Chapter 184: Blame it on others

The cook only listened once and took note.

"Miss, go back to the courtyard and rest. I promise to make it ready before lunch."

The cook was afraid that the spicy food would choke the young lady.

Jiang Shuyue nodded and walked out. When she reached the kitchen door, she stopped and looked back and said, "You can make more seasonings later, and make two flavors of shredded radish."

Back in the courtyard, Qiuju took out the honey dew paste that Jiang Shuyue had made herself.

She took Jiang Shuyue's hand and said while applying the honey dew paste, "Miss, Madam Su said that a woman's second face is her hands. Don't go to the kitchen in the future."

"Okay, okay, I won't go to the kitchen in the future. If you keep nagging, I will change your wedding date and marry you off earlier."

"Miss, have you forgotten that I will not leave the house after I get married with Gao Mu?" Qiuju smiled with a red face.

"I'm just teasing you. I'm not used to a day without you around." Seeing Qiuju was shy, Jiang Shuyue stopped teasing her.

"Miss, not to mention that I am reluctant to leave you, even Master Nangong is reluctant to leave. He rushed to buy a house, but he only lives there at night."

After a while, Lan'er brought the beef strips that had just come out of the pot.

The beef strips coated with a layer of chili powder were fragrant.

"It would be even better if some sesame seeds were sprinkled on it. I forgot just now."

"Miss, try it quickly. I think it tastes good." Lan'er put down the tray, brought out the plate, and handed the chopsticks to Jiang Shuyue with both hands. "

A spicy and fresh smell spread around the nose, making people salivate. Just smelling it makes people swallow their saliva.

Jiang Shuyue took the chopsticks and picked up a beef strip and put it in her mouth. She chewed it carefully. It was spicy and fresh, and it was endless.

Her eyes lit up, "You guys try it too. It tastes great."

Qiu Ju smacked her lips after tasting it and said, "This spicy taste is just right. If I had known it was so delicious, I should have sealed it a little more. "

Lan'er also imitated Qiuju, wiped her hands, picked up a piece and tasted it.

"It's really delicious. If I take it to the Imperial Examination Hall, the scholars next door will cry for it."

"It's not suitable to eat heavy flavors during the exam, especially spicy ones. If your stomach is upset, it will affect your state of mind during the exam, and you will cry when the time comes."

After Jiang Shuyue's explanation, Qiuju and Lan'er suddenly realized and praised the young lady for being so thoughtful.

...

At dusk, it started to drizzle.

The drizzle fell on the leaves, making a rustling sound, as if silkworms were eating mulberry leaves.

In the Yangxin Palace, Xiao Jingzhao and Lin Xiangzhi were playing chess.

The time for the imperial examination was getting closer and closer. The scholars of the Imperial College went home to prepare for the exam, and Lin Xiangzhi stayed in the palace.

"Xiangzhi, you lost again."

After one round, Xiao Jingzhao smiled.

"Ah! Your Majesty, you are bullying me. Xiangzhi has been busy with his studies recently and has no time to play chess. If I fail, we will have to go our separate ways. "

Lin Xiangzhi wailed and fell backwards, causing the maidservant beside him to laugh.

"Shut up, what do you mean by "further apart"? Speak properly." Xiao Jingzhao said while biting his back teeth.

"Xiangzhi was anxious and said wrong. I will correct it next time." When Lin Xiangzhi fell, he happened to see the maidservant laughing. He got up and sat upright with a serious face.

"I heard that you study with Zhen Jingxiu until late at night every day, so I asked you to come and play chess to relax. Since you don't want to play, read a few policy papers before going back. ”

Lin Xiangzhi: “…” Who is the bastard gossiping? Zhen Jingxiu has been home for a few days.

Xiao Jingzhao seemed to have been prepared. With a wave of his hand, the maid came over with a stack of files in both hands.

“Your Majesty, this is really… so good.”

Lin Xiangzhi took it with both hands, and his smile was uglier than crying. Xiao Jingzhao knew how bitter he felt in his heart.

“Mr. Lin needs quiet to study. You all should leave.” Xiao Jingzhao waved his hand, and the maids bowed and left.

There were only two people left in the room. Xiao Jingzhao said bluntly, “The notice has been posted. You must take the position of Minister of the Ministry of Revenue.”

“Your Majesty, you are posting the vacant position in a big way to dig a hole for Xiangzhi?”

Xiao Jingzhao glanced at him, “Are other people worth my painstaking efforts? It’s not all for the purpose of digging a hole… Encouraging you is also encouraging students all over the world. "

Xiao Jingzhao almost let it slip that this trap was tailor-made for him.

He was a little reluctant at first, thinking that the punishment for Jiang Zhengming was too severe.

After listening to the news from the secret guards and learning more about Jiang Shuyue's past, he felt that not removing Jiang Zhengming from his position was already a light punishment.

No wonder she was so independent, tenacious, and didn't rely on anyone. She was abandoned by her closest blood relatives, even when she was wronged. What a cold-blooded father.

Thinking about her experience, all because of Xiao Jingzhao was so angry that he wanted to slap himself twice.

But when he thought of his lovely son, Xiao Jingzhao felt warm again.

…

When Jiang Zhengming learned that the family did not have enough money to buy a house in the east of the city, he almost fainted.

"My husband, we used to raise Yue'er at home, which was very expensive. The mansion also hired a teacher to teach the six arts to the young masters and young ladies. Everything needs money. I have been saving money in the past few years as the head of the family, but it is useless to save money for such a big family."

Seeing that Jiang Zhengming did not mean to blame her, she continued: "When my sister was alive, her family often came to ask for money. My sister was not in good health, and she spent a lot on tonics."

Yang was about to cry, and she threw the blame away.

Jiang Zhengming sighed dejectedly, "Why didn't you tell me earlier that the family was in financial difficulty? The mansion could have kept fewer servants, and the farm had no output, so fewer people could have been hired."

Jiang Zhengming certainly knew that Su's illness was very expensive when she was alive. As for Su's family asking for money, he never asked about it, because Su spent all her dowry money.

Yang took out a handkerchief and pressed it against the corner of her eyes, and glanced at Jiang Zhengming secretly with her charming eyes.

"It's easy for my husband to say that. If I sell the maids in my sisters' courtyard and make them unhappy, they will have to tell you about my faults every day."

Jiang Zhengming sat on the small couch, holding his forehead with both hands to think of a solution.

After a while, he asked someone to call the housekeeper and the concubine who was now in charge, Zheng, the mother of the eldest son Jiang Qingjian, to the study room, and the three of them talked in the study room for a whole hour.

He immediately announced that Zheng would be promoted to be his legal wife, and asked Zheng to sell all the extra servants in the mansion.

Yang was struck by lightning when she heard the news. She was kind and gentle, and her relationship with Jiang Zhengming had just eased a little, but now Zheng was promoted to be the mistress of the house.

She went to see Jiang Zhengming with red eyes, crying and asking heartbrokenly: "Master, I love you deeply, why do you treat me like this?"

Jiang Zhengming sighed: "I have no choice as a husband. Yue'er broke up with the Jiang family, Jiao'er has been abandoned, and the other concubines are still young. The only one I can count on now is Qing Jian. If he doesn't have the status of a legitimate son, how can he gain a foothold in the capital in the future?"

With his current official position, he can't find a woman he can rely on even if he remarries.

The mansion is short of money, and there is no ability to marry another relative.

Seeing Jiang Zhengming's firm attitude, Yang ran back to her room with sobs covering her face, and fell on the bed crying.