Ningguo Mansion
Several tables were set up in the spacious and elegant hall, and except for Miaoyu, who asked Xichun to be sent to the courtyard where she lived because she was a monk, everyone shared the table to eat.
A family dinner, with Xiangyun as a pistachio, is naturally enjoyable and full of laughter.
When it was almost the time of Youzheng, Jia Mu and Jia Heng sipped tea and talked for a while, finalizing all the things before the year and ancestor worship, and then they returned to Xifu accompanied by Mrs. Xing, Mrs. Wang and Aunt Xue.
Some young girls and wives were left behind to chat and play with Ke Qing. Baochai and Daiyu were not leaving for the time being. They held hands with Yingchun, Xichun and Xiuyan and talked briefly about Nan. Some interesting facts about the province.
Xiangyun smiled and said: "Second sister and fourth sister, you haven't gone to the south. Brother Heng took us to many interesting places. We visited all the eighteen scenic spots in Jinling."
Baochai chuckled and said, "It's the first time in my life that Sister Yun has been to Jinling. Everywhere is fresh and tight."
Xichun said: "Sister Xiuyan was not a guest in Jinling before, she must have been to many places."
Xiuyan smiled and said, "I haven't been in Jinling for a long time. I spent most of my time in Gusu."
At this moment, in the hall, the lights are brightly lit, with hairpins in skirts and coats, and birds and birds gather together.
Jia Heng turned to look at the chubby girl with plump skin and white cheeks, and asked, "Baoqin, why haven't you seen Nona?"
Baoqin smiled and said, "Sister Nona went to the inn near the Ordnance Prison to find an uncle of hers. She also said that she was not used to the lively atmosphere here in Shenjing."
Jia Heng thought to himself, maybe he was frightened by the big Han monarchs who greeted him, but he didn't take it seriously, and said: "Wait until tomorrow to pick her up again. Recently, you have been walking with her in Chang'an. Go to the Ordnance Supervisor and ask her if she wants to go."
The Portuguese also need to pay attention to their ideological trends when they come to Shenjing with a cold climate. As the daughter of Sir Bugalu, Nona can undoubtedly appease the Portuguese craftsmen.
Bao Qin said: "Brother Heng, do you want to see those muskets and cannons?"
Jia Heng nodded and said softly: "I have to focus on this matter recently."
"Brother Heng, will you take me to have a look? I also want to see how the firecrackers and cannons are made." Baoqin said with a look of anticipation on her face.
Jia Heng said softly: "I change my clothes and follow Nona to help the Portuguese craftsmen translate."
Sister Feng looked at Baoqin with a smile on her charming face, took the girl's chubby little hand and said, "You girl, you are as playful as Xiangyun, you can go anywhere."
In fact, with Baoqin's temperament, she would not be as fearless as Xiangyun when she first arrived at the Jia family. However, after asking Jia Heng about Baochai in Nan Province, the girl had already regarded Jia Heng as her brother-in-law. Since We are a family, so there is nothing to talk about.
Qin Keqing also looked at the plump-cheeked, cute Baoqin, her beautiful eyes flashed, and she said with a smile: "Baoqin has the same temperament as Xiangyun."
I thought to myself, this looks just like Sister Xue’s character. My husband has always liked Sister Xue’s behavior, especially...
The couple has been together for such a long time, and they have paid some attention to Jia Heng's usually plump figure. Coupled with the incident between Jia Heng and Baochai, they are now a bit wary of this plump and plump person.
Jia Heng said: "But Qing, you guys can have fun, I'm going to take a bath, and I'll go to the study to read official documents later."
He needs to prepare a list of the meritorious generals who went south this time and submit it to the Military Aircraft Department according to their merits. This matter needs to be considered.
Under Qin Keqing's beautiful eyebrows, she looked at the young man with shining eyes, and said with a chuckle: "My husband has just come back, why don't you rest a little longer?"
Jia Heng said warmly: "It's okay, you just have fun first."
I thought to myself, I probably won't let him rest for a while, it seems like it's time to give Ke Qing a child.
Although everyone was talking, most of their attention was focused on the young man.
Jia Heng said, left his seat and stood up. However, as soon as he opened the clattering bead curtain, he heard Ke Qing's voice coming from behind him, and his steps paused slightly.
"Baozhu, Ruizhu, prepare a few sets of mahjong for the girls to play together." Qin Keqing smiled and ordered.
She can't always play alone.
Baozhu and Ruizhu responded with a smile, and then went.
Jia Heng's expression paused, and he felt a little strange in his heart.
