sheepskin for melon

"I'm not!"

Tan Yushu was startled, looking at his actions, it was really misleading, so he got up in a hurry to explain.

But when he stood up and looked around, there was no sign of the melon field.

Tan Yushu froze in place, hallucination?

However, he quickly dismissed this idea, because in his hand lay a round watermelon with green skin.

Tan Yushu: ...

It's over, this time I really can't explain clearly, and I became a melon thief in a daze.

On the second day, the boys were harnessed to the mule cart in the yard. Dayong was a man of great culture and generosity, and he could not bear to trample on manpower, so it was not fashionable to carry the sedan chair by manpower, and mostly replaced it with livestock.

Tan Yushu's family also kept a horse, but this horse had been with him for many years in battle, and he couldn't bear to let it do some coolies, so he raised another mule.

Sprinkling the fine material into the trough, Tan Yushu patted the black horse's huge head: "It's cold now, please be patient, and I'll take you for a ride when it gets warmer."

The steed with black and shiny fur made a sound of "咴咴" and rubbed against his palm docilely.

As soon as Tan's mother arrived in the yard, she saw him still playing with these useless gadgets, and immediately burst into anger: "You still care what that beast does now, it costs more than three people a day, and you won't be around anymore It’s a waste of food to keep it at the border, and it can be sold at a good price when it’s pulled out.”

Hearing this, Tan Yushu immediately hugged the horse in his arms and looked at her pitifully.

Tan's mother choked, and to be honest, with her son's appearance, when he was not angry, it was really annoying.Forget it, he is an adult anyway, he must have something he likes, so he stopped pursuing it and called him into the house.

There were prepared gifts on the case table, Mother Tan asked nervously, "How is it?"

Tan Yushu touched the five piles of silk and satin, the tentacles were smooth and the patterns were fine, it must be the top quality material; another big box contained a whole set of heavy gold ornaments; and the things in the small box beside it were even more impressive Tan Yushu was surprised, it was a pair of blood jade bracelets that were red all over and had no impurities.

"Mother, is this pair of jade bracelets your dowry?" Tan Yushu exclaimed.

"What are you shouting for?" Mother Tan reprimanded, holding up the jade bracelet with a handkerchief with some nostalgia, wiping it gently, and sighing: "Things are there, no matter how precious they are, they are just objects. If they can give you a future , is also worth it."

Forcing his mother to use the dowry, Tan Yushu was very ashamed, knelt down and kowtowed: "The child is not filial, and he has failed his mother's expectations."

"It's good that you know, just work hard in the future."

"But mother, you don't need these, this is enough." Tan Yushu picked up the gold box in his arms alone.

Mother Tan: ...

"Didn't you say that gold and silver vulgar utensils might not be eye-catching!"

Tan Yushu blinked his eyes and said mysteriously: "Mother, don't worry, I have a nice gift now."

"what?"

"This is a secret that will not be passed on. I will explain it in detail when the child comes back."

"Huh? What the hell is it!"

Since it was not a formal palace banquet, there was no need to wear official uniforms. Tan Yushu was wearing a silver fox fur, his whole body was sunk in the soft fur pile, and he closed his eyes and rested his mind.

Suddenly, the mule driver stopped suddenly, interrupted him from his thoughts, opened the car curtain and probed: "What's wrong?"

"A beggar froze to death, and the city inspector is collecting the body."

Tan Yushu looked over. The city inspector probably did this often. He wrapped the sack and threw it on the car. Several beggars next to him took the opportunity to strip off the clothes of the deceased. They fought for a while, and finally won a hearty laugh.

Looking away, Tan Yushu asked puzzledly: "In the past, Gaozu ordered all prefectures and counties to set up Sian Chay Halls to take in the naked people in the cold winter. Why are there still frozen bones thrown away in the city at the feet of the emperor?"

The boy driving the carriage suddenly laughed: "Master, what you said is too stupid. No matter how many Sian Chay halls there are in this world, how can there be so many beggars?"

"That's true."

Tan Yushu was also amused by himself, retreated into the car to meditate, and ignored it.

Emperor Jiaming is 55 years old this year, but he is still in good spirits. There is a young woman leaning on his side, who is endowed with a stately beauty and a peerless beauty. She is the most favored Lu beauty recently.

