I'm watching the gate in the jail

Today's meal was prepared by Wanda in order to reward the brothers who have worked hard to handle the case for the past few days and will be on duty in Beizhen Fusi on New Year's Eve.

Mr. Yuan and Mr. Wang are going to be on duty in the imperial city tonight as usual, and tomorrow morning they will go to worship the imperial mausoleum together with Sheng Jia, so they did not come to "have fun with the people".

Therefore, for this "New Year's Eve dinner" held in the dining hall, Wanda Wanqianhu has the highest position in the Beizhen Fusi Yamen.

The boss is away, and the kid rebelled.

Many brothers who were not on duty today came to join in the fun, and walked into the Yamen together during the meal time to wish each other New Year's greetings.

Today, Beizhen Fusi has swept away the gloomy and solemn past, but decorated with lanterns and festoons, in a harmonious atmosphere.If it weren't for the bleak wind in the prison behind, and the screams from time to time, others would have thought it was some big restaurant.

"Thousands of households, happy Chinese New Year, you are auspicious."

"Deng Zongqi, Happy Chinese New Year. Find a seat yourself, I won't greet you."

Deng Xiang walked into the dining hall with two jugs of wine, and saw Wanda directing Gao Hui and the two wrestlers to prepare dishes, which were continuously brought out from the kitchen.

There were three tables of Jinyiwei who came to eat the New Year's Eve dinner today, and the back chef killed six sheep for this.

"Hey, what are these...it's too rich."

After greeting everyone, Deng Xiang went to sit down beside Yang Xiuxian who was already seated.

Seeing the empty wine glass in front of Yang Xiuxian, Deng Xiang smiled and raised the wine jar in his hand.

"This is the 'Xiangxuemei' wine given to me by a friend of Jinyiwei in Nanjing. It's rare that I don't have to go to work today, and I can still drink in the dining hall, so I brought it here. You must try it."

Yang Xiuxian smiled and clinked a glass with him.

"Why won't my sister-in-law be angry if you don't have a reunion dinner at home today?"

Unlike bachelor Yang Xiuxian and Gao Hui, Deng Xiang has a wife and a daughter.There are also houses in Beijing, as well as servants and old maids, which can be called a well-to-do family.

"I took my daughter to Daxing's mother's house to celebrate the New Year. She insisted that the smell of blood in the inner city was too strong and she couldn't stand it. Why can't I smell it?"

"That's because our bodies are already covered in blood, and we go in and out of the imperial prison every day, so we've already gotten used to it."

Yang Xiuxian smiled wryly.

Deng Xiang's house in the capital is near the West Market, and as soon as he opens the window, he can see the bustling streets with four archways... and hundreds of people's heads shaking like lanterns.

Not wanting her daughter to see such a horrible scene, Mrs. Deng decided when the heads of these people would be removed and when she would return to Beijing.

"Master Wan, what kind of dishes are these, and what's their name?"

Seeing the table full of dishes, such as cold, hot, soup, and soup, some of which he knew and some of which he had never seen before, Qiu Zijin couldn't help asking.

"Today is the whole sheep banquet. Speaking of which, everyone is able to eat this meal thanks to Qiu Jiansheng's blessing."

"Thank you Qiu Jiansheng, Qiu Jiansheng will come here often in the future!"

Everyone booed.

"Where, where, I will continue to work hard."

Qiu Zijin has a thick skin, and shamelessly stated that he will continue to eat next year.

Wanda also laughed happily, pointing to the dishes in front of him and introducing them one by one.

"This is a cold dish, called white-cut mutton. It is quite rare in the north, but it is eaten more in the south. Use good-quality goats, cook the whole sheep in a pot, and press the top with stones. After it comes out of the pot and cools, the lamb It is frozen into a large piece with suet. After cutting into thin slices with a knife, it can be eaten with sweet noodle sauce or vinegar dish, without any smell of mutton, very refreshing.”

Deng Xiang lowered his head and found that there was indeed a bowl of vinegar and a bowl of sweet noodle sauce next to the plate of crystal clear mutton.

"This is stewed mutton. Everyone must have eaten it on weekdays, but I also put cistanche in it-eating it in winter will not only warm the body, but also strengthen the yang!"

Everyone suddenly screamed.

