Volume 4: Gathering of Sages Chapter 607: No money, no power, but a unique way of thinking
King Jiangdu had long forgotten that the person he was chatting with was the brat he wanted to beat to death with a stick just now.
The four sons of King Jiangdu had no recollection of this at all. The one they were surrounding was the son of someone else's family as their parents called him - Zhang Shou, who was born in poverty but was extremely talented, and was favored by the high-minded Zhu Ying and even the emperor. The brothers had even forgotten their resentment towards Zhang Shou for being too outstanding when their mother had been talking to them in the past.
Because after finding out their hobbies, Zhang Shou did not encourage them to study, let alone make progress. Even if it was cockfighting, dog walking, fishing or horse racing, people actually laughed and said that since they were from wealthy families, as long as they did not disturb others and did not cheat their parents, they could just have fun by themselves and did not care what others said. Those who pointed fingers were just those who hated the rich, as if he had completely forgotten what he had said to the dandy young man in Cuiyun Room.
Of course, even if any of the four brothers knew about the past, Zhang Shou would have enough excuses - how could those guys who were not favored at home, had no talent for studying or martial arts, and were always marginalized be comparable to the beloved sons of King Jiangdu? However, since there was no chance to use this excuse, he would restrain himself a little, so as not to lose his image as a strict teacher.
At this moment, seeing Princess Jiangdu bringing Princess Hailing out again with a subtle expression, and Zhu Ying and the Fourth Prince laughing and joking behind them without any pressure, he knew that although the shrewd and outspoken princess might not have fully accepted this matter, she at least understood the cause and effect. So, he considered whether he should retire after his success.
Otherwise, would he still act as Mr. Song's elder and continue discussing the marriage?
Following a heavy cough from the Princess of Jiangdu, the King of Jiangdu, who was just in high spirits, instantly returned to his majestic image as a prince. He left behind Mr. Song, who was still talking about some young blacksmiths in Tiangong Workshop, and quickly returned to his wife. The four brothers who had just woken up from a dream returned. At first glance, the five fathers and sons surrounded the mother and daughter, like a star among stars!
Faced with this situation, the Fourth Prince, who was originally behind Princess Jiangdu, slid to Zhang Shou's side like a slippery fish, and then said softly: "Teacher, I have told you everything about what happened in Xinglong Tea House today. I didn't exaggerate, but I didn't hide anything either. Even if I didn't say it, someone would definitely say it in the future... Sister Yingying is very righteous. She actually said a few words to help Third Sister."
The Fourth Prince paused, then glanced at Mr. Song and muttered, "But I'm not speaking for Mr. Song. I just think he's not worthy of Sister A-Ling. He has no money and no power. Is he going to have to rely on Sister A-Ling to support his family in the future?"
Mr. Song never thought that the King of Jiangdu's family had not shown any obvious contempt for him, but the Fourth Prince actually touched his heart like this. Although he was a little embarrassed and annoyed, he knew his own family affairs, and since the atmosphere had eased a little, he simply poured out everything in his heart.
"I have no money and no power. After all, although I was born in the Song family of Guangdong, I am not the head of the Song family. I used to rely on the subsidies from my family to study without worries, and I also learned to make sweet soup. And I don't know when I can pass the imperial examination, so I can't say I have power. Therefore, although I am not young anymore, I have never talked about marriage because I don't want to implicate others."
"The county lady was the first girl who said she liked me. I don't know if she just liked my cooking skills or me as a person. In fact, my skill in making sweet soup might be ranked top in Beijing, but it is very common in Guangdong. There are many old sweet soup shops and many master chefs there... After all, it is suitable for growing sugarcane there, and you can make sweets in a variety of ways."
"But no matter what, I am very grateful to the county lady. Whether the King of Jiangdu and the Princess approve or not, I have nothing to say. It has been a bumpy journey to participate in the Imperial Chef Selection Competition. Rather than saying that I have gone through many difficulties, it is better to say that I have come to this point by relying on luck. But I have already thought about it. If I open a shop in the capital next, the reputation and novelty should be able to last for a while."
"And if I work harder and cook everything in the recipe book left by my great-grandfather, even if the shop doesn't become a big hit, at least it can stay in business. Studying for the imperial examinations and becoming an official are what others expect of me, but studying recipes and cooking by myself are my hobbies. Maybe one day I will regret not doing my job properly, but at least not now."
