Chapter 402 Meeting an old friend in a foreign land
Moon on the branches.
The noise of the market continued, but the courtyard became quiet.
After all, Dongfang Liren had never come into contact with medicine, and there were not many places where he could start. Since he couldn't help, he was standing in the yard, holding a dragon-screaming gun, practicing his marksmanship slowly.
Niaoniao was leaning on the reclining chair next to him and rocking, and from time to time he would make a fake "ji~" sound, praising the fat-headed dragon for playing really well.
Because it was necessary to maintain a constant temperature, the doors and windows in the alchemy room were closed, a dim fire was lit in the stove, and the smoke was exhausted from the flue on the roof.
Ye Jingtang sat on a small bench, holding a cattail leaf fan in his hand, carefully watching the changes in the flames in the stove, because when he was expressionless, he looked quite cold, and with his body, shoulders and back, his profile really looked like he was attentive.
An expert in refining elixirs.
Fan Qinghe ground various medicinal materials, added them to the medicine furnace one by one according to the prescription, then sat down next to the Night Terror Hall, held his cheeks with both hands and said:
"Okay, now let's simmer on low heat for twelve hours. When the heat is up, add the Snow Lake Flowers and it will condense into beads. The dosage order is exactly the same, and it will definitely not explode..."
Although the words are relaxed, a little nervousness can still be seen in the three-dimensional and moving facial features.
Ye Jingtang pulled the small bench closer and sat closer, and said with a smile:
"There are no mistakes in the process. Even if it doesn't work, there is something wrong with Zhang Jinglin's recipe. Just wait and see the results after the medicine is boiled. Don't be nervous."
"I'm not nervous."
Fan Qinghe turned his head and looked around, then pretended to be a dignified female doctor, held Ye Jingtang's wrist and took the pulse:
"How are you? Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?"
"Everything else is fine, but I feel a little weak and have no strength."
Fan Qinghe took his pulse carefully and found no major problems. He thought for a while and said:
"Are you hungry?"
Ye Jingtang smiled and said: "You must be hungry after squatting here for a long time. How about you watch first while I go get something to eat?"
Fan Qinghe looked at the stove, then stood up and said:
"There's nothing else to do now. I'll just ask the uncle from the medicine shop to watch the fire. Let's go out for a meal. I told Niaoniao about grilled fish in the afternoon. If I don't take it to eat, he will definitely ignore me in the future..."
"grumble?!"
Niaoniao's hearing was obviously very good. After catching the key words, he cooed outside and ran towards the door.
Seeing this, Ye Jingtang didn't say much. After tidying up a little, he went to the market outside with the two girls.
The East Market is a trade market that connects the east and west. It is quite large in scale, and most of the population is concentrated in this area. Because there is a need for banquets when doing business, there is a nearby food street. In addition to restaurants, there are also brothels, gambling houses and other places for people to have fun.
The grilled fish shop that Fan Qinghe was talking about was not an ordinary street stall, but a large restaurant. On the facade facing the street, there was a signboard of "Tianlang Yiyun". It is said that a certain great writer was asked to mention it. Nearby
People generally call it Tianyun Tower.
Because the Xihai Protector's Mansion is vast and sparsely populated, the land price is quite cheap. The restaurant is not just a building, but also has a large elegant courtyard behind it, where guests can have dinner in the room and roast sheep in the open air. It can also be regarded as a kind of Northwest style.
feature.
Ye Jingtang followed Fan Qinghe to Tianyun Building in the middle of the busy city. He could see many merchants traveling from north to south banqueting inside. The streets were almost full of horse-drawn carriages, and the sound of cups and cups could be heard everywhere:
"Come and drink..."
"Brother Wang has a good drinking capacity..."
…
Fan Qinghe had been here before and was familiar with the roads. After saying hello to the waiter, he came to a courtyard at the back.
The courtyard is decorated with a pyrotechnic atmosphere, with a large oven in the middle and firewood and charcoal piled next to it. It seems that guests can bake themselves; while the room is quite elegant, with tables, chairs, tea couches, etc.
Although Ye Jingtang wanted to experience roasting lamb in person, there were only three of us. It was obviously too troublesome to spend half a day roasting lamb, so we just ordered a few special dishes.
The three of them sat down in the room, and after waiting for only a moment, the steward of the restaurant asked the waiter to bring in a large copper plate. There was a large fish full of aroma, which was estimated to be three feet long, and some side dishes.
After the dishes were put down, the restaurant manager asked with a smile:
"What would you like the three guests to drink?"
