Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Yulong Street, northern part of Shenjing.

Jia Cong boarded the carriage, Jiang Liu whipped the horse, and the carriage slowly drove away from Prince Zhao's mansion.

In the carriage, Jia Cong leaned against the wall, closed his eyes and rested, thinking about the scene he had just seen in Prince Zhao's mansion, and his mind was full of thoughts.

The carriage traveled for a while and suddenly stopped. The sound of dense horse hooves came from outside the window, waking Jia Cong from his thoughts.

He knew that something must have happened just now, which caused Jiang Liu to suddenly stop the carriage.

Jia Cong opened the car window and saw many soldiers on both sides of the road, driving away pedestrians and street vendors and clearing the streets.

More than twenty riders on fast horses were swarming through the streets, galloping towards the west of the city. All the men on horseback were wearing official military uniforms, and they looked extremely domineering and aggressive.

Jia Cong went to government offices and entered and exited the palace on a daily basis, and had dealings with the Jinyiwei and other government offices.

He recognized that these did not belong to the Jinyiwei, nor to the Patrol Army, nor to the Imperial Guards and the Five Military Camps Cavalry.

Instead, he was a lieutenant in the Court of Inquisition, equivalent to a military officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and was responsible for arrests and searches.

Seeing dozens of them riding fast and passing through the market in an urgent manner, it must be something bad. I don’t know which official they are, but they have been targeted by the cruel officials of the Court of Inquiry, and they are most likely in trouble.

Jia Cong thought for a moment, called Jiang Liu into the carriage, whispered a few words to him, and Jiang Liu got off the carriage and disappeared into the crowd.

……

In the east of Shenjing City, on Hancheng Street, there is a two-story house.

When Lin Zhaohe's carriage arrived, he saw two people standing at the gate of the house, chatting and greeting each other.

One of them was nearly forty years old, with a stocky build, bright eyes and a weather-beaten face.

The other man was a young man in his thirties, of medium build, with a straight back. He was wearing a dark blue round-necked robe with dark patterns. He had a warm expression and a smile on his face.

The man was wearing a brown fingertip on his left little finger. Because the color of the fingertip was close to his skin, it was almost difficult to notice at first glance.

When Lin Zhaohe's carriage stopped at the gate of the house, the middle-aged man came up to greet him with a smile.

When he saw Lin Zhaohe dismounting, he smiled and said, "Third brother, I have been waiting for a long time. Everything is ready for you. Please go to the hospital and settle down."

Lin Zhaohe also smiled and said, "My eldest brother left home to do business many years ago and has not been heard from since. Now he has settled down in the capital. It is really rare for you and I to be reunited in a foreign land."

This middle-aged man in his forties is Lin Zhaohe’s cousin Lin Zhaorong. He took his father out to do business many years ago and has since lost contact with his family.

A few days ago, Ru suddenly went to the inn to look for Lin Zhaohe. The two cousins ​​had not seen each other for many years and were very surprised to meet again. He strongly invited Lin Zhaohe to live and study in his villa.

Lin Zhaorong smiled and said, "I am not as smart as my third brother. I was born to be a scholar, but I failed in my studies and had to make a living by doing business.

Many years ago, I took my father out to do business, but our luck was too bad in the first few years and we almost lost all our fortune. I was too embarrassed to communicate with my family.

Fortunately, his luck has turned for the better in the past two years, and he met some noble people who helped him. He traveled around the remote border areas as a merchant, and only last year did he establish himself in the capital.

Because the distance between Beijing and Hangzhou is too far, and I have been traveling around a lot in the past two years, I have not been able to communicate with my family conveniently.

However, my third brother doesn’t know about me, but even though I am thousands of miles away, I have heard of your reputation.

Last year, when I was traveling for business, I met a traveler from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. I told him that my third brother had won the top prize in the Hangzhou Prefecture's special examination in the 13th year of Jiazhao, which really made me overjoyed.

At that time, I had predicted that my third brother would go to Beijing to take the imperial examination one day. However, when I sent a letter to his hometown, I received a reply saying that my third brother had already gone on a long journey to study.

