Chinese New Year's Eve vigil for family reunion is a long-standing custom. Although the snowdrops in the sky gradually turned into snowflakes and covered the ground one after another, when dusk fell, the mansions of the wealthy families in Nanjing City were bustling and lively, and all the families scattered in the past returned to the main house for the holiday. When brothers are reunited, the relationship between brothers is certainly the same, but they must also secretly compare the future of their official positions, and there are not a few people who eat a vindictive meal at this Chinese New Year's Eve reunion dinner.

At this moment, two groups of people were welcomed in front of the palatial gate of the British Mansion. Due to the snow, both sides are sitting in a large sedan chair, this head-on, the sedan chair is certainly stopped, and the people in the sedan chair also walked out.

The person who came out of the sedan chair on the left was in his early thirties, wearing a five-color silk stone blue cardigan and a red gold crown on his head; The person who came out of the sedan chair on the right was only twenty-six or seventeen, wearing a purple and gold crown with tied hair, wiping his forehead with mink gold beads on his eyebrows, and wearing a long coat with a two-color golden heron and hibiscus all the way to glory. When they saw each other on both sides, they saw the clothes on the opposite side, and their eyes flashed.

"The second brother is wearing this today, aren't you afraid that the eldest brother will say that you are extravagant?"

"Luxury? Third brother, you're not much better than me, aren't you? Besides, my father died on the battlefield that year, and the three of us in our family were loyal to the emperor, so what is there to be more particular about this dress! We don't rob or steal, and we don't exploit the people, we all buy it ourselves, and we are afraid that others will say gossip? ”

Zhang Hui and Zhang Wei looked at each other and smiled, and then entered the door proudly side by side. Rong Shan had already come out with his subordinates, and ordered the little guys to go up to lead the horses and lead the sedan chair, and he went up with a smile on his face to salute Zhang Hui and Zhang Xuan. Seeing that these two people threw out the silver beans without saying a word, he hurriedly and skillfully grabbed them and stuffed them into his arms, and bent down neatly to thank the reward.

"The two masters, the lord and the lady are in the Rongying Hall, and the family banquet has been prepared."

Zhang Hui made a casual move, and several young people surrounded a handsome young man and came forward. And Zhang Xuan's side also has a boy who is still in the general corner. Comparing the two sides, they were all gorgeously dressed, but there was a slight air of arrogance and contempt in their expressions - in other words, both of them were the kind of noble children with eyes on the top of their heads.

"It's this reunion banquet every year, but this year there are three more juniors on my aunt's side, and this time it's going to be more lively!" Zhang Huipi looked at Rong Shan with a smile, as if asking casually, "Brother Zhen'er, we met back then, but I don't know how those two little ones are." Rongshan, they all live here these days, how do you look better than the two of us? ”

Rong Shan's gaze slipped around Zhang Bin and Zhang Jin, and the smile on his face was even bigger: "Second master, isn't this a joke?" Young Master Bin and Young Master Jin both grew up at the feet of the Son of Heaven in Nanjing, and their family education is naturally top-notch, which of those nobles is not boastful? I heard that the second master and the third master were both happy a few days ago, and the little one is here to congratulate. ”

As soon as these words were said, Zhang Hui and Zhang Xuan brothers were so unhappy that they didn't say much at the moment, and took their respective sons on the right path in the direction of Rongyingtang. As soon as they left, Rong Shan hurriedly drank the servants to clean up everything outside, raised his hand to wipe a handful of oil and sweat on his forehead, and then rushed inside with the hem of his robe, but sighed again and again in his heart.

This is all a family, and their own masters are so low-key, but why do these two and three masters like luxury and swagger?

Zhang Yue and Zhang Chao waited in Rongying Hall early. Although they had been in Nanjing for more than half a month, they had never seen those two cousins. Zhang Yue inquired carefully and knew that Zhang Hui was now the commander of the Shen Cewei, and Zhang Wei was the commander of the Jinyi Guard. Although the latter is a Jinyi guard, he belongs to a member of the Su Guard, and he doesn't care about the investigation of the edict, so when Zhang Fu was out to inquire about the news, he never started from his brother-in-law's side.

However, it wasn't until the two cousins stepped into Rongying Hall with their families and greeted each other that they didn't say a word, and he really understood why the British Gong Zhang Fu and Zhang Hui were a little estranged. Compared with Zhang Fu's home-style old clothes, the gold threads on those two are brilliant and brilliant, and even Zhang Bin and Zhang Jin's wearing accessories are extravagant. In contrast, Zhang Zhen is the most gorgeously dressed among the three brothers, but he still looks shabby at the moment.

