The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 111
Aunt Lai was the maid who served Jia Mu when she was still in the boudoir.

Their status is like that of Zicuckoo to Daiyu, and that of serving as a bookkeeper to Tanchun. They have been together for decades, getting along day and night, and their affection is as deep as that of sisters from the same mother.

After Jia's mother came to the Jia family, when she was her grandson's daughter-in-law, it was Grandma Lai's family who helped her maintain everything; when she started to run the family, it was Grandma Lai's family who fought for her and fought for power; etc. She is old, and it is Lai Mammy and her family who have secured the place for her so that she can sit back and relax.

Jia Mu was stunned for a long time, then slowly asked, "What did you say?"

"Mommy Lai's house was ransacked by Jin Yiwei!" The daughter-in-law who came to report the news lay on the ground as if her house was being ransacked. She was so horrified that she felt like the sky was falling!

Jia Mu didn't know where her eyes were looking, she just stared blankly, which made Mrs. Wang and Xifeng turn pale. She was afraid that the old lady had some shortcomings, so she sent someone to call the doctor and stepped forward to caress the old lady. Tears also fell like beads on my chest and back.

The Jinyiwei have raided the house. Didn't the sky collapse today?
"Does he have the patience?"

After a long while, Jia Mu said this, but no one understood it, but Jia Mu stood up and said, "I'm going to see him, this damn little beast, what does he want? What does he want for him?" Let him come after me to take revenge on his mother who died long ago!"

With that said, walk out!

Mrs. Wang and Xifeng looked at each other, both wondering, could the old lady be crazy?Who are you going to find?
Jia Mu was already walking forward quickly, and the two of them had to keep up. At this time, no one dared to say more to provoke Jia Mu.

And Mrs. Wang had another thought in her heart. The raiding of the Lai family meant that for Jia Mu, her right and left arms were cut off, but for Mrs. Wang, it was a good thing with no harm at all.

The person Jia Mu was going to see was Jia Cong. Although there was no evidence, she firmly believed that Jia Cong was behind this incident.

When Jia Mu's car came towards Ningguo Mansion, Jia Cong went out in a mournful manner. He did not say to welcome Jia Mu in, but knelt down on the street.

"Congratulations to the old lady!"

Jia Cong basically blocked Jia Mu outside and had no intention of letting her in.

Mother Jia was so angry at this time that she couldn't care about anything. She got out of the car and cursed, "You bastard, you have a heartless conscience. Are you behind the Lai family's affairs?"

Jia Cong understood very well that Jia Mu was so angry now, and was even more pleased that she was so confused and gullible. He raised his head suddenly, with tears in his eyes, looking unbelievable and heartbroken, "Why did you say this, old lady?" What do you mean? The ones who copied the Lai family are Jin Yiwei, and Jin Yiwei are the emperor’s personal guards. Old lady, please be careful what you say!"

Jia Cong didn't start the Jinyiwei thing himself. Are you kidding me?
Jia Mu calmed down at this time, and felt in her heart that she was confused. She looked around and saw Ning Guogu coming and going, and there were people coming to express condolences. She didn't look like her car was blocked at the door.

For a moment, she didn't even bother to go in and offer a stick of incense to Jia Zhen and his son. She got up and got into the car and said coldly, "Go back!"

It comes and goes quickly, but in the eyes of the world, it is completely different.

If in the past, the cold treatment and harsh treatment that Jia Cong received in Rongguo Mansion was due to the unkindness of Jia She and his wife, then today, the world seems to have found a standard answer. The reason why Jia Cong is so unpopular is still Jia's mother.

Mrs. Rongguo's companion was taken away by Jinyiwei. This old monarch could actually blame Jia Cong for such a big thing. As Jia Cong said, Jinyiwei is the emperor's personal guard. Is it possible that Jia Cong is a child? , is he still capable of mobilizing Jin Yiwei to raid the Lai family?
To bully a child who just lost his mother and his own grandmother like this, you can imagine what kind of rotten state the Rongguo Mansion was in.
Jia Zheng came out of Baolinghou Mansion and learned that Lai Sheng's house was raided by Jin Yiwei in accordance with the emperor's order. On a cold day, his clothes were dry and wet, wet and dry again.

On the way back to Ningrong Street, Jia Zheng met Xiong Bichen's car. As a man who admired the great Confucianism, how could he not step forward and show respect?
Xiong Bichen unexpectedly invited Jia Zheng to ride in his car. Jia Zheng was flattered.

