Chapter 51
During the reign of Emperor Ningwu, there were three grand court sessions a month, on the fifth, fifteenth, and twenty-fifth days of the lunar month. The civil and military officials would go to the palace gates before dawn to wait for the court session, but this was not something they did every day.
Today is the end of the month court meeting.
Purple Palace.
After half of the Yin hour, Zhao Erxi bent over and shouted outside the bedroom door. Hearing a noise inside the room, Zhao Erxi, along with the palace maids and eunuchs, filed in. They first lit candles in the outermost room, but not too many, for fear that the candles would dim the eyes of the Nine Thousand Year Old Dragon who was sleeping soundly on the dragon bed.
The palace maids carried basins of water and placed towels in place, while the eunuchs knelt on the ground to help the emperor put on his clothes, shoes and socks.
In less than half an incense stick of time, Emperor Ningwu washed up, put on his inner garment, middle garment, shoes and socks, and went to the warm room outside, where he had breakfast, which was very simple, consisting of two items: meat pie and a bowl of tea.
If tea is replaced with milk, this would be the Crown Prince's favorite breakfast when he goes to school.
Because the morning court starts too early, it starts at Mao time - 5 a.m., and the time is uncertain. If there is no quarrel among the ministers, they will just talk about the matter. If everything goes well, it will end at 9 a.m.
That's four hours.
Sometimes when things don’t go well, the quarrel can last all morning, and sometimes even until noon.
Therefore, not to mention that Emperor Ningwu ate simply during the morning court session, the bowl of tea was also for moistening the throat. When the court officials attended the morning court session, some officials did not dare to eat breakfast, for fear that they would not be able to stand and would need to go to the toilet. This was not acceptable, and they had to hold it in, so they simply did not eat.
Some ministers would also bring ginseng slices with them, and if they couldn't bear it anymore, they would hold one slice in their mouth and chew it twice to hold on.
Emperor Ningwu used four palm-sized beef patties. Unlike the Crown Prince who liked to fry them until both sides were crispy and golden brown, so that they tasted crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, with the meat filling having some flavors of pepper and chopped green onions, Emperor Ningwu preferred to bake them. He brushed the meat patty skin with a light layer of lard and baked them in the oven until both sides were slightly yellow, with the aroma of meat and flour.
Emperor Ningwu used to eat meat during the morning court session, but he thought it was too greasy. He could not eat much after waking up in the morning, so he mostly did not eat it and waited until the morning court session was over. Later, he heard from the Nine Thousand Years Old Scholar that Duoduo was smart and ate breakfast on the way to school so that he could sleep more. Emperor Ningwu sneered and said: How smart is he?
The Ninth Prince directly asked the imperial kitchen to serve Emperor Ningwu a set of prince's breakfast.
Emperor Ningwu followed his son to eat for a few days and commented that the beef patties were too oily and greasy. Zhao Erxi immediately took note of it and reported it to the imperial kitchen, who held Eunuch Zhao in their arms and called him grandpa.
Later, the breakfast of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was improved.
For example, His Majesty only complains that the meat pie is too oily, but the fillings of the meat pie are of the same taste to His Majesty and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Before the Crown Prince was canonized, the old eunuch in the imperial kitchen ventriloquized: how come His Majesty and the young master of the Ninth Thousand Years Old Family can eat together.
Later, when the crown prince was made emperor, the imperial kitchen was very proud. It turned out that father and son were of the same bloodline. No wonder.
Several old eunuchs in charge of the imperial kitchen were always slick and clever. Later, when they were serving His Majesty, they would think of different ways to cook for His Majesty what the Crown Prince liked to eat and what he had eaten more of recently. Sometimes they would reduce the seasoning a bit, sometimes they would pan-fry instead of deep-fry, and sometimes they would even cook it differently than usual.
For example, the emperor didn't like to eat mutton, but there was a time when he wanted to eat it. After asking around, he found out that the East Factory was making roasted mutton.
As for the Nine Thousand Year Old Prince, he is even easier to serve. There is nothing that the Prince likes to eat that the Nine Thousand Year Old Prince doesn't like, just like a real father and son - this cannot be said casually.
