Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 407: Life and Death Are Hard to Meet

Jinling, Qingyin Pavilion.

Jia Cong's carriage arrived at the door, and as soon as he got off, he saw Jiang Liu coming towards him.

He said, "Third Master, many people in this area know Mrs. Wu who is buying hairpin rouge on the street. We have found out that she lives in Chongshengfang according to your instructions.

But when I took people there to look for her, no one was home.

I asked the neighbors nearby, and they said that a strange man came to Mrs. Wu's house two days ago.

They never saw Mrs. Wu again after that, but the gate to Mrs. Wu's house was locked, so it's possible that she left home on her own, perhaps to visit relatives."

Jia Cong frowned slightly when he heard this. That day, Mrs. Wu recognized Zou Min'er at the door of Qingyin Pavilion, so he had been keeping her in mind.

Zou Min'er stayed in Qingyin Pavilion in the name of being sent by the Ministry of Rites. He and Zou Min'er communicated through Qingyin Pavilion to conceal their tracks, but it was also a well-known fact.

He could not rule out the possibility that someone who was suspicious of him would place spies in Qingyin Pavilion to spy on him.

This Mrs. Wu happened to be at the gate of Qingyun Pavilion. When Zou Min'er was caught off guard, she suddenly appeared and recognized her.

As the daughter of Zou Huaiyi, Zou Min'er has a sensitive identity in Jinling. Jia Cong has to be on guard against whether this scene will be seen by someone with ulterior motives.

That's why he asked Jiang Liu to take people to find Mrs. Wu's whereabouts, but he didn't expect this result.

……

Qingyin Pavilion, in the elegant room on the third floor.

When Jia Cong came in, Zou Min'er was already in the room, looking at a portrait in her hand.

Jia Cong saw that the portrait showed a man with regular features, a high nose bridge, a short beard, and an awe-inspiring look.

Jia Cong seemed to have seen this face somewhere before, but he was not sure.

Seeing Jia Cong looking at the portrait with a confused expression, Zou Min'er probably guessed what he was thinking, and took out another portrait from the documents on the table and handed it to Jia Cong.

"What's the difference between these two portraits?"

When Jia Cong saw the second portrait, he understood why the first portrait seemed familiar to him.

"This is a portrait of Zhou Zhengyang!"

Zou Miner replied: "That's right, our people went to various states along the Yangtze River to search for traces of Zhou Zhengyang, and they brought the first portrait, which was a portrait of Zhou Zhengyang archived by the Ministry of War.

A few days ago, people from the China Railway Company asked several people close to Zhou Zhengyang to identify the portrait. They said that the first portrait was only 50% to 60% similar to Zhou Zhengyang himself.

So, I asked someone to invite the best painter in Jinling City to draw a second portrait based on the description of someone who was very familiar with Zhou Zhengyang's appearance.

I asked the original people to identify the portrait, and they said that the new portrait was 80% similar to Zhou Zhengyang himself.

Now I understand why the Jinyiwei and Yingtianfu people could never find any trace of Zhou Zhengyang. Perhaps it has something to do with the deviation of the original portrait. "

She looked at the first portrait and asked thoughtfully, "You said that the portrait in the archives of the Ministry of War is very different from Zhou Zhengyang himself. Could it be related to Zhang Kangnian?"

Jia Cong thought for a moment and replied, "It's hard to say. I once observed government affairs at the Ministry of War in Shenjing, and I know a little about its procedures.

The Ministry of War would create detailed personal files for military officers above the fourth rank, which would include a picture of the individual's appearance, but such matters were handled by clerks in the Ministry's File Department.

It is impossible for a high-ranking official like the Minister of War to be involved in such basic affairs. If he wants to do such things with his status as a minister, it will be easy for him to be caught."

Since two years ago, when Jia Cong entered the Zou Mansion to arrest Zou Huaiyi, Zhang Kangnian came into his sight.

Moreover, there is an unclear connection between this person and Zou Huaiyi's suicide in court.

……

Afterwards, the Dali Temple and the Court of Inquisition conducted secret investigations on this person, but were unable to find any flaws.

After Jia Cong arrived in Jinling this time, he also asked Zou Min'er to use the power of the Central Vehicle Department to screen Zhang Kangnian.

Although some suspicious connections have been found, there is still no solid evidence.

Therefore, even if Jia Cong was carrying out his mission under the secret order, and Zou Miner had the power to control the Jinling Central Vehicle Department, she could not act rashly against Zhang Kangnian without any concrete evidence.

Zhang Kangnian was not only a third-rank official in the Ministry of War, but also the closest relative of the current King of Zhao. King Zhao had a special status, and both the government and the public regarded him as the future crown prince.

If Zhang Kangnian is executed for no crime, and if there is no solid evidence to prove his guilt, the prince who could be the crown prince will be implicated, which would be a catastrophic disaster.

Given the scheming and cunning of Emperor Jia Zhao, at that time, in order to maintain the prestige and dignity of the royal family, even though Jia Cong was now deeply favored by the emperor, he had to be used as a scapegoat and cannon fodder.

