The prince is more stable

Chapter 253 New Tea on the Market
Just one simple word can open up a lot of ideas.

But Zhao Xiaoqian's train of thought is undoubtedly the most refreshing and unconventional.

Wei Jie and Zhao Xin looked at him in silence for a long time.

The clues were completely broken, but it seemed that they were not broken. The word Liu Yao left before his death became the only clue.

Zhao Xiaoqian, Wei Jie and Zhao Xin were sitting in the main hall of the Imperial City Office, guessing words. The scene was very friendly, like kindergarten children learning words, guessing one word after another.

Use the guessed words to form words, then use your imagination to make sentences with the words...

"After Liu Yao retired and returned to his hometown, he immediately moved his family away, which shows that he was aware of the danger and someone wanted to kill him to silence him..." Wei Jie frowned and said slowly.

"Liu Yao sensed something was wrong after seeing what happened to Jin Xilai, the commander-in-chief of the Sun-Bonding Camp. He and Jin Xilai even sensed danger before they resigned. The danger was the cause, and resignation was the result."

Zhao Xiaoqian sighed, "For fifteen divine arm bows, is it really that serious?"

Wei Jie nodded and said seriously, "As for the Duke's extraordinary talent, you may not think so, but before he invented the flintlock rifle, the Divine Arm Bow was the most powerful weapon in the Song Dynasty. It had a long range, a high rate of fire, and the power to penetrate walls and armor. Its production process was strictly confidential."

"In recent years, when the Song Dynasty fought against the Liao Dynasty's heavily armored cavalry, the Song Dynasty's infantry armor and divine arm bows were the only way to barely remain undefeated. Or, in other words, even if the defeat wasn't too catastrophic, it would still cause some casualties to the Liao Dynasty's cavalry."

"The emperor and his ministers in the imperial court attach great importance to the Divine Arm Bow. This is why the Military Equipment Bureau records the entry and exit of each Divine Arm Bow. Because it is so powerful, if it were to be obtained by someone with ulterior motives, it would be extremely dangerous."

Zhao Xiaoqian understood. Although he had never seen the Divine Arm Bow with his own eyes, he had seen this thing in history books in his previous life.

In his inherent understanding, anyone who can leave their name in history books, whether it is a person or an object, must be very awesome.

Things are a bit confusing now. Zhao Xiaoqian can't figure out whether the clues are completely cut off or they are closer to the truth.

The word Liu Yao left before his death is crucial, and what follows is the process of solving the mystery.

Zhao Xin, who had been silent for a long time, suddenly slapped his thigh. "'Sui' actually means 'shui'! Liu Yao was given a wild ginseng pill before he died. It's powerful, but it causes heartburn. Liu Yao wants some water!"

After saying this, Zhao Xin's eyes were shining and he showed a wise smile.

Zhao Xiaoqian glanced at him, then looked at Wei Jie and said, "This guy almost got promoted?"

Wei Jie smiled bitterly and nodded: "Originally, I was planning to promote him and give him a chance. He has been a clerk for more than ten years and has accumulated enough experience. All he needs is one achievement..."

Zhao Xiaoqian hummed and said, "Give him a set of elementary school Chinese language test papers to do. Let's try to choose people with normal intelligence."

After saying this, Zhao Xiaoqian stood up and left the main hall.

In the main hall, Zhao Xin was stunned. "What did the Duke mean by that?"

Wei Jie sighed and said, "You didn't even notice the way they were beating around the bush when they were scolding you... Old Zhao, there's no rush for promotion. There will be opportunities in the future. Let's study harder first."

…………

After leaving the Imperial City Office, Zhao Xiaoqian's emotions were very stable.

The loss of clues did not affect his mood. Some things cannot be rushed, the more anxious you are, the more mistakes you will make.

On the contrary, if you ignore it and let it fly for a while, you will often get unexpected surprises.

In spring, the grass is green and the birds are singing.

There was a touch of spring in the city of Bianjing. Passersby walked on the streets, basking in the bright sunshine, and the hard work of making a living seemed a little easier.

Zhao Xiaoqian walked aimlessly on Zhou Bridge, his mind in a mess.

