Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Shenjing, Hongping Street, Hongchun Fur Store.

In the elegant room on the second floor, Jia She was wearing luxurious clothes, his eyes were hollow, his face was a little pale, but he looked quite happy.

Sitting on his right was a person with elegant clothes, of medium build, with a straight back, bright eyes and a meticulous expression. He was none other than Chen Yongchuan, the steward of the Sun family in Datong.

"My Lord, I learned that you will be getting married tomorrow, so I sent you some small gifts to congratulate you.

Here are ten rolls of top-quality Su satin, one top-quality fox fur and one top-quality bear fur, five hundred taels of gift money, and a jar of Liaodong's finest wine. I hope you will not mind my humble offering. ""

A few days ago, Jia She received a bonus of two thousand taels from Chen Yongchuan, so he bought a small courtyard in Chongqingfang to house his beauty.

Over the years, Jia She either married girls from good families or sold people as concubines one by one, but Grandmother Jia was too lazy to care.

However, if he wanted to bring the redeemed singing girl into his home, he would definitely violate Lady Jia's taboo, as it was still the pain left by Jia Cong's biological mother.

If the old lady gets angry at that time, she will probably beat the singing girl he bought to death on the spot. Not only will Jia She be in a miserable state, but the two thousand taels of silver will also be wasted.

Therefore, he must keep the sixteen-year-old charming singing girl in Xingxiang Tower outside.

Tomorrow he will go to Xingxiang Tower to pay the money and get the deed, and get the Sixteenth Beauty. Tomorrow night he will enter the bridal chamber again.

As soon as he thought of the beautiful young lady named Cuihong and her youthful and graceful figure, he became morbidly obsessed with her.

Jia She was delighted to see that Chen Yongchuan was so considerate. He was only taking a concubine, but he received such gifts.

Especially the five hundred taels of gift money, which made Jia She very satisfied. These people from Liaodong were good at business and yet they were so generous.

Moreover, the two have already agreed that a new batch of goods will be shipped from Liaodong tomorrow. Sun Shaozu has instructed Chen Yongchuan to still use Jia She's Hongchun Fur Shop to transport the goods to Nanjing.

Moreover, the dividend is only one out of ten. According to Chen Yongchuan, the quantity of this batch of goods is larger than the one shipped a few months ago, so the dividend that can be drawn will naturally increase.

Jia She was about to make another fortune and felt indescribably proud.

……

At this moment, his eyes swept across the wedding gift sent by Chen Yongchuan, and saw the jar of precious wine, feeling a little surprised. Normally, people gave wine as gifts in pairs, but Chen Yongchuan only gave one jar.

However, what Jia She cared about was the five hundred taels of gift money, which was the bulk of the money. He didn't care about a jar of wine.

He asked casually, "Yongchuan, what do you think of this jar of precious wine?"

Chen Yongchuan smiled and said, "You are still smart, old man, you can see the unusualness. The bone whip used to soak this jar of precious wine was taken from a white tiger with hanging eyes hunted in Liaodong, which is a very rare beast.

Many rare century-old medicines from Liaodong are added to it, and it has been soaked for more than fifteen years. It is a veritable treasure wine. Drinking it regularly can strengthen the essence and qi, improve health and prolong life.

The old man has reached his prime, and is now suitable for drinking this wine. "

Jia She was born into a wealthy family and had his hands full with all kinds of rare and luxurious items. The white tiger in the mountains was a rare beast that was rarely seen in a hundred years. This jar of precious wine was actually soaked with the bone whip of the white tiger, which was truly a rare item.

Chen Yongchuan showed off a bit and said, "Let me open it for you to see."

He gently pried open the sealed old mud and opened the lid of the jar. A rich aroma of wine wafted into his nose, along with an unusual medicinal scent.

As soon as Jia She smelled the aroma of the wine, he felt his whole body slightly invigorated, and he was actually addicted to it, exclaiming: "It is indeed a good wine."

