Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Northern City of Shenjing, Yulong Street, Prince Zhao’s Mansion.

When Prince Zhao Li Chongmao heard that someone had come to Qianyang Palace to pay homage, he felt somewhat uneasy.

Ever since Zhang Kangnian was defeated and executed in Nanjing, the emperor's attitude towards him and his trust in him suddenly took a sharp turn for the worse.

Although he thought of many ways to remedy the situation, he was unable to do so and it seemed difficult to recover anything.

At this time, the princess passed away, and people from Qianyang Palace suddenly came to the mansion to pay tribute.

Prince Ning and others could think of this, and Prince Zhao could naturally be certain that the person who came must have been instructed by his father.

This made the King of Zhao feel pleasantly surprised. Could it be that because of the death of the princess, his father finally felt pity for him and changed his mind?

However, King Zhao knew that his father was a man of deep strategy and had a gloomy and unpredictable mind. It was difficult to guess what his father was unless he saw it with his own eyes.

Not only was he filled with anxiety and confusion, even Prince Ning, Jia Cong and others who were following Prince Zhao were curious. However, after all, it was none of their business, so they followed just out of courtesy.

When the group arrived at the gate of the palace, they saw two carriages parked at the door, with the emblem of the palace's Imperial Household Department on them.

A eunuch in his forties got off the carriage in front. He was Guo Lin, the deputy chief eunuch of the palace.

Later, several eunuchs got off the carriage there, carrying two loads of high-quality incense, candles, paper money for the dead, straw men and other items for offering sacrifices.

Although Ouyang Bin is now the chief eunuch in the palace, after the emperor retired to the deep palace, Ouyang Bin also followed the emperor into seclusion, and the power of the eunuchs in the palace was handed over to Guo Lin.

Therefore, although Guo Lin is the deputy chief eunuch, he is the undisputed number one eunuch in the palace of the Great Zhou Dynasty, and is the most trusted confidant of the current emperor. He accompanies the emperor every day and never leaves his side.

When Prince Zhao saw that the person sent by his father to pay tribute to the princess was actually Deputy General Manager Guo Lin, it was obvious how serious he took the matter. His thoughts were surging and he couldn't help but feel excited.

Because in the eyes of Prince Zhao, since his father would send his most trusted eunuch to pay homage to the princess, it was the greatest honor given to the princess, as well as a comfort to his own wife and an understanding of their past grudges.

Isn't this what he was eager to get? When King Zhao figured this out, he couldn't help but feel ecstatic.

……

Even though he was facing the pain of losing his wife, when King Zhao saw Guo Lin coming out, he still smiled and said, "It turns out that it is General Manager Guo who has come. I hope you will forgive me for not welcoming you in person."

Guo Lin smiled with a fake smile and said, "Your Highness is too polite. When His Majesty heard that Princess Zhao had passed away, he said that the princess was virtuous and prudent, and was a role model among the wives of his sons, and her virtuous manners were comparable to those of her peers.

This year is only the Double Tenth, but due to a minor illness, he has finally become seriously ill and has no time to live. Your Majesty is very sorry.

In the past, the princess went to the palace to pay homage to the Queen and the Empress Dowager. My family has met Princess Zhao several times. The princess treats people kindly and respects courtesy, which is admirable.

I have heard that the princess has passed away. Your Majesty has granted me leave to go to the palace to pay my respects to Princess Zhao.

Prince Ning sighed, "I have also heard that the eldest princess is highly regarded by my father, the emperor and my mother. It is true. But she died young, which is really a pity."

After hearing what Guo Lin said, Zhao Wang Li Chongmao thanked him but felt very uncomfortable in his heart.

On festival days in the past, he brought the princess into the palace to pay homage. His father did not praise the princess too much, but he did not expect that he valued her so much in his heart.

The emperor also called her a role model among the main wives, and her virtuous conduct surpassed that of her peers. This was already extremely high praise, and she even had the potential to become a model mother for the country in the future.

