When the two rode to Cao's mansion, Cao Hao also figured out the extent of the loss.

More than 100 years later, Cixi said, "I would rather be with friends than with domestic slaves"; Nearly a century later, President Jiang said that "if you go outside, you must first settle inside".

Yongzheng's choice is much the same as those two.

The inferior surname of the Chinese people, internal fighting is always higher than resisting external humiliation.

Perhaps in Yongzheng's view, Long Keduo's "not giving up an inch of land" is not loyal and patriotic, but has ill intentions and wants to provoke disputes between the two countries, which makes the Qing Dynasty ignite the flames of war.

As a result, a territory the size of a direct subordinate was ceded in exchange for diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The imperial court felt confident and wanted to increase the garrisons of Hami and Urumqi to deter Zhunger.

Cao Hao sighed in his heart, not as angry as the sixteenth elder brother. Confucian etiquette and alien rule erased the blood and surnames of the countrymen. This kind of cutting of soil will never be the same thing.

Until 200 years later, China's territory was getting smaller and smaller.

"What about Duke Long? I have not heard of his detention. Cao Hao asked.

"Circle in Changchun Garden, this time, even if the emperor dislikes him, he will not touch him." The sixteenth elder brother said: "It will take a year and a half, everyone will forget Nian Qianyao, and then condemn him." ”

"Nian Qianyao's guilt has been agreed?" Cao Hao asked.

Nian Qianyao and Long Keduo were both once important to Yongzheng, and if they were convicted at the same time, they would inevitably lead the world to speculate.

"The ministry discussed 92 counts, including great rebellion, deception, trespassing, recklessness, monopoly, greed, erosion, and jealousy, and more than 30 should be punished with capital punishment and immediate beheading. It is already grace to clean him up alone, and to be dissatisfied with the door and ask for sin. The sixteenth elder brother snorted coldly and said, "You are not in the capital, you haven't seen the ugliness of those people, and I can't wait for everyone to step on it." Even if he is wrong, he is a dead person, and he is so bad, it is really chilling. ”

In the latter sentence, although there is no subject, Cao Hao also heard that it was the Ninety-Five Honor.

Cao Hao couldn't help but wonder, looking at the sixteenth elder brother like this, he seemed to have a grudge against Yongzheng.

Is it because of the Sixteen Blessings, or is it something else? Anyway, it will never be for Long Keduo and Nian Qianyao to repay their dissatisfaction, the sixteenth elder brother has no friendship with those two, even if one of them is an in-law, he rarely interacts.

Seeing that Cao Hao looked at himself and didn't speak, the sixteenth elder brother also noticed that he was speechless, lowered his head, and said: "I'm uncomfortable these words, and you don't have to be annoyed when you see Fu Ruo's verbosity." ”

"What troubles did the Sixteenth Master encounter? I can talk about it, even if I can't share the worries of the sixteenth master, I can always be a listener. Cao Hao said.

The friendship between the two was originally known to everyone, but it was related to the palace and the scandals of the heavenly family, and the sixteenth elder brother could only shake his head helplessly and said: "It's not a big deal, I just feel depressed." Speaking of this, he paused and said, "After waiting for a while, I want to unload the errand of the Ministry of Internal Affairs." It's too trivial, I've been taking care of it for more than ten years, and it's enough. ”

Although the sixteenth elder brother did not tell the truth, his decision can also show his alienation from Yongzheng.

The sixteenth elder brother looked complicated, looked at Cao Hao and said: "These words, there are some gossips in the capital, saying that the emperor has killed Nian Qianyao completely, and there is another hidden secret. ”

Cao Hao listened, raised his eyebrows, looked at the sixteenth elder brother and said: "Sixteenth master, gossip, the wind passes without a trace, how can you take it seriously?" ”

The so-called gossip is nothing more than questioning Yongzheng's legitimate surname for succession, and saying that Yongzheng is a puppet who conspired to rob the throne of the fourteenth elder brother. It is said that the emperor had a decree to send it to the northwest, but was intercepted by Nian Qianyao or something. In this way, Yongzheng's punishment of Nian Qianyao is described as "killing people and destroying mouths".

