Xu Deyan is only an official of the East Palace, Yang Yong can naturally appoint himself, if he wants to go to the border pass, then he must go through the ministry, when Wei Shikang was the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, he had a good relationship with the East Palace, Yang Yong only needs to send someone to pass a message, and the important things are written by hand, and Wei Shikang will do it properly.

Now Wei Shikang has been transferred to the governor of Jingzhou, and the secretary has become Niu Hong, Niu Hong has a normal relationship with the East Palace, although someone takes the initiative to go to the border to serve, Niu Hong should be happy to see it, and will not set up any obstacles, but Yang Yong can't be so casual, or decide to explain to Niu Hong in person.

As soon as the morning was over, Niu Hong had just left the palace when he heard someone shouting next to him: "Lord Niu, wait a minute."

Niu Hong turned his head and saw that it was Yang Shi, the leader of the East Palace guards, who stopped him, and hurriedly stopped: "Lord Yang, I don't know what to do with this palace?" ”

Yang Shi smiled slightly and said, "Lord Niu, the prince is invited." ”

Hearing the prince's invitation, Niu Hong suddenly stopped speaking, and followed Yang Shi to the East Palace with peace of mind, secretly guessing in his heart, what is the matter with the prince looking for him?

When Niu Hong had just stepped into the East Palace, Yang Yong had already come out of it and bowed his hand to Niu Hong: "Lord Niu is here, and the palace is far away." ”

"Don't dare, don't dare, Weichen will see the prince!" The East Palace and the Imperial City are only separated by a wall, not far away, but it is also a privilege to be greeted by the prince in person at the door.

"There is no need to be polite, this day ago, Lord Niu was promoted to the secretary of the ministry. The palace has not congratulated yet, but it is rude. Yang Yong grabbed Niu Hong's left hand and walked inside, this is a kind of closeness of the superior to the lower, Yang Yong has been used skillfully over the years, and many officials with slightly smaller official positions have been supported by the prince himself, and they are often at a loss for excitement.

Although Niu Hong is not like this, his heart is also warm, and the prince is corporal Lixian. Sure enough, he has secretly decided that no matter what the prince calls him for, as long as it is not too difficult, he will definitely do it for the prince.

When he arrived at the main hall, Yang Yong put Niu Hong's arm down, and his own subordinates brought good tea, Niu Hong took a sip of it, only felt that his lips and teeth were fragrant, and he couldn't help but praise: "Good tea!" ”

Yang Yong smiled slightly: "This is the old Longjing produced in Jiangnan." This Longjing tea is born next to a tea shed on the side of the mountain road, each tree is 300 years old, and the main branch is as thick as a strong man's chest. There are only eighteen plants in total, only the tea picked three days before the rain is the best, and the annual output is only three or four catties, which is still the best in the tea. ”

Although the history of tea drinking in the Central Plains is long, it is only that before Yang Yong came, most of them were made into tea balls, and the tea making method was single, and Yang Yong made improvements. Frying, frying the method gradually rises, at this time many famous tea has not been excavated, these eighteen tea trees or Yang Yong in the south of the Yangtze River when he accidentally heard someone say, in a small place in Kangzhou there are eighteen old tea trees, although made of tea balls, but the fragrance is unique, Yang Yong's heart moved, sent people to protect the eighteen tea trees. It became the Tegong tea of the East Palace, and a large area of land in the vicinity was all divided into tea plantations. Introduce seeds from eighteen tea plants. Send someone to manage it.

Now, a few years later, the original tea field has developed into a tea garden of hundreds of acres. Nearly 100 quintals of tea produced every year, fragrant leaves are far better than ordinary tea, and become a luxury item that rich and noble families compete to buy, but compared to the tea produced by these eighteen tea trees, it is much inferior, the tea produced by the old tea tree, brewed nine times in a row, is still fragrant, and the new tea expanded by their seeds, the first time the fragrance is acceptable, and the second time it is dull and tasteless, as for the name of Longjing is just Yang Yong casually taken, whether it is the same as the Longjing of later generations is unknown, anyway, the origin should not be far apart, in order to distinguish, Only the tea leaves produced by these eighteen tea trees can be called Laolongjing.

Hearing that it was the tea produced by the eighteen old teas, Niu Hong's heart moved, he inhaled it with his nose, and suddenly the fragrant leaves were permeated, deeply intoxicated, and sighed: "Longjing tea is fragrant, I don't know the taste of meat for several months, and it really lives up to its name." ”

"Since Lord Niu likes it, there is still a little bit here in the palace, so I'll send Lord Niu three taels of old Longjing later." Yang Yong said with a smile.

Over the years, with the abundance of the Great Sui, the wind of drinking tea has become very popular, the ordinary Longjing produced in the Jiangnan Tea Garden is almost equivalent to gold, the eighteen tea trees are produced in the old Longjing is even more priceless, all belong to the East Palace, Yang Yong in addition to the emperor every year, the queen each sent a catty, several imperial uncles, the emperor's brother each sent half a catty, only the minister who is close to the letter will reward one tael, half a tael.

Yang Yong just said that the tea produced by the old Longjing is only three or four catties a year, in fact, more than that, the tea tree can be picked three times in spring, summer and autumn, these eighteen old tea trees can be picked and fried every time, after frying, there are about six or seven catties, three times a year add up to nearly twenty catties, otherwise it is just sent to the palace and distributed to several imperial uncles, the imperial brother is not enough, and where is the reward.

