Respectfully

The Li family is one of the top wealthy merchants in Guanbei City, with business spread across the six northern provinces, and they are called North Li Nan Liao together with the Liao family in the south.

The Li family started out selling raw silk. During the Daoguang period of the former Qing Dynasty, half of the silk and cloth business in the six northern provinces belonged to the Li family.After the opening of the port by the Qing court and the influx of foreign cloth, the Li family's cloth business became difficult, far less prosperous than before.But there were still [-] nails on the wreck. Even though the business was not as good as before, the Li family still gritted their teeth and held on. All the Li family's businesses only sold homemade cloth.

Grandpa Li's grandfather once said: "The Li family can lose money, but not reputation. Foreign cloth is a good thing, cheap, but you can't lose the reputation accumulated by the ancestors for several generations for money!"

Mrs. Li's father has always had no opinions. He just listened to what his father said.Although the Li family's business is not as good as before, the reputation of only selling domestic products has spread throughout the six northern provinces, even in the south.After the overthrow of the Qing court, the abdication of the Qing emperor, and the founding of the Republic of China, the president of the South paid a special visit to Mrs. Li. Only then did everyone know that the Li family had secretly funded the Revolutionary Party, and the second master of the Li family was even appointed as the Southern The deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance, unfortunately, was jealous of the talents, and died in office less than a year after taking office.

One year after the death of Master Li Er, the President of the North, with a heavy army in his hand, drove out the officials in the South and declared independence, and China was divided into two.The President of the North is also familiar with the reputation and wealth of the Li family, and he wants to win him over.The current commander-in-chief of the six northern provinces, Marshal Lou, has a friendship with the Northern President. When he learned that the President wanted to win over the Li family, he naturally agreed with it.

Regardless of the fact that the North and the South are clamoring for a democratic republic all day long, anyone with eyes knows that the peace treaty signed by the two sides is no different from a piece of waste paper, and sooner or later the war will restart.Only with guns and soldiers can we seize the territory.

Raising soldiers is a money-burning business.

At the beginning, Nanfang gave the second master of the Li family a position as the deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance, and [-]% of the money he was aiming at was also the money of the Li family.Marshal Lou's staff came up with an idea: "Whatever the South can give, so can the Marshal. There are also financial bureaus in the six northern provinces. Are you afraid that the Li family will not get on the road?"

Li Qingchang, the patriarch of the Li family, has always been dissatisfied with the fact that Mrs. Li valued his second brother Li Qinglong. He was supposed to take care of the family business, but Mrs. Li insisted on bypassing him and handed over all the cloth and bank businesses in six provinces to Li Qinglong.This is almost half of the assets of the Li family.Later, Master Li Er became the deputy minister of the Ministry of Finance of the southern government, which made Li Qingchang's eyes red.

Now that Li Qinglong is dead, Mr. Li and the southern government are not as friendly as before. Marshal Lou approached him again. Mr. Li hopes that he can also serve as an official in the military government of the six northern provinces like his second brother. half-time.

"Do you really think this is a good thing?" Mrs. Li sighed in his heart when he saw through the old man's mind. Earlier, he shouldn't have been fooled and let the second child go to the south. Now, should the eldest be involved too?

"Father, it's the Li family's honor that Commander Lou can look up to me. Besides, most of our Li family's business is in the six northern provinces. If I can work in the military government, it will also be of great help to our family's business. Good thing, isn't it?"

Li Qingchang said earnestly: "Jincheng went to Germany to study at a military academy and will be back at the end of the year. The President is expanding his army. If Marshal Lou can recommend him, Jincheng's future will be..."

In the middle of Li Qingchang's words, he was interrupted by Mrs. Li, "That's all. Next time the Commander-in-Chief Lou will send someone over, I will do as you wish."

A flash of ecstasy flashed across Li Qingchang's face, and he clenched his fists. After all, his father still valued Jincheng.Although it is not shameful to use his own son as an excuse, and it may achieve his goal, Li Qingchang has never minded it.

Old man Li looked at Li Qingchang, feeling a sense of disappointment in his heart.He knew his three sons very well, the eldest was self-willed, ambitious and talented, the third was spoiled by his mother, born a dandy, that's all.Only the second child was intelligent since childhood, respectful, filial and incorruptible, but unfortunately died young.

