Before Shu Shu could tell Zhou Song, Brother Jiu came back.
Shu Shu was relieved.
Brother Jiu also saw the cotton cloak next to him and said: "I just sent He Yuzhu to the Dutong Mansion. If the cotton cloak at the mother-in-law's house is not used yet, just take it out and use it. The Duke's Mansion is in a mess. Prepare it." It’s not complete, and I feel really cold in the house.”
Shu Shu sighed and said, "It's already the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth lunar month. I didn't expect that I wouldn't be able to make it through."
If a person with this kind of chronic disease can celebrate the New Year, he will probably last another year and a half.
It has something to do with the weather, and it also has something to do with your mood.
Brother Jiu thought about the more than 20 "hu-la-la" men in the funeral shed of the Duke's Mansion, and said, "The fact that Khan Ama holds the title of this branch is also related to the number of men in their family?"
The current "examination and sealing" system for clan members was only added in the 27th year of Kangxi's reign.
When the children of the previous clan reach the age of fifteen, they can be awarded corresponding titles according to their parents' birthplace.
However, as the clan multiplied, this salary became a huge expense, and in the 27th year, there was a "test title".
Except for the eldest son of the clan, all other clan members who are over twenty years old must take the clan examination and be awarded different titles according to their performance.
This "other person" is also limited. All sons of the clan above Beizi can participate in the examination, including other legitimate sons, concubines, concubines, concubines, and other concubines who do not inherit the title.
For the Duke of Fengen Town and the Duke of Fengen Fu, there are restrictions on the candidates for the title examination. Only other legitimate sons and concubines are allowed to participate in the title examination, and the other sons directly belong to the idle clan.
For example, the old man who assists the Duke is also called "not entering the Eighth Points to assist the Duke". Only other legitimate sons are allowed to take the exam, and even the concubines are just idle members of the clan.
By the time General Feng En, who was the lowest in the clan, except for one son, Xijue, the rest were all idle clan members regardless of their legitimate concubines.
It is not impossible for lower-level clans to rely on having sons and earning titles and money.
In the tenth year of Kangxi, it was stipulated that idle clan members could receive money and food according to the sixth grade civil nobility, with an annual salary of eighty-five taels and an annual rice of eighty-five dendrobium.
I just don’t know how the clan’s family calculated it before, and whether the descendants of the Duke’s family have the money and rice.
However, even if there are, they should be numerous.
The money and food for this idle clan must start from the age of twenty.
The total number of children and grandchildren of the old Duke is more than 20, but not many are over 20 years old. There seem to be four Dong sons and two or three grandsons.
Even if they receive money and rice, the family will not be rich enough to use it.
Shu Shu felt that Kangxi was not stingy with the money and food, and it was probably because he was disgusted and disliked.
It was actually the 14th year of Kangxi, and that year was too sensitive.
The three feudal lords rebelled, the Yellow River burst, natural and man-made disasters mixed together, and the court was unstable.
Chang Shu's use of Kangxi's status as a concubine prince was inappropriate.
If those second-generation and third-generation merit kings really claim to be direct descendants of Taizu and have bad thoughts, then the Eight Banners will be in chaos due to internal and external attacks.
If it had been anyone else who dared to slap him in the face like this, his life would probably be in danger.
Just Ge Jue is tolerant enough.
Perhaps Kangxi loved his reputation and did not want to bear the name of "Uncle Killer".
It was already time for dinner, and Brother Jiu was already hungry.
The couple chatted for a while and then asked someone to set the table for dinner.
Wood.
Outside Di'an Gate, at the entrance of Duke Fuguo's Mansion.
He Yuzhu got off the carriage, said something to the person at the door, and went in to look for his eldest brother.
The funeral shed was brightly lit.
The eldest brother and the third brother were talking to Princess Rongxian in the corner.
Princess Rongxian came to express her condolences on behalf of the eldest princess Shuhui.
He also gave money to Deming.
The eldest princess Shuhui knew that her younger brother's family had a large population and would cost a lot of money. She was afraid that the funeral would be ugly, so she asked Princess Rongxian to send 500 taels of silver.
