"Young Master, why are you ......?"

According to the idea of normal people, it is impossible to go to the garden to charter the field, and it is impossible to go on the same day, and come on the same day and not stay overnight. If it really doesn't stay overnight, it's definitely a young person who hasn't opened up yet, and it's a pure waste of money.

But Li Kui and Ruan Xiaoer not only came back magically, but also exuded an indescribable stench on their bodies.

It's a bit like the smell of lotus root that hasn't been washed, but it's heavier.

"Second master, I went to try the water of the Bianhe River, but it was cold!"

Li Kui didn't speak, but Ruan Xiaoer shouted: "I met the opponent, and I jumped into the river without slipping, fortunately, the master is also an expert in water, otherwise he will be harmed!" ”

"Second brother, where is that person?"

"Ran!"

Speaking of Liu Tang, Ruan Xiaoer was also quite helpless. Who would have thought that Liu Tang was not much worse than him in the water, and when a few fierce men went down, they disappeared.

The capital is also a place where the water system is relatively developed, there are five canals entering the city alone, and the smallest Jinshui River is the water system in the imperial city; The widest is the Bianhe River, which runs through the city. It's really hard to catch Liu Tang in the water.

The family did not dare to delay, and it was easy to get sick in the river at this time. Even if Li Kui took the initiative to jump into the river, he could not avoid the wind chill caused by the cold. Fortunately, Li Kui and Ruan Xiaoer are both experienced people, and the two ran all the way home, without even riding a horse, and their whole bodies were sweating.

After taking a bath, Li Kui came to the backyard to greet the third uncle.

But I found that the third uncle was wearing an official robe and gesturing, and the moment he saw Li Kui, the old man raised his coat very freely, obviously an old man with old roots, but he thought he was a young man.

"Renjie, do you think the third grandfather's momentum can suppress Li Lide?"

Li Lide is Li Yun's grandfather. He put on an official robe, like an official who sings, and his appearance is too fierce, but he can't wear the official authority of an official. And the third uncle Li Liguang put on an official robe, which was not very good.

The official robes of the green robe are the official robes of low-level officials, and Li Kui has several of them.

But the problem is that it is not the officials who wear official robes who are to be punished. Of course, the age of the third uncle does not need to be investigated, the imperial court is too indulgent to the elderly over seventy years old, and basically all the crimes that can be exempted have been exempted. But the family inevitably has to pay a fine, and it doesn't matter if the fine is fined, the key is that if someone picks off the official robe on the street, this face will be lost.

"Third grandfather, where did you get this official robe?" At first, Li Kui thought that the third uncle was taking the robe he had changed from the official robe he had left at home. I want to tell the third uncle that it's okay to wear it at home, but don't wear it out.

The third uncle raised his chin proudly and squeezed his eyebrows at Li Kui and said, "Speaking of this official, it is not easy for the old man to come by. His Majesty looks down on the old man and often asks the old man to give advice, no, the old man can be regarded as a hard worker, so he got his fate. Now he is also a high-ranking official of Liupin. ”

Liupin is not a high-ranking official. But for the third uncle, he has lived in Yishui County for most of his life, and there are tens of thousands of people in the entire Yishui County, and there is no six-grade official.

"Official?"

"That's not it, if we don't have an official body, we won't dare to go out in clothes!"

While speaking, the third uncle pointed at Li Qing and said, "Go and bring the old man's official order!" ”

"Third grandfather, you always carry this official decree with you, don't you need me to take it?" Li Qing was speechless, and the Li Mansion in the capital was in charge of the third uncle. Now Li Quan and Fat Chun have also returned to the capital again, but Li's mother has returned to her hometown, and there are many women in the bachelor's alley.

Besides, my son is not around, and it is not interesting to be in the capital.

Li Kui looked at the official identity document, which was an official document issued by the Ministry of Rites, a document stamped with a large seal, which belonged to the official body, and there was no problem at all. It's just that the third uncle seems to have mistaken his identity: "Third grandfather, you are a six-rank loose official." ”

"What's the matter, it's six pins!"