However, there is one thing to say. At this moment, in addition to the masquerade party, this is how so many girls can participate.
Mahjong is just right, with four on a table. The remaining stragglers who really don’t like to play can still chat together.
Xiangyun was the first to respond, with a bright smile on Pingguo's round face. He giggled and said, "Sister Qin, I've long wanted to try how to play mahjong."
At this time, Daiyu held a bowl of cheese tea with a handkerchief, gently pursed her pink lips, and under her smoky eyebrows, her bright starry eyes had just reluctantly withdrawn from the departing young man.
The girl knew that Jia Heng had just come back and was burdened with trivial matters, especially dealing with the beautiful Mrs. Qin, so she was not too disappointed.
Baochai put down the tea cup, wiped his hands gently with a handkerchief, and said with a smile on his face: "Sister, how about we also play a game?"
"Sister Bao, I'm not good at this." Daiyu said softly with shame between her beautiful brows.
Baochai had bright eyes and a soft smile, and said softly: "Then I'll teach my sister."
Daiyu nodded lightly, responded softly, and sat down with Baochai holding her arm.
Along the way, the two of them took a boat together, and they usually got along calmly, almost as harmoniously as sisters.
In this way, after Jia Heng left, the warm hall in the back house did not become deserted because of Jia Heng's departure. Instead, it was happy and cheerful.
Qin Keqing took Sister Feng, Li Wan, and You to a table together. Second Sister You had been in Ningguo Mansion for so long. Although she had a weak temperament, she seemed to respect Sister Feng's methods and temperament. She moved an embroidered pier and sat on Sister Feng's side. Next to them, Sister Feng is charming, and Third Sister You is gorgeous. Now that they are sitting together, they really seem to complement each other.
If Jia Heng were here, it would even feel ridiculous. The two enemies in the original work are actually as close as sisters at this moment.
This is a completely different harmonious atmosphere from the original work, just between the bed curtains... Well, this is a path that Jia Lian in Guizhou never imagined.
So we have to ask not only if Sister You and Sister Feng are together, how many permutations and combinations are there among the Twelve Hairpins in the Red Mansion? The answer is... it should be binding and penetration.
Several people were scrubbing the mahjong pieces, and the ivory white mahjong pieces made a crisp and sweet sound. Then pairs of jade hands painted with bright khao powder began to take the mahjong pieces and pile them on each other. Some were skilled and some were unfamiliar.
Qin Keqing asked about You's affairs in Nan Province. He looked at the young Hua Xin woman in a blue dress and elegant appearance and said, "Sister-in-law You lives in seclusion in the south, so she is inevitably depressed. This time Sister-in-law You comes to Beijing. Right time."
Youshi's elegant and soft face showed a slight smile, and she said softly: "It's quiet over there in the south of the Yangtze River, but I don't usually go out to relax."
Previously, because she was taking care of Xiangyun, Tanchun, Baoqin and other young girls, You also followed Jia Heng to visit the scenic spots and historic sites in Jinling.
Sister Feng looked at the woman with a somewhat calm and elegant aura, and said with a smile: "Now that we are in Beijing, the houses on both sides are more lively, but Qing said some time ago that there are many things going on in the house, and you are a reliable person. Yes, it’s also a good idea to help the housekeeper.”
With the completion of the Grand View Garden and the girls from the two houses moving in, you can imagine that there will be a lot of things going on inside. As the former head wife, Mrs. You is undoubtedly more suitable.
If it is a young girl like You Sanjie, it is obviously not appropriate.
On the other side, a mahjong table next to the lady's screen illuminated by orange candlelight also shines with the golden jade on the beaded hairpin jewelry.
Baochai, Xiangyun, Daiyu, and Ping'er gathered at the table. Tanchun sat next to Daiyu and helped read the cards, and Baoqin sat in front of his cousin, watching and learning at the same time.
Xiangyun smiled and let Sister You teach from the side, and asked: "This sounds no different from dominoes."
Third Sister You smiled and said: "It's almost the same, but there are several kinds of pies here, which are different from dominoes."
Compared with other women who may be plump and full of wit, Sanjie You obviously likes Xiangyun, who is charming, innocent and non-threatening.
On the other side, while everyone else was playing mahjong, Xing Xiuyan was playing chess with Yingchun across the chess field, holding a chess piece in his hand, going back and forth with Yingchun.
Xichun was also playing chess with Li Qi, while her older sister Li Wen was beside Li Wan, watching her cousin play cards.
At this moment, the surrounding maids were coming and going to serve the girls' refreshments.
Well, the night life of the female family members of Ningguo Mansion has begun.
