The Rich and the Idlers of the Red Chamber

Jia Amnesty was almost choked by the almost sudden words of the old sage, but he still said cautiously: "The dog will be fifteen after the new year, and he can be considered an adult!"

In modern times, it is a second-degree illness in this era, but fortunately, Ah Shou has no such symptoms, but to be honest, he is not a worry-free child.

The old sage asked with a smile: "It's fifteen, it's really old, I wonder what plans Enhou has for your parents?"

Jia Amnesty said very frankly: "Your Majesty, you have learned from the old man that my minister is just a bastard. He has been freed from childhood to adulthood, so he is careless about the rules and doesn't know anything about government affairs. My son is very good at it. He is very much like me. A few years ago, he followed some of his cousins ​​to take the exam for a scholar, but now, he is not very interested in the Four Books and Five Classics, but like a minister, he is quite interested in the way of studying things! The kid doesn't have any plans, and I don't expect him to be successful, just let him do what he likes!"

The old sage didn't mind what kind of things he did. The things Jia She made gave the old sage a lot of surprises. There are hundreds of Jinshi in three years, but people like Jia She can only produce one in 100 years. Two, the old sage tasted the sweetness and did not disdain these things, so he said with a smile: "It turns out that the son inherited the father's business, but it is not bad. I wonder what the boy can do?"

Jia She explained: "The way of investigating things is actually the most important thing. Unless it is a mistake, or based on some previous experience, otherwise, you must first know some basic principles before you can make things based on these principles. , It’s impossible to aim too high, and what my kid tossed out is just some gadgets, which are fine for playing with, but they can’t be used for much!”

Jia She also cared about his son, racking his brains to compile a few basic textbooks for him, nothing more than mathematics, physics and chemistry at the middle school level. To be honest, this really took Jia She's nose. Years have passed, and he really doesn't remember many of these things clearly. In the end, he had to find a lot of books handed down by missionaries, and use those as a reference to sort out those few books.

A Shou is probably really talented in these things, he couldn't put down those books, he read them all day long, and asked Jia She about everything, which made Jia She want to run away, but fortunately he He is indeed a clever boy, Jia She thought, maybe Ah Shou could really become a scientist in this era, so, apart from caring about his knowledge, he was more tolerant towards him.

Now the old sage asked, although he said that he was modest, Jia She could not conceal the high spirits on his face, he was so proud of his son, the old sage almost wanted to laugh out loud when he saw it. That's why I like to talk with Jia She, because of Jia She's temperament, there is not much pretense, he talks and laughs when he needs to, which makes the old sage feel at ease from the bottom of his heart.

The old sage laughed: "Enhou is indeed a loving father, others are looking forward to his son becoming a dragon, but there are few people like Enhou!"

Jia She said very naturally: "I am a worthless person myself, why should I ask my son for something that I can't even do! Besides, I don't really care much about whether my son will become a talent, as long as they To be an adult, there is no problem with character. Although there is no need to make a fortune in the future, but there is a skill that can entertain themselves, so that they can only be drunk and dreamy for the rest of their lives. In addition, even if there is any accident, it is enough to be able to support themselves. As for the others, The minister can't control that much!"

Hearing this, the old sage sighed softly: "Your request is not too low. Many families have raised children from generation to generation, and they can't do this. Many families just want their children to pass the imperial examination. It seems that as long as you study well, nothing else is important, but in the end, you have raised a bunch of stupid and mediocre officials, and even some corrupt officials. Without the help of a staff, you can't even do ordinary things! If the character is not good No matter how knowledgeable you are, it will only add another disaster to the world, the more you read, the more you will harm others and yourself!"

Jia Amnesty didn't know why the old sage talked about this matter, but he didn't like to make any comments on this matter, so he just laughed and said: "Actually, it's because I'm a lazy person and doesn't want to take care of my children and grandchildren for the rest of my life. Such a teaching!"

"Who can take care of their children and grandchildren for a lifetime!" The old sage also laughed. They are spiritual, but they can't control the affairs of the world, so children and grandchildren have their own blessings, and when they get married and start a business, they can let them go by themselves!"

Jia She said with a smile: "What the sage said is, when the two boys in my family have a daughter-in-law, I will be able to let go of most of my heart!"

As a result, the old sage finally got to the point. He tentatively asked: "The child is fifteen years old this year, so he can be considered an adult. I wonder if Enhou has arranged a marriage for the child?"

Jia She was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help feeling a little embarrassed, and said falteringly: "Well, in fact, I got married relatively late back then, let alone boys, you don't have to worry about being late, so I really didn't expect this!"