Your Highness’ biological father is the present emperor.
Having said that, Emperor Ningwu finished his cake and drank half a cup of tea to moisten his throat before he stood up. The eunuchs and palace maids held the dragon robe and the crown and came forward to help the emperor put on his court clothes.
He wore a bright yellow dragon robe with a round collar and wide sleeves, a dragon robe with twelve chapter patterns, a belt inlaid with red and blue jade around his waist, and a crown with two dragons playing with a pearl on his head.
Everything is dressed, and there is still half an incense stick of time before the morning court.
Zhao Erxi told the emperor to set out.
Emperor Ningwu got on the sedan chair and headed for the Xuanzheng Hall in the left palace. It was still dark. At the gate of Taiji Palace, at the Yin hour, the court officials of Zuoye Gate had already lined up to pass the body search by the Jinwu Guards. Holding tablets, they lined up in front of Xuanzheng Hall in a mighty procession.
The drum sounded three times, and the emperor arrived. All officials lined up in an orderly manner and knelt down to welcome the emperor.
Emperor Ningwu sat upright on the dragon throne, and the chief eunuch Zhao Erxi called out: "All ministers, please come to the court early this morning. I have something to report."
After that, the ministers would present memorials on the tablets in their hands.
The morning court session was almost over and it was already dawn outside. There was nothing to report during the session. Just as Chief Eunuch Zhao called for the court session to be adjourned, Nie Wen of the Supervisory Council, who was standing in the middle of the line of officials, stepped forward with a tablet in his hand.
"Your Majesty, I have something to report."
Emperor Ningwu took a look and raised his hand. The eunuch came forward to take Lord Nie's memorial and presented it to His Majesty for review. Nie Wen, who was kneeling on the ground, did not stand up and said, "I want to report that Yu Yang, the salt administrator of Jiangnan Road, colluded with the local clan Dong..."
The Salt Administration was a fifth-rank official, a local official of low rank, but no one dared to mess with the local official in this position. Even some high-ranking officials in Shengdu would not get involved in the matter of "salt" if possible, not to mention that Lord Nie not only intervened in the salt administration of Jiangnan Province, but also touched the local Dong clan.
There are seven salt officials in the whole Dasheng salt-producing area. Among them, Jiangnan Road and Jiangxi Road are the richest. The people in the Central Plains of Dasheng rely on these two places for salt. There are three major surnames in Jiangnan Road. Although the Dong family is the last one -
Nie Wen was not completely stupid, as he did not pick the hard-to-find ginseng.
But this matter is still troublesome, Yanguan and Dong family, the Dong family is the bottom, hovering in Jiangnan Road for a hundred years, it is not easy to mess with...
All the officials and courtiers lowered their heads to conceal their expressions, each with his own thoughts.
Emperor Ningwu looked at the memorial with an unclear expression. Nie Wen of the Censorate was still kneeling on the ground, his head resting on the floor of Xuanzheng Hall, his back hunched, and he listed the evidence of collusion between Salt Administrator Yu Yang and the Dong family one by one, listing eleven charges in total.
"...The evidence that Ke An of the Inspection Court risked his life to bring back is now missing. Your Majesty, please investigate."
Emperor Ningwu did not speak, and it was unknown what he was thinking about, while Nie Wen knelt down. Someone came forward with a tablet in his hand and reported to His Majesty. He meant that Ke An of the local inspection office was investigating the case, but now Lord Ke had not returned, and the evidence was only Lord Nie's one-sided statement. It would be better to wait for Ke An to come back and authenticate it, and then deal with Yu Yang when the evidence was complete.
As soon as this was said, several people lined up to agree.
Nie Wen's eyes were red, meaning that Ke An's life or death was unknown, and his former followers were either dead or missing. Now the account book has been sent back -
"Since someone sent the account book, who was that person?"
"When he was sent to my house, he was seriously injured and unconscious." Nie Wen said.
"That's it. It's not that I won't cook it. I'm just waiting—"
"What are you waiting for?" Nie Wen looked over and argued, "Is Lord Feng a member of Yu Yang's party? Speak for Yu Yang."