The capital city of Shenjing and Hangzhou are too far away, and transportation is always too inconvenient.

Since the beginning of spring, candidates from all over the country have come to Beijing one after another, and I have also sent people to inquire about them.

However, Shenjing is the capital of a country. Its territory is too vast and there are many candidates from all over the country, so it is easy to find someone there.

Thanks to Manager Liu's wide network of contacts, I was able to learn about my third brother's whereabouts from a candidate who was familiar with me. Otherwise, you brothers would not know when you will be able to meet him again."

As Lin Zhaohe listened to Lin Zhaorong's words, he couldn't help but look at the young man standing quietly beside him.

After hearing what Lin Zhaorong said, the man smiled and said to Lin Zhaolong: "I am Liu Wenxuan, the owner of Hongjin Silk Shop.

Hangzhou Prefecture has always been a major place for imperial examinations in Jiangnan. It is truly admirable that Mr. Lin was able to win the Hangzhou Prefecture provincial examination. His amazing talent is truly admirable.

It is a blessing that Liu happened to have the opportunity to help you two brothers reunite. "

Lin Zhaohe saw that although Liu Wenxuan was a silk merchant, his speech and manners were elegant and steady, without the slightest hint of a merchant's air, and he was quite remarkable, so he became more concerned about him.

He immediately bowed and said, "Manager Liu is too polite. Thanks to you for your help, we brothers can meet sooner. Zhaohe would like to thank you."

Liu Wenxuan smiled and said, "Today, your brother and I have some business to discuss, and I'd like to take this opportunity to see Lin Jieyuan. I won't bother you any more since your family is having a gathering.

Liu will invite you to a banquet someday, and I hope Brother Lin and Lin Jieyuan will take the time to come."

Liu Wenxuan smiled and said goodbye. Lin Zhaohe looked at his receding figure and said to his cousin, "Brother, Manager Liu's conversation and demeanor are quite good. Brother, you have made the acquaintance of a good person."

Lin Zhaorong smiled and said, "Manager Liu is a capable man. I traveled around a lot in the past few years and only met him by chance when I arrived in Shenjing. We have had many business dealings and gained a lot of advantages.

Last year, I was able to buy a house and settle down in Shenjing, thanks to the help of Manager Liu. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is my benefactor."

The two brothers chatted for a while, and Lin Zhaorong asked his family to move the carriage and luggage. The two brothers went into the hospital hand in hand, greeted their family elders, and expressed their feelings of reunion.

……

In the east of Shenjing City, on Yuping Street, there is Hongjin Silk and Satin Shop.

Yuping Street is a prosperous street in the east of Shenjing City, with shops lining both sides of the street and a bustling flow of people.

Hongjin Silk Shop was only opened in October last year. It is a shop with three doors. Among the many shops on Yuping Street, it is neither big nor small. It blends in with the crowd and does not attract much attention.

After Liu Wenxuan said goodbye to the Lin brothers, he walked around the city for a few more places and then returned to the silk shop.

He asked the shop owner about today's business, looked through the account books of the past two days, gave a few casual instructions, and went into the backyard of the shop.

The backyard of the shop is not large. In addition to two warehouses, there are two side rooms, which is where Liu Wenxuan lives.

But after he entered the yard, he did not stay for long. Instead, he opened the back door of the yard and entered the back alley of Yuping Street.

He walked a little in the back alley, then turned into another alley, making many turns along the way, ultimately walking through the alleys and paths behind the main street.

After walking for half a cup of tea, he finally stopped at the end of a clean and quiet alley and knocked on the brass door cymbals of a small courtyard.

The monotonous and regular knocking sound echoed in the quiet alley...

Soon the gate was opened, and no one entered the courtyard except a tall woman. After Liu Wenxuan entered the courtyard, the gate was gently closed again.

This is just a small courtyard with a single entrance, a main house and two side rooms on each side.

The spacious courtyard is filled with all kinds of green plants and flowers. Under the early spring sunshine, they are lush green or bright purple and red, appearing extremely vibrant.

A middle-aged man in his forties, wearing a short brown shirt that was convenient for movement, with his sleeves rolled up, was watering the flowers and trees and loosening the soil with a focused look.

