Being an emperor is not something he can do, so he can only rely on his connections.

Chapter 315 Going home for the New Year?

The military bank was extremely busy at the end of the year. In addition to the employees within the bank, many accountants sent by shareholders came to do the accounting. Although there was no profit, it was already very objective from the account book point of view, so there were very few withdrawals of shares, and Zhang Jingwei was also very pleased.

Zhang Jingwei decided to give all the employees of the military bank a holiday.

"The Lunar New Year is coming soon, and I want to give my colleagues at the military base a few days off."

Gao Jiong nodded slightly and agreed, "Well, it's time for the army to rest for a few days."

Zhang Jingwei looked at Gao Jiong with a smile and asked softly, "Brother Zhaoxuan, the New Year is coming soon. Are you planning to go home?"

Gao Jiong frowned slightly, and after a moment's contemplation, he replied, "I'm still considering whether it would be more appropriate for me to go back myself, or to bring my parents and my brothers and sisters to Yunzhou to reunite with them."

Zhang Jingwei nodded in understanding and continued, "Brother Zhaoxuan has indeed seldom returned home since the Autumn Imperial Examination. If you truly miss your family, you might as well move your entire family here. If your current residence becomes too cramped, I can also arrange for a more spacious and comfortable place for you."

Gao Jiong hurriedly bowed and said with a hint of embarrassment, "Thank you very much, Master, for your hospitality! Besides, I have one more matter to report to you."

Zhang Jingwei waved his hand generously and said loudly, "Go ahead and talk! No need to be so reserved."

Gao Jiong took a deep breath and said solemnly, "I have decided to travel to the capital to take the imperial examination next spring. This will mean I will be unable to serve in the military for up to two months. This will affect and delay the expansion of our military camp and the construction of the general's residence. However, please rest assured, Master, before I leave for the capital, I will do my utmost to expedite the construction of the water defense camp and ensure that it is ready for operation when you arrive in Gaoyang."

Zhang Jingwei patted Gao Jiong on the shoulder and said soothingly, "It's okay, it's okay. Just go ahead and do what you want. If you encounter any difficult problems, don't hesitate to come and discuss solutions with me!"

Gao Jiong's eyes flashed with surprise, and he couldn't help but ask, "Don't you want to ask me whether I will return after participating in the Spring Examination this time?"

Zhang Jingwei smiled and said, "You've already brought your parents to Yunzhou, so I'm sure you'll come back. But I still hope Brother Zhaoxuan takes first place in the Spring Examination. Then my army will have a top scholar."

Gao Jiong bowed again and thanked him: "Thank you, Brother Jingwei!"

……

After getting married, Huangfu Ling completely controlled Zhang Jingwei's small treasury. Today, the two of them discussed giving some extra rewards to the servants.

Zhang Jingwei looked at the pile of silver and money on the table in front of him, his eyes widened, and he muttered, "This is too much."

Huangfu Ling, standing by, waved his hand nonchalantly, saying, "How can it be a lot? Things are different now than they used to be. Back then, giving a few hundred coins was considered a big deal. Now, giving a couple of coins is just a drop in the bucket for us!"

Zhang Jingwei frowned slightly and retorted with a worried look on his face, "If you act like this, it will undoubtedly disrupt the entire employment environment. If this continues, it will inevitably lead to chaos."

However, Huangfu Ling didn't seem to care. She crossed her arms and replied coquettishly, "What's this about chaos? I don't understand! It's New Year's Day, and the most important thing is to make everyone happy and lively."

Hearing this, Zhang Jingwei sighed helplessly and muttered softly: "Oh, what a spendthrift woman."

Unexpectedly, Huangfu Ling overheard his mumbling. Her eyebrows were raised, her eyes widened, and she shouted angrily, "What did you just say? Repeat it again if you can!"

Seeing this, Zhang Jingwei secretly thought that something was wrong and quickly smiled and said, "No...nothing, I was talking about you, my wife. You are the most understanding, gentle and thoughtful person. You are simply my good wife!"

Huangfu Ling snorted lightly, rolled her eyes at him, and said unhappily, "Hmph, don't try to play tricks on me. Do you think I care about your little money? If you think I can't manage it well, then you can just take care of these trivial matters yourself."

Zhang Jingwei was overjoyed when he heard this and nodded hurriedly, "Hey, is that really the case? That would be great!"

Unexpectedly, Huangfu Ling changed the subject, glared at him, and said angrily, "I was just saying that casually, and you actually took it seriously!"

The smile on Zhang Jingwei's face froze instantly. He could only smile bitterly and shook his head, muttering to himself: This woman's heart is as unpredictable as a needle in the sea.

……

Everyone in the Zhang Mansion was summoned to the Marquis' Mansion, and after receiving their reward, they were given a day off. Most of the servants in the two mansions were still civilians, with homes to return to. The total number of slaves, both men and women, was less than thirty.

Zhang Jingwei looked at Zhang Liu with a smile and asked softly, "Uncle Liu, are you planning to go home for the New Year?"

Zhang Liu narrowed his eyes slightly, thought for a moment, and then replied, "It's okay to go back during the first month of the year. After all, our home isn't far away, so I'm not in a big hurry."

Zhang Jingwei nodded and suggested, "How about this? I'll ask Qian Ming to go and pick up Auntie. Then we can all have a lively New Year's Eve together."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liu quickly waved his hands and refused, saying, "Oh, that's absolutely impossible! When the Zhang family suffered an accident and their property was confiscated, I had no choice but to take them back to the countryside for refuge. Now that you, the young master, have finally restored the family business, if I act like this again and take them back, I will lose face!" As he said this, he couldn't help but sigh.

Zhang Jingwei stepped forward, patted Zhang Liu on the shoulder and said comfortingly, "Uncle Liu, please don't think like that. What happened in the past is in the past. There's no harm in it!"

However, Zhang Liu still shook his head, his face full of guilt as he said, "Master, I really feel guilty towards the Zhang family, and even more so towards the trust you placed in me..."

Seeing this, Zhang Jingwei quickly changed the subject and said, "Alright, alright, today is Chinese New Year, let's not talk about those unhappy things anymore." After that, he turned to Qian Ming and instructed him, "Qian Ming, you have to go to Haoshan and pick up all of Uncle Six's family members!"

Qian Ming responded without hesitation: "Yes!"

Then, Zhang Jingwei looked at Zhang Liu again and said, "Sixth Uncle, I will be spending the New Year at the Marquis' Mansion this year. As for the Zhang Mansion, I'll have to trouble you to take care of the arrangements. Also, you'll need to send some New Year's goods over to the Zhuangzi."

Zhang Liu replied respectfully, "Yes! Master, rest assured. I will do my best to handle this matter!"