Summer Resort, Shrine of Sincerity.

After being reprimanded, Kangxi waved his hand and asked several elder brothers to kneel down. In addition to Kangxi, only Wei Zhu was left in the hall. He stood at the door, looking at Kangxi's gloomy face, and leaned gently against the doorpost, wanting to hide his figure.

Long live the master's original most useful chamberlain, the eunuch Liang Jiugong, the head of the Qianqing Palace, was dismissed and detained for greed and bribery, and now the chamberlain around the prince's brother is also so dishonest, and he can't complain that the master is annoyed. Wei Zhu looked at his nose and his nose, and muttered secretly in his heart.

As the king of a country, how could Kangxi take a few domestic servants to heart? He held his forehead and sighed, thinking of the empty treasury.

With the fold of Lazang Khan, Kangxi also knew that the ambition of Alabutan to get involved in Tibetan Province was never extinguished. He first married the sister of Razang Khan, and now he married his daughter to Razang Khan's eldest son, Galdan Danchen, and left his son-in-law in Dzungar to find an opportunity to enter Tibet at any time.

Speaking of this delusional Alabutan, Kangxi felt tired in his heart.

Mongolia is divided into three parts, namely Southern Mongolia, Northern Mongolia, and Western Mongolia. Monan Mongolia is Inner Mongolia headed by Horqin, Mobei is Outer Mongolia headed by Khalkha, and Moxi is Mongolia a nomadic province in the Tianshan Mountains.

The Mongol tribes of Monan are the present vassals of the imperial court and have belonged to the imperial court for many years; The Mongol tribes of Mobei have always been submissive to the imperial court, but Moxi Mongolia has never expressed their obedience.

When Galdan ruled Moxi Mongolia, Dzungar attacked the adjacent Khalkha Department, making the northern border unstable, which led to Kangxi's three imperial expeditions.

Alabutan was Galdan's own nephew, and he split from Galdan's command in the twenty-seventh year of Kangxi.

After the defeat of Kaldan, Arabutan returned to Dzungar, gathered the remnants of Kaldan, and ascended to the throne of King Dzungar Khan.

The imperial court has always used the policy of gentleness, but the conspiracy Alabutan does not appreciate the imperial court, and various small actions have been made over the years.

The reason why the imperial court has repeatedly tolerated it is because their territory is too far away to easily send troops to conscript.

It's just that although the imperial court wants peace on the border, Arakbutan doesn't have to think like this. He admired the Yellow Sect, respected the [***] lama, and once wanted to meddle in the affairs of Tibet Province in the name of "protecting the law", and was ordered by Kangxi to apply for punishment several times.

Seeing that he was so bothered to plan, I thought that he was just about to follow the example of Gushi Khan in the name of "apologetic" and enter Tibet as the king of Tibet.

Although Kangxi knew his wolf ambitions, he couldn't do it, because there was no silver in the treasury, so he couldn't move his troops lightly.

One of the important reasons why Kangxi agreed to the abolition of the sixth [***] Cangyang Gyatso and the establishment of Issi Gyatso was that Cangyang Gyatso had contacts with Arabutan and had a good relationship.

The treasury did not have the funds to send troops, which gave Kangxi a headache. Although a lot of treasury money has been recovered by the household departments in recent years, due to the bad year, many provinces have reduced or exempted taxes on money and grain, and the state treasury is still unable to make ends meet.

Money and food is a major national event, what is the way to open up sources and reduce expenditure, Kangxi muttered......* Those who bother about money and food, in addition to Kangxi, there is also Li Wei.

He said that he was beaten by people on the street, and when he was beaten, he was nothing, but when he returned to his residence, there was something wrong. When the doctor was invited, it was a broken muscle, and he had to take care of it......

For this reason, he has not yet gone to Caofu to thank him.

After entering and exiting the Shuntian Mansion once, Li Wei's desire to seek officials became more and more urgent. This little common man has no hair to work, and this little wind and grass can attract chickens and dogs to jump.

