Chang Lian calmed down for a while, “Mom, will Dad stay in the capital in the future?”
Capital officials, or the Hanlin Academy. This dynasty continued the official system of the previous dynasty. Everyone knew that if you didn’t enter the Hanlin Academy, you couldn’t enter the cabinet. The cabinet ministers of the previous dynasty all came from the Hanlin Academy.
Chang Lian believed in his father’s ability. He believed that his father would be his greatest support in the future.
Zhulan looked at the situation of the parade today, and she felt that it was unpredictable. It was because Zhou Shuren was calm that Zhulan was sure that there must be something wrong. Looking at Chang Lian with a silly smile, this child was not easy. He worked hard to come to the capital. Let him be happy for a while!
Zhulan kept her smile and asked, “Did you meet your waì gōng and waì pó on the way here?”
According to the time, Dad and Mom set off first. Because Mom’s health was not very good, and the Yang family was a big family with a slow journey, Chang Lian should have met them.
Chang Lian was so happy that he forgot the important things, “Mom, wait for me.”
He said and ran out like a gust of wind.
Chang Lian came back quickly with two letters in his hand, “One is from my second jiu to my eldest jiu, and the other is from my second jiu to you.”
Zhulan took the two letters. Her eldest brother drank too much at noon and was dizzy. He went back to lie down without even seeing his wài shēng. She said she would give this letter to him later. She opened the letter from her second brother, who told her not to worry, that her parents were in good health, and that they were expected to arrive in six days. The rest was to congratulate Zhou Shuren on becoming a Gongshi.
Zhulan sighed when she saw this. With the ancient transportation, the news was too delayed. She folded the envelope and asked, “How are waì gōng and waì pó’s health?”
Chang Lian knew that his mother would not believe his second jiu’s letter. Fortunately, he did not rush to travel. He stayed to accompany waì gōng and waì pó for a day. Chang Lian stole a glance at his mother. He had a deep memory of his mother’s ruthlessness. “Waì gōng is in good health. He does a set of boxing every day when he stops the car. Waì pó is thinner than when I went back to see her off. Although she is thinner, she is in good spirits. Every time she stops the car, she takes a few little nephews to pick wild vegetables and cook for them.”
Zhulan was relieved this time. Chang Lian did not dare to lie to her. “You came by yourself. Where is Dong Shi?”
“I came to the capital, and I was worried that only Dong Shi was left in Pingzhou, so I sent her back to Lijia Village.”
Zhulan continued to ask, “Is there anyone looking after the house in Pingzhou City?”
Chang Lian, “Ma Qiang and his wife are looking after it.”
Zhulan stood up and walked to the table, took the pen and ink, she felt that she could write a letter to Second Zhou, the house in Pingzhou could be sold now. The officials who reported to the various states yesterday had left, and it would not take long for everyone to know that Zhou Shuren was the Bangyan in the imperial examination and Wu Ming was the Zhuangyuan in the imperial examination, so the house in Pingzhou could be sold.
Fortunately, she was smart, and she did not think about it when she left. After thinking about it, she did not take the house deed of Pingzhou with her, for fear that if she decided to sell it, the house deed would be inconvenient in her hands, so she gave the house deed to her second son for safekeeping before leaving.
Chang Lian stood beside his mother and watched her write a letter, feeling very complicated. He found that he did not understand his mother at all. In the past, it was his father who made money, but now it seems that his mother was the powerful one. Look at how she explained everything to his second brother!
After Zhulan finished writing the letter, she saw Chang Lian’s complex expression, “What’s wrong?”
Chang Lian was silent. Mother wrote very clearly in the letter that she asked her second brother to give money to the storyteller in the teahouse and let the storyteller analyze how the new Bangyan had been on the list since he bought the house.
Mother also told her second brother to wait until the fengshui rumor spread before letting him find a broker to sell the house, and the rest would be fine.
She also told her second brother to only sell to merchants and not to scholars.
Chang Lian understood the first part, but not the last part. “Mom, why did you tell my second brother to only sell to merchants and not to scholars?”
Zhulan had a look that said, “Are you stupid?”
Chang Lian, “.”
He really didn’t follow his mother’s thoughts. He even doubted whether he was really stupid.
Seeing that Chang Lian really didn’t understand, Zhulan explained, “The reason is very simple. Your father is where he is today because he is capable. People should be down-to-earth. Only when you have real ability can you be real. Everything else is false. Of course, you can’t say that you have no luck, but people’s luck doesn’t always come. It is still the safest to have your own ability.”
Chang Lian blinked. His mother overturned his cognition again. His mother not only had vision, but also could see through the essence. Well, it would be great if he inherited his father’s intelligence and his mother’s insight.
Zhulan didn’t know what Chang Lian was thinking. If she knew, Zhulan would keep smiling. Sorry, she and Zhou Shuren were not his biological parents.
Chang Lian asked, “Why only sell to merchants?”
Zhulan held up two fingers, “First, merchants are rich and believe in Feng Shui the most. Second, the policies for merchants will become more and more relaxed in the future, and the merchants will have a better life, which is worthy of our reason to sell the house.”
Chang Lian admired his mother’s thoughtful consideration, but, “Mom, what if the merchants’ business declines?”
Zhulan pointed at the letter paper, “This is why I told your second brother that if the Feng family or the Wang family comes to buy, don’t hesitate to sell it directly. Son, you must learn to collect all the information, not just listen to what you want to know.”
Chang Lian was silent. When his mother mentioned the two surnames, he knew why, because the people of Pingzhou knew that the Feng family and the Wang family had donated a lot of grain to the Emperor during the war. As long as these two families did not commit suicide, the possibility of decline was extremely low.
Zhulan asked about some of the family’s situation again. Knowing that everything was fine at home, Zhulan sent Chang Lian to deliver the letter, and she was ready to rest.
Zhulan slept until dark. After dinner, she slept a little too much and was very energetic. She stood in the yard and looked in the direction of the palace. She wondered what Zhou Shuren was doing.
In the palace, Zhou Shuren was running around with a wine glass. There were eighty people in the court in the morning. He paid attention to which people were sent abroad. He wanted to take the opportunity to remember all the places where the eighty people were sent.
The first batch of people sent out had different feelings than the previous ones. With more words, friendship was established. With friendship, the rest would be easy. Zhou Shuren took the opportunity to ask some questions. A Jinshi who was happy to get an official position got excited and promised Zhou Shuren that he would help more if he could.
Zhou Shuren was very satisfied. Many people heard this, and it was at a banquet in the palace. In order not to leave the impression of breaking his promise to the Emperor, if he really came to ask for help in the future, he would bite the bullet and help him for the sake of face and reputation.
Although the Emperor was sitting high up in the sky, he was watching the most lively scene. He saw everything Zhou Shuren was doing. He was indeed a good judge of talent!
(End of this chapter)

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