The Lin family was full of joy for the new addition, and the three full-moon showers were all lively and festive.
After all, they were all high-ranking officials of the third rank. Although Lin Ruhai was still recovering from his injuries at this time, even to give him the prestige of being the doctor of Lantai Temple, none of the officials and wealthy businessmen in Su Province would be stingy with such gifts.
During this period, the eldest master basically stayed in the Lin Mansion to help with these matters, Mrs. Xing was responsible for the management of the inner courtyard, and Aunt Qian and her several children kept everything in order.
At this time, Lin Ruhai decided not to continue pretending to be injured after discussing with the elder, and her health improved at a speed visible to the naked eye. By the time her son Lin Duan was one month old, he could walk freely and entertain visitors with a glowing face, and his body and bones were obviously healed.
The Full Moon Wine was a lively event, but the elder was a little disappointed.
He waited for the leprosy-headed monk and the lame Taoist to come to disrupt the situation, but for some unknown reason, these two did not show up.
Little did he know that the martial arts spirit released by Lin Duan on the day he was born shocked the mangy monk. How could he dare to stir up trouble when he was sitting in the old house of Lin Duan?
When Lin Duan's full moon passed, Lin Ruhai, although reluctant, still went to the capital to express that his injury had recovered. When would he continue to serve the court and what position would he hold?
After leisurely recuperating for more than half a year, Lin Ruhai put aside all the intrigues and worries in the officialdom. Lin Ruhai felt indescribably relaxed and happy, and his temper had become a bit lazy. He really didn't want to continue to wade into the muddy waters of the officialdom.
But there was no way, not to mention the revitalization of the Lin family, just for the future future of Daiyu and his son Lin Duan, he had to continue to fight in the officialdom, not to mention squeeze into the cabinet, at least he had to do it before Daiyu and his son Lin Duan became adults.
Standing tall, the court will not fall down, and it will support a sky for a pair of children.
"My brother-in-law is still at ease!"
Lin Ruhai was touched and envious at the same time when she saw the elder skipping work casually and working hard for the Lin family. The Yamen's Yamen was still running normally even though the chief officer was not on duty, and no one said anything wrong with the elder.
With this ability, Lin Ruhai couldn't even imagine it.
"You scholars, you just think too much!"
The elder didn't take it seriously and said angrily: "You have to worry about your face and your reputation as a scholar. You also have to maintain your official reputation. Isn't it tiring?"
Lin Ruhai smiled bitterly, all scholars are like this, if they imitate Li Bai and be so cool, wouldn't the result be that they end up in the court?
"Forget it, forget it, I won't tell you this nonsense, come with me to meet someone from the capital in a few days!"
Waving his hand, knowing that an orthodox scholar like Lin Ruhai behaved in such a weird way, the elder was too lazy to continue talking and went straight to the point: "In the future, there will be someone to take care of you in the capital!"
"Why, isn't my uncle already in line?"
They are all relatives. Lin Ruhai did not show any pretense and asked with a surprised look on his face: "Isn't it too risky? The current position is getting more and more stable!"
As expected, he was indeed an old fox in the officialdom. He knew the elegant meaning of the song after hearing it, and instantly understood what the elder meant by 'a person from the capital'.
If he hadn't been with the elder for a long time and knew his brother-in-law's temperament, if this was the first time they met, Lin Ruhai would have been depressed to death.
Taking sides in the court is no joke. Everyone has become a third-grade official. Unless they want to go one step further and become a member of the Daqi cabinet, there is no need to make a bet early.
"Brother-in-law, don't worry. Are there any princes in the capital who still want me to serve?"
Waving his hand, the elder sneered: "Do they have such qualifications?"
"Brother, keep silent!"
Lin Ruhai was taken aback and said with a wry smile: "If it is leaked accidentally, it will be a big trouble!"
"What are you afraid of?"
The elder's eyes widened and he said calmly, "When I was serving as the Prime Minister of Shuntian Prefecture in the capital, I offended everyone who deserved to be offended, so wouldn't it be fine as well?"
That's because you are tyrannical, why don't you try someone else who gets a higher position in the imperial examination?
Lin Ruhai reacted suddenly, stretched out his thumb and smiled bitterly: "Brother-in-law is very capable!"
After staying with the eldest master for a long time, situations that subvert the three views appeared from time to time, which made him feel quite uncomfortable for a scholar like him who came from the imperial examination.
"nothing!"
The elder smiled and said, "When those princes saw my ability, it was so easy to bribe them. In order to avoid them being entangled in the future, I simply pointed out a clear path for them, which requires a lot of effort and a lot of money."
, as long as they are interested, they will not bother me for a while!"
"What clear path did my uncle point out?"
Lin Ruhai's eyes lit up, and she had a new understanding of the big master. This man was really not a martial artist who only relied on his fists to speak. He didn't expect that he was also good at strategy.
Since you can persuade several princes in the capital, it is obvious that the clear path suggested by the eldest master is feasible. Otherwise, do you really think that those princes are fools and the staff around them are useless?
"It's nothing, I just want them to stop staring at the dragon chair in the capital!"
