Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

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

In the empty hall, the bronze crane in the animal tripod exhaled wisps of burning incense, which smelled like orchid and musk, making people feel more refreshed and focused.

Emperor Jia Zhao flipped through the memorial submitted by Jia Cong and looked at the young man standing below him, feeling somewhat surprised.

He summoned Jia Cong to the palace to meet him today, one reason being that Jia Cong had written a letter to pray for mercy on behalf of his brother.

Secondly, when he heard that Jia Cong had made improvements to the manufacture of breech-loading rifles, Emperor Jia Zhao, who was very much looking forward to the new type of muskets, was eager to hear the details.

What he didn't expect was that as soon as Jia Cong entered the hall, he presented him with a memorial that he had already written, which detailed the improvements to the breech-loading rifle and came with two newly drawn drawings.

This memorial uses concise words and detailed narration. I think Jia Cong spent a lot of effort on it. The two paintings have complex lines, fine painting, and are annotated with text descriptions, making it easy to understand at a glance.

Emperor Jiazhao waved his hand to dismiss the palace maids and eunuchs serving in the palace, leaving Guo Lin alone.

He smiled and said, "You understand my thoughts. You know that I am concerned about the development of the breech-loading rifle, and you have already written a memorial and drawn up the drawings."

Jia Cong replied: "I am fully aware of the great ambitions of the emperor, and his determination to build a strong army with the art of firearms. Although I have resigned from my post to mourn my father, I dare not slack off in the research and development of firearms.

A few days ago, I invited Liu Shizhen to my house to discuss the construction of breech-loading rifles in detail. I also went to the firearms workshop outside the city to check out the refining of breech-loading rifle parts, but the overall progress was quite unsatisfactory.

The reason is that the key components of the breech-loading rifle are extremely difficult to forge, which seems somewhat unattainable with the current forging technology of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If they are not simplified and improved, the construction will definitely take a long time.

Therefore, I simplified and improved the extremely difficult forging parts of the breech-loading rifle, changing the original all-copper bullets to paper-wrapped bullets, and the original copper primer ignition to needle-type ignition.

This will greatly reduce the difficulty of manufacturing a breech-loading rifle. According to my estimation, after this improvement, a sample rifle may be manufactured within half a year."

Emperor Jiazhao once heard from Guo Huai, the manager of the workshop, that it would take at least a year to produce the breech-loading rifle sample as shown in the blueprint.

But Qian Huai was just a bystander after all, and his estimate of the construction progress would most likely be biased.

As the developer of the breech-loading rifle, Jia Cong knew best the difficulty and time required to build it. According to what he said, it would take a long time, so I'm afraid even a year would not be enough.

After further improvements and optimizations, he declared that he could produce a prototype gun within half a year, which was exactly half the time Qian Huai had estimated, which surprised and delighted Emperor Jiazhao.

Emperor Jia Zhao was excited and said, "If we can make this weapon within half a year according to your improved blueprint, it will be a great achievement for us to add another military weapon to the Great Zhou.

You are now resigning from your post due to mourning, but I still grant you the power to make decisions in the Firearms Bureau. All craftsmen below Liu Shizhen will be under your command.

You can directly ask Li Dekang from the Ministry of Works to assist in the construction of the breech-loading rifle, as well as the materials and manpower required. You do not need to report everything to me."

Jia Cong knew that Li Dekang of the Ministry of Works was the Vice Minister of Works two years ago. He and Jia Cong had some interactions. This spring, the former Minister of Works retired due to old age, and Li Dekang was promoted to Minister of Works.

At present, the Firearms Bureau is affiliated with the Ministry of Works. Although the affairs of the Firearms Bureau are highly independent and confidential, and the Minister of Works has no authority to interfere, according to official rules, Li Dekang is considered Jia Cong's immediate superior.

Now, thanks to Emperor Jiazhao's words, the Minister of Works has become the transport captain of the Firearms Bureau. This shows how much importance Emperor Jiazhao attached to the manufacture of breech-loading rifles.

Emperor Jiazhao also said: "After the Datong Salt and Iron Banning case broke out and the Datong commander Sun Zhanying was defeated, he brazenly went north to surrender to the enemy Tuman tribe Anda Khan.

The Ministry of War received repeated intelligence reports from border scouts that Anda Khan of the Tuman tribe was accumulating strength and preparing for war, which ultimately posed a hidden danger to the northwest border.

