Mrs. Pin, one of the Red House

It was still in the twelfth lunar month, and Daiyu was still comparing with Xueyan about the rent and other messy new year goods collected in this village. Suddenly, a maid came in and announced that it was Mrs. Hu, the wife of Mu Jing, the left servant of the Ministry of War.

Daiyu was puzzled, this time there was no greeting card, Erlin's family had no contact with Mu's and Hu's, so she asked hesitantly, "Maybe you want to see your mother?"

The servant girl shook her head and said, "I just came to see the girl."

Daiyu thought for a while and said, "I'll meet her in the main hall and order my servants to ring the bell to open the main door." Then she said to Xueyan, "I'm going to change clothes."

Xueyan naturally followed in to help Daiyu dress up, and then went out to see Mrs. Hu.

"Mrs. Hu." Daiyu laughed.

Daiyu wears a jade-colored beige and a dark green gold skirt woven with twigs of passionflower, but the emerald phoenix hairpin with amethyst tassels is inserted in the bun of the Japanese flag.

She didn't know what capacity Mrs. Hu used to ask her to see her, whether it was for business or private affairs, so she chose this compromise dress.

"There are no outsiders here, just call me Peiheng." Mrs. Hu smiled, looking very friendly, with pomegranate red makeup and flower skirt, Xiangfei-colored cloak, and a ruby ​​Chaoyang five on her temples according to the imperial order of Zhengsanpin Phoenix hairpin.

Mu Jing's wife, Mrs. Hu, is the eldest daughter of An Guogong Hu Jie, and her name is Hu Peiheng.

"I finally came to Yangzhou once. I went to Zhongge's old mansion to see Shanli, and I stopped by to visit you." Hu Peiheng smiled. It seems that she and Daiyu didn't know each other just today, they knew each other a long time ago. A good friend I knew, handed over a handkerchief, and she sat in the living room, giving people a kindness that cannot be refused.

Daiyu knew that Hu Peiheng had a biological sister, Hu Shanli, who was married to Zhong Ge's fourth son, Zhong Yan, who is now a water transport official in the south of the Yangtze River.

This time Hu Peiheng followed Mu Jing to go back to his hometown to worship his ancestors, and the Hu family's ancestral home was in Yangzhou.

In all fairness, Hu Peiheng is not an outstanding beauty, with an oval face and slender shoulders, but an unknown amount of emotion is hidden under the agate-like black eyes, and there is a self-contained demeanor in every gesture.

"Lingmei, everything is fine." Daiyu exchanged greetings with Hu Peiheng.

Hu Peiheng smiled and said: "It's okay, please worry about it." Then, he took out a letter from his sleeve and said, "I'm here this time to serve as a messenger for you."

The name on the envelope was Lin Yuzhen, as Daiyu had expected.

"I also hope to clear up your doubts." Hu Peiheng smiled, "It's getting late, and I won't stay any longer. Let me leave. The winter in Yangzhou is still so cold. You should also take care of your health. It's better than sending you off."

After all, he really turned around and left without any politeness.

"He's an extraordinary person." Daiyu smiled, and then opened the letter and read it carefully. After a brief glance, her expression became serious. She read the letter carefully twice. In fact, there was only one sentence in the letter: talk.

"The Queen of Scotland came to court after a failed coup."

She was still weighing, and Xueyan hurried in, "Princess Shanhua is here." While she was talking, Ning Yun hurried in and said, "You all go out."

Xueyan was stunned.

"Go out, I'll call you if something happens," Daiyu said.

Ning Yun came here in a hurry at all, without any special makeup at all, wearing a lotus-colored peony beanie with folded branches and a goose-yellow thread skirt, which looked like homely attire.

"I think you know it too." Ning Yun said, she ran into Hu Peiheng outside.

Daiyu looked at Ning Yun questioningly.

Ning Yunyi said succinctly: "The letter from Empress Wei has arrived, and I have also met the commander of Tianjiang Wei." She glanced at Daiyu with a complicated expression, "But this matter may be more complicated than we thought, isn't it?" Less." She sat on the chair opposite Daiyu, and the two talked in low voice for a long time.

##

Yamen of Yangzhou Prefecture.

