Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Jia Cong brought the crying Wang Xifeng, followed by Ping'er, and the three of them entered Rongqing Hall together.

Grandmother Jia asked tremblingly, "Brother Cong, how is Lian'er doing?"

Jia Cong said, "The Jinyiwei issued a warrant for my arrest. My second brother went to Datong to sell salt, iron and other contraband. He is suspected of colluding with foreign tribes. He has been taken away by the Jinyiwei."

After hearing this, Jia's mother burst into tears: "My Lian'er, you are so foolish. How could you do such a thing? What should I do?"

After hearing this, Mrs. Wang, who was standing by, could only wipe her tears, and Wang Xifeng burst into tears even louder.

Grandmother Jia suddenly stared at Jia Cong and said, "Brother Cong, aren't you very capable outside? You catch thieves and kill enemies, and you get promoted and conferred titles.

Lian'er is your blood brother. I know you have some respectability in the officialdom, but you could watch Lian'er being taken away by the Jinyiwei without stopping anything. Where has your former ability gone?"

Grandmother Jia's words were full of grief and complaints, and her words were sharp, and everyone in the room was stunned.

Mrs. Wang stopped pretending to cry and looked up at Jia Cong. Even Wang Xifeng stopped wailing, and the atmosphere in the hall became weird.

Aunt Xue standing by was wondering if the old lady was confused. Her eldest grandson was taken away by the Jinyiwei, so why was she blaming Cong'er? How could this be justified?

When Jia Cong heard this, he was furious and frowned, saying, "The Jinyiwei arrested my second brother because they received the emperor's oral order and issued a formal arrest warrant. This is a state affair, not a family affair.

If I were to arrogantly obstruct him, it would be tantamount to treating the laws of the Holy King as a joke.

Cong is an official appointed by the court. Heaven, Earth, the Emperor, Parents, and Teachers are the top. The Emperor comes before the parents, and the law comes before the feelings. Cong cannot do what the old lady wants."

As soon as Jia Cong said these cold words, the atmosphere in the hall became chilly. Grandmother Jia was so angry that her face turned pale, but she couldn't utter a word.

Did she dare to ask Jia Cong to deceive the emperor and commit treason in order to save his brother?

She came back to her senses at once. She was heartbroken that her eldest grandson was in trouble and her words were a little emotional. But she was his grandmother after all, and he was so cold and merciless to her. He was really a debt collector.

Ever since Jia Cong won the title of Yongzhou Scholar and later was awarded a noble title for his meritorious service in Liaodong, Jia's mother changed her approach towards him because she saw that Jia Cong was outstanding among the other children of the Jia family and was more gentle in her words and deeds.

Over the past year or so, on the surface, the relationship between the grandparents and grandchildren seemed to be getting better.

But when her eldest grandson Jia Lian suddenly met with an accident, Jia's grandmother was so heartbroken that she lost her temper, revealing that the relationship between her and Jia Cong was inherently insufficient, and ultimately weaker than that between Jia Lian and other legitimate grandchildren.

The relationship between the grandparents and grandchildren seemed to be becoming a little difficult again.

……

Although Wang Xifeng is a heroine in the inner house and can handle all the trivial matters of the family with ease, she is just a woman after all. When faced with a matter of life and death and a legal dispute like Jia Lian, she becomes a little at a loss.

However, Wang Xifeng is a shrewd person after all. She is not like Lady Jia, who is of a higher generation and is used to being the ancestor. She is impatient and can act impulsively without any scruples.

Now that her husband has encountered such a fatal accident and her eldest master has just passed away, I don’t know if the old relatives outside will still give her face.

As for what her husband's crime was, Wang Xifeng was still confused.

The second master in the family just sits in the government office all the time, and I'm afraid it's hard for him to do anything about this matter. Only the third master, Cong, has the means.

