The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 104 Ningguo Duke's Mansion
"The emperor is destined to be the emperor, and the system says: Jia Cong, the grandson of Jia Daishan, the former hereditary Duke of Rongguo, has outstanding talents, good filial piety, equal emphasis on civil and military affairs, and excellent character. After Jia Jing's petition, he inherited the title of Ningguo Duke as his heir, and he inherited the fourth rank. General Jue Mingwei, I appreciate this!"

Jia Cong knelt on the ground and raised his hands above his head, "I accept the order to thank you!"

On the street, people were coming and going, but I had never seen anyone receiving an order with a dead person beside him. At this time, the crowd gathered around and saw Jia Cong, a young man with scars all over his body and blood stains on his buttocks. They all gave pointers.

These people still remember that more than two months ago, Jia Cong knelt here and begged Rongguo Duke's government for a way to survive.

"They say tiger poison does not eat its seeds!"

"Really, such a child can only be held in the palm of a hand even from a small family."

"Who let this family be the Duke's palace? A few years ago, they snatched the girls from the son's family as concubines, and they didn't treat the mother and son as human beings. Tsk tsk!"

"Not to mention, I heard that the old lady in this family, the girl who was originally the Bowling Marquis Shangshu Ling, is really powerful."

"What's so awesome? Tell me about it?"

"It has been passed down from the older generation that the old Duke Rong only gave birth to four girls out of his six concubines, not even a single one."

"No wonder!"

……

Song Hong's ears kept hearing the unbridled words of these plain-headed people. Seeing that Jia Cong was about to receive the order, he hurriedly said, "Don't be busy yet, Mr. Jia, there is still an order!"

Jia Cong didn't know what it was. At this time, his mother was still lying beside her, covered with a cloak. He felt desolate in his heart and regretted that he had not noticed his mother's thoughts earlier.

Until now, he has not regained consciousness in his heart and cannot think except for blaming himself.

Behind the black oil door, the people of the Jia family heard the imperial edict and the undisguised voices of the common people. Mother Jia was so angry that her whole body went cold. She didn't expect that these ordinary people outside would dare to make arrogant comments. Your honor.

The Jia family has always cared for the poor and cherished the weak, and gained a reputation as a philanthropist in the capital. Now, because of a rebellious son like Jia Cong, the lintel of the family has been tarnished.

Regardless of good or bad, it is simply unreasonable to pour all the smelly and fragrant things on the Jia family's heads!

"Zhi said, Jia Cong's mother, Mrs. Zhong, is the daughter of Zhong Yunzhi, the former leader of Jiangning Prefecture. She has a smart and intelligent nature, and is well-trained in etiquette. I would like to express my gratitude to you as a third-grade pleasant person."

Upon hearing this, not only Jia Mu and others inside the black oil gate were shocked and angry, but even Jia Cong was dumbfounded.

It was Song Hong who reminded him that he came back to his senses. His emotions were already churning. Half of them were sincere gratitude and half of them were acting. With tears streaming down his face, he cried bitterly and said, "I thank you for your kindness. Your Majesty, Jia Cong, will be the best in this life." I will remain loyal to the Emperor until my death!"

From the word "gift" in the imperial edict, it can be seen that Emperor Taiqi already knew that Zhong was destined to die.

In such an imperial edict, the person who pursues the title is "gifted", and the living person is "sealed".

Moreover, when Song Hong came and saw his dead mother in Jia Cong's arms, he was not surprised at all, and even had a rare look of pity in his eyes.

So, with the emperor's methods, it is impossible for him not to know that such a big thing happened in the sieve-like portal of the Rongguo Duke's Mansion.

However, he still named Jia Cong's mother a third-grade Ruren. It has to be said that Emperor Taiqi now didn't give Jia She any face and openly slapped him in the face.

