Bully

In March, the flowers in the imperial garden bloomed just right, and the breeze blew with fragrance.The sun is shining today, and the leaves on the treetops are all green.Rong Shang ordered people to send many camellias.

Seeing that it is the end of March, there are not many camellias left in the capital at this time, and it seems that the camellias that have been sent are blooming so well, and it is really rare that there is no sign of decay.

Ming Chuan wore an azurite smock, the material was very soft, and his hair was untied, tied with a silk ribbon, and draped loosely behind his head.

Yan Ke asked: "Do you want to put these flowers in the house? It's just to get rid of the smell of medicine."

Ming Chuan shook his head: "It's hot in the room, the flowers will wither in a few days, let's put them outside, maybe they can live for a few more days."

Yan Ke was silent, and said: "It's just some grass and trees. Your Majesty shouldn't take pity on them."

"That's not what you said." Ming Chuan smiled, looked back at Yan Ke, and said, "Did he punish you?"

"Thanks to His Majesty's plea, the National Teacher did not punish the minister."

Ming Chuan nodded, and said, "Pull out a deck chair, let's go basking in the sun together."

"Yes."

The little eunuchs quickly tidied up. Ming Chuan was lying on the reclining chair, covered with a thin golden wool blanket. Yan Ke asked people to put the camellia beside Ming Chuan, where he could touch it with his hands.

The little emperor loves to bask in the sun. In such a fine weather, he can bask in the sun for several hours without moving.

Yan Ke brought a volume of books, moved a round stool and sat beside him, reading poems in a gentle voice.

When Rong Shang came in, he saw such a scene. He stood in the sun with his hands behind his back, casting a shadow. Yan Ke seemed to be aware of it. He raised his eyes and saw him, and his movements slowed down for a moment before he got up and saluted.

Rong Shang waved his hand, Yan Ke bowed and stepped back.

Rong Shang walked over, sat on the edge of the reclining chair, and said, "You either eat or sleep all day long, aren't you afraid that you will be too fat to see people?"

Ming Chuan opened his eyes, then closed them lazily: "I'm not fat."

"Not fat?" Rong Shang reached out to Ming Chuan's waist and pinched it, and said, "The clothes for this spring were prepared years ago, and now I have to put some around my waist, and you still say you are not fat?"

Ming Chuan frowned, and stretched his hand to his waist to measure: "Are you really fat?"

Rong Shang laughed enough to coax him: "I'm not fat, but I'm taller than last winter."

"Really?" Ming Chuan became interested, and wanted to get up to see if he had really grown taller.

Rong Shang pressed him down: "It's really tall. The other clothes are not obvious, but the court clothes are accurate. Someone from the needlework said that your court clothes have to be remade, so you have grown taller?"

Ming Chuan turned back again: "Xiamen's court clothes are already bulky, so why should they be so precise? It's better to make them light and light, so as to avoid my guilt."

Rong Shang smiled, and took out a small carved box from his sleeve pocket.

"Last year's New Year's Eve to worship the Buddha, I asked Master Wushi to offer a gold collar in front of the Buddha. Tomorrow is the vernal equinox, so I brought it with you."

Rong Shang opened the box and took out a necklace necklace inlaid with gold and white jade. The white jade was carved into the shape of auspicious clouds, white and translucent, with a touch of emerald green in it, completely natural, seemingly full of vitality.

Ming Chuan raised his head and looked at the sun, the collar was shining brightly against the sunlight.He said: "It's fine to wear it when I was young, but now I'm grown up, and I wear this like a girl's house again."

Rong Shang took his hand and stroked it, and said: "Wear it under the clothes, and others can't see it. That old bastard Wu Shi always said that your fate is bad. Although I don't believe it, it's better than just in case. Bar."

Ming Chuan nodded, looking very cute.

Rong Shang rubbed his side face, and said: "In the past two years, you have become much more obedient."

Ming Chuan said: "I have always had a good temper, and I listened to you very much when I was young."

"So, did I force you to be like that?"

Ming Chuan didn't answer, and Rong Shang still feels unhappy when he mentioned these things.He reached out and pinched Ming Chuan's face.With a sneer: "I'm not small."

The Changchun Palace is in the southwest of the imperial city, where the Empress Dowager and Princess Jinghua live, and it has always been a peaceful place.This place is also close to the Imperial Garden, so the Empress Dowager and Princess Jinghua took advantage of the good weather to take a walk in the Imperial Garden.

Tired from walking, he picked up a pavilion and sat down. The maids and eunuchs were scattered outside, so as not to disturb the Queen Mother's interest.

"Tell me, at the Enrong Banquet, which one do you like?" The queen mother took Jinghua's hand.

Jinghua said: "It's the second place in Chunwei's list this time. It's called Zhang Shu, and the word is far away."

"What kind of person is he, what is his temperament?"

Jinghua said: "He is not bad in age and appearance, and he is also very talented. Since he entered the garden, I have been secretly watching him. On such occasions, he seems to be indifferent, acting steadily, and there is nothing wrong with it."

The Queen Mother nodded and said, "What does Your Majesty say?"

"Brother Huang said that I have a good eye. I heard that this Zhang Xinyuan fell into the eyes of Brother Huang. During the Enrong Banquet, Brother Huang rewarded him with the copy of "Mencius" written by himself. This is the only honor. I also heard that his The position was personally appointed by the emperor, and I think the emperor also likes him very much."

The Empress Dowager felt relieved, and said: "I will ask my natal brother to inquire about it some other day."

The Empress Dowager's father had passed away long ago, and only one elder brother in the family was still an official in the court.The Empress Dowager's family is one of the few neutral parties in the court. They do not oppose the state teacher, nor do they favor the little emperor.

