The reputation of Zuixianlou's spicy hotpot is growing day by day, and has even spread to the imperial palace.
Jiajing meditated all year round and often lost his appetite. In addition, he ate a lot of elixirs refined by Tao Zhongwen, which often gave him a false sense of fullness.
Because those elixirs have little nutritional content, at least they are not rich in protein or amino acids. But there are still various trace elements, and maybe some Guanyin soil or something, otherwise the elixir will not be easy to form.
If Tao Zhongwen can live to future generations, Xiao Feng will definitely take him as a partner and establish a meal replacement company specifically for those who want to lose weight.
Jiajing is the spicy hot pot that King Yu talked about. The cause of the incident was Kang Fei's birthday, and Jiajing decided to surprise Kang Fei on a whim.
This would never have existed before, because after Jiajing practiced Taoism in Xiyuan, he almost never celebrated the birthdays of the concubines in the harem in person, and the nightlife was all solved with a little showgirl.
But since Xiao Feng straightened out Jiajing's perverted habits, the relationship between Jiajing and the concubines in the harem has been rebuilt, especially Concubine Kang and Concubine Lu Jing, who have the best skills and emotions, and they have regained their second youth.
Jiajing quietly returned to the palace with Huang Jin without notifying Concubine Kang. Huang Jin asked everyone in Concubine Kang's palace not to say anything, and Jiajing quietly walked into Concubine Kang's room alone.
As a result, when I was at the door, I heard King Yu's voice. He came into the palace to pay his birthday to his mother and concubine, and was bragging to her about how delicious the spicy hot pot he had eaten at Zuixianlou was.
When King Yu was describing the delicious taste of meat slices, fish fillets and other things soaked in spicy red oil in his mouth, Jiajing accidentally drooled.
It was nothing more than drooling, Jiajing also subconsciously sucked it, which immediately shocked the mother and son in the room.
Concubine Kang quickly wiped her saliva with a handkerchief to greet her, while Prince Yu knelt on the ground, not daring to look at the traces of saliva left on the corner of Jiajing's mouth.
Jiajing was very upset and said displeasedly: "I don't know how to study. At such a young age, I only know how to eat, drink and have fun. How can I be decent!"
That's all. As a prince, you have already been crowned a prince. You have never seen anything in the world. To talk about spicy hot pot in such an exaggerated way shows your frivolity! "
King Yu said aggrievedly: "It's really delicious. Liu Shishen said that this is the latest famous dish taught to her by her master. I can't get a reservation at Zuixianju for the past two days!"
I always went through the back door of Liu Shishen to get a meal, but King Jing is still queuing up. "
Jiajing frowned: "Why can you go through the back door, but Prince Jing can't? Does Zuixianju dare to treat the two princes favorably?"
Jiajing didn't say this casually. Of course he knew that Liu Ruyun listened to Xiao Feng in everything. Could it be that Xiao Feng was treating the two children favorably?
King Yu smiled and said, "Master found out about me going through the back door. Master scolded me and said that as a prince, I should be cautious in my words and deeds and lead the public morals.
The use of backdoor jamming is not a big deal in itself, but it will make people feel that I am not upright enough and cannot control my desires.
Master told King Jing not to imitate me, saying that what I did was frivolous, just like what my father taught me. So King Jing asked his servants to line up. "
Jiajing breathed a sigh of relief, and then felt angry and funny. These two guys were usually not afraid of anyone except themselves, but now they were trained by Xiao Feng to be obedient.
Jiajing said with a straight face: "Xiao Feng is just trying to guard against the slightest possibility. In fact, as a prince, he should have the privileges of a prince.
This is nothing, but you look like you have eaten a fairy peach, which is indeed frivolous..."
After saying this, Jiajing's heart moved. Since it was Xiao Feng's recipe for Liu Ruyun, it couldn't have been passed down from the fairy world.
Thinking of this, Jiajing's saliva started to flow again.
Jiajing drove Prince Yu away, hugged Concubine Kang and talked, but kept thinking about the spicy hot pot in his mind.
"Whatever your beloved concubine would like to eat in the evening, you can ask my royal chef to prepare it for you."
This is grace. Although the concubines and the emperor in the palace eat from the imperial chef, the imperial chef and the royal chef are also different. The emperor has his own small kitchen.
Kang Fei's brain twitched and she blurted out: "Spicy hot pot..."
