Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 17: The Candy Blowing Emperor is Mysterious

Three blocks south from Dengshi Street is Miaoyou Street, and further left is Erlang Street.

This is a great place for a night market in Beijing. At night, the lights are bright and the crowds are surging. There are all kinds of food and entertainment.

Because it is so comprehensive, both high-ranking officials and common people in the capital will come here to hang out if they have nothing to do at night.

Gradually, it became a scenic spot in the capital.

Just after the twilight hour that day, more than ten people came to the street corner, accompanying two young men.

It was Emperor Wanli and Zhang Yunxiu and his entourage.

Several people stood at the street corner and looked inside.

The whole street was crowded with people and filled with smoke. Pedestrians were shoulder to shoulder on the road, shrouded in smoke.

For a moment, the sounds of laughter, scolding, dodging, and shouting merged into one.

Not so lively!

The eunuch next to him was afraid of squeezing through, so he suggested, "Master Huang Zhu, there are too many people here. How about we get someone to disperse them all?"

"What do you want to drive away?" Emperor Wanli glared at the man and said, "I, this young master wants to have fun with the people. If it's empty, it will lose its flavor, right, Zhang Yunxiu?"

"Yes." Zhang Yunxiu nodded in agreement.

"Well, I just happened to bring five hundred taels of silver with me today, so I'm going to have some fun." Emperor Wanli said, stepping into the crowd.

Zhang Yunxiu and others were startled and hurried to catch up.

After entering the street, Emperor Wanli became playful. He looked here and there, and was finally attracted by some laughter.

He looked up and saw several children surrounding an old man.

I saw the old man sitting on a small stool, in front of him was a square box filled with yellow syrup.

He took out some syrup, inserted a bamboo stick, and then pinched a tail.

He picked up the tail and blew it, and the syrup swelled up and gradually turned into the shape of a tiger. After a while, a lifelike sugar tiger appeared before his eyes.

The children around him burst into joyful laughter. The old man chuckled and handed the candy tiger to a child.

Then the old man did the same thing, and the rabbit, carp, and monkey were all lifelike.

Emperor Wanli was so fascinated by it that he walked forward unconsciously.

The old man saw that Emperor Wanli was dressed in a noble manner and was surrounded by people, and knew that he must be the son of that family.

So he stood up, smiled and said respectfully: "Little old man, meet the two gentlemen."

Emperor Wanli waved his hands and asked with a serious face, "Old sir, can you blow up anything with your sugar figure?"

"Of course. As long as you have seen it, we can play it."

"Okay, then blow a dragon for us."

"Dragon?" The old man hesitated for a moment, glanced at the people, and shook his head, "I dare to brag about anything, but I dare not brag about dragons. If the emperor blames me, I can't bear the consequences."

"I'm fine and the emperor can't see it." Wanli didn't care.

"That's not something you can say," the old man said nervously, lowering his voice, "The emperor has opened his eyes to see the world, just sitting in the Forbidden City."

"Hahaha Emperor, is he really as powerful as you say?"

"How else can he be the emperor? They are all dragons, how can they be the same as mortals?"

Seeing that the two were talking more and more excitedly, Zhang Yunxiu stepped forward to interrupt and said, "Old sir, if you can't blow a dragon, you can blow a python for this young man, a python with four claws."

"Okay, then blow the python." Wanli also shouted.

The old man nodded, hunched over, and took out his tool to get started. He wiped his hands with a handkerchief, then took out the syrup, pinched a tail, and blew air into it.

"and many more."

The eunuch at the side screamed in a shrill voice. Emperor Wanli frowned, tilted his head and glared at the eunuch, and shouted: "Sun Hai, what are you barking about, you dog? You ruined my fun. I will not forgive you when I go back."

"Oh, my lord, this candy man is not clean. I'm afraid you will get a stomachache if you eat it."

"Pah, pah, pah!" The old man got angry and pointed at Sun Hai and scolded, "I've been setting up a stall here for thirty years, and I've seen people get sick from eating it, but you're the only one who has so much trouble."

"Don't worry about him, old man. Just blow it."

"Son!"

"Shut up, or I won't let you go."

Sun Hai shrank back with his neck stretched, not daring to say anything more.

But when he saw the old man's dark nails, and thought about the old man blowing and pinching the candy man, he got goose bumps all over his body.

Just as he was feeling disgusted, a giant python had been formed.

Wanli took it happily, took out a silver note and handed it over.

The old man took it and looked at it, his face changed drastically, it turned out to be a silver note of 100 taels. His candy figure only cost three or four cents, how could he find the change?

"Sir, here's your banknote."

"What's wrong with the banknotes? Is it not enough?" Wanli asked stupidly.

"It's too big. I can't find it." The old man replied tremblingly.

Zhang Yunxiu smiled and shook his head. The emperor really had no idea about money.

He stepped forward, fumbled for a long time, and finally found a piece of silver. He patted it into the old man's hand and said, "Old sir, our young master is in a good mood today, so he bought the whole stall of yours."

"No, that won't work. The child won't be able to sleep at night if he can't eat my candy." The old man pushed his head away and refused.

Zhang Yunxiu looked at the old man again and said, "How about this? I'll give you this silver. You can give one to each of us. How about you give the rest to these children?"

"I want another one. Give me a big tiger." Wanli added.

The old man nodded in agreement, and after working hard, he made a sugar figure for each of the people accompanying him.

When Zhang Yunxiu got a little rabbit, Emperor Wanli could not help but sneer at him: "Your rabbit is small, but our big tiger is more powerful."

Zhang Yunxiu smiled but did not answer. Emperor Wanli asked, "I am tired. You can choose the remaining places. I am sure you know more about the fun places in the capital than I do."

"Of course it has to be Minglanlou," Zhang Fu said with a lewd smile, licking his lips, "the girls there are more gentle and charming than the other."

"What is that place?"

"He's in the flesh trade." Zhang Yunxiu glared at Zhang Fu, then turned his head to look at the emperor and answered.

"Oh, the butcher! I'm not a cook. If I'm not going to buy meat, what's the point of going there? No, no!" Emperor Wanli lost interest upon hearing this and shook his head repeatedly.

Everyone's face flushed and they tried hard to suppress their laughter.

Han San, who was standing by, observed the young master's words and knew that he must want to take the emperor to some elegant place, so he thought for a moment and said, "Little one, I know a good place."

"Say it."

"There is a good place not far from the street ahead. I'm sure it will satisfy you, young master."

"What are you waiting for? Lead the way," Emperor Wanli urged.

Han San nodded in agreement and gave Zhang Yunxiu a reassuring look. Zhang Yunxiu nodded, and then he led the way.

(End of this chapter)