Heir of the Red Chamber

In fact, the northwestern border of this dynasty has never been truly stable.

In the last years of the former dynasty, the world was in turmoil. Years of famines and wars made many places that were originally densely populated and affluent become desolate and desolate, almost empty.When Taizu first established the dynasty, he couldn't even find enough manpower for spring farming in various places, and the national power was extremely empty.

The situation in the Barbarian Ministry is exactly the opposite.At the time when the last emperor of the previous dynasty went against the law and extorted violently, the Liyang tribe among the eight barbarian tribes was born. Under the leadership of that generation of Liyang tribe leaders, they swept across the Mobei grassland and unified the eight tribes. .If it weren't for the old man's sons who fought against the brothers before entering the customs, it is unknown whether they might really be able to herd horses in the customs.

However, the general trend of the world is often that the opportunity cannot be missed, and the momentary hesitation of the barbarians gave the dynasty a chance to breathe. After the Taizu sat firmly on the dragon chair, he devoted all his power to the Northwest. Although he did not win, he also dispelled it. After thinking about the barbarian's idea of ​​continuing to raise troops, he finally took the tigers and wolves outside the pass.

After so many years, the barbarian tribe has gained more and more power. Although the current dynasty has become richer and richer, it has always appeared weak and incompetent to the upper barbarian tribe. The Lintao Xu family and the third prince Chu Ronghua's family, the Lanzhou Ma family, once played a great reputation. , but the sons of these two families are already a piece of loess now.

Because of this, the barbarian elite iron cavalry Greedy Wolf Battalion had just appeared at the border, and the frightened guard hurriedly sent the begging bag to the imperial court eight hundred miles away. To invite people to discuss matters.After all, since Princess Zhenjing got married, the barbarians who come to fight the autumn wind every year are just some stragglers, and sometimes some ordinary herdsmen who are daring. The greedy wolf camp under the barbarian has not been dispatched for many years.

The sons, phoenixes and grandchildren of the dignitaries squeezed into the room, and now their hands were clenched tightly on the dragon chair. In the end, they adopted the advice of the fourth prince, Prince Zhong'an, Chu Rongqi, and only appeased them with gifts of wealth. The second prince Chu Rongzhao, the king of Zhongxi County, who had been aggressive and wanted to start a war with the barbarians, and the third prince Chu Ronghua, who had not yet been knighted, and Chu Xi, the king of Yizhong County, did not speak at all from the beginning to the end.

The barbarian's offending is like throwing a stone into a deep lake. After weighing the pros and cons, the heads of each family decided that the barbarian was just trying to get more goods this time, so they threw away their hands and turned their attention to it. Matters that are more closely related to their own interests.

This event can be called a national event, and even the wives and grandmas in the back house are worried about it: the three-year imperial examination is here again.

For the Gonghou family, this scene is even more connected with a lot of gossip.

It's only June, and there is a good start, betting on whether Master Lin Yalin, the eldest son of Gusu Lin's family and inspector Yan Yushi Lin Ruhai Lin, who is also the son-in-law of Zeng Shangshu, the new Minister of Rites, will be a mule or a horse.This is a bit harsh, but it is not unreasonable.It is said that this Uncle Lin is very powerful in the south of the Yangtze River. He beat up his in-laws, Uncle Xue, who was turning a corner. , Mr. Lin is still protecting his head.It's rare to see such a high-school kid who can make a lot of trouble and finally get married to the daughter of the Zeng family. Whether he is a dragon or a worm, it has something to do with the face of several families.

In the end, I even heard about it today, and Lingmei told it as an interesting story to amused me.Unexpectedly, today he squinted his eyes, answered with a smile, it was really interesting, turned around and changed to the chief examiner of Jiangnan this year, Yubi Zhupi ordered his confidant Shandong Xuezheng Zhou Bangye to go over.

When Mrs. Zeng got the news, she couldn't help complaining about Mr. Zeng. Even though there were several ice basins in the room, and she ate fast and recited Buddha's name every day, she still couldn't help getting angry, and there was a big blister on the corner of her mouth.

Fortunately, this year, due to the old temper of today's people, there are several outbreaks, and everyone simply hides at home for the summer, and there is no social interaction. It is bound to be a disadvantage.

