The Prodigal Son of Zhenguan

"Oh, I've kept the envoy waiting for so long."

"I've been so busy lately that I've hardly been in the government office."

The secretary explained.

"No problem, no problem." Yoshinao Komaro also had a businesslike smile on his face, and was being falsely polite to the secretary.

"Please sit down." The secretary gestured to Yoshinao Komaro to sit down.

The two sat on the same side.

"The envoys also know that there are too many foreign envoys in Chang'an City recently. The Honglu Temple is busy receiving them. After the people went through the formalities at the Honglu Temple, the Honglu Temple arranged food and accommodation for them, and did not take care of the rest. The Imperial Household Department has mobilized a lot of people to take care of the travel issues of the envoys who have just arrived in Chang'an City."

"Of course, envoys like you have been in Chang'an City for a long time and are familiar with Chang'an City, so you don't need to be accompanied by officials from the Imperial Household Department when you travel."

Yizhi Gumaru listened to the secretary quietly, nodding occasionally.

The servant outside brought tea again and placed it on the table between the two.

After chatting for a long time, the secretary did not talk about business.

Yizhi Gumaru quickly found an opportunity to put the gift he had just bought on the table.

"Minister, this is just a small gift, not a token of respect. I heard that you like to drink tea, so I went to the tea shop in the East Market and bought some tea. Please don't despise it." Yoshinao Komaru looked at the Minister with a flattering look and pushed the gift he prepared in front of him.

The Minister showed an embarrassed look on his face.

"This, this, this, this is not good."

The Minister refused again and again.

He was pestered by Yoshinao Komaru because he accepted Yoshinao Komaru's gift before.

Now he is doing this again, this is not okay.

Don't even think about the blueprint. He doesn't want to be scolded again.

"It's just a small gift, please accept it, Minister. We have been in Chang'an for so long, and you have taken care of us a lot. You don't have to worry. It's just a simple expression of our gratitude to you."

Yinao Komaru's words were flawless.

The secretary looked at the gift in front of him, and then looked at Yoshinao Gumaru.

He recalled the scene of himself hitting his hand just now.

No, this gift cannot be accepted.

"This is an order from above, and it is also the duty of the Imperial Household Department. It is just a matter of official business. The envoy does not need to do this. Besides, the envoy lives in Chang'an, and it is also expensive to go out on weekdays. It is not easy to come from afar, so this gift is not necessary. The envoy should take it back." The secretary explained with a smile on his face: "Besides, as an official of the Tang Dynasty, it is really inappropriate for me to accept gifts from foreign envoys in this way."

"If you want to express your gratitude, the envoy has already thanked you before, and I also appreciate the envoy's intentions."

Yizhi Gumaru saw the secretary's attitude and thought to himself that it was not good.

If the gift can't move him, it will be a bit troublesome.

If you force it, it will be bad.

"The Secretary is still too polite." The smile on Yoshinao Komaru's face showed a hint of stiffness, and then quickly disappeared. The smile was still as gentle as spring breeze.

I have practiced it many times in private.

Even if I am rejected directly, I have to maintain the surface of decency.

"In fact, after a few days of contact with the Secretary, I have already regarded the Secretary as a friend." Yoshinao Komaru's face was replaced with an eager smile: "When our group came to Chang'an City, although we first met officials from the Honglu Temple, the Secretary also said that after the officials from the Honglu Temple arranged our food and accommodation, they did not take too much care of us. Instead, several people from the Imperial Household Department accompanied us to familiarize ourselves with Chang'an City for a few days. So, in my opinion, this friendship is very precious."

Yinao Komaru began to play the emotional card with the Secretary.

The Secretary smiled awkwardly.

Just fulfilling the duties of an official of the Imperial Household Department and taking them to tour Chang'an City, this is friendship, this is friendship?

If I say this, I am afraid that neither I nor the other party will believe it.

But the other party can say it.

It is very interesting.

Although he was scolded by Yan Rang when he asked for drawings at the Artisan Department last time, it does not mean that his head is really not confidential.

Good and bad words, true and false words, can still be heard to some extent.

As soon as I heard the other party's tone and attitude, it was obvious that it was a honey pot given before asking people to do things.

If I really took it seriously, I was deeply moved and followed his words, that would be stupid.

