Love Lock

Chapter 227 The Capital is About to Change
Emperor Jing, however, was already enthusiastically cooking the second piece of meat himself.

"Cheng Chao, how come there are such ways of eating among the common people? Why has the imperial kitchen never served them?"

While skillfully cooking the ingredients for the emperor, Wei Chengchao said, "Your Majesty, it's probably because although this hot pot tastes good, the way it's eaten is too rough. That's why the Imperial Kitchen dared not present it to us!"

As they were talking, several businessmen at the next table started laughing and chatting loudly. One of them said, "The owner of 'Lao Yi Lao' really has a good eye. When he took over this shop half a year ago, who would have thought it would be so successful today?"

“That’s right!” another person chimed in. “Look at this business, it’s popular with both the wealthy and ordinary people.”

Emperor Jing listened intently and beckoned to the waiter, "Waiter, your hot pot is truly unique. May I ask who the owner is?"

While quickly adding soup and dishes to their bowls, the waiter smiled and said, "Sir, you've come to the right place! Our owner's surname is Zhang, and he's the grandson of Grand Secretary Zhang. He dislikes reading the most; he just loves getting into these novelties. If there's any secret to his business, it's nothing more than using genuine ingredients and managing it with care."

"Manage it with care..." Emperor Jing repeated the words thoughtfully, his gaze sweeping over every face in the shop that was beaming with satisfaction. "Li Zhongxin, why do you think this small eatery can attract so many customers?"

Li Zhongxin bowed with a smile and said, "Your Majesty, this old servant believes that what the people seek is nothing more than food, clothing, and comfort. This hot pot is inexpensive, delicious, and novel, so it is naturally popular."

"Yes, you're right! All they ask for is enough food and comfort." Emperor Jing nodded slowly, a hint of pride in his heart. The fact that these people could afford to eat out proved that life in the Great Jing Dynasty was still quite peaceful and comfortable.

Emperor Jing picked up his chopsticks again. This time, he followed the example of the other diners around him, simmering the other dishes in the chili oil for a while longer before dipping them in the sauce and putting them in his mouth.

The crisp and tender texture, combined with the numbing and spicy sensation, made him exclaim softly, "That's great!"

The noise inside the shop, the bubbling sound of the copper pot boiling, and the crisp sound of diners clinking glasses all blended together, giving him a vivid and lively picture of everyday life.

Emperor Jing suddenly felt that he had never felt the pulse of this city under his rule so vividly before.

"Li Zhongxin," Emperor Jing put down his chopsticks and wiped the sweat from his forehead, "when we get back, have the imperial kitchen prepare this kind of hot pot as well. I... want to share this flavor with all my ministers."

Li Zhongxin bowed and replied, "Yes, sir. This old servant will remember it."

Outside, the autumn wind still blows, but inside the "Lao Yi Lao" hot pot restaurant, it's as warm as spring.

Emperor Jing was so spicy that he stuck out his tongue, but he still kept dipping mutton into the hot pot.

"Hiss! Hiss! This soup is much more flavorful than the bland broth in the imperial kitchen! Cheng Chao, why aren't you eating? Try some!"

Wei Chengchao stared at the bubbling red oil pot, his cold sweat rising more frequently than the bubbles in the pot.

Emperor Jing ate heartily, but Wei Chengchao, who was accompanying him, felt extremely uncomfortable.

It was almost noon, but he still hadn't found Da Jiu and gotten the antidote.

If Emperor Jing did not leave, it would be inconvenient for him to take his leave in advance. He would touch his nose from time to time, always feeling that he might get a nosebleed if he was not careful.

"My...my lord, I've recently developed hemorrhoids..."

"Enough nonsense!" Emperor Jing grabbed a strainer and poured the contents into his bowl. "Back then, the late Emperor inscribed 'The Freshest in the World' for Tengyun Tower, and today I'm going to inscribe 'The Spiciest in the Universe' for Lao Yi Lao! Manager! Bring me pen and ink!"

"Uh……"

Wei Chengchao's lips twitched violently; His Majesty's literary talent was truly...

The waiter shakily brought over the Four Treasures of the Study. When Emperor Jing was writing, chili oil splattered onto the Xuan paper, creating an abstract hot pot image.

Wei Chengchao took the opportunity to steal a glance at the water clock next to him, and suddenly sneezed. He hurriedly covered his nose with his sleeve.

"Cheng Chao, this is the fifteenth time you've touched your nose," Emperor Jing suddenly turned his head, "Are you implying that I should head back home?"

"Ah? No, no!" Wei Chengchao shook his head hastily, his lips twitching.

Emperor Jing splashed ink on Li Zhongxin's back with his brush, then laughed with satisfaction: "Excellent! Men, hang my inscription in a prominent place! And give Cheng Chao an extra serving of mutton!"

Looking at the bright red mutton that was served, Wei Chengchao seemed to see his tragic future with blood flowing from all seven orifices.

He was so anxious that he broke out in a cold sweat and snatched the writing brush from Emperor Jing's hand.

