Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 891: Concubine Ming’s Advice
Prince Zhongshun's Palace, inner residence of Xiyuan,
It was already the hour of Xu, and the mansion deep in the courtyard was brightly lit, with music and dance going on. A group of prostitutes who had come from the brothel began to dance in the inner hall. Perhaps because they had seen too much, they felt uncomfortable, so they replaced them.

Some actors from the mansion were asked to sing a piece of opera on the stage.
And under the stage,
Prince Zhongshun Zhou Jianan was lazily sitting on a tiger-skin chair, holding his concubine in his arms. Not only was she extremely beautiful, but her figure was also extraordinary. His hands were moving up and down randomly as he listened to a few actors in costumes singing a wonderful play in which Wu Song drunkenly beats Jiang Menshen.

This paragraph,
This was the part that Prince Zhou liked the most. Not to mention the beauty of Jiang Menshen's wife, even the waiter in the hotel, Jiang Yuhan, played the role vividly, with beautiful features and a good voice, which made him quite popular with the prince. After listening for a while, Prince Zhou shouted;
"Good, the singing is good, but Wu Song is such a coward, he doesn't know what's good for him."

Whenever I see the part where Wu Song drinks, I feel unhappy. It is said that heroes break the law with force, which is absolutely true. Although people in the martial arts world have nothing to do with the government, they do extraordinary things and break the rules repeatedly, causing a lot of trouble for the court. But the court cannot do without them. The secret affairs of the palace are all done by the experts he recruited from the martial arts world. Therefore, he likes martial arts world that obey his orders, and naturally he doesn't like lawless people like Wu Song.

at this time,

When I was happy to hear that,
A thin figure hurried up to the attic, walked around the six maple leaf glass screens, and stopped on the red ball mandarin duck carpet that was tributed by Qianxiang Country. He bowed and said:

"My Lord, I am back."

"Well, what should I say?"

Prince Zhongshun held his beautiful concubine in one hand and slowly put down the wine cup with the other hand. After thinking for a while, he waved his hand to send the concubine away and looked at Zhou Changshi.

Coincidentally,

Today, I don’t know what’s wrong with those noble families outside. They all came to the mansion, wanting to talk to him, and I don’t know what they want to do.

Zhou Changshi's face was not looking good. The capital changed three times a day, and intelligence was often delayed. Therefore, many things were realized afterward. When he was thinking about making preparations, he was a step behind.
"Your Highness, there's news from the palace that Jia Zhen from Ningguo Mansion was exiled to Lingnan, but Jia Yuanchun, the eldest daughter of Rongguo Mansion, was named a noble concubine. Today, there's news that the main concubine from the harem is returning to visit her family, all because of this girl."

"So fast? Jia Zhen's body might not make it to Lingnan. As for the one in Rongguo Mansion, how could he die so suddenly without any news?"

Prince Zhongshun's face showed joy, but also anger. Once the head of Ningguo Mansion was gone, it was like a broken arm. From now on, the Jia family only needed to deal with Rongguo Mansion without any restraint. However, Rongguo Mansion had become royal relatives, so if they wanted to deal with them in the future, the matter would be small and basically useless. Now it seemed that the Jia family had turned a disaster into a blessing.

Zhou Changshi smiled bitterly and shook his head, saying:

"Your Highness, Jia Zhen was exiled to Lingnan. I heard that it was decided by the Yangxin Palace, and Changle Palace also agreed. As for the queen of Rongguo Mansion, it was said that General Manager Xia went there personally to read the imperial edict. Only when the principal wife came home did Eunuch Dai distribute the imperial edict. So, Your Highness, you must be more careful in the future."

The joy on Prince Zhongshun's face first quickly receded like a tide, and then his face was full of complexity, and he asked:

"Isn't it obvious? After Jia Jing's death, the emperor felt bad, so he gave the favor. The emperor had no choice but to agree and gave the emperor a great favor, allowing the concubine in the harem to visit her parents. This gave the Jia family enough face, humph."

Prince Zhongshun became angrier and angrier as he spoke. He had finally made some progress against the Jia family, but who could have known that it would end like this? If he wanted to deal with the Jia family again in the future, ordinary means would be useless. If he caused the displeasure of the emperor, it would be more trouble than gain.

Zhou Changshi also knew what the prince meant. Some things he was doing were not worth the loss. He whispered:

"Your Highness, the Emperor finally showed leniency, which shows that the Jia family has great respect, not to mention the position of the Jia family in the heart of the Emperor. We should stop this unfounded thing."

