Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 687: The Warrior's Arm
The study and spiritual practice room in Prince Beijing’s Palace.

The King of Xining and the King of Dongping were invited to a small gathering today, and the only topic was the current peace talks in the Western Regions.

Prince Beijing was ordered to participate in the negotiations throughout and keep abreast of the latest developments.

"My two brothers, we have basically reached an agreement after these two days of talks. The Luosha people, Abu Lai and others know that their victory is a fluke, and they are also intimidated by the prosperity of the country. They dare not go too far and have accepted the conditions we set." said King Beijing.

Prince Xining asked happily, "Does this mean that Brother Nan'an is coming back?"

Prince Beijing looked calm and nodded, "Yes, the court lent them land for marriage and provided them with restraint. What else could they be dissatisfied with?"

Prince Dongping said: "This is a blessing in disguise. Brother Nan'an has a young daughter who is still unmarried. We can exchange her for him and then plot against him later."

A strange look flashed in Prince Beijing's eyes, and he sighed quietly, "Your Majesty has been in a very bad mood these past two days because of the peace talks. The day Brother Nan'an returns to the capital will be the day he will be tried for his crimes. I'm afraid this is not a good thing."

The King of Xining and the King of Dongping looked at each other and felt their hearts sink. They almost forgot about this. The court was negotiating peace for the sake of the overall situation, not to save a few people.

The Prince of Nannan suffered heavy casualties, lost troops and territory, and suffered the greatest defeat since the founding of the country. The court was forced to compromise, especially at a time when the emperor wanted to make great plans. With the sinister and cold temper of the emperor, how could he have any good results?
He hurriedly asked, "Brother Shi, what do you mean?"

Prince Beijing sighed, "Brother Nan'an is still alive in the hands of foreigners. If he comes back, I'm afraid he will be in danger. For such a big defeat, someone has to take the blame. He is the commander-in-chief and cannot escape the blame.

Moreover, there is also the eldest prince's fault. Since the day he returned to the capital, he has reported to Your Majesty that it was because the commander underestimated the enemy and rushed forward without taking precautions that the two vanguards were ambushed and the granary was attacked by the enemy. What do you think the emperor will do?"

Prince Xining said in a deep voice: "The emperor naturally wants to protect the reputation of the eldest prince, so he can only put the blame on Brother Nan'an, not to mention that he is the one who was primarily responsible for this matter."

Prince Dongping sighed, "The emperor is so angry that he has nowhere to vent his anger. Once he comes back, it will definitely bring bad luck."

Prince Beijing shook his head and said, "Not only that, I'm afraid that the future of the Nan'an Palace... Alas, my brother was the last generation to inherit the original title, and he caused such a big mess, losing power and humiliating the country. The prince is incapable of doing anything, so I think it's a blessing from heaven that he can be a third-class general."

The two kings of the East and the West looked at each other, smiled bitterly and shook their heads. This is how the noble families are, either they seize the opportunity and soar to the sky, or they miss the chance and end up in disgrace.

If this battle had not been fought and the transition had been smooth, even though the Nannan Palace would not have been able to keep the title of prince, at least it would have been a problem to get the title of Marquis of Wu. Now, not only will it be changed to a relative's title, but it will also be drastically downgraded.

Once they fall, it will be difficult for their descendants to get back up, because not every family has a young man like Jia Cong.

"The Nan'an lineage has been in decline since then. Do you two brothers have any opinions on this?" Prince Beijing said with a smile.

King Xining's eyes moved slightly, and he said, "Brother Shi, what you mean is..."

Prince Dongping understood a little and whispered, "Brother Shi, are you saying this is a trap?"

Prince Beijing nodded slightly and said, "You two, if Brother Nan'an comes back, once we are tried, the three of us will inevitably be accused of not knowing how to judge people and failing to recommend people. I'm afraid that the governors will take the opportunity to kick us when we're down and expel us from the army. We have to be on guard."

"That's right. We have finally entered the Military Affairs Office to assist in military affairs. We cannot quit."

"So I think, when a viper bites your hand, a brave man should cut off his wrist! If you don't make a decision when you should, you will suffer the consequences." King Beijing said in a deep voice.

Although they were old friends for a hundred years, when they knew that the Nan'an lineage was about to decline and was no longer of much value to them, the two kings of the East and the West made up their minds almost instantly that they would rather die than let their friend die.

