The lives of the people in Cao Mansion gradually returned to peace. Cao Hao and Cao Song both went out early in the morning, on errands, and on school; Chu Yu and Amethyst talk about family life every day and discuss housework; Mr. Zhuang still comes out every time he goes out to stroll, drinks tea in the teahouse, and changes a small object in the glaze factory.

Wei Hei's right eye was blinded by an arrow wound, which was Cao Hao's most guilty thing. Wei Hei didn't take it to heart, but he was afraid that his appearance would affect Cao Hao's dignity, so he wanted to protect him secretly like he did in the south.

Cao Hao didn't agree, the Wei brothers had been secretly talking for a few years in their early years for him, how could he bear it now?

Due to the hunger riots in Fujian some time ago, Zhang Shijue, the left attendant of the Holy Household Department, went to Fujian to recruit An, along with the first-class guard Bahai and the third-class guard Lai Xi. Ye Jiusi, the former governor of Anhui, was promoted to the left waiter of the household department.

It has been less than a year since Cao Hao arrived in the household department, and this Shangshu and Shilang have changed several times, and now they don't feel anything. Anyway, he doesn't plan to stay in the household, as long as he does his errand.

Everyone in the division also opened their hearts, knowing that their young boss was afraid that he would be promoted again. This follows the epidemic prevention of the fourth elder brother, but it is not a small credit. And because Cao Hao was absent a few days ago, he entrusted the errand of the division to Fu Xiangong and Peng Zhu, so everyone regarded the two of them as popular candidates for Langzhong. Even if it's not Langzhong, if there is Cao Hao's recommendation, I'm afraid I can find a foreigner. At this time, there will be a vacancy of the two main things, how can those pen stickers in the division not be eager to try?

Fu Xiangong and Peng Zhu are two, the horizon should be wider, Cao Hao has merit, the age is there, at most he will be rewarded with a knighthood or Zhuangzi or something, if he is promoted again, there is not much shortage of the four grades in the Beijing officials. Both of them were originally at the first level, and they had always disdained to drill camps, but now although they are close to Cao Hao, they are also unwilling to rely on Cao Hao and be promoted, so they are still doing their own things in a down-to-earth manner.

Cao Hao didn't think about it so much, now that the holy driver is not in Beijing, he can only rest if he has any thoughts. Regardless of whether the release can be fulfilled or not, it will not be known until Kangxi returns to Beijing.

*Prince Yong's Mansion, Study.

The fourth elder brother looked at the please An excerpt sent back after the imperial pen's instructions, and felt anxious in his heart. At the end of June, Kangxi had a decree that these elder brothers in the capital took their families and children to take turns to go to Rehe to escape the summer.

There are five elder brothers in the capital, because the royal pen did not name who went and who did not go, and then after discussing with the third elder brother, the fourth elder brother and the third elder brother two went on the fold, the road is the third elder brother and the tenth elder brother in a class, the fourth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother in a class, two classes who go, "waiting for the emperor's father's decree", the remaining class next year with Hu.

On this excerpt, the third elder brother and the fourth elder brother are selfish. The third elder brother was wary of the ninth elder brother and didn't want him to go to Rehe to join the eighth elder brother; The fourth elder brother wants to fight for the thirteenth elder brother to ease the relationship between father and son.

The royal pen Zhu approved that the queen mother was here, so the fifth elder brother was allowed to stay here, the twelfth elder brother and the fourteenth elder brother returned, and the fourth elder brother and the ninth elder brother came here, and the third elder brother did not have to come, but he could come next year.

For the tenth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother, Kangxi didn't mention it.

Of course, the fourth elder brother would not be sorry for the tenth elder brother, but he was uncomfortable for the thirteenth elder brother, and he couldn't help but blame himself in his heart, if he hadn't asked him to come out to help, there would have been no subsequent changes.

He has always been unshy about these things, and his confidant Dai Jin knows something, so Dai Jin also knows something.

In the past, among the princes and elder brothers, in addition to the crown prince, Kangxi has always been the most fond of the thirteenth elder brother, from the thirty-seventh year of Kangxi to the forty-seventh year of Kangxi before the abolition of the prince, but whenever he left the capital, Kangxi would take the thirteenth elder brother. In addition to the crown prince, the thirteenth elder brother is the elder brother who has been by Kangxi's side for the longest time. But now, it has changed from extremely pampered to extremely cold.

