Although the pub is small, the food is served very quickly.
In the blink of an eye, two beautifully arranged plates of braised pork were brought out by the shopkeeper himself.
The waiter behind him, carrying two jars of soju in each hand, followed closely behind.
"Your Majesty, please use it first. We have ready-made fried peanuts in the tavern. This boiled one will have to wait a little while. It only takes a few bowls of wine to serve it to your Majesty."
The shopkeeper put down the braised pork in his hand with a smile, turned around and took the wine jar from the waiter's arms and put it on the table.
He removed the mud seal of one of the jars, poured a full bowl for each of them, and then bowed his body and explained a little apologetically.
"It doesn't matter, the shopkeeper can just do it." After saying that, Xiao Chen picked up the chopsticks on the table and gestured towards Xu Kaiying opposite, "I don't seem to have eaten anything today. It's just right.
Order the braised pork to warm up your stomach, and then have a good drink.”
"Okay, I won't go home until I'm drunk." Xu Kaiying stopped being cautious and picked up the chopsticks on the table.
Three times five divided by two, the plate in front of the two of them accidentally reached the bottom.
Looking at each other, the two laughed loudly and asked for two more plates of braised pork from the shopkeeper.
When these two plates of braised pork were served, the boiled peanuts that had just come out of the pot were also brought.
Xiao Chen picked up a piece of steaming peanut and threw it into his mouth, chewed it a few times, and nodded exaggeratedly.
"The peanuts made by the shopkeeper are well cooked. It almost tastes like braised pork."
"To be honest, our guest wants to eat boiled peanuts, but in our tavern, they always make them fried. In order to give our guest a good taste, we specially put together several seasonings and cook them together with the peanuts.
"Yes." The shopkeeper on the side explained with a smile.
"Yes, it's really good. Whenever you want to eat boiled peanuts in the future, we will take care of your business."
"Okay, okay, you are welcome at any time. Please take it easy, I won't disturb you two drinking."
The shopkeeper said a few polite words and bowed wisely and left.
Drinking makes you brave.
After several large bowls of soju, Xiao Chen's face was already slightly red. Xu Kaiying, opposite, seemed to have completely let go of her worries and began to speak in a loud voice, vaguely feeling like she had regained her self-esteem.
Feeling that the heat was almost done, Xiao Chen put down his chopsticks, put his right hand on his stomach, pretended to be full, and kneaded it.
Xu Kaiying didn't seem to have had enough. She stood up with the wine jar and poured a large bowl of soju for the two of them.
"Commander Xu, we were at Zhongzhen Restaurant just now. Don't take what the factory owner said to you seriously." Xiao Chen chuckled and got to the point.
"The factory owner is right. I have a straight mind. I just can't figure out the twists and turns. I don't care about it."
Xu Kaiying picked up the wine bowl and drank most of it in one go.
Soju was dripping from the corner of his mouth, looking quite bold.
"But, I can't change this, and I don't want to change it. I can handle it if I go straight. If I need to try my best to guess other people's thoughts, I won't be able to figure it out even if I try to do it myself. If I don't do something well, I can't.
Go and struggle."
With an embarrassed look on her face, Xu Kaiying said slowly.
"It's because Commander Xu has such an upright personality that Ma Yunshan took advantage of the loophole. Otherwise, Commander Xu would still be sitting in the Jinyiwei Command Department, handling Jinyiwei's affairs."
"Yes, that's the truth." Xu Kaiying nodded, "However, if I hadn't experienced so many downfalls and hardships, how would I know that Brother Xiao, you are treating me wholeheartedly? I'm not very good at saying nice things.
I ordered this bowl of soju to show my gratitude to Brother Xiao."
As soon as she finished speaking, Xu Kaiying picked up the wine bowl in front of her and drank from it.
He put the empty bowl on the table, raised his arm, wiped it on his mouth, and nodded towards Xiao Chen with a serious expression.
Seeing Xu Kaiying's serious look, Xiao Chen also picked up the wine bowl and drank it in one gulp.
Put the bottomed wine bowl and Xu Kaiying's together and look at each other quietly.
"Commander Xu, there is one thing I need you to do your best!"
"Brother Xiao, just say it." Xu Kaiying smiled bitterly, "In my current state, as long as I can do it, I will definitely try my best."
"Ten percent is not enough, I need twelve percent of your strength!"
Xu Kaiying was startled: "Twelve points? What is so strenuous?"
