"I have been an official for more than 30 years. Have I made any contribution to the great cause?"
Xu Shifu asked, panting.
"have!"
Emperor Wen answered without hesitation: "I once told the third brother that in the entire Dagan, there are really few people who can manage the Ministry of Revenue so well!"
"You have been an official for more than thirty years, and have been in charge of the Ministry of Revenue for twelve years."
"During the years when you were in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, whenever there was a disaster in any place, the court would always provide money and grain for disaster relief."
"Local areas need to repair water conservancy projects and carry out post-disaster reconstruction, and they all try their best to get money from you."
"After the great defeat in Shuobei that year, it was you who worked hard to help the court recover some of its vitality and prevent it from falling into decline due to that tragic defeat."
"During the battle in Shuobei, although you strongly opposed it, I never worried about food and fodder after the army set out."
"Although you have used various methods to amass wealth and formed cliques for personal gain, you have not harmed the foundation of the country."
...
...
"I remember all your contributions!"
"You are a treacherous minister, but you are also a capable minister!"
"The history books of later generations will also record it truthfully..."
Emperor Wen never denied Xu Shifu's contribution, and there was no way for him to deny it.
Xu Shifu had many shortcomings, but he was a very easy-to-use person.
As long as he decided on a task and gave it to Xu Shifu, Xu Shifu would be able to get it done no matter how difficult it was.
If the court really encounters any major difficulties or troubles, there are only a few people who can be relied upon.
And Xu Shifu is one of them.
"If I can be called a capable minister by His Majesty, I will die without regrets."
Xu Shifu's skinny face showed a long-lost smile, "Your Majesty may not be an emperor with great talent and strategy, but he is a good emperor! Your Majesty has failed his subjects, but he has not failed the people of the world."
Emperor Wen lowered his eyebrows and smiled. "I am very happy to hear you speak so highly of me."
yes!
I am indeed not an emperor with great talent and strategy.
If it weren't for Lao Liu who recovered the lost land for him, he might have become the king who lost the land.
Fortunately, Lao Liu regained face for himself and witnessed the territory of Dagan reaching its historical peak during his reign.
“Knock, knock…”
Just as Emperor Wen was secretly sighing, there was a knock on the door.
"Your Majesty, the wine and food have been delivered."
Mu Shun's voice came from outside the door.
Upon hearing this, Emperor Wen stood up, walked to the door of the room, and reached out to take the food box.
"Your Majesty, let me be your servant!"
Mu Shun said attentively.
"Need not."
Emperor Wen took the food box from Mu Shun and said, "Close the door."
Mu Shun had no choice but to close the door for Emperor Wen again.
Emperor Wen walked slowly to Xu Shifu carrying a food box, found a stool and placed it in front of Xu Shifu, and took out the wine and food from the food box and placed it on the table.
"Your Majesty, do you still remember that I love to eat Zhuangyuan fish?"
Xu Shifu looked at Emperor Wen in surprise.
The so-called champion fish is actually fish stewed with sauerkraut.
"I have been your lord and subject for so many years, how could I not remember?"
Emperor Wen forced a smile and said, "Back then in Deyi Tower, you and I met because of this top-ranking fish."
"Really?"
Xu Shifu was surprised, "If Your Majesty hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have remembered it."
Emperor Wen sighed softly and asked again: "Can you still sit up?"
“Let me try!”
Xu Shifu tried hard to sit up, but was still a little short.
It was not until Emperor Wen helped him that he was able to sit up with difficulty.
Looking at the top-ranking fish that was still steaming, Xu Shifu couldn't help but swallow his saliva.
He hasn't seen meat for a long time.
What's more, this is his favorite dish.
Emperor Wen picked up the chopsticks and was about to hand them to Xu Shifu, but then he put them down again and said, "Forget it, it's time to stop fussing about this."
As he spoke, Emperor Wen picked up the wine jug and poured some wine into Xu Shifu's hand.
With the help of the wine, Xu Shifu cleaned the stains on his fingers. Without saying a word, he reached out and grabbed a piece of fish and put it into his mouth.
Well, the taste is not even a little bit worse than the No. 1 Fish at Deyilou.
But he was satisfied that he could still eat the top-grade fish at this time.
Emperor Wen poured another glass of wine for Xu Shifu and said, "Will you drink with me?"
"I won't accompany you anymore! I can't accompany you anymore!"
Xu Shifu swallowed the fish, tremblingly raised the wine glass to his lips, and drank it all in one gulp.
When he put down the wine glass, Xu Shifu raised his head again and said, "If Your Majesty were not the Emperor, I would toast to Your Majesty with a few glasses of wine!"
Perhaps it was because he was eating his favorite dish, or maybe it was a last burst of energy, but Xu Shifu suddenly felt more energetic and even sat more steadily.
Isn’t he the emperor?
Emperor Wen shook his head and smiled bitterly.
If he were not the emperor, perhaps he should go to his own grave and toast himself!
"Then I won't accompany you!"
Emperor Wen did not care, "You have been with me for half my life, now is the end, I will let you be yourself for once!"
"Ha ha……"
Xu Shifu laughed, "It's good to be myself!"
As he spoke, Xu Shifu started eating again.
He doesn't care about his eating manners anymore and just eats like a wolf.
After eating a few bites of fish, Xu Shifu picked up the wine jug and took two gulps of wine, then continued to wolf it down.
After eating almost half of the fish, Xu Shifu suddenly froze again.
"No thorns?"
Xu Shifu looked at Emperor Wen in surprise.
"I have already ordered someone to remove the thorn."
Emperor Wen replied with a smile.
"I remember now."
Xu Shifu's eyes suddenly moistened. "Back then, in Deyi Tower, I told His Majesty that if this fish had no bones, it would taste a little less tasty..."
At this moment, memories flooded into Xu Shifu's mind like a tide.
That year, he just turned eighteen.
Deyi Tower was not originally called Deyi Tower.
In the previous dynasty, a down-and-out scholar was sponsored by a restaurant owner after he failed the imperial examination for the first time, and he passed the imperial examination and became the top scorer three years later.
Afterwards, the restaurant owner asked the top scholar to change the name of his restaurant.
The top scholar thought for a moment and wrote the three big words "Deyi Tower" on the paper.
Because the number one scholar liked the braised fish with sauerkraut from that restaurant very much, the dish was renamed Number One Scholar Fish.
As a result, Zhuangyuan Fish has become the signature dish of Deyilou.
The imperial court just announced the results half a month ago.
A guy named Tang Shu won the top spot in the imperial examination at the age of 18, becoming the youngest top scorer since the implementation of the imperial examination system.
It is said that before Tang Shu entered high school, he had eaten the Zhuangyuan fish at Deyilou.
As a result, the Zhuangyuan fish became even more famous.
Many people ran to Deyilou to try the Zhuangyuan fish.
And Xu Shifu was one of them.
However, when the results were first announced, Deyi Building was always packed with people.
He went there that day, but there were no seats available.
By the time the rush to taste the top-ranking fish had passed, it was already half a month later.
Although the storm has passed, Deyilou's business is still good.
He and his two good friends sat down by the window and ordered the top-notch fish.
Also ordered a few side dishes.
I have to say that this top fish tastes really good, much better than the fish they had eaten before.
Just as the three were tasting the top-ranking fish, a noble young man led a few people into Deyi Building...
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