Mingzhu's newly given residence is located on Huaishu Xiejie. It was originally the vassal office of Prince Fu of the Ming Dynasty in Beijing. Prince Fu's palace was far away in Luoyang. According to Ming law, kings were not allowed to enter the capital without permission, so the house has actually been idle.
Its regulations are so gorgeous that no one of the eight iron-hatted princes in the capital can compare with them. Eight years ago, because Ao Bai was in power, everyone was afraid that the big tree would attract wind, and no one dared to pay attention. Ten years after Kangxi, several princes wanted to ask for an imperial edict.
When I moved in, ghosts started to appear for no reason. I saw pavilions, pavilions, painted beams and carved buildings, shady trees, and lush greenery, but no one dared to ask for it. But pearls are not afraid of ghosts. After reading the Emperor Kangxi's memorial, I moved in.
Strangely enough, since he moved in, there have been no more ghosts.
Knowing that Kangxi was coming to see Gao Shiqi, the first thing Mingzhu did when he returned home was to order people to decorate the mansion, and store everything such as a large glass dressing mirror, a gold-plated self-ringing bell, a jade court pearl, a golden Buddha and a jade horse in the warehouse in the back garden, and then went to the warehouse in the back garden.
She randomly bought dozens of boxes of old books at Liulichang Market and placed them in the front yard, where she kept toying with them until the next day. Then Mingzhu remembered that Gao Shiqi had not been seen since she came back, so she sent someone to the study to call her son Xingde.
He went to the front to ask questions. He sat down tiredly and had just taken a sip of tea when the gate officer Lao Wangtou came in with a letter of greeting and said: "Master Zhongtang, Jin Fu Zhongcheng is here to see you!"
"Please come in!" Mingzhu pressed the table and stood up. As soon as she reached the patio, she saw Jin Fu had entered the second door. Mingzhu smiled with a smile on her face, cupped her hands and said, "Brother Zihuan, long time no see! Since Kangxi
We have been separated from Fengyang Mansion for twelve years, and it has been five years in a blink of an eye, but the brothers are very worried about it." Seeing that Jin Fu was followed by a woman in commoner clothes and Jingchai and two general boys, he asked again, "Who are these two?
——”
"Let's talk after we go in." Jin Fu replied. When Mingzhu saw Xingde coming over, she signaled with her eyes to wait in the corridor. Then she turned to Jin Fu and smiled: "Brother, why are you stunned? Please, please - give me the Holy Spirit."
I brewed four cups of Dahongpao tea and packed another pack for Mr. Jin!"
"Zihuan," Mingzhu said while personally serving tea to Jin Fu and Li Xiuzhi, "I'm not at home the few times you came. I'm really sorry. I couldn't accept the post properly, so I had to return it. But you are too old-fashioned, so I left
Where do you live? Can't I run a few steps to see you? Have you seen the Holy Spirit? What are your wishes?" After saying that, he glanced at Li Xiuzhi and said with concern, "You just have tea, don't be formal.
."
Seeing Mingzhu being so hospitable, Jin Fu felt at ease and said with a smile: "The Holy Father has summoned me three times. Because he was busy, he didn't say anything clearly. He ordered me to stay in the capital for a few days..." After that, he described his situation since entering the capital.
He made a general idea; and also reported the matter of Li Xiuzhi's mother and son to Mingzhu.
"Ah...Okay, okay!" Mingzhu agreed vaguely, sat down, holding a cup of tea in both hands, and asked Xiuzhi, "What are your plans now?"
"I don't know either..." Xiuzhi lowered her head and wiped her tears.
Jin Fu was silent for a while and said: "Jin Qing refuses to acknowledge her, and she has no evidence in her hand. This is very difficult. If the emperor is alarmed, it seems to be too harsh on Jin Qing, and Xiuzhi cannot bear it - as it is
No, I have to send it to my mother for now..."
"Brother Zihuan, don't worry about this matter. Mingzhu will take care of it!" Mingzhu made up her mind and said with emotion, "What kind of evidence do you need for this kind of thing? Li Xiuzhi is not a witness now. The poem written by Jin Qing is not physical evidence.
?——Look at these two children, how pitiful they are, they look like two little Li Guangdi!" Before he could finish his words, Li Xiuzhi couldn't hold back her tears, and she kept sobbing. Mingzhu ignored him and just shouted loudly.
Called: "Old Wangtou, call the housekeeper!" Jin Fu and Xiuzhi looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what this pearl was going to do. When they were not thinking about it, the housekeeper ran in and said hello, respectfully.
asked:
"What are your orders, Master?"
"Didn't I buy a new house in Tongzhou?"
"Yes, the deal has been completed. After entering the third courtyard, there is a small garden at the back..."
"Okay." Mingzhu interrupted him, pointed at Xiuzhi and said, "This is Li Butang's wife. The house will be given to her to live in. You assign twenty girls and three old ladies to serve her every month.
