Near noon, Shen Yi sent Zhang Jian out of the gate of Shen's house.
It's not that Mr. Shen is stingy and doesn't want to let him eat at home. It's true that the Zhang family is a big family and there are many rules in the family. Today is New Year's Eve. As Zhang Jian is the most valued grandson of the old prime minister, he can go out for a while. It's not easy. If he doesn't go back for lunch, I'm afraid the old man will take action against him.
Compared with the Zhang family, although the Shen family is also a noble family, they don't pay as much attention to rules as the big families. At noon that day, the whole family sat together for a reunion dinner. In the evening, Mr. Shen and his family sat together to make dinner. After a meal and a bowl of rice, the family prepares to celebrate the New Year and set off firecrackers.
Not long after eating, the little guy Shen Yuan yawned and fell asleep. When midnight was approaching, Lu Ruoxi also lay on the bed and fell asleep slowly.
Finally at midnight, Shen Yi put on his clothes and walked out of the room. Just as he was about to light the firecrackers at midnight, he saw a young man of fifteen or sixteen years old walking to Shen's house under the moonlit night, holding a bunch of firecrackers in his hand. 's gate.
He took out the firecrackers from his arms and lit the last firecracker in Hongde's ninth year.
It is also the first firecracker in Hongde in ten years.
As soon as the firecrackers were set off, the young man turned around and looked back to see Shen Yi standing at the door of the room. He stepped forward with a smile and said, "Brother, are you still asleep?"
"I originally thought of setting off firecrackers."
Mr. Shen looked at Shen Heng with some emotion: "In the past, when our brothers were in Jiangdu, if my father didn't come back, I would be the one to watch the New Year and set off firecrackers."
Shen Heng lowered his head slightly and said: "Brother has a lot to do, I want him to rest early."
Shen Yi stepped forward, patted Shen Heng on the shoulder, then silently turned around and went back to the bedroom.
In the past few years, especially after he took the exam and became an official, because his ability has far surpassed everyone in the family, Shen Yi subconsciously put all the responsibilities and burdens on his shoulders.
It wasn't until that night that Shen Yi had a vague feeling in his heart.
That is.
This brother who has been dependent on him for many years seems to be...
Already grown up.
This is a good thing.
It is a good thing for Shen Heng himself and the entire Shen family.
After Mr. Shen returned to the bedroom, he hung his clothes beside the bed, lay down on the warm quilt, closed his eyes and fell asleep.
This time, he slept quite soundly.
………………
The next day, Mr. Shen woke up and found everything had been renewed.
The time jumps from the ninth year of Hongde to the tenth year of Hongde.
Shen Yi and Shen Heng mixed half a bowl of paste together, then took the Spring Festival couplets written in advance and carefully pasted them on the front door of their home.
However, the brothers only stuck to this one door, leaving the rest to a few servants at home.
On the first day of the first lunar month, Shen Yi still didn't go out. He just worked at home for a long time and read books in his study for a long time.
In the evening, after a cloudy afternoon, heavy snow began to fall.
This snowfall was very heavy. Shen Yi had spent the New Year celebrations in Jiankang City in the past few years. In his memory, at least in recent years, there had never been such heavy snowfall.
The heavy snow fell for only one day and one night.
By the afternoon of the next day, the heavy snow stopped, but although the snow did not last long, it still turned Jiankang into a white snow.
On the second day of the Lunar New Year, it was already the day to pay New Year's greetings. Because it snowed in the morning, I didn't go out. After the snow stopped in the afternoon, Shen Yi and Lu Ruoxi took their son out to pay New Year's greetings.
The couple actually didn't have many people to pay New Year's greetings to, there were only three people on their left and right, Mr. Gu from Dayifang, Zhao Changping, the Minister of Household Affairs, and...
Zhang Jing, the old prime minister.
The first two are both close to Shen Yi. During the holidays, whenever Shen Yi is in Jiankang, he always takes his things to see. As for the last one...
It's because of Zhang Jian.
He had a close personal relationship with Zhang Jian, so when he paid New Year's greetings, he should go and meet the old Prime Minister of the Zhang family.
Although the snow in Jiankang City is very thick, because it is the actual capital, the "municipal" work is still done quite well. There are dedicated people responsible for shoveling the snow. When the couple went out, Jiankang's main road Basically everything was cleared out, so the couple took their son Shen Yuan together to celebrate the New Year as a family.
The little baby during the New Year is undoubtedly a red envelope harvester. Even Mr. Gu, who is not very wealthy, used red paper to make a small red envelope for Shen Yuanxian, stuffed a few pieces of silver into it, and stuffed it into the small red envelope. In the hands of the doll, I made lucky money for the child.
As for the Zhao family, Mrs. Zhao and the two daughters-in-law of the Zhao family all loved Shen Yuan and filled their children's clothes with lucky money wrapped in red paper.
