Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 592: Frowning Eyes Reflecting Snow Heart

In the north of Shenjing City, Yongxuan Street.

Hongxing Southern Goods Store had just received a batch of fresh southern goods, and many old customers came to hear the news. The two open shops were doing a booming business with people coming in and out.

The thin, slightly hunched servant at the door was still diligently carrying the newly arrived southern goods.

Everything here is exactly the same as usual.

A neatly dressed woman was talking to the shop owner, "I got a request from the young lady to come and buy some alligator meat from the shop. Do you have any new stock?"

The proprietress smiled and said, "I remember you very well. Your daughter is as pretty as a fairy. Of course I remember you. We just got some good alligator meat. I'll give it to you."

The old woman felt proud after hearing this. She followed Lingguan out that day, and the little girl remembered her.
That day, Miss Lingguan came back and mentioned the benefits of alligator meat to Uncle. Uncle asked her to come and have a look when she was free, and to buy it for her if there was any new stock.

Now all the servants in the mansion know that Miss Lingguan was brought back by the uncle from Jiangnan, and is very much loved by him.

The old woman naturally did not dare to neglect Jia Cong's order, and she specifically asked Lingguan for the tips on selecting alligator meat.

I just came here to try my luck today, but I didn't expect that just one day later, the store would have new goods. It was an unexpected surprise.

The old woman looked at the bustling crowd in the store, waiting for the store owner to come and pick up the goods.

Thinking that he had bought the top-quality alligator meat, Miss Lingguan would definitely be happy. If the little girl was happy, the uncle would definitely be happy too, and he would be very proud in the mansion.

……

However, the store was bustling with customers one moment and the next it was hit by the unexpected disaster of legal trouble.

Five or six detectives from the Magistrate's Court, swords in hand and chains in hand, appeared at the door of the store without any warning.

He broke into the store with a ferocious look on his face, scaring the customers so much that they all hid away.

The leading captain shouted, "Who is the shopkeeper? Come out and speak immediately!"

The shopkeeper, who was busy entertaining customers in the store, came over tremblingly and asked, "Sir, I am the owner. What can I do for you?"

The captain said grimly, "Your crime has been exposed. The alligator meat you sold in your shop has poisoned an official from the Ministry of Rites. Come with me to the Court of Inquiry!"

When the old woman heard about the alligator meat poisoning the imperial officials, her heart shuddered and she was so frightened that she took a few steps back involuntarily.

Just then she saw the proprietress coming out of the inner hall with alligator meat. How could she dare to buy this deadly thing? She hurriedly walked out of the store and stayed away.

Then they heard a commotion coming from the southern goods store, and a group of ferocious-looking officers took the store owner and his wife away cursing.

Even the boy who was carrying goods at the door was taken away...

The old woman breathed a sigh of relief, fortunately she was quick-witted and left early.

If the boss lady gave him the alligator meat, and the police knew that he was also here to buy this deadly alligator meat, he would probably get into trouble, and even the Earl's Mansion would be implicated...

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

In the main hall of Jia Cong's courtyard, there was a round marble table filled with a wide variety of food.

There were more than a dozen plates of various sizes, including brown pickled meat naan, snow-white Poria cocos square cake, emerald green pickled vegetables, golden pickled goose eggs, and smoked, roasted and dried fruits.

There are also some prepared dried seafood, baked eel, croaker fillets, honey-stirred squid, nine-steamed seaweed and other lake and southern seafood.

The various foods are of different colors, cut precisely, and neatly arranged, exuding a rich and fresh flavor that whets your appetite.

Not only were several maids around Jia Cong present, but sisters such as Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xichun, Xiangyun, Baochai, and Xing Xiuyun were also invited. They each sat around a table, and it was quite lively.

Xiangyun smiled and said, "Third brother is so thoughtful today. He prepared a table of delicious food and invited us to come and have fun."