Although he was dressed simply, his clothes and hands were stained with mud, and he looked like a flower farmer.

But the warm sunlight shining on him seemed to be shining, showing that his facial features were regular, his appearance was elegant, and his movements and manners were graceful. The tall woman did not come forward to help, but just sat aside, watching the man tending to the Huacao with interest.

A quiet and elegant courtyard, a hermit with a leisurely taste, anyone who sees such a scene will probably feel at ease and close to it...

……

Liu Wenxuan entered the courtyard, stood beside the middle-aged man, and said, "Boss, everything you asked has been done.

The last person today is Lin Zhaohe from Hangzhou. His cousin and I have business dealings, so I personally contacted this person. "

The middle-aged man put down the skip and hoe in his hands, walked to the well next to him, took the bucket tied with a rope, and gently threw it into the well.

He heard the sound of water falling into the well, and he shook his wrist skillfully. Then he switched his hands to left and right, and hoisted up a full bucket of well water. It seemed extremely smooth and harmonious, and he did it in one go.

Even though it was such a simple thing, when he did it, it seemed to have more rhythm and method that ordinary people didn't have, as well as a sense of calm and unhurried certainty.

He used well water to wash off the dirt on his body, and even rubbed off the dirt on the corners of his clothes.

After cleaning himself up, he said with some self-mockery, "I have had a quiet and comfortable time during this period. I haven't had such a day for a long time."

As he said that, he took Liu Wenxuan into the main house. The two of them sat down at the table. Liu Wenxuan said, "Since September last year, according to the boss's wishes, we have been using the trade routes and connections in various places.

In addition to his old friendship with the Ministry of Rites, he selected 113 people from the list of the provincial examinations in the 13th year of Jiazhao. These people were all the top winners and those who ranked among the top in the provincial examinations in various states.

Following the boss's instructions, I selected people with ordinary family backgrounds and no official background, a total of twenty-three people.

In the past ten days, I have assigned people, contacted them, and established relationships with them. Once they are used in the future, they will have a focus. "

The middle-aged man took out an exquisite scroll from the secret compartment in the room and unfolded it on the table. There were densely packed names of people written on it, and there was a text description behind each name.

Some of the names were outlined with a red pen. He took the inkstone, ground the red ink on it, soaked the brush in it, and then handed it to Liu Wenxuan.

Liu Wenxuan used a red pen to write a few more names on the scroll, one of which was "Lin Zhaohe, the top scorer in Hangzhou Prefecture".

The middle-aged man took the list, looked through it carefully, and said: These people are all extremely talented, and many of them are the top scorers in a state.

However, they were born in commoner families and relied on the imperial examination to change their family status. They were all intelligent and hardworking people with great potential.

In this spring examination, these people may be among the top three. Once such people enter the officialdom, they have no family background as a stepping stone to advance.

Such people with simple official entanglements are most suitable for being supported and cultivated by external forces..."

Liu Wenxuan said: "These days, I have sent people to pay close attention to the actions of these people. In fact, their daily behavior is just as the boss expected, not much different.

Although the blue cover booklet is now popular among candidates taking the imperial examinations, many candidates use the booklet to pay visits to officials involved in the imperial examinations, and they never get tired of it.

But the people we selected according to the employer's wishes came from humble family backgrounds. Many of them were proud of their talents and disdained to pay visits or visit others, confident that they could make it to the top of the list based on their talents.

Lin Zhaohe, the top scorer in Hangzhou Prefecture whom I met today, is such a person.

A few of them did follow the worship, but due to their limited family background, even if they participated in the worship, their income was limited, and many of them were just the foils of the rich and powerful children.

Moreover, all the candidates who take the imperial examinations are eager to succeed, and people are bound to be jealous of others' talents. Here, candidates with poor family backgrounds but successful in the imperial examinations are mostly the targets of exclusion by others.

During ordinary spring examinations when officials came to pay a visit, some people might bring them along to make things look more presentable, but when it came to the important visits by the chief examiner, few candidates would bring these people along.

