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

March 10th is a day of rest and recline.

Dou Fengjie, along with Dou Shang and Dou happy, rode their donkeys leisurely out of Chang'an City to have a picnic by the Chan River.

This was the maximum entertainment he could access, provided he adhered to the precepts.

The problem is that Dou Fengjie observed the rules, but A-Lu did not. The horses and donkeys near their master and servants were all teased and provoked by A-Lu in a cheeky manner.

"Uh, uh."

Ah Lu proudly brayed to the sky.

Ready-made cherry biscuits, lamb liver biscuits, and lamb kidney biscuits can be heated on a griddle and eaten immediately.

Beside the charcoal fire, bamboo strips held split river perch, topped with lemongrass, sand ginger, mint, lemon juice, pepper, and chili powder. The aroma was carried by the river breeze, attracting the attention of several groups of people nearby.

This is the famous lemongrass grilled fish, a well-known dish in Dai cuisine.

Dou happy's eyes darted around, he swallowed hard, twitched his nose twice, and looked completely infatuated.

Dou Shang leisurely twirled the bamboo strip, handing a roasted lemongrass fish to Dou Fengjie, and a second one to Dou happy.

Dou happy took a bite, scalding it and yelling, but refused to let go.

This foodie!

It was so delicious that Dou happy wouldn't even spit out the crispy fish bones, but chewed them up and swallowed them.

"Young Master Dou, this fish smells wonderful, and I imagine it tastes delicious too. Could you please tell me the recipe?"

Liu Heng, the Junior Minister of the Imperial Household Department, strolled over with a smile, holding a wine bowl.

He was Dou Dan's son-in-law, so he naturally knew Dou Fengjie.

As for the feud between Dou Dan or the Dou family of Xianyang and Dou Fengjie, what business is it of an outsider like him?

Aside from his love of wine and hunting, Liu Heng had no other faults. He rarely made enemies, so Dou Fengjie didn't have any ill feelings towards him.

"This is a recipe from the ancient Ailao Kingdom. It is widely circulated and can hardly be considered a secret."

River perch is a type of fish found in many places, and all the seasonings except for chili powder are available in Tang Dynasty China.

Using dogwood instead of chili powder is barely acceptable.

As for tilapia, Datang doesn't have any either, so they chose river perch because it has fewer bones.

Dou happy reluctantly handed two grilled lemongrass fish to Liu Heng's old servant.

Although Dou Shang still had lemongrass fish in his possession, Dou happy just couldn't bear to part with it.

Dou Fengjie laughed, but didn't scold Dou happy at all.

Being greedy is Dou happy's nature; it's common for young people to be gluttonous.

Dou happy has no intention of becoming a monk, so there's no need for him to be without desires; he can simply maintain his original nature.

"Most of the ingredients are only available in the Jiangnan and Lingnan regions. Dou Langjun really went to great lengths to collect these materials!"

Liu Heng's position as Vice Minister of the Imperial Household Department was well-deserved; he immediately identified the origin of the seasonings upon hearing the information.

Things like lemon juice are basically not used north of the Yangtze River; vinegar is the king of sour flavors in the north.

Liu Heng reciprocated: "My father-in-law returned home after court on the fifth day. He regretted that he had not been able to help me like the Dowager Lady of Lu State had done, disregarding past grievances."

Dou Fengjie could only smile and had nothing to say.

There are plenty of things in this world that we should know earlier, but what's the use of them?

They all chose it themselves.

Liu Heng chuckled: "Let's talk about something useful. Beware of Zhang Xingcheng, the Imperial Censor of the Palace."

Daxi Xiao had previously hinted at this point, as Daxi Yongchang boasted that he would send the exceptionally handsome Zhang Xizang to be one of Princess Yongjia's male favorites.

Dou Fengjie never expected that Zhang Xizang was actually Zhang Xingcheng's nephew and the father of Zhang Yizhi and Zhang Changzong.

Given Zhang Changzong's reputation as an unparalleled handsome man, Zhang Xizang would not be much less so, and could certainly satisfy Princess Yongjia's discerning eye.

Historical records speak highly of Zhang Xingcheng, but no one can guarantee that Zhang Xingcheng would not have been biased because of his nephew.

