Do you know: I’m Xu Jiazi

Wanshengmen,

On the official road not far to the west outside the city,

Several guards were on horseback, guarding the three carriages.

In the fairly warm carriage,

Yun Mu, the maid sitting by the window, opened a gap in the car curtains and looked outside.

Looking at the guards outside the car, Yunmu whispered: "Brother Zhong, what's going on in front? Our carriage hasn't moved much for so long!"

The guard looked sideways at the carriage window and said, "Miss Yunmu, wait a moment! I see a motorcade in front of me, and there are quite a few cavalry near the city gate."

Although he couldn't see it, Yunmu still turned his head and looked ahead: "Which cavalry is still being mobilized at this time?"

"Look at the flags on the cavalry's horses. It looks like the character 'Xu'! They look like they have traveled a long way."

Hearing these last words,

The hand on the hand warmer in Chai Zhengzheng's sleeve moved.

Yunmu also nodded and lowered the curtains.

After a while,

The voice of the guard outside the car came: "There's movement ahead!"

Entered the city,

The Chai family's carriages and horses drove straight east along the street.

The cavalry in front of them always had a few people leaving whenever they encountered an intersection.

When they passed through Xishui Gate and entered the inner city, the cavalry team had been reduced by more than half.

The speed of the Chai family's carriages and horses also gradually increased.

After passing the very wide Royal Street,

The Chai family's chariots and horses were already running parallel to the cavalry with their carriages.

When passing another intersection heading south,

"Hush!"

The driver stopped the carriage.

Yunmu lifted the curtains again and looked at the horseback guard beside him.

The guard looked over and said, "Miss Yunmu, the lady in front is talking to the leader of the cavalry."

Chai Zhengzheng went to the car window and took a look, just in time to see the cavalry leader in front of him handing over his hands.

After a while,

The Chai family's motorcade moved again, but the cavalry and horses next to it stopped aside.

"Girl, why don't they leave?"

Yunmu said softly.

Chai Zhengzheng, who looked out through the gap, said: "It looks like they are turning right and making way for us."

Yunmu nodded.

When the Chai family's luxurious carriage passed by,

Xu Zaiduan, who had taken off his mask when entering the city, followed the capable guards, then lightly knocked on the horse's belly and led a group of carriages and horses towards the south.

Hu Yanjiong, who was following Xu Zaiduan, said, "Brother, why is Mrs. Chai greeting us?"

Xu Zaiduan was riding on his horse, looking at the wine flags hanging in front of the roadside restaurants and the roadside stalls selling chives, walnuts (walnuts) and other things, and said, "Maybe it's because of the incident in Dingzhou."

Hu Yanjiong nodded.

Before, Bai Gao surrendered,

When the Chai family sent capable stewards to Dingzhou (today's Shizuishan) to take over the Wujin Carbon Mine, they made a special trip to visit Yongyi Hou.

Xu Minghua tried his best to facilitate the Chai family's management, so that the Chai family took over a lot of trouble.

Looking at the bustling street,

Hu Yanjiong sighed: "Bianjing is better!"

Talking

The group of people quickly arrived at Quyuan Street.

Xu Zaiduan nodded from time to time to the old man in the Hou Mansion on the roadside.

"Master! Are you back?"

Chu Zhan, who was sitting by the stove under the tarp to keep warm, shouted with a smile.

Xu Zaiduan smiled.

"My eldest son, the two young masters are not going to school today either!"

"Why?"

"I heard from Brother Qingyun that this is the last rest before the school holidays."

Xu Zaiduan nodded.

When Xu Zaiduan and Hu Yanjiong arrived at the second gate,

The concierge of the Xu family had already rushed to notify the backyard of the matter.

After getting off their horses and walking a few steps, they saw Xu Zaijing walking in front with a nephew in one arm, followed by Sun, who was supported by Zai Zhang and Hua Lan.

Xu Xingdai, one of the two nephews in Xu Zaijing's arms, leaned forward and shouted to Xu Dalang: "Father!"

Seeing his son, Xu Dalang laughed.

He took Xu Xingdai and kissed him.

Although the beard pricked him badly, Xu Xingdai still endured it and shouted to Hu Yanjiong with a smile: "Uncle."

