A teahouse in Xianyifang, Beijing.

After hundreds of years of accumulation in the Song and Yuan Dynasties, by the Ming Dynasty, story-telling novels had become very popular and soon became a pastime for everyone. Because the words are more popular and the content is simpler than those in dramas, even the merchants

Even the foot soldiers can understand it. However, in this era, after all, only a few people can read, so the profession of storytellers is becoming more and more prosperous.

Go to a teahouse and order a pot of tea for two pennies. If you are more sophisticated, you can also bring some snacks, and you can spend an afternoon.

The most popular and hottest novel at this time is none other than "The Romance of the Three Kingdoms". Although its author Luo Guanzhong seemed to have a problem with Zhu Yuanzhang, Zhu Yuanzhang didn't pay much attention to it, but he was quite willing to read it.

However, after Zhu Di came to power, he thought that the book's description of the Han Dynasty emperor was not very respectful and made unreasonable remarks about loyalty and treachery, so he banned it.

However, great literary works can never be banned. Many scholars spread and copied this illegal book privately, and even private people secretly adapted it into a drama. Because this phenomenon was so common, the court turned a blind eye.

One eye.

When Zhu Houcong first came to the throne more than a year ago, he accidentally discovered the refined illustration version of the Three Kingdoms collected by his cousin in Zhengde's study. After looking through it, he was immediately moved.

It’s not because of the loyalty and courage of the characters in it, but because it happened to be a critical moment to fight for my father’s reputation. No one in the court listened to him. Seeing the story of Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty brought him into the story instantly. As I read it, I burst into tears.

orbit.

He is Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty! Emperor Xian of the Han Dynasty is him!

And Yang Tinghe is the dog thief Cao Cao!!

Faced with this situation, Jiajing immediately ordered the Supervisor of Ceremonies to stamp it! It must be stamped! So the Three Kingdoms completely became popular in the Great Ming Dynasty.

However, Jiajing may not have imagined that the poem written by the son of "Cao Tinghe", whom he hated, would eventually become the opening line of the Romance of the Three Kingdoms and be sung by future generations. If he could really predict the future, the little emperor would probably roll his eyes with anger at this time.

For a whole year, the Three Kingdoms were everywhere in the streets and alleys of the capital. Storytellers made a lot of money, and shopkeepers saw that people liked it, so they began to request other historical romance novels from readers.

And "The Legend of Heroes" that Xian Ruxing is listening to now is one of the more famous ones.

This book mainly describes the story of Zhu Yuanzhang, the Ming Taizu, who led a group of ministers to overthrow the rule of the Yuan Dynasty and cut off the separatist forces. In it, Zhu Yuanzhang is the reincarnation of the golden boy beside the Jade Emperor, and the other generals are also stars in the sky. The protagonist encounters difficulties every time he encounters them.

Gods Help, it can be called the main melody of the Ming Dynasty Edition.

Xian Ruxing yawned as he heard this. He was so sleepy that he wanted to turn around to see how the people behind him were talking. As soon as he turned around, he saw Zhu Houcong and the old man next to him looking at the stage with their bright eyes.

Xian Ruxing: "..." Is it that good-looking?

Seeing that he would be delayed in returning to the palace if he did not do serious things, Xian Ruxing coughed lightly. Zhu Houcong woke up from a dream and quickly said to the old man: "Mr. Sui'an, how about we eat first?"

The old man was dark-skinned and energetic. He did not refute Zhu Houcong's proposal, but he looked in the direction of the storyteller with obvious reluctance.

Seeing this, Xian Ruxing smiled and said, "In that case, why not bring the food over and let's eat here."

"That's good." The old man nodded. Xian Ruxing gave a few instructions to Deng Shi who was standing guard nearby, and then sat down again.

Deng Shiyi was so excited that he swallowed his saliva. God knows that he, a humble citizen, was so lucky to meet the Long Live Lord in the palace, not only His Majesty, but also his idol Yang Yiqing, Mr. Yangge! Following Master Xianxian was really what he had done in his life.

The most correct decision!

Yes, the old man at the dinner table was Yang Yiqing, who was famous all over the world at this time.

Although they both have the same surname Yang and are about the same age, he has nothing to do with his chief minister Yang Tinghe. Yang Yiqing has been a well-known child prodigy since he was a child. He is not an ordinary child prodigy. He was so smart that even the then Emperor Chenghua had heard of him, and even learned from the cabinet

He chose a teacher to teach him directly. Yang Yiqing also lived up to the expectations of the emperor and successfully passed the Jinshi examination at the age of seventeen.

