Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 661: Strict Methods to Strengthen One’s Mind

Shenjing, Hongde Gate.

Perhaps few Jinshi would pay as much attention to the ceremony of announcing the successes and praising officials in the Imperial Street as Jia Cong did. All the three hundred Jinshi were honored, except Lin Zhaohe, who was ranked third on the list.

The imperial street parade started from the Imperial Palace, passed through the Great Zhou Imperial Examination Hall, followed the central axis of the capital, passed Hanzheng Street, passed through Hongde Gate, and finally stopped at the Ministry of Rites.

When the three hundred scholars passed through Hongde Gate, no one noticed that among the crowd of people watching at the gate, a sliding pole was parked against the base of the city wall.

Lin Zhaohe, who was sitting on the slide, glanced at the team of Jinshi who were boasting their achievements, as well as the three first-class Jinshi who were riding horses. Finally, his gaze became calm and focused, and he looked at Jia Cong, who was the most handsome among the three.

After just a few glances, he turned his head and focused his attention on the bustling crowd entering and leaving the city gate. It seemed that the glorious honor of being a Jinshi had nothing to do with him and he was just an outsider.

He was once very successful and won the title of Jieyuan in the prosperous imperial examination area of ​​Jiangnan.

Together with his best friends and classmates, he went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, full of ambition and even the ambition to win the first place in the world.

But the sudden major case of cheating in the imperial examination completely implicated him, and it was difficult to distinguish the good from the bad.

The inhuman torture on the rack, the excruciating pain of knocking out his marrow and scraping his bones, and Wu Liang's tragic suicide out of anger seemed to have changed his mind forever.

The passion of youth and the longing for a career and fame were like a red-hot iron in a torture chamber, which was tempered by the bone-chilling well water and solidified into an unusually hard and cold state.

Now, for him, the glory and illusion of the Grand Ceremony of Announcing the Imperial Examination and the Imperial Street Praising Officials no longer have much meaning.

He was proud of his talent and thought that even if he could not rank in the first class, he could at least be in the top of the second class. However, in the end, his reputation was tarnished and he could only rank last in the second class.

But he was not too depressed about this. Compared with Wu Liang's tragedy, he was lucky enough.

Even if his reputation was damaged, he was still on the list in the end, and he became a Jinshi, which started his official career. That was enough. There was a long way to go, and everything depended on human effort!

He thought of Jia Cong, who had helped him. He was already a world-famous figure before the imperial examination, and he won the first place in the imperial examination, and was a top candidate that the world was paying attention to.

But he eventually finished second to Zhang Wenxu of Qingzhou. Ultimately, it was just because of his lack of fame.

He lost the glory of the imperial examination and became a second-class rank who was mediocre among the crowd. Instead of being skinned and torn apart, he was reborn.

No one cares, the world is vast, career is determined by one's heart, achievements are in the mainstream, there is no more scruples and entanglements...

……

At this time, the team of officials parading in the Imperial Street passed through Hongde Gate and headed towards the Ministry of Rites. The three hundred Jinshi scholars were dressed in neat and solemn ceremonial robes with their sleeves fluttering, looking indescribably solemn and proud.

But all this splendor and glory were getting further and further away from Lin Zhaohe and no longer mattered to him.

Yesterday, he wrote a letter to the Ministry of Rites requesting to resign from the Ceremony of Imperial Nobles and the Banquet of Honor to be held at the Ministry of Rites as per custom, citing his injuries as not having healed yet and difficulty walking.

Perhaps when he left the Magistrates' Court alive and was carried out of the Dali Temple after being cleared of his injustice, he was no longer the original Lin Zhaohe...

……

The sunlight from the top of the city wall shone directly on Lin Zhaohe, making him feel unusually warm and comfortable. He slightly stretched his stiff waist due to injury and saw three carriages, one after the other, entering Hongde Gate one after another.

The style of the carriage in front was familiar. It belonged to his family. The young and strong men escorting the carriage were also trusted farmhands of the Lin family.

One of the young men saw Lin Zhaohe and hurried forward to greet him, "Sir, we finally met you. Madam and Mrs. Wu are in the car."

At this time, a young woman got off the carriage in front. When she saw Lin Zhaohe on the slide, she looked mixed with sadness and joy, and walked quickly up to him.

