"Oh, it's him." The emperor remembered. When the report of Zheng Zhilong's death was sent to the imperial court, although he was a little shocked, it was not as heavy as receiving other bad news. After all, Zheng Zhilong was a pirate, and he had a close relationship with Frankies, red-haired people, The Japanese pirates also had many unclear connections. Although he was recruited, he was not very loyal and seemed to follow the instructions rather than the propaganda.
Zheng Zhilong was killed in battle. Although he felt it was a pity, he was not too sad. He had long heard the report from Jin Yiwei that Zheng Zhilong was in Fujian, and he seemed to be separatist, occupying the center and left to dominate. Zou Weilian was only benevolent to him, and had no respect for the court. When the court proposed to send troops north to aid Liao, he pushed back and blocked them. , unwilling to contribute...
Given time, the tail will be too big to fall off. The emperor was very distrustful of the martial arts groups that had emerged over the years. It's just that the country's affairs are becoming increasingly difficult and military generals are in urgent need of their lives, so he can't help but indulge them more.
"He is somewhat loyal." Although he had a bad impression of the generals, at this moment he suddenly realized that on the southeast coast, only the Zheng family still had a strong maritime force.
Although they were defeated by the Kun thief, they also forged a bloody feud with the Zheng family. He couldn't help but think of Zou Weilian, thinking that he had recruited Zheng Zhilong and quelled the pirate troubles on the Fujian ocean. He was still a meritorious minister, at least he was effective in dealing with the pirates.
At this time, he somewhat regretted why he had listened to the court proposal and dismissed Zou Weilian. If not, at least he now had a governor who understood the Kun thief's situation. Although he was re-recruited this year as Minister of War, he died of illness before he could take office.
Thinking of this, the emperor couldn't help but feel more annoyed, and even more disgusted with Wen Tiren.
"Your Majesty, are you ready to drive..." Seeing that he was a little stunned, the eunuch in charge asked cautiously.
Chongzhen asked: "How old is Zheng Sen?"
"Reporting to your Majesty, I heard that he is still young. He is not yet fifteen years old."
"In this case, someone must be assisting him."
"This..." the eunuch in charge said in a low voice, "Reporting to the emperor, this servant does not know about the matters in the local officialdom..."
The emperor sneered: "You must have benefited a lot from this tea."
The eunuch was shocked and immediately knelt down and kowtowed: "I dare not..."
Although the emperor said nothing and let him kowtow, his mood did not become bad. Although this slave received money, it was a wake-up call for him.
I heard that the Zheng family still has strength and is still a major force on the southeast coast. Although Zheng Zhilong died, it was not a bad thing. Now that the head of the Zheng family is a young man, he will naturally not be as unruly as his father, and must rely on the court's grace.
"Get up." He said lightly and directly ordered: "Get off!" Looking at the frightened face of the eunuch in charge, he was quite satisfied with his "unpredictable providence".
Chengqian Palace was originally a place he often visited, but in recent years the state affairs have become increasingly difficult. He often has to deal with government affairs until late at night, and he can't even sleep well. He is not in the mood to favor the concubine. He comes to Tian Concubine less often.
After Gao Yingxiang was captured and sent to the capital for execution, he became somewhat interested and came to Tian Guifei to relax.
Compared with Empress Zhou and other concubines, Concubine Tian is not necessarily more outstanding in appearance, but she is intelligent, versatile, considerate, and enjoys many elegant and novel foods. Coming to Chengqian Palace can make him nervous and exhausted all the time. Feeling relaxed.
In Chengqian Palace, preparations have been made for the emperor's arrival. The dinner that had been prepared a few hours ago had all been taken away at this time, and twelve delicate fruit plates were rearranged on the table to accompany the wine, because it was thought that the dinner time had passed long ago, and the emperor might not have passed by. For meals, six plates of Jiangnan dim sum were specially prepared.
Since Concubine Tian was born in Yangzhou, her father Tian Hongyu often sent people to the south of the Yangtze River to collect all kinds of fresh objects and fashionable styles of clothing and jewelry to send to the palace. Therefore, whether it is the palace decoration, food, or food in the Chengqian Palace, they are all in the latest Jiangnan style, and they are quite famous in the harem. The emperor also liked it very much.
In recent years, there have been many Australian products in the Chengqian Palace. Before Chongzhen entered the palace, he felt that the light here was different from other places. It turned out that eight "Australian oil lamps" had been lit from the corridor to the palace. Although the Kun thief is currently at war with the imperial court, it does not affect the related enjoyment inside and outside the imperial court. Especially Australian oil lamps and Australian wax, because the light is very bright, they are still used by high-ranking officials and wealthy people, including the palace.
It's just that oil is expensive. After the war between Guangdong and Guangxi broke out, not only the price was high, but the supply was also intermittent. Therefore, even in the palace, Australian oil lamps were mostly used only when the principal was reading and writing. It is rarely used directly for lighting.
The emperor originally thought that his beloved concubine was somewhat luxurious, but walking along the dim imperial road late at night, the brightly lit palace in front of him gave him a pleasant and comfortable feeling, so he did not say anything more.
