72 Braised Fish with Bean Sauce
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The King of Wu's smile slowly froze on his face. "Liuguang, I don't understand what you are saying."
How could he not understand?
On the map covering the entire rosewood table, the Liao, Western Xia, and Song dynasties divided the world into three parts, and even the cities to be ceded were marked!
Xie Linchuan sneered: "You accepted the task when the army was defeated and were ordered to act in the midst of danger. [1] If not, how could you fulfill your dream of being a peerless hero who saved the people from suffering?"
"Chen Fang and Li Xian have long followed your lead, yet you allowed Yelu Wang to storm Chuzhou and aim his sword at Jiangning. How long are you waiting for? Is it the day when the army lays siege to Lin'an?"
"Tan Qing, Yang Mao, and the millions of people in Zhending Prefecture and Taiyuan City, did they die in vain?!"
Having said that, there is no need for the King of Wu to play dumb.
He raised the corners of his lips, sat calmly in his chair, and said in a deep voice, "It wasn't me who caused their death, but my indecisive brother who was hesitant and wavering between war and peace."
Xie Linchuan shook his head. "The current emperor is weak, but not completely incompetent. Without you plotting and manipulating, how could the Song State have reached this point, and how could the army have collapsed at the first blow?"
"You are cruel and violent, and have long forgotten our agreement..."
In Bianliang City, his heart had already turned cold, but he didn't expect that when he said this, he still felt a little bit reluctant.
There were two young men on the Cuju field back then. One was frustrated because of his illegitimate status, and the other was forced to hide his incompetence because of deep suspicion.
There have also been times when we have felt a deep appreciation for each other and had great ambitions to wipe out the accumulated problems over the years.
The King of Wu stood up suddenly - he was always calm and composed, but now he seemed a little impatient.
"Liu Guang, I have never forgotten!"
"My royal grandfather, with his countless contributions, established a national policy that prioritized culture over military power. This policy has been in effect for over forty years now. How can it be easily shaken?!"
"After learning from the pain, we now face this disaster, which is a good opportunity to reform and eliminate the evils. We can sacrifice one city to save the people of future generations!"
Xie Linchuan also slowly approached, the flickering candlelight hitting his face, making his expression dark and unclear:
"What national policy? Whoever is the emperor has the final say. What's so great about Taizu? You talk in a glamorous way, but in fact, it's all a fig leaf for your political manipulation."
"Aren't the people of Bianliang the subjects of your Zhao Song Dynasty? If you are willing to sacrifice this city today, you will be willing to sacrifice all the people tomorrow!"
He tilted his head to glance out the window. Thick clouds obscured the moon, and the clear and bright scene of the Cuju field was no longer visible.
After a moment, he lowered his eyes and said softly, "I will never let the people of this city suffer the disasters of Zhending, Taiyuan and Bianliang again." When he raised his eyes again, his face was extremely cold.
King Wu suddenly had a bad premonition and his heart was in his throat.
Unexpectedly, before he could utter a single word, a sharp dagger flew out of the air!
The King of Wu covered his bleeding left chest and took three steps back, his face full of disbelief: "You..." Suddenly he turned around and shouted, "Someone come! Come..."
Xie Linchuan blocked the doorway and interrupted him calmly, "Your Highness, you hate being disturbed when you're drunk. They've also gone to the other courtyard to drink."
The King of Wu turned around and ran towards the secret passage, groping around on the wall.
Xie Linchuan was not in a hurry. He took out a dagger and flicked it lightly with his fingers. The metal was hit, and there was a "ding" sound, and the echo continued.
"Have you found it?" Xie Linchuan asked him with a smile and walked up slowly.
Cold sweat ran down the King of Wu's forehead and blood streamed down his chest.
Unable to find it, he leaned his back against the wall and sat down on the ground.
Before he could even utter the word "Lu," a fierce gust of wind blew over him. The dagger pierced his left chest, and blood gushed out, forming strange flowers on the cold bluestone ground...
This night is destined to be restless.
In the Funing Palace, candlelight shone brightly as day. Inside and outside the imperial city, the sound of iron horses and golden swords resounded.