Dai Jin thought about it for a long time, but he still had doubts in his heart, and couldn't help asking: "According to the fourth master's opinion, in addition to appeasing the clan and eliminating the influence of the murder of the thirteenth elder brother city gate, is there any other reason for this?" ”

"For other reasons?" The fourth elder brother was puzzled: "What else can I do?" Huang Ama's mind is really unguessable. …… They all blamed me, I was only busy with epidemic prevention at the time, and I didn't think about it so much, if I could think it through, I wouldn't have dragged down the thirteenth brother like this! ”

Dai Jin groaned for a moment and said, "Fourth Master, although the Thirteenth Elder Brother has handled this matter recklessly, it is more meritorious than demeritorious, and this should be counted in the heart of the Long Live Lord." You see, long live the lord who alienates the thirteenth master like this, it is not a disguised protection! ”

"Protection?" The fourth elder brother became a little anxious, "Where is there such protection?!" The thirteenth brother doesn't even have a title, and the population of the house is not less than that of other families, so it's better now, with the money allocated by the opening of the mansion, but what about next year and the year after next? It's the little money of the idle clan, how can you pull this big family? Even if there is a Zhuangzi, it is somewhat entered, but it is not spacious! ”

Speaking of this, the fourth elder brother couldn't help but stand up, took two steps back and forth with his hands behind his back, as if he had made up his mind: "No, I can't let the thirteenth brother be wronged because of me, and when I get to Rehe, I will plead with the imperial father." Even if you don't look at the thirteenth brother himself, for the sake of Concubine Min who went, and for the face of the two royal sisters who died on the grassland, the imperial father should be kind to the thirteenth brother. ”

The two royal sisters mentioned by the fourth elder brother refer to the eighth princess and Princess Shuo Wenke and the tenth princess and Princess Shuo Dunke, the two of them were born from the same mother as the thirteenth elder brother, and successively married various Mongolian tribes, and Kangxi died of illness in the 48th year.

"Think twice!" Dai Jin couldn't help but persuade: "The fourth master can't be rash for a while, long live the master to treat the thirteenth master coldly, or alienated, but there is no explicit punishment or punishment." The fourth master pleaded so rashly and poked open this layer of window paper, I am afraid that it will not be good, it is forcing the long-lived master to make a statement! The sacred heart is unpredictable, if it is beneficial to the Thirteenth Master, it is fine, otherwise, wouldn't it make 'the relatives painful and the enemies happy'? And now, it is the time when the storage position is unstable and the situation is unclear! Think twice! ”

The fourth elder brother frowned: "Then what should I do?" You can't just sit idly by like this, it chills the hearts of the thirteenth brother! ”

Dai Jin said: "Fourth Master, 'freezing three feet is not a cold', and the knot between Long Live Lord and Thirteenth Master cannot be resolved overnight." The fourth master still needs to be a little restless, after these two months, it may be more appropriate to intercede for the thirteenth master when the impact of the epidemic is smaller. If you can't plead for the thirteenth master, if you are misunderstood by Banzai as a reward for merit, it will really outweigh the loss! ”

The fourth elder brother thought about it for a while, his mind gradually calmed down, and finally nodded. Dai Jin has a point, "The sacred heart is unpredictable", and these four words alone can make him vigilant at any time. The eldest brother who was circled, he was still the eldest son of Kangxi, he fought in the south and the north, and his achievements were outstanding, what is the fate now? If it weren't for Kangxi's efforts to reduce the influence of the crown prince, curb the power of the Sony family, and support the eldest brother's maternal family, how could the eldest brother have come to this day step by step?

The emperor's father, the emperor's father, first the emperor, then the father, if you forget this, then the big brother is afraid that it will be a lesson from the past.

* Although Kangxi did not order the thirteenth elder brother to be grounded, the instructions for several elder brothers in the capital to ask for "strict management" were seen by everyone. Since then, the thirteenth elder brother has rarely gone out. And those who came to walk around when the Thirteenth Elder Brother was first divided into mansions gradually came less.

Or because he didn't plan to stay in Beijing, he had a little less scruples; or because he admired the character of the thirteenth elder brother and didn't want him to be depressed by Kangxi's coldness, Cao Hao has now become a frequent visitor to the Thirteen Mansions.

This said, the household errand was finished early, so Cao Hao sent someone back to the house to get two packs of Tieguanyin new tea and a box of pearls just delivered from the south.

Because Cao Hao often comes and is a junior, the thirteenth elder brother is not polite to him, and directly invites him to the garden to enjoy the coolness.

In the end, it is the prince's elder brother, although there is very little money and rice because he has not been knighted, but the supply of the internal affairs government is quite a lot. At the end of July, it is the season of abundant melons and fruits.

The thirteenth elder brother was wearing a half-worn silk shirt and was sitting in the pavilion in the garden, playing chess with the Fu Jin Zhaojia clan.

