Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Shenjing, Hanzheng Street.

The sun was shining and the streets were bustling. As Noyan Taiji's cavalry left, the road became calm again and the onlookers gradually dispersed.

Ai Li returned the bolt to the shop on the street. Jia Cong and Liu Binfang stood under the eaves by the roadside to talk.
Liu Binfang said: "This Noyan Taiji would ride horses with his entourage in the downtown area. I think he has a noble status on the grassland and is also a willful person.

On the grassland, strength is respected and the fittest survive, it is extremely cruel. A Mongolian prince like him is born in a high and mighty position, rich and luxurious.

In the metropolis, people will develop an arrogant, domineering, brutal and wild character. The remnant Mongolian tribes have always been a place where the strong prey on the weak, so people with this character can take advantage of them.

As the son of Jilong Khan, Noyan Taiji had a very honorable position even among the remaining Mongolian princes.

But he did not act with arrogance or extravagance, but was extremely cautious and careful, and quite scheming, which made him somewhat different from other remnant Mongolian nobles.

When I arrived at the scene, the uncle had already held Huergan's life in his hands, but several Mongolian warriors just drew their swords and surrounded him without attacking the uncle.

The followers of Noyan Taiji all carried bows and arrows. To be able to serve as personal guards of the prince of the Cangmeng tribe, they must all be good archers.
But no one drew their bows or arrows at the Lord, which was a little unreasonable.

The only explanation is that Noyan Taiji restrained his followers to prevent the situation from getting worse.

At that time, he didn't know the true identity of the uncle, and most of the time he thought that the uncle was just an ordinary young man without any connections or background.

Even so, this person is of noble status and has many guards and followers, but he did not act rashly against the Lord. He was cautious and calm, not arrogant or impatient, which is quite good. "

Jia Cong said: "President Liu is right. A person of high rank will bully the weak. This is human nature and cannot be controlled without a broad mind and vision."

Liu Binfang said: "Later, I revealed my identity as the lord, and he was very interested in me. It's not surprising that the lord is famous all over the world now.

But the Earl had made his personal guards look so miserable. A nobleman of his status had to have some pomp and dignity.

He admired the reputation of the uncle and wanted to make friends with him, but this was not an easy thing to do.

Therefore, his statement that Mongolians most admired the bravest and wisest men in the world was quite clever. It not only flattered and praised the Lord, but also gave himself a very decent way out.

With just a few words, he ended a bloody fight with swords in an instant, and gave a parting gift to establish a good relationship with the uncle.

He is intelligent, able to guide situations and draw conclusions, and he knows how to advance and retreat. He can endure humiliation without getting startled. He is about the same age as my uncle, but he already has such skills, which is quite remarkable.

This person will surely become more experienced in time. The remnant of Mongolia has produced a tyrant like Anda Khan, which has brought many hidden dangers to our Great Zhou.

Now that their young royal family has a figure like Nuoyan Taiji, it is not a good thing for our Great Zhou."

Jia Cong was somewhat surprised when he heard his idle chatter. Although Liu Binfang held a low position, he had a long-term vision and a very good mind and vision.

He smiled slightly: "Lord Liu is thoughtful, discerning people, and meticulous. I admire him."

Liu Binfang said with a smile: "I am just talking nonsense, please forgive me for making a fool of myself.

The country is in turmoil, and the enemy chiefs are eyeing it. Ever since the remnant Meng people have been causing trouble and invading the north, I often talk about the leader of the remnant Meng tribe with others in my spare time.

Najilang Khan had two sons, both of whom died in tribal fighting. This Noyan Taiji was rarely heard of before, so I guess he has just grown up and entered the world..."

The two chatted for a while and their words were somewhat similar. Five years ago, Jia Cong and Liu Binfang had met each other regarding the incident of Wang Shanbao.

But they had seldom interacted with each other in recent years, and today's incident made them more familiar with each other.

