When Zhang Yue saw Cai Que, he felt a little murmuring in his heart for some reason.
When Zhang Yue and Cai Que sat down and chatted and mentioned that Lu Shengqing came to see him, Cai Que smiled and said, "That must be the case."
Zhang Yue asked: "What is so?"
Cai Que glanced at Zhang Yue and asked, "Duzhi, are you also suspicious that I made this arrangement earlier?"
"Isn't it senior brother?"
Cai Quedao: "It was Cai Chengxi who took the initiative to come to me and said that he had been dissatisfied with brothers Lu Huiqing and Lu Shengqing for a long time. I just facilitated the matter and gave him some illegal things about brother Lu Huiqing. Nothing else.
Didn’t think much about it.”
"But after thinking about it afterward, using Cai Chengxi to impeach Lu Huiqing will definitely make them suspect that it was ordered by Mr. Wang, and that's it."
Zhang Yue was also doubtful about Cai Que's statement, but it was correct that Cai Chengxi took the initiative to find Cai Que.
The endless suspicion between people is actually more likely to lead to misunderstandings than many conspiracies. Since ancient times, many people have been killed as Lu Boshe several times.
Cai Que smiled and said: "Duzhi, are you worried that I will be like Lu Jifu in the future?"
Zhang Yue laughed awkwardly when he heard this. Cai Que's ability to see people's hearts has always been so good. Zhang Yue frowned and said: "I was thinking that since senior brother has Brother Lu Huiqing's illegal things in his hands, how can he know that he doesn't have mine?
"
Cai Que looked a little weird and asked, "Do you think it will be possible?"
Zhang Yue smiled when he saw Cai Que's expression, and then Cai Que gestured with his hands and said very seriously: "At least as many as a basket!"
After saying this, Zhang Yue and Cai Que looked at each other and laughed.
At this time, Huang Lu also came to visit. The three of them exchanged a few words and went out incognito.
When the three of them arrived at Taixue, Cai Quehu said: "Do you still remember the soup cake shop in front of Taixue?"
Zhang Yue smiled and said to Huang Lu, "Why don't you remember? I came here with Anzhong often, and I wrote the inscription on the Lenghuai Soup Cake."
Huang Lu said: "The owner is Mr. Xu, his mutton soup cake is very delicious."
Huang Haoyi on the side smiled and said: "It's the best, it's the best."
Huang Lu said: "I remember when we all had dinner together as classmates, Shiro was always the slowest in making money."
After saying this, everyone laughed.
Huang Haoyi waved his hand and said: "Don't mention what happened back then, don't mention it again!"
"That's right, it's up to Shiro to collect the money today to forgive the mistakes of the past!" Cai Que said with a smile.
Huang Haoyi had no choice but to look like he was about to cry without tears.
After everyone finished talking, they all went to the Lenghuai Soup Cake shop, but they saw that the soup cake shop was still in the original place, and the people who came and went were all Taixue students, and there was an endless stream of visitors.
As for the cover mentioned by Zhang Yue, it is still in place.
Zhang Yue and the other two people could not help but wait for half an hour before they entered the store and sat down. After Zhang Yue became an official, when would he come to places like this? Stores where the seats are wide and comfortable and the environment is elegant are crowded with people like this.
I haven’t been to this place for many years.
However, this situation brought back Zhang Yue's memories of when he was a young student. Especially looking at a group of Tai students wearing t-shirts, Zhang Yue Bei felt friendly.
After sitting down, Zhang Yue realized that the shopkeeper here had already been replaced by someone he didn't know. Cai Que waved to the shop assistant and said: "Bring me two bowls of cold locust soup cakes and two bowls of mutton soup cakes. I'll tell you, shopkeeper Xu San, to come over." One trip!”
The shop companion was slightly surprised when he saw Cai Que's tone of voice, so he went as he was told.
After a while, four bowls of soup cakes were served, and Cai indeed used mutton soup cakes.
Zhang Yue asked: "Senior brother, do you often come here?"
Cai Que nodded and said, "If I have nothing to do, I will come here to eat a bowl of soup cakes."
After speaking, Cai Que sprinkled some sesame seeds into the soup cake and said: "In the past, I couldn't eat it in Taixue, but now I can eat it and come here often. Especially the mutton soup cake has no smell, and the fried sesame seeds are really a must-have."
Zhang Yue knew that Cai Que, a second-generation official, was in such a miserable state in Imperial College that he could not even afford a bowl of mutton soup cake. This was all because the former prime minister Chen Zhizhong deprived his father of his official position.
Zhang Yue said: "Senior brother is a person who never forgets his roots. But I am very ashamed. When I was sentenced to the Imperial College, I never even came here to take a look."
It was indeed close at the time, but Zhang Yue always wanted to come over and visit in the future, but he ended up letting it go because he was busy with business.
While they were talking, a middle-aged man came over. His appearance was somewhat similar to that of old man Xu.
Shopkeeper Xu San saw Cai Quezheng and wanted to salute, but Cai Que said with a smile: "No need."
After speaking, Cai Que introduced Zhang Yue: "This is your benefactor, Mr. Zhang!"
Shopkeeper Xu San was stunned, and said with surprise and joy: "I have seen Mr. Zhang!"
Zhang Yue smiled and said, "No need to be polite. Is your father okay?"
Shopkeeper Xu San smiled and said: "It's good, it's good, but I haven't been able to fix it in recent years, but I often come to the store to check it out."
Zhang Yue nodded and said: "This store is very cramped, why not move it to a spacious place?"
Shopkeeper Xu San smiled and said: "Someone mentioned it a few years ago, but my father politely declined. Our soup cakes cost twenty cents a bowl. If we change places, it would cost thirty cents a bowl. Our store Many of our regular customers have been friends for so many years, and we really can’t bear to drive them away.”
