Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

In the eastern suburbs of Shenjing, the sun is shining brightly, with green trees and lush grass on both sides of the road.

Jia Cong's carriage followed the Zhen family's carriage and went less than half a mile away.

I saw an open space beside the official road ahead, with three carriages parked there, and five or six nimble guards patrolling around on horseback.

In front of the carriage in the middle stood a slender girl. Jia Cong recognized her as Zhen Fangqing's maid Bei'er.

When Bei'er saw Jia Cong getting off the carriage, she waved to him with a smile and said, "Master Cong, our girl is waiting for you in the carriage."

Jia Cong followed Bei'er to the front of the carriage, gently lifted the curtain, and saw Zhen Fangqing sitting in the carriage, looking at him with a smile.

Jia Cong saw that the interior of the carriage was clean and elegant. There was a small couch on each side of the carriage, with gauze pillows and thin blankets stacked on them, and a carved red lacquered wooden box at the end of each couch.

There was a rag doll placed next to a small couch pillow, looking very cute; there were several books and two scrolls placed next to another small couch pillow.

There are also several pottery vases inlaid on the walls on both sides of the car, with unknown wild flowers in them. They are colorful, fragrant and quite wild.

Jia Cong could probably guess that this carriage must be the living residence of Zhen Fangqing and her maid Bei'er.

Between the two small couches, there was an elm desk, with two futons on one side of the desk.

On the table were several plates of exquisite side dishes and dried fruits, a wine pot, and two silver-gilt porcelain cups.

Zhen Fangqing smiled and said, "Originally, when I returned to Jinling, according to the etiquette of the noble family, I should go to the mansion to say goodbye to the old lady and say goodbye to the sisters in the mansion.

It's just that my cousin is involved in an old case of privately manufacturing firearms and is currently being searched and investigated by the Embroidered Uniform Guards. The Zhen family is already a suspect, and Yuzhang was the one who first initiated the use of firearms.

I thought that if I walked around at this time, it would inevitably cause a lot of trouble, so I had to apologize. Please don't take it as an offense, Yuzhang."

Jia Cong said: "Miss Zhen, don't worry about it. There are many things going on right now. You are in a hurry to return to the south. It must be something important. There is no need to be too polite.

When I came here, my second sister and other sisters asked me to bring some household items to you as a farewell gift.

Zhen Fangqing smiled and said, "Thank you in advance. Please go back and say hello to Sister Yingchun and the others for me.

Sometimes I really envy the sisters in your family. The Jia family is from a noble family, and their ancestors were all heroes in the world, who had made great contributions to expanding the territory and assisting the country.

Now the Jia family has a successor, with a son like you to establish a family, and your sisters have a brother like you to protect and look after them, and keep them out of the wind and rain.

It is a rare blessing for them to be able to live a peaceful and stable life as girls, and it makes people yearn for it and feel happy just thinking about it.

When it comes to the prosperity of future generations, the Zhen family is far inferior to the Jia family. By my generation, it has been much neglected.

The eldest wife had two outstanding sisters. Although they both married into wealthy families and had noble status, their homes were ultimately far away from their hometowns.

Originally, Shiwen, the cousin of the eldest wife, was intelligent, but he was impetuous and eager for quick success. He got involved in the private manufacture of firearms and died in an unclear manner.

The fourth brother of the eldest wife, Baoyu, is a handsome man, but he has been spoiled by the old lady since he was a child. He only likes to spend his days in the inner house and hates official career and economic affairs. "

When Jia Cong heard Zhen Fangqing talking about Zhen Baoyu, he couldn't help but think of Jia Baoyu. He felt strange. The two of them really were of the same kind...

Zhen Fangqing saw Jia Cong's strange expression and seemed to know what he was thinking. She smiled and said, "I heard that your Baoyu is also in the same situation. It's interesting to think about it."

……

Zhen Fangqing added: "Compared to the large number of people in the first branch, we only have one daughter, me.

But my father didn’t have too many gender biases, and he had high expectations for me since I was young. When I was five years old, I was sent to the palace for education…”

When Jia Cong heard Zhen Fangqing talking about his father, he thought of the time when he was in Jinling and Xu Qinnan had investigated Zhen Yingquan's background.

