Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 675
On the second day of June, Cao Yong hadn't handed over the newly written booklet, but Elder Sixteen brought a piece of good news.Kangxi had already approved his previous request, and allowed him to return to the capital temporarily.And there is also a decree, let him go back and take people to explore around the capital to see how the drought is.

Cao Yong was overjoyed, handed over all the errands at hand, and asked your majesty to say goodbye.

Kangxi didn't summon him to see him, but he also sent Wei Zhu out with an oral order, telling him to do his job carefully and not to be fooled.

Because of a matter of praying for rain, how many officials have been lost, no matter how careless Cao Yong is, he will not be lazy on this.

Li Shi and Chu Yu have already packed their luggage.Because all the female relatives were going back, Wei Hei's wife, Xiangcao, took Qiniang, packed up her things, and wanted to go back to Beijing together.

Just thinking that Cao Yin was left here, Li felt a little uneasy, and after Cao Yin's repeated persuasion, he reluctantly set out on the road.

It was still spring when I came here, and it was already midsummer when I went back, so there are special scenery on both sides of the road.

The whole party was full of women and children, so Cao Yong ordered people to slow down.

Except for Tianyou and Hang Seng who are clamoring to ride horses every day, occasionally Cao Yong also hugs Tianhui on the horseback to get some air.

It was okay when I first came out of Rehe, with green mountains and green waters, and I didn't feel the heat.After walking for two or three days, I started to feel hot.

Mrs. Li is getting old, Chu Yu is just recovering from a serious illness, and the children are delicate, so they are also afraid of heatstroke.Start early every day and rest at the post station at noon.

In this way, he finally arrived in the capital safely on the seventh day of June.

I didn't feel it in the capital earlier, but now I went to Rehe, and then returned to the capital, I felt more and more that the heat in Beijing was unbearable.

On the side of the upper room in the Lanyuan, two ice basins have been placed, but Mrs. Li is still too hot to sleep.

I thought about going to Haidian Garden to live for a while, but the matter of Suxin has not been settled properly, and it is not easy for Mrs. Li to go there to enjoy leisure.

On Zhaojia's side, she has already complained twice, not because she chose this marriage, and feels that there is something wrong with Dong's family not picking up a girl right now.

After all, the mother is gone, and the stepmother is not careful.If you want to go out before the end of the year, there are still many things to prepare.

On Li's side, she was not very optimistic about her husband's arrangement of Suxin for her nephew.

Women have limited youth, so finding a young husband may be difficult in the future.

Mrs. Zhao Jia has been thinking about marrying her youngest son Zhang Luo for a long time. Mrs. Li knows about it, so she is worried that she thinks that Su Xin is too old, and it will be difficult for her mother-in-law and daughter-in-law to get along with each other in the future.Unexpectedly, Zhao Jia's side is abnormal, and there is no dissatisfaction when mentioning Su Xin.

How did she know that the Zhaojia family now regards Su Xin as one of their own.

In the early years when Mrs. Zhao Jia first entered the Cao family, she was picky by her husband because of her illiteracy.At the beginning, Cao Quan thought about enlightening his wife by himself, but Zhao Jia was smart about other things, but he couldn't understand how to learn to write, so he didn't know how to do it.

The daughter-in-law of the younger generation of the Cao family, Chu Yu, needless to say, is a noble granddaughter who is fluent in both Manchu and Chinese; even Jinghui is also a well-educated lady.

In terms of background and appearance, he is much better than Zhao Jia's.

On Jinghui's side, they are so impeccable that Zhao Jia has no place to display her mother-in-law's score.

Now that she has Su Xin, she also began to say the phrase "marry a daughter from a high family, and marry a woman from a low family". Thinking of the majesty of Mrs. Sun when she was alive, she felt hopeful...

On Li's side, it was a little difficult.

Logically speaking, the marriage of children is the order of the parents and the words of the matchmaker.It's just that Suxin's stepmother, Mrs. Gao, is not someone who can talk to the Dong family.

After thinking about it for a while, she still had someone send a name card to Dong's house, stating that she wanted to visit him.

The Dong family sent someone to reply to the post on the same day, saying that it was June [-]th, which happened to be the "grasping week" of a grandson of the Dong family, and invited Mrs. Li and Mrs. Zhao Jia to visit.

Mrs. Li talked to Mrs. Zhao Jia here, which made Mrs. Zhao Jia very happy.

Although Xiao Ding has not been made yet, but right now there is also the meaning of meeting in-laws.

In a blink of an eye, on the twelfth day of the sixth month, Li Shi, Zhao Jia Shi, and Chu Yu came to Dong's house as guests in a carriage.

Because of praying for rain, no one dared to invite a theater troupe in May, and Zhao Jia hadn't attended a play for a long time, and felt that it was very lively and very popular.

In addition, there are many children and grandchildren of the Dong family, many female relatives, and several aunts who have returned to the door, and several tables are full.

Whether it is the family of the daughter-in-law or grand-daughter-in-law, or the family of the old aunt or the in-laws of the younger aunt, they are all respectable official families.

