"Husband, my mother came to the palace just to chat with me and my sister. Naturally, what my mother was most concerned about when she came to the palace was whether I and my sister were living well in the palace, and whether Yuan'er, Min'er, Qier and others were there. I'm sick, how are you? Of course I told them that I and my sister are living well in the palace, and Yuan'er and the others are also in good health."
"My eldest brother is now in the navy, but before that, the Ming Dynasty fought a great war in the northwest inland. My mother said that my eldest brother should have been a general in the land army. Maybe now I can win for the Xue family. It’s a hereditary title.”
"This year is another provincial examination year. My younger brother failed to pass the exam last time. My mother really wants him to pass the exam this time. However, several gentlemen said that based on the standard of his current articles, he will definitely win the policy essay. , but there is only a 20 to 30% chance of passing the Jingyi article. The chance that my brother will pass the exam this year is too small. But I comforted my mother, Xiyang is only twenty years old this year, and he is still very young. Even if he fails the exam this year It’s nothing..." Xiyao said.
"Didn't you ask about the reform after the year?" Yunxi asked.
Xiyao shook her head.
Yunxi felt a little at ease. Anyone with a discerning eye can see that he will definitely carry out reforms after the year, which may involve military aspects. Especially since he announced the establishment of civilian military attachés this year before the year, the military generals must be worried that he will further limit their power.
Therefore, someone will definitely persuade Xue Ning to explore Yunxi's tone. Even if Xue Ning doesn't care about it and is unwilling to participate, he may not be able to withstand the pressure of many people. He may let his wife enter the palace to question Xiyao. , had he ever disclosed this matter in his daily life? Now that he knew that Xue Ning had not done so, he was naturally relieved.
'However, although Xiyao does things for my own good and Wenyuan's own good, he may not hide something from me.' He thought again.
‘Should I ask Wang Xi to inquire secretly in Kunning Palace? Well, let’s not do that.’ He thought about it and finally gave up the plan and chose to believe Xiyao.
While thinking about it, he had already arrived at the dining hall, sat down with Xiyao and others, and chatted while waiting for the food to be delivered.
After chatting for a few words, the young eunuch's voice came from the door: "I have met the eldest princess of Changshan and the eldest princess of Huainan." Yunxi heard the voice and looked towards the door, and saw Yun Zhi walking away with Yun Yun. Come in.
"Brother Imperial!" Yunzhi shouted. Yun Yun also bowed slightly and said.
"Why are you here again today?" Yun He said with a smile.
"Sister knows that there were some corn kernels and peanuts left over last night, so she came here to eat again today." Yun Zhi sat down on the left side of Xiyao unceremoniously, and then pulled Yun Yun to sit on her left side. .
"Why are you so lazy?" Yunxi joked.
"How can my sister be called lazy? She just wants to try more fresh things. When there is a big harvest of these things next year, my sister will be able to eat them every day. Naturally, she won't want to eat every meal like she does now. "Yunzhi didn't care either and said with a smile.
"Why did you only come here with your third sister today? Where is your second sister?" Yunxi's words were somewhat reproachful. If Yunzhi didn't even call her own sister in order to have one more bite, it would be a matter of character. Already.
"The second sister is getting married in her palace! How can she come!" Yunzhi said with a smile: "Today is the first day of the first lunar month. The seventh year of Jianye has arrived. After the first lunar month, we will start preparing for the second sister's wedding from the third day of the second lunar month. The wedding is here, and I will be getting married in March."
"Although only a few days have passed since the twelfth lunar month of the previous six years, Concubine Qin (Yunlan's biological mother) suddenly felt that the second sister was about to get married, and began to prepare for the wedding. The second sister did not want to disobey Concubine Qin.
I can't get away from my wish. Besides, the second sister also wants to marry her future brother-in-law, and I don't know if she is willing to be handled like this by Princess Qin."
"It's too early to start preparing for marriage now," Yunxi said.
However, when he heard the news that Yun Lan was preparing to get married, he glanced at Yun Yun unconsciously. Yun Yun was already eighteen years old this year, which is seventeen according to later generations' calculations. In many countries, it is also the age for marriage.
In this era, she is considered an older young woman. Since she has no one she likes, she agrees that her brother-in-law and sister-in-law will choose a prince-in-law for her. She must choose a prince-son-in-law quickly.
"A knowledgeable person who has read thousands of books." Yunxi thought about her conditions for choosing a spouse: "There should be no military commanders in their families. To avoid omissions, I asked Qin Song and Guo Hongtao to report the list of unmarried children of all military commanders' families in the capital."
Get one and I'll take a closer look.'
"There are not many honorable people. I usually know something about them, but I probably don't know them now."
'It seems that most of the candidates can only be selected from scholars. But they cannot be weak scholars. How about waiting until next year's examination to see if there are suitable candidates? But it is a bit late.'
'Actually, Zhou Yuan's conditions are very suitable. He is smart and flexible, and he is also knowledgeable and talented. He can further develop his own plans. Unfortunately, he is old and has already married a wife.'
