The prince is more stable

Chapter 330 In the Name of Immortal
Cai You's biological father was named Cai Jing.

History books have concluded that he was a treacherous minister.

However, in Zhao Xiaoqian's eyes, whether loyal or treacherous ministers, they all had to be dealt with.

People who cannot tolerate any grain of sand in their eyes, alienate or even make enemies with treacherous ministers, are not suitable for the court, and most of them do not live long.

Loyal ministers and treacherous ministers are all colleagues. There is no need to act disgustingly and clearly distinguish between right and wrong. You should still interact with each other when necessary, and it is enough to be a little cautious in your heart.

Zhao Xiaoqian had a good relationship with Cai You. Cai You had become Zhao Xiaoqian's disciple and became Zhao Xiaoqian's aide as a commoner.

However, the relationship between Zhao Xiaoqian and Cai Jing was very ordinary. They had met several times before at some social banquets and gave each other gifts during the holidays. Apart from that, they basically did not have much interaction.

It’s not that Zhao Xiaoqian deliberately distanced himself from them, but because there was no interest involved between them and there was no intersection.

However, this time Zhao Xiaoqian had to take the initiative to find Cai Jing.

Half an hour later, Cai You brought Zhao Xiaoqian to Cai's mansion.

After receiving the report from his servants, Cai Jing rushed back to his mansion from the Ministry of Revenue and met Zhao Xiaoqian in the main hall of his mansion.

Zhao Xiaoqian always treated Cai Jing as a junior whenever they met. No matter how high or low his official rank was, Cai Jing was still his elder after all.

Before the ceremony was over, Cai Jing hurriedly held his arm and said with a smile, "My dear nephew Zi'an, please don't be so polite. I and Zi'an have a very close relationship. We are all family. It would seem strange for my dear nephew to be so polite."

Cai Jing had a kind face and a friendly expression. At least in front of Zhao Xiaoqian, his attitude was very friendly and easy-going, and there was a hint of awe in his words.

This attitude is not surprising. Although Zhao Xiaoqian is not very old, he has competed with Prime Minister Zhang Dun many times. He is a very powerful person. Even Cai Jing, the Minister of Revenue, has to be in awe of him.

They were not strangers to each other, having met each other before on various occasions. Of course, their relationship was only slightly better than that of strangers.

Fortunately, Cai You acted as a lubricant, so the meeting between Zhao Xiaoqian and Cai Jing was not so awkward.

"Father, you must entertain Duke Zhao. After the imperial examination next spring, my future will depend on him." Cai You said with a grin.

Cai Jing laughed: "If you pass the imperial examination, you will have a bright future. If you fail, won't it be difficult for my nephew Zi'an?"

Zhao Xiaoqian smiled and said, "Brother Ju'an is naturally intelligent, knowledgeable and studious. He will definitely be on the gold list next year. No matter what the result is, I'm sure your future will be bright."

Cai Jing's eyes lit up. The words were a bit implicit, but he obviously understood. So Cai Jing stroked his beard and chuckled, saying, "My son is so lucky to have met a good teacher and a helpful friend."

Turning his head, Cai Jing's expression quickly hardened. He said in a deep voice, "Ju'an, although our nephew Zi'an is the same age as you, he is far superior to you in terms of literary talent, ability, and interpersonal skills. In the future, you should seek advice from Zi'an and learn from him. Avoid hanging out with those bad friends outside."

Cai You bowed hurriedly: "I obey your command."

The father and son sang in unison, which made Zhao Xiaoqian a little embarrassed.

He had never expected to become someone else's child. Of course, Zhao Xiaoqian was well aware of the father and son's intentions: to bind Cai You to him, so that they would prosper together in the future. With Zhao Xiaoqian's current prominent status and weight, why would Cai You still worry about his future?

Unfortunately, the Cai family has no daughter. Otherwise, given Cai Jing's character, he would have sent a daughter to warm his bed by now.

Although Cai Jing did not know the purpose of the distinguished guest's visit, he still had to treat him warmly.

It was not yet time for dinner, so Cai Jing ordered his servants to bring tea and snacks to the guests.

When the servant of Cai Mansion brought a tray with a teacup on it, the appearance and style of the teacup looked very familiar. When the lid of the teacup was opened, a familiar fragrance wafted into his nose.

Cai Jing said with a smile, "My son is a rude boy. I heard that he extorted a lot of tea from my nephew Zi'an. I drank it a few times and became addicted. Today, I am offering you my appreciation. Please don't be offended, nephew."

Zhao Xiaoqian took a leisurely sip from the cup and said with a smile, "This is refreshing. Uncle Cai, a high-ranking official, is busy with government affairs all day long. It's tedious and tiring. Drinking more of this will be good for your health."

