Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 783 Tea from the West
In front of the Meridian Gate,
The clear sound of drums spread out immediately.

The imperial guards who stayed there were unable to move forward or backward, and at the same time looked at the leading captain, helpless, the captain shouted;

"According to the regulations, officials of high rank must use a trumpet to announce when beating the drum for reporting. Lady Shi is a first-rank imperial lady, and she has her own rank. She must blow the trumpet according to the Dawu Law."

Following the captain's order,
The rear guard came to the trumpet and blew it.
"Ohh Ohh ohh!"

For a time,

Inside and outside the palace,

Trumpets sounded everywhere, but the censor who was supposed to come out was nowhere to be seen. After a round of trumpets, the trumpets stopped sounding and the imperial guards returned to their original positions, but the drums continued to sound.

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong paced back and forth behind the imperial desk with a gloomy face. He glanced out the window and saw that the originally bright sky had also darkened. Dense dark clouds hung in the sky, shrouding his heart.
As I turned around, I suddenly heard the sound of drums and tubas.

I sighed in my heart, King Zhongshun has made a mistake for me.

"Li Shoufu, I still need you to take action on this matter and share my worries,"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I am here to take your place, but I do not know how to write your decree."

This was also a reminder that even if he went, it would be useless if the problem was not solved. Therefore, the decision on how to issue the decree still needed to be made by the emperor.
The Ningguo Mansion matter could not be delayed. After all, the case had been tried and all officials were watching closely. In addition, the Ningguo Mansion was charged with a crime that was a warning from heaven. In addition, the identity of the evil Taoist made it difficult for the Ningguo Mansion to escape. Therefore, the conviction had to appease both the civil officials and the nobles, which was a dilemma.

Especially after Jia Jing died, the problem fell on the emperor.
Emperor Wu walked slowly to the window, looking at the dark clouds in the sky and the breeze blowing in the courtyard. Isn't this a sign of impending storm?

Ningguo Mansion is not worth mentioning. Jia's ancestors must have done favors to the imperial family. Even their own throne is related to it. The situation inside the pass is not settled yet, so no major moves can be made. Therefore, appeasement and kindness must be given.
It’s just that the previous events, the demons and the civil officials, should also be explained, so he asked;
"According to the Prime Minister's opinion, how should we grant grace in this matter?"

The conversation was brought back to Li Chonghou.
But the Prime Minister smiled.
"Your Majesty, the Jia family still has favor. Ningguo Mansion's Jia Zhen and his son, who indulged in feasting, drinking and having fun, deserved this disaster, especially since they employed evil Taoist priests and harmed the court's fortune. They deserved death, but Jia Jing's death saved their lives."

He hesitated for a moment, glanced at His Majesty's face, and saw that he was not angry, so he continued to reply;

"But the death penalty can be avoided, but the punishment of life cannot be escaped. If Jia Zhen continues to do whatever he wants with his title, it will cause trouble to the court. Therefore, I think that we should deprive Jia Zhen of his title and let the Jia family bring out another talented person to inherit, or Your Majesty can choose someone to inherit.
As for Jia Zhen, he was exiled to Lingnan, Jia Rong was demoted to a commoner and expelled from Ningguo Mansion, and Jia Jing, a Taoist monk, was allowed to be taken back and buried according to the rules by the Jia family. No one was held accountable, which was also a warning and comfort to the civil and military officials. "

Prime Minister Li did not deliberately hide his thoughts, but instead considered the emperor in every aspect. This was better than Lu Wenshan and Gu Yichen. The two of them were always at loggerheads, but in the end, the benefits also came from their power.

Now, Prime Minister Li has turned a deaf ear to this matter. This fact is unshakable in the heart of Your Majesty.

"Haha, it's still the Prime Minister's brilliant plan that can bring peace to the world. This is the only advice from an experienced and experienced person on state affairs. Dai Quan, draft the edict and use the seal. Let Prime Minister Li take the trouble."

"Yes, Your Majesty,"

Dai Quan heaved a sigh of relief when he saw this, and quickly took the brush and wrote the edict. After checking that it was correct, he used the imperial seal and carefully handed it to the Prime Minister.
Li Chonghou took it and took a quick look. He thought it was okay, so he stood up and bowed tremblingly.
"Your Majesty, the old minister is gone,"

He walked straight to the door. Seeing this, Dai Quan quickly winked at Xiao Yunzi.

