Kou Zhong has been sweeping toilet floors for three to five months. Except for the ridicule from a few patrolling stewards, almost no one knew about this servant who once guided the master. Now that the Spring Equinox has arrived, I have only heard that the imperial court has granted me a leave, but it has nothing to do with me. I still stay in the yard, doing my own dirty work, but in my free time, I stand on the wall and watch the grand formation of the Spring Festival. At first glance, I saw Cheng Congyuan walking past with his head held high, followed by drums and gongs, and a dozen minions surrounding Ye Yongjia. Suddenly, there was a huge chaotic movement, which was very lively. He thought to himself that after the Spring Festival, he would never hear such a noisy sound again. It's not that there are no more mobilizations in the house, but it's just that he no longer has to worry about toilet matters.
Kou Zhong was always very sharp-tongued and had no intention of settling down, so he was willing to flatter others. Naturally, he was taken care of by several stewards and was sent to purchase a house as a comprador. Although I had just arrived and could not get any big jobs, the few small jobs I was assigned were very self-sufficient and there was no intention of being greedy. During this period, he also became familiar with several "colleagues" and heard from them that the Spring Festival would last only one day. After the event was completed, Cheng Congyuan took his master to Jinan for a banquet. Kou Zhong seemed extremely indignant about this, thinking that this was Cheng Congyuan's excuse for his own selfish desires.
But since Cheng Congyuan was so deliberate, he would never use this to show off his power. This was an opportunity to revitalize the family business: Wang Chuding, the prefect of Jinan, hosted a banquet for prominent families in Shandong, including the Ye family. Cheng Congyuan was overjoyed after receiving the letter. This letter meant that the Ye family was very likely to make friends with the government; once he succeeded, any long-term plan would be unfavorable, and it would even shake up Shandong. Thinking of this, his face suddenly became sad, his wrinkled hands began to tremble, and he was filled with emotion as he recalled the hardships and hardships he and Ye Long went through while running the family. After being stunned for a long time, Cheng Congyuanfang sighed slightly, stood up slowly on the recliner, and then ran straight to the study.
"Master, this is a letter from the prefect of Jinan... I think I must go."
Instead, Ye Yongjia looked hesitant, looked at Cambodia thoughtfully, and uttered a few cold words for a long time: "It's better not to go."
Cheng Congyuan scratched his ears and said to himself: "Why is there something wrong with my ears again..."
"It's better not to go." Ye Yongjia repeated word for word.
Cheng Congyuan stood up in shock this time and smiled angrily: "Stop being so disregardful of the overall situation. I'm afraid no one will support us! If we connect with the government this time, we will have a prosperous family business at our fingertips!" "Cheng Congyuan persuaded with his fingers.
Ye Yongjia looked coldly at the Cambodian book. This so-called "prosperity" was already clear on the day he killed Zhang Ping, completely extinguishing all his previous ambitions. But it was not ambition that drove his decision-making, so everything fell into place, and there was only a slight obstruction in his heart.
"Then go. Family business is the most important thing." Ye Yongjia said relaxedly.
Qihe is only separated from Jinan by a river. Besides, only two people are going there. It is convenient not to add more people to accompany them. They also passed by the Zhongjing Gong Temple in the middle, so they stopped quickly in front of the magistrate's house without any hesitation. The magistrate hadn't come to greet him yet, so the two of them came first with Cambodian cards. After entering from the main entrance, you first see an open courtyard built with bluestone pavement. The courtyard is extremely square. There are several shallow ponds on both sides of the road, which are surrounded by white stone sills, squeezing the road into a cross shape. It does not prevent the road from leading straight to the steps in front of the hall. Ye Yongjia also walked into the hall, not daring to enjoy the scenery more, so he had to sit in the hall and wait for the prefect.
"Master Ye is here!" Ye Yongjia raised his head and saw that the prefect was wearing casual clothes. His eyebrows, hair and beard were all silvery white, and the silver was shining; but his face was shiny, his facial features were extremely smooth, and there was no wrinkle on his face, which was different from his age. Very consistent.
"Master Wang, don't call me that! Just call me by your name." Ye Yongjia stood up quickly and bowed respectfully. "Oh, it can't be like this. How about asking Ye to do something?"
"It all depends on the prince." Ye Yongjia responded with a smile.
"This is... oh, Mr. Cheng!" Wang Chuding moved to Cheng Congyuan, as if he had known him for a long time.
"I'm a slave, please don't take my life..." Cheng Congyuan pretended to be frightened and knelt down. Wang Chuding hurriedly held his arm: "I don't know how many times I've seen you, why are you so polite?" Cheng Congyuan Smile slightly.
"How is Ye Yushi doing?" he asked Cheng Congyuan.
"This book is not for slaves to read. I know what I know! I am not a child, I can read by myself!" Cheng Congyuan glanced at Ye Yongjia.
