The daily life of the prime minister of the Qing Dynasty, thick black

Chapter 208

The letter from Tongcheng came in mid-September. Zhang Tingyu told Kangxi about the matter, and Kangxi specially bestowed a decree. Zhang Tingyu went all the way to the funeral and went down the canal and the gate to see the decree and let him go immediately.

The Zhang residence immediately packed up, packed lightly, and only brought the most important servants, hired a fast boat and headed from the canal to the south of the Yangtze River.

Gu Huaishu brought Qingdai and Bailu, and two nurses to look after the still young New Year's Eve and the first month. Zhang Ruoai also boarded the boat to follow, knowing that there was a funeral in Tongcheng, and everyone had sorrow on their faces. , but Zhang Tingyu calmed down instead, and all his emotions were restrained. Looking at the passing river day by day, counting the 37 years that passed by between his fingers, suddenly there was an indescribable vicissitudes...

Others didn't bother him, they were all doing their own things on the boat.

I arrived in Jining at the end of September, Yangzhou in mid-October, Jiangning in the second half of the month, and Tongling at the end of the month. I did not enter Anhui by land until the beginning of November.

Zhou Daoxin was transferred to Anhui at the beginning of the new year and became the magistrate. Soon the governor of Anhui became sick and begged for rest. His subordinate Zhiwen promoted Zhou Daoxin as governor of Anhui, and he will be formally promoted at the beginning of next year.Zhou Daoxin also knew about the news of Zhang's accident, and he had already notified all the stations along the way.

When Zhang Tingyu was in Tongling, he had already received news that Zhang Ying was dying and hoped to return soon.

It's just that people are in a hurry, and the carriages and horses also need to be changed. How can there be time to run back?
In mid-November, when Zhang Tingyu came back after changing horses, there were already many officials outside Tongcheng who were waiting for him. Zhang Tingyu responded vaguely and went straight to the Zhang family's mansion in Tongcheng.

When he was at the gate of the city, there were nimble-legged servants shouting "Second Master is back, Second Master is back" all the way back to Zhang's mansion to report.

The carriages and horses of Gu Huaixiu and others are still behind, they are exhausted, but they still have to go, Zhang Ying's situation is not good, who knows if they will see each other again?
Just seeing the Zhang family's mansion, the glaring white already made Gu Huaishu cry suddenly.

After getting out of the car and entering the gate of the house, there was no time to rest at all, everyone in sight was mournful.

Qiao Shi and Peng Shi were waiting for Gu Huaishu outside, and when they saw her come back, they told her to come in and take a look.

Mrs. Wu has already gone, and she has to stay for a few days without leaving the funeral. Now Zhang Ying is also lying on the bed, and the doctor has notified her to prepare for the funeral.

When Gu Huaishu entered, he only saw Zhang Tinglu and Zhang Tingyu standing in the room with red eye circles, and Zhang Tingyu was sitting beside the bed, his back was facing the crowd, and he couldn't see what his expression was.

There was a lot of noise outside, Zhang Ying's eyelids moved and slowly opened, and she saw Zhang Tingyu sitting in front of his hospital bed.

"Hengchen is back..."

"The baby is back."

Zhang Tingyu's voice was choked with sobs, and he could barely speak.

He even bent his lips slightly, "I haven't seen my father for a long time..."

Zhang Ying's hair was all white, her hands were covered with wrinkles, and her eyes showed the simplicity of a farmer in the mountains and the shrewdness of an important minister.

He stretched out his hand, and Zhang Tingyu immediately went up to hold it: "Father..."

"I've already passed the year of the car, and it's time to go. Who hasn't died? Your father has lived enough in this life... Remember to bury me beside your mother, and go back to Longmian Mountain..." Zhang Ying explained her own affairs in a hoarse voice. When she was dying, she had already explained to the other sons.

"Kid, remember."

"Is the second daughter-in-law back? I'll take a look at New Year's Eve and New Year's Eve...Where is Kid Ruoai..."

Zhang Ying glanced to the side, Gu Huaixiu didn't care to wipe away his tears, just took Zhang Ruoai by the hand, and asked to hug Zhang Ruoai, and came to the bed: "Ruo Ai is here, and I will come to see you on New Year's Eve."

"Everyone is crying...what is there to cry..."

Zhang Ying even smiled, he couldn't feel his body anymore, and he spoke with a vague feeling.

But everything is like his indifferent and calm in the court, he even raised his hand to touch the New Year's Eve and the first month, "They are two good children, they have never hugged their grandchildren in this life, Ruoai is not small Well, let me give him a name, let me call it Qinglan... on New Year's Eve, Xingsan, his fourth brother's name is if you need it, let him give him the word Lin. The first month is a girl, and there are not many girls in our Zhang family. Let's step up to fragrance... ten steps away, there must be vanilla... your mother doesn't know anything, she just likes to say this sentence."

Dazedly thinking of the time when she went to Longmian Mountain to pick tea, Zhang Ying suddenly burst into tears.

