Chapter 315: Outside the mouth

Zhangjiakou is more than 300 miles away from the capital. Cao Yong, Tang Zhiyu and two Taipu Temple officials accompanied each other with their families. A group of more than ten people set off from the capital on the afternoon of March 28th and arrived at the Zhangjiakou Inn on the afternoon of March 30th.

When everyone dismounted, Cao Yong and others were fine, but Tang Zhiyu was already stiff and panting and couldn't speak. The servant he led hurriedly helped him off the horse and said worriedly: "Master..."

Tang Zhiyu was gasping for breath, and got off the horse's back, and his legs were no longer closed. Cao Yong was watching from the side, but he couldn't bear it.

Tang Zhiyu is from the south, with a thin appearance, and is in his forties, and is a professional. At this time, people in their forties can call themselves "old", and his body is really untroubled.

The four chief officials of Taipu Temple were appointed by Cao Yong. Lu Jingyuan was a decoration and only came to the yamen to drink tea and spend his days. Tang Zhiyu was a Han official. It was hard to say whether he believed it or not, and he had to offend Yiduli. Therefore, Cao Yong chose Tang Zhiyu to accompany him.

Now it seems that it is a bit difficult for him to let Tang Zhiyu ride with him.

The postmaster had already come out, and Zhang Yi came forward with the document and explained the identities of everyone.

Because everyone was wearing regular clothes, the Yicheng did not expect that Cao Yong, the youngest among the people, was the chief official, and thought that Tang Zhiyu was. He also thought that he was a third-rank official and was awarded no rewards.

However, seeing that Tang Zhiyu was wearing a long gown that was not old and broken and faded official boots, the enthusiasm in Yicheng's heart decreased a little. It seemed that he was still a "clever official". The more he was such an official, the more impatient the reception he was on the post station. Not to mention the silver reward, he would show off his official power, and it would be annoying to make people dislike him.

Although he felt very sorry for his heart, the official bowed forward and smiled at Tang Zhiyu and said, "There are many officials who have gone out of the mouth these days. The upper room was full. As soon as the adults left in the afternoon, the lower officials let people clean up. Others, I'm afraid they'll want..." As he said that, he looked at the others.

When he saw Cao Yong, the Yicheng stopped talking. Although Cao Yong was dressed normally, the horses beside him were very good. In addition, Cao Yong was smiling at the moment. Seeing the Yicheng talking to Tang Zhiyu, the Yicheng was a little confused.

"The other adults are afraid they will... wait first, and please see if you can free up two more rooms." The Yicheng wanted to let others live in a worse room, but when he spoke, he changed his mouth again.

Tang Zhiyu nodded, pointed at Cao Yong, and said to the postmaster: "This is Lord Cao, the Minister of Taipu Temple. If you have a room, you will ask someone to lead Lord Cao to clean up."

Seeing that Tang Zhiyu was already unstable, the servant Tang Shun, who was traveling with him, was just a half-year-old boy, Cao Yong asked Zhao Tong to help Tang Zhiyu and said, "It's better for Lord Tang to go and rest first. It's really hard to travel these two days."

The postmaster saw that he had recognized the wrong person and was afraid that Cao Yong would be unhappy, so he hurriedly came forward to flatter him.

While speaking, everyone entered the post station. The postmaster saw that six of the thirteen people were followers of this "Master Cao". This "Master Cao" was at the third rank of the age of the time, and obviously had some status and was not an ordinary official. Therefore, he was happy and asked the person to move the room to place Cao Yong and Tang Zhiyu. The other two officials had no good luck.

Although it was late spring, the weather here was slightly lower than that in the capital. After Cao Yong finished washing, Xiaoman took out a thicker vest and asked Cao Yong to replace it.

In addition to Xiaoman, Wei Hei, Zhang Yi and Zhao Tong, there were two Changsui who came out of the capital with Cao Yong this time. Because Cao Yong was temporarily appointed as the Taipu Temple Minister, Changsui was not enough to be appointed, the old housekeeper talked to Cao Yong and made up the two of them.

