Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 708 Chaos

Brother Jiu is just short of breath, how can he listen to Cao Yong's words.As a prince, he has always been arrogant, but these days, there is a lot of resentment in his heart, and there is nowhere to vent it.

Before Cao Yong finished speaking, he already used his other hand to punch Cao Yong in the face.

Although Cao Yong had dodged, but his fist was thrown to his nose.He only felt a sore nose, and tears came out, blurring his eyes.

Brother Nine roared like a mad cow, clenched his fists, and rushed towards Cao Yong.

Cao Yong was really in a hurry, because he had a different identity, so he couldn't fight back; if he tried to avoid it, he would expose the fourth brother behind him.Do I have to suffer a few times for my own life?

Fortunately, Elder Brother Ten has come to his senses, stretched out his arms, hugged Elder Ninth, opened his big eyes and said, "Brother Ninth, I can't beat you!"

The fourth elder brother is said to be the elder brother, and Cao Yong is a member of the imperial court. Even if he beats anyone in normal times, it is his fault, not to mention that the two of them are imperial envoys now.

Hitting the two of them is to feel resentment towards the emperor's father.

The fourth elder brother had already stood up, looked at the eighth Fujin, and said to the ninth elder brother lightly: "You are not young anymore, you know what you should do and what you should not do. I will not argue with you about these two punches. In the end, you can do it yourself." After finishing speaking, he turned around and walked away quickly.

Cao Yong felt bored, but he couldn't turn around and leave.For the matter of moving the coffin, the Ministry of Internal Affairs has to send someone to arrange for the carriage, horses and sedan chairs to be handled by the lady, and some details still need to be discussed.

Looking at the current atmosphere, it is not the time to talk.Cao Yong had no choice but to bow to Elder Brother Ten and said, "Master Shi, it's getting late at night, I'm going back to my humble house first, and I'll come over tomorrow morning to serve as servants."

Ninth elder brother was out of breath, staring fiercely at fourth elder brother's back, wondering what he was thinking.

Although Elder Brother Shi looked irritable, Cao Yong's act of blocking people just now made Cao Yong more determined that he was the one who "pretend to be a pig and eat a tiger" among the princes.

The fourth elder brother can walk away, but Cao Yong is not so cheap.The moment he turned around, Elder Brother Shi yelled loudly: "Stop, I have something to ask you."

What are you really afraid of?What can I ask, and it is designated as the edict of the transfer of spirits.

Sure enough, Elder Brother Shi said: "You also came back from Tangquan, I asked you, what is the imperial decree? Prince Yong invited it?"

After hearing these words, Ba Fujin and Jiu A Ge looked straight at Cao Yong.

"If you go back to Master Jiu, I will leave the front of the imperial court and talk to Lord Sixteen after you greeted me when you were in college and Shangshu. I don't know the details." Cao Yong bowed and said the truth.

Strange to say, sometimes the truth sounds like a lie, but the lie sounds like the truth.Cao Yong didn't lie, but the ninth and tenth elder brothers didn't believe it, so they heard the ninth elder brother sneer and said: "The tenth brother is confused. From the mouth of Cao Yong, he can tell that the fourth brother is not good. ?”

Cao Yong is here, really can't leave, can't stay, let alone how uncomfortable.

Elder Brother Ten saw the bruise on the bridge of his nose, and then looked at Elder Ninth again, a look of worry flashed in his eyes, but his face was still deep.After a long while, he said to Cao Yong: "The scene just now, Brother Nine was just unintentional, please understand, don't make it public, or the Lord will not spare you!" .

Cao Yong was really speechless in his heart, and there was no way to ask for help.

He agreed on the surface, and then Cao Yong went out of the garden of Ba Age, and rode to his own garden.At this time, the gate of the city has been closed, so they can only rest outside the city overnight.

He rubbed his nose, he had avoided it a little, and it still hurt.The fourth elder brother's face is full of flowers, but he doesn't know what it looks like.

However, he also gave himself a chance to get out of his golden cicada's shell, and he could take two days off tomorrow.Otherwise, it would be too eye-catching to appear in front of people like this.

It was only a hundred or so meters away from Ba Age's garden on horseback, and there was a faint light of fire ahead.

Xiaoman's eyes are sharpest, he has already recognized the carriage in front of him, and said in a low voice: "Master, it is the carriage of the Fourth Prince."

Could it be that this is not over yet?
In front of him, Cao Yong reined in his horse, jumped off his horse, and wanted to go forward to salute.

Before he bowed down, he heard the fourth elder brother say in the carriage: "Get in the carriage."

When Cao Yong approached, a little eunuch picked up a lamp and illuminated the wooden bench.Cao Yong picked up the curtain and got into the carriage.

The glazed lamp was lit in the carriage, and the fourth elder brother was sitting upright.

The fourth elder brother looked as embarrassed as he wanted, with one side of his face swollen and the corner of his mouth broken.Cao Yong glanced at it, then quickly lowered his head and said in a low voice, "Fourth Lord."

