Chapter 955
: Grandmother Jia Wants to Build a Fortress
Chapter 955: Grandmother Jia Wants to Build a Fortress
"First Madam, Second Madam is here."
There was another shout.
In Rongqing Hall,
The first wife, Madam Xing, and the second wife, Madam Wang, each walked in with their maids. They didn't know why, but these days, they didn't talk as much as before. The second wife had a dignified face and a majestic look. She wore a light yellow robe, which was elegant and luxurious. Madam Xing was not bad either. She wore a dark green silk skirt and a jade hairpin in her hair. She looked very energetic. After paying her respects,
Grandmother Jia asked them to sit beside her.
He still kept his eyes on Feng Yatou. What he asked just now was not a whim. After the Enke, no one from the Meng family came to pass on the message. He didn't know what to say. Whether it would succeed or not, he needed to discuss it.
Wang Xifeng put down her teacup after hearing this, feeling a little uneasy. She had been so busy these days that she had really forgotten about this matter. She hadn't even invited the matchmaker from the Red Mansion, let alone the shopkeeper Yu. When the old lady asked about this again, she hesitated and didn't know how to answer.
Li Wan saw clearly, and quietly glared at Feng Yatou, asking her to come to the rescue by saying:
"Don't worry, old lady. Miss Feng has remembered this. She said a few days ago that there are too many people in the Red Mansion. I will go there in person to invite Manager Yu in a few days. In addition, after the Enke, the candidates have not left. As one of the chief officials, the head of the Meng family needs to supervise the examination. It is not appropriate to discuss this matter at this time. You should consider Miss Meng, especially since the royal family has given you a favor. You should be careful."
To put it mildly, although the wealthy and powerful families are also well-matched, and the parents' orders and the matchmaker's words are in place, the interests involved and the rumors have to be considered. The Jia family and Rongguo Mansion have become royal relatives, so how can we not consider these?
Grandmother Jia also suddenly realized that what she said was right. The eldest maid was made a noble concubine before she was appointed as a concubine, so the threshold of the Jia family was naturally raised. If the maid of the Meng family was in a hurry to go up and enter the house, others would gossip about her trying to curry favor with the powerful. The mouth of a civil servant can kill without bloodshed, so it is better for her to be more noble.
"What the Zhu family's wife said is right. Civil servants are noble and have no say in many matters. But we can't just drag it on like this. Do you have any opinion on the matter of the second son's family and the daughter of the Meng family?"
The old lady has an idea, but she still needs the consent of the second son's family.
Mrs. Wang, the second wife, was sitting there, spinning the rosary in her hand non-stop. When she heard Lady Jia's question, she had to stop, somewhat reluctantly. Baoyu was born rich, and the daughter of the Meng family was obviously a shrewd person. She was from a family of officials, so she must know etiquette, etc.
Even if she could read and write, it was only a minor skill. Yuanchun was also made a concubine, so she had many more choices. She valued family background more and wanted to disagree, but seeing the wise look in the old lady's eyes, she did not dare to disobey.
"Old lady, isn't it too early to say this now? I don't know what the Meng family means. If they don't agree, this marriage may not be finalized."
There was a sense of evasion in her words, but Mrs. Xing was not surprised. The Second Wife had been arrogant for a long time, and it was natural for her to want to find a better one for Baoyu. However, the Second Wife had found a good wife, but the First Wife still had Jia Zong, who was the legitimate bloodline after all, and in name they were still mother and son, so the marriage could be discussed, but Jia Zong was still young.
"Oh, you can't say that. If it's not settled now, then when will it be settled? If you agree, the folk custom is that the man's family proposes the marriage, so why let your own daughter take the lead? If it's not settled, then leave it clear. Why waste the friendship between the two families? As for the girl from the Meng family, I think the old lady has good taste. The girl is generous and strong, and she is easy to raise. If it weren't for the fact that Zong Er is so young, I would like to compete with the second wife for this marriage."
Mrs. Xing smiled, squinted her eyes and looked at the second wife, and blurted out the words, which surprised everyone at the table. They looked at her inexplicably. Mrs. Xing had changed a lot during this period of time. Even the old lady's eyes were filled with surprise. She really changed her personality.
"Look, even the old ladies are starting to make jokes. How old is Jia Zong? If he has a promising future, I will take charge and find him a good girl. But now Baoyu is the first choice. After Baoyu gets married, it will be Lang'er's turn."
