Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jinling, Yuminfang.

In the main room of the inner courtyard, Jia Cong was carefully examining a map on the desk. He had received letters from Zhang Wu and Jiang Xiaoliu.

The search for Zhou Zhengyang has already made some progress, so he decided to go to Gusu in the next two days.

Keqing, who was beside him, helped him fill the teacup with hot tea. Seeing that he was concentrating on the map, she did not disturb him.

She was about to leave to help him tidy up the clothes on the bed, when she suddenly felt a heat on her slender waist and found Jia Cong reaching out and gently hugging her.

Keqing's heart skipped a beat, and she blushed as she said, "Don't act weird. Sister Xiu is at home. Be careful or I'll make you practice swordsmanship for an extra hour tonight."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I didn't do anything. I just received news that I will be leaving for Gusu soon and will be gone for a while.

After arriving in Jinling, I have been very busy and have no time to talk to you. Now that the matter in Gusu is finished, I will probably have to return to Shenjing to submit my report soon."

Keqing smiled helplessly, leaned against him gently, and said, "It's all good now. Back then in Ningguo Mansion, I thought my life was over.

I never thought that I could have such a comfortable life. In Jinling, I have Sister Xiu to keep me company, I have things to do, I can be my own master, and no one can control me.

I never dreamed that I could live like this. You fought for all of this for me. I am very happy and content.

You are a capable person with a lot of things to do. I can't always keep you by my side. People shouldn't be too greedy, don't you think? "

Jia Cong's heart softened after hearing this. A woman will be content with what she has because she has a burning and deep hope in her heart. She dare not be too bound because she wants to possess and keep it for a long time.

He knew the weight of her kindness.

He reached out and hugged her soft body, feeling her smooth skin under her thin summer dress and smelling the subtle fragrance of her hair, feeling indescribable peace and joy in his heart.

Until he lowered his head slightly, Keqing could not hide the love in her heart. She blushed, tiptoed slightly, and gently kissed him on the lips.

Then she felt the hand around her waist tighten, and the action could no longer be stopped, and Jia Cong continued at will.

I don’t know how long it had been, but suddenly I heard footsteps outside the door.

Keqing pushed Jia Cong away and ran to the bedside to continue packing her clothes. Although her heart was pounding and her pretty face was flushed, the shadow of the bed curtains probably concealed it.

……

The door of the main room was pushed open and Qu Hongxiu walked in.

But as soon as she stepped into the room, she paused slightly when she saw Keqing sitting on the bed packing her clothes.

A pair of bright eyes moved back and forth between the two of them, and then he pretended not to know and walked into the room.

When Jia Cong saw Qu Hongxiu, he said, "Last time I said I didn't need Sister Xiu's help, but there's news from Gusu. If we want to get this job done quickly, I can't do it alone.

I don’t have anyone else I can trust in Jinling, so I still need Sister Xiu to help me. Only Sister Xiu can help me.”

Qu Hongxiu was delighted when he heard this and said, "What kind of difficult matter is it that requires my help?"

When Keqing heard them talking about business, she said, "Sister Xiu, Ruizhu is busy in the kitchen. I'm afraid she can't handle it alone. I'll go and take a look."

Qu Hongxiu agreed without thinking, watched Keqing walk out of the room, and looked back at Jia Cong.

Jia Cong didn't know if it was an illusion, but he always felt that Qu Hongxiu's eyes were wandering around his face.

The expression on his face seemed to be both angry and smiling, annoyed and shy, which made people feel very strange.

Jia Cong asked with a guilty conscience: "Sister Xiu, what's wrong with you?"

As he asked, he subconsciously touched his face, worried that something might have gotten on it.

When Qu Hongxiu saw his actions, she couldn't help but chuckle, and her pretty eyes were full of watery light.

Seeing Jia Cong's confused face, she stopped smiling and said with a straight face, "Don't talk about these useless things. Let's talk about your business."

Jia Cong handed her the letters from Zhang Wu and Jiang Xiaoliu, and took out another letter from his pocket.

He said, "This was just sent by Xu Qiniang. It contains the results of the investigation by the Central Vehicle Division into the main officials of the Jinling Guards and related secrets."

Qu Hongxiu looked at the two documents, his expression changed, and he asked, "How do you want me to help you?"

Jia Cong said: "This time you will go to Gusu with me, and let everyone know that I am escorting new artillery to Gusu and Songjiang..."

The two discussed in the room for a long time until Ruizhu came and asked them to come out for dinner.

Jia Cong was about to go out but was stopped by Qu Hongxiu, which made him feel a little strange.

Qu Hongxiu asked, "What did you and Keqing do in the room just now?"

Jia Cong felt a little uneasy and said, "No...nothing happened. We were just talking."

Qu Hongxiu walked closer to him step by step. Jia Cong felt that her pretty face and bright eyes were gradually getting bigger in front of his eyes. Her black hair was flying and she exuded a faint fragrance. She was so beautiful.

Jia Cong suddenly saw her take out a handkerchief from her body and then did a move that surprised him.

She gently wiped his lips with a handkerchief, just like that day in the heavy rain outside East City, when she carefully wiped the rain from his hair and temples.