In the Changchun Garden, the green plums presented by the local people are blooming, and the red plums, green plums, and white plums complement each other and form an interesting contrast. Appreciate the plum blossoms, half celebrate.

Emperor Jiaming held the beauty in one hand, while discussing poetry with the beloved prime minister, all the ministers gathered together in twos and threes, very happy, when the interest was intense, their eyes suddenly focused.

Under a red plum tree, stands a pink-faced and jade-carved gentleman, standing alone under the tree, with low eyebrows and a slight smile.The surroundings are noisy, but he is the only one who forms a world of his own, as if the spirit of plum essence and flower has come from an illusion.For a moment, Emperor Jiaming was in a daze, unable to tell whether flowers were more beautiful or people were more beautiful.

Emperor Jiaming asked the eunuch who was serving him in a low voice with some doubts: "Who is that person standing alone under the plum tree, and why does he look so familiar?"

The eunuch Lu An took a look and knew who Emperor Jiaming was going to ask, and replied with a smile: "Your Majesty, it was Tanhua that you personally ordered in the 20th year of the founding of peace. , special recall teacher."

Emperor Jiaming suddenly realized, clapped his palms and laughed loudly: "It turned out to be him. Back then, I was worried that he would lose his youthful appearance when he grew up, but now I can rest assured~"

Lu An echoed Emperor Jiaming with a smile, his eyes moved slightly.

Sitting in order in the hall, when Tan Yushu was looking for his place, Lu An suddenly appeared in front of him, smiled and saluted, and led him to a place.

Lu An was the great eunuch beside the emperor, Tan Yushu was naturally flattered to be guided by him, and hurriedly returned the gift: "Thank you, Supervisor."

Lu An smiled but said nothing, bowed and retreated.

Tan Yushu sat on his knees on the felt, always feeling that the geomantic omen of this position was very good, so that the sightlines from all directions gathered brightly and secretly.

Tan Yushu lowered his eyes, looked at himself upright, and shut out all the scrutiny.

The banquet was in full swing, and the officials began to come forward to congratulate Lu Meiren on her birthday. The magnificent congratulatory poems and rich and generous gifts made Lu Meili smile and the emperor was very happy.

But when he was happy, Emperor Jiaming couldn't help but look at Tan Yushu, and finally couldn't help it: "Everyone is happy, why is Tan Qing silent and full of thoughts?"

With this sudden question, the whole house was silent. Looking at the gathering of eyes, Tan Yushu finally realized that this sentence was addressed to him, and raised his hands in a panic: "Your Majesty, forgive me, I am rude."

Emperor Jiaming always liked beauty, and Tan Yushusheng was suave and romantic, so he couldn't help but look at him more.But seeing that his brows were furrowed all the time, and his thoughts were not in line, he couldn't help being a little curious, so he asked this question, but unexpectedly it frightened him.He couldn't help thinking of how timid and cowardly he was when he was by his side in the past, and nothing had changed over the years, so he smiled and comforted him and said: "There is no crime, if Tan Qing has any troubles, you can just speak up."

This affection was beyond words, and the expressions of all the ministers were different, and the expression of Deng Wenyuan, who had some disagreements with Tan Yushu, was even more ugly.

Tan Yushu struggled, and finally said, "It's not that I don't want to talk about it, it's just that this matter is very different, and I'm still in shock."

When he said this, Emperor Jiaming became even more curious: "No matter what it is, it's okay to speak up."

Tan Yushu stood up and bowed again, frowning slightly, and spoke eloquently.

"At a certain time, I was walking on the road, and I met a beggar on the road, who yelled to my minister: 'You wear Qi Luonuan, I wear shabby clothes, you ascend the anointed beam, and I bury beside the bones'."

"Hearing his words, I don't look like a beggar, but like a down-and-out scholar. Seeing that his clothes are thin and shivering in the cold wind, I felt pity for him, and took off the fox fur and put it on him."

"Unexpectedly, the beggar stretched out his feet again, and begged: 'Since you have given the clothes, why don't you give us the boots?"

"My minister lost his clothes and was feeling cold. When he heard the beggar ask for boots again, he was a little displeased, but when he saw his feet were cracked and bloody, he couldn't bear it anymore, so he took off his boots and gave them to him as well."

