Chapter 1087 The Emperor's Gift, Zhou Zong's Choice
After listening to Cui Yingying's report, Su Mingzhe couldn't help but asked in surprise:

"You said that Master Zhou found a salt merchant from Yangzhou and mortgaged his fertile land to rebuild this courtyard?"

"Not bad!"

Cui Yingying looked sad and sighed softly:
"Although His Majesty said in his letter to Grand Tutor Zhou that he was only asking for a few days' stay, no need to start a war, everyone in the Zhou family regarded this as a favor from the emperor, so how could they dare to neglect it? Therefore, in order to receive the emperor, Grand Tutor Zhou mortgaged all the good farmland in his family..."

When Cui Yingying heard the news, she immediately felt her scalp tingling.

What Zhou Zong did reminded her of the story of "Jie Zitui cutting off his own flesh to feed his king" in the Spring and Autumn Period.

She could never have imagined that Master Zhou would be so loyal to the king.

Su Mingzhe couldn't help but sigh:
"Actually, I expected that!"

As Su Mingzhe spoke, he told Zhang Kui his guess and his instructions.

Cui Yingying was delighted when she heard this, and she bowed her head and said apologetically:
"Your Majesty has always been magnanimous. I am the one who worries too much!"

A few days passed in the blink of an eye.

Zhang Kui has already found out everything.

In order to welcome the emperor, Zhou Zong borrowed a total of 80,000 taels of silver from local salt merchants to repair the manor.

The collateral for the loan was all the assets of the Zhou family.

After hearing this, Su Mingzhe sighed but didn't say much.

Waited for half a month.

The concubines in the harem had lost interest in playing.

When Zhou Zong and the local officials and gentry saw him off, Su Mingzhe had already walked onto the boat. He then waved to Zhang Kui, signaling him to return the land title deeds he had redeemed to Master Zhou:
"Taifu is a man of high moral character, like a pine tree and a cypress. You should not have anything to do with that businessman in the future."

"Since ancient times, merchants have been mostly heartless and ungrateful. Trading with them is like trying to get the skin of a tiger..."

"I am ashamed!"

Zhou Zong had never expected that the land deeds he had used as collateral would be taken back by the retired emperor. For a moment, his mind was filled with shame.

As for Su Mingzhe's persuasion, Zhou Zong is already over seventy years old, how could he not know?

But things had come to that point and he had no choice but to leave.

Fortunately, the emperor was still wise and powerful, and just like in the past, he never let his loyal ministers and virtuous people suffer any losses.

Watch the dragon boat disappear in the distance.

Zhou Zong had no intention of meeting with the local gentry, so he found an excuse and went home in a carriage.

When Zhou Zong returned home, he saw the women in his family also coming back in bamboo sedan chairs.

During the Tang Dynasty, bamboo sedan chairs were usually ridden by women.

There are also various grade regulations.

For example, only women of noble rank and above can use a quadruple fetus.

Ordinary people can only use two people to carry it.

Otherwise it will be regarded as usurpation, and the lighter punishment will be confiscation of property, and the heavier punishment will be sentencing.

As the Grand Tutor, Zhou Zong’s family could have been carried by four or even eight people.

However, Zhou Zong was always strict in his conduct, so the bamboo sedan chairs used by his family were all carried by two people.

This time, the Zhou family lent the Zhou Mansion to Su Mingzhe for temporary residence.

Zhou Zong and his servants lived in a nearby temple, while the women stayed in the nunnery of Kunxiu Taoist Temple.

Now that Su Mingzhe has left, everyone comes back together.

Had the reunion dinner.

The Zhou family sat together, and Zhou Zong took out the deeds of the mortgaged farm. When the family members saw it, they all clasped their hands in gratitude.

This time, mortgaging the land and repairing the garden was really a bit risky.

If the emperor had not noticed the problems of the Zhou family, the Zhou family would have gone bankrupt.

Mrs. Zhou was Zhou Zong's second wife. She was only in her thirties and was usually the one who took care of the household belongings.

At this moment, Mrs. Zhou happily took the farm title deed and suddenly exclaimed.

When everyone looked at her, Mrs. Zhou said in a sharp voice:
"Master, this... this land seems to be more... a lot more!"

"Mom, why are there so many?"

Zhou Xian was the eldest daughter of Emperor Zhou and his second wife, Lady Zhou. Her nickname was Ehuang and she was eighteen years old this year.

Above Zhou Xian, there are two sons born to Zhou Zong and his ex-wife, Zhou Zheng and Zhou Qiang, and below Zhou Xian is a two-year-old younger sister. Among Zhou Zong's four children, the two sons inherited Zhou Zong's integrity and noble character, and have been conscientious in their duties while serving as officials outside for many years.

