Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

As the year draws to a close, the north wind begins to rise and the weather turns colder.

The weather in Beijing has been unusual in recent years. Winter comes early and spring comes late every year. It is already cold at the end of October, and it is still chilly at the end of March.

The flowers and trees in the courtyard are withered, and most of the green leaves on the branches have fallen off. Only the low shrubs, with their lush green, are the few bright spots of color in late autumn.

The doors and windows of the main house and the side rooms in the courtyard have replaced the thin spring and autumn curtains with red brocade cotton curtains that block the wind and keep warm. Slender figures can often be seen lifting the curtains to enter and exit.

The south-facing window of the study was half open, and although fresh air rushed in, the room did not feel cold or gloomy.

In front of the desk was a cloisonné enamel incense burner with the moon shadow in the moonlight. A small amount of silver frost charcoal was burned and sprinkled with lily petals, which slowly emitted a gentle and fragrant breath.

Yinglian was sitting in front of a bookshelf reading a book. There was a white ceramic nut jar on the bookshelf. Every time she turned a few pages of the book, she would take snacks from the jar and stuff them into her mouth.

Lingguan sat upright in front of the desk, wearing an embroidered light blue double-breasted jacket, a pink and white coat, and a light purple long skirt. Her eyes were watery, her hair was like clouds, and she was pretty and charming.

She was copying calligraphy with a brush in her hand, while Jia Cong was sitting beside her fiddling with a map and giving her some pointers from time to time.

Lingguan has been learning to read and write with Jia Cong for nearly two years. She is very intelligent and hardworking. She has already learned more than a thousand characters and has no problem turning pages and reading papers.

Although her calligraphy was still a bit immature, it had already shown a solid foundation. Tanchun and Daiyu both said it was quite good when they saw it.

Because she often went in and out of Jia Cong's study, she became the second nerd after Yinglian in Qingwen's eyes.

……

By the time the sun had risen a little higher, Lingguan had finished copying two large sheets of paper, but still felt unsatisfied, so he spread out a third sheet to start writing.

Seeing that she was serious about practicing calligraphy, Jia Cong smiled slightly, put down the map in his hand, walked forward to hold Lingguan's hand, guided her on the strokes, and pointed out any deficiencies.

Because Lingguan was still young, she was not as smart as Qingwen. She would blush when Jia Cong touched her. She felt very comfortable when Jia Cong held her little hand in his palm.

Each stroke became more and more fluent, and a slight smile appeared on the little face, making her look childish, cute and charming.

The two of them were writing with their pens in hand, absorbed in what they were doing, when they heard footsteps approaching the study door, and Daiyu came in with a smile on her face.

She wore a light blue double-breasted jacket embroidered with plum branches, a white cross-collared lining, a light yellow pleated skirt, and sapphire phoenix hairpins in her hair. She was graceful and elegant, like an immortal.

She saw Jia Cong teaching Lingguan how to write, whispering in his ears and looking quite intimate.

He said with a smile: "Oh, I came at an unfortunate time and delayed Third Brother from teaching his female disciple.

Third brother rarely has a day off, but he is busy opening a girls' school. It is not enough for him to be a Hanlin, he wants to teach the maids around him to become female scholars, will he stop there?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "How can I teach a scholar so easily? They just know a few more words and can read a few more books.

My sister is the daughter of a top scholar, a Jinshi, well-read, and can compose a poem in seven steps. She is more than a female scholar, she is also a female Jinshi at least. "

Daiyu smiled and said, "Third brother is really good at coaxing people. He speaks nice things so fluently. I wonder if he really means it."

……

Jia Cong asked, "Sister, why are you alone? Where are the other sisters?"

Daiyu smiled and said, "Second sister took fourth sister to the small courtyard on the south slope to play chess with Miaoyu.

Sister Xiangyun also loves chess, so naturally she wanted to join in the fun and she also asked sister Xiuyan to go along.

I went to my third sister's courtyard just now, and the maid said that she went to the east courtyard early in the morning.

I thought Third Brother was taking a day off today, so I came to talk to him."

……

Jia Cong was not surprised to hear this. Ever since Miaoyu and her disciples moved into the East Palace, they had been getting along well with Daiyu and Baochai.

Because she was also good at chess and her chess skills were quite good, she was comparable to Yingchun. The two had similar interests and often played chess against each other for fun.