Chen Yongchuan smiled and said, "This wine is golden in color and soft as butter. I was lucky enough to taste another jar of it several years ago. I still remember its wonderful taste."

Jia She smiled and said, "Since Yongchuan can't forget the benefits of this wine, let's have a drink together today."

Chen Yongchuan smiled and said, "Now is the time of Yang Fire, not the time to drink this wine. Wait until the moon sets and the stars sink, then it will be the time to drink this wine.

And if you drink a little more in the boudoir, in front of the soft and beautiful couch, you will definitely understand the beauty of it. Otherwise, why would I send you this jar of precious wine on the day of your marriage?"

When Jia She heard this, his eyebrows twitched and he laughed. He was a pervert to begin with, and after hearing what Chen Yongchuan said, he knew what he meant.

He smiled and said, "Yongchuan, you are such a wonderful person..."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

After lunch, Grandmother Jia was talking with Lady Wang and Aunt Xue in the hall.

Suddenly, Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng came in hurriedly, with happy smiles on their faces.

Jia Lian smiled and said, "Madam, there is a big wedding at home. The Ministry of Rites just sent a sixth-rank ceremonial officer over. He knew there were no elders in the East Mansion, so he came directly to the West Mansion.

He said that the emperor in the palace had sent an order to the Ministry of Rites to grant a marriage between his third brother and Miss Zhen San.

He was ordered by the Minister of Rites to go to the old lady's house to ask for the name of the couple and to check the birth date of his third brother in preparation for the Ministry of Rites to draft the marriage decree.

The messenger also said that the Imperial Observatory has determined an auspicious date, and the day after tomorrow will be the day for the official edict to be issued. It seems that the family should also prepare for this.”

After hearing Jia Lian's news, everyone in the hall was shocked, with mixed feelings of joy and sorrow, and different expressions.

Now, Grandmother Jia had no choice but to give up the idea of ​​Jia Cong marrying Shi Xiangyun.

She has always loved to enjoy herself and never put herself too hard. Since things didn't work out, she wouldn't keep it in her mind and make herself uncomfortable.

Since I went to the palace to visit the old Concubine Zhen a few days ago, I have received flattery from the Concubine Nan'an and the Concubine Xining. I felt very happy and my mood changed accordingly.

After all, it is a great honor for his own grandson to be granted marriage by the palace.

However, the palace had not made any real decision yet, which made Lady Jia feel anxious and expectant.

Now, after hearing Jia Lian coming to report the good news, Grandmother Jia couldn't help but look delighted. It was the first time in her life that she was so sincerely happy about Jia Cong's affairs.

He immediately asked Jia Lian, "Why did you come here alone? Is there anyone to receive the foreign official? At this moment of great joy, we must not neglect the people from the Ministry of Rites."

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Don't worry, old ancestor. Before the second master came, he went to inform the master and went to the ancestral hall to get the third brother's family tree and birth certificate. Now the master is personally receiving the officials from the Ministry of Rites, and he will definitely not treat them badly."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "This is quite appropriate. We haven't had a wedding in our family for a long time. We must make it a good one this time."

Then he smiled and said to Yuanyang, "Yuanyang, go to the East Palace and ask Congge to come over and talk. This is his own happy event. When his master comes back, let him speak for himself."

……

Yuanyang agreed with a smile and quickly walked out of Rongqing Hall. Although she felt a little regretful that Third Master Cong could not marry Miss Shi, Yuanyang felt a little regretful.

However, it was a great honor for him to be granted a marriage by the retired emperor. Among the two eastern and western mansions of the Jia family and the eight noble families in the capital, none of them had such ability as him, so Yuanyang was happy for him.

When she passed through the small gate of the West Palace and walked through the wind and rain corridor connecting the two palaces, she found that the small courtyard door of the East Palace was tightly closed.

Yuanyang felt a little strange, because in the past, before sunset, the gates connecting the east and west palaces were always open.

Although the Third Master had set a rule in the East Mansion that outsiders were not allowed to enter the inner courtyard, the girls and maids from both mansions were allowed to come and go freely.

