Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 912 Farewell to Wang Shi
"Ohh Ohh ohh!"

The sound of horns continued to echo over the capital, accompanied by the sound of drums beating to gather troops, making the people of the capital feel a little panic. In addition, the iron cavalry of Marquis Luo Yun passed through the city, which seemed to have an inexplicable sense of sadness.

Rongguo Mansion,
Ping'er brought two maids, anxiously dragging and half hugging the Second Mistress, and finally helped her into Rongqing Hall, lying on the old lady's kang, pinching her Ren Zhong and pouring water on her, and finally Wang Xifeng opened her eyes. At this time, the two wives and Aunt Xue got the news and hurried over. Sanchun and Shi Xiangyun followed her and sobbed, while Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai surrounded Fengjie, constantly shouting, and the atmosphere was so solemn that water could drip out of it.

With the efforts of everyone, Wang Xifeng slowly woke up. In a trance, she only felt the interweaving of light and shadow around her. The moment she opened her eyes, she was stunned when she saw that she was in the inner hall. There was still confusion in her eyes. After a while, her consciousness came back and she suddenly remembered Jia Lian. Tears welled up in her eyes. She wanted to get up, but she fell back on the couch because of her weak body.
His eyes were filled with anxiety, and he had lost his usual energy. His voice was trembling and hoarse.
"What do you mean? How is Jia Lian now? Maybe he will come back."

look around,

The old lady sitting next to him also had red eyes and tried to comfort him;

"Don't worry, Feng girl. The two masters have gone to the palace for a court meeting. We'll discuss the details when they come back. There are hundreds of thousands of troops in the city. Everything will be fine."

The old lady was just making excuses. The battlefield was dangerous. If they were really surrounded in the city, it meant that the situation had taken a turn for the worse and they were in a critical situation. They didn't know if Jia Lian was still alive. She was more worried about Wang Ziteng's situation. He was the only one left among the Wang family's relatives and supporters.

"Grandma, don't panic. What's being said outside is all groundless. Just now, the Marquis's army entered the city and headed south. I think nothing will happen."

Just when grandma was being helped in, the steward of the outer courtyard came to report that elite cavalry under Marquis Luo Yun had entered the city and were heading south through the city. I guess they were heading south.

Unfortunately, as soon as the words fell, the room fell silent. Wang Xifeng's face was as pale as paper, her bloodless lips were trembling slightly, and her hair was soaked with sweat and stuck to her cheeks in a mess.
"This may be true. I regret not letting him become a general. My uncle is the commander-in-chief and my brother went with him. The war is so dangerous that even the Marquis wants to mobilize the elite cavalry outside the pass. What do you think?"

Before he finished speaking, his eyes were filled with panic and worry. He struggled to get up, but found himself powerless and could only let Ping'er help him up.

Seeing how worried Fengjie was, Lin Daiyu didn't know how to persuade her, so she spoke up.

"Sister Feng, don't worry. As our ancestors said, a city with so many soldiers guarding it cannot be conquered. The Marquis also said that in a battle to defend a city, the attackers will suffer the most losses, while the defenders will suffer the least because they have the city walls to protect them. Brother Lian is the general, so you don't have to go into battle. You can rest assured."

In a hurry, Daiyu did not think twice and slightly modified what her husband had said before, and said it as words of comfort, which also relaxed the heavy atmosphere in the room, and even the tense body of Jia's mother relaxed.
Wang Xifeng excitedly grabbed Daiyu's hand and asked;

"Sister, are you serious?"

Daiyu nodded, stretched out her other hand to hold Fengjie's nervous wrist, and said;
"Of course it's true. Didn't you hear Ping'er say that the elite cavalry outside the pass have moved? Many of the bandit troops can defeat them."

"That's true."

Wang Xifeng murmured to herself, others may not know what those soldiers are like, but she has seen them often, and ordinary soldiers are no match for them. Only then did she put her mind at ease.

Madam Xing frowned and stood aside, with a look of suspicion on her face. She still didn't believe these words. An army of hundreds of thousands was defeated just like that. When the old Duke was alive, tens of thousands of people could fight in the battlefield and they didn't encounter any defeat.

Only the second wife, Madam Wang, was turning the rosary beads in her hand. Others did not understand what Feng Yatou said, but she did. Her brother Wang Ziteng was the commander, and Wang Ren and Jia Lian were both trapped. If anything happened, the Wang family would be finished, and her daughter would be left without a supporter. Thinking of this, she stopped the rosary beads in her hand and asked,

"Old lady, is there nothing we can do this time?"

