The prince is more stable

Chapter 292 Concubine Zhaoyun
The sweet party and the salty party are mortal enemies.

Su Shi was no exception.

In theory, Su Shi should not be standing in the yard at this time, but should be tied to a pillar with dry firewood underneath, surrounded by countless crazy people, holding torches and shouting "heresy! heresy!"

That picture...

Su Che's action of pulling his sleeve finally brought Zhao Xiaoqian back to his senses.

"Why is Zi'an laughing for no reason? And he looks so happy laughing..." Su Zhe asked curiously.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Nothing..."

Turning to look at Su Shi, he asked, "Mr. Zizhan, are you hot?"

Su Shi looked up at the sky with a bewildered look on his face, and said inexplicably, "It's early summer now, and it's indeed a bit hot... Why do you ask that, Zi'an?"

Zhao Xiaoqian explained seriously, "Bianjing is also known as Tokyo, and Tokyo is usually very hot. Mr. Zizhan has come from afar, and I'm worried that you won't be able to adapt to Tokyo's climate."

Su Shi was touched and said, "My dear brother Zi'an, you are so thoughtful. I just cursed you three times in my heart. I know I was wrong."

Su Zhe laughed heartily and said, "Actually, it was my brother who suggested inviting Zi'an to the banquet today. However, he said that he and Zi'an had a minor disagreement at the palace last time, so I had no choice but to invite you."

Su Shi suddenly felt embarrassed and said, "What are you talking about, Ziyou? If you want to invite me, then you can. Why mention me?"

Su Che laughed and said, "Okay, brother, calm down. Today I am the one asking for Zi'an's help. It has nothing to do with you."

Zhao Xiaoqian also laughed: "Mr. Zizhan is already old, but he still cares about his reputation. He is not open-minded after all. I am only nineteen years old this year, and I have already learned to be shameless."

The three of them laughed, then Su Che stepped aside and invited Zhao Xiaoqian into the back hall.

The host and the guests entered the back hall, and Zhao Xiaoqian saw two people standing quietly in the hall, a man and a woman.

The man was about thirty years old and looked somewhat like Su Shi. His brows revealed the same arrogance as Su Shi.

The woman was about thirty years old, wearing a lake green dress with narrow sleeves. Her facial features were delicate and lively, but her skin had an unhealthy sallow hue.

Seeing Zhao Xiaoqian enter the hall, the man and the woman came forward to pay their respects.

Su Shi introduced with a smile.

"This is my son Su Mai. He passed the imperial examination in the fourth year of the Yuanfeng reign and was originally the magistrate of Hejian County. Last year, when Zhang Dun became prime minister, my son was dismissed and returned home to be unemployed. It's all because of me..."

Su Shi said, looking at the woman, his eyes suddenly showing a touch of tenderness: "This is my concubine Wang Zhaoyun. She stayed by my side and served me without regrets during the years of exile. If it weren't for her, I'm afraid I wouldn't have been able to hold on all these years."

Zhao Xiaoqian was suddenly shocked.

Although this person is a woman, she is also a historical celebrity.

He hurried forward to return the greeting and said, "If I were to compare West Lake to Xi Shi, light or heavy makeup would always be suitable. Zhao Zi'an pays his respects to my sister-in-law."

Su Shi's eyes lit up: "Have you heard of this poem?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "This poem was written by Scholar Su for his sister-in-law. It is known to everyone in the world, and I know it too."

Wang Zhaoyun was originally a singer of West Lake. When Su Shi was demoted to the position of Tongpan of Hangzhou, he first met her while visiting West Lake with his friends. He wrote this poem at that time. It seems to be describing the scenery of West Lake, but in fact, this poem is praising Wang Zhaoyun.

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Mr. Zizhan's literary talent is truly admirable. This poem, clearly expressing love and courtship, has become an immortal work that will be passed down through the ages."

"Today I have the great honor of seeing my sister-in-law's beautiful face. I now know that Mr. Zizhan's poem was true. My sister-in-law is truly born with beauty. Even if Xi Shi were reborn, she would probably not be as beautiful as you."

"My sister-in-law is both talented and beautiful, but what I respect most is that she has served Mr. Zizhan all these years without abandoning him. We have been together through thick and thin, sharing the same fate. To be honest, Mr. Zizhan is lucky to have such a close friend."

Wang Zhaoyun blushed after being praised by Zhao Xiaoqian, and her sallow face turned a little rosy.

"Your Excellency is too kind. Chaoyun is just an ordinary woman. It is a blessing for me to serve my master. It is my due. There is no need for praise."

Zhao Xiaoqian hurriedly said, "Sister-in-law, please change your name. Why not just call me 'Zi'an', just like Mr. Zizhan and Mr. Ziyou?"

