Page 223
Just as he was about to say a few words of persuasion, he saw Daiyu staring at the bamboo chopsticks in her hand, her delicate face rosy, and she suddenly became enlightened.
At this moment, Shui Rong felt a little embarrassed. Logically speaking, he shouldn't make such a small etiquette mistake, but the current situation made him stay at home and face the people around him without using public chopsticks. The relaxed atmosphere made Shui Rong not think of Daiyu's identity for a moment.
In an instant, Shui Rong had a plan in his mind. He must not expose this embarrassment at this moment. He stared at Daiyu who was in a daze and said warmly: "Zi'er, what else do you want to eat?"
Daiyu came back to her senses after hearing this, her pretty face became more and more rosy, she hurriedly lowered her head and whispered: "It's nothing."
Listening to his brother's tone, he must have been accustomed to Yu Sanmei and the others picking up food before. This time he didn't do it on purpose, but somehow, Daiyu didn't feel disgusted.
There is nothing to dislike about a family.
After breakfast, Daiyu took the handkerchief handed over by Zijuan and wiped her sparkling pink lips. She looked at the young man with her hazy willow eyes like mist and rain, and said casually: "Brother is going to go later. work?"
I remember that my brother was here on business, so I guess he didn’t have much free time.
Shui Rong stared at the young man, and when he saw Daiyu's bright eyes twinkling, he couldn't help but feel funny, and said, "There's nothing to do now. How about we take a walk in the yard later?"
Millions of victims are in desperate need of food. Shui Rong should raise funds as soon as possible. However, this matter cannot be urgent. We have to wait for the details of fundraising from local officials before making arrangements.
Who would be willing to "steal" money from others.
Daiyu's eyebrows relaxed after hearing this, and she lowered her head and said softly, "Hmm". There was a hint of joy in her bright willow eyes.
Shui Rong didn't say anything when he saw this. At this moment, Daiyu needed the company of "relatives". It was normal to be a little clingy. To be precise, it should be clinging to that sense of security.
After saying that, the three of them didn't stay too long. They walked through the arched moon door and walked along the hand corridor in the back house.
Tan Chun held Daiyu's arm and looked at the graceful and delicate beauty of Jiangnan. He whispered to Daiyu from time to time. For a moment, Daiyu completely forgot the sadness in her heart.
Shui Rong occasionally chatted, staring at Daiyu, hesitating for a while, and asked: "Zi'er, when will Uncle Lin's funeral be held?"
As Yuanchun's husband, it was reasonable to call Lin Ruhai uncle, but you couldn't call him by his first name in front of his daughter. It was too disrespectful.
When Daiyu heard this, her face was startled, the joy between her brows and eyes disappeared, and mist gradually grew in her eyes. She wiped the corners of her eyes with a handkerchief, choked with sobs and couldn't make a sound for a moment.
When emotions come, you can't stop them. The ability to change your face is something that comes naturally to your daughter.
Upon seeing this, Shui Rong sighed slightly and advised softly: "Zi'er, Uncle Lin needs to be buried as soon as possible and buried in peace. You don't want my uncle to live in peace."
In fact, Shui Rong didn't want to ask at this time, but he had to ask, Lin Ruhai's body was still parked in the backyard. There had to be an explanation, and it couldn't be left alone forever. Wouldn't that be bad luck for the whole courtyard?
Being buried in peace can also make the big stone in Daiyu's heart fall away. As the saying goes, long-term pain is not as good as short-term pain, and it will be over once and for all.
When Daiyu heard this, her heart felt even more sour, her tears couldn't stop falling, and she said quietly: "Brother, daddy...has no children, and he has to wait for the people from Gusu to come over."
It was indeed unfilial on her part to prevent her father from being laid to rest as soon as possible, but there was nothing Daiyu could do about it.
After hearing this, Shui Rong understood clearly that funerals are ceremonial and require someone to stand guard in front of the soul and wash the basin, and these all require male heirs, but Daiyu was born as a daughter.
To put it bluntly, it was necessary to adopt a filial son from the Lin family in Gusu.
However, since Shui Rong brought it up, he already had some concerns in his mind, so he said, "Zi'er, my brother has some ideas. Can you listen to it?"
Daiyu looked at the young man with a pear-shaped face, a bright light flashed in her hazy eyes, and whispered: "Brother makes the decision."
As the saying goes, an eldest brother is like a father. At this moment, the only one she can rely on and trust is this brother. If she doesn't let her brother make the decision, who else can she let make the decision?