Because Xing Xiuyun and Miaoyu had a semi-teacher relationship, she would often visit the Nanpo courtyard. Wherever Xing Xiuyun was, Shi Xiangyun would naturally be there.

Jia Cong was not at home during the day because he was attending court, so the sisters had an extra place to go.

As for Tanchun, she has been visiting the East Courtyard frequently recently because she is worried about her aunt and brothers. She is afraid that they are disorganized, their words may be inaccurate and cause trouble.

Daiyu walked to the desk and watched Lingguan copying her handwriting. She found that the structure of her handwriting was well-proportioned and the strokes were stretched. Although it was soft, it was well-made. Daiyu could not help but praise it.

Then he saw the map on the table and said, "My third brother gave me this map, but it's a map of the nine towns of the Great Zhou. How did my third brother figure this out?"

Jia Cong said: "In the past two years, the remnants of the Mongols have revived, stationed troops in the northern desert, and controlled the Hetao area. The north is not peaceful at the moment, so I just took it out and looked through it when I had some free time."

Daiyu asked curiously, "The court pacified Liaodong two years ago. Now Third Brother is looking at the map. Is there going to be another war?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It's hard to say for sure at the moment. The remaining Mongolian tribes have sent people to the capital to pay tribute and seek peace. It would be best to solve the problem without fighting."

……

The two were chatting when they suddenly heard Qingwen say outside: "Miss Bao is here. The Third Master and Miss Lin are in the study."

Jia Cong heard the sound of rings and pendants colliding and the hem of a skirt swaying at the door, and saw Baochai coming in with a golden bracelet.

He smiled and said, "Sister Lin is here too. What are you two talking about? I can hear your voices from far away."

Daiyu smiled and said, "We were just talking about good things. Third brother is here to open a class to accept female disciples."

Baochai was a little confused, Jia Cong said with a smile: "Don't listen to Sister Lin's jokes, how can Sister Bao have time to come and walk around."

Baochai said: "I wanted to talk to my second sister when I was free, but when I entered the garden I found that she had gone to the small courtyard on the south slope. She must have gone to play chess with Miaoyu.

I wanted to go over there too, and today is Brother Cong's day off, and I have something to discuss with you, so I came over to talk before I leave."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "I didn't think of what happened to Sister Bao."

Baochai smiled and said, "Brother Cong, how could you forget that you asked Lin Zhixiao to buy ten bags of rice yesterday, saying that you would be useful to him."

Now that the price of rice outside was rising, Lin Zhixiao asked someone to tell his brother to continue buying from Duanjia Grain Shop in the north of the city.

My brother went out early this morning and I don't know where he went. The grain shop just delivered ten bags of rice.

I sent the people from the grain shop away and loaded my own carriage.

I think both the East and West Palaces have purchased grain and rice for next spring. Brother Cong would not just buy these ten extra bags. They must be for use outside.

Therefore, the grain carriages only stopped under the eaves of the East Corner Gate and did not enter the East Palace, so that Brother Cong could put away the grain himself."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Sister Bao is really thoughtful. This grain is not for our family. I have other uses for it."

He asked again, "I usually have too many things to do and don't pay much attention to the price of grain. Sister Bao said that the price of grain has risen again recently?"

Baochai said, "The price of grain has risen by half a percent this month compared to last month. I heard from my brother that there are many more Mongolians in the city recently.

It was said that they were an envoy group from the northern grasslands. After arriving in Shenjing City, these people went around buying food, causing the price of food in the city to rise further.

Later, the government intervened and foreign barbarians were not allowed to buy grain at will. They had to obtain official documents to avoid fluctuations in grain prices in the city.

Brother Cong has been in the imperial court and has seen more than the women in our mansion. What are the origins of the Mongols in the city recently?"

……

When Jia Cong heard that the Mongols were buying up grain in the city on a large scale, he felt a chill in his heart. Although the government had stepped in to stop it, the matter still posed a great concern.

The people of the grassland live a nomadic life. Compared with the farming Han people in the Central Plains, they rely more completely on the weather for their livelihood. A snowstorm can wipe out their entire tribe.

So they must be like prairie wolves and rely on plundering, killing and fighting to survive when life is difficult.

Their cunning and ruthlessness are no less than those of the people in the Central Plains who have been deeply influenced by military strategists and are well versed in cunning and deceitful tactics.

