North Street, Guogong Mansion.

Today is the funeral of the late old man Demao, and the couple of Seshtu and Cao Yi have been busy since dawn, preparing for the funeral; After dawn, greet the clan guests; The mourning team left the city at the end of the day, and did not return to the city until the mourning procession at dusk.

survived this busy work, and Seshtu and Cao Yi were also exhausted.

But fortunately, the big thing is over, so there is no need to continue to boil.

Cao Yi served Seshtu to change his clothes, and then asked someone to set the meal, and the husband and wife had dinner together.

These accompanying guests, chicken, duck and fish all day long, the people who eat them are panicked. Seshtu didn't have much appetite, so he just wanted to fill a bowl and deal with one bite.

Unexpectedly, when the table was set, it turned out to be a package of rice.

To put it bluntly, it is to eat old japonica rice wrapped in cabbage hearts. When eating, use small pigeon or pheasant cub meat to cut into cubes, fried sauce with shiitake mushrooms, mix in rice when eating, and then sprinkle some minced garlic and some sesame oil, the taste is the most delicious.

Seeing that it was a cabbage heart that had been patted, Seshtu really had a great appetite, crossed his legs on the kang, immediately took a piece and put it in the palm of his hand, wrapped a rice bag, ate it in three bites, and reached out to get another piece.

While making rice, he said with a smile, "How did you think of eating this?" But it's a good thing, this is pheasant cub mushroom sauce, right? But it's a good thing to eat, and Eniang loved to eat this bite earlier. ”

Cao Yi saw that he was eating sweetly, and a smile appeared on his face, so he personally served a bowl of mutton porridge and said, "Master, take it slowly, eat it carefully, and don't restrain yourself." Speaking of this, he sighed and said: "Because it was the funeral of the old man, Da Gege cried for several days, and I heard that there were several meals, and I didn't use chopsticks." Saying that he also likes to eat bread rice, I made the kitchen prepare this. Thinking that the master has eaten less in the past two days, this is also prepared here.

Seshtu took the porridge with his empty hand, took two sips, took a long breath, and said, "Comfortable, but now it is warm to the heart." This year is also an evil sect, this is past the Lantern Festival, and it is still frighteningly cold. ”

Cao Yi glanced out the window, but it was pitch black, where could he see anything?

"Yes, look at this, this snow is going to fall until tomorrow." Cao Yi turned his head and said while serving himself porridge.

The husband and wife ate a package of rice, a few side dishes, and drank mutton porridge, and they ate a meal with relish.

After the couple finished eating, Chunya took a few maids to withdraw from the table, and saw Xia Fu come in and said, "Grandma, grandma, Grandpa Zhang asks to see." ”

Hearing this, Seshtu waved his hand and said, "Please let him in." ”

This father-in-law is an old man called by the late old man, and he is the chief housekeeper of the Guogong Mansion. Seshtu and Cao Yi are not good at slacking off, and they have a little respect for this old man.

Father-in-law Zhang entered, first greeted the two of them, and then presented the account book with both hands, bowed his head and said: "Grandma, grandma, this is the human exchange of this funeral, and the booklet slave before 'Wuqi' has been presented, which is nearly half a month." ”

"Father-in-law Zhang sat down and talked, there are a lot of things going on today, and you are tired of thinking about it." Seshtu raised his chin, motioned for Chunya to take the account book and hand it to his wife, and pointed to the chair again.

It has been a month and a half since the two new masters came to the funeral, and although Father-in-law Zhang knew that their husband and wife were kind, he didn't dare to be casual, so he let him sit next to the chair after two or three times.

His expression was a little trance-like, and he looked preoccupied.

Cao Yi took the account book, but he didn't look through it immediately, but put it at hand.

She raised her head, glanced at Father-in-law Zhang, and said with a smile: "Father-in-law, relax, you have served your husband all your life, and you are a hero in the house." Even if the lord is demoted to the lord, it is not good to keep the father-in-law in the house, and this pension matter will be properly settled first. ”

It turned out that the title of the old man Demao was Feng'en Fuguo Gong, and he was eight points.

The difference between those who enter the eight-point gong and those who do not enter the eight-point gong is that in addition to the eight kinds of ceremonial things, such as the Zhu wheel, the purple bridle, the jewel top, the double-eyed flower feather, the horn lamp, the tea pair, the horse mattress, and the door nail, there is also whether the eunuch can be used.

