Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 1129 Surprisingly, they went with the flow.
The faint darkness seeped into the room through the window, making the atmosphere even more eerie.

Zhang Jinyu picked up some food from her plate while shaking her head. Since it was brought back from the palace, it couldn't have been an extra portion specially prepared by the imperial kitchen. It must have come from the inner palace; something must have happened.
"Your Highness, since it was brought back from the palace, it must have been served at the banquet for only a short time. I wonder what happened?"

He reached out and took the tea Liu Yue offered, taking a sip to soothe his throat.
"Of course. How could things be peaceful backstage after all the commotion you caused in the main hall? The Emperor Emeritus issued an imperial edict ordering the people in the inner palace to take this feast back to enjoy. The banquet was over shortly after they arrived. Come to think of it, isn't that all thanks to your students?"

Seemingly with a hint of complaint, the princess stretched out her hands, slowly took the tea caddy, and stirred the tea in the cup.

"Your Highness is pretending to be ignorant when you know the truth. Things in the palace can be kept from others, but not from Your Highness."

Zhang Jinyu listened to these words with one ear and let them go with the other. Nobody is a fool. These were just some polite and probing words, but they contained no useful information. They were all vague and ambiguous. If you wanted to exchange information, this was a sweet deal.

"It's true, nothing can be hidden from the Marquis."

Zhou Xiangxue put down her teacup, dipped her fingertip in the tea, and gently drew circles on the table.
"Chen Hui of the Directorate of Ceremonial, although he is Eunuch Xia's man, is also a man who is unwilling to be subordinate to others and is opportunistic. At Kunning Palace, the banquet was originally going well, but then a eunuch came to inform us that it was the Emperor Emeritus's decree to cancel the banquet. The Empress had no choice but to send us back with food boxes to celebrate on her own."

As she spoke, she covered her mouth and laughed. Looking around, she saw a table full of untouched dishes, forcing her to carry the food back herself. The dishes were good, but after sitting for an afternoon and then being reheated, the taste had deteriorated considerably.

Hearing this, Zhang Jinyu suddenly lost her appetite. She had eaten a lot at the midday banquet and satisfied her appetite. Now, seeing this, she could only say that it was fancy. Fortunately, she already knew the information she needed to know. The ladies of the harem should all know what happened in the front hall. The Emperor Emeritus had quite a temper and disrupted the banquet, making it known to everyone.

Surely the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs couldn't have been completely without any information, so I tried asking around;

"Your Highness, I don't want to know so much about what's going on in the palace. The reason why the banquet prepared by the Empress was brought back by that person was not because she was afraid of wasting the Emperor Emeritus's good intentions. I want to know why the people in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs made this arrangement. They must have tampered with the congratulatory message. There are no coincidences in the world."

Even if it was arranged, if Xu Changwen hadn't written this memorial, it's still unknown whether someone would have replaced it in the end.

"Oh dear, Your Excellency speaks so lightly. How could a princess who has fallen from grace like me know anything about the Directorate of Ceremonial? The Directorate of Ceremonial was established by the Emperor Emeritus to review and draft memorials. However, all decisions are made by the Grand Secretariat, and everything has been peaceful until a few days ago when my men saw Mr. Fan from Prince Zheng's residence go to Eunuch Chen's residence in the north of the city. As for what they talked about, we have no idea."

He smiled, stood up, and walked over to sit down next to Marquis Luo Yun. He picked up a cup of wine, hesitated slightly, and handed it to Zhang Jinyu, who was pondering His Highness's words. Zhang Jinyu didn't pay attention, took the cup, and drank it down in one gulp. He thought to himself, "As expected, it was arranged by the princes." But in the end, he didn't see the princes gain power. He wanted to ask further…

But then he noticed a complex look in the eyes of the three women and couldn't help but ask;
"Your Highness, is there anything else?"

While he was still wondering, the eldest princess beside him had already moved closer and smiled sweetly.
"Your Excellency is a man of deep thoughts. I invite you to a small gathering. You should not invite Your Excellency unless there is a specific reason."

A clear, melodious voice rang out. Zhang Jinyu shifted her body slightly, but felt a surge of heat throughout her body. She had drunk the wine too quickly. Reaching out her chopsticks, she unconsciously picked up another piece of venison and put it in her mouth. Instantly, she felt the aroma filling the air, and her stomach felt much better.

