Red Mansion: I am Jia Lian

Chapter 286 Something Happens Tonight
This matter does not stand up to scrutiny at all. It is clear that the emperor raised his hand and gave them a chance to be sent out. The Shi brothers went to the old lady to cry poor during the New Year. Whose face are they embarrassing? Originally, they were supposed to wait for the New Year to be sent out for three years. After one term, they would not be too greedy. Ten thousand taels of silver would be easy. Now it is clear that they are asking for more, hoping that the Jia family will help and restore their positions without being sent out.

It's so comfortable to stay in the capital, close to home, and you can earn a lot of money. The problem is that the Shi brothers wanted to be reinstated after being dismissed for only a few days. Where is the emperor's face? They are not here to ask for help, but to cheat people. The one they cheated is Jia Lian, the current pillar of the Jia family.

To the west of the Jia Mansion, in Grandmother Jia's courtyard, Youshi and Qin Keqing arrived a little late. While they were still in the courtyard, they heard Grandmother Jia's angry scolding: "Go back and tell these two black-hearted losers that not only have they ruined the Shi family, they are also trying to implicate my good grandson. They ask for help and bargain for it. If you have the ability, you should rely on yourself. They have no shame, but I still have some."

When the two entered the hall, they saw the steward from the Shi family kneeling on the ground and trembling. Grandmother Jia stood there with an angry face, raised her finger and pointed at the man on the ground and cursed: "The master is ignorant, and you, as a servant, don't persuade them to learn well. How dare you come to the Jia Mansion to pass on a message. You dare to say something that is not worth the effort, do you really think I am old and confused?"

After being scolded by Lady Jia, the manager of the Shi family kowtowed repeatedly to apologize and crawled away.

When Youshi and Qin Keqing came forward to greet them, Qin Keqing said kindly, "Grandfather, why do you have to do this? We are all family!"

After hearing this, Grandmother Jia sighed and said, "They are family members, so I have to scold them. They are over 40 years old, but they act without thinking. My good grandson Lian'er had to save face in front of His Majesty, and only then did he succeed in his plea, and was dismissed from office and sent to a distant place. The two of them followed others to cause trouble, but they let my good grandson clean up the mess. If the Shi family is left in their hands, I'm afraid it will be ruined soon."

Qin Keqing heard that Grandmother Jia was more worried about the future of the Shi family, so she comforted them, "The old ancestor's scolding will wake them up. From now on, they will work hard to govern the country and carry forward the Shi family."

After hearing this, Jia Mu felt better, but her eyes kept wandering around Wang Xifeng. Wang Xifeng had been silent just now, sitting aside in silence, and Jia Mu was worried that she was unhappy. If she told Jia Lian about this, it would hurt the relationship between the two, which would be very bad. You know, without her support, how could the second house live in Rong Xi Tang. Jia Lian was indeed filial, but he couldn't help feeling a little uncomfortable. If there was any partiality in today's matter, Jia Lian would remember it in his heart, and there might be no peace in the family in the future.

The once obedient grandson now has to act according to his mood.

Grandmother Jia had mixed feelings. She favored the second wife because of Jia She's incompetence, as well as the second wife Wang and Yuanchun. Her original intention was to maintain the prosperity of the Jia family. Who could have thought that Jia Lian would do it?

If I had known this, I shouldn't have let Jia Lian marry Wang's daughter. Now the aunt and nephew can maintain their relationship on the surface, but it's hard to say in secret. I don't know if they will fight or not. When I was a daughter-in-law, my mother-in-law could tolerate it, but my aunt definitely couldn't. It was the good grandson's wife who took the overall situation into consideration. Not only did she not take the initiative to fight, but she also pulled Li Wan to help manage the household, which maintained internal harmony.

Although Lady Jia always praises Qin Keqing as the one she likes the most, in fact, the one she values ​​most is the calm and generous Wang Xifeng.

That’s right, this is the feeling Wang Xifeng gave to Lady Jia after she entered the palace.

The relationships between women, how did Lady Jia get through this, how could she not have some idea about this?
Although she came from a family of historians, Grandmother Jia was still very clear-headed and knew that the Jia family was her foundation.

The Shi family's steward left the west courtyard and was called to wait in the front yard for a while. He saw Wang Xifeng coming over with the help of a maid, and said in a gentle tone: "Grandma's words were a bit harsh, don't take it to heart. The Shi family is in trouble, and the Jia family can't just stand by and watch. Take this little money back as a token of the Jia family's kindness."

The Shi brothers were indeed instigated by someone. When they went to Beijing Prince's mansion to deliver New Year gifts before the New Year, the young Beijing Prince greeted them warmly. It seemed that Jia Lian's words were effective in front of the emperor.

The Shi brothers, who were unwilling to leave the capital, remembered this sentence and discussed it after returning. They decided to send a steward to Jia's mother to find out what she thought. It doesn't matter if it succeeds or not, but what if it succeeds? This is the so-called selfishness of human nature. They never thought about what would happen if Jia Lian was forced to ask the emperor for help under the pressure of Jia's mother.
When the steward came back, the two brothers hurriedly asked about the result. After understanding the situation, they were inevitably disappointed. But it was not a loss. They got 10,000 taels of silver, which was enough for the New Year. The two did not think much about the consequences of taking the silver, but praised Wang Xifeng for her generosity.