This Master Zhen Er was a natural genius in business. He had long seen the trend of the imperial court to expand its naval administration in the southeast.

In order to promote the future business of the Zhen family, he took a fancy to Du Hengxin, whose official career was bleak at the time, and used the gold and silver of the Zhen family, as well as the connections of his in-laws, the Prince of Beijing's Mansion.

Du Hengxin was promoted from a centurion in the Wei army to a captain in the Jinling Wei Water Inspectorate, which provided great help to the Zhen family's maritime trade business.

Thanks to Zhen Yingquan's secret support, Du Hengxin's career took off and he was promoted to the second-rank commander of Jinling.

With the joint efforts of Zhen Yingquan, Du Hengxin and other officials and businessmen, the Zhen family became one of the most wealthy families in Jiangnan in less than ten years.

Whether in terms of foresight, talent, or courage, this Master Zhen Er is an extremely powerful person.

Although Zhen Fangqing is young, Jia Cong has seen her strategies and tactics when he was in Jinling, and she has many of her father's styles.

When Jia Cong saw Zhen Fangqing leaving, he smiled beautifully and looked happy. He only mentioned the hidden dangers and misfortunes in the family in a passing word and only talked about trivial matters.

Moreover, although Zhen Shiwen was the one who caused the Zhen family's involvement in the private manufacture of firearms, now it is Emperor Jia Zhao who is making plans to deter evil and take advantage of the situation.

Even though Jia Cong and Zhen Fangqing were both people of outstanding talent and intelligence, to think that they could reverse the power of heaven by their own strength was nothing but the childish fantasy of shallow and ignorant people.

However, many things cannot change the overall situation, but we can try to avoid its edge.

When Jia Cong thought of the missing fleet of the Zhen family and the end of Zhen Fangqing's mourning period, he immediately rushed back to Jinling, and he could probably guess the reason.

Zhen Fangqing didn't want to talk about this matter any more, perhaps because she didn't want him to be involved...

The sadness and heaviness that Jia Cong had been feeling due to the impending separation seemed to be slowly easing.

Zhen Fangqing talked about trivial matters at home with great interest and eloquence, which also aroused Jia Cong's interest in talking, and he told some interesting stories from his childhood.

In this small carriage, both of them were leaders of aristocratic families, but at this moment they had a tacit understanding that they would not talk about their family's fortunes or misfortunes, or discuss power disputes.

Originally, they should have been filled with sadness of parting, but because of these lively and peaceful topics about family and children, the atmosphere became extremely joyful, and both of them were immersed in it unconsciously.

……

There was a pot of fine wine on the table. As the two chatted and laughed, they toasted each other and had already drunk most of it.

Zhen Fangqing's pretty face flushed, and she said with a smile: "Yu Zhang, do you know the origin of my name Fang Qing?"

Jia Cong noticed that the topics of conversation were becoming more and more casual and interesting, and the atmosphere of sadness at farewell seemed to have disappeared long ago.

He smiled and said, "I'd like to hear more details."

Zhen Fangqing said: "Our Zhen family mansion faces north and south, and there is a winding waterside pavilion, which is brought in from the river in the city.

Our second house was built next to the waterside pavilion, and both sides of the pavilion were planted with willow trees. I heard that they have been planted for seventy or eighty years.

When my father was young, he was also determined to take the imperial examination. He passed the examination and became a scholar when he was less than 20 years old. But later, for some unknown reason, he changed his mind and devoted himself to business.

My father often told me that when he was young, he often read under the shade of willow trees in the waterside pavilion of the old house. Every mid-spring, the grass and trees were green, the willow catkins were fragrant, and the scenery was pleasant.

That was the happiest and most carefree time of his life, and he never forgot it. Later he named me Fang Qing. "

Zhen Fangqing was talking and laughing, looking out the window casually, noticing that the light was gradually getting darker. The two of them were in high spirits talking, and the remaining wine had been finished, and time had passed quickly without them noticing.

Her cheerful mood just now suddenly became a little gloomy.

Her voice was a little low, and she said: “Yu Zhang, although we often met when we were in Jinling, we rarely talked like today.

I really wish we could be like today often, but this time I returned to Jinling, and the north and the south are thousands of miles apart.

