Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the early morning of May 21st, the fifteenth year of Jiazhao.

Jia Cong got up half an hour earlier than usual. His bed curtains were only slightly lifted, and Qingwen, who was lying on the side couch, had already gotten up.

Then the door was pushed open, and Zhishao, Wu'er, Yinglian and others entered the room.

Everyone was busy, either bringing water, ironing clothes, or washing up, surrounding Jia Cong and making the scene much more grand than usual.

In the main hall, Lingguan and her maid had prepared breakfast early. After Jia Cong had his breakfast, before the hour of noon, he put on his official uniform, looked energetic, and left the mansion early.

At the same time, in the palace city of Da Zhou, several miles away from Ningrong Street, the morning court in Fengtian Hall was still held at noon, but the morning court in the past two days was a little dull.

There seemed to be fewer ministers reporting in court, and the matters they did report were all well-behaved and routine.

There was no such sharp topic as the one that had stirred the court a few days ago during the morning court session, where the censor Sun Shouzheng uncovered a major fraud case and the Left Censor-in-Chief Zhou Xianyang impeached officials in the Spring Examination for misconduct.

In fact, there were many troublesome officials like Sun Shouzheng and Zhou Xianyang in the court. As long as they had something to say, Emperor Jiazhao was quite tolerant of them.

Otherwise, the emperor would have to listen to officials talking nonsense about routine matters at the morning court every day, which would not only be boring but would also obscure the emperor's eyes and ears.

However, the main culprit of the fraud case, Wu Liang, committed suicide, and 73 failed candidates jointly appealed, casting a shadow over the entire court.

A major case that was originally intended to uphold the integrity of the imperial examination system and demonstrate the prestige of the court was turned into pieces, and the situation was put into an awkward situation.

Emperor Jiazhao was always a man of deep strategy and decisive power. He was a monarch with great power. Such a far-reaching imperial examination fraud case was out of his control, and he was naturally in a very bad mood.

Since the joint complaint filed by the candidates appeared a few days ago, twenty-one officials who had taken the imperial examinations have been imprisoned for corruption and bribery.

There were also more than twenty officials who had taken the imperial examinations in the spring. Although they were eventually able to escape unscathed after being interrogated by the Dali Temple, they all left written confessions, which cast a shadow on their official careers.

After the whole thing has died down, these officials will be evaluated by the Ministry of Personnel, and they will face light punishments such as reprimands, or serious punishments such as demoted, transferred, dismissed, or convicted.

It was originally just a case of cheating in the imperial examination. The main culprits were only Xu Liangxiong and Wu Liang, and eleven candidates were involved, which was considered a very wide range of consequences.

No one expected that all this was just the beginning. After several twists and turns, the Spring Examination fraud case eventually involved more than 40 officials. This was the most serious event that had never happened in the 15 years since Emperor Jiazhao ascended the throne.

Therefore, during the morning court sessions over the past two days, Emperor Jiazhao's face was gloomy and terrifying, as if he could condense ice. Every official in the morning court session knew very well how bad the emperor's mood was.

Therefore, even those ministers who love to show off the most and are most keen on making direct criticisms in court are very smart to act like saw-mouthed gourds at this juncture.

In order to avoid showing off my eloquence and annoying the emperor, and becoming a punching bag for him to vent his anger, I will definitely die an ugly death...

……

An early morning court session was conducted in a calm and peaceful manner. The officials presented their reports on various topics in a stable and peaceful manner with singing and dancing, yet it was filled with a strange sense of caution.

Originally, the morning court session would end at the end of the Si hour, but Emperor Jiazhao stood up half an hour early and called for the court to be adjourned, revealing his impatience for all the civil and military officials in the court to leave immediately.

When the officials who had attended the court left the Fengtian Hall and walked out of the Meridian Gate, they saw a large number of elite imperial guards lined up at the Meridian Gate. They were densely packed and looked very powerful, with more than a thousand people.

Not long after, the emperor's carriage marched out of the Meridian Gate in a grand procession, surrounded by a large crowd.

The only people accompanying the emperor were Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding, Minister of War Gu Yankui, and Chief Eunuch Guo Lin.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of officials, the emperor's royal carriage, surrounded by more than a thousand imperial guards, headed towards Hongde Gate in the east of the city.

