Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

On this day, sisters Zhen Yuan, Zhen Chan and Yu Qianning came to visit Baochai, Feng Jieer and Ping'er, and brought many things for the mothers and babies. Jia Cong happened to be slacking off at home, so he hurried to welcome them in.

Arriving at Baochai's room, Zhen Yuan expressed her condolences and congratulations, chatted with Baochai for a while, and then turned around to tease the tiger head in Ying'er's arms.

Seeing that Yu Qianning's eyes were always on him, Jia Cong winked at her and took her outside, whispering, "Miss Yu, why don't you stay in the store to bring goods? Why are you coming to my house?"

Yu Qianning said angrily, "Why are you being so mean to the boss? He has earned so much money for you, can't he take a day off? Your kindness is taken for granted. Can't he come to see the Madam and the Young Master?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Little devil, it's no use for you to come and see Baochai. I have decided to retire from the underworld. I swore to them the other day that I would never marry anyone again. Don't try to take advantage of me."

Yu Qianning's lacquered eyes turned and asked, "Could it be that even Miss Zhen San has no chance?"

"Yuan'er is an exception," Jia Cong said, "She is an old friend. How dare Cong abandon her?"

Yu Qianning's eyes were as white as water, and she said in a disgusted voice, "Heartless thief, aren't I an old friend?"

Jia Cong felt overwhelmed. Although he had no feelings for her, he would be moved if he saw a beauty of the same level as Lan Wei and Daiyu, who was tempting him with her sweet words and was within his reach.

"Don't come on, I'm honest and aboveboard. We are just the boss and the employee. Don't even think about taking advantage of me."

"Hateful! Why does Your Highness keep me at a distance? Am I so disgusting?" Yu Qianning spat.

Jia Cong glanced at her, spread his hands and said, "If Mrs. Yu is unbearable to look at, all women in the world are miserable. It's not that Cong doesn't understand romance, but I'm really too busy to do it, and I can't bear to delay the girl."

Yu Qianning said in a delicate voice: "Don't come on, you have already delayed my life, you must be responsible to the end."

"Where did this come from?" Jia Cong asked curiously.

Yu Qianning snorted and said while counting on her fingers: "Last time I told you that the sons of Prime Minister Huo and Prime Minister Dong were interested in me. Now you have chopped off the heads of both of them. Where should I go?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You should thank me. If you had married me at that time, wouldn't you be a widow now?"

"Don't you have a special liking for widows?" Yu Qianning came close and chuckled in his ear.

Jia Cong was embarrassed and laughed dryly, "Nonsense, when did I become fond of widows?"

Yu Qianning covered her mouth and smiled, "Still being stubborn, everyone in the capital doesn't know that the prince is very caring towards his widowed sister-in-law. It is said that the former Duke Rong was the Yue Yi of the Great Wu, and you are the Chen Ping of the Great Wu, and your achievements are not inferior to those of your ancestors."

Jia Cong was ridiculed by her and felt a little embarrassed. He pretended to be angry and said, "Asshole, who dares to gossip about me behind my back? Where did you hear that?"

Yu Qianning sneered and said, "Anyway, that's what the wives and grandmothers of the wealthy families who come to Duobao Pavilion to shop say. My reputation as a romantic man is unprecedented in history."

Jia Cong laughed in silence and waved his hands, saying, "Forget it. I won't argue with you women. Only great heroes can be true to themselves. Only true scholars are naturally romantic. I am just like this. Who can do anything to me?"

Yu Qianning pouted her lips and said unyieldingly, "Since you are so kind, why are you so stingy with me?
Even if I can't beat Sister Lan, can I still beat Ren Shu and the others? Besides..."

As she spoke, she lowered her head, a blush appearing on her face.

"Besides what?"

"Besides, you haven't even tried it, so how do you know that I'm inferior to others? It's like telling others to be wronged and have no right to seek justice."

Yu Qianning stood on tiptoe and blew into Jia Cong's ear.

Jia Cong secretly cried out that he could not bear it any longer and took a step back. When he touched his feet, he found a round stool had been kicked over.

Yu Qianning covered her mouth and chuckled, "You pervert, I don't know you yet."

Ying'er heard the sound and hurried out to check.

"It's okay, it's okay. I accidentally tripped over the stool." Jia Cong said hurriedly.

"Oh." Ying'er picked up the stool and went back to the inner room to report.

Jia Cong pulled Yu Qianning to a corner, pinched her perky buttocks twice, and said viciously: "Little devil, I have sworn an oath at home, why are you still pestering me?
I can't help you, if you really want my body, go and tell Ruyi and the others, and if they nod, you can come in."

Yu Qianning whimpered, leaned into Jia Cong's arms, and said lightly, "Be gentle. You're still talking about others, but you look so greedy and hungry. Didn't Lan Wei and the others feed you enough?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I ate a lot the other day, but I haven't eaten yet today."

