Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 887 Go to Rongguo Mansion to discuss
Luoyunhou Mansion,

In front of the main gate, the carriage had already been prepared. Zhang Jinyu took the maid Qingwen out of the house and boarded the carriage directly. After sitting down safely, he shouted to the outside,
"Let's go to Rongguo Mansion!"

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Then, the sound of whips waving was heard, and the carriage slowly moved.

inside the car,

Qingwen sat beside him with a red face, staring at the Marquis with a smile in her eyes, and she was a little flustered in her heart.

opposite,

Zhang Jinyu closed her eyes and sat there quietly, thinking about something. The so-called imperial concubine's visit to her parents was a show of favor from the emperor to the imperial concubine in the harem to comfort the nobles and aristocratic families.

Another reason is that the gathering of various forces in the capital may not be used by His Majesty to stir up the situation in the capital. Moreover, the imperial concubine is visiting her parents, so she needs to build a separate residence for them.
Every house in the capital needs to be renovated, which requires a large amount of silver. In addition, when each government office is renovated, stones and wood are needed. There is only one place in the capital that has such materials, that is, the Imperial Household Department, and there are also warehouses in various government offices. In this way, the silver returns to the hands of the court and the Imperial Household Department, killing three birds with one stone. Why not do it?

Thinking of this, Zhang Jinyu couldn't help but admire the emperor. This was a beautiful move. In addition, how many concubines were there in the harem? The more famous one was the Imperial Concubine Wu, the legitimate daughter of the Wu family among the civil officials. There was also Jia Yuanchun, who was from Rongguo Mansion. After becoming an Imperial Concubine, it was not impossible that some people would make associations with the matter of visiting relatives.

Therefore,
The old lady of Rongguo Mansion must have sensed it vaguely, so she sent someone to discuss it with me. She is really amazing.

"My Lord, tell me, why did the Empress of Rongguo Mansion ask you to come over to discuss the matter?"

Qingwen tilted her little head, her face full of curiosity. Her snow-white face had grown up now, and her oval face looked much fuller. It was no exaggeration to say that she was a beauty, but she was the only one who asked such bold questions.

"You can only say this in the car. You must never say such ridiculous things outside."

"Yes, Lord, I will remember it."

Qingwen blinked and dragged out the words. Zhang Jinyu ignored her but spoke first.
"Ask what you can, don't ask what you can't. Just listen to the master's family's affairs, especially the Rongguo Mansion's affairs. If there are any questions, don't tell Yu'er, just come to the mansion to find me."

Zhang Jinyu changed the subject and said something else, which made Qingwen's eyes widen. She stared at the Marquis and nodded.

"Yes, Lord. I will definitely remember it."

After he finished explaining, he looked around and no one spoke. Not long after, he passed the corner and entered Ningrong Street. The speed of the carriage slowed down. Many people on the street were queuing at the gate of Rongguo Mansion. Many servants from the Duke's Mansion were also blocking the door to stop the crowd.

Zhang Jinyu opened the curtain and looked at the noisy gate. People were crowded there. The gatekeepers were pushing and shoving people out. He asked with some confusion,

"Qingwen, what's going on over there? Isn't Rongguo Mansion hosting a grand banquet? Why are they turning people away?"

The reason why I asked this was because the common people outside the gate of Rongguo Mansion were not only dressed in simple clothes, but also had their families with them. It was obvious that they were here for a buffet. It would be embarrassing to stop them from entering.
"My Lord, in the Duke's Mansion, early this morning, before dawn, there were quite a few people gathered at the door. As soon as the door was opened, people rushed in. The steward said that the large courtyard in the southeast was full of people in a short while. Sister Liu in the backyard was too busy to handle it."

Qingwen stretched her head and explained, but her face looked a little surprised, because when she just came out, there weren't as many people gathered in front of the mansion gate as there are now.

Zhang Jinyu understood. No wonder those wealthy gentry said that the banquet would only last for three days, because after the news spread, more people came. Three days is not too much, but not too little. By the time people knew about it, the banquet in the mansions of the people who came here had already ended.

"It's human nature. If you don't come here to take advantage of a meal, even if it's you, you'd be stupid not to take advantage of a free meal. Let's get out of the car."

