Chongzhen's tone was high, and he said: "If you don't overkill at this time, when can peace be expected?" It is not the way of a gentleman to pick up a chicken every day, so it is natural to get rid of it immediately, so why bother to pick up a chicken every month and wait for the next year to change the past. Liaodong's military salary is insufficient, although the reason is discussed today, but how to solve it? Yuan Chonghuan said on the excerpt that if the household department has no salary to be released, please send the internal money, otherwise the soldiers will make noise and it will be difficult to eliminate it. I don't understand, if the commander and the soldier are like father and son, and the soldier has his virtue, he naturally does not dare to rebel, and he can't bear to rebel, how can there be any noise? ”

"What the emperor said is clear and penetrating, and it is penetrating the past and the present. Qi Ren Tian Sui Tho governed the army with both grace and power, and strictly enforced the law. Sima Qian said to him: "The soldiers and soldiers are in the well stove to eat and ask about diseases and medicines, and they follow it by themselves. Take the general's food and enjoy the soldiers, and share the food equally with the soldiers, and the weakest than them. 'A general can love his soldiers so much, no wonder sick soldiers fight for it. Wu Qi, the guard, shared food and clothing with the lowest soldiers, did not set up a seat, did not ride, wrapped himself to win food, and shared the labor with the soldiers. He personally sucked the pus and blood of two soldiers who had sores. For the way of the general, love the soldiers, love their lives, cherish their deaths, and the soldiers will not hesitate to go to the soup and fire, where will there be any rebellion? "A person in a peacock tonic suit talked eloquently, and it was very appropriate. Chongzhen saw that the man was standing in a young age, the wind god was handsome, like a jade tree in the wind, and his heart was already a little happy, and asked: "Zhou Yanru, Yuan Chonghuan, please send the internal money, what do you have?" ”

Zhou Yanru was proud of his youth, he won the champion at the age of 20, and since then it has been smooth sailing, and he has just recently called the right attendant of the Ministry of Worship from the Nanjing Hanlin Academy, and at the age of 35, he is already a member of the imperial court, which has attracted the envy of countless people. He saw that the emperor's tone eased slightly, and replied carefully: "Your Majesty, since Emperor Taizu Gao, I have always valued the border gate, so the important one, because it can defend against captivity, and now the east captives have not arrived, but the disaster Xiao Wall, if not severely punished, if the sides are particularly effective, the mutiny will become a habit at every turn, not only empty the internal money, but also afraid of raising carbuncles, the arrogance of the soldiers is difficult to face the enemy, and they cannot prevent capture but give rise to thieves. If the Ningyuan mutiny subsided, it has now affected Jinzhou and Jizhen, and this wind cannot be long! ”

Liu Hongxun disagreed, and retorted: "With reason, the soldiers promise the country with their bodies, but they freeze their parents and wives, how can they feel at ease?" The minister thought that he could temporarily distribute the internal money, and wait for the money and grain to be released after the autumn harvest in various places, and then the household department would fill it. ”

Zhou Yanru said: "Your Majesty, the ministers are not blocking the release of the internal money, the affairs of the eastern Liaodong border can not be concluded in one day, and the internal money is not unable to be released, but the noise is relieved, and the symptoms are not cured, and it is not a long-term strategy. ”

Liu Hongxun said: "The border matter is critical, Yuan Chonghuan once promised the emperor to return to Liao for five years, and now he is not paid, I am afraid that it will chill their hearts, so when can Liaodong be closed?" ”

Zhou Yanru said: "Liu Ge Lao, the so-called arrears are just a little silver, and the silver on the border is inconvenient to use. There is a lot of millet in Shanhaiguan, there is no shortage, the ancients dig the rats for food, the military spirit is still unchanged, now the border soldiers have food and stomach but they are often noisy, maybe there is another feeling, and the greed for ink is not known. ”

Liu Hongxun said: "The salary is insufficient, the crime is not in the soldiers, what Zhou Shilang said is a bit demanding. ”

Li Biao and Qian Longxi also asked: "Your Majesty, it's better to release the internal money." ”

