Chapter 013: Jinling Elegance

Chen Cao did not have the same room with Li Fengchun, in his eyes, at least Li Fengchun is now his own person, not a prostitute in a brothel for people to be pressed casually, Chen Cao's idea is to keep the best side, how to have a poetic feeling, otherwise the impression on Li Fengchun is not good.

"Isn't the master worth it today?" Li Fengchun put the tea on the desk and gently poured the tea into the cup.

"I don't think you need to call me master, I don't care much older than you, besides, you will be my Chen Cao's woman in the future, call me husband." Chen Cao said indifferently.

Li Fengchun's face was red, his eyes were clear and bright, Chen Caode's words made Li Fengchun's heart flutter, they are not qualified to call their men husbands when they marry, they can only be called lords, and they can only be called by the main room, obviously she has a very high status in Chen Cao's heart, even if she has not had sex with herself for a few days.

Chen Cao continued: "By the way, your maid Xiaolan is also quite beautiful, um..."

"Why don't you let Xiaolan make her husband's bed tonight?" Li Fengchun asked with a red face.

Chen Cao felt refreshed for a while, thinking that this could be had, but he was really embarrassed to show it, so he shook his head: "I just ask casually, you don't care." ”

"Master, there are people outside asking to see you." Xiaolan stood outside the study and whispered, obviously she had heard a lot of the conversation between Chen Cao and Li Fengchun just now.

The person who came was a steward of the Duke of Wei's mansion, and his intention was that Xu Hongji, the Duke of Wei, wanted to see Chen Cao.

It's easy to kneel, and with Chen Cao's current identity, Xu Hongji won't admonish him too much.

In the second hall of the Wei State Mansion, Xu Wenjue was reading the novel, Chen Cao took a closer look after entering the door, and found that it was one of the eagle archery he wrote, and he couldn't help laughing secretly, thinking that Xu Hongji was also a young man, and he had a certain good impression of this thing.

Sure enough, Xu Hongji couldn't help nodding when he read the highlights, and then drank tea and said something.

"The last general, Chen Cao, has seen the grandfather." After Chen Cao entered the hall, he still respectfully saluted Xu Hongji.

Xu Hongji raised his head: "Oh, Chen Cao, you're here," and put the book down as he said: "You kid has some talent, this kind of thing is written by you, damn it, it's just a little less lustful." ”

Xu Hongji burst into a foul mouth, and Wei Zhong, the big housekeeper next to him, couldn't help frowning, but he didn't dare to be disrespectful to the Guogong, after all, he was just a domestic slave.

"Grandpa has won the award, if Grandpa likes that, etc., the last general can also write it out and give it to Grandpa to read." Chen Cao clenched his fists and said.

When Xu Hongji heard this, his eyes lit up and said, "Really?" It is so good, if you write well, I will reward you well. Saying that, he looked at Wei Zhong and said, "Look at it, who said that I only have five big and three thick men in the Wei State Mansion?" This Chen Cao is not talking big, at least he is better than those prisoners of the country. ”

Wei Zhong finally couldn't help it, and let Xu Wenjue say that he could not care about other things, but when it came to things in the imperial court, he couldn't come nonsense: "Grandpa be cautious..."

Xu Hongji nodded, knowing that he had said the wrong thing, and then said embarrassedly: "It's a pity that you are from a military family, if not, my father thinks that with your literary talent, it should be reasonable to be born as a Jinshi." ”

"Grandpa is too worried, my Chen family is the general of the Guogong Mansion, and in the last generation, he will naturally also work for the Guogong Mansion, if there is a place for the last general, please ask the grandfather to command."

Xu Hongji nodded with satisfaction, then chatted with Chen Cao for a few more words, and then praised Chen Cao's actions in Liaodong, gave Chen Cao some rewards, and let Chen Cao leave.

On the way, Chen Cao figured out that a powerful person with a status like the Duke of Wei has his own set of ways to control the subordinates, even if Chen Cao's identity is more powerful than before, but in this era of the relationship between the end and the end, he has never been able to get rid of the relationship with the Duke of Wei, and the lackeys under the door are talking about people like Chen Cao.

'Caigen Tan must come out in advance, and if you plagiarize late, you won't have a chance to make a name for yourself', Chen Cao thought to himself.

Chen Cao is trying to plagiarize here, and in the private room of the restaurant in Qinhuaihe over there, Gu Linsheng and Zhao Cheng are also plotting the so-called big thing.