What the Second Madam asked was what everyone in the room was thinking. They all looked at Grandmother Jia who was sitting on the kang. The old lady sighed and said;

"The battlefield is dangerous, and we have to fight hard with swords and guns. We are not in the capital, and we have to live by our dignity. Don't worry. Since we can confirm that we are defending the city, the commander should be fine. Just like Yu'er said, those who besiege the city have the most difficult battle, so there is no need to worry."

Grandmother Jia didn't mean to admonish him. The old Duke had fought in wars all his life and had encountered all kinds of things. When two armies were fighting, the one who was most afraid of death would die first. She knew what the second son was worried about, but she couldn't say it out loud. It was also her idea for Jia Lian to go to the Beijing camp. If there were no male heirs with military merits in the mansion, how could they keep this wealth?

When everyone heard the old lady's words of assurance, they were not as sad as before, especially Wang Xifeng, whose strength returned to her body and her face looked much better. Although she was still worried, she could not fall down. Seeing the horns outside, she looked at Lai Wang who was still waiting at the door, and she was so angry that she cursed;
"You little dog slave, what are you doing standing there? There's such a big commotion outside, what happened?"

Lai Wang lowered his head, and when he heard his grandmother scolding him, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, rushed in quickly, knelt down and kowtowed, and replied;
"Grandma, it's all my fault. I've caused you so much trouble. The horn sound outside came from the Imperial Army camp. The cavalry under the Marquis also blew their horns at the East Street entrance and are now heading south."

How could Lai Wang dare to lie? Because of what he said before, he sent all the servants in the courtyard out to investigate the news and report back as soon as they got any news. It only took a moment, after all, the distance was short.
While talking,
The door curtain rustled,

Behind the screen, Jia She and Jia Zheng hurried in. The two masters had gloomy faces and frowned, as if they had something very important on their minds.
When I entered the house, I saw the women in the house. I walked to the kang and bowed.
"Mother, my son is back,"

Grandmother Jia did not allow the two to continue the formalities and asked quickly:

"What did the court say? What's going on in the south?"

This question made everyone's hearts hang in the air again. Jia Zheng sighed and shook his head. Jia She was anxious, after all, Jia Lian was still trapped in Daliang City, and he was anxious and angry.
"Mother, the army that marched south suffered a crushing defeat and retreated to Daliang City. Now they are sending a letter asking for help. Runan City is also in danger, and there has been a flood in the south of the Yangtze River. The court has already asked Marquis Luo Yun, Prince Beijing, and Prince Dongping to organize three armies to quell the rebellion. The key is not as simple as the Taiping Sect. The people in the direction of Runan City are the White Lotus Sect thieves."

Jia She's face flushed red. He didn't believe what he heard in the court. His father had personally slaughtered all the high-ranking members of the White Lotus Sect in his early years. When he heard that the White Lotus Sect had revived, he was the one who was most afraid. How could those cannibalistic bandits not bear a grudge against them?
When Jia's mother heard this, her face suddenly changed.
"What? The White Lotus Sect. How could that be? Did you hear it wrong?"

The reason why Grandmother Jia was a little horrified was that she knew the reason. Back then, the old Duke led his army south to attack and defeated the main force of the White Lotus Sect in Daliang City, killing all the bandits and forcing them to flee.
The only bandit leaders of the White Lotus Sect were in Linshan County. The leader of the White Lotus Sect did not escape, but the saint was nowhere to be found. Later, it was rumored that she was dead, but no one could find her alive or dead. After a long time, she was forgotten.

Grandmother Jia remembered that when the old Duke came back, he kept saying that there were two leaders of the White Lotus Sect, not just one, and that the Saint was also the leader. Letting the tiger go back to the mountains would cause endless harm, but in the end, they were never found. After more than ten years, the matter was forgotten.

"Mother, how could I have heard it wrong? It's the White Lotus Sect. Judging from the meaning of the letter, Wei Xiangping, the governor of the important town of Runan, may not be able to hold on. The court has asked him to retreat to Shizhou in Xihe County, which shows that those bandits have bad intentions."

Although Jia She was anxious and angry, he would not have remembered it wrongly. He did not know how his father fought the war that year. Fortunately, Jia Lian was in the south of Beijing. If he was in Runan City, he might not be able to get out. This thought flashed through his mind. Among the people in the room, only the two ladies had ugly expressions. Sanchun and the other maids did not understand the meaning of the words.
"During this period, Rongguo Mansion and Ningguo Mansion will be closed. The guards that Feng girl hired can recruit more people. If there is no need, they don't have to leave the mansion. Everything else remains the same. The garden should be repaired. As for Jia Lian and the Wang family, we can only wait and see how Marquis Luo Yun leads his troops south."