"This one is called 'It's Like Honey'. It's lamb tenderloin in honey sauce. It's a stir-fried dish. It's extremely sweet, tender and delicious. You must try it!"

It is like honey, a famous dish in the Qing court, most loved by Lafayette Cixi, and no one has eaten it in this era.It's sure to be a hit with Ming dynasty folks who have a sweet tooth.

Wanda introduced mixed lamb tongue, fried lamb bone, braised lamb hoof, braised lamb loin, steamed lamb lung, braised lamb tendon meat, hydrangea lamb brain, etc. In short, every available place on the lamb was made One dish, everyone was convinced.

"Wait, isn't it 'Whole Lamb Feast'? Why is there a dish of shredded white radish in cold sauce?"

Qiu Zijin asked, pointing to the dish in the corner.

"This is 'wool', it's snow white, doesn't it look like it?"

Wanda blinked and replied.

"Absolutely!"

Deng Xiang clapped his hands and sighed.

"What is this? The main event hasn't happened yet!"

Wanda turned her head and clapped her hands in the direction of the kitchen.

I saw the group of people in the back kitchen bring out three large copper charcoal stoves from the kitchen, as well as chopped snowflake mutton and various raw sheep offal.

"I know this, this is a mutton pot."

Qiu Zijin smiled openly.

"The pot is not unusual, the key is my dipping sauce..."

Wanda got up, and lifted the white cloth covering the tray, revealing the stacks of mixing dishes underneath.

"This is leek sauce...no, what's the red stuff in it?"

Everyone took the saucer one by one and smelled it curiously.

"It's so spicy, so spicy! My tongue is numb. Good guy, it's so spicy and fragrant! It's so exciting!"

Qiu Zijin couldn't help being curious, and dipped some sauce with his chopsticks, who knew it was just a little bit touched by the tip of his tongue, and he felt a burning pain.

However, although it hurts, it is full of fragrance, making people want to take another sip.

This spice was too strange, even a foodie like Qiu Zijin couldn't taste such a novel and spicy taste, so he immediately pulled Wanda to ask questions.

"I won't talk about it yet. After everyone eats, tell me if you like it or not, and I'll talk about it later!"

Wanda smiled, took off her bib and entered the table, sitting at the top.

"My lord, say a few words, let's have a drink together."

Yang Xiuxian poured wine for him with a smile.

"Okay...then I wish His Majesty the Emperor first, long live forever, and be happy forever."

Wanda stood up, picked up the wine glass, and congratulated in the direction of the imperial city.

Everyone also stood up together, and wished His Majesty a long live and the Empress a thousand years away.

"Pray again that the next year will be smooth and the weather will be smooth, the country will be peaceful and the people will be safe, and there will be no hunger and hunger."

As Wanda said, she drank the wine in the glass in one gulp.

When they first came to the capital and were about to enter the palace, the servants taught a lot of auspicious words to Lao Wan's family when they gave surprise training.

Now speaking, it is very smooth.

"The country is peaceful and the people are safe, and there will never be hunger."

Everyone echoed, and they all drank the fine wine in their glasses.

Putting down their wine glasses, everyone impatiently picked up their chopsticks and repeatedly dropped them on the table full of delicacies.

The white-cut mutton is refreshing, sweet like honey, the brain is smooth and tender, and the bones are crispy. The big guys give thumbs up to Wanda and the cooks while eating.

The standard of this "New Year's Eve dinner" is not comparable to any restaurant in the capital.Coming to the Yamen to celebrate the New Year today is indeed the right decision!

"Well... what kind of smell is this, how can it be so fragrant."

He picked up the cooked mutton slices from the clear soup pot and dipped them in the strange sauce dish in front of him.

After putting it in his mouth, Qiu Zijin's originally slender eyes widened into round shapes.

"Well, it's so spicy, so strangely spicy. But it's really delicious. Isn't it, Gao Hui, isn't it very strange?"

After swallowing the mutton in one gulp, Qiu Zijin poked Gao Hui's arm sitting next to him, and asked repeatedly in surprise.

The latter didn't even look at him, he just lowered his head to cook meat, and raised his head to drink.

"Yes, Wanqianhu, you made this thing? The green one, I know it's chives, but what is the red one?"

