Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

After mid-morning, the sun gradually rose higher, Ningrong Street began to become bustling with people, and many carriages and horses appeared on both sides of the street.

At the corner gates of the east and west palaces, guests from various households who heard the good news came in one after another to express congratulations.

The servants of the two mansions had already received instructions from the inner courtyard on how to entertain guests, and they followed past practices, so everything seemed to be in order.

Male guests were led by their own stewards into the hall of the outer courtyard and served tea, while female guests did not get off their carriages, but passed through the corner gate and got off at the hanging flower gate in the inner courtyard, and were led into the second gate by the inner courtyard's maids.

When Jia Cong inherited the title of Rong, many noble and old friends came to congratulate him, but the situation of the guests who came to congratulate him was completely different from the past.

In the past, most of the guests came to Rongguo Mansion to express their congratulations, but this time, some guests went to Rongguo Mansion to express their congratulations, and some also went to the Earl's Mansion to express their congratulations, which seemed to be a clear distinction.

The four kings and eight dukes, old friends in the court, and old relatives of the Jia family have a long-standing friendship with the Rongguo Mansion because of their ancestral friendship and because the Rongguo Lady Dowager lived in the West Mansion.

In addition, Jia Cong inherited the hereditary title of Rong State, so these people all went to the West Palace to congratulate him.

The elders of each family came to congratulate the guests. In addition to the princes of the same generation who had interacted with Jia Cong, several family heads also came in person to congratulate him.

The heads of these families were of the same generation as Jia Zheng. According to common etiquette, they sent their sons and nephews to congratulate him, which was considered the utmost loyalty and loyalty of the noble families.

But now he came in person to offer his congratulations, and was very formal in his etiquette. This was because although Jia Cong was of a lower generation, he was also the head of a noble family.

But the more important reason is nothing more than that Jia Cong was awarded the title for his military achievements. Now that Wenhua has reached the pinnacle again, his weight and potential in the future officialdom cannot be ignored.

However, compared with the guests who came to congratulate from the West Palace, the guests who came to pay their respects to the East Palace, many of them had higher status and official positions than those in the West Palace.

Jia Cong has been an official for several years. He has observed politics in the Ministry of War, worked in the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works, went to Nanjing twice to judge cases, and had close contacts with the Dali Temple, the Ministry of Justice and other government offices.

He got to know quite a few colleagues, acquaintances, and subordinates in these ministries and government offices. When they heard the good news, they all went straight to the East Palace to congratulate him.

His imperial examination teacher, Minister of Rites Guo Youchang, Junior Secretary of the Imperial Household Zheng Yan, and Minister of War Gu Yankui, who had promoted him, all sent their eldest sons to the East Palace to express their congratulations, which was considered to be a respectful and courteous act.

Li Dekang, the Minister of Works, was Jia Cong's nominal superior and had a close relationship with Jia Zheng, so he also sent his sons and nephews to visit the East Palace to express congratulations.

These four people were important officials in the court and held real power. Three of them were the leaders of the six ministries. Zheng Yan was even known as the top scholar and a leader with great reputation in the literati circle.

The status and position of any one of them is comparable to that of the heads of the four kings and eight dukes, or even surpasses them.

When Jia Cong's teachers Liu Jing'an and his wife learned that he had won the top spot in this year's imperial examination, they were overjoyed.

Since several of Liu Jing'an's sons were serving as officials outside the capital, his eldest grandson Liu Bi was also serving as the head of the Ministry of War in Nanjing.

Master's wife, Cui, had always been very fond of Jia Cong. In order to show off her outstanding disciple, she sent her two legitimate grandsons with many family gifts to express her congratulations.

Although Liu Jing'an did not show up, due to his transcendent status as a literary sage, his two legitimate grandsons came with gifts, addressed Jia Cong as their uncle and congratulated him with great ceremony, with a momentum no less than that of the four important officials in the court.

……

By noon of that day, Prince Kangshun, who had been friends with Jia Cong in his youth, Prince Ning, with whom Jia Cong had worked before, and Prince Zhao, with whom Jia Cong had made friends before, each sent their chief historian to the palace to express their congratulations.

When this news spread, it really shocked the guests from the two mansions. Although Jia Cong had a title, he was only a fifth-rank official after all, and he was too young.

In the eyes of outsiders, Jia Cong's network of contacts was probably limited, but they did not expect that today three princes would come together to congratulate him. This was such a grand occasion.