No matter what the truth is, at this time, if you take "gossip" seriously, you will be full.

After three years of operation, Yongzheng has firmly sat on the throne, and no one can shake it.

Seeing that Cao Hao did not hesitate, the sixteenth elder brother couldn't help but be stunned, and then took a long breath and said with a wry smile: "Yes, the wind passes without a trace, it's just gossip." ”

Seeing that he was disheartened, Cao Hao thought for a while and said, "Isn't it the fifteenth master's knighthood, what has changed?" ”

Hearing this, the sixteenth elder brother shook his head.

"Is that the emperor is still angry with the Sixteen Fujin, making the Sixteenth Master embarrassed?" Cao Hao asked again.

"No, the emperor is busy with state affairs, how can he take these little things to heart." The sixteenth elder brother shook his head.

"Is that the concubine Niangniang was scorned in the palace, and she said that she was not happy?" Cao Hao continued to ask.

"No, E-Niang said that she was doing better, every time she wiped cards with a few concubines to relieve boredom, I went to ask for peace yesterday, and I happily told me that I had good luck recently and won a lot of golden beans." Speaking of this, the sixteenth elder brother glared at Cao Hao and said, "Hey, where is it, I hope I'm unlucky, right?" ”

When Cao Hao heard this, he felt a little more down-to-earth, and said with a smile: "Didn't I see that the sixteenth master was in a bad mood and was afraid that the sixteenth master would be wronged?" Since everything is fine on the Sixteenth Master's side, the Sixteenth Master should have no reason to blame that person, how can it seem that he is dissatisfied? ”

When the sixteenth elder brother heard this, his body stiffened, and he said in a deep voice: "So obvious? ”

Cao Hao saw that his face was pale, and there was a faint horror in his eyes, and he hurriedly said: "It's not obvious, it's not obvious, I only felt that the sixteenth master was not in a good mood before, but this is what I said, so I felt a little angry." But the Sixteenth Master doesn't need to worry, presumably these words, except for me, the Sixteenth Master will not easily say them to others. ”

When the sixteenth elder brother heard this, he breathed a sigh of relief and said, "It's okay, it's okay, I'm also dizzy." I used to be in awe and fear of that person, but now I can't respect him, but this fear will be doubled. ”

Cao Hao remained silent, but his heart was running rapidly.

If there is no respect, that is, I feel that Yongzheng's private morality is at a loss.

In terms of the inner curtain of the palace, the topics related to Yongzheng's virtue are "forcing the father", "killing the mother", and "insulting the mother".

"Forcing the father" and "killing the mother" are two major events that shake the country's foundation, if the sixteenth elder brother really finds clues in this regard, and pretends to be too late to hold his breath and pretend not to know, how can he be disdainful?

Let him look down on him, lose his respect for Yongzheng, and even have to step down from the errand of the Internal Affairs Office, there is only the last one.

This is nothing, even if there are etiquette constraints, these dirty things are indispensable in the courts of all dynasties.

The sixteenth elder brother and Cao Hao glanced at each other, and then both of them changed the topic.

The sixteenth elder brother just held back ruthlessly, and after venting this, his heart became much more comfortable.

Seeing Cao Hao's dust, the sixteenth elder brother didn't stay long, got up and said: "It's me who made a mistake, obviously I was confused, but with that little cleverness, I think I am an understanding person." As Fu Ruo said, I have a beautiful life, why bother to be blind, when I should be confused, I still have to be confused......"

Because this time Cao Hao wanted to stay in Beijing for some days, not in this day or two, so the sixteenth elder brother said goodbye, Cao Hao did not keep him, and sent him outside the mansion in person, watching the sixteenth elder brother get on the horse and leave, and then turned back to the mansion.

Wutong Garden has been empty for nearly a year, and the house is a little cold, and since several charcoal pots have been added, it is also uncomfortable. Cao Hao ordered someone to burn the earth dragon of the warm pavilion and ordered the cover to be moved to the warm pavilion.

