Out of Chongwen Gate three miles, there is a Chase Bridge, Ningbo Mansion Minxin Bureau has a courier shop on the side of this Datong Bridge, in the past, Shang Zhou Zuo sent letters to his home were transmitted through this courier shop, Shang Zhou Zuo was an official and honest, never occupied the convenience of the official post because of private affairs, Zhang Yuan was not good at sending letters by post, when Shen was on the afternoon of the 26th of the lunar month, Zhang Yuan sent Jinglan and Jinghui sisters back to the courtyard, and took the letter, and asked a Shang servant to take him out of Chongwenmen, and came to the express shop by the Datong Bridge, handed over the letter to pay, and chatted with the shopkeeper for a long time, The Minxin Bureau is really well-informed, and the cooperation between Shengmei and the Minxin Bureau has reached the ears of Yanjing, the shopkeeper - Zhang Yuan did not indicate his identity, but just chatted and inquired, and learned that Shengmei and the Minxin Bureau have negotiated the terms of cooperation, and all the goods of the Shengmei firm will be transported by the Minxin Bureau in the future, and the shopkeeper also said: "It is said that the Shengmei firm will open a store in the capital in the coming year, and the expansion of this business is so rapid because of the Shanyin Zhang family of the Jiangnan gentry as the backer." ”

Zhang Yuan smiled and asked: "Your bureau also has stores all over the country, who is the backer?" ”

The shopkeeper of the express delivery shop said with a smile: "Naturally, there is also a backer, otherwise where can the north and south be unblocked." "As for who the backer is, the shopkeeper keeps it a secret.

Zhang Yuan smiled, didn't ask much, arched his hand and left the shop, and took the carriage back to the inner city.

The sky had already darkened, the snow on both sides of the road seemed dark white, and the carriage was even darker, Mu Zhenzhen, who was sitting next to Zhang Yuan, asked: "Young master, when will this letter be delivered to Shanyin?" ”

Zhang Yuan said: "Now that the canal is frozen, it will take two months to go by land." ”

Mu Zhenzhen smiled and said, "The young grandmother is about to give birth to a baby after receiving the letter, the little young master——"

"Yes, the delivery is supposed to be in March or April next year, but I can't be with her."

Zhang Yuan's eyebrows frowned, in ancient times when there was no caesarean section, women's childbirth can be regarded as a catastrophe, especially for women who marry early, giving birth at the age of sixteen or seven, which is more dangerous, so Zhang Yuan told Shang Ran to take more walks when he was leaving, the things used in childbirth must be clean, scissors and the like must be boiled in boiling water before they can be used, and the best doctor and stable woman should be invited - Mu Zhenzhen looked at Zhang Yuan's face and comforted: "Young master relax, young grandma has a wife to take care of, Miss Ruoxi will also return to Shanyin in early March, young master rest assured." ”

Zhang Yuan said "um", thinking that he would be twenty years old after the New Year, and he said that he was healthy and should be able to give birth safely, looking at the twilight outside the car window, and said: "Family affairs, national affairs, world affairs, everything is heartfelt." ”

Mu Zhenzhen's lips moved, and he wanted to say something, but he blushed again and didn't say anything.

Back to the courtyard house in the East Fourth Archway, the sky was already dark, and the old man presented two more worship stickers, one is still Quanzhou Hong Chengchou, and the other is signed by Huang Ting, Huang Ting, seeing Huang Ting's post, Zhang Yuan's face was happy, and he said to Mu Zhenzhen: "Do you really remember the Huang Xiucai who studied from Mr. Qidong in Dashan Temple, Jiujiang people, he also went to the capital, it seems that this year Jiangxi Township tried his high school, very good, he also lived in the same hall, and said that he would see him tomorrow." ”

At dinner, Xiao Jinghui did not come out to eat, the maid Fanghua said that Miss Jinghui was asleep, and it seemed that she had a little low-grade fever, Zhang Yuan said "sigh": "It's all my fault, I forgot that she was just sick, and today she said that a cold wind blew in the Paozi River——"

Shang Zhouzuo saw Zhang Yuan's guilty appearance and said, "Xiao Hui is greedy for fun, let her learn a lesson." ”

