Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

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

When Guo Lin mentioned Jia Yuanchun's name, Emperor Jia Zhao's expression turned cold and the temperature in the hall seemed to drop a few degrees.

The silent atmosphere and the oppressive feeling in the air seemed to invisibly worsen, causing Guo Lin to feel a chill down his spine.

He thought for a moment and said, "Your Majesty, Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong is the head of the two Jia family mansions. It is still unknown whether he asked Xia Shouzhong to make the plan.

I will send some capable personnel to investigate this matter as soon as possible."

Emperor Jia Zhao said: "Half a month ago, Jia Cong exchanged letters with Jia Yuanchun through Yuan Jing.

He knew that Yuan Jing was the eunuch on duty in Qianyang Palace and that he often came and went in front of me. His action was just to express his true feelings to me through Yuan Jing.

What this means is that he is satisfied with the favor I have shown him, and is determined to maintain his status quo and protect himself, and not to have any unrealistic thoughts of seeking favor in the harem.

Although Jia Cong is young, he is shrewd and experienced. Even if he is an experienced official, he is no more than this. I don't believe that he will go back on his word, expose his shortcomings, and do such a stupid thing.

From the letter that Jia Yuanchun wrote to Jia Cong, it can be seen that she and Jia Cong are in tune with each other and have the same thoughts. She is a woman who knows when to advance and when to retreat, and this matter is most likely nothing to do with her.

If it wasn't done by these two people, then who would benefit the most if Jia Yuanchun got the position of concubine in the harem? They must be the ones who secretly planned this!"

Guo Lin said: "Your Majesty is wise. According to what Your Majesty said, the person who controlled this matter is most likely Mrs. Rongguo, or Jia Yuanchun's father Jia Zheng?"

Emperor Jia Zhao smiled with a hint of disdain and said, "Although Jia Shishi is old and confused, she has been a super-ranking imperial official for half her life, and she still has some knowledge of the clan law, rules and standards.

Although she has always disliked Jia Cong, I have appointed Jia Cong to inherit the hereditary title of Rong State, so Jia Cong is the ruler of Rong State, this is beyond doubt.
Besides, Jia Cong was her grandson after all. He became the head of the Jia family, and Jia Shi, as the grandmother, could still enjoy wealth and glory. There was no need for her to go against Jia Cong.

Besides, she is already quite old and no longer has such a passionate heart.

As for Jia Zheng, although he was willing to study hard, he had no talent or talent. The retired emperor granted him the title of head of the Ministry of Works, which actually ruined his official career.

I have paid attention to the performance evaluation of the Ministry of Works over the past decade or so. Jia Zheng has mediocre talent and has been sitting in the office without making any achievements. If he had such ambitions, he would not be like this now.

I know that the four great families of Jinling, Jia, Wang, Shi, and Xue, had intermarriages for generations. Jia and Shi were from the Shi family of Baolinghou. I also heard that several girls from the Wang family also married into the Jia family?"

When Guo Lin heard this, he was slightly shocked and said, "Your Majesty is wise. Jia Zheng's wife, Wang, is the legitimate daughter of the Wang family in Jinling and the younger sister of Wang Ziteng, the governor of the Beijing camp."

Emperor Jiazhao could not help but sneer, and the sinister laughter echoed in the hall, making people shudder.

He said: "I originally wanted you to ask that old fellow Xia Shouzhong who ordered him to do this, but now it seems that there is no need to even ask.

It must be that Wang wanted to obtain a noble position in the harem for her daughter because the second branch of the Jia family lost its title and power, so that she could turn things around in the Jia family and regain power and glory.

She is Wang Ziteng's sister, and Wang Ziteng is good at planning and climbing up the social ladder, so she is most likely to be implicated! Guo Lin, you arrange for someone to investigate this matter for me!"

Guo Lin said, "I will obey your order and send someone to do it immediately. Your Majesty, do you want to investigate this matter and punish me?"