Since you took charge of the Firearms Department, you have made many contributions. In the battle of Liaodong to pacify the Jurchens, the way of strengthening the army with firearms has shown its effectiveness. I hope you can give full play to your strengths and add more important weapons to the country. I will definitely reward you generously! "

Jia Cong had some understanding in his mind as to why Emperor Jia Zhao attached so much importance to the manufacture of breech-loading rifles. Naturally, it was related to the current situation.

Sun Zhanying's brazen surrender to the Tuman tribe's Anda Khan was not a hasty move according to common sense, and it must have alerted the Great Zhou's military department. The threat of the northern barbarians in the northwest border began to enter the vision of the Great Zhou's rulers and ministers.

Because of the record of pacifying the Jurchens in Liaodong, the new type of musket with sharp killing effect could not only deal with the Jurchens with fast horses and sharp swords, but also naturally deal with the Mongols, who were also a horse-riding tribe.

Therefore, Emperor Jiazhao paid great attention to the breech-loading musket, which had a much higher lethality than the improved Rumi gun.

Jia Cong replied: "I am an official appointed by the court. I am responsible for the country and for His Majesty. I will do my best and will not slack off in the slightest."

Emperor Jia Zhao glanced at the two memorials submitted by Jia Cong on the imperial desk and pondered for a moment.

He said: "You once wrote a letter to pray for mercy for your brother Jia Lian, but the Datong Salt and Iron Case involves many nobles, and a single move can affect the entire body. Because the situation is unclear, it is difficult to decide how to deal with it, so I have not yet made a decision.

Now I will approve your request. Because of your contribution in creating new firearms, Jia Lian will be pardoned from death and sentenced to exile as a penance by the three judicial officials according to the law."

After hearing what Emperor Jia Zhao said, Jia Cong felt relieved. The emperor pardoned Jia Lian's death sentence, which meant that Jia She's crimes such as selling salt and iron and stealing stolen guns were finally exposed by the emperor.

Therefore, the damaging impact of this incident on himself and the Jia family was truly eliminated, and his planning was not in vain.

Emperor Jia Zhao said, "I know you have great prestige in Liaodong. I will send an oral order to the Dali Temple to exile Jia Lian to Liaodong for military service. This will also make it easier for you to take care of him and prevent him from causing any more trouble."

After hearing this, Jia Cong felt a little shocked. Emperor Jia Zhao was doing him a favor, but he also mentioned that he had great prestige in Liaodong, which might be a warning to him.

Because he had wiped out the Jurchens in Liaodong, the Liaodong border troops, from the general-in-chief Liang Chengzong, to his generals Liu Yongzheng, Deng Hui, Wei Yongzhou and others, all had a close relationship with him and seemed to be loyal to him.

Guo Zhigui, the son of Jia Cong's wet nurse Zhao Ma, is still serving as the commander of the firearms battalion in the Liaodong army.

Fortunately, Jia Cong and these people were just comrades-in-arms who went to the battlefield together. They did not do anything presumptuous and were not afraid of being caught.

However, Emperor Jiazhao is well aware of the mind of emperors and may be much more sensitive than ordinary people in these aspects...

……

Rongguo Mansion, Fengjie's Courtyard.

Wang Xifeng was sitting on the kang under the south window in the inner room, with her back against a brocade backrest and her right hand resting on a pillow. Although she was dressed in silk, she had a simple pearl hairpin on her head and her face had plain make-up.

Although Jia Lian's matter had not yet come to an end, Wang Xifeng was still worried. Fortunately, she suddenly became pregnant at the time of crisis, which calmed her mind to a great extent.

Now she paid more attention to her maintenance and was also handed over the daily housekeeper's responsibilities. She was less tired and more relaxed every day, and her complexion and spirit were obviously much better than when Jia Lian first got into trouble.

The maid Feng'er lifted the door curtain and came in, holding a bowl of white fungus and bird's nest soup on a tray in her hand.

Wang Xifeng asked, "Ping'er went to the East Palace early in the morning, how come she hasn't come back after half a day?"

Feng Er asked, "Second Madam, how about I go to the East Mansion and ask Sister Ping Er to come back?"

Wang Xifeng said, "Forget it. Sooner or later, she will be a sparrow that will move away from her nest. Why bother urging her?"

