Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Li Wan gave him a deep look and said, "It's amazing that you, a Duke and Junior Guardian, are willing to condescend to consider things for a woman."

"Sister-in-law, you look down on me. When I was in Liaodong, I was a friend of women." Jia Cong said with a smile.

"Hmm? Friend of women, what do you mean?" Li Wan asked curiously.

Jia Cong said: "When I was a garrison commander, I heard that someone used coercion and bribery to coerce widows in the clan to commit suicide in order to build a chastity arch for the clan.

Under pressure from public opinion and with a difficult livelihood, widows are exhausted physically and mentally, and often have no choice but to seek death.”

Li Wan angrily scolded: "How despicable! It is truly a beast in human form!"

"So I issued a decree that chastity arches were allowed but only if one had been chaste for more than 30 years.

He also ordered the government to provide preferential relief to widows, widowers and orphans, and from then on no woman was harmed. Now, this policy has been widely implemented in Liaodong."

"Third brother is a true hero. He is a blessing to thousands of families." Li Wan clapped her hands and praised.

"So, if you feel unhappy as a widow, you can find another good man. Cong will be happy to see it happen and sincerely wish you well." Jia Cong said with a smile.

Li Wan rolled her eyes at him and said with a half-smile, "Is that what you said to Sister Zhen and Qin?"

Before he could finish his words, his face turned red and he quickly turned his head away, regretting his words in his heart. How could he compare himself with these two shameless people?

Jia Cong was stunned, his old face slightly red, and he laughed dryly: "I don't understand what sister-in-law means. I have never said this to anyone else."

"I'm too lazy to pay attention to you." Li Wan's pretty face was as red as rouge. She spat but didn't dare to look at him.

Seeing her ears turn red, Jia Cong's embarrassment disappeared immediately, and he said with a smile: "Sister-in-law, please don't let your imagination run wild. Cong has absolutely no improper thoughts about you."

"You are just imagining nonsense!" Li Wan couldn't help herself and said angrily, "Of course I know you have no bad intentions towards me, but I may not be sure about others, humph."

Jia Cong knew that there was no such thing as a wall that was impenetrable, so he did not deny it and said shamelessly, "Sister-in-law, you should be kind."

"Pooh."

Jia Cong laughed.
-
On the third day of the twelfth lunar month, the old King of Jin from Datong Town arrived in the capital. At the same time, news came that the Jin vassal had obeyed the imperial edict and borrowed 40,000 soldiers and a hundred grains of food and fodder. The court was relieved, and the strategy of weakening the vassal state was accomplished.

This strategy is like a snowball. As long as the first step is successful, the Prince of Nan'an will have more and more troops under his command, and no vassal will dare to disobey.

Emperor Xifeng was delighted and immediately summoned Prince Jin to give him a banquet. He also took Prince Jin on a tour to Taiye Lake, conferred the title of Prince Jin on his eldest son, and ordered him to leave the capital to become a fief.

At the same time, the emperor bestowed upon the old Prince of Jin the title of Prince Yide as a token of his royal favor.

Prince Yide felt a little relieved. At least the emperor was very generous and bestowed him with the title of prince.

The King of Bing in Shanxi, the King of Qin in Yulin, the King of Qing in Ningxia, the King of Shan in Guyuan, the King of Liang in Gansu and others who returned to the capital one after another all received the same treatment. For a time, the nine borders were stable and everyone was paying attention to the war in the Western Regions.

This is the first time since Taizu founded the country that the imperial court has deployed large-scale military forces in the Western Regions. If they win, the emperor's prestige will catch up with Taizu. Coupled with the success of the new law, it can be said that both civil and military achievements have reached their peak.

If they lose the war, the consequences will be difficult to predict. Not to mention the loss of soldiers and territory, the key point is that the court will be faced with a dilemma: should it still keep the vast territory of the Western Regions?

If you want, what is your basis?
If not, who will be the eternal sinner?
However, Jia Cong was too lazy to consider these issues. At this moment, he could only hope that the queen would change her mind or something unexpected would happen, so that his evil plan would fail.