"After I lost my boots, I felt even more miserable, so I hurried to the house, but the beggar stuck behind me and shouted: 'Since the lord has given you boots, why don't you give me a pair of boots again? meal?"

"The humble minister was a little annoyed because of his greed, so he turned around and said angrily: Your Excellency, look at me, where can I eat?"

"The beggar clapped his hands and laughed and said, 'Hahaha, my lord's red blood is edible!' After saying that, he stretched out his hand to the humble minister."

"Weichen was alarmed at the time, and he drew his sword to kill—"

Emperor Jiaming was shocked when he heard it, and hurriedly asked: "How?"

Tan Yushu took a deep breath: "But I saw that beggar pointed at the eyebrows of the humble minister, and said with a long smile: 'The red blood coagulates the jasper, and I will send it to the king.'"

"Weichen got up suddenly, dripping with cold sweat, and when he woke up, he realized that there was no way to go, and there was no begging, and Weichen was lying on the couch and sleeping soundly."

Emperor Jiaming: ...

"So it's a dream?" Can't laugh or cry: "It's just a dream, why should Tan Qing worry about it?"

Tan Yushu looked sad, and bowed again: "If it's just a dream, I would not dare to disturb Your Majesty with it, but besides the dream, there is something more beside my pillow, Your Majesty, please take a look."

After finishing speaking, he took out a box and fell on the ground, daring not to speak again.

Seeing this, Emperor Jiaming was curious and winked. Lu An presented the box and opened it in front of everyone. After seeing the contents clearly, the whole hall was in an uproar——

Inside is actually a plump watermelon!

Emperor Jiaming's eyes widened: "How can there be watermelons in this cold winter?"

Tan Yushu bowed his head: "I also feel that this matter is very different, and I am hesitant to make a decision, so I submit it to the imperial court."

Emperor Jiaming was shocked, so he asked the prime minister, "What does Song Qing think?"

Prime Minister Song Ming immediately knelt down and bowed: "I have heard that the world is peaceful, and the sage will come out. I think it is because your majesty is diligent in government and love the people, and the people live and work in peace and contentment. So I invite the immortals to give me a gift. This is an auspicious sign."

All the ministers immediately followed Gao Shengde.

Hearing this explanation, Emperor Jiaming was immediately delighted: "Well said!"

The serving eunuch cut the watermelon into pieces, carefully dropped the seeds, put them on a shiny jade plate, and lifted them up carefully.

Emperor Jiaming raised the silver chopsticks and put them in his mouth, his eyes widened immediately.

The fire in the hall was scorching hot, and I was feeling chest tightness. After eating this mouthful, I was instantly refreshed and refreshed. The fine sugar sand lingered between the teeth, and the articulateness was fragrant.

Emperor Jiaming was very happy, and handed the chopsticks to Lu Meiren's hand: "My dear concubine, you can try it too." Lu Meiren opened her red lips lightly, feeling sweet, and she smiled coquettishly.

Emperor Jiaming was in a good mood and said with a smile: "It is unexpected that there are such strange things in the world. How about taking this as the topic and writing a poem for each of you?"

The officials below said yes again and again, and Emperor Jiaming laughed and waved to Tan Yushu: "Tan Qing, you will be in charge of the pen and ink."

Tan Yushu only promised, and everyone chanted poems, and Tan Yushu took a pen to record it and presented it to the emperor.

Emperor Jiaming looked at the poems presented and praised happily: "Excellent pen! Tan Qing's pen power has greatly improved compared to before."

Tan Yushu smiled warmly: "Thank you for your praise, even though I am at the border, I dare not waste my writing for a day."

Emperor Jiaming spoke highly of it: "With Tan Qing's talent, staying at the border is a waste of talent. There is no war between the left and the right. Why don't you stay by my side."

Tan Yushu picked up a pen to write a book, and smiled slightly: "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your consideration."

……

On the second day after the banquet, someone came to visit. The doorman Tan Yushu had met before was no longer as domineering as before, and stammered a big gift to Tan Yushu: "Forgive me, Mr. Tan. Busy, after pressing the paperwork to the adults, today a batch will be delivered, and the villains will send them to the house non-stop."