Because they stayed at Zhao's house for too long, when the couple came out of Zhao's house, it was already past Wei Shi and close to Shen Shi.
At around three o'clock in the afternoon, the Shen family's carriage stopped at the gate of Zhang's residence, but only the couple got out.
The little guy Shen Yuan was sent back to Shen's house by them.
Because the relationship between Shen Yi and Master Gu Zhao Shangshu is similar to that of master and apprentice, so they are closer. It is natural to bring the child to a few elders for a look. But when it comes to the Zhang family, there is no need to bring the child over, otherwise It seems a bit abrupt.
After getting off the carriage, the couple handed them greeting cards, and soon Zhang Jian and Zhang Yian came out in person to welcome the couple in.
As the Zhang family is a big family, there are naturally a lot of women in the family. Lu Ruoxi only sat in the main hall for a while before being taken away by the young ladies of the Zhang family.
As for Shen Yi, the old man Zhang Jing invited him to the study to meet him.
At the door of the study, Shen Yi shook off some snowflakes on his body, then stretched out his hand to knock on the door and said: "Old Prime Minister."
Soon, the door was slowly opened. Zhang Jing, a lean but energetic old man, looked at Shen Yi up and down, with a happy smile on his face: "I remember the last time I saw Qilang, I told Qilang, I asked Qilang you to come and walk around the house more often when you have nothing to do, and Qilang fully agreed..."
For ordinary friends, Shen Yi should be called by his cousin. Only people of the same clan and clan, or people who are extremely close, can call Shen Yi's peers.
Even for elders, they generally respect Shen Yi's current achievements and call him by his cousin Ziheng.
But for Zhang Jing, an old official in the officialdom and an old prime minister, he could call Shen Yi "Qi Lang" to express his closeness and give Shen Yi face.
The old man smiled and said, "In total, how long has it been since we last met?"
Shen Yi felt a little ashamed, lowered his head and said: "Firstly, I am busy with things, and secondly, I am afraid of disturbing the purity of the old minister."
The old man turned sideways and let Shen Yi walk in. Then he closed the door and smiled heartily: "Have I ever entered Taoism and Buddhism? What kind of purity do you want?"
"As people get older, what they fear most is purity. It's better to be more lively."
Shen Yi also smiled and nodded, and said: "In this case, whenever I have time from now on, I will come and bother my old husband."
"That's true."
The old man pointed to the chair in the study and motioned for Shen Yi to sit down. After Shen Yi sat down, he looked at Shen Yi with a smile still on his face: "I heard about Qilang's errand last year and he did it very well. "
The old man sat down slowly and looked at Shen Yi with admiration in his eyes: "You have put an end to the chaos in the southeast in just two years. Since the Hong De Dynasty, you Shen Qi can be said to be the number one contributor."
Shen Yi shook his head and was just about to say something modest when he heard the old man continue: "This year will start again, Qi Lang should be setting up the Guangzhou Shipping Department, right?"
Shen Yi was not surprised at all that this old man knew about the court's "secret project".
Someone who has been able to spar with Yang Jingzong for many years without being defeated by Old Yang will naturally have his own tricks.
As for the five shipping companies...
Currently, out of the five city shipping companies, only one Zhejiang city shipping company has been established. However, among the five city shipping companies, Songjiang Prefecture is very close to Jiankang and is within the absolute radiation range of the emperor. The city shipping company was established in Songjiang Prefecture. , basically there is no difficulty.
And next year, if Cheng Tingzhi can be appointed as the governor of Fujian, then the Fuzhou Prefecture and City Shipping Department and the Quanzhou Prefecture and City Shipping Department in Fujian will not be a problem.
The rest is Guangzhou Fushi Shipping Company in Guangdong.
Thinking of this, Shen Yi raised his head and glanced at the old man, and couldn't help but sigh.
This old man, after not being in court for many years, can still see the key to the matter at a glance!
This kind of political sensitivity is simply amazing!
On the one hand, this kind of political sensitivity is a test of vision and insight, but more importantly, it is a result of talent.
It has to be admitted that some people are born to be in officialdom because they not only have political insight but also have excellent acting skills.
After Shen Yi thought for a while, he nodded and said: "It's probably the Shipping Department of Guangzhou Prefecture."
"Governor of Guangdong..."
The old man chuckled and said, "You are my disciple."
Having said this, he took out a letter from his sleeve and handed it to Shen Yi: "I knew Qilang was coming, so I prepared it for Qilang in advance."
Shen Yi took the letter with both hands and asked: "Old Prime Minister, what is this?"
"A letter written by me to Zhu Gui, the governor of Guangdong."
The old man smiled and spoke in an understatement.
"If he gives me the favor, Qilang's errands next year will be much easier to handle."