Red Mansion Huacai

Chapter 140
The end of Shen.

Li Weijian and Hong Yu returned to the northeast and went to the small courtyard, where the three maids had already packed their bags.Clothes, bedding, daily utensils, and large and small baggage were all listed together, filling the carriage to the brim.

Wu Haiping scattered money and hired a few servants to help.After packing her luggage in a moment, Qingwen locked the door to the courtyard, stared there for a long time with some reluctance, and said, "Fourth Master, are we coming back?"

"I will always come back in August." Li Weijian said.

Hongyu came over to comfort her and said, "What's the reluctance to do? If we live here, the four of us will still be squeezed together. Moving to Fourth Master's new house will be much more spacious. I heard that Fourth Master's residence in Xiangshan The courtyard has a wonderful view, let’s go there and take a look in two days.”

"Yes." Qingwen agreed, then turned around and left.

At the beginning of the Youshi period, three carriages arrived at Tai'anhou Hutong. Wu Zhong, who was guarding the door, hurried over to help. Even Qian Xue, who had just moved in during the day, also helped with her luggage.

Fu Qiufang stopped at the Yimen, asked about the items in the bag one by one, and then assigned them where to put them.After a moment, when he saw Li Weijian entering the Deyi Gate, Fu Qiufang stepped forward to greet him and bowed: "Master."

Li Weijian smiled and pulled her up, and said warmly: "You are not feeling well, just go and rest. Qingwen and the others are all in good condition, and nothing will happen."

Fu Qiufang said: "It doesn't matter. The master didn't say anything in advance. Today, Jia Yun went to invite a few cooks. I took a look and left two for the time being. But there is still a shortage of manpower. Sweeping and washing, these are all inseparable. Even if we move to another courtyard in two days, we will have to bring enough people, otherwise we will not be able to cope with the situation."

Li Weijian took her hand and walked to the main courtyard and said, "What are you hiring so many people for? There are women washing clothes around, so just give them the work; for cleaning, you need to hire two rough maids." . We’ll just take care of the rest.”

Fu Qiufang paused, looked at Li Weijian and said, "These servants hired from outside are different from the ones we have at home. It's better to have servants at home."

Li Weijian smiled and did not reply. Qingwen, who was beside him, said: "Sister Fu is wrong. Most of the Rongguo Mansion is full of slaves born from the same family. All of them have an eye for wealth and wealth, and the masters are not just idle." Take it seriously."

Fu Qiufang was startled, and looked back at Qingwen and said, "Is there such a thing? I entered Rongguo Mansion once, but I didn't look at it carefully."

Li Weijian said: "The family is big and the business is big, and the master above is indulgent. Doesn't it mean that he has an eye for wealth? The Rongguo Mansion has learned from the past, now I would rather hire servants from outside, and give them a penny for every job they do. As long as the job is done well. Now, it doesn’t matter whether he lies down or returns home.”

Fu Qiufang was thoughtful after listening.

Rongguo Mansion had three meals and two o'clock, but Li Weijian's place didn't have so many rules. Master and servants all had three meals a day.The two newly hired cooks cooked and fried, and worked hard to prepare the two tables. It was a custom to warm the pot when the house was moved, but the house had not been finished yet, so this meal could not be considered a warm pot.

Li Weijian asked Fu Qiufang, Qingwen, Hongyu, Xiangling, and Xiuying to sit at the same table with him. Jia Yun returned home, and Wu Haiping, Wu Zhong, and the Ding brothers sat at another table outside.

Bao Xia and Lian Qiu couldn't find another seat, so they had to squeeze in with the two cooks.

The two cooks specialize in Shandong cuisine. The dishes taste fresh at first, but become a bit salty after eating for a long time.Xiangling kept drinking water, Qingwen frowned and took a bite of food, but always took down a chopstick of rice.

Fu Qiufang saw this and asked Qingwen and others about their daily diet, then remembered it in her mind, thinking about finding a cook who was good at Huaiyang cuisine in the future.

These two days are just a temporary stay here. I will go to Xiangshan Villa on the first day of the new year, because many bags have not been unpacked.After they had eaten and drank enough, the maids went to take care of themselves, and Li Weijian followed Fu Qiufang to the side room.

Li Weijian had not yet married. He had told Fu Qiufang earlier that he would be allowed to live in the main house temporarily, but Fu Qiufang had rules in mind, so she just shook her head and refused.In desperation, Li Weijian had no choice but to live with her in the wing for the time being.

At this time, it was already dark outside, and candlelight was lit in the wing room, and Xia was brought over to help Fu Qiufang change clothes.When Fu Qiufang saw Li Weijian following him, she hesitated to speak. After changing her clothes, she said, "Master, I'm afraid I won't be able to serve you today... Why don't you go to the main room and sleep for one night?"

Li Weijian knew Fu Qiufang's intention. A new talent must be nurtured for a day.He teased without saying a word.

