56 Orange Cake
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On the other hand, Pan Kai’s plan to persuade Yao Jun failed, and he had to pay a large sum of silver in back taxes, which was as painful as cutting his flesh.
After gritting his teeth for a few days and sending people to investigate, he came up with a plan.
He recruited several down-and-out scholars and spent all day at home working on his skills, determined to strike with one blow and leave the opponent helpless.
Jiang Qinglan naturally didn't know.
The people at the Xinghua Restaurant had a great time for a few days. Today they went to the West Lake to skate and play in the snow, and tomorrow they went to the Zhouqiao Night Market to watch acrobatics. They were very busy and happy.
Starting from the second day of the first lunar month, the people of Lin'an would visit each other's relatives. If they could not come in person, they would still send some holiday gifts.
The other branches of the Jiang family were all in Shaoxing Prefecture, and they had no prior contact. Furthermore, ever since Jiang Yuan's accident, his fellow clansmen had been avoiding him as much as possible. Jiang Qinglan didn't bother to put on a show, so he just pretended they weren't there.
But she has always been thoughtful, thinking that in this life, besides the people in the Xinghua Restaurant, she still has a few friends.
She personally made some colorful cakes and a pot of camellia, and sent them to Xue Qi and Yang Song's homes.
She also thought that the eldest princess had some friendship with her. Although she was just a lobbyist for Xie Linchuan at first, after several interactions, she could also feel the eldest princess's affection.
In this way, she made eight more exquisite cakes including Dingsheng cake, orange cake, black gold lava cake, etc., all of which were soft, glutinous, sweet and had good meanings.
He packed it in a gift box and sent it to the princess's residence.
There were some orange cakes and some leftovers. Yingtao said she would give them to the children on the street, and Jiang Qinglan followed her lead.
But he never expected that on the fourth day of the first lunar month, Xue Qi and his wife Xiao Yali would come to pay New Year's greetings in person.
As soon as they entered the door, they laughed and said:
"I'm sorry, it's the first month of the year, the restaurants are closed, and the servants have gone back to their hometowns. Neither of us can cook, so we're asking for money!"
After that, he presented a set of books and a potted orange tree. The dense and thin round leaves were full of small kumquats, which were bright yellow and very beautiful.
Jiang Qinglan took the book and ordered Hu Zi to move the orange tree to the front counter. He said with a smile, "In the Xinghua Restaurant, we dare not say anything else, but the autumn wind blows casually!"
She remembered that the painting "Apricot Blossoms and Spring Rain in the South of the Yangtze River" that she loved so much was painted by this Mrs. Xue, and she couldn't help but look at her carefully.
She was wearing a bright red brocade double-breasted jacket and a skirt with dense pleats and gold sprinkled on it that reached her ankles.
Although she was already a wife, she had two long, shiny black braids that hung down to her shoulders and were tied with colorful ropes.
She had deep eye sockets and a high nose bridge, and her eyes were brighter than the stars at night. Her agate earrings flashed red as she turned her head frequently.
It's obvious that he's a kind and generous person.
Jiang Qinglan hadn't spoken yet, only Xiao Yali said:
"Are you Jiang Qinglan? Xue Qi said that you are as generous as the girls from the north, unlike the shy girls from Song."
Although she spoke Chinese fluently, her tone was still a bit strange.
Jiang Qinglan kept saying he didn't dare and said a few polite words, but he thought to himself: This person is really simple-minded.
Wang Huiniang, Yingtao and the others were all standing nearby. Xiao Yali's polite words only praised her but stepped on others.
Xue Qi coughed quickly, then pointed at the book in Jiang Qinglan's hand and changed the subject:
"My wife heard that you were interested in the customs of the Liao Kingdom, so she came up with a plan to find this secret copy hidden in the palace."
Jiang Qinglan took a look and saw that it was a three-volume set of "Geography of the Northern Barbarians", a book about the customs and people of the Liao Kingdom. He was overjoyed.
Ever since she came here, she has been deeply worried about the war.
The Song Dynasty had always been poor and weak, and suffered more defeats than victories in foreign wars, leading to the Jingkang Incident at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty and the destruction of the Southern Song Dynasty by the Mongols at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty.
The dynasty she lives in now has similarities and differences with the Song Dynasty in history. She can't figure out whether those tragic things will happen.
In the past, she was just a common merchant woman, with no other channels to inquire. But now, standing before her was a Liao person, the daughter of an aristocrat, who must have some clues.
