Ming Dynasty: I risked my life to teach the prince, the emperor begged me not to die

Chapter 9 Chen Ce Searches for Relatives
In the afternoon, Zhu Houzhao finally took Liu Jin away from the courtyard.

Chen Ce took a deep breath and wanted to go next door to explain, but then he thought the more he explained, the worse it would get, so he just gave up.

In the afternoon, he changed into a cleaner cotton-padded jacket and went out with an oil-paper umbrella.

Miss Wu next door looked at him and her expression became very complicated. Chen Ce wanted to cry but had no tears. He took the oil-paper umbrella and walked away quickly.

Zhu Houzhao recorded Ning Cheng's past and official position in detail on the list he made for himself.

Chen Ce never expected that the other party was now the Tongpan of Shuntian Prefecture.

No wonder we couldn't find the person after searching for so long. It turns out that he has already been working in the government office. The Tongpan of Shuntian Prefecture is a sixth-rank official, in charge of grain transportation, water conservancy, military farming, horse breeding, river and sea defense, etc. He is a real powerful official.

Although he was not considered a high-ranking official in Shuntian Prefecture, where officials were everywhere, he was already the best in the eyes of ordinary people.

Chen Ce waited outside Ning Mansion at the time when the duty station was about to end.

The Ning Mansion is located on Xiangguo Temple Street, which is where the rich and powerful live. Chen Ce was quietly waiting beside the stone lions outside the mansion for Lord Ning to get off work.

At sunset, a sedan chair carried by four people slowly came from a distance.

Officials in the Ming Dynasty were strictly divided into different levels, and there were also regulations on the number of people carrying sedan chairs. They were not allowed to exceed the limit, otherwise they would be impeached by the Censorate.

Beijing had started to get cold by October. Chen Ce stood here for a while, his face flushed in a sickly way, and he coughed from time to time.

As soon as Ning Cheng got off the sedan chair, Chen Ce walked over with an umbrella.

Several sedan chair bearers stopped Chen Ce, looking somewhat alert, paying particular attention to the oil-paper umbrella in his hand.

Chen Ce put the umbrella aside, then clasped his fists and said to Ning Cheng: "I greet Lord Ning."

Ning Cheng had a square face and a dignified expression, a typical Ming Dynasty official. He looked at Chen Ce and asked, "What's the matter?"

Generally speaking, his position would not allow him to have much contact with ordinary people, and the residences of Ming Dynasty officials were almost always kept secret, so outsiders would not know easily. However, he did not know how this person found him and what he was up to.

Chen Ce clasped his fists again and said, "Master Ning, I am Chen Ce, and my father is Chen Zhongsheng."

Ning Cheng was stunned for a moment, his eyes widened in shock, and asked, "Nephew Chen?"

"You, you... aren't you dead?"

Seeing Chen Ce in his coarse linen shirt, Ning Cheng knew that he lived in poverty. He also saw that his face was red from the cold, and he didn't know how long he had been waiting here in the freezing cold. He said distressedly, "Let's talk first."

"it is good!"

Chen Ce followed Ning Cheng and slowly walked to the living room of the Ning family.

The Ning Mansion covers a large area. Without taking a full view of the whole picture, Chen Ce roughly estimated that it is at least fifty acres.

The central hall for receiving guests is twice as big as the house in the courtyard.

After Ning Cheng sat down, he motioned Chen Ce to sit down as well. The servants in the mansion brought hot tea and handed it to Ning Cheng and Chen Ce respectively.

The stove in the central hall was burning very brightly. Such a large central hall did not feel cold at all, but was warm and even a little hot.

The life of rich people is so simple and unpretentious.

Ning Cheng took this opportunity to ask about Chen Ce's past. After he graduated from high school, he sent people to Hangzhou Prefecture, but the Chen family in Hangzhou Prefecture said that Chen Ce had died of illness.

After listening to Chen Ce's past, Ning Cheng sighed and said, "If it weren't for Mr. Chen's support for a poor scholar like me to take the imperial examination, how could I be where I am today?"

"As long as you are alive, it's good!"

"Don't worry about your illness. I will find the best doctor for you and he will definitely cure you."

Chen Ce breathed a sigh of relief. The other party was a scholar and was the most trustworthy. Sure enough, he did not forget his roots after becoming rich. Chen Ce thought about it and asked tentatively, "Master Ning, the marriage between our two families..."

Ning Cheng smiled slightly and said, "What nonsense are you talking about, kid?"

"You don't think your uncle Ning will cancel the engagement?"

"As long as you are alive, I will arrange your marriage."

"Your parents have passed away. Don't worry about the rest. Leave everything to me."

"You will move into my mansion from now on...move in today, and I will send someone to move with you."

Chen Ce hurriedly said, "Uncle Ning, how about I go back and arrange the funeral, and then move into the mansion?"

Ning Cheng smiled and said, "Okay! Everything is up to you!"

……

When Chen Ce left the mansion, Ning Cheng personally and warmly saw him off.

Chen Ce took a deep breath, finally his hardship had paid off. His father-in-law was not a snobbish person, but rather gentle and polite.

From now on, you can lie down peacefully in Ning Mansion.

Of course, Chen Ce has a lot of knowledge in his mind. Whether it is business or politics, he can give Lord Ning some advice and help so that he won't be a useless person who does nothing.

If you do that for a long time you will always be looked down upon. That's human nature. No matter how much enthusiasm and kindness you have, it will all be worn away by time.

When Chen Ce returned home, he first went to the right wing to burn incense in front of his parents' spirit tablets to comfort their souls in heaven.

The two elders spent so much money and found many famous doctors to help them with diagnosis and treatment. Before they died, they still hoped that Chen Ce could get married and have children as soon as possible. How pitiful are the parents in the world!
Chen Ce gave some of his home's dining tables, vases and other items to Miss Wu next door.

I won't live here anymore, these furnitures are not of much use to me.

However, Chen Ce still has to rent this courtyard. After all, it is a Feng Shui treasure land and he needs to come back to take care of it from time to time.

Miss Wu asked Chen Ce nervously, "Mr. Chen, what are you doing? Are you moving?"

Chen Ce nodded and said, "I told you before that I came to Shuntian Prefecture to look for my relatives, and I found them."

"My father-in-law is the magistrate of Shuntian Prefecture. I met him today and will move there in two days."

"You can use these furniture. Although they are not worth much, at least they are still intact."

Miss Wu was a little disappointed, but still said, "Congratulations."

Could it be that Miss Wu has misunderstood me as a rabbit god? Chen Ce thought to himself.

When Chen Ce returned to the next door, a middle-aged man was waiting outside the door. When he saw Chen Ce, he smiled and said, "I am here on the orders of Lord Ning to treat the young master."

Ning Cheng really did what he said and sent a doctor to treat him so quickly.

Chen Ce nodded and invited the other party into the house. The doctor felt Chen Ce's pulse and asked about his symptoms, etc. It took him half an hour before he left with the medicine box, leaving a prescription for Chen Ce.

My father-in-law is a really good person. Although many literati in the Ming Dynasty did disgusting things, there were also many pure scholars and officials.

If he gives you a peach, Chen Ce will definitely repay you with a plum.

Tonight, Chen Ce rarely lit the oil lamp for a while longer, and carefully studied "The Exploitation of the Works of Nature", looking for possible business opportunities in it.

He had no original capital, and many of his business ideas could not be realized in the past. But it is different now. After entering the Ning Mansion, he can't really eat and drink for free, he still has to contribute something.

(End of this chapter)