Xianke Lou's fame is not just based on blowing it out. Since Emperor Yingzong, this restaurant has become famous in the capital. This is mainly because the owner of Xianke Lou is very business-minded, and spent a lot of money specially invited two people. Two chefs who are good at Northland cuisine and Jiangnan cuisine came to cook, bought the private house behind Xianke Building, and opened another place called Xianyun Pavilion.
If guests want to treat guests to dinner, if they don’t pay attention to so much, they will be in the Xianke Building in front, and the price is much more affordable. If the dignitaries like a quiet place, then they will go to the Xianyun Pavilion at the back. The decoration is naturally higher than the front. many.
Although the two places are next to each other, they each have their own portals that are independent of each other and do not interfere with each other.
Wang Zhi invited Pan Bin to dinner in the Xianyun Pavilion behind the Xianke Building.
The two parties agreed on the time, and Pan Bin deliberately advanced it by a quarter of an hour. As a result, when he brought Tang Fan down to one of the private rooms, he found that Mr. Wang Chang was already sitting on the seat.
Although the other party was wearing a blue shirt and hat today, he was no different from an ordinary guest outside, but the face underneath was feminine and handsome. He was surprisingly young, but he had a determination to look down on everyone. Pan Bin didn't dare to neglect him at all, and hurriedly stepped forward and smiled. Said: "Wang Gong came so early, rude, rude!"
Wang Zhi still sat in the same position, only raised his hand and said, "I came early, please take a seat, Master Pan."
His eyes swept away and fell on Tang Fan: "This must be another high foot of Master Qiu, Tang Fan, Master Tang?"
Tang Fan bowed his hands: "I was born in the countryside and I have never seen a big scene. I heard that my senior brother was invited to a banquet by the factory, so I wanted to follow me to see my vision. I came uninvited and asked the factory to forgive me."
Wang Zhi waved his hand: "It's okay, sit down."
In fact, Wang Zhi was younger than the two present, maybe not yet twenty, but he was in a high position, and he was a little condescending, and Pan Bin didn't dare to object.
Wang Zhi said: "Since everyone has come, let him serve the food."
After that, he pulled the rope hanging down by the dining table, and after a while, someone pushed the door and came in, holding the tray in his hand, and serving dishes one after another.
Wang Zhidao: "I don't know if you like northern or southern cuisine. Tonight, we ordered half and half of the north and the south, and each got his own place."
Pan Bin said, "Mr. Wang has been bothered, but I don't know if Mr. Wang..."
He wanted to ask Wang Zhi why he invited him to eat, but he was interrupted by Wang Zhi waving his hand.
Wang Zhi raised the chopstick and said, "Let's talk after eating, talk about it after eating."
Pan Bin had to shut up.
Treating guests at the Xianyun Pavilion, a meal cannot be eaten without a hundred taels. As the Admiral of the West Factory, Wang Zhi is not left behind.
Almond bergamot, Longjing shrimp, anchovy fin, canary sparrow, hydrangea scallop, gravy fish fillet, Erlong Xizhu, jade lotus leaf soup…
The dishes were served like flowing water, which was dizzying. Pan Bin, as a third-rank official, had seen a lot of social interactions on weekdays, but when he saw the huge table top being instantly filled, he couldn't help but stunned.
Since he couldn't speak, he had to eat silently.
So the three people at the table silently bowed their heads and tasted the food. For a while, the atmosphere was a little weird.
Pan Bin felt uneasy in his heart. No matter how delicious the food was, it naturally lost its taste in his mouth. While he was eating, he had to think about Wang Zhi's intentions. As a result, the speed of eating was much slower than the other two. When he stretched out his chopsticks, Wang Zhi had already put down the chopsticks and wiped his mouth, indicating that it was over.
Pan Bin had no choice but to put down his chopsticks, but as soon as his eyes swept away, Tang Fan continued to eat, although his movements were slow and not vulgar, but no matter how he looked at it at the moment, he felt abrupt.
The corner of Master Pan's mouth twitched, and he hurriedly winked at his junior brother, but Tang Fan didn't know whether he didn't see it or pretended he didn't, and even stretched out his chopsticks to pick up vegetables.
