By the end of May, the weather in the capital was furiously hot. Since the beginning of summer, there have been a few rains, and it is not as lacking as in previous years, but the heat is difficult to get rid of.

In the Wutong Garden, water is sprinkled in the yard several times every morning and evening, and an ice basin is placed in the house, but it is still so hot that people can't sleep.

Cao Yin and his wife have returned to Haidian Garden after finishing their work in Cao Xiang. Cao Hao didn't sleep well for two days in a row, and when he heard Chu Yu say that he missed his daughter, he planned to send someone to Pingwangfu to pick up his daughter, so he said: "After picking up Tianhui, let's pack up and go to Haidian Garden." I've also gone over, and I'm about to go into an ambush, and I'll come back after June. ”

These days, Cao Hao has to get up in the middle of the night every day, his eyes are boiled up, Chu Yu sees that the center of his eyes hurts, and he also thinks about going to Haidian Garden. But thinking that Cao Hao was going to be on an errand every time, he was afraid that his husband would be tired.

After listening to Cao Hao's words, she gently waved a fan to fan her husband, and said, "Can't you take a break for a few days?" Morning and evening in and out of the city, also tired. ”

"Although the holy car is not in Beijing, there are a lot of official documents, and I can't rest for the time being. It's okay, just in time to travel in the morning and evening, and the right is to move your muscles. Cao Hao replied: "Don't fan, your hands are sour." ”

Chu Yu put down the fan at this time, and the husband and wife gradually fell asleep to ...... * East Mansion, East Across the Courtyard, and went to the room.

In the dark night, Jinghui was suddenly woken up by pain, only to feel that there was already a cold sweat under her body. She had already given birth to a child, so she naturally knew what was going on with the convulsions in her body.

"Qiu'er, Qiu'er......" Jinghui grabbed the mattress, endured the pain, and called hard.

I heard someone on the ground get up and said in a daze: "Grandma is going to eat tea?" ”

"When you are going to give birth, let it be told...... Mrs. ...... with the fifth grandmother" After saying this, Jinghui couldn't help but moan.

Cao Song was on duty in the palace, and it happened to be night these days, and he could only go home every morning.

Jinghui's dowry girl Chun'er is old, and she has a little ink book next to Cao Song, and now she is still on an errand by Jinghui's side, but she is not here at night.

Qiu'er, who is on duty tonight, there is a person named Dong'er in the outhouse, all of whom are the sons of Caofu's family, who were originally the little maids in this yard, Jinghui looked at the honest duty and ordered the two of them to make up for the lack of the big maid.

At this time, Qiu'er had already woken up and was busy holding the lamp.

Dong'er was outside, and she also heard movement and came in to see it in her clothes. Seeing Jinghui's face covered with cold sweat, she was startled.

Qiu'er had already picked up the curtain and went out to summon people and deliver a letter to the courtyard of Zhaojia and Su Xin.

At this time, the jade dragonflies and Zilan in the east and west wings also heard the movement in the upper room, making people hold the lamp.

Hearing Jinghui's moaning, both of them followed suit. Two days ago, I also asked the doctor to come and see, saying that there was still half a month before the delivery period, and I don't know why the fetus moved tonight.

* Su Xin was through the window, and when she heard the maid report that Jinghui was about to give birth, she was also worried, and said, "Go to the second gate and ask someone to come over to deliver the baby." Then someone called Mama Wang and Mama Li in the house to the east courtyard. ”

As she spoke, she got up and dressed.

Cao Fu's side, when he heard the movement, he got up and said, "Why are you going to give birth?" The second brother is not at home either. ”

Although Su Xin was older and had never given birth, after hearing her husband's words, she became more and more worried, but she knew that there was no chaos at this time, so she got dressed and replied: "I heard the old man say that when it comes to nine months, it is considered full-term, and it should not be in the way." ”

At this time, there are already maids waiting in the house.

