Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Mingze Lane, Jinling.

The sycamore tree in the yard, under the afternoon sun, has already shown signs of early autumn on the edges of its leaves.

Sometimes, leaves that have fallen prematurely slowly fall to the ground, forming a golden layer under the trees.

Lingguan was sitting under a tree with two wooden basins beside her, washing clothes diligently.

There were only two women in the yard, so she had no scruples. After scrubbing until her body became hot, she unbuttoned a button on her collar to let in some air, revealing a neck as smooth as jade.

The afternoon sun shone on her shiny black hair, and the flying strands at her temples glowed with a gentle halo.

The embroidered light yellow cross-collar vest on her body is lighter in color than the golden yellow of fallen leaves, but it makes her look more tender and fresh.

A pine green sweat towel tied around her waist, making her look slender and graceful. Paired with a pink and white horse-faced skirt, she looked indescribably pretty and lovely.

Under the eaves of the courtyard, there was a lounge chair. Zou Miner was lying on it with her eyes closed. The slanting light and shadow in the afternoon reflected her graceful body.

She was wearing a green plum satin front-opening jacket with a white cross-collared chiffon blouse underneath. Her beige skirt fluttered in the wind. Although her figure seemed weak, she was still as beautiful and charming as before.

After several days of nursing after being seriously injured, her face was no longer as pale as it was at the beginning, and had a faint rosy color, but her cheeks were getting thinner and thinner, making her look a little pitiful.

She always remembered that Jia Cong asked her to go out of the house more often to see the light and air outside, which would be helpful for the recovery of her wounds.

I wanted to take a short nap in the afternoon to relax, but after closing my eyes for a long time, my full breasts rose and fell, and I was still restless and irritable, rarely feeling at peace.

She asked the girl who was washing clothes under the tree, "What day is it today?"

Lingguan looked up and thought for a moment before saying, "Today is the seventh day."

The two people's conversation was strange. Others would definitely not understand it, but only they themselves knew what it meant.

Jia Cong has not returned for seven days since he left Mingze Lane that day.

When he left, he told Zou Miner that he couldn't just wait for the imperial edict from the capital, and had to go to Gusu to make arrangements first, so he couldn't come over for a while.

Since Jia Cong left, Zou Min'er and Lingguan have been counting the days. Every day they would continue with this topic, and in the end it became extremely concise.

"Sister Min'er, I think the Third Master might be coming back soon."

Zou Miner was delighted when she heard this and asked, "How did you know that?"

"This morning when I went to buy groceries, I heard people at the market saying that Jinling City has been in chaos these days. Your injury hasn't fully healed yet, so I didn't tell you because I was afraid of scaring you."

"My injuries have healed a lot, and I'm not easily scared. Is it related to your Third Master? Tell me quickly."

"People say that a few days ago, the Third Master returned to Nanjing from Gusu and captured a criminal. However, as soon as he entered the city, he was attacked by assassins and several people died."

When Zou Miner heard this, she was so frightened that she sat up suddenly. She didn't even feel the pain from the wound, but her face turned slightly pale with fright.

"Is he... is he okay?"

Lingguan hurried forward, caressed the wounds on Zou Miner’s chest and abdomen, and said, “I said it would scare you, if something happened to the Third Master, I would still be so relaxed.

The assassin only killed the criminal, and the Third Master was not hurt at all."

Zou Min'er scolded, "Girl, you can't even speak clearly in one breath. You scared me."

Lingguan said, "Also, people at the market said that the government has sealed all the gates of Jinling these days, and everyone entering or leaving the city will be searched by the government troops. They said there are many thieves in the city."

Zou Min'er thought for a moment and said, "With such a big commotion, maybe his matter will really be settled soon."

She looked at Lingguan who was hanging clothes to dry and said, "It's so chaotic outside these days, you'd better not go to the market to buy things. It's not safe for a young girl."

Lingguan smiled and said, "Don't worry, Sister Min'er. When the Third Master left, he rented a yard across the alley and arranged for five of his men to live there. I even saw that they had muskets.

Every time I go out, there are two people following me secretly, so I don’t have to worry about being bullied.”

Zou Miner smiled and said, "I know your Third Master loves you, look at how proud you are."

Lingguan blushed and said, "I think the Third Master is also very concerned about Sister Min'er. He is worried that you are recovering from your injuries and he is not in Jinling. He is worried and arranged some people nearby."

Zou Miner smiled slightly: "I think his business in Jinling may be almost done, and he may return to Shenjing soon."

