Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jinling, Mingdefang, Zhen family mansion, Yuhetang.

Zhen Yingjia walked out of the main house in a daze, while Mrs. Zhen, who was following him, was so frightened that she kept sobbing.

There was a flurry of footsteps everywhere in the inner courtyard. Officers wearing bright armor and carrying swords swarmed into the courtyard and stood guard at the intersections and halls.

The maids, concubines and old women in the inner courtyard hid everywhere, screaming in fear from time to time. Their voices were full of despair and shame and were extremely harsh.

The Zhen family is a prominent family with strict separation between men and women and strict etiquette. The wives and maids of the mistresses in the inner courtyard usually do not see men from other families.

In addition to the family's own descendants, the inner courtyard would occasionally have older relatives and younger brothers come in to pay respects to the elder female members of the Zhen family, but none of them were old enough to dance with the elephants.

It would never be as desolate as it is today. The backyard was crowded with rude and burly soldiers, and the separation of men and women became a joke.

Even though the Jinyiwei entered the Zhen family mansion to search last time, the Zhen family had not yet been convicted, given their family's reputation in Jiangnan and the remaining influence of the old Concubine Zhen.

Even a cold and stern person like Wang Zhangjiang was still cautious about this and took various measures to avoid suspicion in order to avoid criticism from the Jiangnan scholars.

When he entered the inner courtyard to search, he only led six trusted captains in, as well as six female guards recruited from the Yingtian Prefecture.

Before the inner house was searched, the women of the Zhen family were asked to evacuate the area in advance under the supervision of female soldiers. The rules were well-behaved and beyond reproach.

But this time, when the emperor issued the imperial edict to convict, there was no such leniency.

The Zhen family mansion has been established for nearly a hundred years, and such a tragic scene has never occurred before.

Seeing the chaos in the harem, Zhen Yingjia muttered to himself in dismay, "A century-old family has been destroyed in an instant. All the culture has been lost, and the face has been completely destroyed..."

When all places were guarded by Jinyiwei officers, Zhen Yingjia saw two civil servants from the Ministry of Revenue, accompanied by a group of minor clerks and runners, entering the inner courtyard.

These people, holding pens and account books in their hands, entered the houses and halls in the inner courtyard and began to count and record all kinds of items and property.

When he staggered towards Yuhe Hall, he saw several concubines of the same generation as Zhen family, as well as his legitimate son Baoyu, already kneeling in the hall.

This young man, who has the same name as Jia Baoyu, is also fifteen years old. He also hangs around in the inner palace, lives a life of luxury, slanders monks and Taoists, and thinks himself noble.

Now he was trembling with fear, his face was covered with tears, and he looked quite embarrassed...

……

Zhen Yingjia stumbled into the hall and saw Wang Zhangjiang, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, standing in the hall with a yellow satin imperial edict in his hand, his eyes cold and stern.

Standing next to Wang Zhangjiang was a fourth-rank official, the prefect of Yingtian Prefecture, Jia Yucun, who was ridiculed by Mrs. Zhen as a person without any foundation.

Behind the two men stood five captains of the imperial guards. They were tall and strong, holding swords in their hands, with dust on their faces, and looked like they had come from afar.

Wang Zhangjiang saw Zhen Yingjia entering the hall, and without delaying for a moment, he said coldly, "Official Zhen Yingjia, please accept the order!"

Zhen Yingjia quickly knelt down and touched the ground with his head. He heard Wang Zhangjiang's bone-chilling voice coming from above his head.

The Emperor Fengtian Chengyun issued an edict saying that the Zhen family of Jinling is a family of hereditary officials and a wealthy family. They have received the emperor's grace and glory for generations.

However, his family did not appreciate the blessings they had received, did not repay the country's kindness, became arrogant and extravagant, behaved in a disorderly and perverse manner, and thus became rebellious.

The young man was violent, privately owned firearms, and confronted the government with evil intentions. Although he died, his crime is unforgivable.

The offending official, Zhen Yinjia, holds the third rank. He has mediocre moral character, has made no achievements in politics, has no success in managing his family, and has a bad upbringing, making him unworthy of the heavy official rank.

After review and conviction by the three judicial departments, he was dismissed from office according to the law, 70% of his property was confiscated, and he was placed under house arrest. If he committed the crime again, he would be charged with a serious crime and be sent to the imperial envoy.