Ye Jingtang pressed Niao Niu who could no longer bear it any longer. Before he could speak, Dongfang Liren, who was sitting next to him, asked:
"Are there any white heads in the night?"
"Well……"
The steward's expression froze and he smiled and said:
"It's a blessing that a high-ranking official in the imperial court can be given a cup of Night White Head. You can't find a whole jar of it on the market. For the 'Immortal Kneeling' over there in the Southern Dynasty, my boss got a few jars from Shazhou, so I have the luxury of it."
I have ordered a jar. If you want it, I will discuss it with the owner. Even at this price, it will definitely be higher than the one in Nanchao..."
"Bring a jar over here."
"Hello, sir."
The steward quickly turned around and walked out the door.
When Fan Qinghe heard that he wanted to drink some wine like 'Fierce Girl's Sorrow' again, he was afraid that he would act recklessly after drinking, so he ran to help Ye Jingtang push the stick at night, and he naturally became nervous in his heart, and said softly:
"I still have to refine the medicine, so I don't dare to drink more..."
Ye Jingtang knew what Fan Qinghe was worried about. If he wanted to take advantage, he could just come in the open. There was no need to get Aunt Fan drunk and then kiss and touch her. He smiled and said:
"It's just a couple of drinks. I don't know how to persuade people to drink when I eat. Let's eat some food. This fish smells really good."
Dongfang Liren sat on the right side of Ye Jingtang. After the waiter brought the wine, he poured a glass for Ye Jingtang and Fan Qinghe. The three of them raised their glasses and drank it all in one gulp, and then started eating.
Fan Qinghe did something very embarrassing last night. He was too embarrassed to talk during the dinner and just ate silently.
While Dongfang Liren was embarrassed to reveal that he had been bullied by villains when Fan Qinghe was not in the water, he still maintained the majestic look of a queen.
Ye Jingtang was sitting between the two girls. Seeing this scene was actually a bit funny. They helped pick up the food and chatted about irrelevant things to prevent the scene from getting too cold. After just a few words of conversation, they suddenly felt that something was not right and looked up outside.
's yard.
Dongfang Liren was feeding the birds and fish. When he saw this, he turned around and looked:
"What's wrong?"
"Shh~"
Ye Jingtang raised a finger and listened carefully. Through the night wind, he could hear some conversations coming from a courtyard not far away:
"...It's not that Li didn't help, Brother Hua also knows about the Snow Lake Flower. Not to mention the living plant, even if two leaves fall off, the prince has to file it in the warehouse and keep it properly, waiting for the court to deal with it..."
"There have been wild plants lately, haven't they? These have not yet been recorded in the books. The specific number of plants collected is not a matter of a word from the prince..."
"Oh, that's wrong. Your Majesty has always been upright. How could he use the wild plants for personal use just because they haven't been recorded in the book..."
…
When Fan Qinghe heard Ruoyouruowu's words, he frowned slightly, leaned a little closer and said:
"It sounds like he is Li Xian, the steward of Prince Zuoxian's Palace. The Dongming tribe paid tribute to Prince Zuoxian's Palace in the past, and he made things difficult for him several times..."
Dongfang Liren knew that 'Brother Hua' should be the middle-aged man he bumped into at Tianlang Lake last night, he frowned and said:
"Hua Qingzhi is there too? Being able to get in touch with King Zuo Xian's housekeeper is not like a lady from an ordinary merchant's family..."
As the saying goes, the rank of seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister and the steward of the royal palace are indeed beyond the reach of ordinary businessmen.
Ye Jingtang didn't care about this at all. He was just curious about what was being discussed over there. He stood up silently and came to the yard to listen carefully...
——
Behind Tianyun Building, there is a large courtyard that can accommodate more than 20 people to eat together.
There was a fire burning in the oven in the courtyard, and there was a lamb on top, which had been roasted to a golden color and dripping with oil. There were several tables on the surrounding terraces, where the guards of the Washington Palace and some of the personal guards of Prince Zuoxian's Palace were sitting.
In the next room, the doors and windows were open, and there were all kinds of delicacies on the table. There was also an old musician playing the erhu next to him.
Li Xian, the chief steward of Prince Zuoxian's Mansion, was sitting on the main seat. After several glasses of wine, he was already looking tipsy.
Hua Junchen sat next to him, pouring wine and taking a brocade box from his attendant, sighing softly:
"It's cold in the northwest, and Brother Li is a scholar. He works hard in the palace all year round, so he should take care of his health. These two old ginseng..."
