The sky was gray and drizzling.

Cao Hao came out of the yamen and looked up at the sky. It's really an autumn rain and a cold, which inexplicably adds to the sense of gloom.

Zhao Tong carried two bags in his hand, hesitated for a moment, and asked Cao Hao: "Uncle, I have already sent someone back to the house to get a raincoat, why don't you wait a while?" ”

Cao Hao waved his hand, took the reins from Xiao Man's hand, and said, "This little rain is not in the way." It's those things, go to the yamen to find someone and ask for a few pieces of oil paper to cover it, be careful of getting wet. ”

Speaking of this, he said to Jiang Jian and Li Wei: "Non-phosphorus, go back first, I'll go to the Thirteenth Elder Brother's Mansion and come back later." ”

Jiang Jian and Li Wei responded, and rode back to the house first.

When Zhao Tong came back from looking for oil paper, Cao Hao urged the horse to go to Goldfish Alley.

Due to the rain, there are not many pedestrians on the road. Occasionally, there were two or three people, who also tightened their clothes and walked quickly.

After walking for a quarter of an hour, I arrived at Goldfish Alley, in front of the Thirteenth Elder Brother's Mansion.

Cao Hao turned over and dismounted, and Xiaoman stepped forward to pull the door knocker.

When the concierge came out, he saw that it was Cao Hao, and hurriedly asked the housekeeper to come out. The housekeeper informed people to go inside, and led Cao Hao to the living room to sit down.

The two burdens, Xiao Manti slipped away, followed Cao Hao in. Zhao and others were led to the side hall by the porter to wait.

After a while, I saw the thirteenth elder brother striding in, and said with a smile: "Fang is still talking to Fu Jin, it's raining, maybe you can't come today." ”

Cao Hao had already gotten up from his seat and greeted the thirteenth elder brother, and after seeing each other, the guest and the host sat down again.

"Seeing that the Mid-Autumn Festival is over, the thirteenth master is happy to add Lin'er again, and he wants to come to the door to congratulate." Cao Hao said with a smile.

A few days ago, the thirteenth elder brother Shu Fujin added a son to him, and Cao Hao said that this is the matter.

The thirteenth elder brother pointed to the silk burden that Xiao Man left on the side, and said, "What is this?" It doesn't look like a mooncake. ”

Cao Hao went over, took a baggage, opened it in front of the thirteenth elder brother, and said, "Thirteenth master, look, it's this." ”

In the baggage, there were several paper bags, which were opened and black inside.

The thirteenth elder brother poked his head over, only to find that it was a dead ant: "This...... Ant ......"

"Well, when I went to Chengde in the spring, I found that there were many ants over there, so I made people pay attention to them. It was only sent a few days ago, and there are ten catties smaller. Using this wine to remove rheumatism is an old folk recipe. There are also ants in the capital, but they are not as big as those outside the gate. The left and right are also healthy, and the thirteenth master keeps it to drink and see. Cao Hao replied.

When the thirteenth elder brother heard this, he squeezed out a little smile and said, "It's been so many years, that is, you have been thinking about this." It seems that you really want me to live a long life. "Between words, it is difficult to hide the loneliness.

Cao Hao sighed in his heart when he saw the stars in his hair.

In the past few years, the rheumatism of the thirteenth elder brother has been almost regulated, but in the past two years, the condition has become worse and worse. What else can be caused, most of them are depressed and injured.

"I am looking forward to the longevity of the Thirteenth Master, so that the big tree behind Cao Hao can enjoy the shade. The Thirteenth Master knows my surname, and he is most impatient with those intrigues. In the partial-life yamen, everyone does not do errands, but these relationships. I had to laugh and socialize all the time, and bother to do something, which was really not what Cao Hao wanted. Cao Hao said with a smile.

The thirteenth elder brother smiled bitterly: "If you find a backer, your brother-in-law, little sixteen, who can't be your backer?" I'm a lordless brother, what can I take care of you? ”

Cao Hao stretched out his hand, and while breaking his fingers, he said: "The thirteenth master has been on an errand since fifteen, in addition to the household department, the errand of the ministry and the ministry of rites, and has also made a lot of political achievements. Among the emperor's princes and elder brothers, there are a few people who really have the ability to manage things, and the thirteenth master knows it in his heart when he thinks about it. The Thirteenth Master wants to enjoy leisure all the time, but I'm afraid he can't. ”

When the thirteenth elder brother heard this, he was stunned for a long time, shook his head, and said: "What is not talented, can it be, but because of the identity of the prince, the people below are willing to flatter, and they have not done anything useful." ”

Speaking of this, he looked at Cao Hao and said, "It's Xiao Cao Hao, but it always makes people look at each other differently." The fourth brother came over yesterday and praised you a few words, talking about the two wings of the pasture of Taifu Temple. In the early years, it was not obvious, but now that it is time to use horses seriously, the achievements of the past cannot be covered. If in the early years, what you took care of was not the Taifu Temple Ranch, but the Eight Banners Ranch, then now it will not make the court worry about the lack of horses. ”

"It's just the dedication of my colleagues, I haven't been on the ranch twice, and the rest of my work is done in the capital, what credit can I have?" Cao Hao said humbly.