Chongzhen glanced at the ministers and said in an indisobedient tone: "There is no need to argue. Temporarily borrow 100,000 taels of internal money, 100,000 taels of silver for worship in front of the emperor, 52,800 taels of silver for stolen goods from the Criminal Department, and 100,000 taels from the Ministry of Household to pay for Guanning's military salary. I know that there are not many officials in the world who are not greedy or occupied, and I plan to verify the number of soldiers in the nine sides, and how many soldiers there are must be reported to me, so that I have a bottom in my heart, and in the future, I will pay food and salary according to this amount, and how to fight against the enemy after patronizing the empty quota? The arrears of money and grain in various places should be released and put into the treasury before Halloween, and if they dare to delay any longer, they will be brought to prison for interrogation, and will not be tolerated. Get up. ”

It was extremely tiring to come down for most of the day. Chongzhen returned to Qingxuan, slept drowsily, and woke up to see the self-striking bell, which was close to Shen. Wang Chengen saw that he was awake, so he ordered the palace maid to offer tea to eat, and said with a smile: "Long live the lord, Concubine Liu is in Cining Palace to enjoy the moon with wine, and the palace relatives have fun, teaching people to come over several times, seeing that the long live lord is asleep, he did not dare to alarm." ”

Chongzhen moved a few times, nodded and said: "In previous years, everyone was in the Qianqing Palace, and everyone ate restrainedly, but it was like a family banquet in Cining Palace!" Whose idea was it? ”

Wang Chengen pondered: "I think it was discussed by the girls!" The queen said that this year's Mid-Autumn Festival should be well lived, and there is a peaceful atmosphere of Kaiyuan. ”

Chongzhen was interested for a moment and asked, "How is the sky outside?" ”

Wang Chengen smiled and said: "The sky is clear, the tiles are blue, but there are a few thin clouds. ”

Chongzhen said: "The clouds covering the moon are the most lovely. ”

Wang Chengen saw that the emperor's interest was undiminished, and he said with confidence: "Then the slave and maid will go down to prepare." ”

Chongzhen instructed: "It's still early, if it's too late, take some folds to see." Seeing that Wang Chengen turned around to leave, he stopped him again and said, "Ask the queen if you invited Concubine Zheng Guifei?" ”

After more than half an hour, Chongzhen set off for Cining Palace. Not far from the Longzong Gate, I smelled a burst of osmanthus and hosta flowers, and my heart was lifted, and my life fell on my shoulder. Wang Chengen hurriedly came up and raised the curtain and helped him down. Chongzhen raised his eyes and saw that the ancient trees of Cining Garden were towering to the sky, and the green shade pressed the ground, through the Range Rover Gate, the Xianruo Pavilion, Ciyin Building, Baoxiang Building, Jiyun Building, Hanqing Zhai, Yanshou Hall, Cuifang Pavilion, Green Cloud Pavilion, and Linxi Pavilion were shadowed in the twilight, and they were not very clear. There is a trace of afterglow on the leaves of the two tall ginkgo trees, which glows bright golden and lovely.

As soon as he turned into the Cining Gate, he heard the laughter and noise in the Cining Palace, and Wang Chengen said: "Long live the lord, the slave and maid will go to the Tongyu first." ”

Chongzhen smiled and stopped: "What is it?" It's all a family, just go in. The leader stepped into the hall, and saw a few small cases inside like the stars holding the moon, arching around a large round table with carved red sandalwood in the middle, Queen Zhou and the imperial sister-in-law Zhang Yan accompanied a concubine Liu with sideburns like silver, and Concubine Tian Li and Concubine Yuan Shu were also sitting on the side, and the ancestors couldn't stop screaming.

Chongzhen was surprised when he saw that there was no Concubine Zheng in the seat, and it was inconvenient to ask for a while, so he stepped forward and said, "My son asks the ancestor for peace." When she was about to salute, Concubine Liu stopped her and said, "Sit down!" Just waiting for the emperor to open the banquet! ”

Chongzhen saluted Zhang Yan again: "Is the imperial sister-in-law okay?" I am busy with state affairs and neglect to inquire, it is rare to go to Ciqing Palace, but the worship is still comprehensive? If you need anything, just talk to the queen. ”

Zhang Yan's eyes were red, and she hurriedly bowed her head and bowed, covering up and said: "The emperor can rest assured, there is more than enough worship in the palace." I don't need much by myself. Empress Zhou knew that she remembered Emperor Xizong again, but it was inconvenient to persuade her, so she hurriedly came over with Tian and Yuan to ask for peace.