Lord Feng was not afraid of being criticized. He smiled and said, "What a joke. Yu Yang is a fifth-rank local official. I have never met Yu Yang. How can I speak for Yu Yang in the peace talks?" He then bowed and said loyally, "Your Majesty is wise. According to Lord Nie, this matter may involve many people. If we make a rash decision, I am afraid that the people of Jiangnan will suffer..."
There was a quarrel in the court, and only a few people supported Nie Wen's side.
Ji Min stood in the middle of the team. He was good friends with the missing Ke An. Both of them were from poor families, but Ke An's family was even poorer. Now his whereabouts were unknown. He looked hesitant, listening to the arguments of several factions in the court. He secretly looked up to see the emperor's expression. The emperor was sitting in a high seat, his expression was gloomy and difficult to discern. He suddenly lost control and stood with his head down, listening.
What factions? In fact, most of the officials in the court are recommended by aristocratic families. They hold high positions, while officials from humble backgrounds, such as him, Ke An, Nie Wen, etc., the highest one is Lord Zhou.
But Mr. Zhou is not really from a poor family.
The water may seem muddy, but in fact the officials recommended by the noble families are calm and composed. They want to make a big deal out of a small matter. They even want to protect Yu Yang first and clear the evidence. If the emperor is furious and sacrifices the pawns to save the king, even if Yu Yang is killed, there will be Wang Yang and Li Yang...
If we delay and resort to some tricks, these people will try to make peace with us, the existing evidence will become perjury, and they will even sue Nie Wen for deliberately framing Yu Yang.
There are many officials who came from the imperial examination system, but they have no one to back them up, so they are too few.
Ji Min thought about it again and again, but did not stand up.
The story ends with Emperor Ningwu getting angry and saying that this place is a vegetable market. All the officials kneel down and confess their crimes. However, Lord Feng and his party have made up their minds. It seems that the emperor does not want to touch Yu Yang for the time being, but it is hard to say...
Zhao Erxi called for the court to be adjourned.
All the officials retired, but each had to go back to the government office to perform their duties.
Ji Min found Nie Wen and wanted to help him. Lord Nie's forehead was red and swollen, and he was too excited when he put his head on the ground and bumped it. There was faint blood oozing out. As a result, Lord Nie shook his sleeves and said stiffly: "Your humble servant does not need Lord Ji's help."
Nie Wen is a fifth-rank official in the Supervisory Office, while Ke An is a fifth-rank official in the Local Inspection Office.
The three temples, two courts and one bureau are on par with the six ministries, but the ranks of their officials are vastly different. The Taiping Temple handles cases involving royal families and is the most noble; the Tianying Temple handles homicide cases and important cases, and enforces the law strictly; the Taichang Temple handles ordinary cases and is relatively trivial.
Two courts: the Supervisory Court and the Local Inspection Courts.
It sounds powerful and impressive, and the ones who supervise and inspect officials are actually the most useless, with the heads of the two houses being only of the fifth rank.
The next one to be compared is the Censorate, which does similar work to the Supervisory Office, both of them are responsible for supervising all officials. Naturally, the Supervisory Office also has evidence investigated by the Inspection Office, while the Censorate submits memorials to the emperor and usually gets involved in trivial matters, but it can still gain a reputation for being clean and honest.
The head of the Censorate is a third-rank official.
Ji Min sometimes thought: his good friend Ke An risked his life, and now his life or death is uncertain, while the officials recommended by the aristocratic families in the Censorate, who can rise to high positions without any danger just by talking...
"I'm just worried about Ke An." Ji Min said.
He and Ke An were both from the same palace examination class. Ke An had a stubborn temper and had offended his superiors several times and almost suffered a serious punishment. It was Ji Min who mediated and saved him. But Ke An didn't know all this. He just felt that his good friend was no longer as ambitious as before and had become like those old-timers in the officialdom.
People with different ideals cannot work together. Ke An wants to pursue justice, not fear power, and do practical things for the people. His friend wants to be promoted and climb the ladder to fame. The two of them are drifting further and further apart and have not been in touch for several years.
