Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 280 Loyalty

Yimeng stretches for [-] miles. If there are high mountains, steep slopes, and steep mountains, Guimengding, one of the main peaks of Mengshan Mountain, must be counted.The huge rocks and cliffs are three hundred feet high, and it looks really majestic.

Although there are many bandits gathered on the 72nd Peak and 36th Cave of Yimeng, no one dares to go to the boundary of Guimengding, because this is the most famous group of heroes in Yimeng Mountain.

Of course, these heroes would not foolishly arrange their nests on the top of the mountain. In that case, if officers and soldiers surrounded the mountain, they would become dumplings and be served in a pot.It's just that the place where they live has always been kept secret and not known to outsiders, so everyone only knows that it's in Guimengding.

This group of heroes, the leader is surnamed Qin, named Bajia, and there is a bandit named "Qin Huzi". He is a good man who donates money and is very famous in Yimeng Mountain.He has two sworn brothers, one surnamed Liu, named Guotai, who is a talented scholar, and the second head of the family; the other, surnamed Zhang, named Jiang Hu, is the third head of the family, the original boss of Guimeng, and has always been known for his bravery.

Except for Liu Guotai who has always had a high vision and has not yet married a wife or concubine, both Qin Bajia and Zhang Jianghu have already married wives and had children.

This day was the [-]th day of the first lunar month, because they said they had something to do, Qin Boss and Zhang Laosan set off down the mountain before dawn.Liu Laoer stayed at the cottage because of his discomfort and did not go with him.

Although Zhang Jianghu's wife, Guan Shi, grew up in the mountains, but because her natal father knew a few words, she taught her daughter very carefully. Not to mention her bound feet, she was also extremely virtuous, and looked like a good family. Woman, who would have thought that she would be a bandit woman.

After breakfast, Guan thought of his uncle who was not feeling well, so he went to the kitchen specially, and made a small pot of warm meat porridge with minced pheasant breast meat and rice.

After the food box was installed, she was thinking about who to order to send food to the second uncle, when she heard a woman say: "Third grandma, it would be a pity if it was delivered to the second uncle. The eldest grandma also sent food to the second uncle in the morning." I cooked the porridge and delivered it myself.”

The grandma that the mother-in-law was talking about was Qin Bajia's house-filling Luo Shi, who was much younger than Guan Shi, and married into the mountains the year before last.

Mrs. Guan heard that Mrs. Luo was on the other side, thinking that she had the demeanor of a sister-in-law and was so considerate to others, so she smiled and said to the old lady: "Since the grandma is over there, I will send it over there by myself." I happen to be looking for my sister-in-law to talk too!" As he spoke, he picked up the food box and went to Liu Guotai's residence.

The woman who spoke just now wanted to dissuade her, but was stopped by a young daughter-in-law: "Mother, don't worry, we can take care of these things?"

The woman looked melancholy, and after a while, Fang said: "The third grandma is a good person!"

After entering Liu Guotai's courtyard and walking to the corridor, Mrs. Guan put down the food box and was about to call for someone when she heard a woman's tender moaning from inside the room.

Guan was taken aback, even if he hadn't seen it in person, but after all, he had been married for ten years, even a fool could hear what was going on.She was so frightened that she felt her body was stiff and she didn't dare to move; the little girl wanted to jump out of her throat with a "plop", "plop".The woman's voice in this room is clearly the eldest grandma Luo Shi.

Not to mention how happy the two people in the room were, but the Guan family outside the room was so pale with fright, and almost lost his wits, one of them couldn't stand still, and almost fell to the ground, he hurriedly supported the door frame, but accidentally made a sound Come.

All kinds of noises in the room stopped immediately, and Liu Guotai asked: "Who, which one is outside?"

Seeing such insidiousness, how could Mrs. Guan dare to respond, she couldn't be more scruples, and ran out of the yard with a blushing face.

When Liu Guotai opened the door with his clothes on, the yard was already empty. Just as he was about to close the door and go back to the house, he saw a lacquered food box on the porch.He was slightly taken aback, and bent over to lift it up, without panicking.

Luo Shi is very young, only about twenty years old, and said in a soft voice: "My friend, come here to coax slaves. Is it really a fool to be a slave? Qin Boss and Zhang Laosan are just paper tigers." , except for the few around them, aren't everyone else being subdued by the master? If not, what is the master doing so diligently in running Rizhao, the official fan of the master..."

Liu Guotai laughed twice, hugged Luo Shi's waist, pointed to the food box on the table, and said, "I told her to hear, she is a decent person..."

Luo Shi followed Liu Guotai's arm and looked at the lacquered flower food box. She had seen this thing before, and Dang even was stunned, and asked a little uneasily: "How can this be good? Husband and wife are united, she appointed to be together Zhang Laosan said go."

