Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Shenjing, on the eastern outskirts of the city, the Ministry of Works' firearms workshop.

The wilderness was desolate, the autumn grass was withered and yellow, and there were still remnants of snow on the treetops and leaves.

A two-horse carriage decorated with bright yellow palace satin was quietly parked at the entrance of the workshop, followed by four imperial guards with swords.

Even though the person in the carriage was only a sixth-rank eunuch, he was there to announce the emperor's decree, which represented the imperial authority, and the necessary pomp and circumstance was not diminished in the slightest.

When Jia Cong and Liu Shizhen arrived at the door, Yuan Jing, the eunuch on duty at Qianyang Palace, got off the carriage with a smile on his face.

Jia Cong and Liu Shizhen rushed to the workshop entrance and said, "So it is Eunuch Yuan who has come to deliver the imperial decree. Jia Cong has failed to greet you properly."

Yuan Jing smiled and said, "You are too kind, Marquis of Weiyuan. I have just issued the imperial decree and followed the proper procedures. I hope you will forgive me. Please kneel down to receive the decree."

After Jia Cong, Liu Shizhen, and the others knelt down in turn, Yuan Jing unfolded the imperial edict in his hand and read aloud:
The grassland tribes, envious of the Emperor's favor, went to the capital to seek peace. They weighed the pros and cons and negotiated to achieve mutual benefit, but they did not receive the promised reward.

The process is protracted, the pros and cons must be weighed, priorities must be determined, consensus must be reached, and many complex matters must be addressed. We must strive to do our best.

Jia Cong, a scholar of the Hanlin Academy, is of refined learning and profound virtue, and is respectful and diligent in his duties. He is hereby appointed by imperial decree as the Registrar of the Joint Deliberation between the two states and as a Advisor on all matters concerning the Joint Deliberation. This is hereby decreed.

After reading the imperial edict with measured intonation, Yuan Jing presented the yellow silk scroll to Jia Cong with both hands.

He said, "His Majesty has already reviewed the memorial submitted by the Earl of Weiyuan. His Majesty has instructed me to convey a message to the Earl of Weiyuan to act accordingly."

Liu Shizhen, who was respectfully receiving the imperial edict, was slightly surprised upon hearing its contents.

He knew that the two people in charge of the peace negotiations with the Mongols were Grand Secretary Wang Shilun and Minister of War Gu Yankui.

Both of them were important ministers of the emperor, and although they were both high-ranking officials of the second rank or above, their subordinate scribes were Hanlin scholars of the fifth rank. This was quite a high level of pomp and circumstance.

Furthermore, what is the meaning of having the eunuch convey the emperor's oral instructions and act accordingly?

His young superior was focused on manufacturing breech-loading rifles, so his sudden intervention in the Ministry of War's peace negotiations was somewhat surprising.

Unlike Liu Shizhen, who was completely bewildered, Jia Cong immediately understood the meaning of Emperor Jia Zhao's edict after Yuan Jing relayed it.

After conveying the imperial edict, Yuan Jing returned to the palace by carriage. Jia Cong watched the departing yellow silk carriage, his thoughts churning.

His direct report not only dispelled the uncertainty, but also undoubtedly gained the emperor's approval for his speculations about the Ordos tribe.

The imperial edict appointed him as the head of the council, but this was merely a nominal position; the emperor did not intend for him to negotiate with the Mongols.

Instead, he used this title of head of the joint council to allow himself to intervene in the joint negotiations between the two states, and even to get close to Noyan Taiji and investigate his true intentions.

Emperor Jia Zhao instructed Yuan Jing to convey the imperial edict, which contained many implications and granted him more discretionary power.

He said to Liu Shizhen beside him, "Lord Liu, the court and the remnants of the Mongols are currently in a tug-of-war for peace talks, and there must be many complicated and trivial matters to attend to."

Since His Majesty has appointed me as the head of the peace negotiations, I will naturally put my efforts into this task. During this period, Lord Liu will need to take good care of the workshops.

Fortunately, the production of five hundred breech-loading rifles has been completed. While the pre-year-end production work is a bonus, it cannot be neglected in the slightest.

