Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

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

Since the Embroidered Uniform Guard discovered that the Zhen family had hidden their wealth, Emperor Jiazhao ordered the three judicial officials to convict the family according to the law.

The three judicial officials had different judgments on the matter and expressed their own opinions on sentencing. This is a common occurrence in criminal law and is not surprising.

Early that morning, Emperor Jiazhao summoned Dali Temple Minister Wei Guanyao, Ministry of Justice Minister Chen Maoshu, and Left Censor-in-Chief Zhou Xianyang to the palace to discuss the matter.

Normally, for a matter like this, the three judicial departments would only have to discuss it according to the law and finally report it to the emperor for his signature.

The reason why Emperor Jia Zhao took the matter so seriously and summoned the chief officials of the three judicial departments to the palace for discussion was that he wanted to have complete control over the direction of the matter and not let it go astray due to legal discussions.

For Emperor Jia Zhao, the case of the Zhen family in Jinling was not simply a matter of captured criminal officials.

Behind it was the conspiracy of privately manufacturing firearms and concealing the old trends of the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, as well as the rise and fall of the potential power of the father and son kings.

Emperor Jiazhao needed to handle this case strictly and severely suppress and deter the rebellious forces that intended to get their hands on firearms.

The case of the Zhen family was not just about the guilt of Zhen Yingjia alone, but also a key bargaining chip for Emperor Jiazhao to expand his imperial power and control the government.

Therefore, the three judicial departments can follow the criminal law to deal with the Zhen family's crime of hiding the family silver, but it must be in line with the emperor's expectations and interests.

Wei Guanyao, the Minister of the Dali Temple, said: "Your Majesty, during the period of dismissal and investigation, Zhen Yingjia did not wait for the court officials to make a judgment according to the law and secretly hid his family wealth.

This is an act that disregards the law of the country and must be punished.

Originally, the emperor, taking into account the merits of the Zhen family's ancestors and the legacy of the old Concubine Zhen, ordered the confiscation of 70% of the Zhen family's property, showing special leniency to the family.

However, Zhen Yingjia is ungrateful and has committed another outrageous act. I believe that he should be punished more severely and all his property should be confiscated as a warning to him. "

Wei Guanyao was a fair and strict person. Investigating cases and judging criminals were the main responsibilities of the Dali Temple, so he would naturally spare no effort, but he was always moderate in sentencing and convicting people.

Although as a close minister of Emperor Jiazhao, he knew the emperor's far-reaching plans for the Zhen family case.

However, based on the investigation and identification of the culprit by the Dali Temple, the Zhen family's crime was that Zhen Shiwen privately made a musket, and Zhen Yingjia was not involved.

As the head of the Zhen family and Zhen Shiwen's father, Zhen Yingjia was guilty of lack of moral integrity in managing his family and failing to educate his children properly. Dismissal from office and confiscation of his property were sufficient punishment.

As for his private hoarding of wealth, it was against the law, but it was not a capital crime and he could just be punished more severely.

As the chief official of the Dali Temple, if he arbitrarily punishes people for life and death, it would be unbecoming of the chief of the three judicial departments. What difference would there be between him and the Court of Inquiries?

As soon as Wei Guanyao finished speaking, Emperor Jiazhao remained calm, his eyes seemed to be thinking about something.

Chen Maoshu, the Minister of Justice, said: "Your Majesty, although what Wei Siqing said is fair, the criminal law must be based on the current situation.

Jiangnan is a place where noble families gather, culture and education are prevalent, people are wealthy, but people's hearts are fickle, and evil and lawlessness by the wealthy and powerful are common.

Even since the Kaiyuan period of this dynasty, it is not uncommon for noble families in Jiangnan to commit crimes and die.

The Jinling Zhen family is one of the most prominent wealthy families in the south of the Yangtze River. Their reputation is deeply rooted in the local area, and their words and deeds are watched and subtly verified by others.

Zhen Yingjia, a criminal in the court, hid his property and escaped punishment. His behavior spread among the people and was imitated.

From now on, any wealthy family that committed a crime would hide their private wealth like him in order to plan a way to recover, but the court laws were strict, so there was no way they could do that.

Once the law is relaxed and the weak are punished, the powerful will lose their fear, and the six states and one prefecture in the south of the Yangtze River will become increasingly troubled.

