Chapter 23
After a nap.
Xuanyunfu fell asleep as soon as he touched the pillow.
Yan Huaijin stood by the bed, fascinated by the scene, and probably couldn't understand how he fell asleep so quickly.
Li Ang smiled and explained again, saying that Zhou Quan was the same last time, and was shocked to see Duofu fall asleep so quickly. Yan Huaijin heard this, turned his head to look at Li Ang, hummed, and went back to his bed. He actually couldn't sleep, but thinking of Duofu, he closed his eyes and fell asleep unknowingly.
Li Ang returned to his bedside, feeling that Yan Huaijin treated him differently from Yan Xuanfu, but he couldn't tell exactly what the difference was.
But it’s no big deal, I don’t think about it anymore.
Xuanyuefu slept soundly and sweetly. After waking up, the eunuchs serving in the main hall had already prepared hot water for them. They simply washed their hands and faces, tidied up their outer robes and appearance, and then went to the main hall for class.
In the afternoon, it was Master Yan's class. On the way there, the young masters of the civil service group were all chattering and looking forward to it. Some said they hoped Master Yan would talk about "The Great Aspirations", some said it would be better if he could talk about "The Green Talent", and there were also some other book names, many of which Fu had never heard of.
He is really illiterate. He didn't expect that there are so many potential academic geniuses among his classmates.
If there were monthly exams and a ranking list, he would definitely be at the bottom.
Fortunately, there is no such thing as monthly exams. Wuhu~
Xuanyu Fu walked easily, looked around, and finally found his little deskmate walking behind him. Because he was too short, he was mostly blocked by his classmates, so he almost didn't notice him. He was waiting there and shouted, "Jinjin, I'll wait for you."
After saying that, he raised his foot and turned back to look for Jinjin.
"Let's go together."
Yan Huaijin: Good friends should go to and from school together.
"good."
"Do you like drinking milk?" Duoyunfu asked, and then said, "I will bring you some milk tomorrow. Drinking this will help you grow taller."
Yan Huaijin thought for a moment and nodded, "Thank you."
"Hey, you're welcome." He used to be the shortest in the class, but now he is the smallest one. Many blessings look at his small deskmate, "We should eat more meat, eggs and milk, and grow taller secretly. Three years in the east, three years in the west——"
"When I come back from winter break, I'll amaze the whole class!"
Sometimes Xuanyufu's words sound strange at first glance, but Yan Huaijin found them quite interesting, nodded and agreed.
"I won't talk to you during Master Yan's class later." He was afraid that Master Yan would scold his nephew.
Yan Huaijin asked why.
"Your uncle's class, if I pull you aside to chat in class, won't he scold you?"
Yan Huaijin shook his head, "Uncle won't do that."
"I didn't expect that Master Yan looked so elegant and easy-going. Could he be easy-going too?!" Xuan Duofu was surprised and said confidently, "Then I am quite good at judging people."
Yan Huaijin was slightly stunned and then nodded.
After entering the hall, everyone sat down and chatted for a while. As the chimes rang, the hall became quiet. It was Taifu Yan's first day of class, and everyone was still unsure of the new Taifu's temper. Even the uneducated royal family members planned to behave themselves for a few days to see what the new Taifu's temper was like.
I just kept thinking to myself: Never be like Master Hu.
Someone else whispered: Listen to those who are good at studying, they always call themselves great scholars, they must be very strict.
Tutor Yan arrived, accompanied by a tutor. The tutor was holding a large scroll in his arms. Tutor Yan was holding a ruler in his hand, and the whispers in the hall fell completely silent.
"I'm the new tutor. My last name is Yan, and my given name is Ning." Tutor Yan introduced himself first, and then said with a smile, "My family lives in Zhou Baishan in Jiangnan. Does anyone know Zhou Baishan?"
Li Ang raised his hand.
Master Yan asked him to stand up and answer.
Li Ang said: "South of Fujiang River, Zhoubai Mountain is located in Hengwu Prefecture and County on the east side of Hengwu Mountain."
