Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

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

Recently, due to the wide-ranging implications of the Datong salt and iron contraband case, the entire Shenjing City is filled with a sense of unrest.

The commander of the Datong border army went north to surrender to the enemy, and the second-rank general of the border town was imprisoned, and as many as eight noble families were involved.

It is said that in a few days, dozens of border army generals who were implicated in the crime will be escorted to Shenjing for trial one after another.

At the morning court today, several imperial censors from the Censorate made a memorial, severely criticizing the sons of nobles for having no regard for the country's laws, being arrogant and greedy, reselling banned goods, and disrupting the border. They should be severely punished and not be tolerated.

There were also nobles such as Shi Guangzhu, the hereditary third-rank General Zhenwu and grandson of Duke Shanguo, who impeached Sun Zhanying, Qian Shaoyang and others for holding high positions and receiving repeated favors from the emperor but not being grateful.

These two people colluded with each other, causing trouble in the border town and corrupting people's hearts. This is intolerable under the law of the country and they should be punished according to the law as soon as possible to reassure people.

He also said that the sons of nobles were stationed on the border with the intention of serving the country, but they were bewitched and instigated by Qian Shaoyang and others to commit inappropriate acts, which was heartbreaking. He earnestly requested the court to educate them and allow them to reform and atone for their sins.

There has always been a natural gap between the civil and military circles since ancient times.

Now that the border troops have committed fraud and surrendered to the enemy, and many sons of noble families are involved, it is clear that the military merits are vulgar and immoral, so the civil officials will naturally step in to step in as usual.

The grandson of Shanguogong, Shi Guangzhu, and others are all from aristocratic families. Their relatives and children are involved in this major case of salt and iron smuggling in Datong.

Perhaps out of a sense of shared kinship or to protect the noble group, it is natural to make some excuses for the noble children involved in the case.

Emperor Jiazhao received various memorials, but kept them without issuing them. He seemed to be indignant and fair to all parties, but in fact, each of them had his own selfish motives. Although he understood the situation clearly, he did not make any comment.

……

After the court session ended, he summoned his trusted ministers, including Grand Secretary Cai Xiang, Minister of War Gu Yankui, Minister of Rites Guo Youchang, and Marquis of Zhongjing Shi Ding, to the palace to discuss matters.

When the summoned ministers entered the palace and stood by, Emperor Jiazhao said: "The trial of the Datong salt and iron violation case has been completed, and the evidence of the relevant people's crimes is solid, but this case involves a lot of people, causing unrest in the court and the public, and it is under the spotlight.

Therefore, I have summoned all the ministers to discuss politics and prepare for a decision."

Grand Secretary Cai Xiang said: "Your Majesty, the violation of the ban on salt and iron in Datong involves the Datong border troops, which is a serious matter.

Qian Shaoyang, the general of Datong, is the chief officer of the military town. He holds a high position and has great power. He shields his subordinates, resells salt and iron, and accepts bribes. He has committed extremely evil deeds and should be severely punished to enforce the discipline of the country!
Sun Zhanying surrendered to the enemy and betrayed his country, so he deserves death. We should wait for the imperial envoys to negotiate with the northern barbarians and lead them to capture this thief and enforce the law.

As for the other accomplices, in my humble opinion, they should be dealt with by the three judicial officials according to the severity of their crimes, in order to demonstrate the strictness of the law. "

Cai Xiang was an outstanding civil servant who was good at weighing the urgency of political affairs and had a deep understanding of the importance of government affairs.

His remarks clearly expressed his stance on the main point of the matter, while also leaving some room for minor details.

After all, the officials summoned by Emperor Jiazhao to discuss state affairs today included not only civil servants like him, but also military officials like Marquis Zhongjing.

As a civil servant, Cai Xiang inevitably had the subconscious desire to suppress military achievements.

But he is well versed in the ways of being an official. The emperor summons civil and military officials to the same hall to discuss matters, which is to seek a balance between the civil and military officials.

If he were to discuss matters entirely from the standpoint of a civil servant, he would certainly not be able to achieve all his wishes, so he proposed that the main culprit must be punished and the rest should be dealt with according to the law.

