Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 497 Food is one price a day

in the courtyard,
Everyone sitting around the room looked over in confusion. What Zhang Jinyu said was so categorical that it was unclear whether it was true or false. It seemed as if the Marquis he was talking about was the examiner.

Whoever is determined will be able to pass. Could it be that the Enke Township Examination in Shuntian Fuyi is in charge of the Marquis? When the Marquis saw it, he just saw it. There were so many officials in Shuntian Prefecture correcting papers, who knew who could touch them? It was really nice to say.

Although they all understood that what the Marquis said was comforting, even Lin Daiyu looked over suspiciously. Although it was happy to praise people like this, it was the first time they used Enke to comfort them. It was the first time they saw that the road to the imperial examination was difficult to reach the sky. If everyone It is so easy to take the exam, and there are so many officials in the world. However, there are only a few people who can actually pass the exam in three years. Even my father never failed me when he first entered the exam room.

Zhang Jinyu saw the expressions on the three people's faces and knew that she had spilled the beans, but it was actually the truth. Could it be that she told them that she knew all the test questions, or could she find an old eunuch to show them and cough?
"Ahem, look at what I am doing. In those days, a few days ago, I met Langeer. If nothing else, I am really talented in reading. I asked a few questions and explained clearly. Although I He has never participated in the imperial examination, but he is the same as leading a soldier. If he knows something, he can tell it. If he doesn’t know, no matter how much you ask him, he won’t know."

Wang Xifeng was still a little suspicious. He could still say this. After thinking about it, he was right. As long as he asked about Baoyu's homework, he hesitated and couldn't explain it. Every time Mr. Zheng blew his beard and stared in anger, he wished he could I thought it might be because of this. Although the explanation is reasonable, the imperial examination is not so easy. None of the noble children I know have passed the examination. Only Brother Zhu passed the imperial examination, but he suffered from the cold. The disease caused me to be weak and weak. It took a long time to heal, but in the winter, the coldness penetrated into my bones, but I still couldn't bear it.

Not to mention nobles and nobles, among the poor students who came to Beijing to take the exam, some of them passed the exam in one go. What's worse, some of the exam candidates' hair turned white and they hadn't passed the exam yet. Anyway, Wang Xifeng was out of his mind. I didn't even believe it, but looking at my sister-in-law, she was sincere and happy to listen.

But Li Wan was obviously happy after hearing this. Anyone who praised Jialan was happy from the bottom of his heart. However, he also knew that the Marquis was trying to comfort himself. If he could get it right every time, where would there be those scholars who come to Beijing every year to take the exam? , especially this year, when I returned to my old home with Suyun, most of the inns and restaurants in the capital were occupied by students rushing to take exams, and most of the markets and streets were occupied by them, which was much more lively than before.

"The Marquis's words are still pleasing to the ear, and I know they are words of comfort. Although Langeer worked hard and recognized his teacher, he only read the Analects of Confucius and the meaning of the Four Books and Five Classics, and did not read the others in depth. If he passed the exam on other Yes, that’s all.”

Seeing this, Lin Daiyu couldn't say anything to comfort her. She wanted to remind her, but her words changed again. The imperial examination also relied on luck. Her father also said that some people are unlucky. What they take in the imperial examination every time is not what they have learned. Some people only took the test once and learned the content, so luck is also part of the strength.

"Sister-in-law, don't worry. No one can guess which papers will be tested in the Enke examination room. I don't know if it will be the first provincial examination this year. Even if the Analects of Confucius is tested, I think Langeer will be able to get it."

Li Wan put down his handkerchief and then reached out to touch Lin Daiyu's jade hand. The girl from the Lin family was still well-educated and thoughtful. A lady from a civil servant family understood how rare Enke was. His father, Li Shouzhong, would have naturally passed the scientific examination and entered the top three. After entering the Sixth Subject School, he entered the Imperial College and got acquainted with the Duke's Mansion. Otherwise, how could he marry into the Jia family? Only the father and daughter had experienced the hardships. Now that his father has been gone for many years, he is the only one left behind. I was alone. If it weren't for Lan'er, I wouldn't have been able to hold on long ago. When I saw Daiyu, she had also lost her parents. Now she was alone. She felt like she was late for meeting him. She replied,
"It's still Miss Lin who speaks well and borrows Miss Lin's good words. No matter what, if Lang Ge'er really borrows your words and succeeds, my sister-in-law will respect you from now on."

"Sister-in-law, I see what you said, I will definitely do it!"

