Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

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

Emperor Jiazhao was sitting behind his desk, reading the case documents reported by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Xu Kun, the commander of the Imperial Guard, half-knelt in front of the imperial desk and said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Guard has interrogated the shopkeeper and the employees of Hongchun Leather Goods several times.

The seized shop accounts were checked and it has been verified that the fur shop opened by Jia She has been hoarding tea, coarse salt, iron pots and other items since the end of spring this year, and then selling them to Ping'an Prefecture for profit.

The strict control of the circulation of tea, salt, ironware, etc. in the nine border towns is to prevent these things from flowing into the southern part of the Mongolian desert, the Haoqi Special Tribe, and the Tuman Tribe outside the Great Wall and becoming aid to the enemy. "

As Emperor Jia Zhao listened to Xu Kun's report and carefully read the detective documents in his hand, his expression became increasingly gloomy and ugly.

After reading through the documents, he flew into a rage and said, "This Jia She is so bold! He is a nobleman of the imperial court, but he doesn't appreciate the emperor's grace and goes to the border areas to sell tea, salt, iron and other contraband items. He is lawless!

Have you found out who in Ping An Prefecture was doing business with him?"

Xu Kun replied: "Your Majesty, in the border towns, all the merchants who resell these prohibited items have extremely complicated backgrounds, and many of them even have secret dealings with the remnant Mongols outside the border.

I tortured the owner and his employees of the fur shop severely.

Finally, they confessed that Jia She had had many dealings with a man named Sun Shaozu from Datong, and that most of the contraband goods that the fur merchants brought to Ping'an Prefecture were also delivered to this man.

When Emperor Jia Zhao heard the name, he frowned slightly and said, "Where have I heard this name before?"

Guo Lin on the side said: "Your Majesty, this Sun Shaozu is the son of Sun Zhanying, the commander of Datong, and he was once married to Jia Yingchun, the daughter of Jia She of Rongguo Mansion.

But Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong hated this man so much that he broke off the marriage."

After being reminded by Guo Lin, Emperor Jiazhao suddenly remembered this matter. Half a year ago, he saw this person in the secret note of the Central Vehicle Department and asked Guo Lin to deploy the personnel of the Central Vehicle Department to check the background of this Sun Shaozu.

However, because Sun Shaozu suddenly disappeared, even the Royal Chariot Division could not find his whereabouts in Shenjing, so the matter was temporarily shelved.

Xu Kun, who was standing by, heard that Sun Shaozu was the son of the commander of Datong, and his eyes flashed with a fierce light, saying: "Your Majesty, last year, a major fraud case occurred in the Datong border army, involving the reselling of contraband items outside the border.

At that time, a group of Datong border army officers were involved in the case and convicted, but Datong commander Sun Zhanying was not among them. Now his son and Jia She are selling contraband items privately. It is unknown whether Sun Zhanying is involved.

The Sun family has inherited the Datong Commander status, and their influence in Datong is complex and intertwined. If the Sun family is involved in the resale of prohibited items for profit, it will cause great harm to the border town, and there may even be a risk of collusion with the remnants of the Mongols."

Emperor Jiazhao's expression changed slightly. The nine important border towns were related to the safety of the country. It was a taboo for the emperor if the border army generals were involved in secret communications with foreign countries!
He said solemnly, "Xu Kun, I want you to immediately dispatch the elite Jinyiwei to Ping'an Prefecture and thoroughly investigate the Sun family in Datong. Once you have found anything, report back immediately!"

Xu Kun replied solemnly: "Your Majesty, I obey your order!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he kowtowed deeply to Emperor Jiazhao, then quickly left Qianyang Palace, anxious to go back to Ping'an Prefecture to arrange for personnel to investigate the Sun family.

……

Over the past year, Emperor Jiazhao suddenly reactivated the Court of Inquiries, punished old party officials who resisted the new policies, and investigated Zhou Zhengyang's case of leaking secrets, which set off a bloody storm in the officialdom of Shenjing.

This made the long-silent Magistrates' Court regain its former notoriety and once again entered the vision of officials and people of the Great Zhou.

According to past practice, these things should have been the one-man show of the Jinyiwei, but now a judge's court has emerged and stolen all the limelight.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Xu Kun had to feel vigilant and stressed.

