On the day Lu Wan's wife Zhang returned to Beigong, the first heavy snowfall of the winter fell in Luoyang. The sky was covered with white clouds, like crushed white clouds, shattered jade, and the world was filled with desolation.
Since getting up in the morning, Lu Pheasant has been slightly restless and has been waiting anxiously for Mr. Zhang.
The lunch food prepared by the Shangshi Bureau was cold and hot, hot and cold again. I don't know how many times it was reheated, but Zhang's recipe was late.
Upon hearing the news that Zhang had entered the palace, Lu Pheasant ordered someone to open the palace door early, while he stood outside the doorway and waited thoughtfully.
Seeing the long-awaited queen from afar, Mrs. Zhang panicked and trotted over in the snow. She gently pushed Lu Pheasant into the palace, and kept instructing the palace people to close the doors to prevent the north wind from blowing the snowflakes. Bringing in the cold air.
At this moment, some clever and sensible palace servants have quietly gone to Shanshi to spread the news. The distinguished guests invited by the queen have arrived. I think today's luncheon can be presented.
As soon as she came into the warm and spring-like room from the ice and snow, Zhang was a little confused. She had no time to take off her gray-brown fox fur cloak. She was still holding a large, flat bamboo hat with a long handle tightly in her left hand ( sì).
Lu Pheasant saw that her knuckles holding the handle were red from the cold, and he couldn't help laughing and complaining.
"What rare thing is worthy of you carrying it in person in the wind and snow?"
Mrs. Zhang glanced at her and ignored her. She carefully placed the painted bamboo hat firmly on the dining table. Then she took off the cloak under the service of the palace servants and said with a smile,
"You are such a noble person and forgetful about things.
When we were in the country, whenever it snowed heavily like this, you would always come to my house and ask me what to eat. "
Lu Pheasant was startled.
"Is this filled with fish bream (zhǎ)?"
"Isn't it? Fortunately, you love eating it most."
Mrs. Zhang smiled, opened the lid of the bamboo basket, and smelled a salty and fresh smell mixed with the aroma of wine. Looking closely, there were neatly packed small bags made of green reed leaves.
“This is our first year in Luoyang, and we can’t figure out what the weather will be like.
I followed my old habits and made a Yellow River carp ten days earlier. I wrapped it in layers of reed leaves as usual, mixed it with dogwood, orange peel and good wine, and marinated it in a vat.
I opened the vat and tasted it this morning. Maybe because Luoyang is colder than Peixian County, the marinade is not as tasty as in my hometown, but I can still eat it anyway.
I picked some good ones to bring to you, but it took me a while and I came in late. "
"It's hard for you to think about it. Leave it to them quickly. We'll add another dish to the lunch later."
Lu Pheasant also laughed and asked the palace servants to quickly bring the fish and bream to the kitchen.
***
Perhaps she was worried that the young palace people would not appreciate the delicious taste of wild bream meat, so Zhang stretched her neck and hurriedly warned the palace people behind their backs,
"Hey, let them cut the bream meat finely and steam it in a steamer over low heat. If the heat is too high, the meat will not be tender.
It's enough to cook another pot of hot corn porridge for the two of us. "
Lu Pheasant looked at Mrs. Zhang who was as cheerful as usual, and her internal organs seemed to be pulled in one place by an invisible big hand. Her heart was boiling, and she said with mixed feelings,
"I haven't eaten your bream for several years.
Previously, we were all trapped in Chu Camp. Every day was precarious, money was tight, and it was difficult to survive. Who has the heart to think about this.
Last winter, everyone was back, and because the decisive battle with Xiang Yu was imminent, I was not in the mood to do it seriously. "
"Yeah, I finally looked forward to the good time.
Now Zang Tu has been wiped out and no one is causing trouble anymore. From now on, everyone can live peacefully and I will do it for you every year.
It’s a pity that there are still so many good soldiers who did not wait until this day——”
Mrs. Zhang sighed, recalling the ups and downs along the way, her eyes seemed to be covered with a layer of fog.
But she had a heroic nature and was never bothered by her children's thoughts. She wiped the corners of her eyes with the back of her hand and joked,
"This year's first share will be given to you as usual. If Lu Yan comes looking for it later, there will be no more."
***
The two of them were acquainted and informal. They sat opposite each other for a while and ate hot wine before they could handle the fish. They each had a steaming bowl of corn porridge, which was served together with other various side dishes.
Lu Pheasant picked up a piece of fish bream, put it in his mouth, and chewed it carefully. It was salty, fresh, smooth and tender, with the sweetness of sake lees, just the taste in his memory.
Just like those countless winter nights, Ms. Zhang sat cross-legged on the couch at her home, sewing and talking about the good news from the front line that had been delayed for an unknown amount of time.
In her last life, she had been the emperor for too many years, with the world in mind and the common people at heart. It had been many years since she had experienced the true love between ordinary people.
If Empress Lu was using Bo Ji, being tolerant, and being lenient and merciful, then there was indeed a friendship between her and Lu Wan's wife that originated from a small age and was difficult to eradicate.
This friendship is like a flower that blooms tenaciously in a scorched earth. It was very precious to Empress Lu back then, and it was also rare and long-lost for her after her rebirth.
She put down the bamboo chopsticks and asked slowly,
"If His Majesty entrusts Lu Wan with a huge responsibility, what do you think?"
Mrs. Zhang did not express her gratitude immediately with excitement, but took a sip of porridge slowly. After thinking for a moment, Fang said,
"I see that you are hesitant to speak, and it turns out it's because of this.
To be honest, His Majesty knows best how much Lu Wan's talent is, and he cannot hide it from you.
He only deserves praise for his loyalty. As for the rest, I'm really afraid that he won't be able to afford it, won't be able to do it well, and will ruin the job later. "
Lu Pheasant nodded. Although Zhang was bold, he was rough but subtle. Sure enough, he saw the problem at a glance.
"Then, will you persuade Lu Wanjian to resign?"
If Lu Wan is determined to be the king of Yan, he might be able to avoid this future disaster.
"Do you remember what my name is?"
Mrs. Zhang did not directly answer Lu Pheasant's question, but only talked about unrelated household matters.
"My original name is 'Ganzhi', Zhang Ganzhi.
The donation is not the silk of silk and satin, but the donation that has been discarded.
After all, I was a useless baby girl from the time I was born. My family wanted to throw her away, but thanks to a flash of kindness from my grandmother, I was born. "
She spoke leisurely, but Lu Pheasant noticed the meaning of Zhang's words, and his heart became heavier and heavier, filled with fatalistic sadness.
"The same goes for Lu Wan. He was originally an ordinary village man in the mountains. His Majesty was a pavilion chief at that time, and he is destined to farm the land for the rest of his life.
But now, he is the Taiwei of the Han Dynasty, and I am the Taiwei's wife. I left the house this morning, followed by twenty attendants.
Ten years ago, this was a beauty I would never have dared to dream of. "
Therefore, Liu Ji was their emperor and their benefactor, both emotionally and rationally, in both public and private matters. Lu Wan and his wife were grateful to Liu Ji and were willing to serve Liu Ji.
Moreover, glory, wealth, high official status and generous salary are addictive. Officials and prime ministers want to be princes, becoming emperors want to become immortals, endless, until death.
Except for Zhang Liang who was hiding in the northwest, even Xiao Xiangguo couldn't figure out the cause and effect of prosperity and decline, so why should he be demanding of Lu Wan and his wife?
No matter what, Lu Wan will not resign as King of Yan;
And from the moment he went to Yan to take up his post, the emperor's trust in him would gradually disappear.