"Although I feel a little sorry for my mother who hopes that I will have many children, I will not marry a girl who does not support my hobbies, so as to avoid delaying her and myself, and to avoid being a resentful couple in the future. I will never be rich and powerful in this life, but food is the first necessity of the people. I really hope that after the overseas crops mentioned by Dr. Zhang are transplanted here, I can make more delicious food."
"There is a sentence at the end of Emperor Taizu's recipe that I have always regarded as a wise saying. Happiness is the taste of sweetness."
Zhang Shou did not expect that Fang Qing, who had been trembling with fear and even constantly asking him for advice, and who had always been called a Song scoundrel by Fang Qing, would be so impressive at this moment. His words were not only very sincere, but also reasonable, which could move girls at first glance. Especially the last sentence of Taizu Quotations, which was really a stroke of genius.
Did Mr. Song consider using this phrase as the signboard of his dessert shop? No, once Cantonese desserts are opened in Beijing, it would be a bit rustic to call them desserts. They should be changed to something like Song's Desserts, which would appeal to both the refined and the popular and would be more attractive.
Zhang Shou felt that Mr. Song was a completely different person, and the Fourth Prince was even more shocked. He even touched his forehead to test whether he had a fever, and then he couldn't help muttering to himself: "Father said that many people in this world are good at pretending. I didn't believe it, but today I finally saw it!"
You know, when he was on the road, this guy looked very sad and unreliable!
Zhu Ying was stroking her smooth chin thoughtfully, thinking to herself that Song Juren, who was usually unreliable, could actually say such sweet words. This showed that when people are truly affectionate, their mouths can become sweet. Just like when Zhang Shou first met her, he kept a distance from her, but now he often says nice things to her!
Sure enough, everyone else was surprised. This was the first time that the Princess of Hailing County met Mr. Song, and her heart was beating fast. If it weren't for her mother's hand still holding her tightly, she wouldn't have known what love was, and she would have rushed forward just as she wanted!
Keren was being dragged by her mother, but she was still free to speak. She couldn't help but say, "I told you, there are many chefs who can make desserts, but I never thought they were very good! But I think that you, Mr. Song, are wholeheartedly trying your best for your hobby, which is very good. My father was like this when he was learning to forge iron!"
Princess Hailing didn't notice that the King of Jiangdu was glaring at him angrily and anxiously at this moment. She was still smiling brightly and forgot the King of Jiangdu's instructions to her - she must call him father in front of outsiders, so as to show the majesty of the royal family. Anyway, she had changed the address many times in front of others, calling him father and dad.
"It is because you like making desserts and don't like being an official that I asked you if you are willing to be my son-in-law! My four brothers don't like studying and their martial arts skills are not very good, but they are all very good people and are all my good brothers! I don't want a husband who is good at both literature and martial arts and is eager to learn and make progress. Wouldn't that make them look very embarrassed?"
What is meant by a word awakening a person from a dream? At this moment, the words of Hailing County Lord had such a miraculous effect. At that moment, the Fourth Prince was dumbfounded, Zhu Ying couldn't help laughing, and even Zhang Shou couldn't help but marvel at the extremely strange train of thought of Hailing County Lord.
If you really think about it, it's absolutely true! The son-in-law is too capable, and the son is too useless. Isn't it awkward for the uncle and the son to get along? For example, Zhu Er and him, that's because Zhu Er is completely scared and subdued by him, or Ah Liu, and Zhu Er has now listened to him and started to concentrate on the image of Zhu Gonghao Nong. Otherwise, he and Zhu Er really can't get along.
As for Zhu Tingfang...to be honest, he really kept his distance from this kind of perfectionist, and Zhu Tingfang probably felt the same way about him!
The King of Jiangdu, who was originally full of complaints could not help but feel tears welling up in his eyes after hearing the powerful words of the Princess of Hailing County. He was completely moved by his daughter. He glared at his four equally excited sons and shouted angrily, "It's all because of you four useless guys. If you had improved a little, how could you have caused A Ling to have such thoughts..."
Seeing her four sons ashamed and embarrassed, while her husband was still stern and wanted to continue to scold them, Princess Jiangdu felt even more tired. As a father, don't you have any idea in your heart?
The only reason you are better than your sons is that you are good at martial arts, but you are only good at archery. The problem is that the court's tactics against the northern barbarians are that cavalry has long been only auxiliary, and the most powerful weapon is the volley of firearms, and they will never compete with others in cavalry archery tactics. Even Zhao Guogong Zhu Jing's extremely powerful archery is useless, and it is only because he is very good at commanding the firearms battalion that he has achieved what he has today.
