Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 490: Peace of Mind with Money
In Tianxiang Tower,

Immortal Master Feng Keping, who is sitting on the futon, is a little embarrassed. This is decided by you and your son. Whichever woman suits your heart, just choose whichever one you like. Why should you ask so many questions? But looking at Jia Zhen’s frowning expression, With a look on his face, he could only speak to persuade,
"Jenji, this is easy to say. Since you can't decide, just choose the first one. What do you think?"

Jia Zhen and Jia Rong looked at each other again. Did the immortal answer too quickly? It seemed that he just said casually, why was No. 1 and not the second place? Especially Jia Zhen didn't know why. The first one. The two of them had discussed it before and looked at the names and said they would choose the daughter of the Meng family. Jia Rong also agreed.

Thinking of this, Jia Zhen remained silent, picked up the wine cup and said,

"Come on, Immortal Master, don't worry, I will have a glass of wine with you before we talk."

After speaking, the two picked up the wine cups, clinked a glass, and drank it all in one gulp. When they saw the immortal master eating the wine, Jia Zhen asked,

"What is the truth of what the Immortal Master just said? Is there any explanation?"

Feng Keping was always watching what was said. He first picked up the chopsticks silently, then picked up two pieces of meat and put them into his mouth. After swallowing, he spoke in his heart. Looking at the reactions of the father and son, he must have discussed it long ago. Well, that is the second person, a girl from the Meng family. She is more in line with their vision, or more feminine, but it is easy to handle. Since they look similar and have similar family backgrounds, either one is fine. They are both on the same level. In the meantime, he had a countermeasure in his heart and said with a smile,
"Haha, this matter must have been discussed between the general and his son. Pindao also guessed that the general must have already been chosen, but he was hesitant, so he asked me. If the guess is good, Master Zhen must have chosen it. She is the daughter of the Meng family, right?"

Jia Zhen looked stunned, a little dumbfounded, and she guessed correctly. This was a true god. She quickly filled up the immortal master again and asked urgently,
"Master Immortal, there is some secret here."

Feng Keping shook his head and thought to himself, he guessed it right. Although the father and son looked confused, especially when it came to money, they were careful about their budgets, but when they met something they loved, they spent money like running water without feeling any distress. There is only one thing, that is, women. When they meet a woman, the two of them seem to have changed into two different people. They are too shrewd. They really don’t understand that women are the same everywhere. Looking at Jia Zhen’s questioning look, she smiles and says,

"Lord Zhen, please listen to Pindao and explain slowly. There is really no doorway here. Pindao just calculated it. I thought that the daughter of the Meng family would be suitable. From the name, I can tell that she is the right person. She must be as gentle as water, knowledgeable and reasonable. She must have read poetry and books since she was a child, and knows a little bit about music, chess, calligraphy and painting. She can be regarded as a lady of a wealthy family. However, Zhen Jushi, the more she is like this, the more well-behaved she is. After entering the Ningguo Mansion , not to mention anything else, for some people, practicing Taoism and alchemy makes it more difficult to tolerate these. Moreover, the channel is not too talkative. This woman’s father is still in the Supervisory Council. Supervising hundreds of officials is not a joke. If this thing gets spread, I’m afraid it will be detrimental to the Duke’s government.”

After Jia Zhen listened in a deep voice, her expression changed. After careful consideration, she realized that what the Immortal Master said was true. She had not considered these things before. If she really came to Ningguo Mansion, her thoughts would not be able to succeed, not to mention whether she would have a chance to succeed. I can’t even practice Taoism. Absolutely not, I absolutely can’t come.

"What the Immortal Master said is absolutely true. I just thought too little, but I still don't understand. Then why did the Immortal Master just bluntly say that he decided on the daughter of the Feng family just now?"

The Immortal Master smiled mysteriously, shook his head, drank a cup of wine by himself, and quietly fanned himself with a feather fan that he didn't know where he came from. It was like the wonder of becoming an immortal, and then whispered,

"Speak first, and follow the fate of your words. Layman Zhen, think about it. When we just introduced him, he mentioned the Feng family first, and then the Meng family. It can be seen that layman himself has already chosen Decision, there is no need for a poor person to decide. Besides, this woman, named Feng Taiying, looks delicate and heroic at first glance. She must not stick to trivial matters. She is in line with the style of the Duke's house when she enters the door. She must not be too sensitive. For example, even if the eldest son marries a concubine, he won’t stop her from doing anything. Since he can tolerate this, the others must be more tolerable, so it’s easy to talk to him, which is in line with the original intention of the palace. "

Jia Zhen felt like she had a sudden enlightenment, her face flushed, as if she had resolved her grievances, and she looked young and energetic. If she could endure more, she might have a chance.
"Thank you, Master Immortal, for your advice. After listening to Master Immortal's words, I suddenly became enlightened. In this case, it's time to drink this cup of wine and do it."

"Dry."

The two of them continued to drink happily. Jia Rong sat aside and felt hot in his mind. He said this from the bottom of his heart. He must have a concubine. Even if he didn't take a concubine, he still had to keep someone in the house. He couldn't be like Lian. The second uncle is the same, he can't eat it even when he sees it. No matter how good the honey is, there will be a time when he gets tired of it. As for that Ping'er girl, the second uncle Lian didn't succeed after staring at her for so long. It can be seen that Wang Xifeng's power may be even more unbearable if it were him.

