Chapter 21
In the next few days, Zhao Qi was busy completing the "punishment" Xiao Shiqing gave him. Xiao Shiqing seemed to have lost trust in him, and personally supervised his calligraphy practice. In the outer hall of the Qinzheng Hall, Xiao Shiqing was discussing matters with the ministers; in the inner hall of the Qinzheng Hall, Zhao Qi was being punished bitterly.
In the middle of the discussion, Xiao Shiqing saw Jiang Dehai coming out of the inner hall, and asked: "What?"
Jiang Dehai said: "Return to the prime minister, the emperor said that he is hungry and wants to eat." "Didn't you
just eat half an hour ago. "Xiao Shiqing stood up, "Go and see the emperor for the truth, you step down first." Hubu
Shangshu: "The matter of King Zhaonan's military salary..."
Xiao Shiqing sneered: "When will he enter the palace, and when will we discuss it." Yesterday, he After receiving the secret report from the secret line in Beijing, Li Chisu had already arrived in the capital two days ago. After he arrived in Beijing, he didn't go back to King Zhaonan's mansion in Beijing, nor did he enter the palace, but lingered in the newly opened Jiaofangsi in Beijing, and he hasn't come out yet.
Just as Zhao Qi finished practicing a copybook, he lay down on the table and slacked off for a while, when Xiao Shiqing came in. He quickly picked up the pen, and when he didn't pay attention, the tip of the pen drew a line across his face, "I will continue to practice!"
Xiao Shiqing chuckled, "Aren't you hungry, write after eating." He took it from the eunuch Handkerchief, "Come here."
Zhao Qi stepped back slightly, "I wipe it myself."
Jiang Dehai served a plate of almond cake and a bowl of white fungus and lotus seed soup, Zhao Qi asked while eating, "What did the prime minister talk about with the ministers just now?" Ah."
"It's mainly about the examination."
"Oh, have the results come out?"
"Well," Xiao Shiqing said, "one hundred and twenty tribute students were selected to participate in the palace examination."
"The palace examination..." Zhao Xi thought for a while, " Is it the one presided over by me?"
"Yes."
Zhao Qi laughed, after so many years of exams, is it finally his turn to invigilate others!
Xiao Shiqing looked at him, "Very happy?"
Zhao Qi nodded, "Yes, I am certainly happy to see future talents from Dajing. I hope they are real talents, and they must not be like Master Chen from Dali Temple."
Xiao Shiqing paused, "How are you, Master Chen?" "
Zhao Qi said angrily, "I asked him to investigate the disappearance of Zao Tao in Muyang Temple, and he actually said that my little peach was stolen by a mouse in Muyang Temple, can you believe it?"
"..."
" He thinks me stupid, I picked so many small peaches, can the mice steal them all overnight? Are all the mice in the capital in Muyang Temple!"
"..."
"Brother Prime Minister, are you angry?"
Xiao Shiqing said calmly: "It's annoying."
After filling his stomach, Zhao Qi resumed work. Xiao Shiqing looked at him for a while, and said, "You can rest for a day after you finish practicing the characters."
Zhao Qi stretched his waist, "Then I will definitely sleep for a day." In the
end, Zhao Qi did not sleep for a day as he wished. When Zhao Qiao learned that Xiao Shiqing had given him leave, he said excitedly, "Your Majesty, why don't you go out of the palace with your brother?"
Zhao Qi had never left the palace except for the time he went to Muyang Mountain. The emperor, he doesn't even know what the emperor of his own country looks like. He really wanted to go out of the palace to have a look, but he cherished his life even more. "No, what if I meet an assassin."
"The emperor has gone out of the palace with his ministers a few times before, and every time there are hidden guards following him, and nothing happened."
Zhao Qi hesitated, "Would you like me?" I'll think twice."
Zhao Qiao continued to urge him: "Your Majesty, a new Chunfeng Pavilion has been opened in the south of the city. The dignitaries have gathered here for the past few days. I heard that it is like a fairyland on earth. People can't move when they come here!"
Chunfeng Pavilion...Listen It looks like the name of a big restaurant. Zhao Qi asked: "Is the food in it delicious?"