Yang Xiuxian tasted the fat and tender mutton covered with the red, green and green dipping sauce, and looked at the smug Wanda in surprise.

"This is something from the palace. It was given to me by the empress. Today, I will let you all enjoy it too."

Wanda himself picked up a piece of hot mutton dipped in the sauce and put it in his mouth, then shook his head and said, "As expected of me, it's delicious."

These are the first batch of chili seeds that my sister Wan Zhen'er gave Wanda when she entered the palace for the first time.

Because Wanda is trying to grow peppers in pots for the first time, and he doesn’t know the difference between the habits of peppers 600 years ago and later generations. He just planted more than a dozen pots in the room, and the output is very limited.

The key is how hot the chili is, and how fragrant it is is completely unknown.

A few days ago, Wanda tried to make a mapo tofu at home. He used the chili sauce he made and served it with Sichuan peppercorns.

Of course, there are also people who can't accept this kind of spiciness at all.For example, my sister-in-law Zhang's face turned red after taking a sip, and it took many bowls of honey water to subside.

But judging by the people present, they all seem to have a high degree of acceptance, and no one said they didn't like it.

Could it be that Jinyiwei has a strong taste?

"Things in the palace? No wonder it's unheard of! It turned out to be a gift from the emperor."

Deng Xiang listened and suddenly realized.

"Wanqianhu, what is this called, don't keep it up."

On behalf of everyone, Yang Xiuxian asked the topic they were most concerned about.

"I don't know what it's called in the palace...but in mine it's called 'Chili'."

Wanda laughed.

---------------

"boom!"

Before midnight, bursts of firecrackers sounded from outside the wall, and sometimes colorful fireworks roared into the sky, sprinkling golden and silver flames all over the place.

Wanda bid farewell to everyone, promised to meet again in the next year, and led his little black donkey to the house.

Although leading Tiqi rides a horse when he is on duty, Wanda still rides a donkey or walks when he is on and off duty every day.

So this Hejian donkey named "Xiao Hei" appeared majestically in the stables of Fusi, Beizhen, and joined a group of "official horses".

"My lord, let me walk with you for a while."

Before taking a few steps, Wanda turned her head and saw Yang Xiuxian walking gracefully with a lamp in one hand and a horse in the other.

Yang Xiuxian's BMW was specially given by Commander Yuan.It's called "Blizzard", and it's all white, without a single hair, only a black spot in the middle of its forehead.Extraordinarily heroic, he is one of the best horses in Beizhen Fusi.

This horse is usually very proud. Other horses who stand a little closer to it will be kicked and bitten by it, and hide in a desperate way.

But now "Blizzard" can only walk side by side with the little black donkey, listening to the sound of bells dangling around the little black donkey's neck, and doesn't know how it feels.

Yang's house is located in Jinyu Alley of Qingqingfang, just next to Nanxunfang, which is considered a first-class location in Beijing.The people here are either rich or expensive, Wanda couldn't help asking curiously.

"This is not my father's house, but my uncle's. In my father's generation, my uncle inherited the Jinyiwei status, so I became a Jinyiwei."

Yang Xiuxian said without hesitation, "I was born by a concubine, and I don't want my aunt to like me. It just so happened that my uncle never took him and had no children, so he adopted me. My father, my aunt, and my aunt's younger brother, now They all live in Xishan. Tomorrow I will go to Xishan to pay them New Year's greetings."

The aunt is a powerful character. Yang's father has been married for more than 20 years. Apart from Mrs. Yang, there is only one woman, Yang Xiuxian's mother.

To be correct, Yang Xiuxian is the dowry girl of his aunt, with a low status, but she got pregnant one step ahead of the young lady.

Not long after Yang Xiuxian was born, his biological mother died.

How he died may only be known by the aunt.Then he was adopted by his uncle and brought into the city to be raised.

So, if Wanda grew up in the Bazhou military camp and on the streets, then Yang Xiuxian grew up in various Jinyiwei yamen and Beizhen Fusi since he was a child.

When Yang Xiuxian was a child, he knew that he was not liked by his aunt.Only during the Chinese New Year and the birthday of parents, I have to go to ask for a kowtow.

When he was a child, he still felt uneasy when he saw his aunt. The woman looked at him like she was looking at an ant, and put her disgust and disdain on her face.He didn't take his identity as the son of Yang's parents seriously at all.

