The Bookish Scholar of the Red Mansion

There is a popular saying among the people: Who is a good person who would go to the county government gate if nothing happens?

This is just a joke, but we can see the disadvantages of the county government gate. Chen Heng is the chief officer himself, so he will definitely not take the joke seriously. But when Daiyu was about to return home, she still left through the back door. Although it is said to be a back door, in fact, considering the daily access of the magistrate's family, it was built to be very spacious and grand.

When Daiyu got out of the car, she saw the old and weak servants waiting at the door, but she had expressions of dumbfounding. She glanced at her husband and couldn't help but wonder to the servants: Do you usually serve me?

Seeing these people nodding, Daiyu almost raised her hand to rest her forehead. These servants looked old, dull, and not very clever. In addition to being troubled by her husband's carelessness, she suddenly began to feel sorry for sister Yinglian. The latter must have had a lot of headaches during this period.

With this thought in her mind, Daiyu said to Zicuckoo who was following closely beside her: Thank you.

Zicuckoo seemed to have been prepared. Together with Qingwen, she took out three or four purses and distributed them to the servants on behalf of Madam. There was an inexplicable extra reward, and all the servants were shocked by the magistrate's wife's aura. He lowered his head to receive the things, then raised his head again, and saw that the magistrate's wife had followed the Lord away.

The branches and leaves of late autumn are intertwined on the courtyard paths, and occasionally one or two fallen yellow leaves are quietly stacked on the ground. Faintly, I could hear the complaints of the magistrate's wife who was leaving in the distance.

Ms. sir, even if I'm not here, you should first find a few servants to take care of you. Even if you don't need anyone to serve you, sister Yinglian will always have one.

Ah?! Chen Heng was stunned for a moment, then smiled and said, I've been too busy during this period and I really forgot about these things.

These words were not empty words, Xinda, who was following closely, also showed an expression of approval. To say he is busy is to be modest. He followed his good brother and performed continuously throughout October. When I first entered the treasure land, I didn't know where I was going. The emperor's orders were on my side and I couldn't even breathe. Sometimes I am so busy that I often sleep directly in the study.

I know. Daiyu nodded and said warmly, My husband can just concentrate on the things outside. She noticed the dark circles under Chen Heng's eyes and knew her husband's difficulties, The ginseng plant I brought from home. You can drink some before going to bed every night.”

It would be okay if he didn't say this, but when he said it, Chen Heng felt guilty. He quickly looked at Xinda, who was also scratching his head. That ginseng plant followed all the way from the capital to the Huating County Government Office, and now I don’t know where it is lying in a corner eating ashes.

Daiyu was helpless when she saw the brothers' small movements and eyes. He simply stopped embarrassing the two rough old men and just looked at Qingwen beside him and said: Make some tonight and send them to the master's study.

Yes, ma'am. Qingwen responded immediately with a smile.

The group of people chatted in commonplace words and arrived at the main hall of the back house in a blink of an eye. Yinglian had been waiting here for a long time. She saw Chen Heng coming in with Daiyu and didn't wait for her to get up and speak. Daiyu had already quickened her pace a little, walked up to Yinglian, and said first: Sister Yinglian.

Hearing this, Zhen Yinglian immediately relaxed a lot. This is the first time the two Mrs. Chen have met. Although Yinglian is older, in terms of birth and family background, she is indeed not as good as Daiyu. The names they called each other really put Yinglian in a dilemma and made her very nervous. He was afraid that if he said the wrong thing, Chen Heng would be in trouble.

Daiyu's generous words directly calmed Yinglian's mind. The latter immediately returned the greeting: Sister Yu.

Chen Heng stood aside to take a closer look and saw a beautiful couple walking together, holding hands and talking to each other. I saw Daiyu's left hand and Yinglian's right hand, each with an jade bracelet. The arm bracelets are all green and have similar patterns, so one can tell they are a pair at a glance.

This was a gift prepared by Daiyu for Yinglian. Chen Heng brought it to Yangzhou and presented it to Yinglian. Looking at the waists of the two ladies, there are also a pair of similar sachets hanging on the waists. They were made by Yinglian herself and were also a return gift to Daiyu.

Chen Heng kept looking at them, but the beautiful couple were already chatting enthusiastically. However, from the words of the conversation, it can be seen that Daiyu is guiding the reserved Yinglian to speak. Seeing that there was no place where he could interrupt for a while, Chen Heng simply found a place to sit and began to enjoy it more relaxedly.