"Your Highness is too kind. I am deeply honored to have been invited to this banquet. However, today, my students have caused a great disturbance and I do not know how to resolve it. Chen Hui of the Directorate of Ceremonial has been appointed as the presiding judge, and I do not know the arrangements of the princes. How can I possibly enjoy this meal?"

His heart was filled with complex emotions. No wonder all the rulers of the Ming Dynasty in his previous life both hated and loved Hai Rui. They loved his talent and integrity, which earned him a place in history, but hated his audacity and recklessness, leaving no way out. Even if they wanted to rescue him, they had to plan carefully. Fortunately, Hai Rui was married with children, and had a family to support him. Now, Xu Changwen was all alone, with an elderly mother left in his household, and he still had the matchmaker he had secured for the Feng family. He wondered what the future held for him.

Suddenly, I also felt something was strange. That daughter of the Feng family—what was her name again?—was also quite unlucky. None of the matchmakers she went through were reliable.

"My lord, my lord, what are you thinking about? As for your disciple's matter, I think we should let things take their natural course. Although my brothers are secretly colluding behind the scenes, I feel that things are not so simple. If it were just about striking at you, one Xu Changwen wouldn't be enough, but that old fox Chen Hui specifically used him. My brothers didn't even get a presiding judge position. There's something fishy about that."

Nobody's a fool. Seeing Luo Yunhou standing there blankly, Zhou Xiangxue assumed he was worried about the county magistrate and could only offer words of comfort. In fact, she also found it strange that the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs might have ulterior motives behind this action.

Zhang Jinyu nodded, her hand gripping the teacup tighter.

“Your Highness is right. Since the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs has other motives, I may boldly inquire whether the two chief stewards in the palace want to seize power from the cabinet, or whether they are using this as an opportunity to reduce the power of the princes.”

Since the target may not necessarily be him, then it must be the civil officials. As for the military officials, it's nothing more than weakening the power of the regional military governors, with no other purpose. Or rather, he himself is the target, since there are indeed regional military governors in the area outside the Great Wall.

Upon hearing this, the eldest princess paused, realizing it wasn't entirely impossible. Just as she was about to speak, she thought of the assassination attempt on the barbarian at the Court of State Ceremonies. Could it be that her brothers had already suspected something and were acting in concert with the cult? After all, ordinary people couldn't get into the Court of State Ceremonies' Thousand Autumns Banquet, so there must have been someone to help them. And it's possible that her brothers were among those helping them.

"It's possible to speculate, but things are different now. The Donghu delegation from the Court of State Ceremonial was all killed, and their deaths were suspicious. As a result, when the Donghu spies find out the news and it reaches the northern border, we don't know what it will look like. At that time, the court still can't take action."

For the sake of the overall situation, even the retired emperor has to take it into consideration. Therefore, there is no need for the previous speculation. A faint fragrance wafted into her nose, like lilies mixed with cedar scent. For some reason, Zhang Jinyu felt her mouth was dry and her body was a little swollen and aching.
"That's good. We must prioritize the overall situation. But I wonder what the name of that gentleman from the Prince Zheng's residence, whom Your Highness just mentioned, was again? What was his name again?"

She was speaking somewhat incoherently, and the light before her eyes was also a bit blurry. This scene was clearly seen by the three people present. Wei Shuyun and Liu Yue's faces grew increasingly red, and their breaths gradually became soft and panting, almost uncontrollable. Even the Princess's face was flushed with embarrassment. The two were closest to each other and could feel each other's breath. A gentle breeze came and rustled their clothes.

Before anyone could say anything, Zhang Jinyu suddenly looked bewildered. He felt the beauty beside him was so close that he couldn't resist and reached out to pull her into his arms. He vaguely heard a gasp and a few shouts of "Your Highness." Then came a warm and comfortable sensation. As the moon rose, Ning Bian, who heard the commotion outside, ordered his personal guards to surround the warm pavilion.

While Marquis Luoyun was attending the banquet that night, the civil and military officials of the court, after returning home, privately sent people to contact each other, mostly to deal with the changes in the Directorate of Ceremonial Affairs that day.

Especially among the nobles, many felt uneasy but dared not speak out. After the old lady of the Zhenguo Duke's mansion returned and recounted the events of the inner palace, the Zhenguo Duke, Niu Qing, sighed repeatedly. Left with no other choice, he took out a brush and wrote a letter, which he surprisingly sent to the Rongguo Mansion. After all, among the nobles, only the old lady could contact the Marquis of Luoyun. After writing the letter, he dispatched a trusted confidant to deliver it that very night.