Grandmother Jia chuckled, and everyone at the table smiled without saying anything, especially the Second Madam, who had a thoughtful look in her eyes. The next one was Tanchun, whose face looked a little unnatural. Logically, after Baoyu was going to marry, shouldn't it be Jia Huan's turn? Why was it Lang'er's turn? Thinking of Aunt Zhao's dislike,
His eyes darkened.
If Jia Huan had restrained his temper, read more books, and taken part in the provincial examination in two years, he would have been awarded the title of scholar. Then she could have asked the old lady and the lady for a peaceful life. But when she thought about the fact that Jia Huan had a strange personality since he was a child and Aunt Zhao was even more mean, she realized that these problems could not be solved.
Only Li Wan, Wang Xifeng and Madam You were silent. Brother Lang was the eldest sister-in-law's concern. Not only was he so young, but his marriage was also not something that Grandmother Jia needed to intervene in. Wang Xifeng looked a little amused. Not to mention how the Marquis's Mansion would manage it, the eldest sister-in-law's Li family still had some relatives and old friends. If these connections were managed well, they would be something that the Duke's Mansion did not have. After all, Li Hanlin had many classmates.
The reason she knew all this was because she often went to the Chamber of Commerce to check accounts and count the goods. On the way back and forth, she would occasionally go to Yaoji Store to buy some cakes, and she would see a large courtyard in the south end, which was the old house of her eldest sister-in-law, the Li family.
It is no longer as shabby as before. Now it is well-maintained and suitable for living. Many people come to visit with visiting cards, and they are not poor relatives. It seems that the eldest sister-in-law has changed a lot since she went to Ningguo Mansion.
"Yes, old lady, it's all my fault that I was too busy recently and forgot about this matter. But the girl from the Meng family is very opinionated. Even if we ask the shopkeeper Yu from the Red Mansion to go in person, many things still need the old lady and the second lady to make the decision. After all, the Meng family is on good terms with the Feng family. I heard that the daughter of the Feng family married the first place in the Yu Enke case with Luo Yunhou as the guarantor."
This was a reminder that this matter was obtained by chance. Wang Xifeng happened to hear her eldest sister-in-law mention it last time. It seemed that Jia Lan had caught the Marquis's eye.
Li Wan turned her head and glanced at Feng Yatou, who was really good at talking, but she didn't say much.
"The Feng family you are talking about, are you referring to the daughter of the Feng family mentioned by Brother Zhen, Feng Yongwen, the Minister of the Dali Temple? It's also Brother Zhen's fault for being confused. How could you offend people from the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate?"
With a sigh, Jia Zhen's fate was not unrelated to these things. After hearing this, the resistance in the eyes of the second wife disappeared. Thinking of the Wang family, her brother Wang Ziteng was defeated and now he was still unknown. He was afraid of the uncertainty of life and death, and he was also afraid of returning to Beijing alive.
These things, after thinking about them, he replied;
"As for Baoyu's matter, the old lady has the final say. The Meng family's maid is fine. If she is willing, she can follow the etiquette."
As soon as she agreed, Jia's mother's face became much better. She turned to Feng Yatou and gave her instructions:
"Did you hear me? If you hurry up with the matter in the next few days, the Meng family will not let us down."
The old lady was very confident. Since the marriage had already been arranged and they had the favor of the Queen in the palace, the Meng family would not be so unwise. Besides, it was the Meng family who came to propose the marriage first.
Everyone at the table laughed and talked happily, and then started eating. Only Baoyu looked unhappy. What kind of close relationship was there? He was not as happy as many other sisters.
But I never had such an idea.
In her heart, she suddenly thought of Zhineng and Zhishan from Shuiyue Temple. That day, they had been flying together in broad daylight, which was so wonderful. The only two people in the courtyard who could compare with them were Xiren and Sheyue. When she thought of this, she felt a little unsteady. Her face turned slightly red, and she lowered her head to eat. However, this scene was seen by others, and they were all delighted. It seemed that Baoyu agreed.
Especially the Second Wife and Grandmother Jia, they felt as if a huge stone had been lifted off their chests. As long as Baoyu agreed, everything would be fine.
Seeing that the old lady was happy, Wang Xifeng asked everyone to start eating. The table was full of delicacies and the dinner ended with everyone laughing and talking.