Ying Lian has a plump figure and the amorous look between her eyebrows is unparalleled. Daiyu's figure is light and graceful, and her smile also has an indelible agility and otherworldly temperament. The two people were sitting side by side, and the topic had already turned to their husband-in-law.

When I heard that during this period, Yinglian was taking care of the back house alone. Daiyu was very angry when she heard this, and couldn't help but look at Chen Heng complainingly. Although Yinglian is the lower wife, she is still the rightful wife of her husband. There is no reason for the county magistrate's wife to be busy in person. Chen Heng knew that he had gone astray, so he could only laugh a few times.

As a madam, you have to have people around you to serve. Daiyu shook her head, glanced around Zijuan, Qingwen, and Xueyan, and finally said to Qingwen: Qingwen, you will serve Sister Yinglian from now on.

Yes, ma'am.

Qingwen has no problem, she is in the same house on her left and right, and she can't get around Daiyu's eyes from top to bottom, inside or outside.

Daiyu turned to Yinglian again and said: Sister Yinglian, Qingwen is the most enthusiastic and capable, so I will keep you with me for use first. After a few days, my sister will recruit some servants from outside, and the remaining number will be... Then slowly make it up to my sister.

When Yinglian heard Daiyu's appropriate arrangements, she gradually relaxed her nervous mind. Before she got married, Mrs. Feng had repeatedly advised her to be careful in the Chen family. The beloved daughter of Zuodu Yushi family's temperament is probably not easy to get along with. If you have any difficulties, hide them in your heart first. When you return to your parents' home, explain it to yourself.

Neither Chen Heng nor Daiyu knew about this. Even if you know it, it's even harder to evaluate. Yinglian is Feng's beloved daughter who was lost and found, so it is understandable that she should be more disciplined. But suppressing her temper all the time like this, Yinglian lost all her former temperament, leaving only some cautious worldliness.

Alas, people don’t know whether it’s better to be worldly or to be spontaneous.

However, Daiyu had her own detailed plans when she asked Qingwen to follow Yinglian. Sister Yinglian seemed to be submissive and unwilling to offend others. Even if there is something unpleasant in daily life, I must keep it in my heart and not talk about it.

Only Qingwen, who is quick to speak and has a delicate mind, can become Yinglian's mouthpiece. This will also prevent the family from getting bigger in the future, and some arrogant servants will secretly do mischief and make the family uneasy.

The good helper at home finally came back and tidied things up inside and out, which made Chen Heng notice his usual negligence. Thinking about this period of time, apart from being busy with other things, I really cared less about Yinglian, and I was blaming myself in my heart.

He was the first to enter Songjiang City, so why was Yinglian not the same? Alas, I have indeed neglected my duty.

Thinking of this, Chen Hengzheng was looking for an opportunity to make amends to the second lady. Someone suddenly came to report from outside, saying that Xiao Ping, the county government secretary, was out asking for an audience.

Business suddenly came up, so Chen Heng naturally couldn't stay in the back house. I had no choice but to say something to the two ladies and quickly turned around and rushed to the front hall. However, he left Xinda behind and asked him to take the opportunity to tell Daiyu about the recent family affairs.

After being divided into two places, when Chen Heng saw Xiao Ping, he saw several brochures in his hand. This Xiao Ping is an official left behind by his predecessor, and Chen Heng has been observing him privately for a month. I know that this person is smooth and measured in his dealings, and he cannot find any major faults in his official career.

If you belong to the kind of superior officials who bend the law for personal gain, you will be treated as a mute monk. If Shangguan is determined to do something, he is also a person who can cooperate with him. Although there is no obvious advantage in his talent at the moment, he does have some experience in doing things, which is enough to be called capable.

Xiao Pingcai was introduced to the study room of the back house by Chen Heng. He hurriedly handed over the book in his hand and said proactively: Sir, this is the account of Yujuncang. The account books starting from the Wuding period are all here. The first half of this year The accounts are at the top, and you will know the details as soon as you read them.

Yujuncang is a granary under the jurisdiction of Huating County, also called Nanmen Granary. It is one of Chen Heng's itineraries tomorrow. He would never be at ease unless he took a look at such an important place in person.

Chen Heng nodded, then took the initiative to ask the chief clerk to sit down, poured him a cup of tea, and said kindly: I'm not here today. Is there anything going on in the county office?

