The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 158
Xifeng was stunned.

She was rejected twice today.

After thinking about it, Xifeng endured the reluctance and asked Daiyu, "Brother Cong didn't say when he would be back?"

Daiyu shook her head gently, "Brother Cong didn't say that, but I think it will be soon."

Brother Cong said he would be back in about the next year, but he did not say a specific date. Daiyu was not one to speak quickly.No matter when Brother Cong comes back, the congratulations cannot be done before he comes home.

At that time, there will definitely be people from the court coming to celebrate. It’s easy to entertain the guests, but what about the official guests?There is no male master in the Ningguo Mansion, so they will have to rely on the Rongguo Mansion. Not only will their personal connections be shared by them, but they will also owe a favor to the other party.

As for what else to pay attention to in the court, Daiyu wanted to ask Jia Cong first.

Daiyu would not be ignorant of this idea.

She was also a little funny. She didn't know if the old lady really didn't understand, or if she had some idea, she actually wanted to hold a celebration banquet at this time.

But no matter what, the old lady is brother Cong's biological grandmother and her biological grandmother. This is the truth that remains unchanged to the end of the world.

No matter what the old lady's idea was, Daiyu could only make some moves. No matter how upright she was, she couldn't stand up to the old lady.

This was just like the last time the old lady asked her to serve on the sick because she was ill. She had no choice but to abandon her work here and go to serve there for a few days.

Xifeng had no choice but to return in vain. When she came out of Ningxi Hall, she snorted coldly in her heart. She had nothing to do with her younger siblings. Who told the man she married to not live up to her expectations? Unless her husband died, no man would be able to inherit the title. , she also has no life for a day.

Daiyu is different. At such a young age, she is now a super-ranked Marquise. There are only a handful of people in the capital who are higher than her. Even if her man seizes the title in the future, she will only be a second-ranked Marquis at best.

Originally, she thought that the second-grade imperial edict was already a great honor, but when she saw the imperial edict uniform sent by the Ministry of Etiquette today and said "Mrs. Hou", Xifeng could not help but feel a sense of sourness and jealousy that could not be dismissed.

In the Rongqing Hall, the fair skin on Mrs. Wang's awl face was almost twisted together. If the person who came to the East Palace was her Baoyu, the person who is now a marquis is Baoyu.

Mrs. Wang looked at the wilting treasure jade nestled in the arms of the old lady. Mrs. Wang felt even more uncomfortable. Her gem was born with a jade in its mouth. She was supposed to be a rich and wealthy person. Who would have thought that this luck would be changed by someone else? Taken away.

He was still a bastard from the long house, and the world was really turned upside down.

Just as he was thinking to himself, Lin Zhixiao's family came in hurriedly, "Old lady, madam, the princess of Dongping County, the wife of Duke Xiuguo, and the eldest wife of Duke Tuiguo are here together. They are getting off the sedan at the door right now."

Mother Jia was overjoyed and smiled on her face. She must have heard about their family's happy event. What greater joy could there be than being promoted to a noble family?

These families are all old friends, so coming to the door so excitedly makes them closer than other families.

Mrs. Wang's heart sank. It was neither a new year nor a holiday. Why did she come here at this time?

Could it be because of the promotion of the man from Dongfu? He ran so fast!

Mrs. Wang frowned, wishing she could send out a message and beat these three people out. It's not like there is a happy event in her Xifu, and those people have been separated. What does it have to do with here, and come here? Coming to congratulate her, wouldn't it stab her in the heart?

"Please quickly!" Jia Mu said hurriedly.

Now that the concubine is here, Jia Mu can't say no to welcome her out, so Mrs. Wang and Li Wan help the old lady on her left and right and go out.

As soon as they arrived at the Chuihua Gate, they saw a group of people coming in in a hurry with sad expressions. When they saw Jia Mu, there was no joy on their faces. Both Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang had a bad premonition in their hearts. They really thought What's wrong?

