Chapter 959
: Marquis Mansion is pregnant
Chapter 959: Marquis Mansion is pregnant
On the Jiangnan Canal,
After nightfall, fog gradually rose from the river. In the cabin on the second floor of the ship, Su Chong's face was flushed from drinking. After three rounds of wine and five dishes,
now,
Even Dong Wan, a soldier, was a little tipsy. He felt relaxed and drank a lot. He never thought that Lord Su, a scholar, could drink so much.
"Sir, you have a good alcohol tolerance. I have always thought that only soldiers could drink freely. I didn't know that among the literati, there is a man as generous as Sir Su. I admire him!"
Hiccuping,
Captain Dong was really impressed. Could it be that all the censors in the six ministries could drink so much, or was it just Lord Su who was like this?
"Captain Dong, you are too polite. How can I get drunk after just one sip of such good wine? That would be a waste of Captain Dong's friendship. By the way, I haven't heard about Jinling yet, Brother Dong."
Not sure if he was really drunk or just pretending, Su Chong blushed and shouted out what Dong said. Dong Wan refused to respond and waved his hands.
"Sir Su, you must not do this. I am just an ordinary person and do not deserve this title. As for Jinling City, I will not hide it. Among all the prefectural offices in Jiangnan, only Jinling City is the most complicated. You should know that although those nobles moved to Beijing in the past, they only took the main branch."
The conversation stopped there. It seemed like a struggle in the Jiangnan officialdom, but it was also the words of the nobles and aristocratic families. Even their grain transport office was looking at the faces of the nobles and aristocratic families in the capital.
"I know a little about these things, but times have changed. After so many years, many things are different. Of course, I am going to Jiangnan this time to protect the national policy of the court. I wonder if Mr. Dong has any advice for me?"
Su Chong narrowed his eyes, obviously knowing that someone must be passing a message to him behind the captain in front of him, but he didn't know who it was, someone from the Canal Transport Office, or a noble family with military honors.
"Haha, Lord Su, how dare I teach you how to do things? I just asked someone to pass on a message. Lord Su, when you arrive in Jiangnan, you will need to take care of the port and the canal transportation. You know, the Inspector is in charge of the canal transportation. As for Jinling City, Lord Su, do you know that several county magistrates came to the imperial examination this year, two of whom were the top candidates, and both of them stayed in Jinling City."
Captain Dong did not dare to keep it privately, and told his governor what he had said. But he wondered what his master had noticed.
"Oh, the first place in the special examination, that's true. There were two people in this session. One was a student of Marquis Luo Yun, and the other was a student of Master Nan of Wuying Palace. What were their names?"
When I suddenly mentioned the two of them, I couldn't remember their names for a moment. After mumbling for a while, I remembered that they both had the surname Xu.
"Xu Dong, and Xu Changwen, but they!"
"Master Su has a good memory. The two of them are in Jinling City. Xu Changwen is the county magistrate of Chunyang County, and Xu Dong is the county magistrate of Yongning County. The two counties are adjacent and not far away."
Captain Dong nodded with a smile, and pointed out that the two counties were adjacent to each other, which made Su Chong remember this place. It seemed that the wharf managed by the Caoyun Yamen should have some say. However, it was just a small matter, so it would not hurt to take care of it.
"Haha, well, in that case, thank you Captain Dong for your hospitality. As for the matter at the dock, as long as we can get through it, I won't say much."
He raised the wine cup in his hand and drank it all.
See here,
Dong Wan was overjoyed. The matter the governor had ordered was done. As for what the matter was, it was not something a mere centurion like him could ask about. It was also thanks to Lord Su's approachability that he stood up, holding the wine cup in both hands, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Sir Su has a good alcohol tolerance. I am ashamed of myself. We are almost at Jinling Wharf. I think there are government officials waiting for us. After I send you off, I will stay at the wharf for the time being. If you have any requests, I will follow your instructions. I heard that Xihe County and Tang County have been under martial law. The river will be unsafe in the future."
Dong Wan dared not to say that he should be careful about these things. After all, the White Lotus Sect had already gone north. What was going on in Xihe County was unknown to the bigwigs, not to mention the locals. The governor must have considered these things when he left him at the Jinling dock. After all, the tower ship was a warship and was not afraid of those pirates.
Su Chong was also shocked, but he had forgotten about these things. After all, Xihe County was on the other side of the river, far away, and there were also the Canal Transport Guards patrolling here. He was not afraid of the natural barrier of the canal, and the same was true for Tang County.