Inside Houchao Gate, an ignorant child wanted to open the door to see what was going on, but was pulled back by his parents who were shaking like sieves.
On the contrary, everything was quiet in the Prince of Wu's palace, and no one knew about the changing situation and the change of power.
At dawn, people peeked fearfully through cracks in their doors, only to find the streets weren't stained red with blood. The Xuande Gate, lacquered with red and gold nails, looked as if everything was still the same.
A brave businessman opened his shop first to sell breakfast. Then one by one, shops opened their doors to welcome the new day in Lin'an.
On the third day of April in the second year of Xining, Emperor Xining claimed to be seriously ill and, following the example of his predecessor, voluntarily abdicated the throne to Crown Prince Zhao You.
After the crown prince ascended the throne, he strongly advocated war against Liao, changed the country's name to Zhaowu, killed Liao envoys, and eliminated eunuchs and commoners.
Three days later, Prince Wu was assassinated in his palace by a Liao spy. Emperor Zhaowu swore an oath of blood in front of Prince Wu's spirit, determined to avenge his uncle and redress the shame for the millions of people in Bianliang.
For small business owners, as long as the war does not reach the city, they have to continue their business.
This is not about "the merchant woman does not know the sorrow of losing her country", but about survival and staying alive.
Jiang Qinglan has been feeling uneasy since he heard that Emperor Zhaowu had ascended the throne.
The development of the matter was indeed very different from what was reported in history. How could the King of Wu be killed by a Liao spy at this critical juncture?
Emperor Zhaowu—she still remembered that child, who looked very mature. Compared to Princess Baoqing, he seemed like an elder.
But no matter how mature he is, he is only a little over ten years old. Can he keep the situation stable?
There were not many people in the store, and she felt bored, so she simply went out and stood by the Chunbo River, feeling the cool breeze.
Soon, in the distance, an old man carrying a load came down from the Eight-Character Bridge, shouting as he walked: "Potato pancakes - fragrant and crispy potato pancakes -"
Jiang Qinglan immediately called him and went up to the bridge.
Looking at his carrying pole, under the white gauze were many layers of light yellow pancakes, with slightly burnt edges and covered with green onions and tender yellow potato shreds.
In addition to teaching Xue Qi the craftsmanship of making snacks such as wolf tooth potatoes, she also asked Wang Hui Niang to find farmers to cultivate wild potatoes into potatoes similar to modern potatoes so that they could be grown on a large scale.
But she was worried about the Liao Kingdom and didn't ask much about it. When she heard about potato pancakes, she immediately became interested.
She spent a few coins, bought one, and started chatting with the old man: "Did you make this potato pancake yourself? How was the potato harvest?"
The old man talked nonstop once he started.
He said that it was a kind man named Xue who not only sent people to teach the men in the village how to grow potatoes, but also taught the women how to make various potato snacks.
Now, with this easy-to-grow and high-yield food, people no longer starve to death even in years of famine. Some clever people have even made fortunes from potatoes.
When Jiang Qinglan heard this, he was immediately stunned.
All large modern enterprises must focus on brand promotion and do charity work during natural disasters and man-made disasters. This is basic practice.
But she did not tell Xue Qi about this theory of product promotion, and teaching others about potato snacks would greatly damage Xue Jipai's business.
Although Xue Qi has a correct outlook on life, as a businessman, he would not do anything that would harm his own interests.
Then there is only one possibility for this matter - Lu Fei did it.
Jiang Qinglan sighed: He is always so meticulous and calm.
What a pity.
Just as he was about to say goodbye to the old man, he saw two acquaintances coming from the south side of the street.
Yang Song immediately bowed to Jiang Qinglan and said in a voice of surprise and joy, "Potato pancakes! Give us a few!"
The old man was so happy to see that there was more business coming to him that he immediately wrapped a few large pieces of food in oil paper and got several dozen coins. Then he carried his load and left.
Princess Baoqing looked gloomy.
Although she had always been afraid of the King of Wu, he was her biological brother after all. Now that he was assassinated by Liao spies, she was very depressed.
Seeing Yang Song working hard to promote the potato pancakes, she couldn't bear to spoil his fun, so she took a few bites and found that they tasted good.
