Chapter 429 Renjun

The night market in Du County is brightly lit and bustling with people. Even when it is late at night, the street stalls are still bustling, attracting a steady stream of diners.

Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan strolled around and soon found a wonton stall and sat down safely.

Soon, the waiter swiftly brought out two bowls of steaming shrimp wontons, which smelled delicious.

The sound of gongs and drums suddenly rang out, and it turned out that a circus performance was about to begin not far away.

"It's worthy of being the hometown of opera and acrobatics. It's so late, but it's still so lively."

After Zhu Qingyan finished speaking, he stretched his neck to take a look, his eyes sparkling with curiosity, "Wow, it's an animal show!"

Zhu Lan looked back and saw a big tiger with yellow background and black stripes going through the fire ring. There were also a leopard and a fox beside it, as if they were waiting for their master to give orders.

"The show has just begun. Don't worry. Let's try the wontons first and then go watch it."

Zhu Qingyan recalled what happened before he left and asked her:

"By the way, the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall dish we just had is indeed beyond the regulations, so it is wise for us not to eat it.

But I really don't see anything wrong with the other dishes. Zhu Lan, are you being too cautious?"

Zhu Lan gently picked up the bowl and chopsticks, rinsed them carefully with tea, raised his eyes and smiled:

"You don't know how to cook, so you naturally don't see the mystery."

Zhu Qingyan was puzzled.

Zhu Lan explained:

"Take the plate of wild vegetables, for example. They look lush and green, and are commonly seen in the fields, but in fact, they are mixed with a few very precious 'dragon beard vegetables'. This vegetable grows on cliffs and needs to be climbed up and picked by humans. The yield is only a few kilograms each season, and can only be seen at the royal banquet."

Zhu Qingyan stood there in a daze. She thought it was just an ordinary vegetable but she didn't expect it to be so expensive.

"And the steamed fish fillet, it looks like just an ordinary grass carp, with a few lotus leaves casually placed on the side. It looks poor, but in fact the fish fillet is taken from the rare silver crucian carp in the cold pond in the far north. The meat is tender and one piece is worth a thousand gold. Ordinary officials have no chance to see it."

Zhu Lan was able to write recipes for Yuxiang Pavilion and often interacted with Wang Yuchu, so he must have seen these precious ingredients.

So when those dishes were served just now, she already saw the secret.

Zhu Qingyan recalled it and felt a pang of fear in his heart.

For ordinary trips, the details of road expenses do not need to be submitted to the chief officer for review, but the post station receives and sees off people every day, and for a person as powerful as Zhu Lan, it is not uncommon for some people below to curry favor with him.

Matters such as entertainment expenses exceeding regulations can be big or small. If no one cares, then it's fine. But once it is used by someone with ulterior motives, it will immediately become a handle.

If this matter were to be exaggerated and spread out, it would not matter if Zhu Lan and his own reputation were damaged, but it would be a big deal if they lost the trust of the emperor.

"Could it be that the postmaster wants to trick us?"

Zhu Qingyan shook his head again after he finished speaking, "No, the postmaster has no grudge against us, there is no reason for him to do this. Could it be... Li Moxu?"

Zhu Lan sneered, "It's almost certain."

"Li Moxu and the Supervisor of the Imperial Household, Li Xiang, are both from the Li family in the capital. The Li family is quite powerful in the capital and has always been hostile to me.

A few days ago, I found the Nine-Curve Pearl and returned to the palace to report. I reported the theft of the pearl truthfully, which led to Li Xiang being severely punished, so he held a grudge against me.

Now, this grain inspector, Lord Li, is a relative of Li Xiang, and naturally cannot bear to see me get any better. He was very respectful and considerate to us along the way, just to find an opportunity to catch me making a mistake. "

Zhu Qingyan recalled the entire process of today's dinner, his face somewhat horrified:

"So, tonight was a trap set by Li Moxu?"

Zhu Lan nodded, his eyes slightly darker.