Zhao Qiao smiled all over his face, "It goes without saying, the kind that can go to heaven after one bite!"
Zhao Qi doubted: "It's true or not."
"How dare my minister lie to the emperor," Zhao Qiao said seriously, "that is the crime of deceiving the emperor!"
Zhao Qi can eat delicacies from all over the world every day in the palace, but he also wants to try folk delicacies. He made up his mind, "Okay, let's go to the Spring Breeze Pavilion!"
Although the current Dajing said that the emperor is not very good, but with Empress Dowager Wen and Xiao Shiqing guarding him, the people's life is quite stable. The capital city is at the foot of the Son of Heaven, and it is very lively. The streets are full of various shops, people come and go on the streets, and you can also see many foreigners wearing strange clothes.
Zhao Xi was dressed in blue and white brocade clothes, walking on the road, he was no different from the pampered and aristocratic sons of everyone in the capital, except that his face was more delicate and fairer. Zhao Qiao took Zhao Qi to Chunfeng Pavilion with his familiar road. He is a regular customer here, and the old bustard greeted him as soon as he entered the door, "Mr. Zhao Si is here, the girls miss you!"
Zhao Qi had a complicated expression, It turns out that Chunfeng Pavilion is the legendary Jiaofang Secretary. No wonder Zhao Qiao actively led him here.
The old bustard saw the young man behind Zhao Qiao, and asked, "This is..."
Zhao Qiao said mysteriously, "This is a noble man, you must serve him hard." The
capital is full of dignitaries . , the old bustard has also seen the world, and said with a beaming smile: "You two young masters, please come with the servant's house."
Zhao Qi stood at the door without moving, "Forget it, I'm not going."
Zhao Qiao was anxious, "" How can I forget it, I have come here."
Zhao Xi said: "If my brother knows that I have come to such a filthy place..."
"Oh, my son said that our Chunfeng Pavilion is wrong." The old bustard said, "Chunfeng The girls in the pavilion are all innocent, and they don't sell their bodies. If the son's family is strictly controlled, he can come in and ask for a private seat, eat, drink, and listen to music. I think his elder brother won't mind."
Zhao Qi still Cowardly, "This..."
Zhao Qiao pushed Zhao Qi into the Chunfeng Pavilion, "My good brother, this is not the first time you have come to this kind of place, and Mr. Xiao was not angry because of it before. Let's go, no matter how late you are, the girl will be punished." Take it away!"
Zhao Qi half-pushed and half-heartedly entered the Jiaofang Division. Different from the brothel he imagined, the inside is quite elegant, and many men dressed as scholars can be seen reciting poems against each other.
The old procuress said proudly: "These young masters are all Gongshi who have just finished their exams, and they will enter the palace to take the palace exam tomorrow!"
Zhao Qi was taken aback, "Hurry up and find me a private room!" Those Gongshi memorized their faces, and they would be recognized again in the palace examination - the picture was so beautiful that he didn't even dare to think about it.
The bustard took the two of them to the private room, and asked, "Your Highness, do you want a girl to accompany you?"
"That's not nonsense!" Zhao Qiao waved his hand, "Call the oiran from your pavilion!" The
bustard smiled and said, "Oh, the oiran I have been with Mr. Li for the past two days, so I’m afraid I won’t be able to pick up other guests.”
“Then how much Mr. Li gives you, we Mr. Zhao will give you double!”
Zhao Qi rolled his eyes, “Prodigal son, you also deserve a surname. Zhao——Don’t pay attention to him, just find two sisters who can play music. Also, come here for any good wine and food you have here.”
Not long after, the old bustard brought two girls. One is called Ruyan and the other is called Rumeng. The girls have elegant demeanor, like hibiscus blooming out of water, and they are indeed different from ordinary vulgar fans.
Ruyan Rumeng sat down beside Zhao Qi and Zhao Qiao.
"What song do you want to listen to, my lord?"
"Do you want to drink, my lord?"
Zhao Qi: "You play whatever you want—my sister makes way for me to pick up food."
