Li Xu left Beijing on April 30, accompanied by his eldest grandson Li Nuo.

Cao Hao and Sun Wencheng both went outside the city to see off Li Xu. The escorted soldiers, who were subordinate to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, had already been ordered by the sixteenth elder brother, and did not flail Li Xu, nor gave them time to speak, and did not urge them to set off.

Through half a month of conditioning, Li Xu's injuries have healed.

He first instructed a few brothers Li Yu and Li Cheng who stayed in Beijing, which was nothing more than his own business, so that he could support his relatives and elders.

Then, he thanked Sun Wencheng for coming to see him off, and solemnly thanked Cao Hao.

Although the house where the Li family lives is nominally Gao Taijun's, she is an old woman, and without the help of the Cao family, where will everything be arranged properly.

It's just that this solemn thank you also points out the current relationship between the three families, and they are no longer close in their early years. The heads of the three families are here, and they know this.

The brothers of the Cao family are all young and strong, and they have already become famous, and the family has shown a prosperous trend; Although Sun Wencheng was dismissed from office, his brother and second son were both on errands in the Internal Affairs Office, and his own crimes were not serious, and he could be reinstated at any time; Only the Li family, who has broken off the career of two generations, and the grandchildren are not yet successful, whether they can be listed as eunuchs again is not guaranteed.

Li Xu's heart was not without sourness, but looking at his weak grandson Li Cheng, he still couldn't say the words "study diligently".

"Standing is the foundation of filial piety, not overpowering, everything is within your ability." Before Li Xu left, he said to Li Cheng.

"Grandchildren follow their grandfather's teachings." Li Cheng said with tears in his eyes.

Watching Li Xu's aged figure gradually fade away, Cao Hao sighed.

He turned around and asked Sun Wencheng to get in the car. Sun Wencheng glanced at Li Cheng and said, "Cheng'er is frail, come and share the car with me." ”

Li Cheng bowed down and said, "Grandfather Xie is compassionate, but the grandson is okay and can ride a horse." ”

Sun Wencheng glanced at him, didn't speak again, and got into the carriage.

Seeing this, Li Yu frowned slightly, but he didn't say anything after all.

The twin sons Li Jiao and Li Zheng stood beside them, watching Sun Wencheng and Li Cheng talking, with a little loss in their eyes. When Li Nai took them out of Beijing, they were already six or seven years old, and they all remembered.

Although in the past few years, they have accepted the fact that they are the descendants of the Li family, but they miss the life in the Sun family even more.

The mother-in-law is amiable and respectable, and the "father" is pampered, which is far from being replaced by the Li family's fine clothes and jade food in recent years. If they were still in the Sun family, the person in front of them would be their grandfather.

When Cao Hao saw Li Cheng like this, he knew that he was blaming his grandfather for not helping the Li family. It's obviously a clever child when he was a child, but now he is confused. Sun Wencheng may not have the ability to help the Li family, but he has the ability to take care of Li Cheng, his grandson.

Seeing that Sun Wencheng is about to return to the Internal Affairs Office, if Li Cheng is more obedient and fails the imperial examination, he will take the examination of the Internal Affairs Bureau, which is also the way to become a leader.

Cao Hao thought that Li Cheng was high-minded, and he was afraid that he would cause trouble, so he had to think about giving two instructions. Not for others, just for Gao Taijun and the Li family to have a little snack.

Thinking of this, he raised his head and said to Li Yu: "Wanzhong, I have something to say to Shouzhen, you go back with Goro and Rokuro first." ”

Li Yu said: "Since it was ordered by my cousin, my nephew took his younger brothers back first." ”

Cao Hao nodded, watching him take his twin sons and go with Sun Wencheng's carriage, Fang said to Li Cheng: "Your grandfather himself can't be protected, how can he help the Li family?" If you have a grudge, your mother is the only one who suffers. ”

Cao Hao has always been gentle with people, but now he has a reprimand, and he is talking about the Li family's family affairs.

Li Cheng's face changed and changed, and he looked at Cao Hao, a little puzzled by the intention of his words.

"Freezing three feet, not a cold. If so, your grandfather would not have stood by and allowed your father to hold him accountable. I won't sit on the sidelines, so that your aunt and grandmother and ancestor will worry about the Li family all night. You are still young, and you have not experienced the tragedy of the first emperor's sons and elder brothers, and seeking the king with ministers is the real way for your grandfather to take trouble. Cao Hao said solemnly.

