Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 342 Visiting the Golden Gate and Tracing the Origin

Jiangning, Weaving Mansion, Front Yard, Qiuyong Hall.

This is a three-bay room, except for a few tables and chairs, there is nothing else on the floor.On the left and right walls, there are flute, sheng, xiao, sanxian, pipa and other musical instruments.

In front of the hall, several musicians holding flutes in their hands sang together.In front of the musician, a man hummed gracefully.

Cao Yin sat by the table, tapping on the table with his fingertips in tune with the sound of the music.Cao Fu stood beside Cao Yin, smiling, and said to Cao Yin in a low voice: "Uncle, today's play is over! Uncle's words are written well, and Liu Heng's voice is also good!"

It happened to be the end of the song, and Cao Yin couldn't help clapping his hands in praise.

The man bowed his head slightly, and said: "Don't dare to be the master and praise the fifth master!"

Cao Yin looked at him with a stern look on his face, and couldn't help sighing.He waved his hand and sent the musicians down, then signaled the man to sit down, and said, "Qi Guan, if you don't go on stage with your voice, it's a waste of money! Why don't you search around and ask a wise doctor to take a look at you!" s face?"

This man called "Qi Guan" was none other than Liu Zidan, a famous actress in the capital who ruined half of his face. Now he has changed his name to Liu Heng and entered the Cao family as a slave.

Liu Heng's wife, Liu's family, is Tianyou's mistress, and with Tianyou, he followed Cao Yin and his wife to the south at the end of March.Later, when Cao Yong went to Xinshan, he also arranged for Liu Heng to go to Jiangning.

Before Cao Yin left Beijing, Cao Yong told his father about Liu Heng.

In his early years in the south of the Yangtze River, Cao Yin had frequent contacts with literati in the south of the Yangtze River, and had contacts with many masters of folk art.Hearing his son talk about Liu Heng's situation, he also sighed in his heart.

After Liu Heng arrived in Jiangning, Cao Yin listened to one of his songs, and he was astonished and highly praised.

Although Liu Heng was grateful for the kindness of Cao Yong's shelter, and his family was naturalized as a slave in Cao's mansion, but Cao Yin did not regard him as an ordinary slave.Knowing that he had no characters, Cao Yin gave him "Qi Guan" as his character.

In the early years, in order to welcome Sheng Jia, Cao Yin also held home classes and wrote two fold plays himself.It's just that he has been tired these years, and he takes it lightly.

Now, when Liu Heng came, Cao Yin didn't go to the temple less often, and spent half a day studying music score and singing.So far, several small Taiping dramas have been arranged, and Cao Yin collectively calls them "Taiping Joy".

Although Liu Heng was grateful for Cao Yin's appreciation, he really didn't want to show his face in public, and said in a low voice: "Master's kindness, the young ones are not close to gratitude. The young ones have learned opera since childhood, and have been on stage for more than ten years. There is nothing to love about the days on the stage. If the master intends to support the family class, the little Yuan will find apprentices to teach him the skills he has learned."

Cao Yin was quite moved, and Cao Fu was listening, remembering that he heard his uncle and aunt talking about the Li family's theater troupe in Suzhou, so he said to Cao Yin: "Uncle, do we want to arrange a theater troupe like my uncle's? My nephew has heard People have talked about it several times, saying that his troupe is the best. They also said that our family had a similar troupe earlier!"

Cao Yin nodded with a smile. In the early years, in order to pick him up, the mansion used to line up a troupe.All the opera masters who lived in the south of the Yangtze River at that time went to Zhizao Mansion to give operas.

Later, due to the shortfall, the money in the house was tight, the troupe was streamlined, and new plays were rarely rehearsed.When the old matriarch passed away, due to family filial piety, it was not suitable for the family to support actors, so the theater troupe was disbanded.

In a flash, seven or eight years have passed.

Seeing the nostalgic look on Cao Yin's face, Cao Fu said with a smile: "Uncle, just in time for Liu Heng to be at our house, we will set up another theater troupe in our house. We can save money by making up a new play and showing it to my aunt." Auntie is bored."

Cao Yin shook his head after hearing what his nephew's child said, and said, "Your aunt spends all day around her grandson, she's too busy, how can you feel bored?"

Cao Fu listened, his expression was a little sad, he lowered his head and did not say a word.

Cao Yin knew that he had always relied on Li's family and respected Li's family like his mother. Now seeing his aunt's thoughts on his grandson, every family of the children felt unhappy.Therefore, he smiled and said to Cao Fu: "You are growing up, and you should also grasp your schoolwork. What can you do if you hang out in the house all day? You are young and smart. If you work hard, uncle still expects you to become us. Cao's first top three Jinshi!"

