Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

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

It rained several times in a row in the past few days. It is October now and the autumn colors are deep. Every autumn rain brings a chill. The temperature in Beijing has dropped a lot.

The Qianyang Palace was spacious and a little cooler than usual. Although there was no need to light the fumigation cage, Emperor Jiazhao was served with thicker clothes and warm tea was always available on the imperial desk.

After the morning court session, he sat at his desk reviewing memorials as usual.

After Jia Cong solved a major case, Jinling was peaceful and calm in the civil and military circles of the secondary capital.

However, the Lianghuai area was in turmoil again. The illegal salt trafficking resurfaced, causing many twists and turns. The collection of salt taxes in Lianghuai in the Great Zhou Dynasty became difficult.

Lin Ruhai, the Imperial Censor of Lianghuai Salt, reported to the emperor that smuggled salt was becoming increasingly rampant in the Lianghuai area. In order to seek huge profits, salt smugglers from all over the country would do anything to achieve their goals. Their power was growing rapidly, posing a great risk.

Just as Emperor Jiazhao was frowning over the memorial in his hand, pondering over a countermeasure, he saw the Deputy Chief Eunuch Guo Lin walking into the hall in small steps.

He said: "Your Majesty, I have received your oral instruction to pay attention to the recent developments in the East and West Mansions of the Jia family. There has been no movement in Jia Cong's East Mansion. Since he began mourning, he has been staying at home and rarely goes out.

Jia Lian and his wife of Rongguo Mansion seemed to be plotting against the Hongchun Fur Shop left by Jia She. Jia Lian's trusted servant went to Zhen'an Mansion to check the transfer documents of Hongchun Fur Shop.

However, since this matter was handled by the Jinyiwei, ordinary people would not be able to find out the details.

News came from the Empress Dowager's palace that Madam Jia of Rongguo Mansion had submitted a letter of greeting to the Empress Dowager.

It mentioned that Jia She had passed away, and the succession of the Rong Kingdom had been stagnant and unclear, and the meaning was that they wanted to ask the Queen Mother to mediate. "

Emperor Jia Zhao did not take Jia Lian and his wife's plan to take over the fur shop seriously at all. He just asked, "Did the Empress Dowager say anything when she received Jia Shishi's letter of greeting?"

Guo Lin replied, "It is said that the Queen Mother only read the memorial and did not say anything. Today, the Queen Mother and the Emperor drank tea and chatted, and she did not mention this matter at all."

Emperor Jia Zhao smiled slightly and said, "The Empress Dowager is a wise person. How can she be compared with the cunning women in the inner house like Jia Shishi? The succession of honors and nobles is a matter of state affairs. The Empress Dowager will not speak lightly."

At this time, the eunuch on duty outside the palace came in and reported: "Your Majesty, Jinyiwei Commander Xu Kun is asking for an audience outside the palace, saying that there is an urgent matter for Datong."

Emperor Jia Zhao was encouraged by what he heard. A month ago, he asked Xu Kun to send elite Jinyiwei to the border town of Datong to investigate whether Jia She and Datong commander Sun Zhanying were colluding to sell supplies.

Now that Xu Kun asked to see him because of an urgent matter concerning Datong, it must be that the Jinyiwei's investigation in Datong has already sorted out relevant results.

Emperor Jia Zhao put down the memorial in his hand and said in a deep voice: "Call Xu Kun into the palace!"

Xu Kun entered the palace with the memorial in his hand, knelt down in front of the imperial desk, and said, "I have received the order from His Majesty to dispatch the elite Jinyiwei to Datong for investigation. They have made some gains, and I am reporting this to Your Majesty."

Guo Lin took the memorial and presented it to Emperor Jia Zhao. Emperor Jia Zhao took the memorial, opened it and read it, and said to Xu Kun who was kneeling in front of the imperial desk: "Speak!"

Xu Kun replied: "After the Jinyiwei personnel arrived in Datong Town, they went in and out of the market to investigate, investigate the Datong business route, and secretly arrested three common people's businesses that were selling contraband.

It was learned that the Sun family, the commander of Datong, had been a hereditary military commander and had been entrenched in Datong for several generations. They had extensive roots in the market and ran many restaurants, foot shops, stores and other businesses.