Su Xin saw that Cao Fu hadn't dressed yet, and said, "Master, I'll go through the East Courtyard first." ”

Cao Fu thought for a while and said, "Then send someone to the fourth brother's courtyard and tell the fourth sister-in-law." She is young, but she is a sister-in-law, and there is something at home, so it is not easy to leave her behind. ”

Su Xin answered, picked up the curtain and went out, and while going to the east courtyard, he ordered someone to tell the fourth grandmother...... One time less, everyone in the East Mansion gathered in the East Cross Courtyard.

Although the midwives outside have not yet arrived, Mama Wang and Mama Li in the house have experience in delivering babies. For a while, the boiling water was boiling, and the cloth was hugging the cloth, but it was not panicked.

Hearing Mama Wang say that Jinghui was only in labor pain, and there was no big problem, waiting for the midwife, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Zhao Jiashi turned his head and said to Brother Cao Xiang: "What are you doing when a woman's family gives birth to a child?" Hurry back to sleep and don't make a mess here. ”

Cao Xiang and Cao Fu saw that they were not dangerous, and they also let go of their breath. It's just that at this time, who can still fall asleep. The brothers came out together, and Cao Fu said, "Fourth brother, go to the front yard to sit?" ”

Cao Xiang responded, and listened to Cao Fu again: "It's good to have a nephew, and the second sister-in-law can be more down-to-earth." ”

Cao Xiang listened, thinking that a few days ago, he heard that his biological mother and Lu Ju had no intention of talking about it, and the second grandmother had a smooth face and liked spicy, and this fetus was like a girl, and she didn't feel a little heavy.

The Cao family's male son is not easy to do, and the Cao family's daughter-in-law is also difficult to be. In particular, Jinghui is also the eldest daughter-in-law of the second room, who is not only responsible for the housekeeper, but also responsible for reproducing children.

The two brothers went to the front yard, but it was just gossip about a match and no match. I heard that the midwife arrived, and the second sister-in-law was not a difficult birth, so they supported their spirits and waited for the news that the child had landed.

After two or three hours, the sky outside the window was already white, and the two brothers had drunk a pot of tea to the point that they had lost their color, only to see the mother-in-law come to report, saying that the second grandmother had added a girl......*"Girl?" Chu Yu heard that the mother-in-law in the second room came to report the good news, and motioned for the wedding cigarette to give a red envelope, and sighed in her heart. She knew that Jing Hui was looking forward to her son, and she was afraid that she would be sad, so she couldn't stay and wanted to go over to comfort her immediately.

Cao Hao was eating breakfast, and when he heard that he had added a niece, his face was full of joy.

He didn't have a patriarchal mentality, and when he heard that it was a natural birth, he was already very happy. After all, in this era, a woman giving birth to a child is like breaking through a ghost door, and she is in danger of dying.

Seeing Chu Yu's expression, Cao Hao said, "It's okay for a girl." How old is the second child, and the younger siblings are younger, and there will be a time for life in the future. ”

Chu Yu said: "Don't worry about anything else, I'm afraid that the second wife will feel uncomfortable." The second wife is talking about her grandson, but she has some words. ”

Cao Hao thought about Zhao Jia's broken mouth, and also had a headache for Jinghui, and frowned: "The second wife is not satisfied, and she has to make peace in three days and two times, which makes people unhappy." ”

"E, if you don't let someone talk to your wife, take the second wife to live in Haidian Garden for a while, so that Jinghui Yuezi will not be stable." Chu Yu thought for a moment and said.

