brother here, who dares to bully our sisters?"
The eldest princess Fulana, who was raised by the Empress Dowager from her infancy, also summed it up by saying:
"Huang Ma Ma, this princess is much worse off than us. Her brothers are useless, but our brothers are all excellent. If someone bullies us, will Xiaosi just punch them?
Did it fly away?"
Xiao Yinzhen, who was drinking milk sweetened with honey, suddenly heard his elder sister calling his name. He immediately let go of the mouth of the cup, raised his short right arm, and brought a circle of milky white milk around his mouth.
"Stain," the little girl's voice was soft and loud, and she opened her mouth and shouted:
"Feifei!"
Seeing the little baby's mischievous and silly behavior, everyone onlookers couldn't help bursting into laughter.
Kangxi also glanced gratefully at the smiling imperial concubine with his peripheral vision, and felt lucky from the bottom of his heart. The imperial concubine taught his daughter and sons well, very well...