Ji Min was a fourth-rank official and had held this position for six years.
He was afraid to go up, fearing that he would fall hard if he climbed high, so he decided to wait until his son became a talent, either by passing the imperial examination or by serving as an official for many years, and then he could recommend his son to be an official. If he fell, the Ji family would be gone, and his son would become the son of a criminal. Unlike the aristocratic families with flourishing branches and leaves, they were not afraid at all. When the emperor wanted to make a move, he sometimes had to think twice, because a single move would affect the whole body.
Nie Wen just glanced at Ji Min coldly, and said with a cupped hand: "Don't worry about me, Master Ji."
Lord Zhou called out to Nie Wen. The originally desperate Nie Wen's eyes showed some hope. He quickly walked to Lord Zhou and had a conversation. Ji Min watched from afar and thought: Lord Zhou is a lone minister and will not intervene in this matter until the emperor shows his intention. Besides, the Ministry of Works and the local salt administration are too far away for them to control.
When Nie Wen was called over, Lord Zhou just said a few words of comfort.
As expected, the hope in Nie Wen's eyes soon became dashed, and he felt a little numb. He bowed, exchanged a few words with Lord Zhou, and left.
Ji Min felt very upset, and after weighing the pros and cons, he really couldn't make up his mind.
A side hall of Xuanzheng Hall.
After Emperor Ningwu retired from court, he took off his court robes and changed into casual clothes. The young eunuch came forward to serve him tea. Emperor Ningwu held a memorial in his hand, which was the one that Nie Wen had brought to him. After a long time, he placed the memorial on the table and drank the tea.
The tea is cold. Drinking cold tea in winter is harmful to your health.
Before Zhao Erxi stepped forward and opened his mouth, the emperor had already finished the herbal tea.
"Master Xu has left the palace?"
Zhao Erxi replied first: "Your Majesty, Lord Xu just woke up at noon. After waking up, he had breakfast with the young prince. He said that he would not leave the palace to do business today. Now he is playing skipping rope with the young prince in the martial arts field."
When Emperor Ningwu heard this, his gloomy expression slightly brightened up, and he asked, "What about the skipping rope that Duofu mentioned yesterday?"
"Yes, I heard from Wang Yuanyuan that Your Highness dances very well." Zhao Erxi saw that the emperor was happy and hurriedly praised him, naturally ignoring the little prince's last name.
Emperor Ningwu loves and respects His Majesty, and the little prince's surname is Xu or Zhong in private. Isn't it all up to the emperor's pleasure?
Emperor Ningwu threw the memorial on the small table and said, "Even Wang Yuanyuan has to praise Fu for farting."
These words were too rough, they didn't sound like they came from the mouth of Emperor Ningwu, but rather like words that the Ninth Thousand Year Old Emperor would often say.
Emperor Ningwu said that he was relieved. Those officials from noble families who spoke sweet words in the court treated him as a fool. It seemed that they had lived a good life for too long and could not remember the pain without seeing blood.
"Your Majesty, do you want to go over?" Zhao Erxi asked.
Emperor Ningwu waved his hand and said, "Ask Zhou Ruwei to come in."
"Yes." Zhao Erxi withdrew and sent someone to pass on the emperor's oral instructions. At the same time, he punished the eunuch who served tea, "The emperor was drinking tea, and you were serving beside him. How could you wait for the tea to get cold without changing it?"
The young eunuch still knew the rules. He knelt on the ground and did not dare to beg for mercy, accepting the punishment.
The atmosphere in the palace was grim just now. The emperor was angry, so he didn't dare to serve him closely.
Zhao Erxi did not scold the young eunuch, but went to the eunuch in charge of serving tea to move the timid eunuch to the back so that he would not serve in front of the palace. The eunuch in charge responded in a row, saying, "I thought he was steady and had some talent for tea, but I didn't expect him to be so timid."
"He's too timid. You gave him a chance, but he couldn't seize it. It's useless to send him to the emperor. Now he's here..."
"You are right. After all, I am not as good as Eunuch Zhao in terms of vision and ability in selecting people. I was wrong."