"My lord, I've suddenly been inspired to write poetry!"

"Oh?" Emperor Jing looked at him with great interest: "You can compose poetry now?"

Wei Chengchao sighed and said, "This humble commoner will give it a try!"

Just then, a table was tidied up nearby, and Wei Chengchao spread out Xuan paper and wrote: "Hot pot is eternal, and spiciness is everlasting - I suggest that Your Majesty summon the imperial physician before returning to the palace to use the restroom."

Everyone looked at each other in bewilderment, and the surroundings suddenly became so quiet that only the sound of the soup boiling in the pot could be heard...

Wei Chengchao was in a hurry to find Da Jiu to get the antidote, little did he know that Da Jiu would appear right after he and Emperor Jing left the entrance of Jinxiufang.

The antidote was crucial for Han Lei to control Wei Chengchao, and Da Jiu certainly wouldn't forget it. However, when he arrived at the Prime Minister's residence to deliver the antidote, he just missed Wei Chengchao.

The afternoons at Jinxiufang are always this lively. The carved doors of Phoebe zhennan wood are pushed open by a steady stream of distinguished guests, bringing in wisps of sandalwood and perfume.

Several noblewomen dressed in brocade vests were examining a piece of printed fabric closely.

Over there, two young ladies with their hair styled in a flying fairy bun covered their lips and chuckled at the newly arrived Xia Yingsha, their hair ornaments swaying gently with their movements.

The embroiderers had barely put down their bowls when they got busy: some picked up a soft measuring tape to take the measurements of the young lady from the Vice Minister's family, while others were at the gilded counter, turning the beads on an abacus and telling the housekeeper the price of a bolt of peacock silk...

Da Jiu walked steadily through the front hall, the unique astringent fragrance of newly dyed fabric lingering in the air.

He was dressed in the brown shorts of an ordinary merchant, but concealed a fine steel dagger at his waist. This was a gift from the princess to the brothers of the Jingzhou Big Character Team for self-defense when escorting goods; each of them had one, capable of cutting through iron like mud.

"Sir, would you like to..." Tang Xiaotong, who had just finished lunch, looked up from behind the counter with a businessperson's obsequious smile.

Upon seeing that it was Da Jiu, he immediately changed his address, saying, "What are you doing here? I just got back, and you're already here."

Da Jiu, with an air of familiarity, walked to the counter, pulled over a chair, and sat down.

"This morning, Uncle Liu said you were coming back. The Princess asked you to bring me something. After delivering the antidote to that coward Wei Chengchao, I stopped by to see if you were back yet."

A glint flashed in Tang Xiaotong's eyes. He cautiously looked around and, seeing that no one was paying attention to them, closed the ledger and walked around the counter.

"What a coincidence, the newly arrived goods are all in the back warehouse. Please follow me."

As Tang Xiaotong turned around, the keychain at her waist made a soft clinking sound. One of the bronze keys was wrapped with red thread—Da Jiu recognized it; it was the key to the Jinxiufang warehouse.

After passing through the backyard and turning into two corridors with indigo curtains, Tang Xiaotong cautiously looked back before picking up the key and opening the storeroom door.

Upon entering the warehouse, Da Jiu turned around and closed the door behind him. Looking around, deep inside the warehouse, mountains of silk were neatly stacked on the shelves. Tang Xiaotong stopped, turned on the solar light hanging at the top of the shelf, and then suddenly lifted the brocade covering the innermost shelf.

"Hiss! So many?" Da Jiu gasped as he looked at the dozen or so neatly stacked oil paper packages in front of him.

The cold, hard outline of the oil paper wrapping was clearly visible under the solar light.

Da Jiu's fingers trembled as he stroked one of the packages, the oil paper making a rustling sound, like the molting of a venomous snake.

When the princess came to the capital to deal with the Marquis of Champion's family last time, Xiao Zhengfei led several guards to the capital to protect her. Each of them carried an M16 automatic rifle.

He was incredibly envious when he saw it, and the princess had Xiao Zhengfei train him and the other freshmen on how to use the M16 automatic rifle.

Now he can use it himself and lead a team equipped with such a powerful and mysterious weapon, which is exciting to think about.

"Quick, quick, open it and take a look!" Da Jiu said with a delighted smile, urging Tang Xiaotong repeatedly.

Tang Xiaotong smiled and deftly opened the package, revealing the dark gun body with an alluring luster under the light.

"The princess said that this is a brand new standard, with five magazines per magazine."

"Wow! That's so awesome!" Da Jiu's eyes widened. He picked up a weapon and skillfully assembled the parts, the clanging of metal ringing out crisply in the enclosed space.

"Apart from the one I played with in the carriage, the others haven't been assembled yet. The princess said they have scopes, just like the batch that Commander Xiao brought last time."

"Really?" Da Jiu's pupils suddenly contracted, and his mind involuntarily recalled the scene when Xiao Zhengfei trained them in the mountains last time—

To avoid being discovered, they chose to train secretly in a remote, uninhabited mountain forest.