The Jinyiwei were the emperor's lackeys. Once their power and authority were diluted, the value of their existence would be reduced.

At that time, his position as the chief of the Jinyiwei would become precarious.

Xu Kun served as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard for many years. He had handled countless major cases, important cases, and bloody murders, and he had offended many people in the court and the public.

Once he lost his position as the commander of the Jinyiwei, he would be like a hound whose sharp teeth and steel fangs had been pulled out. He would definitely not have a good ending. This was almost the fate of every commander of the Jinyiwei.

Therefore, he urgently needed to demonstrate the importance of the Jinyiwei to the emperor again through dazzling achievements.

This important border military case involving Jia She of Rongguo Mansion is exactly the perfect opportunity for Xu Kun to use right now.

Although Xu Kun forced the owner of the fur shop to confess Sun Shaozu's name, he did not know Sun Shaozu's background.

That's because Jia She knew that selling contraband items to border towns was very risky, so every time he made a deal with Sun Shaozu, he never mentioned Sun Shaozu's background in front of the shop owner and his clerks.

It was not until just now in the hall that Xu Kun heard Guo Lin say that Sun Shaozu was the son of Sun Zhanying, the hereditary commander of Datong, that he was like a shark smelling blood and immediately grasped the key to the matter.

He wanted clues about Hongchun Fur and Sun Shaozu, and to dig out valuable and surprising clues from the border troops of Ping'an Prefecture, to increase the weight of Jinyiwei in the eyes of Emperor Jiazhao.

Emperor Jia Zhao looked at Xu Kun's departing back, as well as the high spirits and excitement revealed in his demeanor, with a hint of a sneer on his face.

Perhaps Xu Kun's reaction was what Emperor Jia Zhao hoped to see. An emperor must be well versed in how to balance and control his subordinates.

Rather than letting the Jinyiwei dominate alone, it is better to support a more ferocious court of judges. The two dogs compete for the advantage and raise the poison.

……

Emperor Jia Zhao read through the documents submitted by the Jinyiwei and asked Guo Lin, "During Jia She's funeral, did the Jia family's eastern and western mansions and the various branches of the nobles take any actions?"

Guo Lin took out a gray-white secret book and replied, "Your Majesty, the Shenjing Central Vehicle Department has submitted the relevant secret book. Please take a look at it."

Emperor Jiazhao waved his hand behind him, and all the eunuchs serving him left the hall.

He said in a deep voice: "Choose the most important points and recite them!"

Guo Lin unfolded the secret book in his hand and read in his unique sharp and clear voice:
"On October 8, Jia Lian went to the clan residence to cancel his title and had a pleasant conversation with the official Zheng Yushu, asking for favors. Afterwards, the two of them had a banquet at the Dongyan Tower, and Jia Lian drank heavily in a state of great filial piety."

"On October 11, Taoist Zhang from Qingxu Temple visited Madam Jia at Rongqing Hall to propose a marriage for Jia Baoyu, the legitimate son of Jia Zheng. The intended matchmaker is the third daughter of Marquis Chengyang and the only daughter of the imperial merchant Xia family."

"Afterwards, Jia Baoyu was very dissatisfied with the marriage proposal and made outrageous remarks, saying that the act of arranged marriages was the work of foolish men and women and was an evil thing in the world."

"On October 13, Zhen Fangqing sent the inner courtyard steward of the Zhen family to Rongguo Mansion with silver foil, incense and candles to pay tribute to Jia She."

"On October 20th, the day when Jia She invited the coffin to the funeral procession, the eight old nobles either came in person or sent their sons and nephews to see the coffin off. The three princes had their sons and nephews to see them off, but Prince Beijing Shui Rong saw the coffin off in person to show the closeness of the two families."

"On the day when Jia She invited the spirit to the funeral procession, Jia Lian was honored by the presence of the four kings and eight dukes, and his face showed an arrogant and domineering look. Jia Cong had a sad look on his face, but he was proud and polite, and there was nothing unusual."

"On October 24, the coffin of the old Concubine Zhen was placed in the imperial mausoleum. On the way back, Jia Cong had a private meeting with Zhen Fangqing in the carriage. On the same day, Zhen Fangqing returned to the palace and went to Chonghua Palace to ask to see the emperor..."

