Funing Hall

No matter how angry, worried, or prepared the servants are.

Zhao Cong finished his breakfast with a good appetite.

His poor health in this life was a fact, and he couldn't pretend it even if he wanted to.

It's been hot lately and I've lost my appetite.It was a rare day today. Rantao made steamed rice with cherries. The steamed rice was soft and sticky, with a layer of cherries on top. After steaming, the cherry juice seeped into the rice.Take out a piece and put it in a vermilion porcelain bowl, which is very beautiful.

Just looking at it whets the appetite.Zhao Cong took a spoonful with a small spoon first, and took a sip carefully. The cherries were sweet and sour, and the rice was extra soft and glutinous. It was very delicious, and he showed satisfaction.After eating half of it, he washed the cherry rice with amber fruit tea, the color is more beautiful.He seemed to be eating carefully, but he was thinking of Aunt Wang's words in his heart.

Getting slapped in the face, aren't you angry?

Of course not.

But he, Zhao Cong, has an advantage, no matter how angry he is, he doesn't show it on his face.Besides, he also knew that Aunt Wang borrowed the prestige of Queen Mother Sun.He didn't need to be angry with Aunt Wang, even if Aunt Wang was the Queen Mother's nurse, he really wanted Aunt Wang to die now, and Queen Mother Sun really couldn't say "no".

The game of servants is actually a contest between master and master.

So it's really meaningless to compare with a servant.

It is the truth that he is no better than the Queen Mother Sun now, and he has always treated it negatively, which is the truth.He is like the drunk person, it is not time to wake up yet, or he is not willing to wake up yet.When are you willing to wake up?He doesn't know either.

Today I promised Fulu to go to the Dachaohui, after all, I couldn't bear to see Fulu's expectant and pitiful appearance.

But all of this, sooner or later, he will ask those people to return it.

The one who laughs first is never the one who laughs last.

He didn't eat too much, he used a small piece of cherry rice, and asked someone to come in, take a book, and go to the pavilion in the back garden to read as usual.

Instead, walking into the yard, Zhao Cong saw Liu Xian not far away, talking to a small yellow gate.

As for Liu Xian, he was one of Empress Dowager Sun's stalkers in his palace.Everyone knew it well, but no one said it.Zhao Cong thought it would be good to let Liu Xian here, because Liu Xian was stupid, and Liu Xian was timid and timid, so if someone else came, he would not be as good as Liu Xian.

But that doesn't mean he likes Liu Xian.When Fu Lu first entered the palace, he was squeezed out by Liu Xian for a while.If he hadn't succeeded in pretending to be ill and begged for Fulu in tears, Fulu would not have a bright future until now.

Zhao Cong narrowed his eyes, and Fu Lu immediately sent a little eunuch to call him.

Liu Xian was talking to an unfamiliar little Huangmen. When he sent his disciple Liu into the Hall of Baoci to report the news in the morning, Liu Jin didn't know where he went.Just seeing this little yellow door, he couldn't find anyone, so he had to send it.Unexpectedly, this little Huangmen was extremely clever in his work, and he was rewarded by Baoci Temple.

Liu Xian wanted to train him as an apprentice, so he asked a few more questions, and he was shocked when he heard His Majesty asked him to speak.

He just did something wrong in the morning, when he looked back, His Majesty was looking at him with a smile.

He immediately bent down, ran to His Majesty, and saluted: "Your Majesty."

Zhao Cong let him hang out for a while, then said calmly: "Get up."

"Your Majesty is going to read in the back garden?" Liu Xian said with a flattering smile.

Zhao Cong glanced at the small yellow gate behind him, and asked, "Your new apprentice? It doesn't look familiar."

"Yes, yes, it's new this morning." Liu Xian nodded and bowed.

"what is it call?"

"Call, call—" Liu Xiang had just started talking to him, before he had time to ask him what his name was.

The little Huangmen didn't panic, he saluted politely, and said: "Your Majesty, my family name is Cheng, and my name is Ergou."

Liu Xian laughed "puchi", but he was the only one laughing.He immediately covered his mouth again, bowing his head and not daring to move again.

Zhao Cong didn't bother to talk to him, and said directly: "This name is interesting."

"My parents didn't go to school, so they gave the little one this name, which stained His Majesty's ears."

Zhao Cong felt that this Cheng Ergou was a bit interesting, he looked only eleven or twelve years old, he should have just been assigned not long ago, but it was rare to be so calm.He simply said: "I will give you a name."

Cheng Ergou was slightly taken aback, and knelt down on the ground with a "plop": "The villain dare not!"

Zhao Cong was amused by him, and said happily: "What dare you, you should be called Ji Xiang, and I will follow you Fu officials from now on."

"..." Cheng Ergou, no, it was Jixiang who was freshly baked, so stunned that he couldn't speak.

Liu Xian was also speechless, it was just that Fu Lu was pressing him down, what kind of fate was this kid? !Actually ranked in the same generation name as Fulu? !

