Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Everyone laughed and said, "If you have any good ideas, please do it. We are all ears."

"Forget it, forget it. After all, I am the most talented man in the world. Why would I compete with you girls? If others tell others about it, they will laugh at me." Jia Cong shook his head.

Everyone was about to persuade her again when they heard Li Wan say that time was running out. Everyone quickly gathered their thoughts and copied the poems and handed them in.

Princess Yuan read the manuscripts one by one and praised them, "The poetic talents of all the sisters have improved greatly, except for Baoyu, who has not made much progress."

Baoyu bowed his hands in embarrassment and said, "Big sister is right. I am mediocre and always ranked last in the club. It was only thanks to your support that I was not expelled. How dare I compare myself with my sisters?"

Princess Yuan smiled and said, "Looking carefully, the works of Baochai, Daiyu, and Chan are still unique, each with its own ingenuity, but it is difficult to tell who is the top scorer and who is the second."

Daiyu laughed and said, "Big sister, you don't know, someone just said shamelessly that if he wrote a poem, we would no longer have Lantern Festival poems. I think it would be best if he became the number one scholar."

All the girls smiled and said yes.

Princess Yuan looked at Jia Cong and said with a smile, "Third brother, are you feeling poetic? Just do it. Will the sisters be surprised?"

"This..." Jia Cong was a little embarrassed and said, "Big sister, Cong has always written poems for people. There are so many sisters in the hall, who can you teach me to write to?"

The girls nodded slightly. Yingchun, Tanchun and other sisters were fine, and Xiuyan was indifferent to fame and fortune, so it didn't matter to her either. But who among the others didn't want to read Jia Cong's poems?
Whoever gets it will be remembered forever. Which girl doesn't want to tie herself to a good poem?
Moreover, Ruyi, Baochai and Daiyu were present, and it was very important to decide who to give the gift to and who not to give it to.

Princess Yuan was about to say "Give it to Ruyi" when she suddenly saw Jia Cong secretly giving her a look, so she smiled and said, "Who do you think I should give it to?"

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "Let's see what God will do. Let's draw lots and decide."

All the girls said yes. They originally thought that only Ruyi, Baochai and Daiyu were qualified, but they didn't expect that by drawing lots, everyone had hope.

Qingwen was the most enthusiastic. She smiled and said, "I'll go and draw the lots." Then she took a dozen pieces of paper, folded them into squares and threw them into a cloth bag.

Jia Cong picked up a pen and wrote the word "Cong" on a piece of paper, and said with a smile: "Whoever gets this paper, I will write it to him." After that, he folded it up and threw it into the bag.

No one noticed that he was actually holding a Fang Sheng in his hand, so it was obvious that the one he threw in was a fake.

He ordered Qingwen to stand aside with the bag in hand, and said with a smile, "If you want my poems, come up and draw lots yourself."

The girls glanced at Ruyi and the others, eager to try, but too embarrassed to take the lead.

Ruyi rolled her eyes at Jia Cong and said, "You are the only one with so many tricks." Then she came down and picked one up first.

As she passed by, Jia Cong whispered, "How can I subdue you without many tricks?"

Ruyi's heart trembled, and she looked at everyone guiltily. Seeing that no one was paying attention, she spat, "If you say that again, I'll beat you to death."

When Ruyi picked it up, the girls swarmed over with smiles on their faces, vying to grab it.

Baochai and Daiyu also walked over, smiling and shaking their heads.

"Ouch, don't push, Yun'er, you're stepping on me." Jia Cong smiled and stepped back, and took advantage of the chaos to quietly put Fang Sheng'er in his hand into Baochai's hand.

Baochai felt sweet and warm in her heart, but she remained expressionless and did not dare to look at Jia Cong. She just quietly clenched her fingers, reached into her pocket and picked up a piece of paper.

After everyone sat down, Qingwen also caught the last one with great hope.

"Okay, let's open them all and see who has it." Jia Cong said with a smile.

The women opened their doors one after another, and immediately a chorus of groans was heard.

