The Way of Favors

At the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, Fu Pinyan's decree came down for the general government, and he ordered to go to Beijing to fill the vacancy in that year, and formally took office after the Lantern Festival.

Fu Pinyan was overjoyed, and he had accepted the joy of everyone from the mansion and returned to the mansion early. I wanted to show off to my wife and ask for a reward. When I learned that the two daughters were talking to his wife in the house, Fu Pinyan had no choice but to reduce his joy. After walking a few steps outside, he calmed down his joy and walked in with a calm expression. .

"Why come back so early today?" The Qiao family sat on the warm couch and watched sister Fu Rong's instructor reciting the "Three Character Classic". Seeing her husband came in, he hurriedly sat down and gave him a place. The copper and goldfish pattern hand stove was handed to her husband, "It's cold outside, warm your hands first, Qiao Xing quickly pour tea for the master."

The official career went smoothly and his wife was gentle and considerate. Fu Pinyan only felt that his whole body was warm and warm.

After taking over the stove to warm his hands, and drinking a cup of hot tea, Fu Pinyan smiled and called to the official brother: "Come here, read a few words to Daddy."

Brother Guan grinned, stood up with Fu Rong's help, turned around and walked to his father's side, and sat directly on Fu Pinyan's lap.

When the father and son asked and answered, Qiao's sitting side by side with Fu Pinyan didn't look good at him. Fu Rong looked at him, and soon discovered the unbearable joy on his father's face. He wondered: "Daddy is there any happy event? I think your mouth is always cocked."

Joe turned to look at her husband.

Fu Pinyan chuckled, ignoring the curiosity of his wife and two daughters, and squeezed his son's face and asked, "Guan brother, do you want the second sister?"

The official brother turned his head and looked around, as if only to realize that there was an older sister missing in the room, he nodded seriously: "Yes!"

Fu Pinyan touched his head and said with a smile: "Then Daddy will take you to see her in Beijing."

Brother Guan had never been far away, and asked blankly, "Where is the capital? I..."

Before he finished talking, he was snatched into his arms by the Qiao family, and the official brother was puzzled. Qiao did not have time to care whether he wanted to, and asked her husband in surprise: "Go to the capital, yes, did you have a plan?"

Fu Rong stared at his father nervously.

Fu Pinyan said: "General political division, right-direction political, fourth rank, no promotion or decline, fortunately, you can enter Beijing, saving you from worrying about sister Wan every day."

As soon as this remark came out, Qiao happily kissed his son several times in succession, while Fu Rong anxiously said, "Then when shall we leave?"

Fu Pinyan had already settled on the road. "Let’s leave on the seventh day of the day. In the past two days, I have invited relatives and friends to come to the house for a meal. It’s a farewell, and then you have to pack your luggage. You can’t leave immediately for a while. Sisters say goodbye, and I may see you again in the future."

Fu Rong was overjoyed, but she didn’t forget one thing. When her parents finished talking about the business, she asked in a low voice, “Daddy, didn’t you say that you were not sure about entering Beijing? This time it went so smoothly. Did you use an adult? Did you trust someone to help?"

His former father, Jizhou prefect, did a good job, and he didn't seem to be particularly anxious to enter Beijing. After learning that he would stay in office, he would still celebrate the New Year happily without showing any regrets. This time my elder sister married to the capital, and their wives often wondered, maybe dad did more work than his previous life in order to successfully enter the capital?

Qiao immediately glared at his daughter: "Your dad has the ability. What the emperor has seen for so many years has nothing to do with human sentiment?" This silly girl, who usually talks so sweetly, is so silly today?

Fu Rong shrank her neck. She knew that she might not like to ask her father like this, but it was related to whether she could feel at ease. If she didn't figure it out, even if she had a chance to meet King An, she wouldn't dare deliberately. It's close.

Their mothers and daughters were eyebrows, Fu Pinyan laughed, and said honestly: “I asked a friend who worked in the staff department to help me pay attention, but he only achieved the fifth rank, and he couldn’t help me very much if he wanted to help me. I. The smooth entry into Beijing this time really surprised me."

