Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 144 Fuyao Shanghu Department
To the west of the city, Cao Mansion, Sunflower Courtyard.

I don't know if I got used to getting up early a few days ago, and I woke up just after Yin Chu passed Cao Yong.Today is his first day as an errand in the household department, from Yuanwailang of the fifth grade.Although logically speaking, the transfer of the third-class bodyguard to the ministry should be a fifth-rank doctor of the same rank.However, the six doctors are the chief officials of each department, no matter in terms of qualifications or age, Cao Yong is not suitable.Fortunately, Mr. Kangxi can be regarded as a sensible person, and he still retains the rank of Cao Yong's third-class bodyguard.

From a bodyguard and a companion to a bodyguard and a minister, Cao Yong rubbed his neck, at least it sounds like the future is much brighter.

Today, it is early winter, and it is still dark outside the window.Cao Yong put on some clothes and got out of bed, and fumbled to light the candles. As soon as he found the flint and lit it, he heard the sound of doors being pushed and footsteps in the yard.

Zijing and Zhu'er all got up, lifted the curtain and came in.

"Is it still early? You all got up?" Cao Yong asked with a smile.

Zhu'er went to bring water, Cui'er looked for a comb, Zijing replied: "It's this time in the past, and the servants will wake up at that time. Originally, I thought about letting the old man sleep for a while, but when I saw the light, I knew that the old man got up too. Already!"

Cao Yong washed his face, rinsed his mouth with green salt, then sat down, and Tweety waited for him to comb his hair.

Zijing brought the brand-new official uniform, top hat, and court beads, and put them on the table.While braiding Cao Yong's hair, Cui'er said with a smile, "I never thought that I would be an official at such a young age! I heard that all officials have to take a sedan chair. Will the uncle also take a sedan chair in the future?"

Cao Yong thought of the rules for Beijing officials and civil servants to ride sedan chairs. Except for the big sedan chairs that can be carried by four people if they are above the third grade, the others are two people carrying small sedan chairs. It is funny to think about it.

Zijing heard the words and said: "Yes, sir, it's getting cold when you see it, and the distance from our place to the yamen is not close, should we also prepare an official sedan chair?"

Cao Yong hurriedly said: "Don't mention this again. Uncle Zhong just talked about it for a long time two days ago, and I tried my best to convince him. Now, I haven't got the job of a guard yet! If I take a sedan chair, I'm afraid To make people laugh!"

While talking, Chai'er and Huan'er came in with snacks.The hours of duty in the Ministry are the same as the early morning hours. Winter and spring are at the beginning of the morning (seven o'clock in the morning), so there is no need to go early.However, today is the first day of the new year, the Grand Court Meeting, all Beijing officials above rank seven must go.Cao Yong ate breakfast, changed his court clothes, and prepared to go there early.

Zhu'er saw that Cao Yong didn't wear the string of coral beads, so she held them in both hands and said, "Master, there are still these!"

Cao Yong straightened his hat to the mirror, then waved his hands and said: "That is too eye-catching, the guards wear it, but the fifth-rank officials don't have it!"

After going out the second door, the sky was getting brighter, Xiaoman was already waiting here, and also changed into brand new clothes, seeing Cao Yong, he smiled and said: "My uncle's official uniform is really magnificent!" At this point, he scratched his head and said : "It's just that this pigeon is a bit fat!"

Cao Yong couldn't help laughing out loud when he heard this, and looked down for a second, Xiao Man was right, the white pheasant mending uniform of the fifth-rank civil servant really looked like a fat pigeon at first glance.

When they arrived at the front yard, the housekeeper Cao Zhong, Wei Hei, Wei Bai, Wu Mao, and Wu Sheng were all waiting.Originally, Cao Yong wanted Wei Bai to be spared from the morning errands in the future, and to work part-time in the mansion or something, but Wei Bai didn't do it.He himself said that with this strength, he could serve as an escort, but it was really not enough for him to do other things.

The Household Yamen is on the east side of Tiananmen Square, next to the palace wall.Cao Yong didn't go there because he wanted to advance to the court meeting, but went outside the Meridian Gate and waited for the court.

There is still more than half an hour before the court meeting, but many people have already arrived outside the Meridian Gate, but everyone is standing at the back, and there are vacant seats in front.Cao Yong knew in his heart that this was the rule, the more princely and dignified he was, the more he would step on it.

Although it was not enough to whisper to each other, the officials waiting to go to court still talked in twos and threes.Although the Grand Court Meeting today was not held in the Hall of Supreme Harmony as in the past, it was held in front of the Meridian Gate to announce the next year's calendar.

