Chapter 62: Birthday Celebration (Part 2)

On the afternoon of the first afternoon of July of the 48th year of the Kangxi reign, Cao Yong celebrated his fifteenth birthday at the station of the guard camp.

Anyone with some friendship, the Sixteenth Prince posted a post and explained in advance that in order to add to the festive atmosphere, the gifts only collected gold and silver, and did not have elegant things. After Cao Yong found out, he was amused and laughed. This was simply a naked blackmail. However, although the Sixteenth Prince was small, he acted quite thoroughly. This riot should not have other meanings.

The Sixteenth Prince and Cao Yong are both young. When others receive posts, they think that the two have figured out new tricks, so they don’t think much about it.

Baoya and Suhbaru cooperated best and asked someone to send a small gold croaker early. Baoya's princess was twenty taels and Suhbaru's princess was fifteen taels. For example, Urina and others, they reduced the wait. Some gave ten taels and some gave five taels. Those who had no gold in their hands gave silver according to the proportion.

The old and new colleagues in the guard camp got along well with Cao Yong and were willing to join in the fun. Most of them paid for money, including ten or eight taels of taels, which was considered to be part of the membership.

The Sixteenth Prince was quite overwhelmed and ordered a lot of people to prepare the banquet. However, when the guests were almost there, the Sixteenth Prince looked at the two cash boxes containing gold and silver croakers, but was quite dissatisfied and frowned slightly.

Today, Detehei and Shuming, both guards, were on duty in the morning and had time to go in the afternoon, so they came to join in the fun. They all heard about the Cao family raising the flag, which was much more worthy of congratulations than their birthday. Only Nalan Fusson, because he knew the Cao family's background, thought more than others. The Cao family operated in the second generation of Jiangnan, and its power was unique for a while, relying on the favor of Emperor Wansui and the identity of Baoyi. On the three flags, Baoyi was a slave of the emperor, and even the governor had to be concerned about it. The Cao family has taken off this identity of Baoyi, and although it is a little broader in their children's career and marriage, the future rise and fall is really hard to say. If Emperor Wansui was alive, he would naturally have some protection; if the Holy Lord went west one day, can the new emperor allow the Cao family to continue to operate the Jiangnan?

Cao Yong thought about what Nalanfusson thought of last night. In fact, whether the Cao family carried the flag or not, continuing to operate Jiangnan was a solution. Three generations of four people served as Jiangning weaving for 60 years. In the history of the Qing Dynasty for more than 200 years, the Cao family was the only exception. Although this was Kangxi's kindness to the Cao family, it was easy to arouse suspicion from the new emperor.

It was eight years since Cao Yong arrived in the Qing Dynasty. He had thought about the future of the Cao family several times. After thinking about it, there were only four words to summarize, that is, "prosperity and decline".

The Cao family, Li family, and Sun family have contacts and are the three major weaving teachers in Jiangnan. Even though Cao Yin has always been loyal to the emperor and always acts low-key, some people are inevitably disgusted with the Cao family. In fact, the most appropriate way is to arrange for the Cao family to escape from Jiangnan. However, this is extremely difficult. Cao Yin serves as the emperor's eyes and ears in Jiangnan, which is not a part-time job that can be seen. Those who assume this responsibility must be the confidant of the emperor's absolute trust. How many people are there who truly trust? The Cao family has been raised by the Sun family for ten years, Cao Yin's company since childhood, and the Cao family's two generations have worked hard for decades.

*

A quarter of an hour after the Sixteenth Prince went out, he turned around with a smile. Wei Zhu, the eunuch beside Kangxi, followed behind, holding a tray in his hand, covered with yellow silk. It was Kangxi's reward, fifty taels of gold.

Cao Yong thanked Xiao Shiliu, but he really admired Xiao Shiliu. It seems that Kangxi has been in a good mood these days. Not only did he raise the Cao family's flag, but even the Sixteenth Prince used his son to make trouble and cooperated with him.

Under the promotion of some people, whether it was the princes and clans of the escorts, the military officers of the Eight Banners, or the Mongolian kings who came to pay tribute to the imperial guards to celebrate their birthday. Therefore, throughout the afternoon, people from Cao Yong's tent came to send gifts one after another.

First, the prince sent someone to send thirty taels of gold, and the thirteenth prince and the fifteenth prince twenty taels, because they did not have gold, the silver bills were sent to send. The Mongolian kings Beile knew that the emperor and the prince were all part of the same, so they were naturally not willing to fall behind. If it weren't for the example of the prince and the others, they would have been generous. In this way, some of them gave 20 taels of gold, and some gave 15 taels or ten taels.

Detehei and others were dazzled by the people who were sending gifts, and even Cao Yong was a little overwhelmed. Why did Xiao Shiliu need so much gold and silver? In order to make money, he held Kangxi and pulled the banner. He dared to bet that there were not many of the Mongolian kings who gave gifts. I guess everyone was confused. Who is Cao Yong, who is so handsome, and he would never have thought that Xiao Shiliu was doing this on a whim.

Unintentionally, there was a big show of sensation. Cao Yong smiled bitterly. It seemed that he should have a good talk with Xiao Shiliu and ask what the kid needed to do. Although he didn't save much, he still had tens of thousands of taels.

In this way, with the sound of the "ding bells" of the golden and silver turtles, Cao Yong celebrated his fifteenth birthday. The gold and silver gifts he received were asked by the sixteenth prince to carry them back to his residence to count them. At this point, the sixteenth prince used Cao Yong's birthday to make money more like "iron evidence". Those who got the news late and did not have time to give gifts on the first day of the lunar month, gave them one after another on the second day of the lunar month, and naturally they were directly sent to the sixteenth prince.