Princess Yuan glanced at Ruyi and said with a smile, "Why don't you take a look?"

If no one agrees, I will be slightly happy and carefully open it, but then throw it on the table in disappointment. What a jerk! You lied to me again.

Princess Yuan advised: "It's not worth it, just ask Congge to write a poem for you someday."

Ruyi pouted her lips and said, "Your Majesty, you don't know, that boy is very stingy. I asked him to write a poem a long time ago, but he always refused, saying that he had no poetic mood. He is annoying."

Princess Yuan smiled.

Daiyu looked at Baochai below, feeling a little nervous. Now everyone else was silent except the two of them, so they must be among them.

Baochai smiled calmly and said, "Why doesn't Pin'er open her eyes?"

Daiyu said, "Why don't we open it together?"

"Okay." Baochai smiled slightly and gently opened the note.

Ah! Baochai exclaimed softly, and saw the word "Cong" written on the paper. Although she had expected it, she was still surprised.

Daiyu threw down the blank note. With her cleverness, she naturally guessed the truth in an instant and immediately gave Jia Cong a resentful look.

You biased bastard, don't think I don't know it's you who's behind this. How come you let Baoyatou get it? It's so bullying.

Jia Cong quickly gave her a soothing and pleading look, and said, "My dear Pin'er, this is an emergency and we have to do it now. Let's talk about it later. Please let me go today."

Daiyu spat and turned her head away, ignoring him.

She knew that Jia Cong always felt that he owed Baochai and had long ago promised to give her an unprecedented poem. It seemed that tonight would be the time.

"Ah, it's Sister Bao, congratulations." Jia Cong bowed and smiled, then paced back and forth in the hall pretending to be in deep thought.

Everyone held their breath and dared not disturb him. They saw him walk to the railing and stare at the night sky. Suddenly, there were bangs and fireworks were set off in the park. Countless colorful fireworks illuminated the night sky, like a rain of fire.

"Wow! So beautiful!"

"Look!"

All the women applauded.

"Got it!" Jia Cong shouted, and suddenly turned around and wrote on the paper. In an instant, he finished writing and threw the pen down, laughing and saying, "From now on, there will be no poems for Lantern Festival."

Ruyi couldn't stand his smug look, so she snorted, "Be careful not to blow your own trumpet."

Daiyu bit her lip and was the first to go up to take a look. After just one look, tears almost rolled down her cheeks. She turned her head and glared at Jia Cong fiercely, "What a biased ghost! What a heartless man! What a cruel person!"
Jia Cong was afraid that she would expose his "conspiracy", so he hurriedly whispered: "Pin'er, don't forget that there is no word for Qixi either."

"Bah, you treacherous little thief." Daiyu raised her handkerchief to cover her lips and spat softly. She turned around and glanced at Baochai with a half-smile, saying, "Sister Bao, come and see the wonderful poem that has been haunting you."

Baochai blushed, and without paying any attention to her, she walked over and picked up the paper, but saw that it read:

Qingyu'an·Lantern Festival, my elder brother was ordered to visit his parents on the Lantern Festival, and asked me to recite a poem. Thinking about all the things in the past, my heart was moved, so I wrote this poem to comfort my virtuous wife, Mrs. Xue.

As she read on, despite her calm nature, Baochai's eyes could not help but turn red and she was about to cry. She quickly covered her face with a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes, then glanced at Jia Cong with shy joy and sat down gracefully.

Princess Yuan smiled and said, "Since it is a wonderful poem, please ask Master Lan to sing it."

"Yes." Lan Wei had been waiting anxiously on the side for a long time. She hurried over to pick up the paper and read it silently, sighing, "There really is no poem for Lantern Festival."

"Is it really that good? Please ask Master Lan to sing." Xiangyun and the others were already impatient and urged. Lan Wei smiled and nodded, and lightly tuned the Jiaowei. With a flick of her fingertips, a string of romantic and beautiful piano sounds flowed out like a gurgling stream.

"The east wind blows thousands of flowers into bloom at night. It blows down stars like rain. The road is filled with the fragrance of BMW and carved carriages. The sound of phoenix flutes moves, the light of jade pots turns, and fish and dragons dance all night.

