Yangzhou Dongcheng, Xujia.

Xu Zhen still looked cynical, sitting on the chair carelessly, sometimes knocking a peanut, sometimes sipping a sip of fragrant tea, enjoying himself.

Seeing him like this, his eldest brother Xu Zhi's complexion suddenly changed from green to red, and he was gnashing his teeth, but there was nothing he could do.

Xu Zhen glanced at him and felt more and more happy when he saw Xu Zhi like this.

He just likes the way his stupid brother can't stand him but can't kill him...

Working with Jia Qiang, Xu Zhen was under tremendous pressure at home.

If it weren't for his mother, Lou, who was the second daughter of his father, Xu Minghe, and was so favored that her pillows flew up in the wind, it would have been impossible for the Xu family to bring out the ice cellar and cooperate with a young man from the capital who was unfamiliar with her.

His eldest brother Xu Zhi also listed several of his major crimes, such as offending the Bai family by helping outsiders, taking the initiative to cooperate with others by taking advantage of the Xu family's foundation, which is lawless, and disregarding propriety, justice and shame, and flattering others to call them "Second Master"... …

As a result, all the criticisms and corrections were made to disappear when the Bai family was wiped out, the Shen, Wu, and Zhou families fell silently, and the leading salt merchant Qi Jia actually got closer and closer to the Yanyuan Yamen.

The opposition within the Xu family was also wiped out.

No one is a fool. Anyone with eyes can see where the wind blows.

Yangzhou Housekeeper Xu Minghe looked at his doted second son, laughed and cursed: "You bastard, don't be too anxious to be happy first. Since you have climbed to a high branch now, your eldest brother will follow me tomorrow." The government office is doing things. In addition, the Xu family can't bet all their treasures on you. You can take the ice cellar. With the family's money, I asked someone to buy a farm of five thousand acres outside the city. One is to use it as a fallback route. , if there is any insecurity here, this farm belongs to your eldest brother. Your third brother is still young, and in the future, his share will have to be supplemented with the money you earn. It will be at least a farm of 5,000 acres. Even today. It’s a family separation, have you noted it down?”

When Xu Zhen heard this, he almost laughed out of his eyes.

He had never thought of sitting in the office of the government office.

Firstly, he is not the eldest son of Xu, and secondly, his temperament is not suitable for doing this.

It's true that this position has a lot of power, but no matter how powerful it is, it's just a lowly official.

When you meet a bunch of officials in the government office, you have to greet them, and when you pay serious respects, you have to kowtow.

He is powerful to others but humble to others. Let him sit in this position. It would be better to kill him.

As for the family's money, the five thousand acres of farmland, etc., they are all trivial matters to him.

In contrast, the Xu family's two ice cellars and ice room business are the golden roosters that lay golden eggs.

Even if most of the money he earns in the next three to five years will be used to support his family, as long as the chickens are his, will it be a matter of time before he earns money?

What's more, what he values ​​​​is not the money earned from these two ice cellars, but the capital he can use to form a partnership with Jia Qiang and Qi Yun.

Previously, his father was still hesitant about him taking out the Xu family's ice cellar for a partnership, but now that he has completely made up his mind, he can go ahead and do it.

Xu Zhen jumped up, raised his hands to his father and said with a smile: "That's right! As long as you are old, I will be able to say that in the future, blessings will belong to everyone, and I will bear the disasters alone. I will never be a drag on the family, so don't look shy, brother." It’s ugly. Let’s go, try to make ice before the New Year, and make a lot of money before the New Year.”

After that, he turned around and ran away.

After Xu Zhen left, Xu Minghe looked at his eldest son and sighed: "Do you understand? The future office will be yours, as long as you can afford it. Plus the farm and this house, your future Lubi

Everyone is stable. You always complain in private that I favor your younger brother, but now he and the third child combined are no more than two icehouses."

When Xu Zhi heard this, his face was full of shame, and he even said uneasily: "Father, why are you doing this?"

Xu Minghe shook his head and said: "Our Xu family has been passing down the family business with stability since your great-grandfather. You have a calm temperament, unlike the second oldest son, and you are the eldest son, so the family business should have been passed down to you. Those two ice cellars were originally

They won't separate... However, Yangzhou Prefecture is now in chaos, and the whole world will be in chaos. The emperor wants to innovate, but the officials and gentry in the world may not be willing. Look at Jiangnan, there is Han Bin Han Banshan, and then

With the addition of Lin Ruhai, there are two ministers whom the emperor relies on. If they really take action, the Jia family, the good minister appointed by the emperor, will be in front. They will be walking on thin ice. If they really succeed,

If your second brother follows suit, you won't have a share of his fortune. But if they fail and your second brother is in trouble and has no food to eat in the future, you have to remember to give him a hand and don't let him starve to death."

Regardless of preference or doting, for a family head, ensuring the continuation of the family is always the first priority.

This is the long-lasting secret of the family.

…

The back house of Yanyuan.

After Jia Qiang led Xue Baoqin in, Xue Baoqin obediently asked Aunt Mei and Daiyu how they were doing.

Aunt Mei was shocked when she saw Bao Qin looking like this, and exclaimed: "I haven't seen such a beautiful girl in many years!"

Bao Qin smiled shyly and explained to Aunt Mei the reason why her mother could not come over.

When Aunt Mei heard that Bao Qin's mother had phlegm, her expression changed slightly. She looked at Bao Qin with some pity and said, "What are you afraid of if we can't meet? Let your mother rest well. If you need anything, just ask someone to tell me.

