Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 485: Danger in the Capital

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Early in the morning of that day, Grandmother Jia asked Jia Zheng to submit the letter of greeting to Empress Dowager Yizhang to the Ministry of Public Security, which would then forward it to the palace according to the Ministry of Public Security's regulations.

As for when we can get the Queen Mother's reply, we can only wait patiently.

This was also the only way that Grandmother Jia could think of and do to quickly smooth over the matter of Rongguo's inheritance of the title.

She was a happy and carefree person, who lived a life of wealth and comfort all her life, and had never had the habit of worrying day or night.

Even if it was a big matter like Chengjue, she had found a way to do it to the best of her ability, and she let it go for the time being.

Grandmother Jia chatted with Lady Wang and Wang Xifeng for some gossip, and thought about the fact that the East Palace had invited a miracle doctor to take her granddaughter's pulse yesterday.

She asked Yuanyang to call Daiyu and other sisters over to talk. Since Baochai was with her sisters in the East Palace, she came over to greet Lady Jia. Lady Jia then invited Aunt Xue to come and sit with them.

At present, Baoyu is still lying in bed recuperating from the beating he received from Jia Zheng, and he will not be able to come to Rongqing Hall for a long time.

Therefore, the character that Grandmother Jia loved the most became Daiyu. As soon as the sisters entered Rongqing Hall, she asked Daiyu to sit next to her.

He said, "Yu'er, you were just sick a few days ago, so you need to take good care of yourself. Congge is quite considerate and even knows to find a good doctor to see you.

Did Zijuan give you the daily prescription ginseng nourishing pills on time? Those pills can nourish your body and qi, and are very good for your health. "

When Wang Xifeng learned that Lady Jia's letter of greeting had arrived in the palace, she felt that Jia Lian's succession to the title was nine out of ten settled, and she felt relieved.

Seeing how much Grandmother Jia loved Daiyu, she also said, "If you don't have many pills, send someone to tell me. The old lady will prepare some medicine next month, and I can prepare some for you.

Recently, a batch of good ginseng arrived from the farm in the north, which is perfect for my sister to use in making medicine."

Daiyu smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Feng, but I still have half a month's supply on hand. After I finish it, I won't need this ginseng nourishing pill anymore."

Grandmother Jia was surprised and asked, "Why don't you eat for no reason? What if you delay your health?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "The old lady doesn't know. Mr. Zhang Youpeng, whom Third Brother invited yesterday, is an incredible doctor who cured father's illness in Yangzhou last time.

My disease is similar to that of my father, so thanks to the skillful hands of Doctor Zhang, he prescribed for me a San Sheng Yang Hun Pill that can cure my deficiency. From now on, I don’t need to take the Ginseng Yang Rong Pill anymore.

As long as I take Sansheng Yanghun Pills for two years, I will be able to get rid of the root of my illness."

Grandmother Jia was delighted and said, "If this is indeed the case, it couldn't be better. Cong has done a good job. In two years, you will be a 15-year-old girl, which is a good time."

Daiyu blushed slightly when she heard this, and vaguely understood what Grandmother Jia meant. Although she felt uncomfortable, she didn't care too much when she thought that Jia Cong would definitely make proper arrangements for her.

When Mrs. Wang, who was standing by, heard what Lady Jia said, her face darkened slightly and the rosary in her hand turned restlessly.

The old lady said that it was a good time. By the time Daiyu had recovered and reached the age of marriage, the old lady would arrange a marriage for Baoyu and Daiyu.

Mrs. Wang has always disliked Daiyu's demeanor, just like when she first entered the Jia family, she was jealous and disliked her precious sister-in-law.

It’s nothing more than that they are all the old lady’s favorites, and she, as the daughter-in-law, is just an outsider who follows the rules.

In Mrs. Wang's heart, only her niece Baochai, who is closely related to her by blood, can truly be her confidant and the best candidate to be her daughter-in-law.

His own niece has become the wife of the eldest daughter-in-law, and he can let his niece become his daughter-in-law. Even if the old lady is still there, he has the final say in the Rongguo Mansion.

But if Baoyu married the old lady's granddaughter, things would be completely different, not to mention that he would have no one to rely on in the mansion.

I'm just afraid that my own niece will follow the trend and take the old lady's limelight.