It's not that Mrs. Zeng was impatient or didn't like Lin Ya's talent, but that there are many students in the world who are bearded and grayed and fail to pass the exam. Otherwise, how can there be such a saying as "forty young scholars"?The imperial examination is a place where scholars from all over the world compete for lifelong talent and learning. No matter how talented Lin Ya is, and no matter how well taught by the Lin family, he is only 16 years old. How can the Lin family really be blessed by their ancestors? If you can hit the middle school in your 20s, you are among the dragons and phoenixes, and no one else can compare.

And let alone Mrs. Zeng, a woman in the back house, she just thinks that Lin Ya is very good, Mrs. Zeng and several masters of the Zeng family. Well experienced, even after hearing these rumors, he was a little annoyed.

It's just that the words are on other people's lips, even the Tian family can't avoid being covered up, let alone their family?Sigh secretly that this son-in-law is very famous, and then he frowned and endured it. Anyway, there are many stories in Beijing, so everyone can talk about it now, at most a month, and then wait for new rumors. No one will mention it again.

It was also the luck of the Zeng family. Before the game started, Prince Zhong'an, the most popular fourth prince, had a new commotion with his younger brother, Prince Zhongsu, the sixth prince. The two brothers had a disagreement over a dancing girl. , the fourth prince poured the residual tea all over his younger brother. If the servants hadn't seen the opportunity and separated the two highnesses in time, they might still have fought.

Such a big news can't be compared with the trivial matter of the Lin family. It immediately spread all over the city. In addition, in the past few days, the fourth prince who has just been commended has indeed been ordered to read and understand. Chu Ronghua, who let out the rumors, didn't take this matter to heart at all, and lived a relaxed life every day. In his spare time, he even ordered his servants to send a box of champion and first-ranked golden scorpions to Suzhou as encouragement.

Lin Ya doesn't know the thoughts of these many people. He can't hold anything in his heart except for the imperial examination articles. He wishes to study for thirteen hours every day. The desperate energy made him force him before. Both Lin Ruhai and Chen Xiao, who were studying, were a little worried, and instead quoted scriptures to persuade him to take care of his health. The maids and servants around Lin Ya were even strictly ordered to watch Lin Ya rest on time and not stay up late to study.

In this way, the last few months passed, and Lin Ya arrived at the Jinling Gongyuan under the strict guard of the strong servant of the Lin family. He also carried a basket with the scholars next to him and left the court. He passed the autumn exam this year.

Unlike others, Lin Ya was very energetic after he came out of the Gongyuan. His slightly red eyes were black and bright, which was very attractive. He not only rejected the housekeeper's proposal to rest in Jinling for a day, They never closed their eyes, and the housekeeper and a few capable servants were so scared that they broke out in cold sweat after another, fearing that something might happen to this master.

As a result, Lin Ya went back to the mansion to pay a visit to Lin Ruhai and Chen Xiao. After silently uttering the article he had written, he lay down and slept for twenty hours at a stretch before sitting up with a calm expression. pass on rice.

Lin Ruhai and Chen Xiao, who had been worrying about everything for several days, couldn't help laughing and laughing at that calm and careless demeanor, and couldn't help but recall the funny things about their end.

The two teachers who claimed to be old men were full of emotion, but Lin Ya, who had returned from Qiu Wei, had really relieved a heavy burden, so he just went to the study room to listen to Lin Ruhai and Chen Xiao's comments, and knew that what he had done was true. There are a few merits, as if I have forgotten Qiu Wei to the sky, spend half a day every day reviewing books, and spend the other half day talking and having fun with Lin Chong and Daiyu, occasionally administering subordinates and handling some housework, Lin Ruhai and Chen Xiao also went with him.

Neither the master nor the gentleman spoke. Although Lin Chong and Daiyu also had the heart to ask their elder brother how the subject was going, seeing Lin Ya's appearance as if there was no such thing as a scientific examination in this world, they silently said what they hadn't said. Swallowed it back.

In this way, while waiting for the laurel list to be posted in the tribute courtyard, Lin Ya lived a very comfortable and carefree life. He helped Daiyu draw more than a dozen of them, and the hairpins were carved from peonies, peonies, magnolias, to Panfeng, Qingluan, and Suzaku. Bird, Lin Chong also got a bow and arrow made by his brother, which made the two of them both happy and worried, for fear that Lin Ya had something to worry about.