On the contrary, Wang Zhi laughed, showing an expression of admiration, and even shouted at the festival: "Okay! Just eat at ease! Master Tang, this is what people do in temperament, Lao Pan, by comparison, you are not easy to do. Too restrictive!"
Well, I was obviously twenty years older than Wang Zhi, but he was called out by Lao Pan.
Pan Bin was inexplicably awkward, and did not dare to correct Wang Zhi, so he could only smile with a twisted face: "Young people should always be more lively, I'm old, I'm old!"
In his heart, he felt that this overly young man from the West Factory was just like the rumors on the outside.
The so-called different, correctly speaking, should be different from other eunuchs.
If a normal man patted his legs and said that Tang Fan should not be restrained, Pan Bin would not be surprised at all, but it was a stinky eunuch who said this pretending to be mature and arrogant, then it would be strange to look at it. .
After Tang Fan finished drinking the soup in the bowl, he finally put down his chopsticks and confessed to Wang Zhi: "The factory master forgives his sins, it's just that the dishes here are delicious. I couldn't help it for a while, so I ate a few more bites."
Although his expression and behavior did not reflect the characteristic of "unseen in the world" at all, Wang Zhi was still very happy to hear it: "If Master Tang likes it, I will invite you next time!"
Tang Fan said with a smile: "A good dish has to be eaten for a long time before it will have an unforgettable aftertaste. If it is eaten easily, it will lose its preciousness."
It was a polite refusal, but Wang Zhi was hugged without a trace.
The other party was not angry, but showed a very useful expression.
From this point of view, Tang Fan is more open to Wang Zhi than Pan Bin, and is not tied down like Pan Bin because he is afraid of Wang Zhi's status and power.
Wang Zhi tapped on the table, and finally no longer appealed to Pan Bin's appetite: "I invited Master Pan to come here today, but I have something to ask for."
Pan Bin hurriedly said: "Wang Gong's words are heavy, why do you ask for words!"
Wang Zhi said: "I lost something, and I want to ask Shuntian Prefecture to help find it back."
Pan Bin was taken aback and asked cautiously, "I don't know what Mr. Wang lost?"
Wang Zhi said, "A horse carved out of white jade is about half a foot tall."
Pan Bin asked, "How can it be lost?"
Wang Zhi took the scroll that was placed on the high table next to him and handed it to Pan Bin: "It looks like this, I put it at home to watch it, and it was suddenly lost one day, maybe the thief stole it and went out to sell it. I don't know where to go, and I haven't been able to find it yet."
Pan Bin opened the scroll, and there was a picture of a jade horse on it. The painting skills were average, but it was enough to make people remember what it looked like.
Pan Bin said, "So what clues does Mr. Wang have?"
Wang Zhi smiled but not smiled: "If I have clues, why should I come to you?"
Pan Bin realized that he had said something wrong, and said hurriedly, "I will try to solve the case as soon as possible and help Duke Wang retrieve that white jade horse."
Wang Zhi nodded with satisfaction: "Then I will trouble Master Pan."
Now that the purpose has been stated, Wang Zhi will naturally not waste time sitting with the two little people, and immediately excuse himself to take a step in advance.
Sitting in his position, many things were related to the emperor. Pan Bin couldn't ask or inquire. Wang Zhi was about to leave, so he and Tang Fan sent people to the door.
Wang Zhi waved his hand: "The two of you can continue to order food, I have already made the cashier keep the money in the account."
The eunuchs in the palace who have high positions, such as him, such as Shang Ming, will get the python clothes and flying fish clothes that the emperor approves. The characteristic is that the eunuchs have neither embroidered spring knives nor beards.
Tonight, Wang Zhi went out in casual clothes, and the blue hat and hat were not noticeable, but maybe it was because he was used to wearing the gorgeous flying fish suit. When he turned to leave, he flicked his sleeves. in the West Factory.
Tang Fan couldn't help but laugh at it, but he endured it. After Wang Zhi walked away, he asked Pan Bin, "Senior brother, shall we continue to eat or go back?"