Not participating in or supporting Queen Chen's plan was his last act of stubbornness.

The two mansions had been busy these days. Since the beginning of the twelfth lunar month, all preparations for the reception had been in full swing. The colorful satins prepared to decorate the West Mansion and the garden were piled up like mountains, red candles were stacked like forests, colorful lanterns were as numerous as stars, and firecrackers and fireworks filled several large rooms. The scale of the event was several times larger than that of the first time the emperor came to visit.

On this day, as the New Year was approaching, the expedition to the Western Regions was going smoothly, and the Nine Feudatories were safe, all officials had no mood to report on business and left the court early.

As soon as Prince Beijing came out of the Golden Palace, he saw a eunuch coming over and bowing, saying, "Your Majesty, His Majesty has summoned you."

"Yes." Prince Beijing bowed and accepted the imperial edict. He apologized to his fellow officials and followed the eunuch to the Yangxin Palace.

Turning the corner of the hall, Prince Beijing asked, "Sir, I wonder why His Majesty summoned you?" Then he handed over a silver note of one hundred taels.

The young eunuch was overjoyed and took it with both hands: "Thank you for the reward, Your Majesty. I think His Majesty summoned me to discuss the expedition to the Western Regions. Prime Minister Dai also told me to report another message to Your Majesty."

"Oh? What does the Minister have to say?"

"Eunuch Dai said that he has found a man and will send him to your house tonight. Please place him there, Your Majesty."

Prince Beijing smiled slightly and said, "Okay. Please report to the Prime Minister. I have a plan. I will also send someone to help me with this matter."

"Yes."

In the twelfth year of Xifeng, on the third day of the first lunar month, in Lady Wang’s courtyard.

"Your nephew wishes you a happy new year and a happy new year. I wish you good health and a long life. I hope your brother Bao will be on the list of successful candidates soon and bring honor to our family." Wang Ren lifted his clothes and kowtowed.

Mrs. Wang was delighted to see her nephew's handsome appearance and extraordinary bearing. She raised her hand and said with a smile, "Get up quickly. How are your master and mistress? These days, the family has been busy with the queen's visit, and I haven't had time to visit them. Please bring good things to them for me."

Wang Ren bowed and said with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, aunt. Both father and mother are fine. The day before I came, mother heard that Madam was not feeling well recently, so she asked me to say hello to her." As he spoke, he put away his smile and looked deeply into Madam Wang's eyes.

Mrs. Wang saw that he looked strange, and her heart was moved. She asked, "Oh, does your mother have anything to say to me?"

"Yes, there are a few words." Wang Ren nodded.

"You all go down and serve." Mrs. Wang waved her hand and dismissed the servants.

Seeing that no one was around, Wang Ren hurried over and whispered, "Aunt, did Mom come up with an idea about that?"

Mrs. Wang shook her head and said, "This matter is of great importance. What does your mother say?"

"Mother said that the man was very mean and vindictive. If he did anything to me or Baoyu, nothing would go well. For example, the other day my father wanted to send me to the army, but he interfered and replaced me with Wei Ge.

It's the same situation at my aunt's family. Now the Bao brothers are suppressed at home and can't realize their ambitions, while Huan'er has won a title and established a career.

It's already like this now. In a few years, won't it be even more chaotic, with the distinction between the noble and the inferior, and the confusion between legitimate and illegitimate children? When the old lady dies, will my aunt still be able to live?" Wang Ren said in a low voice, with deep hatred in his eyes.

Mrs. Wang nodded slowly. Thinking about how her legitimate son, who was born with a jade in his mouth, was actually suppressed by Huan'er, a vile seed, the resentment in her heart seemed to be ignited by kerosene and burned fiercely.

"You don't need to do anything about this matter, Madam. Prince Beijing has already arranged everything, Madam, just go with the flow. The other day I went to visit Prince Beijing's mansion and got his promise. As long as we bring that man down, he and several other princes will submit a petition in the future, saying that the man has no children, and order the family to choose another close branch son to inherit the title. That person will naturally be Brother Bao.

