Lei Yue Longmen

At the same time, in the Cen Mansion mansion to the south, Cen Zhu was reviewing the re-recorded content by the young man named Xiang Ming.

"Name, Xiang Ming. Male, 27 years old, unmarried, now born in Jiangyang County, originally in Quyang County. He lost his parents when he was young. The names of his parents are unknown, and there are no sisters or brothers. Born in the last year of the first emperor Duancheng, he was raised by the Jiang family since childhood. Big. Apart from the Yanhu mansion, there is no one else? Private house and land. That’s it, right?”

The young man folded his hands in front of his belly, and nodded decisively.

Cen Zhu glanced at this strange young man from the corner of his eye, and pondered: "That is to say, this Jiang family is equivalent to your... step-mother?"

"It's madam." The young man corrected again.

It's Madam again.In Cen Zhu's mind, he recalled the old lady's hoarse voice. Although he had never seen her, this cold and arrogant young man seemed to respect her very much.I don't know where it is sacred?

The young man looked at the black shadow outside the window, seemed a little anxious, and began to urge, "Is it all right?"

"Oh, it will be ready soon." Cen Zhu rubbed the paper and turned it down, "I see, according to the procedure, I? I still have a few necessary questions to ask you, I hope you can cooperate."

Xiang Ming nodded reluctantly.Cen Zhu found that he was not very talkative, and he would never say anything if he could show it with actions.

She cleared her throat and asked seriously, "Is this house bought by your wife and placed in your name?"

Seeing his uneasy expression, Cen Zhuo said: "Don't get me wrong, I'm not suspicious of your wife. It's just that the court has a clear rule that a family with the same surname can only buy two private houses in the capital at most. In order to prevent some powerful people from annexing the house in the name of others , the imperial court has always strictly controlled this piece of money." She remembered that Xiang Ming asked about the house for "Madame" that day, and she decided in her heart that the actual owner of this house was not Xiang Ming, but the old man. ? Ma'am, it's just placed in his name.There are many tyrants with ulterior motives who will do this in order to annex houses. If this opening is opened, it will be difficult for ordinary people to buy houses.So I asked a few more words.

Xiang Ming blinked to express his understanding, and then said bluntly: "No, I bought it myself."

"You don't have a private house and no other income. How can you afford a house worth 20 taels?"

"I have a case of silver. Every year, my wife will transfer 1 taels of silver into my private treasury. I have been with my wife for 27 years, so I have 27 taels. It is enough to buy a house."

Cen Zhu was speechless, "Ten thousand taels? What is your wife's background? How did she make such a generous offer?"

A cold light flashed in the young man's eyes, and Cen Zhu thought to himself, could it be that he can't even ask a question?Does he still want to hit someone?

But I heard him say: "There is someone outside the window!" As soon as the words fell, the shadow of the candle on the table shook, what is there? Something flew out of the eyes like a sharp arrow, and pierced the window paper with a "plop".

At the same time, there was a scream of "ah" from outside the window, followed by the sound of shattering cups and cups.

Cen Zhu was horrified, so he came to his senses and ran out to have a look. He saw Jiang Xiaoyuan standing outside the window as if she had been immobilized, her hair standing on end, her arms stretched out, and a capillary pen inserted horizontally into her flying cloud. On the top of the bun, it is unbiased, right in the heart of the bun.

"Big...man!!" Xiaoyuan was so frightened that he was so frightened that his two rabbit teeth trembled.

Cen Zhu stepped forward to take off the pen holder from her head, weighed it, and thought to himself that such a light pen holder, from such a long distance, could shoot through the window paper and hit the target in an instant.I'm afraid that even Wu Renhuan, "Yan Luo's bodyguard", can't do it!

"Nothing, nothing to be afraid of."

He comforted the bewildered little girl with a few words.Back in the room, I saw the instigator sitting in front of the case, with an indifferent and indifferent expression.

She returned to the case, "Brother Xiang is good at it, but it frightened my little sister."

Xiang Ming didn't seem to take it seriously: "She's listening to the window."

"She's here to deliver tea. Hear me? She's busy with business, so she stays outside the window."

"..." Hearing this, the young man turned his head away.

Cen Zhuo saw? He was a little bit of Li Jingzhu's reticent, and he immediately found it funny.Smiling and sitting back in his seat, he dipped his intact pen into ink, "Where did you just say? By the way, what does your wife do? Is there another house in Beijing? Don't be nervous, it's just a simple routine. Please make a record. Because you have no children or relatives, I suggest that you designate an heir, otherwise, under special conditions, the Ministry of Household Affairs will take back the house."

After half an hour, Xiang Ming went back to report.

"Madam has already rested, why have you been there for so long?" the old woman stopped him and asked as she just came out of Madam's room.