"It is not too difficult to save your life. After all, you were kept in the dark about Ma Yunshan's embezzlement of imperial assets. At most, it was a fault of lax supervision. However, I am a greedy person, and you and I
The two of you are so close to each other, I not only want to save your life, I also want to save your job."
"Preserving my position? Brother Xiao, do you want me to continue to be the commander of the Jin Yiwei?"
With her mouth half open, Xu Kaiying thought she heard wrongly.
Not to mention whether the emperor would agree or not, even Lin Shangli, the official of Dongchangchang who acted as the intermediary spokesperson, also defined himself: a brainless person like himself is not suitable to continue to serve as the commander of the Jinyiwei.
"Yes." Xiao Chen nodded vigorously, "As long as Commander Xu cooperates as much as possible, leave all other matters to me."
"Cooperate, we must cooperate. The lives of everyone in Jinyiwei are now things that can be changed by the emperor's words. How dare I not cooperate? Brother Xiao can just tell you how to do it."
Xu Kaiying's despairing heart finally saw a glimmer of hope, and her red and swollen eyes also shot out a glimmer of light.
Becoming an official or a high-ranking official is a lifelong dream for most people who work in the government.
If they were not forced to do so, no one would say they don't care about fame and would choose to resign and retire.
Xu Kaiying is a layman, and he is destined to be unable to escape the temptation of high officials and generous salaries.
Xiao Chen leaned back and looked at each other quietly: "There are only two of us now. Commander Xu, to be honest, are you jealous of Ma Yunshan?"
"Yes." Xu Kaiying opened her mouth and answered without thinking, "He is very thoughtful, and every point he puts forward is deeply rooted in the emperor's heart. Before that, the emperor summoned him into the palace many times to discuss Jin Yiwei's next move.
After he came back, he never mentioned a word to me."
Speaking of this, Xu Kaiying sighed: "Well, I don't know if it was the emperor's instruction or if he did it deliberately. I always feel that in Jinyiwei, I am being ignored day by day. If it hadn't been for his revelation this time, I guess,
Sooner or later, I will give up my position as commander of the Jin Yiwei to him."
Every word Xu Kaiying said exudes a deep sense of powerlessness.
"From this point of view, if Commander Xu can successfully serve as the commander of Jinyiwei, people like Ma Yunshan will never be given the opportunity to gain a foothold in Jinyiwei in the future." Xiao Chen said meaningfully.
"I don't want to either, but this is arranged by the emperor, how can I refuse?"
"Of course Commander Xu cannot refuse, but must try his best to cooperate. As for how to cooperate, there are many ways to do it." Xiao Chen smiled and filled the two of them with wine.
"Brother Xiao, do you mean to dig a hole for him under the guise of cooperation?"
"Hahaha. I didn't say digging a hole."
"Isn't that what you mean?"
"Look, who said Commander Xu doesn't have scheming ideas? You can understand what I mean instantly. However, it would be even more perfect if you knew it in your heart and didn't say it out loud."
As if she had been enlightened, Xu Kaiying stuck her buttocks out, pushed the chair behind her and stood up.
Holding his fists, he bowed deeply towards Xiao Chen: "Listening to your words is worth ten years of reading. At this moment, I truly understood the gap between Ma Yunshan and me. No matter what happens in the future, I will be an ordinary citizen.
No matter whether I am the commander of the Jinyi Guards or not, I will always follow Brother Xiao's lead. I only hope that by following Brother Xiao, I can experience the true meaning of being a smart person."
"Okay." Xiao Chen was not polite and nodded, "If you want to truly secure the position of commander of the Jinyiwei, you will not be able to do it for a long time without scheming. There is no need to be arrogant. If Commander Xu does not dislike it, Dongchang is willing to cooperate with him.
You are in this together.”
"Brother Xiao, don't worry. If I can continue to be in charge of the Jinyiwei, the Jinyiwei in the future will no longer be the Jinyiwei of the Ming Dynasty, but the Jinyiwei of the East Factory of the Ming Dynasty." Holding her fists, Xu Kaiying began to issue a "military order" to Xiao Chen.
Xiao Chen waved his hand, pushed the wine bowl filled with wine in front of Xu Kaiying, and smiled lightly.
"There are some things that you should just keep in your heart, but you can't say them out casually."
"Yes, I am stupid again."
Xu Kaiying put down her fists and sat down slowly.
At this moment, Xiao Chen was so unpredictable in Xu Kaiying's eyes.