Hu Yanjiong also laughed.

At this time, Mrs. Sun came closer and said, "Okay! You are finally back."

"Mother/mother-in-law!"

Xu Zaiduan and Hu Yanjiong each saluted.

Ms. Sun stood in front of the two of them, looking at their dusty appearance, she took their hands and said, "Quick, let's go into the courtyard."

Zai Zhang, who no longer supported his mother, stretched out his hand towards his son in Xu Zaijing's arms.

Xu Zaijing's nephew leaned into his father's arms.

Xu Zaijing looked at the empty arms that were still full when he came over. He shook his head helplessly and quickly chased after her.

When we were about to arrive at the mother-in-law's home,

Mrs. Sun stopped, held Xu Xingdai in her arms and said, "Da Lang, go see your wife first!"

Looking at Zai Zhang who was about to speak, Sun shook his head and said: "Third brother, shut up! Let your elder brother see it by himself!"

Zai Zhang pursed his lips.

Zai Duan nodded and said, "Okay! Brother Jiong, go to your mother's courtyard first. I'll come over later."

After Hu Yanjiong nodded, he and Mrs. Sun crossed the threshold and entered the courtyard.

In the courtyard: "Mother-in-law, do I have an extra nephew?"

Sun smiled and shook her head.

Hu Yanjiong understood: she is a niece.

outside the door,

Xu Zaijing walked at the back. After looking sideways at the back of his elder brother who was quickening his pace, he led the envoy into his mother's yard.

Xu Zaiduan hasn't entered his yard yet.

Seeing that the message had been sent, the female envoy standing at the door of the courtyard turned around and walked in quickly.

"The Crown Prince is back!"

The voice of the envoy was faintly heard.

Enter the courtyard,

Entering the back room,

Xu Zaiduan saw Mrs. Xie lying on the bed with her forehead wiped.

Two female servants came over, one carrying a wash basin and the other carrying Xu Zaiduan's clothes.

After washing his hands and changing his clothes, Xu Zaiduan walked to the bed, looked at Ms. Xie who was holding the baby and breastfeeding her child and said with some embarrassment: "Hurry up, I still can't catch up."

Ms. Xie smiled and shook her head to indicate that it was okay: "Official, look at your girl."

Zai Duan took the child into his arms and smiled unconsciously looking at the wrinkled baby.

It seemed to Mrs. Xie that this was not the first time she had held a child, but Xu Zai was still a little embarrassed and said, "Mother said she looks like Sister Ping."

"How could my mother tell this at such a young age?"

Xie smiled and shook her head.

The couple talked for a while.

Xie said: "My lord, I heard that my brother-in-law is also here. You should go to your mother to accompany her first!"

Zaiduan nodded.

The mother-in-law of the Xu family,

Sun sat on the Arhat bed,

On the chairs on both sides, Zai Zhang and Hu Yanjiong sat at the first place.

Xu Zaijing sat at the back: "Brother-in-law, didn't I say that you were busy helping the Ministry of Works figure out the hydrology of the river? Why did you come back early?"

Hu Yanjiong put down the tea cup in his hand and said: "When I was cleaning up Bai Gao's Ministry of Industry office, I found a lot of books that recorded hydrology there. There was also a decree from the palace saying that things should not be rushed, so I followed my elder brother back. ”

"Brother Jiong, when will you go back?"

Zai Zhang asked.

Hu Yanjiong: "After the Lantern Festival."

Sun smiled and said: "Okay! That's just right!"

Anmei is expected to be born in the twelfth lunar month, and Hu Yanjiong happens to be at home.

After a while,

Zai Duan came to the house after changing his clothes.

Everyone continued talking,

During a conversation, Xu Zaijing learned from his elder brother,

It turned out that the group of people who came back with them were mostly young military attachés who performed extremely well in the national war that destroyed Bai Gao and were promoted.

After this group of them return to Baigao and take over their positions in the next year, the other group will return to Beijing.

"Brother, brother-in-law, what are the carriages that follow our house loaded with?"

"Xiao Wu, what's on the car are the rewards brought back to us by the military commander Zeze who lives in Bianjing."

Xu Zaijing nodded.