Although he donated a prisoner, he is still a villager in Mengmeng Township in the countryside of Xuzhou, which is really nothing in the capital, where the top street is dressed.

If you can't take the road of the imperial examination, if you want to be an official, you can only continue to donate.

It's just that in this world, there are many people who want to donate officials, but the lack of children is limited, which means that there are more monks and less porridge.

If you want a false name, which can be used to reduce money and food, and have convenient access, it is not difficult. The alternate magistrate of 10,000 taels and the alternate magistrate of tens of thousands of taels have found the right way, which are all clearly priced.

Li Wei doesn't want to be so vain, he is in his thirties, and he is in his prime, but he just wants to find something to do.

After a lawsuit, Li Wei was also a little afraid of the business operation, and he had already sent the housekeeper to collect the business and sell the shop.

The strong dragon does not suppress the head snake, Li Wei is a clever person, and he can be regarded as seeing that it is not easy to make a few silver coins in the capital, where the Eight Banners and magnates walk all over the streets.

The shop sold quickly, and he didn't get much money, and his previous savings were almost gone, so Li Wei felt a little tight in his hands.

He had already sent someone back to Xuzhou to write to Mrs. Li, discussing whether to sell some land and buy a real shortage.

Now, Xuzhou has not returned the letter, but Li Wei is a little unable to sit still.

It's a good day, and his injuries are almost gone. The room was a little stuffy, and Li Wei shook the fan vigorously for a long time but didn't use it, so he wanted to go out to breathe.

He wondered whether to go to Cao's Mansion to thank him first, or wait for some money from his hometown to send him, and prepare a generous gift before going over.

For a while, he couldn't make up his mind.

Although he should thank him for his kindness, the other party's door is too high, and he doesn't know what etiquette to prepare, for fear that he will not be able to express his gratitude if he is slight, and he is also afraid that he will be looked down upon as a country bun.

As soon as he arrived in the courtyard, Li Wei heard the knocker of the door, so he raised his chin and asked the little maid to open the door.

It was an acquaintance who came, it was the shopkeeper Huang from the store next door to Li Wei's original shop.

The shopkeeper Huang's face was also sweaty, and he was still carrying something in his hand, and when he saw Li Wei, he nodded hurriedly and said, "Ouch, Master Li, I can be regarded as finding you!" ”

Li Wei couldn't help sneering in his heart, Guisun descended, he was not a fool, he knew that it was only these shops that let him suffer a lawsuit.

But they chased him to his dwelling place, and they didn't know what it meant. He seemed to be smiling, tilted his head, looked at the yellow shopkeeper and said, "This is the head of the west, how can the big shopkeeper have time to come to the cold house?" ”

The Huang shopkeeper was already a head shorter than Li Wei, and he nodded his head and waist, looking even shorter, and said with a smile: "This is not the big dragon rushing to the Dragon King Temple, in the past, the little one didn't know that Li Ye was a friend of Cao Eyu, so there was a misunderstanding between the two." Our Earl's Court and Cao's Mansion are close friends and have been close to each other recently. Don't you know, our second master scolded the little one, and asked the little one to excuse Li Ye, so that the two families had a disagreement. Master Li, you have sold the shop and changed your residence, this little one has been looking for a month, and I am finally looking for you! ”

Li Wei was a little stunned, even if he didn't have any knowledge, but since he wanted to mix with officialdom, he also knew the grades of those titles. Earl, that's a superb, much higher than the status of the Governor Shangshu.

Who would have thought that the inconspicuous and undewy property next door to him was a Earl's Court.

Thinking of this, Li Wei couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat, and couldn't help but feel scared for a while. In the Yamen of Shuntian Mansion, he can still resist to the death, if Cao Hao does not come forward to say something, it is a matter whether his little life can be saved.

After the shopkeeper Huang explained his intentions, he handed the various gifts in his hand to the Li family, and at the same time took a silver seal from his sleeve, handed it over with both hands, and said: "Because of a misunderstanding, Li Ye was frightened, this is a small atonement, please Li Ye must accept it!" As he spoke, without waiting for Li Wei to squeak, he had already stuffed the silver seal into Li Wei's hand.

