Chapter 422 Jiangshui Noodles

Jiangshui for the noodles is made by fermenting the leftover soybean milk from making tofu. It has a special sour and fragrant taste, which is significantly different from the feeling of aged vinegar and rice vinegar. It's somewhat similar to douzhi (fermented mung bean juice). When eating the noodles, drizzling them with plenty of oil, coriander, and chopped green onions makes them sour, fragrant, refreshing, and extremely appetizing.

A bowl of jiangshui noodles was carefully placed by Old He on a small wooden stool, with a pair of clean chopsticks next to it.

After doing this, Old He and his son, He Chu, stood there properly with their hands placed at their sides.

Once upon a time,

When the two men watched their daughter (sister) grow up day by day, they had fantasized about what they should do to support Sisi if her husband's family treated her badly in the future.

Old He had also mustered up his courage on the day Xiao Liuzi came to Nan'an County to welcome his bride. He pretended not to know anything and put on the airs of a father-in-law in front of Xiao Liuzi, giving him a few reminders and reprimands. After closing the door, he was almost scared to exhaustion.

He Chu had also thought that with a pig-slaughtering knife in hand, damn it, who would dare to insult my sister? Did they think Grandpa He had been slaughtering pigs for nothing all these years?

But,

How should I put it?

When you learn that your in-law is the Great Yan, or rather, the most powerful force in the entire East, in their eyes, the entire world, and the embodiment of Heaven's will in the hearts of the Yan people;

What support, what confidence, what warning,

All naturally disappeared without a trace.

It wasn't that the He family men were cowards,

But even if you gave them ten times the guts, they could only be cowards...

The Yan Emperor picked up his chopsticks and slowly took a bite.

He wasn't an emperor who was deceived by his subordinates into believing that a chicken egg cost several taels of silver, completely out of touch with the common people.

He wouldn't be so easily amazed by folk food that he couldn't help but want to eat his own tongue.

In fact,

After this first bite,

He didn't find it particularly appetizing or refreshing.

Instead, he found it a bit,

Unaccustomed to it.

He looked up slightly and glanced at Old He and He Chu, who were standing there, not daring to breathe loudly, waiting for his evaluation.

Helplessly,

The Yan Emperor could only lower his head again,

And ate several more mouthfuls,

Before putting down his chopsticks.

The red-clothed page handed him a handkerchief. The Yan Emperor wiped the corners of his mouth, nodded, and said,

"Delicious."

Old He and He Chu both breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as if a thousand-pound burden had been lifted from their hearts.

Then,

The Yan Emperor leaned back slightly and said,

"How are you living?"

"Very well, very well," Old He quickly replied.

"Does Chengjue come to see you?"

"Often, often," Old He said immediately.

The Yan Emperor nodded,

"But he won't specifically come to see me."

"........" Old He!

The Yan Emperor entered the back garden. Earlier, the Crown Prince would come with ministers from various departments to ask for instructions. Ji Chengjue, in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, was naturally among them.

Later, the back garden was placed under a closed-door order.

The Crown Prince and other princes in the capital would ask to see him every few days. Although none of them were allowed to enter, at least, they made the gesture.

But Ji Chengjue,

Didn't even bother to pretend once.

The Yan Emperor looked around the courtyard. It was very clean and tidy. Although there were no women in the house, the two men lived diligently.

"He Chu, haven't you found a wife yet?" the Yan Emperor asked.

"He, he's not in a hurry, not in a hurry."

"Yes, I'm not in a hurry, I'm not in a hurry."

A hint of exhaustion flashed in the Yan Emperor's eyes. Don't be fooled by his ability to sit here normally and speak normally. If he rolled up his sleeves at this moment, you could clearly see patches of spots on his wrists and arms.

This was dan du (pill poison), also known as heavy metal poisoning.

Was it better to be bedridden, on the verge of death, in a daze, slowly waiting to depart from the world;

Or to remain relatively clear-headed, tormented by pain and toxins every day, with the possibility of sudden death at any time?

