Brother Zhu Youxiao

Chapter 35 Wei Zhongxian's Flattery
"Your Highness, Wei Zhongxian, the eunuch in charge of Xixin, is seeking to see you."

"Wei Zhongxian?"

At six o'clock on the second day, Zhu Youjian rarely stayed in bed and slept late.

When he just woke up and the maids and eunuchs were still waiting for him to get dressed, Wang Chengen held his fly whisk and bowed at the door of the bedroom to say something.

Seeing Zhu Youjian's doubts, Wang Chengen drove the other eunuchs and maids out of the palace, and then stepped forward and said:

"Wei Zhongxian asked someone to bring over [-] taels of silver and a small box of jewelry and jade. It seems that he came here on some important business."

"Oh... I can't bear it so soon?" Zhu Youjian sat on the washing chair, then snorted softly:

"This guy, presumably wants to make a move against Wang An in order to seek the position of Supervisor of Ceremonies."

"Then we..." Wang Chengen was terrified, remembering that Cao Huachun, the number two eunuch in Xuqin Palace, was Wang An's adopted son, so he tentatively asked his highness what he thought.

But just like what they thought, Zhu Youjian naturally wanted to protect Wang An.

But this protection does not mean that Wang An is protected without thinking, but a different way of protection.

"Well, let's ask Wei Zhongxian to come in first. As for the silver taels and jewelry, take all of them. The silver taels will be temporarily stored in the palace, so don't send them to the Imperial Horse Supervisor."

"Your maidservant takes orders..." Wang Chengen agreed, and then slowly exited the bedroom.

As for Zhu Youjian, he also walked out of the bedroom and sat at the top of the main hall.

The eunuch of Xuqin Palace brought an ice mirror, Zhu Youjian looked at the ice mirror and asked curiously, "What is this?"

"Returning to Your Highness, this is the crispy mountain made by the imperial dining room. After Wansui tasted it, he thought it tasted good, and it was very refreshing, so he asked the imperial dining room to make a copy and send it to the East Palace."

"The people in the imperial dining room saw that you were not in the East Palace, so they brought it to the Xuqin Palace and protected it with ice."

"Sushan?" Zhu Youjian was stunned for a moment, feeling that he had heard the name of this thing before, thought for a while and said:
"Is it the Su Mountain in Yang Wanli's poem "Ode to Su?"

"Return to Your Highness, yes." As he said that, the little eunuch opened the ice mirror, and saw that the structure inside was a cylinder in the middle, and inside the cylinder was a yellow-white paste-like substance similar to ice cream. It's a block of ice.

The little eunuch took out Sushan, dug a piece with a spoon, and brought it to Zhu Youjian with both hands.

Seeing this, Zhu Youjian was not afraid that the things in the imperial dining room were poisonous, so he ate them directly.

"Um……"

When the crispy mountain enters the mouth, the cold taste explodes immediately, exuding a faint milk flavor, like ice cream.

It is said that it is already October, logically speaking, it is only right that the capital has already entered winter.

However, it seems to be the calm before the eruption of the Little Ice Age. In early October, the capital was still trembling under the power of the autumn tiger, and most people were still wearing summer clothes.

"Is this difficult to do?"

Zhu Youjian took Su Shan, and asked while digging and eating.

"It's not difficult to make. The main thing is that you need to get a freezer. Mix milk, goat's milk, etc. with special fruit powder, and then store it in the freezer for a day and a night. You can eat it after you take it out."

The little eunuch answered honestly, and Zhu Youjian also knew that this stuff is not something ordinary people can afford.

It's not that ordinary people can't afford milk or cold drinks, but that Sushan is too expensive to build.

Compared with it, people may prefer a bowl of black plum soup mixed with ice cubes.

"Okay, these ice cubes, you ask the chef of the East Palace to make some ebony soup, share it among yourself, and treat it as a refreshment."

"Slaves kowtow..." Hearing Zhu Youjian's words, the little eunuch and the maids in the main hall saluted one after another, and at this time Wang Chengen also appeared at the entrance of the main hall of Xuqin Palace with Wei Zhongxian.

