Love Affairs in Chang’an

Chapter 8: Li Ke, King of Wu

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A few days later, the boxing score was completed. Qin Mubai took it and dedicated it to his father.

Qin Shubao took the boxing manual and flipped through two pages casually. He frowned and looked at Qin Mubai with sharp eyes: "You wrote this?!"

"yes."

Qin Shubao took a deep breath, covered his head and thought for a long time, then waved his hand: "Step back."

"My child, please leave."

Watching his son walk out of the room and close the door, the hesitation on Qin Shubao's face became more intense, and he murmured to himself: It's incredible. After not seeing each other for three short years, I actually don't recognize my son anymore. When did he master such a unique and elegant calligraphy? Could it be that it was also taught by Zhang Sanfeng? …How strange and strange!

Returning to his house across the courtyard, Qin Mubai didn't stop for a moment. He found a servant in the house and asked him to go outside and hire some skilled blacksmiths and carpenters.

The young master did not dare to disobey his orders, and soon the blacksmith and carpenter were invited. Qin Mubai gave the craftsmen a drawing and asked them to build a steamer for steaming wine.

I have never eaten pork, but I finally saw pigs running away. Qin Mubai is not a great expert in wine making, but he has studied chemistry at least, and has some friends who make wine in the 21st century. He can be considered a well-informed person. Designing this simplest and original steamer for distilling alcohol is not a piece of cake.

The craftsmen didn't understand the purpose of this steamer built by the young master of the Qin family, but collecting money and doing things has always been their purpose. Within two days, the steamer was ready.

After many experiments, Qin Mubai successfully used more than a hundred pounds of white wine to steam more than ten pounds of 50-60% spirits. Then my mother asked a famous doctor from Chang'an to prepare a prescription for treating rheumatism, including rare medicinal materials such as tiger bones that cannot be easily obtained in the 21st century.

Use the hot soaking wine method to soak in medicinal wine, and you're done.

Medicinal wine is known as the most valuable medicine. Qin Shubao is only fifty years old and in his prime. It is only because of too many injuries in his early years, poor Qi and blood, blockage of muscles and veins, coupled with wind, cold and rheumatism that he is now in a sick state. This medicinal wine can be said to be the right medicine for the situation.

Although he dare not say that the medicine can cure his disease, Qin Mubai is sure that it will be of great help to his disease.

A few days later.

During this period, Qin Shubaojing became even more "homely" before. Qin Mubai didn't have to greet him in the morning and evening, and he didn't even see Mr. Liu very much. He hid in his room like a seclusion and rarely went out.

Qin Mubai guessed that he was probably studying Tai Chi.

The medicinal wine was almost soaked, Qin Mubai poured out a small cup of wine and personally delivered it to Qin Shubao.

Arriving at his father's door, Qin Mubai knocked on the door.

"Didn't I tell you not to see anyone? Why bother?" Qin Shubao's voice came from inside.

"Father, I have something to ask for," Qin Mubai said.

"Is it Sanlang? Come in then!" Obviously, Qin Shubao already treated his third son in a different light.

Pushing the door open, Qin Mubai saw Qin Shubao sitting on the couch, no different from before. Offering medicinal wine on a tray with both hands, he said: "Father, this is the medicinal wine brewed by a child. I come here as a tribute."

"Medicinal wine?" Qin Shubao nodded casually, "Put it down."

"Father, why don't you give it a try? This medicinal wine is different from ordinary medicinal wine... It is brewed by the secret method that my master obtained from one of his accomplished senior Taoist friends." Qin Mubai said freely.

"Really?" Qin Shubao raised his brows in surprise, picked up the wine cup and smelled it, and immediately said, "It really has a strong aroma. As a father, let me give it a try."

After that, he took a sip.

Instantly his face turned red, his eyes widened with an incomprehensible expression of horror, he smacked his lips several times, took deep breaths and coughed several times: "Why is this wine so strong? Cough!... "

"Father, drink slowly!" Qin Mubai hurriedly advised, holding back his laughter and thinking: People in the Tang Dynasty drank wine with a temperature of more than ten degrees at most. Even a bloody man like my father would definitely not be able to adapt to this kind of strong alcohol with over 50 degrees of alcohol!

"It's really... Taoist fairy wine, fairy wine!" Qin Shubao coughed several times and put down the cup, and said with a long breath, "I have been drinking wine for my father for more than thirty years, and I have never seen such strong wine. It’s really not that simple!”

Qin Mubai smiled and said: "Father drinks a small cup of medicated wine every day and then devotes himself to practicing Tai Chi. I think it won't take long for him to recover from his illness."

"Well... My father has also studied this boxing manual carefully in the past few days." Qin Shubao stroked his slender and flowing beard and said thoughtfully, "This internal boxing method called 'Tai Chi' focuses on concentration and cultivation. , it has some similarities with Taoist health cultivation, and it can be integrated with horse shooting. It is a treasure for martial artists. I need to study it carefully to see if I can really create a new style of marksmanship. "

"Father can definitely do it." Qin Mubai nodded happily and smiled.