Emperor Jia Zhao smiled faintly: "This matter was abandoned halfway, and no harm has been done. There is no need to start a war. I just want to get to the bottom of it."

Guo Lin asked: "Your Majesty, Jia Yuanchun is the eldest granddaughter of Duke Rong, and her status is extraordinary. She has been in the palace for nine years, and there is only one year left before the ten-year replacement.

Your Majesty, please grant me grace and release her to her family in advance, so that no one will try to use her to gain your favor and disrupt the palace."

……

Emperor Jia Zhao sneered and said, "You also said that she still has one year left before she is replaced as a female official, so why should I make an exception for her?

Keeping her in the palace may not be a bad thing. I want to see what other evil spirits will jump out.

I can see that although Jia Yuanchun and Jia Cong are only cousins, they have similar personalities and shrewdness. Among the younger generations of the Jia family, they are both outstanding people. They are close to each other through letters and have a good relationship with each other.

Jia Cong had made many meritorious services and entered the palace several times. In order to show favor to him, the empress granted him and his sister several visits in the palace. Such a thing could not be hidden from someone with ulterior motives.

The day before yesterday, the workshop of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works sent a secret report that although Jia Cong was in mourning, he had never slackened off in the development of the breech-loading rifle.

He would go to the firearms workshop regularly to lead the research and development of the breech-loading rifle. Under his leadership, the development of the breech-loading rifle progressed smoothly. In another two months, the sample gun would be tested and finalized.

By then, the firearms of the Great Zhou will be in great prominence again. I will use the newly made breech-loading rifles to equip the Five Armies' Divine Machine Battalion as soon as possible to prepare for any emergency needs of the military and the country.

In the past two years, the Jiangnan Guard Army has undergone such great changes. Although Jia Cong has been to Nanjing twice and has come up with many ingenious plans, he has cleared up major cases in the Guard Army.

However, due to the dereliction of duty of the Jinyiwei, the main culprit Du Hengxin was assassinated in a downtown area; when the private firearms workshop in Jinling broke out, the mastermind was not captured, and Jia She, who was involved in the incident, also died in a rather strange way.

If you carefully consider these two major events, you will find that there are still unresolved issues. If you fail to get to the bottom of them and eliminate all the evildoers, it will become a big disaster in the long run!
It has always been difficult to decipher the mystery of stagnant water. Only when there are fluctuations and variables can we separate the true from the false and see the moon after the clouds have been cleared.

Once the breech-loading rifle is successfully developed, Jia Cong's talent in developing firearms will surely attract attention again, and his potential will sooner or later be coveted by others.

He will attract the most attention and he will become the variable!

Therefore, Jia Wangshi's current efforts to gain the emperor's favor for her daughter and to fight for power and respect for herself are not worth mentioning at all compared to the major issues that I am concerned about.

You should have someone investigate the matter and let me know the truth. There is no need to alarm them too much.

I will put all the matters related to Jia Cong there, waiting for the wind and clouds to show clues, I hope he will not let me down..."

After listening to Emperor Jia Zhao's words, Guo Lin couldn't help but feel awe-inspiring, even though the matter in Nanjing had apparently been resolved since Jia Cong returned to Beijing.

It turned out that the emperor had always had doubts in his mind. Whether it was the major case of the Jiangnan Guards or the private manufacture of firearms in Nanjing, he deeply suspected that there was an unresolved situation.

Moreover, these two things are related to Jia Cong. The emperor values ​​him for his powerful aura and wants to use him as bait to lure people into his trap...

……

Emperor Jia Zhao added: "I don't want to start a war for this matter for the time being, but I can't just tolerate the evil. Xia Shouzhong has been in the palace for many years and is considered an old veteran.

I will give him some face. With his kind of mentality, he is not suitable to stay in the Internal Affairs Bureau, let alone be in charge of the selection of concubines in the harem. I will pass on my oral order to transfer him to the Direct Palace Bureau as the eunuch in charge.

If he rebels again, I will never forgive him!"

Guo Lin quickly responded, "I will obey your order and handle it immediately."

