Changchun Garden, Qingxi Book House.

Kangxi sat cross-legged on the kang, and two scholars sat on the wooden pestle on the side of the kang, which was the matter of Pan Zongluo, the former governor of Biyuan, who asked for the restriction of reclamation. Now that Pan Zongluo has left office, whether he should take over as governor should be investigated and discussed in detail.

When Kangxi heard this, he thought about the situation when he inspected the river affairs over the years, and said: "Money and grain affairs are a major matter of the country and should not be neglected. In the past, I said that I inspected the river, and saw the place where the Yongding River broke down from the Yuanjiakou to the year, and now the people are building houses to live, and the river beach is not less than dozens of hundreds of hectares, and they have not tried to raise taxes. Previously, willow trees were planted in front of the open space in the middle of the Yellow River embankment in the south of the Yangtze River to the remote embankment in the middle for the river workers to use; Over the years, the local people have cultivated the fields, and no classes have been ordered. Speaking of this, he frowned and said: "But there are folds coming up every year, and the acres of fields near the Yellow River are washed up, please find out the number, and free money and grain." The washed field should be exempted from money and grain, but the new field should not be given money and grain? Send someone down to inspect the barren fields of Hunan, and all the states and counties will investigate in detail. ”

The two scholars got up and responded, and mentioned the matter of filling the vacancy in the official department. Wu Yifei, the secretary of the Han Shangshu, died of illness in May, and the post of the secretary of the ministry was vacant, and it has not been filled so far.

Kangxi pondered for a moment and said: "Zhang Pengxi, the secretary of the household department, is a prudent and trustworthy person, and now he seems to be very good, and he can be the secretary of the ministry." The head of the household department was promoted by Zhao Shenqiao, the left capital of the Imperial Palace, and Liu Qian, the right attendant of the Ministry of Works, was the left capital of the Imperial History. ”

After saying a few more words about the government, Kangxi asked the two old ministers to kneel in peace.

After the two ministers went out, Kangxi's face became a little gloomy, and he said to Wei Zhu, the eunuch standing next to him: "Is Fu Erdan here?" ”

Wei Zhu heard this voice with a little chill, his heart was excited, and he hurriedly bowed down and said, "Back to the master, Master Fu is already waiting outside the palace!" ”

Kangxi nodded and said, "Biography!" ”

Wei Zhu went out in response, and after a while, the Minister of the Interior, Fu Erdan, bowed his head and followed, kneeling down and saying, "Slave Fu Erdan respectfully enters the master!" ”

Kangxi waved his hand, motioned for him to get up and speak, and asked, "But the investigation is clear, why did the elder brother gather yesterday?" What are the details, and who else is involved? ”

Because there were many princes and elder brothers involved, Fu Erdan didn't dare to answer casually, so he took out a fold from his sleeve and offered it with both hands: "Master, I heard that it is the birthday of the thirteenth elder brother, and the princes and elder brothers are coming to the house to celebrate their birthday." Among them, the situation is carefully explained, and the slave is truthfully stated in the excerpt. ”

Kangxi motioned to Wei Zhu to hand over the fold, opened it and looked at it, but the more he looked at it, the more angry he became. He snorted coldly, slapped the fold on the kang table next to him, and said angrily: "What a good brother of brother and brother!" The old lady in the palace was seriously ill, the queen mother was worried, I stopped feasting, and they were free! ”

Fu Erdan bowed his head and was silent, but he was a little calm in his heart.

Long live the Lord is already old, and for the princes, the precautions are deeper. I'm afraid that what he is angry about is not the princes' banquets and drinks, but the word "gathering". A crown prince has made the Lord of Long Live emaciated; If the princes and elder brothers join forces, then I am afraid that the Lord will not be able to stand that blow.

After Kangxi said those words, his face was gloomy, he muttered for a long time, and said to Fu Erdan: "Zhuang Xi led into the palace?" ”

Fu Erdan leaned over and replied: "Back to the master, the garden where he entered with the slave is now waiting to see you outside!" ”

Kangxi nodded, and said to Fu Erdan: "You kneel down, go over and spread my words, and summon him in!" ”

After a while, I saw Zhuang Xi bow in, knelt on the ground, and said, "Slave...... The minion Zhuang Xi has seen the master! ”

Kangxi originally wanted to beat him twice, but seeing that his hair was gray and his old state was full, he waved his hand and said: "Okay, get up, now remember that I am the master!" If I don't pass it on to you, you won't know how to hand over the sign! Hmph, I can't complain that Mama calls you a stubborn boy! ”

The grandmother in Kangxi's mouth is Cao Hao's grandmother Cao Sun's old lady, Zhuang Xi and his brother Zhuang Chang are also from the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

Kangxi knew the inside story, and in order to protect the two brothers, he sent someone to Cao Xi in Jiangnan. In the eighth year of Kangxi, after Ao Bai was arrested and questioned, the two brothers returned to the capital. It is for this reason that Zhuang Xi said to Cao Hao that his ancestors had nurturing feelings for him.

