The Struggle of the Reborn Prince

Chapter 39: Calculation

For a whole day, Zheng Fu and a group of stewards in the room were so busy that they had to trot to urinate. They didn't even have time to eat or drink. They waited until it was time to turn on the lights before they handed out the last drop of money and wrote down the last person.

After all, more than 1,100 people were recruited, and almost all the strong men from four villages reported their lives.

When Zheng Fu answered that the secretary sat down, drank a cup of hot tea, and warmed up his body, he looked at the thick roster and was confused. Why did people change their gender in one night and figured it all out?

"Hey, stop. If you want to eat, wait at the door. I'll get it for you. You're not allowed to go in!" At this moment, Zheng Fu heard the argument outside and hurriedly walked out.

"Don't block us, we belong to the house!" said a child.

"Nonsense, this is the palace and not a beggar's den. How come you are from the palace?" The doorman said with a sneer as he blocked the intrusion of a group of beggars.

"Uncle Tian, ​​we are the boys next to the second master, don't you recognize us?" A child asked, putting his face in front of the lantern.

"Hey, you are Zhao Ren, you are Zhao Yi, how did you end up like this?" Lao Tian finally recognized these people, they are really the people around the second master.

"Zhao Ren, if you don't stay with the second master, why are you pretending to be beggars or making trouble?" Zheng Fu came over and said with a sullen face.

"Boss, you are like a dog biting Lu Dongbin. We endured hunger and cold to help you recruit people, and you still scold us!" Zhao Xin, face red with anger, jumped out and said.

"You're helping us recruit people, aren't you?" Zheng Fu was a little vague, "Let's warm ourselves up in this room first and let's talk about what's going on!"

"Okay, let's tell you. Then you can ask the kitchen to get us some food first. We drank a lot of wind last night and only ate a bowl of wheat rice today. We are starving to death!" Zhao Xin curled his lips and said,

He didn't seem to be afraid of Zheng Fu at all.

Zheng Fu immediately ordered someone to bring a basin of mutton soup and half a basket of biscuits. The group of people ate and roasted on the fire, and told him what happened. Zhao Tao, if he were a modern person, could understand it at a glance.

This is the way to go to the entrance of a hospital, the opening of a new building, or the opening of a shopping mall, which is to find a trustee.

He asked Zhao Ren and others to dress up as beggars and go out to spread the news that Zhao Mansion was going to build a large-scale water conservancy project and was recruiting people in the state capital. He also gave a few "pawn servants" who had paid off debts a holiday, and before leaving, he "strictly ordered" them not to say anything casually.

The government is recruiting people, because there are not many places left, so too many people sign up to avoid causing confusion.

Zhao Tong just takes advantage of some people's weaknesses. If you tell him carefully, he won't listen and thinks you are lying to him. But they believe in gossip, especially this kind of 'internal' information. These people who are put back have been strictly selected.

Although he was strictly forbidden to say anything about his "little trumpet", the more you didn't let them say it, the more itchy he felt. First he secretly told his family, and then his best friend, but who didn't give it to the three relatives?

Yes, everyone who should know knew it overnight.

"It turns out it was arranged by the second master. No wonder so many people came today. He really expected everything." Zheng Fu suddenly felt powerless. He wanted to use this matter to show off in front of the prince, but he didn't expect this.

The matter was under the control of the prince from beginning to end. Without his secret help, I might have ruined the matter.

The lights were still on in the prince's study. Opposite Zhao Tong sat an old man in his fifties or sixties. Jian Xi standing behind him was in a daze, his body seemed to be swaying constantly, and the hot breath coming out of his mouth

With a strong smell of alcohol.

"Uncle Zheng, have you ever made wine in the Duke's mansion? I heard that you are also a great wine connoisseur." Zhao Tong personally poured him a cup of tea and said. At the end of the year, the old Duke thought that his poor grandson was alone outside.

Another person was sent to deliver a batch of things for the New Year. This old man was the steward of the items in the palace, and of course he enjoyed the courtesy of the prince.

"Your Majesty, don't call me that, I'm just a minor steward in the Duke's palace!" Zheng Quan raised his buttocks and said in fear, "When I was young, I followed the Duke to manage the wine shop, so I still know a little about it, so I don't dare

Talk about mastery!”

"Uncle Zheng, how would you like to try this wine?" Zhao Tong asked Jianxi to take the wine bottle and pour it for Zheng Quan.

"Well, Manager Zheng, this wine is very strong, you have to drink it slowly!" Jian Xi couldn't help but burp.

"Haha, thank you Xiye for reminding me!" The old man said thank you, but his expression showed disapproval. To be honest, if the old man died tomorrow, I would have been drinking all my life, and I have never seen any wine. But he saw

When the wine was poured into the cup, his face became serious. When the wine was full, he couldn't wait to pick up the cup, put it under his nose and smelled it. Then he put down the cup, picked up the tea cup on one side and took a sip of tea, then picked up the cup again and put it down.

He brought it to his mouth and took a small sip. Then he took another sip.

"Your Majesty, this wine is sweet and refreshing, and it feels like fire when it enters your throat. It is definitely not brewed wine, but shochu!" Zheng Quan said with a surprised look on his face.

"Oh, is there already soju now?" This time it was Zhao Tao's turn to be surprised. He thought he had found a business that could make a lot of money, but he didn't expect that the Song Dynasty already had it, and he couldn't help but be disappointed.