While she was talking, Xiao Jinghui's little face flushed, and Fu Shi asked her if she had a headache? Xiao Jinghui shook his head and said that it didn't hurt at all, Fu touched her face, it was a little feverish, but Xiao Jinghui said that he didn't have a fever, but he just came out of the bed, and he felt a little hot, Fu smiled, didn't say more, and knew that Xiao Hui was afraid that her father would say that she would get sick when she went out to play once, and she would not let her go out to play in the future, so she insisted that her head didn't hurt and she didn't have a fever - Xiao Jinghui went back to the room after eating a little food, Fu asked people to decoct the medicine and told her to take medicine, the day before yesterday There was still a dose of medicine that was not finished, Xiao Jinghui said at first that he was not sick, refused to take medicine, and later begged her mother not to tell her father that she was sick, which made Fu angry and funny: "In order to go out to play, you are not afraid of getting sick, right?" ”

Xiao Jinghui's front teeth leaked and said: "Mother, don't blame Uncle Zhang Gongzi, it's all Xiao Hui who is not well-behaved, and the cold wind is blowing." ”

Fu Shi smiled and said, "Say a few words, hurry up and drink the medicine." ”

Xiao Jinghui obediently drank a bowl of bitter and numb medicinal soup, sweating at the corners of her forehead, she wanted to vomit a little, she couldn't help it, and when Zhang Yuan came to visit her, she was already asleep, Fu said: "It doesn't matter, it's good to sweat." ”

Zhang Yuan went to his brother-in-law Shang Zhouzuo's study to sit for a while, and said that the master Qian Qianyi Ding was worried about leaving Beijing, Shang Zhouzuo said: "I also heard people say that Qian Hanlin was promoted to the concubine of Zuo Chunfang a few months ago, and if he is in Beijing, he will definitely be an examiner next year." ”

Zhang Yuan asked: "I don't know if the chief examiner of Chunfu has been decided?" ”

Shang Zhouzuo said: "It has not yet been determined, according to the practice of the previous department, the cabinet scholar and the secretary of the Ministry of Rites are the chief examiners. He added: "You don't have to worry about Dong Xuanzai and Yao Zongwen, just concentrate on preparing for the exam." ”

Zhang Yuan said: "The eldest brother is right. Asked: "Eldest brother, do you know where Yang Wenru lives in the new household department, he is my house master, and he wants to go to see him." ”

Shang Zhouzuo said: "Yang Lian Yang Wenru is it, at the beginning of the year, he was the first honest official, he was upright and dared to speak, and now he is also on the occasion of the Shandong disaster to bitterly explain the disadvantages of the times, and his words are fierce, I might as well - he should live in the area of Daming Gate." ”

Zhang Yuan returned to the bedroom, drafted a spring and autumn inscription and wrote a five-hundred-word eight-strand essay, and read the book for a while, it was already the end of the year, Mu Zhenzhen came in with hot water to serve him to wash, undressed and went to bed, Mu Zhenzhen knelt on the bed and folded the robe that he and the young master took off, and put it aside, the toned and plump long legs and round buttocks wrapped in cotton pants were extremely tempting, Zhang Yuan couldn't put it down, Mu Zhenzhen bit his lip, twisted his body and turned back and said: "Young master, the maid wants to ask one thing-"

Zhang Yuan continued to caress and said, "Well, what's the matter?" ”

Mu Zhenzhen snorted: "Young master, the maid has been serving the young master for so long, why, why, can't she be pregnant?" Speaking of the last few words, his face was flushed, his face was buried in the mattress, and his round and plump buttocks were cocked, like an ostrich with his head buried in the sand - Zhang Yuan laughed, presumably this question has bothered Mu Zhenzhen for a long time, and now when it comes to giving birth to a baby, Mu Zhenzhen finally couldn't help but ask, and said: "You are only seventeen years old, although you seem to have grown up, but it is better to give birth to a child later, which is good for both mother and baby." ”

Mu Zhenzhen didn't dare to raise his head, his nose was against the futon, and he asked in a muffled voice: "Is it because the maid can't be born at a young age, then Xizhang's green plum is only one year older than the maid, and they are all born——"

Zhang Yuan smiled, leaned over and said something in Mu Zhenzhen's ear, Mu Zhenzhen tilted his head, his eyes widened, first surprised, then shy, his eyes watery, but the trousers had been taken off by the young master, and he got better after caressing, tonight Mu Zhenzhen was extremely excited, and later asked the young master to face her, hooked the young master's neck, gasping sharply, his eyes looked at the young master working hard to cultivate himself, and when he felt that the young master was extremely strong and wanted to withdraw as usual, she hugged the young master's neck and didn't let go, The two long legs were tightly intertwined on the young master's waist and hips, and they were pressed down - Zhang Yuan couldn't get out, he couldn't bear it, and he squirted out.

