Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the east of Shenjing City, Hongde Gate, Eight Immortals Restaurant.

The table in the private room was filled with delicacies from land and sea, fragrant tea and fine wine, and the aroma was so fragrant that it should be a time for drinking and joy.

After the middle-aged man said this, the atmosphere in the private room became a little heavy. Manager Zhao had always done gloomy and sinister things, so he naturally knew what the other party meant.

He said hurriedly: "Master Liu, please rest assured. I am also a person who has experienced risks for a long time. This is a serious matter, so I will naturally be doubly cautious.

The subordinates noticed that the inspection to the south was strict, but the waterway to the north was relatively smooth, so they used the pre-prepared route inspection and pass, and boarded a merchant ship heading north under the pretext of visiting relatives.

During the journey, he stayed in the cabin carefully to recuperate from his injuries, rarely went out of the cabin, and rarely came into contact with people on the same ship. He was safe and sound throughout the journey, and his identity was not discovered.

Before the merchant ship entered the territory of Yongzhou, my subordinates disembarked in advance and traveled by land afterwards.

I walked around Tongzhou, Dezhou and other places, and made many careful inquiries along the way. I found no one was following me, and everything was fine, so I took a detour into Shenjing City. "

When Lord Liu heard this, his face relaxed slightly and he said, "You are an old man, so you should be careful in your actions. This is the only way to ensure safety. The current situation is unpredictable, so it is better to be careful in everything.

According to what you said, the newly appointed Jinling Jinyiwei Qianhu Wang Zhangjiang has quite impressive talents and means, and he seems to be particularly concerned about the private manufacture of muskets."

Shopkeeper Zhao said, "Your Excellency is right. When I was in Nanjing, I paid close attention to this man's every move.

This person pursued the case of privately manufactured firearms relentlessly, and his actions were fierce and swift, which was contrary to common sense.

His subordinates believed that the imperial court must have some ulterior motive in sending such a person to Nanjing because he replaced Ge Zhicheng as the chief of the Jinling Embroidered Uniform Guard.

Wang Zhangjiang probably received instructions from his superiors, or even a secret decree from the palace...

Before his subordinates left Nanjing, Wang Zhangjiang brazenly led his troops into the Zhen Mansion to search it on the pretext that the Zhen family members were involved in the private manufacture of firearms. This incident caused an uproar in Nanjing.

The Zhen family of Jinling is a century-old prestigious family. The ancestors of the Zhen family were once founding heroes, and the old Concubine Zhen was of an even more noble position. The Zhen family mansion has not been hit by war for a hundred years, which is truly unique.

Fortunately, Zhen Shiwen, who was involved in the musket incident, had been eliminated in advance, and Wang Zhangjiang could not find anything in Zhen's house.

Afterwards, Zhen Yingjia, president of Jinling Tirenyuan, was summoned twice by the Embroidered Uniform Guard to investigate his son Zhen Shiwen's involvement in firearms. Although nothing was gained, Zhen Yingjia had already lost all face.

If Wang Zhangjiang did not have something to rely on, how could he be so unscrupulous in the musket case and use such means and actions.

There are rumors in the Jinling officialdom that the Zhen family in Jiangnan is about to face a disaster, and Zhen Yingjia will die without a burial place."

……

The middle-aged man looked surprised and said, "I didn't expect that there would be such a big disturbance in Jinling. But after careful consideration, there are some clues. It seems to be secretly connected with the recent events in Shenjing."

Shopkeeper Zhao couldn't help but ask, "What happened in Shenjing recently?"

The middle-aged man said, "Since Jia She passed away last year, even though Jia Cong was in deep mourning and staying at home, he still often went to the firearms workshop outside the city to take charge of the work.

A few days ago, the emperor suddenly came to the firearms workshop in person, after which Jia Cong was promoted to the rank of fourth-rank Xinwu General. The superiors speculated that Jia Cong must have developed another powerful firearm.

Moreover, the development and production of this new type of firearm should have begun after Jia She's death.

Just as you said, Wang Zhangjiang took action against the illegal manufacture of firearms in Nanjing at about the same time. Perhaps he really had received some instructions.

Now that the mourning period for Old Madam Zhen has ended, perhaps the rumors in the Jinling officialdom are true, and the Jinling Zhen family may not have a good ending..."

The two chatted for a while, and the middle-aged man's face tightened. He asked, "You are going to venture north, have you brought that important thing with you?"

Shopkeeper Zhao's eyelids twitched slightly, and he said, "Before Jinling Firearms was confiscated by the Jinyiwei, more than 400 improved Lumi guns had been finished and shipped out of the workshop in advance, so they escaped the Jinyiwei's confiscating.

After I returned to Nanjing last time, I had stored more than 400 improved Lumi guns in various places in Nanjing to ensure safety."

He took out a booklet from his body and said, "It records seven collection locations. When the time comes, we just need to send someone there to take them and use them!"

The middle-aged man took the booklet with a serious expression and said, "You brought this thing with you. This venture northward is a great achievement and your contribution will be recorded.

