The Second Master of the Red Chamber

"No, how can this be possible? That's..."

In Fengzao Palace, when Yuanchun proposed her solution to have the best of both worlds, she was immediately opposed by Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang.

Grandmother Jia said, "That garden was built specially for you to come home and visit your parents. It is your temporary palace, how can you give it to Lian'er?

This doesn't make sense, or even from a legal perspective. This is absolutely not acceptable!"

Mrs. Wang also said repeatedly, "That's right. If we give the garden to him, what if God allows him to come back in the future?
Besides, the garden was originally built according to the rites for your imperial concubine. Even if you were willing to give it to him, he cannot live in the main hall."

Neither Lady Jia nor Mrs. Wang expected that Yuanchun would propose to separate the Grand View Garden from the Rong and Ning mansions and build a new residence for Jia Lian.

They couldn't accept it.

Yuanchun, however, smiled brightly and waited for her grandmother and her two grandma to finish their objections before she said, "I am not saying this just on a whim, but have thought about it for a long time."

Seeing that Lady Jia and the others were looking at her seriously, Yuanchun sighed, "Ever since Brother Lian's identity was exposed, I have actually thought about this.

Since he is of royal blood, it is impossible for him to live in our house forever.

Even if we all want him to continue to be in charge of the family, I am afraid that given his self-esteem and pride, he would not do so.

But I also know deeply that after so many years of his management and organization, the family has long been inseparable from him.

I am not saying this to mean that he is inseparable from the family, but if the family wants to continue to be glorious and powerful, it can no longer do without Brother Lian.

At that time, I was wondering if there was any way to keep him in our family.

At first I didn't dare to hold out too much hope, but the attitude of the royal family later made me think that this matter was feasible.

The royal family did not acknowledge Brother Lian's identity and even granted him the title of 'Duke Rong'... From that day on, I began to think about how Brother Lian and I should get along in the future.

Therefore, even if Brother Lian did not bring it up this time, I would find an opportunity to explain it to you, mother:
How could a dignified duke and the grandson of the emperor be allowed to live in a small courtyard?
I even thought that if Brother Lian did not despise our small family and was willing to continue to be the acting patriarch of our Jia family, I would persuade Father and Mother to move to the side courtyard and let Brother Lian take the seat in Rong Xi Hall.

But from what you, mother, have just said, it is clear that Brother Lian is unwilling to do so. In order to protect the dignity of his father and mother, he is even willing to risk being talked about by the whole world and move out of the house to build a new house.

It is not difficult to see from this that Brother Lian is not only a self-respecting and self-reliant person, but also attaches great importance to the friendship between family members. In order to preserve the friendship, he is willing to sacrifice himself.

Since he is kind to us, we cannot be unkind to him."

"Originally, I was like my grandmother, and I thought it would be best for Brother Lian to exchange residences with our parents. Since Brother Lian doesn't accept it, then the only solution I've given is this.

Since the garden was built on the land of two mansions, its size was no less than that of the Rong and Ning mansions.

The beauty of the landscape is even better than that of the Rong and Ning mansions. And it was Brother Lian who personally supervised the construction, so I think he was satisfied. "

Faced with Yuanchun's explanation of the situation, both Lady Jia and the other woman were speechless.

Of course they knew that Jia Lian had feelings for his family. Otherwise, he could have simply agreed when they asked him to give up Rong Xi Tang. In this way, within a few years, he would have kicked Jia Zheng and his wife out and completely controlled the entire Rongguo Mansion.

They were even more aware that Yuanchun's proposal to use the Grand View Garden as Jia Lian's future residence was the safest, most comprehensive and most likely to be realized proposal under the three premises of the family's current awkward situation, Jia Lian's inability to move out of the Rongguo Mansion, and not bringing injustice to Jia Zheng and his wife.

After all, it was Jia Lian who advocated and personally supervised the construction of the Grand View Garden, so he must have been satisfied with it.

This can be confirmed by the fact that whenever he is at home, he runs to the garden every few days.

If the Grand View Garden were to be thrown out, there is a high probability that Jia Lian would give up the idea of ​​moving out and building a new house.

But the original question is, the Grand View Garden was built for Yuanchun, its ownership belongs to Yuanchun, and its regulations are also tailored according to Yuanchun's position as a noble concubine. Apart from Yuanchun, it would be inappropriate for anyone else to get involved.

Seeing the concerns of Lady Jia and the others, Yuanchun smiled and said, "As for what mother just said, there is actually no need to worry.

