Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jinling, Dazaimen, Xinchunhao Jiangnan Head Office.

Qu Hongxiu said: "A few days ago, Miss Zhen asked Liu Xian to pass on a message that Wang Dequan is safe and sound and will be able to return to Jinling in a while.

The goods we transported by sea this time were sold out in overseas countries and we made a lot of profit.

Although Liu Xian did not say it explicitly, we all know that the Zhen Jiahai fleet left the port in May and has not been heard from since. It did not capsize in the hurricane at all.

Their fleet must have safely anchored somewhere in the open sea, avoided the hurricane at sea, and then set sail according to the original route, and all maritime affairs would have been completed successfully.

According to normal time, the fleet should have returned to Jinling long ago, but it has been stranded overseas until now.

The news of the fleet capsizing at sea spread widely in Jinling City. Everyone believed it to be true and thought that someone was definitely fanning the flames and doing it on purpose.

I think Miss Zhen must have seen the crisis of her family early on, and took advantage of the fleet going out to sea in May and spread the news everywhere under the pretext of a hurricane at sea.

In this way, the Zhen family's fleet could be hidden and preserved to prevent any disaster from happening to the family and causing the huge fleet to be confiscated and occupied by the government.

During this year, others may not have noticed it, but we have already spotted many clues. Miss Zhen has been secretly selling the family's idle properties to make money.

We, Jinling Xinchun, purchased many shops, houses and farms from her.

Now it seems that Miss Zhen has been preparing for a rainy day. Even if the Zhen family is punished by the court, she still cuts off the source of the trouble to save the family fortune. "

Qin Keqing said: "Sister Xiu's guess is absolutely correct. It seems that Miss Zhen is really serious.

But now the eldest master of the Zhen family has been exiled, all of the Zhen family’s properties have been confiscated by the court, and the entire Zhen family has been moved out of Jinling.

Miss Zhen's fleet and family property are now hidden from the public, let alone in public. I'm afraid it will be difficult in the future."

Qu Hongxiu smiled and said, "Ms. Zhen needs a reliable ally right now who she can rely on so that the family business she has worked so hard to preserve can be more stable and secure.

Given her relationship with Brother Cong, our Xinchun is undoubtedly her best choice.

Brother Cong has always been very confident in his words and attaches great importance to commercial shipping. He believes that this is the great future of Xinchun.

In the past six months, Xinchun's products have been sold overseas and have made huge profits. Brother Cong's insight is absolutely correct.

The Zhenjiahai fleet has the first-class shipping ships in Jiangnan, and more importantly, they have bow sailors who are well versed in the hydrological channels of the open sea.

We in Xinchun now have enough money to build a first-class sea-going ship, but it is extremely difficult to find such a group of bow sailors.

Miss Zhen is in distress and needs our help. The Xinchun needs her fleet and sailors. It would be a win-win for both sides if we work together."

Qu Hongxiu suddenly said, "Keqing, Brother Cong is helping Miss Zhen like this, is it just for the future of Xinchun? Isn't he abusing his power for personal gain?"

Qin Keqing couldn't help but chuckle and said, "I think he is probably right, but Brother Cong is just trying to be smart.

If he dares to go against the current emperor and really provokes and involves Miss Zhen, I will admire him."

Qu Hongxiu smiled and said, "You are right. He has just passed the imperial examination and became a Hanlin scholar. He is enjoying a very good time.

If he dares to flirt with Miss Zhen and cause any trouble, and the old emperor finds out, he will definitely not be able to bear the consequences. Let's see if he dares to provoke her again."

The two of them were smiling, and seemed very pleased that Jia Cong had been humiliated in this matter.

Qu Hongxiu added: "When you talk about the current emperor, he is very smart and capable.

The Ministry of Revenue is currently investigating the Zhen family's assets, and there are many cunning people in the government. It would be difficult to completely conceal the losses Miss Zhen has made."

……

Shenjing, the palace city of the Great Zhou, Qianyang Palace.

Beside the emperor's desk was a three-legged jade incense burner, filled with ambergris, the incense of the soul-awakening. The fragrant mist curled up, refreshing the lungs and clearing the mind.