Zhang Jinyu smiled. It was all a joke just now. But anyway, if there is a real advantage, it should be taken. As for the things behind it, they will discuss it separately.
Zhang Jinyu got off the carriage after lifting the curtain, and Qingwen fell behind, following closely. As soon as he did so, the guards behind the carriage immediately surrounded him. The power of the soldiers was terrifying. The people who had been pushing and shoving just now immediately fell silent. Even the servants in the Duke's Mansion became much quieter.

Zhang Jinyu ignored him and walked through the main gate. As he entered, many people stretched their heads to look. Some who knew Luo Yunhou lowered their heads and whispered;
"The official who just came in was Marquis Luo Yun, the one who dealt with the Jurchens outside the Great Wall."

"It's true. Look at those soldiers. They are all wearing heavy armor, which is different from those in the capital."

"By the way, Marquis Luo Yun is also coming to the Duke's Mansion for a banquet."

"What are you talking about?"

The people gathered together again, talking a lot, and even the servants blocking the door were whispering.

that's it,
After entering the mansion, they walked quickly through several courtyards and arrived at Rongqing Hall. When the maid at the door saw that it was the Marquis, she hurried in to announce it.

Zhang Jinyu didn't slow down, as he had been here before, so he went straight into the inner hall.

At the corner door of the corridor of Rongqing Hall,

Madam You led Yin Die'er around the courtyard outside. Not long after, they saw Li Wan and Su Yun coming in from the gate. Seeing them coming, Madam You hurried over, took Li Wan to a corner of the courtyard, and asked;

"Sister, do you know why the old lady called us here?"

Li Wan fell behind, still a little surprised, not knowing what Sister You meant by being so mysterious, but when she thought about the previous division of Ningguo Mansion, she knew something.
"Don't worry, sister. It's just a matter between the two mansions. If they can call us here, it must involve Ningguo Mansion. I think they want to ask about some account books."

It was not too cryptic. The only things on the Ningguo Mansion's account were the clan's assets, a farm outside the city, and a few shops in the south. The annual revenue was no more than 50,000 taels of silver, not too much, but not too little either.
Madam You understood and guessed all this. Well, even if the old lady wanted it, they couldn't stop her.

"Sister, you are right. You have not come to the East Mansion these days. The mansion has also been divided. Except for some servants who stayed in the mansion, the rest were sent to the farm. Those people in the backyard have also left, and many of them have moved away with some household items. If you have time, you can choose to renovate the backyard or Tianxiang Tower."

Looking at Madam You's eager eyes, Li Wan knew what Madam You meant. She wanted to take Lang Ge'er with her, but it was not appropriate to go there now. After thinking about it for a while, she agreed.

"Don't worry, sister. When we are not busy anymore, I will send someone to clean up the backyard. We are not lucky enough to enjoy the space of Tianxiang Tower."

Seeing that Li Wan agreed, Madam You heaved a sigh of relief. Although she had the final say in Ningguo Mansion, she felt ashamed to stay there once her status as an imperial edict was gone. She had thought about staying in that courtyard to live several times, but she could only think about it in her heart.
"Then let's put it this way,"

Both of them had their own plans. Since they had agreed on this matter, they did not linger any longer. They followed the path along the wall, entered the corner door in the corridor, and entered the inner hall.

Meet the old lady,
Wang Xifeng asked her eldest sister-in-law and Madam You to sit in the seats on the east side, but she was still not merciful.

"Old lady, look at the sisters-in-law now. They come in pairs. They are already full of momentum before they even arrive."

After Wang Xifeng helped Li Wan to sit down, she deliberately teased her, and when she got to the old lady, she deliberately twisted her body, making everyone unawares, pursing her lips to hold back laughter. Even Jia Mu was amused, and she patted Wang Xifeng's hand, scolding with a smile;
"You poor fellow, you only find nonsense and say shameless words to tease everyone." After this commotion, the atmosphere in the room became much better. Xue Baochai sat there with a complicated look in her eyes. She had a clear understanding of the entire Rongguo Mansion. The real head of the family was sitting there. It was said that the second wife of the Rongguo Mansion was the housekeeper, but she was only in charge of the surface. After all, she had to listen to the words of the head lady. I think she must have felt a lot of grievances inside.