Lingguan said happily: "Then you are going to take me back to Shenjing. Everyone says Shenjing is a good place, but I have never been there."

Zou Miner looked slightly sad and said, "Shenjing is the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty, so it is naturally a good place..."

Lingguan was very excited and said, "Sister Min'er, please come back to the capital with us. If you are willing to go, I think the Third Master would be happy to go."

Zou Miner's pretty face flushed, and she seemed a little moved, but when she thought of Du Qingniang, the Imperial Chariot Department and the Imperial Music Bureau in the capital, the blush on her face faded away.

She said with a dejected look: "I can't go back to Shenjing, and I will never be able to go there again..."

She stroked Lingguan's hair again with a smile, and said, "When you went to Shenjing, I treated it as if I had gone there myself. I told him that you are not suitable to stay in the Jiaofangsi.

He loves you so much, he will definitely take good care of you and will never treat you unfairly…."

During this period, Jia Cong was away, and they were the only ones who kept each other company day and night in the house in Mingze Lane. Their relationship had become very close, and they talked about all their private matters together.

Lingguan saw that Zou Miner was quite emotional. Although she looked happy, there seemed to be tears in the corners of her eyes.

She didn't know Zou Min'er's situation, nor was she clear about her past entanglements with Jia Cong. She just felt that Zou Min'er's words were a little sad.

At this moment, there was a knock on the door in the outer courtyard, the sound was light and steady.

Zou Min'er and Lingguan looked at each other, and joy appeared in their eyes.

Apart from Jia Cong, only Doctor Zhang comes to this house for follow-up visits every few days. No one else comes.

Doctor Zhang came for a follow-up visit yesterday and will not come today.

Lingguan ran out of the inner courtyard quickly. Before she could touch the bolt, she heard Jia Cong's voice: "Lingguan, I'm back. Open the door quickly."

Lingguan cried out and quickly pulled open the bolt, only to see Jia Cong standing at the door with a smile on his face.

Her bright eyes sparkled as she looked at Jia Cong with joy, her face flushed with a touching blush: "Third Master, you've been gone for so many days, and you're finally back."

Holding his hand, she walked into the yard with joy.

The two men entered the inner courtyard. Jia Cong saw Zou Min'er sitting on a recliner under the eaves of the corridor. When she saw him come in, her face lit up with joy and became even more beautiful.

She couldn't help but stand up, but maybe she stood up too quickly, which affected the wounds on her chest and abdomen, causing her legs to go weak in pain.

Jia Cong quickly stepped forward and supported her. Zou Min'er leaned softly in his arms. Although she was a little shy, she could not hide her joy in her heart.

Jia Cong's heart was moved, and he held her in his arms, feeling her warmth, fragrance, and softness, which touched his heart.

He knew he shouldn't do this, but he was somehow possessed by it and seemed unable to control himself.

They both felt that something was wrong, or even not real enough, but no one wanted to expose it.

It was not until Lingguan started coughing with a red face that Jia Cong let go of Zou Min'er and helped her sit back on the recliner.

Zou Min'er's face was still flushed, and she just found something to ask, "Have you settled everything about Jinling?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's all done. We caught Luo Xiong from Gusu and used your deposit slip to take the things. It turned out to be the secret account of the Water Conservancy Bureau left by your father.

This is extremely important material evidence. With this thing, all the remnants of the Water Monitoring Bureau’s major case can be cleared up.”

Jia Cong took out a booklet from his pocket and said, "I have handed the original to the Dali Temple as physical evidence. I copied a copy by hand. After all, it was left by your father. Perhaps you would like to take a look."

Zou Miner's face turned slightly pale. She took the booklet from Jia Cong but did not open it to read...

The purpose of this secret account left by my father is full of sinister intentions.

For Zou Min'er, the best outcome for this secret account, and also a kind of relief for herself, was for it to become physical evidence in a major case involving the Water Supervision Bureau.

From then on, she could finally completely break away from the heart-wrenching and painful past.

So, what is written in it is no longer important to her.

At this moment, the only thing left in her eyes was Jia Cong's bright smile.

……

Compared with Jia Cong's ease of success and the warmth and relief in the Mingze Lane mansion.

The entire Jinling city still seems unable to recover from the ups and downs...

Jinling, Chengxian Street.

A fire broke out in a fireworks shop on the street, and the Yingtian Prefecture officials who were patrolling the streets nearby were alarmed and rushed to evacuate the crowd on the street.

