"Master, you haven't told me yet whether you have been promoted to governor?" Mrs. Zhang asked again with concern.
"Thanks to the trust of His Majesty, I have been promoted to Governor." Zhang Jingyun said calmly, his tone as flat as if he was saying that he had just returned from buying groceries.
"Really? Thank God, Amitabha." Upon hearing this, Mrs. Zhang couldn't help but smile. The crow's feet at the corners of her eyes faded a lot. She clasped her hands together and bowed several times.
"You worship heaven and earth and chant Amitabha. Won't Buddhism and Taoism be fighting in heaven?"
Zhang Jing shook his head helplessly, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
"No one will blame others for the excessive courtesy, and neither will the gods or Buddhas." Mrs. Zhang continued to smile as she opened her mouth to defend herself.
"I always tell you to be cautious and to be upright and pure in heart. Whether you are fired or promoted, what difference does it make? Power is nothing but an external thing. If your body is not upright and your heart is not pure, power and wealth are nothing but clouds and smoke."
Zhang Jing shook his head slightly and spoke softly.
"Master, what you said is so heartless. We have been married for decades. Don't you understand me? I followed you when you were still called Cai Jing. After you passed the imperial examination and became an official, you have been the same for decades. How could I ever rely on your power?" Mrs. Zhang said angrily when she heard this.
Before Zhang Jing could speak, Mrs. Zhang continued, "The reason why I care about your promotion is because you were fired a few days ago, and you tossed and turned for several days in a row, unable to fall asleep, and sighed... "
"Yes, I have wronged you." Zhang Jing begged for mercy with a bitter smile, and then said, "The reason why I sighed and couldn't sleep a few days ago was not because I, Zhang Jing, was greedy for power, but because I needed this power to fulfill my ideal - to wipe out the Japanese pirates, return the emperor's trust, return peace to the people, and return the world to peace."
"You don't have to explain, I understand." Mrs. Zhang said tenderly.
Zhang Jing looked at him and couldn't help being moved...
Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but curl his lips. What did I do wrong? I haven't even had a drink yet, but I'm already being fed dog food.
"Ahem, I'll go ask the kitchen to cook a few more side dishes." Mrs. Zhang came back to her senses first. Her face flushed slightly. She coughed and bowed.
"No need, ma'am. Just ordinary dishes will do." Zhu Ping'an said politely with a bow.
"That's impossible. The master has finally brought people back, how can we not cook a few more dishes? Besides, the master got a promotion today, so we have to cook a few more dishes to celebrate." Mrs. Zhang said with a smile.
"Madam, please bring me my treasured imperial tribute wine, 'Pearl Red'. Today is the day to open it."
Zhang Jing emphasized this reminder when Mrs. Zhang was leaving.
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang was stunned for a moment, her face full of surprise, and she doubted her ears. That jar of wine was the lifeblood of the master. Her son had tried so many times, and had used all 36 strategies, but he always hit a wall in front of the master. She thought the master was going to take it to hell, but she didn't expect that he would open it and drink it today? !
Mrs. Zhang couldn't help but look at Zhu Ping'an twice more. This young man named Zhu Ping'an looked quite ordinary, but the master actually looked at him so differently.
Zhu Ping'an... ... This name seems familiar, as if I have heard it several times before.
Mrs. Zhang walked towards the kitchen while reminiscing.
"Zihou, please." Zhang Jing extended his hand and invited Zhu Ping'an into the living room.
The furnishings in the living room are also relatively simple, yet elegant, showing that Mr. and Mrs. Zhang Jing have good taste.
The dishes were served quickly, a total of eight dishes and one soup, including cold lotus root, peanuts with aged vinegar, scrambled eggs with black fungus, braised tofu, green bean sprouts with vinegar, white cabbage with vinegar, braised pork, steamed fish, and a pot of fish head and tofu soup.
This is a home-cooked meal, unlike the last welcoming banquet which had the name of a home-cooked meal but not the substance of a home-cooked meal.
Of course, the jar of "Pearl Red" is indispensable.
"Oh, you are Zhu Ping'an, the famous number one scholar in Yingtian! Well, you are not bad. Although you are not very good-looking, you are talented and handsome. You look young, are you married?"
When Mrs. Zhang came to deliver the wine, she suddenly remembered who Zhu Ping'an was and asked curiously.
Without waiting for Zhu Ping'an to answer, he enthusiastically introduced, "My distant cousin has a little girl, who is pretty, well-educated and well-mannered, and is well-praised in the neighborhood, but she has not yet been betrothed..."
There are not many people who can catch the master's eye, and there are even fewer people who can make the master look at them differently. They must be excellent in character and talent. Moreover, this Zhu Ping'an is the top scholar, and he also wiped out the Japanese pirates who invaded Yingtian. He is a rare person who is both civil and military. If such a young talent can marry my niece, wouldn't it be a great thing
"Madam..." Zhang Jing frowned.
"I'm concerned too," Mrs. Zhang explained.
"Thank you for your concern, ma'am. But Ping'an is already married, so I have to decline your request." Zhu Ping'an bowed in thanks.
"That's such a pity. I wanted to introduce you to her." Mrs. Zhang said with regret, and then added with interest, "I wonder what kind of girl she is. She is so lucky. Next time you come, bring your wife along."
"Thank you, ma'am. I'll definitely do it when I have the chance." Zhu Ping'an bowed.
"Okay, I won't disturb you anymore. Eat it while it's hot. Although we are happy today, you should drink in moderation. Drinking too much is harmful to your health." Mrs. Zhang said as she got up and left, giving some advice before leaving.
Because men and women were required to sit at different tables in ancient times, Mrs. Zhang went to eat in other rooms instead of at the same table. Zhang Jing's son accompanied his wife to visit his father-in-law's family in Henan. He left last month and has not returned yet.
So, there were only Zhu Pingan and Zhang Jing at this table.
"Come, Zihou, try this imperial wine 'Pearl Red'." Zhang Jing opened the seal on the wine jar, poured the wine into the wine jug, and held the wine jug to pour the wine for Zhu Ping'an.
Zhu Ping'an stood up, holding the wine glass with both hands, took the wine, and the rouge red wine rippled in the glass.
Every drop of pearl red is so red that it seems to be burning. No wonder it is called "Pearl Red".
"I am shameless and would like to offer this glass of wine to you, sir. Congratulations on your promotion to governor-general." Zhu Ping'an raised the glass to Zhang Jing.
"Haha, come to think of it, it's really thanks to Zihou's good words. I owe you this glass of wine." Zhang Jing smiled slightly and picked up the wine glass.
The two raised their glasses in greeting, then drank them all.
After drinking a glass of wine, Zhu Ping'an felt a mellow and sweet wine flowing from his throat into his stomach, with a very mellow aftertaste.
"How about this wine?" Zhang Jing asked with a smile.
"It is mellow and sweet, with a long aftertaste. It is worthy of being the imperial wine. Thanks to your Excellency, I have the honor to drink the imperial wine. In the future, I will have one more enviable topic of conversation." Zhu Ping'an smiled and replied.
"Yes, this wine is yellow wine fermented with red yeast rice. It has a long aftertaste, just like the emperor's great grace. As ministers, we should be like red yeast rice, never forget our responsibilities, work diligently, and contribute all our strength to the emperor, the country, the people of the Ming Dynasty, and the bright future, until death." Zhang Jing said with emotion.
"Ping'an has learned something from you." Zhu Ping'an nodded vigorously.