With tears in her eyes, she gently grasped Lin Zhaohe's hand and asked, "Husband, what's wrong with you?"

Lin Zhaohe smiled and said, "Don't worry, they are just flesh wounds, they will be fine after a period of rest, and the matter will be over.

Fortunately, this misfortune was turned out to be a blessing in disguise. The imperial court has cleared my name, and my name was ranked second in the results yesterday. My years of hard study have finally paid off.

Yanniang, you have come a long way, you must have worked hard, but I have my cousin to take care of me, you really shouldn't be so tired."

The woman said, "You and I are husband and wife, and my husband has encountered such a big incident in the capital, how can I stay at home? Besides, my cousin is determined to come, and no matter how I persuade her, it's useless."

Lin Zhaohe sighed, "Is my sister-in-law okay?"

The woman said, "I couldn't eat or sleep well during the journey, and cried almost every day. I was always worried. Fortunately, I didn't get sick, otherwise I wouldn't know what to do after traveling so far."

Lin Zhaohe sighed, "When he was in prison, Yiwen was forced by cruel officials. He didn't want to testify against me. He was desperate and committed suicide in anger. My life was given by Yiwen. I will support his wife and children forever."

The woman said, "Of course, I will help you with this matter. When my cousin and I went out, the children were taken home and someone was arranged to take good care of them. You can rest assured, my husband."

She took out two letters from her bag and said, "Before I left, Master Chen from the academy sent me two letters. One is for my husband, and the other is for my husband to pass on to an old friend in Beijing."

Lin Zhaohe's expression froze slightly, and he suddenly remembered that Wu Liang had told him that his teacher and Xu Liangxiong, the left vice minister of the Ministry of Works, were old friends. It was because of this relationship that Wu Liang was able to pay a visit to Xu Liangxiong and eventually got into trouble.

Lin Zhaohe sighed in his heart. Wu Liang was also one of his teacher's most proud students. Because of his recommendation, Wu Liang ended up in prison by mistake and suffered misfortune. The teacher must have felt guilty about this.

……

Yanniang asked, "My husband, Master Chen has always been teaching in Hangzhou. My husband and Yiwen have been taught by him since childhood. Hangzhou is thousands of miles away from the capital, so how come Master Chen has old friends here?"

Lin Zhaohe said: "Teacher was an official in Beijing more than ten years ago. Later, for some reason, he resigned and returned to his hometown to teach. He rarely mentioned this to others, so not many people know about it.

Now, only a dozen years have passed, and it is not surprising that the teacher still has old friends and colleagues in Shenjing."

Lin Zhaohe opened the letter written to him and read it quickly.

After finishing reading the letter, Lin Zhaohe was surprised. Looking at the other tightly mounted letter and the four words "Xuan Yu Personally Written" on the envelope, his expression became a little solemn.

Seeing his strange expression, Yanniang asked with concern, "Sir, did the teacher say anything important in the letter?"

Lin Zhaohe calmed himself down and said, "These are all daily matters. However, the Ministry of Rites just announced the golden list yesterday. The Master is thousands of miles away, but he is able to predict the future.

He said that since I had been cleared of the grievances, and with my talent and knowledge, the court would not be stifled by my reputation and would not abandon me, and that I would definitely be included in the list. He asked me not to mind temporary success or failure, and to focus on the affairs of my family and country.

The Master also said that if I could make the list, I could wait in peace in the capital for the Ministry of Rites to select me, and that I should focus on my career and state affairs.

If it is inconvenient for me to return home as an official, he will send two of my classmates from the academy to Beijing to assist with the return of Yiwen's coffin..."

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

After Jia Cong returned home, he took a quick bath and changed his clothes, then went to the outer courtyard of the East Palace, where he received several groups of visiting guests and had some social conversations. After seeing off the visitors, he took the opportunity to return to the inner courtyard to rest for a while.

As soon as he walked near his yard, he saw Xiaohong walking back and forth at the gate.

Ever since Jia Cong appointed Xiaohong as the maid in charge of Rong Xi Tang, he rarely saw Xiaohong because he lived in the East Palace on a daily basis.

She was dressed pretty and exquisitely today, wearing a peach-red stand-up collared thin silk jacket, a dark red satin bodice with crimson patterns, a rose-red long skirt, and a snow-blue floral sweat towel around her waist. She looked smart and neat.