Wu Er smiled and said, "The day after tomorrow, Third Master will take the imperial examination. Lingguan and I prepared a lot of food, all of which are fresh and sweet and can be kept for a long time, so that Third Master can eat it in the cell.

Lingguan also bought a batch of top-quality southern and northern delicacies from Hubei and Hainan, which taste very good after a little preparation. The Third Master said that he would not read for the next two days, so he invited the girls to come and taste some of the new delicacies and see which one tastes the best. "

Xiangyun smiled and said, "Third brother has really found the right person. I am the best at this. I will pick out some delicious food for you to take to the cell. It will definitely be good."

As she spoke, she picked up a square piece of naan and chewed it with a crisp sound, which made Yingchun and others laugh. They even wondered where this greedy girl came from and whether she was afraid of being embarrassed at all.

With Xiangyun present, the atmosphere would always easily become lively. Everyone would pick out food that they liked to taste, and discuss which one was more delicious, appearing to be very harmonious and joyful.

……

Jia Cong took a plate of black and red pickles and placed it in front of Daiyu, saying tentatively, "I asked Lingguan to bring this plate of pickles back when she went to buy southern goods.

I heard this is famous in Gusu, my sister will definitely like it, come and try it."

Daiyu held the dish of pickled vegetables to her nose and smelled it, frowning slightly and saying, "What's so special about this? It's just the spiced kohlrabi from Suzhou.

"During these years of growing up in your mansion, Third Brother, don't you know that my taste has always been light and slightly sweet, and this kind of side dish is too salty and saucey, which is not something I can enjoy."

Jia Cong asked curiously, "Sister is from Suzhou, this is a local delicacy, don't you ever eat it?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "It's true that I'm from Suzhou, but I've been sickly since I was a child. My mother has been very careful about my upbringing and diet, and my stomach can't stand this kind of salty and spicy pickled vegetables.

Although I am in better shape now, it is hard to change my childhood taste, and I never touch pickled vegetables of this flavor."

Jia Cong nodded and said thoughtfully: "Sister, what you said makes sense. It can be seen that many things are fabricated by later generations, and even spread as rumors..."

Daiyu looked puzzled and silly, and asked, "Third brother, what are you talking about? It's just a rumor. I don't understand it at all."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's nothing. I just said it casually. It's good that my sister doesn't like to eat. A light diet is more beneficial to the body."

Jia Cong took the plate of spiced kohlrabi that had aroused his curiosity, put it far away, and picked up a piece of roasted eel.

He smiled and said, "This baked eel is very delicious. Lingguan just washed and peeled it to remove the fishy smell, then seasoned it with a little green salt and baked it over fire. It tastes light but very sweet.

This stuff is quite nourishing. My sister is still growing, so she should eat more of it instead of just being a vegetarian."

Daiyu blushed slightly when she heard him say that she was growing up. She picked up a piece of the meat and chewed it slowly. It tasted really good. Then she picked up another piece...

……

At this time, Xiangyun had finished the second piece of naan and started to pick up the third piece. There was laughter and conversation at the table when she suddenly heard footsteps coming from the yard.

The little maid Juan'er hurried out to see, and came back to say that Aunt Chen was looking for Miss Lingguan for something and was waiting outside.

Lingguan was chatting and laughing with her sisters, and she felt a little strange when she heard this. This Aunt Chen was a servant in the mansion. She had gone to the southern goods store with her to buy things, and she didn't know what she wanted to talk to her about.

She would be back soon. Seeing that she looked unhappy, Jia Cong asked, "Lingguan, what does Aunt Chen want to talk to you about?"

Lingguan's face turned pale, and he said, "Third Master, Aunt Chen just went to Hongxing Southern Goods Store to buy alligator meat for me, and suddenly many officers and soldiers from the Magistrates' Court came to the store.

They said the alligator meat in the store had poisoned an official of the imperial court, so they arrested the store owner and his wife.