I heard her voice, leisurely and teasing, "Next time you lie to me, eat the rouge off your lips first!"

When Jia Cong heard this, his heart skipped a beat and he felt embarrassed, wondering why he hadn't thought of this.

No wonder Qu Hongxiu was staring at his face with such a strange expression just now.

She deliberately didn't tell me and waited until I finished telling her everything before explaining it to me. She was angry and wanted to embarrass myself on purpose.

Jia Cong thought of himself with rouge on his face just now, looking so elegant and graceful, talking eloquently and making plans. That scene was really...

Although he has always had a good mental state, he couldn't help but feel hot on his face.

I subconsciously reached out to hold Qu Hongxiu's hand. It seemed more appropriate to wipe it myself...

When he grasped the other person's slender and smooth hand, Qu Hongxiu shouted at him, "Let go!"

Jia Cong very wisely let go of his hand, and even lowered his head slightly, allowing the other party to toss him around.

The bright sunlight shone through the window panes, casting overlapping shadows on the two people. There was an odd harmony between them; at first glance, it looked like the woman was tidying up her younger brother.

As the two people got closer, Jia Cong noticed Qu Hongxiu's perfectly contoured lips, which were smeared with rose-scented rouge, the fragrance of which was refreshing.

He didn't know what was going on and couldn't help but look at it a few more times.

"What are you looking at, you little bastard? You are not behaving yourself again. Practice for an extra hour tonight..."

Qu Hongxiu's pretty face flushed red, and she held the handkerchief persistently and carefully wiped the rouge on Jia Cong's lips.

Over and over again, Jia Cong felt as if the skin on his lips was about to be scratched...

When it was done, Qu Hongxiu snorted, turned around and left the room without saying a word.

……

Jinling, the Office of the Military Commander. This is the most important office in Jinling for commanding the guards, controlling the five guards and one department on the south bank of the Yangtze River. Located in the heart of Jiangnan, it controls more than 10,000 elite guards and has great power in military affairs.

However, as Jiangnan was peaceful and without war, the headquarters of the Metropolitan Military Commission was far less busy and bustling than the six ministries in the temporary capital.

Apart from the daily official dealings with various guards, everything here is usually peaceful.

Among the six ministries in the secondary capital, only the Ministry of War had some official business handovers with it, and the other five ministries rarely had any official contact with it.

But today the capital's yamen is very popular.

Early in the morning, Du Hengxin, the commander-in-chief of Jinling, and Sun Zhongxing, the deputy commander-in-chief, arrived early.
Officials from the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War showed up one after another, and Zhang Kangnian, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of War, even came in person.

The reason for such a large-scale battle was that the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Industry completed the selection and training of artillerymen for Suzhou Guard and Songjiang Guard nine days ago.

The Jinling Commandery finally has a well-trained artillery organization, which will play a crucial role in resisting attacks by coastal pirates and Japanese pirates.

Today is the day when the Firearms Department escorts new artillery to Suzhou Wei and Songjiang Wei.

This batch of improved red cannons are the top products of the Great Zhou's firearms manufacturing, and their astonishing power is obvious to all.

If His Majesty did not attach great importance to the stability of the six states and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River, he would not have equipped the Jinling Military Command with such important military equipment first.

As long as Suzhou and Songjiang are well equipped, the threat of Japanese pirates along the river can be quelled in no time.

The emperor's grace was so great that when the artillery was fired down the river to the garrison, officials from all relevant departments and offices would naturally show up to show their support and repay the emperor's grace.

The court distributed artillery to the garrisons along the Yangtze River. This matter was closely related to the Ministry of War. Naturally, the actual head of the Ministry of War, the Right Vice Minister Zhang Kangnian, had to show up.

The person in charge of escorting the artillery to Songjiang in Suzhou this time was Jia Cong, the director of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works, so the chief official of the Ministry of Works in the temporary capital also attended.

Three hundred musketeers were ready to go and lined up in the parade ground in front of the armory of the Commandery.

Although these musketeers had not undergone actual combat rotation in Liaodong, they had all been strictly trained in Jia Cong's musketeer training strategy. They were impressive with their tough demeanor and neat military appearance.

In the capital, the firearms camp has become very popular, but in the south of the Yangtze River, firearms soldiers are still a very novel thing.

Therefore, many officials present were curious and appreciative of this group of musketeers with strange equipment.

They also knew that the musket training techniques used by the Great Zhou's musketeers originated from the young Earl Weiyuan.

Du Hengxin and Zhang Kangnian were both senior members of the Guards among the crowd. This group of 300 elite musketeers attracted their attention.

They each looked at the team with scrutiny, and then looked at Jia Cong who was greeting the officials present, with a serious look in their eyes.

Accompanying Jia Cong this time were fifty civilian laborers recruited by the Firearms Bureau. They were responsible for driving mules and horses and towing cannons along the way.

After the five improved red cannons were pushed out of the armory, they were loaded onto the mule carts that had been prepared long ago, and followed by three hundred firearms soldiers, they slowly left the headquarters of the Military Command.

