Ming Dynasty 1566

Chapter 128

Walking into the alley, not far from the gate of his own courtyard, Hai Rui saw a person sitting on the threshold of the closed courtyard gate in the heavy snow, with snow floating on his body, and beside him was a big bamboo basket covered with a cloth.

Getting closer, Hai Rui recognized Qi Dazhu's wife.

Qi Dazhu's wife also saw him clearly, and quickly stood up: "Did Mr. En return home?"

Hai Rui looked at her and then at the bamboo basket placed by the door: "What are you doing sitting here in such heavy snow?"

Qi Dazhu's wife: "Grandpa, Dazhu can't come because of an errand, and it's inconvenient to come. He asked me to send some New Year's goods to Mrs. Tai and Mrs. Sister-in-law."

Hai Rui was still grateful in his heart, but his face was very serious: "I told you earlier, you don't want to come, let alone send anything to my house. Why didn't you listen?"

Qi Dazhu's wife: "We usually don't come even if we want to, but it's Chinese New Year, benefactor, let us show some filial piety to Madam Tai."

Hai Rui: "Your filial piety to Mrs. Tai has been accepted. If you take the things back, I will never take them back."

Qi Dazhu's wife still didn't give up: "Then let me meet Mrs. Tai and Mrs. Sister-in-law!"

Hai Rui: "It's gone. Your house is celebrating Chinese New Year too. Go back."

Qi Dazhu's wife slowly bent down and picked up the bamboo basket, and lifted the cloth on one side, revealing a hen with bound feet and wings, some eggs and some paper bags, and looked at Hai Rui: "Daddy!" Eunuch don't want Zhu's things, this chicken is raised by me, and all the eggs are laid by this chicken, so it's okay to mend the body of my sister-in-law, right?" As he said, his eyes were full of begging.

Hai Rui was silent, and after a while, he reached out and took out four eggs: "Thank you very much. It's cold, let's go home."

Qi Dazhu's wife knew it was useless to say anything, tears flashed in her eyes when she put the cloth cover on, and she walked quickly into the heavy snow with her basket in her hand and her head down.

Hai Rui watched her disappear into the heavy snow, looked down at the four eggs he was holding on his left, felt sad for a while, raised his head, and knocked on the door.

After a while, Haimu's voice came from the door: "Why don't you go back? I'm really angry if you don't leave."

"Mother, it's me." Hai Rui hid the egg in his sleeve and replied loudly outside the door.

The courtyard door just opened, and Haimu stood inside the door: "Is business done?"

"Mom, business is over." Answering Hai Rui, he entered the door.

Haimu closed the courtyard door: "Dazhu's daughter-in-law came just now and insisted on giving something. I'll take it as her."

"We should go." Hai Rui replied again, and walked into the north room with his mother.

"Sit down, don't get up." Seeing Hai's wife in front of the spinning wheel about to stand up, Haimu quickly stopped her.

Haiwife sat back on the stool again.

Hai Mu took down a broom hanging from the door frame outside the door, dusted the snow off Hai Rui's head and body, and then dusted herself, took off her shoes and went into the house barefoot.

Hai Rui also took off his shoes and socks, and went into the house barefoot like his mother.

Against the east wall, there is a wooden cotton weaving machine, with about three inches of newly woven cloth protruding from the machine head.

Hai Rui looked at the table, and in the middle of the morning, his mother had finished knitting the piece of cotton cloth last night, and it was already placed on the table. My mother is the most capable, when my son left in the morning, she thought that the cloth would not be finished until the afternoon, but she did it so soon.”

Haimu sat down in front of the loom again: "Not to mention, we are still in Hainan for weaving. Huang Daopo also learned it from us, and then spread it to other provinces in the interior. Ru Xian, I warmed porridge for you in the kitchen. , and a few steamed corn buns. Eat it, change into this official uniform, take the cloth to sell outside the front door, and we will have our new year’s goods.”

Hai Rui: "Yes."

Hai Wife had already stood up at this time: "I'll go."

"I can't get up anymore, get up again." Haimu turned her head and her face sank.

Hai Wife lowered her head slightly: "It's less than three months, and Imperial Physician Li also said that we need to take more walks. Don't worry too much, mum, besides, the kitchen is not a place where officials should go."

Hai Rui continued, "Mom, let her walk around."

"Go." Haimu no longer looked at them, and the loom began to jingle.

Hai Rui waited for his wife to come to him, motioned her to stop, took out the four eggs from his bosom, and said in a low voice, "It's all boiled, you eat two, grandma eats two."

