The True Winner of the Red Chamber

Zhen Yingjia drank too much wine and did some physical work yesterday, so she almost slept until the sun was up.After grooming, without even thinking about it, someone called Zhilan over immediately, but the maid hadn't left yet, so he immediately changed his language, "Let's call Zhiyin, and call the eldest girl."

Chinese New Year is supposed to be a relaxing day, but it is not so easy for Zhiyin who manages at least half of the Zhen family. She is counting on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, and she has to make two sets of spring shirts for the servants first. , and the masters of the family have to make new clothes, and there are a few people's jewelry. We need to arrange for someone to send Shuxiu to Baoyu's husband. It is best for Baoyu to go by himself. If his father can take him with him better.

Zhiyin pursed her lips, her father is now a senior official of the fourth rank.

There are two hurdles for Beijing officials, one is the fifth rank. Most of the Beijing officials who have passed the fifth rank have the opportunity to meet the emperor. In other words, they have the opportunity to ascend to the sky.

The second hurdle is the third rank, and if you pass the third rank, you will reach the sky in one step, and you will be able to achieve six ministers, and you will be a great official in the frontier, and even entering the cabinet to pay homage is not a problem.

Zhiyin couldn't help but think of the emperor's love for her father. When she got married... Thinking of this, she couldn't help but feel a little shy, but her mother died early, and her grandmother can't take care of things now. The younger brothers and sisters in the family will have to advance to her in the future. Make arrangements.

Zhiyin could only continue to think about it patiently and shyly.

"Girl, my master invites you to go."

Just when Zhiyin was thinking about whether to marry a well-matched high-school boy, or to find someone with a lower status, but it is better to be obedient, she heard the news that her father was looking for her.

"But what's the matter?" Zhiyin asked, she was the busiest one in the family during the Chinese New Year, and she went to bed early yesterday, so she didn't hear what happened after Zhen Yingjia came back at night.

The servant girl whispered: "I heard from the people in the old lady's room that the master came back drunk yesterday and reprimanded the second girl at the old lady's door."

Zhiyin was taken aback. Although she went to bed earlier than usual last night, it was considered normal. What was Zhilan going out to do so late?

But I heard that her father was drunk, maybe it wasn't Zhilan's fault.

Zhiyin straightened her hair and clothes, and went to see Zhen Yingjia.

Zhen Yingjia was leaning on the couch, and a maid standing behind him pinched his head. Seeing Zhiyin coming, Zhen Yingjia waved her hand, and the maid behind him retreated.

Zhiyin saluted, sat down opposite him, saw honey water on the small table beside Zhen Yingjia, and smelled the slightly stronger incense in the room, thinking that her father might have been really drunk yesterday.

Zhen Yingjia always speaks straightforwardly, especially to his own people, and it is the eldest daughter who has obviously grown up, so he directly asked: "How good is Zhilan with Yingchun from Jia's mansion?"

Zhiyin nodded, "I heard she said it twice." Just thinking about it again, how did my father know the girl's name from Jia's family?I also think about the friendship between the two families for generations. Although there is a sign of drawing a clear line now, I am afraid that when the child was born, they gave gifts and often corresponded, so this name is also known.

However, when he thought that his name was also known by people in Jia's mansion, the feeling in his heart was not very good.

Zhen Yingjia looked at the changing expressions on her daughter's face. Although she didn't know that she was thinking so much, she knew that what she was thinking was definitely not a good thing.

"People from Jia's family invited her to go there on the fifth day of the lunar new year. Can you explain the reason to her clearly?"

Zhiyin nodded, "I said it's best to go after the [-]th day of the first lunar month. Before the [-]th day, people usually visit relatives or teachers."

Zhen Yingjia hummed. Compared with the two, he naturally believed in the eldest daughter more. After all, it was not easy for the eldest daughter to keep her original intention after she came out of the big dye vat in the palace. This shows that she is determined.