What Grandmother Jia was thinking about was not Jia Lian and the Wang family in Daliang City, but Rongguo Mansion. The White Lotus Sect had revived, and there might be spies or even assassins sneaking into the capital. It was not easy to get into the mansion, but if someone outside the mansion was targeted, it would be a huge trouble.

Also, as the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind, and the villains don't have the courage. If a family doesn't like the Jia family's behavior and secretly looks for them, and offers them a lot of money for convenience, then, with money and courage, they may not necessarily not take action, so it's better to be careful.

Seeing the weak Feng girl, she felt bad for her. If something happened to Jia Lian, how would she deal with it? She reached out and touched the back of her hand, and advised;
"Don't worry too much. Some things are destined by heaven. Besides, all the news is not in the Marquis' Mansion, and you are the only one who can go there to inquire. When you really have to go, bring more people with you and be careful." Grandmother Jia said what she needed to say. Many things can only be decided by fate.

Wang Xifeng was lying on the kang, still a little at a loss. After hearing the old lady's words, she instantly found her backbone. If she wanted to know the news, she should go to the Marquis' Mansion. She smiled and nodded heavily.
In the capital,

Not to mention the cavalry outside the pass rolling southward, the imperial guard camp northwest of the palace was in a panic. The Right Guard General He Xiaocheng, with a sullen face, stared at the commander-in-chief, Baoning Hou, holding the imperial edict in his hand, and forced out a sentence:

"Marquis Baoning, do you have the order from the Emperor to mobilize the Right Guard?"

The question was asked stiffly. Standing beside him was Yi Anxin, the commander of the left guard of the imperial army. He also looked at Baoning Hou with a sullen face.
Kang Guichen pointed at the imperial edict with a blank expression and said,

"Commander He, Commander Yi, I don't know whether the emperor knows about this, but the imperial edict was agreed upon by the cabinet and your majesty. It's up to you whether you obey it or not."

As the saying goes, watch from the sidelines. Baoning Hou was somewhat unbelievable in his heart. Luo Yun Hou actually dared to ask for the Right Guard. With this move, it was unknown what would happen to the palace in the future.
"you,"

He Xiaocheng wanted to curse, but he held it back and prepared to send someone to Changle Palace to ask for instructions.
"General He, Marquis Luo Yun has ordered all the troops to assemble at the Anhu camp and set out today. Time is running out, so I hope the general will act quickly. After all, Marquis Luo Yun is very strict in his military discipline."

It seemed like a reminder, or like he had seen through the general's intentions, and could only give advice. The situation was already critical, how could he turn the tide?

Even Yi Anxin, the commander of the Left Guard, did not say anything, which was unusual. He was obviously very afraid of Luo Yunhou. He thought this man could not be treated with common sense.
"May I ask, Marquis Baoning, who proposed to dispatch the Right Guard?"

This is the key point. Who would attack the two of them for no reason? The fact that the emperor doesn't know now doesn't mean he won't know in the future. If the balance is broken, and a secret letter comes from Changle Palace, should the two of them obey the order?

Baoning Hou's eyes condensed, and he thought of many things in an instant. What the capital needs now is stability, but the imperial edict has been issued, how can it be changed?

"General Yi, it's too early to say these things when the court is in danger. My son is still trapped in Daliang City. As for who proposed it, it was naturally Marquis Luo Yun. You can go ask him."

His attitude suddenly changed, and his tiger eyes stared at the two of them, causing their momentum to drop suddenly.
"Okay, since it is the emperor's order, I will obey it."

He Xiaocheng took the imperial edict and immediately issued an order.
"Come on, beat the drums to gather the troops, take all the food and weapons, and leave the city."

"Yes, General."

The deputy general of the personal guards behind him responded and ran out immediately. Seeing that the situation was settled, Baoning Hou said no more, clasped his fists, and followed him out. There were only two of them left in the big tent. Yi Anxin broke into a mouthful and cursed;

"Damn it, Marquis Luo Yun really is holding a grudge. Brother He, did the palace send someone to deliver the message?"

That is to say, if the matter is reported to the emperor, perhaps the imperial edict can be changed. However, He Xiaocheng showed a bitter smile.
"Brother Yi, haven't you figured it out yet? How could the Changle Palace not know about this? Since the Grand Emperor has not intervened, how can we send someone to ask for a change in the imperial edict? We can only inform the Grand Emperor of this matter."

“This, eh!”

