Chapter 21 The First Bucket of Gold
Miss Zhang's eyes lit up, like a fire in the snow, driving away the coldness on her face. Not only that, her brilliant smile also made her white face, which was covered with pearls and jade, glow with a strange and dazzling brilliance. She said gratefully: "My Lord, you are a great and kind person!"
Lord Shen would often be tapped on the chest by the girls with their index fingers, and would shyly say, "Good man..." Most of the time, it was because he had promised them some benefits, such as clothes, hairpins, jewelry, or other substantial things. He thought he was a romantic and had already developed a strategy to deal with it. Even the word "good man" became commonplace after he heard it so many times.
It's just a flattering remark by a woman.
Only at this moment, Miss Zhang's words revealed an unusual sincerity and gratitude, which made him unable to take it lightly, nor did he have the slightest desire. Instead, he felt a sense of joy from the bottom of his heart. He forgot that the Second Prince's Mansion had been closed to visitors in recent months, and promised her: "Don't worry, I will definitely let you see Tengyun !"
The Marquis of Weibei had a reputation for being an unreliable eater and dissolute man, and had never been entrusted with an important task. He was suddenly given a task, and when he came out of the stable and was blown by the cold wind, his mind became clear - since the Second Prince returned victorious from the expedition, although he still attended court, his mansion had been closed to visitors for several months. Except for the imperial physician, the eunuchs in the imperial stables, and two or three brothers and close friends, no one else was allowed to step into the prince's mansion.
There are rumors outside that the loyal and brave orphan Miss Tang, who is temporarily staying in the Second Prince's Mansion, is weak and needs rest, so the Second Prince's Mansion is closed to visitors.
Lord Shen was still thinking of a solution on his way to the dining room. When he saw Fu Chen, he immediately had an idea.
When Commander Fu went back to his room to change into casual clothes, he was stunned when he came out for dinner.
The subordinates who had left long ago were sitting in rows at two tables. When they saw him step into the dining room, Liu Zhong warmly invited him, "Come in, sir, the meal is about to start!" He was as familiar as if he had stepped into his own dining room, relaxed and attentive.
Fu Chen: "You guys..."
Liu Zhong said sadly, "When we were halfway there, I thought of you sitting alone eating your meal, and I couldn't bear it. After discussion, we decided to stay and eat with you, so that you wouldn't lose your appetite."
At this moment, Lord Shen happened to step into the dining room and said, "Don't worry, Lord Liu. I am here to accompany your commander. You should go home and be with your wife and children."
Liu Zhong was determined not to leave, and said sternly: "Although my wife and children are important, you saved my life and are like my second parents. How can I abandon you for my wife and children?"
Lei Xiao echoed: "Brother Liu is right!" and received unanimous approval from his colleagues: "We are all like Lord Liu!"
How often have the people in the Imperial Cavalry Division been so considerate?
Commander Fu was slightly surprised, then asked calmly: "Didn't you pass by the kitchen and were attracted by the aroma of the kitchen?"
Fei Wenhai came to take credit yesterday, saying that according to Miss Zhang's instructions, the kitchen had purchased two whole lambs, which had already been prepared and marinated for a day and a night, and would be roasted in the oven tomorrow, just in time for dinner.
Liu Zhong shamelessly praised: "Your Excellency is really... very observant!"
Lei Xiao: "Brother Liu is right!"
Fu Chen glanced at them coldly. These men who usually handled matters independently outside were sitting seriously and concentrating with their hands on their knees, just like they were discussing matters in the office. He was so annoyed by these subordinates who were as thick-skinned as city walls that he could only order Xiong Yu: "Go to the wine cellar and bring a few jars of wine."
The subordinates cheered and a few of them ran out to help.
The Fu Mansion was extremely lively that night.
The kitchen staff brought in a whole roasted lamb, followed by Fei Wenhai with a rosy face - being able to cook such a prestigious dish in his career was enough for Chef Fei to be proud of himself in front of everyone in the Fu Mansion for a while.