In fact, half of Qin Shubao's illness lies in his body and half in his mind. With his aloof and arrogant character, he was such an invincible hero when he fought in the world in his early years. Now that he is idle due to illness, he must feel very disappointed and it is rare to be in a good mood. If he is allowed to study Tai Chi every day and try to create a new set of marksmanship, and have something to do that interests him and gives him a sense of accomplishment, his mental illness will be relieved by more than half, and it will also be extremely helpful for his condition.

Qin Mubai thought that after curing his heart disease with medicinal wine and Tai Chi, his father's health should gradually improve.

The father and son had a more speculative chat for the first time. Qin Shubao's attitude towards Qin Mubai has obviously made a 180-degree turn, and he has become much closer and more trusting.

When the two of them were chatting about boxing and gun martial arts, someone came outside the door and said inappropriately: "Master, we have a visitor."

"Who is it?" Qin Shubao couldn't help but frowned, thinking that my Qin family has been sparse for several years. What guest would come uninvited

Qin Mubai was also surprised. Although his father was a great general and a distinguished member of the sect, he had been out of the court for several years, and no guests had visited him during this period.

"The person coming here claims to be King Wu!"

"What, the King of Wu is here?" Qin Shubao frowned slightly in surprise, "Didn't he go to Anzhou to be the governor? Why did he suddenly come to visit me, an old minister who has long since stopped caring about worldly affairs?... Sanlang , welcome the guests with me!”

"Yes, father!" Qin Mubai accepted with his hands raised, thinking to himself: Which King of Wu? I have watched some TV dramas related to the Zhenguan Dynasty before. I only remember that Li Shimin had a son named 'Li Ke' who was named King of Wu. Could it be him

—Li Ke, King of Wu, was the third son of Li Shimin. His biological mother was Concubine Yang De, the daughter of the former Sui Yang Emperor. In this way, Li Ke had the royal blood of two dynasties, which was extremely valuable in the Tang Dynasty, which respected blood lineage.

The person coming is none other than Li Ke!

"Master is here, let me bow down to you." Li Ke, who was wearing a brocade robe, a jade belt, and a golden crown, saw Qin Shubao. He bent down with his hands arched, pushed his hands in bow, and held his hands in bow, performing the nine-bow ceremony.

Qin Shubao hurriedly stepped forward to pay his respects and return the salute: "Isn't His Highness the King of Wu trying to offend his subordinates? Please forgive me."

Qin Mubai stood aside with his hands down and glanced at Li Ke. He was secretly surprised: I seemed to have seen Li Ke, the King of Wu, played by a handsome guy in a TV series before. I don't know how many nymphomaniacs were worried about him. The Li Ke in front of me is about less than twenty years old... he is obviously more handsome, more handsome and more heroic than the King of Wu in the movie!

"Once you are a master, you are always a father. It is just right for the master to be worshiped by the disciple." Li Ke said with a smile, "The disciple came back from Anzhou and brought some special products and medicinal materials to honor the master. ”

After speaking, Li Ke clapped his hands, and two servants came in and carried in two boxes. When they opened the lids, they found some colorful silks, satins, ginseng medicinal materials and other items.

Qin Shubao hurriedly raised his hands and said: "How dare I accept such a generous gift from Your Highness? Back then, I just taught His Highness how to play bow and arrow for a few days. I will never dare to surpass this master-disciple status."

"Master said this because he dislikes my unscrupulous disciple?" Li Ke laughed, without any airs of a prince, and said in a relaxed and joking manner: "However, since master is not used to this kind of red tape, the disciple will also I won’t mention it again, but please accept these two boxes of gifts, Master.”

"Okay then..." Qin Shubao shook his head helplessly and said with a smile, "Your Highness, please don't call me master and disciple again in the future."

"I must obey your order, Duke Yi." Li Ke laughed a few times, turned to look at Qin Mubai, and raised the corner of his mouth, "Isn't this Third Brother Qin?"

"I have met His Highness King Wu." Qin Mubai bowed his hands and saluted.

"No courtesy." Li Ke smiled meaningfully and nodded to Qin Mubai, then turned to chat with Qin Shubao, mostly talking about condolences about his illness, asking for advice on archery, and gossiping about home affairs.

Qin Mubai was thinking in his heart: Look at this situation, Li Ke has some friendship with my Qin family, and is relatively familiar with me in the past.

"Mr. Yi is not feeling well, so I won't bother you much. I'll go chat with Third Brother Qin and learn about archery skills, so I won't bother Duke Yi." After chatting for a while, Li Ke said .

"Your Highness, please do as you please. Your Majesty, please leave first." Qin Shubao nodded and smiled, and left first.

Seeing Li Ke coming to his side, Qin Mubai was about to hand over his hand. Li Ke chuckled and said, "No, no, do we still need to be so polite between you and me? - Let's go!"

"Where to go?"

"No need to ask?" After saying that, Li Ke waved his hand and walked to the back house, as familiar as at his own home.

Nonsense, how would I know without asking

Qin Mubai followed him suspiciously.

The handsome guy Li Ke walked forward with a flowing stride. He was obviously very familiar with the Qin Mansion through the corridors and alleys. After a while, he stopped at the west courtyard, coughed dryly, and said: "Mubai, you better... go and see See if Fourth Sister is at home?"

"Fourth sister?" Qin Mubai was slightly surprised: Is this guy here for my fourth sister? between them…