His consciousness had already started to trance, and he only said: "Wangxian... Boss... Why hasn't Boss come here..."

Everyone in the room burst into tears, which could not be suppressed for a moment.

Only Zhang Ying didn't realize it, Zhang Tingyu said: "The eldest brother is doing business in the palace, my son runs fast and will be back in a while."

"...doing business in the palace?" Zhang Ying's eyes became blurred, "I can't come back..."

Zhang Tingzan couldn't come back.

Zhang Ying stretched out his hand to hold Zhang Tingyu, and suddenly exerted force, like a withered vine, tightly wrapped around Zhang Tingyu, he came up in one breath, his eyes widened: "Let's take the Tongcheng soil I made this year. Tea, bring two cans to the emperor—"

After he finished speaking, he lost his strength and fell back to the bed like a fish landed on the shore.

Zhang Ying just stared at the tent like this? , nothing loose, only that hand, holding Zhang Tingyu tightly.

Zhang Tingyu could even feel that his father's fingernails had dug into his flesh, but he didn't move.

"Kid, remember."

"Ten years is not too late..."

Zhang Ying suddenly murmured a few more words, and finally closed her eyes slowly.

A generation of famous ministers fell asleep like this.

Suddenly passed away.

The sadness of the entire Zhang family erupted at this moment.

Zhang Tingyu's shoulders trembled, he looked up, the veins on his forehead and neck were about to burst out, he tried his best to grab the edge of the bed, and said in a deep voice, with blood in his throat, "Father..."

Zhang Ying lay there, and there would be no more response.

His body also gradually cooled down, never warm again.

People are born, old, sick, and died. Zhang Ying has been conscientious and diligent all her life.

The origin of family learning is buried in the blood of generations, and will never disappear.

Zhang Tingyu held on for several times before getting up, took two steps back, faced Zhang Ying, and knelt down.

Behind Zhang Tinglu and Zhang Tingyu knelt down, as well as Zhang Tinglu's youngest son Zhang Ruoxu and Zhang Tingyu's daughter Zhang Yixue who were born not long ago.

How can I repay the kindness of my parents in giving birth?
The most regrettable thing in the world is that the son wants to support, but the relative does not wait.

When he kowtowed his head, Gu Huaixiu was in tears, everyone was the same.

Qi Qi, a descendant of the Zhang family, kowtowed to Zhang Ying, which made people prepare to restrain themselves.

On the second day, the white that hadn't been removed a few days ago was heavy again.

From the governor to the county magistrate, they all came to pay their respects. The guests who came to express their condolences at the gate of Zhang’s house during the day were almost like a stream of water. Those with old acquaintances, distant relatives and the same clan, all came...

The funeral had been prepared long ago, in an orderly manner, and the coffin was suspended for a few days, and the funeral was about to take place.

Zhang Ying's family had two funerals in the second half of the year, and Zhang Ying followed soon after Wu's departure.

What's so great about Yu Zhangying's fame before and after him?

When people die, they don't know anything.

Zhang Tingyu knelt in the mourning hall, dressed in filial piety, only looking at the ranking in the hall.

Zhang Ying is right, he has lived enough in his life, with ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, ups and downs, hardships, honors and disgraces, now that a person dies, he just turns into a pile of loess.

There was a terrified scene outside the gate of the Zhang Mansion, as if the weather in the Near East was extremely cold and damp.

A horse-drawn carriage came from outside Tongcheng, and beside him was a man in Ai Ziqing's robe who was riding a rouge horse. His face was covered with dust and frost, and his brows were tightly knit.

But the woman in the carriage pointed the way directly to the Zhang family's mansion. As soon as it stopped, she took the carriage and ran towards the gate of the mansion staggeringly, almost falling to the ground.

It never occurred to Zhang Wangxian that he had just returned from the filial piety in Shaanxi and heard the sad news in Jiangning Road.

Maybe it was because she was too sad to see her, or maybe it was because she recognized her, but no one stopped her and let her run into the mourning hall.

"Father, Mother...the daughter is back...Father—"

She was completely white, and her pretty face was full of sadness that couldn't be concealed. When she saw the sadness in the room, she wanted to rush towards the spiritual seat.

Zhang Tingyu turned around and saw her. Seeing that Zhang Wangxian was about to go to the memorial tablet in the mourning hall, he raised his hand and slapped her. His slightly moist eyes were clear, and he said in a low voice, "Come here, change the girl into a mourning dress." , see you later."

Zhang Wangxian finally woke up, she stared at Zhang Tingyu in a daze.

After a long while, she knelt down, first kowtowed to the memorial tablet, and then was taken away by the maid hanging on her waist and changed into filial piety.

She is a married daughter, but she should also be filial.

Zhang Wangxian cried once in the room, came out to wipe away the tears, put on sackcloth and mourning, and then came back and knelt down again, also in a trance.

Zhang Wangxian, who hadn't returned for many years, came back to attend a funeral.