As the eldest son of the emperor, Prince Zhao was well aware of the royal family's political intrigues. It has always been the case that the emperor's words were worth a thousand gold and his words were always followed by laws. The emperor's words were all carefully considered and he would never speak without thinking.

My father is a man of deep scheming, and his words would never be without purpose.

Guo Lin is my father's close confidant and a very experienced person. What he said is definitely not nonsense, but contains deep meaning.

Prince Zhao originally thought that with the death of the princess, his kinship with the Zhang family in Jiangling would fade, and his father's suspicion and doubt about Zhang Kangnian would gradually fade, which would be a good thing for him.

Now listening to what Guo Lin said, it seems that I have oversimplified things...

……

Guo Lin continued, "The emperor also said that when he was still in the palace, he had an old relationship with Mr. Qi Lian, the head of the Zhang family in Jiangling. Although they were just friends, they were also old friends.

Mr. Qi Lian must have been heartbroken as he lost his eldest granddaughter in his later years. Your Majesty should write a letter to comfort her and perform filial piety on behalf of the princess.

His Majesty also heard that two of Zhang's descendants, Zhang Kangwen and Zhang Kangyong, are brothers of the princess.

The two men had served in the Ministry of Works and the Honglu Temple. Although they did not achieve outstanding results, they were still conscientious. Now they have been transferred to remote states to serve as officials.

His Majesty, considering the virtuous Princess Zhao and the virtuous Zhang family in Jiangling, should be given more favors. He has ordered the Ministry of Personnel to transfer them to the government office in Kyoto to comfort the Princess Zhao's spirit."

When the people present at the scene, including Prince Beijing Shui Rong, First-class Earl Niu Jizong, First-class Son Liu Fang and others, heard this, and all echoed it. Although the Grand Princess had passed away, she had received the mercy and favor of the Emperor, so she should die without regrets.

Prince Ning looked at Prince Zhao with an unintentionally concealed envy...

In fact, it is common sense if you think about it. Although the person is gone, his relatives and family are still favored by the emperor. In the eyes of others, this is the emperor giving great respect to Prince Zhao and the Princess.

The King of Zhao bowed hurriedly to the south and said many solemn words of the Emperor's grace. His already sad face seemed to become even paler, but others could not see it.

At this moment, he felt a little confused. Although the emperor was so kind and gracious in the eyes of others, deep in his heart, it aroused great confusion and fear.

Everything before him was completely contrary to what he had imagined.

He moved all the members of the Zhang family out of the capital, and his wife died suddenly, which completely eliminated the decline brought about by Zhang Kangnian.

However, the palace granted him the favor and pushed things back to their original track effortlessly, leaving him no chance to struggle or fall into the abyss.

He seemed to be able to see his father's cold and gloomy eyes, examining him with some disdain, as if he had already seen through him...

When King Zhao allowed Guo Lin into the palace, he led him to the mourning hall where the coffin of Princess Zhao was placed.

The news that Emperor Jiazhao sent Guo Lin to pay homage to Princess Zhao and to extend favors to the Zhang family in Jiangling soon spread among the guests and officials who came to the palace to pay homage.

Inside and outside the palace's mourning hall, many people were heard whispering, saying that the emperor was benevolent and kind, and that Princess Zhao's favor would not diminish despite her death...

……

Although Jia Cong also followed the crowd and accompanied Prince Zhao to the gate of the palace to welcome Guo Lin, he saw the whole incident.

However, he did not express his approval and admiration for Emperor Jiazhao's favor to the princess like Shui Rong and Li Chongrui did. He just watched quietly from the side without saying a word.

After he returned to the capital from Nanjing, he heard that Emperor Jiazhao had begun to harbor suspicion and resentment towards his eldest son Li Chongmao, whom he had always trusted, because of Zhang Kangnian.

Since November of last year, the Jinyiwei and the Tuishiyuan have been active, and the officials and connections of Zhao Wang Li Chongmao, as well as the generals deployed in the army, have all been purged.