Hearing this, Cao Hao nodded, and said, "It's okay, the second brother and sister are very concerned." Even if the second wife doesn't say anything, I'm afraid it's not comfortable; If the second wife says something else, she doesn't know what to think about. ”

That being said, Cao Hao didn't want to see Zhaojia in his heart. If she wants to go to Haidian Garden, Cao Hao's idea of escaping the summer has faded a little...... * Forbidden City, the main hall of the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

The sixteenth elder brother only felt comfortable, and he walked lightly. He just came out of the treasury of the Guangchu Division, and since May 15, ten days have passed, and one million taels of snowflake silver have been put into the treasury.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs made such a move, and the magnates in the capital had long been sideways. It's just that I heard that it's limited to the clan, and others can only stare dryly. When the remaining 100,000 shares are thrown out, they will be divided up among the families of those royal relatives every few days. A few families got the news late, didn't catch up, and pulled the sixteenth elder brother to complain a few times.

Nowadays, the bank's personnel are being trained, and the places where the bank is opened are the two properties under the name of the Ministry of Internal Affairs. That's right, it's two. One in the east and one in the west city, and they plan to open together.

When selecting people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the sixteen elder brothers all chose those with weak family backgrounds and young surnames, worried that the Han Jiang clan would not be able to subdue. However, after picking someone, the sixteenth elder brother couldn't help laughing at himself, he was too mother-in-law.

If the Han Jiang clan doesn't even know how to manage people, then how can they hold up a mess?

According to his plan with Cao Hao, this "Daqing Bank" could not help but open in the capital, and it would develop into the provincial capital in the future. At that time, it will also be able to operate a non-local exchange business to facilitate commercial circulation.

The sixteenth elder brother's eyes were crooked, and he was thinking about the opening of the bank, thinking about the gimmicks that Cao Hao had mentioned, when he saw Zhao Feng bending over and said, "Master, there is a letter from Rehe." As he spoke, he handed the letter with both hands.

The sixteenth elder brother took it with a smile, and there were two letters, one for the seventh elder brother and the other for the fifteenth elder brother. He was slightly stunned, he didn't expect the seventh elder brother to write back. I opened the letter and read it, there were only a few sentences in it, just to warn the sixteenth elder brother to be cautious in his words and deeds, not to bother and be unpleasant, and then recite the reputation of "taking profits with the people".

Seeing this, the sixteenth elder brother couldn't help laughing. The seventh brother is not verbose, and he instructs him bably, because he is afraid that he will affect his good son-in-law.

Now anyone with a discerning eye can see that the success of this "Daqing Bank" is the credit of the sixteenth elder brother; If it is messed up, Cao Hao behind him will not be able to please him.

Thinking of this, the sixteenth elder brother couldn't help but smile, and his heart was heavy. The original idea of taking the opportunity to make some credit and earn some silver disappeared.

Brother Jiu has a prince's sibling brother to rely on, and there is Concubine Yi as a backer in the palace, so he can be wanton; He has no title and no taste, but he is a little flamboyant.

The third elder brother and the fourth elder brother are both princely mansions, and the annual silver is 10,000 taels, plus the income of Zhuangzi when the mansion is divided, there is silver in his hands, and this time it is only 20,000 taels.

Some of his 100,000 taels are too much.

Thinking of this, the sixteenth elder brother decided to sell the five cents of shares under his name by three points, which just appeased a few complaining families, and also reduced his arrears in the Internal Affairs Office, which was exactly the cheapest of the two.

As for the silver, anyway, all the expenses are from the palace; If you go out in the future, the title is low, and the silver is not enough to spend, so you will learn from Cao Hao to open a shop. If the knighthood can be on Baylor, then it is enough to stop talking about it yourself.

The sixteenth elder brother sighed for a long time, pondered the four words "no desire is strong" in his heart, felt that he was much calmer, and opened the letter of the fifteenth elder brother happily.

After only a few words, the sixteenth elder brother's face changed.

In the letter of the fifteenth elder brother, he clearly thanked him for adding 10,000 taels of silver shares to the fifteenth elder brother, but in fact, he said that he took the emperor's father's silver as a favor, which was so majestic. The irony is very mean.

