Brutal touch

Chapter 16: Dissecting the story of Mr. Jinyu and raising money and food.
  The Fourth Young Master left the city lord of Jiangcheng and pondered for a long time. He thought that with the attitude of the lord of Jiangcheng, it would be useless to visit Jiangcheng any more. The only place where he could get clues at the moment was from the city lord of Chiniu City, where people were singing and singing every day. , being intoxicated and obsessed with money, attracted many wealthy nobles to live here permanently. This naturally provided more opportunities to make money, so there were always down-and-out nobles who wanted to go to Red Bull City. Going back and forth to Red Bull City has also become a place where intelligence and information converge.

At the moment, the Lord of Red Bull City is in the royal capital, which saves him a lot of energy. However, as a person who cannot practice Qi, if he stands in front of Shizhe like this, he may be plotted in ten thousand ways. The only one I can trust right now is Nan Qin. The Fourth Young Master thought so. He ordered Jian Yi to prepare his carriage and horses and go straight to the Prime Minister's Mansion. The porter on duty at the Prime Minister's Mansion saw the Fourth Young Master's carriage and horse, and hurriedly greeted the Fourth Young Master. A respectable servant welcomed the Fourth Young Master into the side living room to serve tea, ordered four servants to wait on him, and arranged for the orderer Jian Yi and other entourage. , asked the Fourth Young Master about his visit, and asked the porter to inform the manager, who informed the manager, who informed the aunt in Nanqin’s room. Nanqin asked three maids to help her change clothes, and hurried to the side living room to see them. The Fourth Young Master was sipping tea and said with a smile: "The Fourth Young Master is quite leisurely today, so he took the initiative to come to see me."

When the Fourth Young Master saw Nan Qin coming, he also smiled and said, "I've had some free time these days. I want to take you to the Great Compassion Temple, but I don't know if Miss Nan Qin is so elegant."

Although Nan Qin smiled, there was a trace of disdain. He took the tea cup used by the Fourth Young Master, took a sip and said, "I'm not elegant at all. I'm just very idle. Let's go." After saying this, he asked the maid on the side to say, "Follow the great sadness and happiness." Send a message to the other side of the temple to see who is there. I think the Lord of Red Bull City is not here now, so ask them to prepare a reception."

The maid took the order and retreated. Nan Qin looked at the Fourth Young Master and said jokingly, "It seems that being a prisoner has really given me experience, and I can speak better than before." The Fourth Young Master looked at Nan Qin's eager eyes and immediately resented his plot just now, almost like a criminal confessing. replied: "This is the first time I have held power. I want to do more things to prove it. To prove it."

Although it was just two simple sentences, the Fourth Young Master almost felt like tearing out his heart at this moment. Nan Qin hurriedly interrupted: "No, you are fine. You don't have to prove anything." After saying that, he stood up and stood in front of the Fourth Young Master. Hugging the sitting Fourth Young Master from behind, the maid suddenly called back and said, "The Lord of Red Bull City is not in the Great Sadness and Joy Temple now, but they said that if Fourth Young Master and Miss Nanqin are willing, Red Bull City's two guards, Han Bai, can receive them on their behalf." .”

Nan Qin put her hand on the fourth young master's flushed face and replied without looking at the maid, "I know, ask them to bring the carriage and horses."

The Fourth Young Master held Nan Qin's hand and said, "Nan Qin, you know, I think you are right. The gap between practicing Qi and not practicing Qi may really be irreparable. This is not a gap that can be bridged by cleverness."

Nan Qin smiled and said, "What? Have you decided to become a wealthy and idle man?" The two held each other's hands tightly.

"No, I" the Fourth Young Master wanted to retort, but now he suddenly thought, why should he drag Nan Qin to accompany him to take risks for his ideal? Although he is a useless person who cannot practice Qi, he can accept it calmly even if he is doomed in the future. However, as the granddaughter of Xiangguo, Nanqin's Qi training level has long been recognized as the best among her peers. What right did he have to let her accompany him in his nonsense? Thinking of this, the Fourth Young Master wanted to pull Nan Qin's hand away.

Nan Qin suddenly said, "Let's go, their carriages and horses are here. Don't look like this on your face. It will make irrelevant people laugh."