……

After hearing the imperial edict, Zhen Yingjia couldn't help but tremble all over. He had to force himself to stay awake so as not to faint.

Dismissal from official position and confiscation of property, these two sentences in the imperial edict were like a heavy hammer hitting his chest, leaving him disheartened.

Just now he and his wife were discussing that they would make plans for restoration after the news of the incident had died down.

Because the last time the imperial edict was issued, he was only dismissed from his post for investigation. Even if he was dismissed, he could be reinstated. It was common for one's career to have ups and downs.

That's why Mrs. Zhen brought up Jia Yucun to appease her master.

Because Jia Yucun was a Jinshi who passed the imperial examinations twice, although he was impeached and dismissed from office for laziness and corruption, he was not deposed from office, so he was reinstated.

Zhen Yingjia really didn't expect that this imperial decree would be so severe. He had been dismissed from his post before, and this time he would be stripped of his official status.

This caused him to lose an important foundation, and his career was doomed from then on.

As for the confiscation of property, it was said that 70% was seized, but in reality, the officials took advantage of the seizure and made profits, so the so-called 70% was no more, no less.

The Zhen family lost even the basic wealth and became common people from then on...

……

After Wang Zhangjiang read the imperial edict, Jia Yucun came up and said, "Master Zhen, today the Ministry of Revenue will count your family property, register it, and put it into the public treasury.

All slaves in the Zhen family who were under 40 were sold to the treasury, and those who were over 40 were released and allowed to fend for themselves.

The three generations of the Zhen family, men, women, old and young, will move out of the Zhen family mansion and be sent to the Zhen family farm west of the city for resettlement. They will be guarded by Yingtian Prefecture for three years, and after that period they will be treated like common people. "

As soon as Jia Yucun finished speaking, not only did Zhen Yingjia feel as if she had lost her parents and was ashamed and angry, but there was also the sound of crying from the women behind Yuhe Hall.

These women of the Zhen family who once lived in wealth and luxury in the inner mansion could no longer enjoy dignity and pampering, let alone live with a group of servants. How could they not feel sad and desolate?

A housewife like Mrs. Zhen knows better what kind of place the Zhen family’s farm in the west of the city is.

A large tract of land near the farm was requisitioned by the government to build an official road. The Zhen family relied on their connections with the wealthy families in Jinling to obtain a large sum of compensation from the government.

That small farm was abandoned outside the city from then on. Apart from a few old servants guarding it, no one had been there for many years.

I'm afraid the house there is not even fully furnished, how can it be habitable, not to mention that three generations of the Zhen family have moved there...

……

Wang Zhangjiang and Jia Yucun each read the imperial edict and explained the key points, then leisurely left the Zhen family mansion.

The remaining Jinyiwei captains kept a close watch on the Zhen family mansion. Officials from the government office went in and out of the various houses, and gathered all the slaves and maids together like driving pigs and dogs.

These slaves and maids, who once wore bright clothes, were now part of the Zhen family's confiscated property, and their voices could be heard everywhere, begging and crying.

As soon as Zhen Baoyu heard the imperial envoy leave, he stumbled to his feet and ran to his own house without caring about his parents and family.

When he saw his two beloved maids being pushed and driven away by the government officials, he felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife, and he went up to stop them.

An officer came up and slapped Zhen Baoyu to the ground, saying mockingly, "You are a bunny boy, but you have a house full of pretty girls.

You will definitely be able to get a good price. Now you think you are a rich man and dare to stop the government from doing things. Be careful of your life."

Zhen Baoyu has always been the phoenix of the Zhen family's inner house. He has always been loved by everyone and is the apple of Old Lady Zhen's eye.

He had never experienced such brutality before and was so frightened that he didn't dare to say a word. He just watched the yamen runners drag his maid away.

Mrs. Zhen knew her son's character very well. When she entered the main hall and did not see her son, she knew the reason.

So he brought his trusted concubine from the first wife and followed along. When they saw this scene, they hurriedly helped their son up and stroked his red and swollen face with heartache, but they dared not say a word.

……

At this time, an official from the Ministry of Revenue stepped forward and asked, "Why is the second room empty? Even the valuables are nowhere to be found. If they are deliberately hiding it, you will be charged with an even greater crime!"

When Mrs. Zhen heard that the crime was even more serious, she was like a frightened bird and trembled all over.

