Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The next day, in the capital, at Hongde Gate, the sun was setting and night was falling.

Just before the city gate closed, a rider on a fast horse rushed to the gate, and the gatekeeper was about to stop him for inspection.

The knight on horseback took out a dark iron plate. The gatekeeper took it and examined it. He was slightly shocked because it was an iron plate with an imperial decree from the Imperial Guards.

Whenever the Jinyiwei have a secret military order, they will carry this token with them, and no city gate or checkpoint will be allowed to obstruct them.

The gatekeepers were hurriedly handing back the token respectfully, and the knight on horseback rode quickly through the city gate without saying a word.

He looked at the magnificent Shenjing City before him, sighed slightly, adjusted the secret box and documents in the bag behind him, and rode his horse into the crowd.

This man was none other than Liu Hai, a captain of Jinling Jinyiwei. After entering the city, he did not dare to delay any longer as there were many eyes and ears in the capital and he wanted to avoid giving others a chance to talk about him. However, by this time the Jinyiwei office had already been disbanded.

According to the address given by Ge Zhicheng, he went to the residence of He Honghui, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and handed the secret box and documents to He Honghui, thus completing his mission.

As for when He Honghui reported the matter to Jinyiwei commander Xu Kun, that had nothing to do with his bangs.

Liu Hai found He Honghui's residence and asked the doorman of He's mansion to pass on the Jinyiwei token and message. Soon he was invited to He Honghui's study.

He Honghui was less than 40 years old, with a strong body, fair complexion and a slight beard, and he looked shrewd and capable. As he could become the deputy official of the Jinyiwei Yamen at his age, he was certainly no ordinary person.

"Sir He, I am here on the orders of the chiefs of Jinling to deliver a secret box of letters and documents, which contain important events concerning the capital!"

When He Honghui heard about the major events in Shenjing, his expression changed slightly.

Ge Zhicheng sent a secret letter to the Jinyiwei Yamen in Shenjing, not directly to the commander Xu Kun, but asked his confidant to present it to himself first, which also made him realize that something was unusual.

He Honghui carefully checked that the wax seal of the secret box was intact, opened the secret box and took out the letter. After reading the contents of the letter, his face changed drastically!
He frowned and asked, "I saw the date on the letter. Normally you should have arrived in Beijing two days ago. Why did you delay the delivery of such an important letter for two days?"

Liu Hai's expression remained unchanged as he said, "When I passed through Chuzhou, I encountered heavy rain for several days. Mountain torrents destroyed the road, so I had to take a detour, which delayed me for two days."

He Honghui said, "This matter is urgent, but the palace gates are locked now, so the news cannot be sent into the palace. I will report it to Commander Xu immediately and ask him to make the decision."

...

Shenjing, Chongqingfang, Jia She's outer residence.

When the Rongguo Mansion was about to receive the joyous news of the appointed marriage, they did not decorate with red and green. Jia She only bought a singing girl as his concubine, but he decorated the house with pink and green flowers, making it full of joy.

The reason for this dressing up is that this 28-year-old singing girl named Cuihong is too charming and sweet.

Jia She decorated the yard like this just to please the young lady, so that when she entered the bridal chamber and sat on the beautiful couch, she would be more attentive and accommodating to him.

However, he was having a mistress after all, which was considered a disgrace to the family in a noble family like the Rongguo Mansion, so he would naturally not make it public, let alone be so absurd as to invite relatives and friends to a drink to congratulate him.

Chen Yongchuan, who happened to come from Jinling, learned about this and gave him a large gift. So tonight, he invited him to come over for a drink and have fun together.

Chen Yongchuan was a slippery man, and he flattered Jia She with his words. The two of them toasted each other and drank the wine as soon as it was finished, enjoying themselves very much.

Finally, Chen Yongchuan opened the jar of White Tiger Precious Wine again and said with a smile: "Old Sir, now is the time to drink precious wine. Let me also take advantage of your kindness and drink this wine together."

