Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 544: Please Visit Together
When Zhu Ying was hosting a banquet for his guests in Zhao Garden in Haidian, the emperor also arrived at Zhang Garden with a small entourage.
Although the emperor used to like the white dragon fish costume and travel incognito, and even encountered turmoil like the King Ye Rebellion , he still couldn't change this habit. It's just that he is a little more cautious now. Before traveling, he will always make full preparations, bring enough experts, and arrange enough guards along the way. However, he still rarely goes to the minister's house.
Because every time he went out, if he went to this house but not that one, it would easily cause people to feel uneasy and over-interpret. Even though Lady Zhao was his aunt, he had visited Zhu's house only a few times in recent years, and most of the time he just wandered around the streets incognito. So, when Zhang Garden was a royal garden, he had come here once or twice, but now that it belonged to Zhang Shou, this was his first time.
As soon as he entered the house, he saw Wu, who was trembling in fear and trepidation in the courtyard, not even daring to raise her head. Thinking of how Zhang Shou was not very nervous when he first met him, he couldn't help but smile slightly, and then joked: "Don't be timid, An Ren. I chose the time when Zhang Shou was not at home to avoid anyone finding out that I had quietly come to his house and leaking the news."
Mrs. Wu had no idea how to answer and could only say yes.
She just heard Zhang Shou say in the morning when he went out that the emperor might come to their house to visit the underground workshop recently, and comforted her that if the emperor came, she should just treat him with a normal heart. But she never expected that not long after Zhang Shou hurried to the Jiuzhang Hall of the Imperial College, Hua Qi, whom she had met several times before, actually came in person to tell her that the emperor was about to arrive!
Although she knew that the emperor had always treated Zhang Shou differently, he was, after all, the emperor of the day whom everyone respected. Now she was completely unprepared and had no idea how to respond, let alone whether she should stay or leave.
After all, although she had followed Zhang Shou to the workshop several times, firstly, the noisy and dusty environment was not suitable for staying there for too long, and secondly... she couldn't understand all the strange things there, let alone explain them to the emperor!
If it were any other woman, she would definitely try to hide her ignorance, but Wu was very self-aware. She finally explained to the emperor hesitantly that she didn't really understand the things in the workshop. The emperor was mentally prepared for this and even said a few words of comfort. The fourth prince who followed behind him was even more daring.
"Don't be afraid, Madam Wu. My father is a very good man. Besides, it was the teacher who asked me to come and take a look. He must be very confident. Even if there is a mistake, it's okay. This is not like building a big ship, a cannon, or a musket. If something goes wrong, it's okay... Oh, father, why did you hit me!"
The Fourth Prince, who had been hit on the head, held his head in his hands with a wronged look on his face. He saw his father blowing his fist and looking at him with a half-smile. He was suddenly startled and realized that he had made the most wrong mistake of talking nonsense, so he quickly shut up.
The emperor's blow to the fourth prince, and the fourth prince's tearful and sad expression, really frightened Wu. She actually went forward and pulled the fourth prince over, rubbed his head, and asked him repeatedly if it hurt. Seeing the fourth prince staring at her blankly, she shook her head for a long time. She just woke up from her dream and realized that it was not Zhang Shou. She quickly let go of his hand and knelt down to salute.
"Your Majesty, I just can't bear to see my child suffer..." After she said this, she felt that she simply couldn't speak. Her face immediately turned red. After a long while, she spoke incoherently, "These are all problems I had when I was taking care of Ah Shou since he was a child..."
The fourth prince suddenly realized what was going on and was about to plead for Wu, but he saw his father had already burst into laughter and immediately shut his mouth to act honest. The emperor was just smiling and telling Wu that it was okay, when he heard two people talking outside the door.
"Why is there not even a carriage in this alley today? It's very unusual! If there weren't any carriages parked in front of the door, I would have thought that some important person had come to our house!"
"Don't keep saying home. This is Zhang Garden, Dr. Zhang's home, not your home, Song Hunzi! Only you, Song Hunzi, can eat, drink and live in someone else's home and act like you feel at ease!"
"How dare you say that? Aren't you just eating, drinking and living for free? I can at least help people in the kitchen to make food, but what about you? What have you done? I asked you to help me, but you kept saying that a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen... You are clearly ambitious but incompetent. It's all your fault that the sugar water didn't sell today!"
