Mingzhu's Xinci Mansion is located in Huaishu Xiejie, which was originally the domain office of the former King Mingfu in Beijing. King Fu's mansion is far away in Luoyang, and according to the Ming law, the kings are not allowed to enter the capital without permission, so this house has actually been idle. If you talk about its regulation, it is gorgeous and magnificent, and no one can compare with the eight iron hat palaces in Beijing. Eight years ago, Kangxi was in power because of Aobai, and everyone was afraid of making a big move, and no one dared to ask about it. Ten years after Kangxi, several princes wanted to ask for a decree to live in, but they made trouble for no reason. Looking at the pavilions, pavilions, painted beams and carved buildings, the trees are shady, lush and lush, but no one dares to ask for it. But Mingzhu is not afraid of ghosts, and after playing Ming Kangxi, he lived in. It's strange to say, since he moved in, there are no ghosts.

Because he knew that Kangxi was going to see Gao Shiqi, the first thing Mingzhu did when he returned home was to order someone to arrange the mansion, and collect all such things as large glass dressing mirrors, gold-plated self-striking bells, jade pearl Ruyi, and golden Buddha and jade horses in the back garden. Mingzhu then remembered that he hadn't seen Gao Shiqi since he came back, so he sent someone to the study to ask his son Xingde to come forward for questioning. He sat tiredly, and just after taking a sip of tea, the old man of the doorman came in with a letter of worship and said, "Master Zhongtang, Jin Fuzhong is here to see!" ”

"Come in, please!" Mingzhu got up as soon as he pressed the table, and as soon as he arrived at the patio, he saw that Jin Fu had already entered the second door. Mingzhu smiled all over his face, arched his hand, and said, "Brother Zihuan, it's been a long time!" Since Kangxi said goodbye to Fengyang Mansion in the twelfth year, it has been five years in a blink of an eye, and my brother is very worried. Seeing that Jin Fu was followed by a woman in cloth and hairpins and two boys, he asked again, "These two are-"

"Let's go inside." Jin Fu replied, Mingzhu saw Xingde coming, so he gestured with his eyes to wait under the corridor, and then turned his face to Jin Fu and smiled: "Brother, what are you stunned about?" Please, please—brew four cups of Da Hong Pao tea given to me by the Holy Lord, and pack another pack for Lord Jin! ”

"Zihuan," Mingzhu said while serving tea to Jin Fu and Li Xiuzhi personally, "You have been here several times, I am not at home, I am really sorry, I dare not take the post seriously, so I have to return it." But your brother is too old-fashioned, and I can't run a few steps to see you? Seeing that the saint is on the throne - what is the will? As he spoke, he glanced at Li Xiuzhi and said with concern, "You just use tea, you don't have to be polite." ”

Seeing that Mingzhu was so hospitable, Jin Fu felt down-to-earth, and said with a smile: "The Holy Lord has summoned him three times, and because he was busy, he didn't say it thoroughly, so he ordered me to stay in Beijing for a few days......" As he spoke, he gave a general idea of the situation since he entered Beijing; and told Mingzhu about Li Xiuzhi's mother and son.

"Ah...... Good, good! Mingzhu vaguely agreed, sat down, held a cup of tea in both hands, and asked Xiuzhi, "What are you going to do now?" ”

"I don't know ......," Xiuzhi said as she lowered her head and wiped her tears.

Jin Fu was silent for a while, and said, "Jin Qing refuses to recognize each other, and she has no credentials in her hand, which is very tricky. If the emperor is alarmed, it seems that he is too harsh on Jin Qing, and Xiuzhi can't bear it - if it really can't be done, she has to send it to her mother for the time being......"

"Brother Zihuan doesn't have to worry about this, Mingzhu will do it all by himself!" Mingzhu made up her mind and said angrily, "What kind of evidence do you want for this kind of thing?" Now that Li Xiuzhi is not a witness? The poem written by Jin Qing is not physical evidence? - Look at these two children, pitiful, they are two little Li Guangdi! Before he finished speaking, Li Xiuzhi couldn't help it, tears fell in her eyes, and she couldn't stop sobbing. Mingzhu didn't pay attention to it, and only shouted loudly: "Old Wangtou, call the housekeeper!" Jin Fu and Xiuzhi glanced at each other in confusion, not knowing what this pearl was going to do, and when they didn't care, the housekeeper had already run in, asked An, and asked respectfully:

"What does the master command?"

"Didn't Tongzhou buy a new house?"

"Yes, it's done. Three into three courtyards, and a small garden at the back......"