The reason why the emperor acted like this was also to win over the scholars in Jiangnan Province. At that time, the Supreme Emperor was partial to the Duke of Rongguo in handling the case of Zhong Yunzhi, and lost a top scholar, which also chilled the hearts of scholars all over the world.

Jia Cong could think of joints that Jia Mu couldn't think of. Her vision went dark and she threw herself forward. Fortunately, Jia Zheng had quick eyesight and quick hands to hold her back.

There was only a door between them, and outside were the onlookers, the palace officials and the royal guards who were announcing the decree. Jia Mu did not dare to curse and act wantonly like before.

"My father-in-law, Cong is in such a miserable state today and is in such a state of desolation. When my father-in-law comes here, for such a big event as Cong, I should at least treat you to a cup of tea. But now, I ask my father-in-law and you all to bear with this scene. I will thank you very much in the future." !" Jia Cong cried.

"Master Jia's loyalty to the emperor must be brought to the emperor by our family!" Song Hong pretended to rub his eyes, "The deceased has passed away. Master Jia, please express your condolences and accept the change!"

Jia Cong was grateful again and picked up his late mother from the ground. He looked around blankly and didn't know where he was going. Song Hong reminded, "Master Jia, you are now the heir of Duke Ning's mansion, and our family has also brought her with her." Jin Yiwei is here, let me break the seal over there for you!"

Since Jia Zhen's incident happened in Duke Ning's Mansion, in order to find out the case, several high-profile stewards, including Lai Da, were arrested and sent to the Criminal Department. After Jia Zhen and his son died there, those people are still there. Be released.

In addition, all the doors of the mansion were sealed, and the servants dispersed and returned to their homes temporarily.

There was no one in the house except Huaping who was following Jia Cong. After the two moved Aunt Zhong to the bed in the main room, they washed their hands and changed clothes, then came out to receive the imperial edict and enshrine it in Ningxi Hall.

After Song Hong and others left, only Jia Cong and Huaping were left in the mansion.

Huaping comforted Jia Cong and said, "Third Master, no matter what happened in the past, in short, from now on, no one will bully you anymore. Everything must be looked forward to."

Jia Cong thought of Aunt Zhong, nodded and said, "I know that I must do something great to live up to my mother's kindness to me and her sacrifice for me."

"Who would have thought that the emperor would be so kind as to grant a title to a third-grade child. This is because the mother is more valuable than the child. If the child has a soul in heaven, I don't know how happy he will be. Third Master..."

"From now on, please call me Second Master. Since I have become the master's heir, let's start from here and call me Second Master!"

Huaping said, "Second Master, please be nicer. Second Master, you have to cheer up. What will happen to Ruren's funeral?"

Jia Cong was frowning and thinking. Outside, a voice came closer and closer, "Your Majesty, you have a spirit in heaven. Duke Ningguo's mansion can be saved. My lord, did you hear what I said and choose such a new master?" I finally looked forward to today! "

Jia Cong stood up in shock, and saw an old man wearing a Gebu short coat, with messy hair like a beggar, and a gray and imageless face came in. He stared blankly at Jia Cong for a few breaths, then bowed his head. He went down and said, "Jiao Da pays homage to the master!"

Jia Cong was even more shocked. What kind of image did Jiao Da look like?
In "A Dream of Red Mansions", it will be about five or six years later. Before Qin Keqing's death, Xifeng was coming to the Ningguo Palace for a banquet, and Baoyu also came. It was at that time that Baoyu met Qin Zhong, and the two became close friends. .

In the evening, Qin Zhong was about to go back, and Jiao Da was sent outside to see him off. Jiao Da was not a little angry, jumping up and down and scolding, "If you have a good job, send someone else. If you want to send someone off in the middle of the night, send me." . The heartless bastard! You pretend to be a housekeeper! Don’t even think about it. Mr. Jiao is walking on his feet, which is higher than his head. Who did Mr. Jiao have in his eyes in the early 20s? Don’t talk about you guys. You bastards!"