"Both the open and hidden attacks are ready, making it hard to guard against.

This Lord Li is also a character."

Zhu Qingyan thought about it and felt something was wrong, so he asked her:

"You and Li are at odds, and everyone in the court knows about it. Doesn't Your Majesty know about it? Why did you send him to be your grain supervisor?"

This time Zhu Lan was silent for a long time.

She lowered her head and took a sip of the steaming wonton soup before she smiled softly:

"Your Majesty has been on the throne for four years and is no longer the same as before. He is naturally more skilled in making plans and weighing pros and cons than before."

"You mean, His Majesty now wants to use the Li family to check and balance you?" Zhu Qingyan frowned, with a hint of dissatisfaction and indignation in his voice.

She was speaking up for Zhu Lan.

"You have worked diligently in the Censorate over the years and have made outstanding achievements. Who in the court would not be convinced? Why would the emperor treat you like this?

Oh, I think he has forgotten that if you hadn't risked your life to help him, who would be sitting on the throne now?"

"Be careful with your words." Zhu Lan's face turned stern and he immediately reminded her. He then looked around and fortunately, the people around him all focused their attention on the acrobatic performance and no one was paying attention to this side.

"I didn't say anything wrong." Zhu Qingyan muttered.

When talking about this matter, Zhu Lan's face did not show any resentment, but was rather calm.

"The emperor's mindset is not necessarily a bad thing sometimes. The so-called 'tactics' are just a means, which can be avoided, but must be mastered.

Your Majesty has been on the throne for a long time and holds great power. If you don't even have this kind of thought, it may not be a blessing for the people."

"What if he is suspicious of you?"

Zhu Lan did not answer directly, but asked her softly: "What do you think of His Majesty's character?"

Zhu Qingyan thought for a moment and said:

“In terms of means, perhaps he is not as good as King Qi back then.

But since the new emperor ascended the throne, the court not only did not engage in large-scale construction, but also reduced taxes in various places, allowing the people to rest and recuperate.

Even if an official made a mistake, unless it was a serious crime such as treason, he would usually be spared and asked to mend his ways.

In fact, he can be called a benevolent king."

Zhu Lan nodded, agreeing with Zhu Qingyan's point of view.

“Since you and I both believe that Your Majesty is a benevolent monarch who will love and care for the people, and you and I want to do more for the people as officials, we have the same goal and there is no conflict.

So, Your Majesty is just checking and balancing us, as long as we don't make mistakes and are careful in everything we do, Your Majesty won't do anything to us."

"That's right. A person with a clear conscience has nothing to fear."

Zhu Qingyan's worries were mostly dispelled. She took a bite of wonton, suddenly smiled slyly, leaned close to Zhu Lan's ear and asked:

"No, from what you said, it seems that you don't care about those suspicions because our emperor is a benevolent monarch.

Then let me ask you, if you were unlucky and met a foolish and ruthless leader, would you also be so calm and composed?"

"What if he is a tyrant..." Zhu Lan gently fiddled with the small white wontons in the bowl, seeming to be thinking seriously.

After a moment, she suddenly smiled, and her thoughtful gaze fell on the animal show that was in full swing not far away.

Zhu Qingyan also looked back and saw the tiger lying on the ground like a big cat, with its four legs facing the sky and kicking a ball, which made people around laugh.

"What you want to say is—" Zhu Qingyan suddenly narrowed his eyes and looked at Zhu Lan with a teasing tone.

"The tiger is the king of all beasts, but it is so docile in the hands of the trainer. Is it because it doesn't want to hurt people, not because it can't hurt people?"

Once a wild beast attacks, it cannot be stopped by a mere whip in the hands of the trainer.

"I didn't say that." Zhu Lan raised his eyebrows slightly, spoke in a leisurely tone, and retracted his gaze.

"You are getting bolder now, and you dare to ask such outrageous questions.

Eat it quickly, or the wontons will get cold."