Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 895 Where is the Zhang Family Keepsake?
Inner Court,

It was still so quiet. As the morning light shone, the palaces in the inner court seemed to be gently covered by a layer of gauze, quiet and peaceful.

The vermilion palace walls stretched out in a winding manner, isolating the noise and disturbance of the outside world. In the deep palace courtyards and numerous pavilions, many concubines in the harem, accompanied by palace maids, actually hurriedly walked towards the direction of Kunning Palace. It was unknown whether it was a pre-arranged plan or just a coincidence.
In the courtyard,
Several ancient ginkgo trees stood there, green and full of vitality, and a group of eunuchs were cleaning the yard.

In Kunning Palace,

Chun He was helping the Empress with her clothes and hair accessories, and said to her in the bronze mirror;
"Your Highness is still as beautiful as ever, and your flowing hair has not changed at all."

The person in the bronze mirror had a ruddy complexion, a beautiful face with a sense of charm and a different look. Empress Jiang covered her hairpin with her hand, but she didn't like to use other accessories.

"You are so sweet-talking. I am already this old. How pretty can I be?"

Seeing that the empress didn't like other accessories, Chunhe took off all the flower stickers on her hair, straightened her hair, and put on an agarwood hairpin, which felt a little strange.
"Your Majesty, you must not say that. I feel that your complexion is getting better and better. This morning, Marquis Luo Yun's mansion sent something to your Majesty. They said it was a meat pie specially prepared by the mansion. The other one was some kind of cake, which was made by County Lady Qin herself."

Chun He was stunned, he actually forgot what it was.
"Girl, that was the steamed cake that Luo Yunhou mentioned, I never thought it would actually be delivered."

Empress Jiang smiled in her heart and said casually, "What crispy meat and pastries did Marquis Luo Yun eat? They were delivered so quickly. It's a filial piety."

"Yes, Madam, the Marquis sent quite a bit, ten boxes, three layers high."

She looked strange. Who in the palace had such a big appetite to eat so much? The last time in the car, the piece of meat that the Marquis ate was enough for her to eat for a whole day.

"Well, since it has been delivered and returned, you can,"

suddenly,

Queen Jiang paused for a moment, then changed her tone and continued;
"Is Concubine Xian De coming here today?"

"Your Majesty, Consort Xian De will come to the palace today to thank God for His Grace, and the other concubines who will accompany her will also come with her."

It was still early, so there was no time to waste. Chun He helped the empress put on her makeup. After everything was settled, she helped the empress go to the side hall to prepare for dinner. The imperial kitchen had prepared a lot of dishes today.

Entered the house,
Looking at the table full of dishes, steamed, fried, deep-fried, stewed, everything, Queen Jiang frowned. It was the same all day long. No matter how good the food was, she would get tired of it.
After sitting down, Chun He served a bowl of porridge to the queen and placed it on the table. Seeing that the queen did not move her chopsticks, she whispered;
"My lady, is today's meal not to your liking?"

"That's not the case. Everything is normal. I just don't like these things in my heart. I might as well take the ones sent by the Marquis' Mansion and try them."

Empress Jiang suddenly felt a little depressed. She had been outside the palace for only one day, but she felt a happiness she had never experienced since entering the palace. The snacks along the street, the lively restaurants, and even the buffets in the simple Rongguo Mansion were all unique. Thinking about her three princes, she wondered how their studies were going. The more she thought about it, the more depressed she felt.

Chunhe saw this,

Knowing that the queen was upset, she quickly waved her hand and asked the palace maid to go down and open the food box sent by the Marquis's Mansion. She took out the steamed cakes and crispy meat and placed them on the table. The two dishes were still steaming and fragrant.
"My lady, are you worried about something?"

"Hey, it's still about those things. Oh, by the way, Xia Yu, Qiu Ye, and Dong Mei, have you heard about the three princes?"

Seeing two plates of dishes sent from the Marquis' Mansion, I picked up my chopsticks and took a bite of the crispy meat first. It was fat and lean, fried very crispy, and left a lingering fragrance in my mouth. No wonder Marquis Luo Yun liked this taste. Then I looked at the other steamed cake. It was snow-white all over, with only the top layer covered with a layer of dates. The ingredients were simple. I took a sip and it was sweet but not greasy. It was really delicious.
Chun He was standing by, and when he saw the queen finish her meal, he breathed a sigh of relief and told her about the affairs of the three princes' palaces.
"Don't worry, Madam. The three of them are keeping an eye on the affairs of the three masters' houses. The eldest prince is now making progress in his studies and has begun to learn horse riding. The second and third princes are not far behind and have already started to practice martial arts. In addition, the Imperial Guards, the Imperial City Bureau, and the 500 cavalrymen of Marquis Luo Yun's house have not left."

