Chapter 28

Day 28

Li Mao took a car to Youye Gate. He was not very good at riding a horse. It sounds a bit funny but it was true. Sitting alone in the car, from Zucchini Mountain to Taiji Palace, on this short journey, he thought a lot.

For example, it was his first time entering the palace. He wondered if his clothes were too plain and smart, and he regretted not wearing a scholar's robe, which would have been more solemn and serious.

For example, if he met an important person in the palace, he had forgotten the etiquette taught by his nanny, how to greet him, and he didn't know whether to put the left foot in front or the right foot.

He reviewed many details in the car, and the more he thought about it, the more nervous he became. Li Suba's palms were sweaty.

During the Minghe period, Princess Changping was still highly respected. She would bring her children to every palace banquet. However, that was more than 20 years ago. The person sitting on the dragon throne was Princess Changping's uncle, not her biological father. Princess Changping was very tactful and only brought one child to each banquet.

The eldest son this year, the younger son next time.

I never took care of my grandchildren because I was afraid that they would offend the nobles in the palace if they were too young. When they were older, I didn’t hold palace banquets during the years when Emperor Ming He was assassinated.

Princess Changping thought for a long time about the last time she attended a palace banquet. It seemed to be twelve or thirteen years ago. Li Mao was only three years old at that time. Most importantly, Zhongrui ascended the throne, and the blood relationship was even more distant. Princess Changping did not bring anyone to the palace banquet.

That’s why Li Subaru never entered the palace.

When they were in the mansion, Li Ang told his third brother that it was okay and he could just go to the East Factory. Although the East Factory was in the palace, it was not the real palace and he could not see the nobles there.

Li Ang comforted his third cousin in this way. In order not to show his weakness in front of his younger brother, Li Subaru was relatively calm because he was the one accompanying his younger brother and didn't want his younger brother to worry about him.

But the men of the Li family are always timid, and this time is almost here.

"Third Young Master, we're here." The servant outside said respectfully.

Li Subaru in the car trembled like a frightened bird. The servant said it again. Li Subaru swallowed and hummed, then raised his arm and wiped the sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. Fortunately, no one saw him being so embarrassed.

Li Subaru got off the car, and there were cars belonging to the Nine Thousand Year Old Man and the Yan Mansion in front of him.

According to the palace rules, servants cannot be brought into the palace, unless they are eunuchs. If one reaches the first rank of prince, a lady of the imperial court can bring a maid, but male servants are absolutely not allowed.

Lin, the housekeeper of the Yan residence in front, said, "You can go, Fourth Young Master. I will come to pick you up tomorrow evening."

"Okay, Uncle Lin." Yan Huaijin nodded. He will stay overnight at Xuanfu's house and go directly to school tomorrow.

After saying this, Steward Lin bowed and stepped aside, waiting for the Fourth Young Master to enter before leaving.

Seeing this, Li Suba imitated the instructions given to the servants. He was a little unsure whether he should go forward or not. Or he should not go? His brother stayed in the palace overnight. What if he played too late and couldn't come out? Anyway, they had already climbed the mountain, so they just went to the East Factory.

"Third brother." Li Ang came over and saw that his third brother was standing there with a pale face. "What's wrong?"

Li Subaru was full of "tell the truth", but when he saw Jiu Qiansui coming over from behind, he hurriedly said, "It's okay, it's okay. I just finished climbing the mountain and I'm a little hot sitting in the car."

"Oh." Li Ang felt relieved. His third brother was with him, and he had to take good care of him.

Xu Xiaoman wondered if it was hot, but then he thought that he had been riding a horse all the way, so it must be warmer in the car, so he warmly invited the guest in, because he was his friend.

"Let's go in. It's almost noon. The boys must be hungry. We have a whole lamb roasted in the backyard and some wine."

Manyu Fu asked his father if he could drink it. Xu Xiaoman: "I'll give you a lick."

"Hey, thanks, Dad!" He didn't really like drinking, but he had friends over today and was having a lot of fun, so he could try anything. Xuanfu called his friends in, "I'm hungry, are you hungry? Those little chestnuts make me even hungrier."

Yan Huaijin nodded.

So Li Suba followed him into the palace. There was a routine check at the palace gate, but when he saw that it was the Ninth Prince who brought them, he just registered their names and let them pass. After entering the palace, Li Suba didn't dare to look around, and followed behind his brother and children with his eyes downcast.