If Jia Lian is to be saved now, probably only the third brother Cong can intervene. She is afraid that Jia Cong will be angered by Jia's mother's words, and he will ignore the matter, which would be terrible.

Wang Xifeng said hurriedly, "Third brother, I know your second brother has been convicted of a crime, but you can't just let him go if you want. This is none of your business.

But he is your biological brother. I know that my third brother is a man of means. I must save your second brother for the sake of blood relationship."

Seeing that Wang Xifeng still had some sense, Jia Cong's anger subsided a little, and he said, "The Jinyiwei arrested people so suddenly that we were caught off guard.

My second brother is my biological brother, and I will do everything within my ability. But this time it was the emperor who gave the order himself and the Imperial Guards issued a warrant for his arrest. I would never have done this if they hadn’t found solid evidence against my second brother.

If my second brother is convicted of the illegal crime of reselling salt and iron, although the crime is serious, he may still be able to save his life. However, if he is convicted of collusion with foreign invaders, he will be dead, and even the Rongguo Mansion will be implicated!"

……

When Wang Xifeng heard what Jia Cong said, she was so frightened that she collapsed to the ground, crying like rain. Ping'er hurried forward to help her.

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Jia's mother burst into tears again, pointing at Wang Xifeng and saying, "You are usually very smart. Lian'er did such a thing outside, didn't you know it at all, and didn't you stop him?"

Wang Xifeng cried, "At the beginning of this year, it was the eldest master who ordered the second master to go to Datong to negotiate business with the buyers there. The second master said that the tea and salt business in Datong was good.

Although it was a bit taboo, many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital were doing it secretly, so they didn't take it too seriously. The second master went to Datong twice to help the master open up the trade route, and never went there again.

Old lady, the second master is just a son who helps his father run errands. The first master didn't give him a single tael of silver, and the second master even paid several hundred taels of money for travel expenses himself.

Old lady, you don't know your own grandson. He avoids the master like a cat or a mouse. He dares not disobey the master's words. Now he has buried his life in the grave. How can I live in the future? "

After hearing this, Jia Cong was speechless. If what Feng Ji said was true, then Jia Lian was really unlucky. He just worked hard to run errands for Jia She and didn't make any money, but he lost everything.

As for what Wang Xifeng said, that many high-ranking officials and nobles in the capital were secretly reselling salt and iron to the nine border areas, it made Jia Cong feel even more creepy...

After hearing what Wang Xifeng said, Jia's mother cried bitterly, "I have lived to such an old age, and yet I am still in this world. I would rather die early and avoid seeing these stupid things.

It turns out that it was all caused by his bad karma. Not only did he die outside, but he also got his son involved in a lawsuit. How could I have raised such a thing? "

At this time, Jia Zheng received a message from the servant in the mansion and hurried back home. When he arrived at Rongqing Hall, he found out that Jia Lian had already been taken away by the Jinyiwei.

Jia Zheng beat his chest and stamped his feet, repeating over and over again the misfortunes of his family.

After crying for a while, Jia's mother suddenly came to her senses and said tremblingly: "Lian Er is the prince of Rongguo. He has committed a crime. How can the family's title be inherited?"

When Lady Jia said this, everyone in the hall was shocked.

For a noble family like the Rongguo Mansion, the inheritance of the title is the most important matter, which is related to the lifeline of the family's continued wealth.

As the most senior person in charge of the Rongguo Mansion, Jia's grandmother naturally put the inheritance of the title first. In addition, Ningguo had his title stripped last year, and if something happened to the Rongguo title again, Jia's grandmother could not even imagine it.

Jia Zheng said in a depressed tone: "Lian'er is now guilty of a crime. Not to mention collusion with foreign countries, even if it is just selling salt and iron at the border, it is already a serious crime. How can she still be granted a title?"

When Wang Xifeng heard this, her pretty face immediately turned pale. She had always loved to abuse her power and do whatever she wanted. Her hope for a lifetime of glory depended on her husband, who was the legitimate son, inheriting the title and becoming a lady of honor.

