Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

Chapter 1187 Postscript 43·The repeated pull between rookies

Eight maids stood around, holding various utensils in their hands, such as gold basins filled with hot water and towels.

At this time, "washing hands in a golden basin" has nothing to do with the underworld's retirement.

The dining table is filled with gold, silver and jade.

Although Xie Yan looked normal, he felt a little conflicted in his heart. He didn't like this meaningless luxury.

There were also maids carrying dishes filed in. They cooked a total of twelve dishes, mainly sheep, pigs, fish, poultry and vegetables. The tables were almost full, and the dishes and dishes were all made of gold and silver.

The cook changed her clothes and stood nearby to explain the dishes.

Every time he talked about a dish, Zhu Tangxi asked Xie Yan to taste it.

Finally, Xie Yan couldn't help it anymore and asked tentatively: "Sister, do you usually eat like this?"

Zhu Tangxi did not answer directly, but said: "Liu Lang is a guest for the first time, so naturally he should treat him warmly."

Xie Yan can pretend to be a green tea scheming man, but he is not a real licker. When it is time to show his attitude, he will never hide it: "I appreciate your sister's kindness, but there is no need to spend such money. Besides, I'm used to it. Porcelain bowl, suddenly I feel uncomfortable eating with gold bowl.”

Zhu Tangxi was not angry when he heard this, but smiled brightly: "Liu Lang is blaming me for being too extravagant?"

"Don't dare," Xie Yan stopped talking about this topic. He knew that the other party could understand, so he flattered her, "My sister's golden branches and jade leaves are a perfect match for these gold, silver and jade articles."

"You are not very old, but you have so many things on your mind." Zhu Tangxi's tone seemed to be reproachful, but also ridiculing.

Seeing that Zhu Tangxi was not really angry, Xie Yan felt that he could continue to test the princess' personality.

The princess picked him, and he picked the princess.

I am a time traveler!

Xie Yan picked up a pair of ivory chopsticks and gave Zhu Tangxi a piece of meat: "Sister, can you usually read novels?"

Zhu Tangxi said: "I have read a few books."

Xie Yan said: "Last year, the imperial court lifted the ban on a book called "Tears of an Orphaned Child". Has my sister ever read it?"

"Liu Lang, are you ordering me?" Zhu Tangxi smiled slightly, "The wine and meat in Zhumen are stinky, and there are freezing bones on the road. I have read Du Shaoling's poems a lot. His majesties, Taizu and Taizong, have always been known for their frugality, and even stipulated The number of dishes for the official banquet.”

Xie Yan said: "Taizu and Taizong are both saints."

Zhu Tangxi asked: "Do you know how to abide by the regulations at official banquets now?"

"I don't know." Xie Yan shook his head.

Zhu Tangxi said: "Use special large plates to serve dishes. Each large plate has at least five compartments. If five dishes are put into one dish, it will not violate the rules. My father once angrily criticized the minister of Guanglu Temple, and the state banquets and official banquets in Beijing were finally Be more restrained. From the dignitaries in the court to the wealthy people, everyone said that if the clothes and food are not luxurious, they will not be able to show the prosperity of the Ming Dynasty. "

Xie Yan asked: "Sister, do you agree with this?"

Zhu Tangxi asked back: "What do you think?"

Xie Yan told the truth: "I think everyone has desires and good face, and no one can escape vanity. I am a very vulgar person, and I also like fancy clothes and delicious food, but I think there should be a limit."

Zhu Tangxi pointed to the marigolds, jade butterflies and various dishes on the table, and then pointed to the maid holding valuable utensils next to her: "Does this make you unhappy?"

Xie Yan put down his chopsticks: "Sister, are you testing me?"

Zhu Tangxi pretended not to understand: "What kind of test?"

Xie Yan felt even more confident: "See if I am a person who loves vanity and covets wealth. If I praise these gold, silver and jade articles, I'm afraid it will be difficult to open the door of my sister's house next time I come back."

Zhu Tangxi did not admit or deny, but explained: "These valuable artifacts were copied from the homes of guilty ministers and kept in the royal warehouse. Occasionally, a few pieces were taken out to reward the meritorious officials. When I moved out of the palace, My father also gave me some. I used to use them for banquets, and all the guests praised them, but now I think they are not interested."

Xie Yan wanted to ask sourly: My ex-husband also likes to show off, right?

Forget it, the dead person is the most important.

Anyway, your wife is mine from now on!

Zhu Tangxi recalled the past with some sadness, picked up a wine cup and had a drink with Xie Yan: "Glory and wealth are just fleeting. Things I once thought were precious are now the cheapest things in the world. He... forget it, Not to mention this spoiler."

Qingluan leaned over to help the princess pour wine, and then filled Xie Yan's glass.

The eldest princess seemed to have a lot of things hidden in her heart, but she could never find anyone to talk to.

She felt that Xie Yan had passed the test, so she took advantage of the wine and said, "You are very good. It was the first time I came as a guest, and you dared to use "Tears of an Orphaned Child" to persuade me not to be too extravagant in front of many gold, silver, and jade objects. This is a good way for me My father is the first person I speak to, but you are the second. I was indeed very luxurious back then, and even the ostentation in King Yong’s house was far inferior to that of mine.”

Xie Yan turned into a scheming little green tea again: "I like my sister, so I won't lie to her, and I will say whatever I think."

Zhu Tangxi smiled happily when he heard this: "If you don't like these things, you can use them for the last time today. Send the gold and silver to Baoquan Bureau to exchange them for money."

"You can keep a few things, I'm actually very tacky. These two gold lamps are very beautiful, and I also like these pairs of ivory chopsticks." Xie Yan said in a joking tone.

The topic just now was a bit heavy, but this joke made the atmosphere more relaxed.

