An Legong has a sad face these days, and is sitting in the courtyard sulking, but when he saw Zhu Ping'an swaying into the door, he grabbed him.

"Dad, I said what's wrong with you, and you're angry with Aunt Hua again?"

Zhu Ping'an was surprised.

This cheap dad is happy every day, and every day is like picking up a big ingot, it is rare to be so preoccupied.

"Humph! Who cares about her sweeping the floor? ”

An Le Gong looked dismissive.

Then I remembered that I seemed to have been really beaten by Aunt Hua just now. He said in his heart, could it be that my son is really clever, and he can even see this?

"I said don't interrupt your kid, Dad is looking for you for business."

An Legong remembered what he was doing with Zhu Ping'an, and hurriedly pulled the topic back.

"Isn't it Christmas coming......"

An Legong looked serious.

"Christmas?"

Without waiting for An Le Gong to finish speaking, Zhu Ping'an was stunned for a moment, and then blurted out.

In front of him, an old man in red clothes and white beard seemed to be busy with a deer cart in front of him, and he couldn't help but say, "Damn, isn't it." We still have such foreign things in this Taizheng Dynasty? ”

"yes, Christmas."

An Legong heard his son's puzzled tone, and couldn't help but glance at him, "The eighth day of the lunar month is the emperor's birthday. The emperor is the martial saint of heaven descended to earth, and after I established the country, I set this day as Christmas. In previous years, you kid entered the palace with me to celebrate his birthday, what are you pretending to be stupid today? ”

Zhu Ping'an sighed and said in his heart, "I see, it's so ......, why is it so trendy?" ”

"Is it almost Laba? How do I remember if it's still early fall? I'm busy these days, but I'm a little dizzy. ”

Zhu Ping'an snorted and passed perfunctorily.

"Isn't it almost there?"

An Legong didn't dwell on this, sighed, and continued, "You don't know, this time of year is the time when your father and I are most worried. ”

Saying this, Zhu Ping'an suddenly remembered that An Le Gong was worried about something.

The eighth day of the lunar month is Taizu's birthday, and on this day every year, the emperor's relatives in Beijing, the princes of the royal family, and even the civil and military officials must enter the palace to celebrate their birthdays. Even the civil and military generals who are outside, because of the emperor's order, cannot leave their posts without permission, and will send people to send birthday gifts to Beijing.

As Taizu's most favored courtier, An Le Gong naturally arrives every year.

At the beginning, An Le Gong always entered the palace happily and came back happily.

But in recent years, every time this day comes, An Le Gong begins to have a headache.

It turns out that other people's birthday gifts are constantly turning over tricks every year. Last year, what was the calligraphy and painting of the ancient dynasty, what is the auspicious rui in the deep mountains this year, and what is the miracle medicine of the fairy island on the sea next year.

Only An Le Gong has a lot of gold, silver and jewelry every year. First, he felt that everything else was empty, but gold and silver were the most real; Second, he was born to ask for food, and he didn't have the heart or taste to get those things.

At first, it was okay, and everyone didn't say anything. But over time, others began to laugh at him openly and secretly, saying that he was the face of an outburst and couldn't get on the stage.

Especially there are a few husbands and marquis with similar qualifications to him, as well as Chen Buda and other ministers who don't deal with him, and he often can't hold his head up at the birthday banquet, which makes him feel very annoyed, but he has nowhere to attack.

This year, he made up his mind to give a very unusual birthday gift to vent the evil breath in his heart. It's just that his taste is really limited, and he really can't think of anything good, so he has to arrest Zhu Ping'an to help find a way.

"So that's ...... this"

Zhu Ping'an said deliberately, "Dad, in fact, in my opinion, it is most practical to send silver." What's the use of those vain things? Why don't you give 200,000 silver tickets? ”

When An Legong heard this, he was first overjoyed, and said in his heart, "Sure enough, it was born by me, exactly the same as your father I thought." Is there anything better in this world than silver? ”

However, as soon as I thought about it, I thought of the smug faces of the old guys of King Chengping and Duke Fenyang, as well as the sneering appearance of Chen Buda and other officials, and suddenly became depressed again.

"I said that you kid can have a little bit of interest, don't only know silver and silver all day long. Hurry up and think of a way for my dad to give some elegant gifts this year, so as to overpower the limelight of those old immortals. ”

An Le Gong taught Zhu Ping'an a serious lesson, but he forgot that he was still praising him in his heart just now.

"What kind of elegance and taste, isn't it just pretending?"

Zhu Ping'an was happy in his heart.

At this time, he suddenly remembered a drama he had watched in his previous life, saying that it was the emperor's birthday, and the ministers gave extremely valuable gifts. The emperor has a courtier surnamed Ji, who prides himself on being honest on weekdays, so naturally he can't take out anything valuable. So I had an idea, and I brought something to the temple on the day of the birthday banquet. The rest of the ministers knew about him, and they were all interested in seeing his jokes. Another powerful minister favored by the emperor was even more ridiculed. At this time, the minister surnamed Ji boasted to everyone, saying that he had found something from Dongpo for the emperor. Dongpo is a great writer of the previous dynasty, and there are very few things left behind, and the natural value is invaluable. Where did everyone believe it, but the minister surnamed Ji wanted to make a bet with everyone, and everyone naturally agreed. As a result, the minister surnamed Ji took out a bowl of braised pork, and before everyone could react, they blurted out "Dongpo meat!" The emperor laughed.

Zhu Ping'an knew that this was just a stalk, and he couldn't imitate it at all. Even if you can imitate it, it won't work. Because there is no such person as Dongpo in this world, if there is a bowl of braised pork in the upper hall, everyone will think that his father and son have lost their minds.

"What's the good stuff of pretending?"

Zhu Ping'an thought about it carefully.

Cultural relics calligraphy and painting? It is better than silver, but it is still nothing but an indecent thing. I'm afraid that more than half of those officials want to send these things.

Exotic animals? This kind of thing can be encountered but not sought, but I am afraid that it will be difficult to find in a short time. And most of the auspicious rui in this world are just packaged by officials and used to fool the emperor.

Elixir? He is good at this, but it is just a pill, and he can't see the effect in a short time, and he can't achieve a shocking effect at the birthday banquet at all.

"Either you don't pretend to be big, or you want to pretend to be big."

Zhu Ping'an said in his heart.

At this moment, Aunt Hua carried a bucket of charcoal into the room, and while adding charcoal to the brazier, she complained, "I said master and young master, in this cold day, I don't know how to do it, and I am counting on my old wife for everything......"

When An Legong heard this, he was furious, and said in his heart, "I invited you to come, isn't that what you do with these chores?" ”

I wanted to open my mouth to scold, but I suddenly remembered that I had never won a quarrel with this hateful old woman, so I stopped talking.

After Aunt Hua finished adding coals, she was still chattering in her mouth, and left with the charcoal bucket.

Zhu Ping'an didn't care about this, he looked at the sparks rising and flying in the brazier, and suddenly had an idea in his heart.

"Isn't it just pretending to be forced, this marquis will pretend to be a big force for you to see......"