Volume 3: Dragon and Snake Movement Chapter 425: Tasting food by imperial order?
The emperor spoke in a lighthearted and interesting way at first, but Chu Kuan spoke solemnly. Zhu Ying, who was standing by, was confused and suddenly snatched the wooden figure when the emperor was not paying attention. She couldn't help laughing and said, "Could it be that the craftsman who originally refused to carve for the emperor actually carved such a wooden figure based on the emperor's ferocious posture with his sword drawn at that time?"
Even if others had thought of this, they would not dare to say it out loud. However, Zhu Ying had been used to playing with the emperor on the lap of the empress dowager since she was a child, so she told the truth without hesitation, and even used the adjective "ferocious". However, there was an outsider like Qin Guogong Zhang Chuan here, and she realized her mistake as soon as she said it, and immediately changed her words.
"If that's the case, this craftsman is really a coward! Wouldn't he have agreed earlier?"
The emperor said nonchalantly, "At that time, I was young and hot-tempered, and my temper was much worse than it is now. I would fly into a rage if provoked by someone, not to mention that I invited him with courtesy and offered him benefits, but he still rejected and drove him away. It was not until I saw that man was able to carve such a lifelike wooden figure under the threat of my sharp blade that I was truly convinced."
"The most amazing thing is that the skilled craftsman directly gave the wooden figure to me, and then drove him away in a bad mood. He said that people with skills are inevitably arrogant. Although they dare not say that they are arrogant to the nobles, they are all very stubborn, just like some officials in the court who knew they were wrong but refused to repent, and finally ended up in a dispute of pride."
"He is good at carving, but he is even better at shipbuilding. Unfortunately, he was kicked out of the shipyard and has no chance anymore, so he once swore that he would never carve for those rich and powerful guys. But he still cherishes his life and doesn't want to die under my sword, so you can leave as soon as you finish carving."
At this moment, Zhang Shou couldn't help but blurt out: "And the emperor gave him a shipyard?"
"How is that possible!" Duke Zhang Chuan of Qin couldn't help but burst out laughing. "The emperor was about sixteen or seventeen years old at that time and had not yet taken power. Even if he did, the empress dowager would not agree..." As he spoke, his voice became lower and lower, because he suddenly discovered that the emperor actually nodded slightly at Zhang Shou with an extremely admiring look.
"Zhang Shou, you guessed it right. Although I cannot give him a shipyard, I have one myself and I recruited him directly to be the master craftsman. Over the past ten years, he has built seven large ships in the shipyard. He has lived up to my expectations. I just don't know how much of his carving skills he still has."
Zhang Shou just said it casually, but he didn't expect that the young emperor back then would actually be so simple, rude and willful. He could only laugh awkwardly and said, "I'm just guessing..."
Chu Kuan on the side could not help but look gloomy. He had clearly revealed the connection between today's incident and the theft case in the palace, but Zhu Ying interrupted him and everyone's attention was suddenly diverted.
Zhu Ying is a person who does what he wants and says whatever he thinks. When Zhang Shou is with the emperor, he seems to be very relaxed and casual most of the time. He also says whatever he thinks. No wonder the emperor, who is not bound by common sense, has always been fond of Zhang Shou. As for Zhang Chuan's attitude, Chu Kuan thinks that he is deliberately avoiding the main issue.
However, since it had already been mentioned, he would not dwell on it. He stood aside silently, waiting for the topic to return. He believed that the emperor was definitely not someone who could easily let go of such a thing. Sure enough, after a while, he heard the emperor suddenly ask, "It's fine that Zhou from the Imperial Kitchen colluded with the rebels, but how could he collude with Consort Guo of the Qianqing Palace?"
Only then did Chu Kuan lower his head and whispered, "When Concubine Guo entered the palace, she was already over 30 years old. Because she was well-versed in poetry, literature and etiquette, and a widow without children, the Queen Mother selected her to enter the palace. Seeing that she was cautious, she was placed in the Qianqing Palace to serve, hoping that she could control the palace maids. But..."
He paused, and finally said in a deep voice: "When Wenjun became a widow, Lady Guo met the man surnamed Zhou. They were originally a couple. But after the Queen Mother issued an edict to recruit talented women to serve as court ladies, she chose to enter the palace for this opportunity, but promised to find a good job for her adulterer. Three years later, she had a stable foothold, so she got through the Guanglu Temple and brought the man surnamed Zhou into the imperial kitchen."