Xu Xiaoman held half a string of candied haws left by his son. When he saw Li Suba was a little nervous, he realized that the Li family kid was nervous? Was it because of him? He immediately said, "Duoduo, you take your friends in first, I'll be back later."

"I understand, Dad." Xuanyufu didn't ask where his father was going.

The three children reached the arch bridge and leaned on the railing to look at the fish below.

"I didn't dare to come here before." Li Ang said first.

Mingming Bridge is not far from the palace gate, but it is on the left and right of Chongming Hall. He did not dare to cross the bridge. Not long after crossing the bridge, he arrived at the East Factory.

Xuanyu Fu looked at Li Ang and said, "Are you all afraid of my family?"

"Yeah." Li Ang nodded, "I was afraid before."

Yan Huaijin shook his head and said, "I'm not afraid, but I never cared about it before." When he was in the folk, he heard people talk about the East Factory, some good and some bad, but even when reading, one cannot believe everything in the book, so how can one make a conclusion based on what others say?

"Come on, I'll take you in." Xuanyuefu held his deskmate with one hand and Li Ang with the other. "Wang Banban said that the small kitchen does other things, but when it comes to roasting lamb, he's better at it. He'll be cleaning the lamb today."

After walking a few steps, Xuan Duofu remembered and turned his head to look behind him, "Brother Li Mao, I won't pull you along. My home is just ahead. You just follow us."

"Oh, okay." Li Suba was a little flattered. After he replied, Xuanyufu, his brother and friends had already run to the other side of the bridge. Because it was downhill, Xuanyufu laughed like a Wuhu and his brother also laughed.

Li Subaru had never seen such a brother.

When at home, my second uncle's younger brother was very sensible and cautious. In fact, just like them, everyone greeted each other with the same old routine when they met, but my younger brother is much bolder now.

He was still standing on the bridge. Since there was no one around him and his brother was in front of him, Li Suba mustered up some courage and looked around. The scenery on the bridge was very good and he could see the Chongming Palace in the distance.

That is the Chongming Hall.

Li Suba just took a few glances and hurriedly followed to the East Factory.

Xu Xiaoman brought half a string of candied haws to the Xuanzheng Hall, eating as he walked. When he arrived at the Xuanzheng Hall, only three pieces of the half string of candied haws were left. When Emperor Ningwu saw this, his face wrinkled and he couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you go out to play today? What's wrong?"

Jiu Qiansui shook the candied haws in his hand and said, "The farmer is too honest. He must have picked wild haws on the roadside and sold them cheaply. He was reluctant to dip them in syrup, but he was willing to string the fruits together."

Wow, these fruits are as big as a thumb, and there are more than ten of them in a string.

Xu Xiaoman ate so much that his teeth were almost falling out.

"I ate a few but couldn't finish them, but I couldn't bear to throw them away. If I eat them, I'll feel sore all over." Jiu Qiansui was still very frugal with food, but at this moment: "Throw it away. I feel sorry for myself if I eat too much."

Emperor Ningwu's eyes fell on the candied haws fruit that was stained with Jiu Qian Sui's saliva. The sugar coating on the outside was thin, revealing the small red-skinned hawthorn fruit inside, without even the core removed. Emperor Ningwu held Jiu Qian Sui's hand and took a bite of one.

"Oh, it's sour. It's not tasty, so I didn't bring it to you." Xu Xiaoman said, reaching out to take it to Emperor Ningwu's mouth.

The Ningwu Emperor's handsome face twisted in an instant.

Xu Xiaoman laughed to death: "Spit it out."

Zhong Yun just kept chewing it and spitting out the core.

Xu Xiaoman: ...I understand. Zhong Yun’s temper may mean that he doesn’t like ordinary sweet candied haws because they are available everywhere. He would definitely want to try this amazingly sour one.

"Okay, next time I come across anything strange and weird, I'll bring it to you." Jiu Qian Sui had already figured it out.

Emperor Ningwu: ???

What is this fool thinking about now?

He just saw Xiaoman holding it in his hand and wanted to tease her a little. What could he say? But after thinking about it, he couldn't bear to refute it. Since Xiaoman brought it to him, it was okay.

"By the way, what was I talking about? Today, I went hiking with Duoduo and met a little boy named Liu Qiang. He sounded familiar to me, and I kept thinking about his surname Liu. Then I figured it out. He must be the grandson of General Liu." Xu Xiaoman remembered it on the way back.