Zhao Erxi felt that this old guy was praising him openly but mocking him secretly. After all, his apprentice Xiao Luzi was quite courageous, but sometimes he was too active and aggressive.
Xiao Luzi couldn't get ahead with the emperor, so he wanted to get close to the young prince.
But it doesn’t matter. Wang Yuanyuan is in charge of the East Palace. Wang Yuanyuan looked silly before, but actually, she came from Xu Xiaoman’s side, how could she be really silly?
The emperor summoned the court officials in Xuanzheng Hall and asked who he was meeting with. It was easier to get information. Nie Wencai submitted a memorial in the morning court. Some people couldn't sit still and spent money to find out more. The emperor first summoned Zhou Ruwei and then Lord Feng...
Several people were summoned in succession, and they were all asked about the government affairs of their respective yamen.
It confused everyone.
"I guess His Majesty doesn't want to touch Jiangnan Daodong Clan?", "I'm not sure yet, let's wait and see. If it can be preserved, that would be the best. If not...", "Of course."
"And Ke An, we can't let anyone come back alive. Several roads back to Shengdu are blocked."
"As for Nie Wen——"
"Don't move now, wouldn't that be a confession?"
"We have to teach them a lesson. What should be done and what shouldn't be done. Do you really take the Overwatch Council seriously?"
Because there were other people who had seen the emperor and had the same opinion, the emperor asked about the government affairs of various government offices, and naturally someone asked Lord Zhou. Zhou Ruwei said in a few words that it was about the digging of water conservancy canals.
There was another gust of wind in the court, but it was unclear whether it was a life-threatening whirlwind or just a gentle breeze. However, someone had originally wanted to accuse the crown prince of being too playful, but that matter was ignored.
Xuanyuefu played with the whole class for a whole day yesterday and slept well at night. He also praised Shunde for his great imitation and said that Shunde also has a "skill" which is to understand lip shape.
Therefore, even though the hall was noisy yesterday, Shunde was able to read out the original words of the people involved in the incident. Shunde was a young eunuch that Wang Banban had picked up from the Internal Affairs Office.
Maybe he praised Shunde yesterday and gave Shunde money as a reward.
Today, Shuncai served him in a particularly flattering way - he could clearly feel it. In order to comfort Shuncai, Xuanfu specially praised Shuncai during breakfast.
Shuncai was born in Dongchang and is a smart man. Wang Banban was busy some time ago and was not seen, so it was Shuncai who accompanied him to school. Shuncai also has his own specialties: he is quick-witted, has a good memory, and is good at handling interpersonal relationships.
But he was still young, and when he praised Shunde, Shuncai got a little angry.
After Xuanyuefu and his father had breakfast and went to the martial arts arena to play, they saw Shuncai eager to serve them. Xuanyuefu thought for a moment and did not call Shunde or Shuncai to accompany them.
Xu Xiaoman looked at them all morning and rubbed the baby's head, "Don't you want any of them?"
"They are both good, each has his own merits, but I don't want to be held hostage. I've praised Shuncai, but he still acts pitiful. I ask him to catch up, but Shunde doesn't fight or compete. Oh, I can't say, so I might as well not take them with me." Xuanyuefu became anxious as he spoke.
But to Xu Xiaoman's ears, it was just a child acting coquettishly.
His family's Duoduo is kind-hearted. No matter whether he is a classmate or a servant, he wants everyone to get along well with each other. Even if they have different temperaments and can't play together, he will never allow anyone to bully others.
"When you go back, they will be fine. Wang Yuanyuan is there to teach them," said Xu Xiaoman.
It is indeed as Jiu Qian Sui said. In the side palaces of Zi Chen Palace, Wang Da Zong Guan was warning Shun Cai and Shun De, saying that Your Highness is the Crown Prince and he has only just started. When he moves to the East Palace, there will be many eunuchs and maids to serve him. Even he cannot take care of all the work of the Crown Prince. You should each do your job and do your part well. Don't fight among yourselves or let him find out and use some tricks -
The two young eunuchs knelt down and promised that they would never dare to do it.