The concubine beside her said quickly, "The second wife went to her parents' home in Huizhou to visit her relatives more than ten days ago. It was not intentional to hide it. Your Excellency must not misunderstand."

That minor official from the Ministry of Revenue was in the officialdom and knew something about the background of the second wife. Moreover, the first wife was convicted this time, but the second wife was not guilty, so there was a difference between the primary and the secondary.

Since he left Jinling more than ten days ago, long before the imperial edict was issued, it cannot be considered as intentional perversion of the law.

When the time comes, let the government office or the Embroidered Uniform Guard pursue it. For the Ministry of Revenue, which is responsible for confiscating and counting the family property, it is not a big deal and they can just ask about it.

……

Seeing that the official from the Ministry of Revenue would not pursue the matter any further, the concubine heaved a sigh of relief and said casually, "Second Madam is lucky. She went out to visit her parents and escaped a disaster."

The concubine said it unintentionally, but Madam Zhen's heart skipped a beat when she heard it, and it turned out that she took it seriously.

Now that she thought about the past, she became more and more suspicious. The six-month mourning period for the old empress dowager had passed, and Fang Qing was said to have left the capital, so why hadn't she returned home yet?

Ten days ago, her confidant Liu Xianjia showed up at the mansion and said that he had returned to Jinling in advance to report the news.

During those few days, this old woman went in and out of the second wife's house. Afterwards, the second wife said she was going to Huizhou to visit her relatives. At that time, I just took it as a common practice.

Now that I think about it, this is too much of a coincidence. It seems like the second wife deliberately avoided disaster in the family, otherwise how could she have looted even the valuables in the room.

Fang Qing from the second house was famous for her shrewdness. Could it be that she heard rumors in the capital and took her mother away in advance?

Mrs. Zhen encountered a sudden change. Her husband had just been stripped of his official position by imperial decree, and the future of her second wife was ruined. Even a lowly official dared to beat her own Baoyu.

It was when I was filled with resentment and had no place to vent my hatred that jealousy arose naturally.

When the Zhen family encountered a disaster, why was it that only the first wife suffered, while the second wife was unscathed and stayed out of it? This is unfair!

The first wife's desperate situation made Mrs. Zhen feel ashamed and angry. Even though she had hidden hundreds of thousands of taels of wealth in advance, she could not buy back her master's career prospects.

Moreover, the whole family had to be under the supervision of the government for three years, and they had no chance of getting back the Jia family's hidden silver. They lived in poverty for three years.

She thought of her niece, such a capable person. If she heard that the Zhen family was raided, she would never return to Jinling.

He must have taken his second wife into hiding and lived a carefree life at home, leaving behind the young and old at home to live a hard life in the kiln in Nanjing.

When Mrs. Zhen thought of this and saw Baoyu's red and swollen face, her heart began to boil.

Just then, the official from the Ministry of Revenue, accompanied by two runners, came out of Baoyu's room. They must have just counted the property in the room.

Mrs. Zhen said, "Sir, the second wife is not hiding, but returning to her hometown to visit her relatives. Her family is a wealthy family in Huizhou, and we can find out by asking when we enter the city. Please report the truth and don't implicate the Zhen family."

The concubine in the first wife's room standing by was surprised when she heard this. She didn't understand why her own wife said it so clearly. Wasn't she trying to trick the second wife?

The minor official from the Ministry of Revenue also had a strange expression on his face. They were all high-ranking officials, so how could they not understand the dark side of human nature? He felt a little mocking in his heart.

He casually said, "In this case, I will report the truth."

After hearing this, Mrs. Zhen felt a little disappointed and a little uneasy.

Until the concubine beside her reminded: "Madam, we have to pack our belongings quickly, otherwise we may not be able to leave anything behind."

When she heard this, she felt a wave of shame and resentment in her heart, and even the slightest bit of uneasiness disappeared...

……

Shenjing, Prince Beijing’s Palace.

Although the main hall of the palace is not magnificent, its various furniture and antiques exude a low-key luxury, as if proclaiming the owner's refined taste.

Yuan Jing, the sixth-rank eunuch on duty at Qianyang Palace, was sent by Guo Lin, the deputy chief eunuch, to deliver a message to Prince Beijing's mansion.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong wore a royal hat with silver wings and a white python robe with a five-clawed sitting dragon. He had a face like a crown of jade and eyes like stars. He was a handsome man.