Then he cursed, "I want to go to the ancestral hall to cry for my great-grandfather. The people there have given birth to these beasts! Every day, the family steals the dog and plays with the chicken, crawls on the ashes, raises the brother-in-law, raises the brother-in-law, why don't I?" You know? Let’s fold our arms and hide them in our sleeves!”

Jia Cong didn't know what kind of medicine was sold in this burnt gourd. The upright master of Duke Ning's mansion, Jia Zhen Youshi and Jia Rong Qin Shi, could be scolded to death by him. He suddenly had such... respect for himself?
Picture what?
Jia Congfu sat down again and looked at him slowly, "Uncle Jiao, I remember that you went into the army with my grandfather and carried him out from among the dead. You were killed and you were starving yourself, but you stole something." Give it to the grandpa. I haven’t had any water for two days, and I got half a bowl of water for the grandpa to drink, but I drink it myself, Uncle Jiao? "

As people get older, they all like to talk about their heroic past. This is simply because their abilities are gradually weakening and they don’t want to be looked down upon by others. Telling them about their bravery in the past is just to maintain their own face and be treated poorly by others. respect.

The same is true for Jiao Da. A person like him, who has shared the joys and sorrows with his master, must look down on people like Jia Zhen, who lie in the shadow of their ancestors and consume their ancestors' merits wantonly, without any plans for future generations.

As for a hero like him, his contribution to the title of Duke Ning Guo was included in the title. Jia Zhen and others did not dare to send him away casually, so they had to find a way to learn from it. It would be best to let him retreat in the face of difficulties. Don't show up.

Therefore, he was sent to see off Qin Zhong, Qin's younger brother, in the middle of the night.

When Jiao Da heard what Jia Cong said, he burst into tears, "My master actually remembers all these achievements of mine!"

Jia Cong hurriedly took his hand and said, "Uncle Jiao, please sit down quickly! Don't call me master, this is really embarrassing me. You are a man who has gone to war with the great masters and has made great achievements, so you are the great master." When I'm here, I'll treat you differently."

The rules of Ning Rong's second house must be respected by the elders, people in the house, and the young masters. In "A Dream of Red Mansions", Lin Zhixiao's family used this rule to talk about Baoyu.

"And now, I am new to Duke Ning's house. I knew the people in this house before. I can't rely on anyone but a loyal old man like you. Cong doesn't ask for anything else, but I ask you to protect me just like you did to me." Keep me company, Cong can only feel grateful!"

"Brother! How many years have I been looking forward to having a good master in this house! This is my ancestor's narrow escape to earn this fortune. Look at which one of them cherishes it on weekdays? It's not that I don't respect the master, which one of them Is it worthy of my respect? That bullshit butler they sent acts like a master in front of me all day long, without even thinking about who I am, Uncle Jiao..."

This person is old. As soon as he starts talking about old times, he starts to complain. It is easy for him to say more and more, and over and over again!
Jia Cong had no time to listen to what he said at this time, and said, "Uncle Jiao, Lai Er used to be the housekeeper in this mansion, and also the companion of the old lady in the mansion over there. Now he has been sent to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. For a while and a half, I won't be able to come back.

I definitely can’t handle this matter in the house by myself. I don’t have enough manpower at the moment. If there is someone in front of you, pull them out. Not to mention anything else, there are three funerals for Brother Zhen Ronger and my mother. , it’s about to be done soon.I don’t even have a plan, so everything depends on you, the old adults. "

Jia Cong also knew that it would be absolutely fine for someone like Jiao Da to charge into battle and shout and kill, but if he was used as a housekeeper, the family would definitely be in trouble.

It's true that he doesn't have anyone in his hands, and it's true that he doesn't dare to use Jiao Da, but it's okay for Jiao Da to be a magical beast that controls the house.