Seeing Jiang Qinglan's calm demeanor, she said, "I heard that Master Xie... was seriously injured."
Jiang Qinglan's face turned pale immediately.
She was in the city and had no source of information, but she just listened to some gossip that Wang Huiniang got.
Legend has it that Prince Xie returned to Lin'an on the eve of Emperor Zhaowu's ascension to the throne. However, there was no news of him afterwards. Could he have been seriously injured?
No wonder he never came to see her after being back for so long.
She was extremely anxious and immediately wrote a note and asked Yingtao to deliver it to Prince Dongping's Mansion, saying that she would go to visit Madam Xie the next day.
However, Madam Xie also sent a message saying that Xie Linchuan was seriously injured and the palace was closed to visitors.
But then he asked her to make a braised fish with fermented black beans, which someone would bring over later. He added plenty of pickled ginger and pickled cowpeas, as the patient had a dry mouth and wanted something sour, spicy, and flavorful.
Jiang Qinglan was frightened at first, but when he heard that he wanted to eat Doubanyu fish, he thought: He still wants to eat it, he won't be seriously injured and unable to recover.
Then he thought, Doubanyu fish is sour and spicy, and contains a lot of irritating foods such as young ginger and chili peppers. How could a patient like him eat too much of it?
But since he had brought it up, she couldn't refuse, so she picked a small grass carp and cooked it very carefully.
This dish is a masterpiece of Sichuan cuisine.
The fish meat does not fall apart when picked up, the outer layer is rich in sauce, and the fish meat inside is tender and white.
The first thing you taste is the salty and fresh taste of the bean paste, followed by a slightly spicy aftertaste and a sweet finish.
If you mix one or two pieces of sour cowpea powder and pickled ginger grains while eating fish, it will be sour and spicy and appetizing, and the taste will be wonderful.
As long as this dish is available, even people with a poor appetite can eat two bowls of white rice.
After cooking the fish, Jiang Qinglan specially prepared a bowl of clear-boiled pigeon soup and a bowl of shrimp and vegetable porridge, and ordered them to be delivered together with the black bean fish.
She thought to herself: The fish is just to add flavor to the meal. For proper eating, the soup and porridge are better. They are both light and nourishing.
By the evening, Jiang Qinglan was still upset and worried.
To avoid arousing Tuantuan's suspicion, he said that he wanted to go back to the Jiang family to accompany Mrs. Xue.
I had just washed and changed into my pajamas, and was sitting in front of the bronze mirror, combing my long, brocade-like hair with a wooden comb. Suddenly, I heard the wooden door creak open, and someone entered the room.
Jiang Qinglan subconsciously thought there was a thief. He was startled at first, then stood up suddenly. When he saw it was him, he felt relieved.
Suddenly, she remembered something and became extremely worried. She looked him up and down for a long time.
He wore a jade crown on his head, a dark-colored suit with a round collar and narrow sleeves, and a leather belt with gold and jade inlaid hollow engraved patterns around his waist. He looked dignified and heroic, and did not look injured at all.
She was stunned for a moment.
In Xie Linchuan's eyes, her changing expression was naturally full of tenderness and love.
His heart warmed, and he rushed forward in two steps, hugged the dazed person, and took over the magpie's nest, sitting on the brocade stool in front of the bronze mirror, and then put her on his two long legs.
The corners of his mouth curled up, as if smiling: "Are you scared?"
His eyes moved, scanning the light purple hibiscus flowers on her chest.
"You say no, but what you think is different." I felt hot all over and thirsty in my heart.
In Jiang Qinglan's eyes, his were extremely bright, as if they contained a lot of evil intent. The dimples at the corners of his mouth were deep, filled with youthfulness and innocence.
She didn't know whether he was more evil or more sincere.
At this moment, Jiang Qinglan has figured it out.
What do you mean by seriously injured? You lied to her!
She jumped off his lap, walked to the window, and said in a stern and inviolable manner: "You really know how to flatter yourself."
He added righteously, "I am worried about the suffering of the people and the people of the Song Dynasty. You are garrisoning Luzhou and Jiangning. If you lose them, the consequences will be disastrous."
