Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 154
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, during the Shangyuan Festival, the palace gave a banquet to the foreign vassals, Baylor, Beizi, Gong, Taiji, as well as internal ministers, bachelors, bodyguards, etc. as usual.

Cao Yong and his wife naturally want to enter the palace.Before the banquet, Chu Yu followed Chun Wang Fujin and a group of female relatives, while Cao Yong was dragged away by sixteen elder brothers to talk.

Cao Yong met the sixteenth elder brother once during the dinner on New Year's Eve, and it has been less than half a month, even though he was reluctant, because he was in front of others, he had to perform a junior salute.

Brother Sixteen accepted it with a smile, and Fang patted him on the shoulder: "Come on, it was just for fun. I know you don't like to salute. It's the old rules. Let's avoid this salute!" Then he said : "It's been a while since I saw you. It's not as good as before, and now I want to hang out and have no one to accompany me!"

It's ridiculous for Cao Yong to see that he got cheap and good-looking, but he doesn't bother to care about him.Thinking of the time when he went out with him in the past, he was not cautious and cautious. Although he knew that Brother Sixteen would not listen to persuasion, but when the words came to this point, he persuaded him very seriously.

Brother Sixteen waved his hand: "It's nothing, it's just you worrying about it!"

Cao Yong rolled his eyes in his heart and stopped persuading him.

Elder Sixteen laughed and said: "It will be fine in two months, Brother Thirteen is going to divide the mansion, so when I get out of the palace, I will go play in his mansion!"

Cao Yong asked him: "I heard about it a few times before, but I was not sure about it. This time I am sure? How long will it take to open Yajianfu?"

Brother Sixteen said: "This time it's a promise! In fact, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has been raising funds for a long time. This time, the twelfth brother and the thirteenth brother will divide the government together, either at the end of February or early March, and the auspicious day has not yet been selected. The mansion has been tidied up, but the Liang Zhuang and the people in Shengjing haven't called over!"

Cao Yong nodded, it's a good thing for him to have the thirteenth elder brother split up, at least next time please don't have to go to the palace so much trouble, but this housewarming gift has to be carefully thought out, the best thing is that it is affordable and not expensive. ostentatious.

The sixteenth elder brother envied for a while the elder brothers who were divided into mansions, they didn't have to be confined in the palace like him, and he was thinking about how long he would be able to divide the mansion.At the end, he said with some regret: "It would be great if Brother Shisan had moved to a branch office earlier. His mansion is in Jinyu Alley, and there is a lantern market over there. It is said to be very lively! If he wants to live there earlier, the two I can find a way to sneak out and have a look!"

The fifteenth day of the first lunar month is called Zhengdeng, and the Lantern Festival actually runs from the thirteenth to the seventeenth day of the first lunar month. There are lanterns and festoons in the shops, and there are lanterns and lantern sellers, as well as fireworks, food and seven There are a lot of small things, embellishing the festival scene, which is very lively.

Cao Yong went to see it last year. Although it was lively, there were no good lights. He shook his head with a smile and said, "Although there are several lantern markets in Beijing, how can they compare with the number of lanterns in the palace? Why run out? I'm afraid those lights won't be able to catch your eyes, but you want to join in the fun."

Brother Sixteen also laughed and said, "You still know me. It's not about the tricks of the lamps. The folks have their own fun. How can it be compared in this big courtyard with red walls and yellow tiles? But speaking of it, this year the Ministry of Industry A few more lamps with a new look have been brought in, let’s take a look later.”

When the banquet in the palace was over, small snowflakes were scattered in the sky.

Chu Yu still hadn't seen enough of the colorful lights and fireworks. Before getting into the car, a large bright red firework was exploding in the night sky behind her. She couldn't help but stop and look up.

When Cao Yong saw it, he said: "There are also fireworks at home. If you like it, ask them to light it for you to see!"

Chu Yu smiled and nodded: "The lanterns in the two gardens in the backyard of our house are also good, and it will look even better if they are lined with fireworks!"

The car was passing Xixie Street, just about to cross Fengsheng Hutong, where there was also a lantern market, and there was a bustling noise from a long distance away, Chu Yu couldn't help but prick up his ears to listen.

