The Canglang Pavilion Lin Mansion has been decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations. Today is a day of double happiness - the owner Lin Jiuyuan has returned with great honor, and the 100-day ceremony for the direct heir has been held.
Speaking of which, the eldest son of the Lin family who has turned 100 today has a nickname called Shuangxi, which is very similar to Lin Tailai's nickname of Dasixi when he was a child.
In fact, the hostess, Wang Shiwu, did not make any grand arrangements. Today, those gathered at the Lin Mansion to celebrate were all relatives and no outsiders.
Even Wang Fuzun, who sent Lin Tai back to his hometown from Fengqiao, was a relative of his mother's family here.
Wang Shiwu knew that as a husband, if there were too many people on the sidelines, they would definitely talk to him about many other things.
This will dilute the husband's attention to Little Double Happiness. After all, today is the first time that the husband sees Little Double Happiness. Wang Shiwu does not want others to take away her husband's attention.
If most of them are relatives, then it means they are talking about common things, and they will not go too far off topic.
For example, an older person sitting at the banquet said: "Just like last time, today is another double happiness.
Last time the number one scholar's golden post was delivered to my home, a little double happiness happened at the right time; today the number one scholar of our old Lin family returns home, it happens to be another hundred days of a little double happiness.
It seems that there is really a special connection between the father and son of Xiao Shuangxi and Da Sixi!"
Wang Fifteen liked to hear such words very much. He smiled and remembered the elder who spoke, so that he could give him an extra gift during new years and festivals in the future.
After entering the mansion, Lin Tailai freshened up briefly and went directly to the banquet.
At this time, Lin Daguan discovered that Wang Shiwu’s arrangement was not bad.
Because after returning home, you must visit your relatives, which requires a lot of time and energy.
Today, we are holding a 100-day banquet and inviting all the relatives, so that we don’t have to run around from house to house in the future.
Thinking of this, Lin Tailai whispered to Wang Shiwu beside him: "You are really my good wife."
Wang Shiwu asked someone to bring his son and asked his husband, "Does he look like you?"
Lin Tailai just wanted to roll his eyes. How could a baby that was only a hundred days old and not yet full-grown look like him?
However, thinking of Wang Shiwu's mood, Lin Daguan said loudly in front of everyone: "This son is like me!"
The song ends and everyone disperses, it’s late at night and everyone is quiet.
After the couple saw off the guests, they both dragged their tired bodies back to the bedroom.
Lin Tailai lay down and didn't want to move. While Wang Shiwu personally helped her husband wipe it, he asked unwillingly: "Why doesn't your husband agree that the child should be named Hao?"
"I said, it's too vulgar and vulgar." Lin Tailai said: "Besides, why are you so anxious to name it?"
According to the trend of this era, children are often called casually by their nicknames first, and their official names are not given until they are in their teens.
"Is it just that I want to be different?" Wang Shiwu muttered, and then said: "Also, regarding the issue of my child's future apprenticeship, how should I choose?"
Lin Tailai: ""
Is it too early for a baby who is only a hundred days old to consider apprenticeship? Is it necessary to be so anxious?
Wang Shiwu explained: "It's not that I'm impatient, it's that many people have expressed their intention to agree to be the master of the museum in advance, and I don't know who to agree to.
Moreover, the opinions of Huang and Fan must also be taken into consideration, after all, their children also need to study."
Librarians not only teach children to read, but can also help the house handle daily etiquette affairs.
A first-rate celebrity may not be able to give up his dignity, but who among a second-rate celebrity would not want to use this opportunity to gain access to the Lin family?
Lin Tailai was speechless again. Some ministers urged Prince Lidong Palace to wonder if they had similar thoughts.
It may be difficult for other people to find a famous teacher, but for the recent Lin family, it is easy.
Moreover, in Suzhou, there are as many celebrities as dogs, and officials are everywhere, and they come in all styles and types.
Therefore, the biggest problem of the Lin Mansion is that there are so many museum masters to choose from that it is difficult to choose.
After Lin Tailai pondered for a moment, he ordered: "You can first invite one or two diners to help share the reception and delivery services.
As for the matter of apprenticeship, let’s wait a few years before we discuss it, and then I will carefully select a teacher.”
Having one or two celebrities as guests at home is also a sign of the rich and powerful. Since Lin Daguan is in the circle of rich and powerful people, he is not exempt from the custom.
Although it would be several years before the child became a disciple, now that the topic was brought up, Wang Shiwu couldn't help but said out of curiosity:
"Do you have a favorite husband? What kind of famous teacher is he?"
Lin Tailai said lazily: "The situation is unpredictable now. Who knows what the situation will be like in a few years?
For example, if Shen Shoufu resigns and returns to his hometown in a few years, wouldn't it be great to become a teacher for children?"
The first assistant to the number one scholar became a teacher! This made Wang Fifteen a little excited. He wanted to say something, but was stopped by Lin Tailai.
