Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, East Courtyard.

Jia She did not come home last night, so Mrs. Xing naturally knew what he had done. She was so angry that she could not sleep well all night. When she fell asleep at dawn, she heard a commotion outside.

When he hurriedly got dressed and went out, he saw the whole yard full of officers in brocade uniforms, with embroidered spring swords in their hands shining with cold light, searching the houses everywhere.

The maids and old women in the mansion occasionally let out screams of fear, mixed with the sounds of porcelain tables and chairs being overturned and broken, and the whole day in the East Courtyard seemed as if the end of the world had come.

Mrs. Xing stood in front of the door of the main house. She was so frightened by the miserable and chaotic scene before her that she trembled all over and fell to the ground.

……

Xu Kun, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, received the order from Emperor Jia Zhao and quickly left the palace, racing against time and personally leading people to the Rongguo Mansion to arrest the person.

Xu Kun was a thoughtful person, and he remembered every word that Emperor Jiazhao had said.

The most crucial sentence is that the emperor asked him to take Jia She back to the Jinyiwei Yamen for questioning, instead of arresting him and putting him in prison.

These two sentences seem to have similar meanings at first glance, but upon closer inspection they are actually very different.

Xu Kunsheng had been the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for many years and had frequent contact with Emperor Jiazhao on a daily basis. He was good at guessing the emperor's mind in private, so he could naturally understand the meaning behind it.

Although the emperor was very angry about Jia She's involvement in the smuggling of muskets, he left room for him between his words and actions.

Not only did he change the arrest into an interrogation, but he also issued a strict order not to use severe torture in order to save his life. After obtaining solid evidence, the news was blocked and reported urgently to the palace for the emperor to make the final decision.

Your Majesty did this so that he could maintain maximum flexibility and initiative when dealing with Jia She.

But why would His Majesty be so merciful to such a dissolute and incompetent noble?
Others may not be able to figure out the deep meaning of this, but as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xu Kun has many eyes and ears and is well-informed, so he knows that today is the day when the emperor grants marriage to Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong.

Weiyuan Marquis Jia Cong is highly regarded by the current emperor, and Jia She is Jia Cong's father. According to Xu Kun's speculation, the emperor must have taken Jia Cong into consideration, so he left room for Jia She in everything.

Although it is common for a king to favor a certain minister, Jia She was involved in the theft of firearms, which is a serious crime. Yet, the emperor was able to cover up for his biological father because of Jia Cong.

Xu Kun was really surprised that Jia Cong could receive such honor and favor from the king.

But Xu Kun didn't know that even if the Jinyiwei had sharp eyes and ears, and Xu Kun was smart, he couldn't detect that this situation was just a trap set by Jia Cong in advance.

Ultimately, it was that amazing blueprint of the breech-loading rifle that had an impact on Emperor Jiazhao's mind.

……

Since Xu Kun could fully understand the emperor's will, he naturally would not dare to do anything too drastic, let alone make it too ostentatious.

So this time he only brought more than twenty Jinyiwei to enter the mansion to search for Jia She.

But the East Courtyard was much smaller than the Rongguo Mansion. Even if more than twenty Jinyiwei broke in, the momentum was already very scary.

In just half a cup of tea, the Jinyiwei searched the entire East Courtyard and completed questioning the relevant people.

The captain who led the team came over and reported to Xu Kun: "Sir, we have searched the entire courtyard and found no trace of Jia She. We have also questioned Jia She's wife and several managers in the courtyard.

They all said in unison that Jia She did not return home last night, and that he had recently bought a foreign house in Chongqingfang and kept a newly bought singing girl, so he might have stayed there overnight.

Sir, is it possible that Jia She is hiding in the east and west mansions of the Jia family? Should I bring people into the mansions to search for him?"

Xu Kun frowned and said, "It's not appropriate. Jia She has not yet obtained evidence, and the emperor has not issued an oral order to confiscate the property. Madam Jia of the West Mansion is a super-rank official, so we can't act rashly without the emperor's order."

As for Jia Cong, the Marquis of Weiyuan in the East Palace, he was an even more difficult person to deal with. Many generals of the Guards had been killed by him. Even a second-rank official in Nanzhili could not escape his fate when he met him.

His residence has just been upgraded to a first-class earl by His Majesty. No one can search it without a royal decree. Don't bring bad luck upon yourself.

Take my warrant, dispatch a hundred men, and have them take care of the east and west mansions of the Jia family. The rest of you, come with me to Chongqingfang to capture Jia She!"

