Pingjun Palace, Inner Hall.

Cao Jiashi took Cao Ying's hand and looked at it carefully, and saw that in addition to being slightly cleared, her spirit was quite refreshing, so she put her mind at ease. She pulled Cao Ying to sit by the kang, and beckoned Cao Yi next to her: "The third sister also sits, it's rare for our sisters to get together and talk about themselves." ”

Cao Yi sat down, although Cao Ying was worried about the rules, but seeing that the people waiting in the room were all Cao Jia's side, she didn't make those false destructive atmospheres.

A few days later, it was the anniversary of Cao Yin, and Cao Jia's family sent someone to bring her sister over, which was to burn Zhou for her father.

Cao Ying is a niece and has lost her filial piety. Cao Jia's family and Cao Ying are their own daughters and adopted daughters, and they can only be taken off after burning for a week.

Speaking of this, the sisters have to say a few sentimental words, even Cao Ying, who can't take care of the dirty affairs of the Sun family for the time being, and only has the kindness of the uncle when he was alive.

Cao Jia's and Cao Yi's sisters were even more sentimental and wept silently.

It was still Cao Jiashi, who wiped his tears first, and said to the two: "Look, they all complain about me, invite the eldest sister and the third sister to come, I originally wanted to talk about the burning of Zhou's grave, but I didn't say anything about it, but I fell on the gold beads." ”

Cao Yi also wiped away her tears and said, "What arrangements does the second sister have?" My sister thought about whether to find a big temple and do a few rituals for her father. If the second sister has other arrangements, the younger sister will follow the same. ”

Cao Jiashi nodded and said: "In addition to going to my father's grave, I also want to do a few rituals for my father in Chongfu Temple, light a few ever-bright lanterns, and plan to send sesame oil money to Chongfu Temple." If the eldest sister and the third sister are willing, they will do it together in Chongfu Temple. ”

Chongfu Temple is the oldest ancient temple in the capital, is one of the famous temples, there are many monks in it, rarely receive the Dharma from outside.

Only Cao Jia's family, with the identity of the clan Fujin, can get his wish.

Cao Yi and Cao Ying naturally had nothing to say, Cao Yi said: "I borrowed the light of the second sister, and I can also let us do our filial piety." ”

Cao Ying also said: "Yes, I heard that Chongfu Temple's prayer is very effective, if you can pray for the uncle to get one or two, it would be good." ”

Cao Jia's meaning is to let the sisters follow the name, and the money for doing things will come from the palace. Cao Yi and Cao Ying refused, and finally agreed to pay three hundred taels for the palace; Cao Yi minus others, two hundred and forty taels; Cao Ying subtracted again, one hundred and eighty taels.

Because she thought that Cao Ying was not rich, her sister Cao Jia was going to do it for her, but she didn't do it, and she also wanted to do her filial piety. Cao Jia's and Cao Yi couldn't stop again, so they had to rely on her.

After finishing the business, Cao Jiashi remembered that the child was getting colder, and said to Cao Ying: "Seeing that it is the beginning of winter, I will make someone pack up some skins and send them to the eldest sister's house in a hurry, and the eldest sister and nephews will add clothes to wear." ”

Cao Ying listened to it and said repeatedly: "I have received my heart, and I wear a lot of them, or the second sister keeps them for her own use, or it is good to honor my uncle." ”

Seeing her like this, Cao Jiashi shook her head and said: "The eldest sister is really, I have heard the third sister say, the eldest sister's slightly eye-catching fur clothes are all for Sun Jue." The third sister can redeem the jewelry for the eldest sister, and I am also a younger sister, so I can't do my best for the eldest sister? Besides, there is no shortage of skins in my house. Every year of hunting, there are cases in our house, this year our lord is not there, and the internal affairs office has not shortened us, but has received the emperor's grace and shared with us. It's all good skin, and it's reluctant to send it to outsiders, so it's just for your own family. On the side of the wife and the second wife, I made people stay, and the eldest sister just had to use it with confidence. ”

When Cao Ying heard this, her eyes were red, and she lowered her head and wept: "It's all useless for me, I asked my sisters to watch jokes." ”

Cao Jiashi sighed and said, "Flesh and blood relatives, what do you say, and look at it later." ”

The three sisters took the next day to disperse. Coming out of the palace, Cao Yi pulled Cao Ying into a carriage and talked about the Zhixian sisters.

Now that Sun Jue is gone, there is no need for these two concubines of the Sun family to hide, it is not good to live in Zhuangzi outside the city all the time. After all, they are two delicate beauties, who have been left outside for a long time, and if they make something else, it will also hinder their reputation.

Cao Ying was a little hesitant in her heart, not that she was small-minded, and her husband was gone, so she couldn't tolerate the Zhixian sisters, but she thought of the twins.

