Fenghou

The last thing Chen Qing sent was a gift of 1000 taels of silver. He converted the reward of 4000 pieces of cloth into 9000 taels of silver. He took out a total of 5000 taels of silver from the inner treasury, and invested 4000 taels of silver in Zheng Ping's business bank. , [-] taels of silver remained in his own hands.

Chen Qing personally has a savings of about 1 taels of silver, but most of this money is stored in Baoji Cabinet Workshop in Chengdu, and some of it is in Baling County.

The 500 taels of silver to marry a wife is far from enough, so he can only count on the reward from Emperor Zhao Gou for killing Yang Yao.

Chen Qing had enough money to marry a wife, but Lu Jin had difficulty getting money to marry a daughter and a daughter-in-law.

Chapter 353

In the back house, Lu Jin is discussing the dowry and financial gifts with his wife, Xu. Xu firmly disagrees with her husband's idea of ​​giving away all her savings. What will happen to her daughter when she gets married?

"In my opinion, we don't take advantage of it either. Let's give Xiu'er all of Chen Qing's dowry as a dowry, and then give Wei'er the two shares of money from his father. Isn't this just a good balance?"

Lu Jin sighed, "It's too little!"

"My lord, it's quite a lot. 1000 taels of silver is equivalent to [-] guan. You can buy [-] mu of land in the countryside. There is at least [-] shi of land rent a year."

"I said that Wei'er is too little. He only gave the Li family a gift money of one thousand guan, which is not worthy of our family status!"

"Master, the Li family's family situation is not good! There are many children, can they give a dowry of one thousand guan? You forgot, Li Mei's second uncle wanted to borrow money a few days ago, if their family can come up with a thousand With the dowry of Qianguan, Li Mei's father will not be promoted for so many years."

"That's what I said, but when Jing'er married his wife, we gave him a gift of two thousand guan!"

"But they also dowry two thousand guan, and Wei'er is the second son, not the eldest son, so it can't be the same as the eldest son!"

Lu Jin had no choice but to say: "Let's do this! Let's take out five hundred guan and give Wei'er a gift of [-] guan. If the Li family brings the money over as a dowry, the Li family will have no burden. Then I will Find the old man to ask for some gifts from the emperor as a dowry, I remember the old man once said that he would give the pair of plum vases from the Ru kiln in the study to Xiu'er as a dowry."

The pair of plum vases from Ru Kiln were very valuable, and Xu felt a little bitter about giving it to Xiuer as a dowry, but she couldn't help it. Xiuer is the eldest granddaughter, and her own daughter is only a concubine, so how can they be compared?

At this moment, the housekeeper said from the hall: "My lord, Uncle Chen Zhun sent someone to bring a box, saying it was for Miss Xiu, and Miss Xiu said, let me have a look first."

Lu Jin hesitated for a moment. This was given to his daughter by his son-in-law, and he didn't want to open it. Wouldn't it be bad if it was someone else's private property.

Mrs. Xu was very curious, she smiled and said, "Since Xiuer asked you to open it, just open it and have a look!"

"Okay! Just open it and take a look."

The workmanship of the box is very exquisite, with various patterns drawn with paint, it looks like it was made by a famous artist, and it is very valuable. There is also a small lock on it, and the key is hung on the side of the lock.

Lu Xiu unlocked the lock and pushed open the box. The box was so brightly golden that her eyes were dazzled. Xu exclaimed, and Lu Jin was also stunned.

There are countless gold and white jade jewelry inside, including a golden phoenix crown inlaid with jewels. This phoenix crown alone is worth a lot, as well as bracelets, arm rings, necklaces, rings, gold hairpins, jade hairpins, chest pendants and other jewelry. Dozens of pieces, ten of all kinds of gold and jade bracelets, the gold bracelets are also inlaid with precious stones, if the phoenix crown is not counted, the other gold and jade jewelry alone will be worth tens of thousands of guan.

At the bottom is a set of very expensive Huang Luopin gold wedding dress.

Lu Jin and Lu Jin were stunned. At this time, Lu Xiu walked into the inner hall, saluted and asked, "Father, are the things in the box safe?"

"What is appropriate?" Lu Jin was at a loss.

"Qinglang said that these jewelry belong to the palace."

Lu Jin was taken aback, he shook his head and said, "You have to ask your grandfather about this, I don't know much about it!"

……

In the outer study room, Lu Yihao looked at the jewelry in the box with great interest, and said with a smile: "My prospective grandson-in-law is really powerful, how many treasures from the palace does he have?"

