Reborn in the last years of Kangxi

Chapter 724 Qingming

Tangquan, Caojiazhuangzi, front hall.

Although there were several charcoal basins in the room, He Maocai still felt cold sweat dripping from his forehead.He didn't even dare to wipe it, he could only stand with his hands down.

Cao Yuan stood on the other side, also feeling stiff all over.It's not that he has ears to tell the gods and is well-informed.But after Cao Yong returned to Zhuangzi, he didn't call someone directly, but first went to the study to find Cao Yin.This left Hu Cheng rich and ran to his uncle Cao Yuan to intercede.

Although Hu Cheng had never worked as a servant in the capital, he had heard about Cao Yong's temper for a long time.I was unlucky on my side, so I went down to collect the rent, and when I met a rascal like Guo Sanjia, a farce was staged.

This way back, Cao Yong didn't even look at Hu Cheng.If he was reprimanded and slapped a few times, he would be more at ease.No matter how stupid Hu Cheng is, he still thinks it will be bad if he doesn't respond to this.

Hearing what Hu Cheng said, Cao Yuan felt that his hands and feet were cold, and he didn't dare to take any chances.

This year, there was a severe drought in Gyeonggi, and the harvest of crops was not good. Even though the Cao family was a well farm, it was also affected a lot.

It was still the great grandma Chuyu who was kind-hearted, caring that it was not easy for the tenants, and it was not easy to reduce the rent at will, so the tenants were asked to dredge the canals in various villages during the Mid-Autumn Festival.On the Cao's side, these tenants are subsidized in the form of money subsidies, or partial rent reductions.

Who would have thought that the favor from above would turn out to be different in the end, and the offender was his nephew again.Cao Yuan regretted deeply in his heart. He had known that Hu Cheng was such an unworthy person, so how dare he let him out as an errand?
Cao Yong sat in his seat, feeling really relaxed.

Even if I worry about it, this invisible place is still full of dirt.Big trees are rotten from the inside, this sentence really makes sense.

Thinking about it now, there are several villages in Cao's family, including shops, and servants in the mansion, there are hundreds of people.I heard that the servants of this prince's mansion and that mansion were arrogant, and I took it as a joke, but I didn't expect that my own family would not be spared either.

There was silence in the room, Cao Yong didn't speak, and He Maocai and Cao Yuan naturally didn't dare to speak first.

After half an hour, Zhao Tong came in from the outside.

Only then did Cao Yong raise his head and said, "How is the question? Who recommends it, when will it be an errand, and when will it start collecting rent?"

Zhao Tong leaned over and replied: "Back to the uncle, according to Hu Cheng, he was recommended by the housekeeper in February last year to work in Zhuangzi. In September this year, Qin Ming, who was in charge of rent collection, was old and frail. , let go of the errand. Housekeeper He proposed, and Hu Cheng took over Qin Ming's errand."

"What a 'recommendation', what a 'promotion'? The master and I entrusted the housework to each other, are the two housekeepers so dedicated?" Cao Yong swept towards Cao Yuan and He Mao's wealth, and said coldly.

"It's all a villain who is confused. I didn't expect this evil person to dare to act so recklessly?" Cao Yuan knelt down on the ground and said, "It's up to the master to beat or punish such a reckless thing. I just ask you to calm down and don't be angry. If the body is broken, otherwise the villain will not be able to bear it even if he dies."

He Maocai also knelt down and kowtowed: "It's all the old slave's fault, it's all the old slave's fault..."

Among the two, Cao Yuan is younger, in his 40s; He Maocai is gray-haired and over the age of sixty.In normal times, Cao Yong would not sit and accept their gifts, nor would they let them kneel and kowtow.

Now, Cao Yong is on the sidelines, did not call out the meaning.He glanced at Cao Yuan and said, "It's good to be virtuous and not avoid relatives, but we must also be careful not to make public and private troubles. The chief steward is my father and I rely on. Before the chief steward acts, can he think of my father and son? "

These words were spoken in a pleasant manner, Cao Yuan's back felt chills, and he hurriedly kowtowed and said, "I know my mistake, it's because the villain is confused, I can't bear the pressure of my relatives, and I'm playing favoritism."

In front of Cao Yin, Cao Yuan could still hope to talk about his old feelings; in front of Cao Yong, he dared not make any excuses.

All the servants in the mansion said that the young master was kind, but Cao Yuan didn't dare to think so.

Although Cao Yong usually looks kind, there are countless people who have been close to him over the years.Don't talk about others, just talk about Cao Yuan's younger brother and nephew.Cao Fang has been serving Cao Yong for more than ten years, and he is still respectful year after year, without any slack;

Cao Yong originally thought that Cao Yuan would justify a few words, after all, as the chief steward of the Cao Mansion, he usually has some face.

