Jia Zhen, Uncle of the Red House

　　"It has something to do with me?" Shi Ding said anxiously, "I'm just an empty-headed lord. I only drink and listen to dramas every day. I never dare to do bad things and bully others.

　　Jia Zhen drove away the people in the hall and reminded softly, "Uncle Shi, did Prince Zhongshun have a secret discussion with you in Zuixiaolou a month ago?"

　　Shi Ding was frightened, stood up and defended: "Who spread the rumor? That day, I just met Lord Zhongshun. The Lord heard that I played a good dice and invited each other for a drink, that's all! Where! What's the secret discussion?"

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said, "Uncle Shi, don't worry, I also heard that Mo Changshi in the East Palace saw with his own eyes that day, the prince took your hand and entered."

　　The veins appeared on Shi Ding's head, and then he let out a sigh. "I've always been cautious, trying to avoid getting involved in these fights. I didn't think about it, but I still got caught! Mother, they fought with gods, and we little devils suffered! This time I'm implicated in my brother."

　　Jia Zhen persuaded, "This is not a big deal. As long as Uncle Shi goes to the East Palace to explain it, the big things can be reduced to small ones. I believe that the will for Pauling Hou Shishu will come down soon."

　　Shi Ding still shook his head, "I have some festivals with someone named Namo. If he slandered in front of the prince, this time I have to peel off my skin even if I don't die."

　　Jia Zhen thought for a while, "It's nothing more than a little money. Then Mo Changshi recently raised an outhouse outside the west gate and bought a house to add to his business. It's probably just when money is tight."

　　Shi Ding looked at Jia Zhen in surprise, a trace of fear flashed in his eyes. "You know all this?"

　　Jia Zhen said with a deep meaning: "Right now, there are treacherous clouds in the capital. Who can see it clearly? It just so happens that Mo Changshi's outer house is opposite my shop, so I know it. Uncle Shi, don't make random guesses!"

　　Shi Ding was relieved, "So that's how it is!" After thinking for a while, he hesitated, "I'm afraid that he will open his mouth a lot, and a few hundred taels may not satisfy his appetite."

　　Jia Zhen was contemptuous in her heart, and could a few hundred taels say it?It would be better to point at his Mo Ran's nose and curse directly. "If Uncle Shi can't turn around temporarily, why don't you take [-] taels from my account first?"

　　Shi Ding looked at Jia Zhen and wanted to see something in his eyes, but Jia Zhen was a well-tested and excellent actor, and in his unfathomable eyes, in addition to sincerity, there was only goodwill.

　　Shi Ding was silent for a long time, and after racking his brains, he could not come up with Jia Zhen's plan to do this.

　　After a while, he hesitated: "I still need to discuss this with my elder brother." He knew very well his own situation. The land rent and harvest in the past two years were not as good as in previous years.At the moment, one or two thousand silver can still be taken out, and any more will not be enough.Therefore, he didn't say anything to death, "Keep the money for now, and when you need it, you will be shy to borrow one or two from your nephew."

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said, "If Uncle Shi needs it, just send someone to let me know, and I will send the money to me."

　　Shi Ding calmed down a little and said a few more gossips. "I heard that Concubine Xiande has already decided on the matter of saving her relatives?"

　　Jia Zhen pretended to be surprised and said, "Is it set? I don't know! They didn't tell me, after all, they are divided into sects, understandable!"

　　However, Shi Ding shook his head and said, "My nephew must not say that, no matter how the two houses are divided, in the eyes of outsiders, they are always one family. How can it be so clear that one family does not care about the other?" He patted his chest, and said with a big bag: "Don't worry, nephew, I'll go and talk to my aunt. The concubine virtuous in the palace saves relatives, how much glory is that? Nephew, as the leading figure of the Jia family, How can you not show up? I'm afraid that when the time comes, even the censor will impeach you for being disrespectful!"

　　Jia Zhen said indifferently, "There are still two uncles here, how could it be my turn?"

　　Seeing Jia Zhen's expression, Shi Ding knew that the rumors were true. Rong Ning and Rong Ning might have been at odds with each other long ago, and the key to this was his own aunt... I couldn't see the change in the situation. .He buried all these in his heart, and he had to think carefully with his brother when he went back. The Rongfu was declining, and there was no successor, so naturally there was no need to deal with it too much.But Jia Zhen of Ning Guofu seems to have great ambitions, otherwise he would not have worked so hard to win over our Shi family.Oh, his boat is stable, he still needs to look at it again, and he can't act hastily.

