Survive in the world of Red Mansions

A small servant walked up to Dai Quan, the chief executive of the Qianqing Palace, and said softly. After the little servant quit, Dai Quan walked to the side of Li Min, Emperor Huiwen, who was reviewing the memorial, and reported, "Master, Yangzhou patrol salt Censor Lin Ruhai asks to see you."

"Oh, it's already here? I thought we'd have to wait until tomorrow. See you, Xuan Linqing."

But after a while, Lin Hai came to Qianqing Palace under the leadership of his servants. After meeting the emperor, he hurriedly paid respects to him.

"Chen Linhai greets His Majesty!"

"Excuse me, give me a seat!"

Lin Hai slightly raised his head to look at the former Fourth Prince, now Emperor Huiwen Li Min, and saw the gloomy look in his eyes.It seems that Li Min's life has not been easy since he succeeded to the throne. Also, when he ascended the emperor's Zen throne, he had to choose as a last resort. After his health improved a bit, he began to intervene in political affairs.

Because the emperor is now starting to ask about politics again, all the decisions the emperor can make now are trivial matters, and those who are a little older have to ask the emperor, and they can only be implemented after they agree.

Except for some people who have long followed the fourth prince, not to mention the honorable family, many of the current court officials are still the emperor's veterans.

Li Min was born in a humble background back then, and he has cultivated his character of forbearance, resourcefulness, and firm will. It's no wonder that after Li Min ascended the throne as he wished, now his face is full of gloom.

After asking a few words, the emperor turned to Jiangnan affairs.

"Lin Qing, how is Jiangnan doing now?"

Lin Hai thought about it, let's tell the truth, and it's better to remind the emperor in a subtle way, but the biggest possibility is that the emperor himself knows this very well, but he still has to say it.

"The salt administration is still normal. Others... are very calm. The Zhen family has kept a low profile for the time being."

"Temporarily? Maybe it's because Xiao Jiu is too young now?"

Lin Hai lowered his head and didn't make a sound. Lin Hai remembered that the imprisoned prince rose up and rebelled. It should be the third prince. It seems that the third prince will be lifted by the old emperor sooner or later. Do you want to remind the new emperor?Li Min probably thinks that the Zhen family's temporary low-key is that when the Ninth Prince is a little older, he will never think of a prince who has been imprisoned.

"Your Majesty, the Third Prince is here!"

"Hmph, a banned prince!"

"Now it is banned, and the ban is also an order from the emperor, but if you want to lift the ban, it means what the emperor said! When you are old, you are always soft-hearted!"

Lin Hai felt that he had said enough. When the emperor heard Lin Hai's words, his face was unbelievable, his eyes widened. To be honest, he looked a little funny, but Lin Hai thought to himself that this is the emperor, this is the emperor, so he didn't laugh. Come out, and hurriedly lowered his head.

After waiting for a while, Lin Hai raised his head and glanced at the emperor in front of him. He felt that the gloominess on Li Min's body seemed to have increased a bit. Yes, he didn't think about it before, but now the emperor thought of his father's character, and Zhen With the imperial concubine here, it's really hard to say that there is no such possibility.

The third prince forced the palace. As the biological mother of the third prince, she was only demoted from an imperial concubine to a noble concubine. Now the emperor still pampers Zhen Guifei and the ninth prince as always.No one can ignore Concubine Zhen's pillow style. After a long time, the hatred caused by what the third prince did will almost dissipate. Coupled with Concubine Zhen's intercession, it will be a matter of time before the ban is lifted.

The emperor probably thought of this, and his mood became even worse, but he didn't do anything to Lin Hai, so he turned to other topics.

"Now the Chinese New Year is coming soon, Lin Qing will take this opportunity to rest for a while. The left servant of the household department resigns, and Lin Qing will take over this position after the new year. I hope *qing will live up to my expectations!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty, I will live up to your Majesty's expectations!"

After Lin Hai saluted and thanked him, he gave a few more instructions before letting Lin Hai back down.

Here, the Lin family's group, after Lin Hai left, also entered the capital under the leadership of Lin Zhong, and came directly to the Lin mansion.

At the beginning of the year, because Lin Hai was going to Beijing to congratulate him, Lin Yuan brought people to Beijing to make some repairs to the old house of the Lin family.After Lin Hai's letter of resignation was approved, another group of people was sent here in advance. Besides, there was Lin Xu, the son of the Suzhou patriarch, who had been staying in Lin's mansion.

The servants who came here early this time set fire to all the kangs in the mansion, and cleaned every yard. When the master arrives, he will tidy up and take out the bedding, and he can live in it immediately. down.

