Say hello to Changfang?!
Zhou Chujin couldn't help but look at Zhou Shaojin.
Zhou Shaojin said without thinking: "Then I will go and tell Uncle Chi directly! Why bother to alarm Uncle Mian - isn't it better if the fewer people who know about this, the better? If Uncle Chi knew what Cheng Lu had done, he would definitely not feel sorry for him."
Zhou Chujin felt that his sister had a better relationship with the eldest son than he did. Seeing that she agreed without any embarrassment, he nodded secretly and said, "Do you want me to go with you?"
"No need." Zhou Shaojin said with a smile, "You are getting married soon, it's not a good time to go out. I can go alone."
Mr. Li's heart skipped a beat when he heard this.
According to Mr. Zhou, his eldest daughter is smart and capable, and his youngest daughter is well-behaved and sensible. It would be best if he could get help from the Cheng family for what he wants to do in Jinling this time. If he can't get help from the Cheng family, he should not conflict with the Cheng family. After all, it is not easy for the Cheng family to have a scholar, and a scholar who receives a grain allowance. That is the material for the future examination of Juren and Jinshi. If it really doesn't work, he asked his eldest daughter to ask the fourth room's Mian Da Lao Ye to help him deal with the Cheng family. He should discuss anything with his eldest daughter. She has a good relationship with the Cheng family.
But now it seems that the second young lady may have a better relationship with the Cheng family.
Especially the long house.
I wonder if I can take this opportunity to go into the mansion and kowtow to the fourth master of the eldest house, and then get a recommendation from the first or second master through the fourth master...
The thought flashed through his mind and he smiled self-deprecatingly.
He was really greedy. Lord Zhou treated him well. Although he didn't become famous, he enjoyed a good life with Lord Zhou. But now he was greedy for fame and fortune and wanted to climb up the high branch of Cheng family. He didn't know that Cheng family had many retainers and it was not easy to climb up the high branch. He might fall down and die instead.
He had better follow Lord Zhou and make plans for him. With Lord Zhou's kindness, he would not only have no worries about food and clothing, but if Lord Zhou became prominent in the future, he might be able to get an official position.
Mr. Li collected his thoughts and said respectfully, "Mr. Zhou meant that the dismissal of a scholar is nothing more than cheating in the examination, misconduct, or the year-end examination. Cheating in the examination is the simplest way to kill one thousand enemies and lose eight hundred of your own. Once there is a cheating case in the examination, officials and scholars of Jinling will be implicated. The Ministry of Rites and the Censorate will send people to investigate. In order to clear themselves, officials of Jinling will unite to deal with the Ministry of Rites and the Censorate. Once the Ministry of Rites and the Censorate fail to produce strong evidence to prove that Cheng Lu cheated in the subject he participated in the examination, officials of Jinling may fight back, and the matter will only turn from a small matter into a big one, and in the end, Cheng Lu will even benefit from it.
“The second is bad conduct.
“Lord Zhou said that with Cheng Lu’s cautiousness and eloquence, it would probably be more difficult than cheating in the exam.
“The only thing left is the year-end exam.
"Cheng Lu's father Cheng Bai has been convicted by the government. Although there is a saying that 'misfortune will not affect descendants', there is also a saying that 'a son born by a mouse will dig holes'. Lord Zhou's suggestion is that you should quietly tell the eldest son about this matter, and then let the eldest son hint to the government and the schoolmaster... If the officials in Jinling City agree on this, it would be great."
While Mr. Li was talking, Zhou Shaojin had been thinking carefully in his mind. When Mr. Li finished speaking, Zhou Shaojin was sweating coldly.
This is such a cruel move!
The clan to which Cheng Lu belonged said that he had talent but no morals, and asked the imperial tutor to take away his title of scholar. Cheng Lu could never become an official in his life, and even if he wanted to be a Tao Weng, he could not expect to be respected by others. Even his descendants could not marry into a family with a good background or heritage. This family would fall into decline and struggle forever at the bottom of society.
But this was also Cheng Lu's own fault.
Regardless of what happened in the previous life, they didn't pursue what he did in this life, but he was unwilling to let go again and again. If they let it go, they would only be unlucky in the future.
Zhou Shaojin hardened his heart and said, "Then I will go to the mansion to look for Uncle Chi tomorrow. Things like this are more complicated the longer they are. Besides, Cheng Lu has already returned to Jinling. Before the New Year, he came to give us sisters New Year gifts in person as if nothing had happened. He is too good at pretending."
Zhou Chujin nodded repeatedly and asked Chixiang to prepare the visiting card.
Zhou Shaojin chuckled and said, "Sister, how do you prepare this name card? Are you going to prepare Daddy's name card? Daddy's people went to Jiuru Lane to visit Uncle Chi instead of Uncle Mian. Others will definitely be surprised. Are you going to prepare my name card as well? Uncle Chi was a Jinshi in the two imperial examinations!"
She was a girl from the boudoir, and her name card could only be used in the inner courtyard.
Zhou Chujin patted his forehead and said with a smile, "Look at me, I'm so confused. Then let Chixiang go into the mansion and tell him, so as not to be rude." He added, "Will you attract other people's attention by rashly going into the mansion to look for Uncle Chi like this?"
Zhou Shaojin thought about it and it made sense, so he discussed with his sister, "How about asking Madam to come into the mansion tomorrow to pay her respects to Grandmother, and I can take this opportunity to go to Hanbi Mountain House?"
"That's a good idea!" Zhou Chujin said, looking towards Mr. Li and asked, "What do you think, sir?"
