Chapter 2618 Calm
Mr. Jiang turned around and saw that Mr. Zhuang was distracted. He was stunned and turned his head to follow his gaze.
There were only people drinking tea in the lobby, and the distance between the tables was not particularly large, so he couldn't tell who Mr. Zhuang was looking at.
If you don't understand, ask, so he asked: "What are you looking at?"
Mr. Zhuang had come back to his senses. He withdrew his gaze and smiled slightly, saying, "Nothing. It's getting late. Why don't we just go our separate ways?"
Mr. Jiang: ...We have only been sitting here for less than half an hour.
However, seeing that he didn't seem very interested, he nodded and said, "Okay."
The two paid the bill and left.
Although Mr. Mei had inquired about Zhou Man's affairs, what he asked his servants to find out was somewhat different from what the storyteller said, so he was listening with great interest.
Madam Mei standing by was even more engrossed in it.
Mr. Zhuang went downstairs and couldn't help but glance at the people sitting at the middle table. He looked away after just one glance and went out with Mr. Jiang.
Immediately, a servant drove up in a carriage.
Seeing that he didn't seem to be in a good mood, Mr. Jiang stopped and said with a smile: "Forget it, forget it. Next time I will go with you to Xuandu Temple to find the old Taoist priest and listen to your discussion of Taoism."
Mr. Zhuang finally smiled, nodded, and said, "That's what Brother Jiang said. I'll take note."
Mr. Jiang smiled and nodded, then got on the carriage and left.
Mr. Zhuang stood on the street and watched him leave. The servants pulled the carriage to the side. The sun was too strong, so he couldn't help but remind him, "Sir, are we going back?"
Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses and called him over and asked, "Do you see the people sitting at the table in the middle?"
The servant only glanced inside and asked, "Sir, are you referring to the table with an old man, a middle-aged man, and two young men?"
Mr. Zhuang nodded slightly.
The servant smiled and said, "I've made a note of it."
"Watch them and see where they're staying. If you can find out why they came to Beijing, that would be great. If you can't..." Mr. Zhuang paused and sighed, "Forget it, forget it. Even if you can't find out, it's fine."
The servant immediately responded, "Don't worry, sir. I will investigate carefully."
He pulled up the carriage and asked, "Sir, shall I take you home first?"
Mr. Zhuang waved his hand and said, "No need. I'll just find another car to go back."
When the servant heard this, he immediately pulled his own carriage back and put it away, and then found a mule cart to carry passengers for Mr. Zhuang.
Mr. Zhuang did not stay and went straight home.
Mr. Zhuang didn't go to the yamen today because he had no classes. It was hot and humid in the summer, so he skipped work and didn't go to the palace.
He could do so, but Bai Shan and Zhou Man obviously couldn't, as they were both in the yamen at the moment.
When Mr. Zhuang returned home, he went into his yard and sat in his study in a daze.
Xibing brought in a plate of sliced melons. "Sir, this is the melon sent from the farm. Please try it."
Mr. Zhuang came back to his senses and said with a smile, "Manbao is planting melons in his farmland?"
"It's not grown on your official farm, it's grown on your family farm."
Mr. Zhuang laughed, "You've been here for so long, why haven't you changed your address? You keep calling me 'adult' and 'adult', and outsiders will get confused when they hear it."
Xibing smiled embarrassedly, "We changed it, but sometimes we forget."
Mr. Zhuang shook his head and smiled, then took a piece of melon and said, "Okay, just put the fruit plate down."
Xibing didn't leave, but asked, "The old lady asked what you would like for lunch. I asked the kitchen to make it. It's hot this afternoon, are you going out? The master brought back a box of tea, saying it's this year's new tea. Would you like me to make you a cup..."
Mr. Zhuang couldn't help laughing. After finishing a piece of melon, he went to wash his hands and let her chatter on. When she finished, he waved his hand and said, "Have some vegetarian food for lunch. Just something that's easy to digest."
Xibing took the order and left.
Mr. Zhuang picked up a book and sat under the window. Soon, a servant brought a basin of ice and placed it not far from the entrance. The breeze blew, and the basin of ice was not very useful, but it made people feel a lot cooler.
Mr. Zhuang's restless heart gradually calmed down. He couldn't help but shake his head and laugh. He didn't expect that at his age, he was not as calm as the children.
Mr. Zhuang stayed in the study for a long time until Bai Shan and Zhou Man came back from the yamen. The two of them walked towards him side by side. From a distance, Mr. Zhuang heard Manbao's loud laughter.
Seeing the two people chattering towards him, Mr. Zhuang smiled and waved to them.
Manbao immediately trotted forward, dragging Baishan with him. "Sir, His Majesty is going to the palace in Yongzhou to escape the summer heat, and we have to go with him."
Mr. Zhuang was startled when he heard this, then smiled and said, "Bai Shan is the Secretary of the Central Secretariat, so naturally he should accompany him. Has your Imperial Hospital arranged for you to accompany the emperor?"
Manbao nodded. "It's just me and Doctor Zheng. Dean Xiao and Doctor Liu are busy with their work at the Imperial Medical Bureau and can't go at all."
Mr. Zhuang smiled and nodded, then remembered something and asked, "Where is the prince?"
"The Crown Prince will stay in the capital," Bai Shan said with a smile. "Although Yongzhou is not far from the capital, when the emperor leaves, someone must remain here to supervise the country. The Crown Prince is the most suitable person."
Bai Shan paused, remembering that Mr. Zhuang was still the Crown Prince's tutor and that he had to give the Crown Prince a lesson every ten days. He glanced around and lowered his voice, saying, "Sir, His Majesty is also doing this to train the Crown Prince and let him govern the country. From now on, most memorials will be reviewed by the Crown Prince."
Mr. Zhuang was slightly surprised. "Your Highness is in the prime of life, why would you want to let the Crown Prince govern the country?"
Bai Shan also felt strange and shook his head to indicate that he didn't know.
The master and the disciple looked at Manbao.
Manbao met their gazes in confusion, then realized what they were thinking and quickly said, "Your Majesty is in good health. Although he has some health issues, who doesn't have health issues at this age? He's in pretty good shape for his age."
The master and disciple withdrew their gazes upon hearing this. It was not a physical problem.
Unable to figure it out, the three of them stopped thinking and sat down in the study. "Sir, you didn't enter the palace today."
Manbao looked at the fruit plate and snacks on the table and felt extremely envious. Her husband must be living a good life, with few and easy tasks. She wondered when she would be able to enjoy such treatment.
Mr. Zhuang seemed to know what she was thinking. He reached out and patted her on the head, saying unhappily, "Are you comparing yourself to someone my age?"
As they were chatting and laughing, a servant came in and reported, "Sir, I have found the whereabouts of the person you were looking for."
Bai Shan and Man Bao looked at Mr. Zhuang in surprise when they heard this.
Mr. Zhuang did not hide anything from them. He called them in and asked, "Where do they live?"
"I'm staying in an inn and looking for a house to rent in the capital."
Mr. Zhuang asked, "Why did they come to the capital?"
"It's said that it's for the imperial examination this autumn."
Mr. Zhuang was a little stunned when he heard this. "Yes, both sons and grandsons can take the exam."
Manbao was very curious, "Sir, who is it?"
"An old friend named Yao Ge."
Bai Shan frowned, "Is he the one who stole the master's poems back then?"
See you at 9pm
(End of this chapter)
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