Early July.
Although it is autumn, the city of Nanjing is still sweltering and sweltering, making people feel a little breathless.
In the palace of Wei Guogong, there was a gloomy atmosphere.
In the side hall of Meiyuan, Xu Qinchu stood at the window, looking at the boats floating on the Qinhuai River with a sad face.
Early the next morning after the black prime minister Yao Guangxiao left, Xu Qin and his cheap dad Xu Huizu were released.
The father and son returned to the mansion from the prison.
Xu Huizu was carried into the Xu family ancestral hall in the east courtyard. Following the order of King Yan, he was reduced to nobility and was confined here, facing the wall and thinking about his mistakes.
The night Xu Qin returned home, he fell ill.
The family thought he was suffering from sadness and overwork.
The essence is that after time traveling, he was seriously unaccustomed to the environment. In addition, he had not eaten for several days in prison, and his nerves were tense.
Of course my body can't bear it.
I lay there for more than ten days.
Seeing her son dazed at the window, Mrs. Xu Zhang stepped forward and said softly:
"Qin'er, you have just recovered from a serious illness. The wind is strong outside the window, so you should go back to the back room to rest for a while."
Xu Qin looked back at his mother, who was plain and dignified, but slightly old. He smiled slightly, the sadness in his eyes disappeared, and he said with a strong grin:
"It's okay, mother, you can go back and have a rest. Qiaozhen will be here to serve you. Everyone else should also step aside. I want to be quiet by myself."
Seeing that her son was stubborn, Mrs. Zhang sighed helplessly and took the lead to leave with her personal maid.
The other maids and servants in the house naturally did not dare to disobey Young Master Xu's order and retreated on their own.
After everyone retreated, Qiaozhen brought a copper basin of cool water from the wood stove outside, gently put it on the mahogany washstand, turned to Xu Qin and said softly:
"Young Master, come here and wash your face."
Nanjing is commonly known as the Four Great Furnaces. In this terrible weather, it is sweltering and there is no wind. The slightest movement makes you sweat all over your body.
Xu Qin walked over from the window and dipped his hands into the basin, with a soothing look on his face.
After a while, he reached out and took off a washcloth from the shelf, put it into the basin, twisted the cloth and began to wipe his face.
Qiaozhen was stunned when she saw this, her little mouth was slightly pouted, and she said softly:
"Young Master, let me serve you."
"No, I can just do the little things like washing my face myself!"
He blurted it out casually.
But Qiaozhen trembled after hearing this.
Her slender little hands tightly held the corners of the floral cloth, feeling quite lost.
Her face flushed, tears welling up in her eyes, she mustered up the courage to lower her head and muttered:
"Young Master, is there anything I have done that dissatisfies you?"
"No, it's none of your business, it's my business. I...I'm not used to it yet."
Xu Qin was also nervous.
Of course Qiaozhen didn't understand, and it was even harder to understand.
She only knew that she was the young master's personal maid, that is, his concubine.
In the past, she had taken care of everything from eating, drinking, sleeping, dressing, and so on.
The young master has a bad temper, and if his servants don't go as he pleases even a little while serving, he will scold, curse, and even beat them.
Everyone in the mansion was afraid of this little ancestor.
But today, the young master actually smiled and spoke softly.
Washing your face and saying you'll do it yourself is a bit unaccustomed and hard to figure out.
Young Master, what's going on?
In fact, Xu Qin didn't do anything.
He was thinking about how to face the current cruel reality.
The cheap daddy was released, but his whole body was tortured to a state of disgrace.
Not only was he skinny as a stick, but the muscles and bones of his hands and feet were all severed.
In a word, people are completely ruined!
The fact that he can breathe and live depends entirely on his previous strong body and internal energy.
Of course, there are good doctors watching over you and good medicines and supplements.
The reduction of rank and ban was already a great mercy from Zhu Di.
This completely relies on the "Loyalty Statement" written by Xu Qin on behalf of his father in the prison.
And his "extraordinary" performance in front of Yao Guangxiao.
Cheap dad Xu Huizu could only live in Xu's ancestral hall for the rest of his life.
But what about yourself?
What about the direct lineage of the Xu family?
Duke Guo of Wei, the most distinguished person in the Ming Dynasty.
The entire Dagongfang was given by Emperor Taizu Gao.
In an area of more than a thousand acres, only the Xu family lives.
What an honor this is.
A big family and a big business.
According to the laws of the Ming Dynasty, the Duke of Wei belongs to the first-class Duke and is equipped with one hundred and twenty soldiers.
The annual salary is three thousand stone.
In the entire Duke of Wei's mansion, in addition to the soldiers, there are also stone, wood, flower and other craftsmen, male and female servants, and hundreds of people, men, women, old and young.
In the past, just by virtue of the title of Duke, in addition to enjoying court benefits, Xu Huizu also received official salary, emperor's commendation, etc.
Live a prosperous life.
Now, the Duke of Wei's palace has cut off all sources of income, and the palace has also been ransacked and looted by the Jinyi Guards.
Rumor has it that wherever Jin Yiwei raids the area, not even a blade of grass will grow in three years.
Now, the young soldiers and servants can be left to find their own way.
But those who have been with the Xu family for decades, those who are old and infirm, cannot be kicked out, so just ignore them.
The Duke of Wei will definitely not be able to do this kind of thing, nor can he do this.
Otherwise, it would be against justice and morality, and someone would pierce your spine.
But how to meet the daily food and clothing expenses for hundreds of people?
Sell the pot and sell off the property?
But there is not a blade of grass left in the house.
The rest of the mansion is just an empty shell, so empty that even ghosts are afraid of it.
Next, there is the calamity of life, which is equally fatal.
…
"What to do?!"
"Create a vegetable garden in the courtyard and raise pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks and poultry?"
After hearing Xu Qin's serious remarks, the housekeeper Xu Fu was very shocked.
He almost vomited out all the watery soup he had eaten in his stomach last night.
"The mansions of dignitaries only have gardens, pavilions, lakes, small bridges and flowing water. How can there be gardens for growing vegetables and melons? They also raise pigs, sheep, chickens, ducks and poultry. Wouldn't it become a farmhouse?"
"???"
This not only shocked Xu Fu, but also the servants in the mansion who were summoned were questioning it.
Xu Sheng, the guardian of the courtyard, and Xu Zhong, etc., are all members of the Xu clan.
After hearing this, they also curled their lips and frowned, with disdain on their faces.
Dozens of young, strong, and skilled masons and carpenters in the mansion were just planning to leave the mansion and find their own way out.
I heard from the housekeeper that it was the young master who summoned me, so I came here to listen.
It's okay if you don't listen, but you won't get angry after hearing it.
What kind of bad idea is this? !
Everyone felt like they were being fooled.
"Young Master, are you...are you okay?"
Xu Fu said with a sullen expression.
Although he is a domestic servant, he also has a temper.
Besides, he is also the old housekeeper of the mansion for many years and a relative of the Xu family.
He gathered everyone together excitedly, thinking that the young master was about to announce some important event.
But I didn't expect that what came out of the young master's mouth would be so out of tune!
"Uncle Fu, dear members of my family, this young master has no jokes whatsoever."
Xu Qin stood on a stone bench in the courtyard, bowed his hands to everyone, and began his first speech in his life.