Seeing this, Zhao Jia became more and more satisfied with this marriage.

Although the Dong family is not as high as the Cao family, the in-laws are old and the relationship is not weaker than the Cao family.The several families who have come and gone to marry are all powerful figures in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, no worse than the Cao family's in-laws, the Li family and the Sun family.

Dong Dianbang's wife, Nalashi, is already in the first grade, and now most of the housekeeping is taken care of by Dong's parents-in-law, Shangshi.

Li Shi came here this time not to listen to the play, but mainly to settle matters.

Shang's side has already received Dong Dianbang's order first, picked a good day in the second half of this month, and agreed to let it go on that day.

Because the girl is getting older, she is afraid of delaying the flowering period, so Shang Shi also mentioned the matter of her father's decision.

On Li's side, of course, there was nothing to say, but it was up to Zhao Jia to make up his mind, so he didn't say death.

*
Kuiyuan, go to the room.

There was silence, Chang Sheng had already been taken back to the Orchid Courtyard by the police, and Tianyou and Hang Sheng both went to class in the study.

In the room, Su Xin sat with her head bowed, with a bit of confusion on her face.

Seeing her like this, Zijing sighed inwardly, poured a cup of herbal tea with her own hands, and handed it to Suxin.

Holding the teacup in both hands, Su Xin raised her head and said softly, "Thank you sister."

"It's just a cup of tea, what are you talking about here?" Zijing sat on the edge of the kang with a smile and asked, "Miss is so restless, but is it because of the fact that the wife and the second wife are going to your residence today?"

Su Xin nodded when she heard this, and said: "I'm afraid I have to leave, I really can't bear my wife and sister..."

"In a few months, I will come back in a sedan chair. At that time, even if the girl wants to leave, she will not be able to leave." Zijing took Su Xin's hand and said with a smile.

"I really envy my sister, how can I have such a comfortable life?" Su Xin bit her lip and said: "I learned the rules when I was young, and when I entered the palace, I also learned the rules and looked at my face. Only in the past six months, even if I am not myself It's a small family, but it's rare to be quiet and at ease. Such a good person, why do you have to talk about others."

"As a woman, I always want to find someone else, so it's not good to delay like this. Besides, the girl didn't say that she would go to someone else's house, and she would live in the back with a wall, and come and go frequently. It's great. They say it's hard to be a daughter-in-law. The second wife looks a bit strong, but she has no bad intentions, as long as she is respectful and coaxes her with a few nice words; the second wife is gentle, you have seen it before, and it is not difficult between sisters-in-law Get along with each other. The fifth master was raised by the master and wife in the early years, and he was the most kind to others. Girl, rest assured, don't think about it anymore." Zijing saw that she was so disturbed, and persuaded her, giving her reassurance.

Suxin heard Zijing's kindness, took Zijing's hand behind her back, looked at her face, hesitated for a moment, and asked the confusion in her heart: "Since my sister knows this truth, why did she miss the flowering period and stay alone?"

Zijing's body froze when she heard this, and it took a while before she smiled, and said: "Who knows, earlier I also wanted to marry someone, thinking about being a good wife and mother. But who should I marry? Even if I want to marry, It is good to have a man who is willing to marry. Since no one wants it, I can only live like this..." At the end of the speech, she already showed a little loneliness
"Sister..." Seeing her cold appearance, Su Xin couldn't bear it, and said, "Why don't I talk to my sister-in-law to see if I can find a suitable home for my sister..."

After Zijing heard this, she quickly waved her hands, and said with a smile: "I understand the girl's heart, let's forget it. I don't have the good fortune to be someone else's house filler, to be a cheap mother; I don't have that kind of luck for a half-destroyed person." That face is to be a concubine. The girl just said that the life here is quiet and comfortable, and she is reluctant to leave. The girl has only lived for half a year, and I have lived for most of my life, so naturally I am even more reluctant to leave..."

*
Although it is the sweltering summer now, the weather is extremely hot, but Cao Yong has a sacred order on his body, and it is not a leisure time.

On the road from Rehe to Beijing, the crops on both sides did not grow well due to the lack of rain.How about Gyeonggi, you have to go down and have a look to find out the details.

After resting at home for half a day, Cao Yong took several officials from the Ministry of Internal Affairs out of Beijing the next day, first to Changping, then to Miyun, Yanqing, Tongzhou, Daxing, Fangshan, and Huairou before returning to Beijing.

Except for the place where there is a river, water is diverted for irrigation, and the drought situation is slightly alleviated, other places look worrying.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, although it rained a few times in the capital, due to the thin clouds and small coverage, many places did not bathe in the rain.

This year is leap March, so the beginning of autumn will be earlier than usual. Even if it rains now, it will be too late to replant crops.It seems that the lack of grain in Gyeonggi this autumn is a foregone conclusion.

Cao Yong wrote carefully what he had seen in the past few days, and sent people from the cabinet ministers to Rehe.

It took only two days for the zhezi to be sent, and there was a decree from the capital.