Qiao snorted: "What can be surprised, your errands are well done, the emperor knows it in his heart."

His wife believed in herself blindly, and Fu Pinyan quietly squeezed her hand.

Fu Rong didn't pay attention to the little movements of his parents, smiling on his face, but his heart sank.

The experience of two lifetimes told her that the sky won't lose the pie in vain. She had offended the government of Qing Dynasty. Her father was lucky that she hadn't been demoted. Now she has become the official of the capital to the best of his wishes. Someone must have secretly helped.

Who is helping?

Uncle Fu Pinchuan is impossible, maybe he helped, but to no avail, otherwise the father of the previous life would not delay entering Beijing for three years.

Not the uncle, nor the old friend of his father, so apart from Xu Jin, Fu Rong would never think of anyone else.

When did Xu Jin help?

Was it because the two of them were "like glue and paint", he had arranged them in advance, and after the break, he was too lazy to take back the favor, or was it the help after the break?

If it is the former, Fu Rong truly admires Xu Jin's generosity, if it is the latter, Fu Rong...

If not necessary, she really didn't want to have anything to do with Xu Jin. She didn't like him. Xu Jin had to deal with her repeatedly before, but now Fu Rong only hoped that Xu Jin would forget her completely, and the two had their own lives. For another person, the other party treated her secretly, and Fu Rong had nothing to worry about, but Xu Jin was different. That person was domineering and powerful. If he really thought about her, he would definitely look for opportunities after she entered Beijing. Make peace with her...

It is a pity that this doubt, unless she seeks proof from Xu Jin in front of her, she is trying to break her head and can't think of a result.

Five days later, the family took care of everything and set off in the harsh cold wind.

Fu Rong didn't like travelling far away in a horse-drawn carriage, even less on the road in the cold winter.

It was freezing cold, and no matter how thick the curtains were, they couldn't completely withstand the cold wind roaring outside, and it was even worse when they went to the woods to relieve their hands. I finally got to the post house and got up early after a good night's sleep. It was cold haha. Looking at the gray sky outside, I felt more irritable. But Fu Rong couldn’t complain. His father felt sorry for their wives. Every day he waited until the sun came out of Lao Gao before setting off. In addition, it was dark early in winter, so the journey into Beijing this time was much slower than in April. .

"Sister, it's gloomy outside, is it going to snow?"

On the fifth day of departure, Fu Rong always felt that the sky was extremely cold. He opened the curtain slightly and was shocked when he saw the gloominess outside.

Fu Xuan came over to take a look, his face also worries: "mostly it is."

Before long, snowflakes floated in the sky.

Fu Pinyan sent Qiao Xing over to reply, and ordered the coachman to hurry up and try to get to the next post in front of the snow.

The coachman took the order and raised his whip to shout.

The official road is not flat. I don’t feel it when walking slowly. Once it’s fast, Fu Rong’s buttocks can get out of the narrow couch occasionally when bumps. That’s uncomfortable, and I complained to Fu Xuan with anger, "I won’t go anywhere. , It's tiring!"

Fu Xuan laughed helplessly.

When the carriage finally stopped in front of the post house, there had been two layers of snow as thick as soles on the ground, and it was all white, and it seemed that the sky was bright. Because Fu Pinyan sent someone to greet him in advance, after receiving the letter from Mrs. Yi Cheng, Yi Cheng hurriedly led the maidservant and the maid to greet her with an umbrella.

This is the nearest post house to the capital. In summer, the Qiao family had a very happy conversation with the post clerk here. This time, the post clerk also recognized her. I heard that the family came to Beijing because Fu Pinyan was transferred to the capital. , The more enthusiastic about Qiao, he personally raised an umbrella for Qiao: "The yard is all cleaned up, and the Kang is hot. Madam can rest assured."

Qiao looked at a yard next to him and asked casually what guests were living in the post house at this time.

Madam Yi Cheng smiled and said: "They are all ordinary officials, but it is close to the end of the year, and there are a lot of people going from north to south. If the madam does not say hello in advance, I am afraid that this yard will be occupied, but not everyone is like a madam. With such generosity, some people, relying on their own backgrounds, think that our arrangements are not good, so they have to grab this big yard..."