Besides, as an orphan, what plans could she have? Even if she had a plan, who would listen to her?
Shui Rong gently chinned his head and said bluntly: "You must be going back to the capital, Qian'er. You don't care about your hometown in Suzhou. You simply sold off the properties and fields in Suzhou one by one, leaving only the ancestral house behind. From the Lin family Yuanzhi adopted a young heir and asked him to be a dutiful son to his uncle. The Lin family raised him and provided him with education as a reward.
But he made it clear beforehand that he should not even think about the Lin family's fortune, it is all yours. "
Regarding Daiyu's arrangements, Shui Rong had planned them one by one. Daiyu was an orphan at the moment and would definitely not stay in her hometown in Suzhou. This was not to be bullied. She was in the capital, not to mention Shui Rong, her sworn brother. Even with the Rongguo Duke's mansion, no one else could bully her.
And if those real estates are left out of reach, it will only benefit the villain. So we might as well just stop doing them and sell them at a discount to avoid being targeted by the villain.
If it weren't for the great significance of the ancestral home, Shui Rong would have wanted to persuade Daiyu to sell the ancestral home.
As for choosing a young heir, that's because it's easy to make decisions. The Lin family only had three generations of marquises. Lin Ruhai's father's generation should have lost the title of viscount. It was the emperor's mercy that allowed another generation to succeed. Ruhai's generation There is no hereditary inheritance, it is established by the imperial examination.
Since there is no title dispute, what is left is nothing more than the family property. The left and right are just asking for a card, and the young heir has nothing to do with it.
Daiyu was startled when she heard this, her face showed some doubts, and she said, "Gusu will not agree."
For Daiyu, she didn't care about those "strangers" who were only related by blood, but she also understood that once she did this, those people in Suzhou would definitely make trouble.
Shui Rong didn't take it seriously when he heard the words, and said softly: "Zi'er, you only need to feel whether it suits your heart, and you don't need to worry about anything else."
They were just making trouble, so they thought he was lying and raised their hands to suppress them.
When Daiyu heard this, her heart relaxed slightly. She understood what the young man meant, which was that her brother was there for everything, and now she only had to make her own decisions.
Although it was a good thing that she could decide the Lin family's property, and she was grateful for her brother's respect for her, if she followed his way, she would definitely cause trouble for her.
At this time, the silent Tanchun smiled, held Daiyu's arm, and said with a smile: "Girl Lin always has an idea, I don't know what girl Lin plans to do."
Daiyu's beautiful eyes rolled at Tanchun, and she felt a little relieved. After a little hesitation, she said softly: "Aunt Liu must also make arrangements."
After all, she is the one who takes care of her father. If she takes the property back with her, how will the lonely Aunt Liu cope with herself?
Shui Rong nodded when he heard the words, and felt more and more happy about Daiyu in his heart. Daiyu was a young lady after all, and she still had the capital to go to, but Aunt Liu was a concubine with no income, and her situation was much worse than that of Lin Daiyu.
Generally speaking, when she encounters an unfashionable mansion, Aunt Liu will probably give her some money and spend it to fend for herself. At her age, and having been a concubine, her life will be difficult and bumpy after leaving.
If she meets someone who is particular, it will be even worse. For the sake of family honor, she will be forced to suffer in a Buddhist nunnery for the rest of her life until the oil is exhausted.
Although Daiyu speaks "sharply" and is short-tempered, she is kind-hearted and will not treat Aunt Liu badly.
After a pause, Shui Rong said: "The heir will be adopted in her name, leave some money and land, and allow her to settle down and live in the Lin family's main house. If she doesn't want to, give her a generous sum of money and let her go. Let her choose."
Daiyu heard this. A flash of light flashed in his bright eyes, and he said softly: "Then just listen to my brother."
After everything was arranged, Shui Rong said no more. He walked around the backyard with Daiyu and Tanchun, and then went to burn a stick of incense in front of Lin Ruhai's spirit.
Chapter 318 Zhen Hua: This is the future of the Duke’s Mansion
Capital, Duke Ning's Mansion.
"Crack!"
Jia Zhen's face was gloomy. She looked at Jia Rong who was trembling in the hall. A cold light flashed in her eyes. She threw the tea cup on the table and angrily shouted: "You bastard, Hua'er has a body, and you still... You are living and drinking outside, and the Duke's mansion has been completely disgraced by you."