Master Yan nodded, and Li Ang was very happy. Master Yan asked Li Ang if he had been there before, but Li Ang had not been there before. Master Yan asked if anyone knew which five mountains Hengwu Mountain was.
The whole class was silent and no one knew about this.
Even Li Ang, a fan of Yan Daru, only knew Zhou Baishan. Because the most famous family in Hengwu Mountain was the Yan family of Zhou Baishan. Xuan Fu was also curious and couldn't help but look sideways at his deskmate, meaning which five mountains are near your home? Before he could ask, a piece of paper slowly moved between the two tables, with the names of the five mountains written on it.
Xuanyu looked at Yan Huaijin.
My little deskmate actually predicted the future before he even said anything.
"I have an older brother named Yan Jie. When he was young, he traveled around Dasheng for twenty years." Taifu Yan asked the attendant to unfold the scroll and hang it on the shelf.
The scroll slowly unfolds, and its contents come into view one by one.
Many of Fu's men were sitting in the first row, staring intently. The colorful painting showed the mountains, rivers, trees, pines and cypresses, prefectures and counties, and the bustling markets, all reflected in their eyes, like an ancient map.
The five mountains of Hengwu Mountain are also there.
Master Yan began to talk about his hometown according to the map, including its local conditions, geographical location, climate, and the growth of crops. Manyu Fu was fascinated by the lesson.
Because it's fun.
There were sweet potatoes and peppers in Dasheng, he knew because he had eaten them. The Dasheng where he lived did not exist in modern history, that is, it was fictional. When studying at that time, the clothing styles were mixed and integrated, such as ruqun, round-necked robes, and cross-collared robes, but the specific details, such as economic development and level of civilization, were unclear.
It doesn't matter if you read the novel, just watch two dads fall in love.
But now he is living here alive.
Before he knew it, the class was over. Xuan Duofu was still a little unsatisfied, so he heard Master Yan give him the assignment, "Tomorrow, talk about your respective hometowns. Speak freely."
"That's all for today, see you tomorrow."
Xuanyifu said the loudest: "I'll see Master Yan tomorrow!"
Yan Ning smiled and left the hall with his tutor. When the tutor left, the whole class fell silent for a moment and soon became excited and chatted. Without turning around, Xuan Fu heard Li Ang and Zhou Quan say, "I didn't expect that the first lesson of tutor Yan was about Wuheng Mountain."
"Although it's not a book lecture, it's very interesting," said Zhou Quan.
Li Ang hummed.
Xuanyuefu turned around and started chatting with the two people at the back table. He was very excited. "What are you two going to talk about tomorrow? Today, the master mentioned his hometown. I haven't asked you about your hometown yet. Li Ang, you are a local, right?"
"Yes and no." Li Ang explained: "My grandmother was previously named Princess Changping and actually had a fiefdom."
Manyu Fu exclaimed, this was indeed the first time he heard it.
"My grandmother's fiefdom is in Le'an County, Lizhou."
Many people asked directly: "Do women also have fiefs?"
Li Ang was confused for a moment. Didn't he say that? Yan Huaijin heard what Xuanfu wanted to ask and said, "You want to ask whether the princes and princesses are treated the same."
"Yes!" Xuanyu Fu turned to look at Jinjin, with an expression of 'good buddy understands me'. Jinjin actually understood him in this extended question! So smart.
Li Ang understood, "There are differences. The fiefdoms and salaries are divided according to the rank. The princes have military power, but the princesses only have a thousand-man personal guard at their disposal. But now they are gone."
After he said that, he felt like he was a little sensitive and shouldn't have mentioned this, and he looked a little scared.
Xuanyunfu listened and said "oh" twice, then turned to ask Jinjin, "Master Yan talked about Wuheng Mountain today, what are you going to say tomorrow?"
Li Ang first breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately Xuanyufu did not ask any further questions.
Yan Huaijin said: "My mother's hometown."
"Then I'll talk about my father." Xuan Fu thought, he didn't know Sheng at all.