……

Aunt Xue listened to what Grandmother Jia said and said with a smile: "The miracle doctor invited by Cong can not only cure Miss Lin's illness, but also said that he can make some corrections to the recipe of Lengxiang Pills and increase the efficacy of the medicine.

Maybe this will cure the root of Baochai's old illness. I really don't know how to thank Cong-ge'er."

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "What is there to thank for? They are all close relatives in the family. It is his duty to help each other."

Mrs. Wang said to Aunt Xue, "Bao-ya-tzu has reached the age of marriage. Now that the recipe for Lengxiang Pills has been refined by the genius doctor, it is more appropriate and will help her take better care of herself.

Just like the old lady said, now is the right time, and my sister should start planning for her."

When everyone in the hall heard this, they were all stunned. Why did Mrs. Wang suddenly mention Baochai's marriage, and in front of so many people?

Baochai, who was sitting below, blushed, frowned slightly, lowered her head and said nothing.

Before Aunt Xue could say anything, Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "That makes sense. Raising a girl always means more things to worry about.

Grandmother Jia stroked Daiyu's hair and said, "When a girl reaches the age of marriage, she should plan for marriage early. This is the most important event in a girl's life.

In this matter, if you raise a son, it will be much easier. But with Baoyu, although he will be old enough to get married next year, he is still a troublesome child.

Even though he is filial and sensible, he still lacks discretion in what he says and does, otherwise he wouldn't have caused the clan house to come to his house just because of a few words.

That’s why I always say that Baoyu is not destined to get married early. This is what I mean. His father must teach him for a few more years and wait until he is grown up and mature before talking about marriage. This will also prevent him from being impatient and delaying the marriage of other girls.”

When Mrs. Wang heard this, her face changed. Baochai was already of marriageable age, and Baoyu would be fifteen next year. It was a good time for them to get married, but they still had to wait for several more years.

The old lady said that Baoyu was still a child and it would take a few years for him to get married. This clearly meant that she looked down on her niece.

Everyone in the hall was smart. Even a young girl like Daiyu was very smart. No one could understand the meaning of what Grandmother Jia said.

Wang Xifeng rolled her eyes seductively, raised the corners of her mouth slightly, and tried not to smile.

But in his heart he was gloating thinking that the old lady and the wife had just had a silent confrontation, and the wife was also stubborn and hadn't given up on this matter until now.

Baochai, who was sitting at the table, was even more embarrassed. She was usually considerate and polite, but at this moment she was somewhat annoyed with her aunt.

Why bother to bring up this matter? You'll only let the old lady bully you and embarrass yourself in front of your sisters. If Brother Cong hears about it, I don't know what he'll think.

Baochai thought she had seen through Baoyu's character a long time ago and there was no way she could feel happy about it. However, her aunt always used her as an excuse for the conflicts within the palace.

Is it possible that my life's affairs will fall into the hands of others and be played with? One day I must find a way to stop my aunt from thinking about me.

Aunt Xue, who was standing by, listened to the conversation between the old lady and her sister, and thought of her son's nonsense yesterday, and sighed inwardly.

……

At this time, Lin Zhixiao's wife entered the hall and said, "Madam, the master asked me to pass on a message. The Ministry of Public Administration has informed the master that the old lady's greetings have been sent to the palace."

Upon hearing this, Lady Jia's face was filled with joy. As long as the Empress Dowager received her memorial and mentioned it to the Supreme Emperor and the Emperor, the matter of Rongguo inheriting the title would be a matter of course.

She smiled and said to Wang Xifeng, "Feng girl, seeing the family business changing from the old to the new is also a happy event. You should also prepare in the next few days to bring good luck to the family."

Wang Xifeng smiled brightly and said, "Don't worry, old lady. I will definitely take care of it properly."

Grandmother Jia said to Yingchun, "Second girl, when Cong went to Nanjing to do some work, you were alone in the East Palace, and Yu'er and the third girl went there to accompany you. Now Cong has also returned.

The sisters have been living in the East Palace, which is somewhat inappropriate in terms of etiquette. You should tell Congge to let them move back to the West Palace first and make things proper inside and outside.

The sisters are going to the East Palace to chat that day, and it is very convenient to go back and forth."

...Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

In a study room outside the second gate, Jia Cong accepted the scented tea brought by the servant. When he saw Jiang Liu coming in, he sent away the maids and servants who were sweeping outside the door, leaving them to talk quietly.

