But no matter what, she would not disobey Yun Xi's orders, and hurriedly sent someone to call Xue Xiyang into the palace. In the afternoon, Zheng Xiyang rushed to the palace, and Yun Xi and Xi Yao met him together and asked about the friend surnamed Xiao.

Heeyang immediately felt strange when he heard Yun Hee's words. There are strict rules for the queen's male relatives to enter the palace, and their whole family thought that something big had happened and were worried, but when they arrived at the palace, they learned that it was such a thing.

But no matter how strange he is, the question still has to be answered, and he said in detail that he knows what he knows about his friend surnamed Xiao: "His name is Xiao Tong, and he is indeed from the merchant family in Haiyan County, Zhejiang Province, who is now somewhat famous in the capital. Saying this, he raised his head and glanced at Yun Xi: The Xiao family was able to gain a foothold in the capital because he gave him the franchise rights.

"Their family is relatively wealthy, but the head of the family still wants someone to be an official, whether it is a civilian official or a military general. Xiao Tong was selected to be an official. But although he is very smart and reads and never forgets, he prefers to practice martial arts and practice good martial arts; Compared with the Four Books and Five Classics, he prefers all kinds of miscellaneous books, and has read many miscellaneous books at home and abroad, even if he is found by his family, he will beat him up and burn all the miscellaneous books. ”

"But even if he was so mixed with reading, he even won the first place in Haiyan County's Xiucai, although he failed in the last township exam, but it was because he used an allusion in a Japanese "The Tale of Genji", and the examiner did not read "The Tale of Genji", thinking that he made up his own allusions, so he fell off the list. Otherwise, he should have been lifted last time. Xuan Yang said in a complicated tone. People are more popular than people, and Xu Yang was originally a young talent, but he was much worse than Xiao Tongyi.

"Huh?" Yun Xi's expression was originally very kind, but the more he listened to Xi Yang's words, the more serious he became, and after he finished speaking, he asked a few more questions and told him to talk to Xi Yi. Xu Yang didn't ask, and bowed down.

"Husband, what are you summoning Xi Yang today?" Xi Yao finally couldn't help it and asked.

"It's for Yunyun's marriage."

"For Yunyun's marriage?" Xi Yao immediately reacted: "Husband, do you want to choose this person named Xiao Tong as a concubine?" ”

"That's what it means." Yun Xi said: "The husband wants to promote the merchants, but he can't directly marry Yun Yun to ordinary merchants, so he learned about Xiao Tong. His identity is very suitable, and he also meets Yunyun's conditions, so he is a suitable candidate. ”

"But Shi Cai listened to Xi Yang's words, but I was afraid that he was too smart. A person who is too smart is not fit for a husband. So there was some hesitation. ”

"How is the husband going to arrange it?" Xi Yao listened to Yun Xi's words and felt that he was a suitable candidate, but when she heard his last words, she asked.

"Let's take a look first. The husband will ask Jinyiwei to probe him again. And this matter is not in a hurry, his status as a Xiucai is still lower, at least he has to wait for him to win the promotion before he can give marriage, and there is still time. Yun Xi unconsciously drew a circle on the table with his hand and said.

But even if he is married again, he will not be able to get married until next year. The third sister will be eighteen years old this year and nineteen next year. Another year of delay? ”

"Nineteen is nineteen. It's much bigger than a commoner's home, but it's not too big. Yun Zhi will only be seventeen years old next year, and she will only be eighteen years old the year after next, so she is not in a hurry. Yun Xi said.

……

……

"Ahh Xiao Tong suddenly sneezed.

"Who's talking about me?" He muttered to himself.

"Xiao Tong, what are you talking about!" The man sitting on the throne snapped.

When Xiao Tong heard this, he hurriedly sat upright and listened carefully to the words of the person sitting on the throne.

This is the Xiao family's residence in the capital, and it is also one of the Xiao family's commercial bases in the capital. This morning, many shopkeepers came to pay New Year's greetings, and everyone gathered together to talk about the business after the New Year. Slowly, even Xiao Zhuo, who was in charge here, forgot that everyone was here to pay New Year's greetings today, and ordered the business after the New Year.

"......, according to the previous agreement, there will be a ship transporting slaves to the capital in early February, and there will be about three or four hundred slaves. In winter, there are no typhoons at sea, and it should be able to reach the capital on time. ”

"But these slaves have to be released in batches, and we can't let the guests know that we have so many slaves in our hands. If they knew, they would definitely lower the price, and we wouldn't be able to make a lot of money. Xiao Zhuo commanded one by one.

When he finished his instructions, a shopkeeper said: "Sixth Master Zhuo, I have two slaves in my hands, they are handsome and can speak Chinese, they are not very old, and they are very valuable. But none of my people have ever sold such a person in the capital, and it's not easy to estimate the price, Sixth Master, you send an experienced person over to see the price? ”

"Okay, I'll take someone to your shop in a moment and see how much these two slaves are worth." Xiao Zhuo didn't shirk and said.