When Jia Lian came back that day, he just laughed it off, at least he didn't show any clues on his face. When he went to pay his respects to Jia's mother later, he was not angry at all, but comforted her and told her not to get angry, and he didn't mention the matter of the ten thousand taels of silver.

In previous years, Jia Lian was the one who delivered New Year gifts before the New Year, but now he naturally didn't have to go in person, so he arranged for Lin Zhixiao and Lai Wang to do it.

To put it bluntly, for those who are of higher status than the Jia family, Jia She should be the one to step forward, and it is not Jia Lian's turn to take the initiative for others.

As the New Year's Eve is approaching, Jia Lian, who is busy with official duties, is stationed in the Five Cities Military Division every day, focusing on the security and sanitation of the capital, which is the most important thing at the moment.

The Prince of Dongping held a banquet to celebrate his birthday that day, but Jia Lian naturally would not go. Instead, he went to the palace early in the morning to ask for an audience.

Emperor Chenghui dismissed his attendants, leaving only Qiu Shian in front of him. While the emperor and his ministers were talking, Qiu Shian served tea and then took the initiative to leave. Standing outside, Qiu Shian carefully checked and did not let anyone approach.

When the emperor and his ministers were alone, Jia Lian said bluntly: "Most of the important officials in the city are in the Prince of Dongping's mansion! If something happens, the consequences will be disastrous."

Emperor Chenghui couldn't help but sigh and said, "I don't want to see anything happen. It's good for you, me and everyone else, so why not?"

Jia Lian rudely woke up Emperor Chenghui and said, "Your Majesty, what you want is just wishful thinking! It is said that desire is insatiable. If Your Majesty takes a step back, they will take a step forward. There are only so many resources at the top level. When Your Majesty has nothing to give up, fighting is inevitable."

Jia Lian was speaking against his conscience. In fact, Emperor Chenghui had been aggressive, clearing debts and rectifying the Beijing camp. Among the loyal princes, the four kings and eight dukes, which family could sleep well at night? The Jia family was an exception.

"My dear minister, what you said is absolutely right! I can't retreat anymore. This country does not belong to me alone." Emperor Chenghui believed what he said, but Jia Lian was the only one who didn't believe it. He thought to himself: This is your country, right?
No matter how affectionate the imperial power is, Jia Lian will not fully trust it. At this stage of the Jia family, feelings are not important, and interest relations are the most important. If it were not for Jia Lian, Wang Ziteng would not give up the military power of the Beijing camp, nor would he leave Beijing thousands of miles away.

Seeing Jia Lian bow his head and remain silent, waiting for instructions, Emperor Chenghui was too lazy to continue pretending: "Lighting lanterns on the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, is that lighting lanterns? That's a trick! Prince Dongping is using his birthday as an excuse to hold a banquet for guests, maybe he is just playing a trick. I'm afraid Prince Dongping has already made arrangements, and if something happens, he will immediately leave the city to Tongzhou and wait and see how the situation develops. Or maybe he will use fireworks as a signal to send cavalry into the capital to clear out the emperor's side."

The fact that he could say this shows that Emperor Chenghui did not trust the Prince of Dongping at all. If he wanted to gain the trust of Emperor Chenghui, the Prince of Dongping should have stayed in Shandong honestly at this moment, instead of returning to Beijing under the pretext of being sick and holding a big birthday banquet. You know, most of the nobles who led the troops had to attend the banquet for the Prince of Dongping's birthday.

"Your Majesty, I have strictly ordered the Shenji Camp to be on guard at all times. In the event of an emergency, we can ensure that we can reach any important place in the capital within an hour. At the same time, I have sent out hundreds of scouts to report any unusual movements as soon as possible. After I leave the palace, I will stay in the Shenji Camp to prevent any changes." Jia Lian informed him of his arrangements very seriously.

Emperor Chenghui nodded with satisfaction and said, "Well said, in case of any changes. I think there will definitely be changes. From now until the end of the month, there is no day more suitable for a mutiny than today." It seems that Emperor Chenghui had already been certain that today would be the day, or perhaps he had other information channels and confirmed today.

"In that case, I will take my leave now and arrange to deal with everything." Jia Lian raised his hand and knocked his chest heavily.

"Go ahead, and be very careful." Emperor Chenghui warned, and Jia Lian nodded heavily: "If anything happens, I will lead my troops to Xihua Gate to ensure that Your Majesty is safe."

"Your Excellency, do not worry too much about the safety of the Forbidden City. If anything happens, the most important thing is to defeat the enemy's main force. I am not afraid of them coming to kill me, but I am afraid that they will leave the capital, or go to Guanzhong, or outside the Great Wall. By then, it will be very difficult to wipe them out again."

Hearing this, Jia Lian nodded and said, "I understand. I still insist. If anything happens, send 5,000 elite soldiers to Xihua Gate. If something happens to the Forbidden City, all my efforts will be meaningless."

