Li looked at the skinny little child, not to mention Wang Jing, it was Wang Zhang, Wang Rui and Wang Rui were stronger than him when they were twelve years old. From the moment he entered the door, he was a little restrained, and he said whatever the eighteenth old lady asked him to say, at best he was honest, and to put it bluntly, he was timid.

In all fairness, although Li felt that this child was pitiful, she was still a little reluctant to pass on to her own name.

Lian seemed to know Li's thoughts, so he first turned his head to the eighteenth old lady and said, "You take the children down to have some snacks and tea first, and I still have something to say to the sixteenth brother and sister." ”

The eighteenth old lady glanced at Lian's family, looked at Li's family, and saw that no one paid attention to her on either side, so she only dragged her grandson down.

When only he and Li were left in the room, Lian said earnestly: "I like this child, in fact, because I like him to be filial and studious. The last time I went to the eighteenth brother's house, I happened to see him serving the sick in front of the eighteenth brother and sister, and he would personally taste the temperature of all the medicinal food to be fed to his grandmother. You didn't see it just now, he still has burns on his hands, which was burned when he was boiling medicine, and I feel distressed when I look at it. ”

Lian shook his head and said: "Ask him what books he has read, he has read all the subsets of classics and histories at a young age, and his grandmother asked him to memorize them to me in person, and he can memorize the four books backwards." ”

Li Shi was a little puzzled when he heard this: "If you are good at learning, why is it not good in family studies?" "The genealogy of the Wang family also has the role of selecting talents, and all good seedlings in the Wang family will be selected by the clan and focused on training.

Hearing this, Lian snorted coldly: "I also asked this, guess what?" Originally, he also went to the clan to study with other clansmen, but because the brother above was stubborn, he couldn't see that he was better than himself. As long as he sees that he has won the praise of his husband, he will punch and kick him. The kid was threatened not to show his talent in the school. ”

"Is there such a thing?" The Li family was shocked, how could the Wang family come out with such a junior?

Lian Shi looked angry: "It's not all. Those few who didn't learn well, and in the end they didn't even go to the clan study, not only did they not go, but they also didn't allow the child to go. In the end, he had to stay at home and study on his own. ”

Li frowned: "Eighteen brothers and sisters don't care?" ”

Lian's face tightened: "You don't know what she looks like?" When he was young, he was timid and afraid of things, and everything was brought by the eighteenth brother Hu, and one by one he had to pull women into the room. It's old now. The children born to those women have grown up again, how can she be able to control them? She still has to think about how to feed that family. ”

Li sighed and shook his head silently.

Lian Shi said again: "I think, this kid is filial. If you can read again, won't it just be sent to your house? ”

Li Shi thought about it, but still said: "I still have to think about this matter, and then I have to ask the master what he means, I ......."

Lian interrupted with a wave of his hand: "Don't tell me what you have and don't, what else do you think?" I made you think about it ten years ago, and the result? It's been so long for you to drag it out. Do you have to wait until you're all in the ground to think about it? ”

Lee's face was also a little unpleasant. Lian said mercilessly: "It's not that I don't want to give you time to pick slowly." It's just that the sixteenth brother is also in his fifties this year, how many more years can you stay in this position when he is him? You must have seen it in this year's scientific expedition, the emperor attaches great importance to it and asks questions everywhere, what is the result? There are a total of 186 people above the second grade, and ten of them are under the age of forty. Don't you understand? ”

Li sighed: "Why don't I understand? The lord also understands that the emperor is young and vigorous and ambitious. It's just that there are many political opinions that are contrary to those old courtiers left by the emperor. When the emperor was young. Those people can still be dissuaded by the 'last order of the emperor', but where can they be willing to be constrained now? As soon as our lord came to the palace exam, he sighed. I'm afraid it's all those young people's world from now on. ”

Lian nodded: "I knew you were an understanding person." Once a son of heaven and a courtier, it's just that the foundation of those people is still deeper after all, and the Shen family is behind it, and the saint wants to exchange blood for fear that there is great resistance. However, no matter how the situation in the DPRK and China changes, our royal family has only one position, and that is to be loyal to the monarch. Our Wang family is now a sword in the hands of the saint, so you and I can be reused. It's just that when the situation in the DPRK and China is settled, even if the saint does not open his mouth to let the eighteenth brother and the eldest and second brother of my family retreat, they will have to retreat with the trend. Even though they are royalists, they are old in the eyes of outsiders. ”

Li also knows this. It is not without reason that the Wang family has been rich for so many generations. One of the biggest reasons is knowing how to see the situation clearly. The royal family will never back down when they need your help, and when the matter is done, they will keep their heads in the dark and set a good example for other courtiers.

Correspondingly, the emperors of the past dynasties will also return the favor. Xu Wang's family is rich and noble, and gives a certain trust. The Wang family of each generation, the ones with the highest official positions, may not be the best readers, and they may not be the most prestigious in the Wang family. But it must be the best to advance and retreat.