From the [-]th of June, the Rehe side fasted and prayed for rain, and the capital side also started from the [-]th, presided over by the Ministry of Rites, to pray for rain together.

It was already the [-]th day when the decree arrived in the capital, and the Ministry of Rites hurriedly sent people to inform the various yamen in the capital.

There are lessons learned from the past, and now when the word "pray for rain" is mentioned, who else would dare to neglect it?

On the square of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, a group of Ministers and Ministers wearing third- and fourth-grade supplementary uniforms looked spectacular.

These people are ranked according to their grades.Cao Yong, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who is a third-rank official, originally stood behind the servants of the ministers, but now there are not many in front of him.

The prince elder brother in Beijing, the elder brother and the second elder brother who were imprisoned, except for the eighth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother, the remaining adult elder brothers also come to the square of the Hall of Supreme Harmony to stand every day.

In the past, praying for rain was always chosen by Qin Tianjian, but this time it was Kangxi's impromptu idea.

There are unpredictable things in the sky, the rain is so easy, it comes as soon as it is said.

It was the time when the scorching heat was unbearable. After praying for two days, several ministers fainted from the sun, and the rest was hard work.The Ministry of Rites has asked people to prepare mung bean soup, but it is useless. Seeing that there are more and more people wandering around every day.

Although Cao Yong was young, he couldn't stand the hot sun. After a few days in the sun, he also felt sick and dizzy, as if he was going to suffer from heat stroke.

Because it is already a hot weather, the capital is like a big steamer.

At the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment, five criminals were killed in one day.

Of the six court officials and two attendants of the Ministry of Punishment, one died of illness and the vacancy has not yet been filled, and the remaining three in the capital were all punished for praying for rain in May.Among them, two ministers were downgraded by two levels and one servant was downgraded by three levels.

He was already trembling, but now there is another incident about the death of the prisoner, so that these few people couldn't do it, so they rushed to join the paper, asking whether the prisoner should be detained leniently.

A few days later, a decree came back, not only from the Yamen of the Ministry of Punishment, but all detainees in the capital were detained leniently, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Even so, within a few days, there were more than ten prisoners who died everywhere.

At the gates of major temples in the capital, there are many people who serve mung bean soup.In the densely populated area of ​​the city, the Shuntian government office sent water trucks so that the common people could drink a bowl of cold water for free under the scorching heat...

On June [-]th, the sky finally opened its eyes, and clouds began to accumulate in the sky.

It was cloudy for a long time during the day, and at noon, it began to rain.

It was still light rain at first, and then it became faster and faster. At dusk, the rainwater in the waterlogged places on the street could no longer cover horseshoes.

Cao Yong was wearing a poncho and came back in the rain, feeling relieved.

It is better to have rain than no rain. The crops are reduced, and the farmers can still live, but it is more difficult.If there is no harvest, I am afraid that they will sell their children and daughters and be displaced.

After entering the second gate, Cao Yong first went to Lanyuan to greet Li Shi.

After Mrs. Li came back from Dong's house, she originally planned to go to Haidian Garden to escape the summer heat, but when Cao Yong wanted to enter the palace to pray for rain, she couldn't bear her son's running around in and out of the city, so she didn't make the trip.

Seeing that it's raining, the matter of praying for rain can come to an end, and Li's side is also happy.

"It's been six days since I prayed, and it's raining. Does it mean I don't have to go to the sun tomorrow?" Mrs. Li asked while passing melons and fruits to her son.

"At least seven days, and I have to pray tomorrow. Then I will submit the booklet from the Ministry of Rites and see what the will of Rehe will say." Cao Yong replied.

When Li heard this, she couldn't help frowning, and said: "If this goes on, when will it be a headache? It's a hot day, and it's hard to be in the house, let alone under the sun."

"Mother, let's go to the garden tomorrow, just let my son take it easy. It's really hot in the capital. Even if it rains, it may not be able to slow down." Cao Yong said.

"But are you too tired to go back and forth to the city?" Shi Li asked after hesitating.

Cao Yong shook his head and said: "It only takes half an hour to hurry up, let's live there. Tianyou and Hengsheng both have fever rashes, it's still cooler over there."

When Mrs. Li saw her son saying this, she nodded and said: "Well, I will discuss it with my wife tomorrow and see who will come. Your second aunt is also shouting hot, after the order is finished, we will go out of the city together It's good to live."

Cao Yong said a few words with Li Shi, then got up and went back to Wutong Garden.

Chu Yu helped Cao Yong change his clothes, and remembered something, and said, "My father-in-law, shouldn't our Changping Zhuangzi also reduce the rent more?"

"Why do you think of this? Isn't there a well?" Cao Yong was puzzled.

"I didn't think about other things earlier, but if the people next to us see that our family does not decrease and does not decrease, then the people will suffer." Chu Yu said: "A few days ago, my son-in-law came back from Gyeonggi, not because the drought is serious. Even if it rains, won’t the crops be good this year?”

Cao Yong listened, nodded again and again, and said: "It's hard for you to think of this, I was negligent..."

(End of this chapter)