After a while, the lunch boxes of several princes were brought back.
Braised pork belly, steamed mandarin fish, and braised spring bamboo shoots are all fresh in February. The leftover green dumplings and fermented glutinous rice cakes are also Jiangnan delicacies.
Brother Jiu thought of Li Xu, pointed to the dishes on the table, and said to the two of them: "Look, there is a proprietor here, he is very attentive and considerate!"
The fourth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother both heard that the ninth elder brother's tone was wrong.
But there is no fault in this matter.
Li Xu was the leader. Before the Holy Emperor left for his tour, he appointed several people to be responsible for picking up the Emperor in Jiangnan, including Li Xu.
Preparing seasonal delicacies is considered careful and there is nothing wrong with it.
Fourth Brother frowned and said, "Li Xu is disrespectful to you?"
The Thirteenth Brother was a little surprised and said: "Li Xu acts tactfully, does it look okay?"
Brother Jiu snorted coldly: "I read 'Nie Chen' in a book earlier, and I couldn't figure it out. But when I met Li Xu, I was right."
The fourth elder brother disapproved and said: "Be careful, those are Khan Ama's people."
It is indeed shameless to "show beauty", but it is not appropriate to use this to belittle Li Xu.
After all, it was no one else but their royal father who accepted the beauty.
When beating a dog, it depends on the master.
No matter how displeasing the royal father's dog seemed to them, they couldn't discipline it.
The Thirteenth Brother thought of Wang Guiren and the Gao family, who were both brought back to the capital by the Holy Emperor during his southern tour.
I don’t know if I will bring anyone with me this time.
This time when I visited Nanhe, I did not take any palace concubines with me, but I followed eight palace officials from the Qianqing Palace to serve the holy driver in his daily life.
Among them, there must be no outstanding person, otherwise, if they had obtained their status early, they would not be the same as palace ladies.
Now that we have arrived in Suzhou, with Li Xu's behavior, it is inevitable that he will need a few more concubines.
The ninth elder brother took a breath and swallowed the matter of the Li family's "dedicated beauty" to the eighth elder brother.
You can't say it out of his mouth, otherwise it will look like he takes the Eighth Prince seriously.
Besides, it is easy for people to misunderstand him and think that he is staring at the eighth prince.
He nodded and said, "Okay, I'm too lazy to talk about him."
The brothers started using their chopsticks.
Brother Jiu recalled the thirty-eighth southern tour. At that time, Fujin loved to eat mandarin fish and spring bamboo shoots.
He just paid attention to these two dishes and picked up a few more chopsticks.
The mandarin fish is indeed delicious, and the spring bamboo shoots are also fresh and tender.
It's a pity that this delicious taste can only be eaten in Jiangnan.
When he put down his chopsticks, Brother Jiu ordered He Yuzhu: "Go and tell Cao Shun, find a restaurant outside tomorrow and order a few jars of braised bamboo shoots in oil and a few jars of crispy mandarin fish. Seal it and bring it back."
Go to Beijing."
He Yuzhu responded and went down to deliver the message.
After hearing this, Brother Thirteen couldn't help but feel moved, and said, "Brother Four, how about we bring some too?"
Brother Si thought for a while and said: "The braised bamboo shoots are okay, but the crispy fish is fine. What you eat is just fresh. The crispy fish loses its taste."
Brother Jiu said from the side: "You can bring some dried whitebait. The boiled eggs are delicious. We have them in our house. I didn't think of bringing them this time."
Brother Thirteen nodded and said: "Then bring some dried whitebait..."
When He Yuzhu came back, Cao Shun also came over and said, "Sir, Ji Er asked to see you and is waiting outside the Zhizao Mansion."
The Holy Master is stationed at Zhizhi Mansion. The defense here is very tight and no one can enter or leave without orders.
The ninth elder brother stood up, followed the fourth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother, and said: "I'll go and see him. He is a local snake. I have to rely on him to manage these two pearl fields..."
Fourth Brother wanted to give a few more instructions. Businessmen are so cunning and should be more careful.
But thinking that Brother Jiu would be smart if he got involved in the economy, and the Ji family did not have the courage to bully the prince, he said: "Go early and come back early, it's getting late."
Sitting on a royal boat for half a month was rocking and comfortable, but it was not as good as staying in a palace on land.
Brother Jiu agreed and took He Yuzhu and Cao Shun out.
Outside the Zhizao Mansion, Ji Hong brought a boy to wait.
Seeing Brother Jiu coming out, he hurriedly stepped forward.
"Master Jiu..."
Brother Jiu said, "I was just looking for you. How are the preparations for the pearl field over at Hongze Lake?"
Ji Hong said: "The place and manpower are complete, but the river mussel seedlings are not enough."