"It's the Lantern City." Cao Yong explained, seeing that she was embarrassed to pick up the car curtain to see, so he picked the car curtain ajar for her.

Chu Yu looked at it for a while, the car passed by, and then she closed her eyes: "I have never seen the lantern market outside, it turned out to be so lively. I only live in the nunnery with Erniang on the Mid-Autumn Festival one year, and I have seen it before." The people around put up river lanterns, with lotus leaves, lotus flowers, cranes and egrets...all of them are very beautiful."

Cao Yong remembered that in the early years in Jiangning, he used to go to the riverside to set off river lanterns every Hungry Ghost Festival, and the waves and oars on the Qinhuai River appeared in front of his eyes, bustling with hustle and bustle. Son, looking at the lanterns on the Qinhuai River is too beautiful!"

Chu Yu couldn't help being fascinated when she heard this, and thought about it cheerfully, but when she turned to thinking about when she would be able to visit the south, she felt a little disappointed.

Cao Yong smiled and squeezed her little hand: "It's late today, and it's snowing again. It's not a joke to be frozen. The errands in the ministry are almost over tomorrow. I'll come back early. Let's Go to the Lantern City to see the lights!"

Chu Yu's eyes were bright, she looked at Cao Yong with a smile, and couldn't help nodding.Suddenly remembered something, frowned again, opened the curtains of the car, looked at the small snowflakes outside, shook his head and said: "It hasn't snowed much this winter, but there are snowflakes floating around in the spring" It doesn’t look like much now, but I don’t know what will happen tomorrow!”

Cao Yong couldn't help but patted her on the head: "Don't be afraid, as long as they come out of the stall tomorrow, even if it snows, let's take an umbrella to see."

Chu Yu let out a "huh" and remembered something: "Then go back and ask someone to take out the thickest woolen clothes, and prepare them for tomorrow!"

*
The snow stopped after a while, and it was sunny on the sixteenth day of the first lunar month.

After the audit of Fujian's lost accounts was completed, Cao Yong and Fu Xiangong took the final accounts and handed them over to Li Qichang, a doctor.After a general review by Li Qichang, it was sent to Peng Zhu, Wucheng's relief millet, to prepare for the grain adjustment. The errands of Cao Yong and the others were considered over.Because everyone has been busy these days, and there is not so much work now, Li Qichang told them to go back earlier.

Cao Yong came out of the ministry early, went back to the house, walked to the entrance of the alley, and met Ning Chun coming from there.

Ning Chun greeted him from afar, urged his horse to come closer and said with a smile, "I'm coming from your house, so I'm a step late."

Cao Yong smiled and said: "It's not too late, please ask Brother Jingming to drive around and have a cup of tea at the mansion."

"No!" Ning Chun waved his hand, "I just brought some lamps here for you and the princess to enjoy!"

Cao Yong wondered: "What kind of lamp did you send it yourself?"

Ning Chundao: "The new clever work of the Lantern Festival in the ministry is a revolving lantern. Yesterday I paid tribute to the palace, and the dragon and face were very happy, and many people got rewards!" Seeing Cao Yong frown, he couldn't help laughing: "Don't look like that , Can I bring you the tribute items? As an older brother, I still need you to worry about these things? It's the same, but not as particular as in the palace. The materials and beads are not overstepped, but they are also extremely fine. Originally, I left eight lamps for you and Yongqing to split in half, but then I remembered that his family can’t hang them in filial piety, so I brought them all for you, or hang them in your own home, or keep them as gifts!”

Cao Yong smiled and thanked: "Then I should invite you over for a drink!"

Ning Chun shook his head with a smile, leaned closer to Cao Yong, and said in a low voice: "I just got the letter today, Qiu Niang is pregnant, I'm going to see her before I go home!"

Cao Yong hurriedly congratulated him, and said: "In the past two days, I will ask Zijing to deliver things, and if there is a need, I will ask my sister-in-law to send someone to my house to look for it!"

Ning Chun said: "I have to trouble you here." He poked Cao Yong again, with a smirk on his face: "Is there any movement over there, brother and sister, huh?"

The wedding was less than one month old, Cao Yong endured embarrassment, and said that because the princess was young, he was afraid that she would be in danger during childbirth, so he wanted to ask Ning Chun for a contraceptive method.