Qiao listened with a smile, and quickly walked into the backyard. After all, it is only a post house, and this best yard has only been entered three times. The victory is that the scenery is good, and the few winter plums in the corner of the snowy day are bright and yellow.

Seeing her looking at the winter plum tree, Mrs. Yi Cheng immediately pointed to the wall and said: "There is a plum forest over there. If the lady has Yaxing after the snow stops, you might as well take the two girls to stroll around."

Qiao thanked her for inviting her to drink tea inside. Mrs. Yi Cheng was about to refuse, and a little maid in Tsing Yi hurried in, "Madam, there are two distinguished guests outside, and the master invites you to come over!"

Mrs. Yi Cheng was shocked and hurried away.

Fu Rong looked at Mrs. Yi Cheng’s footprints on the snow. While putting down the hat on the cloak, he asked his mother worriedly: "Mother, since you are a distinguished guest, you won't ask us to move out for a while? Tiantou, there are no towns before and after, the sky is dark again...

The Qiao family took the official brother from the nurse and patted gently: "Don't worry, even for the distinguished guests, this post house won't be where we live. It's really unreasonable. Let's change the yard. "I also told the maids not to open the box for the time being, lest they really have to change the yard and have to work again.

Sister Fu Rong didn't even bother to go to the back room. She sat beside her mother with a stove in her hand, and watched the heavy snow outside together. Guan Ge'er leaned quietly in his mother's arms, sleepy.

Xuanxin waited for nearly two quarters of an hour, Fu Pinyan strode over, and saw the mothers look like enemies, and said strangely: "Why don't you go to the house to sit?"

Qiao raised his head and asked him: "I heard that a distinguished guest is coming, have you seen it?" Ordinary distinguished guests, Yi Cheng will not call his wife to discuss in such a hurry.

Suddenly, Fu Pinyan ordered the maids to pack their things, and then explained: "It is His Royal Highness King Su and the Second Young Master of General Guangwei's Mansion. The two have just returned from Bazhou and caught up with the heavy snow, so they had to stay here. That's right, The Post Cheng said that the post building was already full. He wanted to ask us to give up the yard and move to them. His Royal Highness spoke to stop him and stayed in the guest room in front of us with his subordinates. If the snow does not stop tomorrow, we have to Stay one more day, your mother, pay attention, don't go ahead and walk around."

Qiao was extremely surprised: "It's the twelfth lunar month, what are they going to do in Bazhou?"

It was exactly what Fu Rong wanted to ask. It's not that she is arrogant, it's a coincidence, how come Xu Jin's back foot came when they came?

Fu Pinyan said: "I heard that a spirit fox appeared in the mountains and forests in the northwest of Bazhou a while ago. It happened that Concubine Shu was unwell, so His Royal Highness personally went to hunt the fox. Not to mention, the fox's body was white without a trace of variegation. , A pair of eyes are also extremely spiritual, and there is an extra tuft of hair beside the tail, it seems that another one will grow, it is really magical."

"I want to see it!" Guan Ge'er didn't know when he was energetic, and he was truly authentic.

Qiao coaxed him skillfully: "It's dark, Linghu is going to sleep, and my mother will take you to see it tomorrow." After listening to her husband's description, she also wants to see it, but the other party is King Su, so they should not cause trouble for her husband. , As for my son, he might forget it after he slept. I really remember, it's a big deal to make up a lie tomorrow morning, it's a fool.

He coaxed his son, but saw Fu Rong's expression a little stunned, thinking that his daughter had seen King Su before, Qiao couldn't help but raised his heart, and tentatively asked, "What does Nong Nong think?" The dignified lord, no matter how good the daughter is, I'm afraid it will be too. It's difficult to climb high, Qiao doesn't want her daughter to be wrong and disappointed in the future.

Fu Rong returned to his senses, glanced at his younger brother, and winked at his mother mischievously: "Don't worry, mother, when my daughter is older, I won't look at it anymore."