Zhou Quan: "My home is far away, in Qinzhou."
"Where is Qinzhou?"
Zhou Quan: ...I was also stumped by the question. Thinking carefully, "I only remember that when I followed my mother to Shengdu, we first took a carriage for more than ten days, then changed to a boat for more than half a month, and then walked by carriage for another half a month."
"That's really far away." Xuanyu Fu nodded and said, "Qinzhou and Dasheng are very far apart. The customs and culture of Qinzhou must be very different from those of Dasheng." He was very curious.
Zhou Quan was proud. He only stayed in Qinzhou until he was five years old before he came to Shengdu with his mother. His childhood memories were a little vague, but when he heard that Duo Fu was curious about Qinzhou, he still felt proud. He would go back and ask his mother and make good preparations.
Everyone is very enthusiastic about the new assignment.
After all, the average age is ten years old, and it is actually very boring to recite all kinds of nonsense every day. This kind of homework is more interesting.
After chatting, everyone started to walk back one after another. If they didn't leave now, the palace gate would be locked.
Xuanyunfu walked all the way with his friends carrying his schoolbag. When they stood at the fork in the road, he waved goodbye to the three of them and said, "See you tomorrow!"
"See you tomorrow."
Wang Yuanyuan was almost crying with joy behind him. This happened recently. Duofu was very happy after school the first day and was looking forward to the next day's classes. Tutor Yan was indeed good, and that little prodigy was also very good.
"Wang Banban, where is my father?" Xuanyunfu asked.
"The governor is outside and hasn't come back yet."
Many young reporters asked: "Wang Banban, where is your hometown?"
"My home is in a village under Wuzhou, but I can't remember the exact location."
Many blessings:?
"Didn't Wang Banban go to Wuzhou with my father from the palace?"
Wang Yuanyuan smiled and said frankly, "No, at that time, the late emperor conferred Wuzhou the title of King, and the Imperial Palace Supervisor went to Wuzhou first to build a palace. With a palace, there naturally needed eunuchs. Some eunuchs came from the Taiji Palace, but Wuzhou is far away, so to save trouble, the Ministry of Internal Affairs bought a few children there and castrated them to be included in the list of eunuchs in the palace."
This is how the Internal Affairs Office treats people differently.
If the fiefdom is close to Shengdu and the prince beloved by the late emperor is to be made a king, then it cannot be fooled so easily and eunuchs will be transferred from the Internal Affairs Office.
From what Wang Yuanyuan said, it can be seen that the King of Wuzhou could step on anyone at that time and no one took it seriously.
"Wang Banban, please tell me more about Wuzhou." Xuanyifu said coquettishly.
The two walked slowly along the Qingque Canal. Wang Yuanyuan was not a tutor, but just chatting. She said, "I was only seven or eight years old at that time. I can't remember. Children from poor families get confused about their age as they grow older. There were so many children. I forgot whether I was kidnapped or lost on my own. Anyway, I was a beggar for a while and was sold by a kidnapper with a big black mole on his face."
"The kidnappers are the most despicable." Many people were so lucky that they thought that human traffickers deserved death no matter where they were. "Wang Banban, did you report the kidnapper to the police?"
I almost let it slip and called the police.
Wang Yuanyuan felt soft-hearted when she saw Xiao Duofu’s face puffed up with joy. Xiao Duofu was kind and upright. Xu Xiaoman was really lucky to have picked up such a child who looked like herself.
"Don't worry, I found it later. Black Mole got his retribution." Wang Yuanyuan said with a smile. Of course, he castrated Black Mole with his own hands. He was so old, and it was winter, so whether he could survive depended on fate.
"It snows heavily in Wuzhou in winter, often for more than ten days at a time. The snow never stops throughout the winter, and the snow piles up to the knees."
The bastard can’t be frozen to death.
Xuanyuefu looked at Wang Banban after hearing this and said, "That's so cold."