"Brother Shi, what you said is very true. I wonder what plan you will come up with?"

Prince Beijing showed a warm smile on his face and said, "The old concubine is in charge of the Nan'an Palace now. When the old lady heard that the prince was captured, she was in a state of panic. She was afraid that the emperor would punish her and that something bad would happen to the prince.

I heard that the Emperor ordered the Nan'an Palace to send a daughter to marry the Emperor, but he couldn't bear to part with his only granddaughter, so he spent the whole day at home coughing and sighing, feeling caught in a dilemma."

King Dongping said, "So what?"

"The old lady in our family has always been on good terms with the old Concubine Dowager of Nan'an. At a time of great change, why don't you go to their house to offer consolation and show your friendship?" Prince Beijing said in a gentle voice.

Prince Xining understood the meaning: "Brother, do you mean to start with the old concubine?"

Prince Beijing smiled and said, "That's right. The old Concubine Nan'an has always regarded her granddaughter as the apple of her eye. How could she bear to give her to Hu Chen? I have thought of a way to relieve her worries."

"Oh? Brother Shi is very resourceful, he must have a good plan."

"I heard that there are many girls in Rongguo Mansion, so it doesn't matter if one or two are missing. Besides, the old Concubine Nan'an and the Rongguo Lady were close friends in the past. If I bring a lot of gifts to adopt a daughter, it won't be difficult, right?" Prince Beijing said with a smile.

Prince Dongping's eyes lit up, and he said with a smile, "Madam Rong will certainly agree happily. By then, the matter will be settled. The old Concubine Dowager Nan'an will bring up the emperor's decree to specify the marriage of the daughter and the vassal. The Jia family will have no choice but to swallow this loss."

Prince Xining sneered, "I heard that Jia Cong is very concerned about the marriage of the women in his family, and even Jia She cannot make the decision. With his tyrannical and overbearing personality, how can he tolerate this?
What's more, the Nan'an Palace blatantly bullied us! We will definitely become enemies to the death."

Prince Dongping laughed and said, "Afterwards, Jia Cong will definitely take revenge like crazy. I'm afraid that Brother Nan'an won't be able to come back. Even the Prince Nan'an Palace may not be able to withstand it. It's conceivable that there will be another turmoil in the capital. How can the court care about the affairs of our three families?"

Prince Beijing smiled and said, “This is the first benefit.

Secondly, Jia Shaobao is at the peak of his career, and he must have some experts to guide him, so he knows that too much is as bad as too little. This is why he kept a low profile when selecting generals for the Western Expedition.

If he is allowed to remain dormant, he will become a problem in the long run. It is better to provoke him to come out and make a big fuss. It would be best if he could overthrow the Nan'an Palace with the force of a mountain, so that the court and the emperor can see who is the most powerful official in the world today. "

"Great plan, great plan! It's better to provoke the general than to persuade him. With Jia Cong's temper, he will definitely not tolerate this! If we can overthrow Jia Cong, we can also make arrangements in the army calmly."

Prince Beijing said with a smile: "Third, now there are four princes and eight dukes, if one of the princes' palaces is missing, I think many people would want to sit on this chair, right?"

Prince Xining said with a smile: "Jia Cong, Li Meng, and Wang Ning are probably all jealous. The destruction of the palace is a once-in-a-century opportunity. How could they not fight for it?"

Prince Dongping said, "Forget about Jia Cong. The emperor is already somewhat wary of him, so how could he be crowned a king?"

Prince Beijing said with a smile: "General Wang's foundation is shallow and not worth mentioning, but General Li has made great contributions over the years and has the greatest chance.

We can just join forces with him and help him beat the drums. Not to mention being crowned a king, it shouldn't be a problem to promote him to a duke, right? I think it also fits the holy intention of balancing Jia Shaobao. Don't we have another strong ally?"

"That's right. Li Meng will definitely join forces with us when he sees the hope of being promoted to Duke."

"Fourthly, maybe Young Master Jia will show his heroic spirit and disobey the order and refuse the marriage. To put it mildly, it will embarrass the emperor, and to put it bluntly, it will destroy the overall situation of the peace talks. How will the emperor feel about it?" Prince Beijing smiled faintly, showing that he was in control of the situation.

