Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 1043
Li Xu left Beijing on April [-], accompanied by his eldest grandson Li Nuo.

Cao Yong and Sun Wencheng both went outside the city to see Li Xu off.The escorted soldiers belonged to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, they had already been ordered by Brother Sixteen, they didn't put Li Xu in the shackles, and they were given time to talk, they didn't rush to leave.

After half a month of recuperation, Li Xu's injuries have healed.

He first ordered the Li Yu and Li Cheng brothers who were staying in Beijing to act according to their duties, so as to take care of their parents, and so on.

Then, he thanked Sun Wencheng for coming to see him off, and solemnly thanked Cao Yong.

Although the house where the Li family lived was nominally owned by Gao Taijun, but she was an old woman, without the help of the Cao family, how could everything be arranged properly.

However, this solemn thank you also pointed out that the relationship between the three families is now, and they are no longer close in the early years.The heads of the three families are here, and they are well aware of this.

The brothers of the Cao family are all young and strong, they have already become officials, and the family is already prosperous; although Sun Wencheng has been dismissed from office, his brother and second son have both entered the Ministry of Internal Affairs as servants, and his own crimes are not serious, and he can be rehabilitated at any time; Only the Li family, whose official careers have been cut off for two generations, and whose grandchildren are still immature, it is uncertain whether they can be classified as eunuchs again.

Li Xu's heart was not without sadness, but looking at his weak grandson Li Cheng, he still couldn't say "study diligently".

"Standing up is the foundation of filial piety, don't overdo it, do everything within your capacity." Li Xu said to Li Cheng before leaving.

"The grandson would like to follow the teachings of his grandfather." Li Cheng said with tears.

Seeing Li Xu's aged figure gradually go away, Cao Yong sighed.

He turned around and asked Sun Wencheng to get in the car.Sun Wencheng glanced at Li Cheng and said, "Cheng'er is weak, come and ride with me."

Li Cheng bowed and said, "Thank you grandfather for your compassion, but the grandson is fine and can ride a horse."

Sun Wencheng glanced at him, said nothing, and got into the carriage.

Seeing this, Li Yu frowned slightly, but finally said nothing.

The twins, Li Dao and Li Zheng, stood by and watched Sun Wencheng talk to Li Cheng with a bit of disappointment in their eyes.When Li Nai took them out of Beijing, they were already six or seven years old, and they had already remembered things.

Although in the past few years, they have accepted the fact that they are descendants of the Li family, but they miss their life in the Sun family even more.

The aunt is dear and respectable, and the love of "father" is far from being able to replace the fine clothes and fine food of the Li family in recent years.If they were still in the Sun family, the person in front of them was their grandfather.

Seeing Li Cheng like this, Cao Yong knew that he blamed his grandfather for not helping Li's family.Obviously a child who was smart since he was a child, but now he is confused.Sun Wencheng may not be able to help the Li family, but he is capable of taking care of Li Cheng, the grandson.

Seeing that Sun Wencheng was about to go back to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, if Li Cheng behaved better and failed in the imperial examination, he would take the examination of the Ministry of Internal Affairs' writing and posting style, which was also the way to become an official.

Cao Yong thought of Li Cheng's high heart and was afraid that he would cause trouble, so he had to think about asking for a few words.Not for others, just to make Gao Taijun and Li Shi less troublesome.

Thinking of this, he raised his head and said to Li Yu: "Wan Zhong, I have something to say to Shou Zhen, you go back with Wu Lang and Liu Lang first."

Li Yudao: "Since my uncle ordered it, my nephew will take the younger brothers back first."

Cao Yong nodded, watching him take the twins and go with Sun Wencheng's carriage, Fang said to Li Cheng: "Your grandfather can't protect himself, how can he help Li's family? If you complain, only your mother will be in trouble."

Cao Yong has always treated people warmly, but now he has the intention of reprimanding, and he is talking about the Li family's affairs.

Li Cheng's face changed again and again, looking at Cao Yong, he was a little puzzled about his intentions.

"Frozen three feet, it is not a day's cold. If it is possible, your grandfather will not stand still and let your father blame you; I will not stand by and let your aunt and grandfather worry about the Li family day and night. You are still young. , I have never experienced the tragedy of the princes of the previous emperors when they seized the throne, and using ministers to seek the emperor is the real way for your grandfather to seek disaster." Cao Yong said with a sullen expression.

