Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 445
Iron Lion Alley, Jiubeizi Mansion.

Looking at the sparse visitors, Brother Jiu couldn't help but look gloomy.This birthday is celebrated every year, but it is never as deserted as it is this year.Once upon a time, there were a lot of people here.Nowadays, most officials just send people to send birthday gifts.

Since it was Brother Ninth's birthday, Brother Ten couldn't help but sit on one side and drink tea with a purple sand teapot in his hand.There were a few knowledgeable dukes of the state who saw it, and couldn't help feeling a little envious.Who doesn't know that Elder Brother Ten likes antiques and curiosities, and there are quite a lot of good things in this mansion.

The fourteenth elder brother was talking and laughing happily, chatting speculatively with several military officials on the other side of the hall.Brother Jiu looked at him coldly, and couldn't help snorting in his heart.

During these days when Sheng Jia left Beijing, Elder Fourteen did not stop.The fourteenth elder brother's mansion invited a gentleman, the scholar Chen Wance.The fourteenth elder brother called him "Sir" and treated him politely.

Nowadays, word has been spread among the scholars, and it is said that "Corporal Fourteen Elder Brothers are idle".

Shit's virtuous name is just for another purpose.Brother Nine twitched the corner of his mouth, cursing inwardly.

This Chen Wance is just a student who is taking the exam in Beijing, and it is only because of an unusual teacher that he has attracted the attention of Fourteenth Brother.He was a disciple of Li Guangdi, a scholar of the dynasty.

Although Li Guangdi was over 70 years old and already very old, he was one of Kangxi's most important veterans.

Thinking of this, brother Jiu felt agitated.Perhaps it was due to fatigue on the road, before reaching the capital, the eighth elder brother fell ill, dragged his sick body back to the capital, and did not come here today.

Fourteenth elder brother was talking to these two officials when he saw the boy next to him approaching and said in a low voice: "Master, just now Master Yi sent his long attendant here to present the birthday gift, saying that there is an urgent matter at home. My son won't come in, I beg the master to talk to Lord Jiu."

Brother Fourteen couldn't help frowning upon hearing this.When we met this morning, we agreed, why are you so shameless?

At this time, I saw the big steward of Brother Jiu's mansion stepping in quickly, and said to Brother Jiu, "Master, Fourth Master is here!"

The fourteenth elder brother couldn't help but feel a little lost after hearing this.Where did the Sunstone come from today?Why should you come or not? Those who shouldn't come come instead...

*
Xicheng, Cao Mansion, Songyuan Shangfang.

Cao Shuo took medicine after breakfast, fell asleep again, and didn't wake up until noon.When he opened his eyes, he saw Cao Song and Cao Xiang sitting on the edge of the kang, with a somewhat uncomfortable expression on his face, struggling to get up.

Cao Song pressed it down, and said: "It's so good to lie down, what are you doing when you get up? Xiao Si and I will come over to have a look at you, and we will leave after a few words."

Cao Shuo still sat up, his face was full of shame, hesitated for a moment, and said to Cao Song: "Brother,...how about I go back to Jiangning to serve my uncle and aunt? It's cold in the north, my brother is not used to living here." In the end, with his head down, his voice was inaudible.

Cao Song heard this, turned around and said to Cao Xiang, "Little Four, go out first, I have something to say to your third brother."

Cao Xiang looked at Cao Shuo worriedly, and said in a low voice, "Second Brother, Third Brother is not in good health yet."

Cao Song waved his hand and said, "Mother, what? I saved it!"

After Cao Xiang went out, Cao Song looked at Cao Shuo and said, "My third brother, tell the truth to your brother. Is it because the weather is cold in the north and you are not used to it, or are you impatient for the exam?"

When Cao Shuo heard this, his face was pale, and he lowered his head in response.

Seeing that he was so unhappy, Cao Song stretched out his hand and thumped him hard on the shoulder, saying: "Look at your bear look, who forced you to take the exam? You didn't like reading when you were young. But I always refuse to say it. Didn’t my elder brother and I have no imperial examination? What’s the matter if you don’t take the exam?”

Although Cao Shuo is usually calm, he is only sixteen, just a half-grown child.Hearing Cao Song's words, he couldn't hold it back any longer. Tears had already flowed out, and he whispered: "Father was right when he was alive, I'm a waste, a waste who can't do anything well, even if I beg for food, I have no place to go!"