Chongzhen smiled: "You all sit down, let's have a family banquet, there are no outsiders, no need to be formal!" Then he said to the eunuchs and palace servants next to him: "There is a person from the imperial kitchen to serve me today, you just have to eat and drink as much as you like, and wait for the envoy to come over again." The crowd was overjoyed, and when they saw him sit down beside the queen, they all took their seats.

Chongzhen saw that the blue and white dishes of Xuanyao on the table were full of all kinds of fruits, grapes, duck pears, apples, persimmons, pomegranates, peaches, red dates, watermelons, lychees and other fresh fruits, as well as chestnut cakes, honey begonias, honey red fruits and crispy walnut kernels, sugar fried chestnuts and other dried fruits and honey, there was a plate of moon cakes in the center of the table, there was more than a foot, and the toad rabbit of the Moon Palace was painted on it, and Guiying could be vaguely seen, and he smiled with his fingers: "Ancestor, this moon cake is interesting!" True as the full moon of the zenith. The son heard that the rising moon is big and round, and he has never seen it, and he has had a family banquet in the Qianqing Palace in previous years, and he has already been in the southeast of the moon. ”

Concubine Liu said: "Where the emperor likes it, it's rare to be so elegant, the moon is white and the wind is clear, and it's a good day, isn't the terrace even brighter to enjoy the moon?" ”

After a while, the four gilded copper incense burners were lit with ambergris, and everyone sat on the platform and looked eastward, and saw a round of golden full moon in the east slowly climbing the palace wall, and a few pieces of tulle-like clouds floated around, slightly hazy, and more graceful. Everyone laughed and ate some fruits, and Concubine Liu said, "Pass the food!" The eunuchs and palace maids removed the melons and fruits on the table, and the chief eunuch of the imperial kitchen came in with more than a dozen little eunuchs, and reported the name of the dish in a slow voice, "Dragon and Phoenix Chengxiang Yipin, Bird's Nest Yingzi Fresh Duck Yipin, Bird's Nest Xizi Mouth Grinding Fat Chicken, Bird's Nest Multi-character Pot Roasted Duck Yipin, Bird's Nest Fuzi Assorted Chicken Shredded Chicken, Jade Shrimp Yipin......" Every time a name is reported, a little eunuch will open the food box and put the vegetable bowl out. Concubine Liu said: "The name of this dark cloud is good! When I didn't enter the palace, I heard the elders often say: Keep the clouds open and wait for the moon. Yun and Yue were originally a pair of enemies, but now they have become brothers and sisters, and they want to hold up the moon! Reward! ”

The chief eunuch thanked and said, "The old ancestor can see it! This soup dish originated from the sage's family and was a specialty dish of Confucius. It is to tear the seaweed into several pieces, put the pigeon eggs on the seaweed, mix it with the delicious and delicious clear soup, so that the seaweed pigeon eggs float on it, and its shape is like a dark cloud supporting the moon. ”

Chongzhen also felt the novelty and said with a smile: "The moon is a good analogy!" ”

"Isn't it?" Queen Zhou said: "The poet sees it as a heavenly mirror, a silver basin, and a jade plate, and the infatuated man and woman regard it as a benevolent man who pulls the red line, and those who seek immortals and good ways see it as Qionglou Yuyu, each depending on the heart, and it is endless." As soon as the words fell, I heard someone on the table next to me: "The moon is still like a baked cake!" ”

Everyone listened to it funny, Chongzhen took a look, and saw that it was Ma Yuancheng, a eunuch who had a lot of fate with him, and looked at the moon with his hands in a circle, and couldn't help but say: "Xiao Yuanzi, you are a person who doesn't read, and such an elegant thing is vulgar when you say it." ”

Ma Yuancheng said: "When the slave maid was young, she often felt that she couldn't eat enough, and she was hungry at night, so the old lady hugged the slave and sang with her arms: The moon is round like a baked cake, and there is a rabbit spirit living in it." The slave thought of the steaming baked cakes on the stove, but she was afraid of the red-eyed rabbit that had become fine, and her stomach growled, and she did not dare to cry out that she was hungry, and her mouth was still drooling after falling asleep. ”