However, laymen watch the excitement while experts watch the details. There were also shrewd officials among the guests, and they could see something from the clear distinction between the guests from the two governments.

The three princes had noble identities, not to mention their respective connections with Jia Cong. The fact that they sent people to congratulate him did not go to the Rongguo Mansion but went directly to the Earl's Mansion must have had a profound meaning.

Whether it is Prince Kangshun who spends his days leisurely, ignores external affairs, and enjoys writing books, or Prince Ning who works diligently and cherishes his reputation.

Even the Prince of Zhao, who was once a man of both civil and military talents and had an outstanding reputation, had suffered greatly from the major case of the Jinling Guards.

These royal children grew up in a vortex of power, and none of them is mediocre in talent or intelligence.

They all knew how the current emperor ascended the throne, and they were also aware of the difficult-to-bridge gap between Emperor Jiazhao and the group of old nobles including the Four Kings and Eight Dukes.

They all went to the East Palace to congratulate him, just to prove to the world that the Jia Cong they recognized was the one who was conferred the title of Weiyuan Earl by the current emperor because of his battle in Liaodong to pacify the Jurchens.

Instead of the second-class general who inherited the Rongguo Mansion's hereditary honor, he was also subtly but firmly demonstrating that they deeply understood the emperor's heart and stood on the side of the current emperor.

As for outstanding civil servants such as Gu Yankui, Guo Youchang and Zheng Yan, in their eyes, Jia Cong was a talented scholar and an elite in the imperial examinations who was promoted, respected and supported by them.

Jia Cong also gained the attention of the emperor at that time because of his rise in Wenhua calligraphy. It was because Gu Yankui recommended him to be the counselor of the nine provinces that he had the opportunity to pacify the Jurchens.

There is a natural gap between these civil servants and the four kings and eight dukes who have inherited military honors.

Naturally, the person they recognized was Weiyuan Bo Jia Cong, rather than the children of aristocratic families who were granted titles by virtue of their ancestors.

Although the Minister of Works Li Dekang and Jia Cong had a superficial relationship, they both served in the Ministry of Works. His actions were somewhat opportunistic, but they were also within the scope of civil servants.

Although the definitions of Jia Cong's identity by Guo Youchang and other leading civil officials differ slightly from those of the three great princes, they actually reach the same conclusion.

Therefore, Jia Cong holds two titles, but the new and old forces represented by the two titles are separated from each other, with clear longitudes and latitudes, and all converge in him. He is undoubtedly the number one freak in the court of the Great Zhou Dynasty.

……

On this day, guests came to the East and West Palaces to offer congratulations, and many of them had to be received personally by Jia Cong due to their identities.

This made him busy all day long, traveling back and forth between Rongxi Hall in the West Palace and Xuanfu Hall in the East Palace, without even having time to drink a sip of tea. The hardship was no less than the fierce battle in Liaodong that year.

Among all these guests, only one person stood out from the others, that was Jia Mu's nephew, the emperor's loyal follower, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding.

This time he brought his wife and eldest son to personally congratulate Jia Cong. He was very polite and courteous, and his desire to value and befriend Jia Cong, his nephew, was evident in his words.

He was a trusted minister of Emperor Jiazhao, and he knew better than anyone that the emperor had an extraordinary regard for this young minister.

He brought his wife and eldest son into the Rongguo Mansion first, paid a visit to his biological aunt, and then had a pleasant conversation with Jia Cong while serving tea in Rongxi Hall.

At the buffet banquet at noon, Marquis Zhongjing also followed the etiquette of the aristocratic family and joined the four kings and eight dukes to congratulate the guests.

After saying some polite words and drinking three glasses of wine, he said goodbye and went to the East Palace to visit his niece Shi Xiangyun.

As Jia Cong's close blood relative, he naturally had to accompany him into the East Palace.

Marquis Zhongjing took Jia Cong and Shi Xiangyun to stroll and chat in Huifang Garden, and finally took his wife and eldest son to leave the Jia family from the Earl's Mansion.

Although he was born into a family of four kings and eight dukes, his behavior during this visit was impartial, complete, and without omissions, leaving no room for gossip, which was quite remarkable.

……

In the inner courtyard of Rongguo Mansion, the wives of various noble families were rarely absent. Xu, Marquis of Chengyang, Zhang, Marquis of Jingyang, Zou, Earl of Zhongcheng, and Liu, the eldest son of Duke Zhiguo, all came with the male guests.

