Chapter 276 Zhen Mansion

Jinling is really lively today.

After getting off the boat at the dock, Chen Heng and others waited for a while, then got into the carriage rented by Liu Xianglian and began to travel through Jinling City.

On the way to the inn alone, they saw three or four carriages running along the street, and from time to time they would throw coins and wedding candies at the people on the road.

On the carriage, the servants wearing green clothes and hats scattered things while shouting: "There is happiness in the Zhen Mansion, rejoice with the people, and celebrate with the whole city."

Such a formation really shocked the Chen family in the car. Chen Heng didn't urge Liu Xianglian to drive forward until they drove away.

Folks in the south of the Yangtze River have similar behaviors every time an elder in the family celebrates their birthday. But most people will only choose relatives and neighbors to send some decent wishes. It is really rare for the Zhen family to scatter things directly on the street.

Even Zicuckoo who came out of Rongguo Mansion was shocked by this scene. She was sitting next to Daiyu and couldn't help but said in surprise to Madam: "I only heard about the wealth of the Zhen family in Jinling, but I didn't expect... to be so wealthy."

It was also the first time for Lin Daiyu to see it. She shook her head gently and patted Zicuckoo's hand. When a family goes out for a visit, there are certain things that should be left unsaid, so there is no need to say more.

Chen Heng looked thoughtful. He had always heard about the power of the Zhen family in Jiangnan. He just entered Jinling City today and saw some glimpses of glory. It is said that Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue are the four great families in Jinling, but looking at the style of the Zhen family, it looks like the formation of a local emperor in the south of the Yangtze River.

"Master, Madam, the inn has arrived."

Liu Xianglian's voice came from outside. Because he was away from home, his name for Chen Heng also changed.

Together with Zicuckoo, he helped Daiyu get out of the carriage. Chen Hengcai led his family into the inn. The innkeeper who greeted him took a look at the guest's clothes and asked first, "Did the guest come to attend the Zhen family's birthday banquet?"

Chen Heng was really surprised when he heard this. He smiled directly and asked: "What's the difference?"

The shopkeeper is a smart person. When the customer asked this question, he knew that he had guessed well. He immediately replied with a smile: "If you are a distinguished guest who comes to celebrate the Zhen family's birthday, you only need to show me the invitation card. Not only will the rent be waived, but there will also be several upper rooms reserved for you to rest."

"If you do business like this, wouldn't the shopkeeper's business be at a loss?" Liu Xianglian raised her eyebrows subconsciously. He has been in Huating County Yamen for a long time. The concept of money is no longer the casual look of the capital in those days. He also knows how difficult life is for a small family, even a copper coin has to be broken in half.

"Your distinguished guests don't know." The shopkeeper smiled softly, stroking his palms, with a look of joy on his face. "I'll take your names and go to Zhen's house later. Then I can get more rent money from their manager."

Chen Heng was shocked when he heard this, and immediately said: "The shopkeeper is saying that all guests of the Zhen family will be treated like this this time?"

"That's right," the shopkeeper said to Yourong, "otherwise, how can we say it's our Zhen Mansion in Jinling. Not to mention hundreds of guests, even if they come twice as many, the Zhen Mansion can afford to entertain them."

Chen Heng chuckled and nodded directly. Then he asked: "If we were not guests of the Zhen family, would there be any house left for us today?"

"The guests are joking. If we open the door for business, there is no reason to drive the guests out." The rich shopkeeper left some words and explained, "It's just that in the past few days, all the rooms in the inns in the city have been booked by the Zhen family. . Guests who want to stay may not be able to find a better room.”

When Chen Heng heard this, he already knew what was going on. When you go out, there is no need to wrong your wife just because of some face. He glanced at Liu Xianglian, who quickly took out the invitation. The shopkeeper took it and took a look, the smile on his face became even bigger, and he called directly: "Wang Er, Wang Er, come and lead the distinguished guest to the second floor."

"Hey." A young waiter heard this and invited the Chen family to the upstairs room with a smile on his face. The shopkeeper is also a real person and directly opened two upper rooms for the Chen family to stay temporarily.

