The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 127 Uninvited
When Jia Cong went out, Zhong Shizhen had not left yet. When he heard the noise, he got up and looked at Jia Cong like a bulldog.

If you can follow your cousin to do things, you won't be afraid of anything.

But if he was sold into slavery, his father would definitely kill him if he found out.

But for people like my cousin, it seems that reasoning and begging for mercy are useless.

"Cousin, do you have to sell yourself into slavery? You are just afraid that I will betray you. How could I do such a villainous thing?"

Jia Cong paused and said, "You are a very casual person. You can talk about things like running naked without thinking about anything. To be honest, I don't trust you. I am not useless. But because you are my cousin, I plan to use you."

Zhong Shizhen was a little confused. Since he admitted that he was his cousin, why did he need to sign a deed of betrayal?

"Cousin, it's not that I refuse to sign, it's just...if I sign the deed of betrayal, can you keep it secret for me?"

"Why am I preaching this?" Jia Cong asked with a raised eyebrow.

He understood Zhong Shizhen's mentality very well. If the Zhong family knew that he had given up the imperial examination and sold himself out, he would definitely be an unworthy descendant of the Zhong family and would definitely be punished according to the clan rules.

"Then...cousin, what do you want me to do for you?" Zhong Shizhen asked carefully, looking at Kong An enviously. He was his cousin's personal soldier and handled all kinds of things for him.

Just now, when Kong An went to bring him over, he negotiated with Jin Kun and after telling Jia Cong's name, Jin Kun was so frightened that he almost peed. He didn't dare to say anything and watched helplessly as Kong An took him away. .

The key point is that Kong An is still a rough man eliminated from the battlefield.

It is conceivable that my cousin crushed these Jiangnan students.

"Be a carpenter and blacksmith!"

"Ah?" Zhong Shizhen pointed at Kong An and said, "Can't I just do things for you like him?"

"cannot!"

"why?"

"Because your abilities are limited." Jia Cong saw Zhong Shizhen's face turning pale from the blow, and he said slowly, "You don't have to be sad. You have specializations in your profession and the best interests. Since you like carpentry and blacksmithing, you should study hard. I will definitely become a great mechanic in the future.”

"Mechanic...? What is this?"

"In this case, you go get a spinning wheel first. When I come back, we will discuss how you can become a mechanic who is respected by the world and will be able to honor your ancestors in the future."

"Ah good!"

The cake Jia Cong drew for Zhong Shizhen made him almost jump with joy.

Jia Cong followed Kong An out and went to a private room on the third floor of Huibin Building, facing the Qinhuai River in the north.

It's midsummer, the banks of the river are lined with green willows, and the water is sparkling. Painted boats float quietly on the river, waiting for night to fall, lighting up blurry lanterns to illuminate the men's path to pleasure.

The sound of footsteps was heard in the corridor. Kong An went out after hearing the movement. Not long after, he led a man in.

This man was about 40 years old, with blond curly hair, dark brown eyes, and a hooked nose. Half of his face was covered by a beard, and even his mouth was not visible. He had a typical Western face.

However, this person was short in stature, a little fat, with a sloppy belly, and was wearing a plaid shirt and overalls.

The other party saluted and looked up at Jia Cong. When he met a pair of calm eyes, his heart skipped a beat and he felt as if he had seen a ghost.

A young man from Dashun country has such majesty. He has never seen this kind of majesty in other Dashun people. I wonder what the identity of this young man is?
"Sit!" Jia Cong raised his hand and said calmly.

"Are you going to buy my fire gun?"

"In my Chinese etiquette, when we meet for the first time, we should introduce ourselves first. Are you Spanish or Portuguese?"

When Jia Cong said "Spanish" and "Portuguese", he was speaking English.

Without him, he didn't study well back then. Unlike some geniuses, he could speak several languages.

However, even so, Kong An and the Portuguese were shocked.

This man felt moved by meeting an old friend in a foreign country, and he immediately became warm to Jia Cong, "I am Portuguese."

Jia Cong rubbed his temples and tried his best to think of a world map in his mind, "Then you have to cross the ocean from the Kingdom of Portugal to my country of Dashun. You have to pass through the Cape of Good Hope, cross the Strait of Malacca, then go around the Ryukyu Islands, and arrive at My Dashun, won’t it take a year or two?”

