Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 293 Visiting Jinmen Regrets

Mrs. Li knew that her elder brother and nephew were coming, so she also came to see her in the front yard. After talking about family affairs for a while, she left the Li family father and son to eat at Cao's house.

The food and wine were placed in the front yard, and after Mrs. Li took people to set up the banquet, she went back to the inner house to take care of Chu Yu.

Cao Yin and his son stayed in the front yard to entertain guests.During the banquet, everyone smiled and looked very affectionate to each other.

As far as Cao Yin and Li Xu's two elders mean, they want the children to get close to each other.

Speaking of which, the younger generation is different from them.Although they were all on duty at the side of Long Live God at the beginning, they were just colleagues and friends, and later became relatives by marriage; in the generation of Cao Yong and Li Ding, they are cousins ​​who depend on each other by blood.

There are not many sons in the Li family, and Cao Yong is the only son here. The two cousins ​​are the pillars of the family, and they should be close to each other.

Li Ding and Cao Yong are not as affectionate as the older generation thought. Although at the dinner table and before their parents, the two of them had some intentions of talking happily, but they both had their own thoughts in their hearts.

Cao Yong was thinking about Brother Sixteen's words, but he couldn't figure out why Li Ding "made a name for himself" at the Ministry of Internal Affairs. He couldn't really think that he was good, and he was afraid that others would not know, right?This reason is too ridiculous, Cao Yong can't feel his kindness, but he can't figure out why he wants to deal with himself.No matter what frictions there were in the past, to the outside world, Cao and Li are connected and inseparable.

Thinking of this, Cao Yong raised the teacup in his hand and said to Li Ding: "Cousin, I want to offer a toast here, thank you for your compliment. Although cousin is kind, but we are close relatives, these boasting brothers If you say it out of my cousin's mouth, it's hard for outsiders to take it seriously, so let's avoid it in the future!"

Li Ding was startled when he heard the words, his expression was a little stiff.It was the first time for Cao Yin and Li Xu to hear this, they were a little curious and looked over here.

Cao Yin said with a smile: "Xincheng is an outsider praising your cousin? He is a weak young man, neither literate nor martial, how can he be praised in front of him?"

Li Xu shook his head at Cao Yin, and said: "Dongting is ridiculous, not to mention that few young people today can compare with Fu Ruo, even when we were young, we may not be able to do better than him. These two days in Beijing Going to socialize, I also heard that Fu Ruo made great contributions in suppressing the bandits in Shandong!"

Cao Yin hurriedly said: "Brother, don't flatter him and kill him! He is a civil servant, even if he is suppressing bandits, it is also a matter of the Green Camp. He is just a confederate. How can he have any credit?"

Li Xu pointed to Cao Yin and said, "You, you, I'm afraid that people will know how good Fu Ruo is! This appeasement place, how can it not be a great contribution? The people in Shandong are tough, and there are often gangsters in the mountains and forests, endangering the people's livelihood. If you have only been in the place for more than a year, you can have such a credit, it is commendable!"

Cao Yin listened, just smiled, and asked Li Ding: "Xincheng also heard about the bandit suppression, did you talk about it?"

Li Ding stood up, just about to bite the bullet and respond indiscriminately, when he looked up and saw Cao Yong looking at him with a half-smile, he felt angry, a little impatient to lie, so he smiled and said: "Uncle, that's not the reason. , it was my nephew who praised my cousin when he handed over the tea garden to the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Didn’t he borrow manpower from my uncle’s family to build the garden in Suzhou that year? I got advice from my cousin. Nowadays, it is rumored in the capital that my cousin is a "tea boy". It is just nonsense to say that he has received tea sages and strange books. My younger brother was quite disrespectful, and my nephew was upset, so he praised my cousin a few words."

Although Cao Yin and Li Xu were still smiling, the atmosphere at the banquet suddenly cooled down.

Cao Yin looked at Li Ding for a while, pondered for a while, then turned his head, sighed, and said slowly to Li Xu: "It seems that we are all old, and the children are all grown up, and we have plans for our own size. It's not our turn to worry!"

Li Xu was a little embarrassed, forced a smile and said: "It's all because of my brother, I've always been used to them, and I acted out of proportion."