Since the imperial court does not allow them to buy grain at will, can't they use other channels...

When Jia Cong heard Baochai's question, he said, "Because I have a classmate who won the second place in the imperial examination this spring and was selected by the Ministry of Personnel to observe government affairs at the Honglu Temple.

We had a small gathering at Chunhua Building the day before yesterday and he talked to me about this matter, so I happened to know the whole story.

In the past two years, the power of Mongolian Anda Khan has continued to grow. In addition to the strong Tuman tribe under his command, he has tens of thousands of tribes and nearly 100,000 soldiers.

He also controlled the two major tribes, the Yongxielun and Ordos, through marriage and military suppression, and claimed to have a population of 200,000.

In the past two years, Anda Khan's troops have been harassing Datong, Xuanfu and other places, burning, killing and looting, causing countless casualties among soldiers and civilians.

The emperor was furious and issued an edict to ban border trade in the nine towns. Although the tea-horse trade was not closed, it was already in name only.

Although Anda Khan had a strong army, the severe winter was approaching in the northern desert and border trade was banned. He could not obtain winter supplies such as rice, grain, and cloth from the interior through the tea-horse trade.

The tens of thousands of people under his command will also be in survival difficulties, so he has to bow his head.

In the past month or so, the remnant Mongols' attacks on the border have been greatly reduced, and the Tuman, Yongxielun and Ordos tribes have each sent envoys to Beijing to pay tribute.

One was to offer tributes of good horses, furs, animal tendons and other products from the grassland in an attempt to exchange them for rewards such as rice, grain, salt, iron and cloth as winter supplies for the tribe.

The second was to seek peace with the imperial court, hoping that the emperor would relax border trade and reopen the tea-horse trade.

This time, the three major Mongolian tribes, plus some small tribes, came to Beijing to pay tribute with more than 2,000 people in a huge momentum in order to get more rewards.

The imperial court was worried that too many members of the remnant Mongolian envoys would enter the city, which would bring about unpredictable risks, so it only allowed the leading figures and their entourage to enter, and the rest were stationed twenty miles outside the city.

Even so, there were about five or six hundred tribal envoys entering the city, so naturally there were many Mongols in the city.

These people came to the capital to pay tribute in order to obtain winter supplies, so they would naturally not miss the opportunity to buy rice in the market, but it was not so easy to succeed. "

Daiyu and Baochai were both rich ladies, living in a large mansion with a stable and peaceful life. They had no idea that such big things were happening outside.

Although it was strange and terrifying, these things were too far away from the inner house, so I just listened to them and didn't take them seriously. ...

But Jia Cong was certain that despite the grand momentum of the tribute from the remnant Mongols, they would most likely return in failure.

Since the Jurchens in Liaodong were pacified, the imperial court had expanded its territory in northern Liao by thousands of miles. With the flourishing technology of firearms, Emperor Jiazhao's ambition to expand the territory was ignited.

Anda Khan was a powerful and ambitious hero in the northern desert. He controlled the Hetao area in the south, controlled Yulin and Ningxia, and confronted Datong and Xuanfu. He had become a serious threat to the Great Zhou.

In the past six months, in response to the border disturbances caused by Anda Khan's troops, the imperial court has continuously tightened border trade standards and banned the outflow of materials from within the country, gradually becoming a trapped beast.

It was also the time when the severe winter was approaching in the Mobei grasslands. In the eyes of Emperor Jiazhao, Anda Khan was like a hungry wolf caught in a trap, and he was in such a desperate situation that he offered tribute and asked for peace.

At this moment, how could the emperor easily loosen the shackles and let this prairie wolf have a chance to catch his breath...

……

In the east of Shenjing City, there is an exquisite two-story courtyard. This is where Ai Li and her mother Xu live.

An inconspicuous carriage drove into the street and stopped at the gate of the courtyard. Jia Cong did not bring any servants with him, but only let Jiang Liu drive.

After the cymbals of the courtyard door were struck, the gate opened after a while, and a graceful girl with fair skin and bright eyes came out.

She was wearing a moon-white embroidered Shu brocade robe, and was tall and slim, with a dark blue scented sweat towel tied around her waist. Her slender waist could be held in one hand, and she had a graceful figure and an elegant manner.

Seeing Jia Cong's delighted expression, she said, "How come you have time to come over today?"