He commanded a few more things, and there was nothing more to command, and let the crowd disperse.

As soon as he said this, someone suddenly reacted that they were here to pay New Year's greetings today, not to talk about business, and said it with a smile. The crowd laughed dumbly.

Everyone laughed for a while and dispersed, Xiao Zhuo sent them to the door, watched them leave the mansion, turned his head and said to Xiao Tong: "You were distracted because you thought that today was the first day of the first lunar month, right?" Why didn't you say anything to remind me at the time? ”

"Sixth uncle, at that time, my nephew saw that you were ordering something important, and I saw that the shopkeepers were also listening carefully, and they didn't bother." Xiao Tong didn't actually remember that today was the first day of the first lunar month, but when he heard Xiao Zhuo's words, he immediately pushed the boat down the river and said.

"Hey, it's busy all year round, and everyone should rest and rest during the New Year. Since it's already over, I won't say much, but after that, I have to remember that it's the New Year, and I don't want to talk about business matters. He not only said to Xiao Tong, but also said to the subordinates beside him: "You remember to remind me that before the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, unless the matter is very urgent and must be decided immediately, do not talk about business matters, and let the shopkeeper and his guys have a good year." ”

"But just now Shopkeeper Liu has already agreed, it's not good not to go; And maybe someone will buy those two slaves in the next few days, and the price will be estimated. Xiao Zhuo instructed his subordinates to prepare horses, then turned his head and said to Xiao Tong: "You also go with me." ”

"Sixth uncle, my nephew doesn't understand business matters, what are you going to do with your nephew?" Xiao Tong asked. He likes to go shopping, but he is very disgusted with human trafficking and is reluctant to go to his own store, and wants to refuse.

"Taking you out with me didn't mean that you were going to give those two slaves a valuation." Xiao Zhuo said: "The New Year's gift for the officials has been sent, but it will be the Lantern Festival in a few days, and I have to send them something." It doesn't have to be too valuable, they don't dare to accept it now, but they can't afford to give it away. ”

"You are a scholar, and you have dealings with some officials and scribes, and you help your uncle pick out the things to give them." Xiao Zhuo said.

"Sixth uncle, aren't you also a scholar? My nephew remembers that your talent and fame were also obtained by yourself, not from the county's activities. ”

"How many years has my uncle not been associated with officials and scribes? I don't think of myself as a showman for a long time, how do I know what the current officials like? It would be convenient if you could send something particularly valuable, but now although the Ming Dynasty is a little more relaxed about corruption than during the Hongwu period, it has also been finding out the corrupt people, and they dare not accept particularly valuable things. ”

Xiao Zhuo said in a stern tone again: "Why is the matter that the sixth uncle ordered you to be so pushed!" Now it's the Chinese New Year, and the family doesn't force you to study, so go out with your uncle! ”

Hearing this, Xiao Tong knew that he couldn't shirk it, so he could only agree and follow him out of the house.

After a while, the two uncles and nephews walked to a place where books and the four treasures of the study were sold. Xiao Tong picked a few good wolf pens, selected two inkstones, took a lot of rice paper, and picked a few books, and said to Xiao Zhuo: "Sixth uncle, seven officials, these things are enough. Among them, this wolf pen was given to Liu Langzhong of the household department, that was sent to Changzhizhong of Yingtianfu, and that was given to ......"

Xiao Zhuo wrote them down one by one, put them in different bags, and glued a small note at the mouth of the bag to remind which official this was a gift for.

When everything was loaded, Xiao Tong was about to pick up a book to read, but Xiao Zhuo suddenly said to him again: "You pick another gift, it is better than these people now." ”

"Which high-ranking official has our family taken again?" Xiao Tong asked with some surprise. As a descendant of the Xiao family, although he was forced to study and take the imperial examination, if he caught up with a high-ranking official, he would definitely know. But this time he didn't hear about it at all.

"This gift is for Xue Xiyang." Xiao Zhuo said in a low voice, "Didn't you meet the queen's maiden brother recently?" It's a big tree, but it needs to be maintained. It's just that you haven't known him for a long time, and my uncle estimates that the relationship is not close, so I asked you to pick a few things from here and give them to him. When you get acquainted with him later, your uncle will pick a few treasures from the house and let you give them to him. ”

"Sixth uncle, my nephew and Xue Xiyang are gentlemen's friends, so I don't want to give these things." Xiao Tong said unhappily. It was a very unexpected thing for him to be friendly with Xue Xiyang, he and Xue Xiyang hit it off at first sight, cherished their friendship with him, and did not want to mix too many things in between.

When he saw what Xiao Zhuo was about to say, he hurriedly spoke before he spoke: "And the Xue family is not a nouveau riche who has only risen in the past few days, their family has entered the status of the present since the marriage of the saint and the queen mother, and there are countless people who want to give gifts to their family, I have not known Xue Xiyang for a long time, and giving too grand gifts will make the Xue family suspicious." It's better to give a small gift. ”

"You're right. In that case, you can buy a gift when you go back yourself, and your uncle will not care. ”