Liu Guotai replied: "Don't worry, Zhang Laosan went to Jinan Mansion with Qin Boss, and it will take about ten days to go back and forth. At that time, I have come up with all kinds of ideas. I got an emergency and fell down. A somersault is not guaranteed."

Although Luo Shi does not obey women's morals, she is a woman's family after all, so she is somewhat kind. Hearing this, it seemed that Liu Guotai wanted to kill her, and murmured: "Sister Guan's family is a good person. She has taken care of the slave family for the past two years. It is also very good for our little treasure."

Liu Guotai said with a smile: "What a great way? Make you not afraid of mistakes, let her go."

Luo Shi replied: "Mother of the Nu family didn't come early, no one taught me since I was a child, the elder sister of the Guan family is kind-hearted and treats people well, and the Nu family treats her like a relative in my heart."

Seeing that Liu Guotai didn't seem to change his mind, Luo Shi became a little anxious, and said softly: "If the master is worried, then get close to the sister of the Guan family. Zhang Laosan is a reckless man, and he is not used to being sympathetic. If you like whoring, you only think of a virtuous woman as a yellow-faced woman."

Liu Guotai jokingly said: "You are becoming more and more like a big woman. If you want to find a mistress for me, you won't feel sore? But she is not beautiful, and she is also older, which makes me feel embarrassed."

Seeing that he was about to relax, Luo Shi said softly: "Master, the sister of the Guan family has an ordinary face, but she has a good skin and flesh, and she is very good. I will not let the master suffer. This 'Lushui couple' is made, and she I have a ghost in my heart, I can only help us cover it up, how dare I mention it again..."

……

When Mrs. Guan returned to her yard, she saw the maid Xinghua playing in the yard with her two children.The two children were wearing thick leather jackets. When they saw Mrs. Guan coming back, they all came to hug her. One said "Mother, I want to eat jujube honey", and the other said "I want to eat too".

The eldest, five years old, is a daughter; the youngest, three years old, is a son, both of whom are from the Guan family.Seeing her siblings blushing, Guan said to Xinghua: "It's cold after all, even if they are naughty, they have to wait until the sun is brighter at noon before going out to play."

Xinghua agreed, and seeing Guan's complexion, she asked, "What's wrong with Grandma? But you feel uncomfortable? Would you like to ask Second Master to come over and have a look?"

Guan's face froze, he squeezed out a smile, and said, "What are you talking about? Second Master...Second Master is still sick, why do you torment him? I just didn't rest well last night, and I'm a little tired. I have to go Lie down in the room for a while, and you take them two to play in the east room." Then, he touched the little heads of his daughter and son, and lifted the curtain to enter the room.

It wasn't until she was lying on the kang that Guan took a deep breath.I really didn't expect that there was such a thing in the village?And two of them, one is Luo Shi who has always been shy, and the other is Liu Guotai who is full of manners.

These two people do not see any relationship with the "adulter's wife" in their daily activities.

She remembered Liu Guotai's words "our son" again, and thought about Luo's origin, but it was Boss Qin and Liu Guotai who brought him into the mountain together.Because Boss Qin liked it, he made Boss Qin's house filling.

Could it be that she and Liu Guotai had been in love for a long time, but they were separated?
Guan's heart is kind, and when he thinks about others, he always thinks well, and when he gets in touch with Luo's usually not very talkative, Liu Guotai is still unmarried, so he somewhat complains about Boss Qin's arbitrariness in seizing love, making lovers unable to have family members.

Although it is sympathy, chastity is the most important thing for women in this world. Now that she is married to Boss Qin and has an ending with Liu Guotai, she is not abiding by women's morals.

Guan shi sighed inwardly, feeling that Luo shi's life was miserable, he was so confused that he forgot about the food box, and didn't know that his height was calculated by those two "hard-fated people"...

*
In Yizhou City, in the Daotai Mansion.

Cao Yong looked at the court's Dibao, and now the court is busy with Jiazi Wanshou.In addition to the Xunchen and their families from other provinces who came to the capital to celebrate their birthdays, there are also many old people over the age of 65 who come to Beijing to celebrate their birthdays. The same is true for the old woman, who wants to go to Beijing to pay her respects to the Empress Dowager.Among them, these "renrui" who are over 70 and 80 years old have to be sent to Beijing without delay.

For the folk elders in other provinces, those who are over 80 years old must also be counted by each province, waiting for the imperial court's reward.

Kangxi, who was about to pass his Jiazi birthday, finally admitted that he was an "old man". Such a big show of kindness came to show his "benevolence and righteousness" as a king, and let the world know that "prosperity and peace" are all created by him, a "Ming Jun". give.