She originally took care of her concubine and cherished her reputation, so she didn't listen to her husband's arrangement and sold the Zhixian sisters.

Hearing her husband say categorically to her mother-in-law and fourth uncle that the twin concubines had "died", Cao Ying didn't know how to tell this sister even if she vaguely knew some inside information.

Cao Ying compares her heart to her heart, and she can understand the pain of losing her child. If the two Zhixian sisters don't know what to do, and they resent the Sun family for this, Cao Ying keeps them by her side, isn't it to bring disaster to her children?

Seeing Cao Ying's hesitation, Cao Yi said: "If my sister has any scruples, she will make people's teeth sell far away. They are concubines, and they are not very old, so they don't have to stay in the Sun family for a lifetime. ”

"Hey! In the end, they are all hard-working people. The third sister should be sent back, and I will ask them what they mean. Cao Ying said.

This was Cao Ying's family matter, and Cao Yi couldn't say anything, so she nodded in response.

The next day, the palace steward sent two cartloads of skins to the grandson's house.

When the tailor who made the leather clothes was invited, he was also astonished when he saw the skins, and said that the market price of these skins was a thousand or eight hundred taels of silver.

Cao Ying could only reddened her eyes and sighed with emotion.

In addition to the jewelry that Cao Yi helped redeem, the fur sent by Cao Jia's family, some time ago, Cao Hao also sent two cars of antique ornaments, all of which were Cao Ying's dowry, which was redeemed by Cao Hao from the major pawnshops in the capital...... There was no time to be sentimental, the carriage sent by the Guogong Mansion arrived, and Sister Zhixian took a bib and entered the Sun Mansion.

The maids in the house were all sent down, leaving only Liang as a companion.

Cao Ying whispered to Sister Zhixian and confirmed the true identity of the twins. Zhixian was okay, Ye Xian had already knelt on the ground, wanting to know his son's whereabouts.

Where would Cao Ying say such a thing as "death", and weighed it and said: "If someone hadn't found it, the master wouldn't have thought of pursuing this matter." They were taken to enjoy the blessings, even if the mother and son were not allowed to see each other, they only wanted benefits. That family is richer than the Sun family, and there are no other heirs in this house, only grandfathers and grandmothers, and there are no mothers and brothers, their brothers will only live better, and they will not be wronged. ”

She didn't say anything in her words, but Sister Zhixian was originally the maid of the Li family, so she naturally knew what she was referring to.

Even if his son is rich and wealthy, separated by flesh and blood, where can he be happy, Ye Xian had to cry again. is still a branch fairy, afraid that Cao Ying will be impatient, so she persuaded her sister.

Cao Ying did not mention the details of her husband and wife's separation, and only said that Sun Jue left Beijing. She did not keep the Zhixian and Ye Xian sisters, but returned their deeds, and each gave them another twenty taels of silver and a bag of the sisters' old clothes.

"It's not good for me to keep you, otherwise the uncle and the family will know and bury you for trouble. You sisters will either go to relatives and friends, or find someone else to marry, and you are still young. Cao Ying said.

Zhixian and Ye Xian knew that it was nothing for a big family to kill a concubine for the sake of selfishness, but they were glad that they could escape, where would they complain about Cao Ying.

The two sisters kowtowed to Cao Ying three times, took the silver deed, and left the grandson's house.

Cao Ying was not at ease in the end, so people quietly stared at it for two days, and got the news that the two sisters got on the boat going south, and it seemed that they were going to Suzhou to find their son.

Knowing that there are tigers in the mountains, he prefers to go to the tiger mountains.

Cao Ying admired the courage of the two Zhixian sisters, although she was a little worried, but thinking that Zhixian had always been a sleek and sensible person, with her, the two sisters would not be directly stupid to ask for a son from the Li family, so they put this matter aside...... * In the blink of an eye, on September 12, the anniversary of Cao Yin's death.

Early in the morning, there was a carriage lined up in front of Cao's house, and the three sisters of the Cao family came back, followed Cao Hao and others, and went to the Cao family cemetery in Haidian.

Sacrifices, sacrificial wine, and all kinds of cumbersome rituals come down, and they don't end until noon.

As early as a day, a vegetarian meal was set in a temple near the cemetery, and the big guys went here to rest together at noon.

After today, except for the Li family, Cao Hao, and Changsheng, who also need to keep filial piety, everyone else has no filial piety.

In the Zen room, Cao Hao saw Gu Na in green clothes.

Gu Nada Cao Hao is four years old, thirty this year, with a short beard on his mouth, and a thin appearance, but he really has a bit of a breeze on his sleeves and a fluttering style.