I originally thought that the master would still live for a few decades, but by the time I became a royal consort, my hair would probably be white.

However, she did not expect that the eldest master suddenly passed away, which made Wang Xifeng feel an irrepressible guilty surprise in her heart.

It was a pleasant surprise that I could become the wife of a second-class general in my prime years. It was the end of a glorious life for me.

But she never expected such a sudden disaster. Her husband was suddenly convicted by the Jinyiwei, and it sounded like the crime was serious. He was in imminent danger, and all of Wang Xifeng's hopes were shattered.

Different from Lady Jia's panic and Wang Xifeng's despair, when Lady Wang heard Lady Jia mention the passing on of the title, she reacted immediately and felt a burst of ecstasy in her heart!
At the time of his death, Duke Rong, Jia Daishan, left a will to the retired emperor. Because the old duke had outstanding military achievements, the retired emperor decided that the eldest son of Rong Mansion would inherit the title and the second son would inherit the mansion.

It was for this reason that Lady Wang, the eldest daughter of the Wang family, married the second son of the Rongguo Mansion.

She married into the second branch of the Jia family, but became the mistress of the Rongguo Mansion.

But for Mrs. Wang, there was still a flaw in the ointment, that is, the most honorable title in the Rongguo Mansion was only inherited by the eldest son's family, and her second son's family had nothing to do with it. This had been a concern for her for decades.

When Baoyu was born, the strange story in the delivery room about him being born with a jade in his mouth was spread so widely because the lady of the palace was considering the honor of having a son and was planning for the long term.

Now, the preparations made many years ago have allowed Mrs. Wang to see the joy of success one day.

Mrs. Wang came from a prominent family, so she naturally knew the rules of passing down titles among clan members in great detail.

It is nothing more than that, inheritance between father and son, distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and inheritance between elder brother and younger brother.

Noble titles must be passed down from father to son, and it is forbidden to pass down from generation to generation. The title must be passed down from the legitimate wife to the illegitimate wife. Only when the bloodline of the eldest son is cut off can the head of the family be changed, and the title must be passed down from the elder brother to the younger brother.

According to common sense, when the eldest son Jia She dies, the legitimate son Jia Lian inherits the title. If the legitimate son Jia Lian is convicted and cannot inherit the title, the title will be inherited by the illegitimate son Jia Cong.

If the title went to the second branch, there would only be one possibility, that is, both Jia Lian and Jia Cong were dead.

Originally, after Jia Lian, there was Jia Cong, and the second branch of Rongguo Mansion had no chance of getting a title. However, the eldest branch of Rongguo Mansion happened to have a miraculous thing that was famous all over the capital.

Jia Cong, the eldest son of the illegitimate family, was granted the title of Earl of Weiyuan at the age of fourteen because of his military achievements. It is common sense that one person would not be granted two titles.

Mrs. Wang dreams of having her own Baoyu and the day when he will inherit the hereditary title of the Rong Kingdom. She has such secret fantasies in her heart that she even calculates clearly how many people in her family must die in order to achieve her long-cherished wish.

As soon as Lady Jia and Jia Zheng finished speaking, Mrs. Wang calculated the result of the inheritance of the title. The title in the family would definitely be transferred to the next generation, first falling on her master, and in the future it would be Baoyu who would inherit the title.

At this time in Rongqing Hall, except for Jia Zheng who was a bit pedantic, others such as Jia Mu, Wang Xifeng, Aunt Xue and others were all shrewd and capable women in the inner house.

All of them had thought of Mrs. Wang's plan in a moment.

Although Grandmother Jia was heartbroken about her eldest grandson's misfortune, fortunately she had more than one legitimate grandson, and the title of Rong would be inherited by someone. Besides, if Baoyu got the title in the future, it would also be in line with Grandmother Jia's wishes, so she felt relieved.

