Seeing Zhang Juzheng's ugly face, Xia Mu glanced at him and asked suspiciously, "Brother Taiyue has something on his mind." ”

"That's it!" Zhang Juzheng glanced at Xia Mu, who was puzzled, and sighed, "If you don't hide it, I don't want Brother Jiaoshan to come back!" ”

"Oh," this surprised Xia Mu, "Why did Brother Taiyue say that?" ”

"Jiaoshan was demoted because of Qiu Luan, he is the most upright guy in our class, and he has always been jealous and hateful, especially for Yan Song's father and son, and he can't wait to scrape them alive, which wants Jiaoshan to know that he was promoted because of Yan Song, so with his violent temper, maybe he will poke out some basket."

Xia Mu's heart sank when he heard this, Zhang Juzheng said that it was not groundless, but he was afraid that the day Yang Jisheng came back this time would not be far from his death.

And just when the two were drinking tea, Mo Qi, the housekeeper in Zhang Juzheng's house, hurriedly came.

Xia Mu saw that the person who came was a middle-aged man in his thirties, and hurriedly walked into the study.

That Mo Qi was thin and thin, with light eyebrows, small eyes, narrow cheeks, and a pea-sized cinnabar mole at the corner of his right mouth that moved an inch outward.

He was wearing a Taoist robe made of cyan standard cloth produced in Sanlintang, Shanghai County, a pair of shallow cloth shoes lined with leather gold on his feet, and a azure hall hat on his head, and his whole body was full of shrewdness.

This Mo Qi and Zhang Juzheng are fellow villagers, both from Jiangling County, Jingzhou Prefecture, Zhang Juzheng Jiajing returned to his hometown after 33 years of illness, and returned to Beijing again three years later to resume his official duties, so he took Mo Qi to Beijing to take care of his housekeeper.

Since then, seven years have passed. Although Mo Qi has a little distant relative with Zhang Juzheng, he should call Zhang Juzheng's cousin, but he guards his identity as a master and servant, and never calls himself a relative, but only calls him a master.

And this Mo Qi also likes to read poetry and books since he was a child, and originally wanted to participate in the township test to gain fame, but after following Zhang Juzheng, he put that mind on hold.

Zhang Juzheng also took a fancy to Mo Qi's elegance, and felt that he was alert. Let him take care of the house, he takes care of all the affairs at home in an orderly manner, and treats people and things very well, sometimes helps Zhang Juzheng to entertain some things, and never makes mistakes, so he is very trusted by Zhang Juzheng.

At this moment, Zhang Juzheng was sitting on the bamboo couch covered with brocade silk cotton cushions, Mo Qi was standing beside the bamboo couch with his hands down, Zhang Juzheng signaled that there were no outsiders here, and let Mo Qi sit down.

Mo Qi nodded and smiled at Xia Mu, and Xia Mu also bowed in return. I saw Mo Qi mop the chair and sit in front of the bamboo couch, but his face was slightly tired.

Zhang Juzheng looked at Mo Qi's sad face, frowned, and asked, "But there is something sad?" ”

"It's not a big deal, it's just that the Qingming Festival is coming, and the silver for the old lady this year hasn't been settled yet." Mo Qibi replied respectfully.

When Zhang Juzheng heard this, he took out the silver taels of Xu Jie's relief: "Half a month ago, my father sent a letter to Yidu to pay tribute to the ancestral tomb on the Qingming Festival, and explained that the use was insufficient. This is two hundred pieces of silver from the teacher, and you ask someone to bring it to the old lady. ”

Xia Mu saw that Zhang Juzheng gave all the silver to Mo Qi, so how did his family live, and couldn't help asking: "Brother Taiyue doesn't leave some, I think Jing Xiu is when he grows his body, it's okay for adults to be bitter, don't be bitter children!" ”

Zhang Juzheng was stunned when he heard this, but did not speak.

Mo Qi had a sad face and said: "The young master has not eaten meat for two months, and he has been standing in the bun shop on the street today, I want to buy a bun for the young master to satisfy his hunger, but who knows that the young master said: 'A man should run a house, and he will not be hungry for cultivation.'" ’”

Zhang Juzheng had a straight face: "Ancestor worship is a big deal, what children can't eat, take the silver taels back first." ”

Xia Mu interjected: "Brother Taiyue, for such a major event as ancestor worship, two hundred taels of silver, is it too little?"