Jia She laughed out loud: "That's great!"

Chen Yongchuan poured a glass of Baihu wine for Jia She and himself. Jia She saw that the wine was golden in color, soft like cotton, and had a mellow aroma.

He thought of the wonderful things about the wine that Chen Yongchuan had mentioned, as well as the young and charming beauty in the embroidery room. He couldn't help but smile triumphantly and drank the glass in one gulp.

When the wine went down his throat, Jia She felt a line of fire going straight into his stomach, emitting a strong heat.

The drunkenness that had been caused by drinking too much was completely washed away, and then a warmth suddenly appeared in his hands and feet. His whole body was refreshed and seemed to be glowing with a strange vitality.

Jia She has always been a wine lover. Even his grandmother nagged him, saying that he did not know how to be a good official and only knew how to drink with his concubine all day long.

He had drunk many fine wines in his life, but none as magical as Baihu Liquor.

"What Yongchuan said is true. This wine is indeed wonderful. It is indeed a precious wine!"

Jia She only drank one glass of Baihu wine, but he seemed to be tempted and couldn't help wanting to drink the second glass. He was a man of unbridled nature, and had no self-control when it came to his greed for wine and sex.

Chen Yongchuan was very good at rhetoric. Jia She was so happy that he drank four or five cups of Baihu wine in a row, but Chen Yongchuan did not even finish the first cup. He just sipped it and hummed softly, as if he was savoring the taste.

Jia She thought that he had a low alcohol tolerance and had drunk too much before, so he didn't care and poured himself two more glasses of Baihu wine.

After drinking the last two cups, Jia She felt a burning sensation in his stomach and his whole body was refreshed. The feeling of decadence and weakness caused by old age was swept away, and he seemed to have become a dozen years younger.

At this moment, he thought of the beautiful young lady in her twenties in the embroidery room, and his mind was filled with lust, and he could not wait any longer.

Chen Yongchuan seemed to be a little drunk and said, "The old man has a huge capacity for drinking. I really can't bear it anymore. I dare not accompany you any longer. Besides, the old man is inviting a beautiful woman today. A moment of spring night is worth a thousand gold.

I dare not delay your good deeds, so I will leave now, haha."

At this time, Jia She had drunk a lot of Baihu wine. His heart was burning with desire and he felt full of energy. He was just waiting for him to leave so that he could go back to his room and have some fun.

So he called two maids bought from the garden to escort Chen Yongchuan out. Chen Yongchuan said drunkenly: "You can just help the old man into the room. I will leave on my own. Don't bother with me."

He staggered when he stood up and even knocked over the unfinished glass of tiger bone wine on the table.

After hearing Chen Yongchuan's polite words, Jia She thought that he was drunk and ignored him. He helped the two maids back to the main house.

When we entered the main house, we saw the red candles swaying. Cuihong was dressed in red, with pearls and jade on her head. She had a beautiful face and a graceful figure, which made her even more seductive under the light.

This was not the first time Cuihong and Jia She had been together. When she saw Jia She's appearance today, she was a little surprised.

Seeing that his face was glowing and he was full of energy, the former decadence and decay had completely disappeared, as if he had become a completely different person. It was a pleasant surprise.

Cuihong called out tenderly, "Master, you are here. I have been waiting for you for a long time. Master looks particularly energetic today."

Jia She's eyebrows twitched strangely, and he said with a smile: "The master will show you something more energetic later, you must catch it."

As he said this, he went upstairs to live with Cuihong.

Tear away the attachment.

I couldn't wait to fall upon him.

...

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

Jia Cong stood in the yard, looking at the bright moon in the sky. It was as bright as a silver plate, shining brightly on the earth and the sky, and illuminating the flowers, trees and eaves in the yard in every detail, exuding a strange tranquility.

A dark cloud gradually encroached, and in an instant the full moon was completely swallowed up, and the surroundings immediately fell into a thick and depressing darkness.