The fortunes and misfortunes of each of our families are unpredictable, and I'm afraid it will be difficult to meet again in the future, let alone have a heart-to-heart talk like we are now.

These days I have been wondering what would happen to the two of us now if your master had not passed away.

I don’t know what you would think if this were true, but I would definitely feel very proud.”

Zhen Fangqing's voice trembled slightly when she finished speaking. Even though she was extremely intelligent, bold and decisive, she couldn't help but feel nervous when she suddenly revealed the truth.

After hearing this, Jia Cong was slightly shocked. He turned to look at Zhen Fangqing and saw that her pretty face was flushed. The cup was empty and the pot was dry. It seemed that she couldn't handle the alcohol. It seemed that she was not...

"I know you are a capable and competent person, but people like you don't want others to decide your affairs.

The old concubine loved me very much and wanted to find a good home for me before she died, and wanted to find some help for the Zhen family.

But no one asked you if you were willing. I think we have too little time, so little chance to talk to our heart's content.

I often think about when I was accompanying the old empress dowager in the palace, and you and I were both in the capital, you were a pearl covered in dust and neglected.

If I had known you at that time, don’t you think it would have been great? We have similar personalities and interests, so we would have a lot to talk about and would have been very good friends.

But the world is ever-changing, there are hundreds of different people, different circumstances, different fates, how can everything go as one wishes, deep love and shallow fate, it is fate, don't ask the heavens. "

Jia Cong couldn't help but tremble slightly when he heard her low and lingering words, which were full of reverie and regret, and revealed her infatuation of wanting to say something but not being able to.

These words of hers did not seem to be spoken to Jia Cong, but rather to herself, asking herself...

When Jia Cong saw her suddenly reveal her true feelings, he was a little dazed for a moment and his emotions were in turmoil.

Suddenly he felt something soft and smooth in his hand, and his palm was gently held by Zhen Fangqing. He couldn't help but clasp his five fingers together and hold his hand tightly, as if he was reluctant to let go.

Zhen Fangqing's words rang in my ears: "Yu Zhang, everyone says that old age is as fresh as new, and love is as old as old. I don't know which one we are.

In the future, the north and the south will be separated, the world will be difficult, and the family will change. Even if we can't bear to see each other, it is not anyone's fault. It's just the will of heaven.

Just remember to think of me no matter where you are..."

...On the official road heading south, a red sun gradually sets in the west. The ancient road in early summer and the withered and flourishing grass are all reflected in a fiery red.

Jia Cong stood beside his carriage, looking at the four carriages connected end to end on the official road heading south. They were slowly moving away until they disappeared at the end of the sky.

In the carriage, Zhen Fangqing's pretty face was blushing, her left hand gently rubbing her right palm, her bright eyes were graceful, making her even more beautiful.

The slender hand, as soft and white as jade, had several clearly visible finger marks, which were extremely eye-catching against the delicate skin of the girl.

Zhen Fangqing stroked the finger marks and couldn't help but smile, thinking that he had just held it too tightly and even left a fingerprint...

Although the fingerprints only left on her hand, they seemed to be imprinted in her heart and would probably be difficult to erase.

The maid Bei'er saw that her daughter's face was red and her expression was a little strange.

Curiously asked, "Miss, what private conversation did you have with Master Cong San? You stayed in the carriage for a long time."

Zhen Fangqing's pretty face seemed to get redder, but she didn't blame the little maid for nagging.

Smiling, she said, "We talked about many things that we had never said before. Even if it's hard for us to meet in the future, we can still think of each other often, and miss each other a lot more..."

……

After Jia Cong saw Zhen Fangqing off, it was already night when he returned home.

When Yingchun, Daiyu, Tanchun and other sisters heard the news, they felt a little strange. They didn't expect that he would spend most of the day to see her off.

But they thought that he and Zhen Fangqing had been engaged after all, and although the marriage failed, the bond between the two had been established.

Everyone can see that Miss Zhen, an outstanding person, is very attentive to Jia Cong.

Now that the two were about to part for a long time, they had so much to say that it took them half a day to finish talking.

When the sisters saw this situation, they couldn't help but whisper to each other and speculate in their hearts. They originally thought that Miss Zhen was sincere, but now it seems that she is not just one-sided.

