Blissful Days After Widowhood

Chapter 58

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Grandpa Wen stretched out his hand to help the young man up, and said sadly, "This is not the case with the Holy One!"

Emperor Longqing looked ashamed, "Can I be called 'Sacred Lord' by Lord Wen now?"

Mrs. Wen stretched out his hand to wipe away his tears, "Sage visited late at night, what do you want the old minister to do?"

Emperor Longqing said: "Of course I want Lord Wen to help me fight off the rebels and restore the country!"

"The minister is an old man, and he is a civil minister who has no power to tie the chicken..."

"Master Wen, don't be selfish, you are a generation of sages! With you here, the scholars of the world will return to their hearts, and even if the traitor sits on the throne, his name is not right! Historians, civil servants, and scholars will all write for me. It is necessary to let the world know the true face of that thief."

Mr. Wen had a moving expression on his face, and suddenly his body was shaky and fainted under the emotion.

Emperor Longqing immediately had someone support him, and then called someone to find Master Wen.

Master Wen bowed to him first, and then cried: "My father is very old, and he lost his official body since he fought, and his heart is stagnant, and his health is getting worse, and now he can't do without the soup..."

"It's my fault." Emperor Longqing blamed himself to help Master Wen up and asked him to fetch medicine and serve Master Wen to take it.

The soup had a strong taste, and Emperor Longqing frowned in disgust, and said, "Sir Xiaowen will serve the eldest first, and I will wait until the eldest is ready."

When Emperor Longqing left with the eunuch, the old man in the room also opened his eyes.

There was no more moving expression on his face, only frost on his face.

He is indeed determined to be a loyal minister, but not a foolish and loyal minister. In those years when the little emperor was absurd, he tried his best to persuade and help the court to suppress the eunuchs. What was the result? The elders of the three dynasties and the emperors and teachers of the two dynasties were finally dismissed from office and returned to their hometowns. He is so old, but if he doesn't pass that level in his heart, he is probably buried in the loess now.

And if the little emperor came to ask for help, he should act like a polite corporal instead of breaking the door in the middle of the night.

He grew up watching the little emperor, and the little emperor knelt down on him, but the fleeting humiliation and resentment in his eyes could not escape his eyes. Even if he can help him restore the country this time, I am afraid that he will be the first to be liquidated in the future.

What's more, Mrs. Wen really doesn't have the ability to ask himself.

The hearts of the people are like water, and it is hard to get over the water. Whoever wins the hearts of the people wins the world, and now the new dynasty created by King Yi is what the hearts of the people want. It is really like a fantasy to regain the people's hearts that have been lost by himself.

Although Master Wen didn't think as much as the old man, he also understood what the old father meant. He asked aloud: "Father, what should we do next?"

Mr. Wen asked how the situation was outside, and Mr. Wen continued: "The Guards have taken over the entire town."

The old man sighed and groped for a medicine bottle from the dark grid at the head of the bed.

In the bottle is the fake death medicine that the old man found when he was still in the capital. But this drug is extremely harmful to the body. If he takes it at this age, it may become a real death. As a last resort, this is the only way to go.

Father and son face sinking like water, looking at each other silently.

On Emperor Longqing's side, after leaving Mrs. Wen's study, he went to a place where no one else was. He took a few deep breaths and gritted his teeth: "This useless old thing!"

After the eldest wife listened to it, she immediately persuaded: "Sage, be careful!"

Now they have become bereaved dogs, except for old officials of the three dynasties such as Mrs. Wen, there is no one else to trust.

"I know," Emperor Longqing pinched his nose irritably, "I'm hungry by having someone prepare meals."

They traveled in a hurry, except for the palace and a few imperial doctors who served personally by Emperor Longqing, no one else in the palace took them with them. Along the way, he slept and slept in the open air. Emperor Longqing was miserable, and he could not eat ordinary meals. Everyone lost a lot of weight.

After receiving the order, the palace servants immediately went to Wen's kitchen and asked them to cook some food.

The cooks were terrified when they broke the door, and then listening to the eunuch's shrill voice, who could not have guessed that this was someone from the palace

Their craftsmanship was ordinary, and they were invited by Mr. Wen Er for cheap, and they were stared at by the eunuch Shangshan. Under the trembling, the ordinary craftsmanship became more and more unattractive.

Shang Shan's eunuch couldn't help frowning when he tasted it, and Emperor Longqing was even more furious when he ate it. He patted the table and said, "Are you humiliating me?"

The people in the room knelt around and persuaded him to calm down.

Emperor Longqing forcibly calmed down his anger again, and people came to Master Wen Er.