Seeing Jia Cong asking Jiang Liu to move many bags of rice from the cart, Ai Li looked a little surprised.

Jia Cong said with a smile: "Rice is in short supply in the capital right now. It will be difficult to buy it as the year draws to a close. You and your aunt are both women, so it is not convenient for you to carry rice in bags on your back.

My family has access to rice and grain, so I prepared ten bags for you, enough for you and your aunt to use until the end of next spring, so you will have less worries during the New Year."

Ai Li smiled prettily and said, "Thank you for thinking of everything. Although my mother is old and can't do anything, I am not that squeamish."

As she spoke, she took a bag of rice from the carriage, exerted a little force with her slender waist, and lifted the bag onto her shoulder, then walked into the yard with her long legs.

……

Jia Cong smiled slightly when he saw her. Among the women he knew, Ai Li most possessed the characteristics of ancient people who were similar to modern people. She was generous and unrestrained.

They had charged on horseback together, fought in enemy lines, and risked their lives.

She is not as reserved as ordinary women. She expresses her joy and sorrow freely, and loves and hates according to her heart, and does not know how to hide her feelings.

Sometimes he even forgot that Ellie was a woman, even though she was a very beautiful woman.

Jia Cong then carried another bag of rice. After just a few trips, the three of them carried ten bags of rice to the empty room in the courtyard.

Ever since Jia Cong entered the Hanlin Academy, he has been busy with official duties every day and visits Ai Li's house much less often than before.

Seeing that he came to the house during the day, Ellie must have thought that it was a day off for the government office, and she hoped that he could stay longer.

But before she could say it, Jia Cong said he would take her to Liufangju for tea. She couldn't help but smile, feeling very happy.

Jia Cong asked Jiang Liu to return the carriage to the Xue family, then went in to exchange greetings with Xu, and then took Ai Li out.

……

Now that the year is coming to an end, the streets are becoming more and more crowded with people and vehicles.

November and December are the months when people in Beijing buy New Year goods, so business in the streets is very prosperous.

It goes without saying that the wealthy and powerful spend lavishly to stock up on New Year's goods, and ordinary people are also not stingy with their savings, purchasing various items and doing their best to have a good New Year.

Shenjing is the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty and a prosperous and wealthy city in the world. Such year-end business opportunities have always attracted the attention of traveling merchants.

For nearly half a month, merchants from all over the country have been gathering in the capital, setting up shops and selling their goods in the hope of making a fortune and having a good year.

Therefore, convoys loaded with commercial goods can be seen everywhere on the streets, and the business of shops, restaurants and tile shops in the city is becoming more and more prosperous.

In the past, when Jia Cong and Ai Li went out, they were used to riding on horses together, walking through the streets and alleys, wandering freely, which was quick and convenient.

But at the end of the year, the streets are crowded with people, and walking is actually more convenient than riding a horse.

The two walked all the way to Hanzheng Street, where they saw crowds of people and a prosperous and bustling street scene. Jia Cong was worried about getting lost, so he held Ai Li's hand.

Ai Li's pretty face flushed, but she did not dodge. Her heart was warm and happy, and she held Jia Cong's hand tightly with her backhand.

She followed Jia Cong through the crowd, and from time to time she lifted her veil to watch the bustling street scene. She looked excited and happy, and became more and more beautiful and charming.

……

At this moment, the sound of hurried horse hooves suddenly came from the front. Ellie was born in the North and almost grew up on horseback. She had excellent riding skills and was very familiar with the habits of horses.

She heard the clatter of horse hooves and lifted her veil and said, "Yu Zhang, this man's horse is so fast. He's riding so fast on the streets of Shenjing. Isn't he afraid of hitting someone?"

Jia Cong heard the sound of horse hooves which was far away at first, but soon approached rapidly. The sound was noisy and chaotic, as if it was not just a single horse galloping, but a large horse group.

In just a moment, he saw pedestrians on the road screaming and moving to the sides like a tide.

Many peddlers and vendors were unable to dodge and were knocked over by the running crowd, causing them to complain and curse.

The crowd on the road made way for him, and Jia Cong saw a dozen knights, all riding tall horses, galloping towards him like clouds.

Although there were only a dozen or so riders, they seemed to be able to run with the momentum of thousands of troops. Each of the riders was wrapped in fur coats, holding swords and bows, looking very powerful and majestic. They were all dressed like Mongolians.

