Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 116
Because there was no big maid in the house, Li Shi sent a big maid called Xiuying over there, and took a few little maids to wait here.

Although there is no one living in Qiujiju for a year, there are always people cleaning it.Soaking in the bathtub, Cao Yong looked at the familiar room, feeling quite emotional.I set off for Beijing in March last year. It has been nearly a year now, and it has been full of ups and downs, and it is very lively.It was only when I returned to this room that I realized that I seemed to be tired and began to miss Jiang Ning's free life.

It was so exhausting on the road that Cao Yong closed his eyes unknowingly.When I opened my eyes again, it was already time to hold the lamp.It was the bed curtain that came into my eyes, and it took Cao Yong a while to realize that he was lying on the bed.He remembered that he was in the bathtub just now, as if someone was talking to him. At that time, he was sleepy and couldn't think clearly, and he couldn't remember it now.

Just as Cao Yong was thinking about it, he heard someone ask: "Master, are you awake?"

"Hmm!" Cao Yong pulled back the quilt on his body, turned over and sat up, and looked down at himself. A set of white obscene clothes was a familiar style, but it was a little tight.It seems that it was made last year, but it doesn't fit well this year.

It was Xiuying who spoke just now, holding a cyan satin robe in her hand, and while serving Cao Yong to dress, she said: "My old clothes are too small in the past, so I can't wear them anymore. This robe belongs to me. My wife asked me When it comes out, ask the uncle to wear it first, and then ask the tailor to make clothes for the uncle tomorrow."

"Did mother have dinner?" Cao Yong put on his clothes and looked at the wall clock in the lower hall. It was already 07:30 in the evening.

"The wife was waiting for the uncle to come, but later she heard that the uncle had fallen asleep, so she ate it by herself. But the third girl, because she had to wait for the uncle to eat together, it seems that she hasn't eaten yet! Just now, I came to see the uncle in person twice!" Embroidered Ying was talking, when she heard light footsteps coming from the door, it was Cao Yi who had arrived.

Seeing that Cao Yong had gotten up, Cao Yi was full of joy: "Brother!"

Cao Yong saw that his sister's chin was sharp, and remembered what his mother said. In the past half a month, because of Cao Yin's illness, Mrs. Li couldn't do without her. Lost a lot.

Cao Yong was really distressed, and reached out to touch his sister's head: "I haven't seen you for a few months, how is Pinger?"

Cao Yi nodded: "I'm fine. How is my brother in the capital? Second brother, sister Zijing, are you okay? There are also Baogege and sister Yongjia, and Jue..." When he said this, his face couldn't help He blushed, knowing that he had slipped his words, so he hurriedly stopped talking.

Cao Yong saw that she asked a bunch of people's names in one breath, but he didn't know whether he should ask "Mrs. Jueluo" or "Brother Jueluo" at the end. He smiled and said: "I'll go to see my father and mother first, let's go While eating, I'll tell you about Beijing."

The two brothers and sister went to Kaiyang courtyard together, Cao Yin woke up before dinner, and now he fell asleep after drinking the medicine.Mrs. Li also looked tired, and the two of them talked together for a while, and then went back to Qiujiju.

Xiangcao and Chunya have already delivered Cao Yi's meal, and Xiuying and others have also prepared Cao Yong's meal.The two brothers and sisters sat down and talked about the family affairs in Jiangning and Beijing while eating.

Seeing that his sister was not only dressed plainly, but also didn't wear any jewelry, Cao Yong remembered something.At the beginning of the month, I sent someone to the south to bring the gift from Jueluo's family to my sister, but I don't know if it arrived.Therefore, he asked: "Ping'er, I sent someone back to give you a gift box a few days ago, did you receive it? Do you still like it?"

Cao Yi smiled a bit sourly: "Father is seriously ill, how could I have such thoughts, haven't opened it yet?"

"Stupid child, could it be that if you accompany your mother through the gods like this, can your father recover from his illness early? You have to smile a little to make your parents happy. When you are in a good mood, the illness will go away quickly!" See Cao Yi's expression was faintly sentimental, and Cao Yong inevitably tried to persuade him a few more words.

Cao Yi nodded, and said that he knew it, but he didn't know whether he heard it or not.The little girl came to report, saying that Mr. Zhuang sent someone to ask if the uncle was awake. If he was awake, please ask the uncle to go to the front hall to talk.

Cao Yong was eight percent full. Hearing this, he put down his chopsticks and told his sister to eat more, and went to the front hall to have a look first.Cao Yi got up and sent his brother away.

