261, Perverted Factory Owner 12

Yan Chu did not take Zongzheng Qingqi back to the city immediately as he wished. Instead, he walked around the outskirts of the city for a long time and asked several local old farmers in detail about the crop yields this year and the The price at which they sell grain to rice grain shops.

In front of Zongzheng Qingqi, Yan Chu also focused on asking about the impact of the news of the drought in Eastern Province on the local food prices and the lives of ordinary people after it reached the capital. At this time, Zongzheng Qingqi did not care about talking to Yan Chu. When he got angry, he pricked up his ears and listened attentively, even putting aside the things he was struggling with just now.

After leaving the palace, Zongzheng Qingqi realized what kind of life the ordinary people lived outside the palace. He also had a meal at a nearby farmhouse, which was mixed with wild vegetable foam and was a must-have for every household during the winter. A pot of soup made from pickled vegetables, and chicken soup made from an old hen that the farmer had to kill because they gave him enough money.

That pot of chicken soup was almost boiled in its original flavor without skimming off the oil. The heat was not sophisticated enough, and not enough supplementary ingredients were added. Zongzheng Qingqi felt tired after just one sip. If it weren't for the grains that stuck in his throat, he would still have it. He didn't necessarily drink the bowl of chicken soup that the old farmer gave him. As for the overcooked hen's meat, he naturally didn't touch a bite. He barely ate one and a half steamed buns, and he felt full.

"Do not waste."

Yan Chu picked up the remaining half of the steamed bun and ate it without changing his expression. Every mouthful of rice and every mouthful of soup was eaten with great piety.

Under his comparison, and seeing the old farmer's half-grown children sitting obediently aside, eating their nests and looking greedily at the pot of fragrant chicken soup on the table, salivating but not daring to touch it, Zong Zheng Qingqi felt that she seemed to be a little too pampered.

"Thank you, uncle. Today's lunch was delicious."

For Yan Chu, today’s lunch tasted really good, pure and fresh wild vegetables, and the chewy corn nests. Except for the fact that the corn corn was not ground finely when grinding, the graininess was a bit heavy, and the corn nests were mixed with some corn noodles. In addition to the rougher taste, in modern times, it is completely a healthy and natural delicacy.

The old hen was not properly treated when making the soup, but it was simmered over firewood in the old stove. Although it was a bit greasy, the taste was rich enough, and if you taste it carefully, there is still something to be said for it.

After experiencing so many worlds, Yan Chu has long known how to accept everything you face calmly. He can discover the beauty of food from the subtleties. A meal that Zongzheng Qingqi thinks is unbearable, but Yan Chu can enjoy it calmly. , also for this reason.

"Hey hey hey."

After hearing Yan Chu's sincere praise, the old farmer couldn't help but smile, showing his yellow teeth with dirt still stuck on them: "To be honest, a few years ago, I never thought that I would be able to live such a good life. "

The old farmer is not stupid. Judging from the behavior of the young master Zongzheng Qingqi, he knows that the food of this family on weekdays must be much better than theirs. The young master may not be able to drink the old hen soup during the Chinese New Year. I don’t like it. I think every meal at home is full of delicacies. In this case, the handsome old man can eat the leftovers of his son’s food together and sincerely express his gratitude after finishing the meal. In the eyes of the old farmer , this is not an ordinary person.

He felt that the old man in front of him was more kind and approachable than all the old men he had seen before. It really made sense for God to allow such a man to enjoy great blessings.

Even though a loving father often loses his son, this young master seemed to be pampered at home. He was not bad-hearted, but he had some principles of human behavior that his father did not fully understand. Moreover, this young master is very courageous and dares to inquire about the emperor and the imperial guards. I only hope that this master can be ruthless and take good care of his son when he goes back to prevent him from causing a big disaster.

These thoughts passed through the old farmer's mind in just a blink of an eye. Looking at the nest with lots of cornstarch and flour but little wild vegetables and cornstarch noodles in his hand, the old farmer sighed with happiness from the bottom of his heart.

"In the early years, as the main labor force in my family, I only dared to eat two Wowo in one meal, and then drank a large pot of water. I never dared to eat with an open stomach. I was afraid that if I was full after one meal, I would not have enough food for the next meal. , it’s different now. I can eat four wowo in one meal, and I can also drink a bowl of wild vegetable porridge. During the holidays, my family is willing to go to the pork shop in the town to buy some pig meat. The pork belly improves the food. I can’t even think about it.”

