The choice of the Crown Princess cannot be random. After choosing and choosing, she is not a sister from that family. Just like the Jia family, she has always been married to the three families of Wang, Xue and Shi.
There are very few direct wives like Qin Keqing who come from a maternal family in the two mansions.
This is especially true for royal family members. The draft is more focused on family status, and the court factor is also very important.
Uncle Rong sent the mistress away, shaking his head secretly, not knowing where Xue Baochai would be chosen.
In his impression, Aunt Bao, who had always wanted to enter the palace, seemed not to have been selected.
In the next few days, as Duan Yu said, there was a steady stream of guests coming and going in Ningguo Mansion. Many people who were not very close to me in the past have also come to give gifts these days.
On the contrary, the four princes and eight princes and the Jinling family were on good terms with each other, and they were still the same as before. Although there were also wives and grandmothers from various houses, they kept a low profile.
During this period, Prince Teng's wife also came over, and she brought Wang Xifeng, Li Wan, Tan Chun and Baochai to stay with Qin Keqing to relieve his boredom.
Therefore, Sister Feng's eyes turned resentful when she looked at him.
"On the contrary, she got pregnant first!"
"Things all depend on destiny and cannot be controlled by humans." Brother Rong joined hands and comforted, "Now is not a good time. You got pregnant rashly, and the ladies of Xifu are not allowed to find out whose seed it is."
"Bah! When that day comes, I will go back to the Wang family to hide for a year." Wang Xifeng snorted: "He has been living in Yangzhou for more than half a year and he can't bear to come back. If I want to cause trouble, will they still care about it?"
The conscience of heaven and earth.
Jia Lian and Lin Daiyu went to Yangzhou in October, and it is only late March, barely half a year.
This makes Brother Rong feel aggrieved to Jia Lian in his heart. The journey from Shenjing to Yangzhou takes more than ten days at the fastest. In addition, Lin Ruhai is seriously ill and there is no one to take charge of the Lin family. Jia Lian can't escape for a while.
Brother Rong smiled and said: "How can you go back to the Wang family? How many wives are willing to let you go back? Maybe they are making trouble for you every day, and the matter will be exposed."
"Are you scared?" Wang Xifeng glanced at him with deep eyes.
Brother Rong touched his nose and said with a smile: "Why are you afraid of this? I'm just worried that your wives will make noises to you and make you uneasy."
Sister Feng snorted lightly, looking unconcerned. Then he said: "I went back to the courtyard and explained the matter clearly. As time goes by, your wife will become jealous."
Brother Rong reluctantly let go and asked brothers Shi En and Shi De to come over.
These two people are the chief attendants of the mansion. Like Li Gui, they are also sons of the same family. Their father is Director Shi, who is in charge of carriages and horses in Ningguo Mansion.
Brother Rong found a piece of paper, wrote down a recipe, and said to the two of them: "You guys find someone with a clean foundation outside and find a way to get this recipe to Lai Shangrong."
Shi En asked: "Uncle, what kind of recipe is this? Why should it be given to the Lai family?"
Brother Rong said calmly: "It's a cement recipe, a special cement recipe."
"Ah? How can we give the secret recipe in our house to that white-eyed wolf of the Lai family?" Shi De said quickly.
Jia Rong can't help it either. Wang Xifeng and Heping'er were asked to look for evidence of Lai Da and Aunt Lai's corruption in Xifu, and they found that this family's hands and feet were very clean. Or it could be that the method was so concealed that no big mistake could be found at the moment.
Brother Rong could only make a special batch and send it over to see if Lai Shangrong would be tempted. For fishing law enforcement, the bigger the bait, the better, but the prescription is not true anyway.
As long as the Lai family dares to build a kiln, the fish will be hooked. Of course, there is another situation, that is, this fool sells the prescription to someone else. Then the two families will cause trouble for him, and Lai Shangrong will die even worse.
Uncle Rong sighed in his heart, we don't know any other means, only this kind of shallow cleverness. Regardless of whether it is useful or not, if you throw a stone into the pond, what if it hits this stupid fish like Lai Shangrong?
The two brothers Shi En and Shi De looked at each other and had no idea for a moment.
"Just tell the public that you heard this recipe accidentally from me. I don't know whether it is true or not. When the incident happens, you just deny it. Can I finally punish you two brothers for what I have arranged?"
The two men took Fang Zi tremblingly.
Uncle Rong said again: "Of course you have to be brave, you can also make countless copies and sell them in various houses in Shenjing. If you sell them for two silver taels, I will be good if you divide them into five pieces. However, later, when the people from each house discover something strange, they will come to your door. Come on, then we will just insist that you stole this recipe."
Shi De rolled his eyes and asked, "This recipe is for takeout. How much is it worth?"
Brother Rong said calmly: "This recipe is the latest developed by Ningguo Mansion. It is naturally more expensive. It costs more than 5,000 taels anyway."
