Night, Xu's house.

Looking at the back of the girl who was taken home by her son's insistence and gradually moving away, Xu Qingtang and his wife looked at each other and smiled bitterly, Xiao sighed: "The widow's family is not easy, not to mention that Yushi is not biological, but I didn't expect to be abused so much." ”

"What a ruthless heart, what do you see Yu Shi's hand being frozen? Anyway, she is also the daughter of the Xiao family, and she forced her to do laundry for others in winter at a young age to earn three meals. ”

Xu Qingtang said angrily, and then became a little embarrassed, "It's okay to stay in our house for a few months, after a long time, it will be unjustifiable, then look at the attitude of the rabbit cub, you must stay to the end." ”

"My own niece, what's wrong with me staying at home? Who would dare to talk too much? The old lady is old and kind-hearted, and she must agree. Xiao Shi didn't have any worries, but smiled, "Yushi, this girl has a gentle temperament, she has been kind and considerate since she was a child, and I feel sorry for her small appearance, so she can be pampered for a few years and keep it for Hao'er." ”

Xu Qingtang was envious in his heart, and deliberately retorted: "Wouldn't that make the relatives say that we are hiding our selfishness, and how can that rabbit cub be wronged by Yushi as a concubine?" ”

"Don't keep talking about the rabbit, what have you become of being a father? Bunny daddy can't make it. Xiao Shi glanced at her husband dissatisfied, "In any case, it is also a concubine, I think it is Yushi who has climbed high, and according to the meaning of that side, I may not know which bastard Wang Ba will be sold to at a high price." ”

"Okay, okay, I'll not say it." Xu Qingtang hurriedly stopped his wife from continuing to nag, walked to the window with his hands behind his back, and suddenly remembered that there was another one coming, and sneered: "What about Yuying?" That girl can be called stunning, maybe be a concubine for your precious son? ”

I didn't want Xiao Shi to shake his head and said: "Beauty is beautiful, but the temperament is not good, it is not a good match." I'm afraid that when she comes, something will happen at home. ”

"Well, it's a shame." Xu Qingtang nodded again and again in agreement, and when he thought of Xiao Yuying's extremely charming appearance, he lowered his head and muttered, "Then I will ask my son to move back to live, and look at him closely, and the province will do ugly things that are unethical." ”

Xiao Shixing's eyes widened, and he said, "Don't think that your son is the same as you, with a belly full of flowers." Scold! Even if something happens, it just so happens that the old lady hugged her grandson in advance, and I can't wait for it. ”

Xu Qingtang panted heavily, so he fainted, and he slandered you in my heart for looking at me all my life, but it was my son's turn to see it so openly, and I was angry.

In the garden embroidery building, Xu Qinglian gently applied ointment to her cousin's arm in distress, the frostbitten arm and small hand were purple, and the palm was cracked and scarred in many places and then cracked again, repeatedly, shocking.

Hongye's tears flowed out, and he choked up: "I said that my cousin said that she was not hungry, and she didn't move her chopsticks all night, if it weren't for his sharp eyes, how could it be good." ”

"Cousin, don't be sad, you will be fine after a few days." Xiao Yushi had a faint smile on her face, as if the broken hands were not her own.

Xu Qinglian said softly: "In the future, you will eat and live with me, and it just so happens that I also have a companion to talk to." ”

"Hmm." Xiao Yushi did not twist, and nodded generously.

At this time, Xu Hao sat on the first floor and stared at the dark night scene outside the window, what happened to his cousin was just a trivial matter for him, so he naturally helped him, and there was no other meaning.

He held a note in his hand, which was important enough to determine his future. After weighing it for a while, he still couldn't make up his mind, so he got up and burned the note to ashes on the candle flame.

Strode out of the embroidery building, this time Qiu Xiang waited for him with four or five little girls, Xu Hao said: "You are all carrying lanterns around, I will go by myself." ”

Qiu Xiang was just about to open her mouth to refute, but Xu Hao had already stepped away, and said as he walked: "I still use you to help a man?" I just lie in bed all day. ”

These words immediately made Qiu Xiang swallow back the words in his mouth, silently walked to the head in a few steps, and led the way with the palace lamp in his hand.

I don't know when it started, Xu Hao was reluctant to take care of these maids in the house, Qiu Xiang was a first-class maid, one tael of silver a month; Qingwen and Musk Yue belong to the second-class 500 yuan per month, and four of the six little girls are third-class maids with 250 yuan per month, and two are rough girls with 100 yuan.

The difference between each other's monthly silver is doubled, and the difference is even further with additional rewards and clothing and jewelry, who doesn't want to make more money to improve their status? The quickest way is naturally to find a way to get close to yourself, and people will have feelings after getting along with each other for a long time, Xu Hao is worried that he is soft-hearted, so it is better to keep his distance as soon as possible.

From the third day of the first lunar month, the Xu family began to handle everything needed for Xu Wen's big employment, invited eight silversmiths to live in the house, and the three stewards took turns to watch, day and night to create all kinds of gold and silver jewelry.

Xu Qingtang also hired two court craftsmen from the capital to guide the silversmiths according to the style required by the royal family, in addition to a few tinsmiths to scrape all kinds of pewter, carpenters to create carved gift boxes, lacquerers to paint oil paint, etc.