"Father, are these all belongings of the palace?"

"It should be that the phoenix crown, bracelet, jade bracelet, gold hairpin, and jade hairpin are all top-notch items. Even if they are not from the palace, they are treasures that were bestowed by the palace to relatives and dignitaries."

"Then if Xiu'er gets married and wears these, does it matter?"

"It doesn't matter. Chen Qing is the Duke of Jing. His wife wears these jewelry, which is completely in accordance with the etiquette. But this phoenix crown seems to me a little bit, it looks a bit like Empress Zhu's phoenix crown."

Lu Jin became nervous, "Is it really Empress Zhu's phoenix crown?"

Lu Yihao took a closer look, shook his head and said: "The shape of the phoenix is ​​a bit small, and it can't reach the level of a queen. It's not the one of Empress Zhu, it should be a certain imperial concubine's phoenix crown. There are too many, and I don't know who it is. of."

Seeing his son's nervous expression, Lu Yihao smiled and said: "Don't worry, the imperial court has reached a consensus long ago. The government made a decree in the third year of Jianyan, and they will not investigate the common people's use of artifacts from the Tokyo Imperial Palace. This cannot be blamed on the common people." , you remember, as long as it is not for the official’s own use, other palace things are fine, so this box of jewelry and clothes, you can use it.”

Coming out of the study, Lu Xiu took a white jade bracelet from the box and handed it to Mrs. Xu with a smile: "Madam has worked hard these days. I will give this bracelet to Madam. Miss Wen is still young. When she grows up, we will give it to Mrs. Xu." Give her some jewelry."

How clever Lu Xiu is, Mrs. Xu can't take her eyes off the box, so she knows what Mrs. Xu is thinking, no matter what, she is also her stepmother.

Mrs. Xu's eyes lit up, and she happily took the bracelet, "Such a good thing, are you really willing to give it to me?"

"I'm afraid Madam won't like it!"

"Xiu Niang, don't laugh at me. Why can't I look down on things in the palace? I know that this is the finest Khotan white jade bracelet, and it costs thousands of pieces. Hey! I wear it just right, sir. what do you think?"

The more Mrs. Xu looked at it, the more she liked it, so she didn't want to take it off after wearing it.

Lu Jin smiled and said: "Not bad, the jade is very moist, like suet."

Lu Jin's smile was a bit bitter, the daughter's dowry jewelry should be prepared by herself!

In fact, Lu Xiu's biological mother also left some jewelry for her daughter, but she lost it when she fled south, and lost all her books. This has always been a pain in Lu Jin's heart.

Lu Jin went back to his father's study, and he wanted to beg for the pair of Ru kiln vases for his daughter.

"Father, are those jewelry all right? Or did you comfort Xiu'er?"

Lu Yihao smiled lightly, "All of them! It is true that the government has decreed that people who use palace utensils will not be held accountable, but he refers to ordinary people. If they are officials, they will be a little stricter. You know that some censors are very hateful. Open your eyes. With big eyes staring at the faults of Baiguan's body, he will not let go of the slightest problem. Xiuer uses those jewelry, someone will definitely make trouble, but you don't have to worry, those jewelry were snatched from the golden man, no matter how much impeachment It’s also untenable, not to mention those annoying censors can’t see it at all, I won’t invite them.”

"Okay! But isn't the dowry we gave Xiu'er too little?"

Lu Yihao took out a wooden box from the cabinet, "This is a pair of plum vases from Ru Kiln, which was given to me by the late emperor. I promised to give it to Xiu'er. I keep my word. Give her a dowry!"

"Thank you father, this is your favorite, I am ashamed of myself!"

Lu Yihao smiled slyly, "Do you think I will give away this pair of plum vases for nothing? Someone taught me to fish. You have to make a nest first. This pair of plum vases is a nest."

"Father, what does it mean to be a nest?" Lu Jin asked puzzled.

Lu Yihao laughed, "I just don't want the child to be caught by a wolf!"

……

Huang Qun was sitting in the lobby dejectedly. He never expected that he would become the main suspect in his son Xiang Xiaoyi's disappearance. For this reason, his wife Xiang Shi had already divorced him, and the Xiang family severed ties with him. The head of the family vowed to send him to prison to pay for his life.

In order to save himself, Huang Qun had to take out two more members of the teahouse and give them to Wei Tong, the younger brother of the Empress Dowager Wei, so that he was able to get out of prison.

