Chapter 428 Buddha Jumps Over the Wall
Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan were studying tomorrow's route in the room to see if there was a shorter route that would allow them to reach Qingzhou sooner.
A slight knock on the door broke the silence in the room, and Li Moxu's voice penetrated the door and sounded respectfully:
"Your Excellencies, dinner has been prepared."
Zhu Qingyan's eyes still stayed on the map: "Send it in when it's ready."
Li Moxu outside the door seemed to hesitate for a moment, then smiled carefully and said, "Well... could the two imperial envoys please move to the lobby downstairs for dinner?"
Zhu Lan and the other person looked at each other in surprise. Zhu Qingyan walked over and opened the door.
"Why do we have to go to the lobby?"
Li Moxu's smile carried some indescribable meaning, and he said softly: "You two adults will know the result when you go downstairs. I will definitely not let you down."
Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan put away the map and followed Li Moxu into the lobby. In the lobby, several young people in colorful costumes were standing and waiting, some with colorful flags behind them, and some holding gongs, looking eagerly in the direction where the few people appeared.
"Lord Li, what does this mean?" Zhu Lan asked.
Li Moxu smiled and said, "Mr. Zhongcheng, you may not know that Du County is a hotbed of opera and acrobatics. The local people, regardless of gender or age, love opera and are good at performing. I am afraid that the two imperial envoys will be bored on the way, so I invited people to help liven up the atmosphere."
When Zhu Qingyan heard someone singing, his eyes lit up slightly at first, but then he became a little worried.
"We are here to provide disaster relief. If we play and sing on the road...will it cause criticism if this gets out?"
Zhu Lan nodded and said to Li Moxu:
"Sir Li, as the Chief Censor, it is my duty to lead by example. All expenses of this trip must be reported to the Ministry of Revenue for review after returning to Beijing. If there are any unnecessary expenses, I am afraid it will be difficult to explain after returning."
Li Moxu quickly explained:
"Master Zhongcheng has misunderstood!"
He pointed at the young men and said, "These young people all admire the reputations of the two adults and come here voluntarily without asking for any money. This is the sincere wish of the people. If you refuse, I am afraid it will hurt their enthusiasm."
Zhu Lan glanced at the young men and saw that they were looking at him eagerly. He was moved and finally nodded in agreement.
"Well, since it is the will of the people, I cannot refuse. After the performance, please invite them to stay and have a meal together."
Upon hearing this, the young people's faces lit up with joy, and they quickly took action to set up the scenery and arrange the props, everything was in order.
Soon, two young women walked to the front of the stage to the sound of gongs and drums. As soon as they opened their mouths, their clear oriole-like voices penetrated the entire official post station and drowned out the surrounding noise.
"I am originally a girl from Jiangzhou..."
After listening to a few words, Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan immediately realized that this was the story of how the two of them passed the imperial examinations as heroic women, one winning the top spot and the other the third place.
When the two girls were performing, they always looked at Zhu Lan and the other one with light in their eyes, and Zhu Lan also smiled and greeted them.
Zhu Qingyan felt that although the lyrics contained some fictional and imaginative elements, they were sincere and heartfelt, and he did not hesitate to praise himself with words of admiration.
She looked calm, but couldn't help but straighten her chest slightly.
The two girls sang in a baby voice, and the postman began to serve the dishes amid the clear opera tunes.
As the opera tunes became more melodious, the postman began to serve the dishes. Several light porridges and side dishes were placed on the table in order, just as Zhu Lan had ordered before.
However, when a bowl of fragrant Buddha Jumps Over the Wall appeared before their eyes, Zhu Lan and Zhu Qingyan frowned at the same time.
The ingredients of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall are precious, and this portion alone is not cheap. Moreover, this bowl of Buddha Jumps Over the Wall is very exquisite, whether it is the serving vessel or the decoration on the soup.
The dish smelled so fragrant as soon as it came up that even the two girls who were singing opera couldn't help but cast envious glances at it.
However, Zhu Lan and the other person had no intention of picking up their chopsticks.
Seeing Zhu Lan frowning and saying nothing, Zhu Qingyan couldn't help but whispered:
"Lord Li really means well but ends up doing something bad... The people are still suffering, but we are enjoying such luxurious food at the post station. I'm afraid it's not appropriate."
At this time, Li Moxu stepped forward and said:
"My Lords, this is a small gift from the Duxian Postmaster. I thought that you are women after all and your bodies are weaker. It has been a bitter and cold journey, so you must eat something good to replenish your body."
Zhu Lan looked at him and said seriously:
"Sir Li, this is against the rules. If it were just a commoner performing, it would be fine. Although the postmaster is a lowly official, he is still an official, and there is a difference between him and us.
He took out such a valuable thing to treat us, which is beyond the rules. I appreciate the postmaster's kindness, but this dish cannot be used. "
"This..." Li Moxu smiled awkwardly, and said that there was no need to be so serious about this matter. The official post station had people coming and going every day, and it was normal for the people below to express their opinions. There would be no problem.
Zhu Lan's attitude did not waver at all.
She glanced at the young people who were performing hard, thought for a moment and said:
"I can't repay the kindness of the people. Let's give them this Buddha Jumps Over the Wall as a reward.
Qingyan, remember to pay the cost of this dish to the postmaster later as a token of our appreciation."
Zhu Qingyan nodded in agreement, and Li Moxu had no choice but to smile awkwardly and agree, and took the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall away.
The young men who were singing had just finished their performance. When they heard that Zhu Zhongcheng had actually given them the Buddha Jumps Over the Wall as a reward, they were all overjoyed and thanked him repeatedly.
What was left on the table was the porridge and side dishes that Zhu Lan had requested earlier.
Zhu Qingyan was about to pick up his chopsticks when he heard Zhu Lan say:
"etc."
Zhu Qingyan was puzzled, but still put down his chopsticks and looked at Zhu Lan.
Zhu Lan's eyes wandered among the dishes. Suddenly he picked up a bowl of wine, stood up, and pushed open the door of the post station.
A cold wind suddenly blew into the room.
Zhu Lan tightened his fox fur scarf and said loudly to the soldiers who were warming themselves by the fire outside:
“You have all worked hard along the way, but there is still wind and snow ahead, which will make the work even harder.
Today, I offer you this bowl of wine, and I will add some delicious dishes for you. I hope you will eat and drink your fill, and we will get to Qingzhou soon!"
"Thank you, Lord Zhongcheng!" The soldiers stood up and said in unison.
So Zhu Lan distributed all the food, and said that he wanted to see the folk customs of Du County with Zhu Qingyan, and took her out to eat.
The two men were dressed warmly, and the moment their figures disappeared outside the gate of the official post station, the smile on Li Moxu's face suddenly became a little cold.
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