Chen Xi returned to the capital, but did not enter the house.

The incident was only known to the Shen family a day later, that is, February 20, and it was told through Ma Jiu and Xiaoyu's wife... Ma Jiu was allowed to go home to visit his relatives, and Xiaoyu asked indirectly about the incident of Chen Xi's return to the city.

Xiaoyu had never thought that the news would be leaked, but after she told Xie Yun'er about the situation, it soon spread in the Shen family. Even Zhou knew that Chen Xi had left the city and returned to the city, so she was very angry.

Zhou brought a pair of children to the door and went to his daughter-in-law, Xie Yuner, to gossip: "... The stupid baby is getting more and more distorted, and he doesn't even go home to see him when he returns to the city? He doesn't care about his parents, he should always care about his wife, children, and children? Or he said that he took two out and felt that the rest is not important..."

Zhou wanted to find the feeling of being connected to the same fate with his daughter-in-law, so his anger was only aimed at Chen Xi, not Xie Yun'er. What he said was that she and Xie Yun'er were both poor people who were neglected by Chen Xi.

Xie Yuner said angrily: "Mom, what are you thinking about? The master must have important things to deal with when he is away. Moreover, he is not in good health now, so what does it matter if he comes back? There is nothing at home. Didn't the master send someone back to ask about the situation at home?"

"Is it Xiaoyu who sent someone back accidentally leaked it?" Zhou looked for Xiaoyu's figure with his eyes, but found nothing, and obviously he deliberately avoided it.

Xie Yuner said: "It's not Xiaoyu. The master did send someone back to ask... You think, if there is something wrong at home, will he not know? Mom, don't worry too much, he will naturally come back in a while."

Zhou said dissatisfiedly: "You are a master, but my mother feels uncomfortable when she hears it. How old is he called a master? Or you call him a husband or husband, or you can call him a husband... Are we still seeing each other?"

Xie Yuner shook her head: "Whatever the rules at home are, my mother might as well go back first, and my daughter-in-law will tell you if you have something to do." Xie Yuner doesn't want to receive Zhou. Now Chen Xi is not at home, and the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law fights openly and secretly. Zhou looks fierce, but it is not easy for her to deal with Xie Yuner.

If Xie Yuner had the kind of stingy and cursing character, Zhou would be more comfortable. At worst, she would argue with her and then she would have a result. But the hostess of the Shen family didn't have such a big temper at all, and she would hide it even if she had. In this way, Zhou could find Xie Yuner's pain, and she had to flatter her daughter-in-law and let her assist her son, so Zhou's stingyness was completely ineffective against Xie Yuner.

"If you don't leave, don't leave, today we are sitting down and talking. We are so annoying at home to take care of our children all day long. The two little guys are not at all worry-free..."

Zhou like a fool, he found a stool and sat opposite Xie Yuner, ready to complain about his pain.

Xie Yuner did not force her and asked, "If you think it's hard for me to take care of my uncle and sister-in-law, you might as well stay here. My mother can go back by herself, and my daughter-in-law will help you take care of her for a few days."

Zhou said with a frown: "It's not entirely because of two naughty children, and his uncle and aunt. They cause trouble for their mother as soon as they arrive in the capital. You don't know that they will come to me every few days now, saying that they want to arrange errands for the boss. They don't think about what kind of virtue his son is. Even if he can't pass the exam, what big things can he do? That is, he will be a life for someone to be a tent..."

Before she knew it, Zhou began to criticize the Shen family, especially the people in the big room who had bullied her, which made her unable to see it.

In the past, the big house stayed in Ninghua, and was far away from each other and could not see anyone. The Zhou family naturally had no trouble. But now the situation is different. The Shen family in Ninghua is in the past. All the houses of the Shen family have moved to the capital. Xie Yuner has little care about the affairs of the big family. Basically, the Zhou family comes to coordinate, which has caused Zhou family to encounter many troubles.

Xie Yuner said: "The master said he would arrange errands for several uncles. However, these days after the New Year, the master will either recuperate or be busy with official duties and have no time to spare. After this period of time, he will never let the Shen family work in the army! The master has been busy with military affairs recently, and all he needs are people with this expertise..."