Yi Anxin sighed heavily, what could he do?
In a flash, there was a commotion in the Imperial Army camp. The Right Guards assembled immediately, with all their weapons and armor ready, and marched out of the camp in a mighty procession, heading along the street towards the South City Gate. Inside the Changle Palace, eunuchs hurriedly entered the inner hall.
"Drive, drive, call"

"Dismount, Ningbyon, and get ready quickly,"

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

In front of Luo Yunhou's gate, Zhang Jinyu and his party hurried back on horseback. After getting off the horse, they told Ning Bian to pack up their things and hurriedly went straight to Dongyun Tower.
Perhaps they were moved, because today all the ladies in the mansion were sitting in the building waiting. Qin Keqing and Yang Hanyu were sitting on the left and right of them. When there was movement at the entrance of the attic porch, all the ladies raised their eyes and looked at the movement at the door curtain.

I heard hurried footsteps and saw the Marquis come in.

Zhang Jinyu was in a hurry and was thirsty. When he entered the house, he saw his mother and Qin Keqing sitting inside drinking tea. Without much courtesy, he walked to Qin Keqing, picked up the tea bowl, and drank it all in one gulp. He didn't feel thirsty anymore, so he poured another bowl of tea and drank it all in one gulp.
Qin Keqing felt distressed when she saw her husband drinking so fast, so she advised him:
"Drink slowly, my dear, don't choke."

"It's okay. I left in such a hurry that I didn't even have time to drink water. Have you prepared all your clothes?"

Zhang Jinyu put down the tea bowl and first asked about how to pack the luggage. There was no time to waste and they had to set off immediately.

"The orbs are all packed up, right here,"

Qin Keqing waved her hand, and Baozhu and Ruizhu came over with a big bag. It looked like they had a lot of things in it. Zhang Jinyu was a little surprised. They were not going on a trip and they had to bring so many things. So, they could just bring them. They didn't know when they would be back.
He turned to look at his mother Wang who was in the high seat, clasped his fists and said;

"Mother, I will lead the troops south today. The Taiping Cult's rebels have already surrounded Daliang City. I'm afraid the battle will be difficult. There is also the important city of Runan. I don't know whether what Governor Wei said is true or not. He said that the White Lotus Cult has revived and those evil men and women have reappeared in the world. I'm afraid Runan City can't be defended. In addition, the evil women of the White Lotus Cult are people in the martial arts world. If they disrupt the martial arts world, it will be very harmful."

Zhang Jinyu shook his head. When the world is in chaos, people of all kinds will come out. People in the underworld will try to take advantage of the situation, which will only make things worse.

The White Lotus Sect's previous leaders and saints were all women in charge. Wasn't it a witch who caused cholera in the world? She said this casually, but Wang and Yueshu, who were sitting in the main seat, looked strange. What do you mean by the White Lotus Sect's thief and witch? Aren't these people in the room?
Wang's eyes flickered, and she was a little amused. She had received a secret report from Qin that Runan City had been taken, and Wei Xiangping had withdrawn to Shizhou in Xihe County. The next step was for Bai Shuiyue to lead the people to attack Yangping and Shizhou to open the gateway to Xihe County. In this way, they could avoid the area south of Beijing. The court's movement this time was not small, so it seemed that they could only plunder and act according to the situation.
"The imperial court is unkind, and the people are starving and cold. If someone raises his arm and calls for action, followers will naturally gather. The land south of the capital has always been a chaotic place, and this is not the first or second time. It's a pity that the imperial court only cares about food and not punishment!"

"What mother said is that there are incompetent officials, corrupt officials, and gentry everywhere. It's impossible to kill them all. The princes in the interior want chaos, but the four kings and eight dukes, as well as those outside the Great Wall, don't want chaos. This time, Prince Beijing Shui Rong led his troops to Xihe County to stop the enemy, and Prince Dongping Mu Shi led his troops to guard Tang County. I hope they can suppress the White Lotus Sect."

Zhang Jinyu agreed. The reason for the chaos in the world was not due to the imperial court, but to the greed of local gentry and tyrants. However, the interior of the Great Wall cannot be in chaos now. If there is chaos, the people in the interior will benefit. For the time being, they have to rely on the imperial court to survive, especially those outside the Great Wall, who are still waiting for the autumn harvest of grain in the interior.

"In this case, you must be careful. The Taiping Cult may seem reckless, but they are actually bold and careful. They have many slave soldiers under their command. When they are starving, they will do anything for a bite to eat. So, you don't have to hold back on the battlefield. As for the White Lotus Cult in Runan City, it doesn't matter whether they are real or not. As long as we wipe out the main force in the south, the east will naturally be nothing to worry about. When you go, bring Yue'er with you and she will take care of your daily life."

Wang explained something in a few words, seemingly indifferent, but the two girls Yueshu understood the meaning and were clear in their hearts. The White Lotus Sect is no longer the same as before. If the situation is not right, they will flee immediately. When it comes to hiding, no one in the world can compare to them!

(End of this chapter)