……

When Liu Binfang returned to the yamen with a dozen yamen runners, Jia Cong and Ai Li still went to Liuxiangju to drink tea.

After Liu Binfang walked away, Ai Li generously extended her hand into Jia Cong's palm, which he subconsciously held. A smile appeared on her face, and she felt very sweet and happy.

He said, "Yu Zhang, you were really good at fighting just now, and you sheathed your sword very well. Remember to teach me."

Jia Cong turned around and glanced at her. Because Ai Li's veil was damaged, it was now facing the sky, shining in the sunlight, and she looked beautiful and charming, especially moving.

He said jokingly: "I fought for you, that's why you think I'm so powerful."

Ellie chuckled, “You’re good at fighting, and you’re also very smart, you know everything.

But it's a good thing you didn't kill Huergan. That stupid bear was a member of the Mongolian delegation. Killing him would cause us trouble."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "If he dares to disrespect you again, I won't kill him. I will beat him every time I see him, so that you can praise me more."

Ai Li burst out laughing: "Yu Zhang, I know you have many sisters in your family. Have you been used to coaxing girls since you were a child? You can only say nice things when you open your mouth.

My mother said that it is not a good thing for a young man to be too good at coaxing others, because it will cause headaches in the future.

Last time, the young lady from the Zhen family who was granted marriage by the palace almost became your wife. Did you also coax her in this way? "

Jia Cong's expression froze, and he said with a smile: "Nonsense, I have never coaxed her. She is too smart, how can I deceive her?"

Ellie was a little unconvinced and said, "Hey, what do you mean by that? Am I not smart and can I be easily fooled?"

Jia Cong suppressed his laughter and said, "Who dares to say that you are not smart? When you were in Liaodong, people hired you as a bodyguard for only one or two ounces of gold.

I hired you as a bodyguard, but you took two taels of gold from me. I don't know how shady you are. This is not smart at all."

Ellie smiled and said, "At worst, you can hire me as a bodyguard in the future. I won't charge you any gold, and I won't let you suffer any more losses."

Jia Cong asked again: "What else did your mother say to me? Tell me what she said."

Ellie replied: "My mother said you are very good to me, and that you are a capable person and will definitely have a great future."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Mrs. Xu is indeed a good judge of vision. You should really listen to your mother more."

Ellie teased, "You gasp when I say you're fat. You're so thick-skinned and you have no shame."

The two of them shuttled through the bustling crowd, bickering and joking from time to time, and soon put the scene that just happened in Hanzheng Street aside.

……

Honglu Temple, Huitong Hall.

The place is spacious, with various pavilions and exquisite and beautiful houses. It was the place where the Zhou Dynasty received tribute envoys, which is equivalent to the state guesthouse in later generations.

Liu Xiaoping was holding a stack of documents and walking through the corridors of the hall. The midday sun was dazzling, leaving a flowing and trailing shadow behind him.

This time, he, Jia Cong and Cai Xiaoyu took the exam together. They were lucky to be classmates, and all three of them passed the exam with honors.

It goes without saying that Jia Cong was ranked first in the exam, which was brilliant. Cai Xiaoyu also performed well in the exam, ranking thirteenth in the second class, which was a very high ranking.

Cai Xiaoyu's father, Cai Xiang, was a cabinet minister at the time and had connections both inside and outside the court.

In those days, Cai Xiang was also ranked among the top two, and now he had a son who complemented his father very well, and was praised as a great man for a while.

The Ministry of Rites recommended Cai Xiaoyu to enter the Hanlin Academy without taking the examination, and he was appointed as the seventh-rank Hanlin reviewer.

According to Cai Xiaoyu's ranking on the list and his origin from a prominent scholarly family, it was just a matter of course.

Liu Xiaoping's luck was not as brilliant as his two classmates. Although he also ranked second in the high school, he ranked 98th.

His father passed the imperial examination when he was over 40, and now he has been re-elected as the magistrate of Liuhe County in Jinling. I am afraid his future official career is limited.