After taking a hot bath, Cao Hao felt that the chill on his body had been dispelled.

The eldest girl of Wutong Garden mostly followed Chu Yu to Qingyuan, leaving only one Le Mei with two little maids to watch the house.

After Cao Hao finished taking a bath, Lemei waited to comb her hair and braid her hair.

From Xiyun, Xicai, to Lemei, they have changed two big rings in Wutong Garden.

This Lemei, sixteen or seven years old, is pretty, the son of the Cao family and the niece of Zhao Tong. From the beginning of the stay, she was on an errand in the Wutong Garden, and the little maid who never entered the stream rose step by step to the big girl, and she was a girl surnamed Shuangli.

Seeing her, Cao Hao thought of Zhao Tong.

Although Zhao Tong is still in the county governor's office, he has been transferred from a simple shortage to a complex shortage. If nothing else, after the expiration of this term, it will be promoted by one liter.

Before Cao Hao returned to Beijing, Zhao Tong's New Year's goods had been sent to Qingyuan, and several carts of things, although they were not worth any money, they were all Tuyi specialties that could not be bought outside, which showed that they were attentive.

"It's coming to the New Year, did your uncle send a letter to Beijing?" Cao Hao asked.

"Here, the second aunt gave birth to a cousin, and the slave and maid's father and mother were so happy that they made people wear a long-life lock, and prepared a 'hundred-year-old clothes', and when the weather is warm, they will look for someone to carry it." Lemei replied with a smile.

Cao Hao listened and laughed.

Among the children born in the Cao family, Zhang Yi and Zhao Tong have been with him for the longest time, so they naturally pay more attention to it.

Judging from each letter from Zhao Tong, he is more interested in criminal cases. After a few more years of training outside, if you want to return to Beijing, you can transfer to Dali Temple or the Yamen of the Criminal Department.

Zhao Tong is the first person with the surname inside and outside Caofu, and Wei Wenzhi is the second person.

Although they are not surnamed Cao, they can be closely related to the Cao family, and they are both prosperous and humiliated.

As soon as the braids were braided here, there was a little maid who passed the word, and the chief manager Cao Yuan took a few stewards to ask to see him.

This is to return to the family affairs, Cao Hao asked Le Mei to find a big coat, got up and walked out of the house.

There are only two masters in the house, one has not come back in the palace, and the other has just arrived in the house, Lemei only has to ask, "Master, what are the orders for dinner?" ”

When Cao Hao heard this, he paused and said, "It's cold, add a pot, and the rest will be set according to the recipe of the second master......

* Nourishing Heart Palace, East Warm Pavilion.

Yongzheng put down the red pen in his hand, looked at the thirteenth elder brother who hurried back, and waved his hand to send out a few waiters in the house.

There were only two brothers left in the house, and Yongzheng said: "What does he say, can he admit guilt and admit death?" ”

The thirteenth elder brother bowed down and said: "The younger brother looked at his meaning, but he still had a thought, and after seeing the younger brother, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed, tears did not stop, and begged the younger brother to help him hand over the guilty fold to the emperor." As he spoke, he took out the fold from his sleeve and sent it to the front of the emperor with both hands.

When Yongzheng heard this, he couldn't help frowning, took the thirteen folds, and opened them to see.

The familiar font has lost the casual flow of the past, and it is written above: "The minister today said that he knows his sins ten thousand, if it is the master's grace, he will pity the ministers and insult them, and ask the master to spare the ministers." The minister is not old, and he is left as a dog and horse for self-efficacy, and slowly serves his master. ”

Tear-stained, through this fold, it is as if I saw the scene of Nian Qianyao kneeling on the ground and begging for mercy.

Yongzheng only felt a burst of disgust, then threw away the fold, snorted coldly, and said: "Lack of greed, the crime of a hundred deaths, did not implicate the surname of his father, brother and nephew, it is already cheaper for him......"

*

(To be continued)