"Come on, esteemed customer, roast duck is here!!!"

The waiter at Quande Roast Duck Restaurant announced in a long voice, bringing the roast duck and pancakes, while his companion delivered two plates of side dishes.

After the waiter left, the three men dressed as yamen runners did not rush to eat, but first cupped their hands to Yan Butou (chief constable) sitting on the east side:

"Thank you, Chief, for the treat!"

Yan Xiaoliu waved his hand and said, "Don't be polite, eat."

"Then we'll start eating, hahaha, I've long heard that Quande Roast Duck in the capital is the most famous."

"Yes, yes, otherwise, how could the Marquis of Zhenbei eat five ducks in one go!"

"Lord Jingnan has also eaten at this place."

The three yamen runners rolled the roast duck with thin pancakes, dipped it in some sauce, and sent it to their mouths. Immediately, a look of enjoyment appeared on their faces.

"Ah, I've never eaten such delicious roast duck in my life."

"Yes, it melts in your mouth, rich but not greasy."

"Delicious, delicious."

Yan Xiaoliu smiled, snapped his fingers, and instructed the approaching waiter:

"Bring two more."

"Okay, sir, please wait."

"Absolutely not, Chief, these ducks are expensive."

"Yes, it's enough for us to have a taste, we shouldn't be so extravagant."

Yan Xiaoliu shook his head and said, "Eat as much as you want. I've received a lot of oil and water from the neighbors and your tributes on weekdays. I can afford to treat you to a few ducks."

"The Chief is righteous!"

"Worthy of being the Chief!"

While the others continued to feast, Yan Xiaoliu also wrapped a piece of roast duck and put it in his mouth, took a bite, and put it down.

The heat wasn't well controlled, and the ducks weren't the same as before.

That Zheng fellow said in his letter that many businesses will change their flavor if you hand them over to the government.

This Quande Restaurant has actually changed its flavor.

Of course, it's nonsense to say how delicious Quande Roast Duck used to be. It can only be said that it was okay, but now it's a bit unsatisfactory.

In fact, the difference between the two is not that great. After all, a duck is still a duck. Even if you make it fancy, it's still a duck, and it still has the taste of a duck.

"Hey, Chief, how do you think Quande's ducks are made? Why are they so delicious?"

"I heard that the ducks in Quande Restaurant are fed with the best feed every day, which is different from the ducks in other places."

Yan Xiaoliu smiled when he heard this and said:

"There's nothing strange about it. To put it bluntly, it's just two words."

"Chief, what two words?"

"Authentic."

"Authentic?"

"Yes, authentic."

"That's right, it's authentic. Ducks are still ducks. In fact, in my opinion, the ducks in the Jixiang Duck Shop in Nanan County are much more delicious than those in Quande Restaurant, and the price is much cheaper.

Compared to the two, the only difference is that when you enter Yanjing City, the locals will tell you that Quande Roast Duck is the authentic Yanjing flavor, and if you meet someone who likes to brag even more, they will tell you that old Yanjing people have been eating this flavor since they were young, it's the taste of childhood.

You want to eat it, and then you think it's delicious.

In fact, it's just so-so."

"Huh?"

"What?"

The three yamen runners were obviously unable to understand the reasoning for a while.

Yan Xiaoliu immediately felt a sense of aloofness. Not many people in this era understand the added value of food, but that guy seems to be quite good at it, and he can often talk to himself about it, and that guy even gave it a name, calling it marketing.

Yanjing City was particularly lively today.

The Zhenbei Marquis's Junzhu (Dutchess) had already entered Yanjing three days ago, but of course, she did not directly enter the palace. Even ordinary people's daughters must follow a procedure when they get married, let alone the Junzhu and the Crown Prince's wedding.

Therefore, the Junzhu first moved into the West Garden, which was where the Zhenbei Marquis lived after entering Beijing.

Today is the day of the wedding. The Crown Prince will personally lead people to the West Garden to greet the bride, which also reflects the Ji family's respect for the Li family.

In front of the Junzhu, the Ji family Crown Prince will also put away his so-called nobility, just like an ordinary family boy getting married.

On the occasion of the Crown Prince's wedding, various places naturally had to offer congratulatory gifts, but His Majesty had already issued an decree, not prohibiting the offering of gifts, but the requirements for the congratulatory gifts were very strict.

Nanan County in Tiancheng Prefecture is not considered poor, but the county government only sent a cart of cloth and grain.

This little thing was taken care of by Yan Butou and the three yamen runners, who were responsible for escorting it to Beijing and handing it over to the Ministry of Rites.

