Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 880: Mr. Xu's Hesitation
In the third courtyard of the south end,
Jia Rong's face flushed red. He wished he could finish arranging the yard right now so that he could go there at night. However, it would take at least ten days or half a month to finish arranging such a large yard.
As he was in high spirits, he didn't care about spending money anymore. He was about to call someone to go to the East Market to do some shopping. He was about to leave after saying something, but Yang Xiao stretched out his hand, took Jia Rong's arm, raised the corner of his mouth, and came up with an idea.
"Hey, Rong Ge, don't leave for now. If you go to the East Market to buy things, you will have to spend a lot of money on such a big yard. Isn't it said that the servants of Ningguo Mansion have been sent to the farm outside the city, so many houses are empty. I don't think there will be so many people living in them in the future. There are more than a dozen servants' rooms in the west wing. It would be better to go back to the mansion and move some things in."

Since you are thinking of following Jia Rong, you should at least consider him. Even if you don’t consider him, you should still consider the money in your pocket.

Although the speaker was unintentional, the listener was interested. Gui Mei's eyes lit up. This was a good idea.
"Yes, Rong'er, didn't you say that the old lady agreed that you can move whatever you like? Then why not move more?"

Thinking that there were many good things in Ningguo Mansion, he might want to take some. It was not a small number. But Jia Rong was reluctant. He had finally left the mansion and had taken advantage of it. If he went back to take these, he was afraid that it would cause trouble if his second aunt saw it. In addition, there were many imperial gifts in the storehouse of Ningguo Mansion. Who dared to touch those things? After all, there were many people watching Ningguo Mansion.

"Although what Auntie said is true, Ningguo Mansion is Ningguo Mansion after all. There are some things that we dare not take, and we cannot take."

The three of them had lived in Ningguo Mansion for so long and knew the inside story, but He Xue raised her eyebrows and said unhappily;
"I'm not asking you to take those life-threatening things. Send all the valuable things to Madam You. What we want is nothing more than moving some tables, chairs and benches. The servants in the West Garden have left, so it's okay to move some. Besides, Madam You and the grandmother of the West Mansion don't like our belongings. Why don't we move those in the backyard house back? After all, the main house also needs some appearance to support it."

As they talked, He Xue became interested. They knew what they could take and what they couldn't take. Some of the finest wood for the house was not a big deal. In this way, the yard and the main house were complete.

The third sister He Xue's words moved the two men. Even Jia Rong was a little hesitant. What she said made sense. After all, the old lady had agreed. Besides, the whole yard was bare. There were many flowers, plants and trees in the West Garden. Once those servants left, no one would take care of them. It would be better to move them all back.

Thinking of this, I no longer wanted to go to the East Market to buy things.

"That's fine, but it's not convenient for us to go to Ningguo Mansion, so let Zhong'er take the people there. The three concubines can go back to the carriage and rest for a while."

"Okay, let's move to the backyard first and clean up these six rooms."

Gui Mei was not polite at all. She didn't want to rest in the carriage at night without even a place to wash. Jia Rong agreed with a smile on his face.

Jia Rong, still dressed as a servant, took his men, borrowed more than a dozen carriages, and went to Ningguo Mansion.
That’s why the front door looks like this.
First, he met the butler Lai Sheng at the gatehouse and explained his purpose. Lai Sheng did not dare to refuse. After all, the old lady had left a message that the servants in the West Garden had already dispersed, and there was no use for those things.
No problem, first agree to let Rong'er take the West Courtyard, as for the backyard, Lai Sheng didn't dare to make the decision, so he asked Jia Rong to wait for a while, and took people to Madam You in the East Courtyard.

As soon as he arrived at the courtyard, he saw the newly promoted manager Chen and his men guarding the gate. Lai Sheng nodded and walked in.
Arriving at the main house door, I knocked and waited there.
"Madam, I, Lai Sheng, would like to see you,"

Inside the house,
Yin Die'er and a group of maids were cleaning the house.

Madam You was sitting at the table, drinking tea, as if she had let go of her worries. She looked much better in the past few days. Since she had dismissed many servants, the house seemed to be more peaceful.

I heard a knock on the door.
Mrs. You shouted,
"Yin Die'er, go and take a look."

