One earl's mansion, two counts, this is about the first in the history of the entire Ming Dynasty. Zhu Houzhao once intended to give Xu Xun another mansion, but this Xicheng plot was originally an inch of land, and although the Wu'an Hou Mansion next door to Xing'anbo Mansion was down, it had no intention of selling the ancestral land to give the first place, and there were many other mansions of honorable and military ministers nearby, and the closest land to Xing'anbo Mansion was also at least five or six alleys away. Therefore, the little emperor's kindness can only be stopped, and as a way to make up for it, he has successively rewarded a lot of things to the Xu family since the beginning of Layue.

From wild boar, venison and bear's paws, to common things such as Ota, rice, red baskets, charcoal, etc., to silk and satin, gold and silver jewelry, and so on...... According to Jin Liu's private words, this kind of Long En is simply rare in ancient times. Even Xu Xun's outer study, after going to this Xing'anbo Mansion for a walk before Zhu Houzhao's Festival, personally splashed ink and nominated to try Jianzhai. As soon as these three dragon flying phoenix danced the angry words hung up, even if the illiterate subordinates heard what they said, they couldn't help but murmur secretly.

Is this a study? Maybe it would be more appropriate to change the name of the martial arts arena to it!

However, at this moment, looking at the three young men in military robes sitting on the chair on the left hand inside, who were specially serving Tao Hong and Ah Bao in the study, they couldn't help but feel that the name of the study room was very appropriate. These three people obviously had never even been back to home, and they sat there with their backs straight, not next to the backrest at all, and even their buttocks were only rubbing against a little chair, which made people wonder if they would fall down unsteadily. If only one of them was like this, it would be the same for the other two nobles, which makes people have to sigh that things gather people in groups.

"General Xu, please have tea. General Qi, please drink tea. Cao Qianhu, please drink tea. ”

It wasn't until Jin Hong held a big tea tray and served tea in front of people one by one that the expressions of the three of them became more vivid. After taking them one by one, before they had time to take a sip to moisten their throats, the voice of Xu Xun speaking came from outside, and in an instant, they put down the tea cup in their hands and stood up together.

"Go to the Hou Mansion of Shouning to send a letter to the Hou Ye. Just say thank you for his kindness, and I will definitely go over tonight. ”

With this voice, after a while, Xu Xun entered the house. Seeing the three of them come forward to salute, he immediately smiled and waved his hand and said, "Okay, okay, don't be polite, sit down quickly." You have worked hard all the way, and you haven't even spent the Chinese New Year at home. Speaking of which, I can't help you. Did you go all the way, didn't you encounter anything? ”

It wasn't until Xu Xun sat down in the main seat that the three of them sat down one by one, but it was Xu Yanche, who was sitting in the first place, who bowed down and spoke: "Lord Hui, the weather is a little warmer now, and the way back is very smooth." ”

"This time we spent the Chinese New Year in Shaanxi. Lord Yang invited us and a lot of friends, but it was very lively. The second one to speak was Qi Jiliang, who sneezed loudly as he spoke, and then said embarrassedly, "I was in a hurry on the road, and I seemed to have a cold." Speaking of which, I'm in the second year of spending the New Year outside, and I'm fine, but I'm afraid my mother has some complaints. ”

Referring to Renhe's complaints about the eldest princess, Xu Xun suddenly had a headache. Zhengde Emperor Zhu Houzhao has a total of three aunts. Although Qi Jiliang relied on himself to be the son of the princess and played a disgraceful role in the Zheng Wang demon case, but the matter is in the past, Qi Jiliang advanced to the avant-garde of the government army, and then transferred to the 12th regiment battalion, and now he is a general of Zuo Zheng, and the festival has long been revealed. On the one hand, the eldest princess Renhe was pleased with her son's success, but on the other hand, she was also dissatisfied with Xu Xun sending her beloved son all over the world, let alone in front of Zhu Houzhao and Empress Dowager Zhang. He also ran to pour bitter water on him. ..., "The eldest princess is there." It's true that I didn't think it through, and I'll personally make amends for this matter later. "Speaking of which. Xu Xun looked at Cao Qian, who still had red and purple chilblains on his face, and said with admiration on his face, "Cao Qian, this time the three of you are traveling north in winter, your task is the most difficult, and it is difficult for you not only to do things beautifully, but also to have additional results. ”

"The lowly position is just acting according to the arrangement of the adults, and I dare not take credit."

