On the second day of the second month of February, the dragon raised its head.

Cao Hao woke up early, with a moist face and a refreshed expression. Chu Yu is powdered with spring, and there is a faint charm between his eyebrows.

February 2, commonly known as "dragon raises its head", ancient known as "neutralization festival".

The old custom in the capital is that you can't shave your head in the first month, otherwise you will be a "dead uncle", and you can't shave it until the second day of February.

In addition, February 2 is also the day to pick up "aunts" and go back to their parents' homes to live.

Cao Jia's identity is limited, so it's not good to come back to live, but it's just to come back for a meal. Cao Yi is here, but he has already decided to come back to live for a few days, so that he can accompany his mother and grandmother.

King Chun's Mansion had also sent someone to ask before, but Chu Yu thought that his brother-in-law was not good yet, and his mother-in-law was also busy, so he thought about not going back.

Li thought that she hadn't gone back last year, and she was tired for two months after the New Year, so she asked her to go back to her parents' house to rest for a while.

Thinking of this, Cao Hao was a little reluctant, squeezed Chu Yu's hand, and asked, "How many days do you want to rest in the palace, when will you return?" I'm afraid that God and Hengsheng will miss you. ”

After fifteen, Tianyou and Hengsheng have already enlightened, so they can't go back to the palace with Chu Yu.

Saying this, Cao Hao remembered Dunlun last night, and then said, "I miss you too." ”

It just so happened that Xicai came in with hot water, and when she saw this scene, she blushed and lowered her head.

Chu Yu pulled out his hand, fastened the buttons on Cao Hao's neckline, and replied, "I'll come back later." These two days, but they can't wait for the forehead to be freshened. The underwear was resting in the third drawer of the cabinet, and the beads and hat were in the outhouse cabinet. ”

"Well, I made a note of it. Hello rest your life, follow your sisters to hang out and listen to the drama or something, and don't be bored in the palace. Cao Hao said.

Although it is only a small part, the husband and wife are a little difficult to separate.

At this time, I heard the cry of Tianhui outside: "Woo, it hurts, it hurts......"

Chu Yu and Cao Hao were busy outside, and they saw ** holding Tianhui and looking at Mama Ye in embarrassment.

Mama Ye held a thick needle wearing red cotton thread in her hand, and coaxed in a low voice: "Miss, just rub it again." ”

On the kang table next to it, there was a small plate of soybeans and a few thick needles with cotton threads.

It turned out that she was pricking Tianhui's ears and eyes, and she only pierced her ears and eyes, and Tianhui quit.

Chu Yu took Tianhui from ** arms, looked at her daughter with tears in her eyes and red earlobes, in the end, she felt sorry for her daughter, looked at Mama Ye, and said, "Mama, do you have to wear ears and eyes today?" Or, wait two years and then give it to Tianhuizha? ”

Tianhui hid in her mother's arms, already trying her best to have a little head.

Mama Ye glanced at Chu Yu and said angrily: "Last year, the old slave said to tie it to Miss, Gege was distressed, and stopped it, and stopped it this year." Miss Jin'er wants to follow Gege back to the palace, and there will be few people who will go out in the future. Other people's girls are pierced when the moon is full, even if they cry, they don't know how much it hurts. Now it's getting better, isn't Gege supposed to do it yesterday? ”

Chu Yu touched her daughter's head, thinking that she had gone to the Guogong Mansion a few days ago, and felt that Luo also asked about Tianhui's ears and eyes, and she was a little hesitant in her heart.

She thought about it for a while, looked down at her daughter in her arms, and said softly, "Tianhui, is it okay to let Mama tie it." Doesn't Tianhui like to eat shaqima, will I bring it to you in a while? ”

Tianhui nodded, shook her head again, and finally lay on Chu Yu's shoulder, sobbing vigorously.

When Cao Hao saw it, he couldn't bear it, looked at one of his daughter's ears and eyes, and said to Mama Ye: "Mama, or the other ear will be pierced next year." Tianhui remembered the pain at this time, so she was naturally afraid, and she won't remember it next year. ”

Seeing that Cao Hao was also helping Tianhui speak, Mama Ye sighed and said, "Forehead, this young lady has to pierce six ears and eyes." If it is really one a year, isn't this the sin that the young lady will suffer for six consecutive years? If this breath is finished, you will have to come to this experience every year. ”

When Cao Hao heard this, he looked at Chu Yu with three rows of ear clamps on his ears, and he was speechless.