When it comes to reporting funerals, the ladies of the house should not come to the house in person.

The deaths of Li Jizong, Hou Xiaokang and Shi Guangzhu were first reported to the emperor along with Jia Cong's secret report. Later, they were sent to the capital with Jia Cong's memorial. Considering that Lin'an Bo had been labeled a traitor to the Japanese, Li Jizong and others would To be convicted in this way at the same time would inevitably have too much influence. Even if Emperor Taiqi could suppress it, the Daming Palace would not agree.

Besides, three people are already dead.

The four princes and eight princes have no successors. It is not only the Jia family that is in such a crisis. These three people are all the descendants of Dongping County Prince's Palace, Xiuguo Duke's Palace and Genuo Kingdom Palace. Once they die, they want to pick up another dwarf. If it's high, it becomes even more impossible.

In this case, there is no need for the emperor to kill everyone and provoke other families to have other ideas.

The four princes and eight princes now went to one prince and three princes to build a prince's mansion. Jia Cong himself took another share. Emperor Tai Qi could laugh out loud in his dreams these days, so he could only confirm that Li Jizong's three Even if a person has access to the Japanese, he must have been bewitched by Lin'an Bo, and may not know the truth. Before he has sufficient evidence, he will not harm his family for the time being.

This is more cruel than a conviction, as if a sharp sword is hanging over the heads of these three families. Maybe when the rope breaks, the sword cuts down, and the corpses are separated.

Although the three families are still alive, they might as well have a good time.

The three families hated Jia Cong deeply at the same time, and after communicating with each other, they first went to Ningguo Mansion. As a result, Jia Ping led a group of personal soldiers to confront him and his entourage. Before the fight started, the entourage here weakened first, and several of them were frightened. Having peed her pants, the princess and concubine of Dongping County had no choice but to go to Rongguo Mansion to find Jia Mu.

"Madam, it's been a long time since I last saw you. You are very proud of yourself now. You have raised a good grandson and your family's title has been greatly improved!"

The Dowager Princess of Dongping County's eyes were red as she spoke, her voice was choked with sobs, she wiped away her tears and started to cry.

Next to them, the eldest wife of Duke Xiu, the wife of Duke Xiu, and the eldest wife began to cry loudly. For a moment, there was a sound of pain in the courtyard. Those who didn't know it thought that the Duke Rong's palace was holding a funeral.

Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang looked at each other in confusion. No one told them what happened. At present, they only got two pieces of information. One was that the matter was related to Jia Cong, and the other was that it was definitely not a good thing.

"The Concubine, Mrs. Tai, Mrs. Hu, Mrs. Zhou, please come inside first. If there is anything that happens, we will sit down and tell you. Without hiding anything from our relatives, we don't know anything about the things outside. If anything happens, just look at it. For the sake of the good relationship between our families over the years, let us make it clear first."

Seeing the Dowager Princess of Dongping County helping her servant to move forward, the other three people followed her. However, they did not speak to Jia Mu and Mrs. Wang along the way, as if they were enemies, which made Mrs. Wang feel quite unhappy.

Sitting down in the Rongqing Hall, the concubine sat in the usual position of Jia Mu because of her status, sitting on the Arhat bed, while Jia Mu took the first seat to her left. Mrs. Xiu Guo Gongtai and Facing each other, his daughter-in-law Mrs. Zhou sat on one side, while Mrs. Hu and Mrs. Wang, the eldest wives of the Duke of Guo's Mansion, sat next to Jia's mother.

"Is it possible that the old lady doesn't know that Lingsun Jiachong has been promoted to the title of Marquis by the Emperor? Young Marquis, this is my first experience in the Dashun Dynasty. There have been few as promising as him since ancient times, right?"

The Dowager Princess of Dongping County looked at Jia Mu with a pair of sharp inverted triangular eyes. The wrinkles on her face were like ravines, which could not even be filled with makeup and powder, making her face look particularly ferocious.