Liu Shizhen said, "Since it is an imperial edict, and you have other important state affairs to attend to, please just take care of it."

"I will do my utmost in managing the workshop; please rest assured, sir."

……

The Earl's Mansion, the small courtyard on the south slope.

As the sun set and dusk began to fall, the side room on the left side of the Buddhist hall was already brightly lit with candles, and four or five plates of vegetarian dishes and a large bowl of vegetarian soup were laid out on the table.

At this hour, most of the courtyards in the mansion had not yet started serving meals, but the dinner time in the small courtyard on the south slope was noticeably earlier.

Because Master Xiushan had practiced Buddhism for half her life, she maintained a strict daily routine. Every day, apart from worshipping Buddha and reciting scriptures, she was single-minded and rested at sunset and rose at sunrise.

As her disciples, Zhi Shao and Miao Yu were naturally familiar with their master's daily habits.

After Master Xiushan and Miaoyu moved into the East Mansion, Zhishao instructed the kitchen to deliver meals to them on time every day, according to Master Xiushan's daily routine.

Every evening, before sunset, the kitchen would deliver dinner to the small courtyard on the south slope.

Since returning to the capital with Jia Cong, Zhi Shao has returned to secular life and no longer observes a vegetarian diet.

The Jia family was a powerful and influential clan, and their daily diet was exquisite and refined, with all sorts of delicacies being commonplace.

For the past two years, Zhi Shao has been living a life of luxury, but when she goes to and from the small courtyard on the south slope to eat, she always eats vegetarian food, just like her master and senior sister.

As the saying goes, it's easy to go from simplicity to luxury, but difficult to go from luxury to simplicity. However, this principle doesn't seem to apply to Zhi Shao.

She was used to eating delicacies by Jia Cong's side, but she still enjoyed eating simple vegetables and tofu with her master and senior sister with great pleasure and without any difficulty.

Seeing that she was eating with relish, Miaoyu kept putting food into her bowl.

Master Xiushan was elderly and practiced restraint in her daily diet. She only ate half a bowl of rice before putting down her chopsticks.

He smiled and said, "The master is getting old, and his taste is mostly not as good as it used to be. You are still young and should eat more."

By the time the three finished their meal, it was already dark outside, the sun was setting, and a few stars could be seen on the horizon.

After the kitchen maid came to clear away the dishes, Zhi Shao and Miao Yu accompanied their master for a walk outside the courtyard gate.

Standing on the south slope, you can see the courtyards below, all lit with candles, their lights seemingly reflecting the stars in the sky, creating a peaceful and warm atmosphere.

Outside the second gate of the inner courtyard, from the inner ceremonial gate to the mansion gate, the space appears empty and dark; that is the outer courtyard of the East Mansion.

Miaoyu noticed that Zhishao's gaze was always looking towards a spacious courtyard, so she followed Zhishao's gaze.

He couldn't help but smile slightly. That large courtyard was Jia Cong's residence; he was probably about to leave the office and return home...

The two chatted with their master for a while, and when the sky grew increasingly blue, they escorted Master Xiushan back to her room to rest.

After serving the nun until she was settled in bed, the two returned to Miaoyu's room. Zhi Shao took two changes of clothes and prepared to go out.

He said, "Senior sister, I'm going back to the courtyard for night duty today, you should get some rest too."

Miaoyu nodded, watching Zhishao's departing figure, and felt a strange emptiness in her heart.

Suddenly remembering what Zhi Shao had said about working the night shift, my face flushed and my heart started pounding.

She also came from a wealthy family, so she naturally knew what night duty meant.

In wealthy families, maids would stand guard for the young masters and ladies at night, and they were required to serve them when they got up in the middle of the night to get water.

The two sisters whispered in each other's beds. Miaoyu had heard some things about the Jia family, but Zhishao was too embarrassed to say much.

But Miaoyu understood the meaning behind it. Her junior sister was on night duty for Jia Cong, but not like an ordinary maid. She was more likely to... stay by his bedside.

She barely considered the words before feeling a burning sensation all over her body. She quickly suppressed the thought and dared not think about it any further.