As the eldest sister, Yingchun has always paid more attention to her brothers' marriages than others.

He thought that although Miss Zhen was a good girl, she was not destined to be with his brother.

Now the two of them are thousands of miles apart, and it is impossible for them to visit each other easily unless it is something extremely important. No matter how passionate the feelings are, they will cool down.

Over the next two days, Daiyu discovered that her third brother seemed to be in a low mood, not knowing whether she was being overly suspicious or not.
Although she felt a little sour, she never mentioned the reason and often found topics to coax him to forget his worries.

……

Without mentioning the love affairs at home, as the ten-day holiday for the newly-appointed Jinshi is coming to an end, new people and new atmosphere appear in all the major government offices in the capital city.

The Ministry of Personnel has sorted out and determined the assignments for the three hundred new Jinshi to observe government affairs.

In the past few days, a number of newly-appointed Jinshi have been overjoyed as they have received notices from the Ministry of Personnel, designating the departments where they will observe government affairs.

In the same year, they also drank and interacted more often, talking and joking about each other's future and wishing each other well on the starting point of their upcoming official careers.

But there were some unexpected things...

As the most prestigious and prestigious person among the successful candidates of this year's imperial examination, Jia Cong naturally attracted the attention of many successful candidates of the same year.
Among them, those with more clever minds knew that Jia Cong was not only a man of outstanding literary talent, but also the pioneer of firearms in the Great Zhou Dynasty. Because of his outstanding talent in firearms, he was highly regarded by the current emperor.

If they could enter the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Industry to observe government affairs, with the help of this superior who is of the same age, their careers would be much more successful with half the effort.

Not to mention the rumors that the current emperor relies heavily on the Firearms Department and often visits the Firearms Workshop in person. I might even be in his sight...

Anyone who can make it to the list of Jinshi has extraordinary thoughts, and there are quite a few new Jinshi who have such thoughts.

Therefore, these days the Ministry of Personnel often receives letters from new scholars requesting to enter the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works to observe government affairs and serve the firearms industry of the Great Zhou.

It has never been a rare thing for scholars to volunteer to observe government affairs, and various government offices also need talented personnel to supplement their offices, so it was originally a two-way choice.

As usual, the Ministry of Personnel reported the matter to Jia Cong and asked him to decide on the selection of the Jinshi candidates.

After Jia Cong learned about this, he did not hesitate at all and refused the request on the grounds that the Ministry of Works had enough private personnel in the firearms department and there was no need for him to enter the department to observe government affairs.

The Ministry of Personnel naturally did not care about this matter, as it was just a routine matter, but many new scholars who had such thoughts were inevitably very disappointed.

The reason why Jia Cong flatly refused this matter was because of the unusual situation that the Firearms Bureau was facing at the moment.

Although few outsiders know about it, the firearms workshop is now producing new muskets that are far more powerful than the improved Rumi gun.

However, Emperor Jiazhao personally visited the firearms workshop, and a large number of construction materials were transported in and out. A large number of imperial guards were also stationed around the firearms workshop to guard it.

These things cannot be concealed from anyone, and now the firearms workshop has once again become the focus of attention of the government and the public.

Emperor Jiazhao was extremely concerned about the construction of breech-loading rifles. In order to prevent future troubles and avoid further coveting, he even stepped up the investigation of old cases in Nanjing to serve as a warning to others.

Besides, Jia Cong would not be naive enough to think that the newly-appointed Jinshi were noble and honorable, and were all upright and magnanimous people without any evil desires.

No one could tell for sure what the different thoughts were among those students who volunteered to serve in the Ministry of Personnel...

In such a turbulent situation, the introduction of new personnel and affairs to the Firearms Department would bring unpredictable risks, so it is better to have less trouble than more.

……

Other Jinshi talked about observing government affairs with great interest and were full of longing.

There were only three people in the first class, and there were no expected surprises like ordinary Jinshi.

Because after the ceremony of announcing the selection of candidates for the imperial examination, the three of them had already determined their future destinations and would enter the Hanlin Academy, a place that all scholars aspired to serve as officials.