Xie Linchuan didn't expect her to think this way, so he asked, "Am I not a citizen of the Song Dynasty?"
Jiang Qinglan choked.
Speaking of Jiang Ning, she became worried again: "It's already this late, and you still have the mind to talk about this."
Thinking of the city's destruction as recorded in history books, she almost burst into tears. She was unworthy of being a time traveler; she couldn't change anything.
Seeing that she was upset, Xie Linchuan stopped teasing her and walked to the window. He hugged her from behind and changed the subject: "I have picked two husbands for Liang Chan. Which one do you think is better?"
"One is a scholar who has passed the imperial examination and is a decent person. However, his family lives in Qianzhou, a poor and remote place with a fierce and unruly people. His mother is also a dignified person with a great reputation."
"The other one is a businessman from Meizhou. He's quite wealthy, but he wants to be a concubine. He's not young anymore, and his family has many illegitimate children."
Jiang Qinglan was startled.
Although Liang Chan humiliated her and plotted to murder Xiao Yali, she thought that according to the law of the Great Song Dynasty, whether she was beaten with a stick or imprisoned, it was up to her. Why did she have to ruin her marriage like this?
One is Qianzhou and the other is Meizhou, both of which are small and far away. No matter how powerful her family is, it is like distant water cannot quench immediate thirst.
Xie Linchuan said, "You must choose one. Last time she humiliated you at the Liang family, I only gave her two slaps, but it allowed her to run wild and almost caused a disaster."
"She doesn't know how dangerous the world is unless she suffers a little."
Jiang Qinglan knew that he was a man of his word, so he had no choice but to say, "Then let's go with the one from Qianzhou. After all, it's her first marriage."
"You also said that the candidate was quite upright. Since your mother-in-law is dignified and not overbearing, she must also be a person of good manners."
Xie Linchuan nodded: "Then it's settled."
Her revenge was achieved, her grudges were resolved, but he had something more important to tell her. After a moment of silence, he whispered in her ear, "King Zhao Kan of Wu...I killed him."
Jiang Qinglan was startled, but Xie Linchuan held his shoulders tightly, making him unable to move.
"Our army has suffered repeated defeats on the front lines. Besides the incompetence of Emperor Xining, there's also Zhao Kan's conspiracy. If he hadn't colluded with the Western Xia, how could we have been so slow to return to Bianliang?"
Jiang Qinglan's heart was pounding: Since he was the one who killed Zhao Kan, then the abdication of Emperor Xining was also related to him?
She whispered, "But the emperor is only in his teens. Can he be a good emperor? Can we win the war against the Liao Kingdom?"
Xie Linchuan smiled brightly: "Don't you still have me?"
"Although the emperor is young, he is more resolute than his father and more upright than the King of Wu. With my grandmother and the eldest princess here, we can stabilize the situation. Tomorrow, I will go to Jiangning to fight a decisive battle with Yelu Wang."
Jiang Qinglan took a breath.
No wonder he released the news that he was seriously injured. He wanted to kill Yelu Wang by surprise!
She didn't know much about these court affairs and didn't know what to say for a moment.
She was worried about his safety and wanted him to take care of himself, but she couldn't say it out loud.
After a long while, she could only stammer, "Did you eat that fish?" Tears rolled down her cheeks.
Fortunately, she was carrying her back to him and her voice was low, so he shouldn't have noticed, right?
She sniffed quickly and held back her tears.
Xie Linchuan behind him laughed:
"Your fish is so small, how can I eat it?"
"Grandma used my pretense to ask for fish, and she wouldn't let go once she got it. While I was cleaning my hands, she quietly ate it all, and even had two bowls of rice."
"Because I'm full, I'm not sleeping yet. I'm taking Xia Yin and the others for a walk in the garden."
Jiang Qinglan thought about the scene:
Mrs. Xie walked in front, full of energy and witty remarks, while Xia Yin and the others behind her looked listless, yawning and complaining.
There were still tears on her eyelashes, but she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Xie Linchuan turned her body over and looked down at her, his eyes as hot as fire and as gentle as water.