After putting away the guest's luggage properly, the waiter said, "If your guest needs anything, just call me." Our inn is not far from the Qinhuai River. If you have nothing to do in the afternoon, you can go and have some fun. It's just that it's best not to go out at night and just stay at the inn. ’

These words sounded really baffling, but Chen Heng kept them in mind without showing any signs of it on his face. Instead, he smiled and thanked his younger brother for the reminder. Why didn't Daiyu understand him? She saw her husband's eyes rolling around. After the waiter left, he warned: "If you want to go out, remember to take Brother Liu with you."

Liu Xianglian had just come from the next room and heard Madam's voice. She immediately said, "Madam, don't worry, I'm here. No matter where you want to go, you will be safe."

Brother Liu, why don't you understand what I mean? What my wife meant was to advise me to go out less often. Chen Heng smiled secretly in his heart, looked at Daiyu proudly, raised his eyebrows and said: "Madam, the second brother said he knows."

These two people include the third brother Xinda. When my husband really wanted to go up to the house to remove the tiles, they would find a wooden ladder to help him climb more easily and avoid falling down. Daiyu held her forehead slightly and whispered: "Just don't hurt yourself."

A glimpse of one spot reveals the whole leopard, and even the waiter has to be so careful in giving instructions. Daiyu knows that there must be some unrest in Jinling City. She is a weak woman, and it is not easy for her to know how to protect herself. But Chen Heng had some curiosity hidden in his heart and tried his best to see a more realistic Jinling City.

After dinner at the inn, Chen Heng changed into more ordinary clothes and took Liu Xianglian out. Under Daiyu's concerned eyes, the two of them walked out of the inn gate and headed north towards the Qinhuai River.

This road was calm and ordinary at first. The closer to the brightly lit place, the more different it was. There were few people on the small street at first, but when they came to the main street, they saw a speeding carriage running towards the river like a moth.

The two had just arrived and were unprepared for this. If Liu Xianglian hadn't reacted quickly and pulled Chen Heng beside him, they would have been hit by a carriage.

"It's the middle of the night, why are you learning to walk like a blind man, walking without eyes——————ah." The driver was very annoyed with the two blind people. While waving the whip to continue speeding up, he turned around and cursed at the two people.

When Liu Xianglian heard this, he was furious and was about to catch up with the other party to make trouble. When he was in the capital, he was also a person who fought with the children of nobles on the street. How could he not know the character of these people.

The more cowardly he was at this time, the endless troubles he would have in the future.

Chen Heng hurriedly stopped him and smiled as he accepted his first lesson in Jinling. He just pulled Liu Xianglian and continued to walk into the distance. Along the Qinhuai River, there were painted boats, small boats, hawkers, and boatmen who took guests to brothels. The twinkling lights of fire dotted the bows of the boats and floated on the waves. It was like a flying firefly, smudged with the tenderness of the night.

Entering the downtown area, the streets were full of red sleeves dancing. The girls in the water waved their handkerchiefs to call for guests. Guests coming from the south and the north might be seduced by a beauty and walk into the building with great interest.

People dressed like Chen Heng didn't have much money on them. Even the eunuchs at the door looked down on him for walking on foot, and had no intention of entertaining him at all.

After passing several shops, Chen Heng also saw this contempt. He smiled at Liu Xianglian and said, "If I had known this, I should have dressed better."

He said it as if the adults would really dare to enter if others pulled him. Liu Xianglian smiled wickedly, "It's okay, we'll just go in and come out in a circle. Here, the master can't accept girls and boys."

"Ha." Chen Heng couldn't help but smile, and led Liu Xianglian to continue walking. Perhaps they were tired, they found a secluded stall halfway, and saw that the shop owner was a straightforward middle-aged man who was talkative. Chen Heng went in and found a seat, and ordered some snacks and fruits.

The shop owner's craftsmanship is really good, and the snacks and pastries he made are very tasty. Chen Heng wanted to bring some for Daiyu, so he talked to the shop owner about the name of the pastries. After a few people chatted for a while, the shop owner saw that Chen Heng and Liu Xianglian were very easy to talk to, so he asked with a smile: "Are the guests from other places?"

"Yes, yes, they are from Yangzhou. I heard that Jinling City is very lively recently, so I brought my brothers to take a look." Chen Heng replied with a smile.