The towering ancient trees cut the sunlight into fine dappled patterns, and the damp air was filled with the scent of humus.

Xiao Zhengfei was squatting on a moss-covered boulder, explaining to them how to operate the M16 automatic rifle.

"You need to pay attention to how you align the front sight and rear sight," he said in a low but exceptionally clear voice, "keep the three points in a straight line, and keep your breathing steady..."

Before Xiao Zhengfei could finish speaking, the bushes a hundred meters away suddenly shook violently.

A wild boar weighing at least 200 pounds charged out of the bushes. Its tusks were bared, and its red eyes were fixed on the intruders. The dull thud of its hind hooves pawing the ground startled the birds in the forest.

They immediately drew their swords from their waists, while Xiao Zhengfei instantly tensed his muscles, firmly pressing the butt of his rifle against his shoulder.

With a loud "bang!", the crisp gunshot shattered the silence of the forest as the dead leaves kicked up by the charging wild boar were still swirling in the air.

The bullet pierced the wild boar's forehead with pinpoint accuracy. Its massive, thick-skinned body slid for another two meters due to inertia before crashing to the ground, the splashed mud covering the nearby ferns.

He swallowed hard, and he and the other freshmen stared in shock at the weapon in Xiao Zhengfei's hand.

The junior, a hunter by training, was the first to come to his senses. He stepped forward with trembling hands to touch the gun barrel, then looked at the perfect bullet hole on the wild boar's skull.

The stench from the wild boar's charge still seemed to linger on my face, and now those tusks that could pierce tree trunks were helplessly stuck in a pile of fallen leaves.

That was the first time he and his classmates had ever witnessed such a powerful ranged weapon, far more powerful than bows and arrows...

"The Princess has given an order." Tang Xiaotong's voice pulled him back to reality.

Tang Xiaotong lowered his voice to a very low level, but every word was as firm as iron: "The princess said that you should select twelve skilled archers from the Jingzhou Big Character Team to form a rifle team."

As he spoke, he took out a sealed letter with sealing wax from his pocket and handed it to the boy, saying, "Remember, this is your armory."

Da Jiu knelt on one knee to receive the secret letter. His fingertips touched the subtle raised edges of the letter, which was indeed the unique secret mark that the princess had agreed upon with them.

Da Jiu's Adam's apple bobbed: "The Princess's idea is brilliant. With that coward Wei Chengchao as a shield, it's perfect as an armory."

"That coward only cares about counting his silver." Tang Xiaotong sneered, shaking out a bunch of keys from his sleeve. "Remember to open the vault at 5 PM every day, and return it for inventory after training. The consequences of losing even a single gun or bullet are unimaginable."

He suddenly pressed the assembled M16 against Da Jiu's forehead, the cold metallic touch making the latter tense up. "The princess said you know the consequences."

The warehouse fell into dead silence. Da Jiu could hear the throbbing in his temples, and cold sweat trickled down the barrel of his gun.

Three breaths later, Tang Xiaotong suddenly grinned, deftly turned the gun around, and handed it over: "Try it out."

Da Jiu took the heavy steel object and instinctively found the trigger.

The touch reminded him of the time Xiao Zhengfei had personally taught them how to disassemble guns. Back then, the princess had disguised herself as a chubby boy and stood under the eaves, her delicate face bearing a different kind of seriousness: "This object is more precious than your lives."

"Send a message to the Princess, saying that I, Da Jiu, guarantee with the life she saved that I'll live as long as I have the gun." Da Jiu's gaze toward Tang Xiaotong was unusually firm.

Tang Xiaotong nodded in satisfaction: "The princess specifically instructed that only brothers with good archery skills be selected." He suddenly lowered his voice, "The capital is about to change."

"Yes! I understand." Da Jiu nodded, solemnly stroking the serial number on the gun. The unfamiliar letters and numbers looked like some kind of mysterious runes in the candlelight.

He suddenly pulled a dagger from his waist, knelt on one knee, and drew blood from the dagger in his palm: "Twelve men of the Big Character Squad, ready to die for the Princess at any time."

"Don't kneel before me, I'm not worthy of that." Tang Xiaotong helped him up, then tore a strip of cloth from the side and carefully bandaged him.

He then turned to look in the direction of Fufeng County, his face full of longing.

“Da Jiu, we’re not just doing this for the Prince and Princess. You haven’t seen the changes in Fufeng County yet; that’s what the people of Dajing really want.”

Speaking of Fufeng County, Da Jiu suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, how did your trip to Cangzhou to find the Princess go?"

Tang Xiaotong was still looking in that direction, but his gaze seemed to have passed through Fufeng County and reached Princess Yujia, who was herding sheep on the Turkic grassland.

He shook his head and sighed deeply.

"I have already told the Prince and Princess, but... they haven't given a clear answer yet."

Just then, footsteps sounded outside. Immediately afterwards, the shop assistant's voice rang out from outside the warehouse.

"Manager Tang, someone outside is looking for you. He claims to be Lin Yuanshan, the owner of 'Lin's Cloth Shop'."

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