Zhao Qiao shook his head, "Emperor Brother, you now It's really changed."
Zhao Qi shrugged, "I can't help it, the family is strictly controlled."
Zhao Qiao chuckled and greeted like smoke and dreams, "You, go and play the music; you, serve the wine to the master."
The dishes in Chunfeng Pavilion and the royal chef in the palace each have their own flavors, and Zhao Qi occasionally eats a different taste. I was quite happy. Zhao Qiao and Rumeng kept persuading him to drink, and he also drank a few glasses of honor, and the atmosphere was quite harmonious.
At this time, there was a sudden commotion outside the private room, followed by the sound of hurried footsteps. Zhao Qi put down his wine glass, "What happened, is there an assassin!"
Zhao Qiao said in horror, "No, the assassin is really here! Where are the dark guards, escort, quickly escort!"
Ruyan stood up, "Both Don’t be in a hurry, my master, let’s go out and have a look.”
After a while, Ruyan came back and said, “Don’t worry, my lord, they are from the government, and they said they came to look for people under the order of Prime Minister Xiao, so let all the men go to the lobby.”
Zhao Qi He stared at Zhao Qiao, "He didn't come to look for me, did he? Damn, it must be!"
Zhao Qiao went crazy: "Master Xiao is too strict! He really thought he was Is it the empress of the palace!"
Zhao Xi trembled, "No, I can't be discovered, let alone go to the lobby to be seen by those scholars." He was so depressed that he wanted to vomit blood, and he knew that coming to this kind of place would not lead to good things.
Ruyan said worriedly: "I'm afraid it won't work. Even if the young master doesn't go downstairs, the people in the government will search from room to room."
Rumeng said: "I have a way, but I don't know if it will work or not."
Zhao Xi No one came out of the private room where he was staying, and the people from the government really came to the door in person.
The door was kicked open abruptly, and a man with sideburns came in, saw four people, and said to Zhao Qiao, "Who are you, to resist the Prime Minister's life?
" The son's surname is Zhao, who do you think this son is?"
Lian Xiong looked Zhao Qiao up and down, "It's useless to be named Zhao, the prime minister said, no matter whether it is a high-ranking person or a relative of the emperor, we must not let it go! Come here , Mr. Zhao please go downstairs!"
Zhao Qiao was forked out by two strong men, and one of his shoes was lost. He yelled like a pig: "You dare to touch me?! I'll let the emperor chop off your heads and kick them as balls—"
Zhao Qi with his head down: I'm sorry brother, I'm not that cruel.
As soon as the people from the government left, Zhao Xi raised his head eagerly, and said to Rumeng: "Thank you, Miss, I don't want to stay here for long, so I'll take my leave first." Rumeng said, "Master , the
front door is full of people from the government, how do you get out?"
"Try to find a way to get out. They only look for men, so they probably won't notice me. Sisters, there will be a period later."
After Zhao Qi left, Ruyan Rumeng looked at each other and sighed: "This young man's red makeup is even more eye-catching than men's clothes." ..."
At this time, Zhao Qi was wearing a bright red skirt, black silk like ink, red lips like fire, with a gold bracelet on his head, walking furtively on the long corridor. Shame is shame, these days there are still a few boys who have never dressed as women. Compared to being carried back from Jiaofang Division by Xiao Shiqing and being recognized by candidates in the palace examination, this is not a big deal. The
skirt is a bit long, and Zhao Qi was worried about stepping on the hem of the skirt, so he walked very carefully. Unexpectedly, a familiar man came towards him, Zhao Qi vaguely felt that he was a guard in the palace, and he should recognize his face.
Zhao Qi cursed secretly, pushed open a nearby door, and hid in.
"Which red card is this? I sent it to my door." A
slightly frivolous voice sounded, Zhao Qi turned his head, and met a pair of water-cut peach blossom eyes.
The author has something to say:
The prince had a hard time going public, and he met the little emperor wearing a vest, with bitter tears qwq
Another little reminder for everyone: the first one who found out that the little emperor was pregnant was not Zaizai’s own father (hahahaha what the hell)