Prince Zhongshun's face suddenly became gloomy, and he was obviously not satisfied. He had gone to such great lengths, but he didn't kill anyone? Even if Jia Jing committed suicide, the life and death of the outsiders was not a big deal, but this person had brought great benefits to the Jia family. How could he justify it?
Sensing Prince Zhongshun's thoughts, Zhou Changshi comforted him:

"Your Highness, the Rong and Ning mansions are closely related and depend on each other. Although the bones are not injured, they are almost the same. As the saying goes, it is better to break one finger than to hurt all ten fingers. So, Your Highness, please be patient."

"It's still a pity... But once exiled, there's no guarantee that you'll lose your life, Lingnan, hehe."

King Zhongshun let out a long sigh, his eyes flashing coldly, and he clearly had some thoughts in mind. He took action halfway to prevent future troubles.
Zhou Changshi saw that the prince had a stern look in his eyes and quickly advised:

"Your Majesty, this matter cannot be forced."

Prince Zhongshun nodded. The situation in the capital was tense. He was thinking about what he was saying. Suddenly, he remembered something, put down his wine cup, and suddenly raised his eyes and said:
"I remember that Ningguo Mansion was built with money allocated by the Ministry of Revenue, right?"

Zhou Changshi immediately guessed what King Zhongshun was thinking and whispered:
"My Lord, the Rongguo Madam is still alive, and the title of Ningguo Mansion has not been taken away, so I dare not even think about it."

Zhou Liang quickly shook his head. Many nobles' residences were like this. If the prince provoked them, he would be in trouble.
"Just think that the old woman got lucky. By the way, why are there so many people coming to the mansion today?"

Prince Zhongshun sneered and asked one more question: What was the purpose of the visiting card that came to the mansion this afternoon?
"Your Highness, these are the families of the Empress Dowager in the harem. They want Your Highness to call on several craftsmen from the Ministry of Works to build the garden, but I have not agreed yet."

Zhou Changshi thought for a moment and said again.

"Your Highness, everything has been finalized at the mausoleum. Time is tight, so people can still be called back. However, when I returned to the mansion at night, I saw that the prince had already returned with his things."

Prince Zhongshun frowned, but showed some joy on his face when he heard that the things had arrived. It was a birthday gift specially prepared for the retired emperor. It was transported by water from Hanzhong. Because it was so valuable, Yunzhen personally led the troops to deliver it back. He felt relieved only after it arrived at the palace.

When Zhou Changshi talked about the mausoleum again, his smile disappeared and his eyes became deep, full of troubles. The mausoleum was of utmost importance. The last time the mausoleum collapsed, if the emperor and the empress had not helped to cover it up, if the emperor knew about it, he would be in trouble. The construction of the mausoleum could not be delayed by anyone, but the people in the capital could not be offended. The matter of visiting relatives still needed careful consideration.

But I remembered the indifferent look of the emperor in the court. Although he had no likes or dislikes, he had a kind of coldness that was like thunder hanging in the air. The emperor didn't know what move he had made.
These!

King Zhongshun thought for a moment and said grimly:

"Then transfer two master craftsmen from the mausoleum to draw the blueprints for them. Together with the one person left in the Ministry of Works, three people can handle it. You personally warn them to keep their mouths shut. If anything goes wrong, don't blame me for being ruthless."

Zhou Changshi replied:
"Don't be angry, Your Majesty. I will definitely explain it. However, there is still a master craftsman who went to build a special examination hall for Marquis Luo Yun, and he has not been brought back yet. What's this?"

King Zhongshun frowned, then looked up at Qi Guaner on the stage, who was playing the role of a waiter pouring wine for Wu Song. The fight was about to begin.

whispered:
"Don't provoke him if there is nothing to do. If he uses it, then he uses it. The matter in Jingnan has not yet come to a conclusion. If you provoke him now, the emperor will not forgive others. If he doesn't come back, don't ask. Go and find Yunzhen back."

"Yes, Your Majesty!"

Sunset and star rise,
While the people in Prince Zhongshun's mansion were plotting, the nobles in various parts of the capital were not idle. Concubine Wu, Concubine Jing, Concubine Ming and others in the harem all received the imperial edict and went to the Yangxin Palace to express their gratitude yesterday. Their parents' families also sent a message saying that they would repair the garden first and then discuss it after it was completed. Not to mention others, those nobles, talented women, and selected concubines had already received the news and were envious and secretly muttered, only regretting that they were not the ones to be appointed as concubines. Not to mention that the most angry person was Concubine Zhou of the Biyun Palace, who thought she was sure to be promoted, but in the end, she ended up being a joke.
Jingfei Guo Mingyue had always been close to Mingfei He Wanru. When they received the letter, they had dinner together a day later.
Not long after, no one knew what had blown the news, but in a moment, in Ming Fei Shuiyun Palace, Feng Cairen, Xu Cairen, and Wei Shixuan and several others entered the palace one after another, carrying gifts in their hands, double for each person, which was obviously arranged in advance.
Seeing that they were here to congratulate her, Concubine Ming had no choice but to open the palace gates to entertain them. She asked Lady Gan Ya to prepare refreshments, and when they entered the inner hall and sat down, she greeted them;
"It's a rare opportunity for you sisters to come today. I don't have anything good to treat you. I can only offer some tea and snacks. I am sorry for neglecting you."