Li Shi was a little puzzled, Lian started to talk to her about the matter of the heir, how could it be related to state affairs. Even the family rarely talked about national affairs with them.

Lian glanced at the Li family and said lightly: "You think you can wait a few more years before thinking about the heir, but I'm afraid the clan can't wait." You know, the Wang family is not just our two-room Wang family. In many things, the interests of the clan should still be put first. After our first room and eighteen brothers retire from the court, the saint will definitely not treat the Wang family badly, so these young children of the Wang family will be treated preferentially. ”

"Fourth sister-in-law means ......," Li frowned.

Lian Shi looked at Li, and his voice was still faint: "I don't believe you still don't understand." Then I'll put it bluntly, according to the rules of our dynasty, officials above the third grade in Beijing can enter the national prison. And the eighteenth brother is a veteran of the two dynasties, the teacher of the saint, after a hundred years, he may be worthy of enjoying the Taimiao, and it is more likely that he will directly sprout a son into the court as an official, which has many precedents in my dynasty. The heir of the eighteenth brother, even if he is mediocre and incompetent, has nothing, as long as he is virtuous and does not make big mistakes, he will also be a big support in my clan in the future. ”

Li Shi was silent, she really didn't understand this, she just didn't think about it. Wang Xian is actually proud, in his concept, children and grandchildren have their own children and grandchildren, and he can't look down on this kind of cute official way.

But just because they don't care doesn't mean that other people don't care either. Even in the eyes of the Lian clan, this is still the interest of the clan, and it is not something they can do without if they say they don't want it.

Lian picked up the tea bowl on the table: "The words have come to this, this is the decision of the clan, and I am not the one who has the final say, I am just considering it for you, and I will choose the right one for you among the children of the clan." Since you said that you want to go back and discuss with the eighteenth brother, then I will give you some more time, and at the latest you will write the person's name into the ancestral hall genealogy before the ancestor worship in the mid-year festival this year. I also give you a few more years to teach people well. ”

The Li family knew that even if Wang Xian was still the highest official in the Wang family. But under the so-called "decision of the clansmen", there is nothing that can be done. Back then, the clan had already given Wang Xian face, so he would delay this matter for more than ten years. This time, I'm afraid it's ......

Li sighed lightly: "I know, I will discuss with the master when I go back, and I will definitely give you an answer as soon as possible." ”

Lian nodded in satisfaction and said no more.

When the Li family came out of the room, Wang Zheng was already waiting outside. Seeing that Li Shi walked out with a tired face, Wang Zheng greeted him with some distress: "Mother, she didn't embarrass you, right?" ”

Li stretched out his hand to stop Wang Zheng's words, and motioned for her to leave with him.

When the two came out, they happened to meet Sanniang who was coming here.

Sanniang saw the mother and daughter coming out of the main courtyard together, so she stopped, although the two of them couldn't see anything, but the atmosphere was still a little dull.

"My mother and I are going back home first." Wang Zheng said to Sanniang, her voice was a little deeper than usual, so much like she had just cried.

Sanniang thought for a while: "I'll go with you too, when I came out today, my mother asked me to go back earlier." "Jiang naturally wouldn't make this kind of request to Sanniang, and Sanniang just found an excuse to go first.

At this time, the banquet had already been carried out for most of the time, and there were many people leaving one after another, which was not noticeable.

Li nodded and walked ahead. Sanniang and Wang Zheng walked side by side, bowed Wang Zheng and said nothing, Sanniang gently shook her hand. Wang Zheng raised his head, looked at Sanniang, and reluctantly showed a smile.

Sanniang and Wang Zheng got into Li's carriage and walked together.

As soon as Wang Zheng arrived in the car, his eyes turned red: "I really hate myself, why am I not a man." If I were a man, you wouldn't have been bullied by them, mother. ”

Li Shi laughed when she heard this, she reached out to help Wang Zheng pin the hair that was scattered from her sideburns behind her ear and said, "I don't want you to be a man." ”

"How?" Wang Zheng sniffed.

Li quipped: "You're naughty enough if you're a woman, but if you're a man, then what's the point?" Isn't it me and your father who suffer in the end? ”

Wang Zheng burst into tears and laughed. Li Shi took out a handkerchief and wiped Wang Zheng's face: "Look, how old is it?" I still love to cry so much. In front of the younger generation, he is not afraid of losing face. ”

Wang Zheng glanced at Sanniang, who was smiling but silent: "Sanniang, this girl, what the hell, she won't talk nonsense so blindly." ”

Sanniang couldn't smile bitterly. Is this praising her or scolding her?

"You all know?" Li Shi saw that Wang Zheng's mood had improved, so he asked the two of them.

Wang Zheng pouted: "It's the maid who is waiting outside to listen to the maid of the eighteenth aunt." It's no secret that when Aunt Eighteen came, everyone wanted to know that her grandson was going to enter our house. (To be continued)