The Happy Man in the Red Chamber

Jia Amnesty returned with the usual face of the people in the capital, smelling of alcohol.An Lan didn't ask anything, just sat in front of the dressing table and looked at the mirror in front of the mirror, looking at her hairstyle for the reunion dinner at night.She was in a good mood today, so she simply bought something delicious for Jia Lian and his wife to come and join in the fun.

Zhang Yunxi took Jia Lian back to her natal home the day before yesterday, and she heard a lot of jokes from morning till night.Hearing An Lan calling for someone to come over, she smiled and took Jia Lian's hand and got into a carriage, ready to tell An Lan.

Looking at the smiling young couple, An Lan leaned on the soft pillow: "What is your happy event?"

Liuli took the maid to serve tea to Zhang Yunxi and Jia Lian, and they sat down at a nearby round table.Only then did Zhang Yunxi speak: "It's not a happy event, but a joke I heard at my natal family. I even told my father about it in the car!"

"She said that if she told my wife about you, she would definitely make you happy." Jia Lian was in a good mood today. Lin Ruhai will be in Beijing at the end of this year, and next year he will be able to go to Jiangnan to show off his talents and become a salt administrator.In the end, it was a shortage of the third rank, how could he not be happy.But this also depends on the reputation of Qixiufang in Jiangnan.Especially with the recent events, the Zhen family controlled by Cihang Jingzhai was in trouble in the south of the Yangtze River.

"Then tell me!" An Lan got up and took the mouthwash that Liuli handed over to clear his mouth, then took a sip of the freshly brewed tea.It's Pu'er from Yunnan. It's good to drink some Pu'er in autumn recently.

Zhang Yunxi took a look at Jia Lian, pinching his handkerchief: "I don't know why, our family hasn't heard the news yet! But it seems that the houses all over the capital know about it."

"Know what?" An Lan put down the tea bowl, showing a little curiosity.In fact, she didn't think there was anything she needed to be curious about right now.You know, the information collected by the sword maids in Qixiufang may not be able to be completed by other people.

"It's that brother Baoyu from the uncle's house next door. There was news from the door of their house a while ago. It is said that in order to avoid studying, that brother even said that those who study and take scientific examinations are all city classics. I would rather go Looking at those opera manuscripts, I don’t want to study the Four Books and Five Classics. Uncle was so angry that his head went crazy. He swore he would never ignore him again.” Zhang Yunxi smiled and narrowed his eyes: “I It’s funny, but I don’t know who my uncle made this raft for. It seems that he just got a headache because his son didn’t go to school. In the end, he just ignored it. But to be honest, he just couldn’t control it. But such news spread, After all, it is an eyesore. It’s not that the family knows the way here, but in the end, it spreads around. It is said that the uncle originally wanted to use his son to study, but the old mother stopped him because he was planning to take care of a disabled child. A good son-in-law."

"It's quite interesting." An Lan heard this, and propped herself up and added an extra pillow to lean against: "I really think that if the emperor orders to praise and praise the concubine Jia, it will be more lively."

"How do you say that?" Zhang Yunxi and Jia Lian looked at each other, feeling a little curious about it.They all know how Yuanchun was promoted.However, what does it matter if this praises Yuanchun?

An Lan looked at them and just smiled and said nothing, her slender nails covered with impatiens were trimmed and rounded.With slender fingers, she pinched the white porcelain light-transmitting glass bowl cover, and gently picked the tea leaves inside.

After all, Jia Lian has a better mind than Zhang Yunxi. He thought about it carefully and suddenly understood An Lan's meaning: "Madam's meaning... Maybe it means that these two rumors are actually released from there?"

"I don't know if the first one was released over there, but the latter one is inevitable. It looks very similar to your second aunt's handwriting. I'm afraid your second uncle's acquiescence is also in it." An Lan drank a big mouthful of tea and put it on the table. While crossing his fingers: "At present, there are only a few families who know the identity of Baoyu. Our family, theirs, your uncle's family next door, your daughter-in-law's natal family, and the people around the emperor. And... the Zhen family. Regardless How, this second one is the one who saved your uncle!"

