Shocking! The entire court was drooling with envy because of me.

After queuing for a long time, we finally got to see the group from Beijing.

Pei Yuan ordered a crispy sausage, and Zhou Chongdian, who was behind him in line, followed suit and also ordered a crispy sausage.

"This is the last cartilage sausage; now we only have pure meat sausages left," Shen Qing said.

Yan Wenli was standing right behind Zhou Chongdian when he heard this, and good heavens, he had no choice at all.

Zhou Chongdian is a rigid person, but he's surprisingly lucky.

"I'll have a pure meat sausage."

He didn't feel it was a pity, after all, he had never eaten pure meat sausage before.

The sausages sizzled and dripped oil on the wire mesh, making the aroma even more intense, which made Yan Wenli's mouth water.

Zhou Chongdian, standing next to him, held up the crispy sausage, looking completely bewildered.

A meaty aroma wafted into his nostrils—the smoky scent of charred fat and spices—a smell he had never encountered before.

It was a fragrance he couldn't describe.

It was precisely because it was indescribable, unrecognizable, and untraceable in his memory that he was so confused.

The cartilage sausage is golden brown and glossy, with a taut casing and amber-colored meat juice seeping from the cracks. You can faintly see tiny bumps on the casing, one by one, which are the marks of the cartilage pushing out.

"If you don't like it, give it to me, and I'll give you the money!" Yan Wenli had already finished the pure meat sausage in his hand in a few bites. Seeing Zhou Chongdian in a daze, he spoke up without thinking.

The pure meat sausage smelled amazing, sizzling with oil as it ate, which made him even more curious about the taste of the crispy bone sausage.

"Need not."

Zhou Chongdian quickly moved to the side, feeling as if Yan Wenli was about to steal his sausage.

Moreover, Pei Yuan's gaze towards him grilling sausages wasn't exactly innocent.

This stuff smells really good; he has to try it today, no matter what.

With one bite, the meat juices burst forth instantly, filling your mouth with a rich, fatty aroma. With a gentle chew, besides the savory meat chunks, your teeth also encounter some crunchy bits.

It's the crunchiness of cartilage. The cartilage isn't big; it resists slightly between your teeth before quickly giving way, breaking into smaller particles that mix with the delicious meat chunks.

creak creak-

The meat pieces are soft and springy, while the cartilage is firm and crunchy, making it very satisfying to chew.

Pure meat sausages are delicious enough, but the cartilage mixed in elevates the flavor to a new level, giving the chewing motion a rhythm that makes them increasingly addictive.

It was as if Zhou Chongdian had opened the door to a new world.

At this moment, his mind was free of all the messy worries, no emperor's beauty pageant, no partisan disputes, and no annoying official documents.

The aroma of the grilled sausage overwhelmed his senses; all he could see was that crispy sausage.

After finishing one, my teeth seemed to still remember the crunching sensation, and I couldn't help but grind them up and down, as if savoring something.

"It smells good, doesn't it? Was this trip worth it? Will you come again tomorrow?" Yan Wenli asked in a sly tone.

"Delicious! Worth it! Come on over!"

Zhou Chongdian seemed unable to control his mouth.

No, that's not right. It's not just my mouth that I can't control; I can't even control my brain.

The main thing is that he's now genuinely considering coming back tomorrow.

......

At this moment, in the Golden Palace.

The courtiers were all silent, not daring to utter a sound.

Standing to one side of the dragon throne, Gao Quan Hong's face was ashen, his expression clearly showing dissatisfaction.

"Why are there only so many people at the morning court session today?"

Wang Shoucheng, the Minister of Personnel, stepped forward shakily: "Reporting to Eunuch Gao, the Grand Secretary, the Minister of Revenue, the Minister of Works, the Minister of Rites, General Tao, and Prince Chun have all requested leave..."

Wang Shoucheng became increasingly less confident as he spoke.