According to the confessions of the merchants who were secretly arrested, the Sun family members were doing some legitimate business on the surface, but they were secretly trading tea, salt, iron and other prohibited items with the grasslands outside the Great Wall, earning huge amounts of gold and silver. "

Emperor Jia Zhao had a gloomy and angry expression on his face. He slammed the gun in his hand shut with a "snap". The atmosphere in the hall suddenly became depressing and solemn.

……

Xu Kun calmed down slightly and continued, "Although the Jinyiwei has investigated in many ways, Sun Zhanying is very careful in his actions. The Sun family has been operating in Datong for several generations, and their interests are complicated. There are many people who are hiding the truth.

We searched for many days but could not find any concrete evidence that Sun Zhanying colluded with the grasslands outside the Great Wall. However, by interrogating the contraband civilians and businessmen who were secretly arrested, we finally got some valuable clues.

The Sun family was involved in purchasing a large amount of tea and salt from the south, and did it very secretly. The only person involved was Sun Zhanying's third son, Sun Shaozu, who apparently had no connection with Sun Zhanying.

However, the Jinyiwei conducted many secret investigations in Datong but could not find any trace of Sun Shaozu. It was said that he had left Datong for nearly half a year and his whereabouts were unknown.

The merchants secretly arrested by the Embroidered Uniform Guard had traded goods with Sun Shaozu many times. According to their confession, from March to May this year, Jia Lian, the prince of Rong, traveled to and from Ping'an Prefecture twice.

In Datong, he discussed trade routes with Sun Shaozu and exchanged tea and salt goods. During this period, he also had several banquets with these merchants, so they all knew about this.

However, whether Jia Lian was instructed by Jia She to do these things, these merchants did not know, and there were rumors that Datong General Qian Shaoyang had a tacit relationship with Sun Zhanying and seemed to be extremely protective of Sun's affairs. "

Xu Kun raised his head slightly and glanced at Emperor Jiazhao's expression out of the corner of his eye. He saw that the anger on his face had dissipated a little. His eyes were solemn, and he didn't know what he was thinking.

He sorted out his thoughts a little and continued, "From what I have seen, Jia She had been in contact with Sun Shaozu in the capital. According to common sense, Jia Lian must have been instructed by his father Jia She.

They traveled to Ping'an Prefecture and committed illegal acts, and opened up a trade route to the north with the Sun family. The father and son also used Hongchun fur goods to purchase tea, salt, iron and other prohibited items, and sold them in the north for huge profits. "

Emperor Jiazhao asked, "Have the merchant witnesses secretly arrested in Datong been escorted to the capital?"

Xu Kun replied: "When the Jinyiwei sent back the report, the prisoner had already been escorted. According to the estimated itinerary, he will be escorted back to the capital within three days!"

Emperor Jia Zhao sneered: "Jia Lian went to the north to sell contraband, which is suspected of aiding the enemy. I order the Jinyiwei to immediately arrest him and interrogate him strictly to obtain solid evidence."

Xu Kun was shocked and said, "I obey your order!"

At this time Xu Kun's heart was beating fast. Based on his many years of experience in handling cases in the Jinyiwei, he knew that Jia Lian must have been instructed by his father Jia She, and Jia She was the culprit of the whole incident!

Once Jia Lian was imprisoned, how could a spoiled young man from a noble family withstand the torture of the Embroidered Uniform Guards? He would definitely confess everything.

The heir to the title of Rongguo Mansion and the head of the powerful Jia family in Shenjing, was greedy for huge profits, selling contraband items to the north, aiding the enemy, and was even suspected of colluding with enemy countries.

As long as Jia Lian confesses and Jia She's guilt is confirmed, the only thing waiting for the Rongguo Jia family is to have their property confiscated and their titles stripped.

Xu Kun seemed to have smelled a strong smell of bloodthirstiness...

The Ning and Rong Jia families occupied two of the four kings and eight dukes. Even though the Ning Kingdom had been confiscated and the titles had been stripped away, and the title had been conferred for three years, only the Rong Kingdom Jia family was left to support itself independently.

However, the Jia family of Rong State once had two dukes, father and son, who had made great contributions to the country. Their influence still remains today, and their status among the four kings and eight dukes is still very important.

Now, his property was confiscated and his title was stripped from him. This matter would surely shock the government and the country and shake the world!