When Lingguan said this, the sisters at the table stopped talking and laughing, and their faces showed surprise.

Xiangyun said quickly, "That's terrible. It's a good thing you didn't buy alligator meat to eat, otherwise you would have been harmed too."

Lingguan suddenly thought of something and said, "Third Master, I remembered something. When I went to that store to buy southern goods, I saw a piece of armored alligator meat.

But, the shopkeeper said that the piece of alligator meat had been reserved by Mr. Huang from the Ministry of Rites. Could it be that Mr. Huang was the one who was poisoned?"

When Jia Cong heard this, his expression changed and his face became a little solemn.

Yingchun noticed that his expression was different and asked, "Brother Cong, is this Mr. Huang a very important person?"

Jia Cong said: "One of the three chief examiners of this spring exam is Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites!"

When Yingchun and her sisters heard this, they were shocked, and the joy and excitement they had just felt disappeared in an instant.

Jia Cong's words undoubtedly refer to the person who was poisoned by the alligator meat, most likely Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites. This person is the chief examiner of the Spring Examination, and Jia Cong is about to take the Spring Examination...

This unexpected news made Jia Cong's mind churn and he was quite uneasy. As a candidate for the imperial examination, the unexpected change of the chief examiner of the spring examination naturally attracted his attention.

He saw that the sisters at the table all had confused and uncertain expressions on their faces. Their beautiful eyes looked at him, and the worry and concern in their eyes were self-evident.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "There are many officials in the Ministry of Rites, and there must be more than one official with the surname Huang. It is not easy for a chief examiner of the Spring Examination to get into trouble."

Yingchun and other sisters thought what he said made sense. Seeing that he looked relaxed and didn't seem to take it seriously, they felt relieved and the atmosphere at the table quickly returned to being relaxed.

……

Although Jia Cong spoke in a relaxed and carefree manner, he was not at ease in his heart. Those words just now were just to comfort his sisters at home so as not to ruin his mood for the day.

There may be more than one official with the surname Huang in the Ministry of Rites.

If only an ordinary official was poisoned, it would be enough for the officials from Zhen'an Prefecture and Qinian Prefecture to step in.

Even if the Dali Temple stepped in to investigate the case, it would still be reasonable.

However, the Court of Inquiries, which was the emperor's secret office, made such a big fuss about this. Was it just for an ordinary official named Huang?
Jia Cong was almost certain that the person in trouble was Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, and this spring examination was destined to be turbulent.

However, Jia Cong was just an official who was in mourning at home, and in this year's spring imperial examination, he was just a candidate taking the exam.

The chief examiner of the Spring Examination was poisoned. This was not something he could influence, and it didn't even have a direct relationship with him.

The imperial court will definitely select a replacement examiner temporarily and will never change the scheduled exam time, otherwise it will cause too much turmoil...

He just thought about it for a while, then put his mind at ease until this unique and warm gourmet dinner was over.

……

After everyone left the table, Baochai smiled and handed Jia Cong an exquisite wooden box before leaving.

He said, "Brother Cong, here are two Korean snow ginsengs from a good vintage. You will be taking the nine-day trial, which is very tiring. Taking these snow ginsengs can replenish your energy and nourish your spirit."

Ying'er at the side blinked her eyes and said, "These two snow ginsengs were specially picked by the girl. She tasted the medicinal properties herself, cut them into slices with a carving tool, and placed them under the west window of the boudoir to dry.

These were all made by the girl herself. She didn’t let anyone else touch them. She really put a lot of effort into it.”

Yingchun and other sisters found that Ying'er's words were interesting and she was showing off her own girls, so they all laughed out loud.

Daiyu had a pair of bright eyes like water, and her eyes moved as she looked back and forth between Jia Cong and Baochai, trying to see something.