Emperor Jiazhao listened to Guo Lin reading the contents of the secret letter with a gloomy and uncertain expression.

When Emperor Jiazhao heard Baoyu's wild words about the arranged marriage in the palace, his face was filled with rage and his eyes were filled with murderous intent.

He also heard that Jia Cong and Zhen Fangqing met in the car, and afterwards Zhen Fangqing went to Chonghua Palace to ask to see the emperor, and he couldn't help but frown.

Suddenly he asked, "Is that Jia Baoyu the boy who was born with a jade in his mouth, as rumored in the capital?"

Guo Lin quickly replied, "Your Majesty, it was this person who said that he was born with a jade in his mouth. From what I have seen, it is probably just a rumor."

Emperor Jia Zhao said coldly: "This boy is so bold that he dares to say that the emperor granted the marriage and it was the work of a fool. He is so bold!"

After hearing this, Guo Lin shuddered all over. That Baoyu was really looking for death by saying such crazy things. The emperor must be angry to hear his words, and he didn't know how he would deal with this man.

Emperor Jia Zhao then asked, "Is Jia Lian the eldest son of Jia She?"

Guo Lin replied: "Your Majesty, Jia Lian is Jia She's eldest son and the heir apparent of the Rong Kingdom."

Emperor Jia Zhao sneered: "The Jia family of Rong State has fallen into such decline, the heir apparent is a drunkard during his mourning period, and the rest are arrogant and shallow people with wild and perverse words!

Let the clan office issue a document to severely reprimand Jia Baoyu of Rongguo Mansion for making irresponsible remarks about the Holy Emperor, using filthy language and unruly behavior. Let his family discipline him strictly. If he commits the same offense again, he will be punished without pardon!"

Guo Lin repeatedly said that he would obey the order, and asked the marquis to guard Yuan Jing in the sixth-rank Qianyang Palace outside the palace, and immediately go to the clan house to convey the emperor's oral instructions to the Grand Clan Chief Prince Zhongshun.

……

At this time, the eunuch on duty outside the door reported that Eunuch Ouyang from Chonghua Palace wanted to see the emperor.

Emperor Jiazhao's expression changed when he heard this. Ouyang Bin, the chief eunuch of the imperial palace, was the most trusted eunuch of the late emperor. He rarely showed up in the palace since the late emperor retired.

But since Jia Cong arranged the marriage, this was the second time Ouyang Bin asked to see him, which was a rare phenomenon in the past ten years.

Emperor Jia Zhao said in a deep voice: "Send him to the emperor for an audience."

At this time, the shadows at the entrance of the palace flickered. The eunuch Ouyang Bin, who had gray hair but did not look old at all, walked into the palace with steady steps. He walked to the imperial desk of Emperor Jiazhao, knelt down and said, "Your servant Ouyang Bin pays homage to His Majesty. I have brought the Emperor's oral instructions to Your Majesty. Please make your decision as appropriate."

"What instructions does the emperor have?"

Ouyang Bin replied, "Yesterday, Zhen Fangqing entered Chonghua Palace and said that Jia Cong was a man of great talent and brilliance, and that he was a top scholar in Yongzhou. She begged the emperor to grant her grace and allow Jia Cong to take part in the imperial examination next year.

The Emperor was touched by Zhen Fangqing's sincerity, and sympathized with Jia Cong, who had been granted marriage and had his love taken away after his father's death. Jia Cong was a man who strictly abided by filial piety, and everyone inside and outside the court had witnessed it. The Emperor could not bear to hurt the love between his children, so he agreed.

I will now convey this message to Your Majesty, and ask Your Majesty to make the decision as appropriate."

Emperor Jia Zhao's eyes flickered slightly. He pulled out a memorial from the pile on the imperial desk and opened it with both hands. It was the memorial of mourning for his father that Jia Cong had submitted a few days ago.

This time, Emperor Jia Zhao used Jia She's death to sever the marriage between Jia Cong and the Zhen family of Jinling. Although this was understandable because of filial piety,

However, it is inevitable that the emperor would be disrespectful in breaking the old Concubine Zhen's last wish.

Now that the late emperor has proposed to grant Jia Cong the privilege of passing the imperial examination, can Emperor Jia Zhao still refuse?
The same applies to the royal court, the game between father and son, and the balance between the monarch and his subjects.