"Only those above the fifth grade are called edicts, and the lower grades are called edicts below the sixth grade. But you don't have to worry, the sixth master's order is one level lower than yours, and you are his old man's superior. Li Kui has been in the officialdom for more than two years, and he is much clearer about the official position of the Great Song Dynasty than the third uncle, and instructed: "But in the future, you can't say the fate, and it makes people laugh." ”

"This ......" the third uncle recalled that he had just become an official some time ago, and he wore an official robe when he went out for a walk, and he also wore an official robe when he walked around in the past, even if he was fine, he was also wearing an official robe when he was wandering around the street. It seems that everyone who knows him and people who don't know him know that he is an official. It's just that when he said his fate, some people laughed and snickered.

Only then did he understand the reason, and the old man said angrily: "There are no good people in the capital!" ”

The old man's anger came and went quickly, and he danced to Li Kui's eyebrows: "When Li Lide comes to the capital, the old man will treat him well, this old boy, dare to put on a score in front of your third grandfather back then, hum." ”

This hospitality must also be a good hospitality.

The third uncle looked at the sky, stood up and said to Ruan Xiaoqi: "Xiaoqi, take the old man's dove, the old man is going to patrol the streets!" ”

After saying that, the old man was fully armed and went out of the courtyard with his followers.

Li Kui asked Li Qing: "How did the third uncle's official position come about?" ”

Li Qing said with a bitter face: "I don't know if that's the case, many of our Li family have official positions." The third uncle, the fourth uncle, the fifth uncle, as well as Li Quan and Li Da all got official positions. But only the fifth uncle Li Lin got a real shortage. ”

Only then did Li Kui understand that after he recovered Qingtang, the Li family was no longer what it used to be. Of course, the official positions given by the court will not be too big. It's just that he can't think of what it's like for an unobedient person like Uncle Fifth to be an official? Curious: "Fifth Uncle is an official in that yamen?" ”

"The granary outside the city, the head of the warehouse, is still a vice. Fortunately, I was masturbated on the first day of being an official......"

Li Kui was surprised: "Why is this? ”

"Fifth uncle, second brother, you also know, disobedient, he was pointed at his nose by his boss on the first day of his tenure and scolded him for not following the rules, his brain was hot, and he did it at that time. Fortunately, the person is fine, otherwise he may have a lawsuit, but this official can't do it anymore. Li Qing said with a happy face: "Second brother, are you so aggrieved as an official?" ”

Li Kui touched his chin and it was not easy to say, the officials of the Great Song Dynasty were also divided into three, six, nine and so on, the first class was from the Jinshi background, especially the officials who had passed the system examination, basically after a few years of clearing, they could be reused. The second class is from the birth of the Jinshi, a close confidant of the emperor.

Basically, the future of officials who are born in Jinshi will not be too bad.

Needless to say, the fourth- and fifth-class officials, the bottom, the object of exploitation. Most of them are shady officials. Fifth Uncle Li Lin is not a shadow supplement official, but a special official is not much worse. If you hadn't spent more than ten years in the yamen, it wouldn't have been like being an official at all, but more like an errand service.

As for the third uncle, his old man's official position is too casual.

Li Qing waited for the third uncle to go out before secretly saying to Li Kui: "Second brother, the third grandfather is stunned, since he became this official." I don't talk about going out every day, but he has to take care of everything on the street, and he still does it if he is not satisfied. The neighbors around your house, his old man, have offended all the people. He has to take care of improper dressing, he also cares about littering, and even takes care of it anywhere, his old man has to stab people with a dove, and now within a radius of three miles, everyone hides when they see him. ”

"Forget it, I can't take care of his old man's affairs. What about you? Are you ready to be an official? ”

Li Kui is now a real official position in Wupin, and he can make up for a clansman in three years. If Li Qing had the heart to be an official, Li Kui wouldn't mind giving him this opportunity.

But Boss Li Qing was not happy to say: "Who wants to be this broken official?" ”

His current income in one day is almost equivalent to half a year's income of the Nine Rank Officials, and letting him be a shadow supplement official is simply killing him. Besides, he is not without points, he has to participate in the selection of officials, and civil and military generals have to pass the initial examination. He can't read a few words, how can he pass the exam?

You can only be the lowest-ranking officer.

Warehouse, prison, and guan, this kind of official position that doesn't even have a yamen, how can he be interested?