All the officials were filled with fear and doubt, and were whispering to each other, wondering why such a scene had occurred. What on earth had happened?
Among the crowd of officials attending the court, even Prince Zhao and Prince Ning, who were relatives of the emperor, had no idea where the emperor was going after he suddenly left the palace.

Prince Zhao Li Chongmao looked at the imperial carriage going away, as well as Shi Ding, Gu Yankui and others who were accompanying him. When he thought about some rumors he had heard recently, he seemed to have guessed why the emperor left the palace.

Even though he was not completely sure in his heart, he had already felt anger and resentment in his heart, and at the same time he had a deep fear, vaguely feeling that something was getting farther and farther away from him...

Prince Ning, who was standing by, also looked at the imperial carriage going away and asked, "Brother, my father hasn't left the palace for a year. Why did he suddenly show up the imperial carriage? Do you know what the important matter is?"

King Zhao looked indifferent and said, "How would I know about the imperial carriage? But judging from the direction it is heading, it seems to be heading towards the East City."

……

Shenjing, on the eastern outskirts of the city, the Ministry of Industry’s Firearms Workshop.

After the hour of Chen, the Fifth Army Camp mobilized a large group of troops to patrol and guard the road from Hongde Gate in the east of the city to the firearms workshop to eliminate possible risks in advance.

The five hundred elite imperial guards stationed at the firearms workshop were all dressed in bright armor today, in high spirits, and on high alert for any movement near the workshop.

When the hour of Si was about to approach, the emperor's carriage appeared outside the Hongde Gate, guarded closely by a thousand elite imperial guards, and marched straight to the firearms workshop in a mighty procession.

When the imperial carriage arrived at the workshop, except for the emperor's dozens of personal guards, Minister of War Gu Yankui, Marquis of Zhongjing Shi Ding, Chief Eunuch Guo Lin and others, all other troops stopped outside the workshop.

Fifty steps outside the entire firearms workshop, it was surrounded by thousands of imperial guards and elite soldiers from the five military camps, like an iron barrel.

Soon, the sound of firearms was heard from inside the workshop from time to time, and the soldiers outside the workshop were slightly agitated.

But the emperor's guards immediately came out to deliver a message, ordering all troops to stay in place and wait for the emperor to return to the palace. Only then did the stationed troops quell the riot.

At this time, at the shooting range of the firearms workshop, two improved Rummey guns and two brand-new breech-loading rifles were simultaneously shooting at the wooden target fifty steps away.

The two musketeers from the Fifth Army Battalion were responsible for firing the improved Rumi gun. They loaded gunpowder, placed bullets, compacted the fire rod, and fired. Their movements were smooth and skillful, and they completed the task in one go.

These two musketeers were the best fighters from the Shenji Camp carefully selected by Marquis Zhongjing. The two improved Rumi guns could produce the fastest shooting speed in their hands. It seemed that few people could surpass them.

However, the gunners responsible for operating the breech-loading rifle were just two craftsmen in the workshop who were familiar with firearms.

Since these two craftsmen were responsible for the construction of breech-loading rifles, they were familiar with their operation and firing. Although their movements were quite skilled, they were still far inferior to the two musketeers from the Fifth Army Battalion.

But even though there were differences in the proficiency of the gunners, there was still a huge contrast in the shooting effects of the two types of muskets.

Although the two musketeers who were firing the Rumi guns were extremely skilled in their shooting movements, their shooting speed was still far behind that of the breech-loading rifles.

The improved Rumi gun had only fired the fourth round, but the breech-loading rifle in the craftsman's hand had already fired ten rounds.

These are still breech-loading gunners, just two craftsmen who are familiar with muskets. If they were replaced by skilled musketeers, the shooting speed would definitely increase.

The Minister of War Gu Yankui and Marquis of Zhongjing Shi Ding, who were watching the musket drill, were both well-versed in military affairs, so it was no wonder they could see the huge difference between the two types of muskets.

The method of loading and firing a breech-loading rifle was like a foreign technique to them, unheard of and inconceivable.

They both looked at Jia Cong at the same time, their eyes filled with not only admiration but even horror.

They really couldn't imagine what kind of heart the young man in front of them had, and where these otherworldly ideas came from...

There is no need to compare the power of these two types of muskets. The huge difference in firing speed between the two is that the improved Rummey gun is nothing more than a useless fire stick in front of the breech-loading rifle.

When the improved Rummit gun had fired ten bullets, after shooting statistics, it was found that the hitting rates of the two types of muskets were basically the same, and the two breech-loading rifles each had one or two better scores.

