Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 106 Brother, how about we share a table?

When they arrived at the third floor, Wei Zhongxian just made a gesture to Lu Zhongqiu and his son who were sitting by the window, and they very consciously picked up their tea cups and moved to other empty seats.

"How many people have you mobilized?" There were people everywhere along the way, and Zhu Changluo was no longer surprised by this.

"Master. I will mobilize as many people as there are in the factory." Although the First Battalion did not go out, it had already moved from its base at Xi'an Gate to the vicinity of Dong'an Gate. Once it received the signal, this team of a thousand people would rush out of the imperial city to suppress the ground.

"Heh." Zhu Changluo did not comment.

"Don't spoil the fun of the master and the young master." Wang An was also wearing Confucian robes, looking like an old scholar who had taken the imperial examinations for decades but still hadn't passed.

"You are teaching me right." Wei Zhongxian saluted very respectfully.

"Dad, what is that?" Zhu Youxiao walked to the railing and looked at the old site of Taijichang across the street.

"Taijichang. When Emperor Chengzu moved the capital to Beiping, he planned to build the Forbidden City here. Building a city required materials, so he built numerous raw material processing factories within the city. Taijichang was where the palace bases were processed." Zhu Changluo made a detailed travel guide for his first visit to Beijing. He was well aware of the origins of names like Taijichang and Liulichang.

"What are they building over there now?" Zhu Youxiao was in high spirits and kept asking questions along the way, like a foreign tourist who had just arrived in Beijing. He did not have the authentic feel of "old Beijing" at all.

"Uh" Zhu Changluo looked embarrassed.

"Young Master. There is nothing built there now. It is a place for storing firewood, reeds and fodder." Wang An interrupted to help the emperor out.

While they were talking, Ding Baiying and Zhang Shirui also came up.

After going upstairs, Ding Baiying's brows furrowed even more tightly: What's going on with this store? There are soldiers on every floor.

Ding Baiying is an old hand and can tell the difference between ordinary people and martial artists just by their standing, sitting and body shapes.

Zhu Changluo heard the noise and looked towards the stairs, where he saw two women walking up one after the other. He felt that the one in front looked familiar, but after a few glances he still couldn't place her, so he withdrew his gaze and thoughts.

"Eunuch Wei, who manages the Western Factory, is truly a fascinating man." Zhu Changluo looked at Wei Zhongxian, smiled, and asked in a questioning tone, "He placed low-ranking officers from Xu Libu under the command of a captain from the Imperial Horse Administration. Then, he promoted soldiers from the Warrior Battalion to officers and placed them under the command of a captain from the Tongzhou Army. Why do you think this is?"

"I think Eunuch Wei is trying to reduce the influence of the outsiders in the inner court," Wei Zhongxian said, trembling slightly. "Although Minister Xu Li is highly valued by the Emperor, he is only an outsider after all. He has a different level of closeness than the eunuchs."

"Oh? So that's how it is." Zhu Changluo turned to look at Zhu Youxiao and asked, "Do you think he's right?"

"Father, I don't think Eunuch Wei has such simple intentions." Zhu Youxiao had a natural hostility towards Wei Zhongxian because of Keshi's tragic death. Since his father had asked, he took the opportunity to give this servant some scorn.

"Tell me, why is Eunuch Wei's mind not pure?" Wei Zhongxian was a good knife, but the better the knife, the more often it needed to be sharpened.

Lu Zhongqiu, sitting at the next table, felt like he was sitting on pins and needles. He didn't want to hear a word of what was said, but he couldn't leave. So he could only clench his fists, using the pain in his palms to relieve the discomfort caused by tension.

However, the reactions of Lu Zhongqiu and the surrounding officers of the Western Depot were different in Ding Baiying's eyes. She thought the soldiers were frowning and clenching their fists because they heard the candidates making irresponsible remarks about the court.

Maybe all the soldiers sitting in the restaurant are Jinyiwei. If this family continues talking, they will probably be in big trouble!

"Father, I think so," Zhu Youxiao began, but was interrupted by a sword placed on the table. "Brother, how about sharing a table?" Ding Baiying, still a chivalrous woman, decided to stop the conversation before the young man could make any rash comments about the factory guards.

"Ah?" Zhu Changluo looked at the familiar-looking woman in surprise. "Isn't there an empty seat over there?" Zhu Changluo pointed to an empty table.

"The scenery here is beautiful." She sat down next to Zhu Changluo and said in a low voice. "For the sake of your son and your father, please don't continue talking."

"My father? Where does my father come from?" Zhu Changluo followed the woman's gaze and immediately understood. The four people present, three seated in silk Confucian robes and one standing in linen, did indeed resemble three generations of a family traveling to Beijing to take the imperial examinations.

"Slave me." Wang An turned pale with fright at this woman who appeared out of nowhere.

"This is not my father. This is my friend regardless of age difference." Zhu Changluo was not explaining to the woman, but to comfort the old eunuch who was feeling uneasy.

"Brother, you're really generous." Ding Baiying bowed to the old scholar to express his apology and moved closer. "You really don't know?"

Zhu Changluo was stunned by the question. He looked at the woman sitting next to him, then at the other woman standing, and asked in confusion. "What should I know?"

"This is the capital. It's not your hometown." Ding Baiying felt that he had made himself clear.

"What's going on in the capital?" The young man sitting opposite became interested.

Ding Baiying used his index finger to write the word "Wei" on the table.

"Does this lady have any opinions about the factory guards?" The old servant boy in coarse clothes walked to the side of the lady and asked with a smile.

"I just think this location has a nice view, and I want to share a table with this brother." Ding Baiying felt that the whole family was stunned. Didn't he see that the surrounding soldiers were looking at him?

"Girl, there are differences between men and women," the old scholar reminded.

"I am a warrior." Ding Baiying was speechless at this old corrupt scholar.

"Haha!" the boy laughed. It was the first time he had seen a woman so bold as to speak harshly to Wang An.

Ding Baiying misunderstood, thinking the boy was mocking her. Her face flushed with anger, and she thought of the lady from a wealthy family whose hands had no calluses, and a feeling of inferiority rose in her heart.

"How rude." She was still quite magnanimous and didn't bother to argue with a young man. So she just cursed lightly and prepared to leave.

"General Qin Liangyu is also a military man." The middle-aged Confucian scholar comforted him tactfully.

"Qin Liangyu?" The trajectory of history changed. Zhu Youxiao had not succeeded to the throne and therefore had no chance to access reports related to Qin Liangyu.

"Young Master, General Qin Liangyu was the envoy of Shiqu, Zhongzhou, Sichuan. During the Bozhou Rebellion, she and her late husband Ma Qiancheng were summoned to help suppress Yang Yinglong. Now, in response to the emperor's edict, she is leading her white-pole soldiers to Liao to fight against the slaves." Wang An heard the emperor's hidden meaning and explained in a respectful tone.

"Ladies, please feel free to sit down. I'll treat you to a meal. How about this be my son's apology?"

(End of this chapter)