By that time, the fierce power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard will terrify all officials, and will surely overshadow the suddenly rising Court of Judges!

By that time, his prestige as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard will reach a new height, and his career prospects will be more stable.

Just when Xu Kun was full of confidence, he suddenly heard the deep and unfathomable voice of Emperor Jiazhao coming from above.

"Xu Kun, perhaps your speculation is correct. Jia Lian was only instructed by Jia She to go to Datong to negotiate and sell contraband items. However, Jia She is now dead, and there is no evidence to prove this."

"The Emperor granted Jia Cong a marriage, but Jia Cong was deprived of his love for the marriage due to his father's death. He strictly abided by the filial piety and observed the mourning period for three years. The Emperor and I both feel that his filial piety is commendable and he can be a role model for the nobles of the country."

"Jia Cong has made many contributions to me. I don't want him to be accused of an unproven crime and ruin his filial piety, which goes against the original intention of the country to rule the world with filial piety..."

"Whether Jia She was the mastermind of this matter or not, there is no evidence since he is dead. However, it is irrefutable that Jia Lian was involved in this matter and cannot escape his guilt. Do you understand what I mean?"

……

When Emperor Jia Zhao spoke these cold and profound words, the atmosphere in the hall instantly froze. Guo Lin, who was standing beside the imperial desk, felt a chill in his heart.

As the trusted eunuch of Emperor Jiazhao, he naturally understood the emperor's deep plans.

Xu Kun was able to become the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and dealt with mysterious and dangerous things every day. Naturally, he was not a fool. How could he not understand the meaning of Emperor Jia Zhao's words?

The wild and crazy desire that had just surged in his heart seemed like someone had poured a bucket of cold water on his head, and it quickly receded like the tide.

Thoughts flashed through Xu Kun's mind, and he soon understood the profound meaning of Emperor Jiazhao's words.

Jia Cong is the young minister most valued by the emperor, but the emperor has always disliked and feared the four kings and eight dukes.

But for some unknown reason, the retired emperor arranged a marriage for Jia Cong with the third daughter of the Zhen family in Jinling. The retired emperor's adoptive mother, the old concubine Zhen, was from the Zhen family in Jinling, and the second daughter of the Zhen family married the Prince of Beijing as his concubine.

The Jinling Zhen family not only has a deep connection with the retired emperor, but is also deeply involved with the four kings and eight dukes. How could the current emperor approve of this marriage?

Jia She's sudden death gave the emperor the most plausible reason to grant Jia Cong a marriage. The imperial etiquette states that if a father commits one of the five major crimes, such as treason, the son's filial piety will be deprived by the national law to punish the serious crime and to set an example by leaving his son without a son to see him off.

If the Imperial Guards could prove that Jia She was guilty of a crime close to treason, how could the Emperor use Jia She's death to grant him a marriage, and also make Jia Cong observe mourning for three years to show his filial piety? This would be upright.

At that time, how His Majesty would face the retired emperor who had arranged the marriage for Jia Cong would inevitably cause criticism both inside and outside the court and the public, and would leave His Majesty with the stigma of being ignorant and foolish.

When that time comes, not only will I not be able to keep my official position, I will probably find a reason for the emperor to kill me sooner or later.

Xu Kun quickly figured out the reason and broke out in a cold sweat. If it weren't for the emperor's hint, he would have died a miserable death if he had just followed his temper.

He said solemnly: "I understand your Majesty's intentions. Your Majesty's love for his subjects is evident to all, and I am deeply moved. The Jinyiwei will enforce the law impartially and will not commit crimes without evidence.

As a son, Jia Lian used his father's shop to do something illegal, which violated filial piety and the law. He cannot escape punishment. I will definitely enforce the law impartially!"

Emperor Jia Zhao glanced at Xu Kun, smiled slightly, and said, "You are diligent and capable in your work. I will definitely notice it. The investigation of this case must be thorough and fair. Go and do your work!"

Xu Kun followed the order and left the hall. The cold sweat on his back had not yet dried, and the strong wind outside the hall blew away his entire body.

He thought of the scene in the hall just now. Emperor Jia Zhao asked the Jinyiwei to cover up Jia She's crime and investigate Jia Lian strictly, apparently out of concern for Jia Cong.