He knew that Xia Shouzhong had been in big trouble. Not only was he transferred from the Internal Affairs Bureau, which was quite powerful among the Twelve Bureaus, but he was also demoted by the Emperor to the Direct Palace Bureau.

Although the Twelve Eunuchs were all located in the Imperial Palace, the powers held by these twelve eunuchs varied greatly. Among them, the Eunuchs of Ceremonies, Imperial Horses, and Imperial Palaces had the greatest power.

The most difficult and powerless of the twelve eunuchs is the Palace Supervisor, because he is only responsible for sweeping the corridors and stables of various palaces. The work is menial and heavy, and it has always been a place that the eunuchs in the palace avoid.

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

In the study room in the afternoon, the sunlight was warm and the atmosphere was quiet. Jia Cong was studying the classics and writing contemporary essays at his desk as usual.

At the other end of the desk, Lingguan was sitting there concentrating on copying calligraphy.

The sunlight from outside the window shone into the study, falling on Lingguan's slender and delicate waist and back. Her shiny black hair was shining in the afterglow of the sun.

She lowered her head and picked up the pen, carefully copying the calligraphy. A strand of hair by her temple fluttered in the breeze.

Her eyebrows are like the light outline of distant mountains, her eyes are as graceful as autumn water, and her lips are soft and soft, just like the first blooming spring buds at the tip of cardamom.

Lingguan wore a cross-collar vest with a crimson floral pattern, a lilac stand-up collar jacket, a white Songjiang cotton long skirt, and a green lotus embroidered sweat towel tied around her waist.

The bright and lively colors of her clothes make her face and waist look thinner and her figure more graceful. Although she is only over 18 years old, she already looks graceful and charming.

The study is elegant, with slender wrists holding the pen, and the writing is smooth and graceful, with an indescribable sense of grace and beauty.

Because tomorrow is Feng's birthday, Jia Cong gave Yinglian a few days off so that she could go back to accompany her mother to celebrate her birthday, and asked Yingchun to prepare a birthday gift to send to her.

When Yinglian left, she entrusted the affairs of the study to Lingguan. It happened that Lingguan was quiet and capable of doing this job.

……

When he was in Jinling, Jia Cong taught Lingguan how to read and write.

Because Lingguan was naturally intelligent and studied hard to learn characters, more than half a year had passed since he followed Jia Cong into the Earl's Mansion, and now he can read the entire book of The West Chamber.

When Jia Cong brought Lingguan back to the capital, she was originally an actress bought by Zou Miner for the Music Bureau. It was Jia Cong who asked Du Qingniang for help and transferred her to the Music Bureau's music register.

Therefore, Lingguan was not one of Jia Cong's maids. Although she lived in Jia Cong's courtyard, she had no fixed job. She either learned to read or swept the courtyard every day. She would cook for Jia Cong every now and then, making some Jiangnan-style dishes for him to change his taste.

The study was silent. The western clock on the desk under the south window struck three times. Jia Cong put down his book, stretched his body, and leaned back in his chair to rest.

Suddenly, I felt a pair of soft little hands rubbing my temples slowly and gently, and the original fatigue and heaviness soon disappeared.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Lingguan, where did you learn this technique? The force is just right and it feels very comfortable."

Lingguan laughed and said, “When I was learning opera in the opera troupe, my master had to teach more than a dozen sisters. Some learned quickly, some learned slowly, and my master was often exhausted and got headaches because of anxiety.

For example, Douguan, although she is smart, she is too playful. She is always distracted when learning opera. She often sings out of tune with the tune taught by her master, which makes her master very angry.

Half of the master's ruler was prepared for her, hehe.

Because I am the one who learns the fastest and has the most free time, every time I see the master getting angry, I massage her. Practice makes perfect.

The master won’t have a headache anymore, and the little sisters will get less spankings.”

Jia Cong laughed and said, "No wonder Douguan and Kuiguan are so friendly with you. When you say you are hungry, Douguan rushes to find food for you. It turns out you have the ability to make them get beaten less."