When he saw Cao Hao, he already knelt down and bowed: "Uncle cousin! ”

Cao Hao hurriedly stepped forward to help him up, and said, "It's hard to see each other, I have to say a few words, and what are you doing with the trouble of making a fuss?" ”

After looking at Gu Na carefully for a moment, and sitting down with each other, he frowned and said, "Why are you thin again?" Now your immediate boss is your father-in-law, and he has always valued you, so why don't you know how to take care of you? ”

Now Gu Na is on an errand in the Inspectorate, and the one who served as the left governor of the Inspectorate was Cai Shengyuan, who served as the chief examiner of the Jiangnan Township Examination in the 44th year of Kangxi.

He is not only Guna's teacher, but also Guna's father-in-law.

Gu Na smiled bitterly: "My father-in-law is a square person, and he is most afraid of people saying favoritism." Although the relatives in the officialdom of this dynasty avoided only 'fathers and sons, uncles, and brothers', and did not avoid foreign in-laws, but when I entered the Inspectorate, it also attracted a lot of people's mouths. I wanted to avoid it, but I was stopped by my father-in-law, and now I can only finish this term. ”

At present, the avoidance system implemented by the Qing Dynasty officialdom was formulated by the Shunzhi Dynasty, and the regulations on the avoidance of relatives are not complicated, except for stipulating that the children of the current Beijing officials above the third rank are not allowed to take the examination for the selection of science and Taoist officials, that is, fathers and sons, uncles, and brothers are not allowed to work together, and there is also the 55th year of Kangxi supplemented, "all the children of scholars are not allowed to serve as cabinet scholars."

Naturally, this "university scholar" refers to the bachelor in the dynasty, after all, the family of the father and son and the uncle and nephew of the dynasty are not one or two.

Rules are dead, but people are alive.

The emperor's preference is the biggest rule in the world. Otherwise, according to the rules, Cao Hao could not be appointed to the household department in the first two years.

In front of the word "hand-picked", the rules are decorations.

Seeing Gu Na like this, it was difficult to come to the yamen of the Inspectorate, Cao Hao thought for a while and said: "Maybe you don't have to stay up for so long, I heard that Chen Xu, the secretary of the Ministry of Rites, has not been in good health since the autumn, and now he has been begging for rest with old illness." If there is a vacancy in the Ministry of Rites, your father-in-law may have to transfer to the Ministry of Rites. He was originally a cabinet minister, and he has always won the Sacred Heart, but now the scholars of Manchu and Han universities are vacant. If the emperor wants to promote him, the yamen of the Ministry of Rites will go through the motions. ”

When Gu Na heard this, he was overjoyed and said, "If this is the case, it is a blessing." My father-in-law is upright, and I have been worried about him every night in the past two years, so that I can leave the inspectorate as soon as possible, and I can also say that I am safe as soon as possible. ”

Cao Hao thought of Brother Jiu, who was about to return to Beijing, and was worried about Gu Na's career.

Everyone knows that Gu Na is the disciple of the ninth elder brother, and when the fourth elder brother comes to power, among the people who are liquidated, there must be Gu Na's name.

"The capital is a place of right and wrong, and it is not advisable to stay for a long time...... Listen to me, it is better to seek a foreign appointment, experience a few years outside, and wait until the wind and waves are calm, which is the time for you to show your talents. Cao Hao thought about it for a while, and persuaded: "Even if it is Brother Jiu's side, it is not easy to get close anymore, and if you can be estranged, you can be estranged." Brother Jiu's surname is Zhang Yang, he doesn't know how to restrain himself, he has already buried trouble, and he is afraid that he will not only be tired of himself, but also tired of others in the future. ”

Gu Na sighed and said: "My nephew also knows this truth, but my father-in-law has no internal aid and foreign response from the imperial examination. If he leaves the ninth elder brother, or is hated by the ninth elder brother, and the father-in-law is difficult to stop in his old age, how can the nephew bear it? ”

This is the case with Jingguan, the more prominent he is, the more dangerous he is. What Gu Na said is not without purpose.

"You have to think about it, if you continue like this, of course, you can keep your father-in-law peaceful for a few years, and your career will be ruined." Cao Hao sighed and said.

When Gu Na heard this, his expression changed, and he said for a while: "It's not that my nephew is nostalgic for officialdom and greedy for wealth, it's just that over the years, my nephew has also understood some truths." If you want to be comfortable, you have to be uncomfortable. If there is no power support, it is not easy to live in seclusion in the countryside and farm. Please also ask my cousin to teach me. ”

Life is so helpless, he is a transparent person, of course he will not naively think that he can retreat from officialdom.

"Brother Jiu, even if it continues, you can't get too close. Don't be in the process of accumulating talents, otherwise, in the eyes of outsiders, you are just a dog under the Ninth Elder Brother. Since you have arrived at the important yamen, you should show a few hands, don't be afraid of offending people, when it is time to show your skills, someone will watch. Cao Hao thought about it for a while, the fourth elder brother is a person who cherishes talents, although Gu Na is the disciple of the ninth elder brother, but his low reputation is not obvious, and he has not done bad things in the name of the ninth elder brother, as long as he leaves the impression of "capable official" in the heart of the fourth elder brother, it is always good.

