Xicheng, Cao's Mansion, front hall, small study.

"Hao'er, if you want the Cao family to be safe for a while, you can have that person to take care of it, if you look at it in the long run, I'm afraid you still have to make an idea early!" Zhuang Xi said.

Cao Hao frowned when he heard this: "Sir, is this what my father meant?" "I don't approve of it in my heart, the Cao family is too close to the royal family, so that they are passive everywhere, they should learn a lesson, how can they be mixed into the sewage of seizing the heir? The slightest mistake is the end of the family and the extermination. Historically, the fall of the Cao family was caused by this.

Zhuang Xi shook his head and said, "Ling Zun's loyalty is really too much, and he doesn't think about the safety of the family anymore!" ”

Cao Hao thought about the origin of the Cao family's huge debts, and suddenly felt a little powerless, and the Cao family seemed to have stood in line unconsciously. Although Kangxi knew that the Cao family was a pure minister, in the eyes of outsiders, he was afraid that he had already regarded the Cao family as *. After all, the Cao family has also served as one of the prince's financial resources in the past ten or twenty years.

In Cao Yin's eyes, loyalty to the monarch and the prince elected by the monarch is only a matter for the courtiers. But how could others think so.

"After counting the emperors of the Qin and Han dynasties, there are only three or five people who have reigned for more than 40 years, and only one Han Wu who has reigned for more than 50 years. Zhuang Xi Road.

Zhuang Xi said vaguely, but Cao Hao understood what he was referring to, the ancient emperors did not live much, and Kangxi had reached his twilight years. Everyone thinks so, otherwise the civil and military officials would not be so keen to make friends with the prince and brother.

Cao Hao smiled secretly in his heart, now it is only the forty-eighth year of Kangxi, and there are still thirteen years before the sixty-first year of Kangxi, and it is death to please the prince at this time.

"Sir, I have seen the emperor several times in the past few months, and even in my illness, I can still open two stone bows. Although there are not many ancient and modern emperors who have reigned for more than 50 years, it is not uncommon for them to live for more than 70 years. If so, what should be done? Cao Hao asked.

"If that's the case......" Zhuang Xi loosened his brow and groaned.

"If that's the case......" Cao Hao's eyes were more calm.

The teacher and the student, each writing a four-character idiom on the bookcase, looked at each other and smiled.

After talking to Zhuang Xi and having dinner together in the front hall, Cao Hao returned to Kwai Yuan.

*

Aoi-in, upper room.

It's late autumn now, and even if a charcoal basin is set up in the house, it can't dispel the heavy coolness.

The upper room has been lit, and Amethyst takes a few maids to do work on the kang between the east sides. Hearing that Cao Hao was back, they all came out, waiting for the change of clothes, the water of the water, and the handkerchief.

Smelling the smell of wine on Cao Hao's body, Amethyst smiled and said: "Mr. is too inconsiderate of the uncle, Ming'er has to go to the palace!" ”

Cao Hao replied: "Talk to Mr. and say that you are happy, don't worry, just drink a few cups, a drink or two!" Can you eat the sauced beef I asked someone to bring me? It does taste better than what we make in our house! ”

Since the death of the old lady, Amethyst began to eat half a fast, and the first fifteenth day of the new year was vegan, and the diet became more and more light. Cao Hao was afraid that after such a long time, Amethyst became more and more free of red dust, and she was afraid that she would really become a sister-in-law when she was a monk, so Su Yueli often persuaded her to eat some meat food.

Amethyst nodded: "Thank you uncle, the slave maid ate a lot, so I ate half a bowl of rice, with a faint fragrance of herbs, without the slightest smell of meat, it is indeed a good thing, I can't complain that everyone loves to go out to the restaurant!" ”

"Since I like to eat, just say hello to the shopping in the kitchen, and buy it every other day, it's not something you can't afford to eat!" Cao Hao said while taking the wet towel to wipe his face.

"Just try it, the kitchen has its own rules, and the slave has no face to break the rules for her own gluttony!" Amethyst fiddled with the embroidery in her hand and said.

After Cao Hao wiped his face, he handed the towel to Zhu'er, seeing that she was wrapped in several pieces of clothes in layers, thinking that Amethyst and the three of them were all from the south, I was afraid that I couldn't stand the cold in the capital, so I said to Amethyst: "Isn't there a kang in our house?" If it's cold today, let's burn it up early to save you a few cold! ”

When several maids heard this, they all covered their mouths and laughed. Cui'er, who has always been fast-talking, said: "Listen to what the uncle said, it can be seen that he is not a family!" ”

Cao Hao was inexplicably laughed at by several maids, thinking about what he had just said, there didn't seem to be anything wrong with it.