Although the Liu family is also a scholarly family, their family background and connections are ordinary. It is already a great honor for them to have two generations of Jinshi, father and son, and they cannot force it any further.

Liu Xiaoping has decided to take part in the Imperial Examination of the Hanlin Academy next year. As long as he passes the examination, he will be admitted to the Hanlin Academy.

Although he was much inferior to his two classmates, he was already satisfied with the result.

When I was young, I witnessed my father studying hard for more than ten years. The hardships he went through were breathtaking. I passed the imperial examination twenty years earlier than my father, so what else could I be dissatisfied with?

After passing the imperial examination this spring, he was assigned by the Ministry of Personnel to observe government affairs in the Chief Clerk's Office of the Honglu Temple, and was given the rank of seventh-rank Chief Clerk.

It is not easy for someone born in a humble family to be ranked in the second class and to remain as an official in Beijing.

He, Jia Cong and Cai Xiaoyu were close classmates and now they were in the same class and year, so he already had a solid network of contacts in the officialdom.

He knew in his heart that his current achievements and conveniences were far superior to those his father had in his time, so he was naturally full of anticipation for his future career.

Since he entered the Honglu Temple, he has been meticulous, cautious, and conscientious, and has a good reputation among his superiors and colleagues.

……

Today he had sorted out several documents and was about to take them to the temple secretary for review.

As soon as I turned the corner of the corridor, I came towards a group of people, led by a Mongolian boy about sixteen or seventeen years old.

He wore a long black sable coat, exquisite close-fitting leather armor, a black forehead band embroidered with gold patterns, and inlaid with large dragon eye sapphires that sparkled brightly.

Behind him followed a dozen sturdy Mongolian warriors, each holding a sword and a bow, and holding birds, rabbits, pheasants and other game in their hands, as if they had just returned from hunting outside the city.

Liu Xiaoping had been in the Honglu Temple for some time when he happened to meet a delegation from the three remaining Mongolian tribes coming to Beijing to pay tribute. He had long been paying attention to the head of the delegation.

The Mongol delegation was headed by Altang of the Tuman tribe, who was a close minister of Altan Khan and played an important role in the Mongol delegation.

The young man in front of him is the little prince of the Ordos tribe, and his name is Nuoyan Taiji according to the documents of the Honglu Temple.

Although he was also an important figure in the delegation, the little prince also showed up to participate in the dialogues and negotiations between the delegation and the Honglu Temple, the Ministry of Rites, and the Ministry of Revenue. However, during the various meetings, the little prince rarely spoke.

Although he has a noble status, he is too young and has little experience. Compared with Aletang and others from the Tuman tribe, he is somewhat lacking in weight.

When Liu Xiaoping saw Noyan Taiji coming towards him, he moved to the side of the corridor and bowed slightly to him.

Noyan Taiji was not arrogant. He turned his head to look at Liu Xiaoping and nodded to him. Then the group passed by one after another.

Liu Xiaoping turned his head to take a look, then went back to the temple secretary's office, explained the paperwork to his superiors, and then returned to his own office.

The Honglu Temple has little daily official business, and it only becomes a little busy when neighboring countries come to the court. The Zhubu Office is more idle than other offices because it only handles paperwork.

In the quiet office, Liu Xiaoping walked to his desk and pulled out a booklet from an inconspicuous place on the bookshelf behind him.

He picked up a pen and wrote on it: On October 29, Noyan Taiji of the Ordos tribe returned with 18 guards, all of whom were equipped with swords and bows, and carried prey.

It is suspected that the leader of the personal guards returned from hunting outside the city. He suddenly died with an unknown bruise on the back of his head and blood on the wound on his neck. The cause is unknown and needs to be investigated...

……

Huitongguan, the posthouse of Ordos.

Two pretty Han maids helped Noyan Taiji take off his sable fur and leather armor and put on a soft and comfortable Hu robe.