Cai Jing laughed heartily and said, "Yes, it does refresh me. Sometimes I'm busy until midnight. Without this, I wouldn't even be able to finish my assigned tasks. Thanks to my nephew's tea, I haven't been delayed." Zhao Xiaoqian immediately showed sympathy. "There are many officials in the court, but most of them are eunuchs without real power. It is people like Uncle Cai who truly work hard and are the pillars of the country. Only then can our Song Dynasty enjoy peace and prosperity."

These words really hit the spot for Cai Jing. His eyes lit up and he felt like he had found a close friend.

"My dear nephew is the one who understands me best. Since I was transferred to the position of Minister of Revenue, I have hardly had a full night's sleep. I am so overwhelmed by paperwork and official correspondence every day that I am afraid my life span has been greatly shortened."

Zhao Xiaoqian is a good chatterbox. He knows just the right amount of words to say to his elders and to his peers.

Seeing Cai Jing complaining, Zhao Xiaoqian hurriedly offered him flattery, devoting himself to his work and working hard. In short, the more miserable he described Cai Jing, the more Cai Jing felt that this nephew understood him.

At the end of the story, Cai Jingdu almost shed tears.

Cai You sat in the middle and looked around. He was completely confused at this moment. He still didn't understand why Zhao Xiaoqian came to visit him today.

Not only Cai You was confused, but Cai Jing was also very confused. The host and the guest chatted with each other about family matters for half an hour, but Cai Jing still didn't ask why Zhao Xiaoqian came to visit today.

Just when Cai Jing gradually thought that Zhao Xiaoqian's visit today was just an ordinary, purposeless visit, unexpectedly Zhao Xiaoqian's topic began to turn to tea, intentionally or unintentionally.

"Prime Minister Zhang has implemented new policies, and the country is in need of reconstruction. The atmosphere at court has been completely transformed. However, my colleagues in various government offices are undoubtedly like Uncle Cai, burdened by paperwork all day long. I, a young man, see this and can't help but feel sorry for them..."

Cai Jing blinked, and even the cunning old man was a little confused at the moment.

My dear nephew, what on earth are you trying to say? We've been going around in circles for half an hour. Although there's a lot of nonsense in officialdom, is it necessary for a nineteen-year-old like you to learn all those bad habits so thoroughly?
Cai Jing forced himself to cheer up and echoed, "My colleagues at court are indeed working hard. We all have a heart dedicated to serving our country and our emperor. Even if it is hard, as long as we can share your worries and bring benefits to the people, even if we die from exhaustion, we will have no regrets."

"Uncle Cai has a sincere heart for serving his country, and I admire him greatly. To be honest, I'm ashamed to say that the invention of tea was probably somewhat related to the court..."

The Cai family father and son were stunned. They sat up straight and looked at him in surprise.

Zhao Xiaoqian's expression changed as he said, "Whether Uncle Cai believes it or not, the reason I invented tea leaves was actually because of a dream. In the dream, an old lady with a white beard was holding a piece of paper, standing on a somersault cloud, and looking at me with a smile..."

"She said that the Song Dynasty was revived, and the people were blessed, but the emperor and his ministers were exhausted. The old lady couldn't bear to see the wise emperor and his ministers suffer from their exhaustion and hardship, so she taught the younger generation the secret recipe for making tea."

"I have instructed the younger generation to craft it with care and share it with the emperor and his ministers, so that they can maintain a clear mind and strong physical strength and continue to benefit the people of the Song Dynasty..."

The Cai family father and son were stunned. Looking at Zhao Xiaoqian's calm and confident expression, they felt a faint sense of humiliation in their hearts at the same time.

What kind of idiots do they think we are to say such nonsense...

Zhao Xiaoqian didn't care how they felt. Since the story had begun, he had to finish it. Whether you believe it or not is up to you. I can't let it end badly.

"The old lady with a white beard stood on the somersault cloud and finished speaking to this young man. Then, a golden light flashed, and the old lady did a backflip and disappeared on the somersault cloud. A piece of paper floated down from the sky. Uncle Cai, guess what was written on that paper?"

Cai Jing: There is actually interaction!
Also, what the hell is this old lady doing a backflip on a cloud? Is that image even okay to watch? She's postmenopausal, so could you please just let her go?
Trying hard to force a smile, Cai Jing said stiffly, "Secret tea recipe?"

Zhao Xiaoqian slapped his thigh and said, "Indeed, it is indeed the secret recipe of tea. After all, the advent of this thing called stir-fried tea is actually a gift from heaven to the emperor and his ministers of the Great Song Dynasty. It is like a magical treasure. Thinking about it, I am still grateful for the grace of heaven..."

After saying this, Zhao Xiaoqian faced north and bowed devoutly.

The Cai family father and son let out a sigh at the same time, and their expressions relaxed at the same time.

This nonsense that deeply insulted the intelligence of the father and son was finally finished.

After a long while, Cai Jing sighed and said, "My dear nephew, you and I are already family. From now on, if you have anything to say, just speak directly. I will do whatever I can to help you."

"Tell me, how many kilograms of tea do you want to sell to the various government offices in the imperial court?"

(End of this chapter)