When he was about to arrive at Xiaosonglin Forging Shop, Chen Cao got out of the oxcart and walked. He tapped the wall of Xie Daoyun's cart. Xie Daoyun's maid, Liu Xu, lifted the curtain of the car and asked with a smile: "Chen Langjun, what's the matter?"
Chen Caozhi looked inside the car and saw Xie Daoyun applying powder on his face, and said, "Brother Yingtai, I have something to ask you?"
The maid Liu Xu said: "Then Mr. Chen, please come to the car?"
Xie Daoyun glanced at Liuxu and thought to herself: "The carriage is cramped, how can we ride with Zizhong!" She ordered the driver to stop, and she got off the car and walked side by side with Chen Caozhi, asking: "Zizhong, what's the matter?"
Chen Caozhi then told the story of the disharmony between the family of Beilou's sixth uncle, Chen Man, and the entire Chen family, and said: "Brother Yingtai comes from a big family and has accumulated experience. Surely he can teach me?"
When Xie Daoyun saw Chen Caozhi asking her for advice on family affairs, he obviously regarded her as a close friend. After thinking about it, he said: "That year in Wu County, I heard that Chen Liu framed you. Chen Liu is the son of your sixth uncle.
, even though he was expelled from the clan and died, your sixth uncle obviously has a grudge - does Zi Zhong rarely talk to your sixth uncle?"
Although Chen Caozhi was gentle and prudent, he really didn't like his sixth uncle's family in Beilou. Four years ago, his sixth uncle was instigated by his son Chen Liu to seize his property in Xilou. It was really disgusting to bully orphans and widowers like that.
Therefore, Chen Caozhi has always been lukewarm towards his sixth uncle's family. He nodded and said, "Yes, there are some things that are difficult to let go of."
Xie Daoyun turned his head and looked at Chen Caozhi. Chen Caozhi, a humble gentleman and as gentle as jade, also had resentment. He smiled and said: "My third uncle often recites the words of "The Book of Rites of Dadai": 'When the water is clear, there will be no fish.
"If people are careful enough, they will have no disciples." Zizhong is determined to be in the world, how can he not know how to do politics well and everyone will behave well? We are all members of the same clan, so don't pay too much attention to those old grudges."
It’s not that Chen Caozhi didn’t understand these principles, but he was blinded by the resentment of his youth and couldn’t let it go. Now after hearing Xie Daoyun’s reminder, he suddenly felt enlightened. He Zhanyan said: “Thank you, Brother Yingtai, for your advice. I understand what to do.”
Already."
Xie Daoyun chuckled and said: "'It is not difficult to know, but difficult to do'. I am good at preaching, but in fact I am the most generous person. Otherwise, why would my third uncle always recite to me, 'When the water is clear, there will be no fish'? I am right
It is difficult for me to give in to people and things that are not to my liking.”
Chen Caozhi thought: "Xie Daoyun is a perfectionist, a first-class smart person." He said: "Brother Yingtai has entered the official career, and in the future he will govern a county, a county, and a state, and he will have to learn from Anshi Public School.
The way of government."
Xie Daoyun smiled and said: "I can't be the governor of the state and county. People should know their own way. I know that strength is better than action. I am suitable to be an aide and assistant. In the future, when you reopen the Yitong Sansi Division, can I be your aide?"
Chen Caozhi said cheerfully: "Brother Yingtai is making fun of me! How far does Brother Yingtai think I can be promoted to the third division of Kaifu Yitong?"
Xie Daoyun said: "Why not? Tao Kan and Xi Jian are not high-ranking men, so don't they also rank among the three nobles?"
Chen Caozhi said with a smile: "When I open the office of Yitong, the third division, my hair is gray and my teeth are shaky, wouldn't I miss Brother Yingtai?" Chen Caozhi originally wanted to say "Brother Yingtai is for life", but it was wrong to think about it.
, quickly changed his words and said: "——Isn't it because I missed Brother Yingtai's official career?"
Xie Daoyun understood Chen Caozhi's brief pause and said, "Zizhong, this is my own choice. My hair is gray and my teeth are shaky. This is the intention of being friends for life. Moreover, Duke Huan said, "Xie Yun is forty years old.
