At the end of the Youshi period, Xu Zhai held a family banquet to welcome Xu Zongwen.
The old lady Nie had been carefully preparing for this day for a long time. Now she no longer had to worry about Xu Zongwen being in the battlefield, where life and death were unpredictable. She was in a happy mood and had a smile on her face.
Xu's house was expanded twice, and the hall was also expanded more than twice. Twenty five-foot golden nanmu tables were filled with various dishes. Under the copper ibis lantern, various delicacies such as preserved meat, carp, yellow rolls, wok and abalone, steamed dolphin, goat cheese, sunflower and other dishes are served in pottery bottles, porcelain plates, copper tikui, silver spoons and other utensils. The staple foods include wheat rice, wheat porridge, Hu cakes, Tanghuan cakes, Laowan, and the millet rice that Xu Zongwen was accustomed to during his march. The fine wines include millet rice wine, white mash, and Jiu Niangchun.
Soon, looking for the scent, Xu Zongwen, the men of the Xu family, and the staff put on small Ge shirts, high-tooth clogs, and appeared at the banquet with fluttering sleeves.
"Today, everyone is here to welcome Xiaoer and wash away the dust. We are all one family, so please do what you want!" The old lady Nie gave up her seat with a smile. Xu Zongwen sat on top of everyone and started to raise glasses. Everyone is invited to drink.
Xu Zongwen almost finished a cup of millet wine with his eyes closed. Seeing Xu Zongwen's expression of embarrassment, as if he didn't like millet wine, his second uncle Xu Yanzhi asked with concern: "This millet wine is added with five eggplant peels and dried ginger." It is refined and brewed with eighteen Chinese medicinal materials such as pomegranate, pomegranate, pepper, pepper, chicken tongue, etc. It has the effect of strengthening the body, but the taste is a bit bitter, but drinking a few cups will not hurt you!"
"Brother, Jiu Niang Chun is not bad. It has a mellow taste and no bitter taste of medicinal materials." Xu Jianzhi, the second son of his second uncle Xu Yanzhi, raised his glass.
"Is there any Sangluo wine in the house?" Xu Zongwen insisted on drinking a few glasses of millet wine, but he couldn't get used to it, so he picked up two of his favorite five-flavored preserved fruits from the celadon tray on the golden nanmu table. , then picked up the millet porridge in the ear cup and took a few sips, and suddenly remembered the Sangluo wine he had drunk in the military camp.
The eldest sister Xu smiled and waved, and immediately a maid came in with two bottles of Sangluo wine. Zhang San and Zhang Si were about to check whether it was poisonous. Xu Zongwen raised his hand and organized: "Okay, today is a family banquet, what are you doing with this?" The two of them also sat down and drank, eating when they should and drinking when they should!"
"No!" Zhang San and Zhang Si immediately saw a case added at the end. The two looked at each other and thanked Xu Zongwen.
"Don't think Zhang San and Zhang Si are just guards. Zhang San made the first contribution in the Battle of Tancheng. Zhang Si also saved my life many times on the battlefield. The wolf guards led by these two brothers are even more outstanding in hundreds of battles." Master, these are all great heroes who have served the country!" Xu Zongwen raised his glass: "I'd like to toast you brothers."
"Mr. Keeping the promise followed me after Xiangben, captured Pengcheng, and recaptured Xuzhou. He was responsible for the planning. Xiao, here's a toast to you!"
"Thank you, General!"
During the dinner, Mrs. Xu did not expect that even the two guards around Xu Zongwen were powerful people, nor did she expect that the nominal family banquet would become a venue for Xu Zongwen and his staff to reveal their feelings and reward their merits.
After the toast was missed, Xu Zongwen finally thought of the Xu family.
"My fourth uncle is the magistrate of Dantu County. I wonder how the politics in Jingkou are. Is it clear?" Xu Zongwen remembered that his fourth uncle Xu Yizhi was the magistrate of Dantu County and wanted to know his abilities.
Xu Yizhi's only son, Xu Zezhi, straightened up from the table: "Brother, my father has been in office for three years. He has eliminated the bad government of his predecessor, and the Shangshu has removed the quefu order. His reputation has always been good, but the official Cao has never promoted him, so he can only stay in Jingkou." , it can also be regarded as benefiting the village."
The Guefeng Order was a short-term ban on brewing wine issued by the imperial court. Within a few years of its issuance, it was revoked due to local officials. Xu Zongwen never expected that the person in charge was his fourth uncle.