The news of Zhen Hua's pregnancy has spread in the Duke's mansion, and the entire mansion is filled with joy, except for a few people.
Jia Rong was oppressed by Jia Zhen's momentum. Even if she was hit by the tea cup, she didn't dare to say a word. She just listened to Jia Zhen's words and felt a little aggrieved.
So what if his daughter-in-law is pregnant? It's not his. Besides, when did my father care about this matter? When it comes to bringing shame to the Duke's government, he's still far from it.
It's just that he didn't dare to say this. The former was in the Beijing Prince's Palace, and the latter was really going to be beaten to death, so he said cowardly: "Master, Hua'er said that she is pregnant and it is inconvenient to take care of me. Let me go outside to find some." Delightful."
Jia Rong was right. She was allowed to live a debauched and debauched life, and all the money she spent belonged to her. If it weren't for his seed in her belly, she would really be a "good wife and mother".
Upon hearing this, Jia Zhen became even more annoyed. Is he the one who cares about such trivial things?
For Zhen Hua, Jia Zhen is bound to win. The more Zhen Hua twists and turns, the more interested Jia Zhen becomes. She secretly makes up her mind to tame this little wild cat from the south of the Yangtze River.
How could anyone not be angry if he thought that he had been chosen first before he even made a move?
The purpose of recruiting Jia Rong this time is to discourage him. He had already told Jia Rong that his daughter-in-law should be filial to him first, but Jia Rong was so unfilial. And Zhen Hua, who was true to her father-in-law, was nothing short of filial to her husband. Being obedient makes people feel unwilling.
Thinking of this, Jia Zhen's eyes burst out with overwhelming anger, she stared at Jia Rong, stood up, raised her hand and slapped her face, angrily scolding: "You are an unfilial person, how dare you talk back."
The more she thought about Jia Zhen, the angrier she became. She slapped her several times before she regained her composure, waved her hand and said, "Go away, if you do these embarrassing things again, I'll beat you to death."
At this moment, Jia Rong was about to cry but no one knew the sadness in her heart. She covered her swollen face and walked out helplessly.
Oh my God, the child in my wife's belly is not my own, and I treat him harshly. It's really because my father doesn't care and my wife doesn't love him, but he can't afford to offend both of them. He's miserable.
Jia Zhen looked at Jia Rong's leaving figure and snorted coldly. After sitting down, she took a sip with the teacup in her hand, played with the tureen, her eyes revealed a glint, and said secretly: "It's good to have a body, my child, forever." It's the mother's weakness, and when the time comes, the good daughter-in-law will not let him be filial in every possible way."
Thinking of this, Jia Zhen felt a surge of anger in her heart and shouted: "Let Peifeng come over, sir, I want to listen to the music."
In the fragrant boudoir, Zhen Hua was covering her mouth with an embroidered handkerchief, lying on the couch and vomiting. Her usually delicate jade face was covered with haggardness.
After a while, Zhen Hua regained his composure and whispered resentfully: "It's really going to kill me."
It's all her cousin's fault. If it weren't for her cousin, how could she have suffered like this? She wouldn't let her make it up to herself when she came back.
You Shiyan, who was on one side, approached Yan Yan with a smile and said with a smile: "A woman has to go through this when she gets pregnant. It will be fine once she gets through this period of time."
Hearing this, Zhen Hua raised her eyes and looked at Youshi, feeling strange in her heart. She remembered that the cheap mother in front of her had never given birth to a child, so she seemed to be someone who had come from before.
Pursing her pink lips, Zhen Huaqiang cheered up, smiled, and said, "Don't worry, mother, my daughter-in-law knows."
Hearing this, Youshi's gorgeous face was full of smiles, her beautiful eyes stared at Zhen Hua's still flat belly, and she said with a smile: "Hua'er, what's in your belly is the future of the Duke's Palace, so you have to be more careful. "
Compared with Zhen Hua, Youshi attaches no less importance to this child than she does. It should be noted that Youshi does not have children by her side. Currently, her daughter-in-law has a good relationship with her, and this child is her grandson. They are naturally close to her in the future. It was her foundation in the Duke's Mansion, so how could she not care.
When Zhen Hua heard the words, she nodded her head, stroking her belly with her bare hands, her eyebrows full of warmth. This was her cousin's eldest son, so he had to endure it no matter how uncomfortable it was. Previously, he just complained a little, but after all, he was here The eldest son here is suffering for his cousin, but his cousin is not around to comfort him, how can it not be heartbreaking.