The man in front was riding a spotted horse with a sturdy build. He rode faster than the others, waving his whip left and right, driving away the crowd along the way, with a very arrogant look on his face.

Jia Cong's face darkened slightly. In the capital of the Great Zhou, these Mongols were just paying tribute and begging for food. It was too domineering for them to ride their horses and shout in the market.

……

At this time, the leading knight was still galloping on his horse and was about to rush to the front. Jia Cong pulled Ai Li to hide on the side of the road.

I saw an old woman pulling a little boy, panicking to avoid the horse group. The child fell to the ground in panic, crying with fear, and the old woman hurriedly turned around to help him.

Seeing that the leading knight seemed not to notice and his horse did not slow down at all, Jia Cong's face changed when he saw that the old and young couple were about to be trampled by the horse's hooves.

He had nothing else in his hand, and in a hurry he took off the veil on Ellie's head, gathered his arm strength, aimed carefully, and threw it out with force.

The veil hat was round in shape and woven from the finest bamboo. Jia Cong threw it out with great force, and with the help of the wind, it spun in the air and flew away quickly.

The snow-white gauze on the brim of the hat fluttered in the wind, like a swift, white cloud, and instantly hit the horse's head heavily.

The galloping horse was suddenly hit hard on the head. It was frightened and neighed, and its front hooves stood up.

Although the strong man on horseback had excellent riding skills, he was caught off guard and was thrown off the horse. He fell to the ground with a thud, looking quite embarrassed.

The following horsemen were all shocked when they saw this, and they shouted to stop their horses to avoid trampling their own people.

At this moment, Ellie seized the opportunity, stepped forward quickly, and helped the old and young couple to the side of the road.

……

Jia Cong saw that there were nearly twenty people in the team, all of them were strong and brave, and they were quite powerful. There were also many birds, rabbits, pheasants and other prey hanging on the saddles.

After the cavalry was forced to stop, the knights on horseback seemed to have an order, and they moved their horses invisibly to protect a young knight among them.

Jia Cong saw that the young man was the leader. He was about sixteen or seventeen years old, with slender shoulders and a straight back, and a tall posture, and he looked quite heroic.

He wore a long black sable coat with fine leather armor underneath, and his hair was tied in a braid behind his temples.

She wore a forehead band with a black background and gold embroidered patterns, with a large blue dragon eye sapphire in the middle, sparkling brightly.

This man had a light complexion, rosy cheeks, and the characteristics of a grassland person.

He has a high nose bridge, thick black eyebrows, and slightly raised eyebrows, which reveal a sense of courage and composure. His eyes are clear black and white and bright.

A heavy scimitar was hung on his waist, with a dark fish skin scabbard dotted with red and yellow gems, and a brass handle that had been polished for a long time and was shiny.

He rode a grass-yellow horse, which exhaled and raised its hooves, looking very majestic. The saddle and reins were inlaid with gold and silver, and looked exquisite and luxurious.

……

Jia Cong could conclude that this group of people must be members of the remnant Mongolian envoys.

The leading young man was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had an extraordinary demeanor. He was followed by elite entourage, most of whom were important figures in the delegation. He couldn't help but frowned slightly.

The knight who fell off his horse climbed up with some difficulty. He felt sore all over and became furious.

He waved his whip and shouted, "How foolish of you to startle my horse! Are you tired of living?"

The young man in gorgeous clothes seemed oblivious to Hu Ergan's action and just looked at Jia Cong curiously.

Seeing that he was well-dressed, handsome, and calm, and that he showed no fear at all when facing the scolding of his men, he couldn't help but take a few more glances at him.

He accidentally looked at Ai Li beside Jia Cong, his eyes lit up slightly, and he smiled softly: "What a pretty girl."

After hearing this, Jia Cong's face darkened slightly. In later generations, being praised for the beauty of a female companion was considered a compliment.

In this day and age, men and women are strictly separated and etiquette is strictly followed. This is by no means a good thing.

Moreover, the young man's words were somewhat frivolous and inappropriate, which made Jia Cong want to punch him in the face.

After hearing what the young man said, Huergan said, "You little white-faced rabbit husband, you frightened my horse. I was going to chop you to death with my sword.

Today I suddenly feel kindhearted. If you give this girl to my master, I will spare your life..." (End of this chapter)