According to Madam's monthly rules, I appropriated forty taels of silver - be careful, let others know about this, and I will expose you as a slave first!"
Jin Fu opened his eyes wide and looked at Mingzhu with a smile on his face. He had long heard that Mingzhu was a free and easy-going person who took money lightly and was good at giving. But when they first met, was it too much to treat him so favorably? Li Xiuzhi raised her eyes sparkling with tears,
Jin Fu looked at Jin Fu in astonishment, stood up and folded his clothes and said: "Ming Zhongtang, how can this happen? I came to seek refuge with Li Guangdi. These two children are his flesh and blood, and he cannot ignore them. I am from a humble background, and I am not destined to enjoy a happy life.
It took away my longevity..."
"Sister-in-law, please don't say this. Mingzhu has also begged for food. It's not a good idea to live under someone else's roof." Mingzhu sighed and said, "Guangdi is not a heartless person. He cannot recognize you mother and son at the moment, so he must have difficulties. He will do it when he sees it.
As a bachelor, you can't make some mistakes on this matter - in this way, this house and people are lent to you as pearls, and you have not benefited from me. I will settle this account with Brother Jinqing in the future. But just don't
I was impatient. I slowly waited for the opportunity to speak. He was young and new, and when he was trying to save face, he got impatient and made a big mess, which is hard to satisfy you! Brother Zihuan is also here. I explained what I said to you.
Both of you can rest assured."
These words were so eloquent that they not only protected Li Guangdi, but also took care of Li Xiuzhi's mother and son, and declared that he had no other intentions. Hearing this, Jin Fu's heart felt hot, and he nodded and said, "I didn't expect Ming Xiang to be so warm-hearted!" Li Xiuzhi had already led the two of them.
The child fell to the ground and cried like a child.
"Brother Zihuan can't be left in vain." Mingzhu raised her head and looked at the sky. It was already past noon. She was afraid that Kangxi would suddenly drive by and hit him, so she smiled and said, "You go back first. I'll go and see him after these two days."
You, you have to bother me with two drinks! I heard that you were charged one or two hundred taels of silver at the door. I have investigated the matter - these dog slaves are really nothing! My brother should take it back. Beijing uses silver.
There's plenty of room!" He said and handed back a banknote. Jin Fu was not willing to accept it. Seeing that Mingzhu had something to do, he smiled and said, "I'll give it to people for tea."
After placing Li Xiuzhi, mother and son, Mingzhu breathed a sigh of relief, then called Xingde and asked, "Where is your Uncle Gao Shi?"
Not long after Nalan Xingdecai got his braid, he had a pink face and red lips, and he was dressed neatly and bowed in front of him. Since Gao Shiqi came, Xingde has been pestering him every day to talk about poetry and ancient prose, and the two of them have been inseparable as if they had known each other for years.
He looked up at his father and said softly: "Yesterday, Uncle Gao Shi and Xu Shibo took their son to see the flower market. Later, Uncle Gao Shi asked Xu Shibo to take me back in a sedan. He said he had to stay outside for a day because of something, and I won't be back until noon!"
Gao Shiqi often does this, and it's not unusual. Kangxi may not come today. Mingzhu didn't ask any more questions, and just said: "What's the point of visiting the flower market? I want to go there for a day? - Where are you Xu Shibo?" "Xu Shibo" asked.
It was Xu Qianxue, the former number one scholar. Because he came to the house frequently, he was similar to his family members. When his father asked, Xingde hurriedly said: "Xu Shibo was ordered to go to the Great Buddha Temple to visit Mr. Gu Yanwu and Fu Qingzhu. When he came back, he made an appointment with Mu Zixu at the military gate.
We went together to meet Shi Runzhang and Du Ne, and said they would be back in a while..."
"Oh, Mingxiang!" The father and son were talking to each other, and Xu Qianxue's hearty laughter came from outside the second door, "Why did the house change so much overnight? If it weren't for the two big white marble lions at the door
, I am still suspicious that I have stepped on the wrong threshold!" After saying that, he lifted the curtain and came in. He bowed his hands and looked around, "Wow! The shelves are full of books, and the room is full of ink. It's really fascinating..."
Xu Qianxue's appearance is very ordinary, with goldfish eyes, an aquiline nose, a pair of protruding teeth, blackened by smoke, a pair of tortoiseshell glasses hanging by silk thread from his lapel, and his rat mustache trembles up and down when he talks.
, it looks awkward no matter how you look at it. When people see his venerable appearance, they will automatically think: "How can he be the number one scholar with such a virtuous character?" But he is a genuine first-class scholar.
There is nothing to say about the top scholar or scholarly articles.