Jia Cong also wants to know, are there anyone like Jiao Da in Ning Guogong's mansion?Are these people still useless?
At least, he doesn't dare to use most of the people left by Jia Zhen now. These people are inextricably related to the servants in the Rongguo Duke's mansion. To put it bluntly, they are all controlled by Jia Mu. .

Jiao Da didn't know Jia Cong's thoughts. The reason why he valued Jia Cong was because Jia Cong had suffered so much humiliation in the Rongguo Palace and had greatly reduced the reputation of the Rongguo Palace. It can be said that Jia Cong was the same as Jiao Da. I felt the same frustration at Duke Ning's Mansion.

However, Jia Cong was still the grandson of Duke Rong, so naturally Jiao Da regarded him as one of his kind.

Secondly, Jia Cong is a capable man. It can be said that among the Ningrong two houses, from top to bottom, only Jia Cong is a concubine. He has a low status and a difficult situation, but he can rely on his own talents, culture, Taoism and military strategy. He was appreciated by the nobles in the palace. He was a solitary and brave person, and had the character of the Duke of the country back then.

This gave Jiao Da hope.

In a country, there are treacherous ministers and disloyal ministers; in a family, there are villains and loyal servants. Only when each has his own place and returns to his place can he coexist harmoniously and prosper.

Jia Cong does not hesitate to use such people, and now, although he has Ningguo Duke's mansion, he is alone and has no capable people around him. It is more difficult to gain a foothold in this family than before in the backyard of Heiyou Gate. .And loyal servants like Jiao Da are undoubtedly a big help.

"Brother, don't worry. In this mansion, just like Jiao Da, there are still a few people who escaped death with me in the past. If nothing else, I must not let my brother be bullied by those treacherous villains."

"Cong can only rely on Uncle Jiao!" Jia Cong saluted and said gratefully.

For a person like Jiao Da, as long as you give him enough respect, don't forget the contributions he has made, and often look at his achievements, he will be satisfied.

After a while, Jiao Da called a dozen people of similar age to him. These people all had solemn faces and looked at Jia Cong with eyes full of scrutiny. Obviously, not everyone was like Jiao Da. thought.

"Masters!" Jia Cong regarded these people as masters, and he did not put himself in the position of master for the time being, because that would be useless.

"My Ningguo Duke's mansion is with the Dashun Dynasty. As of today, I am the only master in this mansion. The master is practicing Taoism in Xuanzhen Temple. Half an hour ago, as soon as the people in the palace left, he had left the city. As for me, although I have an official status from the eighth rank, the classics of the Hanlin Academy, and the appreciation of the emperor in the palace, in any case, I am only eight years old."

"Like Uncle Jiao, you are all people who have followed me through a life of nine deaths. You have seen with your own eyes how my grandfather earned this family fortune, and how Duke Ningguo's mansion went from glory to today's decline. I think you are more valuable than me. I feel like Uncle Jiao, I once hated him for not fighting, and I also felt sorry for his misfortune."

After a few words, tears welled up in the eyes of these people who had been in chaos, but these words were far from enough to impress these people who had crawled out from the pile of dead people.

One of them came out and said, "Brother, it's useless for you to tell us all this. The reason why we are still willing to come out is because this morning, we saw our brother shooting arrows properly."

This is something Jia Cong didn't expect!
He was stunned for a moment, and the man asked, "Who taught me archery?"

"My master is Xia Jin, the commander of the Beijing Guard, who fought on the battlefield in Liaodong."

"Ah, it's Xia Jin!"

In a word, everyone looked at Jia Cong with more kindness.

"We also went to the Liaodong battlefield and came down from the Liaodong battlefield when we fought the last battle."

The man stepped forward and saluted Jia Cong, "Brother, my name is Jia Ping. I was the last captain of the personal army of the Grand Master before his death. Grand Master Meng valued him and gave him his family name. Speaking of which, Jiao Da is still mine. My subordinates. We are all getting older, and I thought that there would be no need for old losers like us in the house!"

