It was daybreak and there were more people on the street. The Gao family was left in the cold because Gao Lingbo had already invited himself to go out to write a memorial and the emperor had allowed it.
However, it was deserted in front of the door, but it was still lively inside.
In the front hall and backyard, people are coming and going, and flowers are blooming.
"It's just that the stage is full." Someone laughed, pointing to the empty stage outside the pavilion over there.
"Last year there was a double eclipse of the sun and moon, and there was a snowstorm and civil unrest. The emperor was worried and the people were uneasy. He had ordered a ban on joy. We can let fireworks be set off during the New Year. It would be nice to still enjoy the colorful lanterns on the 15th day of the year." said the person on the side.
"However, it's not an exaggeration for us to enjoy singing and dancing at home." Someone said again, pointing to the woman walking in from the hall.
"Oh, Madam Zhu is here."
All the men in the hall looked over.
"Isn't it difficult to invite someone?"
"Hard to invite? It depends on who invites you!"
The chaos outside the hall spread into the hall, and Gao Lingbo, who had his eyes closed behind the curtain and was being beaten on his legs and pressed on his head by two maids, frowned slightly.
"My lord, will you leave after the beginning of spring?" an aide said from the side.
"How could it be?" Gao Lingbo said with his eyes closed, "I sincerely plead guilty and accept the punishment. I will leave after fifteen."
"My lord, you may as well take advantage of the situation." The staff nodded and said, "King Ping is getting older and he is already fourteen after the New Year. In addition to the double eclipse of the sun and moon last year, it is inevitable that the government will be clear and bright this year, so we can ask him to establish a prince."
"Once a prince is established, I will be the first to bear the brunt." Gao Lingbo said.
"Yes, your Excellency is a relative after all, and cannot stay in the court for a long time." The staff said, "At this time, inviting Your Excellency not only complies with the emperor's wishes, but also avoids the limelight. When the dust settles and turns around in the future, what else can stop me?
Where is your lord?"
He laughed when he said this, and Gao Lingbo closed his eyes and laughed too.
"So don't be anxious when you see bad things. Bad things can turn into good things." He said slowly, "And good things may also turn into bad things."
Everyone in the room laughed.
Gao Lingbo suddenly raised his hand to stop everyone's joking, opened his eyes, and sat up with the help of his maid.
"The piano outside is good," he said.
After hearing this, people on both sides quickly drew the curtains, and the young lady playing the piano appeared in front of them sitting in the hall.
"It's Mrs. Zhu from Desheng Tower," the staff member said.
Gao Lingbo nodded.
The woman in the hall is worthy of being the crown prince among flowers. She has a face like a peony, a color like a peony, and her clothes are gorgeous but not vulgar.
"Not bad, not bad." he said.
I don't know if I am praising the sound of the piano or praising the people. I leaned against the maid and gently beat the music with my hands, enjoying the leisurely time in the first month.
…………………………………………
Mrs. Cheng Er took Cheng Jiaoniang into a courtyard.
He looked at the maid who came forward to greet him and nodded with a smile.
"...Jia Zhigao of Guangaoyuan is a person from the capital. His ancestors married into the clan and earned a good fortune and made a fortune." A servant girl whispered in Mrs. Cheng's ear again.
"I've written this down." Mrs. Cheng Er whispered, "What else did Banqin say?"
"I didn't say anything else, just that Madam is free to do as she pleases," the maid said in a low voice.
random?
This is the exchange between officials and their families in Beijing. Can it be the same as in Jiangzhou?
Mrs. Cheng Er could not help but turn around and look at Cheng Jiaoniang and a girl standing behind her.
They are all called Banqin, why not let that Banqin come?
There were already many people sitting in the back house, old and young, and the house was full of flowers.
Mrs. Jia greeted him personally.
"Mrs. Cheng, you are here."
"Mrs. Jia." Mrs. Cheng Er quickly returned the courtesy and said.