However, although he looked down on Li Qingchang, Mrs. Li loved Li Qingchang's eldest son, Li Jincheng, the eldest grandson of the Li family, and placed great hopes on this smart and studious eldest grandson.After the eldest grandson showed his intention to join the army, he paid money to send him to a German military academy for three years.

If Li Qingchang only talked about himself, Mrs. Li would never agree to this matter, but when it comes to Li Jincheng, Mrs. Li can only let go.After all, the boss is Jincheng's father, that's all, just this time.

Mrs. Li relented, and the next day, Li Qingchang took the letter of appointment sent by Marshal Lou, and went to work in the Finance Bureau of the military government.Marshal Lou also really wanted to win over the Li family, so he appointed Li Qingchang as the deputy director of the Finance Bureau.

The current director of the Finance Bureau is the brother of Marshal Lou's sixth aunt. With his nepotism and talent, he has a firm grip on power and a secure seat.If Master Li wants to gain a firm foothold in the Finance Bureau, he must compete with this person.But he is the brother-in-law of Marshal Lou, and his relationship is not comparable to his own.

Mr. Li is struggling in the Finance Bureau, he has no real power at all, it is just a decoration.But he didn't have the face to ask Mrs. Li for advice, and went back to his parents all day long sighing.It was the eldest lady who saw him like this and gave him an idea: "A aunt's brother, how can he be a serious relative? Master, don't forget, Mr. Lou's only son is not married yet."

Li Qingchang froze for a moment, then slapped his thigh, how could he forget about this?

Speaking of which, Marshal Lou spent his whole life in the army, and finally became the governor of the six northern provinces, and he is also the brother of the northern president. Who would not give him some face in the officialdom?

But Marshal Lou has always had a heart problem, which is the marriage of his only son, Lou Xiao.

Marshal Lou's main wife is a daughter from the family of a second-rank official in the former Qing Dynasty. They have been married for five years, but they have not given birth to children, so they had to let Marshal Lou take a concubine.But the concubines and wives of the sixth room were brought in one after another, and five daughters were born in a row, but the son still disappeared.People who did not get along with Marshal Lou jokingly said that Marshal Lou's house only bloomed but did not bear fruit, and sooner or later he made seven fairies out of five golden flowers.

Lou Da is so handsome that his nose is smoking, looking at each of the girls, he feels very angry.Is he really a life without a son?

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Lou gave the Marshal a surprise. When the Marshal was 38 years old, she gave birth to a son.When Marshal Lou got the news, he was still on the battlefield. At that time, Changmao was making a fuss, and Marshal Lou hadn't been home for almost half a year.After learning that he finally had it, Lou Dashuai was so happy that he almost tore off the top of the tent.Afterwards, they continued to fight and win victories, hitting the capital of the rebels.

"This kid is my lucky star!"

Marshal Lou rushed home, hugging his son who had just turned one month old, reluctant to let go.Mrs. Lou sat aside, looking at Master Lou and his son, and at the concubines who used to compete with her for favor, especially the third concubine who gave birth to two daughters and was the most favored. The smile on her face became more and more comfortable. .

Don't look at the handsome pampering, if you can't give birth to a son, it's useless.

From then on, Mrs. Lou raised her eyebrows, and the concubines bowed their heads. No one dared to show any disrespect to Mrs. Lou. Even the third concubine, who was almost equal to Mrs. Lou before, kept silent for a long time.

He is the only son, but also the son of the first wife. Marshal Lou named his son Lou Xiao, it is really a treasure of love.

However, when Lou Xiao was five years old, the third aunt became pregnant again.Relying on her stomach, the third aunt shook her prestige for a long time.Mrs. Lou looked at it coldly, without saying a word.

Marshal Lou was delighted, looking forward to the third aunt giving birth to another son for him.Unexpectedly, she was conceived in October, and she was born as a girl again. In addition to Miss Six, who landed half a year ago, she really made up the Seven Fairies.

Lou Dashuai felt frustrated, got up and left without even looking at it.Mrs. Lou walked into the room, smiling like a universal Guanyin.The third aunt who was lying on the bed felt chills in her heart, she couldn't care about the new delivery, her body was still weak, she knelt down on the ground and begged Mrs. Lou to raise her hand.