To be able to give him a surname, he must be someone whom the princes trust very much.

Since this person can become the captain of the Taiye's personal army, he will not be low in loyalty, force, or emotional intelligence.

A person who knows how to advance and retreat is even more rare.

At least he kept his dignity and wouldn't end up like Jiao Da who struggled and had his mouth filled with horse dung.

Jia Cong made a serious bow as a junior, "Uncle Ping, this time, you have to help me get through this difficult time!"

"Brother, don't be afraid! It's not a big deal. We still have a few brothers. We must not let people outside look down on Ning Guo Gongfu!"

At the critical moment, Jia Ping still stood up and said, "Brother, at such a young age, he is able to say what he just said. He is sensible and understands right and wrong. Since I have attacked this lord, I will be the master of Duke Ning's mansion from now on, and he will be a wise man." For those of us who are capable and willing to make progress, for the sake of your master, we must support you to take a few more steps and keep walking steadily!"

Jia Cong breathed a sigh of relief. He never thought in his wildest dreams that there would be such a character hidden in Ning Guogong's mansion. Only Jiao Da was mentioned in "A Dream of Red Mansions", which turned out to be a microcosm of these people.

Jia Cong sent someone to his small yard to call Li Gouer and his son to help him.

In Ningxi Hall, Jia Cong was repeatedly invited to sit down at the main seat. On the left sat Jia Ping and others, and on the right sat Gou'er and his son.

After introducing Jia Ping and others to Gou'er and his son, Jia Cong introduced Gou'er and his son to Jia Ping and others, "Li Wu and Li Shouzheng, to be honest with the uncles, these are the people I used to live outside. At that time, I was in the same situation." It was extremely difficult and I had no choice but to leave a way out for myself.”

The reason why Jia Cong speaks out is not to win over people with this trust, but to show his ability.

Sure enough, seeing an eight-year-old child know how to retain strength outside, Jia Ping and others recognized and believed in Jia Cong more and more.

"Brother, don't talk about it. There are two houses and one surname. How can we not be clear about my previous situation? My success today is all due to my own ability. I have a spirit in heaven. I must be very upset when I see it. Glad.”

"In the past, there were two houses with one surname. In the future, I'm afraid many things will have to be separated." Jia Cong just stopped and said, "I want to get better at life, and I want to set the tasks first."

Upon hearing this, Jia Ping nodded, but said nothing. He looked at Jia Cong, obviously wanting to test his ability.

If Jia Cong was really an eight-year-old child, he would definitely be helpless when faced with a government palace that was like a company, but he was not.

"I want to leave the security guard at home to Uncle Jiao. You choose people who are loyal and reliable. They will patrol continuously twelve hours a day. During the day, all doors except those that are necessary will be sealed. These seals are only available today. If it is demolished, some young people will have to guard against it.”

"Leave it to Uncle Jiao, brother, don't worry!" Jiao Da started to tremble, patting his chest in assurance.

"Lai Er was originally the general manager of the family. The second general manager Lai was originally the old lady's companion. Now there are a lot of things going on in the Xifu. In my opinion, it is not good to use the old lady's people. Besides, he is still in prison. Inside, I want to leave the housekeeping matters to Uncle Ping?"

Jia Ping did not refuse, and was even happy to see the success, but said, "It is difficult to leave the front yard management to Lai Er. However, the old slave cannot afford it, so the old slave recommends someone to my brother. Mr. Xian is here At that time, Yu Quan was used. He only made some minor mistakes for more than ten years before he was taken down. Two generations of his ancestors were stewards in the east, and he was familiar with all the rules in the house. He would not be able to hand it over to him. wrong."

"This is the best!"

Jia Ping sent someone to call Yu Quanlai. He was in his 50s and was very shrewd. After asking, he found out that more than ten years ago, his son was misplaced by the Xifu. He resigned here in order to discipline his son. I'm afraid it's to make room for Lai Er.