"You go to persuade her again." Zhen Yingjia pondered for a moment, thinking that this is her own person after all, and she still needs to explain it carefully, "break the truth to her. We have no plans to marry the Jia family, or According to the agreed rules, if she wants to go after the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, I won't stop her—" Zhen Yingjia suddenly paused at this point, and said: "It would be better if we can persuade her not to go anymore."

Suddenly, Zhiyin's expression darkened, and she said: "Actually, you can't blame her for this." She was grateful for her father's carefulness and willingness to show compassion for his children, unlike the fathers of those court ladies who met in the palace back then, who beat and scolded at every turn, He didn't explain it at all, but there was also a relationship between the girls in the boudoir, and my father definitely didn't know about it.

"There are three girls in our family, three ages."

Zhen Yingjia waited for a long time before Zhiyin spoke.

"I'm the oldest," Zhiyin blushed when she said this, "I'm going to grow up this year. Girls at this age are usually not asked to go out, for fear of causing trouble."

As she said that, she took a cautious look at Zhen Yingjia, only to see that Zhen Yingjia was listening carefully, and then continued with confidence: "Zhiqi is still young, but she can go out to play with confidence, and it is best to hand in some handkerchiefs at this age, so someone Invite her, tell grandma, it's a good family, I won't stop too much."

"It's just that at Zhilan's age, it's not easy to deal with. Most people at her age already have good playmates, but she seems withdrawn."

Zhen Yingjia sighed when she heard this, and Zhiyin said again: "Although I know a lot of people, it's just that I can't go out right now, and those people... don't suit us well now, if I suddenly take my sister to ...Although everyone is a good person, I am also afraid that she will blame me."

Zhen Yingjia immediately understood what Zhiyin meant.

It is still the original owner's pot.

Probably half of the people Zhiyin knew were in the palace. Although in the end she got favored by the princess and took her by her side to take care of her, she also knew a lot of high-ranking women, but the ones she really knew were those who served in the palace. of the ladies.

Think about the families who can send their daughters to the palace...Think about the Zhen family in the past, the Jia family now, and the Xue family who tried their best but failed in the end. You know that even if these families raise good daughters, But the family is really not very good.

Zhen Yingjia frowned slightly, and said: "After the new year, I will invite your grandmother to find some excuses to host a few banquets and invite more people to come and have fun."

Zhiyin hummed, and she was still a little nervous when she said these things to her father.She didn't expect her father to accept it so calmly, which made her feel a lot easier.

"It's just the Jia family..." Zhen Yingjia hesitated for a moment, thinking of Jia Yingchun's cowardly temperament, and a bit of resentment and self-pity, how could the second daughter befriend her?

"If she wants to go, let her go, but the servant girl has to bring four of them, and give them a good beating." Zhen Yingjia said: "Just say what I said, we have no plans to marry the Jia family, let her care about herself reputation."

This is a bit serious, Zhiyin suppressed the smile on her face, and solemnly agreed, Zhen Yingjia said again: "And Zhiqi, she is probably more diligent than Zhilan in running Jia's house, Although she is still young...but the maids around her also have to beat her!"

Zhiyin complied one by one, although she felt that the burden on her shoulders was not clear, and things were getting more and more, but her father believed in her so much, it was really powerless to repay her.

Thinking of this, Zhiyin asked someone to brew chrysanthemum tea with honey, and said softly: "Father, try this, the chrysanthemum clears the mouth, adding honey can relieve the hangover, it is most suitable for drinking the next day. "

Zhen Yingjia nodded and said with a smile: "You have had the hardest time these days. Other people's children have gained weight during the New Year, but you have lost weight."

Zhiyin became happier after hearing this, and Zhen Yingjia also secretly said happily: Sure enough, no matter how old or how old this girl is, as long as she hears the three words "you're skinny", she will smile all over her face.

The father and daughter chatted and laughed for a while, and Zhiyin was about to get up, when Zhen Yingjia ordered: "Have you prepared the bundle repair for the husband? I think that on the sixth day of the lunar new year, I will take Baoyu to pay a visit to his husband's house."