The tone was clearly one of gritted teeth. Mother Jia didn't know why, so it was hard for her to answer.

Mrs. Wang's heart was filled with joy. She moved her buttocks, leaned forward and said, "My dear concubine, I just heard that the palace has issued an edict to the East Palace. Although the old lady is Brother Cong. My grandmother, I am also an aunt, and this child was originally from here. There have been a lot of troubles in the past few years, especially in this house...,
It's really the New Year's Eve now, and it's true that we can't get close to her even if we want to. If anything happens to the Queen Mother, she can give us some advice. We really don't know what's going on outside. "

These words tore apart the West and East mansions. Although Jia Cong was made a marquis, the imperial edict did not fall here. Moreover, even his biological son was previously a prince. Kneeling at the door, shouting and killing, and being forced to pay four to five million taels of silver. Now that Xifu is having a hard time celebrating the New Year, what else can it do?

Mrs. Wang is worthy of being the person in charge of the family, and she still has the ability to observe people's emotions. Although she is still confused, it is obvious that these people are coming towards Jia Cong.

Jia Mu also came back to her senses, "The concubine, the concubine, the two ladies, I have been raising my old bones in Rongqing Hall every day. I don't know anything about the outside world, let alone, He is still suffering from the plague and has not come back to Jiangnan. What is the situation of our family? When did we hide it from you old relatives? If there is something that needs your support, we should say it clearly.

Mrs. Hu wailed again, "My son, you died miserably. My son, you are dead. Who do you want me to rely on? I have raised you in vain all these years, my son." Ah, why are you so unlucky? What did you do to provoke him?"

This is the ultimate cry of grief. A person with white hair sends a message to a person with black hair. It truly makes everyone sad when they see it and sheds tears when they hear it.

Jia's mother is already elderly, and she couldn't help but shed tears as she continued to listen to this, her eyes red.

Mrs. Zhou was the first to be unable to bear it. She covered her face with a handkerchief and cried. What could be more tragic than losing a child in middle age?
The princess and concubine of Dongping County also shed tears, "Jia Cong was fighting against the Japanese in the southeast. Once he left, the Japanese resisted and the sea calmed down, but he did not leave half a way for us old relatives to survive. From my grandson's successor Zong, Xiaokang's son who went to Duke Xiu's Mansion, and Guangzhu's son who went to Duke Xiu's Mansion, all lost their lives on the sea because of him, and were also charged with treason by treason with the Japanese. This is not to put my three mansions on Are you pushing yourself to death?"

Jia Mu's face suddenly turned pale, and Mrs. Wang was trembling with fear, but she gritted her silver teeth and hated Jia Cong to death. She had sacrificed so many lives and replaced him as a marquis, fulfilling his good deeds. , but the Rongguo Mansion has to shoulder all these mistakes?
The four princes and eight princes were originally there to help each other. Who would dare to interact with the Jia family in the future?

Although the two houses of Ningrong and Ningrong have separate branches, in the eyes of the world, there is no single word of "Jia" in them. Even though the two houses were beaten to death, it is impossible for people to think that they are a family behind closed doors.

Now, although she wants to break up with Dongfu, she still needs people to believe her.

Therefore, even if Jia Cong is kicked out, the Xifu side will be dragged to death by Jia Cong sooner or later!
It doesn't matter to her, but what will happen to her treasure in the future?
Mrs. Wang only had to think about it and she shuddered. Her precious jade could not be killed by Jia Cong.

The princess and concubine of Dongping County led the three imperial concubines and wailed in the Rongqing Hall for a long time. Finally, she was exhausted, and was carried out and sent away. Jia Mu also died half of her life, and she didn't even have dinner. It was no use, so he let Yuanyang serve him and fall asleep.