It is an important town among the nine frontier cities of the Great Zhou. Since the great victory over the Mongolian barbarian tribe eight years ago and the pacification of the Jurchens in Liaodong by Jia Cong last year, no other major wars have taken place.

The Nine Garrisons' frontier troops had enjoyed peace for too long and had become lazy and arrogant. The fact that Datong General Qian Shaoyang shielded and violated the law was a clear proof of this state of the frontier troops.

As a civil official in the cabinet, Cai Xiang had a long-term vision, was skilled in political strategies, and was well versed in the means of controlling the military with civil power.

The military merits began to become arrogant and disrupted the stability of the border towns. By defeating a second-rank Datong general and purging a group of border army generals, the goal was achieved by suppressing and curbing the arrogance of the military generals.

The so-called accomplice, who was dealt with according to the law, was just a survivor he left for the military hero. Those four dandy sons of noble families, regardless of life or death, could not influence the overall situation.

……

Cai Xiang's statement that Qian Shaoyang was the main culprit in this case was not made up.

Although Qian Shaoyang was not directly involved in the illegal sale of salt and iron, as the chief officer of Datong Military Town, he held great power.

Although Sun Zhanying came from a noble family in Datong, he was just a military commander. If it were not for Qian Shaoyang's protection and protection, he would not have enough support to do the salt and iron business so unscrupulously.

Now that Sun Zhanying has surrendered to the northern barbarians, he is difficult to capture for the time being. Qian Shaoyang, as the general of Datong, is involved in the case and is naturally the undisputed culprit in this matter.

The Datong salt and iron illegal case has caused a sensation in the court and the country, and has been under the watchful eyes of both officials and civilians. The court must show fairness to the world and punish the main culprit first. The most important thing is to punish the main culprit.

……

When Cai Xiang finished speaking, the Minister of War Gu Yankui said, "Your Majesty, this time the Datong commander Sun Zhanying was found guilty and immediately went north to join the Tuman tribe's Anta Khan.

This move could not have been a hasty one on Sun Zhanying's part; it must have been a collusion between him and the Mongolian Tuman tribe.

Eight years ago, Liang Chengzong, Marquis of Pingyuan, won five battles against the Mongolian Tuman tribe. The strength of Anta Khan of the Tuman tribe was greatly weakened, and he went far away to recuperate.

However, according to the information collected by scouts from various towns, although Anta Khan temporarily gave up the plan of going south to herd horses due to the damage to his strength, he did not stop his plan to accumulate strength.

After his great defeat with Pingyuan Hou, although he no longer led his troops to harass the important cities in the nine border areas of the Great Zhou, he never stopped killing and conquering in the grasslands outside the Great Wall.

Over the years, he has fought campaigns in the east and the west, conquering many tribes that were scattered all over the place. Now he controls more than 100,000 households and has an elite force of 200,000 soldiers.

Compared with the confrontation and fierce battle with Pingyuan Hou in the past, his strength is stronger than before. Given Antahan's character and ambition, he will sooner or later become a threat to our border areas.

In accordance with Your Majesty's sacred order, I worked with Lord Guo from the Ministry of Rites to determine the candidate and prepare for the mission to the remnant Mongolian and Tuman tribes. I asked the Embroidered Uniform Guard to review the relevant family files on Sun Zhanying.

The accounts seized by the Embroidered Uniform Guard from the Sun family's shop showed that the routes of the Sun family's traveling merchants over the years overlapped with the areas controlled by the Tuman tribe.

Sun Zhanying's sale of prohibited items such as salt and iron was probably mostly pocketed by Anta Khan of the Tuman tribe, who used him to store supplies and build up his military strength.

Sun Zhanying's resolute surrender shows that the power of Anta Khan of the Tuman tribe has not stopped infiltrating the border towns in recent years. I am afraid that there are many people like Sun Zhanying who have been recruited by him. "

……

Gu Yankui's words made Emperor Jiazhao feel awe-inspiring, and Cai Xiang, Guo Youchang, Shi Ding and others present all changed their expressions.

They all knew that Gu Yankui was a veteran minister of two dynasties, upright and loyal by nature, rigorous and pragmatic in his work, and had never been a person who exaggerated alarmists.

