Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 517 The Old Duke’s Rules

In the palace,

The eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue seemed extremely surprised. Thirty thousand people faced ten thousand people, and she could still lose. Looking back at that time, the elites of the Jingnan Marquis Mansion were also among the best in Dawu. Could it be that they are so unbearable now? Or have they slacked off over the years? Come to think of it, Yes, after all, I live in seclusion and have no time to practice, but I can understand it.

Yue Feng's face turned red. Seeing the eldest princess's surprised look, he knew what His Highness was thinking, so he still opened his mouth to defend himself.

"Your Highness, it's not that we are afraid of him, Marquis Luo Yun, but we have lived a stable life in these years and have become lazy. Also, the outside of the pass is not as good as the inside. The elite troops in the nine-border frontier army are not in vain. The frontier army almost every year It will take several battles, but those who can survive are all elites. Moreover, Your Highness, I dare to pat my chest and guarantee that Erlang, his subordinate, will never fall behind against the Beijing camp and the imperial army."

Yue Feng was speaking from his heart. No matter how unbearable the old troops of the Hou Mansion were, they were still fighting in large and small battle formations in the pass. They were not as good as the border troops, and they couldn't be compared to the Beijing Camp and the Forbidden Army. If they hadn't knocked down the main force of the White Lotus Sect, they would have been killed while escaping. How can you lose so many brothers if you bite your tail?

Thinking of the White Lotus Sect, I wonder if it has really been wiped out. The people in the south of Beijing are in chaos, and the people in the Taiping Sect are leading the chaos. It is really chaotic, and it is unlucky for the imperial court.

The eldest princess put down her jade pen, looked at the old general who was still a little unconvinced, and smiled.

"Old general, there is no need to be angry. Now, it is no longer the time to conquer the world with soldiers. I want to ask for an explanation, but it depends on the court and the emperor. The Jingnan Marquis Mansion has been expelled from the title by the imperial court. I want to fish in the troubled waters in the south of Beijing. , the gains outweigh the losses, since the Taiping Sect can start an uprising now, it means that they are fully prepared, but it may not be that easy for the court, so we must first hold back Marquis Luo Yun and not let him lead the army into battle, you understand!"

Yue Feng and everyone in the palace looked at the eldest princess. Her charming jade face was still so dazzling. The eldest princess was already in her twenties, and the years had not left any trace. Yue Feng quickly came back to his senses.

"Your Highness, the general still doesn't quite understand. It's not up to us to decide who will lead the army to quell the chaos."

"Of course it is not our decision. It is His Majesty, the court, and even the Supreme Emperor who can decide. So I want to return to the capital, but how to go back depends on this time,"

Zhou Xiangxue smiled. The day to come to Beijing is not far away. Even if she can't return to the capital, she can come to Beijing at any time. If she wants to come to the Queen Mother, the day to come to offer incense is not far away. She just doesn't know if the Queen Mother has found any trace of her eldest brother. If it is really found, how will it end then.

Thinking of this, Zhou Xiangxue's face calmed down. The battle for the throne has always been bloody. Now that the Holy Emperor has three sons, the Queen Mother may not be able to succeed. After all, there is still an old concubine here. Does she have any means to deal with the Crown Prince, let alone As for the princes of the vassal, especially the three kings of Zheng, Han and Song, they always want to return to the capital to "honor" their father. Everyone knows the implication. Even the timid kings Chen and Wu will probably not fall behind. After being married, it's a pity that he has no children, and all his plans are to marry someone else, but.

Suddenly, Zhou Xiangxue looked at the three characters written in front of the bookcase, Luo Yunhou. This person is amazingly talented and brave. He was granted the title of Marquis outside the pass at a weak age. How could Dawu have such a character? If he could live up to it, he thought It is not impossible to borrow seeds from the secrets of the previous dynasty's palace.

"Yue Feng, go back and arrange your manpower to investigate the movements in the capital. You should also keep an eye on the movements in the south of the capital. Also, you should keep an eye on the movements of Marquis Luo Yun. He is the key."

"Yes, Your Highness, I will understand."

"Go down."

"Yes, Your Highness,"

Yue Feng bowed and bowed, then slowly exited the inner hall.

After seeing the person leave, the female officer Liu Yue asked,

"Your Highness, you really want to go back to the capital. I'm afraid the old concubine and Your Majesty won't like it."