Clearly, the Yan Emperor had chosen the latter.

"The Emperor's in-laws shouldn't live so impoverished a life," the Yan Emperor said.

Old He immediately knelt down and kowtowed, saying,

"Your Majesty, this old man is already content, content. These days are already very good, really very good."

"It's right that you should have a decent share," the Yan Emperor shook his head. "Even if the He family doesn't want it, the Ji family still needs it."

Old He had nothing to say, he just knelt there.

Seeing this, He Chu also knelt down.

"Choose one, then."

"What?" Old He was confused.

The Yan Emperor slowly stood up,

And said,

"The courtyard is nice, very clean."

The red-clothed page helped the Yan Emperor out of the courtyard gate and into the carriage.

However, the carriage didn't leave the city to return to the back garden. Instead, it continued to travel through the alleys of Yanjing City.

The red-clothed page offered tea,

But the Yan Emperor waved his hand in refusal.

The red-clothed page said, "Your Majesty, that He family's son's fate is indeed excellent."

"If Grandfather was sitting here, he wouldn't have said that extra bit of nonsense."

The red-clothed page knelt down to beg for forgiveness.

"Whether his fate is good or not, what does it have to do with me? It's not like I can reach out and take his fate to extend my own life for a few days?"

The red-clothed page remained silent.

"Even those Qi refiners in the back mountains of Qian Kingdom who like to talk big wouldn't dare to pat their chests and guarantee that they could accomplish such a heaven-defying feat.

So,

Can you?"

"This servant is willing to contribute everything for Your Majesty!"

"Then that's no fun. I've never believed in that. Fate, national destiny, these things, muttering about them is too annoying."

The Yan Emperor waved his hand,

"I know you didn't mean that, but I don't like becoming a senile emperor who, for the sake of so-called longevity, for the sake of so-called fortune, resorts to any means and is self-righteous.

Liang Ting and Wu Jing would laugh at me.

If you ever speak out of turn again,

Go down and serve Grandfather."

"This servant knows his mistake!"

As long as this monarch was clear-headed, no one could fool him, and he would never allow himself to be confused, make mistakes, or be influenced by human desires.

The reason for leaving the back garden and entering Yanjing City wasn't specifically to see the He family. Seeing the He family was just a coincidence.

Everything around the He family, including every move of the He family father and son, couldn't escape the Secret Spy Division's surveillance in Yanjing. Even Ji Chengjue had someone specifically responsible for protecting the safety of the He family father and son, but they had always kept to themselves, everyone doing their own job, pretending not to know each other.

The Yan Emperor also knew about the He family father and son going to have their fortunes told.

Especially the fortune teller's saying:

"Someone in the family is currently using it."

Clearly,

In the ears of those who cared, it was meaningful.

This matter,

Could be big or small, but after all, it was related to the biggest thing happening in the imperial court right now.

However,

When the people from the Secret Spy Division went to investigate that fortune teller, they found that the fortune teller had suddenly disappeared from the face of the earth.

Further investigation revealed that there was no trace of that person's activities inside or outside Yanjing City.

As if he had appeared out of thin air and disappeared out of thin air, only appearing on the mountain that day, sitting in the most inconspicuous position, waiting to cast that divination for the He family father and son.

"Whether that He family kid is destined for great wealth or great nobility, or for mediocrity, I don't care. The reason I had you look at his face was just a whim, something I did on a whim.

In my eyes,

So-called faces of fortune, wealth, and longevity are all nonsense.

Throughout history,

Those who can achieve great things, those who can achieve great nobility, first and foremost, depend not on fate, but on ability.

If ability is good but fate is bad, perhaps one can't achieve great things, but without ability, no matter how good one's fate is, one will still be a good-for-nothing.

In recent years,

The truly rich and noble face,

I've only seen one,

And that's my new Marquis, Zheng Fan.

