After the whole family was swept away, I lay down flat

Chapter 899 Someone is coming
In the afternoon, Cui Dazhuang, who had gone out with Hai Xiya, returned home.

He came back to get clothes and utensils at the command of his master.

The emperor passed away. Although the palace had not yet announced the state mourning and had not summoned all officials to the inner court to wait for the reading of the will, the Minister of Rites still followed the old rules and required officials from the six ministries and five temples to wear mourning. Middle and low-level officials like Hai Xiya, in addition to following the large group to the emperor's mourning hall to cry, had to stay in the government office and be on duty, and even had to eat vegetarian meals three times a day.

Unlike other superiors and colleagues, Hai Xiya just took up his new post at the Ministry of Revenue yesterday and officially started work today. He had nothing on except the black gauze and plain clothes he hastily put on when he went out in the morning. But if he had to stay in the government office, how could he do without anything? In addition to daily changes of clothes, at least a set of bedding was required, and basic daily necessities were also required. Considering that he had been an official for a long time and had never eaten the dishes in the Ministry of Revenue canteen, perhaps some snacks that were not taboo should be prepared in case he had nowhere to find food when he was hungry...

Haitang had experienced the national mourning, and she had reminded her grandmother Ma early today. Her cousin, Xie Wenzai, had also experienced the national mourning after the death of the previous emperor, and he sent a message to the inner courtyard to remind his cousin's wife to prepare supplies for her cousin to stay in the government office. Therefore, Ma had already prepared the clothes and bedding that her husband needed, as well as the necessary daily necessities.

Haitang also went to the kitchen and led people to make small pancakes with various white flours and cornmeal, which were more durable. There were red bean paste fillings and date paste fillings. They had no smell and could be eaten one at a time, so they could be used to satisfy hunger at any time. She divided the pancakes into five packages, packed them all in bags made of plain white cotton cloth, and gave them to Cui Dazhuang along with homemade noodle tea powder, and instructed: "These things were all used on our way to Beijing, and Grandpa knows how to eat them. You give them to him and tell him to use them when he needs them, and to share them with his colleagues. His family will send him food every two or three days, so he doesn't have to save money."

Ma also told Cui Dazhuang: "You should serve the master well in the yamen these days. If the master needs anything or wants anything, just go home and tell him. We will prepare it and send it to him immediately. Don't let the master get tired." The big bag of clothes also contained various plasters and pills that Haixiya used to use. Just in case, Ma also packed a small box of chopped ginseng slices. If it weren't for the prohibition of alcohol and meat during the national mourning period, she would have wanted to send a bag of wine to her husband, for fear that he would catch a cold in the late autumn.

Cui Dazhuang wrote down all the instructions from Ma and Haitang, and his mother and wife sent him his share of clothes, bedding and daily necessities. However, unlike the male host Hai Xiya, who was an official and had to stay at the government office, he could come back to the Hai family from time to time, so he brought fewer things and could come back to get more.

Cui Dazhuang drove away with all the bags. Qiu Shugen went with the car and had to drive the carriage back.

After seeing them off, Ma started to worry about Hai Chang'an and Haijiao again.

One of these two men is a flag bearer guard, and the other is a royal guard. I'm afraid they both need to stay in the palace on duty. So what should they do at night?

Even though Haitang had been trying to comfort her grandmother, saying that her second uncle and brother had been working for such a long time and had probably worked many night shifts, so all the necessary supplies must have been prepared and there was no need for them to be sent from home, Ma was still worried and wanted to send someone to their yamen to take a look.

After a while, Mrs. Hu also rushed to the main courtyard with her son and said that she had packed clothes and bedding for her husband, all of which were prepared according to the rules of national mourning. She just didn't know where to send them, so she came to ask her mother-in-law for instructions so that she could let her son run errands.