Lingguan was amused and burst out laughing.

……

Jia Cong said again: "Lingguan, I haven't heard you sing a little song for a long time. I really want to listen to it..."

Lingguan had a clear and beautiful voice. When Jia Cong and Zou Miner first met her in the opera troupe, they were deeply amazed. Jia Cong always remembers her and still remembers her to this day.

Lingguan smiled and said, "Third Master likes to listen, so of course I like to sing, but isn't it forbidden to sing opera in the capital now? If others go to listen, will it cause trouble for Third Master?"

Lingguan said this because the old Concubine Zhen passed away in October last year, and during the period of national mourning, singing, dancing and banquets were prohibited as per custom.

But after the first three months of the mourning period, people had already relaxed their minds, and although singing and dancing were still prohibited in restaurants and taverns, banquets had already been held frequently, but the degree of noise had to be controlled.

In the inner courtyard of the mansion, Daiyu, Aunt Xue and others celebrated their birthdays after the New Year and held banquets as usual, but they were still cautious about theatrical music, singing and dancing and did not dare to allow them to be allowed at will.

Therefore, after Lingguan entered the Earl's Mansion, she never sang in front of others except for practicing her voice alone, which was a pity for her good voice.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's okay in our own courtyard. You can go and close the door and come over to sing quietly. We can just listen to it and have fun without being heard by others."

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Lingguan also found it amusing, so she ran to close the door, and sat down next to Jia Cong.

He smiled softly and said, "I have read the set of West Chamber libretto that Third Master gave me many times. I have learned many new tunes in it. Can I sing them all for Third Master?"

She smiled and moved closer to Jia Cong, as if she was afraid of being overheard and breaking a taboo, and sang softly in his ear:

"The firefly window and the snow-covered desk are cleaned and polished. I have learned a lot of articles, but I am still wandering in the lakes and seas. When will I be able to achieve my ambitions? The sword worth millions of gold is hidden in the autumn water, and the horse is full of spring sorrow and weighs down the embroidered saddle..."

In the quiet study, a graceful voice sounded slowly and leisurely, delicate and gentle, childish and transparent, like a thread, and seemed to linger in the ears for three days.

Jia Cong felt the fluttering of black hair beside his cheek, and the faint fragrance of Lingguan, accompanied by the moving singing voice, made him intoxicated unconsciously.

Jia Cong suddenly remembered that last year, he took Lingguan and Zou Miner and fled from Gusu by boat in the middle of the night to avoid pursuit by Luo Xiong, the commander of Suzhou Guard.

When the ship was sailing at night that day, Lingguan sang the song just like she did today. The three people in the cabin had their own feelings, and when they think of them now, their hearts still surge.

When the song ended, Jia Cong smiled and said, "Lingguan, this song is very nice and the singing is very appropriate to the occasion."

Lingguan said with a smile: "The Third Master is going to take the imperial examination soon, so we have to choose someone who can sing for the occasion. Thanks to the Third Master for teaching me how to write and read, otherwise I would not know how to do these things.

We are looking forward to the Third Master passing the imperial examination this time, and if he gets his wish, he will be admitted with honors, so that we can also benefit from it."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "A sword worth a million gold is hidden in the autumn water, and a horse full of spring sorrow weighs down the embroidered saddle. It is really a good sentiment and a good spirit. I hope to live up to such a good song and have such feelings in the future..."

……

Shenjing, East City, at the entrance of Gongyuan.

In recent days, many candidates who are preparing for the imperial examinations come here specially to hang out.

According to the rules of the spring examinations in previous years, the court would announce the chief examiners and relevant officials of this year's spring examinations within a few days before and after this.

The chief examiner and relevant subordinate officials of the Spring Examination not only preside over the entrance and supervision of the examination, but also undertake the important task of initial screening, re-selection, grading and ranking of the examination papers after the examination.

This is related to the official career prospects of every candidate taking the exam, and is of utmost importance in the eyes of the candidates.