Fu Qiufang bit her lower lip and said, "I...I'm a little unhappy today."

Li Weijian then smiled and said, "It's not just for the bed that I'm inviting you in. Don't worry, I'll just talk to you tonight."

Fu Qiufang breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he was teasing him intentionally, and gave Li Weijian an angry look.Li Weijian only smiled and said nothing.

Fu Qiufang was secretly weird. It was clear that she was much older than Li Weijian, but she couldn't tell it when getting along with her. If you didn't look at the figure and face, sometimes she would feel that Li Weijian was older.

As for the bed... I don't know where she learned so many tricks. Yesterday, she was tortured until her bones fell apart.I didn't get up early this morning. I was too lazy to stand up until noon.If we go through another trouble today, I'm afraid it will happen again tomorrow.

She had the intention to advise her on this matter, but she still had to exercise restraint, but Fu Qiufang took a closer look at Qingwen and other maids, and they didn't look like they had lost their virginity... It was really weird.

Just as she was thinking about it, Hongyu swung into the side room, holding a basin, and said with a smile: "Fourth Master, aunt, I'll take care of you to wash up."

Bao Xia was working as a maid for someone for the first time, and she didn't have the eyesight or that much thought.Seeing that Hongyu had taken away the job, she did not take it back, but instead stood aside and was happy.

After helping the two of them wash up, Hongyu exchanged a few words with Bao Xia, and Bao Xia went to rest happily.

This side room was no better than the main room in the small courtyard of Rongguo Mansion. There was only one bed in the pavilion, so Hongyu hugged the quilt and slept in the outside room. She just thought that if she got up at night, it would be easier for her to come and take care of her.

From the beginning to the end, Hongyu never contradicted Fu Qiufang and kept laughing and talking, but Fu Qiufang felt uncomfortable.Hongyu is not her maid, but she insists on staying outside... Fu Qiufang knows that this is to give her power.

Among the four maids by the master's side, Qingwen is smart, romantic, and has a fiery temperament, and is the least scheming; Xiangling is dull and a little happy-go-lucky; Easy to get along with.

Then I thought about it, my mistress will take care of Hongyu in the future, so why should she meddle in her own business?As long as it doesn't hinder her.

That night, Li Weijian did not move as expected, and just slept with Fu Qiufang hugging each other.Perhaps because he had been too busy the night before, Fu Qiufang slept until dawn. When he got up, he was in a daze for a while, and then he saw that Li Weijian was no longer around.

The sound of fighting with wooden knives came from the courtyard. Fu Qiufang stood up and put on her clothes. Looking through the window, she saw Li Weijian, who was dressed in shorts, fighting with Xiu Ying with a knife.

Yes, the master once said that he has to practice at home every day.This is a good habit, no wonder he is so troubled at night... He secretly spat, maybe he had a proper rest, and Fu Qiufang felt much better today.Dressed neatly, the maid was ordered to hug Xia, and together with the new steward Qianxue, they hurriedly arranged various tasks.She went to the kitchen to talk to the two cooks again, so the breakfast was a little lighter.

Since there are no longer two meals at three o'clock, the dinner time will naturally change accordingly.Around nine o'clock, several maids brought out several dishes from the kitchen like water.

Li Weijian ate the same food as yesterday, but several maids praised it full of praise.Li Weijian then thought to himself that he would invite more cooks later, so that he would change the dishes so that he would not get tired of the food.

After having breakfast and taking a short rest, Li Weijian went to the inner palace first.Today, King Zhongyong is not here, and only Dr. Liang is guarding the yamen.Li Weijian chatted with Dr. Liang for a long time, and then he said that autumn was coming, and he was going to stay in Xiangshan Villa for a while. If anything happened, he could send someone to Xiangshan to find him.

Liang Langzhong agreed and told King Zhongyong that he would turn around later.

After leaving the inner palace, Li Weijian went to the Military Academy for a tour. It took a long time for Chief Chen to come out to receive him.

When he saw Li Weijian, he complained: "Li Xiucai, your job is really difficult to do. You have to pay for the work and the materials. I think it's a draw this time, and I don't have a few cents left."

Li Weijian smiled and said: "If the money is not enough, I can add more. The only thing is to ensure the quality and quantity, as soon as possible."

Chief Chen said with a bitter face: "There is no need to add more money. Many items need to be re-moulded. I just hope that Li Xiucai will make more in the future, so that our Military Academy can earn some money."

"Good talk, good talk."

Then Director Chen said again: "Most of the carving work is done, only the valve is difficult to dispose of. Li Xiucai will come again in ten days or half a month, and it will be finished without saying anything."

Li Weijian made some calculations, and it was just right.When I return in half a month, the house will be renovated and the latex will be sent to the capital.

After bidding farewell to Chief Chen, Li Weijian returned to the inner city and arrived at Yan's Mansion just after noon.