"Alright." Mingzhu interrupted him, pointed at Xiuzhi and said, "This is Li Butang's wife." And the house was given to her to live in. You assign twenty girls and three old mothers to wait. Forty taels of silver are allocated every month according to the lady's monthly routine—be careful, let others know about this, and I will first uncover the skin of your servant! ”

Jin Fu opened his eyes wide and looked at Mingzhu with a smile on his face, he had long heard that Mingzhu was free and generous, light on money and charity, but at first sight, was it too much to treat him like this? Li Xiuzhi raised her tear-glistening eyes, looked at Jin Fu in amazement, got up and said, "Ming Zhongtang, how can this be done?" I'm here to defect to Lee Kong Tee, these two children are his blood and bones, and he can't leave them alone. I came from a humble background, not a blessed life, and I didn't break my yang longevity......"

"Mrs. Sister-in-law, don't say this, Mingzhu has also begged for food, and it's not a taste to send people under the fence." Mingzhu sighed and said, "Guangdi is not a person without conscience, and if he can't recognize your mother and son now, he must have his difficulties." He saw that he was going to be a scholar, and he couldn't do somersaults in this matter - in this way, this house and people are all lent to you by the pearl, and you haven't touched me with any light, and I will settle this account with Brother Jin Qing in the future. But just don't be in a hurry. I slowly looked at the opportunity to speak, he was young and new, and when he was about to save face, he made a big mess when he was in a hurry, and it was hard to call your heart! Brother Zihuan is also here, I explained what I said, you two can rest assured. ”

These words were eloquent, not only covering up for Li Guangdi, but also taking care of Li Xiuzhi's mother and son, and declaring that he had no other plans, Jin Fu's heart was hot when he heard it, and he nodded: "I didn't expect Ming Xiang to be so hot!" Li Xiuzhi led the two children to the ground early, crying like tears.

"I can't leave Brother Zihuan in vain." Mingzhu looked up at the sky, it was past noon, and he was afraid that Kangxi would suddenly arrive and bump into it not good-looking, so he smiled and said, "You go back first, after these two days, I will go to see you, but I will bother two glasses!" I heard that you were also charged one or two hundred taels of silver at the door, and I have already investigated this matter—these dog minions are really not things! My brother still took it back, there are many places in the capital where silver is used! With that, he handed back a silver ticket. Where is Jin Fu willing to answer, because he saw that Mingzhu still had something, he smiled and said, "Let's enjoy people eating tea." ”

After placing Li Xiuzhi's mother and son, Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief, and then asked Xingde: "Where are you Uncle Gao Shi?" ”

Nalan was born with a pink face and red lips, and he was neatly dressed and bowed down. Since Gao Shiqi came, Xingde pestered him every day to talk about poetry and ancient texts, and the two of them were inseparable as if they had forgotten their friendship. He looked up at his father and said softly, "Yesterday, Uncle Gao Shibo and Xu Shibo took their son to see the flower market. Later, Uncle Gao Shibo asked Xu Shibo to send me back in a sedan chair. He said that he would have to delay outside for a day, and he would be back tomorrow! ”

Gao Shiqi is often like this, and it is not unusual, and Kangxi may not come today. Mingzhu didn't ask again, but said: "What's the flower market, do you want to go for a day?" - What about you Xu Shibo? "Xu Shibo" is Xu Qianxue, the former champion, because he comes to the house to move around diligently, and his family is almost the same. Hearing his father's question, Xingde hurriedly said: "Xu Shibo was ordered to go to the Big Buddha Temple to visit Gu Yanwu and Fu Qingzhu. When I came back, I asked Mu Zixu to go with Shi Runzhang and Du Ne, saying that he would come back after a while......"

"Oops, Mingxiang!" The father and son were talking for a while, and Xu Qianxue's hearty laughter came from outside the second door, "Why did the house change so much overnight?" If it weren't for the two white marble lions at the door, he would have stepped on the wrong threshold in his later life! As he spoke, he came in with the curtain raised, and looked around while bowing his hand, "Ho! The shelves are full of books, the room is full of ink, it's really fascinating......"

Xu Qianxue's appearance is very ordinary, with goldfish eyes, hooked nose, a pair of violent teeth sticking out, blackened and yellow by smoke, a pair of tortoiseshell glasses hanging next to the placket with silk threads dangling and shaking, and the mouse's mustache trembling up and down when he speaks, how awkward it looks. When people see his dignity, they will unexpectedly think: "How can he be a champion with such a virtuous appearance?" "But he is a real first-class jinshi, a champion who knocks loudly, and he doesn't have to say anything about academic articles.