After the meal,
Grandmother Jia asked the maid outside the door to send Sanchun, Baoyu and others back to the courtyard first, but she did not ask the others to leave. It was obvious that she had something else to discuss. Li Wan and Madam You sat down in the seats at the west end of the warm room in the inner hall. Yuanyang led the maids and served tea and snacks to everyone. She continued to serve Grandmother Jia.
After everyone was seated,
Only then did Grandmother Jia speak with a serious expression.
"I've called you here today because I have something to discuss. This morning, someone came from the farm of Ningguo Mansion in the south, saying that the bandit army of the Taiping Sect broke into the vicinity of Anhu Lake, massacred the farm of Jinxiang Marquis Mansion, and burned it all down.
Now the nobles and aristocratic families in the capital are discussing countermeasures. Many people are preparing to start purchasing stones and wood to build a fort. I asked you to come here to ask what the two Jia families should do. "This was also the reason. Jia's mother didn't want to talk about this matter. After all, building a real fort is not something that can be built with tens of thousands of taels of silver. In addition, it would be a waste for a manor to build a fort.
Everyone in the warm room was still a little unconvinced. When would the Taiping Cult members be able to commit atrocities outside the capital? With so many soldiers from the Bingmasi, Jingying, and Huangchengsi, they must be so bold.
But seeing that the old lady didn't seem to be lying, she was a little flustered. How could the manor of Jinxiang Marquis's Mansion be slaughtered? Mrs. Xing sat there and kept silent. After all, whether the manor was good or bad had nothing to do with her. She just stared at the second wife quietly. After all, the only manor left in Rongguo Mansion was in the hands of the second wife, and the other one was the public property of the clan, hanging over the head of Ningguo Mansion. Could it be that the old lady wanted to take action against the manor of Ningguo Mansion?
Not to mention her thinking like this, even Madam You and Li Wan felt a sinking feeling in their hearts. Since it was a waste to build one manor, wouldn't it be less of a waste if they combined the two manors?
But since then,
It is hard to say who is in charge of Zhuangzi. In the previous dynasties, the fortresses were all controlled by clan forces. Now the Jia family has long been divided. How can they be united again? Zhuangzi is the foundation for a family to settle down.
Even the second wife was somewhat reluctant. The merger with Ningguo Mansion would involve the young and old masters of the Jia family. How to deal with some of the account books? Although those people would not check the accounts, the benefits of the Jia family were not so easy to get. If the first wife intervened, who knows who would own the manor.
Therefore, everyone had their own thoughts, and the atmosphere suddenly became cold. Grandmother Jia sighed in her heart, thinking that it was true that splitting up a family was like splitting up the road, and they could not get along.
Finally, he looked at Feng Yatou and nodded.
"Since no one is talking, let's put it another way, Feng girl, you speak up."
Wang Xifeng stood up and walked to Lady Jia's side, smiling slightly and said;
"From what you said, isn't the old lady also worried about those servants? The manor of Marquis Jinxiang is a big manor, with at least hundreds of people, young and old, men and women, and they are all gone in the blink of an eye.
If there wasn't a small river blocking the way, Ningguo Mansion would have been in danger. When Manager Yu arrived, his legs were so weak that he couldn't even stand up, so they built a smaller fort and brought the people from the two manors together. They divided the road in the middle, with the people from Rongguo Mansion on the west and the people from Ningguo Mansion on the east. Except for the farm guards, everyone was in charge of their own affairs."
This was also discussed with the old lady a long time ago. It is easier to manage together, but also separate internally, which can ensure safety and separate accounting.
of course,
The monthly salary of the farm guards was to be divided equally between the two families. Seeing that things had come to this, Li Wan was also worried about the safety of the farm. If something really went wrong, the entire Jia family would be in trouble. There were many farmers and family members living in the farm.
"In that case, let's do as the old lady said and build a smaller fort. I wonder how to calculate the cost."
Not only Li Wan had doubts, but even the first wife, Madam Xing, and the second wife, Madam Wang, raised their heads, especially Madam Xing, who became very alert. Building a garden was not something the first wife had to do, but in the end, after discussion, it was found that the first wife had contributed money. Now they wanted to build that fortress and manor, so it had nothing to do with the first wife. That was the business of the East House family and the second wife of the West House. If they wanted to pay for it, forget it. Her eyes turned cold and she looked towards the second wife.
The second wife looked hesitant and worried. Even so, if the time came and the elders started to make trouble, it would be difficult to deal with them.
As for the first house and Ningguo Mansion, she was not afraid. With the old lady around, everything had been arranged long ago. The manor was also managed by her people. But seeing the old lady's attitude, she was afraid that she had to build it. The money must be quite a lot.