Why did the East Mansion suddenly close its doors today? Yuanyang was curious, so she knocked gently on the gate. Soon two maids came to open the door.

When he saw Yuanyang, he smiled and said, "So you are Miss Yuanyang from the West Mansion. Is there anything you need?"

Yuanyang asked curiously, "This door was always open during the day, why is it closed today?"

The two gatekeepers were no more than thirty years old. They were servants selected and purchased by Qin Keqing from Jiangnan. They were both delicate and clever people.

They knew that Yuanyang was the personal maid of the old lady of the West Mansion, and that the master of the mansion was always kind to this girl, so they would not neglect her.

"It's no wonder Miss Yuanyang asked that. We also received instructions from the eldest lady, saying that things outside are complicated these two days, and we need to keep an eye on the gate and not let anyone come in and out at will."

Yuanyang was puzzled. After hearing the old woman's words about Yingchun's instructions, she knew that these two siblings were the most caring. This must be what Third Master Cong meant.

"I received instructions from the old lady to come and tell your uncle the good news and invite him to the Rongqing Hall in the West Palace to talk."

The old woman smiled and said, "Young lady, you are here to see Master Bo. Please come in quickly. I will lead the way for you."

The old woman led the way, and the other person stayed behind to close the gate and sit aside to guard it.

Yuanyang felt more and more strange in his heart. He was familiar with the route in the past and did not need anyone to lead the way.

Although Yuanyang was confused, she knew that Jia Cong always acted in a strict and methodical manner and would never do anything without a purpose. He always had his reasons.

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

In the study in the main house, Jia Cong was flipping through the anthology of Cheng Wen, but he was a little absent-minded.

Zhishao walked into the study and found that the fragrant tea brewed for Jia Cong had already gone cold and had not been drunk at all.

She had been by Jia Cong's side for many years, and her every word and action was in her heart. She asked softly, "Third Master, what happened to you all day? You couldn't sleep well last night, and you got up before dawn today.

For most of the day, although you were reading in the study, you were restless. You have never been like this before, but what's the matter?"

Jia Cong sighed and said, "Indeed, there is a big event, and it will happen in the next one or two days."

Today is the fifth day since Jia Cong received Qu Hongxiu's flying feather message.

The distance from Jinling to Shenjing is such that the express delivery of Feiyu messages is three or four days faster than the normal express horse delivery. Adding the delays that may occur along the way due to the transmission of people and horses, an additional one or two days is enough.

Therefore, according to common sense, the news from Jinling Jinyiwei should have been sent to Shenjing two days earlier, but there was no movement in the city in the past two days, which means that there was a delay in the delivery of the news by Jinling Jinyiwei.

But even if there is a delay, the news will definitely be delivered within the next two days. By then, Jia She’s incident will happen, and the East and West mansions will inevitably be affected.

Moreover, he heard from Yingchun yesterday that the old Concubine Zhen was terminally ill, and the day before yesterday, Lady Jia, Concubine Nan'an and others had entered the palace to pay a visit to the old Concubine.

It is said that the old concubine was very kind to Lady Jia in her words and deeds, which was quite different from that of other people. When she left the palace, the concubines of Nan'an and Xining congratulated Lady Jia and said that the marriage would be arranged soon.

Yingchun dared not spread the news she heard from the West Mansion in the East Mansion, for fear that it would reach Daiyu's ears and cause any accidents. So she just told Jia Cong quietly.

When Jia Cong heard the news, he asked the maids in the inner courtyard to strictly guard the small gate between the two mansions and not allow anyone to enter or leave without his order, in order to prevent the news from spreading and causing unnecessary trouble.

……

Moreover, once Jia She's incident happened, the West Palace would be the first to be affected, and there would definitely be searches and arrests. The East Palace was not involved in the matter, so it would be more beneficial than harmful for the two palaces to avoid it in advance.