So she led the people to a secluded place and asked Xue Qi, "Is there a country called Mongolia to the north of Liao? Are there Jurchen tribes to the east?"
Xue Qi said, "North of the Liao Kingdom are the Wulanggai and Xiagas countries. Further north is the glacier, uninhabited. I have never heard of the Mongolian country."
"In the northeast, there are the Jurchen tribes, and within them are various tribes, all of which make their livings by fishing and hunting. The land is barren, with little water and grass, and there are frequent conflicts."
Jiang Qinglan's eyelids twitched. There really were Jurchens!
The Jin Dynasty rose rapidly. After Wanyan Aguda unified the Jurchen tribes, he destroyed the Liao Dynasty in just over ten years, and two years later, he destroyed the Northern Song Dynasty, which is also known as the Jingkang Shame.
Jiang Qinglan's heart was beating rapidly, as if bells and drums were ringing.
She licked her dry lips and asked the question:
"Did the Jurchens have a chieftain named Wanyan Aguda, a second son named Wanyan Zongwang, or a nobleman's son named Wanyan Zonghan?"
Historically, in 1127 AD, Wanyan Zongmou, the second prince of the Jin Dynasty, and Wanyan Zonghan, the son of the prime minister, divided their forces into two groups, east and west, and surrounded the Northern Song capital Bianjing.
They captured Emperors Huizong and Qinzong, looted wealthy families, and burned down the homes of the rich, burning thousands of houses.
At that time, children drowned in the Bian River, women were humiliated on the streets, and human flesh was openly sold in the market.
The people cried and cried, and many committed suicide. In April, Zong Wang abducted thousands of Song royal family members and virgin women from the common people, along with tens of thousands of valuables, and returned north. This incident is known in history as the "Jingkang Shame."
After all, Xue Qi was a Song person, and he didn't know much about these remote tribes of the Liao Kingdom. After thinking for a long time, he looked at Mrs. Xue Xiao Yali.
Xiao Yali smiled and said, "Every year the Jurchen tribes come to pay their respects to the Liao Lord. I once attended a palace banquet and never heard of these names."
Jiang Qinglan breathed a sigh of relief after hearing this. There was neither Mongolia nor Wanyan Aguda, which was really great!
But Xiao Yali's eyes lit up, as if she remembered something.
"What a coincidence! Although the Jurchens don't have one, the second prince of our Liao Kingdom is called Yelu Wang, and he has a subordinate named Zong Han!"
"Last year, the Liao Kingdom came to Lin'an to negotiate peace. The leader was the Second Prince, and Zong Han was also there."
Jiang Qinglan's heart skipped a beat!
Yelu Wang, Zong Han? Could it be...
Jiang Qinglan almost trembled when he thought of that horrible history!
She was anxious, grabbed Xiao Yali's hand, and asked urgently: "Are the two of them fighting very hard?"
Xiao Yali's eyes were bright, filled with a sense of pride: "Yes, although the Second Prince is young, he once went north to attack the Wulanggai tribe..."
Jiang Qinglan's face turned pale, and his heart almost fell into an ice cellar.
…
The back door of Prince Dongping's Palace.
Xie Linchuan, wearing a black cloak, rode back majestically.
The cold air made his face look pale, his lips red, and there were a few streaks of snow on his temples, giving him a kind of cold and solemn handsomeness.
Mo Shanben clasped his hands together and put them in his waist to keep warm. When he saw his master coming back, he was immediately startled and hurried forward to lead the horse. When he got closer, he smelled a strong smell of alcohol.
"Prince, I've made some hangover soup. Come in and have a bowl."
Xie Linchuan raised his eyelids and glared at him: "Drink shit!"
Ever since he went to the Lin'an Prefecture Office and Chen Yue got married, the brothers had not been together for a long time.
Now, after finally getting a break for the Spring Festival, he drank to his heart's content. Those two guys, Zhu Ming and Chen Yue, were trying to get him drunk, but they didn't even consider their own strength!
Upon hearing this, Mo Shan knew that the King of Hell was still angry and drinking did not quench his anger.
He quickly closed his mouth, took the whip and cloak thrown to him, and hurried after him.
After entering Lingquan Courtyard, Xie Linchuan washed and rested, and then asked about the holiday gift for his visit to the Princess's Mansion tomorrow.
Mo Shan spoke eloquently and answered them one by one.
Xie Linchuan nodded and asked, "Why are you here? Where is Pinglin?"
Although Pinglin and Moshan were both personal servants, Moshan was more alert and Pinglin was more careful, so the latter served more in the inner courtyard.