Then he felt something was wrong and quickly said: "Long live my forgiveness, I let Zai Jing make trouble, I was frivolous..."
Jiajing licked the corners of his mouth with his tongue and quickly grasped Kang Fei's words.
"Today is your birthday, how can I break my promise? Since it is my concubine who wants to eat it, I let Huang Jin think of a way."
Kang Fei really felt that she had been frivolous and quickly went back to make up for it.
"No, no, no, long live I don't have to spend so much time on my concubine. I don't want to eat it..."
Jiajing said firmly: "No, you want to eat. Huang Jin, go to Zuixianlou... No, go to Xiao Feng."
He said that it was Concubine Kang's birthday and she wanted to eat spicy hot pot, so she asked him to contribute a pot. "
Huang Jin was in trouble when he heard that he was going to Zuixianlou to order food. He was relieved when he heard that Jiajing changed his mind and asked Xiao Feng for it.
How could the emperor order food from a restaurant outside? This would frighten the supervisor to death. Eunuch Liu would have to fight for his life.
But it would be much better to ask Xiao Feng. According to the etiquette system, noble ministers can offer dishes to the emperor to show their respect, just like offering offerings to the ancestors of heaven and earth.
It's just that this etiquette has been rarely implemented in all dynasties because it is too dangerous.
Not to mention that the emperor's life was in danger if he ate the dishes presented by the ministers, but the life of the person who presented the dishes was also in danger.
If the food you offer is dropped during the meal, and if it turns out to be poisonous after entering the palace, the emperor will probably kill you.
Even if the food presented is not poisonous, if the emperor has a bad gastrointestinal problem and suffers from diarrhea or constipation, he will not have a good impression on the person presenting the food.
Therefore, the act of offering vegetables is a typical form of asking for a doctor when there is no illness, and it is only spread as a formal etiquette on paper. But after all, there are rules, so it's not a violation.
Xiao Feng received the order and did not dare to neglect. He personally brought a bag of fried ingredients into the palace to ensure that the bag of ingredients would not be added.
Jiajing and Kang Fei's faces were covered with sweat after eating, and they kept wiping them with brocade handkerchiefs. Xiao Feng sat down at the bottom and only ate two chopsticks before putting them down, showing a lack of interest.
Looking at his junior brother who looked like he was in need of a beating, Jiajing wiped his sweat and said, "This is not bad. I think junior brother is tired of eating it every day."
You are tired of eating it. If I don’t look for you, you don’t even know how to take the initiative to give me this good thing to try. Wouldn’t your conscience hurt?
Xiao Feng quickly held up his hands and apologized: "Senior Brother, Madam, it's not that I'm tired of eating, it's because I remembered the beef and mutton that someone secretly bought in Taibaiju the day before yesterday, and I feel that today's meat is not that interesting."
Jiajing frowned: "What do you mean by this? Isn't the beef and mutton in my palace's kitchen inferior to the beef and mutton in Taibai Juli?"
Xiao Feng smiled: "It is said on the street that not to mention the beef and mutton we eat, even the beef and mutton that Long Live eats are leftovers picked by Taibai Juli.
I didn't believe it at first, but after tasting it today, I realized that it was indeed the case.
Although the beef and mutton in Senior Brother's Palace are worse than those in Zuixian Tower, they are not as good as those in Taibaiju. "
Jiajing put down his chopsticks. It seemed that the meat slices in his mouth were no longer fragrant. Concubine Kang was eating enthusiastically. Seeing that Jiajing stopped eating, she quickly put down her chopsticks.
Although cattle and sheep are also raised in the mainland, the best cattle and sheep do come from the grasslands.
The cattle and sheep obtained from the mutual market are all purchased and sold by the Ministry of Household Affairs, so the palace naturally wants to take the first bite.
This is not because Jiajing is stingy and fighting for this stutter, but it represents the superiority and inferiority of superiors and inferiors.
This psychological hint must not be forgotten at all times, otherwise, there is a possibility that the imperial power will weaken.
"Huang Jin, let Lu Bing think of a way to get some beef and mutton from Taibaiju."
The hot pot was still boiling, but Jiajing stopped moving his chopsticks and just drank tea and chatted with Xiao Feng.
He is not a gullible person, and everyone has different tastes in things like food. Even if Junior Brother is not lying, it may be that his tongue is not working well.
Jin Yiwei was definitely overqualified for such a thing. He got back the meat slices without even using a stick of incense.
