The house selected by Xiao Jing for Xu Xun's father and son is not big, with two entrances inside and outside, and the second door is the pattern of three positive and two ears and four wings, and the outer courtyard outside the second gate is the study hall and the main hall on the east and west sides, and there are five or six rooms in the inverted seat room, which is enough to accommodate the guards who came out of Nanjing this time. The furniture in the interior was originally there, not new, but it was very smooth to the touch, which showed that the previous owner was also extremely cherished, so Xu Xuntong added just some gadgets.

And for Zhu Houzhao, who is used to living in the palace, although this sparrow is small, he doesn't seem to have enough of it. Finally, after the visit, as soon as he entered the main room, he shouted to Xu Liang as if he was familiar: "It is said that the housewarming is to set up a few tables to celebrate, it is better to go to the West Fourth Archway to find a good restaurant and book a few tables!" ”

At this time, there were Xu Liang and Wang Shikun in the room, and there were no outsiders, so Xu Xun didn't know the identity of Zhu Houzhao from outsiders, so he naturally smiled and said: "It's not easy for Your Highness to eat banquet noodles, whether it's delicacies from the mountains and seas, I'll let people order them immediately!" ”

Xu Liang saw that such a noble prince was very kind to his father and son, and he didn't have the slightest shelf, so he even took those guards to pull the family for a while, and his awe at first faded. Seeing Xu Xun saying that he was going out, he suddenly grabbed him and said with a smile: "You don't need to go outside." The wine and food outside look good in color, but when it is delivered from there, it will be as cold as the food in the palace. If His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is happy, how about I cook and show my hands? ”

"You can also cook? That's good, as long as there is fresh food, it's okay to eat at home! ”

Before Xu Xun could speak, Zhu Houzhao, who loved novelty the most, had already happily agreed. Seeing that Xu Liang rolled up his sleeves and went out in a hurry, he thought about it for a while, and said to Wang Shikun: "Brother Wang, you are here to accompany His Royal Highness the Prince, I will go to the kitchen to give my father a hand!" ”

As soon as the words fell, Zhu Houzhao on the side immediately interjected with great interest: "I don't need anyone to accompany me, I'll go with you!" ”

The kitchen, which usually only accommodated one or two people, suddenly poured in five or six people, and suddenly it seemed crowded. Xu Liang learned that the dignified prince wanted to see his own craftsmanship, and suddenly became more energetic, and picked up a piece of pork belly brought from Fangyuan, which had already been plucked and washed, and put it on the cutting board, picked up the kitchen knife and started to start, the knife was actually quite skilled, Xu Xun had to go up to help prepare some green onions, ginger and oil, salt, sauce and vinegar.

Liu Jin and Zhang Yong have both entered the palace since childhood, although they are not from the inner study, but they have never seen anything in the kitchen, so they can't help but widen their eyes when they see Xu Liang and Xu Xun, two big men, actually preparing in a decent manner there. As for Zhu Houzhao, not to mention, if he hadn't been dragged to death, he would have liked to try it himself with a kitchen knife.

When it was time to get out of the oil pot, seeing the oil splashing everywhere, Liu Jin and Zhang Yong pulled Zhu Houzhao back like a calf, but they couldn't help the curiosity of His Royal Highness the Prince, and even Wang Shikun, who had been muttering softly to the gentleman's distant cooking, had to step forward to help watch people, lest Zhu Houzhao sneak to the stove if he didn't want to sneak away.

The meal was so lively that the whole kitchen didn't stop shouting for a moment. In the end, the smell of oil smoke was getting bigger and bigger, Xu Xun had to remind Zhu Houzhao to be careful to go back to the palace to reveal the stuffing, coupled with Liu Jin's hard persuasion, the little prince reluctantly went out of the kitchen, and sat down after wiping his face in the main room.

"I usually watch those dishes be put in pots and delivered, but today is the first time I've seen how these are made! I'm sure I'll give it a try myself. ”

"My little ancestor, didn't the prince say just now, the gentleman is far away from cooking......"

"What gentlemen, are you gentlemen? Last time, I remember that Liu Dabeard was still sad in front of his father and said that the prince is surrounded by villains, you are villains, what am I? Hmph, what those gentlemen said annoyed me the most......"

Zhu Houzhao and Liu Jin kept arguing on this side, and Wang Shikun couldn't stop laughing when he heard it, and he had to interject two sentences from time to time. The dishes in the kitchen over there were delivered, and Zhang Yongwu stood at the door and dutifully tried it with a silver needle, and then tasted it himself. By the time the first dish, that is, the steaming bowl of braised pork, was brought to Zhu Houzhao, the little prince was already a little impatient.

He almost couldn't wait to stretch out his chopsticks, picked up a piece and took a vicious bite, he was used to eating those meals that were not much hot in the imperial dining room, he had forgotten the lesson of eating out the previous time, and immediately burned and screamed, but he refused to put down the chopsticks, and even ignored the cold water handed by Liu Jin. It was easy to divide a piece of meat by three times and five times by two, and he drank most of the bowl of cold water in one go, inhaling while drinking, and his face was full of satisfaction. After a while, the four dishes and one soup were served, and Xu Liang and Xu Xun, who were covered in oil smoke, were all on the table, and seeing that more than half of the wind and clouds had gone, the father and son suddenly laughed. And Xu Xun was funny, but he couldn't help but have a strange thought.

