Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Bang, the door of the upper room closed, and the lewd smile on Lei Zifeng's face disappeared immediately. He deliberately said loudly: "Young lady, come here." Then he sat down at the table and hooked his finger.

Momonogi Kana also pretended to be frightened, shouted a few words in Japanese, and walked forward slowly.

Lei Zifeng took out half of the talisman from his arms and handed it to her.

Momonogi Kana hurriedly took out the other half from her arms and put it together, and it fit perfectly.

He bowed down and whispered, "I am your subordinate, honored envoy."

Lei Zifeng said: "According to this order, we will assist the army in breaking through the city two nights later, using fireworks as a signal." He then took out a bamboo tube.

This time when he said in the palace that he would give Li three days to consider, it was actually a trick in order to catch them off guard. The Koreans probably could not have imagined that such a powerful Celestial Empire's royal army would go back on their word and gain an advantage.

"I obey your command." Momonogi Kana quickly took it with both hands.

Lei Zifeng hesitated for a moment and said, "From Jin Junhao's reaction, I guess some important figures in the Goryeo court have been intimidated by the might of the Heavenly Soldiers and want to join the light. You can send someone to contact them to increase the chances of the army breaking through the city."

"Yes. According to my subordinates, Jin Junhao was born in the Goryeo Jin family. His uncle Jin Zhengcheng is the leader of the Noron Party and the current Prime Minister of Goryeo, which is equivalent to the Prime Minister of the Heavenly Dynasty. With his help, it will be easy to capture the city."

"Okay. Then I feel relieved. I'm tired after being busy for such a long time." Lei Zifeng clapped his hands and smiled.

Momonogi Kana hurriedly said, "I'll serve the general." Then she went to help him take off his armor.

Lei Zifeng's face turned red. He had never been to a brothel before. Seeing her mature and plump body approaching him, he hurriedly said, "I can do it myself. You take a rest."

Momonogi Kana smiled and said, "You are welcome, General. It is my honor to serve you."

Lei Zifeng quickly raised his hand to avoid him, saying, "I know you are all my people. If it weren't for the situation just now, I wouldn't dare to be rude. Just take a rest."

Momonogi Kana covered her mouth and smiled, "General, you are worrying too much. The master is busy with all kinds of affairs, and there are countless beauties in the harem. How could he be interested in a weak girl like us? If the general is interested, I am willing to serve you in bed." After saying that, she threw a coquettish look.

Lei Zifeng laughed dryly and said, "Before the war, it is not appropriate to be selfish. I understand. I understand. I'll get some sleep first." After saying that, he fell asleep and soon began to snore.

Momonogi Kana knelt on the ground with a serious look on her face. She looked deeply at Lei Zifeng and nodded slowly. She had just pretended to throw herself into his arms just to test him.

If Jia Cong's confidant was such a person who could not resist the temptation of women, and dared to take his master's people without permission and had no respect for them, then she would report it to Jia Cong and ask him to make the decision.

The next morning, just as Lei Zifeng was getting dressed, he heard someone come to report that Jin Junhao invited him to have breakfast.

Lei Zifeng sent the visitor away and said with a smile, "As expected, he is here."

Momonogi Kana smiled and said, "The general has a plan that is perfect."

"Hey, don't flatter me. I haven't even read a book. Who else but Mr. Pang dares to claim to have a plan that is perfect?" Lei Zifeng said, "You can go by yourself later. Don't get too close to me, or people might get suspicious."

"Yes."

After Lei Zifeng had put the hair together, he followed the servants to the flower hall.

Jin Junhao came up with a group of people.

"General, this is my cousin Kim Jun-chul, the current Left Secretary of the Seongjeongwon, who has come to visit you specially," Kim Jun-ho introduced.

Lei Zifeng casually cupped his hands and said, "Nice to meet you."

Jin Junzhe was very graceful and didn't take it seriously. He raised his hand and said with a smile: "General, please take a seat and try some of our country's small dishes. They may suit your appetite."

Lei Zifeng saw that the food on the table was nothing but cold noodles, kimchi, copper bowl rice, Korean ginseng stewed chicken soup, rice cake, seafood, etc. He was tired of eating them these days and thought to himself that it was not what he wanted. This tiny country only had these kinds of snacks.