Since Brother Lian is the descendant of the retired emperor, he is the legitimate grandson of the emperor. With this identity alone, it is not considered an act of usurpation for him to enter the Grand View Garden."

After hearing this, Jia's mother and the other two's expressions changed slightly.

Indeed, according to this explanation, Jia Lian is indeed qualified to enter the Grand View Garden.

The main hall of the Grand View Garden was built according to the ritual system of a noble concubine's palace.

The position of a noble concubine is equal to that of a prince, and the status of a legitimate grandson of the emperor is not inferior to that of a prince.

"As for what mother said about returning home in the future, don't worry. From the news I got, I'm afraid that the palace will not be able to send down such a grace in the next few years. Even if it really does happen... it won't be too late for the family to choose a location to build another one.

Anyway, Brother Lian has money, so even if the family doesn’t survive in the future, he probably won’t refuse to lend me money.”

As Yuanchun spoke, a rare hint of playfulness appeared on her face.

That is to say, there were no eunuchs or palace maids in the inner hall at that time, otherwise they would never have imagined that the cold and aloof imperial concubine in their eyes had such a side.

However, Yuanchun's words were very reserved.

She knew very well that it would be difficult for her to use the Grand View Garden in the future.

Since the royal family showed great grace for the first time the year before last and allowed the empress and concubines to return home to visit their families, the first round of implementation was not perfect.

First of all, the families of the concubines competed with each other for wealth. No one wanted their own queen to be inferior to others, so when it came to building separate courtyards and palaces, they competed with each other in various ways, which was like the trend of the Jin Dynasty clans competing for wealth.

Another thing is that arranging travel for concubines in the palace requires a large amount of manpower and material resources, which wastes a lot of money.

Therefore, the sage was ultimately not satisfied with the final results of this policy. Although he did not say it explicitly, most of the concubines at the top level knew that it would be difficult for them to have the opportunity to return home in the future.

Finally, for Yuanchun herself, being able to go home and take a look at the old things and people is enough for her.

Even if she has the opportunity to return home in the future, it would be a trivial matter and not worth her worrying about.

Therefore, she had no reluctance to give the Grand View Garden, which only belonged to her in name, to Jia Lian.

As for whether Jia Lian's entry into the Grand View Garden was an act of usurpation, Yuanchun did not need to worry about it at all.

First of all, given Jia Lian’s special status, I don’t think anyone would use such a small matter to attack him.

Even if it is true, his identity as the emperor's grandson is well known to everyone, so this kind of criticism has no effect on him.

After hearing Yuanchun's words, Jia's mother and the other two looked at each other for a long time, and finally nodded silently.

Mrs. Wang went to the palace to see Yuanchun almost every month, and she probably knew that the palace had no intention of restarting the visit.

Yuanchun could not return home, so the garden at home was just left idle except for the young ladies who came to visit occasionally.

Since Yuanchun was willing to give her to Jia Lian, and this move could indeed solve the current difficulties, they had no basis to object.

After reaching a consensus and discussing the details for a long time, Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang bid farewell to Yuanchun and the Queen and left the palace.

On the way to leave the palace, I didn't want to encounter a riot.

A large number of imperial guards were dispatched, whether they were searching for assassins or spies, but they blocked the avenue of the Forbidden Palace for several sedan chairs that were also heading into the palace for a visit.

Just when Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang were feeling a little uneasy, the crisp sound of horse hooves came.

Everyone looked up and saw a female general in armor, riding a tall horse with a yellow mane, slowly approaching the Jia family with dozens of golden-armored guards leading the way, and stopped in front of Jia's grandmother's sedan chair.

That heroic figure, with the aura that only belongs to a noble family, silenced all the people blocking the road.

Just when many families thought that the Jia family had committed a crime and were about to be arrested and questioned, the female general on horseback actually clasped her fists and saluted towards Jia's grandmother's sedan chair, and her loud voice spread out without any concealment.

"Zhaoyang was ordered to inspect the palace and arrest the rebels. I disturbed the Madam of Rongguo. I hope the Madam will forgive me."

After all, Grandmother Jia had seen the world, and even though she became more timid as she aged, she hurriedly said, "Your Highness, you are too polite. Since you are here on a royal inspection, you must be doing serious business. How can you say you are disturbing me?"

Having said this, Grandmother Jia ordered the sedan chair to be lowered and wanted to get out to kowtow.