Zhong Yun felt that the tea was too sour, so he took a sip, but it didn't dilute the sour taste in his mouth, so he just hummed vaguely.

"That's not right. Even if you sent an express letter over 800 miles, it doesn't make sense for you to bring people back so quickly. But I didn't see General Liu either. I only saw the back of the little boy. He was tall and strong. I remember he was only two or three months older than Duoduo." Xu Xiaoman said as he looked at the fruits and saw that there were only two fruits left. He might as well eat them all, so he chewed another one.

Zhong Yun saw Xu Xiaoman eating, then took it and ate the last one.

This idiot still eats it even though he says it's sour.

So inside the Xuanzheng Hall, the most honorable Emperor Ningwu of Dasheng and the Nine Thousand Year Old Prince had distorted faces of jealousy and could not even speak clearly.

Zhao Erxi, who was serving nearby: My two ancestors, you must be tired of eating dragon's gall and phoenix liver, so you only choose to eat this stuff. I don't understand.

The two of them paused for a while, drinking tea. After a while, Emperor Ningwu, with a frown on his face, explained, "I received the letter five days after it was sent out. The General's Mansion had already been packed up. The old general has an old illness. I have shown concern for him twice before, but I was afraid he misunderstood. This time, the letter said that he was returning to the countryside to thank the emperor for his grace and respect for the emperor's will and to return to Shengdu."

Xu Xiaoman understood what Zhong Yun meant and said bluntly, "You can't blame General Liu for thinking too much. He respects you."

"I know, it is——"

"Don't worry about what happens. Just because you've become the emperor, others are trembling with fear in front of you? They misunderstood your concern and thought you were going to get rid of the donkey and attack the Liu family. Are you heartbroken?" Xu Xiaoman spoke frankly and clearly.

Zhong Yun looked at Xu Xiaoman and asked, "Whose family are you from?"

"With you." Xu Xiaoman said with a face that said 'you already know the answer', and continued: "Family members should not have different opinions. General Liu risked his entire family's lives to fight with you, risking their lives, and when the matter was accomplished, you granted the Liu family a title. I know you did it with no regrets. The Liu family is loyal, and the others are just superficial. Why can't you understand why they are being so hypocritical?"

Zhao Erxi wanted to get out and not serve here anymore.

Zhong Jue:......

molar.

I really want to bite this idiot, but he was calmed down by the family's silence. It was just as Xiaoman said, I was a little pretentious just now, "You're right. It's lonely sitting here up high--" He stopped singing halfway.

"Luckily, I still have you, Xiaoman."

Xu Xiaoman: When Zhong Yun was young, he loved to express his feelings and write articles. As he wrote, he became so sad and angry that he immersed himself in the articles and even vomited blood. He was so scared that he was afraid that Zhong Yun would die. Although he knew that Zhong Yun was in pain and had too much on his shoulders, he couldn't live like this.

Fortunately, Duoduo is like him and has a big heart.

"I'm leaving now. Wang Yuanyuan is still roasting lamb. I came back to tell you that the child must be Liu Qiang."

Zhong Yun: "Count the days. General Liu likes riding a horse and can't sit in a carriage. It's fast. It's time."

You know what, the discomfort I felt before is completely gone now.

In this world, only Xiaoman is different. She doesn't treat him as the emperor. Xiaoman treats him as - Emperor Ningwu quickly remembered what a certain fool called him in his sleep at night. After a moment of silence, he just called him his wife.

When the Nine Thousand Year Old Man left, Emperor Ningwu had a smile in his eyes.

I am Xiaoman’s family and also Duofu.

"Lord Xu always thinks of me wherever he goes. He even delivers the folk candied haws to me personally..." Emperor Ningwu was happy again.

Zhao Erxi: If he hadn’t seen with his own eyes the couple’s hideous faces while they were eating, he would have really believed that the candied haws were some kind of delicious thing.

…

Xu Xiaoman returned to the East Factory and walked towards the back house. The air was filled with the aroma of roasted whole lamb, which was even more charming than before. Indeed, Xu Xiaoman nodded, put his hands behind his back and walked back lightly. Wang Yuanyuan was not good at other things, but she was an expert at roasting lamb.

At that time, they ate the most lamb. Wang Yuanyuan knew exactly when to apply oil and when to turn the meat over, whether to increase or decrease the heat, when to add seasonings, and how much chili and cumin to sprinkle.