Wei Tong was sitting at the top, squinting his crocodile-like cold eyes and staring at the helpless fat sheep in front of him. He won [-]% of the Huangjianzui Teahouse without spending a penny. The next five elements got it.

Wei Tong is the younger brother of Empress Dowager Wei, who was also taken captive by the Jin people to the north, and became a servant in Wanyan Zongxian's mansion. He was named the Duke of Wei and the General of the Fu Kingdom, and he was given a beautiful house, [-] hectares of manor, and countless gold and jewels. In one night, he changed from a servant of the Jin Kingdom to a nobleman of the Song Dynasty.

Wei Tong took a sip of tea and said calmly: "There are only two of us in the lobby, you might as well tell me the truth, did you do Xiang Xiaoyi's disappearance?"

Huang Qun sighed, "Although he is not my own son, I raised him after all. Twenty years of father-son relationship is here. How could I kill him?"

"Xiang Xiaoyi just disappeared, but he didn't say he was killed?"

"It seems to me that they are all the same. He has done too many evil things, and his enemies will not spare him, but it is definitely not me who kidnapped him."

Wei Tong smiled darkly, "If Liu Dong didn't do it, how could the Xiang family think it was you?"

"I don't know how they think it's me?"

Wei Tong smiled and asked again: "I have known you father and son for many years, but I never thought that you are not biological father and son. I am curious, who is Xiang Xiaoyi's biological father?"

Huang Qun shook his head, "This is a scandal about the Xiang family, so don't mention it!"

Wei Tong put away his smile and said: "Okay! You go back first, and I will try my best to help you get rid of the crime. You can just wait for the good news with peace of mind."

"Thank you, Uncle Guo, then I will take my leave!"

Huang Qun said goodbye and left. Wei Tong watched him go away coldly, then turned to a confidant and said, "Go to Xiang's mansion and tell Xiang Ying that Huang Qun has already admitted in front of me that Xiang Xiaoyi was his victim. Sometimes I can testify for the Xiang family, but the benefits I want must be increased by [-]%."

Chapter 354 Canonization

Huang Qun didn't go home directly, he sent the carriage home, he rented an ox cart and came to an inn, he walked quickly into the inn, knocked on a room on the second floor, inside was a young woman, behind There was also an eleven or twelve-year-old boy.

"Master, you are finally here!" The young woman said in surprise.

She hurriedly turned her head and said to the boy, "Xin'er, call Daddy!"

The boy bowed and saluted, "See Daddy!"

Huang Qun's heart felt sore, this was his own son, with his blood flowing, and he was a million times better than that bastard full of bad taste.

He patted his son's head, took out a slip from his pocket, and handed it to the young woman, "Here is the charter slip. I've arranged it for you. Hurry up and find Boss Yu at the Four Seas Shipping Company at the pier. He will arrange a bill for you." A passenger ship will take you and your wife to Chengdu."

The young woman panicked: "Master, what are we going to do in Chengdu?"

"Go and run for your life. My teahouse is being targeted. They won't let me go. I have to make arrangements for you."

"Aren't you going with us?"

Huang Qun smiled wryly and said: "I want to run for my life, but if you can't go together, I will be wanted. If I am caught, my family of three will be ruined. I will flee to Lingnan first, and I will come to Chengdu after a year of avoiding the limelight. You two, do you understand?"

The young woman nodded, "I see!"

Huang Qun put another package on the table, "It contains 100 taels of silver, and I will give you money on the way."

He took out a large envelope and handed it to the young woman, "Keep this close to your body!"

"what is this?"

"This is the deed of a house. The owner is in the name of our son. There is also a counter ticket and half a jade pendant in it. With these two tokens, you can withdraw [-] guan in Chengdu Baoji Cabinet. This is what I have saved for many years. The Xiang family doesn’t know about their secret wealth.”

The whole family cried, Huang Qun wiped away tears and said: "I'm leaving through the back door, you pack up and leave quickly!"

Huang Qun gritted his teeth and left cruelly...

That night, arrest warrants were posted at various city gates for Huang Qun, the suspected kidnapper and murder suspect. Those who provide clues will be rewarded with [-] guan, and those who catch Huang Qun will be rewarded with [-] guan. Hearing the news, they all inquired to find Huang Qun's whereabouts.

Huang Qun was not caught until a few months later, and the Huang Jianzui teahouse was completely annexed by Wei Tong. The Xiang family who had been trying to seize the teahouse all the time, got nothing. As for Xiang Xiaoyi, who had been missing for several months It was also gradually forgotten.

