The Red Mansion

Chapter 66: Report to the Emperor (Part 2)
The sun shone obliquely into a main room of the Patrol's Left Camp Yamen, casting a mottled shadow on the blue brick floor.

Jiang Nian, He Yun and Peng Jizhong walked into the main hall.

Peng Jizhong limped, his face swollen and bruised. His appearance inadvertently stole the spotlight from Jiang Nian and He Yun, drawing the attention of Lu Kodo, who sat at the head, and Ma Peicheng, who sat to one side. Jiang Nian's mysterious presence and He Yun's fifth-rank Dragon Guard uniform seemed less alluring than his appearance.

Jiang Nian stepped forward and saluted respectfully: "Jiang Nian greets the governor! He greets the lieutenant general!"

He Yun and Peng Jizhong followed closely behind and saluted as well.

Lukodo smiled slightly, his eyes lingering on Jiang Nian for a moment, and his tone was somewhat approving: "Brother Nian, you are strong and have a heroic spirit, but are you a martial artist?"

Jiang Nian nodded and replied, "Your Excellency, I insist on practicing martial arts every day."

Lukodo asked again: "Love reading?"

Jiang Nian looked calm and replied, "I study hard every day and never slack off."

Lukodo nodded slightly and continued to ask, "Do you have any achievements?"

Jiang Nian also said frankly: "I have never passed the imperial examination."

Lukodo chuckled and said meaningfully: "That's not a problem. If you can master both civil and military skills, you will have a bright future without taking the imperial examination."

Jiang Nian bowed and said respectfully, "Thank you, Governor, for your kind words."

Although these polite words were brief, they revealed Lukodo's kindness towards Jiang Nian.

Lukodo gave Ma Peicheng a look, and Ma Peicheng understood. He looked at Jiang Nian, cleared his throat, and asked seriously, "Jiang Nian, you said you had something important to discuss with you. What is it?"

Jiang Nian looked solemn and said to Peng Jizhong, "The Jiedushi and the Lieutenant General are here. Please state the details."

Peng Jizhong nodded, took a deep breath, mustered up his courage, took out Jia Zhen's five hundred taels silver note, presented it to Lukodo and Ma Peicheng, and recounted in detail how Jia Zhen bribed and threatened him and how he ordered people to beat him.

As Lukodo and Ma Peicheng listened, their expressions became serious.

This... this is clearly a lawsuit against Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion!
Complex emotions surged in the hearts of both of them...

As soon as Peng Jizhong finished speaking, Jiang Nian spoke indignantly, "Mr. Qin had barely finished his wedding, and Jia Zhen was already plotting to seize his daughter, intending to take her as a concubine. This violates both etiquette and the Daqing Code. Jia Zhen, knowing this violates etiquette, said he would arrange a house for him to secretly meet with Miss Qin, harboring a rebellious intent. He also bribed and threatened the Qin family's steward, Peng, and when he refused, he allowed his evil servant to commit the crime. Jia Zhen is truly despicable. I beg you two gentlemen to redress the injustice for Mr. Qin and Steward Peng, and punish such a scoundrel as Jia Zhen!"

His voice was sonorous and powerful, like a sharp sword, pointing directly at Jia Zhen's crimes.

Lukodo and Ma Peicheng looked at each other in bewilderment.

Both of them had extensive experience and knowledge, and knew that what Jia Zhen had done today was not uncommon in Daqing. However, the fact that Jiang Nian had brought Peng Jizhong to the Zuoying Yamen to sue Jia Zhen today was a serious matter.

Ma Peicheng was wary of the Jia family. He cast his gaze towards Lu Kodo and secretly rejoiced, "Fortunately, Lord Lu is here today. There's always someone to help when the sky falls. It just so happens that the new governor of the Beijing camp is here when something big happens..."

Lukodo pondered for a long time, weighing the pros and cons.

Finally, he spoke slowly with a serious expression and said to Jiang Nian: "This matter involves Ningguo Mansion and Qin Ye. It is not a trivial matter. I must report it and wait for the emperor's decision!" Ma Peicheng was shocked when he heard this, and his eyes became strange when he looked at Jiang Nian.