Haiwife looked at him.

Hai Rui subconsciously looked at his wife's belly, then looked into her eyes: "There is snow in the yard, walk slowly, go." He took off his official hat and went to the west study to change clothes.

No matter how heavy the snow is, it can't stop the New Year. The rich and the poor buy and sell New Year's goods. At this time, the street is crowded, not to mention the shops. There are sheds and umbrellas on both sides of the street, chickens and ducks. Fish vermicelli, dried fruit, New Year pictures, couplets, firecracker candy, everything that people want to buy.

Hai Rui wore a cloth hat with the brim set back, and changed into a coarse cotton robe. He held the umbrella in his left hand, and embraced the piece of cloth in his right hand. He was looking for the cloth shop in the crowd. Through the snowflakes, he finally saw the cloth shop. A cloth shop with the signboard of "Ruixing Cloth Shop".

There were cloth buyers at the counter, only Hai Rui was a cloth seller. He closed his umbrella and stood behind those cloth buyers in a daze holding the cloth, but he didn't know how to sell this cloth to them.

The sharp-eyed old man in charge at the counter spotted Hai Rui and the piece of cloth in Hai Rui's arms through the crowd at a glance, and waved to him.

Hai Rui hurried over.

The old steward said, "Do you want to sell this cloth?"

Hai Rui: "Exactly. Please let the shopkeeper see how much it's worth."

The old steward dragged the piece of cloth, rolled his eyes upwards, touched the surface of the cloth with his fingers, dragged out another piece of cloth, stroked it with his palm flat, and then looked at Hai Rui: "This cloth is very well woven." It’s still flat. If the guest officer came half a month earlier, it would be easier to negotiate the price. At this time, you can’t afford the price.”

Hai Rui: "Then why?"

The old steward said, "We could send it to the dyeing house for dyeing half a month earlier. Who will wear white cloth for the New Year's Eve now?"

Hai Rui: "So that's the case. The shopkeeper can make a price."

The old steward said, "I don't think you are a guest officer, and I don't want to cheat you. Half a month ago, I could give you [-] pennies, but now I can give you up to twelve pennies."

Hai Rui: "Shopkeeper, we need ten tangs to buy cotton to weave this piece of cloth. Twelve tangs is too little."

The old steward said, "Thirteen hangs, no more."

From spinning to weaving, it took half a month for the mother and daughter-in-law to weave this piece of cloth. Although Hai Rui didn't know how to negotiate the price, he also knew that the price was too much for the family's hard work, so he stopped talking, rolled up the cloth and wanted to leave.

"Fourteen hangs." The old steward stopped him again, "It still depends on how well you weave the cloth. How about it?"

Hai Rui: "Fifteen hanging, if you don't buy it, I'll find another buyer."

"Bring fifteen copper coins!" The old steward immediately shouted to a boy next to him.

Carrying a cloth bag of rice, and carrying a chicken and a fish, Hai Rui found the courtyard door was open when he walked outside. He was suspicious, and immediately walked in.Only then did he see that a book office of the household department was waiting for him at the door of the main entrance of the North House.Knowing that there was another urgent errand, he hurried over.The book office also saw him, hurriedly greeted him, and took the rice from his shoulder: "Please tell me to wait. There is an urgent errand in the department, please go to Master Hai immediately."

"What's urgent? Is it because the officials are still making trouble in the household department?" Hai Rui carried the chicken and the fish to the kitchen.

The book office followed behind him with the rice on his back: "Hundreds of officials are making trouble. It's because the two counties of Shuntian Prefecture, Daxing and Wanping, didn't have enough porridge and rice, and many people fell down. I heard that there are already people from the White Lotus Sect." They are taking the opportunity to instigate, and they may stir up a civil uprising or rebel."

Hai Rui stopped abruptly at the kitchen door.

The book office went on to say: "On the day of great joy, the emperor should not know about this matter. The adults in the cabinet and the ministry are all fuming with anxiety, and they are discussing the urgent transfer of some grain and rice from the military grain depot in Tongzhou. The Ministry of Households will send people to escort them, and quickly set up a porridge shed, so that no one will starve to death. Si Li said, let Master Hai take care of Daxing."

Hai Rui: "I'll go right away!"

Winter is short in Japan, and it gets dark earlier when it snows heavily.The two eunuchs on duty lit candle lamps in the main hall leading to the abbot, and Huang Jin came in wearing a cloak.

