Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 148
Ren Hu Jiren yelled at the back, Cheng Mengxing didn't bother to answer him, and went straight out of the gate of Binyueju.

Just as Hu Jiren was about to go out with him, he was stopped by the shopkeeper to ask for the bill.

Cheng Mengxing felt a lot brighter when he got out of the gate. Looking back, he saw Hu Jiren comparing with the shopkeeper. He didn't know whether it was bargaining or what to do. shame.

Xiao Er led the horse over, Cheng Mengxing got on the horse without even thinking about it, and was about to leave without waiting for Hu Jiren, when suddenly he heard someone calling "Mr. Cheng" from behind.

Cheng Mengxing turned around, but saw that it was Cao Yong.

It turned out that Cao Yong thought about entertaining Cheng Mengxing today, so he finished his work early and returned home early.Passing this street, he saw Cheng Mengxing coming out of Binyueju, so he smiled and greeted him.

After the hatchback got off the horse to see the ceremony, Cao Yong smiled and said: "Thank you Mr. Cheng for the gift. The banquet was busy a few days ago, and I didn't have a good drink with Mr. Cheng. The ministry is busy with trivial matters these days, so I don't have time. I originally wanted to invite Mr. Cheng to have a drink today, but it seems that Mr. Cheng has already eaten, what a coincidence. I wonder if Mr. Cheng is free tomorrow?"

Cheng Mengxing hurriedly shook his head and said: "Mr. Cao is being polite. It's nothing worth it. I have had Mr. Cao's wine a few times before and after. It is Cheng who invited Mr. Cao..." Before he finished speaking, Hu Jiren called out "Cousin" interrupted.

When Hu Jiren chased him out, he was only focused on catching up with Cheng Mengxing, the God of Wealth, and didn't pay attention to Cao Yong behind him.When he saw it, he had already yelled "cousin", and it was quite loud, which attracted Cao Yong and his party to look at him.

Hu Jiren thought of Cao Yong kicking his ribs bruises a month ago, and felt that his calves were a little soft. Seeing Cao Yong wearing an official uniform that was higher than his own, he felt a little weak. , Said: "The next official has seen Mr. Cao."

When Cao Yong saw him, he felt disgusted and ignored him. He just looked at Cheng Mengxing in amazement and asked what the "cousin" meant with his eyes.

Cheng Mengxing couldn't pretend that he didn't know Hu Jiren, nor could he pretend that he didn't know that Hu Jiren recognized Cao Yong. In desperation, he shook his head and sighed: "Mr. Cao, this is Cheng's distant cousin." Then Without explaining other meanings, he said: "Today is really entangled with mundane affairs, and Mr. Cheng appreciates your kindness. Change the schedule and invite Mr. Dong to be the prime minister."

Cao Yong nodded slightly, and naturally he would not answer Hu Jiren's topic, he just said: "Since Mr. Cheng has something else to do, I don't bother you. I will invite you to meet another day."

Hu Jiren was put aside, and no one paid him any attention.Looking at Cao Yong's back, Hu Jiren also made a look of gnashing his teeth, whispering in his mouth not knowing what to say.

Cheng Mengxing ignored him at all and urged the horse to leave.

Only then did Hu Jiren come to his senses, and hurried to grab his reins, but he couldn't get hold of him.Before his horse was brought over, he hurriedly shouted "cousin", and scolded the waiter to get the horse quickly. After a while of confusion, when he got on the horse, Cheng Mengxing had already disappeared without a trace.

Cao Yong asked someone to investigate Hu Jiren early in the morning, and he knew that the head of the Shandong Division of the household department he bought was from a side branch of the Hu family in Wuling. Check, so as to find clues about Amethyst's family.Due to the different focus, Cao Yong didn't know that Hu Jiren and Cheng Mengxing had a relationship.

After returning to the mansion, Cao Yong asked Zhuang Xi about Cheng Mengxing.At the beginning, Cheng Mengxing was used to build the garden, because it was recommended by Zhuang Xi, Cao Yong was very relieved, so he didn't ask about Cheng Mengxing's family background, only remembering that he was also a descendant of a Beijing official.