Master Wen Er was not much calmer than the other servants in the family, and his calves were shaking when he knelt down.

When the eunuch asked about the meal, Mr. Wen Er immediately begged for mercy: "Sage Shang Mingjian, the family is in difficulty, and I don't have so much money to hire a chef. The cook's craftsmanship is vulgar, and I didn't mean to neglect you!"

Emperor Longqing also begged Mrs. Wen, and he was no longer angry. He only asked Mr. Wen Er, a native of Hanshan Town, to invite a skilled cook.

The population of Hanshan Town was less than 10,000, and 10,000 Imperial Guards entered Hanshan Town, but they took control of the whole town in half a day.

In Gu's house, Gu Yin and everyone looked solemn, and the noise on the street could not be concealed, especially the Wen family's mansion across the street the night before was broken into.

At that time, Shopkeeper Zhou and Chef Xu went out to watch together.

At a distance, the two saw a number of soldiers holding torches and dressed in uniform.

So I didn't dare to look at it anymore and came back immediately.

Today came the news that the entire town was under the control of the Imperial Guards who abolished the emperor.

Wang Shi whispered bitterly: "Damn it... Forget the fish and the common people, and now people have been driven out of the capital, and they have come to harm us!"

Although Gu Yin didn't say anything, it actually meant the same thing.

However, as the head of the family and the owner of the family, Gu Yin also came out to comfort him: "Don't worry, everyone, since he came to look for the old man, what he thought was to ask the old man to come out and help him get back to the hearts of the people. We are ordinary people. The people, if they make things difficult for us, what are the people's hearts to mention? There is no hope anymore."

The waste emperor is now a rat crossing the street, as long as he still has a trace of reason, he knows that he should clamp his tail at this time.

Sure enough, as Gu Yin said, although the Imperial Guards took over Hanshan Town, they did not do anything else.

It's just that there are no more people on the road of the town. A town that is usually very lively is like a dead city at this time, and it is shockingly quiet.

There was a knock on the door of Gu's house that day, and Shopkeeper Zhou and Chef Xu immediately looked at it with kitchen knives.

Seeing that there was only one person standing outside the door, Guan Yutou let out a long sigh.

The door opened a crack, and Shuaitou rushed in.

Gu Yin and the others also gathered to listen to him.

Guan Huotou said succinctly and concisely: "The cook who was not satisfied with the Wen family had invited Hanxianglou's past. But he doesn't seem to be used to it, so be careful."

After saying this, Guan Zhaotou left immediately.

When several people heard the news, they were all worried.

Gu Yin immediately went to change into the old clothes that Wang's work wore, and then went to the bottom of the stove to wipe the pot ashes, evenly rubbing it on her face, and cut a thick, uneven dog with scissors. He nibbled at the bangs of the pot lid and covered the upper half of his eyes.

After some dressing up, she became a black-faced cook, and because Wang's stature was taller than her, her family became better, she worked more and ate better, and she became much stronger, and her clothes were bigger. The half-new dress was extra loose on her body, which made her figure even smaller, even a little shriveled. If it wasn't for the fact that her family was very familiar with her, she might not have recognized her when she was dressed like this.

The atmosphere at home was heavy, and her interruption made everyone laugh.

After laughing, Shopkeeper Zhou sternly said: "Don't worry, boss, if someone really comes, I'll go."

"I'll go too!" Chef Xu also said, "I look like someone who can cook, and I'll help Master Zhou fight."

Gu Yin bent her lips, and said worriedly, "I'm afraid we won't be able to call the shots at that time."

Afraid of what was coming, this afternoon, a white-faced eunuch with guards slammed the door of Gu's house.

Although Gu Yin and others were reluctant, they had to open the door.

The eunuch said in a shrill voice: "You are the cooks who eat for the sky? Come with us quickly."

Shopkeeper Zhou had been prepared for a long time, and immediately stood up and went out.

When Emperor Longqing gave birth to his mother's womb, he was pampered. After Zhou Ju was tired, he never had a satisfactory meal.

Now outside the palace, although he also brought an imperial doctor, there are not so many precious medicinal materials.

Those of them who are rootless, who can live a life of one person below ten thousand people, all point to him.

The eunuch Liu Dequan has already explained that he must find a new cook today.

Before he came, the eunuch had asked someone to ask. Although the restaurant called Shiweitian had only been open for less than a year, its reputation was surprisingly good, especially the owner, Mrs. Gu, who had worked as a helper in the Wen family earlier. Made delicious porridge soup named after Mrs. Wen. The back is even more whimsical, and new products are launched every season.

