"Speaking of which, the Xu family used to be a big family."
Grand Secretary Wang sighed with emotion for no reason.
Xu Xinnian's eyelids twitched. After a moment of silence, he said, "How does the imperial court plan to solve the problem in Yunzhou?"
After the execution of the Yuanjing Emperor, two files were classified as confidential and sealed in a secret room of the Cabinet.
One of them could only be read by officials with real power above the third rank and the Grand Secretary.
The content of the file was that Xu Pingfeng, the third rank and the second disciple of the Supervisor, colluded with the descendants of the royal family five hundred years ago and established a base in Yunzhou. They secretly developed and tried to rebel.
It mentioned the collusion of the Qi Party and the Witchcraft Cult to support the mountain bandits in Yunzhou; the smuggling of iron ore from Yuzhou to Yunzhou caused by the Yuanjing Emperor.
Now, the night watchman, the censor, and the Dali Monastery were secretly investigating all the officials in the capital to screen for possible spies …
The officials in various places were also secretly investigated.
The other file recorded the truth that the Yuanjing Emperor, the King of Zhenbei, and Queen Zhen De were the same person.
This file was not open to the public, so only a few people knew about it.
The Crown Prince, oh no, the Yongxing Emperor planned to pass this secret down as a family secret.
"The borders of Qingzhou and Yongzhou have been fortified. The imperial court has sent several imperial edicts to Yunzhou, asking the Commander of Yunzhou, Yang Chuannan, to return to the capital, but there has been no news."
Wang Shoufu said in a low voice,
"Yunzhou hasn't rebelled yet, but it will happen sooner or later. The night watchman's spies in Yunzhou are still there, and the Yunzhou Army and the officials have not made any moves yet. But the imperial court has lost control of them.
"Your uncle has been operating in Yunzhou for many years, so his plan is far-reaching."
Xu Xinnian frowned, "So the imperial court wants to wait and see?"
Wang Shoufu nodded, "His Majesty plans to suppress the descendants of the royal family five hundred years ago next autumn. But before that, Yunzhou may rise first, and the imperial court is ready. "
Xu Xinnian understood, "So the national treasury has no extra money for disaster relief."
Wang Shoufu was silent.
…
There was a moment of silence in the spacious house.
The second sister-in-law, Zhao Yurong, cleared her throat and said in an educating tone,
"Miss, the charcoal in your house is different from the ones here. This is the Beast Gold Charcoal used by the royal family. It can only be used in the Imperial Palace."
In fact, with Daibun's current corrupt style, there were many cases of black market reselling Beast Gold Charcoal. Most high-ranking officials and dignitaries had this kind of charcoal in their homes, but they usually wouldn't use it when entertaining guests.
It was all a secret enjoyment.
Only the Wang Family, who had received the reward, would openly use it.
Li Xianghan picked up a piece of candied fruit and put it in her mouth. She looked at Xu Lingyue and smiled.
"We're all family. Later, I'll get the servants to pack two catties of Beast Gold Charcoal. It's not that rare anyway."
The message of this sentence was: Although it was a reward from the Emperor, it was nothing to the Wang Clan.
Although there were some things that slipped through the fingers of the top rich and powerful families, they were things that ordinary people could never enjoy in their entire lives.
Madam Wang smiled as she sipped her tea. She needed her two daughters-in-law to 'show off' the Wang Clan's wealth to set off her daughter's golden status.
Xu Lingyue said softly, "Thank you, sister-in-law. But we have sixty catties of Beast Gold Charcoal at home. It should be enough for this winter."
Her voice was soft and her expression was sincere. It was impossible to tell that she was showing off.
The room suddenly fell silent. The faces of the Wang Clan's women became strange. The snobbish sister-in-law asked softly,
"You bought it from the black market? Sixty catties, how much silver would that cost … "
Madam Wang coughed and used her eyes to stop her eldest daughter-in-law from asking. She said lightly,
"Lingyue, Beast Gold Charcoal is something used by the royal family. Although many rich families secretly buy it for use. But this kind of thing is only done and not said. If it gets out, the palace will punish you. In the future, don't say it outside. Do you understand? "
Madam Wang's words were not euphemistic. It was a serious warning.
This Xu Clan was too bold. Sixty catties of Beast Gold Charcoal was not a small amount. How could they buy it like this? Just because the Xu Clan was newly rich, they were so arrogant.