Han and Bai came to the Prime Minister's Mansion with their carriages and horses, and invited the Fourth Young Master Nan Qin to get on the carriage. They took the busiest road in the city on the way. Along the way, everyone was dressed in fine clothes, there were countless singers and drunken people. A city can't wait to pile up mountains of gold on the spot to prove its wealth. Even Nan Qin, who grew up in the royal capital, was secretly surprised when he saw such a scene. When he looked at the Fourth Young Master, he didn't say a word, just looking at these tall buildings and pedestrians. .
  "This street is really friendly. You see, that jewelry store belongs to my family, and so does that store. That store belongs to my uncle's family." Nan Qin was a little excited to see something familiar to her, but the Fourth Young Master was mechanical. Watching Nan Qin's conductor, dumbfounded. "I know you are not that conscientious. Don't worry, we have plenty of opportunities." Nan Qin said. "I can never hide it from you." Fourth Young Master sighed.

"Great Beihuan Temple, we've arrived." Han Qiao dismounted and said to the carriage of Fourth Young Master and Nan Qin. After hearing this, Nan Qin and the Fourth Young Master got off the carriage and looked down. The carpet outside the gate of the Great Sadness and Joy Temple was lifted up by more than an inch. It feels like the texture of feathers, but even Fourth Young Master and Nan Qin can't identify the details. Han led the way, Nanqin and the Fourth Young Master followed behind, and Bai followed on one side. "Such a carpet is quite expensive, isn't it? Are you worried about it getting damaged if you lay it outside?" asked the Fourth Young Master. Han replied: "Everyone who comes to the Great Beihuan Temple is a heavenly being. How can the footsteps of heavenly beings touch the earth when they come to the world." Nan Qin laughed and said: "The Great Beihuan Temple receives so many people a year. Could it be that everyone is a heavenly being?" ? Can your Red Bull City worship so many heavenly beings?" Daohan replied: "To touch the country's hundreds of thousands of nobles and tens of millions of white people, who can talk and laugh, and see this vast world, is what they have accumulated over several lifetimes. If you are like Miss Nanqin, how many blessings will come to you is beyond our reach."

The Fourth Young Master asked: "I have heard of the Great Beihuan Temple before. In the front is a place where the princes and nobles play, but in the back is a group of monks. Aren't you afraid that this will pollute their practice?" "The joy of the world is our joy. All the sorrows in the world are the sorrows of our people. All the sorrows and joys in the world are the source of our practice. If we hope to escape from these and practice, in the end, it is nothing more than trying to catch fish."

After hearing this, the Fourth Young Master just nodded silently and stopped talking. The group of people arrived at the door. A bejeweled waiter walked over, carrying more than a dozen gold items. The sunlight made it difficult to open one's eyes. He held a tray in his hand with a layer of gold sand spread on it. Bai smiled and said to Nan Qin, the Fourth Young Master and others: "This is the gold sand that the Lord of Red Bull City chanted and blessed. You can take one as a souvenir." The Fourth Young Master was about to reach out to take it when suddenly Nan Qin said with a smile: "Don't talk about gold sand, it's nothing but gold bricks." Bai said: "It's not the first time for Miss Nanqin to come to the Great Beihuan Temple, why bother to embarrass this villain." Nan Qin said with a smile: "I know that this gold sand can change people. Keep your appearance and voice, so that no one will be embarrassed and leave." This was clearly meant for the Fourth Young Master, and the three of them took the gold sand.

The door immediately opened by itself, and a group of people walked into the Great Beihuan Temple. It was decorated with seven treasures, and the walls of the hall were mixed with jewelry of various colors. Others looked like stars in the sky. The Fourth Young Master and Nan Qin looked along the door and knew that the paintings were of the gods of the heavens. "I didn't know that Miss Nanqin and Fourth Young Master were coming earlier. I was not prepared. After a lot of apology, I finally managed to coordinate a decent banquet hall." Han Qian said as he led the way.

"This mural is probably the key to the meditation practice." The Fourth Young Master stopped and said. "Oh, can Fourth Young Master see that?" Han exclaimed. "I just looked at something that seemed to teach people how to practice, and I just made a casual guess. Could it be that the Lord of Red Bull City is so generous and shows off his skills to such a large public?" Han replied: "Everything in the Great Beihuan Temple cannot be put down. , meaningless seven treasures, meaningless status, meaningless skills. It is precisely because the Lord of Red Bull City can put down foreign objects that he can achieve great success in the meditation technique. However, since the master of the meditation technique was left here in Red Bull City, the only one who can really recognize it is There is one Fourth Young Master. It is also this technique that has a fate with the Fourth Young Master."