After listening to Cao Yong's question, Zhuang Xi said: "His father Cheng Wenzheng has passed away for some years. He was originally the head of the Ministry of Industry. He was a Jinshi in the 30th year of Kangxi. He is known for his talent. It is a pity that he died young. He died at the age of 44. passed away. Then Cheng Mengxing took his widowed mother back to his hometown in Yangzhou. He came to Beijing again in 48."

Yangzhou?Procedure?Cao Yong was taken aback for a moment, and quickly asked: "Does it have anything to do with the Cheng family, a salt merchant in Yangzhou?"

Zhuang Xi nodded and said: "It is the direct descendants of the Cheng family. The current head of the Cheng family is Cheng Mengxing's uncle. The rule of these salt merchant families is to gather money in one place, and the head of the family will choose someone to run the business, while others will follow the rules left by their ancestors. The head of the family does not care about what he does. Since his father, Cheng Mengxing has abandoned the trade route and specialized in Confucianism. Although he is an official and not a businessman, he still has bonuses to draw, so the family He has a lot of money. His family has a large private house in the capital, and it is also very elegantly built, so I recommend him to you."

Cao Yong nodded, and asked again: "Does the gentleman know what cousin he has with the surname Hu?"

"The Hu family?" Zhuang Xi thought for a while, and then said: "If we talk about the Hu family, there is only one place. Cheng Mengxing's grandfather, Wang Maolin, has no children and only two daughters, one married to the Cheng family and the other married to the Hu family. If it is Hu’s cousin, I’m afraid he is from Cheng Mengxing’s uncle’s family. It’s just that Cheng Mengxing’s uncle, Hu Qiheng, has no heirs, so he must be a nephew of the Hu family.”

Cao Yong was confused by this twisted relationship, and only asked: "Is this Hu Qiheng from Wuling?"

Zhuang Xi said: "The Hu family is a famous family in Wuling. Hey, your father should recognize this Hu Qiheng. His father, Hu Xianzheng, used to be the chief envoy of Jiangsu, and he was a colleague of your father. Hu Qiheng was a candidate in Yangzhou. In the last 44 years, Long Live Lord visited the south. Hu Qiheng once recruited talented people from Jiangsu to study in the imperial court. Hu Qiheng wrote excellent poems and won the sacred heart, so he was promoted to the Hanlin Academy by the Lord Longevity himself, and awarded classics. He is still working in the Imperial Academy."

Cao Yong said: "The Hu family is not related to the Cao family, is it?"

Zhuang Xi was startled: "No. Why did Yong'er say that?"

Cao Yong shook his head and smiled: "Nothing. Just ask." Can't help saying, it doesn't matter.Don't go around for a long time, that bastard has also become a relative of his own, so it is not easy to punish.

*
Shengjia arrived in Beijing on December [-]th, and the decree of rewards on the [-]th came down. The content was that because Cao Yong was an errand in the household department, he was "diligent in conduct" and "very good in office". Promoted to first-class male, and given a one-month holiday to prepare for marriage.

Cao Yong felt ashamed and panicked about "being diligent in conduct" and "being a good official".Although Kangxi had good intentions, Cao Yong didn't know how to meet his colleagues in the household department after the decree was issued.Compared with those officers who were so busy all day long that they beat the back of their heads, he only handled two things, which was not considered "diligence", but for the sake of being more decent when he got married.

Right now, Cao Yong's wedding is getting closer.He is the eldest son of the eldest son, the future head of the Cao family, and he is marrying Gege from Chunjun Wangfu, so the marriage cannot be neglected.

Seeing that the whole family is busy working together for their own marriage, Cao Yong feels like a dream, without any sense of reality.Whether it's sighing or joy, he can't tell clearly, but sometimes he will be in a daze.

On December 24, Ping Wang Fujin and Cao Yi both returned to the Cao Mansion to help manage Cao Yong's marriage.The foreign affairs here are fine, with Cao Zhong, He Maocai and others taking care of them.The inner house is Zijing, although there are all the women in charge and a few nuns sent by the palace, but due to their limited status, none of them are able to come forward to entertain the female guests.Cao Yi is a newly married young daughter-in-law, she is still somewhat shy, she just helps Zijing manage affairs, and asks her elder sister to entertain relatives, friends and family members.

The wedding shed in the front yard has been set up, the kitchen has entered the shed to test the stove, and the accountant of the family has been established, and everything is ready.