He was holding a narrow boning knife in his hand, and gestured to the roasted whole lamb on the table next to him. He was about to start cutting with confidence, but then he gave up. "No, no, I can cut pork, but not lamb. Go call Miss Zhang over quickly. She can definitely cut it more skillfully than me."
Fei Wenhai has one advantage: he is well aware of his own shortcomings and has the courage to admit that he is not as good as others, even if that other person is a young girl who is not even 20 years old. As long as she is more capable than him, he will admit defeat.
Tang Ying quickly washed her hands and came over. She took his narrow boning knife and practiced it twice in her hand: "Not bad." She raised the knife and started cutting.
Fu Chen's eyes followed her gestures and Liu Zhong praised her casually, "Tsk tsk, look at the girls in your mansion. They are all experts in using knives. They can even use a boning knife smoothly."
The speaker may not intend it, but the listener may take it seriously.
Lei Xiao didn't know what was wrong with him, and he was so bold as to ask Commander Fu: "Sir, this Miss Zhang looks quite famous, she can train horses and wield swords, do you know where she is from? Sir, please be careful."
"No problem." Lord Fu was calm and composed, not affected at all.
A few steps away, Tang Ying was wielding a narrow bone-cutting knife smoothly. Fei Wenhai was busy plating the food beside her, but he was not as fast as her, which stunned everyone. When the first plate of roast lamb was served, everyone's praises were poured on the table as if they were free.
"This girl is quite skilled in using a knife. Sir, isn't it a waste of her talent to keep her as a groom in your house?"
"That's right, even if you take out those girls from the Phoenix Department, they are probably not as good as the grooms in your house."
Commander Fu said seriously, "I saw her defeat the people from the Phoenix Division, so I took her into the mansion to be a groom."
Liu Zhong spat out a mouthful of wine: "My lord... the Ninth Princess will be furious when she hears what you said, right?" But the grooms in your mansion are all selected based on the standard of defeating the girls from the Phoenix Department. In other words, those girls from the Phoenix Department around the Ninth Princess are not even qualified to be grooms in your mansion?
Liu Zhong simply couldn't bear to think about how purple those pretty faces would turn if these words were heard by the self-important maids around the Ninth Princess.
Lord Shen was generous in praising Tang Ying: "Miss Zhang is not only good at training horses and cutting meat, she is also good at judging horses and even knows how to paint... She is truly an all-rounder!" The others were even more surprised when they heard that she could also judge horses.
Lei Xiao hurriedly begged Commander Fu: "It just so happens that my horse was injured the last time I went out, and I need to buy a new one. Sir, why don't you borrow your groom to help me find a good horse at the horse market?"
Commander Fu's eyes lightly swept over the girl who was a few steps away, and he saw that she was concentrating on cutting the meat. Her thin silhouette was unexpectedly neat and chic, and her slender wrist bones flew up and down, and soon half of the roasted whole lamb was cut into pieces.
Plates of golden and fragrant roast lamb were served with bones and meat. Hot soup noodles and a few hot dishes from the kitchen were also brought up one after another. The table was soon full. Fu Chen picked up a piece of roast ribs thoughtfully. It was crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. When he took a bite of the meat, he could find a layer of roasted fat in the middle. It was crispy and rich, and his mouth was full of oil. He took a sip of the aged wine and felt as happy as a god.
“…You can’t borrow it for free.” Commander Fu picked up his chopsticks much faster.
Lei Xiao yelled, "Sir, you don't want me to pay you money, do you? Isn't the emperor's reward generous? Have the people below not paid enough tribute? I just got married not long ago..." He was about to cry poor, but Commander Fu stopped him with a simple sentence, "Did I ask you to get married, knowing that it costs money to get married?"
This one sentence made Lei Xiao hold back the next words.
Everyone burst into laughter, and Liu Zhong yelled, "Yes, the master didn't ask you to spend all your money to get married."