"Well, it tastes good. No wonder that guy always eats a bite wherever he goes. But the portion is quite large."

I don't know whether it was because the food tasted really good, or because of the news about the three princes, Empress Jiang was obviously much calmer.

"It's all thanks to the Majesty and the Emperor. Marquis Luo Yun has an open personality. I have never seen any general or minister eat so much in front of the Majesty and the Empress."

Chun He followed the words casually, which seemed to be a bit biased. Empress Jiang didn't care at all. She ate a few more mouthfuls and drank another bowl of porridge. When she felt full, she put down her bowl and chopsticks, washed her hands with a brocade cloth, and

"Let's go to the palace and see who is here."

"Yes, ma'am."

Holding Empress Jiang and the palace maids, they walked towards the main hall.

At this time, in the main hall of Kunning Palace,

Many concubines had already arrived at the inner palace early, waiting for the Queen. After a long time, Concubine Xian De and Queen Nan Nan did not come.
Many talented ladies and maids exchanged glances, but no one dared to stand up and move. Only Concubine Wu at the front and Concubine Zhou in the middle were drinking tea leisurely. Even Concubine Ming, Concubine Jing, and Concubine Rong, who had just entered, had strange looks on their faces. They sat down in their seats and said nothing more.
suddenly,

In the inner court,
A voice came.

"The Queen has arrived,"

"Greetings to Her Majesty the Queen, may Your Majesty live a thousand years and a thousand thousand years."

All the concubines quickly stood up and knelt in the hall, not daring to raise their heads.

When Empress Jiang walked to the throne, she turned around and looked at the hall. Several concubines had arrived and sat down steadily. She raised her hand and said;

"Stand up,"

"Thank you, empress."

The concubines cheered, stood up to thank him, and carefully sat down.
Concubine Wu was wearing a bright yellow gauze dress and a lot of gold and silver jewelry. She looked so rich and noble that she stood out among all the concubines. She stood up first and bowed to the queen.
"Your Majesty, I wanted to come here yesterday to congratulate you, but I was so anxious that I almost broke the rules and came a little late. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

This was a clever remark. Wu Jingyi had already been made a concubine, so how could there be any congratulations? It couldn't be that she was referring to something. Concubine Jing and Concubine Ming looked over with interest. It was Concubine Zhou who sneered to see what tricks Concubine Wu could come up with.
Queen Jiang looked graceful and replied nonchalantly;
"You are impatient. Tell me, why is it your turn to congratulate now?"

The queen asked, and it seemed that Concubine Wu had something to say, so she smiled.
"Your Majesty, the reason why Concubine Xian De has this grace is because of your grace. She is rich and noble, which is better than some people who want to make up for what is not theirs. How difficult it is for them to be like that."

It just so happened that quite a few people came. Concubine Wu had not forgotten how Concubine Zhou had troubled her before. She thought that even if Concubine Zhou was made a concubine, she was from a small family and had no money to build a separate palace for her to visit her parents. She could only hide in the palace and pretend to be deaf and dumb.

The people in the room heard it clearly, and many concubines secretly looked at Concubine Zhou. Empress Jiang, who was sitting in the main seat, knew the grudge between the two of them. In this occasion, there was no respect for elders or younger ones.

"Whether it's yours or not, no one can say it. These are the most taboo things in the palace. Concubine Wu, you are also an old lady in the palace. There are some things you can say and some things you can't say. Please sit down first."

"Yes, ma'am."

Although she was scolded by the Queen, everyone could see her inner pride. Concubine Zhou was so angry that her face turned pale, but she was really puzzled in her heart. In the past, there were always two or three concubines, why was there only one now? Outside the palace,

There is a Taijiao who is in charge of the affairs and sings the praises;
"The virtuous concubine has arrived!"

Jia Yuanchun was dressed in a gorgeous dress, with a skirt embroidered with exquisite patterns that swayed gently with her steps. She wore a phoenix crown on her head, and pearls sparkled in her hair. Behind her followed a line of palace maids, all of whom lowered their eyebrows and held gift boxes in their hands.

When she arrived at the gate of Kunning Palace, Jia Yuanchun stopped, straightened her clothes, and then bowed gently.

"Your Highness, I have come to thank the Empress for her kindness."