In the past two years, Kangxi's health has been bad, as we all know.

No one dares to say it explicitly, but they all know in their hearts that they may not know when the sky will change.

Gu Na listened to Cao Hao's words and knew it in his heart. Only by making meritorious deeds can he attract the attention of the new monarch, and he will not ruin his future because of the ninth elder brother.

He got up and made a long gesture and said, "Nephew Uncle Xie teaches." ”

Cao Hao waved his hand and said: "I can't talk about teaching, and no one can guarantee it, but as long as I do my best and do the word 'no regrets', even if I really leave the officialdom in the future, I can feel more comfortable." At this point, he paused and said, "You have been to the cemetery in the morning, and you have seen the wine you left behind." ”

Gu Na nodded and said, "My nephew went, speaking of which, my uncle and nephew still have a few years of upbringing, and I should have gotten there." It's just that people are a little more evasive in front of them, so that the ninth elder brother will know, and he will take advantage of this to make a living. ”

Speaking of the past, Cao Hao also sighed in his heart.

Gu Na lived in the weaving mansion for four years, went to school with Cao Hao, and practiced riding and archery together. Speaking of which, their friendship is deeper than that of Cao Hao, Yongqing and Ning Chun.

If it weren't for Brother Jiu's troubled years and forcing Gu to be included in his disciples, this relative would not have been so sneaky.

"Let's stay up for a few more years, Brother Jiu won't always be so powerful." Cao Hao said with a little melancholy.

When Gu Na heard this, he could only nod his head in agreement.

Because they met in private, Gu Na was not good to ask Li for peace in front of everyone, and the uncle and nephew talked for a while, and Gu Na quietly retreated with the familiar little novice.

Everyone in Caofu also used their fast meals and set off to return to the city to ...... * Hubu Yamen and the main hall.

Li Wei stood on the ground, looking down at the heads of his boots, and felt guilty in his heart. Although he is just a layman, he also has the intention of clinging to the powerful in his heart, but he also scores people.

Like the cold-faced prince in front of him, he really didn't dare to have the mind of clinging.

It's just that people are unlucky to stuff their teeth when they drink cold water.

Since he offended Prince Zhuang, his words are difficult. Prince Zhuang loves face, even if he is really angry, but Li Wei has already come to the door to ask for guilt, and it is not easy to clean up Li Wei directly.

But if you can't stand it, you will look at it a lot, and under the exclusion of the Quartet, Li Wei's words will not be easy.

If you are someone else, even if you don't tremble and be scared to death, you have to be scared and careful. Fortunately, Li Wei is a big-hearted person, plus he has a thick skin, and he is mean to his colleagues.

But he was thinking in his heart, how could he survive a term, so he would have to go back to his hometown like this, and he couldn't stand up in front of his neighbors.

What about the prince, the prince of the capital, he can't count the two slaps.

Unexpectedly, his composure caused the fourth elder brother to look sideways.

Now, every three or five days, Li Wei is called to reprimand, which has become the fun of the fourth elder brother.

At the beginning, there were also officials who figured out their intentions, thinking that the fourth elder brother favored Li Wei and was polite to him; Later, after listening to the words of the two pen posts in the main hall, I realized that although Li Wei was "treated differently" by the fourth elder brother, it had nothing to do with the weight of the instrument.

In this way, Li Wei's treatment is "nephew lighting the lamp - taking care of his uncle".

Today, the fourth elder brother held an account book in the treasury of the household department, looked at Li Wei's crooked signature on it, and scolded Li Wei with a slap in his face.

Li Wei pleaded guilty in his mouth, but his heart was itching with hatred.

No wonder outsiders say that this master is mean, this mouth is too ugly, even if he Li Wei's handwriting is ugly, it can't be directly said to be "dog crawling".

He is a donor official, not a Jinshi master, what is it that is ugly to write?

As far as he knows, not to mention other yamen, it is the household department, and there are two common Manlang who are not as good as him in writing.

The fourth elder brother lectured him, and he felt that his mouth was dry, and his heart felt more refreshed.

Looking up at Li Wei's pockmarked face again, it was not so much of an eyesore, he waved his hand and said to Li Wei: "Go back and copy the "Diamond Sutra" ten times, calm down, and practice calligraphy. ”

When Li Wei heard this, his face immediately changed.

At his level, it's good to know a few words, and if he is asked to copy the book, doesn't he have half his life...... Seeing Li Wei's bitter face, the fourth elder brother had no sympathy at all, but showed a rare smile......

(To be continued)