Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

The palace city of the Great Zhou Dynasty, Qianyang Palace.

At noon, the imperial city is vast, the sunlight is dazzling, and the palace walls are bright red like fire.

The palaces are stacked up one after another, with a magnificent appearance, auspicious beasts on the eaves, and blue and green colored glaze, shining brightly.

The Qianyang Palace was grand and solemn. Eunuchs holding memorials in their hands and ministers bowing their heads respectfully would frequently enter and exit the hall to listen to the emperor's teachings and convey the messages to heaven.

Every shiny black brick, every vermilion beam and pillar, and every carved railing and jade brick here seem to exude the aura of dominating the world.

In the hall, the scent of burning incense was warm and refreshing. Apart from Emperor Jiazhao who was reviewing memorials, there were only two palace maids attending him. There was no one else and it was completely silent.

At this time, footsteps were heard at the palace gate, and the Deputy Chief Eunuch Guo Lin walked into the hall lightly, holding a few gray-white secret documents in his hands.

He walked to the imperial desk and said, "Your Majesty, the Imperial Chariot Department has submitted a secret letter to you from the Imperial Palace. Please have a look at it."

Emperor Jiazhao was concentrating on reading the memorials in his hand and did not bother to speak. He just pressed his palm slightly. Guo Lin immediately understood and carefully placed several secret letters on the imperial desk.

Just a moment later, Emperor Jiazhao finished reviewing the memorial in his hand and picked up a secret letter.

It recorded anecdotes about Jinshi boasting about their official positions in the Imperial Street, and the attendance of officials from various ministries at the Ministry of Rites' banquet. There was nothing unusual in it, so Emperor Jiazhao just browsed through it casually.

He asked, "Guo Lin, did you hear anything else at the Ministry of Rites' banquet yesterday?"

Guo Lin replied: "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Rites' banquet yesterday was very grand and successful, fully demonstrating Your Majesty's great grace.

Prince Kangshun presided over the banquet on behalf of His Majesty. He was gracious, amiable, and elegant, and his literary talent fully demonstrated the royal demeanor, and was praised by the officials and scholars who attended the banquet. "

Emperor Jia Zhao smiled slightly and said: "Although my eleventh brother is of royal blood, he is a scholar at heart.

He has been immersed in calligraphy, painting and poetry since he was young. In recent years, he has devoted himself to academic research, written books and annotated them, and has made considerable achievements. He is a rare talent in the royal family.

Others thought that the Li royal family only produced military talents and peacemakers, but now that they have an eleventh brother, they know that the royal family is also talented in literature and music. "

Guo Lin knew that among the emperor's brothers, he had the closest relationship with Prince Kangshun, even better than the eldest son Prince Zhongshun.

As for the reason, it was because the emperor's biological mother was of humble status. She was originally a maid in Jingxiu Palace. Because of her outstanding appearance, she was favored by Emperor Yong'an and gave birth to the prince.

Because of his obscure mother, His Majesty holds an ordinary rank among the princes of Emperor Yong'an. He was rather coldly treated in his childhood and was not outstanding in any way, and he had little popularity among his brothers.

At that time, only the young eleventh prince, who was innocent and immersed in literary affairs, had close contacts with the current emperor. The two brothers got along very well and were different from others.

Sixteen years ago, there was a great change in Shenjing. Prince Kangshun was only a ten-year-old boy. Although he was not as devoted to the emperor as Prince Zhongshun, he was still a child who did not understand human affairs, so naturally he was not involved in any of it.

After His Majesty ascended the throne, he remained true to his original intention towards his younger brother. When King Kangshun turned 15, he was conferred the title of king, which showed that he was deeply favored by His Majesty.

Guo Lin smiled and said, "Your Majesty is right. Prince Kangshun is very talented, but it is only because of his status that he is limited. Otherwise, he would have been the top scorer in the imperial examination.

At the banquet, the prince toasted to the three first-class candidates and showed great favor to the runner-up Jia Cong. During the toasts, they talked about the past and were more intimate with each other than with others. "

Emperor Jia Zhao said: "I remember that the eleventh brother seems to have a close relationship with Jia Cong?"

Guo Lin said: "Your Majesty remembers it correctly. When Jia Cong was only ten years old, Prince Kangshun saw his talent and made an exception to invite him to participate in the Nanxi Literary Society.

Jia Cong rose to fame from obscurity because of his poem about plum blossoms at a literary gathering.

It was also at that literary meeting that he met Liu Jing'an, otherwise he would not have had the chance to become Wen Zong's disciple.

If we trace the origins in this way, Prince Kangshun is indeed Jia Cong's destined benefactor."