As the Minister of War, he would have access to hostile military information through various channels. The Mongolian Barbarian Tribe was a major hidden danger for the Great Zhou in the northern border and had always been a top priority for the Ministry of War.

Gu Yankui was born in a garrison army and now holds the position of Minister of War. His judgment on the movements of the northern barbarians is quite authoritative.

What he said just now was well-thought-out, well-reasoned and anyone could tell it was fair and reasonable. I'm afraid it was also the closest inference to the facts.

Gu Yankui continued, "Antahan, the leader of the Tuman tribe, is a rare hero among the remaining Mongolian tribes. The Mongolians say that he has the spirit of their ancestors. He is a man of many plans and wars, and has great ambitions.

Eight years ago, he was badly defeated by Liang Chengzong, Marquis of Pingyuan, and regarded it as a great humiliation. In recent years, he has secretly communicated with the border, collected salt and iron materials, annexed Mongolian tribes, and accumulated population and troops. His ambitions are not small.

I believe that Anta Khan is still ambitious and will surely make a comeback in the future. There will eventually be a war between him and the Great Zhou.

In war, both superiors and subordinates have the same desire, and the soldiers are willing to fight to the death.

The imperial court has hereditary meritorious officials who have fought in the army for generations. Even though the world has been at peace for a long time and the glory of the families with military honors has faded, their connections and influence in the army cannot be ignored.

This major case of Datong salt and iron contraband involved many families of nobles, and many heirs and direct descendants were implicated, causing panic among the nobles and wealthy families in the capital.

I agree with Mr. Cai's advice that Qian Shaoyang, the main culprit in the Datong Salt and Iron Case, must be severely punished, and the rest of the people involved in the case should be dealt with according to the law without being implicated too much.

Let the families of military honors deeply understand the spirit of the emperor's teaching and forgiveness, so that when they need to fight for the country in the future, they can still maintain the spirit of military honors and bravery. "

……

Although Gu Yankui's words were spoken in a subtle way, the ministers present had all been in the officialdom for a long time and naturally understood his meaning.

Gu Yankui's attitude towards the Datong Salt and Iron Case was almost exactly the same as Cai Xiang's. First of all, they both wanted to severely punish the main culprit Qian Shaoyang in order to uphold the law and make it clear to the public.

Other accomplices will be dealt with according to the law according to the severity of their crimes.

Severe punishment and handling according to the law are two completely different standards.

When Gu Yankui mentioned handling the case according to the law, he was referring to the more than 30 military officers involved in the case.

It is better to say that it is specifically targeting four noble princes who raise military supplies, as well as three other noble families: Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, and Qiu Liang.

Gu Yankui stated that Anta Khan of the Tuman tribe had ill intentions and that he would fight with the Great Zhou sooner or later, and hinted that the noble generals had considerable influence in the army. However, once the Great Zhou and the Tuman tribe went to war, if they wanted to keep their soldiers motivated and avoid any unexpected troubles, the noble generals with considerable influence in the army would be a factor that could not be ignored.

Among the eight noble and military families involved in the Datong Salt and Iron Case, except for the Rongguo Mansion which had long withdrawn from military power, the other seven are still active in the military.

If the seven noble families were involved in this major salt and iron case, they would be severely punished, or even stripped of their titles and killed.

Given Emperor Jiazhao's consistent attitude of suppressing the old nobles such as the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, it would definitely make the nobles and generals feel on guard.

Even if there are military generals who are not involved in the case this time, they will develop fear and resentment with the court because of the grief of the rabbit's death and the fox's grief.

Once war comes, the nobles and generals will become alienated from the imperial court, shrink back from fighting, and the military will become morale-destabilizing, thus shaking state affairs and causing unpredictable disasters.

In fact, on this point, Cai Xiang and Gu Yankui's advice and concerns were almost completely consistent.

However, as a cabinet minister and civil servant, Cai Xiang could not speak too explicitly about pardoning the convicted nobles.

……

After listening to the advice of Cai Xiang and Gu Yankui, Emperor Jiazhao looked thoughtful, but did not express his opinion immediately. Instead, he looked at Shi Ding, Marquis Zhongjing, who had not spoken.