Mo Shan said with a grin, "Pinglin got scolded by Sister Xia Yin for some reason, and he hid in the back crying for half the night. Now his eyes are swollen, and he's too embarrassed to come forward to serve."
Pinglin seemed to have some interest in Xia Yin. Apart from doing his job, he spent the whole day circling around Xia Yin like a bee collecting flowers.
Xie Linchuan knew about this.
He sneered and laughed: "What a useless guy, for a woman..." Suddenly, he thought of what Zhu Ming, that ignorant man, said about him at the dinner table, and he shut up again.
There was a vermilion lacquer box placed on the rosewood table. The lid of the box was carved with twined branch patterns. It was very delicate and he couldn't help but take a few more glances at it.
Mo Shan observed his expression and immediately said, "Master, have some cakes and rest."
Xie Linchuan and his friends were in high spirits and drank for a long time without eating a single bite of the food on the table.
At this moment, he was really hungry, so he didn't refuse and watched Mo Shan take the box and open it.
Inside the box were thumb-sized pieces of glutinous rice paste, all white with a little pink in the middle, which looked very soft, sticky and sweet.
Xie Linchuan was already annoyed, and when he saw the cake, which was not his usual favorite, he scolded, "What a lousy cake! It's so sweet it makes me sick. Don't you know I don't like sweet things? Whichever cook made this will be kicked out of the house tomorrow!"
Mo Shan quickly lowered his head and said, "Master, calm down! This orange cake is made with kumquats, mint water, and glutinous rice, with a little rose juice added. It looks sweet, but it's actually light, fresh, and refreshing. Why don't you try it first?"
Upon hearing this, Xie Linchuan reluctantly ate one and said with a curled lip, "Forget it, it tastes okay..."
Seeing the pink color of the pastry and thinking of Zhu Ming's words, he became angry again.
"It's pink and has roses on it. Is this something a man should eat? Which cook made this and has the audacity to mock me? Call her up, I want to ask her myself!"
Mo Shan thought about it for a while, waiting for this sentence, and said with a smile:
"Oh, my Lord, that won't do. The cook is under the Eight-Character Bridge on Xie Street. It's dark now, so it's not convenient for her to come to our palace."
Xie Linchuan was startled: "Who?!"
Mo Shan was overjoyed, grinning from ear to ear. "It's the one from the Xinghua Restaurant. Madam Jiang is so polite, I think she's returning the lychees we gave her on New Year's Eve."
Xie Linchuan picked up a piece of orange cake, chewed it a few times, but couldn't tell what it tasted like. He said woodenly, "Does everyone else have it, or does only I have it?"
"We did give it to a few, but—" Mo Shan raised his voice, "The ones we have here are the most attentive. No one else has that kind of lacquer box!"
Xie Linchuan immediately fell silent and started eating in silence.
Mo Shan was secretly delighted, hehe, wait for the reward later!
…
A few days later, the Lantern Festival that Tuantuan had been looking forward to the most finally arrived.
As night fell, thousands of colored glaze lanterns were hung high from south to north on the Imperial Street, illuminating the huge city of Lin'an as if it were daytime.
A group of six people from Xinghua Restaurant, all wearing new clothes and with smiles on their faces, walked towards Zhongwa.
Along the way, Tuantuan kept exclaiming "Wow".
When I arrived in front of the crowded platform, my heels seemed to be rooted to the ground and I couldn't move.
It turned out that a wealthy family had made a giant lantern.
Paper-cut versions of the ten West Lake scenes are inlaid on it, illuminated by silver candles from behind, with light and shadows flowing, as if the remaining snow on the Broken Bridge is gradually melting into spring waves, and the plum blossoms on Solitary Hill are suddenly blooming with new buds.
Everyone was still intoxicated by the lanterns when they suddenly heard a crackling sound and a loud noise in the air.
A huge golden peony exploded in the sky, and countless small flowers burst out from the core of the flower, dragging a trail of green light across the sky.
Tuan Tuan clapped and shouted excitedly, while Yingtao stared blankly, as if in a trance.
After being depressed for several days, Jiang Qinglan felt relieved when he saw this joyful scene.
Since the fourth day of the New Year, Jiang Qinglan learned from Xiao Yali about the existence of Yelu Wang and Zong Han, and was really frightened for several days.
She even thought about it. Among the people she could talk to, the only one was the eldest princess. Should she give the eldest princess a reminder?