"Sit down!" Mingzhu patted the edge of the kang, waved her hand to signal Ming Xingde to stand down, and asked hurriedly, "Are you going to He Guizhu's house for a meeting? How are Shi Yushan and the others? Li Guangdi and Lao He are neighbors, so we should stop by to see him.
Look!"
Xu Qian learned how to light a fire and took a few puffs of cigarette. Fang smiled and said: "Mrs. He Guizhu passed away. The funeral in front was very lively, and there were also unwritten words in the back garden. After talking for a while, they dispersed.
These two gentlemen were not as happy as the two from the Great Buddha Temple. Shi and Du were quite happy. They also said, "Even if you don't win, it's not a waste of time to come to the capital." - What else can I say?
? Jin Qing went there, and he was very arrogant, but he disappeared! It was said that Du Men was thinking about his fault - in fact, I knew it in my heart. Chen Menglei had already been handed over to Dali Temple for trial. I guess Long Live will still try the lawsuit between the two of them. He
It’s just to avoid suspicion.”
"Well, after becoming a bachelor, I'm just waiting to go to the study and pay homage to the Prime Minister!" Mingzhu curled her lips and smiled, "I'm afraid Long Live's words will no longer be scrutinized. But it is true that he wanted to kill Chen Shengzhai. You must know that the world is not happy.
There are a lot of things! Let me tell you, the emperor has secretly summoned Chen Menglei and asked me how to deal with it. Do you think that there is no evidence to prove the affairs between him and Jin Qing, and people like to kill indiscriminately? Chen Shengzhai is such a good scholar, the emperor
I have always loved him, so I asked the emperor to send him to Fengtian. After two years, he will be transferred back after the limelight has passed." "This case cannot be tried." Xu Qianxue narrowed his eyes and smiled and said: "Dali Temple tried him. I heard that he only asked questions.
After just one sentence, he withdrew." Mingzhu asked in surprise: "How could that happen?"
"They asked, 'Chen Menglei, why do you want to be an official in the rebellious and loyal rebels?'" Xu Qianxue said, "Chen Menglei said, 'It was the emperor's personal mission on October 10, the ninth year of Kangxi's reign!' - and further down.
How else to ask?”
"So they broke up?" Mingzhu couldn't help but laugh loudly. Xu Qianxue said with a smile, "They can't bring the emperor to Dali Temple to confront him!"
The two of them were chatting and joking when Lao Wangtou came in with a large stack of red greeting cards, respectfully presented them on the table, and then slowly backed away. Mingzhu knew that these were sent by the selected officials of the museum who did not know how many joints they had to deal with before sending them.
When he came up, he didn't want to look at it. Seeing that Xu Qianxue was about to resign, he said: "Take these posts out and return the jade to them. There are tens of thousands of people who want to donate officials. Who doesn't want to fill the vacancy? If you all come to me like this, I am thousands."
Even Hand Guanyin can't do it - tell them to go to the official department and wait for the call!"
Xu Qianxue accepted the post and muttered a little: I don’t know how much money these official donors have spent to get to this point. It’s not enough just to see the pearl. Why should I be a villain? He pondered, and posted the posts one after another.
He flipped it over in his hands and looked at it. Suddenly, a burst of laughter broke out, "How dare parents name their sons like this! Xu Qianxue has been studying for many years, but he has no such knowledge. There is really a vast world full of wonders!" When Mingzhu took it to look at it, he saw
The words "Xu Zhuo Mao Gong Kowtow Ming Xiang Wan'an" were written neatly on the top of this post. I couldn't help laughing, and asked Lao Wangtou to go out and send a message: Call this person named Xu to come in, and see the rest in half a month. Xu
The student Qian was afraid that Mingzhu would give him another difficult assignment, so he bowed out and left.
After a while, a broad-faced official walked up quickly, wearing a robe with eight pythons and five claws, decorated with white pheasant patches, and a crystal crown. He wore horseshoe sleeves in the courtyard, kowtowed, and reported his job title.
"Yeah." Mingzhu leaned back on the chair, suppressed a smile, played with his post with both hands, and said in an official tone: "Come in! Are you a donation official?"
"Yes." The official replied calmly, "The humble post of county magistrate donated in the 14th year of Kangxi's reign was gradually promoted to the title of magistrate... Oh, when I went to Beijing this time, my father ordered my brother to bring a good inkstone and present it to the middle hall.
"Na..." the official said as he took out a square red bun from his arms and presented it to him.
He took the pearl and his hand sank under the pressure. He knew it must be made of gold - but he was not in a hurry to open it and take a look. He just put the "inkstone" on the table casually and said: "The prefect's future is already very good."
Okay, why are you still trying to find ways?" "Zhongtang Mingjian: What I want to do is to honor my ancestors and serve the emperor!" Mingzhu smiled and said: "You seem to be quite smart. But I think I have to add one more sentence.
