After all, they worked together, and Lu Yijian gave Liu E so many ideas.
Now that he was about to leave Beijing, Liu E didn't even say a word.
After finishing the wontons, Lu Yijian threw down the chopsticks in his hand without even looking at the bowls, chopsticks, food boxes, and wine bottles on the stone table. He carried the riding whip, walked out of the pavilion, got on the horse's back, and threw the riding whip.
, and walked away.
…
On the official road to Bianjing City.
Kou Ji put his hands into his sleeves and walked forward unsteadily.
Several guards from the Kou Mansion strenuously reined in their horses and followed behind Kou Ji.
Kou Ji neither rides a horse nor can he ride a horse.
When I was practicing martial arts with Zhao Zhen in the palace, I went to the royal racecourse once and rode a horse with the help of the eunuchs.
But the fierce horse jolted, and Kou Ji was thrown to the ground, and he was like a dog eating shit.
From then on, Koji never rode a horse again.
Being thrown is not the key. What is important is that if he fell to the ground and his appearance was ruined, he would feel ashamed when he saw Di Qing in the future.
And it’s not easy to find a wife.
More importantly, if Zhao Zhen grows up in the future and listens to other people's slanders and picks officials based on appearance, his status will be shaken.
Selecting officials based on their looks is nothing new in ancient times.
Throughout the dynasties, there have always been a few emperors who paid attention to official etiquette.
When selecting officials, in addition to their talents, they also pay attention to their appearance.
The legendary ghost hunter Zhong Kui was deceived by this.
During his lifetime, Zhong Kui was also a man of great talent and knowledge. When he went to Beijing to take the exam, he failed because of his ugly appearance, and then died in a collision on the Golden Palace.
Of course, the many words that Kou Ji came up with to comfort himself were purely to cover up the fact that he was afraid of breaking his leg.
Over the years, it has been common for people to have their legs broken while learning to ride a horse, and Kou Ji didn't want to be one of them.
Anyway, he is not a military official. He has a sedan chair when he comes in and out, so there is no need to learn to ride a horse.
Kou Ji crossed his hands on his chest and walked forward leisurely.
But he suffered from the guards following him and the mute tiger hiding in the dark.
For the guards, reining in the horse and walking slowly is far more strenuous than galloping.
Sitting on horseback, the cold wind blew all over their bodies.
The mute tiger hid in the dark, stamping his feet from the cold.
He's not like Kou Ji, who wraps himself up like a bear cub.
For convenience, he often travels in thin clothes, so he can easily get cold.
Seeing Kou Ji take two steps and then stop at the same place, Mute Hu felt angry.
He picked up a small stone from the ground and threw it at the back of Koji's head.
Kou Ji was attacked and shouted, "There is an assassin!"
The guards quickly rode forward and trapped Kou Ji in the middle.
They looked around vigilantly, but did not find the assassin.
Kou Ji touched his head, picked up the small stones that fell on the ground, and looked around.
Immediately I understood the origin of the small stone.
Eighty percent of it was lost by dumb tigers.
If it was thrown by an assassin, the mute tiger would definitely rush out to protect him as soon as possible.
Now that his head was smashed, the dumb tiger did not appear, which means that the small stone was thrown by the dumb tiger.
Kou Ji waved his hands to the guards surrounding him, "Let's break up... It was a false alarm..."
After dispersing the guards, Kou Ji continued to move forward, in order to test whether the small stone just now was thrown by the mute tiger.
He paused again on the road.
really.
Another small stone hit him on the back of the head.
Kou Ji confirmed his suspicion and guessed that Mute Hu was probably frozen in the dark, so he used a small stone to urge him on his way.
In order to prevent the dumb tiger pair from freezing, Kou Ji stopped a carriage on the roadside heading for Bianjing City, sat on the shaft of the carriage, and swayed towards Bianjing City.
From the moment Kou Ji got on the carriage to when Kou Ji returned home, no pebbles were thrown at him again.
As soon as Kou Ji returned home, he bumped into Kou Zhun as he was going out.
Kou Zhun saw Kou Ji and said: "Tang, Deng, Dai and other eleven states have come to Beijing one after another to report the grain shortage. The Queen Mother invites me to the palace to discuss together the Xu Zhezhong family's right to act expediently."
The matter was so important that Kou Ji didn't dare to talk to Kou Zhun in detail. He bowed his hand to Kou Zhun and said, "Grandpa, leave early and come back early."