"Are you paying too much attention to your children?" Lin Tailai asked: "Apart from your children, you can't hold anything else in your heart?"
Wang Shiwu was said to be a little embarrassed, "After all, it's my first time to be a mother, so I can't help but think about it."
Lin Tailai sighed while getting started: "Such excessive attention is actually very bad for the growth of children.
The best solution is to give you more children, so that you can distract your attention."
Wang Fifteen: ""
Just drive, how can you be so serious?
On the second day, Lin Tai woke up not early and got out of bed only after he had had enough sleep.
The maid was at the door and reported to Mr. Lin who was washing his face: "Master! The front hall is full of guests, and tables and chairs have been set up in the corridor to entertain guests!"
Lin Daguan immediately had the urge to turn around and go back to bed, cover his head and continue sleeping.
After thinking about it, he still had to open the business, so he ordered: "Make the outer study room darker, maybe hang a bamboo curtain on the window?
Then I set up a seating table with my back against the window, so that I can feel more comfortable when receiving guests.
If there is a cat at home, arrange it in the study room, but if not, forget it."
So the maid conveyed the orders of the high-ranking officials to the outside world. Although they all felt inexplicable, it was the greatest discipline of the Lin Group and the subordinates of the Lin family to carry out the orders even if they did not understand them.
Wang Shishi helped him get dressed, and then said with a smile: "Someone sent "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" from Wuxi a while ago. My husband hasn't appreciated it yet, right?
Today, you can also take it to the study room and enjoy the paintings while entertaining guests, which can also relieve your boredom.
I just don’t know when my husband became interested in calligraphy and painting, and actually got such a famous painting for the family."
The couple talked behind closed doors, but Lin Tailai stopped pretending, "I'm not interested in calligraphy and painting, but in precious calligraphy and painting."
Wang Fifteen and his husband tied up their jade belts and chatted: "I heard that the Xiang family in Jiaxing, south of Suzhou, built Tianlai Pavilion and had an extremely rich collection. It was said to be the best in the world at that time.
I only heard that the famous paintings and calligraphy include "Five Cows Picture", "Nv Shi's Proverbs Picture", "Luo Shen Fu Picture" copied by the Song Dynasty, "Fishing Alone on the Autumn River", Li Bai's "Up to the Balcony Post", etc., as well as Qiu Ying's paintings of this dynasty.
"Spring Dawn in the Han Palace".
The names of these treasures made even a layman like Lin Tailai, a calligraphy and painting art layman, raise his interest in art to the highest level again.
Then he snorted coldly: "Speaking of which, most Jiaxing officials are colluding with the Qing Dynasty forces. For example, Lu Guangzu, the Minister of the Ministry of Punishment, Sun Quan, the Minister of Dali Temple, Chen Younian, the doctor of the Literary and Anthology Department of the Ministry of Official Affairs, etc.
In the future, considering that they are all from the same hometown, it’s not too much to exchange one head for one or two paintings of the Xiang family, right?”
Wang Shififu thought that her husband was just joking unscrupulously. He chuckled a few times and said:
"There is also a Liang family in Zhending Prefecture in the north. It is said that the collection is no less than that of the Xiang family. It is known as South Xiang and Beiliang.
I heard that the famous paintings collected by the Liang family include "Thousands of Miles of Rivers and Mountains", "Ladies with Hairpins", "Guo Lady's Spring Outing" and many more."
Lin Tailai, who had not paid much attention to the collection of calligraphy and painting in the past, was really surprised. Are famous paintings so concentrated among private collections these days?
Can these two families from Nanxiang and Beiliang almost collect all the famous ancient paintings that are used in middle school history textbooks?
I remember that during the Qing Dynasty in history, most of these paintings were confiscated and ravaged by old man Shiquan. In comparison, the artistic talent of the Ming Emperor was indeed not that interesting.
Now I only have "Dwelling in the Fuchun Mountains" in my hand, and there is a long way to go.
Thinking of this, Mr. Lin puffed up his sleeves and coldly snorted again: "Then the Liang family belongs to the Zhending Mansion? It's a coincidence, the Zhending Mansion is also a mess.
Zhao Nanxing, who once injured me, seems to be from Zhending Mansion, and Xu Souqian, who wanted to arrest me, is also from Zhending Mansion.
Although they are from different counties, I don’t know if there is any relationship between them and the Liang family.”
Wang Fifteen: ""
She was just gossiping just now, she really didn't want to fan the flames!
At this time, I heard my husband sigh again, "If I had debuted ten years earlier, "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" would have been in my hands!"
At first, "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" was in the hands of Yan Song. Yan Song had his house confiscated and entered the inner palace, and then fell into the hands of the eunuch Feng Bao.
Five or six years ago, Feng Bao's house was confiscated again, and "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" entered the imperial palace again.
Lin Daguan thought that if he had traveled ten years earlier, he might have taken advantage of the opportunity of copying Feng Bao's house and misappropriated "Along the River During the Qingming Festival".