Zhou said angrily: "It is best to let those lazy guys in the family be in power, and they are exhausted to death. Only then do I know that my son is not as easy as they imagined... They thought that the fools eat and drink delicious food every day in the yamen, but they didn't know that they were running around for the court. When they were not in the school exam, they often saw their parents. After they passed the top scorer, it was difficult for their mother to see him. This world is also unfair!"

Xie Yuner smiled and said, "There are always gains and losses. I am not a blessing in my own blessing... Who in the world doesn't envy my mother? Being able to give birth to the top scholar is really a blessing in eight lifetimes!"

"Who cares about their envy? My mother only needs a good child who can stay by her side, who is filial and sensible, but don't be as incompetent as his younger brother, and he will be useless." Zhou was still scolding. Shen Yun was in trouble this time. "It was also his elder brother who made trouble. Neighbors say that his elder brother stole his younger brother's intelligence, otherwise why is the difference between one mother? One can win the top scorer, the other is a phoenix, but the other is a worm!"

Xie Yuner couldn't help but smile. She could hear that Zhou was standing and talking without a pain in her back. While saying that she would not ask her son for his achievements, she also disliked her second son for not being smart enough.

Xie Yuner thought to herself: "Even if someone blames Juro for snatching away his intelligence, it shouldn't be blamed on her husband. Isn't Yi'er born together more responsible?"

Although Xie Yuner had different thoughts in her mind, she would not refute her in front of Zhou because she could hear that Zhou was full of complaints, and taking the initiative to talk to her, that was to cause trouble for herself.

As a good wife and mother, Xie Yuner knows how to be a good daughter-in-law and deliberately avoids lighting Zhou's explosive barrel. She can basically be at ease in handling housework. She is kind, wise, virtuous, and righteous, so that Zhou's chances of attack cannot be found.

"Mom, it's not too early, let's have a meal together. The master is not at home. Xiaowen and I have nothing to do every day, and it's more lively if we are there." Xie Yuner smiled.

"It's not that there is a mother who is lively, but that there are two more naughty children. It's hard to be quiet. Alas! It would be great if Yi'er was a boy. Her cleverness would be like her elder brother as soon as she learns everything... but her younger brother... Alas!" Zhou said afterwards, and began to sigh again.

...

...

After eating, Shen Yier took Shen Yun out to play. Yin Wen had to go back to the house to take care of her baby because she was pregnant, so only Xie Yuner and Zhou stayed in the back hall to rest.

Even if Xie Yuner is Shen Xi's wife and the mistress of the family, she will also do some embroidery in order to maintain good living habits and to save her loneliness. After lunch, she usually does not take a nap, but stays in the back hall to do embroidery.

Zhou looked around for a while, gave advice from time to time, and finally said with emotion: "When my mother was young, she was also very good at embroidery. Who doesn't know about it? She is such a cheap and unscrupulous father."

Xie Yuner smiled and said, "My mother will definitely be so gorgeous when she is young."

"Of course."

Zhou seemed very proud, "We didn't grow old when we met. You should know that things changed a lot after just a few years. The old friends are gone and the living environment has improved. I used to get up early and live in the countryside to live late. Now I can light a few candlesticks at night to make my home shine brightly... Tsk tsk, who would have thought of it more than ten years ago?"

Xie Yuner's smile was slightly dull, because Zhou mentioned his old friend, and she unconsciously remembered Hui Niang, who was once as close as her sisters to each other.

Zhou said: "There are better days, but there are too many things. The naive man can't go home from time to time. Do you think if he doesn't become a magistrate and becomes a noble Duke, can he stay in the mansion every day?"

"Mom, you can't just say these words."

Xie Yuner reminded, "According to the "Da Ming Law", civil officials who have made great achievements shall not be granted titles to marquis. As a civil servant, the master must be cautious in his words and actions, otherwise he will be usurped and impeached and lost his post. Civil officials usually can only be regarded as young tutors, grand tutors, or even entitled to the title of the upper-level country... they cannot be inherited."