The thirteenth elder brother shook his head and said with a smile: "You, you, others are eager to squeeze their heads to grab credit, and they are biased on your side, and they don't hurt or itch, and they don't go to their hearts." If it weren't for Huang Amma's knowledge, with your temper, don't expect to be promoted. ”

Speaking of this, the thirteenth elder brother remembered that he heard the fourth elder brother mention the matter of the Zongren Mansion exchanging gold yesterday, and asked how it went.

I don't know what Yarjiang'a thinks, but this time he also asked someone to talk to the thirteenth elder brother about the gold exchange. And the meaning of the words is to let the thirteenth elder brother gather a thousand taels of gold, and he will have more money.

Nowadays, the clan is busy exchanging gold. Because of the greed for a tael more than the official exchange, there is really a lot to make. Yarjianga had no choice, so he made the Zongren Mansion set a rule, and the amount of gold exchanged should not be higher than the title of one year.

In the Prince's Mansion, the annual silver is 10,000 taels, and the gold exchanged is 1,000; The county king's mansion shall be worth 5,000 taels of silver per year, and the amount of gold exchanged shall not exceed 500. The same is true of Baylor, Beizi, Guogong, etc.

The thirteenth elder brother is a prince without a title, but Yarjianga treats him the same as the prince.

The thirteenth elder brother only thought that he was stained with Cao Hao's light, and said with a smile: "I'm afraid that I borrowed your light, otherwise Yaerjiang's personality is not a fair favor." ”

Cao Hao listened, waved his hand, and said, "Thirteenth Master, don't exalt me, I don't have that much ability." It's just because of the identity of the Thirteenth Master......"

Speaking of this, Cao Hao remembered what happened to Yaerjiang Axun yesterday, and said it to the thirteenth elder brother.

The thirteenth elder brother listened, and was a little surprised by Cao Hao's reaction yesterday.

Although the fourth elder brother came over yesterday, he didn't mention the matter of "giving venison", so the thirteenth elder brother couldn't figure it out for a while.

"Is this because I am afraid that Brother Jiu will be greedy and cut off the wealth of the Zongren Mansion, so I want to avoid him?" The thirteenth elder brother muttered to himself.

Cao Hao had already heard Yaerjianga talk about giving meat, but in front of the thirteenth elder brother, it was not good to talk about this, so he said vaguely: "Xu is the reason, yesterday he went to my side to ask for someone." If Wei Xin hadn't gone to Macao with his wife, he would have been afraid that Prince Jian would have asked him to run an errand in Guangzhou. ”

"I heard that you have been trading in Guangzhou for some years, and there are no other subordinates there?" The thirteenth elder brother asked.

Cao Hao shook his head and said, "No." In the early years, Zheng Hu took his sister to Guangzhou for a few years, and later came back, but no one went back. Speaking of this, he thought of Wang Quantai.

He is not a person who loves to have a bad heart, but at this moment, he has the idea to use this to bring the relationship between the Thirteenth Elder Brother and Yarjianga closer.

What the purpose is, he himself can't tell for a while, Xu is to pity Yongjia's mother and daughter, and want to protect Yaerjiang; Xu was afraid that Yarjianga would still pester himself and ask for people, causing him a headache.

To tell the truth, Cao Haoyuan is a little disgusted with Yarjiang, because of his arrogance and uneasy "interest", after contact, Yarjianga is much easier to get along with than others. Whether he was happy or unhappy was all on his face, missing those bends. Sometimes, the righteousness that is unintentionally revealed is also quite bold, like a real man.

"Does the Thirteenth Master want someone to make up for this shortage?" Cao Hao's eyes lit up and he asked.

When the thirteenth elder brother heard this, he hesitated and said: "Although the Zheng family has been in Guangzhou, you know that the industries here are all taken care of by the Zheng family, and she is really inseparable from her." Wang Quantai, on his side, made up for the errand in the capital again. ”

Cao Hao said: "There is no need to call the two of them, the Wang family has many children in Guangzhou, if the Thirteenth Master sends someone down, the designated side can also help." Besides, Wei Xin wants to leave Guangzhou, and the foreign goods shops of the Thirteenth Master in the future also need proper people to buy goods in Guangzhou. ”

The thirteenth elder brother raised his eyebrows and said, "If my disciple passes, Yaerjiang's side still doesn't know how to jump?" ”

In Cao Hao's mind, what he thought was something else.

If the Thirteenth Elder Brother can be attracted to pay attention to the foreign goods trade in Guangzhou Customs at this time and understand the harm of opium, it may be possible to curb the import of opium. In addition, Cao Hao thought about exchanging money for gold, and when the time came, he would have to have a stable hand.

He told the thirteenth elder brother about these two things concisely.