This month, Xiao Ping has also been slowly adapting to Chen Heng's work style. He knew that the county magistrate was not someone who deliberately played tricks on his mind. He just wanted to talk to each other and be direct with each other.

In the morning, villagers from Jixian Township came to complain, saying it was a land dispute. Since the case was not serious, the lower official had accepted their petitions and asked Capt. Zhou to bring the county government account books to verify. Waiting for Capt. Zhou to verify each Please let me judge. After Xiao Ping said this, he paused for a moment, and then continued after Chen Heng nodded.

There are also a few scholars who came here today to ask about the matter of relocation and naturalization. I also asked about next year's county examination and when the registration date is set.

When Chen Heng heard the news, he immediately became interested and asked directly: Where are they students from?

Sir, they are all students from Xinyang County.

Upon hearing Xiao Ping's answer, Chen Heng immediately knew the reason. Xinyang County is very close to Songjiang Prefecture, but it belongs to Suzhou Prefecture. There were many talented people in Suzhou Prefecture, and competition in the imperial examinations was fierce.

And the magistrate of Xinyang County has a great reputation. Compared with Chen Heng, the number one scholar of the dynasty, his future is naturally far inferior. If you can forge some friendship between teachers and students because of the county examination, you will be lucky enough to become an official in the court in the future. Couldn't these personal connections come in handy?

But if you think that there is less competition in Huating County, you can still take the opportunity to make friends with the top student. These people's calculations are completely wrong. I can't say that the test questions I set are more difficult, otherwise I wouldn't be able to live up to my hard work.

Chen Heng chuckled secretly and did not take the student's little thoughts to heart. Whether it is gold or sand, you will know in the county examination. If you have real talent and knowledge, it might not be a bad idea to help. He simply asked: Are there many people like this recently?

There are signs of an increase. As of today, there are twenty-one people. Xiao Ping answered cautiously, and directly gave the specific number of people. When it comes to the county examination next year, there will probably be a lot of excitement in the county. Sir, we need to make preparations early.

Well, take note of this and remember to remind me when the time comes. Chen Heng ordered, and the latter immediately nodded.

Afterwards, the two discussed the New Year's Eve matter. Huating County is the largest county in Songjiang Prefecture. During every festive season, celebrations are indispensable. Tomorrow is the first day of November, and the yamen must allocate funds to send people to organize folk sacrificial activities to avoid riots.

Although the things inside are small, they are very troublesome to handle. Fortunately, there are enough officials in Huating County Government, and Chen Heng has a good direction, so the people below can keep up with it on their own.

From this point of view, it is indeed much easier to be a county magistrate than a capital official. Although the things are many and complicated, I have a group of people at my disposal who can be called a chicken head. Where is the cautiousness of the Six Divisions in the Capital that can be compared.

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When the mistress of the house returned home, even the kitchen in the back house of the government office felt different. When they arrived at Shenshi, the evening menu was delivered to them. The dishes are all homemade. But having such a direction of exerting force is better than saying just do whatever you want from the county master. It's better and easier.

In the evening, the family of three had a lively meal. Chen Heng deliberately put down his official duties and went directly to the study without getting up. Instead, they chatted with Daiyu and Yinglian in the side room.

In the side room at the back of the house, there is a soft couch with a tea table in the middle and several chairs arranged in sequence under it. Daiyu was so smart that she did not sit on the couch with Chen Heng, but pulled Yinglian to sit on an adjacent chair.

However, Daiyu and Chen Heng talked more about the topic among the three of them. Yinglian was more interested in listening to the two of them talking about old stories about the capital. What she saw was very interesting, and Yinglian found it very interesting.

So, the marriage between Baoyu and Baochai was the decree of the empress in the palace? Chen Heng didn't expect that he had already married Sister Lin. Why couldn't the Jia family get around Yuanchun's marriage? It couldn't be for Have a fight with yourself.

Yes. Daiyu nodded and told Lin Ruhai her opinion on the matter, Dad said that it should be the people in the capital who have been in panic recently because of the incident in the Maritime Affairs Department. Everyone wanted to use this to have a lively and stable life. To stabilize each other’s minds.”

At the end of her words, Daiyu couldn't help laughing and gave an overview of the excitement at Jia and Xue's wedding. Chen Heng was also surprised when he heard the pomp and circumstance used. Half of the dignitaries from the capital city were gone. The scene was so solemn that it was hard to comment on it.