*
Weaving Mansion, front hall.

When Cao Yong went in, Zhuang Chang was sitting there, not knowing what to meditate on.Zhuang Chang is five or six years older than Cao Yin, but he doesn't look old now, he still looks like Cao Yong saw him when he was a child, and looks younger than Cao Yin.

Perhaps it is because he has been with Zhuang Xi in the capital for a long time, and now seeing his elder brother, Cao Yong is no longer just curious and inquiring as he was when he was a child, but he is a little closer from the bottom of his heart: "Mr. Zhuang, I haven't seen you for a long time, you Is the old man still healthy?"

Seeing Cao Yong come in to say hello, Zhuang Chang stood up with a smile, and clasped his fists: "Thank you for thinking about it, old man! I heard that the fifteenth son set off from the capital for more than 2000 miles, and it only took less than seven days. It’s really filial piety!”

Such greetings come and go, they are all polite words.Cao Yong shook his head: "This is what people and children should do, but I dare not accept Mr.'s praise. It's just that Mr. came to me, not to praise me!"

Zhuang Chang waved his hand, and sent the boy who came up to deliver tea to leave, and then said: "Young master, I have to confess my crime first! I will write a booklet for Long Live Lord, and it is my own initiative to ask you to come back to serve medicine. Don't blame it!"

Cao Yong thought about what he had learned from his mother just before eating. Although his father looked seriously ill, his life was not in danger. It was only up to Mr. Zhuang to decide, and he only said it was dangerous.Li Shi didn't know the deep meaning of it.It's just that when Cao Yin was away on the factor day, Zhuang Chang was entrusted with the foreign affairs of Zhizao Mansion, so although Li Shi was puzzled, she didn't ask any more questions, thinking that her husband had arranged it this way.It wasn't until Cao Yong came back that Cao Yin said that Zhuang Chang was troublesome, and Li didn't know that it was Zhuang Chang's own idea.

Long before Cao Yong was born, Zhuang Chang was the staff of the Cao family, because Cao Yong also believed that he would not have any malicious intentions, so he immediately asked: "Mr. I'm stupid, I can't solve the confusion, I hope you can tell me directly!"

Zhuang Chang stroked his beard, with a teachable attitude, first pushed a booklet to Cao Yong's eyes.

Cao Yong took it and opened it to read. It contained information on some large pearl-digging households in the northern and southern provinces, and there were notes at the back, some indicating "the invitation has been delivered", and some indicating "on the way".It seems that the transfer of the secret method of raising pearls that I mentioned to my father years ago is already in progress.

Zhuang Chang explained from the side: "Nowadays, my lord is not feeling well, so entrusting it to the old man is a bit inappropriate. After all, this is the private property of the Cao family, and it is better for the Cao family to come forward. This is one of the reasons why the old man planned to let the young master come back. "

If there is one, then there must be the other. Cao Yong put down the booklet and waited for Zhuang Chang's next words.

Zhuang Chang pondered for a long time, then Fang asked: "I heard from your lord that the young master knows your errands in the south of the Yangtze River well?"

Cao Yong nodded, thinking of the Cao family's withdrawal from the Jiangnan officialdom that was mentioned when he went to meet with his father years ago.

"The old man will not hide it from you, my lord. As the chief officer of the Jiangnan Tongzheng Department, this old man has been his deputy for many years! This time when I came back from the capital, because I was persuaded by my lord, my lord seemed to have the idea of ​​​​retiring, but because of thinking As for the kindness of the Long Live Lord to the Cao family, he has been unable to make up his mind for a long time. Now that the Cao family has carried all the flags, the weaving duties should be left to the adults, not the sons. However, the Secretary of General Administration Here, I don’t know exactly what the Long Live God’s arrangement is. Now, the adults are already 53, and the old man is also [-], but the Long Live God has never arranged for anyone who can take over the duty to come to the south of the Yangtze River.” Zhuang Chang paused and looked. Cao Yong glanced at him and said: "The old man is just worried that the grace of the Long Live God is too much, and he will let the young master take over the class of the adults! If that is the case, the Cao family will never be able to escape from the south of the Yangtze River!"

When Zhuang Chang said this, he sighed unceasingly: "I have been with the lord for nearly twenty years, and I know that although he seldom mentions the young master, he still misses you very much in his heart. Finally, arrange for the young master to go back to the south of the Yangtze River, that is to roast the Cao family on fire! We are all old, how many years will Long Live Lord protect the Cao family?"

