Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 885: The Case of Shuntian Prefecture
Luoyunhou Mansion,

Hearing the rooster crow,

Zhang Jinyu was lying on the bed in the east room, holding Yueshu and the other girl in his arms. He had been drinking and chatting with Lord Xu of Shuntian Prefecture last night and had gone to bed late. Who would have thought that someone was already lying on the bed in the east room? He knew it was the two of them just by smelling them. They were young and energetic, so how could they resist? They had a good time all night under the influence of alcohol and had just woken up this morning.

But his eyelids were tired, and he stayed in bed, not getting up. Yueshu and the other two girls had already woken up, smiled at each other shyly, got up, changed their clothes, and cleaned up the room first. After all, there were a lot of clothes scattered on the floor. At this time,
outside the door,

There was a knock on the door, "bang, bang, bang."

"Uncle, get up,"

The only person who could knock on the door like this was Baozhu. Yue'er got up and went to open the door. Seeing Baozhu and her maid waiting outside, she smiled.

"come in,"

Seeing that it was the two aunts, Baozhu did not dare to neglect them and bowed.

"Greetings to the two concubines,"

Then he took the maid and went into the house, muttering to himself, no wonder the Marquis didn't go to the cottage last night, it turned out that he was entangled by the two of them,

Just thinking,

Yueshu and her two daughters had packed their clothes and went out together.

"Baozhu, the Marquis is still asleep. Please clean up the room. We are going to Dongyun Tower to serve the old lady first."

"Yes, Madam, I know."

Baozhu secretly curled her lips and agreed. After seeing the people leave, she went into the inner hall. She saw the Marquis still sleeping soundly on the bed, which was in disarray. She walked over and covered the Marquis with a blanket.

As soon as the quilt was moved, Zhang Jinyu opened his eyes. His face was as dry as a knife, as if he had not woken up yet, and his body was still a little tired.
When I saw Baozhu sitting by the bed, I knew the two girls had returned.

"Why did you come so early?"

"Sir, it's getting late. It's already 7:00 p.m., can we get up at noon?"

Baozhu was well-known in the mansion for her sharp tongue. Almost all the servants had been scolded by Baozhu. The reputation of Baozhu was spread everywhere.

Seeing the little maid puffing up her cheeks, Zhang Jinyu was not surprised. With Qin Keqing's help, the inner courtyard was managed in order, which saved him a lot of worries. The only thing was that she was virtuous and reserved, not as flamboyant as Wang Xifeng in Rongguo Mansion. This was what he liked about Qin Keqing, the housekeeper.

"That's true. Then get up and change your clothes."

In fact, deep down, I seem to have a premonition that the good days will only last a few days.
He lazily lifted the quilt and got out of bed. The clothes were all new ones that Baozhu had brought from the main house. He was wearing a black martial arts uniform with a golden cloud pattern on the edge and a brocade cloth wrapped around his hands. After putting it on, if it weren't for the yawning mouth on his face, he would have looked much more capable.
"Uncle, here, wipe your face first,"

The maids who were waiting behind entered the room one by one. The one in front was Xiangling. She foolishly walked in with a brocade cloth soaked in water. Zhang Jinyu took a quick look and thought it was Qin Keqing who walked in. If it wasn't for her expression, she would have almost failed to recognize her. She took the brocade cloth first, wiped her face, and asked;

"Baozhu, why is Xiangling wearing these clothes?"

"Oh, Lord, you are talking about the young lady's clothes. The young lady said that Xiangling's body is similar to hers, so it would be a waste if so many clothes were not worn, so they were given to Xiangling. She has been serving in the inner hall, but she can't see anyone. She is always learning things from Zixiang."

Baozhu was not surprised, but her expression was a little unnatural. If it weren't for the people around her, she really couldn't tell which one was real and which one was fake, the Miss or Xiangling. It was too strange.

Zhang Jinyu took a look with a strange look in his eyes. To be honest, once the clothes were put on, he couldn't tell whether they were real or fake. But after careful examination, he found that the girl was also bought by the Xue family. No, they bought her in a rush. There was no cause and effect difference. How could there be two people in the world who look so alike?

"Well, if you want to study, then study. Just don't run around when you have nothing to do. Baozhu, please take care of the affairs of the inner courtyard."

"Yes, my Lord, I will definitely take care of it for you and my lady."