Kou Zhun nodded and entered the palace in Kou's bus.
Kou Ji stepped into the house.
As soon as they entered the mansion, they saw Kou Zhong and Kou Li busy celebrating the New Year.
This year’s Chinese New Year coincides with Zhao Heng’s funeral.
Every household in Bianjing City cannot wear red or colorful decorations, they are all plain.
But the lively atmosphere of the New Year cannot be stopped by Zhao Heng's funeral.
Every household is busy preparing New Year's goods, cleaning their houses, and preparing for food and clothing during the New Year.
The things that I would normally be reluctant to eat and wear are now on the table and put on.
A wealthy family like the Kou Mansion naturally has to make more preparations and be busier.
After Kou Li entered the capital, he took over the entire matter with his group of concubines, and with Kou Zhong's help, everything he needed to prepare was not lacking.
As soon as Kou Ji appeared outside the main hall, Aunt Qiao came to meet him and handed Kou Ji a box.
Aunt Qiao patted the box and warned: "The box is full of gold leaves made by the craftsmen of the house, who will use it for rewards. The servants and maids who signed the short contract in the house will leave the house soon.
Before they leave the house, they must be given a reward or two by the house.
One is to reward them for their hard work over the year.
Secondly, it’s for good luck.”
Kou Ji held the box and said blankly: "This is a rare opportunity to show mercy. Why doesn't my father go?"
When Aunt Qiao heard this, she said dryly: "Your father wants to go, but your grandfather won't let you. Your grandfather said that within one year, you jumped from a white body to a fifth-grade official body.
Newly wealthy family.
This opportunity to show mercy should come from you."
Kou Ji shook his head in confusion.
He felt that Kou Zhun prevented Kou Li from showing kindness and instead left him the opportunity to show kindness. He probably wanted to wait until a hundred years later to hand over the Kou mansion to his grandson instead of Kou Li's son.
Now to ask him to do favors is to let him get to know the people in the house, and then establish prestige in the hearts of the servants and maids in the house.
Kou Ji asked: "My father has no complaints?"
Aunt Qiao said helplessly: "Does your father dare to complain?"
Kou Ji was stunned and laughed out loud.
When Kou Li met Kou Zhun, it was like a mouse meeting a cat.
Kou Ji has never seen Kou Li talk back to Kou Zhun.
The words Kou Zhun said were orders to Kou Li.
It is an order and cannot be refused.
Kou Ji cupped his hands towards Aunt Qiao, held the box in his arms, and entered the central courtyard.
Manager Su of the residence had already gathered together the maids and servants who had signed short contracts.
They had packed their bags and carried them on their backs, ready to leave the house at any time.
It can be seen that they are also looking forward to going home for the New Year.
As soon as their masters reward them, they will rush out of the Kou Mansion.
After Kou Ji arrived, the maids and servants all put down their bags, bowed and saluted, "I have seen the young master..."
Kou Ji waved his hand and said, "No need to be polite."
Kou Ji casually placed the box in his hand on the stone table in the middle courtyard.
He looked around at the maids and servants.
Kou Ji opened the box on the stone table, revealing a box full of gold leaves.
The maids and servants' eyes widened when they saw the golden leaves.
Kou Ji looked at them and said calmly: "At the beginning of the new year, let's each have a piece to seek good luck."
The maids and servants all saluted.
"Thank you young master for the reward."
Kou Ji said with a smile: "It's good if you don't scold me in your heart. If someone else has a young master in his family, he will be rewarded every year, every month, and every day.
I, the young master of the Kou Mansion, have been in the government for a year. I won't let you serve me, and I won't reward you. It's strange that you don't complain in your heart."
When the maids and servants heard this, they all froze on the spot, not knowing how to respond.
Kou Ji twisted the gold leaves in the box and said with a smile: "I'm just kidding, you don't have to be so formal. Although I rarely reward you on weekdays, when it's time to reward you, I will never give you less."
"
Kou Ji threw the gold leaf into the box, pushed it forward, and told Manager Su: "Give them a piece each, no more, no less."
Manager Su agreed and carried the box to the maid and servants.
Maid and servants took a piece of gold leaf from the box one by one and put it away carefully.
Under the eyes of everyone, naturally no one dared to take more, and no one took less.
After looking through the gold leaves in the box, there were thirteen pieces left.
Manager Su held the box and wanted to return it to Kou Ji. Kou Ji stopped her and said with a smile: "You accept these thirteen gold leaves first, and the first thirteen people who return home after the year will reward each one."
one slice."
