Tanhualang

Shen Jing and Ding Bao had been discussing the matter of exchanging salt for grain in the study since the morning, and in the middle, because it involved matters in the north, they specially invited Wei Zheng to ask him about the matter of grain in the north.The three of them discussed until the evening before finally sorting out all aspects.

The matter had taken shape, and the three of them relaxed a little.It was already dark outside the window, only then did Shen Jing remember that he hadn't had dinner yet, so he hurriedly ordered his servants to prepare meals.But after a while, Xiaoyou came to invite him in person:

"Grandpa Ding, let's go to the side hall ahead. Your Highness is thinking about it, and ordered to prepare a banquet for you, and I will wait for you to finish your work and go to eat."

The group of people went to the side hall and sat down one by one. Xiao You personally filled Ding Bao's wine and said with a smile: "Your Highness specially ordered to prepare some delicious food according to your taste. It's a hard day today, so I have to relieve your fatigue. He still has to accompany the big and small officials who came to congratulate him, so he can't come to accompany you in person."

Shen Jing took a look, and found that there were not many dishes on the table, but they were all soft and chewy ingredients, which were specially prepared for the elderly.Ding Bao looked at the dishes, and smiled at Xiao You: "Your Highness has a heart."

The three of them are already familiar with each other, and they are more casual at the dinner table.While eating, Ding Bao said: "The officials, big and small, who came here today, will be groaning when they see that Sun Ping is not there. Fortunately, His Highness is here, otherwise the hearts of the people in Nanjing will not be stable. "

After thinking about it, he said to Xiao You: "His Highness has passed his birthday, so he will be 25 years old."

Little nodded: "Yes."

Ding Bao put down his chopsticks, and said with a smile: "No wonder I always feel old. The days go by so fast. At that time, I was by the Queen Mother's side, seeing that His Highness was only so tall, and I knew how to surround the Queen Mother all day long. Turning around, chattering all day long. The queen mother is often worried about this time, saying that His Highness is like a little bird, not as stable as His Majesty. Thinking about these things, it seems like yesterday, and it only took a blink of an eye. Your Highness already has such a calm and reliable appearance. He is really a different person from when he was a child."

"Where is the time to blink? You can't see it all the time, so you feel that the days are fast. I can always follow His Highness." Xiao You also put down his chopsticks with a smile, and said with fingers, "His Highness went to Gansu on the [-]th. I stayed in Gansu for three years, went to Ningxia for another two years, and from Ningxia to Taiyuan for another three years. That’s eight years.”

Ding Bao nodded: "That's not true. In the past eight years, I don't know how much I have suffered to become what I am today."

After finishing speaking, he sighed again: "24, this has taken up half of the country for His Majesty. If it were placed in an ordinary family, I'm afraid it would be like a child who hasn't grown up. In fact, the Empress Dowager loves His Highness the most. It must be hurting again."

The atmosphere became a little sad when she said that, Shen Jing heard this, got up to pour wine for Ding Bao, and persuaded with a smile: "Today is a good day, His Highness gave you a banquet, it is time to get drunk, Master Ding, drink a few more glasses."

The three of them drank a few more cups, and then they talked about the King of Han's rebellion. Ding Bao told Shen Jing carefully: "The things we discussed today, according to His Highness's temper, must be given to His Majesty first in the future. Xiao Shen, you have to think about it carefully when you go back, and then write a neat manuscript for His Highness to review. If you don't mind, just show it to me first."

Shen Jing agreed: "Yes. I learned a lot from Mr. Ding today."

"I'm old, so I'm not as agile as you young people." Ding Bao said, frowning and pondering for a while, "We two are not experts in this matter. We still have to find someone from the Ministry of Accounting to understand the details Yes, please help me to think about it carefully. When I find a suitable candidate, I will tell you about it tomorrow morning at the latest. "

"Okay." Shen Jing nodded, "Then I'll wait for Master Ding's letter."

The three of them ate simply.Ding Bao originally wanted to wait for the banquet in the front hall to end and meet King Yu before leaving; it's just that elderly people can't last long after working hard, and they start to fall asleep after eating, Xiao You persuaded him three times, and finally ran away to the front hall After a trip, I finally persuaded him with Zhao Heng's words: "Your Highness said, you don't have to wait, just go back and rest early. He will be waiting for you in the mansion tomorrow."

Xiaoyou can't leave, she still has to go to the front hall to wait for orders.Shen Jing was entrusted by Xiaoyou to send Ding Bao back home with Wei Zheng in person.On the way, we shared a carriage with Ding Bao, and talked about salt exchange for food.

After finishing speaking, Ding Bao patted Shen Jing's arm quite appreciatively: "I heard that Xiaoyou recommended you in front of His Highness. Xiaoyou's vision is really good, and he recommended a rare talent for His Highness."

Shen Jing hurriedly said: "Master Ding praised you absurdly."

"You don't have to be humble either. If you don't dislike it, I'll rely on the old and sell the old to say a few more words. Xiao Shen, you are like a rough jade now, and you need more experience and pondering." Ding Baoyu said earnestly, "Things in the court are complicated, follow His Highness , See more when you have the opportunity. You are a scholar, and you may disdain worldly sophistication. But many things can't be done if you start with your own hands."

Shen Jing thanked: "Where, Master Ding is willing to teach me, it is my blessing."

Ding Bao wanted to preach a few more words, but he had already arrived at the mansion, so he had no choice but to say goodbye to Shen Jing: "Thank you for sending me off. Let's talk about it when I have time."

