In the evening, dinner was eaten. The Lu family and his wife were talking in the house, and Hu Fei quietly pulled Chunying to the edge of the mulberry tree field in the backyard.

The backyard had been cleared, and next to the mulberry floor was a newly built shelf, with a few wooden benches and a low wooden table underneath, and the snow was on the surface at this time, and it was cold and wet, and it was not a good place to sit. There is also a pile of firewood close to a person high, and on the side of the firewood is the scraps of wood left over from the grape rack, and Lu's mother muttered only the day before yesterday, asking her husband to make a chicken coop and buy a few chickens to raise, ready to eat for the New Year.

Chun Ying waved her hands, looked at the bench in embarrassment, turned back to Hu Fei and said, "Why did you go outside?" It had only snowed in the morning, and the snow had not yet dried, so it was strangely cold. The wind blows, and after a while it freezes to death. ”

Hu Fei smiled and reached over to hold her: "It's warmer?" Chun Ying was stunned for a moment, feeling that the warmth of his palms was still wet, and he didn't know if it was nervous sweat. The heart was sweet, and his face involuntarily became hot, and his voice dropped an octave: "What are you doing?" Beware of the fact that my father and mother saw ...... "wanted to break away from his hand, but saw him holding on tightly, although he was shy, he didn't insist anymore."

Hu Fei looked at her with a smile, held her hand, and pasted it on his cheeks: "I just drank two glasses of wine, and my face is hot, do you touch it?" Chunying took a bite of him and hurriedly withdrew her hand, but the warmth on his face seemed to remain on her fingertips.

Chun Ying calmed her heartbeat slightly, and then glanced at Hu Fei: "You specially pulled me out just to say that good news, right?" What can't you say in the house? Let's talk about it! ”

Hu Fei said with a smile: "This matter is just an internal decision, and it can't be leaked out for the time being, because it's you, I just said it, Uncle Lu and Aunt Lu can't hear it, but in the house, I can't avoid the second elder, and I can't go up to your house to say it, so I have to come here." There is a courtyard wall in the way, and there are mulberry trees, and no one outside can hear or see. ”

"The more I talk about it, the more I lose it! If you have something to say, say it! Chunying glared at him angrily, and Hu Fei hurriedly surrendered: "Okay, okay, it's cold outside, let's talk about it quickly." ”

He glanced around. Only then did he lean into Chunying's ear and said, "I got a letter from a friend in the palace today, and the emperor has decided to use me!" However, it is not to manage the fleet, but to assist Nanyang Shipping! ”

Chunying was first overjoyed, and then a little puzzled: "What do you mean...... Associate Shipping? ”

"That's a long story." Hu Fei said, "I heard that it is because the emperor recently feels that the Nanyang fleet is in the hands of the major families, and they are all in charge of buying and selling, and the authority is too great, and he is worried that someone will take advantage of the wealth to influence the price of Nanyang goods, thereby disturbing the people's livelihood, and even some merchants take advantage of the situation to meddle in the government, so he plans to open a special foreign department to manage the Nanyang shipping business, and all the fleets go to sea and return to the sea, what goods they bring away, what goods they bring back, who they hand over to sell, how much they sell, and so on, all of which must be registered one by one." Moreover, every time he sailed, he was accompanied by a palace envoy, and the chief official was served by the internal supervisor around the emperor, and several people who were familiar with Nanyang affairs were specially appointed to assist. Originally, with my age and qualifications, it was far from enough, but those who are familiar with the Nanyang terroir are private individuals of various families, and I know one or two friends in the palace, so they will fill me up. ”

Although he said that he was a full number, he could see that there was quite a color between his eyebrows, and Chunying couldn't help but spit out while being happy for him: "So, you entered through the back door?" Beware that the emperor sees you and says that you are too young and must have come to fool people, so he will beat you out, and you will lose face for eight lifetimes! ”

Hu Fei snorted twice with bad intentions: "Laugh at me? Let you taste my awesomeness! With that, he stretched out his hand and scratched Chunying's armpit. Chunying couldn't help laughing, and begged for mercy while hiding: "It's my mistake, good brother, spare me!" ”

There was a loud cough from Lu Yougui in the house, Chunying and Hu Fei were quiet, snickering at each other, and hurriedly stood up straight again and tidied up the clothes on their bodies. Chunying glanced at Hu Fei: "Look, it's all your fault!" What do you mean by calling my father heard......"