"Sit down!" Mingzhu patted the edge of the kang, waved his hand again to signal Destiny to retreat, and hurriedly asked, "Have you gone to He Guizhu's Mansion to meet the text?" Shi Yushan, how are they? Li Guangdi and Lao He are neighbors, so they should also go and take a look! ”

Xu Qianxue "snapped" the fire, snorted and smoked a few puffs of cigarettes, and Fang smiled: "Mrs. He Guizhu is dead, the funeral in front of me is lively, and it will be unwritten in the back garden, and the words will disperse after talking for a while." These two gentlemen are not as good as the two in the Big Buddha Temple, and Shi and Du are quite happy. He also said: 'Even if you don't get it, you won't come to Beijing in vain' - what else does this say? Jin Qing went there, the shelf is very big, I don't see it! said that Du Mensi had thought about it - in fact, I also knew in my heart that Chen Menglei had already handed over to Dali Temple for trial, and it was estimated that Long Live would have to interrogate the lawsuit between the two of them, and he was just hiding from suspicion. ”

"Okay, I'm a university scholar, just waiting to enter the study to Xuan Ma and worship the prime minister!" Mingzhu pouted and smiled, "Long live the tone of the mouth is afraid that it will not be tried again." But it's true that he wants to kill Chen Xingzhai, you must know that there are many unsatisfactory things in the world! Tell you, the emperor has secretly summoned Chen Menglei. He asked me what to do with it. Do you think, there is no proof of death between him and Jin Qing, and people are good at killing indiscriminately? Chen Xingzhai is such a good scholar, the emperor has always loved it, I asked the emperor to send him to Fengtian, and he will be transferred back after two years. "This case can't be tried." Xu Qianxue squinted his eyes and said with a smile: "Dali Temple interrogated him, and I heard that he only asked one sentence and then quit the hall." Mingzhu asked in surprise, "How can that be?" ”

"They asked, 'Chen Menglei, why are you an official in the rebel army?' "Xu Qianxue said," Chen Menglei said, 'It is an envoy sent by the emperor in person on October 10, the ninth year of Kangxi! —How do you ask any further? ”

"And they scattered?" Mingzhu couldn't help laughing, and Xu Qianxue said with a smile: "They can't bring the emperor to Dali Temple to confront them!" ”

The two of them were talking and laughing, and the old king came in with a large stack of red prayer stickers, respectfully presented them on the table, but slowly retreated. Mingzhu knew that this was all sent by the officials of the pavilion who didn't know how many joints they had passed, and he didn't want to see it at this time, because he saw that Xu Qianxue was about to resign, so he said: "Take these posts out and return them." There are thousands of officials who want to donate, who doesn't want to fill the vacancies? They all begged me like this, and I couldn't do it even if I was a thousand-armed Guanyin - tell them to go to the official headquarters and wait! ”

Xu Qianxue took the post and muttered a little: These donors don't know how much money it took to get to this point. Just ask for the pearl to see it, and you can't see it. Why should I be a wicked man? He groaned, flipping the letters upside down in his hand. Suddenly, a burst of wild laughter erupted, "There are parents who give their sons such a name!" Xu Qianxue has been studying for many years, but he doesn't have such insight, it is really a big world, and there are no surprises! When Mingzhu took it and looked at it, he saw that the words "Xu Yu Mao Gong knocked Ming Xiang Wan'an" were written on the top of the post, and he couldn't help laughing, so he asked Lao Wangtou to go out and spread the word: Call this surnamed Xu in, and see you in half a month. Xu Qian's students were afraid that Mingzhu would give him any more difficult errands, so he bowed down and resigned.

In a moment, an official with a wide mouth walked briskly, wearing a robe of eight pythons and five claws, decorated with white pheasants, and wearing a crystal top, and slapped his horseshoe sleeves in the patio, kowtowed, and reported his name.

"Hmm." Mingzhu half-leaned back on the chair, forced a smile, played with his post with both hands, and said in an official tone: "Come in!" Are you a donor? ”

"Yes." The official replied, "The county prince who was donated by Kangxi for 14 years has gradually become the title of prefect...... Oh, this time in Beijing, my father ordered my brother to bring a good inkstone, dedicate it to the middle hall, and look forward to it......," the official said, while taking out a boxy red envelope from his bosom and presenting it.

Mingzhu took it, her hand sinking downward, knowing that it must be made of gold—but she was in no hurry to open it. He just casually put the "inkstone" on the table and said: "The prefect's interest is already very good, why do you still have to drill the door?" "Zhongtang Mingjian: The next official picture is to be able to glorify the ancestors and contribute to the emperor!" Mingzhu smiled: "You seem to be quite smart. But I think I have to add a sentence, I also have to do something good for the people in office, and make up for the vacancy, and there will naturally be news after the officials of the Ministry send the votes. ”

"Xie Zhongtang!"

