But whenever he is in Beijing, the birthday of the fourth elder brother, Cao Hao has to go once.

The other princes, the princes of the clan, and Belle came to eat and drink, and Cao Hao was just going through the motions, and it was not strange to take a gift.

This year, the fourth elder brother is forty-five, and every fifth day and every "dark nine", there are a few more tables of wine than in previous years, and there are many more people coming and going.

Several elder brothers from the palace came to the front yard to welcome the guests. Among them, the third elder brother Hongshi was the eldest, and he led the kings of the clan to the main hall; Hongli and Hongday, the two young elder brothers, greeted other officials along with the chief of the palace.

Cao Hao did not stay in the Yongwang Mansion for a long time because his mother also celebrated his birthday, and gave a birthday gift, and several officials who were familiar with him said hello and left the Yongwang Mansion.

In front of the mighty crowd, a group of people came over and came in a crowd of two carriages.

"Master, it's the carriage of Tong Mansion!" Xiao Man's eyes were sharp, and he recognized the decoration on the carriage.

Cao Hao reined in his horse and retreated to the side.

The carriage gradually approached, and before it was about to reach Cao Fu and his party, it slowed down, and when it reached Cao Hao, the carriage stopped.

The curtain in front of the car was opened, and I saw Long Keduo sitting upright with a smile, looking at Cao Hao, and then bowing down and getting out of the car.

He has a high seniority, so he has to say hello, where is Cao Hao good to sit on a horse. He immediately turned over and dismounted, stepped forward, bowed and said, "Boy Cao Hao, please be safe." ”

At this moment, Long Keduo had already gotten out of the carriage and helped Cao Hao up with a smile. He glanced at Prince Yong's Mansion in the distance and said, "Uncle Cao is coming out of King Yong's Mansion?" ”

"Well, the kid has some mundane chores at home, so I'll go back first." Cao Hao bowed and replied.

Long Keduo narrowed his eyes, laughed twice, and said, "I heard that today is also Lingtang's birthday, so you should go back earlier." ”

Seeing that he was inexplicably close, Cao Hao remembered what the sixteenth elder brother said a few days ago, and his heart was a little bottomless. With the identity of Long Keduo, if it weren't for the plan, there was really no need to be so attentive.

As he was talking, he saw a subordinate dressed as a steward step forward and whispered to Long Keduo: "Master, Madame asked the little one, the one in front of me is the big forehead of the Chunjun Palace, if so, Madame also wants to see it." ”

Long Keduo is the uncle of the country, and he is Chu Yu's uncle; The lady didn't mention the title of Caofu, only about the clan, and this foreign man became a junior when he saw his relatives, and he was not abrupt and reckless.

Long Keduo nodded and replied: "It's Cao Eyu, go back and tell Mrs., don't get off the carriage, don't let people collide on the road, I'll say a few words to Cao Elu, and then take him over." ”

The steward responded, and Long Keduo said to Cao Hao with a smile: "Neiko likes Da Gege very much, and she has talked about it several times. She treats juniors the most lovingly, don't be restrained. ”

Cao Hao listened, and his smile was a little stiff.

Li Si'er's edict has not yet been sealed, and he swaggered through the market as a wife, but it was just Long Keduo's family affairs, and he didn't do anything with Cao Hao; But it was a joke to let Cao Hao, a super-grade earl and a second-grade squire, visit the concubine of the uncle's mansion as a junior.

In the eyes of others, they will feel that Cao Hao is hugging Tongfu's thighs and forgetting etiquette and shame.

Long Keduo was in high spirits, did not pay attention to Cao Hao's expression, and was calculating the time, whether it was time to lead Cao Hao over.

Cao Hao had already clenched his fists, and said with a straight face: "My lord, I met in such a hurry, I didn't have a name, and I didn't have a greeting gift, so I went to see my wife, which is really rude." After five days, the lady wants to have a banquet in the house, and the boy will go with his mother, and then formally meet him, so as to show respect. ”

He said it sincerely and sincerely, even if Long Keduo was a little unhappy, it was not easy to force someone over.