The most astute people are the officials. After His Majesty's decree, no one dared to be the first to stand out. Whoever sent too much would be investigated. Wouldn't that mean losing their official hat?

They didn't want to get a pat on the back and end up losing their job.

Yan Xiaoliu looked at the decorations on the street, and he could feel that the people of Yanjing were very happy about this wedding.

You know, not long ago, the 300,000 Zhenbei Army iron cavalry were like a big mountain pressing on people's hearts, making it difficult to breathe. Now this situation is a sign that the Zhenbei Army and the imperial court have completely integrated and reconciled. Everyone no longer has to worry about their own people fighting each other, so this joy is truly heartfelt.

According to the time, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince should have led his team to the West Garden by now. It is estimated that he will enter the city through Xizhimen soon, and then enter the palace through the Tianzi Kuodao (Emperor's Broad Avenue).

Many people have already been looking forward to it along the way, occupying good positions in advance.

"You guys eat first, I'm going to the latrine."

"Chief, please go ahead."

"We'll save this duck for you."

"Don't save it, I'm not feeling well, I can't eat anything greasy, you can eat it, so as not to waste things."

Yan Xiaoliu left his seat and went upstairs instead of downstairs, entering a first-class private room on the second floor.

Pushing the door open, there were two people sitting inside, Zhang Gonggong (eunuch) and Xiao Zhang Gonggong (Little Eunuch Zhang).

When Xiao Liuzi came in,

The two Zhang Gonggongs, one big and one small, immediately got up,

"This servant greets the master!"

"This servant greets the master!"

Zhang Gonggong was okay, after all, he was an old man in the palace, and he had been by Xiao Liuzi's side since he was a child, so he had some composure.

Xiao Zhang Gonggong was different. When he saw the Sixth Prince, tears welled up involuntarily.

"Master, this servant really misses you so much!"

Saying that,

Xiao Zhang Gonggong kowtowed three times to the Sixth Prince.

This kind of emotional expression cannot be faked. Common women pay attention to marrying a chicken, following a chicken, marrying a dog, following a dog, but eunuchs are not much different.

Moreover, it is much more difficult for eunuchs to change masters than for common women to remarry.

The master is your pillar of life, pillar of spirit, pillar of faith.

In the past, his master was one of the least favored princes, but no matter what, there was still a glimmer of fantasy in his heart.

Now, it's all over. His master is gone, and Xiao Zhang Gonggong really feels like he has become a child without parents these past few months. Xiao Ju, the palace maid who used to often flirt with him because she thought he looked good, has not paid any attention to him recently. Having a partner is out of the question.

A life that was already incomplete has suddenly become even more bleak.

The Sixth Prince walked to the window and stood there, looking down at the lively scene below.

Since the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion was established in Beifeng Prefecture, isolating the threat from the barbarians, Yanjing City has enjoyed decades of "peace and prosperity."

Zhang Gonggong opened his mouth and said:

"Master, have you been doing well lately?"

A smile appeared on the corner of the Sixth Prince's mouth, and he said, "Very good, very comfortable."

Much more comfortable than being trapped in the prince's mansion.

In Zhang Gonggong's eyes, a touch of dimness flashed and disappeared.

Today is the day of the Crown Prince's wedding. The other princes will be wearing python robes and accompanying the Second Prince to greet the bride, but his own master, who is also a prince, can only stand here in a constable's uniform and watch from afar.

They are both princes, but His Majesty's heart is too cruel.

"By the way, has that matter been taken care of?"

"Is it the criminal named Ran Min?"

"Yes."

"Reporting to the master, your instructions have been carried out. The batch of criminals he is in will be sent to Litian City. This subordinate has made arrangements, opened a letter, and then transferred from Litian City to Shengle. There should be no variables."

"Hmm."

Ran Min was the one who killed people, drank alcohol, and ate meat in the county government hall. The Sixth Prince thought that person was a bit interesting, so he sent him to Zheng's side to take a look.

Among the princes, only the First Prince can rightfully control the army. The other princes all have a certain influence on the army to varying degrees.

The only military leader the Sixth Prince has contact with is Zheng Fan. To be honest, the Sixth Prince is also clear that if Zheng Fan hadn't relied on his repeated military exploits and Tian Wujing's appreciation and shelter, would his father have directly taken action...

It's really hard to say.

"By the way, I have one more thing..."

"Dong!!!!!! Dong!!!!!! Dong!!!!!!"

A dull and heavy bell rang suddenly,

Then,

The sound of the bell came from all four directions of Yanjing City.