This little prince wouldn't think about digging his father into the imperial dining room to make him food every day, right?

"Good, sure enough!" Zhu Houzhao touched his stomach and leaned on the recliner with satisfaction, and praised two good words in a row, but he did not invite people to the imperial dining room as Xu Xun was worried about, but said with a smile, "If I leave the palace in the future, I will definitely come here." Xu Liang, Xu Xun, don't forget to show your hand so well when the time comes! ”

"Your Highness's request is very easy." Xu Xun smiled slightly, and then glanced at Xu Liang, "If you want to say that I still have the blessing of His Highness today, if you don't come, I really don't know that my father has such a skill." ”

"Hey, then I'll come often in the future, and you'll be blessed!"

After eating and drinking, Zhu Houzhao still didn't want to go back to the palace like this, but pestered Xu Xun and the others in the main room to talk about the customs and customs of Nanjing. Among them, Xu Liang said that the market was good, and Xu Xun said that he was favored, but Wang Shikun, who was proficient in eating, drinking and having fun, undoubtedly satisfied him the most. However, just as he grabbed Wang Shikun's inadvertently missed speech, and asked about the situation in the lightboat on the Qinhuai River, there was a sudden sound of talking outside, and the next moment, Zhang Yong led a man in a short shirt in, it was Gu Dayong.

"Your Highness, I just got the news." Gu Da glanced at Xu Xun's father and son without a trace, and then lowered his head and said, "Xing'anbo's mansion went to the Ministry of Rites to report the funeral, Xing'anbo Xu Sheng...... Dead. ”

"Dead?" Zhu Houzhao frowned suspiciously, and then waved his hand and said, "If you die, you will die, and I have never heard of any great talents and merits, and you can still make a seat when you die." This kind of person who has nothing to do to frame his relatives ......"

Without waiting for Zhu Houzhao to finish speaking, Xu Xun on the side had to cough heavily. Seeing that the little prince looked at him in surprise, he said in a deep voice: "Your Highness, it's not too early, you better go back to the palace as soon as possible, you don't want to sneak out of the palace and be caught by the emperor and queen, right?" ”

Although he immediately made a bitter face, under Xu Xun's sincere and repeated persuasion, Zhu Houzhao had to stand up extremely reluctantly. Before leaving, he suddenly remembered something, casually took off a pair of jade peaches from his waist and stuffed them into Xu Xun's hands, and then nodded at Wang Shikun: "By the way, this is given to the two of you by my father, saying that it is to reward you for accompanying me to pick books." Hey, all in all, I can't treat you badly by following this little marquis! ”

As he spoke, Zhu Houzhao unconsciously slipped out of his mouth with that extremely strange self-title.

Xing'anbo Xu Sheng died. Just when the celebrant was writing Sun Bin was ordered to interrogate, he died less than half an hour after he left. Xu Liang and Xu Xun's father and son moved into their new house, and the crown prince Zhu Houzhao died on the day when he came to celebrate in person.

Although this was not a trivial matter, it was not a big deal in the Ministry of Rites, which received funeral reports from the nobles and civil officials of the princes and clans almost every day. But the bad thing is that Xing'an Bo's Mansion sent Xing'an Bo Xu Sheng's testament, and there were a few shocking blood ideas on it, praying that the imperial court would make Xu Yi his heir and inherit the title. Forget it, the family members who came to send the bereavement kowtowed again and again in the hall of the Ministry of Rites, and they actually said that the same clan personally relied on the nobles as their help, and coerced the Zhongguan to come to the door, so that Xu Sheng died of illness, and the spearhead was directly pointed at Xiao Jing, the eunuch of the ceremonial eunuch. Such a copy was delivered, and Zhang Sheng, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, naturally did not dare to slack off, and immediately ordered someone to send a copy to the Ministry and the Cabinet at three moments. When the eunuch Xiao Jing knew the inside story, it was only an hour after the funeral of the Xing'an Bofu was reported.

Sun Bin, who was summoned, stood in front of Xiao Jing, but he didn't dare to say a word. How could he have thought that when he went, although Xu Liang was not in good spirits, it was by no means a situation where he could die in three moments, but he was born to walk on his front foot, and the person on his back foot died, and he couldn't tell if he had ten mouths. Therefore, when Xiao Jing looked over, his legs were weak, and he knelt down instinctively.

"Ancestor, grandson really doesn't have ......"

"Needless to say, what did you say to Xu Sheng, tell our family the truth!"

Listening to Sun Bin's original retelling of what he had said, Xiao Jing sat there and groaned, gently tapping the handrail with his hand from time to time, but he was not furious. After a while, he said lightly: "Okay, our family knows everything." Don't go out casually these days, stay in the room and reflect on yourself! Although it was our family who asked you to go, it was also the emperor's intention, but you were too carried away. As a lieutenant official, the most taboo thing is to get carried away! ”

"Yes, yes, grandson is guilty!"

Seeing Sun Bin kowtowing vigorously, he tiptoed out of the room, and Xiao Jing's indifferent expression just now gradually disappeared, replaced by a deep solemnity.

He didn't believe that Xu Sheng, who had never been mediocre and inconspicuous, would come to such a show when he was dying, and no one supported him, Xu Sheng's family dared to send such an excerpt to the Ministry of Rites! Especially what kind of noble coercion, not only came at him Xiao Jing, but even the emperor swept in, it was simply bold!

(To be continued)