Zhang Juzheng didn't reply, Mo Qi hesitated for a moment, and replied in a snort: "With the identity of the master, this silver two is a little less, but ......"

"But what?" Seeing that Mo Qi wanted to speak and stopped, Xia Mu asked.

"The amount of money in the house has been a little tight in the past two months."

Zhang Juzheng listened and was silent, up and down Zhang's mansion, from dependents to servants and maids, there were more than ten people in total, so many people ate and drank expenses, and it was also a bottomless pit to say. Relying on Zhang Juzheng's fortune alone is definitely not enough. Sometimes, the emperor also gives a little extra reward, but after all, it is limited. Most of the income of the Beijing officials depended on the filial piety of their protégés or local officials. However, Zhang Juzheng didn't like to operate, and he usually sent some gifts and miscellaneous items to his official friends, and he was polite, half pushed, and still accepted it, but after all, he was stretched.

Zhang Juzheng traveled through the officialdom and wanted to do the great cause of economic prosperity and help the world, so he would never leave anything in front of others. Therefore, there was never a time when his economy was not easy. In order to save money, sometimes I want to cut down the number of servants, but the sedan chair bearer, the gardener who serves the garden, the cook who cooks, the nurse who takes care of the children, the scholar in the outer courtyard, and the maid ring in the inner courtyard seem to be unable to cut any of them.

In such a dilemma, Zhang Ju is often overstretched, so what he is most afraid of talking about is the word "money".

But fortunately, Mo Qi is a capable person, because of his planning, the family has never been able to make ends meet and run out of water. Sometimes, Zhang Juzheng also heard that Mo Qi was behind his back to accept gifts from some local officials, and he inevitably had to reprimand him harshly, but he did not pursue it deeply. After all, with such a big family, he still has to rely on him to maintain his expenses. Moreover, without his nod and a slightly larger amount of gift money, Mo Qi would never dare to make his own decisions, which Zhang Juzheng knew in his heart.

"The use is tight, and the saving is." Zhang Juzheng said slowly, and then asked, "Is there anything else?" ”

Without waiting for Mo Qi to answer, Xia Mu took out one hundred taels of silver from his pocket and put fifty taels on the coffee table: "Brother Taiyue, you take these silver first, who hasn't had a difficult time!" It's always going to pass. ”

"No, no, no!" Zhang Juzheng hurriedly stood up, "In the light, although you have a bigger official position than me, but you are a close minister of the Son of Heaven, and you are doing things under the nose of Jinyiwei, it is not a small amount of money to eat, wear, and do, you should take this silver back." ”

Xia Mu smiled: "Brother Taiyue saw that he was outside, so he called me uncle with respectful cultivation, and you also had to keep the fifty taels of silver, otherwise wouldn't you look down on me, a junior brother who studied in the same school." ”

Just when the two were arguing, another porter came in and reported: "Master, Feng Bao asks to see." ”

"Please." Zhang Juzheng commanded. Mo Qi went outside with the porter to welcome the guests.

As soon as he heard Feng Bao's name, Xia Mu's expression was awe-inspiring, this Feng Bao was famous.

Zhang Juzheng saw that Xia Mu should not have been in contact with the people of Yuwangfu, so he introduced him: "I don't know in the light, this Gonggong Feng is the eunuch of Yuwangfu, and he is also one of the four eunuchs who are now the eunuchs of the ceremonial eunuch. ”

Xia Mu took a sip of tea, and when he heard Zhang Juzheng say this, he listened like this, but what was behind the scenes, he and Zhang Juzheng both knew Mingjing.

This Zhang Ju is a student of Xu Jie, and he is the editor of the Hanlin Academy, that is, the next cabinet member, Feng Bao befriended him, that is, paved the way for King Yu in advance.

After all, the prince is not doing well, his own father does not love, the ministers also look down on him, life is very tight, I heard that the household department has not given Yu Wangfu the year for three consecutive years, and finally Yu Wang went through the back door and sent 1,500 taels of silver to Yan Shifan, and the household department gave the year to Yu Wangfu.