Mrs. Sun said from the side: "It's not too late now, Duan'er, you can go and deliver them to those who are close to our home first."

"Yes, mother."

"I'll go with my eldest brother."

Xu Zaijing stood up and said.

Sun waved her hands and said, "Wait a minute!"

Then he turned to look at Hu Yanjiong: "Jiong'er, I won't keep you! My mother-in-law and An'er may be waiting impatiently at home. You brothers, please go together."

Hu Yanjiong stood up and held his hands in his hands: "Yes, mother-in-law."

After saying that,

Everyone walked outside.

Got on the horse at the second gate,

Hu Yanjiong went to his own house, while Xu Zaijing followed his eldest brother to send a reward to the home of Junzhong Paoze, which was closer to Quyuan Street.

There are silk and silver coins in the reward.

The items given and the addresses of each house were written on the paper.

Xu Zaijing sent them all the way and found that one of the two families had traces of having held funerals. When they saw the rewards sent, the faces of adults and children were a little surprised.

In the afternoon,

The sun sets in the west,

After being sent off, Xu Zaijing felt a little depressed when he returned to Quyuan Street.

After all, it is a national war. No matter how quickly the war involving hundreds of thousands of people ends, there will still be many dead!

After taking out the piece of paper recording the address from his sleeve and looking at it, Xu Zaijing handed the piece of paper to Qingyun and said: "Tell the manager below that in the future, when recruiting workers in our store and workshop, we will give priority to those two companies. ask."

"Yes, sir."

Qingyun didn't ask which two, and directly put the paper into his arms.

When we were almost back at the gate of Hou Mansion,

Xu Zaijing saw Chu Zhan talking to a man dressed as a soldier.

Seeing Xu Zaijing and Qingyun riding over, Chu Zhan grabbed the soldier who was about to go to the gatekeeper of the Hou Mansion and pointed at Xu Zaijing.

When Xu Zaijing approached, Chu Zhan said excitedly: "Sir, the eldest brother of this shop said that he has a letter from the mansion."

After listening to Chu Zhan's words, Napu Bing quickly bowed.

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Where did it come from? To whom?"

Pu Bing said: "Back to Yameni, I came from Wushang County on Liangzhe Road."

Looking at Xu Zaijing, he nodded and stretched out his hand and said, give it to him.

Qingyun didn't speak.

Riding on the horse, Xu Zaijing said: "Go to the concierge and give this guy half of his hard-earned money."

"Yes, sir!"

After saying that, Xu Zaijing nodded to Pu Bing and entered the mansion.

Chu Zhan smiled and walked towards the concierge.

Xu Zaijingyuan'er.

The sun hasn't set yet,

The main room where the earth dragon is burning is very bright.

Seeing Xu Zaijing and Qingyun entering the house,

Qingcao, who was standing next to the big fish tank and feeding the fish with fish food, turned his head, squatted slightly and said with a smile: "Master!"

Xu Zaijing walked to the shiny fish tank, looked at the fish inside and said, "Feed less, I see they are a little fat."

As he said that, he handed the bamboo tube with the address note in his hand to Qingcao: "Here, it's a letter from Wushang County."

Qingcao was stunned, put the porcelain cup containing the fish food aside, clapped his hands, and took the bamboo tube over with some embarrassment: "Sir, just tell me and let me get it myself."

Xu Zaijing untied the fine strings of the cloak tied in front of him and said, "If you have anything else to do, please tell me. Don't make your own decisions and suffer the cold like last time."

Qingcao pursed her lips in embarrassment and nodded.

With that said, Xu Zaijing handed the cloak to Yun Xiang, who was walking over, and walked towards the study room inside.

When Qingcao opened the bamboo tube containing the letter, Hua Xiang went over to take a look, but was pulled away by Yun Xiang.

The sun sets,

The courtyard was much darker.

"Miss Qingcao, the mistress asked Wu Lang to go to dinner."

A female servant whispered at the door of the house.

"Sister knows, I will go and tell the young master right away." Qingcao, who had finished reading the letter and put it away, replied.

On the way to the mother's house,

Xu Zaijing glanced at the green grass holding the lantern: "What is there to be happy about?"

Qingcao pursed her lips in embarrassment, then smiled at Xu Zaijing and said, "Master, I also have a nephew."

