Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter 22 Chapter

22

At first, Xu Bao just accompanied Lin Bozhi to Jiangji, waiting for it, and then... He also loved going there. In fact, the dishes cooked by Jiangji were not very delicious, but they were all very comfortable to eat.

No matter what time it was, there were always newly opened flowers in the vase in the wing room, exuding a faint fragrance. The floor was polished and shiny, which was comfortable to look at. The curtains and screens were also changed with the season.

Sometimes when it rained heavily, it would change to goose yellow, which made people feel comfortable. Sometimes when the weather was hot, it would change to lake green, which had a clear feeling.

And after a period of time, there would always be new dishes. For example, it was the season when peach blossoms were in full bloom, so Jiang Yu asked people to make many dishes about peach blossoms. The tea for drinking was peach blossom tea, and there was also peach blossom soup, peach blossom porridge, peach blossom cake with peach petals, and even peach blossom wine, which had a faint peach blossom fragrance.

Later, various wild vegetables were served. When Xu Bao ate shepherd's purse and meat porridge for the first time, he almost cried. He felt as if he had tasted the taste of his childhood.

It's strange to say that when eating those rare delicacies from the mountains and the sea, he was naturally very satisfied, but what really made him feel at ease was this bowl of very ordinary wild vegetable porridge. Xu Bao exaggeratedly wiped away a tear and said, "I think of my mother. She likes to make this shepherd's purse porridge for me."

Lin Bozhi didn't say anything. Several guards and maids beside him were also from poor backgrounds, and they could almost empathize with him.

But the strange thing is that after coming here several times, he never met Jiang Yu. Later, Xu Bao figured it out. This was Jiang Yu deliberately avoiding Lin Bozhi.

Later, even Xu Bao felt a little sympathetic to their prince.

But Lin Bozhi was unexpectedly calm. He would go to Jiang's every now and then, and sometimes even spend an afternoon there, which made Xu Bao more certain of his idea.

***

After the emperor's birthday, the weather gradually became hotter. Jiang Yu changed into spring clothes and made summer clothes for her family. It was at this time that she received a letter from home. Her father Jiang Feng was just a scholar, and being a county magistrate was already the limit.

No matter how outstanding her father's political achievements were, it was useless because of his status as a scholar.

But the letter said that he had been a county magistrate for more than ten years, and almost all the assessments were excellent, so this time he was transferred to Datong as a county magistrate, which made Jiang Yu very strange.

Where is Datong? It is the most critical port in the capital. It is connected to the Grand Canal. Most of the grain in the capital is transported from this canal. It is the most critical position.

It can be seen that this county magistrate is very unusual. I don't know how many people want to get this position, but my father got such an assignment.

The mother's happiness in the letter was beyond words. She thought that her son-in-law had done something to help

her. She wrote, "Your father has worked diligently for many years and thought that he had no hope of promotion. In the end, he finally waited for this moment. He happily drank a jar of Jinhua wine, and entertained relatives and friends, and had banquets for several days in a row. As long as one is a scholar, everyone wants to realize his ambitions and make some political achievements. If he can leave a mark in history books, it would be like a dream.

So how happy would the father who felt that he had no hope of promotion suddenly get a transfer order?

But Jiang Yu knew that this was definitely not the work of Du Haoyu, because he was only observing politics in the Hanlin Academy and had no real job at all. How could he get his father to move?

There was only one possibility left.

When she thought of this possibility, Jiang Yu felt her heart pounding with fear. She had been married to Lin Bozhi for three years. She served him carefully and tried hard to figure out Lin Bozhi's preferences. She followed his lead and showed her sincerity. However, she only got his indifference in return. Since she moved out of the palace, she had completely given up on him.

However, in recent months, Lin Bozhi had frequently dined at Jiang's. Today, she received such news again. She had to doubt it.

Jiang Yu wanted to write a letter to persuade her father to give up the position, but she gave up after hesitating for a few days. The date on the letter was half a month ago. She was afraid that they were already on the way and it was too late.

Besides, she thought of so many sad and frustrated nights and Lin Bozhi's ruthlessness. She couldn't help but say to herself that it was just a coincidence. Why should she be suspicious?