……

Chongqingfang, Jia She’s outer residence.

Cuihong was so tired last night that she almost died. Before Jia She even finished his work, she fell into a deep sleep like a dead person.

Although it was heart-wrenching, I felt a little scared when I thought about it. This old man was useless before, but I don't know what medicine he took wrong last night, he got so energetic and felt so happy.

Because she was so exhausted, Cuihong slept very soundly and did not wake up until dawn.

When she woke up, she saw Jia She lying on his side beside her, sleeping like a dead pig, with even the quilt covering him.

Cuihong recalled the madness of last night and pushed Jia She in a coquettish voice, "Master was very cunning last night, why don't you wake up quickly?"

After just two pushes, Jia She did not move at all, and his body was stiff and cold.

Cuihong was startled and quickly turned his body over. She found that Jia She's face was purple, his mouth was slightly open, and blood was oozing from his nostrils and corners of his mouth. She checked his breath and found that he had died a long time ago.

Cuihong was so frightened that she screamed, but she still didn't give up. She quickly asked the maid to call a doctor. The yard suddenly became a mess.

The maid had just left the house and Cuihong was still trembling with fear and her whole body was limp.

Suddenly, she saw a large number of Jinyiwei rushing into the yard. There were loud noises, and many of them drew out their sharp embroidered spring swords, which frightened her again and made her scream in fear.

The captain who led the team showed no mercy and kicked Cuihong to the ground. He ordered his men to guard the surrounding walls while he led his men into the main house.

After a while, he came out with a strange look on his face and said to Xu Kun, "My lord, it's bad. Jia She is naked, bleeding from his mouth and nose, and dead in his bed!"

Xu Kun was shocked when he heard this. He rushed into the room and found Jia She dead on the bed in a dishevelled state. Xu Kun's face suddenly became extremely ugly.

The emperor also asked him to get concrete evidence from Jia She before the end of the noon hour. Now that the person is dead, how can he ask him?

The captain of the Jinyi Guards who led the team threatened and questioned Cuihong again, but she only said that Jia She was fine last night, but suddenly died when he woke up this morning.

But Xu Kun, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, had seen too many sinister and evil things. Jia She's theft of muskets had just been exposed, and he died just in time. Is there such a coincidence in the world?

But looking at the way Jia She died on the embroidered bed, his debauchery was obvious, and it didn't seem like he was murdered.

Now Xu Kun no longer had to bother interrogating Jia She. Before the end of the noon hour, there was no need to rush. He could only report the news of Jia She's death to the palace as soon as possible.

However, the current emperor is extremely wise and does not tolerate any injustice. When Xu Kun reports back, he must have an explanation for the cause of Jia She's death, otherwise it will be difficult to get away with it.

So he ordered one of his centurions to go to Zhen'an Prefecture to dispatch the most experienced coroner, and have him come here as soon as possible to examine Jia She's body.

When the coroner arrived and examined Jia She's body, he roughly determined the cause of death and the time of his death.

The Jinyiwei checked the traces inside and outside the yard and questioned the neighbors. Everything seemed normal. With the two confirmations, they deduced the cause of the incident.

Although Xu Kun had done all these operations extremely tightly, it was still almost noon. After reading the transcript, Xu Kun hurried into the palace to report to Emperor Jiazhao.

……

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

Ever since Xu Kun left the palace to question Jia She, Emperor Jia Zhao continued to review the memorials that were always piling up on his desk as usual.

But Guo Lin, who was attending beside him, could sense that the emperor was actually somewhat uneasy.

The emperor had been reading the memorial in his hand for a long time without changing it. His eyes were always looking at the Western clock on the table opposite him, intentionally or unintentionally.

When it was past noon, Guo Lin saw Emperor Jiazhao stand up from the throne, walk around the bookshelf several times with his hands behind his back, and his face became increasingly gloomy.

At this time, the eunuch outside the palace called out, "Your Majesty, Jinyiwei Commander Xu Kun is outside the palace asking to see you."

Emperor Jia Zhao, who was waiting anxiously, brightened up a little when he heard this and said, "Summon him to the palace immediately."

When Emperor Jia Zhao saw Xu Kun entering the palace, he asked anxiously, "Have you obtained any concrete evidence from Jia She?"

Xu Kun looked grim, and said with his head bowed, "Your Majesty, I found Jia She in a house in Chongqingfang, but he had died suddenly!"

Emperor Jia Zhao was shocked, then his expression became complicated, and he asked in a deep voice: "How could a person die suddenly? What was the cause of death?"

