Chapter 106 Chapter 106 It is said that the prefectural government was...
It is said that the prefectural mansion was well maintained by the former prefect. Although the house is not very big, it has all the necessary facilities. The rooms inside were renovated two years ago.
Even though Xue Fenglin was used to being particular, he didn't think there was any need to renovate the house. After replacing the bedding and other items they brought from Beijing, the whole house was upgraded to a higher level.
The next morning, Shen Xuan and Xue Fenglin decided to go out together to buy some furniture and ornaments. However, after a brief tour of Sarawak, they did not buy anything decent, so they decided to go to Pengzhou, not far from Sarawak, and bought some necessary things at the big market there.
Pengzhou is the most prosperous city on the southeast coast of Dajin, and the prefect of Shazhou is also located in Pengzhou. That is to say, Xue Fenglin's immediate superior, Lord Tang, was in Pengzhou. Every month, Xue Fenglin had to come to Pengzhou prefect and Lord Tang to report on his work.
Since they were going to Pengzhou to buy supplies this time, the two of them discussed and decided to stay in Pengzhou for a few more days.
First, Pengzhou and Sarawak are not far apart and their climates are very similar, so some of Pengzhou's management experience can also be used as a reference for Sarawak. Secondly, Xue Fenglin could also go and visit Lord Tang. It could be regarded as a new official taking office, and he could show his face to the prefect in advance. This was an unspoken rule in the official career.
When we arrived in Pengzhou, it was almost evening. Shen Xuan and his friends first went to Taiping Street, the most prosperous street in Pengzhou, and found the largest inn to stay in.
After dinner, the two of them strolled along Taiping Street for a while. Seeing that most of the roadside shops sold seafood and precious goods, Shen Xuan couldn't help but sigh that it was true that the land and water nurtured the people.
The streets of Pengzhou are obviously different from those of the capital and Lezhou. Most of the shops are related to seafood, especially those selling imported treasures from Southeast Asia and dried fish and shrimps, which do brisk business.
A large number of workers were still busy even after dark, packing things into sacks and transporting them in batches to the docks or mule carts, and then transporting them to various places in Dajin.
"Pengzhou Wharf has a history of more than 300 years." After returning to the inn room, Xue Fenglin suddenly said: "The wharf here is well built. During peak hours, it can accommodate more than 500 cargo ships at the same time. There are people pumping sand and leveling reefs at the bottom of the seabed to facilitate ships to dock."
"Pengzhou has become a popular place for the business of seafood and precious goods from all over the country. Therefore, although Pengzhou is not far from Sarawak, it is very rich. I checked the records before and found that some governors of Sarawak wanted to emulate Pengzhou to develop docks and conduct business, but they all failed and then nothing happened. Some people also say that Sarawak has bad feng shui, so it can't develop. What do you think?"
"Shazhou and Pengzhou are only fifty miles apart, and it only takes us half a day to get here by carriage." Shen Xuan thought for a moment and said, "If we imitate Pengzhou and start business in Shazhou, it won't be successful in a short time, and it will require a lot of investment. If I were a businessman, I would definitely choose Pengzhou, where the market is bigger, and not come to a place like Shazhou."
"Yes, so the investment is huge, but the effect is very small, so naturally we can't continue." Xue Fenglin nodded and said: "Following Pengzhou's way will not work in Sarawak, we have to find another way."
After saying this, Xue Fenglin fell into deep thought. He looked at the lively lights at the Pengzhou Night Market and frowned slightly. At the same time, Sarawak was already shrouded in darkness last night. How could there be any trace of liveliness?
Seeing Xue Fenglin's deep expression, Shen Xuan thought for a while before speaking: "In fact, Sarawak also has its advantages. I saw you studying the map of Sarawak the other day. It is closer to the South China Sea islands and more convenient for travel. Therefore, although Sarawak is poor, there are many ships that stop at the Sarawak dock for rest."
"Yes, you are right." After hearing Shen Xuan's words, Xue Fenglin smiled again. Then he took Shen Xuan’s hand and said, “If this road doesn’t work, find another way. There is always a way.”
Afterwards, the two of them blew out the lights and went to bed. Early the next morning, they took the gifts they had prepared in advance and went to the prefectural government office.
Besides, when Lord Tang saw Xue Fenglin coming to pay a visit, he realized that the governor of Sarawak whom he trusted had arrived.