However, Wang Yuanyuan is very lazy. Now that her life is good, she doesn't like to do laborious work. She has to keep an eye on the roasted lamb the whole time.

"Banban, you are awesome."

"It smells so good, it smells even better than what I ate before!"

"When can Banban eat?"

Many people stood by with admiring eyes, and their saliva almost flowed when he spoke.

Wang Yuanyuan, who was roasting the lamb, smiled kindly and said, "Wait for less than half an incense stick of time, and let the fire below slowly smoke it. The skin will be roasted thinly and crisply, and you will taste the lamb fat when you take a bite. The meat inside will be tender, juicy and tasty."

Today, the firewood used to roast lamb has been replaced with fruit firewood.

Xu Xiaoman sighed. Wang Yuanyuan's smile was too disgusting. It was really because the kid was too proud. Old Wang had put all his life's skills into it just for the kid's sake. He was in for a treat today.

I’ll send some to Xuanzheng Hall later.

"Dad, the lamb that Banban roasted smells so good." Xuan Fu said happily when he saw his dad coming.

Xu Xiaoman gestured first, raising his arm, "Excuse me." He saw that Li Mao from the Li Mansion was better now, not as nervous as before, and said, "This sheep is your Wang Banban's specialty."

"Wang Banban is really amazing." Xuanyufu said solemnly.

Li Ang nodded. Even Yan Huaijin, who was always serious and didn't care about food, showed a look of anticipation on his face. The children gathered around him and couldn't move. Xu Xiaoman thought the children were very interesting and their faces showed whatever they thought.

How fun.

Simple.

My lord, especially as an emperor, you think a lot every day - Xu Xiaoman thought of this and soon began to think biasedly. It was no wonder that Zhong Yun thought too much. Sometimes being too polite would hurt feelings.

Thinking of this, I recalled whether I had said something frankly in the hall just now and hurt my wife.

Why don’t I wait until Duoduo falls asleep before coaxing him into bed tonight?

Jiu Qian Sui was distracted for a while, but fortunately, Duo Xinfu was watching the sheep with all his heart and eyes, and he didn't notice that his father was distracted. While watching the sheep, he said to his friend, "It will be fine soon."

Several people nodded and swallowed their saliva, staring intently.

Finally, Wang Yuanyuan agreed. Many people cheered the loudest. Wang Yuanyuan took a sharp knife and started to cut the meat. The tip of the knife made a crisp sound when it touched the roasted lamb. The meat inside was very beautiful and tender. The lamb skin outside was roasted as if it was oozing honey, shiny and oily, and it was not sprinkled with too much chili and cumin.

Wang Yuanyuan first gave Duofu a small piece of meat with skin and meat.

Xuan Xuanfu held the plate and did not leave. He waited until everyone had received theirs before he went into the living room. Several people sat down around the table and started eating. Just one bite was enough to make you dizzy with the deliciousness.

"It's delicious, Wang Banban." Many people gave loud feedback and confessed: "I give it full marks."

Wang Yuanyuan stood in front of the grill, busy for most of the day without feeling tired. If Xiao Duofu could eat two, she could continue grilling without stopping. Xu Xiaoman came over with a plate, "Cut a piece for me too."

"Send it to Xuanzheng Palace?"

"You know it, but why are you asking?" Xu Xiaoman said, "If I stay here, they won't be able to have fun." The main reason is Li Suba from the Li Mansion. How can he be so timid? He was fine when he just came back, but he felt a little restrained when standing. No one dared to look at him, as if as soon as they made eye contact, he would pull Li Suba to chat endlessly.

Xu Xiaoman didn't dare to look at Li Suba.

"I'm hungry. I'll finish eating first and then send it to you."

Xu Xiaoman glanced at the sheep, picked out a piece that he liked, and signaled Wang Yuanyuan to cut it with his eyes. Wang Yuanyuan looked at the roasted skin dripping with oil and felt a little reluctant. Xu Xiaoman: ...

"Wang Yuanyuan, you are really asking for trouble, aren't you?" Xu Xiaoman didn't tolerate Wang Yuanyuan, so he glared at her and snatched the knife from her hand, "I'll do it myself!"

"Oh, Eunuch Xu, you are so anxious. It's not like I won't give you points."

"Look at how stingy you were just now. I don't even want to say anything to you. It's like eating your flesh."