The musketeers firing the improved Rumi guns were elite soldiers selected from the army by Zhongjing Hou Shi Ding. Their skills were so sophisticated that they could not be matched by the two workshop craftsmen.

Those who watched the drill on site, not to mention experts like Gu Yankui and Shi Ding, even Emperor Jiazhao could see that the accuracy of the breech-loading rifle was much better than that of the Rumi gun.

Jia Cong ordered his men to move the wooden target to a distance of eighty steps. The reason why it was not moved to a hundred steps was that at a distance of a hundred steps, there was no difference between blind shooting and aiming with the Rumi gun...

Then the two types of muskets fired ten bullets each, and the gap in their firing speeds became increasingly larger.

Because, after firing more than a dozen shots, one of the Lumi guns stopped firing due to overheating of the barrel to prevent it from exploding, and continued firing after cooling down. However, the breech-loading gun's paper-wrapped bullets and firing pin mode made the overheating of the barrel have almost no effect on continuous firing...

When both types of muskets had fired ten bullets, more than half of the bullets from the breech-loading rifles hit the target, while only two or three bullets from the improved Rummit guns hit the target respectively.

Given the huge gap in shooting skills between musketeers and musket craftsmen.

Everyone present could understand that the breech-loading rifle could not be compared with the improved Rummit gun in terms of power, accuracy, and ease of gun control.

……

When the musket drill was over, the Minister of War Gu Yankui looked excited.

He stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, the Earl of Weiyuan has just developed a breech-loading musket, which is ingenious and powerful, and is truly a national artifact!

Compared with it, the improved Rumi gun is crude and difficult to match.

Right now, the nine borders, the sea borders, and Yunnan are all experiencing unrest. Strengthening the military is the foundation for peace in the world.

I think we should manufacture a large number of breech-loading rifles to replace the improved Lumi guns of each army, so that they can be put into service as soon as possible and show their power! "

Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding was still immersed in the shock of the breech-loading rifle practice. He looked at Jia Cong beside him, his heart surging. He could not remember how many things Jia Cong had done to surprise him in the past few years.

He even felt regret and jealousy in his heart. The Jia family of Rongguo was already a weak family, but they somehow gave birth to a genius like Jia Cong. They were truly blessed.

Since His Majesty ascended the throne, he has been ambitious and daring. Jia Cong's pioneering work in developing firearms is a great achievement for His Majesty, and it is like adding wings to a tiger.

This time, Jia Cong has developed the breech-loading rifle, a wonderful and sharp firearm, and he will surely be more relied upon by the emperor.

He is only this young, yet he holds a high position and has made countless achievements...

Shi Ding thought about his generation in the Shi family. His eldest brother was originally an outstanding talent, but unfortunately he died young. His second brother Shi Nai was mediocre and it was difficult for him to maintain the family.

Although he had earned the honor of having two marquises in one family by following the emperor, he was already weak in the face of the glory ahead.

The descendants of himself and his second brother Shi Nai were all mediocre in talent and strategy. In another ten or twenty years, the decline of the Shi family's power was inevitable.

Shi Ding glanced at the handsome Jia Cong, and couldn't help but feel a burning heat in his heart.

Thinking of the lady's recent visit to the Jia family, she said that Xiangyun was happy and unwilling to leave, and was now living happily in the Jia Mansion. Congge was quite accommodating and doting on her on a daily basis, and the two of them had a very close friendship.

Shi Ding felt a little regretful when he thought about this. He was also very clear about his aunt's thoughts, but Congge had been in mourning for three years, so all good things were delayed...

……

Emperor Jiazhao watched the breech-loading rifle drill and was amazed by its novel firing mode, powerful firepower and accuracy.

In the past few days, due to the ups and downs of the fraud case and the unpredictable implications, all the frustration and anger accumulated in my heart seemed to have temporarily dissipated. After listening to Gu Yankui's advice, I felt even more relaxed.

He said, "Jia Cong has submitted a proposal for the construction of the breech-loading rifle. I will ask the relevant departments to fully assist in this matter."

Shi Ding at the side said: "Your Majesty, the breech-loading musket is ingeniously made and has amazing power. It is indeed a military and national weapon.

The improved Rumi gun was so powerful on the Liaodong battlefield that it was coveted by some unscrupulous people. Firearms were stolen from the Liaodong army, which eventually led to the disaster of privately manufactured firearms in Jiangnan.