He nodded with a forced smile, took the rice and ate it with some sour and spicy kimchi, which was quite refreshing.

Seeing that he didn't even raise his head and was just eating, the Jin brothers smiled awkwardly, but they didn't dare to disturb him, so they just accompanied him and ate casually.

After a while, Lei Zifeng finished his meal, drank the chicken soup in one gulp, wiped the corner of his mouth, burped, and said, "Okay, I'm full. Goodbye."

"Hey, General, take care. I have a few words to discuss with you." Jin Junhao said hurriedly.

"Really? What advice do you have for me, Brother Jin?" Lei Zifeng cupped his hands, pretending to be ignorant even though he knew the truth.

Jin Junzhe whispered, "I am here to punish the criminals for the sake of the king's army."

"Oh? I'd like to hear the details."

"That's right. My family has always admired the virtues of the Heavenly Dynasty, and we have revered Duke Dingguo for a long time.

The current ruler, Li Cheng, is immoral, doing evil things, bringing disaster to the country and the people. My family has long wanted to uphold justice, but we are alone and cannot do anything.

Fortunately, the king's army has finally arrived to march east. My family is willing to serve as the vanguard to welcome the king's army into the city, depose Li Cheng, and establish another wise ruler. Please report this to the general on my behalf."

Lei Zifeng's eyes moved slightly, and he smiled and said, "Brother Jin, I will report your sincerity. I wonder what plan you will come up with?"

Jin Junzhe said hurriedly: "This is easy. My brother Junhao is in charge of the defense of the South City. As long as the city gate is opened at that time, the king's army can win without a fight."

Lei Zifeng nodded and said, "I wonder what your family wants?"

Jin Junzhe smiled and said, "My family only wants to serve the Heavenly Dynasty and Duke Dingguo, and we don't ask for anything else. After the matter is accomplished, we will follow Duke Dingguo's lead. If I can help Duke Dingguo to guard Goryeo and prevent the scoundrels from causing chaos, it will be enough for me."

Lei Zifeng said: "This is not difficult. The royal army will not stay here for long after their success. Goryeo needs people like you who are familiar with the local customs and habits to govern. I will report to the commander when I return. I think it should not be difficult."

Jin Junzhe was overjoyed and said, "Thank you for your help, General. It's inconvenient for you now, but I will reward you handsomely when it's done."

Lei Zifeng acted like he was blinded by money, smiled and waved his hand, saying: "You are too polite, brother. In the future, we will all serve the Duke, so what is the difference between us?"

"I dare not, I dare not. My family has been with the bandits for a long time and I am afraid of being slandered. General, you are the Duke's favorite general. I hope you can support me in the future." Jin Junzhe said.

"This is a trivial matter." Lei Zifeng smiled, then his voice turned cold and he said, "By the way, if you pretend to surrender... you know the consequences, huh?"

Jin Junzhe was shocked, thinking of the countless tyrants who were executed, and he pointed to the sky and swore: "If my family has any second thoughts, they will be punished by heaven and earth, and will never be reborn."

"Okay." The two of them then agreed on the details of the cooperation, and Lei Zifeng left the city to report.
-
Just as Yan Shuangying and others led a large army to besiege Seoul, the envoys sent by Goryeo had arrived at Yuguan. After several months of travel, the second, third and fourth princes also arrived in Xuanfu Town and Bao'an Prefecture.

Jia Cong sat in the capital and read the intelligence sent in by various parties. He thought everything was under control and was very happy. He just enjoyed himself at home, but he didn't know that he was being plotted against.

The Exiled Immortal Tower and the elegant rooms of the Mochi Pavilion.

Guanglu Temple Minister Zhan Zheng hosted a banquet for Henan Province's Chief Censor Fu Shi, and also invited Shuntian Prefecture Governor Li Chao to join them. Since the two of them passed the imperial examination in the same year and studied under the same teacher, they were quite familiar with each other.

However, what Li Chao didn't know was that although Zhan Zheng was a disciple of Huo Peng, he had already been secretly won over by Feng Yuan, and his visit was to offer a series of schemes.

At this time, Fu Shi had not arrived yet. Li Chao had arrived first and was chatting with Zhan Zheng.