Anyway, it seems that the Ming Emperor didn't care much about these famous paintings.
Lin Daguan, who had received some artistic influence early in the morning, finally calmed down and went to the outer study room to receive guests.
The executive vice president of Hengtang College, the general manager of the Storyteller Office, and the informal foreign affairs officer of the Lin Mansion. He calls himself Gao Changjiang, the think tank of the Lin Group, and was arrested to serve as a temporary receptionist.
He directed the servants to carry a large box of famous cards over, and then laid them out on the table, and asked: "Who do you want to see first when we sit in the restaurant?"
For the superiors, the order of receiving guests is also very particular, and it is clear at a glance which one is more important.
Lin Tailai ordered without thinking: "Is Xu Zhenming here? Let him come in first!"
Xu Zhenming was the official who failed to promote rice in the north, and he was also an expert on water conservancy.
After he resigned in frustration last year, he met Lin Tailai at the post station and was recruited to the south of the Yangtze River to survey water conservancy.
Last month, in order to let Xu Zhenming be appointed as the magistrate of Songjiang Prefecture, Lin Daguan had a fight with the Minister of Civil Affairs.
After entering the study, Xu Zhenming looked a little excited, "I received an order from the imperial court a while ago to serve as the prefect of Songjiang Prefecture.
Then I thought that I would wait until I met Bachelor Lin in Suzhou before taking up my post."
Lin Tailai said calmly: "Being a prefect is a small matter, but the Wusong River water conservancy is a big deal."
Xu Zhenming didn't waste any time and directly began to report his survey results in the past six months: "Although the old lower reaches of the Wusong River have been blocked for many years, it can still be dredged. It is not technically difficult, and the total construction length is about eighty miles."
"But where is the difficulty?" Lin Tailai asked proactively.
Xu Zhenming had already studied it in detail and answered without thinking: "First, excavation, dredging of rivers, and building dams will cost about three hundred thousand taels of silver at present."
Hearing this number, Lin Daguan immediately felt his liver hurt.
Judging from the current signs, there is little hope of asking the court to allocate funds, and there is no precedent. It will all be raised by oneself.
Three hundred thousand taels is really a huge sum of money for the people of this era.
Although it is said that Lin Daguan and his people are focused on sea trade, as long as sea trade is carried out, they will definitely make money; but at this stage, all we can see is dredging the river.
Investing 300,000 taels of silver to dredge the river seems to be completely cost-effective. There are very few people with such courage.
Fortunately, the three hundred thousand taels is just a converted figure. If the government recruits people to serve, it should be able to offset part of it.
Xu Zhenming continued: "Secondly, the old lower reaches of the Wusong River have been abandoned for twenty years and have been occupied and reclaimed as fields."
One mu is equal to sixty square feet. If the river is ten feet wide, the area of the sixty-foot river is one mu.
The length of the eighty-mile river is equivalent to 12,000 feet. When converted, the area of the eighty-mile river is equal to approximately two thousand acres of land.
Moreover, the eighty miles downstream are all in Songjiang Prefecture, and land prices are not cheap. Even if two thousand acres of land are purchased at a reasonable price, it will theoretically cost tens of thousands of taels.
Besides, the landowner may not be willing to sell, and it would be troublesome if he encounters a deadlocker.
Thinking of this, Lin Tailai asked: "The water surface of the river should belong to the government, right?
After the lower reaches of the Wusong River were abandoned, the original river course was occupied by private individuals without authorization? It is similar to hiding the fields. Over time, the people will not take action against the officials? "
Xu Zhenming, who is very knowledgeable about local affairs, replied: "That should be the case. After the river was abandoned, the landowners on both sides gradually expanded their fields to where the original river was. No one in the local area cared about this silent occupation of public land.
"
Official Lin sighed: "It seems this is the only good news.
At least in theory, the government can take back this part of the land. The time has come to test your execution ability after taking office!"
From the conversation with Xu Zhenming, Lin Daguan once again felt the difficulty and complexity of the project to dredge the lower reaches of the Wusong River, which was more difficult than his imagination to collect those famous paintings.
Moreover, this will not be effective in the short term. The basic dredging project may not be completed this year.
As for the construction of seaports and river ports, the earliest time to start sea trade is the year after tomorrow.
This is a project that spans as long as two years from start to profit. It is not easy and is full of policy risks.
No wonder no one in the Jiangnan region thought of doing this in history.
It was not until one crow two hundred and fifty years later that Wusong's eloquence on the Huangpu River was broken by the powerful ships and cannons of the foreigners.
Lin Tailai, who no one could understand, could only encourage himself to shoot without turning back. He was too anxious to eat hot tofu and took it step by step.
If you don't make some new cakes, how can you break through the existing interest pattern and integrate a new interest group around you?
A politician who does not have the support of powerful interest groups is a rootless duckweed, and will collapse completely.