However, these people come from humble families and have no connections in the capital, and no one writes to recommend them. Relying on their own talents and reputations, they are afraid that they cannot even step into the threshold of high-ranking officials.

But it’s just right to have such people. The situation outside is chaotic right now, and if something happens, these people will hardly be implicated.”

The middle-aged man smiled and said, "This is common sense. The descendants of noble families occupy high positions, while the talented are relegated to lower positions. This has always been the case since ancient times.

The more such people are, the more resolute their temperaments are. Their whole life's ambition is to pass the imperial examinations, change their status and alter their destiny.

Once these people are among the top three, they will be more ambitious than ordinary people, but they lack family background and connections to support them. As long as they are given external help, they can stir up the storm for you!"

The middle-aged man looked at the list, which contained all the outstanding talents of the time, but he had a calm expression and talked freely, as if it was nothing.

The leisurely and calm aura of a hermit gradually faded away, and his whole body exuded a firmness like a mountain standing still and a deep abyss, which made people feel a little nervous...

Liu Wenxuan, who was sitting next to him, looked at the middle-aged man with a calm gaze and listened attentively.

The middle-aged man continued, "Have the people who came to work a few days ago been settled now?"

Liu Wenxuan replied, "They have all left the capital and boarded a ship heading south three days ago. According to the itinerary, they will arrive at their destination in the middle of the month, so don't worry, boss."

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "Wenxuan, I once had a close friend. Although we were of similar age, he was much wiser and more knowledgeable than me.

He once told me that in all professions in the world, regardless of high or low status, as long as you are good at your job and reach the top, you can also become the leader.

In the eyes of aristocratic families and nobles, merchants were lowly occupations and were considered inferior. Even sages like Tao Zhu, Yi and Dun were often criticized and ridiculed.

But they don’t know that the way of business, which is to deal in daily necessities such as food, rice, oil, salt, clothing, housing and transportation, is nothing more than the way of managing things.

The rules of merchants are: the lower ones manage products, the middle ones manage talents, and the higher ones manage status!
The world's trends are not born from nature, but are caused by people. We cannot be the ones who determine the situation, so we can help others do things that take advantage of the situation...

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

When Zhishao and Wu'er saw Jia Cong return safely, they realized that Wu'er's worries were nothing, and they felt relieved.

Jia Cong returned to the study and asked Yinglian to grind ink and spread paper, so that he could concentrate on reading and writing.

After only one hour's rush, Qingwen came back to say that a message had been sent in from the outer courtyard, saying that the Third Master's servant had finished his work and was waiting in the side hall to report back to him.

Jia Cong's spirits lifted slightly, and he stood up and went to the side hall in the outer courtyard.

When Jiang Liu saw him coming, he said, "Third Master, I followed your instructions and followed the horse tracks of the Magistrate's School Captain from a distance until I arrived at a house at the foot of the city wall to the west.

As soon as the Magistrate and the Captain arrived at the place, they surrounded the front and back gates.

They originally wanted to enter the courtyard to arrest someone, but the owner of the courtyard had already left, leaving only a few old servants looking after the house. In the end, they were all taken away by the magistrate and the captain.

The house was searched inside and out by the magistrate and the captain of the academy, who took away a lot of papers, books and other things when they left.

Afterwards I asked the neighbors around, and they said that the owner of the house was a retired official from the Ministry of Personnel, who had always lived here in his old age.

This man is nearly sixty years old. He is very kind and polite. He often helps the neighbors nearby and has a very good reputation. It is said that officials and old friends often come to visit him. "

When Jia Cong heard about the retired officials of the Ministry of Personnel, a light bulb suddenly lit up in his mind, as if he had grasped something.

He asked, "Can you tell me this person's name and official position?"

Jiang Liu replied: "The people from the Magistrates' Court arrested the old servant who was looking after the house, which caused a lot of commotion. The neighbors were alarmed and many people came out to watch the fun.

Because this man is considered a high-ranking official in this area. I heard from the neighbors that his name is Wang Shien, and before he retired, he was a fifth-rank official in the Office of Personnel.”

When Jia Cong heard about Wang Shien's official position, he vaguely guessed something... (End of this chapter)