If such military artifacts fall into the hands of villains, the consequences will be unimaginable. We must remember the past and learn from it for the future.

I believe that the construction and deployment of breech-loading rifles must be handled with great care to prevent unexpected events."

After listening to Shi Ding's words, Emperor Jia Zhao's face became serious and he said, "Mr. Shi's words are about taking precautions and being cautious and experienced.

Anyone who assists the Ministry of Rifles in the manufacture of breech-loading rifles will be investigated and screened by the Internal Affairs Bureau, and the most loyal people will be appointed to the position.

For those who covet evil deeds, we must kill one to warn the rest, rather than let them go, and we will never tolerate it! "

When Jia Cong heard this, his heart skipped a beat and he had a bad feeling...

Emperor Jia Zhao stopped talking, and Jia Congwei said, "Lord Jia, I will send another 500 elite imperial guards to the firearms workshop to strengthen the internal and external guards.

You are in charge of coordinating the construction of the breech-loading rifles. Before the first batch of breech-loading rifles are installed, no breech-loading rifles can leave the workshop. Please be very careful!"

Jia Cong's face was solemn, and he replied: "I will obey the imperial decree!"

After Emperor Jia Zhao finished speaking, his expression eased slightly, and he said: "Jia Qing is extremely talented and capable, and has once again created a military and national treasure. I am very pleased, and his contribution should be commended.

I will confer upon you the title of General Xinwu of the fourth rank, and grant you a thousand taels of gold, ten bottles of wine, and twenty rolls of tribute satin. When you pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi, I will confer you a higher title and position you in a more important position. "

Jia Cong quickly knelt down to express his gratitude, and Gu Yankui and Shi Ding, who were standing beside him, were both moved.

Last time, Jia Cong solved a major case of the Wei Army in Jinling, and had been promoted to the fourth-rank military official Xuanwu General by Emperor Jia Zhao.

Now, less than a year has passed, and he was selected again by the emperor, skipping the sequence of General Xianwu and directly promoted to the fourth rank General Xinwu.

A fifteen-year-old boy, he has reached the peak of the fourth rank in military rank. Looking at the entire Great Zhou, apart from royal nobles and those who have been specially honored, it is difficult to find a second person like him.

When the imperial notice of the palace examination was announced and Jia Cong passed the imperial examination, he was no longer restricted by the official system of the Great Zhou.

Given the importance the emperor places on him, the fifth-rank official title, which has been silent for several years, will most likely be promoted...

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

After the firearms workshop drill was completed, Jia Cong, Gu Yankui, Shi Ding and others respectfully escorted Emperor Jia Zhao back to the palace, and he himself returned to the Earl's Mansion.

When it was almost noon, Yuan Jing, the sixth-rank official on duty at Qianyang Palace, came with the palace guards to announce the decree and read out the imperial edict to confer the title.

There were also two large carts from the Imperial Household Department, filled with gold, royal wine, tribute satin and other items bestowed by the emperor.

After Jia Cong sent Yuan Jing away, the entire East Palace was filled with joy, and someone had already gone to the West Palace to report the good news.

When the sisters in the mansion heard the news, they all went to Jia Cong's courtyard to congratulate him.

Yingchun arranged for the maids to move Jia Cong's seal from the fourth-rank General Xinwu, the robe bestowed by the Qilin, the jade belt, the official boots and other belongings to the main hall and place them there.

Because of the limited space in the main hall, only a portion of the gift gold, a few bottles of imperial wine, and piles of tribute satin could be placed.

According to Yingchun, these things were the glory earned by her brothers, and they had to be displayed in the main hall for a few days to bring good luck and fortune before they could be put into storage.

The sisters were all smiling, and they were playing with the dazzling array of gifts in the main room, admiring them.

Daiyu smiled at Jia Cong and said, "Third brother, it's been less than a year, and you've been promoted and made a fortune too quickly. Others will be jealous when they see you."

Jia Cong smiled slightly after hearing this, and when he thought of the conversation between Emperor Jia Zhao and Shi Ding in the firearms workshop just now, he felt a little solemn.

He said: "I have been promoted and made a fortune, but I am afraid that others will suffer..."

Daiyu was confused when she heard this and asked, "What are you talking about, Third Brother? How can you cause others to suffer when you are getting promoted?" (End of this chapter)