Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

Jia Cong returned to his study, Jiang Liu's words still lingering in his mind.

When he first saw the contents of the blue booklet, the officials listed in it were almost all the most elite people in the Shenjing officialdom.

Moreover, the career experiences of these people are extremely detailed, which cannot be fully described by ordinary people in the market. This information is very likely to come from official documents.

This blue booklet is now widely circulated. Even a figure like Prince Beijing, who has nothing to do with the Spring Examination, knows about the existence of the blue booklet and has even read its contents...

Jia Cong thought of Wang Shien, who happened to be a Langzhong in the Case Documents Department of the Ministry of Personnel, a person who could come into contact with the official documents.

This person was suddenly wanted by the Magistrate's Court. Could it be related to this blue booklet?

Jia Cong's thoughts were in turmoil, and he was lost in thought when he suddenly felt a sweet fragrance coming towards him and soft hair brushing against his cheek, making him feel a little itchy.

When he turned around, he almost bumped into Yinglian. He saw Yinglian staring at him with a pair of bright watery eyes.

Said: "Master, what's wrong with you? You've been in the study for almost half a cup of tea, and you're sitting there in a daze, not moving at all."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's been so long, why didn't I feel it?"

Yinglian nodded seriously and said, "Yes, but it's rare to see you in such a daze."

Jia Cong stood up and walked to the bookshelf, looking for the blue booklet that he had stuffed on the shelf a few days ago, but he couldn't find it.

He asked, "Yinglian, how come the blue book I placed here a few days ago is gone now?"

Yinglian also walked to the bookshelf, squatted down, and pulled out the blue-covered book from a pile of miscellaneous books in the compartment under the bookshelf.

He said, "I was tidying up the bookshelf yesterday. Young Master's book didn't look like it was for an exam, so I saw that Young Master had put it there casually, so I put it in the pile of idle books.

Master, is this book important? "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I originally thought it was unimportant, but now it seems to be quite important."

He took the blue booklet, spread it out on the desk and read it carefully. Yinglian was curious and came over to take a closer look.

……

At this time, light footsteps were heard outside the corridor, and a skirt swayed at the door of the study. Daiyu came in with a smile, followed by Zijuan, holding a small Xiangfei bamboo box in her hand.

When Daiyu entered the room, she saw Jia Cong and Yinglian sitting next to each other, their heads almost bumping into each other, and they were carefully looking at a book on the table.

Daiyu could not help laughing and said, "Oh, I came at an unfortunate time. You two are both so hardworking. Yinglian, you are also so hardworking. Do you want to emulate your third brother and win the first prize in the imperial examination?"

Yinglian blushed slightly when she heard this. She was very shy and cute. She said, "Miss Lin is teasing me again. I am just a little girl who manages the study. I don't have that ability."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "How come you have time to come here today, sister?"

Daiyu smiled sweetly: "Third brother, you are so hardworking. I am here to give you books, just like I did under the Huangshi Bridge."

Jia Cong was puzzled after hearing this and said with a smile, "Sister, what kind of riddle are you talking about again?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "I just received a letter from my father today, and also a package.

My father said in the letter that since he had been treated by Dr. Zhang in October last year and had received the pills prescribed by Dr. Zhang, my third brother had sent them by express horse.

Now he is taking pills according to the regulations and regulating his body. He lives a much better life than before, and he says that this is all thanks to the introduction of his third brother.

My father also asked about my third brother's experience in the imperial examination. He copied and organized his notes on the examination and the eight-part essay he wrote at that time.

This time I am sending it along with the letter to the capital, hoping it will be of help to my third brother in his imperial examination.

But my father said in the letter that the Lianghuai salt business is very complicated and he has not found the time to sort it out. Now it is less than a month before the Spring Examination, so it is a bit late to send it now. "

Daiyu took the Xiangfei bamboo wooden box from Zijuan and took out the thick thread-bound transcribed notes from it.

Jia Cong stretched out his hands to take it, his face quite solemn. For a student, it was an extremely solemn thing for his predecessors in the imperial examinations to give him their experience in the imperial examinations.

Jia Cong flipped through the two volumes of manuscripts with great joy, and said, "Master Liu is a great scholar of his generation. The teachings he taught are profound, clear, and broad. They are the result of accumulated experience and are naturally first-class skills.

My uncle was a real prodigy in the imperial examinations, a top scholar in the imperial examinations. His notes and essays on current affairs will be more relevant and insightful for your future examination preparations.

I received this generous gift before my death. If I benefit from it, I can get a good reputation. I will owe my uncle a great favor, but I don’t know how to repay it.”