The Sixth Prince's face changed,

Zhang Gonggong's face was also horrified,

Only Xiao Zhang Gonggong was a little confused and couldn't help asking stupidly:

"Is this the wedding bell?"

Zhang Gonggong slapped the back of Xiao Zhang Gonggong's head and scolded:

"Fool, this is the Separation Bell!" (Bell signifying war)

The Sixth Prince licked his lips,

Said:

"It seems that something has happened."

………

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was wearing a gold-rimmed robe specially made for today. The patterns, accessories, pearls, and everything else on the clothes were a little lower than the emperor's standards, but they were definitely much higher than those of the brothers around him, in order to show the different aura of the master of the Eastern Palace.

The First Prince was leading troops outside, and the Sixth Prince was confined by his father and could not go out. Therefore, the ones accompanying His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to greet the bride today were his Fourth Brother, Fifth Brother, and Seventh Brother.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was in the front,

The three princes were behind,

And after that, were the younger generations of various nobles.

Today is an extremely important day for the Crown Prince. Being the current Emperor's son is really not easy. Even though he is the eldest son, he has been walking cautiously all these years.

Especially last year, when his own uncle destroyed his mother's family and the Empress became hysterical after returning to the palace, the Crown Prince once thought that his future was bleak.

Who knew that he would not only successfully enter the Eastern Palace, but today, he would also marry the Junzhu of the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion.

After today's wedding, he will naturally receive natural support from the Zhenbei Marquis's mansion and the Zhenbei Army.

His position as Crown Prince will be even more secure!

On the way to greet the bride, the people on both sides of the Royal Avenue knelt in droves, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ordered people to scatter copper coins to share the joy with the people.

The team stopped and went, in great splendor, and finally arrived at the gate of the West Garden.

The Zhenbei Marquis and his wife did not return to Beijing, but there was a Zhenbei Army stationed outside the West Garden. They were the Junzhu's family.

However,

After all, it was a royal marriage. The act of greeting the bride across the street was already out of line. Those kinds of lively games and difficulties similar to folk weddings were naturally impossible.

The proper decency and solemnity still had to be maintained.

The sound of gongs and drums sounded, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince dismounted from his horse. He first signaled that the thirty-six palanquin bearers should stop and lower the sedan chair;

Immediately,

He took a few steps forward,

And bowed:

"This junior, Ji Cheng Lang, thanks the Zhenbei Marquis and the Zhenbei Marquis's wife for their love and asks to invite their daughter into the sedan chair."

The Zhenbei Marquis and his wife did not come, but the thanks that should be given still had to be given, and the procedure had to be followed.

Next,

There was His Majesty's imperial decree, followed by the Zhenbei Marquis's family letter, followed by the Empress's imperial edict, and the Minister of Rites had to personally preside over some procedures.

Therefore, although there were no lively games during the folk wedding, the complexity of the procedure was only higher than that of the folk wedding.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince had also eaten early,

The three princes had also eaten their fill early in the morning,

Prepared for a protracted war.

But His Majesty's imperial decree had just been read,

There were still a lot of procedures to be followed,

But the gate of the West Garden suddenly opened from the inside.

One of the Four Great Swordsmen, the famous Yan State sword, Li Liang Shen, the Zhenbei Marquis's subordinate general, held a sword in his left hand and slowly walked out from inside with a young woman wearing a phoenix crown and red makeup in his right hand.

The civil and military officials around were stunned when they saw this scene. The Minister of Rites even had a mouthful of phlegm stuck in his throat, unable to cough it out or swallow it down, and almost fainted from anger.

Li Liang Shen is the Zhenbei Marquis's adopted son, that is, the Junzhu's adopted brother. His parents are not in Beijing, so it is reasonable for Li Liang Shen to lead her out to send off the bride.

But he shouldn't have skipped the ceremony in this way. This was showing an attitude, a gesture of wanting to not be bound by these etiquette rules!

Now that the imperial guards in Beijing are not here, the ones defending Beijing are actually the Zhenbei Army. This is the Junzhu's dowry, and it is also where the Junzhu's confidence lies.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's face froze slightly, but soon, his face was filled with a warm smile. He took the initiative to walk over, ignoring the surrounding emcees and the Minister of Rites who was about to have a stroke, intending to follow suit and greet his wife.

The three princes, except for the young Seventh Prince, the Fourth Prince and the Fifth Prince looked at each other, their eyes showing schadenfreude and wry smiles.

The schadenfreude was that the Second Brother married a tigress, and he would have a hard time.

