Soon, May arrived. The smell of summer is already clearly audible. Shen Ruoxiao's martial arts are becoming more and more amazing day by day, and the sword wound on his shoulder has been completely healed. After Lord Yao saw it, he was almost overjoyed, and immediately reported it to King Yan.

On the morning of this day, Yao Biao rode to the Hongjia Hotel and intercepted Shen Ruoyu before he went to practice outside the city.

"Sir? Are you in the wrong place? Shen Ruoyu saw Yao Biao the first time he got up early in the morning and quipped: "The palace is going south." ”

"I'm here to invite you Shen Shaoxia," Yao Biao said with a smile: "Hurry up and eat something, come with me." ”

"What are you doing? I still have to practice, but I don't want to spend all my energy brushing the bucket. Shen Ruoyu said.

"If you don't go, I'll be the one who brushes the bucket." Yao raised eyebrows.

"Oh my God, this is absolutely unacceptable," Shen Ruoyu exclaimed, "You wait, I'll be fine right away." ”

After a while, the two of them rode together and rushed to Yao's mansion.

Yao took Shen Ruoyu into the door and walked directly to the main hall. Along the way, the subordinates of the Yao Mansion were still shuttling around as usual, busy with their own things, and Shen Ruoliao didn't notice the slightest difference; It wasn't until the two entered the main hall that Yao Biao closed the door. Shen Ruoyu saw that the main hall was empty again, and there was no third person.

He turned his head, concealed the strong expectation and uneasiness in his heart, and teased Yao Biao:

"Master, you're not going to let me clean up such a big hall by myself, are you?"

Yao Biao smiled, walked to the front of the hall, turned around and said, "Xiao'er, don't pretend." As soon as you walk in the door, you know who's here. Don't go up and salute yet. ”

He said as he walked around behind the screen. Shen Ruoliao was ecstatic in his heart, and hurriedly chased after the screen, and was about to give King Yan a salute, but King Yan quickly stopped him.

"Lonely is not the Son of Heaven, and you are not a slave, so you can't do this; Look at Lord Yao, when did you see him kneeling alone? ”

King Yan was very casual, and motioned for him and Yao Biao to sit down, and only let Luo Yang and Ma Sanbao stand behind him. After Shen Ruoyu sat down, King Yan opened his mouth and asked:

"Lone asked Master Yao to bring you those two books, have you started reading them?"

Shen Ruoyu blushed and said, "I've finished reading; Please examine the prince. ”

Zhu Di nodded, twisted his long flowing beard, and said with a smile: "Don't worry; Lonely didn't come today to test you. I have another thing I want you to do for me. This time, it's another delivery; However, it is slightly different from the last time. ”

He turned around, and Ma Sanbao bent down to pick up a slender brocade box from the side and presented it respectfully to the prince. Zhu Di opened the brocade box and took out a bundled scroll from it.

"Here is a painting; Ruo Shao, I want you to escort it to Chengdu and hand it over to my eleventh brother King Shu with your own hands. Just like last time, Lord Yao will tell you in detail how to get to Chengdu and how to find the King of Shu after arriving in Chengdu. Unlike last time, this time, all the details - Lone, King Shu, this painting, the purpose of your trip to Chengdu, must be kept strictly confidential, and cannot be mentioned to anyone, including your aunt, your closest friend; Not only now, but after you complete the mission, you will continue to keep it so secret. Can you do it? ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "Lord Wang, what kind of painting is this?" Isn't it -- priceless? ”

Zhu Di said with a smile: "If this is an ordinary guard, or even Luo Yang, if you ask it, you may be killed." ”

Yao Biao looked at Shen Ruoliao nervously.

Zhu Di said: "It's okay for Lone to tell you. This is just a picture of "King Shu Entering Sichuan", not a masterpiece of a famous artist, ordinary people will not find anything unusual in it. However, if the King of Shu himself saw it, especially, if Xiping Hou Muchun saw it, this painting would have an extraordinary meaning to them and to Gu. Therefore, to ensure that this painting is foolproof, it must be handed over to the King of Shu. As for secrecy—" He smiled. "There are no permanent secrets in this world. Perhaps, sooner or later, the mechanism in the painting will be daylight. But I want everything to be safe until this day. Do you understand what I mean? ”

Shen Ruoyu nodded. Zhu Di said: "Behind closed doors, only six people in the world know all the inside information at present." There are five people here, and there is also a Dao Yan master. After that, there are two more people, the King of Shu and the Marquis of Xiping will know. In addition to these eight people, if there is a ninth person who knows-" He stopped and stared at Shen Ruoliao coldly.

Shen Ruoyu shrugged his shoulders. "I wouldn't have said it anyway."