Cao Song got impatient when he heard that, and swallowed the word "shit" on his lips.After all, it was said by the deceased father, so it seemed disrespectful.Therefore, he frowned and said, "In father's eyes, apart from eldest brother, who among our brothers is promising? These few words, let alone you, are me, Xiaosi, Xiaowu, who hasn't heard of it? But It’s just looking forward to our future, but you just take it seriously.”

Cao Shuo didn't believe it, raised his head, and asked with some doubts: "Father also told brother?"

A look of disappointment appeared on Cao Song's face, and he said: "Of course I heard it, it's just those few sentences, there are not ten, but there are eight." Speaking of this, he felt a little uncomfortable.

Now, he can't do anything if he doesn't know how to do martial arts, and he relies on his brother for everything. Isn't he a waste?
Not to mention in the room, Cao Song and Cao Xiang brothers had a heart-to-heart talk, Cao Xiang stood outside the Songyuan, but he was a little anxious.The second brother has always had a bad temper, in case the third brother's words offend him...

Thinking of this, Cao Xiang shook his head again, probably not.The third brother is ill, even if there is a slip of the tongue, the second brother will not care about it.At this time, someone behind him said: "What are you thinking about here?"

But Cao Yong came back, because he was worried about Cao Shuo's illness, so after entering the second gate, he first came to Songyuan for a walk.Unexpectedly, this was coming. Seeing Cao Xiang talking to himself, he couldn't help asking.

Cao Xiang was taken aback, it turned out that he just said the last sentence to himself.He hurriedly turned around and greeted Cao Yong,

Seeing that his complexion looked much stronger than yesterday, Cao Yong said: "We still need to rest for a few more days, and we must take care of our body first."

Cao Xiang nodded, and responded respectfully.

Seeing that he didn't enter the yard, Cao Yong walked around the door, raised his chin, and said, "Go, come in with me."

Cao Xiang shook his head and said, "Brother, the second brother was talking with the third brother inside, so he sent me out."

"Oh?" Hearing that Cao Song was talking inside, Cao Yong was a bit surprised. Is Xiao Er going to comfort his younger brother?
When I entered the mansion just now, I saw many greeting cards in the front yard, many of which were handed to Cao Xiang by scholars.Because Cao Yong didn't know what kind of rumors spread in the market, and whether Cao Xiang was good or bad, so he didn't send the post to people.

Perhaps some scholars admired Cao Xiang's virtue, but most of them came for the signboard of the Earl's Mansion and Cao Yong's high position.

Among the greeting posts, many were directly voted to Cao Yong.The titles on the top are various, but the inscriptions on the bottom are almost the same. Most of them are "the son is the same student who is so and so", or "the younger brother is the same student so-and-so".

Cao Yong casually turned over a few, but it was a bit dumbfounding.

Cao Xiang's homework was praised by Mr. Zhuang.If he didn't pass the exam, he could only wait for the next one until he got impatient to take the exam.

Thinking of this, Cao Yong said to Cao Xiang: "Wait for a month's rest, and you should go to school. In the future, you will have classmates and more friends, and your life will be easier. Go to the Eight Banners School. Or learn from the Zhaojia clan, do you have any plans in mind?"

Cao Xiang was a little dazed when he heard this, and said, "My younger brother doesn't know either. If the eldest brother is cheaper, he should go to the Eight Banners Academy. After all, it is different from the second and third brothers. It is better to go to the official school."

Cao Yong nodded and said: "Understood, I will send people to plan in two days. Although reading is important, the body must also be well maintained. This time, you have seen the end. This is not a good physique. I want to endure it." Passing these three games is really not easy."

When mentioning the examination room, Cao Xiang couldn't help sticking out his tongue, and said, "Brother said, it was fine in the first few days, but in the next few days, six or seven of them were indeed carried over to the doctor's row."

While talking, Cao Song picked up the curtain from the room and saw Cao Yong standing at the door, hurried forward and said: "Brother is back!"

Cao Yong nodded and asked, "How is the third brother?"

Cao Songdao: "He's been thinking about this and that all day. I've just trained him, and now I'm telling him to lie down and sleep."

That being the case, Cao Yong didn't go into the room any more. He went to Shaoyuan for a walk, said hello to Mrs. Zhaojia, and then went back to Wutongyuan.

Cao Song and Cao Xiang also followed Cao Yong to the main house of Shaoyuan.

In the morning, Mrs. Zhao Jia sent Cao Xiang over and asked Cao Shuo about his symptoms.Therefore, looking at Cao Xiang now, she has nothing to say, she waved her hand and said, "You are also tired these days, so give birth and rest!"