Cao Yong watched, but could not help shaking his head.Although later generations have heard of the "Thousand Old Man Banquet" held in the Qing Palace, they thought it was an old man in the capital, but they didn't expect this torment to be quite widespread.The road is rough and the cars and horses are exhausted. These eight or 90-year-old birthday stars may not be blessed to enjoy the "grace" of the emperor, and they may die halfway.

Mr. Zhuang also saw this, and seeing Cao Yong's expression, he knew that he did not agree with the court's behavior of wasting people and money, but he didn't say anything.Now, it is the end of the first lunar month, and although the announcement from the Ministry of Rites has only just been issued, the appointments of the provinces have already been activated.

After Cao Yong shook his head, Fang knew he wanted to go left.

If it is an old man from the Zhili area of ​​the capital, there may be people from ordinary families; those old people from other provinces who come to Beijing to celebrate their birthdays must be the old masters, old princes, etc. of official families.

The number of places is limited, where will it be the turn of ordinary people?I'm afraid that people from all over the province will regard it as an "unrivaled honor" and squeeze their heads, sending old parents to Beijing.

Along the way, it is natural to serve him properly, otherwise he would not earn face, and if he was called "Ding You", then he would be a fool.

Thinking about it this way, Cao Yong felt that it was very boring, so he put the mansion report on the book case.Thinking of their parents who are going to Beijing to celebrate their birthday, they will leave Jiangning in mid-February.

Thinking of the cumbersome exchanges between the various prefectures in the capital, Cao Yong felt a little fortunate. It seems that it is good for parents to live in the south of the Yangtze River, at least they don't have to greet people all the time.

If it is in the capital, even though Cao Yin is an uncle, there are countless people with higher status than him. Even if he sees a baby of the royal family, he has to give him a gift; , only standing and talking.

After reading the mansion newspaper, Mr. Zhuang recalled what Cao Yong had sent to Rizhao two days ago, and asked, "Fu Ruo, the matter of Baoquan Temple still needs to be carefully planned and planned, and it must be very careful."

Cao Yong smiled and replied: "I have to entrust this to Mr., it's not a sneaky thing, it's just to avoid tongues. If I'm not afraid that they are timid and dare not enter the hall, I would have wanted to meet them in the yamen."

Mr. Zhuang said: "Although this is the case, we must prevent them from jumping over the wall in a hurry and have their own thoughts. In a few days, it is estimated that the message from Rizhao's side will reach the mountain, and we will send two people to Mengyin to watch Let’s see. How many people go down the mountain, it’s better to have a count in your heart, so that if there is a commotion, Fu Ruo will be fine, but it’s not good to hurt the people or make other excuses.”

Cao Yongdao: "I would like to ask you to arrange it, sir. If you think about it, you won't come too much, but it's just to explore the way. Let's keep our home on the ground, and they should be the ones who are afraid of it."

Mr. Zhuang nodded, stroked his beard and said: "These days, people have been sent to investigate several counties near Yimeng. Qin Bajia is the leader of a bandit in Yimeng Mountain. I heard that he is very loyal. If he can be made to vote , There must be a lot of followers. At that time, we still need to think of a safe way, so as not to be considered by the green camp as taking their credit and accumulating old grudges."

Cao Yong thought of the finger puller who had been sent to Hongmen with Mr. Zhuang's secret letter, and was a little puzzled. If Qin Bajia really had something to do with Hongmen, why would he want to vote for the government?If it doesn't matter, then how can they rely on the Du family's token to make friends?
He expressed his confusion, and Mr. Zhuang said with a smile: "Whether he has anything to do with Hongmen or not, he still needs to fill his stomach to survive. It is also Furuo's credit to force them to voluntarily surrender. It is not just Qin Ba. On A’s side, I’m afraid it’s the Bandit Village in the Yimeng Mountains, it’s better to talk about those with fewer people, and make plans for those with more people.”

Cao Yong suddenly realized, patted his forehead and said: "So that's the reason! No wonder I felt something was wrong earlier, these bandits wanted to surrender too sincerely. Earlier, they thought that they saw Du's family was detained and were afraid of being wiped out, so they planned first Yes. Thinking about it now, if they were so cowardly, they wouldn’t have occupied Yimeng Mountain for these years. Eight hundred miles away from Yimeng, if there’s a guerrilla attack, those green camps are just given for nothing, so what’s so scary!”

Mr. Zhuang's contribution to Cao Yong refers to the "real-name system" for rice purchases implemented in Yizhou at the end of March, in order to prevent folks from hoarding rice grains.As long as you buy more than one stone of rice noodles at the grain store, you must register your name and address, and the county government will supervise the matter every quarter.

After the civil unrest in Tai'an, the governor's yamen knew that Yizhou relied on this method to prevent the people from hoarding grain and driving up grain prices, so they implemented it in the whole Shandong province, and the effect was very significant.

(End of this chapter)