Ning Chun was puzzled, and frowned: "Now it's New Years Eve, and the Princess is sixteen, still young? Besides, there are some prescriptions in Fireworks Lane, but I dare not take them carelessly. It's no big deal for this woman to have a baby. I advise you, stop thinking about it! Even if you are not in a hurry, uncle and aunt still want to have a grandson!"

Cao Yong shook his head, Ning Chun saw that he didn't want to say these things, so he interrupted: "There is one more thing you have to congratulate me, brother is going to be promoted recently!"

Cao Yong hurriedly asked for details, and Ning Chun replied that a director of the Ministry of Industry was begging for a rest because of illness, and the above approved it, so he worked a bit to find this vacancy.Cao Yong is another congratulations.Ning Chun smiled and asked him to have a drink another day, then left.

The revolving lanterns sent by Ning Chun were indeed very exquisite. Chu Yu saw them presented by the Ministry of Industry in the palace during the Lantern Festival, and she liked them at first, but now she is very happy to see them.

Chu Yu took out four and packed them separately, and asked someone to send two to Prince Ping's Mansion, two to Jueluo Mansion, and find a suitable place for the remaining four to hang up. The servant girl came to treat her to dinner, so she was willing to move.

After dinner, the young couple put on thick clothes and took a carriage to the Lantern Market in Fengsheng Hutong.

At that time, the largest lantern market in Beijing was not in the west of the city, but in the east of the city, at Dongsi Pailou and Chongwen Street, where the entire street was probably full of fireworks and lights, while Fengsheng Hutong was smaller. There are many, and there are relatively few colored lights and fireworks.

Even so, Chu Yu watched with relish.She looked at the stalls one by one, and found many things she had never seen before, and felt very novel.When Cao Yong saw that there were some items that were well-made and that Chu Yu showed his liking, he immediately paid for them and bought them.

On the return journey, the carriage was already loaded with a small amount of various things.There are also some very ordinary workmanship, but unique and interesting small lanterns. Although Chu Yu said that she would give them to her younger brothers and sisters to play with when she went back to Prince Chun's Mansion, she couldn't put it down now, and she held them and played with them repeatedly. .

Until returning to the Cao Mansion, Chu Yu was still immersed in a happy state, her little face was flushed, she didn't know whether it was cold or excited, and her eyes were full of joy.

Seeing that Cao Yong couldn't help being moved, the young couple here turned off the lights and settled down. On the same night, in Jiangning, thousands of miles away, someone was struggling to survive or die.

*
Jiangning, Cao's West Mansion.

"Ah..." A woman's miserable cry spread far and wide in the quiet night.

Not every mother looks forward to the early birth of her child, just like Lu Mei at this moment.

As early as June last year, she moved from the original small south courtyard to the courtyard at the edge of the garden at the back, and she never showed her face in front of people again, and her maid Fuyun and a nanny surnamed Jia also was sent home.

Cao Quan wrote clearly in the thank you post to Lu Daotai, "deeply impressed" by her intentions, but now that Lu Mei has entered the door of the Cao family, she doesn't need the servants of the Lu family.

The Cao family is not easy to bully, Cao Yin recovers from illness, Cao Yong will marry Gege from the prince's mansion, who will come to trouble at this time?Originally, they arranged for Lu Mei to enter Cao's house, but because Cao Yin was seriously ill, they wanted to stir up trouble with Cao Quan and plan the Cao family's property.It would be best if it could be won over, even if you can't win over someone who knows the basics, you can find a way to deal with it.In fact, after Cao Yong attacked the capital and returned to Jiangning, they wanted to change their minds and used this "beauty trick" on Cao Yong, but they did not dare to do it because they were afraid of going to the king of Chunjun.

Because Lu Daotai had offended the Cao family, he was naturally terrified and asked Gali for advice.

Gali also hated the Cao family because of the loss of those people in May, but what if he hated it?He was only favored by the emperor, and the wind and water flowed smoothly for more than ten years. The governor and governor worked together to gain some power, but the Cao family had been relied on by Kangxi for fifty years.

When he first arrived in Jiangnan, it wasn't that he didn't have the Cao family's idea, and he also took the matter of impeaching the Cao and Li families for encroaching on state funds and making friends with the prince and elder brother in private.