But Xu Kun had been in the Jinyiwei for many years and had seen too many shady things. He did not think that Emperor Jia Zhao was being lenient towards the Rongguo Mansion by punishing Jia Lian alone.

The conspiracy behind this is definitely not that simple. Jia Lian is the eldest son of the Rongguo Mansion and the heir apparent of the Rongguo Mansion. Now that his crimes have been exposed, his status as heir apparent has been abolished and he has no hope of inheriting the title.

According to common sense, since the first branch of Rongguo could not inherit the title, the second branch of Rongguo would inherit it.

But when Xu Kun thought of this, something popped into his mind and he couldn't help but shudder all over and subconsciously stopped.

As the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, he had many spies and informants under his command, so he naturally knew a lot about the unusual things happening in the capital.

At this moment, he suddenly remembered that a few days ago, one of his centurions reported that Jia Baoyu, the legitimate son of the second branch of the Rong Kingdom, had slandered and insulted the emperor with words, and the emperor had specially sent the Ministry of Clan Affairs to issue a reprimand and hold him accountable.

It is said that under pressure, Jia Zheng of Rongguo Mansion severely punished his eldest son Jia Baoyu according to family rules. The matter soon spread in the market and became a scandal. The reputation of the second eldest son was also ruined.

Xu Kun now thought that Jia Baoyu from the second branch of Rong State was the legitimate son of the second branch who had the qualification to inherit the title besides Jia Lian from the first branch, and this happened a few days ago.

The emperor knew very well that Jia She had hidden some crime and must be disgusted with him. He was afraid that he would not allow his title to be passed on smoothly after his death, but he lacked a legitimate reason.

Could it be that at that time, the emperor had already made a plan, taking advantage of Jia Baoyu's rude remarks to have the clan house make a big fuss, destroy his reputation, and first cut off the second branch of the Rong family's qualifications to inherit the title!

And today, he had proved that Jia Lian was involved in smuggling contraband and was suspected of colluding with foreign invaders, which also cut off the possibility of the eldest son of the first wife inheriting the title.

If things were really as he had guessed, then the emperor's scheming and plotting were truly unfathomable and shocking.

Xu Kun couldn't help but look back. He felt a chill in his heart at the majestic and solemn Qianyang Palace behind him.

……

In Qianyang Palace, Emperor Jiazhao looked at Xu Kun's departing back and said to Guo Lin, "Pass on my oral order and summon the Minister of War Gu Yankui and Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding to the palace to discuss matters."

Just two quarters of an hour after the palace decree was issued, Gu Yankui and Shi Ding hurried into the Qianyang Palace.

When Emperor Jia Zhao saw the two men coming, he took out the report from the Jinyiwei and said, "My dear ministers, please read this report. Sun Zhanying, the commander of Datong, and his son were involved in the illegal sale of salt and iron in the north.

Qian Shaoyang, the general of Datong, was suspected of shielding an innocent person, which caused serious consequences. Qian Shaoyang was deeply favored by the emperor and had been promoted step by step in the Datong army for nearly twenty years, but he was ungrateful.

Datong is an important town in the Nine Frontiers, and a crucial pass for defending against the remnant Mongols in the grasslands. If the commander of the Datong frontier army aids the enemy, it will cause great harm. Once it is verified, I will never tolerate it! "

Gu Yankui and Shi Ding were both people who had long experience in officialdom, and they were worldly-wise and wise with rich experience.

The memorial mentioned that the Jinyiwei obtained witnesses who testified that Sun Shaozu was involved in the sale of contraband items.

Gu Yankui clearly remembered that the last time Sun Shaozu was stranded in Shenjing, he was not even given an actual position in the Ministry of War. Such a person has limited foundation.

Without the support of his father Sun Zhanying, he would never have the courage and ability to lead the sale of contraband in the border town of Beidi.

After reading the contents of the memorial, Shi Ding was even more shocked. His focus was not on Sun Zhanying, but on the involvement of Jia Lian from Rongguo Mansion in the case.

Shi Ding was secretly worried. Jia Lian was involved in the sale of tea, salt and iron in the nine border areas, which was a crime close to treason. The Rongguo Mansion was in great trouble!

When Emperor Jia Zhao saw the two of them reading the memorial, he said in a deep voice, "I asked you to come here to discuss relevant measures with you so that we can investigate this matter thoroughly!

