Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 173 Reckless Thirteen

When Cao Yong urged his horse to reach Xizhimen, the concubine's car had already left the city, and the city gate was closed again from a distance.

The fourth elder brother squinted his eyes. The concubine's trip will inevitably arouse the suspicion of interested people, and it may cause new panic. It seems that the inner city needs to strengthen its vigilance.

The third elder brother had a different thought, originally thought it would be a decent thing for the elder brother to stay in Beijing to be the chief executive, but now it seems that he has become an abandoned son.

Cao Yong looked at the city gate that was gradually closing, and then at the two men in python robes under the city gate. He didn't come any closer. When everyone didn't pay attention to this side, he turned his horse's head and walked aimlessly. walking.

"Young master?" Seeing his silence, Wei Bai was a little worried: "Where are we going, if you are tired, you should go back home first!"

Cao Yong shook his head, did not speak.

For the next half a day, Cao Yong put his energy on his errands, and the people who led the infantry battalion went through the people who had found the epidemic patients again.In the four mortuaries, the number of new deaths was counted, and the areas that need to be strictly guarded were delineated by district and area.I went to Prince Ciyong's mansion again, and handed over the various figures, conclusions and suggestions I got to the fourth elder brother, asking him to make a decision.

At the end of the day, it was like a revolving lantern, and there was no free time for a moment.Until late at night, Cao Yongfang returned home.In order to be prepared, Cao Yong asked someone to sort out two rooms beside the concierge since he went out to check the epidemic.Whether he himself or the few who went out with him, he would take a shower and change clothes here every day when he came back.

After Cao Yong took a bath, his hair was loose and his robe was tightly tightened, his expression was a little depressed.

He walked very slowly, and didn't want to go back to Wutong Garden for a while, and it was really difficult to put on a smile in his current mood.

There was a light in the study in the front hall, Cao Yong quickly walked in a few steps, and Mr. Zhuang was there.He stood in front of the desk, looking down at something.No matter what his status is, Cao Yong has gradually regarded him as a teacher and friend in the past two years, and he wants to talk to him when he is depressed like today.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Zhuang Xi raised his head, smiled and said to Cao Yong: "Yong'er is back, if you have time, how about having a drink with the old man?"

Cao Yong noticed that there was a table on the kang next to him, with some wine and vegetables and two plates of noodles on it.Warming up to the aroma of wine and vegetables, Cao Yongfang remembered that he hadn't touched a drop of water for most of the day, and he was already hungry.

After asking Mr. Zhuang to sit first, Cao Yong also sat cross-legged. He raised the jug to fill Mr. Zhuang and himself, and then raised it up: "Sir, Cao Yong will toast you first!" To the mouth, raised his head and drank it all in one gulp.

Although he usually doesn't like things in the cup, Cao Yong feels much more comfortable at the moment. He just feels that the wine melts into the stomach and intestines hotly along his throat, dispelling the chill all over his body.

He filled the wine glasses of the two of them again, and said to Mr. Zhuang with a smile: "I can't blame the world for loving this glass so much, it is indeed a good thing!"

His smile couldn't hide his frustration, couldn't hide his sadness, Mr. Zhuang sighed in his heart, and said: "Yong'er is like this, he has already made a decision!"

Cao Yong put down the jug, nodded slowly, and said with a bit of helplessness: "Although I have planned this for a long time, it is not as urgent as this, but after so much, I am a little timid! I am afraid that one day I will I can't help it, I'm afraid I'll get hotheaded and can't control myself, say or do something 'inappropriate', if it hurts my family, it's too late to regret it!"

Mr. Zhuang shook his head: "Yong'er, why do you have to suffer? Although this epidemic was discovered late, it has been under control since then, and it is not as terrible as before. It is mostly due to you. You You’ve done your best, so don’t think too much about it!”

Cao Yong drank another glass of wine and said: "I don't want to, it's meaningless to think about it anymore! I just want to do this job well now, and control the epidemic as soon as possible. It's better than anything to save a few people from dying! As for I myself am about to ask my husband for advice, I can’t stay in this capital city, I can’t go back to Jiangnan, this world is big, but I’m like a duckweed, I don’t know where I’m going!”

"Since Yong'er has planned for a long time, do you have any concerns in your heart?" Mr. Zhuang asked.

"If it's true, I want to go to Guangdong to see and see. It's just that my parents are old now. As a son, I can't worry about them when they go so far away. The rest are Shandong, Henan and Guangdong. Huguang is closer to Jiangnan, I haven't thought about where to go!" Cao Yong replied.