The supper has been delivered, nothing more than roast chicken and sauce. After dinner, Cao Yong thought about Tang Zhiyu's situation. He was only halfway through Zhangjiakou, and he had to go north for another 300 miles to reach Halani Dunjing Ranch.

It took two or three days to ride a horse. Looking at Tang Zhiyu's situation, he might not be able to stick to the place. If it really doesn't work, let him ride slowly and take a step forward by riding a horse. Cao Yong thought about it over and over again, but he still felt that this was more appropriate.

Before Cao Yong could go to search for Tang Zhiyu, he saw Xiaoman holding a huanghuali treasure inlaid with lotus roots and worshiping the box.

Seeing that the worship box was not a common thing, Cao Yong asked, "Which lord gave it to me?"

Xiaoman smiled and shook his head, "Where is an adult? He is a slave of Prince Jian's Mansion. I have also seen him. He is the nephew of Manager Cui, the Shaoguozhuang, Daxing Town. His name is Cui Fei. Last year, he followed his uncle to our yamen. Now he has been promoted to the foreign affairs manager of the Prince Jian and transported wine to his mouth. He heard that the uncle was here, so he handed the box of worship."

Cao Yong remembered Cui Fei, a young man in his twenties, so he said to Xiaoman: "I'll go and see Lord Tang and let him come over and talk later!"

Xiaoman responded and Cao Yong went to Tang Zhiyu's place next door.

The food was placed on the table, looking at the appearance of only two chopsticks, the rice did not move at all. Although the doors and windows were opened, the turbid air in the room had not dissipated.

Tang Zhiyu's face was innocent and a little ugly. Cao Yong looked at Tang Shun with a little inquiring look.

Tang Shun replied: "My master suffered from stomach pain. He started vomiting after taking a bite. He just drank half a cup of boiled water."

Tang Zhiyu waved his hand to Tang Shun and said, "What are you talking about? Why don't you go and ask for hot water quickly and make tea for Lord Cao."

Tang Shun continued to respond, and Tang Zhiyu asked Cao Yong to sit down.

Seeing that he was stiff and it was inconvenient to walk, Cao Yong said, "It will take three days to go to the ranch. The Japanese official in Ming Dynasty will take people there first. Lord Tang will change his car tomorrow?"

When Tang Zhiyu heard this, his face turned red and shook his head and said, "It's not a problem for the officials, so he will definitely not delay the trip!"

Cao Yong said: "Mr. Tang must not misunderstand it. It is not because the itinerary is not the way. We don't know how long we will stay at the ranch. There is no need to worry about this day or two. If Mr. Tang is hurt by rushing to get rid of his body and delays his work when he is employed. It would be better to change the carriage and keep his energy on the road!"

Seeing Cao Yong's sincere face, Tang Zhiyu was a little speechless. Although he was a little dissatisfied with his old age, he also knew that his bones would be about to disperse for another two days. Therefore, he stood up and solemnly thanked Cao Yong.

Seeing that he was straightforward and was different from other literati who were full of flattery, Cao Yong admired him very much.

Seeing that he couldn't sit still and his forehead was covered with sweat, Cao Yong did not sit for a long time. After saying a few official duties, he said goodbye first.

When he returned to the room, Cao Yong called Xiaoman to call Cui Fei over. A middle-aged man in his thirties came with Cui Fei. Not only did Cui Fei wear very brightly, but the middle-aged man who came with him also wore a kesi robe. This is not something that ordinary people can wear.

Cui Fei had entered Cao Yong. When he saw him sitting at the table, he immediately came up and said, "I have seen Master Cao, I wish you goodbye to Master Cao!"

Although he was smart, Cao Yong was not a person who pretended to be airs. He reached out and helped him, "Get up quickly, I didn't expect to see you here! Are you coming to Beijing or Yizhou?"