For those low-level Beijing officials, Cao Yong didn't know a few at all; those who were higher-level were somewhat familiar, and most of them were met by chance at Qianqingmen when they were studying in the study.Among them, there were several others that Cao Yong followed when Cao Yin came to Beijing last year.At the moment, he is not interested in talking, he just looks at everyone's clothes, and stands back at the fifth and sixth ranks.

When he was a bodyguard, he also participated in the Great Court Meeting, but it was just a formality, although it was solemn, it was very boring.The same is true today, but it was just a cutscene, but it took more than half an hour, and the court did not leave until the second quarter of the hour.

When Cao Yong went to the Ministry of Officials to handle documents yesterday, he carefully asked the yamen of the transfer department.From the Meridian Gate to the east, there is a row of high-walled courtyards next to the palace wall. The first is the official office, and the second is the household office.

At the gate of the yamen, there is a special pen-posted duty. After the waist badge is checked, the adults who enter are invited to sign in.

Entering the compound of the Ministry of Household Affairs, apart from the main rooms, the surrounding houses are all houses with different plaques, such as "Jiangnan Division", "Shandong Division", "Huguang Division" and so on.

In the household department, except for the Manchu and Han Shangshu and the left and right servants who are regarded as hall officials and deputy hall officials, others such as Langzhong, Yuanwailang, hall masters, masters, and pen stickers are all judges.

The holy order is only to let Cao Yong come to the household department to serve as Yuanwailang, but the specific department to be on duty depends on the arrangement of the chief officer.Unfortunately, Man Shangshu was appointed yesterday, and he hasn't come to sit in the hall yet.Han Shangshu has been ill for a long time, and there is only a servant here, and it is not easy to arrange personnel directly.

It wasn't until the fourth day of the fourth day that the newly appointed Man Shangshu Mu Helun took office, and Cao Yong was assigned to the Fujian Division, and he began to be officially on duty at the Ministry of Household Affairs.

There are [-] divisions in Jiangnan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Huguang, Fujian, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou.

In addition to being in charge of the financial-related affairs of the corresponding province, each department also has its own concurrent management.For example, the Jiangnan Division and Ji Jiangning and Suzhou weaving expenditures, Jiangning and Jingkou garrison salaries, and those who have exceeded the limit and have not yet settled the balance of land in each province.The Huguang Division also supervises the provincial factory department, the Jingzhou garrison salary, and the land consumption envy of each province.The Shandong Division also supervises the garrison salaries in Qingzhou and Dezhou, the cashiers of the soldiers in the three eastern provinces, participates in the animal tax, and inspects the salt lessons for Yanglian, Changlu and other places of the Eight Banners.Fujian Si Jianji Zhili Min Fu, Tianjin Sea Tax, Dongxiling, Rehe, Miyun Garrison Salary, Si Dai Niu Ma Zhili Government Order, Wenwu Township Meeting Trial Support, Five Cities Relief Millet, etc.

The chief officer of each department is a doctor, and the following are the principals and pen stickers.As the deputy chief officer, Cao Yong really didn't have any work to do for a while, and the new official road kicked off in a leisurely way.

The fifth day of the Lunar New Year is the day when the Cao family made a big decision to Prince Chun's Mansion.Because the ceremony of passing the book and passing the gift needs to be carried out in the morning, Cao Yong had a day off and went to Chunwang's mansion with a team carrying the betrothal gift early to make an appointment.A few days ago, according to the rules, Cao Jia had first asked the Prince Chun's mansion for the size of the clothes and the "little day", and then the wedding date was calculated.

It wasn't that the Cao family was extravagant on purpose, it was because the presents were too particular, which resulted in a huge gift-giving team.

All small betrothal gifts should be packed in big red boxes.A carrying box has four layers, three feet long, one and a half feet wide, each layer is six inches deep, and each layer can only hold two gifts.It can't hold many things at all, and the first floor is still empty, only the worship box with the gift list can be placed.In this way, the light box is already 64 lifts.

According to the rules, there must be "goose cages", "fish ponds", "wine seas" and so on, all of which are hexagonal cylindrical cages. Six lifts.

There are also ruler materials, four seasons clothes, head jewelry, acacia quilts, pork knuckles, lamb legs, dried and fresh fruits... such trivial things consume countless hands.

Only then will Cao Yong feel that there are few people in his family.All the men who could be used were used, and some men had to be borrowed from Prince Ping's Mansion to use them.

Although it was cumbersome and troublesome, the results were good. Prince Chun and Fujin were very satisfied with this decent dowry.Cao Yong also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, finally not in vain.In Prince Chun's Mansion, there was a lot of politeness, and the ceremony was performed, and the auspicious date for marriage was set as the 26th of the twelfth lunar month.