"Oh, Yangzhou is a good place." The shopkeeper praised, "Your place of fireworks is not worse than our Jinling. Why do you come to Jinling to find this unhappiness..."

"How do you know we are unhappy? I think the Qinhuai River is very lively. It is worth coming here today."

The shopkeeper thought Chen Heng was being stubborn and laughed directly, "I don't believe it. I have been setting up a stall on this street for ten years. I know the situation on the street best. The two guests don't even have a carriage. The owner of the building must be too lazy to care about you."

Chen Heng had to smile and nod, pretending to be disappointed, "That's true. If I had known the scene today, I should have rented a carriage from the car dealership during the day."

"That's right." The shopkeeper wiped the tables and chairs with a towel. It was only the hour of Xu, just after midnight. Although it was the busiest time in the Qinhuai River, the business of the stalls was still in the second half of the night. Now that he had some free time, the shopkeeper was in the mood to chat and gave the two tourists some scientific knowledge.

"But even if you rented a carriage, those shrewd waiters would be able to see the clues." Seeing Chen Heng prick up his ears, the shopkeeper was very pleased and said proudly, "You must not dare to drive fast in a rented car. This way, others will know that you don't have any background in Jinling."

"There is such a saying?!" Liu Xianglian was shocked when he heard it. This method of judging people was not even available in the capital.

"Otherwise, why is it our Jinling." The shopkeeper came to Chen Heng's table and sat down, pouring himself a cup of tea. With a little envy in his tone, he said, "The faster the speed of the car, the more it means that the guests who come here have a deep background. Don't offend them easily..."

"What if you hit someone?" Thinking of what he had just experienced, Chen Heng couldn't help asking.

"That's not a problem." The shopkeeper shook his head and said something terrifying, "It would be better if he was killed directly, and we can just pay him some money. I'm afraid he'll be disabled, and it will be troublesome to deal with it."

This... this... this is really scary. Chen Heng asked in a deep voice: "Does the government here not care?"

"Yes." The shopkeeper looked at Chen Heng with a strange look on his face and replied, "Didn't they pay money?"

"This is a life." Liu Xianglian exclaimed, "Just pay some money and let it go?"

"Otherwise, he said that he has a good father." The shopkeeper thought that the two guests were really young and ignorant. "Look at the vendors on this street..."

Following the direction of his finger, Chen Heng and Liu Xianglian looked towards the dim lights. They saw that the shops and vendors were arranged in an orderly manner along the long riverside street. Occasionally, a small boat would row close and shout to the shopkeeper about the food for the distinguished guests in the building. The business was very prosperous.

Liu Xianglian thought everything was normal. The night scene of the fireworks place was just like this. Chen Heng looked more carefully, comparing Yangzhou and Songjiang. He frowned and said, "Why are all these bosses men?"

"Hey, that's right." The shopkeeper praised, "The customers have good eyesight." He slapped his mouth and continued to explain, "Do you know why?"

Seeing both of them shaking their heads, the store owner excitedly talked about the Shaobing Man. The whole story, just told by others, made Liu Xianglian angry. He kept shouting and asking: "Isn't there any royal law that can control them? These lawless people should really be caught and beheaded."

The original intention of the store is to tell customers an interesting story and open the eyes of outsiders. I didn’t expect that this handsome young man would act like a king when he opened his mouth and behead him when he didn’t.

This is such a trouble-making statement. The store owner immediately frowned and waved a towel to drive away the customers, "Go away, go away. I was kind enough to tell you interesting things, but you actually want to cause trouble for me."

"You..." Liu Xianglian was furious. He just said some fair things, why did the store still confuse right and wrong.

It was rare for Chen Heng to meet a local talkative person, so he quickly took out a couple of coins from his pocket, stuffed it into the other person's hand, and apologized repeatedly, "Don't be angry with the store, don't be angry with the store. This brother of mine is a businessman, and his words are a bit careless." "

After collecting the money, the store owner's face suddenly improved a lot. He carefully looked around before letting the two of them return to their original positions. He lowered his voice and explained, "You guys are too confused. If the king's method works, can we live like this?"

"I also accept the guest's courtesy and give you some pointers." The store owner pondered for a moment, "In Jinling, if you want to live a peaceful life, stay away from the carriage. Wives and daughters at home are less likely to go out. When you see young people in fine clothes, People can run as far as they can.”