Now with the guidance of the Immortal Master, as long as the other party can bear it, the house will definitely serve her comfortably. Then I will have a place. My father has cultivated to a high level and will no longer interfere with the mundane affairs in the house. When the time comes, he will be in great power, and not all those women will fall into his arms. Thinking of the wonderful thing, he will serve him with all his heart.
"Master Immortal, come here, eat some food, eat some food. This is Zuixianlou's famous beggar's chicken. I don't know where it came from. It's very delicious."

Jia Zhen and his son were having a great time drinking and eating together at the table.

Master Fengxian was just eating, drinking and chatting at this time, and would never mention what he just said. As the saying goes, too much talk leads to loss. Both father and son were thinking about good things, but he himself understood that since he was named Feng Taiying, he must be fierce. If a woman has a good heart, but if she doesn't follow the rules of women in her heart, it will definitely be a disaster if she meets the father and son. At that time, the rules of human ethics could kill the Ningguo Mansion. No, I have to speed up a little. After making money, and then taking the money and leaving, you can't stay here for too long, and you can't touch those women, not to mention the bone-scraping steel knife, it's all trouble, but you can't fall short in the end.

Thinking of this, the immortal master was still generous. After drinking half a bottle of wine, when he picked up the wine cup, he poured it directly along his sleeve and poured it on the ground. Then he took it back and pretended to drink. After a while, the three of them suddenly became confused. If Lingding is very drunk, then not far away is the straw bed of the monks. Of course, it is not that shabby, and there are all the beddings. It just puts a layer of straw at the bottom, which is a metaphor. The three of them stumbled to the straw bed. On the bed, he slept with his clothes on. After a long time, the immortal master suddenly opened his eyes and looked at the father and son who were still sleeping soundly. He took out a small porcelain bottle, poured a little powder and put it in the heart, and then gave it to him. The father and son wiped the tips of their noses, finally put away the porcelain bottle, then fell on the bed, pulled the quilt over them, and then fell asleep peacefully.

Only then did Tianxiang Tower become quiet.

Beijing,

Large internal household department,

Shen Zhongxin and Marquis finished ransacking the officials' mansions, and then they discussed how to separate. Shen Zhongxin escorted a large amount of the confiscated money and valuables into the palace and into the Ministry of Household Affairs, and arranged for guards from the Imperial Army to guard them. Master, after searching the residences of officials in Jingcang, there was almost 200 million taels of silver, not counting the 10 taels of silver notes in Shen Zhongxin's arms, which were obtained privately.

Arriving at the warehouse of Hububutang,
After watching the boxes of silver being sealed by people from the Ministry of Finance and sent to the warehouse, his nervous expression relaxed and he felt exhausted. He looked at the Imperial City Si Qianhu Liu Chen who was following him, his face He still looked a little worried and said,

"Liu Qianhu, you've worked hard these past few days. That's it for today. Have a good night's rest and pick me up at my house tomorrow."

"Yes, Mr. Shen, I remember my humble duty. You should also go back and rest early. It's just that the Marquis went to the imperial prison, so I'm afraid..."

Liu Chen was also a little worried. If the Marquis asked why he was not there, he was afraid that the Marquis would be dissatisfied. Shen Zhongxin saw Liu Chen's worry, stretched out his hand, waved it, and said,
"Liu Qianhu can rest assured and go back to rest. The Marquis is not a stingy person. I believe Liu Qianhu got it today. The hard work fee mentioned by the Marquis can be regarded as one of his own. If anything happens, I will let you know."

"Thank you, Master Shen. I have also received that humble post. I also thank you for the humble post, Lord Marquis, and Sir Shen for your help."

Seeing Liu Chen's expression of gratitude, Shen Zhongxin also lamented Luo Yunhou's method of winning people's hearts. As long as everyone who helped with the work had a share, even the handymen and clerks, it was hard to say whether it was good or bad. Liu Chen was fine with this. , and said goodbye and left.

After Shen Zhongxin locked the door of the warehouse, he also returned to the mansion.

After entering the courtyard of his house and the study, he took out the 10 taels of silver from his arms and put it into a secret box without telling his wife. After putting it away, he put it on the bookshelf. Everything was as usual.

I went to the front hall to have a meal. After working hard for several days, I didn't have a good meal with my wife. It was a coincidence that I came back early today.Sitting down in the east room, the maid served the rice. Then there were only three dishes and one soup on the table. The soup was clear and watery. The lady also looked pale and was weak. Shen Zhongxin suddenly felt sad in his heart. What the Marquis said The words came back to my mind again, people, the body is the foundation, eat well, drink well and sleep well, but you need money, and there is nothing you can do if you don't have money, so there is no shame in taking money within the rules, those who take bribes and corrupt people's lives are careless It's definitely not possible. Only by looking past some things can we move forward better.

Besides, even if you can hold on and don't use it, your wife, children, servants, and servants at home are all piled up with money. With these, you can buy some property and income, and you will have hope for the future.