And even if Lin Bozhi had any thoughts, she was already married, so what could he do?

Jiang Yu knew Lin Bozhi. Although he acted strictly, he was not a person without rules. He would not, nor would he, do such a thing.

With this thought, Jiang Yu finally felt at ease.

However, a few days later, Jiang Yu received another letter from home, saying that they had arrived in Datong and would wait until things were stable there before coming to Beijing to see her.

Jiang Yu was naturally very happy when she received the letter. She asked someone to prepare a carriage. She wanted to go to Datong. In the past, it was far away and it was not easy to see her parents once, but now it was so close, there was no reason to wait for her parents to come. Moreover, as a daughter, she naturally had to take the initiative.

It just so happened that Du Haoyu was not there. She followed the people to the Ning River to explore the water flow.

Jiang Yu asked Cuiping to pack her luggage and bring a lot of things, including the cloth and medicinal materials she had saved, as well as the food in the store. In particular, she had recently developed pastries made of mugwort, which was a seasonal food.

Du Haoyu was a man of his words. He said he wanted his daughter to go to school, and he really did it for her. The teacher of the school was originally a very stubborn person. No one knew what Du Haoyu said to him, but the two of them hit it off. Later, when he asked again, he found out that he was Du Haoyu's junior brother, so he naturally made an exception and accepted Du Qing.

Although other people in the school had some complaints, because Du Qing was really young, only three years old, the matter was covered up.

When Du Qing came back from the school, she saw her mother packing her bags and couldn't help asking, "Mom, are we going to find Dad?"

Jiang Yu counted the days and found that Du Haoyu had been in Ninghai for half a month. No wonder her daughter missed him, and said, "Your grandparents are here, in Datong. Mom wants to take you there to live for a few days. Do you miss your dad? Your dad won't be back to Beijing until next month at the earliest."

Du Qing pouted and said, "It will take that long?"

Jiang Yu couldn't help but touch Du Qing's head and said, "If you miss your dad, you can write to him."

Du Qing nodded obediently.

Jiang Yu changed Du Qing into a light red brocade jacket, combed her hair and put on a red velvet flower. Du Qing was already very cute, and now she looked even more cheerful.

Cuiping smiled and said, "If the eldest lady didn't speak, I would have thought she was a doll in a New Year picture."

"Have you packed your things?"

Cuiping nodded and said, "Everything is packed, but should I tell Shopkeeper Wang?"

Jiang Yu nodded, wrote a letter to Shopkeeper Wang, arranged the things for her when she was away, and immediately asked someone to send it over. She got on the carriage. The weather was getting hotter, but the carriage ran fast, and the wind blew on her face, which was very comfortable.

Du Qing was originally very interested in the scenery along the way, "Mom, look, that tree looks strange, with leaves on only one side." Or he pointed to the mountains in the distance and asked, "Mom, where is that? Is it the Buxian Mountain that Daddy mentioned?"

Jiang Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry, but still explained one by one, "The tree was struck by lightning, and half of it is dead, so naturally it won't grow leaves. And Buxian Mountain is in Liaobei. Although we are out of the city, we are still in the capital, so how can we see it?"

Du Qing was energetic, but Jiang Yu was also very patient. After waiting for the carriage for an hour, Du Qing finally got tired and fell asleep in Jiang Yu's arms.

Cuiping covered Du Qing with a thin quilt and said to Jiang Yu, "Madam, do you want to take a nap too?"

Jiang Yu glanced at her daughter in her arms. The little girl was nestled in her arms, sleeping like a cute little rabbit. Her heart softened. She couldn't help rubbing her face against the child's and said, "Take out the account book and I'll teach you how to read it."

Cuiping was stunned for a moment and said in great pain, "Madam, I have a stomachache."

Jiang Yu teased, "If you have a stomachache, go see a doctor."

"No, I don't want to take medicine." Cuiping had no choice but to bite the bullet and take out the account book. Jiang Yu was often too busy to handle everything alone, so she planned to train Cuiping to be the next housekeeper.

Jiang Yu smiled and tapped Cuiping's forehead, saying, "Are you going to stay with me forever? You will have to get married and have children in the future. How can you do that without a skill? Don't you want people to call you my wife?"