As the only noble and general present, Shi Ding, due to his position, would have a more direct and accurate view and opinion on the matter than Cai Xiang and Gu Yankui.

Emperor Jia Zhao asked, "My dear Mr. Shi, what advice do you have on this matter?"

Shi Ding said solemnly: "I think the words of Lord Cai and Lord Gu are far-sighted and both are mature and wise in their views on state affairs.

Your Majesty, please educate and forgive the noble families who have been convicted of crimes related to the salt and iron affairs, considering that their ancestors have made great contributions to the country.

The death penalty can be pardoned, but living crimes cannot be forgiven. The qualifications for inheriting a title can be revoked, the title of honor can be removed, and one can be exiled for the crime and never employed again. This is the punishment of the country.

This move can preserve the family's spirit of military exploits and bravery, and make the children feel the emperor's sincerity of cherishing merits and compassion. Once the country is faced with a military event, the family will surely move forward bravely to atone for their past mistakes and achieve further achievements. "

……

When Cai Xiang, Gu Yankui, Shi Ding and others left the palace, Emperor Jiazhao was still thinking about the advice of several ministers.

It can be said that the ministers summoned by Emperor Jiazhao to discuss matters today are all extremely representative. Cai Xiang represents the voice of civil officials, Shi Ding is based on a family of military meritorious generals, and Gu Yankui is in charge of state and military affairs.

However, their opinions ultimately came to the same conclusion: Emperor Jia Zhao wanted to remove all these arrogant and reckless nobles from their positions.

But Emperor Jia Zhao knew very well that as the emperor, if he wanted to make a clear judgment on the overall situation, he could not base it on his personal likes and dislikes, but had to weigh the pros and cons.

The opinions and suggestions just now put forward by Gu Yankui and others are the most pertinent suggestions for handling the major case of illegal salt and iron production in Datong.

After Emperor Jiazhao figured this out, he had a rough idea in his mind about how to deal with the many nobles involved in the case.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of the seven noble families involved in the case mentioned by Gu Yankui. They are now active in the military and have considerable connections and influence in the military.

This does not include Jia Lian of Rongguo Mansion. Everyone knows that since the death of Jia Daishan and Jia Daihua, the Jia family has completely withdrawn from military power.

Although the Rongguo Mansion supported Wang Ziteng, Emperor Jia Zhao took advantage of the false accusation of Jia Cong by a fellow scholar and used a little trick to sever the relationship between Wang Ziteng and the Rongguo Mansion.

Now Wang Ziteng has lost his foundation and is like duckweed in the water. He is just a puppet in the hands of Emperor Jiazhao. His power, life and death, are all decided by the king.

According to Gu Yankui's concerns, Jia Lian of Rongguo Mansion can be said to be not included in this list.

Emperor Jia Zhao suddenly remembered that more than ten days ago, Jia Cong had submitted a memorial to plead for his brother, but he had not responded because the direction of the Datong Salt and Iron Case was undecided.

Emperor Jia Zhao asked Guo Lin, "Since Jia Cong submitted his petition for mercy, has there been any movement in the Jia family's eastern and western mansions?"

Guo Lin said: "Your Majesty, everything in the Jia family is normal recently, but Jia Cong went to the firearms workshop in the eastern suburbs of the city yesterday.

It is said that the workshop's spies reported that Jia Cong had asked about the progress of the casting of the breech-loading rifle parts, and had discussed with the deputy supervisor Liu Shizhen for a long time, and it seemed that he had made some changes to the breech-loading rifle drawings. "

Emperor Jia Zhao's eyes lit up when he heard this. He had admired the blueprint of the gun in the back hall drawn by Jia Cong countless times.

He once summoned Qian Huai, the manager of the firearms workshop, to listen to his detailed explanation of the details of the breech-loading rifle. Qian Huai praised this breech-loading rifle highly.

This made Emperor Jiazhao quite looking forward to this new type of musket.

Now, hearing that Jia Cong had made improvements to the breech-loading rifle drawings, but not knowing what shape it would take, it aroused Emperor Jia Zhao's curiosity.