Cui Fei stood up and said, "The little one came to Yizhou. When he came, he heard from his uncle that Mr. Cao went to the capital to celebrate Wanshou. He just heard that he was an adult from Taipu Temple. The little one only thought he had the same name. When he saw the Xiaoman brother, he realized that Mr. Cao had been promoted!" As he said, he introduced to Cao Yong, "This is Mr. Chen Junan, Mr. Chen, the ninth prince's uncle, and he happened to be selling goods here in Zhangjiakou. Knowing that Mr. Cao is there, he begged the little one to meet him."

Although it was the first time that the ninth prince’s uncle Chen Junan and Cao Yong met, they had been famous for a long time. This man was short of a candidate for the prefect, but he was a businessman.

In the capital, Chen Junan is a famous "expenses in making money". Any shop he likes is not enough to get it. There are not ten businessmen who are forced to lose their fortunes and jump into the river. To put it bluntly, he still relied on the power of the Ninth Prince, and he was the mad dog of the Ninth Prince.

"Mr. Cao E has long admired his reputation. It is a great honor to meet him today!" Chen Junan smiled with a fist.

Seeing Chen Junan looking at him with a scathing look, Cao Yong felt disgusted. If he hadn't known that the villain was difficult and too lazy to cause trouble, he really wanted to knock out this "expenses" immediately to get out. Therefore, he just nodded and said, "Since you are here, please sit down and talk!"

Cui Fei hurriedly said, "Where is a villain in front of Master Cao? The younger one is more comfortable standing and replying!"

Chen Junan sat down with a big smile and said with a smile: "Everyone in the capital said that Cao's husband was the tea boy next to the God of Wealth, but he didn't believe it. In that case, can't he be able to say 'God of Wealth'?" As he said that, he raised his legs and looked at Cao Yong, with a glorious face.

This was rude. Cui Fei listened, and his face had changed. While looking at Cao Yong's expression, he whispered to Chen Junan: "Master Chen..."

I have never offended this person, so why can I feel that there is fear in his eyes? Although Cao Yong was annoyed, he smiled and asked, "What is this allusion? This is the first time I heard about it? He is a boy and a god of wealth, and it sounds very lively."

Chen Junan raised his eyebrows and replied, "Isn't that the matter? It's said that Mr. Cao opened his eyes since he was a child and met noble people and knew the tea site. Master Jiu was still half-believing. If I hadn't told him, he would have really wanted to ask Mr. Cao to ask about the business. It's just that people outside are unconscious and spread rumors. How can business be so easy? Not everyone can manage it! If someone overestimates his abilities, he will only be embarrassed!"

Although I don’t know how many, Cao Yong also heard something from Chen Junan’s sour words. It turned out that he was afraid that Cao Yong would steal his job and become the person he relied on by the Ninth Prince.

What a big joke. If you are full, you will follow those unlucky princes? Cao Yong was secretly amused in his heart. Not to mention anything else, when Yongzheng settled the score in the autumn, the ninth prince would definitely not be able to escape the ninth prince's "slave slaves and commit crimes".

How can a smart man do what he does when he is acting arrogantly in the capital? I don’t know how many small braids have been caught in people’s hands. However, Chen Junan was blinded by the silver. The Ninth Prince thought that the eighth Prince’s throne was something in his palm, so he dared to be so unscrupulous!

Speaking of which, I also have to thank Chen Junan. If he hadn't been taboo on him, I was afraid that the Ninth Prince had already been pestering him. But this person is really not a good person, and it would be fine if he didn't mess with him. If he didn't open his eyes, he would have to find a way to eliminate harm to the people.

Speaking of which, it is only the 52nd year of Kangxi, and the Eighth Prince and the others will have to be prosperous for many years. If the matter is exposed and aggrieved, they may cause some trouble in the future. However, if the matter is handled well, the Cao family's suspicion of being surrounded by the Eighth Prince will be cut off, and it will be considered a disguised surrender in front of the Fourth Prince. Even if the Li family bats the Eighth Prince, it will not affect the Cao family.