Seeing Hua Junchen preparing to give gifts, Li Xian raised his hand slightly and said:
"It's really not that Li didn't help. Nowadays, the Southern Dynasty's empress is patrolling the border, and there are still packs of wolves on Tianlang Lake. The palace is very busy. If Li can come, it means that the prince respects the old master and doesn't want to neglect Brother Hua.
"But there is really nothing Li can do about the Xuehu flower live plant. Every time the prince needs it urgently, he has to write to the court..."
Hua Junchen sighed and said: "Brother Li also knows about my daughter's situation. No matter how difficult this matter is, I, the father, have to find a way..."
"Sigh, Li has seen Miss Hua's situation. If he had a way, how could he not help? However, Xue Huhua is decided by the prince. How can Li, a housekeeper, handle it without authorization..."
…
Hua Qingzhi was sitting in a wheelchair. She was at the big stove in the courtyard, watching the chef roast lamb.
Hearing these words, Hua Qingzhi's eyes flashed with helplessness, and she turned around and said:
"Luzhu, there are a lot of fireworks here, please push me out for a walk."
Lvzhu felt that the lamb was roasted and it was so fragrant. I'm afraid it wouldn't be appropriate to leave now.
But the young lady wanted to relax, but she was too greedy, so she pushed her out of the hospital.
Outside the courtyard is the corridor, where the full moon casts silver light from the sky, making it very quiet.
Gulu gulu...
Hua Qingzhi sat in a wheelchair, walked past the courtyard wall, came to the corner where the moon could be seen, and raised her eyes to look at the stars.
Lu Zhu lay on the back of the wheelchair and whispered:
"A bad housekeeper really thinks of himself as a person. If I didn't ask for help from Prince Zuo Xian, how could I be polite to him? Don't worry, miss, even if it's not convenient for Prince Zuo Xian's palace, I can collect all the medicinal materials in private."
Hua Qingzhi is not in a hurry to find Qi Huazhu. After all, Doctor Wang said that it is okay to use the medicinal materials available on the market, but recovery will only take three to five years.
Seeing Lu Zhu's words of comfort, Hua Qingzhi shook her head and said softly:
"The wild plants of Snow Lake Flower are just a small matter of nodding. If grandpa were still in the court, Prince Zuoxian's Mansion would not even say a word of refusal. If they could not give ten plants, they would still give one or two to maintain their affection.
"The reason why I have such a strong tone now and put Wang Fa first in my words is simply because my Hua family has been away from the court for many years and our face is no longer as good as before."
Lu Zhu sighed softly: "If you ask me, the old master should not have taken the initiative to resign and return to his hometown."
Hua Qingzhi still shook her head at this. As the granddaughter of the Hua family, she knew what was going on at home.
When her grandfather was in power, when the late emperor was in power, there was a tacit understanding between the monarch and his ministers, so he naturally held a high and powerful position.
But once the emperor and his courtiers came together, as the late emperor became critically ill, the relationship between her grandfather and the prince became 'the emperor is young and his ministers are strong', but the prince was not a weak monarch who could be manipulated at will.
If her grandfather had not taken the initiative to retire and return to his hometown, how could he have left the Hua family in peace and stability to this day with the skill of the current emperor.
Her father wanted her to marry the crown prince because Emperor Liang was unpredictable and was afraid that one day the old master would go to Hexi and the Hua family would be left without a leading figure, not even a person who could speak in the court.
No.
It is not easy to discuss these matters openly, so Hua Qingzhi did not tell Lvzhu about it. She just looked at the moon in the sky and pondered secretly in her heart.
But before he could think about it for a long time, a voice suddenly sounded from the corner of the wall:
"Speechless, I went up to the west tower alone, the moon was like a hook, the lonely sycamores were locked deep in the courtyard... hiss~..."
The voice was originally clear and magnetic, but it was not obtrusive when it came to my ears. He sounded like a talented and elegant young man.
But before I finished reading a sentence of the poem, I suddenly gasped again, which seemed to be caused by pain.
?!
Hua Qingzhi and Lu Zhu both turned their heads, obviously stunned.
When he reacted, Luzhu's eyes showed a bit of surprise, and he pushed the young lady back around the corner.
Hua Qingzhi, on the other hand, was full of surprise and looked back at the courtyard, obviously afraid that if she was discovered, it would cause a big mess.
Gulu gulu~
But in the blink of an eye, Luzhu pushed the wheelchair around the corner and saw the other side of the fork.
And the two figures appeared under the moonlight.
The handsome young master in black robe had his arms folded across his chest and held a sword, leaning against the wall. His posture looked chic and chivalrous. Just now, he should have been looking at the moon and reciting poetry, but now he has become serious.