Rongqing Hall was filled with noble ladies, wearing shining hairpins and brocade clothes, and looking very wealthy. Grandmother Jia was filled with flattery and praise.

At this time, the noble lady who came into the hall to pay a visit to Lady Jia said to her mother with envy on her face, because she had heard rumors from the guests coming and going, that the East Palace was full of distinguished guests and was even more lively than the West Palace.

Grandmother Jia had been a high-ranking official all her life and had seen many big scenes. When she heard that the three great princes and three of the top leaders of the six ministries from the East Palace had come to congratulate her, she was indescribably shocked.

She had been a lady all her life and was well versed in the ways of the world, so her mind became clearer at this moment.

Although his grandson, who had never been favored since childhood, had now inherited the title of Rongguo, his connections and reputation were not much different from those accumulated by the Rongguo Mansion...

Originally, Grandmother Jia was still lamenting that Jia Cong was excellent in everything and that the gap between him and her beloved Baoyu was too great, and she was afraid that the situation would be difficult in the future.

Now even this thought has gradually faded. Although Grandmother Jia still loves Baoyu the most, she knows in her heart that the two grandsons are not comparable and it is useless for her to worry about them.

……

When the sun set that day, Jia Cong was still entertaining guests in Rong Xi Tang when Yingchun's maid Xiu Ju came to report that someone from the imperial mausoleum in the east of the city came to congratulate and give gifts.

Jia Cong's heart moved slightly, so he followed Xiu Ju back to the East Palace. When he arrived at Cong Lu Tang, he saw Yingchun sitting there, and a pretty little maid was standing there talking to Yingchun.

There was also a servant girl in the hall, holding a gift box in her hand, and she didn't look like a person from the East Palace.

Jia Cong knew what Yingchun was thinking because he had an arranged marriage with Zhen Fangqing. If Jia She had not died suddenly, the two would have almost become husband and wife.

Although it is difficult for the two of them to get married, they have a special connection after all. So Yingchun, although she was busy entertaining guests today, also came to see this little girl specially to fulfill her courtesy.

The little maid was very smart. When she saw Jia Cong entering the hall, she bowed to him obediently.

Jia Cong found her face very familiar and said with a smile: "You are Miss Zhen San's maid. I remember your name is Bei'er."

The little maid smiled, quite bright and lovely, and said: "My Lord has a good memory. He still remembers me, a little maid. I have seen my Lord in Jinling and Shenjing.

Our girl was ordered to stay away from the imperial mausoleum. She knew that the results of the imperial examination were announced yesterday, so she sent a servant to check the list. She was very happy to know that the uncle had won the first place.

Today, she asked me to bring a gift to congratulate the master on her behalf. In fact, the girl had prepared this gift a few days ago because she said the master would definitely win the prize. "

Seeing that Bei'er was so clever, intelligent, and articulate at such a young age, Yingchun couldn't help but smile and praise her, "What a clever girl."

Bei Er took the gift box from the old woman and gently opened it. Ying Chun saw the gift inside and a smile appeared on her face.

Jia Cong saw a light blue satin round-necked robe with dark patterns in the gift box, which was very finely crafted, a belt inlaid with fat jade, a jade hairpin for tying hair, and a pair of black-faced curly-headed cloud-climbing boots. These gifts were not particularly expensive or novel, but they were strangely simple and friendly, which made them even more touching.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Go back and thank the Third Miss for me. These gifts are very much to my liking. I will definitely visit the Imperial Mausoleum someday."

At this time, Xiuju entered Conglutang again, also holding a gift box in her hand. Yingchun smiled and said to Bei'er, "These things are commonly used in the mansion. Please give them to your young lady for me."

Bei'er accepted the gift and thanked her, then said goodbye with her maid. Yingchun asked Xiu Ju to see her out of the house on her behalf.

After walking a few steps out of the hall, Bei'er turned back to look at Jia Cong, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated.

Jia Cong had a good impression of this clever maid. He walked a few steps forward with a smile and asked, "Do you girls have anything else to say?"

Bei'er said: "I have done everything the girl asked me to do, and she didn't have anything else to say.

It’s just that there are some things that a servant like me shouldn’t talk about. If the young lady knew, she would definitely scold me. I don’t know…”

Jia Cong's heart moved slightly, and he took her to the corridor a few steps away from the maid, and said with a smile: "If you have something to say, just say it, don't worry, no one else can hear it now."