By the way, sir. Daiyu suddenly remembered something, raised her hand to call Zicuckoo, and took the letter that the other party carried, This is a letter written by brother-in-law Wei Da to you. Before leaving Beijing, Sister Qijun specially asked me to deliver it to you. Come give it to you.”

Is it Du Yunjing? ! Chen Heng was a little surprised. After taking the letter, he glanced at it hurriedly. Cai Qi asked: Old General Feng was transferred to Beidi? Why did the Marquis of Wei also go?

This happened after Jia and Xue got married, and Daiyu heard about it before she left Beijing. She nodded hurriedly, confirming that the matter was finalized.

The two names that appeared in the letter were the fathers of Feng Ziying and Wei Ruolan. The sudden transfer of these two people is really strange. Chen Heng patiently continued reading and found out why Du Yunjing mentioned this matter in the letter.

Due to the incident in the Maritime Affairs Department, Li Zhi intended to investigate the family background of the nobles in the capital privately. The families headed by the Jia family and the Shi family are all trying to make up for their shortcomings and mistakes.

And people like Feng and Wei were willing to risk their lives to go to the border with the intention of making meritorious deeds. Li Zhi would not directly attack the generals who commanded the troops unless they committed serious crimes of rebellion.

So... Chen Heng suddenly remembered something. In the original book, the Jia family seems to have deposited a sum of money in the Zhen family. I vaguely remember that the amount was quite large, tens of thousands of taels. Now that the matter with the Maritime Department has happened, will the Jia family have more money in the Zhen family?

I secretly made a note of this in my mind, hoping that I might be able to use it at some point. Chen Heng continued to read, and at the end of the letter, he finally saw the unexplainable meaning in Du Yunjing's letter.

Li Zhi actually wanted Du Yunjing to participate in it to investigate the family background of the nobles in the capital. No wonder Du Yunjing pointed out several times in his letter the close and distant relationship between the nobles of the capital, and begged him to reply to the letter to clear up some confusion. It's just that the wording in Lao Du's letter seemed to be very urgent, Chen Heng thought with some distress.

This Du Yunjing is straightforward, magnanimous, and has the ambition to serve the people. When you get the imperial commission for the first time, you will inevitably think about doing business and doing something big. But Li Zhi asked him to take charge of the matter, obviously with the intention of investigating the matter privately and not to alert outsiders.

There will be wars at the border next year. For the current court, maintaining stability is the top priority. If Li Zhi was determined to conduct a large-scale investigation, why would he let a minor official who had just graduated from the Hanlin Academy take charge of this matter? A direct joint trial between the three agencies is the quickest way to cut through the mess.

Being able to choose Du Yunjing was simply because Li Zhi liked Du Yunjing's temperament that he would not bend for the powerful. I still have to make it clear to Lao Du about the appropriateness here.

After thinking about the words of advice in his reply, Chen Heng postponed the matter for a while. He chatted with his two wives about household matters until late at night.

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The next day, Chen Heng woke up from Daiyu's house. After having breakfast at home, he led a group of county government officials to the Nanmen grain depot. There are many fertile fields in Huating County, and there are more than 400 grain depots.

I spent half a day checking them one by one to make sure there was no problem with the food stored everywhere. He then took the people back to the court and continued to handle today's official business. There are still many cases accumulated in the past years. The cases are not serious. They are mostly trivial disputes between neighbors or relatives fighting for the inheritance of a deceased family member.

It is very troublesome to deal with these matters. Fortunately, Chen Heng has a convincing official voice. After several rounds of judgments, the people were all dissatisfied. After finishing the trivial matters, Chen Heng will start thinking about the port corvee.

It is now November. Although Jia Yucun is the first judge of Chuansha Hall, time cannot be delayed any longer. Chen Heng took a pen and paper and wrote the official document of this corvee on the paper. Because he wanted to show it to the people in the county, his wording was very straightforward, trying to be as easy to understand as possible.

In addition to telling people in the country that participants can deduct part of next year's taxes. Chen Heng also provided corresponding financial and food subsidies to the male candidates from each family. Although the amount is not large, it is better than everyone sitting at home doing nothing in the winter.

After it was decided to distribute official documents to each township and village, Chen Heng took the county officials to discuss the purchase of raw materials from various places. They were busy at the front, and there was also a lot of excitement behind the county office.

As soon as Daiyu came back, her own servants brought from the capital immediately took over the entire back house. Yesterday, I heard Xinda explain the situation of Ming County Government and learned that my husband was still rectifying his subordinates. After hearing the whole story, she took it into consideration and arranged for someone to go out to buy ingredients early in the morning.