The Minister of Personnel, Chen Mo, had gray hair and beard. He sat quietly on an embroidered cushion to the left of the imperial desk, looking calm and patient as he waited for the emperor to review the documents of the Ministry of Personnel.

Because Chen Mo was already in his sixties, the oldest among the six chiefs, he was granted the honor of sitting in front of the emperor.

As for other officials, even Grand Secretaries Cai Xiang and Wang Shilun, although they had reached the highest positions in the country, they were still in their prime and rarely had the privilege of being granted seats in front of the emperor.

Today, Chen Mo entered the palace in compliance with the imperial edict and reported to Emperor Jiazhao on the appointment of new officials in various government offices.

Due to the outbreak of a major fraud case in the Spring Examination, a large number of officials related to the Spring Examination were implicated.

Among the six ministries in the capital, more than forty officials were convicted, dismissed from office, or demoted.

After these officials leave office, they must be replaced by new officials in a timely manner, and the Ministry of Personnel will go through several months of screening, evaluation, and coordination.

The list of names of these newly appointed officials has finally been finalized. Although these new officials are of lower-middle level and not prominent positions in the allocation sequence of officials in the six ministries,

However, since a large number of new officials were involved, the emperor still had to inquire about them in accordance with official practice.

Emperor Jiazhao browsed through the resumes of the newly appointed officials and asked questions when he found any doubts.

Although Chen Mo was in his sixties, he was still sharp-eyed and smart. He was a top scholar with a good memory. As long as Emperor Jia Zhao mentioned the names of officials, he could answer fluently.

In the end, Emperor Jiazhao eliminated three people who thought they were not qualified, and the remaining officials were selected and nominated by the Ministry of Personnel.

As for these three officials who failed to be elected, Chen Mo knew it very well whether they were recommended by some powerful person or selected according to the established procedures of the Ministry of Personnel.

They can only blame themselves for their bad luck. There are obvious omissions in their personal records, making it difficult for them to gain the favor of the emperor.

Although a large number of officials were involved this time, they were all ordinary middle and lower-level officials.

Emperor Jia Zhao would not make a fuss about it and would have every official secretly checked and screened by the Imperial Chariot Department to avoid wasting manpower and delaying the daily affairs of the six ministries.

Emperor Jiazhao and Chen Mo were discussing the appointment of new officials. Chen Mo was about to leave and walk out of the hall when he saw Guo Lin walking quickly into the hall with a memorial in his hand.

He said, "Your Majesty, the Ministry of Public Administration has received an urgent memorial from the Ministry of Revenue in Nanjing, which shows that the confiscation of the property of the Zhen family in Nanjing has raised doubts. Your Majesty, please review it and make a decision."

Chen Mo, who had just walked out of the palace, heard these words. He stopped involuntarily, his eyes condensed slightly, and then he walked out of Qianyang Palace.

……

When Emperor Jiazhao heard Guo Lin's report, his eyes turned a little cold.

In the Jinling Zhen family case, except that no blood was shed, the emperor had already displayed his power like thunder and acted decisively and swiftly.

I thought that this matter had been settled once and for all, but I didn't expect that there would be additional complications during the subsequent confiscation of property.

Emperor Jia Zhao took the memorial and read it through. His face turned pale and he said sternly, "The Zhen family is really good at this. They have already made preparations for a rainy day!

I thought the Zhen family's fault lay with Zhen Yingjia's eldest wife, but I didn't expect the second wife was the real culprit! "

He said to Guo Lin, "Send the Jinyiwei commander Xu Kun to see you immediately!"

Less than two quarters of an hour had passed when Xu Kun quickly walked into the hall and went to meet Emperor Jiazhao to wait for orders.

Emperor Jia Zhao asked, "Xu Kun, have the Jinling Jinyiwei received the report from the Ministry of Revenue in the secondary capital investigating the Zhen family residence?"

Xu Kun replied: "Your Majesty, Wang Zhangjiang has received a report from the Ministry of Revenue that the Zhen family's property has been confiscated and checked, and there are some doubts.

Wang Zhangjiang has arrested the managers of several stores of the Zhen family and is interrogating them about the truth. This morning, the Jinling Tiqi just delivered a secret report to the Command Headquarters.