When Xiao Hong saw Jia Cong coming, she showed joy on her face. She stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Congratulations, Third Master, on passing the imperial examination and being appointed as a Hanlin. You are rising step by step and becoming more and more proud."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Xiaohong, I haven't seen you for a long time. How are you? Why did you come here today? Is there something you want to talk to me about?"

Xiaohong was slightly stunned after hearing Jia Cong's words. She felt it was a little strange that he always greeted her in a nice way even though she hadn't seen him for many days.

She was a maid born in the Jia family. She had seen many masters and maids since she was a child. In the past, she worked as a maid for Baoyu, but she had never heard such a warm greeting.

I thought to myself that the Third Master was a jinshi who was admitted to the Imperial Academy. He was full of knowledge and spoke differently from others. I always felt that he was very kind and made me happy...

……

Xiao Hong said in a coquettish voice: "Third Master, Second Master is entertaining guests in Rong Xi Tang. He got the news and knew that Third Master has returned home.

I was asked to come over and tell him that the Third Master is free to entertain guests. Please go to Rongxi Hall to meet your old friends and relatives. There are quite a few people here. "

Jia Cong smiled and said, "We really need to meet them. These people are the Jia family's friends for several lifetimes."

Jia Cong said this without entering the yard, but went straight to the small door of the corridor connecting the east and west mansions. Xiaohong hurriedly followed him.

Jia Cong asked, "Xiaohong, who are the guests at Rongxi Hall?"

Xiao Hong said eloquently: "Many people have come, including Chen Ruiwen, grandson of Duke Chen Yi of Qi, Liu Hong, son of Liu Fang, first-class son of Duke Li, Ma Yan, son of Ma Shang, Duke Zhi, and Liu Xing, son of Liu Xingwen, Marquis of Chengyang.

There is also General Wang, the governor of the Jingying camp of the Jinling Wang family, the old lady’s nephew, the second master Shi, the Marquis of Zhongjing, and Wang Dong, the governor of the Kangshun Palace…”

Jia Cong saw that Xiao Hong's voice was clear and pleasant, and she spoke fluently, and she recited a long list of names in a row. She spoke clearly and fluently, and it was amazing that she had a good memory and could say every word correctly. Jia Cong smiled and said, "What a good girl, with so many guests, it's amazing that you can remember everything and speak clearly. If it were someone else, they would probably speak haltingly."

Xiao Hong was delighted to hear Jia Cong's praise and said, "The Third Master asked me to be a maid in Rong Xi Tang. I have no time to do anything on weekdays, and it's too easy to get the salary this month.

Now that the Third Master's career is booming, Rong Xi Tang is crowded with guests. If I can't even remember the guests, I'm really useless. How can I have the nerve to be the Third Master's maid?"

……

Among Jia Cong's maids, Xiaohong is a little different from the others. She is efficient, quick-witted, articulate, and a bit playful. It is quite interesting for Jia Cong to talk to her.

The two chatted and laughed all the way. When they passed by Rongqing Hall, Jia Cong wanted to go in to pay his respects, because he thought that there must be female guests from various families in the hall today.

Just as he turned the corner, he saw Baoyu kneeling at the entrance of Rongqing Hall from afar. He was surprised and slowed down his pace.

Xiaohong was quick-witted. As soon as she saw Jia Cong's expression, she guessed what he was thinking.

The affairs of Rongqing Hall could never be kept secret in the West Mansion. Baoyu spoke nonsense in the hall today and was reprimanded and punished to kneel by Jia Zheng. The news had already spread throughout the West Mansion.

In addition, many guests and female relatives came to the hall to pay their respects to Grandmother Jia today, and everyone witnessed Baoyu's ugly appearance. It was not a decent thing at all.

Many of the gossipy and snobbish maids and old women in the West Mansion were discussing privately that today was the Lord's wedding day, but Master Bao had ruined his mood and lost face.

What he said about a noble being awarded an official title after passing the imperial examination was all vulgar and that was all bullshit, but I didn't see him being able to be vulgar at all.

Now, Master Bo is the real master of the West Mansion, but Master Bao always hangs out at his cousin's house. Hanging out is fine, but he always causes accidents at other people's houses, which is really a bit indecent...