Emperor Jia Zhao pulled out Jia Cong's memorial to the emperor from the pile of memorials and documents on the imperial desk and flipped through it thoughtfully.

He said to Guo Lin, "Pass on my order to summon Jia Cong to the palace for an audience."

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

In the study, Jia Cong carefully polished the memorial he had written yesterday.

In this memorial, he described in detail the simplified concept of the breech-loading rifle. This boring description took him some effort to carefully consider his words in order to make it understandable to laymen.

After the memorial was polished, it was carefully copied again and prepared to be submitted to the palace the next day. Considering Emperor Jiazhao's enthusiasm for new firearms, this memorial would definitely have the expected effect.

At this time, Wu Er's voice came from outside the yard: "Sister Ping Er, why are you here? The Third Master is in the study."

Jia Cong heard Ping'er's charming voice: "Second Madam has received the good news. Master Wang has sent a lot of nourishing foods and seasonal fruits.

There was also a box of fresh lychees from Lingnan, which were said to be preserved in ice and had traveled thousands of miles. They looked quite rare, so Second Grandma asked me to send some to Third Master to taste.”

Wu Er smiled and said, "Lychees are a rare commodity in this season."

That day in Fengjie's courtyard, Wang Xifeng told Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang about Ping'er's arrival, and naturally everyone in the East Palace knew about it.

Therefore, when the people in Jia Cong's courtyard saw Ping'er, most of them felt that she was one of their own and naturally spoke in a more intimate manner.

Perhaps Wang Xifeng did it on purpose, as she has been finding excuses every day recently.

Either they came to inquire about Jia Lian's affairs, or they gave him some new and useful items, so that Ping'er would often come to the East Palace and become more familiar with Jia Cong's courtyard.

Jia Cong knew clearly what Wang Xifeng was thinking, but he didn't take it to heart.

Wang Xifeng has already made it clear in Rongguo Mansion that Ping'er has no other choice but to marry into her room, so he will naturally treat her well.

……

Jia Cong put away the copied memorial and saw Ping'er coming into the study with a basket of bright red lychees.

He smiled and said, "This basket of lychees is not light to carry from the West Mansion. It must be too tiring for Sister Ping'er. If there is such a thing next time, send a message and ask Sister to send someone to get it."

Ping'er's pretty face blushed slightly, looking unusually pretty and charming, and said, "Second Madam is not in charge of things now, she just stays in the yard, and I have a lot more free time than usual.

I'm not that delicate. I can only carry a basket of things by myself. There's no reason for me to ask others to come."

The two were chatting gossip when Juan'er suddenly came to report that the eunuchs in the palace had come to the mansion to deliver a message, saying that the emperor had verbally ordered the third master to come to the palace to meet him.

Jia Cong and Ping'er were both surprised when they heard this. Jia Cong looked at the memorial on the table and thought that this matter came at a very timely moment.

On that day, it happened that Zhishao took Yinglian and Xing Xiuyun to the Nun Temple outside the city to visit Master Xiushan and Miaoyu. Lingguan went to Daiyu's room, and Qingwen didn't know where she went.

Wu'er hurried into the room, helped Jia Cong comb his hair and wash his face, and also looked for suitable clothes, because Jia Cong was now in mourning and had resigned from his post, so he could only wear casual clothes when entering the palace.

However, these things in the room are usually done by Wu'er and Qingwen together, and one person would be a little flustered.

Ping'er saw this and her face became even redder. Seeing Wu'er rummaging through the boxes and cabinets looking for clothes, she went forward to help Jia Cong take off his bun and combed his hair carefully with a comb.

Her hands were very deft, and in a short while she had helped Jia Cong tie his hair into a bun again and put on a hairpin and jade crown.

The two of them worked around Jia Cong and finally finished cleaning up. Jia Cong smiled at Ping'er and said, "Thank you for troubling me today, Sister Ping'er."

Wu Er laughed and said, "There will be many more times to trouble you in the future."

Ping Er blushed and was about to speak, but she saw Jia Cong taking the written memorial and quickly leaving the inner courtyard. (End of this chapter)