Chapter 855 Laba Porridge on the Laba Festival, Military Order within the Ministry of Ministers

The eighth day of the lunar month was originally a very important festival for the people, but the eighth day of the lunar month this year was very different because of the continuous running of horses all night yesterday and the brocade clothes and guards on the streets early this morning.

The Buddhist temples in the capital have been prepared early, knowing that the outside is not peaceful, and the guests have to report to the host at all levels, and finally decided to go to the folk Shelaba porridge as in the past. So, in the cold wind of winter, porridge shops were set up in front of the mountain gate of the Buddhist temple.

Chongguo Temple, Daqingshou Temple, Huguo Temple, Baoguo Temple...... Before noon, the fragrance of beans wafted in front of all the Buddhist temples in Manjingshi. Carrying bowls of porridge were not only poor people in ragged clothes, coolies, or beggars who were lucky enough to hide in dilapidated houses all over the city, but also many well-dressed people from well-to-do families. The reason is very simple, this Laba porridge is also called Buddha porridge, and the folk even call it Fushou porridge Fude porridge, it is said that you can get good fortune after eating, so everyone is eager to get it.

The more unpredictable this situation is, the more people expect peace and good fortune, otherwise how can they say that they would rather be a peace dog than a chaotic person?

This was true before the Buddhist temples, and it was also true in the official offices. Although there is no habit of rewarding Laba porridge in the palace now, the ministry room that is not popular on weekdays is lively and lively. There is a very prosperous firewood burning under a large cauldron, and in addition to rice, there are all kinds of dried fruits in the pot, but what kind of goods to put and how much to put depends on the tightness of the hands of the officials of each ministry.

Those who have loose hands will not be stingy with such a little money, but those who are tight and strict will just count eight kinds of beans. Moreover, the various ministries are already uneven in wealth and money.

For example, Zhang Yue is now in charge of the Ministry of War. In the past, he was not stingy with those who really worked hard. In addition to comparing the expenses of previous years, he had already asked people to buy dried fruits and send them a few days earlier, such as red dates, lotus seeds, walnuts, chestnuts, almonds, pine nuts, longan, hazelnuts, grapes, ginkgo seeds, water chestnuts, green silk, roses, red beans, and ...... A lot of things are tumbling in the cauldron, and with the addition of snowflake sugar, which is the most fashionable among the powerful people in the capital today, the whole yamen is filled with a smell of beans and sweetness.

The room of the military department is in the west chamber of the outermost courtyard, because the usual only hot rice does not serve food, the so-called cook is also served by a soap subordinate, at this time he and two helpers are sweating and looking at the cauldron with his sleeves up, seeing that the pot is tumbling fragrant, he picked up the big spoon and took out three bowls first, and then handed it to the two people next to him.

"Come, try it while it's hot!"

The two helpers hurriedly took it, took a sip and exhaled again and again, and then smacked the beans, chewing and distinguishing the contents in the same way. After drinking a bowl of hot porridge, they all felt warm from head to toe, and they had to prepare food boxes to send inside. While he was busy, the soap in charge sighed: "Hey, this Laba porridge is boiled, and the ingredients in it are much richer than in previous years, but unfortunately Shao Sima was summoned to the palace, but he couldn't taste it." ”

"What are you talking about, you don't know that young Sima's family, that dignity...... What's not to eat? Besides, if you are in the palace, will you still treat him badly? ”

"Hey, you don't know that, do you? The imperial dining room in the palace is dedicated to the emperor and the noble lady, Shao Sima is not able to take his turn even if he is a big man, I heard that the things in the palace are often tepid, even if there is Laba porridge, send it to him, how can it compare to our hot bowl? If it weren't for him to fight in the ring, the charcoal would have to be converted according to previous years, not to mention giving us some extra money to take home, even in this yamen, there is simply no way to survive the winter! ”

The three of them whispered for a while, and two of them went out with heavy food boxes, and shouted loudly for people to send them to the various chambers. Just as he was calling, someone outside suddenly poked his head into his head and shouted with a smile: "Shao Sima has come back, specially ordered, don't forget to send one more to Sanmen!" ”

"Okay, I can't forget it!"

The soap who was in charge of the spoon also heard this, and the person didn't go out but went out. At this time, it was mentioned that the food boxes at the door had also been taken away by the soaps in each room, and the two helpers turned back, one went to the cabinet to take the porcelain jar that Zhang Yue usually used to heat meals, and the other poked his head in front of the pot and looked around.

"Add more good ingredients!"