In their opinion, the cooks outside the palace cannot be compared with the royal cooks in the palace. But if, like this lady Gu, she could cook something that people didn't know before, that would be another matter of course.

"You're Chef Zhou, aren't you? You're one of them," the eunuch looked around in front of everyone, "I also asked Mrs. Gu to come with us."

No way, Gu Yin can only come out.

Wang Shi was in a panic, she just wanted to move, but Gu Yin immediately stopped her with his eyes.

"Mom take good care of the children at home, I'm fine."

There are so many people on the other side that it would be irrational to really confront them at this time.

Moreover, the eunuch's attitude can also be called friendly, and if he really wants to make trouble, it's just from being invited over to being tied up.

The two followed the eunuch to the Wen family mansion.

Although it is only one street away, it is obvious that the guards near the Wen's house are more heavily guarded - one post at five steps, and one post at ten steps.

But because he came to a familiar place, and the Wen family had an old man sitting in the line, Gu Yin's heart was slightly settled.

The two entered the house, and Mr. Wen Er was accompanying a man who looked like a commander to talk about the layout of the house, so that they could guard it.

Seeing Chef Zhou and Gu Yin, Mr. Wen Er was stunned for a moment, but he quickly reacted. He didn't look surprised, he just hummed, "Why did my father-in-law invite a woman here? This woman is the worst thing to do. son's."

The eunuch knew his identity, so naturally he had to hold him and smiled: "What you said is that Hanshan Town is not a big place, and these are the only famous ones."

"Hmph, I know about this cook," Wen Er said disdainfully, "the craftsmanship is average, it is the diners who see her young and tender, and she is a woman, so they admire her. It's annoying to work in our house before. Very, let me drive away!"

After speaking, he took a step forward and shoved Gu Yin, "Ugly things don't have to be dirty here, why don't you hurry up?"

The general next to Master Wen Er grabbed Master Wen Er's hand, "Master Er is a first-class man, why bother a weak woman?"

Although his tone was polite, the disdain in his eyes could not deceive anyone, and he almost didn't understand why the old man had such a son. Of course, he was not the only one who had this idea. Even the little eunuch who went to find Gu Yin had a look of contempt on his face that could not be concealed.

"Hey, my lord, take it easy!" Master Wen Er's hand was pinched by him, and he hurriedly laughed, "I'm not afraid that such a vulgar person will not be able to serve the sage, and it will hurt everyone."

There was no reason to be angry because of a cook, the general said to the eunuch: "If that's the case, the cook will..."

At this stall, the little emperor's personal eunuch came over and said anxiously, "Where's the cook? Did you find it? The sage said that his stomach was uncomfortable, and he was already angry!"

No one dared to say anything anymore, Gu Yin and shopkeeper Zhou were led all the way into the back kitchen by the eunuch.

The original cook here has been sent out. Master Yuan huddled in the corner of the kitchen. When he saw Gu Yin and Cook Zhou coming over, he first got up to greet him, then thought of something, stood up with frowning, and only told them by mouth. Do it well.

The eunuch asked Gu Yin and Shopkeeper Zhou to cook and eat immediately. Each of them only did the same thing. They had to be fast, and they were not allowed to speak. They stood by and stared at their every step.

There are various ingredients on the table, and there are also preserved eggs that Gu Yin had given to the old man.

She made preserved egg and lean meat porridge, and Shopkeeper Zhou made lion head.

The two of them had quick hands and feet, and soon they were ready to eat.

The eunuch Shang Shan, who had been staring at them during the entire cooking process, first tested the poison with a silver needle, then tasted it himself, and waited another quarter of an hour to make sure that he didn't feel any discomfort before dividing what they made into two parts.

When he left with the food box, Master Yuan in the corner touched it and said, "Do it well, or if you don't do it well, you will be beaten."

He was the first to come, and saw with his own eyes that the original cook of the Wen family was pushed down on a bench and beaten with thirty sticks each.

That stick is also something in the palace. Although it looks terrible that there is no yamen board, but I don't know if it is because of its special structure, before the 30 sticks hit those two extremely strong cooks with blood dripping from the back. I don't know, in the end, they were dragged out of the house like two rag pockets.

That's it, the eunuch in charge of punishment also said that this is the kindness of the saint. If there is a cook in the palace who dares to cook such a dishonest meal, it will be a real problem.

Gu Yin and Shopkeeper Zhou both took a breath and wanted to ask more, but soon a guard came in in place of the eunuch Shangshan, so that they were far apart and were not allowed to speak.

Two meals, one for Emperor Longqing and one for Mrs. Wen.

