831 Between Ruler and Subject
The Emperor was very curious as he followed, “ah, oh…”
After the Emperor read it once, he was even more curious. “haha, so this is how you read these 26 letters. Not bad!” However, he then asked doubtfully, ” but how do these 26 letters help with learning? ”
The emperor’s curiosity had been completely aroused, so Jiang Zhennan taught the Emperor everything he had learned from Lin yuelan.
The Emperor and his subjects stayed in the study for an entire day. Halfway through, the eunuch came to invite them to dinner, but they were all rejected by the enthusiastic Emperor.
In the evening, when it was time for dinner, the old eunuch was worried that the ruler and official would be really hungry. After all, they had stayed in the study all day without eating anything.
“Emperor, it’s time for dinner!” The old eunuch held the horsetail whisk and bowed to the Emperor with great respect.
The Emperor raised his head and looked at the sky. “it’s already so late!” he said in confusion.
The old eunuch smiled and replied, ” yes, Your Majesty. It’s very late. It’s time for dinner. I believe great general is also hungry!” He was reminding the Emperor that Jiang Zhennan had been with him in the study for a day and had not eaten anything.
The Emperor was slightly taken aback. Then he laughed out loud. He stood up from the table and said to Jiang Zhennan, ” haha, Minister Jiang, you must be starving! Let’s go have dinner!”
Jiang Zhennan did not refuse. He said, ” thank you, Your Majesty!
The two of them soon arrived at the dining hall, and the palace servants had already placed the dishes on the table.
Plates of exquisite and delicious dishes and fruits were placed on the dining table. They were as beautiful as flowers and smelled especially fragrant. Anyone who looked at them would drool. After all, this was the food of the Emperor.
However, to Jiang Zhennan, no matter how well these dishes were cooked, they were not even twenty percent as good as Lin yuelan’s.
Her dishes were really delicious, making people want to eat more after eating them.
The Emperor looked at Jiang Zhennan, who was staring at the dishes in a daze, and asked curiously, ” Minister Jiang, eat! Why are you in a daze?” Then, he said in a good mood, ” recently, the Imperial Kitchen has changed chef. The taste is not bad.”
Jiang Zhennan picked up his chopsticks and picked up the nearest dish. He put it into his mouth and chewed it, but he frowned slightly. ‘This taste is really far worse than what miss Yue ‘er made.’
Of course, it was much better than the dishes in the general’s Manor. However, because they had taken a lot of condiments from Lin yuelan, whenever they felt that any dish was not fresh or did not taste good enough, they took it out and mixed it with the dishes.
Therefore, his favorite side dish was not meat but a bottle of chopped pepper sauce.
With this bottle of chopped pepper sauce, he could eat a few large bowls of vegetables without any other dishes.
But now, eating these delicacies, he felt like he was chewing wax.
That was because none of the dishes had a spicy taste.
It was torture for him, which was used to spicy food.
The Emperor and his subject finished their dinner in silence.
The ruler and subject had a stroll after dinner.
The Emperor looked at the crescent moon in the sky and sighed, ” time really makes people grow old. I didn’t expect that a year would pass by just like that.”
Jiang Zhennan immediately replied, ” the Emperor is not old at all. He is still very strong!”
The Emperor was stunned at first, but then he laughed out loud. “Minister Jiang, I remember that I haven’t summoned you for a few months, and you’re getting better at speaking! I remember that you used to be a quiet person who would never talk if you could. Now, you even know how to flatter me!”
Jiang Zhennan said very seriously, ” Your Majesty, I’m just telling the truth!”
Looking at Jiang Zhennan’s stoic face, the Emperor felt that it was very interesting. He nodded and said, ” Alright, alright.”
But then he changed the topic and asked, ” Minister Jiang, if I remember correctly, you should be 25 years old after this New Year, right? ”
Jiang Zhennan corrected him seriously, ” Your Majesty, after the new year, I will only be twenty-five years old in may next year!”
In the past, he didn’t care about his age at all, but ever since he met Lin yuelan, he had been fussing over his age every day.
After all, he was twelve years younger than Lin yuelan. Hearing Lin yuelan call him ” uncle ” made him feel bad. If he could, he would rather Lin yuelan call him big brother.
When the Emperor heard Jiang Zhennan seriously correct his age, he was slightly stunned again, and then he laughed again.
He didn’t know how many times he had laughed out loud, but he was in a good mood.
He had never thought that one day, his capable subordinates would actually care about his age.
The emperor thought to himself that the reason why Jiang Zhennan was so concerned about his age was that he had fallen for a girl, but the girl was concerned about his age.
The emperor’s interest was piqued. He thought to himself, ‘let me ask, and I’ll know if this blockhead has fallen for any girl.’
Then, he asked, “Minister Jiang, you’re almost 25. You probably have a wife who wants to take care of you, right? Do you have any girl in your heart? If you don’t, why don’t we find you a good and virtuous girl to marry? What do you think?”
Jiang Zhennan immediately became a little stunned. Then, his expression fluctuated as he said, ” Your Majesty, didn’t you promise me that you would not interfere in my marriage? ”
What he was afraid of now was that if the Emperor decided to bestow a marriage on him on a whim, what would he do?
At that time, would he disobey the decree?
The Emperor narrowed his shrewd eyes and asked sharply, ” then, my dear official, tell me, do you have a girl in your heart? Then if there is, do you want me to bestow upon you a marriage decree?”