"It's good for you to eat my meat. This piece is roasted very well. Duofu will have to eat it later. I gave you a small share. Come back after you finish eating. It's fun to eat it this way. It smells delicious."

Xu Xiaoman: "You are so cunning." No wonder he just gave Duoduo a small piece. After eating it, he was so greedy that he had to come back for more. He couldn't help but think of the past. "The first time I ate roasted lamb, I also circled around the lamb. When it was roasted, I cut it up and ate it, just like a buffet."

fragrant.

Wang Yuanyuan took the knife and cut a piece. The meat was thick and the skin was tough, so she didn’t mind the heat. She held the meat in her hand and ate it slowly. “It’s almost there.”

"Of course, they are not as good as the sheep in Wuzhou, but they are enough." Xu Xiaoman ate heartily and said vaguely, "I can't ask people to transport sheep here in the freezing weather just for a bite of sheep. Wuzhou is more than a month away from here."

"It doesn't taste that stale after it's shipped here."

"Shengdu lamb tastes great." Xu Xiaoman said affirmatively.

In the past, when Zhong Yun had just arrived at the vassal state, Zhong Rui liked to show off and said that he was going to celebrate the emperor's birthday. Princes and local governments presented birthday gifts. Xu Xiaoman, a low-level eunuch, had seen what it meant to please the emperor, and the subordinates would go through untold hardships and even sacrifice their lives.

The lives of ordinary people are worthless. If the birthday ceremony gets a thumbs-up from Zhongrui, the reward will go to the official.

With his current status, Xu Xiaoman dared to say that he wanted to eat Wuzhou sheep, and someone really wanted to eat it. It was cold and the dead sheep were not fresh. What about the living sheep? They were afraid that the grass the living sheep would eat would not be as good as that of Wuzhou. So they specially asked people to transport the grass from Wuzhou, which was covered with mud. The sheep ate the grass along the way. Seven or eight people were assigned to take care of one sheep carefully. If the sheep died, the people who served it would be held accountable. Who would dare to take it lightly?

As soon as an idea was revealed by the leader, everyone below would rack their brains to figure it out.

Just like the Prince Shen's Mansion, now the Prince Shen's Mansion, is obviously still a Prince's Mansion, but the officials and royal family of Shengdu have clear eyes and know that Prince Shen was publicly reprimanded by the emperor. Who dares to have close contact with the Prince Shen's Mansion now?

Over time, the lineage of Prince Shen's Mansion fell into decline.

So Xu Xiaoman didn't let Zhong Yun have the intention to kill him, because it was not worth it to get stained with Zhong Heng's blood.

Wang Yuanyuan thought Xu Xiaoman's last words seemed to have a deep meaning, so she didn't think much about it and took a bite of the meat. "Eat it carefully, it's really good. With my cooking skills, any lamb in my hands will be delicious."

"Wang Banban, we're done eating!" Xuanyunfu came personally with a plate to get the meal.

Just after finishing the meal, Xuan Duofu said he wanted more and asked his friends for more. You're welcome. Seeing that his friends' plates were empty, he thought it was embarrassing to ask for more, so he enthusiastically invited everyone to have more.

Yan Huaijin and Li Ang nodded.

The two waited for the servants to bring it up, but they saw Xuan Fu holding the plate and taking it himself. Yan Huaijin and Li Ang followed suit and picked up the plate. Only Li Subaru had never seen anything like this before.

He didn't know what to say. He had several maids and servants serving him in the mansion, but his nine thousand year old adopted son had to serve the meal himself?

Isn’t it said that the Ninth Prince dotes on this adopted son?

But Li Suba didn't dare to ask any more questions, and hurriedly went out with the plate to catch up.

What frightened him was that the Ninth Prince was standing outside with a plate in his hand, eating meat, and chatting with the eunuchs who were roasting lamb. Perhaps he noticed his gaze and looked over - Li Subaru was so frightened that he dared not look any further.

Manyu Fu led the team to get food, and lined up to look at the roasted lamb eagerly. Should he continue to eat the lamb skin? Or change to another part? Now the meat inside was also burnt and golden. He didn't know which piece to choose.

"Give Duoduo a piece of ribs, they are delicious." Xu Xiaoman said.

Xuanyu Fu, who was overwhelmed by the choices, immediately nodded in agreement, "Dad, you understand me very well."

"We are father and son, and we understand each other very well."