Xuanyuefu and his father played in the martial arts field for a while. They jumped rope until they felt warm. Then they went back to take a shower. His father was afraid of sweating and getting hot from the wind. Sure enough, when he went back, Shuncai and Shunde had reconciled. Shunde was quiet and dull, while Shuncai was smart. There was no sign of hostility between the two, and there was even a friendly atmosphere.
That's good. Xuanyunfu also breathed a sigh of relief.
While he was taking a bath, he thought about how he felt unhappy after listening to the conflict in the hall yesterday and finding out that Li Ze was a green tea-flavored glutinous rice ball. But now that he thought about it, it was not a big deal. When he was young, when Duo Fu was not yet the crown prince, Li Ang also praised him in every way because of his father's promotion.
He is the crown prince now, and the whole class actually acts according to his mood. Even if he and Li Ze cannot be true friends, he cannot give Li Ze the cold shoulder and treat him coldly. Otherwise, he will resort to cold violence to isolate Li Ze.
Just treat us as classmates.
Time will tell about a person's true character. Maybe things will get better in the future, or maybe they will just remain friends. Who knows?
After many thoughts in the bathtub, Xuan Fu couldn't help but admire himself for being more mature and stable than these elementary school students. He was indeed a man with a mind of eighteen!
Very impressive.
Then the powerful prince, with the body of an elementary school student, soaked until his whole body was rosy. He came out with a rosy face, wiped it clean and dried it, dressed himself, and went to Xuanzheng Hall with his father to have dinner with the emperor.
As soon as the father and son entered, Xuan Fu was happy as usual and didn't notice anything. Xu Xiaoman sat down to drink tea and glanced at the eunuch serving tea. His face looked a little unfamiliar, as if he was a newcomer, because he looked at him a few more times.
Zhong Yun said, "What's wrong?"
"Did you change people here?" Xu Xiaoman said, looking at Zhong Yun, "Did you drink cold tea because you were in a bad mood?"
Zhong Yun suddenly realized that Zhao Erxi had transferred the people out. He couldn't even remember what the eunuchs who served him looked like, but Xiao Man knew them clearly. He felt very happy and shook Xiao Man's hand, saying to him, "I only have eyes for you."
The cheesy love talk almost made Xuan Duofu, who was standing next to him, choke on his tea.
Manyu Fu shrugged his shoulders and hid his face, not daring to look up.
Emperor Ningwu stared at the crown prince's head with a sharp gaze and threatened: "If you dare to laugh even once, I will punish you."
Many blessings: ...
It's none of my business! It's just that the emperor's love words are too tacky, and my father said you answered a duck when you were talking to a chicken. We are already an old couple, so my father won't be jealous of this. My father is worried about your health!
Zhong Yan naturally understood that she was just taking the opportunity to flirt, and he also didn't want Xiaoman to worry about him eating cold tea, so he wanted to change the subject, but he forgot that there was such a fat burden around him.
Xuanyu Fu finally left with the tea bowl in his arms, as he couldn't hold it in any longer.
Zhao Erxi hurriedly went to the outer room to greet the prince.
Manyu Fu started coughing as soon as he got to the outer room. Some of them were choked, but they were laughing while coughing.
Emperor Ningwu in the warm room heard it and said: It’s your fault!
Nine Thousand Years Old: ...
"What's the matter? You got up early today and it's cold in winter. You have a stomach problem and you drink cold tea." Xu Xiaoman asked with a frown.
Zhong Yun did not interrupt with Xu Duofu. He briefly told about Nie Wen's visit to the court earlier and handed the memorial to Xu Xiaoman. Xu Xiaoman took it and glanced at it. He suddenly raised his head and said, "Salt Administration."
"Well, Xuanyifu said it before, next June." Zhong Yun came down from the court with a gloomy face in the morning. In fact, the officials in the court are easy to deal with. Even if some people cannot be touched now, they will be dealt with sooner or later.
What made Zhong Yun angry was that many of the blessings he had mentioned before came up against each other.
It’s not that he didn’t believe what his son said, otherwise Zhong Yun wouldn’t have sent people to check in advance. It’s just that some things surfaced, and when he thought about how Xu Xiaoman had really been murdered in the past, or in his previous life, he realized that Xu Xiaoman had been murdered.