It also snowed in Shengdu, but it was just a few scattered snowflakes. He felt that Shengdu was located closer to the Central Plains and liked peppers. It might also be located in the south. The climate was hot and humid in summer and suitable in spring and autumn, making it very suitable for living.
"How do you and your father keep warm? How do the people of Wuzhou survive?"
Wang Yuanyuan thought about it and said, "Young Master, it sounds cold now, but in fact, the people living in Wuzhou are used to it. There are heated beds over there, and you may not have seen them before."
Actually, there were charcoal fires, but only the rich could afford to burn charcoal, and the poor could not afford it. When the prince first arrived in Wuzhou, it was winter soon, and the people in the fiefdom were either suffering from snow disasters in the east or being crushed to death by snow in the villages of the neighboring prefectures and counties.
Life was really hard back then. Even the royal palace was struggling, Wuzhou was too poor, and the officials were colluded with each other, saying that taxes had been confiscated at the end of the year. The prince had no money, but he couldn't force the people to death, right?
The King of Wuzhou has just arrived, so please bear with it for now.
That was the saddest year.
Wang Yuanyuan still remembers that at that time, he saw Xu Xiaoman always with his hands in his sleeves, his body bent due to the cold, and he was not noticeable at all, just like the lowest servant in the palace. His fingers were frozen like radishes, and red sores would heal one after another.
He thought Xu Xiaoman was of the same status as him.
Unexpectedly, Xu Xiaoman pretended to be the eunuch that the prince was closest to and trusted. Wang Yuanyuan was really shocked when he heard this. He saw Xu Xiaoman secretly trading the news of the prince's mansion with the servants of several officials outside the mansion. He looked greedy. When he saw him, he turned around and replied vaguely: Don't tell anyone.
He didn't say it, but other people leaked the news, which scared him so much that he was afraid that Xu Xiaoman would make him take the blame. As a result, Xu Xiaoman and the prince acted a trick and caught all the spies in the mansion in one go.
When Wang Yuanyuan recalled the past and thought of this, Xuanyuefu was also recalling the plot of Wuzhou in the novel. It was just that his father pretended to be a pig and ate the tiger, and cooperated with his father the emperor from inside and outside. That was how he earned the first pot of gold in the first year in the fiefdom.
After he got money, he got in touch with General Liu at the border, and then he started to engage in animal husbandry.
Wuzhou has dense forests, rocky mountains, vegetation and weeds, and the grain yield in some places is very low.
"Later, under the governance of the prince, people in villages with low grain production raised sheep and used sheep instead of grain taxes. Before the winter, the remaining sheep after paying the tax were slaughtered for meat, and their skins were kept as clothes, or they could be exchanged for grain from other places." Wang Yuanyuan was afraid of scaring little Duofu, so she didn't mention the hard days at the beginning, and only talked about the better days later.
They have been eating lamb for several years, which is why Wang Yuanyuan doesn't like to eat lamb very much now.
Everyone who came back from Wuzhou was the same.
Manyu Fu was greedy, "roasted whole lamb." He drooled and sprinkled some cumin and chili powder.
"Young Master, do you want to eat mutton?"
Duofu was embarrassed because he felt hungry while listening. Wang Yuanyuan saw Duofu was shy and said cheerfully, "It's cold now, so it's time to eat mutton. It's very nourishing if you stew it with radish."
"Wang Banban, can I have roast lamb?"
"Okay." Wang Yuanyuan agreed.
Xuan Xuanfu returned to the study in the backyard and began to write. As he was writing, he realized something was wrong. He wanted to write about his father’s hometown, but now all he had on the paper was Wuzhou…
Before the palace gates were locked, Xu Xiaoman rushed back. He didn't go to find Zhong Yun but went straight to the East Factory. His Duoduo had a new tutor today. He saw that he got along well with the little prodigy in the morning. He wondered how he went in class today.
As soon as he entered the backyard, Xu Xiaoman frowned at first, "Did you roast or stew mutton tonight?"
He doesn't like to eat this.