Second Sister-in-law's Father held a position in the Dali Monastery and was especially sensitive to this aspect.
In the capital, this kind of person who became complacent after gaining power and walked with pride usually did not have a good ending.
Xu Lingyue shook her head and said innocently, "It is bestowed by Princess Huaiqing and Princess Lin An."
？ Madam Wang was obviously surprised for a moment before quickly regaining her composure and did not speak.
Eldest Sister-in-law said in astonishment, "Bestowed by the two Princesses?"
She and Second Sister-in-law did not conceal the bewilderment in their eyes. As a Furen of a wealthy family living deep in the courtyard, they were blocked from the news of the outside world. They only knew that the Xu family's Dalang was very powerful but they were not clear about the details.
For example, the Xu family's Dalang was a slave of three families. Two of them, one was the highly talented Eldest Imperial Daughter of Daibun and the other was the most favoured Princess Lin An.
Xu Lingyue explained, "The two Princesses looked after the Xu family because of Eldest Brother's face."
Xu Dalang ah …
One did not know if it was because they remembered the legend of Xu Dalang, the two Sister-in-law were much more polite and the smiles on their faces became warm.
Wang Furen's face turned solemn as she said, "I heard from Si Mu that Xu Yinluo is not in the capital anymore?"
"Eldest Brother has gone out to travel." Xu Lingyue replied.
In the following conversation, Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law kept on 'flaunting their wealth' and would constantly show off the superiority of a wealthy family to highlight the Wang family's prominence.
Eldest Sister-in-law said, "Second Lang holds a post in Han Lin Academy. Even though it is a top notch noble position, it does not have much power. After getting married, he will strive to be sent out after the new year. "
Xu Lingyue said, "Before Eldest Brother left, he had already arranged it for Second Older Brother."
Second Sister-in-law said, "Second Lang graduated from Yunlu Academy and is extremely talented. It is just that in the officialdom, one must be experienced in human relations and human relations are built up by piling up money. But it does not matter. Gong-gong would definitely have arranged these things properly. "
Xu Lingyue said, "The residence still has the ten percent dividend from the chicken essence workshop that Eldest Brother left behind, which is an annual income of ten thousand taels."
Eldest Sister-in-law said, "Younger Sister is not married yet. Sister-in-law will introduce you to a few talented young men from top families."
Xu Lingyue said, "Thank you Eldest Sister-in-law. Having half of Eldest Brother's ability is enough."
Eldest Sister-in-law: "…"
After a battle, Eldest Sister-in-law and Second Sister-in-law were defeated.
They suddenly realized that in terms of wealth, connections, and family prominence, the Wang family did not seem to have much of an advantage over the Xu family.
Their sense of superiority suddenly disappeared.
Idiot … Simu Wang secretly shook her head.
The two sisters-in-law were led by Xu Lingyue. Whenever they showed off their sense of superiority, Xu Lingyue would bring up Xu Qi'an. It was clearly a comparison of the overall strength of the Wang family and the Xu family.
They were forced to compare the Wang family and Xu Qi'an by this harmless-looking Xu Lingyue.
Could they compare?
However, the two sisters-in-law were confused by Xu Lingyue's appearance. They thought that they had the overall situation in their hands and that there was no problem. They were speechless again and again because the Wang family could not compare to the Xu family.
At this time, bell-like laughter came from outside the room.
After a while, a pair of children ran in. It was a boy and a girl.
The boy was dignified, wearing a brocade coat and a fox-fur hat. His skin was slightly dark, and he was about ten years old.
The girl, on the other hand, was pink and cute. She had a round face and big eyes. She was obviously a beauty. She was about seven years old.
"Grandma!"
The two children stopped smiling and said respectfully.
"Brother Hao and Sister Die are here."
Mrs. Wang smiled and called the two children to her side.
Simu Wang took the opportunity to introduce, "This is my eldest brother's son and daughter."
Xu Lingyue nodded.
The two children sat down next to Mrs. Wang. The girl's dark eyes looked at the chubby children of the same age.
The boy was also looking at the strange little girl.
Eldest Sister-in-law's eyes lit up. She said unhappily, "Hao, Die, say hello to your sister."
The two children immediately said hello to Xu Lingyin.
Xu Lingyin concentrated on eating cakes, dried fruits, and candied fruits, immersed in her own world.
Silly and gluttonous … The two sisters-in-law secretly shook their heads.