Li Wei only felt as if he was in a dream, and when he woke up, there was no one in front of him. He hurriedly walked a few steps out of the door, and the shopkeeper Huang had already led people through the alley.

Li Wei patted his head vigorously and said, "What is this called!" ”

He lowered his head and opened the silver seal, saw a few silver coins, and after reading the amount on them, he knew that he could not accept it.

Five hundred taels of silver tickets, why did a dignified earl's mansion send someone to find someone and send you five hundred taels, people know which green onion he Li Wei is, not to see the face of Cao's mansion.

That Lord Cao is young, and the year of the weak crown is the Taifu Siqing, and he will be crowned the marquis and worship the prime minister in the future...... Thinking of this, Li Wei remembered a good thing, that is, a Hetian white jade ornament that was "immediately sealed as a marquis", which was exchanged for nine hundred taels of silver.

It was originally intended to be used for running officials in the future, so it was put in a box and put in the kang cabinet in the east house.

Thinking in his heart, he hurriedly sent the little servant to fetch it, and looked down at his own person, dressed decently, and rode to Cao's mansion.

He didn't want to think about it, even if Cao Hao didn't follow him, it was not time to fall at noon.

After walking around and riding for half an hour, Li Wei arrived at Cao's mansion, handed over the name post, and asked to see Cao Hao.

Before Cao Hao left, he really remembered that Li Wei was coming, and specially explained to the porter that if Li Wei or Wang Mengxu came to the door, he would be entertained and invite Mr. Zhuang to come out for entertainment.

Therefore, the porter was very enthusiastic to lead Li Wei to the side hall, but did not invite Mr. Zhuang, but directly sent a message to the second door and invited Cao Song. It turned out that Mr. Zhuang went out in the morning and has not returned home yet.

It is said that the prime minister's concierge is a seven-grade official, Li Wei has been in the capital for the past two years, and he has also followed his fellow villagers to the mansions of several Beijing officials.

Li Wei couldn't help but feel a little flattered, but he didn't know what to do. Listening to the meaning of the porter, Lord Cao followed the emperor to Rehe to escape the summer, and now there is his brother at home, well, it is the "second master" who made people invite.

Li Wei was still pondering, and Cao Song had already strode into the side hall. He was wearing clothes for going out, and he was in good spirits, and he went into the room and looked Li Wei up and down.

Li Wei saw that the person who came was dressed well, and he was not very old, so he guessed that it might be Lord Cao's brother, so he stood up.

Seeing that he was tall and strong, showing the majesty of a martial artist, Cao Song couldn't help but feel a little good in his heart, and said, "You are Li Wei?" I heard my brother mention you, you dare to be fearless of the powerful, and stop the carriage on the street, you are really a real man! ”

This praise made Li Wei a little embarrassed, laughed twice, bowed down and said, "I have seen the second master in the next Li Wei!" Cao Song returned the salute, invited Li Wei to sit down, and asked the little maid to bring tea up.

Cao Song had already heard what his brother had said about the things on the street, and he knew the danger. If Jue Luo's Tongjing Huizhen was robbed and returned to Dong E's Mansion, he didn't know what would happen.

Thinking like this, he became more and more fond of Li Wei, hugged his fists and said: "The person who said that Brother Li helped was to give up his cousin, and he should thank Brother Li well." As he spoke, he got up and was about to give Li Wei a look.