By then, Brother Bao will be able to get a duke's mansion without any effort, isn't it wonderful? Madam can also have a taste of being an old lady. "Wang Ren said with a smile.

Mrs. Wang's eyes lit up: "Really?"

"Of course, the prince has long had a favorable impression of Baoyu, saying that the voice of a young phoenix is ​​clearer than that of an old phoenix. Madam knows that."

Mrs. Wang was excited when she thought of the bright future. Suddenly, she thought of Jia Cong's cruel methods and felt a little scared. She hesitated and said, "That man is not easy to deal with..."

Wang Ren hurriedly said, "Madam, you have been in the inner chamber for a long time and do not understand the situation in the court. He disobeyed the imperial order to save my concubine and mobilized troops recklessly, which has already angered the emperor. What a bullshit young protector, it is just a death warrant.

Several princes, Prime Minister Dai and others have joined hands in this matter, so are you afraid that you can't take him down? Now that you are doing this for the greater good, you are not only serving the court, but also eliminating disasters for your family."

Mrs. Wang thought so too, so she asked, "What do you want me to do?"

Wang Ren heard this and said with a smile, "Mother heard that you didn't have a suitable servant, so she happened to buy a good one the other day and asked me to bring it to you as a gift to you, Madam."

Mrs. Wang was stunned, nodded and thanked him with a smile, but she felt even more hatred in her heart. She had four major maids, Caixia, Caiyun, Jinchuan'er and Yuchuan'er, by her side. Each of them had been trained by her for several years and was smart and capable. However, she did not expect that they would be caught in one fell swoop when they met Jia Cong.

Caixia and Caiyun were taken away by him to be Huan'er's concubines, and now they only obey Aunt Zhao's orders.

Jin Chuan'er was forcibly taken away by him, and Yu Chuan'er was taken away by Feng Jie'er at his instigation. It was estimated that sooner or later they would not be able to escape from his clutches.

Wang Ren whispered, "Madam, please do this and that."

Mrs. Wang closed her eyes slightly, holding a rosary in her hands, like a clay or wooden sculpture of a Bodhisattva. She nodded slowly, with a hint of cold and sharp brilliance faintly visible between the slits of her eyes.

The next morning, when Tanchun came to pay her respects, Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "Third girl, you must be exhausted from all the busy days."

Tanchun said hurriedly, "Madam, you are too kind. I am afraid that my ability is too shallow and I may not be able to handle things properly, which may cause you trouble."

Mrs. Wang laughed and said, "That's impossible. I asked the wives in charge, and they all said that you are as smart as a baby, thoughtful, and knowledgeable as Feng. Even if there are one or two things that you can't take care of well, your sister-in-law and Bao are helping you out."

It was rare for Tanchun to be so appreciated by Lady Wang. She was somewhat flattered and quickly stood up to thank her, saying, "It is all thanks to your teaching and support. I just hope I won't make any mistakes. I don't deserve your praise at all."

Mrs. Wang smiled and helped her up, saying, "Now that you are in charge of the household, everyone, from top to bottom, respects you. You really deserve it.

But now you don’t have a capable person by your side, and there are so many complicated things to do inside and outside, I am afraid that you will be exhausted. Think about it, Feng girl had Ping'er by her side back then, who do you have by your side?

It's just a coincidence. Yesterday, your aunt was afraid that I would have no one to serve me, so she gave me a good maid. You know I don't have to do anything now, so I don't need so many maids, so I just gave her to you.

It's her, her name is Jing'er, if you don't like her, you can give her another name." Then he pointed to the corner.

A maid of about fourteen or fifteen came out and said, "Your servant Jing'er pays respects to the Third Young Lady."

Seeing that the girl was pretty and charming, Tanchun was pleased at first, but she still tried to refuse, saying, "No, this is what my aunt gave to Madam to use. Why is she giving it to me? Madam, please keep it for yourself."

Mrs. Wang took her hand and said, "My child, I am glad that you have this intention. As the saying goes, one cannot refuse a gift from an elder. I heard that you have been working day and night to take care of the household affairs. I really can't bear it.