Therefore, although Jia Cong and Zou Min'er had been paying attention to Zhang Kangnian's movements, they had not taken any substantive action.

It’s because the connections behind this person are too huge.

……

Zou Miner said: "We don't have enough people in Jinling. We need four or five people to go to the states along the Yangtze River to find our people and replace the old portraits."

Jia Cong said, "I have someone on my side, let me handle this matter."

Zou Min'er had guessed that Jia Cong would say this. In fact, she had always been curious about why Jia Cong carried so many people with him.

Jia Cong said, "Miss Zou, Mrs. Wu recognized you last time. I asked someone to check her residence and found out that she met a strange man a few days ago, and then Mrs. Wu disappeared."

Zou Miner was shocked when she heard this and said, "How could he suddenly disappear?"

Jia Cong said: "I don't think it would be such a coincidence that she just recognized you and a stranger came to the door, and then she disappeared.

I guess that strange man was most likely coming for you. He must be asking Mrs. Wu about you.

For safety reasons, you'd better not leave Qingyin Pavilion alone recently, or it would be safer for you to live in my house."

Zou Miner's face suddenly turned red: "I'll live in your house..."

Seeing Zou Min'er's expression, Jia Cong quickly explained: "Don't misunderstand, I have no other intentions, it's mainly for your safety.

Xinglongfang is inhabited by the noble families of Jinling. The Jia family’s old house is very safe, and Lingguan and Douguan also live there.”

Zou Miner said, "It's still not necessary. I will be careful during this period and will not leave Qingyin Pavilion alone. There are healthy women guarding the backyard here, and outsiders cannot enter. It should be safe."

She hesitated for a moment and said, "If someone wants to deal with me, I hope they come to me, at least I can know their purpose. Is it because I am my father's daughter?"

Jia Cong frowned slightly after hearing this and said, "If they really come to your door, they will want your life. If you lose your life, what's the point of knowing their purpose?"

After hearing this, Zou Min'er did not reply, but just looked up at Jia Cong and then turned her eyes away.

She was demoted to the Jiaofangsi as a prostitute, which was considered a death.

She was a lowly woman in the Jiaofangsi all her life, and even if she joined the Royal Chariot Department, she could not get rid of the stain.

However, the young man in front of her, with whom she had an unresolved grudge, was a hereditary earl, and there was a world of difference between the two of them.

She smiled indifferently, her pretty face was bright and charming, but the smile was indifferent and empty, which made Jia Cong feel a little uneasy.

Jia Cong thought of the innocent and shy young girl whom he first met in Ziyun Pavilion.

In the Zou Mansion, the helpless daughter of a wealthy family cried while holding her father's body. Now she has hardened her heart and is willing to be a bait and ignore life and death in order to find out the truth she wants to know.

Jia Cong sighed slightly in his heart. Her character was twisted and suppressed like this. Perhaps it was the result of fate. He also had some personal reasons for this.

……

Jinling, Taiping Gate.

A young man was driving a mule cart with a middle-aged woman sitting on it. They looked inconspicuous among the crowd leaving the city.

The young man was about seventeen or eighteen years old, a very strong guy, with clear eyes and a simple and honest expression.

"Mom, I finally came back, but you didn't let me stay with you for a few days. You rushed to my second uncle's house in Changzhou. What's the matter? Why are you in such a hurry?"

The woman replied, "Mother is scared. Go hide at your second uncle's house for a few days. Otherwise, you won't be able to sleep well at night."

The young man asked curiously, "Mom, what happened to you? You have a son here, why are you afraid?"

The woman replied, "I met Miss Zou at Qingyin Pavilion a few days ago, and I heard that she was sold to the Shenjing Jiaofangsi.

I originally thought that the young lady might be gone, and if she was alive, she would be in the capital, but I didn’t expect to meet her in Jinling.”

The young man's eyes lit up: "Mom, you are talking about the senior official from the Water Conservancy Department. You worked as a cook in his house a few years ago."

The woman sighed and said, "Isn't it him? It is said that Mr. Zou colluded with Japanese bandits and killed people and robbed ships in the open sea. I don't know how many lives he has on his hands.

Later, when the imperial court wanted to punish him, Mr. Zou committed suicide by slitting his own throat.

Poor lady and daughter in the mansion, they were all sold to the Music Bureau by the court, and the lady was so angry that she died in prison.

Madam is a good person, very generous to me. It's true that good people don't get rewarded.

Miss Zou was also a well-behaved and pretty girl. It was such a sin for a good official's daughter to be sold to the Music Bureau and abused.

I recognized Miss Zou that day, and the next day a strange man came to inquire about her. I thought he had some bad intentions.

People in Jinling City said that the gold and silver that Mr. Zou robbed were piled up like mountains, but until his death, no one found these treasures.

That man is so eager to find out about Miss Zou, he can't be a good person. We are all ordinary people. If we get involved in such things, we might lose our lives without knowing it.

Do you think my mother would dare to stay at home?"

……

The young man then understood why his mother packed her bags in such a hurry and asked him to take her to his second uncle's house in Changzhou as soon as he returned home.