Zhao Cong raised his foot and was about to leave, but he stopped as if he remembered something, turned around and said to Liu Xian, "Liu Xian, you go out of the palace for a while."

Liu Xian responded immediately: "Yes, where does Your Majesty want the younger one to go?"

"Go to the Palace of Princess Baoning."

"..."

Princess Baoning is Zhao Cong's only younger sister. After both of their parents passed away, Zhao Cong made his own sister the princess as soon as he ascended the throne.Empress Dowager Sun didn't say anything, she was just a princess anyway.Zhao Cong built the princess mansion for his younger sister, but the Queen Mother Sun still didn't say anything, after all, Zhao Cong did not chase after his biological father.

The owner of Baoning County is known to be extremely favored by his name. Everyone knows that His Majesty's former name was Zhao Zongbao, and his younger sister was called Zhao Zongning.She took the names of the two of them as her title, which shows this honor.

Princess Baoning was born as the daughter of the royal family, so she couldn't be a princess in the first place, and even a county owner couldn't run away.She is good-looking, her own brother is the emperor, and everyone supports her. She is truly the proud daughter of heaven, even the few unfavored princesses of the former emperor in the palace can't compare to her.

Princess Baoning is inevitably a little arrogant, there are many people who are afraid of her, and Liu Xian is one of them.He is not afraid of their Majesty, but he is afraid of the Lord Baoning.Every time he was ordered to deliver things to the princess's mansion, he would always be whipped a few times by the princess.

He lowered his head, only to feel that his back began to hurt again.

"The fabrics, cherries, and newly-made jewelry brought in by the new tribute are all sent to the princess."

"Yes, I take orders." Liu Xian bowed deeply again.

Only then did Zhao Cong leave with a group of people, and the two rows of guards waiting outside the hall followed Zhao Cong's footsteps.

Liu Xian turned his head and saw the newly released auspiciousness, he was angry for a while, and he said in a strange way: "Your life is good, pack up, and go to the place of the senior official Fu."

"Yes." Jixiang felt obedient, and he was not proud of getting the benefits, and he didn't say much, just saluted again.

Liu Xian wanted to beat him, but he couldn't find a reason, let alone dared to.After all, he turned around and left, he had to go to the inner storehouse to get something, and then go to the princess mansion outside the palace.

Liu Xian couldn't help but wink, as if he had noticed the pain in his back in advance.

After all the people in the courtyard had left, Ji Xiang straightened up and looked back at the main hall of Funing Palace.

Then he turned his gaze to the back garden.

Zhao Cong often came to read in the small pavilion in the back garden.Although the Empress Dowager Sun guarded him tightly, when he was young, the Empress Dowager Sun really treated him well, and the late Emperor specially selected a few university scholars to teach him to read.He originally had memories, and his brain is not bad in this life. He can learn everything the masters teach.

After the first emperor found out, he always praised him.

Empress Dowager Sun also praised her at the beginning, but she gradually lost her praise.Because the late emperor had gone, her heart grew bigger.

Zhao Cong pretended to be honest, but he didn't want to really make himself a fool.Sometimes he thought, in fact, at first, he never thought of being silent in this palace.If he really wanted to be controlled by others for the rest of his life, he might as well pretend to be a fool from the very beginning.

He walked up to the pavilion slowly, sat down on the stone bench casually, and looked sideways at the pool outside the pavilion. The red koi shuttled between the clear water and the green lotus leaves.He thought, what's the rush? The carps all know that they have to try their best to jump over the dragon gate that doesn't know whether it exists or not, and he will always get back what belongs to him, and that thing is watching him brightly in front of him.

Rantao hurried in and said angrily, "Your Majesty didn't wait for us to spread the cushions before sitting down!" She blamed Fu Lu again, "Fu Lu is really too, I don't know how to stop Your Majesty!"

Zhao Cong smiled, it is more interesting to talk and laugh with Rantao and Fulu every day, while you can still enjoy this kind of time, hurry up and cherish it.

In front of Rantao, Fu Lu no longer looked like a senior official, and bowed his head to admit his mistake: "It's all small mistakes."

Ran Tao stepped forward to help Zhao Cong: "Your Majesty, please get up first, and wait for them to lay out the cushions before sitting down. I came out early today, the sun is not high yet, and the water is a bit cold, so be careful."

Normally Zhao Cong would study with the Taifu in the morning, and he would only come to the pavilion in the afternoon, but today he really came too early.Aunt Wang's amazing move made people feel a little unhappy.He came to the pavilion temporarily, looking at the pond water, the koi carp, the lotus leaves and the light-colored flower buds, he really felt much better.

What's more, today is the Grand Court Meeting, and the Grand Tutor is also in the Wende Hall, so he cannot come to teach him.

After the cushions were laid, he sat down again, and Rantao made tea for him.

To say that the dynasty he lived in is somewhat similar to the Northern Song Dynasty in his previous life, even the country name is the same, and this dynasty is also called "Song".