Ma had no choice but to call Cui Xiaodao to ask questions. Cui Dazhuang and his son followed Hai Changan and Hai Jiao to the capital, so they must have been familiar with these rules. Cui Dazhuang was not at home, so they could only ask Cui Xiaodao.

Cui Xiaodao knew what government office the Second Master and the Young Master worked for, and was willing to ask them about the specific arrangements. But before he could leave, a Jinyiwei soldier he knew came over with a young man in his early twenties. The Jinyiwei soldier claimed to be a guard under the command of "Hai Jingli" and brought people to deliver a letter to his family on Hai Jingli's orders. He specially greeted Ma and said many comforting words, saying that Hai Jiao was now on duty in the palace and everything was fine, but he would not be able to go home for several days, and was afraid that there would be no one to take care of him at home, so he specially sent people back to help so that his grandmother, aunt and brothers and sisters would not have to worry about him.

The soldier delivered a letter, received a generous reward from Aunt Cui, and then left the young man behind.

Although the young man was not handsome, he had a straight face and a clean look. Although he was wearing a cloth shirt, it was clean. He spoke in an organized manner without any foreign accent. He was tall and straight, and looked like a man of martial arts.

The young man said his surname was Zhang and his name was Zhang Lurong. Everyone in the family called him Rong'er. He was not a member of the Jinyiwei, but his master and adoptive father was a coachman and groom in the Jinyiwei, and he was very familiar with Hai Jiao. Now Hai Jiao was worried about his family. He was afraid that the men in charge of the family were not at home, and his grandmother and sister would be scared. If there was anything, they didn't know who to ask. So he sent a trustworthy person to listen to the grandmother and sister's orders, saying that if they had any difficult matters, they could just tell Zhang Lurong. If they wanted to contact him, they could let Zhang Lurong pass the message.

It was very convenient for Zhang Lurong to go to the Jinyiwei Yamen to find his master and adoptive father. It was more convenient than that of ordinary soldiers. He was familiar with the situation in the capital and it was very convenient for him to run errands for the Hai family.

Haitang listened to the man's self-introduction and thought of someone: "Is your master called Zhang San? Divine Whip Zhang San?"

Zhang Lurong smiled when he heard this, and leaned over to reply, "Miss, you have heard of my master's name, too? My master's name is Zhang Sande, and he was nicknamed the Whip Master Zhang San because he was very good at whipping when he was young. That was all in the past. Now my master is old, and he only works as a coachman in the guard post, and he can enjoy his retirement in peace. He has forgotten all the things in the past."

Although he said that he had forgotten everything, Zhang Lurong, the apprentice, showed a proud expression on his face when he mentioned the name of his master when he was young. It is estimated that Zhang Sande often showed off in front of young people.

Haitang smiled slightly. Facing her grandmother Ma's puzzled expression, she only explained, "My brother mentioned it before. He said that he met Uncle Zhang after he joined the Jinyiwei. Uncle Zhang taught him many principles of dealing with people and things. Uncle Zhang's contribution was indispensable for my brother to gain a foothold in the Jinyiwei quickly."

She was not lying. Haijiao had known Whip Master Zhang San when he had just become a spy in his previous life. He had taught him whip techniques for two years, but because he was more talented in sword techniques, he changed to someone else as his master. But Whip Master Zhang San was indeed Haijiao's guide. Without his teaching, Haijiao would not have been able to work as a spy for many years in his previous life, and it would have been even more impossible for him to quickly sort out the personnel situation within the Jinyiwei in this life and gain a firm foothold soon after joining the company.

Although Zhang San, the Magic Whip, had long since left the ranks of spies and became a coachman for the Embroidered Uniform Guard, allowing him to enjoy his old age without the need for Haijiao to ask for help, Haijiao never forgot his kindness in both of his lifetimes.

Hai Jiao said last night that he would promote people from among the spies he was familiar with to change the future and fate of these old friends. Now, he seems to have already started to act, and the first step is to start with the disciple and adopted son of the magic whip Zhang San.