Baochai blushed and said, "Ying'er, you are the only one who talks too much." Jia Cong smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Bao, for your thoughtfulness. I have been in the palace for nine days and I wanted to bring some ginseng to refresh myself. This Korean snow ginseng is just right for me. Sister Bao is really thoughtful."

Baochai smiled and said, "This is just a small matter, not worth mentioning. This is the first time I have encountered this. It is also a great joyous event for a relative or brother in the family to be admitted to the imperial examination.

I just hope that Brother Cong will pass the imperial examination this spring, so that all his hard work in studying poetry and literature will be worthwhile."

Ying'er at the side said with a smile: "Third Master has always been very good at taking exams. He has already passed the imperial examination. Maybe he will pass the imperial examination this time. When that happens, Third Master, please don't forget the kindness of our girl."

Baochai heard her maid talking so much today, her face became more and more red with shame, and she said with a slightly annoyed tone: "Ying'er, you are talking too much again. The older you get, the more unruly you become."

Seeing that her daughter was a little embarrassed and angry, Ying'er stuck out her tongue and dared not say anything more. Baochai chatted a few more words and then took her maid back to the West Mansion.

……

Jia Cong opened the wooden box and saw that it was covered with snow-white and clean cotton cloth. The snow ginseng was cut into thin slices of even size and arranged neatly, which was quite pleasing to the eye.

It can be seen that Baochai was very attentive to such small things. He thought of the sudden intimacy between the two of them in the rain that day, and the heartfelt conversation in the study...

Suddenly, a sweet, light, and slightly teasing voice sounded beside me: "Third brother, ever since you helped Sister Bao that time, she seems to be treating you better."

Read the error-free version at 69shuba! 6=9+shu_ba is the first to publish this novel.

Jia Cong saw that the other sisters had left, only Daiyu stayed by his side, and the maid Zijuan was still chatting with Qingwen.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I don't think that Sister Bao is always considerate. Last time you were sick, she came to talk to you every day. Did you also help her?"

When Daiyu heard Jia Cong say that you had helped her, her pretty face flushed, her nose wrinkled, and she said, "Now you have also learned bad habits, and you act like a fool when you talk nonsense."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You also gave me a brush. After I get my death, I will definitely use it to write an article. If my name is listed on the list, it will really be my sister's contribution."

Daiyu listened to Jia Cong's words, and pursed her lips slightly, and said with a smile: "Just remember the good things about your sister."

……

Rongguo Mansion, Lixiangyuan.

Baochai came out of Jia Cong's courtyard. Her face was still flushed as she walked along, making her look even more charming and beautiful.

Ying'er, who was standing by, stole a glance at Baochai's expression and said cautiously, "Miss, I was a bit talkative today, but what I said was all true.

The girl has something on her mind, but she can't keep it to herself. If you don't speak it out, how will the Third Master know?

You see Miss Lin is different. Although I don’t know for sure, judging from her expression, she will definitely tell the Third Master everything she knows.”

After hearing this, Baochai slowed down her pace slightly. Her two personal maids, Jinchuan and Ying'er, knew very well what she was thinking. Now that there was no one around her, she didn't need to be shy.

With a slightly bitter smile, he said, "There are some things you don't understand. How could Sister Lin be the same? She and Brother Cong grew up together and are childhood sweethearts.

Whether it's kinship or affection between us, there's no comparison. Brother Cong has already achieved such a high status. After the Spring Examination, he will be more valued by the court..."

After hearing what her daughter said, Ying'er couldn't help feeling strange. The Third Master was becoming more and more proud, so her daughter should be happy. Why did she become sad while talking?
Baochai said quietly, "Ying'er, from now on... from now on, don't say these things in front of Brother Cong.

Also, it’s not good to tell Jinchuan these things when I go back. This girl has a mental illness and seems a little crazy…”

……

To the west of Shenjing City, Hongxiang Inn.

This inn is an old brand in the west of the city. It covers a large area, has good rooms and food, and the rent is reasonable, which has attracted many candidates going to take exams to rent accommodation here.