Before the ceremony was over, Mrs. Jia was already looking at Cheng Jiaoniang with a smile on her face.
"Ms. Cheng, please come in quickly," she said.
This sounds a little strange, but... looking at the warm smile of the lady in front of me, forget it.
Mrs. Cheng Er smiled and nodded, then raised her feet to follow.
More people in the hall stood up and greeted each other with smiles. Of course, everyone knew who the enthusiasm was directed at.
"Mrs. Zhou, why didn't you invite this niece over last time your family entertained guests? Otherwise, wouldn't it be more lively?"
Looking outside the door at the scene of stars holding the moon in the hall, a lady smiled to the lady next to her.
Mrs. Zhou's eyes fell behind Mrs. Cheng Er. The woman had already taken off her cloak and was dressed in a gorgeous winter dress that suited the occasion and her age. Her face was youthful and beautiful, which made people happy, but Mrs. Zhou only felt a chill.
As if aware of someone's prying eyes, the woman raised her eyes and looked over.
Like needles pricking her eyes, Mrs. Zhou was so frightened that she immediately turned away, her heart almost jumping out of her throat.
I am good to her, I am really good to her, and I have no intention of harming her.
Mrs. Zhou stroked her heart and repeated it as if reciting a Buddhist sutra.
"Mrs. Zhou, Mrs. Zhou?" The lady next to her noticed that she was losing her temper and quickly reached out to push her, "What's wrong?"
Mrs. Zhou regained her composure and forced a smile.
"It's okay," she said.
The lady smiled with some understanding.
"Are you envious? Don't envy her. She is just a step-in-law, and you are a serious aunt." She smiled, "Stand over, there is no room for her."
envious?
If she had known they would come, she would never have come.
Mrs. Zhou looked over there again, looking at Mrs. Cheng Er, who was raising her sleeves to cover up her smile as she was surrounded by compliments.
"I'm not envious." She murmured, "It would be ridiculous if I stood next to her."
Poor Mrs. Cheng Er….
Did she think the person standing behind her was a Bodhisattva who brings wealth and blessings? That was obviously a Yaksha!
"Stop talking nonsense here, hurry up and take me to meet your niece. If you're lucky, maybe you can get some enlightenment." The lady next to her urged her.
Mrs. Zhou turned around.
"I suddenly felt unwell, so I better go back first," she said, and walked away quickly before the lady came to her senses.
In the first month of this year, Mrs. Zhou was recuperating at home and declined any banquets.
When it was getting dark, Mr. Cheng suddenly turned over.
Mrs. Cheng Er, who was sitting in front of the dressing table and looking through the jewelry, was startled.
"Master, are you awake so early?" she asked in surprise.
Mr. Cheng Er glanced at her.
"It's not too late for you," he said.
Mrs. Cheng Er sat over with a smile.
"Master, we have a banquet to go to today. Do you think I can use that golden hairpin?" she said, using the morning light to hand a handful of five hairpins to Mr. Cheng Er.
The five golden hairpins of different sizes are a bit dazzling.
Mr. Cheng Er frowned.
"I think all of them are beautiful." Mrs. Cheng Er looked at them with a smile, "But we can't just use them all. We should keep a few to make dowry for Qiniang in the future."
A few broken hairpins given away by the maid can be kept as a dowry for his daughter!
"You can see any crap!" Master Cheng Er suddenly became furious and raised his hand to knock down the gold hairpin. "Why are your eyelids so shallow!"
Mrs. Cheng Er hurriedly went to pick it up.
"Why are you so angry?" she said displeasedly, "I have never seen it before, and no one has ever given me so much. I come from a poor scholar's family, and I can't look away when I see money."
I have never seen it before, and no one has given me so much. When these two words came to Mr. Cheng’s ears, they sounded a little awkward.
Could it be that the things he has brought to the house over the years are still few? Still less than what a maid gave her?
With this awkwardness, Mrs. Cheng Er's last sentence about poor scholar was like a torch burning on his tail.