However, Jia Cong had already concluded that as the old empress dowager became increasingly ill, the marriage was inevitable, and it might happen in the next few days. Moreover, judging from the time, the Jinling Jinyiwei sent the news to the capital, Jia She stole the gun, and the palace issued the marriage decree. These events must have happened intensively in the days before and after.

This gave Jia Cong a glimmer of opportunity for change in the chaos.

If Jia She had been involved in the incident first, he, as Jia She's biological son, would have been implicated, and the marriage arranged by the palace would have been obstructed, causing uncertainty.

But Jia Cong believed that with the sketch of the breech-loading rifle, he would be able to remind Emperor Jia Zhao in time of his irreplaceable value in the art of firearms, and even if he was impacted, the extent would be extremely limited.

But if the marriage was granted first and Jia She’s incident happened later, then things would become much more difficult...

No matter what happens, Jia Cong feels that he should make some preparations, which is why he asked Yingchun to close the gate to the courtyard.

As long as the news from the Jinyiwei is not delivered to Shenjing, the outcome of any event will be unpredictable.

Therefore, he started to worry about this matter from last night, and he sat in the study for half a day today, thinking about this matter all the time.

Although he had known for a long time that Jia She had smuggled the stolen muskets, he could not report it himself.

In this world, it is common practice to protect one's relatives. If a son accuses his father, even if the father is really guilty, the son will be disgraced and infamous for eternity.

Because of his filial piety, he was ordered by Emperor Jiazhao to go to the south of the Yangtze River to copy scriptures for the late Empress Dowager Xianxiao. Finally, the emperor posthumously conferred an imperial edict on his deceased mother.

In the final analysis, it was because Emperor Jia Zhao was using other people's affairs to vent his own grievances and to demonstrate his power over the throne in the dispute over the etiquette of the Empress Dowager's life and death.

If he, the emperor who set the standard of filial piety, was revealed to have reported his biological father for treason, even Emperor Jiazhao would abandon him without hesitation.

The impeachment edicts written by the censors like flying snow would bring him to ruin in an instant, so he would not do such a thing.

……

Of course, he would not be so foolish as to leak the news to the emperor in advance by keeping it secret, because this would be as stupid and shallow as informing his biological father.

Because, Emperor Jia Zhao, who was always suspicious, would definitely be suspicious as to why someone other than the Jinyiwei knew the news in advance, and he would eventually conduct a thorough investigation into the source of the tip-off.

It was only a matter of a few days, so there was no need for Jia Cong to do such a stupid thing that would cause future troubles.

Only by letting the source of information pass into the palace through the Jinyiwei would it be the most reasonable and impeccable way, and only then could he, Jia She's biological son, stay out of the matter.

The fault lies with his father, and the son is completely unaware of it. Only when Jia She is tried for the crime can he gain more initiative and space for himself.

Therefore, in the past, he always had to plan first and spend time thinking of various means, but in this matter, the best strategy is to wait and see what happens and not act rashly.

……

When Zhishao heard Jia Cong say that there was indeed a big event, she was also shocked. She looked at Jia Cong quietly with her beautiful, watery and crystal eyes, but did not ask, because if he wanted to say it, he would tell her naturally.

Jia Cong never mentioned the matter of Jia She stealing muskets to anyone, not even to Yingchun, because Yingchun was Jia She's biological daughter, and she knew how to deal with the matter.

Moreover, many people knew about this matter. If the news leaked out, he would not be able to explain how he knew the news in advance.

But he had no such scruples towards Zhishao, so he told her the reason about Jia She.

Zhishao looked worried. She sat down next to him and asked, "If the eldest master is questioned, will the third master be implicated?"

Jia Cong smiled bitterly: "After all, he is my father, so he will definitely be implicated. However, now that I have a title, even if I am implicated, it will be limited, and I will not lose my job or be convicted."

Zhi Shao asked, "He is your father after all. If Third Master knew about this in advance, wouldn't he want to save him?"

Jia Cong snorted and said, "Even if the master is convicted for doing such a thing, it is his own fault. No one can save him!"