Long Keduo lowered his face and said, "How long will Ling Tang go out in a few days?" ”

Cao Hao nodded and said, "Since I received the post from the adult's house, I have received my life." ”

Because the concubine paid attention to the Cao family, Long Keduo also asked a few more words about the Cao Mansion before, and knew that Mrs. Li had been widowed for several years, and rarely went out to socialize.

The Li family did not recognize her ancestors and return to her ancestors, but the powerful members of the clan knew that she was a jewel of the royal family, and her status was not lower than that of her daughter-in-law Chu Yu.

Thinking that the concubine could invite Mrs. Li out, Long Keduo's unhappiness decreased a few points, and said: "That is the case, then on the fifth day of the next month, the old man will wait for the uncle to come to eat and drink......

Seeing Long Keduo get into the carriage and go away, Cao Hao put his heart back in his stomach.

He really admired Long Keduo a little, and took Li Si'er to Prince Yong's mansion to celebrate his birthday with such a big lama. In terms of Li Si'er's identity, he can't be on the stage at all, but he came forward as Mrs. Long Keduo.

This time, it's time for the disgusting Sifujin.

With the fourth elder brother's reliance on Long Keduo, plus the status of the two uncles and nephews, Sifujin did not look at the monk's face to see the Buddha's face, but also offered Li Si'er up...... * Cao Hao returned to the mansion, and just saw Cao Fu coming from the East Mansion.

Seeing that he was wearing regular clothes, Cao Hao asked, "Have you come back from the Hanlin Academy?" ”

In the morning, after the two brothers kowtowed to the Li family, one went to Prince Yong's mansion and the other went to Hanlin Academy.

"I clicked on it and turned around. By the way, eldest brother, I met Mr. Qian, he still remembered the birthday of the eldest uncle, he was going to come to pay homage to his birthday, but he was dragged by several elders and couldn't leave him, and asked me to bring the birthday gift over, and when I came back, I sent it directly here. Cao Fu said.

As the two brothers spoke, they went out into the courtyard.

Thinking that the Lanyuan was all their own daughters, and there were no outsiders, the two brothers passed through the second gate and went directly to the Lanyuan.

When I arrived at the gate of the courtyard, I heard the sound of silk strings coming from the upper room.

There was a little maid waiting under the corridor, and when she saw Brother Cao Hao coming, she raised her voice and said, "Old lady, the eldest master and the fifth master are here." ”

There was no sound of calling in the house immediately, and after a while, I saw Xiuhe come in with a curtain, and invited Cao Hao and Cao Fu into the house with a smile.

Cao Hao's steps were a little slow, and he asked in a low voice, "Old lady, there are outsiders here?" ”

Xiuhe pursed her lips and smiled: "The old lady heard that Miss Zhong was in Beijing, and it was also today's birthday, so she asked someone to take Miss Zhong over." ”

Listening to the two of them, even Cao Fu was a little difficult to walk.

"I've already avoided the back room, so the two masters can rest assured." Seeing this, Xiuhe said in a low voice.

In the outhouse, the flowers are blooming, and everyone is sitting or standing, talking to the Li family and the Zhao Jia family.

Seeing the Cao Hao brothers coming in, except for the Li family, Zhao Jia's family, and Cao Ying, everyone else stood up and saluted.

Next to the south window, there are several cases, and two female storytellers hold the pipa tambourine and retreat to the side to wait.

The head oil in the room choked Cao Hao's head. Cao Jia's family did not come back, only Cao Ying and Cao Yi returned to their parents' house to pay their respects, and they are still counted as a Han Jiang family, the righteous daughter of the Li family, and half of the Cao family's aunt and grandmother.

Cao Hao chatted with these people for a few words, and Cao Fu played tricks on the treasure, making the Li family and Zhao Jia's laugh a few words, and the two brothers withdrew from the Orchid Courtyard.

"Big brother, Monk Jiang marries a wife, does he have a score? Looking at his innocent appearance, it doesn't look like he can settle down to marry a wife and have children, don't delay other girls. Although Cao Fu didn't see Zhong, thinking of Jiang Jian's plain appearance, he couldn't help but be a little worried.