"Yes, ma'am,"

Yin Die'er put down the quilt in her hand, walked to the door, opened it, saw that it was Butler Lai, and asked;

"Is there anything wrong, Steward Lai?"

Lai Sheng smiled. Yin Die'er was no longer the same as before and she was much more careful with her words.
"Mr. Silver, there is something wrong. Madam is in the house."

"Here, come in."

As Yindie spoke, she made way for Lai Sheng to walk in respectfully, closed the door, and followed Yindie into the inner hall.

"Greetings to the lady,"

"What do you want to say? Tell me what it is."

Madam You put down her tea bowl. Without her imperial title, she no longer had the life of a madam. Lai Sheng smiled awkwardly and replied carefully.
"Madam, Rong Ge'er has returned with his servants and said that they want to move some furniture back, especially those in the backyard. Rong Ge'er said that the valuables should not be moved, and asked Madam to find someone to put them in the warehouse. Rong Ge'er wants to keep the furnishings in the house."

"Huh? Why move these things? Is it possible that he doesn't have them in his house?"

Madam You asked in confusion, "Why did they want to come back and move things after they had been gone for a day? Could they be thinking of something else?"

Lai Sheng stood there with his head down and quickly replied;
"To answer Madam, the house in the south was used as a storehouse. Later, there was nothing to put in it and no one to take care of it, so it has been abandoned for a long time. It is just a house without any useful belongings. I think it is not easy for Rong Ge'er. It happens that the servants of Xiyuan have all left the farm. I will make the decision and let Rong Ge'er take the things in the west room away first."

It's not that Lai Sheng wants to be a good person, he just can't bear it. He didn't expect that the head of the Ningguo Mansion, Rong Ge'er, didn't even have a bed to sleep on.
"Well, just pull it. After the people from Xiyuan left, the empty house is useless. It can be of some use. As long as it's not something urgent for the Duke's Mansion, you have to keep an eye on it."

Mrs. You didn't want to ask about these things. They were just some useless things, tables, chairs, and benches. How many more could she ask for? Those in the backyard, huh? That's not right. Aren't there still those three people in the backyard? Why would they go there to get things?

"Butler Lai, it's fine if he wants some tables and chairs, but why does he have to go to the backyard to get things? Aren't there three concubines living there?"

When the three concubines left, they all left at night, through the back door, and Madam You didn't know what was going on inside, so she asked about it. However, Lai Sheng opened his mouth. He knew about it, but how to explain it? He looked at the silver steward behind the madam,

As if she saw that Butler Lai was in distress, Yin Die'er walked closer and whispered,
"Grandma, the three aunts have been sent out of the house. The backyard is empty and no one lives there."

"What? They all left. Where did they go? Was it arranged by the Second Madam of the West Mansion?"

Mrs. You seemed to remember that Feng had mentioned this matter to her, and that arrangements had been made for the people in the backyard, but she forgot about it when she became busy and didn't know how it was arranged, so she asked this question.

Yin Die'er looked strange, and raised her eyes to look at Butler Lai, but Butler Lai lowered his head and stood there, pretending not to hear. Although he knew these things, he could only pretend not to know. After all, how could he talk nonsense about his master's affairs? It was fine in the past, but now, Ningguo Mansion is almost empty. If he doesn't have tact and causes trouble, he is afraid that he will not be able to stay.
"Grandma, there was an arrangement before, saying that it was a marriage for a member of the Jia family, but later on, it couldn't be dismissed so hastily. After all, they remembered some of the things that happened inside. But, later on, later on,"

Yin Die'er thought for a long time, but still couldn't figure out what to say. Madam You was a little puzzled. Why did she hesitate to speak? It would be bad to let those three people and those bought prostitutes go at will. After all, they have been in the mansion for a long time, and they are afraid that the internal affairs will be spread. It would be better to keep them in the clan and marry them to a good family. When they return by themselves, she can give the three people some silver. It can be regarded as a chance meeting.
"Why are you still hesitating? What happened next?"

Yin Die'er hesitated for a long time, but she had no choice but to reply in a low voice;

"Grandma, something unexpected happened later. When Rong'er left, he disagreed, saying that there was no one to help take care of the southern courtyard, so he went to the West Mansion to ask the Second Madam, saying that the three concubines should go back with Rong'er, and the prostitutes in the courtyard should also become maids. This way, the three concubines' places to go will be solved, and there will be less gossip."