Wang Yuanyuan skillfully cut the lamb ribs, which were too long, so the eunuch brought a large plate. With two thumps, the two ribs fell into the plate. The eunuch carried it steadily and sent it back to the hall. Manyu Fu did not leave, and accompanied his friends to watch Wang Banban divide the lamb.

"You guys eat first. This needs to be heated up before eating. What else do you want?"

"I want it with the skin," said Li Ang.

Wang Yuanyuan cut it with the skin on.

Yan Huaijin wanted something leaner and lighter in taste, so Wang Yuanyuan picked and cut it for him. Then it was Li Mao's turn. When Li Mao saw the eunuch holding the knife, he was so scared that he lowered his head and said anything was fine.

So Wang Yuanyuan gave some of the skin and lean meat to Li Mao.

How come this big guy isn't as brave as his younger brother?

Xuanyu Fu helped to carry the plates, and they went back to the living room to eat. Zhuixing Zhuyue brought some cold dishes and hot soup. Zhuyue brought a small pot of wine, but it was not full, only half a bottle.

"The governor said that the young master can only take a sip." Zhuyue poured wine for the young master.

The bottom of the cup is really stained.

Manyu Fu watched with great interest. His father had just promised him a lick, but he was so happy eating that he forgot about it. Unexpectedly, his father remembered it, so he held up the wine glass and asked his deskmate and Li Ang if they had drunk it. Yan Huaijin shook his head, and Li Ang said, "I drank it secretly."

Li Suba's eyes suddenly widened.

Li Ang: "... Third brother, don't tell the elders."

"well."

"During the Chinese New Year last year, I secretly drank two cups of wine at the banquet. At first I thought I had the wrong drink, but then I thought it was not too spicy, so I drank another cup. That night my face was burning hot, and the maid who was looking after me was so scared that she thought I had a fever." Li Ang didn't even dare to let his elders know.

In fact, the maid was also afraid of being punished by the lady, so she didn't dare to tell anyone. She stayed with Li Ang in fear all night without sleeping.

"I didn't dare drink it anymore after that." Li Ang said with lingering fear.

Xuan Fu thought that the alcohol content of ancient wine should not be high, especially since Li Ang said it was not spicy. So he took a small sip from the wine cup and tried it. Because the amount was too little, he smacked his tongue and suddenly felt: hot, spicy, spicy!

"It's so spicy!" Xuanyifu said, sticking out his tongue.

He was careless just now and forgot that the people of Shengdu like spicy food.

Yan Huaijin was curious and wanted to try it, but Xuanfu was a little hesitant. "You are only six years old, don't drink, classmate."

"Oh well."

Seeing that he agreed so quickly, Xuanyu Fu judged him and looked at him sideways, "You are not going to drink it secretly like Li Ang, are you?" He would taste it secretly.

"A gentleman's word—"

"Take a lick." Xuanyu Fu said at the same time, and handed over his wine glass. "Wait, you mean a gentleman keeps his word and won't drink it."

Yan Huaijin: "I haven't finished yet. Since you are so kind, I won't be polite." He was afraid that Xuanyu Fu would go back on his word, so he immediately took the wine glass that Xuanyu Fu had drunk from and took a sip - not a sip at all, just one or two drops.

Xuan Fu knew that there was only a little bit of liquid left in the cup, so he didn't stop it.

"How about it?"

"I didn't feel anything." Yan Huaijin savored it carefully, but there was no taste at all.

"Let's drink mutton soup." Xuanyu Fu said hurriedly, handing the bowl of mutton soup to Jinjin. "Drink this, it's good, it warms the body."

Seeing this, Zhuyue tactfully took the wine away.

The children in the room continued to eat and drink, but after the second round of meat was finished, Wang Yuanyuan did not give much meat in the third round. It was not because she was afraid that the children would eat too much, but because she was afraid that they would have trouble digesting it.

Wang Yuanyuan said blatantly: The meat has been taken away by the governor and is gone.

Actually, Xu Xiaoman didn't take the roasted lamb away. He could eat the leftovers, or Zhong Yun could eat his, but the lamb was their leftovers - although Wang Yuanyuan didn't touch the meat she cut, Xu Xiaoman still couldn't bear to let Zhong Yun eat it.

He sometimes has no idea about food. He was very poor when he was a child, so he likes to see any waste or leftover food, especially meat, which is a good thing.

I was just too hungry and greedy.