The two eunuchs on duty hurriedly knelt down: "This servant kowtows to Eunuch Huang."

Huang Jin: "Get up, Eunuch Chen is still inside?"

The two eunuchs on duty got up: "Yes, I am waiting for Eunuch Huang to take care of Lord Long Live."

Huang Jin: "You are no longer needed here, just wait outside the palace gate."

The two eunuchs on duty: "Yes." They replied and exited the palace gate.

Huang Jin walked to the first door leading to the abbot and knelt down: "The slave Huang Jin is here to serve the master, Long Live!"

Soon, Chen Hong came out, and Huang Jin stood up, the cloak was still on, and the sleeves of his hands looked bulging in the cloak.

Huang Jin: "Is the Eucharist safe, Master Long Live?"

Chen Hong looked at him strangely: "Holy Body, what are you doing wearing a cloak when you enter the temple?"

Huang Jin: "This year is extremely cold, I forgot."

Chen Hong: "That's not taking it off yet."

Huang Jinwu didn't take off his cloak: "Understood. Don't forget to put on the cloak before Eunuch Chen leaves the palace. Be careful not to catch a cold."

"I'll put it on now, and you'll take it off now." Chen Hong took off the cloak hanging on the hanger in the passageway into the main hall and put it on, still staring at Huang Jin closely.

"What are you talking about for so long?" Jiajing's voice came from the Abode.

Huang Jin immediately answered, "Go back to Master Long Live, Eunuch Chen has a few words for this servant."

Jiajing's voice: "Have you finished asking?"

Only then did Chen Hong panic: "Go in!"

Huang Jin actually walked in to the second door of the Vihara wearing a cloak.

Chen Hong looked suspiciously at the Abode, and then walked out of the main hall.

The two eunuchs on duty outside the main hall followed him and closed the main hall door from the outside.

All the south-facing windows in the abode were closed this year, so the room was filled with cigarette smoke, so that the lanterns and candles were smudged yellow.

Jiajing was still wearing the silk shirt and sitting cross-legged on the futon.

"Master has been waiting for a long time, but here comes the slave." Huang Jin, still wearing a cloak, quickly knelt down, kowtowed and stood up quickly.With both hands, he took out a purple sand medicine pot hidden in the cloak, and a bunch of wrapped Chinese medicines, and carefully placed it at the foot of the copper incense burner.

Jiajing looked at him: "Is the palace gate closed?"

Huang Jin: "Slave, I'm going to close it now." Still wearing a cloak, he folded out the door of the Vihara.

Jiajing's eyes were listening to Huang Jin's footsteps and the sound of the door being bolted to the outer hall, so he subconsciously wrapped his silk shirt tightly around his body and closed his eyes.

Huang Jin came in again. Seeing the emperor's clothes tightly wrapped, knowing that he was cold, he walked quickly to the side of the imperial bed, opened the closet, and carefully took out the Songjiang thick cotton coat that Jiajing only wore in summer. Shirt, walked lightly behind him: "Master, stretch out your hand."

Jiajing stretched out his hand back.

Huang Jin lifted the shoulders of the thick cotton shirt, let Jiajing put his hands into the sleeves, stretched it for him from behind, went around to the front and knelt down, and tied his belt for him.After fastening the belt, Huang Jin touched Jiajing's hand again: "It's so cold! No, the slave has to add a jacket to the master." Then he ran to the closet and took out a pair of sleeves. Thick cotton robe, went to his back and added it to him, and went around to the front to button him, and couldn't help it anymore, his eyes were wet.

Jiajing: "I am not sick. This is a sign of passing the customs. What kind of tears are you shedding? After these seven, seven, and 49 days, I will be free from all diseases, understand?"

Huang Jin: "I understand. I just hope that the master must supplement it with medicine for 49 days. You must not take it for a day and not take it for a day."

Jiajing: "You, like Lu Fang, are long-winded."

"Yes." Huang Jin stood up, first lifted the lid on the copper censer, and blew a stream of air into it. The agarwood in the copper censer ignited an open flame, and then he held the purple sand medicine pot under the copper censer. He got up, put it on the open fire, and said, "I have already boiled this dose of medicine in my own room, and I can drink it after warming it up." Then I went to get a porcelain bowl from the Jun kiln, and put it in the pot. After washing in the clean water of the golden basin, carefully wiping it with a velvet towel, putting it on the imperial case, turning it back, reaching out to touch the medicine pot in the copper censer, and saying to himself: "It should be ready to drink. "He picked up the copper tongs and fiddled with the incense ash in the copper furnace to cover the open flame, put down the tongs, and took out the medicine pot.