Chu Yu had already sat down on the side of the kang with Tianhui in his arms, and said, "The left and right are sinful, so let's pierce it." ”

Cao Hao, who is a father, is ruthless, and said, "I'll go and see if Lao Liu is here." So saying, he went out to the outer hall.

The steward Lao Liu is the old man of the Cao family, who was Cao Yin's long-term follower when he was young, and is now one of the Cao family's external stewards. He followed Cao Yin and his wife from Jiangning, and he had a good skill in shaving his head, and the heads of Cao Yin's father and son were both shaved by Lao Liu.

There happened to be a little maid under the corridor to announce that Lao Liu had already come and was waiting outside the courtyard.

When Cao Hao heard this, he asked someone to bring him in.

Lao Liu is already in his fifties, and when he saw Cao Hao, he bent his knees and wanted to kneel down to say goodbye.

Cao Hao stretched out his hand to help and said, "How many times have you said it, and you still make this trouble?" ”

"The master and the master lift up the small ones, and the small ones dare not mess with the rules." Lao Liu still knelt very stubbornly.

This kind of conversation comes once a month with a head shaving.

Cao Hao sat down, and Lao Liu had already set up the things for shaving his head.

"I heard that your eldest son and second son are also apprentices?" Cao Hao asked.

"yes, I'm shaving the heads of the men in the front yard. The work is still a little rough, and it is difficult for the big guys not to dislike it. Lao Liu replied with a smile.

Cao Hao was talking to Lao Liu while pricking up his ears to listen to the movement inside.

It's hard for Tianhui, I only cried and shouted, and I didn't make a big fuss.

One less time, Chu Yu came back.

Lao Liu took the razor in his hand and bowed down to see it.

Chu Yu nodded, which was regarded as a return gift, and said, "Steward Liu came from the old man's courtyard, but he is tired?" If they are tired, God bless them and ask a master from outside to shave their heads. ”

Lao Liu Chun lowered his arms and said: "The little Grandma Xie is compassionate, and the small one is as strong as a cow, you can rest assured." It is a small blessing to be able to shave the heads of the young masters, and we are looking forward to this day if we play more. ”

Cao Hao remembered the appearance of Hengsheng running all over the ground when he shaved his head last year, and said to Lao Liu with a smile: "Those naughty boys, I guess I have to listen to your fun, so I can let you shave your head." But you're also old, and although this job isn't a hard job, it's also a lot of eyesight, so I'll finish it, go back and rest first, and then shave them when the boys are out of class. ”

Lao Liu responded, Chu Yu took someone down to prepare breakfast, and Cao Hao let Lao Liu shave his head.

After shaving his hair, his head was shiny.

Looking at the broken hair scattered on the ground, Cao Hao had to sigh, pity his board inch, this is gone again. In addition to the time of filial piety, at the end of the year, when you can justifiably grow some hair, it is a new month.

Chu Yu had already come back and asked someone to offer two strings of money, saying that he was buying cigarettes for Lao Liu to eat.

Lao Liu thanked the reward and went down with the money.

Tianyou, Hengsheng, Zuo Zhu, and Zuo Cheng are already neatly dressed, and they came to greet Cao Hao.

They began to read with Wen Fuzi at the beginning of the morning (7 o'clock in the morning) and rested until the beginning of the morning (1 o'clock in the afternoon). Before they arrived at Shen Chu (three o'clock in the afternoon), they began to follow the Ren brothers to move their fists and feet simply.

At the end of the day, four hours of homework is not easy for them.

The effect is also extremely obvious, less than half a month of effort, the children's bodies look a lot stronger.

Because every morning, they have to go to the Orchid Courtyard and Wutong Garden to say goodbye, so they usually get up at six o'clock in the morning, get dressed, and come out with breakfast.

Cao Hao asked a few words of homework, Tianyou and Zuo Zhu were fine, but Hengsheng and Zuo Cheng had bitter faces.

When the children went out, Cao Hao said to Chu Yu: "Over there in the school field, spread more sand for the children to use when playing." ”

Chu Yu hesitated for a moment and said, "E, yesterday Tianyou secretly told me that Mr. Qian hit Hengsheng's handboard. I watched it last night, and my little hands were red, and it hurt to see it. It's hard for Hengsheng, and he doesn't cry out for pain, he only says that he is stupid, he can't compare to his brothers, and he can memorize hundreds of family names. ”

The Mr. Qian she was talking about was Qian Chen Qun, the new Xixi Qian of Cao Mansion, and he was the curator Cao Yin set for his grandchildren.