But then she thought about it and she had no idea whether what happened in the future would be the same as what happened in history.
And how did she, with her current status, know about those future battles? If this source is not explained clearly, those things cannot be mentioned at all.
Later, she learned that the border was now guarded by the renowned General Zhu Congda. Even if the Liao invaded, the border troops wouldn't flee at the first sign of trouble, as they had done during the Jingkang Incident.
Another thing is that the two princes are now vying for the throne. None of them is obsessed with calligraphy and painting. No matter who ascends the throne, he will not be as foolish as Emperor Huizong and Emperor Qinzong, right?
She hesitated for a long time, but decided to observe first before making any plans.
The fireworks in the sky came to an end, and the copper bells on the curtain of the tavern suddenly rang again.
It turned out that a group of children had secretly drunk Tu Su wine and were wearing Taotie masks, running through the street laughing and almost knocking over the basket of the people selling steamed buns.
At this time, Tuan Tuan had already crowded to the front to watch the tightrope jumping and high pole performances on the high platform.
Seeing Zheng Wang, Yingtao and Hu Zi following Tuantuan closely like three bodyguards, Jiang Qinglan felt relieved and let them go.
She and Wang Huiniang went to the lantern riddle shop next door.
In the small shop, lanterns of all colors are hung side by side: crab lanterns, carp lanterns, hibiscus lanterns, fairy lanterns, everything is available.
At the Lantern Festival, you can win a lantern by guessing the lantern riddles.
Jiang Qinglan took down a fairy lantern and saw the words written on it: "Circle when drawn, square when written, short in winter, long in summer." She thought to herself, it was the character for "sun."
Wang Huiniang liked the crab lantern and was about to ask the owner to take it down when she saw a couple in their twenties walking towards them side by side.
The woman was holding a baby in her arms. The baby was dressed in red and wearing a small woolen hat. It looked like a fat ball. She was pointing at the lantern and babbling.
The woman chose a lantern, and the man guessed the answer in an instant.
The little baby sat on the woman's arm, leaned forward, and immediately grabbed the lamp in his hand.
He drooled and mumbled something nonsensical, which made the couple smile at each other.
This was supposed to be a beautiful picture of a warm and happy family, but when Jiang Qinglan's eyes swept across the chubby baby's face, he was startled and a terrible thought came to his mind.
She kept staring with a frown until the family left the riddle stall.
Wang Huiniang was also stunned and whispered, "You think it's similar too, don't you?"
Jiang Qinglan nodded.
Although the child was small and chubby, his features and eyebrows were almost exactly like Zhang Yue Niang's!
It looks like the baby is about seven or eight months old, which coincides with the time when Zhang Yueniang gave birth.
Jiang Qinglan immediately went to the end of the street and called a beggar, gave him some big coins, and told him to follow the family from a distance.
When the little beggar came back, he said that they had arrived at Tianshui Lane and entered a house's back door. There were two stone lions standing at the door.
He used a branch to draw the word "Song" crookedly on the ground.
The Song family in Tianshui Lane, Zhang Yueniang’s former home.
For a moment, Jiang Qinglan felt as if his heart was being fried in oil.
At the Xinghua Restaurant, Zhang Yue Niang cried all night long and could not even look at the children outside, because she was worried about her son whom she had been pregnant with for ten months but had never seen even once.
If she had known that her son was alive, would she still have become Zhu Ming's concubine?
Wang Huiniang also sighed, patted Jiang Qinglan's hand and sighed.
Jiang Qinglan was silent for a long time, then suddenly asked, "Can I sue the authorities if someone steals someone's child?"
Wang Hui Niang shook her head and said, "That woman is the mistress, and the child is already registered under her name. Even if Yue Niang is still in the Song family, she won't even hear the word 'mother'."
"It's just that Madam Song is a little too cruel."
On that day, Zhang Yue Niang fainted during childbirth. Madam Song bribed the midwife and the maid, saying that Yue Niang had given birth to a monster.
The thing died after it was born, and she ordered someone to bury it.
Yue Niang was also sent out as a concubine. She tried to jump into the Yuejin Pool but was saved by Jiang Qinglan.
Who knew that her son was alive and well!
Jiang Qinglan gnashed his teeth in hatred, his heart churning, the corners of his eyes reddening slightly. After a long moment, he could only utter one sentence: "Is this matter just over? Let the evildoer go unpunished?"
Wang Huiniang thought to herself, "Isn't that the end of it? The Song family's master seems to be a high-ranking official. How can we, who are just living in the market, fight against an official?"