It was close to noon, and there were a few tables of diners scattered around the restaurant, almost all of whom were scholars wearing green robes and Confucian scarves.

Because the spring examination was approaching, many candidates stayed at home to study, as the saying goes, "It is better to sharpen your sword before the battle than to sharpen it."

Therefore, the daily meals of many scholars staying in the inn were delivered to their rooms by waiters, which made the inn somewhat unpopular.

There were tables of diners in the restaurant, usually several candidates sat together, eating and chatting, and the topic naturally revolved around the upcoming Spring Examination.

It was a bit strange that there was only one table in the whole store. There was only one scholar sitting at it, but a sumptuous meal was placed on it.

A waiter with a smile on his face brought a fresh fish and placed it in front of the scholar, saying, "Mr. Wu, all your dishes are ready."

Wu Liang waved his hand absentmindedly and sent the waiter away.

……

Ever since Huang Hongcang, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Rites, was appointed as the chief examiner of the Spring Examination, Wu Liang and Zhou Yan had placed high hopes on this Spring Examination.

They would not think that since Huang Hongcang had proposed a topic and given some advice, they would be so absurd as to use that topic as the test paper for the Spring Examination. If Huang Hongcang was so confused, he would not have been able to become a high-ranking official of the third rank.

However, a person's thinking and writing style all have traces of being passed down from generation to generation. With Huang Hongcang's guidance on topic formulation, one can more or less figure out the direction of his topic and question formulation.

This is not a very difficult thing for a scholar who has studied the classics for more than ten years and is able to pass the threshold.

These days, Wu Liang has been pondering Huang Hongcang's proposed topic over and over again. He has been tackling the topic from different angles and writing current affairs essays with different response methods, and he has mastered it by heart.

Moreover, when Huang Hongcang proposed the topics, he read carefully the classics and collections of works by ancient sages.

Although Wu Liang was slightly inferior to Lin Zhaohe, who was a top scholar in the imperial examination, he was also an outstanding figure among the candidates in Hangzhou Prefecture and had his own talents.

Through this period of study, Wu Liang has a clear understanding of the literary context, argumentative orientation, style and charm revealed in Huang Hongcang's proposed title.

He believed that Zhou Yan was probably the same...

As long as Huang Hongcang compiled the test questions, he would not be able to completely break away from this barrier and there would be traces to follow.

At that time, they would have a great advantage over other candidates in writing essays.

The Spring Imperial Examination brings together the best talents in the world, and one can imagine how fierce and cruel the competition for a place on the list is.

The talent gap between these outstanding scholars in each state is definitely not too great.

As the saying goes, a slight error can lead to a great mistake...

With this opportunity, he and Zhou Yan have gained a significant advantage over other candidates in this spring examination.

In fact, strictly speaking, this is not completely cheating, but it is a kind of trick that can be traced.

However, the process is not important. Even if the process is a little bit flawed, the result is the most important.

……

Today he had made an appointment with Lin Zhao and Zhou Yan to have a meeting and chat before entering the examination hall, and to discuss the topic of the examination at the last minute.

However, the servant who was sent to invite Lin Zhaohe came back and said that Lin Jieyuan was studying hard at home and was unwilling to waste time. He said that he would definitely host the party after the imperial examination and asked Wu Liang and Zhou Yan to apologize.

After hearing this, Wu Liang just smiled and didn't care. His classmate was a top scorer in the imperial examination in Hangzhou, a province with a lot of talent. Looking around the world, he was probably one of the few who could be compared to him.

Therefore, with Lin Zhaohe's ability and foundation, it was more than enough for him to get the title of Jinshi. Even if he did not have the convenience of Huang Hongcang, it was not a big deal. Since he wanted to study at home, it was fine.

Zhou Yan was the person Wu Liang wanted to meet the most, because the two of them had a common advantage and could communicate and discuss with each other, which would be a better match.