Dou Fengjie crossed his hands and remained silent, thinking that Liu Heng was a person worth associating with, at least he wouldn't take advantage of others for nothing.

Gifts exchanged need not be equal; the sentiment is what matters.

The sour and spicy flavors were a specialty of the ancient Ailao Kingdom, often whetting the appetite. The Bi Luo brought by Dou Fengjie was also eaten up without any leftovers.

On the way back, Liu Heng rode alongside Dou Fengjie, and unusually, Ah Lu did not throw a tantrum.

Liu Heng praised, "Young Master Dou's black donkey is exceptionally fine and spirited. Even among the horses in the Imperial Stables of the Palace Secretariat, I have never seen one so intelligent."

Ah Lu swung his tail in a circle, his eyes full of smugness.

"If you, Shaoqing, say that the horses of the Imperial Stud are exceptionally fine, I can believe you; but the horses of the Imperial Stud Bureau, tsk tsk..."

Dou Fengjie looked at him with disdain.

It's not that Dou Fengjie is being nitpicky, but the horses in the Shangcheng Bureau are expected to be obedient, fit, and have elegant dance steps, with every step perfectly timed with the drumbeats.

A horse whose personality has been completely emasculated, no matter how perfect, will not meet Dou Fengjie's standards.

With a soft "Ah-uh," Ah-lu's eyes were full of laughter.

Although Liu Heng didn't understand donkey language, he could see the hint of pride in the donkey.

Don't be surprised, some high-ranking officials can even talk to dogs.

Arrows whistled as they shot towards Dou Fengjie.

Dou Fengjie drew his bow and nocked an arrow, while A-Lu gracefully twirled in an S-shape, easily dodging the arrow.

The problem was that the arrow grazed past Liu Heng's body.

"A mere trifle of skill, yet you dare to show off your amateurish abilities before an expert!"

Dou Fengjie shot an arrow and arrogantly cursed.

A scream came from afar, and a person could be seen wandering on the wall of the neighborhood, his movements not very convenient.

"Excellent archery! Left and right guards, I, Liu Heng, the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was assassinated on Zhuque Avenue. Aren't you going to give me an explanation?"

Liu Heng, who had just suffered a minor cut, flew into a rage and immediately used his power to intimidate others.

Official position was not Liu Heng's greatest asset. He had a good personal relationship with Li Shimin. If he were to say a few words of advice to Li Shimin, the guards around him would be in trouble.

The sharp sound of bamboo whistles rose and fell as guards, street officials, and judges, armed with their weapons, surrounded the enemy.

That's strange. Didn't these people notice the assassin before?

"Team A, cut off his escape route!"

"Team B, shoot the arrow in the leg!"

"Team C is to enter the neighborhood to prevent him from escaping and taking the commoners hostage!"

"If we can't catch them, we won't have meat for three days!"

The captain assigned men to the front lines, and the captains and deputy captains of each squad led their troops to the front.

If we can't catch an assassin who's wounded and still bleeding, the guards on both sides might as well throw their faces on the ground and stomp on them.

The guards of the Twelve Guards of the Southern Palace are extremely diligent in their training, almost on par with the soldiers of the government. They can hardly stand going a day without meat, let alone three days.

"We caught him! The assassin fled into Kaimingfang and was captured by us!"

Zhuque Avenue begins at Mingde Gate, and the eight wards on either side are sparsely populated, with Kaiming Ward being one of them.

The east and west sides of the ward are farmland with scattered houses. The most famous feature is the large bamboo forest, and Guangming Temple is located within the ward.

The donkey strode proudly to the assassin, stood on its hind legs, and smacked the assassin's face twice with its left and right front hooves.

Little brat, trying to play tricks on Ah Lu Ye Ye?

Liu Heng couldn't help but chuckle: "No wonder Young Master Dou didn't fancy the horses from the Imperial Stables! This black donkey is so clever, it's priceless!"

Dou Fengjie, who had been left behind by Ah Lu, helplessly touched his nose.

The donkey I raise only produces about the same amount of manure as a horse in a day. It can breed, dodge arrows, kick horses, and trample people. Isn't it normal for it to have some minor problems?

If it were perfect, Dou Fengjie would have to wonder if it was some kind of AI donkey.