After you go back, stay where you are and try not to go out. There have been a lot of things going on in the capital recently, so it is better to be careful."

Shopkeeper Zhao looked at the booklet with a look of reluctance, and said casually: "There is indeed a big disturbance in the capital. As soon as I arrived in the capital, I heard that there was a big fraud case in the Spring Examination, which implicated many people.

Many people in the market are discussing that the imperial examinations are not only full of fraud, but also unfair in selecting candidates. Talented people from poor families are relegated to lower positions, while officials with honors and titles are awarded first place in the examinations and even win the first place in the world. This is extremely unfair..."

The middle-aged man laughed, carefully put the booklet into his arms, and said, "Let the nobles in the palace and the overly popular Earl Weiyuan worry about this matter by themselves. You and I are just watching the fun."

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

As Jia Cong stepped into the inner courtyard, the sky was dark blue and the night was as cool as water. Although there was no bright moon in the sky, there were thousands of twinkling stars. Looking up, one felt relaxed and happy.

As he approached the courtyard gate, he heard light and pleasant laughter and talking, some were friendly and gentle, some were pretty and graceful, like pearls falling on a jade plate, or like the ringing of bells.

He pushed the door open and saw the corridor outside the main room. The lanterns under the eaves were bright yellow and swaying slightly in the night breeze.

There were small stools on the corridor, on which maids such as Yinglian, Qingwen, Lingguan, Zijuan, Shishu, Xiuju, etc. were sitting to enjoy the cool air, and naturally they could not help chattering in low voices.

In the main room, candles were burning brightly. Sisters including Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun, Xiuyan and Xiangyun were sitting there chatting. There were three boxes placed in the open space between them.

Seeing this scene, Jia Cong laughed and said, "Maybe I sent out an invitation today, and they all came in such a timely manner. It's really lively."

Yingchun smiled and said, "Brother Cong has been very busy recently and comes home after dark every day. It's considered early to come back today.

Now that summer is getting hot, we sisters have nothing to do in the evening. Your yard is spacious and cool. Just when you happened to be in trouble, we came to take a look. "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have been quite busy with official duties recently. After this period of time, things will go smoothly and I won't have to work so hard."

He saw the three boxes in the hall and asked curiously, "Second sister, you said I encountered something, but what's the reason? What's the matter with these boxes?"

Daiyu stood up and said with a smile: "Third brother said that we were able to arrive here only after the invitation was sent. This is not wrong. However, it was not third brother who sent the invitation, but Miss Qu from Jinling."

Yingchun smiled and said, "Miss Qu asked the Xinchunhao staff to personally escort these three boxes of gifts to the capital. I have arranged for them to stay in the outer courtyard. Miss Qu also sent me a letter saying that these gifts are to wish Brother Cong to win the first place in the imperial examination and to pass the imperial examination and become a Jinshi."

Jia Cong thought that Qu Hongxiu had become more and more meticulous. Knowing that he was the eldest sister in charge of the family, he did not forget to write a letter to Yingchun when sending gifts to her. He was meticulous and considerate in his etiquette.

Daiyu said curiously, "The timing of Miss Qu's gift delivery was very clever. It happened to be before the imperial examination results were posted. It was really a great luck. Could it be that she was able to predict the future?"

Jia Cong smiled without saying anything. He and Jinling used to send messages via Feiyu daily. Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing would know about what happened in the capital within two days. They were as well-informed as people in the capital.

Yingchun smiled and said, "Except for the gift for Brother Cong, the rest of these gifts are for the sisters in the family, as well as the old lady of the West Mansion and Sister-in-law Lian.

I have said it before, Brother Cong is so lucky to have a master like Miss Qu. Even though she is far away in Jinling, she always cares about your affairs.

The gift for you is fine, but the gifts for everyone in the family are all very thoughtful and considerate, more thoughtful than my sister."

Jia Cong secretly laughed in his heart. Even if Qu Hongxiu wanted to buy these gifts, she probably didn't have the energy to do so. She wasn't like Keqing, who had been a daughter-in-law in the Jia family...

Jia Cong opened the three boxes and saw the gifts neatly arranged inside. There was a dazzling array of gifts. Each gift was clearly marked with a label, making it easy to tell at a glance who it was for.

Tanchun was somewhat impressed and said, "Everyone says Miss Qu is very capable. She has built such a large business in Jinling by herself. Look at the gifts she gives. They are all different. They are clear and precise."

Jia Cong gave the gifts in the box to each sister one by one, and there were exclamations from people in the hall from time to time.

Daiyu was a quick-witted woman, and her heart was entirely on Jia Cong. She felt a little strange when she saw that all the sisters in the hall had received gifts.

She heard from Jia Cong that Qu Hongxiu went to Jinling a few years ago and never came back.

When she left, Sister Xiangyun only came to the Jia family occasionally to stay for a short time, not as long as she does now, and Sister Xingxiu had not come yet.

How come even the gifts for the two of them were prepared in advance? They must have exchanged letters. It's really weird that the third brother told the master everything...

……

After Jia Cong distributed the gifts, it was getting dark and the sisters dispersed. Yingchun took the gifts from Lady Jia and Wang Xifeng away, preparing to deliver them to the West Mansion in person the next day.