Tomorrow is the day of the granted marriage, but there is still no news in the city. It seems that the news from the Jinling Jinyiwei has not yet reached the capital.

Since yesterday, Jia Cong has sent his trusted soldiers including Jiang Xiaoliu and Yu Xiuzhu to keep an eye on the movements of the Jinyiwei, Wucheng Bingmasi and other government offices in the city.

He also asked Jiang Liu to keep an eye on the outskirts of the East and West Palaces, and report to him immediately if he found anything unusual.

But for the past two days, everything remained calm, and now it was almost midnight, and there was still no news.

In the yard, Wu'er and Qingwen had extinguished the candles in the outer room one by one and prepared hot water for Jia Cong to wash. Zhishao had helped him tidy up the bed curtains and bedding. The day was almost over.

Jia Cong sighed slightly. Although the situation outside was calm, the situation inside was critical. The remaining few hours would be the last moment for him to take the initiative.

If the Jinyiwei still does not make any move before 9:00 tomorrow, then everything will become passive and difficult as the palace has granted the marriage first.

Just as Jia Cong was about to go back to his room to sleep, the little maid Juan'er came back outside the door and said that the Third Master's servant Jiang Liu had something urgent to discuss with the Third Master and was now waiting in the side hall outside the second gate.

When Jia Cong heard this, his eyes lit up and he quickly walked out of the inner courtyard.

As soon as he entered the side hall of the outer courtyard, Jiang Liu looked nervous and said, "Third Master, there are many unfamiliar faces on Ningrong Street, and there are many suspicious people around the East and West Mansions.

It's almost midnight now. Usually at this time, the shops on the street are closed and people are almost gone. Something is wrong."

Not long after, the housekeeper came to report that Jia Cong's personal soldiers wanted to see him. Not long after, Jiang Xiaoliu came hurriedly.

Said: “Third Master, Xiuzhu and I wandered around the city today and didn’t find anything unusual, so tonight we chose a wine shop at the intersection of Xining Street to have a drink.

Turning left at the intersection of that street, there happened to be the Jinyiwei Xijiao Baihu Suo. At about 11 p.m., fast horses suddenly entered the Baihu Suo, and then a large number of Jinyiwei in plain clothes came out of the Baihu Suo.

Xiuzhu and I felt strange, so we moved up and found that all these people came to Ningrong Street. "

After listening to what Jiang Liu and Jiang Xiaoliu said, Jia Cong's thoughts raced. Xijiao Hundred Households Station was the Jinyiwei Hundred Households Station closest to Ningrong Street.

A large number of Jinling Jinyiwei were suddenly mobilized at the hour of Hai. It seems that the news about Jinling Jinyiwei has finally reached Jinling!

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief, his expression remained calm, but the corners of his mouth twitched slightly, as if he was smiling.

The candlelight in the side hall flickered. In the dim light, Jiang Xiaoliu and Jiang Liu could not see Jia Cong's expression clearly.

Jiang Xiaoliu said, "Third Master asked us to keep an eye on the developments in the city, but there is something urgent. We have followed Third Master through life and death in Liaodong, and we are willing to die for him. Third Master, please give us your instructions if you have anything to say."

Jia Cong smiled slightly and said, "It's nothing. You have all worked hard today. Go down and have a rest. Have a good sleep today.

Jiang Xiaoliu and Jiang Liu saw Jia Cong waved to them and returned to the inner courtyard with an indifferent expression. They were both a little confused.

...

Shenjing, Chongqingfang, Jia She's outer residence.

Cuihong is just a prostitute. Her way of survival is to flatter and please others and devote herself to wealth and luxury. Her beautiful face and seductive figure are her most powerful weapons.

Otherwise, how could she have seduced Jia She, who spent two thousand miles of silver to redeem her? She coveted Jia She's prominent status, and being bought as a concubine by such a noble was the best destination for a woman like her.