Cao Yin smiled and said: "It's windy in the north, and it's hard to support a single tree. It's good for the elder brother to know."

Relying on the fact that Cao Yin has always valued him, Li Ding used such clever words to turn black and white, saying that his fault was "righteous indignation", and he could only gently erase it.Unexpectedly, Cao Yin seemed to see through him, ignored him, and said such a thing.

He stood there, seeing his father laughing at Cao Yin, he felt very annoying.

After listening to Cao Yin's words, Li Xu knew what he meant. The Cao family and the Li family still have some weight in the south of the Yangtze River, but it's nothing to come to the capital. Only by supporting each other can life be easier.

He stopped laughing and yelled at Li Ding: "Nonsense, why don't you apologize to your cousin! You're in your 20s, and you're still acting like this! Where is the capital? How can people like us show off? Your cousin has always been cautious in his actions, and you don't know how much trouble you will cause him if you make such unclear remarks. This is not a boast, it is just a disaster!"

Regardless of Li Ding's original intentions, in front of Cao's father and son, being taught by his father like this, he couldn't hold back his face, his face was flushed with embarrassment, he lowered his head and clenched his fists vigorously, and was speechless for a long time.

Cao Yong remembered what happened at Wangfeng Mountain Villa a few years ago, and knew that Li Ding looked friendly, but he was a ruthless person.After all, it depends on Li's face, it's not good to tear yourself apart with him, so Cao Yong said to Li Xu: "Uncle, you don't have to do this, it's because you want to come to cousin. It's just a few words of truth, it's not a fault .”

Hearing this, Li Xu nodded in relief, and said a little excitedly: "If Fu can think so, great kindness! We are close relatives, can we still have bad intentions? When your cousin first arrived in the capital, he didn't know that this side is different from the south side. , Uncle didn't tell him, and something like this happened, it's best if you don't misunderstand."

Cao Yong glanced at Li Ding, and said to Li Xu: "Don't worry, uncle, nephew understands."

Because of this bridge, this meal is also depressed.Although everyone still laughed and talked afterwards, it was a bit difficult.

After a while, everyone put down their chopsticks.Li Xu exchanged pleasantries with Cao Yong, then took his son to leave.

After sending Li Xu and his son out of the gate, Cao Yin turned around and glanced at his son beside him after watching the two leave with their entourage, and said, "You come with Weifu to the study, Weifu has something to ask you! "

"Yes!" Cao Yong responded, and followed his father into the study in the west room of the front hall.

Cao Yin sat down, raised his head, and asked Cao Yong with a frown: "You have to tell my father about the Yangzhou incident in May of the 49th year of Kangxi from the beginning to the end."

Cao Yong was relieved. He was worried that his father would be deceived by Li Ding's gentle appearance. It seems that his father was also alert.Then, he truthfully told Cao Yin about the matter of Wangfeng Villa without embellishing it.

Cao Yin thought about it for a while, and then said for a while: "I'm confused because of my father! The second son of the Li family, no better than his father, seems to have a good idea. From now on, you two will get along with each other... Hey! Let's see and talk later. Don't force it!" Speaking of this, he looked at Cao Yong, his eyes became sharper, he squinted his eyes, and asked: "What happened back then, I saw those people died with my own eyes, maybe there were innocent people among them, I don't know how many The family left orphans and widowed mothers. No matter how difficult Li Ding is, in the end it is because you persecuted too much. Have you ever regretted it?"

Although Cao Yong didn't know why his father thought of asking these questions, he knew that he had never regretted it.He didn't think about being a saint.If his family and his life were endangered, no matter if it was ten lives or a hundred lives, he would not regret it.Even though it was uncomfortable, even if his heart felt uneasy, but he would never regret it.

After all, he is just a selfish ordinary person.When there is no danger, he is willing to be a kind person and do what he can for those suffering; if there is danger, the little man in his heart grows wings and flutters.

Thinking of this, Cao Yong shook his head and said in a low voice: "My son does not regret it!"

Cao Yin stood up, supported the table, paused each word, and said, "What did you say? I didn't hear clearly, my father!"