Mr. Li also thought this was a good idea and said with a smile, "Then I'll have to trouble you two ladies!"
Zhou Chujin and Zhou Shaojin went to the study together.
Li had just finished washing and combing her hair, and several maids were twisting her hair. When she heard that Zhou Shaojin and her sister were coming, she went out of the inner room with her still wet hair twisted up.
Since she had already given in, Zhou Chujin became polite to Li and said with a smile, "If we had known that Madam's hair was still wet, we should have come later." Then he called the maid to bring a few dry towels, "I'll twist Madam's hair!"
Li didn't dare to let her do it, and even said she didn't dare.
Zhou Shaojin also advised: "The south is different from the north. In the north, there are heated beds. Even if your hair is a little wet, you can dry it by sitting in the house. The south is damp and cold. You will catch a cold if you do this." Then he told Bi Tao, "Go and get some dry towels for Madam."
Li hurriedly thanked him.
When the maid brought tea and snacks, Bitao came in with a handkerchief. Li Ma hurriedly took it. She and another senior maid, Yulan, helped Li to wring out her hair before they left.
Li then asked, "What do the eldest and second young ladies want to talk to me about?"
She heard that Mr. Li went to see the two sisters as soon as he entered the mansion.
Zhou Chujin did not mention Cheng Lu at all, only saying that the Cheng family had helped when dealing with Lan Ting. Now that she has returned to Jinling City, it is only right and proper for her to thank Old Madam Guan.
Zhou Zhen did not tell Li what had happened, but just said that Lan Ting was disrespectful to Zhou Chujin. Zhou Chujin was very curious and found out some old stories. Lan Ting told lies and Zhuang never let her stay in the Zhou family during her lifetime, let alone serve Zhou Zhen.
Li thought that all this was done by Zhou Chujin, so she was very afraid of Zhou Chujin. So when Zhou Chujin asked her to go to the mansion to pay her respects to Old Madam Guan, she didn't think about it at all and agreed immediately.
Chixiang took Li's business card and went to Jiuru Lane.
Later, she came back and told Zhou Shaojin: "The fourth master has been at home with the old lady these days and has not gone anywhere!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and nodded, and accompanied Li to Jiashutang early the next morning.
Old Mrs. Guan was very happy to see Zhou Shaojin and was also very enthusiastic towards Li.
She asked about Zhou Chujin's situation, and when she knew that Zhou Chujin was doing well, she told Li about Zhou Chujin's marriage: "... You have worked hard along the way! The Liao family is one of the most powerful families in Zhenjiang, and the Zhou family is not without roots in Jinling City. On the day of Chujin's wedding, several aunts from Jiuru Lane will go over to see the excitement, and then I will trouble you!"
The implication was that Li should marry Zhou Chujin off in a grand ceremony.
Li agreed respectfully and talked about what the Zhou family had prepared.
Zhou Shaojin still had something on his mind. After Li had finally finished speaking, Mrs. Mian came over to accompany him after receiving the letter. She stood up and said, "Since I have entered the mansion, I'd better go and greet the old lady!"
Old Madam Guan also thought it was right, and hurriedly urged her: "Go quickly and come back soon! I'll be waiting for you to have lunch."
Zhou Shaojin went to Hanbi Mountain House with a smile on his face.
Biyu and others were very surprised to see her, and took her hand and asked her why she came.
Zhou Shaojin told her about Li's visit to the mansion to pay her respects to Old Madam Guan, and said, "I thought about coming to see you and the old lady. Where is the old lady? She didn't go to the Buddhist temple, did she?"
Once she got to the Buddhist temple, she could only wait!
"No, no." Biyu smiled, "The newly appointed Censor Song is the cousin of the current Minister Song. Madam Song asked Madam Song to bring some things to the old lady. The old lady is talking to Madam Song!"
Zhou Shaojin smiled and said, "Things may change, but I didn't expect that our family and Madam Song are so predestined!"
Everyone laughed quietly.
Zhenzhu said, "Second cousin, please go to the tea room and have some tea first! I will report to you as soon as Madam Song, the censor, comes out."
"Okay!" Zhou Shaojin said happily, "The old lady's tea room always has a lot of good tea and delicious snacks."
She ate a lot of it when she was copying scriptures in Hanbi Mountain House.
Zhenzhu accompanied her to the tea room, opened the cupboard and asked her what kind of tea she wanted, saying, "The second master sent some newly released Da Hong Pao before the New Year."
Dahongpao autumn tea is the best.
Zhou Shaojin was very interested and said, "Then the Dahongpao will be fine."
Pearl goes to boil water.
Zhou Shaojin asked her: "How did you spend the Spring Festival? Are Jiying and the others okay?"
"We are all fine." Zhenzhu boiled some water, put some snacks in a red lacquer and gold-painted box and brought it to Zhou Shaojin, then sat down to talk with her. "On New Year's Eve, the old lady gave each of us fifty coins as a reward, and those of us who served her were rewarded with a pair of silver ingots worth four cents each. Because Madam Yuan did not come back for the New Year, there was not much to do. After the New Year, the old lady only left Madam Lu to serve her and gave us a day off. We also followed Manju to visit her home and went to the temple fair, which was very interesting. On the contrary, there are too few people serving in Tingli Pavilion. Miss Jiying and Miss Nanping have been on duty in the mansion, and they went out with the fourth master to visit friends early this morning!"
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Sisters and brothers, it’s the end of the month, and the battle for the pink vote rankings has begun again. I’ll update again, and please give me pink votes!
※(To be continued)