Stupid to the extreme.

In the Imperial Household Department, Yoshinao Komaru was talking to the Secretary, and in Pingkangfang, Takamaru Shinto was not idle either.

He was looking for a house in Pingkangfang.

He met some people who usuallyPeople who live in Pingkangfang are given money to ask them to help find out if there are any vacant houses for sale in Pingkangfang.

"To be honest, the houses in Chang'an City are very valuable now." The slacker in Pingkangfang said to Gaowan Zhenfeng: "There used to be many empty houses, but they were all bought by people."

"Isn't this normal? Chang'an City now is not the Chang'an City of the past."

"In the past, no one wanted the vacant land in Chang'an City, because no one knew when the Turks on the northern grasslands went south. Several times, they were outside Chang'an City."

"The safety of Chang'an City is not guaranteed, Some people simply fled to the south in advance and sold their houses in exchange for money. "

"Now you know that the Turks on the grassland have been annihilated by the wise and powerful Majesty and the generals who are good at fighting. There is no threat anymore. Chang'an City is the capital of the Tang Dynasty. At this time, the land and houses will rise with the tide."

"So, it's not that I take the money and don't do the work. I have been asking for several days and there is really nothing."

The scoundrel in Pingkangfang explained carefully.

I am afraid that the person who paid the money in front of me will be dissatisfied with my work.

It's not that I don't work, but I did work, and I really couldn't find the house he asked for.

Don't say the house, there is not even land.

It can only be said that the person in front of me came to Pingkangfang to do this thing, and he has done it.

Takamaru Shinto frowned, unhappy.

These two days, everything has been going wrong.

"I have been walking around Pingkangfang for a long time. I saw many houses that were not inhabited and there were many vacant houses."

"This means that even if the houses here were bought by someone, the other party did not live here. Can you contact the owner who is willing to sell the house for me? I can offer a high price."

Takamaru Mado looked at the people in front of him with a sincere tone.

Dealing with these people, he didn't even dare to reveal that he was a Japanese.

Otherwise, things might not be done.

The scoundrel in Pingkangfang sighed.

"To be honest, let alone Pingkangfang, it's very difficult to buy houses and land in other towns."

"Now in Chang'an City, the entire area close to the imperial city is very expensive, including the East and West Markets, Qujiang Lake, and the two towns of Yonghefang and Chang'anfang. All the houses and land near these places are gone."

"Since I have taken your money, I will try my best to find out for you, but whether there are people willing to sell, this is not something I can guarantee. I can only help you find out the news."

Takamaru Shinto nodded after hearing this.

"That's enough, thank you."

Takamaru Shinto bowed.

He wandered around Pingkangfang for an afternoon, but didn't gain anything. He was very depressed. He looked up and saw a restaurant, so he walked in and planned to have some wine.

He found a seat and sat down.

The waiter in the restaurant hurried forward to talk to him.

"What would you like to order, sir? We have..."

Takamaru Shinto waved his hand.

"Bring the best wine you have here, and two side dishes. Oh, and rice."

After arriving in Chang'an, Takamaru Shinto was not so particular about food.

Because when he arrived here, he found that all the food sold in roadside shops was better than what he ate in his own country.

The waiter responded and hurried to prepare.

The wine is ready, just serve it.

As for the side dishes, rice.

The kitchen was quite generous.

It happened to be fresh fish that had just arrived today.

It can be made into fish sashimi.

Fresh sea bass is a rare thing. It is brought by boat from the coastal area. After being caught, it is kept in the sea water and sent to Chang'an by water. The fish must be alive. Only when such fish enter the kitchen can it be made into fish sashimi.

After slicing a plate of fish sashimi, the cook looked at the rice in the wooden basin next to him and made some pickled fish.

Pickled fish means that the fish is fermented with salt and then kneaded with rice.

This kind of food has existed since the Spring and Autumn Period. It was once called glutinous rice sticks. Later, the method was changed or improved actively. Now it has become like this.

After it was done, the waiter in the store was called to serve it to the guests.

There was also rice and fish sashimi for drinking.

If the customer did not specify anything, the expensive one would be served.

Fish sashimi, because the fish must be fresh, the price is not low.

The waiter put the food in front of Takamaru Shindo.