He turned around, gently stroked Zhishao's hair, and said, "If it weren't for him, you wouldn't have suffered so much, wandering in the south of the Yangtze River, and almost never found your way back.

I have been holding this grudge in my heart. Compared to you, he is worthless!"

Although Zhishao felt sweet in her heart, she still felt it was strange. She covered Jia Cong's mouth with a red face and said, "Third Master, you can't say this casually. If someone hears it, it will cause a big trouble.

Besides, I am by your side now..."

Zhishao's words were not groundless worries. In today's world, filial piety is the way to rule the country, and the law of filial piety and courtesy is greater than heaven.

If others heard Jia Cong saying that his biological father was worse than a dog compared to this personal concubine, he would probably be caught and thrown into a pig cage.

Jia Cong whispered in Zhishao's ear in a rather unreliable tone: "I'm not kidding you. I'm speaking from the heart. You don't know how proud I am since I found you back from Jiangnan."

Zhishao blushed, wanting to laugh but not daring to, but Jia Cong put his arms around her slender waist and gently brought her into his arms.

Jia Cong added: "In fact, what I am most worried about now is not the matter of the eldest master, but the news I heard that the palace will grant a marriage in the next few days.

The time just happened to coincide with the Master's incident, and his family might be raided and his people arrested. The marriage will definitely be in turmoil, and the West Mansion will probably be in chaos."

Zhishao raised her head in his arms and said, "No wonder the Third Master asked the Second Miss to seal the gate of the courtyard these two days. He was worried that something unexpected would happen when the time came."

The two of them were whispering to each other, and just as they were rubbing their ears, they heard Juan'er's voice from outside: "Sister Yuanyang, how come you have time to come...?"

When Yuanyang came in, she saw Jia Cong reading a book seriously, and Zhishao was grinding ink obediently on the side, but her pretty face was flushed, which made her look very attractive.

Yuanyang blinked and smiled, "I am here to congratulate the Third Master. An official from the Ministry of Rites just came to deliver a message that the palace has issued an order to grant the Third Master and Miss Zhen a marriage.

The marriage decree will be issued at an auspicious time the day after tomorrow. The old lady asked the third master to go to Rongqing Hall to discuss how to prepare for the marriage. "

Zhishao, who was grinding ink nearby, looked at Jia Cong in surprise. The two were just talking about this matter, and now the truth came out. She didn't expect that the Third Master guessed it exactly.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

When Jia Cong entered the hall, not only were Lady Jia, Lady Wang, and Aunt Xue there, but Jia Zheng was also sitting beside them with a smile on his face.

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Yuanyang just came over to tell you something. You know the good news. You are always thoughtful. Since it is your own happy event, I want to hear your opinion."

Jia Zheng said with a smile: "Brother Cong has made great contributions in Jinling this time. He has just been promoted by the emperor and has been promoted to a higher position in the government. Now he has been granted the honor of marriage by the palace.

I am afraid that within two days, this wonderful story of our Jia family will spread all over the capital."

Grandmother Jia also smiled, which was rare for her. She did not seem to be disgusted by her son's boasting.

But Mrs. Wang, who was standing by, was really disgusted by the actions of the mother and son.

I feel that the old lady and the master have actually forgotten that Baoyu is the noble man who was born with a jade in his mouth, the apple of their eye, and their own son.

Now this man has been granted marriage by the palace with great fanfare, but my Baoyu is still neglected. Why doesn't anyone come to propose marriage? Things in this world are so unfair.

Mrs. Wang glanced at Aunt Xue and thought of her most unexpected niece Baochai, otherwise she would not have brought up the topic of the golden marriage.

Next year Baoyu will be of marriageable age, and this matter should be taken care of...

Mrs. Wang was thinking about it in her heart, but she saw her sister looking at Jia Cong with an expression of envy and loss in her eyes, and she felt unhappy again.