The master and the servant were talking when a graceful figure appeared on the window paper facing south, accompanied by the sound of familiar footsteps.

The door curtain of the inner room was lifted, revealing Ping'er's pretty face with a sweet smile.

Wang Xifeng sneered, "You just sent the basket of lychees over, but the sun was setting and you were nowhere to be seen. I can see that you haven't even arrived yet, but your heart has already flown away.

You are willing to come back at this moment, did you encounter something good, or did Brother Cong give you a taste of sweetness?"

When Ping'er heard Wang Xifeng's dirty talk, her pretty face flushed as she said, "Madam, what nonsense are you talking about again? If anyone hears it, I will be ashamed to live like a human being.

I met the Third Master in the East Palace. I wasted time, but it turned out to be a good thing. "

When Wang Xifeng heard Ping'er say that there was indeed good news, her expression was stunned. She thought to herself that Cong Lao San was a little pervert, but he must have really seduced Ping'er...

Ping Erh did not notice Wang Xifeng's expression and said, "When I went there this morning, I had just seen the Third Master when word came in from outside that an eunuch had come to the palace and wanted to summon the Third Master to the palace to see the Emperor.

I was thinking about the fact that the Third Master had pleaded for the Second Master last time, and the Emperor's request to see the Third Master might be related to this matter, so I didn't dare to come back and waited for news in the Third Master's courtyard. "

When Wang Xifeng heard this, her face lit up with joy, and she asked hurriedly, "Now that you've come back, you've got the news. What is it?"

Ping Er smiled and said, "The Third Master just came back from the palace and said that the Emperor had pardoned the Second Master's death sentence because of his meritorious service, and only ordered the Third Judge to sentence him to exile.

Moreover, he showed special care and allowed the Second Master to serve in exile in Liaodong."

When Wang Xifeng heard that Jia Lian was spared the death penalty, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. As soon as a hint of joy appeared on her face, she began to worry again.

He said, "Why was he exiled so far away to Liaodong? It's freezing cold there, and it's not the right place for someone like you to stay. Is this considered special care from the royal family?"

Ping Er advised: "Now that Second Master is in trouble, as long as you can save your life, there is still a long way to go, and there is no need to worry too much about other things.

The Third Master said that he was awarded the title for his meritorious service in Liaodong. Many generals in Liaodong were his comrades in arms. If the Second Master went there, it would be more convenient for the Third Master to take care of him. It is much more reliable than going somewhere else. "

After hearing this, Wang Xifeng was completely relieved and said, "I had forgotten about this. My third brother made his fortune in Liaodong, and even most of the property of the East Palace is in Liaodong.

That place has half of Third Brother's foundation, Second Master can be assured when he goes there, even if it is freezing cold, just let him take more money and clothes."

Ping'er smiled and said, "Now that Second Master's matter has been settled, Madam can rest assured. The most important thing is to take good care of the baby."

Wang Xifeng sighed, "After this incident, I finally understand. When Second Master got into trouble, although the old lady and the old master were distressed and anxious, they could not do anything to help. When the matter became critical, it was only because of Third Brother's reputation in front of the Emperor that Second Master was able to save his life."

Ping Er smiled and said, "Second Master is a blessed man, having a brother like Third Master to support him."

Wang Xifeng laughed and scolded, "Look how proud you are. You are so happy, aren't you? I gave you such a big gold ingot, and now you have found a better wife. Don't forget me in a blink of an eye."

Ping Er blushed and said, "Look at what grandma said. I am such a heartless person."

Wang Xifeng laughed and said, "It's hard to say. I've seen it a long time ago. Third brother's ability to coax women is probably no worse than his ability to be an official. If you fall into his hands, you will be lost sooner or later.

It's hard to say whether he will have a conscience in the future, but no matter what, I let him have someone like you, so he must remember my kindness."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

Ping'er got the news that Jia Lian was pardoned and spared from death, and Yingchun naturally told Lady Jia about it as soon as possible.

When Lady Jia and Jia Zheng heard the news, they felt relieved. Jia Lian was guilty of selling salt and iron at the border, so it was a blessing for him to save his life. They never expected that Jia Lian could get away with it unscathed.

Although he could not escape the fate of being exiled to the frontier, Jia Mu and Jia Zheng still had some knowledge. They knew that Jia Cong had made meritorious services in Liaodong and was awarded medals, and even the roots of the title and property of the East Palace were in Liaodong.

