In front of the Chengguo Duke's Mansion.
Zhang Zhou stood on the steps, looking at a group of people below who were busy carrying things, large and small boxes.
Three carriages were also prepared for him to load with gifts.
"It looks impressive, but there aren't many valuable things. How good would it be if that box of copper coins were exchanged for gold? You, the Duke of Chengguo, have a big business, are you that far behind?"
"Oops! I only gave you four pieces of silk, so go dig it to death!"
Zhang Zhou was not very satisfied with these gifts, but they seemed to be quite a lot and looked good on the surface. He thought about it in his mind and found that it would be difficult to get up to one hundred taels of silver.
Even if he earns a small profit from helping Zhu Feng do business, it should be more than this.
"Uh-huh……"
Just when Zhang Zhou was still making plans in his mind, a voice clearing his throat sounded from behind him, as if he was deliberately trying to remind him that someone was coming!
Zhang Zhouyi heard this voice and knew it was Ning Tong.
Turning around, sure enough, Ning Tong and her little maid were standing on the steps looking down.
"Isn't this Mrs. Zhu? I haven't seen you for a few days. She looks very good." Zhang Zhou said hello with a smile.
Ning Tong looked at the busy crowd at the door and said coldly: "Now I finally know what you discussed with your husband. You are quite courageous. You dared to go to the court to offer medicine to the little princess, and you actually got it done by you." ? Do you know what the consequences will be if things fail?"
Zhang Zhou smiled.
This little girl has no hair on her mouth, and she comes here to scare him?
"Mrs. Zhu, in my opinion, unless His Majesty does not adopt our opinion, as long as he adopts it, things will definitely be done. There is no need to consider the problems that cannot be achieved. The little princess is suffering from acne. Even if something unexpected happens, will it be blamed on others? ?”
Zhang Zhou had a smile on his face, explaining to Ning Tong that it was useless. Now that the car was almost loaded, it was time to go home in peace... and then wait for Ying Tianfu to deliver their rewards.
Today is a nice sunny day, and I got a lot of valuable things for free.
Family conditions need to improve again.
Zhang Zhou felt happy and eager to go back and share it with his wife and children.
Ning Tong on the side said: "Huh! If you don't help him, then he may just be a dandy in the palace in his life, and he will not even be a real official. But now, the emperor appreciates him very much and keeps him. Doing errands in front of the emperor!"
Zhang Zhou pondered the implication of these words.
It sounds like you, as a wife, don’t support others helping your husband? Your husband has a successful official career, but you are still here feeling sorry for yourself?
What grudge?
"Mrs. Zhu, since Mr. Zhu is staying in the capital as an errand, are you going to move to the capital as well?" Zhang Zhou asked with a smile.
Ning Tong's face showed a worldly indifference: "With the way we get along, does it matter whether I go to the capital or not?"
"Um?"
its not right.
Zhang Zhou thought to himself, this sorrow is great.
"Wait a minute, Mrs. Zhu, you don't need to tell me as an outsider how you and your husband get along. I'm just asking casually. There's nothing else. You can see that my carriage is also loaded, so I'll take my leave now! I'll see you later. chat!"
Zhang Zhoucai didn't want to pay attention to the troubles in Zhu Feng's family.
No matter what kind of trouble you two get into, even if you reconcile and divorce, what does it have to do with me? Don't say it was me who instigated you!
"That book..."
Ning Tong finally remembered that she had finished reading the second volume of the storybook, and this time she came out to ask Zhang Zhou when the next volume would be handed over to her.
But Zhang Zhou is very busy now, how can he have time to pay attention to her?
Zhang Zhou didn't seem to even hear her words, he got on the carriage directly, and then added the carriage carrying goods, and the four carriages drove away in a mighty way.
…
…
In the Zhang family's yard.
As soon as Zhang Zhou arrived home, the reward from Ying Tianfu came.
Now Zhang Zhou finally understood that these rewards are definitely not just given by Ying Tianfu, because many of them are tributes. You can only use them if the emperor says you can use them. Even ordinary ministers cannot enjoy the treatment of using these things. .
"Husband, what kind of satin is this? Why does it look so beautiful?"
After sending away the guests and a yard of good things, Jiang Pingyu and Han Qing focused on the six pieces of silk and satin sent by Yingtian Mansion.
These silks and satins are very lustrous, and even change their luster vaguely when exposed to sunlight. It is the "Nanjing Yunjin" that has left a brilliant mark in the history of Chinese handicraft manufacturing.
This thing is rarely seen among the public. It was made in the royal workshop and sent directly to the palace as a tribute.
Of course, not all of them are used by the royal family. Ministers, princes and nobles may be given some by the royal family.
Han Qing didn't even dare to pick up the silk and look at it. He just stretched out his hand and touched it carefully for fear of being damaged.
She couldn't help but praise: "It's so slippery. I don't know how the pattern on it was woven, it looks like clouds."
Zhang Zhou smiled and said: "This is Yun brocade, a thing used by the emperor."