'You may not necessarily be a scholar, or you may not necessarily be a scholar in the traditional sense. People from other families, such as craftsmen and merchants, may not be illiterate, nor may they be ignorant and uncompatible with Yun Yun. If you marry Yun Yun
Such a family will also help to improve the status of craftsmen and merchants. However, it will definitely attract the officials to remonstrate, and there will also be many people in the royal family who will oppose it, which will be difficult to handle.'
Just as Yunxi was thinking about it, the imperial kitchen brought the food over, and Yunxi put aside his thoughts for the time being and began to eat.
"Ah! It's so spicy!" Yunzhi took a bite of Sichuan food with chili peppers and immediately exclaimed: "Why is this food so spicy!"
"Because my brother ordered us to put chili pepper in it instead of Sichuan peppercorns." Yunhe said with a smile.
"Ah!" Yunzhi said vaguely while opening her mouth and sticking out her tongue: "This is too spicy, I can't eat it. I will never eat dishes with chili peppers again."
"I think it's quite delicious." Yun Yun also took a bite and said.
"Third sister, you are so amazing. Such spicy food can still taste delicious. My tongue can only feel the spicy taste after touching the chili pepper, and I can't feel any other taste." Yun Zhiyong was slightly impressed.
She looked at Yunyun with an expression on her face. Not only her, but Min'er and Wenyuan, who were about to cry after tasting the chili, also looked at her with reverence.
Xiyao also took a sip. Although she was not like Yunzhi and Miner, she still felt it was too spicy and quickly drank two sips of the soup. While drinking the soup, she suddenly thought of something and said to Yunxi with a smile: "Husband, because
This chili reminds me of an interesting story that my mother told me just now."
"Because Governor Fang brought back a lot of chili peppers and corn kernels, I gave some to my mother, and the husband also knew it. Before the Chinese New Year, a friend of Xi Yang's came to visit him, and Xi Yang entertained him with chili peppers. The man tasted
After eating the chili pepper, his whole face turned red, as if, well, like that part of a monkey. It took a long time for it to change back. The man also said that his hometown is in Haiyan County, Zhejiang Province, and he had also been to Shanghu Shibosi.
He thought he had tasted everything under the sun, but he didn't expect something so spicy. Then he asked Xiyang for some chili peppers, saying that he would let his brothers taste it when he went back, and make their faces change.
They must look like that. The man also said that he would arrange for a painter to draw this scene in advance. 'Let their face be recorded forever like that part of the monkey'."
Everyone laughed out loud. Especially Yun Yun, Yun Zhi, Min'er and others who had little contact with outsiders and did not dare to tell jokes to them even if they were in contact with the guards. Their laughter was very low and they were laughing so hard. Yun Xi didn't find it particularly funny at first, but when he saw Yun Yun and Yun Zhi laughing so happily, he was infected and started laughing.
"That person is so hateful. He still wanted to tease his brother after being teased. If Yunxi dares to tease me like this, I will definitely let him know why the flowers are so red!" Yunzhi waved her little fists in a menacing manner. Said. Although she is a girl, she is much more diligent in martial arts training than Yunxi who was just forced to pull twice by Yunxi. Yunxi cannot beat her in a one-on-one duel.
"My second uncle's friend's hometown is in Haiyan County, Zhejiang Province. This county should be close to the sea, right? Isn't it afraid that my brother will throw him into the sea?" Min'er also said with a smile.
Yunxi was smiling, but when he heard this, he suddenly remembered something and asked Xiyao, "Do you know the surname of Xiyang's friend?"
Xiyao was stunned for a moment, then thought for a moment and said, "It should be Xiao. I remember my mother said her surname was Xiao when she mentioned it."
"How is his family situation?" Yunxi asked.
"The family background should not be bad." Xiyao thought carefully: "When my mother and my concubine talked about him, they mentioned that he was wearing silk clothes, and they were made of high-quality silk and satin produced in Suzhou. Although it was not as good as the practical ones, it was not much different. "The pens, inks, papers and inkstones used are all of the best quality. The man's family seems to be a businessman. Although he has never been involved in business affairs, he is very familiar with it."
"It probably comes from this family." Yunxi whispered to himself. Xiao is not a common surname. He comes from Haiyan County, Zhejiang Province, and is a wealthy businessman. He can only be the Xiao Zhuo family. And the Xiao family Relying on the first mover advantage in the Nanyang slave trade, Zheng Pai, the only Siamese merchant allowed to trade in the Ming Dynasty, now monopolizes the Nanyang slave trade in Jiangsu and Zhejiang. Among them, the capital is the place with the highest demand for slaves and the most profitable place. In the highest place, it is normal for someone from the Xiao family to be permanently stationed in the capital.
Yunxi suddenly thought of something again, and asked Xiyao carefully about the situation of the person named Xiao. How could Xiyao know so much, so he could only answer that he didn't know.
"Yao'er, please let Xi Yang enter the palace. If your husband has something to ask him," Yunxi said.
Xiyao was very surprised. How could the protagonist of a joke she heard deserve such attention from the emperor? She thought of Yunxi's previous inquiry about the man's family background and surname, and secretly thought: 'What is your husband going to do with this family?'
==========
Thanks to book friend Yi Jian 68 for the reward.
This chapter makes up for the updates I missed yesterday.