Cao Hao glanced at him and said, "What are you thinking about?" Fei Phosphorus is a responsible person, and since he decides to follow the arrangement of the patriarch to marry a wife, he will assume the responsibility of being a husband and a father. ”

Cao Fu was said by his cousin, but he didn't care, touched his nose and said: "It's not so cheap to be a husband and a father, and I'm still worried about our yard since I came to our yard." How is the child studying, what is the future of the child, and what kind of daughter-in-law will he marry in the future...... If only he could fight for his strength, like Tianyou and Zuozhu, and pass the hospital to go to the official school steadily; Otherwise, you can't get into the flag school, and you are not qualified to enter the official school, so you can't study at home all the time. ”

Cao Hao shook his head and said, "Tianhu is still young, take your time, wait for the child to grow up and take a look, you don't necessarily have to take the road of the imperial examination." If you want to be a strict father, you have to be more leisurely, don't teach your children to be nerds! ”

The younger generations of these sons and nephews are all studying in Xifu, and now Xixi is the old Hanlin who retired from the Hanlin Academy, and he is an extremely knowledgeable old gentleman, surnamed Fan.

Cao Hao asked the children about their homework several times, and Mr. Fan said it in detail.

Changsheng is intelligent, but he loves miscellaneous learning, and he is just ordinary in serious schoolwork; Tianhu is diligent, but his talent is limited, even if diligence can make up for his clumsiness, I am afraid that his achievements are limited; Wei Yaohui's surname is moving, if he doesn't have a surname, it's just that he is blind and ill-read; Tianyang only entered school at the beginning of the year, and he was immature, so he couldn't see anything.

Although Tianhu is now raised under Cao Fu's name, he is the son of Cao Shuo. Thinking that Cao Shuo was a little struggling in his homework at the beginning, Cao Hao was afraid that the sky would protect him from his father's old path, and if he lowered it too much, it would not work.

As the brothers spoke, they walked out of the second door, and saw Jiang Jian pacing with his head down, not knowing what he was thinking, and the two Cao Hao brothers walked up to him, but he still didn't notice.

Cao Hao stopped, Cao Fu couldn't help it, and let out a "duh" sound, bluffing him.

"Mr. Jiang is standing here, isn't he looking forward to seeing his sister-in-law?" He joked with a laugh.

A boy in his forties cannot be said to be the only one in the capital, and it is rare.

Jiang Jian raised his head, and he showed a rare shyness.

Seeing this, Cao Fu laughed even more. Cao Hao saw that he was naughty, crying and laughing, and beckoned the two to go to the front hall to talk.

"Don't worry, the Lan Yuan is the daughter of the Cao family, and there are no relatives, so they won't surprise Miss Zhong." Cao Hao comforted.

This "Miss Zhong" is Jiang Jian's fiancée, who came to Beijing in early October, and this is not the first time she has been in the house. When she first arrived in the capital, Cao Hao asked Chu Yu to come forward and pick her up once in Cao's mansion.

It's just to look at Jiang Jian's face and see how well this girl's dowry is prepared. On the Cao family's side, it is good to help as appropriate.

"She is a country girl, from a small family, I am just worried that she does not understand the rules and annoys the old ladies and wives." Jiang Jian sneered.

Cao Hao waved his hand and said, "It's not phosphorus, although I haven't seen Miss Zhong, but when I heard the praise of my mother and inner son, I knew that the designation couldn't be wrong." Non-phosphorus is a good blessing. ”

Jiang Jian only had the helplessness of resignation on his face, and there was no joy.

This is November, is Kangxi Bintian November or December?

Cao Hao suddenly remembered this, frowned, and said, "Is the non-phosphorus marriage date set?" ”

He remembered that Jiang Jian had married before the end of the year, and there were only sixty days left before the New Year.

Jiang Jian shook his head and said, "It's not decided yet." In November, only the sixth and sixteenth days of the first month are good days, and the days are a little tight, and in the wax month, there are more auspicious days to choose from. ”

"It's better to do it early, Miss Zhong lives in a relative's house, and she is not comfortable living. All the things that should be prepared on the left and right are ready, and they are sent to marry this one. Cao Hao said.

Jiang Jian nodded and said: "I'm afraid it's too late for the sixth day of junior high school, then it's sixteen, and I will go to her uncle's house tomorrow to agree on the marriage date......

*

(To be continued)