In addition to the main courtyard where Lin Hai lived, Lin Rui chose a yard next to the main courtyard, which was named Runze Courtyard just like Yangzhou. Lin Daiyu chose the courtyard to the west of Lin Hai, and it happened that there were a few plum blossoms in the yard, so she named it Plum Garden.

In addition to setting up a small study in his own yard, Lin Rui plans to prepare a study in the front yard. When he arrives in the capital, it gradually grows up. It is not convenient to bring friends to the house. There is a study in the front yard. The study is just right for guests.

The four aunts live in a few small yards that are connected together later on. Because there are only a few masters in the Lin family, the yards of the aunts are not bad. Outside the yard, there is a garden not far away.

In the past few years, these aunts and concubines have also noticed that as long as they are not too busy and stay in peace, the master will not favor any one in particular, but he is very generous with their daily diet and jewelry. The quota for each season is a lot more than before, and I often reward some clothing and jewelry on weekdays. Except that I don't have children, the others are really not bad.

After Lin Rui showered and freshened up, he came to Lin Hai's main courtyard, waiting for his father who had entered the palace to come back.Although he also knew that his father had joined the new emperor, but now that the emperor was still there, Lin Rui was quite worried whether the two could reach an agreement on his father's position.

When Lin Hai came back, he saw Lin Rui sitting on the Kang table, leaning on the Kang table, in a daze.

"Rui Rui."

"Father, you're back! Gan Song, tell the kitchen to prepare the meal." As soon as Lin Rui saw Lin Hai coming back, he immediately sat up and asked someone to prepare.

"Father, I think everyone is tired today, so let my sister not come here, and I will wait for you to come back and use it together."

"In the future, I will eat first when I am hungry. I can't control the time when I enter the palace. Who knows when I can leave."

"Fortunately, I ate some snacks as a cushion. By the way, Cousin Yun came to greet you. I said that you don't know when you will come back after entering the palace, so I asked him to go back first and come back tomorrow."

"Well, yes. Ruirui, your monthly silver is 10 taels, right? I don't quite remember. Tell Daiyu that Lin Yun will be like you in the future. Don't miss out on seasonal clothes and monthly money. He should now There are more entertainments, and the monthly salary is 20 taels per month, including the two servants he brings with him, which is the same as other people in the house."

"It doesn't matter, my monthly money has never been touched, and I have no chance to use it. When I go out in Yangzhou occasionally, I always go with you. I have no chance to use the money at all."

"When you arrive in the capital, you are growing up. Can you still follow me every time? You will always have money, but if it is not enough, tell the accountant that there are so few people in our family, and we are not short of money. It must be spared."

"When I think of watching Dream of the Red Chamber, I remember Jia's Sanchun's monthly payment of 2 taels of silver. At that time, I thought it was too little. Now I come here and I have bought things in the market. I know that one penny can buy one egg and two steamed buns. It's only a few hundred cash for a few people to eat in an ordinary restaurant, which is really a lot in this way.

I don’t know how the monthly payment of 2 taels of silver compares with other big families, but my monthly payment of 10 taels is definitely considered high, so Cousin Yun’s monthly payment should be 10 taels, it’s not a matter of money It's not that our family can't afford the money, but man, the more money in the pocket, the more thoughts, the patriarch asked him to live here, father, you are more or less responsible for him. "

Lin Hai thought about it for a while, then nodded, "Do as you said, I just want to let him have more money, and it won't be embarrassing to go out and date some of the same year. Besides, I usually look at the account books at home, money figures The exchanges are relatively large, so I didn't think about it for a while. It is true that the prices in the capital are higher than those in Yangzhou. As long as you don't go to brothels, in ordinary restaurants, a few friends of the same year gather for dinner, just have a few drinks, and a few hundred Wen is enough.

Another person's desire is always increasing, and no one knows whether he will change in the future. I asked Lin Zhong to pay attention to it. If he really needs money, he will increase it at that time. "

"Father, when you came in to say this, I didn't bother to ask. Did the emperor say anything when he entered the palace earlier? Did you decide where to go?"

"Don't worry, it's confirmed, the left servant of the household department will take office after the next year."

"The left servant of the household department is also a third-rank official. If he hasn't been demoted, it's okay, right?"

"Yes, it just so happens that I also think the Ministry of Household Affairs is quite suitable for me. I will take up the job after the next year. I can take this opportunity to rest for a while."

Seeing the maids coming in with food, the two didn't continue talking, the maids put the food on the kang table and left.The father and son were also a little hungry, so they started eating without paying much attention.

After finishing the meal, after the dishes were removed, the two made tea and sipped it slowly.