This was because of the incident with Zhang Kangnian, and the emperor regarded the secret accumulation of power by the Prince of Zhao as a hidden danger, and suppressed and weakened it.

The current emperor is in his prime. Under normal circumstances, he still has a long way to go on to become an emperor, and he still has plenty of time to realize his ambitions.

He holds the whole world and is powerful enough to conquer all the seas. All emperors regard him as a treasure and will not allow anyone else to interfere with him, not even his own children, until it is a matter of life and death.

Naturally, he did not want any of the princes to attempt to become powerful and have any unreasonable ambitions.

After the impact of the Jinling Guards case, Zhao Wang Li Chongmao revealed his true abilities.

After the suppression by Emperor Jiazhao, the prestige of Prince Zhao Li Chongmao, who was once so great in the court and the country that he was even rumored to be the successor to the throne, was no longer as high as before.

This may be the effect that Emperor Jia Zhao wanted...

Jia Cong has heard too many such stories in his past and present lives. Such internal disputes and infighting within the royal family have always been the most dirty and dangerous things in the world.

Once he was dragged into it, he would be doomed, so when faced with a situation like this, he naturally stayed as far away from it as possible and was too lazy to say a word.

……

The scene we see today shows that when Princess Zhao died, Emperor Jia Zhao not only sent his trusted eunuch Guo Lin to the palace to offer sacrifices to show his kindness and generosity.

He also moved the Zhang family's descendants who had been moved out of Shenjing back to Shenjing to serve as officials. Such generous favors to Princess Zhao were quite unusual no matter how you looked at it.

Moreover, the emperor would move the Zhang family members who had moved out of Shenjing back to Shenjing to serve as officials, which shows that these relatives of Princess Zhao were not targets of suppression by the emperor.

Who was the one who moved them out of the capital? Jia Cong only needed to think about it for a moment, and the answer was self-evident. It must be that the King of Zhao had lost the trust of the emperor because of Zhang Kangnian's involvement, so he used some means to force all the Zhang family members in the capital out of the capital, hoping to clear himself...

Jia Cong had frequent contacts with Emperor Jia Zhao in recent years. He knew very well that this scheming and suspicious monarch hated being deceived by his subjects the most.

With the emperor's usual shrewdness and sharpness, how could these tricks of Prince Zhao escape his eyes? They were nothing more than showing off one's skills in front of an expert.

The emperor made such a big fuss about showing great favor to the late princess, which showed his dissatisfaction with what the King of Zhao had done.

The King of Zhao tried his best, but his actions did not resolve the rift between father and son. Instead, it made the relationship between father and son even more rigid and distant.

Moreover, Jia Cong pondered deeply in his heart that the whole matter might not be limited to this.

He remembered that before he went out today, Wu'er had mentioned to him the rumors outside, saying that the reason why Princess Zhao died early was because she died of excessive grief over the death of her brother Zhang Kangnian.

At that time, Jia Cong felt that this matter was a little strange. The death of parents or siblings was indeed a great pain in life, but dying of grief was still very rare.

What's more, Princess Zhao and Zhang Kangnian were only cousins, not compatriots or siblings from the same father, so it was somewhat against common sense and logic for them to die of grief.

Therefore, the death of Princess Zhao was probably not caused by grief due to the death of her cousin Zhang Kangnian...

When we think of the Zhang family members who were hurriedly moved out of the capital by Prince Zhao, Emperor Jiazhao's deliberate favor to the Zhang family in Jiangling, and Prince Zhao's seemingly grateful face but inevitably suppressed and concealed loss.

Jia Cong seemed to have come to some realization, and when he looked at the eldest prince beside him, he felt a chill in his heart...

Jia Cong recalled the scene of the training of the new red cannon. That was when he first met Zhao Wang Li Chongmao, and his demeanor and bearing were so extraordinary.

