Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 902 The Second Son of the Guo Family
"Ding, ding, it's getting dark, be careful with candles,"

"Ding, ding, it's getting dark, be careful with candles,"

On the streets of Beijing,

Some neighborhoods have already closed their doors. The night watchman, holding a dim lantern in one hand and wearing a tattered straw raincoat, casually hits the gong hanging on his body with a mallet in the other hand and shouts in the closed neighborhoods.

The sky was filled with dusk, like a gray curtain that slowly descended, covering the huge capital city. The mountains in the distance had completely disappeared.
Only the taverns on the street still had a few flickering candlelight. Through the half-opened doors, one could still see the drinkers inside, their faces flushed, talking loudly, looking very uncomfortable.
Qin Ye's residence in Nancheng,

The sound of the night watchman also came in.
at this time,

In the main hall,

Zhang Jinyu's face was ruddy, and she was a little unsteady in holding the wine cup in her hand. Qin Zhong beside her was already a little dazed and no longer the same as before. Her father-in-law Qin Ye was also a little drunk.

"Father-in-law, let's stop drinking here. It's already night, so I'm going to go home first. Someone, come and help father-in-law to rest."

This shout called in Aunt Liu, who had been waiting outside. She helped Old Master Qin to the back hall with concern, and called a few maids to help Qin Zhong back.
Only Zhang Jinyu was left sitting there, drinking a sip of tea.
"My Lord, it's time to go back."

"Well, let's go."

He wiped his face with his hand, and then he sobered up a lot. Not to mention, today's meal was delicious and the wine was tasty.

He stood up, straightened his clothes, and led his men out of the mansion. When he reached the street, he mounted his horse and headed for the mansion.

Today, the Wu family came to the door, wanting to ask for help, but the Guo family didn't come. I don't know what that means. Besides, I have almost no impression of the Guo family. I don't know how the two families interacted in the past. One is a military general and the other is a civil official. It's interesting.
I rode on my horse feeling dizzy and soon returned to the mansion. I saw a man looking around in front of the mansion gate. I wondered where he came from.
Before I could even ask,
The person who had been waiting for a long time was full of joy and shouted directly;
"Brother Zhang, I, Guo Ziheng, have been waiting here for a long time,"

The call sounded so friendly that people were a little confused. There were not many people in the capital who called him Brother Zhang. Looking closely, he was a young man with a heroic look and a handsome face. He was a young master from a wealthy family, but whose family was he from?

"Well, I don't know your name, sir, hiccup,"

Having drunk too much, Zhang Jinyu burped and got off the horse. Little did he know that Guo Ziheng had been waiting anxiously for a long time, with his sister's letter still in his arms. He took a step forward and clasped his fists, saying;
"Brother Zhang, I am Guo Ziheng from the Guo Mansion. My second sister Mingyue sent a secret letter from the palace, asking me to deliver it to you."

At the end of the conversation, the voice became much quieter. At this time, Zhang Jinyu understood that it was sent by Guo Mingyue. In the palace, it was said that the queen in the harem sent him a letter. In an instant, he sobered up.
Seeing that the person in front of him looked familiar, he stretched out his hand and grabbed this person into the mansion and asked;
"Who asked you to come?"

"Well, of course it was sent by my eldest brother. This letter was sent by my second sister from the palace. After I got it, I hurried here to wait. I didn't expect that Brother Zhang came back too late, so I waited for the whole afternoon."

Guo Ziheng still had some complaints. If he had known this would happen, he would have waited until night to come. Not only would he not have to stand out in the cold at the door, he would have been very hungry. But when he thought of his second sister, he knew that he had to deliver the letter in person, so he had no choice but to wait. Fortunately, the Marquis came back.

"Well, come in,"

After Zhang Jinyu dragged the person in, he went to the west room and sat down. He wanted to open the letter to check, but he heard the sound of Mr. Guo's stomach. He was afraid that he was hungry, so he ordered outside;
"Someone, bring some food to Mr. Guo, and bring up some stew."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The maid first served tea, then went out to call for help. After a while, meat and soup noodles were served. Guo Ziheng did not hesitate to pick up the chopsticks and started eating.