It wasn't just about the case, but more about thinking about the next move of the Song Dynasty. Zhang Dun was now in charge of the court. To be fair, Zhang Dun was not a bad person, but he was very hostile to the old party. Since he became the prime minister, he not only suppressed the old party, but this suppression was not just exile or dismissal, some were even imprisoned.

The relaxed political atmosphere since the founding of the Song Dynasty has gradually disappeared since Zhang Dun, and everyone has become insecure.

Under such circumstances, if Zhao Xu still wanted to take over the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun, I'm afraid the timing was not right.

While the Song Dynasty had not yet sorted out its own family affairs, it was carrying out vigorous reforms and pushing forward new policies, and internal friction was still continuing. Under such circumstances, it was too hasty for the Song Dynasty to plot against the Sixteen Prefectures of Yanyun.

But Zhao Xu was now too hot-blooded, and Zhao Xiaoqian didn't know how to cool him down.

Fanglin Garden was the residence of Zhao Xiaoqian's mother, Feng.

After returning triumphantly from Western Xia, Zhao Xiaoqian reunited with his wife and concubines and his mother for a few days, and also added a few smart maids to the house.

The clues of today's case have been cut off, so Zhao Xiaoqian simply gave up and said, "Who cares? I'm a pillar of the country, not a constable in the government office."

Since you are giving up, you might as well go to Fanglin Garden to see your mother.

In the spacious and luxurious mansion, Feng sat on the steps in the backyard, watching Zhao Xiaoqian busying himself with a smile.

Di Ying and Jiang Miaoxian supported Feng on either side, feeding her snacks attentively. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law whispered to each other, occasionally causing bursts of laughter. The scene was very harmonious.

A large iron pot was set up in the middle of the yard. Zhao Xiaoqian was stirring with a large iron shovel in his hand, sweating profusely.

There was not delicious food in the pot, but tender green tea leaves.

It's spring now, and new tea is on the market. It's the perfect time to consume... well, it's the perfect time to pick tea.

Di Ying stared at Zhao Xiaoqian's actions with sparkling eyes, and asked in confusion, "What on earth is your Excellency doing? Why is tea leaves being stir-fried in a pot? Can it be made into a dish?"

Jiang Miaoxian covered her mouth with the white handkerchief in her hand and said with a smile: "Perhaps the master has come up with something good again. The master is smart and can always surprise people."

Feng smiled and looked at Zhao Xiaoqian with eyes full of doting.

"My son is indeed capable. Lately, when I've been strolling around the streets, I've heard people praising him everywhere. I feel like the people on the street have changed recently..."

"I didn't feel it back then, but for some reason, since last year, my son has inexplicably become more intelligent. With Qingming Festival approaching, I want to burn a few more incense sticks to our ancestors to thank them for blessing my son."

After a while, Zhao Xiaoqian, sweating profusely, finally finished his work. The tea leaves in the pot had turned from light green to dark green, and the whole yard was filled with the rich fragrance of tea.

Feng and the two girls sniffed and exclaimed in surprise, "What a nice fragrance! I've never smelled anything so fragrant before."

Feng asked curiously, "Qian'er, what exactly is this thing you made? Is it for eating?"

Zhao Xiaoqian wiped his sweat and said with a smile, "Mother, this is called stir-frying tea. It's a new way of drinking tea. The process is simple, much more convenient than the current method of making and serving tea in the Song Dynasty, and the taste is more elegant."

"I live alone in my house. In my free time, why not sit in the garden, drink tea, and savor life."

The tea culture of the Song Dynasty reached its peak in Chinese history. Unlike the Tang Dynasty, the tea-making process in the Song Dynasty was much simpler. Unlike the Tang Dynasty, they did not add various seasonings, spices, butter, etc. into the tea. It was obviously tea, but what was cooked was a pot of vegetable soup.

The tea-making culture of the Song Dynasty was actually the prototype of matcha in later generations. A thousand years later, the tea-making culture still existed in the coastal Chaoshan area.

Zhao Xiaoqian brought out the later practice of tea frying.

Fried tea has a fresh fragrance and the process is simpler. Just pour some boiling water on it and it's done. If you want to try something new, you can get a set of tea sets, such as Han Xin reviewing the troops, Guan Gong patrolling the city, etc. You can play however you like. It is suitable for middle-aged and elderly women like Feng to spend time at home.

(End of this chapter)