When Chen Heng came back from his work and saw the bustle in the back house, he asked curiously: When is our family going to have a banquet?

While Daiyu helped Chen Heng change his clothes, she explained with a smile: People in the county government have different opinions. It's just that they are not sure about our husband's temperament. Our family has already established authority before. Although our husband was rewarded at that time, if we can do it today, Only by having a drink with them can you truly win over people's hearts.

Chen Heng was overjoyed when he heard this. He straightened his clothes and said to his wife, I have been thinking about this for a long time and wanted to take the time to arrange a meal for them before the New Year. Having you today really saves me a lot of energy. When you get a wife like this, what more can a husband ask for?

Hearing these sweet words, Daiyu rolled her eyes at Chen Heng strangely, and only warned: Although we are drinking and chatting with them, my husband should be more careful about his health. Being greedy is harmful to the body, and if you get drunk, it will inevitably delay tomorrow's work. thing.

Well, I saved it. Chen Heng nodded repeatedly. Looking at Daiyu's busy appearance, he also smiled and said, We will go out for a fun trip after a while. There are many in Songjiang City. It is a place of historical interest and I heard that during the Three Kingdoms period, the Commander-in-Chief’s Tower of the Governor of Lu was located here.”

This...isn't good. Daiyu blinked, although she was a little moved. But thinking about his identity, he was afraid of attracting criticism from others. How can a county magistrate's wife go out and show off her appearance? The wives of officials, who don't hide in the back house, close the door and be a good wife and mother.

What's wrong? Chen Heng didn't think there was a problem and said directly, This is not the capital. If the elders in the family are not around, who else can take care of you and me?

It was with this thought in mind that he focused on being released and wanted to find a free world for Daiyu.

Seeing Chen Heng's pride, Sister Lin couldn't help but purse her lips and smile: I know, Mr. County Magistrate.

Chen Heng raised his eyebrows, suppressed the joy in his heart, and walked towards the front hall in the night. The courtyard of the county government office is large. After all, it is the place where the county examination is held. It can accommodate more than a dozen tables.

When the county magistrate walked in wearing regular clothes, the subordinate officials' expressions relaxed. They were afraid that at this time, the master was still wearing official uniform, so that people would not dare to drink openly.

In such an occasion, Liu Xianglian's help is indispensable, and Chen Heng said a few words of intimacy at the beginning. The former held the wine glass and ran back and forth between the catcher table and the fast player table. Chen Heng felt most at ease when these people were handed over to Liu Xianglian. He simply focused his attention on the county officials.

Throughout October, everyone in the county government was extremely busy with the Zhao family's affairs. Seeing the county magistrate personally setting up a banquet as a reward, everyone was secretly very happy and felt that they were with the wrong person.

The county master who came this time was not only able to handle affairs and be an official, but he was also a considerate and considerate person for his subordinates. Being able to follow such a climb to the peak, naturally no one will have any complaints in their hearts.

After the banquet, we waited for several days. Chen Heng found an ordinary day and summoned Sun Kuaishou and two of his subordinates for accountability. These three people also confessed to informing the Xu family. He only said that due to human feelings, he used his wrong thoughts and took the wrong path, and begged the master to show mercy.

Although they said it sincerely and promised that they would not do it again, Chen Heng still had no intention of letting things go. The Zhao family's affairs are a prestige to the people of Huating, and Sun Kuaishou's group is a prestige to the people of the county government.

If the rewards and punishments are unfair, how can I control them and win the trust of others in the future? Chen Heng did not keep them any longer and directly removed the three names from the county government list, indicating that they would not have to come again in the future.

Other people in the county government felt very sad when they saw Sun Kuaishou crying and crying in annoyance. If a good iron rice bowl is lost like this, everyone will inevitably feel a bit sad.

It really made them complain about Chen Heng, and there was a happy banquet a few days ago. After much thought, everyone decided to work hard for the county magistrate in the future.

After tightening and loosening again and again, after going through the Zhao family, the county government banquet, Sun Kuaishou and other events, Chen Heng finally surrendered to everyone under his command. Seeing that everyone was doing the things they were told to do very carefully. Chen Heng finally determined that it was time to visit Jia Yucun at Chuansha Hall.

Went for dinner, hungry, hungry. Hahahaha, book friends, please remember to vote.