"Brother Qiang, we will enter the Plum Garden in a moment. You can follow me directly into the second gate to congratulate the old lady on her birthday, and then go to the Mei Qing Hall in the front yard."

In the carriage, separated by curtains, Aunt Mei said warmly to Jia Qiang.

No wonder there are countless beauties in Yangzhou City, but after Jia Min, Lin Ruhai was the only one who favored this girl. Her voice was soft and tender, but not enchanting at all. She gave birth to the image of a virtuous woman from a good family after hearing her.

Jia Qiang twitched the corner of her mouth and responded respectfully.

In terms of seniority, he is the same generation as his aunt...

After driving for more than half an hour, I saw a large garden in the west of Yangzhou City.

The three doors are open. Unlike the open-door screen wall in the north, the plum garden uses a rockery as a screen wall.

A clear spring comes from nowhere and hangs upside down to form a waterfall, which makes people forget the ordinary sight.

The young boy in Qingyi of the Mei family had already come forward to lead Aunt Mei's carriage inside.

However, just when Jia Qiang was about to accompany him all the way, a man who looked like a butler appeared and said with a smile: "This brother, the second door is where the family members of the inner house are. It is not easy for someone of my age to enter.

Already."

As soon as these words came out, Jia Qiang was startled.

He was not yet married, but he came under Lin Ruhai's order to give the Mei family some respect.

He didn't believe that Aunt Mei didn't send someone to inform the Mei family in advance. As a result, he couldn't come in to celebrate the birthday of Mrs. Mei's family?

Before Jia Qiang could speak, she saw Aunt Mei in the carriage opening the curtains and shouting angrily: "Sun Cai, what are you talking about? This is our master's great nephew, and he came here specifically on his orders.

How dare you stop the old lady from wishing her a birthday? Why don't you back down!"

For such a gentle man to be so angry, it can be seen that he is furious in his heart.

Unexpectedly, instead of retreating, Sun Cai said with a smile: "So that the second aunt and grandma will know that this is exactly what the old lady and the master meant. Today, there are not only family members of the family in the inner house, but also members of other families.

Miss, is it inappropriate for my second aunt to bring a brother of this age in?"

Aunt Mei can live as a housekeeper in the back house of Yanyuan Yamen as a concubine, so how can she be just a fool?

She said with a decisive tone that was completely different from her gentle temperament: "Okay, since the Mei family doesn't welcome us, we won't force ourselves to come here. Brother Qiang, let's go back home!"

Jia Qiang nodded, looked at Sun Cai with a cold look, and was about to ask someone to turn the carriage, but at this moment, a maid came out from the second door and said with a smile: "Ah! My aunt is back! I'm here."

I've been urged several times, but I haven't seen it yet. Now that I'm here, why don't you go in quickly?"

In the carriage, Aunt Mei said in a deep voice: "I wanted to go in, but now I can't get through this door. Mei Xiang, go in and ask the old lady. Sun Cai said that it was the old lady and the eldest gentleman who sent the message, and our gentleman sent it specially.

Are you serious about the fact that the person who came to congratulate the old lady on her birthday has even made progress in the family? If you are serious, I will be a member of the Lin family when I marry my husband, and I will never be able to enter your Mei family in the future!"

The girl named Mei Xiang was shocked when she heard this. She quickly glanced at Sun Cai, whose expression was changing, and then passed Jia Qiang's face. After a pause, she hurried to the back house.

At this time, all kinds of people coming and going outside the second door had already seen this scene and spread it outside...

This Yangzhou Prefecture is really going to change.

…

Yanyuan Yamen.

Zhonglin Hall.

Chen Rong, the imperial censor, looked at Lin Ruhai who was recuperating on the bed with a solemn face, and said in a deep voice: "Sir, this matter cannot be false. There has been a lot of rumors outside, but it is strange that there is no news from Jinling.

Then Yingtian Magistrate Jia Yucun, wasn't it recommended by your Excellency? If there was such a big event, how could he..."

Although Lin Ruhai's expression was indifferent, the corners of his eyes still jumped when he heard the words Jia Yucun.

Now that I think about it, I really saw the wrong person...

When he was seriously ill at the beginning, Jia Yucun personally rushed to Yangzhou to ask for medical advice. Even when he returned to Jinling, he sent someone to ask questions every three days.

After all the doctors said that he was terminally ill and there was no cure, the number of medical inquiries dropped greatly.

After he sent people to the capital to ask Daiyu to come back and wait for her to die, Jinling became completely silent.

He had been ill and confused, so he never thought about it.

Now it seems that this person is indeed as cold-hearted as Jia Qiang said.

Fortunately, he survived...

Lin Ruhai breathed out softly, smiled at Chen Rong and said, "Mianren, haven't you had enough time at the Yanyuan Yamen? Are you not tired of all the salt affairs?"

When Chen Rong heard this, he forced a smile and said: "Even so, there are people in Jinling while your Excellency is still in Yangzhou..."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Ruhai waved his hand and said: "I've even left my posthumous title, how could the emperor not send someone to supervise the salt affairs? Although you were recommended by me, you are not as good as the Holy Family... But I didn't expect it.

, Han Banshan will actually serve as the governor of Liangjiang. It seems that Brother Qiang’s incident in the capital has caused quite a stir. Otherwise, Han Banshan should have stepped into the military plane this time."

When Chen Rong heard this, he looked strange and said: "Brother Qiang has made such a big enemy? Then he still wants to gain a foothold in the southern province? Han Banshan is famous all over the world and has the hope of the world. If he waits to serve as governor for three years, I'm afraid

I can now directly join the military plane and become the foreman."

The central government of Dayan is highly centralized, and the chief military officer is really the most polite minister in the world!

Chen Rong couldn't think of anything good that Jia Qiang could do by becoming enemies with such a person...

