Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 287 Visiting the Golden Gate Suspected Students
The news of the Cao family's father and son's entry to Beijing may attract the attention of interested people, but the third elder brother, Prince Cheng, didn't take it seriously at first.It was the time when the spring breeze was proud of him. On the ninth day of the lunar new year, he respectfully invited him to Xingwang Garden for a banquet.The family relationship between father and son was very happy during the dinner.

The reserve position is in vain, and as the leader of the princes who have the opportunity to obtain the great treasure, how can the third elder brother have no idea?It's just that he has read a lot of Confucian classics, and he always seeks safety and is unwilling to act lightly, so as not to become the first bird, become the target of criticism from his brothers, and end up being circled like the two brothers who were punished.

However, the fact that the third elder brother didn't care about it didn't mean that other people in the palace didn't care about it. Several staff members mentioned this matter in front of the third elder brother.

As a prince, the third elder brother has a salary of 1 taels of silver every year. When he opened the mansion, he also had several villages.

However, the higher the income, the higher the expenses.Not to mention the exchanges between the various prefectures, the third elder brother is also known for his good popularity, and has a high reputation among scholars. He often helps some great Confucians to publish books, which is very generous.

In the past two years, due to the plan to reserve positions, the manpower under Cheng Wang's mansion has also increased, and the third elder brother has also given more rewards to the disciples.

If it weren't for some savings in the past few years, I am afraid that the accounts of the palace would have been empty, and life would be very tight.Even to build a garden, money from the internal treasury is needed before construction can start.

Thinking of this, the third elder brother envied the fourth elder brother from the bottom of his heart.The door is deserted, it is good to have a deserted door, at least a lot of social money is missing.

That cold-faced fourth younger brother, "drinking, sex and wealth", doesn't touch anything, so he can only burn incense and worship Buddha, but he doesn't know who it is for?

If it is said that the fourth elder brother has no intention of seizing the heir, it is just a joke, and the third elder brother does not believe it at all.In his heart, the fourth elder brother is so cautious, but just like him, he is afraid of being wronged.

Back then, before the prince was abolished, because of his violent temper and disorderly behavior, he was said to be: "This man is the king, and the royal family has no kind!" The reason why the emperor's father abolished the prince may not have been affected by this sentence .

The third elder brother thought of the fourth elder brother, and by the way, remembered the East Tea Garden under the name of the fourth elder brother's mansion, and felt a little uncomfortable.

Scholars love tea, they are naturally elegant, but they just want tea and can't get it.He didn't put down his skin and look around like other people.

Just listen to the aide said: "Your Majesty, speaking of it, Cao Yong has the kindness to protect Mr. Chen of our mansion, but it is not enough to come to the door to express his thanks."

The Mr. Chen he was talking about was Chen Hongdao, a staff member of Prince Cheng's Mansion, and the former prefect of Qingyang Mansion.

Hearing his name, the third elder brother smiled slightly contemptuously, feeling a little sympathetic to his married wife, Wang Shi.

Because Chen Hongdao was involved in the "post station arson case" the winter before last, he was locked up and taken to Beijing. After investigation by the infantry office, he was cleared of suspicion and released without charge.

Because Chen Hongdao was born as a Jinshi, he was also well-known among scholars in his early years. In the past two years, he has become famous all over the world because of his wife Wang's "kowtow", and has become an upright and proud person in the eyes of the world.

Both the third elder brother and the eighth elder brother wanted to receive it under the door, so they secretly mediated, so that the infantry office quickly closed the case.

Because one of the staff was from Chen Hongdao's hometown, he had some personal contacts in the early years, so in the end it was the third elder brother who got the job.

Chen Hongdao was originally a down-and-out person, and he was favored by the prince and prince. He collected and compiled Confucian classics in the mansion, which was also in line with his desire to be a scholar, so he entered the mansion of Prince Cheng as an aide.

After the Wang family's anniversary ceremony last year, Chen Hongdao used the third elder brother as a matchmaker to marry the daughter of an old master Bo as his step-wife.The husband and wife are very compatible, how can you still remember the tragic death of his wife Wang?In order not to hinder the eyes of newcomers, Chen Hongdao was not too close to his sons and daughters.