Xiao Yunzi immediately stepped forward to help.
"Master Prime Minister, please go slowly. Xiao Yunzi will help you to get over there."

"Well, okay, thank you, Eunuch Yun,"

Li Chonghou did not hesitate to walk out of the imperial study with the help of several young eunuchs.
The study, which was originally quiet, became even quieter and darker.
When Dai Quan saw it, he immediately shouted;

"Hold the lamp!"

"Master, why did you come here in person?"

A corner of a teahouse at the street corner.
Princess Yongcheng Zhou Ying, wearing a human skin mask, led a few people to sit around a table, including the guard Shi Tai, and the maids Zou Xiao and Ge Qing.

I ordered some tea and some freshly bought cakes and placed them on the table.
The question just now was asked by Ge Qing. After all, she came here in person to monitor the Jia family's movements. She never thought that her master would follow her. She was surprised and spoke out, but then she quickly shut up and looked around. She saw many people whispering to each other and discussing noisily what had just happened.

He stretched his head and looked towards the inner palace, not paying any attention to this side.

"You, what are you yelling about? I'm here, ahem. Sit down and have a taste of this cloud cake from Yaoji Shop, fresh out of the oven!"

After saying this, Princess Yongcheng, who was dressed in a grey men's suit, sat lazily on the east side of the table and patted the table.

The three people accompanying him understood.

Then he sat down and quickly poured a bowl of tea for His Highness. However, the tea in the bowl was dark in color and had some broken tea leaves. It was obviously of very low quality.
Seeing this, Ge Qing looked unhappy and scolded the store owner.

"Shopkeeper, what's going on? Bring me a pot of good tea and take all these away."

"Okay, sir, it's all because of the waiter's ignorance that he neglected you,"

The shopkeeper quickly explained, and seeing the visitor, it was obvious that he was not short of money.
Then he slapped the waiter on the head and cursed,
"You are blind, you can't see that you are so expensive. Go and make a pot of good tea."

The waiter was a little confused after being beaten. How could it be his fault? This tea shop has always been used in this way. He was beaten for this, but he dared not disobey the shopkeeper's order.
The waiter quickly poured some top-quality tea from the pottery jar under the counter into the teapot, and then took a pot of hot water from the stove and poured it in.

After rinsing it and pouring boiling water again, a fragrant aroma came instantly. It turned out that the shopkeeper had good stuff.

Then, he quickly picked up the teapot and walked over.
"Sir, the replacement tea has arrived. It's all from the shopkeeper. It's some good tea that he has hidden away. Enjoy it."

The waiter nodded and bowed, but did not take the original teapot back, leaving it there waiting carefully.

Ge Qing first took the teapot and poured himself a bowl of tea. Then he inserted a silver needle from somewhere and saw that it was fine. He took the tea bowl and took a sip.
The aroma was acceptable. The so-called good tea was just of medium-high quality, nothing special. However, it was rare for this ordinary tea shop. He hinted to His Highness,

"It's OK, it's a delicious tea, thank you."

He took out some big coins from his waist and threw them to the waiter.

The waiter was overjoyed, and hurriedly took it, and quickly stuffed the big money into his waist, and disappeared.

"Dear guests, if you need anything, please call me and I will definitely serve you. This tea was purchased by the shopkeeper from a merchant from the west. I have never been willing to drink it. Today is the first time I brewed it. The taste is different from the tea from the Central Plains."

As if he was deliberately showing off, he described the origin of the tea in a rather obscure way.

Princess Yongcheng immediately became interested, especially in the early years, she had heard that many merchants from the west went to the capital to do business, and she was familiar with tea.
Looking at the tea that was poured in front of me, the color was dark, a little dark red, I had never seen it before. I brought it in front of me and smelled it. It had a rich fragrance with a slightly indescribable taste.
Take a sip and it's not as good as the good tea from the Central Plains, but it has a unique flavor and can be considered top quality.
"It is indeed good tea. Waiter, can you sell me some of this tea? Here is the silver, take it!"