The third elder brother said angrily: "My aunt is recovering from illness, how can I listen to her? She should be kept secret!"
Besides, what's the point of getting around here?
Just go ahead and save your face.
There is no way out, it's a big loss.
Without the imperial father's favor, Deming had no choice but to attack the generals who controlled the country, and became a member of the middle and lower ranks of the clan. He would not be able to deal with them in the future.
Princess Rongxian smiled bitterly and said: "I didn't report it to my grandmother. It was my grandmother's right eyelid that jumped sharply this morning. She also had heart palpitations in the morning and felt that something was wrong. Later, I got the news and went to the front to see my cousin, and my grandmother also came out. , she guessed it..."
The eldest brother frowned and said, "I'm afraid my aunt is not feeling well right now. You should go back quickly and don't leave me alone. Yin."
The old lady is also procrastinating, and she may not feel comfortable after hearing this news.
Princess Rongxian nodded and said, "Well, I'm leaving now..."
He Yuzhu came at this time.
The third elder brother had sharp eyes and suddenly saw He Yuzhu. He called him over and said with expectation, "Did your master send you a food box?"
It's past meal time and I'm already hungry.
He Yuzhu:
Master Jiu really didn’t give any orders.
He shook his head and said: "Our master sent his servants to deliver things to the prince outside in the car."
"That's not a food box? Is it directly a rice dumpling table?"
The third elder brother was a little confused.
The pastry is too dry, so I have to serve it with tea.
But because there were too many people here, the buckets in the clean room were full.
That smell is so ecstasy.
The eldest brother had already greeted He Yuzhu and said, "What is it? Let me go and have a look..."
The third elder brother thought for a while and said to Princess Rongxian: "Second sister, my brother will send it to you."
He Yuzhu reported to his eldest brother: "It is a plain cotton cloak. Our master thought that the house was cold and worried that you and the third master would catch cold, so he sent his servant to the Dutong Mansion to borrow two carts of cloaks and asked the slave to hand them over to you for distribution."
The eldest brother looked dazed, remembering the cloak he wore during the funeral at his house last year.
What's rare is that the cloak has a small size, and the people in the palace changed it to a white one. I wore a few small ones until the funeral was over.
At that time, no one could care about anything else. It was Brother Jiu who ordered Zhou Quan to get two carts of cloaks.
The third elder brother and Princess Rongxian followed and heard it.
Princess Rongxian praised: "Brother Jiu is considerate. He was so naughty when he was a child. I didn't expect to be so considerate and sensible when he grew up."
She thought of the face cream and hand cream on the dressing table, and smiled.
She really looks like a sister.
It seems that the job as the head of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was not in vain, and he can take care of his brother.
The third elder brother curled his lips and said: "It's still careless. I only thought about clothes and forgot about food. I have an empty stomach and can't keep warm even wearing a cloak!"
Princess Rongxian glared at him and said, "Are you an elder brother or a younger brother? You don't have anything to eat and you don't know how to send people around? Do you want others to feed you food?"
The third elder brother looked at the eldest elder brother coquettishly and said: "The younger brothers are ranked behind, and the eldest brother is the main one."
The eldest brother doesn't act independently, he always depends on Prince Yu.
But seeing Prince Yu sitting on the sidelines, he had no intention of coming forward.
This is not a simple funeral, but too shabby.
This mourner made his own idea and wanted to save some money, so he couldn't say anything; but if the old and young men really had to endure such hardship, the eldest brother wouldn't be able to bear it.
Tonight, either the prince or the county king is sitting up at night. Do you want everyone to have an empty stomach?
After collecting the two carts of cloaks and watching Princess Rongxian's carriage leave, the eldest brother ordered his personal eunuch to go with He Yuzhu.
It's not a good idea to "give porridge" and rice cakes to the elders, but having a bowl of almond tea, sesame paste, etc. shouldn't be a problem.
For such convenient food, you have to count on the Ninth Prince's Mansion.
So, Shu Shu and the ninth elder brother put down their chopsticks, and He Yuzhu brought the eldest elder brother's eunuch.