……

Guo Lin continued, "At the Ministry of Rites' banquet yesterday, Jia Cong was the only one among the 300 Jinshi candidates to be awarded the title of fifth-rank Hanlin lecturer.

He was in the same rank as Hanlin scholar Ge Hongzheng. Whether in the ranks of officials or in the seating arrangements at banquets, he was ranked above the fourth-rank Beijing officials, and was the most prominent among the newly promoted Jinshi.

In the past two days, this scene has been spread as a good story in the market, and now it has become known to everyone.

I think His Majesty only selected him as the second place, if he had been selected as the first place, I am afraid his fame would have become even more extraordinary."

Emperor Jia Zhao hesitated for a moment and said, "Among the scholars of this year's imperial examination, Jia Cong is a special case. Not only in this dynasty, but also in previous dynasties, there has never been such a special case.

He had won three top places in the imperial examinations and two top places in the imperial examinations, and had a glorious career, surpassing his peers. He was also a disciple of Emperor Wenzong, a hereditary nobleman, and his calligraphy and poetry were renowned throughout the world.

He won the first place in this spring's imperial examination. If he failed to get the first place, it would probably make people question this spring's imperial examination more than the cheating case.

But as long as he entered the first class, he would have to be appointed as a Hanlin. As he was a fifth-rank official, he had to break the Hanlin conventions.

Therefore, considering public, private and the overall situation, he is not suitable to be selected as the top scholar.

If I want to bring peace to the vast land of Great Zhou, I must win the hearts and minds of all the scholars in the world. The imperial examination is a tool for governing a country, not for the fame and fortune of one person at a time.

The nobles and the commoners are on the same level, the honest and upright are honest, and no talent is left out; this is the true meaning of selecting talents for the imperial examination.

For all the glory to be bestowed upon one person is definitely not a good sign, nor is it a wise move by a monarch.

Besides, although I did not select Jia Cong as the top scholar, his glory today is even greater than that of Zhang Wenxu, the top scholar in the world, so I have not treated him unfairly."

Guo Lin said quickly: "Others focus on the gains and losses of the moment, but Your Majesty focuses on the general situation of the world, weighing the pros and cons, and understanding people's hearts. This is what a holy monarch does."

……

Emperor Jia Zhao flipped through one of the secret notes, which recorded that two craftsmen were trying to steal secrets. The car department secretly investigated the market, but found nothing for the time being...

Asked: "How is the recent progress of the construction of the firearms workshop?"

Guo Lin said: "Your Majesty, in order to complete the construction tasks ordered by Your Majesty, the workshop has already provided additional craftsmen and firearms supplies.

In accordance with the imperial edict, Jia Cong had to keep the secret of manufacturing new firearms with great caution. All craftsmen in the workshop signed a contract and were not allowed to step out of the workshop before the end of the year.

At present, there are only six officials in charge of the Firearms Department, including Jia Cong, who can go to and from the workshop as usual every day.

Among them, except for the manager Qian Huai who was a juren, the other five were all jinshi from the imperial examinations, and they all had clear backgrounds.

Before these people entered the company, they were all interrogated and screened by Jia Cong, and then they were checked by the Jinyiwei and the Zhongchesi to make sure they were trustworthy. "

Emperor Jiazhao said: "The breech-loading rifle is a national treasure. It is a matter of great importance and nothing can be taken lightly. Do you have any precautions?"

Guo Lin lowered his head and said, "We have spies on a daily basis, keeping an eye on everyone coming in and out. Your Majesty, please rest assured."

Emperor Jia Zhao asked, "Jia Cong passed the imperial examination and was appointed as a Hanlin scholar. The two residences of the Jia family must have been crowded with guests these past two days, right?"

Guo Lin said: "Your Majesty, that is exactly the case. Jia Cong's eldest sister is now in charge of the East Mansion of the Jia family. She is simple and low-key, does not advocate extravagance, and has strict family rules.

The servants used by the East Palace are all old servants of the palace, and the number of servants has not increased or decreased for several years. The Central Vehicle Division has not found any spies for a while..."

Emperor Jia Zhao looked unhappy and angry, and said, "Since we don't have any spies, don't bother with it for now. Jia Cong is good at investigating cases and tracing traces. I'm afraid he is much smarter than your people."

Guo Lin's heart was moved. The emperor really valued Jia Cong. He was worried that the Zhongchesi would plant spies in the East Palace, but would be discovered by the meticulous Jia Cong, which would cause the emperor and his subjects to be wary...

She said, "I obey your order. Although there are no spies in the East Palace, Jia Cong is the co-master of both the East and West Palaces. The two palaces are connected by a small gate, and they travel frequently on a daily basis.

