"Is the third child awake? My father is in ill health, and he is about to be crown prince, yet he wakes up?"
"Damn it, if the second child hadn't been fighting with me, the crown prince's position would have been decided long ago. How could this be possible?"
A banquet was being held in a mansion that was far more luxurious than Prince Su's palace.
In the middle of the spacious hall, the dancers danced gracefully, the music slaves beat out sweet rhythms on the bells and drums on both sides, and the graceful maids served the sumptuous wine and food one by one.
The food utensils of the Shang Dynasty already had bowls and plates. In addition to bronze, there were also jade, lacquerware and white pottery, but bronze was the most exquisite, while the latter ones were slightly rough and the craftsmanship was insufficient.
So bronze is the utensil for holding staple food. At this moment, there is a small copper cauldron on the main table. Red charcoal fire is burning on the lower floor of the cauldron. Smoke curls up from the hollow smoke holes around it. Inside the cauldron,
The water has boiled.
This is Ding Shi.
In terms of food records, the Xia Dynasty is too far away and there is too little information. The most famous thing of the Shang and Zhou Dynasties is the Ding Shi. The meat is first cooked in the Ding, and then the waiter takes it out from the Ding, dips it in various seasonings and serves it to the emperor and his wife.
Minister.
At first glance, it sounds a bit like hot pot, but it is indeed the case. At this moment, the two maids holding wooden chopsticks took out the tender meat slices and put them into small dishes filled with seasonings. They presented the chopsticks respectfully and took good care of them.
It's really meticulous.
Wei Ziqi took the chopsticks and put the meat slices dipped in seasoning into his mouth. It had clear layers and an excellent taste, but it tasted like nothing to him.
Emperor Yi had three sons in total, the eldest son Qi, the second son Yan, and the youngest son Xin.
Among them, Weizi Qi and the youngest son Xin are brothers with the same father and mother. Logically speaking, the position of prince should belong to the eldest son.
But that’s not how it works.
Because their mother gave birth to a son, Qi, when she was a concubine. Later, she was promoted to the queen and gave birth to a younger son, Xin.
According to the etiquette, Wei Ziqi was the son of a concubine, and the youngest son Xin was the legitimate son, who was later granted the title of King of Longevity.
Regarding this point, the court was divided into two factions. One faction believed that Wei Ziqi was old and stable and should inherit the great treasure. The other faction was a firm supporter of etiquette. Furthermore, although King Shou was young, he was born with supernatural powers. In this country that advocates force,
In the era, it was indeed easy to win the favor of generals.
It was precisely because there were many ministers who supported King Shou that he could marry the Jiang family. After all, Dongbohou was the head of the eight hundred princes. Only with his legitimate daughter as the royal wife would he have the qualifications to be the mother of the world in the future.
At that time, Wei Ziqi was about to give up. Unexpectedly, a happy event came from heaven. On the day of the wedding, the sky and the earth turned pale. King Shou fainted and fell to the ground. He remained in this state for seven years.
In the first few years, the ministers often visited him, hoping that King Shou would wake up, but when they saw that the Grand Master was helpless, he gradually became silent.
But just when Wei Ziqi thought that he had only one choice left for the government and the public, Wei Ziyan, who had been in the same boat with him before, suddenly wooed the officials and showed his intention to fight for the dragon.
Everyone is a commoner, why can't he compete?
Wei Ziqi is frightened and angry, the most critical Emperor Yi is unpredictable, and the crown prince's position is unresolved.
However, since the beginning of the year, Emperor Yi has been lying ill and his health has been getting worse. He feels that his end is approaching and he has already planned to establish a throne. When Wei Zi was ecstatic, he did not expect to hear another piece of news like a bolt from the blue.
King Shou is awake!
Logically speaking, a prince who has been in coma for seven years and has no involvement in government affairs should have no power to compete for the crown prince. However, the power of orthodox etiquette and law is beyond the imagination of ordinary people.
Just yesterday, Prime Minister Shang Rong, senior doctor Mei Bo, senior doctor Zhao Qi and more than a dozen officials came to ask for the establishment of the East Palace.
Wei Ziqi was so angry that he couldn't sleep all night.
This feeling of giving hope and then extinguishing it is really terrible.
"Report! The second prince has arrived!"
While I was eating the hot pot without any taste, there was an announcement from outside the door that the microbe had arrived.
Wei Ziqi snorted angrily, but was not rude. He stood up and saw a thin man coming from outside: "Brother Wang!"
Wei Ziqi sneered: "You still have my brother Wang in your eyes?"
Wei Ziyan bowed down and saluted: "My younger brother was instigated by a villain and was confused for a moment. He competed with Brother Wang for the position. He really overestimated his ability. I hope Brother Wang will forgive me!"