"Dad always said that it doesn't matter if you make more money or less, friendship is the most important thing."
Zhang Yue said happily after hearing this: "Very good, very good."
After finishing speaking, Zhang Yue glanced at the guise outside the store and nodded.
…
After finishing the soup cake, Cai Que took the money. Shopkeeper Xu San originally refused to accept it, but Cai Que insisted again and again.
Several people left the shop.
Cai Quezheng saw a man riding a horse passing by the soup cake shop, followed by five or six imperial students.
Zhang Yue saw that this scene was quite strange, and Cai Que sneered and said, "Look, this person's name is Chen Shiru, and he is still the eunuch's eunuch!"
"oh?"
Zhang Yue looked over and said, "Chen Zhizhong's son?"
"Not bad." Cai Que nodded.
Zhang Yue thought to himself, could it be that Cai Que often came here not just to eat this bowl of soup cake, but specifically for Chen Shiru?
Zhang Yue saw Cai Que staring at Chen Shiru's back. Zhang Yue said to Cai Que: "Senior brother, the reason why Lu Jifu lost is because he lost people's hearts. In this world, whoever is ruthless enough or who is mean enough will be the winner."
Cai Que did not comment after hearing Zhang Yue's words.
Zhang Yue sighed silently in his heart, Cai Que and Lu Huiqing were determined to challenge the default political rules of the Song Dynasty.
Let’s talk about what happened to Cai Que in another time and space history.
When Cai Que was demoted to Lingnan due to the Che Gaiting case, Prime Minister Fan Chunren and Lu Dafang both advised Empress Dowager Gao not to demote Cai Que so harshly. But Empress Dowager Gao refused.
Afterwards, Fan Chunren said to Lu Dafang: "The road to Lingnan has been covered with thorns for seventy or eighty years. If it is reopened today, I am afraid we will inevitably end up like this in the future."
There was no precedent for prime ministers being dismissed from Lingnan during the Song Dynasty, but Ding said there had been no such cases for many years.
As Fan Chunren said, after Cai Que reopened this road, Zhang Dun, as prime minister, sent many of the old party members who had impeached Cai Que to Lingnan for a tour at Lingnan's expense.
At this time, several people were walking a few steps, but they saw someone behind them saying: "Master Zhuangyuan, stay back!"
When Zhang Yue turned around, it was old man Xu, the original store owner, who was staggering over with the support of shopkeeper Xu San.
Seeing this, Zhang Yue was overjoyed and hurriedly stepped forward and said to Old Man Xu, "Old man, I can't do this."
Old Man Xu said: "Thanks to the cover of the title of Zhuangyuan Gong, no monster has dared to embarrass us in so many years. Perhaps it is also because our store is small and not worth mentioning. Today I can see Zhuangyuan Gong again, and I will die in peace."
Zhang Yue said: "Old man, it is a great kindness to know what you are content with and not to be humiliated. I will come to visit you often in the future."
Old man Xu said happily: "That's great."
After saying this, Old Man Xu said uneasily: "Back then, Duke Zhuangyuan often came to the shop to eat soup cakes. I wonder if the taste has changed after so many years?"
Zhang Yue laughed when he heard this and said: "Don't worry, old man, he has not changed. He is even better than before."
"That's good, that's good."
At this time, Huang Haoyi said: "Old man Xu, do you still recognize me?"
Old man Xu opened his hazy eyes and looked for a while and asked: "Is it Huang Silang?"
Huang Haoyi smiled and said: "It's me, it's me."
Old man Xu was overjoyed when he saw Huang Haoyi. Apparently, the way he would pick at the money after eating noodles left a deep impression on him.
Huang Lu also smiled in greeting.
Old Man Xu also recognized the other party. At this moment, he said happily: "Very good, very good. People say that after a person reaches a high position, his kindness is thinner than paper. But after seeing you, I know that is not the case.
"
"After so many years of friendship as classmates, it is already rare to be able to have a meal together without any grudges after so many years."
Zhang Yue sighed when he heard this. The words that old man Xu said were words that had been practiced for a long time.
There are so many friends we made when we were young and thought they could support each other for a lifetime, but how many of them can sit down and have a meal together now, not to mention ten or twenty years later?
Slowly they all became separated on the road.
Some are disgusted, and some are tacitly aware of it.
At this time, Cai Que said with a smile: "Then I agree with what you said, old man Xu, we will come here more often in the future, and then you are not allowed to ask me for money!"
Everyone laughed, and Old Man Xu said with a smile: "You guys can come, but you can't even ask for it. Old man, I will personally come to serve you soup cakes and clean the table!"
"That's great!"
Amid laughter, Old Man Xu watched Zhang Yue and the others leave with the support of shopkeeper Xu San, and stood there for a long time.
…
Cai Que returned to the study room in the house.
No one is allowed to enter Cai Que's study on weekdays, not even his wife.
Once, a concubine entered Cai Que's study on the basis of his favor. When Cai Que learned about it, he sent her back to his hometown of Chen's family to keep her under guard, and she was not allowed to leave the house.
Two years later, the concubine died of depression.
There are no windows in this study, only three walls, each of which is covered with a large cloth several feet tall.
There were dozens of pockets sewn on the large piece of cloth, and the pockets contained all kinds of letters.
Each pocket has the name of an official written on it, including names like Wang Anshi, Han Jiang, and Lu Huiqing.
There are also petty officials like Chen Shiru.
The names here include almost all officials who had contact with Cai Que.
The first thing Cai Que did every time he came back was to take out a few notes from his pocket and write down some things in them.
After writing everything, Cai Que would put out the candles and meditate alone in the study for a long time, even until dawn.
On the pocket in the corner of the study room, there is Huang Lu's name, but there is no name in the pocket next to Huang Lu.