"You filthy bastard." Yu Qianning glared at him, exhaling sweetly, and said, "I'll find a way to get in, and you can't abandon me when the time comes."

Jia Cong asked curiously, "If the mistress doesn't agree, what can you do?"

Yu Qianning smiled and said, "Of course, I will kill first and report later."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't tell you."

"Little devil, don't come to me for help if you fail." Jia Cong said with a smile.

Yu Qianning said proudly: "I don't ask for help from others."

Jia Cong looked her up and down, nodded involuntarily and said, "A good person like you should be enjoyed by me."

Yu Qianning said in a sweet voice: "I am waiting for you to favor me." As she spoke, her slender white hands gently slid down Jia Cong's chest.

Jia Cong shuddered all over, and hurriedly held her hand, saying, "Don't be rude, I'm not a casual person. There are people inside."

Yu Qianning sneered and rolled her eyes at him: "You say one thing and mean another."

"Master, Madam, please come in." Ying'er came out and called out, glaring at Yu Qianning. How shameless of you to seduce a man.

"Coming." Jia Cong hurriedly pushed Yu Qianning away and turned to go in.

Yu Qianning seemed unaware and followed him in gracefully. The shyness and joy on her face had long disappeared, and she looked as beautiful as an immortal.

Baochai smiled and said, "I am tired. You can accompany Sister Yuan, Sister Chan, and Miss Yu to visit Sister Feng and Ping'er."

"Okay." Jia Cong quickly agreed, went over diligently to help Baochai lie down, and kissed her on the lips in front of everyone.

Baochai was very ashamed, and she covered her mouth and spat, "You are so dishonest that you make people laugh at you. Why don't you go?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "There are no outsiders here, so what do we as an old couple have to be afraid of?"

The Zhen Yuan sisters blushed and turned their heads away, pretending not to see it.

Baochai whispered, "You have wives everywhere."

"Excuse me." Jia Cong smiled awkwardly and hurriedly led everyone away.

After accompanying the three girls to visit Feng Jieer and Ping Er, Jia Cong brought Zhen Yuan out and said, "Sister Yuan, I've been too busy with the court these days and haven't had time to visit you. How is your family?"

Zhen Yuan said, "Everything is fine. With you taking care of us, our family has no worries about food and clothing. We were also scared when we heard about the drastic changes that happened in the palace the other day, but luckily you are blessed with good fortune." As he spoke, he patted his chest with lingering fear.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "I haven't even married you yet, how dare anything go wrong?"

Zhen Yuan smiled shyly and said, "The ladies said that after I... and Chan'er are settled, they also want to go back to Jinling." Jia Cong said, "I'll make arrangements. I'm free these few days, so I'll ask the eldest lady to go to your house and propose marriage on a good day in a couple of days."

Zhen Yuan said "hmm" and nodded happily.

"What do you usually do at home?" Jia Cong asked with a smile.

Zhen Yuan smiled and said, "What else can I do? I can read, write, and knit. Sometimes Sister Yu comes over to chat with me and play chess. By the way, I have read several books you have edited. You are indeed worthy of being the most talented person in the world."

Jia Cong said hurriedly, "Thank you for the compliment. I just gave an idea. It was Baochai, Daiyu and the others who wrote it. I dare not take the credit for it."

Zhen Zhen smiled and said, "The story always comes from Brother Cong's mind. I don't know how you can come up with such a good story."

"You saw it too?" Jia Cong asked with a smile.

Yeah! Zhen Zhen nodded and said with a smile: "And Sister Yu also watched it."

Yu Qianning smiled and said, "I didn't expect the general to be a novelist."

Jia Cong smiled and asked, "Which character do you like best?"

Zhen Yuan said: "Yang Guo."

Zhen Chan said, "Linghu Chong."

Yu Qianning said: "Chu Xiangshuai."

Jia Cong smiled proudly and said, "Have you noticed that they add up to me?"

"So conceited!" All the girls laughed.

"Yuan'er, you're bored after staying at home all day. I have nothing to do today, how about I take you shopping?"

Zhen Yuan covered her mouth and laughed, "How can a girl go out shopping?"

"Why not just dress up as a man?" Jia Cong said with a smile, "You and Xiangyun are similar in shape, and she has a lot of men's clothes."

Zhen Chan and Yu Qianning said in unison: "I want to go too."

Jia Cong helplessly spread his hands and said, "Then let's all go."

As a result, Xiangyun was added to the team going out, and everyone had no choice but to borrow clothes from her.

Jia Cong originally wanted to go on a secret visit to understand the people's sentiments and cultivate feelings with Zhen Yuan. However, he did not expect that he would have three more followers. Although the four women changed into men's clothes, they were still incredibly handsome, attracting the attention of passers-by. A playboy who liked homosexuality even approached him and chatted with him, but he was taken away by his personal soldiers and the secret agents lurking in the dark.