He has been through many battles, repeatedly achieving great feats without incident, and has triumphed again and again. It's said that times create heroes, but without heroes, how can there be times?

What does a He family kid, even if he has the face of the Emperor, mean to me?

If I were truly so petty that I couldn't tolerate him just because his fate was good,

Then what kind of Emperor would I be!"

The red-clothed eunuch nodded in agreement.

"I know that Qi refiners, as they refine, will have a vague sense of accomplishment that they have mastered the laws of heaven and earth, and that they have understood the relationship between heaven and man.

It's as if all the living beings in this world are ordinary people, and all the kings and generals are fools.

Everyone else is drunk, but I am the only one who is sober. Everyone else can't see through it, only I have clear eyes and a bright mind.

This is what I despise most about Qi refiners. Those who think too highly of themselves, those who are self-righteous, are often extremely foolish.

I'm telling you this,

Not to knock you down, nor because my throat is itchy and I want to talk.

My Great Yan,

Has always believed in warhorses and weapons, not these illusory words.

In the eight hundred years of the Great Yan's reign,

How many times have the iron hooves of barbarian tribes approached the foot of Yanjing?

The emperors of Great Yan throughout the ages have always resisted by personally leading the troops. Has there ever been a cowardly person who cowered in the palace to seek divine guidance and divination?

Even the late Emperor,

Do you really think the late Emperor was wholeheartedly devoted to seeking immortality and asking about the Dao?

Hehe,

Grandfather,

It's Grandfather,

You're not Grandfather,

You and the Ji family don't have that kind of bond. The only thing you have is a connection with Grandfather.

But that's limited to me.

What kind of relationship will you have with the next emperor?

I know you're also panicking. I understand. You want to do something. There are many people in the court who have this kind of thought. I can see it at a glance.

This is the last bit of affection I have for Grandfather.

I'm reminding you,

In the future,

Be a good paperhanger. Don't stretch your hands and mind too far."

"This servant understands, this servant understands."

"That fortune teller, even if you have to dig three feet into the ground, you must find him for me. In this life, what I dislike the most is someone daring to play tricks under my nose!"

"This servant obeys!"

"I'm tired. I'll take a nap. It's rare to come out for a while, and it's considered a breath of fresh air. It's ridiculous. As the Emperor, I have to be careful even when I go out now."

Once the news of the Yan Emperor leaving the back garden and entering the capital spread,

It would instantly cause turmoil in the court situation.

Was it dissatisfaction with the Crown Prince's regency?

Was it dissatisfaction with a certain policy?

Was he trying to announce to his subjects that he, the Yan Emperor, was still the master of the Great Yan?

But in reality,

What the Yan Emperor was thinking,

Wasn't these things.

So he had to hide it, he had to cover it up, so as not to make the people outside think too much, and so as not to bother himself.

The carriage,

Drove into the Lu residence.

Everything was silent. Perhaps because the Yan Emperor was old and had been living in the back garden, the minds of the people below inevitably began to wander, thinking of choosing a better tree to perch on again. This was common sense, this was human nature, and it was a reality that every elderly or seriously ill emperor had to accept.

But with the Yan Emperor's authority,

It wasn't a big problem to completely hide it from everyone's ears and eyes, just for a small trip in the capital.

The people in the Lu residence didn't know who had come.

The young masters and misses, servants and maids, were still living their own lives and doing their own things.

After Lord Lu Bing finished his duties,

According to his usual habit, he first went to the Buddhist hall in the backyard of the house to pay his respects to the ancestors.

But this time,

Lu Bing was kneeling in the aisle leading from the outer hall to the inner hall, with his head lowered.

And on the bed in the inner hall,

The Yan Emperor was lying there, fast asleep;

The elderly Fengxin Madam, wasn't holding Buddhist beads, but a cattail leaf fan, leaning against the bed, gently fanning the Yan Emperor.