There are so many yellow and red belts in the capital, and those who are qualified to use eunuchs can only be in the mansions of Feng'en and Fuguo Gong, or they will be disposed of by the Zongren Mansion.

In the sixth year of Shunzhi, the kings were re-divided, and the clan was divided into relatives, and the county king was determined to be the twelfth rank of General Feng'en. In addition to Rui, Li, Zheng, Yu, Su, Zhuang, Keqin, Shuncheng Eight Kings, because of the special honors, hereditary replacement, other princes, county kings are descended to the first rank, some to the town of the state of Yonsei, some to the auxiliary of the state of Yonsei.

If the side branch is divided, it will be reduced to General Feng'en, and the world has been exhausted and will not be inherited.

According to the rules, this side of the Guogong Mansion is the family of the Xuanxian County Wang, and after four generations of descendation, it should have been inherited from the title of the Duke of Fuguo.

However, the rules are rules, whether it is a demote to the throne or an attack on the dukedom of the auxiliary country, it must be arranged by Kangxi. Some royal palaces are also often demoted by one level or two levels to attack the seal.

If he is demoted to attack the seal, he will not enter the Bafen Mansion, and Father-in-law Zhang will not be able to continue to stay in the mansion as an errand boy, so he is also a little apprehensive in his heart.

Cao Yi thought of this, and only then did he say these words of relief.

When Gonggong Zhang heard this, he was grateful, and got up to kowtow to Seshtu and Cao Yi.

Seeing that he was trembling, Seshtu hurriedly asked Chunya to help him up, and said angrily: "What is this, why is this here?" The old man has already mourned, and it won't be long before he will come down. It's still grandma's words, no matter what, don't make it difficult for your father-in-law to support the elderly. ”

Gonggong Zhang couldn't stop thanking him, wiped his tears with his sleeve, and said: "The old slave entered the palace at the age of eight, and was assigned to this mansion in his teens, and stayed in this mansion for more than forty years. Now I only hope that the Lord will be merciful and reward this title as it is, which can also satisfy the selfishness of the old slave. ”

Seshtu nodded and said, "To borrow my father-in-law's auspicious words, this front yard and backyard can't leave my father-in-law for a while, and my father-in-law still needs to worry a lot." ”

Father-in-law Zhang put down his sleeves and said, "Don't worry, but if the old slave is still on an errand in the house, he will naturally be full of energy, and he will not dare to slack off." ”

After a few more gossips, because it was not early, Father-in-law Zhang did not delay much and retreated.

When he came out of the house, Seshtu turned around and said to Cao Yi: "Looking at the one who is silent, but he has an idea." These words, thanks to his help, this house is stable and a proper person. ”

Cao Yi said: "Yes, this loyalty is commendable. If you can stay in the house, it will be a lot more worry-free. ”

As he spoke, Cao Yi had already taken the account book, which recorded all the money of the government. They are all "so-and-so mansions" and "so-and-so jue" sent the memorial ceremony geometrically.

When he turned to the penultimate page, Cao Yi's demeanor was a little stiff.

Seshtu looked at it wrong, a little puzzled, and asked, "What's wrong, but what's wrong with the accounts?" ”

Cao Yi shook his head, seemed to be smiling, and said, "The accounts are fine...... I can't complain that the second wife is full of confidence in speaking today, and she chatters endlessly with several Mrs. Beizi and Mrs. Guogong, it turns out that she is with a large share......" and sent the account book to her husband.

Seshtu looked down, in addition to the gift money of twenty taels, there were also five hundred taels of gifts, which was indeed a lot.

However, this gift is not appropriate.

Cao's family room is in Beijing, and the gift money is 20 taels, and 300 taels are given away. Cao Yi is nominally the girl of the long room and the niece of the second room, and the gift money of the second room should not have crossed the long room.

Otherwise, if the two are compared, it will seem that the long room is not kind to the girl and son-in-law.

This is related to his wife's sadness, and Seshtu didn't say much, closed the account book, and said: "Don't worry too much, the second wife has just broken up, and Xu is negligent because of the lack of contact with people." ”

Others don't know Zhaojia's surname, but Cao Yi is clear.

is the master who loves money like his life, and even half of the monthly money of the concubine and concubine can be deducted, and he can't wait to break a penny in half to spend. Such a Zhao Jia clan will generously send five hundred taels of silver, if it is said that there is no purpose, then who will believe it?