"Be careful, don't burn your hands." Jiajing warned.

Huang Jin: "Master, don't worry, the slave's thick skin and thick flesh won't be scalded." Putting down the medicine jar, uncovering the lid, he picked up the medicine jar and carefully decanted the decoction into the Jun kiln porcelain bowl on the imperial case.

Holding the bowl of medicine and walking in front of Jiajing, Huang Jin took a sip first, and said to himself: "It's just right, neither cold nor hot. Master, drink it quickly."

Jiajing took the bowl with both hands, and quickly drank the bowl of medicine in one gulp.

Only then did Huang Jin show a little smile, and when he took the bowl with both hands, he said, "That's good, so the master's illness will recover quickly."

Jiajing was very strange. He couldn't get angry at all in front of this Huang Jin. Instead, he looked like an old child. When he heard the word "sick" again, he was unhappy and said: "I just said that I am not sick. Are you deaf? "

Huang Jin took the empty bowl and walked to the golden basin to drink, then picked up the snow velvet towel to wipe it off, took out a warm copper pot from a torch on the ground, poured half a bowl of warm water, and walked back to Jiajing: "The slave is not It must be said that the master is sick, at least when the 49 days pass the test." After holding the warm water, Jiajing took a mouthful and spit it back into the bowl.

Jiajing had nothing to do with him: "You say I'm sick, so I'm sick."

Huang Jin took the bowl away, poured hot water and twisted a face towel, walked back to Jiajing and slowly wiped his face warmly, muttering to himself: "Today is the eighth day, master has taken the first seven doses of medicine and has improved greatly. .Take another six or seven doses of medicine, the river will open, the geese will come, and the master's dragon body will be fully healed."

"Did Lu Fang have a letter?" Jiajing suddenly looked outside the door and asked.

Huang Jin lowered his eyes: "Master, no."

Jiajing: "He forgot all of us."

Huang Jin: "It's not a slave who speaks for his godfather. Not to mention living in Nanjing in this life, even if he is reincarnated in the next life, he will never forget his master. Unlike some people, who are always by the master's side all day long, and don't have a master in their hearts."

"That's true." Jiajing still looked out of the door, "When I was a young emperor, I was the emperor's concubine. I have no parents, no brothers, and no caring people. If there is, there is only one Lu Fang. He After leaving, I left you behind. He is still worthy of me."

Huang Jin felt sore, turned around and left Jiajing alone, and sat on the threshold of the partition of the monastery, weeping.

Jiajing looked at him anxiously: "Why are you crying there? Are you afraid others won't hear you?"

Huang Jin slowly closed his voice, sat there with choked sobs and replied: "The slave has something to hide from the master. Today, the master beats the slave to death, and the slave has to say it..."

Jiajing: "If you want to say it, come and say it, sit in front of me and rub the soles of my feet."

"Yes." Huang Jin stood up, wiped away tears, walked in front of Jiajing, dragged a small tiger stool, sat down in front of his feet, took his leg and put it on his lap, and rubbed the sole of his feet: "Say When it comes to the slave's godfather, the slave is not afraid of the master's anger, he is so loyal to the master. The medicines that the slave asked for the master were actually discussed by the slave's godfather and Prince Yu, and asked Li Shizhen to prescribe them. Leave Beijing At that time, he asked the servant to tell a lie, saying that someone else prescribed the medicine. Now that the servant has told the truth to the master, the master can blame the servant, but never blame Prince Yu and the slave's godfather."

Jiajing looked at him, with both loneliness and some comfort in his eyes: "You are not guilty if you say it. With your petty mind, it doesn't look like lying. I knew it was Li Shizhen when I took the first dose of medicine." Yes. Look at your stupid self-proclaimed cleverness, I'm not going to point you out."

Huang Jin didn't believe it, and looked at Jiajing naively: "How did the master know?"

Jiajing: "Ask Li Shizhen to prescribe medicine for me. It was Lu Fang who asked me before he left. I approved his performance and asked him to ask you to do it. I was kept in the dark, I didn't know anything, and I thought I knew so much in my heart. .”

Only then did Huang Jin realize that Lu Fang was still in Jiajing's heart. He was happy for a while, but he smiled stupidly: "Yes. The slave is a fool."

Jiajing: "Stupid people are good, stupid people are reliable, and they can be close to me."

(End of this chapter)