I had known for a long time that Zeng Guofan's residence in the capital was rented and very shabby, but today I saw that it was not ordinary shabby!
Although Nancheng is also an inner city surrounded by city walls, the land in Nancheng was not fully utilized during the Ming and Qing dynasties. Nanheng Street is already the southernmost end of the residential area!
Looking south from Nanheng Street, you can see large vegetable gardens not far away. The smell of fresh vegetables is wafting in the air, and the green grass and leaves are also mixed with a faint smell, a rural pastoral smell!
From a distance, you can still see the cornices and brackets of Longquan Temple in the south, and even further away is Taoran Pavilion. The puddle is a favorite place for the common people, and the royal nobles are always there to play.
The capital is like this. The royal palaces and nobles in the inner city all like to go north, including the west, because there are mountains, water, and woods there. The scenery is beautiful and it is close to the royal gardens.
If Yixin wants to relax, he can visit the Old Summer Palace, Changchun Garden, and Xishan. However, he rarely comes to Nancheng!
Even the bustling Dashilan, Zhushikou, and Bada Hutongs are too lazy to go to, let alone Nanheng Street further south!
Zeng Guofan never bought a house in the capital in his life. He couldn't afford it before, but now that he has become famous, he is too lazy to buy another house. Perhaps from his heart, he doesn't want to live too close to these Manchus.
The Marshal's Mansion in Nancheng is actually five courtyards whose east and west walls have been opened up and connected into one large mansion.
Marshal Zeng lived in one room in the middle, and the rest of Ma Bian, civilian officials, and escort soldiers lived scattered in the other four courtyards. This area is not small, but he has no pattern!
Yi Xin walked in from the main entrance, walked around a screen wall, and saw the main hall as soon as she entered. It was so small and narrow, with no depth at all!
Zeng Guofan stood in front of the hall and saw the prince. He also tied up his horse sleeves to salute, "Old minister Zeng Guofan wishes to pay his respects to the prince!"
Ouch, how dare Yi Xin ask Zeng Guofan to kowtow and kill thousands of people! Marshal Zeng was already a national treasure. When he saw the emperor and the queen mother, he was given the honor of being seated without having to kneel.
He quickly rushed forward and helped Zeng Guofan, "Hey, brother, what are you doing? We don't talk about this, we don't talk about this..."
"If I remember correctly, brother, are you 20 years older than me?"
"Haha... I am 22 years old. I am old, I am old..."
Yi Xin really didn't realize it before, but today when he supported the old commander through his clothes and sleeves, he realized that Zeng Guofan had indeed run out of gas!
The muscles of both arms are loose, as if you can feel the bones with a little effort. This is a typical old man's muscles and bones!
I hadn't noticed this before through the court uniform, but now that I was closer, I realized that Zeng Guofan really might not have a few more days to live, and what the intelligence said was all true.
At that moment, Yi Xin was really a bit sad. The imperial court had been guarding against Zeng Guofan all his life. It wanted him to go to war but was afraid that he would rebel.
While using it, I was worried and on guard, trying to deal with this old man every step of the way. But until today, he has not rebelled. Instead, he is still working hard for the empire in his dying years!
Didn’t what I did before go too far?
"Commander! Today we won't talk about the difference between Manchu and Han, nor about superiority and inferiority... just treat us as brothers chatting, okay?"
"Not to mention anything else, when we were pacifying Changmao, you were outside and I was inside, and we always cooperated very well... If I try to climb hard, we can be regarded as comrades-in-arms!"
"Haha... Your Majesty, please feel free. Since this is the case, I won't take it anymore. Come on... have some food from my hometown. The taste may be a bit strong, it's very spicy!"
The two of them sat down. Today, Yixin actually sat down and let the commander take the main seat. However, it was difficult for Yixin to sit down. The dishes on this table were all Hunan style.
Zeng Guofan was from Xiangxiang, Changsha, Hunan, a place known for its spicy food. In front of Yi Xin was a plate of oiled tiger skin peppers stuffed with meat fillings.
It smells spicy even without eating it! Let’s look at the other dishes, fried bacon with chili pepper, braised fish sprinkled with red pepper, crabs with chili pepper... and finally there was a plate of chili sauce!
To eat or not? This is a problem. Yi Xin was a pampered prince who grew up in fine clothes and fine food. Although there was a banquet between Manchu and Han Dynasties in the Qing Dynasty, all the dishes from all over the world were brought to the capital.
But what the royal family and nobles eat daily is actually Shandong cuisine, Huaiyang cuisine and some special dishes with foreign flavors!
This is what the Manchus often eat on a daily basis, and these three series are not characterized by spiciness, so there are very few famous dishes in the capital with such a strong taste.
You have to eat it even if you are not used to it. Yi Xin gritted his teeth and picked up the fried green chili peppers with chopsticks, and took a big bite!
Why? I originally thought that this green chili pepper would be very spicy, but I didn't expect that it only has a mild spiciness, and my mouth is full of meaty flavor and a hint of sweetness!
"Is this...is this chili pepper?"
"Hahaha...has the prince been fooled?" Zeng Guofan laughed, "Actually, after frying the pepper, it is not so spicy, but has a hint of sweetness!"
"I, my spleen and stomach can no longer handle spicy food, but my mouth is still hungry for the taste of my hometown... so I asked the chef to specially prepare some chili dishes that are not too spicy!"
"I took it out today, and it really confused the prince! Haha, it's a joke, don't blame the prince!"
Yi Xin put down his chopsticks and lost some of his nervousness when he entered. He stood up and actually bowed to Zeng Guofan, "Commander...Brother, if you really miss the friendship over the years, please ask me !”
"Is the person behind the organization to avenge His Majesty this time Xiao Letian? Marshal, please clarify..."
Zeng Guofan glanced at him and said, "What? You still haven't figured out who your opponent is?"
…
With a bang, Xiao Letian slapped the table with his hand, and the sound made was scary!
This is a newly built villa on the seaside of Borneo. The door faces the sea and the spring flowers are blooming... The most beautiful sea view beach in Brunei Bay is enclosed and became the resting place of the head of state.
Today's banquet is hosted by his father-in-law Fan Yan, King Yi who has returned from Europe, Master Long who has come from the Far East, and his most loyal general!
The warm sea breeze blows slowly from the South China Sea. More than a dozen people are feasting on seafood on a European-style long wooden table. Champagne, wine, and beer are consumed like water. Now everyone has wine, and everyone is talking. They were discussing the situation in the capital.
Xiao Letian talked about his excitement, slammed the table with one hand and unbuttoned his collar and said loudly, "With Guiziliu's little knowledge, do you still want to understand Zai Chun's tricks?"
"Hahaha... He's so exhausted that he can't figure out who his enemy is?"
"That kind of person lives in the medieval world and can only define his opponents as concrete people!"
"Who is Zai Chun's behind-the-scenes supporter? Who organized these counterattacks? Am I Xiao Letian? Is it Zeng Guofan? The ambassadors of Britain and France or the domestic prime minister?"
"Shit! That's all Guiziliu knows! He will never understand what a huge and terrifying opponent he has offended!"