On a good day, Ming Chuan took Yan Ke out of the palace.He didn't know where Zhang Xinyuan lived, so he had to go to Dongyue Tower to try his luck.

Dongyue Building is very deserted, and there are not many literati.Ming Chuan was curious, didn't they all return home?

Ming Chuan recruited an assistant and asked, "Why is your building so deserted today?"

The man said: "These days are just in time for the tea fighting meeting, and they are all going to watch the tea fighting."

Ming Chuan then asked: "What is the tea fighting meeting?"

The clerk said: "Every year when the new tea comes out, literati and inkmen will gather together to taste tea and fight tea, and also write poems and essays. The literati communicate with each other. This year happens to catch up with Chunwei, and it is even more lively than ever!"

It was only then that Ming Chuan knew that there was still such an event in Beijing, and he asked, "Where is this tea fighting meeting held?"

"It's just outside the front door, above Suzaku on Chengtian Street."

Ming Chuan thanked the buddy, and walked there with Yan Ke.

The Zhuque Tower is a place dedicated to holding grand events. The building is not used for other purposes. The huge space on the first floor is all for tea fighters to display. There is a private room upstairs, which is extremely ingeniously designed.Facing the street in the south, there is a huge terrace on which you can have a panoramic view of the long street.

Since the Enrong Banquet, many people have seen Ming Chuan, so this time Ming Chuan asked for a private room on the upper floor, and lowered the enclosure so that outsiders could not see the inside.

Ming Chuan sat down, looked out slowly, and saw that everyone downstairs had a table with various tea sets on it.The layman watched the fun, but Ming Chuan couldn't understand it, so he asked Yan Ke to go down and ask what the reason for this tea fight was.

When Yan Ke went down, Ming Chuan twirled a piece of pastry and ate it, when the fence outside was suddenly raised.Ming Chuan looked back and saw Xu Chengyu standing there with his bags in his hands, with surprise on his face.

The clerk chased after him and said, "Master Xu, there are people here, please change your seat."

Only then did Xu Chengyu come back to his senses, and said to the clerk, "I see, you go first."

After the man went down, Xu Chengyu hurriedly bowed his hands and saluted: "I pay homage to Your Majesty, and please forgive me if I am rude."

Ming Chuan waved his hand: "No problem."

After Mingchuan asked a few more questions, he realized that this private seat had always been exclusive to Xu Chengyu, but there were many Zhuque buildings today, and Xu Chengyu hadn't come for a long time. The staff thought that he would not come today, so they let Mingchuan and them sit here.

Ming Chuan said: "Master Xu, let's sit together. There are so many people today, I'm afraid there will be no other seats."

Xu Chengyu didn't refuse, cupped his hands and said he was rude, and sat down generously.

"His Majesty···"

Ming Chuan interrupted him: "Don't call me Your Majesty when you're away from home."

Xu Chengyu is as good as others: "Young master."

Ming Chuan responded with a smile.

Xu Chengyu asked: "Master, did you come out alone?"

Ming Chuan shook his head: "The one who brought someone, but I don't know much about the tea fighting conference, so I asked him to inquire about it."

Xu Chengyu smiled and said: "Xu is not talented, and he has participated in several tea fighting meetings. You might as well ask Xu to tell you something."

"That would be the best."

Xu Chengyu said: "In the third month of spring, when spring tea is abundant in various places, tea merchants from all over the place will bring the best and newest tea to the Imperial Capital, and the tea fighting will flourish from this."

Mingchuan nodded, and Xu Chengyu continued: "The tea ceremony is profound, and the tea leaves, water, utensils, and even the heat of the fried tea are all particular. The tea used by this literati is usually medium Mengshan tea. The tea soup is as green and clear as emerald. There is a common name called Huo Before spring."

"Huoqianchun." Ming Chuan said with a smile, "Not vulgar, very elegant."

Xu Chengyu also laughed: "The things that literati like have a bit of style."

Ming Chuan asked: "Just why use medium tea?"

Xu Chengyu smiled: "Because the best tea is a tribute, and those who can drink it are either rich or noble. Ordinary people don't pay much attention to it, and they drink very ordinary ones. The rich and noble people look down on these inferior teas. , Ordinary people can't afford it, so they have to sell it to literati, arty."

Ming Chuan thought about it, and it was the same reason, but Xu Chengyu always felt that he was mocking literati.

Ming Chuan turned his eyes to the people downstairs, and suddenly asked: "Why doesn't Mr. Xu go down and compete with everyone, and be arty?"

Xu Chengyu glanced downstairs and said: "Of course I went too, but I was rejected in the first round." He pointed to an old man with gray beard in the middle of the downstairs: "This is a great Confucianist in the world, and he is also a member of the tea ceremony. A man of great attainment, Mr. Li. He said that the tea I made has no other purpose than quenching thirst."

Ming Chuan asked with a smile: "What does this mean? Tea is not used to quench thirst, what else is it used for?"

Xu Chengyu thought for a while and said: "Illness can make you sick, and fatigue can make you feel refreshed. The reciting altar reveals your thoughts, and you talk about the mat to clean your mind." After that, he smiled: "Xu is a layman, and he can't understand the way."

Ming Chuan thought about what he said, and felt that this person was really interesting.

Over there, Xu Chengyu looked at the people downstairs, thought of something, and said with a smile: "If you don't like it, you can try the tea I brewed. Although I don't know much about the essence of tea, there is one thing that goes well with tea. s things."

"What?" Ming Chuan asked.

Xu Chengyu nodded to the paper bag that he put on the table when he entered the door.

"what is this?"

“Spicy salted duck at Baiweiju.”