Although he was an official from outside the capital, he knew a little about Xue Fenglin's status in the capital. Knowing that he was the eldest son of Lord Xue and had been granted marriage by Emperor Wu of Jin, they were naturally very polite to him and Shen Xuan.
After Lord Tang exchanged greetings with Xue Fenglin, he sent someone to his home to invite his eldest sons over and asked them to bring Xue Fenglin and Mr. and Mrs. Shen Xuan to his house as guests.
Xue Fenglin would naturally not refuse, so he followed the eldest young master of the Tang family.
After arriving at a very luxurious house, the eldest young master of the Tang family invited them in. Madam Tang and Lord Tang's concubines also brought their own families to come out to greet them in person and were very polite.
Mr. Tang had a large family and great wealth. In addition to Madam Tang, he also had five concubines. He had four sons, three brothers and five daughters.
Except for the eldest son and the third daughter born to Mrs. Tang, the rest were born out of wedlock. The youngest son and girl are both less than five years old. It can be seen that although Lord Tang is old, he is also strong and vigorous, just like Lord Xue.
After introducing each other, the eldest son of the Tang family took Xue Fenglin to the front yard to drink tea and appreciate antiques.
Mrs. Tang brought Shen Xuan to the backyard of the Tang family and visited the back garden in the Tang family yard.
Mrs. Tang and the third young lady were talking to Shen Xuan in the front, while several concubines and brothers and sisters of the Tang family followed behind and chatted in low voices from a distance.
The eldest aunt of the Tang family gave birth to two sons. The older one was already eighteen years old and had already married and had children, and the younger one was almost old enough to get married.
The second, third and fifth concubines each gave birth to a boy and a sister, and only the fourth concubine gave birth to a son and a sister.
Among them, the boys and girls born to the second and third concubines have also reached the age of marriage.
In families like theirs, illegitimate daughters would mostly marry the sons of their father's lower-ranking officials, while sons would marry as concubines.
Originally, they had been visiting the homes of acquaintances for some time and had already selected some candidates in mind. But after meeting Xue Fenglin today, his mind suddenly became active, and he no longer liked those families he had met before.
The eldest aunt laughed in her heart when she saw that the second and third aunts looked absent-minded from the beginning. He could not help but deliberately said to the third aunt who was walking beside him: "I see that your fourth brother has been unsettled, so why not take a look at the new governor of Sarawak."
"This prefect is so handsome, and his family is a noble family. Although Sarawak is poor, his family is rich, so you won't suffer any loss if you marry him. Besides, the man he married looks easy to talk to, so your fourth brother won't suffer any loss if he goes there. Why don't you go and ask the master to talk to Master Xue and send your fourth brother to him as a concubine?"
The third aunt was already tempted, and naturally agreed with the eldest aunt's words. The fourth brother beside her also blushed. When he thought of Xue Fenglin's handsome appearance just now, he felt uneasy.
Although the first and third aunts spoke in low voices, they could still be heard by the second aunt and others not far away. The eldest aunt and the second aunt had a bad relationship in their early years and fought secretly for a long time. It was only after the eldest aunt gave birth to two sons that the second aunt was completely defeated. She stopped fighting and only focused on trying to please Mrs. Tang.
After she met Xue Fenglin just now, she naturally had some ideas in her mind. At this time, the words of the eldest concubine aroused her desire to win, so she thought of taking action before the third concubine and letting Madam Tang send her fifth brother to Xue Fenglin as a concubine.
Madam Tang took Shen Xuan for a walk in the back garden, placed him in the elegant pavilion in the center of the lake, and asked her daughter to accompany him, then went to the kitchen to arrange meals.
Seeing her get up and leave, the second aunt quickly got up and followed her. When she was alone, she immediately told Madam Tang her thoughts and asked her to act as a matchmaker and persuade Xue Fenglin to take her fifth brother as his concubine.
But when Madam Tang heard this, she immediately scolded her coldly and said, "This Chen brother may look like a boy, and his family background is not impressive, but this is a marriage bestowed by the emperor! Now that they have just got married, how can I have the face to give a concubine to Mr. Xue? Wouldn't that be an insult to the emperor? You should quickly put your mind to it and choose another good son-in-law!"
After Mrs. Tang finished speaking, she left without looking back. The Second Aunt didn't expect that she would refuse so straightforwardly, and she scolded herself, feeling extremely upset.
