Zhou Shuren just remembered that he hadn't told his wife about the manor. "I have done a great deed today, and the emperor has rewarded me with a manor. The manor, which is 80 acres in the south of Beijing, originally belonged to the prince. Before I left, I secretly asked the prince if there was a hot spring in the manor."
The prince finally told him to soak in hot springs more often to maintain his health, but he simply ignored it.
Zhulan was surprised, "Really?"
"Really, it's more real than gold."
Zhulan was so happy, "I'm telling you, I really like the two manors I saw today. I've been thinking about them for a long time. Now I have a manor that originally belonged to the prince. This manor must be good."
Zhou Shuren looked at his wife's happy face and felt that it was worth it no matter how hard it was. "This winter, let's go to the manor and live for a while."
Zhulan was about to nod, but stopped and asked, "Can you be fake?"
Zhou Shuren snorted, "Yes, I can."
In the palace, the prince and the crown prince had dinner. The emperor played chess with the crown prince. The emperor asked, "Who do you think should be sent to Jianghuai?"
The prince narrowed his eyes and said, "Lord Zhou has a pair of eyes that can discover, but I can't bear to let him go."
If he got caught, he would cry. He was still waiting for Zhou Shuren to live a few more years, at least until he was registered and took control of the government.
The emperor also knew that Zhou Shuren was a suitable candidate, but he was more reluctant to let him go than the prince. He was old and needed a capable helper. Zhou Shuren rarely spoke, but every time he spoke, he solved a big problem.
It had only been a short time since he arrived in Beijing, and he had to solve the problem of silver in the Ministry of Revenue, come up with a plan to buy grain, and then he discovered the problem of salt tax.
Zhou Shuren helped him so much, otherwise, he would still be worrying about money and food, instead of making plans with peace of mind like now. "Do you have anyone else in mind who is suitable?"
The prince put down the chess piece, and the emperor looked down and saw that he had lost a large piece. He squinted his eyes. Over the years, he had played chess with his son, and this boy had always been on the defensive. This was the first time he took the initiative to attack.
The prince smiled and said, "I think the fourth and fifth brothers are the most suitable."
The emperor smiled. He was worthy of being the child he was most satisfied with. The fourth son had the same idea as him. Currently, he had no job, but now he had one. Although he knew that the salt tax was thorny, he would work hard in order not to be outdone by the second and third sons.
Moreover, the third son's maternal grandfather, the Qi family, had made its fortune in Jianghuai, which was the root of the Qi family. The fourth son and the third son were a perfect match. Among the sons, the fourth son was the most ruthless.
As for Zhang Jinghong, only by releasing him from Beijing can the people in hiding contact him without any scruples.
The emperor looked at his eldest son and sighed, "I am really old."
The prince was so frightened that he almost fell to his knees, but his father helped him up.
The emperor laughed. He really didn't care that he was old. He just wanted to clean up the court and hand it over to the prince. He was very tired these years. Only in the past two years could he relax a little. "Okay, after this game of chess, you can go back too!"
The prince carefully distinguished the tone of his father's voice. His father's tone was steady and he exhaled. It was good that his father was not trying to scare him.
The next day, in the morning, Zhulan got the deed to the manor, as well as the deed to the manor sent by the prince. Zhulan really wanted to go to the manor in southern Beijing to take a look, but finally she held back. For the sake of the Zhou family's face, Zhulan did not go and sent Mrs. Song and Manager Wang to take over.
Now that there is an additional Zhuangzi, the family wants to buy another servant, so they call Li and say, "The guard will bring someone over soon. You and the second family will select someone together today."
Zhulan planned to send the old people from the Zhou mansion to several farms, and buy new maids and servants to fill the vacancies in the mansion.
Li had seen her mother-in-law buy people several times, and she always remembered what her mother-in-law said. She had also been managing the household for a few days, and had gained a lot of experience, so she was still able to keep a steady hand. "Mom, I'll go inform my brother and sister-in-law right away."
"Um."
At noon, the prince was in a good mood. He sat down to eat, only to find out, "Master Qiu is not here?"
Zhou Shuren's mouth twitched, "Master Qiu asked for leave today."
The prince knew a lot about Qiu Yan. This man was capable, otherwise he would not have climbed to the position of Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. His strength was that he was content with his lot, and there was not much else that stood out about him, especially after Zhou Shuren arrived at the Ministry of Revenue.
He didn't know how to evaluate Qiu Yan, but it was also good this way, the court needed people who could keep their distance.
The prince said, "I still remember that Lord Zhou recognized the top scholar back then."
Zhou Shuren put down the bowl calmly and said, "Yes, I recognized him as my godson back then."
"I remember, his name seemed to be Wu Ming."
"yes."
The prince knew Wu Ming because of Zhou Shuren. Wu Ming really displeased his father in the past. He was promoted now because of his merits, but his father was more concerned about Zhou Shuren's face.
The prince smiled and said, "Anyone who can be recognized by Lord Zhou must be capable."
Zhou Shuren knew that even if you have the ability, you still need the attention of the superiors, especially since there are too many officials in the country. Only by letting the prince and the emperor remember your name can you go more smoothly. He also went through this and said, "I admire Wu Ming. I was not as good as him back then."
This is a fact. Wu Ming is a real genius and a real boss. He couldn't compare to him back then, but now, he has more experience and training than Wu Ming.
The prince could hear the seriousness in Zhou Shuren's tone. He was originally just trying to find a topic to talk about, but now he was serious. The more he understood Zhou Shuren's abilities, the more he wanted to dig deeper into them. Wu Ming was able to be admitted as superior to Zhou Shuren, and he was the top scholar at such a young age. It was obvious that he had real abilities. He needed to investigate this person carefully when he returned.
Zhou Shuren continued to eat. He said that this was enough. It would be bad to say too much. He thought to himself, how could he say that he had someone above him? Look, the crown prince and the princes could listen to his words.
Zhou Shuren was in a good mood. It would take some years for Wu Ming to climb up. By then, when he was old, Wu Ming would take over. As for Chang Lian, he knew it well. Chang Lian learned from him in every way, which meant that Chang Lian was destined not to be able to reach the highest point, but Wu Ming could.
He went home to write a letter to Wu Ming, telling him what happened today. This was a favor, a favor, and he didn't think it was too much.
At the Duke's Mansion, Yu drank the medicine soup, and Ning Zhixiang sat on one side, "I'm not saying anything bad about you, but don't think about it anymore."
Yu wiped her tears with a handkerchief, "How can I not think about it? In the future, my eldest brother will inherit the Duke's Mansion, and Zhang Rongchuan will inherit the Marquis' Mansion. Only we will have nothing, and we will have to rely on my eldest brother and Zhang Rongchuan to live in the future."
Ning Zhixiang felt depressed, "Don't worry, my parents will make arrangements for us."
Yu was upset. What she wanted was power. She was used to being high and mighty. When her eldest brother inherited the Duke's Mansion, their family would move away, and she didn't want to be looked down upon.
Ning Zhixiang stood up. He couldn't convince Yu and sighed. He thought it would be better for him to go out and teach his son more. His son was smarter than his eldest brother's child. This was the hope of their whole family.
He has thought it through. Rongchuan is the third place in the imperial examination, so he wants to adopt Rongchuan. He wants to ask his father and uncle for permission to let Rongchuan teach their son. He thinks his father and uncle will agree.