The heroic heroine with a proud figure stood next to the black-robed young master, her eyes narrowed slightly and she looked a bit fierce. She still put her hand on the black-robed young master's waist. When they turned around, she let go of her hand and said lightly, "Humph~"
made a sound.
"Young Master Ye, His Highness Prince Jing, you guys..."
Hua Qingzhi's cheeks were full of surprise. She wanted to stand up and salute, but she felt that the occasion was not right. She looked back, then looked at the two of them, asking with her eyes - How dare you come here?
Ye Jingtang was standing here just now, listening to the chatter in the yard. He wanted to pretend to be excited, but Benben interrupted him from casting a spell. He felt a little embarrassed and said softly:
"The occasion was wrong yesterday. I didn't say hello to Miss Hua. I didn't expect to meet her again here. I just heard Miss Hua chatting. Are you here to find medicinal materials?"
Hua Qingzhi saw with her own eyes yesterday that Ye Jingtang chopped down dozens of people. Now when she stood in front of her, she could not feel the slightest bit of ferocity. Both her tone and demeanor were as sunny and easy-going as she had been in Yun'an. The contrast was so great that she felt
They all doubted whether the black-clad King of Hell who scared the entire convoy yesterday was the handsome young man in front of them.
Hearing Ye Jingtang's words, Hua Qingzhi responded softly:
"When I was in Yun'an, Divine Doctor Wang gave me a prescription. Using the flower strains of Snow Lake Flower can bring immediate results, but I can also fully recover with ordinary medicinal materials. It just takes a longer time, and the medicinal materials are not urgent."
"Really……"
Dongfang Liren stood aside, looked at it for a moment, and asked:
"Are you the granddaughter of Mrs. Beiliang Hua?"
Hua Qingzhi probably saw it both of them and didn't hide it either:
"That's true. Last time I went to Yun'an, I didn't want to attract too much attention. I didn't deliberately hide it."
Although the Hua family in Hudong Road is not currently in the Northern Liang Dynasty, it has accumulated a great reputation in Hudong Road for hundreds of years and can be regarded as the leader of the aristocratic family.
Although the Hua family has nothing to do with the Wei Dynasty for the time being, Dongfang Liren knows his sister's ambitions. If one day they break into Hudong Road, they must find a few famous figures in the north to welcome their Emperor to Yan.
Kyo is not.
As long as the Hua family, a big family with a long history, is willing to take the lead and set an example, the smaller families and even the literati below will definitely submit to them, and they will encounter much less resistance.
After confirming Hua Qingzhi's identity, Dongfang Liren naturally started to win over her and said:
"I, the king, still have a game of chess with you, which can be regarded as a bit of friendship. Since King Zuo Xian can't give it to you, I will give it to you, how much do you want?"
Hua Qingzhi was very smart. When she heard this, she shook her head helplessly:
"The friendship between gentlemen is as light as water. I regard Prince Jing and Mr. Ye as friends, not because of their status, nor do I want them to treat me differently because of the Hua family.
"Ordinary medicinal materials are also useful. I'm not in a hurry. My family is afraid that if I delay for too long, I will miss the age to get married. If Your Highness really helps me find them all now, I'm afraid I will be even more worried."
Seeing that Hua Qingzhi was not in urgent need, Ye Jingtang nodded slightly and turned to say:
"The city may not be peaceful these days. Miss Hua and your father, it is best not to wander around. My status is inconvenient and it is really not suitable to stay for a long time, so I will leave now and see you again in the future. I didn't say goodbye last time in the capital, so now I can make up for it.
Up."
"ah?"
Hua Qingzhi saw the two of them say a few words before leaving, and was obviously a little hesitant. However, this was the Xihai Protectorate. The two of them ran in. They didn't know how much risk they took. They really shouldn't delay here.
Turning around with the Queen, she thought for a while and asked again:
"Young Master, didn't you finish reading the poem just now? What's next?"
Dongfang Liren paused slightly and looked towards the Night Terror Hall.
Night Terror Hall had just been cleaned up by Benben. If he continued, he might not be able to get into bed in the future. He turned around and smiled:
"I forgot about it. If I have a chance to meet in the future, I will tell Miss Hua."
When Hua Qingzhi heard this statement, even though she felt itchy, she was not in a hurry and nodded slightly:
"See you tomorrow."
Ye Jingtang raised his hand and waved, then turned around the corner and disappeared.
Lu Zhu stood behind her, not daring to speak. Then she lowered her head and said:
"Just leave like that?"
