Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 72
Xicheng, Cao Mansion, front hall, small study.

"Yong'er, if you want the Cao family to be safe for a while, you can just have that person to take care of you. If you look at it in the long run, I'm afraid you have to make up your mind early!" Zhuang Xi said.

Cao Yong frowned after hearing this: "Sir, this is what my father meant?" He disapproved in his heart. The Cao family and the royal family are too close, making them passive everywhere. We should learn a lesson, how can we get mixed up with the dirty water of seizing the heir inside?If there is a slight mistake, the family will be ransacked and the family will be wiped out.Historically, the decline of the Cao family was caused by this.

Zhuang Xi shook his head and said: "My father's loyalty is too much, and he didn't think about the safety of the family!"

Cao Yong thinks about the origin of the huge debts of the Cao family, and suddenly feels powerless, and the Cao family seems to have already stood in the team unconsciously.Although Kangxi knew that the Cao family was pure ministers, in the eyes of outsiders, he might have already regarded the Cao family as a traitor.After all, the Cao family has served as one of the crown prince's sources of income for the past ten or twenty years.

In Cao Yin's eyes, being loyal to the monarch and the crown prince elected by the monarch is only a matter of the minister's duty.But, how could other people think like this.

"Through the history of the emperors after the Qin and Han Dynasties, there are only three or five emperors who have reigned for more than 40 years, and only one Hanwu who has reigned for more than 50 years. It has been 48 years since Wan Sui ascended the throne, and he has led troops to conquer many times." Zhuang Xidao .

Zhuang Xi spoke cryptically, but Cao Yong understood what he was referring to. The ancient emperors did not live long, and Kangxi was in his twilight years.Everyone thinks so, otherwise the civil and military officials would not be so keen on making friends with the prince.

Cao Yong laughed secretly in his heart, it is only 48 years of Kangxi, and there are 61 years before the 13st year of Kangxi. At this time, it is death to please the prince.

"Sir, I have been with the emperor for the past few months, and I have seen the emperor several times. Even when I am ill, I can still open two crossbows. Although there are not many emperors who have reigned for more than 50 years in ancient and modern times, it is not uncommon for them to live over [-] years. If so, how should we deal with it?" Cao Yong asked.

"If that's the case..." Zhuang Xi loosened his brows and pondered.

"If so..." Cao Yong's eyes were more calm.

Two teachers and students, each wrote a four-character idiom on the desk, looked at each other and smiled.

After talking with Zhuang Xi and having dinner together in the front hall, Cao Yong returned to the sunflower courtyard.

*
Kuiyuan, go to the room.

It's late autumn now, even if a charcoal basin is set up in the house, it can't dispel the strong coolness.

The upper room had already been lit, and Zijing led a few maidservants to do work on the kang in the east room.Hearing Cao Yong's return, they all greeted him, waiting for those who change clothes to change clothes, those who serve water, and those who throw handkerchiefs.

Smelling the smell of alcohol on Cao Yong's body, Zijing smiled and said: "Mister is too inconsiderate of the uncle, and I have to go to the palace tomorrow!"

Cao Yong replied: "Talk to Mr., say you are happy, don't worry, just drink a few cups, one or two drinks! I asked someone to send over the sauce beef, you can eat it? That is indeed better than that made in our house. Must taste better!"

After the death of the old lady, Zijing began to eat a half-vegetarian diet, and became a vegetarian on the first and fifteenth day of the lunar new year, and her diet became lighter and lighter on weekdays.Cao Yong was afraid that after such a long time, Amethyst would become less and less worldly. He was afraid that she would really become a monk and become an aunt, so he often persuaded her to eat some meat.

Zijing nodded: "Thank you for thinking about it, my servant ate a lot, so I just ate half a bowl of rice, with a faint fragrance of herbs, without the slightest smell of meat, it is indeed a good thing, I can't blame everyone for loving it Let's go out to eat!"

"Since you like to eat, just say hello to the buyer in the kitchen. You can buy it every three to five days. It's not something you can't afford!" Cao Yong said while taking a wet towel to wipe his face.

"Just try something new, the kitchen has its own rules, servants don't have the face to break the rules because of their own size!" Zijing said as she fiddled with the embroidery in her hand.

After Cao Yong wiped his face, he handed the towel to Zhu'er. Seeing that she was wrapped in several layers of clothes, thinking that Zijing and the others were all from the south, they might not be able to stand the cold in Beijing, so they looked at Zijing. Jing said: "Isn't there a kang in our house? If it's cold today, let's heat it up early, so as to save you guys from getting cold!"

After hearing this, the maids covered their mouths and giggled.Cui'er, who has always been quick-spoken, said: "Listen to the words of the uncle, it can be seen that he is not in charge of the family!"