I was just about to go to the palace to report, when the emperor summoned me."

Emperor Jia Zhao said: "According to the results of the investigation by the Ministry of Revenue of the Secondary Capital, the money flow of the Zhen family has been active in the past year, and its whereabouts are strange.

The shops and farms owned by the Zhen family successively withdrew large amounts of deposits, and the remaining silver left in the accounts was just a cover-up.

The Zhen family quietly sold off their fertile fields, houses, and shops for silver. Most of the sales took place outside Nanjing, so they did not attract attention.

According to the Ministry of Household Affairs, the confiscation of Zhen's family property turned out to be just a half-shell.

At least 50% of the Zhen family’s wealth had been secretly taken away, and all of this happened before the Zhen family incident.

Such a cunning trick is amazing, and the intention is sinister. Has Wang Zhangjiang investigated the details? "

Xu Kun replied: "Your Majesty, Wang Zhangjiang received a report from the Ministry of Revenue and interrogated the shopkeepers of the Zhen family.

They confessed that for nearly a year, Liu Xian, the manager of the second branch of the Zhen family, followed Zhen Fangqing's orders to withdraw large amounts of silver from various shops.

The purpose of these deposits was all for the Zhen family fleet's overseas trade, but only a small part of it was spent on purchasing commercial goods, and most of the deposits should be idle.

Including the sale of Zhen family's properties in various places, everything was carried out in secrecy. The silver amounts exchanged were not entered into the Zhen family's public account and must have been in Zhen Fangqing's hands.

In May this year, the Zhenjiahai fleet left the port and encountered a violent hurricane in the East China Sea for several days. Fishermen along the coast rumored that the entire Zhenjiahai fleet had capsized.

There was no trace of this huge amount of silver deposited for maritime trade, and there was no news of Zhen Fangqing since he left Beijing.

In compliance with His Majesty's oral order, I have searched everywhere along the route from Shenjing to Nanjing, but have not found any trace of Zhen Fangqing.

Until five days ago, we received a report that Zhen Fangqing had appeared in Gusu Chayuan Street, but then he disappeared again. "

Emperor Jia Zhao said coldly: "I have always thought that she is just a woman and not worth worrying about. I really underestimated her!"

Xu Kun said: "Your Majesty, according to the Ministry of Revenue's investigation of the loss of Zhen's family property and Wang Zhangjiang's interrogation of the Zhen family's store owner,

I believe that Zhen Fangqing became alert because Zhen Shiwen was involved in the illegal manufacture of muskets last year and eventually died.

She predicted that the Zhen family would suffer ruin because of this incident, so she began to devise plans to cut off the source of the problem.

He used a year to gradually transfer the family's property and create a way out for himself. Before the court punished the Zhen family, the Zhen family's fleet capsized in a hurricane in the open sea. All this was a bit too coincidental.

If my guess is the truth, this person is cunning and sinister. Although she is a woman, she is actually a treacherous villain and must be guarded against.

I have another guess, but I have no evidence, so I dare not mislead you..."

Emperor Jia Zhao's eyes were like knives, and he said, "I forgive you for your fault, just say it clearly!"

Xu Kun said: "I think the reason why Zhen Fangqing is so good at predicting things is not just because she is naturally intelligent and thoughtful.

But Zhen Shiwen was involved in the private manufacture of muskets at the beginning, and she knew the whole thing, so she was well aware of the harm.

Zhen Fangqing has always been outstanding in talent and is the controller of the Zhen family business, with more wealth and power than Zhen Shiwen.

It is even possible that she and Zhen Shiwen were involved in the private manufacture of muskets, but she was so secretive that she never revealed her whereabouts.

Otherwise, why would she go to such great lengths to create a way out early on, and why has Zhen Shiwen been murdered to silence him, a case that remains unsolved to this day..."

……

As soon as Xu Kun said this, the temperature in the entire hall seemed to drop a few degrees, revealing an unpredictable chill.

After Zhen Shiwen was killed, there was no follow-up clues in the Jinling firearms manufacturing case.

Although Wang Zhangjiang is smart and capable, he has been scheming and doing everything he can since he took over as the commander of the Jinling Jinyiwei.

