Since the beginning of winter, the weather is getting colder and colder, and there are obviously fewer pedestrians on the streets.

If you want to ask Xu Xiang what he thinks about eating in winter, the first thing that comes to his mind is hot pot. Hot pot also had a prototype in this era, where people boiled water, blanched the ingredients in boiling water, and then ate them.

It's just that they didn't put those spices into the pot to form a base, so the taste was naturally not much better. Of course, this is also a practice that only poor people use, scalding ingredients with boiling water, which consumes much less firewood than steaming.

With smokeless charcoal, this hot pot can be made, the only thing missing is the soul of the hot pot, the chili!

Chili peppers did not exist in Daxia, and later chili peppers also began to be introduced to China during the Ming Dynasty, and now the world is still dominated by land melee, and the sea has not attracted attention.

Before entering the Age of Discovery, no one discovered the importance of this crop, and naturally it could not enter the dining table of the Great Xia people.

Although many merchants went to sea every year and arrived on other continents, they were only interested in some treasures, sea treasures, and spices.

Before Xu Xiang entered Ningdu, he traveled with the Huining Dart Bureau, got acquainted with a few businessmen who often went to sea, listened to them talk about some things on the overseas continent, and learned about the possible existence of chili peppers through analysis, so he asked them to help pay attention to the plant of chili peppers when they went to sea next time, and if he could bring back some seeds, he would spend a lot of money to buy them.

However, when he went to sea for nine deaths, Xu Xiang did not have much expectations.

These days, he has begun to decide to launch the hot pot in the gnawing chicken, and began to find a blacksmith to build the hot pot pot.

Although there are no chili peppers, the pepper and dogwood that the people are used to in Daxia can temporarily replace the chili peppers, and the taste should not be much worse.

In addition, the vegetables in his eight greenhouse vegetable fields are also about to ripen, and vegetables alone can attract a large number of people.

Tianbao Inn fired Jiang Junsheng, and Xu Xiang decided to share the hot pot with them, a big killer in winter. Xie Tianbao was naturally overjoyed when he heard that the newly launched food of the gnawed chicken should be sold simultaneously with the Tianbao Inn.

Then Xu Xiang chatted with Xie Tianbao about some methods and routines of hotel operation in the future, and the latter nodded frequently when he heard it, as if he had received a treasure.

When the three of them were chatting about the same, the shopkeeper came over and said that Xu Yi and the others had returned.

Xu Xiang came over this time, and he also met Xu Yi and took them back to Ningdu, so naturally he didn't have the heart to stay in Lingwu County.

Seeing Xu Xiang, Xu Yi and Lu Tianyao didn't talk too much, and directly hired two carriages and prepared to return to Ningdu.

Although Lingwu County is not far from Ning, the carriage will take more than an hour.

On the way, Xu Xiang and Xu Yi were in the same carriage, Xu Xiang looked at him running around and guessed that his body was fine.

was beaten by Wang Xiaoyi to the point that he was no longer human, but because of his good physical fitness, he had fully recovered in just over two months.

"Xu Yi, how did the Spark Hidden Guard over there in Linzi arrange?" Xu Xiang asked.

"I was just about to say to His Highness, the Xinghuo hidden guards over there in Linzi have all been transferred and managed by Xu He, and my subordinates have come to Ningdu this time to be monitored in Linzi, and it is easy to expose the identities of other hidden guards. The second is that you have been in Ningdu for so long, and you have not given us an order, so everyone is a little at a loss. ”

Xu Xiang nodded, Jiang Xiang already knew about the fake death between him and Jiang Shenyu, even if he didn't tell the King of the East China Sea, he would send someone to keep an eye on Xu Yi.

After all, Xu Cheng followed Xu Xiang when he was in Linzi, and with Jiang Xiang's scheming, it was impossible for him not to pay attention to Xu Xiang's people who stayed in Linzi.

After all, the musket can be something that Xu Xiang invented! Xu Xiang is still in Linzi and has other back-hands!

Fortunately, Xu He, that is, Yu Aqing, successfully lurked by Jiang Fu's side, and Xu He led the Xinghuo Hidden Guard, which was relatively safer.

"You're right." Xu Xiang showed an appreciative look and asked, "What has happened to my eldest brother recently?" ”

"Your Highness, since the destruction of the Nangong clan, the prestige of the Jiang clan in the East China Sea has increased greatly, and the Wei clan of Minzhou seems to have reached some agreement with them, and they worked together to force the five monarchs of the East China Sea to rebel, and openly annexed the forces of the five monarchs of the East China Sea. Now the East China Sea is completely in the hands of the Jiang family and the Wei family! ”

Xu Xiang frowned and said, "According to the strength of the East China Sea royal family, even if the Wei clan helps with all their might, if you want to eradicate the five monarchs of the East China Sea, I'm afraid it's not easy, right?" Muskets must have played a very important role, right? ”

"Your Highness guessed right! Xu He said that the craftsmen of the East China Sea seem to have improved the muskets to be at least three times more powerful than the previous ones! Moreover, Jiang Fu seems to have expanded the number of musketeers, and as for the specific number, he has not been able to find out. ”

"My eldest brother's ambition is even greater than I expected!" Xu Xiang sighed, it seems that he still can't underestimate the wisdom of the ancients, the kind of earthen gun he made, its power has reached the limit of this era. Before the steel smelting method came out, it was also remarkable that Donghai was able to improve the musket.