This day Ning Yun and Daiyu made an appointment and came to Yangzhou Mansion early. Now that the prefect Pei has gone home and is waiting to be dealt with, Yu Yanlong dared not say anything, so the officials did not say anything, just took out the things that should be brought out They are all taken out.

Including records of all the boats passing through the canal on that day.

"The Cao family's boat is indeed an empty boat." Daiyu rubbed her temples, and her heart that had been relieved was suspended again. "It is indeed the same boat as Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots."

Ning Yun checked the list one by one, "It was also unexpected in the palace, that's why the Commander of Tianjiang Guard was asked to meet me and ordered to assist us in investigating this matter."

After all, this matter directly involves the vital interests of the two of them, and it is not appropriate to entrust it to anyone.

"Officer Zhong Cao Yun?" Daiyu called Zhong Yan in.

Zhong Yan twirled two sandalwood balls, leaned over and said, "What? Is there any problem?"

Daiyu pointed to one of them and said, "I remember when I got on the boat from Jinling, our boat was not so light?" She stared at Zhong Yan, "Besides, our boat should not go this way."

She handed the list to Ning Yun, "This is the route of the Cao family, and this is the route of the two of us."

Zhong Yan leaned over to take a closer look, and said with a smile, "Ah, the official Zhu Tui made a mistake." Then he said, "I'll ask him to come in." Then he backed out.

"Who is Zhu Tuiguan?" Ning Yun turned around and called Zhong Yan.

"Oh, Zhu Tuiguan is Zhu Rui, the third son of Zhu Rong, the Inspectorate of East Zhejiang." Zhong Yan answered quite simply.

"Zhu Rong..." Ning Yun glanced at Daiyu.

Daiyu felt cold sweat dripping down her back.

Zhu Rong and Lin Hai had political disagreements, and they had been fighting for many years in the south of the Yangtze River. Originally, Zhu Rong was supposed to be the Zuobu political envoy based on his seniority, but Lin Hai snatched him away.

"Let your Commander Lu take it back and ask about it." Ning Yun directly ordered a thousand households in Tianjiangwei.

Qianhuyi bowed his hands and retreated.

Ning Yun and Daiyu waited for the results in the Yamen of the Yangzhou Mansion, until it was time to light the lamps, the commander of the Tianjiang Guard, Lu Yun, sent someone to deliver the results. Official Zhu Tui was not in the Yamen at all that day, because he was absent, so it was Zhong Yan. Temporary.

This result was beyond their expectations, but what was even more unexpected was that the next day they wanted to ask Zhong Yan to come over and ask, but were told that Zhong Yan took Mei Ji home and was beaten by his wife, so beaten that he couldn't get out of bed .

"Go and meet Mr. Zhongge." Mr. Zhongge is Lin Hai's teacher, and Daiyu didn't plan to see him at first, but now she sees him anyway.

##

Mr. Zhong Ge has returned to his hometown in Yangzhou since he became an official. He is now over 80 years old and has gray hair, but he looks quite energetic. The family is also of four generations. It's going out for a walk with the bird cage, or teasing his great-grandson at home.

One day, he was locked in the study room, holding his youngest grandson Zhong Xun in his arms. While making a scroll with a book, teasing the child, he was thinking about a game of chess. Before he could figure out why, his grandson-in-law came in.

The daughter-in-law of Zhong Ge's fourth son, surnamed Hu, was born in the Hu family of An Guogong, the general of the world's soldiers and horses. She is the youngest daughter of Zhong Ge's old comrade Hu Jie. Mrs. Zhong Si's wife, Hu Shanli, is well-educated and reasonable, but after all, she grew up in the military camp. She used knives and guns since she was a child, and she didn't restrain herself even after she got married.

"Father." Mrs. Zhong Si bowed gracefully, "Brother Xun must be hungry at this hour." Saying that, she carried the child over, "Let's not disturb Grandpa." Then he handed the child to the wet nurse, Naturally, the nurse knew that Mrs. Zhong Si might have something to say, so she took the child out with her body.

"Well, the fourth young master has been here." Mrs. Zhong Si was a little embarrassed.