Xu Kun replied: "After I found the body, I sealed off the yard to prevent the news from leaking out, investigated the scene, and sent the coroner from the government office to examine the body.

According to the autopsy results, Jia She died around Chou time last night. He must have died of a sudden heart attack, bursting blood vessels, and suffocation. There was blood stasis in his mouth and nose, and his body reeked of alcohol.

There were still some leftover wine and food in the side rooms of the house. The coroner also found spilled wine on the table. The aroma of the wine was very strong, and there was a strong smell of medicinal paste. The coroner judged that it was high-quality medicinal wine soaked in animals.

Half a jar of fine wine was also found in the room, and it was confirmed that it was the same wine as the wine spilled on the table.

I asked someone who knows the business to come and check it out. He said that this wine was soaked with tiger bones and tiger penis, and many rare and vintage medicinal materials were added. It is a top-grade tonic.

Furthermore, the wine has been tested with a silver needle and a silver cup to confirm that it is non-toxic."

Emperor Jia Zhao frowned and said, "Did Jia She die from drinking just one jar of tonic wine?"

Xu Kun looked slightly embarrassed and replied, "Your Majesty, you may not know that this wine has been inspected and is not an ordinary tonic wine.

The tiger bones, tiger penises and precious medicines contained in it are all top-grade items. After years of soaking, they become a powerful root-strengthening and aphrodisiac medicinal wine.

The woman living in that mansion was named Cuihong. She was a singing girl that Jia She bought at a huge price and kept as his concubine for his pleasure.

According to the coroner's examination, Jia She drank a large amount of this tonic wine last night, which led to a strong sexual desire.

After entering the room, he indulged himself too much with Cuihong. He was already old, and felt empty inside. Stimulated by the medicinal wine, he sprayed oil and lit a fire, consuming the remaining lamp.

He had no restraint at all, which caused blood to rush to his head, causing him to suddenly have a heart attack, burst blood vessels and suffocate to death.

According to the coroner, Jia She's foundation was already bad at his age. He drank such strong spring wine and indulged in bed, almost seeking death... "

Emperor Jia Zhao had a disgusted expression on his face and said in a cold voice: "For a dignified heir to the title of Rongguo Mansion to die in such a dirty and humble way is simply a disgrace to the nobles!"

……

Xu Kun added: "Your Majesty, Jia She died suddenly, and the clues of the case have been cut off. There is no evidence to convict him, nor can we use him to find out who is behind the scenes. We can only think of another way." When Emperor Jia Zhao heard this, his heart trembled, and a slight sneer appeared at the corner of his mouth.

He looked at the breech-loading rifle blueprint on the table and said in a deep voice, "Xu Kun, the news about the Jinling Jinyiwei's report on Jia She must be kept strictly secret.

However, Jia She’s crimes must be strictly and secretly investigated, and the findings will be determined by me!
Remember, Jia She is innocent now. His death today was caused by drinking. Tell his family to collect his body and burn it."

When Emperor Jia Zhao said this, Xu Kun and Guo Lin who were present were both surprised.

Although it is only suspected that Jia She stole the muskets, anyone with a discerning eye can see that he did it and cannot escape the guilt.

Why did His Majesty specifically state that Jia She is now innocent?
Although Xu Kun was confused, since this was the emperor's will, he naturally did not say much. He accepted the order and left the palace to go back to take care of things.

Although Guo Lin also had doubts in his mind, it was impossible for him to ask the emperor.

……

Emperor Jiazhao glanced at the Western clock on the desk.

That was a tribute specially made by the Kingdom of Schwyz according to the twelve-hour rule of the Great Zhou Dynasty. The hour hand on the clock happened to be at the third quarter of the si hour.

He said to Guo Lin, "Guo Lin, send someone to report Jia She's death to Chonghua Palace. I will go to see my father in person later.

Back then, out of filial piety, I granted Jia Cong an official title and asked him to copy scriptures for Empress Dowager Xianxiao. Later, I posthumously conferred an official title on his deceased mother for her filial piety.

If Jia Cong wants to be a filial and righteous person, he must be consistent from beginning to end. If his father is caught in a serious crime, how can he be a filial son... "

Guo Lin was also a shrewd person. After listening to Emperor Jiazhao's words, he immediately understood the profound meaning of Emperor Jiazhao's emphasis on Jia She's innocence.