There are no letters from home. Ye Yongjia thought for a moment. But it would be inappropriate to explain it directly. Without thinking, he said: "My father has many official affairs, and there have been no letters recently. Other than that, there are no big things. I am in good health." After saying that, he looked at Cheng Congyuan slightly. , Mr. Cheng seemed to be very satisfied with his adaptability.
"Oh, that's all."
After chatting for a while, Ye Yongjia was able to cope with it easily. There was no time of nervousness and fear, and the conversation was more enjoyable. Wang Chuding looked at the sun casually, and immediately called out a servant and asked, "What time is it?"
"My lord, it will be noon time."
After Wang Chuding heard this, he stood up and bowed to them: "It won't be long now, I'm afraid other families will come one after another. You two can go to the back hall and wait."
The two entered the back hall and walked around the screen. Inside was the banquet place. There were tables on both sides, which were guest seats. Above the guest seats was the main seat, with a separate sandalwood table facing the front, looking sideways. Waiting for guests. Of course, the two of them were sitting at the guest seats, and they even looked at the directions and sat at the seats next to the guest seats. It's not that they are ignorant of humility. After all, the Ye family's reputation is considered the crown of this domain, and in order to socialize with the prefect, they chose to sit here.
"I'm getting better and better at doing things!" Cheng Congyuan sighed.
Ye Yongjia was indifferent and unusually silent.
"The prefect Wang has a daughter at home, do you know?" Cheng Congyuan lowered his voice as much as possible. Ye Yongjia replied calmly: "I know what Mr. Cheng wants to do. But... no matter what, you don't need to say any more."
"I am only twenty-eight years old, only four years younger than my father..." Cheng Congyuan closed his eyes and said to himself, "I will express my opinion in front of the prefect later... If it happens, the Ye family will be deeply rooted in Jinan... "
"Mr. Cheng!" Ye Yongjia patted his shoulder lightly, and Cheng Congyuan turned around: "Don't you agree?"
Ye Yongjia paused for a moment, then turned around and said with a smile: "Things may not work out, just watch it step by step."
The banquet was quickly set up, and all the people were present. The magistrate took the main seat, glanced at the glistening wine in the cup, and held it in his hand: "The Emperor has granted me leave at the Spring Equinox, and I will take this opportunity to meet you all." Let’s get together. I think Shandong is a virtuous man, please have a drink!” After saying that, he waved the wine cup and drank it all in one gulp.
Everyone sitting at the guest table also shouted: "Okay!" and then poured the wine into their stomachs. Ye Yongjia stood up slowly and drank the wine hesitantly. Wang Chuding then left his seat and toasted everyone one by one. Ye Yongjia hurriedly responded. Suddenly, they were walking around, and several prominent wealthy families were toasting and chatting everywhere. As a member of the Ye family, Ye Yongjia naturally couldn't sit around, so he also picked up wine and toasted everywhere. He went to the guest table in the east and toasted the person nearest to him. It was learned that he belonged to the Zhou family in Jiyang and his name was Zhou Yizhi.
"Guild Ye is raising a son! At such an age, he can handle troubles!" Zhou Yizhi said with emotion.
"Yes, it was my father who was very discerning and chose Congyuan as my teacher. He taught me benevolence, righteousness, virtue and filial piety, and did not adopt outsiders. Otherwise, we would not be where we are today." Ye Yongjia poured wine for him with one hand, and he thanked him, as if he was expressing his gratitude. He said to himself: "My son is not living up to expectations!" Ye Yongjia said nothing. He raised his head again and asked with a smile: "Master Ye, it's a pity that my son did not become a Jinshi... I wonder if there is any other good way?"
Ye Yongjia was stunned and looked back at Cheng Congyuan. Cheng Congyuan just lowered his head. His mind was in a mess, and he didn't know what Zhou Yizhi meant. The anger in his heart suddenly rose, and he gritted his teeth and said: "If you want to find another way, you can ask the adults in the Ministry of Rites to see what they think; but the younger generation is stupid, I only know how to study and become an official, and there is no other plan." Zhou Yizhi's face turned red, and Ye Yongjia didn't know how to relax, so he was deadlocked for a while. Zhou Yizhi was still embarrassed, so he excused himself and said he was going to toast the prefect and left the table.
Ye Yongjia could only pretend that nothing happened and looked at Cheng Congyuan again. He had raised his head, unable to hide his pale complexion. After this, Ye Yongjia's mind was confused by doubts and he was not very clear. He reluctantly toasted a table of wine and had forgotten how he socialized. Maybe something went wrong.
When the prefect saw that Ye Yongjia had finally returned to the table, even though his expression was not good, he couldn't help but asked: "I saw that Ye Guishi didn't want to drink just now... I thought you didn't drink on weekdays, but in the blink of an eye you went to toast. I don't know why?" ..." After saying that, he then added: "I don't mean to blame you, I'm just asking."