Mr. Zhong Ge was not surprised. He dropped Heizi on the chessboard and scratched his head, "Yan'er has lost his mother since he was a child. If everything goes out of line..." He picked up Heizi again, "If the child doesn't fight It’s useless, so if you beat him up, just beat him up. But it’s not appropriate to talk about it, so tell me what happened at that time.”

Jiangnan is fashionable and extravagant, colleagues sometimes present beauties as gifts for social gatherings, and Zhong Yan's mother passed away after he was born, so Zhong Ge was used to it, so he went out to socialize the day before yesterday, and brought three beauties back to the mansion, and named them It was given by Governor Shi, and I hugged left and right, but I was extremely happy.

In the final analysis, Zhong Yan didn’t think it was a big deal, that’s the way it was in Jiangnan, except that Governor Shi’s daughter-in-law was the daughter of a princess, and she was included in the clan book, and the status of Wang’s family was rising. At that time, she actively created an image of internal fear, so as to get rid of partisan disputes, but now her position is stable, her daughter is a maid, the teacher of the princess, and she dares not take concubines, who doesn't have a red sleeve to add fragrance to her family?

Including Zhong Yan's three elder brothers, they are all equipped with five or six concubines as standard.

It's a pity that this happiness didn't last long. When my head was hot, I was planning how to tell Mrs. Hu, muster up the courage to sue Mrs. Hu for being jealous, or threaten to divorce his wife if it didn't work. The two women copied the saber and red-tasseled spear that Zhong Ge used back then, and they beat up their noses and faces with bruises and swollen faces. They couldn't even open the corners of their eyes, let alone beauties.

The beauty was so frightened that she ran away overnight.

Zhong Yan forgot that the Hu family never talked nonsense, so he just started beating him until he couldn't bear to compromise. After his eldest daughter Zhong Sheng was born, it evolved into a mother and daughter beating together.

The three sisters-in-law of the Hu family are all from a family of scholars in Qingliu. They always despise the various behaviors of the Hu family, but they do not have the ability of the Jiang family to manage the family in an orderly manner. The Fourth Young Master Zhong has never lived up to expectations, but whenever the Hu family and Zhong Yan fight, the three sisters-in-law of the Hu family and the three older brothers of Zhong Yan all keep silent—it’s not because they don’t stand up for the youngest brother, But it is really impossible to beat.

After Mr. Zhong Ge became the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, he knew the hardships in the army, so all the children in the family were educated.

Hu hurriedly defended, "Sheng'er did it, I was just trying to fight."

Zhong Sheng is the only daughter among the grandchildren of Zhong Ge’s hometown, and she is the jewel in the palm of Zhong Ge’s old man. However, because the limelight in Beijing was uncertain that day, she was brought up by her grandfather since she was a child. Hu Jie was stationed in the northwest all the year round, and there were frequent wars in the northwest. Learn to cut people with a sword.

"Shanli, this..." Zhong Ge's old tongue was tied up, not knowing what to say.

Hu Shanli didn't have a mother-in-law, plus he came from a meritorious family, so his mother's background was tough. None of the three sister-in-laws dared to come forward to suppress her, and the value of force was too high. It is said that Hu Shanli is wrong, otherwise why would he come to him to complain.

After a long while, Zhong Ge said, "You mother, why are you still pushing things on your children?"

Hu Shanli looked at the palace strip on his skirt, and said a little puzzled: "I'm stating the facts."

Elder Zhong Ge glared at Hu Shanli, and said, "Why do I remember that Yan'er didn't say that?"

Not really.

It was indeed Zhong Sheng who struck first, although Hu Shanli beat him the hardest.

Hu Shanli walked to the door without saying a word, and shouted at the top of his voice: "Zhong Yan, you bastard, get dressed and come over here."

Elder Zhong Ge glanced at Hu Shanli, his face darkened: "Are you fully dressed?"

He thought it was wrong at the time, but the young couple have reconciled, so what is he still doing here.

"Father, don't you remember the last time? Last time this guy came out wrapped in a quilt." Hu Shanli replied confidently.

She was the youngest daughter at home, and after she got married, she was always in the limelight, and she never bothered to look at people's faces within the family, including the face of Elder Zhong Ge.