The carriage was swaying, and the two were sitting face to face. Xiong Bichen seemed to know where Jia Zheng came from, so he simply told him the news he knew, "Lai Sheng himself confessed everything in prison, and the Lai family has everything in their hands." There are seven or eight lives, not to mention the cash, there are more than 3000 taels of gold, and nearly 20 taels of silver. Jia Zheng, this is just a slave of your Rongguo Mansion!"

Jia Zheng's legs went weak and he slumped on the carriage. He seemed to be in a daze for a long time and didn't know what to say.

"How can the emperor not be angry?" Xiong Bichen said earnestly, "Now the court is in such a difficult situation. There are troubles on the border one after another, and the people inside are in dire straits. There is no time to take care of the turmoil in Guangxi, Henan and other places. Seeing the festival, the court cannot even pay a salary. Now that a servant of the Minrong Palace has become a millionaire, what do you think the emperor will think?"

"Zheng was so ignorant that he didn't know these things, and he caused today's disaster. I am really ashamed of his ancestors!" Jia Zheng burst into tears.

Xiong Bichen believed what he said, but the emperor might not believe it!
The reason why he came to Duke Ning's mansion in person today was because of his disciple, firstly to express his condolences to his mother, and secondly, because of this matter.

Seeing that they entered Ningrong Street, Jia Zheng and Xiong Bichen bowed and thanked him. Xiong Bichen waved his hand and said, "I'm telling you this because I heard that your father went to find fault with my poor disciple for this matter, thinking it was Cong." The son took advantage of it and actually criticized him in public! "

Jia Zheng was stunned. He didn't expect that the old lady would be so impulsive. He was speechless for a while.

"After you go back, you should make it clear to Mrs. Guo that this matter has nothing to do with Cong'er. Alas, I heard that Lai Sheng is Mrs. Guo's chamberlain, a slave, and he has invested the family property in such a way. , the old Duke’s reputation in his lifetime is really worrying!”

Jia Zheng was so ashamed that when he got out of the car, his legs went weak and he almost knelt on the ground.

He didn't even know how he entered the Rongqing Hall. When he heard Aunt Lai crying in front of the old lady, he suddenly had some thoughts. Why didn't the Jin Yiwei arrest Aunt Lai?

Aunt Lai was in Rongqing Hall at the time, so she escaped the disaster.

"Old lady, I heard that Brother Cong's master and Jin Yiwei are Paoze. If this matter really has nothing to do with Brother Cong, but it is a family matter after all. How can Brother Cong ignore it?"

"Family affairs? What does this matter have to do with the Jia family?" Jia Zheng, a gentleman, was also furious at this time, so he said such sarcastic words, "The Lai family has more than 3000 taels of gold and nearly 20 taels of silver. Why didn’t Grandma Lai say that she would give the money to the old lady? At this time, Grandma Lai also knows her duty as a slave? "

Aunt Lai's cries stopped suddenly and she knelt on the ground in horror.

Jia Mu also sensed something was wrong and asked, "What's going on?"

Jia Zhengdao said, "My mother didn't know whose instigation she heard. She said that Cong'er was the one who was causing the trouble. She even went up to ask Cong'er if it was her fault. When my son heard that Lai's family was raided, it was actually the emperor's order. Lai Sheng himself confessed in prison. Over the years, the Lai family has relied on the power of my Jia family to do evil outside and use their power to make money. They have actually accumulated a huge fortune. How can Jin Yiwei not interfere? "

"Old lady, you are unjust!" Grandma Lai cried and fell to the ground, "This is absolutely impossible! The slave family is loyal to the old lady and to the masters and gentlemen of the family, who is not a filial piety. If there is any selfishness, , was struck by lightning. When it comes to money, following a family like my master is better than ordinary ordinary people, but when it comes to being extremely rich, this is something that I absolutely dare not have."

"Where did you hear these words?" Jia Mu also felt that 3000 taels of gold and nearly 20 taels of silver were a bit too sensational, and she didn't believe it.

Jia Zheng was also a little chilled. At this juncture, his mother actually turned towards this evil slave and didn't even believe her own son's words.

"Mother, Lai Sheng's confession has been presented to the emperor. The emperor was furious after reading it. The wealth of a mere slave has already reached the level of the national treasury. I don't know how this matter will affect the Duke's government. Even if we still have to tear off these furs, I don't know. Also bring a piece of flesh and blood.”

Jia Zheng was sitting on a chair with a gloomy look on his face. Jia Lian, who came in a hurry, happened to hear this and was stunned. Mrs. Wang could no longer care about her joy. Waves of panic surged into her heart, and she was already on the verge of collapse.