Noyan Taiji said to the maid, "Go and call Huergan over here. I have something to say!"

The maid hurried out to call for someone, and soon Hu Ruogan came in.

He was tall and strong, and was savage and violent in front of others, but he was very docile in front of Noyan Taiji. He seemed a little guilty and did not dare to look up at him.

Noyan Taiji said: "Huergan, why did you take the initiative to ask Jia Cong for that young girl today?

This is the capital of the Great Zhou, not our grassland. The Han people are different from us Mongols. It is considered a great shame and humiliation to involve other people's women.

If it weren't for the Mongol envoys coming to Beijing to pay tribute, Jia Cong and the judge would have been a little cautious. Even if they killed you, we wouldn't have been able to argue."

Huergan said, "I saw that Taiji had no suitable person to serve him when he arrived in the capital. Although he bought two maids, they were no match for that young woman.

I really didn't expect that she was the woman of the Earl of Weiyuan. I won't dare to act rashly next time. Please punish me, Taiji."

Noyan Taiji said: "Today I see that you are injured, so I will give you twenty lashes first. If you dare to act on your own next time, I will give you another twenty lashes!

Go and call your brother Shurgan, I have something to ask him."

……

After a while, a man entered the room. He looked somewhat similar to Hu Ergan, but he was not as strong as Hu Ergan and was even a little thin.

He was wearing a gray Hu robe, a sheepskin hat on his head, and his back was slightly hunched, making him look inconspicuous.

After he entered the room, he took off his fur hat and saluted Noyan Taiji with his chest touched.

Under his fur hat, he did not tie his hair into a bun like other Mongolians, but instead wore it in a bun like the Han people. At first glance, he looked more like a Han Chinese than a Mongolian.

Noyan Taiji asked, "How are you doing with the task I asked you to do?"

Shu Ergan said: "Taiji is very good at predicting things. The grain store in the north of the city is indeed very interesting."

Noyan Taiji said: "A few days ago, when the delegation arrived in Shenjing, the tribal leaders discussed the purchase of grain and prepared to find a suitable grain store in the city.

I accidentally heard Aletang instructing his men to go to Duanjia Grain Store in the north of the city to buy grain.

At that time, we had just arrived in the capital, and apart from meeting with officials from the Ministry of Rites and the Honglu Temple, we had not had time to go out.

How could Aletang know that there was a Duan family grain store in the north of Shenjing City? It would be strange if there was nothing strange about it."

Shu Ergan said: "The owner of the Duan Family Grain Store is called Duan Chunjiang. This is not a pseudonym, but his real name, which he rarely uses.

His ancestors were Han people, and they followed the descendants of Toghon Temur and retreated from the Central Plains to the Mobei grasslands.

Although he grew up on the grassland, he can speak fluent Chinese. His family has intermarried with Han people who fled north for generations.

Therefore, this person's appearance and speaking accent are no different from those of ordinary Han Chinese, and it is difficult for outsiders to find any flaws.

I have entered the Mobei steppe several times to pay tribute to Anda Khan's tent, and have seen him near the tent many times.

He was the Darughachi of the Tuman tribe. Although his official position was not very high, he was trusted by Anda Khan, so he paid a lot of attention to him.

I went to Anda Khan's tent for the last time last year, but never saw him again.

After some secret inquiries, we only learned that he was sent by the Khan to do something, but no one knew what it was.

Could it be that he traveled thousands of miles to the capital to open a grain store? He was actually assigned by Anda Khan. What use is there for a small grain store? This is a bit strange. "

……

Noyan Taiji's eyes flickered as he walked back and forth in the room. His fine moon-white silk robe swayed slightly in the wind, revealing a sense of elegance and freedom.

He said: "This Duan Chunjiang is originally a Darughachi, who is in charge of military supplies and grain. He runs a grain store, so he is an old hand.

But Anda Khan did not think that he could solve the tribe's winter food problem by relying on a small grain store.