Cuiping actually didn't want to get married at all. She wanted to follow Jiang Yu for the rest of her life, mainly because she couldn't bear to leave Du Qing. She watched Jiang Yu get pregnant and gave birth to this child. Except that the child didn't come out of her belly, he felt like her own child.

"I can't bear to leave you, and I can't bear to leave my eldest daughter even more."

Jiang Yu raised her eyebrows and asked, "Where is your brother Zhuzi?"

Cuiping blushed and said, "Madam, he is just the man my family found for me, and I didn't agree. Don't tease me. Now I will learn from you."

Jiang Yu held back her laughter and said, "Okay, let's not talk about this."

After walking all the way, they finally arrived in Datong in the evening. Jiang Yu went to find her father's residence according to the address on the letter. It was in a small alley in the northwest of Datong City. They temporarily rented a courtyard with one entrance. I think they have settled down and the room is well tidy.

Mrs. Du was arranging the maid to prepare dinner. Knowing that Jiang Yu was coming, she hurried out. When she saw Du Qing, her eyes were straight and she said, "Why are you here? Come in quickly."

Jiang Yu was welcomed in by Mrs. Du, but the courtyard was small after all, not as big as the one in Lin'an, and even the hall for entertaining guests was much smaller.

Since Jiang Yu came into the family, Mrs. Du has been staring at Du Qing. As soon as she sat down, she stretched out her hand to Du Qing and said, "My dear Qing'er, come and show your grandma."

Du Qing had slept for the whole afternoon and just woke up. She was sleepy and pretty, and her innocent look made people like her even more. Mrs. Du seemed to have lost sight of Jiang Yu, only her granddaughter. Not only did she take Du Qing away from Jiang Yu's arms, she also kept asking her questions, "Do you remember your grandma? Are you hungry? Come on, grandma has prepared a lot of good things for you."

Jiang Yu didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Her mother seemed to have forgotten her at all.

But soon, her father Jiang Feng also came back. His success in his official career seemed to make him look much younger all of a sudden. He was in high spirits. He was also happy to see his granddaughter Du Qing, but he was different from his mother who was fickle. He still had Jiang Yu in his eyes.

Jiang Feng asked Jiang Yu about this and that, and asked a lot of questions, nothing more than daily food and clothing. He was relieved to know that she was living a good life now.

Jiang Yu stayed in Datong for a few days and was ready to go back, but a guest came that night. Jiang Yu was surprised to see the visitor. It turned out to be He, the wife of Datong prefect Zhang.

He was born with a round face, just the kind of blessed person that the elders liked. She wore a red silk peony flower open sleeve jacket, a red gold Jingfu long cotton phoenix hairpin on her round hair, and a red gold dragon and phoenix bracelet on her wrist. She looked really noble.

Jiang Yu heard that Zhang was originally from a poor family. If he hadn't met the wealthy He family who were willing to marry their daughter to him and support him to study, he wouldn't be what he is today.

Although things are different now, Zhang respects this lady very much.

When He saw Jiang Yu, her eyes lit up. She felt that even if Jiang Yu was just sitting in the yard, her eyebrows and eyes were as beautiful as a painting and her behavior was elegant. She was really pleasing to the eye. She couldn't help but say, "Your daughter is like a fairy. No wonder the top scholar chose her. Even I, a woman, like her very much."

"Here, this is a gift for meeting you." After saying this, He took off the red gold dragon and phoenix bracelet from her wrist and placed it in Jiang Yu's hand, looking very generous.

Jiang Yu weighed the bracelet, it was quite heavy... She hurriedly said, "Madam Zhang, this is too valuable, my daughter cannot afford it."

But He said, "It's a gift from an elder, I dare not refuse it, just keep it."

Jiang Yu went to see her mother and accepted it after seeing her nod. He was her father's superior, and she didn't want to make her unhappy, but she felt that He was well prepared. Sure enough, after seeing Jiang Yu accept the bracelet, He changed the subject and talked about the recent precautions, and finally talked about Crown Prince Lin Bozhi, "When he came yesterday, our master was so terrified that he didn't know how to respond. I told him that this is how it should be done at ordinary times, but I was still unsure after I said that."