"Thank you, thank you." Chen Heng thanked Liu Xianglian with cupped hands, and suppressed Liu Xianglian to keep quiet. He had done so properly, but suddenly a rich male voice came from the side.

"If you really want to live with such caution, you might as well just die. People have no dignity, good people are bullied, and bad people enjoy the benefits. God is really unfair, and state officials are unscrupulous."

A rough-looking man in black clothes came from nowhere. As soon as he came out of the shadows, he said something that made the store owner frown.

What kind of god is this? You are just a dragon crossing the river, and you are causing trouble for me when you get here. The shopkeeper thought that he was working with Chen Heng and others, so he quickly threw out the money he got and shouted directly: "Let's go, go quickly. Don't cause trouble for me. I have a family to take care of me. Please be merciful and let me go." Little man."

After hearing these annoying words from the former arrogant and later Gong, Chen Heng knew that he could not stay here any longer. He had no choice but to pull Liu Xianglian up and walk towards the street. But what happened just now, when the nearby shops saw them, they all lowered their heads and pretended to be busy. Deeply afraid of these three evil stars, I sat in my stall.

Chen Heng turned his head and asked the man walking beside him, "What do you call me, brother?"

"My surname is Mao." This man didn't have much interest in Chen Heng. He only looked at Liu Xianglian who kept silent and praised, "Brother just spoke uprightly and he is very to my liking. I wonder what I call my little brother?"

"Liu Erlang." Liu Xianglian gave his name casually. He heard the other person's accent and that he was not a local, so he asked Chen Hengfa, "Brother Mao, are you here to visit Jinling?"

"Come to do something." Seeing that Liu Xianglian didn't mean to have a close friendship, the rugged-looking man's interest suddenly dimmed, and he spoke with a precious word. Then he cupped his hands and walked toward the shadows.

Liu Xianglian stared at his back for a long time, then suddenly said to Chen Heng, "Master, this person is a practicing master."

"Can you tell?" Chen Heng looked at him strangely, but could no longer see the figure of the other party. "How is his kung fu? Can you tell?"

"The bottom plate is calm and powerful, so the skills must be good. I don't know where the skills in my hands are from." Liu Xianglian is an expert after all. As soon as he said it, Chen Heng knew it. Thinking of the Zhen family birthday party tomorrow, he always felt that it would not be peaceful.

"Go back to the inn, we have things to do tomorrow."

"Okay." Liu Xianglian nodded repeatedly. He didn't bring a sword when he went out tonight. With bare hands, I suddenly saw people from the world, and I really wanted to let you go back early.

After returning to the inn, I rested for the night. I just got up the next day and the Chen family had not yet come downstairs after breakfast. The carriage that the Zhen family came to pick up guests had already stopped at the door of the inn.

The waiter who came to express his congratulations couldn't help but congratulate: "It's such a great honor for our distinguished guest to have the Zhen family come to pick him up in person."

Chen Heng smiled and said nothing more. She led Daiyu downstairs, got on the carriage and ran to Zhen's house.

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There is no need to overstate the excitement at the entrance of Zhen's Mansion. It is just that the vast area of ​​​​the Zhen's house is already shocking. The two houses of the Jia family occupy one street, which is already considered powerful in the capital. But when it comes to the Jinling Zhen family, everything is worse.

There are almost two streets of mansions, and the walls are so long that they can't be seen at the end, as if they cover half of the sky.

The Zhen Mansion has been expanded three times. When the Supreme Emperor visited the south of the Yangtze River, he stayed at the Zhen family four times. This honor alone makes every guest who comes to the door deeply feel the magnificence of Zhen Mansion.

There are sixteen porters at the door and three stewards responsible for supervision. Chen Heng and others handed in the post, and one of the stewards said loudly: "Master Lin's uncle from the capital, Mr. Chen, the magistrate of Huating County, is here with his wife." As soon as the sound fell, he lowered his head and whispered to the distinguished guest, "Miss, uncle, hurry up Please go inside."

After passing the door, the nanny who was waiting here took the initiative to lead Daiyu and Zicuckoo away. The couple exchanged glances, and when they parted, they both missed each other.

"Don't worry, I know what's going on." Chen Heng said softly, nodding to Daiyu.