When Cao Qian returned to the university after the year, he received a promotion order to promote the general manager of Qian, which was not a casual military position, but a real grant to the general manager of the left official hall of the 12th regiment battalion. Although he knew that it was a reward, he didn't know that the matter had not been done at that time, and the will was waiting there, which showed that Xu Xun had thought of it earlier. So, after he wrote a letter in detail and asked people to send it to the capital urgently, he didn't care about the cold weather in the first month, he first met Zhang Zongshu in Datong, went back to Guyuan to see his father, and went to Xi'an to see his mother and daughter-in-law and sister-in-law.

"You don't have to be modest, although there is an old firewood snake on the ground, but you can see the fire sieve under that realm, and the difficulty can be seen. It's not good to ask you for credit for this matter now, so I collected all the exploits that your father hid for you back then and reported them, and fought with Liu Yu again, so this matter was finally settled. By the way, since you have also taken a turn in Shaanxi, what do you think is the situation of the three towns in Shaanxi now, and the construction of the border wall is still going well? ”

The eunuchs who had been expelled from the capital before were not directly driven to Shaanxi in that kind of snowy weather, but set up a place in the military camp of the official hall around the 12th regimental camp in Xishan for temporary shelter. In this way, there is no danger that anyone will run away, and there will be no danger of any incident. Therefore, such a group of laborers cannot be counted on in a short period of time.

"Yang Duxian was conscripted and sent to labor in batches, but so far it has only been repaired for more than 20 miles, and it has been temporarily stopped because it was cold before. Fortunately, two Huai salt introductions were given, otherwise it would be difficult to deal with the money and food alone. Speaking of this, Cao Qian paused for a moment, and then spoke, "Yang Duxian heard that the fire sieve has no heirs, and many people are watching his territory, coupled with the previous incident, he is isolated. He suggested that the fire sieve could not be supported alone, and that the brothers were already crumbling, and that if the attack of the little prince's troops could be dealt a head-on blow and make them suffer a big loss, the situation might be changed. ”

Yang Yiqing has been in Shaanxi for many years, and it is not an exaggeration to say that it is Shaanxi, and he naturally knows much more about the little prince's department that has repeatedly attacked the three towns of Yansui and Gansu in Ningxia. Therefore, Xu Xun couldn't help but groan about his analysis, and only asked again after a while: "Then what did he say when you saw the fire sieve this time?" ”

"He said that he didn't have a few left in Chahar, and he couldn't get any valuable news."

That's right. It's just a matter of improvisation!

Asked this, Xu Xun glanced at Qi Jiliang and Xu Yanche, who were sitting upright, but they were obviously tired, and asked some more about the trip and some details, and then smiled: "Xiao Xu and Xiao Qi will go back first." Get a good night's sleep and be refreshed tomorrow. ”

This sentence was like a general amnesty for the two of them, and Xu Yanche and Qi Jiliang immediately stood up together, and only after giving the salute did they leave. Here they go. Xu Xun remembered the neat military robes they had just now, and the military posture that was far more rigorous than the previous military training of the avant-garde of the government army, he couldn't help but ask Cao Qian: "What's the matter with these two kids, even if they saw me in the past, they were not as awe-inspiring as they are today." ”

"Well...... this"

Cao Qian hesitated for a moment, and then said with some embarrassment: "It's because they think that they have experienced a lot of drills and military formations in the front guard of the government army and the left and right official halls. So he said a big thing in front of Yang Duxian, and as a result, he lost miserably in a small-scale exercise of 500 people. Because Yang Duxian said that if they lose, they have to listen to him, saying that they have to be meticulous in accordance with the rules of the army when they get up and down for a month, and this is the situation when they come down. "..., Yang Yiqing is really insidious and cunning! Not to mention these two boys, even if he really has to deal with the elite squads in the border army who often have to deal with Tartar attacks, he will definitely lose a big defeat! He is not a professional soldier, even if he can grasp the overall situation and the overall direction, and compare with those experts in local details. Isn't that a shortcoming to touch someone's strengths, and an egg to a stone?