Although the gold and silver fell into Cao Yong's pocket, he was still embarrassed because of his name. He didn't have to worry about the Eight Banners military officers and the Mongolian kings, but it was difficult for the guard camp to face it calmly. You know, the purchasing power of silver was very strong at this time, and ten taels of silver were enough for ordinary people to live for half a year. Even if it was a wealthy family, ten taels of money would be worth half a month.

Although Detehe and Shuming were both children of bannermen, their families were of different backgrounds and were not all rich and wealthy. If they were taken back, it would be annoying. Cao Yong had to keep it in mind and wait for the opportunity to return the gift.

*

On the third day of the seventh month, the sixteenth prince came to Cao Yong with great enthusiasm. The gifts he received two days ago have finally been counted, with a total of 432 taels of gold and 2580 taels of silver. If the exchange rate of one tael and ten taels of silver is based on the exchange rate of one tael and ten taels of silver, the total of 6900 taels of silver. Excluding the 80 taels of silver for the banquet, Cao Yong earned a total of 6820 taels of silver for this birthday.

The sixteenth prince was holding the statistics list and looked like he was dancing.

Seeing that he was happy and was in a much better mood, Cao Yong asked, "Where does the Sixteenth Master need money like this? If he still uses it, I will have some savings in the capital."

The Qing Dynasty princes usually became the title of Jianfu after they were fifteen years old. Of course, there were exceptions. The twelfth prince, the thirteenth prince, and the fourteenth prince, still lived in the palace.

The Sixteenth Prince's birthday was half a month ago. It seems that it is a matter of recent times that it is necessary to use money, otherwise Cao Yong's work would not be used to make a raft.

The sixteenth prince was stunned by Cao Yong's question, and then he took out a piece of paper from his purse with pride, opened it carefully, and held it in front of Cao Yong with a smile.

It turned out to be a land deed, fifteen hectares of land. Cao Yong was a little surprised. After the prince left the palace and built a mansion, he had a branch of the village. Now, sixteen bought these industries. One hectares of land is a hundred acres, and fifteen hectares of land is a thousand five hundred acres.

Seeing that Cao Yong had no words, the sixteenth prince stuffed the land deed into his hands: "This is for you, it is my mother and I'm my heart. Before leaving Beijing, I heard that you were selling the land in Changping, and simplifying the population of the mansion, and helping your father to make the Ministry of Revenue deficit. My mother was worried that you didn't use it in Beijing, so she gave me 5,000 taels of silver and asked me to earn money for you. I asked someone to check in the Ministry of Revenue. Your family's deficit was still one or two million, which was really big.

Hole. You are a famous filial son again. If you are in your hands, you will inevitably have to use this money to pay the loss. Just buy this good piece of money for you in the land you sold in Changping. In this way, you will have money for the loss and the land for you. I was greedy for a moment and bought a few hectares of extra money. My mother didn’t give enough money. I borrowed some debts from my brothers. Now I lend you to celebrate your birthday and raise these gold and silver. The total is about the end!"

Cao Yong held the land deed and felt it was very heavy. Unexpectedly, the Sixteenth Prince had been doing it for so long, and it was for him to buy this. However, he sold the land just to help the Cao family show and to secretly make better investments. Unexpectedly, the people who really care about the Cao family were worried. He handed the land deed back to the Sixteenth Prince: "Cao Yong understood the kindness of Concubine Mi and the Sixteenth Master, but it really couldn't be collected. There were still ten hectares of fertile land and several pieces of wasteland in Changping, but they were not sold all!"

The concubine Wang of the fifteenth prince and the sixteenth prince, and the cousin of Cao Yong. At present, her title in the palace book is only a noble person, but because she was favored by Kangxi, she gave birth to three more princes, and she was already treated as concubines. Whether in the palace or outside the palace, she was called concubines. In recent years, Kangxi's several southern and northern tours had concubines accompany him. This time, she went north to the frontier, and because she was sick of concubines, she stayed in the capital to recuperate.

The sixteenth prince waved his hand quickly: "The things I gave out have no reason to take them back." At this point, he pointed to Cao Yong: "Look at yourself, wearing fine cloth clothes, no accessories on your body. On weekdays, he eats them all, and he brings a small man when he goes out, so tired that he is following you. Not to mention me, even if the emperor sees you, he will not be able to bear it, otherwise he would not let me make trouble. Although I haven't seen you before, I have heard my mother mention it.

Nian followed the emperor Ama to visit your house in southern tour and lived in your house. At that time, he wanted to go to Qingliang Temple to see your cousin. Later, because he followed his brothers to inspect the river affairs, he had no time to go. When you entered Beijing, you had not seen you yet, you heard that you were bullied. After hearing this, my mother cried for a long time and asked someone to send a lot of medicine to the Prince of Ping County. Finally, when your injury healed, the news came that you sent slaves to sell land. The Cao family's legitimate son, the head of the Madam Fengsheng, grew up in a rich and frugal manner, is now so poor."

The sixteenth prince was sighing, but Cao Yong didn't know how to explain it. He wore fine cloth clothes because pure cotton was more comfortable than silk, and he didn't bring any accessories, because he thought the small items looked cumbersome. There were many good things in his purse, which were intended to give gifts. During this period, he was disgusted by all kinds of big meat, so he picked up some clean porridge and side dishes to eat. These, in the eyes of others, became poor! No wonder Kangxi's grace of carrying the flag was just said, probably because he knew that the Cao family had felt guilty after paying off the debts. After all, the Cao family was all for the past years of consumption. The Cao family did not pay back their own accounts, but simply helped the emperor pay back the debts. Although Kangxi couldn't bear it, according to the national law, he could only allow officials of the Ministry of Revenue to collect debts from the Cao family.
Chapter completed!