Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Gusu, Xuanmu Mountain, Panxiang Temple.

Outside the corridor of the Zen room in the inner courtyard, tits are singing, green trees are shady, and flower shadows are swaying.

On the eaves of the pagoda in the temple, there are wind chimes covered with copper rust. When blown by the breeze, the sound of ding-dong sounds like the chanting of Sanskrit or the Prajnaparamita.

Although it is early autumn, the mountains are still full of green, with no signs of withering or flourishing. It seems like a place that is lost in the world, quiet and wonderful, and untainted by the mundane world.

In the Zen room, Miaoyu sat quietly on the cushion, with a slender figure, a charming face, and her cherry lips murmuring mantras. The wooden fish in her hand made ethereal and soothing sounds.

On the small table in front of her, there was an antique copper stove with a soul-refreshing incense burning in it, the smoke curling up and refreshing the heart.

On the desk was an open copy of "The Buddhist Sutra on the Emptiness of the Five Aggregates", which was copied by Jia Cong himself.

This period of time should be the time in which Miaoyu felt the happiest and most peaceful in the past few years.

Her closest master and junior sisters were by her side, and she had nothing else to ask for.

Every time she read the "Buddha Speaks of the Five Aggregates Are Empty Sutra", the clumsy and elegant handwriting seemed to blend with the Zen ideas and thoughts, making her feel happy.

……

On the wind and rain corridor outside the Zen room, Zhishao was sitting and embroidering a silk handkerchief.

The silk thread shuttles back and forth, revealing a blooming white lotus on the handkerchief, delicate and graceful, with elegant hues and lifelike appearance.

Since she returned to Panxiang Temple, she could no longer wear exquisite and brightly colored dresses as she did in the Jia Mansion.

Her black hair was tied into a beautiful bun and pinned with a simple silver hairpin. She wore no other jewelry and changed back into her usual grey monk's robe.

The loose sleeves of the robe conceal her slender body, and only the gentle breeze blowing against her body reveals a touch of charm.

Although she looks plain and simple, she is still pretty, charming, elegant and beautiful, which adds to her charm.

Since Jia Cong went to Jinling, he and Zhishao had exchanged several letters in which they updated each other on their current situations.

Zhishao knew that Jia Cong had important matters to attend to in Jinling, so she settled down in Panxiang Temple.

After Master Xiushan came back from Zhishao, her condition gradually improved, perhaps because she was in a good mood or because of her careful care.

More than a month passed, and Zhishao's longing for Jia Cong grew stronger. She counted the days every day, waiting for him to finish his work and return to Gusu to bring Master Xiushan back to the capital together with her.

……

Next to Zhishao sat a pretty young girl, who was tilting her head and watching her embroidering.

The girl was about thirteen or fourteen years old, slender and graceful, pretty and elegant, dressed in a cloth dress, clean and dust-free, but a little worn from washing.

Although she is not very old, her movements and behavior are already elegant and steady. She is none other than Xing Xiuyan who lives in the temple.

Xing Xiuyan's family has been renting a house in Panxiang Temple for seven or eight years.

Not only did she know Miaoyu since childhood, but when Zhishao was brought back to the temple by Master Xiushan, she and Zhishao also got along very well.

This time, Zhishao followed Jia Cong to the south of the Yangtze River again. They reunited as old friends and became closer than before.

Miaoyu practiced Buddhism with her hair uncut and was half-entered into the Buddhist monastery. She had a lot of Buddha worship to do every day and did not have much free time.

Therefore, Xing Xiuyan usually spends more time chatting with Zhishao.

Zhishao finished picking up the needle and thread in her hand and said, "Oh, the thread is all used up."

Xing Xiuyan stood up and said with a smile, "I still have a lot in my room. Wait a moment, sister. I'll go get some."

She ran back to the room, opened the storage box on the kang, and took out the silk thread for embroidery. There was also a letter in the box, which she had placed very carefully.

Every time Xing Xiuyan saw this letter, she would blush and her heart would beat fast.

