Jinling, Zhen family
The King of Chu picked up the tea cup and thought about his next plan.
In fact, the death of Mrs. Zhen did have a considerable impact on the Zhen family or the King of Chu.
Zhen Yingjia winked at her third brother Zhen Xuan, and not long after, the maids and servants serving around her left the house one after another.
Zhen Shao, the second master of the Zhen family, suddenly said: "In the past few days, Jia Ziyu went to Chongmingsha to manage the Jiangnan Naval Academy."
King Chu pondered for a moment, put down the tea cup, and asked, "Did you say when you will come back?"
"It should be just these two days." Zhen Shao said with a solemn expression, without any hint of joy or anger, "This naval academy was set up by Uncle Yong Ning in preparation for his future expedition to the north via the waterway to conquer the Jurchens."
King Chu's eyes lit up and he asked: "Did your second uncle go to that school?"
Zhen Shao's face paused and he said: "Currently, the academy is recruiting middle and low-level generals. These are not suitable for us. However, according to the future situation, they should be of great use."
The Naval Academy should be a direct descendant of Yong Ningbo, and they will definitely work hard to cultivate them in the future, but these have little to do with their Zhen family.
Later, I have to find a way to send Jue'er to the naval academy.
The memorials and instructions from the emperor that had previously followed the Jiangnan camp to fight had also been transmitted, but there was no mention of whether Duoqing would be reinstated after his return.
King Chu nodded, looked at Zhen Yingjia and Princess Chu with burning eyes, and said with emotion: "After Yongning Bo's great victory, his reputation has been greatly shocked, not only in Beijing, but also all the way south, people all over the world are talking about Jia Ziyu. His illustrious reputation is completely different from that of Yongning Bo during the previous Henan War. Whether it was sweet potatoes or the Lianghuai Salt Service, he had made great contributions to the country and the people. Even ordinary people praised him. "
That young man is indeed talented in the world, not only in military affairs, but also in salt administration and agriculture.
Zhen Yingjia nodded, twirling his beard and said: "After Jia Ziyu's battle, Yongning Bo took full charge of the war against the captives. There was almost no objection inside and outside the court."
It can be said that this battle almost fully established Jia Heng's special status in the fight against the captives, and established the situation of the court for the next five or even ten years.
At this moment, Princess Chu Zhen Qing looked at King Chu, her eyes flashed, something indescribably weird.
The King of Chu said: "After this battle, the navy will definitely shine. Previously, the second uncle and the fourth uncle followed Jia Ziyu to fight. After hearing this, the father also issued an imperial edict and rewarded him. However, the three major weaving bureaus of Tirenyuan were previously short of money." Regarding this matter, I heard from some people in the palace that my father was quite angry about this."
The eunuchs and maids in the palace naturally have the eyes of the King of Chu.
Princess Chu Zhen Qing took over the conversation and said softly: "Your Majesty, the most urgent task now is to make up for the shortfall."
King Chu nodded, looked at his princess, and said, "I heard that the Guangdong Sea has been opened for trade, and the Lianghuai Salt Farm also collects salt by ticket, which can be sold to all provinces."
Zhen Qing said softly: "Your Majesty, I have already ordered the people from the Chamber of Commerce to handle this matter, but the gap here is huge and it will be difficult to fill it in a short time."
Zhen Yingjia said: "The shortfall of Tirenyuan is not in the last ten years. There was such a deficit as early as the Longzhi period. The amount of deficit now is really huge."
"It's better to pay back a little first. I did some statistics recently. If it takes five years, it will be about the same." Zhen Qing said.
King Chu looked at Zhen Qing with gentle eyes. Although the princess had a strong temperament, she was quite capable. To some extent, she was no worse than Aunt Jinyang.
Thinking of this, I couldn't help but think of my graceful aunt. Now that she is in charge of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, her position is becoming more and more important.
After he ascends the throne...
King Chu suppressed the deepest thoughts in his heart, his face paused, and he said: "What the princess said is true. You cannot do nothing."
After pondering for a moment, he asked: "I heard that Aunt Jinyang is also in Jinling, and the princess will come with me to visit her tomorrow."
Zhen Qing's beautiful eyes were as moist as water and she smiled slightly, and said: "Tomorrow, I will prepare gifts and go see her."
"Master-in-law, in my estimation, my father will not pursue that old debt in the short term." Seeing Zhen Yingjia and others' frowning faces, King Chu thought for a while and said with relief.
"What should I say?" Zhen Yingjia asked hurriedly.
King Chu's eyes were dark and he whispered: "Thanks to Jia Ziyu these years, the national treasury and internal funds are not too empty."
This Jia Ziyu, the more he thought about it, the more he felt that it was really a great sword of the Han Dynasty.