Thinking about it carefully, Mr. Hou's words made sense. Looking at his wife's haggard face and her little daughter who was silently drinking soup, Shen Zhongxin put down his bowl and chopsticks and said,
"Madam, starting from today, five dishes and one soup every day must contain meat and fish. Then you can buy the necessary things at home. Which ones are missing? Don't lose yourself. This is a banknote. Take it first."

After saying this, Shen Zhongxin took out the hard-earned money from his arms, which was a full 3000 taels of silver notes, and placed it on the table.

His wife was shocked when she saw it. Where had she seen so much money? She asked,
"What happened to my husband? Where did this bank note come from?"

Looking at the disgraced lady, Shen Zhongxin replied with some guilt,

"I haven't encountered anything. I am accompanying Marquis Luo Yun to handle the case today. These are considered hard-earned expenses. They are paid for both top and bottom. You can take them clearly. Also, wasn't our former small village pawned by a pawn shop? Let's redeem it for 15. Zhuangzi pledged 5 taels of silver. If he didn't redeem it, wouldn't it be a big loss? He would still have an income of several thousand taels a year."

"What did you do to give so much money? There is only 1 taels of silver in the house's treasury, which is reserved for emergencies. All the previous ones have been returned to the Ministry of Accounts. In order to buy this house, how can I still have any money? Zhuangzi redeemed it."

Mrs. Shen's wife took care of the housework, wasted her time, and no longer cared about the origin of the money. Since her husband took it, she must know the origin, otherwise a person with a clean reputation would never take it.

Shen Zhongxin picked up the bowl and chopsticks again and started eating. Seeing how well-behaved his little daughter was now, he smiled and said,
"After I get back to the house, I will get you 5 taels of silver notes. I will go and do it tomorrow. Spring is coming. Zhuangzi will redeem it, and there will be an income of silver every year. It will be much better in the future. As for other things, there is no need to ask more. "

Looking at Shen Ziyu who had changed into a different person, Mrs. Shen had some things she wanted to ask but did not dare to ask.

"Yes, tomorrow I will go to Yahang to redeem Zhuangzi, but husband, you have to be aware of some things and take it easy."

Looking at the worried lady, Shen Zhongxin smiled softly and stopped her.
"Thank you for your hard work, madam. I know this well. The days will get better and better in the future. Besides, I don't dare to touch those dirty silver in my life."

Mrs. Shen then smiled. She felt at ease with the money, as long as she was not greedy for ink. Suddenly she remembered something, and she forgot about it in a panic. She took out the secret letter from her sleeve and put it on the table.

"Look, you just forgot that this is a letter sent to you by someone sent by the teacher."

Shen Zhongxin immediately put down his bowl and chopsticks, picked up the envelope from the table, opened the letter, and read it. It turned out that it was something that his teacher Gu Yichen had told him. He had to review it slowly and carefully, and finally report it to the emperor. He had to be careful about someone. Get involved.

Isn't this just luring the snake out of its hole, but whether some things are checked or not has nothing to do with the overall situation. Since it can't move, then cut its wings, because it will eventually jump out.

After reading the letter, he stood up with the letter in his hand, came to the oil lamp, slowly lit it, and the last bit was scattered on the ground and burned.

"Madam, try to go out as little as possible these days. Even when you go to the tooth shop, you have to take your servants and servants with you. Be careful about everything. As for food, there is no need to buy it. Someone will deliver it to your door."

Mrs. Shen looked at the ashes on the ground, looked at Shen Ziyu with some worry, and asked,

"Food is so expensive in the capital now, who will deliver it to your door?"

"For the sake of my husband, Marquis Luo Yun, the chamber of commerce in my house will send ten shi of food, so you don't have to worry about this anymore."

"Um,"

Beicheng prison,

Zhang Jinyu personally escorted the captured family members to the imperial prison. All the family members were crying and making trouble all the way. Ji Yunhui led others to scold them back and forth. Those who didn't listen were whipped, so the trip was not delayed.

After arriving at the imperial prison and checking the tokens, He Yixiu led the troops and escorted everyone back. The officials in the prison were all disgraced. Cui Dehai saw that his wife, children, and his most beloved concubine were also captured. When he was caught, he suddenly felt panicked and sensed a crisis. He also saw the jailer peeping on the concubine, and his face turned red with anger.
"What's going on? Why did you come in?"

Hearing the master's voice, the concubine cried out sadly,
"Master, their home was ransacked and we were all arrested."

"Yes, sir, other officials' homes were also ransacked."

Then there was a burst of crying, and the impatient jailer cursed,
"Say what you say, get in, hurry up."

Then he whipped him with a whip unceremoniously, and his crying immediately stopped. After a while, he was put into prison and had no chance of living. Cui Dehai suddenly felt that something was wrong. If I did it, I was afraid that the lives of myself and others would be in danger, so I became frightened in my heart. Looking at the familiar figure in the distance, I knew that Marquis Luo Yun was here.

Suddenly he rushed to the cell door and shouted,

"Master Marquis, Master Marquis, I have something to tell you, I have something to tell you!"

(End of this chapter)