Ever since he took the place of his uncle and entered Beizhen Fusi, his aunt knew that he could kill even people now, and he was the young Jinyiwei Empress who had the fastest rise in Beizhen Fusi and was most appreciated by Commander Yuan.The woman who had never smiled at herself, actually smiled at him—although it was uglier than crying.

His uncle Yang Bing and Commander Yuan are old friends for many years, and he also once held the position of the commander of Jin Yiwei.

It's a pity that ten years ago, he passed away due to injuries and illnesses, so Yang Xiuxian is currently the only master in the huge Yang Mansion.

That year, Yang Xiuxian, who had just turned 16, took advantage of his uncle's absence and started a bloody professional life.

Wanda didn't expect that he would confess all this to herself, and didn't know how to respond for a while, so she followed Yang Xiuxian silently and walked towards Xinlebo Mansion.

In the narrow alley, the cold wind hits people, the sound of firecrackers and the joyful laughter of children can be heard in my ears, and the hooves of the donkey and horse behind me hit the road surface, making regular sounds.

"boom!"

A flame exploded in front of the two of them, Wanda and Yang Xiuxian raised their heads at the same time, and saw a peony-shaped firework blooming grandly above their heads.

After the purple-red peonies bloomed, there was another yellow marigold, and then there was red all over the ground, emerald green, and white at night. Fireworks rose one after another, illuminating the night sky. Bright as day.

"watch fireworks!"

The two said at the same time.

Wanda turned his head, and what he saw was the bright sparks in Yang Xiuxian's eyes, and his handsome face, which was made three-dimensional by the lantern in his hand, as if cut by a knife and an axe.

"I……"

Wanda immediately lowered her head in embarrassment, took half a step back, and licked her cold lips.

"I, I will go to the palace tomorrow to meet the empress... I, my sister-in-law is a married woman, and tomorrow I will go into the palace to pay my respects to the empress."

After saying that, he regretted it.

What is this and what!Why did you tell him this?

Wan Xinghai, did you drink too much today?

"Ok!"

Yang Xiuxian lowered his head and smiled, his eyes flicked across his shiny lips after taking saliva.

Suddenly, he reached out and touched Wanda's temples.

Wanda was so frightened that his eyes widened, and he froze as if he had been stabbed.

"I don't know where it came from...it stuck on your head."

As Yang Xiuxian said, he carefully removed a small piece of red confetti stuck to Wanda's hat.

It looks like the paper skin of the firecracker, it should be blown up by the wind.

"I... I'm home. I have to go to the palace to congratulate you tomorrow, so I'll take my leave first."

In an instant, Wanda felt a hundred deer dancing disco on his chest.

He lowered his head, cupped his hands carelessly at Yang Xiuxian, and ran towards the gate of Xinlebo Mansion.

The little black donkey behind him ran for several steps before catching up.

"Master Wan!"

Yang Xiuxian shouted loudly.

Echoes echoed across the empty streets.The neighbors watching the night must have heard it...

"What, what are you doing?"

Wanda turned around in embarrassment.

Lao Bai, the concierge of his house, opened the corner door and looked at his second young master curiously.

"Auspicious New Year!"

Yang Xiuxian smiled and bowed to him, "This subordinate wishes you New Year greetings."

"This lord is interesting. On the first day of the new year, I stepped on the door to pay New Year's greetings."

Lao Bai stepped forward with a funny face and led the little black donkey in.

At the moment when the fireworks bloomed just now, it was just after midnight.

Now it is the first day of the first year of Chenghua.

"New, auspicious new year."

Wanda returned a long bow, dumbfounded.

Watching Yang Xiuxian's back gradually melt into the night, Wanda reluctantly walked into the gate.

He covered his face, feeling that his current face might be redder than his sister-in-law's first time eating chili that day.

"I'm only 16 years old... I'm 17 years old in Chinese New Year, a little younger, isn't it?"

Holding the "Blizzard" with a smelly face, Yang Xiuxian looked at the scattered fireworks in the sky and laughed.

"Then wait."

The last day of the eighth year of Tianshun passed like this, and history turned the last page belonging to Emperor Yingzong of the Ming Dynasty Zhu Qizhen.

Somebody will miss it after all.