Jia Zheng came to visit after leaving the government office. He was very worried. He invited an imperial doctor to come and check Jia Mu's pulse. He only said that he was overworked and worried about her. He prescribed two doses of divergent medicine and rested more, but there was no serious problem.Jia's mother finally stopped thinking about celebrating and having a drink with Dongfu. For the time being, she didn't dare to mess with Dongfu at all. Daiyu also breathed a sigh of relief when she heard about it.

If Jia Mu insists, she really can't think of a good way.

In the three wing rooms on Mrs. Wang's side, Xifeng and Mrs. Wang were sitting on either side of the kang table. Xifeng had already heard about the incident where the princess of Dongping County brought people to the door to cry, and she felt very disapproving.

If you want to cry, you should go to Dongfu to mourn. It’s obvious that Dongfu can’t be entered. I thought it was easy to bully here, so I came to the door. After all, there is still no man in this house who can afford the appearance. .

"What's going on over there about Pan'er? Have your brothers and sisters relented and written a letter to Jia Cong, the man who killed a thousand swords?" Mrs. Wang asked when she saw that Xifeng was distracted.

Xifeng quickly calmed down, "Oh, I've tried it, but it's still useless."

At this moment, Xifeng's mind was no longer focused on this. From Daiyu and from the Dongping County Princess and Princess coming to make trouble, she had a deep understanding of the power of the Dongfu.

Thinking about Daiyu, when she first entered Rongguo Mansion, she was so timid. She would laugh with everyone she saw. When eating, she would secretly watch people's every move. She would do what others did.

The attendants are a very old Nanny Wang and a very young Xueyan. It is not that the Lin family cannot afford to provide services for their daughter, but they are afraid that many people will come here and it will be difficult to arrange them here. It was the intention to defect.

And now, looking at Daiyu's confident appearance, she is still the weak and sharp-tongued girl from Jiangnan. Why did she take her as a sister-in-law seriously?

This confidence was not given by Jia Cong.

Her brother-in-law will be back after the new year. Just wait and see, there will be endless troubles in the future.

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang was so angry that her chest hurt, and she sneered, "Your sister Lin is standing up now. When something like that happened to our family, I just told her to go back to avoid it, and I didn't ask her to." The idea of ​​driving her away is that when things calm down at home, I might take her back.

Since she was filled with jealousy, she couldn't say that Jia Cong was just trying to avenge her back then! "

Xifengxin said, it's hard to say, but when her aunt kicked Daiyu away, wasn't she trying to challenge the old lady?He was also on guard against the old lady's idea of ​​marrying off her granddaughter to her grandson.

Her aunt naturally looked down upon Daiyu. No matter what happened to the Lin family, Daiyu had to be adopted by the Rongguo Mansion.

"I don't know what to do now. How about asking my uncle to say hello over there?" Xifeng came up with an idea. The uncle she meant was Wang Ziteng.

"Why haven't you said that your uncle is at a critical moment right now. I heard that the court intends to promote him to an official position, and he can go higher. Kuang Paner's side is not at the point where human life is at stake, so it's good to say this Speaking of which, if that beast bites me again, wouldn’t it be a big loss?”

Xifeng didn't hear about it, and she didn't have any good ideas. She sat for a while, and it happened that the wife-in-law was coming to do something, so she went out first.

King Zhongshun left the capital with Jiang Xian and Wu Ji. When he arrived at the southern border, he also had a secret order, so he went to Yangzhou first.

Princess Xianning, who was traveling with him, disguised herself as a man and followed his father, looking towards the direction of Jinling from time to time. Naturally, she felt lovesickness. They had not seen each other for more than half a year since the last time they saw each other. I wonder if the boy has grown up again. Taller?

King Zhongshun was able to sense that his daughter was absent-minded. After her repeated urging, after talking with Lin Ruhai and Zhao Zibi, he learned about the situation here, and then took a detour to Ningbo to check it out. .