The fourth prince couldn't help laughing when he heard this - was this a crosstalk? They even gave each other nicknames. He had never seen such funny people! At this moment, he had long forgotten that he had heard one of the voices before. That was Fang Qing, who had questioned his third brother in front of the Jiuzhang Hall of the Imperial College.
The emperor could tell from the conversations of the two visitors that one of them was Mr. Song, but he didn't know who the other one was. He pouted at Hua Qi, who was standing beside him, and Hua Qi grabbed the fourth prince and quietly hid in the main hall behind Mrs. Wu.
So, when the two men came in side by side, the only one left beside the emperor was Wu, who was completely confused. It was really funny to see the two young men staring at him. When he saw that the young man next to Mr. Song was indeed unfamiliar, he said with a smile: "Song Hunzi, long time no see. Who is your friend nicknamed Crow Mouth? Can you introduce him to me?"
Fang Qing was stunned to see . In the semi-final of the imperial chef selection competition, he was driven into the shed early, so he didn't see the emperor at all. But the problem was that he had seen the emperor in person when he first recruited new members in Jiuzhang Hall! But at this moment, the emperor didn't seem to recognize him, and he was relieved.
Thinking that the emperor would not remember the incident at Jiuzhang Hall, and now calling himself "I" instead of "Zhen", he could not help but boldly said, "I am Fang Qing, an old friend from the same hometown as Brother Song. I am not worth mentioning. Brother Song called me "crow's mouth" in jest. He is the one who is really mean!"
Mr. Song was so angry at Fang Qing's words that he shouted angrily, "You dare to criticize me with your mouth? You treat rich people as slaves and make children cry. You always find faults for no reason, and you do it in front of the emperor... the emperor..."
He wanted to scold Fang Qing for confusing right and wrong in front of the emperor, but looking at the emperor's clothes, he was probably traveling incognito. Coupled with the emperor's seemingly indifferent look, he felt that the second half of his words were stuck in his throat. In a moment of urgency, he blurted out a thoughtless name: "You are still talking nonsense in front of Mr. Huang!"
Mr. Huang...
Not to mention that Wu's face looked like she had seen a ghost, Fang Qing almost popped his eyes out, and even Mr. Song himself almost bit his tongue. After realizing that he had actually called Huang Shibo, he almost wanted to strangle himself to death.
Whether he was called Master Huang, Mr. Huang, or General Huang...any title was better than Uncle Huang! He was the emperor, when did he become his uncle? Besides, Fang Qing should have seen the emperor in the Imperial College, so what was he hiding?
The emperor's eyebrows and mouth twitched. Seeing the pitiful look on Mr. Song's face, he suddenly felt it was too shameful to argue with him, but he said with a half-smile: "Xiao Song, you are a scholar but you like to cook. I don't want to say anything to you, but you stayed in someone else's house for such a long time. This is really unheard of. I heard that you were beaten by your uncle? Well, you deserved it."
Mr. Song was afraid that Fang Qing would say some nonsense again, so he hurriedly nodded his head like a chicken pecking at rice: "Yes, yes, yes, I am also reflecting deeply. Uncle Huang, please don't be angry. I deserve to be beaten, I deserve to be beaten..."
Fang Qing saw that Mr. Song was being courteous and even a little humble. Although he didn't like the way he bowed and kowtowed, he thought that since the emperor was personally visiting Zhang Garden, it was not right for him, an outsider, to stand there. He immediately bowed and said, "I will go back to my room to study." But before he could leave, the emperor suddenly reached out and stopped him.
It was not until this time that he could see clearly that the emperor had black hair and a slightly curled moustache, looking quite impressive. His every move was not pretentious like some pretentious people, but rather natural.
Then, he heard the emperor make an invitation that made his heart beat: "Since you two just happened to meet, you are lucky. Today, Zhang Shou invited me to visit the new pendulum clock in his workshop. Would you two like to come together?"
Song Juren knew the emperor's teasing temper very well, and he wanted to stay away from him. However, Zhang Shou had a secret workshop at home, and he had heard many people talk about it, but he had never seen it while living here, and he still wanted to find out what it was. At this moment, he hesitated again and again in his heart, but finally couldn't resist the temptation.
Of course, Fang Qing had already gotten ahead of him and answered directly, "I wish so, but I dare not ask for your help." Hearing this, he kept complaining about the nerd in his heart. But he couldn't wake up the crow mouth in person, so he could only smile dryly and nod in agreement.
