Chapter 78: The eunuch led Demu to exchange silver and was busy accompanying...
After the eunuch took Demu to exchange the silver, he hurriedly accompanied him to the clothing shop.
Since it was not suitable to carry camels, horses and the like when shopping, he ordered two Dashengkui's servants to put the animals and luggage at his residence first.
Going north from Desheng Gate, there is a wide road with a Lama Temple in the middle, called Huangsi. It was built during the reign of the previous emperor. In the past, Mongolian and Tibetan living Buddhas had stayed there. Gradually, it became the residence of Mongolian and Tibetan princes and taijis when they came to the capital.
Around the Yellow Temple, there is a newly built courtyard, which was specially built as an outer residence for the newly arrived princes of Mobei.
The clerks from the Lifanyuan were going in and out with books in their hands, counting the rooms and watching the laborers put things away.
"Hey, don't bring this camel into the yard. It smells so bad! It will leave camel dung all over the ground."
"There's a special area at the back for tying horses and camels. Go there."
As he was talking, the waiter of Dashengkui handed over a snuff bottle with a big smile on his face: "Thank you for your trouble. We came here with the Mobei Taiji. We would like to clean the room first. Please give us a favor."
The clerk weighed the snuff bottle, which was a glazed blue color and looked very pretty. He smiled and put the thing into his sleeve.
"You came early, so the room facing north and south is just right for you to stay in."
"Oh, thank you so much."
"As for the livestock, you guys should take up a good position first and separate them with wooden railings so that people won't get confused when they come from behind."
The two men split up and worked busy, one to clean the house and the other to arrange the livestock.
When it was getting dark, Demu, who was happily shopping, hummed a little tune as he walked to Waiguan Street. He saw a hawker shouting at the door, carrying a wooden stick with many red fruit strings on it.
As I was staring at it, I suddenly heard a Mongolian greeting from behind: "Demu! You are also on duty in this class."
Looking back, he saw that it was a young taiji from the Zasaktu Khanate, who was an old acquaintance of Demu.
"Haha, exactly. You just arrived?"
"Yes, just now? Entering the capital."
Demu was talking to the young Taiji when he saw the peddler carrying a wooden stick was about to walk away. He hurriedly shouted to him, "Hey, hey, stop!"
Although the peddler did not understand Mongolian, he saw the bearded nobleman's actions and realized that he was being called, so he came over immediately.
"Would you like some candied haws?"
Neither Demu nor the young Taiji understood, and looked like "What are you talking about?"
Eunuch Tian came forward and translated, "He sells candied haws, a kind of dessert made of hawthorns wrapped in rock sugar, which is also a specialty of the capital."
"Then give me two skewers." Demu said, waving his hand.
The young Taiji said, "I still owe you a meal of mare's milk last time. I'll treat you to this little treat."
He glanced at the guard beside him, who took out a silver ingot from his waist pouch and said to the vendor in unfamiliar Chinese: "Give me the change."
The peddler looked at the silver ingot and was completely stunned.
No, I was just teasing him. Who would sell candied haws with enough change to make a silver ingot?
The vendor wanted to cry but had no tears: "I don't have that much change. This must be a large ingot of ten or two taels of silver."
"What the hell? You won't sell it for money?"
"Otherwise, just think of it as a gift to you..."
"What are you talking about! We came to Beijing to cheat people and didn't pay? You make us look like unreasonable people!"
Eunuch Tian was really unable to translate, so he immediately took out ten copper coins and stuffed them into the vendor's hand. He took two strings of candied haws and turned to explain to another Mongolian Taiji, "A string of candied haws is at most five coins. I really can't make a change for your silver ingot. I definitely don't mean to be disrespectful. Please try it first and see how it tastes."
Demu bit a candied haws, crunched it, and smiled, "Not bad."
The young taiji felt a little embarrassed and glared at his guard. He had praised him for being thoughtful and exchanging the sheep for silver with the merchant in advance! How come he only exchanged for silver and not copper coins?
He tried to brush the matter off, and said vaguely, "Oh, well, let me try it too, what is this called?"
"Tanghulu."
The young taiji turned the red fruit and looked at it for a while. The outer layer of the shiny shell looked like ice and snow. He bit into it and it made a snapping sound. The sweetness of the shell mixed with the slightly sour taste of the crunchy hawthorn flesh inside was quite good.
The two of them had a delicious meal and then walked into the Mongolian Embassy.
Because they arrived early, the clerk from the Lifanyuan who came to greet them simply arranged for them to live next door to each other.
The young Taiji was talking to Demu about some of the troubles he encountered when he came to Beijing. When they reached the courtyard, they went to one of his rooms to have a look. The bed and bedding had been made, all indigo blue, and there was not much dust on the tables and chairs. It looked pretty good. It was clean, so he should be comfortable. The young Taiji pressed the cotton quilt and thought with a smile.
However, when they arrived at Demu's room, the young Taiji's smile faded a little.
As soon as I entered the room, I was hit by warmth. The charcoal fire had been lit and it was warm, unlike the room I had just entered, which was still cold.
Also, why is the color of the bed in Demu's room so beautiful? There are also cloud patterns. The wooden tables and chairs are covered with corresponding tablecloths, and there is even a pot of flowers placed near the window!
This Demu's rank and title are exactly the same as his! It doesn't make sense to give him special treatment.
The young Taiji suppressed his emotions, spoke a few words to Demu first, and then went out. Only then did he angrily go to look for the clerk in the Lifanyuan.
"What do you mean? Why is my house not as good as Demu's? I will report this to your superiors."
The clerk was startled, but when he came to his senses, he immediately explained: "How could that be? All the rooms are decorated in the same way!"