Concubine Tian and the eunuchs and maids in the palace welcomed him into the palace. The place had been rearranged and a number of furnishings and furniture had been replaced. There used to be many Australian utensils in Honda's imperial concubine's palace. However, due to the war between Guangdong and Guangxi two years ago, the originally humble Australians turned into fierce thieves and took away the goods from Guangdong and Guangxi. It suddenly became one of the giant canals that caused a headache for the imperial court. The eunuchs discussed that even the Donglu, who gave the emperor a headache, had not taken away the provinces of the Ming Dynasty, and the Kun thieves actually took away two of the thirteen provinces in one fell swoop. ! No wonder the emperor was furious when the news came.
For this reason, many "Australian goods" in the palace were put away to prevent the emperor from being "sentimental" and triggering the wrath of thunder. Only "practical items" such as Australian lamps and Australian wax were retained.
However, there have been too many troubles for the imperial court in the past two years. Even if the Kun bandits have climbed onto the screen of Qianqing Palace, their importance cannot be compared with the "rogue bandits" who are harassing everywhere and the "Eastern bandits" who are hundreds of miles away from the capital. . Since the Kun thieves conquered Guangdong and Guangxi, they have ceased their activities. As a result, these objects quietly reappeared one by one - compared to other toys, Australian products are more practical, especially thermos bottles, oil lamps, Australian wax, Australian fire, etc. Once used, it is difficult to use them again. Let go. But everyone was still very careful and never mentioned the word "Australia" in front of the emperor. Just replace it with "Nanyang"
The meal spread out on the table was exquisite, but the emperor had little appetite. Firstly, he had already eaten a few pieces of tiger eye candy because he had missed dinner, and he was not too hungry now; secondly, the situation these days also prevented him from tasting the delicious food in front of him.
Concubine Tian saw that Chongzhen had lost his appetite and was not interested in all the meat and fish in front of him, so she quickly asked someone to bring a bowl of clear soup. The emperor was advised to take a few mouthfuls of soup to warm his stomach and appetizer.
Chongzhen had no appetite at first, but he couldn't bear to brush off his concubine's kindness, so he reluctantly nodded. As soon as the lid of the soup bowl was opened, a light fragrance filled the palace. The soup brought by Goodbye Tian Fei was as clear as water, with only a few small pieces of snow-white crystal tofu floating in it and some slender green vegetable leaves, but they were pea shoots.
Now is the twelfth lunar month of winter, and it is difficult for an emperor to eat fresh vegetables. Although the Dongzi goods in Fengtai can provide "off-season vegetables", they are only leeks, cucumbers and the like. Green leafy vegetables are extremely rare, let alone such fresh vegetables. pea sprouts.
I picked up the spoon and took a sip of the soup. The soup tasted very light, with only a slight taste of salt and the fragrance of pea shoots. The umami taste was not strong, but the aftertaste left a faint sweetness in my mouth. He scooped up another piece of tofu and put it into his mouth. The tofu was extremely smooth and tender, with no beany smell at all. He didn't need to chew it, just pressed it lightly with his tongue and it broke into pieces.
After drinking the soup, I felt warm in my belly and my appetite returned. Praise: "This bowl of soup is great! How do you make this tofu so delicate and smooth?"
Seeing that his face had warmed up, Mrs. Tian quickly served him food and rice, and said slowly: "This tofu was originally divided into north and south. The northern tofu is made with brine and has a rough texture, while the southern tofu is made with gypsum so it is soft and tender. Now there is a new one. To make it, use the inner fat to make tofu. It is a hundred times softer and tender than the southern tofu. It is best for making soup."
This lactone in tofu is a newly developed product of Lingao Food Factory. Tofu cannot be transported long distances, so we have to sell the lactone used to make tofu. It is also sold in the capital, and there are tofu shops that buy it specifically for production. Because it is a "foreign product", the price is higher than other tofu, and ordinary people cannot afford it.
Although the imperial court and the Kun thieves are as powerful as fire and water, it does not prevent all kinds of "Australian goods" from continuing to be popular. As for these fresh pea seedlings, they are actually produced in Fengtai using the Senate's soilless cultivation technology. Many light industrial and agricultural technologies spread far more widely than the Senate imagined.
In fact, Concubine Tian is very clear about the relationship between bean sprouts, tofu and Kunthief. After all, the floor-to-ceiling clock, full-length mirrors, and various makeup products in Chengqian Palace... many of them were brought from Guangdong by his father.
Chongzhen said with some interest: "The creations in the world are so wonderful. I have only heard of tofu made with brine, and I didn't expect gypsum to be used. Now this 'inner fat' has come out again. There is a proverb outside: 'Tofu made with brine is a good thing.' "Things come down one by one. I really want to find a few capable ministers and generals to kill all the rogue bandits, Donglu and Kun thieves, just like ordering tofu."
Concubine Tian said: "Your Majesty is the Holy Lord of Zhongxing. He is rare in ancient times and is naturally heroic. Sooner or later these three bandits will plow the court and sweep the holes!" After saying this, she added: "Your Majesty, please have a meal."
After drinking the soup, the emperor felt much more energetic and nodded immediately. Concubine Tian immediately asked the maids to bring over the rice. After dinner, the maids brought tea, and Chongzhen thought about Zheng Sen again. The Zheng family spent money to bribe the eunuchs in the palace to pay tribute to the new tea. They must have some intention. There must be someone in the middle who was pulling the strings - the eunuch in charge naturally knew about it, but he was unwilling to let the eunuch "succeed". Decided to personally investigate the matter tomorrow.