And what Youshi said was right, what was in her belly was the future of the Duke's mansion, and the future of her and her cousin.
Yangzhou, Yanyuan Yamen, study room.
Shui Rong sat behind the large yellow rosewood table, staring at the people in the hall with a bit of amusement in his expression. The person in the hall was Wen Zhixing, the salt transport envoy of the Huaihe River and Huaihe River. The salt transport envoy was in charge of salt transportation, sales and tax collection. He is the chief officer of the Lianghuai Salt Administration, including the settlement of money and grain payments, salt smuggling cases in various places, and anti-smuggling assessments.
As for Lin Ruhai's salt inspection censor, he only has the duty of inspection, that is, to monitor and correct the words and deeds of officials. It is equivalent to the Discipline Inspection Commission and does not involve salt politics.
Yangzhou salt merchants are the most lavish in the world, and those with less than one million are called small merchants. This time they go south to raise funds, they will definitely not be able to bypass the salt road. This is also a common practice of the imperial court. Salt merchants often donate money and repay their benefits. This was the emperor at that time. Although he was received by the Zhen family during several tours to the south, there were also salt merchants among them.
None of the eight major salt merchants made their fortunes by relying on the court's salt policy. Since they benefited from this, they had to express their interests. They originally thought that they would wait for officials from various places to raise funds before meeting with the Salt Road. Wen Zhixing never asked Wen Zhixing to take the initiative to ask for a meeting. They couldn't sit still. After all, they knew in their hearts that they couldn't avoid this. They cut off the flesh first to ensure safety, thinking of taking the initiative.
Shui Rongyi pointed out: "Why does the Warm Salt Transport Envoy want to see this king?"
Wen Zhixing raised his eyes and looked at the noble young man on the case, with a somewhat unnatural look on his face. Could it be that the reason why he asked to see him was not known by the prince in front of him, and he must not forget the purpose of going to Jiangnan.
After hesitating for a while, Wen Zhixing said respectfully: "Your Majesty, I will call the merchants to donate after receiving the imperial envoy's ticket. Now the salt merchants have relented and are willing to donate one million taels for disaster relief and emergency repair of the river embankment. "
Shui Rong raised his eyebrows when he heard the words, and his heart couldn't help but a strange color flashed in his eyes. It was inevitable that the salt merchant would donate, but he never expected that he would be so smart and volunteer to coordinate one million taels. You need to know that this time The fundraising amount was about 1.5 million taels, and two-thirds of it was solved in one go. It was a big deal.
It's just that Shui Rong knew in his heart that the salt dealer couldn't obediently donate money so easily. There must be gains for every loss, especially when such a big pie is smashed on the head. There must be a reason, or to be precise, a requirement.
Holding the tea cup on the desk and sipping it, Shui Rong said calmly: "Oh, yes, the salt merchants are righteous. I thank them on behalf of the people who were affected by the disaster. When I return to Beijing in the future, I will express my gratitude to the salt merchants in front of the Holy Emperor. Please take credit.”
Not to mention the requirements, this righteousness should be attached first.
Wen Zhixing looked at the young man in front of him carefully. He was not happy because of Shui Rong's words of appreciation. Instead, he felt a little uneasy about the young man's calmness. He turned his eyes slightly with a confused look on his face: "Your Majesty, it's just the salt merchants. It’s hard to donate so much. I hope we can understand their difficulty and allow the price of salt to float by 10% to reduce the loss. It’s difficult for the lower officials to make the final decision on this matter, so I’m asking the prince for instructions.”
Shui Rong sneered in his heart when he heard the words. It was just as he thought. There is no free lunch in the world. The salt merchants are so generous, so naturally they have something to ask for. Although the salt transport envoy is the chief official of the salt road, the price of salt is set by the imperial court. Wen Zhixing As a salt transport envoy, you cannot make any arbitrary decisions.
To put it bluntly, this is a transaction. If you want to raise one million taels, you must agree to this condition. After all, Shui Rong is the emperor's errand. If the errand fails, even if he is a prince, he will have to accept it. implicated.
Although the words were respectful, the implications were clear.
Shui Rong looked at Wen Zhixing with a stern look, his face was calm, and he said coldly: "Take it from the people and use it for the people. The salt merchants have a good calculation. If I don't respond, will they not donate? You lose?" Is this salt transporter just for a living?"