Baozhu agreed happily, her eyes rolling, and she first asked the maid carrying the basin to go down, then waved her hand, and the servants behind her carrying food boxes came in, opened the food boxes, and brought out bowls of steaming hot food. Only the melodious sound of orioles could be heard;

"Sir, please have your meal first. I have heard from Madam Yang these days that the palace maids have already practiced several dances and prepared stringed instruments."

"Oh, so fast, I think I've done the job."

I was happy in my heart but didn't show it, especially since I ran away from the poetry reading yesterday and didn't even watch the evening's Oiran election. I don't know who was the Oiran in the end.
Thinking of the beauties in Yanchun Tower and Manchun Courtyard, it was a pity. He picked up the bowl and ate a few bites of the buns quickly.
Baozhu was grinning smugly, looking mysterious and somewhat festive.
"Didn't you go in and take a look?"

As if she could see the teasing on her son-in-law's face, Baozhu curled her lips and complained:
"I wanted to go in, but Huo'er blocked me outside the courtyard gate and wouldn't let me in. It was so annoying."

"You."

Zhang Jinyu was speechless. You were always looking for trouble. If you didn't keep an eye on what was happening in other people's courtyards, who would dare to let you in? If Daiyu and Baochai had come in, she would think of them and remember how long it had been since she had been to Rongguo Mansion to see them. She would still miss them a little.

outside the house,

A beautiful figure came closer from afar. It was Qingwen, who served Daiyu in the courtyard. Before that, Qingwen was washing clothes in the courtyard. Miss Daiyu went to Rongqing Hall for dinner. Unexpectedly, not long after, she was told by the maid from Rongqing Hall that the Marquis was asked to come to the mansion. It was Yuanyang who specifically asked her to do so. When asked the reason, she said it was about visiting the other courtyard.
Qingwen was confused, knowing that something was amiss. She did not dare to delay and asked a few more questions. The person who came did not know either. She had no choice but to put down the laundry and hurried over in a carriage.

When they got off the carriage, the doorman saw that it was Miss Qingwen and did not dare to stop her.

"Miss Qingwen, why are you in such a hurry so early in the morning?"

"I'm here to talk to you, Lord. Are you here?"

Qingwen replied, and walked quickly into the main gate. The steward did not dare to delay and pointed to the East Garden House.

"The Marquis is sleeping in the east room and hasn't woken up yet, young lady."

Before she could finish her words, she disappeared. The steward didn't dare to say a word and could only watch Qingwen's back.

I trotted all the way into the yard.
There were many rooms in the east wing, but there was only one crowded room in front of the door. She guessed that the Marquis was there, so she ran over. The maid at the door wanted to stop her, but Qingwen glared at her and shouted,
"My Lord, I ask to see you."

"Come in, why are you here today?"

The clear and loud voice was clearly Qingwen's. Even Baozhu would not dare to make such a loud noise. With the Marquis' words, Qingwen glared at the little maids and rushed in.
When he got to the house, he looked inside. He thought he was going to pay his respects to the Madam, but unexpectedly, the person standing there didn't seem to be the Madam. Upon closer inspection, it was actually Miss Xiangling. Moreover, the clothes she was wearing were the Madam's brocade clothes. It was almost impossible to tell who was who. He muttered to himself,
Then he entered the inner hall,
Walking to the side of the Marquis, standing there with pursed lips, Zhang Jinyu was eating. Noticing that there had been no movement around him, he turned around to look at Qingwen's somewhat tangled face and asked;

"Why are you here so early in the morning, in such a hurry, and without saying anything?"

"My Lord, it's not that I don't want to tell you, but it's hard to tell you. I came here because Sister Yuanyang sent someone to inform me. She said that the old lady of Rongguo Mansion wanted you to come over to discuss something." Qingwen didn't know the inside story, so she could only pass the message back.
Zhang Jinyu was a little puzzled. It was a big wedding day in Rongguo Mansion, and they asked her to go there. Could it be about what happened yesterday? Thinking of Wang Xifeng's personality, it really couldn't be hidden. But there was no need to go there.
"Did you ask anything? I went there early in the morning and the banquet had already started."

"My Lord, I heard that a eunuch came to the Rongguo Mansion today and said that the palace's principal concubine was going to return home to visit her family and wanted to build a separate courtyard!"

Although Qingwen didn't know much about the inside story, she found out what she needed to know, such as why the Marquis was allowed to move in to build a courtyard.