Mr. Zhuang nodded: "It's rare that Yong'er is so filial. All good filial piety comes first. You are so filial, and you can consider your parents and relatives in advance. It's really not easy! Where should these three places be and where should be? Be clear about the official disputes in each province before making a decision. On the capital side, Yong’er has to finish it properly. After this epidemic, plus the matter of besieging the ten prince’s mansion, I’m afraid you will be branded as the fourth prince! Although his ability is not low, he has rarely participated in power struggles these years, so he is considered an 'lonely' elder brother. Even if his reserve position is not stable now, it is not easy for him to rise to the top position."

"Sir, what's your opinion of the fourth elder brother?" Cao Yong couldn't help being a little surprised, but then he was relieved, not only Mr. Zhuang, but many people think of the fourth elder brother in this way.Is it because the fourth elder brother has no intention of seizing the reserve at this time, or is he pretending too well?

Mr. Zhuang pondered for a while and said: "From the perspective of the old man, although the fourth elder brother is not as favored as the younger elder brothers these years, he is not as popular as the third elder brother and the eighth elder brother, he can indeed be called a practical elder brother. Just looking at his methods in the Ministry of Household Affairs, it is a bit harsh, completely different from the generosity of Wansui, I am afraid that Wansui will find it hard to admit it!"

Cao Yong listened, and couldn't help but want to refute Mr. Zhuang. If the fourth elder brother was also "generous" and "extensively merciful" in the household department, I am afraid that Kangxi is not only a problem that is difficult to recognize, but it is hard to say whether he can accommodate this son.However, these are just thoughts, I am not interested in fighting for success, nor in revealing the true face of the fourth elder brother, so as to set a "hurdle" for him.

Cao Yong smiled casually: "I'm just here for an errand. If I get slandered because of this, then I really don't say anything. Anyway, I don't plan to stay in Beijing, whether it's the fourth elder brother or the other elder brothers, how can we get along with each other?" Opportunity? I just learn from my father and do things in a down-to-earth manner, and let him do the rest! When my parents are [-] years old, I will resign from office and become a rich man!"

Mr. Zhuang disapproved all over his face: "How big is Yong'er? Although he shouldn't be young, he dare not lose his aggressive spirit!"

Cao Yong smiled: "I'm just saying that, how can I do everything as I like? I can't say that I will be appointed as a minister in the future, and I will leave a name in history!"

The two drank a pot of wine, and Cao Yong's mood gradually calmed down.This capital city is really difficult, I just hope that God will rain a few more times to ease the drought and curb the epidemic.

Cao Yong didn't know if there was only a wry smile left. A good atheist actually pinned his hope on God.

The departure of the concubine made the atmosphere in the inner city strange, and various rumors began to arise.Every day, more and more people go to the Nine Gates to find opportunities to leave the city, and many of them are Prince Baylor.

After supporting him for two days, he couldn't stand it any longer. There was nothing he could do, so he had to ask for help like the third and fourth elder brothers.Where does the third elder brother get his hands on?The fourth elder brother had to keep an eye on the epidemic situation in the outer city again, and finally the thirteenth elder brother came forward.

On May [-]th, the youngest elder brother of San Age's mansion died of illness; on May [-]th, Zhang Yushu, a university scholar who had been bedridden for half a month, died of illness.These two, one is the emperor's grandson and the other is the prime minister, but they both died of the epidemic.

The third elder brother didn't know if he was really sick, or he wanted to take the opportunity to get rid of the relationship, so he directly reported his illness, stayed at the mansion and didn't come out, ignoring everything.

Although the number of deaths in the inner city is decreasing and the epidemic prevention effect is very good, no one believes that the epidemic will pass.Not only the rich and powerful families wanted to leave the city, but even the wealthier common people clamored to leave the city for refuge. More and more people waited for the opportunity at the gate of the city every day, and it seemed impossible to disperse them.

The manpower of the Nine Gates of the Inner City has already increased by three or four times, but the atmosphere is still getting more and more tense.On May [-], the taut string finally broke, and a conflict broke out at Deshengmen.

The situation was very critical at that time, and about a few hundred civilians stormed the city gate, wanting to leave the city.The officers and soldiers guarding the gate drank several times, but they still did not retreat.During the pushing and shoving, two people were pushed to the ground by the officers and soldiers. They did not know whether they were really injured or did it on purpose. They just lay on the ground and wailed.

Thirteen elder brothers got the news and when they brought people over, the scene was already in chaos.If it were ordinary people, where would they have such courage?The thirteenth elder brother saw that there were many young and strong servants among them, so he knew that this was someone with a heart to fuel the flames.