Xiang Ming seemed a little displeased: "That man even asked some questions about Madam."

"Oh? How did you answer?"

"I? Said Madam's ancestors were a wealthy family, and they accumulated some money, all of which were deposited in Guiyun Bank."

"So? That's right."

In Yurui, as long as Guiyun Bank is involved, no matter what? The clues that come naturally will be "enough".Gain Guiyun Bank itself is known for its mystery, and provides a large amount of financial assistance to the royal family every year in exchange for the absolute secrecy of the guests' privacy.

Cen Zhuo knows this point better than anyone else.So three days later, when she was invited to visit with Gu Qing, she decided not to ask about the identity of the master.

The so-called distant relatives are not as good as close neighbors, the old lady warmly entertained them.She is more talkative than Cen Zhu imagined? Inexplicably giving people the illusion that she is still very young.It didn't take long for the two of them to fall in love with this open-minded and optimistic old lady, who is not only well-informed and knowledgeable, but also kind and amiable.Especially when she learned that Gu Qing could not speak, she immediately switched to sign language to communicate with her.Gu Qing was excited by the words that she didn't know how to express when she was in trouble at ordinary times, but she could easily pick them up at her fingertips, as if she had met a famous teacher.After a period of silent "pantomime", the old woman's hands were no longer sore, and she said with a smile: "No, I'm getting old, I haven't talked with my hands for a long time, and I feel sore when I move my arms a few times. In a moment, I'll be able to picture the whole day."

Cen Zhu hurriedly said: "Lao Ma'am, you don't have to accommodate us. Gu Qing is very happy to see someone who can speak? It's rare for ordinary people to understand her gestures, but she can understand what others say. Normal communication is fine."

Gu Qing nodded again and again, looking at the old woman with admiration.

The old woman's eyes were full of smiles, and she had a good chat with these two young juniors, and she felt much younger.Asking them how long they have lived here, what are the surrounding areas? Fresh and interesting places to go, Cen Zhu thought for a while and answered: "It is next to Yanhu Lake, where you can go boating on the water in your spare time, go fishing in winter, and pick lotus roots in summer. .Especially when it freezes, the water surface is as smooth as jade..."

After a short pause, he leaned forward and said mysteriously: "When there are few people, you can secretly dig a small round hole in the ice. It doesn't need to be too big, just a bowl mouth is enough. Put the bait in and it will be ready in a while." Catch a big fat fish. Set up a bonfire on the shore and grill the fish. The taste, tsk tsk tsk, warms the heart of the person who eats it, not to mention how delicious it is.”

The old lady was so greedy that she couldn't wait to taste the fish in Yanhu Lake, but she had bad teeth recently, so she might not be able to chew the fish.

Cen Zhu said with a smile, "The fish in Yanhu is different from other places. One is that it has fewer spines, and the other is that the meat is tender. Especially after roasting, the outer layer of skin is peeled off. The fish is crispy and soft, and it melts in the mouth. You don’t even need to chew, Grandma Jiang will definitely like it.”

The old woman was so happy that her face was full of wavy smiles, "Then I will wait until the winter freezes to eat your grilled fish."

"No problem, wrap it on me."

Cen Zhu fully agreed, and when he left, he looked up at the "Immortal? Di" on the stone plaque again, smiled at Gu Qing and said, "Immortal? Di really lives up to its name, this? Is it the old man in the legend? Gu Qing also laughed, "I really hope that when I am gray-haired in the future, I will be as open-minded and calm as Grandma Jiang."

After the two left, the old woman came to the back garden happily with a teapot, and smiled at the man who was digging a ditch on the ground with a short hoe: "Ma'am, are you tired, come and have some tea? "

The man squatted on the ground, hooked up a piece of soil with a hoe, and piled it aside.He wiped the sweat from his forehead with his forearm.The cheeks are covered with a layer of healthy red due to labor.Look at the fine mud in your hands, "Leave it alone, drink it later." Continue to work with your head down.

The old woman looked at the "results" she had taken care of in the afternoon. A large fan-shaped flower garden was built around the pond, and it will probably be full of flowers next spring.

Whenever she thinks of flowers, she thinks of those two young people.Can't help laughing: "This time? Our new neighbor is really nice. I haven't met such an interesting young man for a long time. That little lady has a slick appearance and a pleasing personality. Is that the young man who is well-educated and sensible? , very funny. And you guessed it right. She's a pretty girl."

The lady moved two steps back to make room for her feet, and continued to dig the ditch.It seems to be listening, but it seems not to be listening.

The old woman said to herself, "Oh, it's another beautiful little girl who throws herself into the thorn bushes. I really want to know what will happen next? Interesting things?!" She squinted her eyes and looked south , his eyes seemed to penetrate the ridge of his own house, and fell on the courtyard of the Cen Mansion, with a look of fascination.