Hu Fei grinded his teeth when he heard this, and was about to reach out and scratch it again, Chun Ying hurriedly jumped two steps away, and begged softly: "Okay, okay, I won't laugh, let's be serious." He cleared his throat. He took a tentative step back before lowering his voice and saying, "The emperor is planning to take power, right?" Didn't I hear that this Nanyang fleet is too ...... Emperor Taizong specially allowed several great families to build? I remember that when Miss Huo Jiabiao wanted to hand over the control of the fleet back to the royal family, it seemed that there was a seal, which was given by Emperor Taizong himself, right? Now the emperor has even rehabilitated the bitter master of the unjust case decided by the previous emperor by his brothers, and now he wants to take control of the Nanyang fleet, won't the major families object? What if the will of Emperor Taizong is brought out, and the ancestral family law is said, and the emperor is asked to take back the order? Taishi Liang's gang is still there, so he is so relieved? ”

Hu Fei looked at Chun Ying with some surprise: "It's hard for you to think of this, but the emperor has already thought about it." Now several Nanyang fleets, some have changed hands, and the remaining few have not many forces in the court, even if it is your Qingguo Marquis Mansion, there are only a few nominal official positions, and the position of important ministers is not in the turn, and most of them are under the sign of loyalty to the monarch and dare not speak openly. The emperor is now full-fledged, and he is no longer as restrained as before. Moreover, the fleet that originally belonged to the Huo family has not yet decided on the person in charge, and there are several families in contention, including two of them. They are the cronies of King Ke's Mansion and the in-laws of the Liu family, both of whom are strong and have big backers. I heard that the Queen Mother advocated handing over the fleet to these two families, and the rest of the families still have opportunities on the surface, but in fact, they have long since failed. Hu Neijian in the palace told me that many of the 24 yamen were in charge of their people, and even if the emperor handed over the fleet to his own people, it would be hollowed out, and it would be even more difficult to speak in the future. So, just in case. I'm going to have a draw from the bottom of the kettle! Even if they really win the fleet, they won't make any money! But what is the specific, it is still being discussed, and it is specially strictly ordered not to be spread! Don't let the wind go. ”

Chunying nodded solemnly, and sighed again: "It makes sense for the emperor to think so. A vassal king like King Ke, although he has no territory and lives in Beijing, seems to be very safe, but if his family gets control of the fleet, secretly transports the family property, daughters and children overseas, and fails to do anything in Beijing, they will get on the ship and run away, and go to the warm climate of the South China Sea to find a larger, fertile island, recuperate, and be regarded as a self-established king, even if they do not come back to make trouble, they may send troops to harass the coastal areas, if it is a little worse, collude with some Japanese pirates, or disguise themselves as pirates or the like, and plunder civilian ships and merchant ships. Wouldn't it be troublesome to stop other fleets that went to the South Seas, kill people, and steal property? ”

Hu Fei gasped when he heard this: "I didn't even think of this!" Hao Chun'er, thanks to your reminder, when I go back and tell Hu Neijian that I want them to be very careful, if they can hand over the fleet to King Ke's Mansion and the Liu family, don't hand it over, I'm afraid that they may not really value that bit of silver! ”

Chun Ying pursed her lips and smiled, feeling a little happy in her heart, but soon remembered one more thing: "You said that you have the opportunity to join the assistant shipping department of the foreign department...... Let me ask you, what kind of yamen does this foreign division belong to? It can't be the twenty-four yamen, right?! "That's a eunuch institution!

Hu Fei was shocked: "How come?!" This is under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Households! But he is not under the command of the household department, there is a special eunuch in charge, and he only obeys the emperor's orders......" thought about it. A little helpless, "Okay, it sounds like they are under the twenty-four yamen, but the assistant people proposed by the emperor, several of them are people outside the palace, and there are also officials from the household department, and two of them are still from families, but because they are familiar with Western characters, they are favored by the emperor." I was born as a son of an imperial merchant, and I have been familiar with gold and silver treasures since I was a child, and I have been mixing overseas for a few years, and I can tell the value of those Nanyang jewels and jade at a glance, so I am fortunate to be among them. ”

Chunying was puzzled: "What does this have to do with the West?" Isn't it specifically in charge of Nanyang shipping? ”

Hu Fei said patiently: "Nanyang has been a lot, things are not as rare as in the early years, I used to use the products there as treasures, and brought back a few boats of pearl coral, but they were sold cheaply." When the emperor heard that the West was rich, he planned to send a fleet to explore, and I heard that when Emperor Taizong was in the past, there was also a Zheng Neijian who went and left a number of records. However, this is the old emperor's calendar, in order to find people who understand Western characters, the inner supervisors specially went to the major temples to find monks who understand Sanskrit, and then they heard about the two children of the family who understand Buddhism. ”

Chunying was confused: "Sanskrit? That's not ......" immediately reacted: By the way, the current Western Ocean is India, and she remembered it wrong.

Although it is not a modern "Western", but it is far enough, Chunying solemnly instructed Hu Fei: "You must not get involved!" After walking for a few years, I finally came back, and now the sea is not safe, and I don't know what wind and waves will be encountered, you ...... "whispered, "don't let people worry......"