She just wanted to find something else to distract herself from her inappropriate fantasies and inner demons. She noticed two nearly finished undergarments hanging on the clothes rack by the bed.

One of them was made by Zhi Shao, and the other was mostly made by Miao Yu.

When she saw the two undergarments, her mind gradually calmed down. The chaotic thoughts that had been causing her distress receded like the tide, and her eyes no longer showed coldness, but only gentle affection and tenderness.

In an instant, strange phenomena appeared before my eyes: the boudoir was warm and cloud-like, my beloved gazed at me with ardent affection, the mortal world stirred, and the weak waters remained still at the bottom.

The night was quiet and the room was lonely. When Zhi Shao left, her unintentional words left Miao Yu feeling lost and confused. Suddenly, a demon arose in her heart, and she broke out in a cold sweat.

She clutched the Bodhi prayer beads hanging from her chest, silently reciting: "If one seeks me through form or sound, that person walks a false path and cannot see the Tathagata..."

After silently repeating the words in his heart for a long time, the fear in his heart seemed to dissipate, but his mind was still in turmoil.

She stood up involuntarily, took off the undergarment that was mostly finished, and gently stroked it in her hands.

Taking out a needle and thread, I sewed under the lamp, my mind, which I couldn't calm down by chanting scriptures and mantras, gradually became calm and undisturbed as I threaded the needle.

……

The Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong's Courtyard.

The heavy snow from a few days ago has gradually melted away, but the weather is becoming increasingly dry, hard, and cold.

Lingguan and Yinglian went to the kitchen early, and only returned with two kitchen women carrying two hot water steamers on a carrying pole after the sun had mostly set.

Although Lingguan and Yinglian both grew up in Jiangnan, Lingguan was more afraid of the cold than most people. She not only wore cotton clothes and skirts, but also carried handkerchiefs.

She was wearing a cloak that was also covered by a thick hood, which completely covered her small face, leaving only her big, bright, watery eyes showing.

She had just entered the main room, put down the steamer she was carrying, and before she even took off her cloak, she went to warm herself by the warm incense burner, as if she was reluctant to leave.

Qingwen, who was setting out the dishes, saw that she looked like a frozen cat and laughed, "Since you're so afraid of the cold, you should stay indoors more and avoid going out of the courtyard."

The kitchen maid could have easily run errands for you, but you insisted on going out for a stroll, and now your skin is all frostbitten.

Lingguan laughed and said, "Sister Qingwen, you don't know, the coldest weather is when the kitchen is the warmest place. When I was in the Suzhou opera troupe, the winters weren't as cold as in the capital, but they were damp, and the cold seeped right into your bones."

No amount of clothing can hide it; only sitting in front of the fire is truly comforting.

Qingwen laughed and said, "This courtyard is full of braziers and fire pits, which are not enough to keep you warm. Why would you go to the kitchen to keep warm? It would be a laughing stock if word got out."

Lingguan laughed and said, "I didn't go there specifically to warm up. Third Master got some excellent sika deer and pheasant, so I went to the kitchen to help cook two dishes. I'm sure Third Master will love them."

A figure flashed by at the door, and Douguan appeared out of nowhere, asking, "What delicious dishes are there today? Let me smell them, do they smell good?"

Qingwen laughed and scolded, "This half-grown girl can't be satisfied. She gets all excited when she hears there's something delicious to eat. Doesn't this young lady know any shame?"

Douguan paid no attention to Qingwen's teasing. She walked to the hot steamer and opened the top compartment.

Upon seeing the plate of tender, glistening meat and vegetables inside, with its enticing color and enticing aroma, their eyes lit up, they exclaimed in admiration, and reached their little hands into the steamer.

Lingguan stood up and slapped Douguan's hand to stop her.

He laughed and scolded, "What a big girl you are, still so reckless! The steamer is full of hot water, aren't you afraid of getting burned? Wait for Third Master to come back before you eat."

Douguan retorted, "Even if we can't eat it now, we should still put it on the table first. It'll look appetizing, and I'm starving."

Lingguan laughed and said, "In this cold weather, once the dishes are taken out of the steamer, they will lose their freshness and tenderness. Look at how greedy you are. If you eat them later, you'll get thinner."