When Cao Fu heard his uncle's praise, his face was full of light, and he nodded vigorously and said: "Yes, my nephew can save me, I will definitely study hard, so that I can honor the Cao family and don't let my uncle lose face!"

Cao Yin felt very relieved when he saw his loud voice and firm eyes.He also thought of when the eldest and youngest sons were so cute when they were young.

Before being kidnapped, Cao Yong was so used to by the old lady that he only knew how to be mischievous all day long; after being kidnapped, he became like a little adult, rigid and boring.

But the old matriarch was right when he was alive. Now when he looks at his son, he wants to see himself many years ago.At that time, I was still young and mature, and I had a lot of thoughts. Although I had many friends, there were very few people who could confide in them.

The youngest son... Cao Yin sighed inwardly, only feeling that his interest was languishing.

As for the reorganization of the troupe, forget it.It's really a waste of money. It's better to make a tune and do things at will in such a free time.Having made up his mind, Cao Yin stopped his plan to rearrange the team.

Because Liu Heng mentioned the matter of teaching skills just now, Cao Yin thought that his skills need to be passed on, so he said: "The family class is too troublesome, so don't bother! If you want to accept apprentices, you can give birth to a child in the house You can search here, or you can buy a child from outside! Tell Cao Yuan, let him send someone to do it!"

Liu Heng said: "It's easy to find people, but hard to find qualifications. Don't worry about this little one. We'll talk about it when we meet later, so as not to trouble the butler!"

Cao Yin nodded, looked out the window that the sky was getting dark, and it was already dinner time, so he said to Liu Heng: "Come here first today, and we will arrange another show tomorrow!"

Liu Heng got up and leaned over to answer.Cao Yin told him to go back to eat, and he and Cao Fu went back to Kaiyang courtyard.

In the upper room of Kaiyang courtyard, Tianyou was wearing a sky blue jacket, sitting on the kang outside, with a pile of dominoes scattered on his face.

It was Tianyou's first birthday. Although Cao Yin and Li Shi had been thinking about teaching their grandson how to speak this month, the little guy just "babbled" and refused to utter a single clear word.

Cao Yin and Li Shi were anxious at the beginning, but they gradually calmed down when they thought that other people's children were also late in speaking.

It's just a one-year-old child who can recognize people more or less.Seeing that it was his grandfather who came back, Tianyou waved his arms and smiled "giggling".

Cao Yin was also happy when he saw his eldest grandson. He was about to go forward to hug him when Mrs. Li grabbed his arm and said angrily, "My lord, you haven't changed your outer clothes yet!" Then he turned his head and smiled at Cao Fu: "The same goes for Fu'er, hurry up and wash your hands, and ask someone to serve dinner immediately!"

While changing clothes, Cao Yin looked at the dominoes in front of Tianyou, and asked Li Shi, "Why do you think of taking this out?"

Mrs. Li replied with a smile: "At noon, I asked the servant girl to clean up the cabinet and took it out. Just in time, Tianyou saw it and asked for it! The concubine was afraid that he would find it boring, so she piled up the bones to coax him. He saw that the size was high. When it is too high, I stretch out my little hand to push it down, and then ask someone to re-stack it. When it is high, I stretch out my little hand to push it again. Look at him, he likes to hear the sound of 'crawl clatter'!"

Cao Yin was finishing changing his clothes, took a wet towel from the servant girl and wiped his hands.Hearing what Mrs. Li said, he laughed "Oh" and said, "If that's the case, then tomorrow I will carry him to the front yard to listen to the music. Today we have a new play, it sounds very festive!" While speaking, he had already walked to the edge of the kang, hugged Tianyou and said, "Good grandson, do you miss your grandfather?"

Tianyou "Yiyiyaya" could not speak clearly, and stretched out his small hand to grab Cao Yin's beard.

Cao Yin laughed loudly and said, "Little ancestor, your beard is almost gone!"

Seeing her husband smiling happily, Mrs. Li felt happy too.There is one more child in this house, immediately it is no longer deserted, every day is busy, and the life is no longer difficult.

Although she gave birth to a pair of children, it was the first time for Li to take care of the children herself.When Cao Yan was the first daughter-in-law, she was still a new daughter-in-law, and she couldn't be spoiled. After confinement, she set rules in front of her mother-in-law and was busy with housework inside and out.

After giving birth to Cao Yong, because it was a dystocia, she took a few months to get better, and Cao Yong followed the old lady.