Everyone couldn't help but laugh and laughed. Concubine Tian Lijiao gasped: "Listening to your name, Yuan Cheng Yuan Cheng seems to be able to hold it originally, how can he eat enough?" After a moment of conversation, he said to Chongzhen: "Speaking of the name of the dish, the concubine remembered a joke about a Tang poem entering the dish." ”

Concubine Liu didn't wait for her to say, she was happy and said, "What kind of joke is it?" ”

Concubine Tian Li saw that everyone looked at each other, and her face was stretched and said: "A poor Xiucai family has a guest, there is no wine and dinner to entertain, I am afraid of the guests' jokes, I can't hang on my face, fortunately, Xiucai is smart, I went to the kitchen to clean up some dishes, and brought them up: 'A few good guests must also be full of poetry and books, meet friends with literature, eat is secondary, the slave family is clumsy, only make four small dishes, each with a Tang poem, guess it, the slave family will go to cook wine and rice. The first dish was a green leek with two egg yolks, the second was a blue porcelain bowl with a slipped egg white, the third was an egg white with two halves propped up in one place, and the fourth was a four-petal empty egg shell floating in the white boiling soup. The guests were puzzled, so they asked for advice together, and the talented lady smiled and said: "The Tang people have a poem: two yellow orioles sing green willows, and a line of egrets go to the sky." The window contains a thousand autumn snow in Xiling, and the door is berthed in the Dongwu Wanli ship. These four dishes are in turn. Everyone laughed when they heard this, Concubine Liu softened her body, pointed at Concubine Tian Li and couldn't speak, the tea arrows that Chongzhen had just entered also seemed to shoot out, Zhang Yan and Queen Zhou each pursed their lips and smiled, Concubine Yuan Shu's body was crooked and almost fell on her back, and the eunuchs and palace relatives next to her laughed even more, Concubine Tian Li always held herself, but her face was already flushed.

Chongzhen turned his face and said: "I really scolded all the scholars in the world, adding color to the women, you can figure it out." ”

Concubine Liu only came back to her senses at this time, and coughed: "Everyone, let's eat some wine and rice, and we will have to heat it up again if it doesn't work." ”

Chongzhen drank a glass of osmanthus wine, picked up a light rouge jade shrimp, dipped it in the white porcelain small dish with light green vinegar sauce, the fruit felt delicious, even eat two, and then clamp, suddenly felt that the foot under the table was touched lightly, looked up, and saw that everyone was buried in eating, but Tian Lifei swept a glance with her eyes, as if she was afraid that everyone would see it, and she panicked and closed her eyes. Chongzhen knew that she was worried that she had eaten too much, so she reached out and rubbed her leg a few times, looked at each other and smiled, Concubine Tian Li's face suddenly turned red again, and she covered up: "Is it okay to steam crabs?" The eunuch who was waiting next to him replied, "Someone has gone to fetch it." Concubine Tian Li instructed: "Don't take too much, so as not to eat cold stomachs, still warm in the steamer, eat and then take it." ”

When everyone saw the crab coming up, they cleaned their hands first, and Queen Zhou wanted to peel the crab meat for Concubine Liu, and Concubine Liu said: "I have eaten crabs for many years, and when Grandmaster Shen was there, he peeled and ate it for Grandmaster Shen, and his hand was smooth!" Eating crabs can only taste when peeling and eating, just like a good fragrance must be **, and a good tea must be poured by yourself. When others peel it for me to eat, I always feel that it tastes like chewing wax. I don't think I'm going to be able to enjoy this blessing. ”

Zhang Yan was afraid that she would let her, so she also said: "You don't need to let it, you can eat it by yourself and taste it." ”

Concubine Liu said: "There are no outsiders to eat and drink at home, you don't need to bother like this, just have a good horizontal and vertical etiquette on weekdays." In previous years, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival and the moon in the palace, a crab-eating conference was held to see who ate skillfully, just like the seventh day of July. ”

"What's the comparison?" Concubine Tian asked asked.

"After the crab is eaten, see who eats it cleanly and finely, and if you can reassemble the crab's shell, chela, and feet into the original shape, it is the most ingenious." Concubine Liu was full of interest, and seemed to be yearning for the past.