His original intolerance towards the people turned into anger, and he immediately ordered the officers and soldiers to surround the crowd, and sternly ordered them to disperse immediately, otherwise they would be convicted of treason.

Due to the large number of people, everyone held the idea that "the law does not blame the crowd". Except for a few people who obeyed orders and left, most of the others were waiting and watching, and some were still clamoring to leave the city for fear of chaos.

Elder Brother Thirteen was irritated by their yelling, how could he be in the mood to present the facts and reason with them, knowing that if this matter is not severely punished, there will be more and more people thinking about getting lucky tomorrow and later, everyone His courage is getting bigger and bigger. If he can block the city gate today, there may not be any trouble tomorrow, and the consequences will be disastrous.

The thirteenth elder brother directly ordered that the dozen or so people who made the most noise and led the trouble be taken down, and beheaded mercilessly in public.

No matter how far the head rolled, the plasma splashed all over the place, and the scene was immediately silent.

Brother Thirteen also asked people to send these heads to the other eight city gates, and hang them on high poles to deter people who are about to move. , all like this, kill without mercy.

When Cao Yong heard about it, there was no one in front of the Nine Gates, except for a few heads hanging on high poles.He couldn't help admiring Elder Brother Thirteen. With such courage, if it were someone else, even if he wanted it, he might not be able to do it!This is indeed an effective method. In this way, even if some people are still unwilling to settle down, they will not dare to take the idea of ​​trespassing out of the city easily.

While admiring him, Cao Yong was a little worried about the thirteenth brother. He heard that among the people whose heads had been cut off, there were three yellow belts—one Enxi Guogong and two Enxi Fengen Generals. After the epidemic is over, no one may be willing to reward Brother Thirteen's contribution, but someone will definitely come forward to denounce this crime.

*
Thinking of this point, Cao Yong is not the only one who is worried about the thirteenth elder brother. At this time, the fourth elder brother is anxiously admonishing the thirteenth elder brother: "Even if you want to kill one to warn others, you don't have to use such a ruthless hand. More than a dozen Human life, Thirteenth Brother, even if you have a great contribution, it will not be worth it!"

The thirteenth elder brother just smiled: "Fourth brother, don't worry, my younger brother is not afraid, and my younger brother does not care about the credit of this trouble!"

The fourth elder brother shook his head and was very dissatisfied with his attitude: "Hurry up and write a confession paper, and I will come up with a way to explain the matter clearly before others sue. Be sure to explain clearly that the situation is urgent. There is no other way to do this!"

The thirteenth elder brother was silent for a long time, and Fang slowly said: "The matter has come to this point, does the fourth brother think it is necessary to do this? We have never guessed Huang Ama's thoughts, but he thinks he is talking about 'benevolence' Character."

The fourth elder brother understood the meaning of the thirteenth elder brother's words, no matter what the reason was, someone must be responsible for this matter, to protect the dignity of the emperor's father "Renjun".He closed his eyes wearily, then opened them again quickly, and said seriously: "In this case, I will write the confession paper. You are an idle brother, and you have no errands. I invited you out and let you You stick to the city gate! You just obeyed my arrangement, and it's not your fault! These two days, you just stay in the mansion in peace and do your business, everything is up to me."

The thirteenth elder brother suddenly stood up from his seat and said loudly: "Fourth brother, is my brother still a child? My brother knows what to do, what can't I do?! Since I chose to do this, my brother has nothing to regret Complaining! I won't push all these to the fourth brother!"

"Old Thirteen!!" The fourth elder brother's voice was also a bit annoyed: "Why are you stubborn? Is this a time of anger? Could it be that you want Huang Ama to keep you cold for another ten or eight years, or even... You're only satisfied with... even encircling you?"

"Fourth brother, the younger brother asks you, if you change the fourth brother in today's situation, how will the fourth brother deal with it?" The thirteenth brother stared into the fourth brother's eyes and said.

The fourth elder brother was stunned, and said solemnly: "Even if there is only this way, it should be done by me as an elder brother. After all, I still have an errand to supervise the epidemic, and at most it is just an errand to pay a fine and go to the household department! "

"What have I been afraid of? What else is there to be afraid of?" The thirteenth elder brother's voice was full of anger and excitement, "Why can't I do it if the fourth brother can do it? Is it possible that the fourth brother is like others and also treats me Treat this out-of-favor elder brother as trash?"

"Thirteenth brother..." The fourth elder brother finally sighed and didn't say any more.

The thirteenth brother turned his head and looked out the window. The clouds in the sky were getting closer. It seemed that it was going to rain again.
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(End of this chapter)