Brother Jiu said: "Then just spend money to get it. Don't be stingy with money. It's better to develop it a year earlier than anything else."
Ji Hong nodded and said: "Students think so too, and have arranged for several stewards to collect river mussel seedlings in the field."
Ji Hong was able to become the young boss of the richest family in Jiangnan, and his ability was not bad.
Brother Jiu thought that the Holy Spirit would leave for Dongshan tomorrow, so he looked at Ji Hong.
When he was twenty-seven or eight years old, he looked like a philistine without businessmen, like a Confucian scholar.
Brother Jiu said: "Since you are here, don't leave. Stay one night with Cao Shun. I will give you orders tomorrow morning."
The holy cavalry was on a tour to the south. In addition to the princes, ministers and bodyguards, the soldiers of the Three Banner Guards Army Camp and the Pioneer Camp, there were also the water transport troops led by the Governor of Water Transport.
With so many people, Zhizao Mansion naturally couldn't accommodate them, so most of them camped outside Zhizao Mansion.
So were the retinues accompanying the princes and ministers, most of whom were placed outside the weaving yamen.
Ji Hong was stunned and said with some confusion: "Master Jiu..."
Brother Jiu coughed lightly and said comfortingly: "Don't ask what you shouldn't ask. It's not a bad thing."
With that said, he looked at Cao Shun and said, "Please accompany him."
Cao Shun bowed and responded.
Brother Jiu took He Yuzhu and turned around and entered the Zhizao Mansion.
Ji Hong looked a little nervous and looked at Cao Shun and said: "Master Cao..."
Cao Shun had some guesses, but he didn't leak anything, saying: "Since Master Jiu has ordered it, Master Ji will stop for one day..."
As he said that, he also looked at the boy behind Ji Hong and said, "And this little brother..."
The camp of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is not far outside Zhizhi Mansion.
Except for a few of the prince's entourage who followed them and moved into the Zhizao Mansion, the rest are all here.
Cao Shun and Ji Hong also returned here.
However, you are not allowed to come in and out at will. You must register clearly, check your waistband, and check whether you have any equipment on you.
Ji Hong brought the boy with him and was checked again.
He endured his panic and waited until he and Cao Shun entered the accommodation, then said: "Master Cao, did the students violate any taboos?"
Cao Shun shook his head and said: "Not really, it's just the rules. Master Ji Er doesn't have to think too much. Just wait and listen to Master Jiu's instructions tomorrow morning..."
*
Brother Jiu entered the Zhizao Mansion, and He Yuzhu whispered from the side: "Do you want to promote Master Ji?"
Is this to introduce Yu Qian?
Would it be too rash?
In front of the emperor, all the people coming to court are high-ranking officials. What does it mean for a businessman's son to come up to him?
Brother Jiu shook his head, glanced at He Yuzhu, and said, "I'm just timid..."
The Holy Driver will travel tomorrow, who knows how well the defense preparations will be along the way.
If someone blindly jumps out and disturbs the holy driver, he will be suspicious when he sees Ji Hong.
Thinking of this, Brother Jiu felt frightened.
Could it be that he was infected by Fujin?
He has also become timid now.
Before, I saw Fujin thinking too much and felt it was unnecessary.
Nowadays, his behavior also has Fujin's style.
The master and servant returned directly to their residence.
As a prince, he was assigned a separate small courtyard to stay.
At the entrance of the courtyard, stood Zhou Song and Chun Lin, and opposite them, stood two women wearing pink vests and lotus-colored skirts.
Seeing Brother Jiu coming back, Zhou Song and Chun Lin called for help.
Brother Jiu's face was dark. He glanced at the two women and asked Zhou Song: "What's going on? Who doesn't understand the rules so much, why did he bump into me?"
Zhou Song replied: "He is a member of the Li family, and he was ordered to serve me in daily life..."
Brother Jiu heard this and told He Yuzhu: "Ask Li Xu, who is he? It's his turn to arrange people for me!"
He Yuzhu responded and immediately went to the weaving Yamen to find Li Xu.
Brother Jiu didn't even look at the two women and went straight into the courtyard, still angry.
He could think of Li Xu's face, and there must be some excuse. He just said that he saw that the princes did not bring any female relatives, so he arranged for maids to come over to serve them.
But whose girl dresses like this?
The person standing there looked like someone who had come out of a pile of makeup and powder. The smell was so bad that it choked his nose.
Zhou Song and Chun Lin hurriedly followed.
The two women stayed at the door, panicked, losing their composure, and trembling, but they did not dare to leave.
After an estimated quarter of an hour, He Yuzhu came back, bringing with him the steward of the Zhizao Mansion. The two women softened their feet and followed the steward away...
*
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