Zhen Yingjia, Zhen Shao, Zhen Xuan: "..."
Zhen Xuan is the most proficient in the business of merchants and goods among the four brothers of the Zhen family. Hearing this, he was surprised and said: "Why is this related to Uncle Yongning?"
After receiving a few looks, the King of Chu explained: "My third uncle doesn't know something. Don't think that Jia Ziyu only knows how to fight. He is also a good person in making money. He helped his father and stole many people's property. From the Prince of Qi County to the corruption cases at the Ministry of Revenue and the Ministry of Industry, as well as the rectification of the Lianghuai Salt Law, many salt merchants' property was wiped out, and they also went to Guangdong to set up additional customs. Otherwise, my father would Why do you rely so much on him, and even want to marry the royal daughter to him?"
Because these things, the Zhen family had never thought about before, but now after King Chu sorted them out like this, it was like seeing the fog through clouds, and getting a glimpse of the clues.
Zhen Yingjia nodded and said: "Ziyu is indeed an unparalleled genius. Speaking of which, when King Yong was hiding in his residence, he may not have had much good impression of the current Jia family, but just because of Jia Ziyu, the current Ningrong and Rongfus are actually in flames. Cooking oil, flowers look like brocade."
Zhen Shao said: "If it is just military affairs, it may not be irreplaceable, but..."
Only Zhen Qing's beautiful eyes flashed, listening to her husband and the elders in the family praising that person, her jade face was reddish, her heart was complicated, and she didn't know what it was like.
She had long discovered that Jia Ziyu was a rare talent. Otherwise, would he be worthy of letting her, Zhen Qing, be humble and serve her like a humble child?
Well, the prince is still here... Why does she always think about the past between that bastard and her?
The beauty's heart was beating wildly, and the embroidered shoes under her plain skirt were unconsciously brought together. Her narrow phoenix eyes, painted with light red eye shadow, gradually became moisturized.
King Chu nodded and said: "I also want to see if Jia Ziyu can help in the end. The former salt transport envoy Guo Shaonian also suffered a loss at the beginning and didn't see anything wrong. It can be seen that even if it is a loss, it involves the affairs of the Tian family. Father The emperor may not be too generous."
I had previously discussed with the staff about the deficit in the Weaving Bureau. It was obvious that my father disliked the Zhen family, but it was not a dead game. On the one hand, I tried my best to make up for the deficit. On the other hand, I could also ask Uncle Yongning to intercede with my father.
Zhen Yingjia agreed and said: "Previously, the princess and I also thought the same way. The Holy Emperor will obey Jia Ziyu's words. If he gets one word from him, even if the thunder comes, he will be given a much lighter sentence."
Zhen Qing took over the conversation and said: "Previously, the second sister's daughter recognized Jia Ziyu as her godfather, and the prince also knew about it. Later, before the old lady died, she told Jia Ziyu to marry sister Xi'er to Ziyu. , now the relationship between the two families can be considered to be even closer."
King Chu nodded, and then sighed: "In comparison, Jia Ziyu and Nana'er are more intimate, but it is better."
That side refers to King Wei, which means that the relationship between Jia Heng and Princess Xianning is much closer.
Afterwards, the King of Chu chatted with Zhen Yingjia for a while. After the Zhen family took a rest, he followed Zhen Qing, smelling slightly drunk, to a tidy up courtyard on the east side of the manor. This was temporarily tidied up by the Zhen family. It is used for the residence of King Chu and Princess Chu.
The couple sat down in the flower hall. The orange lights on the candlesticks on the table reflected the two figures on the wall, separated by a painting of bamboo and stone in the middle hall.
King Chu picked up the tea cup on the table, took a sip, looked around, and asked: "Princess, why don't you see Chun'er? I haven't seen him for a long time."
Chen Chun was the son and only son of the King of Chu, so you can imagine how much he was cherished.
"At my mother's side, I'll let my grandma bring me over to meet the prince later." Under Zhen Qing's curved eyebrows, her charming, silently moving eyes looked at the King of Chu with a sweet smile.
She didn't know why, but she always felt like she was looking at a most familiar stranger.
It seems that he doesn't want him to go south to Jinling...
Oh, it's all that bastard's fault.
The King of Chu didn't know what he thought of at this time, and sighed: "Before, I was in a cramped situation in the middle of the capital and was not allowed to go south. Today, when I arrived at Jinling, I felt that the dragon had entered the sea and the tiger had returned to the mountains. I was no longer fettered."
The King of Chu had usually read Jia Heng's Three Kingdoms, but he had not yet read the essence of Cao Mengde.