Without waiting for the two of them to salute, Zhu Youjian said while eating crispy rice:

"Okay, come in directly."

When the two people who were about to salute heard this, they hurried into the hall, Wei Zhongxian also knelt in the center of the main hall, and Wang Chengen walked to Zhu Youjian's side.

"I know your reason for coming, don't worry about Wang An..."

As soon as Zhu Youjian opened his mouth, Wei Zhongxian's heart tightened. He only felt that Zhu Youjian was too well-informed, and couldn't help but suspect that there was an inner ghost around him.

But before he could explain, Zhu Youjian said:

"In the next few days, you should go to the inner school first and learn some characters."

"Wang An's side, after all, is an old man left behind by Huang Kao. I will remind him after the year and tell him to go to Nanjing to retire."

"Slave and servant kowtow to thank Your Highness!" Hearing Zhu Youjian's words, Wei Zhongxian kowtowed in joy, while Zhu Youjian waved his hands and said:

"There is no need for false courtesy. If you become a eunuch who is in charge of ceremonies, don't let me and the emperor's heart down, just do things well."

"Slaves dare not disappoint the kindness of the Holy Grace and His Highness!" Wei Zhongxian licked his old face, and flattered Zhu Youjian, making him feel sick for a while.

"Okay, let's back down after finishing the matter. Don't quarrel with Wang Annan before he goes down. If you annoy Brother Huang, I can't keep you if your bad things are revealed."

As soon as Zhu Youjian opened his mouth, Wei Zhongxian felt guilty.

Isn't the so-called broken matter the fact that he took refuge in Concubine Li Kang at the beginning?

If those things were really shaken out, it would be easy to lose his head, so he shrank his neck, got up quickly, saluted repeatedly and exited the palace.

But after he left, Wang Chengen bowed slightly and said:
"Your Highness, are you really letting this illiterate fellow enter the Supervisor of Ceremonies?"

"Hehe... It's not a good job to be the supervisor of ceremonies in recent years." Zhu Youjian chuckled while eating Sushan.

"By the way, you called Hua Chun to tell Wang An that it's not the imperial examination period now, and Wei Zhongxian would lose his head if he got exposed about the things he had with Concubine Li Kang."

"Tell him to take good care of the affairs of the Supervisor of Rituals in the past few months, and go to Nanjing to recuperate after the age of [-]. Let Wei Zhongxian and the Ke family be arrogant for a few years, and he will make a comeback in the future."

"Your servant takes orders." Seeing Zhu Youjian's straightforward words, Wang Chengen nodded, called his cronies and went to deliver a message to Cao Huachun.

After he finished this, Zhu Youjian asked again:

"Shang Yi Jian, Scarf and Hat Bureau, Nei Weaving and Dyeing Bureau, how many garment makers are there in these places?"

"Ah... this slave is not very clear, but according to the old calendar, there should be at least about [-] people." Wang Chengen replied truthfully, and Zhu Youjian who heard this also said:

"You take [-] taels of silver and go to the Ministry of War to give me [-] sets of mandarin duck battle jackets, and take another [-] sets, and ask Shangyijian, Scarf and Hat Bureau, and Nei Weaving and Dyeing Bureau to stuff cotton into winter clothes. , must be completed within four days."

"I need to pay for these clothes, and just take [-] taels from the [-] taels sent by Wei Zhongxian."

"As for Cao Huachun, tell him that after the emperor's enthronement ceremony is over, I will go to Changping and tell him to keep an eye on him in the capital. As soon as the Zhejiang soldiers arrive in Tongzhou, I will send them a decree to go to Changping to rest."

Zhu Youjian's words were very long, but Wang Chengen had a good memory, and he bowed slightly after seeing his highness finished speaking:

"The servants take orders..."

"Retreat." Zhu Youjian raised his hand, Wang Chengen also retreated, and he took out a military book from the bookshelf next to him, and read it carefully...

(End of this chapter)