As Jia Cong's memorial said, after the Japanese invasion was completely eliminated, the people have returned to their homes. Although everything is in ruins and waiting to be renovated, they can see from the smoke rising from the streets and villages that they live and work in peace and contentment.

King Zhongshun walked all the way and sent a secret memorial to the palace. Emperor Taiqi felt relieved when he saw that the report was no different from what Jia Cong had played.

He doesn't want to lose his favorite general Jia Cong for the time being. He is capable, young, has no background, and is easy to control.

When King Zhongshun arrived in Jinling, it was the eunuch of the New Year. Wang Tang and Jia Cong, the eunuchs who prepared Nanjing's internal officials, led a group of resident officials from Yingtian Mansion in Nanzhili to the left and right, waiting at the city gate.

Hearing the sound of horse hoofbeats in the distance, Jia Cong raised his head and met a pair of clear water eyes. He saw that the young man riding on the tall horse who was walking at the front of Prince Zhongshun's honor guard was none other than Prince Zhongshun. Princess Xianning disguised as a man.

Their eyes met, and they were speechless. Xianning, who had not seen each other for more than half a year, had a layer of frost covering her delicate face. The eyes that only fell on Jia Cong revealed her mood at this time, which was exciting and uncontrollable. The ground is a little sad.

The prince's majestic ceremonial guard naturally shocked many people. The king's loyal king stopped in the Yingtian Mansion Office. Zhong Kuang, the newly appointed magistrate of Yingtian Mansion, personally guided the prince into the meeting hall.

"Everyone, take a seat!" King Zhongshun took his seat at the head of the table. Xianning, dressed in a bright red unicorn suit, a jade hat, holding an embroidered spring knife, stood behind King Zhongshun without squinting.

Jia Cong sat in the first seat to the left of King Zhongshun, and Wang Tang sat opposite him. This eunuch who had witnessed a bloody storm in Jiangnan had a calm face. No one could guess what he was thinking in his mind.
The rest of the people, Jiang Xian and others, all sat in attendance.

Jia Cong spoke first, "My lord is going south, what is the emperor's purpose? How can the subordinates cooperate?"

Only Jia Cong could ask this question. Who caused the catastrophe in Jiangnan? Who holds the power now and everyone is afraid of it?
After hearing this, many people breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the young man's eyes twinkling, they wished they could send the young prince away immediately.

It’s what people want!

King Zhongshun glanced at his daughter from the corner of his eye, his face was cold and cold. He could not help but feel resentment towards Jia Cong in his heart, and he wished he could send Jia Cong away as soon as possible. "The emperor's decree, as soon as Jiangnan side responds, The princes of Ning State are all handed over to me. The troops under your command will be incorporated into the Beijing Guards and the Flying Bear Guards, and you will take charge of the Flying Bear Guards and command them."

When Emperor Taiqi ascended the throne, he incorporated part of the Beijing Camp and established the Ten Guards of the Royal Guards. Since the military system was first established, it was not as strict as the Beijing Camp. A pro-military Protectorate was set up, and the Protectorate followed the Second Guards. The rank is one level higher than the commander of the Beijing Guard, and below him are the commanders of the guards, who are the third rank.

Jia Cong's staff general is a different military system, and he is also a third-level officer. Although he is transferred at the same level, the meaning is different. This means that Jia Cong has gained the absolute trust of Emperor Taiqi, and the border troops he leads have become close relatives. The army became the bodyguard and imperial army responsible for guarding the left and right and guarding the palace.

"I accept the decree!" Jia Cong hurriedly stood up and thanked the Lord for his kindness to the north. Then he sat down and said to King Zhongshun, "Tan Jing and others are imprisoned in the General Military Mansion. I have ordered people to make a list of the confiscated property, and the rest are open to the Japanese." The men, women, and children from the five families have also been imprisoned. I will send people to contact the prince's people to count the list and number of people later. All their assets have not been touched and will be sealed up. When the Jin Yiwei takes over, the Feixiong Wei people can be removed. When everything is done, I will lead the troops back north."