Curling his lips, the elder said disdainfully: "Not to mention that their position is becoming more and more stable, their chances are also getting slimmer and slimmer. The world is so big that there is no need to hang from a tree!"
"What do you mean, uncle, let those princes expand their territory?"
With his eyes widened, Lin Ruhai exclaimed with a look of disbelief: "Several princes can agree to such a thing, right?"
"So, you guys are all too short-sighted!"
Glancing at Lin Ruhai lightly, the elder sneered and said, "Brother-in-law, you have been an official in Yangzhou for several years and have come into contact with many wealthy businessmen. Don't you have any impression of the island country in Southeast Asia?"
"It's just a land of alienation. I've heard that there are islands all over the South China Sea. There are quite a few countries, but they're just unattractive beings!"
With a look of disdain on his face, Lin Ruhai still had the problem of scholars of this era, thinking that the Great Qi Dynasty was the center of the world of the Celestial Kingdom.
"Haha, let's not talk about this!"
Waving his hand, the elder said calmly: "As far as I know, these island countries are even bigger than the southern land, and the land is fertile and matures within three years. As long as there are enough manpower, it won't take long.
Develop it!”
There is no need for a heavy hammer to play the drum. The old man stopped talking at this point.
If Lin Ruhai listens, he may be able to benefit from it in the future, and he can also establish relationships with several powerful princes in the capital, and it will be easier to get involved in officialdom in the future.
It doesn't matter if you don't listen. With Lin Ruhai's ability and his status as a member of the imperial examination system, as long as he is not involved in rebellion or some serious accidents, his career will basically be guaranteed throughout his life.
It was obvious from Lin Ruhai's thoughtful look that he had listened, but he didn't know how much he could take in. He would just take his time and look at it later.
…
A certain mid-range restaurant in Suzhou city was completely booked by a wealthy businessman from the north.
The elder and Lin Ruhai took advantage of the darkness and quietly entered the restaurant through the back door.
There was already a servant waiting by the side, who quietly led the two of them to the private room on the second floor without making any sound. When they met their companions on the road, they only looked at each other and nodded slightly.
Seeing such well-trained manpower made Lin Ruhai's heart tremble, and her already sensitive mind became even more cautious, following closely behind the elder without saying a word.
"Long time no see, Mr. Jia!"
There was only one middle-aged scribe in the private room. When he saw the two people coming in, he hurriedly stood up to greet them. He first bowed his hands and saluted the elder, then looked at Lin Ruhai and said with a smile: "This must be Mr. Lin, the doctor of Lantai Temple!"
"You're welcome!"
The middle-aged scribe knew at a glance that he was no ordinary person. He looked calm when facing two third-rank officials, and there was a hint of probing and scrutinizing in his eyes, showing full confidence.
Lin Ruhai did not dare to be negligent and hurriedly responded politely with the courtesy of a scholar.
"Needless to say nonsense, sir, what is the purpose of suddenly coming to Suzhou instead of following Prince Zhongshun to make plans?"
However, the elder was not polite at all. He sat directly on the main seat and asked calmly: "If you have something to talk about, if you have nothing to do, you can eat and drink. I have nothing to be pretentious with you and I have nothing to say off-topic!"
Lin Ruhai was surprised. The middle-aged scribe turned out to be Prince Zhongshun's confidant?
I was even more surprised by the eldest uncle's arrogant attitude. This was a gesture of not taking the other party seriously at all. How much confidence does the uncle have to dare to act like this?
He quietly sat on a chair beside him and gave the elder a few vigorous glances, but unfortunately he didn't know what the elder was thinking, so he didn't pay attention at all.
What surprised him even more was that the middle-aged scribe, who was Prince Zhongshun's confidant, did not get angry, his expression remained calm, and he said in a deep voice: "Master Jia is very capable. Now the prince is only thinking about going out to establish a vassal and establish a country, so he has prepared a plan.
I don’t know which direction to choose for development after many years, so why don’t you send me here to ask Mr. Jia for some direction?”
There was quite a bit of resentment in his tone. According to his original intention, he was naturally not happy with this. If he didn't give it a try, he would feel unwilling to do so.
It is a pity that Prince Zhongshun does not have such courage, or is unwilling to take risks when there are other ways out.
As a close aide, he naturally had to act in accordance with Prince Zhongshun's wishes, and he naturally had no good feelings for the elder who influenced the prince's ideas.
The elder did not care about this at all and said calmly: "If the prince wants to establish a vassal state, it is best not to choose a small country that has land connections with Da Qi, nor to choose a small country in the north whose neighbors are quite powerful. The best one at the moment
The natural choice is the island country in the south!”
"Which place?"
"Guahua and Luzon are both successful. It just depends on the quantity and quality of your ships!"
The elder answered very naturally and said with a smile: "Don't tell me, it's been almost two years and you are still not ready. If that's the case, then don't say anything at all. When will you be ready? When will you say no?"
Late!"
"Master Jia, you are so rude!"
The middle-aged scribe sneered and said: "The prince has already made preparations. I hope Mr. Jia is also ready. Otherwise, Mr. Jia will not be able to live well if he misses the prince's important event!"