You must support the Zhanzhang Festival, and Chen Yu is regarded as a black-headed prince. I am your staff, and it seems that you don’t have to wait until you are so old."
Chen Caozhi's heart was warm and heavy. He looked at Xie Daoyun. Xie Daoyun turned his head, pointed to the road ahead and said: "Zizhong, your people are here to greet you."
Chen Caozhi looked up and saw a large group of people coming out of the pine forest. It was Chen Man, Jing Nu and others. Chen Man was worried about the bandits coming. He had been restless for the past two days, waiting for news from the county. At this time, he heard from Zhuang Ke
I came to report that the clan leader and Mr. Cao Zhi and his entourage had returned, so they hurriedly went out to greet them and wanted to find out what happened.
Chen Caozhi bowed deeply to his sixth uncle, and was not in a hurry to talk about the extermination of the bandits. He just said: "When I return to Wubao, my nephew will report something important to his sixth uncle in detail."
Chen Man felt a little happy when he saw that Chen Caozhi was humble and polite, and even said that he would report to him in detail. This nephew used to discuss matters with the fourth brother, the clan leader, and never reported anything to him. He thought that Chen Caozhi had become a taste officer.
After that, he was given the most important position by Sima Huan, the most powerful official today, and he became even more domineering. I didn't expect that he would be more humble than before, which was really surprising.
The Chen family's tenants, tenants, and hired workers all came to greet Mr. Cao. In the past two days, everyone in Chenjiawu was frightened. Although there were hundreds of private soldiers from the Ding family and the Quan family to help, patrolling day and night, the Chen family manor
With a radius of more than ten miles, there is also the Mingsheng Lake with thousands of hectares of blue waves, which is hard to guard against. Now that it is known that the bandit has been captured and the leader of the bandit, Su Kuan, has been killed by Ran Sheng, everyone cheers with thunder.
Qingzhi came to greet her with a big belly. Xiaochan hurriedly stepped forward and took her hand, telling her that she could come back before coming to Germany, and that the young man had made all the arrangements——
Along the way, Xie Daoyun clearly felt that Chenjiawu had changed a lot, and there was a sense of prosperity. Turning around the pine forest, he used to see the huge circular dock, but now the first thing he saw was the newly built square tower.
It is more grand than the ring-shaped fort. It is built against the mountain and is low in front and high in the back. From a distance, the fort is integrated with the Jiuyao Mountain behind, like a tiger descending the mountain, showing the strong expansion trend of the Chen family in Qiantang.
The square dock has not yet been completed, and the main building is still undergoing interior decoration, but the relatively simple wing rooms and horizontal houses are already habitable. Hundreds of private soldiers from the Ding family and the Quan family lived there in the past two days. Chen Man said that it will be completed by the end of the year
, Chen clan members can celebrate the New Year in their new residence.
At this time, it was about the first moment of Shenshi. The circular dock faced the setting sun. The outer wall of the rammed earth and stone dock was somewhat mottled. The thick green gangwood gate had an ancient look. Compared with the newly built square dock on the left, this experienced
The ring-shaped castle, which has been weathered for nearly a hundred years, shows even more vicissitudes——
Chen Caozhi led his nephew Zongzhi and walked in front. Looking at the gate of Nawubao, he couldn't help but think of his mother. In the past, he went to Wu County to study and borrow books from Chu balcony. His mother often leaned against the wall and looked at him, waiting for his return. But now,
My mother was lying quietly on the Jade Emperor Mountain, forever separated from Yin and Yang. He was a high-ranking official with a good salary and a glorious return to his hometown. He also had regrets that could never be made up for, because my mother could no longer see these. When my mother died, the Chen family had not yet joined the gentry. My mother liked Lu Weirui very much.
But the mother must have thought that it would be difficult for her son to marry a girl from the Lu family. Just because her son and the lady from the Lu family fell in love with each other, the mother couldn't bear to say anything more. She loved him very much——
Zongzhi shook Chen Caozhi's hand and asked, "Does Uncle Chou want to go to Yuhuang Mountain to visit my grandmother?"