After Jia Cong bowed and said goodbye to the officials present, he got on a sturdy and spacious carriage in the team, escorted by ten musket-wielding guards brought from the capital, and headed towards the Xuanhe Gate in the east of Jinling City.

Zhang Kangnian glanced at the carriage and asked Liu Yongfu, the head of the Ministry of War, "Why did Jia Jianzheng bring a carriage instead of riding a horse himself?"

Liu Yongfu smiled and said, "I heard about this from my colleagues in the Ministry of Industry. It is said that the artillery is too heavy and cannot be transported very quickly along the way.

It was impossible to ride fast on horseback, so we could only follow slowly. Marquis Weiyuan disliked riding a horse because it was too tedious and hard, so he asked his personal soldiers to select a spacious carriage from the Ministry of Works for use along the way. "

Zhang Kangnian showed a sarcastic look on his face and said, "As the son of a nobleman of the Rong State, you are used to a life of luxury. When you escort the artillery to the garrison, you even equip yourself with a carriage. This is a bit too leisurely."

Du Hengxin, who was not far away, glanced at Zhang Kangnian who was talking to his subordinates, and then looked at the spacious carriage going away, with a hint of doubt in his eyes.

To many people present, this was just an ordinary official social event. Few people would realize that in the near future, Nanjing would be shaken by a tsunami.

……

Jinling, Fenglefang.

The three-courtyard house with pink walls and red doors has changed the dark and quiet atmosphere of the past.

There were many more slaves in black clothes and black hats in the house. They carried out many boxes and cages and placed them neatly in the side hall of the outer courtyard, as if they were moving their belongings.

A capable young man walked into the front yard with steady steps. His eyes became deep and flickering as he looked at the servants carrying boxes and cages.

The afternoon sun shone on him, casting a dark, twisted shadow on the cobblestone corridor. The half-cut little finger on his left hand looked even more eerie and strange.

When he walked into the study, he saw a dignified middle-aged man looking at a map on the desk.

He said, "Sir, as you ordered, I have arranged for people to follow Jia Cong's convoy along the way. If they detect any unusual movements, they will report the information immediately.

The Water Rakshasa left Jinling the day before yesterday and should have arrived in Gusu by now.

Luo Xiong is in charge of Gusu, and nothing unusual has happened so far. Your Excellency, do you think Jia Cong has some ulterior motive by transporting the artillery this time?"

The middle-aged man said: "Zou Huaiyi's daughter was demoted to the Jiaofang Bureau, but she returned to Jinling in a disguised identity and has a close relationship with Jia Cong.

This is enough to show that Jia Cong's purpose of going to Nanjing was definitely not just to assist in the management of the Imperial Music Bureau of the secondary capital. He was most likely secretly sent by the emperor to Nanjing to investigate the matter of Zhou Zhengyang.

He took advantage of the pirates under Liu Ao's command entering the city to detain the 300 musketeers in Nanjing, and the reason seemed reasonable on the surface.

Now it was natural for him to deploy these 300 musketeers to escort the artillery to Gusu. It seemed that he had planned this in advance, which was enough to make people suspect that he had other intentions!
Whether it was solving the major case of the Water Supervision Bureau or wiping out the Jurchens in Liaodong, Jia Cong was a meticulous, eccentric person who was good at using strange methods instead of regular ones.

Moreover, he was an expert in firearms and was good at using muskets to defend against the enemy when he was in Liaodong. These 300 musketeers became an extremely powerful force in his hands.

Even when facing more than a thousand guards, he still had a way to protect himself.

Under such circumstances, if he was allowed to enter Gusu City, if my guess is correct, I am afraid that any unpredictable situation may happen.

So we have to be on guard. I have sent a message to Luo Xiong, asking him to be on high alert."

The young man said, "Sir, originally the artillery was transported faster along the river, but Jia Cong proposed to transport it by land because the artillery powder would be easily dampened by water.

But the artillery is very heavy and difficult to transport quickly by land. It will take him four or five days to travel to Gusu. If you want to be absolutely sure, it is better to transport it on the way..."

The middle-aged man looked at him as if his subordinate had murderous intentions, but he was thinking things were too simple.

Under the current circumstances, it is far from being necessary to take such a risk and cut off all retreat routes.

He replied in a deep voice: "Jia Cong is a noble and trusted minister of the emperor, and he is appointed by the emperor. If something unexpected happens to him, it will definitely cause a huge disturbance.

I'm afraid the officialdom in Jinling will be turned upside down, and even I might be implicated. So, I can't act rashly now as the cause and effect are unclear.

When Jia Cong's entourage returned to Shenjing that day, I sent people to rush back to Shenjing.

If Jia Cong's entourage returned to the capital to pass on information or submit a memorial, our connections in the capital would surely enable us to find out the news.

If there is really an imperial edict issued from the palace, it will take six or seven days for the inner court to transmit the message from Shenjing to Jinling, but the people I sent out can bring the news back to Jinling within five days.

As long as there are one or two days in advance, it will be enough to deal with everything. That's how Zhou Zhengyang escaped safely...

For now, we should keep our footing. What we need to do most is to wait. It will only take four or five days for us to receive news from the capital!" (End of this chapter)