Li Cheng listened, frowned and pondered, and said in a half-loud voice: "Uncle Cousin's words, does it mean that the emperor is investigating the matter of his grandfather's sacrifice of nine and fourteen silver shells in his early years?" Isn't it because the treasury is empty, and the government is rectified to enrich the treasury? Isn't it to vacate the three weaving jobs in Jiangnan to wait for the emperor's henchmen? ”

Cao Hao said: "There are all three, the latter two are just talking about things by things, but the former is talking about people by things, and there is no way to solve them." ”

Li Cheng hesitated for a moment, and asked what he was confused about: "Uncle Guan's actions, and he also intersected with the prince in his early years, could it be that Uncle Cousin's eyes are like torches, and he has long been able to argue with a real dragon?" ”

Cao Hao shook his head and said, "Now in the capital, there are many people with hearts, and you need to think twice before you open your mouth in the future." What is a real dragon and a fake dragon, all the princes and brothers are dragon sons and dragon grandchildren, I just keep the four words 'no desire is rigid', and have frank fellowship with the princes. ”

Li Cheng hesitated in his heart, Cao Hao's words were not false.

According to Li Cheng's knowledge, Cao Hao's interactions with the princes are rarely private and cannot be said to others. Perhaps it was because of this that he was not attacked.

Cao Hao saw that he could listen a little, and said, "However, it is also true that the treasury is empty. The lack of officials is also something that the emperor is extremely disgusted with. The housekeeper of your capital once sent something to the palace of Lian County, and he may be loyal and wants to leave some surplus wealth for the Li family, but he is kind and does bad things. Don't be reluctant to break the wealth and avoid disasters. Earlier, take out this property and send it to the household department to make up for your grandfather's shortfall. Although it can't smooth out the accounts, it can also make the emperor feel comfortable if he can have this heart. All good things have been good for your fathers and your fathers. ”

When Li Cheng heard this, he couldn't help but be surprised, and said, "How did Uncle Cousin know about this?" ”

He only learned about it after listening to what his wife He said, and he was thinking about taking advantage of the Dragon Boat Festival to transport those belongings home.

Now more than a dozen people have to live on the old lady's pension money, and he, who is a great-grandson, also feels ashamed. In addition, there are no subordinates in the family, and there are female dependents who work housework, and it is hard to watch.

Cao Hao looked at him and said, "The common people still have to think that the wall has ears, and they may not be able to speak privately. The mansion of the powerful is full of people, where is there privacy at all? As long as you know, I am not the only one who knows this. ”

Li Cheng's face turned pale, and he bowed down and said: "Nephew, thank you cousin, if it weren't for my cousin's reminder, my nephew would have made a mistake, and maybe it would have affected my mother-in-law." ”

Seeing that he understood, Cao Hao said no more, and ordered him to get on the horse, and the two of them went back to the city together......* In May, the weather became hotter and hotter.

The magnates who were waiting for the emperor to go out on patrol earlier are now waiting for patience and packing up to go to the outskirts of the city to escape the summer.

The Cao family opened an ice warehouse and supplied ice to each room every day.

Because Tianbao was young, although the Li family felt that the summer heat was unbearable, they didn't dare to use more ice, but just let the maids sprinkle more water in the courtyard in the morning and evening.

Seeing this, Cao Hao persuaded his mother to go to Haidian to escape the summer.

The garden over there is flourishing with vegetation and a pond of living water, which is much cooler than the houses in the city.

The Li family knew that the Li family had settled down properly, and Gao Taijun's nerves were fine, so he relieved himself and decided to go to Haidian to escape the summer after the Dragon Boat Festival.

Chu Yu wanted to go with him, but was stopped by Li.

The Li family took Niuniu, Tianhui and Tianbao, and made an appointment with Zhaojia, took a dozen waiting subordinates, and took a few carriages to Haidian.

Zhao Jia's originally wanted to take his daughter-in-law over, but he thought that his son had no one to wait for, so he only brought his fourth sister and two fifth sons.

Seeing this, Cao Hao said in Xiu Mu and brought his wife over to visit. On Cao Fu's side, the same is true; Only Cao Song, every time he takes turns off, he has to take six days off, and he takes his wife and two daughters to live for a few days, which is much more comfortable.

When Cao Hao and Cao Fu saw this, they were envious.