King Chu said, and then discussed with Zhen Qing: "We will try to solve part of the deficit in the Weaving Bureau, and let the fourth sister blow pillows in front of Jia Ziyu, but I heard that sister Xi'er has a softer temperament. If Lan'er had followed Jia Ziyu, it would be almost the same..."
Zhen Qing chuckled and said: "Lan'er has already made a promise, I'm afraid it won't work anymore."
Lan'er's temperament is the most similar to hers. In fact, when it comes to pillow style, is she going to blow pillow style in front of that bastard?
Well, why is she thinking about this in front of the prince again?
In fact, it was Jia Heng who had left such a deep impression on Zhen Qing between the bed curtains. Those dream-like experiences could not help but emerge in her heart when the King of Chu arrived.
After a while, Mammy brought over Chen Chun, the eldest son of the King of Chu. She greeted the King of Chu and said, "I have met my father, the king, and my mother's concubine."
The King of Chu looked at his son with warm and affectionate eyes. He couldn't help but feel a little happy. He nodded and said, "Chun'er, get up and let your father take a look."
Chen Chun got up and came to King Chu.
Seeing that his son was in good spirits, the King of Chu smiled and said, "He is much taller than he was in Beijing."
After teasing his son for a while, he ordered his grandma to lead Chen Chun out of the wing.
King Chu said, turning his eyes to look at the beauty that was becoming more and more graceful and gorgeous under the light of the lights. It was almost stunning. King Chu was slightly stunned when he saw it, and he reached out to hold Zhen Qing's hand. , whispered: "Princess, it's getting late."
Zhen Qing was watching her son go away, frowning her beautiful eyebrows. For some reason, something strange suddenly appeared in her heart. She quietly took her hand back, bit her pink lips with her white teeth, and said with a chuckle: "Your Majesty, you are so busy with your travels. Come on, you might as well go take a shower and change clothes first.”
King Chu smiled and said, "Princess, I will take a bath first."
When King Chu left, Zhen Qing's charming poppy face, the smile on her brows and corners of her mouth gradually faded away. Under the light of the lamp, it was as cold as frost, and her beautiful eyes flashed, revealing a trace of thought.
After a while, King Chu finished his bath and took a bath.
Before King Chu could speak, Zhen Qing's face paused and she said softly: "Your Majesty, I haven't been feeling well these past two days. Your Majesty has come all the way here, so I'm probably tired. You might as well rest first while I take a look at Chun'er." .”
When the King of Chu heard this, he was startled for a moment. Although he felt a little disappointed, he thought it was inappropriate to be in Zhen's house. He nodded and said, "Go and see Chun'er."
Watching the gorgeous beauty gradually getting further away, after a while, I felt a little tired, so I went into the inner compartment to rest, but I didn't have any doubts.
In other words, although the King of Chu is the vassal king, he has always been dominated by Zhen Qing in daily life. After Zhen Qing had a child, the two of them had long respected each other like ice.
…
…
Ningguo Mansion, in the study
Jia Heng is writing a letter with a brush.
The day before yesterday, Li Zan, a scholar of Wuyingdian who was in charge of the Economic Strategy and Appeasement Department in Peking, wrote a letter to Jia Heng after receiving the news of the great victory in Jiangnan.
Jia Heng put the letter into an envelope, sealed it with wax, and said, "There's nothing going on here. I'll go see Duduo in the evening. We'll return to Beijing in a few days."
As the construction progress of the Naval Academy in Chongmingsha is accelerating, most of the soldiers and horses of Henan Dusi also evacuated the Jiangnan Camp a few days ago.
Chen Xiao said "hmm", looked at the young man, pursed his lips, and hesitated to speak.
Jia Heng seemed to be aware of it. He looked at Chen Xiao, stepped forward, gently pulled the pair of slender catkins, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you so hesitant?"
Chen Xiao pushed Jia Heng gently, her jade face was as graceful as Xuanshui, shook her head, turned her head aside, and said softly: "I don't know how to tell you."
She received news from the teaching center that Chen Yuan had gone south, but she didn't know exactly what he was doing when he went south to Jinling.
Jia Heng smiled and said, "Then tell me slowly, I won't harm you."
Chen Xiao raised his eyes and met those eyes that seemed to see through his own thoughts, and said in a clear voice: "You... um~"
But seeing the gentle and soft approach, the slightly hot breath hitting her face, the girl's clear eyes flashed, she snorted lightly, and immediately let Jia Heng do what she did.
After a while, Jia Heng asked: "What's going on with the White Lotus Sect?"
Chen Xiao frowned, a look of confusion appeared on her ruddy face, neither admitting nor denying.
Jia Heng whispered: "If you don't want to say it, then don't say it. I won't use you to deal with the White Lotus Sect."
Of course, if the news is obtained through other channels, that is a different matter.