Daiyu smiled and said, "If Third Brother passes the imperial examination and comes back with the top scorer, it will be easy for him to repay the favor. He just needs to stop bullying me and give me first when it comes to good food and fun, and that will be all."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "This is very easy. Even if I don't get the top spot in the imperial examination, I will give all the good things to my sister first and won't let you suffer any loss."

Daiyu smiled, looking very pretty and charming, and said, "I will remember what Third Brother said. If you continue to cheat and deny your promises, I will not tolerate it."

Yinglian was a little confused as she listened from the side. She had occasionally heard the old woman in the yard talking in a funny way. She believed that it was never a good thing for a man to bully a woman and that it would be very bad.

When did the young master bully Miss Lin? How come I never knew about it...

Daiyu chatted with Jia Cong for a few more words, then stood up and left, saying, "Father also asked Aunt Chen to prepare a gift for the old lady.

I will go to Rongqing Hall to give the gift now, and I will talk to my third brother when I come back."

After seeing Daiyu off, Jia Cong returned to his room and carefully read the letter Lin Ruhai had given him. He casually put the blue booklet aside and paid no more attention to it.

No matter what the mystery behind this blue booklet is, he cannot figure it out for the time being, and it seems to have nothing to do with him at the moment. He just needs to focus on figuring it out before the end.

……

The capital city, the yamen of the Magistrates' Court, and the official residence of the court officials.

Zhou Junxing paced back and forth anxiously. A few days ago, a blue-covered booklet appeared on the market and was circulated wildly among the candidates taking the imperial examination.

Many candidates followed the index in the blue booklet and went to the homes of officials who were to be selected for the spring examination, sending letters to pay their respects and making friends with them, which created a strange trend before the examination.

Zhou Junxing sensed some danger and planned to trace the origin of the blue booklet, intending to find out the officials from both the government and the government who were involved.

The reason why the current Emperor Jiazhao reopened the Court of Inquiries and investigated officials' corruption and abuse of power was to use it to deter other officials.

As the director of the Court of Judges, Zhou Junxing was the emperor's lackey, feared by all officials in the court and the country, and was destined to be a lonely minister.

He would not easily let go of any opportunity that would allow him to secure his official position and solidify his career.

The blue-covered booklet is closely related to the spring examination in the 15th year of Jiazhao, and the booklet involves more than a hundred court officials.

For the chief of the Magistrates' Court, it was like a jackal smelling bloody prey; how could he let it go easily?

He issued a strict order to Zheng Yingquan, the chief magistrate of the Court, requiring him to find out the source of the blue booklet within seven days.

Zheng Yingquan did not disappoint him. According to his suggestions, he checked the officials in the Ministry of Rites and the Ministry of Revenue who had access to official documents and archives and had retired in recent years.

Finally, it was discovered that Wang Shien, a Langzhong in the Case Documents Department of the Ministry of Personnel who retired three years ago, had recently had close contacts with a newly opened bookstore in the east of the city.

After the Magistrates' Court searched the streets and the black market, it was found that the blue-covered booklet circulating among the candidates was most likely produced by this newly opened bookstore.

However, as soon as the bookstore came into the sight of the Magistrate's Court, it was discovered that it had closed down a few days ago.

Zhou Junxing had no choice but to urgently send a captain, led by Zheng Yingquan, to the west of the city to arrest Wang Shien.

Now he was anxiously waiting for Zheng Yingquan's report. As long as Wang Shien, an old retired official, could be caught, he would not be able to withstand the torture of the Magistrate's Court.

Zhou Junxing believed that he could get everything he wanted to know from Wang Shien.

The detailed officials' biographies on the blue booklet must have come from the files in the Ministry of Revenue or the Ministry of Personnel. Zhou Junxing's keen sense made him certain that Wang Shien was not the only official involved in this matter.

When he heard footsteps outside the government residence, Zhou Junxing's spirits perked up a little, and after a while he saw Zheng Yingquan walking into the government residence.

However, when Zhou Junxing saw Zheng Yingquan's somewhat depressed expression, his heart sank.

Zheng Yingquan has followed Zhou Junxing for many years, and they are very familiar with each other. As soon as Zhou Junxing saw the other's face, he knew that things today would not go smoothly.

Zheng Yingquan said: "I took the captain of the police to the residence of Wang Shien in the north of the city. He and his old wife left Shenjing and returned home three days ago. Only a few old servants were left at home.

I asked Wang Shien's neighbors, and they all said that they didn't notice when Wang Shien left home. The old servants who were guarding the gate had been taken to the prison in the magistrate's court.