However, Zhou Xian inherited Zhou Zong's talent and knowledge. Although she was only eighteen years old, she had already earned the reputation of being the most talented woman in Yangzhou.

In addition to inheriting his father's talent and knowledge, Zhou Xian also inherited his mother's beauty. In addition, he had skin as white as snow and a face as beautiful as flowers since he was a child. He also understands music, singing and dancing. Since four or five years ago, he has been sought after by the locals.

There was an endless stream of people coming to the Zhou family to beg for mercy.

Zhou Zong had a daughter in his old age, and he treated Zhou Xian as a treasure. He had been unwilling to marry her off until now.

Mrs. Zhou also doted on her eldest daughter. She handed the land deed to her daughter and said with a smile:

"Look for yourself, isn't that too much?"

Zhou Xian took the deed from his mother and looked at it, and couldn't help frowning:
"Five thousand acres? Our family's one thousand acres of good farmland can only be mortgaged for fifty thousand taels of silver. The extra four thousand acres of good farmland are worth two hundred thousand taels of silver."

"So many, could it be a reward from the Emperor?"

Mrs. Zhou was puzzled:

"Isn't this a reward from the Emperor? Who else could have given it to him?"

Zhou Xian hesitated for a moment, and this time guessed:
"Perhaps... those grain merchants saw that our Zhou family was favored by the Grand Emperor, so they gave us more gifts?"

"It must be a reward from the Emperor!"

Mrs. Zhou couldn't help but chuckle when she saw her daughter was so innocent. Finally, she tapped her daughter's smooth forehead and said with a smile:
"Xian'er, think about it, this land deed was given to you by the retired emperor, which means that the retired emperor must know the whole story. Even if the extra land was given by the salt merchant, our Zhou family only needs to thank the retired emperor for his wisdom..."

"Madam, you are absolutely right!"

Zhou Zong saw that his wife was smart for once, which was rare, and then looked at his daughter who was still looking silly and cute, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart.

Although his daughter is extremely beautiful, she is kind-hearted and not good at scheming. If she marries into an ordinary family, she will probably be bullied to death.

Think again.

Zhou Zong recalled the decree that the Eunuch Supervisor had conveyed to the powerful officials in various places a few days ago, and finally made up his mind:
"Xian'er, a few days ago, an eunuch came to Yangzhou and said he wanted to select beauties for Luoyang and Hangzhou. Are you interested?"

"Daddy... your daughter obeys your orders!"

When Zhou Xian heard that her father wanted her to be a concubine, she was not very happy, but she had been well-behaved since childhood and also abided by the "Three Obediences and Four Virtues", so she let her father make the decision.

Seeing this, Zhou Zong expressed his thoughts:

"Xian'er, actually, your father wants you to go to Hangzhou and serve the Emperor!"

Zhou Xian's expression froze for a moment, and he looked at his father in surprise. After a while, he finally reacted and lowered his head and said:
"My daughter will follow your father's instructions!"

"Well, Xian'er, go back and prepare first, I'll go find the eunuch later!"

Zhou Zong watched his daughter returning to the backyard in a trance and sighed inwardly.

When Mrs. Zhou saw her daughter leave, she couldn't help but question her husband:

"Master, why did you think of sending your daughter to the palace?"

"Is it okay not to enter the palace?"

Zhou Zong didn't expect that at this time, his wife would actually doubt his decision.

The temper that had been suppressed for many years suddenly erupted:

"I told you a long time ago, don't let Xian'er steal the show, don't steal the show!"

“But, have you and Xian’er listened to what I said?”

"Now Xian'er is known as the most talented woman in Yangzhou. Have you ever counted how many powerful families have come to our house to ask for marriage over the years?"

"Do you know if we agree to a certain family, will other powerful people hate us for it?"

"I'm still alive now, so they don't dare to do anything. But I'm already in my seventies, how many more years can I live? Once I'm gone, can you, Zheng'er and Qiang'er, withstand the wrath of so many powerful people?"

When Mrs. Zhou heard this, her expression changed and her eyes flickered:
"Master, you have never told me this before, have you?"

Zhou Zong did not expect that his wife would lie with her eyes open. He was so angry that he almost fainted. In the end, he could only sigh and say:

"What the saints said is true, 'Only women and villains are difficult to raise'!"

Madam Zhou knew that her master was magnanimous and would not argue with her, so she simply asked all the questions in her mind in one breath:

"Master, the emperor is almost fifty years old. Why did you let your daughter go to Hangzhou to serve him instead of sending her to Luoyang?"

"That's really a woman's opinion!"

Zhou Zong sighed and said:

"Although Xian'er is naturally beautiful, talented and beautiful, and is also known as the most talented woman in Yangzhou. However, if she is sent to Luoyang, she can still survive if she is not favored. If she is favored, she will definitely not have a good end!"

(End of this chapter)