Shi Deshien and Shi En took a deep breath, and their hands shook even more.
"Don't tear it to pieces for me. I don't force anything else. The only thing is that I have to send it to Lai Shangrong's house first. As long as this is done, even if the recipe is not sold, each of you will be rewarded five taels."
In fact, Jia Rong also said the same thing. If the Shi En brothers really went to sell it secretly, Jia Rong would not care about them. Even if you don't divide the money, that way you will find a pair of white-eyed wolves again, and it will be justifiable to clean them up.
Uncle Rong laughed in his heart: He is really a principled and kind person.
Adhering to the principle that a fisherman never goes short, if one rope has more baits, the more he can catch, the better.
…
"really?"
A rough man said: "Of course it's true, so we have to be good friends with Brother Shangrong, otherwise I wouldn't beg you for prescriptions."
Lai Shangrong put down his wine glass and looked at the prescription in his hand carefully. He asked doubtfully: "This is a top-secret matter in the Ningguo Mansion. Where did you get it?"
The man grinned and said: "Half a month ago, we were drinking with a pair of brothers from Shi's family in Ningguo Mansion. They drank too much and accidentally fell it from their sleeves. I didn't think about it at all. Later, the Shi family My brother came to snatch it, saying it was the first cement recipe developed by Ningguo Mansion."
Lai Shangrong didn't believe him and asked: "How did it come into your hands?"
The man blushed and said, "To be honest, I was wrong. I suddenly remembered that the Ningguo Mansion was trying to trick you a month ago, so I secretly memorized the recipe and copied it."
"Thank you so much, brother Shang Rong, but this recipe is of no use to our Lai family. If the kiln is built secretly and the Jia family finds out, it will only cause a lot of trouble for nothing."
"Then... I'll find someone else for this prescription. I might as well sell it for some money." The man sighed and was about to take the prescription back from Lai Shangrong.
On the paper, there are written the proportions of bluestone, clay, sand, gravel, iron ore, etc. These are the raw materials that are often purchased in Ningguo Mansion. There is also a general procedure, first burn and then grind, then burn and then grind.
Lai Shangrong thought it must be a cement recipe.
He shrunk his hands and said, "Good brother, don't be anxious. Just leave this recipe here with me. Good brother, if you sell it yourself, you may not be able to get a high price. If you put it here, the price can be doubled several times."
The man was stunned and saw that Lai Shangrong was unwilling to give it. He said sarcastically: "Yes, Shang Rong knows more dignitaries than I do."
Lai Shangrong smiled and comforted: "In a few days, when we come up with the prescription, we won't be short-changed brother."
…………
Jia Rong didn't know anything about what happened to the Lai family, and he didn't ask about the Shi family brothers. This matter cannot be rushed. Anyone who sees Fang Zi will naturally inquire whether it is true or false.
Uncle Rong asked Jia Qiang to purchase sand, gravel, etc. openly and vigorously these days, and then spread the news that Ning Guofu had developed a new type of cement, which was stronger than before after being formed.
Duan Yu said: "Brother Rong's move is too public. You are purchasing raw materials so vigorously. Are you not afraid of others guessing the recipe?"
Brother Rong smiled and said: "If anyone can guess the recipe, we will have to recognize it. There is more cement in Dayan, and it will be more convenient to pave roads and build bridges in various provinces. This is a good thing for the benefit of the people. Anyone who wants to make it After he got out of cement, Ningguo Mansion would only applaud to celebrate him."
Is the cement formula really that easy to guess?
Even if I tell you a few main raw materials, you may not be able to make it. Even if it is made, it will only be inferior and substandard.
Jia Rong is not afraid of this at all. Cement is simple, just made of bluestone and clay. But not everyone can use bluestone and clay to burn cement, and there are many ways to do it. Such as various mixtures and admixtures, these are absolutely confidential.
Duan Yu believed it, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Unexpectedly, I still underestimated Brother Rong's belly. They say that the prime minister's belly can hold a boat, but Brother Rong's belly is wider than that famous prime minister."
Brother Rong didn't answer his words and asked instead: "We can finish the work here this month."
Duan Yu chuckled, "It's almost over. Now many people are waiting for the canal to be filled with water to see this spectacular scene."
Jia Rong nodded. In the past, the old farmers working in the fields did not see outsiders. Nowadays, on the ridges of the Huangzhuang fields on both sides of the Qinghe River, you can occasionally see a few well-dressed gentlemen.
He didn't believe it, everyone was here for a spring outing.
Brother Rong asked: "Will the Thirteenth Master go to Shuili Yingtian Mansion today?"
"There is no reason for Thirteenth Master not to go. No matter how busy the ministries are, Shuitian Mansion still has to take a look. This is a big plan related to people's livelihood, and Thirteenth Master is taking it seriously."
Brother Rong stood up and patted his butt.
"Let's go back to the Yamen."