Although Lu Bing had already checked it repeatedly, Huang Jin took the trouble to check it again, and even took a piece of it and ate it before handing it to Jiajing.
Jiajing boiled a piece of beef, put it in his mouth, and chewed it slowly. Then he picked up another piece of mutton and chewed it slowly.
"Bring me a hot pot with clear soup."
Clear soup, the taste of beef and mutton is clearer, at this time Jiajing's face is no longer very good-looking.
The hot pot with clear soup was served. Jiajing rinsed two more slices, then put down his chopsticks and nodded to Concubine Kang with a smile.
"It's your birthday today, eat more, and I'll eat with you."
The next morning, Pan Huang, the Secretary of the Ministry of Revenue, received an order to cooperate with the Jinyiwei to check the account books of the cattle and sheep in the Ministry of Revenue.
Pan Huang was very puzzled, why did Jin Yiwei take care of the cattle and sheep?
He did not dare to neglect, and immediately called Tan Tong and asked him to take out the account books.
I remember clearly in the account book that the first batch of cattle and sheep were sent to the palace.
The second batch of cattle and sheep were ordered by princes from all over the country, and the third batch of cattle and sheep were sold in the market.
Tan Tong pointed to the account books and talked eloquently, saying that since he took charge of this matter, he had worked conscientiously and had never violated any rules. Lu Bing suddenly interrupted him.
"The account book says that there are some cattle and sheep that will be dealt with separately after some random inspections. What's going on?"
Tan Tong glanced at Lu Bing and said with a smile: "Master Lu, this is the custom of the Ministry of Revenue.
Not only cattle and sheep, but also bulk goods such as grain, rice, cloth and silk are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Household Affairs, and the Ministry of Household Affairs must conduct random inspections. "
Lu Bing nodded: "These random inspection samples will be processed separately. How are they usually processed?"
Tan Tong glanced at Pan Huang, who raised his head and pretended not to notice. Tan Tong gritted his teeth and laughed in a low voice.
"Mr. Lu, these random inspection samples will eventually be sold.
There are not many samples, and the silver earned will be used to subsidize the officials at all levels of the Ministry of Revenue. This is the practice of the Ministry of Revenue, not the intention of this official.
Moreover, the Ministry of Accounts has internal accounts for the amount of silver sold, and when and for which officials the subsidy was distributed, and adults can check it. "
Lu Bing didn't care about this, because the funds allocated to various departments in the Ming Dynasty were indeed not very wealthy.
Various departments use their powers to make small moves, in fact, many times it is to ensure that the department operates better.
For example, the Ministry of War often sells old military uniforms, and the Ministry of Rites also distributes some textbooks to major bookstores.
People in Qintian prison work part-time as fortune tellers for wealthy families, and painters in Shuntianfu work part-time as portrait painters, to name a few.
As long as all the money does not fall into the hands of individuals, and it is not too excessive, everyone will turn a blind eye.
But today Lu Bing was particularly serious: "Sir Tan, could you please take out the inner account and show it to me?"
Tan Tong had no choice but to take out a booklet, which clearly recorded how much money he got from selling the samples and how much he spent on drinking wine at a certain party in the ministry.
How much money the department will get out of buying popsicles in the summer. A colleague's house collapsed, but how much money the department will get out is clear and not messed up.
But Lu Bing pointed to the sales column above and said, "Why are the cattle and sheep for sale only sold to three fixed restaurants? The other two are also Shi Zhenxiang's properties."
Tan Tong's whole body trembled, and he forced a smile and said: "I really don't know about this. When it comes to sales, the price is reasonable. Generally, there is no restriction on who can buy it."
Lu Bing laughed and said, "This sales price is far from fair. It's a little lower than the market price."
Tan Tong defended: "The samples for random inspection are generally lower than the bulk shipment price."
Lu Bing nodded: "This batch of samples for random inspection should not be sold yet. Take me to have a look."
The cattle and sheep coming from the Datong Mutual Market are all concentrated in the livestock farms in the northeast of the capital. Then they are sold to livestock dealers in various places and sent to all parts of the country through various channels.
When Lu Bing rushed to the livestock farm, this batch of cattle and sheep had been sold, and there were only dozens of cattle and sheep left in a wooden pen, grazing quietly.
As usual, Lu Bing was not wearing official uniform, so the household official who managed the livestock farm did not recognize him and just smiled flatteringly at Tan Tong.
.