"I've been looking for you for so long, so you're sneaking around here!"

Cui Moxian found Cen Zhu who was fishing by the lake, and threw a letter of appointment into her hand: "Here, congratulations, the official has been reinstated."

Cen Zhu yawned, and started casually: "How did you come here? So fast? I? I still want to have a few more days of leisure, and I have to go to the office again! What annoyance!"

"Don't push your nose." Cui Moxian has an easy-going personality, and he can joke with Cen Zhuo, "You have been free for half a month, and we have been tossed to pieces. In a few days, the county tax banks It's about to be shipped to Beijing, and you want me? To go to the warehouse by myself? It's a good idea!"

Cen Zhu raised his eyebrows, "Shh - don't shout loudly, the fish will scare you away."

Cui Moxian: "..."

Cen Zhu yawned again, put the letter of appointment into his pocket, and lazily said: "Understood, I will go to the office on time tomorrow morning. Hey, do you want to stay and eat fish?"

"Don't," Cui Moxian hurriedly left after hearing the words, "Eat fish with you, and I have to be responsible for killing the fish. I?

Cen Zhu curled his lips boredly, and complained: "It's really boring!" Seeing the fish float a little bit, huh?A fish is hooked.

Pulling up the bent fishing rod, there was a "crash", and a one-foot-long black carp was dragged out of the water with its tail flicking, and fell to the bank, jumping over and over again.

Cen Zhuomie squinted at the dying carp with the hook in its mouth, and did not move.After thinking about it, Gu Qing will stay in the hospital to take care of the patients tonight, and Xiao Yuan will also go to help, it seems that no one at home can cook fish...

After looking for a hundred reasons, I finally figured out how to put it back.She was about to take the hook, but the big black carp seemed to think she was late. The moment she took off the hook, it jumped into the lake, splashing the mud all over her face with a flick of its long tail.

"Heh!" Cen Zhuangyuan wiped his face, and stared at the distant ripples in shock: "I? I didn't intend to eat you because you were a carp. You gave me a face? It really is the same kind. , Turning your face is like flipping through a book, I really can't afford it!"

At 1:[-] a.m. the next day, Cen Zhu came to the yamen of the household department to report on time.Enter the Hubu compound from the west gate, and the main east is the lobby of the Hubu Yamen. In the hall, there is a four-character plaque with the words "Nine Styles Jingbang". Useful, the job is very important. It is admirable that it is a cashier, and it will become a Zhaomin, and it will not be empty. 【[-]】" In the middle of the lobby, there is a huanghuali wood office. vacant.

On both sides of the lobby are the north and south valet rooms, which are distributed in various departments. Cen Zhuo has a separate valet room, which is located in the first room on the east side of the north chamber, but she still likes to work with everyone, and occupies the east hall with Cui Moxian In terms of responsibilities, each of them commands twelve of the 24 divisions of the household department.The 24 divisions of the Ministry of Household Affairs are units divided according to administrative regions. Generally, two neighboring counties are classified as one division, a few of three counties are classified as one division, and each of the large and small capitals is divided into a separate division.Each division is responsible for all financial matters including territory, fields, household registration, taxes, and salaries within their respective administrative regions [2].

As soon as you enter the value room, you will feel something is different.It turned out that the positions of many of her subordinates had changed, and there were a few new faces in the duty room.She had heard from Cui Moxian a long time ago that the Crown Princess had replaced many officials in the household department as soon as she came, and now she alone has the final say on all affairs of the household department.

When Cen Zhu came to his desk, all his subordinates bowed their hands and saluted her.She was younger than most of the people in the room, so she also bowed her hand and signaled everyone to go their separate ways.Turning his head to see that Cui Moxian's seat was empty, he guessed that he should have gone to court early.

She sat quietly in front of the case for a while, and dealt with several important tasks handed over by the director of a certain department.An hour later, I heard the bell of Sanchao coming from the direction of the palace.After another cup of tea, the people from the court came back one after another. Cui Moxian came in and called her, "Cen Zhu, Your Highness has an order to bring the Twelve Ministers and the Chief Booker to the lobby immediately to discuss matters."

The author has something to say:

[1] "Nine Styles Jingbang" is a plaque in the lobby of the Ministry of Households in the Qing Dynasty, inscribed by Emperor Yongzheng himself. "Zhou Li uses the nine-style method to save the country's wealth, and the position is very important. It is fair to be a cashier, and the Fu will become a Zhaomin. If you don't leave it, you will keep it." From the precepts in front of the plaque.

[2] The setting of the 24 Departments of the Yurui Household Department refers to the setting of the [-]th Department of Officials in the Ming and Qing Dynasties.