West of the city, Cao Fu, Aoi-in.

I don't know if I was used to getting up early a few days ago, and I woke up just after Cao Hao at the beginning of Yin. Today is the first day of his errand in the household department, from the five products of the outsider. Although it stands to reason that the third-class guard should be transferred to a ministry officer, it should be a fifth-rank lang of the same grade. However, Liubu Langzhong is the chief official of each department, whether it is seniority or age, Cao Hao is a little unsuitable. Fortunately, the old man Kangxi is also a reasonable person, and he still retains the rank of Cao Hao's third-class guard.

From a guard and a companion to a guard and an officer, Cao Hao rubbed his neck, at least it sounded like a much brighter future.

Now, it's early winter, and it's still dark outside the window. Cao Hao put on a piece of clothing and got out of bed, groped his way to light the lamp and candle, and as soon as he found the flint to light it, he heard the sound of pushing the door and footsteps in the yard.

Amethyst and the beads all got up and opened the curtain and came in.

"It's still early? Are you all up? Cao Hao asked with a smile.

Zhu'er went to bring water, Cui'er looked for a comb, and Amethyst replied: "It was said that it was all at this hour, and the slaves and maids woke up at some point. ”

Cao Hao washed his face, rinsed his mouth with green salt, and then sat down, and Cui'er waited for him to comb his hair.

Amethyst brought the new official uniform, top wear, and Chaozhu and put it on the table. Cui'er said with a smile while braiding Cao Hao's hair: "I didn't expect the uncle to be an official at such a young age!" The slave maid heard that all officials have to take a sedan chair, will the uncle also take a sedan chair in the future? ”

Cao Hao thought of the rules for Beijing officials and civil officials to take a sedan chair, except for the large sedan chair that can be carried by four people above the third grade, the others are carried by two people, which is funny when you think about it.

Hearing this, Amethyst said: "Yes, uncle, it's cold when I see it, and the distance from here to Yamen is not close, shouldn't we also prepare an official sedan chair." ”

Cao Hao hurriedly said: "Don't mention this again, the first two Uncle Zhong just talked about it for a long time, and I struggled to persuade him." Now, I don't have the job of a guard! If you take a sedan chair, I'm afraid that you will make people laugh! ”

While talking, Hai'er and Huan'er came in with snacks to eat. The time of the errand in the ministry is the same as the time of the early dynasty, and the winter and spring seasons are the beginning of the morning (seven o'clock in the morning), so there is no need to go early. However, today is the first day of the new year, the Great Dynasty Meeting, and the Beijing officials above the seventh rank will go. Cao Hao had breakfast, changed into court clothes, and prepared to go early.

Zhu'er saw that Cao Hao didn't wear the string of coral pearls, so she held it with both hands and said, "Uncle, there is this!" ”

Cao Hao straightened his hat at this mirror, and then waved his hand and said: "That is too eye-catching, the guards wear it, but there is no official from the Wupin Department!" ”

Out of the second gate, the sky is getting brighter, Xiao Man is already waiting here, and he has changed into new clothes, and when he saw Cao Hao, he said with a smile: "Uncle's official uniform is really magnificent!" Speaking of this, he scratched his head and said, "It's just that this pigeon is a little fat!" ”

When Cao Hao heard this, he couldn't help laughing, and looked down twice, Xiao Man was really right, this five-grade civil official's white pheasant supplement does look like a fat pigeon at first glance.

When they arrived at the front yard, the housekeeper Cao Zhong and Wei Hei, Wei Bai, Wu Mao, and Wu Sheng were all waiting. Originally, Cao Hao wanted Wei Bai to avoid morning errands in the future, and to have an errand or something in the mansion, but Wei Bai didn't do it. He said to himself, but it was this strength that could act as a guard and follower, but he really couldn't do anything else.

The Yamen of the Household Department is on the east side of [***], next to the palace wall. Because he wanted to go to the palace to meet in advance, Cao Hao did not go there, but first went to wait outside the noon gate to wait for the court.

At present, there is still more than half an hour before the court meeting, but many people have already arrived outside the noon gate, but everyone is standing in the back position, and there are empty seats in front. Cao Hao knew in his heart that this was the rule, the more princes and nobles he was, the more he was afraid of stepping on the point.

Although they didn't talk to each other, the officials who were waiting for the court were still talking in twos and threes. Although the court meeting is held today, it is not held in the Taihe Hall as before, but in front of the noon gate, the ceremony of promulgating the calendar of the following year is held.

For those low-grade Beijing officials, Cao Hao didn't know a few at all; Those with higher grades are somewhat familiar, and most of them were met by chance in Qianqingmen when they were studying in the study. Among them, there are a few who were entertained by Cao Yin when he entered Beijing last year. At the moment, he didn't have any interest in coming forward to talk, he just watched everyone's supplements, and stood behind on the side of the five and six grades.