Jia Lian thought for a while and nodded: "Madam is very right." He was about to say something when he watched Jia She come in.He still had some dusty smell on his body, obviously he had traveled a long way.

"Autumn fever is not very comfortable after all. Where have you been but do you need to wash?" An Lan got up and sat down, watching Jia She took off her blouse and sat on the side of the kang.Jia Lian and Zhang Yunxi hurriedly stood up to say hello.

The appearance of Jia Amnesty made the air a little more suffocating.He didn't speak, but drank three bowls of tea before he recovered.

"There's something wrong with nephew Zhen, I'll deal with it."

"But it's safe?" Jia Lian asked hastily.He is much older than Jia Zhen.In the past, when Lao Tzu was busy traveling around the rivers and lakes, and my mother was busy fighting in the back house, it was mostly the big brother who watched over him.

"It's not a big deal." Jia Amnesty looked at An Lan who was smiling and silent, coughed and told about Jia Zhen.

That Jia Zhen is also unlucky.The emperor sent him to the northwest to raise horses. No matter how you look at it, this errand was for Jia Jing to save some face.The sky is high and the emperor is far away, this son did not expect him to know how to handle war horses.Just hope that there is not much difference from previous years.To put it bluntly, it is not seeking merit but seeking no faults.But maybe Jia Zhen really went to the northwest region, saw the sky high and the clouds low, passed through the customs of several provinces and regions, and thought it was an opportunity, and became more serious instead.

He was serious, but it made it difficult for the people below to fill their pockets, not to mention, they still waited to see his face.After some harsh actions, in the end it stood firm.But what he violated was not only the interests of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, but also the interests of the local horse farm managers.The stallion was poisoned and the mare nearly lost her chance before she could conceive.When he left, Jia Amnesty had given him a quick way to contact him.Unexpectedly, in the end it was a life-saving one.

This time, Jia She's people succeeded in gaining Jia Zhen's trust, Jia She left him a counselor, it was better than Jia Jing not giving him anything.The new stallions and mares are obtained through the horse farm of Qixiufang.Those are not ordinary horses at first glance, they are all famous horses and good breeds.In a few years, Jia Zhen will be reused because of Ma's affairs.

Jia Amnesty talked about this, and looked at Jia Lian with emotion: "Your father, I didn't help him for no reason. You are going to the south of the Yangtze River to be a salt administrator. You may have to leave in order to make better arrangements for Shangyuan. Although Now there is a waterway in the square, which is different from before. At that time, you were a person from the rivers and lakes, and it was okay to mess around. At that time, you will encounter all kinds of methods. Even if you don’t do anything, you will be caught without reason Refer to a few books about the matter."

"My son knows!" Jia Lian had no choice but to nod repeatedly after being scolded by his own father.Zhang Yunxi looked down at him amusedly, covering his mouth with a handkerchief and smiling.

An Lan flicked a peanut into Jia Amnesty's mouth to stop him from preaching: "I want to teach your son to go to your study. I don't like such nonsense here. I think you have to pay me something no matter what. You are so Borrowing flowers to offer Buddha, have you asked me, the flower master?"

The peanuts in his mouth hurt from beating his teeth, but Jia Amnesty ate it without changing his face.Between his lips and teeth, he glared at Jia Lian: "Isn't this urgent? Tell me, how much money do I need?"

"Who wants your money?" An Lan smiled and waved her hands: "Okay, okay, I'm hungry! Serve it up quickly, and sleep in the afternoon when I'm full."

When the maids waiting over there heard the words, they brought out the cold dishes that had been prepared earlier.The small kitchen of Lixiangyuan is not far away. Although it is said that the smell of fireworks is not good, the place where the servants eat is in the courtyard farther away, and the meals for two or three people are not very good.

Four cold appetizers were served first: Ginger preserved eggs, shredded kelp with pickled peppers, slightly sweet fried apple snails and wine-sealed pork liver.Where An Lan and Zhang Yunxi were, there were two extra bowls of warm clear soup with a small ball of dried silk floating on it.It was obviously prepared for the warm and nourishing taste of the two women.