Moreover, his words and actions were warm and sincere, and he treated people with courtesy. He even gave the precious sword that was seized from King Yu when they wiped out the remnants of the Mengchahan tribe as a gift when they met.

It can be said that Jia Cong has always had a good impression of the eldest prince, but he did not expect that he was such a scheming and sinister person. Could he really do something so outrageous that both humans and gods would do so?

……

Jia Cong watched coldly as Guo Lin paid his respects in front of the coffin of Princess Zhao, and then watched Prince Zhao look kind as he respectfully escorted Guo Lin out of the palace.

He suddenly felt that this magnificent prince's mansion, the handsome and heroic Prince Zhao, and the experienced and capable Guo Lin were all filled with an unspeakable eeriness.

He followed the others, paid his condolences before the princess's coffin, declined King Zhao's invitation to a banquet, and hurriedly said goodbye and left.

……

As soon as he walked out of the corner gate of the palace, he heard someone calling him from behind. He turned around and saw that it was Prince Beijing Shui Rong, and his heart paused slightly.

Shui Rong smiled and said, "I recently heard that Yu Zhang has been studying hard behind closed doors. Many talented people who went to Beijing to take the imperial examinations came to the Earl's Mansion to pay homage to him, but none of them had the chance to meet him.

Yuzhang is studying so hard, maybe he is determined to win the first prize in the spring exam again."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Your Majesty, you are really overpraising me. I am lucky to be in Yongzhou.

The Spring Examination is where all the talented people in the world gather. There is no second place in martial arts and no first place in literature. Even if Cong is arrogant, he dare not say that he will win the first prize in the Spring Examination, otherwise he will become a laughing stock."

Shui Rong smiled and said, "Yu Zhang is too modest. These days, there are often talented people coming to my house. They are all outstanding candidates from all over the country. They serve tea, listen to music, and discuss poetry and essays. It's quite interesting."

Jia Cong was surprised and said, "Cong recently heard that a booklet appeared in the market, which specifically recorded the examiners and their subordinates who were waiting to be selected for this spring's imperial examination. Candidates from all over the country followed the records in the book and came to pay a visit, causing a lot of excitement.

But Cong has been studying at home recently and has not seen the strange book. The prince also has outstanding candidates coming to visit him, so could it be that the prince's name is also on the book?"

Shui Rong was slightly stunned when he heard this, and said with a smile: "Yu Zhang is really making fun of you, the people recorded in that blue booklet are all great scholars and celebrities in the court and the proud students of the imperial examinations.

With Xiao Wang's background, how could he have such an honor to be included? It's just that Xiao Wang likes to socialize and feast, and his reputation has spread a little, so people come to visit him.

But even though the little prince's palace is home to many outstanding candidates, it is a little incomplete because of the absence of you, the Yongzhou champion.

If Yuzhang could spare the time to come, and we could discuss poetry and prose together, it would surely become a good story, and it would add more glory to the little prince's mansion..."

Jia Cong heard the key words from Shui Rong's words: the blue cover booklet, which recorded all the famous scholars in the court and the proud candidates in the imperial examinations.

He could already conclude that Shui Rong had also seen this strange booklet, otherwise how could he know that it had a blue cover and be so sure about the characteristics of the names recorded in it...

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Some time ago, there was quite a stir in the court regarding the selection of the chief examiner for the Spring Examination.

Master Liu instructed that before the spring examination, Cong should study behind closed doors and concentrate on his studies. He must not be lazy or go out and cause trouble, but Cong could not disobey his master's orders.

If it weren't for the death of Princess Zhao, the etiquette of the noble family would not be neglected. I'm afraid Cong would have saved himself the trouble of going out, and would have let down the prince's kindness."

Although Shui Rong was a little disappointed after hearing this, he didn't feel too surprised. He had been rejected by Jia Cong many times, but each time Jia Cong was very polite and there was no reason to blame him.

Throughout history, teachers have been highly respected by students when they were studying for their studies and taking exams. Jia Cong's words that it is difficult to disobey the teacher's orders are hard to refute.