At this moment, she saw Jiang Qinglan's angry expression and tried to comfort him:
"Yue Niang is now in the Zhu family and has nothing to do with the Song family. In my opinion, this is the best way to deal with this matter."
"I heard that the Zhu family's mistress is kind and smart, so she will definitely have a place in the inner courtyard."
"Her son is being raised here, and he's being pampered. He'll be the legitimate son when he grows up. This matter should be kept between us two. Don't let Yue Niang know about it."
Jiang Qinglan knew she was right.
When Yue Niang found out, what else could she do except feel upset?
But she still felt uncomfortable in her heart, as if she was carrying a weight.
Good deeds will be rewarded, and evil deeds will be punished. She doesn't believe that a person can hurt others for no reason without paying the price.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Since Madam Song is so cruel in this matter, there must be other dirty things going on. Let's pay more attention and see if there is any other way."
Wang Huiniang knew that she was a very stubborn person, so she agreed, thinking of taking her time to deal with it later.
The two walked forward side by side and saw a juggler on the high platform in front of them performing a knife swallowing and fire spitting performance, which excited the crowd to cheer.
Tuan Tuan sat on Zheng Wang's shoulders, and Hu Zi stood beside him, both of them were stunned, their faces full of excitement.
It was so crowded there that there was no way to get through, and there were people shoulder to shoulder around them. Jiang Qinglan and Wang Huiniang walked to a big willow tree on the side of the road, waiting for the performance to end so that they could join them.
Just at this moment, a lame Taoist priest limped by.
He wore a black round hat tilted to one side, and an indigo-colored Taoist robe with a large hole in his leg, revealing his thick cotton jacket underneath. Hanging from his waist were a copper bell sword and a gourd made of gallwood.
The lame Taoist priest passed by Jiang Qinglan and the others and suddenly stopped.
He stepped back, flicked his whisk, and walked around the two of them again, looking them up and down with his cloudy little eyes.
Wang Huiniang frowned and said, "What are you looking at?"
Little did they know that the Taoist priest had already pointed his whisk at the two of them and shouted, "There is an evil spirit causing trouble here."
When Wang Huiniang heard this, her eyebrows immediately arched, and she crossed her arms and cursed, "You thief, you scoffing bastard, you've drunk too much yellow wine, and you're barking at your aunts!"
Talk of ghosts and gods has always been bizarre. Both of them were red-faced and their voices were extremely loud. For a moment, passers-by stopped and gathered around the willow tree to watch the excitement, pointing and commenting at Jiang Qinglan and the other two.
The lame Taoist priest muttered something with his eyes closed, as if chanting a spell. Suddenly, he opened his eyes, drew the copper bell sword from his waist, and pointed it at Jiang Qinglan: "This woman is not human, she is possessed by an evil spirit. Everyone, retreat immediately!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone was horrified and took a few steps back. Driven by curiosity and wanting to see the monster being caught, they all stretched their necks from the periphery.
Someone said, "Hey—isn't this Madam Jiang from the Xinghua Restaurant?"
This spectacle was exactly what Pan Kai had been planning for a long time. He had someone among the crowd who said, "No wonder the food in that little restaurant is so delicious. Could it be some kind of sorcery that makes people lose their yang energy?"
A tall young man said "Oh" and nodded rapidly: "Yes, yes, it's her! It's her!"
"That day by the Yongjin Pond, I used her magic to press on that girl, and she came back to life!"
It turned out that this person was the young man who performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation on Zhang Yue Niang by the Yongjin Pool, and he was also bribed by Pan Kai.
Some people also recalled that when Jiang Qinglan rescued Yue Niang who fell into the water by the Yongjin Pool, he blew "demon spirit" into her mouth.
For a moment, everyone was whispering to each other, having already believed most of what the lame Taoist said.
Seeing this, the Taoist priest raised his copper bell sword and stabbed: "Monster, why don't you quickly reveal your true form? Today, I will enforce justice on behalf of Heaven!"
Wang Huiniang was furious and kicked the Taoist priest in the leg, knocking him backwards.
"God bless you, you thief! You're full of nonsense. I've only heard of evildoers harming people, never of saving them."
She was very strong and grabbed the lame Taoist's collar and was about to leave, "Let's go to the government office to sort it out!"
But he noticed that Jiang Qinglan beside him had not spoken for a long time. He looked up and saw that her face was as pale as gold paper and her lips were pale. She did not seem to be angry because of the injustice, but rather seemed to be scared silly.
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