Zhou Man returned to Beijing with only one car and five rides, Zheng Shi and Xiao Qian Shi took Bai Jingxing and waited for Zhou Zhoulang to come back in the county town.
Bai Shan sent the person out of the city, glanced at the lively official road, and told her: "Be careful when you return to Beijing. Now that we are older, we will no longer be treated as childish words and deeds."
Zhou Man nodded and said, "I know, don't worry."
Bai Shan sent Zhou Man into the car, and nodded to Daji who was driving.
Zhou Man opened the curtains and waved to him, "Okay, you can go back quickly."
Said to let Bai Shan go back, but she kept looking out, Xibing knocked on the wall of the car, and after letting Daji drive, she poured a cup of tea for Zhou Man, "Ma'am, would you like some tea to moisten your mouth?" ?”
Zhou Man glanced back again, then looked away, "What kind of tea is this?"
"Almond brown sugar tea."
"... Such a unique tea," Zhou Man stared, "Why haven't I heard of it?"
"Oh, Madam heard it from the Lord Lang, saying that it is good for pregnant women to eat almonds, so Madam asked someone to grind almonds to make tea, and the eldest lady said it was not good to drink, so she added brown sugar to it, Madam, try it look."
Zhou Man then took a sip, his eyes lit up, he took two sips and said: "Don't say it, it's quite delicious."
Zhou Man's journey was not slow, but it wasn't particularly fast either. Daji kept controlling the itinerary so that they could find a place to stay overnight every time they stopped, and returned to the capital on the ninth day.
Two days slower than riding a horse.
But people in the capital don't know.
According to the old practice, the normal handover of officials, together with family leave, etc., as long as there is no urgent job change, each official has one month.
Therefore, although Zhou Man's arrival time is not too early, it is not too late. The courtiers who did not know that Zhou Man completed all the handover in only five days were satisfied with Zhou Man's speed.
When officials enter Beijing to report on their duties, they must report to the Ministry of Officials as soon as they enter Beijing.
It was the same for Zhou Man, she asked the guards to take her paperwork to report to the official department, while thinking about going home to freshen up and change clothes, maybe the palace would summon her later.
In the end, the guard with the documents left, and before she had time to return to Chongyuan Square, the servants and palace guards came chasing after her, "Lord Zhou, please stay!"
The carriage stopped, Zhou Man opened the curtain and looked at the person coming, "Where are you?"
The servant held an iron order and said, "The Empress has a decree to announce Zhou Man's audience."
Zhou Man couldn't help but glanced at Daji, nodded after thinking for a while, "Let's go to the palace first, Daji, you go back to the mansion to report that you are safe, and let them know that I am back."
"yes."
Dae-gil hops off the carriage, leaving another guard to drive.
The servants and imperial guards escorted the carriage forward, and Daji watched the carriage leave and got on the horse immediately, and took the rest of the people back to Chongyuanfang.
Zhou Man helped Xibing's hand get out of the car, and looked up at the gate of the palace. It has been three years since she left last time, and the gate of Tai Chi Palace has not changed at all, except for the guards guarding the gate.
Zhou Man turned his head and said to the cakes on the car: "You guys go back first, you don't have to wait here."
Western cakes and guards should go down.
Zhou Man followed the servant into the palace, but not to the harem, but to the front hall of the Tai Chi Hall.
Zhou Man couldn't help but take two quick steps to catch up with the servant leading the way, and asked in a low voice, "What's your name, sir?"
The servant bowed his waist and bowed his head and said, "I dare not be called by an adult, the slave is called Fulai."
Zhou Man boasted: "Good name, I've never seen Lord Fulai in front of your empress before, and it's been two years since Lord Fulai came to your empress's side?"
Fulai laughed softly: "This servant used to be a servant of the Taiji Palace, but because of his good name, His Majesty gave the servant to the empress."
Zhou Man nodded and asked, "The empress is in the front hall at this time?"
Fulai shook his head and said, "It's time for the courtiers to discuss matters, why is your empress in the front hall?"
Zhou Man: "... Didn't you say that the empress summoned the ministers to see you?"
Fulai raised his face slightly, glanced at Zhou Man and whispered, "My lord is returning to Beijing to report on his duties, shouldn't he come to see His Majesty?"
Zhou Man: ...
Something must have happened in the palace, no, something must have happened in the court, otherwise the queen would not have interfered with the affairs of the courtiers.
Zhou Man lowered his voice and asked, "Master Fulai, what happened to Chaozhong?"
"It's nothing, Mr. Zhou don't need to worry too much," Fu Lai said softly after a pause, "But it's time to have lunch soon. His Majesty has a good appetite recently, and he always likes to keep the ministers in the palace to eat together. In a few days, today is the day when Master Naluoer offers the elixir. After lunch, Master Naluoer will serve His Majesty to take the pill, and he will meditate for a period of time in the afternoon, so Mr. Zhou must hurry up, otherwise His Majesty will wait for you. Go have lunch, I'm afraid I won't be able to catch up with the job today."
The maids in the palace are all very shrewd, even if Zhou Man is popular, it is rare for him to be able to find out so much information at once.
When the money was not given, they skipped out sentence by sentence. When money was given, they skipped out word by word, and refused to say a single word that was unnecessary.
With such a long passage, Zhou Man felt that it was not Fulai who wanted to tell her, but the empress behind him.
Zhou Man followed Fulai to the Tai Chi Hall, thinking wildly, but what happened to the pill, and who is the master
Zhou Man asked: "Then why is Master Luo Er not from the Central Plains?"
Fulai said in a low voice, "Na Luo Er Sa Po is from Tianzhu, and returned to Beijing with Mr. Wang a few years ago."
"Which Lord Wang?"
"The newly-appointed Chaosan doctor, Mr. Wang, was plundered by Zhongtianzhu when he was sent to Tianzhu before. Then he and Tubo and Nipoluo borrowed troops to destroy Zhongtianzhu. have you heard of it?"
Zhou Man suddenly realized, nodded again and again: "I've heard of it, and it's very famous."
Last year, Bai Erlang, the favorite of storytellers in teahouses and restaurants in Beihai County, was so attracted that he left government affairs and went to listen every day, but Bai Shan and Yin Or teamed up to cut him a meal.
"He also brought back a... master?" Zhou Man asked, "Tianzhu, it can't be a Taoist priest?"
"No," Fulai's voice was even lower, and he looked around and said inaudibly: "It's a monk."
Zhou Man: "Monks also make alchemy?"
Fulai hadn't been out of the palace much, and what he was going to say today was taught by someone, so he didn't know, "Don't monks make alchemy?"
"I haven't studied this seriously. When I look back, I'll go to Huguo Temple and ask Master Zhiren. Maybe it's a school of Buddhism. There are many schools of Taoism and Buddhism," Zhou Man brought the topic back , asked: "So the empress asked me to see the elixir?"
Fulai smiled and said, "This slave doesn't know."
So much has been said, you can handle it yourself.