"Otherwise? The two countries are fighting each other. If you can show up and say hello, you already treat me as a friend. I just hope that the world will be peaceful in the future and we can have another chance."
"There must be. Mr. Ye is so powerful. Even if there is a war, I guess he will break into Hudong Road. When the time comes... ouch~"
Hua Qingzhi raised her hand and tapped Luzhu's head, who spoke freely. After looking back, she sat in a wheelchair and returned to the yard...
——
The wine party at Tianyun Tower is over and the night is already dark.
Hua Junchen failed to get the Snow Lake Flower and looked a little depressed. After bidding farewell to Li Xian, he took his daughter and bodyguard back to the store not far away.
Li Xian, who was looking slightly drunk, took four guards and came to the carriage parked on the side of the street. He casually threw the box containing Laoshan Ginseng into the hands of his entourage:
"I just took two old wild ginseng sticks to establish a relationship, and wanted to exchange them for ten snow lake flowers. I was really used to being pampered on Hudong Road. I thought I was too big and forgot whose place this was. If it weren't for Taishi Hua's seniority,
I'm too lazy to see him..."
The guard caught the box and said respectfully: "Indeed, Wanbao Tower has tens of millions of gold and silver, but this is a bit shabby. What should we do next?"
"If Hua Junchen can't get it from the palace, he will definitely collect it privately. Let's say hello to the people below and conduct a strict investigation. When he really can't find a way out, he will naturally come again..."
While Li Xian was speaking, he boarded the carriage. Just as he bent down to enter the carriage, he suddenly noticed a shadow in the dimly lit carriage.
?
Before Li Xian could squint his eyes to see clearly, he noticed a biting coldness on his neck.
"..."
Li Xian suddenly sobered up after drinking. He was obviously a smart man to work as a housekeeper in the palace. The knife was already placed on his neck. It was too late to call out to the guards outside. After a moment of silence, he entered the carriage and ordered:
"You guys step aside first, I'll take a break to sober up."
The four guards outside did not hear any unusual smell in the carriage, so they naturally followed the order and retreated.
Li Xian was held at knifepoint and sat down on the side of the carriage. From the corner of his eye, he could see the person sitting in the carriage. He was a man from the world wearing a bamboo hat. He had a well-proportioned figure. He was pointing a sharp sword at him with one hand.
"This strong man, Mr. Li, is just a housekeeper. He has some money, but it is all kept in the palace, and he doesn't have much with him. If the strong man seeks wealth..."
Ye Jingtang did not raise his head, but took out a stack of banknotes from his arms and placed them next to Li Si:
"I came here for the Snow Lake Flowers, and I tell you frankly that these are all yours. If you want to hide it, I can ask in another way."
While talking, Ye Jingtang took out another small bottle, opened the lid, and poured some of the red powder on the blade.
Western Xinjiang produces medicinal materials. As the steward of the palace, Li Xian may not be familiar with other things, but he has indeed seen too many rare medicinal materials. He only smelled the slightly pungent smell and identified it as 'Burning Bone Ma'.
' powder, his face immediately turned a little white, and he raised his hand slightly:
"Strong man, Li is just the housekeeper. The Snow Lake Flower is placed in Xing Prison and is under the personal care of the prince. I can't touch it..."
"Last night, a master robbed the escort team at Tianlang Lake. How did King Zuo Xian react?"
"I haven't seen the prince these days, so I don't know...wait a minute!"
As soon as Li Xiang said a few words, he saw the swordsman next to him tilting the blade slightly and letting the powder slide down. He quickly raised his hand without even daring to say:
"Li really doesn't know what the prince's reaction was, but this morning the prison sent someone over to give orders to feed the horses and tidy up the clothes. It seems that the prince is getting ready to go out. I really don't know anything else."
Go out...
Ye Jingtang doesn't think that King Zuo Xian dares to leave the prison at this juncture.
If the team was robbed and he went out of the city in anger to pursue him, King Zuo Xian should have gone out last night.
If he didn't leave, he would have to stay in the prison to guard him. This was unexpected news as he had ordered the palace to prepare in advance.
"Do you know when to leave?"
"I don't know. I'm just in charge of the palace's internal affairs..."
…
Ye Jingtang carefully interrogated him for a moment and confirmed that the butler was not lying. In order to prevent the butler's disappearance from alerting Prince Zuoxian's palace, he did not kill anyone and pushed the banknote over. He put away the knife and left the carriage silently...
———
I've been a bit stuck in the past two days and my writing has been a bit slow or2
Thank you to the boss [Kongyu_From Mars] for the reward!