Xu Zaijing raised the corners of his mouth and raised his eyebrows: "Very good!"

"Why haven't I seen you sending money home in the past few months?"

Qingcao looked at the road under the lantern and said: "Go back to the young master, and it will cost you money to send it every time. My family told me to save up and then send it back."

"Um!"

Xu Zaijing said nothing more.

In fact, the total monthly money that Qingcao had earned over the years that she had been with Xu Zaijing was not as valuable as the few things that the Marquis of Xiangyang had given her before in Xu Zaijing's warehouse.

When Qingcao first got those things, he thought about sending them back to his hometown, but Xu Zaijing pressed them and deposited them in the warehouse.

After all, after Qingcao came to Xu Zaijing, she sent home more than three taels a month, leaving only a little for herself.

With more than thirty taels a year, my brother and sister-in-law in Qingcao's hometown can eat and drink even if they don't do anything for a year.

The jewelry that the Marquis of Xiangyang gave her should be regarded as the bottom of the box.

Thinking of this, Xu Zaijing walked to his mother's courtyard.

Take a seat at the dinner table,

The eldest brother came back with a smile on Mrs. Sun's face.

Xu Zaijing sat under the third brother, looked at Xu Zaijing and said: "Brother, you have a beard, you look much more mature!"

Zaiduan touched his cheek: "Haha, right! I grew a beard and I feel much more powerful! The people below look at me differently."

Zai Zhang nodded: "Then I'll give it a try too."

Xu Zaijing looked at the third brother's face and laughed thinking about his beard.

Zai Duan put a hand on Zai Zhang's shoulder, looked at Xu Zaijing and said, "By the way, Xiao Wu, when I went to deliver things to people in the afternoon, I heard that many people's evaluations had already come down?"

Xu Zaijing nodded: "Yes! Brother, you have been promoted to Doctor Wuyi."

"And you?"

"Me? Gongwei Lang~" Xu Zaijing said indifferently, and at the same time glanced at Zai Zhang.

"Oh! Tsk!"

Zai Duan tutted and patted Zai Zhang on the shoulder.

Zai Zhang listened to the conversation and put his hand on Xu Zaijing's shoulder. He turned around and said to Zai Zhang, "Brother, do you think Brother Dai will be obedient after you come back?"

Zaiduan: "Be obedient! How could my son be disobedient! Where is Brother Zhong?"

Zai Zhang patted Xu Zaijing on the shoulder and said, "Look at Brother Bidai being more naughty. Alas~ Sad!"

Xu Zaijing shook his shoulders and shook Zai Zhang's hand.

Sun: "Ahem!"

Looking at the three sons who were talking, Mrs. Sun glanced at Zai Duan and Zai Zhang angrily and said, "Eat!"

after dinner,

After drinking some diuretic, we talked for a while.

Sons, daughters-in-law, and grandchildren returned to their own homes.

Mrs. Sun sat in front of the dressing table and let Mother Zhu tie her hair into a bun.

Looking at the bronze mirror and thinking about the scene at the dinner table just now, Sun said softly: "Jing'er's two brothers are really..."

“Don’t overestimate your own capabilities.”

In the twelfth lunar month,

Several newly promoted military attachés under Xu Hou, such as Lu Junyi and Wang Yan, who came to the capital, have returned to the capital for a few days.

Early this morning,

They then received a message from the Xu family and were invited to a banquet in Fanlou.

noon,

before meals,

Xu Zaijing and He Guan rode on horseback and accompanied a carriage with a sign bearing the word "Lu" to the downstairs of Fan Tower.

upstairs,

Lu Junyi looked at the boy coming out of the carriage downstairs and said, "Who is in this carriage?"

"There is a wooden plaque with the word "Lu" on it! Judging by his age, he should be Wulang's sworn brother and Zonggeer, the youngest son of Lian Guogong. General, what I said is right." Guo Kui on the side replied.

Xu Zaiduan, who heard the conversation, came over with pumpkin seeds in his hand.

I followed Guo Kui's finger and took a look.

When I saw clearly the face of the boy who was smiling and waving hello,

"Crackling"

The pumpkin seeds in Zai Duan's hand were tightly grasped by him.