Speaking of this gentleman, he actually has a lot of background. He passed the examination and entered the Imperial Academy, and then stayed in the Imperial Academy until he retired. He is also a scholarly family, and he is truly noble.

If the emperor hadn't spoken up, such people wouldn't have given his family Baoyu a husband.

"It's all ready." Zhiyin said with a smile: "What I have prepared more are calligraphy and painting, as well as pens, inks, papers and inkstones from the south of the Yangtze River. Father thinks it is appropriate?"

Zhen Yingjia nodded with a smile, "I won't keep you anymore, but don't be too busy, things are always endless."

Zhiyin got up and saluted, and said, "It's just that the Chinese New Year is busy for a while, no one's family will have too many things on weekdays."

Only then did Zhen Yingjia feel relieved, and when her daughter left, she asked her servant girl to pinch his head, but she couldn't help but secretly hated Kang He, so why did she find his way?

And unintentionally drank so much alcohol!

In short, he cannot be easily spared.

Although Chinese New Year is called a rest in name, it is the most labor-intensive time of the year for high-ranking officials and dignitaries in Beijing.

By visiting New Year's Eve, people who are not easy to get along with on weekdays can open up the situation at this time.

Although Zhen Yingjia didn't have any difficult people to associate with, he had a lot of people to visit, and he wanted to find out which one had a son or daughter who was about the same age as his daughter.The former is for the convenience of getting married in the future, and the conversation with Zhiyin that day has already awakened him.

The eldest daughter will reach the age of Ji this year. Although he will definitely not marry off his daughter as soon as he reaches the age of Ji, at least after the age of 17, there is nothing wrong with looking at the man's character, appearance, and family education in advance.

Besides, when you buy pigs and look at the pens, the words are not rough, and if you don’t look at them for three or five years, how can you see the clues?

The second is to find two more playmates for my daughter, at least not let them go halfway to Jia's house.

Although Miss Lin's character is trustworthy, and she can still get a compliment from the mud, but considering Lin Ruhai's position, and the fact that he has plotted against him twice, either intentionally or unintentionally. It's better for people to stay away.

So from the sixth day of the first lunar month until the sixteenth day of the first lunar month when she went to court again, Zhen Yingjia never stopped.Starting with his son's husband, he visited the heads of the former Imperial Academy, and now the superiors of the Metropolitan Procuratorate. By the way, he also wanted to find a house for his brother-in-law Li Yi.

Li Yi took a three-month leave of absence to return to Jinling. This leave is basically given to every lucky scholar from other places. After taking this leave, he will completely settle down in the capital.

In this way, even if the Zhen family's house is big, the Li family will be well-off if they live in it, but Li Yi can't live there permanently, but he is even more unfamiliar with the capital than Zhen Yingjia, and he doesn't know as many people as Zhen Yingjia, so he puts this important task on On my brother-in-law, I went back with peace of mind.

But it's really hard to find a house that meets Li Yi's conditions.

First of all, he is alone in the capital. Even if he gets married in the future, it will only add a few more people. Moreover, his grandfather is the head of the academy, and his father is a lecturer. Even if he comes to the capital, it will only be the young master for half a year. The house, first of all, should not be too big, but it must be able to accommodate a family of several people.

Zhen Yingjia thought about it and decided to find him a courtyard with three rooms and five rooms near the Imperial Academy.In this way, even if all the Li family members come in the future, they will still be able to stay in the house.However, according to Zhen Yingjia's judgment, the Li family will definitely not leave the whole family, and at least one person will be left to look after the academy, so the house is definitely enough to live in.

This year has passed in a busy way.Going to court again, except that the princes became more and more impatient, and Prince Yizhong completely disappeared, everything else seemed to be the same as before.

In the twinkling of an eye, it was February, this morning, just after the morning court, the emperor called a room full of confidants and important ministers to the imperial study, and Zhen Yingjia was also there.

The emperor smiled and said boldly: "The plan for a year lies in spring, I think it's time for a spring hunt!"