Yesterday, they also went privately to investigate the situation again and learned that this Lord Zheng was no ordinary person. He was not only a person with connections, but also had a very powerful background!
The wife of former General Yuwen Sheng, she commands tens of thousands of soldiers and has won the favor of the Crown Prince. She looks soft and easy to manipulate, but no one expected that her background is so terrifying that she can crush most of the court and walk sideways.
Seeing that they couldn't afford to offend her, they could only force a smile and greet Zheng Quchi. However, seeing her indifferent expression, they didn't disturb her and sat down to prepare for their meal.
Nanlin Garden and Hualin Garden each sat at a separate table, clearly separated, one person on each side, so as not to disturb each other.
At a rectangular dining table, both sides remained silent until the dishes were served. Zheng Quchi glanced casually at Nanlin Garden, then looked at Hualin Garden, completely bewildered.
"Why is everything on our table vegetarian, while theirs has both meat and vegetables?"
Seeing that Zheng Quchi was not satisfied with the food, the people from Nanlin Garden took the opportunity to invite him: "Lord Zheng, you are welcome to come and dine with us."
Zheng Quchi simply thanked him and said it wasn't necessary, then looked at Liang Tian again.
His face flushed with embarrassment, and he whispered, "The quality of the meals is relative to our work points. In Nanlin Garden, there's always work to do, so people accumulate more work points and naturally eat well every day. We're short on funds here, so..."
"I'm sorry, it's rare for Lord Zheng to be willing to dine with his subordinates, yet you're serving him this kind of food..."
Upon hearing this, Zheng Quchi's first thought wasn't that he felt ashamed or embarrassed to be in their team, but rather that he realized something: "...I don't seem to even have any work points, do I?"
Upon hearing this, the group from Hualin Garden quickly replied, "It's alright, of course we'll invite you, sir."
Zheng Quchi glanced at the green and healthy food displayed in front of him. They have been eating vegetarian food for many years. They are neither monks nor sheep. How can they keep up with the nutrition?
Thinking about how they themselves were struggling to make ends meet, and how they still had to help her out, Zheng Quchi felt a pang of sympathy for them.
It's really not easy for those in the Jiangzuojian to get a decent meal. No wonder they're all vying for projects so fiercely. After losing the Cangling Dam, the people from Hualin Garden were practically ready to fight the people from Nanlin Garden to the death. It turns out that in the Jiangzuojian, the difference between those who work and those who don't is directly tied to their living standards.
"If you can't get any more projects, will you even be able to afford vegetable leaves?" Zheng Quchi asked a very hurtful question.
Sure enough, the group from Hualin Garden looked even paler and lowered their heads, saying with embarrassment and shame, "...Yes, but there are other ways. We can bring some food from home ourselves."
There were no microwave ovens or induction cookers back then. The food they brought in the morning would either be cold or spoiled by noon or night, unless they were willing to bring dry food to eat every day.
Zheng Quchi indicated that he understood, but did not say anything more about it, only saying, "The punishment and reward system of the Imperial Workshop is quite strict. I should take the time to learn more about it."
Yesterday, Yuan Xingzhou had already given her permission to freely enter and leave the palace. After working all afternoon, Zheng Quchi did not return to the Eight Departments Hall, but went directly to the Liu residence to see Brother Sang and Sister Sang after get off work.
Unexpectedly, as she exited Xuanwu Gate, she saw a familiar yet unexpected figure—Fu Rong.
Since Yuwen Sheng's death, he has disappeared without a trace and has been in a state of being missing. She asked Brother Wei, who said that Fu Rong was not in any danger and was just doing something secret.
Since it was a secret, and Brother Wei was so reluctant to talk about it, she didn't press him any further.
Unexpectedly, she bumped into him at the palace gate at this moment.
Just as she was about to go up to him, she saw a man standing next to him, none other than Li Gang, the former chief eunuch of the late king. The two stood side by side, talking and talking with relaxed expressions, and did not seem to be meeting for the first time, but rather quite familiar with each other.
Li Gang is clearly a man of the late king, while Fu Rong is a man of Yuwen Sheng. The two should be enemies, and even if they don't have personal grudges, they should at least have grievances based on their positions. But now it seems that Li Gang's true identity may not be simple.
As the two were talking, a group of guards approached from behind, carrying a dark coffin and placing it down. On the other side were people from the Kingdom of Julu. The two sides met and seemed to be negotiating the transfer of items. Undoubtedly, the focus was on that coffin.
Looking at that familiar black lacquered coffin, could this be Yuwen Sheng's coffin?
She looked closely and, despite the distance, was absolutely certain that it was true.
Yuan Xingzhou once said that no matter how shameless the Julu Kingdom is, it cannot go back on its boasts and bets made in front of the palace. Moreover, in this trial of military affairs among the six kingdoms, Julu lost to Ye Kingdom, which is inferior to them in every way. If news were to spread that they were untrustworthy and shameless, the Julu Kingdom would truly lose all face.
Without further hesitation, she first shouted "Fu Rong" and then quickly walked over.
The moment Fu Rong saw Zheng Quchi, he was stunned.
Under the setting sun, a young woman dressed in the robes of a third-rank official of the current dynasty, bathed in the radiant glow of the evening glow, approached with a stern and solemn expression.
"The General's wife?"
Fu Rong's expression was probably not good at this moment. Seeing her approaching step by step, he even took a step back. Then, trying to cover up his mistake, he said first, "I... I just got back."
However, Zheng Quchi was too lazy to dwell on the suspicious points about him. She pointed to the coffin and asked, "Is this my husband's coffin?"
At first, the Julu army didn't recognize Zheng Quchi because she was now dressed in men's official robes, with a sharp gait and a cold expression. They couldn't immediately connect her with Zheng Quchi. But as soon as she opened her mouth, their eyes widened—Wow! It was her, the female demon who released a whole swamp of water snakes to bite them!
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