Logically, He and her mother Du were not familiar with each other, but she talked about her difficulties so openly, obviously she had other purposes.

Sure enough, He changed the topic and looked at Jiang Yu with a bit of pleading, "I heard that Madam Du opened a restaurant in the capital, and the prince often patronized it, so I was shameless and thought of asking for help. Maybe she would agree to my request?"

In the summer, it rained a lot, and the river bank was easily washed away. In particular, the canal was related to the grain supply in the capital, which was naturally very important. Therefore, the emperor would send inspectors to patrol every year, but no one expected that the prince would come to check it out in person this time.

This made Mr. Zhang, the prefect of Tongzhou, very nervous. Who doesn't want to perform well in front of the prince? They were in Tongzhou before, and they couldn't see the prince, let alone have the opportunity to perform. Now that they saw someone coming, they naturally had to seize the opportunity. Maybe the prince would like them, and they would have a bright future in the future.

Even if the prince didn't like them, as long as the prince remembered their names, there would always be opportunities to climb up in the future, right?

Mr. Zhang and his wife He discussed for a long time, but they really didn't know where to start. He thought of Jiang Yu and said, "A few days ago, I heard from Mrs. Du that her daughter Jiang Yu is the owner of Jiang Ji. Isn't this Jiang Ji the restaurant that the prince often goes to?"

When Mr. Zhang heard this, he also remembered that although the prince did not show his dignity to others, he did not deliberately conceal it. Anyone who was interested could know that he liked to eat Jiang Ji's food.

Of course, because of this matter, Jiang Ji's business is getting better and better.

At that time, when Mr. Zhang went to Beijing, he also went to Jiang Ji to eat, probably to feel what kind of dishes that the prince liked, but after eating it once, he felt that it was not suitable for him.

"Compared to that bowl of beautiful and tasteless peach blossom tea, I prefer to drink Pu'er, which tastes good."

Mr. Zhang has lived a hard life since he was a child. Although he is no longer the same as before, his eating habits are still there. He prefers to eat large pieces of meat and drink happily. Exquisite dishes like Jiang Ji are not suitable for him and make him feel uncomfortable.

But this did not prevent him from flattering the

prince. He almost begged, "I know this is too abrupt, but there is really nothing we can do at this moment."

Jiang Yu did not refuse. Lord Zhang was her father's superior, and they would see each other every day. They could not make the relationship too awkward. Besides, it was

just a simple task to make a dish. Seeing Jiang Yu's agreement, He was overjoyed and said, "Our master is not the kind of person who does not know how to be grateful. This time, Madam Du helped us once. Next time, if Madam Du needs anything, just tell me. I will help you if I can."

Jiang Yu thought it was not a difficult task, and she just regarded it as a filial piety to her parents.

Jiang Yu knew the preferences of the crown prince Lin Bozhi too well. If she felt that she was unfamiliar with the four years of separation, she later re-determined Lin Bozhi's taste after dining at Jiang's.

Because they were going to have a dinner party in the evening, Jiang Yu followed He directly to the prefecture.

Lord Zhang himself held an important position, and He's family was rich. The house was magnificent. As soon as you enter, you will see carved beams and painted buildings, and many exotic flowers and plants are planted along the way. It is pleasing to the eye.

He Shi did not neglect Jiang Yu, and even followed her in the kitchen.

Jiang Yu first drew up a menu and prepared the ingredients according to this menu. He Shi was really rich, and in Datong, a port, the transportation was well developed and everything was available, so the ingredients were quickly gathered.

The first dish Jiang Yu made was roast suckling pig, which was the main dish. Of course, there were dozens of dishes such as honey ham, bamboo shoots, hibiscus tofu, etc., and of course, the last one was Lin Bozhi's favorite steamed shad. There were more than a dozen

cooks and dozens of helpers in the kitchen, all of whom listened to Jiang Yu. She didn't have to do it herself, but she made the last dish herself.

"This shad is difficult to make, so I'll be the chef."