"It's better to let these two boys suffer some losses, so that no one will be in sight!"

Shaking his head dumbly, Xu Xun looked at Cao Qian with a smile and said, "By the way, how did I ask you before?" ”

As soon as Xu Xun mentioned this, Cao Qian remembered the situation when he saw Zhang Zong. If it weren't for the fact that one of Zhuang Jian's closest confidants had led him before, he could hardly believe that the black boy was the son of the famous Shouning Marquis in the capital. He said that he had something to ask under the banner of Xu Xun, and Zhang Zong, who was originally a little impatient, immediately became honest and reported his experiences in Datong in the original form. It is exactly the same as what Zhuang Jian said. To say that people are a little grumpy. It can be said that it is not first-class, but the resilience is not bad.

Thus. After he settled down, he said respectfully: "I went to see my father and mother this time. The two elders both said that since it was an iceman made by Ping Beibo, this marriage should be happy. ”

After receiving such an answer, thinking that he would not be empty-handed when he went to see Shou Ninghou tonight, Xu Xun couldn't help laughing. Looking at Cao Qian's dusty appearance, he said undoubtedly: "It's still early at this time, you go to bathe and change clothes first, and after a good night's sleep, I will take you to Shouning Hou Mansion at night!" ”

The Shouning Marquis Mansion on Zhang Huangqin Street can be said to be one of the most ostentatious mansions in the entire capital. Although the Zhang family is not the only nouveau riche in the capital, strictly speaking, the biggest nouveau riche in the capital today are Liu Jin and Xu Xun, but if you go back more than ten or twenty years, the Zhang family is the biggest nouveau riche in the capital. But Liu Jin only bought a private house outside the palace, and Xu Xun and Xu Liang took over the Xing'an Bo Mansion, and when it comes to the luxury of the mansion, it is far inferior to Zhang Heling. Even Zhang Yanling, the younger brother of Jianchang Marquis Zhang Yanling, who was more loved by Empress Dowager Zhang, was also stunned in terms of luxury.

Just like the banquet house at the end of the first month, the seven halls are not only set up with copper pillars and earth dragons, but also eat fresh vegetables and vegetables, fresh river fish, and even small shrimp that I don't know where to shoot, and the utensils used in the banquet, in addition to the newly made glazed vessels, are the treasures of the old kiln.

However, after all, he is a rational person rather than a person who only holds ideals, so he put aside the idea of fighting to the death in front of him and enjoying the blessings of the powerful in the back, and followed Xu Xun to enjoy this feast relaxedly. In addition to Zhang Yanling, the Marquis of Jianchang, who came to the banquet today, there were also Xu Guangzuo, the Duke of Dingguo, Zhang Mao, the Duke of the British, and Bo Shenying of Jingyang, all of whom were good friends with Xu Xun. After three rounds of drinking, Zhang Heling smiled and poured wine for Xu Xun personally.

"Uncle Pingbei, I salute you, I wish you a big fat boy when you turn around!"

These words were more appropriate than anything else, and everyone laughed in unison for a while. Xu Xun drank with a smile, and then immediately stopped Zhang Heling to pour wine in return, but this time he smiled meaningfully: "Shou Ninghou doesn't need to be in a hurry. I'm afraid that Ling Lang's good days are approaching. ”

Because she was very dissatisfied with the marriage of her former daughter, and felt that she had lost face in front of her younger sister Mrs. Jianchanghou, Mrs. Shouninghou went to ask the Empress Dowager Zhang in person, and learned that the Empress Dowager Zhang had ordered Zhu Houzhao to ask for her own requirements, and then Xu Xun ordered someone to ask for her own requirements, and she realized that this matter was entrusted to Xu Xun by the little emperor. Before her daughter Zhang Jingxuan was able to keep her reputation and reputation, thanks to the tight-lipped silence of Xu Xun and his wife, she naturally felt tight. At this moment, she heard this hidden behind the curtain of the main hall of the house, and the guests in front of her echoed her, and her eyes lit up for a while. …,

Could it be that Xu Xun picked someone else?

