Chapter 1071: Chapter 1070: A Snowy Gathering and Brothel Tales

Distant green mountains stretch on, snow blankets the ground outside, the sky above is clear with endless blue, and the courtyard is filled with a variety of intoxicating scents.

"Fantastic!"

Lu Zheng picked up a piece of beef with chopsticks, dipped it generously in sesame sauce, and then delivered it to his mouth. The explosion of flavors couldn’t overshadow the inherent aroma of the beef roll.

"The Yu Tian Small Milk Calf truly lives up to its reputation!" Lu Zheng exclaimed.

"As long as Brother Lu is satisfied." Zhu Yushan replied with a smile.

They were lucky; a few days ago, a merchant ship happened to be navigating the Lu River when it encountered a storm. In a ceremony to appease the deity, they offered several Yu Tian Small Milk Calves into the water, praying for blessings, which were accepted by the River God’s Mansion, ensuring their safe passage out of the Lu River.

Thinking about the relationship between the two families and Lu Zheng’s culinary skills, the River God’s Mansion kept two for personal use and sent one small milk calf along with some seafood to visit friends with Zhu Yushan and Li Hanyu.

"This Yu Tian Small Milk Calf is a special product of the He Xi Daozi State in Zizhou; its meat is tender, resembling jade in appearance, melts in the mouth, and has a rich aroma." Si Lingxi commented.

"You’ve tasted it before?" Lu Zheng asked involuntarily.

"I’ve had it a few times before, but the local preparation mostly involves steaming and roasting to bring out the fragrance." Si Lingxi said.

Lu Zheng nodded, interested, "Indeed, that method isn’t wrong. We still have half a small milk calf left, so I’ll prepare powdered steamed meat and grilled steak this afternoon for you to evaluate."

"Sounds good," Si Lingxi agreed without hesitation.

At the dining table, aside from Lu Zheng’s family and Zhu Yushan and his wife, Du Yueyao, Wang Xiaowan, and Yi Xiaoqian were also present.

Liu Qingyan and Du Yueyao hadn’t seen each other for two months and were quietly chatting. Wang Xiaowan and Yi Xiaoqian shared daily gossip from the county, such as which landlord had their fighting dogs stolen, which store’s new ready-to-wear clothes were sold out, and which young man visited Chunfeng Building only to be chased by his heroic lover, all of which Lin Wan listened to with enjoyment.

"Is the county government busy?" Lu Zheng asked Ning Zhiqui.

"It’s alright." Ning Zhiqui shook his head, "Just trivial things."

Lu Zheng said, "As they say, governing a large country is like cooking small fish; not only here in the county, but even national affairs often consist of small matters.

However, every small issue from the official standpoint is a big issue for the common people; a single action can affect the entire situation, so handling them takes care and effort."

Ning Zhiqui empathized, "That’s precisely the case."

Zhu Yushan’s eyes lit up; he leaned forward curiously, "Tell me more."

He didn’t participate in this year’s exam, afraid of causing troublesome situations, but the more the Power of Heaven and Earth restricted him, the more curious he became.

It’s human nature.

Therefore, Zhu Yushan was very interested in being an official for even a term.

Though he knew Ning Zhiqui, Zhu’s time spent cultivating in the Water Mansion meant they rarely interacted, making this small gathering naturally spark gossip.

In Tonglin County, with a population of tens of thousands, and so many surrounding fields, villages, and towns, the only formal government agency is the Tonglin County Government Office.

Although most trivial matters are resolved by local elders, many issues reported to the government are no fewer, so being the number two figure in Tonglin County, and a dedicated Ning Zhiqui, saying he’s not busy is definitely false.

His "it’s alright" implies he’s gotten used to the workflow.

Thus, it’s undeniable that Ning Zhiqui has a knack for official duties, unlike Blue Star’s TV character "Ning Caichen."

So Ning Zhiqui picked some complicated cases where one party consisted of orphans and widows, the other of the old and infirm. Besides these, some involved wealthy merchants, lacking clear regulations yet unfair in principle.

Zhu Yushan seriously helped Ning Zhiqui analyze and suggest ideas, often sharply accurate.

Lu Zheng watched with a sigh; what a promising young prime minister turned staff officer.

However, Li Hanyu was happy because Zhu Yushan, not holding an official post, had plenty of time to spend with her. She had heard from Yi Xiaoqian that Ning Zhiqui left home before sunrise, returned for only half an hour at noon for meals and a nap, which was unstable, and in the evening only came home after dark, frequently staying late to review various documents. He was extraordinarily busy.

Thinking about it, the current situation seemed alright.

...

Shen Ying emerged from secluded cultivation after two months and became even more attached to Lu Zheng, having stayed closely by him all night the day prior. Now, still feeling pliable, she sat beside Lu Zheng, serving dishes to him and Lin Wan nearby.

"Wan, are you on break these days?" Shen Ying asked.

"Yes." Lin Wan nodded, "I haven’t been to Yizhou yet; I plan to explore."

Shen Ying supported her chin, "Actually, there’s not much fun at Yizhou Prefecture; even the music venues aren’t as good as the newly renovated Yu Ling Garden in the county, since their top patrons don’t match Old Yue’s wealth."

...

In Yu Ling Garden, numerous coal braziers were placed all around, making the entire courtyard warm and cozy.

Yue Honghai reclined grandly in a high-back armchair in the front row near the stage, munching on seeds and drinking wine, shaking his head while watching the performance.

"Bravo! Reward! Ten pieces of red!"

Yue Honghai laughed heartily, and amid the troupe’s collective thanks, he couldn’t help but sneeze.

"Achoo!"

"Master Yue, it’s freezing cold today; wear more layers, and I’ll stoke the fire for you some more."

The attendant fawningly brought a large coal brazier right up next to Yue Honghai.

This esteemed patron mustn’t fall ill; if he doesn’t come for a few days, the garden will lose a significant portion of its income!

...

Lin Wan shook her head, "I’m not interested in watching theater."

She had also been to Yu Ling Garden, but since she hadn’t been influenced much by it since childhood, she felt indifferent.

"There aren’t many interesting places, and you might not want to visit them."

"Where?"

"Brothels, gambling houses." Shen Ying chuckled, "The Xiuyun Building in Yizhou Prefecture is still quite famous; within several hundred miles, sophisticated talents take pride in getting to meet one of the four main courtesans of Xiuyun Building." 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

"The four main courtesans? Are they very beautiful?" Lin Wan asked curiously.

"They should be beautiful, but I haven’t seen them." Shen Ying smiled and nodded, then looked at Lu Zheng, "But Lu Lang has seen them; why not ask him?"

Lu Zheng turned around abruptly: (ง˙o˙)ว

"Swish, swish, swish!"

The women’s gazes focused on Lu Zheng, while Zhu Yushan and Ning Zhiqui decisively fell silent, slightly shrinking their forms, trying to hide their presence because... they’ve also been to such places...

"I only went once!"

Lu Zheng decisively avoided blame, lamenting, "I was dragged along; I couldn’t defeat Duan Changzai of the Anomaly Suppression Bureau and was thus dragged there.

Plus, I only met Qingxin and Zixiao, not Yu Ling and Star..."

Lu Zheng abruptly stopped midway through his sentence.