Although you are a prince, but fighting between brothers is the same as that of ordinary people, and they will kill each other when they are extremely angry. Who would care about brothers and friends.

It's just that the fourth elder brother usually has a steady and steady temperament, but now he also has a gloomy face. With these injuries on his face, he just thinks it's a bit funny.

"What did Brother Jiu say?" Brother Si swept his gaze over Cao Yong's bridge of nose and asked in a deep voice.

"Jiuye didn't say anything, only Shiye asked." Cao Yong will truthfully report what Brother Shi heard and answered himself.

From the fourth elder brother to Cao Yong, it only takes a few words.On Cao Yong's side, there is no need to lie about this.The fourth elder brother listened and was noncommittal.

Although the carriage is spacious, it is uncomfortable for two big men to stay like this.

Cao Yong was standing again, but he couldn't stand straight, it was so uncomfortable.

After a while, I heard the fourth elder brother say: "It's late at night, you should go back first."

Cao Yong got out of the carriage as if he had been pardoned, and only got on the horse when the carriage was far away.

This day was more tiring than half a year.Whether it was Kangxi's decision or Si Age's choice, Cao Yong was a little confused.It seems that the emperor's thinking is really different from that of ordinary people, which is understandable, but it is still difficult to accept in his heart.

Back in the garden, lying on the bed, Cao Yong was still tossing and turning, and did not fall asleep until the east was getting white...

When I opened my eyes again, it was already the morning of the next day.

After washing up, before Cao Yong had time to eat, he heard someone report that it was Dong Dianbang, the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, who asked to see him and was waiting in the front hall.

Cao Yong looked in the mirror, and there was still a bruise near the nose, how could he see people?
"Let's just say that I feel cold at night and I'm sick. Please take a few days off in the Yamen." Cao Yong put down the mirror and ordered.

It was almost the end of the month, and according to the rules, every year on the first day of October, the emperor would announce the next year's calendar outside the Meridian Gate.Before that, Shengjia had to go back to Changchun Garden.

Counting the days, there is not much time left for the eighth elder brother's mansion to move the coffin.

*
Ba Age Garden, in front of the mourning hall.

The ninth elder brother and the tenth elder brother both didn't close their eyes all night. The ninth elder brother has been sad these days, and he stayed up late, so his eyes are completely red.Brother Ten is better here, but he can't hide his fatigue.

"Ninth brother, the imperial edict has been issued, what else can we do? Is it impossible to resist the edict?" Tenth elder brother looked at the mourning hall, looked at the busy officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs outside, and said.

Brother Jiu's face was pale and frightening, he clenched his fist vigorously, and said: "Yes, that is an imperial decree, and if you violate it, you will be beheaded. This brother died just now, and brother Huang still cares about it again Will one die?"

"Ninth Brother, be careful." Tenth Brother looked around and advised in a low voice.

Brother Jiu sneered, and looked into the distance, feeling an indescribable chill all over his body...

*
Like Cao Yong, there is also Si Age who said that he could not get sick.

No matter how angry Brother Jiu was and how resentful Eight Fujin was, Brother Eight's coffin was still moved back to the city the next day.

The next day, Shengjia returned to Changchun Garden from Tangquan Palace, and held a small pilgrimage in Changchun Garden today.

The princes and elder brothers, several clan princes on errands, and officials above the third rank all gathered in Changchun Garden to have an audience.The absence of the fourth elder brother and Cao Yong is not eye-catching, but some people can't bear to speculate.

At that time, when the fourth elder brother and Cao Yong went to Babeile Garden to pass the decree, there were too many people at the other end of the garden.Although the tenth elder brother ordered to keep his mouth shut afterwards, the eighth elder brother's house was not so strict in the first place.

You know what you need to know, but no one advertises it.

Brother Jiu's title is not high, he is just the son of Gushan, but his biological mother, Concubine Yi, is a powerful figure in the harem, and his elder brother, Brother No. [-], is Prince Heshuo.

Coupled with Brother Jiu's temperament, he will not let go of anyone who doesn't bite a piece of meat, like a mad dog, whoever has nothing to do is willing to provoke him.

Cao Yong took the excuse of contracting the cold, took a carriage the next day, and went back to the city behind closed doors.It's time to see a doctor, and it's time to ask for medicine, but no one came to him.

In a blink of an eye, it was the first day of October, the day of the Great Court Assembly.

The swelling on Cao Yong's face has disappeared, so he went to the Yamen to disappear and went to court.

It was still midnight and waited on the Jinshui Bridge. On both sides of the palace gate, the emperor's full suit was placed.

It seems that there is no difference from previous years.It's just that after the seventh elder brother, it is no longer the eighth elder brother or the ninth elder brother.The eighth elder brother passed away, and the ninth elder brother was ill.There was no smile on the faces of the other princes.

Cao Yong stood in the queue, listening to Kangxi promulgating the calendar, listening to the performance of the six parts of Jiuqing, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

The sixteenth elder brother stood behind the fifteenth elder brother and glanced at Cao Yong, with a little worry on his face.