The palace gate opened wide, and the maids inside came out, bowed deeply to Yuanchun, and led her to the inner hall. At this time, the concubines around began to whisper to each other, and some were jealous and envious.

"She is the virtuous concubine. How come no one paid attention to her in the past?"

"I heard that she is the legitimate daughter of the Jia family."

"Isn't that someone from Rongguo Mansion? He is really favored by me."

"How could it be her?"

Even Concubine Zhou couldn't help but feel jealous, and the handkerchief in her hand unconsciously tightened.

Everyone's eyes followed Jia Yuanchun's figure closely until they reached the center of the hall. Jia Yuanchun bowed again. The Empress sat on the Phoenix Throne with a smile on her face, and she also had an aura of majesty without anger.

"There is no need to be so polite, Concubine Xiande. You have received this honor because of your virtue. You should continue to set an example for the harem in the future. Grant me a seat."

The Queen's words were final, and they echoed in the ears of the concubines. Xu Cairen, Feng Cairen, and Wei Shixuan all looked at the beautiful figure in the palace with mixed feelings. They were still thinking about how to make her a concubine. There was an example right before their eyes, where a woman was promoted directly from a female official to a concubine, rising to the top in one step.
"Thank you, Madam. I will obey your order."

Yuanchun responded respectfully, her words were modest and appropriate, and then she sat down. Chunhe asked the palace maid to take the gifts Yuanchun brought with her, and then returned to serve the empress.
"What a coincidence! Since you are all here today, someone sent some delicious food and cakes to my Kunning Palace early in the morning. You can try some."

Chun He signaled with her eyes and nodded. She asked the maid to bring two plates of cakes to the concubines present one by one. One was a crispy meat pie and the other was a steamed cake. When everyone saw it, their faces were strange. When Concubine Jing Guo Mingyue saw the crispy meat on the plate, she remembered what she had eaten at the street corner before entering the palace. How could it be brought into the palace? She took the golden chopsticks, carefully picked up one and put it in her mouth. It was crispy, soft and mellow. As for the other steamed cake, it melted in her mouth.

The rest of the people carefully pinched some steamed cakes to eat, fearing that it would be impolite to touch their makeup. Empress Jiang saw the situation in the palace, and when she saw Concubine Jing eating happily, she asked;
"Princess Jing, how do you think it tastes?"

When Guo Mingyue heard the empress's question, she immediately put down the golden chopsticks in her hand, stood up and bowed in reply;
"My Lady, it's soft and delicious, very rare, just like the flavor of the streets of Beijing."

She did not hide anything from others and spoke it out openly, which made Concubine Rong and Concubine Wu look at her sideways. She could even talk about the things in the market.

"Well said, they are indeed things from the market, and they were sent in by Marquis Luo Yun's Mansion. I miss these things, and now my wish has come true. It's just that Keqing didn't come to the palace to talk to me, which is a little regrettable."

Thinking about the scene a few days ago when I went out with the girl from the Qin family dressed as a man, I felt a little nostalgic. It was also good to have someone to talk to.
When they heard that it was Marquis Luo Yun who sent her to the palace, the palace fell silent. The several new talents or concubines who had just entered the palace all regretted secretly. When the palace selected girls to enter the Marquis's mansion, many noble families had repeatedly warned them not to go there. Now, that Yang who had appeared out of nowhere was living a comfortable life. It was said that she had her own business outside.
The more people think about it, the more they regret it. It is better to have a wife in the same house than to have a maid without a rank in the palace. Concubine Jing was stunned. This was sent by the Zhang family of the Marquis's house.
"No wonder, your Majesty is virtuous, everyone knows that. But Lord Zhang is quite interesting. This is the first time I have seen such a gift."

"Yes, only Marquis Luo Yun would send these. I heard that Concubine Jing's family has a history with Marquis Luo Yun's mansion?"

Jiang Yuqing smiled slightly, then changed the subject and asked about Concubine Jing. She had heard Concubine Wu ask about this matter before in Concubine Wu's Chunli Palace. She had never expected that Concubine Jing and Marquis Luo Yun had such a connection.

As soon as this word comes out,
Concubine Wu and Concubine Ming's faces changed. Who spread the news about Chunli Palace? And who told the Empress?

Concubine Jing, who was standing, shook her head.
"My lady, that is all in the past. Ever since Uncle Zhang went to guard the city outside the Great Wall, we have lost contact. Now we don't even have any correspondence. As time goes by, our friendship has faded."