Jiang Pingyu looked at Zhang Zhou and said with an expression of disbelief: "Husband, how can this be Yun brocade? I heard that Yun brocade can't be bought even if you have money."
"Madam, you are right. You can't even buy this with money. Speaking of which, I did a big thing for my husband without telling you. Anyway, it made the emperor who was far away in the capital be grateful to me. Youjia, then ask Yingtian Mansion to give us these things."
When Jiang Pingyu heard this, she couldn't help but purse her lips and smile: "Husband, I know that you are powerful, but I don't want to make fun of the royal family."
Zhang Zhou looked like he had been wronged and said, "Madam, you must believe in my husband. I am not bragging at all."
Just as he was talking, Suisui and Zhang Jun also ran to the front yard.
The two little guys looked at the boxes all over the yard with great joy. To them, these seemed like big toys.
Zhang Jun said in surprise: "Dad, are we rich? Buy so many things?"
"You brat, what does getting rich mean? In your eyes, is wealth really important? To get something other than wealth...see what you like and pick a few back!" Zhang Zhou was very generous.
Anyway, I didn't buy them myself, they were gifts from others. It's just a casual thing to give a few pieces to children as toys. In any case, their mothers will confiscate them in the end.
Jiang Pingyu said: "Husband, don't spoil them."
"fine."
Zhang Zhou didn't think anything of it.
Han Qing, who was standing by, finally had the courage to pick up the Yun brocade satin. After comparing it on her body, she said to Jiang Pingyu, "Madam, how beautiful would it be if this were made into clothes?"
Zhang Zhou said: "These silks and satins are not for me. They are all given to you, three pieces per person. Remember, this cannot be given away. Only our family can use it. If you give it to others, it will not be a gift, but a disaster!"
Jiang Pingyu heard the seriousness in her husband's words and asked, "Is this really a tribute Yunjin?"
Zhang Zhou nodded: "Yes! If you have any leftovers from making clothes, remember to make the back for me, so that I can feel silky and soft when I hold it when I sleep at night, and I can sleep more comfortably."
"Um."
Jiang Pingyu nodded first, and then thought that her husband seemed to have used these words on them at some point.
Thinking of the connection between this, Jiang Pingyu's cheeks turned red, but she was full of joy and ordered several maids, as well as Han Qing, to help move things.
…
…
The family helped, and it took more than half an hour to move everything to a place with roof tiles to cover their heads.
Just as I sat down to rest, lunch was almost ready in Lichun over there, and there was a knock on the door.
It was Jiang Dezhong who came to look for him in a hurry.
"My dear son-in-law, something bad is going on. The price of food and other things in this city are falling again and again. The batch of medicinal materials I brought in earlier has lost more than half of it. I can't find a buyer even if I want to sell it! "
Jiang Dezhong came up and complained to Zhang Zhou as if he were mourning.
Zhang Zhou asked Xia Zhi to bring over the octagonal table and small stools. The father-in-law and his father-in-law still did not sit in the hall, but sat in the yard talking.
"Father-in-law, don't be nervous. This is what happened. It's better to calm down. Come, have some tea!"
Zhang Zhouxin said, what did you do earlier? I asked you to sell but you didn’t. Now that the price has dropped, come back and tell me, can I raise it for you if I still have the ability?
He took out the tea he was tasting earlier and poured Jiang Dezhong a cup from the purple clay pot given by the emperor.
Jiang Dezhong has been drinking tea all his life and has seen many exquisite tea sets. When he saw the purple clay pot, his eyes immediately lit up: "This... this is a good thing."
As he said that, he took it in his hand and looked at it. The lines on it made him feel something was wrong.
"How about you try this tea first?" Zhang Zhou said with a smile.
Jiang Dezhong originally wanted to say, do I still want to drink tea at this time?
But after seeing the purple clay pot, he also became interested in tea. He put down the purple clay pot, picked up the tea cup, and took a sip of tea, looking like he was enjoying it.
Then he drank it all in one gulp. After finishing it, he had a confused look on his face. For those who didn't know, he thought he was a smoker who hadn't touched cigarettes in ten days. After smoking a load of cigarettes, he felt intoxicated.
"Good tea, good tea, what kind of tea is this? Is there any way? Bring some back." Jiang Dezhong revealed his true nature as a businessman when he came up.
"Oh, I'm afraid that's not possible. This is tribute tea. You can't buy it on the market!"
Zhang Zhou said it casually.
"Bang!"
The small bench under Jiang Dezhong's butt was not stable and fell over. He almost sat on the ground. Fortunately, he stood up with his hands on the table.
"Xian son-in-law, are you making trouble with me? Is this tribute tea? Where did you get the tribute tea?" Jiang Dezhong quickly stood up and straightened the small stool, but he refused to sit down.
Zhang Zhou said: "If my father-in-law likes this tea, I will ask my wife to pack some for you and take it back to taste. Let's not talk about the tea for now. I have something to ask you for help here. Let's see... can you buy it for me? A dozen cows are coming back? I need them here urgently!"