When Cao Yong thought of this, he looked a little more smiling on his face and nodded to Chen Junan and said, "It's right, it's right. This official is an official appointed by the court. He has read the books of sages since he was a child. How could he do business with merchants?"

Although Cao Yong smiled warmly, Chen Junan couldn't help but feel a chill. He couldn't help but wake up, put down his legs and looked a little respectful.

Cao Yong asked Cui Fei a few words and then served tea to see him off.

Chen Junan returned to the room, but felt a little uneasy. He was so arrogant just now. Did he get over it? He suddenly remembered the incident of Cao Yong taking people to surround the tenth prince's mansion in the summer of the previous year, and he couldn't help but sweat. The gentle prince in front of him looked at him, although he was kind, but he was a twister.

The prince of the county didn't take it seriously. He was the alternate county magistrate. If he really made a fuss, he was afraid that his master would be willing to deal with him and have a relationship with the Cao family. Looking at the master's wishes on weekdays, he was very willing to join the Cao family.

Walking around the room, Chen Junan was still a little worried, so he asked someone to take a greeting letter and deliver it to Cao's room in person. With the gift of a hundred taels of gold as a filial piety.

Although these ingots were golden and bright, they were not in Cao Yong's eyes. Just looking at Chen Junan's attitude of "if you don't accept it, you'll look down on me" and "if you don't accept it, you'll kneel down." Cao Yong was too lazy to talk to him, so he asked Xiaoman to take it and asked Xiaoman to take the silver seal as a reward.

How could Chen Junan accept it? Cao Yong looked impatient and said, "What's wrong? If you can respect me, I can't reward you? Is it because I look down on me, Mr. Cao!"

Chen Junan cursed in his heart, he was so arrogant that he even made a name for his master? However, because he was worried that Cao Yong would hold a grudge, he respectfully accepted it and thanked Cao Yong for his reward.

When he returned to the room, Chen Junan opened the silver seal and looked at it, but he was shocked. Although it was three light silver notes, the weight was really not light, one for one for one, two for five hundred, and a total of two thousand taels.

Now, gold is exchanged for silver for one tael and sixteen taels. Even the hundred taels of gold sent by Chen Junan is equivalent to silver and money.

He breathed a sigh of relief and felt relieved. Although Cao Yong did not accept his filial piety, he did not mean to blame him, otherwise he would not have given him a favor.

He held the silver notes and looked around twice, and couldn't help but think about it again. Even if Cao Yong didn't blame him, he had no reason to give him a favor? Is it because of the master, or is it relaxed, or... he favored him and appreciated him?

Although during social interactions, everyone calls him "Master Chen" for the sake of the ninth prince, how many of them really look down on him? Even his own brothers frowned when they mentioned his business, for fear of being stinking by the smell of money, and they could not hide their contempt.

*

The capital city, outside Xihua Gate, Jueluo Mansion.

Xitara, with her head wrapped around her, lay on the kang, looking at Cao Yi holding a medicine bowl by the kang, and said, "Just ask the maids to serve you, you don't have to guard you personally. If you are exhausted, you won't make your mother feel distressed!"

Cao Yi put some medicine juice in a spoon and put it on his lips to test the temperature. Seeing that it was still a little hot, he put the medicine bowl aside and said with a smile: "I am only allowed to love my wife, so I won't be filial to my wife? The imperial doctor has already said that it's just a season change, just take a few more medicines!"

Xitara sighed and said, "Because of my mother, I have tripped you up and didn't even see you off to the in-laws or the in-laws. Although they are uncles and aunts, even the daughters are just like this when they treat you!"

Cao Yi lowered his head and whispered: "Well, father, mother's kindness, my wife always remembers it and never dares to forget each other for a moment."