The Zhou Dynasty's etiquette and national laws have rules for depriving officials of their affections for serious crimes. Since ancient times, Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, the parents, and the teachers have been the most important people in the country; father and son are all officials in the court, and the Emperor comes before the parents.

When a father commits one of the five major crimes including treason, the son shall observe the filial piety, but the national law shall deprive him of his mercy in order to punish the serious crime and serve as a warning to others.

In this era, having a son to take away your love, or having no son to see you off at the end of your life, is a punishment comparable to beheading.

The emperor knew that Jia She's guilt was exposed, but because of his sudden death, no evidence could be obtained, so he emphasized his innocence, which allowed Jia Cong to justify his filial piety.

As for the purpose of doing this, Guo Lin had it very clear in his mind.

When the news of Jia She's death was reported to Chonghua Palace, the retired emperor would know the truth as soon as he heard it. Even if the emperor was not prepared, he would have nothing to say.

Guo Lin was secretly shocked. The emperor had a deep plan and at the last minute of granting the marriage, he took advantage of the situation and finally got what he wanted.

Emperor Jia Zhao wrote an urgent decree, sealed it with his imperial seal, and handed it to Guo Lin, saying, "According to the time, the Ministry of Rites must have left for Jia Mansion to pass on the decree.

You must hurry to the Jia Mansion and announce my decree without any mistakes!"

……

Shenjing, Anfengfang, Si time.

Today is a very good day, with clear skies and crisp autumn air. The streets are bustling with shops and people.

In the private room on the second floor of an inconspicuous little restaurant on the street, when Chen Yongchuan came in, the handsome man was already waiting there.

When he saw Chen Yongchuan coming in, he asked, "Manager Zhao, has Jia She's problem been resolved?"

Shopkeeper Zhao said with a smile: "These days, I call myself Chen Yongchuan, the manager of the Sun family. After a lot of trouble, I finally got the matter resolved.

Sir Liu, rest assured. I have arranged for people in Chongqingfang early in the morning. In the early hours of the morning, news of Jia She's death came from his outer residence, and people from the Jinyiwei and Zhen'an Mansion arrived."

The man asked, "This must be done cleanly. No one should know that Jia She was killed by someone else. Otherwise, there will be complications.

Let the Jinyiwei realize that if a noble man of the country was silenced, it would attract public attention.

The one in the palace will surely be alert and will mobilize all forces to investigate this matter, and then we will be in danger."

Manager Zhao said, "Don't worry, sir. I am here as the steward of the Sun family and I even helped Sun Shaozu pay two thousand taels of bonus. I have done a good job and will not arouse suspicion.

There is no killer in the world who would spend so much money before killing someone. Even if the guys in Jia She's store remember me, they will never suspect me.

I have run a medicine shop in Jinling for several years, and it has not been in vain. I have learned a lot about pharmacology.

Last year, I met a traveling Miao doctor, from whom I obtained a rare Southern Xinjiang Ghost Crow. This medicine can cause hallucinations and unconsciousness, deplete marrow, and give one enormous strength. It was listed as a banned substance by the imperial court ten years ago.

I learned the secret method and ground the ghost crow into medicinal wine, and gave it to Jia She as a gift of congratulations. That jar of high-quality medicinal wine became his death poison.

He drank too much of this wine last night, and with Beauty in the room, he felt hallucinated and unconscious, and the aphrodisiac was intense. He was old, and his foundation was weak, and he felt dizzy and it would be strange if he didn't die.

Moreover, the Ghost Crow itself is non-toxic. After it is mixed into the wine, it will not react when probed with any silver tool. Even the most skilled coroner will not be able to find any flaws. "

After hearing this, Lord Liu nodded in satisfaction and said, "That's great. As long as others believe that Jia She died in an accident, the matter of the Jinling Firearms Workshop will be completely settled.

Even if the Jinling Jinyiwei sent the news to Shenjing, it would be useless.

You have shown your face in Jia She's shop, and the Jinyiwei may find you. You should leave the city today and go back to Jinling to take shelter for a while. If there is news from the Zhen family, someone will be needed to contact them."

After a while, the two left the tavern one after another and disappeared in the bustling crowd.

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Early in the morning, news spread in the East Courtyard that a large number of Jinyiwei had entered the garden to interrogate Jia She, which frightened Lady Jia, Mrs. Wang and others.

Grandmother Jia hurriedly asked Lin Zhixiao to find out what had happened. Not long after, Lin Zhixiao came in with a message saying that the eldest master did not return home last night, and the Jinyiwei did not find anyone and have now retreated.