My mentor said that there is a chance to postpone the implementation of the national policy, but I have no idea how to start. As for the matter of Xu Changwen and Xu Dong, I need to think about it carefully.
"Okay, thank you, Master Dong,"
Beijing,
Luoyunhou Mansion,
Since the Marquis led his troops south, the whole courtyard of the Marquis's mansion seemed to have become much quieter. In Madam Yang's small courtyard to the west, the sound of Si Le's flute and bamboo flute could still be heard.
The servants and maids in the mansion slowed down their pace when passing by this place and listened to the music curiously. I don't know why Madam Yang likes these.
However, if they met the housekeeper of the mansion, most of them would drive them away quickly after seeing them. But when they were about to leave, they would also listen attentively like a serving maid. The master's preferences were really different from others.
The house in Dongyuan,
Qin Keqing was wearing a moon-white loose-fitting dress, sitting in the study checking the account books. However, every time she calculated to the end of the month, the silver and money in the treasury not only did not decrease, but increased. However, looking at the income and expenditure account books, they were all from the Chamber of Commerce and the bank, as well as the silver from Yang girl every month. How could she use all of this? Fortunately, most of the people in the Zhang family went outside the Great Wall.
It's just that the old ginseng brought from outside the Great Wall is being consumed too quickly.
By the light of the oil lamp, he took out the account book of the ginseng sold and checked it. There were three old ginsengs from the Duke of Zhenguo's Mansion, two old ginsengs from the Duke of Liguo's Mansion, and one old ginseng from the Marquis of Pingyuan's Mansion.
At the end, there was a note of approval sandwiched in between. Qin Keqing was curious, so she took it and looked at it carefully. It turned out to be the note from her husband, "Purple ginseng from outside the Great Wall, 200 years old, by Zhang Tianshi of Longhu Mountain." It was just a few words, as if it was written the day before. How could she not remember it? These precious ginsengs that were over a hundred years old were all placed in the secret room in the backyard. They could only be used if her husband and the old lady nodded. It was a bit strange. Aren't there a group of Taoists in Longhu Mountain?
Thinking of these Taoist priests, I thought of the nuns who were still staying in the mansion. One of them was called Miaoyu. My husband was quite fond of her, so he decided to let her stay and serve him.
When I was thinking about some things at home,
There was a noise outside the house, the door opened, and Baozhu angrily led a group of maids into the inner hall.
"Hurry up and put the dishes on the table,"
"Yes, Manager Bao,"
Seeing that Baozhu was a little angry, the remaining maids dared not say anything. They all went to the table to clean up and took out the dishes they brought from the food boxes. They were all refreshing dishes unique to the capital, and there was also a small bowl of lotus seed porridge, which they placed lightly on the table.
Baozhu looked around but didn't see her grandmother. She remembered that her grandmother had taken the account book and walked towards the study.
"Grandma, for dinner today, I made your favorite lotus seed soup and the marquis' favorite crispy pork. I heard that the wine shop at the east entrance has changed the flavor and put sweet sauce in it, so I tried to make a dish for you to try. I just smelled it and it tastes good."
Baozhu was carefree, and her loud voice could be heard from a distance, making Qin Keqing laugh. She shook her head, wondering when this girl would be able to control her impetuous behavior.
"Okay, you're the only one with a loud voice. Come in, I have something to ask you."
Seeing grandma sitting in the house, looking through the account books, Baozhu walked in with a pouty mouth and advised;
"Grandma, these are the account books made by the housekeeper himself, how could there be any mistakes? It's dark at night, so don't let your eyes get hurt. Look at Madam Yang in the West Garden. During the day, I heard that she enjoys flowers and drinks tea in her spare time, and listens to music in her room when she's tired. She lives a very comfortable life."
He kept mumbling to himself, as if he had an oil bottle hanging from his mouth.
Qin Keqing closed the account book and was not in a hurry to check the accounts. She just had a sudden impulse and wanted to check the accounts. The mansion had been sending a lot of goods these days, so she just checked them out.
"Alright, you have more to worry about than the East Garden. Stay away from getting into trouble. By the way, why is it written that this 200-year-old purple ginseng was given to the Taoist priest of Mount Longhu?"
After thinking about it, Qin Keqing was still a little curious. She had heard from her father that the Longhu Mountain Taoist sect was quite famous in the south, just like the Jing'an Temple in the north mountain of Buddhism. After the last incense offering, the mansion did not set up a Buddhist hall, which was neglected.
