Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Ningrong Street, Earl's Mansion, main hall of the outer courtyard.

Jia Cong said: "The Jia and Zhen families are old friends in Jinling. Miss Zhen and I have a marriage agreement, so we should be polite when we say goodbye.

When we said goodbye that day, we just chatted about family trends and family friendships, and didn't talk about anything special.

Miss Zhen returned to Jinling after leaving Shenjing, and did not mention going anywhere else. Miss Zhen's words and actions were normal.

I have carefully considered the situation on that day and found nothing unusual. It seems that I cannot help Wu Pingshi."

After hearing what Jia Cong said, Wu Hongtu felt a little disappointed, but it seemed to be within his expectations.

This Earl of Weiyuan was a master at investigating and solving cases. He had solved many major cases in Jinling and was known for his wisdom and resourcefulness.

I don't expect to get anything from him...

Wu Hongtu took out a piece of paper and pen and wrote down the conversation between the two in detail. He also asked Jia Cong about other things, and Jia Cong naturally answered without any mistakes.

But he did not intend to deceive, because what he said to Wu Hongtu was almost true.

When seeing her off that day, Zhen Fangqing only talked to her about interesting family matters and their love affairs, and did not mention a word about her plans.

Perhaps from that time on, she had anticipated the current situation. If she didn't know what was going on, it would be easier for her to stay out of it.

He knew clearly the purpose of Yang Hongbin sending people to his house to question him. It was both a formal routine and a subtle reminder to him.

He has a special relationship with Zhen Fangqing, who has been accused of a crime and is sinister, so he wants to avoid getting involved...

After Wu Hongtu asked about the matter, he got up and said goodbye.

Before leaving, he said: "The emperor is very concerned about Zhen Fangqing's matter, so he ordered the Dali Temple to investigate the matter strictly.

However, considering the legacy left by the old Concubine Zhen, in order to leave dignity for the deceased, a strict and secret investigation was conducted.

Please keep your mouth shut about what happened today and don't spread it. I will take my leave now."

When Jia Cong saw Wu Hongtu's back gradually disappearing in the heavy rain, his expression became solemn.

When Mrs. Zhen sent the silver to Beijing and hid it, it was after Zhen Yingjia was dismissed from his post and investigated. At that time, the court had already issued an imperial decree to convict and confiscate the property.

Therefore, the eldest branch of the Zhen family could not escape the criminal law for hiding the private silver, and their crime was more severe, which was justified.

However, Zhen Fangqing's disposal of the family property happened long before the incident in the Zhen family. It is difficult to define and convict him from a legal perspective. At most, he can be accused of deliberate intent.

The fact that Emperor Jiazhao made such a fuss about this matter and asked the Dali Temple to intervene in the investigation showed that he was angry and humiliated.

Jia Cong thought about the matter carefully and probably could guess what Emperor Jia Zhao was thinking.

The emperor took advantage of the situation and severely punished the Zhen family in Nanjing because of the private manufacturing of muskets in Nanjing.

The purpose is to deter evil spirits from coveting the private manufacture of firearms. The crime of one person is enough to confiscate the family property and exterminate the entire clan.

It was also meant to intimidate and warn the powerful and influential families in the south of the Yangtze River who had great hidden power.

There are six states and one prefecture in Jiangnan. With the Du family in front and the Zhen family in the back, if anyone dares to cross the line, the imperial court will never tolerate the evil and will give him a heavy blow with thunder!
However, Zhen Fangqing prepared for the future and seized most of the Zhen family's property before Emperor Jiazhao took advantage of the situation.

The emperor's plan to intimidate and suppress the Jiangnan gentry turned out to be an empty punch that did not live up to its name. How could the emperor not be secretly angry?

That is why Emperor Jiazhao ordered the Dali Temple to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and find the whereabouts of Zhen Fangqing, but he also requested that the matter be investigated in secret.

After all, the news leaked out and the emperor was quite embarrassed.

He wanted to use the power of a lion fighting a rabbit to stage a big show to scare off the villains.

But with the help of a young girl, the whole stage was secretly dismantled, making it impossible for the emperor, the royal guards, and the three judicial officials to leave the stage.

Jia Cong couldn't help feeling a little worried, even though he had already written a letter to Jinling Xinchunhao, asking Qu Hongxiu to help Zhen Fangqing.

However, Emperor Jiazhao has already mobilized the three judicial departments to intervene in this matter, and the Jinyiwei and local government offices will certainly increase their search efforts.

It becomes difficult to predict whether Zhen Fangqing can hide and escape safely.

Once she falls into the hands of the government, even with the existence of the Supreme Emperor, with the methods used by the current Emperor, the consequences would be disastrous.

……

In the east of Shenjing City, there is an exquisite two-story courtyard. This is the new residence of Ellie and her mother Xu.