On the other side, in Mengpozhai's study, it was so quiet that you could hear a needle drop.
Only on the red candlesticks, the lanterns flickered occasionally, and orange candles rose in clusters, illuminating the room brightly, while the wind shadow outside the window swayed, and the plum blossom tree in the courtyard swayed in the cold wind. There was a rustling sound, and the night became more and more quiet.
Jia Zheng held a blue book in his hand, looking at it under the light, stroking his beard from time to time, and the sound of turning pages gently sounded. In the quiet winter night, there was also a quiet artistic conception.
Not far away, next to a three-foot-square writing desk, a young man wearing a purple gold crown and a bright red arrow-sleeved robe was writing at the desk. His face, which looked like the full moon of the Mid-Autumn Festival, showed concentration.
A thick stack of transcribed Analects of Confucius has been placed on one side of the desk. The light reflects the reflection of the brush hanging on the pen holder and falls on the paper leaves.
The father and son had already finished dinner in the study, and Jia Zheng supervised Baoyu's copying from the time of Youzheng to the present.
Compared with the original work, Jia Zheng's expectations for Baoyu at this moment can be said to be the highest, not only because Jia Cong has entered school, but also because Jia's mother has appropriately relaxed her restraints, and Baoyu has indeed gone to school to board.
Of course, the latter is entirely the result of Jia Heng's efforts in the past year. For Baoyu, the strong support of Yuanchun, who is also his sister and mother, and Mrs. Wang's unwillingness, all contributed to the situation in Jia's family. There is no room for Baoyu to cheat.
And the most important thing is that Jia Zhengzheng is a senior official in the fourth rank and has a smooth official career. He has great expectations for his son's career in the imperial examination.
Needless to say, there is no reason for today’s incident.
Look at your brother Heng, he's already on a waiting list, you're a naughty kid who plays in the mud and piss on the bed.
As a result, Baoyu's days were like years, and life was worse than death.
At this moment, the boy outside said loudly: "Master, the old lady and madam are here."
When Jia Zheng heard this, his expression changed slightly. He quickly put down the "Collected Commentaries on Zhu Xi" in his hand, stood up, and prepared to go out to greet him.
At this moment, figures from far and near were reflected on the screen. It was Jia Mu and her entourage who came in a hurry.
With the support of Yuanyang and Mrs. Wang, and several maids behind her, Jia Mu came to the study. With an obvious look of displeasure on her face, she asked, "It's so late and you still want Baoyu to write?"
Jia Zheng bowed his hands and said, "Mother, Baoyu's homework is a mess. My son is here to urge him to copy the words of sages for self-cultivation."
Hearing this, Jia's mother snorted coldly and said to Baoyu without looking at Jia Zheng: "Baoyu, stop writing. Your hands are exhausted and your eyes are damaged. This is no joke."
As he spoke, he quickly came closer and looked at Baoyu with concern.
Seeing this, Jia Zheng shouted in a deep voice: "You evil beast, your grandmother called you and you stopped writing."
At this moment, Baoyu's whole body was shaken, and he put down the brush in his hand. He raised his slightly absent-minded eyes and looked at Jia Mu. He slowly regained his composure and called out: "Old Ancestor."
I'm so tired of copying right now... I was almost in darkness just now, and it's the Four Books and Five Classics that Baoyu hates the most. When people are doing low-end, ineffective repetitive work, they will separate a part of their consciousness to be wild and imaginative.
Seeing this scene, Jia's mother felt very distressed. She hugged Baoyu's shoulders and shouted heartily. Then she looked at Jia Zheng with an annoyed face and shouted: "Why do you let Baoyu copy like this? What should I do if I get tired?" "
She Yue, who originally went to report the news, walked out from behind Mrs. Wang and hurriedly came over to give Baoyu a squeeze on her arm.
Mrs. Wang saw this scene and nodded secretly.
Although this hoof has done a lot of shameless things, it is still considerate to Baoyu, but she needs to watch this hoof and don't lead a good man into bad things.
In fact, if it hadn't been for the uproar caused by Jin Chuan's throwing into the well, Mrs. Wang would never have tolerated maids like She Yue who were suspected of having an affair with Bao Yu to continue to stay in Rongguo Mansion.
However, even so, after Baoyu went to school, Sheyue did not let him follow him.
Jia's mother still blamed Jia Zheng and said angrily: "You, my father, how can you abuse him like this? What should you do if you are exhausted?"
Jia Zheng said calmly: "Mom, Baoyu is not young anymore. I am thinking of letting him take the exam again next year, but I have asked the lecturer at the school. He has been in the school all day, and the article on Jingyi is Doing things half-heartedly is not a sign of progress."