When he was a guard, he also participated in the big court meeting, but it was just a formality, although solemn, but very boring. It's the same today, it's just a cutscene, but it took more than half an hour until the second quarter of an hour before the dynasty dispersed.

Yesterday, when Cao Hao went to the Ministry of Officials to do paperwork, he carefully asked the Yamen of the Ministry of Transfer. From the noon gate to the east, next to the palace wall of a slippery high-walled compound, the first is the official yamen, the second is the household yamen.

At the entrance of the yamen, there are special pen stickers on duty, after checking the waist card, please sign in with the adults.

Entering the household compound, in addition to a few main houses, there is a circle of houses around them, all of which are houses with different plaques, such as "Jiangnan Division", "Shandong Division", "Huguang Division" and so on.

In the household department, in addition to the Manchu Han Shangshu and the left and right attendants are regarded as hall officials and deputy hall officials, others such as Langzhong, Yuanwailang, the hall director, the director, and the pen paste style are all regarded as officials.

The holy order is only to let Cao Hao come to the household department to serve as a foreign officer, but the specific duty in that department depends on the arrangement of the chief officer. Unfortunately, Man Shangshu was appointed yesterday and has not yet come to the court. When Han Shangshu was sick for a long time, he said that there was only one squire here, and it was not easy to arrange personnel directly.

It was not until the fourth day of the new year that the newly appointed Manshang Shumu and Lun took office, and Cao Hao was assigned to the Fujian Division, and Fang Xuan began to officially take duty in the household department.

There are 14 divisions under the household yamen, including Jiangnan, Jiangxi, Zhejiang, Huguang, Fujian, Shandong, Shanxi, Henan, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan and Guizhou.

In addition to being in charge of the finance-related affairs of the corresponding provinces, each department also has its own responsibility. For example, the Jiangnan Division and Jiangning, Suzhou weaving and marketing, Jiangning, Jingkou garrison salary, the provinces of the balance of the land beyond the limit of the unsettled. Huguang Division is also the provincial factory department, Jingzhou garrison salary, and the number of provincial land is envied. The Shandong Division is also the garrison of Qingzhou and Dezhou, the cashier of the soldiers of the three eastern provinces, the tax of the votes and livestock, and the salt class of the Eight Banners officials and Changlu. Fujian Department and Jizhili Minfu, Tianjin Sea Tax, Dongxiling, Rehe, Miyun Garrison Salary, Division Dairy Cattle and Horse Husbandry Decree, Wenwu Township Association Trial Supply, Five Cities Relief Su, etc.

The chief officer of each department is Lang Zhong, and the following is the chief and pen sticker. Cao Hao, as the deputy chief officer, really didn't have any work to get started with for a while, and the new official road was kicked off in a quiet place.

On the fifth day of the first month, it was the Cao family's decision to King Chun's mansion. Because the ceremony of passing the book and passing the ceremony needs to be carried out in the morning, Cao Hao took a holiday and took the team carrying the dowry to the Chunwang Mansion early to make a decision. A few days ago, Cao Jia's family had already asked King Chun's Mansion for Da Gege's clothes size and "Xiao Yuezi" according to the rules, and then counted the wedding date.

It's not that the Cao family is deliberately extravagant, but it's really too much to pay attention to gifts, resulting in a very large gift-giving team.

Small bridal gifts should be served in big red boxes. There are four layers of a box, three feet long, one and a half feet wide, each layer is six inches deep, and each layer can only hold two gifts. There weren't many things in the first place, and the first floor was still empty, so I could only put a worship box with a gift list. In this way, the box alone is already sixty-four.

According to the rules, there should be "goose cage", "fish pond", "wine sea" and so on, all of which are hexagonal column cages, and the number of all things should be symmetrical, and each container is only allowed to hold a pair, which is sixteen lifts.

Then there are ruler materials, clothes for the four seasons, head and face jewelry, acacia bedding, pork knuckle, leg of mutton, dried and fresh fruits...... Delicate and trivial things consume countless manpower.

Only when this is the case, Cao Hao will feel that there are few people in the family. All the men who can be used are used, and they have to borrow some people from the Ping Wangfu to be enough.

Although it was cumbersome and troublesome, the effect received was good, and Prince Chun and Fu Jin were very satisfied with this decent dowry. Cao Hao also secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and finally worked in vain. In the palace of King Chun, there was no politeness, and the etiquette was carried out, and the auspicious date for marriage was set as the twenty-sixth of the lunar month.