Li Wei hurriedly sideways and said, "Hey, second master, please get up quickly, you are tormenting me Li Wei, it's just a coincidence." Even if there is no Li Wei, there will be other unsightly gentlemen who will come out. ”

Cao Song was impatient with this kind of talking, but when he saw that Li Wei was also speaking in a literal and vulgar way, he no longer spoke politely to him, and said with a smile: "What, I won't say anything about this vain head." Brother Li looks brave enough, Cao Song I respect the hero the most, find an opportunity in the future, Brother Li will also guide me to guide my fists and feet. ”

Li Wei saw that his face was slightly dark, his body was sturdy, and he was quite brave, and said, "Could it be that the second master also likes to dance with knives and guns?" ”

Cao Song nodded and said, "Exactly, now at home, I am ready to participate in the martial arts of Jinke." ”

When Li Wei heard this, he couldn't help but feel a little envious. In his early years, he also had the idea of martial arts, but riding and shooting were nothing, but the strategy was like a roadblock.

Although he has been invited by his husband since he was a child, he is a stone-headed man in his homework. Over the past ten years, it has only been enlightenment things such as "Three Character Sutra" and "Hundred Family Names".

Envy is envy, but it is a serious matter, Li Wei thought, held the brocade box that had just been placed on the small table, put it next to Cao Song, and said: "Second master, Lord Cao's help, I am very grateful for it, these are just a little thanks, please ask the second master to help Li Wei transfer it." ”

Cao Song didn't know that Li Wei was detained by Shuntianfu before, and he waved his hand for the time on the street last month, and said: "Brother Li doesn't need to be polite, I just said that the person in the carriage that day was a cousin, even if Brother Li was not there at the time, my brother would not stand idly by." Why thank you for that, that's really polite! ”

After Li Wei put the brocade box, he put the money seal sent by Fang Cai Huang's shopkeeper on it, and said: "The second master misunderstood, it wasn't because of that, I had a little trouble in Xia before, and I went to the yamen for two days to eat in prison, and it was still Lord Cao's face, and I will protect it in Xia." ”

Cao Song was a small man who dominated Jiangning City, and when he arrived in the capital, he did not fight with several cousins on the side of Zhaojia Mansion. It's just that everyone is older, and they know how to measure their inches, and there are no big mistakes.

Now seeing Li Wei's fierce appearance, Cao Song asked, "Brother Li, is this a fist with someone?" Listening to Brother Li's accent, it seemed like two Huai, and the messenger in the designated yamen saw that the eldest brother had a foreign accent, and he sincerely made it difficult. Those in the yamen are all masters who look down on people with dog eyes. ”

Li Wei is a person with a good surname, and he doesn't like those who twist and pinch them.

Although it was a little embarrassing to be arrested because of the investigation [***], he still said the previous situation in a few words, and then pointed to the silver seal and said: "The Earl's Mansion will be regarded as Lord Cao's old friend, which is very face-saving, and it also deliberately makes people compensate." It's just that this is because of Lord Cao's favor, and he has already benefited too much, so it's not good to take advantage of this. ”

Li Wei said calmly, Cao Song even heard it, but he didn't take it to heart, but when he heard that the other party was the Earl's Palace, he nodded and said to himself: "It turned out to be his family, why should it be like this, it seems to be angry." I didn't see it, but Yongsheng was acting more and more stylishly. ”

said in his mouth, but Cao Song secretly scolded himself in his heart for being unproductive, and he was also in his twenties, but he couldn't help his family with anything.

Although he knew the cause and effect, Cao Song was not easy to accept these things, so he said with a smile: "Brother Li, no matter what, even if you want to thank you, you have to wait for your brother to come back to show sincerity, right?" Take these things back first, and it's not too late to send them when my brother comes back! ”

Li Wei made a special trip to thank him, how could he accept his things and leave? The two big men are not easy to tear, and after saying a few words, Cao Song can only be left to him.

Li Wei achieved his goal, but did not stay long, and got up to say goodbye. It just so happened that Cao Song also had something to go out today, and there was not much time, so he didn't keep it and sent it to the gate.

The brocade box was not sealed, Cao Song opened it, saw that it was a jade ornament, took it out and looked at it twice, and then put it back in the box. This thing, the Cao family is not lacking, not to mention the various rooms, there are also many in the warehouse.

Looking at the silver seal, Cao Song hesitated for a moment, and finally opened it. Seeing that there were a total of five hundred taels of silver tickets, his face immediately added a lot of joy.