This Qian Chen Qun is not very old, but when he was established, he was a child of a scholarly family in Jiangnan, and he was rarely famous.

Cao Yin and his father are old friends, and they are also quite concerned about this nephew.

Since the Qian family beat his father, he has been in the middle of the family road. Qian Chenqun was very bitter as a young man, and he was also embarrassed after arriving in the capital.

Cao Yin knew that Cao Hao wanted to find a teacher for God to bless them, so he thought of Qian Chenqun.

Cao Hao listened to Qian Chenqun's resume, but he was unwilling to do so, for fear that he would be a pedantic person who did not understand the world and would teach his sons stupidity again.

However, after inquiring from all sides and meeting twice in person, Cao Hao changed his mind.

Although Qian Chenqun's livelihood is poor, he gets along with others, "his voice is hearty, his demeanor is peaceful, although the elders can't reach it."

It can be said that Qian Chenqun is not only a talented man, but also a man who behaves in an ancient style, and deserves the word gentleman.

It's just that the world is saying that the gentleman is not popular, so he will be so bumpy.

For the children, the influence of the teacher is very important. Of course, Cao Hao wanted the children to become well-behaved people, so he invited Qian Chenqun to come to the house.

Although he didn't approve of corporal punishment, Cao Hao didn't like his wife to spoil the children too much, and said: "God bless this guy, he has learned to sue, which is not good." Mother-in-law's mother's, not like a man. Next time, I will find you to be coquettish, and you have to talk about him. ”

Chu Yu was still hesitating, and said: "Hengsheng is one year younger than the three of them, and there are some who can't remember." Why don't you let Hang Seng go back to school next year? ”

Cao Hao waved his hand and said, "Everyone else goes to school, but he doesn't go alone, and it's not good to be alone." Don't feel too sorry for the child, what's the matter with a few hits, I was also hit by the board when I was young. When I came out of the yamen, I went to Mr. Qian's side. Hengsheng, this kid, is tall, with a hundred family names, Amethyst taught him a few months ago, and he still can't remember it. ”

While talking, Xicai had already led people to set up the meal.

The table is colorful, but it looks good.

There are paper-thin lotus leaf cakes, fried meat sauce, shredded beef, shredded pork head in sauce, and bean sprout vermicelli.

There are also three agate bowls, and inside are thin noodles, which are "dragon beard noodles". Or use spinach juice and noodles, and the fragrance comes to the nose.

Today, there is still a tough battle to be fought, Cao Hao touched his head, crossed his legs on the kang, and only felt high-spirited.

Tianhui was also hugged on the kang, but her eyes were swollen, and she pouted and didn't speak.

Cao Hao used lotus leaf cakes, rolled shredded meat and bean sprouts, wrapped them and sent them to Tianhui's mouth, and said, "Good girl, open your mouth, there is something delicious." It's going to hurt this time, and we'll never prick it again in the future. ”

Although Tianhui didn't speak, she still opened her small mouth obediently.

Chu Yu looked at the clock on the ground, it was already the beginning of Chen (seven o'clock in the morning), so he said to Cao Hao: "I'll feed Tianhui, let's have breakfast, I'm afraid that the old man will wait." ”

Cao Hao didn't delay, used noodles in two bites, and then rolled a few lotus leaf cakes and ate them to his heart's content.

Chu Yu handed the noodle bowl in her hand to Xicai, asked her to feed Tianhui, and got up by herself to put on the pearls and the top for Cao Hao, and tied the sachet.

"Lunch ......," Chu Yu asked.

Cao Hao waved his hand: "You don't need to ask someone to send it, I have already agreed with the sixteenth master, and I will order it directly from the restaurant." ”

When he arrived at the Orchid Courtyard, Cao Yin was already waiting.

Seeing his son come in, he thought about it for a while and asked, "Are you all ready?" You have to know in your heart, this is not a trick. ”

"Father, don't worry, everything is ready, just wait for the bidding at noon today." Cao Hao thought that dozens of merchants had signed up for yesterday afternoon, and replied with a smile.

Cao Yin nodded, and the father and son walked out of the inner courtyard and went to the yamen together.

Because of the fine weather, Cao Yin did not sit in a sedan chair, but also rode a horse and walked side by side with his son.

People on the street wear new clothes, and some of them have gold characters on their heads, which means auspicious.