An Lan moved her chopsticks first. Although it was against the rules, Jia Amnesty couldn't beat her, so the family could only follow her boss's rules.The taste of the pork liver was very good, Jia Lian tasted it with chopsticks and put some on the small plate in front of Zhang Yunxi.Jia Amnesty saw him courting his wife more than once, but he didn't have to say anything he wanted to.I could only get myself some good Huiquan wine in a state of boredom, and after taking a sip, I ate a few mouthfuls with cold dishes.

Zhang Yunxi ate the dried silk and hot soup in the bowl, and put down his chopsticks to pick up vegetables for Jia Lian and An Lan.Before she came, because she had to wait for Jia Lian to take a bath and change clothes, she ate some fruit and was not hungry.

Putting down the chopsticks: "Speaking of which, the conversation just now has been cut off! My wife hasn't said anything about Sister Yuan. Sister Yuan is already a virtuous concubine, how can I praise her? Can she be promoted to a noble concubine?" ?”

"If I were the emperor..." An Lan took a sip of plum wine and thought for a while, "I would really promote her to be that noble concubine. Anyway, it's just a place in a mausoleum, imperial concubine, noble concubine...as long as it's not the queen , isn’t that a title? It’s just that the person who gets it will be grateful or indulgent. It just depends on how the concubine’s natal family and the concubine herself did it.”

"What's the advantage of this? There is only one imperial concubine and two noble concubines. If it is given to Sister Yuan at this time, other people will be willing?" Zhang Yunxi felt that even if it was to balance the empress's natal family with the other concubines' natal families, The emperor would not behave like this.

"Stupid!" An Lan tapped her forehead and stuffed a piece of preserved egg into her mouth: "Right now, what our new emperor dislikes the most is those royal relatives? I have been with you for so long, how can I not see this."

Jia Lian looked at her bulging face and struggling to chew, and shook her head with a smile: "I'm afraid she went crazy playing along the way, so she didn't have much contact."

"It's all the fault of you and senior brother, how can I say that I have fun?" Zhang Yunxi was a little unhappy about this, she pursed her lips: "It's all you and him through me, how do you understand?"

"That's true, it's just the senior brother's marriage..." Thinking about what the emperor had been talking about not long ago.Jia Lian shook his head: "I'm afraid if he doesn't want to be the princess, he's spreading rumors to the emperor."

"With his character, how can he let go of those pasts? Not to mention, the place is very close to his home, and no one is looking for it. After finally returning home, he wanted to study but was stopped. If he didn't fight to the death Kneeling there, I'm afraid I won't be in this situation anymore!" Hearing about Lin Qing, An Lan sighed: "The hot dishes are about to be served, and I found a good Sichuan cuisine cook today, so I'll have a good taste."

The four of them had a full stomach after eating a meal, and each sat on the kang with their favorite tea, gossiping and digesting the food, when the woman in front reported that it was Lin Qing who had come.

Someone invited them in, and Lin Qing came in wearing a bright red gown and an extremely rare brocade cloak.It looked like the happy horse just came back.

"Didn't you go to Lin'an Mansion? Why did you come here in such a hurry?" An Lan asked someone to remove the cloak for him, and took a stool and water to clean his hands and face.

Lin Qing was not polite, she just looked at such a rare and well-equipped person, and sighed that it was a good time for her to come.It's just that he hasn't entered bigu yet, so he's a bit hungry after all.

"Master, there is something to eat here, even the leftovers are fine."

"Yingluo, go and prepare some food for your elder brother. The pork liver just now is good, so ask someone to cut some more." An Lan ordered Yingluo who was waiting outside to sit down and drink some hot tea: "You dusty man Yes, but something is wrong?"

"The concubine of the Nan'an palace, the concubine who found the loyal prince wanted to tell me about their girl. I was just making a joke. After all, I used the identity of Lin Qing, but somehow they found her. The Mei family." Speaking of this, Lin Qing was very angry.Back then, they didn't allow me to practice martial arts and enter the Seven Embroidery Workshop, saying that they wanted to sever the relationship.Now that he has changed his identity, he respects his master and wants to take care of his marriage in the end.

"The Mei family doesn't have the guts to disobey my order. I've already told you that you can make up your own mind." An Lan glanced at Qian Momo, who was quiet, and Qian Momo went out of the meeting.