Lin Ruhai couldn't help but laugh when he heard this, and joined in the fun again, and ordered He Qi to take the objects made by Lin Ya and send them outside, and asked a professional craftsman to repair them, and it turned out to be in good shape.Daiyu liked one of the hairpins with hibiscus and pomegranate seeds, and specially invited a craftsman to compare it, and made a serious one inlaid with gold and jade.

When Lao Fengxiang's shopkeeper personally delivered the hairpin back, it happened to be the day when the Guibang was announced and the good news was passed back to Yangzhou.

Before dawn that day, all the courtyards in the Lin Mansion were lit up.

Needless to say, Lin Ya's Jinyuan, he pretended to be nothing, and he really couldn't let it go. He only slept for more than two hours and couldn't sleep at all. He secretly regretted that he didn't go to Jinling in advance to wait. Wait a little longer.

Not long after the maids on Lin Ya's side heard him getting up and lit the lamps, voices came from Lin Ruhai's study, Daiyu's Jisongzhai, and Lin Chong's He Yuan, and sent people over one after another. .Lin Ruhai was there for routine instruction, asking Lin Ya to go over to have dinner later, and in Daiyu's house, a plain-looking second-class girl brought a bowl of bird's nest porridge. As for Lin Chong, according to the big girl in front of him Jin Zhu said, "Second Master woke up earlier than Uncle, so he just sat there in the dark and didn't allow us to speak. Second Master didn't say anything, but he was thinking about Uncle."

Lin Ya just nodded, the servants and servants from the three courtyards all received the same rewards, there was absolutely no favoritism between one and the other.

In the end, it was Daiyu who came first with the maids, talked to the absent-minded Lin Ya for a while, and then went to Lin Ruhai's place with him, and Lin Chong went directly from He Yuan.

The meal was very tasteless, and after finally finishing it, no one left, but one of them sat quietly with a cup of tea, looking for something to say from time to time.It was Lin Ruhai who felt that it was embarrassing for the sons and daughters to put on a sour face, and asked Lin Chong and Daiyu to take turns reciting poems, so they found something for the family to do.

After tossing around for a whole afternoon, even Lin Ruhai, who was always as immobile in front of his children, couldn't sit still. The head housekeeper, He Qicai, ran in with a happy face. The tutorial was no worse than when he was young.

Seeing He Qi laughing almost to the point of tears, what else does Lin Ruhai not understand?Standing up abruptly, she even took the initiative to meet her. Lin Ya, who had been scratching her heart in anxiety for a long time, naturally followed, and Lin Chong and Daiyu fell behind her.

Sure enough, before He Qi ran to the door, he shouted loudly: "Master is overjoyed! Uncle is overjoyed! Uncle won No.15 on the Guibang list! Uncle won the exam!"

Before the words were finished, the servants serving in the yard fell to their knees and congratulated each other.

Lin Ya's heart was suddenly empty, he seemed a little unable to believe his ears, he felt a little dizzy from seeing the shiny black hair on the ground under the bright autumn sun, and the congratulations like waves made him wonder if all this was true , still in a dream.

Lin Ruhai was overjoyed immediately, and repeatedly ordered He Qi to reward money, set off firecrackers, and rewarded the shopkeeper Lao Fengxiang who happened to come to deliver the finished hairpins. It was only when Lin Ruhai remembered that he should take Lin Ya to the ancestral hall to comfort the ancestors that he realized that he was secretly quite The eldest son, who was so appreciative, seemed to be so happy that he turned a deaf ear to the congratulations from his younger siblings.

Smiling and cursing, Lin Ruhai directly thumped Lin Ya with his hand, remembering how crazy he was when he won the exam, but he didn't say anything, and told Lin Chongdaiyu about how to reward his servants, and carried Lin Ya left.After all, their father and son were probably very busy today. After paying homage to the ancestral hall, they had to thank Chen Xiao for teaching Lin Ya, and after that they entertained guests from various families who came to congratulate them. They couldn't stop for three or five days.

Fifteen is not such a top-notch ranking, and it is even more incomparable with the famous case leader. But think about Lin Ya's adoption from the village when he was almost 14 years old. He hadn't entered a serious school the day before, and now he is only sixteen. In his early years, to have this achievement is already loved by the heavens, and he is talented and intelligent.