After that, he cheated all the way, except Liu Jin, Dou Jiangbin, and promoted Wang Shouren. He was also capable of literary and military skills, and took charge of the northwest military affairs. He fought many victorious battles, and many people among the people were his fans.

Such a versatile person was imprisoned several times for contradicting Zhengde, and was finally kicked out of the court to stay at home. After Jiajing succeeded to the throne, he was invited to come out several times, but perhaps out of frustration, the old man declined.

Now that Jiajing has called Zhang Cong back, he is expected to have another fight with Yang Tinghe. In order to smoothly transfer power, it is obviously necessary to have such a Dinghaishenzhen. So when he heard that Yang Yiqing was obsessed with storytelling after becoming an official, Zhu Houcong specially chose a day

I invited him over, but I didn't expect that I would be attracted as well.

"When I was still in Anlu, I heard my father say that there were three heroes in Chu, Liu Daxia, Li Dongyang and sir. The trivial matters in the court had not been settled before. Now that I am free, I will come to visit you immediately and ask for your help.

I can help you!" After saying that, the young man stood up and bowed deeply to Yang Yiqing.

"Young Master's words are serious." Yang Yiqing hurriedly stretched out his hand to help him. It would be a lie to say that the emperor was so polite to the corporal. But he also had his own concerns. When he was young, he was not afraid of anything. He thought that in the worst case, he would die, but he would be old.

It is inevitable that he will cherish his life. He cannot change his bad temper. If he is convicted for his words again, his family will be hurt.

Just as he was hesitating, the prepared food was brought up, and he quickly changed the topic and smiled at Xian Ruxing: "I have long heard that Master Xian Xian is not only a profound Taoist, but also good at internal affairs. Everyone who has eaten the food in the imperial dining room is full of praise.

I am considered blessed today."

"It's all the hard work of Shang Shi in the palace, Pindao is just talking." Xian Ruxing kept refuting.

However, when the food box was opened and he saw the food inside, Yang Yiqing was stunned.

Stone buns, Huanggui persimmon cakes, gourd chicken...

I thought it was something new, but it turned out that they were all northwest dishes, and they were all Yang Yiqing used to eat. He served as the trilateral commander-in-chief, and often led his soldiers to guard the border. What he ate was all convenient food.

I grabbed it directly with my hands. The northwest wind was strong, and eating a steamed bun always left my mouth full of sand. But looking back now, it was the most fulfilling and happy period in my life...

He picked up a piece of persimmon cake and put it in his mouth. It was sweet and soft in the mouth. As soon as he ate it, he could tell that it was specially made by a famous chef in the northwest. Yang Yiqing nodded to Xian Ruxing and said, "Thank you for your hard work, Taoist priest. It's not easy to do this in the capital."

.”

As the saying goes, you can only tell the subtle things. If the person sitting opposite was Zhengde, then his adopted sons Qian'er would never do so much just to treat him. Looking at the two people around the emperor, Huang Jin, the companion, was cautious, and the Taoist priest Xian Ruxing acted prudently.

After many years, no one can find any fault. From this, we can see the character of their superior Zhu Houcong. At the very least, he really wants to be a wise king. That is enough.

Yang Yiqing pondered for a moment, looked at Jiajing and said: "Young master treats me like this, it is wrong for me to shirk it anymore. If you don't think I am old and useless, then I am willing to assist you."

Seeing that the matter was finally done, Zhu Houcong looked at each other excitedly with Xian Ruxing, feeling extremely happy and seeing Yang Yiqing become more approachable. The two of them ate the food and tasted the following "The Legend of Heroes" together.

Xian Ruxing didn't like noodles very much and put down his chopsticks after only two bites.

Storytelling in this era is not like that of later generations. You can start with a table and a gavel. Storytellers in the Ming Dynasty had many skills. Not only did they talk a lot, they also played three immortals in their hands and had a "brush" tied to their right leg.

The "board" is a kind of percussion instrument. Whenever the plot is exciting, the sound of the strings, the sound of the board, and the human voice are combined into one, making it crackling and lively.

However, the reader's efforts obviously cannot cover up the boredom of the plot. It may be that the writer did not dare to say that Zhu Yuanzhang killed all the heroes and killed the heroes, so the death of the last few ministers only said that they had completed their merits in the world and were called back by heaven.

Already.

Xian Ruxing was originally not very interested in this, but suddenly noticed that Zhu Houcong next to him looked yearning after hearing this, and his heart suddenly froze.

You know, for Emperor Jiajing, superstition was the foundation of his soul. Under the influence of his father since he was a child, he could recite the "South China Sutra" without even memorizing the Three-Character Sutra. And it was precisely relying on this that Xian Ruxing was able to go smoothly.

to where we are today.