In fact, it's more than just indifference. When Marquis Luo Yun came to the capital, he didn't even send a servant to his house. It was like they were strangers. Your Majesty should know this.

"Well, that's true. Time has passed so long that some things will fade. Please sit down. Since you are all here, don't leave at noon. Stay here for lunch. Kunning Palace hasn't been so lively for a long time."

"Thank you, empress."

There were joyful voices in the house again.
"My Lord, my Lord,"

In the carriage, Zhang Jinyu leaned against the window and squinted for a while. When he heard the shouting, he woke up from his sleepiness and asked;
"What's up, are you here?"

Ningbyon was in front of the car, carefully reporting to the people inside;

"My Lord, the Rongguo Mansion is just around the corner. Just now, a servant came to report that Master Qin sent someone to tell you that the eldest son of the Guo family sent someone to visit Master Qin's mansion, hoping to borrow a master craftsman to draw a reconstruction blueprint for the mansion and to ask for some craftsmen to do some repairs. Master Qin didn't dare to agree. Who knew that the Guo family took out the Zhang family's token, so Master Qin sent someone to deliver the thing and ask about it."

After saying that, he handed something wrapped in blue brocade into the car. Zhang Jinyu was a little confused. What was going on? Why did he go to find his father-in-law instead of talking to him about something and return the Zhang family's keepsake? How come he didn't know about it?

The Zhang family has been guarding Pingyang City outside the Great Wall and has moved most of the clan members out. What connection do they have with the area inside the Great Wall? He reached out to take it and opened it. It turned out to be a square jade pendant. It was high-quality warm jade with a little amber. There was a word "Zhang" engraved on the front. It looked familiar, so he took out a piece of jade from his waist and compared it. It was exactly the same, but it was the Zhang family's token. What was going on?

"Ningbian, how come the Zhang family's jade pendant is in the hands of that person?"

"My Lord, it's the Guo family in the capital, which is an old friend of the Zhang family when they went to the border areas. I heard from the master that the patriarch of the Guo family, Guo Baishan, is a sworn brother of the master, and his eldest daughter, Guo Mingyue, entered the harem and was named Concubine Jing."

Ningbian's secret guards had already gotten a general idea of ​​the various mansions in the capital. The Guo family's affairs were closely related to the Zhang family.
"My Lord, before we came to the capital, the master of the Guo family was transferred to Zhongshan County as the governor."

"You really didn't come out earlier or later. I have some impression of the Guo family, but I remember that when I first came to the capital, no one from the Guo family came. They just gave gifts when they were celebrating."

Zhang Jinyu fumbled with the jade pendant in her hand repeatedly. Coincidentally, after playing with it for a while, she found that the lines inside were one on the left and one on the right, forming a pair of cards. Who in the Guo family did this jade pendant belong to? It couldn't be that Concubine Jing. It didn't make sense to think about it. How could a woman who entered the palace have these?

"What the Marquis said is correct. When the Marquis's mansion first came, the eldest son of the Guo family came with everyone in the court to congratulate the mansion. Although the etiquette was complete, there was no private contact. I think the craftsmen and the others were indispensable for the construction of the mansion when the queen came to visit her parents."

"Well, since I've got the token, I've repaid the friendship. I'll draw a picture of his house first, and then ask the craftsmen who renovated the house to go and help with the repairs. After all, we are old friends. By the way, what's the name of the young master of the Guo family, and where does he work?"

Zhang Jinyu collected the jade pendants and hung two around his waist. He thought that he didn't need to use the Zhang family's token to pay for the work of a craftsman. Could there be something fishy going on? He simply asked about the situation at the Guo Mansion.
"My Lord, I know this. The eldest son of the Guo family, Guo Ziyi, serves in the Imperial Guards, and the second son, Guo Ziheng, is the garrison commander of the North City. They can be considered as civil officials who became generals."

Hearing this, Zhang Jinyu was a little bit unconvinced. The civil officials were so proud of themselves that none of them would look down on military merit. The son of a governor of a county did not take the imperial examination and became a city gate guard under the military department. He was really unusual.
"Well, send someone to the Qin Mansion and tell them what happened. Agree to go to the Guo Mansion to draw the blueprint first. Also, if the Wu family offers anything, accept it and ask the master craftsman to make another trip to the Wu family to draw the blueprint. The silver he should give must not be reduced at all."

"Don't worry, Lord Marquis. The craftsmen under Lord Qin are rebuilding courtyards all over the capital. As long as the Ministry of Internal Affairs doesn't stop us, everything will be fine!"

(End of this chapter)