Xifeng also knew that he was scared at this time, and his teeth were chattering, "Didn't you say that Brother Cong's master and the commander of the Jinyiwei are Paoze? Otherwise, if he is asked to help, the family will always be of the same flesh and blood, and he can't just watch it. Are you being... dragged into the water?"

As she said that, Xifeng glanced at Aunt Lai. She always hated this old woman. Relying on the old lady's influence, she would never take them seriously. If she didn't want to implicate the Duke of Rongguo, , she really wanted to clap her hands and cheer!
However, Jia Zheng understood that this matter had already been heard by Heaven, and it was not something that a mere Beijing Guards commander could intervene.

In the Ningguo Mansion, Jia Cong came to the door again and respectfully welcomed Xiong Bichen in.

After Xiong Bichen offered incense to Mrs. Zhong, he was welcomed into the study by Jia Cong. He knelt on the ground and served Xiong Bichen tea, "The student originally said that he was going to pay homage to the teacher, but who knew that something like this happened!"

Xiong Bichen took his tea, gave him three thumbs, and helped him up with his own hands, "There is no need for you and me, master and disciple, to care about each other. If something like this happens to you at such a young age, it is really difficult for you. I'm here. I should have come a long time ago, but I can't leave the court for these two days. I heard that your Master Xia has been here, and everything is going well here, so I'm not in a hurry to come over." Although Xiong Bichen never came, Jia Cong He had always kept an eye on things here. Otherwise, how could he have known so quickly that Jia Mu had been here and reprimanded Jia Cong in public?
"Mr. Lao has taken the trouble. Apart from missing his mother, the student has no difficulty." Jia Cong said with tears in his eyes again when he talked about Mrs. Zhong, "It is clear that my mother has made such a wish for a long time. Every time I think about it, if the student If you pay a little attention, you can notice it. If you know it, you won't be like this, and you will regret it endlessly."

Xiong Bichen lamented and raised his hand to caress Jia Cong's thin shoulder, "I'm afraid your mother would have been worse off than dead. If she hadn't had you back then, she would have done something long ago and followed your grandfather. She is now If your wish comes true, why should you blame yourself?"

Judging from the fact that Mrs. Zhong was not willing to wait even a day, and Jia Cong's identity as the heir was certain, she did this, which shows how urgent she is to seek revenge and die.

It is also difficult for her to have the heart of a child and the heart of a loving mother.

"Stop talking about this, cheer up. There are more important things for me to come here today." Xiong Bichen said what he had just said to Jia Zheng, "Although Lai Sheng has confessed, the family property should be It’s never more than that.”

Jia Cong was not shocked at all. In building the Grand View Garden, the Jia family not only emptied their own wealth, but also emptied out the thirty-two million taels of silver accumulated by their ancestors.

As for the garden built by Lai Sheng's family, "Although the garden is not as good as the Grand View Garden, it is also very neat and spacious, with springs, rocks, trees, pavilions and pavilions, and there are also several shocking and shocking places." The use of the four words "shocking and shocking" shows that the garden has How good it is, the cost will not be small.

Therefore, Jia Cong felt that although Lai Sheng said "3000 taels of yellow rice and more than 18 taels of white rice", they should only be movables, and if coupled with real estate, it should be far more than this amount.

Jia Cong thought for a while and said, "Sir is not coming today, and the student is planning to find someone to invite him!"

As he spoke, he stood up and walked to the bookcase, opened a drawer, took out a ledger from it, and handed it to Xiong Bichen, "This is all the current money in Ningguo Mansion that the student has in his hands, and the total is only 13 taels." There are so many that the students plan to donate them all for war preparations in Liaodong."

This is an account book made by Jia Cong himself. In fact, what was donated was only a very small part of it. Naturally, he would not be stupid enough to donate all his belongings.

Anyway, how much money does the Ningguo Mansion have? Jia Zhen and his son died violently, Jia Jing is a careless person, and Lai Sheng is in prison. It is basically a confused account.

He is only eight years old, so it is good to be able to protect himself. As for protecting money, no normal child has this ability.

Xiong Bichen was shocked. Although he came here today with the purpose of teaching Jia Cong how to do it.

However, it was just a gesture for him. After all, he was still young. Cutting down the household expenses, sending or selling some of the slaves, and showing off as a frugal figure was enough to stop the crowd.

Who would have thought that Jia Cong would be so generous that he would immediately donate the wealth of the Ningguo Mansion that he had just inherited. Wouldn't the title he held become a lie?

"Why did you make such a plan?" Xiong Bichen asked.

