Aspirations

Chapter 88
"Let him go." Cui Xiang waved his hand, as if he was not angry at all because of Zheng Hao's rudeness, "Zheng Tong was sentenced to be from the Zheng family in Xingyang, a son of an aristocratic family. Sinister, it doesn't matter, after a few things, he will know that this official is good for him. Or Xia Xianxian knows the righteousness, it is getting late, come and have lunch with this official. "

Lunch was arranged in Cui Xiang's inner house. In addition to Cui Xiang, Xia Xiang and Xu Heguang, Zheng Hao who left in anger also came back to accompany him, and Li Heng also came.

Cui Xiang naturally sat at the top, Xia Xiang accompanied at the left, Zheng Hao at the right, Li Heng sat at the right of Zheng Hao, Xu Heguang sat at the left of Xia Xiang, Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan sat at the bottom.

The food is a common cuisine in the north. It is rich and large in quantity. There are flower-cooked quail, milk house sticks, three crisp soup, budding belly, quail soup, belly, mandarin duck fried belly, sand fish and so on. Not only there are many varieties, The colors are also very nice.

The wines include Zhuyeqing and Pu Tao wine.

Xia Xiang drank a little bit of Pu Tao wine, which was sweet in the mouth, similar to a drink.Seeing that Zheng Hao was still unhappy, he didn't find it funny, so he toasted Zheng Hao.Although Zheng Hao was reluctant, he was not good at rejecting Xia Xiang face to face, so he had to touch Xia Xiang lightly in a perfunctory manner, then drank it, put down the cup, and didn't even look at Xia Xiang.

How can you be so childish?Xia Xiang couldn't stop laughing. With Zheng Hao's character, it would be difficult to work with Cui Xiang.With Cui Xiang's old-fashioned methods, Zheng Hao is by no means Cui Xiang's opponent.

Xu Heguang had a verbal conflict with Zheng Hao just now, but now he also toasts Zheng Hao as if nothing happened.Zheng Hao still had a cold face, as if he owed him money, but he would not refuse anyone who came and would drink a toast.He is also a good drinker, and he drank four or five glasses in a row without changing his face.

"Xia Xianzun..." Cui Xiang put down his chopsticks and gave Xia Xiang a lukewarm look, "If you wish, I will let Liu Changting and Xie Huagai visit the county government soon."

"The next official takes orders." Xia Xiang respectfully.

"This official is just mentioning it. It is not necessary to let Liu Changting and Xie Huagai take over. If you have better candidates, you can do without them. As long as the implementation of the new law is strong, this official will help you." Cui Xiang raised it. Wine glass, "This official toasts everyone."

Everyone raised their glasses and drank it all.

Zheng Hao put down the wine glass, picked up the chopsticks, and stopped holding the chopsticks in the air: "If the next official has a suitable candidate to take over the granary and grain business, what will Cui Fuzun say?"

Xu Heguang raised his chopsticks halfway, and stopped when he heard this, and said in great displeasure: "Zheng Tongban insists on antagonizing Cui Fuzun everywhere?"

Zheng Hao was immediately annoyed when he heard this, and stood up with a "huh": "I am the judge of Zhending Mansion, and I have the duty of supervising the magistrate. Everything done by Cui Mansion, if there is no joint signature of this official, You can't write."

Li Heng bowed his head and ate the food with a look of indifference.Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan also bowed their heads and said nothing. Immortals were fighting. If mortals came forward, they would surely suffer, so it is best not to concern themselves.Xia Xiang smiled helplessly. Zheng Hao said in public that he had the power to supervise Cui Xiang, which was a ruthless approach.

Cui Xiang paused for a moment, anger flashed in his eyes, and then he became calm again. He raised his chopsticks, took a piece of braised pork, put it in his mouth, chewed it a few times, and said with admiration: "Fragrant but not greasy, fat Instead of oil, it must be made from half-sized suckling pigs. Zheng Tong sentenced, if this official likes to eat braised pork and instructs the kitchen to do it, should you also sign it?"

Zheng Hao was choked for a moment: "this is a private matter, and the lower officials won't intervene in private matters."

"It's good to know the distinction between public and private." Cui Xiang looked at Xia Xiang with a smile, "It is also a private matter for me to recommend Liu Changting and Xie Huagai to Xia Xianzun. I have a very good personal relationship with Liu Changting and Xie Huagai. Recommend to Xia Xianzun, Zheng Tongpan, you also want to stop it?"

"Your official...don't dare." Zheng Hao was so choked that he had nothing to say, and in desperation, he had no choice but to throw the problem to Xia Xiang. The right person for the business, Cui Fuzun won't mind, right?"