This letter was written by her aunt, Mrs. Xing, and was sent to her father not long ago.

The letter said that he would take his family to the capital to settle down, and would also arrange a marriage for him and his cousin Jia Cong.

When his parents heard this, they were so happy that they almost fainted. They knew that their cousin was an earl appointed by the emperor, famous for both civil and military talents.

My parents wanted to get married through this marriage, hoping for the honor of being able to succeed.

Xing Xiuyan has just passed the age of 18 and actually still has a vague understanding of matters between men and women and has not fully understood them.

She had met Jia Cong two years ago, when she was learning to read and write with Miaoyu. The little girl had some admiration and envy for Jia Cong, who was good at poetry and writing.

This time they met again in Panxiang Temple. She had grown into a graceful young lady. Jia Cong had also changed in the past two years and looked even more proud and pleasing than before.

The only thing that made her happy about Jia Cong was that he did not feel alienated or disgusted with her because he was abused by his aunt since childhood. That was actually all there was between them.

After all, she is only a teenager, it is impossible for her to have any romantic feelings towards someone she has only met a few times in several years.

Perhaps I didn't have the slightest fantasy about it before, until this letter from the capital was sent home, and my parents' eyes sparkled and they persuaded me many times, with words that were tempting and convincing.

In the end, it still stirred Xing Xiuyan's mood.

Thinking of Jia Cong's handsome and dazzling appearance, his extraordinary talents and anecdotes, if you say that the little girl has no thoughts in her mind, I'm afraid no one would believe it.

When Jia Cong went to the temple to pick up Zhishao, Xing Xiuyun witnessed it with her own eyes. She knew that Zhishao and Jia Cong were very close and that she would definitely be his concubine in the future.

But due to shyness and other concerns, she felt that the matter was unlikely to succeed, so she did not dare to tell Zhishao about it and just wanted to live one day at a time.

Although she is young, she is intelligent and indifferent. She has studied poetry with Miaoyu for many years, and her knowledge and vision are much higher than those of her parents.

Therefore, she did not think that this marriage would be successful.

His cousin was granted a title when he was young and was also an official in the imperial court. He was a very capable person.

His own aunt had abused him since he was a child, and the relationship between the legitimate mother and the illegitimate son was not harmonious. How could his cousin not have any grudges?

Although my aunt is his biological mother, it would be extremely difficult for her to decide his marriage.

Moreover, Jia Cong was a newly-appointed earl of noble honor and a decent son of the Rongguo Mansion, making him a suitable match for a noble lady from a wealthy official family.

How could he possibly marry a poor girl like me? Except for my aunt, I'm afraid the other elders in the Jia family would never agree.

Moreover, although my aunt is related to my father by blood, she has never shown much care and concern to my father.

Otherwise, with her status as the mistress of the Rong Kingdom, she would not have allowed her brothers to rent an old temple house in Gusu and live in poverty for nearly ten years.

I don't know why my aunt suddenly thought of arranging a marriage for me, and it was a marriage that seemed a bit ridiculous.

Although she knew that she could never be a good match for Jia Cong due to her family background, this incident still opened her heart and stirred her emotions.

Suddenly, I heard Zhishao shouting in the yard: "Sister Xiuyan, have you found the silk thread? If you run out, we can go down the mountain to buy some later."

Xing Xiuyan was lost in thought when she heard Zhishao's voice. She was startled and quickly replied, "I found the thread. I'll be right over."

She glanced at the letter in the storage box, sighed helplessly, closed the box, and ran out of the room.

……

Late summer and early autumn is the rainy season in the Jianghuai area.

The sun was shining brightly just a moment ago, but a sudden downpour caught everyone off guard. The wind and the rain turned into a thousand mists and rain, and the streets and alleys of Gusu were all shrouded in a moist curtain of water.

Pedestrians hurriedly avoided the streets, and soon the streets became empty. Only a few people who did not have time to avoid the rain stood under the eaves of shops and houses, looking around, hesitating to move forward.