As soon as Wang Zhi left, Pan Bin's face was drawn to the elderly, and he flicked his sleeves angrily: "Go back!"
The private room in the Xianyun Pavilion was reserved by Wang Zhiding, and Pan Bin had some scruples. When the two of them were far away, he couldn't help but start complaining: "A eunuch who started his life with his favorite concubine, he pretends to be even more powerful than the first assistant in the cabinet. Big, the world is getting worse, and people's hearts are not ancient! We lost a decoration at home, and he had the face to let us go there. It really seems that Shuntian Mansion is his back garden. Could it be that we are still his private servants, and we can do whatever we want? ?!"
In fact, there were many good eunuchs in the Ming Dynasty, such as Zheng He and Ruan An in the Yongle period, such as Wynn in the palace now. These people entered the palace since childhood, and they all read Yue Wumu in the inner book hall. The story of serving the country with loyalty and loyalty grew up, his loyalty and integrity, sometimes not even the ministers in the DPRK, and the relationship with the ministers in the DPRK is also very good.
But this is a minority after all. The position of eunuchs is naturally opposed to that of civil servants, and because there are always so many eunuchs who, by virtue of their luck, have more power and power than the officials who study hard, and the emperor listens more to them. , The most important thing is that they lacked such a thing, and they were not considered men at all. The civil service group naturally guarded them strictly, even if they did not dare to offend them in person, they did not look down on them privately.
This is the best portrayal of Master Pan's mood at the moment.
Tang Fan waited for him to vent before he said, "Have you met Wang Zhi before?"
Pan Bin still hummed with anger. Although he was not a big man in the capital's official circles, he could be called a third-rank official. As a result, Wang Zhi's attitude towards him was the same as that of his own people, which made him feel in his heart. Very awkward.
"I have seen it, but I have never dealt with it so closely!"
Tang Fan asked, "How does your lord see Wang Zhi as a person?"
Without even thinking about it, Pan Bin said, "Domineering! Arrogant! Arrogant!"
Tang Fan nodded while recalling the situation just now: "He is a young man, and he does have the capital to be arrogant and domineering, but I don't think Wang Zhi will call you over just for a mere ornament to play and watch, maybe some of them are there. for what reason."
Pan Bin was annoyed: "What else could be the reason, looking for such a thing in such a big capital is like looking for a needle in a haystack. It is nothing more than that the white jade horse has been smashed, and Wang Zhi asked us to find something that is impossible to find at all, or it is a place where Wang Zhi can't go, maybe it has flowed into some powerful family!"
Although he has many shortcomings, he must be able to sit in the position of the governor of Shuntian today, but he must have some ability, so Wang Zhi's intentions were pointed out in a few words.
Tang Fan said, "Did your lord offend him somewhere?"
Pan Bin shook his head: "How is it possible, I haven't dealt with him much at all, that is, the last time the Marquis of Wu'an..."
He paused for a while, and was a little suspicious: "Could it be that what happened to the Marquis of Wu'an offended him last time? But later the truth came out. Didn't he achieve the purpose of establishing his prestige, why did he come to trouble us, Guan? What's the matter with us? Even if we are looking for it, we should look for Jin Yiwei?"
Tang Fan said, "It shouldn't be this, maybe there is another reason."
Pan Bin thought hard, and after thinking for a long time, he couldn't come up with any result: "Well, why don't you go to Beizhen Fusi tomorrow and ask that Sui Zongqi."
Tang Fan: "..."
Hey, my lord, wake up, the dignified Beizhen Fusi is not the back garden of our Shuntian Mansion!
He said helplessly: "Sui Zongqi went on a business trip and hasn't come back yet. Last time I asked them to help me find out about Wang Zhi's invitation to us to eat, but they couldn't find any results. I'm afraid they couldn't help."
Pan Bin sighed: "If Emperor Taizu was still there, seeing Jinyiwei being bullied so uselessly by the eunuchs, I'm afraid he would be furious?"
Tang Fan twitched the corners of his mouth for his senior brother's rich imagination. If Emperor Taizu was still alive and knew that two court officials and a eunuch were eating and drinking outside, the three of them could go to Caishikou to meet each other tomorrow.