However, when Yuan Jing relayed Emperor Jia Zhao's questions, Shui Rong's handsome face instantly changed color, filled with fear and uneasiness.

He said: "Eunuch Yuan, I have always been upright, cautious in words and deeds, loyal to the emperor, and would never dare to act arrogantly, extravagantly or licentiously.

They dare not communicate with offending officials privately, disregard the law of the country, hide their own wealth, and undermine the virtues of their ancestors.

The princess of the young prince was born in the Zhen family of Jinling, so it is normal for her to interact with old friends and relatives on a daily basis.

This prince never asks about matters concerning the imperial concubines, and always lets the princess handle them on her own. Therefore, I had no idea that someone from the Zhen family had sent a letter to my house.

The princess has always been graceful and elegant, and always abides by the rules of womanly virtue. Even when interacting with her old family, she would never behave in a disobedient manner.

The young king is well-read and has a deep understanding of the laws of sages. When faced with national laws, he puts aside family rituals. His heart of loyalty and righteousness can only be shown by heaven.

Please also ask Eunuch Yuan to convey my thoughts to His Majesty. I will be grateful to you."

……

After hearing Shui Rong's words, Yuan Jing felt strange.

This prince was too cunning. When the emperor asked him a few questions, he was like a hedgehog with its fur standing on end, and he completely denied any responsibility.

He said that he never asked about the affairs of his concubines, but now that something happened, he used his own princess to take the blame.

His words were eloquent, his tactics were sophisticated, his mind was cold, it was not easy for a prince to be so cautious...

Yuan Jing smiled calmly and said, "Your Highness, your words are too kind. I am only a sixth-rank eunuch. How can I have the face to help Your Highness pass on the message to the emperor? It is really embarrassing for me.

If you have anything to say, please go and defend yourself to His Majesty. I have already given you my oral instructions, and I will take my leave now."

When Shui Rong saw Yuan Jing was about to leave, he glanced at Liu Yong, the chief secretary beside him.

Liu Yong immediately understood and took out a silver note and stuffed it into Yuan Jing's hand.

Shui Rong smiled and said, "I'm sorry to have Eunuch Yuan run errands and deliver messages. I have nothing to show my respect for you. Here are some small gifts to treat Eunuch Yuan to tea."

Yuan Jing looked at the five hundred taels of silver in his hand and was secretly shocked. The price of tea in Prince Beijing's Mansion was not low...

He felt a little regretful. If it was any benefit given by Marquis Weiyuan, he would be very happy to accept it.

He smiled and stuffed the banknote back into Liu Yong's pocket, saying, "Your Majesty is too polite. Our family has received the emperor's oral instructions. It is within our duties. I dare not accept your generous gift. Goodbye."

When Shui Rong saw Yuan Jing leaving, the elegant and humble expression on his face suddenly disappeared and his expression became solemn.

He said, "Liu Changshi, follow me back to the study to discuss the matter of submitting a report to His Majesty..."

……

Earl's Mansion, Tanchun Courtyard.

After five or six days of treatment, Tanchun's palm injury has almost healed. These days, Jia Cong would visit Tanchun in her room every day after leaving the court.

The brother and sister chatted and laughed more than usual. Tanchun's injury made them even closer.

That day, Jia Cong came to visit and saw the secretary changing the plaster and gauze for Tanchun, so he volunteered to do it.

Tanchun saw Jia Cong unwind the gauze with an extremely gentle technique and carefully scrape off the old plaster.

She stole a glance at his extremely serious expression, busying herself with her hands, working very carefully, as if she was holding a priceless treasure, and her heart felt numb and sweet.

Thinking about how my hand has always been bad, I wonder if my third brother has always treated me like this...

This delusion scared her, but she was obsessed with it. She didn't dare to think too much about it, but she couldn't help thinking about it.

She didn't know if it was an illusion, but Tanchun felt that her third brother's method was very skilled and much better than that of the maid, and he didn't touch her pain points at all.

Jia Cong scraped off the old medicine on Tanchun's palm, and asked the maid to bring hot water. After soaking the towel, he carefully wiped the remaining plaster on the back of her palm.

Tanchun's hands were wrapped in gauze all day long and she never saw the sun. Her skin looked whiter and more translucent than before, and her strange paleness made Jia Cong feel pity for her for some reason.