Therefore, I think Zhen Yingjia must be severely punished for hiding his family property. Simply confiscating all his property will not serve as a warning to others. He must be punished more severely! "

……

Emperor Jia Zhao looked at the Left Censor-in-Chief Zhou Xianyang, who had not yet spoken, and asked, "What advice do you have, Lord Zhou?"

Zhou Xianyang felt a slight chill in his heart when he heard the emperor's question.

Compared with Wei Guanyao's strict and fair judgment and Chen Maoshu's legalist views, the Censorate has always been the most radical of the three judicial departments.

The Metropolitan Censorate has always been responsible for reporting rumors and is known for its quick and sharp actions, but it is also criticized for its quick and foul mouth...

Although the Censorate sometimes annoys the emperor, but when the time is right, it can become the emperor's sharpest sword.

Zhou Xianyang could become the head of the Censorate, so he was definitely not an ordinary person. He was smart and capable, and his ability to observe the trends of the times was far beyond the reach of an ordinary foul-mouthed censor.

Of the three officials who entered the palace, the emperor only spoke to himself, naturally wanting to say something pleasing to the ear, or even to say something less extreme...

Zhou Xianyang said: "Your Majesty, I agree with what Wei Siqing and Chen Shangshu said. Zhen Yingjia is guilty of hiding his family wealth, which is the worst crime.

I believe that not only should all their properties be confiscated, but they should also be punished specifically to rectify the customs of the wealthy and aristocratic families in Jiangnan.

Moreover, this matter is not just the fault of Zhen Yingjia. For him to send silver to the capital over a long distance must mean that there must be someone in the capital who is in cahoots with him, which made him feel that he had an opportunity to take advantage of.

I believe that Zhen Yingjia’s crime is unforgivable, and the rest of those who are secretly doing illegal things must also be watched carefully!

I have heard that the Embroidered Uniform Guard has interrogated the Zhen family members who came to Beijing. According to their confession, because Prince Beijing is Zhen's son-in-law, the Zhen family wanted to hide their private silver in Prince Beijing's mansion.

Prince Beijing Shui Rong is a noble prince with a high position and great reputation. Did he really commit such an act of breaking the law? Your Majesty, please investigate and correct him, and do not let him go unpunished."

Wei Guanyao and Chen Maoshu felt strange after hearing what Zhou Xianyang said.

The censors have always considered themselves to be upright people. How come Mr. Zhou, the Left Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, has become so shameless that he starts to guess the emperor's intentions?

Emperor Jia Zhao listened to Zhou Xianyang's words, and the corners of his mouth twitched imperceptibly. He said, "What the three of you said is quite pertinent. This matter will be handled accordingly."

After hearing what Emperor Jiazhao said, Wei Guanyao and Chen Maoshu had no expression on their faces. They just lowered their heads and said they would obey the emperor's order.

They all sighed in their hearts. The emperor had already made the final decision in his mind, but he just needed his ministers to speak out so that he could check the differences in the court.

As for Zhen Yingjia, who smuggled personal belongings into the capital, the three of them had only exchanged a few words, but the emperor had already firmly framed him for the crime by saying that he would be punished accordingly.

But I don't know what the Prince of Beijing should do this time. Most likely, if he doesn't handle it well, he will be charged with a crime.

Although the reputation of colluding with a corrupt official family would not make the Beijing Prince's Mansion like the Ningguo Mansion in the past, which was expelled, stripped of its title, and had its property confiscated.

But the title of Prince of Beijing came to an end, and it would no longer be hereditary. Like other old nobles who were demoted to the same rank and inherited the title, it would probably become a matter of course...

……

The three chief officers of the Three Judicial Departments were thinking about their own things when Yuan Jing, the sixth-rank eunuch on duty at Qianyang Palace, quickly walked into the palace.

He said, "Your Majesty, Prince Beijing is seeking an audience outside the Fengtian Gate, and I have a memorial to defend myself."

When the three officials heard this, they were all slightly shocked. The Prince of Beijing was very straightforward and responded so quickly.

Emperor Jia Zhao said: "I am discussing government affairs with you, my dear ministers, and I have no time to spare.