Chen Caozhi lowered his head and glanced at his nephew. Zongzhi was silent and attentive, imagining that he was fifteen years old. He nodded and said, "I'll go with Uncle Chou later."
Entering the circular Wubao and taking a short rest, Chen Caozhi immediately invited the elders of the clan to discuss matters in Youxu Hall, allowing Ran Sheng to formally recognize his ancestor and return to the clan. Chen Caozhi also reported that the Chu family colluded with bandits to loot Chenjiawu.
Chen Man and others were still frightened by the slight exaggeration. The surname of a common people in Shangyu was attacked by thieves at night, all the money and silk were looted, and the women of the tribe were also insulted. This happened the year before last. Therefore, when Chen Xian raised
The elders of the clan unanimously agreed to add forty private soldiers of the Chen family. If Wubao is not safe, what's the use of more money and silk!
After the clan meeting, Chen Caozhi went up to the North Tower to explain to Chen Man, Chen Chang and his son that they could not increase the Chen family's shadow household for the time being, saying that the remnants of the Chu family were still there, and that the Sanwu gentry who opposed Tuduan were all watching Chen.
The Chen family wanted to find fault with the Chen family and use it to oppose Tuduan. The Chen family grew up from common people to scholars and expanded rapidly, making them jealous of others. Therefore, they had to be cautious in developing the Chen family manor. The more shade houses there were, the better.
Well, there is another way to attract tenants with appropriate land rents, use the contract system to allow tenants to farm in Chen's Manor with peace of mind, treat tenants and farm laborers well, and Chen's Manor will surely prosper -
Chen Man was very satisfied with Chen Caozhi's careful explanation to him, and nodded: "Caozhi is right, we can't just look at the present and ignore the long term. Don't worry, Uncle Six is not an ignorant person.
You know everything."
Chen Caozhi added: "The construction of a house by the Qinhuai River in Jiankang was also planned for the descendants of the Chen family. The sixth uncle, fifth brother, and fourteenth brother took care of the family's property, which was very hard. The fifth brother, the ninth brother, and the tenth brother
Because the fourth brother is not young, he has already started studying too late, so he may not be able to become an official. However, my nephews will definitely read poetry and books, seek official advancement, and later become officials in the court. How can Jiankang not have the Chen family's residence!"
When Chen Man, Chen Chang and his son heard this, they felt that it made sense. The Chen family in Qiantang has four branches: southeast, northwest and northwest. Chen Caozhi in the west tower and Chen Shang in the south tower are already high-ranking officials. Chen Mo, the heir of the east tower, was judged last year.
As a sixth-rank official, with Chen Cao's support, Chen Mo was certain to become an official. Only his Beilou branch had no hope of becoming an official. Chen Man's four sons, Chen Liu, was the smartest and read the most. Unfortunately, he went astray and died.
Now, brothers Chen Chang, Chen Su, and Chen Hui have only read the Analects of Confucius and can read. It is impossible to be promoted to the ninth rank by Zhongzheng. If you don't get the rank, you can't be an official. You can only stay.
Chen Man and his son were quite unwilling to work as farm stewards in Chenjiawu. They were dissatisfied with the huge expenses of Chen Caozhi and Chen Shang in Jiankang, thinking that they worked hard to manage the family property but paid Chen
Cao Zhi, Chen Shang was squandering money abroad. Now after listening to Chen Cao Zhi's words, he suddenly realized that, yes, the three brothers Chen Chang cannot be officials, but Chen Chang and Chen Su already have sons, so Chen Man's grandson can live on his own.
In the future, he will go to Wu County to study like Chen Mo and Chen Tan, and then go to Jiankang to become an official. This will all be supported by Chen Caozhi and Chen Shang——
Chen Man and Chen Chang both felt guilty. They were too short-sighted. The four floors in the southeast, northwest and northwest were all descendants of the Chen family. Only when the family was harmonious and prosperous could it benefit future generations. If they were farm shepherds, their children and grandchildren would be able to stand out and become officials. With their foresight,
