Taohuaxi

Chapter 26

Jingzhou, Huguang, is the hometown of Chief Assistant Zhang.In today's Ming Dynasty, this is something almost everyone knows.

Every day, the storyteller in the teahouse clapped his hands on the jade board: "There is Zhang Taiyue in Jingzhou, whose true heart is as bright as the sun and the moon. Three strategies are used to secure the borders, and the emperor's new policy shines brightly in the hall!" Everyone cheered and clapped their hands.

I put away my surprise and calmed down.

The sunset reflects the wine in the cup, and the woman singing the song sings: "I laugh at you and I are twenty-eight years old and coincidentally the same age. I laugh at you that my close friends don't know my close friends..."

Qin Mingxu placed the wine glass to his lips and nodded to me.

"I just heard my mother talk about it a few days ago. That night, someone suddenly came to the house from the capital. My mother said that he was sick, and this time his illness was different from the past. No matter how wise a person is, he may not be able to defeat Yama's pen. He was worried that his life would not be long. Yes, someone picked me up and came to Beijing to see me. My mind was confused all of a sudden. But I... I can't talk about the elders' matters. I can't blame my mother. My mother originally wanted to hide this secret for a lifetime. "

He frowned tightly.

"Does Mr. Qin know about this?"

He shook his head: "I don't know if father knows. That night, he was not in the house and went to Fuliang."

I thought about it and said, "Just treat it with a normal mind. Your parents are where you come from, but your return journey belongs to you. You can live the life you want to live."

He was silent for a while, put down the wine glass, and said with a smile: "Sang Yu, thank you. I keep all my words in my heart. Talking to you here makes me feel more relaxed. I have no interest in official career, and I don't like it. Eight-legged nonsense. Don’t bow your head when you see the powerful, dare to take action when you see the gangsters. Who is the biological father, it’s just where he came from, what’s the big deal.”

He waved his sleeves: "I should be like before, free in love and hate, with a large piece of gold in my pocket, a large glass of fine wine in my belly, and living my life in peace."

I laughed: "This is the Mr. Qin I know."

Then, I seemed to remember something and said, "Is Mr. Zhang really seriously ill this time? I saw him from a distance that day. He was walking tall and proud, and he didn't look like he was lingering on the sickbed. How come suddenly..."

He said: "He is indeed very ill. In his letter to his mother, he said that he reads official documents at his desk every day and suffers from hemorrhoids after sitting for a long time. It is an old problem. It turns out that it is nothing serious. But he only wants to cure it. The governor of Shandong gave him I recommended a famous doctor. The famous doctor said that to cut off the roots of hemorrhoids, you must use drying medicine. Do you know what drying medicine is? Toad powder, arsenic..."

"Aren't they all poisonous things?" I asked.

"It's the idea of ​​fighting poison with poison. But after all, he was old. Although the hemorrhoids were gone, his vitality was greatly damaged. His spleen and stomach were weak, he didn't want to eat, his limbs were weak, and he couldn't move an inch. I went to see him that day. I Standing by the bed, he kept shaking his head at me and saying only two words."

"Which two words?"

"Qingyao."

He raised his head and looked at me: "Qingyao is my mother's maiden name. My maternal ancestor's family is the Cai family in Jingzhou. We are neighbors with the Zhang family."

I couldn't help but sigh.

When Mr. Zhang, the most powerful chief minister in the world, was critically ill, he called out the name of the girl next door when he was young.

What past did they have, and why did they miss it in life?

Can Mr. Zhang be cured of his illness this time?
The vigorous "Wanli New Deal" implemented across the country cannot be without Mr. Zhang.If we really lose him, what will be the future of Ming Dynasty?

"Sang Yu, although I have never met him before and have no feelings for him, I still hope that he will be healthy. I don't want my mother to be sad. As long as I can remember, my mother has always been a peaceful person. No matter how much the aunts in the house argue, , she didn’t care, just raising flowers and writing, drinking tea and feeding the birds. But that night, when the letter from the capital came, she cried so sadly.”

"Master Zhang will be fine. He has come through all the turmoil and storms in the officialdom smoothly, let alone a minor illness?" I said.

He suddenly asked me: "Sang Yu, how are you doing these days?"

I smiled and said, "I'm very good, and so is the second master. The third lady also found someone she likes in Qing Dynasty. I wonder when Mr. Qin will meet a good match?"

He also smiled: "Beautiful women are good, but a good match is hard to find. There is a moon when you raise a glass, and there is wind when you sing. Anyway, I am not lonely."

It was getting dark.

I was worried about what Feng Gao had done to Zhu Xifeng.

So he bid farewell to Qin Mingxu for the time being and returned to his mansion.