"When you were publicizing, why didn't you think of today?" Mrs. Lou, who was born in everyone, always speaks softly and kindly, but in the ears of the third aunt, it is like a thunderbolt from the blue sky, "When I I don’t know that you have planted someone next to Xiao’er? I let you go just for fun, but you really think you’re great? People, if you want to die, you can’t be saved.”

The third aunt was so limp on the ground that she didn't get up until Mrs. Lou left.

Half a year later, the third aunt became mad and was locked up. Even her daughter disliked her having a crazy woman and stayed far away.Since then, no one in the mansion has mentioned the third concubine.The other concubines became more respectful to Mrs. Lou.

Lou Dashuai dotes on his son, but he is not at home for more than half a year. Mrs. Lou strictly teaches Lou Xiao. When he is ten years old, he will send Lou Xiao to worship under his grandfather. It is the art of war poetry and the way of being an official passed down by Mrs. Lou's natal family for generations.After three years of studying, Mrs. Lou made the decision to send Lou Xiao abroad again. She didn't go to Japan, which had the largest number of government-sent students studying abroad at that time, but sent her directly to Germany.

After completing five years of study, Lou Xiao returned to China, already at the end of his life.

At that time, the revolutionaries were rioting everywhere, and the Qing court was already on the verge of collapse. Three months later, the Qing emperor abdicated.Marshal Lou has a large army in his hands, so he is naturally the target of all parties' efforts to win him over.But he only supported his brother, which is why he later became the governor of the six northern provinces, and no one could shake his position.

When Lou Xiao returned to China, the first thing he did was not to serve in Marshal Lou's army, but to get married.Marshal Lou and Mrs. Lou are resolutely consistent on this matter.

It's too late to get married, and someone who is the same age as Marshal Lou already has a lot of children and grandchildren.

Who would have thought that it was just this negotiation, but something happened.

The object of the first marriage proposal was the eldest daughter of Mrs. Lou's own sister, the daughter of the Minister of Communications of the Northern Government.Both colleagues and relatives, both of them were very satisfied with this marriage, but they didn't expect that less than a month after the engagement, the girl fell into the lake and drowned.

Although it's a pity, no one can think of such a thing, and this marriage can only be abandoned.

Half a year later, Mrs. Lou arranged another marriage for Lou Xiao. The other family has three generations. They used to have a first-rank official. The girl's father is now working in the Ministry of Education of the northern government. .

Getting married to Marshal Lou was a dream in the northern government.What's more, Lou Xiao looks talented, has a prominent family background, and his father is the president's brother, so he must have a bright future.

The two parties happily made an engagement. It didn't come to fruition. In less than a month, the betrothed girl was seriously ill. She had seen both Chinese and Western medicine. There was nothing she could do. She passed away within a few days. .

This was the case for two consecutive marriages, and the reputation of Lou Xiaoke's wife spread secretly.The son-in-law whom all parties were optimistic about before has become a reminder to avoid him, and Lou Xiao's marriage can only be put on hold for the time being.

Although Lou Shaoshuai is famous for his wife, but there are people who are not afraid of death for the sake of power.One of the provincial governors under Shuai Lou actually asked someone to come to his door to propose marriage to his daughter.The girl who told Young Marshal Lou had just turned seventeen and was two years younger than Lou Xiao. Her grandfather was once a foreign minister of the Qing court and had studied Western studies with foreign priests. She had a generous and cheerful personality. Father was locked up at home.

Such a girl, ordinary people would not dare to want, even though the Republic of China, some deep-rooted ideas are still difficult to change.

But Mrs. Lou and Marshal Lou don't care about these things. Their sons are both nineteen, and they are about to turn twenty. Regardless of whether they are good or bad, they must marry at least one of them.Even if it's not satisfactory, it's a big deal to raise a few concubines and wives.The other party works under the command of Marshal Lou, and they have the intention of clinging to this relationship. To put it bluntly, they are selling their daughters for glory.The Lou family has the final say on how to train a daughter who is married to the Lou family?

Lou Xiao has nothing to do with this marriage. He is not in a hurry about his own marriage, but he is unwilling to go against his parents' wishes.So, Mrs. Lou made a final decision and settled on the girl of this family.One month after the engagement, the girl was still safe and sound, Mrs. Lou finally breathed a sigh of relief.But within two days, something happened, and the girl disappeared!