You are a father who never reads books, is good at a skill that is now outdated, is unwilling to manage things, and regards blacksmithing as his greatest hobby and shows off in the capital. Now you are seriously scolding your son for dragging your daughter down... Where is your face? Of course, I myself don't ask you and your son to make progress, but you, as a father, really think you have set a good example for your sons!
"Enough!" The Princess of Jiangdu, who could no longer bear it, had to use her anger to stop the King of Jiangdu from teaching his son. Seeing her husband shut up, her daughter shut up, and her sons hanging their heads, she couldn't help but rub .
She is the only one who is smart enough to take care of everything in this family. Look at this big family that is causing so much trouble!
The most important thing is that there are several outsiders in front of us. This is really embarrassing in front of outsiders!
Seeing the extremely tangled expression of Princess Jiangdu, Zhang Shou held the Fourth Prince with one hand and said with a smile: "Yingying, the Fourth Prince and I just sent Princess Hailing here. As for Master Song, he came here to deliver snacks by order. Now that the people and the things have been delivered, we will take our leave first."
Before Zhu Ying and the Fourth Prince could raise any objections, Zhang Shou dragged them away by force, one by one. The Fourth Prince did not dare to bargain because of the Third Prince's instructions, and could only yell bitterly for King Jiangdu not to forget to replenish his things, while Zhu Ying waved goodbye to the Princess of Hailing with some regret.
As for Mr. Song, he was panicked when he found out that Zhang Shou had irresponsibly taken people away. All his calmness flew away to Java. But when he was about to ask for help, Zhang Shou, who had walked a dozen steps away, suddenly turned around and smiled at him.
"Mr. Song, just keep the state you were in just now. Don't forget, you once had a heated argument with Princess Yongping and talked freely in front of the emperor. Having no money and no power is not your weakness, it is your advantage."
"If it were really my future brother-in-law who comes from a noble family, is both talented in civil and military affairs, and is extremely brilliant, most girls would not be able to afford him!" At this point, Zhang Shou saw that King Jiangdu gave him a sullen look. He was stunned for a moment, then realized where this weird look came from, and immediately burst into laughter.
"As for someone like me who is prone to causing trouble, I often have to ask the Yue family to help me clean up the mess, otherwise I will get into big trouble. Whether you are my wife, my father-in-law, my mother-in-law, or my uncle, you all need to have a strong heart, otherwise you will either be scared to death or angry to death."
Mr. Song didn't expect that Zhang Shou would leave, but in the end he even did not hesitate to make fun of himself. This time, he, who had seemed a little pitiful because of being abandoned, suddenly cheered up.
He really couldn't catch up with Zhu Ying's elder brother Zhu Tingfang, a monster, and he really couldn't catch up with Zhang Shou, a very powerful guy. However, being ordinary has its advantages. He wouldn't charge into battle in the most dangerous places, and he wouldn't offend so many bigwigs in the court!
Zhang Shou glanced at the thoughtful King of Jiangdu and the complicated-looking Princess of Jiangdu, then said with a smile, "Although the four sons of King of Jiangdu cannot be said to be outstanding, they are all good brothers who truly love their sisters. King of Jiangdu just scolded them for not being ambitious, but if they are really too ambitious, wouldn't you be worried?"
"In life, peace is a blessing."
Seeing Zhang Shou nodded slightly after saying this, and then walked away holding Zhu Ying in one hand and the fourth prince in the other, King Jiangdu's heart skipped a beat. His hobby of blacksmithing was real, not fake, but the reason why he got into it in the first place, and he only used a small amount of raw materials every month, wasn't it because peace is a blessing?
This was much safer than him practicing archery on the road every day. In a peaceful and prosperous era, it didn't matter if the emperor practiced archery every day, but it was unnecessary for him as a prince. And it didn't matter if his sons were not good at literature or martial arts, as long as their behavior was acceptable... Just like Zhang Shou said, a good brother who loves his sister can't be that bad!
The King of Jiangdu, who watched Zhang Shou and the other two leave, didn't notice that there was another figure who also left quietly - not only him, but others didn't notice this either. But Mr. Song was different. He found that Ah Liu was also leaving at this moment, and was about to ask someone to stay to give him courage, but he saw Ah Liu stretched out his hand and waved his fist at him. He didn't know that it was encouragement, but just thought it was a threat, so he quickly shut up.
Soon, he heard the voice of King Jiangdu: "Well, since A Ling likes you, well, then come with me to the study and we can have a good chat! It doesn't matter if you have no money or power, as long as you have good character and don't cause trouble, I can consider it!"