The old farmer chuckled. This year the new emperor ascended the throne and also reduced taxes. In addition, the royal guards in the capital are the most closely watched. Who dares to commit crimes and treat ordinary people like them harshly? In this way, the money they can save this year will be reduced. If there are more, I can buy some decent dowry for my daughter when she comes out of the palace next year.

The old farmers are yearning for their future life, and their days are really getting more promising.

"Yes, I can also eat two wowotou."

The seven-year-old grandson of the old farmer raised three fingers and said with a smile, showing a gaping tooth and a dark and thin face, looking full of energy.

Two Wowotou, each one is about the size of a child's fist, but for a farmer's child, it is already the greatest happiness and greatest satisfaction.

If only grandpa could let him take a sip of the chicken soup that the noble man drank, it would be great. The little boy wiped the saliva that flowed from the gap between his teeth, lowered his head and nibbled on the cereal nest obediently.

Zongzheng Qingqi's mood dropped a lot as he listened. While he was still picking and choosing about food that didn't suit his appetite, his people were so satisfied just because they had enough food and clothing. It is conceivable that they were so satisfied before. How bad life is.

"Now we grow rice and wheat, and we also grow corn, potatoes and sweet potatoes that the court brought in from the other side of the sea. Those things have high yields and are not so demanding on the climate. Now even the original wasteland on the hillside has been planted with these new crops. We don't have to starve anymore. Moreover, with those high-yield grains, I think the famine in the East Province will soon be alleviated."

The old farmer noticed that many of the questions Yan Chu asked before were about grain production and grain prices. Thinking that the other party was concerned about the drought in the East Province, he couldn't help but comfort him a few words. Now the court's leaders are so wise, the drought in the East Province will not last long, and I believe that the court will definitely be able to provide a solution.

After listening to the old farmer's words, Zong Zheng Qingqi felt even more ashamed.

The introduction of corn, potato, and sweet potato seeds can be attributed to Xiao Chu. At that time, he organized a sea caravan to trade with countries on the other side of the sea. At that time, no one was optimistic about Xiao Chu's decision. On the contrary, because he built large merchant ships, it was laborious and costly, and emptied half of the national treasury. At that time, the former court and the harem had criticisms about his decision. Those who disliked him privately scolded him for being treacherous and ruining the country.

At that time, Zong Zheng Qingqi was younger. Under the influence of people around him, he was also one of the people who scolded Xiao Chu.

Facts have proved that his approach was correct. The changes brought to Da Shang by the opening of sea routes are worthy of being recorded in the history books.

Zong Zheng Qingqi could not help but remain silent. When he stubbornly believed that Xiao Chu was a traitor, for the people of Da Shang, he, a traitor, might be more worthy of their trust than the former emperor of Da Shang, his father.

Such a Xiao Chu, is he really qualified to slander him and disdain him?

******

"Do you still want to go shopping?"

After lunch at the old farmer's house, Yan Chu took Zong Zheng Qingqi on the carriage and returned to the city.

He walked behind, letting Zong Zheng Qingqi go to the taverns, bookstores and street vendors. For half a day, he accompanied him to listen to the sour scholars in the tavern using obscure words to criticize the current situation of eunuchs in power, and also accompanied him to listen to the street vendors' satisfaction with their current lives and their expectations for the future.

He watched his eyes change from suspicion to deep thought, and then to the contradictions and complexities of multiple emotions.

Yan Chu knew that the little boy had been secretly glancing at him, but he didn't do what the other party wanted. Even when listening to the criticisms of those sour scholars, his face remained calm.

Zong Zheng Qingqi knew what he was thinking, and the other party must have seen through it a long time ago. In this way, the little emperor was so frustrated. Compared with that man, he seemed to be separated by countless mountains. He even doubted whether he would ever climb to the same height as him.

"You, hum."

Zong Zheng Qingqi wanted to ask the other party why the people would arrest people when they privately discussed the emperor's Jinyiwei, but he, the governor of the East Factory, the actual master of the Jinyiwei, was evaluated like that by those sour scholars, but he didn't see any reaction from the East Factory.

In a place as big as a tavern, Zong Zheng Qingqi didn't believe that the ears and eyes of the East Factory didn't notice this scene, as if for the man in front of him, his external reputation, whether good or bad, was never within his scope of concern.