After saying this, in the astonished eyes of the maids and servants, Kou Ji said with a smile but not a smile: "When you go back, serve your parents well, and don't come back in a hurry."
The maids and servants suddenly discovered that the young master was naughty.
But I felt surprisingly close.
Kou Ji stared at them and shouted: "What are you waiting for? Why don't you go home? Wait until I send someone to take you off?"
The maids and servants hurriedly bowed to Kou Ji, picked up their bags, and went home to reunite with their families.
Maid, after the servants left, Steward Su held the box and admired: "Young Master is really smart. In previous years, when they returned home during the New Year, they would always use various excuses to avoid returning to the Kou Mansion on time.
Now that the young master is using gold leaves as bait, they will surely rush back to the house after the new year."
Kou Ji laughed in a low voice and said: "It's just a small trick, not worth mentioning. You pick a few smart guards from the house and send them away secretly. I see that many of them left the house with this year's salary on their backs.
, someone must be watching."
After a pause, Kou Ji said quietly: "There are many desperadoes outside Bianjing City who are thinking about them."
When Manager Su heard Kou Ji's words, he bowed deeply to Kou Ji and said, "Young Master is kind and righteous. I stand for the maids in the house. The servants thank you very much, Young Master."
Kou Ji shook his head and said with a mixture of laughter and tears: "What is benevolent and righteous? I am just comparing my feelings with others. When I came out of Huazhou, I had a lot of money on me.
As soon as we left Huazhou, they were sold out.
I don’t want what happened to me to happen to them.”
When Manager Su heard this, he gritted his teeth and said, "Those damn thieves will be cut into pieces sooner or later."
Kou Ji smiled and said nothing.
Manager Su hugged the box and left the middle courtyard.
Kou Ji wandered to the courtyard where the craftsman lived.
When the craftsmen saw Kou Ji, they dropped what they were doing and hurriedly came over to meet him.
"Young Master, why do you have time to come to these little people? Do you have something else to fight?"
The craftsmen in Kou's house were very respectful to Kou Ji.
Kou Ji nodded and asked, "You made all the gold leaves in the house?"
The craftsmen nodded vigorously.
Kou Ji clicked his lips and said, "The workmanship is a bit rough!"
The craftsmen heard this and continued to nod.
If someone else said this, they would definitely spit in that person's face without hesitation.
Because they all came from the palace and have been craftsmen for generations, and their craftsmanship is beyond words.
To doubt their craftsmanship is to slap them in the face.
But when Kou Ji said this, the craftsmen were convinced.
Because the craftsmen all know in their hearts that Kou Ji is a great craftsman.
They could tell from how many times Kou Ji brought out blueprints for them to forge and gave them instructions on how to forge.
Kou Zhun didn't understand the level of Kou Ji's craftsmanship, but the craftsmen all understood.
They are experts and they understand Kou Ji.
After seeing the craftsmen nodding, Kou Ji continued: "Let's try borrowing water power later..."
The craftsmen looked puzzled.
Kou Ji did not explain much and continued: "I came to you this time to ask you to help me create a batch of gold leaves and silver leaves."
How can the craftsmen bother to pay attention to gold leaves and silver leaves?
They all scratched their heads and climbed up to Kou Ji, asking how to use hydraulic forging.
Kou Ji briefly explained the principle of hydraulic forging to them, and then said: "I want gold leaves, silver leaves, big elm leaves, not maple leaves. The maple leaves you made are too ugly.
Take it out to disgrace our government."
The craftsmen nodded vigorously.
It is not difficult for them to replace the maple leaves with elm leaves.
They don't care, they want Kou Ji to teach more forging techniques.
Kou Ji was too lazy to talk to them and said, "We'll talk about it later..."
Leaving the yard where the craftsmen were.
The reason why he made a special trip to the yard where the craftsmen lived was for the gold and silver leaves.
Today, when Aunt Qiao asked him to reward the servants and maids, he realized that it had been a year since he had been in Bianjing City and more than half a year as an official, but he had not yet learned to be a rich man or to reward others.
For example, Liu Heng's fellow was rewarded with more than ten guan of money every month, and it was not just a month or two, but month after month.
Is Liu Heng a fool?
Obviously not.
Then why did he spend so generously?
To win people's hearts.
Not all servants can follow their masters loyally like Chen Lin.
Most servants prefer money.
Only if you let them see that following you is profitable, will they follow you closely and support you.