Earlier, in addition to the monthly amount of silver, his pocket money could be withdrawn from the account office for less than twenty taels. went to divide the stove in February, and the expenses of the second room were controlled by Zhaojia's family, and Cao Song did not have the face to go to the account room to pay the silver. He knew that his brother wouldn't care about this, but he didn't want his sister-in-law to have a bad heart because of this.

The Jade Dragonfly and the others have already returned to the house, although the Jade Dragonfly also has some private silver from Cao Song, but when it comes to serious things, it is a little insufficient. It just so happened that his brother was not there, and it was not easy to talk to his sister-in-law, so he was in a hurry.

Although this money, when his brother comes back, it is necessary to make someone pay back the Yan family, or buy a similar return gift, but Cao Song still decided to use it for emergencies.

Cao Song left the house, rode to the front door, picked the largest pharmacy, and bought a big bag of things. What old ginseng, bird's nest, borneol or something, it cost nearly 100 taels of silver.

Mo Shu held the things in his arms, looked down, and said, "Second Master, this nourishing thing is not rice grain, how can you still buy it for ten catties and eight catties?" What can I do if I make up for it? ”

Cao Song saw that he was struggling to hold it, so he took the two packs on it himself.

When he went out, he had two long-term followers, but today he had something important to do and didn't want people to know. Therefore, he found an excuse and sent the two elders away, and only one ink book came out with him.

The two masters and servants, with big bags and small bags, got on the horse, and did not go back to Caofu, but went to Fangjia Hutong.

There is an old house in the alley here, which is the dowry property of the Jue Luo clan in the past, a somewhat dilapidated two-entry courtyard.

It was originally the old grandmother's family that was raised by Jue Luo's side, and the old grandmother had passed away a few years ago, and only the son, daughter-in-law, and little granddaughter were left here, and they had been released from their nationality and did not work as an errand in Dong Efu.

The grandmother's son is called Chang Gui, in his thirties, married to his daughter-in-law for more than ten years, and there is only one girl, because she was born in Layue, her nickname is Layue'er, and she is thirteen this year.

Seeing that the old master was coming, the family of three gave up the main house in the backyard and moved to the front yard. In addition to Jue Luo's and Jinghui, there are also Shen's grandmother's family and Jinghui's maid Chun'er.

The Kali family property, except for the house under the name of the Jue Luo clan, has all been officially entered, and the family members also have to be sold by the official. Cao Hao sent the housekeeper to complete the formalities of Mama Shen and Chun'er, because he knew that Mama Shen had her son and daughter-in-law over there, and she also spent money to buy them.

As a result, there are more than 10 people living up and down in the house here.

Mama Shen is waiting by Jue Luo's side, her daughter-in-law and Chang Gui's family are in the kitchen, Chun'er and Layue are waiting by Jinghui's side, and Shen Mama's son and Chang Gui are housekeepers, nursing homes, plus gatekeepers, and everything is purchased.

Although it is said that it is cleaned up, the house here also has a bit of an old appearance, but since the Dragon Boat Festival, this side is not very peaceful.

This Beijing custom, the purchase of the major mansions, sometimes is not to pay cash, mostly bookkeeping, every "three festivals", that is, the Dragon Boat Festival, the Mid-Autumn Festival, the New Year's Festival to settle the bill.

The Kali family was raided, and the debt was not settled.

Although the old lady's children and grandchildren are gone, and Wan Jingting is pitiful, few people sympathize. If this old man doesn't catch him, how can he lose his home?

The first time he sued, he ruined his son's crown; sued again, but it was the son, daughter-in-law, and grandson who all died.

Tiger poison does not eat children, can treat her own flesh and blood like this, what is this old lady to sympathize with?

Besides, it is natural to repay debts, even if the children and grandchildren are gone, the old lady is also a member of Dong E's family, where is it so easy to repay the debt...... So, since the Dragon Boat Festival, what silk shop, butcher shop, fruit shop, each sent the door to collect accounts......

(To be continued)