Seeing that he recognized him honestly, Cao Yong squinted his eyes, feeling that he had underestimated the big housekeeper.Although the big butler was usually a bit dull, he had good eyesight.

Cao Yong snorted coldly in his heart, not to anger Cao Yuan, but to laugh at himself for his negligence in the past.

He looked at He Maocai again, and said, "Butler He, you are the chief manager of this Changping Zhuangzi. I have entrusted all the errands in Waizhuangzi to me these years, why have I ever said anything? Now it seems that it is my fault!"

"Master, old slave... old slave..." He Maocai was wronged in his heart, but he couldn't argue with it.In the final analysis, it was he who was afraid of Cao Yuan's power and did not dare to offend him, so he let Hu Cheng do things.

Cao Yong thought about it for a while, and said: "Cao Yuan recommended people improperly, and He Maocheng was not good at appointing people. Each of them sold firewood and rice for one year. Can you be convinced?"

When Cao Yuan and He Maocai heard the words, as if they had received an amnesty, how could they dare to be critical, and hurriedly said "convinced".

Cao Yong twitched his lips, but didn't cry out. He turned to Zhao Tong and said, "What's the example of Hu Cheng's rent collection? How much is the rent increase? How many places? How much stolen money?"

Cao Yuancai let go of his heart, and suddenly brought it up again.

He suddenly remembered one thing, this Zhao Tong was not an ordinary follower, but the most important companion around Cao Yong.

Among the chiefs of Cao's mansion, Zhao Tong was the one who could follow in and out of the forbidden government office.Many people said that Zhao Tong will be released as an official in the future, because he learned from Master Jiang and specialized in criminal names.

Familiar with criminal names, in addition to being a master of criminal names, the magistrate of the county can use them.

Zhao Tong is the son of the Cao family, even if he is released, there is no reason for him to act as a cover for others.It would not take a few years to think about it, and it would be possible to release it to make up for a seventh-rank county magistrate.

Hu Cheng, that idiot, is no match for Zhao Tong, and he might not be able to hide anything.

Sure enough, I heard Zhao Tong said: "Master, according to what Hu Cheng said, most of the rents collected are in accordance with the usual practice. There are about twenty families, or those with a lot of fields, or...or those with young women in the family. It varies from 130% to [-]%. There are seven cases of adultery, five cases of obedience, and two cases of refusal. Of the two families that did not comply, one family quit their tenants, bought houses and livestock, made up the rent, and moved to another country at the beginning of the month; It is Guo San’s family, and Guo San’s wife is still hanging on the beam. The increase in rent and rent, meals, carriage and horse fees received a total of [-] seven taels of silver, and there are chickens, ducks, sheep, etc., the amount is unknown.”

Speaking of this, he took out the account book from his sleeve, put it in front of Cao Yong with both hands and said: "Master, this is a stolen silver account. It was Hu Cheng who was afraid of being confused with the public account, so he made a private account. Rice, grain, silver and money are all recorded. Live animals such as chickens and ducks are not included in the account, and he himself does not know the exact amount."

130 seven taels of silver, this number, usually Cao Yong would not pay attention to it.Because he is not short of silver, no amount of silver is a big deal to him.

Right now, Cao Yong dare not underestimate the more than a hundred taels of silver.As for the tenants, some households, in addition to the rent, the rest of the rice and grain are just food for the whole family throughout the year. How many can save money?
The 130 seven taels of silver, probably the entire blood and sweat of more than a dozen families, was searched just like this.

The key is not the money, but the **.

In today's world, women's chastity is valued even by poor families.Even if the five families raped, how much blood and tears were behind it, it is not difficult to imagine what kind of eyes those five humiliated women would receive from their family members and neighbors.

There is no money to buy land, and the troublesome poor people who rent land, in order to avoid disasters, buy a house and livestock to make up the rent and move, what will they live on in the future?
Is it a dog?
How can I know myself?Pretend to be kind, the bad things outside will still fall on your own head.

"Fifty boards, recover the stolen money and send it to the officials for justice." Cao Yong threw the account book in his hand on the table and said to Zhao Tong.

Not only Cao Yuan, He Maocai, but also Zhao Tong were a little surprised.

Isn't there an old saying that "family ugliness should not be publicized"?It doesn't matter if Hu Cheng is punished, but the Cao family and his son will inevitably be accused of "not being strict with the government" when this trouble comes to the yamen.

"Master, don't..." Cao Yuan raised his head, and said with a bit of urgency: "If the master is upset, it's fine if the boss kills that bastard, but you must not be an official. The reputation of the master and the master is important... Master You and the uncle are both noble people, so there is no need to be a slave and tarnish your reputation..."