Emperor Jiazhao could not refuse the request made by the former emperor. He had to strike a balance and make concessions, especially when he was facing his father whose power was still undiminished!
Moreover, Emperor Jia Zhao did not want to refuse the emperor's request, as Jia Cong was the sharp sword he had painstakingly cultivated.

He would not allow Jia Cong to be idle for three years in mourning for his father who was a playboy and concealed his crime, and to be isolated from his official career and sink into inaction, thus making him lose the greatest value of using him.

If this is the final result, wouldn't it be a waste of his efforts to destroy the glory of Jia Cong's arranged marriage?

There was also his breech-loading rifle blueprint, which was ingenious and could be called a military weapon. It was full of temptation for Emperor Jia Zhao, and he was eager to build it successfully as soon as possible...

Regardless of the reason, his attitude towards Jia Cong's placement coincided with that of the former emperor.

At this time, Emperor Jiazhao suddenly thought of Zhen Fangqing. He was not unfamiliar with this woman who had been raised in the palace since childhood. He often saw her when he went to Qinghe Palace to pay his respects.

It was rumored in the palace at that time that the great-granddaughter of Concubine Zhen was not only outstanding in appearance, but also intelligent and insightful, different from ordinary people.

She took advantage of the time when the old Concubine Zhen was returning to her spirit state for burial to propose to the Emperor to grant Jia Cong the opportunity to take the imperial examination. Could it be that she saw through the hidden tug-of-war between father and son and the emperor, and therefore made such a statement at the right time to take advantage of the situation...

Emperor Jia Zhao sighed inwardly, if it was true as he guessed, this woman was quite extraordinary.

But what does it matter if she is not simple? After all, she is just a woman. A marriage decree that was aborted halfway can make her isolated from private affairs. No matter how deep her intentions are, they are ultimately limited.

"Report to your father that Jia Cong has passed the imperial examinations twice, is a proud son of the imperial family, and a pillar of the court. My expectations are the same as yours, and I will definitely make your wishes come true."

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

A little girl about eight or nine years old, with two buns on her head, thin eyebrows and big eyes, her eyes were moist and moving, and she looked quite smart. She stood alone in front of the west corner door, a little dazed.

He wore a white vest with blue flowers on the upper body, thin cotton bell-bottom pants on the lower body, and a blue waist towel that had been washed to a pale color tied around his waist. He looked simple and pleasing.

She had been lingering in front of the west corner door for some time, with her little hand in her pink mouth, biting it unconsciously, staring at the dark portal, somewhat hesitant.

Finally, she made up her mind, walked to the door, stood on tiptoe, grabbed the polished copper door knocker with her little hand, and started knocking.

After a while, a doorman came to open the door. He was surprised to see that it was a little girl knocking on the door.

The servant asked, "Who are you looking for, little girl?"

The little girl said, "I'm looking for Lingguan. Take me to see her. I have something urgent to ask her."

The servant looked suspicious and said, "I have never seen you before. Whose child are you from? Don't make trouble. Miss Lingguan from the inner courtyard is someone you can meet whenever you want."

The little girl glared and said, "I really know Lingguan. I also know the Third Master Cong in the mansion, that is Weiyuan, Weiyuan..."

The doorman listened to the girl's difficulty and couldn't help but blurt out, "It's Weiyuan Bo!"

The little girl's voice was charming and beautiful. "Yes, it was Weiyuan Bo. He saved me in Gusu. We are very familiar with each other."

The doorman was skeptical, but he had heard some rumors about the uncle, and he knew that he had indeed been to Gusu last month and had done something big.

Seeing the boy's hesitation, the little girl knew that she had frightened him, so she blinked and said, "Lingguan is my sister, and I am her biological sister. If you stop me from seeing her,

Next time she will tell Master Cong to spank you hard!"

Whenever the little girl slacked off while practicing martial arts or learning new songs, she would be spanked on the buttocks with a cane by the female master. In her opinion, this was the most terrifying thing in the world.

That's why she blurted out that she would spank the doorman to scare the doorman, and the doorman was indeed frightened when he heard her words.

The little girl was secretly proud of herself, thinking that spanking was indeed a scary trick.