It was more than three years ago that I helped my husband's spirit to return to Shaanxi, and now he has to go to the funeral of the Zhang family.

For Zhang Wangxian, fate may be tricky.

The fourth brother Zhang Tingyu, who had not seen her for many years, no longer remembered her appearance very much, and the siblings gradually became acquainted after being estranged for a long time.Zhang Tingyu, on the other hand, met her in Jiangning in 44. Although she didn't speak, she was not too unfamiliar.

On the contrary, most of the maids and servants of the Zhang family don't know her.

Gu Huaixiu had met Zhang Wangxian before, and at that time she said it was Shen Yang's concubine, so it was not easy for Gu Huaixiu to ask what happened to Zhang Wangxian.

She had a grudge against Zhang Wangxian, since the relationship between her daughter-in-law and sister-in-law was wonderful, Zhang Tingyu had plans, she didn't ask, and only arranged a place for Zhang Wangxian.

At the funeral the next day, Zhang's family was a prominent family in Tongcheng. Paper money was spread along the road, and some people who had been favored by Zhang Ying wailed along the road.

As soon as the funeral procession in front left, the people behind followed.

Both Zhang Ying and the Wu family will be buried in the Zhang family's ancestral grave in Longmian Mountain. There is also an ancestral house on the mountain. Most of the family members will live there in the past two months. They have been prepared to be cleaned early, and Gu Huaixiu has also followed. up.

After choosing an auspicious time for burial, Zhang Ying also went into the earth, next to Wu's family.

When I lived in Tongcheng with Zhang Tingyu, I also came to Longmian Mountain to worship ancestors during the Qingming Festival. Gu Huaixiu was no stranger to this cemetery.

In Xiao Su's winter day in the mountains and forests, everyone stood in front of the new grave and bowed down to worship.

In the future, Gu Huaishu and Zhang Tingyu will also be buried here, lying in the soil.

Seeing that it was the end of the year of 47, the Jinke Township Examination had already ended, and the competition for the chief examiners of the 48 General Examination was about to begin again. Ding You had a Zhang Tingyu, and naturally countless people were happy.

Kangxi wrote that the Ministry of Rites proposed a posthumous title for Zhang Ying, named Wenduan, and Li Guangdi, Gu Zhenguan and others also sent tributes from the capital...

In fact, when a person dies, there is nothing left.

It is useless for others to miss it any more.

Zhang Tingyu didn't speak for a long time, and lived alone in the eastmost room of the ancestral house, and no one dared to disturb him.

He still has many, many things to think about, and many, many things to do.

At the end of September in the 47th year of Kangxi, the emperor ordered a group of ministers to discuss the reserve, and wrote down the candidate for the reserve in everyone's mind on the paper. Ma Qi, a scholar of the university, wrote a character "eight" on his palm, implying that all the ministers, the government and the opposition, would be the candidates for the reserve. There are countless people who support Yinhu, Kangxi was furious, and denounced Yinhu's intentions. How can Xin Zheku's son of a lowly slave be the crown prince?Ma Qi was dismissed and investigated, and many ministers and workers of the Baye Party were all killed.

The fourth prince Yinzhen tried his best to protect the crown prince's return, and the third prince Yinzhi revealed that the elder brother practiced witchcraft and plotted to make the prince mad.

Zhang Tingyu's student, Dai Mingshi, revised a letter in March and sent it to Tongcheng. On the day Zhang Tingyu received the letter, he was listening to Zhang Ruoai's endorsement. When he opened the letter, he knew that Kangxi was still thinking about his father-son relationship after all, and he did not want to see the chaos between the government and the people.

In the third month of Xinsi, Kangxi said that although the second prince had been suppressed, he was gradually recovering. He announced to his ancestors, Sheji, that Yinfeng was restored as the crown prince, and his concubine Shi was restored as the crown prince.

The turmoil that stirred up last year has been calmed down for the time being.

And Zhang Tingyu will stay in Tongcheng for three years.

Who knows, what will it be like at the end of 50 years?
Seeing him pinching the letter paper from afar, Gu Huaishu let out a low sigh.

Zhang Wangxian embroidered for her daughter in the back, and said: "Second brother has always been patient, he knows how to hide, and he will be fine after a while."

"He's already well, but he doesn't want to move much yet."

Gu Huaishu knew Zhang Tingyu very well, so he wasn't too worried.

Zhang Ying was old, and when he went there, apart from Zhang Tingzan, he had no regrets.

She came over and sat down, saw Zhengyue woke up, and hugged her. This child is also called Buxiang now. "Speaking of which, you've only seen your daughter after you've been back for so long..."

Zhang Wangxian stopped the needle in his hand, bit off the thread, smiled slowly, and said, "I dare not bring it."

Gu Huaishu then remembered, Zhang Wangxian, Aunt Xian, how dare you bring your brother?After all, even Shen Qi didn't dare to come.

(End of this chapter)