But Jia She's aging body was a flaw, which made her feel disgusted. However, there was always a trade-off. She was a singing girl in the entertainment field, and she was used to acting in every occasion. But tonight was a pleasant surprise for Cuihong. Jia She seemed like a different person, and his old age and uselessness were completely gone.

This man had been awake for several days and had gone back and forth many times, still without any sense of fatigue, almost exhausting Cuihong to death.

But Cuihong had long been accustomed to the pleasures of life, and even though she was trembling with desire, her heart was filled with surprise. She became even more alert and responded to Wantou, which made Jia She even more crazy.

The candle in the house had gone out long ago, and in the dark night outside the window, the clouds that had been blocking the bright moon faded away, and the pale moonlight shone into the room.

At this time, Cuihong was a little unconscious, her eyes were half turned, her mouth was half open, and she couldn't even make any sound.

She naturally would not notice that under the moonlight, Jia She's face, which was originally rosy,

Visibly to the naked eye, the redness on his face quickly faded, revealing a grayish-snow base color that looked eerie and terrifying.

...

Early morning, the Great Zhou Palace, the Meridian Gate.

A large number of officials gathered in front of the city gate to prepare for the morning court session. This had been the scene day after day since Emperor Jiazhao ascended the throne.

As the drums on the city wall sounded, the roar spread in all directions.

The wide city gate slowly opened, and the officials waiting to enter the court dressed in their official hats and clothes, each with a dignified demeanor, as they stepped into the inner city.

A new day for the Great Zhou Empire begins again.

Among the officials who entered the Meridian Gate to attend court, there was a man who wore a black gauze crown and hat, a gold-woven robe with four beasts and flying fish, and a royal belt embroidered with a spring sword. He was in his early forties, with a prominent look and a dignified look, which attracted a lot of attention.

Many officials were surprised when they saw this person, because he was Xu Kun, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Like the Court of Inquisition, the Embroidered Uniform Guard was located outside the Three Judicial Departments, in the secret court of the inner court, and was the emperor's lackeys.

Although the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard holds a high position and great power, he generally does not attend routine court meetings except for standing on duty during grand court meetings.

Because the affairs of the Jinyiwei involved secrecy, there was no need to report them in court, and most of the time they were reported directly to the palace.

Therefore, the appearance of Jinyiwei commander Xu Kun in the morning court crowd attracted the attention of many officials.

But after passing the Meridian Gate, the officials who attended the morning court went to the Fengtian Hall, while Xu Kun went in another direction, walking hurriedly and looking anxious.

...

The morning court session that day also seemed a little unusual. Less than two quarters of an hour after Emperor Jiazhao sat in the hall, Guo Lin, the deputy chief eunuch of the inner court, approached the dragon throne and reported to Emperor Jiazhao in a low voice.

Because they were separated by the imperial steps, the officials who were on duty and attending court below naturally could not hear what Guo Lin reported.

However, the Minister of Rites Guo Youchang, who was standing in the front row of civil officials and was closest to the imperial steps, could clearly see the fierce surprise and excitement on Emperor Jiazhao's face!

In the court meetings that followed, many officials noticed that the emperor was somewhat absent-minded. He only gave instructions on a few important matters that were reported, and hastily adjourned the morning court session, which lasted less than half an hour.

This unusual behavior made many officials attending the court feel puzzled. Since ascending the throne, Emperor Jiazhao has been known for his diligence and prudence. He would attend the morning court every day, rain or shine, and the court had only been delayed once.

There has never been a morning court as short as today's. There must be a reason for it.

So many officials thought of the terminally ill Concubine Zhen in the palace.

Some time ago, officials from various ministries submitted their greetings one after another, and noble ladies from various families also lined up to enter the palace to pay their respects, causing a lot of commotion.

Could it be that Empress Dowager Zhen had said something unexpected about the emperor's death? Otherwise, why would the emperor have retired from court in such a hurry? But until these officials walked out of the Meridian Gate, they did not hear any sound from the palace announcing the death.

The officials in the court had all kinds of strange speculations about the emperor's unusual behavior, but no one thought that today was the day the emperor would grant marriage to Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong.