Although Wang Xifeng also thought about passing the title to the second wife, what else could she do now? It would only make her more sad.

Aunt Xue noticed the suppressed surprise in her sister's eyes, and she knew what she was thinking.

That day, his son Xue Pan spoke very badly of Baoyu, saying that Baoyu had been reprimanded by the clan office and his reputation had been ruined, which made Aunt Xue start to back off from her plan for a perfect match between Baoyu and him.

But now the situation has suddenly changed. No one expected that the eldest son of the Jia family, Lian'er, would suddenly meet with an accident and could no longer inherit the title. The second son, Jia Cong, was also exiled and given a title. The title of Rongguo would most likely be transferred to the second house. It was obvious that Baoyu would inherit the title in the future. In this way, Baoyu would be on par with Cong'er in the future.

When Aunt Xue thought of this, she became enthusiastic about the perfect match again...

……

Jia Cong stood in the hall, watching coldly, taking in the words, actions and expressions of Lady Jia, Mrs. Wang, Wang Xifeng and others. How could he not guess what was in their minds?

It is absolutely true that all noble families are cold-hearted.

Jia Lian's life or death is now uncertain. The first thing that Jia's grandmother thinks of is not the safety of her eldest grandson, but the inheritance of the family title. She usually looks kind and amiable at her old age, but deep down she is too tough and realistic.

The burning look in Mrs. Wang's eyes made it obvious what dirty thoughts she was thinking.

This is a woman in the inner house. She is selfish and always sees things in a positive light, but she is unaware of the dangers and calculations outside.

They all seemed to have selectively forgotten that the actions of the clan office a few days ago were probably aimless...

At this time, Jia Zheng said: "Brother Cong, you have been traveling around in the past few years and have been working in an official position, unlike me who is just an official in the government. In your opinion, what will be the end of Lian'er this time?"

Jia Zheng sighed, "Although Lian'er is a bit naughty and playful, his daily behavior is decent, he doesn't do anything bullying, and he is dedicated to the affairs of the house.

Even if I did something foolish at the time and was punished by the law, that's fine, at least I have to save my life."

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "Master, according to the rules of the government, after my second brother is interrogated by the Jinyiwei and recorded, he will be handed over to the three judicial departments for sentencing. Most of the time, the Dali Temple will preside over the trial, and the Zongrenfu will intervene.

Cong has a few acquaintances in the Dali Temple, and we can help smooth things over when the time comes. However, once my second brother is tried by the Jinyiwei, I'm afraid the situation will be over, and there will be no point in doing anything else."

After hearing this, Jia Mu and the others became even more frightened. Jia Zheng hurriedly asked, "Cong'er, why is it so?"

Jia Cong said: "This time the emperor personally issued an order and the Jinyiwei sent a letter to question him. It must be that the Jinyiwei found some evidence against my second brother in advance.

As long as my second brother is imprisoned, the Jinyiwei will use brutal methods. My second brother is from a noble family and has never experienced any storms. Under torture and interrogation, I am afraid he will not be able to keep silent.

That’s why I said that as long as Second Brother is examined by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, the outcome will be decided.

Master, everyone in the hall today is a family member. Cong's words are presumptuous. This matter is the oral order of the emperor. The emperor may have already made up his mind about how to deal with my second brother's crime. How can others influence it?"

After all, Lady Jia and others were women from the inner house, and they could not understand the meaning of Jia Cong's words. Even though Jia Zheng was a bit pedantic, he had been an official for many years, so he knew the hidden meaning of Jia Cong's words.

Jia Lian's illegal reselling of salt and iron in Ping'an Prefecture must have angered the emperor. The emperor has always been as firm as iron and has already decided the overall situation. Whether it is the Jinyiwei or the Dali Temple, they are just going through the official procedures.

Jia Cong said: "Now we can only hope that the second brother will only do the business of selling contraband and never get involved in collusion with foreign tribes, otherwise it will be out of control!"