Jiang Liu stepped forward and said, "Third Master, I followed your instructions and went to the Hongchun Fur Shop to check what was going on. As expected, I found something unusual."

Jia Cong's eyes flickered, and he asked, "Is there anything wrong?"

Jiang Liu said: "This Hongchun Fur Shop is still open for business after the master passed away.

But I found that the shopkeeper and the shop assistants in the shop were all replaced by new faces. I don’t know where the original people went. ”

Jia Cong looked solemn. Ever since Jia She's death, the inheritance of the title of the West Mansion had become somewhat abnormal. When Wang Xifeng gave Yingchun a message, Jia Cong knew that the matter had become somewhat urgent.

Yesterday he heard from Yingchun that there had been no news about the inheritance of the title by the clan affairs office, and the old lady was getting anxious, so she specially submitted a letter of greeting to the Empress Dowager and asked Jia Zheng to deliver it to the palace.

Since Lady Jia had personally intervened in this matter, Jia Cong knew that the risk of inheriting the title of Western Mansion had reached a critical point. It was almost inevitable that something unexpected would happen, but no one knew when it would break out.

Although he was certain that the succession of the title of the West Palace was blocked and the impact and influence on the East Palace should be very limited, but one cannot write two Jias with one stroke, so it would always be right for him to make some preparations.

Jia Cong asked, "Have you checked where the former shopkeeper and his staff went?"

Jiang Liu said: "I spent some money on this matter, found some connections and people to investigate, and finally found the residence of the former shop owner.

According to his family, the shopkeeper has not returned home for a month. His family is very scared and has reported to the Zhen'an government, but the government cannot find his whereabouts. The same must be true for the other shop assistants."

Jia Cong felt a chill in his heart. It had been more than a month since Jia She passed away, but the fur shop was still open as usual, while the original owner and clerks of the shop had all disappeared mysteriously.

Jia Cong suddenly thought that the news that Jia She was suspected of stealing muskets was transmitted to the capital by the Jinling Jinyiwei, and the matter of Hongchun furs must have been handled by the Jinyiwei.

Now that Hongchun Fur has encountered such a strange phenomenon, ordinary people have absolutely no ability to do things to this extent. It can only be the work of the Jinyiwei.

From this it seems that the disaster caused by Jia She's theft of the muskets and the loss of them in Liaodong was on the verge of breaking out.

Jia Cong said to Jiang Liu: "The investigation of Hongchun's furs has come to an end. Do not intervene further to avoid attracting attention."

He returned to the inner courtyard with a lot on his mind, and happened to meet Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xichun and other sisters returning from the West Mansion.

Yingchun told Jia Cong what had just happened in Rongqing Hall. As Jia Cong had already returned to Beijing, the old lady asked that Daiyu and Tanchun be moved back to the West Mansion first.

Also, because the letter of greeting from Lady Jia had reached the inner palace, Wang Xifeng had been asked to prepare in advance, intending to use the matter of the Western Mansion's inheritance of the title to bring good luck to Jia She's death.

Jia Cong couldn't help but sneer in his heart when he thought about how such a strange thing had happened to Hongchun Fur Co., but Grandmother Jia was still dreaming of wealth and health.

He didn't know what kind of changes would happen in the West Mansion once the incident happened. At this critical juncture, he naturally would not let Daiyu and Tanchun move back to the West Mansion and take the risk.

So he said to Yingchun, "Second sister, Doctor Zhang is now preparing precious medicine for Sister Lin. He will come over often to check Sister Lin's pulse and consider the dosage of the precious medicine according to your pulse.

At this critical moment, Sister Lin has moved back to the West Mansion, and it is inconvenient for Doctor Zhang to diagnose her illness. After all, Sister Lin's health is of utmost importance. Please ask Second Sister and the old lady to explain this reason.

It won’t be too late to let my sister move back to the West Mansion after Doctor Zhang’s precious medicine is prepared. I am currently busy with the Spring Examination, and my second sister is busy taking care of the affairs of the mansion on a daily basis.

Let the third sister stay for a while longer, so she can keep Lin sister company, and then we can move back together."

When Jia Cong said this, Daiyu and Tanchun both felt that something was wrong, because Tanchun was present when Zhang Youpeng took Daiyu's pulse that day, and they both knew that Zhang Youpeng had never said such a thing.