Lin Ruhai smiled and said: "It's just some misunderstandings. Besides, it may not be a good thing for Ban Shanggong to join the military at this time. As for Brother Qiang... Mian Ren may not know that although Ban Shanggong and I have never been officials in the same province,

But we have known each other for a long time. In the 28th year of the Jing Dynasty, for the first time, I acted ruthlessly in Yangzhou and eliminated the private salt smuggling gang headed by the Gou family. I copied two million taels of stolen silver and escorted half of it to the capital according to the order.

, and half of it was sent directly to Henan, which was suffering from the Yellow River floods, and the disaster of Banshan Gong, who was the governor of Henan at that time, was relieved. From then on, he and I exchanged letters every three months to discuss how to govern the people and serve as officials.

Ban Shanggong is actually my good teacher."

Chen Rong didn't know that Lin Ruhai and Han Bin actually had this level of friendship, so he was surprised and said: "There is such a connection? If so, wouldn't it be like a master to me?"

Lin Ruhai chuckled and was about to say something else when she suddenly heard the butler Tong Bing outside the hall say: "Master, a message came in from the front office, saying that there is an old man outside who wants to see the master. He said his name is Han Bin."

Chen Rong was completely confused when he heard this. He was so excited that he asked first, "What's his name?"

The steward replied: "It is said that he looks like a farmer..."

Chen Rong was still about to ask more questions, but Lin Ruhai had already stood up and said: "Hurry up and follow me to meet Ban Shanggong!"

…

"Auntie, the old lady said that there are many guests in the house today, which is really inconvenient... However, the old lady has sent Uncle Gu to accompany the distinguished guests in person. She also said that after the birthday banquet is over, she will personally receive the distinguished guests, so my aunt will not

Be worried."

Outside the second gate of Meiyuan, the girl next to Mrs. Mei’s family smiled apologetically and said to Aunt Mei.

Although Aunt Mei still felt that something was wrong, today was Mrs. Mei's seventieth birthday after all. She didn't want to make a fuss, so she asked Jia Qiang, "Brother Qiang, what do you think?"

Jia Qiang knew that something serious must have happened, otherwise the Mei family would have done such a thing unless they had lost their minds and gone crazy.

But for a moment he couldn't figure out what happened to make the Mei family so crazy.

However, no matter what happened, Jia Qiang was not afraid.

With the Yanyuan Yamen and Lin Ruhai here, in the border area of ​​Yangzhou, it would be good for him not to do anything wrong, so why would he worry about a Mei family causing trouble?

Thinking of this, he said to Aunt Mei, "Auntie, just go in, but it's the birthday banquet and I don't have to go in. Before leaving, Aunt Lin at home told me that I would go out to burn incense in the afternoon to pay my vows, and I had to go and prepare in advance.

"

After hearing what Jia Qiang said, Aunt Mei was naturally speechless.

How can a young man who has been praised by the Emperor one after another in the capital have no temper?

How can a small Mei family arrange this...

Aunt Mei said softly: "That's alright. It's time for the birthday party. I'll come out early and we can go back together."

After Jia Qiang agreed, at this moment, a young man in his twenties came over and said hello to Aunt Mei first.

Aunt Mei looked calm and said: "Brother Gu, this is the new disciple of the Imperial Censor, and he is also the great-great-grandson of the Jia family of Ningguo in the capital. Since the threshold of the second door of the Mei family is high, no one can enter. How about you settle down?"

Okay." After a pause, he took another deep look at Mei Gu and said meaningfully: "Brother Gu, my great-uncle and my master were the same generation back then. Brother Qiang was our master's disciple, and he was the same generation as the eldest master of the Mei family.

.When you come to Mei’s house today, you tell me to treat you well.”

After saying that, he nodded to Jia Qiang again and stepped into the second door.

Mei Gu's face turned green and red. He was not an idiot. In fact, if the Mei family was in the capital or the Jia family was in Jiangnan, it would not be his turn to come to greet Jia Qiang. His father would definitely come in person.

However, as the saying goes, the county magistrate is not as good as the current person in charge.

No matter how great the Jia family is, but the sky is high and the emperor is far away, how can they conquer the wealthy family in Yangzhou?

If the Mei family entertained him warmly today and treated Lin Ruhai with dignity, they would have to bear the consequences when Lin Ruhai and Jia Qiang, the troubled son, returned to the capital.

Therefore, the two powers harm each other, whichever is less.

As for offending the Lin family...

After all, the daughter of the Mei family can be regarded as half the head wife of the Lin family. Will the Lin family still attack the Mei family?

With this calculation in mind, Mei Gu led Jia Qiang to the Meiyuan side hall...

In the main hall, his father Mei Xun and other elders of the Mei family held a banquet with the elders of Yangzhou Prefecture.

In the side hall, the younger generation gathered together.

If Jia Qiang came with Lin Ruhai today, this arrangement would be justifiable.

But today he came on behalf of Lin Ruhai, and the Mei family arranged it like this...

Jia Qiang stood in front of the side hall door, looked at Mei Gu with cold eyes, and sneered: "Odd legends say that after the death of Mr. Fu Weng, the Mei family's literary spirit disappeared, their descendants were unworthy, and they all degenerated into low-class merchants. Now.

It seems that I have really not wronged your Mei family. Very good, I want to see how far your Mei family can go to seek death."

Since the Mei family is completely shameless, why should he show any shame anymore?

It's just that Jia Qiang really can't figure out what kind of coma the Mei family has gotten...

…

ps: Some book friends think that the Mei family is too stupid... First of all, the Mei family does not have a God's perspective. Information asymmetry is one of them. Furthermore, isn't this phenomenon unusual? There are too many things that happen in reality than in books.
Chapter completed!