"It's so serious? It's okay, I'll just say it. Don't take it too seriously... But don't you say it too? As long as you establish meritorious deeds, there will be no such example. If Hanwaer leads the army to defeat the Tartars, goes to generals and ministers, and eliminates the Ming Dynasty's old enemies, wouldn't he have the chance to be a marquis? Haha."

Zhou now knows to restrain himself. After offending the emperor, she understands that it is not all good to have a son who is a high-ranking official, and she cannot make trouble just like before, because someone in the mansion might be the emperor and the prince.

Xie Yuner suddenly remembered something and asked, "By the way, didn't you say that there was news from Uncle Six before? In this exam, did he take the initiative to contact his family?"

Zhou shook his head: "I haven't seen anyone, and the fourth room is still looking for him. Who knows where he went? But a Fujian scholar said that he saw him enter the examination room... I think that's true. I wonder if Liu Lang studied hard for more than ten years, what else can he do if he didn't take the Jinshi? Could he be a teacher? Juren are all officials. We have two officials in one school, and others are so envious..."

Zhou said a lot of nonsense, and Xie Yuner didn't take it too seriously, but she probably understood the matter about Liulang Shen Yun, that is, she still hasn't returned to the Shen family.

As for whether Shen Yun knew that the Shen family had arrived in the capital, it was unknown because the Shen family tried their best to find it, and even Shen Xi did not know whereabouts. Xie Yuner understood that Shen Yun was intentionally hiding.

Xie Yuner thought to herself: "It seems that my husband is right. Uncle Liu is too competitive and should not want to be favored by his husband. He wants to be on the list entirely by his own ability... But it is not easy to get a Jinshi these days. Is it not easy to get a Jinshi if he doesn't win a day and doesn't interact with his family? He is studying outside and never considers the inheritance of his offspring. What is this saying?"

Zhou said: "We don't get involved in other people's family affairs. Good daughter-in-law, you have to deal with the family affairs well. Our Shen family needs to add a few more males. You see, for my mother, I have two sons. You haven't given birth to a second son for him yet, which is a bit unreasonable. If not, he can only take more concubines. Isn't there Xi'er? What are the girls in the house not there? None of them can affect the position of your wife..."

Xie Yuner looked embarrassed: "Mom, what are you talking about? My daughter-in-law knows the right measure. You don't need to say it, but you know how to contribute to the prosperity of the Shen family."

...

...

After Chen Xi left the city, there was no news for another ten days.

The civil servants in the capital, led by Xie Qian, seemed to have forgotten Chen Xi. At this time, the Ministry of War, which lacked money and grain supply, was operating normally. The two ministers Lu Wan and Wang Chang, handled official duties freely, and there was almost no backlog of political affairs. As for whether Chen Xi was exerting efforts behind it, no one knew.

It was already the end of February, and the spring flowers were already blooming across the country, and the capital of the northern country began to have a spring atmosphere.

Zhu Houzhao has had a lot of fun these days. Without Chen Xi's control, he left the palace almost every day to see Su Tong and Zheng Qian. The fight was very hot. Zhu Houzhao got what he wanted and made two friends who didn't know his identity.

As the exam was about to be announced, Zhu Houzhao wanted to call Liang Chu to inquire about the examination status of Su Tong and Zheng Qian, and also granted the two of them the Jinshi, but considering that it might involve the majesty of the king, he hesitated again.

That day, Zhu Houzhao came out to drink with Su Tong and Zheng Qian again. Su Tong did not ask about the release of the official at the banquet because there was no news about Chen Xi at this moment. In his opinion, Chen Xi, his old friend, was more reliable.

Su Tong asked, "I wonder if Mr. Chi is where Lord Shen? Lord Shen said he was going out of the city to recuperate. He went back to the capital once in the middle and drank with us. After that... there was no news. Could it be that something happened to Lord Shen, or that he helped His Majesty do some confidential things and has not returned yet?"

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "I don't know anything else, but I know very well about Mr. Chen's affairs... You are asking the right person. Mr. Chen left the city to help His Majesty train troops. You also know that Mr. Chen likes to make firearms. The firearm battalion he trained this time should be the most powerful force since the founding of the Ming Dynasty. If it performs normally, a firearm battalion of one hundred people should be able to withstand a thousand Tatar soldiers..."

