Zhenguan: I, Dou Fengjie, will not be the first cuckold.

Chapter 121 The Aroma of Beef in Longzheng Ward

In the sweltering heat of July, the wind blowing through Longzhengfang was slightly cool and carried a rich aroma of beef.

Fangzheng Tang Bugu, carrying a short stick, led the ward guards to strengthen patrols within the ward.

Wuhoupu was not idle either, thoroughly inspecting fire prevention in every household, even the Duke of Zanguo's mansion was not spared.

"Look, even the Duke of Zan's mansion is cooperating with Wuhoupu. Do you think you're better than the Duke of Zan, who is skilled in both literature and martial arts?"

""

At Wuhou's shout, the troublemakers in the neighborhood immediately quieted down.

It wasn't that they feared Dou Fengjie's power; they simply respected the hero, that's all!

Anything that's been built over the courtyard wall or piled up at the crossroads, as long as Dou Fengjie is mentioned, it immediately becomes effective.

The only thing allowed to connect to the edge of the crossroads within the neighborhood were the numerous butcher shops.

Beef noodle soup, pork bone stew, braised beef, and pan-fried beef patties are just some of the many dishes available. The children inside the neighborhood eat with gusto, while tourists from outside also come to try them out.

It's not that the slaughter of cattle is illegal; Longzhengfang processes one yak every day, which brings in some extra income for every household's stall. They can make a living without leaving the workshop.

This was also thanks to Dou Fengjie, as Fei Tingshi guaranteed the number of yaks needed for Longzheng Ward every year, which made it possible for commoners to change their livelihoods.

I wouldn't dare say how much money I make, but it's better than doing odd jobs that pay fifteen coins a day.

After Yang Zuan became the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, the relationship between Chang'an Chengshan Julu and Longzhengfang became even closer, and the slaughter permits were processed with exceptional smoothness.

Dou Xi, the steward of the Duke of Zanguo's mansion, happily bought more than twenty beef patties to take back to the mansion, ensuring that everyone would have one.

Dou Fengjie took a bite of the hot pancake and casually remarked, "There are no husband and wife in the sliced ​​beef and tripe, and no wife in the wife cake, but there is real beef in the beef pancake."

Dou happy squinted and took a bite of the beef patty: "My lord, at the beef patty stall, I saw the Persian merchant Kavad."

""

Dou Fengjie swallowed a bite of bread, poured himself a bowl of water from the steamer, and then asked in surprise, "It's been less than a year, right? How come he came back so quickly?"

The Tang Dynasty and Persia were about 10,000 li apart, and the round trip was more than 20,000 li. Kavad had to ride non-stop for a whole day to barely make it back.

Soon, Dubois led the beaming Kavad into the mansion, followed by dozens of ragged men, women, and children.

"Hahaha! Duke Zan, Kavad has lived up to expectations! These ten families are the best blacksmiths in Damascus, their knife forging is unparalleled."

"It took me two diamonds to get them back!"

Kavad laughed.

"Oh, Kavad, you're the shrewdest businessman I've ever met!"

"Manager, take them to settle in, bathe and change their clothes, then go with Kavad to the Changshoufang County Office to release the mortgage on the original residence, and then process the registration of the artisans and their families."

"I will only be able to drink alcohol next year, so please forgive me for neglecting my old friends!"

Dou Fengjie was quick-witted and outspoken.

"Oh, wait, Duke Zan, I also brought over a hundred catties of wrought iron."

Kavad smiled slyly.

Dou Fengjie smiled sincerely: "Manager, let the craftsmen and their families have a good meal first."

"Butler, prepare tea, the Huzhou compressed tea bestowed by the Emperor."

Please sit down, please sit down, please take a seat of honor.

Kavad took a sip of the fragrant Huzhou tea soup, his eyes filled with regret: "Duke Zan, this trip was so rushed that I really didn't have time to find a healer."

The main reason was that Persian healers had a much higher status and greater freedom than blacksmiths; it wasn't simply a matter of throwing money at them.

Dou Fengjie turned around, took out a box, and gently moved it in front of Kavad.