The old sage naturally knew about this. Jia She got married a lot later than his peers, mainly because the old lady and Mrs. Shi were fighting there. Shi thought that Jia She was married to Mrs. Shi I was raised there, so I must marry a daughter-in-law who is close to me, and I want to choose from my natal family. As a result, the old lady has always been dissatisfied with Shi Shi. She thinks that Shi Shi is a daughter-in-law. When the girl came back, she was simply embarrassing herself.What's more, Jia Amnesty was brought up by the old Duke's wife, who treats him like a jewel like a treasure, and only thinks that his grandson is worthy even of a fairy.The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law have been tossing about Jia She's marriage for a while, but they haven't been able to settle it for several years, until Jia She is in his early twenties.

The old lady thought that Jia She would inherit the title in the future, and Jia She himself was a person without much ambition, so it was natural to choose a wife for Jia She who could help him and protect him, so she found the Zhang family. , the Zhang family has been scholarly for generations, and the court is quite powerful, so they can naturally protect their son-in-law. Therefore, they have the cheek to close the door, and even take advantage of the old Rong Guogong's kindness to the Zhang family, and settle the Zhang family.

It's just that Mrs. Zhang was not ready at that time. If it wasn't for this, she would not have waited for the old lady to come to propose marriage in person. Therefore, after waiting for another two years, Jia Amnesty finally married Mrs. Zhang into the family.

It is also because Jia Amnesty has never been engaged, and Jia Zheng got married later. Jia Zheng is the second son and has no fame. Compared with Zhang's conditions, Shi's requirements for the second son's daughter-in-law are also higher, so he also chose It took a long time to decide on the Wang family at that time, but in fact I was still a little dissatisfied in my heart, but Jia Zheng's conditions at that time could not be found better, so it was finally settled.

But Jia She didn't expect that Zhang's side is thinking that his son is only a scholar now, although he has the status of a prince, but if his fame is higher, marriage will naturally be more popular, so he just thinks about turning back and forcing his son Take part in a township examination, and when the time comes, no matter whether you pass or fail, you have to prepare for your son's marriage.

Mrs. Zhang also mentioned to Jia She that Jia She feels that early marriage is a bit cruel to young people. Now is the time when children's learning ability and acceptance are at their best. He should focus on his studies, not to mention that he is ten years old. Fifth, the actual age is only thirteen. At this age, it is too early to talk about marriage. Therefore, Jia Amnesty naturally strongly agrees with what Zhang said. Anyway, his son does not have to worry about not finding him. To find a suitable daughter-in-law, so there is no rush at all.

Now when the old sage asked, Jia She's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that the old sage is eyeing his own son and wants to be a matchmaker?

As a result, as soon as the old sage opened his mouth, he confirmed Jia She's conjecture: "My twelfth daughter, Rong Le, is also in the year of cardamom, and she is about the same age as your child. Enhou, it is better to marry me, Enhou. How do you feel?"

Jia She thought about who the old saint's twelfth daughter was, and quickly remembered that Princess Rongle was the daughter of Concubine Yu, who was a favorite concubine of the old saint in his later years, but she was born One daughter is Princess Rong Le. It is said that Princess Rong Le is quite favored. The old sage is not bad looking. Yu Taiyu can be favored by the old sage. She should be a beauty. It can be seen that as long as Princess Rong Le is not a genetic mutation, she must be Also a little beauty.It's just that he doesn't know what his temperament is, if he is unruly and self-willed, he is afraid that his son will not be able to surrender, Jia She immediately hesitated.

Seeing Jia She's hesitation, the old sage couldn't help but frowned: "What is the meaning of Enhou, is it possible that my princess is not worthy of your daughter?"

Jia She made a bitter face, and said: "Your Majesty, you are so worthy, my boy is a capricious one, I am just afraid that the princess will look down on my son!"

The old sage waved his hand after hearing this, and laughed: "There's nothing to say about it. Marriage is nothing more than the order of the parents and the words of the matchmaker. I can trust your son with kindness, and my glory and joy are also a piece of cake." Well-behaved girl, she is not someone who will rely on her status as a princess and look down on others, just don't worry, Enhou!"

Having reached this point, Jia Amnesty had nothing else to say, so he bowed down very neatly, "On behalf of my son, I thank the Emperor for his kindness!"

The old sage only felt that one important matter had been resolved, and he immediately felt relieved, and said with a smile: "Enhou is alive, and I and Enhou will be in-laws in the future, so there is no need to be so polite! I will tell the emperor later, and make a decree to grant a marriage." , Enhou just needs to prepare the dowry when he turns back!"