Zhuang Xi saw that Kangxi was not annoyed in his words, and replied in a low voice: "Master, the slave is not an official now, and it is not in accordance with the rules to hand over the sign to him!" ”

Kangxi pointed to the wooden pestle on the side of the kang and said, "Sit down!" I've been too lazy to pay attention to you all these years, but I don't know if you still know the rules? ”

This is said to be that Zhuang Xi once violated Kangxi's will and visited Suo Etu. Zhuang Xi didn't dare to answer, sat sideways, and made a deferential posture.

"I heard that you added a daughter two years ago, and I haven't rewarded you yet. Your father, who was the captain of the light car, called your brother to attack in his early years. If you don't want to become an official, make up a cloud knight! Kangxi remembered the memories of his youth, and his heart was much more relaxed.

Although Zhuang Xi has no intention of fame and doesn't care whether he is a cloth cloth or not, but in the future, Niuniu will grow up and discuss marriage. Therefore, Zhuang Xi was even grateful for Kangxi's compassion, and got up from the pestle and kowtowed to thank him.

Kangxi shook his head and said with a smile: "Okay, okay, sit and talk." When I was a child, I didn't see you like this, who said that he was going to give me a heel! ”

This is an old saying when he was young, Zhuang Xi sat down, and said with a smile: "Huangkou is ignorant, and Mama has not trained slaves!" ”

Kangxi remembered the past when he was young, remembered the kindness of Cao Sun's family, sighed, and said: "After all these years, Mama has passed away, and everyone is old!" Now, your brother is in the south with Cao Yin, and you are in the capital, so you can go around me more if you have nothing to do, that is, it is good to talk about the ancients! ”

"It is the blessing of the slave that the master remembers the slave, and the slave is ready to answer at any time!" Zhuang Xi replied.

Kangxi nodded, the corner of his eyes swept to the fold on the kang table, remembered the original intention of calling Zhuang Xi to the front of the emperor, and asked: "Cao Hao was busy when he returned to Beijing to talk about his errand, so he didn't ask much." Later, how did I hear that there were Mongolian children or something, and what was the reason for this? ”

Hengsheng's matter, Cao Hao did not hide it from Zhuang Xi. Although he doesn't want to tell the truth of Hengsheng's life to the outside world, it's just because he now respects etiquette and religion, and the world despises the identity of "illegitimate child". In his heart, he didn't mean to deceive the king. Therefore, Zhuang Xi knew the details.

After listening to Zhuang Xi's recital, Kangxi frowned slightly and said, "Don't do your job, the kindness of a woman!" Although his mouth was blaming, his face was quite complicated.

He picked up the fold handed by Fu Erdan, and asked, "Cao Hao has been very close to Lao Thirteen all these years?" ”

Zhuang Xi replied: "That's true, although Cao Hao doesn't like to socialize, he is quite grateful, and he still remembers the life-saving grace of the fourth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother." The fourth elder brother is in charge of the ministry affairs, and Cao Hao is avoiding suspicion, although he rarely interacts, his gratitude has not diminished, and he often has filial piety during the New Year. At the thirteenth elder brother, Cao Hao has been in and out more in recent years! ”

"Filial piety? Is it those Buddha incense? Kangxi couldn't help but sigh and said, "I didn't expect him to be a child." Now there are hundreds of military officials, who hasn't sharpened their heads and drilled up the camp. It's better for him to avoid the powerful brother and run to the old thirteen! Speaking of this, he glanced at Zhuang Xi and said, "This is what you taught him?" ”

Zhuang Xi hurriedly said: "Cao Hao's surname is like this, and there is no greed for fame and fortune, and the slaves have only done their best to be a staff member over the years, and they dare not be greedy!" ”

"He's too screwed, I really want to lift him up, but I look like I'm afraid of him!" Kangxi couldn't help but be a little angry: "I don't know what to do, bastard!" ”

Zhuang Xi sighed in his heart, thinking about the relationship between Kangxi and Cao Hao, and somewhat understood why he mentioned Cao Hao like this. For fear that he would misunderstand Cao Hao, he thought about it for a while, and said something else about Cao Hao's fall from a horse last year.

At the beginning, Cao Hao had an excerpt, but he only said that it was a bandit in Shandong, and Kangxi still remembered it. Now, listening to Zhuang Xi say this, Kangxi's face couldn't help but darken, and asked Zhuang Xi: "There is really such a wanton bastard!" What did Cao Hao say? ”

"Cao Hao is worried that the other party's desire to harm people will not be reduced and his relatives will be affected, so he also plans to investigate carefully so that the wicked people can be brought to justice!" Zhuang Xi said thoughtfully.