But the two of them changed their minds and realized that Jia Cong must be reluctant to let them move out so soon, so he said that.

Naturally, both of them wanted to stay in the East Palace for a few more days, so they just smiled and did not expose Jia Cong's lie.

When Zhang Youpeng was taking Jia Cong's pulse that day, Yingchun happened to be at Rongqing Hall to take his place, so she naturally didn't know what Zhang Youpeng said at the time.

Besides, Yingchun has been talking about Jia Cong in all her words and thoughts over the years. No matter what her brother said, she thought it was all right and naturally had no objection.

Besides, with Daiyu and Tanchun as companions in the East Palace, Yingchun was more than happy to have them. She just said that she would go and talk to the old lady later. The old lady valued Sister Lin's health and naturally would agree.

Seeing Xichun following Yingchun, Jia Cong said with a smile, "Little sister Xichun is not a child anymore. She can't just play around. She will start studying with her third brother tomorrow.

I will teach you personally. You will not go back to the West Mansion for the time being. The old lady will definitely agree. It will save you from wasting time running back and forth. You can just stay at your second sister's place."

After hearing this, Tanchun was slightly stunned. Daiyu blinked her bright eyes and suddenly felt that her third brother was a little strange today, as if he wanted to keep all the sisters in the East Palace.

……

In Shenjing, Hongde Gate, several fast horses rushed towards the city gate. The riders on the horses were all in casual clothes and had strong builds. They did not look like ordinary people.

These people all had long and narrow single swords hanging on their saddles, but the handle and scabbard were wrapped with cloth strips, so the specific shape of the sword could not be seen.

The knights all had anxious looks on their faces, and they were all riding their horses at full speed. Even when they were approaching the city gate, they did not slow down their horses.

The horse's hooves kicked up a large cloud of dust, causing quite a commotion among the crowds of people entering the city.

The soldiers guarding the city gate saw the four fast horses approaching the gate, but they did not slow down at all, as if they wanted to rush through the gate in one breath.

Such a fierce momentum of entering the city had to make the soldiers guarding the city alert. A group of people lined up with spears in hand to block the way, and several others raised chevaux de frise to block the city gate to prevent the intruders from charging on horseback.

When several knights saw the soldiers defending the city lined up to stop them, the leading knight frowned, impatiently took out a black iron plate, and threw it at the leader of the defending team.

"The Royal Guards were handling urgent military affairs and delayed things. You guys will take responsibility for this!"

Several soldiers who were trying to stop the knight were shocked when they saw that the knight was speaking arrogantly, with murderous intent and a fearless look on his face.

The soldiers defending the city have seen all kinds of people every day and have learned some skills to read people's expressions. The man who came claimed to be the Jinyiwei and was so arrogant, it was obvious that he was not someone to be trifled with.

The city guard team was busy trying to grab the iron plate thrown by the other side. When they took it in their hands and took a look, they were slightly shocked. It was an iron plate with the imperial edict of the Jinyiwei.

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 city defense team just remembered that they had encountered a similar scene not long ago. The Jinyiwei seemed to be very restless during this period, and no one knew who would be in trouble soon.

The team was hurriedly returning the token with a smile, and immediately ordered their men to remove the barricades at the city gate, and then to disperse the pedestrians in the city gate like driving pigs.

The plainclothes guards rode fast horses, whipped their hooves and rushed into the city gate at high speed, raising a cloud of dust that choked the soldiers guarding the city behind them and made them cough repeatedly.

One of the soldiers guarding the city looked at the speeding horse with dissatisfaction and spat.

He said to the team, "Brother Zhang, those guys are just bragging. They just threw a piece of iron plate and said they have some military and national affairs. They are just fooling around."

The team was scolding impatiently: "Just shut up, be careful of what you say, I think it's probably true, didn't you see what kind of horses they were riding?"

The soldier guarding the city scratched his hair and said, "The horses they ride are quite strong, but there's nothing special about them, right?"

The guards were laughing at him, "You have been guarding the city gate for two years, but you still look sleepy. I can't tell why.

Those riders were all covered in dust, having traveled a long distance. Moreover, they were riding genuine military horses with military seals branded on their butts. These were the seals of the Datong border troops.

They said there was an emergency military matter, which is probably true. Could it be that something happened in Datong's nine borders? If so, it would be a big deal!"

(End of this chapter)