Zhu Di smiled: "I believe so." I'll leave this matter to you now. Tomorrow, you're going to hit the road, be careful along the way. I'm in Beiping, waiting for you to come back safely. ”

"Don't worry. If I lose it, I will never let the painting be lost. ”

Zhu Di smiled: "Since this is the case, Lone is relieved." Shude, I brought two palace chefs over today, so that they can use your room. If not, you will stay and dine with me; I'll let them cook two good court dishes, and you can taste them too. Sanbao, you go and tell them to start preparing. ”

When it was time for lunch, the royal chef of the palace brought the carefully prepared dishes and set up the feast. Zhu Di, the king of Yan, dined in Yao's mansion and specially brought a roasted fat duck from the palace; Yao Biao is often left in the palace by King Yan to give food, and the roast duck is not fresh for a long time. Shen Ruoyu saw it for the first time.

Zhu Di explained to him: "This is called roast duck in the oven, which is a way of eating left by the Mongols, but it is not their original, but it is transmitted from a very distant country called Italy in the Western Regions. The duck is roasted very carefully, and it is necessary to build a brick and stone stove, make a fire to heat the stove, and then put the duck in to roast. The duck must not be exposed to an open flame, otherwise it will be easy to bake. The duck is cooked with the help of the high temperature of the furnace wall, so it is called oven roast duck. When simmered in this way, the duck meat is extremely tender and the skin is crispy and delicious. It is said that the people of Italy like to roast their geese in this way. They also use such a stove to bake bread and steamed buns, and the baked steamed buns are all golden, soft and sweet. When Marco Polo came, he brought this method of roasting goose in the oven, and when we arrived, it was replaced by duck. As for the baked steamed buns, they have been lost for some reason. Perhaps only Kublai Khan had ever tasted it. ”

Master Yao was obviously used to this situation, and ate with peace of mind. Shen Ruoyu ate roast duck for the first time in his life, and it was delicious at first, but soon he remembered something, and even if he lost his appetite, his heart became more and more sad. Seeing that King Yan was speaking with great interest, he suddenly got the courage out of nowhere, put the chopsticks back on the table, and said:

"Lord, do you know how many people are homeless now, how many people are wandering on the streets, starving, begging to live?"

Luo Yang and Ma Sanbao were taken aback when they heard this, and at the same time secretly kicked him below and signaled him to shut up. Zhu Di heard his question, and after being surprised, a trace of obvious displeasure surfaced on his resolute and heroic face.

"How?" He asked coldly, not in a high tone; Yao Biao secretly screamed bad things in his heart, and sweated for Shen Ruoliao together with Luo Yang and Ma Sanbao.

Shen Ruoyu said: "Lord Wang, I know that you have done a lot of good things in the eighteen years of Beiping, and you have managed this important border town, which was originally only a garrison and a poor livelihood, to be as prosperous and stable as the capital. There is no mention of you in all the city, and there is no one who is not grateful to you. You are a good prince who loves the people. But after all, you sit high, there are some details that you can't see, there are things under the surface, and only those who live at the bottom know the truth. ”

Zhu Di put down the chopsticks gently. He leaned back in his seat and asked gloomily, "Would you like to hear about it." ”

Yao Biao glanced at Shen Ruoyu; Shen Ruoyu could see it clearly, and he also saw the prince's emotions from Zhu Di's expression, and his heart couldn't help but tremble. He gritted his teeth; Now that I've said that, there's no turning back. He said:

"Lord Wang, if I told you that I used to be a street beggar and lived by begging for half a year, what would you think of me?"

Zhu Di stared at him and pondered for a long time. Everyone in the main hall remained motionless, staring at them, and the atmosphere was very tense.

Finally, King Yan broke the silence and spoke:

"Lonely has heard of it, it seems that it is indeed true?"

Yao Biao felt that he couldn't sit back and watch any longer, and cautiously interjected: "Lord Wang, it's true that there is something to do. Not only that, but you also know that Ruo Xiao used to work as a miscellaneous servant in my house, watching the stables, watering the flowers, and even removing the filth. Just as Baili Xi was a slave and Guan Yiwu was a prisoner, today's saints also started from the bowl and grass. Whether you are a beggar or a servant, you have learned a lot. 'The heavens will descend on the people'. ”

Shen Ruoyu glanced at Yao Biao in surprise, he didn't expect him to speak for himself like this, and he couldn't wait to say that the earthworms in the muddy pond were all flying dragons in the sky.

Zhu Di pondered for a moment and asked, "You should have read a lot of books, right?" Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to say anything like that when you looked at the map that day. ”

Shen Ruoyu said: "I read very few books, and my knowledge is even shallow. The prince must be disappointed in me. ”

To his surprise, Zhu Di actually smiled.

"You kid is incredible. Interesting. He said, "You are right, even in times of peace and prosperity, there are still frozen ghosts on the streets. It has been the same for all dynasties. However, I would like to know, is there a reason why you were so cold on the streets in the first place? ”

The question is sharp; Shen Ruoyu's face and neck were suddenly red, and the roots of his ears were purple. He bowed his head and replied timidly:

"Honestly, mostly for my own reasons. If I hadn't been able to do anything, I wouldn't have put down my stinking shelf,......"