"Master, will this work?"

As the letter was about to be delivered to the Rongguo Mansion, the old lady hesitated. Although Grandmother Jia of the Rongguo Mansion held the same high position in the imperial harem as before, the harem was forbidden from interfering in politics. How could a woman handle this situation?
"What do you know? This letter is to inform the Old Madam not to let Marquis Luoyun act impulsively. Marquis Luoyun currently has 10,000 elite troops in the capital, along with 20,000 troops from the Beijing Garrison and a portion of the Imperial Guards. If trouble breaks out, how will we handle the situation?"

This is what the Duke of Zhenguo is worried about. It is said that the people in the court are unpredictable. Fortunately, Marquis Luoyun is loyal to the court. However, precisely because of this, he is young and impetuous. If he cannot restrain himself and really draws a weapon, the consequences will be unpredictable. Moreover, Marquis Luoyun is a fierce tiger from beyond the Great Wall. Perhaps he himself does not know this.

"Tch, look at what you're saying. If you're worried about him, why not just write a letter to the Marquis's residence to explain? Why go through all this trouble and send it to the Rongguo Mansion? I doubt Old Madam Shi would even consider it."

The old lady's face was full of displeasure. When she was young, she was always overshadowed by the man from the Rongguo Mansion. Now that she was old, even though her husband had been dead for so many years, she was still being overshadowed. How could she not feel resentful?

"You're just a woman, what do you know? You're all talk and no action. Don't ask about this anymore."

The old duke had no intention of explaining. He got up, dusted himself off, and walked out. But his words ignited the old lady's anger, and she immediately started cursing, "You old hag, you actually protected her! I..."

Although none of the mansions were quiet,
Inside the Rongguo Mansion, a sedan chair had already landed in the courtyard of Rongqing Hall. Yuanyang, who had been protecting her, lifted the curtain and helped the old lady slowly alight. The red gold and pearl headband on the old lady's temple swayed slightly, and the smile she had forced on her face in the palace had long since vanished.

"Someone, go and call the eldest master and the second master here."

"Yes, old lady."

The attendants beside her quickly responded and left. Then, the group entered the inner hall. Grandmother Jia, leaning on her cane, slowly sat down in a rosewood armchair, took a breath, drank a sip of tea served by Yuanyang, and took out a letter from her hand.
"Yuanyang, take a look at this letter first. What does it say?"

"Yes, old lady."

Yuanyang found it strange. She had received the letter on the road and didn't know who had sent it. But she didn't dare to be negligent. She took it, opened it, and quickly read it through. Her expression showed a slight surprise. She didn't notice the barely perceptible tremor in Grandmother Jia's voice just now.

"Madam, this letter was written by the Duke of Zhenguo himself. It says that you should persuade Marquis Luoyun to prioritize the overall situation and not lose sight of the bigger picture for the sake of small gains."

I dare not say more, after all, the letter didn't contain that much information.
Grandmother Jia felt a little relieved and nodded. How could she not know what had happened today? After the banquet, she waited in the palace until the Dowager Empress summoned her. Only then did she learn the inside story. Xu Changwen, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, had actually committed a heinous crime against the country. He was audacious and reckless. Another thing she learned was about the eldest maid, Yuan Chun. However, she later learned that the Emperor had not visited her even once. Was it because she did not meet his expectations, or because he was unwilling to go?

The palace lanterns in the room illuminated the surroundings, but they could not dispel the shadows in my heart.

Just then, Jia She and Jia Zheng, who had received the message, arrived very quickly. The two brothers stepped across the threshold one after the other, both looking somewhat hurried. Jia She subconsciously straightened his long robe, while Jia Zheng hung his hands at his sides, his brows furrowed deeply.

"Mother,"

Upon entering the room, the two bowed in unison, stealing glances at Grandmother Jia, whose face was grim as she rubbed the bracelet on her wrist. Neither dared to speak first.

"Please sit down. Have you all heard about what happened in the palace today?"

Grandmother Jia put down her teacup, the lid clinking against it with a crisp sound, which startled Jia She. He had been so engrossed in watching the palace maids dance at the banquet that day that his memory of everything else was hazy.
Seeing that his elder brother hadn't spoken, Jia Zheng had no choice but to speak first and reply;

"After leaving the Qianqing Palace, my son went to the Ministry of Works to organize some documents related to the imperial mausoleum before returning. On the way, he heard some rumors that many people were speculating that the Xu official in the palace might be in danger."

