The old Taoist was instantly stunned.
This?
How?
In his entire life, he had never experienced such a scene. He was at a loss. He looked at the tender fish, a scent of vinegar rose, then at Zhu Mo's smiling face, and finally picked up a piece and put it in his mouth.
As he chewed, he discovered a delicacy he had never tasted before – tender, smooth, yet with a slight chewiness, and an unprecedented elasticity.
As the old Taoist ate, he couldn't help but close his eyes to savor the taste.
Li San was astonished and almost blurted out a sentence—
"Your Majesty, you must not consume worldly food!"
The words were at his lips, but he forcefully suppressed them, a great doubt arising in his heart—
Has His Majesty fallen ill today?
Consuming such worldly food is detrimental to cultivation!
Normally, anyone who placed such a thing before them would be committing a crime punishable by death!
But today,
His Majesty actually enjoys it so willingly?
Having followed the old Taoist in his cultivation for many years, Li San had also abstained from worldly food for one to two decades. At most, he would sneak a bowl of noodles, not even daring to eat meat for fear of being discovered by the old Taoist.
In his surprise, Li San also picked up chopsticks and took a bite. Instantly, a long-lost magical taste made his entire body feel at ease.
"This, this flavor..."
Zhu Mo laughed heartily,
"You two, eat more! Come, have a bowl of fried rice!"
He gave them each another small bowl of fried rice.
Fried rice?
The old Taoist stared at the contents of the bowl,
Lard dregs?
This, what is this?
It should be known that the old Taoist had lived a life of luxury since birth and had never eaten lard dregs.
Li San, however, came from a common background and had eaten them before entering the palace as a child. He said, "Young Master Zhu, these pork lard dregs are truly fragrant... It's a pity that this Taoist is a cultivator and would be wasting your kind intentions..."
Unexpectedly, the old Taoist said:
"Li San, you don't understand. We Taoists have no taboos. We are upright and uninhibited. Grains, birds, livestock, there is nothing that cannot be eaten... Today is the sixth day, is it not the Wu Shen day? Then it is perfect, a day of the six impurities, perfect for consuming some meat and fish!"
Saying this, the old Taoist ate several mouthfuls of rice and exclaimed loudly:
"Fragrant, truly fragrant!"
Li San's mouth fell open, and a thought arose in his mind—
What His Majesty is eating is not rice!
It is clearly today's warmth!
...
Li San was not mistaken.
The old Taoist was over sixty years old. His father had died early, his wife had died early, and his son had disappeared. When had he ever enjoyed the joys of family life in the human world?
Since meeting Zhu Mo, he felt his vitality renewed. Things he once considered immutable laws were all disregarded by Zhu Mo. He had only one thought: to see Zhu Mo happy...
After finishing a bowl of rice, the old Taoist even burped. Li San, witnessing this scene, no longer knew what he himself had eaten.
The old Taoist wiped his mouth and said:
"Young Master Zhu, as you depart, I can't help but feel like the wind whistles by the Yi River and it is cold. Hahaha, young people are still young, after all, they haven't weathered the storms... How about this, since you have opened your heart to me, this old Taoist will not hold back either..."
"Well, I stayed in Jiangnan for a while and I know a few people with whom I've shared life and death. They have all prospered now... Li San, right? Uh, Li San, you, take out that item given to you by your friend from Chaotian Temple and give it to Young Master Zhu. Let's see if those friends in Jiangnan still acknowledge it?"
As the old Taoist spoke, he gave a meaningful glance.
Li San, having followed him for decades, understood immediately. He untied a dark iron plaque from his waist and handed it to Zhu Mo with both hands, saying:
"Young Master Zhu, this is a token from that friend in Jiangnan back then. This old servant and the Taoist often received his care when we were in the capital... Now, he has also prospered, working in Chaotian Temple, which is truly remarkable. It's difficult for ordinary people to get an audience with him. Now, since you have no acquaintances in Jiangnan, please accept this. It might be useful at some point."
Zhu Mo took a look. It was a very ordinary iron plaque, though he couldn't tell what material it was made of – neither gold nor iron, more like a meteorite. It was quite heavy in his hand.
The front of the iron plaque had a natural cloud and thunder pattern, appearing to be an ancient artifact. On the back, two characters were inscribed—
Wanshou.
"Wanshou?"
"What does this mean?"
The old Taoist was very pleased with Li San's explanation and said with a smile, "Who knows? The depths of Chaotian Temple are unfathomable... Have you heard of Lan Shenxian? Li San's friend is a trusted subordinate of Lan Shenxian..."
Oh.
Zhu Mo felt that this item should be useful. A trusted subordinate of Lan Shenxian would be someone with influence in the Great Ming. Most officials across the country would give him some face, wouldn't they?
He thanked them and accepted it.
At this moment,
The moonlight had deepened, and the surroundings were very quiet.
The old Taoist, having been happy for most of the day, suddenly feared that extreme joy might lead to sorrow and bid farewell with a smile.
Turning the street corner,
Wu Feng emerged from the shadows, silently following the two like a phantom.
And in the numerous corners of the street, many plainclothes Jin Yiwei were also providing secret protection.
The old Taoist, having not enjoyed such worldly beauty for a long time, strode forward, as if seeing the bright moon of the Great Ming's resurgence in his heart!
...
The next day,
Under the escort of yamen runners from the Ministry of Personnel, Zhu Mo, in an eight-bearer palanquin, proceeded with a blaring gong, heading towards the Yongding River ferry crossing.
It was a bustling street market, and countless common people cheered enthusiastically. Zhu Mo also pulled back the curtain and clasped his hands in greeting to the crowd—
"Has Young Master Zhu become a high official? Why is he still in plain clothes?"
"What a handsome figure!"
"The foremost talent of the Great Ming, how could he not be heavily utilized?"
"Truly a divine person, with his 'qingci' poems, he has achieved the status of a commoner minister..."
"I heard he has no official title, still in plain clothes, called something like an Imperial Commissioner?"
"No official title? If he has no official title, how can he ride in an eight-bearer palanquin? Are you stupid?"
"It's just that he has no official title!"
"Hey, he's a commoner imperial envoy! Much more distinguished than ordinary officials, what do you know!"
"I heard Young Master Zhu is a good person?"
"Of course! I heard the neighbors praise him!"
"Then the common people will be saved..."
"Yes, I heard Young Master Zhu is going to handle a major matter this time, beneficial to the country and the people!"
"What major matter?"
"Shh...! Have you forgotten Wang Shizhen from a few days ago?"
"..."
Amidst the hustle and bustle, Zhu Mo truly felt the support of the people of the Great Ming.
This scene also filled him with fervor, strengthening his resolve to achieve great deeds in Jiangnan and take the first step towards the Great Ming's resurgence.
...
Upon reaching the ferry crossing,
Zhu Mo found that Zhang Juzheng was also there, pacing by the riverbank, clearly having waited for a long time.
"Heh heh, this person is truly talented. He even wanted to speak up for me during the court session that day. He is more benevolent than Xu Jie, but I wonder what he is doing here now..."