Seeing that His Highness wanted to buy tea, Zou Xiao was confused. The princess's mansion had all kinds of good tea, but why did she want to buy these? However, since His Highness wanted to buy it, then he would buy it.
He took out a silver ingot and placed it on the table, signaling the waiter to hurry up.
This ingot of silver weighed five taels. The waiter had never seen it before. He nodded quickly, put the silver away, and without waiting for the shopkeeper to speak, he ran back to the counter, squatted down, took out a clean brocade cloth, and poured a large bag. He was an honest man.
"Your sister-in-law is crazy, why did she pour so much?" The shopkeeper happened to come back and saw the waiter pouring out the good tea he had hidden. He hurried over and slapped him again.

The waiter quickly held his head and explained aggrievedly,

"Shopkeeper, that distinguished guest said the tea was delicious, so he paid five taels of silver to buy some. I am packing it for you."

He also took out the five taels of silver he had kept. When the shopkeeper saw it, his eyes lit up and he quickly snatched it away and put it in his arms.
"Okay, I've stewed some meat tonight. I'll give you a big bowl. Quickly serve more to the distinguished guest."

The shopkeeper waved his hand and the silver disappeared. The waiter had no choice but to pack the tea and send it over.

"Excuse me for keeping you waiting. Here are the tea leaves I just gave you. I packed some more for you."

As the voice came, the waiter put the packaged tea on the table. Zhou Ying nodded.

"Okay, well done, another reward."

In a word, although Ge Qing didn't know why, he still quickly took out the big money and threw it over.
The waiter continued hurriedly, thanked him repeatedly, and then retreated to get busy.

As soon as people leave,
Ge Qing couldn't help but ask,
"Master, why did you buy these teas? They are just ordinary in appearance, but the taste is a little unique. If you drink them a few times, you will get used to the taste and you won't be able to drink them anymore."

What Ge Qing said was absolutely right. The worst tea in the princess's mansion was the tribute from Jiangnan. There were good teas everywhere, but there were some teas that had never been seen in other places. They were for a change of taste. After drinking it a few times, the novelty wore off and it became unpalatable.
Why does His Highness have a special liking for this tea? He took another look at the tea in front of him. The taste was obviously much lighter and the fragrance was gone.

"Yes, that's absolutely right, but you didn't notice what the waiter just said. This tea is sold by merchants from the west. The west is the territory of the Gong family of the Western Palace. So the fact that this tea can be sold in the capital must mean that the Western Palace has already extended its hand. This tea is a backup."

Princess Yongcheng Zhou Ying smiled slightly. Although she came here to see the Jia family making trouble, she found something else after drinking a cup of tea.
It was an unexpected surprise. The West King's Palace family was going to be taken over by himself. It was possible that the West King's Mansion was also waiting for someone to come over. After all, it was always blocked in the northwest border and could not get involved in the affairs inside the country. How could the West King not be anxious?

In addition, the trade routes in the Western Regions are invaluable. What I have found out can prove that the Western Palace must have secret connections with the Western Regions and the Xianbei people. Otherwise, how can hundreds of thousands of troops be supported without the supply from the court?
Although this tea is not top grade, it is a rare taste. It comes from the west, and is either produced in the Western Regions or by the Xianbei people. If some evidence is left, we can talk slowly about it later.

The three people around were filled with horror. The Western Prince's Palace was a huge place with numerous elite soldiers and generals under its command. It was indeed the most powerful among the vassal kings.

"Master, these are what they sell?"

Ge Qing swallowed his saliva. In this way, would the financial shortcomings of the West Palace be made up?

"If my guess is correct, it should be. With these, the silver deficit of the West Palace every year can be made up. I wonder if the silver owed by the court after the new year can be repaid. If it is repaid, it means that the West Palace's heart is still on the side of the court. Moreover, once the silver is repaid, the West Palace will be honest in the next few years."

Zhou Ying picked up a cake and took a bite. It was soft, sweet and very memorable. It was indeed the cloud cake from the famous Yaoji Chamber of Commerce in the capital. As for why the old affairs of the West Palace happened, all the silver was returned to the court. Without the silver, it was like a tiger without teeth. Although it still had its majesty, its movements were not agile.

The three people who followed him also thought of this. Shi Taiyi clasped his fists and said,

"Your Highness, what you said makes sense. At this moment, the West Palace must be short of silver. Your Highness wants to seek cooperation. This is a rare opportunity. I heard that this time, the West Palace and the South Palace also sent convoys to pay tribute. Now, they have entered the territory of the Central Plains."