Grandpa Wen was still pretending to be sick, and when he saw the preserved egg and lean meat porridge, he knew it was Gu Yin.

He was very anxious, but unfortunately the front of his study was also heavily guarded, and not a single fly could fly.

On Emperor Longqing's side, he finally used more, and because he ate hot porridge soup, his stomach that was aching was much more comfortable. After using it, he sighed contentedly and said, "This porridge has a mellow and fragrant taste, and it is also very special. No wonder it has the name of 'Grandpa Wen's porridge'. In addition, this lion head, I don't like thick oily red sauce."

The eunuch responded and was about to let shopkeeper Zhou be arrested when he heard him continue: "However, the craftsmanship is indeed rare, the soldiers in the army have worked hard, they should like this kind of meat with a strong taste, and let this cook cook it for them. Let's go to dinner."

The eunuch praised Yitong for being sympathetic to his subordinates and took orders away.

Then the shopkeeper Zhou was taken away, and Gu Yin got a handful of golden melon seeds, although she was impatient, she didn't dare to show anything.

In this way, Gu Yin stayed at Wen's house.

Emperor Longqing ate finely, not three meals a day, but several meals a day.

Gu Yin has a home and can't go back, so she lives in the penthouse next to the big kitchen.

And because she cooked food for the emperor and was an outsider, the guards and eunuchs looked at her very closely. They found that she and Master Yuan had known each other for a long time, and they even assigned Master Yuan to a small kitchen in another courtyard. .

This kind of life like being in prison passed by day by day, Gu Yin had no idea what was going on outside, and she was afraid that Wang and the others would worry about themselves, and they would feel sad without realizing it.

On this day, the little emperor said that he wanted to eat something new, so Gu Yin thought about it, and she started to make yanpi wontons.

She has been cooking more and more slowly in recent days, but because the food she cooks is especially in line with the little emperor's taste, no one says anything about her.

On this day, she specially slowed down her hands and feet again. It took a quarter of an hour to make a hot pot, not to mention when it was yanpi it is good.

The eunuchs around Emperor Longqing came to ask, and she hurriedly pleaded guilty: "The women of the people want to cook delicious meals for the Holy Sage, but these chores used to be done by the cooks, and the women of the people are weak. It's really..."

The rough and heavy work of beating meat skin was fortunate to be brought out by the emperor, and the eunuch who was also a high-ranking eunuch could not do it. As for the guards, those who can be brought close to the emperor are all descendants of noble families. Usually, they respect the emperor and disdain other palace servants. Even guarding in the kitchen, they all dislike oil fumes. Great taste, don't come in unless necessary.

Let them help this shriveled and ugly cook to do the work, then of course no one wants to.

What Gu Yin thought was to ask them to find someone to come in. Even if it was a servant of the Wen family, she could know some news.

But to his disappointment, the eunuch Shangshan still didn't let the servants of the Wen family come in in the end - Mrs. Wen's identity is sensitive, and he has been calling sick all the time. Can someone from Wen's family come in to contact her

In the end, the eunuch Shang Shan accompanied the smiling face to beg the guards, and he brought someone over not long after.

It was a young man with a huge dark brown birthmark on his face. He was very tall, but he only dared to shrink back, his expression was very cowardly, and he walked up and down.

He was a man who was approached by the guards outside to do rough work after the Wen family lost his servants.

Of course, it wasn't just a random search. This man was not only lame, but also deaf and mute. The guards were beating gongs and even wielding knives behind him, but he was unmoved. The guards at the back punched and kicked him again for a full two quarters of an hour—they were all martial arts practitioners, and they knew best where they would not be seriously injured, but they were painful enough. The young man was beaten, holding his head and begging for mercy, without making any sound.

After confirming that he was disabled, the guards dared to keep him at Wen's house with confidence.

"This is too shabby." Eunuch Shang Shan was very dissatisfied, but he didn't dare to show anything. "What is it that you want to cook for the saint!"

The guard smiled and said: "The cook is dark and shriveled, wouldn't it be good for the deaf and mute to be with her? Father-in-law also don't pick and choose, and don't let him do it. Are we the close guards who accompany the saint to death? Come to do it? Besides, it's just doing rough work in the kitchen, not serving in front of the Holy Master."

Eunuch Shang Shan had nothing to say, and could only take the person away.

Gu Yin kept working in the kitchen, but her heart was already flying outside.

When she saw that the eunuch Shang Shan had brought the person, she greeted her with a smile on her face.

However, what disappointed him was that the man in front of him was unfamiliar, yet he couldn't speak. He bowed his hands and saluted when he saw her, and his mouth squeaked.

