Ming Dynasty: My Father Zhang Juzheng

Chapter 54 Borrowing People
After Laba Festival comes the New Year.

After several days of heavy snow, the entire city of Beijing was covered in freezing cold.

The cold wind howled in the deserted streets, making the flags of the shops on both sides rustle.

The cold wind was as sharp as a knife, and it made people hold back their hot urine, and they were unwilling to leave the pit.

Just at this moment, a carriage slowly drove into Fugui Street and finally stopped in front of Zhang Jianxiu's mansion.

The curtain of the sedan chair was opened, and Zhang Yunxiu walked down from the carriage wrapped in a black mink cloak.

The guard at the door saw him and hurried forward to greet him with a smile: "Fifth Young Master, you've come too early today. Our master might not even be awake at this hour."

Zhang Yunxiu didn't care at all. He called Zhang Fu to hold the gift box and walk inside.

At this time, someone came to report Zhang Jianxiu. He yawned, rubbed his sleepy eyes, and sat up from the bed. "This brat, he doesn't sleep so early in the morning, just wants to bother me."

Wang Ling passed by and sat up as well. She glanced at her husband and muttered, "Look at Yunxiu, he still wakes up early in the cold winter.

You, on the other hand, sleep until noon every day before you get up."

"That's because this kid hasn't married yet. If he did, do you think he would still be able to get up?!" Zhang Jianxiu said with a smile as he started to get dressed and stood up.

Wang Ling blushed and buried her fair body in the quilt, leaving only her head exposed. After thinking for a while, Wang Ling suddenly remembered something and reminded: "By the way, what is the meaning of the palace maid that Yunxiu put in our house?"

"I don't know. I'll talk to him later."

"Should I go too?" Wang Ling said as she was about to stand up again.

"No need. It's just something that men talk about. You can't relax with this boy." Zhang Jianxiu smiled, walked out of the room, turned around and said, "You have a good rest. Just leave this little thing to me."

Wang Ling nodded and urged her husband to hurry up.

Half a quarter of an hour later, Zhang Jianxiu yawned and met Zhang Yunxiu in the living room.

The two men met and sat down with the etiquette of host and guest. The two maids lit the floor dragon, lighted the incense burner, and then hurried away.

For a moment, the room was filled with warmth and fragrance.

"Fourth brother, look what good things we brought you?" Zhang Yunxiu waved his hand, and Zhang Fu handed him a gift box.

Zhang Jianxiu took it and opened it, and saw that there was an exquisite small porcelain bottle inside.

It is about one and a half feet long, with clear patterns and unique colors, which makes people feel pleasing to the eye at first sight.

"Your gift is not something like that. It must be a fake made by Wang He, right?" Zhang Jianxiu closed the gift box and muttered in a low voice.

"What are you talking about? How can fake goods be delivered to you?" Zhang Yunxiu's face darkened, and he explained, "This Wang He is not only a master of counterfeiting, but also an expert in receiving goods. Now I can make a lot of money every month thanks to him."

"You are obsessed with money." Zhang Jianxiu smiled and shook his head.

Zhang Fu chuckled and said, "Fourth Young Master, you are wrong. Except for those hypocritical people, who doesn't like money? Even the emperor tries every possible way to make money."

"Without money, we can't move forward."

Zhang Jianxiu didn't comment, and then asked Zhang Yunxiu with a smile: "Tell me, what's the matter with you coming to see me?"

"Please lend me someone." Zhang Jianxiu replied.

"what?"

"Go to sea!"

"Are you really planning to go overseas for business?" Zhang Jianxiu stood up, glared at his brother and shouted, "Our family is already extremely wealthy, tell me, why are you doing all this? You'll be overseas for a year or so, what if..."

"That's why I asked you to lend me someone." Zhang Yunxiu waved his hand to interrupt his fifth brother, and then said, "Besides, before I figure out the route, I will at most travel around places like Korea, Japan, and the South China Sea."

"So you won't take part in the imperial examination?" "Fifth brother, are you confused? We must go out to sea after the imperial examination. Now it's freezing cold and there are only five treasure ships. Tell me, how can we go out to sea?"

Zhang Jianxiu nodded, which was considered as his agreement.

Suddenly he thought of the maid again, frowned, and asked, "What was your plan for the maid you sent over?
That is a reward from the emperor. If you leave it here like this and the emperor finds out, you will be guilty of deceiving the emperor."

Now, Zhang Yunxiu was in trouble.

After a long silence, he looked up at Zhang Jianxiu and said, "Well, leave her here with you for a few more months. In the spring of next year, I will find a house in Beijing and move her in."

"Okay, but you have to be quick," Zhang Jianxiu replied.

After a brief greeting, the two brothers ordered some wine and food and drank in the snow.

After three or two glasses of wine, Zhang Jianxiu's cheeks turned red. At this time, a child of three or four years old stumbled in.

I saw that his skin was fair and moist, and his eyes were black and big, and when they moved around, he looked quite smart.

"Daddy!" The boy called out in a childish voice when he saw Zhang Jianxiu, and then shouted to Zhang Yunxiu, "Fifth Uncle."

It was Zhang Jianxiu’s son, Zhang Chongrun.

Zhang Jianxiu picked up his son, let him sit on his lap, and began to tease him.

During this time, he did not forget to say sarcastically: "Yun Xiu, look at you, you run around outside all day long, and you don't even have a wife."

"You say you are busy, but you are idle every day. You say you are idle, but you are busy every day."

"It's time for you to think about your lifelong affairs."

Can you still talk properly?
Zhang Yunxiu glared at his fourth brother and changed the subject, "I'm so happy today, let's not talk about this for now."

"Zhongrun, you must not imitate your fifth uncle in the future." Zhang Jianxiu was relentless and grabbed his son's hand and warned him, "Look at him, he is already this age and still doesn't want to get married. If you do that in the future, I will break your legs."

"understand?"

Zhang Chongrun rolled his big eyes, looked at his fifth uncle, then at his father, and nodded repeatedly.

The father and son sang in unison, and Zhang Yunxiu's face turned as red as a monkey's butt.

But he couldn't refute it. In this era when people can start their own business at the age of 14, he, at the age of 18, can really be considered an "older bachelor".

It’s not that he doesn’t want to, but he’s worried about being corrupted.

Sex is a bone-scraping knife and a soul-splitting powder. If you indulge in it too early, it will do more harm than good to your body.

"Alright, alright, I'm too lazy to say anything to you. Anyway, this is not my business." Zhang Jianxiu waved his hand and continued, "Someone will be reading sutras in your ears in the future. Just wait and see."

"We'll talk about the future later." Zhang Yunxiu smiled, raised his glass, stood up and clinked it with Zhang Jianxiu's, and said, "Come on, we have some free time today, let's eat to our heart's content."

"Don't brag in front of me about your alcohol tolerance." Zhang Jianxiu looked disdainful.

As they chatted, goose-feather-sized snowflakes began to float outside the window. They stood up and walked to the window. Outside the window pane, it was already a white world.

Everything was silent, save for the soft sound of snowflakes falling on the roof opposite.

"Auspicious snow indicates a good harvest. This is a good sign." Zhang Jianxiu said with emotion, leaning against the window frame with a gentle look on his face.

Zhang Yunxiu nodded slightly, and his tense heartstrings relaxed slightly.

The Xu Yong before should be Zhao Yong, who was only discovered during the inspection today.

Sorry

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(End of this chapter)