……

Just the day before the wedding, Emperor Zhao Gou formally summoned Chen Qing.

Chen Qing came to the palace wearing a military officer's court uniform of the fifth grade, and waited for a while on the steps of the square, and an eunuch hurried out of the hall.

"Chen Dutong, the officials have summoned you, please follow me!"

"Thank you!"

Chen Qing followed the eunuch into the main hall.

After waiting in front of the imperial study for a while, I saw a group of gentlemen coming from outside, the leader was Qin Hui, he went straight into the imperial study as if he had never seen Chen Qing.

Zhang Jun nodded to Chen Qing with a smile, and immediately went in, then Zhao Ding stepped forward and whispered, "Congratulations to Lord Feng!"

"Thank you, Xianggong!"

Li Hui also nodded to Chen Qing and walked in. After waiting for a while, the eunuch came out and said, "Chen Dutong, please come in!"

Chen Qing tidied up his clothes and walked quickly into the imperial study room. The imperial study room was divided into two rooms, inside and outside. The outer room was the waiting area. The four ministers and academicians Xu Xiantu and Liu Jin were all waiting outside. They came to witness Chen Qing's appointment as Duke.

Chen Qing directly followed the eunuch into the inner room, only to see the emperor Zhao Gou's face full of spring breeze, and he seemed to be in a very good mood.

Zhao Gou was really in a good mood. It took more than a month to control Yue Fei, and he completely wiped out the bandit Cao Cheng in Lingnan. Cao Cheng was arrested and more than [-] bandits surrendered.

The suppression of Cao Cheng means that all the bandits in the south of the Yangtze River have been quelled, and the Song Dynasty will enter a period of comprehensive stability, and then continue to recuperate, raising the wealth of the world to the level of the Xuanhe period as soon as possible.

Just like the serious illness of the body has been cured, although the external ailments are still severe, at least the internal illness is gone, and the body is still relatively weak, but it has begun to recover, and Zhao Gou is of course in a good mood.

Chen Qing stepped forward and bowed to salute, "The humble Chen Qing sees Your Majesty!"

"Chen Dutong, we haven't seen each other for a long time, please take a seat!"

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

An eunuch brought a soft stool, and Chen Qing sat down.

Zhao Gou smiled and said: "Yesterday, the military supervisor praised Chen Dutong to me. He said that Chen Dutong's firearms are very practical and sharp. They are a great weapon against Jin soldiers. Should Chen Dutong have used them in actual combat?"

Chen Qing nodded, "Reporting to Your Majesty, the humble minister is mainly used to defend the city. The gunpowder barrel itself is not very powerful. It can kill two or three people if thrown in the crowd, but its power is the poisoned iron nails filled inside. Once the poisonous nails are shot, dozens of people around will be injured, and at most fifteen minutes, the injured will lose their combat effectiveness. Although the poison is not very poisonous, it is very troublesome. It will not be able to carry a weight of ten catties for a few years. , I can only recuperate slowly and recover slowly.”

Suddenly, Zhao Gou stroked his beard and said with a smile: "I understand, with these firearms, we can sit back and relax for the city guards in the south of the Yangtze River!"

Chen Qing smiled but didn't answer. There are some things he can't say. Once the enemy throws the gunpowder barrel on the top of the wall, the Song army will also suffer heavy casualties.

Zhao Gou didn't even mention whether he wanted to reward Chen Qing. He changed the subject and took out a thick booklet from the drawer, "This is the detailed battle report of Li Gang, Huguang Xuanfu envoy. He almost gave you all the credit, which shows that His love for you."

Chen Qing smiled lightly, "If you give me all the credit, others will not be convinced!"

There was an imperceptible doubt in Zhao Gou's tone, but Chen Qing's response was neither soft nor hard. If he gave me all the credit, how would he explain it to others?

Zhao Gou raised his head and glanced at Chen Qing. He suddenly had a feeling that he had only named Chen Qing as the commander two years ago. At that time, he was still a bit immature and a bit shy. He was actually mature after only seeing him for two years. so fast?

Zhao Gou smiled again: "Although there are many credits, we have agreed that I will not reward you this time, and I will give your credit to the generals under him. On the basis of the normal rewards, each general above the head will add another For a first-level official rank, your pension for soldiers killed in battle will be doubled, and I have already issued an order to the Privy Council."