Zhong Yun could no longer suppress the anger in his heart.
No wonder the eunuch serving tea didn't dare to come forward.
Xu Xiaoman tightened his grip on Zhong Yun's hand and said, "I'm still here. Huai Min has gone, and my people haven't come back yet." He turned the conversation to business, and thought of something, "Could Ke An have run into both of them?"
"It's very likely." Zhong Yun felt the temperature of his palm and finally regained his rationality. He said, "If it's according to what Duofu said, this case was caused by Ke An's death. You know I want to move the noble family, and other officials dare not move Jiangnan Road, so you will definitely go there."
Xiaoman was brave and wanted to relieve his worries, but she probably didn't expect that those people were so bold as to kill the governor of the East Factory.
"Ke An's whereabouts are unknown now." Xu Xiaoman heard Zhong Yun's tone becoming more and more angry, so he naturally led the topic to a positive direction, "Ke An should go and check. My people will definitely send spies to keep an eye on Ke An. Ke An will not die."
Xu Xiaoman is very confident.
To be honest, the people from the East Depot all hate being officials. When Ke An investigated the salt administration, the first thing that came to their mind was: here comes the corrupt officials who protect each other, and they will definitely keep a close eye on Ke An.
"Zhong Yun, the matter of the salt administration in Jiangnan Province——"
"You are not allowed to go." Zhong Yun interrupted with a sullen face.
Xu Xiaoman smiled, "I'm afraid of death, so I won't go." He teased Zhong Yun on purpose, so he wouldn't look so sullen.
Zhong Yun knew that Xiaoman was not afraid of death. If she was really afraid of death, she should not have come back after running away. He was just using this to comfort himself. It was he who was afraid of death and was afraid that something might happen to Xiaoman.
"Zhou Ruwei is willing to go, but he is too stubborn and easily defeated. Besides, he has other uses. The evidence sent by Ke An is insufficient. When your and my people come back, we will have evidence. But there is no rush. Wait until all the fish in Shengdu and other places jump out, and then we will investigate them all this time." The more Zhong Yun spoke, the more obvious his murderous intent became.
Xu Xiaoman heard that Zhong Yun knew what was going on, so he didn't say much. He was not as resourceful as Zhong Yun in terms of political views, so he trusted Zhong Yun wholeheartedly. At this time, he stood up and hugged Zhong Yun, patting his back as if he was touching Duoduo.
Zhong Yun suddenly laughed, "You treat me like a blessing."
"I'm just trying to comfort you." Xu Xiaoman said with a smile.
The two looked at each other and laughed. Zhong Yun's eyes were no longer dark. He took Xiao Man's hand, got off the couch and put on his shoes, and said, "It's this hour, and Xuan Fu is outside and not complaining of hunger?"
"Oh, yes. Duoduo and I have been jumping rope for the whole morning. On the way here, he even shouted that he wanted to eat two bowls of rice today." Xu Xiaoman smiled when he mentioned his son.
Zhong Yun: "I only ate four pancakes this morning and I'm so angry. Now that you mentioned that, I'm hungry too."
Xuan Fu was shocked when he heard outside that the emperor father "only ate four cakes". It seemed that his appetite was still too small, but he could not finish four cakes at all.
Zhong Yun and Xu Xiaoman came out and saw Duo Fu's eyes——
His eldest son kept glancing at his belly.
As soon as Zhong Yun saw it, he knew that Duoyufu had bad intentions, but he still wanted to ask: "Why do you keep staring at my belly?"
Xuan Duo Fu: ...I dare not say it, but I can’t help it.
So Duo Xiufu went around to his father and said, "Father, I just heard you say that you eat four cakes in the morning. You are very busy and sit all morning. Eat too much. Be careful not to get fat."
He is really kind-hearted and filial, because his father is actually a bit obsessed with looks.
It's written in the novel that the two of them have a great physical desire for each other and drive whenever they have nothing to do. Because they are a perfect match in this respect, it would be too bad if his father got fat in middle age.
Zhong Jue:......