Li Heng lowered his head even lower, and quickly picked up a few chopsticks and stuffed his mouth with vegetables.Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan regretted staying for dinner now, it would have been nice to say goodbye earlier, but now the situation is so embarrassing, if Cui Fuzun gets angry at them, they would be too innocent.

"Why would this officer mind? Haha, Zheng Tong sentenced you to be too joking." Cui Xiang glanced at Zheng Hao with interest, as if he was looking at a child who likes to make trouble out of nowhere, "Originally, this matter is in Zhending County. In this matter, Zhending Palace is only to assist, and has no right to decide."

The implication is that Zheng Hao should not recommend candidates to Xia Xiang as a judge.

Zheng Hao raised his wine glass: "Master Xia, you and I were Jinshi in the same year, and we met because of Brother Teng, and now we are officials in the same place in Zhending. It is also a predestined relationship. Come, I will offer you a toast."

Xia Xiang didn't raise his glass, just sat still, and said with a smile: "Just now Zheng Tongpan and this official have cut off their robes, why are they destined again now?"

Xu Heguang spat out a mouthful of tea with a "poof", and hurriedly apologized for being rude.However, Cui Xiang held back his laughter and put on a gesture of watching the fire from the other side.With Zheng's good temper, no one can bear it, that is, he can endure three points.

Zheng Hao held the wine glass in the air, his face turned green and white, and when he gritted his teeth, he drank the wine in one gulp: "This official will do it first as a respect."

Xia Xiang also picked up the wine glass slowly: "Since Zheng Tongjuan is so sincere, this official can only accompany him." After speaking, he also drank his glass of wine, and then smiled slightly, "Is Zheng Tongjuan someone suitable? "

Zheng Hao saw that Xia Xiang gave him a step, so he stepped down: "Exactly, this person Xia Xianzun also knows, it is Lian Ruohan Lian little lady."

"Lian Ruohan?" The chopsticks in Cui Xiang's hand fell down by mistake, and his face changed drastically with a ding dong, "Does Zheng Tongpan know Miss Lian?"

"We have met on several occasions." Zheng Hao looked smug, "Master Cui, is the strength of the little lady Lian enough to take over the granary and grain business?"

Cui Xiang didn't take Zheng Hao's words, but turned his head and asked Xia Xiang: "What do you think of Xia Xiang?"

Xia Xiang has now become the fulcrum of Cui Xiang and Zheng Hao's struggle, somewhat innocent and injured, although Li Heng pretends to be immersed in eating, he is worried for Xia Xiang in his heart.No matter how you answer, no matter which side you lean towards, Xia Xianzun will always offend one side.I didn't expect that the newly appointed Zheng Tongpan was such a scholarly son, why did he have to force Xia Xianzun to make a decision face to face?
It happened that Cui Fuzun also wanted to test Xia Xiang, and Zheng Hao did so, so that Cui Fuzun took the opportunity to create problems for Xia Xianzun and see how Xia Xianzun responded.Poor Zheng Hao, who thinks he is smart and aggressive, doesn't realize that he has become a pawn that Cui Xiang throws stones at Xia Xiang to ask for directions.

Li Heng peeked at Xia Xiang, and seeing Xia Xiang was calm and calm, not nervous, let alone flustered, he secretly admired Xia Xiang and Zheng Hao, who were about the same age, but much calmer than Zheng Hao. Xiang attaches great importance to it, and Xia Xianzun is indeed different from ordinary people.

Xu Heguang also looked at Xia Xiang quietly and secretly, wondering how Xia Xiang would respond.Although Liu Changting and Xie Huagai are wealthy and rival countries, they are still quite different from Lian Ruohan.However, he was a little surprised that Xia Xiang and Lian Ruohan also knew each other.Although there was an accident, when you think about it carefully, it makes sense.

Xia Xiang observed his words and expressions, knowing that everyone present had different thoughts, and Zheng Hao wanted to force him to express his stance, so that he could use his mouth to compete with Cui Xiang.Xu Heguang wanted to see whether he preferred Cui Fuzun or Zheng Hao, Li Heng was worried about him, while Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan were completely watching the fire from the other side, lest they cause trouble.

Xia Xiang laughed: "Even the little lady has seen and dealt with the official. Although she is a woman, she has a lot of vision and courage. This is the first time Liu Changting and Xie Huagai have heard of the official, and they have never met... ... So this matter is not in a hurry. Even though the little lady has strength, she may not be interested in the granary and grain growing business. Although Liu Changting and Xie Huagai are interested, they may not be the most suitable candidates. Come, drink, drink."