"Well, I know something about this matter. A few days after the Marquis left, several Taoists came to the mansion, saying that the Marquis promised to give them some old ginseng and a note. They were received by Butler Wang. I didn't ask, I just listened." Baozhu was a little curious. There was already a Buddhist nun in the mansion, so why did they invite Taoist priests? Could it be that they came to pray for grandma? Thinking of this, she wanted to say something else,
But Qin Keqing pulled him up and he went to sit in the inner hall. The table was full of steaming dishes. He felt a little hungry. He took a bite of the lotus seed soup. It was sweet but not greasy. It was cooked to the right temperature.
"Well, the soup is well cooked. You are a good cook. You should ask about the matters in the mansion. Don't make trouble when you are not asked. All the accounts should be sent to me now. I will know what is more or less at a glance."
"Yes, grandma, I understand. But I didn't make this soup. Ruizhu was watching over it."
Baozhu blushed. Although she had brought people to serve the food, Ruizhu had been staying in the kitchen the whole time. She didn't help at all. How could she feel embarrassed?
Seeing Baozhu blushing, Qin Keqing was curious. She stretched out her chopsticks to pick up a piece of crispy meat and put it in her mouth. She was a little surprised that it was sweet. Just as she was about to swallow it, she suddenly felt nauseous and indescribably blocked. She vomited it all out suddenly. She didn't stop.
The whole house seemed to be in chaos all of a sudden.
When Baozhu saw this, she was horrified, and she quickly ran over to support her grandmother, asking loudly;
"Grandma, what's wrong? Come on, why are you still standing there? Go find Zixiang, go quickly."
After a while of panic,
The maids in the room immediately ran out. Some of them went to look for Zixiang, while others hurried into Dongyun Tower.
Almost vomited for a while.
Qin Keqing felt much better at this point, and was somewhat surprised at how this could happen suddenly.
"Grandma, come and drink some water to rinse your mouth,"
Baozhu was so frightened that her face turned pale. She was at a loss as to what to do. She hurried forward and poured a bowl of tea for her grandmother. Her hands holding the teapot were trembling, and her eyes were red as if she was about to cry.
"Look how scared you are. It's nothing serious. I just suddenly felt a little nauseous. What flavor is that crispy meat?"
"To answer grandma, the crispy meat is from the wine shop at the east end of Ningrong Street. The Marquis often sends people to buy it. It was originally salty, but these days it suddenly tastes sweet. I thought of buying some for grandma to try, but it doesn't suit grandma's taste. It's all my fault."
As she was talking, Baozhu started to cry and said she would never go out to get food for her grandma again. She kept blaming herself.
Qin Keqing stared at him, as if comforting and amused, and consoled him;
"Why are you crying? It's none of your business. The crispy meat tastes okay, but I just can't stand the smell for some reason."
The master and the servant were still comforting each other in the house.
Inside Dongyun Tower,
Lan Shuer had just finished a meal with the old lady and was drinking tea in the warm room. After a while, Lan Shuer took out a stack of secret letters from the secret compartment in the inner room, walked closer, and flipped through them by candlelight. They were all information about the capital and the south in recent days. There were a lot of useless things.
"Miss, the Guardian Qin in the south sent a letter saying that the leader has transferred people from Jiangnan to Xihe County. Guardian Qin said that the leader has led the elite of the sect to besiege Shizhou, preparing to defeat Wei Xiangping's troops who are guarding Runan City in one fell swoop. In addition, it is said that the Taiping Sect has joined forces with that nobleman. Guardian Qin sent a letter to Miss, asking if we should transfer our people to Xihe County and Jingnan as well?"
Lan Shuer sorted out the letters, put the useless ones directly into the brazier and burned them clean. Looking at the ashes in the brazier, it seemed that this was not the first time she had done this.
The nobleman just mentioned is naturally the former crown prince Zhou Yongxiao. It is no longer a secret among the top leaders of the two religions.
Madam Wang lay on the recliner, squinting her eyes, thinking that her senior sister was really fast. Wei Xiangping was at least a core force among the civil officials. The important city of Runan was lost just like that. It was obvious that Wei Xiangping was just a man of armchair tactics and not worth worrying about. On the contrary, Prince Beijing Shui Rong led his troops to the east, and that was the tough one. The vanguard of the Prince of Beijing's Palace had already gone south from Ping'an Prefecture.
"Tell Qin the Protector to let his men stay in Jiangnan honestly. A few people can go to Jingnan to help. There is no need to get involved in the mess in Xihe County. The right thing to do is to protect your own piece of land. There is still a lot of food and cloth missing outside the pass. Let him focus on this. By the way, tell him about the troops sent by the Prince of Beijing and the Prince of Dongping."