Zhang Jinyu smiled when he saw this. He was still able to eat voraciously while talking about things. He was a simple person. He reached out and moved the palace lantern on the table closer. Then he took out the letter and looked at it carefully. The envelope was sealed with lacquer and there was no other strange color in it. There was a faint fragrance. He tore open the lacquer and took out the letter.
A graceful and lively word comes into view, starting with;
Brother Jinyu is like a mirror,

Things in the world are unpredictable. I haven't heard any good news from the General's Mansion for a long time. The bright moon is in the palace. Years have passed. I am worried about my brother's health. I hesitated until now and finally wrote a letter to express my feelings.
The Guo and Zhang families have been friends for generations, and their friendship is as deep as stone. When I was young, I often played with my elder brother in the courtyard, chasing discs in spring. My elder brother protected me, prevented me from being frightened, and enlightened me.

As he grew older, my brother studied martial arts and became familiar with the art of war. I was also by his side, watching him sweat like rain and work hard, I admired him from the bottom of my heart. Later, my brother and his family went out of the country to take on the important task of guarding the border. I had no chance to be with him. For the honor and disgrace of our family, although we have different statuses in the deep palace today, I will never forget the friendship we had in the past.

Now I am in the harem, seemingly honored, but in fact every step is frightening, fighting openly and secretly, exhausting my mind and energy, keeping to myself and protecting myself. I often think how happy it would be if I could stand shoulder to shoulder with my brother outside the Great Wall and talk freely about my feelings.
My brother is in the capital, upholding the loyalty of the Marquisate and serving the court. It must be very difficult. I hope my brother takes good care of himself and everything goes well for the Marquisate. If you need me, I will do my best even though I am in the palace.

The letter is short but the feelings are deep, it is hard to express what happened. I hope my brother is safe, and I wish you a happy life.

at this time,

Zhang Jinyu was still a little confused. After reading the letter, he not only sobered up, but also broke out in a cold sweat. The Guo family and the Zhang family really had such a deep friendship. Thinking carefully back to the memories in his mind, there really were these scenes.
But it was an old story. It seemed that in the past ten years or so, the Guo family and the Zhang family had almost stopped communicating. The key point was that this letter was too hot to handle.
He first waved his hand to dismiss the people around him, then thought for a moment.

Jing Fei Guo Mingyue, you really dare to write these, the emperor's harem, you are so bold, your face sank, and asked;

"Guo Ziheng, is the letter from the palace safe? Has anyone noticed it?"

This is the key. If you don't do things carefully, everything will fail. Concubine Jing dares to say anything. In this case, this line out of the harem must be hidden.

Guo Ziheng had just finished a bowl of soup noodles and the stewed meat, and burped. When he heard the question, he thought for a while before speaking.

"Brother Zhang, the palace's secrets are trustworthy. There are eunuchs in the harem who are members of the Guo family. As for the rest, I dare not say anything more. As for the letter, after leaving the palace, a special secret line delivered it to the mansion. Brother and I have taken it, and no one else has touched it."

Guo Ziheng also knew which was more important. Since the Marquis asked this, he must have read the letter. He didn't care what was written in the letter. He just thought that the Guo Mansion was not as good as before. How could he not know that it would be beneficial to move closer to the Marquis Mansion?

Especially my father, who had a hard time in Zhongshan County. The local gentry and some officials were deceiving their superiors and subordinates. In addition, the border troops were struggling to supply the army. It was no exaggeration to say that he was having trouble sleeping and eating. I was also afraid that my father would not be able to hold on, and the Guo family would be in trouble in the future.

Zhang Jinyu's eyes flickered. This letter came at a great time. It didn't come earlier or later, but just when the imperial concubine came to visit her parents. When the eldest son of the Guo family sent people to look for his father-in-law, he knew about this matter and specifically asked him to inquire about the affairs of the Guo Mansion, which was considered to be the friendship between the two families in the past. Now, this letter, the friendship in it, was not trivial in the past.

But why did they become strangers after they left the border? Not only did they have little contact with each other, but the exchange of gifts between the two families almost ceased. Who can remember what happened?

Looking at the look in the eyes of the second son of the Guo family, he might not know.
"I've read your letter. The visit from the harem is nothing more than a separate courtyard. Within three days, the master craftsman from the Ministry of Works will come to your house to draw the plan. As for how to change it, you can discuss it among yourselves. Although the friendship between the two families still exists, there is no need to be too serious. We have had almost no contact for ten years since we separated in Guannei. This Marquis has not forgotten our friendship. There are some things and some words that must not be said. Of course, we can discuss the future later. You can reply with this."