It was not until near noon that the tedious court meeting was over.

Brother Sixteen was still thinking about looking for Cao Yong now, and he had to go to the Yamen to find him later and ask him about his "infection with wind and cold" a few days ago, when he saw Cao Yong walking towards him.

"Master Sixteen, are you free now? Cao Yong asked.

Brother Sixteen nodded and said, "I was just looking for you."

The two of them didn't go out of the palace, they walked towards the Yamen of the House of Internal Affairs until they entered the house, Brother Sixteen supported Cao Yong's shoulders, looked him up and down, and said: "I heard that you were beaten by Brother Nine. , but where did it hurt?"

Cao Yong shook his head and said: "It's just a skin injury, it's not a problem, it's already healed."

Brother Sixteen lowered his arms, frowned and said, "Beating a court minister, what a crime is this? Brother Ninth is really too much." Having said that, he stretched out his hand and put his thumb on it, and said with some hesitation: "Here, he was really beaten."

"Well." Cao Yong nodded and agreed.

Brother Sixteen sighed, and said: "They are all siblings, why is this. Ninth Brother only looks smart, but he is a fool. I am happy at this moment, what can I do, but plant disasters."

This problem is really heavy, Cao Yong do not want to elaborate.He took out a piece of paper from his bosom, put it in front of Elder Sixteen, and said, "This is the prescription I sent someone to ask for at Tongrentang. Give it a try. There are many opium smokers in the capital, but few quit, so no one is looking for that medicine. Tomorrow, I will make a special trip to Tongrentang. They are experts, and they should understand the dangers of opium. If they can develop It is a great thing to benefit the country and the people to come up with a prescription for detoxification."

Because there are so many things these few days, Elder Sixteen hasn't had time to think about this.

Seeing that Cao Yong took this to heart and got the prescription in the past few days, Elder Sixteen was also quite moved.He took the prescription and said with a smile: "If you bother Fu Ruo, I will appreciate it. No matter how useful it is, drink it first. It is much better than locking it up and giving up addiction."

"By the way, I forgot to tell you about something a few days ago." Brother Sixteen stuffed the prescription into his sleeve, looked up and said, "The queen mother seems to be very concerned about your family's affairs, and she asked me to come over two But, it’s all about family matters. For example, how much land does your family have, how many servants and so on... I also asked how many concubines my uncle had, and even asked about your little brother who was lost before... I just know It’s roughly the same, so I said it vaguely.”

Cao Yong was also confused when he heard these words, and said, "Where is this?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you directly. It doesn't look like a bad thing. Go back and ask Uncle, maybe he knows." Elder Sixteen said.

Cao Yong hadn't been to the Yamen for a few days, and there were a lot of official affairs here, and the piles of documents were as high as a foot.The sixteenth elder brother saw that Cao Yong was busy, so he didn't stay long, got up and went back to elder brother's place.

On Cao Yong's side, it was dusk after finishing the official duties.

When he returned to the mansion, he passed the screen wall and turned on the light in the living room.Seeing this, Cao Yong turned around and asked the porter, "Is there a guest at home?"

The concierge replied: "Master, Director Dong of the Ministry of Internal Affairs is here, talking with Master in the living room."

Only then did Cao Yong remember that Dong Dianbang had handed over the greeting card a few days ago.The Dong family and the Cao family are now relatives by marriage, and they have made a small settlement for a few months, and they are only waiting for Cao Yin to come back to make a big settlement.

Thinking of the girl with big braids, Cao Yong was a little dazed.

At this moment, I saw Cao Yin sending Dong Dianbang out.Seeing Cao Yong, Dong Dianbang cupped his hands and said, "Lord Cao is back."

Cao Yong bowed back and said: "It turns out that the kid came back when the adults arrived. I'm neglectful."

Cao Yin was at the side, listening to the two of them answering each other, he stroked his beard with a smile and said: "It's not in the yamen, don't be too polite to in-laws, Cao Yong is a junior."

On Dong Dianbang's side, although he married his granddaughter to Cao Yong's cousin, he didn't dare to say that Cao Yong was regarded as a grandson.The etiquette is not less, but there is a little more kindness on the face, everything is just right.

When Cao Yin saw him, he didn't force him. Together with Cao Yong, he sent Dong Dianbang outside the gate.

"Father, have you agreed on a fixed date?" Cao Yong asked.

"Well, it will be decided at the end of the month. The news from the palace said that the queen mother is not in good health these few months. Dong Dianbang is afraid of catching up with Guo Xiao, and wants to have a happy event before the end of the year." Cao Yong replied with his hands behind his back.

Hearing the mention of the Queen Mother, Cao Yong said what Brother Sixteen said in the morning.

Cao Yin listened to this, but nodded, and said: "Understood, don't think wildly. The day after tomorrow will be the Shengshou Festival, so you should know what the Empress Dowager means..."

(End of this chapter)