After eating for a while, Xu Xiaoman suddenly said seriously, "It's my fault. We have already touched it. We can't give it to His Majesty. It's disrespectful to His Majesty. If there is too much meat left, you can share it with the others. And you can give it to Duoduo and the others. They are all children. Don't feed them too much meat."

Wang Yuanyuan was stunned for a moment, then quickly said, "I understand."

Xu Xiaoman is just that kind of person. He would be talking about something nice at first, and then suddenly bring up another thing, and then right after he finishes talking about the next thing. Sometimes the three things are completely unrelated, and he is used to it.

"I'm leaving first." Xu Xiaoman went to Zhong Yun to explain why he didn't bring the sheep. He had to coax his wife. They talked a lot at noon, so he wouldn't go over at night. He wanted to eat something spicy tomorrow. Jiu Qiansui arranged the schedule in his mind and said, "If Duoduo is bored, you can think of a way to take the children for a stroll by the river."

Wang Yuanyuan: “I understand.”

Xu Xiaoman went to Xuanzheng Hall and heard Zhao Erxi say that General Liu was inside. In fact, at noon, as soon as he left, General Liu and his grandson Liu Qiang arrived outside the palace gate waiting to see the emperor.

"Almost. I just said that at noon." Xu Xiaoman thought about it. General Liu was in the palace, and it was not easy for him and Zhong Yun to talk in private. He thought it would be better to leave first and adjust the plan to coax his wife. But he also thought that General Liu was loyal and cautious, and he went straight to the palace gate when he arrived in Shengdu. He was too cautious.

So he asked Zhao Erxi: "What do you think of the emperor?"

How could an ordinary foreign official dare to inquire about what was happening in the Xuanzheng Hall, let alone ask so blatantly - asking the emperor about his mood at the door of the Xuanzheng Hall.

Zhao Erxi whispered, "The emperor is very pleased."

It seems that Zhong Yun is in a good mood, that's good. General Liu is cautious, but it's not General Liu's fault. Of course, it's not Zhong Yun's fault that he feels bad. Anyone who is misunderstood and then destroys the bridge would be unhappy.

This incident easily reminded Zhong Yun of the late emperor Zhong Moukai - Zhong Moukai was a villain who wanted to become the emperor and climb up the ladder. When he needed someone, he asked to marry a girl from the Zhao family. He was very respectful to Zhong Yun's mother and was very close to the Zhao family. As a result, he stood out from several brothers and became the emperor. He planned and conspired for many years and directly wiped out the entire Zhao family.

The more Xu Xiaoman thought about it, the more he felt that his words at noon were too harsh.

I'd better stay with my wife tonight.

Zhao Erxi watched as Jiu Qiansui's expression changed again and again, frowning, then relaxing, then frowning again -

"You'd better go in." Zhao Erxi said.

Jiu Qiansui was reflecting on his essay in his heart, scolding himself for not being a good husband. He nodded and said with a serious face, "Then I'll go in and take a look. I haven't seen General Liu for a long time."

A heater was lit in the side hall.

As soon as Xu Xiaoman entered, the heat wave hit him in the face. He was very confused. It was still autumn, how could they light the stove before winter? Moreover, Zhong Yun had a strong temper, so even in the cold winter, he would be warm in bed. On the contrary, he was a little afraid of the cold. He was not afraid before, but he seemed to be afraid of the cold when Duoduo was born, and he didn't take good care of her, so he has been falling behind since then...

The story of lighting the heater in the side hall started after General Liu arrived.

Because the Ninth Prince "presented" two sour candied haws at noon, Emperor Ningwu was very pleased and in a very good mood. When he heard that General Liu and his grandson were waiting for an audience, he ordered them to be summoned immediately, put down the memorial in his hand, and went out of the hall to greet them in person.

The first-class general knelt on the ground and kowtowed in greeting, and Emperor Ningwu personally supported him.

Anyway, when the historians saw the scene at that time, they would have to say: a wise ruler and a good general, a story that will be passed down through the ages.

After the emperor and his subjects finished their greetings, they entered the Xuanzheng Hall. Zhong Yun asked, "Second uncle, how are you these days?"

General Liu hurriedly said: "I am not worthy of this honor. I am so embarrassed." But seeing the genuine worry and concern in His Majesty's eyes, he was relieved after all the anxiety along the way.

His Majesty is still the same as before, and I'm afraid he is really worried about his old illness.