Cao Yi felt a wave of disgust in his heart, but when he thought of Cao Song, he sighed and didn't want to worry about him anymore.

However, this gift is inappropriate, and it is rude to the long house.

If people who don't know the inside story know that there is something wrong with the two rooms, they will compare it like this.

It seems that Ming'er is going to send someone to call Cao Song over and say. The second wife acted a little out of tune, as the eldest son, he always had to provoke the door of the second room, so as not to make the Cao family a joke.

Cao Yi looked at the account book and thought to himself.

Although she really can't be close to Zhaojia's mother-in-law, it depends on the affection of several younger brothers and sisters, and it's not good to ignore that side.

Moreover, although the mother's family room and the second room are separated, but one stroke can not write two "Cao" words, if there is anything inappropriate, it will still lose the face of the Cao family, and the reputation of Cao Yin's father and son will be affected...... * Xicheng, Cao's mansion, and study.

Although it was only a day before Zhiran was detained in Shuntianfu, Mr. Zhuang got a lot of news.

That bitter master Huang Dakui is indeed a person from Changping, but he has no legitimate occupation, saying that he is doing odd jobs, but under interrogation, he can't say why. He casually mentioned a few places, and when he inquired, he only did three or five things.

Through the visit, I learned that Huang Dakui's wife was not "hit" for the first time, but it turned out that it was a car, and this time it was a person.

A bachelor who doesn't learn and has no skills, and an old lady who loves to "bump" people, this mother and son don't look like good people, they should be "touching porcelain" in the market for a living.

Now, the case is stuck in one place, that is, how the old woman died.

If he really wanted to collide with Zhiran and fell to the ground and touched a stone and died, then Zhiran's crime of "manslaughter" was still inevitable. It's just that according to the Shuntianfu Arrest Kuai, it was a bluestone road.

Although there was snow, it was very flat, and there were no other rocks or anything to be seen. This deadly stone is a bit abrupt.

It was the old woman's bad luck that she fell to the ground and hit the only stone nearby; Or did someone fish in troubled waters and move their hands and feet when everyone was not looking?

Even on the side of the Yamen of Shuntian Mansion, he also felt that something was wrong, and Yin Wangyi of Shuntian Mansion was asking passers-by at that time one by one to see if there was anything unusual in it, and there seemed to be no clue at present.

Cao Yin rubbed his forehead and asked with a little puzzlement, "Xia Qing, what do you think?" Now that the eighth elder brother has been frustrated, the other princes are all silent, and there is no gunsmoke, why do the people behind this scene use the Cao family as a raft? ”

Mr. Zhuang said: "I don't understand what is the reason for these three times and two incidents against the eldest prince. Speaking of which, over the years, the eldest prince has offended in Beijing can be counted. is so reluctant, but I can't think of which one is carefully arranged. ”

Cao Yin's face was a little heavy, calculating his son's itinerary in his heart, and he was a little worried.

I heard Mr. Zhuang continue: "By the way, there is news that the thirteenth elder brother went out last night and went to the fourth elder brother's mansion, and he got the news of Zhiran's accident. ”

Cao Yin nodded and said, "Well, that's true, the fourth elder brother also went to the Ministry of Rites today and asked me about the general reason. I still wonder how he could pay attention to these things, and I think it's the thirteenth elder brother who trusts him. ”

When Mr. Zhuang heard this, he frowned a little and said, "No wonder the Fourth Elder Brother Mansion has sent a lot of people today, and they are also haunted in Beicheng." It's just that this is the Cao family's business, if he comes out, there will be suspicions in the two phases, and it will be difficult to defend in front of the Long Live Lord. ”

Cao Yin is not too worried about this.

Fifty years of friendship between monarchs and ministers is not so easy to dislike.

He thought in his heart that it was the fourth elder brother's actions that really loved and protected his younger brother, and he was asked by the thirteenth elder brother to contribute; It's better to push the boat and send a big favor to the Cao family...... The son has always been different from this fourth elder brother, and in the dream he mentioned, the new emperor ......

(To be continued)