"You have a very good nose." Wang Yuanyuan appeared out of nowhere, and when he saw Lord Xu staring at him, he immediately said, "Eat more."
Lord Xu retracted his angry look and said flatteringly, "It's time to eat lamb when the weather gets cold."
Wang Yuanyuan knew this would happen, so she didn't ask the kitchen to make two portions. Xu Xiaoman put the matter of the lamb aside and asked, "How was Duoduo's class today? Was he punished to stand? Does the new tutor like Duoduo?"
"The class went well. It was Master Hu in the morning."
Xu Xiaoman: "I know that." As soon as Master Hu arrived, he was scared and left quickly.
"No one was punished to stand in the corner, and Master Hu didn't assign any homework. Master Yan taught in the afternoon, and we were learning about Wuheng Mountain."
"What is the article "Wu Heng Shan"? Do I need to memorize it?" Xu Xiaoman subconsciously worried for her son. "Wu Heng Shan sounds very long. I wonder if it is five articles."
Then Duoduo is not going to sleep anymore.
Wang Yuanyuan chuckled, Xu Xiaoman looked over keenly, it seemed that Wuhengshan was not an article, "Just say it directly."
"Wuheng Mountain is the hometown of Master Yan."
"Isn't his family Zhou Baishan?"
"You said it yourself, there are five mountains, and Zhoubai Mountain is one of them." Wang Yuanyuan only found out about this today. To be honest, in the past, when he stood at the door of the main hall and listened to Master Hu's lectures, he would feel sleepy after a while and would even fall asleep while standing.
I listened carefully to what Master Yan said today.
Xu Xiaoman nodded and chatted with Wang Yuanyuan. Wang Yuanyuan was so energetic that she knew Duoduo had done well in class today. Wang Yuanyuan followed behind and continued, "Master Yan assigned us to talk about our hometown. Duofu asked me where my home was today, and he will definitely ask you about it later."
"Oh, by the way, I talked about some things in Wuzhou. I didn't say anything else, just the weather and the people's food and drink—"
"No wonder Duoduo wanted to eat lamb."
Wang Yuanyuan glanced at the sky and said, "It should be ready soon. I'll go to the kitchen in the back and ask."
"Then just put the lamb in the yard and eat it." Xu Xiaoman thought, "Go and ask His Majesty if he wants to eat lamb."
You know what, I haven’t eaten lamb for a long time, and it smells pretty good now.
Xuan Fu put down his pen in the study. About a quarter of an hour ago, the air was filled with the smell of roasted lamb, a mixed aroma of cumin and chili. The spices in this world are so rich, he is really in for a treat.
"father!"
Xu Xiaoman came in and saw a lot of papers on the desk with a lot of writing on them. It was obvious that Duoduo had done very well in class today. He took a piece of paper and looked at it. There was a sheep drawn next to it.
"Hey, my stomach is growling as I write this. Daddy's roasted lamb smells so good."
Xu Xiaoman touched the kid's head and praised, "Well drawn." The sheep was very cute, with a curl on its head. He added, "The roasted sheep will be ready soon. Wait a little longer to see if His Majesty will come."
"Then I'm not that hungry." Xuanyunfu pulled his father to sit down, "Dad, where is your hometown?"
Xu Xiaoman said, "My father's family has moved to another place and is not living in the original village." He lowered his head to look at the records on the paper, "Hello, Wuzhou."
Xuanyu Fu felt that his father didn't want to mention his hometown, so he didn't say anything.
"Father, Wang Banban said today that Wuzhou has a lot of snow every year."
"Yes, winter has been here for nearly two months, and the snow season is only one month. When it's cold, the tiles can freeze and crack." Xu Xiaoman said, "It's good to eat lamb."
Xuanyunfu swallowed his saliva.
Xu Xiaoman smiled happily.
"Dad, hehe."
"I'm not making fun of you, but why hasn't His Majesty come yet? We are all hungry."
"Shall we go out and wait for uncle?" Xuan Xufu was really greedy. In order to wait for the big dinner in the evening, he had not eaten any snacks after school. Now his mouth was watering.