Mrs. Wang had a smile on her face.
Eldest Sister-in-law asked with a smile, "I haven't asked. Has Miss Lingyin been enlightened?"
Xu Lingyue shook her head and said softly, "Not yet. Lingyin is stupid. She can't even recite the Three-Character Classic. It's useless to send her to school."
Eldest Sister-in-law's smile became more obvious.
"That won't do. Although we women don't need to take the imperial examination, we have to be proficient in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. I think we can send Miss Lingyin to the Wang family's private school. "
Mrs. Wang nodded and said pleasantly, "Every month, she has the opportunity to go to the palace to study with the prince and listen to Taifu's teaching."
"Ahem …"
Simu Wang choked on the tea and coughed until tears came out.
"What's wrong?" Mrs. Wang looked at her daughter.
"Mr. Zhang and Taifu are old …" Simu Wang said softly.
So, mother, please let them go.
"Okay!"
Xu Lingyue smiled sweetly and said, "Thank you, Mrs. Wang."
After a pause, Xu Lingyue said, "In fact, Lingyin has been practicing martial arts recently, so she has neglected her homework. I also think she should read more."
"Practicing martial arts?"
All the women in the room showed an expression that said "this is very vulgar". Warrior was originally vulgar, and women who practiced martial arts were vulgar among vulgarities.
The dark-skinned Wang Hao's eyes lit up. He stood up and stared at Xu Lingyin.
"Do you also practice martial arts? Let's have a fight. "
The boy's proposal was immediately rejected by his mother. Eldest Sister-in-law reprimanded him, "Don't talk nonsense. You are a good seedling. Miss Lingyin is different from you. Aren't you bullying her?"
Then she turned to Xu Lingyue and said, "Hao 'er has a good foundation. The guest of our house praised him as a good seedling and accepted him as a disciple. My father-in-law also said that practicing martial arts can strengthen the body, which is a good thing. In the future, Hao 'er can be considered to be proficient in both literature and martial arts. "
Her tone was quite proud.
Xu Lingyue lowered her head and said, "My sister only has a burst of strength."
She looked very self-abased.
Wang Hao usually couldn't find an opponent of the same age as him. Now that he finally found one, he hurriedly said,
"Grandmother, I know what I'm doing. Let me compete with her. If you are afraid that I will hurt her, you can ask a guard to watch over her."
Mrs. Wang still felt that it was not appropriate. She was about to refuse when she heard Xu Lingyue say, "Okay."
Huh? Mrs. Wang looked at her and had to say, "Okay."
She immediately asked a maid to call a guard.
Wang Hao and Xu Lingyin went out of the room and came to the yard.
Xu Lingyue, Simu Wang, the two sisters-in-law, and Mrs. Wang stood under the eaves in a big cloak and watched.
The middle-aged guard held the knife with one hand and looked at the two children. He said, "Before the competition, let me see your strength first."
As he said that, he pointed to the stone stool on the side and said, "Move the stool."
They were just playing house. For him, there was no such thing as a knife and sword being blind. But to be safe, it was better to test their strength first.
If the gap was too big, there was no need to compete.
Wang Hao took the lead and walked to the stone table. He bent down and hugged the stone stool by the table. With a loud shout, he lifted the stool.
His little face was red and the veins on his forehead were bulging. He walked for ten steps before he was exhausted. During the process, Mrs. Wang kept shouting,
"Slow down, walk slowly …"
The second sister-in-law praised, "Hao 'er is very capable."
The eldest sister-in-law smiled and said, "In fact, it is better to study. Sigh, I didn't want him to learn martial arts, but Hao 'er's talent is too good."
The eldest sister-in-law learned the profound meaning of Versailles without a teacher.
The middle-aged guard praised, "The young master has a bright future."
He then looked at Xu Lingyin and said, "Don't force yourself."
Xu Lingyin finally finished the candied fruit in her hand. She licked her palm and walked to the stone table under everyone's gaze.
She reached out and grabbed the edge of the stone table.
The middle-aged guard was about to say "not this" when his eyes suddenly widened. The stone table was like a feather. The little girl grabbed it with one hand and lifted it above her head.
Above her head …
With one hand …
There was a dead silence.
The eldest sister-in-law widened her eyes and slightly opened her mouth. Her whole body was stiff as if she had suffered an unbearable shock.
Mrs. Wang was moved.
The young boy of the Wang family was stunned.