But before the question was asked, Zong Zheng Qingqi regretted it a little. His relationship with Xiao Chu was not so harmonious that he could ask such a question, so he took back the words on his lips and ended the topic that had not yet started with a proud snort.

"Old man, give me two strings of candied haws."

Yan Chu took out four coins from his purse and handed it to a peddler, and chose two strings of big and red candied haws from the target he was carrying.

A man of this age still eats such things?

Zong Zheng Qingqi didn't eat enough when he was at the old farmer's house. Now, after walking around for most of the day, his stomach had already started to sing the empty city plan, but because of face, he couldn't speak.

Candied haws were a new and exotic food that he had been eyeing since he left the palace. However, he noticed that the people surrounding the candied haws vendor were all four or five-year-old infants. Zong Zheng Qingqi thought he was already an adult, so how could he have the nerve to ask for these things for children to eat.

Now seeing Xiao Chu buy two strings of candied haws regardless of his image, he couldn't help but widen his eyes.

Two strings, there must be one for him, right?

Zong Zheng Qingqi swallowed his saliva, and his eyes kept glancing at the candied haws in Yan Chu's hand, thinking to himself, if Xiao Chu insisted on giving it to him, then he would accept it. This was not what he wanted to buy, and his majesty as an emperor was still preserved.

Contrary to Zong Zheng Qingqi's expectations, Yan Chu gave him both strings of candied haws in his hand.

"After all, things outside the palace are not as fine as those made in the palace. Your Majesty, just try the taste. If you like it, you can ask the imperial chef in the palace to learn how to make it."

His eyes were indifferent, as if the two strings of candied haws were just bought casually by him.

Zong Zheng Qingqi didn't care about so much. Facing the pleasing candied haws, he couldn't help grinning. After a long time, he realized that this would further affect his image as an emperor. He quickly covered his mouth and looked around, as if he wanted to see how many people saw the scene just now.

Two strings of candied haws, one for himself, and one for the queen mother. Speaking of it, the queen mother has not left the palace for more than ten years since she entered the palace. She should also miss these little things outside the palace. Giving her this string of candied haws may make her happier.

Although the queen mother never said it, Zong Zheng Qingqi could feel that the queen mother was not happy in the deep palace.

Yan Chu looked at the little emperor whose mood changed so quickly and who was very happy after getting two strings of candied haws. He could not associate him with the emperor in his original memory who grew up after countless trials, was decisive and resolute.

In the previous life, it was unclear who was more wrong between the original and him. From the standpoint of the original, he just wanted to kill all the people in the Zongzheng royal family, including Zongzheng Qingqi, the son of his beloved woman.

From the standpoint of Zongzheng Qingqi, he served as a puppet emperor for several years, watching the Great Shang Dynasty fall into dire straits because of the original's deliberate revenge, the border town was in flames, everyone wanted to get a share of the vast territory of the Central Plains, natural disasters were rampant, and the people revolted. Under such circumstances, he made a prompt decision and faked his death to escape.

The original body fostered a new puppet. Under his control, the Zongzheng royal family gradually went to extinction. Similarly, the Shang Dynasty was torn apart, and the heroes fought for power. The originally peaceful land was in flames, and the people were displaced.

Ten years later, when Zongzheng Qingqi appeared in front of the original body who was about to complete his revenge, he was no longer the same as before.

It was also at that time that the original body discovered that Zongzheng Qingqi was not dead. The Northwest King who had taken over the Wanqi clan and suddenly emerged five or six years ago and successively conquered several small countries was him.

In the harem, there was only one person who could help him fake his death and get away, and he would not guard against it, that is, the woman he loved deeply but dared not meet.

Between him and Zongzheng Qingqi, the woman finally chose her son.

At that time, the original body was no longer in good health due to old illnesses. The confrontation between the two did not last long. On one side was the old court that was withered and corrupt, and on the other side was the Northwest King who was in high spirits and supported by the people. The original body was defeated by Zong Zheng Qinghui.

After he came to power, he reorganized the court, put down the rebellion, and recovered the country. He spent another ten years to deal with the mess left by the original body, and spent another twenty years to make the Shang Dynasty peaceful and tranquil.

The history books called that turmoil the Qingning Incident, which was taken from the two characters on the names of Emperor Qing and Emperor Jingning. This war that affected the Shang Dynasty for more than twenty years was remembered by everyone, and Xiao Chu, the culprit of the war, also became a traitor who was criticized by historians in the historical records.