Therefore, it is not difficult to find out about the affairs of the East Palace..."

Guo Lin glanced at Emperor Jiazhao and saw that the emperor had put down the secret letter, picked up the teacup on the imperial desk, and took a sip leisurely.

He seemed to be in a rare leisurely state, as if he was just listening to me casually talking about some random things I had seen and heard...

Guo Lin calmed himself down and continued, "Now, in addition to Jia Cong and Jia Yingchun, several other daughters of the Jia family are also living in the East Mansion.

Among them were several relatives of the Jia family, one of whom was Lin Daiyu, the granddaughter of Lady Jia Shi and the only daughter of Lin Ruhai, the salt transport tycoon of Lianghuai.

The other was Shi Xiangyun, the eldest daughter of the late Shangshu Ling. When Shi Nai, Marquis of Baoling, went to work in the Ministry of War in Nanjing, she lived in the East Mansion of the Jia family.

There is also a niece named Xing Xiuyan, the mother of Jia Cong's biological mother Xing. She was brought back from Jiangnan by Jia Cong and now also lives in the East Palace.

Jia Cong kept a low profile in his daily life. Apart from going to and from the Ministry of Works and the firearms workshop outside the city, he rarely socialized and mostly lived in the East Palace.

Emperor Jia Zhao said calmly: "The Shi family and the Lin family are both related to the Jia family by blood, and they are both official families and ministers in the court. They have much stronger foundations than the Zhen family in Jinling."

After listening to Emperor Jiazhao's words, Guo Lin felt a little awe-inspiring. The Zhen family of Jinling had a very special relationship with the emperor because of the old Concubine Zhen.

The emperor valued Jia Cong's talent in firearms, but the old Concubine Zhen had taken a liking to Jia Cong during her lifetime and did her best to promote the marriage between Jia Cong and Zhen Fangqing.

This marriage goes against the emperor's plan, so he is naturally unhappy.

Ever since the Jinling Zhen family was involved in the illegal manufacture of firearms, various estrangements have accumulated, and the emperor has become increasingly resentful of the Zhen family...

Guo Lin said, "When your Majesty mentioned the Zhen family, I remembered something. Zhen Fangqing was granted by the Grand Emperor to observe mourning for the old Concubine Zhen in the Imperial Mausoleum for half a year. Now the time limit has expired."

This morning she sent a note to the palace, asking to see the Emperor, saying goodbye to her hometown."

Emperor Jiazhao listened to Guo Lin's words but did not respond.

He asked, "Xu Kun has put a lot of effort into the case of the craftsman stealing the secrets of firearms, but there has been no breakthrough so far. Is there any progress from Jinling King Zhangjiang?"

Guo Lin replied: "According to the report from the Jinling Railway Department, Wang Zhangjiang led a team of capable personnel to Quanzhou, Fujian overnight seven days ago.

It is said that Wang Zhangjiang has received relevant secret information and is going to arrest a suspect in an old case of illegal manufacture of firearms, but the distance between the two places is far, and the news has not been delivered yet. "Emperor Jia Zhao's eyes lit up slightly, and he said: "You pass my oral instructions to Xu Kun, the affairs of Shenjing cannot be relaxed, and the old case of illegal manufacture of firearms in Nanjing cannot be allowed to continue.

He was asked to keep a close eye on the movements in Nanjing and send out fast horses and cavalry to spread the news. Once Wang Zhangjiang made any gains, he was to report back to the palace immediately.

Firearms are a military and national priority, a barrier to our country, and should not be coveted by petty scoundrels. However, any acts of disobedience will not be tolerated, to serve as a warning to others!"

……

Shenjing, the imperial mausoleum villa in the east of the city.

The courtyard was bustling with people, and it seemed extremely busy. Liu Xian's family directed the servants to pack all kinds of luggage into boxes and load them onto the carriages.

In the main room of the villa, Zhen Fangqing wore a light blue satin front-opening jacket with floral pattern, a snow-white thin silk cross-collared undershirt, and a beige horse-faced skirt embroidered with broken chrysanthemum petals. She looked bright, delicate, and graceful.

She was holding a beautiful brown-covered volume in her hand, reading silently with great interest, her bright eyes often revealing admiration and joy.

Maid Bei'er was surprised when she saw this and asked, "Miss, Third Master Cong sent you so many gifts, but you didn't even look at them. Why are you only looking at this book? What good things are they?"

Zhen Fangqing smiled and said, "Yu Zhang is so happy to have won the second place in the imperial examination. I asked Aunt Liu to send him a gift to congratulate him and also left him a letter, asking him to write an article by hand so that I can read it.

