Approaching the New Year's Festival, the entire Kaifeng City is filled with a joyful atmosphere.

Zhao Zhen drove lightly, did not bring his huge guard of honor, only brought two small yellow gates, and the daily guards of the front division of the palace, from the royal street out of the Nanxun Gate, crossed the Bianhe pontoon bridge, and came to the Yongning Marquis Mansion outside the Wansheng Gate.

To greet the emperor, how much distance should be welcomed, and what etiquette should be done, you can't be sloppy. There were already court officials in the palace who came to Xu Ping's mansion to explain these etiquettes in detail, and followed them to guide them at any time.

Xu Ping's family welcomed the emperor Zhao Zhen into the Hou Mansion, thanked him for the drive, and all kinds of cumbersome etiquette. After all that, the salutes and salutes all breathed a sigh of relief, and everyone moved to the back garden of the Xu Mansion.

Although Xu Zheng is the head of the family, his status is low, and it is already difficult to have close contact with the emperor once, which is enough for him to brag about it for a long time with his colleagues in the front palace. Zhao Zhen rewarded Xu Zheng and his wife with some rare tributes brought out from the palace, and the two couples wisely retreated to their own courtyard and did not come out to disturb.

Xu Ping felt that it was troublesome to salute, and Zhao Zhen didn't feel troublesome. There are people around him at all times, except in the harem, no one is in charge, once he comes out, every word and deed is someone who tells him that he shouldn't do this or that.

Today's sun is very good, the blue sky is cloudless, the sun is shining, and there is a bit of spring breath.

When we arrived at the verandah, we sat down, and everyone invited tea, and the atmosphere relaxed.

Today, there are no ministers accompanying him, only ministers around the emperor, full-time and part-time academy personnel. Feng Yuan, a bachelor of Hanlin, has a part-time knowledge of entering Yintai Si Shi Zhong, Zheng Xiang, and a fellow practitioner Song Qi. These people have different official positions, and the more common feature is that they often hang around the emperor.

After using the tea, Zhao Zhen noticed the painting on the glass window of the verandah beside him, stared at it for a while, and said to Feng Yuan beside him: "Isn't this the handiwork of Master Yan?" ”

A few ministers came up to take a look at it, and replied together: "It must not be wrong, Bachelor Yan uses poetry to paint, and others can't learn it even if they want to." ”

Speaking of these, this is the specialty of the minister, and Xu Ping couldn't interject, so he asked his subordinates to bring vegetables and fruits.

One by one, plates and refined small baskets were put up, and Xu Ping said to Zhao Zhen: "Your Majesty, use some melons and fruits first." ”

Zhao Zhen took a cucumber with thorns on the top and asked in surprise: "Where does the courgette come from in the cold winter?" Even if it was saved in the summer, there is no such water spirit now! ”

Several other people came up, looking at the side dishes such as pineapple tea and bitter gourd on the table, just like in summer, they were all full of surprise, and asked Xu Ping: "At this time, where did you find these fresh vegetables and fruits in the house?" ”

Xu Ping smiled and pointed to the greenhouse not far away: "I didn't find it from outside, I planted it myself." ”

Only then did everyone notice the greenhouse not far away, and they all got up curiously and came close to see it, and were amazed.

Xu Ping introduced the principle of this greenhouse to everyone, and also said that he had just moved here from Zhongmu Manor. As for whether these characters who read the books of the sages every day can understand it, only God knows.

opened the door of the shed, Zhao Zhen took a group of ministers into the shed, looking at the green of the shed, only to feel that spring had come all of a sudden. Look left and right, you can't stop watching.

Zhao Zhen couldn't help but ask Xu Ping: "This is still built by the skillful craftsman in your house?" Sure enough, it's good! Being able to eat a bite of green vegetables in the cold winter season is difficult even in the palace, and I don't want you to be able to grow it directly in your house. ”

Xu Ping said: "Your Majesty is talking about Sun Qilang, although this greenhouse is not his credit alone, he has also contributed a lot." ”

"Okay, okay, let him build one in Yujin Garden in a few days. Plant some flowers in your spare time, and plant some green vegetables in winter to send them to the palace to improve the taste. ”

Zhao Zhen said this, and looked at the glass used in the greenhouse and said, "Why do you have so many such good things in your house?" ”

Xu Ping hurriedly said: "When Weichen was in Yongzhou, he saw a few businessmen from the sea, learned this method of burning glass, tried to burn some in his own village, and just used it. In the past few months, the firing has been successful, and it is about to be played by His Majesty, and a special glass-burning field can be built in the city of Tokyo, which can be used by the palace family and sold to the outside world. ”

Lingnan traded with overseas in the Tang Dynasty, and was indeed good at firing glazed ware, Xu Ping's words were half-true and half-false, who would delve into it? In this era, this kind of thing was commonly called glass, but there were also transparent ware from overseas that was called glass, so as to distinguish it from domestic glassware. Since the method comes from overseas, it is not called glass when it is burned.

Zhao Zhen thought for a moment and said to Xu Ping: "Shi Quanbin raised the ordinance, and there are not many affairs, but he proposed to set up a glass field in the capital." If you offer this method, you deserve no reward. ”

It is in line with Xu Ping's mind to let Shi Quanbin mention this matter, and he still wants to make money by making some luxury goods from the glass waste of the official family, and acquaintances are of course the most convenient to do things.

After seeing the greenhouse, Xu Ping passed Yansu's lotus drain again. Xu Ping said that Zhao Zhen finally agreed to give Yan Su another chance, and then assigned a bachelor to participate and test the accuracy of the lotus leak with Si Tianjian.

After returning to the verandah and sitting down, the servants served the wine and food, and then they talked about the fresh melons and fruits picked from the greenhouse, and everyone drank and gossiped. Song Qi, who is good at poetry, also made the first words because he grew up in the greenhouse.

Before he knew it, it was noon, Zhao Zhen needed to rest, and Xu Ping led him to the newly built library in the back garden.

Sit down in the pavilion, Xu Ping retired.

"Wait, it's rare to have time today, so our monarchs and ministers will talk a few words."

Zhao Zhen stopped Xu Ping, asked him to sit down, and motioned to Xiao Huangmen, who was following him, to wait outside the room for instructions.

Since returning to the capital, Xu Ping has known that in this era, except for the prime minister, it is actually difficult for courtiers to have the opportunity to get along alone with the emperor. Because of Li Yong's relationship with his family, he is considered a close minister of Zhao Zhen, and in the past six months since he returned to Beijing, in fact, except for entering the palace to report on his work when he returned to Beijing, he has never had the opportunity to talk to the emperor face-to-face alone.

If you leave yourself alone, you must have something important to ask, but you just don't know what to ask.

Zhao Zhen looked at Xu Ping and said slowly: "Recently, Lu Xianggong and Zhang Xianggong have said several times that the existing tea method is inconvenient and the tea method must be changed. You are the deputy envoy of salt and iron, what do you think? ”

Hearing that he was asking about the tea method again, Xu Ping didn't know what to say for a while. When Li asked him two days ago, he found it difficult to answer, but he didn't expect the emperor to ask again not long after.

"Your Majesty, Weichen has recently sorted out the case files of the three divisions, but he has some clues, and things are still uncertain. Whether the tea law should be changed or not, and how to change it, is still difficult to say. ”

"Oh, why can't you be sure, let's hear it."

Xu Ping was silent for a while, and said in a deep voice: "Because of sorting out the case files of the three divisions, Weichen found that Shaanxi used tea and salt to enter the border, and the imperial court wasted countless money. But in the past three years, not a single stone of grain has entered Shaanxi! (To be continued.) )