Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 413: The Marriage Alliance is Dangerous

Zhen Fangqing shook her head and smiled, her mother really liked Jia Cong.

Just now I was blaming myself for not worrying about life's major events and only thinking about doing business.

But when he knew that he was doing business with Jia Cong, he immediately changed his words and said that this was a good thing.

This person is quite popular.

The master and his mistress are very enthusiastic about this matter and have their own thoughts on it.

The old lady and my mother both admired him very much.

However, the eldest wife was keen on this matter only because she wanted to take advantage of the family business.

Prince Beijing of Shenjing and my second cousin, when they first proposed this matter, it wasn’t because they were eyeing the family business...

……

Zhen Fangqing lived in the palace for a long time, accompanying the old Concubine Zhen and being taught by her. This elder of the clan loved her more than a treasure.

Therefore, whether in the Zhen family or in the harem, she is a special existence, and everyone around her has to respect her.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong and his princess consort Miss Zhen Er often invited her to the palace to play and win her over.

She knew the character of her second brother-in-law. He always liked to make friends with famous people at home and abroad, and to build up his reputation, and he was often pleased with it.

Jia Cong has risen rapidly in the past two years and has become the most outstanding figure among the descendants of the four kings and eight dukes.

His second brother-in-law has always regarded himself as the leader of the four kings and eight dukes. How could he not use the trick of courtesy and making friends with a person like Jia Cong?

The fact that Jia Cong could reach such a high position at such an age might be due to his good fortune, but more importantly, it was because he was extremely talented and intelligent, unlike ordinary people.

Could it be that a person like him could not see through his second brother-in-law's thoughts?

This second brother-in-law actually wanted to make trouble for me, instigate my second cousin, and try to form an alliance through marriage. It was a bit ridiculous to think about it...

Zhen Fangqing couldn't help but sneer in her heart when she thought about her uncertain marriage and the complicated causes and effects involved.

……

She thought back to today in the garden, when she had analyzed the pros and cons for Jia Cong, told him what she was thinking, and stated the idea of ​​the second branch of the Zhen family helping Xinchun to go on the road of maritime trade.

She could clearly feel that her words had touched Jia Cong, and many of her ideas coincided with Jia Cong's.

There is a certain degree of compatibility between the two people's thoroughness and foresight in many things.

This strange tacit understanding, although not love between men and women, still makes Zhen Fangqing's heart beat fast. This can probably be considered a kind of confidant.

But Jia Cong said that he still needed to go back and think about it, even though the idea he proposed was very attractive to him.

But he still remained very sober, and refused in a tactful way, or postponed the decision and waited and saw what would happen...

……

Just now, my mother suddenly changed her mind and agreed that I should do business with Xinchunhao.

However, it is not easy to make this deal with Jia Cong.

She thought of the time when she wrote a letter and Jia Cong quickly and efficiently rescued her third brother from the Jinyiwei.

I had many doubts about this matter at that time, but now it seems that my guess was correct.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard searched the Zhen family's shop and borrowed personnel from the Firearms Bureau. Jia Cong must have known later that high-quality iron that could be used to make muskets was found in the Zhen family's Haiyun Pavilion.

As the initiator of firearms in the Great Zhou Dynasty and the chief of the Firearms Department of the Great Zhou Dynasty, he was naturally very aware of the risks involved in this matter.

The truth behind the investigation of the private manufacture of firearms is even inextricably linked to him as the chief of the Firearms Department.

After I gave him a letter, he easily promised to rescue my third brother and helped him out of trouble without any effort.

This may be due to his connections and influence in official circles, but there is a greater possibility, which may not be a possibility, but the fact!
He had reached a consensus with the Jinyiwei, and the third brother was just the bait he released.

He is setting up a trap for the Zhen family!
He wanted to use this incident to find out the origin of that batch of high-quality iron, and even the truth that the Zhen family might have privately manufactured firearms.

Since he was aware of the unpredictable dangers hidden in the Zhen family, how could he let the Xinchun be easily involved?

Zhen Fangqing figured this out and became a little dazed.

Although this man is young, he is shrewd, meticulous, and well-planned. He is as outstanding as I imagined.

Zhen Fangqing recalled the first time they saw her at the old house in Xinglongfang. Her charming and graceful figure was unforgettable.

In the Zhen family garden, the two of them talked in harmony and had the same ideas. Although nothing was accomplished, she still felt like they were in love.

But behind all this, because of the trouble caused by the third brother of the eldest wife, Jia Cong has actually been standing on the opposite side of the Zhen family.

Thinking about the details and entanglements involved, Zhen Fangqing felt a dull pain in his heart.

……

Jia Cong took Lingguan away from Zhen's mansion. The carriage drove steadily on the road. Through the window, they could see the people coming and going on the street.

He remembered what Zhen Fangqing said in the Zhen family garden today, although he did not accept the other party's advice.

But the maritime trade concept described by Zhen Fangqing had undoubtedly impressed him.

The Zhen family has a fleet capable of sailing on the high seas, as well as trade routes and connections with various countries developed through years of maritime trade.