However, he could only verify that Zhen Shiwen deliberately participated in the private manufacture of muskets, but he was unable to find out the mastermind behind the incident.

Xu Kun's speculation just now seemed very gloomy and sinister, implying that Zhen Fangqing was the man behind the private manufacturing of Jinling firearms.

Even her cousin Zhen Shiwen was killed by her to silence him...

Although he had no actual evidence, his words just now, when compared with the cause and effect, did not seem to be illogical.

After all, Zhen Fangqing's actions of preparing for a rainy day, predicting things with great foresight, planning meticulously, and thinking carefully are somewhat shocking and terrifying, which inevitably makes people suspicious.

……

Guo Lin, who was standing by, felt a chill in his heart after hearing Xu Kun's sinister words.

Commander Xu was really bold. Without any actual evidence, he hinted in front of His Majesty that Zhen Fangqing was the man behind the private manufacture of muskets.

Even if Zhen Fangqing secretly transferred the family wealth, he did so before the Zhen family was convicted and before the imperial edict was issued from the palace.

Strictly speaking, it was just the disposal of private property under one's name, but he was charged with such a serious crime.

Didn't Xu Kun know that Zhen Fangqing grew up in the palace, was raised by the old Concubine Zhen, and was loved and valued by the Emperor Taishang?

The emperor was standing behind Zhen Fangqing. If she was the mastermind behind the private manufacture of the Jinling musket, wouldn't that implicate the emperor as well?

Guo Lin was also an old man in the palace. He knew very well that sixteen years ago, the father and son kings had replaced each other, and the imperial power had changed hands. On the surface, it seemed glorious.

But there are so many dangers and bloodshed hidden within the walls, and so many things that are hard to tell others...

Doesn't Xu Kun know the ins and outs of this matter? He actually dares to stir up such a gloomy taboo. He is playing with fire.

……

As Xu Kun finished speaking, the hall fell into deathly silence, and Guo Lin could clearly feel the inexplicable suffocation and oppression.

He peeked at Emperor Jia Zhao's face and found that the emperor was neither sad nor happy, his eyebrows were slightly raised, his eyes were deep, and there was a chill in his bones...

But as the emperor's trusted eunuch for many years, Guo Lin was well aware of the emperor's fears and worries.

Emperor Jia Zhao said: "Xu Kun, strictly order all Jinyiwei to search for Zhen Fangqing as soon as possible. If any trace of her is found, ask her to return to Beijing immediately.

Jinyiwei sent a letter to the Dali Temple, detailing all the suspicions about Zhen Fangqing, and asked the Dali Temple to file a secret investigation into the matter, and there must be no mistakes! "

After hearing what Emperor Jiazhao said, Guo Lin understood everything in his mind. Although it was the Jinyiwei who discovered the trace, he asked Zhen Fangqing to return to Beijing, which seemed to leave room for maneuver.

This was the last favor that His Majesty showed to the retired emperor in Chonghua Palace.

However, the emperor ordered Xu Kun to write to the Dali Temple, asking it to open a case and conduct a thorough investigation into the matter of Zhen Fangqing.

The Dali Temple is the center of the three judicial departments. When the Dali Temple intervened in the investigation, it had already implicitly determined Zhen Fangqing's guilt.

Once Zhen Fangqing is arrested, I wonder what the emperor in Chonghua Palace will think. I'm afraid there will be a confrontation between father and son...

……

The next day, the sky in Shenjing City was gloomy and rainy. The prosperity of the streets was reduced a bit, and there was a decadent and depressing atmosphere.

The gates of the Dali Temple government office on Chongzheng Street suddenly opened wide, and more than a dozen fast horses rushed out and galloped along the rain-soaked street.

The knights on horseback all wore straw raincoats, hung Dali Temple badges on their waists, and wore goose feather waist swords.

The sound of horse hooves was like thunder, and countless raindrops that had not yet hit the ground were splashed everywhere by the galloping horses.

When the cavalry rushed to an intersection, they split into three groups, and each group of seven or eight riders headed straight for Zhengyang Gate, which was the only way to go south.

The other two fast horses ran towards the east of the city, and one of them was heading towards Ningrong Street.

……

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion.