She had tried to please Mrs. Tang for many years, but she was unwilling to do even this little favor, which made her feel that all her efforts to please her were in vain.
The Second Aunt did not take Mrs. Tang’s words about the imperial marriage to heart. Anyway, his fifth brother is still young, so even if he has to wait for another two years, it would be worth it to marry such a rare talent.
She returned to her seat somewhat embarrassedly, and saw that the Third Aunt had actually brought the Fourth Brother to Shen Xuan, asking the Fourth Brother to offer Shen Xuan tea and talk.
She then pulled her fifth brother aside and whispered in his ear, "You should also go and talk to that brother Chen quickly, and be respectful to him."
The fifth brother is only fourteen years old. Although he has reached the age of marriage, he is not yet at the age of falling in love. But his mother asked him to please Chen Ge'er, and he thought it was for his own good, so he went ahead with it.
Seeing that the fourth brother had just offered tea to Shen Xuan, the fifth brother also said stiffly: "Brother Shen, can I offer you a cup of tea as well?"
When the third aunt heard this, she rolled her eyes and thought that the second aunt's brother was indeed going to come and snatch the girl from her fourth brother.
The fourth brother knew what was going on and immediately said, "I just offered tea to Chen Ge'er, and you offered another cup. Chen Ge is not a teacup, so how can he drink so much tea at once?"
When the fifth brother heard this, his face turned red. He knew that the fourth brother was deliberately making things difficult for him, but he didn't know how to refute.
He has never been very smart. Compared with his fourth brother, he is not as good at speaking, and compared with his other sisters, he is worse at needlework and cooking. His father dislikes him the most among all the brothers. In other words, Mrs. Tang treated him better and often told the second aunt that he was a fool with good fortune.
At this time, Shen Xuan was standing nearby. Seeing their open and covert fights, he did not realize that it was all about marrying Xue Fenglin as a concubine. He just thought it was a conspiracy among a wealthy family.
Seeing that the fifth brother was young and was frozen in place by what he said, he simply smiled and said, "It's okay. The weather is hot now, especially in the south like Pengzhou, it really makes people thirsty. I just sweated a lot, so it's just right to drink a few more cups of tea to moisten my throat."
The aunts next to them didn't expect Shen Xuan to say this, and they were obviously stunned for a moment, looking at each other, and the second aunt also showed a hint of excitement on her face.
When the fifth brother heard this, he immediately showed a look of gratitude. He stared at Shen Xuan in a daze for a long time before respectfully offering Shen Xuan a cup of tea.
After Shen Xuan finished drinking, he stayed beside him and refused to leave, listening to Shen Xuan very seriously until Madam Tang came back, then he coughed a few times and sent him and the fourth brother away.
After Xue Fenglin and Shen Xuan left, Madam Tang returned to the room and slammed the table with a serious face and said, "The second and third concubines are too outrageous! They are pestering Shen'er and begging him to give his son to others as a concubine! It's really a disgrace to the Tang family!"
The third young lady asked, not quite understanding, "Mother, why are you so opposed to the fourth and fifth brothers marrying Master Xue as concubines? I think Master Xue is a handsome man, with a great family background. No wonder the second and third aunts are tempted."
Madam Tang looked at her own daughter deeply before saying, "It is because his family background is too good and he married a man, that we cannot let our fourth and fifth brothers marry him, right?"
"If he becomes successful in the future, and his fourth or fifth brother gives birth to a son, wouldn't the status of the second and third concubines in the family also rise? Where would I, as his wife, be placed?"
Although she was still the wife of the Tang family when she was away from home all these years, Lord Tang took in one wife after another and gave birth to one child after another. Her position as Mrs. Tang in the Tang family had long been in jeopardy. Especially the eldest and fourth aunts who gave birth to sons had long been unwilling to be under her control.
After hearing this, the third girl nodded as if she suddenly understood something and said, "That's true. Mother, you are far-sighted. It would be better to marry them off earlier."
"Next time Brother Chen comes, I will also help to give him some advice, which can be regarded as a favor."
Mrs. Tang touched the head of the third girl with satisfaction and said, "This is my good girl. You are not young anymore. It is time for you to meet a good man. You must learn the twists and turns in the backyard in the future. You will need them after you get married!"
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