"Your Highness, what are we going to do next? I heard that Beiyi has invaded Beimeng, and the 90,000 elite soldiers stationed in Beimeng have been dispatched back, this is a good time to recover the lost territory of Dachu! Does Your Highness want to raise your arms from the northern border of Great Chu and echo with the great prince who left the city in the south, drive out the Northern Mongolian soldiers, and revitalize the mountains and rivers of Great Chu? Xu Yi asked excitedly.

He also knew about the invasion of Beiyi and the withdrawal of troops from Beimeng, and Yang Dianfeng also said similar things to him.

However, Xu Xiang didn't think that Beimeng didn't have any back-up, how many years had it taken to invade Great Chu and Northern Mongolia, and it took three years to capture the twenty-three cities of Great Chu.

Will they easily give up the land of Da Chu?

Besides, Xu Xiang doesn't have any power in his hands now, he wants no generals, no soldiers, no money, and no food!

Counterattack on North Mongolia? It's like a dream!

"It's a long-term thing." For Xu Yi's enthusiasm, he can't just extinguish it, so he can only fool it first.

"By the way, why did Lu Tianyao come with him?" Xu Xiang asked with a different topic.

Xu Cheng said: "Oh, since eating some of the food that His Highness said according to the method His Highness said, Lu Tianyao's body has slowly improved. When he heard that I was going to Ningdu to look for you, he asked to follow him. said that it was to repay you for saving his life, and it was not easy for his subordinates to refuse, thinking that they were helpless in Linzi, it was better to follow His Highness than to stay in Linzi. ”

"And Lu Tianyao's skills are very good, I thought that he could also protect His Highness, so I took charge and brought him over. If His Highness thinks it's inappropriate, his subordinates will send them away! ”

"It's okay! That's fine! Xu Xiang didn't care, he was also planning to hire a master to protect himself, after all, the strength of the Nine Shadows Hall still made him very jealous.

Now that they have sabotaged their plan to capture the Hexi Corridor, they already hate themselves to the core, and they may even send killers in the future.

"What realm is Lu Tianyao?" Xu Xiang asked again.

"Before being poisoned, it was said that it had the strength of the acquired ninefold, and now it should not be much worse." Xu Yi said guessingly.

"Well, after returning to Ningdu, you can arrange for them to live with you in the mansion!"

It was almost noon before they returned to Yunyan Street, and the more they walked towards Xu's mansion, the more Xu Xiang felt that today was a little different from usual.

Normally, there are quite a lot of people on this street, but now there are few people, and there is a trace of fear in the eyes of passers-by.

Xu Xiang was a little confused, did Xin Dao have something to do today?

The carriage stopped in front of the gate of Xu's mansion, and when he got out of the car, he saw a group of soldiers wearing white leather armor and holding long knives standing on the left and right sides of the gate.

"Stop! Minglou handles the case! Evacuate unrelated people quickly! As soon as he stepped forward, he was stopped by a young man with a sword, who was supposed to be the leader of the two groups of soldiers, judging by his dress.

"Ming Lou?" Xu Xiang had never heard of this yamen organization, and these soldiers had never been seen before.

"I am the master of this Xu Mansion! You Minglou case handling to my house? Xu Xiang was slightly annoyed!

The young man was stunned for a moment, looked at Xu Xiang carefully, and then asked with a hint of doubt: "You are Xu Changsha?" ”

"I am Xu Changsha! What kind of yamen is your Ming Tower? Why did you come to my house? Are there any official documents or decrees? ”

The man smiled coldly: "I can't find you in the whole city, so I sent you to the door!" Come on, take it all for me! ”

When those white-armored soldiers heard the order, they all drew their long knives and stepped forward, preparing to arrest Xu Xiang and the others.

Xu Xiang involuntarily stepped back, and Xu Yi and Lu Tianyao hurriedly stepped forward and protected him, Mrs. Lu and Lu Qianqian behind him.

"What? Want to fight back? Looking at the posture of Xu Xiang and the others, the leader of the soldiers stepped forward with a sneer.

"I don't know what to call this lord?" In Ningdu, they were able to appear here with weapons in their hands and the City Patrol Division did not take care of them, indicating that they were legitimate yamen institutions.

It was unwise for the righteous yamen institution to confront the Runing capital, and Xu Xiang did not want to conflict with it.

"I'm just a nobody, Xu Changsha, I advise you not to resist, otherwise you will be against Zhongshan!" The man said unrelentingly.

Zhongshan country! It seems to be Mingheng's person?

If it were other forces or the Great Xia royal family, they would never say anything like going against the Zhongshan Kingdom.

Ming Heng has a relationship with him, and he also made a bet with him, before the gambling period arrives, Ming Heng will not move himself!

"Then this lord, may I ask what happened in my Xu Mansion to make my lord so aggressive?" Xu Xiang asked calmly.

"What's the matter? Your Xu Mansion harbors the families of the fugitive generals, and the crime is extremely evil! The leader said with a sneer, and then shouted to the soldiers: "Take Xu Changsha and the others down for me, if you resist, except for Xu Changsha, you will be killed!" ”