In the era when he lived in the past, there was something called matcha, which was very popular in neighboring countries, and then became popular in their country.In fact, this thing has been there for a long time, and it was originally their own thing.

Here, in this dynasty, when people drink tea, they also make tea cakes from tea leaves. When drinking tea, they take a small piece, grind it into powder, and wash it with boiled water. This is tea soup.Like coffee, this kind of tea soup can also draw flowers and draw different pictures on the soup surface. People here call it "point tea".

Zhao Cong doesn't like this kind of tea, he can't sleep well after drinking too much.

At first, when he wanted to make tea directly from tea leaves, the dyed potters were still surprised, but now they have long been used to it.

Rantao twisted a pinch of freshly picked tea in the early spring of this year, and gently put it in the teacup. A small stove was lit beside the table, and the water was already boiling.Rantao rolled up his sleeves and poured tea for him with a smile on his face. The boiled water fell into the teacup with a graceful gesture.

This tea is ready.

Zhao Cong praised: "Fragrant."

Rantao smiled and offered the teacup.

Fu Lu has been watching from the sidelines, he is actually still upset about what happened in the morning, but seeing His Majesty's comfortable and calm appearance at this moment, he finally figured it out again.

All in all, if His Majesty is well, everything will be fine.

Although the Houyuan was built in the Forbidden City, during Taizu's time, he often entertained his close ministers here.Even the first emperor held a big banquet here to have fun with officials close to him.It was only after he ascended the throne that this place was deserted. After all, Queen Mother Sun couldn't eat at the same table with officials.

Empress Dowager Sun took a close look at it. Except for his few teachers who had no real power, he had almost no contact with the officials of the DPRK and China, and naturally he could not hold a banquet to invite officials.

He is still young, his health is not good, and the harem is empty.The first emperor's concubine stayed behind closed doors all day long, except for him, almost no one would come to the back garden.This place has completely become a place for him, Zhao Cong, to study and sit quietly.

And his favorite small pavilion is built higher, so he can see the situation outside the back garden.

Houyuan is in the northwest corner of the palace, very close to Gongchen Gate and Linhua Gate.He was able to calm down very much, and he had forgotten about the morning's affairs. He quietly looked at the book in his hand.

People at that time loved libretto, and batches of poets emerged.However, in North Korea, merchants are rarely belittled. Seeing that it is profitable, large merchants and booksellers have joined forces early on to find good words every year and print them into booklets for sale.The book in Zhao Cong's hand is last year's booklet.

He's the emperor, he shouldn't be watching this.

But he is the emperor, looking at these, no one dares to say anything.

As long as the Empress Dowager Sun does not prevent her from controlling the government, everything else is fine.Although Zhao Cong can't leave the palace, he can have all these little things that are spread outside the palace, as long as he wants.

He was watching beautifully, when he suddenly heard a series of footsteps across the wall.

The footsteps were actually very light, but his side was quieter. The small pavilion was built against the wall of the back garden, so he could naturally hear it.He put down the book in his hand and glanced outside. Outside the courtyard wall of the back garden, a female official led two rows of court ladies passing by the Linhua Gate.

"Your Majesty—" Seeing him looking out, Rantao stepped forward to speak.

Zhao Cong waved his hand.

Rantao also looked out, she was standing, her vision was higher, and she could see more clearly.With just one glance, she knew who those were.

"Are they?" Zhao Cong didn't see who they were.

"The leader is Aunt Lin from the Shangyi Bureau, who must have just come out from the Six Shang Bureau—"

Zhao Cong nodded to show that he understood, and was no longer interested in continuing to listen. Rantao hesitated to speak, but finally did not say anything.

The maids behind Aunt Lin are not ordinary court ladies. You can tell by looking at the tiaras that they are the young ladies of the big families.In March, they had already entered the palace.It's just that the Queen Mother didn't care about this matter, and Zhao Cong didn't even ask about it. Zhao Cong didn't recognize them when they arrived.

These little ladies were not sent into the palace to serve others, but—Ran Tao looked at Zhao Cong who was reading with his head down.Your Majesty is already sixteen, and it is indeed time to choose a concubine.The queen mother didn't care because she had already chosen the candidate for the queen, her natal niece.

When Rantao taught Fulu, she said it bluntly and cheerfully, but now it was her turn, but she couldn't help feeling a little sad.

Does His Majesty have to marry the eldest lady of the Duke of Yan's family to be the queen?

The author has something to say: steamed rice with cherries is really delicious, and this way of eating was indeed popular in the Northern Song Dynasty, that is, put cherries on the rice. During the steaming process, it will burst naturally, and the juice will seep into the rice. , if steamed with glutinous rice, it can be eaten directly as a dessert.Use ordinary rice, add some other ingredients, can be eaten as bibimbap.

People in the Northern Song Dynasty liked to eat sweets very much, and there were all kinds of fragrant candies.