Among all the concubines in the harem, the one with the worst family background is Jingfei Guo Mingyue. Even if it is Mingfei, she is from an official family.
Only Concubine Jing, although her father was a senior civil official, did not have any family wealth. Therefore, although she had the favor of the palace, her natal family situation was a bit awkward. She came here today to find Concubine Ming to come up with a solution, but she didn't expect that one, then two, would follow her.
Seeing that Consort Ming had spoken, Consort Xu stood up, bowed, and replied;

"Your Majesty, it's too polite to say these words. I am grateful for your care, but I have never had the opportunity to show my respect to you. I just happened to get the news today, and I am very happy. So I brought some small gifts to you two sisters, but it's not a big deal."

Xu Cairen was the first to speak. After receiving help from Concubine Ming and Concubine Jing last time, Xu Cairen became more and more close to them. She would visit Yueyun Palace and Shuiyun Palace from time to time.
There were two people left, Wei Shixuan and Feng Cairen, who were accompanying them below, and it was obvious that their relationship was average.

"Sister, I am here to congratulate you as well,"

The two were not stupid, and followed Xu Cairen's words and said,
Ming Fei nodded, put down her hands, and said;
"That's enough. We are all sisters. Sit down and take a rest. In the palace, all the rain and dew are the grace of the emperor. There is no need to congratulate."

After a few words, Ming Fei's face was gentle, and her graceful figure was wrapped in brocade clothes. She didn't care about these things. Fighting for favor in the harem was all in vain in the end. She glanced at her good sisters around her. Before entering the palace, they were happy and comfortable in their homes. Since entering the palace, everything has changed.

There is another point. He Wanru knew that Concubine Jing's father regretted that he had been on good terms with the Zhang family outside the Great Wall in his early years. The old general had tried to test the relationship between the two families. The two families wanted to further their friendship and wanted to have their legitimate son marry Mingyue. Unfortunately, it was a bitter and cold place outside the Great Wall, and it was also a border army. The Jurchens were rampant, so how could he agree? He declined. The Zhang family is now the Marquis of Luo Yun.

It's a pity for my sister, this beautiful lady. Concubine Jing also smiled.
"My elder sister is so famous. I just got the news that so many younger sisters can come. It's really amazing."

The rest of the people all sat down, but their eyes never left Concubine Ming who was sitting in the main seat. Wei Shixuan came today just to join in the fun with Concubine Xu and wanted to take a look. Another reason was that he wanted to ask about Jia Yuanchun's title as a concubine. How much could he know about the inside story? After all, it was said that Concubine Zhou could be the concubine. Seeing that Concubine Xu and Concubine Feng were silent, he did not dare to say much.

"You, you're always flattering me. You have the time, in the early days, that..."

The voice became much quieter, almost whispering in the ear;

"If you had been so clever in your early years, you would have been the wife of the Marquis, and there would be no need to live such a lonely life."

Jing Fei Guo Mingyue was stunned, and she also remembered what happened in the past. However, she was still young at that time, and Uncle Zhang had already gone to the border. How could she bring up the old things? She just thought it was fate. She was in this deep palace, and she had to endure it until the lamp went out and the oil ran out. But her sister's words,
"Whether you are cold or not, you are accompanied by your sister. My sister's appearance is not as good as your sister's. If Luo Yunhou had seen your sister, your sister's family would have no chance to be tempted. It is getting late, so it is inconvenient for them to stay any longer."

The two of them were whispering in front. Although the others couldn't hear clearly, they couldn't help but show curiosity. Concubine Jing reminded them jokingly. How could Concubine Ming not know that she knew that some things couldn't be said when everyone was around, so she had to wait until everyone left before discussing it.

He turned his head, faced the crowd, and spoke.

"It's a little late today, sisters, you should go to bed early. When we have time tomorrow, we can go and congratulate Concubine Xian De."