After returning to Cao's Mansion, Cao Hao explained to Amethyst that the people from Chunwang's Mansion had come over to measure the size of the new house and make furniture, so that she could prepare.

Seeing the pearl that came up for the tea, Cao Hao remembered that he had seen the four seasons clothes for the bride in the dowry before, although the clothes at this time could not be seen fat and thin, but they could be seen tall and short, according to that size, Da Gege was not too short, it could reach his shoulders, it would be about as tall as Zhu'er. He thought to himself, looked at Zhu'er twice, and measured it.

Cao Hao was unintentional, but Zhu'er was secretly ashamed, because Amethyst was there, she was embarrassed to stay longer, put tea and took refreshments, and then turned around and went out.

Amethyst looked at it in her eyes and shook her head secretly, looking at the little master like this, he would not accept the people in the house before the wedding. And this is marrying a heavenly girl, where is the people in this house doing well?

* On the seventh day of October, the steward of King Chun's Mansion came to measure the size of the new house. Because it was the inner court, the principals who were sent were two grandmothers.

These two grandmothers, one surnamed Esuri and the other surnamed Guerjia, are both the first-class stewards of the palace and the confidants of Chunwang Fujin. They came not only to measure the errand of the house, but also to investigate the people in Cao Hao's house. Do you always have to prepare for Da Gege to get married? The Cao family has no relatives here, and Da Gege came to support the family, and after all, she is still young, if someone will affect the status of Da Gege's mother, the palace will not tolerate it.

Smelling the report from the porter, Amethyst hurriedly greeted the door.

The two grandmothers were stunned when they saw Amethyst. At that time, Amethyst went with Cao Jia's family, and the two had seen her. At that time, Amethyst followed behind Cao Jia's family, and the two of them only thought that she was the girl in charge of the Pingwang Mansion, and when they saw it at this time, they also said that Cao Jia's family sent someone to help her younger brother, so they didn't care too much.

Although Cao Yi is a daughter to be married and ignores family affairs, according to the rules, the two grandmothers have to visit her first. They first went to the bamboo courtyard under the guidance of Amethyst to meet Cao Yi.

Cao Yi said a few polite words, then introduced Amethyst to the two grandmothers, smiled and told them to find Amethyst if they had something, and asked Amethyst to take them to the east courtyard to measure the room.

Only then did the two grandmothers know that Amethyst was the "female manager" of the Cao Mansion, and they couldn't help but look at the amethyst dressed up by their daughters again, and the two glanced at each other, thinking about it in their hearts.

Out of the bamboo courtyard and into the main courtyard, Mama Guerjia began to look at the layout everywhere, nodding secretly, no wonder Fujin praised the Cao family for its exquisite work, and the small and big rituals were extremely fine and elegant, and looked at this house and knew that the master was an elegant person. I thought like this, but I didn't have the slightest expression.

Mama Esuri seemed to ignore the surrounding scenery at all, with a slightly dull smile, her tone was flat, and she politely asked Amethyst how old she was and what she was doing.

When she heard that Amethyst was twenty-three, Mama Esuri's surprised expression flashed on her face, and Mama Guerjia, who had been silent, was also slightly moved.

When Amethyst saw it, she knew that the two had misunderstood, and she was also a little embarrassed, a twenty-three-year-old unmarried girl, who was housekeeper in the young master's mansion, it was difficult for anyone not to misunderstand. Amethyst first diverted the topic, and then explained her identity euphemistically around the bend.

The two grandmothers listened, but they were mixed, happy that this girl was not a person in the house, and there was no need to worry about sharing the favor of Da Gege in the future; The worry is that this woman is as smart as this, and she is in charge of the inner house, if she has been as supple as she is now, it would be good if she had some disputes in the future, I am afraid that it would take some effort to suppress her.

When I entered the upper room, Zhu'er Cui'er's four big girls all came over to ask for a salute. The two grandmothers have read countless people, and they see that several girls have not been used, and they are happy for their own Gege in their hearts, but when they see that several of them are beautiful embryos, and they are gentle and obedient, they can't help but worry about the future.

Grandma Guerjia nodded slightly to Grandma Esuri, and then began to order people to come in and measure the size of the room, and wrote down the location of the boxes and cabinets one by one. On the pretext of not being in the way, Mama Esuri called a few people outside the house, and chatted with a few people with a smile, intentionally or unintentionally.

Among these maids, Huan'er was the youngest, and she didn't know what she meant; Hai'er is the smartest, sneering in her heart, she has no intention of being a concubine, so it doesn't matter to herself, she just makes a deferential appearance and listens; Zhu'er Cui'er listened to it, but she had mixed tastes, and she was a little afraid of the heroine who had not passed the door.

(To be continued)