Although he puts on the appearance of a gentleman, there are quite a few people who laugh at him in private.Even the Dong E clan of Fujin, the descendant of the palace, complained to the third elder brother a few times when gossiping, saying that the jokes in the mansion had spread outside.The relatives and family members outside mentioned that they looked down on Chen Hongdao very much, and asked repeatedly if the lady in charge of the Bo family was a fairy-like figure, otherwise Chen Hongdao would be so fascinated that he would lose his head and forget the kindness of Wang's wife. righteous.

The third elder brother was as disgusting as if he had swallowed a fly. He originally wanted to use Chen Hongdao's name to make himself face, but who would have thought that it would become a joke?

Unexpected birth is a family affair of the Chen family, and he is a matchmaker for insurance, so it's really hard to talk about it.Because they were afraid that the eighth elder brother would make a joke, the other staff members were cold-hearted, no matter how disgusting they were, they still had to stay in the mansion.

Now, after listening to this staff member's proposal, the third elder brother naturally understands that "the drunkard's intention is not to drink", and "thank you" is just a cover, which actually makes Chen Hongdao go to find out.There is a relationship, but it does not make the palace have the suspicion of having a private relationship with foreign ministers.

After all, the Cao family had no contact with Prince Cheng's mansion, so it would be more appropriate to call Cao's father and son over to the mansion rashly, or to leave a mouthful of tongues.

*
On March [-]th, Cao Yongzi woke up at the second quarter ([-]:[-] in the middle of the night).

It was still pitch black outside the window, although he was really nostalgic for the warm blanket, but he still managed to get up.Although he is not a great Asahi, he will accompany his father to Changchun Garden to pass the sign and wait for His Majesty to see him.

The gates of the Piansheng city will not open until dawn, then it will be too late.In order to hand over the sign before Kangxi had breakfast, he had to arrive at Xizhimen before Chouzheng (two o'clock in the morning).

Here is the water gate, which sends spring water from Yuquan Mountain to the palace. The city gate is opened once at Chouzheng (two o'clock in the morning), just in time to leave the city.

Chu Yu has tidied up neatly, dressed in a lilac-colored flag dress, covered with blue-colored bijia, and combed her hair twice, looking very refreshing.

Seeing that Chuyu got up so early, Cao Yong couldn't bear it, and said: "I just wash and wash myself, you should go back to the kang and sleep a little longer, you haven't rested well on the boat these days."

Chu Yu said with a smile, "It's getting late, and my wife has appointed me to get up early, so we have to say hello to Mrs. and Mrs."

While talking, Xiyun and Xicai brought in hot water to wait for the two masters to wash up.

Because Xiyu and Xixue were not there, Chuyu lost his mind.Presumably, the two of them did not go to the upper room to wait on them because of previous taboos.It's just that Wutongyuan kept the two of them and the two thick women to look after the house. Who was the waiter when the forehead returned to Beijing a few years ago?

Chu Yu suddenly became irritable. Although she knew she shouldn't be thinking wildly, she still felt a little uncomfortable. She just felt that her heart was blocked.However, she didn't show her face at all, she smiled and waited for her husband to get dressed.

Cao Yong wants to wear official uniforms, but there are several sets in front of him, the military officer uniforms of the first rank and Shuo'e Mansion, the Daotai supplementary uniforms of the fourth rank, and the third-class guard uniforms of the fifth rank.

After thinking about it for a while, Cao Yong still put on the third-class bodyguard uniform, not because he was afraid of wearing the fourth-rank civil servant's make-up uniform because he was afraid of being joked by his colleagues at the guard office, but because he felt that at his age, wearing the fourth-rank civil servant's make-up uniform It's too much of an eyesore.

Go down this year, far away in Yizhou is nothing, when he went to Jinan, Cao Yong received a lot of strange eyes.

Although some of the sons of officials and eunuchs entered office early, most of them started as junior officials of the seventh or eighth rank.In contrast, this fourth-rank official was too high-ranked for Cao Yong, who was in his weaker years.

As the Longevity Festival was approaching, almost all the governors and ministers who came to Beijing from all over the country came to Beijing.Wearing a fourth-rank top hat, I went with my father to meet him, a little ostentatious, how can I wear a bodyguard uniform and be comfortable as a son?
Chu Yu knew that her husband was not a ostentatious person, so she touched the suit of the handsome forehead and sent someone to take it off, and she helped herself to put on the court beads and the crown.

When Cao Yong finished dressing, the porridge and side dishes were already served.