After the letter, the fifteenth elder brother also mentioned that the previous 10,000 taels, 7,000 taels were borrowed from others, and they needed to be repaid as soon as possible; There is also the throne of the concubine, and he prepares a congratulatory gift without silver. Two plus one, you need 10,000 taels of silver, please ask the sixteenth elder brother to see the brotherhood "help". Otherwise, the brothers of the same mother, one is proud, the other is down, and it is also a joke.

The sixteenth elder brother clutched the letter in his hand, and his heart was cold.

I planned in every possible way, thinking of brotherhood, and would rather bear a debt of 10,000 taels of silver. even felt guilty because he didn't think of taking care of his brother before, what did he get in exchange for in the end?

There is no thanks, only full of ridicule and greed.

For a while, only Xiao Suo remained.

When the ninth elder brother shook the fan and entered the door, he saw the sixteenth elder brother full of loneliness. He glanced at the letter in Brother Sixteen's hand and said, "Little Sixteen, what are you thinking?" I've been here for a long time, and I haven't seen it. ”

Only then did the sixteenth elder brother come to his senses, put aside the letter in his hand, got up and said, "What kind of wind is blowing today, Brother Nine is coming to see my younger brother?" ”

In addition to loving money, Brother Jiu also loves appetite. Among the princes, his figure can be called fat. After the death of the eighth elder brother the year before last, he reduced a lot; Now that time has passed, it has returned to the way it used to be.

Because of his fatness, he is more afraid of heat. Although he stayed in the capital because of the bank, he rarely went out after the hot weather.

Brother Jiu didn't wait for him to give up his seat, found a comfortable place to sit, and said, "I haven't seen you for a while, and you are a busy person, so I can only sneak over." ”

Seeing that his forehead was sweaty, the sixteenth elder brother hurriedly called Zhao Feng and said, "Hurry up, send two more ice basins up." ”

After a while, the ice basin was brought up, and Brother Jiu took out a handkerchief and wiped his forehead, only then did he feel more comfortable.

At this time, the sixteenth elder brother has recovered his normal color, and said: "If you are in the elder brother's office, you can still have herbal tea, and at the end of the yamen, you can only invite the ninth brother to drink Longjing." ”

Brother Jiu said: "Sixteenth brother, don't Zhang Luo, I'm not looking for you to eat." ”

The sixteenth elder brother served tea, and then sat down in front of the ninth elder brother, and said, "So, the ninth brother has something to tell the younger brother?" ”

Brother Jiu took a sip of tea, and said, "Well, let me tell you, I plan to write an excerpt for Huang Ama and go to Henan Mansion." ”

When the sixteenth elder brother heard this, he was quite surprised, and said, "How did the ninth brother think of going out of Beijing?" At this time, it's weirdly hot. ”

Brother Jiu shook his head and said, "Isn't it this time, I have to wait until Liqiu is cool, or I won't want my life?" I heard that the artificial land there is much cheaper than in the capital, and if the cigarette factory is located there, it will save money than in the capital. However, how the road is and how the transportation is conducted, you must always see it with your own eyes to know the bottom of your heart. ”

Brother Nine is a person who attaches great importance to enjoyment, and he is not afraid of the hard road, and wants to go to Luoyang to check it out in person, which makes Brother Sixteen can't help but feel a little admiration, and said: "Brother Nine is still thoughtful, I heard Cao Hao say that the livelihood of the people over there is difficult, if it can benefit the people of one side because of this, it is also the fortune of Brother Jiu." ”

Brother Jiu picked the corners of his mouth and said: "It's hard to say that the merit is not meritorious, it is rare that the emperor Ama has a place where he can trust me, if the errand is smashed and he loses face, can the temper of the emperor still tolerate me?" ”

The sixteenth elder brother remembered the establishment of the Eight Banners garrison in Henan Mansion, and said: "Look at the meaning of Huang Ama, if the west moves troops, Henan Mansion will also use it, otherwise it will not be used first." ”

Brother Nine smiled, lowered his voice and said, "Old Fourteen, but he is urging me to go." ”