　　He had already made up his mind, so he talked about it from all over the world.Jia Zhen also tacitly accompanied her, and the guests and host enjoyed themselves for a while.After Shi Ding said goodbye, Jia Zhen also sent it out in person.

　　All that needs to be done has already been done. How the Shijia chooses can only depend on how Shi Nai, the Hou of Bowling, decides.

　　Jia Zhen returned to Ning'an Church, but saw Jia Lian arrive?

　　Jia Lian smiled and said, "I saw Second Uncle Shi at the door just now. I didn't want to talk to him, so I just came in through the corner door."

　　Jia Zhen said, "Are you still afraid of him?"

　　Jia Lian sat aside, "Afraid of him? I just can't see his flamboyant face. Over the years, he has seen our family not as good as before, and he only gave gifts at festivals, and people didn't bother to come."

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said, "To seek advantages and avoid disadvantages, isn't it the stunt of the bowling Hou Shangshu that made Shigongli III fail? Their family is a dual-lord, and they still have some background."

　　Jia Lian sneered: "It's just a mess, plus shameless. Look at them, they want to have both sides, but in fact, both sides are not flattering. Once the situation becomes clear, they will be the first to be unlucky."

　　Jia Zhen looked at Jia Lian in surprise, "I didn't think you could see so clearly?"

　　Jia Lian took a sip of tea, "Others may not know, but we have been with them for decades, how can we not know?"

　　Jia Zhen secretly agrees that the Shi Jia is trying to bet on both sides, and how can we find out their bottom line without forcing him to do it?If he is really half-hearted and double-edged, he doesn't need to do anything. The Crown Prince is now arrogant and has no room for sand in his eyes. He will definitely kill chickens and warn the monkeys, and Prince Zhongshun stands by, which also shows that in this Prince's heart, the Shi family is not as important as they thought.

　　Let them want to go!Jia Zhen sits firmly on the Diaoyutai.

　　"Brother Lian, why do you have time to come to my place today?" Jia Zhen smiled and said, "Your concubine Zhang should be giving birth soon, right?"

　　Jia Lian smiled, "There's still more than a month! When the time comes, I will give birth, please let Brother Zhen have a drink!"

　　Jia Zhen nodded and said, "That's it!"

　　Jia Lian added: "Today, King Beijing invited Baoyu to his palace, and during the banquet, he asked about his mother's kinship and various arrangements. Baoyu has answered the truth. The prince has repeatedly told him to let Brother Zhen welcome Luanjia! Baoyu came back and said. With the old lady and the gentlemen, they all said that it should be the case. Therefore, the old lady asked me to come and discuss with the elder brother, how should I welcome it and how to arrange it?"

　　Jia Zhen was noncommittal, only said: "These are the company's rituals in the palace, let's just do it."

　　Jia Lian cupped her hands and smiled and said, "That's what I mean! We have only taken over the car once in the house. If there are mistakes in making our own decisions, it will make people laugh."

　　Jia Zhen said, "Exactly!"

　　Jia Lian sighed: "Actually, I always thought that Brother Zhen, what you said before, our garden should not be repaired. Wasting money and resources just for that day?"

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said, "It's fine if it's repaired. On weekdays, the old lady goes in and strolls around, and it's comfortable to look at, isn't it? If you have something to give, just look at it from both sides!"

　　Jia Lian smiled wryly, "They are happy, but I can't do it! To tell the truth, Brother Zhen, this year's rain is too much, and several farms have been reported flooded. It is estimated that the money received is less than half of the previous year. Waiting for the rice to be served, the old lady is half empty, and she really has nothing to do. I thought of a few ways, but I can't quench my thirst from afar. Alas!"

　　Jia Zhen knew Jia Lian's purpose.If it is said that the Rongguo Mansion is really poor for this, he will not believe it.He has an account in his heart, and he does the math for them, at least this year it won't be a problem.

　　"You don't have to be so embarrassed. After the New Year, the family saving is over, and those redundant staff and unnecessary things that are not urgently spent will be exempted, and it will be fine! Back then, I was also a strong man and broke my wrist, so I had to do this!"