Zhu Di laughed. "And now? Aren't you sitting here eating roast duck with Lone? You got it yourself, am I right? ”

Shen Ruoyu shook his head and said, "Actually, it's mainly luck. I have a lot of beggar friends who are still living on the streets, and they are not as incompetent as I used to be, and they are still begging to make a living, so they don't have my good luck. ”

Zhu Di smiled with interest: "Presumably, when Kaifeng was opened, you also said similar things to King Zhou?" But my fifth brother doesn't eat you, I'm not mistaken, right? ”

Shen Ruoyu nodded: "Outside of Beiping, I have only been to one place, which is Kaifeng. In my opinion, King Zhou is still a good person in his bones, but he doesn't care about anyone or anything outside the palace. I compared Kaifeng with Beiping, which made King Zhou very unhappy. Lord Wang, you are much stronger than King Zhou, you really care about the people's livelihood, and you are really doing practical things for the people of Beiping; I just hope that Peking will become better and that one day there will be no more homeless people and people without food and clothing. Lord Wang, you should be the patron saint and lucky star of the people of Beiping. ”

Zhu Di's eyes flashed, he groaned a little, and smiled: "Soon, there will be no more people living on the streets in Beiping." Do you believe it? ”

Shen Ruoyu looked at Zhu Di and was slightly stunned. Zhu Di smiled:

"If you don't believe it, you just keep your eyes open and watch. In less than a year, I will definitely let all the people in this city of Beiping have something to do, have food, a bed to sleep, and clothes to wear; Let there be no one in the city of Beiping who sleeps on the streets and begs for a living, the lonely and widowed old people can live for a long time, and the young and strong laborers cannot be wasted, and there is not an inch of idle land around. It is not only necessary to make Beiping the richest place in the country, but also to make it a happy land for the people to live in peace. ”

Shen Ruoyu looked at Zhu Di with emotion and said, "Lord, why didn't the emperor make you the crown prince?" This is really my biggest loss. ”

Zhu Di was stunned for a moment, and a beam of fire was fleeting in his deep eyes. He smiled quietly:

"Silly boy, there is no wine at this table, why did you talk nonsense first? Still not ready to eat? ――The details of Chengdu will be explained to you carefully by Lord Yao. Tomorrow morning, I won't come to see you off. This meal is for you. The rivers and lakes are sinister, be careful along the way. ”

After sending King Yan away, Shen Ruoyu followed Yao Biao back to the study. When the tea was served, Yao Biao waved away the servants around him and said to Shen Ruoyu:

"You kid, I really can't understand you. Let's talk about you, you also know how to pretend to lose to Commander Luo, save the face of the prince, and the position of Commander Luo. Say you're long-minded and sophisticated, but what is the big thing you spray when you eat? Aren't you afraid that you'll lose your head one day? ”

Shen Ruoyu remembered that he was also a little afraid, just like after Zhu Gaoxu's incident last time. But he refused to admit defeat on his lips, and still said coldly:

"Asking for the untouchables' lives, naturally the untouchables can only come forward, and they can't count on the adults."

Yao Biao understood his virtue and did not care. He stopped talking about it and began to explain the details of his trip to Chengdu. The road from Beiping to Chengdu is far away, it takes more than a month to walk, most of which half a month has to travel through the mountains and mountains, there are many mountain bandits, tigers and leopards are infested, and along the way they have to pass through a large area of Tu Miaoyi territory, which is complex and dangerous, far from being comparable to the last time they went to Kaifeng. Yao Biao was deeply worried, considering that Shen Ruoliao was still inexperienced in both walking and life, but at the same time, he needed to keep it strictly confidential; After thinking about it, Master Yao considered it repeatedly, and finally decided to send a pharmacy of his cronies to purchase it with him. This person's surname is Shi, has entered the year of not confused, for the Yao family pharmacy procurement for many years, mature and steady, experienced, all over the country has been walked, between Beiping and Chengdu there are also a few trips, familiar with the situation along the way, has found a relatively safe route, and also has a certain understanding of the customs of ethnic minorities in Xiangshu. Lao Shi is responsible for leading the way, arranging accommodation and transportation along the way, and taking care of the details of road life; As for the real purpose of going to Chengdu, only Shen Ruoyu knows; Lao Shi only said that it was normal procurement, so Lord Yao took the trouble to compile a set of lists, listing more than a dozen kinds of precious medicinal materials that are special products in Shu, and handed them to Lao Shi; and wrapped the painting for the King of Shu in the most ordinary linen bag, which could only be looked at by Shen Ruoyu all the way.

Shen Ruoyu returned home with a roast duck rewarded by King Yan, and told Lu Jiang and Ye Laixiang what had happened, as for the matter that King Yan explained to be kept secret, he skipped it and did not mention a word.