Lu Fu.

It was already late at night, and a dozen candles were lit in the study and it still looked dark.

An old man, who was so thin that he only had half a breath left, sat on the bed of the beard, looking at the dark room outside with tired eyes.

It's time to turn off the lights, and there are constantly housekeepers and employees shuttling between the houses briskly, shouting in a low voice: "Seal the door, turn off the lights, close the door and turn off the lights!" ”

In large households, each courtyard must close the door and turn off the lights regularly at night. It's not that I can't afford to spend that little oil, it's mainly to prevent water from going away.

As for sealing the door, it is anti-theft.

As the first noble family in China, it is the first powerful family in the dynasty. The area of Lu Bing's Mansion, the governor of Zuodu, is larger than ordinary people imagine.

This house covers an area of about 300 acres, with more than 40 courtyards of large and small, which are inhabited by people from near and far. With the addition of slaves and employees, there are two or three hundred people living in the gate of the mansion, which is already a small society with reading ability.

It is said that this is only the residence of Lu Bing's two sons in the city in order to facilitate the official affairs of the court, and there are more than a dozen manors of different sizes outside the city. And those manors have different functions, summer villas to cool off the heat; mountain pastures for feeding horses and livestock; Ordinary farms where fresh fruits and vegetables are grown...... There are all kinds of people, all kinds of people, etc., together, thousands of people.

To support such a large number of people, every consumption is a mountain of gold and a sea of silver.

And all of this is because of this thin old man in the study - the Ming Jinyi Guards commanded the envoy Zuo Dudu, the prince Taibao, and Lu Bing.

As Emperor Jiajing's little playmate, he also has the skill of escorting, and he has been honored and favored throughout his life.

However, even if there is a thousand-year-old iron threshold, there will eventually be a soil steamed bun, and once the limit is reached, no one can escape.

Lu Bing is no exception.

He is only in his early fifties this year, but the fire of life seems to have burned out.

Since the afternoon, he has been sitting on the bed in the hu, not talking to anyone, just staring out the window blankly, as if thinking about something.

"Father, father, you can eat a little." Lu Wei, the second master of the Lu Mansion, was on an errand in Taichang Temple, and his affairs were idle, thirty days a month, but twenty days stayed in the mansion, unlike the Lord Lu who was a thousand households in the Fusi of Nanzhen, and he couldn't see anyone at all.

It was precisely because of his leisure that Lu Wei served by his father's side all day long, taking care of Lu Bing's diet.

As he spoke, Lu Wei scooped up a spoonful of green vegetable porridge and fed it to his father's mouth.

Lu Bing suddenly turned his head suddenly, and there were two green lights flashing in his eyes: "Take it away!" ”

In the end, he has been a brocade guard for decades, and his power is revealed at this moment. Even if he was a son, Lu Wei still had a sudden break in his heart, and his right hand trembled unknowingly.

"Father, you haven't had dinner yet, so you can't go on like this, so you have to eat some anyway. Otherwise, the body will be broken, be a son, be a son......" Lu Wei looked at his skinny father, his nose soured suddenly, and he suddenly forgot to be afraid.

Seeing his son's true feelings, Lu Bing's eyes softened: "Second brother, take down the white porridge." After eating white rice and green vegetables for a month, everyone ate green. I miss me Lu Bing, I have been happy all my life, but when I am old, I have to suffer such torture. Go, get a braised pork to use, put more spicy seeds and peppercorns, the flavor is thicker. ”

Lu Wei was shocked, and hurriedly knelt on the ground, and said in a mournful voice: "Father, Lang Zhong from the Tai Hospital said that you can't stick to the meat, otherwise, otherwise it will ......"

"Hehe, is the prescription of the Tai Hospital accurate? Those people, I know best, when I meet a patient, the first thing I think about is what kind of medicine should be prescribed to prevent the dead, not how to cure the disease. A small chai hu on the left, a licorice on the right, just hang you like that. Get up, kneel what kneel, I haven't torn it yet. It's never too late to kneel when you close your eyes and kick your legs. Forget it, I won't eat the braised pork either, lest you say a lot of useless things, and I will be clean. ”

Hearing that the old father no longer said that he wanted to eat meat, the second master Lu wiped the corners of his eyes, stood up, and fed Lu Bing a few mouthfuls of porridge. said: "Although the prescription of the Tai Hospital is as unreliable as the article of Guo Zijian, but Wang Lantian and your father are familiar with each other, and he will not fool around." Imperial Physician Wang said that his father was deficient in qi and blood, but his internal fire was extremely vigorous. If ordinary people are deficient in qi and blood, they have to make up for it. But father, you have to do the opposite, you can't get any meat, and if you raise it like this for a few years, you may slowly recover. ”