"

Daiyu, who had been looking at Baoqin for a while, suddenly looked at Jia Qiang and said with a smile: "How do I remember that you said that Tianning Temple's precious medicine is best for high fever and lung disease?"

Jia Qiang nodded, and Bao Qin said with a smile: "Sister Lin, Brother Qiang said that after letting the imperial doctor take a look at it in the evening, if it is feasible, he will ask for the precious medicine."

Hearing this, Daiyu raised her eyebrows slightly, looked at Jia Qiang with a half-smile and said, "Brother Qiang?"

Jia Qiang first responded with a "hmm", then when she saw Daiyu's eyebrows raised, she quickly said "hmm" (three times) to indicate that she didn't understand what it meant...

Daiyu spat and teased: "What a thick skin! Qin'er is Bao Yatou's younger sister. You call Bao Yatou aunt, but let Qin'er call you Brother Qiang?"

Jia Qiang laughed, and Feng Qingyun said calmly: "It doesn't matter to me what you shout. It just depends on how Sister Baoqin chooses..."

Bao Qin was only eleven years old, and she pointed at Jia Qiang to save her parents. How could she choose the wrong path? So she laughed and said, "I'd better call you brother."

Daiyu saw through Jia Qiang's intentions and glared at him angrily.

Jia Qiang waved her hand and said to Bao Qin: "If you have nothing to do, just stay here and play naughty with your sister Lin. She is in the capital, and she and your cousin are very close. They are as close as sisters!"

Baoqin took it seriously and obediently agreed. When he looked at Daiyu again, his starry eyes widened and he glared at someone. He couldn't help but be startled.

Is there something wrong?

Jia Qiang quickly winked at Daiyu to signal her not to lose her identity in front of the children. She said goodbye to Aunt Mei and turned around to leave.

Daiyu looked at Jia Qiang's back angrily and snorted, but in the blink of an eye she saw Baoqin, who seemed a little timid when seeing her like this, and quickly put on a smile and started talking to her...

…

Imperial City, Daming Palace.

It's the twelfth lunar month, and everything in the palace has been repainted.

What is particularly noteworthy is that the Liuli Lantern Festival, which had been discontinued for five years since the early years of Long'an, was restarted on the seventh day of the twelfth lunar month.

Countless colored glazed lanterns filled the entire imperial city.

The people of the capital can all look into the imperial city in the center of the sacred capital, and they are all shocked and worshiped by the scene that looks like a heavenly palace.

Yangxin Hall, Xinuang Pavilion Qinzheng Qinxian Hall.

Emperor Long'an stood in front of the window, looking at the colorful lights outside, his brows furrowed tightly.

Having been taught by his cabinet master since he was a child, he has a sense of diligence and frugality, and he hates unruly extravagance and waste.

But……

There was such a big turmoil in the south of the Yangtze River. Some princes from the clan went to Jiuhua Palace to slander, saying that Han Bin and Lin Ruhai were in Yangzhou Mansion to start liquidating old man Jingchu.

Although the Emperor didn't say anything, according to the chamberlain, the Emperor was very unhappy...

Empress Yin then suggested to Emperor Long'an that in order to appease the Supreme Emperor, he should put the lanterns all over the imperial city again, just like in the old days of Jingchu, to comfort the Emperor.

Emperor Long'an understood the importance of the current affairs and responded accordingly.

Sure enough, the Emperor and the Empress Dowager were very happy when they saw it.

However, Emperor Long'an was not happy.

Not only because of this extravagance, but also because of the clan!

It is already the fourth generation that Dayan has passed down to his generation.

Four generations have accumulated fifteen princely mansions and thirty-eight county princely mansions. As for the governors, assistant governors, and generals, there are even hundreds of people.

Although, compared to the previous dynasties, Dayan's clan was not too large, and the salary expenditure was acceptable.

However, some people were not satisfied. They borrowed a lot of money from the Ministry of Household Affairs and sent people from the palace to enclose land and build Wangzhuang.

The local government did not dare to control these royal villages, let alone collect taxes, and they also arbitrarily collected and donated land, causing a sharp drop in local fiscal and tax revenue...

At the moment, there are not many princely palaces and county princely palaces, but as the numbers go down, the numbers will become more and more alarming. One day, the royal family's expenses will become a huge mountain that crushes the imperial government's finances.

Originally, Emperor Long'an didn't like most of the clan members who were about to become useless. Unexpectedly, there were still people who dared to give him eye drops, forcing him to do such extravagant things against his will.

For Emperor Long'an, this was simply a great shame and humiliation!

At this time, the copper bells of the Amitayus Pagoda in the Immortal Tower Buddhist Hall outside the hall were ringing, echoing in the hall like bursts of Sanskrit sounds.

This design is ingenious. Whenever someone enters the temple and opens the door, the air will flow in and the bell will ring.

Huangmen Tongbing said to the emperor: "The queen is here."

Not long after, Empress Yin came in.

However, unlike in the past, when Empress Yin entered today, she had a more dignified look on her face.

"What happened?"

Emperor Long'an knew that his first wife was the most intelligent, and could not trouble her with anything difficult, and it was rare to see her look like this.

Now, it is clear that we have encountered real difficulties.

As expected, Empress Yin said solemnly: "Your Majesty, just now Mrs. Qiu from the Xuan'er Mansion came into the palace to tell me that she has been getting closer to the concubine Bai from the Yao'er Mansion recently, and she didn't want Bai to tell her some strange things.
To be continued...