Two kinds of porridge, green rice porridge and old yellow rice and red bean porridge; several plates of dim sum, door nail fire, mutton siu mai, milky white steamed buns, honeysuckle rolls; and a few side dishes, mustard kohlrabi, ginger sauce preserved egg, red Oil tripe shreds, old vinegar peanuts.

Cao Yong drank two bowls of Bijaponica rice porridge, burned it with a few door nails, and was full.After a while, I have to go to Changchun Garden on horseback. I don't know how long I will see you. If I am hungry, I will only suffer by myself.

Chu Yu drank a bowl of porridge with her, used two small steamed buns, saw that Cao Yong had used up all of them, put down her chopsticks, thought for a while, and asked, "Embo, should we let some maids out of the house? There are a few, and they are not young."

Cao Yong was rinsing his mouth with tea, when he heard Chu Yu's words, he thought she was talking about Zhu'er and Cui'er.The two of them have been waiting by Wu'er's side since last year, and then Wu'er went to Chu Yu's side, and then returned to Chu Yu's eyes.

Zhu'er and Tweety'er were careful thinking, and Cao Yong also knew a little bit. He once discussed with Amethyst and sent them out.But because the two of them are the sons of the family in the southern mansion, and they were the ones pointed out by Mrs. Zijing, it was difficult for Zijing to talk, so the matter dragged on.

After pondering for a while, Cao Yong said: "Accordingly, you are in charge of the inner house. But now that my mother is here, it is inappropriate for you to come forward in this matter. Let me quietly report to my mother when I come back from the garden!"

Chu Yu was puzzled, sent her girl out, why did she have to tell her?Could it be that the forehead son-in-law is also afraid of being misunderstood by his mother-in-law, and doesn't want to give himself the notoriety of "jealousy", or is he a jealous wife in his heart?
Seeing Chuyu frowning slightly, with a puzzled face and a very cute appearance, Cao Yong couldn't help stretching out his arms to embrace her, and pecked her on the face.

Seeing Cao Yong's fiery expression, Chu Yu couldn't help blushing, she gently pushed Cao Yong down, and said coquettishly, "My son-in-law... it's time for us to greet the master and wife!"

It happened that Xiyun and the others picked up the curtain and came in to remove the table.Cao Yong let go of his hand, helped Chuyu up, and asked, "Wu'er, why didn't you see her?"

Chu Yu replied: "When I got off the boat yesterday, Wu'er felt a little windy and felt a little uncomfortable. There is no kang in our West Room, so Sister Zijing took her and put her in the Sunflower Courtyard."

"That's just right, the upper room over there is also empty, and Amethyst can't live there. It's a waste to be empty." Cao Yong said with a nod.

However, after hearing what she said, Cao Yong noticed that the clothes on her body were also thin, so he asked Xiyun to get a thin shawl and put it on her by himself.Afterwards, the husband and wife, carrying a glazed lamp, went to the Orchid Court.

Lanyuan, the upper room is lit.

It happened that Xiulu and Xiuying took the little girl out of the dining table. Seeing Cao Yong and his wife came, they hurriedly shortened their bodies and said, "Hello, grandpa, hello grandma!"

Cao Yong nodded, glanced at the dining table, thinking that his father and mother had already had breakfast, so he asked Xiulu to report inside.

Cao Yin was in the room, he had already heard the commotion outside, and knew that it was his son and daughter-in-law coming, so he raised his voice, "Come in!"

Xiulu picked up the curtain, Xiuying took the glazed lantern from Chuyu's hand, and invited the two masters into the house.

Cao Yin dressed neatly, and Li's two, came out of the east room, went to the hall, and accepted the greetings of his son and daughter-in-law.

The father and son, one in fifth-rank civilian uniform and the other in fifth-rank guard uniform, looked at each other and smiled.

Under the imperial power, titles and ranks are nothing more than false names, even if you are the prince of Manchuria, Baylor, you are nothing but the emperor's servant.

That's it, neither up nor down, mixed in and out, just right.Even if you are a dish, there is no need to set your position high and be roasted on the fire.

Although Li Shi and Chu Yu didn't understand why their father and son were laughing, they could see that their father and son were in a good mood, and they were also happy.

It was already eleven, and the moon was half round, shining on the road, looking very cold.

According to the rules, except for the prince and the county king who use sedan chairs, other civil officials above the second rank, such as Baylor, Beizi, Duke, and Bo, can use sedan chairs unless they are elderly, and other civil and military officials must ride horses.