They strolled around the most prosperous Yonglefang. The four girls were a little restrained at first, fearing that they would be recognized. However, when they saw the dazzling array of jewels, toys, rouge, powder, brocade, etc., they forgot everything else. Although the things in Duobao Pavilion were better, they no longer had the fun of shopping.

Jia Cong was also secretly amazed. When women go shopping, their physical strength seems to explode immediately. Even though he felt a little tired, they were still in high spirits and not at all tired.

"Let's go to a teahouse and have a cup of tea." Jia Cong pointed to a large teahouse on the side of the road.

The four girls shook their heads in unison and said, "The tea utensils outside are not clean."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I brought it from home a long time ago."

The four girls then nodded in agreement.

Zhen Yuan smiled and said, "You can go to someone's teahouse and make some tea. You don't have to worry about the boss kicking you out."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's not like I won't pay you."

Everyone went upstairs with a smile. The seats upstairs were full, but someone had already cleared a table by the window for them.

"Gentlemen, what kind of tea would you like? Our shop has Biluochun, Longjing, Lu'an Guapian, Laojunmei..." Seeing that the men were well-dressed and had extraordinary demeanor, the Tea Doctor hurriedly stepped forward and greeted them with a smile.

"Go down, we'll prepare it ourselves." Jia Cong waved his hand.

Two bodyguards had already brought a small stove, placed a copper kettle for boiling water on the stand, and arranged the exquisite tea sets, attracting the attention and confusion of the tea drinkers.

“This…” It was the first time that Dr. Tea saw someone making tea by himself in a teahouse. He felt a little embarrassed and annoyed.

The personal soldier disguised as a servant beside him took out a silver ingot and stuffed it into his hand, then sent him away.

Zhen Yuan skillfully brewed a pot of tea and poured it for everyone, saying with a smile: "It turns out that the market is so lively, it's quite interesting."

All the girls smiled and said yes, saying they would come again next time.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You can go shopping, but remember to put on ugly makeup to avoid attracting bees and butterflies."

Xiangyun said, "What are we men afraid of?"

Yu Qianning couldn't help but sneered and said, "Brother Yun, you don't know that it's not safe for a man to look like you."

Xiangyun blushed and said quickly, "What nonsense are you talking about? I don't understand."

Jia Cong was about to make a joke when he heard a few young scholars at the next table discussing the court's new policies, so he listened attentively.

One person said, "Brother Zhang, have you heard? The court has changed the law again. The original tax on one mu of land was one cent of silver, but now it has been increased to five cents, which is a sudden increase of four times. Now that the autumn tax is coming, what should we do?"

Zhang sighed, "The tax collectors come to my house every day, how can I not know about it? But what can I do? I heard that it was the order of His Royal Highness Prince Jing."

Another person said indignantly: "Aren't you afraid that such heavy taxes will be too much and cause a rebellion? The gentry have a lot of land. After paying the tenants and taxes, how much is left?"

"That's true. Besides, there are fertile and barren lands. If your family has only top-quality land, it's fine. But if it's barren land, how can you afford it?"

"The officials in the government don't farm, they just collect money, they don't care about these things, they are just meat eaters!"

"Yes! This policy will harm the country!" Everyone cursed in unison. Although they did not dare to curse Jia Cong, their disgust was evident in their words.

A young scholar at another table turned around and said with a smile, "My dear gentlemen, since you are from wealthy families, you will know that land is not just for growing food. If you grow mulberry, hemp, fruits, medicinal herbs, or raise fish and crabs, you will get a lot of money, much better than rice and wheat.

Besides, my family is not only engaged in farming, but also in business. How can we not be able to pay a mere five cents of tax? If you can't pay it, what about the poor families?"

"Brother, what you said is wrong. Although my family has some land, the price of one acre of land used to be one cent of silver, but now it has suddenly increased to five cents. This... this is too much of an increase. What else in the market has such a high increase? How can the people afford it?" Several scholars shook their heads in rebuttal.

The young scholar was about thirty years old, with a small nose and small eyes, and his facial features seemed to be crowded together. If it were not for his smart and shrewd eyes and the gorgeous clothes he was wearing, he would not look like a scholar at all. Hearing this, he bowed and smiled, and said nothing more, just sipping his tea.

Jia Cong listened for a while, frowning slightly. He was the one who set the tax of five cents of silver, but he did not expect that it would be implemented so mechanically in the court.

Yin asked, "Just now I heard from you gentlemen that the new taxation law of the imperial court is a one-size-fits-all tax? I heard that in the past, the tax rate was determined according to the quality of the land. How could it be so unreasonable this time?"

The scholar nearby saw Jia Cong's gorgeous clothes and noble air, and hurriedly replied, "That's true. Sir, you don't know that this new law was set by the current Prince Jing. Anyone who dares to collect a little more or less will lose his head. How dare the officials below change it without authorization?"

I had no choice but to ignore what the higher-ups said and not move an inch, otherwise His Royal Highness Prince Jing would be furious, and who would be able to take the consequences?" (End of this chapter)