Xu Xiaoman couldn't help laughing. Zhong Yun turned to look at Xiaoman and was shocked. Xu Xiaoman quickly defended Zhong Yun and said, "Your father's waist is all muscle, not fat."
"Apart from the morning court, I get up early every day to practice sword for half an hour. You don't have to worry about it. It's better for you to worry about your own stomach. Touch, touch." Emperor Ningwu lowered his chin and looked at his son with contempt. The last four words "touch" clearly showed that he was a little anxious.
Xuanyunfu touched his belly, which was plump, and he couldn't help but bark in sorrow, "Then I'd better eat a bowl of rice today."
Xu Xiaoman then realized that Zhong Yun got up early every day to practice swordplay and boxing. He did this for years just to stay in shape... He looked at Zhong Yun, his eyes full of love, and he even forgot to comfort his son by saying "one bowl of rice is not enough."
But wait until the imperial meal is served.
Duo Xuanfu had been hungry all morning, and he was in high spirits once he started eating. He completely forgot that he had just said that he would only eat one bowl of rice to maintain his figure, and he ate two bowls of rice and two bowls of soup, and ate most of the dishes, and touched his face contentedly -
Wait, I ate too much and my belly is so round.
Xuanyuefu: ...I don’t really regret it.
Only when you are full can you grow taller, and he has painted a pie of "long legs" for his legs.
The Crown Prince was full of reasoning, but Emperor Ningwu sneered and said, "Zhao Erxi, did you hear that? Ask the imperial kitchen to serve four more desserts to the Crown Prince in an hour, so that my beloved son won't starve."
Xuanyu Fu: This is his father’s conspiracy!
Because his emperor father was staring at his belly when he said this.
But Xuanfu was reluctant to give up his afternoon snack, so he thanked his father with tears in his eyes.
Hehehehe~happy.
After dinner, he went back because he had some homework to do. Dad didn't leave, but worked with Emperor Dad. Just now during dinner, he noticed that Dad picked up a lot of dishes for Emperor Dad, and the atmosphere was full of pink bubbles.
He won't stay to be a light bulb.
In the warm room of the side hall, Xu Xiaoman was peeling pine nuts for Zhong Yun. Zhong Yun complained that the shells were too hard and hurt his hands, so he said, "I don't want to eat this." Then he thought of something and changed his tone, saying, "You peel it like Duo Fu."
Xu Xiaoman:?
Responding, "Use your teeth to chew it? Don't you mind your saliva——"
"What part of your Ninth Thousand Years' Own that I haven't tasted?" Zhong Yun said.
Xu Xiaoman's face flushed, and he put down the pine nuts. He was in the Xuanzheng Hall in broad daylight, and he hesitated for a moment.
"No, just hug you."
Xuan Zheng Hall is not like Zi Chen Palace. There are many people in Xuan Zheng Hall and court officials will come. He loves Xiao Man in his heart. You can ask yourself, in all dynasties, which queen would fool around with the emperor in broad daylight in the hall.
He knew that Xiaoman loved and cherished him, so she would definitely agree, but Zhongyun didn't want to flirt with Xiaoman.
Now is not the time when Wuzhou was in power, where she could be found everywhere in the mountains and plains... He was young at that time, and he didn't know the concept of love, so he asked for too much. Later he realized that if he treated Xiaoman like this, those servants who changed their attitude according to the situation would definitely despise Xiaoman and think that Xiaoman was his boy lover.
Xiaoman is older than him, and at that age she is not considered a pedophile.
It's just that the eunuchs have no name or status, not even a concubine, just like a tool for him to vent his desires at any time -
When Zhong Yun thought of this, his heart ached and he regretted treating Xiao Man like that. He said solemnly, "I shouldn't have said those frivolous words just now. I apologize to you."
The present has its own advantages, and they should be a loving couple.
Xu Xiaoman: ???
Why did Zhong Yun suddenly become serious?
He just wanted to tell Zhong Yun to eat more, stay healthy, and live a long and healthy life. Even if Zhong Yun had a swollen belly, he didn't mind, really.
The author has something to say:
Your Highness Duozi: I am really a filial son!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