After Li Wan sat down, she and Madam You exchanged a glance. It was obvious that what Feng girl had said just now was meant to help them out. However, they still had to wait and see what the details were. After all, the seats they sat in were not entirely correct. There was an extra seat next to the old lady, but it was left empty. Who could it be?

"Madam, the Marquis is here."

As soon as the words were spoken, before the old woman who was delivering the message had even stood still and before the laughter in the room had died down, someone came in.

Zhang Jinyu was wearing a martial arts uniform, a cape, and a long sword at his waist. After entering the inner hall, an overwhelming heroic aura came over him, instantly silencing everyone.
However, there was another banging sound coming from the outer room. The old woman in the room trembled with fear, knowing that it was the sound of the armors of the soldiers colliding, and each of them was filled with murderous aura.

Zhang Jinyu waved his hand, and Ning Bian, who was behind him, stood at the entrance of the screen with two personal soldiers. Zhang Jinyu took a step forward and saluted to Lady Jia.

"I have met the old lady. Your family is very happy, but I did not come to congratulate you in person. I am ashamed of myself. Today, I just came here to complain."

Seeing the Marquis being so polite, Jia's mother was overjoyed and quickly asked him to sit down.
"You are too polite, my Lord. We are all family, why should we be so polite? Come on, Yuanyang, serve the tea."

Greeted,
Yuanyang came over with a tea bowl and spread a blanket. When Zhang Jinyu saw this, her heart warmed. She was a considerate person.

He was not polite. After all, the Jia family had something to ask for. If he was polite, the old lady would inevitably have some more thoughts. He took a few steps forward and sat down on the chair next to the old lady.

"Old lady, this is a great occasion. What can I do for you?"

"Oh, there is no order, old woman. I am just showing off my old face today. I have something to ask of you, so how can I say order?"

Grandmother Jia smiled bitterly and spoke. Everyone in the room kept silent, especially Wang Xifeng. Normally, she was the one who asked the questions, but today, sitting next to Grandmother Jia, she was so honest that it seemed abnormal. Although she had some ideas in her mind, Zhang Jinyu listened quietly with a smile on her face.

"The grace from the palace, the whole Rongguo Mansion is grateful for the grace, and now they have given a great gift, saying that the queen is going to return to the mansion to visit her relatives. At this critical moment, I am a little flustered. The queen is going to return to the mansion to visit her relatives, so there must be a separate courtyard for her to visit. The construction of the courtyard, both inside and outside, still needs the help of the marquis."

After listening to this, Zhang Jinyu thought to himself, "As expected, it is still about building a courtyard. I guess this is the Grand View Garden."
"With the old lady in charge of Rongguo Mansion, there are many small matters that can be easily dealt with. I wonder if the so-called help from the old lady means that she is short of wood and stone materials for building the courtyard, or if she is short of something else."

These things are the most expensive, and there is no definite number of them needed. There are still many courtyards being renovated in the Ministry of Works, and if some are moved out, there will still be a lot, but it’s not certain that Rongguo Mansion is the only one asking for it. Maybe there will be others looking for him.

Seeing that Luo Yunhou was so straightforward, Jia's mother was startled for a moment, then she recovered her composure and nodded.

"These are not important. I would like to ask you to find a master craftsman from the Ministry of Works from Lord Qin to draw up the blueprints for the imperial residence. All the master craftsmen in the capital have been requisitioned by the court."

Hear this,

Zhang Jinyu was a little stunned. They didn't want wood and stone materials, but they wanted a master carpenter to draw a blueprint. Come to think of it, how can you build a house without a blueprint? However, the master carpenters in the capital seemed to be at the mausoleum and the Ministry of Works. There was only one person under his father-in-law, who was responsible for the renovation of the residence of the Imperial Household Department in the capital. He couldn't move at all, after all, so many officials in the capital were still waiting.
As for the rest, it seems that there is really no one in the Ministry of Works. However, there seems to be one person in his own house, who is one of the craftsmen from the Enke period, who stayed in his house to rebuild the yard. Thinking of this, Zhang Jinyu's face was a little strange. What a coincidence.
Staring at the old lady's somewhat anxious face, he nodded in agreement.