Moreover, we started purchasing grain a few days after arriving in Beijing, which alarmed the Zhou emperor.

The Ministry of War of the Great Zhou Dynasty has issued an order that not a single grain of grain purchased by the delegation can leave the city without a document from the Ministry of War.

Duan Chunjiang's grain shop is useless, unless this grain shop is not used to buy grain..."

Seeing that Noyan Taiji was lost in thought, Shuergan did not dare to disturb him and just waited silently.

My young master is outstanding in appearance and talent, has studied Han Shu carefully, has broad knowledge, is extremely intelligent, and can think of things that others cannot think of.

The Khan often said that the young master was a gift from the Eternal Heaven to the Ordos tribe, and the future of the tribe depended on him.

……

Noyan Taiji thought for a while and said, "I can't figure out the answer to this question for the time being. Perhaps Anda Khan asked Duan Chunjiang to open a grain store in Shenjing for another purpose.

Most likely, they wanted him to be a spy in Shenjing. You also said that this person is no different from the Han people, and it would be difficult for others to find any flaws.

He was just the owner of a grain store and a common merchant of low status. How could he obtain any important military or national secrets?

You have been watching him for many days, have you discovered that he has made friends with officials of the Great Zhou?"

Shu Ergan said: "I haven't found that. Although there are many officials in the capital who buy grain from him, the business is handled by his servants."

Noyan Taiji laughed dumbly: "This is a stupid question. The Han people are different from us Mongols. The distinction between scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans is clear.

In the eyes of the Han people, merchants have always been lowly and officials disdain to make friends with them, not to mention that Duan Chunjiang is not a local, so it is even more difficult for him to make friends with officials. "

Shu Ergan said, "The master is right. As a shopkeeper who sells grain, he can only make friends with merchants. How can he be favored by officials?"

Shu Ergan had just finished speaking when he suddenly thought of something and continued, “However, there is a wealthy young man who often comes to Duan Chunjiang’s grain shop.

I also inquired privately and found out that this man was called Xue Pan, and his family was a royal merchant of the Great Zhou Dynasty. I heard that he was very wealthy. He had invested money in Duan Chunjiang's shop.

They are all Han merchants, and it is normal for them to have close contacts with each other, but Xue Pan has a lot of connections with officials. "

Noyan Taiji's eyes lit up and he asked, "What's the connection?"

Shu Ergan said: "That Xue Pan is a relative of Jia Cong, the Weiyuan Earl of the Great Zhou Dynasty. Xue Pan's family has lived in Jia Cong's house for many years, and the two families have a close relationship.

I was able to find out about this not long after arriving in Shenjing, which means it is not a secret. Duan Chunjiang must also know about it. I think he has ulterior motives. "

After hearing this, Noyan Taiji was slightly stunned and blurted out: "What did you say, that person is Jia Cong's relative!

They are very close relatives. Could it be that Jia Cong is also involved with this grain store..."

Shu Ergan replied: "I am not sure about this, but Jia Cong has never been to the grain store. He is a great Zhou earl, so he probably doesn't know Duan Chunjiang."

Noyan Taiji had a bright smile on his face, revealing a row of neat and white teeth, which was very handsome and bright.

It's just that this smile is unusual, with some surprise, some mischief, some complacency, and even some ill intentions...

He laughed and said, "Shu Ergan, you are much more capable than your brother. He is just a big stupid bear who loves to get into trouble. You did a great job!

Try to come back to the inn as little as possible these days. If there is any news, we will talk outside. Keep keeping an eye on Duan Chunjiang's grain shop and don't let your guard down.

Oh, and still keep staring at that Xue...Xue what?"

Shu Ergan quickly said, "Xue Pan."

Noyan Taiji put his hands behind his back and said in a firm tone: "Yes, it is that Xue Pan, you must keep a close eye on him.

Once you discover something, report it to me immediately. I think this matter is becoming more and more interesting..." (End of this chapter)