This speech made Madam You stunned for a while. How could they follow Jia Rong to serve? Those three people were not only beautiful, but also of top-notch appearance. Master Zhen had spent a lot of time buying them. They had been living a life of luxury for a long time. How could they serve others? How could Feng girl agree to it?
Suddenly, I remembered myself and Li Wan, the eldest lady of the West Mansion. Didn't they also follow Marquis Luo Yun? The figure of Feng girl was also involved in this. The Duke's Mansion was made into a mess. Feng girl was the procuress's introduction. This was not to serve, but to serve. And no outsiders were allowed to know. How could the etiquette be thorough?

"This matter must not be spread outside. After some time, let him think of a way to change the names of the three people. As for the things used in the backyard, put the Ningguo Mansion's utensils into the treasury, and let them move the rest. This is also the last gift from the Ningguo Mansion. Lai Sheng, you go and see it yourself." "Yes, grandma."

Lai Sheng nodded in agreement quickly, and then left the house without staying. However, Madam You was still a little annoyed. The plaque of Ningguo Mansion was still there, so how could they separate calmly? Even the people who bought it were thinking about the way out, so wasn't it the same for her?
"Yin Die'er, go and arrange for the servants to move the things in the West Garden. Let Jia Rong move them. But there are still a few small courtyards in the west that are sealed up. Don't waste them. Find someone to clean them up and divide the things. Move them to the courtyard in the South City and make it more tidy. Do you understand?"

"Yes, grandma, I understand."

Yin Die'er's eyes were thoughtful. Grandma had thought it through. She only needed to send someone to clean up the house in the south city. Not only was the furnishings in the house old, but it would also cost a lot of money to repair it. If she followed Rong Ge's example and moved some of Ningguo Mansion's things over there, she could save a lot of money. In this way, no one else would know about it, so she would let Chen Sheng do it.
Seeing that the matter had been concluded, Madam You was still somewhat uneasy. Most of the servants in Ningguo Mansion had already left the farm, and the originally bustling mansion now seemed deserted. Only the West Mansion was becoming even more extraordinary. Yuanchun had been conferred the title of Imperial Concubine, and the banquets alone would last for three consecutive days, with guests coming and going, and it was extremely lively and bustling, with everyone talking about it. What could she do?

"Wait until later, pack up and go to visit Grandma Xifu."

"Yes, I will arrange it."

outer court,

Lai Sheng got Madam You's approval, and without further delay, he came to Rong Ge'er and yawned.
"Uncle Rong, grandma has agreed. Aside from some things in the mansion that need to be stored in the warehouse, the rest can be done by Brother Rong according to his own taste."

Jia Rong was overjoyed when he heard this. He had already moved three times, and most of the things in the West Garden had been moved. The only things left were the things in the three concubines' rooms. Since they had agreed, all was easy to do. Just as Jia Rong was calling people to the backyard, he suddenly thought of something, stopped, took out a piece of loose silver from his pocket, and handed it over.

"Please trouble Butler Lai to make the trip."

Lai Sheng was somewhat stunned. Rong Ge'er gave him a reward, so he immediately accepted it.
"Thank you, Master Rong, for the reward,"

It seemed that Rong Ge'er had changed, and he followed with a few servants.

Beijing, Shuntian Prefecture Yamen,

Xu Jiaqing, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, was still sitting in the pavilion in the backyard, sipping wine, but he no longer had the resentful expression he had before. Although he had resentment in his heart these days, he became much more honest after the princes of various places came to Beijing. He also asked the yamen runners and patrolmen of Shuntian Prefecture to think carefully about the patrol routes every day and not to cause trouble, so as to avoid encountering some difficult-to-handle situations. Because of this, the yamen was able to have peace for a few times.

But deep down, I still think of that beautiful figure, and I don’t know where she is.

"Sir, sir, someone from the Zhongshan Li family has come and said they want to take that person back. Please take a look."

outside,

Song Changping, the governor of Shuntian Prefecture,

He walked in hurriedly. This case was reported by Mr. Pei of the Imperial Examination Hall during the special examination a few days ago. It was about Li Feng, the eldest son of the Li family, a prominent family in Zhongshan County. He died suddenly during the examination and was not sent to the government office until the dragon gate was opened. However, after the coroner performed an autopsy, he was found to have died of poisoning, which seemed strange.