He then hand-wrote and bound this booklet for me, and indeed, every piece of writing was a masterpiece, and his reputation as the top two in the exam was well-deserved."

Bei Er smiled and said, "Of course, Third Master Cong is now a Hanlin scholar, so the articles he writes are naturally excellent."

On the floor in the middle of the room stood two large black lacquered wooden boxes, filled with various gifts neatly arranged inside.

Brightly colored high-quality tribute satin, exquisite water-polished bronze mirrors with diamond patterns, various high-quality rouge and powder, scented silk handkerchiefs for daughters, and high-quality handkerchiefs with elegant embroidery.

Two boxes of thirty-year-old Liaodong wild ginseng, several top-quality bear furs and sable skins, various new perfumes, perfume soaps, toothpastes, toothbrushes, etc.

Maid Bei'er packed the gifts in the box and said with a smile: "Miss, I didn't expect Third Master Cong to be so thoughtful. Look at the rouge, powder, handkerchief, and handkerchief he gave.

These are all high-quality things for girls. He, a man, actually knows about these things. It shows that he cares about girls very much and thinks of everything for them. "

After hearing what Bei'er said, Zhen Fangqing couldn't help but chuckled and said, "Look at what you said, although Yuzhang is a careful person.

But he is not a playboy, so how could he know so much about his daughter's use of rouge and powder?

Although the gift was sent by Yu Zhang, it must have been prepared by his sister, Miss Yingchun.

Yuzhang is also born to enjoy happiness. Although he has not yet married and started a family, he has such a caring elder sister who helps him think about everything, so he doesn't have to worry about anything."

After hearing this, Bei'er's eyes lit up and she said, "Miss, I have also been to Jia's house twice, and Aunt Liu has been there even more often.

We have all heard that Master Cong's father has passed away, and his stepmother is a widow and does not take care of the affairs. Now Miss Yingchun is the head of the Earl's Mansion.

Master Cong Sanye listens to his sister in everything. The fact that Miss Yingchun prepared such detailed and appropriate etiquette shows that she also likes the girl very much. Isn't this a good thing?

The girl was originally arranged to be married to Master Cong Sanye. If Master Sanye's biological father had not suddenly passed away, the palace would not have withdrawn the marriage out of filial piety.

Now that Third Master Cong has returned from mourning, and the girl has completed six months of mourning for the old empress dowager, now is not the right time. Will the palace bring up the matter of the marriage again?
Even if Third Master Cong still has three years of mourning, as long as the marriage is not granted, it will not violate filial piety. Miss, do you think this makes sense?"

Zhen Fangqing was slightly stunned when he heard this, and said slowly: "It's not that simple. At that time, Yu Zhang's marriage was revoked by the emperor because of his father's death.

Although it is said that it is due to the obstruction of filial piety, the inner reason is just that the palace is taking advantage of the situation. The emperor does not like the marriage between the Jia family and the Zhen family. "

Bei Er looked puzzled and asked, "Miss, you have been raised in the palace by the old concubine since you were a child, and the emperor also likes you very much, otherwise he would not have granted you marriage.

Why doesn't the emperor like the two families to become in-laws? "

Zhen Fangqing said: "The Emperor is the Emperor, the Emperor is the Emperor, some things are not as simple as you think.

Yuzhang is the emperor's most trusted minister. The emperor values ​​his talent in firearms and regards new firearms as a shield for the country.

But the third brother of the first wife was involved in the smuggling and manufacturing of firearms, which violated the emperor's taboo. How could the emperor allow Yu Zhang to be involved with the Zhen family?

There are many obscure reasons for this, which are hard to explain in one sentence.”

Bei Er seemed a little unconvinced and asked, "Miss, you and the Third Master are both unmarried. Even if the palace does not grant the marriage, can't our two families get married?"

Seeing Bei'er's innocent question, Zhen Fangqing smiled bitterly: "Yu Zhang and I are both from aristocratic families. We are both responsible for the honor and disgrace of our family business. How can we treat marriage as a joke?

At such a young age, he has already won the second place in the imperial examination and was appointed as a Hanlin. He is brilliant and has a bright future.

If he really makes a love alliance with me, I'm afraid his promising career will be ruined. It's not easy for him to be where he is today, and I don't want this to happen..."

Bei'er listened to her daughter's final words. Her voice was low and trembling slightly, as if she was filled with indescribable sadness...

……

On the official road leading south to the Imperial Mausoleum Villa, a fast horse was galloping at full speed. The rider stopped the horse suddenly when he reached the gate of the villa.