Pick one of the noble daughters, with the presence of the Empress Dowager Zhang, even if she is the daughter of the country's family, her son can also afford it. It is difficult to protect the pride of these hereditary rich and glorious families with the pride in the mother's womb, even if they can be a daughter-in-law according to their temper, but it is always boring, and they want to borrow the name of the old brand of honor. It's better to pick from the homes of the lower ones and find a good foreign aid for your son, who made this bastard have to go to the front of the army?

Mrs. Shouninghou peeped there for a long time, and then tiptoed back. However, she did not go back to the house, but sat and waited in the small flower hall at the back. Until the message came that the front was scattered, the old man left Pingbeibo to speak, she couldn't help but take a deep breath, and when she was about to stand up, the mother who came to report the news suddenly bent her knees again.

"Madam, there is another thing that the slave maid did not notice before, and I just suddenly discovered it. Pingbeibo didn't come alone, he also brought a military attache of twenty-five or sixteen, looking handsome and heroic. It's as if you've just come back from the north. There are also some signs of frostbite on his face. Ping Beibo is very close to people and stays at the same table. The old man didn't say anything. ”

"Brought someone along?"

Mrs. Shouninghou was stunned for a moment, but for a moment she thought of her son-in-law, who was also a little military attaché, but in a flash, these distracting thoughts were temporarily left behind by her. So after asking such a question, she immediately waved her hand and said, "Don't talk about this, let's go to the master's study and listen to what they say." ”

Although the rules in the Hou Shouning Mansion are strict, this is just to prevent the subordinates from being lazy and slippery, or to spy on the news, but it will not prevent Mrs. Shouning Hou from being such an upright housewife. So, when Mrs. Shouninghou came to the corridor of the study, several of the scholars who were guarding there did not dare to say a word, but the mother who followed her stood cautiously ten steps away.

Shouning Marquis Zhang Heling asked Xu Xun to stay, but not for his son's marriage. Just a few years ago, Xu Xun proposed a business outside the customs, saying that it was the little emperor who took the lead and invited him to join the shares, he thought about it and symbolically invested thousands of taels of silver, but he didn't expect that after the New Year, Xu Xun told him that the business was not only done, but also extremely rich, and the dividends alone gave him two thousand. Therefore, as soon as he sat down at this time, he didn't care that Xu Xun was still carrying Cao Qian at this time, and asked impatiently: "Uncle Pingbei, I don't know if we still need share capital for the transaction we made a year ago?" If I still need it, I happen to pull out 20,000 yuan out of an inheritance, if I can ......."

"What's going on...... this matter" Xu Xun dragged out a long voice, and when he saw Shou Ninghou's impatient face, he smiled and said, "This business is not long-term, and don't look at the fact that it makes a lot of money now, and the risk is also great." If you wait until the time you need the capital, it is not too late for Hou Ye to support one or two. Speaking of this, he paused, and then looked sideways at Cao Qian, who was standing beside him, "Speaking of which, it was possible to go so smoothly this time, and it was also thanks to him that he came and went in the wind and snow, which not only made a contribution, but also completed a big business." ”

Zhang Heling was the Marquis of Xunqi, and he didn't care about who Xu Xun brought, at this moment he glanced at Cao Qian with some confusion, and then asked, "...... is he?"

"He is Cao Qian, the eldest son of Cao Xiong, the chief military officer of the town guarding Guyuan, and now he has just been promoted to a thousand households and is appointed as the thousand general manager of the Zuoguan Office." Xu Xun was slightly stunned when he saw Shou Ninghou, and then frowned and groaned, as if he was thinking about this relationship, he said with a smile, "I asked him to come with him today, and it was because he went to Datong and met Ling Lang." ”

Although Zhang Heling is not only Zhang Zong said that such a son, but the son who dared to hit the East Factory for him, and then let the wealth of the capital go to the northwest to eat the wind and sand, is such a son, not to mention that this son is also a son. Therefore, although Zhang Zong said that he often wrote back, whether it was his sister or the emperor's nephew, they all said that people were safe and sound, and he immediately sat up straight. With a nervous face, he asked, "How is that kid in my house?" ”…,

"Back to the Hou Ye, the prince is now actually in charge of more than 1,000 people, there is a degree of practice, there is a way to advance and retreat, a year ago a Tartar into the Kou, he followed the command of the guard to make an attack, and also made a military exploit, Datong General Soldier Zhuang also praised him. The prince asked me to bring a letter back. He is very good in Datong, please don't worry about Lord Hou and Mrs. ......"

