"It's been three years since Hongzhi..."
Under the eaves, Li Qing faced the warm sun and sighed quietly.
"Sir, sir, madam, I'd like to invite you to tea." A little maid walked over quickly and bowed, "In the courtyard."
"Well, I'll be there right away." Li Qing took a deep breath and put aside his worries...
Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and like last year, it is also a sunny day.
The climate in the south of the Yangtze River is not a little better than that in the capital. The sunshine is very warm, almost catching up with the temperature in early winter.
Perhaps it was a warm day today, and the coquettish Li Hao wore a folding fan on his waist. Although he had not unfolded it, his coquettishness was leaking out.
On the table are snacks, fruits, preserves and other tea party necessities, as well as breakfast foods such as steamed buns, tea eggs, fried Chinese cypress, etc.
It is indeed a kind of enjoyment to spend the New Year on a sunny day, basking in the sun and chatting about homely things.
As soon as Li Qing arrived, Li Hao and Li Xueer, who had already received instructions, immediately kowtowed to pay New Year greetings and said auspicious words.
Li Qing was not surprised by this. He took out two red envelopes from his arms and said with a smile: "One for each person."
"Little sister, I will keep it for you. When you get married, I will give it to you all at once." Li Hao had a warm-hearted big brother look on his face.
Li Qing raised his arms and said angrily: "You are truly your mother's biological child, a virtuous person."
Zhu Wanqing: "..."
She asked: "Uncle Li, do we have it?"
"What do you think?"
"have?"
"... Just these two red envelopes, you and your family can divide them up." Li Qing was also convinced and hummed: "You will be a grandma in a few years, why do you still need red envelopes?"
"If you don't give it, you won't give it. What's wrong with it?"
"Can you say that again?"
Zhu Wanqing was agitated, instinctively frightened, and said sarcastically: "Isn't it okay if I don't tell you?"
The two little guys were shocked, especially Li Xueer. She had never seen her mother afraid of anyone. Even her father, when there were no outsiders, he was majestic and not afraid at all.
She couldn't help but take another look at Grandpa Li.
It turns out that my mother is also afraid of people.
Li Hao was much bolder than his younger sister, and immediately joked: "Tsk, tsk, tsk, I didn't expect that there are people in this world that my mother is afraid of."
Zhu Wanqing glanced at him sideways, surprisingly not angry, but said with a smile:
"My mother is not the only one who is afraid of your Grandpa Li, and soon there will be one more person."
"What do you mean?" Li Hao didn't understand.
Li Hong changed the subject and tried to make up for his wife, saying: "Your mother is not afraid, she respects her elders."
"Okay, take it." Li Qing handed the red envelope to the two little guys, sat down, and started eating and drinking, "You're welcome, just like at home."
"..." Li Hao was speechless: You really don't regard yourself as an outsider!
After breakfast, the couple took their children to the opposite side to pay New Year greetings to their elders. Li Qing had someone bring a deck chair and place it in the sunniest place. He could lie down on it and feel comfortable...
It was really warm today. The temperature in the sun was never lower than 10℃. He had just eaten and was feeling sleepy. Facing the warm sun again, Li Qing fell asleep quickly.
I didn't go to bed until the end of the night last night, just in time to catch up on my sleep.
"Grandpa Li, Grandpa Li..." Li Qing opened his eyes faintly, and the sun had already risen in the sky. He stretched and sat up, "Well... is it time to have lunch?"
"No, let's have lunch at grandpa's place." Li Hao expressed his gratitude, "I came back specially to ask my servants to cook for you."
Li Hong's father had seen Li Qing's true face, and the couple couldn't invite Li Qing to the banquet.
"I'm not very hungry, go ahead."
With that said, Li Qing was about to lie down again.
"No," Li Hao hurriedly took his arm and said enthusiastically, "Grandpa Li, where are we going in the next two days?"
"Baoding Mansion, your mother didn't tell you?"
"No, she just said that she wanted me to follow Grandpa Li to gain experience and practice." Li Hao shook his head, and then looked excited again, "Is Baoding Mansion fun?"
"Whether it's fun or not, you won't know until you go there. In short, it's very different from Aurous Hill." Li Qing asked with a smile, "Are you looking forward to it?"
"Can you not look forward to it?" Li Hao said with a grin, "I have never been out of Jinling since I grew up. I haven't even visited Jinling. This time, I have to have fun."
"If you just want to have fun, then don't follow me." Li Qing threw away his arm and said calmly: "I am busy with my career, not taking you to have fun. Do you know that this time? What are you doing by following me?"
"Mom didn't say anything. She just told me to follow Grandpa Li's arrangements." Li Hao asked, "What are you going to do specifically?"
"As for business matters, I need you, the young prince, to take action."
When Li Hao heard this, he immediately geared up and said, "Okay, I've wanted to show my ambition for a long time."
"..." Li Qing didn't know whether to laugh or cry. Other people's ambitions were official careers, but this guy was good. He didn't want to give up such a good political foundation because he couldn't focus on doing business.
But that's fine, Li Qing doesn't really want Li Hao to be an official.
Li Qing turned sideways, rested his arms on his head and fell asleep, and said: "For those who are celebrating the New Year, go and have some fun. You will be on your way in two days, and you will have to suffer."
"Hey, I'm just on my way, so what's the trouble?" Li Hao didn't take it to heart at all. He walked around and squatted down in front of Li Qing, and asked with interest: "Grandpa Li, how did you make my mother afraid?" Is it yours?"
"Are you curious?"