When she heard the eunuch Shangshan say that the man was still deaf, she was even more disappointed, and could only use her movements to instruct her to beat the flesh according to her own appearance. Fortunately, he still had the strength, and it didn't take long for the skin to be beaten, so he finally didn't misunderstand the time for the little emperor to eat.

The Yanpi wonton was praised by the old man, but he felt that the process was troublesome, so Gu Yin did not make it later.

The little emperor also liked it, but he didn't have so many scruples, so he asked Gu Yinming to do this again early.

The young man was also left to fight, because he was deaf and mute, so the guards did not separate him from Gu Yin, and only kept them in the big kitchen.

Gu Yin looked at him depressedly and sighed. Even if you can't tell her the news outside, you can bring a complete person. Even just dumb or just deaf? At least I can communicate. She hasn't spoken to anyone for several days, and she is really uncomfortable.

She was about to sigh for the second time when she heard cooing from the quiet kitchen.

The young man immediately covered his stomach, looking very embarrassed.

Gu Yin put away her slump and said in a low voice, "I have food to eat, a place to live, and my health is good. What's the hurry?"

The current situation will never be worse than when she just passed through, fell ill half-life in a dilapidated house, and encountered a thief who climbed over the wall and entered the house in the middle of the night.

"I'm hungry too, let me see what to do." Although she knew the other party and couldn't hear her, there was still a living person, and Gu Yin, who had been holding back for several days, began to talk to herself.

The ingredients in the kitchen are all complete, and although the guards and eunuchs guarded them strictly, they did not say that she would not be allowed to use them herself.

Gu Yin wrapped the wontons. This was the first time in her life that she had made a serious meal. As long as she made this, she would have a bottom line.

The vegetable and meat stuffing was mixed with a lot of lard, and the skin was rolled out as thin as a cicada's wings. After a while, dozens of small and delicate "Yuanbao" floated up in the pot.

Gu Yin put pepper, salt, and a little MSG left over from Master Yuan at the bottom of the bowl, and also tore a small handful of dried seaweed, and filled two bowls of wontons with soup.

"Eat." She brought a bowl of apex to the young man.

The young man nodded and bowed his back again and again in thanks, and Gu Yin also picked up her own.

There are no tables and chairs in the kitchen, only the bamboo chairs and a few small stools that Chef Xu used when he was still in Wen's house.

Seeing the young man's tall body shrunk on the small bench, Gu Yin patted him and asked him to sit on the back chair.

The other party shook his head and hurriedly refused, and she didn't insist any longer, and sat down on the back chair herself.

"Is one bowl enough?"

Gu Yin had no appetite at first, but the young man was obviously hungry. First, he drank two bowls of soup, and then ate wontons. After one bite, his eyes suddenly lit up, and the speed of eating became faster.

Gu Yin likes the way others eat delicious food made by herself, so she can't help but look at him more. Upon closer inspection, she found that although the other party's skin was dark, his expression was timid, and there was an ugly brown birthmark on his face. In fact, the facial features were not ugly at close range, but the lines were tough. If the birthmark disappeared or faded, he would not dare to look directly People, submissive look, should be called handsome.

"Why do I think you look familiar?" Gu Yin looked at him strangely, "Are you also from Hanshan Town?"

After asking this question, the young man's hand snorted invisibly, and then continued to eat at the previous speed.

Gu Yin shook her head mockingly, "I forgot that you couldn't hear me. But I used to set up a stall at the pier before, so I may not remember seeing you."

When the young man finished eating, he immediately stood up, and limpingly collected the two people's bowls and went to wash them.

Gu Yin followed him to the edge of the sink.

"What's your name? Can you read?" Gu Yin dipped her hands in water and wrote on the table as she spoke. If you can read, you can communicate, at least ask about the situation outside.

Unfortunately, the other party shook his head, expressing that he did not understand.

Gu Yin spoke at a very slow rate and asked his name by mouth.

Although the other party is deaf and dumb, but now the other party is his own cook, he can't keep calling the other party "Hello", which seems very disrespectful.

It took a long time for the young man to understand her intention, and his eyes fell on the bench beside him—the blue apron that Gu Yin had taken off casually was placed on it.

Gu Yinyi said: "So you are called a bench."

The young man withdrew his gaze and continued to wash the dishes.

Gu Yin stretched out her hand and gave a thumbs up in front of him, regardless of whether he understood it or not: "It's very good, a cheap name is easy to support. My two disciples and grandchildren, one is called the kitchen knife and the other is called the chopping board. They are both very good children."

Thinking of her family outside, Gu Yin lost her interest in speaking.

God bless, let that devil Shura-like red-scar general come quickly!