Prince Dongping clapped his hands and laughed, "Well, let's not talk about His Majesty, I'm afraid that the ministers of the New Party and the civil and military officials in the court will be very dissatisfied with Jia Shaobao's rebelliousness, right?"

"What a great plan that kills four birds with one stone. Brother Shi really has the wisdom of Kong Ming." King Xining praised, and secretly became wary of King Beijing's deep scheming in his heart, fearing that he would be sold out by him one day.

Fortunately, this time it was the wrist of the Prince of Nan'an who was to be untied, so everyone didn't have to think about it and nodded readily. If one day the wrist was to be untied on their own head, it would be difficult to play.

Prince Beijing hurriedly said humbly, "Thank you for your praise, my brothers. I have no choice. The situation in the court is getting more and more tense. I am really worried that someone will use the Western Expedition to implicate us. I have no choice but to resort to this last resort. I apologize to my brother Prince Nan'an."

"No, Brother Shi is waiting for me. It's better to destroy one family than four. We are all grateful to you."

"Then let's go back and ask the old ladies from each family to help." "Okay."
-
On the morning of April 28th, an ordinary blue cloth carriage slowly drove into Ningrong Street, with a man and a woman in the carriage.

The man was about sixty years old, with a very thin face and body, sparse beard, and wore a gauze hat, a purple official uniform, a jade belt around his waist, and a lifelike crane on the patch on his chest. He was actually an official of the first rank or above in the current dynasty.

However, the official uniform had been worn for who knows how many years, and it had become white from washing, and had many signs of damage and mending.

The other woman was wearing a veil and a moon-white robe. Her appearance was very different from that of the Central Plains. She was tall, had healthy honey-colored skin, a high nose bridge, and deep eye sockets.

The most surprising thing is that the pair of clear and transparent big eyes are light green, like two extremely charming and top-quality cat's eye gems.

"Fatini, the general we are going to meet later is the most distinguished, powerful, and meritorious general in the Celestial Empire. If there is still a chance of turning the tide, it can only be him.

I will try my best to convince him, and of course I need your cooperation." said the old man.

Fatini spoke in a not-so-fluent Mandarin, with a firm look in her eyes, and said, "Master Qiu, just tell me what I need you to do. I am willing to give everything for my people."

"This general is not only invincible on the battlefield, but also the most talented and romantic man in the country. You know, there is no talented man who doesn't love beautiful women.

I think your beauty, which is unique in the Western Regions, is enough to impress him. Moreover, you are very different from the beauties he has seen before, which will surely make his eyes light up."

Fatini took a deep breath and said, "Don't worry, sir. I am ready to sacrifice myself as long as he can send troops to save my people."

Lord Qiu shook his head and said, "You are wrong. What kind of person is Duke Dingguo? How can he decide military and national affairs because of a beauty?
Besides, he has no shortage of beauties around him, so why would he make a deal with you?"

Fatini was stunned and asked, "Then what should I do?"

"You need to make him fall in love with you, to sincerely sympathize with your situation and pity your suffering. Since ancient times, heroes have been unable to resist the temptation of beautiful women. As long as you can do this, it will be fine."

Fatini said, "I see, your Excellency wants me to seduce him, not to make a deal with him."

The old man smiled bitterly: "You are not wrong to understand it this way, but he has been through hundreds of battles and has met the four major gang leaders in the capital. How can he be indifferent to ordinary tactics?
You are a girl, how can you understand a man's mind? Don't treat him as a simple and honest man like the rough and timid men on your grassland. If you want to succeed, you have to exchange your heart for his, understand?"

Fatini was very smart and understood immediately. She nodded and said, "Sir, I understand. I will try to fall in love with him first, and then make him fall in love with me."

The old man smiled and said, "That's right. As we Han people say, if you want to take something, you must first give it."

"It's just... I'm afraid he is too different from the husband I have in mind..." Fatini said frankly, without the shyness of a woman from the Central Plains.

The old man smiled and twirled his beard, saying, "You worry too much. He is a little younger than you in age, but his appearance is far superior to other grassland men. His manner of speech is even more different from yours, and his ability to please girls is even better.

These noblemen have all grown up surrounded by women. As long as you catch his eye, why would he worry that he can't please you? Even the most favored princess of our Celestial Empire has taken a fancy to him, what are you worried about?"