"He is still young and is not in a hurry to enter school. Why are you forcing him like this?" Jia Mu said angrily.
Jia Zheng sighed and said: "Mother, Baoyu is really not young. Brother Cong is younger than him. Now he has entered school, but he still doesn't make progress. Mother, wait for your son for a hundred years, Baoyu will be successful in his career." If fame is of no use, how should we make a living?"
As soon as these words came out, Jia Mu was slightly startled and her face changed.
Mrs. Wang's eyes were also slightly focused, and worry surged in her heart.
Compared with the original novel where Yuanchun was granted the title of virtuous concubine, one person in the Jia family achieved enlightenment, and chickens and dogs ascended to heaven. As Yuanchun's younger brother, Baoyu naturally did not have to worry about his future.
Jia Mu hesitated for a moment and then said: "Brother Heng from Dongfu has just been granted the title of marquis, can he still take care of him in the future? He is the clan leader, and he is not in charge of all the children in the clan."
Jia Zhengdao: "Ziyu's meritorious service belongs to Ziyu. He will also have heirs in the future. By then, he will be out of control of state affairs and family affairs. How can he still be in charge of Baoyu?"
"Why can't you take care of it? In the future, finding an official position for Baoyu is just a matter of words to Brother Heng. Besides, your disciple Fu Shi is not going to be released to a high official position." Jia Mu obviously couldn't listen. Being accustomed to Jia Zheng's words, he spoke.
This does not mean that the official status of his youngest son was also caused by Brother Heng.
Jia Zheng was silent for a moment, glanced at Baoyu, who was shrinking in Jia Mu's arms, and said solemnly: "But Baoyu must be able to do that."
It has to be said that Jia Zheng has made some progress in persuading people through his experience in the General Affairs Department. At least he has the right starting point.
Even if you become an official in the future, how can you do it without studying?
"Okay, when you say this, I get a headache. He is only a little older, so he is not as long-term as you think." Jia Mu waved her hand and said impatiently, feeling a little irritable in her heart.
How could she not know these truths? But can this be done in a hurry?
Fortunately, Brother Heng was from the Gu Nian clan. She asked Yuanyang that child in the afternoon and it seemed that he and Brother Heng had already made a life-long commitment. Yuanyang's child was also nostalgic.
And Brother Heng is also quite interested in Tanchun, the girl, and he kisses the girl from Xifu.
All things considered, Baoyu will not be treated badly in the future.
Although Mother Jia boasts of having old ideas, what Jia Zheng just said undoubtedly made Mrs. Wang frown, and there was a sense of gloom and urgency in her heart.
No, Baoyu still has to study and become an official! I'll go to school in a few days!
Jia Zheng looked at Jia Mu, sighed, and then looked at Baoyu, who looked tired and fearful in his eyes. He thought of the high-spirited young man in the main hall of Xihe Palace, and felt a sense of powerlessness in his heart, saying: " Go back and rest."
Maybe he was too persistent. There were not many people like Ziyu in the Han Dynasty, let alone Baoyu?
"Yes, sir." Baoyu responded honestly, with a low eyebrow.
Seeing this, Jia Mu took Baoyu's hand and walked towards the courtyard.
Jia Zheng sat in Mengpozhai's study for a while, his lonely back reflected on the screen, and sighed for a long time.
On the other side, in the study room of Ningguo Mansion, the lights were bright and the room was as warm as spring.
Qingwen swayed her graceful water snake waist and came forward. She had a beautiful face with a flushed red face and a bit of radiant charm flowing in her eyes. She handed over a tea cup and said: "Master, drink tea."
"Put it there." Jia Heng picked up the writing brush and began to write the list of meritorious generals and commanders in this battle against the Japanese invaders, and appraise their merits.
In addition to some generals from the Beijing camp, some generals from the Jiangnan camp also made considerable contributions in this battle. At this time, they were also reported to Emperor Chongping. Some generals with similar merits and qualifications can be promoted to the rank of general after this battle. Guard commander.
After writing, he rubbed his hands, picked up the tea cup, took a sip, and thought about the recent court situation.
In the past few days of peace negotiations, tomorrow we need to come up with a charter with the emperor to resolve the differences as soon as possible, as well as the sacrifice of prisoners in the Ancestral Temple, the inspection of weapons, and the spying on the movements of Jurchen high-level officials.
Wei Guang, the young novice monk from the Calabash Temple, had already gone to the Jurchen territory under the training of the Jinyi Mansion.
In short, there are a lot of clues.
(End of chapter)