They were born into prominent families and heard many such stories every day. Many high-ranking officials were convicted and exiled, but died in a foreign land because they were unfamiliar with the place and had no one to take care of them.

Jia Lian was exiled to Liaodong, which was equivalent to going to Jia Cong's territory. There he would definitely be taken care of by his brothers and would be able to return to the capital alive in the future.

In Jia's grandmother's opinion, this was probably the best outcome for Jia Lian. Then she thought of how much emotion Jia Cong felt. Although she and her grandson were not close, he was the most capable one in the family.

She said to Yuanyang beside her, "Go to the East Palace and ask Congge to come and talk."

Then he said to Yingchun, "Your brother has connections in the government, but you should ask Lian'er how many years he will be gone. I don't know if I can wait for him to come home alive."

Yingchun comforted him, "The old lady will surely live a long life and will certainly be able to wait for the second brother to come home. Brother Cong just left the palace and went home. He didn't sit for a while before going to the workshop outside the city. He is not at home now."

Grandmother Jia was surprised and asked, "Why is he going out on errands?"

Yingchun said: "The reason why the emperor spared the death penalty for Brother Lian is because Brother Cong made a great contribution by inventing a new type of firearm.

Now that the emperor has granted me grace, Brother Cong naturally cannot neglect me. Although I have resigned from my post, I still have to do the work of the Firearms Department."

After hearing this, Jia Zheng stroked his beard and exclaimed: "Our family has a complete family tradition and yet we still devote ourselves to state affairs. Although our family has some unworthy sons, we are lucky to still have someone like Cong."

After hearing what her son said, Grandmother Jia couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. When her son said that the young men were unfilial, he was not only referring to Jia Lian, but most likely also to her Baoyu.

The old lady thought about the bad things that had happened in the Rongguo Mansion recently. First, the eldest son died, and then the eldest grandson committed a serious crime and almost lost his life.

But even so, the kid from Dongfu can still turn the tide and still shine in everything.

When Grandmother Jia thought of Jia Cong's glory and Baoyu who was still recuperating in his room, she couldn't help but sigh.

……

Daiyu, Baochai, Tanchun and other sisters were also happy to hear the news from Jia Lian.

After all, Jia Lian is a brother from the same mansion. Although he is a bit absurd and dissolute, he is kind to others and has a good reputation among the sisters.

Perhaps Mrs. Wang was the only one in the family who didn't care about this matter. She could also guess that Jia Lian was exiled to Liaodong, and with Jia Cong's care, he would be able to return to the capital safely in the future.

If his niece gave birth to another boy, the eldest son of the eldest house and his family would be complete, and with the support of the boy from the West Mansion, he would probably take away a lot of Baoyu's family property in the future.

Thinking of this, Mrs. Wang couldn't help but feel a lot more ridiculous melancholy because of her own foresight.

……

Over the next period of time, the turmoil caused by a series of disasters in the east and west mansions of the Jia family gradually subsided.

At the same time, a series of major events happened outside, constantly shaking and stirring the nerves of many people in Shenjing City.

On the fourth day after Jia Cong left the palace to meet the emperor, the three judicial departments, the Ministry of Clan Affairs, the Ministry of Rites and other government offices held a five-court trial on the major case of illegal salt and iron production in Datong.

Qian Shaoyang, the general of Datong, was implicated in the case. Thirty-two middle and low-ranking officers in the Datong army, including Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang, and Jia Lian, were convicted and sentenced.

Qian Shaoyang, the general of Datong, was identified as the main culprit in a major case and sentenced to death by beheading because he held a high position, sheltered and condoned his officers, who were corrupt and treated human lives as nothing. His property was confiscated and his family members were sold into exile.

The four sons of noble families involved in the Datong border army case were stripped of their qualifications for inheriting titles, removed from the clan list, never to be employed again, and exiled to Yunnan and Guizhou for 20 years.

Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and other three military meritorious officials who inherited the title were sentenced to beheading according to the law because they participated in the illegal sale of Datong salt and iron and made huge profits.

Because the Emperor had mercy on Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, and Qiu Liang, whose ancestors had made contributions to the country and whose fathers had fought on the battlefield, he granted them the favor and spared them the death penalty.

Xie Jing and Qi Jianhui were stripped of their second-class baron titles and exiled to Guangdong for twenty years. Their sons were demoted to the third rank and inherited the rank of Yunqiwei.