Mu Zhenzhen gasped and said, "Young Master, in four days, the maid will be eighteen years old." ”

Zhang Yuan couldn't help laughing, laughed for a while, and said: "Zhenzhen, you still have this trick, is this a small panlong stick." ”

Mu Zhenzhen also laughed.

…… The next morning, Zhang Yuan was about to go out to Dalongfu Temple, Qi Biaojia first rushed here from the Yamen of the Ministry of War, Zhang Yuan yesterday asked him to ask his father Qi Chengjiao about the recent situation of Yansui General Juniper, to see if there could be news of Mu Jingyan, Qi Biaojia inquired, Xing Chongchong came early in the morning, mainly to see his fiancée, and Qi Biaojia came with Huang Ting, a Jiujiang man who had a worship post yesterday, Huang Ting and Qi Biaojia are Liu Zongzhou's gentlemen - Zhang Yuanzheng and Huang Ting greeted each other, but listened to Qi Biaojia said: "Brother Jiezi, My father checked the record of the newly sent officers of the Yansui General Army, and there was a Mu Jingyan who had been promoted to the general banner of a hundred households in Yan'anwei. ”

Mu Zhenzhen was next to Zhang Yuan, so happy that he almost jumped up, since her father served as a small flag, Mu Zhenzhen learned from Zhang Yuan about the Ming army system, knowing that a small flag is in charge of ten to twelve sergeants, and a general flag is in charge of five small flags, and his father has been promoted, and the general flag has been raised!

Zhang Yuan is also extremely happy, Uncle Mu went to Yan'anwei with Juniper in June last year, and was promoted from an ordinary sergeant to the general flag in more than a year, it can be seen that Uncle Mu is very hard-working, Uncle Mu's martial arts come in handy, and the junior officers only talk about martial arts, as long as the martial arts are strong and make military achievements, it is not difficult to raise a small flag, a general flag or even a hundred households, and there are more factors to consider for a higher level of military promotion - Zhang Yuan and Huang Ting, Qi Biaojia walked to Dalongfu Temple two miles away, and waited for a while outside the Tibetan Scripture Hall, Huang Zunsu, Wang Binglin, Wen Zhenmeng and others arrived, A young man with a face raised his son and said: "Zhang Sheshou, in Xia Quanzhou Hong Chengchou, the word Yan Yan, I have heard the name of Zhang Sheshou for a long time, and I am eager to see it——"

Zhang Yuan hurriedly returned the salute and said: "Brother Hong, Brother Lao Hong ran away twice, sorry, sorry." He glanced at this Hong Chengchou a few times, with a long face, thick eyebrows, a dignified appearance, and an awe-inspiring appearance.

Hong Chengchou said: "Zhang Shetou, the spirit of your society's 'the rise and fall of the country is the responsibility of the husband' makes Zai Xia extremely encouraged, and I also want to join the Han Society, please ask Zhang Sheshou for permission." ”

Of course, Hong Chengchou is a talent, Zhang Yuan has no reason to refuse, and said with a smile: "Welcome, Brother Hong may wish to attend the gathering and lecture of my Han Society first, the Han Society has an open atmosphere and allows strange talks." ”

Hong Chengchou said happily: "I am about to listen to the high opinions of the talents of the Han Society. ”

The abbot of the West Temple, the monk Xufan, came out, welcomed this group of lifters into the hall, walked through the white stone railing, came to the Xiangfeng Hall on the south side, the apse of the Xiangfeng Hall is five or six zhang, can accommodate more than 100 people to sit on the ground, the place where the Han Society lectures is here, Zhang Yuan asked the Xufan monk to prepare dozens of futons, the Xufan monk agreed, Zhang Yuan thanked the Xufan monk, and a group of people went out to the main hall, suddenly saw two waiters one holding a cane, one holding Ruyi, exporting a short and dry old monk, this old monk gestures short wooden sticks, walking fast, Splitting his head gave Ni Yuanlu, who was walking in front, a stick, and shouted: "If you think the world is dirty, why are you reluctant to give up!" ”

Ni Yuanlu screamed "ah" in pain, covered his forehead and stepped aside, touching it, there were blood marks.