The Portuguese's eyes were about to pop out. This route was discovered by the Portuguese after decades of exploration. I don't know how many people died. How come this young man, ah, no, children Do you know?

Jia Cong did it on purpose, and what he wanted was this kind of shocking result.

He ordered Kong An to go out and bring in pen, ink, paper and inkstone. Jia Cong simply drew the route with a few strokes. The Portuguese stood up in shock, "You... who gave you this?"

"If I said it was Jesus, would you believe me?"

Jia Cong said the name "Jesus". Although the Portuguese did not believe in God, he stammered, "Believe, I believe!"

"Oh God! Are you an angel?" The Portuguese patted his chest and said, "My name is Sancho, what do you call me?"

Jia Cong said, "My name is Wang Zong. May I ask who the current king of the Kingdom of Portugal is? Is it Felipe, Joao or Alfonso?"

Jia Cong mentioned a few names that impressed him. In his previous life, when he and his roommates discussed the reasons for the fall of the Qing Dynasty and the loss of power and humiliation of China, they analyzed the world structure of the previous and later eras.

Sancho was already excited and regarded Jia Cong as a fellow countryman, "It's Joao, Joao V."

"The one you call the Broad One? He sends ships to fight everywhere. When you come to Dashun, do you also want to take Dashun into your pocket? If so, I will not agree."

"No, no, no, we don't dare to have such ambitions! With a person like you in Dashun, we don't dare to have ambitions!" Sancho did not expect that a child like Jia Cong would know so much about their history.

As for the broad man, today's Joao V does not have such a good name. However, Joao V ascended the throne at the age of 17 and quickly took control of the power and became the first autocratic monarch in Portuguese history.

The Portuguese's admiration for him is like the endless stream of a river.

"Have you ever been to Portugal?" Sancho was naturally very frightened when he saw that Jia Cong knew so much about their history and could name the previous generations of monarchs in one breath.

"No, I still said the same thing, Jesus told me."

This is obviously a prevarication. Sancho doesn't know whether to listen to it or just treat it as a joke?
When Jia Cong saw that the beating was almost done, he went straight to the point, "I heard from my subordinates that you will only sell firearms to me face to face. Is that so?"

"Yes! You are God's favored person. Since he has told you such a secret route secret, I have to meet your needs."

"I also heard that you are only willing to sell me a handful of firecrackers at most. What if I want more?"

"I'm afraid that won't work!" Sancho said with a smile.

Kong An found it unbelievable. What this man said in front of him was so pleasant, but it turned out to be a big liar!
Jia Cong was not surprised. In his previous life, he often dealt with Westerners at work. He knew the nature of these people. He never knew what it meant to keep one's word and was mercenary in his bones.

"Why?"

"You have to know that this is something that your Majesty, the Emperor of Dashun, does not allow. I do it for your own good!"

"Hahaha!" Jia Cong laughed and stared at Sancho and said, "I didn't know that you treat me better than Master Zhen, who has close contact with you!"

Sancho's expression changed and he looked at Jia Cong as if he had seen a ghost, "No, no!"

"Is it true? God knows and earth knows that you know and that I know!" Jia Cong approached Sancho and whispered, "You are doing the right thing. His Majesty the Emperor of Dashun is in Shenjing, and he is beyond his reach. Here..."

Jia Cong drew a circle with his finger on the southern part of China on the map he just drew, referring to the Jiangnan area. "The local emperor here is the Zhen family. You have to travel to Dashun and make friends with him." A foolproof thing." "But, Sancho, I remember there is a saying in the West, don't put all your eggs in one basket.

You came here across the ocean. Although you have a sharp weapon like a firecracker in your hand, you also know that you are weak. If this family calls for help, without him taking action, everyone in the entire Jiangnan will spit. Can be drowned. "

Sancho frowned and expressed disgust at the thought that he might be drowned in someone's saliva.

"If I sell you more guns, how will you repay me?" Sancho asked.

It's not that he doesn't want to sell more fire guns to Jia Cong. As a businessman, he's still worried that his goods won't be sold?
As Jia Cong said, the Zhen family was a local emperor in Jiangnan. Although Dashun banned the sea, it was a sea banned by the imperial court. There was no forbidden sea in Jiangnan. On the contrary, among the aristocratic families here, which family does not have a few big ships?