As the two were talking, they suddenly heard footsteps coming from the courtyard, followed by Jia Cong's clear voice.

"Douguan, you're really hungry, so you should eat two more bowls of rice today."

Douguan cheered in a cheerful voice, "Third Master is home! Lingguan, hurry up and set out the dishes, we can't let Third Master go hungry."

Qingwen tapped her hair with her chopsticks and said with a laugh, "You little devil, you don't care if Third Master goes hungry, it's you who will go hungry."

Hearing Jia Cong's voice, Yinglian also came out of the study. Just as the group had served the dishes and taken their seats, Wu'er and Ping'er returned from the West Mansion.

The two had just returned when Zhi Shao followed them into the courtyard.

He only said that he had eaten vegetarian food in the small courtyard on the south slope and would not sit down to eat at the table again. He then said a few words to Jia Cong and went into the main room to tidy up his things.

……

The group was gathered around a table when they heard footsteps coming from the courtyard gate.

Looking back, Yingchun entered the courtyard, wearing a light blue satin round-necked robe with magnolia branches, a beige cotton skirt, and a bright red cloak with scattered flowers and fur.

The cold wind swirled her cloak, and the filigree and pearl-encrusted phoenix hairpin on her head shimmered and sparkled, further accentuating her beautiful appearance, elegant demeanor, and graceful bearing.

Behind her followed her maid, Xiuju, carrying a Mingwa windproof lantern.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Second Sister, what brings you here at this hour?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "I didn't see you yesterday. I heard you were out drinking and didn't come back until late, so I came here today to see you."

Jia Cong asked, "It's mealtime now, has Second Sister eaten yet?"

Yingchun smiled and said, "I haven't eaten here yet, so let's eat here and have a chat."

Jia Cong quickly asked Qingwen to add more bowls and chopsticks, and the siblings chatted while eating.

Because one of the head cooks in the East Mansion was a person bought from the South, she was good at making Southern dishes, and Lingguan was also used to making delicate Suzhou dishes.

The dishes served were made with wild game obtained by Jia Cong, all of which were rare and of the highest quality.

Several plates of venison dishes and a large bowl of pheasant soup were prepared with bright colors and a rich aroma.

Yingchun smiled and said, "I had a venison feast at Rongqing Hall at noon. The cooking skills of our East Mansion's chefs are even better than those of the West Mansion's chefs."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Venus meat is good, but it's chewy and tough. The old lady is getting on in years, so I'm afraid she won't enjoy it. It would be better if it were made into a soup."

The two chatted casually about the venison feast, but Yingchun naturally didn't mention a word about Baoyu's behavior at the banquet.

To avoid offending my brother's ears and potentially getting angry for nothing, it's really not worth it.

Jia Cong asked, "Second Sister, are there any extra perfumes, soaps, toothpastes, toothbrushes, or other similar items in the storeroom?"

Yingchun said, "Although the sisters use them regularly, and some have been sent out to the West Mansion, there should still be quite a few left. Why is Brother Cong asking about these?"

Jia Cong laughed and said, "The venison and pheasant we ate today are a token of our gratitude, so we should give them something in return."

Yingchun said, "This is easy to handle, and you don't need to worry about it. I'll prepare a copy for you tomorrow and have the steward deliver it to you."

At noon, the old lady said, "Your friend knows his stuff. It's not easy to hunt these wild animals in the dead of winter."

She even asked which noble family in the capital he was from, saying that the old lady might recognize one of his elders.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "This man is not from a noble family in the capital; he's from the grasslands..."

……

Yingchun was surprised to hear this and said, "How could Brother Cong know people from the grasslands? Although my sisters and I live in the inner quarters, we know some things about the outside world."

I've heard that the imperial court and the Mongols are locked in a stalemate at the nine border regions, and war may break out at any moment. Now, many nomadic people have come to the city, saying they want to negotiate peace with the Great Zhou."

Jia Cong said, "I have been appointed by the Emperor as the head of the peace negotiations. In the future, I will have to deal with these grassland people. It will just be a matter of reciprocity."