Less than a day later, someone claiming to be from the Li family of Zhongshan County came here and offered silver, hoping to close the case as soon as possible. We have been waiting until now. Now that someone from the Li family of Zhongshan County has come, what should we do?
Lord Xu took another sip of wine, a sneer appeared on his face, and asked;

"What did they say?"

Song Changping had already arrived inside the pavilion, bowed, and replied in a low voice;

"Sir, the person who came from the Li family is the second steward. He asked you to close the case quickly so that he can take the person back to his hometown for burial, and..."

Song Changping looked around carefully, then leaned in and whispered;
"And we have to give you 10,000 taels of silver as a thank you. You seem to be in a hurry. Are you waiting outside?"

"Haha, you are really generous. Ten thousand taels of silver is a huge investment. Li Feng died of poisoning. If I am right, his death was caused by someone in the Li family courtyard. And I heard that Li Changning, the eldest son of the Li family, ranked third on the list of the Imperial Examination Hall and was promoted to the ninth rank. Wow, what a good thing he did."

Xu Jiaqing narrowed his eyes. If he thought about it carefully, he would understand that it was a common trick used by the rich and powerful families. However, he should never use these tricks on the imperial examination. If it was done in Zhongshan County, it would be done. In the capital, especially Lord Nan and Lord Pei, Luo Yunhou was very troubled. He was also thinking about the Jia family members imprisoned in prison. It was a hot potato, especially the Rongguo Mansion. Now, it was too expensive to mention. How would it end?
Song Changping smiled bitterly after hearing this cold sneer. How could he not understand these things? If his guess was correct, it should be the mother of the eldest son of the Li family who was involved. If it was true, Li Changning's official status would be gone.

"Sir, Lord Nan has not sent me any letter from the Imperial Examination Hall. After Lord Pei reported the case, he did not come to ask for an investigation. Should we just let it go?"

"It's a good idea, but who can guarantee it? Pei Yujing is the Shaoqing of the Taichang Temple. Logically, he should be a student of the Prime Minister. But it happens that I am slightly familiar with Master Ji of the Wuying Palace. Master Pei is a disciple of Master Nan. He reported the case and I won't ask about it. But the result depends on his mood. So, how do you say to close the case? Let him tell you about the poisoning."

Xu Jiaqing was reluctant to close the case because of this. If he dealt with it hastily, he would be blamed if something went wrong in the future. If he dealt with it severely, the Zhongshan Li family and the new official Li Changning would be greatly offended. He was undecided and suddenly thought of the Jia family, so he asked;
"What about Jia Qiang from Ningguo Mansion and Jia Rui from Rongguo Mansion?"

"Your Excellency, the two of them have been moved to different cells, and are eating and sleeping well. Your Excellency means that they should be released?"

Staying in the cell all the time is not a good thing. The Jia family has become extremely rich. If they don't treat them well, it will be difficult for people in Shuntian Prefecture to live in the future.

Xu Jiaqing seemed even more annoyed. None of the two things were going well for him. Even if the Li family case was investigated, what would it matter? If he didn't investigate, Lord Pei had a handle on him.

"Let the Li family go back first. There is no rush to close the case. Also, go to the Imperial Examination Hall. Lord Pei is still on duty there. Feel out the situation. As for the Jia family, I will go to the Marquis' Mansion in person and meet the Marquis first, and then discuss it."

"This is an adult."

Song Changping nodded. This was a safe method. Only after getting the upper hand, could the right medicine be prescribed. However, he did not know why the Lord went to Luo Yunhou Mansion. After all, the Lord had been talking about it for a few days.

He responded and turned to leave. In front of him, the Li family's housekeeper was waiting.

As the people left, Xu Jiaqing lost interest in drinking, and he stood up and shouted;
"Come here, prepare the carriage, go through the back door, and go to Luo Yunhou Mansion. Oh, and take the two jars of the best girl's red wine in the room. You can't go there empty-handed. Also, there is a silver hairpin on the table in the side room of the main hall. Wrap it up and take it with you. I can use it, Master."

"Yes, sir, I will go right away."

(End of this chapter)