These are the things that Xinchun needs most in its offshore expansion.

However, news came from the capital that the improved Rumi gun in Liaodong was stolen, and it was speculated that the stolen gun might have been circulated in the south of the Yangtze River.

At this moment, the Embroidered Uniform Guards seized the high-quality iron used to forge musket barrels from the Zhen family's shop.

In Jia Cong's view, the Zhen family has become a vortex of risk.

Even if Zhen Fangqing made a suggestion, no matter how attractive the prospects contained in it were, he would not rashly touch it.

……

After several contacts with Zhen Fangqing, I found that she was not only a woman of outstanding talent and beauty.

Her outstanding foresight and wisdom also left a deep impression on Jia Cong, and he felt a sense of mutual admiration for her.

When the two talked today, Zhen Fangqing had spoken frankly. She proposed to help Xinchun expand its maritime trade, which was also to seek the interests of the Zhen family and create a way out for the Zhen family's business...

Jia Cong sat on his horse with his eyes closed and thought, trying to sort out the complicated information he had obtained into a clear context.

Zhen Fangqing said that the Zhen family's maritime trade business was founded by her father. From her words and actions, Jia Cong could see that she cared very much about maintaining her father's business.

With her intelligence and strategy, and her focus on family business, she would never take such a risky thing as privately owning firearms.

When they first met in the old house in Xinglongfang, Zhen Fangqing's words and deeds made Jia Cong vaguely feel that she might not have known in advance that the Zhen family's shop contained taboo fine iron.

However, the Jinyiwei's search of the Zhen family's shop would definitely arouse Zhen Fangqing's vigilance.

Since the Jinyiwei was able to find the batch of Ottoman fine iron in the shop, given Zhen Fangqing's intelligence and ability, he would definitely check the shops under his name afterwards to make up for the loss.

When she discovered the existence of this batch of refined iron, she would naturally realize the huge hidden dangers it brought to the Zhen family. She should be like herself, not knowing the inside story behind this batch of Ottoman refined iron.

All she could do was to take precautions and create an extra layer of protection for the Zhen family's safety.

When she sold her property and farm to Qu Hongxiu, the incident of Ottoman refined iron had not yet happened.

But there must have been problems within the Zhen family. From that time on, the third Miss Zhen had already been preparing for a rainy day.

When that batch of Ottoman fine iron is exposed, there may be some reasons that Jia Cong doesn't know.

Zhen Qingfang's plan to prepare a retreat further accelerated the pace of its implementation.

That was why she was actively establishing business relations with Xinchun and intended to help Xinchun expand its maritime trade.

She must have seen the subtle role she played in this matter.

In fact, given Zhen Fangqing's intelligence, it is not surprising that he could think of this.

Because when the Jinyiwei searched the shops in the city, they borrowed personnel from the Firearms Bureau. This is not a secret and can be found out by a little inquiry.

Since someone from the Firearms Department is involved in this matter, it means that they know the whole thing in detail.

She described to herself the great positive help that the Zhen family provided to Xinchunhao's maritime trade, just to tie the second branch of the Zhen family and Xinchunhao together.

Only in the future, when the Zhen family encounters unpredictable risks due to the unknown origin of Ottoman refined iron, can the second branch of the Zhen family be separated from the vortex of the entire Zhen family...

This should be the real reason why she always emphasized the second branch of the Zhen family instead of the entire Zhen family when planning the future with herself.

……

After Jia Cong's carriage left the Zhen Mansion and passed Chengxian Street, it happened to take the same route as it left Ziyun Pavilion yesterday.

Along the way, one could still see officials from Yingtian Prefecture patrolling the streets, and their frequency and number of personnel were even greater than yesterday.

When the carriage reached the intersection it passed last time, there was still a checkpoint set up by the Jinyiwei, and the number of Jinyiwei checking was twice as many as yesterday.

Jia Cong felt a little strange. According to normal logic, something must have happened, otherwise the number of people guarding the checkpoint would not have doubled.

However, Jinyiwei Captain Liu Yong was not present today, and the Jinyiwei guards under him did not know Jia Cong.

Therefore, as soon as he saw Jia Cong's carriage, a general of the Jinyiwei came forward to search the carriage.

They even brought a female bailiff with them, and it looked like she would be asked to search the women in the car.

When the curtain of the carriage was lifted, Jia Cong saw Lingguan beside him with a frightened expression. His brows furrowed suddenly and a look of displeasure appeared on his face.

He took out a black iron token from his arms. On the iron token were carved fish and dragon patterns, entangled in an enigmatic way, with four negative characters engraved in the middle.

This token is Jia Cong's proof of control over the Jinling Chariot Division.

Due to the mysterious identity of the Zhongchesi, many low-level officials in ordinary government offices and even many others did not recognize this token.

However, the Jinyiwei and the Zhongchesi were both internal yamen, and the Jinyiwei commander-in-chief who was conducting the inspection recognized the token.