The Grand Secretary oversees six ministries: the Ministry of Revenue manages finances and grain, the Ministry of Works manages engineering and water conservancy, the Ministry of Rites manages the imperial examinations, rites, and sacrifices, the Ministry of War manages military equipment, the Ministry of Justice manages legal proceedings, and his Ministry of Personnel manages the appointment and removal of officials.

Today, in the imperial court, the ministers of three of the six ministries were absent, and the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet had not come for two consecutive days.

And General Tao, who commands a large army, also didn't come.

There's no way to discuss anything here.

He would never step forward to speak unless it was in his duty.

"Taking leave? What's the reason?" Gao Quan Hong frowned deeply.

"Tell them you're unwell."

"Ill? A bunch of people are ill? Are they just sick, or are they secretly plotting a rebellion?"

Gao Quan Hong was holding his breath. He felt that these people were doing it on purpose and were not taking his words seriously at all.

Upon hearing this, all the officials present knelt down with a thud.

"Eunuch Gao, you can't say things like that. They really are unwell and have all asked me for leave." Cold sweat dripped down Wang Shoucheng's forehead.

With eunuchs in power, no one could bear such a heavy label.

Gao Quan Hong snorted coldly: "I think they're just dissatisfied with His Majesty's beauty pageant. They're deliberately skipping court, trying to force His Majesty to give up the pageant. This is blatant treason!"

"Eunuch Gao is right, these people don't respect His Majesty at all!" Minister of War Han Zhuang said loudly.

Minister of Justice Zhuang Yi also said, "Your Majesty's selection of beauties is a matter of great importance to the country. These people are neglecting their duties and delaying national affairs, so they should also be punished."

These two were in cahoots with Gao Quan Hong. Whenever Gao Quan Hong said something, they would agree without thinking.

It was precisely because of the support of these two men, coupled with the emperor's complete trust, that Gao Quan Hong gained his current power.

Wang Shoucheng: "..."

It's so hard for him, he's suffered so much.

If he had known it would turn out like this, he would have taken leave.

This trip today has been nothing short of torture.

"Eunuch Gao, since they all say they are unwell and cannot attend court today, and the Ministry of Personnel has records of this, if you really think there is a problem, you can report to His Majesty and investigate carefully to see if there is any plot to rebel."

Wang Shoucheng replied reluctantly, having given up entirely.

To be honest, this damn emperor, I don't know what he's doing all day in the harem. He doesn't even attend the morning court. If someone were to rebel, he would support him wholeheartedly.

Whatever, let them label me if they want. Anyway, these damned eunuchs can't beat Pei Yuan anytime soon.

This left Gao Quan Hong speechless.

He intended to use this incident to intimidate the officials present, show them his power, and also flaunt his own authority.

Unexpectedly, Wang Shoucheng completely gave up and went all out.

"I will report back to Your Majesty myself." He rolled his eyes.

"However, this beauty pageant must not be delayed. I originally wanted to discuss the specific details of the pageant today, but since the Minister of Rites and the Minister of Revenue are not here, then Lord Wang, you will take their place."

Wang Shoucheng: "..."

I want to swear.

He's from the Ministry of Personnel; what does a beauty pageant have to do with him? This is just nonsense.

Is it too late for him to retire and return to his hometown?

"The two ministers are only asking for leave, not resigning. They will be attending court tomorrow, so there's no need for me to take their place." Wang Shoucheng didn't want to take on a hot potato that wasn't his responsibility.

Gao Quan Hong: "What I mean is, Lord Wang, you should cooperate with them. Let's discuss the specifics today, and we can carry them out when they arrive tomorrow."

"The miscellaneous officials will report to His Majesty that Minister Wang will urge the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue to carry out the beauty selection."

Upon hearing the words "report to His Majesty," Wang Shoucheng's face turned ashen.

That dog of a eunuch, all he does all day is report to His Majesty!

He's had the worst luck imaginable!