The Fire Armor Team from the nearest Water Dragon Bureau was dispatched, and it didn't take long to put out the fire in the fireworks shop.

Under the command of the second master Xue, the Xue family's convoy drove into the backyard of Ziyun Pavilion and cleared the way to Chengxian Street.

The streets were flowing smoothly again and everything returned to normal.

The head of the Yingtian Prefecture's street patrol office also breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, the accident was handled in a timely manner and the fire in the fireworks shop was not too serious.

Otherwise, if the fire burns down a large number of houses and causes people to be trampled on the road, it will lead to a disaster.

Not only did he, the yamen head in charge of this street, suffer, but even the prefect of Yingtian met with a bad end.

After the street was cleared again, the Jinyiwei team escorting Du Hengxin set off again, leaving Chengxian Street and heading towards the Jinyiwei Qianhu Suo in the east of the city.

After walking for a while, an autumn breeze blew towards me, mixed with a strange fishy smell.

The leading centurion suddenly felt something was wrong. His face changed slightly and he said, "Why is there a smell of blood? Stop the car!" The centurion jumped off his horse and checked the team. He soon found a hole half a finger wide on the wall of the prisoner's carriage. The edge was neat and blood was oozing out.

He was horrified and quickly opened the carriage door. The scene inside made him turn pale instantly.

Du Hengxin was still shackled in the car, but he had fallen sideways in the car, unconscious, and the clothes around his waist and ribs were soaked with blood.

The centurion jumped onto the carriage to check and found that Du Hengxin had already died.

There was a penetrating wound from his left rib to his right rib, as if it was caused by a very sharp and slender blade. The wound on his left rib was right opposite the hole in the car wall.

The centurion shouted in panic, "Notify the captain immediately. Du Hengxin was stabbed to death on the road..."

The entire Jinyiwei escort team suddenly fell into chaos.

……

As the mastermind of the Jinling Water Supervision Bureau case, Du Hengxin was involved in extremely serious crimes. He was captured by Jia Cong from the waterway along the river and was assassinated on the way less than an hour after entering the city.

The news spread quickly, like a stone that caused a thousand ripples.

In the lobby of Jinling Jinyiwei's Qianhu Division, Jinyiwei Qianhu Ge Zhicheng looked at Du Hengxin's body with a dark face.

He didn't expect that just an ordinary prisoner transport would cause such a big disaster.

Originally, Jia Cong should have detained and interrogated Du Hengxin in the Dali Temple after he captured him, but the imperial envoy Guo Lin conveyed the emperor's secret order, asking the Jinyiwei to guard Du Hengxin and send him to Shenjing for special interrogation.

Ge Zhicheng had been immersed in the Jinyiwei for many years and had seen many obscure things in the palace and the court. He knew that Du Hengxin must be involved in something else, which even made the emperor quite taboo.

Sending him to the capital alone for punishment means not allowing him to be interrogated by the three judicial departments. This is an attempt to cover up the truth, which is obvious as day.

In fact, Ge Zhicheng, who had been in the Jinyiwei for many years, had seen many such things before and did not take them too seriously. As long as he could escort the person to the capital properly, it would be a hot potato.

But unexpectedly, the man was not taken to the Jinyiwei prison, but was assassinated silently on the way.

Du Hengxin was not an ordinary criminal, but a person that the emperor had secretly paid attention to. Now that he had lost his life at the hands of the Jinyiwei, the Jinyiwei would have to bear all the emperor's anger.

When the imperial envoy Guo Lin arrived at the Jinyiwei's lobby in a panic and questioned him in his unique shrill voice about the whole matter, Ge Zhicheng realized that he was in great trouble.

His predecessor, Feng Fengnian, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was demoted because the eunuch Wang En, who was in charge of the Maritime Customs, was assassinated in the Embroidered Uniform Guard prison. He was afraid that he would soon follow in his footsteps.

The murder of Du Hengxin was a serious matter. Since the imperial envoy Guo Lin had arrived, the heads of relevant government offices would naturally have to show up as well.

Jia Yucun, the prefect of Yingtian, Yang Hongbin, the right chief of the Dali Temple, and Liu Ling, the commander of the Five Cities Military Department, all rushed to the scene.

The Jinyiwei lobby, which used to be gloomy and scary and where no one was allowed to enter, was suddenly crowded with people. It was very strange. Ge Zhicheng just felt that these guys looked hideous, as if they were here to attend a funeral.