Li Kui didn't make it difficult for others, and said indifferently: "It's up to you." By the way, is there anything important in the capital lately? ”

"The most important thing is probably the Xinglong Festival, and recently, the mansions in the inner city have transported a lot of goods on the docks. I heard that this year's Xinglong Festival, Ouchi is going to hold a big event. Since the second brother has returned to Beijing, in two days, there should be an invitation from the Ministry of Rites to come to the house? Second brother, do you think we want to give gifts to the emperor in our house? ”

Li Kui waved his hand and said, "No need." Only princes and ministers want to give gifts, but I don't need to be an official. ”

The Xinglong Festival is the emperor's birthday.

Emperor Zhao Xu's birthday was December 7, and in order to avoid Taizong's seventh birthday, it should be held on December 8.

This is also one of the important festivals in the capital, the yamen rests, enters the palace to participate in the banquet.

Within two days, Li Kui received an invitation from an official of the Ministry of Rites, with which he could go to the imperial city to attend a banquet. It's just that the seat of the state banquet made him not very satisfied, and his seat was not in the main hall, but in the side hall. He's familiar with this place! At the beginning, the main banquet of the Queen Mother's birthday banquet was also held in the Daqing Palace, when he was only a seven-rank official, and he could still squeeze into the main hall, but now he has been promoted, but he is asked to go to the side hall, which is to look down on people.

Li Kui felt that he had been neglected, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites did not pay much attention to him.

Is this the attitude towards the heroes of the imperial court?

Li Kui immediately took the invitation card to the Ministry of Rites, and the officials who received him were still acquaintances, and Qian Liao, a jinshi in the same department as him, could only endure it when he met acquaintances.

"Ji Kang, there is a problem with this invitation."

Qian Liao didn't dare to let Li Kui make trouble in the Ministry of Rites, so he dragged Li Kui to the restaurant next to the workshop outside the Ministry of Rites. He explained with a smile: "It's not good to be on an errand in the Ministry of Rites, there is a teaching workshop on the side, and the money is not spent." ”

The two found a private room, and when the wine and food came up, Qian Liao politely poured wine for Li Kui, and then sighed: "Renjie, your seat was set by Shangguan, and I, a petty official, can't manage this matter, and I don't dare to take care of it." ”

"Then why did you invite me to dinner? You tell me who did it, and I don't tell me. ”

Li Kui's mouth is very firm, he will definitely not say it, but most of the time he will find someone to be unlucky. The key is that this matter was ordered by Zuo Shilang, and the officials of the Ministry of Rites did not want to come out to negotiate with Li Kui.

They are also afraid that Li Kui will make a fuss.

As long as Qian Liao, the unlucky guy in the same department as Li Kui, is pushed out, thinking that they are the same department after all, they will at least give some face.

"Who is targeting me, I don't have any enemies in the capital!"

Li Kui glared and shouted: "I think I was an errand in the imperial city, and I didn't even have a serious yamen, and I was arranged to enter the inner hall to participate in the banquet, and now I say this can be regarded as a blood shed for the Great Song Dynasty, right?" But why is there no seat at the entrance of the main hall, and it is unreasonable! ”

"The Straight Secret Pavilion is a secretary and a subordinate yamen, and there is a serious yamen." Qian Liao reminded enviously.

Li Kui pouted and said, "I don't even have a serious official house." Don't talk about it, do you know who changed my seat? ”

"This, don't embarrass me. Brother can do as much as you can, so let's do it, the banquet is divided into three classes, the princes and ministers of the first grade, and the adults above the third grade can enjoy it. The second-class is the treatment of the five grades and above of the Beijing officials. Renjie, although you are a five-grade official, you haven't elected an official yet, right? ”

Li Kui shook his head and said, "No, I haven't had time to report to the Ministry of Officials." ”

"This can only be counted by officials going to Beijing, and only a third-class banquet can be arranged." Qian Liao immediately patted his chest and said that he upgraded Li Kui's specifications to the first class: "Renjie, let me tell you this, right?" This year's Xinglong Festival Palace will be a big event, and the courtiers will congratulate His Majesty with the hundred officials of the two courts, as well as the envoys of various countries. The seats in the main hall can't be arranged, besides, even in the main hall, the seats by the door are very cold, and it is not as warm as the side hall. Brother, I can't promise you anything else, but you should be satisfied with raising the standard of your banquet to the first class, right? ”

"You have attended a state banquet, so you naturally know the doorway."