Therefore, in the past few days, candidates have been waiting at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall. When they meet acquaintances, they often have enthusiastic conversations.

I have worked by the window and desk, scraped off the dirt and polished it, and have learned a lot of articles, but I am still wandering in the lakes and seas. When will I be able to realize my ambition?

The meaning of the song is exactly what these candidates want in their life...

Today was the same as usual. Although it was almost sunset, the number of students gathering at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall continued to increase.

Several restaurants and shops across the street from the Imperial Examination Hall were filled with many candidates who came to watch the situation and to have dinner together.

At this time, the sound of horse hooves gradually came from the other end of the street. The sound was very faint at first, but soon became clear and loud, and finally turned into a rapid, muffled thunder.

Many candidates standing near the Imperial Examination Hall all looked towards the distance on the street.

At the end of the street, under the dazzling red sunset, more than a dozen horses were galloping towards us at a leisurely pace, bathing in the blood-red setting sun.

The sound of horse hooves gradually became like thunder, beating like the sound of a drum in the heart of every candidate, shaking their mind and stirring their blood...

Leading the group of knights were two sixth-rank civil servants from the Ministry of Rites, wearing green official uniforms. One of them was carrying a bright yellow package and had an unusually solemn expression.

The other ten were all mighty and strong imperial cavalrymen wearing helmets and armor and with long swords hanging from their waists.

The candidates who were watching near the Imperial Examination Hall were like those blown by a strong wind across the lake, causing ripples that all gathered around them involuntarily.

When the dozen or so riders arrived at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, two officials from the Ministry of Rites dismounted first, and the rest of the imperial cavalry rode their horses to guard and stop the candidates who kept pouring in in time.

The civil servant from the Ministry of Rites, carrying a bright yellow bag on his back, carefully untied his backpack, took out the yellow imperial edict from the brocade box, raised his hands above his head, and bowed slightly to the north.

At this time, officials and runners from the Imperial Examination Hall had already rushed out and carefully coated the notice board at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, which had been cleaned long ago, with fine rice paste.

The civil servant of the Ministry of Rites carefully posted the imperial edict, and the ten accompanying cavalrymen of the Imperial Guard dismounted and stood guard in front of the imperial edict.

The candidates who had gathered there long ago could not help but rush forward, and just stopped in front of the imperial guards, but they still couldn't stop the pushing and commotion of the crowd.

The imperial edict posted at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall at this moment was the list of examiners and their subordinates announced by the court for the spring examination of the 15th year of Jiazhao.

……

The edict was densely packed with names of nearly a hundred officials, and the crowded crowd of candidates was unable to make any sounds of exclamation, surprise, or delight.

The various waves that had been stirred up before the Spring Examination seemed to be faintly echoed at this moment...

The top line of the imperial edict clearly listed the three chief examiners of this spring's imperial examination, attracting the attention of all the candidates.

Wang Shilun, the Grand Secretary of the Cabinet, Chen Mo, the Minister of Personnel, and Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites...

In a restaurant across the street, a teenage boy was staring at the imperial edict with sharp eyes.

He was none other than Jiang Liu, Jia Cong's personal servant. Following Jia Cong's instructions, he had been keeping an eye on what was happening at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall these days.

At the other corner of the restaurant, at a table by the window, a young man was holding a wine glass in his left hand, with a brown glove on his little finger.

He also looked at the edict at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall with a burning gaze, listened to the names read out by the candidates, and then turned around to leave.

In addition to the candidates taking the imperial examinations at the entrance of the Imperial Examination Hall, there were many people like Jiang Liu in the residences of various nobles and high-ranking officials in the capital.

For these people, the most valuable part of the entire edict is just the three names on the first line.

As more and more candidates gathered at the gate of the Imperial Examination Hall to watch the imperial edict, and the noise continued to be deafening.

The content of this edict has been circulated through various channels in Shenjing at an unusual speed, and it will definitely touch the sensitive nerves of many people... (End of this chapter)