As the saying goes, you should finish things cleanly. He picked up the letter in his hand and brought it close to the flame of the oil lamp. It caught fire in a moment and fell to the ground and burned clean. The flames reflected on Mr. Guo's face, which was pale and blue. In the end, he was filled with shame.
Stand up and bow,
"My Lord, I will certainly convey this matter to you, but there is one thing that I should explain. When Uncle Zhang went to the border areas, he came to your house to discuss marriage, but my father declined because it was cold outside the border areas. Uncle Zhang had no choice but to leave, but my sister always agreed. She once attempted suicide at home. In the fourth year of Yuanfeng, my father was framed by the villain Marquis of Jinxiang, so he had to send my sister to the palace, and then she was out of danger. Over the years, there have been hidden things that cannot be told, and my sister is still a virgin in the palace. Everything I said is true, I hope you know it."

It seemed that she had made a great decision to reveal the secrets. These were all capital crimes. Zhang Jinyu's eyes condensed. Concubine Jing was still a virgin. How did Marquis Jinxiang frame the Guo family? There must be something serious going on. "I will forget what I said today. You came here today to build a separate courtyard for your relatives to visit. You didn't say anything else. If there is anything in the future, I will send someone to find you. Remember this."

Guo Ziheng was overjoyed, knowing that some things would be found out.
"Thank you, Brother Zhang. I'm not stupid and I know what to say. Also, my father worked in the Ministry of Revenue. I'm leaving now."

Zhang Jinyu bowed and did not keep him. He stood up and escorted him out of the room, still thinking about the last sentence. Being employed in the Ministry of Revenue is not a place for ordinary people. The tragic death of the former Minister of Revenue could be related to it. Besides, Liao Daping, the Marquis of Jinxiang, was a drunkard, but he could actually frame others. Tsk tsk, you can't judge a person by his appearance.
But even if Marquis Jinxiang had held an official position in the past, he was now an idle marquis, and it was not easy to find him. In the end, he was inevitably shocked that Concubine Jing was still a virgin in the palace. Was it the same for other concubines? If it was true, it could indirectly prove that after His Majesty ascended the throne, there would be no more speculation.

But I always feel it's a bit weird. After all, there were three princes before. In addition, every time I went out with His Majesty, I didn't feel anything strange. Maybe it's because in the harem, although I married her, I didn't touch her. Then, it's unknown whether this method came from the Queen's hand.

suddenly,

The door threshold rattles,

Ningbyon hurried in and reported;

"My Lord, Mr. Guo has already gone back."

"Well, send people from Ningbian and the capital to investigate the grudges between Marquis Jinxiang and the Guo family. How did the head of the Guo family work in the Ministry of Revenue? Why did he go to Zhongshan County? Why did Marquis Jinxiang frame him? Or rather, he reported him. Investigate."

Zhang Jinyu pondered over it again and again. This matter still needs to be checked secretly. Although it has been a long time since the old incident, how should I put it? The seemingly insignificant matter played a decisive role in the end. I have to be careful.

"Yes, Lord, I'll keep it in mind. Before coming here, I sent people to check on the two sons of the Guo family. Although the eldest son is in the Imperial Guard, he is a civil servant and works for the Ministry of Revenue as a grain supervisor. The second son works under Lord He of the Military Department, which is indeed a bit strange."

Ning Bian was beside him, reporting carefully that the people who came to the mansion had already been investigated by secret guards, and sure enough, there was something fishy.

"It's interesting. Why would a civil servant go to the Imperial Guards to be a grain inspector instead of staying in the court? Also, the soldiers in the Military Department are all the nobles of the capital, and the sons of the nobles of the capital, most of them are illegitimate children. It's understandable, but I don't know how the Guo family got in touch with them. It's not right. They are relatives of the emperor, so they have some face."

After a while, these are all trivial matters. The Empress in the harem will give some face. Then he thought that Rongguo Mansion is now also a royal family. If Jia Baoyu really has nowhere to go, perhaps this hodgepodge of military affairs can also give him some experience.
However, Jia Zheng seemed to be a pedantic person and had to go through the ranks of civil officials. Considering the women in the Jia family, Jia Baoyu was afraid that he would not be able to go.

"My Lord, Miss Bao is still waiting in the east room,"

Ning Bian saw that the Marquis was slow to speak and reminded him. Zhang Jinyu finally came back to his senses. Baozhu, that girl, did her best.