Although Cao Yin is not young anymore, but he has not yet reached the age of arrogance, and riding a horse is bumpy, so he takes the golden mean and rides in a carriage.

Cao Yong rode a horse, Cao Yuan and Wei Hei accompanied several servants, and a group of people came to Xizhimen.

Inside Xizhimen, it can be said that there are many horses and horses, all of whom are going out of the city to Changchun Garden, just waiting for the city gate to be opened.

Due to the small number of people accompanying Cao's family, the carriage was inconspicuous and did not attract attention.

There are two families who seem to be governors from other places who have come to Beijing. There are a large number of people, surrounded by a carriage, and they look very mighty.One of the soldiers of one of the families got into an argument with the steward of Beizi Mansion next to him for some reason, so he asked the steward to bring many slaves over, chased the soldier, and beat him to death.In the end, it was the official who came out in person and made amends, which made the other party calm down.

Under the shadowy light, the official was wearing a second-rank men's uniform. He heard the person on his side call him "Master Zhongtang", and he presumably was the governor who came to Beijing to celebrate his birthday.

Cao Yin heard the commotion outside in the car, raised the curtain of the car, and asked Cao Yong in a low voice. After hearing the general situation, he couldn't help frowning.

Although I don't know which governor was attacked, but under the watchful eyes of everyone, the majestic local officials were forced to make amends by the slaves of the clan, which is really touching.

Cao Yong just watched with cold eyes, looking at the arrogance and rudeness of the governor's personal soldiers before, and he was used to being arrogant when he came to the place.If the one you met just now is not from Beizi Mansion, but a family with a low family background, who is the bully?The crows landed on the pigs, they were all black, no one was pitiful.

Sitting on the horse and waiting for a long time, the city gate did not open.He took out his pocket watch to check. There was still a quarter of an hour, so he had to wait.At this time, someone came over and said, "Forehead son-in-law? Is it true that you have entered the capital? This servant greets you!"

But it was the steward of Chunjun Wang's mansion, who waited for Chunjun Wang to go out.Cao Yong got off his horse, gave him a little support, and asked, "It's you! Why, the prince is going to the garden too?"

The steward replied: "Talking back to the son-in-law, the prince is busy with the grand ceremony in a few days, and wants to see the Lord Long Live to report the matter. Just now, he said that there was too much movement in front, so he sent his servants to take a look, and he happened to see the son-in-law here."

Because it was already afternoon when he entered the city yesterday, Cao Yong hadn't gone to Chunjun Palace to pay his respects, even if he met, he couldn't wait for the other party to come over.Therefore, he greeted his father, and the father and son went back with the steward to greet the seventh elder brother.

Seventh elder brother sat in the eight-carried sedan chair with red cover, red curtain and red curtain. When he heard that Cao's father and son were coming, he got out of the sedan chair and greeted him.Speaking of which, this was the first time Seventh Prince and Cao Yin met after the two families got married.

Seeing the make-up uniform on Cao Yin and the bodyguard uniform on Cao Yong, Brother Seven felt thoughtful.

Because it was about time to open the city gate, Cao Yin greeted Seventh Brother and then went back, leaving Cao Yong here to talk.

Brother Seven greeted him and got on the sedan chair.The sedan chair was very spacious, Seventh Prince sat in the middle, with two glazed lamps on the handles on both sides, and two side stools on both sides.He pointed to the right side and told Cao Yong to sit down.

Hearing that Chu Yu brought Xiao Tianyou to Beijing together, the seventh elder brother was very happy, and said that he would send someone to pick up his daughter and grandson tomorrow to visit the house.

Cao Yongyuan also planned to send his wife and children back to the county palace tomorrow, so he naturally nodded in agreement.

Brother Seven asked some more about local errands, and finally his eyes fell on the guard uniform Cao Yong was wearing, and asked: "Shandong is not rich, and Yizhou is a poor place. Fu Ruo wants to go back to Beijing?"

Cao Yong didn't understand what he meant, he shook his head and said: "My son-in-law doesn't have such intentions, how could my father-in-law think of this?"

Seventh elder brother touched the finger on his hand and said: "You are the only child in the family. I think you have been spoiled and grown up since you were young. You are young, even if you can't bear hardships."

Cao Yong was confused by what he said, and said in a low voice, "Father-in-law, my son-in-law is already twenty!"

Even if someone used his age as an issue in the past, this is a weak year, so he should be an adult.

**
(End of this chapter)