...

The palace city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Qianyang Palace.

Last night, Xu Kun, the commander of the Jinyiwei, was also shocked when he received a secret report from He Honghui, the deputy commander, about the Jinyiwei in Nanjing.

The matter involved the person who inherited the title in Rongguo Mansion and was of great importance. However, the palace gates had been locked at that time. The palace rules have always been strict and difficult to overcome, and the news was not reported to Emperor Jiazhao in time.

Therefore, at the hour of Mao this morning, before daybreak, Xu Kun followed the officials attending the morning court and entered the palace to report, regardless of any delay.

Emperor Jia Zhao looked at the secret report from the Jinling Jinyiwei in his hand. His face turned pale, veins bulged on his forehead, and his eyes were filled with a strange mixture of anger and excitement.

Xu Kun half-knelt in front of the imperial desk and said, "Your Majesty, I received a secret report from Nanjing last night. The palace gates have been locked, but I cannot report it to Your Majesty immediately.

But last night I mobilized a large number of royal guards to secretly surround the Jia family's east and west mansions, and will definitely not let Jia She escape."

Emperor Jia Zhao asked in a deep voice: "The secret document said that Jia She's fur shop was involved in the theft of firearms in Liaodong. As the commander of the Jinyiwei, what do you think?"

Xu Kun replied: "Your Majesty, when the Liaodong Army's firearms battalion's muskets were stolen, Your Majesty issued a strict order that the guards and Jinyiwei along the way should strictly investigate the whereabouts of the stolen muskets.

But even with such a tight net, the stolen muskets are still nowhere to be found. The person behind the scenes was still able to transport the stolen muskets to Nanjing via Shenjing, and even set up a construction workshop in Nanjing."

According to the official circular from Jia Cong, the Director of the Firearms Bureau, the improved Rumi gun imitated by the private workshop in Nanjing has completely reached the official standard.

The person behind the scenes would not be able to accomplish such a great thing without enormous power, financial resources, and careful planning skills.

Jia She is only a link in the whole incident. The person behind the scenes is feared and his intention of rebellion is obvious. This person will surely become a thorn in the side of the court!
Now that Jia She's theft has been exposed, in my humble opinion, there are only two possible outcomes.

One reason is that Jia She was greedy for gold and silver, so he helped someone transport goods, but he didn't know that the goods he was transporting included stolen guns. That would have been fine.

Second, Jia She knew that the things he was transporting were the guns stolen from Liaodong, but he still did it. The four kings and eight dukes, the old heroes, got involved in this matter, which became a disaster that would poke the sky, and the danger was unpredictable! "

Emperor Jia Zhao felt a shudder in his heart. He naturally understood what Xu Kun meant. If Jia She was deliberately involved, and the four kings and eight dukes were of the same blood, then were there other old heroes involved?

...

Since he ascended the throne, he has suppressed the old heroes of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes. What he wants to prevent is that these people will form cliques, become too powerful to be controlled, and hold the king hostage.

If among the four kings and eight dukes, Jia She was not the only one involved in the private manufacture of firearms, it would be a huge disaster!

Emperor Jiazhao had a gloomy expression. He glanced at the sketch of a breech-loading rifle on the imperial desk with a complicated look in his eyes. The edges of the drawing had become frayed due to frequent flipping and friction.

He took a deep breath, thought for a moment, and said, "Leave the palace immediately, go to Rongguo Mansion in person, and take Jia She to the Jinyiwei Yamen for questioning.

You must get solid evidence from Jia She before the end of the morning hour and report it to the palace immediately. There must be no mistakes!"

Guo Lin, who was standing by, heard that Emperor Jia Zhao wanted Xu Kun to confirm Jia She's guilt before the end of the noon hour. His eyes flashed and he understood the emperor's thoughts.

