Gou was a member of the imperial family in the late Ming Dynasty

Chapter 1181 Gusu Nie Mansion
From Nanjing to Suzhou, you can take the water route or the official road. The latter is also very convenient, and Jiangnan has always been prosperous. Even when the Ming Dynasty bandits were in chaos, it did not affect Jiangnan. Jiangnan, which has never been ravaged by war, is prosperous everywhere.

The group sat in a carriage along the official road. Zhu Minlan was not in a hurry to travel, but walked slowly, paying attention to the scenery of Jiangnan along the way. In his spare time, he would chat with Nie Chi, Wei Anding and others, and get a deeper understanding of the situation in Jiangnan through them.

A few days later, they arrived safely in Suzhou Prefecture. Nie Chi was a prominent family in Suzhou Prefecture, so his family conditions were naturally not bad, and he specially invited everyone to live in his house.

Zhu Minlan thought about it and agreed, and the group went to Nie's house to stay. When they arrived at Nie's house, they saw that it was indeed rich. The entire Nie's house not only covered a large area, but also built a whole garden. Suzhou gardens are famous all over the world, and Nie's house is not an ordinary family. Such a house is rare in the north, not to mention in the south of the Yangtze River.

After settling down at the Nie Mansion, Zhu Minlan paid a courtesy visit to Nie Chi's elders. The other party was very enthusiastic. Moreover, the elders of the Nie family had been in business for generations and had good eyesight. They realized at a glance that Zhu Minlan and others were of noble status. What's more, Xie Guangwei and Wei Anding also came with them. How could he dare to be arrogant?
The Nie family not only entertained them warmly, but also made proper arrangements for their temporary residence. If Zhu Minlan hadn't found it troublesome, the Nie family would have made more attentive arrangements. Zhu Minlan liked quietness, so she rejected the Nie family's good intentions for other arrangements and moved into the Nie family's villa with Xie Guangwei and Wei Anding. They would stay in Suzhou for two days before continuing their journey to Shanghai, which was a long-arranged itinerary.

"Father, uncle!" After arranging Zhu Minlan and others in the other courtyard, Nie Chi returned to the main courtyard. His father, Nie Mingshan, the head of the Nie family, and his second uncle Nie Mingde were waiting for him in the main hall.

After entering the house, he bowed respectfully to his father and second uncle. Nie Mingshan nodded slightly and waved his hand for him to take a seat.

"Have the guests been settled?"

"Father, everything has been settled."

"Just settle down. Take care of the guests and don't be careless. If you need anything, just take it directly from the mansion. Don't be negligent." Nie Mingshan reminded.

Nie Chi smiled and nodded: "Father, please rest assured. I know. Besides, Master Xie and Master Wei are my classmates and friends. Master Wang is Master Xie's relative and not an outsider, so I will not neglect him."

Nodding slightly, Nie Mingshan was very satisfied with his son. Among the next generation of the Nie family, Nie Chi was the most promising. Now he was not only studying in the Imperial College in Nanjing, but also had the possibility of making some achievements in the imperial examinations and officially entering the official career.

Although the Nie family had produced several officials before, that was a long time ago. No one in the Nie family has been an official since more than ten years ago, and there are only a few people in the family who are clerks. Although the Nie family is rich and is a local aristocratic family in Suzhou Prefecture, the Nie family's business is not only booming in the south of the Yangtze River, but also doing well in the north. However, as such an aristocratic family, if there has been no official in the family and lacks connections in the officialdom, it will definitely not last long.

Nie Mingshan had high hopes for his son. If Nie Chi had a good chance of passing the imperial examination in the future, then the Nie family would be completely stable for generations to come. With the financial resources and connections of the Nie family, they could also help Nie Chi in the officialdom. However, it was estimated that he could only get a position like prefect at most, and it would be extremely difficult to move up any further.

Nie Chi was a good student, and the Nie family took great pains to send him to Nanjing Imperial College to pave the way for Nie Chi. Nanjing Imperial College was not an ordinary place. If Nie Chi could make some talented friends or children of nobles while studying in the Imperial College, it would be a great connection for Nie Chi and the Nie family in the future.

Nie Chi did the same thing. The friend he brought back this time was not ordinary. The Xie family was not only a noble family, but also a royal family. The Wei family was not simple either. They were also a noble family, and they were also a prominent family in Songjiang Prefecture. They were not comparable to the Nie family.

After explaining a few things, Nie Chi couldn't help but ask Nie Mingshan why he asked him to go back to Suzhou Prefecture. As expected, as Nie Chi had guessed before, Nie Mingshan was planning to let Nie Chi go to Shanghai County. Because the imperial court set up Shanghai as a trading port, the Nie family had decided to invest in it and use the geographical advantages of the Nie family in Suzhou and Shanghai to enter Shanghai first. Once Shanghai takes off, the Nie family will also have an opportunity for development, which is a very rare opportunity.

Now Nie Chi's elder brother Nie Jian has gone to Shanghai first. However, as the first son of the Nie family to go there, he has no problem in business. However, as a commoner, he lacks the confidence to deal with the government. So Nie Mingshan and his brother Nie Mingde discussed and decided to write a letter to Nie Chi, asking him to come back, and then go to Shanghai to meet up with Nie Jian and help his brother as a student and a supervisor.

After listening to his father's explanation, Nie Chi smiled and nodded, telling him that he had already guessed all this. Moreover, the reason why Xie Guangwei and Wei Anding came to Suzhou Prefecture with him this time was also for this matter. They would accompany him to Shanghai to take a look, and would help if they could.

