Uncle Lai in the Red Chamber

Chapter 67 A few things about the Spring Festival

Due to the holiday, the modern Spring Festival celebrations are mostly concentrated in the first few days.

In ancient times, it was different. In the early stage of the Spring Festival, people worshiped ancestors, stayed up late, and visited relatives and friends, while official and private celebrations were mostly around the Lantern Festival.

In ancient times, in order to avoid cliques among ministers for selfish purposes, except for the Spring Festival, non-in-laws or weddings and weddings, they rarely visited each other.

Therefore, the Spring Festival is also a good time for officials to move around.

Lai Shangrong was not exempt from the secular world. In addition to going to Prince Zhongshun's palace and Tian Guojiu's palace, he also visited several officials from the Ministry of Industry, the Ministry of Husbandry and the Ministry of Personnel.

The main reason why he chose these three departments was that the State-Owned Division had business dealings with them, but with his current status, he could only leave the gifts and pay respects.

Although he is not ranked among the officials of the Six Departments, he is still in charge of the family in the State Administration Department, so he has to take time to receive a few subordinates.

It is said that a man relies on his clothes and his horse relies on his saddle. Originally, several of his subordinates paid him a courtesy visit. When they saw his mansion, they were impressed. They also saw how majestic he was in using his slaves and maids. , can’t help but be a little more careful.

Lai Shangrong's method of winning over people's hearts may not be very sophisticated, but in his previous life, he learned a lot about the pie-making skills of those business tycoons, and several of his subordinates also came to their heart a little bit.

After returning to the Yamen after the holiday, he summoned everyone to assign the errands of glass research and development.

Hearing that of the 3 taels raised, [-] actually belonged to King Zhongshun and Tian Guojiu, he did not dare to question Lai Shangrong's words.

Although there were no craftsmen who knew how to make glass in the Great Xia Dynasty, they did have smelting technology. Glass and smelting were similar, so Lai Shangrong asked Zhang Bingchen to go to the Ministry of Industry to search for some knowledgeable craftsmen.

Yuan Chengtao originally worked in the Salt and Iron Department of the Ministry of Industry, so he was asked to bring two people who were familiar with the business to be responsible for starting the furnace.

The renovated papermaking workshop has been completed and is only waiting for the steam engine issued by the emperor, so Huang Xin alone is qualified for the job.

He took care of purchasing and sales, leaving only financial matters to Xiao Henian, who was sent by the Ministry of Household Affairs.

He has an official position, so the Spring Festival ended early, but the visits to relatives and friends in Jia's mansion did not end, and it was still very lively.

Early in the morning, three sedans and two carriages entered Rong Mansion through the East Point Gate.

Immediately, those who got off the car got off the car, and those who got off the sedan chair got off the sedan chair.

The group of people came to Rongqing Hall and met with Jia Mu and others.

The girl in red who came with her smiled and said, "Why is my second brother missing?"

Daiyu smiled and said: "I was always talking about you two days ago, now someone must have tripped me up!"

Jia Mu hurriedly asked Hu Bo to find it.

After a while, Baoyu and Baochai came hand in hand and greeted each other.

Baoyu said with a smile: "Sister Xiangyun! I'm waiting for you. I'll stay a little longer this time, and we can finally start a poetry club!"

Xiangyun clapped his hands and shouted: "Okay! Okay! I didn't expect you to come up with such an idea!"

Baoyu couldn't help but feel a little disappointed after hearing this, and his interest was not as good as before.

Baochai smiled and said: "It's not what we thought, it was Brother Lai who came over and suggested it years ago."

Daiyu smiled and said: "Ha! I didn't expect that I had only been away for more than half a year, but Sister Bao has gained another brother."

Baochai's expression was suffocated, and then he smiled and said, "You girl, you have such an unforgiving mouth. She just gave her a gift a while ago, and she has a good relationship with my brother. It's better to lose your etiquette!"