When Zhang Jinyu heard about building a villa for the imperial visit, he spit out the food in his mouth. Oh my god, she would be able to return home to visit her parents so soon. Jia Yuanchun had just been made a concubine and was already favored. Besides, that villa for the imperial visit, could it be the Grand View Garden?

He took the brocade cloth to wipe his mouth, and then a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. To build the courtyard, a blueprint is needed. No one can draw it except the master craftsman of the Ministry of Works. In addition, the stones and wood cost a lot of money. He didn't know how to prepare for the Rongguo Mansion. It would be okay to go there and see Daiyu and Baochai by the way.

There are two sisters-in-law!

I don't want to say that I'm just pretending. After thinking about it for a while, I can't sit still anymore.
"Qingwen, let's go and take a look."

"Yes, Lord Marquis,"

Qingwen's eyes lit up, and she followed the Marquis out, leaving Baozhu behind, her cheeks puffed with anger.

Shuntianfu Yamen,
Lord Xu, the prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, had already been sitting on a high seat in the court. Below the court were Jia Qiang and Jia Rui. They had dirty hair, their clothes were no longer the original color and gave off a sour smell. They looked haggard and had their heads hunched.

"You two have not repented before, slandering the master, causing unrest in the family, which is truly an unforgivable crime. However, I will take into consideration that this is your first offense and you have no other faults, so I will give you a slight punishment and lock you up for a few days. I hope you will show your repentance."

Xu Jiaqing spoke in an official tone and reprimanded the two men. As long as the other party bowed their heads and signed their names, the case would be closed.

Jia Rui, who was sitting in the hall, no longer had the arrogant and domineering look he had before. His eyelids drooped, and his strong body had become much thinner. He nodded and admitted his guilt.
"Your Excellency is right. I have no idea of ​​etiquette and acted recklessly, which only added to the hostility. I deserve to be punished."

"Well, that's good, Jia Qiang, what do you say?"

Xu Jiaqing nodded in satisfaction, knowing that he was wrong. He winked at the clerk beside him, and the clerk took the document and asked him to sign it. Jia Rui pressed the red seal with his finger and said nothing more.
Jia Qiang beside him had a sad face. He had heard about what happened in Ningguo Mansion. After Master Jing passed away, the mansion was left with nothing but a facade, almost an empty shell. No matter how much he tried, it would be useless. He nodded resignedly.

"Your Excellency, I will correct my mistakes as soon as I know them, and I will never cause trouble again."

"Look, isn't that good? Go back and live a good life. This case is closed. Let's adjourn."

Xu Jiaqing did not want to waste any more time, so he asked the clerk to press Jia Qiang's handprints and then smashed the wake-up wood. The two of them thanked him and walked straight out of the government hall.
They looked at each other in silence until they reached the yamen. Jia Rui was still not satisfied and snorted coldly.
"Brother Qiang, see you later."

After saying that, he turned and left.
the other side,
Jia Qiang looked a little frail. After waiting at the gate of the government office for a while, no one came to pick him up. He could only follow the road and walk towards Ningguo Mansion.
The Shuntian Prefecture Yamen,

There was another person waiting outside the hall. He was the second steward of the Li family in Zhongshan County. He led people and walked back and forth anxiously outside the hall.

From time to time, he would glance at the entrance of the lobby. When he saw someone coming out, he knew that the person in front of him had closed the case. He would quickly call the servant, then walk in and kneel down.

"I am the steward of the Li family. I beg you to close the case."

After saying that, he bowed his head. Xu Jiaqing had already made up his mind and deliberately asked,
"Li family steward, regarding the imperial examination in the capital, does your master know about this place?"

"Well, sir, I must know. I came here from Zhongshan County to take care of the eldest son's funeral. However, the eldest son was weak and had a stomachache. He was not saved in time and passed away. That's why I am so sad. Woo woo woo!"

The steward reacted very quickly and spoke very sadly, even crying loudly in the court. When the servants behind him saw this, they also lowered their heads, knelt on the ground, and started crying too.

Xu Jiaqing smiled in his heart. The excuse was ready. The eldest son of the Zhongshan Li family became a student of the Southern University. From now on, the Li family will become a family of officials. Well, leave a trace of the incense.
"Do you dare to sign what you said?"

"Your Excellency, I dare not. The eldest son has been in poor health for a long time. Everyone in my hometown knows about it. How dare I expire? I will sign the contract now."

