Chapter 172 New Year's Day

Life and death agreement?

Wang Anshi was surprised and asked, "Does General Wei have a grudge against the Japanese envoy?"

Wei Yuan shook his head, "I just think that a few wild monkeys dared to be arrogant and presumptuous when they came to my Celestial Empire, and they really deserved to be killed."

Zhao Zhen said, "After all, they are envoys. It is unlucky to kill them. Be careful not to miss them."

Wei Yuan was delighted, "Yes."

Another day passed, and there were still two days before the New Year's Day.

Wei Shuyi, Minglan and others came to the Bo's Mansion.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, also known as 'Shangri'. On this day, every household has to worship their ancestors.

They will be busy with Sheng Hong all day, so they will not have time to come, so they want to take advantage of this day to ask Wei Yuan if there is anything else that needs to be bought at home.

Mainly worried that Wei Yuan, a man, is not familiar with such things.

"Madame Zhang is a capable person. There is nothing wrong with this list. My niece and mother are worried that you are too busy with government affairs to prepare New Year's goods."

In the backyard of the Bo's mansion, Minglan looked at the list of New Year's goods that Madame Zhang had prepared. The rules and regulations were quite clear and easy to understand.

Wei Shuyi said, "I will see what is missing in the mansion later. I will buy them while there is a New Year's market in the city today."

Wei Yuan said, "With Madame Zhang here, you can rest assured, elder sister."

As he spoke, he heard the servants come to report that an angel had come to the palace.

Wei Yuan and others did not dare to neglect it, so they went to greet him.

When he arrived at the hall, he saw that it was Zhu the chief steward. Wei Yuan asked curiously:

"Why is Zhu the chief steward here? Is there an imperial decree?"

Zhu the chief steward shook his head and said, "No imperial decree. His Majesty is worried that you have not yet married and that you will not have a good New Year, so he sent us to send you some things you need for the New Year."

Then, he saw several palace guards carrying several boxes with meats such as chickens, ducks, fish, pigs, and sheep, fine wine, new clothes, items for sacrifices, peach charms, silk pieces, fruits, firecrackers, etc.

With these things alone, the Bo family does not need to bother to buy any New Year goods.

Wei Yuan bowed deeply towards the palace, "Thank you, Your Majesty, for your grace!"

After a pause, he looked at Zhu, "Isn't this too much?"

Zhu shook his head and said, "Not much, General Wei. His Majesty said that if you still need anything, just send someone to inform the Ministry of Rites."

Wei Yuan bowed again towards the palace, "The emperor's grace is great."

Zhu smiled and said, "The one who has the same treatment as you is also the newly promoted Minister of Personnel Wang."

He didn't need to say this to Wei Yuan, but since he said it, there must be a deep meaning.

"His Majesty has high hopes for you and Minister Wang."

Until now, Zhao Zhen still has full trust in Wei Yuan.

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "It's rare for General Manager Zhu to come here. How about having a drink with me before leaving?"

General Manager Zhu said, "The palace is busy right now. I have to go and take care of it. We'll talk about it another day when we have a chance."

Wei Yuan nodded and ordered someone to bring a thousand-liang silver note to General Manager Zhu.

"The end of the year is approaching. I want to have a good start. Please don't despise these vulgar things."

If it were normal, General Manager Zhu would definitely decline politely, but now.

"I won't reject your kindness, Master. I heard that Master often goes to Guangyuntai? I seem to have heard in the palace that the Queen Mother asked about Guangyuntai. I don't know if I heard it wrong or what."

"I've said too much. I'll leave now. Master, you don't have to see me off. Goodbye."

Wei Yuan was shocked when he heard this.

What do you mean?

The Queen is the backer of Guangyuntai?

What a joke, the Queen Mother set up a brothel?

Don't you want to have a good reputation if it gets out?

In short, you have to be on guard.

What Zhu Zongguan said is worth a thousand gold.

After he left.

Minglan opened a box casually, and saw that it was filled with royal silk and satin. Touching the material, she liked it very much.

"New clothes made of this kind of fabric must be very beautiful."

Wei Yuan smiled and said, "Pick some fabrics you like and take them."

Minglan said, "I dare not take the gifts from the government. If I take them, my fourth and fifth sisters will be envious. It's the New Year, and I don't want any more trouble in my family, lest I lose my mood."

Wei Yuan said indifferently, "You always think too much, so take more and share some with them."

Minglan shook her head, "No, this is a gift from the government to my uncle."

While talking, someone came to report that the Japanese envoy was visiting.

Wei Yuan said he would not see him.

The servant said again: "He said his name is Taira Tadamori, and he is the head of the Taira clan in Japan. I am still wondering, how can there be a person with the surname 'Tai' in this world? How strange."

Taira Tadamori? The main envoy of Japan's envoy to the Great Zhou this time?

That's not going to happen either.

Wei Yuan said: "Let them go back to where they came from."

After hearing the response from the servant of the Bo's Mansion, the Japanese envoy had no choice but to leave unwillingly.

Wei Yuan was busy at home all day.

Either the noble came to visit, or a general came to give gifts.

As for the nobles, they were basically the people Wei Yuan visited when he first came to the capital.

After the New Year, he still had to return the gift, and the trip delayed a lot of things.

The next day.

Later, Wei Yuan and Lin Zhaoyuan and others went to the Loyal Martyrs Temple.

The former first paid homage to the ancestors of the Wei family, and then took them to the Loyal Martyrs Monument in the temple to pay homage to the brothers who died in Daizhou.

Wei Yuan did this not for show.

But he wanted to form a tradition.

Those soldiers who died for the country deserved to be paid homage by the survivors.

After finishing these things, several people had a few drinks in the Bo's Mansion and then dispersed.

The next morning.

