Red Mansion: After being expelled from the family, I was granted the title of Marquis of Mobei

Chapter 70: The thief's heart is still there, the Qin family's father and daughter are happy
Shen Congxing snorted coldly.

"After Sheng Hong finished communicating with Kang Haifeng, he returned to the Sheng family and went to the Marquis of Guanjun's Mansion not long after."

"Needless to say, it must be that the Champion Marquis is unwilling to serve the Empress and the Crown Prince."

"Since he is unwilling to surrender, we must destroy him. We must not allow him to be used by Concubine Yue and the Second Prince."

Master Lou said after hesitating for a moment.

"Uncle, this, this is probably not easy."

"In the final analysis, this matter is nothing more than the Sheng family's business."

"And the Sheng family's Sanlang who was involved is now dead."

"If we try to make a fuss about this again, I think it will be difficult."

Shen Congxing waved his hand and said.

"So what if he's dead? With the evidence we have, we can already prove that Sheng Changfeng was involved in the imperial examination cheating case."

"In that case, let's just expose this major case."

"The Sheng family can sacrifice Sheng Changfeng because they still have a legitimate eldest son, Sheng Changbai."

"Let's set the fire directly on him. I don't believe the Sheng family will sacrifice Sheng Changbai."

After hearing this, Master Lou quickly waved his hand and said.

"Uncle, this is inappropriate."

"If that's the case, then we'll kill one thousand enemies but lose eight hundred of our own."

"The exposure of the imperial examination cheating case will certainly affect Sheng Changbai, but for a case of this magnitude, His Majesty will definitely send the Imperial Guards to thoroughly investigate the source of the leaked exam questions."

"Only a few people know the test questions. If you're not careful, you'll end up in trouble."

Shen Congxing said calmly.

"Taifu, I remember there was someone involved in this. It was your trusted confidant, the examiner Wang Wenzheng, right?"

"If I remember correctly, he was appointed Minister of the Imperial Household, a third-rank official."

"Do you think it's appropriate to use him to lure the champion down?"

Upon hearing this, Master Lou looked embarrassed.

Wang Wenzhen is definitely his most trusted confidant, and was promoted by Master Lou.

Seeing that Master Lou was hesitant, Shen Congxing said calmly.

"Master, what you said just now is very right. To accomplish great things, there must be sacrifice."

"Believe me, when the dust settles, all the sacrifices will be worth it."

"In the future, when the eldest prince is appointed as the crown prince of the Eastern Palace, you will be the imperial tutor and the most meritorious official in assisting the eldest prince to succeed the throne."

After hearing this, Master Lou finally nodded.

"Okay, but my Lord, even if this is the case, this matter may not succeed."

"Your Majesty has great trust in the Champion Marquis. It will be difficult to completely bring him down with just this one factor. You must make other preparations."

Shen Congxing and Wang Chun smiled and said.

"Don't worry, Master. We are well prepared."

"Furthermore, Your Majesty may not truly trust the Marquis of Guanjun. He must be wary and suspicious of him."

"After all, the Imperial Guards' Beijing Camp is under the command of Marquis Guanjun, and he also has a father-in-law, Duke Ying, who has been in charge of the Northern Defense Army for decades."

"With such great power, it's only a matter of time before Your Majesty divides his authority."

"What we need to do is to find a suitable reason for His Majesty to take action against him in a logical manner."

After a discussion, several people reached a consensus and prepared to start.

A few days later, at the Marquis Guanjun's mansion, Jia Jue was leisurely drinking tea in the side hall.

Not long after, an old man in green official uniform came into the side hall very respectfully and cautiously.

The old man was none other than Qin Ye, a construction official from the Ministry of Works, who was ordered to assist the Marquis of Guanjun in building the mausoleum and ancestral hall.

After Qin Ye walked in, he looked at Jia Jue, who was sitting in the main seat in casual clothes and looked majestic without even getting angry. He couldn't help but be intimidated by Jia Jue's aura. He quickly lowered his head and saluted before speaking.

"Your humble servant, Qin Ye, the Minister of Works, pays his respects to the Marquis."

Jia Jue said with a calm smile.

"Master Qin, please do not be polite. I am grateful for your care in building the mausoleum and ancestral hall in this mansion."

"My wife told me that in the entire Ministry of Works, Lord Qin is the best at building structures."

"I hope Lord Qin will use all his knowledge to build a resting place for my ancestors."

"Don't worry, Lord Qin. I won't treat you unfairly."

Qin Ye quickly waved his hand and said.

"Your Excellency is too kind. It is my honor to serve you. How dare I ask for any reward?"

"My Lord, after a few days of field investigation and surveying, I have already drawn up a rough plan for the layout of the mausoleum and ancestral hall."

"Here are the corresponding drawings, please review them, my Lord."

