Chapter 82 Zhu Biao Visits Again
"Hmm? Second brother, what are you eating? It smells so good!"
Zhu Biao entered the courtyard, his eyes wide open, his nose sniffing around, and finally his gaze fixed on the dining table in the hall.
"What kind of meat is this? Give me a pair of chopsticks!" Zhu Biao is indeed worthy of being the Crown Prince of the Ming Dynasty, full of hard work.
He actually snatched the chopsticks from Zhu Chong's hand and plunged the chopsticks into the steaming hot meat that had just been taken out of the pot on the table.
"Hmm, hmm! Delicious!" Zhu Biao's eyes lit up after just one bite, and he couldn't help but drool from the corners of his mouth.
"Brother, there's more if you want to eat. Don't choke!" Zhu Chong looked at Zhu Biao who was eating voraciously with a helpless look on his face and couldn't help but remind him.
"This meat is really good!" Zhu Biao finally swallowed a big mouthful of meat, picked up another piece with chopsticks, but his eyes were fixed on the few remaining crimson ribs on the plate.
"It's even better than what the East Palace chef makes. Where did you buy this? Is there a new butcher shop in Yingtianfu? How come I didn't know about it?"
Hearing Zhu Biao's words, Zhu Chong smiled playfully, "Big brother, you think it's delicious too, right? I was just bored and saw a recipe in a book. I studied it myself and just made it today. I didn't expect you to come out on top!"
"Did you make this?" Zhu Biao was stunned when he heard this. The meat on his chopsticks fell off, but he didn't notice it at all.
At this moment, Zhou Xiuying and Yang Miaozhen came up one after the other with two plates of freshly braised meat. Zhu Biao swallowed hard, turned his head and looked at Zhu Chong, his eyes full of disbelief.
"Brother, come, come, it's better to meet by chance than to be invited. It's better to arrive at the right time than to arrive early. This braised meat seems to be destined for you. Why are you standing there? Eat it quickly. It won't taste so good when it gets cold."
Zhu Chong took the new pair of chopsticks handed to him by Tang Sai'er and started to eat with relish.
The familiar taste melts in your mouth, rich but not greasy, and the aftertaste remains in your mouth after eating it.
Zhou Xiuying, Yang Miaozhen and Tang Sai'er were drooling. If Zhu Biao hadn't come, they would have already sat at the table and started eating with Zhu Chong.
"You guys go to the small kitchen and watch over the meat. We don't need you to serve here!" Seeing the green light in the eyes of the three women, Zhu Chong considerately sent them away. The three women felt as if they had been pardoned and immediately apologized and left.
At this moment, Zhu Biao put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhu Chong with a frown, "Second brother, are you really planning to live like this?"
"Look at what Big Brother said." Zhu Chong smiled faintly and put down his chopsticks. "If I don't do this, how can our father believe that what I told you before was true?"
Zhu Biao heard this, a trace of guilt flashed across his eyes, "Second brother, there have been major changes in the court recently. Father is also preparing to reopen the maritime ban and appoint Fu Youde as the commander-in-chief of the Southeast Navy and the governor of the Southeast military affairs."
Hearing what Zhu Biao said, Zhu Chong just smiled slightly, picked up the chopsticks again and picked up the meat in front of him.
"Brother, I've been bored recently, and I heard from the market that the Old Phoenix Tower in East City was my sister-in-law's property. Now that my sister-in-law is gone, the Old Phoenix Tower should belong to Xiongying and Yunxun, right?"
"Come to think of it, after I responded to Tianfu, I only met Xiongying twice, and Yunxun even once. This fragrant meat recipe can be considered my belated gift to my two nephews."
"Second brother!" Zhu Biao was immediately moved when he heard this. This was definitely a generous gift from Zhu Chong.
Even he had praised the recipe for the fragrant meat. If Zhu Chong had made it himself, he would have definitely had a stable income. But he gave it to his children without hesitation. What's the difference between that and giving it to himself?
"Brother, I'm serious." Zhu Chong's expression was serious. "When my sister-in-law was here, she took good care of me. Now that she's gone, although my status is different from before, if I hear that anyone bullies my two nephews, don't blame me for losing face!"
When Zhu Biao heard what Zhu Chong said, his face suddenly became a little ugly, but before he could say anything, Zhu Chong spoke again.
"Xiongying is a pitiful child, and Yunxun is even more pitiful. They both lost their mothers at such a young age. Your concubine just gave birth to a child. You are in a high position, so I'm afraid it's difficult for you to take care of all the things going on in the backyard."
"But since you already have them, you should pay more attention to them. Both of them are your legitimate sons..."
"Second brother, what exactly do you want to say?" Zhu Biao's temper flared up. "When I asked you that, you avoided the question. Now you're bringing up the two children. Are you deliberately trying to upset me?"
"Didn't our father say that if you want to know the inside story, go ask mother? I'm timid and have already said the wrong thing and been locked up here. If I say anything more, do you want to kill me?" Zhu Chong said half-jokingly.
"I didn't mean that. I just..." Zhu Biao's face flushed immediately, and he put down his chopsticks. The delicious meat in front of him no longer smelled delicious, and his eyes turned red. "I just feel, I feel aggrieved!"
"When you are in your position, you are bound to encounter some ghosts and monsters." Zhu Chong said lightly and changed the subject.
"Brother, you didn't come here today just to ask me for a bite of meat, did you?"
"Of course not." Zhu Biao's expression turned serious upon hearing Zhu Chong's words. "The remnant Yuan cavalry in the north has invaded our borders again. Father is now a little conflicted about how to deal with the Japanese pirates and the remnant Yuan forces."
"What's there to be fussy about?" Zhu Chong sneered. "We've been fighting the Mongols for so many years and have launched several northern expeditions. The fourth brother was even specially appointed Prince of Yan and sent to the frontier in Peking, but he still couldn't tame those bastards, let alone now!"
Zhu Biao was speechless and sighed for a long time, "The remnant of the Yuan Dynasty is now too powerful to be eliminated, and it invades the border every year. Otherwise, why would my father place the center of the military and state in the north?"
"That's because our father didn't understand." Zhu Chong sneered, "Mobilizing the army to fight against those bastards is a waste of money and manpower. Didn't Emperor Wu of Han teach us enough? I don't understand why our father doesn't learn from Emperor Taizong of Tang. If that doesn't work, then learn from Huo Qubing!"
"What do you mean?" Zhu Biao was a little confused. How come the Mongols, who were once a serious threat to the Ming Dynasty, seemed to be no big deal in Zhu Chong's mouth?
"Brother, do you really not know, or are you pretending in front of me?" Zhu Chong widened his eyes.
"The sound of a gun is worth a fortune. You should know that saying, right? Over the years, we've been fighting in the Northern Expedition, and every time we've sent out troops numbering in the hundreds of thousands, how can the losses be offset by the spoils? Our treasury is so empty it's practically enough for horses to run through, isn't it?"
Zhu Biao was choked by Zhu Chong's words and rolled his eyes. If it were someone else, he might have been so angry that he slapped him in the face. That was Zhu Chong!
"We can't just sit there and do nothing, can we?" Zhu Biao said in a deep voice, "Those bastards in the north have taken over several cities and looted countless people. Father was almost mad with rage and said he would personally lead the army north."
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