Xu Hao accompanied his father to run back and forth, fortunately, this is the Hongwu Dynasty that advocates simplicity, in addition to various etiquette rules and regulations have to follow the number of court roads, weddings and funerals are almost the same as the common people, that is, the scale is just the size, otherwise the Xu family would have to go bankrupt.

In addition, boxes of silk and satin were transported to the house, and a dozen or so famous needlemen were invited to the house, and the whole family and their dependents were also mobilized to sew auspicious clothes for their own use and new clothes for spring, summer, autumn and winter.

In addition, there are all kinds of miscellaneous things to prepare, Zhuang Shang keeps sending all kinds of meat and vegetables, but the silver is still like flowing water to go out, the eldest brother Xu Wengui is the eldest son and eldest grandson, and he is married to a prince and county lord, and it is undoubtedly a fool's dream to save some silver.

The Qin Wangfu sent two eunuchs to check the preparations, and when they saw the north courtyard that was cleaned up and used for the new house, they thought the room was short, and pointed to the garden and said that they would build it there.

Xu Qingtang was very embarrassed, if he followed the requirements of the Qin Palace, he would not be sure what scale he would have to build, not to mention the date, and the silver taels he spent would be unbearable at all.

"What? I'm embarrassed. The middle-aged eunuch in the lead smiled and raised his head: "The wood craftsmen needed are from our palace, and your family only needs to vacate space." ”

"This." Xu Qingtang was silent, the garden is located in the center of the whole house, if this becomes the new home of the young couple, it will inevitably cause inconvenience to the whole family, and it is occupied by Xu Wen and his wife, where do the old ladies and ladies go to spend their leisure time? You can't build a garden, can you?

Xu Hao doesn't care about those, now that Zhu Yuanzhang is still in power, it is your turn to be a eunuch to speak, and besides, the court has explicitly ordered that extravagance and waste are strictly prohibited, in case there is another place on the roof and beam, wouldn't it be self-inflicted?

Xu Hao immediately said angrily: "This is my family, do you want to marry or not, come and see off guests." ”

"How are you talking, little boy?" The eunuch was stunned.

Xu Hao stretched out his hand and flicked his sleeves, and sneered: "It's true that our Xu family marries a daughter-in-law, your mother's family can be picky at will, but our mother-in-law's family can also explain and insist." As the saying goes, marry your husband, even if Her Royal Highness the princess marries, she has to guard the duty of the daughter-in-law of the people, this garden is a leisure place shared by the whole family, and you can point to it at will, so what about the rest of us? If you are not convinced, you can tear up the marriage contract, and then if you are not convinced, let's go to the Zongren Mansion to reason, how about it? ”

The two eunuchs looked at each other, blinked and didn't speak, how could they dare to go to the Zongren Mansion to reason? It can't be pleased, this marriage contract is recorded on the royal jade plate, and even the prince himself can't change it for no special reason.

In the final analysis, these two are selfish, nothing more than trying to take advantage of this, and shouting out will not be able to escape the eyes of people who understand! Since the Xu family doesn't give face, then forget it.

The two eunuchs threw away without saying a word, and watched the people leave, Xu Qingtang frowned and said: "Nonsense, don't offend this kind of person if you can't offend, otherwise sooner or later you will seek revenge." ”

Xu Hao said: "They are the servants of the Qin Palace, the mountains and the high ground are far away, and what they say at the foot of the capital does not count." ”

"Young and frivolous." Xu Qingtang shook his head and instructed the housekeeper, "Hurry up and say good things." Well, you secretly stuffed twenty taels of silver for each person. ”

"Too little, right?" Xu Hao smacked his lips.

", I want to send a few hundred taels, do they dare to accept it?" Xu Qingtang finished speaking angrily and walked away with his hands behind his back.

Oh, sixty taels of silver is a capital crime, Xu Hao came back to his senses, he has King Yan as a backer on his back, what is there to fear from the two eunuchs of the royal palace?

Squinting his eyes and pondering his father's words, this eunuch is indeed a special group that is both pitiful and hateful, they are backed by the royal family, and what they are best at is to tell right and wrong, bully others, and make stumbling blocks behind their backs, which is unguardable.

Now the eunuchs under Zhu Yuanzhang are even more trembling than the officials, which can be seen from the attitude that his father doesn't care too much, but unfortunately later these guys lived more and more nourishingly, and there were many big eunuchs who brought disaster to the country and the people.

It seems that the rise of eunuchs started with Emperor Yongle, Xu Hao sighed, in fact, no matter what, it can't stop the rise of eunuchs, unless it is to fundamentally eliminate this industry, do you have to overthrow the imperial system? That's a bit of.

Historically, without eunuchs, there will be courtiers, traitors, and generals who defect to the enemy, and the decline of a feudal dynasty is often the trend of the times, and it is not human power that can stop it, and these major events are left to the great men to do.

Xu Hao is fortunate to come from the era of China's comprehensive rise, anyway, sooner or later will rise, a hundred years of humiliation in the long history, repeated many times, later generations because of the personal pain, just like the current Ming Dynasty people, for the Mongols hated to the bone, had to drive out the Yuan Meng.

Xu Hao doesn't have many enemies in his mind, only two, if he has the opportunity, he is definitely not stingy to make a move, he has no ambition to conquer Shijie, but he is still very happy to relieve the resentment in his heart for many years.