"Brother Gu, is this really possible? That guy is now a thousand household officials of Jinyiwei, and it can't be compared with the general banner at that time, if the matter is revealed, we can't get out. Zhao Cheng was a little worried about Gu Linsheng's plan, after all, his family background could not be compared with Gu Linsheng, the other party's family was an official, and his family was just a businessman.

Gu Linsheng also sensed Zhao Cheng's worry, but after a while, he was overwhelmed by his hatred for Chen Cao, and said without worry: "Brother Zhao doesn't have to be like this, this time the plan is seamless, once it is done, he will take off a layer of skin even if he doesn't die." ”

Time to March, Chen Cao's cheap grandmother died of illness, the old man after experiencing the major blow of his son's death in the war, his health has been bad, it can be delayed until now, it is already a blessing, according to etiquette, it should be Chen Cao's father to keep filial piety, and now they Chen family only has two brothers and sisters, Chen Cao has the official body of Jinyiwei, if you go to guard filial piety for three years, this punishment of thousands of households will come to an end, so you can only let her sister Chen Qing go to keep filial piety for her father for three years.

This era attaches great importance to filial piety after the death of parents, the Ming Dynasty governs the country with filial piety, and the officials keep filial piety, of course, there is also the kind of situation that is inseparable from you at all, the emperor decrees that there is no need to keep filial piety, called 'seizing love', and Chen Cao is a small official of thousands of households, where is his turn to 'seizing love', fortunately, there is a sister here, and the concubine Li Fengchun who has not yet passed the door to help him, these three years of filial piety for Chen Cao is no longer a big problem.

After handling the funeral, Chen Cao felt that his home was too small, and when his thousands of households and relatives and friends came to the funeral, their yards could not be opened at all, so that they were all placed in the alley, Chen Cao thought that it was necessary to buy a bigger yard.

And the houses in Nanjing City are not generally expensive, there are many dignitaries and dignitaries who live in the imperial court, as well as the various nobles left behind during the founding of the country and the Jingjing period, the house price is increased unabated compared with the Jingshi, and the money received in the novels in his hands and the thousand households received every month is only 50,000 taels, and it has to be up and down, and to buy a house with two entrances, the price of Nanjing City is 6,000 taels, not to mention a larger courtyard.

Therefore, in order to open up sources and reduce expenditure, Chen Cao simply bought a ready-made four-entry mansion in the countryside outside Zhengyang Gate, with a total price of only 5,000 taels, the original owner was a native of Zhejiang, and he was an official in Beijing, retired and returned to his hometown, and the house in Nanjing was not wanted, so he sold it at a low price, if it were not for its original owner being a person in the officialdom, Chen Cao would not have wanted it.

This house is also a favor of Song Che's help, in the five cities of the soldiers and horses to check the news, please ask the tooth shop to help inquire, by the way bought ten acres of good paddy fields, hired twenty tenants around the yard to help take care of the paddy fields, the cost of this before and after, is less than six thousand taels of silver.

And Chen Cao, less than half a year after crossing here, became a landlord outside Nanjing with a promotion and salary increase.

"Big brother, our family is so big now, do you have to buy some maids to come back and take care of the family." Chen Qing was dressed in plain clothes because she wanted to keep filial piety, but the little girl was already very attractive, so Chen Cao had to take a few more looks.

"Yes, I'll go into the city later, brother, and find someone from the tooth shop to help buy ten handmaidens for me... No, it's for you to call," Chen Cao was afraid of leaking his mouth, so he turned his head to look at Xiaolan beside Li Fengchun and said, "Xiaolan, after the handmaid buys it back, you will be the handmaid steward in the backyard, how about it?" ”

Xiaolan's face flushed slightly, nodded and said, "Master Xie promoted." ”

"Hmm..."Chen Cao nodded, looking at the empty courtyard, thinking that in addition to the maidservants, he also had to invite a few resident cooks and cleaning people.

"Is Lord Chen at home?"