"Master Tan, why are you here in person? The smell in this place is very strong! Just ask someone to tell you something!"
Besides, even if you don't come to pass the message, I will naturally handle the matter properly.
Sir, take a look, this is a selection from this cow and sheep! The best of the best!
Look at this cow's neck, look at this lamb's neck, look at these parts, cucumber strips, heavy at one end and three prongs big, the meat will definitely be fat and tender! "
Tan Tong remembered that he was sweating, but with Lu Bing beside him, he didn't dare to stop him directly. He could only nod vaguely: "That's right, that's right. You have to work hard and serve the country!"
Lu Bing smiled and said: "Sir, I am a relative of Mr. Tan, and I am here to pick some animals.
I would like to ask, if the animals we randomly inspect are all good products, why don't others come to buy them? "
When the junior officer heard that he was a relative of Master Tan, he must have told everything, so he nodded proudly.
"Brother, you don't understand this. A normal random inspection, in order to determine the quality of this batch of animals, must be done to pick out the bad ones!
Only in this way can the price of the Tatars be lowered. These cattle and sheep that were left behind were all selected from the best, just in the name of random inspection!
You ask why others don’t come to buy it? What a joke, isn't it about the person designated by the Lord being able to buy these animals from here? You can only go to the market to buy ordinary goods!
So brother, you are really lucky to have a relative like Mr. Tan, just wait and get rich! Which ones do you want? I'll help you get out! "
Tan Tong's whole body was soaked with cold sweat, and he finally couldn't help shouting angrily: "Shut up! You are talking nonsense, nonsense! Get out of here!"
The petty official slapped the horse on the leg while flattering him, and he was so frightened that he ran away.
As I ran, I thought to myself that this relative might be a poor relative from out of town, and he was not treated well by the adults, which made me suffer.
Although Tan Tong roared to stop the loss, he was completely discouraged. He looked at Lu Bing with a wry smile and had nothing to say.
say what? Did you say that you were supporting Shi Zhenxiang? To say that supporting Shi Zhenxiang means supporting Yan Shifan? Supporting Yan Shifan means supporting Yan Song?
Can Lu Bing not understand these things? But he can't help but pretend not to understand. People just asked one thing.
Is Shi Zhenxiang more noble than the emperor? You picked out the best cattle and sheep in advance and kept them for Shi Zhenxiang. Where would you place the emperor?
It is an unspoken rule that the best things do not enter the palace, but the characteristic of the unspoken rule is that it cannot be seen in the light. If you are too blatant, you will not be able to hide.
The next day, several decrees came from the palace, related to the promotion and demotion of several officials.
Lu Yi and Shen Lian were both promoted to deputy qianhu of Jinyiwei for their meritorious service.
Hu Zongxian declared his meritorious service in recruiting Wang Zhi to peace, and was promoted to the censor of Nanjing Youqiandu. He continued to serve concurrently as the coastal patrol envoy, and patrolled the sea with Yu Dayou to prepare for Japanese invaders.
Yan Shifan was disabled accidentally and was no longer suitable to serve in a department with strong action like Dali Temple. With the rank of fourth rank, he temporarily acted as the right minister of the Ministry of Rites.
Tan Tong was disrespectful to Long Live and was demoted three levels. Starting from the position of a doctor in the household department, Liu Tong was promoted to the left minister of the household department and became the second-in-command of the household department.
Xiaochunzi's father-in-law went to sea to announce the decree, and he was successful in recruiting Wang Zhi. He was promoted to the right supervisor of the Secretary of Ceremonies, which was roughly equivalent to the fifth-in-command of the Secretary of Ceremonies. He continued to also supervise the Jiaofang Division.
Among the series of appointment changes, only the matter of talking about it seemed very nonsensical, and all the officials were confused.
Tan Tong was in the Ministry of Revenue and was not a minister. The chance to meet the emperor alone was almost non-existent. He went to court with everyone else.
So how did he find the opportunity to be disrespectful to Banzai? Could it be that I didn't wash my hands before going to the toilet before spending "Jiajing Tongbao"?
Later, it was reported that Tan Tong's disrespectful behavior was discovered by the Jin Yiwei. For a time, many officials were in danger, and the first words of greeting they said every day changed.
"have you eaten?"
"Long live my emperor!"
"What's the matter, let me ask you, have you eaten?"
"Long live the wise man!"
"What happened to you today?"
"Long live the eternal emperor!"
"...Long live long live!"