When Bei'er saw Jia Cong's warm words and his handsome smile in the sunshine, which was very bright and beautiful, making people willing to tell him everything, her face turned slightly red.

I couldn't help but blurt out, "The girl's arranged marriage with the uncle didn't go through. She's actually sad. Although she never says it, I can see it.

The last time the uncle sent a letter to the girl, the girl kept thinking about the good things the uncle had done for her.

This time, Master Bo was in great mourning and could not take part in the imperial examination, but the girl went to the palace to ask the retired emperor for mercy..."

When Bei'er saw Jia Cong's stunned expression after hearing this, she couldn't help but feel a little flustered.

He quickly said, “I know I shouldn’t say too much, Uncle, please don’t tell others about what I said.

Next month, the young lady will be finished with her mourning period and will be returning to her hometown in Jinling soon. It will be difficult for her to see you in the future. Please don’t forget the young lady’s kindness…”

Bei'er also felt that her words were too confusing, so she closed her mouth helplessly, bowed slightly to Jia Cong, and turned around and left in a hurry.

Jia Cong stood alone on the corridor for a long time before returning to the West Mansion to entertain guests...

……

As the news of Jia Cong's success in the imperial examination continued to spread, the two palaces in the East and West came with guests coming to congratulate him for several days. Fortunately, the most important and valuable guests basically arrived on the first day.

Although there were guests visiting in the following days, they were all ordinary relatives and old acquaintances. Jia Cong had never even met some of them, so dealing with them was not as difficult as in the first two days.

When the number of guests from the two governments gradually decreased, Jia Cong went to Luocang Mountain to pay his respects to his teacher. On the second day, he followed the rules of the imperial examination and paid a visit to the three chief examiners of the imperial examination.

Afterwards, the two governments gradually calmed down from the rush of guests and returned to their former tranquility.

Jia Cong sent Zhishao and Xing Xiuyan to Nimuyuan, and began to travel back and forth to the firearms workshop every day.

Because of the news from the workshop, the craftsmen have made some progress in their research on the forging technique of the firing pin of the breech-loading rifle...

After Zhishao and Xing Xiuyan returned from Nimuyuan, the Ministry of Rites began to issue imperial edicts to the candidates on the list, setting the tenth day of the next month as the date for the emperor's palace examination.

When this news came out, the more than 300 successful candidates in Shenjing City were full of confidence, but it also made thousands of students who had not yet left the capital feel sad.

The palace examination of the Great Zhou Dynasty followed the practice of the previous dynasty and there was no talk of corruption.

All candidates who participated in the palace examination were finally ranked first, second, and third based on the evaluation of their examination essays.

For all the students who passed the imperial examination, their years of study and pursuit of fame finally came to a successful conclusion.

According to the regulations of the Great Zhou Dynasty's imperial examinations, even if the top three were all Jinshi graduates, they would be granted the position of county magistrate in the monthly selection by the Ministry of Personnel. Although the rank was not high, he was still the chief official of a county.

……

In the suburbs of Shenjing City, there is Muni Temple.

In the main hall of the nunnery, there is a faint smell of incense. There is a standing statue of Guanyin Bodhisattva, with her clothes loosened, looking serene and gentle, lifelike, with a pair of Buddha's eyes slightly closed, as if gazing at all living beings with compassion.

Miaoyu wore a Miaochang bun on her head, a moon-white jacket with plain sleeves, a long vest with paddy field blue satin trim, a silk ribbon the color of autumn fragrance, and a white silk skirt painted with light ink around her waist.

She knelt in front of the statue of Guanyin with an extremely pious expression, and took out a piece of yellow paper from her sleeve, on which was written Jia Cong's birth date.

This was the day when Zhishao went to the courtyard to visit Master Xiushan. As Miaoyu had asked her in advance, she brought it specially for her.

Miaoyu looked at the birth date on the yellow paper, her eyes flickering slightly, and she took out a peach wood blessing token from the silk belt around her waist.

He took the purple brush and wrote Jia Cong's name and birth date in exquisite plum blossom calligraphy on the peach wood token in a neat and detailed manner.

Then he placed the token on the altar under the seat of Guanyin, made a spell with his left hand, struck the wooden fish with his right hand, closed his bright eyes slightly, faced the peach wood token, and silently recited scriptures and prayed for blessings.

In the quiet Buddhist hall, the clear and steady sound of the wooden fish, which goes back and forth continuously, is ethereal and mysterious, and blends with Miaoyu's pleasant chanting of mantras, revealing a strange solemnity and piety.