For the top scholar Zhang Wenxu and the third place scholar Chen Qirui, the Hanlin Academy is a monument to their achievements and a glorious starting point for their official careers, which makes them feel infinitely proud.

But Jia Cong did not have such a strong feeling. For him, the Hanlin Academy was just another place to go to the government office...

It was not until the three of them arrived at the Hanlin Academy for the first time to take up their duties that they discovered that this place, admired by scholars all over the world, also had many strange features that they had not known before.

In the past, the top three people in the imperial examinations were always eye-catching characters when attending most occasions, and their brilliance was self-evident.

But once you enter the Hanlin Academy, the outside market conditions will not apply here.

Because every spring examination, the top three would be designated to enter the Hanlin Academy to train as officials.

Therefore, in such a noble place, the top two candidates in the imperial examination who were praised as the descendant of the literary music outside were like crucian carp crossing the river here, like worthless common goods...

In the Hanlin Academy, where literary elites gather, there is a rule that if you don't have a top scholar, second place, or third place in the imperial examination, you are superior to others and should be especially respected.

Here, the newly-minted Jinshi were the least noticeable. It was common for a senior seventh-rank Hanlin reviewer to order the sixth-rank newly-minted top scholar around, and it was not surprising to others.

Therefore, when the top scorer Zhang Wenxu and the third place winner Chen Qirui first joined the Hanlin Academy, their dazzling halo in the imperial examination faded away and they soon became like everyone else.

Although this made them feel somewhat lost, it was a common occurrence in the Hanlin Academy and they could only try their best to adapt to it.

It was just that Zhang Wenxu and Chen Qirui, under the guidance of the seventh-rank Hanlin reviewer, took on the most basic, tedious and simplest Hanlin clerical work and were so busy that they had no time to rest.

Jia Cong, the runner-up in the imperial examination, had a completely different situation.

On his first day in the Hanlin Academy, no one would be so short-sighted as to yell at him.

He was quickly invited to his official residence, and Hanlin scholar Ge Hongzheng took time out of his busy schedule to summon the main officials of the Hanlin Academy and introduce them to him.

The reason why Ge Hongzheng valued Jia Cong so much was also due to a long-standing reason.

But when Jia Cong took the provincial examination that year, he wrote the essay on the scholar's lack of moral integrity. The words about the scholar's determination in the essay have become a true method for scholars to set their goals in their studies.

At that time, Ge Hongzheng read this provincial examination essay and was extremely impressed. He was deeply impressed by Jia Cong's extraordinary talent and petitioned the court to allow Jia Cong to join the Hanlin Academy as a seventh-rank librarian.

Because Emperor Jiazhao had some reservations at that time, he rejected Ge Hongzheng's request. Otherwise, the Hanlin Academy would have had another teenage Juren Hanlin, which would have been very shocking.

Now that Jia Cong has truly achieved his goal and finally entered the Imperial Academy, Ge Hongzheng, full of learning and integrity, feels that he had a keen eye for talent, and naturally he admires Jia Cong even more.

None of the Hanlin officials who came to pay their respects dared to look down on the fifteen-year-old Hanlin scholar.

Not only because Jia Cong is a fifth-rank Hanlin scholar and their official superior.

Moreover, the position of Hanlin scholar is just one of Jia Cong's identities.

All the Hanlin officials knew very well how glorious the background and reputation of the young Shangguan were, so they naturally treated him with great respect.

Jia Cong showed up in the Hanlin Academy every day, only to handle some nominal official business, and then went to the firearms workshop on the outskirts of the city to take charge.

This was also something that the current Emperor Jiazhao tacitly approved, so Ge ​​Hongzheng naturally let him do as he pleased.

Therefore, Jia Cong did not spend much time in the Hanlin Academy, but even so, he often met his two classmates.

Whenever Zhang Wenxu and Chen Qirui met Jia Cong, they would bow to him and call him "Sir" according to official etiquette.

Chen Qirui was so calm about this that he was even a little complacent. He seemed to feel honored that the Deputy Minister of the Hanlin Academy was his classmate and fellow student.

Although Zhang Wenxu behaved very respectfully, his eyes were inevitably a little shy. As for whether there were thousands of horses running through his mind, only he knew it... (End of this chapter)