Jiangdong has been stable for decades and has sufficient food. It is very different from the predicament of depleted land, sparse population and lack of food before the founding of the People's Republic of China. The Qingfeng Order is indeed out of time.
"That's it! I didn't expect that my fourth uncle is still a promising person. It's rare. Tomorrow I will personally write a letter and send it to Jiankang. I will put in a few nice words for my fourth uncle to Zhang Xuanzhi, the official secretary, and ask him to transfer to a county. There should be no problem with meritorious service." Xu Zongwen put down the bronze knight and looked at Xu Zezhi and said calmly.
Hearing this, Xu Zezhi immediately got up from the table, ran out and bowed deeply to Xu Zongwen: "On behalf of my father, I would like to thank you for your support!"
Everyone knows that Xu Zongwen's words are not false. Since he can propose Xu Yizhi's promotion, it must be a sure thing!
"Zong Wen! Your second uncle, I don't have the ability. Unlike your fourth uncle, who will be assigned to a job right away. I'm afraid I won't even be able to attend your wedding!" Second uncle Xu Yanzhi brought the topic to himself.
The boundary between the gentry and the poor is that the former is a high-ranking official, a pure official, and the latter is a low-grade official, a dirty official; the former has the privilege of being a guest of the Yin tribe and being exempted from taxes, while very few of the latter can enjoy feudal privileges, and there is almost no exemption from service. Officials at the highest level could only exempt up to five tenants under their names from service. Those who were not officials had no right to exempt themselves from service at all.
The servants Xu Yanzhi mentioned were actually just a few tenants sent out to serve on time in accordance with imperial decrees and local laws. Xu Yanzhi's statement that he himself was going to serve was actually an exaggeration.
"Just let Yousi record the number of people exempted from military service on my head!" Xu Zongwen immediately dispelled all Xu Yanzhi's doubts with one sentence. After all, we are still a family behind closed doors, and a family does not speak the same language!
Xu Zongwen is now a general with a heavy title, a title of marquis, and has the privilege of exemption from military service. What if he hides five tenants, let alone five, fifty, or even five hundred?
Guo Chang secretly observed the subtle changes in Xu Zongwen's face, and Guo Chang did not let go of his every movement or silence!
"General, I'm afraid this is not good." The person who spoke was actually Xi Jian, Guo Shang's superior.
Xu Zongwen didn't have time to ask why. Xu Jianzhi, the second son of his second uncle Xu Yanzhi, pointed at Xi Jian and shouted on the spot: "No! Who do you think you are? Do you need to talk about my family affairs?"
Xi Jian seemed to have already prepared his words: "Third Young Master, the general does not have the authority to open a government yet, and the specific number of households in the food towns he has granted has not been verified. If he rashly protects the servants, doesn't it mean that he is giving someone his authority?"
Xu Jianzhi was about to continue to refute, but was stopped by his eldest brother Xu Qianzhi who was sitting at the table: "Second brother, don't be so presumptuous!"
"Second brother, let the third brother speak." Xu Zongwen's words immediately ignited Xu Jianzhi's confidence. After all, he is from his own family!
Xu Jianzhi got up from his seat, ran to Xi Jian with a glass of wine, and continued in a condescending manner: "Even if what you said is reasonable, but now that the eldest brother is deeply favored by the emperor, would anyone dare to deliberately make things difficult for such a trivial matter? ?"
Xi Jian also stood up: "Third Young Master, you don't know something. It is precisely because the general is deeply favored by the emperor that he has attracted the fear of many people in the government and the public! If someone finds out about this matter and impeaches the general to your majesty, by then , can you afford the consequences?"
The sentence "You can afford it" immediately made Xu Jianzhi shut up completely!
Xu Jianzhi left in despair. Xu Zongwen, who had watched the excitement for a long time, finally spoke: "Mr. Keeping the promise has made a thorough analysis, and what the third brother said is somewhat reasonable. Let's do it! When I officially perform the crowning ceremony, I will inherit the title of head of the family." Sir, if we discuss these matters in detail, I wonder what my second uncle thinks?"
Facing Xu Zongwen's calm question, Xu Yanzhi, who had lowered his head and said nothing just now, raised his head and spit out the wheat rice in his mouth!
"Zongwen, you are the head of the family, so just do what you say!"