Watertight, powerful, Cui Xiang secretly admires Xia Xiang's wisdom, such a sophisticated wrist at such a young age, no wonder the third prince insisted on sending Xia Xiang to Zhending, it really is not a good role to match.

However... Xia Xiang is young and mature. After all, he has experienced too few storms. Xiaoqing can respond to the urgency of the moment, but when it comes to the storm, it is still difficult for him to cope with it.

Thinking of this, Cui Xiang just took it as soon as he saw it. Xia Xiang had just arrived, so he didn't have to force him to be too hasty, so he raised his glass: "Today's banquet, no business, no business, come, drink, drink."

"It's okay to drink alcohol. Just now, I got angry for a moment and said that I would break justice with Xia Xianzun by cutting off my robe. I will apologize to Xia Xianzun and fine him three glasses of wine." Zheng Hao still refused to let Xia go. Xiang, Xia Xiang's evasive answer made him very dissatisfied, he drank three glasses of wine in a row, "Xia Xianzun, are you satisfied?"

Xia Xiang didn't understand why Zheng Hao insisted on chasing him today, he didn't like to cause trouble, but he wasn't afraid of trouble, so he turned his heart and poured three glasses of wine: "Okay, since Zheng Tong Sentenced to drink three cups in a row, this official also accompanies three cups to show respect."

"Xia Xianzun, how about having a cup for Xiaomin?" Xu Wangshan couldn't see Zheng Hao's pressing Xia Xiang every step of the way. After working hard for a long time, he finally found a place to use his skills.

"No." Zheng Hao waved his hand and said, "Xia Xianzun accompanies this official for three cups. It is Xia Xianzun drinking with this official. What's the matter with you?"

Xu Wangshan rolled his eyes because of the choking, he has been in Zhending for many years, he can be regarded as a rich man, even Cui Xiang treats him with some courtesy, but Zheng Hao treats him so disrespectfully, it is really hard for him to accept.

But it is hard to accept and there is no way. Zheng Hao is an official, he is a citizen, and the people do not fight with officials. He just swallowed his anger and gave Xia Xiang an apologetic look.

Xia Xiang responded with a heartfelt smile, and without a word, drank the three glasses of wine in turn, wiped his mouth, and shouted: "Cui Fuzun, I'll be bold when I'm an official—bring the wine."

Cui Xiang laughed: "It's easy to say, easy to say, come here, get some wine."

Zheng Hao is also not to be outdone: "come here, change the big bowl."

After a while, several jars of wine and several bowls were brought up.Zheng Hao patted open a jar of wine, poured three big bowls in one breath, and looked at Xia Xiang provocatively: "Xia Xianzun, today you and I will not get drunk, how about it?"

"Okay, it's better to be drunk in life. It's just that today is in the Cui Mansion, not a place to get drunk." Xia Xiang wanted to ask Cui Xiang's master's opinion first, although he could also guess that Cui Xiang wanted him and Zheng Haoli. Get drunk.

"This is not a place to get drunk, come here, come with this official." Cui Xiang smiled mysteriously, raised his clothes and turned around to leave, followed by a few people, walked through the corridor, and came to the backyard.

In the backyard is a garden with rockery, ponds, scenery and flowers and trees. In the middle of the yard is a pavilion. In the pavilion, wine and vegetables have been set up.Cui Xiang pointed at the pavilion with his hand and laughed: "The scenery here is the best, and it's the time of autumn. It's a great blessing in life to enjoy the scenery as the song and the flowers as the wine."

Several people came to the pavilion and took their seats.Sure enough, it is a good place. Looking around, in the pond, there are reeds everywhere, and the wind is moving and rustling.The rockery in the distance is scattered, and the shadows of the trees are reflected, which is really a beautiful scene.

When the autumn wind blows, the whole body is refreshed and very comfortable, but Cui Xiang is slightly afraid of the cold.Seeing this, Xu Heguang asked someone to take out his cloak and put it on.

"The Cui family is not in good health?" Xia Xiang saw that Cui Xiang's face was sallow, but his cheeks were flushed, and he couldn't help being slightly worried, "It's windy here, it's better to just let it go."

"It's okay." Cui Xiang waved his hand, "Could it be that I'm happy today, come, I'll accompany you two to have a drink."

"Cui Fuzun..." Xu Heguang reminded with concern, "Body is important, don't drink too much wine."

"One bowl, just one bowl." Cui Xiang laughed and raised a bowl of wine, "Come, let's drink this cup together."