Then he ignored Daiyu and told Xiangyun about the poetry club together with Sanchun.Baoyu saw Daiyu sitting sullenly aside, and sat down in front of him. Just as he was about to speak, he heard Daiyu ask, "Where did you come from?"

Baoyu said, "It's from Sister Bao's house."

Daiyu sneered and said: "I'm telling you! It's a good thing that I stumbled there, otherwise it would have flown here long ago!"

Baoyu licked her face and said aggrievedly: "I can only be naughty with you and relieve your boredom. But I just said this when I went to her place by chance."

Daiyu stamped her feet, stood up and said, "What a boring thing to say! It doesn't matter whether you go or not. I didn't ask you to relieve my boredom. Maybe you will ignore me from now on!"

With that said, he turned around angrily and went back to his room.

Baoyu quickly got up and was about to chase him out when he heard Baochai shout: "Brother Bao! Where are you going? We are talking about the poetry club!"

Xiangyun pouted and said, "That's right! I came here so easily, and you didn't pay any attention to me."

Baochai smiled and said: "You missed it when I proposed it. If you miss it now, there will be no place for you in the list of founding companies in the future!"

Xiangyun applauded and said: "Then let the second brother become a poetry boy!"

Seeing that everyone was looking at her, Baoyu hesitated for a moment, turned around and joined the group chat, and laughed happily after a while.

…………

Compared to the bustle of Rong Mansion, Ning Mansion is much quieter.

Firstly, there were relatively few people, and secondly, Jia Zhen had other plans today and did not arrange a banquet.

Early in the morning, Jia Jing, who had been staying for a few days, was busy leaving. Jia Zhen saw Jia Jing off and rushed to the Prince's Palace in Beijing without stopping.

After returning from the Prince's Mansion in Beijing at noon, he rested until evening, then followed the carriage to Qin Ye's house in Changxingfang.

After some pleasantries, Jia Zhen got straight to the point and said, "My dear! I heard that there have been changes in the imperial mausoleum project?"

Qin Ye pondered: "Cunzhou was sent abroad to study politics, and now the person who takes his place as a foreign minister is Mei Gong, who was born in Yushitai. It's better to be careful."

"We haven't been doing these things for more than a year or two. What's there to be afraid of? How can a mere member of the Communist Party of China change the world?"

"Mei Gong was born in the Hanlin Academy and is a close minister of the emperor. He has also stayed in the Yushitai for several years. Don't be careless!"

Jia Zhen said anxiously: "With the support of Prince Beijing, how dare he, a Hanlin scholar, to change the world even if he knows about it?"

Qin Ye waved his hand and said, "I'm old and I don't have two years left. I just hope I can spend these two years peacefully."

In the early years, he had no children and only looked at his eyes. In order to meet the rich and powerful, he gave benefits to the four princes and eight princes. Originally, when Qin Zhong was born, he also thought about giving up.

But it was easy to get into the situation but difficult to get out. Besides, he had a son in his old age and wanted to leave more family property for Qin Zhong. In addition, the entire Qing Dynasty official department was considered to be one and the same, so he only worked for so many years.

Although Jia Zheng had never participated in it in the past, and only accepted some annual filial piety on time, he did not ask too much about the Yamen affairs. In addition, he was a member of Jia's family, so there was no need to worry even if he saw the clues.

But now the situation has changed. Mei Gong, who was born in Yushitai, has come to Yuanwailang. He has to be careful. In addition, Qin Zhong now relies on Lai Shangrong as his teacher. When he took the teaching exam recently, he found that he had improved a lot compared to before. , seeing that his son has a promising career, he is still willing to take risks and involve his son.

Jia Zhen was waiting to say more, so Qin Ye served tea and said, "No need to say more! If all the princes also have this intention, I will write a poem tomorrow to pray for you to retire and return to the fields!"

Jia Zhen glared at Qin Ye for a long time, then she was so angry that she blew her beard and walked away.

(End of this chapter)