Lin Daiyu still comforted her. Wang Xifeng felt itchy after seeing this scene. You two are getting along well. You are indeed the Marquis’s favorite person. She was so comforted both inside and outside. She glanced at Luo Yunhou and looked at her with straight eyes. Looking at the two of them, I felt agitated. I didn't know why, so I asked and interjected,
"Master Marquis, since you have this ability, can Baoyu also do it? Well, he can pass the provincial examination and make the old lady happy."

As soon as they finished speaking, the expressions on the three people's faces changed. The happy mood just now turned cold. Wang Xifeng immediately regretted it as soon as he finished speaking. He didn't open any pot, which was really disappointing.

Zhang Jinyu was happy for a moment, shook her head and said,

"You just opened your mouth and didn't say anything else. Is it because Jia Baoyu has a big face that you give him face? Well, he does have a big face. As his sister-in-law, is it inappropriate for you to worry so much about your brother-in-law? Besides, if Brother Lian were here, he would never speak like this. Do you know the reason, so you spoke, and Jia Baoyu was not happy to talk back."

With this remark,
Wang Xifeng was speechless immediately. He had been impulsive just now. If Jia Lian was really here, he would never say anything. Although the affairs of the family were not separated, it was the same as the separation of the family. The industrial income had already been divided. Nowadays, the first and second bedrooms are each pulling money into their own houses, and the public accounts have long been unable to make ends meet. It has only been a few days since the Duke's mansion maintained such a luxurious life. He used to pay money, but now his dowry is still decent. All my money was invested in the caravan, and it has been gone for a long time. There is no need to use it if I want to.

Seeing the Marquis's ridicule, she felt a little embarrassed, but Wang Xifeng had never seen anything before, so she suddenly smiled and asked,
"Master Marquis, have you eaten enough? It's getting late. It's cold at night. Have you thought about where to rest today?"

Zhang Jinyu looked at Wang Xifeng with some confusion. Why did he mean to chase people away? Wasn't it just because he was asking questions about Jia Lian? Is it because of Jia Lian's affairs? A woman who knows nothing about family and country matters, but it is true. It was a little late, and it might not be convenient to go back home. I thought about it and glanced at Li Wan. Not only did the palace tailor change his clothes today, but the rouge he used also changed the taste. I don’t know what the difference is. He must not be able to do it tonight. Let's go,
"Why are you in a hurry? We just came here a while ago, we just finished our meal, and we haven't even had time to take a breath. If you have something to do, go back first and let someone clean this up."

Seeing the Marquis pretending to be stupid and talking shamelessly, Wang Xifeng didn't want to be offended, nor did she want to see their affectionate concubines, especially the eldest sister-in-law, who was both a woman. She didn't know that her eldest sister-in-law had already moved. Qing, he was not an eyesore here, so he called Zijuan and Heping'er to come over, clear the table, and then he and she stood up with their food boxes, ready to go out.
"Okay, then, Mr. Marquis, you should take it easy, make less noise, and don't upset others. Miss Lin, sister-in-law, I'm going back right now. It's been a tiring day, so you should rest early."

Before leaving, he deliberately didn't speak to his sister-in-law Li Wan. What he just said was so obvious. Li Wan also knew that he might not be able to escape tonight. Hearing Wang Xifeng's innuendo, he had no intention of arguing with her. He just wanted to I don’t understand. When the Marquis comes, he only looks for me and doesn’t go to Wang Xifeng. Is Feng girl jealous? But I can’t ask openly. He comes only once in a few days. Isn’t it too frequent? When Jia Zhu was newly married, It’s not that fussy.

Lin Daiyu quickly stood up and said,
"Second sister-in-law, please walk more slowly on the road. Zijuan, you go back with second sister-in-law first, and then come back after delivering the food boxes. Be careful on the road."

"Yes, miss, I know this."

Zicuckoo had already been waiting outside the door with her two little girls. When she heard the lady's greeting, she immediately responded.

Wang Xifeng didn't delay, and took Ping'er out of the house. After walking out of the yard, she looked back again, with a complicated mood.

Ping'er beside him asked softly,
"Grandma, where are we going now?"

"Where else can I go? Of course I'm going back. Where else do you think I can go?"

Wang Xifeng was angry, and her voice was a little harsh. Ping'er felt a little aggrieved when she heard it. You were angry there, and you turned on me. Why didn't you argue with your sister-in-law? Could it be that you were listening to the corner, but Second Master Lian is not at home again.

I wanted to defend myself and was about to speak, but I looked back at the people following me and stopped my words.

After all, there was Lin Daiyu's maid Zijuan following her, so some things should not be said carelessly, so the two of them did not say much and went back to the opera garden all the way. They did not deliver the food box, and Zijuan behind them did not understand what they were feeling. The second grandma looked a little angry and followed her all the way, but she didn't know that she had just reached the central courtyard.