If someone else said this, Lei Xiao would definitely reply with "A full man does not know the hunger of a hungry man", but the person who said this happened to be Commander Fu, who never had any interest in women, so he had no mouth to say anything.
Amid the laughter of the crowd, Lei Xiao took a big bite of the greasy roasted lamb, and then he heard Master Fu say, "The silver is not for me, but for my groom." He concluded, "She is poorer than you."
Everyone couldn't help laughing, watching the little girl cut up two roasted whole lambs in a blink of an eye, and then took two plates of roast meat and gracefully retreated to the door. She didn't show any cowardice because of her poverty. She handed the roast meat plate in her hand to Fei Wenhai who came to greet her, and bowed to everyone in the hall: "I have fallen into poverty in Kyoto, and I am employed by Master Fu with no money. From now on, you masters can come to me for any work of horse selection and treatment. Just consider it as a meal for my brother and I. Thank you for your patronage!"
All the business was taken to the Cavalry Banning Department. This girl is so brave!
Everyone in the hall was shocked by her action. All the men stopped chewing and looked at each other.
"Is she... soliciting business?"
"You've done business to the level of the Forbidden Cavalry Division?"
Tang Ying heard the discussion and asked, "May I ask you, gentlemen, do the people from the Imperial Cavalry Department not use horses? Or do they patronize other people's businesses outside without paying for them?"
Liu Zhong met the girl's clear and stubborn eyes, and answered involuntarily: "Of course I have to pay." However, when the people outside heard that the Forbidden Cavalry Division was coming, who wouldn't be trembling with fear? Sometimes it would be better not to do business than to please these officials.
This is how the people under the Ninth Princess were spoiled by outsiders.
Tang Ying: "In that case, I raise horses at home, and I have learned the art of judging horses and can also treat horses. Can I recommend myself to you gentlemen?"
"It's not that I can't recommend myself." Since Liu Zhong entered the Forbidden Cavalry Division, he has never met such an aggressive little girl, except for the Ninth Princess's people.
He suddenly smiled and said, "Young lady, you are very courageous. If I need anything in this regard in the future, I will come to ask you."
Tang Ying cupped her hands and said, "I take your words seriously, sir!"
She bowed to everyone in the hall again and retreated.
Commander Fu raised the corners of his lips slightly, and took another piece of grilled ribs steadily. He seemed not to be shocked by the little girl's behavior at all. Instead, he took the time to gnaw on the lamb chops.
Lord Shen felt that Miss Zhang was both pitiful and respectable, and his blood immediately boiled over and he stood up: "Miss Zhang, I'll give you some money!" He spent money like water, and money was never a problem for him.
Unfortunately, Tang Ying had already left with the meat. She gave one plate to Fei Wenhai and kept one for herself to share with Zhang Qing.
A group of men in the dining room had eaten their fill and were so full that they all slumped in their chairs, unwilling to move. The saying really applied to the cook at the Fu Mansion: When a man has not been away for three days, he should be looked at with new eyes.
A captain named Hang Feng praised, "Sir, where did you hire this chef from? The mutton is cooked to perfection!"
Fu Chen told the truth: "The cook in the mansion has not been changed."
A subordinate at the table shamelessly mocked Master Fu: "Master, everyone knows the skills of your chef. It is already the limit for him to cook a pot of meat. It would take a different chef to make such a delicious dish."
Fu Chen drank a few more glasses of wine, and a layer of blush appeared on his handsome face. His eyes softened for a moment: "The chef has not changed, but I found a master to guide me. She was trying to solicit business from you just now."
"Your groom?"
Lord Shen testified: "The food at the Fu Mansion has improved significantly in recent days, and I have saved a lot of money on banquets."
Liu Zhong: "Sir, other people hire a groom to take care of the horses, but your family is different. Not only does he train and take care of the horses, but he also takes care of the kitchen. Do you think we should give the girl a little more monthly salary?"
With just one word from Liu Zhong, Tang Ying got her first pot of gold since coming to Beijing that night, a silver ingot weighing ten taels.