Su Shi's face was flushed. A common problem among men is that they feel even more proud when others praise their women in person than when they themselves are praised.

"I have never met Zi'an before, but I didn't realize how well he knows me. He even knows you, Zhao Yun. What else do you know, Zi'an?" Zhao Xiaoqian said with a smile, "I also know that Mr. Zizhan has a lot of inappropriate things going on."

Wang Zhaoyun chuckled when he heard this, looked at Su Shi tenderly, lowered his head and covered his mouth with his hands to chuckle.

This sentence is also very famous. It was once said by Wang Zhaoyun to Su Shi.

Su Shi was greatly surprised. He looked at Su Zhe and said, "In the past, the only person who understood me was Zhao Yun. Now there is Zhao Zi'an. No wonder he is such a prominent figure at such a young age. Zi'an is truly a man of great talent and wisdom. His future is limitless."

Then Su Shi looked at Wang Zhaoyun again, his expression full of pride: "I have been an official all my life, and my fate has been full of twists and turns. Only by having a girl like Zhaoyun can I regard it as God's compensation to me."

Wang Zhaoyun became more and more embarrassed, her face flushed with shyness.

Zhao Xiaoqian smacked his lips, feeling that something was wrong with the style of the painting.

You tricked the dog into coming in and stuffed dog food into its mouth right in front of it.

How can I, a dignified duke of a county and a prince, endure such injustice?
Showing affection, right?

Turning to look at Wang Zhaoyun, Zhao Xiaoqian said sternly, "A wise bird chooses its own tree to roost in. I think your sister-in-law has no future with Mr. Zizhan. Why not try another man? I'm not very talented, but I happen to know a middle-aged widower who looks a bit more respectable than Mr. Zizhan..."

Before he could finish his words, Su Shi flew into a rage: "You, you... you bastard! Chaoyun, don't listen to him, go back to your room quickly, and never pay any attention to this guy again!"

Wang Zhaoyun couldn't help laughing, but still bowed obediently, turned around and ran back to the backyard room while laughing.

Su Zhe and Su Mai in the hall also laughed, but Su Shi glared at Zhao Xiaoqian with a bad look.

"Haha, okay, okay, it's just a joke, Mr. Zizhan, don't mind it. I have a lot of problems and often can't control my mouth. Mr. Zizhan, you will get used to it slowly in the future." Zhao Xiaoqian comforted.

Su Shi grew increasingly furious. "You can't control your mouth, and you don't want to change it yourself, but you want me to get used to it slowly in the future? What's the logic behind this?"
Zhao Xiaoqian smiled firmly, just like eating sweet tofu pudding, he couldn't change it at all.

The Su Mansion held a banquet, and the theme was of course "banquet", which means that there would be food and dishes to entertain people, and they could not just stand in the hall and chat.

Su Che immediately ordered his servants to prepare a banquet. Soon, the food was served and the room was filled with fragrance.

Zhao Xiaoqian couldn't help but sniff and looked surprised.

It is rare to see delicious food in the Song Dynasty. Judging from the color and aroma of the dishes, they seem to be no less delicious than those made by myself.

Everyone present was an acquaintance, and they were all unconcerned with trivial matters. Zhao Xiaoqian naturally did not need to pay attention to any etiquette between host and guest. He just picked up his chopsticks and tasted the dishes as soon as they were served.

A dish of stir-fried purple melon, also known as eggplant, is soft and melts in your mouth, with just the right amount of saltiness.

A dish of pig ears that is rich in oil and salt, cooked, blanched and served cold, is the perfect match for drinking.

A dish of mutton stewed with radish, cooked to perfection, with no mutton smell at all...

Wait! Why does this dish look so familiar?

Zhao Xiaoqian slapped his thigh and said, "Isn't this my craft?"
"Mr. Zizhan, isn't this too shameless? I need a perfect explanation." Zhao Xiaoqian pointed at the stewed mutton with radish.

Su Shi showed no shame at all, and said with his head held high: "Yes, I imitated your method and it tastes exactly the same."

"Piracy! Copyright infringement! I'm going to report it to the police!"

Su Shi sneered: "There's no point jumping up and down. I just thought it tasted good, so I used it. What do you think?"

"Delicious food is like poetry. Once you've made it, you don't have to worry about it being known. It's an honor for the world to imitate and praise your writings and poems. The same is true for cooking. If everyone imitates your method, it means your food is delicious and it's a recognition of your ability."

"I'm praising you, but you don't know how to appreciate it." Su Shi rolled his eyes.

This explanation was indeed perfect, and even Zhao Xiaoqian was confused.

"In that case, should I say...thank you?" Zhao Xiaoqian said uncertainly.

Su Shi waved his sleeves and smiled casually: "You're welcome, let's communicate more in the future."

(End of this chapter)