"Father, Suisi and I have had a three-year funeral together. We have one daughter and two sons. The Hu family's Zhong family is a good family. If I really did it first, I will admit it. Anyway, I will take it if I don't go." I don’t dare to say anything if I think about it.” Hu Shanli misunderstood Elder Zhong Ge’s expression at that time.

Zhong Yan's word is Suisi.

Just as he was talking, the servant next to Zhong Yan rushed over and slapped a thousand in a hurry, "Fourth grandma, the young master really can't get up, let alone get out of bed, even if he can't walk, he can only come here on his stomach." , afraid of delaying your discussion with the master, if you really can’t do it, let the little one bring the message back.”

Elder Zhong Ge waved his hand, "Go down."

Can't help helping the forehead.

It was only then that Hu Shanli realized that there was something wrong with the two sentences before and after, and his face blushed. He didn't know whether to explain it well, or to describe it more and more darkly, so he simply stopped talking.

Mr. Zhong Ge felt that he must have not enough brains to communicate with the women in the back house. After thinking about it for a long time, he decided that he should be a peacemaker, "It's not entirely your fault. Go down first, remember that no matter how angry you are, just hold your breath."

He gave the matter a nod.

"By the way." Hu Shanli was planning to visit her son, but suddenly remembered that she came to see Elder Zhong Ge today. She took out two gold-plated greeting cards, "Princess Shanhua and Shizhong Lin want to visit tomorrow. .”

"It's the two girls from that day, Shanhua... I think it's Shi Ding's daughter. Zhong Ge asked probingly.

He doesn't know him too well.

Hu Shanli nodded, and at the same time said with some embarrassment: This happened so suddenly, I didn't even make arrangements for it. I have been busy with my brother's full moon wine for the past few days, and the invitations were only delivered in the morning. What, I still have to ask the servant girl to buy it. Would you like to buy some from the restaurant? "

The more urgent it is, the more everything comes together.

Hu Shanli now has a deep understanding.

"What's the hurry, Lin Shizhong is Ru Hai's girl, right? I recognize her." Zhong Ge stroked his beard, "Come if you come, if you really can't arrange it, I'll treat them to my best roasted sweet potato. Seeing Hu Shanli's dumbfounded look, he said, "I was in the northwest at the time. If you don't believe me, ask your father. It's still delicious."

Don't look at Zhong Ge's background as a general, but he is actually a scholar. His ancestors have been teachers for several generations. He was born second in the list at that time, and he was also Lin Hai's teacher.

Hu Shanli was completely dumbfounded.

She was sure that her father-in-law was confused because of his official career.

At that time, Hu Shanli felt that Zhong Ge's old words were just a temporary anger, and he didn't take it to heart. He felt that his father-in-law had been fighting in court for so many years, and he would not be out of line. He didn't expect that when Ning Yun and Daiyu came to the door the next day , she arranged a banquet, and led the two of them into the yard according to Elder Zhong Ge's instructions, but they were stunned when they entered the yard.

Mr. Zhong Ge really set up a grill in the yard of his home, planning to roast sweet potatoes.

Hu Shanli squeezed the handkerchief tightly, stunned, and regained his ability to speak after a long time, "This... please come over to the servant of the princess." At the same time, he gave Zhong Yan and Zhong Sheng father and daughter who had helped Mr. Zhong Ge.

Who really uses sweet potatoes when entertaining distinguished guests?

How did she remember that this thing was eaten when there was a famine in the Northwest?

Heaven!

Zhong Yan gesticulated like killing a chicken and wiping his neck, jumped up and pointed at Elder Zhong Ge, and kept winking at Hu Shanli: This is really none of my business.

And Zhong Sheng held a plate of cut sweet potatoes in his left hand, and a plate of cut meat in his right hand. The third plate was sandwiched between the two plates, which contained snowflake foreign sugar. Passed by without seeing.

Ning Yun and Daiyu were completely dumbfounded. Daiyu had been in the south of the Yangtze River for a long time and had heard about the amazing deeds of Elder Zhong Ge, but she couldn't help but be surprised when it happened before her eyes.

"What's going on?" Ning Yun asked in a low voice.

Daiyu suppressed a smile, "Zhong Ge is not an ordinary person, you will know in a while."

In fact, Zhong Ge always has a temper with her.