They confessed on the way that Wang Shien had left home with his old wife and valuables in the early morning three days ago, and left Shenjing as soon as the city gates opened at dawn. His movements were so strange that the neighbors did not notice.

I have had people search his residence and bring back all his relevant letters and documents, but so far nothing suspicious has been found."

Zhou Junxing's face was grim as he said, "The bookstore that was suspected of printing blue-covered pamphlets suddenly closed down a few days ago, and the owner and his staff are all missing.

Wang Shien also left the city at about the same time. Could this be a coincidence? Since Wang Shien would have arranged his escape in advance, would he have left some evidence for us to catch?

He had packed his bags and left three days ago, and he must have had this plan in mind even earlier.

Perhaps when we were preparing to investigate the matter seven days ago, Wang Shien had already thought of a way out.

This shows that he knew that leaking official documents and compiling blue books could lead to dangerous consequences, so he wanted to retreat and avoid disaster. "

Zheng Yingquan looked puzzled and said, "Sir, Wang Shien is a man of honor, a fifth-rank official in the capital, and now he has retired to live in luxury in his old age.

Why would he do such a risky thing, forcing himself to flee to the wilderness even at the cost of his old age? It's a bit strange."

Zhou Junxing said coldly: "He was probably bewitched or coerced into doing this.

If he really did it on his own whim, that would be strange. With such great courage and resolution, it would be impossible for him to become a fifth-rank official after retirement.

Therefore, there must be someone behind him, and that person is the real culprit!"

Although Zheng Yingquan was working in a gloomy and secret office like the Magistrate's Court, he had studied hard for ten years and was a member of a formal imperial examination system, so he still had some sense of dignity in his heart.

He said: "My lord, judging from Wang Shien's behavior of fleeing as soon as he heard the news, this blue booklet is likely to have evil intentions, and this matter involves the Spring Examination Luncai Ceremony.

In my humble opinion, it would be better for you to report this matter to the court and cooperate with the two prefectures of Zhen'an and Qinian in the capital to confiscate the blue books circulating in the market. The behavior of candidates who use the books to pay homage should be reprimanded and stopped, so as to restore the clear and bright atmosphere of the spring imperial examinations. "

After hearing this, Zhou Junxing frowned slightly. It was obvious that Zheng Yingquan's proposal was not in line with his wishes.

He said in a serious tone: "Yingquan is wrong. Before the spring examination, it is normal for candidates to discuss the chief examiner and his subordinates. It is not an act of presumption.

Even though the blue booklet listed the careers of many officials, it was not something shameful.

If the Court of Inquisition takes the lead in confiscating books and suppressing the words and deeds of candidates, and the civil officials hear about it, they will certainly impeach the Court of Inquisition for making groundless accusations and disrupting the grand ceremony of the Spring Examination.

You should know that the officials in the court have always had a bad impression of our court, so why bother doing this thankless task? "

After listening to Zhou Junxing's words, Zheng Yingquan felt a little disappointed, but he had to admit that what his superior said made sense.

The reputation of the Magistrates' Court in the eyes of civil officials has long been infamous...

Zhou Junxing continued, "Besides, the blue booklet has been widely circulated among the candidates, and many hand-copied copies have been made privately. It cannot be completely banned there, so there is no need to do this useless work."

He glanced at the lost look on his subordinate's face and could guess what he was thinking.

He said coldly: "Yingquan, the reason why the emperor reopened the Magistrates' Court is to monitor and deter all officials. When you and I enter the Magistrates' Court, we are destined to confront all officials.

Yingquan must not forget that this is the foundation of our existence!

If all the officials in the court abide by the rules and are honest and upright, what is the use of the Court of Judicial Affairs?
Now that someone has published this blue booklet, it is like they have already set up the stage for us. All we have to do is watch and wait for the show to begin. Why not?

I want to see clearly who will go on stage to perform. When the play is about three-quarters into the performance and the gongs and drums are at their climax, someone will reveal his true colors. That will be the time for the Magistrates to show off their skills!"

Zheng Yingquan was shocked by the grim and sinister tone in Zhou Junxing's words when he heard them finally come out...

His superior was not a descendant of a formal academician. He started as a minor official in a provincial government and rose to the fourth rank official with the help of the emperor's favor. His path was originally a strange one.

He always acts like he is walking on the edge of a knife, raising fire against the wind, and seeking victory in dangerous situations, so it is inevitable that he is overly vicious.