"Our master said that in addition to almond tea and sesame paste, which are convenient, if there are ready-made cakes in the kitchen, we will also need a few bags."
Brother Jiu glanced at the clock and said, "It seems to be right now. Hasn't the Duke's Mansion prepared food yet?"
The eunuch said: "It's the same as at noon, there's still rice cakes and milk tea, but our master hasn't touched it..."
Eat the pastry and spend the milk tea. After spending the milk tea, you have to go to the clean room.
After hearing this, Brother Jiu also thought of the clean room in the Duke's Mansion, with disgust on his face.
Shu Shu was giving instructions to Walnut, saying: "Go to the dining room and tell Xiaotang. In addition to the almond tea and black sesame paste, pack some vegetarian pastries, as well as the dried eggs and dried tofu baked yesterday. How many of them are there?" Bag·"
These two are salty and can be eaten as cakes.
Walnut responded and went down to prepare.
Brother Jiu said to Shu Shu: "Ask someone to open the warehouse and bring two new Gong buckets over. Otherwise, I won't dare to eat if I'm not hungry!"
Shu Shu listened, the corner of her mouth twitched, and said: "What should I do if someone sees this?"
There are two big buckets, and I have to find an empty room in the Duke's Mansion to use as a cleaning room, so I can't hide it from others.
Brother Jiu rolled his eyes and said, "Just say that the third brother begged me for it?"
Shu Shu:
This is a bit of a loss.
The eldest brother's eunuch was beside him, his face a little tense.
Shu Shu couldn't think clearly at the moment and said: "Why don't you take it in? Ask someone to drive a carriage over and stop it at the gate of the Duke's Mansion."
In this way, there is no need to stir up crowds, no need to attract attention, and it can be used more cleanly.
Brother Jiu frowned and said, "How can the carriage still be used after two days? How stinky will it be?"
Shu Shu said to He Yuzhu: "Find an old carriage from the carriage house."
Brother Jiu looked at her and said, "We have only been separated for two and a half months. How can we find an old carriage?"
He Yuzhu reminded: "Master, there is one in Dutong Mansion, just outside. It looks quite old."
The person who followed He Yuzhu in the car to deliver the cloak was a steward of Dong E's family.
Fusong is also there, but he can't show up.
In the past it was not appropriate to express condolences, nor was it appropriate not to express condolences, so I called the steward over.
Seeing that it was getting dark and it was inconvenient to ride a horse, the steward did not go back to Dong E's house directly. Instead, he sent a carriage back to Dutong Mansion. He himself took a carriage to see He Yuzhu and others back.
Knowing that He Yuzhu and the others were going to the Duke's Mansion again, he just waited outside.
Brother Jiu said: "That's not a good idea. Let him change the car and drive back. The old car can be used as a clean room directly. It won't hurt..."
The carriages here in the Ninth Prince's Mansion are all made by the Ministry of Internal Affairs and use good wood. The wood and labor cost for one carriage cost thirty to forty taels of silver, which is enough to pay for the two new carriages outside.
Shu Shu thought this was a good idea and asked He Yuzhu to go down and deliver the message.
After the carriage was changed, Xiaotang's food was also prepared, with a total of two large food boxes.
Xiaochun also went to the warehouse and got two new rice buckets.
Shu Shu asked Walnut to get a box of mint ointment and a knife of tissue paper.
When the eldest brother was invited outside the house, he couldn't laugh or cry when he saw the "cleaning car" parked there.
However, then he coughed lightly and got into the carriage.
The sound of "squeak" sounded for a long time before the eldest brother got out of the carriage feeling refreshed.
I've been holding it in for a long time and it's about to explode.
Comfortable!
He looked at his eunuch and said, "He Yuzhu has worked hard and made several trips. Reward!"
The eunuch had already brought a purse with him, and he immediately gave He Yuzhu a large purse.
He Yuzhu took the purse with both hands.
Seeing that the watch was about to start and the curfew was about to come, he did not dare to delay. He thanked his eldest brother for the reward and walked back to the prince's palace with the two guards he had brought...