Although he and Zhang Chao and Zhang Zhen went up to see each other together, Zhang Hui and Zhang Xuan didn't look at them directly, and only nodded lightly to Zhang Zhen, but they didn't have any words of concern at all, but as soon as they sat down, they started talking, talking about nothing more than eating, drinking, and having fun. Zhang Fu persuaded him twice, and then stopped talking with a calm face.

So, when it was time for the family to have a reunion dinner together, although the cook at home took the trouble to send one delicious dish after another, everyone at the banquet was superficial, even Zhang Yue, who had an empty stomach, had no appetite at all - no matter who it was, there were two little roosters sitting next to him who were like proud little roosters, and from time to time they showed contempt and white-eyed little guys, and this mood was not good anyway. At this moment, he wished that this difficult meal would end quickly.

In fact, this Chinese New Year's Eve reunion dinner did end quickly, but the plate was removed and tea was sent in half an hour, but Zhang Wei and Zhang Wei just took a sip and excused themselves to leave with their sons. However, even after they left, the atmosphere in this Rongying Hall was still a little stiff, and the joy of Chinese New Year's Eve was washed away by this meal.

Zhang Fuchang sighed, waved his hand tiredly, and said to Zhang Zhen again, "Your father's matter is said to have been decided, and it will be settled in the next year, and then your father and son will be able to meet." Relax these days, don't go out casually, lest you get into trouble again. ”

Zhang Zhen's face turned red when he heard this, and then his eyes turned red, and he actually left his seat and knelt down in the middle, and solemnly slammed his head three times. Zhang Fu was caught off guard, and was stunned for a moment before he stepped forward to help the person up, and when he saw that Zhang Zhen's head was blue, he couldn't help but feel a move in his heart, and the anger at Zhang Zhen's impulsive action earlier was thrown out of the clouds.

No matter how ignorant this child is, he still misses his father's pure filial piety, but what about him...... Seeing that his brothers are all children around his knees, he is nearly forty years old but desolate on his knees, perhaps it is fate that he is destined to have no heirs......

Zhang Yue looked at Zhang Fu and showed a hint of dismay, and was trying to persuade two sentences, but unexpectedly, Zhang Fuxuan admonished Zhang Chao even though his face was straight - it was nothing more than making friends and making friends, and finally said that he would try to make up Zhang Chao into the Shence Army, and he could wait for the opportunity to make meritorious contributions when there was a battle. This was Zhang Chao's long-cherished wish, and at that moment Zhang Chao immediately stood up and thanked him, and his face showed a joyful expression. However, when it came time for Zhang Yue, Zhang Fu gave another order after groaning.

"Brother Chao and Brother Zhen are going to talk to your aunt, I have something to say to Brother Yue."

As soon as Zhang Chao and Zhang Zhen left, Zhang Yue was inconvenient to sit, so he stood up, but he guessed in his heart what was important to Zhang Fu at this time. It must be known that since Zhang Xin's matter has been concluded, his mission here has come to an end, and when his uncle Zhang Xin is released from prison after the holiday, he should return to Kaifeng after a while.

Zhang Fu didn't seem to know where to start, and hesitated for a while before he spoke: "Brother Zhen'er cares about it, and Brother Chao'er is a charcoal person, and I can't tell them some things." Brother Xin used to manage the river, although he did not fill his own pockets, but the people under him inevitably made a lot of deficits, equivalent to millions of treasure banknotes, and about tens of thousands of taels of silver. Although it is unreasonable for your uncle to fill the shortfall, he has to do so if he wants to find a lighter haircut. ”

After saying these words, Zhang Yue's heart was as transparent as a mirror, and he understood the reason why he had collected money like in his family before he came. He thought that this was used to deal with the upper and lower officials, but after arriving in Nanjing, he found that Jinyiwei had no way to deal with it at all, and with the great god of the British Duke, other officials did not need to make silver so vulgar. Therefore, this silver is simply used to fill the possible shortfall, or to calm the situation.

"Uncle Hall, my grandmother told me before I came, if you have any money, you will do everything. Money is something outside the body, if the eldest uncle can be safe and sound, although the two thousand taels of gold can be used to fill the shortfall, if it is not enough, the family can still manage. ”

"That's enough." Zhang Fu nodded slightly, and said with a smile, "Auntie still had a lot of money and goods collected from me at the beginning, and she was able to fill the hole." But you have a reputation for showing talent, do you want to go back to Kaifeng, or stay in Nanjing City to see the world, or go to Guozijian to study? ”

Faced with such a sudden question, Zhang Yue couldn't help but be stunned, and hesitated for a long time before replying: "The matter is very important, please let me think about it." ”

PS: This chapter is a little longer.,I hope to make up for the guilt in my heart.,It's not intentional to only have two more.,Everyone has to forgive me......