"My son doesn't regret it!" Cao Yong raised his head and amplified the volume.

Cao Yin raised his head, stared at his son fiercely, and asked, "If it's not a hundred lives, but a thousand, will you not regret it?"

Cao Yong was a little puzzled, not knowing why his father asked such a question, and murmured: "Father..."

"What about [-] lives, or [-] lives?" Cao Yin continued to ask in a deep voice, "If you can save these people's lives by a single thought, the price... the price is our Cao family... what will you do?" ..."

Cao Yong wanted to say what 10 people and [-] people have to do with him, but he couldn't say it out, he just felt uncomfortable in his chest.

If that time really comes, he doesn't know what choice he can make.For the sake of the Cao family, tens of thousands of lives, 10 lives were taken. Does he have the courage to do it?Fear of guilt also makes him unable to live; if he sacrifices his parents and family for the sake of 10 or [-] people, he can't do it either.

Seeing that Cao Yong was so confused, Cao Yin felt a little worried, and with a cold face, he shouted: "Kneel down!"

Cao Yong was startled by his voice until Cao Yin asked him to kneel down again, and he knelt down.

Cao Yin put his hands behind his back, stopped looking at Cao Yong, and said in a deep voice: "You have to think about it carefully, what do you really want? Do you want your family to be healthy, or do you want to achieve a great cause of helping the world and loving the people? Think clearly and carefully. , want to understand, don’t hesitate at all. When you know what you want, then get up and talk for your father!” After speaking, he took a big step and left the study.

Is the family well-being?Or is it the great cause of helping the world and loving the people?Cao Yong wanted to laugh at himself, what kind of dynasty is this? It is the Kangxi Dynasty with supreme imperial power and common people like grass. Do you still want to leave your name in history?Why does father ask like that?

However, he didn't get up, even after Cao Yin left, he still knelt on the ground.

My father was right, what I want, I have to figure it out after all.On the one hand, he pretends to be a good person, and on the other hand, he acts selfishly. What this double-faced person does is really ridiculous.

If the so-called people's livelihood is against his family and his own safety, is he learning to be a good person, or is he pulling off his mask and showing a vulgar face?The answer is obvious.

No matter how he pretends to be kind, he is just a selfish and selfish villain after all. Cao Yong bowed his head to the ground, feeling at a loss in his heart.

*
Inside Dongzhimen, Li's mansion.

No matter how upset he was, under Li Xu's anger, Li Ding still knelt obediently.

Li Xu suppressed the anger in his heart, pointed at his son, and scolded: "Don't say you didn't mean it, you can't hide it from your father! You are in your twenties, are you still an ignorant child? No matter what you say How dissatisfied the Cao family is, how jealous of Cao Yong, how can they act like this?"

The person in front of Li Ding was still listening. When he said that he was "jealous" of Cao Yong, he was very dissatisfied. He straightened his neck and argued: "Father, why is the son jealous of him? Why should the son be jealous? It’s all about the power of the Chunjun Prince’s Mansion, so what’s the real ability!”

Seeing his son's attitude, Li Xu was furious in his heart, raised his leg and gave him a kick, scolding: "You bastard, I have given you this journey for nothing! Be cautious in your words and deeds, and you can't make mistakes in half a step! The Cao family is our in-laws, and they are relying on each other for help. They are not outsiders. You are fine. You see that Cao Yong has become famous, so you are not angry, right? Say it on purpose These words have attracted others to think about Cao Yong. You think you are tall enough to watch the fun, and make Cao Yong look ashamed, but you don’t know that your size has become a joke! A big joke!"

Speaking of this, Li Xu calmed down and said: "Although the people in the Ministry of Internal Affairs are close to the Eighth Master, the current elder brother in charge is the sixteenth elder brother! It is also a cousin, you who have dealt with both sides How can it be compared to how many years they have known each other? I am afraid that everyone will see that you have hidden evil intentions. Who will dare to get close to you in the future? You can go back to the south; save those who stay in the capital, and be used by those who want to do stupid things that hurt your loved ones and make your enemies happy!"

Li Ding was already dumbfounded, his eyes were straight, and he couldn't tell whether he regretted it or not.
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(End of this chapter)