After the siblings finished their meal, they chatted over tea for a while. As evening approached, Jia Cong finally saw Yingchun off.

After returning, he went to his study and found the Ministry of War's official gazette, which he had collected a few days earlier. It contained a summary of the recent military situation in the nine border towns.

The contents of the Imperial Gazette were derived from military reports from various border towns. The Ministry of War compiled and copied the reports, which circulated within a small circle of the imperial court as a reference for preparing for and responding to the war in the nine border regions.

Only the chief and deputy chief officials of the relevant departments of the Ministry of War, the Grand Secretariat, the Ministry of War, the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Revenue had access to these Ministry of War gazettes.

Given Jia Cong's official rank and grade, he would not normally have access to such military intelligence reports.

However, as the Director of the Firearms Department of the Ministry of Works, his position in the Ministry of Works was very special, and even Minister Li Dekang had no power to control him.

The Firearms Department was directly assigned by the emperor, which gave him a somewhat detached position within the Ministry of Works.

Li Dekang and Jia Zheng had been colleagues for many years, and Li Dekang had always treated this overly young subordinate and junior with great kindness and courtesy.

Once, when Jia Cong visited Li Dekang's office to discuss the materials for building the firearms workshop, he couldn't help but glance at the Ministry of War's gazette on Li's desk.

Seeing that he was interested, Li Dekang would make a copy for Jia Cong every time the Ministry of War issued a military intelligence report, as a way of doing him a favor.

Jia Cong noted that, starting in early November, according to the Ministry of War's official gazette, the raids by the remnants of the Mongols on the border towns had significantly decreased.

By late November, the Mongol raids and looting of border villages and towns had almost completely disappeared, just as the Mongol delegation entered the capital to negotiate peace.

A recent military intelligence report, dated nine days ago, stated that the area near Datong and Xuanfu, bordering the Mongol tribes, was calm and uneventful.

Only border scouts patrolling outside the pass occasionally report sporadic movements of a thousand-man remnant Mongol force fifty li away from the border.

The General Headquarters of Datong and Xuanfu are closely monitoring the situation, but so far no abnormalities have been found.

Jia Cong flipped through several copies of the official gazette, but he couldn't make sense of the fragmented information in front of him for the time being.

Seeing that the night was getting dark outside the window, he packed his things, told Yinglian to go back and rest, and then left the study and returned to the main house.

Gently pushing open the door, I saw the candlelight shining brightly in the room, the bed curtains hanging lightly, and the brocade quilt glowing, making me feel extremely warm and cozy.

Seeing Zhi Shao carrying a charcoal box, adding silver frost charcoal to the incense burner, her pretty face glowed pink and delicate, infinitely beautiful, under the glow of the red charcoal fire.

When she saw Jia Cong return to his room, she quickly put the charcoal box back in its place, washed her hands with water on the basin stand, and then helped Jia Cong loosen his belt and change into his nightgown.

Finally, she went to the dressing mirror, removed her hairpins and jewelry, loosened her hair, and combed her hair in front of the mirror.

Seeing Jia Cong sitting by the bed in the mirror, watching her do her makeup with great interest, she couldn't help but smile at herself in the mirror, her beauty radiant and captivating.

Jia Cong said, "I've been too busy at the yamen lately, and I haven't been home even on my days off. I haven't been able to visit the nun for quite some time. Is she still feeling well?"

Zhi Shao said, "Master has been eating and sleeping well lately, and his old ailments have subsided. He is in good health."

News came from the outskirts of the city that the Muni Temple had been repaired and the craftsmen said that after the paint and plaster had dried for a few days, they would move back in on the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month.

I originally wanted to keep my master there until after the New Year, but he said he had been a bother for a long time and it was time for him to move.

Jia Cong sensed the reluctance in Zhi Shao's words, stood up and walked behind her, saying, "The nun is a Buddhist and prefers the tranquility of the Buddhist temple, so you should follow her wishes."

I figured the tenth day of the twelfth lunar month would be a day off, and I'd accompany you to escort the nun and Miss Miaoyu back that day.

"If you really miss them during the New Year, we can bring them back..." (End of Chapter)