Jia Cong, who was having a great time with Zou Min'er and Lingguan in the house in Mingze Lane, also received this shocking news. Guo Lin even personally called him over to discuss the matter.

When Jia Cong arrived at the Jinyiwei lobby and saw Du Hengxin's body, he was shocked but also felt relieved.

He took great pains to capture Du Hengxin from the waterway along the river, and fortunately he handed him over when he arrived at the dock. Otherwise, it would not be Ge Zhicheng who would be in a mess now, but him, Jia Cong.

By that time, he had worked tirelessly in Jinling to investigate a huge case thoroughly, and no matter how great his achievements were, they would be tarnished.

……

When he arrived at the Jinyiwei lobby, not only were all the relevant officials present, but there was also a coroner examining Du Hengxin's body.

This man is Zhao An, the coroner of the Yingtian Prefecture Criminal Department. He is the most famous veteran coroner in Jinling City and had worked in the Ministry of Justice in Shenjing for many years.

It is said that fifteen years ago, a major event occurred in Shenjing and many officials were implicated. Zhao An was also implicated at that time, so he resigned and returned home. Later, he was hired by Yingtian Prefecture as a guest coroner.

After examining the body, Zhao An said, "My Lords, I have examined Du Hengxin's wounds and determined that he was killed by an extremely sharp Japanese sword.

I just asked the captain who was escorting the prisoners, and he said that when they passed Chengxian Street, the road was blocked by the Xue family's convoy, and a fireworks shop on the road suddenly caught fire, causing chaos on the street.

The murderer took advantage of the chaos to approach the prison van, and used a very strange and quick method to pierce the wall of the van with a sword, piercing the ribs of Du Hengxin in the van to death.

The person who attacked was very precise in the location of the knife, and his technique was clean and neat. He was a very skilled Japanese warrior, and he was also proficient in the art of hiding the knife in his sleeve. In the noisy crowd, he could make the knife invisible. "

When Jia Cong heard the words "katana" and "Japanese warriors", he immediately thought of the water Rakshasa who killed the maid in Tianjing Lane and assassinated Zou Min'er in the inner courtyard of Qingyin Pavilion.

However, when Du Hengxin was assassinated, Chengxian Street was in chaos. None of the Jinyiwei who were escorting the prisoner noticed the appearance of the murderer, and they had no idea what the murderer looked like.

Therefore, Jia Cong's subconscious guess has no basis at the moment.

Moreover, Du Hengxin had just got off the boat and was being escorted by the Jinyiwei when he was set up to be killed. This was too fast.

The only possibility is that when Du Hengxin got off the ship and entered the port, he had already been targeted and tracked along the way, and was killed when the opportunity arose.

It might be a coincidence that the Xue family's convoy blocked the road, but it seemed a bit too coincidental that the fireworks shop caught fire.

Jia Cong suddenly remembered that when the merchant ship docked, he counted the sailors on Du Hengxin's ship and found that one person was missing for no reason, and no one knew where this person had gone.

There seems to be a trace behind all this.

……

Guo Lin said coldly: "Sir Ge, Du Hengxin is the main culprit in the Jinling case, and Weiyuan Bo spent a lot of effort to arrest him.

Now, he was just handed over to the Jinyiwei, and he was assassinated in the street. How do you want us to explain this to the emperor? The Jinyiwei must have a plan for this matter!"

Ge Zhicheng's face was grim, and he replied humbly, "Du Hengxin was assassinated, and the Jinyiwei is to blame. I will mobilize the Jinyiwei's elite personnel to do their best to catch the murderer."

Guo Lin said, "Lord Ge, Du Hengxin was assassinated. This is a serious matter. I will give you three days to catch the murderer. If you still have no clue after three days, I can only write to the emperor to apologize!"

When Ge Zhicheng heard this, his heart sank. Now he had no idea whether the murderer was a man or a woman, or whether she was tall, short, fat or thin. How could three days be enough time?

He was just about to ask Guo Lin for a few more days, but he saw that the damn eunuch had turned around and left, as if he disdained the gloomy atmosphere in the Jinyiwei lobby and was unwilling to stay any longer.

Now that the imperial envoy had left, the others decided not to stay and leave as an eyesore.

In short, this huge trouble has to be borne by the Jinyiwei themselves, and has nothing to do with other people, so it is better to leave as soon as possible to avoid being involved.

Jia Cong looked at Ge Zhicheng with sympathy.