I plan to mobilize a thousand soldiers from the Shenji Battalion to the north, and join the thousand soldiers from the Liaodong Firearm Battalion. They will be led by capable generals selected by Liang Chengzong, Marquis of Pingyuan, and will be stationed in Datong for rotation.

He also ordered the Five Military Commanderies and the Embroidered Uniform Guard to send personnel north to Datong to announce the decree, dismissing Datong commander Sun Zhanying and questioning him, and secretly investigating the suspected involvement of Datong general Qian Shaoyang!
What do you two think?"

When Gu Yankui and Shi Ding heard what Emperor Jiazhao said, they were both shocked. The emperor's approach to this matter was so decisive and fierce.

This is quite different from the cautious considerations we made when encountering military matters in previous years.

……

Gu Yankui, the Minister of War, had always assisted Emperor Jiazhao in presiding over military affairs of the court, so this feeling was even more obvious in his heart.

He secretly sighed in his heart that ever since the young man from the Jia family of Rongguo came out of nowhere, he has not only done many extraordinary and amazing things.

His series of actions also had an impact on His Majesty that cannot be ignored, and these impacts are now gradually becoming apparent...

Although the current emperor has been very resourceful since he ascended the throne, his power in the military is weak, and his control over military power is far inferior to that of the retired emperor.

This is also the fundamental reason why the emperor is wary of the four kings and eight dukes and other old heroes, because these heroes who founded the country have deep-rooted power in the military and have great potential.

When the emperor was in his palace, he had no foundation in the military. If he did not suppress the four kings and eight dukes, the power of the nobles would surely restrain the emperor's power.

He has been on the throne for more than ten years, and he has been fighting against the four kings and eight dukes, continuously reducing the influence of Lao Xun in the army, but his actions have always been gradual and he dare not act rashly.

Therefore, the emperor and the nobles were in a delicate state of decline and gain.

Whenever something unexpected happens in the army, this balance will be easily broken, and it will take a lot of effort to restore the balance.

Therefore, what Emperor Jiazhao feared most was unrest in the army, especially when someone abused their power for personal gain or even colluded with foreign enemies.

In the past, he had always handled such matters with caution, so as to avoid excessive action and causing a backlash within the army.

Last year, Gu Yankui was appointed as the commander of nine provinces to inspect the nine borders. He once discovered military fraud in Datong, Ping'an Prefecture, and imprisoned a deputy general of the border army involved in the case.

But after the deputy general was imprisoned, he died mysteriously in prison before he could confess everything. Although the emperor punished the relevant military officers afterwards, he did not dare to implicate too many people.

Because the Datong border troops were an important force in resisting the remnant Mongols outside the Great Wall, if they were implicated too much and caused turmoil in the army, the consequences would be unimaginable.

However, ever since Jia Cong first proposed the art of firearms, improved muskets, developed porcelain mines, cast new artillery, and used firearms to wipe out the Jurchens in Liaodong, the pattern of military power in the Great Zhou Dynasty was broken.

The emperor adopted Jia Cong's idea of ​​building an army with firearms, and established a new firearms battalion among the five military camps in Shenjing, which was later renamed the Shenji Battalion. The entire army was equipped with all kinds of new firearms of the Great Zhou.

After two years of accumulation, the strength of the Shenji Camp has expanded rapidly, with nearly 10,000 soldiers, and is still expanding.

Although the number of soldiers in the Shenji Camp was small, when facing the normal Zhou army equipped with swords and guns, the killing power was overwhelming and the two sides were simply no match.

The most important point is that the Shenji Camp is firmly under the control of His Majesty from beginning to end.

Moreover, the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Industry headed by Jia Cong, which specializes in the research and development of various new types of firearms, is also tightly controlled by the emperor. Unless one is the emperor's most trusted minister, one has no idea of ​​the details of the Firearms Department.

With these two powerful weapons, His Majesty no longer has to be as cautious as before in dealing with disturbances in the army, because he now has the most solid backing and voice in military power.

When Gu Yankui thought of this, the young man from the Jia family flashed through his mind. Even he had high hopes for him, and it was no exaggeration to call him a talented person in the world.

Gu Yankui could not help but worry. Jia Lian of Rongguo Mansion was his brother. His elder brother was involved in a serious crime. He hoped that the impact and shock on him would be smaller... (End of this chapter)