This kind of gossip has always been the fastest to spread. Today, the West Mansion is crowded with guests, and the maids, old women, and servants in the inner and outer courtyards are moving in and out frequently, so this kind of gossip spreads even faster...

Xiaohong is a lively and clever person. Now she is the head maidservant beside Jia Cong and has the title of manager of Rong Xi Tang. Even if she doesn't ask, someone will pass the news to her.

So she was very clear about the whole thing. Seeing Jia Cong's confused expression, she tiptoed and whispered a few words in his ear, and explained the whole thing clearly...

After hearing the reason, Jia Cong couldn't help but frown and felt a little annoyed.

He turned around and walked towards Rong Xi Tang, saying to Xiao Hong, "I will go to Rong Xi Tang to meet the guests first, and then come back to greet the old lady after I'm done."

Xiaohong was slightly stunned when she heard this. Why didn't the Third Master enter Rongqing Hall? It seemed like he was avoiding the Second Master Bao?
But she was a smart person after all. She took everything about Jia Cong to heart. After thinking about it for a moment, she roughly guessed what Jia Cong was thinking.

It was said that Second Master Bao was framing Third Master in Rongqing Hall today, so Second Master made him kneel in front of the hall as punishment.

As for why the old lady did not stop Master Bao from being punished as she did in the past, Xiaohong was just a maid after all. Although she was smart, her vision and experience were limited, so she naturally could not figure out the reason.

She just felt that what Master Bao said must have violated a big taboo, so the Second Master punished him, and even the old lady did not dare to stop him.

Now that the Third Master is the head of the Jia family, there are things that even the old lady in the mansion cannot do, only the Third Master can do it.

The Third Master must be worried that if he goes to Rongqing Hall, the Old Lady will ask him to plead with the Second Master to avoid having Bao Erye be punished to kneel. The Second Master will definitely agree for the sake of the Third Master.

But the Third Master was obviously unwilling to do so, so he didn't go to Rongqingtang at this moment, so as to avoid being begged by the old lady.

As for why the Third Master was unwilling, it was not simple enough. The Third Master was so capable and had put in so much effort to pass the imperial examination and be awarded the title of Hanlin. It was such a glorious and honorable thing.

But Master Bao was talking nonsense, saying that these were all vulgar things. If that was the case, what else in the world was not vulgar?

Just now, when the Third Master heard what I said, he frowned. He must be angry. I would be angry too and let Baoyu kneel down...

……

Jia Cong brought Xiaohong into Rongxi Hall and saw that guests from various families were already seated in the hall, and Jia Zheng was drinking tea and chatting with everyone.

When they saw Jia Cong coming in, they all stood up to congratulate him and chatted with each other. Jia Cong also asked Xiaohong to take people to change the tea.

Among these visitors, the one with the most special status was Wang Dong, the chief supervisor of Prince Kangshun's palace, because he came to congratulate on behalf of Prince Kangshun.

Among the royal titles of the Great Zhou Dynasty, there are royal titles and titles of different surnames. Except for the first generation’s founding contributions, the former are more honorable than the latter when passed down to their descendants.

Prince Kangshun is the younger brother of the current emperor, and is highly regarded and close to Emperor Jiazhao. Prince Kangshun is not interested in state affairs, stays away from the court and the public, and enjoys calligraphy, painting and literary matters.

Compared with the pretentious Prince Beijing, Prince Kangshun was a serious scholar with a wealth of knowledge and a well-known talent from the royal family. The Nanxi Literary Society he organized enjoyed a very high reputation among the literati in the Great Zhou Dynasty.

Jia Cong and Prince Kangshun also have a close relationship.

At that time, he attracted the attention of King Kangshun because of a couplet written on rough paper. He invited the unknown Jia Cong to participate in the Nanxi Literary Gathering at Shuyun Villa, which became a sensation in the capital.

Jia Cong also gained fame for his poem about plum blossoms at a literary gathering. From being a poor illegitimate son of the Jia family, he began to attract the attention of many people.

It can be said that Jia Cong’s current situation, if traced back to the source, has a lot to do with King Kangshun, and the two have a deep connection.

Therefore, when the chief eunuch of the royal palace came to congratulate him, Jia Cong was very polite. Wang Dong and Jia Cong were old acquaintances and they were very familiar with each other.