Suddenly, in the misty rain, two horses rushed out and trotted quickly on the street. The crisp sound of horse hooves echoed in the empty and wet street.

The two knights on horseback were both wearing straw hats and raincoats. They were walking in the heavy rain and their faces could not be seen clearly.

When the two horses ran to the end of the street, one of them pulled the reins, turned its head to look at the Xuanmu Mountain not far away, which was becoming more and more lush and green in the rain, and stared at it quietly for a moment.

The knight behind him also reined in his horse and asked, "Third Master, what's the matter?"

Since that day when Jia Cong quietly left the artillery transport team, he and Wang Dequan rode alone and quickly rushed to Gusu City.

When they arrived at the nearest town, they bought another fast horse. They traveled day and night and entered Gusu city the next morning.

According to Jia Cong's estimation, it would take at least four days for the imperial edict from the Empress Dowager to reach Jinling.

Although he had an obvious advantage in terms of time difference in information, he had not yet met Jiang Xiaoliu and others, and was unclear about the situation in Gusu. Four days was not enough time to get things done.

Just now, when he passed by Xuanmu Mountain, he resisted the urge to go up the mountain to visit Zhishao.

He took Zhishao with him to the south of the Yangtze River, and no one else knew about it except the Jia family in the capital.

He sent Zhishao to Gusu Xuanmu Mountain halfway, without even the fifteen musketeer guards accompanying him knowing about it.

Not to mention that no one in Jinling and Gusu would know that he had a weak spot on Xuanmu Mountain.

He decided to wait until the major events in Gusu and Jinling were settled before going to Xuanmu Mountain to see Zhishao. This would be the safest way for both him and Zhishao.

Jia Cong glanced at Xuanmu Mountain again and said, "It's okay. Take me to Tielingguan Wharf, and then you go back to the branch shop and wait. Maybe there will be information about Feiyu in Jinling in the next few days."

……

Suzhou, Daoqian Street.

This is the most heavily guarded street in the whole of Gusu. There are almost no shops or stores here or there, only high-ranking government offices with solemn and dignified appearances.

Daoqian Street is where the government offices in Gusu City are most concentrated.

The governor's office, the provincial governor's office, the provincial judge's office, and the Suzhou Guard Commandery Office were all located here.

On ordinary days, there are almost no civilians passing by here. The people and vehicles coming and going are all officials and runners who come to handle official business in the government.

The sudden heavy rain just now made Daoqian Street, which was already sparsely populated, even more deserted.

A rider on a fast horse galloped into Daoqian Street and stopped at the gate of Suzhou Guard Commandery. The rider was a man in his twenties, and his movements were shrewd and capable.

The guards at the gate checked the knight's name tag and visiting card, and then took him to the official residence of Commander Luo Xiong.

When Luo Xiong saw the person coming, his face changed slightly. He dismissed the personal soldiers who were leading the way and brought the person into the inner room of the official residence.

The man handed over the letter and said, "I am here on the orders of my master to deliver an urgent letter to Commander Luo. Your master asks Commander Luo to read the letter and respond with caution."

Luo Xiong opened the letter and read it. He said, "I have read the letter. Has Jia Cong done anything unusual since he left the capital?"

The man said: "After Jia Cong left the capital, we had people following him along the way. There was nothing unusual about his journey. There was no urgency in setting up camp and even procrastination.

They don't seem to be in a hurry to travel. They have been leaving Jinling for two days and are still in Zhenjiang. According to their speed, it will take another three or four days to reach Gusu."

After hearing this, Luo Xiong smiled slightly and said, "Go back and tell your master that I know about this matter and will handle it carefully. Please rest assured."

……

After the visitor left, Luo Xiong asked his personal soldiers to invite the commander He Tong to come and discuss the matter.

He Tong was a native of Gusu and an elder in Suzhou Guard. When Zhang Kangnian served as the commander of Suzhou Guard, He Tong was already a centurion of Suzhou Guard.

He and Luo Xiong have always had a close relationship. When Luo Xiong was promoted to the position of commander-in-chief of the guards, he spared no effort to push He Tong to the position of commander-in-chief.