Therefore, he was really shocked when he saw Jia Cong suddenly take out the token of the commander of the Imperial Chariot Department.

The Chief Superintendent of the Imperial Chariot Department was not a permanent official position. It was a special matter and was authorized by the emperor himself.

Although the Admiral in charge of the Central Vehicle Department is only in charge of one matter, the scope and authority involved in this matter vary from matter to matter.

Perhaps the admiral in charge can only control a few spies of the Imperial Vehicle Division, or he may have the authority to control all the forces of the Imperial Vehicle Division in Nanjing.

If it is the latter, then the official position of this young man in the car is even higher than that of their Jinyi Qianhu.

Therefore, the commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard would not be stupid enough to ask what Jia Cong was in charge of and how much power he had.

The Imperial Chariot Division was specially authorized by the emperor and was in charge of extremely secretive matters. Anyone who made rash guesses or inquired about them would be seeking death.

Although the Jinyiwei and the Zhongchesi belonged to the same category of the Nei Ya, the Jinyiwei was led by the Jinyiwei Command.

The Zhongchesi has always been led by the emperor's trusted eunuchs, which is equivalent to the emperor's direct jurisdiction.

Therefore, although both belong to the same inner court agency, in comparison, the Jinyiwei is just supported by the stepmother.

A small Jinyiwei general flag bearer really didn't have the courage to challenge the admiral in charge of the Imperial Vehicle Department.

In the final analysis, Jia Cong's token as the commander of the Imperial Chariot Division, which he usually did not use, seemed to be more deterrent than his fifth-rank official status at a critical moment.

The commander-in-chief of the Embroidered Uniform Guard lowered his head, took the token with both hands, took a quick glance at it, and then respectfully handed it back to Jia Cong with both hands.

"I didn't know your Excellency was coming. I apologize for the offense. I will escort you through now."

"Today I saw an increase in the number of patrol officers on the road, and the number of Jinyiwei at this checkpoint has also doubled. What is the reason?"

According to common sense, the setting up of checkpoints by the Jinyiwei and the sudden deployment of additional personnel are confidential matters of the Jinyiwei's duties and cannot be inquired by people other than those in the Jinyiwei.

But Jia Cong was the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Chariot Department, and his power was much more powerful than that of a general of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, so the general did not hide it, and it was not a secret anyway.

"Your Excellency, an hour ago, a female corpse was found in an abandoned house in Tianjing Lane nearby. She was stabbed to death. After the coroner's examination, it was most likely the work of a Japanese warrior.

The Jinyiwei suspected that it was the Water Rakshasa who sneaked into Jinling the day before. After the captain received the news, he ordered to send more people to each checkpoint in the city, hoping to find the trace of the Water Rakshasa as soon as possible. "

Jia Cong was surprised when he heard this and asked, "Tianjing Lane is located in the city, not a remote place, so how can there be an abandoned house?"

There was a reason why Jia Cong asked this question. Tianjing Lane was located in the center of Jinling City. The houses there were still worth some money and were generally not abandoned.

The general flag replied: "Your Excellency may not know that Tianshui Lane is an old lane in Jinling. The location is indeed good. In the past, many officers and soldiers of the Water Conservancy Bureau lived here.

Back then, these people made a lot of money following Zou Huaiyi. Later, when a major case broke out in the Water Conservancy Bureau, all the officers of the Water Conservancy Bureau who lived in Shuijing Lane were implicated.

They were either executed or sent into exile. The government confiscated their houses in Shuijing Lane, but later released them to sell them.

But everyone in the city knew the origins of these houses and disliked them because they looked evil and would ruin families. So no one bought them for two years, and they all became abandoned.

According to the coroner in Yingtian Prefecture, the deceased was a girl of about 16 or 17 years old. It seemed that she had been killed not long ago, and her body was still in the old house.

After listening to the general's description, Jia Cong felt strange.

I just heard that the Water Rakshasa appeared in the city two days ago, and it came out to kill people today?
The pirate Liu Ao invaded the coast and confronted Songjiang Wei, but his capable female bandit was committing crimes in Jinling City. Is there any connection between them?
He suddenly remembered that Tianjing Lane was not only not far from here, but also only half a cup of tea away from Qingyin Pavilion.

Yesterday he and Lingguan went to Ziyun Pavilion to buy gifts, and today he was busy going to Zhen Mansion to celebrate birthdays, so he hasn't been to Qingyin Pavilion for two days.

He thought about how he hadn't seen Zou Min'er for two days and how her identity had been discovered last time, and he suddenly felt a little uneasy.

This woman with whom he had a strange relationship had made him care about her a lot without realizing it.

He was a little absent-minded, and ordered Jiang Liu to send Lingguan back to the old house in Xinglongfang, and then let him meet him at Qingyin Pavilion.

When Lingguan heard that Jia Cong asked her to go back home alone, she asked the reason with some concern.

Jia Cong just smiled and coaxed her a few words, telling her to go back home and he would come back when he finished his work.

Then a man walked towards Tianjing Lane.

(End of this chapter)