Blame him for worrying too much and misunderstanding the emperor.

Yes, since last year, the letters sent by His Majesty were not imperial edicts, and they were not meant to force him to go back, but were a genuine expression of his concern and care for his old illness.

Your Majesty is not the previous emperor.

…

Zhong Yun was very cheesy when he was being cheesy. This was his personality. When he was close to someone, he was willing to give them everything and praise them, acting like a junior without putting on airs. If he disliked someone, then nothing the other person did would change his mind. Even if he knew one thing rationally and the other person had good abilities, he would still use them and promote them, but he still didn't like them in his heart - Xu Xiaoman was not included in this rule.

Xu Xiaoman is the only special one, with the same fate as Zhong Yun.

Now, the misunderstanding and rift between the monarch and his ministers have been resolved, and they are all happy again, just like when they returned to Wuzhou. Zhong Yun remembered that the old general had a leg injury, so he asked Zhao Erxi to summon the imperial physician, who said that the old injury could not cause the general to suffer from the cold - that's about it.

Zhong Yun immediately asked for the stove to be put on.

It was useless for anyone to persuade him - mainly because no one in the Xuan Zheng Hall dared to persuade him, especially General Liu, who was in tears because of his own misunderstanding. How could he have the nerve to persuade him at this time? He was immediately cared for by the emperor.

So when Xu Xiaoman came in, he took a look at the side hall and saw that Zhong Yun's face was flushed with heat, as if he had drunk two bottles of wine - he was so handsome, with sword-like eyebrows and star-like eyes, his white skin was rosy and his appearance was so dignified. It's hard to describe it if you don't read enough.

How come it is so beautiful?

Looking at the child standing next to General Liu, the tall and strong boy said that the fat boy in red clothes was so hot that his face turned red. His collar was torn open and his forehead was covered with sweat.

General Liu was still holding a cup of hot tea.

Actually, it is not tea, but high-quality ginseng tea. Ginseng tea is also tea, right?

The three people in the hall all looked at him, some looked for help, some looked for praise. As for General Liu, he was already sweating profusely, and his eyes were blurry and he could hardly see who was coming.

Xu Xiaoman: ...

"Xu Xiaoman greets the old general." Xu Xiaoman greeted him, and General Liu was immediately happy. He was very strong and his legs and feet looked very agile. He went up to Xu Xiaoman, took his arm, and said with a smile: "Xiaoman, you are finally here."

His relationship with General Liu was okay. It wasn't okay at first but it was okay later. However, it wasn't that okay - he had a better relationship with General Liu's youngest son, but later Liu Qiqian distanced himself from him. It wasn't because of a rift between them, it was purely because Zhong Yun was jealous.

President Liu Qiqian is quite handsome.

Let’s not talk about these for now.

Anyway, Xu Xiaoman felt General Liu's urgency at the moment. He thought for a moment, glanced at the black boy's red face, looked at Zhong Yun, and said, "Duoduo just ate roasted lamb. I'm afraid he won't be able to digest it. Xiao Qiang is here too, so why not let them go out and run around and have some fun."

Oh, he forgot to tell Zhong Yun about the 'fat man in red' incident this morning.

Zhong Yun was also hot, so he was thankful for Xiao Man's rescue. He was used to Xu Xiao Man's blunt speech, so he said, "Okay, I'll change into some light clothes so Second Uncle can see if my martial arts skills have declined. Ask Duo Fu and the guys who were with you today to come over so Second Uncle can see them too."

Xu Xiaoman: ...That’s fine.

Spoil your wife, pamper her, and let her say whatever she says.

So Zhao Erxi went to convey the emperor's oral instructions.

Xuan Fu was very happy with his full belly after eating, so he discussed with his friends what to play - should they play checkers or go to the river to watch the fish? Well, there was no need to think about it, so he went to the martial arts training ground in the back to practice boxing.

Xuanyifu is quite happy and he likes boxing.

In the team, Li Suba was almost scared to death after hearing this. Didn’t they agree that he could only go to the East Factory to play with the emperor when he entered the palace? His brother had been in the Chongming Palace for four years and had never seen the emperor.

Why are we meeting today?

Li Subaru looked at his brother blankly, and Li Ang was also stunned.

Ah? I want to see the emperor.

The author has something to say:

Duozai: Hehehe.

We'll get to the martial arts training ground later. Duozai: No, hehe.