"No more guarding here? It would be better if nothing happens in the last few days." Duan Yu said.
"Suddenly I remembered something important, and I forgot to report it to the Thirteenth Master." Brother Rong laughed, "Brother Yu, please supervise me. Let's go to Shuitian Mansion to report it."
Duan Yu was stunned, it turned out that the "we" Rong Geer mentioned was not "us". She waved her hand helplessly and had to let him go, but she didn't know what important matter Brother Rong had to tell Master Thirteen.
By the end of April, the Huangzhuang in charge of Jia Rong was finally completed. Later, we only need to wait for the canal to dry up before we can open an opening on the Qinghe River to divert water.
Thinking of this, Brother Rong couldn't help but get excited.
It's not a waste of time for us to come here, we finally did something practical.
So much so that after returning home, he still had a smile on his face.
"What happened today? You made such an expression." Brother Rong approached Xiangling and asked.
Xiangling sighed leisurely and said, "I'm sorry for Sister Bao. She was sent back today because she was kicked out of the business."
Put down the sign!
That is to say, it was not selected!
Brother Rong saw the sad expression on Xiangling's face and couldn't help but smile: "You are a little girl and you are worried about her. Even if she is not selected, her life will be much easier than you in the future."
Xiangling said: "Sister Bao has always treated me very well. She is not happy, and we are not happy either."
Uncle Rong didn't care about this silly girl and asked, "Isn't this the birthday of Second Master Bao of Xifu today? Why didn't you go there to play?"
Xiangling said: "Grandma sent a gift early in the morning. I heard that Miss Ping'er next to Second Grandma Lian also had a birthday today, so she invited Miss Ping to the house. While she was having fun in Tianxiang Tower, grandma thought that the uncle would be back soon. Yes, so I asked Ling'er to invite the uncle over."
"Nowhere has it happened!"
Xiangling said: "Today, because it was his birthday, Mr. Bao didn't even go to the free school. He separated from relatives and friends and played with the girls in the yard. Mr. Lian said that we were celebrating our holiday, and there was no liveliness in any place. .”
Brother Rong nodded and went to Tianxiang Tower. Although no theater troupe was invited, it was still very lively.
Although Yingchun, Tanchun and Xichun didn't come, there were quite a few people upstairs. Qin Keqing, Ruizhu, Baozhu, Que'er, Wang Xifeng, Xue Baochai, Ying'er, etc. from the East Mansion, naturally the protagonist Ping'er is also indispensable.
At this time, Ping'er had obviously drunk a lot of wine, and his pretty face was flushed.
Brother Rong looked towards Wang Xifeng, saw her and smiled lightly: "Ping'er has suffered a lot with me these years. Today is her birthday, so I let her be wild. Rong'er happened to be here, so it can't be missed." this cup."
What a coincidence, didn't you call me here?
Jia Rong looked around and found that the situation today was indeed different from before. There was no distinction between master and servant, and all the girls were sitting at the same table.
only……
Xue Baochai and Ying'er were at the table, which made Brother Rong feel a strange feeling in his heart.
Does this girl really not know, or is she pretending not to know?
Today is obviously a private gathering in Dongfu, or rather a private gathering in Uncle Rong's room. Why did Baochai and Ying'er get involved? Uncle Rong was so disturbed that he couldn't let go.
Looking at it this way, there are quite a few people in my room!
Brother Rong brought wine to congratulate Ping'er.
Ping'er's face turned redder when he saw it was Uncle Rong. The snow-white jade neck was raised slightly, and another cup was consumed. I felt even warmer in my belly, and my eyes became blurry.
Qin Keqing looked at Uncle Rong leisurely and noticed something was wrong with the atmosphere at the table. Smiling, she ordered Xiang Ling: "Hurry up and help Miss Ping up. How can she, a clean girl, fall on this uncle? We can't let Uncle Rong ruin our reputation."
Xue Baochai snorted secretly. She couldn't tell that there was something wrong with Ping'er's look at Jia Rong. In addition, Sister Feng had an unusual relationship with the bad guy, so Ping'er was afraid that he would also fall into the wrong hands.
She felt angry for some reason, and thinking about being kicked out, the anger grew even stronger. He said with a joking expression: "Uncle Xiao Rong didn't go to Lixiangyuan for my birthday last time. This glass of wine must be replenished no matter what."
Brother Rong was stunned, his eyes quickly glanced left and right, and he saw Keqing and Sister Feng with strange expressions. I was sweating profusely, what is this girl going to do?
Tijiu apologized and said, "There were a lot of things going on in the house that day, and I had to prepare for the yamen's errands. Aunt Bao, please forgive me."
Baochai smiled and drank the wine, and then said: "The mountain land by the river in Ping'an Prefecture has been purchased. It is worth a drink for the cooperation between our two families."
Isn’t it because you didn’t choose the show girl? It feels like being out of love.
Brother Rong had no choice but to say: "It's time to drink one."