"It seems that the old man is right. Shaju has been around since ancient times. Have you ever heard of 'Crane Wine'?" Zhao Tao shook his head. He had never heard of that thing. How could he know? "It is said that in the Northern and Southern Dynasties before the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty,

Liu Baizhuo, a native of Hedong, was good at making wine. The wine he made could keep people drunk for a long time, which became a masterpiece at that time. Scholars and officials often traveled thousands of miles to give gifts to each other, so it was called "Crane Wine". Later, Mao Hongbin, the governor of Qingzhou

When he took this kind of wine with him, he encountered robbers on the road. As a result, the robbers drank all the wine he brought and became drunk. They were captured one by one. People also called this wine "the wine for capturing traitors", which gave rise to the phrase "not afraid of Zhang Gong".

It’s said that when you draw your sword, everything will turn white and fall into the spring mash, what he makes is soju!”

"Damn it, could it be that he also traveled through time and stole my job!" Zhao Tong cursed in a low voice.

"Oh, what did you say, Your Majesty?" The old man was a little hard of hearing and couldn't hear clearly.

"I mean, are people still making this kind of wine?" Zhao Tong asked vaguely.

"The old man drank it once when he was young. It is said that it was passed down from Sichuan. It is as valuable as gold. I have never drank it since then. Now I only occasionally hear that some people still have treasures, but they keep it secret.

!" Zheng Quan said with regret on his face.

"Hmm! Is there really so little wine?" Zhao Tong was shocked again after hearing this. The old man was still breathing heavily when he spoke. Either his body was much better or he had to 'crash' again. It seems that this matter is still going on.

Why, he asked hurriedly.

"Yes, it's rare. Where did the prince get such good wine?" The old man said with enthusiasm as he looked at the half glass of wine left on the table.

"This is made by a servant in the mansion based on an ancient recipe that I got by chance!" Zhao Tong stammered and curled his lips in joy. The prince was playing this trick again and didn't know how to put this 'good thing' to good use again.

Whose head is it? It was clearly the prince who came up with it. I followed him around for a whole day to figure it out. I took a few sips secretly and my head is still dizzy now.

"Ah?!" the old man shouted and stood up, "Is this person here? Can you let the old man see him?" he said in a hurry.

"Uncle Zheng, don't worry, this man is out of the house for the time being and is going home to celebrate the New Year!"

"Oh, I've lost my temper!" Zheng Quan, a mature man, immediately figured out that such a person would be a treasure in his own house, so how could he be allowed to see outsiders so easily.

"Jian Xi, Uncle Zheng will bring the remaining jar of wine to grandpa when he returns, as a small favor from me!" Zhao Tong said to Jian Xi behind him.

"Your Majesty is so filial. If the Duke drinks this wine, he will definitely be very happy!" The old man said with his hands in hand. Zhao Tong waved his hand and asked Jianxi to lead him down to have a rest. The old man didn't forget to take away the remaining half glass before leaving.

liquor.

"Second Master, why did you let that old man go? He is very proficient in wine. Aren't you looking for someone like this?" Jian Xi asked in confusion as he looked at Zheng Quan's leaving back.

"Hmph, with that jar of wine, are you still afraid that he won't come back? I'm afraid that before the New Year is over, the Duke's Mansion will send someone again, and he has to be a heavyweight. You think my wine is so delicious?

!" Zhao Tong said with a smile.

"The second master wants to bring the Duke's Mansion in, so don't they get a big advantage?" Jian Xi said.

"Haha, this is called investment. You can just take advantage of me!" Zhao Tong reached out and wanted to hit Jianxi on the head to experience the feeling of a chief educating a 'little devil', but he was much shorter than him and couldn't stand up.

I can only barely reach his shoulders, which is really frustrating.

Zhao Tong saw the old steward off and put a big cloak on him when he was happy. Two small yellow doors lit lanterns to lead the way. After leaving the main hall, Meng Tao and Yang Feng immediately followed and hung behind him a few steps away.

, in the corridor of the palace, the lanterns under the porch were lit, and the whole palace was shrouded in red light. Although it was cold winter, people felt peaceful and peaceful, and experienced the strong flavor of the New Year.

"It's good to be an ordinary citizen." The servants in the yard were busy coming in and out. When they saw him coming out, they would stop and say hello. Their eyes were full of care and gratitude. Zhao Tao nodded in response, looking at their faces with satisfaction.

With a smile, he suddenly said to himself with emotion.

At the end of the year, these servants got a few kilograms of pork, a few feet of silk, and a few extra coins. They were already satisfied. After their work was done, they could happily live a small life with their wives and children on the hot bed. They were noble princes, but they fell into trouble as soon as they landed.

In the conspiracy, you must always be on guard against overt and covert fights that may come from relatives at home. In some cases, there is only life and death, and there is no kinship between flesh and blood.

"How many people dream of being born in an emperor's family, but the second master envies us people. We are really born in the midst of blessings and don't know how blessed we are!" Yang Feng from behind listened to the prince's sigh and shook his head.

"Haven't you heard of 'thinking about your loved ones more during the festive season'? The second master is so young, but he has trouble returning to his family for the New Year. He is alone outside. Although there are so many people in the house, none of them are his relatives. Isn't it uncomfortable for him?

"?" Meng Tao whispered.

"No wonder everyone in the house feels the kindness of the second master. The second master asked everyone to bring their families together to celebrate the New Year. It turns out that he knows everyone's suffering in his heart!" Yang Feng figured out the connection and whispered.

"Brother Yang, we have been wandering around the world for many years. It is not easy to find a good master. Although the second master is young, he is smart and smart. What is even more rare is that he has a kind heart. He is destined to be a dragon or a phoenix among people in the future. We want us to

It’s time to settle down!”

"Hmm!" Yang Feng looked at the prince walking in front and hummed thoughtfully.