Despite this, there are still too few more than 20 catties of tea.

After bidding 100 taels of gold to buy a tael of old Longjing tea, the price is still less than tea, which shows how much is the value of three taels of old Longjing?

Niu Hong's face hesitated, he had nothing to do, only to drink tea, but before he was appointed as the secretary of the ministry, although he was still good, he couldn't even afford to drink ordinary Longjing, after taking over as the secretary of the ministry, he had a great increase in his income, and he could also drink ordinary Longjing, but every time he drank it, he still felt heartache, although there were many officials who wanted to give him gifts, including the new Longjing famous tea, but Niu Hong was clean and self-conscious, and refused to accept it,

Of course, no official can send Lao Longjing, this kind of Lao Longjing tea is the first time Niu Hong drank Dao, can drink this tea, for Niu Hong, a person who loves tea like his life, it is simply irresistible temptation, just thinking of the outrageous price of Lao Longjing, Niu Hong is still reluctant to say: "Thank you Your Highness for your kindness, no merit, such a precious tea, it is a rare blessing for Weichen to drink it once, how dare you be greedy?" ”

Yang Yong frowned slightly, he didn't expect Niu Hong to refuse, after Niu Hong became the secretary of the ministry, all his information would naturally be found out clearly.

"What's the matter, it's just a few taels of tea, could it be that Lord Niu is worried that this palace will bribe you, or is he worried that this palace will want you to be a traitor?"

This is too serious, how can the prince, as the prince, bribe a minister, let alone be a traitor, Niu Hong was shocked when he heard it, and quickly stood up: "Prince, Weichen has no such intention." ”

"Since that's the case, then it's decided, sit down, don't be so nervous, this palace is just joking."

Niu Hong wiped the beads of sweat on his head, thinking, you are the prince, who dares not to take it seriously if you are joking, and said helplessly: "The prince is the prince, given by the king, the minister does not dare to resign, thank you Your Highness." ”

Yang Yong smiled with satisfaction: "That's right, the Ministry of Officials is still the most important of the six departments, busy affairs, Lord Niu is the secretary of the Ministry of Officials, if there is good tea, it is good to refresh and quench your thirst, this palace gives you three taels of old Longjing, just to let you better serve the court, nothing else." ”

"Yes, thank you, Prince." Niu Hong sat down again, secretly complaining in his heart, these three taels of tea are not easy to take, usually the minister will reward one or two at most, and now after rewarding himself with three taels, maybe he will be branded in the East Palace, but he thinks that the prince is the prince after all, and the emperor will one day give up the throne to the prince, so he feels a little better.

Yang Yong chatted with Niu Hong for a few more sentences before mentioning Xu Deyan's matter, and Niu Hong was taken aback: "What His Royal Highness said about Xu Deyan, is it the former princess Chen Lechang's concubine who was rumored to be reunited in the capital a few days ago?" ”

"Yes, that's it!"

"Your Royal Highness, the border pass is difficult, and a civil official takes the initiative to go to Liaodong, of course Weichen is happy to see it, but Xu Deyan has just reunited with his wife after a long absence, and he is going to leave the border pass, could it be that the story is wrong?" Niu Hong asked cautiously.

"Of course not." Yang Yong naturally knew what was wrong with the story Niu Hong: "Their husband and wife have a good relationship, but Xu Aiqing is loyal and courageous, and when she heard that there was a lack of civil officials at the border pass, she took the initiative to go to the border pass." ”

Niu Hong knew that there must be something hidden in it, but it was inconvenient to inquire, so he nodded: "In this way, Weichen understands, but I don't know if Weichen can meet Master Xu, and for Lord Xu, Weichen will inevitably be curious." After speaking, Niu Hong's face couldn't help but feel a little hazy.

"Of course, the officials have their own processes for selecting and appointing officials, and the interview is one of them, and this palace will not make you embarrassed." Clapping his hands, one of the guards came in: "Your Highness, what do you command?"

”

"Go, call Xu Deyan."

"Yes."

After a while, Xu Deyan came to the hall, he first saluted Yang Yong, and then said to Niu Hong: "Xiaguan greets Lord Niu." ”

Niu Hong looked Xu Deyan up and down, at this time Xu Defang was dressed in new clothes, extremely chic, Niu Hong had a good impression when he saw it, and couldn't help but feel sorry for Xu Deyan, he didn't wait for the good capital, since he was willing to leave his wife and go to the border.

asked Xu Deyan a few words, Xu Deyan answered them one by one, this regret deepened a little, Niu Hong couldn't help asking: "Lord Xu, are you really willing to go to the border?" ”

"The lower official is willing."

"Okay, then please go to the Ministry of Officials tomorrow, this official will personally handle Lord Xu's official letters, official documents, Lord Xu is now a six-pin, transferred from the capital to the border pass, and the rules will be raised one level, from tomorrow, you will be the captain of Fengche from the fifth grade."

"Thank you, my lord, if there is nothing else, the next official will retire." Regarding the official position, Xu Deyan doesn't care.

Niu Hong nodded, Xu Deyan saluted Yang Yong again, and then withdrew, Yang Yong left Niu Hong to sit for a while, and there was nothing else to do to serve tea to the guests, of course, he did not forget to reward Niu Hong with three taels of old Longjing before the rain.

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