As long as he wins, he will have a family background, and Lin Ruhai's heart will be half relieved. He will send a loyal and capable old servant to send Lin Ya to Beijing in the next few days, and at the same time go to the Zeng's house to let the old master Zeng... After seeing each other in person, the two families can complete the engagement process and choose a date to marry their children.

Lin Ruhai chanted words to the ancestral tablet, and Lin Ya gradually came back to his senses. After the respectful worship, he followed Lin Ruhai like a puppet to thank his teacher and entertain guests, even with Daiyu and Lin Chong. No time to talk.

Whether it's Lin Ruhai who likes to watch his heirs change their faces, or Chen Xiao, who is usually sinister and black-bellied, they all showed the most stable and strong side, and completely shocked He Linya, who is famous for his success in autumn. The visitor of the truth of spying.

After three days of turmoil, Lin Ya and the others were considered busy.Before he kept his promise before the announcement of the rankings and drew another ruby ​​and pearl necklace for Daiyu, Lin Ruhai called him to the study and told him to prepare to go to Beijing.

In fact, Lin Ruhai has not yet made up his mind whether Lin Ya's going to Beijing this time will really end in Ke Chunwei.The reason he was so urgent before was that he was worried that his health would be in jeopardy. He was afraid that Lin Ya would not be able to protect his family before he went. Now that Lin Ya can be called a master outside anyway, there is no need to be too anxious.

The most important thing is that Lin Ya is not good enough to be a genius.The literary style in the south of the Yangtze River was at its peak, and Lin Ya's first finish was the [-]th on the Guibang, which is not bad, but with such a ranking, if he participated in Chunwei, he would most likely be in the top three.

With Jinshi, such as Mrs., this name is not very pleasant to be an official in the future.At Lin Ya's age, it would make sense for him to spend three more years before he ends up playing.

But Lin Ya in the capital city must go, Lin Ruhai can't leave his post without authorization, so he invited Chen Xiao to accompany him on this trip.Chen Xiao herself is also willing. He has been away for many years, and he has never returned to Beijing to visit his mother at home. This time, it is also cheap.

It was half admonishment and half a joke, Lin Ruhai explained his meaning clearly, looked at Lin Ya with a smile and responded with a straight face, but did not show a trace of shame, and changed the subject without much interest.

"Because of you, I heard that the slaves made a lot of trouble? I also heard about your bet with Mr. Chen. Chong'er is indeed flawed. You are the man who will be the master of the house in the future. According to your opinion, this How about two things?"

Lin Ruhai obviously knew the ins and outs of it a long time ago, but because the scientific examination was the biggest in the world and the disturbance was not too outrageous, he just ignored it all the time.Now that Lin Ya has free time, it is natural to ask a question, and it depends on how Lin Ya handles it.

Lin Ya was startled for a moment when he heard the words, and then smiled wryly. Obviously, he had already known these two things, but he was just pretending to be deaf and dumb for various reasons.

"Chong'er's matter, the son is also at fault. In the situation back then, the elder brother was like a father, but I didn't teach him well." Ever since he was picked on by Chen Xiao that day, Lin Chong walked away in shame, Lin Ya thought for a long time, In the end, he gave up the idea of ​​having a long talk with Lin Chong.

Lin Chong is only ten years old now, and when he grows up and understands the truth, he will gradually get better.What Lin Ya was afraid of was that Lin Ruhai had rejected Lin Chong.Like Lin Ya himself, it doesn't matter if he has never received Lin Ruhai's praise. Lin Chong is praised so highly, if he falls down, how can he stand it.

"In fact, my son has also thought about it. The ancient sages even said that there are three thousand ways. There are thousands of people in this world, each with its own advantages. It may not be true that what my son likes is right. How can people distinguish between right and wrong?"

This is not all to defend Lin Chong, Lin Ya really thinks so.In a lifetime, there are many different ways of doing the same thing. We can only say whether it is suitable or not, whether it is right or wrong, it is mostly hard to say.Whether he himself is good, Lin Ruhai or Chen Xiao, they are all ruthless people to the outside world, the difference is only how good they are on the surface, even if Lin Chong is different from them, it cannot be said that Lin Chong's road must be bad.

Lin Ruhai understood why Lin Ya said that, just smiled slightly, and did not point out the flaws in Lin Ya's words. After looking at him for a while, he said lightly, "Don't worry."