"If..." Daiyu hesitated, "My husband just asked someone to come find me in the backyard, and we can take a walk together."

Chen Heng saw the other party's worry and could only continue to nod with a smile. He knew that Daiyu was worried that she would be wronged, but there was no need to go into detail if these things really happened.

He and Liu Xianglian followed the Zhen family servants to the courtyard. There was a loud voice coming from behind.

"The Gu family of the capital—Master Gu is here————"

"The Prince Consort of Jinling Jingyang——came here with two distinguished guests————"

The prince consort was already considered a relative of the emperor. When the people around him saw the few people coming in at the door, they all moved around to avoid him. With some courtesy, Chen Heng didn't want to cause trouble. Under the guidance of the servant, he dodges towards the potted plants.

After these people left, the Zhen family servants continued to take Chen with them. The two of them moved forward.

"That Mr. Gu just now is the second son of Prime Minister Gu of the capital. I came here specially from my hometown for the old lady's birthday."

"It's really amazing." Chen Heng thought deeply before he came up with this compliment.

The servant said proudly: "It's not just them. Even the governor of Zhejiang is coming to congratulate the old lady on her birthday today."

While talking, the servants had already led the two of them down the hall. The location here is not far or close to the main hall. It's not considered disrespectful, nor is it considered preferential treatment.

Liu Xianglian saw this and snorted. He just sat down silently with his master, as if he didn't want to say anything. Chen Heng saw his unhappiness and didn't pay much attention to him. A pair of eyes wandered over the guests' faces.

The Zhen family is full today, and those who can come are more or less related to each other. It would be a pity not to take a closer look at these interpersonal relationships.

He was enjoying watching it, and Zhen Xi behind him also learned about Chen Heng's arrival. He was talking to Jia Lian about his family affairs at this time. He waved away the servant who reported the matter, and Zhen Xi said to Jia Lian in front of him: "Cousin, why don't you come with me to see him?"

You kid doesn't know how powerful he is. Jia Lian complained in his heart and quickly spoke to stop Zhen Xi. Don't let your good days go by to make yourself miserable.

"We are all relatives. If he has some free time later, we can just ask him to drink alone after the birthday banquet is over."

Hearing the timidity in Jia Lian's mouth, Zhen Xi smiled noncommittally. A seventh-grade county magistrate, so what if His Majesty appreciates him? Today's scene is that even if Zhizhou comes, he still has to sit outside. Only high-ranking officials above the fourth-grade prefect are eligible to enter with the emperor's relatives.

"Forget it, then please ask my cousin to come with me to accompany Mr. Gu and the Prince Consort."

"Okay, okay." Jia Lian agreed quickly. As long as he doesn't seek bad luck against Chen Heng, Zhen Xi is willing to do anything. The former was his cousin's husband, who had broken bones and connected tendons. The other party dared to order Xue Pan to be killed, but he didn't have the ability to let his civil servant brother-in-law suffer.

Why bother? Why don't you just live your life peacefully? Jia Lian shook his head in his heart, packed his clothes, and followed Zhen Xi out.

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Zhen Baoyu was sitting with Jia Baoyu in the back. After all, Xue Pan, this idiot, was here. He and Ma Yin sat together, giving two treasures, and chatted about the excitement of the past in Jinling.

Halfway through her words, Zhen Baoyu suddenly slapped the table and said with a smile, "Guess who is here?"

"Who is it?" Ma Yin heard Zhen Baoyu's joy.

"It's the county magistrate named Chen."

When Xue Pan heard this, his face changed drastically and his eyes showed fear. Jia Baoyu, who was beside Zhen Baoyu, looked happy and almost got up and ran back.

"Let's go, do you want to go over and have a look?" Zhen Baoyu looked at Xue Pan's expression, and her interest increased even more. The little bully of Jinling in the past has changed his face now. How can he not be curious, how can he not be itchy.

"No, no, no." Xue Pan shook his head repeatedly.

"It's not up to you." Ma Yin didn't care about him and just smiled and took Xue Pan's hand. Zhen Baoyu will definitely let the person he wants to see see.

It’s my birthday today, if there are any typos, I’ll wait until tomorrow to correct them. Thank you, thank you, please vote