Although the steward had tears in his eyes, his face was filled with joy. He took the ink and quickly signed the file. The task that the Madam had asked him to do was finally completed. Once the eldest son left, the Zhongshan Li family would belong to the Madam. She would definitely be rewarded when she returned.

"Well, in that case, the case is closed. Go to the coroner, sign the documents, take the body back, and bury it properly."

Xu Jiaqing's face relaxed, as he finally resolved the matter in his mind. As for the injustice of the eldest son of the Li family, he did not take it to heart. The rich and powerful families all shared the benefits of the living, so they had never been involved in the affairs of the dead. He waved his hand and prepared to leave.
The Li family steward kowtowed and stood up, saying;
"Thank you for your understanding, sir. I will go right away. There is one more thing. I brought some gifts from the Li family in Zhongshan. I have already sent them to the backyard. Please take some time to take a look. I will leave now."

Manager Li smiled, said something, and went to the coroner, pushed the carriage that had been prepared, and took the corpse back to Zhongshan County without delay.

Only Xu Jiaqing stood up and sneered, saying that it was just some little devils doing something despicable.
"Dispersed,"

"It's an adult."

The yamen runner in the hall responded and slowly withdrew. Behind him, the governor Song came in quietly and asked in a low voice;

"Sir, if we close the case so hastily, will there be any evidence left?"

Last night, Mr. Song went to test Mr. Pei, the Junior Secretary of the Ministry of Rites, but Mr. Pei looked around and refused to reveal Mr. Nan's attitude. When he came back to tell Mr. Song, he didn't expect that Mr. Song had already made a decision.

"You are always too cautious. Last night, I went to Marquis Luo Yun's mansion and had a drink with the Marquis. Do you know something? What happened to those who made it to the top three in the provincial examination?"

There seemed to be a meaning of testing in it, which others could not see clearly, but he could see it clearly. Yesterday at the Beijing pier, the marquis's ship set sail. The four new county magistrates gathered on the ship. The remaining two, one was in the Imperial College and the other in the Hanlin Academy. The attitudes of Marquis Luo Yun and Lord Nan were self-evident. In this case, how dare he stop them?

Song Changping paused. He had also heard about what the adults asked. It seemed that four county magistrates were appointed in Jiangnan. Coincidentally, they were the top three students in this special examination. He understood immediately. No wonder the adults' attitude changed drastically. It was obvious that they had known about this for a long time. He admired them and said,

"Your Excellency has a keen eye and has known about this matter for a long time. The clerks in the Ministry of Personnel have also heard about it. I wonder how many people are eyeing the lucrative positions in Jiangnan. It is obvious that it has been decided long ago to let the disciples of Marquis Luo Yun and Lord Nan take up positions here. We in Shuntian Prefecture must be careful."

He gained both face and money, which was a double kill. No, triple kill. He also established a close relationship with the Li family.
Who knows,

Xu Jiaqing shook his head and smiled.
"Whether it's good or bad, we can only know in the future. Jiangnan is a land of great wealth, and everyone wants to eat there. But, do you think that place is easy to stay in? Not only are there eyes staring at you everywhere, but now I heard that it's in chaos. It's better to find a quiet government office in the capital."

Suddenly, a person came to my mind. In the past, the Ministry of Personnel evaluated and promoted countless officials to the capital. The first three could choose their own places. The Ministry of Personnel wanted him to go to Jiangnan to be the prefect, but in the end, this person went to Wucheng, a remote place. What was his name? Lu Shangru. The old guy was very smart and stayed away from places of trouble. Wucheng was not far from the capital, so it was very leisurely.

Thinking of this, Lord Xu couldn't help but feel a little complaining. Shuntian Prefecture seemed better, and whoever came here knew the internal affairs well. None of the officials from various departments in the capital wanted to come to Shuntian Prefecture to take over, leaving him alone to gain experience. The thought of doing so made him feel aggrieved.

"Your Excellency's words are thought-provoking. I feel ashamed of myself. What the world says is good may not be really good, and what the world says is bad may not be bad. Sometimes, if you go to the critically ill area of ​​Jiangnan, you may not be able to escape unscathed."

Song Changping suddenly admired Lord Xu very much. It is said that Shuntianfu Yamen was bullied, which was also a kind of support.

Upon hearing this, Xu Jiaqing, with her belly bulging, came down from the hall and laughed out loud.
"Ahahaha, Lord Song is still good at talking. Let's have a banquet at the government office tonight and have a good drink. Ahahaha."

(End of this chapter)