The Fourth Young Master nodded, and the group of people arrived at the door of the room within a few steps. Bai Mingren opened the door, and wine and food were placed on the table, including eight delicacies from the mountains and seas, plus a steamed fish. The Eight Treasures of the Mountains and Seas are not something that is difficult for the Fourth Young Master and Nan Qin to see. However, due to the season, a banquet often only contains a few of them. The Eight Treasures of the Mountains and the Sea can be gathered together at one table, even for the Fourth Young Master. Nan Qin couldn't help but secretly marveled. The Fourth Young Master looked at the steamed fish on the table and said: "Any of the eight delicacies from the mountains and seas is enough to be the mainstay of a banquet. With today's combination, I think the eight delicacies will complement this steamed fish, a fish from the river, and a decent one." I don’t know how much gold can buy, so how can He De let eight treasures complement it?”

Han smiled and said: "Foods are neither noble nor cheap. You will know when you try it, Fourth Young Master." The Fourth Young Master took a bite, frowned, and tasted for a long time without saying anything. "How's it going? You should say something." Nan Qin shouted, and then took a bite and said, "Isn't it delicious?" The Fourth Young Master said, "It's indeed steamed fish, but you eat it with me in the royal capital. It's very different. I want to meet the cook." Bai nodded and waved to the waiter. After a while, a middle-aged man in coarse clothes lowered his head and said through the screen: "I have met you all, sir." Four The young master asked: "What is your position and how much is your annuity?"

"The villain is a first-class fish steamer in the Great Beihuan Temple. He has an annual income of five gold coins and three white people in his family." "You speak so plainly, are you not afraid of us? Have you met many adults?"

"Yes, I have met Mr. Xiangguo."

Nan Qin was startled and asked quickly: "Have you seen Xiangguo? How did you see him?"

"When I heard that the Prime Minister was here, I must have removed the screen to see us. That's how we knew it was the Prime Minister who was here."

Nan Qin asked again: "Did Mr. Xiangguo say anything to you?"

"Master Xiangguo asked the villain what he can do, and the villain replied that he can only make steamed fish. How to choose the fish, how to cut it with the knife so as not to spoil the taste of the fish itself, and what kind of fish should be cooked at what kind of temperature. These are small enough. People have been thinking about it all their lives. Mr. Xiangguo said that just this steamed fish is enough for a first-class cook, so Mr. Xiangguo asked the villain to follow him to the Prime Minister's Mansion to cook fish. "

"Then why are you still here? Why didn't you agree?"

"The water in the Royal Capital is turbid, and the river fish is fishy and fishy. We brought it from elsewhere, and the fish has no flavor after being delayed for too long. Even a god in the Royal Capital cannot make a qualified steamed fish."

Nan Qin was silent for a long time, then put an immeasurable amount of gold on the table and said reward. The waiter took a huge amount of gold and went down to reward the cook. The cook kowtowed and left.

Hanbai and the others drank a few drinks with the Fourth Young Master and others. Knowing that they were not of a high standard, they left with an excuse. When Nan Qin saw the two leaving, he hurriedly asked the Fourth Young Master: "How much did you memorize the Guanzen Technique just now?" ?" "Basically all." The Fourth Young Master replied. Nan Qin said happily: "Have you ever thought that the reason why you can't practice any decent skills is because those skills are too low-level?" "Oh? After so many years, you still haven't given up?" Fourth Young Master continued As he ate the food in front of him, he seemed to have no interest in it.

Nan Qin said, "You can try the Guan Chan Kung Fu. Maybe Shi Zhe's Kung Fu can help you get started. This profession is very dangerous, and you can't do it like this. You know." The Fourth Young Master nodded and said, "Nan Qin, Help me protect the law." The Fourth Young Master guided the seemingly absent power in his body according to the method he had memorized. Different from the fancy methods he had encountered before, Shizhe's method was more primitive.

"It still doesn't work." The Fourth Young Master sighed. "You can feel that the vipassanā meditation technique is more advanced than ordinary techniques, but the result is still the same,"

It's the last day of the royal capital's grand meeting. They are all trivial matters. Everything that can be passed has been passed. Even if it can't be passed, no one is going to argue about it. The morning was over. In the afternoon, there was a banquet in the palace as usual. Shi Zhezhong went back when it was time.