Since this is the basis for Prince Beijing's self-defense, just submit the memorial to the palace. I will read it before summoning him to speak."

After hearing this, Wei Guanyao and others realized to some extent that the emperor's opinion of Prince Beijing was really unremarkable.

Shui Rong wanted to bring the memorial into the palace to defend himself, but the emperor refused to see him and did not give him the slightest bit of face. He only allowed his memorial to enter the palace.

I heard that this Prince Beijing is well-known for his virtue, is well-read, and is eloquent.

If he could enter the palace to defend himself, he would probably have spoken endlessly, but unfortunately the emperor did not give him any chance, so he missed a wonderful opportunity.

Emperor Jia Zhao sneered and said, "According to the confession of the Zhen family servants in the Jinyiwei prison, I sent someone to question Prince Beijing yesterday.

He said that the interactions between the Zhen family and the palace were matters between the inner household relatives and were always handled by Princess Zhen. He never asked about it and was not aware of it.

When it comes to the matter of the Zhen family's hidden silver, his words are vague and seem to be shirking responsibility.

According to this logic, why do I need him to write a letter to defend himself? I can just let Princess Zhen of Beijing defend herself to the Queen.

I am too lazy to talk about this, let's take a look at what he has to say in his self-defense memorial, and the three of you can also take a look at it."

Wei Guanyao and the others were all veterans in the officialdom, well versed in the ways of the world and the evil tricks of the devil. When they heard what Prince Beijing said in reply, they all felt a little disdainful in their hearts.

Right now, the Zhen family is in danger of being convicted. At such a critical moment, how could Beijing Wang Shui Rong be completely unaware of the dealings between the Zhen family and the palace?

Even though the officials such as the Chief Secretary of the Royal Palace were dead, they did not know how to remind the prince in time.

Princess Zhen of Prince Beijing has always been known for her virtue. She is said to be a person who knows how to behave in a proper manner. Now that she is dealing with her natal family at a critical juncture, it is impossible for her not to inform Prince Beijing.

Shui Rong used such high-sounding words to shirk responsibility and deceive His Majesty. Your Majesty is such a shrewd man, how could he not despise him in his heart.

No wonder the emperor didn't even give the slightest respect when the prince asked for an audience in the palace. He only allowed the memorial to be brought into the palace but didn't see the person.

……

Only a moment later, the sixth-rank eunuch Yuan Jing hurried into the hall.

Holding the memorial in hand, he said, "Your Majesty, here is the memorial of Prince Beijing in his defense. Please read it."

Emperor Jiazhao took the memorial and just flipped through it and took a few glances at it.

He smiled meaningfully and said, "I didn't expect that Prince Beijing would have such a loyal heart. He was filled with indignation when he pointed out the evils of Zhen Yingjia's concealment of his family wealth.

I have observed that the various proposals in his memorial are quite consistent with what the three ministers have said.

Guo Lin, pass the memorial to the three ministers for review."

Wei Guanyao and others saw that the usually serious Emperor Jiazhao was smiling when discussing politics with officials. However, this smile was indeed a little strange, full of sarcasm and disdain...

The three men took the memorial from Prince Beijing, glanced through it quickly, and had strange expressions on their faces.

In his memorial, Prince Beijing first stated his situation earnestly, saying that the palace had absolutely nothing to do with the matter of the Zhen family's hidden silver.

The servant of the Zhen family came to the princess's house to deliver a letter, only talking about ordinary family rituals and not mentioning the intention of hiding the silver.

What he confessed to the Jinyiwei was completely malicious slander.

He also said that the Zhen family was the one who had committed the crime, but they had no intention of repenting and reforming themselves. Instead, they hid the silver and violated the law, deceiving the public and the people, and their crimes were obvious.

Although the Beijing Prince's Mansion is related to the Jinling Zhen family by marriage, they would never dare to go along with them just because of their kinship.

At the end of the memorial, Shui Rong explained the pros and cons of Zhen Yingjia's actions, and begged the emperor to punish him severely and not to condone him because of the emperor's leniency...

……

After reading this self-defense memorial, Wei Guanyao and others were quite shocked and felt a chill in their hearts.

I have always heard that Prince Beijing Shui Rong is quite virtuous, but I never knew he was so wise and righteous.