However, Princess Zhaoyang bent down slightly and supported the sedan chair pole with the folded horse whip in her hand. In this way, the servants of the Jia family dared not disobey.

Seeing this, Grandmother Jia reluctantly sat in the sedan chair and asked tentatively: "May I ask, Your Highness, have you caught a rebellious person, or is there anything you need my help with? Please tell me, and I will do my best to help you."

Grandmother Jia couldn't help but feel guilty.

Although she knew Princess Zhaoyang, it was always in the palace and this was the first time they met in private.

Princess Zhaoyang visited Rongguo Mansion several times in disguise, but she did not go to see her. She was not familiar with her, and did not know the specific grievances between her and Jia Lian.

Now that he suddenly came to her, she was afraid that he was seeking revenge because of Feng Jie'er's matter.

However, Grandmother Jia was bound to be worrying too much.

Facing her cautiousness, the man on horseback was very generous and calm:
"I don't know if he is a traitor or not, but there are indeed some villains who intend to take advantage of the mixed crowd in the palace today to conceal the truth and frame someone."

Although Grandmother Jia didn't understand, she still said, "Oh, there is such a bold and reckless person. I wonder if he can be caught?"

"Of course I caught him."

"That's good……"

Seeing that Lady Jia was only trying to please the audience and had no intention of asking about the inside story, Princess Zhaoyang nodded secretly.

She is an old lady with some shrewdness and wisdom.

So he said no more, "Now that the scoundrel has been arrested, there is no need to delay the Madam's return home."

As she spoke, Princess Zhaoyang waved her hand, and the guards around her immediately cleared a path.

The Jia family servants didn't dare to leave yet, and Princess Zhaoyang bowed again and said, "I have official business to attend to today, so I can't stay here for long. I will come to the mansion in person to pay my respects to the Madam in the future."

"No, no, Princess, you are too kind..."

Although she was a little confused, looking at Princess Zhaoyang's respectful attitude, she could only apologize and signal the sedan bearers to lift the sedan.

Walking along the passage opened up by the Imperial Guards, facing the surprised or indignant looks of the ladies and wives of the various mansions who were blocked in front, Grandmother Jia was flattered, but at the same time, she couldn't help but think about something in her heart.

What Jia's grandmother and her entourage didn't know was that shortly after they left the imperial city, Princess Zhaoyang was summoned to the South Study in Daming Palace.

Emperor Ning Kang read the secret letter presented by Princess Zhaoyang and asked, "Have they all been captured?"

"Reporting to the Emperor, we have only caught the messenger. As for who is behind this, we have to wait for the interrogation before we can arrest him."

"Why didn't you report to me before?"

"Father, I feel that this matter is quite strange and must not be as simple as it seems on the surface. Therefore, I want to investigate it thoroughly before reporting to you."

Emperor Ning Kang remained silent after hearing this. After a while, he asked without raising his head, "Which palace is the captured person from?"

Princess Zhaoyang hesitated for a moment, but still said, "Father, it is from Weiyang Palace. But father, I think there must be another hidden story behind this. The Imperial Grandmother must be unaware of this. Someone must have used the Imperial Grandmother's name to conceal the truth.

Please give me some time, I will investigate this matter thoroughly and find out who is behind this..."

"enough."

Emperor Ning Kang interrupted Princess Zhaoyang and said in a neutral tone: "Who do you think is behind this? Who has the ability to mobilize the 100,000 troops stationed in Anxi Jiedufu?"

Hearing the dissatisfaction in Emperor Ning Kang's tone, Princess Zhaoyang frowned.

Perhaps it was her performance at Tiewang Mountain that won Emperor Ning Kang's recognition of her abilities, or perhaps Emperor Ning Kang really needed some trustworthy people like her to entrust with important tasks.

In short, after returning to Beijing, she was temporarily appointed as the deputy commander of the Guard Camp, responsible for inspecting the security of the Forbidden Palace.

This time, news came that someone outside wanted to take advantage of the days when the various families came to the palace to visit the concubines to contact the person in Chonghua Palace.

Her first reaction was that the third prince couldn't stand the loneliness.

Therefore, they decided to take advantage of the situation and set up a tight net to catch the evidence of the Third Prince's evil intentions today and bring him down in one fell swoop.

However, after catching the man, she became a little uncertain.

This was because the letter that was seized was actually written in the name of the Empress Dowager to the Anxi Jiedushi, Yangwu Hou Bai Qi.