In front of Su Tong and Zheng Qian, Zhu Houzhao always likes to brag. He said the truth, but it was not trustworthy in Su Tong and Zheng Qian's opinion. After all, they did not know Zhu Houzhao's true identity.

Zhu Houzhao said these words in the name of "Young Master Chi", and they would not be accepted by Su Tong and Zheng Qian at all. They looked at each other and felt that Zhu Houzhao was a bit boasting. After all, with the help of alcohol, they usually brag, but they have not yet reached the point of being so exaggerated by Zhu Houzhao.

Zheng Qian asked, "When will Lord Shen return to Beijing? He is the Minister of War and has not been in charge of the yamen for a long time... Can it work?"

"Yes, Mr. Chi, didn't you say there is news from Lord Shen, where is he now? Can you give us a clear letter? If possible, we will go out of the city to see him tomorrow." Su Tong was unsure.

He told Zheng Qian before that if he relies entirely on "Young Master Chi" to release officials, he must find Chen Xi, a real backer. If Chen Xi does not return for a long time, it means that the two will not get any official flaws, and even if there is a official flaw, they will not respond, because they will only be small officials as big as sesame and mung beans.

Zhu Houzhao thought for a while and said, "I remember that the husband said he would come back in March. As for whether it was mid- or late in the month, I forgot it. Mr. Chen sent a letter back to report his safety... Twist the butler, do you know when?"

Zhu Houzhao shouted at the little twister standing at the door.

Xiao Tiaozi came to his senses and said, "Young master, the villain doesn't remember it."

"You can't remember anything you ask... Two brothers, you don't have to worry too much. In short, Mr. Chen will come back in time, and the time will not exceed March." Zhu Houzhao smiled and comforted, "You don't have to look too important whether Mr. Chen comes back or not. There are still two days left before the exam is released, so you may have won the Jinshi? You will still have to take the palace examination and just wait until Mr. Chen comes back...haha."

Zhu Houzhao's words were not recognized by Su Tong and Zheng Qian, and both of them showed complicated expressions on their faces.

Zheng Qian sighed and said, "I have been busy eating, drinking and having fun these days, and my studies have been delayed. If I fail this time, it will be even more troublesome next time... It would be great if I can give a lack of official position."

Zhu Houzhao asked, "What official can a juren be appointed?"

Su Tong replied: "It is best for a juren to be the magistrate, right? In fact, both Jinshis may not be able to get the magistrate's actual vacancies, unless they are remote counties that are not visited, such as Sichuan, Yunnan, Guizhou, Fujian and Guangxi, but it would be great if they could be the magistrate under Tingzhou Prefecture."

Zheng Qian shook his head and smiled bitterly: "How is that possible? The counties below Tingzhou Prefecture are not now considered remote counties. In the past few decades, few Juren went to Tingzhou to serve as magistrates. Even if there are occasional ones, they were only temporary appointments. The court would later transfer the magistrates to serve as Jinshi. Nowadays, several magistrates in Tingzhou Prefecture are all from Jinshi."

"Yes, it's too difficult to be the magistrate of Tingzhou Prefecture, but it would be nice if you can be the magistrate." Su Tong.

Zhu Houzhao smiled and said, "Is it a magistrate? Can you be a juren be a juren? That's easy to say, Tingzhou Prefecture is a prefecture, right? How many counties below?"

"Why did Mr. Chi ask this?" Zheng Qian asked curiously.

Zhu Houzhao frowned and said, "Don't you want to be the magistrate of Tingzhou Prefecture? I'll ask you clearly and make arrangements for you after you go back."

Su Tong smiled bitterly and said, "The magistrate of Tingzhou Prefecture is not something you can do. I am not that greedy. As long as I can be a county magistrate, or stay in the six ministries of the capital and the temple yamen to develop, and have a better future."

Zhu Houzhao was drunk at this moment and waved her hand: "I said you can do it, what's the problem? After I went back, I asked someone to ask, and I will definitely make you become a Jinshi. I can't guarantee that it is more than enough to be a county magistrate."

https:
Chapter completed!