Tan Yushu took the document with a smile on his face, and after reading it, he squeezed out a piece of silver from his purse and stuffed it into the doorman's sleeve: "I'll give it to you if you please, and I invite you to drink."

Before the doorman came, he knew that he was sent by the chief to "apology", and he was ready to be humiliated. Unexpectedly, Tan Yushu was still generous and humble, and he was flattered immediately. It can be a hundred times more generous than the adults in their family.

But he didn't know that Tan Yushu was happy from the bottom of his heart.

Two years ago, Yongguo and Beirong negotiated peace, Beirong professed a vassal to Yongguo, and Yongguo gave Beirong a yearly gift.In the past two years, Bei Rong has kept its promise, and since it has never provoked the border, the Zhenbei Army has become dispensable.

The imperial court has been plagued by the problem of redundant troops, and the finances are tight, so they deliberately cut off military expenditures.Tan Yushu, as the commander-in-chief of one party, has a shallow foundation, has no reliance in the court, can't speak, and others don't take him seriously, so every time he cuts, the Qingzhou army under his command can come.Coupled with the huge amount of yearly gifts given to Bei Rong every year, many people in the court proposed to use the military expenses of the Zhenbei Army to make up for it.

For all these things, it is becoming more and more difficult to apply for military expenses. Thank God when [-]% of the reported amount reaches the army, and this time [-]% of the approved reply, although there will be "loss" when it is devolved, but compared to previous years It's been so much better.

Tan Yushu smiled slightly. He "studied literature and martial arts and read books of sages" since he was a child. It is not until today that he understands that the principles of this world are neither in swords nor in books.

Yong Jing said that it was not small, and that it was not big, and soon the rumor of "immortals dreaming of offering melons" spread all over the streets and alleys.

The person involved, Tan Yushu, was rarely at leisure, and ordered the servant to pull back the cartload of sheepskins he had brought back.

The boy complained to him while working: "Master, I want to give to beggars today, but I have searched all over the streets and alleys, but I can't find one. The world is too unfair. How come beggars can't rob rich people."

Tan Yushu laughed: "Why do you want to rob a beggar?"

"Who knows if there will be a fairy in it, if I find it, wouldn't it be prosperous?"

"Ha~ Then you can look for it carefully."

The little servant looked at him pitifully: "Speaking of which, master, you have seen the immortal with your own eyes. What does the immortal look like? I am loyal to you, can you bring me with you when we meet next time?"

"Immortal divine power, I am a mere mortal, how can I remember his old man's face, but if you want to see it, remember to wake up after going back to sleep at night, go to my dream, and you will see it."

"It makes sense, but master, how do you wake up when you fall asleep?"

"Don't talk too much, you have to realize it yourself."

"Oh……"

That being said, in the dead of night, Tan Yushu himself led the mule cart to "meet the immortals at night".

More than a month has passed since that day, Tan Yushu stared at the backyard every night, and finally made a final test on the night of the full moon, will the "fairy gate" still open?

When the moon climbed to the center, a bunch of familiar moonlight came down, and after a while, the melon field appeared around again.

This time, Tan Yushu did not hesitate, and firmly stepped into this strange land.

The moon gradually moved, and the passage behind him slowly closed. Tan Yushu held down the long knife at his waist to calm down.

Suddenly a voice rang in my ear: "Are you still pulling a cart to steal melons this time?"

Tan Yushu: ...

Under the moonlight, a young man with fine curly hair and a gloomy complexion was looking at him quietly, the red rose on his neck was unusually eye-catching.

Tan Yushu was stunned for a moment, consciously in the wrong, and stepped forward to make amends: "The last time I didn't ask, I was rude, so I specially prepared a cart of sheepskins as compensation."

Chi Li looked him up and down, and said calmly, "Stretch out your left hand."

Tan Yushu didn't know what he meant, and stretched out his left hand obediently.

"The right hand is also stretched out."

Tan Yushu obediently stretched out his right hand.

"Come together."

Although Tan Yushu didn't understand, he did it anyway.

Chi Li looked at his folded palms, slowly took out the rope, twisted it around and around, and then tied a knot.

Ever since a month ago when a person "stealing melons with high technology" disappeared, Chi Li has been brooding over him, squatting here every night and waiting for the rabbit.

Well now, caught on the spot.