It was cold,

Fanning wasn't to drive away mosquitoes and dissipate heat,

But to let the fragrance on the fan slightly dissipate, as if everything had returned to the past.

In the past,

It was also like this,

The Emperor who wasn't yet Emperor, was lying on a small couch, his head resting on her lap, and she was still fanning him like this.

Lu Bing was sitting on a small stool next to him, leaning against the wall, dozing off;

Li Liangting was naughty and couldn't sit still, so he was practicing martial arts outside.

Slowly,

The Yan Emperor opened his eyes,

This was a rare good night's sleep in a year.

Fengxin Madam said softly, "Your Majesty, you're tired. Sleep a little longer."

The Yan Emperor shook his head,

And said,

"Mother, I have to hold on for a few more days. When I get through it, I can rest properly."

"That's good. People always need to rest, and Your Majesty is tired."

Some people, when they say these words, have ulterior motives and are courting death;

But some people say these words with all their heart.

It all depends on,

The Emperor's heart.

"The ones who are really tired are Liangting and Wujing. They didn't come to the capital because they wanted me to suffer a little longer. I understand them, and I'm the one who's sorry for them.

I'll suffer a little longer, I'll hold on a little longer,

When they come,

Their anger should have dissipated for the most part.

Then,

We can talk properly."

"Between brothers, there's no overnight feud, and there's nothing that can't be said. Your Majesty is the elder brother, so if you lower your head and admit your mistake, how can those two younger brothers continue to keep a straight face and make it difficult for their elder brother?

Your Majesty once said that you're not just going to be brothers for life, but even after you go down below, the days are still long."

"Hehe."

The Yan Emperor smiled,

"Yes, the days of the Great Yan are still long."

The Yan Emperor's gaze gradually fell on the cattail leaf fan.

"Mother."

"Yes."

"Let Chuanye stay with you for a while."

"Okay."

"I'm making you suffer, Mother."

"Taking care of my grandson for Your Majesty isn't tiring. Besides, I like Chuanye, too. I've seen him, and he looks a lot like Your Majesty when you were young."

"Chengjue looked a lot like me when he was young, too."

Lu Bing, kneeling at the door, already had waves surging in his heart.

"Milk Brother."

"Your Majesty, your subject is here."

Lu Bing immediately got up, entered the inner hall, and knelt down beside the bed.

"I've rested enough. Send me back to the back garden."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Lu Bing helped the Yan Emperor up. The moment he got out of bed, the Yan Emperor's brows suddenly furrowed, and his chest began to feel stuffy and burning;

But the Yan Emperor only paused for a moment, then gritted his teeth and forced himself to endure it. After getting out of bed, his forehead was already covered in cold sweat.

"Your Majesty..."

"Mother, I'm leaving."

"Respectfully sending off Your Majesty."

...

The carriage began to drive towards the city gate.

The Yan Emperor leaned against the inside, with two blankets on his body.

"Your Majesty, this is what happened in Yingdu," Lu Bing reported.

"Let Zheng Fan take care of this matter himself. He knows how to do things beautifully. He's good at doing things, and he's even better at dealing with people. It's a pity that Jindong can't do without him. I really wanted to keep him by my side."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

"Milk Brother."

"Your Majesty, your subject is here."

"I trust you."

"This subject will certainly not let Your Majesty down!"

"Yes, all along, not many of the people I've valued have let me down, but I've let down quite a few. It's my fault, it's me who let them down."

"Your Majesty is also for the eternal prosperity of the Great Yan and the unification of the world. Meng Shou once wrote in his history that right and wrong will be judged in the Spring and Autumn Annals. This subject believes that only the Spring and Autumn Annals can evaluate Your Majesty."

The Yan Emperor reached out,

And gently lifted the curtain of the carriage,

The noise of the streets outside poured in.

After a long time,

The Yan Emperor laughed:

"The Spring and Autumn Annals are bullshit. I only strive for the present."

————

The next chapter will be between two and three o'clock.

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