As a trusted eunuch of Emperor Jia Zhao, Guo Lin naturally knew very well that the emperor was opposed to the marriage between Jia Cong and the Zhen family of Nanjing, but he had been forbearing it because of his filial piety to the emperor.

Today is six quarters past nine, which is the auspicious time for the Ministry of Rites to announce the imperial decree to grant Jia Cong marriage. Your Majesty wants to obtain solid evidence of Jia She's guilt before the auspicious time, so as to put an end to the marriage!

...

Xu Kun said with difficulty: "Your Majesty, before the end of the morning hour, isn't the time too short? Your Majesty, please give me some time, and I will definitely live up to your expectations."

Emperor Jia Zhao said sinisterly: "Jia She is just an idle nobleman. Your Jinyiwei has so many tricks. After entering your government office, you still can't get the details?

Remember, use the torture carefully and spare his life. Once you get solid evidence, block the news and report it to the palace immediately, and wait for my judgment!"

Emperor Jiazhao watched Xu Kun hurriedly leave the Qianyang Palace and his gaze returned to the sketch of the breech-loading rifle on the imperial desk.

"Guo Lin, immediately send personnel from the Central Vehicle Department to keep an eye on the movements in Chonghua Palace and the progress of the marriage granted by the Ministry of Rites."

Guo Lin said: "Your Majesty, the Jinyiwei has found that Jia She is suspected of stealing firearms. Regardless of whether he was deceived or not, he can't escape the guilt. Based on this, his son Jia Cong can be stripped of the honor of marriage.

I am worried that it will be difficult to use torture before the end of the Chen hour. If Xu Kun cannot get any solid evidence, the Ministry of Rites will be in a hurry to grant the marriage, and it will be very difficult. "

Emperor Jia Zhao said coldly: "You think the matter is too simple, the Jinyiwei's request is just evidence of Jia She's suspicion.

The two wooden boxes that appeared in the workshop were not sufficient to constitute actual evidence without witnesses and circumstantial evidence.

The ancestors of the Rong State followed Taizu and made great contributions to the founding of the country. If the younger generations execute them without any evidence, it will be difficult to silence the people.

Moreover, the rumor of the arranged marriage was already known to everyone in the court and the public, and it involved the reputation of the retired emperor and the old concubine, and would affect the entire body.

Jia Cong had already left the country, been granted a title and established a household, and was registered in the clan office. It would be difficult to deprive him of the honor of marriage based solely on the suspected evidence of his father's guilt.

I can't leave myself with any handle that I can't wash away!
It's a pity that the news from the Royal Guards didn't reach the capital two days earlier, otherwise everything would have been handled with ease. Now, in such a hurry, we can only rely on Jia Cong's fate!"

Emperor Jiazhao had already prepared for the worst.

...

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Before daybreak that day, Wang Xifeng got up early and took Ping'er to inspect the mansion, checking the cleaning, layout, and hanging of items.

The managers of various departments of Rongguo Mansion were gathered in the side hall inside the second gate, and they were assigned detailed tasks, personnel allocation, rules of conduct, etc., so that both inside and outside the mansion were arranged in an orderly manner.

Although the mansion was not decorated with lights and colors as Jia Cong suggested, the Rongguo Mansion was still filled with a festive atmosphere, because today was the wedding day of Jia Cong, who was to be married off by the palace.

As Grandmother Jia was old, she could not sleep for long, so she got up before daybreak and sat in the hall, waiting for the glorious moment to arrive.

After a while, Wang Xifeng came to pay her respects after finishing her work, and Mrs. Wang came over not too early or too late, and the women started chatting in the hall.

Grandmother Jia was just about to ask why her granddaughters had been staying in the East Palace without going out for the past two days, and why they didn't come to join in the fun on such a happy occasion today. She was just about to ask Wang Xifeng to call them.

Suddenly, a maid came in panicking and said to Grandmother Jia, "Madam, things are not good. Many Jinyiwei have come into the East Courtyard and said they want to arrest the master!"

Jia Mu and others were all shocked when they heard this! (End of this chapter)