Li Cheng listened, frowned and thought for a while, and said for a while: "Biao Shu's words mean that the emperor is investigating the matter of grandfather donating nine and fourteen bets of silver in the early years? It's not because the treasury is empty, and the government is rectifying the government to enrich the treasury? It's not for the sake of Free up three weaving positions in the south of the Yangtze River to wait for the emperor's confidants?"

Cao Yongdao: "There are all three. The latter two are just judging things from facts, while the former is judging people from things. There is no way to solve it."

Li Cheng hesitated for a moment, and asked the confusion in his heart: "Watching my uncle's actions, he also met the prince in his early years. Could it be that my cousin's eyes are like a torch, and he has long been able to argue with the real dragon?"

Cao Yong shook his head and said: "Nowadays in the capital, there are many caring people. In the future, Shouzhen needs to think twice before opening his mouth. What are real dragons and fake dragons? All princes and elder brothers are all sons and grandsons of dragons. 'Four words, communicate frankly with the princes."

Li Cheng hesitated in his heart, Cao Yong's words were not false.

According to Li Cheng's knowledge, Cao Yong's contacts with the princes are rarely private.Perhaps it is precisely because of this that he has not been criticized.

Cao Yong saw that he could listen a little bit, and said: "However, it is true that the national treasury is empty. It is also something that the emperor hates for officials to be short-lived. The steward of your capital city once sent something to the Prince Lianjun's mansion. He may be Loyalty, I want to leave some surplus money for the Li family, but I do bad things with good intentions. Don’t be reluctant to save money and avoid disasters. Take this property as soon as possible and send it to the household department to make up for your grandfather’s deficit. Although it can’t smooth out the accounts, But being able to have this kind of heart can also make the emperor feel at ease. It is a good thing for your grandfather and your father."

Li Cheng couldn't help being surprised when he heard this, and said, "How does Cousin know about this?"

He only found out about this after hearing what his wife He Shi said, and he was thinking of transporting those belongings home during the Dragon Boat Festival.

Now there are more than a dozen people living on the old matriarch's pension money, and he, the great-grandson, also feels ashamed.In addition, there are no servants in the family, and there are female family members doing housework, which is hard work.

Cao Yong looked at him and said: "Common people, people still have to think that the walls have ears, so they may not be able to speak privately. There are many people in the mansion of the rich and powerful, so how can there be privacy? You just need to know that the one who knows this is not me. Just one person."

Li Cheng's face was pale, and he bowed and said, "Nephew, thank you cousin. If it wasn't for my cousin's reminder, my nephew would have made a mistake, and my mother-in-law might have been hurt too."

When Cao Yong saw that he understood, he stopped talking and told him to get on the horse, and the two of them went back to the city together...

*
In May, the weather is getting hotter.

The dignitaries who had been waiting for the emperor to go on tour before, lost their patience and packed up to go to the outskirts of the city to escape the summer heat.

Cao's family opened an ice store and provided ice to each room every day.

Because Tianbao was young, although Li felt that the heat was unbearable, he did not dare to use more ice, but asked the maids to sprinkle more water in the courtyard sooner or later.

Upon seeing this, Cao Yong persuaded his mother to go to Haidian to escape the summer heat.

The garden over there is lush with vegetation, and there is running water as a pond, which is much cooler than the houses in the city.

Mrs. Li knew that the Li family had settled down properly, and Gao Taijun's nerves were fine, so she was relieved and decided to go to Haidian to escape the summer heat after the Dragon Boat Festival.

Chu Yu wanted to go with her, but was stopped by Mrs. Li.

Mrs. Li took Niuniu, Tianhui and Tianbao, made an appointment with Mrs. Zhaojia, and took a dozen servants to Haidian in several carriages.

Mrs. Zhao Jia originally wanted to bring his daughter-in-law there, but he thought that there was no one around his son, so he only brought his fourth sister and fifth son.

When Cao Yong saw this, he took his wife to visit on the holiday.The same is true for Cao Fu's side; only Cao Song, who takes six days off every time he takes a rotation, takes his wife and two daughters to live there for a few days, which is much more comfortable.

Seeing this, Cao Yong and Cao Fu were very envious.

Cao Song has been promoted to a first-class guard because of his proper errands in the northwest, and he is also a senior.No matter what rewards there are in the palace, he, the head of the guards of the Qianqing Palace, has double rewards, which is very respectable.