"Father, Princess Shanhua and Shizhong Lin are here." Hu Shanli gritted his teeth and said, "A Sheng, come here."

"Don't listen to your mother." Mr. Zhong Ge pulled Zhong Sheng and didn't let her go, and said to Hu Shanli, "You sit too." He sat cross-legged on the ground, turning over sweet potatoes cut in half and skewered with silver wire , put it on a plate, handed it to Ning Yun Daiyu, and said kindly: "Come, come, sit down."

Ning Yun couldn't keep up with the rhythm, but seeing the scattered chairs in the yard, Daiyu really pulled a brocade stool and sat down, and followed suit.

Daiyu took the plate and said with a smile, "When I was at home earlier, I heard my father talk about you."

Mr. Zhong Ge handed the plate of sugar to Daiyu, and brought a plate of frozen persimmons to the two of them, "I heard your father talk about you, and I know you are weak, so don't eat too much persimmons, just try fresh ones. The thing was just baked for a new idea and a fresh picture, so I picked such a vulgar thing. Although this thing was not worth much, but there was a drought in the northwest at that time, ordinary people relied on tree bark and grass roots, and some richer people relied on Live with this thing."

Ning Yun squinted his eyes and looked at Daiyu, and couldn't help but feel a shudder in his heart.

"No matter where I go, I still can't forget that time." Zhong Ge said with a smile, "I was a child at the time, and my father was the teacher of the academy. Some students couldn't pay the money, so my father said, take the sweet potatoes—— At that time, our family had some fields, so we planted this kind of thing, so every winter our family ate this kind of food, and once we ate it, it lasted all winter."

He sprinkled fine sugar on the sweet potatoes, "But even if there is foreign sugar now, it doesn't have the same taste as before." He glanced at Daiyu meaningfully, "You said this thing has never changed, but unfortunately it is still the same. People change."

Daiyu thought for a while before smiling and said: "It's just a matter of state of mind." She said to Mr. Zhong Ge seriously: "No matter where I go or how far my father can go, my father is your student. Being a teacher every day and being a father forever, my father will never forget his roots."

Zhong Ge laughed.

"Grandpa is getting old, sometimes he speaks without meaning, so don't think too much about it." Zhong Sheng quickly smoothed things over. She was a little girl with a round face, and said with a smile, "I was supposed to talk properly, look at you."

She was one of the few people in the Zhong family who dared to talk to Elder Zhong Ge like that.

Everyone smiled knowingly.

Ning Yun fiddled with the sweet potatoes with his chopsticks, watching Mr. Zhongge and Daiyu talking in circles as if they were playing a riddle. As the two talked, Daiyu unconsciously clenched, let go, and clenched again, Elder Zhong Ge also opened his eyes, no longer in a casual manner, leaned forward slightly, and quietly twirled the praying beads.

"I'm already at this age, I don't care about anything long ago." Old Zhong Ge spread his hands and smiled like a spring breeze.

"It's a bit cold here," Ning Yun said suddenly, "How about we go in and talk?"

Seeing that Ning Yun took over the conversation, Daiyu also breathed a sigh of relief.

Old Zhong Ge nodded.

The group then went to Mr. Zhongge's study.

Hu Shanli and Zhong Yan knew that the three of them had business to talk about, so they made excuses and left.

Elder Zhong Ge sat on the kang in the north, and his living place still retains a little northwest color. Daiyu sat opposite Elder Zhong Ge. Ning Yun, fearing that the world would not be chaotic, ordered the maid to leave with the chess come over.

"Sister Lin is good at chess, she kills me every time." Ning Yun smiled, "I heard that Sister Lin learned from Uncle Lin, and Uncle Lin learned from you, why don't you two come here?" One game also opened my eyes."

Mr. Zhong Ge smiled kindly, "Then let's have a plate?"

Daiyu naturally agreed.

"You go first, you are a child." Zhong Ge smiled and held the tea while holding the black for himself.

Daiyu smiled, "Then respect is worse than obedience."

Ning Yun pulled the chair over, sat on the side and carefully watched the chess moves of the two.

After a full three hours, the chess moves of the two became clear. Mr. Zhong Ge frowned, "You actually know my chess moves, after all, I am Ru Hai's daughter," said jokingly, "I knew it earlier I'll be white for now." After taking a sip of tea, he fell down.