Cao Song has been promoted to a first-class guard because he is on an errand in the northwest, and he is a long-term guard. No matter what rewards there are in the palace, he, the little head of the guards of the Qianqing Palace, is a double share, which is very decent.

In addition, he is simple on the outside and round on the inside, and he never shows his scheming, so he is very popular.

Even the emperor likes Cao Song very much. If it weren't for the fact that he was young, he had always been a guard after he became a servant, he didn't show any talent, and his qualifications were not enough, so he would have been promoted and reused.

Cao Fu's son was not happy, and Shu Jishi was originally a three-year period, and then the museum was disbanded. Because Enke was opened this year, in order to pour a place for the new Jishi, their Keshu Jishi had to be disbanded in advance.

Now there is only half a year left for the exam.

At that time, the papers were divided into three grades, and the upper class stayed in the museum and was awarded the Hanlin official; Medium or stay in the museum, or grant six officials and magistrates; Inferior or dismissed, or returned to the sergeant class, or retained for another three years.

Because Cao Xiang stayed in Hanlin, and now he is firmly seated as a scholar, Cao Fu had been running to the middle school earlier, thinking that he would just be a judge in the sixth department. When the time comes, my cousin will take care of me, and I will be able to live a relaxed life.

Now, the exam is early, and he is a little unsure of it, so he is in a hurry.

After all, there are only twenty or thirty people in each department, and they are all the best among the jinshi. It is not easy for Cao Fu to be stable and medium.

Although he did not have the heart to be competitive, he was not far from the exam, and he was ridiculed by his peers and fellow subjects. Now that his nephews have begun to take the exam, if his uncle is removed, it will be a shame and a big loss.

Because of this, he had to plough and study all night, and looking at his diligent energy, he was more attentive than before the imperial examination.

Seeing that the younger brothers are very competitive, Cao Hao, who is the elder brother, is quite gratified.

On his own side, he is "in his position and seeking his own government", except for doing his duty, he does not participate in anything else.

Although the court is strict with foreign officials to make friends with courtiers, the rules of officialdom are there, and no one is a backer in the court, and it is not stable to be a foreign official.

"In the same year", "fellow villagers", and "classmates" are all names of friendship, and Cao Hao is a graceful person, but he saved this matter. In the early years, although officials from Jiangning and Fengrun came to make friends, Cao Hao stayed away.

Foreign governors enter Beijing, honor Jingtang, and will not leave Caofu, but they will not give heavy gifts. Because everyone knows that Cao Hao married a good lady, and he knows how to make money, and there is no shortage of silver.

In this way, Cao Hao saved a lot of trouble.

fell into Yongzheng's eyes, and he felt that Cao Hao had inherited his father's style and wanted to be a pure minister, and he was happy in his heart.

Every time he was summoned, he was much more kind to Cao Hao. Once, after mentioning official business, I left him and talked about a few family things.

Seeing this, Cao Hao was surprised in his heart, but he didn't think about it.

After all, he is now "frank and open", and there is nothing to be vain. I can only think that Yongzheng is not looking at the face of the Li family, and he really treats him differently when he is a relative and a junior.

After the Dragon Boat Festival, the sixteenth elder brother was a little busy, because the seventeenth elder brother was going out of the palace to open the mansion. There is no old palace to divide, and a new palace must be built.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has already zoned a site in Caochang Hutong in Dongguan Garden, and built a new palace according to the system of county palaces.

And because the eldest son of the thirteenth elder brother and the eldest son of the fourteenth elder brother both sealed Beizi, the two Beizi mansions were also pardoned at this time.

The mansion of the nephews, the sixteenth elder brother does not need to pay too much attention to it, the seventeenth elder brother has always been friendly with him, and he is very attentive to the construction of the county king's mansion.

He still had a thought in his heart, when the seventeenth elder brother left the palace, among the adult princes of the first emperor, only the fifteenth elder brother was left who did not open the mansion.

Even if it is a national prince, even if the fifteenth elder brother is guarding the mausoleum, it is good if he can move his family out of the palace. In this way, he, who is a younger brother, is cheaper to take care of. It would be better if he could welcome his biological mother out of the palace to be raised.

For these two reasons, he stared at the stewards and wanted to build the county king's mansion earlier.

Unexpectedly, as soon as the construction started here, the emperor issued an order and ordered the seventeenth elder brother to go out of Beijing on a business trip......*

(To be continued)