"Originally, I thought it was tortured too!" Lin Qing sighed: "I don't know if the master knows, why the Mei family has not been happy in the workshop until now?"

"I don't care about things in Waifang. Why? Shouldn't the Mei family have their own territory?"

Hearing An Lan's question, Zhang Yunxi shook his head: "It's not about the Mei family's affairs, I'm afraid the wife doesn't know very well. I do know a little bit, because the daughter-in-law of their family married a girl from the Zhen family, and the old man The four families were very repulsive. After entering the workshop, something happened to the senior brother... Originally speaking, it is good for the disciples in the family to have a success, no matter what. I just heard some private things. At that time, they The original plan was to make the big brother into the Zhen family as a girl. Originally, the Haining generation was very chaotic for the concubine children. Not to mention, the Mei family is nothing. It is hard to cling to I found the way. As a result, the eldest son of their family did not enter the workshop, but the eldest brother. There was some trouble here. Later, I heard that when the Chen family’s sea boat was working outside, it met the Mei family’s The boat got dirty again. This incident completely touched the bottom line of the old fourth family, the Bai family, and the Mei family was completely ostracized."

Lin Qing nodded: "That's what happened. At present, the Nan'an Palace is still very powerful in Haining. When going to the sea or entering the port, it will be involved with the navy. So..."

"So they have their idea on you. Hasn't your mother passed away for a long time?" Jia She smiled mockingly: "You really have bad luck!" He glanced at Lin Qing with emotion, this young man After all, it is stunning.Even that woman, I'm afraid she can't compare with three points.Not to mention, the whole body's temperament and slender waist.

An Lan glared at him and turned to look at Lin Qing: "What are your plans? The marriage in Nan'an Palace can be broken to the end. It's just that you can't hide from this one. Weddings and funerals are the laws of nature. I originally thought that it would be good for you to find a female fairy from Kunlun in the future. But if you get married right now, if you don’t have a match... I’m afraid it’s cause and effect.”

"That's what I thought about, so I came to see the master." Lin Qing sighed, just as Mammy Qian came over and brought a bowl of clear soup and fine noodles.Sprinkled with prawns and two or three small bok choy hanging on it is very good.Inside the tray, there is also a small dish of sliced ​​wine-confined pork liver.

"Let's eat first!" An Lan pointed to the round table not far away, and asked him to eat there.Jia Lian glanced at Jia She, got up and followed Jia She to go out, leaving Zhang Yunxi alone.

What Qian Momo brought was the text record she got from Yiying, which recorded the development of Waifang in detail.

The Waifang family is divided into the upper and old four families and the lower four new families.Among them, the four families of Qian, Chen, Bai, and Jiang have been passed down for thousands of years. It can be said that they have been passed on by word of mouth from the girls in their families, and then they enter the workshop to practice or study.In the end, she got married, and gradually got the four families of Yue, Mei, Xu, and Zhao.These eight families can be said to be the cornerstone families of Qixiufang Waifang, but there is also competition among them.

The old four families have never broken their inheritance, and they only marry with families within the eight families, or choose to marry with some families that were once prominent and then declined.But the new four is not.With time and girls marrying out, there are not many inheritances that can be preserved, and they will gradually break away.If it wasn't for An Lan's appearance, it might have been a matter of marriage business.

Of the eight major families, some developed well while others did not.The Mei family has a large population, but the children among them are not very successful.After three or four generations, they had to rely on marriage to obtain the chance of survival.Otherwise, I'm afraid it will become a seller's property in two generations.

An Lan looked at it briefly, then threw it aside with a soft snort.Lin Qing had already started gargling.She waited for him to sit on the spring stool next to the kang again before she spoke: "You go into the palace and go and say that you want to marry a princess. And send this to the little emperor." What An Lan handed to him was Mammy Qian. coming text.

Lin Qing didn't understand what An Lan meant, so she didn't read the contents inside.He felt that he, who was irritated by this matter, shouldn't look at more irritating things.

After Lin Qing left, Zhang Yunxi was puzzled.An Lan sighed: "You will understand in the future!" She didn't want to explain, in fact, she didn't know what the little emperor would do.