The grass in the factory should be plucked

Chapter 374 Free and Easy

The Chinese New Year was approaching, so Nangong Qinghe decided to wait until after the New Year before formally submitting the letter of credence to Mongolia and Jurchen.

He then talked about Princess Ruili: "The marriage of the Princess of Pagan is really a headache."

Since the Kingdom of Pagan had contributed cassava to the country, he could not treat the princess badly and had to arrange a more prominent marriage for her.

Among the ministers in the court, those with lower official positions are not worthy of him, and those with higher official positions already have wives and children at home, so they can't let this princess be their concubine, right?

Apart from Xie Changan, I guess no one else would be willing to condescend.

Jiang Li frowned. She could hardly remember this princess.

She glanced at Xie Changan. I guess he is still thinking about you.

Xie Changan looked at his nose with his eyes, and his heart with his nose, as if it had nothing to do with him and he was indifferent.

Jiang Li asked, "What about the princes of the royal family? Are there any unmarried ones?"

Nangong Qinghe frowned: "Yes, yes..."

However, no prince was willing to marry this princess!

They are not stupid. What are the benefits of marrying a princess from a small country?

What's more, this princess once publicly expressed her love to Duke Dingguo Xie Changan. It is said that she still misses him and is deeply in love with him. Who would be willing to take over?

Although Xie Changan sternly refused, anyone who married this princess would have a vague feeling of being cheated on.

They are all uncles and brothers, it is not easy for Nangong Qinghe to cheat them!

Yuan Bao suggested: "Since we are going to establish diplomatic relations with Mongolia and Jurchen, I heard that the royal families of these two countries have many heirs. Why don't you play a role in connecting them?"

Nangong Qinghe's eyes lit up and he praised, "Great idea!"

Jiang Li also clapped her hands and said, "Eunuch Yuanbao, what a good plan!"

Yuanbao laughed secretly in his heart, didn’t I learn it from you?

Anything you don’t want will be thrown away to deceive the Mongolian Khan!

After coming out of the palace, the two hurried back home to coax the child.

After not seeing each other for half a month, the two of them were holding the cuddly twins, a boy and a girl, and couldn't let go of them.

The two children are just learning to speak and are very cute.

Xie Buqi finally called out "Dad" in a clear and loud voice. Xie Changan was so happy that he put his little son on his shoulders and let him "ride a big horse", which made him giggle.

It’s a pity that the lake has frozen, otherwise Jiang Li would like to take the children to see her Dragon Palace.

Aunt Lian redecorated the palace before the New Year, removing the ornate and complicated decorations and replacing them with low-key and luxurious calligraphy and paintings and antiques.

Jiang Li and Xie Changan, holding the twins, walked through the moon-shaped gate connecting the two palaces and entered the palace.

All those magnificent objects have been removed and replaced with sandalwood screens carved with mountains and rivers. Exquisite antique porcelains are displayed in a scattered manner on the shelves made of golden nanmu.

On the ebony table, there is a Ru kiln celadon vase with a warm color. A few freshly picked plum blossoms are inserted in the vase, emitting a faint fragrance.

Famous paintings and calligraphy are hung on the wall. The one written by Bai Lian Jushi for Jiang Li, "A gentleman is as sharp as a knife, as polished as a jade," is hung in the middle and is very eye-catching.

Everywhere reveals a low-key yet extremely luxurious style.

Jiang Li was very satisfied: "The one who understands me is my aunt!"

Aunt Lian smiled and said, "Young lady, son-in-law, young county lady, and young prince, they are all like gods. The palace should complement the owner."

How can you be so golden everywhere like a nouveau riche?

Just when both governments were busy preparing for the New Year, Liao Wuyong returned.

In the past, he usually stayed in the palace during the Chinese New Year. This year, now that he has grandchildren, he also wants to experience the joy of family reunion and playing with his grandchildren!

He called Xie Changan and Jiang Li to the study, took out a letter and handed it to Jiang Li: "The secret letter from Lotus Tower, take a look."

Jiang Li opened it and saw that this secret letter was written by Qiao Xiaoyue, reporting in detail all the major and minor events that had happened in the martial arts world recently.

One of them caught Jiang Li's attention.

Qiao Xiaoyue said that it has recently become popular in brothels in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas to smoke something called "Xiaoyao Paste". This "Xiaoyao Paste" is sold at a very high price, one pill costs five taels of silver, but many wealthy families still flock to it.

"Xiaoyao Paste? What does it look like? How do I take it?" Jiang Li was very curious.

Liao Wuyong asked: "Have you ever seen a hookah?"

Jiang Li shook her head and turned to Xie Changan: "Do we have any at home?"

Xie Changan smiled and said, "People like us who practice martial arts naturally don't smoke hookah, but Uncle Zhou seems to have."

He ordered the guards to go to Zhou Bo and ask for a hookah.

Liao Wuyong said: "It is said that burning Xiaoyao ointment with tobacco will give it a sweet smell, and inhaling it will make you feel like you are floating in the air and invigorate your spirit."

Jiang Li frowned slightly: "Why does it sound like he is a good person to me?"

Xie Changan said: "Smoking hookah is addictive, this thing may make people more addicted?"

Liao Wuyong nodded: "It's very likely."

Soon, the guard brought the hookah.

Xie Changan asked him to demonstrate how to smoke a hookah.

Jiang Li opened his eyes wide with curiosity.

The guard lit the tobacco in the hookah, put the spout into his mouth, and started to inhale it. The smoke and the pungent smell of tobacco made Jiang Li cough immediately.

The guard was so frightened that he immediately stopped and said, "Your Majesty, please forgive me!"

Xie Changan waved his hand and asked him to leave.

Jiang Li covered her nose and said, "It choked me to death, how can I still be addicted?"

Liao Wuyong smiled and said, "If you smoke too much tobacco, you will become addicted."

Many old eunuchs in the palace love to smoke water pipes.

Of course, those who serve in the imperial court cannot be touched at all. If the smell gets on their body and chokes the emperor, it would be a capital crime.

"The letter said that when Xiaoyao ointment is burned with tobacco, it has a sweet smell, and you feel intoxicated after inhaling it," Liao Wuyong pondered, "The smell is not pungent anymore, and you feel more refreshed after inhaling it. It doesn't sound like a bad thing."

Xie Changan said: "If this thing makes people more addicted, wouldn't the people who sell Xiaoyao Cream be making a lot of money?"

Jiang Li slammed the table and said, "Brother Changan, you hit the nail on the head! If I don't smoke this thing for a day, I will feel itchy and I will spend all my money to buy it. Isn't that letting anyone take whatever they want?"

Liao Wuyong frowned: "If so, this thing is extremely harmful!"

Jiang Li said, "Is there such a thing in the capital? Get some and let Brother Shen check it out."

Liao Wuyong called a secret guard and asked him to take people to check the brothels, wine shops, gambling houses and other places in the capital to see if there was any Xiaoyao Cream for sale.

Then he said to Jiang Li, "My daughter, write a letter to Qiao Xiaoyue and Li Chen, and ask them to keep a close eye on the people who smoke this substance, and find out who is the boss behind it."

"it is good."

"If there is no such thing in the capital, ask them to send some samples back."

Jiang Li nodded, picked up her pen and wrote two secret letters, sealed them with wax, stamped them with her seal, summoned Jifeng and Zhufeng, and asked them to deliver them to Lianhua Tower and Shaoyao Tower respectively.

Liao Wuyong thought for a moment and said, "We should also investigate the palace."

He called another secret guard and asked him to notify Yin Jiu to check if anyone in the palace had taken the Xiaoyao Paste.