Fatini felt relieved upon hearing this, but she also became a little uneasy, fearing that others would look down on her.

She also knew that her appearance was different from that of the girls in the Central Plains. A beauty in the eyes of people in the Western Regions might not be a beauty in the eyes of people in the Central Plains.

At this time, Jia Cong was practicing martial arts in the yard when he heard someone report that the old Concubine Dowager Nan'an was visiting Rong Mansion and brought valuable gifts.

Jia Cong hesitated for a moment and asked, "Why?"

Liu Wuer hurriedly said, "The old lady and the two ladies are waiting in Rongqing Hall. I heard from Sister Yuanyang that it was because Prince Nan'an suffered a defeat, and the old concubine wanted to ask you to say a few good words for him in the court."

"Got it." Jia Cong sneered slightly and sent Liu Wu'er away. The old Concubine Nan'an was too naive. She wanted me to intercede for the prince's party, but I'm afraid she is dreaming.

Just after finishing his exercises and changing his clothes, Qingwen came in again and said, "Master, someone from the second gate said that a high-ranking official came to visit you. He said he was the governor of Shaanxi and Gansu, and his name was Qiu... Qiu Zhixin.

Hey, why does this name sound so familiar, as if I have heard it somewhere before." Then he took out a business card from his sleeve.

Jia Cong gently pinched the tip of her delicate nose and said with a smile, "Little fool, you forgot so quickly. It was the man who ridiculed Dai Quan in the joke I told the other day."

Qingwen quickly turned her head away and hugged Jia Cong's arm, saying coquettishly, "My master is annoying. He pinched my nose again. It won't look good if it breaks."

Jia Cong said lovingly, "I like it even if it's broken. Well, go and tell him that I am following the imperial order to reflect on my mistakes and not to see guests. Ask him to come back in ten days."

"Yes, Master." Qingwen left with a sweet laugh.

After a while, Zhao Bao's family came in again and reported: "My Lord, that old man is sitting in the main hall and refusing to leave, saying that I don't want to see him. So he stayed at our house. This saves us money on food and tea. Let Wangcai arrange a guest room for him. You see..."

Qingwen spat, "How rude of him! He's an official appointed by the imperial court! I'll have him kicked out."

Jia Cong raised his hand to stop her, and after a moment's hesitation, he asked, "What did he say?"

"Just say that there are important matters concerning the fate of the world that need to be discussed with me."

Jia Cong frowned slightly, thinking that the words were alarmist. He had not heard of anything happening in Shaanxi and Gansu recently.

Yin said, "Forget it, I'll go meet him. Please also ask Mr. Pang to come along. He's an old acquaintance of his."

"Yes."

"Master, why do you want to see such a shameless official? I guess he is here to ask for money." Qingwen said with a pout while helping Jia Cong change his clothes.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "After all, he is an important official of the court. It is not easy to offend him. It is okay to meet him. I will send him off with a few words and then come back to accompany my dear Qingwen."

Qingwen was filled with joy, and she carefully arranged his clothes, saying with a pursed smile, "You should spend more time with the ladies. A little girl like you dare not compete for their favor."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Why do you need to argue? Doesn't your flower sign say that you are the most favored person in the world?"

"Master, you are making fun of me again. I won't come anymore." Qingwen stamped her feet and said shyly.

"Huh? Girl, don't I love you enough? Knowing that you were sick, I even ignored the emperor's decree and found a miracle doctor for you. Isn't this my love and favor?" Jia Cong said with a smile.

Qingwen thought of the past, and her big, bright peach blossom eyes were suddenly covered with tears. She shyly threw herself into Jia Cong's arms, hugged him tightly, and said tenderly:
"Master, I know you love me. Qingwen will work like a slave for you in this life, the next life, and the next life. I can never repay you enough. I just want to serve you for all my lives."

Jia Cong smiled and patted her perky buttocks, saying, "Okay, I'll tell you these sweet words when I come back."

Qingwen moaned softly, stood on tiptoe and whispered in Jia Cong's ear: "Sister Chan and I have learned a new trick. We will serve you again when you come back."

"Okay, it's a deal."

Jia Cong laughed and turned around, secretly figuring out the meaning of Qiu Zhixin's sudden visit. Logically speaking, a high-ranking official like him would not be so rash as to come to visit him when he knew that he was at home on punishment.

(End of this chapter)