The crowd raised their glasses and drank it all.

"Others fight tea, you and I fight wine, Xia Xianzun, how do you fight, you come to draw a door." Zheng Hao did not forget about the wine competition with Xia Xiang, "Is it a literary fight or a martial arts?"

The style of fighting tea in Daxia is popular, and there are not many wine fights. It is not that Daxia people are not good at wine, but Daxia is very strict with wine management. There are more than [-] restaurants allowed to make wine in Daxia, which are called Zhengdian, and the rest If a restaurant needs to sell wine, it must be purchased from a genuine store that allows winemaking.

Moreover, alcohol is expensive, and ordinary people can afford it but cannot afford it.Another point is that in Daxia, the country is governed by culture, emphasizing culture over martial arts, fighting tea is an elegant thing, and fighting wine is easy to get drunk and cause trouble, so it is extremely rare to fight wine.

There was no public wine fight, and it was nothing to fight privately, but for Xu Wangshan and Ma Qingyuan, although they had seen a lot, it was the first time they saw the county lord and the judge fighting for wine, and their eyes widened immediately.

"How about Wendou? What about Wudou?" Xia Xiang knew well that Zheng Hao was from Xingyang, and Zhending traveled more than a thousand miles south. No matter the customs or customs, they were very different from Zhending.

"Wen Dou means you have a bowl and I have a bowl, drink slowly and fight slowly." Zheng Hao smiled confidently, "Wu Dou... Naturally, you drink and fight quickly."

"It's not as good as civil and military fighting, how about it?" Xia Xiang laughed loudly, with a burst of pride, he slapped open the sealing paper of the jar, poured another bowl of rose peach wine, and threw the wine and the bowl into the wine jar, "Both civil and military, Take the best of both worlds."

Xu Heguang took a deep breath. Although roseberry wine is made from grapes and sugar without koji, it is made from original juice wine with high sweetness and low alcohol content, but it is still wine.The wine in the altar is brewed with rice, and the color is whitish. After brewing, it is grilled with charcoal fire to burn a strong paste aroma and can be preserved for a long time, so it is also called "shochu".

The rose apple wine is red in color, and it is mixed with the white liquor to become red and white wine. No one has ever mixed the two wines together and drank them like this.

Xia Xiang did his part, after mixing the wine together, picked up the wine jar, raised his neck, drank it all in one gulp, then put the jar heavily, and laughed loudly: "Have fun!"

"Xia, Xia Xianzun, what's the taste?" Xu Wangshan's eyes were straight, and he stammered, "Okay, is it delicious?"

"Taste yourself." Xia Xiang made a jar of red and white wine in the same way and handed it to Xu Wangshan, "The flavor is unique and wonderful."

Xu Wangshan didn't dare to drink a jar, but poured out two bowls, he and Ma Qingyuan each had a bowl.After tasting it, he applauded again and again: "Sure enough, what Xia Xianzun did today, should be remembered by future generations."

Xu Wangshan guessed right, and a few years later, someone wrote the book "Red and White Wine": "Wine has harmony, and the magistrate Xia Xiang uses the sum of white wine and the energy of red wine. White ash, the flavor is quite strange." Since then, the red and white wine created by Xia Xiang has been handed down to the world.

"Zheng Tongpan, don't you dare to drink?" Ma Qingyuan looked at Zheng Hao eagerly, and seeing Zheng Hao stunned on the spot, he couldn't help jokingly said, "If you don't dare, Xiaomin can replace you."

"Who said that this official dared not?" Zheng Hao pulled a jar of wine, patted the paper, and poured a bowl of Pu Tao wine into the jar, shaking it a few times, and then lifted it up. The jar of wine, raised his neck, and drank.

When Xia Xiang was drinking, although he held the jar high, he was still elegant, and the wine did not flow outside.It was different for Zheng Hao, his neck and body were dripping all over the place. After drinking a jar of wine, there were as many as half a jar spilled outside.

"How?" After Zheng Hao finished drinking, he put the jar down heavily, with a proud look on his face, "Is this official still afraid that you won't succeed?"

"No, no!" Xu Heguang would not let Zheng Hao go easily, got up and took out a towel to wipe Zheng Hao's body a few times, then twisted the towel hard, and the wine flowed out, "Zheng Tongpan, Alcohol counts only when you drink it in your stomach, not on your body. Xia Xianzun has not touched a single drop of alcohol."

"What does Xu Xiancheng want?" Zheng Hao didn't have a good look at Xu Heguang and glared at him.

(End of this chapter)