How can you not worry, Zhang Heling is not only this one son, but only this one son who can be born from her belly!

Mrs. Shouninghou frowned dissatisfiedly, and listened to Cao Qian inside say something about Zhang Zong's current situation. When she learned that her son was really safe and sound, she couldn't help but fold her palms together and chant Amitabha Buddha in a low voice, and then she heard a particularly important sentence coming from inside.

"Cao Qian, I have something to discuss with Master Hou, you should avoid it first."

Hearing this, Mrs. Shouninghou was caught off guard, and hurriedly flashed out from under the corridor, and in a hurry, she took a few steps back, and then slowly walked forward. Pretending to have just come in from outside. Sure enough, after a while, Cao Qian came out of the house, and when he saw her, he was stunned at first, and then hurriedly stepped back and saluted, she just bowed slightly, and then simply went straight into the study. When she entered the outer room of the study, she heard the voices of two people talking inside.

"Master Hou, Ling Lang is not young now. Previously, Mrs. Zun begged the Queen Mother. The Queen Mother instructed the emperor again, wanting to find a suitable marriage for Ling Lang. Your Majesty? Because the queen mother had already complained about the matter before, she entrusted this matter to me. ”

Xu Xun was slightly stunned when he saw Zhang Heling, but he was not surprised, knowing that Mrs. Shouning Hou had already given him a mouthful, he continued, "Although there are many noble daughters in the capital, with the Zhang family's court, marrying these families is at most the icing on the cake. In addition, Ling Lang has high ambitions, so I think about it and take a long-term view. Cao Qian, whose father Cao Xiong used troops very methodically, was recommended by Yang Yiqing, the general system of the Shaanxi Trilateral, before he was promoted to the chief military officer of the town guarding Guyuan.

Don't hide it from the marquis, the two sons of the Cao family are under my command, and his eldest son Cao Qian has made great contributions to the customs this time, and the second son Cao Mi is the one who caught the Wang Xi who trespassed into the palace, and the emperor personally promoted it to a thousand households. The only deficiency is that the foundation of the Cao family is shallow, and Cao Xiong's military position has been promoted little by little. What I want to say to Ling Lang is the daughter of the Cao family. ”

Hearing Xu Xun's words, not only Zhang Heling fell into deep thought, but Mrs. Shouninghou in the outside also raised her eyebrows and thought about it. She reacted more quickly than her husband, coughed lightly after a moment, and then stepped into the house. Seeing that Xu Xun found herself coming in, she hurriedly stood up and arched her hand, and she replied with a thousand blessings, only then did she look at Shou Ninghou, who was a little stunned, and said, "Master, the concubine has just come in." Pingbei Berti's marriage is really good. The Cao family's father and son are all in the army, and they are all promoted by meritorious service, which is a solid step. Compared with those flashy families in the capital today, it is better to find such a reliable in-law, even if Da Lang wants to make contributions in the future, he can also have two uncles as arms. ”

Zhang Heling was hesitant just now if he got married to such a family business, would he be laughed at as a nouveau riche who was too utilitarian, but when he heard his wife say this, he glanced at Xu Xun again, thinking of this sudden upstart, but he didn't marry those nobles who thought highly of themselves to elevate himself, but fulfilled the old marriage contract, and the reputation outside was not bad, he thought about it again, and finally stood up with a tap on the armrest.

"Okay, then the two families will take the eight characters to unite first, if they can really match, I will go to the Queen Mother and settle this matter as soon as possible!" Seeing that his wife was full of joy, Xu Xun breathed a long sigh of relief, and Zhang Heling smiled hesitantly, "If this matter is done, I will definitely thank you Pingbeibo for being such a matchmaker!" ”

ps: By the way, this volume was supposed to be the title of the last volume...... So he racked his brains and started today's cold light iron cloak