Although it's not the right day, relatives and friends have come to congratulate one after another, and naturally there will be a banquet of food and wine.

By the 25th, the brand-new sedan chair has been placed in front of the wedding shed, and it is also considered to be officially opened.According to the rules at this time, this day is a banquet for close relatives of the same clan, followed by makeup reminders and makeup receptions.

The Cao family has no clan members in the capital, and their close relatives are Prince Ping's House and Jue Luo's House, and Zhaojia House barely counts.Naersu and Seishtu, a brother-in-law, a brother-in-law, are doing their best.Except for close relatives, people like Ning Chun, Nalan Fusen, De Tehei, Shu Ming, etc. all regard Cao Yong as a brother, and knowing that his elder is not in Beijing, they all come to help one day in advance.

After lunch, I will go to Chunwang Mansion to urge my makeup.This was planned by Ning Chun and the others a long time ago. For the sake of face, he asked Sai Shitu and seven imperial guards to make up eight people to go to urge makeup.Because everyone has high professional titles and many titles, they put on official uniforms according to the rank of titles, rode tall horses, and brought many entourages with them, and went to Chun Wang's mansion in a mighty manner.They are make-up reminders, and they can also be regarded as "make-up presenters". They will come back with the dowry team over there in a while.

Cao Yi and Zijing took a closer look at the new courtyard, the walls of the new house were covered in white paste, they were cleaned up, and when the dowry arrived, they could put on makeup immediately.

Although the courtyards in the mansion are all named after trees, this new courtyard is not the same.Because this is the opening of several small courtyards, the area is larger, and there is also a small garden with many types of trees.Cao Yong couldn't think of anything appropriate for a while, so he left the name of the hospital empty.

*
From Prince Chun's mansion to Cao's house, along the way, there were servants of Cao's mansion wearing new clothes and hats to report to each other.Not long after the dowry was issued at the palace, there was news from here.Cao Song, with his cousins ​​and drummers, greeted the makeup here.

The dowry-delivery team from Prince Chun's Mansion came to Cao's Mansion in a mighty manner, blocking most of the street.

First, 120 liters of furniture cleared the way. Tables and cabinets made of high-quality rosewood and rosewood were all available, and they were placed one by one according to the places measured earlier in the palace.

Then the quilts and quilts carried by 81, the curtains and curtains, the clothes of the four seasons and the materials of the feet and so on.These are the most important paving and hanging, and the rest will be put into the Cao family's warehouse.

Then there is the 64-carrying hanging decoration.That's great. Calligraphy, painting and antiques are all boxed regardless of the piece, and the whole box is carried.These are naturally selected for festive and auspicious hanging, and the rest are put into storage.At this time, the warehouse of the Cao family was full, and there was nothing more to put in. In desperation, Cao Yong had to open the two wing rooms of the Orchid Court and the Bamboo Court, and let the boxes and cages be carried to the side first, and then asked to be guarded. up.

After the big items, there are trivial things. The 48-carrying big red box contains head jewelry, rouge and gouache, and other things.I also found a wing room and piled it in, locked it, and only waited for it to be tidied up in the future.

Finally, there is a fertile farmland with [-] dumps, two real estates, and four industrial shops. In addition to the nurse and husband, there are eight maidservants and five households of men and women.

The lengthy gift list consumed a thick stack of lacquered red paper, and the people sent by the Prince Chun’s Mansion to hold the dowry list and post the post shouted hoarsely, and finally drank half a pot of tea before inviting the bridegroom Cao Yong in a hoarse voice. Accept the dowry and say congratulations.

It took three and a half hours just to receive and place the dowry, from afternoon until dark. After receiving it properly, the Cao family hosted a banquet for the servants in charge who delivered the dowry. Even though the yard was huge, it was almost full.

Finally, Cao Yong ordered people to carry out the silver seals wrapped in advance and some strings of green clams as rewards, and distributed them to everyone one by one.Seeing that the box containing the rewards gradually bottomed out, there were still more than a dozen envelopes left, and there was no shortage of them.Cao Yong breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, Pingjun Wangfu had experience and asked about the standard and total amount of makeup rewards given by the palaces of various places, so there was no embarrassing situation where the rewards were not enough.

(End of this chapter)