After his death, a kneeling eunuch statue was erected in front of many mass graves in the Shang Dynasty. Everyone who went to the grave would spit and throw mud at the statue. The prototype of this statue was the treacherous minister Xiao Chu. Even if the country changed, the story about Xiao Chu was still passed down from generation to generation, and it would never be gotten rid of.

The culprit of everything was Emperor Chengqing, and it was the common people who bore all the suffering on his behalf.

In this mistake, the original body was innocent, and Zong Zheng Qingqi was also innocent. One of them endured the infamy for thousands of years, and the other became an emperor of the ages, but no one knew how much pressure he endured during the years when he became a puppet and faked his death, just because he was born with half of Emperor Chengqing's blood.

Zong Zheng Qingqi was eating a candied haws when he felt Yan Chu's complicated gaze. This seemed to be the first time that the other party showed such an uncontrollable expression today.

What is he looking at?

Zong Zheng Qingqi looked down at the candied haws in his hand, which he had only eaten one, and which tasted sour and sweet, and reluctantly moved the candied haws in front of Yan Chu.

"You gave it to me."

Zong Zheng Qingqi muttered softly, what a stingy guy, if you want to eat it, just buy another string yourself, he won't laugh at him.

"Just one." Seeing that Xiao Chu didn't move his mouth, Zong Zheng Qingqi moved the candied haws in front of him again, and then emphasized.

"Crack."

Biting through the outer layer of sugar coating, the hawthorn inside was slightly sour, and this acidity just neutralized the sweetness of the outer layer of sugar coating, sour and sweet, stimulating the taste buds, and making people's appetites open.

Yan Chu bit off the top candied haws as he wished under the little emperor's painful eyes, as if he was afraid that he would eat more, and the little emperor quickly took back the candied haws string after he bit off that candied haws.

After shopping together and sharing the same string of candied haws, Zong Zheng Qingqi felt that after spending the day together, he seemed to have a different view of Xiao Chu, the eunuch he hated in the past.

Such a change seems not bad.

"Dong, Dong, Dong, Dong..."

The grievance drum outside the palace was struck ten times. It would only be struck when there was a serious grievance that required him to face the emperor.

You should know that since the founding of the Shang Dynasty, the grievance drum has only been struck twice. It is not that there are only these two grievances in the world, but the price of the grievance drum being struck is very high.

The emperor today is not so easy to see. Since you have grievances to tell, you must prove your determination to seek justice.

Beating the grievance drum is only the first step to seek justice. After beating the grievance drum, the grievance seeker must go through the "mountain of swords" and "sea of ​​fire" before he can see the emperor and tell his grievances.

The "knife mountain" is a nail board made of a thousand sharp iron nails, each nail is one inch long. The person seeking justice needs to wear a thin spring shirt and roll over the nail board about three meters long.

The "sea of ​​fire" is a long road paved with a pile of burning charcoal. The person seeking justice has to walk barefoot on the "sea of ​​fire". Only if you complete the above two tests and are still alive can you get this precious opportunity to see the emperor and seek justice.

It is also because such a challenge is almost impossible to complete. Unless there is a serious grievance, ordinary people would not even think about or have the courage to beat the grievance drum.

At this time, Zong Zheng Qingqi was following Xiao Chu back to the palace. When he heard the grievance drum being beaten, he immediately opened the curtain of the carriage and jumped off the carriage.

For every emperor, the beating of the grievance drum outside the palace gate meant that something big was happening. How could Zong Zheng Qingqi not care?

At this time, a group of people who heard the grievance drum and ran to watch the excitement had gathered outside the palace gate. Zong Zheng Qingqi still spent a lot of effort to get through the crowded crowd and walk to the innermost.

"Do you have a grievance?"

The chief steward guarding the palace gate came out and asked the young man who was kneeling outside the palace gate with a drumstick.

"I am Yan Chu, the son of former general Yan Zhaonan. I sue the current emperor who sent people to pretend to be bandits to massacre my entire Yan family, and falsely accused my father of treason and conspiracy. I also ask the new emperor to give justice to my Yan family members who died unjustly, and to my Yan family's loyal ancestors."

The voices of discussion around suddenly stopped.

The author has something to say: I just sent a red envelope to the little angel who left a message on the last chapter yesterday. I don't know if it's because of the system's malfunction. The fifth to ninth pages of the background cannot be refreshed. It always shows errors. I will refresh it tomorrow to see if it can be opened normally. I will send a small red envelope then.