Lin Rui thought about the last time he went to Jia's mansion, and this time he came to the capital, he would definitely see them again. Although he didn't want to go, he still asked:

"There are not many days before this year, and we have to prepare for the New Year. This time our whole family has gone to Beijing, do you want to visit relatives?"

Lin Hai glanced at Lin Rui, "So you don't want to go to Jia's house again? Jia Baoyu, you just ignore him. Our whole family has arrived in the capital, so we have to pay a visit. The Lin family in Beijing is just Yao's and Jia's If the relatives of the two families do not come to the door, this is a matter of etiquette.

Jia Baoyu was raised by the old lady of the Jia family as a girl, and she was with those little girls every day. Now that the Chinese New Year is approaching, and the weather is cold, the old lady loves this sweetheart dearly. This kid will definitely not go to school. By then Daiyu Go, are you assured that she is facing Jia Baoyu alone?Besides, you also said that Jia Baoyu is an idiot, and Daiyu is a girl with a thin skin, and some things are difficult to say, so it's better to have you around.

When she was in Yangzhou, Daiyu occasionally visited other people’s homes, but she probably never saw someone like Jia Baoyu. When you go, you and the maid who followed Daiyu should remind them, so that they also have a mental preparation. "

"It's true that I've never seen someone like Jia Baoyu. It's not that I haven't seen someone's elders doting on their children and grandchildren, but it's not like this, raising their children and grandchildren as pets."

"The old lady is happy with herself, why should we outsiders worry about it?"

"I don't worry about it. I just think that the old lady's manipulation of Jia Baoyu is a bit of a disaster, but it's none of my business. It's just talking."

"I just came back to see you here. Your yard has been chosen? Are you satisfied with the chosen yard? If there is anything to be changed, just tell the housekeeper directly. Now it is my own place, not like living in the government office in Yangzhou before. Just come to your own place according to your own mind.

Is it still named Runzeyuan?We've been living here for a few years, not to make you forget your old loved ones, but also not to dwell too much on the past. "

Lin Hai looked at Lin Rui's mood a bit depressed, and didn't say much, just stroked his son's hair, "The hair is dry too, go back to sleep!"

Jia Lian came back from the outside to the small courtyard where he and Sister Feng lived in Rongguo Mansion, and saw Sister Feng was busy, flipping through the account books, and talking peacefully about the trivial matters of the house.Jia Lian went directly to the kang and sat on the side, so he didn't bother them.

Wang Xifeng waited until she was almost busy, looked at Jia Lian sitting aside, and couldn't help but sarcastically said:

"Hey, why did Erye, a busy man, come back so early today? Didn't he go somewhere to fool around?"

"Second Mistress is jealous? You have something to say when I come back late, and you have to say it when I come back earlier. It's all Mistress's fault. What you do for your husband is wrong! Haven't you finished yet?"

"What are you busy with? It's the end of the year, money is everywhere, and the second wife knows to let those people find me. Can I get money?"

"Who made you, Lian's second mistress, able to do it! It's really not good, so I resigned from it. I didn't see any benefits for your housekeeper. I also need to be subsidized from time to time. What's the fun of being a housekeeper?"

"I don't care about the house. Is there still room for me in this mansion? To put it lightly!"

"Okay, okay, I'll just talk. Guess what I saw outside today?"

Wang Xifeng raised her phoenix eyes, and cast a sidelong glance at Jia Lian, "Could it be that you saw some stunning beauty?"

"Oh, am I such a person? Beauty, there is one in front of me."

Seeing that Jia Lian was still playing tricks, Wang Xifeng reached out and grabbed and twisted his waist. Jia Lian cried out in pain, "I said, I said. When I passed Uncle Lin's house today, I saw many people moving things in. The things were very strange. Many, it should be that the whole family moved. I didn’t hear the news that Uncle Lin was transferred to the capital, so why did the whole family move to the capital? You go to the old lady’s place every day, have you heard anything?”

"No, the old lady probably doesn't know either. Uncle Lin and the family are indeed estranged now. Some time ago, they sent New Year's gifts to the door, and there was no news that the Lin family was going to Beijing.

In the past, when Aunt Min was here, the sum of the New Year’s gifts would not be less than 5000 taels of silver, or even tens of thousands. It was Aunt, the second wife, who returned some scraps every time. Now it’s all right, Lin’s The annual ceremony is far from before. "

"Now that Aunt Min is gone, can you still expect Uncle Lin to stay in this mansion as before? It's none of our business to worry about so much anyway?"

"Of course it's none of your business, as long as you have food and drink every day! In the past, Aunt Min would send you a boxing gift every time before the holidays. At any rate, it could help make up for it. Now, looking at the account book, I'm so worried!"

"..."