A chill ran through him. It wasn't just a matter of his life being in danger; such treasonous words were being read aloud in front of civil and military officials, which would likely implicate a large number of people.

"What rumors! That's a matter that could cost you your head. The matter has reached the inner palace. Even the Dowager Empress said that this person is probably not going to survive. Do you two think this is a joke?"

Jia She was somewhat nonchalant, thinking that since it had nothing to do with their household, there was no need to get so agitated, and said with a forced smile;
"Mother, please calm down. This matter concerning officials outside the capital is entirely separate from our Rongguo Mansion."

How could their household be in such a state of fear? But to everyone's surprise, Grandmother Jia gave a cold laugh.
"A layer apart? You think you can be so carefree. The front hall is in chaos, but the harem can remain calm. The Empress presided over the birthday banquet, and it was over in an instant. I have never seen such a scene before in my life. At that time, the teacups in the hands of those ladies in the hall were trembling. After all, this person is a disciple of Marquis Luoyun. Do you think it is just his business?"

With a sigh, she thought, "There are many who might be implicated, including Lord Nan of the Wuying Hall. What should we do?" Just then, Wang Xifeng lifted the curtain and entered, still wearing the light red silk gown she wore to the banquet. Seeing the commotion in the room, she quickly composed herself, greeted Grandmother Jia and the two masters, and said...
"Grandpa, the Chamber of Commerce just sent over some pre-Qingming Longjing tea. Here, it'll soothe your throat."

These Longjing teas were also sent by Jia Yun; he happened to have brought some along the way.
"What is the use of Longjing tea?"

Grandmother Jia sighed again and patted the chair beside her.
"Please sit down first. This time, you observed carefully in the palace. Did you notice anything from the maid opposite you?"

This question seemed to stray from the topic, leaving Jia She and Jia Zheng puzzled. But a thought struck Jia Zheng: the image of the eldest maid, Yuan Chun, in his memory was becoming increasingly blurry.

Wang Xifeng sat down next to Grandmother Jia, twisting her handkerchief in her hand, seemingly lost in thought.
"Replying to the old lady, I was sitting right in front of her at the time, not daring to move. When I looked up, I saw Consort Xiande and her maid Baoqin. Consort Xiande's complexion was fine, and I couldn't see anything else. But I felt something was off about Baoqin."

It was an indescribable feeling. As soon as she finished speaking, the curtain outside moved, and the First Madam, Madam Xing, and the Second Madam, Madam Wang, had already entered. Upon hearing this, the Second Madam could no longer remain calm. She hurriedly took a few steps into the inner hall and anxiously asked.
What happened to Yuan Chun?

Seeing that Lady Wang had already lost her composure, Grandmother Jia's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.

"What's the rush? Sit down now that you're here. You, as her mother, don't know how Her Majesty is doing."

He addressed her as "Your Majesty" repeatedly, using extremely heavy language. Only then did the Second Madam realize the difference between ruler and subject, and she immediately changed her address.
"I know, but I don't know if it's true or not. Every time she replies, the Empress says everything is fine. She sent silver in three times, and the eunuchs who served her were even more amiable. But how could they know the real situation?"

Although they are only separated by a wall, the palace walls make them seem like two different worlds. Who can tell if it's real or fake?

Seeing that the conversation had reached this point, everyone in the room understood perfectly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on Jia Zheng's forehead.
"Mother, has something happened in the palace?"

"Yes, could it be that the matter of that Magistrate Xu could involve Her Majesty?"

Jia She lost his indifferent attitude. Although the eldest maid was from the second branch of the family, she was born a concubine and was therefore a lady of the Jia family. If something happened in the harem, what would become of the Jia family?

Grandmother Jia glared and slammed her hand on the table;
"Don't make wild guesses. There's nothing wrong in the palace. It's just that the banquet ended and I didn't have a chance to speak with Her Majesty, which is why I feel regretful. This matter still involves the Marquis of Luoyun's mansion. Our Rongguo mansion is related to the Marquis's mansion through marriage, so how can we sever ties? This letter was sent by the Duke of Zhenguo. He simply wants us to persuade the young Marquis not to lose face."

Grandmother Jia took out the letter and placed it on the table. Everyone still had some guesses, but since the old lady didn't speak, none of them dared to press further. As for admonishing Marquis Luoyun, how could that be?

"Ahem, Mother's words are all reasonable. Marquis Luo Yun is young and impetuous; who can persuade him?"

It's rare that Jia She has spoken!

(End of this chapter)