The knight was a sturdy man in his early twenties. He jumped off the saddle, sweating all over and looking tired, as if he had traveled a long way.

He trotted into the outer courtyard and saw Liu Xian's family directing the servants to move the goods.

She shouted, "Aunt Liu, Manager Liu asked me to deliver an urgent letter from Jinling to Miss Three immediately!"

In the main room of the inner courtyard, Zhen Fangqing read the urgent letter sent by Liu Xian. Her pretty face turned slightly pale and her expression was extremely solemn.

Liu Xianjia asked, "Third Miss, the person who delivered the letter, Wang Hai, is my boss's trusted henchman.

He followed the instructions of the head of the family and delivered the letter day and night, not daring to delay for even a single day.

Third Miss, what on earth did my master say in the letter that made it so serious?"

Zhen Fangqing said: "Auntie should know that after my third brother passed away, I checked the accounts and found that my third brother's manager Chen Xun did something against the rules behind the family's back.

In order to clean up the family business and avoid being implicated by him, his affairs were reported to the authorities and others were imprisoned and interrogated.

But Chen Xun had two sons, one of whom was the manager of Haiyun Pavilion.

The third brother secretly stored Ottoman fine iron in the Haiyun Pavilion warehouse, and it was his son Chen Rong who was in charge.

After Chen Xun was convicted and imprisoned, Chen Rong got the news by chance and fled out of Jinling City secretly.

Therefore, this person was just a manager. He ran away privately. Our Zhen family did not mention it, and the government did not pay attention to this person.

But the new captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Wang Zhangjiang, was an extremely powerful figure. I don't know what means he used to unravel the case and finally came up with the idea of ​​​​being the escaped Chen Rong.

However, after Chen Rong escaped, there was no news of him and the Jinyiwei were unable to capture him.

In fact, selfishly, I hope he will never be caught, because once he is caught, under the torture of the Jinyiwei, there will be nothing he can't say.

By then, the fact that my third brother privately made muskets will most likely be proven, and then our Zhen family will be in great difficulty.

Xianshu said in the letter that after Chen Qian was imprisoned, he was sentenced by the government to exile to Minyue to perform hard labor, but his wife still stayed in Nanjing to make a living.

About six or seven days ago, the Jinyiwei suddenly arrested Chen Xun's wife and put her in Jinyiwei prison.

Afterwards, Wang Zhangjiang brought many Jinyiwei personnel and mobilized the ships of the Jinling Water Inspectorate to sail south overnight.

Uncle Xian spent money to find out through his connections and found out that Wang Zhangjiang's ship went to Quanzhou!
Moreover, Chen Xun's wife is still imprisoned in the Jinyiwei prison, and the circumstances are very strange.

Uncle Xian guessed that the Jinyiwei might have found out the whereabouts of Chen Rong, so they put Chen Rong's wife in jail, most likely by torture and interrogation to get confirmation from Chen Rong's wife.

Wang Zhangjiang, a captain of the Jinyi Guards, had to personally lead his men south, it must be because the matter was of great importance.

He has been investigating the affairs of the Zhen family, and this Chen Rong is the key."

After hearing this, Liu Xianjia's expression changed drastically.

But he added, "Third Miss, these words sound reasonable, but they are just my guess. Could it be that he is being too cautious?"

Zhen Fangqing shook his head and said, "I believe Uncle Xian's guess is correct!

Since Wang Zhangjiang left Jinling, many unfamiliar faces have appeared near the Zhen family mansion.

Uncle Xian guessed that it was a secret agent of the Jinyiwei, who seemed to be keeping an eye on the Zhen family, fearing that someone would escape. This was too unusual. "

After hearing this, Liu Xianjia no longer dared to have any illusions and said anxiously, "Third Miss, what should we do?"

Zhen Fangqing looked gloomy and said, "What is coming will eventually come. As long as Chen Rong is caught, the Jinyiwei will have too many ways to destroy the Zhen family.

I will write a letter right away and ask Uncle Xian to make preparations.

Wang Zhangjiang went to Quanzhou six days ago. Even if he could catch Chen Rong immediately after arriving there, he would still have to take into account the time for interrogation and evidence collection.

It will take at least five days for Shenjing to receive accurate news.

The capital has become a dangerous place, the old empress dowager has passed the mourning period, and it is time for me to go back.

I have sent a note to the palace this morning. I will go to the palace early tomorrow morning to bid farewell to the Emperor. We will set off for return at sunset tomorrow.

There is one more thing. Auntie, please go to the Earl's Mansion and help me deliver a letter to Yuzhang..." (End of this chapter)