However, the doorman was shocked not because of the spanking, but because the girl said she was Lingguan's biological sister.

Everyone in the Earl's Mansion now knows that this time when the Earl went to the south of the Yangtze River, he brought back a girl named Lingguan. It is said that she is very beautiful and has a golden voice. She can sing songs better than the famous actors in the city.

This young lady is very much favored by the master, and all the young ladies and girls in the mansion like her very much.

If this little girl is really Miss Lingguan's sister, and I stop them from seeing her, and the uncle and the eldest daughter find out, I will definitely be punished by the family law.

Moreover, the little girl was eloquent and confident, and she didn't seem to be trying to coax anyone at all.

The doorman decided to believe it and report back to the inner courtyard first so that Miss Lingguan could come out and see that she didn't know everything.

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

The courtyard where Jia Cong lives is the largest single courtyard in the East Palace. In addition to the main house where Jia Cong lives, there are eight or nine side rooms on both sides.

After Lingguan arrived at the mansion, Jia Cong placed her in the fourth room on the left.

Her room was decorated simply and elegantly, quite different from others.

On one side of the room was a large yellow pear carved cloud pattern clothes hanger, on which hung many colorful Zhengdan opera costumes. In a cabinet next to it, there were also several glittering headwear crowns.

At the round table in the room, Lingguan was sitting and reading the set of "Cui Yingying Waiting for the Moon" given by Jia Cong.

She wore an embroidered light blue cross-collared long vest, a pink and white jacket, and a light purple long skirt. Her brows were as furrowed as spring mountains, her eyes were as clear as autumn water, and she was indescribably pretty and lovely.

She was still mumbling something to herself from time to time, her slender jade fingers occasionally lending an air of operatic poetry, but without making any sound; she sang out loud.

It was a period of national mourning and people were isolated from entertainment. In her spare time, she would just sit in her room and think about things.

Since she followed Jia Cong into the mansion, she was born into poverty, was smart, innocent, and hardworking, and was not as weak and delicate as other girls of the same age.

She was born very proud and had a rare golden voice. Not only was she valued by Jia Cong, but she was also loved and loved by sisters such as Yingchun, and Daiyu was even more close to her.

In Jia Cong's courtyard, his daily life had been set: Zhishao took care of his daily life, Wu'er took care of his food and clothing, Qingwen took care of needlework, and Xiangling took care of the study.

So after Lingguan entered the hospital, she couldn't do much in her daily life. Jia Cong didn't want to restrict her too much, fearing that she would be bored, so he bought a lot of costumes and flower crowns to entertain her.

Since Lingguan had no regular work to do, he often did some gardening and cleaning, and was quite happy.
Every few days, she would go to the kitchen to find Sister Liu and cook some dishes for Jia Cong herself, which was what she was used to doing in the old house in Xinglongfang, Jinling.

She lived a peaceful and smooth life only after she met Jia Cong when she was thirteen years old. As long as she could stay with Jia Cong, she felt that everything was fine, but she often missed Zou Min'er who lived in seclusion in Gusu.

She was concentrating on reading the script in her room when she suddenly heard Juan'er calling from outside, "Sister Lingguan, there's a message from the outer courtyard saying that a little girl is looking for you, claiming to be your sister Douguan."

When Lingguan heard that Douguan was looking for her, she was delighted and dropped her book, saying, "That's my sister. Please invite her in."

That day, Jia Cong returned to the capital and went to the Ministry of Rites in the secondary capital to plead his case, and took Lingguan with him.

Douguan, Fangguan, Ouguan, Aiguan, Kuiguan and others were originally purchased by Zou Miner in the name of the Shenjing Jiaofangsi from Jiangnan.

If they all went with Jia Cong, it would leave some room for gossip, so in the end they were sent by a special person from the Ministry of Rites of the temporary capital to the Ministry of Rites and Jiaofang Division in the Shenjing for settlement.

Lingguan entered the inner courtyard of the Earl's Mansion. It was not allowed to go in and out of the second gate at will on a daily basis. After waiting in the courtyard for a while, a maid outside the second gate brought Douguan in.

When Douguan saw Lingguan, he first smiled, looking very cute, then curled his lips and said, "Lingguan, I'm looking for you to save my life, you must ask the Third Master to save us." (End of this chapter)