A large number of boys and men came in from outside the house, and each one of them was working hard to carry some food. It was a little strange to see how they were still working at such a late hour.

The leader was none other than Lai Wang, who was sent out by Wang Xifeng to purchase grain. From a long way away, he could see Lai Wang standing there, gesticulating and loudly reprimanding the workers. He was quite majestic.

Seeing this situation, Wang Xifeng became very angry. Good guy, I postponed the task until the evening. This is not taking my grandma seriously.
"Ping'er, tell him to get over here."

"Yes, grandma."

Ping'er was also curious, so he asked Laiwang to take someone to buy food in the morning. He didn't come back until nightfall. Where did he buy it? Grandma was angry, so it was a knock on her.

When they got closer, Lai Wang was still pointing his head vigorously, and he felt someone behind him. He turned around and saw the person clearly. When he saw that it was the girl Ping'er next to the second mistress, he immediately stopped talking and said flatteringly,

"Yes, Miss Ping'er is here, but the Second Grandma is here"

"Come here, grandma is angry. I told you to come here." Ping'er saw Lai Wang with a haggard look on his face. He bent over slightly, his eyes were a little dodgey, he didn't dare to look at himself, and kept his hands Holding her tightly, what is going on? Aren't you still looking high-spirited just now? I also want to ask, Lai Wang actually passed over Miss Ping'er and arrived not far behind Ping'er. He really rolled on the ground several times. Then he rolled up to Wang Xifeng covered in dirt, got up and knelt down on the ground.
"Grandma, I'm late today. I'm here to apologize and ask grandma to calm down."

Seeing Lai Wang really rolling over, covered in dirt and with a lot of grass on his clothes, Wang Xifeng couldn't believe that Lai Wang was so obedient. He didn't say it or didn't say it, and he looked so embarrassed. When the spirit is strong, the anger is gone, and I ask,
"Laiwang, tell me what's going on. It took a day to buy food."

Unexpectedly, when Lai Wang heard the second mistress’ question, his eyes turned red and he cried,
"Go back to grandma, this servant is wronged! All the rice shops in the capital have sold out all the grain, so we can only wait until the next day to go there. I was afraid that the situation would still be the same the next day, so I made an appointment with the shopkeeper to go directly to Zhuangzi with him. It was not until the afternoon that the shopkeeper went to transport the grain. When we got there, the silver given by grandma was only enough to buy fifty dan of grain, but the price had already increased five times. It cost 100 taels of silver. As soon as the bill was settled, the person left. The younger one thought it was too expensive, so he went to the shopkeeper again, but he said that today, at the grain house, ordinary rice only costs [-], [-], and [-] taels of silver, not even a penny less, so he came back so late."

When I heard Lai Wang say that one stone of rice cost two taels of silver, I was shocked. This is the price of food only during a disaster. What's going on? There is an imperial village in Rongguo Mansion. Manager Zhou has gone down to collect the rent. This is going to happen again. He sent someone to take a look. When he saw Lai Wang still kneeling on the ground, he asked him to get up first.

"Okay, get up. This matter has been done well. This food is enough to last for a while. As for the master's family, Ping'er, please remember to follow me to Aunt Xue's house when you have time. I will go first today. go back."

"Yes, Grandma,"

Wang Xifeng took up the idea of ​​Aunt Xue. Today, Xue Pan distributed food in the alley, but it caused a sensation. Not only the clansmen in the houses of Ning Rong's second house, but also the neighbors spread the word, saying that Jiangnan Jinling Aunt Xue and the eldest son Renyi came, but they made a lot of reputation. However, the head of Ning Rong's second house was rumored to have some bad words in private. The head of the house was not even as good as an outsider's relative, and he didn't know how much money he had. Who is greedy?

The rumors are getting worse and worse. Some people are saying that the master of the house may have used the clan's money to buy a heir again. There are so many women in the Duke of Nuo's house that there are not enough to enjoy, and the direct descendants are not enough. Feng Yu, this ancestor's luck has been ruined, and I'm afraid it will affect the Jia family in the future.

Others say that the Rongguo Mansion is now dominated by a woman, and the direct lineage is suppressed. It is a situation where yin and yang are reversed. I am afraid that the fortune will be wasted, and the Jia family will be in trouble. Anyway, there are any words, Ningrong Street is Word spread.

This matter also spread to the ears of the Imperial City Division's spies, and the governor Dai Quan heard about it. Dai Quan sneered,
"Hmph, a group of side-house brothers who have nothing to do. Who wouldn't be jealous of the direct lineage of the master's family? Ningguo Mansion is on the way out, but Rongguo Mansion is shaky and has a tendency to make a comeback. The girl from the Lin family is following After all, you are the in-laws. It is okay to take some words as a joke, but if you take them seriously, you will become a joke."