Zhen Yingjia was his old man, and in order to clear the Beijing Palace of this matter, he was merciless in his words, and he seemed to be indignant that he wanted to kill him to satisfy the world...

No wonder among the four kings and eight dukes, only the lineage of King Beijing has not been downgraded and the throne has been passed down until now, and it still sits firmly on the throne of king, living up to its reputation.

Emperor Jia Zhao said calmly: "Beijing Wang is a relative of the Zhen family. It is rare for him to be so understanding of Zhen Yingjia's crime. We must not let him down.

It can be seen that the three ministers’ comments on the crime are accurate and pertinent, and in line with public opinion. The matter will be judged according to what has just been discussed and an imperial decree will be conveyed to Nanjing today.

Guo Lin, pass on my decree to bestow twenty pieces of gold and silk on the Prince of Beijing’s mansion to honor his virtue…”

……

Earl's Mansion, Tanchun Courtyard.

The embroidery room was packed with people, and Jia Cong was changing the medicine for Tanchun's wound.

Yingchun, Daiyu and other sisters looked on curiously, pointing and joking from time to time.

Tanchun's palm injury has been healing for almost ten days. This is the last time to apply medicine. After that, she only needs to take care of it for a month and it will be healed.

Jia Cong was busy when the maid who was guarding the small gate in the inner courtyard came to tell him that a girl named Xiren from the West Mansion came to visit the third girl.

After hearing this, everyone knew the truth. Xiren had come once during this period, so it was naturally Baoyu who asked her to come and visit.

Daiyu asked, "Miss Xiren came alone, is there anyone else with her?"

The old woman said, "I saw it for real. Of course, the girl came alone. The master has ordered many times that no outside men are allowed to enter the small gates of the two mansions."

When Yingchun heard this, the corner of her mouth twitched slightly. She knew what Daiyu meant by asking this question, and also knew who she was on guard against.

Brother Cong said that the family didn't allow outsiders to be friends, but apart from the eldest brother from the Xue family, there was only Baoyu, a outsider, in the West Mansion.

I don’t know why, but since Baoyu’s birthday, Brother Cong seems to dislike Brother Bao even more.

Every time someone mentioned it, he would often notice him frowning. Now even Lin Daiyu did the same. They were particularly in agreement.

Although Yingchun and other sisters understood the meaning of this rule, most of them thought that Jia Cong disliked Baoyu's dandy lifestyle and that was why they were particularly unwilling to get close to him.

Only Tanchun guessed the secret to some extent and sighed in her heart.

Because she had heard the maid talk about the suspicions of that day, she guessed that Baoyu seemed to have done something dirty on his birthday...

Very few people knew about this matter, but my third brother happened to know it clearly and he never wanted to talk about it with me.

Baoyu did such a thing, and Changchang liked to involve Sister Lin. The backyard of the East Mansion was full of sisters, so how could the third brother let Baoyu step into it...

……

After a while, Xiren came in with a smile. She was slightly stunned to see all the girls in the family gathered in the room.

Seeing Master Cong holding the Third Girl's hand, applying ointment and bandaging it, they seemed extremely close and harmonious, and the girls in the family were all watching and laughing.

When Xiren saw this situation, she couldn't help but be slightly stunned. This scene was not what her second master liked the most. Fortunately, he didn't see it, otherwise she wouldn't know how to say sour words.

Among those present, Daiyu and Baochai, one because of Baoyu's always obsessed with her, and the other because of Mrs. Wang's malicious accusation.

Baoyu loved to show off his noble character and often spoke ill of Jia Cong. They all had a grudge against Baoyu and naturally didn't talk much to Xiren.

Tanchun and Baoyu originally had the same father, but since she was punished by Lady Wang according to her family rules, she was hurt both physically and mentally.

Baoyu is the apple of Lady Wang's eye, which makes her feel distant towards him, and naturally she has nothing to talk about with Xiren.

Jia Cong was not familiar with Xiren to begin with, and now that he was in his own mansion, he would not go out of his way to entertain Baoyu's maid, so naturally he had nothing to say.

Only Yingchun was familiar with Xiren in the West Mansion, and because she used to be Lady Jia's maid, she would occasionally exchange a few words with her.