"Ang, in my memory, my mother has never been afraid of anyone." Li Hao was very interested.
Li Qing smiled: "It won't be long before you know why your mother is afraid of me."
"Can you tell me now?"
Li Qing closed his eyes and stopped paying attention to him.
Li Hao was looking for trouble and said angrily: "Then you rest, I'll give instructions to the cook."
…
At the end of noon, Li Hong and his wife came back.
The three of them played chess, drank tea, talked about maritime business, and the navy. They were cozy and comfortable under the warm sun. Li Hao repeatedly wanted to integrate into the adult circle, but was driven away ruthlessly.
"Uncle Li, if the Shen family's matter is successful this time, will you follow suit and promote it throughout the Ming Dynasty?" Zhu Wanqing asked.
Zhu Wanqing was smart and wise, and she was always on the same page as Li Qing. After their conversation that day, she understood Uncle Li's plan.
Li Qing has never underestimated this niece. In terms of political opinions, she is not much weaker than Zhu Jianshen.
Of course, in addition to Zhu Jianshen's political views, his imperial power skills were also superb. In this regard, Zhu Wanqing and other female figures could not compare.
"What do you think?" Li Qing asked.
"My niece cannot fully understand the pros and cons." Zhu Wanqing frowned and said, "Since ancient times, all dynasties have shared the world with scholar-bureaucrats, with the exception of the Ming Dynasty. Taizu abolished the prime minister system and concentrated imperial power to a great extent. This is a good match for The gentry was hit hard, but..."
Zhu Wanqing sighed: "If I follow Uncle Li's wishes, I'm afraid the scholar-bureaucrats will rise again."
Most of the businessmen in this era were officials and gentry. Of course there were pure businessmen, but they only accounted for a small proportion.
Li Hong didn't know why and asked curiously: "Is the development of commerce necessarily related to the rise of scholar-bureaucrats?"
"Of course!" Zhu Wanqing gave him an angry look, "Take the Shen family, for example, it is now a 'giant' in one place in Baoding Prefecture. In the future, when it has established a firm foothold, it can be said that it will be the common people in one place. , most of them eat food from his Shen family, the pros and cons of this... think about it carefully."
Li Hong was startled, and suddenly felt that his wife's analysis was reasonable, and he looked at Li Qing hesitantly.
"Of course I have thought about this, but overall the advantages outweigh the disadvantages." Li Qing said with a smile, "Don't worry, I dare to do this, how can I have no backup plan? Otherwise, the Supreme Emperor will not agree!"
"What my niece is worried about is that in the future they will coerce the people and do things that are not good for the court." Zhu Wanqing sighed and asked, "Uncle Li, can you tell me what to do next?"
"No!" Li Qing shook his head and said: "You only need to know that your elder brother, the emperor, who has been the emperor for more than twenty years, sees far more clearly than you. Even he agrees with my method, which proves that it is indeed feasible. This is enough."
It's not that Zhu Wanqing can't be trusted, it's better that less people know about some things.
Zhu Wanqing was helpless. She knew that Uncle Li didn't want to say anything, so it was useless no matter how she asked, "Uncle Li, our family won't be affected, right?"
"As long as I am here, you can rest assured." Li Qing promised, "As long as I live, the Li family's wealth and splendor will never end."
Li Qing looked at Li Hong and said, "This is the promise I made when I took your hand from your great-grandfather!"
Li Hong's childhood memories are almost vague, but he still has some impressions. Although he was from a commoner family, he was favored by his great-grandfather.
He still has the impression of recognizing his godfather.
Maybe he is not as smart as his wife, or maybe he has a deeper affection for his godfather than his wife does. Li Hong instinctively trusts Li Qing and said with a smile:
"Wanqing, don't you believe your Uncle Li?"
"Of course I believe it, but... forget it, no one can match Uncle Li's wisdom, so I am unfounded." Zhu Wanqing smiled bitterly. Of course she believed in Uncle Li, but she could see far more clearly than her husband, and she also knew how big the problem was. It is extremely difficult to solve.
After thinking about it again, she felt that she really seemed to be worrying too much.
It has been more than a hundred years. Uncle Li has protected it for more than a hundred years and has always done a good job in protecting it. The Ming Dynasty cannot be what it is today without its ancestors, and it is also inseparable from Uncle Li.
Zhu Wanqing stopped worrying and said, "What does Uncle Li need from the Yongqing Marquis Mansion?"
"There is no need to be deliberate, just do what you are doing right now." Li Qingdao, "Innovate maritime trade in a new way. As long as it succeeds, it will be the greatest encouragement to others."
"Uncle Li means... that the Li family will be the leader and lead the flock to more fertile pastures?"
"Smart!" Li Qing nodded happily.
When it comes to business matters, Zhu Wanqing is ten thousand times cuter than Li Hong. She can always understand Li Qing's thoughts and the channel is online.
Li Qing said in a deep voice: "The next ten years will be a crazy decade. In these ten years, our Li family will definitely make a lot of money by riding on the trend. But after ten years, no matter what the trend is, we must withdraw. "
"What happens after it is withdrawn?" Zhu Wanqing asked.
"Focus on the Ming Dynasty." Li Qing said, "The money earned overseas will be fed back to the people of the Ming Dynasty."
After a pause, "But don't worry, I have calculated that by then, a considerable number of people in the Ming Dynasty will be well off, and it will definitely not be a loss-making business, just ten years!"
Zhu Wanqing nodded: "Only ten years! My niece has recorded it!"