In addition, he is simple on the outside and round on the inside, and never shows his scheming to others, so he is very popular.

Even the emperor likes Cao Song very much.If it wasn't because he was young, he had been a bodyguard since he became an official, he didn't show any talent, and his qualifications were not enough, he would have been promoted and reused long ago.

Cao Fu's life was not easy. Shujishi was originally a three-year period, and then the museum was dismissed.Because the Enke opened this year, in order to give room to the new Shuji scholars, the Shuji scholars of their subject will leave the hall early.

Now there is only half a year left for the examination in the hall.

At that time, the judging papers will be divided into three classes, the top class will stay in the library, and will be awarded to Hanlin officials; the middle class will stay in the library, or will be awarded six officials or county magistrates;

Because Cao Xiang stayed in the Imperial Academy, and now he is firmly established as a political official, Cao Fu had already rushed to the middle school, thinking that he would just be an officer in the Six Departments.At that time, with my cousin taking care of me, I can live a relaxed life.

Now that the exam is ahead of schedule, he is a little uncertain and anxious.

After all, there are only two to 30 Shujishi in each subject, and they are all the best among Jinshi.It is not an easy task for Cao Fu to be moderately stable.

Although he didn't have the ambition to be competitive, he was not far from being a low-ranking student in the exam and being ridiculed by his peers and classmates.Now that the nephews are all starting to take the exam, if his uncle is dismissed, he will be ashamed and humiliated.

For this reason, he had to study day and night. Looking at his diligence, he was more attentive than before the imperial examination.

Seeing that the younger brothers are very competitive, Cao Yong, the older brother, is quite relieved.

On his own side, he "occupies his own position and seeks his own government", and he does not participate in other things except fulfilling his own duties.

Although the imperial court is strict with foreign officials making friends with courtiers, but the rules of officialdom are there, no one can be a backer in the court, and it is not safe to be a foreign official.

"Tongnian", "Fellow Township", and "Classmate" are all names for making friends. Cao Yong became an official in Enyin, so he saved this matter.In the early years, although officials from Jiangning and Fengrun came to make friends, Cao Yong kept them at a respectful distance.

Governors from other places come to Beijing and pay filial piety to the capital. They will not leave the Cao family, but they will not send heavy gifts either.Because everyone knows that Cao Yong married a good wife, and he knows how to make money, so there is no shortage of money.

In this way, Cao Yong saved a lot of trouble.

Falling into Yongzheng's eyes, he felt that Cao Yong had inherited his old father's style and wanted to be a pure minister, so he was happy in his heart.

Every time he was summoned, he treated Cao Yong a lot more kindly.Once, after mentioning the official business, he was left behind and narrated a few homework.

When Cao Yong saw this, he was amazed in his heart, but he didn't think about anything else.

After all, he is "frank and frank" now, and there is nothing to feel guilty about.I can only wonder if Yong is treating Li Shi differently because he really treats him as a relative and junior.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, the sixteenth brother is a bit busy, because the seventeenth brother is going out of the palace to open the house.There is no old palace to divide, and a new palace must be built.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has set up a site in Caochang Hutong in Dongguanyuan, and built a new palace according to the system of the county palace.

And because the eldest sons of the thirteenth elder brother and the fourteenth elder brother were granted Beizi, the two residences of Beizi were also included in the amnesty at this time.

Elder Sixteen don't need to pay too much attention to the nephew's mansion, Elder Seventeen has always been on good terms with him, and he is very concerned about the construction of the Prince's Mansion.

He still had a thought in his mind, when the seventeenth elder brother left the palace, among the former emperor's adult princes, only the fifteenth elder brother remained unopened.

Even if it is a duke of the state, even if the fifteenth elder brother is guarding the mausoleum, it is also good if he can move his family out of the palace.In this way, it is cheaper for him as a younger brother to take care of him.It would be even better if he could welcome his biological mother out of the palace to take care of her.

For these two reasons, he stared at the people in charge, hoping to build the county palace as soon as possible.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the construction started here, the emperor ordered the seventeenth elder brother to go to Beijing for business...

*
Don’t stay up tonight, double update tomorrow... There is a lucky draw for the [-]th anniversary on the starting page, don’t miss it, Xiaojiu drew six times, and won the second prize for the first time, [-] starting coins, ouch. . .

(End of this chapter)