"Brother Youqiong suddenly held a banquet today. Are you trying to cram for the exam?" Li Chao asked with a smile. When he heard that he was inviting Fu Shi to a banquet, he had already guessed something in his mind.

Now was the time when the imperial examination was in full swing, and the Fu test was very popular. It was impossible to invite ordinary people, so he could only rely on his relationship with Lin Ruhai to summon them.

Zhan Zheng smiled bitterly and bowed, "Brother Shengqun, please don't make fun of me. We are all in a stormy situation now. You are as stable as a rock, but we are in danger of losing our lives at any moment. I hope you can support me as we are of the same age."

Li Chao smiled and said, "Okay, okay, no need to tell me."

As they were talking, Fu Shi arrived, and the three of them exchanged pleasantries again.

When Fu Shi saw Li Chao was present, he became even more enthusiastic. He knew that he was Lin Ruhai's legitimate nephew-in-law, and much closer to him than himself, his adopted uncle, so he smiled and tried to curry favor with him.

Zhan Zheng smiled and said, "I know you two are relatives by marriage, but at the wine table, we don't care about seniority. Since we are all colleagues, it's best to call each other friends."

Li Chao smiled and said, "That's right. We won't talk about family etiquette outside. I will just call you Brother Minggong and you can call me Shengqun."

Fu Shi clapped his hands and smiled, "That's great. I have admired Sheng Qun for a long time. In the past, due to my brother's heavy government affairs, I didn't dare to rashly interfere. Thanks to Youqiong's hosting today, we are able to get together. Now everything will be clear."

Zhan Zheng hurriedly poured the wine and said with a smile, "It's just right. Please drink this cup to the full and chat about good times again."

The three of them smiled and drank a glass together, and Zhan Zheng was busy serving food and wine.

After three rounds of drinks, Zhan Zheng gradually brought the topic to the imperial inspection, and said with a smile, "I hope you will show some mercy to the brothers in our temple during this imperial inspection. We are all poor people in the government office. We can't get much money on weekdays. We rely on that little salary to support our families. We have a lot of work to do and we don't have money to manage.

When they encounter the imperial examination, they are all helpless and can only look at me, the temple minister. It's difficult." Fu Shi touched his moustache and smiled proudly, saying: "I feel the same way as Youqiong, but... the imperial examination is a great ceremony to sharpen the dullness of the world, and this time it is even more unusual. It goes without saying that Lin Butang is very strict in supervision, and even Zhun Gong is always asking questions. I am a small person with little influence... Alas..."

"This..." Zhan Zheng hurriedly looked at Li Chao.

Li Chao smiled and said, "I know Brother Minggong is in a difficult situation, and it is precisely because this imperial examination is of great importance that I came to you to seek advice.

In previous years, the total number of people demoted or demoted during the imperial examination was usually no more than a hundred, but this time, thirty or forty people were demoted at the very beginning, which was really scary.

Youqiong's position in the Guanglu Temple is not a lucrative one, and it is not worth mentioning. If you are a little lenient and lenient with your writing, it will be fine, right?"

Fu Shi pretended to be embarrassed, and after a moment's hesitation, he nodded and said, "Well, since Shengqun has spoken, and Brother Youqiong is so kind, I won't go too far. When the matter is brought to the Guanglu Temple, I will protect him a little to repay you for your kindness today."

"Thank you both for your kindness. Our temple may not have anything else, but we do have a lot of delicacies. I have asked people to pack them in food boxes, which will be sent to your homes later. You two brothers should see if they are different from the dishes here." Zhan Zheng said with a smile.

Li Chao and Fu Shi knew that he would not send any wine or food, so they bowed and smiled, "We are grateful for Youqiong's kindness."

"I'm so ashamed to say that these are just some local products that are not presentable. Please don't despise them. Let's have some drinks."

"please."

After drinking for a while, Zhan Zheng observed the expressions of the two men and saw that they were a little drunk, so he said with a smile: "It's boring to sit in a private room, why don't we invite some singers to accompany us? I wonder if you two have any lovers?"

Fu Shi waved his hand and said with a smile: "I will leave it to you, elder brother, to take charge."

Li Chao smiled awkwardly, thinking that the attendant who came with him was his wife's man, how could he dare to be presumptuous? He hurriedly said, "It's enough for you and me to have a quiet chat and drink. Why do we need to invite some people from the entertainment industry to disturb us?"