Jia She smiled wryly in his heart, but thinking about it, his own son is not a person who can be an official anyway, and being a son-in-law will also have enough guarantees in the future, which can support him in pursuing his own ideals for the rest of his life. The royal princess can be regarded as the biggest Bai Fumei , my son will be at the pinnacle of his life in the future!Jia She is a person who can accept the facts very well. The princesses in this dynasty, like those in the Tang Dynasty, are rare, and most of them are virtuous and virtuous. Sad, therefore, I quickly let go of my heart, thinking about how to tell Mrs. Zhang when I go back.

The old sage had this idea several years ago. After all, Jia She is really a rare talent. Now it seems that Jia She's eldest son has inherited Jia She's mantle. With a princess, he will win over such a future talent for the royal family. That's not bad, so after Jia Amnesty came down here, the old sage immediately felt complete.

The old sage looked at Jia Amnesty, and then said: "Although Rong Le is still young, it will take a few years to get married, but, Enhou, don't worry, after all, boys are not afraid of getting married too late, Enhou said yes no!"

Jia Amnesty nodded quickly: "The Emperor is right, but in fact, I also think that it is time for the dog to work hard when he is young!"

The old sage also nodded, and said with a smile: "Well, I will ask your wife to enter the palace to greet the Empress Dowager and the Queen, and let your wife see Rong Le. Now you should feel relieved!"

Jia She hurriedly said: "It's my family's honor to marry the princess of the Tian family. I only have reason to be happy, so there's nothing to worry about!" Anyway, this matter has already been settled, and Jia She naturally won't tell the old sage what to do. Come up with another idea.

The old sage said with a smile: "Okay, I still don't know about your temperament. It's getting late, and I should go back to the palace. You, just go back and wait!"

The old sage left contentedly, Jia She sent the old sage away, rubbed his temples with some headaches, and then began to think about how to tell Mrs. Zhang when he went back.

On the Zhang side, they were also surprised to hear that the old sage wanted A Shou to be the Lord. For the honorable family, being the Lord is naturally an honor. The township monarchs of the clan are more popular than the princesses, not because of anything else, but because most of the sons-in-law are honored and cannot really participate in politics. For many literati who want to govern the country and the world, it is simply ruining their own future. .

Therefore, when the imperial court chooses a son-in-law, it will generally not choose from Qingliu civil servants, and will not choose a new champion for the princess, so as not to do bad things with good intentions and create a pair of resentful couples.

When Mrs. Zhang heard that the old sage was going to marry the princess, she couldn't help feeling a little worried. Even though she knew that her son was an idler, Mrs. Zhang still had some expectations for her son. As a result, her son would never want to be successful in this life. After seeing each other, I couldn't help but feel depressed.

However, Mrs. Zhang is not a stubborn person. Knowing her son is more like mother, Mrs. Zhang also knows about Ah Shou's temperament. No matter whether it is Ah Shou or Ah Ning, they don't care about the four books, five classics and stereotyped essays. They will never be happy, and they may not be able to accomplish anything.

If Ah Shou becomes the master, then he is considered to be half of the clan, and he himself has a title of title, which is no worse than the princess's status, and he doesn't need to be too humble to the princess, so life will naturally not be sad.Ah Shou himself has no interest in being an official. He likes the way of investigating things, so he will not feel that marrying the princess will ruin his future. It would be great if that Princess Rong Le and Ah Shou also have something in common. But that's all.

After pondering for a while, Mrs. Zhang immediately accepted that she was about to have a princess as her daughter-in-law. Although she couldn't afford to be a mother-in-law in front of the princess, Mrs. Zhang herself was not a harsh person, so she must Take out on your daughter-in-law the anger you got when you were a daughter-in-law!Therefore, what I am worried about now is whether the princess is a good person to get along with. In Zhang's eyes, his son is good everywhere, but he was spoiled since he was a child, and he has always had a temper like a bully. Can't get along with the princess.

Mrs. Zhang was worried there. Jia Amnesty watched Zhang's expression changing, and couldn't help crying. He took Zhang's hand and said, "When a princess gets married, there will naturally be a princess mansion. If she is a good one, then A harmonious family is naturally the best, but if the princess is arrogant, then she lives in the princess mansion, and we don't have much contact with her, so there is nothing to worry about!"

"But what about Ah Shou?" Mrs. Zhang couldn't help asking after hearing Jia She's comfort.

Jia She said directly: "Even if a princess is married, her honor is not only attached to the royal family, but also to her husband's family. Isn't it rare for a princess who is not favored by the dynasty to marry a poor family? Is it not a boast of a husband? Whether it is the old saint or the current saint, they still have some sympathy for their husbands. As long as that Princess Rong Le is a smart person, she will not put on airs of a princess in our house. The royal family married the princess. It’s not for the princess to offend anyone!”