After a while, Mo Qi led the two people back to the study, and said excitedly: "Master, Gonggong Feng sees that you are here." ”

Zhang Juzheng hurriedly got up to greet him.

Because it was Xia Mu talking to his own family just now, there was only one candle in the study, and the light was dim and he couldn't see the comer.

Xia Mu saw that under the bright light of the snow, Feng Bao was dressed in a green sermon robe and pedant, with an elegant and amiable Cheng Zi scarf on his head. He waved at Zhang Juzheng, smiled deeply and said, "Mr. Zhang, Feng took the liberty to visit, and he also looked at Haihan. ”

"Where's the word?" Zhang Juzheng returned the salute while letting go, and replied, "Just now the concierge only said that the guest came, you must know that you are coming, I should go out to greet you, it is rude, it is rude." ”

Feng Baoti lifted the corner of his robe and sat down, and said, "Sir, you don't need to be polite, I ordered it like this, so as not to cause a lot of people to talk about it, and it is not good to spread it." ”

Feng Bao is four or five years older than Zhang Juzheng, but because he is neither male nor female, and he is well maintained, there is no wrinkle on his white and chubby face, and he looks younger than Zhang Juzheng.

At this time, Feng Bao saw that Zhang Juzheng actually had a guest, a young minister, and thought that he was a student of Zhang Juzheng, so he did not see him.

Zhang Juzheng saw that Feng Bao had neglected Xia Mu, and secretly screamed in his heart, this Feng Bao is usually cautious, how could he be confused today.

Xia Mu is a political envoy of the four grades and a protégé of the Son of Heaven, but he is an upstart in the imperial court.

I wanted to hurriedly introduce Feng Bao: "Gonggong Feng, this is my junior brother, and he is also the new envoy of the Left Army Governor's Mansion, Xia Mu, Xia Guangzhong." ”

As soon as Feng Bao heard this, he stood up from his seat, and a layer of dense sweat immediately appeared on his forehead, this big man in brocade clothes was actually here.

Recently, the one they have heard the most is the one in front of them, even Zhao Wenhua, Zhao Shangshu and Hu Zongxian, the governor of the southeast, are all folded in the hands of this person, no one in Sijiu City knows, no one knows!

"Lord Xia!" Feng Bao's face was immediately full of smiles, and he saluted Xia Mu.

Xia Muke knew this name, and when King Yu ascended the throne, this one was rising, so he naturally didn't dare to take it, and he was busy treating him politely: "I have heard the name of Gonggong Feng for a long time, and when I see it today, it is really better to be famous than to see it!" ”

When Feng Bao heard this, he was scared in his heart, and whoever was said by Jinyiwei had been worried about it for a long time, and his heart was empty.

Zhang Juzheng was secretly surprised, why did Feng Bao come uninvited today?

However, he was not in a hurry to get to the bottom of the matter, but he was in a hurry to get to the bottom of it: "A few days ago, I heard that a Suzhou woman came to Sulou in Curtain Hutong, who claimed to be the first master of silk and bamboo in the south of the Yangtze River, and admired Feng Gonggong's piano skills. ”

This Feng Bao is not a eunuch, he is also a cultured eunuch.

can't help but be proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics, and he can also make a good piano, which is deeply trusted by King Yu.

And Feng Bao has no other hobbies, he just likes to mingle with the girls in the Qinglou Teaching Workshop and teach them to play the piano.

If he didn't know that Feng Bao was a eunuch, he would really think that he was a merry genius.

But behind his back, everyone also called him a fake eunuch, and there was no such thing as a man, so he had to make do with it in the Qinglou Teaching Workshop, leaving people with a laughing stock.

However, this matter has become different in Xia Mu's eyes.

What is the Qinglou Teaching Workshop?

The land of three religions and nine streams, but it is also a place of pastime for high-ranking officials and nobles, princes and ministers, and that is the best place to find out the news.

Each girl slept with a minister, and maybe she learned some inside information.

If you want Xia Mu to say, this Feng Bao is really not simple, he endures humiliation and burden, and pretends to be in the name of his own habit to mix in the Qinglou, but in fact, he is secretly inquiring about all parties for the palace.

It's really high!