Shan said that Buji and the Lord of Jiangcheng had finished their business and discussed to say goodbye to their mentor. These two people don't need any other etiquette. They can come and go freely in the front yard of the Prime Minister's Mansion. With Bu Ji in front and the Lord of Jiangcheng behind him, they walked straight into the front hall of the Prime Minister's Mansion. Nan Buwen was sitting on the Grand Master's chair. Nan Buwen already looked a little tired due to the big discussion and the Shengsheng Formation. Seeing these two people coming, he just motioned them to sit down with his eyes. Watching them sit down, Nan Buwen didn't know where his eyes were looking and said: "The big meeting is held once every three years, and I will only see you again." Twice." Buji said: "Teacher, you are joking. Your soul is fuller than ours. Who in the capital doesn't say that you are the longevity star?" Nan Buwen waved his hand and said: "That group of people When a person opens his mouth to talk while eating, the words in his mouth are less trustworthy than what a parrot says. Worrying about the country is just one day." Buji said: "Before the students came, they didn't have time to see their teacher. After the big meeting, they finally had time. "This year, there are pearls from the south that are of good quality. The students brought them and ground them into powder for my teacher's health."

Nan Buwen waved his hand to ask the retainer to take it away, and Bu Ji continued: "Teacher, the students in the Shengsheng Formation can see clearly, then..." "Yichang! Why are you making such a big fuss? I'm here to talk about it!" "Nan Buwen suddenly shouted out the window. Buji understood and said no more. "Don't say anything, don't think about anything. The country has been in chaos for a long time. I remember that I was younger than you when King Chu was restored. You young people who have never seen the troubled times, sooner or later the country will be in chaos. You have something on your hands, wait until I'm buried in the ground and you won't mess with yours again. I'm old, I can't stand the fuss."

The Lord of Jiangcheng City said: "Teacher, I received news yesterday that some nobles in Jiangcheng voluntarily donated food, which is expected to be more than two million catties. They can reach the royal capital within a month, which can make up for the shortfall to some extent." Nan Buwen He nodded and said: "Okay, okay, you can compile a list of the nobles who donated food. Don't treat them badly in the future. What about coal? The biggest shortage right now is coal. Do you have any ideas?" Buji and the Lord of Jiangcheng City Looking at each other, Bu Ji said: "The coal students can find ways to raise it, but after all, Tong Kui is still in charge of the coal that touches the country, and he still has to solve the big problem." Nan Buwen nodded and said, "It just can't be avoided. Asking these questions, you people are looking at it from afar, not knowing how difficult it is to fill the position of Prime Minister. You have always preceded them, and you still hope that one day you want to take over, huh, will it be their turn?" The Lord of Jiangcheng City continued. He said: "Teacher, it's not that there is no other way. There is a lot of wood in the south, and there are several mountains near Jiangcheng, all covered with trees. The student thought that since there is no condition to prepare so much coal, it would be good to prepare some wood from the south. Nan Buwen smiled and said: "Xiuyuan, you think things are so simple. How much wood do you think it takes to conquer the country? The mountains in Jiangcheng can't be sustained for a few days even if they are cut bare. Besides, we really have to cut down the mountains." If they are bald, don't expect a harvest from the farmland around the mountain. It will only make it more difficult for the next year." Buji became a little anxious and said: "Then let's not worry about them, because people will freeze to death by then. Let’s see who can’t get off the stage!” Nan Buwen shouted: “Buji, don’t talk nonsense, there are still many days left before winter comes again, we are not in a hurry and will come up with a solution right away, and Buji, you are in charge of the grain and rice of the country. Although it is easier for you, you must not be careless and don't starve people to death." Buji smiled bitterly and said: "Teacher, I just said it out of anger. Warmth is a big problem. If someone really dies by then, who will be able to say so clearly whether they will freeze to death or starve to death." Nan Buwen smiled and said, "That's it. If things don't go well, it's not just about the family. Damn it, you are still in this position, right and wrong, and you are not a child, so you should take it lightly." Buji said: "As an official to the position of Shizhe, saying that you can give up is cheating your mentor, but if You have to step on people's lives to sit securely, so don't use these ten philosophers." The Lord of Jiangcheng City quickly advised: "That's not what my mentor meant, why are you saying this, Lord Buji." Nan Buwen waved his hand and said, "Forget it. , Forget it, there is no one else around, you don’t have to pay so much attention, you don’t have to figure out the solution today, people are not necessarily as bad as you think, it just so happens that I am going to have trouble here, you two stay here Let's eat."

Okay, I'm going to start cooking here too. You two can stay and eat. "

　Sorry, sorry, I'm even slower due to health reasons
  　　
  　
  (End of this chapter)