Just recently, because of the matter between Jiang Nian and Wang Ziteng, Prince Zhongyi alarmed the two saints, Emperor Jingning and Emperor Taishun.

And now, because of the affairs of Jiang Nian, the Qin family and Jia Zhen, Lukodo is going to report to the emperor to alarm him.

Moreover, Ma Peicheng knew that the saint Lukodo was referring to was not Emperor Taishun, but Emperor Jingning, the retired emperor.

……

……

Lukodo had some favorable impression of Jiang Nian.

He also knew that Jiang Nian and Prince Zhongyi were very close. Since Jiang Nian had brought Peng Jizhong to file a complaint before him today, and Prince Zhongyi's retainer, Ma Peicheng, was present, if he neglected the complaint, Prince Zhongyi would likely learn of it. Furthermore, this matter also involved Qin Ye. With Wang Ziteng's previous experience as a warning, he dared not neglect it.

He had just taken office as the Jiedushi of the Beijing Camp, and was full of energy and determined to do a good job in his job.

What's more, he had a grudge against Wang Ziteng and wished that the Jia family, which was close to Wang Ziteng, would suffer disaster.

So, when Lukodo returned to the Jiedushi Yamen in the Beijing Camp that day, he wrote a memorial about Jia Zhen's affairs. This memorial was presented to the retired Emperor Jingning, not to Emperor Taishun.

Emperor Jingning still held considerable power. The governor of the Jingying camp was a crucial position, wielding considerable military authority within the capital. Lukodo was a close confidant of the Emperor, so his memorials would be presented to him first. Furthermore, memorials like this one implicating Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion in a crime also had to be presented to him first.

Lukodo wrote in his memorial:
"Your Highness, Lu Keduo, the governor of the Jingying camp, respectfully reports:

We respectfully request your Majesty to make a judgment on the case of Jia Zhen, the powerful general and hereditary third-rank noble of Ningguo Mansion, who has violated human ethics and disregarded the laws of the country.

On the 16th of this month, Qin Ye, a deputy minister of the Ministry of Works and Civil Affairs, had just finished his funeral, while his daughter was still in mourning. Jia Zhen of Ning Mansion harbored a treacherous plot. He secretly summoned Qin's housekeeper, Peng Jizhong, to his mansion, offering him five hundred taels of silver as bait and then threatening to "unmask you if you don't comply," forcing him to persuade Qin's daughter to take him as his mistress. Jia Zhen claimed he would "temporarily set up a house to meet privately, away from public view, and wait until she was out of mourning to marry her." This, in fact, violated moral principles and flouted the Daqing Code, which forbade marriage during mourning. Although Peng Jizhong was a servant, he remained steadfast and refused to accept the money, refusing to accept the pressure. Jia Zhen then ordered his powerful servants to beat him.

At six o'clock that day, Qin's neighbor, Jiang Nian, accompanied by his housekeeper, He Yun, arrived at the Zuoying Yamen with the injured to file a complaint. I was inspecting the Zuoying camp and personally examined Peng Jizhong's injuries. He had a broken left leg, his face was bruised, and his brown clothes were stained with blood. As I see that the case involves the distinguished Jia Zhen and the official Qin Ye, I dare not arrest them immediately. Instead, I hereby list three charges for your consideration:

First, Jia Zhen, who held the hereditary title of a third-rank general, attempted to seize Qin Ye's daughter during his mourning period. This violated the "Twenty-seven Months of Mourning Clothes" stipulated in the "Imperial Rites of Daqing" and was a violation of human ethics.
Second, openly defying the Daqing Laws and Regulations, which is a secondary crime of contempt for national law;
Third, allowing evil slaves to commit crimes is one of the three crimes that harm good people.

I, your humble servant, am overwhelmed with fear and have been deeply moved. I have carefully prepared this memorial and humbly begged Your Majesty for your guidance and instruction."

After finishing writing, Lukodo breathed a sigh of relief. He gently blew dry the ink and carefully sealed the memorial, looking particularly solemn.

As a close confidant of the Jingning Emperor, Lukodo knew him well. He had submitted many memorials to the Emperor and could often predict the Emperor's attitude before submitting them.

This time, he could not predict Emperor Jingning's attitude after reading his memorial.

Will Jia Zhen be punished?

(End of this chapter)