Chen Xiao shook his head and said, "I can't tell you now. I will tell you the reason when the time comes."
If Chen Yuan was harmful to him, she would protect him even if she died.
Jia Heng nodded, did not continue to ask, and said: "It's noon, let's go eat first."
"You go ahead, I want to be alone for a while." Chen Xiao said softly.
"Yes." After hearing this, Jia Heng took a deep look at Chen Xiao, nodded, and left the study.
In the backyard flower hall——
On the embroidered pier beside the curtain, Zhen Xi gently held Zhen Lan's hand, lowered her voice and asked, "Third sister, you have to leave."
"I've been here for a few days, and it's time to go back. Daddy sent someone to tell me last time, saying that the Fang family seems to have a lot of objections." Zhen Lanyan said coldly, her face not very pretty.
It turned out that in the past few days, Jia Heng took Yingying Yanyan from the Jia Mansion to visit the Eighteen and Forty-eight Scenic Spots in Jinling City, while Zhen Lan stayed in Ningguo Mansion for a few days. Fang Kuang gradually learned about this.
Fang Kuang couldn't bear to think about it, so he wrote a letter to Zhen Lan. After Zhen Lan ignored it, he sent someone to ask Zhen Lan's father, Zhen Xuan.
Zhen Xi's spirit-like eyes showed eagerness, and she whispered: "I am here, and it is only natural that Third Sister should come here to stay for a while."
Zhen Lan sighed and said, "That's what they say, but some people don't think so."
She also didn't expect that Fang Kuang was so small-minded. The Zhen and Jia families were family friends, and the fourth sister was also the concubine of Uncle Yongning. Theoretically, Uncle Yongning was her brother-in-law.
At this moment, on the side of the screen, Chai Dai was instructing the maid to prepare the food. Nona was talking to Tan Chun not far away, answering Tan Chun's curiosity about Western countries. Bao Qin was translating there and interjecting from time to time.
Li Wen and Li Qi were watching with a smile, listening secretly, and gaining knowledge.
On the other side, Chai Dai, who was preparing the food, ordered Zicuckoo, Ying'er, Xiren, Yuanyang and others to put the dishes, chopsticks, cups and plates. At first glance, she looked like a hostess.
Baochai was wearing an "ancestral" honey-colored jacket today, and a pink pleated skirt that was still new and old. The girl's face was white and creamy, her skin was like cream, and her face had a calm expression.
Daiyu's clothes, on the other hand, are elegant yet somewhat bright. She wears a double-breasted dress with red roses printed on a white background, and her face is bright.
Since the two signed the "Chai Dai Non-Aggression Pact" and reached preliminary appeasement, there has been no disturbance.
In fact, there is another problem. Jia Heng spends more than half of the time staying at the eldest princess's mansion in Jinyang these days.
You’ve been up all night, what else is there to fight for?
But Yuanchun was not here. He went to the eldest princess's house the day before yesterday. At least he could play as a substitute during the halftime break in Jinyang. In Ningguo's house, because there were so many people and distractions, he couldn't do anything.
"The uncle is here." Tanchun's maid held the curtain, held a handkerchief in her hand, and entered the wing, saying with a smile.
Everyone quickly stopped what they were doing, and saw Jia Heng entering the hall, casting their smart and clear eyes at the young man who was as rich as jade.
Tan Chun smiled and asked, "Brother Heng, you're done."
Jia Heng nodded and said, "I'm done with my work. What delicious food can I make today?"
Baoqin had a bright smile on her fair and chubby face, and said: "Brother Heng, you are in for a treat this time. Second sister has cooked some dishes this time."
When Jia Heng heard this, his expression paused and he looked at Baochai. He saw the fair-skinned girl smiling at him and nodding.
Jia Heng smiled and said, "Then I'm going to have a taste."
As he said this, he finally couldn't hold back and took a peek at Daiyu. Sure enough, he saw a pair of shining star eyes coming towards her. Her pink lips were slightly pursed, and there were hidden waves and dark waves in her clear eyes. With some inexplicable color.
There is no doubt that Baochai must have learned how to cook. Otherwise, where did the good wind send me to Qingyun with its power?
Playing piano, chess, calligraphy and painting, and cooking for female celebrities, these are compulsory courses for ladies. You don’t have to cook in person, but you can’t learn how to do it.
As for Daiyu, Jia Heng can confirm that apart from bringing her own sweet soup, she has never learned to cook.
Will the arms race started by Baochai cause blind comparison among Daiyu?
Jia Heng suppressed the weird feeling in his heart, but kept his face deliberately calm and said, "Well, let's eat together."
Everyone sat down and arranged their seats. Jia Heng sat between the two chubby girls Xiang Yun and Bao Qin, not between Chai Dai. He didn't want to be like Poland.