He was deliberately letting the matter of the blue booklet ferment, waiting for it to cause trouble or even a disaster, so that the Magistrates' Court could take advantage of the situation to override all officials, fabricate charges, and cultivate merits...

Zhou Junxing asked again: "Have you found out who Wang Shien is from and who his children and relatives are?"

Zheng Yingquan was shocked when he heard this and said, "Wang Shien is from Huzhou. He has a son and a daughter. His daughter has already married, and his son Wang Weian is the deputy supervisor of the Jinling Maritime Customs.

My lord, although Wang Shien is a major suspect at the moment, there is no concrete evidence because he is a retired official. Even if he suddenly left the capital, it would not be considered a crime.

Since you want to keep this matter secret, if you arrest me, it will be illegal.”

When Zhou Juxing heard about the Jinling Maritime Customs, his eyebrows jumped slightly and he said, "This matter cannot be handled openly for the time being. Send capable personnel to secretly go to Huzhou and Jinling to investigate whether Wang Shien is hiding in these two places.

Don’t act rashly in other matters. In the market, just arrange for people to monitor the situation and wait and see what happens! "

……

Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

After taking a nap at noon, Wang Xifeng walked around in Rongqing Hall and chatted with Lady Jia.

Daiyu brought the gifts her father sent from Yangzhou to Rongqing Hall to present to Lady Jia.

These gifts were all arranged by Aunt Chen of the Lin family, and included top-quality Suzhou embroidery silk, bird's nest and blood glue from South Guangdong, strange stone table screens from western Zhejiang, and many dry goods specialties from Lianghuai.

Although the gifts were not very valuable, they were sent from thousands of miles away with sincere thoughts, so Lady Jia was very happy to receive them.

The old lady thought that her daughter had passed away for many years, but her son-in-law was still very respectful to her, which made her feel very happy. She also felt more confident about the future.

Daiyu was chatting with Lady Jia and Sister Feng when suddenly the door curtain of Rongqing Hall was lifted and it was Mrs. Wang who came in with a smile on her face.

When she saw that Daiyu was the only girl in the family present, she was slightly stunned, as if a little surprised.

Today, Mrs. Wang came to Rongqing Hall to talk to Lady Jia, and the topic was about Daiyu.

Ever since Baochai and Jia Cong had their affair, she had lost all hope for the golden marriage of the past.

For the sake of Baoyu's reputation and to provide the second wife with an extra layer of support in the future, he turned his attention to Daiyu, who had a very prominent family background but had some dislike and estrangement with him in the past.

However, Jia Zheng said that the salt business in Lianghuai was tight recently, and Lin Ruhai was busy with official duties, so he would definitely not be in the mood to discuss his children's marriage, so it would need to be postponed.

Mrs. Wang thought that Baoyu's reputation was not good now, and that it was not advisable to delay the most important thing in his life to avoid unnecessary trouble.

He thought of taking advantage of the opportunity here and went to talk to Lady Jia about it. If he could get the word out now and please the old lady, this matter would have a better chance of success.

But she didn't expect that Daiyu was also in Rongqing Hall, so she couldn't say what was in her mind.

Mrs. Wang saw many exquisite objects in the hall and asked about them, only to find out that these were gifts from Mr. Lin to Lady Jia.

She was somewhat surprised. It was not a festival, but Lin Ruhai came all the way from Yangzhou to give gifts to the old lady. He was very considerate to his mother-in-law.

Mrs. Wang then casually said a few words to Lady Jia, saying that although Mr. Lin held a high position, he was very respectful and filial to the old lady, which was really rare.

After hearing these flattering words, Grandmother Jia naturally smiled and became even more proud.

After seeing this scene, Mrs. Wang felt more certain in her heart. The master also said that Lin Ruhai came from a top family and would look down on Baoyu who had not yet entered school.

But seeing that Mr. Lin was so respectful to the old lady, I was afraid that he would definitely listen to what the old lady said, and I felt more confident about the matter.

But Mrs. Wang didn't know the real reason. There was another reason why Lin Ruhai gave Lady Jia so many gifts during such an uncommon festival.

Because Jia Cong was about to take the imperial examination, Lin Ruhai met Jia Cong several times. He liked Jia Cong's outstanding talent, and Jia Cong helped him find doctors and medicine, so he valued this nephew very much.

Plus, he knew more or less what was on his daughter's mind...

Therefore, on the eve of the Spring Examination, he sent Jia Cong two volumes of notes containing his thoughts on the examination.

Lin Ruhai has spent half his life in official career and is well-versed in academic knowledge, so he is naturally a shrewd and intelligent person.