He Shi was very moved. In fact, when she went to ask Jiang Yu for help, she went with a little trepidation. Although Jiang Yu's father was only a scholar, Jiang Yu's husband was not. He was a talented and learned champion. At the beginning, his champion was appointed by the emperor, who was very fond of him and kept him in the Hanlin Academy to observe politics.

At that time, He's husband, Lord Zhang, had read Du Haoyu's articles and praised them highly. It was clear that Du Haoyu was talented and it was only a matter of time before he could soar to the sky.

Of course, Lord Zhang had a secret that he hadn't told. Speaking of the position of Datong County Magistrate, there were so many people who wanted it, but why was it given to Jiang Yu's father?

Of course, Jiang Yu's father also had achievements. He had excellent performance in the past ten years, which was not something that ordinary people could do. However, to get this position, it was not enough to have ability. There had to be talent

behind him. This showed that Jiang Feng was not simple. I don't know if it was because of Jiang Yu, or because of Du Haoyu's ability, which always made her very afraid, so it was a surprise that Jiang Yu agreed.

He was sincerely grateful to Jiang Yu.

Lin Bozhi arrived yesterday. He first went to inspect the canal. Because it was too late, he fell asleep directly. Today was the highlight. Since it was a patrol, it was inevitable to have a banquet. Prince Lin Bozhi was not a person who did not know the human relationship, so he naturally agreed to come to the banquet as requested by Lord Zhang.

When they were served, Lord Zhang and a group of local officials were also there. Prince Lin Bozhi even saw Jiang Yu's father Jiang Feng was there, but they rarely talked before. Now that Jiang Yu and he had divorced, there was naturally nothing to say.

Maids kept bringing food over. In the center was a roasted suckling pig, red and very tempting. This was the main course. When waiting for the end, a plate of steamed shad was placed in front of Lin Bozhi.

Prince Lin Bozhi stared at the plate of shad, not knowing what he was thinking for a while, until someone else spoke and he came back to his senses. Eunuch Xu Bao kicked the fishbone off for him and then put it on his plate.

Lin Bozhi took a bite and found it fresh and fragrant. That familiar taste was made by that person. Although the dishes eaten at Jiang Ji would have some of Jiang Yu's unique taste, they were not made by Jiang Yu, so they were always a little worse. This was the taste of Jiang Yu's dishes.

Xu Bao didn't know who made this dish, but the guard of the prince knew it.

Guard Zhao Long was originally the guard of King Zhou. Since King Zhou died, he has been following Princess Zhou to protect her and Second Master Lin Ji. However, when Lin Bozhi was summoned back to Jingdong, Princess Zhou asked him to follow Lin Bozhi.

Princess Zhou said to Zhao Long, "Your father died for the prince, and then you entered the palace as a guard. Your mother and sister also work in the palace. You are a very loyal family. The safety of the prince is in your hands."

Zhao Long was very familiar with the prince. He felt familiar with the color matching of the dishes at that time. It was mainly because Jiang Yu's banquets were different from others. Not only did he match meat and vegetables, but the color matching was also very beautiful every time. When the prince gave him the banquet, he was completely sure after taking a bite. He couldn't help but sticking out his lips at Xu Bao.

The two chatted secretly outside the house, "Why is she here?"

"How do I know?"

The two looked at each other, and they all had a bold idea in their hearts. Speaking of it, the prince suddenly said that he would come down for patrol. At that time, they both felt strange. Now looking at it again... But neither of them said it out loud.

After drinking and chatting, Lord Zhang called for a troupe to perform, which was quite lively. In fact, Lord Zhang wanted to call for singing and dancing, but he heard that the prince didn't like these, so he didn't dare to be too presumptuous.

This meal was very enjoyable. Lord Zhang was very happy and full of gratitude to Jiang Yu.

Because it was too late, Jiang Yu stayed in Lord Zhang's house. Perhaps because she was too tired, Jiang Yu couldn't sleep. She lay there for a long time but couldn't fall asleep. Suddenly, she felt something strange by the window. When she opened her eyes, she saw a figure standing there. She was startled.

Jiang Yu was about to call someone, but when the moon came out, she saw the familiar face, it was the prince Lin Bozhi.