Jia Cong was still reporting for duty at the Hanlin Academy this morning, but before he had sat in his official residence for long, a servant from his family came over with a message.

He said that an official from the Dali Temple came to visit his mansion, bringing a handwritten order from the Dali Temple Minister Wei, to ask the Earl about important official matters and asked the Earl to return to the mansion to make contact.

When Jia Cong heard that it was a matter handled by the chief official of the Dali Temple, he was slightly moved. He thought that the matter must be important, otherwise he would not have sent his family to deliver the message.

Although Jia Cong was an earl, his official rank was only the fifth rank, far lower than the third rank of the Dali Temple Minister, and the rules and etiquette of officialdom could not be abolished.

When he returned to the mansion and entered the main hall of the outer courtyard, he saw an official from the Dali Temple waiting for him, with a raincoat dripping with raindrops placed outside the door.

When the official saw Jia Cong, he quickly stood up and said, "I am Wu Hongtu, the judge of the Dali Temple. I am here to bother you at your residence on orders from my superiors to inquire about official business."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Mr. Wu, there is no need to be polite. Since this is official business, please feel free to ask."

Wu Hongtu said: "Yesterday, the Jinyiwei received an imperial edict and sent a letter to the Dali Temple, asking the Ministry of Revenue in the secondary capital to confiscate the property of the Zhen family in Jinling and found a huge deficit.

According to the interrogation of the owner of the Zhen family shop, the business started from September last year and ended in April this year.

Zhen Fangqing withdrew a large sum of silver from various shops of his family for overseas trade.

This amount of money is huge, almost half of the Zhen family's wealth, and now it is nowhere to be found. Zhen Fangqing left Beijing last month and has not been heard from since. "

……

After hearing what Wu Hongtu said, Jia Cong was secretly shocked.

All along, he had concluded from Zhen Fangqing's words and actions that she had anticipated and planned for the disaster that would happen to her family, and had already devised a way to deal with it.

Now I realize that she is much smarter and more capable than I imagined.

According to Wu Hongtu, she started withdrawing huge amounts of assets from the Zhen family store in September last year.

According to the time calculation, he was in Nanjing investigating a major case of the Wei Army at that time, and Zhen Shiwen's involvement in the private manufacture of muskets had just surfaced.

At that time, Zhen Fangqing had anticipated that Zhen Shiwen's involvement in the private manufacture of muskets would definitely sow disaster for the Zhen family, and he began to prepare a way out early on.

Although she is a woman, she is far-sighted, methodical, decisive and efficient, and is in no way inferior to men.

Moreover, the Zhen family had not yet been convicted at that time, and the imperial edict to confiscate their property had not yet been issued. Would disposing of their private property also be considered a crime?

……

Wu Hongtu continued, "The emperor ordered the Dali Temple to investigate the matter thoroughly, and the temple minister handed the case over to Yang Sizheng to handle it.

According to the Dali Temple, Zhen Fangqing's only relatives and friends in the capital are those in Prince Beijing's Palace and the Earl's Palace.

In accordance with the Dali Temple's inspection practices, Yang Sizheng sent his subordinates and colleagues to the two places to inquire about the matter.

The Dali Temple had heard that when Zhen Fangqing left Beijing, it was the Earl who personally escorted her out of the city.

This visit by this humble official is also a routine matter. I would like to know if Zhen Fangqing had any unusual words or actions when leaving Beijing, or if he mentioned where he was going.

If you know the inside story, please tell me everything so that the Dali Temple can investigate Zhen Fangqing's whereabouts. I can also report to Yang Sizheng when I return to the yamen."

Jia Cong saw Zhen Fangqing off that day, which was a matter witnessed by everyone and could not be hidden from others. It was not surprising at all that Wu Hongtu said this.

When Jia Cong heard that Yang Hongbin was in charge of this matter, he understood a little.

That year, he solved a major case involving the Water Conservancy in Jinling, and as a result, he became friends with Yang Hongbin and they became close friends.

Now, Yang Hongbin followed the Dali Temple rules and sent his subordinates to inquire about official matters, which seemed upright and he even spared the Beijing Prince's Palace.

Some things are self-evident, and he knows the deep meaning of them... (End of this chapter)