"Recovery, your own body, your own family is the most clear. Wang Lantian is comforting you, don't take it seriously. As early as this winter, at the latest next year, my father will travel to immortals, but I can see this clearly and think it through. ”

Lu Wei hurriedly diverted the topic: "Father, the enrollment of clan studies has been properly completed, and today I have recruited the tenth talent, surnamed Wu Mingjie, it is said that he is the son of Wu Jianye, the driver of the Nanjing Military Department, but he was born in an official eunuch family, and his talent is really good." ”

"Wu Jianye, I have some impressions of this person, he has been dead for four years." Lu Bingdao: "Wu Jie seems to be a person of ten thousand civilizations, just arrived in the capital for a few days, and settled in Shuntian Mansion. ”

Second Master Lu was taken aback, and then greatly admired. Although the eldest man is very sick and has not gone out for a long time, the big and small things outside are clear.

He took out a piece of paper from his arms and put his hands together: "This is Wu Jie's exam question today, my son thinks that this article is really well written, so he copied a copy and took it." ”

"Oh, even you think it's good, take a look." After taking the manuscript, Lu Bing only glanced at it, and immediately straightened up, his eyes lit up again, and the corners of his mouth moved slightly, revealing a smile.

This old man, who was still sick with only one breath left, was in good spirits at the moment, as if he had fully recovered: "Once you get to the dragon gate, you are worth ten times...... Therefore, the people of Longpan and Fengyi all want to be named and priced in the prince. If the prince is not proud of his wealth and humility, and he is humble and ignorant, then there are three thousand hairies, and the envoys will come out, that is, they will be ...... Wouldn't it be with the style of Zhou Gong and the things that he held to make the sea handsome and run back...... He is comparing me to Zhou Gong! ”

"The son thinks that it is not a false praise, and the father deserves it."

"Deserve it, can you afford it?" The old man put down the manuscript and suddenly felt a little sad: "In the past few decades, the imperial court has repeatedly been imprisoned, all of which have been raised by my Jinyi pro-army yamen, and the north and south yamen are minions, and they have offended the civil officials so badly. Others are not good at slandering the saints, but they just put a hatred on my head. But I don't know how many people Lu has saved and protected in private over the years. It is a pity that those who have been rescued by me not only do not have gratitude in their hearts, but fear me and fear me, and even slander me. As for those who have been supported by me over the years and have gained wealth and glory, I don't know how many people there are. But recently, I have not been able to be a saint, so the courtyard has been sparsely populated by cars and horses. Lu Bing didn't want them to repay their kindness, he just wanted someone to say something to the point for me after the ages. ”

Lu Wei: "What others say, what does it matter, Your Majesty is just a small misunderstanding." Maybe in a few days, the Son of Heaven will remember the friendship between you and your father. ”

"It's different, it's different, the matter of the prince has touched His Majesty's scales, you don't understand."

Lu Bing smiled faintly and looked at Wu Jie's manuscript again: "Such a high praise? This kid can see me clearly. Obviously, he wants to say a lot of compliments, but he has a proud posture, but he is a talent. In fact, how can I, Lu Bing, care about what others say? Those who know me, their only "Spring and Autumn"! Those who sin against me are the only ones in "Spring and Autumn"! You just have to understand that it always makes sense for me to do this. ”

Lu Wei was puzzled, and said stubbornly: "With my father's holy family, in fact, I don't have to say anything, I don't have to do anything, so why bother to provoke Your Majesty's thunderous anger?" ”

Just as he was about to say more, Steward Cheng came in with a copper basin filled with hot water and cotton towels.

"I'll do it." took the copper basin and motioned for Steward Cheng to go out.

It is rare for the father and son to say something intimate, and they don't want others to be present.

"What do you know?" Lu Bing suddenly sneered.

Hearing his father's sneer, the second master Lu felt a little weak in his heart, hurriedly put down the basin, carefully took off the cotton socks on his father's feet, and soaked a pair of skinny feet into hot water.

At this time, he suddenly noticed that his father's toes had turned jet black. panicked, and quietly picked at his father's foot with his hand, but there was no response.

Lu Bingyi frowned: "Don't toss, I don't feel anything." It doesn't seem like these feet belong to me anymore. ”

Lu Wei's heart was sour, and tears couldn't stop falling into the water.