"Yes, Miss, Shu'er has already sent a message. As for your husband, I don't know how he is doing now. The Taiping Cult is cunning and I'm afraid that your husband will suffer a loss."
Now the church has long been divided into two factions. In the north and outside the Great Wall, the Saint's faction has the upper hand. Only in the capital and the south, the leader's faction is dominant. If it weren't for the last bit of affection between the young lady and the leader, they would have split up long ago.
And the young man left in a hurry, and I don't know how much suffering he suffered on the road.
"What are you worried about regarding the war? Jin Yu is not an impatient person. Besides, the soldiers are well led. Although the Taiping Sect won the battle, they did not have enough time to reorganize and recover. It is just a replica of the White Lotus Sect back then."
Mrs. Wang lay there motionless, closing her eyes to rest. It was all old news. It was like this more than ten years ago, and now it was repeating the same mistakes. Although Senior Sister had made progress and moved to another place, to the north of Runan, the worse the place, the harder it was to clean up. Those martial arts sects and local residents had been sitting there for a long time, and none of them were easy to deal with.
"Miss, you are right. I am worried. Last night, a Taoist priest from Longhu Mountain came to ask for the precious medicine outside the mansion. He brought the Marquis's seal. Butler Wang confirmed it again and again, so he left the seal on the account and sent it out. I don't know how these old Taoist priests got it."
After Lan Shu served tea, he sat beside Madam Wang, stretched out his hand and gently massaged the young lady's shoulders, and told her what happened in the mansion. It is said that precious medicines are hard to find in the world, and good things are all outside the Great Wall. But even these few things seem to be coveted by someone.
"The old Taoist priests from Mount Longhu have always stayed in the south. How could they come to the capital? Zhang Tianshi's lineage is interesting. They actually came to the mansion to ask for precious medicine. Jin Yu, forget it. I don't know if the things are good. How can these magical objects be given away easily? If you encounter this kind of thing in the future, keep them for the time being."
"Yes, ma'am,"
Lan Shuer pouted. The best old ginseng is priceless. Two have already been given away. Her husband is really a man who can endure the pain in his heart.
Just at this time,
In the inner corridor of the outer room,
Several panicked maids ran in.
"Madam, Madam, something happened to Grandma."
There was a sound of panicked footsteps.
From far to near,
Lan Shu'er paused, her eyes alerted immediately, and the maidservants waiting outside the curtain immediately stepped out to stop the man. Mrs. Wang had already sat up and put on her coat, and asked;
"What happened?"
"Replying to the old lady, when the eldest lady was having dinner today, she suddenly vomited uncontrollably. Manager Bao asked the servants to go find Zixiang, and we came to report to her."
Hearing that it was Mrs. Wang's voice, several maids immediately knelt on the ground and told her the whole story. Mrs. Wang frowned and looked a little puzzled. She was fine in the morning. What happened?
"Get up, Shu'er, let's go and take a look."
"Yes, ma'am,"
Shu'er responded, and quickly winked at a few maids, and with a group of people, they left Dongyun Tower and headed towards Dongyuan.
After a while,
Entering the main hall of the East Garden,
When he opened the door and walked in, he saw Qin Keqing lying on the bed. The servants around her were standing outside the screen, not daring to breathe. He walked a few steps inside and saw Gu Zixiang and a large medicine box beside her, feeling Keqing's pulse. As for Baozhu, she was sobbing with red eyes beside him. What a mess she was in.
Mrs. Wang put down her hand, signaling others to keep quiet. She saw the little maid Zixiang had stretched out her hand and gently placed it on Qin Keqing's wrist, feeling her pulse.
After waiting for a while, the little girl changed her hand to take the pulse twice. Even Qin Keqing felt a little nervous.
at this time,
Gu Zixiang took her hand back and smiled slightly.
"Congratulations, old lady, congratulations, grandma, it's a happy pulse, it looks strong and steady, it's a young master."
Almost instantly,
Everyone in the hall was stunned, and then their faces became overjoyed. The originally tense atmosphere was swept away, and was replaced by joy.
Baozhu laughed while sobbing;
"Grandma, you're pregnant. I'm so scared. Bah, bah, I deserve to be spanked for my mouth."
After a few words, tears welled up in my eyes.
Even Mrs. Wang's heart suddenly jumped.
"Okay, good boy, this is the blessing of our ancestors. Shu'er, you will take care of the affairs of the mansion."
"Yes, old lady!"
(End of this chapter)