Kangxi nodded, quite satisfied, and said to Zhuang Xi: "That is the case, you can help him more, the news in the capital, if you can't find it, you can also ask Fu Erdan!" ”

Zhuang Xi responded, and heard an attendant at the door: "Long live the Lord, Brother Honghui asks to see!" ”

When Kangxi heard that the eldest grandson was coming, his face showed a touch of love, and he said to Zhuang Xi: "You kneel down, don't forget what I said, go around this side more in the future." You don't need to hand over the sign, when you want to come, let Voerdan turn me! ”

Zhuang Xi got up and knelt down, thanked Kangxi again for his reward, and then withdrew from the house.

Outside the door of the study house, Honghui was waiting impatiently, and when he saw an old man in regular clothes, he didn't feel a little surprised, looked at it carefully, and just wanted to ask who it was, he heard the waiter come out and summon.

After Honghui turned around, he looked at Zhuang Xi's back, and Fang followed the waiter into the room.

Today, on the second day of the new year, I am catching up with Cao Hao Xiumu.

Because he knew that Yongqing's wife Qi Jia's birth was approaching, Chu Yu wanted to visit. Cao Hao remembered that when he went to see Yongqing a few days ago, he heard him mention that he wanted to meet Zuo Zhu and Zuo Cheng, so he said to Chu Yu: "If you don't ask Tian to go with Zuo Zhu and Zuo Cheng, Yongqing is also worried about these two nephews!" ”

Chu Yu had nothing to say, so he asked someone to ask Tian's mother and son to go out with him.

When Tian was in Ningchun Mansion, she was just a girl in the inner courtyard, but she didn't know who this Uncle Yongqing's house was who she was going to. But they also knew that Cao Hao and his wife were going to take their mother and son out, after all, there was a reason, so they didn't ask too much.

Before Cao Hao followed Hu in May, he took Chu Yu to Yongqing's house, and they were all light and simple. The same is true today, Chu Yu did not take the county lord's car, but rode an inconspicuous blue-faced carriage with the Tian clan. The maid and the maid hugged Zuozhu and Zuocheng into two and got into the carriage behind.

Cao Hao was dressed in regular clothes and walked with a few long entourage.

The small bow smith alley in Fuchengmen is also in Xicheng, not far from Cao's house, and it will arrive in less than two quarters of an hour.

Because yesterday the Cao family sent a post, Yongqing has been waiting for a long time. After hearing the news, he hurriedly greeted the door in person.

He had seen Chu Yu, but it was the first time he had seen Tian Shi, and Yongqing looked at Cao Hao with a little doubt.

Cao Hao said to Yongqing: "This is Brother Jingming's Mrs. Ru!" After speaking, he said to Tian's family: "Little sister-in-law, Brother Yongqing, like me, is Brother Jingming's best friend, you can call Uncle Sheng!" ”

When Tian heard this, after Chu Yu gave Yongqing a gift, he accepted a blessing and said: "The concubine has seen the uncle!" ”

When Yongqing heard this, he realized that it was Ning Chun's concubine, stopped smiling, solemnly returned the salute, and said: "I heard Fu Ruo say, it has not been easy for you in the past two years, I thank you on behalf of my hard-working brother, and I bother you to be patient, so that his blood is endless!" ”

Tian thought of Ning Chun, who had died, and said with red eyes: "This is what a concubine should do, don't dare to be an uncle!" ”

Seeing that the atmosphere was depressed, Cao Hao said to Yongqing with a smile: "Didn't my brother still talk about his nephews two days ago, my brother brought it today, let's still talk in the house, it's strange cold outside, don't freeze the children!" ”

Yongqing saved rudeness and hurriedly invited everyone into the inner courtyard.

Qi Jia's stomach is nearly eight months old, and it is a little inconvenient to walk, so she did not go out with her husband in the front yard to greet her, and waited in the inner hall with her daughter.

When everyone arrived, they met again.

Chu Yu saw that Qi Jia's body was bulky and he was afraid that he would be tired of her, so he and Tian followed her into the back room to talk.

Yongqing looked at Zuo Zhu and Zuo Cheng, full of joy, hugged Zuo Zhu in his arms, weighed the weight, and said to Cao Hao with a smile: "This little guy is weird and heavy, but he looks stronger than his brother!" Speaking of this, thinking of the child that Qi Jia's family lost last year, he said to Cao Hao with a little regret: "If your sister-in-law didn't have a miscarriage last year and gave birth to a child, she will also have a lifetime!" ”

When Cao Hao heard this, he was afraid that he would be depressed, so he advised: "Brother, don't think about this, just look at the present!" You and your sister-in-law are both young, add one a year, do you want a few? ”

(To be continued)