Zhu Tangxi glanced at him: "I can see clearly, you are just a little naughty guy, and you are just pretending to be honest."

Xie Yan immediately admitted: "Sister, I have a sharp eye, but I am actually full of evil."

Zhu Tangxi took another sip of wine, raised his eyebrows and asked with a smile: "What kind of bad water are there?"

Xie Yan waved his hands repeatedly: "It's insulting to gentlemen, and you can't say it casually. If sister wants to know, there will be plenty of time in the future."

Zhu Tangxi seemed to think of something, her cheeks suddenly turned red, and she spat: "You are indeed a little scoundrel. I don't want to hear those dirty thoughts of yours."

The atmosphere was not only relaxed, but also somewhat ambiguous.

Xie Yan actually started to pretend to be innocent again, and asked with a confused look: "What are you talking about, sister? Why can't I understand?"

Zhu Tangxi suddenly couldn't laugh or cry, and his thoughts became more and more distorted: "If you had said this to the girl's family today, your legs would have been broken and thrown out. A prodigal must have deceived many women. I must Send someone to check your details."

Xie Yan exclaimed, "What an injustice! I said this because I like my sister, and I have never liked other girls. And I didn't say anything. It must be my sister who is thinking wildly."

"The thief shouts, catch the thief!" Zhu Tangxi took another sip of wine to hide her emotions. She was already itchy.

While the princess was still drunk, Xie Yan made some nonsense and then started talking about the business: "Sister, I'm almost out of money. When I went out, my parents only gave me three hundred coins."

Zhu Tangxi completely let go and started joking: "Want to borrow money? And you said you're not greedy for money!"

Xie Yan sat upright, patted his chest and said, "How can a man of nine feet ask a woman to borrow money? My sister really underestimates me."

"Then what do you want to do?" Zhu Tangxi said, "I have a manor in the suburbs, and I don't live there very often. I can rent it to you, and all expenses will be recorded in the account. It is convenient for studying or doing research."

Xie Yanyi was filled with anger: "Then I won't be able to live with a rich woman?"

"Fucking a rich woman? Hahahaha!" When Zhu Tangxi heard this statement for the first time, he was so amused that he slapped the table and laughed.

Xie Yan said: "I want to jointly set up a factory with my sister."

Zhu Tangxi immediately put away his smile and said with a serious expression: "You are the son of an official, and according to the law, you are not allowed to engage in industry and commerce. I am a princess, and I am not allowed to engage in industry and commerce. Although this decree has become a piece of paper and can be easily bypassed, the court is in the process of reform. , I don’t know how many people want to make trouble. We can’t touch this thing.”

Xie Yan was silent, he really hadn't thought about this.

Zhu Tangxi asked: "What do you want to run?"

Xie Yan said: "Cement."

Zhu Tangxi said: "If we build a factory to produce cement, I'm afraid it will be difficult for the business to be prosperous, unless I force the merchants to buy as a princess. My father did not allow the powerful to do business in the first place to prevent someone from bullying the market."

Clan without title were allowed to engage in industry and commerce.

Therefore, the law has become a piece of paper, it is too easy to circumvent it, just find a down-and-out clan to be the legal person. You don’t even need to write down the shares clearly. As long as the real powerful people don’t fall, will the down-and-out clan still dare to embezzle it?

Xie Yan explained: "My cement is different. I can sell it easily without borrowing anyone's power. I have no capital, so I want to open a factory in Luoyang in partnership with my sister. Over there in my hometown in Hebei, maybe I will set up a factory, but leave everything to my family.”

"What's different about your cement?" Zhu Tangxi asked.

Xie Yan said: "It is more sturdy and durable. If it is equipped with steel bars, cobblestones and other materials, it can at least build houses to more than ten floors."

Zhu Tangxi understood: "Have you improved the cement?"

"It still needs to be tested." Xie Yan said.

Zhu Tangxi said: "Then you have to test it first before talking. I have to ask the Queen Mother and the Prime Minister about setting up the factory."

Xie Yan added: "Please ask my sister to help find someone who is good at smelting. I need to increase the furnace temperature as much as possible, but I don't know how high the furnace temperature can be today."

"Okay." Zhu Tangxi agreed immediately.

After getting down to business, Zhu Tangxi asked curiously: "Are you really confident in improving cement?"

Xie Yan said: "Nine times out of ten."

Zhu Tangxi smiled and poured wine for Xie Yan himself: "I don't know what your brain is like, you always have many weird ideas. Just the agate balance you made has kept many scholars busy these days. All of them are staying in Luoyang. Don’t leave, wait in line to do experiments with your scale.”

Xie Yan smiled and said: "They wish they could be busier."

"But they are all anxious to produce results."

Zhu Tangxi asked all the maids to retire, leaving only her and Xie Yan drinking at the same table.

She kept picking up food for Xie Yan, fearing that the young gentleman would be hungry, and she would not eat a few bites because she didn't have a big appetite.

The two of them drank a few more glasses of wine, each feeling a little drunk. Seeing her blushing face, Xie Yan subconsciously started to pretend to be tender again: "I want my sister to feed me."

Zhu Tangxi said with a straight face: "Eat it yourself!"

"Ah~~~" Xie Yan opened his mouth.

Zhu Tangxi looked outside and found that the door had been closed.

She was a little drunk, and she became more and more open-minded because of the drunkenness. She actually put some food into Xie Yan's mouth and complained like a coquettish girl, "Who did you learn to be such a scoundrel?"

Xie Yan got the advantage and behaved well, smiling and said: "The food my sister feeds is really delicious."

"Can it change the taste?" Zhu Tangxi said and started to pick up vegetables again, while looking towards the door with a guilty conscience.

So exciting.

This little enemy knows how to play tricks on others.

(I have something to do during the day, so I will update it today.)