Tomorrow will be six years, a certain day in summer.
The weather was very good today, cloudless, and the temperature was very suitable for travel.
Because of the good weather, Emperor Zhu Youxiao specially ordered the eunuchs in the palace to make cakes and give them to every minister who went to court.
Ma Xiaoquan carried a bag of cakes and returned to Ma's house with a grin on his face. He happened to meet Fangfang, and Ma Xiaoquan handed the cakes to Fangfang.
"This is a gift from the emperor, take it and eat it~"
Fangfang's pretty face turned red and she hummed softly.
"By the way, where is Zhifeng? Why haven't I seen you hug me?"
Fangfang said: "Sister Mei is holding her and playing with her."
Ma Xiaoquan chuckled and hummed.
Walking to the backyard, I saw Beiming Shuangxue playing with Zhifeng's little lifeline with her hands. While playing with it, she said, "Yeah, yeah, it's so small. It will definitely grow very big in the future... like your dad."
Same."
Ma Xiaoquan was speechless for a while and coughed a few times.
Beiming Shuangxue turned around, saw Ma Xiaoquan, smiled and held Zhifeng in her arms, and said, "Why are you back so soon? Didn't you say you are going to court today?"
Ma Xiaoquan curled his lips and said, "The weather is nice today. Your Majesty gave me a bag of cakes. I gave them to you. If you want to eat, just go and eat."
"Oh, I want to eat the cakes given by the emperor. By the way, sir, if the weather is nice today, can we go out and play?"
Ma Xiaoquan said: "What? You want to spend money again? You said how much you have spent, and it is useless to buy everything..."
Beiming Shuangxue stuck out her tongue and said: "It's not a waste today. I heard that Wei Zhongxian is repairing the three main halls. The repairs are quite good. It's just right. You can lead me to have a look."
"No!" Ma Xiaoquan's face darkened, "What's there to see in that chaos? Besides, Wei Zhongxian is responsible for those three halls, and there have been frequent accidents during this period. If we go there, I'm afraid we'll get involved again.
Go in."
Beiming Shuangxue held Zhifeng with one hand and grabbed Ma Xiaoquan's arm with the other and shook it: "Ms. sir, just promise me... I just want to take a look. I promise not to run around. At worst, we will both be disguised again."
Get out, okay, okay..."
Ma Xiaoquan thought for a moment and sighed: "That's okay, I'll just take you to have a look. Remember, don't make trouble for me, or I won't take you with me in the future."
"Hehe, I know~"
...
At the same time, Wei Zhongxian happened to be planning to visit the three main halls, but was told by Li Yongzhen that the ancestral hall being renovated for his old man in Nanjing City had also been completed. It was so magnificent. Mr. Wei, why don't you go and see yours first?
Ancestral hall.
Wei Zhongxian thought for a while and finally decided to visit his ancestral hall. Anyway, he went out for a walk several times a year. It happened that the scenery in Nanjing was pretty good these days, so he would go to Nanjing.
Wei Zhongxian went out, and so did Ma Xiaoquan.
Walking on the main road, he happened to encounter a factory guard from Dongchang clearing the way. Ma Xiaoquan was pushed by a factory guard. The other person glared at him unceremoniously, meaning you don't have eyesight and didn't you see that Master Wei was going out?
?
Ma Xiaoquan was not angry. He smiled and retreated to both sides of the road. He privately asked a bearded man next to him and found out that Wei Zhongxian was going to Nanjing.
Beiming Shuangxue pulled the corner of Ma Xiaoquan's clothes and whispered: "Ms. Wei Zhongxian is going to Nanjing. Why don't we also go to Nanjing to have a look."
Ma Xiaoquan rolled his eyes and said, "No, he happens to be away, so we have to make good preparations during this period."
Beiming Shuangxue did not pester Ma Xiaoquan about going to Nanjing. After hearing what he said that he needed to prepare well, Beiming Shuangxue nodded and said, "Then what should we prepare?"
Ma Xiaoquan pulled Bei Mingshuangxue aside and whispered: "Since we are here, let's take a look at the three main halls first. After reading them, we will talk about it when we go back."
...
In the evening, Ma Xiaoquan and Beiming Shuangxue returned home.
Hua Yue came up to him and informed Ma Xiaoquan that Wei Zhongxian had left the capital and heard that he had gone to Nanjing to see his ancestral hall.
"Ancestral hall?" Ma Xiaoquan said scornfully, "A eunuch built a fucking ancestral hall, and I'm really convinced by those people who are flattering him."
Hua Yue said with a smile: "Don't tell me, if someone builds an ancestral hall for you, you will be happy even if you don't tell me."
Speaking of the ancestral hall, Ma Xiaoquan also became curious. If he is the first generation head of the Ma family, there should be an ancestral hall or a memorial tablet for the head of the family at home. However, he has been in the Ma family for so long and has never seen anything.
The tablets in the ancestral hall.
"Maybe... you will be happy~" Ma Xiaoquan said.
"Okay, let's not talk about this anymore. Xiaomei said you need to prepare. What should you prepare?"
Ma Xiaoquan pulled the two girls into the study, closed the door, and whispered: "From now on, we have to prepare things for leaving."
"Ah, so fast?"
"Not now, start preparing."
"Then...then what should I take with me? Silver? Or..."
Ma Xiaoquan shook his head: "Of course you have to bring silver, but also grain and seeds."
