On August 22, Qiantang County Magistrate Feng Mengxiong rushed to Chenjiawu with Emperor Sima Yu's edict. Chen Caozhi did not dare to delay, so he dressed in sackcloth and set off for Beijing——
In early August, Chen Caozhi convened his clan members to announce his ten-year plan to open up wasteland southward, open a canal from Jingkou to Qiantang, and build a port and giant ships in Qiantang Bay. Beilou Chen Man, Chen Chang and his sons managed the clan property.
This means that these three major events cost countless money. Although the rice, tea, papermaking, textile, ironware and other industries of the Chen family have developed rapidly in recent years, with annual profits of nearly ten million yuan, they are almost as big as those of Gu, Lu, Zhu and Zhang.
It is comparable to that of a century-old family, but it is just a matter of going south to open up wasteland. Opening canals, building harbors and building huge ships should be the affairs of the government. The Chen family's manpower and financial resources are really unaffordable——
Chen Cao said: "I will negotiate with Zhu Taishou of Wu County and Diao Neishi of Jinling about opening the canal. As for money and materials, I will not use the money from the clan to open up wasteland and build ports and ships. I have other ways to raise funds."
As long as the clan has the necessary human support, these three things will be supervised by Dao Yun."
Chen Man heard what Chen Caozhi said, so what else could he disagree with? Xie Daoyun was used to being in the public eye and was extremely talented, so Chen Man and others didn't think there was anything wrong with Chen Caozhi letting Xie Daoyun supervise these three things.
Appropriate.
Murong Qinchen also wanted to follow Chen Caozhi back to Jiankang and then back to Yecheng after giving birth. However, she was now more than seven months pregnant and her belly was very big. She could no longer ride the carriages and horses. Chen Cao ordered her to stay
Chenjiawu, you can go to Jiankang to meet your mother and brother next year after the spring warms——
Ran Sheng seemed to have given up his infatuation with Run'er and never mentioned marrying Run'er in front of Chen Caozhi. However, Chen Caozhi said that he would find a good match for him. He smiled and said: "Brother, you don't have to marry Run'er for me."
Don't worry, my brother is in western Liaoning, why worry about not having a concubine, but don't mention the marriage for now."
When he returned to Jiankang this time, Ran Sheng brought the one-armed Jingnu with him. Jingnu was going to Longcheng's Jishan Mountain to pay homage to his late master Ran Min.
Lu Weirui took Bo Zhen, Xie Daoyun took Feiyu, Xiaochan took Fangyu, and sent Chen Caozhi to Xitang Manor in Jiaxing. When they parted that day, Xiaobozhen looked up at Furong's little face and asked: "Dad, when will you
What about coming back again?”
Xiao Fangyu followed her brother and asked, "Yes, when will daddy come back?"
The half-year-old little Feiyu was held in Xie Daoyun's arms. With a smile on her face, her slender eyes waved and she asked for a hug from her father——
Chen Caozhi kissed each of the three children's delicate little faces, let Xiao Feiyu hold one of his fingers in her little hand and shook it gently, and replied to Xiao Bozhen and Xiao Fangyu: "Daddy will come back next year to see you."
you."
Uncle Zhen asked: "Dad, when will next year be?"
Xiao Fangyu asked: "Is it tomorrow, daddy?"
Chen Caozhi smiled with tears in his eyes: "Ask your mother——"
The younger uncle said, "Mom said it will be tomorrow when I wake up. I can see my dad when I wake up, right?"
Lu Weirui, Xiaochan and others could no longer hold back their tears. They patted their children and looked at their husbands riding away with their tearful eyes.
——In the eighth month of Qingqiu, the sky is high and far away, the ribbons are knotted thousands of miles away, the Yao grass is fragrant, the boudoir is harp, the high platform is flowing yellow, the moon is bright and white dew, time passes by, I am separated from my son, my mind wanders——
…
Chen Caozhi and Ran Sheng, 300 people, returned to the capital this time in simple clothes and light horses, which was much faster than when they left the capital. They did not take a boat to cross Taihu Lake. On the second day of September, they rushed to Wu County to visit Governor Zhu. They mainly discussed the matter of the Jingkou to Qiantang Canal.
Please ask Zhu Taishou to convene the big families in Wu County for discussion. The Chen family in Qiantang is willing to donate 10 million yuan to facilitate this matter. The canal will be built, which will benefit all places it passes. It will not only regulate droughts and floods, but also facilitate the transportation of goods. It will also connect Qiantang to Jingkou.