Shi Tai may not know much about what is happening in other places, but His Highness has spies in the capital to monitor every move. Not to mention the slightest movement, as long as there is a big movement, he will definitely know.

Therefore, the convoy of tribute-offering princes from various places, along with the information about tributes from two kings of different surnames, was noticed. After all, it came in with great fanfare, so it would be hard not to know.

Seeing what Mrs. Shi said, Zhou Ying's eyes sparkled. She was indeed a meticulous person. Thinking about the arrangements made by the Shi family, she never expected that the Shi family actually sent their own daughter to the Rongguo Mansion. It seemed that Mrs. Shi was a bold and careful person, and could be of great use!

He also thought of the convoys of tribute-paying princes. He heard that the princes of various royal palaces had also come along. The capital might be much more lively. When he received the imperial edict and returned to the capital, he would need people to celebrate with him. He could also invite Marquis Luo Yun to come over. They could discuss some things then. Maybe, with the help of the power of the princes within the borders, he could get him to give in.

There are many good things outside the Great Wall. If you are given a trade route, you can earn a lot of money.

"Since you're all here, the tribute is probably just a cover. I think my father should know this, and the emperor knows everything even better. This way, there will be more people in the capital who want to fish in troubled waters. Then, my noble sister and I will be able to reach out and touch the muddy waters."

Zhou Ying felt a little more emotional. If the capital city was always peaceful, they would have no place to use their skills. On the contrary, if it was a little chaotic, it would be easy for the two sisters to get along with everyone.

By then, I can make all the young talents in the capital bow down to me. Who knows, my former glory can return.

If she were to be trapped in the princess's mansion, she might as well die.

"Master, you are right. I heard that Prince Zhongshun was released early. The governor of the clan affairs office seems to have made preparations. Master should be more careful. In addition, the power of the Northern and Eastern Prince's Palaces in the capital is not small."

Ge Qing on the opposite side had a solemn expression. Although the power of the Western Palace was the strongest among all the vassal kings, the Northern Palace and the Eastern Palace, which had lost their military power, were not weak. In fact, even though they had lost their military power and gained the trust of the court, their influence had become even greater.
In Beijing,
Anyone who ignores the North Palace and the East Palace will suffer a great loss.

"Yes, Your Highness, what Ge Shanggong said is right. Although the Northern and Eastern Palaces don't interfere much in the government affairs, they are involved in almost all matters concerning the nobles. It is almost impossible to get in touch with the nobles without going through them. In addition, there are many banks in the capital, but they all belong to the two palaces. Even if the merchants want to buy more supplies, except for the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the noble families, they can only find them to ship the goods."

Therefore,
Even if one wants to gain access to a trade route to the north, one needs to make long-term plans. After all, there are so many chambers of commerce in the capital, and most of the goods needed have been divided up by those powerful people.

Princess Yongcheng Zhou Ying had a puzzled look in her eyes. It seemed that what Shi Tai said was right. The capital was no longer the same as before. Back then, the Jia family in the capital had two dukes, who led 400,000 troops in the capital camp. They were so brave. But now...

He actually managed to get the women in the mansion to show their faces in public, and the head of the Ningguo Mansion was almost wiped out.
Now, people were kneeling in front of the Meridian Gate, crying and wailing. They were completely disgraced. For a noble family, reaching this point was like going downhill, into the muddy land at the bottom of the valley. Even if they could climb out, they would still be badly damaged.

visible,

Plan everything carefully and don’t be lazy.
"Got it. Don't worry about the other things for now. After the Enke is over and the tribute convoys from various princes arrive in Beijing, we will make plans."

"Yes, Master!"

Several people agreed quietly.

Suddenly, a cry came from outside the window. Several people were startled and looked up.

In front of the Meridian Gate,
The Jia family lit torches and burned paper money, then ordered the servants to carry Jia Jing's body onto the carriage.

By the way, three incense sticks were lit in front of the carriage, and paper money was scattered around the carriage. Someone shouted,

"Hello, sir, get on board."

"Please get on board, sir!"

Subsequently,

Everyone covered Jia Jing's body with a white cloth and put a cool mat on it to cover it.

(End of this chapter)