Lin Ruhai didn't intend to say the rest, but he believed that this heir, who was becoming more and more sophisticated in the world, would soon be able to figure it out by himself.As the stepfather, he would never show his dislike for Lin Chong.One is that the adoption is a foregone conclusion, there is no need to make yourself unhappy, and the other is that according to Lin Chong's current temperament, it is also a good thing for Daiyu.

However, the matter of disciplining Lin Chong is still suitable for Lin Ya to do it. If it is less serious, there is no overnight feud between brothers.

These days, Lin Ruhai and Lin Ya can spend some time thinking about their business. In fact, it is only Lin Chong's matter. However, both of them have their own reasons and positions on this matter, so they can't talk too much. Through, today I finally made it clear that the last sentence of the chariot and horse is really just a point, and it will be solved again if it is a charade.

Standing respectfully and respectfully before Lin Ruhai's case for so long, Lin Ya secretly sighed in his heart, and couldn't help but raise his eyes to look at his stepfather who was still handsome and elegant.

But in less than a year, Lin Ruhai's black and thick hair like a young man's was already graying, and his complexion was a little gray.This man who is still supporting the whole family like a mountain has indeed let the ensuing attacks hurt his vitality.

Doctor Liao repeatedly told Lin Ruhai to rest and rest, and try not to think about things if he can, but how could Lin Ruhai really let go and relax about family affairs?

Destined to be a lifetime of hard work.

Seeing the blue color in Lin Ruhai's eyes, Lin Ya thought for a moment, and felt that the rest of the matter was not that important, so he said it bluntly, so that Lin Ruhai would not have to worry about it again.

"As for the back house, my son has always felt that important things are important, so just ignore it. It seems that there are still some people who are unwilling to give up. Even so, they are almost of age, so they should be released together. The son will not be too anxious to be a serious wife. There is a mess of smoke before entering the door. In the future, the back house will naturally have someone who should take care of it."

Lin Ya still understood why the maids flocked to him.Is my good skin, maybe I can add a few points, the most important thing is that I am the uncle of the Lin family, the heir of the Lin family who is sure, and I can wear gold and silver to enjoy the glory and wealth.

But he is not the holy father, and he can't sacrifice the happy life of himself and his future wife in order to understand the hardships of life after the maids go out, so he can only ask the thoughtful ones to go where they should, and beat the remaining little girls along the way.

"Lvshang and Ying'er are also married together?"

Lin Ya understood the distinction between concubine, wife and concubine in the back house, and Lin Ruhai was satisfied.He didn't mention the big girls in Lin Ya's yard, which was acquiescing to Lin Ya's disposal, but Lv Chang and Ying'er are both Daiyu's girls, so that's all for Lv Chang, what Lin Ruhai really cares about is Ying'er.Lin Ya has been here for so long, and he bought such a girl in total.

Lin Ya couldn't help but slander when he heard the words.He was such a pure and good person once, but got himself into trouble, so he had to solemnly promise: "The son has no other thoughts. Since Yinger was kidnapped by a kidnapper, if he can find his biological parents, he will be sent to her home. In a few years, my younger sister will be in charge, and the green dress is also a reason."

Lin Ruhai, Lin Ya and his son wanted to discuss everything before Lin Ya went to Beijing. In Rongguo Mansion in the capital, Mother Jia was also talking about the Lin family with her confidant, Nanny Lai.But what they were talking about was not Lin Ya, but Lin Chong.

After hearing the news from Nanny Lai's eldest grandson, Lai Shangrong, Mother Jia's eyes, which had been slightly closed, opened instantly, and there was no trace of fatigue in her hale and hearty look: "Is Lin Chong really acting like this?"

Nanny Lai nodded repeatedly, claiming that she was absolutely right.Last time, the job that was valued by the master was messed up, and she was about to lose her old face. Naturally, she will find a way to make up for it now.

It took a lot of effort for their family to get such news from Jiangnan, and Babaer reported it to the old lady.

Seeing that Nanny Lai's expression didn't seem fake, Mother Jia showed her usual kindness: "After all, there are still many sensible people in this world."

The author has something to say:

First of all, let me briefly say that people have desires and goals in their lives.Uh huh~

When I am free, I will love the young ones one by one! [beaten]