However, Wu Liang did not send his servants to inform Zhou Yan of the invitation, because he did not know where Zhou Yan lived now.

According to Zhou Yan, his relative was a loner and never met outsiders, so due to the relationship between relatives, he was not in a position to reveal the truth to outsiders.

Fortunately, the two of them often discussed Huang Hongcang's proposed topics and would meet every few days to share their experiences, so Zhou Yan knew about today's appointment a few days ago.

However, Wu Liang had been waiting for Zhou Yan for a long time, and the originally agreed time had passed, but there was still no sign of him.

This made Wu Liang a little disappointed. He guessed in his heart that Zhou Yan might be like Lin Zhaohe, who stayed behind doors to study hard at the last minute of the imperial examination and was unwilling to go out.

When it was past noon and Zhou Yan was still nowhere to be seen, Wu Liang gave up hope and started drinking alone.

……

At this time, two scholars came in from outside the store, looking exhausted, and sat down at a table not far from Wu Liang.

One of them called the waiter to serve the wine and food, and said in a low voice: "Brother Wang, it is true that fortune and misfortune can happen at any time. Who would have thought that Mr. Huang, the chief examiner of the Spring Examination, would be killed before entering the examination room!"

Wu Liang was holding the wine glass and pouring a sip. When he heard this, he shuddered with fear and some of the wine spilled out of the glass.

I heard another person sitting next to me whispering, "Is Brother Liu's news true? Something happened to the chief examiner of the Spring Examination. Don't spread this kind of news. Be careful not to cause trouble!"

"This is absolutely true. How dare I spread rumors to confuse the public? I have a classmate who rents a house in Qingliufang, just across the street from the Huang residence.

There was a big commotion at the Huang residence last night, so the emperor even stopped the morning court today. Early in the morning, someone saw the Imperial Hospital entering the Huang residence, and the Jinyiwei in plain clothes were patrolling around the Huang residence.

If something big hadn't happened to Minister Huang, there wouldn't be such a situation. The court didn't want such news to leak out, so as not to cause unrest among the candidates.

But there is no wall that is impenetrable, and the news eventually leaked out.

It is said that Minister Huang had a chronic pharyngeal disease and needed to use alligator meat from the southern province to make a stew as a dietary therapy.

Who could have thought that the Hongxing Southern Goods Store on Yongzhen Street actually sold poisonous alligator meat, which harmed Mr. Huang. It is said that Mr. Huang is still in a coma.

Early this morning, the shop owner and his wife were arrested by the Magistrate's Court, and the incident caused quite a stir.

The court was also forced to hastily select a new examiner as a replacement, and this person is..."

Although the two men spoke in low voices, making it difficult for others to hear clearly, the two tables were adjacent to each other after all, and Wu Liang was concentrating, so he heard everything the other person said clearly.

At this moment, his face was pale, his whole body was covered with cold sweat, and the hand holding the wine glass was shaking slightly. He was quite grateful for surviving the disaster and shouted in his heart, "What a close call!"

At this time, the two people sitting next to him noticed that Wu Liang was different, their faces changed slightly, and they stopped talking.

Wu Liang stepped forward quickly, smiled apologetically, and said, "My two brothers, is what you just said true? Minister Huang is indeed in trouble, and Lord Hongyuan is now the new chief examiner?"

One of them looked a little embarrassed and said, "We just heard it from hearsay. The court has not announced it. If you hear it, please don't spread it. Otherwise, you will get into trouble.

Brother Liu, the food and drinks here are too slow, let’s go to another place…”

Wu Liang wanted to ask more, but the two scholars hurried out of the shop, as if they were worried that gossiping would cause trouble.

However, when Wu Liang learned that this rumor was related to his future career in the imperial examination, he would not let it go.

He hurriedly called a carriage. As long as he went to the Hongxing Southern Goods Store to ask, he would know the truth of the matter...

(End of this chapter)