Since Yingchun became Jia Cong's housekeeper, taking care of the situation, considering the overall situation, and being considerate and polite have become her natural behaviors.

Xing Xiuyun had lived in the East Mansion since she came to the Jia family, and had only been to the West Mansion a few times. She was very unfamiliar with Xiren and was a taciturn person, so naturally she had nothing to say.

Only Shi Xiangyun was the most focused, and she talked the most to Xiren.

Because she had no complicated thoughts about Baoyu, they had always talked when they were happy and quarreled when they were unhappy since childhood. Naturally, she had no grudge against Xiren.

In addition, she grew up with Lady Jia when she was young. Xiren was Lady Jia's maid and had been assigned to serve Xiangyun, so the two of them had always been on good terms.

Thanks to Xiangyun's jokes and laughter, Xiren was able to ignore the implicit alienation and indifference of everyone.

She remembered what her second master had told her and originally didn't want to say it, but Xiangyun livened up the atmosphere and she felt more comfortable saying it.

She thought that if she didn't bring up this topic, her master would definitely nag her when she got back.

Then he smiled and said, "The Qiqiao Festival is coming soon. Our family has the most girls. When he came here, our second master asked us how the girls planned to celebrate the festival.

Our Second Master can help with some ideas."

The reason why Xiren asked this question was because the seventh day of the seventh month is the Qiqiao Festival, also known as the Girls' Day, which is considered a major festival for girls in the inner house.

The reason why Baoyu asked Xiren this question was because the threshold to the East Palace was too high and he really couldn't cross it. He could only use the Qiqiao Festival to get closer to his sisters.

……

The sisters present were all intelligent people. After hearing Xiren's words, they naturally knew what Baoyu was thinking.

Daiyu and Baochai naturally did not respond to the conversation. They were busy avoiding it normally, so what would be the point of letting him interfere when their sisters were celebrating the Girls' Day?

Tanchun also felt a little disappointed and remained silent.

Yingchun only has her brothers in her heart. She knows that Jia Cong doesn't like Baoyu, so of course she won't offend her brothers, nor will she respond to Xiren's words.

Xing Xiuyan glanced at Jia Cong and thought that it would be best to have her cousin together on Girls' Day, so there was no need for Baoyu to worry about it.

Shi Xiangyun originally wanted to joke, but when she saw that the atmosphere was a bit depressing and silent, she stopped talking all of a sudden.

Xiren felt a little embarrassed when she saw the cold and deserted scene, thinking that the Second Master had been estranged from the girls for more than a year.

Now that the Madam had beaten the Third Girl, it seemed that the Second Master was even less popular. No one had said a word in response to his well-intentioned plan.

……

Xiren's words made Jia Cong think that there seemed to be only a few days left until the seventh day of the seventh month.

I heard that Wang Xifeng was about to give birth. Could it be that Qiaojie was really born on the day of Qiqiao? This would be a new and strange thing for me.

This somewhat curious thought only flashed through his mind, and then he thought of the meaning of Xiren's words.

When he saw Tanchun's hands wrapped in gauze, he couldn't help feeling sad and depressed.

She said calmly, "Xiren, although Baoyu and I are of the same age, I am older than him after all. He is past the age of dancing elephants and has already been engaged.

I can't just think about joking with my sisters every day. I have to put more effort into serious things like studying.

Now that he has not married yet, he can be filial to the old lady. When he gets married and has his own career, he should think about returning to Dongluyuan to honor his master and his wife.

Filial piety and etiquette are natural and right, and are what he should think more about. After all, the Qiqiao Festival is a daughter's festival, so how to celebrate it should be left to the sisters to decide.

"Third sister is suffering in the East Courtyard, I will take good care of her and will not let her suffer any more in the future, so Baoyu can rest assured."

After hearing this, Xiren's face suddenly turned pale. Master Cong would never say anything to Master Er.

Even though the Third Master inherited the title of Rong State and became the head of the West Mansion, the master and his wife moved to the East Courtyard.

But the Second Master still lives in the West Mansion, which is somewhat inappropriate according to common sense.

But the Third Master seemed quite magnanimous and did not care about the matter. He let the Second Master live in the West Mansion, which made people feel that it was natural.

Why are you suddenly saying such cold words now... (End of this chapter)