Although as a subordinate official, it was a bit presumptuous to arrange these things on his own when Cao Yin was seriously ill, but Cao Yong was only grateful. ——At the risk of deceiving the emperor, this kind of painstaking planning is still for the Cao family!Cao Yong was both moved and heartbroken by this kind of fighting between ancient scholar-bureaucrats.

Cao Yong immediately stood up from his seat and saluted respectfully: "Thank you for your trouble, sir, I am very grateful!"

Zhuang Chang called Cao Yong "Young Master", but in fact he regarded him as his nephew, and he spent a long time planning for him. This gift was accepted with peace of mind, and he stretched out his hand to help him up: "Young Master, you are welcome!"

When Cao Yong returned to his seat, Zhuang Changcai came again: "Now I have borrowed the excuse that my lord is seriously ill, and invited the young master to come back. I also want to find out what the Lord Long Live is thinking. If the Lord Long Live really wants to let the young master come to pick up your errand, I'm afraid that there will be a decree in the near future, and arrange for the young master to learn errands. In that case, the young master knows how to deal with it. The big deal is to choose an unimportant errand, and make one or two mistakes, so that Long Live Lord puts down this Thoughts. If the Lord Long Live doesn’t come down with a decree, the adults here should take the initiative to recommend one or two people to take over the positions of the two of us, so that the Cao family can have a buffer time to get out!”

After Cao Yong heard these words, he really thought about it properly, but he thought about the incomprehension, and asked: "Sir, if my father handed over the post of the Secretary of the General Administration because of his old age, how will Long Live arrange for him? Let's serve!"

No wonder Cao Yong asked the question, because at this time the official said that he was an official, but he had to stay until he was seventy or eighty.If it is a courtier in the emperor's weapon, then the resignation will be even more refuted again and again.For example, Zhao Jia's uncle Shangshu Malhan did not become an official until he was 76 years old.With the relationship between the Cao family and Kangxi, and the fact that the Cao family went bankrupt and lost money, Kangxi would definitely not allow Cao Yin to become an official.

Zhuang Chang nodded helplessly: "My lord is right, and I have thought twice about it. Even if my lord resigns from the post of General Secretary, I am afraid that the weaving mansion will not be unloaded! This Jiangning weaving mansion was previously built by the old man in the south of the Yangtze River. Yes, Mrs. Tai and Mrs. have been living here. Long live is the most sympathetic to the courtiers, how can you let the adults go to other places for the elderly? I am afraid that under the grace, the adults will be here for the rest of their lives."

Seeing Cao Yong frowning, Zhuang Chang comforted him and said: "The weaving yamen here has certain rules and regulations. You don't need to worry too much about it, but you don't need to worry about it!"

Cao Yong thinks that the capital seems to be calm, but the crown prince's position is not stable, and other princes may not be safe in private.Earlier, before the crown prince was abolished, the crown prince, the elder brother, and the third elder brother all went to the south of the Yangtze River to fight the autumn wind. When Gali impeached the Cao family, he privately gave money to the elder brother.Fortunately, Cao Yin had mentioned this earlier in the brochure, and Kangxi knew those sons well, so he would not suspect anything.

If the Cao family is still in the weaving position, I am afraid there will be such a thing.Will the future Emperor Yongzheng see this in his eyes?Thinking of this, Cao Yong secretly made up his mind that if he encounters the elder brother extorting money again, he must first quietly give the fourth elder brother a big head, so as not to make him feel thorny in his heart.

The big idea has been made, and the next step is to wait for the will of the capital to act.The two changed the topic tacitly, and chatted casually for a few more words before they parted ways.

*
For the next half month, Cao Yong looked like a filial son in ancient times, and he followed his mother in front of his father's bed every day to ask for medicine.During the first month of the lunar year, the servants sent to the big pearl-digging households in the northern and southern provinces also came back one after another. Cao Fang sorted out the statistics and received the messengers sent from all over the place.During this period, Kangxi also came to make a decree, but it was to inquire about Cao Yin's condition.Cao Yong personally wrote the thank you post, and said that his father's condition is gradually improving, and there is naturally "worries" that cannot be concealed.

In a blink of an eye, it was late March.Although Cao Yin was bedridden, his body gradually recovered.When Kangxi's Longevity Festival was rewarded, Cao Yong and Zhuang Chang didn't know whether to rejoice or what to do.Because, in the secret decree to Zhuang Chang, Kangxi mentioned that Suzhou weaving Li Xu would succeed Cao Yin as Jiangnan Tongzheng.
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(End of this chapter)