When the sixteenth elder brother heard this, he was a little puzzled, so he heard the ninth elder brother say again: "Tibet Province is too far away from the capital, if you really send troops to Tibet Province, Henan Mansion will become a grain and grass distribution center." The silver money of several provinces in the north will be sent directly to Henan Province. ”

Hearing what the Ninth Elder Brother said so unscrupulously, the Sixteenth Elder Brother was also a little curious, and asked in a low voice: "Ninth Brother, is the news that the Fourteenth Brother is going to lead the troops to the battle true?" ”

"If it's not true, can the one in Xian'an Palace go crazy?" Brother Jiu's face was a little more sarcastic: "Didn't you hear that Erfujin is sick, but the poor one doesn't know his own weight and makes such a fuss." I'm afraid that now in the eyes of Huang Ama, this waste princess who has been picked out by thousands of people has more weight than his waste prince. ”

Erfujin's recent physical discomfort has also been heard by the sixteenth elder brother, but he didn't take it to heart. Since the second elder brother was confined in Xian'an Palace, the body of the second Fujin is sometimes good and sometimes bad, which is also ordinary.

Now that Brother Jiu said this, there seems to be other inside information.

Brother Jiu had already sneered at his face, and said wistfully: "Huang Ama treats that daughter-in-law who has always been partial and picks is also a good candidate, and the second sister-in-law really has nothing to say." ”

For the sake of seizing the heir, the ninth elder brother stood in the position of the eighth elder brother, and the harsh treatment that the eighth elder brother received during his lifetime, most of the imperial father was angry with others for the second elder brother. Therefore, the ninth elder brother has always regarded the second elder brother as a mortal enemy. Rao is like this, he can't say anything wrong with the abolished princess, it can be seen that Erfujin does have the demeanor of an eldest sister-in-law.

"Really?" The sixteenth elder brother couldn't help frowning.

Speaking of which, he was taken care of a lot by Erfujin when he was a child; is the princess, who also received the favor of Erfujin in her early years.

"I have been sick for many years, and I have already done my body, where can I afford to toss that person. I heard the old fourteen mention just now that the Zongren Mansion is going to fold on the Rehe River. They did not dare to delay any longer, for fear of being reprimanded by the emperor. "Speaking of which, wanting the eighth elder brother to die of illness is also related to the delay of the hospital at that time, and the ninth elder brother is a little dazed.

For a moment, the atmosphere was a little heavy.

After a while, I heard Brother Jiu laugh at himself: "How do you mention this, it's weird and boring, but I forgot to get down to business." ”

The sixteenth elder brother listened to it and said, "What else is there to do with the ninth brother?" ”

Brother Jiu squeezed out a little smile and said, "Happy event." ”

The sixteenth elder brother couldn't help but be curious, and listened attentively, so he heard the ninth elder brother say: "Sixteenth brother, this year is the year of the draft!" ”

The sixteenth elder brother nodded and quipped: "Could it be that the ninth elder brother has a crush on whose show girl and plans to add two sisters-in-law?" ”

Brother Jiu shook his fan, snorted coldly, and said, "The women who came out of the banner family are all like wooden stakes, who is rare?" But I want to take advantage of the opportunity of the draft to ask Huang Ama for a reward. ”

The sixteenth elder brother listened to it, but he felt that something was wrong in his heart, and he vaguely guessed something, but he didn't dare to ask.

Brother Jiu glanced at him, seemed to be smiling, and said, "Sixteenth brother doesn't want to ask, which one got into my brother's eyes?" ”

The sixteenth elder brother laughed twice and said: "Brother Jiu has always loved beauties, and those who can get into the eyes of Brother Jiu are naturally beautiful women with good appearance." It's just that we still have the filial piety of the queen mother, and there is no exemption this year, most of them are for the clan marriage. Huang Ama is the most filial, but it is inappropriate for the ninth brother to mention this this year......"

(To be continued)