Therefore, He Tong was grateful to Luo Xiong and was Luo Xiong's most loyal confidant. The chief and deputy chief of Suzhou Guard had a very close relationship, so he had the entire Suzhou Guard firmly in his hands.

He Tong read the letter that had just been sent from Jinling and said, "Lord Luo, Jia Cong's move is indeed a little strange. It is only to transport a few cannons and send a hundred Jinling guards to escort them.

Why was it so high-profile that 300 armed musketeers were sent to escort them along the way? This was indeed a bit unusual.

Everyone in the army knew that Jia Cong was an expert in firearms and was famous for his skillful use of muskets to form battle arrays to repel the enemy. These 300 musketeers would form a great fighting force in his hands.

He brought three hundred musketeers into the city under the pretext of transporting artillery, which was quite a grand occasion.

No wonder Jinling has doubts, you really have to be on guard!"

Luo Xiong said: "But just now someone from Nanjing said that Jia Cong's journey from Nanjing was a little slow and he was not in a hurry to travel. It was no different from an ordinary official escort.

Moreover, we handled the matter of Zhou Zhengyang carefully. Ever since Zhou Zhengyang's arrest portrait was refurbished, we warned Zhou Zhengyang not to go out, so it was difficult for outsiders to get any clues from Gusu.

If it is true as stated in the letter, Jia Cong was secretly sent by the Imperial Capital to investigate the matter of Zhou Zhengyang. If he had any knowledge of Gusu, he would have acted swiftly.

He led 300 elite musketeers out of Nanjing and should have entered Suzhou at lightning speed, clamped down on the key points, and controlled the situation before he could do something.

How could he be like this now, dragging his feet all the way, like he was sightseeing? It doesn't look like he has any intention of going to Gusu."

He Tong frowned and said, "Your Excellency is right. He brought three hundred musketeers to escort us along the way, and he was so careless along the way. It doesn't seem like he has any ulterior motives, but it still feels a little weird.

My subordinates have heard many anecdotes about Jia Cong. They all say that he is cunning and treacherous, and acts insidiously, otherwise he would not have climbed to such a high position at such a young age.

Now he is behaving so strangely again. There must be something wrong!

My Lord, the more he behaves like this, the more we must not let our guard down."

Luo Xiong said: "Jingzhi is right. You should immediately select capable personnel and go out of the city to find Jia Cong's team and monitor his every move along the way.

The three hundred musketeers are Jia Cong's greatest reliance at the moment. As long as he and his musketeers are kept under close watch, no matter what tricks he plays, there is no need to worry about him making any waves.

In addition, I ordered all the guards to be more vigilant and spend some time in the next few days to find a new place for Zhou Zhengyang to stay. It would be best if he could leave Gusu or hide in the river to be on the safe side. "

He Tong said: “Sir, there are new portraits of Zhou Zhengyang posted all over the city now. Once he shows up, there will be risks.

Moreover, the Jinyiwei has very strict inspections on checkpoints and ports, so this matter might be difficult to handle.

In fact, I have always felt that hiding Zhou Zhengyang in Gusu is a way to hide disaster, so why not... "

Luo Xiong rubbed his frown and said, "I know what you mean, but Zhou Zhengyang was Zou Huaiyi's direct superior back then, and he knows a lot about the Water Supervision Department.

Among us, the one who is involved in the Water Supervision Bureau knows more about it than anyone else. In the event of such a big event, he will definitely leave behind a way to save his life.

Otherwise, Jinling would not have been so cautious as to hide him in Gusu.

Don’t take any step unless it’s absolutely necessary, lest things get out of hand before they get desperate.”

Luo Xiong pondered for a moment, and said in a gloomy tone: "Jingzhi, don't worry too much. Now the power is on my side. I have 1,500 people in Suzhou Guards, and we are not vegetarians.

If Jia Cong really had some agenda in entering Gusu as speculated in the letter from Jinling, I would never let Zhou Zhengyang see him alive!" (End of this chapter)