"Don't worry, old lady. You don't have to worry about the master craftsman drawing the blueprint. All the master craftsmen from the Ministry of Works have gone there. Even ordinary craftsmen are few in number. It's a good idea for you to ask for help. I can really find a master craftsman for you. But I don't know how big a villa you want to build, and where is it?"

Seeing that Luo Yunhou agreed, Jia Mu was overjoyed, and said to everyone with a cry of "Aiyou":

"Ah, the Marquis is still straightforward. This old woman would like to thank you in advance. As for the matter of the courtyard, the Marquis may as well listen first. Since you have invited people, you can't lose the face of the Duke's Mansion. In and out of the mansion, they can naturally stay in the mansion. People from the first and second families, do you have anything to say?"

Seeing the old lady asking questions, Zhang Jinyu just sat there and kept silent. He also wanted to know how the Grand View Garden was built in the first place. Now that so many things have happened in the Rongguo Mansion, there probably isn't much money. Besides, the Grand View Garden occupies a lot of land. Where did the land come from? With thoughts in mind, he picked up the tea bowl, slowly sipped the tea, and watched everyone discuss.

The eldest wife, Lady Xing, and the second wife, Lady Wang, who were called upon by Lady Jia to question, smiled awkwardly. With outsiders present, some things could not be said openly.

Mrs. Xing smiled slightly, thinking quickly in her heart. She didn't know what the old lady meant by asking. The yard was built, so why ask them what to do?
"Look at what the old lady said. You are the one who makes the decision on this matter. It's nothing more than the rest of us helping out. That's all. Anyway, you still make the decision."

After saying this, he turned his head to the Second Madam to see what she would say. However, the Second Madam's expression remained unchanged, and the Buddhist beads in her hand were spinning faster and faster.

"The old lady will make the decision on this matter."

"Well, since both of you agree, then Madam You and the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family, what do you two have any objections to?"

Obviously, Grandmother Jia did not leave them out. If they really wanted to build a courtyard, it would definitely take up a large area. In this area, only Rongguo Mansion and Ningguo Mansion would each provide a piece of land. As for how to provide it, they would have to discuss it carefully.
Madam You seemed to understand what the old lady meant. She looked at Li Wan in confusion. But before anyone else could speak, Li Wan smiled first.

"The old lady just makes the decision, and granddaughter-in-law and Sister You just listen to it,"

Including Madam You, it was considered a reply. Madam You came back to her senses and immediately said,

"Old lady, if you need it, you are welcome to help me."

The two of them agreed to it neatly, and Grandmother Jia said no more, but her eyes were filled with many inexplicable meanings, and she waved her hand.
"Yuanyang, go get the albums of Rongguo Mansion and Ningguo Mansion."

"Yes, old lady."

Yuanyang nodded and went back to the warm room. She took out a sandalwood box from the cabinet on the kang and opened it carefully. There were only two yellowed drawings lying quietly inside. Yuanyang closed the box and took the baby out.

He walked over to the old lady and carefully placed the box on the square table on the kang.

"Old lady, I have brought the things."

"Well, now that you have it, open it and show it to everyone."

Grandmother Jia didn't say much, she just asked Yuanyang to open the blueprint and show it to everyone. Even Zhang Jinyu became interested. What is this? It seems that the sandalwood box is quite old.

Yuanyang called two maids to serve, each holding one, and opened the blueprint. In front of everyone's eyes, there were two quaint and majestic mansions. Needless to say, they were the locations of Rongguo Mansion and Ningguo Mansion. There was a river between the two mansions, with a bridge in the middle.

Seeing the familiar courtyard, everyone was a little confused and didn't know what it meant. However, Li Wan, Madam You, Wang Xifeng and others had already understood that this was to "enclose land" between the two mansions to build a courtyard for the empress in the palace. However, how to build the courtyard and how much land to occupy were not something they could discuss. After all, there was an "outsider" here.
After the argument, it was inevitable that she would lose some face. Wang Xifeng wanted to ask another question, but was secretly glared at by Jia Mu. Wang Xifeng endured it for a moment and said nothing more.

Instead, she looked at the Marquis, and unexpectedly, the Marquis also looked over at her. When the two of them exchanged glances, Wang Xifeng's heart began to panic. A strange feeling came over her. She clamped her legs together, her face slightly flushed, and she lowered her head.

(End of this chapter)