When we returned to Tumubao, the sky was already getting dark.
In front of the honor guard, the captain had returned to the Tumu Fort in advance and asked the imperial kitchen to heat the food and put it in place.
After a busy day, the emperor will have a meal as soon as he comes back. This is an important event that cannot be delayed under any circumstances.
Entering the main hall, the eunuch had already brought warm water to you.
Ming Chengzu sat on the chair and washed his face comfortably. The fatigue all over his body seemed to be washed away, and he felt much more relaxed.
Hong Tianren, led by Lin Shangli, went to the bathroom to wash up.
On the round table, more than twenty steaming dishes exuded tempting aromas.
Sitting next to the table, Ming Chengzu sniffed vigorously, but refrained from moving his chopsticks.
"Your Majesty, if you are hungry, please use your chopsticks first." The old eunuch behind him hunched over and looked at Ming Chengzu, feeling a little distressed.
Having followed the emperor for decades, hurting him day and night, and not seeking fame or fortune, this old eunuch already had a deep relationship with the emperor.
"Your Majesty, please eat first. Master Hong and Eunuch Lin will be here soon." Wang Xiaosi on the side also followed.
On weekdays, as soon as the emperor came back, he started to wolf down the food.
Today, because I have to wait for someone, I sit upright like this. Wang Xiaosi can't stand it.
"What's the rush? There's nothing wrong with Xiao Lin. Master Hong is the guest I invited today. The host won't touch the chopsticks before the guests are seated at the table." Ming Chengzu said, but he glanced in the direction of the washroom.
In a moment, Hong Tianren had finished washing up, and accompanied by Lin Shangli, his armor clattering, he walked in slowly.
"The room is warm, take off your armor." Looking at Hong Tianren, Ming Chengzu said with a smile.
I've been working hard all day long, and now I have to wear armor to eat. Isn't it a living hell?
"Thank you, Your Majesty, I'd better keep my clothes on." Hong Tianren cupped his hands and replied hurriedly.
Where is this? This is the emperor's camp. I have taken off my armor and am only left with a cotton coat. Facing the emperor, how do I look like this?
"You can take it off if I ask you to. This is just a camp, not a palace, so there's not that much fuss." Ming Chengzu smiled and waved his hand towards Hong Tianren.
"But when the armor is taken off, the ministers only have cotton clothes underneath." Hong Tianren looked embarrassed.
"Cotton clothes are just cotton clothes, what are you afraid of? Do you want me to find a coat for you to wear? There are all eunuchs here, how about I ask Xiao Linzi to bring you his change of clothes?" Ming Chengzu laughed.
.
He really wanted to see what this dignified Minister of War would look like wearing a eunuch uniform.
"How dare I trouble Eunuch Lin? I will take off my armor now." As he said that, Hong Tianren took off his heavy armor and put it on the chair Wang Xiaosi brought, and then sat at the round table.
beside.
The three of them sat down, and Wang Xiaosi next to them began to order people to bring all the dishes in the back.
Twenty cold dishes and twenty hot dishes filled the table.
"I'm hungry, so I won't care about you. You can eat whatever you want, don't be polite." Ming Chengzu said, picking up the rice bowl in front of him, taking a bite of his favorite braised pork, and swallowed it in big gulps.
.
In front of Ming Chengzu, Lin Shangli was always so elegant.
He picked up the rice, put some vegetarian vegetables into his bowl, and chewed it slowly.
Seeing the two people's different eating styles, Hong Tianren didn't know what to do for a while.
If you are too elegant, you are afraid that the emperor will say that you are pretentious. Go ahead and devour it, but you are also afraid that Lin Shangli will say that you are too tigerish.
He had no choice but to pick up the bowl, pick up a pair of chopsticks that looked pretty, but it was a dish he didn’t even know the name of, and started chewing it slowly.
In a few seconds, Ming Chengzu had already eaten more than half of the rice in the bowl. When he looked up and saw Hong Tianren's pretending to be polite, he couldn't help but feel a little angry.
He stood up, picked up the plate with braised pork, and moved half of it towards Hong Tianren's rice bowl.
"Although the Secretary of the Ministry of War is a civil servant, you are also a general who has led troops to fight. After a busy day, you are not tired of eating so politely, but I am a little tired. You eat with big mouthfuls." Putting down the plate, Ming Chengzu was a little angry.
The way.
Ming Chengzu knew that he couldn't let go of Hong Tianren, but no matter how hard he let go, he couldn't let go of his stomach.
I called you here today just because I want to give you a good meal.
At such a young age, I asked you to be the commander-in-chief of Huailaiwei's "hunting" activities. To be honest, it's a bit difficult for you in terms of physical strength.
However, in terms of qualifications, besides you, who else has your qualifications?
If you work hard for me and can't even feel comfortable eating a meal, you're really sorry for my good intentions.
"This, this." Looking at the braised pork covered with rice, Hong Tianren's eyes felt a little wet for a moment.
In the entire Ming Dynasty, there were probably very few ministers who had the emperor personally pick the meat out of the bowl. But how could I be so virtuous and capable that I should be treated like this?
"Stop talking and eat. I have plenty of time after dinner. Say whatever you want." Ming Chengzu picked up his rice bowl again and started eating with big mouthfuls.
"Alas!" Hong Tianren responded and began to devour it.
In a short time, several people were full and put down their bowls and chopsticks.
"When you're full, don't tell me that you're not full after I asked you to eat." After wiping his mouth, Ming Chengzu looked at Hong Tianren and said with a smile.
"I'm full, I'm really full now." Hong Tianren smiled awkwardly and accidentally burped.
"Hahaha." Ming Chengzu laughed, "It looks like I'm really full. Come on, let's go sit in the side hall."
With that said, Ming Chengzu stood up and walked towards the side hall.
Hong Tianren and Lin Shangli also followed closely and hurriedly followed.
In the side hall, Wang Xiaosi has moved two chairs and placed them in front of Ming Chengzu's desk.
He sat down on his spacious dragon chair and pointed to the two chairs in front of him. Ming Chengzu said: "There has always been only one dragon chair in this side hall. Today we sit down and talk."
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your love." Hong Tianren hurriedly raised his hand and bowed again.
"Stop just saluting like this. I want to hear what you want to say to me when you come today." Ming Chengzu said.
Regarding the matter of King Zhao, Ming Chengzu also knew very well that the ministers in the court were not very willing to make friends with him. But no matter what, he was his son.
Even if he has nothing to do with the legitimate throne in the future, Ming Chengzu still hopes that even if he is a prince, it is relatively beneficial to handle the relationship with the ministers of the court better.
But now, Ming Chengzu was completely disappointed with everything that King Zhao had planned and planned in Huailaiwei.
But even though his crimes were heinous, Ming Chengzu still wanted to give him a way to survive.
After all, tiger poison cannot eat its seeds, and the emperor is also a human being.