Jia Cong, holding an umbrella and without any servants by his side, walked into the quiet and peaceful alley alone and rang the door cymbals of the courtyard.

After a while, the gate was opened and a slim girl with fair skin and bright eyes came out.

Her clothes were a little different from others. She didn't wear the usual jacket with a front opening that girls usually wear, but a light blue embroidered Shu brocade robe.

She is tall and slender, with skin as white as jade. She wears a solid green scented sweat towel around her waist. Her slender waist can be held in one hand, which makes her figure more graceful and elegant.

Seeing Jia Cong's delighted expression, she said, "Today is a good day, so I thought of coming to visit you."

Every time Jia Cong took Ai Li out, she would wear a headscarf and a hat, because she naturally didn't have these things at home.

Ellie had a head full of brown hair, which was tied into a long braid that casually hung at her waist. The breeze blew it, gently caressing her soft black hair.

Even in the gloomy and rainy sky, her dark golden hair still shone with a moving halo, making her eyebrows and eyes look deeper and her skin as white as snow.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have been busy going to and from the government office these days. Today, I had something to do at home, so I left the government office an hour earlier and came here to take a walk."

Ever since Jia Cong inherited the title of Rong and took over all the property of the West Mansion, this house has been one of the properties of the West Mansion.

It is said that this house was purchased when Jia Daishan of Rong State was alive. Even the old servants in the West Palace could not tell who had lived there before.

This house had been vacant for more than ten years. When Jia Cong took over the Xifu family business, he cleaned and renovated the house and invited Ai Li and her daughter to move in.

Today, all branches of Xinchunhao in various places have established themselves firmly, and have become prominent among local businesses and have gained a great reputation.

Branches in Liaodong, Jinling, Gusu, Yinzhou, Fuzhou and other places became important places for Xinchunhao to transfer commercial goods and financial resources.

The transmission of information between branches in various places is becoming increasingly frequent, and the rapid flow of information is becoming increasingly important.

The Feiyu communication stations established by Jia Cong and Ai Li, except for the three communication stations in Liaodong, Jinling and Gusu, were directly controlled by Qu Hongxiu, Wang Dequan and Zhou Guangcheng.

The remaining branches and Feiyu letter stations are not affiliated with each other and are independently set up, and message transmission and flow are carried out according to established procedures.

Every few months, Ellie would select sharp-minded girls from among the orphans adopted by the Xinchun and teach them bird training techniques.

After several months of training by Ellie, these girls were sent to Feiyu Communication Stations in various places to be responsible for transmitting information between different places.

There is a reason why only women are chosen, because women are more delicate and patient, and have softer blood than men, so they are easily accepted by birds.

Therefore, women can achieve twice the result with half the effort when learning bird training techniques compared to men.

Ellie was taught skills by her father, and when her father was still alive, Ellie had already surpassed her father.

It is for this reason that her ability to sense and summon birds has surpassed her father's.

Whether it is training birds or teaching skills, a spacious living space is needed.

This is also the reason why Jia Cong took Ai Li and her daughter to move.

……

There are two connected rooms in the backyard of the mansion. Two more rows of windows are opened on the four walls of the rooms, and fine wire mesh is installed.

There are many bird cages neatly arranged in the wing, and many birds are kept in different categories.

Even so, there wasn't much odor in the room. I guess it was because Ellie loved birds and cleaned the room diligently every day.

Originally, Ai Li and her daughter lived here. Because the mansion was much larger than before, Jia Cong wanted to buy two maids to serve them.

However, Xu declined the offer with regret, and the mother and daughter took care of the house themselves.

When Xu saw Jia Cong coming, she went to prepare a pot of new tea and brought it to the backyard herself.

As soon as she entered the inner courtyard, she saw Jia Cong and his daughter sitting side by side, teasing a kestrel that had been hatched for more than a month.

Although they were polite to each other and only talked and laughed softly, there was an indescribable intimacy in their expressions.

Every time Jia Cong came over, his daughter would talk and laugh, and seemed particularly happy.

Xu was also young once, so she naturally understood her daughter's thoughts, but she never said it out loud.

She sighed slightly in her heart and calmly brought the tea over.

Not long after, a Saker Falcon took off from the backyard, flapped its wings, and flew southward through the clouds.

……

Suzhou, Chayuan Street.

This is a prosperous neighborhood in Gusu, and the Jiangnan Inspectorate branch was once located here. Although the yamen is no longer there, the name has been used.

The streets are still bustling with people coming and going, as if they are no different from the past.

However, the shop owners and clerks of several old shops on the street, having seen more people on the streets, noticed that in recent days, there were more unfamiliar faces wandering back and forth on the road.