When the thirteenth elder brother heard that there were two or three times the benefit of the gold, he couldn't help but be surprised, stretched out his hand and pulled Cao Hao's arm, and said, "The imperial court is short of silver, this is a good idea." If this is the case, going back and forth several times will not be able to solve the current embarrassment of the imperial court. ”

Speaking of this, he was a little confused, looked at Cao Hao and said, "That's the case, why didn't you tell Yarjianga?" Could it be ......" He wanted to ask Cao Hao if he was selfish, but he didn't feel reliable.

If Cao Hao was really selfish, he wouldn't tell him.

"Thirteenth master, even if you say it now, can this silver enter the household? Besides, the rule of officials now is also terrifying. Even if the gold is actually exchanged, I don't know how much of it will go into private pockets. Cao Hao sighed and said.

The thirteenth elder brother said: "You're right, that is, you have always been cautious, how could you come up with this loophole method for Yaerjiang, it turns out that the first half of the pull did not say, so it seems that the method of redeeming gold is inappropriate." If, as you say, the silver is exchanged for gold from the Wa Kingdom, and then the gold is transported to Canton to be exchanged for foreign silver, it is a good deal. ”

"Thirteenth Master, the harm of opium should not be underestimated. That thing, unlike tobacco, is like gambling, and it makes people addicted. It's not over until it's bankrupt. Cao Hao said: "If the Thirteenth Master pays attention to this, so that the people of the country are free from the harm of opium, it is a matter of merit in the society and merit in the future." Even in the history books, the Thirteenth Master will leave the name of 'Virtuous King'. ”

"'Virtuous King', 'Virtuous King'......" The thirteenth elder brother looked at Cao Hao, without the cold self-deprecation of Fang Cai, and said with a smile: "It seems that Fu Ruo has great expectations for me, in order to live up to your expectations, I will also keep these two things in mind." Speaking of this, he added a bit of solemnity, and said: "There is always a saying, I will complete these two things, not for the sake of the society, but just to show the world that my thirteenth is not a wasted person." ”

Cao Hao listened, nodded vigorously, and said: "The thirteenth master is an eagle in the sky, there must be wings, Cao Hao will wait and see." ”

The thirteenth elder brother was quite excited, stood up, walked in front of Cao Hao, and looked at Cao Hao.

Cao Hao got up from his seat and was a little uncomfortable, and said, "Thirteenth Master, what are your orders?" ”

The thirteenth elder brother stretched out his hand, patted Cao Hao's shoulder, and said, "Whether it is now or the new emperor's accession to the throne, these two things, if they are well managed, they will be fame and fortune." With this qualification, I am afraid that it will be made to worship the prime minister. If you are not selfish at all, and plan for me wholeheartedly, how can I repay this great kindness? ”

"What's not gracious, the thirteenth master said far away. If it weren't for the grace of the thirteenth master and the fourth master in their early years, I would have been buried on the edge of the West Lake, where would I still be able to live to this day? Cao Hao said: "I just hope that the thirteenth master will take care of his body as soon as possible, and make great achievements in the future......

* Bur Ha Sutai, the Holy Driving Tour, the Sixteen Elder Brothers' Tent.

Because it was the Mid-Autumn Festival, the sixteenth elder brother called the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs to come over and ask about the Mid-Autumn Festival banquet.

The concubines and princes, civil and military officials, and the Mongolian princes who came to the dynasty all gave banquets.

In the end, it is not in the capital or Rehe, all the ingredients here are not abundant, and if you want to buy a good feast, you have to bother arranging it.

The sixteenth elder brother was listening to everyone's prayers with a smile, and suddenly he was in a trance, and then his body couldn't help but tremble. He hurriedly stretched out his hand, stopped the official's words, and said, "Okay, I know." You stand down first, if there is anything you need to tell, come back and tell the master. ”

The people bowed down and answered and withdrew from the tent one by one.

The others are okay, Yi Duli is familiar with the sixteenth elder brother, seeing that his expression is not right, he stayed at the end and asked, "Sixteenth master, are you okay?" ”

The sixteenth elder brother waved his hand and said, "It's okay, it'......s okay, it's okay" Halfway through, he couldn't help but sneeze heavily.

"Sixteenth master, is this a cold? Do you want the slave to ask the doctor to come over? Iduli asked with some concern.

The sixteenth elder brother leaned back in the chair and said, "I asked the boys to pass it on, but over there for the Mid-Autumn Festival, Lao Yi has to pay more attention to it." I'll crook for a while, and I won't leave you to speak. ”

When Yiduli heard this, he came out of the tent.

The sixteenth elder brother couldn't help it, and hurriedly called Zhao Feng to take a bag of things.

When I opened it, it was a piece of opium the size of a pigeon's egg.

Zhao Feng had already sent everyone else out, lit the lamp, and served the sixteenth elder brother to smoke a few mouthfuls of opium.

After smoking opium, the sixteenth elder brother let out a long breath before he could be considered relieved.

Zhao Feng wrapped the remaining opium paste and whispered: "Master, this month, there are more and more addictions...... The amount of food is getting smaller and smaller......"

The sixteenth elder brother smiled bitterly and patted his head.

What is this not self-inflicted? It seems that when he returns to Beijing, he has to quickly study this method of quitting opium with Cao Hao......

(To be continued)