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Wang Xifeng felt a slight movement in her heart...

Afterwards, Jia Zheng gave Jia Cong a few more instructions, asking him to pay more attention to Jia Lian's affairs and to lend a helping hand if possible. Jia Cong had no choice but to agree.

After all this commotion just now, Grandmother Jia cried and got angry several times. As an elderly person, she could not stand such torture.

Mrs. Wang persuaded Lady Jia to go down and have a rest first. Jia Zheng also said that he would keep a close eye on Jia Lian's affairs and report back to the old lady as soon as he got the news.

……

When Jia Cong left Rongqing Hall and just walked to the Fengyu Corridor, he heard Wang Xifeng's voice from behind: "Third brother, wait a moment."

Jia Cong looked back and saw Wang Xifeng and Ping'er catching up quickly.

Wang Xifeng said in a hurry: "Third brother, just now you said in the hall that you hoped your brother would only do the illegal business and not involve himself in the treasonous collusion with foreign countries, otherwise it would be out of control.

If your brother was only involved in the contraband sale of salt and iron, and had nothing else to do with, would your third brother be able to save your brother's life?"

Jia Cong's eyes lit up slightly. He didn't say everything in Rongqing Hall just now because he was afraid that Jia Mu, Jia Zheng and others would put Jia Lian's life and death in his hands.

After all, Jia Cong currently has no idea what Emperor Jia Zhao's attitude is towards Jia She's concealment of crime, so he cannot make any judgment on Jia Lian's affairs, and naturally will not say something final.

I didn't expect Wang Xifeng to be so shrewd. She could tell the room for relaxation and retreat from just a few words.

Jia Cong said: "Second sister-in-law, if second brother is only selling prohibited items such as salt and iron, the harm is limited and it does not involve other things. Considering his position as the eldest grandson of Rong State, there may be some room for maneuver.

It’s just that the results of the Jinyiwei interrogation have not yet come out, and some things are still unknown. I am not sure in my heart. I hope that Second Brother will be blessed by good fortune.”

Wang Xifeng was delighted when she heard what was said. She had only vaguely understood the meaning of Jia Cong's words just now in the hall, but now that she heard him say it in person, she knew that her guess was correct.

He said, "Third brother, I know your brother. Although he is a bit lustful, he is not cruel and never gets involved in anything out of line.

He definitely didn't have the courage to rebel against the emperor and collaborate with the enemy, unless he was tortured into confessing by the Imperial Guards.

If after the Jinyiwei interrogation, it is found that your second brother was only guilty of the illegal crime of selling salt and iron, I beg my third brother to save him.

I know that the emperor values ​​my third brother very much. As long as my third brother helps to plead with the emperor, he will definitely help your brother. As long as he can save his life, I will accept it even if I have to be exiled for ten or eight years!"

……

Wang Xifeng was a shrewd and decisive person. From what had just happened in the hall, she knew that Jia Lian was being interrogated by the Embroidered Uniform Guards and that he had no hope of inheriting the title and might even lose his life.

Even if she could never become a noble lady in her lifetime, she was still a daughter-in-law of the Rongguo Jia family, and she could always enjoy wealth and glory.

But if Jia Lian was sentenced to death, then Wang Xifeng would become a widow. As a woman of her prime, she would have to suffer for most of her life. It would be better for her to die. No amount of wealth and glory would be of any use.

Moreover, although Wang Xifeng was cruel, she had a strong character and was born into the Wang family, a noble family in Jinling. There was absolutely no possibility of her remarrying into the Yi family.

Therefore, Wang Xifeng now has no choice but to take a gamble. The only way out is to find ways to save Jia Lian's life.

Just now in the hall, Jia's mother mentioned the matter of inheriting a title. The second house still has the second master and Baoyu, who are enough to inherit the title from the first house. Jia Lian, who has committed a crime, has almost become an abandoned child.