"What the Governor said is absolutely true. The rumors in the market are all gossip and exaggeration. They can't be trusted."

"Hey, it's been a long time now, and the palace is keeping a close eye on it. The three princes are about to leave the palace and build a mansion, so the Za family can't live without it. You should pay more attention to the outside, especially those grain merchants. , you are so shameless, you dare to buy it for one price a day, where did you put the imperial court? I heard that Rongguo Mansion bought it at a high price, but is this happening?"

"Back to the Governor, it's true. The Rongguo Mansion purchased it twice, at two prices."

"Huh, let's go check again, find a few companies, and copy them!"

"Yes, Duke!"

Dai Quan ordered with a cold face, asking Wang Xiu to check the backers of various rice shops in the capital, and look for opportunities to seize a few, to scare the monkeys, and let the grain merchants weigh their concerns. The court will not let them go. Besides, this is the capital. The Zajia family watched, and after speaking, they took the people back to the palace.

After hearing this, Wang Gonggong also shook his head and lamented that what the Jia family did was indescribably weird, but he didn't have time to pay attention to it. He was thinking about which grain merchants could do it. Many of them were backed by noble in-laws, but not Easy to start, but difficult to handle.

I think the Governor also knew what was fishy. It was an offending job. He looked at the secret guards below and was worried about asking.

"Today, we have sent people over to find out the origins of those rice shops, especially those larger grain shops."

"Back to the prince, most of the rice shops in the capital are opened by nobles and officials from aristocratic families. A few are also wealthy businessmen. There are very few people from outside the capital. Therefore, it can be said that there are always people behind the rice shops in the capital, especially It’s those big grain stores, but without their Zhuangzi on the edge of Anhu Lake, there wouldn’t be as much grain.”

The secret guard who reported the report did not dare to talk nonsense. If he encountered a problem, he would become a scapegoat. Obviously the prince also knew the power of this, but he had to do it. The price of Mijia in the capital was one per day, and if it increased again, he was afraid of trouble. , so I could only check the official and small schools. I took a look and then found a rice shop in South City, Xicheng and East City.
"These three companies were waiting for the opportunity to raid the rice shop. The price of the rice shop tomorrow must not exceed yesterday's price. Also, let the people from the Military and Horse Division inspect it and let them do the notification. The Imperial City Division will not come forward. But when it comes to ransacking homes, our people must follow, and the food and money must be sent here, and no one else can get their hands on it.”

"Yes, Eunuch Wang, I understand my humble position, so go now."

The hundred households in the hall who listened to the order responded, and were also worried about the commander of the army, and hurriedly went to pass the message. After seeing the person leaving, the prince sat back on his seat and raised his head, saying to his godson Xiao Mingzi hurriedly came behind him, squeezed his godfather's shoulders, made a pot of tea, and then asked,

"Godfather, the Governor still has to rely on you. All matters in the capital now depend on you, so don't be tired."

Wang Xiu closed his eyes, showed a comfortable expression, took a moment, hummed, and said,

"This is not something that the Zajia family wants to worry about, but things happen in the capital one after another. I don't know whether it is a bad year or a real conflict. The internal minister is anxious. The Zajia family can not be anxious. If it is an oversight, it can be It’s troublesome, especially since these careless guys have so much money. At this juncture, if they have to pull out the tiger’s teeth to make money, aren’t they asking for trouble?”

Xiao Mingzi squeezed Wang Gonggong's shoulders and agreed very much. Then he thought of other things and continued to ask,
"Godfather, now Eunuch Yang has gone to the company to be the supervisor of the company, and Eunuch Zhao is in charge of the Royal Horse Supervisor. However, their qualifications are not as good as those of godfather. Is that so?"

"Hmph, what, why, I feel wronged by my side, not as good as the two of them!"

Wang Xiu closed his eyes and snorted coldly. Xiao Mingzi was so frightened that he knelt on the ground and kowtowed.

"Godfather, how dare my son think like this? Isn't this just a matter of apologizing for my godfather?"

"Humph, I'm sorry you don't dare, get up and continue."

"Yes, godfather."

Xiao Mingzi stood up again, and then continued to carefully squeeze his godfather's shoulders. For fear of being too heavy, he asked in a low voice,
"Daddy, is this strength good enough?"

The prince squinted his eyes, leaned back comfortably on the chair, and then said lazily,

"Well, it's alright. You, this is how you caught the eyes of the Zajia family. Also, you kid, don't be ignorant of your blessings. Don't you know what kind of place this is?"

(End of this chapter)