Walking to the entrance of the alley, Qin Mingxu said from behind: "I will be the director of the semicolon in Beijing for a while, and I will stay there for a long time. Sang Yu, if you have any difficulties, just come to Tiansheng Tower to find me. .”

I turned around and said narrowly: "I asked Mr. Qin if he wants ten thousand taels of gold. Can you give it to me?"

He smiled, and all the annoyance on his face disappeared: "I'll get it back after all the money has been spent. It's not something important. If you want it, I'll give it to you!"

At this time, we all regarded this as a joke.

When I returned to the mansion, Xiaoyin was waiting for me at the door.

She held my hand and said: "Miss, the young master is back. He seemed to be very frightened. He covered his crotch and said, 'Don't castrate me, don't castrate me.' The wife hugged him and cried. The old lady ordered The housekeeper invited the doctor to come and take a look."

Covering the crotch, castrating... this must have been done by Feng Gao.

I asked: "I wish Xifeng wouldn't really..."

"No." Xiaoyin hurriedly shook her head: "My wife ordered the boy to take off his pants and take a look. The boy said that the young master's lifeblood is still there."

"What did the doctor say?" "The doctor said that the young master was frightened and had a weak heart and spleen. He will be fine with some treatment."

I walked inside.

Xiaoyin said: "My wife asked the young master what was going on. The young master couldn't tell me anything. He vaguely seemed to mention the word Dongchang. The wife was so frightened that she sighed, what if I offended Dongchang? Okay. The master said that I need to pack my things and go back to Dongchang Mansion to avoid trouble."

I walked to Nanyuan and through the door, I heard Lin Yue talking to my father: "Master, this kid from Xifeng has always been timid. How did he offend Dongchang?"

My father said: "He is a reckless person. He is playing in the street and saying careless things at the moment. Hey, the capital is not as good as Dongchang Mansion. He can't make a single mistake."

Lin Yue said hurriedly: "It seems that the capital is not a good place. It is very dangerous. Master, why don't you let that damn girl give us more money and let's go back."

I push the door and go in.

Lin Yue had calmed down her panic and said: "Girl, your father and I are afraid that you will be in trouble, so we will not cause you any trouble. We will go back by boat tomorrow."

I smiled lightly and said, "Dad, don't you want to stay in the capital for a few more days?"

My dad waved his hand: "No more, no more."

"Okay. I'll take you to the ferry tomorrow."

When I got back to my room, I couldn't help but laugh.

It might not be a bad thing for Feng Gao to scare him like this.

It also prevents them from staying in the capital and causing disputes over me, and I don’t know how many things will happen.

In the evening, just after I washed my face and took off my hairpin ring in front of the mirror, Cheng Huaishi came back.

He leaned down and hugged me.

Two people in the mirror.

"Madam, I have arranged a job for my brother-in-law, and I asked the Master of Classics today. He agreed to allow my brother-in-law to be a clerk. The job is not heavy, but copying and writing. I think my brother-in-law can do it."

I originally thought that his words "I will try my best" were just perfunctory polite words to deal with Lin Yue, but I didn't expect that he would really take it to heart.

It's just because it's my mother's family that takes care of them.

For the upright Cheng Huaishi, it is rare to be able to do this.

I held his hand and said, "Second Master, thank you for your trouble."

"I haven't done anything for my wife. I should."

The wind blew his words into several inches, and every inch fell into my heart.

I said: "Father and the others suddenly said today that they want to go back. I guess they are not used to living in the capital. Let them go."

"That's fine, it's up to your father-in-law whether you want to stay or not."

He sat down beside me.

"Madam, Mr. Zhang met me today. He said that he wanted to transfer me to work in the Ministry of Revenue. The Ministry of Revenue is responsible for taxation and is an important position. It is also closely related to the new law presided over by Mr. Zhang."

I asked: "I vaguely heard that Mr. Zhang is ill."

"Yes. This time he was very ill and was coming in a violent way. He was worried that without him keeping an eye on him, the officials would be acting erratically, so he used me."

I said: "From now on, the burden on the second master will be even heavier."

"Madam, Mr. Zhang thinks the same as I do. To establish a heart for the heaven and earth, and to establish a destiny for the people. One day, our people will not be burdened by corvee taxes and bankrupt their fortunes. One day, the officials in the capital, What we are thinking about is not party struggle and seeking power. One day, our country will be at peace."

I stood up and poured him a cup of ginseng tea.

"Second Master can do big things with peace of mind. With me here, there will be no worries in the backyard."

The candlelight is soft and the grass in the garden is green.

The room suddenly became filled with warmth.

The red gauze tent reveals the boundless wind and moon.

More leaks later.

He blew out the lamp.

"Madam, rest in peace."

(End of this chapter)