The moth is covered with golden threads of snow willow. The smile and the faint fragrance are gone. I searched for him among the crowd for hundreds of times. Suddenly I turned around and he was there, in the dim light.

When the song ended, everyone was still immersed in Lan Wei's moving singing and remained silent for a long time, as if they were all imagining the person in their hearts who was standing at the end of the street where the lights were dim.

"Good! Good! Good!" Princess Yuan clapped her hands and praised: "My brother's poetry talent is not inferior to Li Bai and Du Fu. It is a blessing for the whole family. Master Lan's piano music is also excellent, which makes people linger on it."

Then he looked at Baochai and said with a smile, "This poem can be passed down through the ages after being sung once. Does Baochai have any opinion?"

Everyone laughed and agreed, saying that he was the most talented person in the world and they had to submit.

Baochai lowered her head in shame, took off a string of oriental pearl bracelets from her wrist, and said to Lan Wei with a smile, "This is just a gift of congratulations and thanks."

"Thank you, madam, for the reward." Lan Wei bowed and took it before leaving.

Only Daiyu stared at Jia Cong with a sneer, and said, "I'll settle the score with you later."

Jia Cong smiled ingratiatingly at Daiyu and was about to say something humble when he heard hurried footsteps outside the door. He turned around and saw Cheng Lingsu standing at the door.

"You guys chat, I'll be back soon."

Jia Cong turned around and walked to the side, whispering, "What's the matter?"

Cheng Lingsu reported, “I just received a message from the Flying Eagle at Lanzhou Station, saying that Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding impeached Gansu Town General Liu Jiezheng to the Prince of Nan’an for neglecting military orders and using his own troops.

As soon as the Prince of Nan'an arrived in Gansu, he stripped him of his military power and ordered his men to take him back to the capital to await his participation. He also recommended Shi Ding to temporarily take charge of the military affairs of Gansu.

Jia Cong was shocked. The emperor has ordered Prince Nan'an to temporarily control all military and civilian affairs in the Western Regions of Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai and so on. Logically, he has the right to execute first and report later. However, it is really bold for a general in a border town to withdraw at will.

Replacing important generals before a fierce battle is a taboo in military strategy. King Nannan was too hasty in placing people in place!
Jia Cong hesitated for a moment and said, "I understand. Tell my words that this matter should be kept secret. Please invite Niu Jizong to the mansion to discuss the matter immediately." He vaguely remembered that this Gansu General Liu Jiezhen seemed to be from the Zhenguo Mansion.

"Yes."

Jia Cong did not bother to joke with Princess Yuan, so he turned around and said with a smile, "Some urgent military information has just arrived. I am sorry to be absent for a moment, elder sister, please forgive me."

Princess Yuan said hurriedly: "Of course, state affairs come first. You go and do your work. We women can just talk."

Jia Cong nodded: "You guys chat and laugh with big sister, I'll be back soon."

Everyone hurriedly stood up and agreed, watching him leave.

Jia Cong hurried out of the garden and discussed with Pang Chao in the study for a while. Niu Jizong also arrived.

"Today is a happy day for your family. What instructions does the young master suddenly summon me for?" Niu Jizong bowed and smiled at Jia Cong, then greeted Pang Chao.

"Gansu General Liu Jiezhen has been implicated." Jia Cong said in a deep voice and told the intelligence just now.

"What?!" Niu Jizong was shocked and said angrily, "How dare the Prince of Nan'an be so bold?!"

Liu Jiezhen is a capable general of his country's defense, and he is also in charge of such an important position as the commander-in-chief of a border town. How can he be lost?

Pang Chao said: "Now the emperor has appointed Prince Nan'an to control the officials and people of several provinces. If we don't take this opportunity to promote more of our own people, we will miss this opportunity forever."

Niu Jizong gritted his teeth and said, "I know Jie Zheng well. He is a calm and steady person, a good commander, and a strict follower of military law. It's nonsense to say that he neglected military orders. It must be Shi Ding's deliberate false accusation, and the Prince of Nan'an is just going to make the best of it."