Although Jiang Yu was shocked why the prince Lin Bo was here, she quickly calmed down. The prince was just strict, but he was not without rules. He liked people who did whatever they wanted without caring about the lives of others. This was also the reason why Jiang Yu fell in love with him at the beginning, but Jiang Yu's mood was naturally different at this time.

Jiang Yu said coldly, "What is your highness going to do?"

Lin Bozhi didn't say anything. The moonlight fell on him. The bright moon was beautiful, but not as handsome as his handsome eyebrows. He wore a stone blue round flowered Hangzhou silk gown and a jade crown. His long sleeves fluttered gently in the night wind. In the night, it was as pleasing as a painting.

Lin Bozhi looked at Jiang Yu for a long time, and finally walked back without looking back.

The next day, Jiang Yu returned to the capital. She met her best friend Xie Wenlan in the store.

Xie Wenlan liked Du Qing very much. She always held her in her arms and asked her what she had learned recently. She was surprised to find out that she had memorized the Book of Songs. She couldn't help but praise her and said, "It's true that a tiger father will have a dog son. I don't know how many people praised the article written by Lord Du who won the first place in the imperial examination. Even I could only admire it after reading it. It's far behind. As a result, our Qing'er is also extraordinary. It's true that like dragons, like phoenixes, and like mice, the son of mice can dig holes."

Du Qing knew that Xie Wenlan was praising herself. She raised her little head happily and added, "Aunt Xie, mice can not only dig holes, but also gnaw on table legs."

Xie Wenlan looked at Du Qing's serious little face and couldn't help laughing again. Jiang Yu also laughed.

It's not that Jiang Yu was bragging. Du Qing was born with a lovely jade-like appearance and a lively personality, which was naturally likable. Not to mention that Xie Wenlan was her best friend, but Jiang Yu knew that Xie Wenlan liked Du Qing not only for this reason, but also for another reason... After entering the Shanggong Bureau, she couldn't get married, but Xie Wenlan liked children very much.

Seeing that Xie Wenlan liked peach blossom cake very much, Jiang Yu asked someone to pack a few more boxes and said, "If you like it, take it back and eat it."

The two chatted for a while, and Xie Wenlan was ready to go back to the palace.

She said, "This year, the Shanggong Bureau will hold a big competition, and I am very busy." If you want to enter the Shanggong Bureau, you must first have a clean family background and regular facial features. This is the basic, but the most important thing is talent. It is as difficult as the autumn examination to pass five levels and kill six generals.

"Don't say it, those little girls are really not easy to worry about..." But Xie Wenlan paused here. She still remembered that Jiang Yu asked about the Shanggong Bureau with some envy, and she knew that she actually wanted to go there too.

But she couldn't help sighing in her heart. It has been a dilemma since ancient times. She has always hated that she couldn't display her talents, so she entered the Shanggong Bureau in a fit of anger. Now she has got what she wanted and has a place in the family. Even when the family worships, she will let her burn incense like a man, but she has lost the qualification to be a mother.

Jiang Yu naturally knew Xie Wenlan's regret, and said sympathetically, "Sir Xie, I'm already married."

At the beginning, Tai Zu was afraid that the eunuchs were dominant in the palace, so he began to make use of the female palace maids in the Shanggong Bureau. At the beginning, the female palace maids in the Shanggong Bureau were selected from the palace maids. They originally belonged to the harem, and their identities became different after they were picked out to participate in state affairs. Later, they began to select capable talents from the public. Those who could enter the Shanggong Bureau were naturally talented, but these women were different from the palace maids after all. Tai Zu was worried that the female palace maids would become selfish after they had families and would not be able to serve the emperor wholeheartedly and be loyal to the country, so he formulated this rule.

"Master Du is a man of great talent and outstanding appearance. Ayu is very impressed." Xie Wenlan comforted her with a few words. In fact, she had always felt sorry for Jiang Yu's talent, especially her calligraphy. She said, "Ayu, how many words did you write for the peach blossom cake in the store? I see that you have improved a lot. I have a few fans here..."

Jiang Yu smiled and said, "How many times have you written this? No, I want to charge you for writing."

Xie Wenlan was very happy and said, "Of course."