Are all the ships that come and go must be merchant ships?What if you come for a friendly visit?

It was under the protection of the Zhen family that Sancho was able to dock the merchant ship at Dashun's harbor and set foot on Dashun's territory under the guise of a friendly visit.

Jia Cong also plans to engage in such a business. Only foreign trade can accumulate considerable wealth in a short period of time.

"How about I buy your goods at a price that is [-]% higher than the other party's?" Jia Cong said with a smile, "Also, if you are in Dashun, I will keep you safe for the whole day!"

Naturally, Sancho didn't believe what he said and looked Jia Cong up and down, meaning, looking at a child like you, does he still need the protection of others?
However, since the other party can obtain his sea route map, know the Cape of Good Hope, and know King Joao V, the forces behind it must not be underestimated.

Jia Cong ignored his inspection and just drank tea by himself. He wanted this blunderbuss not simply to kill people. He wanted to know how far the technology in this world has developed.

And the most important thing is that the conversation he just had with Sancho has already given him an important piece of information. As long as he uses it a little bit, the Zhen family can be accused of treason.

A behemoth like the Zhen family has a strong background in the palace. Ordinary crimes can no longer bring them down. Only by treason and offending the interests of the royal family and making them realize that the Zhen family will shake their foundation can they be brought to justice. Be alert, take precautions, and finally make up your mind to eradicate it.

After Jia Cong joined the army, he realized that Dashun in the world of Red Mansions was different from the Ming Dynasty that existed in his previous life. During the Wanli period of Ming Dynasty, the development of firearms had reached its peak and was not lagging behind the world level.

But in Dashun today, not only does the court have no Shenji battalion, but they have never even seen firearms. They still use cold weapons to kill the enemy in battle.

Jia Cong decided to make good use of this.

Sancho finally decided to only sell him five firearms. Although Jia Cong showed dissatisfaction and said a few sour words, deep down, he still felt that the trip was worthwhile.

Sancho was very worried. How could he unconditionally meet the other party's requirements when doing business with someone for the first time? Moreover, he was afraid that the Zhen family would find out and it would be detrimental to him; but the strength shown by Jia Cong made him dare not Not complying.

It's a dilemma.

"Brother Sang, for the sake of brotherhood, I have to remind you..." Before going out, Jia Cong patted the other party's chest and said sincerely, "There is a saying in China that black eats black, you are Firearms are not cheap, let me remind you, when doing business with others, you must be careful, and when delivering goods, you must be under your control."

Sancho obviously didn't understand what Jia Cong meant. These Westerners sometimes have less brains than others. On the one hand, they think they are very smart, but on the other hand, they think all foreigners are stupid, much stupider than themselves.

After Jia Cong got the goods, he got on the carriage.

In the car, Kong An stroked the gun in his hand, with uncontrollable excitement in his eyes.

Jia Cong simply gave him a firecracker and grabbed a handful of bullets for him, "This thing is easy to misfire, and the quality of this firecracker cannot be guaranteed. If it misfires, it will explode in your hand." , it can cause your hands and feet to be broken in a minor case, or your life in a serious case, so be careful when you use it!"

Kong An hurriedly let go and the musket fell down. He asked in shock and confusion, "Why did the second master spend so much money to buy this thing?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have my own magic."

He then ordered, "Keep an eye on Sancho and see when they connect with the Zhen family. Who is the person connecting with? Find out the time and place!"

Kong An was inevitably nervous, "Yes!"

He didn't quite understand. How did the second master know that this Westerner sold firearms to the Zhen family?Obviously, there are other people working for the second master to inquire about information and work for the second master. He has to work harder and cannot be compared with others.

Back at the shop, Zhong Shizhen had already brought back an old spinning wheel. He wrote a deed of sale himself, signed it, and put his fingerprints on it.

As soon as Jia Cong came back, he handed it to Jia Cong.

Jia Cong glanced at it without looking carefully. He signed and fingerprinted it and kept the deed of sale on his body.

"Didn't you say you wanted to study the spinning wheel with me?"