If you take her away, you will show your understanding of my mother's heart."

These words made Tanchun's eyes tearful and her lips trembled so much that she couldn't speak.

"Madam..." Tanchun burst into tears. This was the first time in her memory that Mrs. Wang called herself "Madam" in front of her.

"My dear child, why are you crying on New Year's Day? Wipe your tears quickly, or the other girls will laugh at you." Mrs. Wang smiled and wiped her tears for her.

Tanchun burst into laughter and said, "Thank you for your grace, Madam."

"That's right, why should we be polite to each other?" Mrs. Wang patted her hands and said with a smile.

On the same day, at Prince Beijing’s Mansion, Jia She was also wishing New Year’s greetings to Prince Beijing.

According to the rules of officials' families, except for a few important relatives and figures who have to pay New Year's greetings in person during the Spring Festival, all other old friends, colleagues, relatives, friends and neighbors have to send New Year's greetings in the form of gifts.

What's more, some people were afraid of missing out, so they made many visiting cards in advance and ordered their servants to travel around the capital. No matter whether they knew them or not, they would throw one to a wealthy family when they met one, as the more gifts they received, the less likely it would be to be rejected.

This month, the papers fly and the empty cars go, so people of that time had a poem that goes: I don't ask for a meeting, I just want to greet you, and the name cards come to fill my humble house every morning. I also throw in a few papers like others, because the world dislikes simple things but not empty ones.

Families who received visiting cards often set up a door book to record the greetings one by one so that they can reply later.

For a family like Prince Beijing's Mansion, Jia She naturally had to visit in person, and his visit to pay New Year's greetings was just an excuse, he had other matters to attend to.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Prince Beijing said with a smile, "I haven't seen you much lately. How are you, brother?"

Jia She sat down on the chair with his buttocks, and said hurriedly: "Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Yinsheng has a lot of free time at home studying and writing, but he is too idle."

Prince Beijing's eyes moved slightly, he understood his intention, and said with a smile: "Brother, you have a profound family background in learning. You have been influenced by military strategies since childhood. You are well versed in military strategies. I have always admired you. Besides, you are young and strong now. Why don't you serve the country? It is better than staying at home." These words hit the mark exactly what Jia She wanted.

"Your Highness is right. I also want to serve the country and be loyal to the emperor, but... Alas, Your Highness has seen the situation of my family. It is unfortunate for our family!" Jia She pretended to be annoyed and sighed.

Prince Beijing was surprised and said, "Why do you say that, brother? Your son is a young hero, better than his father, and now he is a high-ranking official with great power. Why are you so depressed, brother?"

Brother Shi, you only need to pass on a few words, and I think no matter how difficult the situation is, it won't be difficult for the young guard, right?"

Jia She shook his head and said in a hateful voice: "Don't worry about the prince laughing at you, my beast is now a consort, he is liked by the queen, and he can flatter the old lady. He has turned the family upside down and no one cares about him. How can he take me seriously? I am afraid he wishes I would die soon so that he would not be an eyesore."

Prince Beijing was shocked and said, "Brother, please be careful with your words. We can talk about this, but you must not tell anyone else to avoid any unexpected events.

What rifts and grudges between father and son cannot be resolved? Moreover, Congge resolutely stepped forward in the Golden Palace that day and was willing to be punished on behalf of your brother. His filial piety spread all over the world. Your brother was wrong."

Jia She bowed his hands and sighed, "Your Highness's suggestion is correct. Only outsiders think that the evildoer is both loyal and filial, but in fact... it's hard to explain. Now even the old lady can't go against him, let alone Yinsheng."

"Brother Shi, you are joking. Cong is as precious as a treasure. It is natural for the old ladies and wives to dote on him. I think brother Shi is reluctant to let go of his father's dignity and also wants to avoid suspicion. He doesn't want to use your son's hand to serve in the government to avoid gossip.

If you have any instructions, I will do my best to help you." Prince Beijing said with a gentle smile.

Seeing that Prince Beijing was so considerate, Jia She was overjoyed and hurriedly bowed and said, "Please help me, Your Majesty." (End of this chapter)