"You are a woman seeking death!" Mr. Cheng Er jumped up and shouted.
Mrs. Cheng's second wife was also angry immediately.
"Is the Master of the Great New Year trying to curse me?" She raised her eyebrows and said, "It's not enough for one person to die, do you need to die for the second one?"
Mr. Cheng Er's face turned green with anger. He didn't dare to hit him even if he wanted to. If he wanted to scold him, there were already low sounds of walking outside.
"What a shame!" He had no choice but to throw up his sleeves and walk out quickly.
Hearing the sound of the door outside, Mrs. Cheng curled her lips, raised the gold hairpin in her hand again, and took a closer look under the increasingly bright morning light.
"I'm interested in more than that," she said with a smile, "but I don't mind these petty profits either."
After all, the official hall in the first month is lazier than other times.
"Let's leave early today, rush to the east gate to have a meal of mutton soup, and then go to Jintian Lane to have fun in the afternoon." One clerk said to the other with a smile.
The other one pouted and shook his head.
"I'm afraid it won't be early, so let's wait until evening." He said with his hands folded.
"What's wrong?" the former clerk asked in confusion.
The clerk then went to an official hall and nuzzled his lips.
"There is a hard-working gentleman who is still busy," he said.
A hard-working man?
The clerk was stunned.
I saw the door of the official hall over there was opened, and an official looked outside with a tigerish face.
"Come here, come here, go to Jingzhao Mansion and get me these documents." He said loudly.
The clerk stuck out his tongue at him, and in response, he passed with a bang. He nodded and bowed, stretched out his hand to take it, and walked away in a hurry.
A thick stack of books was placed on several cases, making the already full cases even more chaotic.
"Sir, this is what you asked for, borrowed from Jingzhao Mansion." the clerk said.
Mr. Cheng Er hummed and reached out to look through it.
"Sir, we have a long time to come, so you don't have to rush to handle the case." The clerk said with a bit of flattery, "We will definitely help you properly."
It is said that Cheng Dong is an official who only travels around remote lower-level states. He came to Dali Temple only because of the emperor's reward. Which yamen in Beijing is easy to live in?
When a new official takes office, let alone giving others a thumbs up, he must first face the intimidation of his senior subordinates, the constant flow of official duties, and the many old and difficult cases that have been piled up in front of him. If he does not do well, he must leave a joke.
A bit of pride also disappeared.
I think Cheng Dong was also guarding against this, but this time he was really overly worried.
Not to mention that there are noble people who specifically said hello not to embarrass him, let’s just say that there are no noble people to say hello. Just because his surname is Cheng Mingdong and he has a daughter, Cheng, is enough for the adults to support him. How can he be embarrassed! Whoever wants to eat too much is looking for death!
One Feng Lin is enough!
The clerk was thinking wildly and was about to solve the problem again, when there was a snapping sound over there, and Cheng Dong took pictures of several cases.
"Found it!" he said with joy on his face.
He looked up and saw the clerk dumbfounded, and quickly straightened his expression.
"You go down."
After driving away the clerk, Mr. Cheng took a deep breath and rummaged faster. Soon all the other books on the cases were pushed down, leaving only four or five volumes to unfold.
The vision in the slightly dark room was a little blurry, but Mr. Cheng could still clearly see the four words "Cheng's concubine" clearly written on the documents in front of him.
"Sure enough..." he said slowly, "it turns out that it was her own name that was left behind, not the Zhou family..."
Having said this, he stretched out his hand and patted several cases again.
"What a confused fool!"
he shouted.
"Grandparents, parents are here, different family backgrounds, different wealth, unfilial piety, three years of apprenticeship." [Note 1]
"How can you be so casual! No wonder I am always accused and attacked by others. I keep others and excuses for myself!"
Although he spoke harshly, a smile broke out on Mr. Cheng's face.
"It was a very dangerous thing, but fortunately, I arrived in time, and I was reminded of it in time, otherwise it would be inevitable that someone would use this to cause trouble again in the future."