Waiting for Cao Hao to come over, after the two greeted each other, Zhao Jia's wanted to avoid it, but was stopped by the thirteenth elder brother: "What are you avoiding, and you're not an outsider?" Even if he doesn't talk about it from the big Gege of King Chun's mansion, he still has to call you 'aunt' with Cao Song! Saying this, he also smiled, and said to Cao Hao: "I'm still your 'uncle', and I think of this today!" ”

Cao Hao just laughed, he should ask for peace and ask for peace, still shouting "Thirteen Masters" and "Fujin". You know, when I first met the Thirteenth Elder Brother, the Thirteenth Elder Brother was still a teenager, and now he is only the same age as Cao Hao before the crossing, so it is strange that Cao Hao can treat him as an elder in his heart?

The thirteenth elder brother pointed to the stone bench opposite and asked Cao Hao to sit. In his heart, when Cao Hao's reluctance to call his brothers "uncle" and "uncle" was due to his backbone, he was unwilling to cling to the powerful. To be honest, since he married the eldest daughter of the seventh elder brother, he is a real relative of the princes and elder brothers, and what is valuable is that he is still as low-key as before. Except for the father-in-law Chun Wangfu and the brother-in-law Ping Wangfu, the other princes' mansions are not drilled.

Seeing the thing in Cao Hao's hand, the thirteenth elder brother's eyes lit up: "But the new tea has arrived?" ”

Cao Hao smiled and nodded, pushed the tea bag in front of the thirteenth elder brother, and pushed the wooden box containing the pearls to Zhaojia's side: "It's all sent from the south, and I arrived yesterday, thinking that the thirteenth master is good, I will send it today!" ”

The thirteenth elder brother thanked him with a smile and shouted loudly to make tea immediately.

Zhao Jiashi looked at the wooden box and asked with a smile: "What, in addition to our grandfather's, I also have a share?" There is still jasmine tea sent in the spring, but this time it was in a different box! As he spoke, he opened the box, but he was stunned.

The box was plain on the outside, but inside it was covered with velvet satin, and it was divided into several lattices of different sizes, each of which contained pearls. Beads the size of a little thumb cover take up half of the box, and the rest of the smaller compartments are even smaller.

"Indeed, it is a good bead!" Zhao Jiashi praised with a smile, and then pushed the box back in front of Cao Hao: "It's just that this is too valuable, and it is useless, where can we collect it?" There is no reason to take advantage of the younger generation! Speaking of this, she looked at the thirteenth elder brother: "Master, do you have to pay attention to what I said?" ”

The thirteenth elder brother nodded at Zhao Jia's family, his face was full of pride of "having a wife like this, what more can a husband ask for", and Zhao Jia's couldn't help blushing when he saw it.

When he turned his head to look at Cao Hao, the thirteenth elder brother was a little annoyed, and frowned: "What are you doing with these?" Hurry up and put it away, how long has your family paid off the deficit, and you are so generous? These objects, not to eat and drink, you must know that the livelihood is difficult, even if you have money in hand, you have to save some! ”

After saying this, the thirteenth elder brother found the feeling of being an elder, and then "tsk" twice, and continued to teach: "In the end, there are no parents in front of you, let you be like this, I want to talk to Brother Seven in the future, and I should also restrain you!" ”

Cao Hao couldn't cry or laugh, and hurriedly waved his hand: "Misunderstanding, misunderstanding, the thirteenth master, don't alarm my father-in-law!" "It's not that I'm afraid of the seventh elder brother, but it's that he is obviously not very old, but he reminds him in an old-fashioned tone again and again, which is really uncomfortable.

Seeing that Cao Hao seemed to be taking care of the seventh elder brother, the thirteenth elder brother smiled and said to Zhao Jia's family: "Look, it can be seen that he is afraid!" Presumably in the house, in front of Da Gege, he must also be careful! ”

Zhao Jiashi was afraid that Cao Hao would be uncomfortable, so he pushed the thirteenth elder brother with a smile and said, "The master doesn't look like an elder, where is there such a joke about his niece and son-in-law?" ”

The thirteenth elder brother smiled: "What can you do if you joke with him?" I haven't asked the seventh brother and sister-in-law to thank the fourth brother and me, if there were no two of us, where would they still have this good son-in-law? ”

Zhao Jia's family only knew that Cao Hao and the thirteenth elder brother were close, and they didn't know the reason, they originally thought that it was because of the sixteenth elder brother that the two began to have contacts, and they also said that the snake oil essence sent by Cao Hao came from this. When she heard this at this moment, she was full of curiosity and couldn't help asking: "It seems that there is an allusion to this, but I haven't heard the master mention it!" ”

The thirteenth elder brother just said something in a hurry, and after listening to Zhao Jia's question, his expression froze and he didn't respond. But I remembered that I followed my brother on an errand when I was a teenager, and I traveled north and south, but now I am in my twenties, but I can only be idle at home.