The same is true of Jia She's about the princess's marriage. The old sage mentioned this matter today. I'm afraid that he has already planned this. If she really married a dude, then the princess would be too cheap.The princess in the palace can only be compared with the holy favor and her husband's family.It's not that Jia She is boasting, the current situation on Jia She's side, although it is not considered first-rate in Beijing, it is still a top figure in the second-rate.

As a princess, being able to marry into Anlehou's Mansion is really considered luck.Moreover, even if you are a princess, as a woman, you are in a disadvantaged position. It is impossible for a princess in this dynasty to have a fief and food town in her hands, to participate in politics, and to raise a lot of noodles like she did in the Tang Dynasty. First of all, the reputation is bad, but even if the son-in-law wears a green hat, he can only accept his fate.

But since the Song Dynasty, the status of princesses has dropped significantly, and some princesses have even been tortured to death by their husbands. The emperor can't do anything to the son-in-law and his family.

Although this is not the case in this dynasty, the princess has a princess mansion. If the son-in-law deliberately alienates and does not enter the door of the princess mansion for a year or so, ordinary princesses can only swallow this bitter fruit. After all, if the son-in-law does not have the same The king of Dongping County also kept a foreign room, and if he did something out of the ordinary, even if the princess stayed alone in the vacant room, she couldn't sue the saint, because it would inevitably be laughed at.Of course, if the princess and her husband's family are in harmony, it is normal for the princess mansion to be useless.

Jia Amnesty is not a saint in the first place, no matter how good the princess is, she can't compare to her own son, if that Princess Rong Le is not worrying, then they can completely ignore their eyes and let the princess live in the princess' mansion. Even if the son hides overseas, it's a very simple matter. When the time comes, he will come up with some benefits, and he will have an explanation to his superiors. After all, for a man, career is the most important thing!If my son gets along well with the princess, then it will be great, and everyone will be at peace.

Jia Amnesty didn't tell Mrs. Zhang directly, but Mrs. Zhang is not a fool. Looking back now, she has no resistance to having a princess as her daughter-in-law. Besides, the old sage promised that Mrs. Zhang Enter the palace, meet that Princess Rong Le, then you can also see how Princess Rong Le's temperament is, and then decide how to deal with it.

The matter of Master A Shou, the old sage had already mentioned it to the sage. After returning to the palace, he ventilated with the sage. Children don't have much affection. She was just a concubine Yi back then, and the only ones she raised under her knees were Tu Mingyi and Tu Mingyun. To her, other children were the objects she could see at the palace banquet. No emotion.Now that she is the Empress Dowager, those concubines and concubines will naturally come here to say hello to her, and those who have daughters who have not left the palace will naturally bring their daughters here. The Empress Dowager is familiar with those princesses. As a concubine's princess, no one is nobler than anyone else, and the Empress Dowager doesn't need to think so much, it's nothing more than according to the usual practice, what should be rewarded and what should be done.

At the age of Princess Rong Le, it is indeed time to start seeing the concubine. After all, it is not a matter of a day or two to see the concubine, and there are a lot of people to be selected at the beginning, not to mention that there are no married people in the palace. There are still several princesses in the house, they are the sisters of the saint, the daughters of the old saint, and the targets are more difficult to deal with. After all, the saint himself does not have any younger sisters, and he has already left the palace. These sisters are not considered to have feelings for her Deep, marrying them, apart from getting a salary, may not have any practical benefits, and it will not make the saint look at them differently. Instead of marrying these who will be crowned princesses in the future, it is better to delay for two years. When the current princess grows up, these unmarried princesses are a little anxious about their future marriage.

Princess Rong Le is okay. Although the old saint has abdicated, Mrs. Yu has been a little favored these years. She often sees the old saint, and occasionally sees the saint in the Chuigong Hall. However, the children of the royal family often Precocious, Princess Rong Le really doesn't have high expectations for her future husband's family, as long as she is not a jerk, even if she is a bit of a dandy, she will be satisfied.Now it is a surprise to learn from Concubine Yu that the old sage has appointed her the son of the Marquis of Anle. Princess Rong Le looks at Princess Rong Ke, who is only one year older than herself, with jealous little eyes , I suddenly felt that I was already complete.

Since Princess Rongle is very satisfied with this marriage, after knowing that Mrs. Zhang entered the palace, she became a little cautious and nervous when facing Mrs. Zhang. Although she is a princess, she will marry into the Marquis of Anle in the future. Facing his own mother-in-law, it is naturally impossible to be too calm.When Mrs. Zhang saw Princess Rong Le, she also breathed a sigh of relief.