Zhou Man returned to Beijing with only one car and five riders. Zheng and Xiao Qian took Bai Jingxing to the county town to wait for Zhou Lang to return.
Bai Shan sent the person outside the city, took a look at the bustling official road, and told her: "Be careful when you return to the capital. Now that we are older, we will no longer be treated like children when we speak and act."
Zhou Man nodded and said, "I know, don't worry."
Bai Shan sent Zhou Man to the car and nodded to Daji who was driving.
Zhou Man opened the curtains and waved to him, "Okay, go back quickly."
She said she was asking Bai Shan to go back, but she kept looking out. Xibing knocked on the wall of the car and asked Daji to drive. Then he poured Zhou Man a cup of tea, "Madam, would you like some tea to moisten your mouth?"
?”
Zhou Man looked back again and withdrew his gaze, "What kind of tea is this?"
"Almond brown sugar tea."
"...What a unique tea," Zhou Man glared, "How come I haven't heard of it?"
"Oh, Madam heard it from the Master, saying that almonds are good for pregnant women, so Madam asked someone to grind almonds and make tea. After the eldest lady drank it, she said it didn't taste good, so she added brown sugar to it. Madam, please try it.
look."
Zhou Man took a sip and his eyes lit up. He took two careful sips and said, "Don't tell me, it's quite delicious."
Zhou Man and the others traveled not too slowly, but not particularly fast either. Daji kept controlling the journey so that they could find a place to stay overnight every time they stopped, and returned to the capital on the ninth day.
Two days slower than riding a horse.
But people in the capital don't know.
According to the old practice, normal official handovers, plus family leave, etc. are counted together. As long as there is no urgent change in position, each official will have one month.
Therefore, although Zhou Man's arrival was not too early, it was not too late either. Unexpectedly, the courtiers who completed the handover in only five days were quite satisfied with Zhou Man's speed.
When officials come to Beijing to report on their duties, they must report to the Ministry of Personnel as soon as they enter Beijing.
The same goes for Zhou Man. While she asked the guard to take her documents to the Ministry of Civil Affairs to queue up to report, she thought about going home to freshen up and change clothes. She might be summoned by the palace later.
As a result, the guard with the documents left. Before she could return to Chongyuanfang, the chamberlain and the palace guards were chasing after her, "Lord Zhou, stay here!"
The carriage stopped, Zhou Man opened the curtain and looked at the people coming, "What are you doing?"
The chamberlain held an iron order in his hand and said: "The Queen has a decree to announce that Zhou Man will come to the throne."
Zhou Man couldn't help but glance at Daji, and after thinking for a moment, he nodded, "Let's go to the palace first, Daji. You first go back to the house to report that you are safe and let them know that I am back."
"yes."
Daji jumped off the carriage and asked another guard to drive.
The chamberlain and the imperial guards escorted the carriage forward. Daji watched the carriage leave and immediately got on his horse and took the remaining people back to Chongyuanfang.
Zhou Man supported Xi Cake's hand and got out of the car. He raised his head and looked at the palace entrance. It had been three years since she left last time. The entrance of Tai Chi Palace had not changed at all, except for the guards guarding the entrance.
Zhou Man turned to the cakes in the car and said, "You guys should go back first, there's no need to wait here."
The cakes and escorts shall be delivered.
Zhou Man followed the chamberlain into the palace, but he did not go to the harem, but to the front hall of Taiji Hall.
Zhou Man couldn't help but take two quick steps to catch up with the chamberlain who was leading the way, and asked in a low voice: "What do you call me, sir?"
The chamberlain bent over and lowered his head and said, "I don't dare to call you that as an adult. I call you Fu Lai."
Zhou Man praised: "What a good name. I have never seen Lord Fulai in front of your Majesty before. Lord Fulai only came to your side in the past two years?"
Fulai laughed softly and said, "I used to be a servant in Taiji Palace. Just because my name was good, Your Majesty gave me to the Queen."
Zhou Man nodded and asked, "Is the Queen in the front hall at this time?"
Fulai shook his head and said: "This is the time when the courtiers are discussing matters, why is the empress in the front hall?"
Zhou Man: "...Didn't you say that the empress summoned the ministers to appear in court?"
Fulai raised his face slightly, glanced at Zhou Man and whispered: "Your Majesty returns to Beijing to report on his duties, shouldn't he come to see His Majesty?"
Zhou Man:……
Something must have happened in the palace, no, something must have happened in the court, otherwise the queen would not have interfered with the affairs of the courtiers.
Zhou Man lowered his voice and asked, "Master Fulai, what happened in the court?"
"It's nothing, Mr. Zhou, don't worry too much," Fulai paused and said softly: "But it should be lunch time soon. His Majesty has a good appetite recently and always likes to keep the ministers in the palace to have meals together. After all,
One day later, today is the day when Master Naluo'er will present the elixir. After lunch, Master Naluo'er will serve His Majesty to take the elixir, and he will meditate for a period of time in the afternoon, so Mr. Zhou must hurry up, otherwise he will wait for Your Majesty.
I'm going to have lunch, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up with my job today."
The chambermaids and maids in the palace are all very shrewd. Even Zhou Man, who is very popular, is rarely able to find out so many pieces of information at once.
When the money was not given, they kept talking out every word. When the money was given, they kept talking out the words word by word. They refused to say any extra words.
With such a long paragraph, Zhou Man felt that it must not be Fulai who wanted to tell her, but the Queen behind him.
While Zhou Man was following Fu Lai to the Tai Chi Hall, he began to think wildly, what happened to the elixir, and who was the master?
Zhou Man asked: "Then Master Luo Yi is not from the Central Plains?"
Fulai whispered: "Naluo Suopo is from Tianzhu. He returned to Beijing with Mr. Wang years ago."
"Which Lord Wang?"
"The newly appointed Chaosan Dafu Wang was sent to Tianzhu as an envoy and was plundered by Zhongtianzhu. Then he, Tubo and Niboluo borrowed troops to destroy Zhongtianzhu. Last year, he escorted the king and dignitaries of Zhongtianzhu back to Beijing to offer prisoners. Your Excellency did not
Ever heard of it?"
Zhou Man suddenly understood, nodded repeatedly and said: "I've heard of it, it's quite famous."
Last year, Bai Erlang was the favorite of storytellers in teahouses and restaurants in Beihai County. He was so attracted that he abandoned government affairs and ran to listen to it every day. As a result, he was beaten by Bai Shan and Yin You together.
"He also brought back a... master?" Zhou Man asked, "Tianzhu, he can't be a Taoist priest, right?"
"No," Fu Lai's voice became even lower, he looked around and said almost inaudibly, "He's a monk."
Zhou Man: "Monks also make elixirs?"
Fulai had never been out of the palace very often. What he was going to say today was taught by someone, so he didn't know. "Don't monks make elixirs?"
"I haven't studied this seriously. When I go back, I will go to Huguo Temple and ask Master Zhiren. Maybe it is a school in Buddhism. There are many schools in Taoism and Buddhism," Zhou Man brought the topic back.
, asked: "So the empress asked me to see the elixir?"