The wry smile was,

With such a strong sister-in-law, whose identity and status are so special, their days as younger brothers will be, alas...

On the palace gate walls of the Yan State Imperial Palace, the Yan Emperor's dragon chariot was already prepared, and Wei Zhonghe was attending to His Majesty's side.

The Junzhu is marrying into the Ji family,

Li Liang Ting can not come,

But he, Ji Runhao, must give his brother who grew up with him a face.

As the ruler of a country, as the head of a family, he lowered his status and waited to greet her in person at the palace gate.

At this moment, eunuchs were constantly coming and going from the West Garden to here, reporting the latest news from there.

After hearing that the Junzhu directly skipped the etiquette and took the initiative to walk out,

Ji Runhao laughed out loud,

This temper,

Has the style of her mother back then.

Once, in the West Garden, after the Yan Emperor and the Zhenbei Marquis got drunk, the Yan Emperor himself said that if your daughter has the ability to be a hen crowing at dawn, then go ahead and do it.

As long as he, Ji Runhao, is still alive, she will not have a chance.

After he, Ji Runhao, is gone, as long as she doesn't do anything to offend the old Ji family, she can do whatever she wants with the rest.

Therefore, the Yan Emperor really didn't care at all about the Junzhu's outrageous behavior as his soon-to-be daughter-in-law, but instead found it interesting.

"Is the Jingnan Marquis's mansion still closed?"

The Yan Emperor seemed to have thought of something and asked.

Wei Zhonghe immediately said: "Reporting to Your Majesty, yes, several waves of envoys have gone, but whether it is a secret edict or a public edict, the Jingnan Marquis's mansion has refused to accept it."

The Yan Emperor nodded, but his face did not show any joy or anger.

On this matter, Wei Zhonghe did not say a word more, nor did he dare to speculate on the Holy Will.

After a while,

The Yan Emperor said again:

"Later, you go and give Zhao Jiulang a note, and when Wujiang finishes fighting this battle, let him get married. Let Zhao Jiulang personally create a procedure for Wujiang's wedding ceremony.

It can't overshadow this time's limelight, but it can't be too shabby. Since his old barbarian king is willing to marry his daughter over, our Great Yan can't be too stingy."

"Yes, this servant understands."

Just then,

"Dong!!!!!! Dong!!!!!! Dong!!!!!!!"

The bell rang suddenly.

This was the sound of the Separation Bell!

The Separation Bell had not been rung for many years. On the four city gate towers of Great Yan, there was a Separation Bell, which was set up by the Ji family's ancestor Emperor. This bell was not for telling the time, not for funerals, not for festivals;

The reason why it is called the Separation Bell,

Is that once there is a change in the war situation within the territory of Yan, once this bell rings, it will signify that the Ji family's descendants and the Yan State's warriors in Yanjing City will bid farewell and separate from their families, take up their swords and mount their horses, and rush to the battlefield.

Back then, when Great Yan and the barbarians were fighting most fiercely, the Separation Bell could be said to ring every year. In recent years, it had actually calmed down a long time ago. Many young Yan people did not even know about the Separation Bell.

According to the ancestral system of Great Yan, once the news of a major defeat in the front line comes, the military situation must pass through the city gate, and the Separation Bell must ring, and the Separation Bells of the other city gates will quickly respond.

Throughout Yanjing, all celebrations and funerals are suspended, and they jointly cope with the crisis.

This is also a warning from the Ji family's ancestors to future generations, fearing the emergence of unfilial descendants who, regardless of the floods outside, only know how to enjoy themselves.

It is also not allowed for later generations of emperors to play any kind of whitewashing tricks, burying their heads in the sand as if nothing had happened in order to maintain stability on the surface.

Wei Zhonghe immediately said:

"Your Majesty, the first bell sound came from the East Gate."

The bell sound came from the East Gate, which means that the military situation came from the east, not from the western desert.

It was the Eastern Expeditionary Army, the Eastern Expeditionary Army, that had suffered a defeat.

"Convey my decree, the wedding is suspended, summon the officials to court."

"This servant obeys."

Even if it is the Crown Prince's wedding, it must be suspended when the Separation Bell rings.

The dragon chariot was lifted up, and the Yan Emperor was about to leave here to wait in the palace hall for the civil and military officials to arrive for a meeting, but before leaving, the Yan Emperor suddenly said again:

"Immediately send another decree to the Jingnan Marquis's mansion, asking him, Tian Wujing, if he has made enough trouble!"

————

My body hasn't recovered yet, my spirit has recovered a bit, and I'm trying my best to code more, clasping my fist.
Chapter 1 The Beginning