The short old monk's eyes flickered, and when he saw Zhang Yuan, he felt that this person needed to drink with a stick, and he waved his stick forward, Zhang Yuan hurriedly said: "Don't work hard to drink, don't fall behind, I hope the old monk is merciful and understands the teaching." ”

The short old monk put away the short stick, looked Zhang Yuan up and down before approaching, suddenly took off the monk's hat, and shouted: "You are enlightened." He hit Zhang Yuan's chest headlong and almost knocked Zhang Yuan down - the crowd was at a loss, and they didn't understand what the old monk was crazy about, and he beat people with a stick, and hit people with a bald head, but he saw the monk next to him and said: "Good, good, Zhang Tanyue is a person with great wisdom roots, and the uncle is only free to drink, and rarely bumps into people. ”

Zhang Yuan rubbed his chest and said in his heart: "Fortunately, the clothes are thick on a cold day, otherwise you will not be injured internally if you are hit by the old monk." He said to the old monk: "Thank you for the enlightenment of the master, Zhang Yuan said that if you want to become a monk in the future, you must come to your temple." ”

Everyone couldn't help laughing on the side, afraid that the old monk would beat people again, so they hurriedly walked out of Dalongfu Temple, and then looked at the swollen blood bag on Ni Yuanlu's forehead like a male goose, and hurriedly found a medicine shop for abrasion medicine, Zhou Menong smiled: "Brother Ruyu must be in high school this time, and he played so clearly and vividly." ”

Ni Yuanlu laughed when she thought about it, and secretly wondered in her heart: "This old monk seems to be a bit of a doorway, and he doesn't recognize me, how do you know that I have a habit of cleanliness?" ”

Wen Zhenmeng heard that Zhang Yuan was going to visit Yang Lian, the master of the house, so he said: "Lord Yang lives in the same hall, and I saw it yesterday." ”

Zhang Yuan came to the hall with Wen Zhenmeng and others, Yang Lian did not bring his family into Beijing, there were only two servants in the residence, saying that the master was on duty in the palace and would not come back until the evening, Zhang Yuan went to the Hanlin Academy to see his senior brother Xu Guangqi, Sun Yuanhua was also in Xu Guangqi's residence, Zhang Yuan had lunch here with Senior Brother Xu, and invited Senior Brother Xu to give a lecture to the people of the Han Society in Dalongfu Temple, Xu Guangqi readily agreed.

At three o'clock in the morning, Wen Zhenmeng came over to Zhang Yuan and said that Yang Lian was out of the palace, Zhang Yuan hurriedly carried a gift box to see Teacher Yang, Yang Lian was very happy, and praised Zhang Yuan's joint name on the disaster relief, saying that the emperor said that the emperor issued an edict to exempt the six counties of Shandong from taxes for one year, and sent the imperial history to Shandong to help the victims, which has a lot to do with the joint letter of Zhang Yuan and others, and the public opinion cannot be violated-Zhang Yuan said in his heart: "This is not the public opinion, it should be Eunuch Zhong who contributed to it." ”

The teacher and student talked happily, Yang Lian left Zhang Yuan for dinner, and sent a servant to hire a carriage to send Zhang Yuan back to the East Fourth Archway.

…… On the twenty-eighth of the month, the Xiangfeng Hall of the Great Longfu Temple lectured, in addition to the 35 people of the Han Society, there were more than 20 people who came to raise the son, in the morning by Xu Guangqi to talk about the eight strands of grammar, Xu Guangqi in addition to the exquisite Western learning, the eight strands of literature are also everyone, lunch in the temple with the monks to eat fasting, in the afternoon by Zhang Yuan, Wen Zhenmeng, Huang Zunsu and others take turns to speak, all the participants feel that they have benefited greatly, this is not wasted, meet again on the third day of the first month of the new year to gather and speak.

…… On Chinese New Year's Eve, the wind was very strong, whining, Zhang Yuan and his brother-in-law were keeping the New Year in the hall, Zhang Yuan recited "Aesop's Fables" to Jinglan and Jinghui sisters, Xiao Jinghui's illness had been cured - the north wind howled outside the hall, the hall was warm and warm, the last time of the forty-three years of Wanli quietly passed, and the new year arrived.

(To be continued)