The white magnolia flowers have proudly branches, and the willows by the river are also stealing greenery dots, and the capital in early spring is full of vitality.

If it weren't for digging ditches everywhere in the city, the stench in the air affected his mood, Cao Hao really wanted to ask his father to write a poem.

Cao Yin is not as relaxed as Cao Hao, and his son is now roasted on the fire.

Even if he is loyal to the monarch and loves the country all his life, he still inevitably complains a little bit about Kangxi in his heart.

Cao Hao's errand is done well, he wants to offend the magnates in the capital led by the eighth and ninth elder brothers; If you don't do it well, you have to offend an emperor who was "exceptionally promoted", and the political achievements that have been earned diligently before, I am afraid that I will not be able to withstand this defeat.

It's really Zhu Bajie looking in the mirror, not a person inside and out.

My son is only twenty-three years old, so he has to take on such a burden.

In front of Cao Yin's eyes, he remembered the weak appearance of his son lying on the bed after he was abducted as a child.

If you don't die in a great disaster, will there be a blessing in the future?

When the old lady doted on her eldest grandson, Cao Yin was also afraid that her son would be pampered and unproductive, right?

Now, looking back on the past fifteen or six years, my son seems to have been reborn...... After a while, when he arrived at Dongjiang Rice Lane, Cao Hao grabbed the reins of the horse and said with a little hesitation: "Father, I heard that several adults from the Ministry of Rites are going to come to the venue to observe, father, you are ...... here."

Cao Yin coughed and said, "My father has already agreed with Lord He and Master Chen, and I will go to you together today to see and see this...... Procurement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. ”

Lord He is the Ministry of Rites, and Lord Chen is the Ministry of Rites, Han Shangshu Chen Xu.

Cao Hao looked at his father, and his heart was only warm.

These words, my father also followed the suspense.

I don't know if it's because of his age, Cao Yin has been much gentler in recent years, and the father and son are no longer as speechless as before.

Cao Yin was embarrassed by his son, waved his hand, and said, "The time is not leaving, I will go to the yamen for my father first, and you will not delay." As he spoke, he had already taken the reins of the horse and took his entourage to the yamen of the Ministry of Rites.

Cao Hao watched his father go away, looked up at the morning glow in the sky, and showed a little smile on his face.

Political axe procurement, no, procurement by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, is today.

If it is handled properly, it will not be possible to say it in the future, and it can also be moved out of other ways in the future life.

What if, hundreds of years later, people saw this account in the books?

How will the world change because of his arrival?

* Warehouse of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, bidding venue.

Iduli held the booklet of the merchant in his hand, and he was already growing his mouth.

When he left the yamen yesterday afternoon, there were only forty of them, and this morning half an hour later, there were more than 30 more, and looking at the trend of queuing up behind him to pay the fixed amount, there were dozens more.

In addition to the bidding deposit required by the businessmen to enter the venue, Cao Hao saw that some businessmen mentioned that they wanted to bring their nephews into the market to see the world, so he placed 200 chairs at the back of the venue to provide the needs of the businessmen's families.

The cost of this chair is 500 taels of silver, and the name is "loyal to the monarch and patriotism, donating military funds to the northwest".

Now most of the two hundred handfuls of silver have been set out.

This alone can account for at least 100,000 taels of silver.

The pen post style in charge of bookkeeping is already flying like a pen, and he is too busy to rest. He is the son of the Dong family, and he is Su Xin's cousin.

Before, the children of Dong Shang's family still had a lot of complaints about Cao Hao's entry into the Internal Affairs Office.

Especially Su Xin's entry into the Cao family to serve made many young children of the Dong Shang family uncomfortable.

is also from Baoyi, but the old lady of the Sun family has taken care of the emperor, which makes the Cao family soar.

This pen post style was originally thought that Cao Hao's high position was caused by the family's residual shade, and the so-called "tea boy" and "good wealth boy" were just false rumors and icing on the cake.

Now, he can't help but be convinced.

No one else knows, but he knows.

Yesterday, I heard that some businessmen wanted to bring their sons and nephews into the venue, and several other adults were against it, after all, it was related to the face of the court. Cao Hao raised his hand and pointed to the venue behind him, and said, "Set up two hundred seats, and prepare another hundred chairs." A spectator is five hundred taels of silver! ”

It was only less than half a day's work, and seventy or eighty thousand taels of silver came in.

Although it can't be said that a little stone becomes gold, but casually speaking, how many people in the world can get into this amount of silver?