"Well, go ahead,"

In the harem,

In the dark night, there is a hint of quiet coolness.

In Yueyun Palace,

Madam He Chunyun entered the inner hall, lit a candle, and carefully looked at her master who was sitting on the bed in the warm room. This was the first time she had seen the queen like this in all these years.
"Madam, the letter has been sent out, and a message has been sent saying that the eldest master has received it. He wants to tell you that everything is fine in the mansion."

After all,

Light more candles, and the room will instantly become much brighter.
It also illuminated the beautiful face of Concubine Jing, who was wearing a moon-white brocade dress with exquisite silver silk embroidered on the hem. It swayed with the movement, and she was draped over it with a black gauze that was faintly visible, with some sparse cloud patterns inside. Against her snow-white skin, she looked like jade under the moonlight.
Especially her face today, carefully made up, with soft contours, delicate skin like porcelain, and eyebrows like distant ink, slightly folded, as if hiding a lot of thoughts, and sometimes a trace of sadness flashed in her eyes, adding a bit of pity to her cold face.

"I'm glad I got it. I don't know what my eldest brother will think, and whether the Zhang family brothers will remember me."

He Chunyun stayed by her side quietly. She also knew all these things. The young lady had no choice but to enter the palace. However, how could she dare to spread the secrets? It was said that the queen had no children, but who could have known that after the emperor entered the palace, he never favored the queen. In Yueyun Palace, only she and the queen knew about these things.
"Your Highness, the letter has been sent, so just wait for the reply. The past is over. Even if you feel remorseful, what can you do in this deep palace?"

"Yes, so what? When I was made a concubine, I was very happy for a long time. Who could have known that I was just a widow? That's not right. There are many widows."

Perhaps it was because of today's celebration for the virtuous concubine that touched upon the secret deep in his heart, or perhaps it was because of the rumors he heard about Marquis Luo Yun coming to the capital that made him miss him so much that he couldn't bear it. He regretted not listening to his father and brother.

"Your Majesty, you must not say that. There are many eyes and ears in the palace. Even the Empress Mingfei has to endure it."

He Chunyun was so frightened that his face turned pale. He tried to dissuade them and looked around to see if there was anything unusual. The Zhang family was gone, and even if they wanted to, they could not enter the palace.
"Just bear with it. We have become accustomed to this over the years. By the way, did Your Majesty stay overnight at Chunli Palace?"

Concubine Jing was not a stupid person. She had this obsession because her heart was touched. However, in the harem, this was the most dangerous matter. She must not act on impulse, so she just continued to endure it. She didn't know the origin of this Concubine Xian De. Even Concubine Zhou was not made a concubine. How could she rise to the top without making any noise?

"My Lord, Concubine Xian De has not left the house since she returned to Kunning Palace. Your Majesty did not come to the harem today and is still in the Yangxin Palace."

Almost all the concubines had eyes and ears at the gates of the harem. Whether the emperor had come or not, and how long it had been, were known to everyone. Only the concubines who had just entered the palace could look forward to it.
"Well, it's always like this. From now on, just keep an eye on this kind of thing. Throughout the year, we don't get to visit this place very often. Let's go to sleep."

"Yes, ma'am."

He Chunyun's eyes were filled with distress, but the concubines in the deep palace were all like this, so what could he do? He walked over and covered the empress with a quilt, but she had not taken off her clothes yet, and advised;
"My lady, you haven't taken off your clothes yet?"

"No, I will sleep with the clothes on today. These clothes were once favored by Brother Zhang, but I haven't seen them since he left."

"Your Majesty, there is no need to do this. I have heard a lot of rumors these days. I heard that the Grand Emperor is planning to summon all the princes to the capital for his birthday banquet. I don't know if it is true or not."

Seeing that the queen had fallen asleep, He Chunyun could not bear to see her get up again, so he covered her with a quilt. When he was about to leave, he told the news that the Guo family had found out in the palace. He did not know whether this major event was true or not, and who knew what would happen if the princes came to Beijing.
"What's true can't be false, and what's false can't be true. It doesn't matter who comes to the capital. Even if they really come, what can we do? Send someone to send the news to Luo Yunhou."

"Yes, I obey your command."

In response, He Chunyun slowly stepped back, walked to the table, blew out the oil lamp and candle, and everything became quiet again.

(End of this chapter)