He had to make a suggestion: "According to the official's opinion, it is better to send people to look for it tomorrow, and I will go to find out about the news. . Is that okay?"
Pan Bin stroked his mandibular beard with satisfaction: "This is very good, Runqing, then it will be hard for you."
In fact, Tang Fan felt that he was really embarrassed to go to Xue Ling and the others every time something happened. First, he seemed incompetent in Shuntian. One day, it will be hard to shirk what people want you to do to make things difficult for you, so he didn't go to Xue Ling right away at first, but waited for news from Lao Wang and the others.
But it is a pity that for several days in a row, Pharaoh and the others searched all over the capital for pawnshops, but couldn't find the white jade horse.
Tang Fan had no choice but to find Xue Ling again.
Xue Ling was very forthright, patted his chest and agreed, saying that he would definitely help him find out.
Tang Fan ran into another trouble over there.
It's nothing else, he's running out of place to live.
The place where he lived was originally a rented yard separated by the Li family next door. It was a single family. Although the sparrow was small, it had all the internal organs. One of them died, and one was put in jail. The evidence of Li Man's murder of his wife was conclusive. After being confirmed by Wanping County, it was reported to the Ministry of Justice.
In ancient times, the law was light on men and women, and when a wife killed her husband, she had to be late, and when a husband killed his wife, the situation had to be divided. If there were no accidents, he would have to be beheaded, but it wasn't that simple. Li Man's case would have to go through a joint trial of the three divisions, and the punishment could only be sentenced after the final approval of the Ministry of Punishment.
The Li family has no male and female masters, and life is still to be lived, and Li Lin, the young master of the Li family, has become the new master.
Li Lin is 15 years old this year. Because he is engrossed in his studies, he is unable to understand the general affairs. He suddenly takes over the Li family and doesn't know what to do. The housekeeper, Lao Li, has no choice. Although he is old, he is a servant and an outsider after all. A cousin of Li Man was invited to temporarily help with Zhang's funeral.
That Li Jiatang's in-law's family is in Nanjing, and he came all the way to the capital, so he is not acclimatized. He is not coveting the property of the Li family. He just saw that Li Lin is a young man and a half-year-old. It was not right, so he suggested that Li Lin and Lao Li should move to Nanjing with them. They were all relatives and they took care of each other.
His mother was killed by his biological father. This kind of thing also made Li Lin feel a lot of irritation. He didn't want to stay in this house full of psychological shadows at all, so he discussed it with Lao Li and decided to agree to that. On the suggestion of a cousin, the family moved to Nanjing and left this sad place.
However, Li Man is still in prison after all. As a son of a man, he can’t leave without his father. At that time, together with the small yard where Tang Fan lives now, it will also be sold.
The house price in the capital is high, and Tang Daren's family is in the middle of the road. He also had no money to buy the house from a sixth-rank official, so he had to move out and find another place to live. Fortunately, Li Lin and the others did not leave immediately, and there was still a buffer. The time allowed Tang Fan to look for the house.
However, this house is really hard to find. The location is good, the rent is high, the location is not good, and it is far from the yamen. The old man from Yaxing took Tang Fan to see a few places. Tang Fan was not very satisfied. Taking into account the errands in the yamen, as well as the whereabouts of the white jade horse of Wang Changgong, it can be said that it is a mess.
At this moment, little girl A-Dong came to the door crying, and without a word, knelt down in front of Tang Fan: "Master Tang, just accept me!"
scare? !
Tang Fan was startled by the boss, thinking that there was another A-Xia, but fortunately, A-Dong's next words let him know that he was thinking too much.
"Master Tang, can you go and tell the housekeeper that I will come to you. I will cook egg fried rice for you and help you clean the house. I don't want to go to Nanjing."
The little girl A-Dong raised her head and asked expectantly, crying with snot and tears.
Tang Fan helped her up: "What's going on? You are the servant of the Li family who signed the death contract. Can you leave the Li family?"
A-Dong sniffed: "It was a death contract, but Sister A-Chun said that as long as you ask the young master to ask for it, the young master should give it."