In the lingering smoke of incense, Miaoyu's pretty and flawless face seemed to be shrouded in a layer of divine light, as if she and the statue of the Bodhisattva were in one spirit.

……

It was unknown how long the peaceful and pious prayer lasted, until Miaoyu regained her five senses from her meditation and realized that there was someone around her.

She didn't know when Master Xiushan had stood beside her, looking at her with a kind look in her eyes.

Miaoyu's face was slightly hot, and she said, "Master, every time Jinghui came back, I talked with her on the same couch, and she always looked happy, with happy eyes and eyebrows.

When they parted at Panxiang Temple that day, Jia Cong once said that he would treat Jinghui like a pearl and a treasure, and he really did so.

He is not only Jinghui's blessing, but he has also invited famous doctors to treat Master several times. I will never forget this kindness. I am praying for him. "

Master Xiushan looked at the peach wood token on the incense table with a thoughtful look on her face, and said, "Back then in Panxiang Temple, I told you this.

Everyone has his own destiny. The ancient Buddha is destiny, and gratitude and love are also destiny. If it is destined, do not refuse or abandon it, and accept the destiny from heaven, which is great goodness. "

After Master Xiushan said this, she clasped her hands together slightly in front of the peach wood token and muttered something.

Miaoyu recalled the words of Master Xiushan in her mind, and her thoughts were in turmoil, and she could not control herself for a moment...

After a long while, she said, "The master once said that since Jia Cong inherited the double title, a yang evil spirit has emerged in his face, and there are vague changes in the trend of his destiny.

The master said that he was extremely talented, different from ordinary people, and he achieved success at an early age, bringing honor to his peers.

At the age of Wu Xiang, he holds a high official rank, a bright destiny and an important position.

Once such a person's fate is unclear and his birth pattern is unpredictable, it is very easy for him to win today and lose tomorrow, his fortune will collapse, he will be involved in disasters, and good fortune will turn into misfortune!

Now he is Jinghui's lifelong lover, and his disciples are worried that he will encounter a disaster. Jinghui will inevitably be implicated as she and he will be together through life and death.

The master also said that his father Jia She's birth date and month were quite inconsistent with his, and the fates of the father and son conflicted, implying unpredictable dangers.

So disciples..."

……

Miaoyu saw that her master's eyes were bright and clear, and his divine light was shining. Although he was looking at her gently, it was as if he could see through her. She couldn't help but feel panic in her heart...

Master Xiushan sighed, "So you want to know whether he will be lucky or unlucky in the future, so you asked Jinghui to fetch his birth date and horoscope while chanting mantras and praying for him."

Miaoyu's pretty face flushed, but her eyes were unusually steady as she said, "Please help me, Master."

Master Xiushan sighed, "Although Yuzhang is quite cunning and careless in his actions, he has a righteous mind and good character. He has been kind to us, so I don't want him to get into trouble."

As she spoke, she took out a piece of paper from her sleeve and said, "The day before yesterday, I asked Jingxuan to go to the Jia family's ancestral tomb and found Jia She's birth date on his tombstone.

I have never seen Jia She, so I don’t know his temperament and appearance, but I can figure out a few things.”

As Master Xiushan was speaking, she sat down on the cushion beside Miaoyu and took out tortoise shells, divination coins, counting sticks and other items from her sleeve and laid them out one by one.

Based on the birth dates of Jia She and Jia Cong, he used divination and fortune-telling. He kept counting with his right hand and placed counting chips on the ground with his left hand, using the secret innate numbers to calculate Jia Cong's fate.

The Buddhist temple is quiet, time passes silently, and I don’t know how much time has passed.

Miaoyu had seen her master perform math in the past, and it was always very quick and convenient, but today it took a lot of time and she still didn't stop calculating.

Moreover, Master Xiushan frowned and thought deeply, and kept calculating with her right hand. Her face turned pale and there was even a thin layer of sweat on her forehead.

Miaoyu felt a little uneasy...

Suddenly, Master Xiushan's left hand trembled slightly, and the shiny gray-black abacus in her hand fell to the ground with a snap, which sounded extremely harsh in the quiet Buddhist hall.

Several violent coughs were heard in the Buddhist hall. Master Xiushan covered her mouth and nose with her sleeves to stop the coughing.

However, when she put down her sleeves, Miaoyu's face turned pale, because her master's sleeves were stained with blood... (End of this chapter)