Cao Yong was inexplicably laughed by several maids, thinking about what he just said, it seems that there is nothing wrong with it.

Zijing pointed Zhu'er and Cui'er with her finger: "Whoever said 'Sister Zijing, why don't you burn the kang' two days ago, now you are laughing at the old man with a cheeky face!"

Zhu'er and Cui'er laughed but didn't answer. Cao Yong heard this and knew that there was an allusion in it: "Oh, it seems that there is something wrong with burning kang. Who will tell me!"

Zijing saw that after Cao Yong came in, Chai'er and Huan'er were always cautious, so she said to Chai'er: "Chai'er, tell the uncle, there are indeed many rules in the north that are different from those in the south!"

"Yes, Sister Zijing!" Chai'er responded first, and then said to Cao Yong: "Master, there is a special way to burn the kang, but it doesn't mean that it will be burned every day when it's cold. The north side pays attention to keeping it warm in September." Windows, do not move, worship the ancestors and visit the graves on the first day of October, and send cold clothes to the ancestors before burning the kang to warm the house."

When Cao Yong heard this, he felt strange. Although he lived in Beijing for more than 20 years in his previous life, the kang had already become history at that time, and no one knew about these traditional customs.

In the end, he drank some wine and was a little tired from the long journey these days. After reading a few pages of the book, Cao Yong went back to the bedroom to settle down.

*
The next day, I got up early as usual to exercise in the yard.

Today, I'm going to the Prince's Mansion in Pingjun to bring back some earthen ritual instruments from the grassland, and I have to sort them out and send them over.Although Baoya is also following, these things are also prepared, but after all, it is a wish.This is the so-called human relationship, regardless of whether the other party needs it or not, the form should be followed.

After breakfast, Cao Yong changed his clothes, looked at the earth instruments on the prairie, thought of a thought, asked Cao Zhong to find a proper family member, and arranged for him to go to Jiangning.In addition to greeting his parents and sending some gadgets to his younger siblings, Cao Yong also gave him a letter, asking him to forward it to Cao Fang when he arrived in Jiangning. The letter naturally asked Cao Fang to inquire about Wenxiu's family in the south.

As soon as he left the gate, Cao Yong saw an old friend, Ning Chun whom he hadn't seen for more than three years.

In the 44th year of Kangxi, when Sheng Jia stayed in Jiangning, Cao Yong, Ning Chun, Ma Jun, and Yongqing, as the eldest sons of local officials, met Sheng Jia together, and then went to the Qinhuai River to have wine.Although the flower wine was not delicious this time, the young people had become friends with each other.

Soon after, Yongqing left home and returned to Beijing, and Ningchun's father was transferred to Jiangbei, leaving only Cao Yong and Ma Jun in Jiangning.After Ma Jun won the Juren, he stayed in the capital for a long time to prepare for the exam, so he met less often.

Ning Chun is a bit fatter than before, wearing a royal blue robe, his face is full of flesh, his originally small eyes appear smaller, the only thing that has not changed is his love for smiling, his mouth is crooked, like a big Fu .

"Xiao Cao, I'm looking forward to you back. I let you rest for a long time yesterday, but today I'm here to arrest you!" Ning Chun jumped off his horse, handed the reins to the long follower behind him, and said with a smile: "Tsk tsk , is more handsome than when I was a child, but unfortunately my eldest sister is not yet ten years old, otherwise the fat and water will definitely not flow into the fields of outsiders!"

"Brother Ning?" Cao Yong was very surprised, and said with a smile: "In August, I learned from Ma Jun's letter that your wedding date has been postponed until the end of the year. I thought you would come to Beijing later, please come in quickly."

"My old man returned to Beijing, so I came back with him." Ning Chun responded, looking at Cao Yong's going out attire: "This is an important door, so it's a bad luck for me to come!"

"Just arrived in Beijing yesterday, go to Pingjun Prince's Mansion to order a Mao'er, the delay will not be long!" Cao Yong said: "Brother Ning, go to the hall to have a cup of tea first, and I will be back in half an hour!"

"That's a good thing. Ma Jun has let go of his foreign post. I heard that he will leave Beijing for a few days. Let's have a good get together. It is not only a welcome for you, but also a farewell for him. Yongqing has been filial piety for half a year, and it is probably normal. I'm so bored!" Ning Chun said with a smile: "Hurry up, don't rush, let's get together in the VIP building at the beginning of the afternoon!"

This arrangement is more appropriate, Cao Yong nodded.Ning Chun got on his horse, and the two friends walked together to the entrance of the alley, and Fang went his own way.

(End of this chapter)