Back to Cao's house, Cao Yong told Zijing that the people from Chunwang's house will come to measure the size of the new house to make furniture in recent days, and told her to make preparations.

Seeing Zhu'er serving tea, Cao Yong remembered that he had seen the clothes of the four seasons given to the bride in the betrothal gift. Although the clothes at this time could not be seen to be fat or thin, they could be seen to be tall or short. Judging by the size, the big grid is not bad. Too short, if it can reach my shoulders, it will be about the same height as Pearl.Thinking to himself, he took another look at Zhu'er for comparison.

Cao Yong was unintentional, but Zhu'er was ashamed, because Amethyst was here, she was too embarrassed to stay longer, put tea and took refreshments, and then turned around and went out.

Zijing saw it, and shook her head secretly, seeing the little master like this, she won't accept the people in the house before the big wedding.And this is marrying a daughter from the heavenly family, how can the people in this house be easy to do?
*
On the seventh day of October, the steward of Prince Chun's Mansion came to measure the size of the new house.Because the measurement was in the inner courtyard, the two nuns were sent in charge.

These two nuns, one surnamed Esuli and the other surnamed Guerjia, are the first-class nuns in charge of the palace, confidantes of Prince Chun Fujin.They came not only to measure the house, but also to inspect the people in Cao Yong's house.Do you always have to prepare for Da Gege to marry over?There is no parent in the Cao family, and Da Gege came here to support the family, and she is still young after all, if someone would affect Da Gege's status as the mistress, the palace would not tolerate it.

Hearing the porter's announcement, Zijing rushed to the door.

The two nuns were taken aback when they saw Zijing.That day, Zijing went with Cao Jiashi, and the two of them had met her before.At that time, Zijing was following Cao Jiashi, they only thought she was the maid in charge of Prince Ping's mansion, but now they saw that it was Cao Jiashi who sent someone to help her younger brother, so they didn't care too much.

Although Cao Yi is a girl to be married and doesn't care about family affairs, according to the rules, these two nuns have to visit her first.They first went to the Bamboo Courtyard led by Zijing to meet Cao Yi.

Cao Yi said a few polite words, then introduced Zijing to the two nuns, smiled and told them to go to Zijing if they needed anything, and then asked Zijing to take them to the east courtyard for measurement.

Only then did the two nuns know that Zijing was the "maiden" of Cao's mansion, and they couldn't help looking at Zijing's daughter's attire again, and they looked at each other, each thinking deeply in their hearts.

After leaving the bamboo courtyard and entering the main courtyard, Aunt Guerjia began to look carefully at the layout and nodded secretly. No wonder Fujin praised Cao's family for their exquisite workmanship. Xiao Ding and Da Ding's rituals are all very delicate and exquisite. Look at this house. I know that the master is a refined person.I thought so, but there was no expression on my face.

Sister Esuli seemed to be ignoring the surrounding scenery at all, with a slightly dull smile, and a flat tone, politely asked Zijing how old she was and what she cared about.

When she heard that Amethyst was 23, Sister Esuli's surprised expression flashed across her face, and Sister Guerjia, who had been silent all this time, was also slightly moved.

Seeing Zijing, she knew that the two had misunderstood, and she was also a little embarrassed. A 23-year-old unmarried girl is the housekeeper in the young master's house, and it is difficult for anyone not to misunderstand.Zijing changed the topic first, and then explained her identity tactfully.

When the two nuns heard this, they were mixed with joy and sorrow. They were happy that this girl was not in the family of the son-in-law, so they didn't have to worry about being favored by Da Gege in the future; It's good to be as submissive as now, once there is some dispute in the future, I'm afraid it will take some effort to suppress her.

After entering the upper room, Zhuer, Cuier and the four maidservants all came to greet her.The two nuns had seen countless people, seeing that the girls had never been adopted, they were very happy for their own family, but seeing that they were all beauties, and all of them were gentle and docile, they couldn't help worrying about the future.

Sister Guerjia nodded slightly to Sister Esuli, and then began to order people to come in to measure the size of the room, and wrote down one by one for the location of boxes and cabinets.On the grounds that she would not be in the way, Sister Esuli called several people outside the house, chatted with them with a half-smile, and rebuked them intentionally or unintentionally.

Among these maidservants, Huan'er is the youngest, ignorant and doesn't know what she means; Chai'er is the most intelligent, with a sneer in her heart. The appearance sounded the same; Zhu'er Cui'er heard that she had mixed feelings, and she felt a little afraid of the mistress who had never been married.

(End of this chapter)