A woman at the gate was in a hurry, pacing back and forth and looking very anxious, Chen Cao heard the voice, walked out of the door, and saw that the person who came was a woman, so he asked curiously: "This girl, I don't know what you are looking for me?" ”

The woman fixed up and asked, "May I ask if you are Chen Cao Chen Qianhu?" ”

Chen Cao nodded: "It's a certain family." ”

After the woman was confirmed, she hurriedly curtsied to Chen Cao, and then said urgently: "Please also ask Lord Chen to save your life, the slave family is Song Che's sister Song Yin, my eldest brother was arrested by the people of Yingtianfu Yamen not long ago, and before leaving, the eldest brother shouted to let the slave family come to the countryside outside Zhengyangmen to find Lord Chen for help, please help." ”

Chen Cao's memory flew in his mind, and he remembered that Song Che did have a sister who was about the same age as himself, so he asked, "What's the matter with Brother Shi Xiu?" He is the chief flag officer of the Five Cities Terracotta Division, how can the Ying Tianfu Yamen have the right to arrest him? What did he do? ”

A series of questions were thrown, which also made Song Yin suffer, and she didn't know anything about it, Song Che was resting at home, and someone from Yingtianfu Yamen came in to arrest him and left, except for the words she said to Song Yin, she didn't know anything.

Looking at Song Yin's anxious tearful expression, Chen Cao couldn't help but feel pity, Song Yin's aggrieved appearance in front of him was extremely beautiful, Chen Cao's heart was about to melt, but after thinking about it, he found that the occasion was not suitable, and he couldn't help but secretly say that Song Che was not authentic, and he actually didn't introduce himself to his sister.

"Girl, don't worry, I am good brothers with Shi Xiu, his affairs are handed over to me, you go home first and wait, and when there is news, I will explain to you at your house, okay?"

Song Yin was at a loss, but now she could only listen to Chen Cao's words, so she nodded, touched her tears and left first.

In the Qianhu Office in Xuanwu Lane, Chen Cao was waiting in the middle hall, and after a while, Zhao Xin entered the door: "My lord, I have inquired clearly, Song Zongqi is afraid that he will suffer a big disaster now." ”

Chen Cao almost jumped up from his seat when he heard this: "Let's talk carefully." ”

I only heard Zhao Xindao: "That Song Zongqi had a dispute with a Xiucai in the drunken township building two days ago, and then the two fought, Xiucai was not Song Zongqi's opponent, suffered a loss, scolded and scolded out of the drunken township building, and said provocative words on his mouth, and the next day, he died at home. ”

Yes?

Chen Cao couldn't help frowning, things were getting more and more complicated, Zhao Xin continued: "Their family went to Jiangning County Ya to report the case after Xiucai's death, Song Zongqi was arrested early this morning and was arrested at home, and the identity of his chief flag officer was found out over there, Jiangning Zhixian felt troubled, so he escorted Song Zongqi directly to Yingtianfu Ya, and listened to the trial that would start tomorrow." ”

Call...

Chen Cao let out a sigh of relief, things are in trouble, the deceased is still a showman, a person from fame, there is a group behind him, Chen Cao was about to ask, Xu Kaixian also entered the door, and whispered: "My lord, I have inquired clearly, the deceased's name is Zhang Liang, twenty-eight years old, a person from Jiangning, Xiucai in the middle of last year, and there is some surplus wealth at home, so their family sent him to Nanjing Guozijian to study." ”

This...

Nanjing Guozi Prison Supervisor, things are even more troublesome.

Chen Cao gasped because he felt that Song Che's situation was worrying.

"Xu Kaixian, you continue to check Xiucai Zhang Liang's background, as well as his social situation, and report to me after summarizing." Saying that, he stared at Zhao Xin and said, "You take someone to Zuixianglou to inquire about the specific situation of the day." ”

After the two left, Chen Cao looked at Han Shizhong in the hall and said, "Han Shizhong, you personally go to Jiangning and feel the situation around Zhang Liang's house, you must inquire carefully." ”

"Yes..."

Chen Cao stood up as he spoke, tidied up the flying fish suit on his body, and then said to Liao Yaowen who was standing next to him: "Take a few brothers, let's go to Yingtianfu Yamen." ”

Liao Yaowen was a little puzzled: "My lord, let's go to the Yingtianfu Yamen, for what reason?" ”

"Investigate the case..."Chen Cao walked out without looking back.

As Chen Cao, when he went to the Yamen of Tianfu, not only did those officials not dare to stop him, but they also had to respectfully introduce themselves, and it happened that the person on duty today was also Chen Cao's old acquaintance, and Huang Chengxian was sentenced by Tianfutong.