He smiled and said, "I first met Lord Weiyuan five years ago. Over the years, Lord Weiyuan has been making great progress and has done outstanding things. It really opened my eyes.

When Uncle was only ten years old, he was invited by the prince to participate in the Nanxi Literary Festival. Looking back now, the prince was very discerning and had a good eye for talent.

The prince was very happy to learn that the uncle was ranked first in the imperial examination, became a Jinshi, and was appointed as a Hanlin, which was the pinnacle of literary talent. He asked our family to bring gifts to congratulate him, which is not a respectful gesture. "

Jia Cong knew that as a royal title, Prince Kangshun had to be more cautious than a prince of a different surname like Shui Rong.

Shui Rong would come to congratulate him in the name of a peer and in the title of a king, but King Kangshun would not act like that.

Over the years, no matter whether Jia Cong was happy about passing the imperial examination or inheriting the title, Prince Kangshun would simply ask the Chief Supervisor Wang Dong to go to the palace to congratulate him on his behalf.

Wang Dong asked his attendant to hand over an ebony brocade box from the eunuch.

He smiled and said, "This is an ancient painting from the Tang Dynasty that the prince got last year. It is an exquisite painting of mountains, rivers and rising sun. It is a rare antique. I give it to Earl Weiyuan to wish him success in the imperial examination."

Jia Cong thanked him quickly and said with a smile, "Mr. Wang, a banquet has been prepared in the outer hall. Please come in and have a chat. Let me toast Mr. Wang with a few cups."

Wang Dong smiled and said, "Thank you for your kindness, Lord Weiyuan. I have duties to perform in the palace and cannot delay you. Please forgive me, Lord Weiyuan."

Jia Cong exchanged a few more polite words before personally escorting Wang Dong out of Rong Xi Tang and saying goodbye to each other.

……

When they returned to the hall, they invited all the guests to leave their seats and entertained them.

When everyone left their seats to attend the banquet, Marquis Zhongjing Shi Ding slowed down by two steps. Jia Cong sensed something and also slowed down his pace unconsciously.

Shi Ding asked with a smile, "Yu Zhang, Xiangyun is a troublemaker in your house. She is so happy to have the Jia sisters as her companions. She has a boisterous and noisy personality. As her brother, you should be more tolerant of her."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Uncle, your words are too polite. The Jia and Shi families are blood relatives. Xiangyun is like my own sister. She is lively and smart, and adds a lot of joy and fun to the family. I wish she could live here forever."

After hearing this, Shi Ding's face was full of smiles, thinking of his niece, who had been pretty and cute since childhood, and had a lively and romantic personality. How could she not be liked?

He had known his aunt and sister-in-law's plans for a long time. Now that he heard that Jia Cong liked Xiangyun, he naturally felt more confident.

After the visitor walked away, they kept a distance from each other and chatted for a while.

Marquis Zhongjing asked, "Yuzhang, how is the progress of the workshop outside the city?"

After hearing this, Jia Cong's heart moved slightly, knowing that Shi Ding's words were obscure and he was talking about the construction of the breech-loading rifle.

On that day, Emperor Jiazhao personally visited the workshop to watch the breech-loading rifle drill. The only people accompanying him were Gu Yankui and Shi Ding, which shows how much the emperor valued these two people.

There must be a reason why Shi Ding suddenly asked about this matter today.

Jia Cong said: "According to the construction quantity determined by the emperor, the new craftsmen and various construction materials required by the workshop are now in place, and the construction has started, and everything is going smoothly.

In another month, the new craftsmen will be skilled, and the construction efficiency will be greatly improved. We should be able to complete the number required by His Majesty before the end of the year."

Shi Ding said: "Your Majesty attaches great importance to this matter. Yu Zhang should know the importance of it and be cautious in everything. There are many evil spirits nowadays, so you must not be careless.

Yu Zhang, do you still remember that when you were selecting the craftsmen, you eliminated two of them. Afterwards, the Jinyiwei interrogated them and found that they had ill intentions, so they were imprisoned. "

Jia Cong was awed and asked, "Have the Jinyiwei found out the reason?"

Marquis Zhongjing said: "Under torture by the Jinyiwei, the two craftsmen confessed that they were bribed heavily to sneak into the workshop and spy on the secrets of firearms..."

(End of this chapter)