He stepped forward and said, “Sir Ge, Du Hengxin was killed in a hurry. I’m afraid that when Jinyi escorted him out of the dock, he was followed along the way.

A fire broke out in a fireworks store, which is very suspicious. It may be the work of a murderer who created chaos and took advantage of the chaos to kill people. Lord Ge can investigate based on this, and perhaps there will be some gains. "

Ge Zhicheng showed gratitude and said, "Please give me more reminders, Lord Jia."

Jia Cong gave a few kind reminders and then said goodbye and left.

He had already spent too much time on this matter and really didn't want to get involved anymore.

Moreover, after Du Hengxin was arrested, his value was actually limited. Even if he was assassinated now, it would not have much impact on the affairs of Jinling.

Luo Xiong and Zhou Zhengyang who were imprisoned in the Dali Temple, as well as the secret accounts of the Water Conservancy Bureau left by Zou Huaiyi, were enough to completely eliminate the legacy of the Water Conservancy Bureau case.

Du Hengxin’s value now is not in Jinling, but perhaps in the unpredictable capital. Jia Cong suddenly thought of Guo Lin’s secret decree...

……

Ge Zhicheng looked at the empty Jinyiwei lobby and the heads of various yamen who were running faster than rabbits, with a helpless and depressed look on his face.

He calmed himself down a bit and said to the captain of the personal guard beside him: "Immediately ask Captain Liu Yong to come to see me. I want him to help coordinate the troops and arrest the murderer in the matter of Du Hengxin's assassination!"

In the Jinling Jinyiwei Qianhu Division, Liu Yong is Ge Zhicheng's most trusted confidant. If faced with a major event, he would naturally think of asking him for assistance first.

The captain of the personal guard said, "Sir, Captain Liu has been in the east of the city these days, investigating the robbery of the fine iron from the Zhen family's Haiyun Pavilion. I heard that he has received intelligence and there are some clues on the matter."

Ge Zhicheng's originally depressed mood couldn't help but slightly cheer up after hearing the news. In an instant, an idea came to him, as if he had grasped a glimmer of hope.

The batch of Ottoman fine iron in Zhen family's Haiyun Pavilion can be used to forge musket barrels. It is very likely that there is a major case of privately manufacturing firearms hidden behind it.

Since Jia Cong first advocated the use of firearms in the Great Zhou Dynasty, new types of firearms such as muskets, cannons, and porcelain mines have shined in the battle against the Jurchens in Liaodong, and made great contributions to the expansion of the Zhou territory.

Nowadays, the art of firearms has become a powerful weapon to protect the country. It is forbidden for private circulation and possession of firearms. Privately making firearms is a crime tantamount to treason.

Not to mention that behind this matter is the Zhen family, a prominent family in Jinling, and behind the Zhen family stands the old Concubine Dowager Zhen in the palace, and the old Concubine Dowager Zhen is the adoptive mother of the current emperor.

Fifteen years ago, the former emperor abdicated and the current emperor ascended the throne in a miraculous way. There are many unspeakable things in this.

Although the court was extremely secretive about these matters and no one dared to comment on them, just because no one talked about some things did not mean that no one knew about them.

Ge Zhicheng has served in the Jinyiwei for more than ten years, and he knows more about these private matters than others.

Although His Majesty had already sat on the throne, why did he spare no effort to suppress the power of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes after he ascended the throne? It was nothing more than that he had always been wary of the hidden power of the former emperor.

On the surface, the emperor and his majesty are a loving father and a filial son, but under the imperial power, how much blood relationship do they have? In the final analysis, they restrain each other and are secretly in opposition.

If the Zhen family, which is closely connected with the retired emperor, were guilty of the serious crime of privately manufacturing muskets, it would be the most powerful restriction and blow to the emperor's power for the current emperor.

Du Hengxin, who is now the focus of the emperor's attention, lost his life at the hands of Ge Zhicheng, and he has committed a serious crime.

He had no hope of catching the murderer of Du Hengxin within three days.

If he wants to save himself now, his great sins must be offset by great merits.

The Zhen family was involved in the private manufacture of muskets. Once it is verified by the Jinling Jinyiwei, it will be an unquestionable great achievement!
Although such a great achievement is bound to hide unpredictable risks and backlash.

But the incident with Du Hengxin that just happened has put Ge Zhicheng in a dangerous situation, and he no longer has time to consider possible hidden dangers...

He said to the captain of the personal guards: "Send a message to Captain Liu, asking him to find time to come back today. I want to hear his report on his work." (End of this chapter)