Not to mention that the subordinate officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs have different thoughts, even the officials of the Ministry of Internal Affairs also have their own stomachs.

Ma Qi put his hands behind his back and looked at the queue outside the door to pay the deposit, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Finally, I didn't send a letter to the eighth elder brother in vain, thinking that the eighth elder brother had already persuaded the ninth elder brother, don't make trouble for Cao Hao at this time.

Since the 50th anniversary of Kangxi, natural disasters have continued, and there have been bad things every year, and this year is the most.

Now, not to mention the war in the northwest, the inner court is not stable.

According to the news from the Imperial Palace, there was something inappropriate after the Holy Driving Year, so he stayed in Tangquan until now, and has not returned to Changchun Garden.

In addition, although there were a few snowfalls last winter, the snow was not heavy, and according to the prediction of Qin Tianjian, the capital is afraid of a major drought this spring.

There are many things and the treasury has little silver, so the emperor naturally has to worry.

It is difficult for a good woman to cook without rice, even if she is the king of a country, there are times when she is embarrassed.

If Brother Jiu messes around at this time, I'm afraid that he will catch fire and provoke Long Yan's anger. For the eighth elder brother, who has already been left out in the cold, it is undoubtedly worse.

To this day, Ma Qi still believes that among the princes and elder brothers, the eighth elder brother is the most suitable candidate for the prince.

It's just that there is no other thing in the sky, and now Chong Ling ascended the throne, and the sacred heart is used to being arbitrary, and the prince is not allowed to be on the side, so there is a "two abolished princes", and there is no East Palace after the abolition of the prince.

The emperor is getting old, even if he doesn't admit it, it will be said that there will be a time to establish a prince.

Although the eighth elder brother is already idle and has been stopped from money and food, his good name is still there.

At present, what he can do is to be patient, instead of adding to the snake and bringing disaster upon himself.

The arrogance of the ninth elder brother, if it is liquidated, will be counted on the eighth elder brother. In that case, it will only make the emperor more and more disgusted.

Therefore, Ma Qi couldn't help it, and sent his henchmen to the Eighth Elder Brother's Mansion to ask him to persuade the Ninth Elder Brother.

Fortunately, the ninth elder brother is willing to listen to the persuasion of the eighth elder brother and no longer obstructs the bidding, otherwise the auction will really be lost today, and the emperor will pursue it, and no one will have good fruit to eat...... * Cao Hao arrived outside the venue, looking at the businessmen in line, and felt a lot more confidence in his heart.

The minimum margin is 3,000 taels, and the maximum is 300,000 taels, a difference of 100 times.

Yesterday's deposit was more than 400,000 taels, with an average of 10,000 taels per family.

This silver, in the contract for the payment of the deposit, has been listed, the winning bid, the silver as standard silver; If the bid is not won, the silver will be converted into a national debt, and it will be transferred to the treasury as a national debt, and it will be used by the imperial court for three years free of charge.

At the same time, in order to reward the patriotic heart of the merchants, the relevant taxes will be reduced or exempted appropriately within three years.

In this way, there is really no way in, and this time it is destined to be a move to make money.

It's hard to say anything else, the Sino-Mongolian tea ceremony, Sino-Russian trade, and the supply of foreign goods with the Guangzhou Internal Affairs Bureau, each of these trade routes is worth hundreds of thousands of taels at least.

In this bidding, Cao Hao's estimated income is three million.

The three-year contract was completed by one-third, and Kangxi also explained the past.

Besides, these three million is a lot of income for Neiku.

Bidding is not just a quick way to make money. According to the relevant contract, in the future, there will also be income from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which is another income.

In addition to this, you have to think of other ways to make money in order to fulfill the three-year contract.

The Eucharist is inappropriate, and Cao Hao also heard the rumors.

Calculate it, there are still six years before Kangxi's sixty-one years, and knowing the death period of a generation of emperors, watching him slowly grow old and die, this is not a good feeling.

Cao Hao often reminds himself not to get too involved.

The one on the dragon chair is the emperor, not the so-called elder, nor the old man in the twilight who deserves sympathy, the emperor is the emperor.

He thought to himself, his eyes swept into the crowd, but he saw a familiar figure.

Although the man deliberately wore a thick vest and a hat with eyebrows, Cao Hao still recognized it.

Even if it's really curious, how can this be child's play?

Cao Hao couldn't help frowning, pointed over there, and said to Zhao Tong, who was standing behind him: "Go over and call ......."

(To be continued)