The rivers are criss-crossed, so you only need to survey the terrain and choose the most convenient path to dig the north-south river channels. The manpower and financial resources required for this canal are not that huge——
Taishou Zhu was not willing to benefit his hometown. Since Chen Cao advocated it, he immediately agreed. He wanted to immediately convene a discussion with the nobles and common people and invite Chen Caozhi to attend the meeting. However, Chen Caozhi was summoned by the emperor and could not stay in Wu Commandery longer.
He only went to Fan's Manor on the north bank of the Jing River to visit Fan Ning, who was in mourning, paid homage to Fan Wang's tomb, and invited Fan Ning to go to Yecheng to help him after serving. Fan Ning agreed.
In Jinling, Chen Caozhi also paid a visit to Diao Yi, the internal historian of Jinling. Diao Yi also agreed to communicate with Wu County on the river channel, and the canal from Jingkou to Qiantang was initially decided.
The urgent document of the Xifu was delivered to Chen Caozhi in Jinling, but it was the Grand Sima Huanwen who urgently summoned Chen Caozhi to discuss matters with his uncle. There was an urgent military situation——
Chen Caozhi knew in his heart that Fu Jian and Tuoba Shiyiqian wanted to join forces to invade and annex. News of the two states of Hebei came. Chen Caozhi had arranged this a long time ago to prevent Huan Wen from seizing his military power.
He returned to Hebei, which could be regarded as taking advantage of the enemy to respect himself.
On September 14th, Chen Caozhi, Ran Sheng and his entourage entered Jiankang City. Emperor Sima Yu immediately summoned them and they had a secret conversation for a long time. Chen Caozhi resigned and visited Xi Chao overnight. Xie An and others left early the next morning.
In Jiankang, on the 19th, he went to Gusxi Mansion to meet Huan Wen. After a hundred days, Huan Wen became even more exhausted. Because Huan Xi wanted to harm Chen Caozhi, Huan Wen felt that the reputation of the Huan family had been damaged, so he postponed his request for the prince's title.
Let’s talk about it after the criticism subsides——
Huan Wen showed Chen Caozhi the military information document sent urgently from Luoyang, and ordered Chen Caozhi to return to Hebei immediately to take precautions. Chen Caozhi said he would obey the order, and when he was about to resign, Huan Wen called him back and said, "I want to retire."
Huan Xi has established a new heir, and would like to hear Chen Yu's opinions."
Chen Caozhi said uneasily: "I originally suggested that Ming Gong's direct descendants should be elders rather than virtuous. Unexpectedly, something like this happened. I feel so ashamed. I really don't dare to interfere in Ming Gong's family affairs anymore. Ming Gong still rides with Jingzhou Huan.
The governor of Zhouhuan will discuss the matter of establishing another heir apparent. As long as Duke Ming decides, I will fully assist him in order to repay Duke Ming's kindness."
Huan Wen nodded and signaled Chen Caozhi to step back and sit down at his desk to think deeply. He had six sons: Xi, Ji, Xin, Yi, Wei, and Xuan. Four of them, Huan Yi, were not smart and could not distinguish Shumai. The eldest son Huan Xi was already dead.
The second son Huan Ji was not well-known, the fifth son Huan Wei was still young, and the third son Huan Xin and the youngest son Huan Xuan were concubines. Huan Wen now loved his youngest son Huan Xuan most, and he was bewitched by Li Jingshu day and night, and he wanted to make Huan Xuan the heir apparent.
However, Huanxuan was only four years old, and it was difficult for Huan Wen to make up his mind to establish Huanxuan, so the matter of establishing another heir apparent was delayed again and again——
This time Gu Kaizhi asked Huan Wen to allow him to go to Jizhou with Chen Caozhi. The name was to participate in military affairs, but in fact he was to write poetry and paint.
Chen Caozhi, Ran Sheng, Gu Kaizhi and more than 400 people, as well as 2,000 Jizhou sergeants and civilians led by Jizhou Biejia Lu You who sent money and grain to the imperial court, crossed the river and headed north. Chen Caozhi and others went ahead with light cavalry, letting Lu
You led the infantry and civilians back, and rushed to Luoyang in mid-October. They met Huan Mi, Shen Jin and others. When asked about the invasion by the Qin and Dai coalition forces, Shen Jin said: "Because Huan, the governor of Bingzhou, defended Huguan with heavy troops.
, Jinyang, Jizhou Wumeng engaged Liu Laozhi to lead 10,000 cavalry to station in Jijun, Liyang, Fujian, Tuoba Shiyiqian did not dare to engage in war, but this Erhu has always coveted the Central Plains, Chen Jishi cannot
Don’t be careful.”