Tang Fan was confused: "You grew up in the Li family, aren't you familiar with the Li family, why do you want to come to me all of a sudden?"
A-Dong said sadly: "My wife is dead, the Li family is not the Li family anymore. The young master told Sister A Chun that when the mourning period is over, he would like to take her as a concubine. Sister A Chun also told me that although the young master is not too bad, he is soft-hearted and a little dull in reading. If he is the head of the family, the Li family will not be better than before."
Tang Fan asked, "What about the others, apart from you and A Chun, what should the rest of the Li family do?"
"Butler Li wants to accompany the young master to the south. The slaves and maids who have not signed the death deed will be sent away in advance, and those who have signed the death deed will also be sold part of it. Sister A Chun said that if I don't want to go to Nanjing, I can take advantage of this Opportunity to find a way out.”
She bit her finger and looked at Tang Fan pitifully: "Master Tang, can you take me in? I will be very diligent and not cause you any trouble. I don't want to go to Nanjing, I am not familiar with the young master!"
Tang Fan couldn't help laughing and sneering: "I am happy that you are willing to be my cook, but the question is, is the young master of the Li family willing to let you go?"
A-Dong listened to his relaxed tone, and immediately became excited: "Yes, yes, I heard from the housekeeper, the Li family has too many people now, and they won't need so many people in the future, they want to cut less, I can eat so much, There is not much work to do, they are definitely willing to let me go and let me go to harm other people's homes!"
Tang Fan: "..." Is it really okay for you to be so straightforward
A-Dong stuck his tongue out: "It's wrong, it's wrong! It's all my fault, please don't take it to heart, Master Tang, I'm actually fine! Just pretend that you didn't hear what I just said!"
Seeing her so happy, Tang Fan also smiled: "Okay, okay, then I'll go and ask, but let's say it first, come to my house, can you take care of my meals?"
A-Dong nodded like a garlic clover. Although she grew up in Li's family since she was a child, Zhang's family is no longer there. The three closest sisters, Chun Xia Qiu, A Chun persuaded her to leave, A Xia threatened to kill someone, A Qiu Ze It is very likely that he will follow the south, and overnight, the family-like atmosphere is fragmented, and A-Dong resists the matter of going south from the bottom of his heart. In contrast, Tang Fan is naturally more comfortable and gets along better.
She assured her confidently: "Don't worry, Master Tang, I will definitely feed you fat and plump like a pig!"
Tang Fan: "..."
He began to wonder if A Chun was afraid that her weak mouth would easily offend people in the Li family, so he hurriedly sent her out.
But when Tang Fan went to the Li family to ask for someone, it didn't go well.
The housekeeper, Old Li, listened to his intention, and although he did not refuse, he still had an embarrassed expression on his face: "Master Tang, A-Dong signed a contract of sale, and now the Li family is not up to me, why don't I ask the young master?"
Tang Fan nodded naturally: "Now that the young master of the Li family is in charge, this is what it should be."
Old Li asked him to sit in the living room for a while, and then went to ask Li Lin for instructions. After a while, Li Lin came out.
"Master Tang is trying to redeem A-Dong?" Li Lin asked.
He looks very similar to Li Man, even the same height, but Li Lin looks younger.
The accident at home made Li Lin's face lose its original greenness and become a little gloomy, more like his father.
Tang Fan nodded: "I heard that the Li family bought A-Dong and spent 5 taels of silver. Now you are going south with your family. A-Dong is not very old, so I'm afraid it will not be convenient to take her with me. I am willing to pay 10 taels of silver. I don't know if I can transfer A-Dong's sale contract?"
Li Lin's perception of Tang Fan is a bit complicated. The other party is not only the one who helped find out the real murderer of his own mother, but also the one who personally sent his father to prison. He should have thanked him, but he hated him a little bit. Li Lin even thought more than once that if it wasn't for Tang Fan, he wouldn't have to lose his mother and father now.
He said coldly: "A-Dong is the servant of my Li family, please forgive me, and I heard from Lao Li that the lease term originally agreed in the contract is approaching, and our house is going to be sold, so we don't plan to sell it. The contract has been renewed, so please ask Master Tang to move away from us as soon as possible!"