Jia Cong nodded and said, "These are lice on a bald man's head, but we don't have any good way to deal with them at the moment.

Because Lao Liu is one of ours, even if we take him to the Five Military Commandery, I'm afraid Li Meng and Wang Ning are eager to sow discord and weaken us, so how could they speak up for him?"

Niu Jizong's heart sank, and he said slowly: "That's right, but the position of Gansu Town General is very dangerous and cannot be abandoned lightly."

Pang Chao said: "Don't worry, Lord, the reason why the Prince of Nan'an is so bold is that he wants to take the lead in the war and figure out the intentions of the emperor, so as to deliberately weaken the lineage of the Duke.

Therefore, it is not easy to rescue him now. I am afraid that it will arouse the suspicion of the emperor, who may think that the Duke's family is as strong as iron and cannot be removed. This may be counterproductive. "

Niu Jizong said: "Sir, what you said is very true. Do you have any good ideas?"

Pang Chao said calmly: "When the dust settles in the Western Region, we will know the outcome. If King Nan'an wins a great victory, it goes without saying that with his feat of recovering the Western Region, it will be easy for him to defeat Liu Jiezheng.

But if we lose the battle..."

Niu Jizong sneered and said, "Then his fame will be ruined, and it will be natural for Old Liu to be reinstated."

"That's exactly what I said. Therefore, it's better to keep quiet at this moment. I asked you to come here because I'm afraid that you would not be able to resist arguing with reason if you knew that your old friend was wronged, which would only add variables to the matter.

The situation in the court is very volatile right now, so we must be extra careful," said Jia Cong.

"Don't worry, Young Guardian. I will not fail to distinguish the seriousness from the minor. I'm just afraid...if someone secretly plots to harm Jie Zheng, he may not be able to live to see the day of his vindication." Niu Jizong sighed.

Jia Cong said: "Don't worry about that, I will order the Jinyiwei to wait for you along the way.

After returning to Beijing, I was also detained in the Tianlao Prison of the Ministry of Justice. Now, the Ministry of Justice Yanbutang and Zuotang Dai Zhixing are both familiar with me, so I think they will give me some face. "

Niu Jizong breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Thank you, Shaobao."

"Hey, why be so polite. We are all brothers, how can Cong just watch someone die without helping? What's more, the four princes have already taken action against us, how can we not reciprocate?" Jia Cong said.

"What Shaobao meant was..."

Jia Cong sneered, "Are they allowed to touch our people but we are not allowed to touch theirs?
We don't need to rush to rescue Brother Jie Zheng. He fights his own battles and I fight mine. I will go back and ask everyone to discuss and pick out the four princes' former subordinates in the army. I have my own ideas."

Niu Jizong was overjoyed and clapped his hands fiercely, saying, "Great, it's rude not to reciprocate! I wonder which one to move first?"

Jia Cong said calmly: "Since the Prince of Nan'an has moved one of our generals, shouldn't we at least move one of his generals as well?"

"That makes sense." Niu Jizong hesitated for a moment and said, "The generals of Jiangxi, Guizhou, and Datong are all from the same lineage of the Four Kings..."

Jia Cong and Pang Chao smiled at each other and said, "It's meaningless to move the poor and remote areas, but it's not the right time to move the nine borders."

"What Shao Bao means is..." Niu Jizong was a little confused.

"Since the Shi family is determined to side with the four princes, there will only be three left of the four families of Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue." Jia Cong said lightly, with a hint of coldness in his voice.

In the face of political struggles, old friendships and relatives are all nonsense. Once you have different positions, you become mortal enemies.

Niu Jizong nodded slowly, and in his heart he was even more in awe of Jia Cong's decision. This was a ruthless man who was so murderous that he would kill his in-laws first, and he didn't even care about the old lady's dignity.

In this way, they could launch a powerful counterattack, draw a clear line between the Jia and Shi families, and avoid doubts from within the group. (End of this chapter)