Daiyu suddenly gasped, she raised her eyes, stared at Mr. Zhong Ge for a long time, and then said: "If you fall here," she pointed to Mr. Zhong Ge, "although you killed four of yourself, but You win."

"I didn't see it." Mr. Zhong Ge said, stroking his beard.

Ning Yun propped his chin, while chewing on the new snacks brought by the maid, he gave Daiyu a wink and asked Daiyu to continue.

Daiyu wiped the thin sweat from her face with a handkerchief before she continued.

Half an hour later, Zhong Ge snapped, "Accept."

Daiyu frowned slightly, and nodded to Ning Yun.

Ning Yun stood up and said, "Master Ge, forgive me, but can you tell me, what is the deep hatred between the two of us and you? You arranged this matter? Or who ordered you to do this?"

"What and what?" Mr. Zhong Ge was surprised, "Your method of regretting chess is rare."

"I'm a little tight in the chest, go out for a walk, the two of you can talk." Daiyu put on her cloak and led Xueyan away.

Mr. Zhong Ge propped his chin and knocked on the kang table, "You child has an unusual way of thinking, child, even if you are the princess, you can't spout blood."

Ning Yun smiled slightly and said, "Listen to me first."

She got up and walked around the house, saying as she walked: "When the late emperor went south, you were with him. Naturally, you know what you were talking about at that time. I am young, and what I know is hearsay, but I am curious. Yes, why do you want to exchange the registers of our two ships and Cao's ship in Yangzhou?"

She frowned slightly, "Minister Lin Zuo is your student, your son-in-law, and my grandfather is also your old friend. I once wanted to understand your approach. After all, the affairs of the government and the opposition are complicated. Whether it is an enemy or a friend depends on the situation. But I really don’t know, and I hope you can clarify this doubt for me.”

Mr. Zhong Ge squinted his eyes and twirled the sandalwood beads, "I don't quite understand."

He leaned forward a little, "Also, I have already retired, how could I change my enthronement certificate?"

Ning Yundao: "That's why I hope you can tell me, this is because Zhong Caoyun cooperated with the Prefect Pei to buy and sell private salt in the salt transportation, and was investigated by the Chief Envoy Lin Zuo?"

"If Yan'er does such a thing, I will be the first to not tolerate him!" Zhong Ge said.

"You don't need to ask." At this time Daiyu suddenly opened the door and came in, "Zhong Yan admitted to the Tianjiangwei people." She was a little embarrassed and said to Mr. Zhong Ge: "We are wrong, here we are. You apologized."

Zhong Ge always looked at Ning Yun and then at Daiyu.

Ning Yun followed Daiyu's train of thought and said, "I made a mistake and offended me." He picked up his cloak and wanted to go with Daiyu.

Old Zhong Ge's heart sank, "What, this..." After saying that, he followed the two of them out, and it happened that people from Tianjiangwei walked past Zhong Yan, and when Zhong Yan saw Old Zhong Ge, he hurriedly said loudly: " Dad, it's not me, it's really not me."

"Let him go." Elder Zhong Ge sighed.

"Why?" Daiyu pretended to be puzzled.

"Because I changed the booklet." Elder Zhong Ge said, "But it's useless for you to arrest me. Even if I go to Tianjiangwei's prison, they will have to release me after an hour."

He said to Ning Yun and Daiyu: "Take a step to talk."

Daiyu waved her hand, signaling to let him go first, and then she and Ning Yun walked to Mr. Zhongge's study.

Elder Zhong Ge brewed two cups of tea himself and brought them out. He sat down first and said, "How do you know it's mine?"

Ning Yun said: "You can win, but you are not willing to sacrifice even four pieces." She turned the teacup, "What you want is a complete victory without any sacrifices, and besides you, no one else is willing to sacrifice." I have no ability to cross Tianjiangwei."

Daiyu added, "Actually, if you don't play this game of chess with me, we really have no idea."

"Two narrow-minded ghosts." Zhong Ge smiled, twisting the sandalwood beads, his eyes suddenly sharpened, "But I advise you, don't go too deep into this pool of water."

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