Jia Cong looked at the dilapidated spinning wheel and asked him, "Can you use it?"

Are you kidding me? How could he, a man who was going to take the exam to be a scholar, know how to use a spinning wheel?
Zhong Shizhen shook his head. If Jia Cong said that he didn't know how to use a spinning wheel and didn't teach him, wouldn't he have been teased by Jia Cong?
He even signed the deed of sale.

"You make a spinning machine based on this spinning wheel, but if you want to modify it, try placing the spindles vertically and using a spinning wheel to drive it." Jia Cong gestured, and Zhong Shizhen listened a little vaguely.

Jia Cong had no choice but to ask Kong An to find a piece of charcoal. He took a piece of paper and drew a rough outline of a spinning wheel for Zhong Shizhen to see clearly. "Pay attention, if you give this piece of paper to others, , the improved spinning wheel cannot be called Zhong’s spinning wheel.”

Chung's spinning wheel?

Zhong Shizhen snatched the drawing, sat down on the threshold, and thought about it carefully.

Jia Cong glanced at him and found that he was indeed a mechanical fan.

As he walked inside, he said to Kong An, "If he doesn't have strong hands-on skills and can't even use a plane or saw, find a real carpenter to help him."

"Second Master, what do you want Uncle Zhong to think about?"

"I want to set up a machinery factory at some time, specializing in selling spinning wheels. To accomplish this, I need space and manpower. You have to prepare for both of these in advance."

Jia Cong thought of three years ago, when Meng Jixi went to pick him up at Jiangning Pier. The circumstances were special. He was being besieged by Jiangnan students and did not have a good chance to talk to Meng Jixi.

But in the past three years, Meng Jixi has indeed fulfilled his responsibility as an elder brother. He will send people to give him gifts during every festival, and he has also visited him twice in person. According to the previous dividends, the money from the sales of his poetry collection has been nothing. A little land was brought to me.

Jia Cong said, "Make an appointment with Uncle Meng. I have something to ask him about."

In Ningguo Mansion, after Daiyu came back from Rongguo Mansion, Ping'er came over and said, "Good morning, Mrs. Cong!"

Daiyu hurriedly stood up and pulled Ping'er to sit down, "You came right here, why are you so polite? Are you afraid that I don't know that you have always been a polite person?"

Ping'er looked her up and down, "Let's take a look. When you were with us, you seemed to have some deficiencies. Now I see that you are much better. What kind of medicine did you take?"

Daiyu shook her head, "I haven't taken any more medicine in the past three years. When I was in Jiangning, there were mountains behind the house and fields outside. My third brother liked to climb mountains and always took me to climb with him. .

He also likes fishing. Every time he goes fishing, he insists on me delivering food to him. Sometimes I have to go several times a day. When he gets up early every day, he pulls me to shoot arrows. Before I know it, I eat more food. The bones of the body have become stronger. "

"This is really a good thing! Strangely, our second grandma said that the girl is with the right person, and her body is much healthier. Isn't it much better than where we are?"

Daiyu spat, "She is a dishonest person, and you also follow her and become mean? I really misjudged you in the past!"

"Ouch, I don't dare!" Ping'er was just joking, not malicious. Seeing the sullen expression on Daiyu's face, Ping'er stopped talking about it.
He just said, "The fourth girl sent a message to the second girl and the third girl over there, saying that she wanted to invite them to come over. But it wasn't because Second Master Bao knew about it and insisted on coming with him that the old lady said, why don't you just come over?" Come and hang out one day.”

Daiyu's smoky eyebrows arched up. At this moment, she truly realized the helplessness of her third brother. The West Mansion did not separate itself from the East Mansion, and they still took the money from their elders. None of them were seen outside.

Although she is the granddaughter of the old lady, she was abandoned by Rongguo Mansion during the most difficult time.

If it weren't for her third brother, she would have had no choice but to die.

Now, they have to rely on their identity and not regard themselves as outsiders. For Daiyu, this feeling is really bad. She can't be manipulated by them either for herself or for the sake of her third brother.

Daiyu made up her mind and smiled, "It's my fault. After a while, I will ask someone to post a post. How can I let the old lady, madam and Sister Feng come uninvited?"

(End of this chapter)