Bang!
Xu Lingyin threw the stone table back to its original position and looked at her sister with a silly look. "Can we fight now?"
They still had to go back to eat after the fight.
"No!"
"No more!"
Mrs. Wang and the eldest sister-in-law screamed at the same time.
At this time, Xu Lingyue still looked like a pretty girl from a humble family. She said with low self-esteem,
"Lingyin doesn't know anything but strength. Big Brother also thinks that her aptitude is not good."
The eldest sister-in-law looked at her in a daze. Her lips moved but she couldn't say anything.
"This …" Mrs. Wang and the second sister-in-law also didn't say anything.
…
Xu Xinnian ate lunch in the manor. After bidding farewell to Grand Secretary Wang, he went to the rear courtyard. At the entrance of the inner hall, he saw his two younger sisters waiting there. The servants who followed him from the manor were carrying a large pile of gift boxes. These were gifts from the Wang Family.
He didn't enter the inner hall. He stood at a distance and nodded slightly. When his sisters came with the servants, the siblings left the mansion.
After entering the carriage, Xu Xinnian glanced at his sister and said, "I'm not sure.
"How do you feel?"
Xu Lingyue smiled and said, "Not bad. Sister Si Mu is very obedient."
Obedient? Xu Xinnian looked at her blankly.
Xu Lingyue smiled sweetly.
She still felt a bit regretful. If Simu Wang fought, it would be more interesting.
…
After Xu Xinnian left, Wang Shoufu drank a cup of tea alone and went to the inner hall.
The atmosphere here was a bit heavy. His wife, Mrs. Wang, two daughters-in-law, and daughter, Simu Wang, sat silently.
His daughter was fine, but his wife, Mrs. Wang, had a serious face. The two daughters-in-law couldn't hide their sadness and disappointment.
Wang Shoufu said lightly, "Did you have a disagreement?"
The two daughters-in-law didn't say anything.
Mrs. Wang hesitated and said, "Master, I just feel that the Xu family's marriage with us isn't too high."
The eldest sister-in-law nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes."
She wanted to send Hao 'er to the Xu mansion to learn martial arts.
The second sister-in-law said with emotion, "Si Mu is married to Er Lang. It's a good match."
In the future, she should pay more attention to the Xu family. She quietly put away her sense of superiority.
Simu Wang suddenly said, "Father, eldest sister-in-law agreed to let the Xu family's young lady study at the mansion."
Wang Shoufu asked, "What's the problem?"
There was no need to discuss this kind of small matter with him.
Simu Wang said quietly, "If you go back on your promise to go out, let Eldest Brother go to the Xu mansion and talk about it himself. I don't want to be the bad guy. "
Wang Shoufu waved his hand, "It's just a small matter."
At this time, Wang Shoufu still hadn't realized the seriousness of the matter … He was even more curious about why the women at home suddenly looked like they had lost a battle and were dejected.
…
Returning to the Xu mansion, Xu Lingyin put her hands on both sides of her waist and bent over to find her master Lina to share the delicious food she had eaten at the Wang mansion.
Xu Lingyue went to the east wing and reported to her mother.
When the aunt saw her daughter coming back, she asked, "Were you bullied? Is the Wang mansion looking down on people? Were you wronged? "
Xu Lingyue shook her head, "No, Madame Wang and the two sisters-in-law are very polite."
The aunt didn't believe it and poked her daughter's forehead, "You little girl, even if you were bullied, you would still endure it."
As she said this, she asked her daughter to sit at the table and said sincerely,
"Tell me what happened to the Wang family. Mother will analyze it for you, what didn't do well, and what should be done.
"As for you, remember that when you get married, use what mother taught you to deal with your mother-in-law."
Xu Lingyue nodded obediently, "Did mother also treat grandmother like this?"
The aunt curled her lips, "Did you forget? Before I married your father, your grandmother passed away. "
Xu Lingyue sighed, "Mother, your life is really good."
…
Xiangzhou, Chai mansion.
Du Nan, who was eight feet tall, wearing a red and yellow kasaya, came to the door.
"Benefactor, please inform the poor monk that Du Nan is here."
The burly monk put his palms together.
At this time, Du Nan restrained all his breath, except for his tower-like body, he was no different from an ordinary person, and the ring of fire behind his head was also restrained.
The gatekeeper looked at the big man in horror and said with a trembling voice, "Master, master, please wait a moment …"
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