Xitara nodded and asked, "By the way, did you say that your in-laws and your little brothers were going to Beijing a few days ago? Is there any place to let Tu'er do it? They are not outsiders, so don't be outsiders. Although our family is not as good as the Pingwang Mansion, you can still do it for errands or something."

Cao Yizhanyan said: "The wife originally wanted to go to the royal palace and ask her second sister, but now her brother and sister-in-law stay in Beijing and have started to clean up the empty houses in the mansion!"

Outside the mansion, at the gate.

Seshtun was feeling uncomfortable and came back from the guard camp early. Unexpectedly, as soon as she arrived at the door, she saw her eldest brother-in-law Zhong Haihan standing at the door with a face.

Seshtu quickly turned over and got off the horse and asked, "Brother-in-law, didn't you say you were out of your mouth, why did you have time to come here today?"

Zhong Hai looked at the fourth-rank official uniform on Seshtu, snorted coldly, and said, "What? Lord Shenling looked down on this poor relative, and it was annoying to see him?"

Seshtu's face was flushed when he was squeezed and said with a smile: "Look at what my brother-in-law said, my brother is also considered a big care of my brother-in-law. How could he be the kind of ungrateful person?"

Zhong Hai's face was slightly slower and he frowned and said, "Then I'll ask you to help introduce your brother-in-law. How did you push and drag it to this day? It's just a relative. Is the Cao family still trembling?"

Seshtu said: "Don't get me wrong, my mother has been feeling uncomfortable these days, and my brother has not gone to Cao's Mansion."

Zhong Hai's face was a little better and said, "Since that's the case, why didn't you send a letter to your elder sister earlier? We can come here to visit the old lady as soon as possible!"

As they said that, the two entered the mansion.

When Xitara heard that her eldest son-in-law was going to visit her, she said she was impatient and did not invite him to go to the backyard. She also asked Seshtu to tell Zhong Hai that she didn't have to let her daughter come back. After a few days, she felt better and wanted her daughter and grandson, so she would send someone to pick her up.

Zhong Hai stood up and listened to Seshtu's message, then sat down again, and said to Seshtu: "I originally wanted to leave Beijing today, but because some things were delayed for half a day, I decided to leave Beijing tomorrow. I am here to find you today to give you pocket money! Now your family is different from usual, and there are many social engagements, so I always need more input!"

Seshtu knew that his brother-in-law was good at managing, and said with a smile: "It's still my brother-in-law who loves me, and my brother is worried! It turns out that although the salary is not large, the family is barely enough to be used. Now that he has been promoted, he can't do anything! If the farmer who is married to your brother and sister is promising, there will be a deficit on the books!"

Upon hearing this, Zhong Hai shook his head and said, "How can a man support his family, how can he expect his wife's dowry? It's not a joke for the Cao family. It's hard for me to straighten my back in front of them. I'll go out to buy fur goods tomorrow and help you bring them back. Doesn't my mother-in-law have a cloth shop? It's good to tidy up the winter and sell fur goods!"

Seshtu was a little embarrassed: "Brother-in-law, that capital..."

Zhong Hai smiled and said, "This is for my brother-in-law, so I don't have to bother me. I just happened to have some private money and didn't belong to the public. But my brother should not forget to give my brother-in-law some profit!"

Seshtu heard what his brother-in-law meant, not just to help him make money, but to make some money from his brother-in-law, so he replied with a smile: "It depends on the arrangements of my brother-in-law. We are not outsiders, so my brother-in-law will do it!"

Zhong Hai picked up the tea and was about to drink it. He remembered something and said to Seshtu: "By the way, your tea garden is good, we don't have to say about the good tea, even other teas are made into tea bricks and taken out for food. You have a idea in your mind, and I will help you take care of it in the future, or you can make the manager follow it. The Mongolians love this. Although the yamen has control, it doesn't matter if they bring less every time!"
Chapter completed!