Kavad put down his teacup and tiptoed to open it.

Fifty synthetic diamonds were neatly arranged on the shelf, each weighing five carats.

In terms of value, it is far greater than the batch of diamonds that Kavadna had.

"Duke Zan, you still want to release the mortgage on the house? Aren't you afraid that I'll take the diamond and never come back?"

Kavad spoke slowly.

Reputation can be incredibly valuable at times, and worthless at others.

"You won't, unless you encounter something beyond human control, you won't do anything stupid."

Dou Fengjie answered with certainty.

Translation: Unless Kavad dies, he will definitely come back to try and get better things from Dou Fengjie in order to make more profits.

"The Duke truly has a keen eye for people's hearts."

"6

Kavad sighed.

For more profit, as long as he's alive, Kavad will crawl back no matter what.

Dou Fengjie chuckled: "Actually, it's not difficult at all to persuade a healer to come to the Tang Dynasty. You just need to tell the monk Alopen that he's bringing a healer, and the Tang Dynasty will be more tolerant of him."

They were all shrewd people, and naturally knew that Persia was struggling to cope with the frenzied attacks from the Abbasids, and many people were plotting their escape.

They persuaded Alopen to repackage the refuge as a new mission to open up the East, and healers and wise men would naturally follow.

Kavad's eyes lit up; he had come up with a way to break the deadlock.

If we can persuade Alopen, can we also persuade the Persian royal family to send one or two princes or princesses to the Tang Dynasty to leave behind a descendant?

Kavad applauded himself for thinking about the idea.

When dealing with royalty, one must be extremely cautious; if possible, say "it's going well" rather than "it's going badly."

Dou happy's trip to Chang'an County went exceptionally smoothly, and he even brought back the giant deer from Chang'an Chengshan to the Duke of Zanguo's mansion.

"Oh, it's actually the Zan family who have come in person. What a rare guest."

Dou Fengjie chuckled softly.

"Since the Duke of Zan has returned in triumph, I naturally wish to offer my congratulations. Moreover, the Duke of Zan has had Yang Zuan removed, which has finally put my mind at ease."

The giant deer of the mountain revealed its purpose.

Yang Zuan's move to the Ministry of Personnel was at the behest of Sikong Changsun Wuji. Changsun Huan and Dou Fengjie were classmates, so roughly speaking, Dou Fengjie was helping out.

"That's because Sikong couldn't stand it anymore."

Dou Fengjie, who had reviewed several chapters of the new laws at the Hall of State Affairs, smiled, neither taking credit nor declining the task.

Dou Fengjie told Changsun Wuji about the predicament of Shanjulu, but Yang Zuan's promotion to Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel happened after Dou Fengjie went on a campaign.

A smile appeared in his eyes, and his face looked even rounder: "This humble official has no ability, so I can only ask the Bad People to keep an eye on Longzheng Ward to prevent any ignorant people from causing trouble."

As for the project of building a beef processing plant in Longzhengfang, if it goes through and stabilizes, it will be a good thing for Chang'an County.

Who wouldn't be happy if their jurisdiction could stand out from the crowd, earn a stable income without leaving the neighborhood, and pay rent, labor service, and corvée labor fees on time?

Oh, Fahai Temple must be unhappy. A perfectly good temple is surrounded by the smell of beef all day long. Aren't they afraid that the monks will steal and eat the beef?

Shan Julu straightened his expression: "However, many foreigners come here because of its reputation. Won't that disturb the peace and quiet of the Duke of Zan's mansion?"

His implication was that Dou Fengjie's household secrets might be stolen.

Besides the Japanese monks, the foreigners also included Tibetan spies who appeared and disappeared in the shadows.

Dou Fengjie waved his hand: "It's alright. It's better for the neighbors to have a way to make a living than anything else."

The biggest secret in the entire mansion was Dou Fengjie himself.

Moreover, with Dou Shang's protection, A Lv's shrewdness, the horse trap, and the infrared alarms secretly set up by Dou Fengjie, even a mouse passing by would be caught in the trap.