He knew that he had come from afar to give gifts only to Jia Cong, which would be too conspicuous in the eyes of the Jia family and contrary to common etiquette.

After all, his daughter is still young and has not yet reached the age of marriage. Jia Cong is also observing the mourning period, so it is not appropriate to mention important matters at the moment. If his daughter is gossiped about too early, she will lose face in the Jia family in the future.

That's why he sent a gift to Lady Jia as well. With the false courtesy of honoring elders as a pretext, sending books to Jia Cong from afar was naturally not conspicuous or deliberate. It was just a way to help the younger generation.

The third place winner was doing all these twists and turns casually, but Mrs. Wang, with her knowledge, had no idea what was going on and just let her daydream.

As a result, she looked at Daiyu from time to time, and she felt that this little girl was quite good-looking and had a good character...

……

Ever since Mrs. Wang entered Rongqing Hall, Daiyu felt that her second aunt was a little strange today and her eyes were always staring at her.

Daiyu is a person with sharp eyes and a bright mind. She has a delicate and intelligent mind. She entered the Jia Mansion at a young age and has been careful in every step and pays attention to everything.

Although her second aunt usually didn't show her expression, Daiyu could clearly sense that she didn't like him. Since Baojie entered the Jia Mansion, this feeling seemed to become clearer...

Daiyu's mother died young, and because she was young, Jia Min did not tell her daughter about the past of the Jia family...

Therefore, Daiyu did not know the root of this dislike.

Now, seeing Mrs. Wang's unusual look, Daiyu felt very uncomfortable and even a little scared.

Daiyu just sat there for a while, feeling a little uncomfortable under Mrs. Wang's often strange looks.

She smiled and stood up, saying, "Old lady, Sister Bao hasn't come to the East Palace recently. I haven't seen her for a long time and I was just about to go talk to her.

I won’t disturb you from talking to Second Aunt and Sister Feng. I will come to greet you tomorrow.”

Grandmother Jia smiled and said, "Sisters, it would be better if you could move around more. What's the fun of always accompanying the old woman? Just go ahead."

……

After Daiyu left, Mrs. Wang chatted with Lady Jia about many common daily matters. Although Wang Xifeng was present, she did not avoid talking. She felt that the conversation was getting more lively, so she changed the subject.

"Madam, this year Baoyu has reached the age of dancing elephants. The master and I have discussed it these days, and we think we should find a proper marriage for Baoyu, so as to win his heart."

That day, Jia Cong and Baochai acted romantically in the rain, and only Lady Wang and the maid Caiyun saw it.

Since Mrs. Wang had received her sister's request, she naturally did not want to disclose the matter. Out of protection for Jia Cong, Jia Zheng scolded Caiyun, and Caiyun naturally did not dare to say a word.

Therefore, the other people in the Jia family still know nothing about the reason.

After hearing what Lady Wang said, Lady Jia thought that her second daughter-in-law was trying to talk about a perfect match again and was messing with her niece, and she felt a little uncomfortable.

Even Wang Xifeng felt that her aunt wanted to bring up old matters again. Could it be that she still didn't know the old lady's feelings? Why was she making things uncomfortable?
Grandmother Jia said, "I have said before that Baoyu is weak and it is not appropriate for him to be engaged early. It is not too late to wait for a few years before discussing it. I have seen a lot of things, so you will do well to listen to me."

Mrs. Wang smiled and said, "What the old lady said makes sense. I don't think Baoyu should get married this year, but at least he should grow up a little more.

Just now, Miss Lin gave a gift to the old lady. She was so filial and polite. I have watched her grow up since she was a child. She is a very good girl, but she is still young and has not reached the age of marriage.

She is the same as Baoyu, she also needs to be taken care of for a few more years..."

Although Mrs. Wang's words were a little obscure, Lady Jia and Wang Xifeng were such great figures that they could easily understand the meaning behind them.

Both of them were stunned and looked at each other at the same time, but they saw similar confusion in each other's eyes.

Although there are some things in the mansion that no one has ever revealed, there are some things that a young girl like Daiyu can easily see through.

How could people like Lady Jia and Wang Xifeng not see it? They both vaguely knew in their hearts that Mrs. Wang did not like Daiyu.

This is also the reason why, although Grandmother Jia was pleased with the relationship between Daiyu and Baoyu for many years, she was not in a position to expose the matter. After all, Mrs. Wang was Baoyu's biological mother.

Now they were both surprised, thinking that Mrs. Wang might have been a stranger to them, and she actually said such a thing for the first time... (End of this chapter)