Qiu Liang was exiled to Qiongzhou for twenty years of hard labor, and Jia Lian of Rongguo Mansion was exiled to Liaodong for fifteen years of hard labor.

Sun Zhanying, the main culprit in the Datong salt and iron illicit trafficking case, fled for fear of punishment and went north to betray his country and surrender to the enemy. His crime was unforgivable and his entire clan was exterminated.

The news of the punishment of the salt and iron case spread, causing a shock throughout the entire Shenjing City.

Qian Shaoyang, the highest-ranking prisoner among the prisoners and the only one sentenced to death by beheading, was ignored by everyone and died quietly. He was a second-rank provincial governor, but his end was very tragic.

The two people who received the most attention from both the court and the public were Xie Jing and Qi Jianhui.

The titles of the two noble families were both demoted from second-class baron to cloud cavalry captain, and the noble lord of the family was almost demoted to the lowest position. Although he retained the title and the dignity of the family, decline was inevitable.

However, if a noble who inherited a title committed a serious crime, he could still keep his life, which was already a special favor from the emperor. It was a common practice for the royal family of the country to demote a noble who had committed a crime to a lower rank and inherit his title, and no one could find any fault with it.

As for the four princes who inherited the title in the Datong army, they were merely stripped of their qualifications for inheriting the title and exiled to the frontier, which had almost no impact on their families and was actually a very good outcome.

It is said that when the Dali Temple's sentencing documents were handed down, the heads of these four noble families submitted letters of thanks.

Among all the prisoners, Jia Lian received the lowest sentence. While others were sentenced to twenty years of exile, he was only sentenced to fifteen years.

Only Jia Cong, Emperor Jia Zhao, Xu Kun and others knew that even fifteen years of exile was a severe punishment for Jia Lian because he was only suffering on behalf of his father.

Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and other relatives who were convicted because of Jia Lian's confession were resentful because Jia Lian received the lightest punishment. Criticism about Jia Lian gradually spread in the market.

Later, news came from some unknown channel that Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong had developed a new type of firearm, which was highly praised by the emperor. Therefore, the emperor extended his favor to his brother Jia Lian and spared his life.

Many people then realized that the previously unknown Jia Lian was actually the elder brother of the young earl who was deeply favored by the emperor.

Moreover, Jia Lian's sentence reduction is the will of the current emperor. Who would dare to say anything about it?

Xie Jing, Qi Jianhui, Qiu Liang and other clan members soon lost their voices, fearing that they would cause trouble by speaking out of their mouths. Even the last Cloud Cavalry Captain was dismissed by the royal family.

……

Five days after the Dali Temple issued the penalty document, Jia Lian set out on his journey north to exile.

Jia Cong, along with Jia Yun and other young men from the Rong family's side branches, escorted Wang Xifeng's carriage and horses, all the way to the Hongde Gate in the capital.

The few Dali Temple runners who escorted Jia Lian had already received instructions from Dali Temple Chief Yang Hongbin to take good care of Jia Lian along the way.

These yamen runners had received generous gifts of gold and silver from Jia Cong, and they were even more afraid of Jia Cong's reputation in the capital. They all patted their chests and promised that they would definitely send Master Lian to Liaodong safely.

Jia Cong then gave the letter to Liang Chengzong to Jia Lian to pass on. With this letter, Jia Lian would be safe as long as he did not cause any trouble in Liaodong.

Jia Lian and Wang Xifeng said goodbye to each other, each with their own sadness. Fortunately, the couple left behind their own bloodline. Fifteen years later, they would probably be gray-haired, but everything in the world has its cause, and they could only accept their fate.

……

After Jia Lian was exiled to the north, the slight sadness that he brought to the Rongguo Mansion gradually faded away after a few days, and seemed to disappear without a trace.

Even Grandmother Jia gradually let go of her concern for her eldest grandson, because to Grandmother Jia, Mrs. Wang, Jia Zheng and others, there was something more important than Jia Lian's misfortune.

The eldest son of the Rong state has fallen into decline. According to convention, the inheritance of the title of the Rong state mansion would be announced to the second branch, but there was no movement in the palace, which was really unusual.

For Jia Mu and other family members in charge of Rongguo Mansion, the old worries have just gone, and new worries are weighing heavily on their hearts... (End of this chapter)