Li Kui nodded and said, "That's what I said, but ......"

Li Kui waved his hand impatiently, and said helplessly: "Forget it, I probably know why I was arranged in the side hall." Women hold grudges the most, and when it comes to His Majesty's birthday, I'm going to worry about her and what. ”

"Be cautious, Renjie, let's say a few words!"

Qian Liao sighed that Li Kui finally remembered what kind of angry thing he had done to attend the state banquet before. But Li Kui dared to say that it was not the Queen Mother, but Qian Liao did not.

He secretly wiped the cold sweat from his forehead and said in a low voice: "Renjie, you can relax, you are on the side of the door in the main hall." But in the side hall, you are the most prominent seat in the whole side hall reserved for you. And if you look at the menu, it's a first-class menu, with the envoys of various countries, princes and ministers. ”

Only then did Li Kui understand that the Queen Mother's resentment against him had not yet disappeared. Seeing Li Kui in the main hall, can the Queen Mother Xiang still be happy?

Although the Queen Mother is just going through the motions, she can't keep Li Kui and want to make trouble again.

Li Kui looked at the menu and muttered, "That's it?" Can't get enough to eat! ”

Qian Liao's days as an official of the Ministry of Officials are not short, and I have never heard of participating in a state banquet in order to be full. Of course, the emperor's feast on his ministers, if people can't eat enough, they won't have the face to say.

Qian Liao gritted his teeth and said to Li Kui: "I'll prepare double portions for you." ”

"Roast a whole lamb."

"No, the whole roasted whole sheep is put in front of the emperor, your ......" remembered the instructions of Shangshu and Shilang, as long as Li Kui's request was not too excessive, he would be satisfied. Qian Liao gritted his teeth and assured Li Kui: "Yes, but the head has to go." ”

Roasted whole sheep has its head, and it cannot be regarded as roasted whole sheep. Naturally, it will not be grabbed by the imperial historians and regarded as trespassing. Of course, it is not without risks, and it is easy to cause jealousy and dissatisfaction. After all, a first-class state banquet is just a roast leg of lamb. But Qian Liao has a way, after the whole sheep is roasted, it can't be seen.

Besides, there is not much meat in the sheep's head, Li Kui immediately said: "Yes!" ”

He was curious: "By the way, does the third-class state banquet also have roast mutton?" ”

"Yes, only the amount of bread." As a senior state banquet arranger, Qian Liao is very clear about this.

Thinking that he would eat roasted whole sheep by himself, and others could only eat mutton patties, Li Kui felt that it was not bad, at least he had enough face. He nodded reluctantly and said, "Forget it, let's do it!" By the way, Brother Ji Kang, you have a big face in the Ministry of Rites! Even the dishes of the banquet can be arranged at will, you have to be a Langzhong, right? ”

Qian Liao's face immediately fell, Lang Zhong was a fifth-grade official. He has only been a jinshi for more than two years, how can he enter the ministry to be a langzhong. Immediately waved his hand and said, "I can't do it." ”

"Is it an outsider?" Li Kui said with a little disgust.

Qian Liao originally regarded Li Kui as a friend, but now his friends don't want to do it, so he shook his head and smiled bitterly: "The foreigner is not small, I have little qualifications, how can I be a friend." ”

Li Kui is a little worried about the dishes of his state banquet, he is not even a foreigner, I'm afraid he is not qualified to set the specifications of the state banquet for him, right?

Qian Liao said hesitantly: "Don't worry, don't dare to say anything else, what I promised you will definitely be done for you." There is a catering department in the Ministry of Rites, and the chief official is a foreigner, and I am a minor official from the seventh grade. But to put it more broadly, the imperial court has to hold state banquets and sacrifice to the Taimiao, and these celebrations, from living animals to dishes, from cattle to chickens, boiling or barbecue, all need to be supervised by me......"

As he spoke, a little tears appeared in the corners of Qian Liao's eyes, and he finally passed the Jinshi examination, and he changed his career to become a chef, wronged!

If his father knew that he was such a nest official in the capital, it would be better to stay in his hometown and inherit the family's Wanguan family property.