Upon hearing this, the servants on both sides stepped forward and took the drawings from Qin Ye's hand, and then unfolded them one by one for Jia Jue to see.

Qin Ye was explaining on the side.

After reading the sketch, Jia Jue smiled and said to Qin Ye beside him.

"Master Qin, did you draw all these sketches yourself?"

Qin Ye nodded slightly and said.

"That's right, my lord. But if there's anything inappropriate, please tell me and I'll change it immediately."

Jia Jue waved his hand and said.

"No, this sketch is very good, grand and well-organized. Sir Qin is truly worthy of his reputation."

"In such a short time, Lord Qin has devised such a brilliant plan. This truly astonishes me."

"Very good, let's start construction as soon as possible according to this blueprint."

"During the construction period, we cannot do without Lord Qin's assistance."

"I will greet the Minister of Works, Lord Liu, and you will be working in the Marquis' Mansion during this time."

"Come, go to the accounting office and withdraw five hundred taels of silver for Lord Qin."

"I obey, little one."

The servant beside him immediately went to the accounting office.

Qin Ye hurriedly said upon seeing this.

"How does this make."

Jia Jue said with a slight smile.

"I don't understand construction, but I respect technology."

"Master Qin, these five hundred taels of silver are the compensation you deserve. Just accept it honestly."

"Okay, go back and get ready."

Seeing that Jia Jue didn't want to be refused, Qin Ye had no choice but to bow and say.

"In that case, thank you for your reward, my Lord. I will accept it with all my heart."

After the two exchanged a few pleasantries, the servant brought the silver note, and then Qin Ye said goodbye and left the marquis' mansion.

On the way back, sitting in the carriage, Qin Ye was very happy with the silver bills in his arms.

Although the Ministry of Works was responsible for construction and made a lot of money, in the eyes of princes and nobles, officials like Qin Ye were no different from craftsmen and were not worthy of being in the public eye.

In the past, other officials from the Ministry of Works could never see the real boss when they visited the residences of princes and nobles. Even the housekeepers looked down on these officials and thought they were not up to par.

But just now in the Marquis' Mansion, Jia Jue not only met Qin Ye in person, but also was very kind.

This made Qin Ye feel more favorable towards Jia Jue.

It seems that rumors are not to be trusted. Who said that the Champion Marquis was arrogant and domineering? This is clearly a rumor and cannot be taken seriously.

Moreover, the five hundred taels of silver bestowed by the Marquis finally solved Qin Ye's urgent need.

Qin Ye has been honest and upright for many years, never engaging in corruption, and living a very poor life on a meager salary.

It was okay before, with plain porridge and white rice, the three of us could get by.

But as my son Qin Zhong grew older, it was time for him to go to school.

In order to find a school for Qin Zhong, Qin Ye shamelessly went to Ningguo Mansion, which he had not visited for a long time.

Jia Zhen, the master of Ningguo Mansion, agreed to allow Qin Zhong to study in the school run by the Jia family.

However, Qin Ye was stumped by the twenty taels of silver as tuition for the teacher.

Qin Ye begged everyone for help to get the money together, but he was still short of seven or eight taels of silver.

Now that Jia Jue rewarded him with five hundred taels of silver, all the problems were solved instantly.

Money is the courage of a hero. With money in his pocket, Qin Ye became more ambitious.

Previously, he wanted to send his son Qin Zhong to the Jia family's school, but it was completely out of helplessness.

He also knew that the Jia family's young masters would not learn anything good if they studied together.

Now that Qin Ye is rich, he naturally wants to provide his son with a better study environment.

I heard that there are many great scholars teaching in Bailushan Academy, and the annual tuition is eighty taels of silver. Moreover, those who go there to study are all young people who are eager to take the imperial examinations and are very motivated.

My son will definitely learn well in such an atmosphere.

I didn’t even dare to think about it before, but now that I have money, I have to let my son go to Bailushan Academy for a few years. If he really succeeds in his studies, I will support him even if I have to sell everything I have.

While daydreaming along the way, the carriage had unknowingly stopped at a small courtyard with a separate entrance in the south city.

This is Qin Ye’s home.

The layout of the capital is that the east is noble and the west is rich. The East City is where the powerful and wealthy live, while the West City is full of markets and most of the wealthy businessmen live there.

As for the north, it is the imperial city.

So it goes without saying that South City is where ordinary people live.

Qin Ye had been an official for decades, but he could only make a living in Nancheng. It was a bit sad to say.

After the carriage stopped, Qin Ye got off the carriage. The coachman bowed and said.

"Master Qin, I will come to pick you up tomorrow morning. Goodbye."

"Go slowly, go slowly."

After the driver left, Qin Ye walked into the courtyard with a food box and a smile on his face.

In the yard, a woman wearing light blue linen clothes, about sixteen or seventeen years old, with a pretty face and a slim figure, was washing clothes.