However, it is a trivial matter to believe in religion, but it is necessary to indulge in it. In order to prevent it from gradually slipping into history, Xian Ruxing immediately spoke up, severely criticizing "The Legend of Heroes" from the writing and plot to the depth of thought, and said that there are many good-looking novels.

, it’s okay if you don’t want to watch this low-end version of Three Kingdoms!

As soon as he finished speaking, a male voice was heard from a table not far away: "Young lady, you have such a strong tone. I, Guo Xun, don't believe you can find a better book than "The Legend of Heroes"!"

Hearing this name, Xian Ruxing was stunned for a moment.

Wudinghou Guo Xun is the fifth-generation grandson of the famous founding general Guo Ying. There are only a few honorees awarded during the Hongwu period, and Wudinghou is one. However, because it is far away from the center of the court, Wudinghou's house has declined in recent years.

Xian Ruxing had previously discussed with Jiajing how to support nobles, but ended up being frustrated by Xu Guangzuo. In the end, she chose to recommend Wu Dinghou.

He was chosen because his family was in decline and he could only cling to the imperial power when he got up. Secondly, Guo Xun himself had some talents. He had made military exploits in Guangdong and Guangxi. Most importantly, Zhang Cong secretly scolded Yang Tinghe when he wrote a letter.

He agreed. So in the end he was brought to the capital to help Lu Song, and together they were in charge of the regiment camp.

Why is he here? Xian Ruxing was puzzled, but Deng Shishi whispered: "It is rumored that Wu Dinghou hired someone to compile "The Legend of Heroes and Martyrs"."

Xian Ruxing suddenly realized, and she asked, why in the book, every time Zhu Yuanzhang goes to the battlefield, Guo Ying has to block the sword for him! Although Guo Ying is indeed a guard, but he will not directly become a substitute messenger!

Thinking of this, Xian Ruxing was a little dumbfounded and lamented that Guo Xun was really a talented person who could think of such ways to flatter him. If she hadn't intervened, it is estimated that her family's status in the emperor's heart would have skyrocketed.

What he said was indeed a bit offensive, so he turned to Guo Xun and said, "My little girl just now has no status, I hope you don't take it personally."

Guo Xun was very proud of himself these days, so he took a break from bathing today. He wanted to come to the teahouse to listen to his masterpiece. As soon as he sat down, he heard someone slandering him, and he couldn't help but ridicule him.

However, when he saw that person for the first time, he stayed where he was.

In order to avoid attracting attention, Xian Ruxing did not wear a monk's robe. She only dressed up as a normal woman. She also had the most popular hairdo with a bold headband. She just sat there without wearing any makeup.

.

Because Xian Ruxing deliberately stayed away from sensitive issues such as military power, and the two had never met, Guo Xun didn't know that the woman in front of him was the one who decided his fate. He only felt as if his heart had been hit, and he smiled when he saw her.

, the first reaction in my mind is: She has me in her heart!

Guo Xun thought that he had a heroic appearance and a noble birth, so there was nothing to be afraid of. So he stepped forward confidently and said to Xian Ruxing: "It doesn't matter, it's a miscellaneous book. It doesn't matter if Miss Bo smiles. I'm Guo Xun, a person from the capital. These days

Are you a member of the young lady’s family?”

As soon as these words came out, the room was filled with silence.

Huang Jin and Deng Shiyi looked at him in shock, Yang Yiqing frowned, and Zhu Houcong, who had his back to everyone, had a face as dark as water.

Xian Ruxing:...huh?

…

If anyone in the DPRK is having the worst time, then Yang Tinghe, the chief minister of the cabinet, is definitely one of them. He originally wanted to help the civil servants of the Ming Dynasty fight for some say, but in the end he was stabbed in the back, and even implicated his friend Mao Zedong.

Cheng was demoted and punished. In the end, his junior Zhang Cong, who had pointed his nose at him and scolded him, was transferred back. It was true that he lost his wife and lost his army.

However, Yang Shoufu didn't seem to care about these things, and continued to work and live as usual. He even wrote poems praising the new foods made in the imperial kitchen. It has to be said that the skill of nourishing qi is really first-rate.

Yang Tinghe is not pretending, he really doesn't care. After living like this, power, fame, wealth... he has all these, and he has reached a certain point. After solving the shortcomings left by Zhengde, he even has political integrity.

All the ambitions have been realized. Anyway, relying on decades of merit, the emperor can't touch him, so it's better to relax and enjoy life.
To be continued...