At Chaoyang Gate, Cheng Chi was talking to Madam Guo: "… Lord Song wanted me to go to the river to help Yang Shoushan, the river governor, manage the river. I am a sixth-rank official in the Ministry of Works, so I can temporarily work for the River Governor's Office. All appointments and dismissals are in the Ministry of Works. I thought about it carefully. Instead of submitting my resume to the Ministry of Personnel and begging them to find me a job, I might as well accept Lord Song's arrangement and go to the River Governor's Office. After all, they invited me, and I was appointed with a sixth-rank title. Zhang Hui, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Works, is Lord Song's student. Lord Song has made such an arrangement, which is really painstaking."
In the early days of the founding of the country, the Yellow River was less threatening, and the imperial court appointed the governor-general who managed the grain transport to manage river affairs. When a flood occurred, a minister of the river was temporarily sent to deal with it, and then he was dismissed after the task was completed. However, since the tenth year of Yongchang, the floods of the Yellow River have become increasingly serious. In the third year of Zhide, the river and grain transport were separated, and the imperial court appointed a special governor of the river to manage the dikes and dredging of the Yellow River, the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, and the Yongding River. Yang Shoushan is the current governor of the river.
He is in the same class as Song Jingran.
Madam Guo couldn't help but frowned when she heard this. She didn't bring the teacup in her hand to her mouth for a long time, but said, "If I remember correctly, the governor's office of the river channel doesn't seem to be in the capital, right?"
Cheng Chi smiled and said, "In Jining Prefecture, Shandong."
Madam Guo frowned and said, "For matters like river management, you work so hard but you don't see what you have accomplished. If nothing goes wrong, the world will be peaceful and harmonious. If something goes wrong, it's a matter of losing your head... Do you want to reconsider it? Last time, Sister Zheng came and said that there is a title of Du Jishizhong in the Ministry of Justice. Although it is only a seventh-rank official, it is noble and elegant. It will be easy for you to transfer to the six ministries in the future. You don't have to enter the government by managing rivers. If you get this title, people will think you are a candidate for the Ministry of Works. After you manage the river, you will organize the grain transport. You will spend your whole life doing this. In my opinion, it's not worth it."
Cheng Chi said implicitly, "I'm not here to be an official. Ever since Shao Jin rejected the Song family's marriage proposal, I've been a little embarrassed to see the Song family. Lord Song felt guilty when he saw me and kept apologizing to me. Old Master Song also came to see me every now and then, either inviting me to drink or to eat... Now Yang Shoushan is having a hard time in office, and he was recommended by Lord Song. The two families are close friends, and we all prosper together. Lord Song has asked for this, so how can I refuse? I must help Yang Shoushan to keep the situation going."
Mrs. Guo didn't know that Zhou Shaojin had rejected Song Mu, so she hurriedly asked what was going on.
Cheng Chi deleted the important words.
Mrs. Guo remained silent for a long while.
She considered herself a calm and rational person. Her deceased husband was decisive and resourceful, and she didn't know whose temperament her three sons inherited, as each one was more loyal than the other.
Dalang is needless to say. Erlang's wife has been ill for so many years, and he has never had a concubine to drink wine with. Silang is even better. Not only does he want to marry his niece, but he also works hard to pay off his debts for this little girl who has no fate!
In this case, she simply said: "You also know that you are going to marry a wife? Are you willing to leave her alone in the capital? Your sister-in-law is confused, is your brother also confused? When you and Shao Jin are proposed to get married, won't your brother know the little tricks in your mind? Will Shao Jin be able to survive by then?"
Cheng Chi burst out laughing.
His mother was afraid that he would become a technical official due to his meritorious service in river management, which would make it difficult for him to be promoted in the future, so she even used Shao Jin to dissuade him.
The old man was desperate and tried every possible means to cure his illness.
Cheng Chi blinked and said, "Didn't you say you didn't agree? I'm just feeling sad and want to go out and hide for a while!"
"You bastard!" Madam Guo put down her teacup and looked around for something to hit Cheng Chi. "If it weren't for you, I wouldn't be so worried. Whenever I think about going to the Zhou family to propose marriage, I get so annoyed. I don't know if I'll be kicked out by the Zhou family. I've always been upright in my life, but I didn't expect that when I'm old, I'd still have to be humble in front of others because of a useless little son..."
"Mom, how can you say that!" Cheng Chi was as thick-skinned as a city wall. He pretended to be scared and quickly stepped aside, saying, "Isn't it the responsibility of parents to help their children get married?"
Mrs. Guo was furious and said, "I think the Sixth Miss of our Fang family is good. Since I am in charge of your marriage, then the Sixth Miss of the Fang family will be fine..."
Cheng Chi laughed loudly and said in a flattering manner: "I will marry whoever my mother tells me to marry!"
Madam Guo was so angry that she couldn't help but stand up and punch Cheng Chi a few times, saying, "How dare you talk nonsense to me!"
Cheng Chi coaxed his mother: "I am acting like this, not because you feel sorry for me? Don't be angry anymore. You went to the Zhou family to propose marriage, I have to make a name for myself, so that the Zhou family can't refuse you! Besides, others don't know, but you don't know? When it comes to managing the river, it's because I'm good at math that I can understand what Mr. Song said. This time, they said that I was going to assist Yang Shoushan in managing the river, but Mr. Song actually went with me. Managing the Yellow River is his lifelong wish, but he just borrowed my name. My strength is still in math. I didn't have any contact with Mr. Song before, so Mr. Song didn't know. Later, when I had contact with Mr. Song, I didn't hide it, otherwise Mr. Song wouldn't have let me work in the Ministry of Works, just to serve as an official in the six ministries in the future."