Zhang Yan also said: "The first emperor's nurse Ke Yinyue is the best at this, she only relies on a pair of nails to be picky, and she eats very cleanly, and after eating, she puts the crab shell bone in the shape of a butterfly, which no one can reach." The first emperor once praised it, but I knew that it was not as good, so I ordered someone to make a special set of tools, but it was still inferior. ”

Chongzhen said: "Beijing does not produce crabs since ancient times, most of the crabs in the capital are from Zhaobeikou and Shengfang Town of Zhili, Zhaobeikou wins with the tip, and Shengfang Town wins with the group, so Beijing has seven sharp and eight regiments, the male crab stings in July, and the female crab in the umbilical cord in August is fat. I have been afraid of eating crabs since I was a child, so I peeled them for a long time, my hands were fishy, and I still couldn't eat a bite of crab meat. Sometimes he teaches the crab to claw his fingers and cut through the flesh, isn't the gain outweighing? ”

Empress Zhou said: "The emperor's statement is really an outsider's language, and it is inevitably a bit of a bad scenery. Crab is actually a world-famous delicacy that has been around since ancient times. "The World Says New Words" said that there is a person named Bi Zhuo, his ambition is to 'get a hundred boats full of wine, sweet at four o'clock to put two ends, right hand wine glass, left hand crab claw, shoot floating wine boat, it is enough for a lifetime! 'Bixi Jin Zhang Han saw the autumn wind rising, and he thought that Wuzhong mushroom vegetables, ulva soup, and sea bass were delicious, and it was difficult to distinguish between them. Don't you think he can do it, so isn't the crab delicious? ”

Concubine Tian Li also smiled: "The emperor is the number one barbarian in Beijing, and he doesn't know the scenery of the south of the Yangtze River. In the south of the Yangtze River, August and September are called crab autumn, and I can't wait for the sun to eat crabs. Crab is also called intestinal son in the folk, divided into sea crabs, river crabs, river crabs, lake crabs, the hairy crabs of Songjiang Mansion are the best, there are many ways to eat crabs, there are sugar crabs in the Northern and Southern Dynasties, there are bad crabs, honey crabs, drunk crabs in the Sui and Tang dynasties, they are very particular, paste the gold dragon and phoenix flowers and birds, pay tribute to the palace. In the Song Dynasty, crab roe was used to make steamed buns, which was unique. Crabs can be fried, fried, roasted, pickled, and drunk, but among all kinds of crab dishes, the best one is steamed, without losing its true color. ”

Chongzhen said: "I have a word, I bring out so many words from the two of you, just arguing, not afraid that the crab will be cold?" I'm going to see you compete! Wang Chengen, add some color. Wang Chengen took a bag of golden beans and put it in the hall.

Concubine Yuan Shu said: "The concubine was born in the north, and if she doesn't know this, let's be a witness!" ”

Chongzhen said: "I don't need you to testify, tonight I and the old ancestor presided, you all come to compete." This bag of golden beans is not light! ”

Everyone buried their heads in peeling and eating, Concubine Tian Li carefully lifted the crab cover, the crab paste is like jade, the crab roe is like gold, sipping in small sips, fresh and fat, sweet and greasy, the heat is very good, and it is useful. Queen Zhou saw that she had already started, but she was not busy, raised her eyes to look at the banquet next to her, Wu Wanrong hurriedly took out a small box wrapped in bright yellow and opened it. Chongzhen saw that it was a set of small and exquisite silver utensils, small hammers, small upsets, small tongs, small forks, small hooks, small scrapers, small spoons, and small needles, which could be held up, and he didn't know what it meant, and asked: "Do you still want to be a female red at the banquet?" ”

Empress Zhou smiled: "Your Majesty, I don't know if I miss you." This is the concubine's hometown of Suzhou specially used to eat crabs, the name is crab eight pieces, dig, dig, knock, pick, pinch...... A trace of crab meat will not be ruined, and after eating two of them, I'm afraid it will take an hour! ”

Chongzhen secretly felt impatient, ate one indiscriminately, and stopped eating, but saw them blowing carefully, their music Taotao, looking up to see the moon gradually rising in the southern sky, the thin clouds had already dispersed, the moonlight and mercury poured down, there was a coolness of the forest, and said to Concubine Liu: "Ancestor, the night dew is heavy, my son will accompany you to the palace to eat tea and rest, and teach them to eat slowly." ”