Some people also asked them about the owners of the houses on the street. These people looked fierce, and although they did not reveal their identities, the shopkeepers who had been in charge of the shops for many years were all well-informed people. They recognized these people's words and deeds, and most of them were government officials.

Naturally, he did not dare to hide anything from them, so he told them that the third mansion in the east was said to be the villa of a wealthy businessman.

Although this mansion is magnificent and exquisite, it is usually empty and only inhabited by two old slaves who guard the house.

Some time ago, four or five carriages and horses came and a rich lady stayed there, but she rarely went out and none of the neighbors had ever met her.

These people lived there for a while and then suddenly moved away, still leaving two old servants to guard the house.

These shop owners who make a living in the market have seen many officials dressed in plain clothes wandering around to gather information in order to catch important criminals. It is a common occurrence.

They thought the matter would be over soon, but unexpectedly many Jinyi officers flooded the streets the next day.

Not only did he break into the mansion and search everywhere, he also captured the two old slaves who were guarding the mansion. They have never been seen since.

In the following days, Jinyiwei cavalrymen often came along the way from Chayuan Street to Xumen to inquire about things.

It is said that the young lady who stayed there left the residence on Chayuan Street and left Gusu City from Xumen.

Some people say that the young lady living in the mansion on Chayuan Street is a wanted criminal of the imperial court who has escaped and is now being hunted by the Embroidered Uniform Guards.

Some people also said that this rich lady was actually a repeat pirate from the East China Sea in disguise, intending to enter Gusu to rob and commit crimes.

For a while, people in the city were in a panic, rumors were spreading, and the young ladies of each wealthy family were restrained by their families and stayed at home to avoid causing trouble.

Soon, the Suzhou government posted a notice that anyone who could provide information on the whereabouts of the owner of the house on Chayuan Street would be rewarded handsomely.

In the following days, people would come to the government office to report the incident from time to time, hoping to get a reward from the government.

However, these people were either vague in their statements, which were of no help in tracking down the suspects, or they simply fabricated stories in an attempt to earn a bounty.

The Jinyiwei made trouble in the city for a few days but found nothing. Then they gradually stopped and reportedly began to search all over the city outside of Gusu...

……

In a mountain village in the southern suburbs of Suzhou City, at dusk, drizzle fell and night was approaching.

This place is fifty miles away from Gusu City, far away from the hustle and bustle of the city. It is quiet and secluded, as if it is isolated from the world.

A galloping horse came from the north, and the sound of horse hooves was like dense drumbeats, echoing continuously on the country road.

The horse galloped to a quiet and unique mansion, and the knight jumped off the horse...

……

In the inner courtyard of the mansion, under the flickering candlelight, Zhen Fangqing and Mrs. Zhen were chatting with an old lady.

This old lady was none other than Old Madam Zhen, who was rumored to have passed away in Jinling City many days ago.

The old lady was holding Zhen Fangqing's hand and said, "Fangqing, fortunately you were smart enough and didn't rush back to Jinling, otherwise you would be in trouble now.

Now she must have been escorted to Tongzhou by the government. If a rich lady were to end up like this, there would be no point in living for an old man like me."

Zhen Fangqing said: "Old lady, the Zhen family is about to collapse, and considering that you are old and can't stand the hardship, we have to use this method to bring you out.

The loss of an old lady in the family is not too noticeable, but I can't do anything about the other relatives.

If we act reluctantly and anger the imperial court again, no one in the Zhen family will survive."

Old Madam Zhen said: "I understand what you mean and your difficulties. The Zhen family has fallen into decline and the whole family has been confiscated.

It's a great thing that you can protect yourself. You should not ask for anything else as you have preserved the last bit of dignity and incense for the Zhen family.

I originally thought that I would lose my life, but now I am still alive and well, so why should I be dissatisfied?

I blame the eldest wife for being so foolish. At the critical moment, she was willing to sacrifice her life rather than her money. She even transported the silver to the capital and hid it, causing the whole family to suffer a miserable end.

I don't care about those two old people, I just feel sorry for my Baoyu, who has to suffer with his parents for no reason.

He is only fifteen years old, and has been pampered since childhood. Now he has to go to a wild place like Lingnan. How can he endure this hardship? "

Zhen Fangqing said: "Old lady, don't worry too much. Baoyu is still young after all, and he will definitely come back to be filial to you in the future.

Once the news of this matter has died down, I will send a capable person to Lingnan to take care of it secretly.

Although he can't be as rich as before, it's still possible to ensure that he has enough food and clothing and is safe.

Baoyu used to play around in the inner house, which really wasted his time. Now that he has gone through this hardship, it may not be a bad thing for him.

As the saying goes, if jade is not polished, it cannot be made into a useful object. Maybe he will learn something from this and work harder from now on. He will have a good future. Wouldn't the old lady be happy? "

Old Lady Zhen was just an old woman who doted on her grandson. She wouldn't think about these things. As long as her wife Baoyu was safe and sound, she would be satisfied.