Cao Hao also thought of this, sighed in his heart, and took Zhaojia's words with a smile: "What the Thirteenth Master said is true, if there is no rescue from the fourth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother back then, let alone that I am alive, I am afraid that there will be no bones left!" ”

Zhao Jiashi just shook his head in disbelief: "If you say that it is the fourth master, there is still a bit of a spectrum; How many years is our grandfather older than you, where can he be a benefactor? As she spoke, she looked at the thirteenth elder brother, and she also found the thirteenth elder brother's different color, so she deliberately said this to lead him to refute.

The thirteenth elder brother just listened with a smile and didn't respond. The atmosphere was really a little stuffy, Cao Hao had no choice but to say again: "But it's true, don't dare to tell lies and deceive Fu Jin......"

In order to divert the attention of the thirteenth elder brother, Cao Hao told the story of being kidnapped in detail. Among them, there are thirteen elder brothers who know about it, and there are also thirteen elder brothers who have heard of it for the first time.

When I heard that he was in the school, someone covered his mouth and was incense. Zhao Jia's clan and the thirteenth elder brother both shifted their attention and listened intently.

Cao Hao talked about the helplessness of being hit by dumb medicine and cartilage medicine, first taken to Suzhou, and then thrown onto the road by the innkeeper's buddies; and then fell into the hands of beggars, and was broken leg bones to beg; When he thought about escaping, he witnessed the tragic death of other beggars; Until he finally met the fourth elder brother and the thirteenth elder brother, with a rotten peach, he crawled in front of the two and stuffed the rag with blood written on it.

Hearing this, Zhao Jia's family is already rippling with tears, and even the thirteenth elder brother knows for the first time that there are so many twists and turns. When Cao Hao was rescued, Cao Hao was still dumb, and they were in a hurry to return to Beijing, so they left after Cao Yin arrived in Hangzhou, and did not ask for details.

The thirteenth elder brother couldn't help but sigh for a while, and he couldn't care about feeling sorry for himself, sighed, and said to Cao Hao: "'If you don't die in a big disaster, you will have a blessing', this sentence seems to be good!" Although you have experienced some twists and turns in your childhood, it has finally passed, and you are not very good now? The noble family in Beijing, who doesn't envy your father for having a good son like you? Not only is his character good, but he is also meticulous in doing errands, where can those gentlemen compare! ”

"The Thirteenth Master is overrated! I'm so ashamed that I don't dare to be! Cao Hao hurriedly shook his head, he said this, not to ask him to praise himself, but to persuade the thirteenth elder brother not to just look at the front in disguise.

Zhao Jiashi wiped away her tears and said: "When I was in my mother's house before, I heard my relatives mention you, and you were all taken by your grandmother, and you are the eldest son and grandson, I don't know how you will be pampered." I didn't expect that I had suffered so much and suffered such a crime. I can't complain that you have always acted as a person, which is completely different from Song'er, without the impetuousness of the children of the powerful, and sometimes you are more stable than our lord! ”

Cao Hao was a little embarrassed by these two people's praise, and hurriedly pointed to the box containing the pearls, and said: "In addition to sending tea today, I have something to ask for, which is related to this bead!" ”

The thirteenth elder brother was puzzled when he heard this: "Please? This is strange, you are not an outsider, and I know everything about the situation, where else can I help you? ”

Cao Hao frowned slightly, and pretended to be annoyed: "The thirteenth master said this, but he is going to stand by and watch?" ”

The thirteenth elder brother took it seriously: "Look at you, what difficulties have you really encountered?" Then let's hear it, if I can help, then naturally there is no need to talk nonsense; If I can't help here, you don't have to worry, and the fourth brother is there! ”

"Hmm!" Cao Hao nodded: "It's just that I didn't see the thirteenth master, so I begged for it cheekily!" It's about this bead, there have been beads in the south in the past two years, and the thirteenth master must have heard of it. The one who raised beads was an old friend of my father, and a few years ago, because he was taken care of by my family, he made a bead field in partnership. Now that my father has been relieved of a lot of errands, he is not as good as he used to be in the south, and the partnership is not doing well. Recently, there was a letter from home, and the man shouted to withdraw his shares, the situation of our family, you know the thirteenth master, where can you get the money! ”

(To be continued)