"It's worth noting the reputation of exaggerating. My father and I still strictly abide by the law. We dare not slack off in the slightest. The servants below can be so arrogant and disregard the laws of the country and the family. Isn't this a betrayal of the master? What is it? Day, even if you have abandoned the kindness of your master and servant, you are the enemy of the Cao family. If you don’t send it to the Yamen, you will pollute the land of the Cao family?” Cao Yong looked at Cao Yuan and said slowly.

"Master..." Cao Yuan murmured, and when something came to his lips, he swallowed it forcefully.He originally wanted to say whether to discuss with the master before making a decision.But it was considered obedient, and he didn't say it.

He is the chief manager of the Cao family, so he can see it most clearly.After Cao Yin and his wife went to Beijing, although Cao Yin was the head of the family in name, in fact Cao Yin had long since ignored the management and let his son be the head of the family.

This kind of self-defilement is also helpless.Only by acting in this way can we scare the chickens and monkeys and make others dare not have other thoughts.

Otherwise, just like other dignitaries' mansions, even if the evil slave's misdeeds are exposed, and the owner of the family makes big and small things for the sake of reputation, then those who dare to use the power of the Cao family to break the law and discipline in the future are not One or two.

"Hu Cheng broke the law so much. Cao Yuan, as the chief steward, must bear the fault of 'overseeing' and be responsible for the [-] boards. The post of general manager will be temporarily replaced by Cao Fang from now on. He Maocai, as the general manager of the Waizhuang, even acted badly on him. If you can’t do it, don’t ask, don’t investigate, don’t rectify, if you have ‘connivance’, you will also be responsible for the [-]th board, and you will have another two years of money and grain.” Cao Yong thought for a while, and made the following judgment on the two kneeling on the ground.

During this conversation, it was just Cao Yuan's chief executive.Cao Yuan's face was a little pale, and he responded respectfully, without shouting.

Zhao Tong was at the side, a little confused.

The uncle wants to seize power, and use his own manpower to replace Jiangning's old-school manpower?If so, Cao Fang should not be used.Although Cao Fang is an old man next to the uncle, Cao Yuan is a real brother.

Zhao Tongzheng was stunned, and he listened to Cao Yong's order: "Zhao Tong, now I entrust you to inspect the village. Starting tomorrow, I will patrol the villages with Cao Yuan to check whether anyone has done anything wrong. If found, they will be severely punished. Pass on my words, and allow the subordinates to report anonymously, recover the stolen money, and reward the whistleblower with money. The loss on the tenant side will be made up separately."

When Zhao Tong heard this, his face flushed immediately, his heart was inexplicably surging, and he bowed in response.

If it were someone else, maybe they would regard this as an errand that offended others, and even if they couldn't slip away, they would still complain in their hearts.However, Zhao Tong was overjoyed. He had learned criminal names for several years, and finally it was useful.

With just this moment of effort, Cao Yuan seemed to be a few years older.To be dismissed as the manager was not only a loss of face for himself, but also a loss of face for his father.This mistake is a real one, and it can't be picked clean.

Just when he was desperate, Cao Yuan heard that Cao Yong told Zhao Tong that there was something about himself.He raised his head and looked at the little master Cao Yong, feeling rather complicated.

"Cao Yuan, I hope you can assist Zhao Tong to clean up everywhere, put an end to evils, and maintain the reputation of the Cao family." Cao Yong nodded at Cao Yuan and said.

Cao Yuan really felt as if he had come out of a desperate situation, he only felt his nose sore, kowtowed and said: "The villain obeys the order, and will definitely live up to the master's order..."

*
Henan Mansion, Cao's House.

Cao Xiang supported Lu Ju, sat on the edge of the kang, looked at her pregnant belly, and said with a bit of worry: "I'm going to the county again, and you are at home alone, can you let me?"

Lu Ju nodded with a smile, and said, "Isn't there Fu Ling and the other nuns? It's really hard for Master, who has only been back for two days and has to go on business again."

Cao Xiang rubbed his forehead and said, "Is there any way? Due to the war in the northwest, all provinces have to share their salaries. On our side, in addition to raising military rations, we also need to send additional money to buy and raise horses. "

Luju is also ignorant of these yamen affairs, but she knows that this year's drought has caused poor harvests for the people nearby.For this reason, the price of food in the city has also risen, and there are many more refugees.

"Is there really going to be a war in the Northwest? Master, why don't you ask the elder for mercy and transfer you back to the capital? If there is a war, it will be the capital..." When Lu Ju heard about the war, she felt a little fear in her heart and arrested Cao Xiang. sleeve Road.