After all, it was all for Zhou Shaojin.
Madam Guo said angrily, "You've already thought it through, why are you asking me?"
Cheng Chi pushed his mother to sit back on the kang, and while he rubbed her shoulders in a flattering manner, he smiled softly and said, "Mom is the backbone of our family. When dad was alive, didn't he always consult you about everything? I have encountered such a big thing, so of course I have to discuss it with you so that I can have peace of mind!"
Mrs. Guo's eyes suddenly became moist.
She had been smart and capable all her life, but her husband played a trick on her when she was old. He gave her son, whom she had worked so hard to carry for ten months, to Cheng Xu, an old man, to train him to be the head of a hall. If her son had not been smart and obedient, he would have become a warrior long ago. There would be no place for him and his mother to discuss his career here.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Guo's heart softened again.
If you want to go to the river, just go to the river!
The most valuable thing for a person is to have a clear conscience.
Since they have wronged the Song family, they should repay their favor.
As for Shao Jin, I didn't expect that despite her young age, she is such a strong-willed person.
No wonder she was so resolute when I tested her last time. It turns out she had already made her choice.
This little girl, it's not easy...
She just considered it as something she owed to these two people.
Once Silang's assignment is confirmed, we'll send someone to the Zhou family to propose marriage.
Silang was right. Now that he had an official position, the Zhou family would look upon him with higher regard, and the marriage might go smoothly!
We will get married in the spring of next year, and we will have a big fat grandson the year after... No, Jiashan will get married in the spring of tomorrow... Then let's make it the end of this year... After all, Silang is my uncle, and he is older than Jiashan. It makes sense that my nephew will get married first when he is alone without an uncle...
Madam Guo pondered in her heart, and her expression became softer. She said, "Don't worry about your eldest brother. I will talk to him. He dare not disagree. As for Lord Song, let him go and say hello and thank Lord Song. Let him accept Lord Song's favor."
Cheng Chi always felt that his elder brother Cheng Jing was too soft-hearted and too dependent on the Yuan family, so he didn't want to discuss some things with him. He didn't tell Cheng Jing about Song Jingran's invitation to him to serve as an official.
He and Cheng Jing have always had differences on how to bring honor to the Cheng family.
In Cheng Jing's view, the Cheng family and the Yuan family are in-laws and natural allies, and Yuan Weichang is the chief minister of the cabinet. It is reasonable and logical for the Cheng family to follow the lead of the Yuan family.
In Cheng Chi's opinion, precisely because the Cheng family and the Yuan family are in-laws and natural allies, sometimes there is no need to do everything personally. He can try to make friends with the other ministers, find opportunities to clarify his position, and express his own ideas on governing the country, so as to get rid of the identity of the Yuan family's ally and remain neutral among the ministers.
Cheng Jing disagreed.
I think Cheng Chi is a wild imagination. He doesn't know how expensive food and daily necessities are if he doesn't manage the household.
Cheng Chijue and Cheng Jing were burdened by false reputation and had no desire to make progress.
Although the brothers did not say this to each other, clues were already evident in their actions. However, because of the interference of Old Madam Guo, there was no chance to make the matter clear.
If Cheng Jing knew that Cheng Chi accepted Song Jingran's help, Cheng Chi knew without thinking that Cheng Jing would not only oppose it fiercely, but also turn a deaf ear to his explanation, and give him advice on his own, arranging a position for him that Cheng Jing thought would be most beneficial to his future, and would call him to scold him, asking him to have less contact with Song Jingran in the future. The relationship between Song Jingran and Yuan Weichang was a little tense. He and Song Jingran were too close, which would make people think that the two brothers were acting, trying to please both sides, and had no stance... In this temple, in addition to being afraid of standing on the wrong side, they were also afraid of being fence-sitters, leaning to both sides...
The last time Song Jingran recommended him for a career in government, Cheng Jing had already called him over and reprimanded him.
Cheng Chi thought about it and curled his lips in disapproval.
Cheng Chi knew about the rift between Song Jingran and Yuan Weichang.
Yuan Weichang was the chief minister of the cabinet, and he was also famous for his tact and had too many relationships to balance. Song Jingran was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue and was a famous strategist. Yuan Weichang had to ask Song Jingran to open the back door and transfer money or more money to those frontier officials, students and former colleagues, prefects and governors who came to ask him for help. Since Song Jingran was a minister, he also had his own personality and temper, and he might not always give face to Yuan Weichang. After a long time, Yuan Weichang had the idea of replacing Song Jingran, but Song Jingran was in the emperor's heart and would guess the emperor's thoughts. In addition, Yuan Weichang did not handle this matter carefully enough, so Song Jingran found out.
From then on, the two became enemies.
Hearing his mother say that his elder brother had accepted a favor from Song Jingran, Cheng Chi laughed and was naturally happy to see it happen.
My eldest brother is too close to the Yuan family. It’s time to create some small conflicts and make him re-examine the relationship between the Cheng family and the Yuan family!
So when Cheng Jing and Yuan came to pay their respects to Madam Guo and Madam Guo mentioned this matter, Cheng Jing looked at Cheng Chi in surprise, unable to conceal his surprise. At that time, Cheng Chi picked up the teacup and slowly drank a sip of tea.
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Hey guys, today's update.
Tomorrow’s update will still be around 8pm.
※(To be continued)