Wei Ziqi was reluctant to take the hard way. Seeing his younger brother being so groveling, his face softened a little, but he sneered: "Isn't it because the third child woke up that you woke up?"
Wei Ziyan said softly, and finally got up, sat down on the seat, and looked at Wei Zi opened the six tripods in front of the table: "Among the royal family, only Uncle Bigan has the permission of his father and the prince to enjoy
Seven Cauldrons, and Brother Wang was only one step away from the Nine Cauldrons, what a pity..."
There are very strict divisions in tripod food. The emperor enjoys nine tripods, followed by princes and royal families, with a maximum of seven tripods, and officials next, with a maximum of five tripods. Anyone who violates the rules is considered treason, and the food in various tripods also has
Sophisticated.
Wei Ziqi is very particular about food. A gloom flashed in his eyes when he heard this, and he heard Wei Ziyan say: "The third child has always been domineering and has no respect for you and me. Once he ascends to the throne, he will not find a barren fief.
Just send it away, and by then Brother Wang may not even be able to enjoy the Six Cauldrons!"
Wei Ziqi's chest rose and fell, and he said angrily: "You don't have to provoke me any more, what are you trying to do? Listen!"
Wei Ziyan said: "Brother Wang, have you ever heard that Mr. Huang is choosing a husband for his daughter?"
"Huang?" Wei Ziqi was startled and said in a very solemn tone, "Huang Feihu's sister?"
The Huang family has been loyal for seven generations and has held high positions in the Shang Dynasty. Huang Feihu's father, Huang Gun, was the famous marshal of the town, who resisted the invasion of Dongyi. Huang Feihu was both civil and military, an unparalleled commander, and was granted the title of King Wucheng of the town.
, in comparison, Wen Zhongjing's Taoist method is much inferior to Huang Feihu's strategy in commanding troops.
If such a family could be won over, it would be the greatest helper. Wei Ziqi had been in contact with the Huang family before, but most prominent members of such aristocratic families would not participate in the fight for the heir, and the Huang family was no exception.
But at this moment, Wei Ziyan reminded him that he couldn't react. Huang's marriage to his daughter was the best opportunity!
He clapped his hands and his fighting spirit instantly rose: "Compared to the eight hundred princes, my father still trusts the Huang family more. Didn't the third child marry the daughter of Dong Bohou? Then I will marry the sister of King Wu Cheng!"
…
…
At the same time, in the palace of Prince Shou.
After Mrs. Jiang sent away another visiting minister, she returned to the courtyard and saw Gu Cheng writing.
She knew that her husband had been writing a book these days, a book about military strategists.
In this era, there were very few specialized works. Most of what was recorded were national events, among which the information related to divination was the most important. Since the writing methods of oracle bone inscriptions and bell and tripod inscriptions were controlled by high-level officials, even if there were stories among the people, they were passed down orally and would not be used in the form of divination.
The written form was passed down.
If we say that the ones that had the greatest influence on later generations were some chapters later included in the Book of Songs, and there were still doubts about what Gu Cheng did, it was really hard for Jiang to understand. Just looking at Gu Cheng's movements, one stroke after another, there was a huge difference.
Heavy, as if there was a force in the dark that was preventing him from writing.
Gu Cheng was fully focused, and Mrs. Jiang didn't dare to disturb him, so she just stayed with him silently.
After finally writing a bamboo slip, seeing Gu Cheng heaving a sigh of relief, Mrs. Jiang served tea and whispered: "Husband, are we really not going to do anything?"
In this era, relationships are cultivated after marriage. Since meeting this husband, she has begun to take care of him while he is sleeping. It is impossible to say that the Jiang family does not have any resentment.
But spending these days together gave her an unprecedented sense of satisfaction, and she made up for everything.
The only pity is that even though we are by his side, sometimes we feel that the distance is even further than the sky and the earth, and we have no idea what he is thinking in his heart.
More than a dozen ministers in the court were advising Emperor Yi to make King Shou the crown prince. At this time, they should come forward to echo the ministers and strengthen their confidence.
As a result, Gu Cheng did nothing but stayed in his mansion and wrote. Could it be that he was really not interested in the throne of the emperor?
It's just that the fight in this world is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat. It's not that the Jiang family is ambitious and insists on her husband becoming the emperor and she takes the position of queen, but she knows that fighting for the dragon is extremely dangerous.
When Wei Ziyan ascends the throne, how can he let his legitimate son, King Shou, go?
When the time comes, I'm afraid it will be a barren fiefdom, so I won't be willing to give it to him!
At this moment, Gu Cheng patted her slightly cold catkins and said with a smile: "Madam, don't worry, whoever belongs to you belongs to whoever belongs to you. Some things cannot be forced. Let's just steal a happy life in the mansion and live a few years."