On the way back, there were only Shen Jing and Wei Zheng. Shen Jing had been bored in the room for a whole day, so he didn't bother to take a car anymore, so he simply rode a horse, and walked side by side with Wei Zheng, walking back along the street.I just remembered what happened last night, so I thanked Wei Zheng: "I drank too much last night. Was it Captain Wei who helped me back? Thank you."

"Mr. Shen is polite."

Shen Jing smiled and said: "I wanted to have a good time, but I got seasick first, and then I got drunk. Last night was really hard for you."

Wei Zheng glanced at him right away: "Mr. Shen was really drunk last night."

Shen Jing was stunned: "What's wrong?"

Wei Zheng turned his face to the side and smiled, then turned his smile back, saying it was a snickering, but he still showed three points, and pretended to be a bit cheap and said: "It's nothing."

Shen Jing was almost driven crazy by him: "How could I have said half of what I said? Last night... did I make a fool of myself?"

"It's better for Mr. Shen not to know—"

From a distance of three feet, Shen Jing immediately grabbed Wei Zheng's back armor: "Will you tell me?"

"Okay, okay, I'll tell you what to say, please tease me lightly, don't tear me off!" Wei Zheng repeatedly begged for forgiveness, and then said with a smirk, "After you drank too much last night, you acted like a baby to His Highness."

"..."

Wei Zheng cleared his throat, and said with a smile: "Cough. Last night when I sent Xiaoyou back to find you, you were already drunk and fell asleep. Your Highness couldn't wake you up after calling you. I wanted to get off the boat to help you, but Your Highness said I was quick, bent down and picked you up. I turned around and went to the shore to hand it to me, but you grabbed His Highness's sleeve and refused to let go, and even hummed twice—"

"Stop! Stop! Don't say it!" Shen Jing covered his face with his hands, covering his face for a while, then remembered Wei Zheng's mouth has always been bad, so he put down his hands in doubt, and watched suspiciously through his fingers. Wei Zheng laughed, "...are you bluffing me?"

"Hahahahaha!" Wei Zheng couldn't help laughing out loud, clapping his hands while laughing, the laugher almost fell off his horse, "Hahahahahaha! Don't blame me! Shen Jing, you are too easy to fool!"

"You really are bluffing me!" Shen Jing was furious, pulled out the whip from the saddle and lashed at Wei Zheng's mount, "Good job, Captain Wei!"

The two returned to the Weaving Bureau in a tumultuous manner. The banquet in the front hall had not yet ended, and Xiao You and others were also busy ahead.It was quieter in the side courtyard, and I went back to the room to sit quietly for a while, with many thoughts in my heart, so I simply lit a candle and spread out the paper, and racked my brains to draft a report under the window, and I was busy until almost three o'clock in a row. will be prepared.

He threw down the pen, sat up and stretched, and felt refreshed all over. He didn't feel tired at all, but felt a little hungry instead.Looking up at the half bright moon outside, the day was about to pass, after hesitating for a long time, he still got up and went to the small kitchen, heated up the oil in the pan, and made a bowl of plain noodles for himself.

The kitchen was narrow and deserted, so he cut another dish of shredded pickles and brought it back to the room together with the noodles, and let it cool down for a while. He took a sip of the hot soup first, and then ate it bite by bite.

Before he finished eating, he heard a knock on the door outside, presumably Xiao You had finished his work.Shen Jing ate his noodles and was too lazy to get up, without raising his head in response: "Please come in."

Hearing the door was pushed open, he raised his head to look, but was taken aback, put down his chopsticks and stood up: "...Your Highness."

Zhao Heng was already familiar with Shen Jing's territory, walked to the desk and took a look, picked up the document that Shen Jing had just drawn up, sat in front of the desk and looked: "You eat."

Shen Jing had no choice but to sit down, neither eating nor not eating.Before he finished hesitating, Zhao Heng had already read it. He put down the document and tapped it lightly with his fingers: "Not bad. Some details need to be considered."

Shen Jing hurriedly replied: "Exactly. Master Ding said that tomorrow, an adult from the household department who is proficient in salt affairs will be invited to come and see."

"Okay." Zhao Heng nodded, paused, got up from the desk again, sat across from Shen Jing, looked at the noodle bowl on the table, "Did you miss dinner?"

Shen Jing smiled and said: "I ate with Xiaoyou. It's just that I feel hungry again."

When they got closer, they could smell the weak smell of alcohol on Zhao Heng's body.He smiled and asked Shen Jing: "Is there any more noodles? I'll eat a bowl with you. I still owe you a bowl of longevity noodles today."

Shen Jing was a little surprised when she heard it, and got up and walked out without asking further questions: "I'll go to Shenglai."

He hurried to the kitchen, fished out the rest, and finally filled more than half of the bowl, so he had to add some soup to fill it up, and brought it back in a hurry.Zhao Heng sat quietly on the chair, tapped his fingers on the table lightly, his eyes were lowered and he didn't know what he was thinking; when he heard Shen Jingjing, he raised his head and smiled and said, "I can smell the fragrance from far away."

Shen Jing put the noodle bowl on the table, arranged the chopsticks, and said with a smile, "Your Highness, take it easy."

The two sat opposite each other, eating noodles by the dim candlelight.Zhao Heng paid attention to etiquette, eating noodles without making a sound. After eating, he drank the soup, put down the chopsticks, wiped his hands with a handkerchief, and then said: "The banquet in the outside kitchen is very greasy. It tastes like chewing wax."

Shen Jing couldn't help but slander: "It's all abalone and ginseng fins. I don't know how many people outside. They couldn't chew this wax in their dreams. But they smiled and said: "Light supper is suitable for light food."