Cao Xiang listened and went down in response, but Cao Song sat in the chair and did not leave.

When Cao Xiang went out, Cao Song turned around and said to Zhao Jia: "Mother, the third child is not really a material for reading. I asked him just now, but he doesn't want to be an official either."

When Zhao Jia heard this, he was very surprised, and said: "How is this so good? What's the trouble? If he doesn't go out to eat, can he drink the northwest wind? I've already thought about it, and I don't need to think about it. For the imperial examination, it is reasonable to ask your uncle or your elder brother to go to the Six Departments to make up for your younger brother's errands."

Cao Song heard this, sighed inwardly, and said, "Mother, this errand is filled without opening your mouth! I don't know how much favor I need from my brother. Although my father is gone, my uncle and brother have taken care of us a lot, but this It shouldn't be my brother's responsibility."

Zhao Jiashi just mentioned it, but he is not in the mood to think about it right now.

Today, the servant's mansion sent a post, and it was Mrs. Wu Yashi, the minister's wife, who invited my sister-in-law to go to the mansion to listen to an opera.

This "listening to the opera" is fake, and I'm afraid they want to mention the truth of Ruhui's marriage.

Zhao Jia's brother and compatriots are from the same family, and they have a good relationship when they are young.Brother can not dislike their family background and agree to marry his daughter to Cao's house, it's just out of love for his sister.

Now, Ruhui's illness has been shaken out, and those who used to worry about becoming relatives with the Minister's Mansion have long been hiding away.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Zhao Jia sighed and said to Cao Song: "Your aunt sent someone to send a letter today, and I will go there tomorrow. Which lady are you looking for? Come with me earlier In other words, I will have something to say in front of your aunt tomorrow." At this point, she took a dull puff on her cigarette and said, "If it's not possible, I'll do as you said and tell your cousin to the third child! "

After Cao Song heard this, he waved his hands quickly and said, "Mother, my cousin is sick. Tell the third child like this. How can the two of you live together? The third brother always needs to find someone who can take care of him." good."

Mrs. Zhao Jia glared at Cao Song and said, "You didn't make a fuss about it. If you didn't like someone else's lady, Ruhui wouldn't be able to turn to anyone else. It's just that your uncle only has this only daughter. It's okay if it's normal. , go to someone else’s house like this, what is it if you don’t suffer?”

Cao Song knew his mother's stubbornness, and he couldn't persuade her.A few days ago, she complained about Wu Yashi several times about Tong Ruhui's illness in the Minister's Mansion, but now it seems that she has changed her mind...

Cao Yong went back to Wutong Court and entered the house.Chu Yu was wearing regular clothes, sitting on the edge of the kang, coaxing Hang Seng to turn the Nine Rings.

Seeing Cao Yong coming back, Heng Sheng immediately kicked his short legs to get off the kang.Cao Yong was afraid that he would fall, so he took two steps forward and took him in his hand.Seeing Tianhui's cradle was not there, Cao Yong asked: "Daughter Dongwu is asleep?"

Chu Yu nodded and said, "Well, Fang nursed her for a while before she fell asleep!"

Cao Yong weighed Hang Seng in his hand, and said to Chu Yu with a smile: "This little guy grows fast enough, you can't even hold him?"

Chu Yu said: "Fortunately, it's just that my arms are sore after holding it for a long time."

While talking, Xiyun and Xicai had already sent Qingshui over.Cao Yong put down Hang Seng, washed his hands, and changed his clothes. Fang asked Chu Yu, "Did you come back early, or did you not go there?"

Chu Yu said: "I didn't go there, the things were sent early. I see that the forehead and those houses don't like to communicate very much. It's not interesting for me to go there like this. I just have to use up the etiquette."

"If you don't go, you won't go. It's just that it's not good to be bored at home all the time. Before it's winter, go out for a walk. Didn't the eldest sister also send a post a few days ago? Sun Jue's concubine these days Man Yue, you can take this opportunity to go out and take a breath." Cao Yong said while sitting on the edge of the kang.

Chu Yu accepted Jiu Lianhuan, and said: "Speaking of going out, Second Aunt just told me that she wanted me to accompany her to the Minister's Mansion tomorrow. I reckoned that it was Second Aunt who wanted to push over there." It's not easy to talk about family matters, maybe it's going to be pushed on us. They are close relatives, and we as juniors, it's not easy to get involved, so I found an excuse to push it..."

*
After coding, first say "Happy Birthday" to yourself, and then pull out a leaflet to write thank you. . .

(End of this chapter)