After hearing this, Emperor Chenghui was slightly stunned, then he waved his hand solemnly, indicating that Jia Lian could leave.

After leaving the Forbidden City, Jia Lian went to the Five Cities Military Command first. After giving some daily instructions, he left on the pretext of inspection.

Judging from time and experience, if there is a mutiny, the most suitable time is after nightfall, when the city gates are closed, mainly with internal support, and the troops outside the city enter the city and guard the nine gates, so that Emperor Chenghui has nowhere to escape. The two generations of emperors had similar ideas, and they must not let their opponents escape from the capital.

The streets of the capital city were bustling with people buying New Year's goods. Jia Lian, who was on patrol, did not take a car or a horse, but walked in plain clothes among the crowd. It was basically certain that the mutiny would happen today.

The only thing he didn't understand was Wu Chen. What was the purpose of this woman squatting in Shuiyue Temple? Could it be that she just wanted to get to know him, and if she could seduce him, she would seduce him, and if she couldn't seduce him, she would find an opportunity to assassinate him? No, it's not the right time to assassinate him. She should wait until the army enters the city. An assassination in advance would only attract the attention of Emperor Chenghui and ruin the long-planned event.

Why do we say that the plan has been in place for a long time? This probably started when the nobles, led by the four kings and eight dukes, stood up to compete for credit. The Prince of Dongping went to Shandong, and the seemingly angry Emperor Chenghui took the Shi brothers as a scapegoat. The nobles unexpectedly did not unite to resist. Did they sacrifice the Shi brothers? Jia Lian now thinks not. Instead, someone was suppressing everyone behind the scenes.

In any case, after today, the truth will be revealed.

As soon as Jia Lian left the Qianqing Palace, Qiu Shi'an reported to Emperor Chenghui: "Your Majesty, Concubine Yuan is about to give birth! Do you need me to call back Lord Jia?" Emperor Chenghui was delighted at first, but then he said calmly: "Tell the Queen that Concubine Yuan must not get into trouble. Send someone to inform Jia Lian. Naturally, someone will inform Jia Lian, and he will know what to do. Forget it, I will go there myself."

Emperor Chenghui went directly to Yuanchun's place. When he arrived, Empress Zhou was already there and stopped him, saying, "Your Majesty, stop!"

Emperor Chenghui did not insist on going in, but asked Empress Zhou to walk around with him and explained a number of important matters. In particular, he asked the Empress to tell Yuanchun that the Emperor had been there and that they should go back and wait for the result.

The couple were of one mind. Empress Zhou knew what Emperor Chenghui was thinking, so she let him wait for the result with peace of mind.

When Emperor Chenghui returned to the Qianqing Palace, he saw Xia Shouzhong waiting outside and ordered him to follow him in.

At the Jia family, after learning that Yuanchun had entered the delivery room, a group of people immediately gathered in front of Grandmother Jia, waiting for news.

Mrs. Wang felt so proud that she even raised her voice.

The women were talking about it, saying that Yuanchun would definitely give birth to a prince, and from then on the mother would become honored because of the son, and the Jia family would also become rich and powerful.

Wang Xifeng sat quietly aside, watching everyone talking to Lady Jia and Lady Wang. But she was thinking about what Jia Lian had said in private: it would be best for Yuanchun to give birth to a princess, and giving birth to a prince might not be a good thing.

Jia Lian, who had nothing to do, wandered the streets for a day, and many people saw him wandering around. It was not until Jia Lian returned to the Wucheng Military Division that he saw the person from the Jia family who came to report the news and learned that Yuanchun had entered the delivery room.

Jia Lian took the opportunity to leave the Wucheng Bingmasi, got on a carriage, and quietly arrived at the Shenjiying camp.

Deputy General Yang had been waiting here for a day. Seeing Jia Lian, he said seriously, "I have been ordered to stay here for a day! What do you want, sir?" Jia Lian strode into the central army tent, looked outside and saw that it was getting dark, and said, "Is everything arranged?"

Deputy General Yang said: "The military order has been issued. Everyone must return to the camp before dark before the New Year to prevent any accidents. Those who disobey the order will be executed!"

This is a very normal military order. Soldiers are not allowed to leave the barracks during the New Year to prevent possible accidents. This order is issued almost every year, but it depends on the execution. In previous years, the execution was basically a formality, and the outside world was used to it. This year is different. Deputy General Yang repeatedly ordered his subordinates to strictly enforce discipline from the beginning of the New Year to the end of the New Year.

Let’s take turns to take vacation after the New Year!
The people below expressed their understanding of Lieutenant General Yang's order. After all, as a new official, who doesn't want to make progress?

Before dark, the soldiers who had left the camp returned to their teams one after another. When the senior officers entered the central military tent, they all felt a pang in their hearts when they saw Jia Lian sitting in the middle. The atmosphere was not right and they were afraid that something might happen tonight.

Jia Lian said to everyone, "The camp gate is guarded by my personal guards. You can't leave the camp, so just wait patiently. I don't want anything to happen, and I don't want to kill anyone, but I have to be on guard!"

(End of this chapter)