"Oh, by the way, don't you have two lieutenants under your command? The emperor also has a decree. You can bring people over here so that I can meet you!"

Jia Cong was stunned for a moment, but he did not dare to disobey the order and said hurriedly, "Yes!"

"Okay, you go ahead. I still want to find out the situation here in Jiangnan. Today is the New Year. I will go to your place for the New Year dinner later and talk in detail."

Everyone looked sideways, looking at this appearance, the only remaining prince of Dashun was clearly like a nephew to Jia Cong, and they couldn't help but feel envious.

However, Jia Cong only felt deeply that King Zhongshun disliked him. After saying "yes", he straightened up and his eyes involuntarily fell on Xian Ning's face, just in time to meet her eyes that were looking down at him. , desire and longing are intertwined, as if someone's mind is being read, and he hurriedly avoids it, the more guilty he feels that there is no 300 taels of silver in this place.

Jia Cong rode back to the Jia Family Courtyard from the Yamen of Jinling Prefecture. He didn't pay much attention to the New Year's Eve banquet. He only thought about what would happen after returning to Beijing along the way. Although his title was important, it was nothing. Shui Rong is still the king of the county, but if the general does not lead troops, he is just a paper tiger.

There are ten guards in the Imperial Guards, but there are sixteen guards in the Beijing camp. In terms of military strength, the Imperial Guards are at a disadvantage, but this is not important. The important thing is that others are not allowed to snore next to the couch. For the emperor, how can Disintegrating or taking control of the Beijing camp is what makes him sleepless at night.

For the four princes and eight princes, controlling the Governor's Mansion of the Five Armies is their authority, while the Beijing camp is the foundation for their survival and the bargaining chip for their game with the emperor.

After entering the Jia Family Courtyard, Jia Cong dismounted from his horse and threw the reins to the approaching Daniel. He said to Guo Xun and Zhang Han who were following behind him and were unaware of the change of the situation, "Let's discuss the matter in the study first!"

King Zhongshun had just arrived, and there must be news from the capital to discuss, so the two of them followed him in hastily.

"I said that I would take you to the capital together. The emperor has a new decree for you. You will stay in my house for a New Year's Eve dinner and meet King Zhongshun. King Zhongshun is here, and the two of you must guarantee your loyalty with your lives. The king’s safety.”

The emperor's meaning is very clear. Jia Cong turned the Jiangnan side upside down. The reason why he was safe and sound was because of the troops in his hands. Jiang Xian also led the Jin Yiwei to come, but the number should not be too many. Bian definitely needs someone who knows the situation well, and Guo Xun and Zhang Han, who stood out under Jia Cong, became the best candidates.

"Master Marquis, this..." Guo Xun stepped forward anxiously, and just as he was about to object, Jia Cong raised his hand to stop what he was about to say, "You follow me to Beijing, I can't guarantee your promotion right now..."

"Master Marquis, I don't want to be promoted." Zhang Han was also a little impatient.

"Stop talking nonsense! Also, I have also thought about it. We finally defeated Jiangnan... Although the Japanese pirates have disappeared for the time being, if there is no one to guard them, they will come back in a few days."

Jia Cong stared at Zhang Han and Guo Xun. The two of them had always known Jia Cong's thoughts, and they understood instantly.

Jia Cong is worried not only about Japanese pirates, but also about other things, and the two of them stay here. This land in Jiangnan will be able to reach out to whatever Jia Cong wants to do in the future.

Seeing this, Jia Cong was very satisfied with the understanding. He stood between the two of them, holding each shoulder with one hand, "Don't worry, this is what I want. If you are left alone, the emperor and prince will never do it." I’ve treated you two badly.”

However, the two of them knew very well why they should not be treated unfairly, and there must be some praise from Jia Cong.

(End of this chapter)