When Consort Guo entered the palace, she was already over 30 years old. The emperor remembered that he was only a teenager at that time, so he naturally just regarded her as a nanny. Moreover, he had a lively personality, and he could not be said to be very compatible with Consort Guo, who was old and liked to preach, let alone much admiration. However, because he had accompanied her for so many years, he still treated her with some courtesy.
However, if Chu Kuan said so, then Concubine Guo had deliberately entered the palace and even brought an adulterer with her, who would believe it if it wasn't for her ulterior motives? Moreover, Chu Kuan also said with certainty that the chief imperial guard surnamed Zhou was actually related to the rebels in the Linhai Camp!
The emperor suppressed his anger and said to Zhang Shou, "The accounts of the Guanglu Temple have all been sealed. Tomorrow, you will have the selected Jiuzhang Hall students go to the Guanglu Temple to take over all the accounts. Check them carefully for me and don't miss any loopholes. Especially the account books of the Guanglu Temple regarding the imperial kitchen. Check them one by one for me."
Seeing that the emperor was really angry, Zhang Shou certainly would not bargain and agreed immediately. Although Zhang Chuan was a noble, he was naturally fond of literature and had a stronger sense of identity with the civil servants. He could not help but ask, "Once the Guanglu Temple accounts are sealed, what about the daily operations..."
"All the accounts and money in the Guanglu Temple should be sealed. From now on, all expenses should be listed in a new account, which will be opened by the students of Jiuzhang Hall. All expenses should be paid from the inner treasury first, not from the Ministry of Revenue, to avoid those people outside from slandering in private." At this point, the emperor suddenly asked in a deep voice, "Chu Kuan, since you said that you found out the collusion between Concubine Guo and Zhou, have these two people been arrested?"
Without waiting for Chu Kuan to answer, he laughed and said, "Don't tell me nonsense like someone died and left a suicide note. What I hate most is throwing all kinds of dirty water on the dead!"
Zhang Shou could not help but secretly admire the emperor's understanding, because this was what he wanted to say but held back. However, his silence did not mean that others would not say it. Zhu Ying immediately agreed, "Your Majesty is right. The dead cannot speak. No matter what crime is put on their heads, they cannot defend themselves. If the person is dead, this matter cannot be explained clearly."
Chu Kuan said calmly, "I would never dare to deceive His Majesty with a dead person. Both Concubine Guo and Master Zhou are still alive. Their relationship is not only documented by their handwritten letters, but also witnessed by witnesses. Concubine Guo stole the wooden figurine, and she confessed in person that it was Master Zhou who wanted it. Although Master Zhou refused to admit it, there is also documented and witnessed evidence of his connection with the rebels."
He paused for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "As for the fact that Lady Guo used her status as a palace maid to get in touch with the Guanglu Temple and secretly gave the important position in the imperial kitchen to her lover, we still need to investigate it thoroughly. However, the Guanglu Shaoqing who was involved is still alive, but the tricky thing is that he is the relative of Grand Secretary Kong."
This is really a lot of complicated relationships!
Zhang Shou's heart was filled with awe, and he could not help but raise his vigilance against Chu Kuan to a higher level. He was able to secretly grasp the relationship between this series of people, and then involved the former second assistant, now the most popular candidate for the first assistant, Kong Daxueshi. The four words "deliberate and scheming" alone were not enough to describe this person's cunning!
Moreover, what Chu Kuan said was very likely to arouse anger. If this wooden figure was carved into an emperor of that era, he would probably be so furious that he would want to kill someone immediately, right?
"They are just in-laws. Even if they are from the same clan or even blood relatives, their personalities and characters will be completely different. Before you have thoroughly investigated the matter, don't involve Master Kong."
The emperor made a final statement, then suddenly looked at Zhang Shou thoughtfully and said, "Zhang Shou, I don't want to use the previous batch of people in the imperial kitchen anymore. I heard from Yingying that you are a top foodie. Not only can you eat, but you can also cook and find delicious food. In this case, find me a few chefs with real skills, and I will give them the same salary as now."
Although it was not a high salary to recruit people, Zhang Shou believed that if the palace was recruiting imperial chefs, it would definitely be a good job that countless people would fight for once it was announced. Which chef would not want to be famous? However, he was not happy that the emperor entrusted him with such a task.
It is difficult to satisfy everyone. He thought it was delicious, but the emperor thought it was not. This was already a problem, but the most terrible thing was that such a recommendation had to be responsible! What if some stupid guy had a problem like Zhou Zhangyu?
Zhang Shou was struggling to figure out how to fend off the emperor's sudden whim, when Zhang Chuan immediately spoke up, "Your Majesty, since there is already the precedent of the case of Zhou Zhangyu, we should investigate the background of this imperial chef carefully. If Dr. Zhang were to recommend him out of thin air, I'm afraid he would feel embarrassed."