The younger generations of the Sheng family followed Sheng Hong's instructions and came to the Bo's Mansion early to wish Wei Yuan a happy new year.

At this time, Wei Yuan was writing "New Year's greetings" in the study.

The New Year's greetings sent out on this day were, to put it bluntly, New Year's cards.

As long as the New Year's greetings were presented, it was equivalent to personally paying New Year's greetings.

There are so many noble families in the capital, and there are even more families with elders. If Wei Yuan goes to pay New Year's greetings to them one by one, he won't have to do anything.

Suddenly, Minglan opened the study and bowed to Wei Yuan, saying, "Happy New Year, uncle."

Wei Yuan looked up and saw Changbai and others following behind her, saying one after another:

"Happy New Year, uncle."

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On the New Year's Day, the main gate and each door of the Bo's Mansion were open.

And Minglan and the others were his juniors, so they came in the name of paying New Year's greetings, so they could go freely.

The premise is that the person guarding the gate can see the "New Year's greetings" with his own eyes, know which family's children are coming, ask a few questions, and if there is no problem, there is no need to report, and let them go directly.

When Wei Yuan saw Changbai's figure, his eyes lit up immediately.

He first took out the prepared red wedding bags, each of which contained some gold beans, which were very valuable, and they were all for good luck.

"Happy New Year."

After that, he gave them the red wedding bags one by one.

Minglan said playfully: "Uncle, do we need to kowtow to you?"

Wei Yuan smiled, "No need to kowtow, Changbai, come here and help me."

Sheng Changbai stepped forward, "I wonder what uncle wants?"

Wei Yuan gave him a list and said:

"You have good handwriting, you write it."

New Year's greetings?

Sheng Changbai suddenly felt a headache.

With so many names, it would probably take more than half an hour to write, right?

In fact, Wei Yuan could give these tasks to others.

But that seemed a bit insincere.

Sheng Changbai was nominally his junior, and his handwriting inherited Sheng Hong's, so it was more appropriate for him to write.

"What is uncle going to do?"

Sheng Changbai asked.

Wei Yuan said, "I'll go around."

Just as he finished speaking, another voice sounded outside the study,

"Brother Wei!"

It was Zhang Guifen who came, and her three brothers were with her.

"Happy New Year, Brother Wei."

Zhang Guifen came to the study and saw Minglan and others. She was stunned at first, and then saluted Wei Yuan.

Her three brothers did the same.

Wei Yuan gave each of Zhang Ding and others a red wedding bag.

Zhang Guifen looked at it and was displeased.

"Brother Wei, where is mine?"

Minglan seemed to have guessed something, and took her arm and said:

"Aunt's New Year's Day gift is naturally different from ours."

Zhang Guifen looked at Wei Yuan with anticipation.

The latter shook his head and smiled, and took out an exquisite wooden box that was placed elsewhere.

Zhang Guifen couldn't wait to take the wooden box, opened it and took a look, and it was a pair of crystal clear jade bracelets.

The whole body is made of Hetian jade, and it is worth a full five hundred taels of gold.

Even the jade bracelet worn by Empress Cao may not be better than this one.

Zhang Guifen took out the jade bracelet and played with it in her hand. It looked neither too big nor too small, just right.

Suddenly, she saw a line of words printed in gold on the bottom of the jade bracelet. She didn't know which master carved it. If she didn't look closely, she would have thought it was an embellishment on the jade bracelet.

Minglan also leaned over to take a closer look and murmured:

"I wish Sister Guifen peace and prosperity every year."

Zhang Guifen quickly put the jade bracelet on her hand, fearing that others would see the clues on her fingers. She couldn't stop her joy on her face.

"I also brought a gift."

After that, she asked the maid standing outside the door to come in. It was a pair of knee pads.

Zhang Guifen said, "This is the craft that Sister Wei taught me. I am clumsy and I have only finished embroidering it now."

"In March, Brother Wei will lead troops to the southeast to suppress the Japanese. I heard that the weather in the south is cold and gloomy. Wearing this knee pad can keep you warm during marches and battles."

After that, she personally took the knee pad and handed it to Wei Yuan.

The latter suddenly saw that there were many tiny scars on her fingers, as if she was accidentally pierced by a needle tip.

Wei Yuan took the knee pad, held her little hand in his hand, looked at it carefully, and said seriously:

"In the future, don't do these things, just leave it to the servants."

Seeing this, everyone turned their heads and looked away.

Zhang Guifen blushed and quickly pulled her hand back,

"How can others' embroidery be as good as mine? Try it on Brother Wei tonight. If it doesn't fit, bring it to me and I'll modify it."

Wei Yuan nodded.

Perhaps Minglan noticed that the atmosphere around her had changed a little, so she slapped her forehead and said:

"I almost forgot that I made a pair of shoes for my uncle. They were already made and I put them away."

"I'll take them home now."

Then she pulled Rulan away.

Molan and Changfeng said goodbye one after another.

Sheng Changbai looked at Wei Yuan and Zhang Guifen, and then looked at the New Year's greetings list in his hand. For a moment, he was a little at a loss.

The third son of the Zhang family saw that Sheng Changbai was so tactless, so he quickly pulled him away.

Sheng Changbai said, "My uncle also wants me to write a New Year's greeting."

Zhang Ding said, "Go to another room, and someone will send you four treasures later."

Zhang Guifen stood there, her face getting redder. If Wei Yuan hadn't been there, she would have yelled and cursed.

What do you mean? I'm your sister, and you just sold me out like this?

Wei Yuan was a little at a loss when he saw this scene, and shook his head. Just when the two were embarrassed.

Chen Daniu's voice sounded outside the study,

"Brother, we are here to wish you a happy New Year."

"Hey, Ming girl, why are you pulling me? What??"