The grandfather and grandson were chatting when suddenly Liu Xian's wife came over and said that someone from Jinling had sent an urgent letter.

When Zhen Fangqing heard the word Jinling, his expression changed slightly, and he hurriedly took Liu Xian's family to the study.

There were two letters on the desk. One letter came from Shenjing and was sent to the Xinchunhao Jiangnan headquarters. It was delivered by express horse overnight on the same day.

This letter is still unopened. It was sent by Jia Cong from the capital using Feiyu.

Although he knew that Zhen Fangqing was in Gusu, he didn't know her exact address, so he could only send it to Jinling for forwarding.

Fortunately, the speed of Feiyu's delivery is much faster than that of the military express horses. Even if it is delayed for one night, it will definitely arrive before the Dali Temple's troops go south.

The letter describes what Zhen Fangqing had done, which has alarmed the current emperor. The Dali Temple has opened a case for investigation, and the Jinyiwei and local government will certainly step up their efforts to search for him.

Suzhou was within the jurisdiction of the government of the secondary capital and was no longer a safe place. They persuaded her to take refuge in Fuzhou temporarily, and Xinchun could provide her with a retreat route.

Another letter was written from the Suzhou Branch to Qu Hongxiu, describing a series of recent events in Suzhou City. It was also forwarded by the Xinchun Branch at the same time.

The letter described how the Royal Guards raided a residence on Chayuan Street and searched for a female prisoner in Suzhou City.

This letter was written by Zou Min'er from Suzhou Branch to Qu Hongxiu. This letter was just daily business communication of the store and this matter was mentioned occasionally in the letter.

Although Zou Min'er had heard of Zhen Fangqing's name, she didn't know that she was in Gusu.

But as soon as Qu Hongxiu read the content, he knew that the person the Jinyiwei wanted to search for must be Zhen Fangqing, so he forwarded the letter to him.

……

Zhen Fangqing read the two letters with a serious expression on his face. He lit the two letters and burned them.

Seeing that she looked unhappy, Liu Xianjia asked, "Third Miss, the messenger came from Jinling overnight and changed two horses on the way.

This urgent letter, does it say something important?"

Zhen Fangqing said: "The Ministry of Revenue of the Secondary Capital has confiscated the Zhen family's assets and has discovered clues. This matter has alarmed the current emperor.

The palace has issued an imperial decree, ordering the Dali Temple to send people south to investigate.

A few days ago, the Imperial Guards conducted a massive search in Gusu City, trying to find any traces of us."

After hearing this, Liu Xianjia's face changed drastically and he asked, "Miss, this rumor sounds a little wrong. You should think of a solution as soon as possible."

Zhen Fangqing said: "This is no longer a place to stay for long. Someone suggested that I go to Fuzhou for temporary refuge."

Liu Xianjia's eyes lit up when he heard this, and he said, "Fuzhou is a good place to go. It's far away from Jiangnan and much more stable than here."

Zhen Fangqing shook his head and said, "If we really go to Fuzhou, his people will get involved in this matter, and they will give him something to hold against us in the future..."

Liu Xianjia heard Zhen Fangqing's ambiguous words and did not explain who suggested her to go to Fuzhou, so she naturally did not dare to ask more.

……

Zhen Fangqing looked at the ashes on the ground, his mind racing. The journey to Fuzhou was long, and Xinchun had to make arrangements along the way to ensure their safety.

There is no wall that is impenetrable in this world. The involvement of Yu Zhang's people in the matter to this extent is likely to leave him with hidden dangers.

The current emperor is a very powerful figure, and Yu Zhang is a minister he trusts, so he must pay a lot of attention to him.

Now that he has been in trouble, the emperor will definitely be concerned about his relationship with him, and I'm afraid he has already paid a lot of attention to him.

He had already taken risks for himself by sending the letter from Shenjing, and that was enough. It was worth it for me to keep thinking about him...

Why should I create hidden dangers for him because of my own affairs? If I ruin his future, I will be uneasy for the rest of my life.

Only by finding a permanent solution can we completely eliminate the current disaster, which will benefit both ourselves and others.

She said to Liu Xianjia, "Auntie, you should take people to pack the luggage tonight, and everything should be put away by noon tomorrow.

Ask Uncle Xian to go out at dawn to inquire about the sea water conditions and wind conditions in the next two days. I hope it will be a calm day.

We will leave here after sunset tomorrow. I will go and explain this to my wife and the old lady first."

Liu Xianjia looked surprised and asked, "Miss, where are you going?"

Zhen Fangqing said quietly: "I am ready to go out to sea. I have reserved a boat at Haishanzhu..." (End of this chapter)