Concubine Liu smiled: "Exactly! I see that you are happy today, and I am afraid that I will go away and ruin your happiness. After drinking Su Ye soup, he washed his hands with Su Ye, and when he saw that everyone got up to send it, he said again: "Don't start, eat it cleanly." ”

Chongzhen stretched out her hand to help, and she instructed herself to make the wine hotter, so as not to have a stomachache from eating cold, so she went in with a smile and sat down: "Your Majesty, there must be something to say, right?" ”

Chongzhen smiled and asked, "Why didn't Concubine Zheng come?" ”

"I once asked someone to invite her, but she said that she was not happy, thinking that she couldn't leave behind the old things. She was originally noble, but the queen mother's seal was in my hand, I was afraid that the boss in my heart was unhappy, and she couldn't wipe off this face, and she refused to condescend, so she said that she was impatient with the trouble here, and moved to Xian'an Palace, thinking that she would not come to the front easily. ”

Chongzhen said with relief: "Old ancestor, don't go to your heart, isn't she self-inflicted?" The good are blessed and not enjoyed, but who is to blame? How many people were harmed by those storms back then, my father was terrified all day long. I am not guilty of the past, I have already been extrajudicial to show grace, and I still want to think about the seal of the Queen Mother? ”

Concubine Liu sighed: "Our two old sisters are like a pair of living enemies, in the past, were they imperial concubines, I am just an ordinary concubine, swallowing my anger, how dare I have half a complaint?" Now that I have the emperor's words, I am also relieved. ”

Chongzhen smiled and said, "What's not at ease?" Now that it is no longer the Divine Sect, the son wants to restore the family law of the great grandfather, and it is impossible to be pampered and arrogant. The son respects her as an elder, and treats her very politely, never sparing food and clothing, and does not come to a good family banquet, what are you doing hiding in the Xian'an Palace? It's hard to say what grievances there are, and how many grievances can't be resolved. ”

"What can she do? I'm afraid it's self-pity! ”

"But that's not all!"

"What else will you do?"

Chongzhen smiled and didn't speak, Concubine Liu felt speechless, and hurriedly changed the topic, the two talked and laughed for a while, and then listened to the outside shouting that they were finished, Chongzhen saw through the rhombic fan window that everyone was looking around the big round table, and couldn't praise it, and helped Concubine Liu out, and saw that the crab bones on the table were arranged everywhere, and they were all eaten in eight ways, and after looking at it for a long time, they saw that the golden retrievers on a crab's feet were upright, and the two big chelas stretched far away, and the eight legs were slightly curved, like a live crab that floated out of the water with half of its body, and like a butterfly lying on the branch, and asked: "Who eats this, how delicate is this?" It can be counted as the first. ”

Concubine Liu also praised: "I'm afraid I'm going to win the guest Yinyue." ”

Concubine Tian Li came up and saluted: "Thank you for the grace of the emperor." ”

Yuan Shufei didn't follow: "Sister Tian is a skilled hand in playing the piano and flute, so she said that she couldn't compare." ”

Queen Zhou said: "The style of the arrangement is exquisite, I don't know if I can eat cleanly?" ”

Chongzhen ordered someone to take the son and weigh the crab bones separately, Queen Zhou was the lightest, Concubine Tian Li was second, Zhang Yan again, Concubine Yuan Shu was the last, and the other eunuchs and palace dependents were difficult to distinguish for a while. Concubine Tian Li resigned: "You should also take the queen first." ”

Empress Zhou said: "There is no need to be humble, the emperor Chrysostom can't be changed." Besides, I used eight crabs, so I can match your wonderful hands, and I have fallen behind. ”

Chongzhen said with a smile: "I'm happy today, everyone who comes will be rewarded." Everyone was overjoyed, and they all knelt down to thank him, and Wang Chengen hurriedly presented the golden beans and took the silver leaves to distribute to everyone.

was in a hurry, but saw Wang Yongzuo, the governor of Dongchang, hurriedly coming in, and hurriedly saluted the emperor, Niangniang, and the concubines, Chongzhen hurriedly got up and bowed to Concubine Liu and said: "Ancestor, my son originally wanted to accompany him for a while, but he didn't want to have something to do again." ”

Concubine Liu said with a smile: "The emperor is busy on his own, I don't need you to accompany me here, we girls have to fight for a while!" "Flower hosta, flower jade head.