　　Jia Lian smiled and said, "Brother Zhen still has a vision, but we don't have someone like Brother Zhen in our house!"

　　Jia Zhen looked at him and said, "In the future, the Rongguo Mansion will be yours. If your uncles don't expect it, you can only rely on you!"

　　Jia Lian shook his head, "I'm not sure if it's mine! Who doesn't know that the old lady's mind is on that side, and nine times out of ten she will hand over this family business to Baoyu. So, why should I worry about it? People's affairs are worrying and laborious, but it's not!"

　　Jia Zhen's heart moved, and she stepped forward to persuade: "You can rest assured! The old lady is confused, and Baoyu is not someone who can keep the family business. When that time comes, if you need it, you can help your brother. How about it?"

　　Jia Lian's eyes lit up, and he toasted with tea instead of wine, "Thank you so much, big brother!"

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said, "It's all my own brothers, and it's all right!"

　　Jia Lian drank the tea and said, "If Brother Zhen said this, the younger brother will have the bottom line. No matter what, even for the child in Rou Niang's womb, we have to fight for it."

　　Jia Zhen couldn't help but persuade: "After all, what Aunt Zhang gave birth to was only a concubine, and what the eldest sister gave birth to was your direct son!"

　　Jia Lian sighed: "She has such a strong temperament! I can't control her. Over the years, I have only had one girl with her, and I have only been with Rou Niang for one year, and we have a brother, so it can be seen that it is all her problem. Since she can't give birth, what's the difference between a concubine and a direct child? In the future, she will be her second grandmother, let her toss!" There was a kind of relief in the words.

　　Jia Zhen smiled and said, "You have to be careful too. If the eldest sister does give birth to a direct son, you can't make a joke about the difference between the direct descendant and the concubines. When the time comes, the uncle of the Wang family may have an opinion."

　　Jia Lian chuckled, "With Big Brother Zhen here, I don't have to be like before. Besides, I need her to be able to give birth!"

　　He said to Jia Zhen again: "Since our brothers have all said it, then I will no longer hide it and ask the brother to temporarily lend [-] taels to the younger brother! Although the house can still be turned around at the moment, it will be difficult in the future to drink poison to quench thirst. It's gone!"

　　Jia Zhen nodded and said, "I'll let Huang An send you the silver!"

　　Jia Lian hurriedly stopped, "Don't bother, I'll just call someone to do it myself."

　　The two brothers looked at each other and laughed.

Chapter [-] Today is only half a chapter

After all, the Shi family did not come to Jia Zhen's house to pick up the money.Later, I heard that Shi Nai, the Marquis of Bowling, gave the emperor a handbook, and humbly expressed that his moral integrity was not enough.As soon as the book was posted, it really caused an uproar.There was a lot of discussion in the court, and some people even wanted to impeach Li Shilang of the Ministry of Rites who recommended Shi Nai.Li Shilang immediately distanced himself from the relationship, and instead accused Congqian of Tongzheng Fang of accepting bribes, which was really outrageous.A few days later, the emperor's decree was finally issued, and Shi Nai happily took office.So the court died down, as if it had happened.For this reason, Shi Ding specially asked someone to inform Jia Zhen of the matter, to the effect that the matter has been resolved and no money is needed.

　　Jia Zhen sneered in her heart, who gave their brother an idea?It stands to reason that their brothers have also been in the officialdom for a long time, so they should not see the situation clearly.It's not about money at all, it's a matter of life and death about how they stand in line.Whether it is the East Palace or the King Zhongshun, I just take the opportunity to see their position clearly.

　　Now, it is clear that the East Palace is offended. I don't go to King Zhongshun at this time, and King Zhongshun doesn't think that he is his own. As for the emperor, you have to find a reliable reason for your account, knowing that you want to appoint you to dethrone the envoy, He actually said that his virtues were not enough, that is, that someone had died in his family, so Ding You might be better than this.From the emperor's point of view, you are not taking responsibility when you are in trouble. You are slick and want to have both sides, and no one will be offended.