Hu Fei smiled and held her hand: "Don't worry, I won't be stupid." What to do in the West? I stayed in Beijing to be the official of this assistant, and there is still a rank, and when Ming'er met my brother in an official uniform, he still had to kowtow to me! Just to avoid being looked down upon, I had to buy a piece of land as soon as possible, so as not to make people laugh at me for being an unruly merchant. "Since he returned to Beijing, he has never opened a shop to officially engage in business, and few people know about the things when he was down, and it is not a shame for him to buy a field property and enter the company as a squire or the son of an imperial merchant.

But Chun Ying thought of something else. If Hu Fei has an official position, then her marriage with him ...... Isn't it troublesome? She is still a slave...... If you get married first and then get promoted, then it's a different matter. She glanced at Hu Fei carefully, hesitating whether to remind him, but ...... With Hu Fei's temper, what if he really gave up this opportunity for his own sake? She had heard some rumors from Shi'er, and knew that when she was punished in the wife's courtyard that day, Hu Fei took a big risk to save herself, and she was moved, but also a little worried that he would be impulsive.

This opportunity is rare for Hu Fei, right? He'll be able to raise his eyebrows later. He has done so much for himself, should he talk too much? She really didn't want to be a stumbling block for Hu Fei......

Hu Fei saw that there was a little different color on her face, and hurriedly asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Chunying wanted to speak and stopped, and suddenly heard her father shouting in the house: "It's dark!" Isn't it cold outside?! Let's clean up the yard tomorrow! Hu Fei hurriedly whispered in her ear: "Let's go in, you must keep it secret, this matter will not be decided until at least April and May next year." In case of leakage, there are many variables. ”

Chunying's mind was racing, and she decided not to mention it for the time being, and see how the situation was. Anyway, there is a chance to leave the house in the spring, and if things go well, there is no need to ask more about it.

In order to buy land, Hu Fei had to wander around the nearby area for several days, asking which family had land for sale, but unfortunately he couldn't buy satisfactory land in the Daxing area. Chunying persuaded him to go farther away, and the horizontal and vertical horseback riding would soon arrive, and the horses and Dongdian Village would be lively, and there might be a suitable grange. Hu Fei then went over there.

Chunying lived in the village, and in winter, she gathered with the girls and daughters-in-law to do needlework on the hot kang. Shi'er often asked her to be a guest at home.

Zhuangtou's house is two-in, the place is big, and spacious, in addition to the Shi'er family to live, Aunt Wang also bought two little girls to come back to help with the work, and hired an old couple to serve Uncle Wang. Although the family was a slave, they lived the same life as the landlord.

Chunying has been very comfortable recently, there is hot tea, fragrant snacks, there are only her and Shi'er in the room, she doesn't have to worry about others gossiping, she can make new cotton jackets and new leather boots for Hu Fei generously. Shi'er made fun of her at most, but she wouldn't say anything outside. Aunt Wang was busy gathering the girls and daughters-in-law of the village all day and night to collect shoe soles and sew cotton jackets, and when they were ready to return to Beijing to deliver New Year's goods, they could be handed over to the Hou Mansion steward - this was also an obligation of the Zhuangzi farmers, which were usually issued to low-ranking servants to wear. Because they are newcomers, Aunt Wang has no time to take care of them. Chunying can even talk loudly to Shi'er about the gossip of the Hou Mansion, or scold the master's family for a few cruel words.

Shi'er told her a piece of news: "Yesterday, an aunt of mine came to visit us, and I heard her say that the family of the second master of Dongfu may be coming back, no later than a year!" At that time, I don't know if they will stay in Beijing as an official, if their family stays, they may have to change the head of the village. ”

Chunying said: "When their family came back a few years ago, they didn't say anything, did they?" As long as Uncle Wang does a good job and does not lose the things of the second master's family, they may not be replaced. Even if it is really changed, your family can go back to the house and find another errand. ”

Shi'er sighed: "I'd rather stay here!" When I went back, I don't know when I annoyed my master. I heard that the rules in Dongfu should be looser, and the second wife is also kind, although the second old lady has a strict temperament, she never scolds her subordinates easily. It's a pity that I didn't have a good time, and I went to the Hou Mansion on an errand first, so I had to suffer from this. ”

Chunying said with a smile: "If you are really envious, it is better to wait for their family to come back next year, and ask someone to say, it is better to change the master, anyway, your sister is over there, isn't it?" ”

Shi'er shook her head with a wry smile, and suddenly a little girl came, and said in a panic: "There is a little brother in front of me, saying that it is ...... said that he was looking for Sister Lu's ......"

Shi'er frowned: "Make it clear, who is looking for her?" Even if you are not a lady from a big family, there is no reason for a man to come to see her immediately! ”

"No...... No......" The little girl was a little scared," he said...... He said that it was the third young master of the Hou Mansion who wanted to find Sister Lu......"

"Huh?!" Chunying and Shi'er glanced at each other, hurriedly climbed off the kang, and ran to the door.