"Guest, this is sashimi, also known as fish sashimi, which is used as a side dish for drinking."

"This is pickled fish, please enjoy."

Takamaru Mado looked at the two plates in front of him, as well as the two small dishes with vinegar and salt, and nodded slightly, indicating that the waiter could leave.He picked up a piece of sashimi, dipped it in a little salt, and put it into his mouth.

Well, this fish is fresh.

And this salt.

As expected of the Tang Dynasty, even the salt is so fine.

After drinking a sip of Wude wine, Gao Wan Zhen Teng was so spicy that he closed his eyes and grimaced.

After recovering, he decided to eat some rice to fill his stomach first, otherwise it would be uncomfortable to drink such strong liquor with an empty stomach.

He picked up a piece of pickled fish with chopsticks and looked at it carefully. The size of the pickled fish seemed to be just enough to put into his mouth in one bite.

Gao Wan Zhen Teng ate it in one bite.

His eyes lit up instantly.

Delicious!

Oh vaguely!!

Spalaxi!

Wu Ma Yi! Red bean paste!

え~~~~

What a divine way of eating.

Japan is surrounded by the sea, and there are many fish caught from the sea.

Why is there no such magical way to eat it?

Take it back! You must take it back!

Gao Wan Zhen Teng called the waiter.

"Can you tell me how to make this?" Gao Wan Zhen Teng asked.

The waiter was also happy.

Why do you still ask how to make this thing?

This has been passed down for hundreds of years, and even ordinary people can make it.

"It's just pickled fish and rice, kneaded together. Because the fish has been pickled, it doesn't need additional seasoning." The waiter said: "As for pickled fish, you can use any seasoning, depending on your preference."

Gao Wan Zhen Teng listened carefully.

However, he didn't know what seasoning to use and how much seasoning to use.

So he asked the waiter again.

The waiter thought about it and responded with two words, Gao Wan Zhen Teng.

"Appropriate amount."

Gao Wan Zhen Teng was stunned.

What is the appropriate amount?

"Is there any more specific?"

The waiter was also scratching his head.

"I don't know about that. Basically, making this stuff depends on the chef's experience and feel. It's hard to say."

"Also, each chef makes it differently. Don't ask me, which chef doesn't have some special skills? This can't be passed on to others."

Takamaru Shinto quickly started to pay.

"I can pay."

The waiter waved his hands repeatedly, shaking his head like a rattle.

"This is not about money. For the chef in the kitchen, this is a skill to make a living. It can't be exposed. So, don't worry about it."

After saying that, the waiter bowed slightly and then got busy with other things.

Takamaru Shinto was a little disappointed, but soon, he turned his disappointment into appetite, called the waiter over, and added another portion of pickled fish.

After eating and drinking, Takamaru Shinto felt comfortable.

He even forgot the troubles of things not going well in Pingkangfang.

Caressing his full stomach, he walked towards the posthouse.

If things don't go well for him, who knows if things will go well for Ding Zhijun.

If they act separately, one side will be lucky, right?

After returning to the posthouse, Takamaru Shindo went to the door of Yoshinao Komaro and knocked on it.

"Come in."

Yoshinao Komaro's voice came from the room.

Takamaru Shindo pushed the door and walked into the room.

Yoshinao Komaro's frown dissipated a little.

Takamaru Shindo saw the packaged gift that Yoshinao Komaro put on the table.

"Did Yoshinao just buy a gift?"

Yoshinao Komaro sighed.

"No, I came back from Taifu Temple."

"The official of Taifu Temple didn't accept my gift. He said a lot to me, but they were all polite words. No matter how I expressed my feelings, he just didn't want to accept it, so the topic naturally couldn't continue."

It has been made clear that giving gifts is just to express feelings.

If the other party refused to accept the gift, he would not be able to talk about the blueprint.

He just said that he really liked the culture of the Tang Dynasty and wanted to study in Chang'an City.

And the Secretary did smile and said that he supported his idea.

Support is support, but there is nothing else he can do.

The Secretary is just a small eighth-rank official. What is he in Chang'an City?

What power can he have?

Not to mention that he has any connection with the wealthy families in Chang'an City.

If he had any connection, he would not be a small secretary in the Imperial Household Department.