……

Grandmother Jia then said to Wang Xifeng, "Your brother will be getting married the day after tomorrow. The angel will deliver the message in Rongxi Hall. Tomorrow you should have someone clean up the hall.

I'll take out rare items from the collection and make more decorations. Since it's a happy occasion, I can't bring disgrace to the Rongguo Mansion.

From the main gate to the ceremonial gate, and then to the inner and outer courtyards, the palace will be decorated with red and colorful decorations to show respect for the royal favor. "

Wang Xifeng smiled and said, "Madam, please rest assured. Brother Cong is very happy. As his sister-in-law, I have to do my best to make sure that everything goes well. Please just wait and see, old ancestor."

Grandmother Jia said to Jia Cong, "This is your wedding. Just tell me how you want to handle it. Your master and I are here and will make the decision for you."

Jia Cong said: "According to Cong's opinion, for this palace-appointed marriage, it is better for the two mansions to keep it simple and low-key, and not to be too extravagant and ostentatious."

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she frowned and said, "Why are you talking nonsense again? Marriages should not be grand and ostentatious. There is no such thing as a simple and low-key one."

Jia Cong said, "I heard that the old lady came to the palace last time to visit the old Concubine Zhen's condition. The old lady is old and knowledgeable. In your opinion, when will the old Concubine Zhen recover?"

Grandmother Jia was feeling a little angry. Seeing Jia Cong suddenly change the subject, she was slightly startled and then sighed, "It is rare for a person to live to be eighty years old. The old concubine is already very old.

It’s fine if you’re fine at your age, but if you’re sick, well, to be disrespectful, that’s extremely dangerous.”

Jia Cong said: "The old lady's guess is probably correct. Marriages in the palace are granted with honor and respect for the nobles. They are complicated and require many days of preparation to show the royal favor.

But this time, the imperial decree for the marriage was only issued today, and the auspicious day chosen for the announcement is the day after tomorrow. It is so urgent and hasty that it is very unusual.

Cong was worried that the old concubine would say something unbearable, so the emperor quickly announced the marriage as a good omen to comfort the old concubine. "

As soon as Jia Cong finished speaking, Jia Mu, Jia Zheng and others all changed their expressions. Although Jia Cong spoke in a tactful and obscure way, they all understood his meaning.

From the issuance of the decree to the announcement of the imperial edict, this marriage took less than three days.

Grandmother Jia came from a noble family and was knowledgeable. She had seen arranged marriages in previous years and when she thought about it carefully, it was indeed not as hasty as the one in her own family.

The reason must be what Jia Cong guessed, that the old Concubine Zhen's condition was beyond recovery and her life was at stake, so the palace accelerated the process of granting the marriage.

Jia Cong said: "I have heard people talk about the past. In the past, when the Empress Dowager or the Concubine passed away, the court issued an edict:

Any family with a title is not allowed to hold banquets or music within a year, and both officials and civilians are not allowed to get married for three months.

Cong was worried that even if the marriage was granted the day after tomorrow, if unexpected rumors spread in the days before and after, it would be too late to hold the wedding.

Under such circumstances, the East and West Palaces only need to clean and replace the utensils and ritual vessels. If the celebration is too ostentatious, it will offend the old concubine's birthday celebration and would be inappropriate."

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Jia Zheng's face changed and he said, "Madam, what Cong said is very reasonable. This time, after waiting for the marriage decree, it will probably take several months to hold the wedding.

However, my Jia family has also received the honor of this marriage, and the rest of the matter can be handled according to what Cong said, and it will be safest."

Grandmother Jia thought about it carefully and realized that this was exactly what Jia Cong said. The palace's hasty marriage announcement must mean that the old empress dowager's life was in danger.

As long as there is mourning news from the palace, the whole country is in mourning, and it is impossible to hold a happy event there...

When Jia Cong saw Lady Jia's expression, he knew that she had listened to his words and sighed slightly in his heart.

We can just fool around for a day at a time. As long as we wait for the news from the Royal Guards to reach the capital, the situation will change! (End of this chapter)