Xie Guangwei and Wei Anding were both sons of noble families. Their status was not ordinary. The former was a royal relative, and the latter was a big family in Songjiang Prefecture. With their help, it would be much easier. In addition, Nie Chi also told him a good news, that is, Lord Ma Shiying gave him a name card for the sake of his nephew Ma Yuan. With this name card, it would be much more convenient for him to go to Shanghai.

Upon hearing this, Nie Mingshan and Nie Mingde were quite surprised. After further questioning and confirming that it was true, they both showed joy. They did not expect that Nie Chi had anticipated this and made these arrangements in advance. This was truly a pleasant surprise!
"Good, good! My son is smart. Now that these arrangements have been made, your father will feel relieved." Nie Mingshan laughed happily, and Nie Mingde looked at his nephew with even more satisfaction. It seemed that the Nie family would have to rely on Nie Chi in the future. Although Nie Chi has not yet successfully passed the imperial examination and entered the official career, he has already built up a network of contacts and can help the Nie family do things.

Nie Mingshan, who was in a good mood, praised his son a few times, and then continued to remind him to make good friends with his friends. The Nie family was not short of money, but of connections and relationships. Since he had made such friends, it was an opportunity. With these backgrounds, even if he failed in the imperial examinations in the future, he could still use these relationships to get a position. Once he entered the official career, the Nie family would have enough confidence.

Nie Chi did not refute his father's words. He understood Nie Mingshan's plan, but he also had his own ideas. He smiled and nodded repeatedly. After chatting for a few more words, Nie Chi left to go to the other courtyard to check on the resettlement situation. After Nie Chi left, Nie Mingshan was still smiling and very happy. When he was about to say something to his brother Nie Mingde, he saw that Nie Mingde seemed to be concentrating on thinking about something.

"Second brother! Second brother!"

"Oh...brother is calling me for something?" Nie Mingde asked after coming to his senses.

"What are you thinking about? I saw you were absorbed in thought just now." Nie Mingshan asked doubtfully.

Nie Mingde smiled and said, "Nothing, I was just thinking about something else and was distracted for a while. By the way, brother, do you have any questions for me?"

"Nothing, I just want to ask how the North should arrange things if our Nie family goes all out to Shanghai."

Nie Mingde nodded, understanding what Nie Mingshan meant. The Nie family had previously cooperated with the Ministry of Internal Affairs in the north and had foreign trade channels. Now that the court has designated Shanghai as a trading port, and Shanghai is close to Suzhou Prefecture, the Nie family will focus most of their energy on Shanghai in the future. Of course, they will never give up on the north, but will only adjust their priorities.

However, due to such adjustments, the development focus of the Nie family will also change. How to arrange Shanghai in the future and how to mobilize personnel in the north all need to be carefully considered. Nie Mingde couldn't make up his mind for a while. He told Nie Mingshan that there was no need to rush. Even if Shanghai took off, it would not be a short-term success. He could slowly make changes when the time came. If necessary, he could temporarily hand over the affairs in the north to the people below and go to Shanghai in person to cooperate with his two nephews. This would be more secure.

"Well, this is also a solution. This will make things more difficult for my second brother." Nie Mingshan nodded slightly to show his agreement. Nie Mingde smiled and said, "We are family and family matters. What's the point of being so hard about this? Let me make some arrangements in a few days and go to Shanghai as well."

"Are you planning to go with Chi'er and the others?"

"Let's go later. I have some things to deal with. Let Chi'er and the others go first. I can go there after I finish my work. There is no rush."

"That's fine..." Nie Mingshan thought this arrangement was good and nodded immediately.

After chatting with his brother for a while, Nie Mingde stood up and said goodbye. After leaving the main hall, Nie Mingde subconsciously looked towards the other courtyard, with a thoughtful look on his face. He thought about it and did not go to the other courtyard, but went straight back to his own courtyard. His brisk steps along the way were accompanied by an imperceptible solemnity, revealing the complexity and excitement of Nie Mingde's mood.

Zhu Minlan stayed at the Nie family for only two days, and they left on the third day.

When leaving, the Nie family gave Zhu Minlan and his family a lot of gifts. Zhu Minlan was naturally aware of the Nie family's intentions, and did not refuse the Nie family's kindness. He accepted the gifts generously.

They left Suzhou Prefecture by car and continued eastward. In the evening of the same day, they arrived at Xinyang, located to the east of Suzhou Prefecture. Xinyang is a county under the jurisdiction of Suzhou Prefecture, not far from the prefectural city. There is a village near Taihu Lake in Xinyang. This is where Bian Yujing, one of the eight beauties of Qinhuai, lived.

Since I was passing by Xinyang, I naturally had to meet Bian Yujing. Besides, she was the white moonlight in the heart of the young man Nie Chi.

However, it was already late when they arrived in Xinyang. They found a place nearby to stay for the night. Early the next morning, Nie Chi led Zhu Minlan and others to Bian Yujing's residence. Her residence was located in the west of the village, not far from Taihu Lake. The house looked ordinary, with only a small courtyard and three tiled houses. Although the courtyard looked small from the outside, it was well maintained. There were flowers and plants planted in the courtyard, and several bunches of morning glories climbed up the wall along the fence, blooming beautifully.

Behind the courtyard, there is a small vegetable garden where some vegetables are grown. Although the whole courtyard looks ordinary, it gives people a different kind of elegance compared to other farmhouses nearby.

(End of this chapter)