Fu Shi already knew that he was henpecked, so he just smiled and nodded.

Zhan Zheng pretended not to know and said with a smile: "But the girls in the capital are not to Shengqun's taste. I heard that you were quite romantic when you were in the south of the Yangtze River. Could it be that 'oranges grown in the north of the Huai River become sour'? Why not invite a few more, there will always be one that suits your taste." After saying that, he was about to get up.

Li Chao hurriedly pulled him aside and said with a dry laugh, "Youqiong, don't bother me. I have something else to do today, so I can't stay for long. How about another day, another day?"

Zhan Zheng smiled and said, "Well, I'll invite you two to come some other day. Let's go to Baihua Tower and have some fun. The girls there are both talented and beautiful."

Fu Shi and Li Chao hurriedly said hello.

Zhan Zheng looked at Li Chao and said with a smile: "Ming Gong has no taboos, and anyone who comes can win. I wonder if Sheng Qun has any preferences, so you can make it clear first, so that I can make arrangements early and let you see how my Duzhongfengyue compares to the Southern Province."

Li Chao thought for a moment and said with a smile, "I only like courtesans, preferably those with a hot temper, pretty faces, and graceful figures. They must also be literate and well-informed, and they are the most fun to play with."

Zhan Zheng laughed and said, "Well, you are indeed a famous and romantic person in Jiangnan. You have unique insights. What you said makes me yearn for it. Are all the beauties in Jiangnan like this?"

"Not really. I have been in Jiangnan for more than ten years, but I have seen very few people like this." Li Chao waved his hand and smiled.

"What kind of style is the best?" Zhan Zheng asked.

"As for the best..." Li Chao's eyes were blurred, thinking back to the past, he sighed, smiled bitterly and said: "I have only watched from afar, how can I know its charm."

Zhan Zheng shook his head and said with a smile: "Brother, why are you joking? Brother, you have served as the governor of Suzhou and Jinling, both places are rich in beauties. If you want one, shouldn't it be easy to get one?"

Fu Shi also laughed and said, "You must have succeeded, but you have hidden your beauty in a golden house and don't want to show it to others. Why don't you tell me about it? It's better to share happiness with others than to enjoy it alone."

Li Chao smiled bitterly and sighed, "This is what I really said. There is no falsehood. When I was in Suzhou, I wanted to slowly bear it and move her with my emotions, but I didn't expect her to suddenly come to Beijing. Now I haven't heard from her for several years."

Zhan Zheng said, "But relying on relatives and friends? There will always be traces. Brother is now in charge of Shuntian Prefecture. As long as he is in the capital, how can we not find him?"

Li Chao shook his head and said, "We sent people to investigate, but there is no news at all."

Zhan Zheng said with a smile: "What kind of fairy-like beauty does this woman have that Sheng Qun has been pondering for so long?"

Li Chao's eyes showed a soul-stirring look as he chanted, "Her hands are as soft as catkins, her skin is as white as cream, her neck is as white as a cicada, her teeth are as white as a gourd. She has a beautiful forehead and eyebrows, a charming smile, and beautiful eyes."

Zhan Zheng smiled and waved his hands, saying, "Brother, you are praising me too much. I think only the Lan family and the Ren family are worthy of such praise."

Li Chao shook his head and said, "I am not praising you too much. I am just afraid that my description is not enough. As for Mr. Lan, I have heard of his name for a long time, but I have never seen him. However, I can guarantee with my life that even if Mr. Lan is a celestial being, he is no better than this girl."

Zhan Zheng was surprised and asked, "Is there really such a wonderful woman? What's her name?"

Li Chao's old face flushed, and after a slight hesitation, he said, "This girl is a nunnery nun who practices Buddhism with her hair uncut. Her Buddhist name is Miaoyu."

"Miao Yu..." Zhan Zheng nodded slowly, but heard Fu Shi sneer.

"Why is Ming Gong laughing?"

Fu Shi laughed and said, "I laugh at Shengqun's attempt to catch fish in a tree. I guess Shengqun has searched all the Buddhist temples in the capital."

Li Chao hurriedly said, "That's right. Could it be that Ming Gong knows the whereabouts of this girl? Please let me know. I will be very grateful."