"Do you still have to say that? Last time, Shao Sima also said that the dried fruits that are not used in this laba porridge should be taken home for the mother-in-law and children to eat...... Hey, you don't need such a big porcelain jar, do you, do you really use Shao Sima as a rice bucket? ”

"Okay, you're not a little bold, be careful if I spread your words inside, and your little shoes will be indispensable when the time comes!"

The three people in the room laughed and shouted for a while, and soon someone came out with a deep red lacquer food box, and hurriedly sent it inside. When I arrived at the third gate, another soap came up to take it. He opened the lid as usual and glanced at it, and then smiled at the person: "Okay, all these good things are here, the most are red dates, peanuts, longan, lotus seeds, don't you want to let the adults have a few more nobles?" ”

"Shao Sima's family can't afford to raise it, how can he not be happy to have a few more sons?"

For this answer, the soap who took the food box couldn't help but smile, and then carried the things in. After a report outside the door, he crossed the threshold with the curtain, and saw Zhang Yue sitting behind the table, and Hu Qi was on the first chair on his left, so he smiled and stepped forward with a food box: "My lord, they probably thought that you were hungry in the palace, but it was filled with a porcelain jar." It just so happens that Hu Qianhu is also here, let's drink a bowl of Laba porridge from our yamen! ”

This morning, I ate something casually in the palace, and then I met Xiao Wufen and said it, Zhang Yue also deliberately walked around the street to see the situation before returning to the yamen, so he was really hungry at this time, and he would have that command when he just entered the gate and smelled the fragrance of beans. And Hu Qi didn't shirk, nodded beside him and said, "How can a bowl be enough, I'm just hungry at this time." If it's not enough, you'll have to go outside and ask for it! ”

Zhang Yue immediately smiled: "Yes, the other things in the Yamen of this military department may not be sufficient, but today's Laba porridge is enough, just open your mouth as much as you want!" By the way, bring a little more when you go back, although you are not in the Yamen, you are also from the military department. ”

After a few jokes, two bowls of laba porridge were served. Hu Qi didn't use a spoon like Zhang Yue, he just picked up the bowl and drank it in a big gulp, and when he saw the bottom, he wiped his mouth and said: "Yes, there are many ingredients, and it is sweet, much more exquisite than the Buddha porridge in front of the Buddhist temple." My lord, you said, I have to take some back with me, this is a rare welfare of the Ministry of War, not rubbing in vain, besides, the people under the people have been so busy in the past two days that they don't have time to boil laba porridge! ”

Although he was angry when he heard this, Zhang Yue just shook his head angrily. Among the six departments, the Ministry of Industry is at the bottom, the Criminal Department is cumbersome, and the Ministry of Rites is noble. It's just that when it comes to expenses, the household department is its own expenses and audits it, if it weren't for Xia Yuanji's tight money before, there would be nothing lacking there; Not to mention the officials, officials will not be short of money when they take office; Only because of such a major case as military election fraud, not to mention the people who fell for the time being, even the internal expenses will be tightened for a while. Fortunately, he sealed his mouth with a silver medal for 800 li and sent it to the emperor in an expedited manner, and asked the spy department to transfer the profits from smuggling goods to the north every year, in addition to allocating eighty percent of the inner treasury, and the remaining two percent to the military department.

Of course, for this, he also fought in the ring for a while. After all, in his plan, in addition to Mongolia in the north, the spy division had to gradually expand to the Jurchens in the northeast, and as for Myanmar in the southwest and those small countries south of the Jiaolu Bu political division, they could gradually infiltrate it. After all, the treasure ship represents the Great Ming Dynasty, and the cost of hundreds of ships each time is too great, and it is not as good as the merchant ship to hide the purpose.

Fortunately, when he promised that eighty percent would not be less than in previous years, Zhu Zhanji finally agreed. So, although he can't blatantly send money to the subordinate officials and scribes, he can still send some charcoal to make some Laba porridge, and he can also send some meat and vegetables during the New Year. The people who were blocked by him have all been cleaned up and cleaned up, and now the rest are cowardly, and they are naturally content with this year-end welfare.