Gone, how it disappeared, no one knows.The girl who was serving the girl only said that when she woke up, the girl was gone, whether she ran away or was kidnapped, she couldn't tell if she was dead or alive.Marshal Lou and the girl's parents have sent people to look for her, but there is still no news, so she can only be regarded as dead.

Now, the reputation of Lou Shaoshuai as a wife is really publicized.

Three engagements and three deaths, who would dare to marry a girl to him?

Mrs. Lou's hair was graying with worry, and her natal sister-in-law reminded her, "Isn't there something wrong with it? Why don't you find a master to show you?"

Mrs. Lou also lost her charter, so she had to go to the doctor in a hurry, and found a Taoist priest in a Taoist temple outside Guanbei City, which was said to be very effective.The Taoist priest looked at Lou Xiao's birth date, but shook his head without saying a word.

Mrs. Lou was anxious: "Master Daoist, are you talking? What's going on here?"

The natal sister-in-law who accompanied her gave her a wink, and Mrs. Lou was suddenly surprised, and hurriedly offered 20 silver dollars, which should be regarded as incense money. ;

With three long beards, the Taoist priest who looked like a fairy, said slowly: "Your son's four pillars belong to fire, and the five elements lack water. It is the fate of the sun. If you are a general, you will hold a tiger talisman, and if you are an official Then hold the seal. If you meet a noble person, you will ascend to the sky and become the supreme position."

After the Taoist said something, Mrs. Lou and her natal sister-in-law were taken aback. This, that is to say, Lou Xiao, is that the emperor's order?Immediately, both of them held their breath.

"Master, is this true?"

"Yes." The Taoist priest nodded. Although he loves money, he does have some Taoism, otherwise the incense in the temple would not be so strong. ,and……"

In the middle of the Taoist's words, he suddenly stopped, Mrs. Lou hurriedly offered another fifty silver dollars, and said anxiously, "Master Daoist, and what?"

Daoist pinched a few fingers with his right hand, frowned, and said: "Besides, your son's wife is a man's life."

Male life?

Mrs. Lou and her natal sister-in-law looked at each other, that is to say, Lou Xiao, want to marry a man?

This, this is too unbelievable... Not to mention Marshal Lou, Lou Xiao, can he agree?

"Daoist, is there no other way?"

The Taoist shook his head, "This is the only way. The poor Taoist advises Madam to obey the destiny, the destiny cannot be violated."

Mrs. Lou was dumbfounded, that is to say, Xiao'er can only marry one man, otherwise, marry one and die one?

Back at the Marshal's Mansion, Mrs. Lou told Marshal Lou what the Taoist said.Marshal Lou pondered for a while, and first asked if there were any other people around when the Taoist gave Lou Xiao orders.

"Just me and my sister-in-law."

Marshal Lou nodded. That night, Marshal Lou went to Qingfeng Temple himself, and what he heard was the same as Mrs. Lou's.After Marshal Lou left, the Taoist priest who gave Lou Xiao orders immediately took the Taoist boy and left the Taoist temple overnight.In the middle of the night, the Qingfeng Temple caught fire, and the Taoist stood on a hill not far from the Taoist temple, looked at the raging fire, and sighed: "Time, fate, Tonger, come with me to travel around. "

Daotong sneezed and rubbed his nose, "Yes, master."

The Taoist priest left, but the matter of the Taoist priest giving Lou Xiao orders spread like wildfire.It's just that the first half of the Taoist priest's words were kept secret, and only Mrs. Lou, her natal sister-in-law, and Marshal Lou knew that Lou Xiao was going to marry a man, but word spread.

"Four pillars belong to wood, and water overflows in life..." Mr. Li Qingchang, who heard the news, always felt that these two sentences were familiar, so he told the eldest lady when he went home, but she heard her say: "What's so strange about this? The sincere word of our second room is this fate."

Li Qingchang paused when he undressed, and immediately remembered that when his second brother was there, there was a wandering Taoist priest who received the favor of the Li family and gave orders to the whole family, it's not like what the lady said!

Immediately, Li Qingchang's eyes lit up.

The author has something to say: This article is a fictitious story. The fictional Republic of China will never be a tragedy. Everyone can rest assured. PS: This time is a bit busy, and the article is usually updated around [-] pm.