Wu was a little surprised to see the emperor taking two candidates to Zhang Shou's workshop, but she didn't say much. She thought it was inappropriate for her to go with him, but looking at her home, she couldn't find anyone she could trust to lead the way. Just as she was getting anxious, she saw a young man running in excitedly.
"Madam, the Master asked me to come back quickly, saying that he wanted to show the distinguished guests around the workshop?"
Xiao Huasheng was so happy at this moment. He had been with Zhang Shou for so long, and he had only been to the legendary workshop a few times. He didn't expect that Zhang Shou would let him take people to visit it today! He knew Song Juren and Fang Qing, and he smiled and bowed to them as a greeting, and then looked at the emperor. But after seeing the emperor's appearance, he couldn't help but ask a question suspiciously.
"My distinguished guest, have I seen you somewhere before?" This man looks quite similar to the unfortunate eldest prince!
Mr. Song no longer had the energy to complain, and hurried forward to change the subject of Peanut's conversation. Fortunately, the man was obviously not very interested in the emperor's distinguished guest, and after apologizing awkwardly, he stepped forward to greet Wu and said a few words.
Wu knew that Zhang Shou had always trusted Xiao Huasheng, but when he came back just now and rashly said that he had seen the emperor somewhere, she certainly couldn't be completely relieved, so she quickly pulled him aside and gave him many instructions, implying that he must treat this distinguished guest with respect. Before she could make sure that Xiao Huasheng understood what she said, the emperor had already pulled Xiao Huasheng over.
"Okay, Anren, don't worry. I'm not the kind of person who cares about etiquette... Xiaohuasheng, please lead the way. I've heard Zhang Shou talk about you. He said you're young and capable, and you have a good voice. You're better at singing than reciting poems! I have two sons who are not very smart. Can you teach them when you get back?"
The Fourth Prince, who was being held firmly in the hall by Hua Qi, was about to explode with rage. It wasn't because his father compared him to Peanut, but because he had finally come out with his father for once, and now his father would rather take a few outsiders with him to the workshop, and not him!
But he watched his father following behind Xiao Huasheng, with two followers, but he didn't dare to say anything - he had just been beaten by his father, if he said anything now, who knows if his father would punish him severely after returning? When his father spoiled him and his third brother, he really spoiled them, but once they made a mistake...
His father beat him really hard, with the slap coming directly on his butt. He couldn't even remember how many times he cried for help after being beaten for being naughty as a child, but it was definitely more than his third brother!
The Fourth Prince was always cunning, and at this moment he could not help but beg Hua Qi in a low voice: "Uncle Hua Qi, can you please let me go with you to see what's going on? It's not easy for me to go out of the palace with you, and I'm looking forward to going back and talking to my third brother about what I saw in Zhang Garden today! Besides, don't Fang Qing and Mr. Song who followed the emperor know the emperor? What's the problem with me following them!"
Hua Qi was both angry and amused as he looked at the Fourth Prince, who was almost bowing to him with his palms clasped together. He suddenly remembered that Zhu Ying also liked to bargain when she was a child, so he could not help but flick the little guy's forehead with his fingers. Seeing that the Fourth Prince did not hide at all, but just stared at him eagerly, he smiled and said, "Even if you don't ask, I will take you there."
"Ah?" The Fourth Prince was stunned, but before he could get angry, he suddenly thought of a question.
He hurriedly leaned out to look, and saw that only Wu was left in the yard. His father and the two scholars who were said to be staying in Zhang Garden had already gone away with Xiao Huasheng, and he was immediately very worried.
"Then why are you still stopping me, Uncle Hua Qi? Father and the others are gone!"
"I heard that Ah Liu has carried you on his back before?" Hua Qi asked a question that was irrelevant. Seeing that the Fourth Prince was stunned for a moment before nodding, he suddenly grabbed the boy and swung him back lightly, carrying him on his back. As he flew out like a gust of wind, he asked without looking back, "Is Ah Liu faster or slower than me?"
The Fourth Prince was initially shocked by the extremely fast speed. After hearing Hua Qi's question clearly, he suddenly became excited and shouted in a frenzy: "Sixth brother is faster than you!" Who told you to scare me just now!
But just as he finished speaking, he felt Hua Qi's speed suddenly increase, and the wind blowing in his face was whistling. Therefore, when he realized that he was falling suddenly and found that everything in front of him was suddenly dark, he was so shocked that he even forgot to shout. He just hugged Hua Qi's neck tightly, not knowing that if someone else carried him, he would definitely be strangled to death at this time...