Mingzhu saw him taking a cup of tea and knew that he was going to retreat, so he smiled and said, "Don't be busy." I think you seem to have read some books, why did you choose such a name, how can this be presented to the Imperial Review? ”

"The lowly ranking belongs to the 'ball' generation, because of the lack of water in the hit, so the ancestors of the family named 'Qiuren'." Xu Qiuren said inexplicably, "I don't know why it's inconvenient to submit it to the emperor?" ”

Mingzhu listened to it, and knew that his original name was "Xu Qiuren", but I don't know who added a stroke to the word "Qiuren" and became "Mao", and it was inconvenient to say it at the moment, so he only smiled and asked: "Which scribe did you give this post to?" ”

"It's not a scrivener," Xu Qiuren hurriedly bowed down and said with a smile, "It's a gentleman surnamed Gao in the house who happened to come to the scrivener's room and took the post of a humble post......"

Everything is understood, it's this Gao Shiqi who is playing tricks on people again! Sending Xu Qiuren away, Mingzhu couldn't help but burst into flames. What "four drums", what "higher than Du Shang", he actually played tricks on people; It must have been Gao Shiqi who accepted Xu's money, and he was afraid that he would not accept it because he was in a bad mood, so he came up with this joke. Thinking about it, I couldn't help but feel a cold cold air hitting Mingzhu's heart. He didn't care about being scolded, what was chilling was that this person was so aware of his temper and played with himself! Thinking about it, there is no unscrupulous plan to rectify Gao Shiqi at this time. Mingzhu's eyes dimmed, and he put the post aside without saying a word, gritted his teeth and said to himself: "I don't want to fill the gap for the surname Xu, wait for him to bite you!" ”

Gao Shiqi didn't know what had changed in the day he left the house. There is a reason why he took Xu Qianxue and sexual virtue in the South Ximen Flower Market. Because he saw Fang Lan with a girl, she was going to the Baiyi Temple on Locust Street to burn incense. About the sake of the improvement of the family's business, Fang Lan has become more and more beautiful. He wore a small jacket embroidered with a bow and button, and a coat of apricot yellow silk and shoulders, but the pleated skirt underneath was green. Gao Shiqi watched the small bamboo sedan chair pass by leisurely, and followed not far behind, secretly thinking in his heart: "In terms of identity, of course, it is not as good as Chen Tianyi; Speaking of being small, it's a hundred times stronger! Phew, what is the beauty of everyone, the country is beautiful, how can it be compared to such a small jasper? ”

Seeing that Fang Lan got off the sedan chair next to the flagpole in front of the temple, a master and a servant took their hands in the basin in front of the steps, Gao Shiqi grabbed it in a few steps, and without waiting for the girl to splash water, he hurriedly washed his hands with the residual water, but he seemed to have forgotten to bring a handkerchief, and his wet hands were dazed.

"Isn't this Mr. Gao?" Fang Lan blinked an eye, saw that it was Gao Shiqi, surprised and delighted, hurriedly squatted Fang Fu, pursed her lips and smiled, "You are auspicious!" I haven't seen you these days, and you look much better than before - Mei Xiang, take my handkerchief to Mr. Gao and wipe his hands! ”

These warblers and swallows, delicate spring cries, coupled with the smile like a dizzy and flowing like waves, almost overwhelmed Gao Shiqi. While making an idea, he slowly wiped his hands and asked, "How are you ...... Also here? Because scholars rarely go to the Guanyin Temple to gather incense, this sentence should have been asked by Fang Lan, but Gao Shiqi asked this first, but Fang Lan was stunned. Seeing that Gao Shiqi finished wiping his hands, shook Par, and stuffed it into his sleeve, Fang Lan couldn't help blushing, her heart was beating suddenly, and she slowly lowered her head, and was speechless for a while. Na Meixiang was quick-mouthed, and replied on the side: "The shopkeeper Liu promised the girl to the Hu family at the east gate, and just after the appointment, I heard that the young master of the Hu family had tuberculosis, and urged the girl to cross the door and rejoice...... The girl came here to make a vow to Guanyin Bodhisattva......"

When Gao Shiqi heard "Xu Hu Family", his head "buzzed", and the words behind him were no longer word-for-word, just a bucket of ice and snow water poured down, and it was not so cold. He shuddered, came back to his senses after a while, and reluctantly smiled: "...... That's the way it should be. Go and ask the Buddha, and I'll go over there and rejoice. I'll have something to say when I come out in a moment......"

Watching them enter the temple, Gao Shiqi sat down on the stone steps, hugged his knees and thought about it for a long time, but still felt that things were tricky and difficult to come up with.