"What's the problem?" The emperor stopped Zhu Ying who was about to speak, and then said with a smile, "I just need him to tell me which chef cooks the best food. As for checking someone's ancestry, Zhang Qing, you and Chu Kuan will check separately, one inside and one outside. In other words, Zhang Shou only recommends talents, and as for character and background, you two will take care of it."
Seeing Zhang Chuan was dumbfounded, he obviously didn't expect that his advice would bring him such a big trouble. Even Zhang Shou couldn't help but feel a little sympathetic to him. But seeing that Chu Kuan had already agreed without thinking, he weighed the pros and cons again and again, and saw that Zhu Ying was nodding desperately and winking at him - he felt that the eldest lady seemed to want him to agree, so he finally made a decision.
"I can only say... try your best?"
The emperor laughed and said, "If you refuse such a good job as the imperial decree to taste food, you will be unworthy of your reputation as a foodie. With this reputation, wherever you go, people will probably treat you as a guest of honor and will use all their skills to please you. Don't take advantage of me!"
At this point, he was obviously in a better mood again, looking down at the wooden figure standing with a sword in his hand, and couldn't help but sigh: "I ordered Chu Kuan to search for it in the palace for a long time, and now it is considered a success, and the lost item has been found. But then again, I can't figure out what the hell is framing Lu Zhu? Did that little fat guy offend someone?"
At this moment, Ah Liu's calm voice suddenly came from outside the door: "Mr. Song wants to see you."
Duke of Qin Zhang Chuan was worried that he had not yet agreed to the emperor, but the emperor took his consent and actually decided on this matter. When he heard this, he wanted to order Song Tuiguan to come in, but when he thought that the emperor was here and it was not his turn to make the decision, he simply walked out of the door first. When he came back again, he glanced at Zhang Shou with a strange look on his face.
He hesitated for a moment, and finally whispered, "Just now, Magistrate Song has interrogated the guy who framed him. He couldn't stand the beating and confessed that he didn't know the person who gave him money and ordered him to do this. But the person who ordered him to frame was not Jiuzhang Hall Master Lu Zhu Lu Saburo, but... it was you, Doctor Zhang."
Zhang Shou was stunned when he heard this. Zhu Ying frowned, "This is ridiculous. That room belongs to Lu Sanlang. How can someone who can steal forbidden items not be able to tell this apart?"
Zhang Chuan asked the emperor , and then went out to call Song Tuiguan in. Because he had been informed in advance, Song Tuiguan did not raise his head casually after entering the room. He bowed and saluted, and then spoke in a neither humble nor arrogant manner.
"The instigator said that the room was nominally owned by Lu Sanlang, but in fact it was full of Dr. Zhang's things, so he just wanted him to mix the wooden man among them. The instigator also said that he had a grudge against Miss Zhu, so this matter could be framed on Miss Zhu."
"Who is so despicable that he swept both me and Ah Shou in!" Zhu Ying was so angry that she wanted to curse, until Zhang Shou pulled her back. Then she stood aside angrily, but her eyes were full of ferocity, and she said indignantly, "If I catch that damn guy, I will beat him to death!"
The emperor said thoughtfully, "Since it is connected to the palace, the instigator should know my temper. Although it was once my favorite thing, if Yingying likes it, I will give it to her. What's more, Yingying likes gorgeous clothes and ornaments. She really likes the carving of wooden figures. Why does she want to carve my wooden figures? It's better to ask me to find someone to carve a pair for her and A Shou."
Zhang Shou didn't expect that the emperor was still in the mood to joke until this time, and he was immediately amused. He was about to appease Zhu Ying, who might be furious, but Zhu Ying immediately shouted: "Your Majesty, this is what you said, I will remember it!"
The emperor burst into laughter and said nonchalantly, "It's a small matter. I promise you!"
After saying this, he nodded slightly to Song Tuiguan and said, "You continue the interrogation and find out all the bad deeds this person has done in the past. Then deal with him according to the law. You don't have to be so cautious just because of all the mess involved. As for the mastermind behind the scenes, forget it if you can't find it. This is not within the scope of your Shuntian Prefecture's ability."
Seeing that Song Tuiguan hurriedly agreed and quickly left, the emperor yawned lazily, but the words that came out next revealed a chilling murderous aura.
"What I hate most are those sneaky guys. I will ask the imperial attendants to investigate this matter and give justice to Zhang Shou and Yingying, and also to Lu Zhu. It's time to clean up the palace!"