Ye Yongjia took care of himself to avoid causing the prefect's displeasure. He bowed and said: "It's not that I have any objections, it's just that all the guests are older and think of themselves as juniors, so it's better to be more modest in everything." The prefect seemed to look at him with admiration, but Ye Yongjia didn't notice.
Before I knew it, the banquet was over. Ye Yongjia didn't even touch the bamboo chopsticks a few times, but he drank a lot of wine, making his face appear red. He began to feel a little dizzy, so he closed his eyes for a while and rested, rubbing his brow bones. At this moment, Cheng Congyuan couldn't calm down. Although he was very quiet beside his master, his mind was not empty. He was thinking rapidly about the way to connect the situation, which must be just right like tying a knot.
The prefect stood up and pulled up the curtain behind the throne. Cheng Congyuan hurriedly collected his thoughts and ran after him. Wang Chuding suddenly heard footsteps behind him, turned back quickly, stopped, and said with a smile, "What's the matter with Mr. Cheng?"
"I don't dare take the word 'sir' seriously. The prefect wants the villain's life!" Cheng Congyuan smiled bitterly. "I'm here to talk to you. What do you think of my master?" Cheng Congyuan got straight to the point and glanced at him. Wang Chuding didn't understand what he meant, and replied in a daze: "Very good..." He looked at Cheng Congyuan intently, and after a while, he suddenly pointed at the old servant and said with a smile: "You are the one who worked for Ye The family said the marriage is here!"
Cheng Congyuan breathed out a sigh of relief, "I was ordered by the master to marry you! Mr. Wang, my Ye family is the most prominent family in Shandong. Isn't it appropriate to marry you?"
"No, no... that's what I thought!" Wang Chuding's face became much more relaxed when he heard the word 'Master'. There is no doubt, after all, Cheng Congyuan has been with Ye Long for many years, and of course he has full trust in him. Cheng Congyuan dared to lie like this because of his consideration: if Ye Long came back, he would never refuse this kind of marriage, so when the time came, it would be perfect once he said it.
Both of them returned to their seats and sat down. Ye Yongjia was stroking his brows and closing his eyes deeply, unaware that the prefect had returned to his seat. Cheng Congyuan only glanced at him and stabbed him gently. Ye Yongjia just opened his eyes, looked at the Jinan magistrate who was sitting down, and hurriedly bowed down to salute.
"No, no need. I just want to ask, did you know that Ye Guishi was ever married?" the prefect said.
"No."
Wang Chuding added a smile to his face: "I have a daughter who is in her prime. She comes from a family of officials, so she has a gentle temperament and is quite proficient in poetry and calligraphy. If we agree, we will get married as soon as your father returns home. I wonder how you feel?" Wang Chuding finished speaking slowly, leaning back quietly on the chair, waiting for the appropriate sound.
Ye Yongjia still leaned over and said nothing. Seeing the opportunity, Cheng Congyuan quickly reminded him and muttered a few words in a low voice. Ye Yongjia straightened up and said in a decisive tone: "Junior, I promise!" Cheng Congyuan couldn't help but be happy for a moment, and said "Okay!", standing by. He clapped his hands again, and crisp applause echoed in the hall.
The prefect seemed to be very calm, nodded deeply, and then smiled and said: "I'm very happy that Ye is so happy. You also have to tell your father that I agreed, so that he can be prepared." He lowered his head and twirled his beard.
"Junior understands." Ye Yongjia saluted again. Slowly sat down, closed his eyes again, and touched his brow bone. But his hands seemed to be controlled by others instead of obeying his own orders. He was in the depths of political mediation and couldn't move anything about him. Even if he wants to stab his heart with a knife, they will always stop him one after another; any conscience and things that should be pursued are annihilated in the roles that should be followed. What they forcefully give to others and what they forcefully give to themselves makes everyone run in vain under such an order. He felt uncomfortable all over and endured a cramp in his stomach.
He saw Cheng Congyuan getting up and said, "It's not too late now. Besides, the banquet has ended and I'm still busy with things at home, so... I'll say goodbye to you for now."
Wang Chuding hurriedly left his seat and stood up, stepped forward and said goodbye: "We have agreed, but it doesn't matter if we leave. Do you need to see me off all the way?"
Ye Yongjia said "no" several times and then gave up.
Ye Yongjia walked outside the house and suddenly felt a burning sensation in his stomach, like a surge of air. Seeing that there were still people around him, he tightened his cheeks and held back his breath, not daring to speak. After walking out of the city and passing a corner, Ye Yongjia motioned to Cheng Congyuan with his hand, made a "vomit" sound, and then vomited. Cheng Congyuan hurriedly put his shoulder on one of his arms and patted his back slightly with his left hand. After a while, Cheng Congyuan took out a handkerchief from his waist and handed it to him: "Have you never drunk so much wine?"
"I don't know. It's just disgusting..."
"How about spitting it out?"
"I vomited cleanly...I don't feel sick anymore...I'll eventually get used to it..."
"..."