Although her son was not taken away, Grandmother Jia was still shocked.

He was angry at his eldest son, a man with white hair and beard, but he was still so restless and even provoked the Jinyiwei.

Whenever someone was visited by the Jinyiwei, it was usually a disaster that was extremely difficult to deal with.

Today is the happy day when my grandson is getting married. If something embarrassing happens, the Jia family will lose all face.

So she asked someone to call Mrs. Xing over for questioning. When Mrs. Xing came, before Lady Jia asked any questions, she began to wipe her eyes and tears.

Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "Today is your son's big day, why are you crying? If you have something to say, just say it. It's said that your master didn't return home yesterday. Where did he go? How did he offend the Jinyiwei again?"

Mrs. Xing's face turned red and she hesitated, not daring to speak. Jia She's keeping a concubine might not be a big deal in an ordinary family, but it was a scandal in a noble family like the Jia family.

Moreover, in Jia's grandmother's eyes, if Jia She did such a thing, she would not blame her son for being dissolute, but would instead blame herself as a wife who was incompetent and a dead person with no purpose.

Although Mrs. Xing didn't want to say it, she couldn't resist Lady Jia's repeated urging, and the old lady's face became increasingly ugly. Mrs. Xing knew that this matter could not be concealed any longer.

Besides, almost everyone in the East Courtyard knows about this. If I don't tell anyone now, the old lady will ask others and find out, and I, the mistress of the house, will be even more embarrassed.

So she had no choice but to cry and say, "Old lady, you have to make the decision for me. I have always tried my best to persuade the master to take care of himself, but he would not listen to a word I said.

Now he has bought a house in Chongqingfang and got a singing girl from Xingxianglou. I heard she is only sixteen or seventeen years old. She has a mistress. He didn’t go home last night and spent the night there. "

When Grandmother Jia heard this, she turned pale with anger and slammed the table, cursing, "This shameless evildoer, his hair and beard are all white, and he spends all his time marrying concubines.

He actually keeps a little whore outside. Today is her son's wedding, but I went out to fool around overnight. If this gets out, I'll be stripped naked."

Grandmother Jia pointed at Madam Xing and said disdainfully, "What's the point of your crying? Why don't you send some servants to find that evil creature?

Today is his son's wedding, and as his father, he has to show up.

Also, why did the Royal Guards question your master?"

When Mrs. Xing heard this, she was stunned. She thought about how the Jinyiwei broke in early in the morning, made such a fuss, and then left in a hurry without even saying why they wanted to arrest Jia She?
Little did she know that Xu Kun had figured out Emperor Jia Zhao's intention and handled the matter in a low-key manner without making it too public. He just went into people's homes to arrest them, but was vague about the reason for the arrest.

……

At this time, as the time for the marriage was approaching, Jia Cong and Yingchun also came to Rongqing Hall to wait.

However, the East Palace still kept the news closed and left Tanchun to accompany Daiyu.

Last night, Jia Cong learned about the actions of the Jinyiwei and concluded that the news about the Jinling Jinyiwei had been delivered to Jinling.

However, Jia Cong got up before dawn, but he never heard any noise coming from the east courtyard.

According to common sense, as long as the news of Jia She stealing muskets reached the palace, Emperor Jia Zhao would definitely order the Jinyiwei to arrest him.

When he first arrived at Rongqing Hall, he heard that the Jinyiwei had entered the East Courtyard to interrogate Jia She, and he felt secretly delighted in a very unfilial way.

I just feel that today's arranged marriage is bound to be ruined.

But when Lin Zhixiao brought back the news that the Jinyiwei had not caught the master, he left without saying a word and did not take any other action.

Jia Cong's mood suddenly fell to the bottom again, and he was full of doubts.

Now it was already past the hour of Si, and none of the situations that Jia Cong had expected had happened.

Since Jia She had already been exposed, why did Emperor Jia Zhao still not respond to the marriage?

The auspicious time for the marriage was approaching, and Jia Cong's heart sank suddenly.

Could it be that something unexpected has happened and I have no choice but to accept the marriage decree first... ?
At this time, everyone in Rongqing Hall was in a different mood, some happy, some annoyed, and some worried.

Suddenly, Lin Zhixiao's wife came in with a happy face and said, "Old lady, news has come from the outer courtyard that the official from the Ministry of Rites who is granting the marriage has entered the mansion and is heading to Rongxi Hall.

The Second Master sent a message, asking the old lady to take Third Master Cong to Rongxi Hall to receive the imperial edict. "(End of this chapter)