　　There is no backstage in the imperial court, it doesn't matter, even if you are capable, you will not be able to move an inch.Everyone else understood it, so when Shi Nai left Beijing to take office, none of the princes in the DPRK went to show him, but unfortunately they were still complacent, believing that a gentleman should be careful and independent.

　　This is not the only one.Forget it, no matter what happened to his Shi family, there is nothing to look forward to.

　　By the end of the year, the renovations in Huifang Garden have been completed.Jia Zhen and others were also busy collecting rent and offering sacrifices, so they didn't have any spare time.

　　Jia Baoyu was the only one in the two residences who had nothing to do, and went to the small courtyard in the northeast where Baochai was staying early in the morning.

　　When Ying'er saw her, she quickly opened the curtain and said with a smile, "Second Master Bao, are you here?"

　　Baoyu took out a gadget from his hand, "I just got it yesterday, can I give it to my sister?"

　　Ying'er pushed it away and complained, "I can't let the second master send things. Last time, our girl was fined a month's monthly payment for that earring. It's not worth the loss! You give it to your girls. ?"

　　Baoyu smiled shyly and was about to speak.Inside Baochai asked, "Ying'er, who is outside?"

　　Ying'er replied, "It's Master Bao who is here!"

　　Baoyu walked in, "Sister Bao, I'm here to see you." He went straight to the inside.Ying'er hurriedly stopped him and whispered: "Second Master Bao, you can't be so aggressive! Our girl hasn't been groomed yet, so how can we see guests!"

　　Baoyu smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, we have always known each other well. Even if she doesn't groom, Sister Bao is beautiful." As she spoke, she was about to enter.

　　Ying'er shut the door and said angrily, "Second Master, our girl said that everyone is old, so we should pay more attention. Wait for our girl to come out and then go in?"

　　Baoyu didn't insist, and just sat outside. "Sister Bao still looking for Sister Lin today?"

　　Ying'er poured tea for Baoyu, "The girl is not feeling well, so I just took a pill, and I'm going to rest at home!"

　　Baoyu stroked his palms and said, "That's good!"

　　Ying'er spat: "Second Master, how can you be like this? It's a shame that our girl is still playing with you. She is ill, but you actually said yes! I won't give you tea!" After that, she brought the tea back. .

　　Baoyu was busy protecting the tea, and smiled, "It was my slip of the tongue. I mean, Sister Bao is ill and should be resting at home." Sister Lin is going to talk about me again."

　　Ying'er wondered: "Second Master, don't you like to be with Miss Lin the most?"

　　Baoyu pondered for a while, but did not speak.

　　After the two said a few words, Baochai came out and said to Baoyu lazily, "Brother Bao, don't you need to read the book today?"

　　Baoyu saw that Baochai's lips were red without a touch, her eyebrows were green without drawing, and her skin was better than snow when she didn't apply Fendai.

　　Baochai blushed slightly and turned to ask, "Ying'er, why don't you give the stove to the second master on such a cold day?"

　　Ying'er said, "I'm getting ready!"

　　Baoyu smiled and said, "Don't bother. I just came from my wife, and when I got some news, I came to my sister's place immediately." After speaking, she stood up and walked to Baochai.

　　Baochai said: "Brother Bao, sit down!" He turned to the opposite side, "What news?"

　　Baoyu said excitedly: "The twelve girls sent by the Zhen family in Jiangnan have arrived today. Let's go and see?"

　　Baochai frowned, "Brother Bao, go by yourself, I just took the medicine..."

　　"Oh!" Baoyu patted his forehead and said angrily, "Ying'er just said it, why did I forget it? Damn it!"　　

　　Baochai smiled and said, "Brother Bao, why don't you go quickly? You like this kind of liveliness the most."

　　Baoyu was about to leave, and came back to sit down again, "Sister Bao, if you don't go, and Sister Lin ignores me, what do I mean by going alone?"

　　Baochai said, "And your second sister, Tanyatou and Xichun!"

　　Baoyu shook his head and said, "Second sister is only reading in the room. Third and fourth sisters have things to do. It's really boring."

　　Ying'er came in from outside and gave Baoyu a hand stove, "There is nothing else left, you will use it as soon as possible." Baoyu took it and put it in his arms.

　　She walked up to Baochai and took out a letter: "Girl, the letter from the uncle from the south."

　　Baochai hurriedly took it and looked at it, frowning gradually.