Hearing this, Cao Xiang couldn't help but smile, patted the back of Luju's hand, and said with a smile: "My good grandma, what are you talking about? Our Qing Dynasty is not that weak. Even if Zhungeer is not peaceful, it is just a little bird The Mongols, with tens of thousands of soldiers and horses in the sky, can't even enter the Yumen Pass, our Henan Province is peaceful, don't worry."

After hearing this, Lu Ju became more and more confused, and said: "It's just such a small group of people, what are the courts waiting for? They have to raise food and money everywhere, making people panic, how long do you think it will take?"

"As long as we send troops, it will be all right. The rebellion will be wiped out in less than three to five months. At that time, the Yamen will also be able to make a contribution to raising wages." Cao Xiang smiled and said.

Seeing that her husband is so determined, Lu Ju feels much at ease.

Cao Xiang smiled wryly in his heart. Since the founding of the Kingdom, the Northwest Territory has been in chaos once or twice, and it didn't last three or five years.When the time comes, it will only be the innocent people below who will suffer.

This decree of "adding children in a prosperous age and never adding gifts" has only been implemented for a few years, but it has become useless.The taxes and corvee borne by the people are more and more onerous than in the past...

*
Xiaotangshan, Cao's other courtyard.

After listening to Cao Yong's report, Cao Yin was a little surprised.Although I had already prepared in my heart, knowing that my son was really angry and would severely punish the slaves, I didn't expect that it would be "handled by the officials".

Literati cherish their names, although Cao Yin has been an official for half his life, Cao Yin is still a literati at heart.

He sighed, looked at Cao Yong and said, "Is there no other way?"

Cao Yong shook his head and answered the wrong question: "Father, when it comes to bending the law for selfishness, it is not terrible if father and I bend the law for selfishness. Because my father and I know our own weight and what we can bear. The people below are doing favoritism. It is terrible to break the law. Their vision is limited, and they only think of my father and me as big trees, and dare to act recklessly, this is the source of ruin!"

Cao Yin nodded, knowing that his son was right.He is a little ashamed of himself, his son is young and vigorous, yet he can be so open-minded and not greedy for fame; he studies Buddhist books himself, thinking that he has the heart of being born in the world, but he is still tied in his actions.

"Forget it, in this way, it can also show that you and my father and son have nothing to say to others." Cao Yin nodded, and said: "It is very fortunate to put an end to future troubles as soon as possible. This year's drought in Gyeonggi, the place where production is reduced is not one place where two At the second room's Zhuangzi, you also tell Xiao Er."

"Yes, father." Cao Yong agreed, and the father and son said a few more words and went back to their rooms.

In the east courtyard, above the middle hall, children gathered around a few bird cages on the table, chirping and explaining to Tianhui.

"The bird is small, about the size of Tianhui's little fist. Tianhui feels it." Niuniu took Tianhui's little hand and led it into the cage.

A few sparrows were kept in the cage, and they were frightened by the two's little hands, flying around in the cage.

Tianhui sat on the chair and supported the table. Although she couldn't see the bird, she felt novelty when she heard the sound of the bird flying.

The cage was narrow, so Niuniu caught a sparrow without any effort, and brought it to Tianhui, saying: "Tianhui is holding it, this is the sparrow, fluffy and warm."

Tianhui took the bird carefully and grabbed it with both hands.The sparrow wanted to struggle but failed, so he pecked Tianhui, but it didn't hurt at all.

Tianhui just felt numb and couldn't help "giggling".

Hang Seng said: "Sister, besides Que'er, there is also a big eagle. It is bigger than Que'er and as long as my sister's arm. It's just that it has a fierce temper, it hurts when it pecks people, and it can't be touched."

Tianhui listened with her head tilted, and nodded in disappointment.She was also curious about the big bird eagle that she had talked about to her brothers for a long time, and wanted to touch it.

Seeing this, Tianyou took Tianhui's hand and said, "Sister, don't worry, I heard that this eagle will suffer. You have to teach it the rules, and when it knows the rules, it will stop pecking people. Then, let my sister play... ..."

Others also talked in a hurry, with roughly the same meaning.

When Cao Yong returned to the house, he saw the children talking happily, so he went directly into the back room.

When Chuyu saw her husband come back, she got up to help him change his clothes.She also heard about what happened in the morning, and said: "Master, it's not convenient for Qiniang to live outside with a girl, so I sent two nuns to go there."

Cao Yong nodded, remembered something, and said: "By the way, tomorrow I will send Zhao Tong to visit various villages. Let's check your two villages too..."

"It's all our own property, that's natural..." Seeing her husband depressed, Chu Yu comforted her, "Don't be upset, no matter how strict we are, there are things we can't see or hear. This time, we are careful. In the future, it will be..."

*
Ask for a monthly pass. .

(End of this chapter)