Now, being able to pull his grandson in person, Mrs. Li can be regarded as making up for the regrets of her early years.But comparing her heart with her heart, she couldn't bear to think of her eldest daughter-in-law.If Cao Yin didn't love her grandson so much, she seemed to be more than ten years younger, and she couldn't bear to say goodbye to her daughter-in-law and grandson.

Cao Fu had already wiped his hands, and because he remembered what Aunt Cai said just now, he sat on the edge of the kang, smiling and stacking the dominoes very high.

Seeing Tianyou, he twisted his little body on his grandfather's lap, lay down here, stretched out his little hand, and was pushed down all at once.Seeing the domino falling to the ground with a "crash", Tianyou raised his head, looked at Cao Fu, and laughed "giggle".

Cao Fu saw that his nephew really liked to play with this game, so he was moved by his childlike innocence. He moved his hands together, and in a blink of an eye he put the bones together again.

Where will God bless let you go?He stretched out his hand and scratched.

Two children, one big and one small, were laughing and making noise on the kang.

Cao Yin stroked his dwindling beard, it was all caused by his grandson.Strange to say, if the son had just climbed on him when he was a child, a few slaps on the butt would be rare; now it's the grandson's turn, no matter how naughty he is, there is only heartache left.

Mrs. Li sighed inwardly, thinking of her son and daughter-in-law, if they could be together as a family, it would be a more beautiful day.

*
Cao Yong is in the capital, and he is thinking of his mother at the moment.

Today is the fourth day of October, the day Li Ding hired Fucha's family.Originally, the wedding date agreed by the two families in Chunri was the twelfth lunar month, and they had to wait until November for the next engagement.However, because the old concubine in the palace is not healthy now, fearing that catching up with Guo Xiao will delay the wedding, the two families have brought forward the date of accepting the lottery and marrying.

Although Li Ding's father and brother are not in the capital, many relatives are here.In order to accept the appointment, Li Ding invited his uncle, the alternate magistrate Jiang Zhuo, and the head of the in-laws etiquette department, Sun Jue, to help with the arrangement.As a cousin, Cao Yong also received the post and came to help.

It was the first time for Cao Yong to meet a member of the Jiang family, and seeing that the other party was only indifferent, he didn't make much progress.

Because of the "adopted son case" that was raging in Beijing a few days ago, Cao Yong knew more about the situation of Li's family than before.

When the Eight Banners entered the pass, many bannermen captured the civilian soldiers in the pass as adopted sons.Passed down for several lifetimes, the main family and the branch family will sometimes quarrel.The descendants of the master's family only said that the other party was a domestic slave, denied his status as an adopted son, and wanted to embezzle his family property.Of course, there are also those who were originally domestic slaves, but later became prosperous. Seeing the decline of the master's family, they pretended to be adopted sons and took over the title and property of the master's family.

Because the extortion failed, they called the other party a grandfather's slave, and there were not a few bannermen who wanted to benefit from old age in order to sue them.

At the end of September, such a case broke out again in Jingli. I don't know how it got to the imperial court, which aroused Kangxi's fury.

Kangxi hated such greedy villains the most, so he asked the six departments and nine ministers to discuss it together.

Because many officials inside and outside the imperial court were involved, the six ministries and nine ministers did not dare to ignore it, and finally came up with a charter of [-] major boards.

These are really bad and unscrupulous people who do not follow the law, so the Ministry should be named as a reference. "Those who have a job will be dismissed, and those who have no job will be shackled for two months and given a hundred lashes. If there is any trace of extortion, it will be verified and punished according to the law of blackmail, which is a statute."

At the same time, after the adopted son separates and opens an account, the descendants of the adopted son or those who pretend to be brothers of the same family, bully and sue the family property are also strictly prohibited.

Li Xu's father, Li Shizhen, whose original surname was Jiang, was a prominent family in Changyi. Later, when the Eight Banners entered the customs, he was plundered by Li Xiquan, the leader of Zhengbai Banner, as his stepson, and changed his surname to Li.

It is not a decent thing to change your surname because of being plundered, so few people mentioned it, and Cao Yong didn't know about it.

Now, he is quite enlightened, somewhat understands why his grandmother Gao is grateful for the old lady Wen and Li Xu for taking care of them.

Cao Yong's maternal grandfather was Li Shizhen's cousin Li Yuegui, so he had no blood relationship with Li Xu's family.

Thinking about these messy relationships makes Cao Yong a headache, although there is no blood relationship, but with Li Xu's care for the widowed aunt and cousin for many years, Gao Taijun and Li are more moved than blood relatives.

**
(End of this chapter)