"Since the old lady has mentioned it, how can I disagree? I know a little about building a dock, but how do we build it? How should I explain it?"
There are large and small forts, and the styles of city defense are also different. When I was in the Wang family, I also heard about forts. The Wang family also wanted to build one, but later they thought it was too expensive, and there were few bandits in Jiangnan, so the fort was never built.
"Okay, if you all think so, it's also for the benefit of the Jia family. We're all from the same clan, so how could the master not ask? The money for the garden construction in the mansion is an extra 200,000 taels of silver. I asked Master Song about this yesterday.
They also spoke up, saying that forts come in different sizes, and that large ones cost a lot of money, but small ones only cost 100,000 taels of silver, which is just right for the two farms combined, and the small one can't spend all the money, so they used their reputation to ask Master Craftsman Song to draw the blueprints. Fortunately, the second son went to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and bought back the wood and stone materials early, saving a lot of money. "
I had planned to go to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to buy some wood and stone materials, so I spent more money to buy more. But after I brought them back to my house, I realized that I didn't need that much.
Just when I was feeling depressed, this happened. It was a blessing in disguise. In addition, the materials left over from the demolition and reconstruction of the two mansions were enough to make do.
After hearing the old lady's explanation, everyone suddenly realized that there were other things going on. So why not sell it while the price is high? After all, the Taiping Rebellion appeared near the capital, and the court should not ignore it.
Wang Xifeng was somewhat puzzled. The capital was in the territory of the imperial court, and there were many spies. If even these traitors could not be suppressed, the capital would surely be abuzz with rumors, and the situation would be chaotic.
"Since the old lady has made the decision, then we can follow her advice and build a small fortress. This will save money and provide a safe place for the people in the village. The Jia family will definitely be grateful to the old lady."
Li Wan saw that the matter was a done deal, and could only say nice things to the other party. Since the money in the public account was being watched by people from all directions, it would be better to give it away and let everyone watch.
The Ningguo Mansion kept everything simple. All the servants and maids serving in the courtyard were listed on the school list. This way, even the monthly allowance for the mansion was saved.
As for the farm, the Marquis could leave me a farm sold by Rongguo Mansion. Fortunately, the farm is close to the Beijing camp, so it should be fine. If the enemy army appears around the Anhu camp, let alone the fort, even if the city is built, it will be useless. Thinking of this, I felt much more relaxed. However, I still asked Suyun to recruit some farmhands, which was somewhat of a consolation.
Everyone in the room had their own concerns. Not to mention the worries about gains and losses, even the usually calm Madam You felt a little sad. They were all close friends, and they were calculating so much. How much could they leave for themselves? It seemed that they were just building a fortress, but there might be a suspicion of embezzling the last assets of the Ningguo Mansion. Before that, the Ningguo Mansion had such a huge assets, which was even more than that of the Rongguo Mansion.
right now,
It seems that only the farm outside the Great Wall is under her name, which is better than nothing. At least several thousand taels of silver can be brought in every year, which is enough to deal with the New Year. Suddenly, she thought of the marquis. The farm outside the Great Wall, could he take care of it? Back then, when there was no harassment by the Jurchens, this farm alone could send back at least 50,000 taels of silver a year, not counting the output of the farm. If it could be more, with an output of 10,000 taels of silver, it could solve many problems in Ningguo Mansion. These things can only be discussed after the marquis comes back. When she thinks of the joy that day, her body suddenly softens and her face turns red with shame.
"Old Madam, First Madam, Second Madam, since everything has been discussed, then do as the Old Madam wishes. Just do whatever needs to be done. Listen to the Old Madam in everything."
When everyone saw that it was Madam You who had spoken, they all nodded their heads, and Grandmother Jia's expression finally relaxed a lot. Seeing that everyone looked tired, and feeling a little tired herself, she did not want to keep them around.
"Okay, this matter still needs Feng girl's attention, and the rest can be discussed later. I am also a little tired, so you all should go back."
"Yes, old lady."
Everyone exchanged greetings again, then looked at each other without saying much, and left one after another. Mrs. Xing left the fastest. Since no money was offered, it had nothing to do with her, and staying would only be an eyesore, so it was better to just leave. The rest, Li Wan and Mrs. You followed, and finally the Second Mistress and Wang Xifeng.
"Feng girl, walk slower!"
(End of this chapter)