Lu Bing saw his son's true feelings, sighed, put his hand on his head, and touched it: "Idiot, Cao Mengde said it well: although the turtle is long-lived, especially when it comes, the snake rides the fog and turns into ashes, and there is no need to be sad." I have been rich and noble for my father all my life, and I have no regrets, but I can't rest assured that you can't do it. Second brother, your surname is cowardly, and you will not be able to become a big tool in the future. As for your eldest brother, he is reckless and impulsive, and he will not want any good results in the future. Indeed, as you just said, as long as you mention Lichu, it will definitely anger the Son of Heaven. But Lu Bing is a dying person, and he can't be afraid so much. Just one sentence, when King Yu ascends the throne in the future, he will always be grateful for my incense. I won't be too you. ”

Lu Wei suddenly realized, and couldn't help sobbing: "My son understands, my son understands." ”

"What do you understand? You and your eldest brother can't make it, but I don't care at all. But you have bore me a good grandson, and in my opinion, he will be a hundred times stronger than you and your eldest brother in the future. This is also the reason why I worked so hard to build such a college. ”

"Father is talking about Xuan'er." Lu Wei's eldest son Lu Xuan is talented, less than eighteen years old, he has already won the fame of showing talent, and there should be no problem in the future.

"Lu Xuan, he can't do it, as for why he can't do it, he doesn't bother to talk nonsense with you as a father. It's Lu Chang, hehe, who dares to act, is responsible, and can afford to support the door. ”

"My son doesn't understand very much, I used to think that my father would not be a big heir."

"Foolish, you know the. Isn't it because Lu Xuan's mother has won your favor and loves the house and Wu? Lu Bing was sick and weak, and his heart was hot, so he didn't bother to say more to his son: "Wait and see, my father has been in charge of the Jinyi pro-army for all these years, and the enemy is all over the world." Once I close my eyes, there will be a catastrophe for the Lu family, and if you want to revive the Lu family in the future, you have to rely on your second child. It's just that this kid is really stubborn, and he needs to grind hard, find some talented and virtuous scholars to study with him, and see if he can change his surname. It's late at night, I'm going to sleep, you go back! ”

"Yes, father."

Lu Wei was about to retreat, but Lu Bing stopped him again: "What is this person named Wu Jie, pay attention to it, after all, he is a person of ten thousand civilizations." ”

"Wan Wenming, he was the commander of the Beiya, didn't you report it to your father?"

"I recommended it, but it was actually the idea of the Son of Heaven. Do you know why His Majesty chose him? ”

"My son doesn't understand."

"He is just an inconsequential person, he has nothing to do with all the forces in the DPRK and China, and he can be accepted by everyone. It's excessive. Lu Bing glanced at the deep night: "Your Majesty's body is also not successful, we are all old...... In the future, the new monarch will ascend the throne and have his own team, and the mission of ten thousand civilizations will be completed. ”

The next time, it was the beginning of the Lu family's class, Wu Jie got up early in the morning, had breakfast, and slowly walked to the Lu Mansion.

Steward Cheng was already waiting there, so he led Wu Jie to walk a long way around the Lu Mansion and came to an amazingly large mansion before he reached the ground.

It turned out that the Lu family was not in the Lu Mansion, and they were separated from each other by an alley.

Because this place is the residence of the ministers and doctors of the DPRK and China, there are no idlers, but it is also very clean.

When I entered the courtyard, there were many students in it, ranging in age from old to young, the eldest was sixteen or seventeen years old, and the youngest was still a drooping child. There are a total of twenty or thirty people, many of whom are dressed in Xiucai shirts, and it is estimated that they are newly recruited scholars with foreign surnames.

The building of the academy is mainly divided into two parts, the front yard is the library and the library building, and the back yard is the residence of the master and his subordinates, as well as the dormitory.

It turned out that the academy also included a lunch.

Of course, the two young masters of the Lu family will still go back to their yard to eat.

It was still early, the school had not yet started, and the students were standing in the courtyard in twos and threes talking, or reading.

In the crowd, Wu Jie saw Lin Tingchen and couldn't help but smile at him.

Lin Tingchen's face changed, he snorted in his nose, and twisted his head to the side arrogantly.

This guy seemed to have quite a prestige among the scholars, and with his cold snort, several Xiucai around him also looked at him with hostility.

Wu Jie was naturally not afraid, only the corners of his mouth curled, and then ignored it.

At the same time, there was also a little fat man, surrounded by a large group of children who had no fame, like the stars holding the moon, but there was the momentum of some leaders of dynamic civil organizations in later generations. Looking at the appearance, he has quite an identity in the Lu family.

(To be continued)