, I have to do some good things for the people while I am in office. As for filling the vacancies, there will naturally be news after the Chief of Staff submits the draft."
"Thank you Zhongtang!"
Mingzhu saw him holding a cup of tea and knew that he was about to leave, so she smiled and said: "Don't be busy. I think you seem to have read a little bit. Why did you choose such a name? How can you be submitted to the imperial examination?"
"
"The junior rank belongs to the generation with the character 'Qiu'. Due to the lack of water in the hit, my ancestor named him 'Qiu Ren'." Xu Qiuren said inexplicably, "I don't know why it is not convenient to submit it to the emperor?"
After hearing this, Mingzhu found out that his original name was "Xu Qiuren", but she didn't know who added a stroke to the two characters "Qiuren" and turned it into "第毛". It was not convenient to tell the truth at the moment, so she just smiled.
, asked: "Which scribe did you give this post to?"
"It's not the clerk," Xu Qiuren bowed quickly and said with a smile, "it was a gentleman named Gao who happened to come to the clerk's room and accepted the post of a humble post..."
Everything became clear, it was Gao Shiqi who was teasing people again! After sending Xu Qiuren away, Mingzhu couldn't help but burst into flames. What about "Jiegu Si Lao" and "higher than Du Shang", he was actually teasing everyone he met; it must be
It was Gao Shiqi who took the money from Xu, but was afraid that he would be in a bad mood and refused to accept it, so he came up with this joke. Thinking about it, a cold chill hit Mingzhu's heart. He didn't care about being scolded or called out.
What's chilling is that this person knows his own temper so well and plays with himself! Thinking about it, he has no conscience to punish Gao Shiqi at this time. Mingzhu's eyes dimmed, and he put the post aside without saying a word, gritting his teeth.
He said to himself: "I won't fill the vacancy for Xu, just wait for him to bite you!"
Gao Shiqi didn't know what had changed the day he left the house. There was a reason why he went to Nanximen Flower Market to pick up Xu Qianxue and Xingde. Because he saw Fanglan and a girl going to Baiyi Temple on Huaishu Xiejie.
Went to burn incense. Probably because the business at home had improved, Fanglan looked more and more beautiful. She was wearing a pink embroidered jacket with bow knot buttons, an apricot silk waistcoat, and a pleated skirt underneath that was green. Gao Shiqi
He watched eagerly as the small bamboo sedan slowly passed by, and he followed closely behind, thinking to himself: "In terms of status, of course he is not as good as Chen Tianyi; in terms of being romantic and dainty, he is a hundred times better! Bah,
How can a lady from a big family and a beautiful country be as beautiful as a jade girl from a small family like this?"
Seeing Fanglan getting off the sedan next to the flagpole in front of the temple, and a master and a servant washing their hands in the basin in front of the steps, Gao Shiqi grabbed it in a few steps, and before the girl splashed water, he hurriedly washed his hands with the remaining water, but it seemed that
I forgot to bring a handkerchief, so I tied up my wet hair.
"Isn't this Mr. Gao?" Fang Lan blinked and saw Gao Shiqi. She was surprised and happy. She hurriedly knelt down and said with a pursed lips, "Good luck to you! I haven't seen you in the past few days. You look much better than before -
—Mei Xiang, give me my handkerchief to Mr. Gao to wipe his hands!"
These few sounds of orioles, delicate spring cries, coupled with a dizzy smile and a flowing sky, almost stunned Gao Shiqi. While he was making up his mind, he slowly wiped his hands and asked: "How do you...
Are you here too?" Since scholars rarely go to the Guanyin Temple to gather incense, Fang Lan should have asked this question. Gao Shiqi asked first, leaving Fang Lan stunned. Seeing Gao Shiqi finish wiping his hands, he handed over the handkerchief.
Shaking, she actually stuffed it into her sleeve. Fang Lan couldn't help but blush, her heart was beating wildly, she slowly lowered her head, and was speechless for a long time. But Mei Xiang was quick-tongued and answered on her behalf: "Shopkeeper Liu's handle
The girl promised to go to the Hu family in the east gate, but just after the wedding, she heard that the young master of the Hu family was suffering from tuberculosis, and urged the girl to come to celebrate the wedding... The girl came here to fulfill the wish of Guanyin Bodhisattva..."
When Gao Shiqi heard "Promised to the Hu family", his head buzzed, and the following words could not be understood word for word. Even if a bucket of ice and snow water was poured down on him, it was not so cold. He shivered for a long time.
Then he came back to his senses and said with a forced smile: "...That's what it should be. You go and pray to the Buddha. I'll rejoice over there. I'll have something to say when I get out soon..."
Watching them enter the temple, Gao Shiqi sat down on the stone steps, hugged his knees and raised his head and thought for a long time. He still felt that the matter was difficult and a good idea was difficult to come up with. (To be continued)