Jia Cong moved his gifts back to the study, and from his newly made gown, he took out two letters with beautiful handwriting. They were the handwritten letters from Keqing and Hongxiu.

In the letters, each of them expressed their feelings after separation and talked about many daily trivial matters in Jinling.

The two mentioned the matter of Xinchunhao and the recent turmoil in the Zhen family in Nanjing in their letters, which attracted Jia Cong's attention.

Since October last year, Zhen Fangqing, the person in charge of the Zhen family's business, has been far away in the capital to mourn for the old Concubine Zhen, but this has not affected the operation of the Zhen family's business.

As for the reason, Jia Cong could probably guess that when Zhen Fangqing came to Shenjing, he brought a lot of capable people with him to send messages and remotely control the business in Nanjing.

Jia Cong had met Liu Xian, the steward of the outer courtyard of the second branch of the Zhen family, several times. He was an extremely shrewd and capable man, and also Zhen Fangqing's most trusted confidant.

It is said that Liu Xian was the right-hand man of the Second Master Zhen and was loyal to the Second Branch of the Zhen Family...

With a figure like Liu Xian in charge of Jinling, the Zhen family's business will naturally not have any problems.

Since the end of last year, all kinds of construction goods of Xinchun have been shipped to southeastern coastal countries through the fleet of the second branch of the Zhen family and dumped, making considerable profits.

Afterwards, Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing increased their efforts in exporting goods, and even mobilized a large amount of goods from the Liaodong branch to Jinling and sold them overseas through the sea fleet.

In mid-April, the Zhenjia Shipping Company sent three Xinchun ships carrying cargo out to sea.

A few days later, the situation in the city changed suddenly. Because Zhen Shiwen was involved in the private manufacture of firearms, the Jinling Jinyiwei entered the Zhen family mansion and searched it on the pretext of investigating an old case, and sealed off many of the Zhen family's shops.

However, the Zhen family was not convicted. The old Concubine Zhen had just passed away, and the Zhen family's influence was still there. The Jinyiwei's way of doing things was still limited by the law, and the spread of the incident did not involve the Zhen family's fleet.

Perhaps the Jinyiwei were not familiar with traveling business, and their attention was focused on the Zhen family shop that privately stored fine iron, and they ignored the existence of the fleet.

A few days after the incident, the five ships of the Zhen family that were docked at the port left the port of Jinling and went to the open sea to do business.

Since the ship had all the necessary documents to sail out to sea, the Jinling Maritime Customs would not stop it...

At the beginning of May, a tsunami storm occurred in the southeast sea, and many ships sank on reefs. The Zhen family’s ship that went out to sea has never been heard from since.

Wang Dequan, who was escorting the Xinchun's cargo, also lost contact...

Jia Cong felt extremely heavy-hearted when he read the letter. Wang Dequan was one of the five orphans raised by Qu Hongxiu.

Jia Cong knew these teenagers well and they were as close as brothers. Now that Wang Dequan's life or death is unknown, Jia Cong is very worried.

But when he carefully thought about the whole thing, he always felt that there was something fishy going on.

The Zhen family mansion was searched by the Imperial Guards, and their shops were sealed off by the police. At this moment, the remaining ships of the Zhen family fleet left the port at the same time and have not been heard from since. How could this be such a coincidence?
He thought of how Emperor Jiazhao had personally visited the firearms workshop and, after watching the breech-loading rifle drill, had been greatly pleased.

At that time, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding proposed that the theft of the improved Rumi gun in Liaodong had led to the private manufacture of firearms in Nanjing. Now that the breech-loading rifle had been successfully manufactured, we should take precautions against it.

He still clearly remembered the murderous look in Emperor Jia Zhao's eyes at that time. The Zhen family of Jinling was destined to be involved in the storm...

At this time, Jia Cong thought of Zhen Fangqing who was guarding the imperial tomb on the outskirts of the city. When he learned that Wang Dequan's whereabouts were unknown, he thought of asking Zhen Fangqing.

However, with the successful manufacture of the breech-loading rifle, the case of the private manufacture of muskets in Nanjing was reopened. Emperor Jiazhao's intention to set an example was obvious, and the Zhen family had been caught in the whirlpool.

At this time, he was entrusted with the important task of building a breech-loading rifle. Could he hide it from the eyes of the palace by going to the imperial mausoleum to visit Zhen Fangqing openly?

If the Zhen family's ship really went out to sea to avoid disaster and just to preserve the Zhen family's resources, Wang Dequan's life would definitely be safe...

Jia Cong read the two letters several times, sorted out his thoughts, and dispelled the urge to act rashly.

Now that the palace examination is about to be announced, the great ceremony of the country's talents is attracting much attention and is about to reach its climax. Even if there are unusual movements in the palace, they will temporarily cease.

Moreover, the old Concubine Zhen is still in the half-year mourning period. Even if Emperor Jiazhao wants to take action, he will be concerned about Emperor Yongan's face and slow down a bit. (End of this chapter)