"This student's body is all given by the Emperor. Without the Emperor, I am afraid that Cong would still be hiding behind the black oil door today, living in panic in some corner."

"But there is no need to do this. Lai Sheng is from Rongguo Mansion, and the emperor knows this very well. You are only in charge of Ningguo Mansion at a young age. As long as you give up the extravagance and luxury in the past, who will pay attention? What about you?"

Jia Cong had other ideas. He said, "When something like this happens to Lai Sheng, it is inevitable to follow the clues. As far as the students know, there are more than one or two slaves like Lai Sheng in the Rongguo Mansion. The students also know that no matter it is Neither the eldest master nor the second master has the ability to amass money like this, but people outside will not believe it. This time, Rongguo Mansion will inevitably bleed."

Xiong Bichen nodded. It was not that he had not thought of this, but he just wanted to use this incident to see how talented Jia Cong was.

The more amazing this child was, the more he felt distressed.

"Although the student has become the heir of Ningguo Mansion, there are still students' elders there. If the elders are short of money, the student will have to pay attention to them even if they lose their fortune."

Xiong Bichen naturally heard what Jia Cong said.

At such a young age, with such a high-spirited attitude, knowing how to make choices, and possessing a determination that many adults have never had, Xiong Bichen also felt a sense of pride that he had never felt before.

He had never seen such a smart and clever child, and now this child became his disciple.

He firmly believed that given time, this child would shine and become a popular figure of this era.

"Kang, after the funeral, the student should live in a house and observe mourning for three years. It would be a disaster to keep such a large family property in the house. It would be better to dispose of it all at once. Anyway, from now on, there will only be the student and his sister-in-law in the house, except for some The generals and a small number of servants, and the rest, the student has no intention of keeping."

Aristocratic families rarely dismiss their servants unless absolutely necessary.

Firstly, these slaves know a lot about the affairs of their master's family. Once they go out, they will talk nonsense, and some secretive things will be publicized to the whole world; secondly, if they are not careful, they will do something. Some of his violations of laws and disciplines were known to others and caused trouble.

But to Jia Cong, these are nothing. Jia Zhen and his son are both dead. What has he done with what he has done?

Taking advantage of this opportunity is the right way to get rid of the bad and keep the good.

Xiong Bichen also strongly agreed and asked, "I'm afraid your mother will not enter the Jia family's ancestral tomb. What are your plans?"

"The student plans to bury brother Zhen and Rong'er on this trip, and then carry their souls southward so that their mother and grandfather can return to their hometown and rest in peace under the Nine Springs."

"Are you planning to return to Jiangning Mansion to stay filial piety?" Xiong Bichen also had the idea of ​​returning to his hometown. He remembered the charm of Xuanwu Lake and the beauty of Purple Mountain.

"Yes, the student wants to go south. As the saying goes, it is better to travel thousands of miles than to read thousands of books. Jiangnan is a place of prosperity, a place of beauty and beauty, and students have always longed for it, but have never seen it. . This is also an opportunity for students, who want to visit their mother’s hometown.”

Such filial piety really moved Xiong Bichen, who kept nodding his head and said, "I will prepare a letter for you in advance and ask your senior brother to help you settle there in advance. After you go, everything will be cheap. Besides, During the period of observing filial piety, one should study hard, and after three years, one can take the childbirth examination. If one has no fame, he will be like a duckweed without roots."

"Students obey!"

Xiong Bichen muttered, "My master is old and I don't want to stay in the capital for a long time. After you go there, you will first study with your senior brother. When I return as my master in the future, I will guide you in your studies."

Xiong Bichen had three sons in total. The eldest son was the number one scholar with a criminal record. He was more than enough to teach Jia Cong a boy.

"The student thanked you sir." Jia Cong was very grateful for the master-disciple relationship in this era. It was so pure.

He paid homage to Mr. Xiong Bichen without even offering him a gift. Xiong Bichen only drank a cup of tea from him. However, Xiong Bichen cared deeply for him. How could it not be touching?

When I went to Jiangning Mansion, I was unfamiliar with the place. If the Xiong family took care of me, everything would go smoothly, and Jia Cong's heart dropped.

Xiong Bichen came out of Jia's house and entered the palace.

In the Dongnuan Pavilion of Linjing Hall, Emperor Taiqi held the account book made by Jia Cong in his hand, stared at it for a long time, and asked, "Old sir, I have never thought of wanting this property in Ningguo Mansion. If I have such a Thoughts, what happened to me?"

　An inspiration struck me yesterday, and I suddenly thought of what to write for the next one.The next one is going to be about the Ming Dynasty.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)