After a moment, he wiped the tears from her face with his thumb and said softly, "Don't worry, I will take care of myself."
He was originally a spoiled and domineering playboy. After joining the army, he became a young general who was invincible on the battlefield and always had domineering power.
These words were spoken with extreme tenderness, like a cloud or a pool of water, making people deeply immersed in it and unable to extricate themselves.
Jiang Qinglan felt a turmoil in her heart, momentarily panicked and then overwhelmed with grief. She couldn't hold back her tears any longer, and they streamed down her face like beads.
Xie Linchuan hugged her, letting her tears wet her chest, staring at the bright moon outside the window, and remained silent for a long time.
At that time, the moonlight was like water and the night wind was gentle.
The shadow of the old plum tree was reflected obliquely on the courtyard wall, and the moonlight leaking through the branches and leaves outlined a flowing ink painting on the ground.
Among the grass, fireflies flickered, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, as if sparse stars from the sky had fallen to the earth.
In the distant rice fields, a few frogs croaked...
Xie Linchuan suddenly had an idea: How great would it be if time could stop at this moment?
Although he swore a solemn oath in front of her, he was going to Jiangning, where swords and knives were merciless. Who knew what would happen?
He sighed softly.
However, everyone has their own responsibilities, don’t they?
Suddenly, he grinned, leaned over and whispered something in her ear.
Jiang Qinglan's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly pushed him away.
Looking down, I found myself in pajamas. Sure enough, the light purple hibiscus flowers on my chest were stained with tears, sticking to my skin, looking quite ambiguous.
Her face turned slightly red and she wanted to get clothes from the closet, but he pulled her hand away.
"Don't bother, I'm leaving right away."
Xie Linchuan said with a smile, deliberately avoiding looking at the hibiscus on her chest, and took out something from his sleeve.
"This bead was given to me by my grandmother, and I'm giving it to you now. No matter who becomes emperor in the future, anyone with the surname Zhao will have to consider it for a bit."
He placed something round in her hand.
It was a bluish-white bead, emitting a faint green light. The moonlight seemed to be condensed within it, cold and quiet, still and serene.
Jiang Qinglan was startled and even stopped breathing.
According to legend, Emperor Jiande once gifted a night-shining pearl to Prince Dongping, saying, "My family, the Zhao family, and the Xie family, shall be forever united in friendship. Hanging this pearl will bring glory to the world for eternity."
Even though Emperor Jiande has passed away, as long as the emperor is still a member of the Zhao family, this night-shining pearl represents the honor and favor of the Dongping Palace, and has the effect of a red seal and iron certificate.
The moonlight outside the window is like water, giving everything on earth a gentle background.
It was so quiet all around that the sounds of insects chirping in the grass seemed even more noisy.
Xie Linchuan grinned, his dimples deep: "Why, are you so moved that you can't speak?"
Jiang Qinglan remained stunned and silent.
After hesitating for a moment, Xie Linchuan said softly, "I'm leaving." Then he let her go and was about to open the door to go out.
Seeing that he had already opened the door halfway, Jiang Qinglan felt an impulse in his heart and blurted out: "Ning."
A draft came in from the half-open door, causing the candlelight in the room to flicker and the expressions on people's faces to become dim and unclear.
Xie Lin stopped and turned to look at her with an unusually serious expression.
"My name is Ning." Jiang Qinglan said calmly but firmly.
Condensation, roundness and elegance.
Jiang Ning is her modern nickname, given to her by her grandmother. Her family all calls her Ningning.
Xie Linchuan pondered this word carefully in his mind for a while, and it was as if his feet had taken root and he didn't want to move anymore.
However……
He lowered his eyes, thought for a moment, and when he looked up again, he suddenly smiled:
"Lord Jiang is upright and resolute, and would never choose such a name. Is it your mother who knows that you are as stubborn as an ox and chose this name to suppress you?"
Jiang Qinglan was originally a gentle person, but when he interrupted her like that, she became so angry that her vision went dark and her head was buzzing.
When she woke up, was there anyone in the room?
There is only the fragrance of flowers brought by the night wind, and the translucent and round night pearl that emits a faint glow.
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