To prove his innocence, he immediately opened a nearby room and showed it to the young taiji: "Take a look, aren't they all the same?"
The indigo bedspreads and sheets, wooden tables and chairs, and enamel kettle were all exactly the same as those in the young Taiji's room.
The young Taiji saw it with his own eyes and then asked suspiciously, "Why is Demu's room so comfortable? He just got there just like me."
The Lifanyuan clerk said stiffly, "His men came here to clean up first. Those new things were bought by himself. If you want to add something yourself, we won't interfere."
Demu, that rough guy, made his own tent look like a cowshed or sheep pen. When did he become so meticulous?
The young Taiji was puzzled.
He thought about it and decided to go find Demu to find out the truth.
As I was walking over there, I saw a few waiters carrying a table over. On the table there was a copper pot, some vegetables, and a piece of good mutton.
The clerk of the Lifanyuan saw the young Taiji looking over there, and fearing that he might make a fuss out of misunderstanding, he immediately explained: "This is also the meal ordered by Demu Taiji's own subordinates! We have prepared meals for the new Taiji, and although it is not this, it tastes pretty good. Do you want us to serve you the meal now?"
"Wait a moment."
Since the rooms are so different, I guess the meals will be different as well.
The young Taiji was a little curious, so he followed the waiter and entered Demu's house.
"Brother, you came just in time!"
Demu saw him and said with a smile: "I heard that this is the northern fresh mutton hotpot that is very popular in Beijing now, and it is the mutton shipped from Mobei. We can try it."
Eunuch Tian took the opportunity to show off his achievements: "This hot pot restaurant is very popular in the capital. You have to reserve a table in advance, otherwise if you go to the restaurant at this time, you will have to wait for an hour before you can eat. I specially made arrangements in advance and asked them to send someone to deliver it."
Actually, it wasn't, he and Demu entered the capital at the same time. It was only because Beilaixian saw that the princess used the seal that they were willing to deliver the food so quickly.
The two taijis who had just arrived in the capital were unaware of all these twists and turns and just happily started eating hot pot mutton.
The young Taiji took a sip of his bowl and asked, "By the way, Brother Demu, you seem to be well prepared for your trip to Beijing. Do you know anyone there?"
Demu laughed: "No way."
"Oh, there must be one," the young Taiji poured a full glass of wine for Demu, "I toast you one."
The wine brewed here has no color, but it burns the throat when you drink it. After just two or three cups, I feel a little dizzy.
Seeing that Demu's face was red, the young taiji took the opportunity to ask: "Just tell me, my brother will also have to go to Beijing to serve next year, and he is waiting for me to arrange it for him first. Fortunately, I know such an outstanding person like Demu, otherwise I don't know how to respond to him."
Demu drunkenly said: "Actually, it's not that difficult. Someone introduced me to a company called Dashengkui, they will arrange everything for you..."
When Lady Tian, who was serving nearby, heard this, he felt very happy. Well, there was one more guest, and he could also get more reward money.
In a good mood, he told his men to keep a close eye on Taiji and call him if he needed anything, then he headed towards Huaishu Hutong.
This alley was originally the residence of the owner of Rong'an Pawnshop. Because there were many people coming and going, he simply rented out the two houses in front of the alley as an office space. It looks inconspicuous from the outside, but in fact, many of the employees of Rong'an Pawnshop, Rong'an Money Shop, Beilaixian, and the copper business live here.
This time, Eunuch Tian came to take charge of the annual affairs and lived in the locust tree courtyard with the people of Dashengkui.
Cui Gu was checking the accounts on the abacus when she heard the noise and asked, "Are you ready?"
Eunuch Tian said, "Yes, thank you for your leniency. I will send a table of wine and food here immediately."
"I will certainly follow the princess' instructions." Cui Gu came out from behind the counter. "Remember to tell the clerk about the things that happened on the way so that he can compile them into a book and give them as instructions to the clerks later."
She made a cup of tea and handed it to him while reminding him, "Also, there is a teahouse in the third room out of the main gate of Huangsi Street. It is also our shop. If those taijis want to have tea and rest, take them there."
Eunuch Tian agreed and sighed, "We have to buy every copper coin of these taijis coming to Beijing. Thank you for the tea."
In the big tent in Mobei, the princess was boiling snow and making tea with Yunqi.
“Live by the mountain, eat by the mountain; live by the water, eat by the water.”
Clean snow water collected from places where no one has ever passed by was poured out of the jar and placed in a plain three-color porcelain pot. A small red clay stove slowly melted the snow.
Mu Xue held her chin with her hand, patiently waiting for the snow water to gradually boil, her pearl earrings swaying slightly: "Since I have inherited the cause and effect of this Manchu-Mongolian marriage, I must hold on to this one firmly."
"Khan Ama let these princes and nobles take charge of the year in order to consolidate the power of the central government. Even so, this system will only be carried forward. In the future, the princes and nobles on the grassland will come to the capital more and more frequently. While the land price is still cheap, the people in the capital can buy more shops near the foreign embassy. That area will surely prosper with the support of people and policies."
"Subordinate? I've got it in mind." Yunqi said.
The lingering tea fragrance gradually faded away. Mu Xue pondered for a moment and said, "In addition to the convenience of gold and silver, I have another consideration."
"You are a smart person, so you know that businessmen are prone to finding out the truth."
"If Dashengkui can take charge of the entire Mongolian princely duties, then the princes and nobles from both the southern and northern deserts will be able to know their movements and concerns along the way."
Mu Xue smiled and said, "Only if you know yourself and the enemy can you win every battle. It is also a good thing to know which direction the wind blows on the grassland through these insignificant little things. Do you know what I mean?"
"Minion? Understood." Yunqi stood in awe, "Make sure they keep a close eye on it."
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