Amethyst tapped Zhu'er and Cui'er with her fingers: "Who said 'Sister Amethyst, why don't you burn the kang' two years ago, but now she is cheeky and laughing uncle!" ”

Zhu'er and Cui'er smiled but didn't answer, Cao Hao listened to it and knew that there was an allusion in it: "Oh, it seems that there is nothing to say about this burning kang, who will tell me!" ”

After Amethyst saw Cao Hao coming in, Hai'er and Huan'er were always restrained, so they said to Hai'er: "Hailing, tell uncle, there are indeed many rules in the north that are different from those in the south!" ”

"Yes, Sister Amethyst!" Hai'er responded first, and then said to Cao Hao: "Uncle, this kang is particular, but it is not burned every day when it is cold. The north side pays attention to the windows in September, does not move, and on the first day of October, the ancestors are worshiped and the tombs are swept, and the ancestors are sent winter clothes before they can burn the kang and warm the house. ”

Cao Hao heard it and felt strange, although he had lived in Yanjing for more than 20 years in his previous life, but at that time, the fire kang had become history, and no one knew about these traditional customs.

After drinking some wine, and being a little tired from the long journey of these days, Cao Hao went back to the bedroom after reading a few pages of the book.

*

The next time, I got up early as usual and moved my muscles and bones in the yard.

Today, I'm going to go to the Pingjun Palace, and I'm going to bring back some soil instruments from the grassland, and I'm going to sort them out and send them over. Although Baoya is also following the plan, these things are also prepared, but after all, they are a heart. This is the so-called human exchange, regardless of whether the other party needs it or not, the form that should be taken is still to go.

After breakfast, Cao Hao changed his clothes, looked at the tuyi on the grassland, remembered a thought, and asked Cao Zhong to find a proper family member and arrange for him to go to Jiangning. In addition to greeting his parents and sending some small toys to his younger siblings, Cao Hao also gave him a letter and asked him to transfer it to Cao Fang after he arrived in Jiangning, which naturally asked Cao Fang to inquire about the news of Wen Xiu's family in the south.

As soon as he walked out of the gate, Cao Hao saw an old friend, who was Ning Chun, whom he hadn't seen for more than three years.

In the forty-fourth year of Kangxi, when the holy driver was stationed in Jiangning, Cao Hao, Ning Chun, Ma Jun, and Yongqing, as the elders of local officials, had met the holy driver together, and then went to the Qinhuai River to eat and drink. Although the flower wine was not fragrant this time, several teenagers made friends.

Soon after, Yongqing left home and returned to Beijing, Ning Chun's father was transferred to Jiangbei, and only Cao Hao and Ma Jun were left in Jiangning. After Ma Jun won the lift, he stayed in the capital for a long time to prepare for the exam, and the number of meetings was less.

Ning Chun was fatter than before, wearing a royal blue robe, his face was full of meat, his eyes were smaller, the only thing that hadn't changed was that he still loved to laugh, and the corners of his mouth were crooked, like a big Ah Fu.

"Xiao Cao, I can be regarded as looking forward to you coming back, I allowed you to rest for a long time yesterday, and I will come to arrest you today!" Ning Chun jumped off the horse, handed the reins to the long reins behind him, and said with a smile: "Tut, I am more handsome than when I was a child, but unfortunately my eldest sister is not yet ten years old, otherwise the fertilizer and water will not flow into the fields of outsiders!" ”

"Brother Ning?" Cao Hao was very surprised, and said with a smile: "In August, I learned in Ma Jun's letter that your marriage date was postponed to the end of the year, and I thought that you would enter Beijing later, so please come in quickly." ”

"When my old man returns to Beijing after his term of office, I will come back with him." Ning Chun responded, looking at Cao Hao's outgoing outfit: "This is the door, then it's unfortunate that I came!" ”

"I just arrived in Beijing yesterday, and I went to Pingjun Wangfu to order something, and it won't be long in delay!" Cao Hao said: "Brother Ning will go to the hall to have a cup of tea first, and I will be back in half an hour!" ”

"That's a good dare, Ma Jun let go of his foreign post, I heard that he left Beijing in a few days, let's get together well, not only to give you a pick-up, but also to give him a farewell. Yongqing has been filial piety for half a year, and it is estimated that he is also panicking! Ning Chun said with a smile: "You hurry up, you don't have to be in a hurry, let's gather in the VIP building at the beginning of noon!" ”

This arrangement is more appropriate, Cao Hao nodded. Ning Chun got on the horse, and the two friends went to the mouth of the alley in parallel, and Fang went separately.