He held the soft little hand and wiped it gently, and he was reluctant to let go, which made him feel a little embarrassed.

Tanchun was very attentive and noticed it immediately. Her pretty face turned slightly red and she bit her lips slightly, pretending to be unaware and letting him fiddle with his palm...

……

"Third brother, your bandage technique is very skillful, not inferior to Doctor Zhang's. Did you learn it before?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's not that I've learned it before. When I led troops to Liaodong before, there were soldiers injured every day.

I patrol the barracks every day and see many doctors bandaging the wounds of wounded soldiers. Even if I don’t need to learn, I can learn it just by watching.”

Tanchun recalled that he had fought in Liaodong for half a year and came back so dark and thin that it made people feel distressed. He still couldn't forget it to this day.

That year, the third brother had just turned fourteen, and the second brother was still living in the inner house, but he had already fought on the battlefield without fear of life and death...

She couldn't suppress her tender feelings, so she pretended to be relaxed and said with a smile: "Third brother's technique is very good, much better than that of the maid.

From now on, you will be the one helping to change the medicine. We cannot let your ability go to waste."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Of course I am willing to do that. I can help my sister with her dressing and care every day.

But when your injury heals this time, good luck will come. I won’t have to help you do this anymore, and you won’t have to suffer anymore. That would be great.”

……

By the time Jia Cong had changed the plaster for Tanchun and had just bandaged her with gauze.

There were footsteps at the door, and Yingchun, Daiyu, Baochai and other sisters came to visit.

The sisters chatted for a while, then heard footsteps outside the door again, and saw Ping'er coming in with a smile on her face.

When she saw Jia Cong was there, she bowed to him first.

Tanchun smiled and said, "Thank you, Sister Ping'er, for visiting me often recently."

Ping Er smiled and said, "It's nothing. Our grandmother is not in good health and can't move around much now, so she asked me to come and see her more often on her behalf.

Although the third girl suffered this time, evil will be punished. Lin Zhixiao heard the news from outside yesterday.

The old woman from the Zhen family who had been stirring up trouble in the East Courtyard and causing the girl to suffer was suddenly arrested by the government for unknown reasons.

He was also imprisoned by the Imperial Guards. He was stubborn at first, but was eventually tortured and confessed that Madam Zhen had hidden money in our house."

Shi Xiangyun, who was standing by, was quite relieved when she heard this and said, "This woman deserves her retribution. She came to our house to cause trouble and even dared to deliberately harm my third sister."

Ping'er added: Before this incident came out, the palace had already issued an edict to convict the Zhen family and to raid their house. The old lady was very frightened when she found out.

Yesterday, the second wife came to pay her respects to the old lady, and because of this, she was scolded by the old lady. "

After hearing Ping'er's words, the sisters were not surprised. Mrs. Wang had been unhappy these days, and it was not just the old lady who scolded her.

It is said that on the day when Tanchun was punished by the family law, Jia Zheng heard about it when he came down from the yamen and was furious with his wife.

That night, he came to the East Mansion to visit his daughter, and after comforting and giving her instructions for a while, he returned to the East Courtyard.

Jia Cong suddenly recalled that a few days ago, the gossipy old woman from the West Mansion had said something quite embarrassing and unpleasant.

The Second Master stayed in Aunt Zhao's room for five consecutive nights. Now he knows why this woman has both a son and a daughter...

……

Ping Erh added, “Our grandmother was also thankful that she was not fooled by that old woman that day and did not allow those boxes to enter the Jia family, otherwise it would have been a disaster.

Just now, Princess Beijing sent someone to our house to inquire about what happened a few days ago. I heard that the old woman from the Zhen family talked nonsense and implicated Prince Beijing's Mansion.

I heard that the palace sent people to the palace to question them. It seems that the words they used were not very pleasant. The Beijing Palace seems to be in a bit of a mess. This old woman from the Zhen family is really causing a lot of trouble."

Jia Cong was slightly shocked when he heard this. This was something he had not expected.

This Prince Beijing was handsome, humble in his words and deeds, and he was elegant and refined.

The Zhen family of Jinling is the closest relative of the Prince of Beijing's Palace. It is widely rumored that Shui Rong and Princess Zhen have a deep love for each other, which has almost become a legend.

I don't know how Shui Rong will respond this time, and how he will show his virtue... (End of this chapter)