Recently, Yan Fengzhen was still at home thinking hard about how to modify the rifling broaching machine. When he met Li Weijian, he naturally had a lot of fun and teasing.

The second son's upbringing was very strict, and he only started eating meat at Le Yan's place when he was twenty years old.Because when he talks about it, his words are a bit sour.

When he met a shameless person like Li Weijian, no matter how much he made fun of him, Li Weijian was not annoyed. Instead, he made Yan Fengzhen unhappy.After more than half an hour, Yan Xiyao returned home, and Li Weijian went to the study to talk to the teacher.

Recently, Chen Hongmou has been increasingly rejecting dissidents. Yesterday, Yan Xiyao wrote a letter to impeach the chief minister, Gu Weiyue, for being mediocre. He shelved Li Weijian's range chart and instead adopted the old range chart from Qintianjian. Gu Weiyue had no choice but to go home and write a letter to defend himself.

Without Gu Weiyue, an old fox, as his helper, although Chen Hongmou was domineering, he could not help Yan Xiyao for a while.The banner of mentor Yan Xiyao has come to the fore, because recently many officials in the DPRK who are not favored by the new party have gradually moved closer to Yan Xiyao, and they have formed another faction.

Li Weijian just heard about it, but he always felt that his teacher Yan Xiyao had a back-up plan.However, the teacher's plan is far-reaching, and he doesn't know where Yan Xiyao will exert his strength for the time being.

Yan Xiyao did not talk about government affairs that day, but asked Li Weijian to improve the cannon mount as soon as possible.When he entered the palace today to give a speech, he faintly sensed that Emperor Zhenghe, who had been patient for several years, might not be able to bear it anymore.

As soon as the grain is stored in the warehouse this autumn, it will be shipped to the northwest and will be used for the army's expedition in the coming year.

"Next summer and autumn, a big war will break out! I think the saint has the intention to finish his work in one battle, I'm afraid it's not a good thing."

Li Weijian immediately frowned and said: "Last year there was drought in the north and floods in the south. Natural disasters continued for years. It took two years to recuperate before conquering the Western Regions. Why is the saint so anxious now?"

Yan Xiyao was speechless. He raised his hand and pointed at the top of his head and then at his feet.Li Weijian was thoughtful... That's right, although the emperor abdicated, he has always been in cahoots with the courtiers.I heard that King Zhongshun has not stopped recently, and has come to the palace several times to see the Supreme Being.

Although the saint could not control King Zhongshun, this move also put great pressure on the saint.If he were an emperor who could afford to let go, he would cut the knot quickly and send the two of them to the ancestral temple. However, he cherishes his reputation very much.Having just tied up his hands and feet, he hoped to use his military exploits to quell civil strife and use his power to conquer the sky to suppress the courtiers.

"Teacher, will the leader of the army next year be King Zhongyong?"

Yan Xiyao nodded and said: "The capital is unstable, and saints will always be in charge of the capital. Apart from King Zhongyong, who else can you trust now? It's just that King Zhongyong is so young, so he is afraid that there will be a dispute between spirits, and he will fall into the trap of the Junggar traitor. .”

Li Weijian was an outsider in leading troops in battle, but he was not easy to comment on.I just wanted to go back and try to make the Dashun army as well-armed as possible, and no matter how much I tried to persuade King Zhongyong to act cautiously, I expected that even if I couldn't win, I wouldn't repeat the previous incident where the entire army was wiped out.

wrong!

Li Weijian thought about it and realized it was wrong!He had been in Rongguo Mansion for several months, and he felt that the Red Mansion here seemed a little different from the TV series he watched. Although there was a famine, it was not like the situation in the TV series in the later period, when the people were in dire straits and the world was in chaos.

After a little calculation, if King Zhongyong is defeated in the northwest, the foundation of the country will be shaken, and the New Deal will not be implemented... Wouldn't it mean that the world will be in chaos?

Yan Xiyao observed his words, saw his frown, and asked, "What did Fusheng think of?"

Li Weijian came to his senses and said, "Teacher, this great success cannot be defeated."

Yan Xiyao just shook his head.

Everyone understands the truth, but the problem is that no one can persuade the saint now.Li Weijian couldn't help but become anxious. If the army failed this time, his plan to implement the industrial revolution would probably come to nothing.Not only that, in troubled times, human life is worse than that of a dog. Without the protection of Jin Shang and King Zhongyong, how could he, Li Weijian, maintain his current wealth?

He originally wanted to free up water companies and coal companies to relieve the government's financial shortage, but he took advantage of this to gain access to the government and secretly promote the industrial revolution.Unexpectedly, as a result of this move, the saint became rich in money, and then he began to think of another expedition to the west.

Now no one can persuade Emperor Zhenghe, but this matter is unpredictable.After a while, Li Weijian calmed down, thinking that there was still a year left, so he could plan calmly to make Dashun undefeated this time.

(End of this chapter)