Kangxi suppressed Mingzhe, and replied to Gali's instructions, only saying that he knew everything, but also said that he would ask Cao Yin about this matter when he went to Beijing.

As a result, before Cao Yin arrived in Beijing, the imperial decree to elevate his title had already been sent to Jiangnan.After Cao Yin went to Beijing for a stroll, well, he became the prince's in-laws.The eldest daughter is the emperor Fujin, and the eldest son is the son-in-law of the emperor's grandson. Who in the south of the Yangtze River can shake the Cao family?
Fortunately, Cao Yin was dying of illness, and Gali was relieved: Cao Yong had already raised the flag, and Cao Yong would not succeed his father; after Cao Yin left, only Cao Yong was left in the Cao family. Cao Quan is mediocre, who can take the lead?It was because of contempt that he would allow his son to plot against all the jewel merchants who came to the south of the Yangtze River. It may have been with the intention of killing two birds with one stone, but it failed disastrously.

After the incident in Wangfengzhuang, Gali and Gandu father and son were very shocked by Cao Yong's viciousness, and began to privately investigate the behavior and temperament of the eldest son of the Cao family, but the more they investigated, the more confused they became.Except for the summer of the 40th year of Kangxi, when it was rumored that he was abducted for two months, he had been living in Jiangning before entering Beijing, but he rarely appeared in front of the world.After entering Beijing, he first had disputes with the disciples of Guo Luoluo's family, and then fought with the disciples of Xianghuang Banner outside the Great Wall. As a result, he was promoted step by step.

The Cao family stood behind the emperor, and Ga Li had no choice but to recognize this.In addition, the governor Zhang Boxing has a good relationship with the admiral now, and there is a faint tendency to take him as the governor aside. He is a little bit burnt out, so he can't take care of the Cao family.

The governor is afraid of the Cao family, how could Lu Daotai have the courage to provoke?He already regretted it very much, why did he let the higher-ups take Cao's idea because of his greed for a while.No matter how emotional he was, he avoided mentioning Lu Mei from now on, as if he had never had this marriage at all.

Just like that, Lu Mei completely cut off the outside news.She was imprisoned in the yard next to the garden, guarded by two healthy servants, and it passed like this for half a year.

Lu Mei has a ghost in her heart, of course she knows that Dong Chuang's incident happened, but she relies on the fact that she has the Cao family's flesh and blood in her stomach, and Cao Quan is a lustful person, so she wants to beg him.Cao Quan didn't know how to face her, except for the initial inquiry, he didn't want to step into the courtyard again.

Lu Mei went on a hunger strike, trying to control Cao Quan with the child in her stomach, but she only got a bowl of medicine in exchange.Cao Quan asked her mother-in-law to pass on a message to her. If she didn't want the child, she could drink medicine to save the child from suffering in the world.

Lu Mei couldn't express her remorse, but no one would listen to her. She knew that Cao Quan hadn't dealt with him so far, and she might be looking at her because he was his own flesh and blood.She gradually lost weight and remained motionless all day long, unable to think of any way to survive the crisis.After the Mid-Autumn Festival, I heard from the two healthy women who guarded her that Mr. Gao from the Eastern Mansion came to visit his wife and gave the infant fourth girl some greetings.

"Gao Taijun", "Li Shi", thinking of the two of them, Lu Mei finally had some hope.She is just a poor girl who was born in a brothel and didn't know her father's surname. She was raised as a cash cow since she was a child, so why did she do any heinous things?

In the next few months, she kept looking for opportunities to escape, and believed that as long as she arrived at the East Mansion, she would naturally seek asylum, but she still failed to do so.As her belly got bigger and bigger, she became more and more anxious and panicked.

In the mansion, Lu Mei is not the only one suffering, but Zhao Jia's is also having a hard time.Not to mention the birth of a daughter, the relationship with her husband was not harmonious, and the second room was moved to the backyard as if it was a treasure.Although no one in the mansion dared to chew their tongues in person, it was inevitable to gossip in private.

Zhao Jia couldn't swallow this breath, and wanted to find trouble with Lu Mei, but he couldn't even enter the courtyard door.Although the two nuns were servants of the Cao family, they were called by Cao Quan from the weaving mansion, and they did not buy into this "second wife".

(End of this chapter)