The thousand households of the five products are naturally larger than the general judgment from the five products, but this is the Ming Dynasty, and the civil officials in the late Ming Dynasty are worth more than the military attachés.

"Chen Qianhu, is there something to do when you came to my yamen today?" Huang Cheng first gave Chen Cao a bow in accordance with officialdom etiquette.

Chen Cao's image of Huang Chengxian is not good, because he thinks that the last time Huang Chengxian was rectified, he must have also received the benefits of the people behind him, this guy is not a good thing.

So he said indifferently: "It's good to teach Huang Tongju to know, do you know that the criminal who was sent to the prefect's yamen today is a person from the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses?" ”

Huang Chengxian stood up straight, and his tone became flat: "I know, this official has already set a trial with the officials of the Beicheng Terracotta Division tomorrow, so I don't have to worry about this." ”

Chen Cao smiled when he heard this: "Yes, but this official also has to worry about it, it is reported that the deceased is Xiucai Gong, or the prisoner of Guozijian, the matter involves Guozijian, of course my Jinyiwei has to work hard, not to mention that my Jinyiwei still has the right to ask about other cases, what's the matter, Huang Tongju wants to teach me Jinyiwei what to do?" ”

Chen Cao squinted at Huang Chengxian, with a sneer on his face, this sentence is a pit, Huang Chengxian is also an old fritter, so naturally it is impossible to be fooled, so he smiled helplessly: "Don't dare, don't dare." ”

"It's okay if you don't dare, where is that person who committed Song Che, the official wants to see him."

Ying Tianfu Prison is in the northeast corner of the mansion, the location is remote, Chen Cao led people into the cell, but Huang Chengxian, who followed with his feet, was stopped by the Jinyi guard who followed Chen Cao.

"What do you mean?" Huang Chengxian frowned.

The captain shook his head expressionlessly: "Please forgive Lord Huang, the cases that Jinyiwei has asked about are all imperial cases, and they will be directly reported to the commander afterwards, do you also want to know about it?" ”

Huang Chengxian was stunned for a moment, and then shook his head: "No, no, in this case, you are free, the official still has things to deal with, come here, you wait, Chen Qianhu has orders, you just do it." ”

After the two officials nodded, they also stood honestly behind the two captains.

Song Che was not wearing the military uniform of the Terracotta Division when he was arrested, but because of his identity as the Terracotta Division, he did not suffer anything except for being dirty.

"YCIS, you're finally here." Song Che saw Chen Cao walking into the prison with a few brocade guards, and rushed forward to grab the door frame of the cell, looking a little excited.

Chen Cao looked back left and right, this was the first time he had come to the cell, that is, his Jinyiwei's prison department, and he had only been to the separate torture room for interrogating prisoners: "Come on, this official wants to interrogate this person, you open the prison door." ”

Liao Yaowen turned to stare at the two prison guards who followed him, one of them had excellent eyesight, and knew that this group of brocade guards was not good, so he hurriedly opened the prison door with a smile and brought out Song Che inside.

In the interrogation room of the prison, Chen Cao looked at Song Che with a puzzled expression, and said for a long time: "How did you get to the Qinglou to fight with a Xiucai?" And beat people to death? ”

Song Che looked aggrieved, and then said bitterly: "Yaozhong, after so many years of our brothers, don't you know me?" I went to the drunken township building that day, but I went to collect the usual silver, but the show hit me for no reason, and I didn't say it, and scolded my sister and the dead old lady, so how can it be, I only punched him in the eye. ”

"Is there anything else?" Chen Cao asked.

Song Che thought for a while, and suddenly realized: "There is also this position below his right shoulder." As he spoke, he pointed to the right front under the sternocollarbone: "When he left, he was still scolding, and he said that he was going to find someone to clean me up, and everyone in the drunken township building could testify, and the dozen or so brothers under my command were all clear." ”

Chen Cao nodded: "Your sister came to my house to find me, let me save you, you are not stupid," after teasing, he continued: "You are not authentic, the sister in the family is so beautiful, you don't sue me, you are not kind." ”

"Hey, you're still in the mood to laugh with me now, I came in and found out that the man was dead, it's really wronged, I don't know what I did myself."

Looking at Song Che and screaming, Chen Cao patted him and comforted: "Don't worry, don't look at our brother's affection, just look at your sister's face, brother, I will save you." ”

Song Che: "......"