Zhan Zheng smiled slightly and watched Fu Shi's performance. So far, the content of today's conversation was under his control. He had to lure Fu Shi into his trap, but at the same time, he couldn't reveal any traces of manipulation that would arouse suspicion.

Fu Shi laughed and said, "This girl is now in Rongguo Mansion. How can you find her if you look for her outside?"

Li Chao was shocked and asked, "Could it be... that she has married into the Rongguo Mansion?" Thinking of this, he couldn't help but feel hopeless. How could he get anyone from the Jia family who was so powerful?
Fu Shi waved his hand and said, "No, no. Master Miaoyu was invited by the second wife of the Rong family to live in the Grand View Garden a few years ago because of her profound Buddhist knowledge. She is the head of the Rongcui Temple. She is just a guest, not a concubine."

He was Jia Zheng's disciple and had often been in and out of Rong Mansion, so he naturally knew everything.

Li Chao heaved a sigh of relief, and then hurriedly asked, "Even though that's what I said, I'm afraid it's possible that she has already been chosen by the masters of the Jia family..."

Fu Shi shook his head and said, "As far as I know, there is no such thing. Needless to say, Second Master Lian never entered the garden. Second Master Bao was a man who cherished flowers and respected them as if they were gods. He had no intention of doing anything wrong. Third Master Cong was far away in Liaodong at the time, needless to say."

"Then the young guard..." Li Chao said hurriedly.

Zhan Zheng said with a smile, "There are so many beauties in the Shaobao's family, how can they have the time to ask for Miaoyu? I heard that even the four great beauties were only treated with a smile in the Shaobao's mansion and then thrown aside. Shengqun is worrying too much."

Fu Shi smiled and said, "That's true. If Shengqun is interested, you can just go and ask for it based on your relationship with Shaobao. Shaobao is such a person, how could he be stingy with a woman? It's just a matter of how much it costs."

Li Chao smiled awkwardly, thinking about the festive occasion with Jia Cong in Jinling, how could he dare to ask for someone? Moreover, if he asked for someone, Lin Daiyu would definitely know about it. If the tigress at home also knew about it, wouldn't it be a disaster? He was silent because of deep thought.

Zhan Zhengdao: "Is there any problem?"

Li Chao sighed, "To be honest with you two, I am really clumsy... I don't have the grace to be magnanimous, so how dare I act rashly?"

Zhan Zheng shook his head and smiled: "What's so difficult about this?"

Li Chao's eyes lit up, and he said hurriedly, "Youqiong, please speak."

Zhan Zheng smiled and said, "It's not worth mentioning. Since you are worried about the unrest at home, can't you just quietly place Miss Miaoyu in the outer house?

First, let her do something good for herself, and when she is ready, let her say goodbye to the Rong Mansion and leave. No one can say no."

Li Chao nodded repeatedly and said with a smile, "That makes sense."

"But how can we get her to leave? Brother Minggong knows the inner workings of the Rong Mansion well. Do you have any good ideas?" Zhan Zheng said with a smile.

Fu Shi smiled and said, "This is not difficult. Master Miaoyu often goes to the Muni Temple outside the west gate to read the palm leaf scriptures. I will ask my sister to come to the house to pay a visit to the old lady someday, and take the opportunity to walk in the garden and invite Master Miaoyu to go to the Muni Temple to worship Buddha. Brother Shengqun can then send someone to wait for her."

Li Chao was overjoyed and said, "Thank you two brothers. If I can fulfill my long-cherished wish, I am willing to be your host for ten consecutive days and invite you two to enjoy the Baihua Tower."

The two men laughed and declined.

Fu Shi smiled and said, "There is only one thing I would like Shengqun to be careful about."

"What's the matter?"

"My sister is pregnant with Lin Butang's child, please be careful not to hurt her."

Li Chao said hurriedly: "Don't worry about this. No need to remind me. I will be careful. I would rather never get this girl than hurt your sister. Otherwise, how can I afford to offend my uncle?"

"There's nothing wrong with this." Fu Shi said with a smile.

Zhan Zheng raised his glass and said with a smile: "I wish Shengqun all the best and toast to victory."

"Drinking victory." The three laughed, only Zhan Zheng's eyes showed a hint of meaningful mockery, the mantis stalks the cicada, the oriole is behind. (End of this chapter)