After eating the laba porridge in a porcelain jar, the two of them suddenly felt hotter, so when the soap Li packed up the food box and spoons and withdrew, Zhang Yue wiped the sweat on his head and washed his face, and then said, "How is the situation over there?" ”

"Fortunately, Jinyiwei has been to it twice, asked the old five several times, and probably got corroboration at the city gate, so he didn't suspect it anymore, and now because the incident happened, other physical witnesses are enough, so he didn't care anymore, and even the captain who was originally in Yangzhou Hutong went back. It's just that the man was so cold before, and one foot was a little inconvenient, and he was being treated by a doctor. ”

"Well, you have a lot of heart for him. If he hadn't taken the lead, things wouldn't have been lifted so easily. If there is anything else he asks, as long as it is not too much, just agree to him. ”

"Yes, the subordinate is about to say ...... to the adult" Hu Qi hesitated for a while, but finally told the truth, "He doesn't have any other requirements, he just wants to ask for a background for himself, but this matter is not for me to decide, I dare not agree to him, after all, because of the reward for informing, outsiders may have discussions." ”

"There's nothing I dare not agree to, I have already mentioned him in the inscription I sent to Xing Zai this morning. For such a matter of great importance, if the first person is not allowed to reward him, everyone will inevitably be wise to protect his life in the future. Regardless of whether it is a conspiracy, the whistleblower is also to save the lives of the whole family, and he is different from the whistleblower, he only learns about it occasionally, so he takes the risk. Zhang Yue thought of Wang Yu as he spoke, and couldn't help but smile slightly, "Of course, you won't get a reward for this matter, at most you will move up a level, or reward a hereditary military position, you might as well go back and think about what you need." By the way, how is Guo Xuan's son Guo Cong? ”

As soon as he said this, Hu Qi's face suddenly became a little delicate: "My lord, Guo Cong hanged himself." ”

It's self-hanging again!

Zhang Yue didn't ask Hu Qi how he found out about the situation, although the spy department and Zhang Bu's eyeliner are not the same way, but there are naturally ways to detect these. It's just that he had to keep his face black. He thought of Princess Yongping who hanged herself, Li Maoqing who hanged herself, and then thought of Guo Cong, who now hanged herself, and he couldn't help but pinch his palms heavily with his fingernails. Although the first person to commit suicide seemed to die justified, he always felt that Princess Yongping was not the kind of person who would commit suicide out of despair, and it would be almost impossible to say that she was crazy because of despair.

And this morning, although Cheng Jiu only showed a little bit of tone, he could conclude that it must be pointing to the Jin clan in Taiyuan, Shanxi. It's just that he has also heard that the current Jin King Zhu Jixi is arrogant and domineering, but looking at those actions, he is just a figure who can't even match Zhu Gaoxu, it is not impossible for him to use tactics, but to say that he can be so linked, this is higher than his ability.

Could it really be that he is pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger?

"My lord, because that grange is full of old people from the Marquis of Wuding's mansion, so my subordinates can't make people get in, but because I've been staring at it before, I still grabbed a farmer who slipped out of that grange......"

Zhang Yue turned around and looked at Hu Qi angrily: "Why didn't you say it earlier?" ”

"There is nothing to gain, and my subordinates don't want to tell my lord rashly. This man has a hard mouth, and it is very difficult to judge, and the brothers have used all kinds of stunts, but he just doesn't move, and he just mutters to himself and survives. Listening to that chattering thing, it looks like some kind of cult, and my subordinates even thought of it before......"

"Thought of the White Lotus Sect?"

Zhang Yue asked directly, and when he saw that Hu Qi didn't speak, as if he had acquiesced, he immediately frowned. However, after thinking about it, he finally shook his head. The Tang Sayer sisters have disappeared for many years, and even he doesn't know the whereabouts of the two, so they should have wandered the world. Moreover, this pair of sisters are not ambitious and plotting the world, and they should not resurgence many years after the fall of the White Lotus. However, if there is no brave man under Miki, if he is not a cult believer, or if he is extremely strong-willed, how can he survive the execution?

"Be sure to pry the person's mouth open within three days. He is the biggest clue today, and if you pry it open, you may be able to gain something. If the hard is not good, use the soft one, and if it is a human being, there must be weaknesses. ”

Although the three-day deadline is really a bit tight, Zhang Yue knows that since Hu Qi still hasn't hidden it just now, there is still a way. Sure enough, Hu Qi only groaned, and finally agreed.

"Don't worry, my lord, my subordinates are willing to make a military order!"

Wu'an Hou Hutong Zhangjia Courtyard West Courtyard upper room.

When he heard Xiao Wu chirp and finish talking about things, Du Juan couldn't help but gasp, but quickly calmed down. Seeing Xiao Wu's face full of doubts, she reluctantly smiled and said, "It's okay, the county lord is teasing you." Now that there are so many things in the inner court, where did she come from to see you? There are a lot of things outside these days, so I should accompany my mother at home and go out less. ”