Since the sudden disaster that befell the family, my father suddenly fell seriously ill and died, and my mother lost her job as a cook.

A well-off family suddenly found it difficult to make ends meet. My mother became more worried and timid, and she would get extremely nervous at the slightest sign of trouble.

The young man said, "Mother, you can stay at my second uncle's house for a while. When I come back from the sea next time, I will go to Changzhou to pick you up. This money is from my savings. You can spend it."

The woman took the purse handed over by the young man and counted it carefully. There were actually thirty taels of silver.

He was surprised and asked, "You have only been sailing for half a year, how come you have so much silver?"

The young man said cheerfully, "Mother, you don't know that these days, Liu Xian, the chief steward of the Zhen family, has been ordered by the third lady of the Zhen family to rectify the Zhen family's fleet.

Now the fleet likes new sailors like us who are hardworking and obedient.

Our wages have also been raised quite a bit. I usually work the hardest, so the fleet manager will get extra bonus silver."

The woman was delighted to hear this and said, "That's great! This is more money than what I earned when I worked in the Zou Mansion."

When the mule cart left Jinling City, the young man looked in the direction of Longtan Port and said, "Mom, I sent you to Changzhou. It may take a long time to come back this time.

Because the Zhen family fleet is going to build a new dock on an island in the outer sea, the Zhen family fleet will be able to rest there midway. I heard that the third young lady of the Zhen family attaches great importance to this matter.

The ship's steward said that this time we have to transport a lot of materials for building the dock, and it will take three months to return... "

……

Jinling, Rongyufang, Zhen’s House.

August 28th of this month is the 68th birthday of the old lady of the Zhen family in Jinling. In the past few days, the Zhen mansion has been decorated with lights and colorful lanterns, and the festive atmosphere is growing day by day.

The major families in Jinling, the officials of various government offices who were on good terms with the Zhen family, and the old friends and relatives of the Zhen family in the capital all sent people to send birthday gifts.

Zhen Shiwen, the second son of the Zhen family's eldest branch, has been implicated by the Jinyiwei for illegally possessing firearms. In order to avoid trouble, Zhen Yingjia is currently confining Zhen Shiwen at home.

Zhen Yingjia asked his son to stay at home and be responsible for distributing birthday invitations and receiving guests who came to give birthday gifts.

In Zhen Shiwen's opinion, such chores should be done by women and children in the inner house, such as his cousin. Now he is asking his eldest son to do such meaningless work.

On the contrary, my cousin never stays in the inner house and is most keen on making decisions in the family business.

Just as he was dealing with the meaningless guests who came to give birthday gifts, Chen Xun, the steward of the first house, came to him.

"Third Master, you have been staying at home for the past few days, and the shop outside has been in chaos. Third Miss and Chen Xian have already withdrawn all the dividends and deposits of the second house in the shop this year.

A total of 580,000 taels of silver were withdrawn, and it was said that all of it was exchanged for silver notes to be used for the business of the newly opened Xiuwen Pavilion.

In addition, the third lady has been reorganizing the fleet these days and has dismissed many dissatisfied people, many of whom were planted by the third master. Now a group of new sailors have joined the fleet.

I heard that the fleet is about to go out to sea to do a big business, but our people have all been cleared out by the third girl, so we have no idea what big business they are going to take.

Moreover, Liu Xian has recently been taking stock of the businesses around the house, including some idle properties. I don’t know what they are used for, but it should be the Third Lady’s instructions.”

After hearing the news, Zhen Shiwen's face turned extremely ugly.

I was confined to my home because my third sister instigated it in front of the old lady, under the pretext of letting me stay at home to avoid the limelight. It turned out that she had planned this all along.

He had known for a long time that his cousin wanted to withdraw silver from various stores. Although he was very distressed that 580,000 taels were withdrawn at once, it was not a surprise.

But her sudden reorganization of the Zhen family's fleet was beyond his expectations.

The Zhen family became wealthy through maritime trade, and the Zhen family's fleet is the foundation of the maritime trade business, occupying an extremely important position in the Zhen family's business chain.

This fleet was established by Zhen Yingquan himself. The captain and the deputy on each ship were basically the veterans trained by the second branch.

Only after Zhen Yingquan got into trouble five years ago could the first branch of the Zhen family openly interfere in the maritime trade business started by the second branch.

Zhen Shiwen was also quite shrewd and scheming, and he had long seen the importance of the fleet to the maritime trade business. Although the business was managed by his third sister, he could not touch the captain and the deputy on the ship.

However, he has placed quite a few people at the helm and among the sailors over the years.

He really didn't expect that his cousin would take advantage of his house arrest to catch him off guard and cleanly kick out all the people he had planted.

Moreover, she added many new members to the fleet, together with the original captain and deputy, the fleet became stable at once, and it became very difficult for her to place more personnel.

Is she doing this at this moment just for the sake of that big sea business, to clear out her own spies in the fleet, and to prevent the news from leaking out?
What kind of business is it that makes my cousin so cautious?
However, these were just Zhen Shiwen's own speculations, and he couldn't figure anything out at once.

(End of this chapter)