The palace has its own rules. After a noble concubine is appointed, she must first go to the Yangxin Palace to express gratitude, and then go to the Empress to express gratitude. After waiting for a day, others can go to congratulate the new noble concubine. So today, no one in the harem has gone to give gifts to Concubine Xian De. After all, she has to go through the first ceremony. I don’t know why, the Yangxin Palace has been too busy these two days, or there are other reasons. The emperor has not shown up, so the harem has been delaying it until tonight. Concubine Xian De was able to go to Kunning Palace to express gratitude. It looks very strange.

Xu Cairen and the others looked at each other in bewilderment. They came here just to find out more about this. They had just arrived for a short time and were about to go back. It was obvious that the queen did not want to say more. Xu Cairen and Feng Cairen looked at each other. Neither of them wanted to speak, so they could only glare at each other fiercely. Xu Cairen stood up first and replied;

"Your Majesty is right. We can go tomorrow. It's late. Sister, go to bed early. I'm going home now."

Since they were leaving, the rest of the people couldn't stay. Wei Shixuan and Feng Cairen had no choice but to get up and leave. The three of them left Shuiyun Palace.
When they arrived outside the palace, Concubine Xu walked in front, feeling quite regretful that the thing in her heart had not been accomplished. However, the two people behind her were not like her from humble backgrounds. Fortunately, since they did not have the courage to ask, she could not pay attention to these two people in the future. Thinking of this, she quickened her pace, turned a corner, and disappeared.

The two people behind him were a little surprised, but the three of them were unfamiliar with each other, so they were alert and turned the corner and went back to the palace without saying much.

In the Water Palace,
After seeing someone leave,

Princess Jing finally breathed a sigh of relief and said;

"Look, everyone wanted to speak up, but in the end, no one said anything. There are some things they still don't understand. What's the point of waiting for several years?"

"Everyone who has just entered the palace has some aspirations. Concubine Xu is from a humble family and only wants to be smart, but Concubine Wei and Concubine Feng have prominent family backgrounds and it is understandable that they have heavy thoughts. However, the palace is different from the outside world. They will know it in the future. However, sister, you have never thought of contacting Marquis Luo Yun. After all, you and him are old friends. He will not deny the relationship. I am afraid that your father cannot afford the money for the queen to come to visit her parents."

Although Ming Fei was joking, there was inevitably some worry in her eyes. Although returning home to visit her relatives would bring honor to the family and the palace would show favor and bring glory to the ancestors, the money spent in the mansion was real money, and it was hard to say whether she could accept such a huge favor.

She also knew about the situation at Concubine Jing's home. Lord Guo had served as the governor of Zhongshan County. Unfortunately, although the northern counties had not suffered any disasters, the government revenue had been declining year after year. It was good enough to maintain a balance. Where would the money come from to build a separate residence for the imperial visit?

If you want to borrow money to build a garden, you need someone to lend you the money. Now in the capital, all the families have repaid the money to the Ministry of Revenue. I think there won't be much left. Only the princes and their fiefs have the financial resources. But who in the harem and their families dare to contact the princes? There is only one person, Marquis Luo Yun, who can still lend you money.

But there is a way to borrow money.

Concubine Jing's eyes darkened. Thinking of her father's hunched body, she knew how difficult it was for him. But when she thought about the visit, would Marquis Luo Yun remember all this?
"Don't worry, sister. I don't ask for anything else. I just want to renovate my own house. The Guo family is a small family and can't compete with others."

What she said was also true. If she really couldn't come up with the money, she could only do this. However, Concubine Ming, He Wanru, shook her head, stretched out her jade hand, pulled Guo Mingyue's arm, and pinched it. It was extremely soft and tender.

"Then my sister, you are wrong. The cost of building the courtyard is the fixed amount, and it will be completed after it is spent. But you are going back to visit your relatives, and the pomp along the way, as well as the people in the palace and your relatives in the mansion, are the big expenses. So, I advise you to make plans early, and don't panic when the time comes. This is 20,000 taels of silver, and this is all I have."

After all, she was soft-hearted. Concubine Ming He Wanru took out a silver note of 20,000 taels from the box and handed it over. Perhaps she knew in her heart that she was the only one who could be with her in the harem.

"Thank you, sister. I know what to do. I will lend you 10,000 taels of silver first. As for the rest, I am short of silver now."

Jing Fei Guo Mingyue's eyes were bright. She only took 10,000 taels of silver from the table and pushed the rest back. He Wanru looked at Mingyue again and again, and seeing that Mingyue had made up her mind, she took the silver note back.

"Okay, just make up your mind. Tomorrow, remember to go to Chunyun Palace together to congratulate Consort Xian De. Jia Yuanchun has won the first prize."

"So what? The harem is now like a place of peace and quiet. She has been here for so long, she should know this."

Then,

There was a sigh in the hall, and after a moment, it fell into deathly silence again.
(End of this chapter)