Those who are familiar with the Dream of the Red Chamber naturally know that this woman is none other than Qin Keqing, one of the Twelve Beauties of Jinling.

At this time, Qin Keqing was still a virgin waiting to be married.

When she saw Qin Ye walking into the yard, Qin Keqing stood up, wiped the water off her clothes, and said with a smile.

"Dad, you're back. Why did you buy so much food?"

Qin Ye said with a chuckle.

"Dad is in a good mood today, Ke'er, go get some hot wine, and we'll have a good meal together tonight."

"Okay, Dad."

After agreeing, Qin Keqing took the food box and went to the kitchen, and then began to get busy.

In the evening, in the simple hall, the three members of the Qin family sat together and had dinner.

Looking at the delicious food in front of him, Qin Ye's son Qin Zhong was drooling.

However, Qin Ye's family education was very strict, so although Qin Zhong was drooling, he did not dare to pick up his chopsticks.

Seeing his son's greedy look, Qin Ye couldn't help but smile, then he picked up some meat with chopsticks and said to Qin Zhong.

"Okay, let's eat, Ke'er, you should eat more too."

Then the family of three started eating happily.

After eating and drinking, Qin Ye looked at Qin Zhong and said with a smile.

"Zhong'er, after a while, Daddy plans to send you to Bailushan Academy to study. What do you think? Do you want to go?"

Qin Keqing on the side was stunned for a moment, looked at Qin Ye in surprise and said.

"Dad, weren't you worried about Brother Zhong's admission? I remember the tuition at Bailu Mountain Academy is not cheap."

Qin Ye said with a calm smile.

"Haha, Dad forgot to tell you."

"Dad has been busy these days."

"Actually, I went to design the mausoleum and ancestral hall for the Champion Marquis's Mansion."

"The blueprints came out today, and the Marquis personally met with me. He was very satisfied with the blueprints and gave me a sum of silver as a reward."

"With this money, Zhong'er's admission to school will not be a problem."

"I plan to buy a servant for Zhong'er and send him to study at Bailushan Academy."

"And Ke'er, you've reached marriageable age. Daddy will give you some money when you come back so you can buy some clothes and jewelry."

After hearing this, Qin Keqing waved her hand and said.

"Dad, I'll let it go. Let's leave the money for brother Zhong to go to school. My daughter is doing well now."

Qin Ye smiled and said.

"Be obedient, what girl wouldn't buy these things? In the past, our family conditions didn't allow it, but now that daddy has money, he naturally can't let you and your sister suffer anymore."

"Don't worry, the construction of the Marquis's Mansion has just begun. Dad has seen that the Marquis is a generous man."

"As long as I work diligently, once the Marquis's mansion is successfully completed, the Marquis will be happy and may even reward me with more. By then, Dad will have to prepare a dowry for you."

Qin Keqing said after hesitating for a moment.

"Father, I've heard from others that the Champion Marquis has killed countless people and is arrogant and domineering. He's not someone you can easily get along with."

"Dad, why don't we just give up the silver? What if we accidentally offend the Champion Marquis? What will happen then?"

Qin Ye waved his hand and said.

"The opinions of ordinary people are not worth discussing. Ke'er, before Daddy met the Champion Marquis, he was also a little nervous."

"But after meeting the Champion Marquis, Daddy felt relieved."

"To be honest, the Marquis is as gentle as jade, with an elegant temperament. If it weren't for the occasional hint of majesty, you wouldn't be able to tell he's a military commander."

"In fact, if you think about it, you will understand. The Marquis is so powerful, but he has never forgotten his original intention."

"The Marquis' wife is the daughter of a fifth-rank official, and it was the Marquis who personally proposed to her in front of His Majesty."

"How could such a kind and righteous person be the bad guy rumored in the market?"

After hearing this, Qin Keqing nodded weakly and said.

"That's right. Even so, Daddy should be careful in the Marquis' Mansion to avoid any mishaps."

Qin Ye said with a chuckle.

"Don't worry, Dad has been working in construction for most of his life, nothing will go wrong."

"Ke'er, don't worry."

After the father and daughter chatted for a few minutes, Qin Keqing got up and tidied herself up, feeling even more curious about the Marquis of Guanjun.

The worries of middle age are as thick as wine, and the feelings of girls are always poetry.

Qin Keqing has very complicated feelings towards Jia Jue.

As early as the year before, when Jia Jue returned to Beijing in triumph, Qin Keqing, like thousands of other girls, was full of fantasies and longings for Jia Jue, the young general who returned triumphantly and was granted a title of nobility.

Afterwards, with Jia Jue's bride-stealing on Zhuque Street and the scandal between Jia Jue and the wife of Marquis Quling that became a hot topic, Qin Keqing had a new impression of Jia Jue.

(End of this chapter)