As for the content, it was naturally to denounce the current emperor for being unkind and unfilial, and to tell Bai Qi not to be a foolishly loyal person, but to intensify the training of the troops and horses, so as to create unprecedented achievements in the future...

She knew it was a fake almost as soon as she saw the letter. But she couldn't figure out why the Third Prince would forge the letter, or why he would frame the Queen Mother.

She turned her attention to the royal family.

Because Princess Zhaoyang suddenly thought that Emperor Ningkang had already risked the whole world's condemnation by forcing the emperor to abdicate and seize power. If the empress dowager made any more mistakes, Emperor Ningkang would be completely unkind and unfilial, and everyone would be able to kill him.

Just when she was about to investigate further, Emperor Ning Kang got the news from somewhere and summoned her here, and his attitude showed obvious dissatisfaction.

She didn't think her father would be so foolish that he couldn't even see such an obvious means of framing and confusing the public.

But she understood that she could no longer speak for the Queen Mother at this time, otherwise Emperor Ning Kang would certainly become even more suspicious of her selfish motives.

"I don't know who is behind this yet, but since he did this, he will definitely be exposed. As long as you give me some time, I will be able to find out who is stirring up trouble behind this."

Princess Zhaoyang said so.

Emperor Ning Kang did not comment, but lowered his head to look at the secret letter again and said, "I know that you have a deep relationship with the Queen Mother, but since this matter involves the Queen Mother, you should not get too involved.

You don't have to worry about this matter. I'll have someone else investigate it."

"But Father..."

"No problem. It just so happens that your third brother is under house arrest, and he still has many leftover matters to deal with, especially the post-disaster reconstruction of the Hetao earthquake and the disaster relief of the severe drought in southern Shaanxi. These will require a lot of money and food. You should carefully dispatch and monitor them."

Princess Zhaoyang's heart sank, but seeing Emperor Ning Kang's firm attitude, she knew that it was useless to say more.

Just as he was about to agree, he suddenly had an idea and said, "Your Majesty, I will obey your order. But Your Majesty, I have a suggestion, and I hope you will accept it."

"speak."

"Father, my Third Brother has been handling the affairs of state for many years. I believe that I cannot compare with him on my own.

Since Third Brother has more than one task left, I would like to suggest that Prince Xiao assist me. This will not only make things easier for me, but also help Prince Xiao improve his abilities. What do you think, Father?"

The leader was silent for a moment, then said one word:

"allow."

Princess Zhaoyang's mood suddenly turned from gloomy to bright, and she thanked the emperor and took her leave.

Just as he was walking out of the Southern Study, he ran into Prince Zhongshun walking in.

"My dear niece, what's wrong with you? Why do you look so sad? Did your brother scold you?
This shouldn't be the case. There are very few good children like my niece who are so outstanding and know how to share the worries of the king and father throughout all dynasties. Why is my royal brother still not satisfied?
If you have any grievances, you may as well tell your uncle, and he will plead with your father on your behalf."

Prince Zhongshun said to Princess Zhaoyang with a smile, his eyes unable to conceal the pride.

Princess Zhaoyang was stunned for a moment, then said: "Thank you for your kindness, uncle, but thunder and rain are all grace from the emperor, Zhaoyang has no grievances.

But why did the Emperor's uncle come to see the Emperor in such a hurry? "

"Well, hahahaha, I heard that the Royal Guards caught someone secretly sending messages outside the palace, and my brother ordered me to take over the investigation of the case."

Seeing that Prince Zhongshun could no longer suppress the mockery in his eyes, Princess Zhaoyang could not help but understand that it was probably this person who was spreading rumors about her behind her back, which made Emperor Ningkang dissatisfied with her.

As for the other party's motives, it was easy for her to guess. It was nothing more than that she had divided the other party's power in the clan affairs office, and the other party was just taking revenge on her and provoking her.

Princess Zhaoyang didn't care about this.

Although this person is not so good in all aspects, he is deeply trusted by Emperor Ning Kang.

She could have ignored this person in the past, but now that she wanted to help her brother win the throne, she naturally had to win him over.

So she smiled and said, "I see. It just so happens that the person who passed the secret letter was caught by me personally. If the emperor's uncle has any questions about the case, he can send someone to ask me later. I will tell you everything I know."

Princess Zhaoyang's reaction stunned Prince Zhongshun. He didn't understand why his capable niece was still so stupid when he had shown it so obviously.

This made him feel a little embarrassed, so he smiled awkwardly and walked into the hall. (End of this chapter)