The Age of Discovery: Chinese cuisine swept across Europe

Time was running out, and before the Lantern Festival, Min Xi and Yun Ji started to get busy outside Beijing.

The two of them went south together. Yun Ji went south to the coastal garrisons to issue the imperial court's orders, asking them to send soldiers and ships to prepare for going out to sea. Min Xi went south to find a new site for Liulichang. He wanted to decide on the first site for Liulichang in the south before going out to sea.

Yunlin did not go with them this time. He is 13 years old and has been studying for some years. He has already registered and is preparing to take part in this year's county examination.

The county exam was also a very important one. Logically, Min Xi and Yun Ji should have accompanied him, but unfortunately they were both too busy, so Yun Lin had to take the exam alone.

They were not worried about his studies. Yunlin was very smart and studious, and his academic performance was always praised by his teachers. It was reasonable for him to pass the examination. But if he failed, it didn't matter. He could just try again next year. He was still young anyway.

The two were more worried about Yunlin's mental state. After all, a child who lost the protection of his parents when he was young finally found two brothers to rely on, but the two brothers often went out to sea for a long time, which made him panic and uneasy, which made him lack a sense of security since he was a child.

But they had no other choice. They both had very important things to do, so they could only let Yunlin face it on his own. Fortunately, his grandmother was still alive, and many of his uncles and cousins ​​were in the capital, so he was not completely without support.

On the day when they were sailing south, snowflakes fell from the sky again. Min Xi and Yun Ji sat in the cabin, feeling the cold from the bottom of the boat. Min Xi curled up in a ball due to the cold, and Yun Ji put Min Xi's feet in his arms.

Min Xi wrapped himself in fox fur and a quilt, holding a hand warmer and smiling at Yun Ji: "Does this look like the scene when we returned from Songshan?"

Yun Ji withdrew his gaze from the outside of the cabin: "Yes, it was snowing at that time, and we squeezed into the cabin with His Majesty to have hot pot."

"Let's have hotpot today. We happened to bring a copper pot, so we can eat something hot to warm ourselves up," Min Xi suggested.

"Okay." Yun Ji agreed readily.

Min Xi looked at Yun Ji, freed his hand to touch his face, and said with emotion: "It's really unknowingly that more than a decade has passed in the blink of an eye."

Yun Ji raised his hand to cover his: "Yes, we are also starting to get old."

Min Xi disagreed with him: "Nonsense! How can you be old? In our place, life has just begun in your thirties!"

Yun Ji looked at him and smiled: "Okay, we won't get old. Our lives have just begun."

Min Xi nodded with satisfaction: "In fact, I didn't expect that we would have the opportunity to go out to sea together. Brother Qi, you won't blame me for having the sudden idea of ​​going out to sea again, right?"

"Of course not. You have reasons for every decision you make. And they are not for your own selfish reasons. How can I blame you?"

"We finally settled down, and we have status, position, and wealth, but I still want to drag you to take risks and face some unknown dangers. Do you really not blame me?"

"What nonsense! When have I ever lacked identity, status and wealth? If I were satisfied with a comfortable and affluent life, I would not have gone to sea, and I would not have met you. I went to sea with you because, on the one hand, I was worried about you going alone, and on the other hand, I also wanted to go out and relax. High positions and generous salaries do sound glorious, but who in the government has it easy?" Yun Ji couldn't help but sigh when he said this.

Min Xi thought about it and it was true. Yun Ji was not a person who was content with the status quo. He had not originally planned to take the imperial examination and enter the officialdom. It was because he met me and knew a lot about the future that he had the heart to serve the country and came back to take the imperial examination and become an official. I have never asked him whether the officialdom was a prison for him.

"Seventh Brother, do you like being an official?"

Yun Ji lowered his eyes and looked at him: "What if I don't like it? I still did it. Some things have to be done, and personal preferences are not important. Just like Zhang Zai said, establish a mind for heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, inherit the lost knowledge of the past sages, and create peace for all generations. This is what every capable scholar should do. Since I already know the fate of the Ming Dynasty, how can I sit idly by and do nothing? No matter whether I can change anything or not, I still have to try my best."

Min Xi was quite satisfied with this answer and said with a smile: "This is the Seventh Brother I know."

The two began to discuss the next issue to be dealt with. How should Yun Ji mobilize the officers and soldiers of the garrison, and how should Min Xi deal with the local government. In fact, if they switched roles, it might be easier to solve the problem. However, the problem was that Yun Ji didn't know much about Liulichang, so the two couldn't switch roles and could only proceed according to the original plan.

The two of them traveled south along the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and finally got off the boat in Yingtian Prefecture.

Yun Ji went to Yingtian Prefecture to inquire about the whereabouts of the battleships built by the Longjiang Shipyard so that he could determine which garrison to go to find a ship.

Min Xi went to Yingtianfu because there were abundant quartz stones here, which were important raw materials for making colored glaze. This was also the old capital of the Ming Dynasty, with many wealthy merchants. It was also the center of Jiangnan, one of the richest regions in the Ming Dynasty. The colored glaze factory was built here, so the products would not have to worry about the market. Even the surrounding Suzhou, Yangzhou, and even the farther Hangzhou, the business could be radiated. In recent years, the business must have been in short supply.

Yun Ji quickly found out the whereabouts of the battleship from the Longjiang Shipyard. Min Xi was still investigating the quartz stone resources around Yingtian Prefecture and had not yet contacted the local government.

Yun Ji also wanted to stay and help Min Xi deal with local authorities.

Min Xi said, "Seventh brother, don't wait for me, just go and do your thing. I haven't chosen the address for Liulichang yet. Once the address is decided, I will deal with the local government. Don't worry, they dare not disobey the imperial edict. But you should explain the pros and cons to the navy officers and soldiers. After all, it is a matter of risking their lives. Although the court requires cooperation, try to ask them to go voluntarily, otherwise it will not be very conducive to the management of the entire fleet in the future."

"I know!" Yun Ji nodded. "Then you handle it yourself. I'll go first. When you're done, go back to Beijing. I'll rush back as soon as possible."

"It's still not certain who will go back first. Let's all do it as soon as possible." Min Xi said.