Huan Mi had a close relationship with his nephew Huan Xi. Hearing that Huan Xi's country had been deposed because of Chen Caozhi, he was very dissatisfied with Chen Caozhi. This time they met much colder. Chen Caozhi didn't take it seriously and stayed in Luoyang.
One day later, he rushed back to Yecheng. It was already the end of October and the cold winter in the north had begun. Ran Sheng did not stay in Yecheng for long, and rushed to western Liaoning with Jingnu and two hundred Qingqi. Chen Caozhi sent him directly
After leaving the north bank of Zhang River, Ran Sheng dismounted his horse and knelt down before saying goodbye: "Brother, I am stationed in western Liaoning. It is rare for me to return to Jiangdong in the future. If brother returns to Chenjiawu, I will put a handful of soil on the grave of my old mistress on my behalf.
I will never forget my mistress's kindness." After saying that, he mounted his horse and galloped away, followed by the two hundred Liaoxi hussars who followed like a whirlwind -
Chen Caozhi watched Ran Sheng and his entourage go away, feeling melancholy in his heart. He understood Ran Sheng's intentions. Chenjiawu was Ran Sheng's home. Ran Sheng, who had been wandering in his childhood, felt the warm family affection in Chenjiawu and his love for Run'er.
Confused love, now that it is impossible to marry Run'er, and Run'er will definitely get married, then Chenjiawu is a bit unbearable for Ran Sheng, and it may take many years before Ran Sheng can cross this heart-
—
…
When he was in Jiankang, Chen Caozhi asked his uncle Lu Na, who was the Minister of Civil Affairs, to transfer the Literary Bureau of Wuling County in Jingzhou to the Literary Bureau of Jizhou. At the same time, he also wrote a long letter to Xu Miao, who was far away in Jingzhou, inviting him to come.
Jizhou taught Confucianism. The following year, in early April of the sixth year of Xian'an, Xu Miao came to Yecheng from Jiangdong with his family and several disciples. Chen Caozhi was overjoyed, and together with Gu Kaizhi, he also had the chief minister Cui Qi, Sima Suqi and others.
When they left the city to greet each other, Chen Caozhi and his friend Xu Miao had not seen each other since August of the second year of Xian'an. Although Kuo was reunited this time, he was naturally happy. Xu Miao took his wife and children to Jizhou, obviously to stay in Jizhou.
After living for a long time, Xu Miao's wife Feng Lingbo was Chen Cao's adopted sister. This time Xu Miao first went to Qiantang to pick up Feng Lingbo's mother and son before heading north. Following Xu Miao to Jizhou were two Chen family servants who brought
Gexian tea from my hometown, jute paper, and precious family letters——
There was a stack of family letters. Chen Cao opened them one by one and read them. He first read the letter from his sister-in-law Ding Youwei. It said that Wang Xun, the chief secretary of Xifu, had gone to Chenjiawu at the end of last year. In the name of visiting Zongzhi, he actually proposed to Run'er. Ding Youwei felt that this
The descendants of the Langya Wang family are all talented, but they are a little short in stature. He asked Run'er for his opinion, but Run'er was noncommittal, so Ding Youwei wrote a letter asking Chen Caozhi to reply and enlighten Run'er. Also, Zongzhi had been admitted to Yangzhou University.
Zhongzheng was appointed as a second-rank official, and Xie Youdu conquered Zongzhi as the secretary of the Yanzhou Record Office. He will take office in June. Yanzhou is not far from Jizhou. Zongzhi will go to Yecheng to visit Uncle Chou. Finally, Ding Youwei mentioned that Aunt Ying had already
He passed away on the ninth day of the twelfth lunar month last year. In accordance with his last wishes, he was buried next to Chen's mother Li's tomb——
Xie Daoyun said in the letter that the land reclamation in the south has not yet begun, but a large number of people have been excavating the canal from Qiantang to Jingkou, and preparations for building a seaport and building a giant ship are being made in an orderly manner. Please don't worry about it, Mr. Chen——
Lu Weirui and Xiao Chan also wrote letters about Xiao Bozhen and Xiao Fangyu's childishness. Murong Qinchen also wrote a letter to Chen Caozhi using the neat Han Dynasty "Zhang Qian Monument".
She gave birth to a son on October 21 last year. He was strong and cute. Xie Daoyun temporarily named him Zhongyu. Murong Qinchen has now gone to Jiankang to live with his mother and brother. She wants to bring Zhongyu to Yecheng——