Wang Xifeng knew her aunt Mrs. Wang's character better than anyone else. She probably only wanted Jia Lian to die to feel at ease.

The most the old lady could do is go to the palace to ask the Empress Dowager for help, but the harem has never interfered in politics, so it would probably be useless.

The second master in the family is even more useless, not to mention his own aunt’s pillow talk.

Wang Xifeng did think of her second uncle Wang Ziteng, but that year her aunt Chen instigated others to falsely accuse Jia Cong of not having the qualifications to take the imperial examinations, causing a huge disturbance in the court.

Finally, the truth came out. Although Second Aunt Chen was imprisoned in the Buddhist temple at home by Second Uncle, the Rongguo Jia family also completely severed their relationship with Wang Ziteng.

Now that Jia Lian is the eldest son of the Rong family, Wang Xifeng did not ask for help from her second uncle Wang Ziteng.

The only person she can count on now is Jia Cong, Jia Lian's younger brother. He is her only lifeline, so she said those words just now.

Wang Xifeng listened to his heartfelt words, but Jia Cong frowned slightly and still did not express his opinion. He felt a little depressed in his heart.

Jia Cong has moved to the West Mansion for many years, and Wang Xifeng has been thinking about him on a daily basis. She knows that although Jia Cong is young, he is deep-minded and cautious, and never wants to get into trouble easily.

Although Jia Lian is his biological brother, the third brother Cong has been disliked in the mansion since he was a child, and the two brothers are not very close. There is no deep brotherhood between them.

……

Wang Xifeng bit her thin lips slightly and thought of a countermeasure quickly in her mind. Since the brotherhood was not enough to make Jia Cong take the risk and make efforts, she could only use efforts in other ways.

However, the third brother Cong was powerful and rich and had everything he needed. When Wang Xifeng was hesitating, she accidentally saw the pretty Ping'er beside him out of the corner of her eye.

Her mind suddenly brightened up. The third brother Cong had so many pretty girls in his house, and he never forgot to bring them back every time he went out. These two brothers were of the same character, huh!
Her own maid, Ping'er, was the most beautiful and kind among the maids in Rongguo Mansion, and was a living treasure in the eyes of men.

"Ping'er, kneel down for me to my third brother and beg him to have mercy and save the second master."

Wang Xifeng suddenly said this, not only Jia Cong was a little confused, but even Ping'er beside him was stunned.

"Why don't you kneel down for your third brother? Are my words no longer effective?"

Ping'er blushed and said, "If Grandma says to kneel, I will kneel."

After Ping Er finished speaking, she knelt down before Jia Cong and kowtowed, saying, "Master San, please save Master Er for the sake of our brotherhood."

Jia Cong felt upset and said quickly, "Sister Ping'er, there is no need to do this." As he spoke, he was about to help Ping'er up.

Wang Xifeng stretched out her hand to stop her, saying, "Although Ping'er is my maid, she grew up with me, and I treat her like my sister.

Ever since I entered the Jia family, I have kept a close eye on her, intending to raise the child for a few years before letting her marry your brother. But now it seems that your brother does not have this blessing.

My third younger brother will be fifteen next year. Last time, the old lady mentioned to me that she wanted to put someone capable to serve him in your room. I have been thinking about this.

My third younger brother has suffered a lot in Dongluyuan since he was young. As his sister-in-law, I didn't take much care of him, and I have always felt guilty about it.

As long as Third Brother helps me save your brother, I will give Third Brother the best thing of my sister-in-law to make up for the past debt, which is also what I should do. "

Although Wang Xifeng did not elaborate on what she said, her meaning was already very explicit.

Even though Jia Cong was thoughtful, an expression of embarrassment appeared on his face. In order to make herself contribute to saving Jia Lian, Wang Xifeng came up with such a ridiculous idea.

Ping Erh's face turned red, and she wished she could find a hole to hide in. (End of this chapter)