"Seeds? What are you doing with seeds?"
Ma Xiaoquan squinted his eyes and said: "I have explored that place in Guangming Mountain. I always feel that that place can lead to another mysterious place... If we go there, I'm afraid we will end up there.
Stayed."
"What is this mysterious place?"
Ma Xiaoquan shook his head: "The time is too short, and I can't find out clearly, so when I leave this time, I plan to enter from there."
"But..." Beiming Shuangxue said, "I heard that Guangming Mountain has been surrounded by the Jurchen army. How are we going to enter?"
Ma Xiaoquan thought for a while and said: "If I remember correctly, Nurhaci will be dead in a few months. I'm afraid I have to go to Liaodong and think of a solution then."
"Ah, do you still want to go? What are you going to do?"
Ma Xiaoquan said: "I don't know, I just feel like this. Well, this time, you two stay at home and I will take Fangfang."
"Well, okay~"
...
During the days when Wei Zhongxian was away, Ma Xiaoquan began comprehensive preparations. First, he took all the silver notes he could exchange for in places outside the capital and exchanged them into silver coins. Then he concentrated all the scattered silver coins somewhere and sent them to trustworthy people.
Someone will be assigned to guard it.
On the other hand, Ma Xiaoquan asked the fat businessman in the gathering place to be his agent and secretly sold off part of the Ma family's property around the capital.
Third, Ma Xiaoquan asked Fang Yun to go to Nanjing to keep an eye on Wei Zhongxian's movements and at the same time supervise the Ma family's properties in Nanjing.
Nanjing is prosperous, and the Ma family's property in Nanjing is also one of the important sources of the Ma family's wealth.
Although Fang Yun felt that Ma Xiaoquan was deliberately trying to get rid of him, but when he thought about Nanjing's industry, he could get a foot in the door and reap the benefits, and he could also meet Su Panpan, a famous Jianghuai prostitute who stayed in Nanjing recently. After thinking about it,
Fang Yundu thought it was a good job, so he happily agreed.
After sending Fang Yun away, Ma Xiaoquan asked his servants to summon back his uncle Tong, the housekeeper who had been stationed at the copper mine.
After meeting Ma Tong, Ma Xiaoquan first told Mrs. Ma's arbitrary decisions one by one. Ma Tong sighed after hearing this. Then, Ma Xiaoquan called Ma Zhi out to see Ma Tong.
When Ma Zhi saw Ma Tong, he cried and knelt in front of him, feeling very sad.
Ma Tong watched Ma Zhi grow up and naturally loved him very much. When he learned that Ma Zhi had faked his death, Ma Tong was happy and wanted to write a letter to inform Ma Ruiqing and Kuang Meiyun, who were far away in Liaodong.
Ma Xiaoquan stopped him and said, "Uncle Tong, if Ma Zhi is not dead, we can't tell anyone. It's not time yet."
Ma Tong calmed down and felt that it would be inappropriate to tell him suddenly, so he gave up the idea for the time being.
"Then why did you call me back?"
Ma Xiaoquan asked: "Uncle Tong, how is the copper mine going?"
Ma Tong nodded: "It's normal, very stable... but the copper has almost been mined, and it will soon become a waste mine."
Ma Xiaoquan nodded: "That's what I think. I will leave after a while, so I ask my uncle to finish the copper mine business as soon as possible and come home to continue managing the affairs of the family."
"Leave? Where are you going?"
Ma Xiaoquan said: "Go to Liaodong~"
"Are you going to fight the Jurchens with Ruiqing and the others?"
Ma Xiaoquan shook his head: "No, leave completely~"
Ma Tong knew Ma Xiaoquan's true identity. When he heard that Ma Xiaoquan was leaving, he sighed repeatedly, and then affirmed: "You have sacrificed a lot for the Ma family. It's time to do what you want to do."
Ma Xiaoquan nodded.
"Then what are you going to do next?"
Ma Xiaoquan said: "Preparation, but I'm not good at it, so I shamelessly asked my uncle to come back and help me prepare..."
Ma Tong nodded: "I have already thought of it, okay, then starting from tomorrow, I will help you prepare it. You make a list for me of what you want to prepare, and leave the rest to me. Well, I'll be back
Yes, I heard that Wei Zhongxian went to Nanjing, and it took me a lot of time to come here. After calculation, Wei Zhongxian will be back soon...I read faster."
Ma Xiaoquan was overjoyed: "With the help of my uncle, it will be done quickly."
...
Ma Tong's return really made the originally slow progress of preparations improve a lot.
While Ma Tong was helping Ma Xiaoquan prepare in an orderly manner, Wei Zhongxian returned to the capital after visiting Nanjing.
When he got home, the first thing Wei Zhongxian did was to listen to the Dongchang factory guard's report on Ma Xiaoquan's latest developments.
Wei Zhongxian finally felt at ease after learning that Ma Xiaoquan's movements were stable and there seemed to be no big movement.
When he was playing in Nanjing before, Wei Zhongxian was always worried that Ma Xiaoquan would do something to him because of his departure, just like what he did to Ma Xiaoquan when Ma Xiaoquan went to Liaodong.
I just didn't expect that Ma Xiaoquan was quietly making preparations.
After thinking about Ma Xiaoquan's current power, Wei Zhongxian smiled and said: "Even if he prepares something, he won't be as powerful as me, haha... Ma Xiaoquan is just a toad in hot water."