"Uncle Quan will follow the rules in the hands of the original master and establish the rules in the house. Furthermore, the family's accounts should be cleared first. What losses have been incurred, uncle Quan will sort them out as soon as possible in the past few days. While General Manager Lai is still here In prison, I can speak out and settle accounts clearly."

What he meant by this was that if Laiji couldn't clear his account and money, Laiji wouldn't even think about it.

Jia Ping and Jiao Da, two military men, understood this and were extremely happy.

The young master is different from ordinary people in terms of ability, character, and strategy. How can they be unhappy?

I just feel that there is hope for Ning Guogong’s government to rise again.

"Brother, what about the matters in the inner court?" Yu Quan asked, "There are still three funerals to be done in the house. After I go back and bring the people back, I will start the funeral, and we must do it together. These things If the discussion is not done properly, it will be difficult to start the funeral. Besides, the funeral of my brother’s mother must also be held here. Whether it should be divided into three groups or two groups, who will be in front and who will be behind, must be agreed upon."

"Even if Sister-in-law You is here, it may not be easy for her to deal with matters in the inner courtyard. She is a widow after all."

Besides, Youshi is still in Xifu now.

"Uncle Quan, do you have any suggestions?" Jia Cong asked humbly.

"For internal matters, I think you should ask the eldest lady. Even if the eldest lady cannot take care of things herself, the eldest lady must have a capable steward in front of her." Yu Quan said, "I asked my servant's wife to find someone to ask the eldest lady for her opinion. If it is really inappropriate, I will find a suitable person to recommend to you."

Jia Cong thanked her greatly, "I don't have a nanny in charge of my yard. Why don't I ask your family to be a nun in charge of my yard first? I can ask for advice on everything."

"Thank you so much, brother!" Yu Quan knelt down to thank him.

Next, Jia Cong arranged for Li Gouer and his son, one to be his bookboy and the other to be his long-term follower.

The father and son were overjoyed when they never imagined that following Jia Cong, they would reach the sky.

In the Rongqing Hall, Jia Mu once again leaned on the Arhat bed. This time, she was so angry that her temples hurt suddenly. The imperial edict was like a life-threatening charm, making her unable to live in peace.

No one knows better than Jia Mu that the current emperor is wary, wary, and even disgusted with the Rongguo Palace.

In the early years, when the princes of the two countries were still there, the disputes between the princes in the court for the right to inherit the throne were heated up, and many courtiers were caught in it and were shattered to pieces.

Prince Yi Zhong and Chitose, the former crown prince, were the two Dukes of Ningrong who petitioned for the title.

If Prince Yi Zhong was a thousand years old, it was not a bad thing, but he inherited the throne smoothly, then today's Ning Rong two palaces would definitely not be what they are now. With the merit of following the dragon, it is impossible to say that the title can be further improved, and Yuanchun is in the palace Among them, you can at least find a position as a noble concubine.

But there are not so many regret medicines to take in the world.

Back then, the reason why the Ningrong and Ningfus came to power was that Prince Yi Zhong, Chitose, was the eldest son. Secondly, if the country was not established, the princes would fight, and the court would be in turmoil, which would also be detrimental to the country.

Now that he has succeeded to the throne, Ning and Rong's two palaces have been keeping a low profile and staying away from the government.

But Jia Cong, the rebellious son, was jumping up and down, restless, and now he finally caused trouble.

Thinking of her eldest son lying in bed, not knowing whether he would see the sun tomorrow morning, Jia Mu wished she could eat Jia Cong's flesh and drink his blood alive.

Jia Zheng hurriedly came in, first greeted Jia Mu, and then said impatiently, "Mother, there is a funeral at Duke Ning's Mansion. My son thinks that there is no one in charge of Cong'er's house. Mother feels that there is no one in charge." Who can I ask to help?"

(End of this chapter)