Moreover, Jia Cong's mentor Liu Jing'an is a contemporary literary master, whose words are final on literary matters. Even though Prince Beijing has the title of a king, he has to politely retreat.

……

Shenjing, Hongxiang Inn in the west of the city.

Wu Liang and Zhou Yan entered the independent courtyard on the south side of the inn, chatting and laughing. They saw that the door of the west wing was open and Lin Zhaohe was packing his luggage there.

Wu Liang asked curiously, "Brother Yichun, why are you packing your luggage at this moment?"

Lin Zhaohe smiled and said, "A few days ago, when you went out to pay respects, a cousin of mine found the inn. He has been living in Shenjing for several years, but I have been studying in the academy, and we have lost contact.

He also heard about me from his peers in Beijing occasionally, and that's how he found out where I lived. He strongly invited me to live in his villa, saying that it was a quiet place and perfect for studying before the spring examination.

They are so sincere and we have been cousins ​​since childhood, so I can't refuse and will move there today.

I am waiting for you two to come back and say goodbye to each other before leaving."

Wu Liang looked regretful and said, "I had originally wanted to discuss writing with Brother Yichun from time to time so that we could learn something from it. I didn't expect you to move away. But it doesn't matter. It's convenient to travel around the capital.

The last time we went to visit the Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, Mr. Xu Liangxiong, we asked for advice and had a very pleasant conversation. In addition, Mr. Xu and the Master are close friends, so he also thinks highly of us.

There is a banquet at Lord Xu's house today, and we two have been invited to attend. During the banquet, I'm afraid we will talk about our thoughts and experiences in taking the imperial examination.

Brother Yichun, Lord Xu was the first in the second class of the Spring Examination in the 19th year of Yong'an. He was also an outstanding talent in the imperial examination. He had served as an official in the Spring Examination three times and was very experienced in the Spring Examination.

Being able to listen to him explain the Spring Examination is something that cannot be bought with gold or silver. This opportunity is really rare. Brother Yichun, after attending this meeting, it won’t be too late to move to your cousin’s villa.”

After hearing this, Lin Zhaohe was slightly moved and said, "This kind of opportunity is indeed rare, but after the Spring Examination, everyone's knowledge and situation are different.

Although Lord Xu is a senior in the imperial examinations, his words and methods are not applicable to everyone. Xiwen can use them for reference, but cannot use them completely.

I really wanted to go with him, but his parents' carriage was already waiting outside the store for a visit, and there were elders in his family waiting for him, so I didn't dare to be rude.

I will invite you two to drink together someday, and then you can tell me about it and let me learn more."

After hearing what Lin Zhaohe said, Wu Liang could only smile and shake his head. He knew his classmate's temper very well. He always kept his promises and had an appointment to visit his relatives, so he would definitely not be willing to go.

But what he said was not wrong. When the two of us go there, we can tell him a few things and he will know everything. It is quite convenient.

The two men helped Lin Zhaohe take his luggage and sent him to the carriage that had been waiting for him.

When Lin Zhaohe got into the car, he looked back and saw Wu Liang and Zhou Yan still standing on the side of the road, waving goodbye to him, with happy looks on their faces.

I am probably looking forward to attending the banquet at Lord Xu's house today and listening to the teachings of the senior candidates.

Lin Zhaohe boarded the carriage, and as the wheels rolled, he suddenly remembered the Yongzhou scholar, Weiyuan Bo, who turned away all visiting candidates and devoted himself to studying.

With his prestige in the capital and his connections in officialdom, he has more opportunities to come into contact with people like Xu Liangxiong than ordinary scholars like himself.

However, although there are many rumors about this person in the market, no one has ever heard of him having any interactions with the officials waiting for election in the spring imperial examination.

It can be seen that people who are truly talented and learned have their own ideas in mind and will not easily take these external forces that come to visit them to heart... (End of this chapter)