The father and son walked out hand in hand. There were lights hung in front of the East Factory gate. Less than half an incense stick of time passed before Emperor Ningwu arrived. He did not bring any sedan chair or ceremonial guards, only four guards and two eunuchs following him. It was a very light journey.
Before Xu Xiaoman could even open his mouth, Zhong Yun said, "No need to be polite, my dear. Please come in."
Xuanyi Fu pretended to be mentally retarded next to him, and the two fathers became more and more perfunctory in their performances in front of him.
Wuhu~Eat roasted lamb.
Lights were on in the yard, and the whole roasted lamb had been moved out. There was a charcoal fire underneath to keep the lamb warm. The table was set and served with some side dishes. Eating lamb can easily cause getting a sore throat, so it was served with some side dishes such as cold shredded radish.
The cooking skills of the chefs in the East Factory are not as sophisticated as those of the imperial chefs, but their home-cooked dishes are very tasty.
"Why did you think of eating mutton today?" Zhong Yun asked after taking the towel and wiping his hands.
Xu Xiaoman said: "A lot of homework, Master Yan asked me to talk about my hometown..." He talked a lot.
Zhong Yun heard this and looked at Xiao Man, then nodded and said, "Say Wuzhou is good."
The two fathers said the same thing. Duofu was about to think, but the mutton was sizzling and the aroma went straight into his nose, and he started drooling as soon as he opened his mouth. Wang Yuanyuan, who was watching from the side, was anxious for Xiao Duofu, and she leaned forward and said, "Your Majesty, the mutton is ready."
"Eat." Zhong Yun had already seen the useless little fool swallowing his saliva.
It's just like Xiaoman. When Xiaoman ate roasted whole lamb for the first time, she was like this too, with her eyes shining, swallowing her saliva, and her fingers still frostbitten from the cold.
Zhong Yun's eyes fell on Xiaoman's hand.
Under the cover of moonlight, Emperor Ningwu pulled the hand of Jiuqiansui under the table and gently stroked Jiuqiansui's fingers. Xu Xiaoman's heart tightened, and he looked at the cub first. Fortunately, the cub was happily chewing the lamb chops.
Xu Xiaoman originally wanted to let Zhong Yun let go, but when he turned around, he saw that Zhong Yun was looking at him with admiration, that kind of special love - so what, how could eating a whole roasted lamb make his wife so obsessed with him that she can't leave him?
The Nine Thousand Year Old Eunuch Xu was very confused and proud.
"Do you want to eat lamb chops? They taste better with the bones." Xu Xiaoman asked in a coaxing voice.
Zhong Yun usually doesn't eat food with bones, as he thinks it's indecent, but there are exceptions.
"Well, thank you for your service, Mr. Nine Thousand Year Old Man."
“No trouble, no trouble.” Jiu Qian Sui’s face was about to break with laughter.
Many blessings of chewing bones: continue to act stupid.jpg
The dinner was very enjoyable. Later, the two adults drank some wine. Emperor Ningwu looked at the children with a softer gaze. He talked about the terrain and experiences of Wuzhou. Xuanyifu's brain was slow to react after eating, and he could not imagine it and was stunned.
Emperor Ningwu: ...I forgot that you were a little fool.
"Pen and ink."
Duoduofu hurried to get the paper. Emperor Ningwu saw the mess, and there was a sheep drawn on the paper in the corner. He was stunned for a moment and then laughed out loud. Xu Xiaoman praised: "Duoduo drew this, isn't it cute?"
When Zhong Yun saw it, Xiao Man's face was filled with sincere praise - "Duoduo must have inherited Zhong Yun's love of painting. You paint really well."
He looked at the sheep again and was impressed. He commented, "Not bad."
Xuanyuefu looked at the lazy sheep on the paper. Is his drawing really that good?
It’s me as expected!
The author has something to say:
The Emperor Dad actually laughed when he didn't know what to say and was misunderstood.
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