After leaving the prison, the first thing Chen Cao did was to go to the Beicheng Terracotta Division to find their commander Liu Ping, to put it simply, the Wucheng Terracotta Division belonged to the Wei State Mansion, because the generals in it were all from the Wei State Mansion.

Liu Ping received Chen Cao very politely, because now Chen Cao's fame in Nanjing is even greater than that of him Liu Ping, not to mention that they are actually a family.

"Lord Liu, do you know about Song Che?"

Liu Ping nodded, and then said: "Jiangning County has already sent someone to inform this morning, and someone from Ying Tianfu will then come to inform you that the trial will start tomorrow, I don't know what good way Brother Chen has?" ”

"Then what does Lord Liu think about this matter?"

Liu Ping said righteously: "Even if Song Che commits a crime, it will have to be dealt with by my Soldiers and Horses Division in the end, Ying Tianfu is just going through the motions, but what matters now is that the deceased is the prisoner of the Guozi Prison, so this matter is very troublesome to deal with." ”

Chen Cao took a deep breath: "I know, everything will be handed over to me, and please rest assured that Lord Liu, Song Che's matter will definitely come to light." ”

Song Che's family is in the outer city of Beicheng, the old Song died early, Song's mother died of illness the year before last, the family is the same as Chen Cao, there are only two brothers and sisters left, and Chen Cao's family is much better than Song Che, at least Chen Cao will make money, on the other hand, Song Che, when he walked into the Song family, in addition to being smaller than his previous home, the only feeling was poverty.

So much so that Song Che has not married yet, and the salary and the small amount of filial piety silver have been given to his sister Song Yin, and now Song Yin has changed her clothes and put on a light-colored armor outside, Jinling in March, the weather has begun to change, but it is not particularly cold.

"Lord Chen," Song Yin went home and forgot to close the door, and Chen Cao walked in directly.

"Your brother and I are good brothers, both of us are from the Guogong Mansion, you don't have to see each other, you can call me Brother Yew, or Brother Chen." Chen Cao walked around the small courtyard and found that there was nothing to see, so he walked into the hall.

It's really small, this hall is too polite, at most seven or eight people will be inseparable, Song Che doesn't drink tea, the Song family only has boiled water, Song Yin was embarrassed to bring a cup of boiled water, her face was a little embarrassed: "Don't be surprised, adults, there is no tea at home, if it is an adult waiting, the slave family will buy it." ”

"Okay..."Chen Cao refused: "Sister should call me YCIS Big Brother in the future, you don't have to see me, I think I haven't come to your house for many years, but it is also broken like this." ”

Song Yin felt uncomfortable after hearing this, a dilapidated military household like them, Song Che was even more useless after that: "My lord, oh no, the big brother of YCIS doesn't know, how can the position of my big brother be compared to you and the big brother of YCIS." ”

Chen Cao and Song Yin talked for a long time before saying: "I know about Brother Shi Xiu's matter, and now I am dealing with it, his case is more troublesome, and now the evidence on the surface is unfavorable to him, so I estimate that the time for him to come back is still uncertain." ”

Thump...

Song Yin knelt in front of Chen Cao, bowed her head and cried, "Brother Yew Chung must save my brother, he is innocent..."

"I know..."Chen Cao leaned over and wanted to pull Song Yin, but when he looked down, he saw a piece of white flowers in Song Yin's open collar, and said in his heart that this girl was not wearing a belly pocket, and her emotional clothes were all changed: "Get up first, we are all a family, what kind of system do you kneel and I become, if your brother knows, don't you want to make trouble with me?" ”

After all, Chen Cao's eyes were always looking at Song Yin's chest, and Song Yin, who couldn't help but look up, also saw Chen Cao's eyes, and then looked at his collar, and couldn't help but blush.

Chen Cao was embarrassed at the time, and he didn't know what to say, taking advantage of other people's brother's troubles to take advantage of other people's little sisters, he was simply too inhuman.

But it's really cool when you think about it....

"Sister, your brother's affairs are handed over to me, you can wait with peace of mind," Chen Cao stood up and was about to leave in order to avoid embarrassment, and then turned his head and said: "If you feel that you are afraid of being alone at home, come to my house, my grandmother passed away, and my little sister is not in a good mood, it just so happens that the two of you can still walk around from time to time, after all, we are a family..."

Looking at the back of Chen Cao's departure, Song Yin muttered, "Family..."