"Yes, many people will feel uncomfortable if I go back, but I have been here for nearly ten years. The entire Hou family has already arranged a way out, which is worthy of the Marquis of Jingnan. If I am still here, I can only leave here. There is no point in dying alone, it is better to go back and fight with them, if anything, I want to get what I deserve."

Fumbling with the rice paper, Zhou Xiangxue stared out the window, looking at the capital far away in the horizon. There was some sadness in her tone, and everyone around her was silent.

After a moment, the female historian Wei Shuyun suddenly asked,

"Your Highness, I'm talking about defeat before I win. What if I can't win the battle when I return to the capital?"

"Haha, if you can't fight, how can it be worse than now? It's nothing more than giving up your life. Although this kind of life is pure, it is not my wish to leave me alone until I grow old. Besides, what if the former prince comes back? , I also want to see what my father and the others look like."

Speaking of this, Zhou Xiangxue's eyes flashed with a fierce look. At this moment, she really hoped that her elder brother Zhou Yongxiao or the former prince who was praised as a benevolent person would look like now.

"Master Marquis, I have bought some. Look, there are so many."

Dongchengfang,

Zhang Jinyu was sitting in the carriage, eating sesame cakes and rolled meat, and drinking hot wine. As the saying goes, although the food in the restaurant is good, the soul of the delicious food is still in the stall on the roadside.

Now that the carriage is full of all kinds of food, I can't help but move my mouth first and eat some.

"Well, okay, that's all, go back home, no, go back to Rongguo Mansion,"

"Yes, Lord Marquis, go back now and drive."

Yingbian's horses also had several packets of snacks wrapped in oil paper hung on them. He swung his whip and slapped the horses on their butts. The horses felt pain and started to trot, and the group quickly turned back.

Arriving at Ningrong Street,

Zhang Jinyu got off the carriage, then called the soldiers, took the things, and followed him to Rongqing Hall. When he got there, he straightened his clothes. He couldn't lose etiquette when meeting the old lady. After sorting them, he touched them And the corners of Jiuzawa's mouth,

"Let's go in, I haven't seen the old lady for a long time."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Past the porch,

He pushed the door open directly and walked in. The women and maids waiting at the door bowed to the Marquis and then shouted into the inner hall,

"Master Hou is here,"

Passing the news along the way, Jia Mu, who was sitting on the kang, was shocked. The little evil star of the Zhang family was here.

"Please come quickly, Yuanyang, to greet you,"

"Yes! Old lady."

In Rongqing Hall,

The room that was still filled with laughter and laughter suddenly fell silent. Everyone looked at the partition screen at the entrance. They saw Zhang Jinyu wearing a black warrior uniform, a sword on his waist, and a black cloak. , the handsome face looked more resolute, which made all the girls in the hall blush. Even Jia Mu had to admit that the women of the Wang family were indeed not good, and all the children they produced had their own talents.

This look can only be seen in the memory of the old Duke when he was young. Not to mention how majestic he was at that time. Now it has passed by and the Jia family has lost its glory. But fortunately, those in-laws are now in high positions. Thinking of the in-laws , I still looked up at Sanchun girl, but the three of them were not half as good as granddaughter Lin Daiyu in appearance, not to mention her temperament, hey.

Zhang Jinyu entered the inner hall and saw that everyone was there. Jia Mu was also sitting on the kang and saluted to Jia Mu.

"Young man Zhang Jinyu, please say hello to the old lady,"

It's not that Zhang Jinyu was being polite, the key point was that Lin Daiyu followed him, and Li Wan was also his. In a house full of daughters, only Sanchun and Wang Xifeng were no longer around, so he was also a shameless person.

Mother Jia didn't expect that this young ancestor would become so polite, and she was a little unbelievable. But after taking a look at Daiyu beside her, she knew in her heart that it was Yu'er's face that could make the Marquis put down his face.

"Since the Marquis is here, don't be polite. Our two families are not outsiders. Now that we are intimate, we don't need to be polite. Mandarin ducks, please serve tea to the Marquis."

"Yes, old lady."

Yuanyang turned around and went back to the back hall, not knowing what to do. Zhang Jinyu glanced at it, and Mrs. Jia was an experienced woman and said with a smile,

"That girl is still thinking about someone else. Little Marquis, Yuanyang has gone back to the back hall to get you some good tea."

Zhang Jinyu also lamented that some people are only considerate to themselves. If others are like this, they have a purpose and seek help from others.

"That's also the kindness of the old lady. I thanked the old lady again. I came today just to talk to Yu'er. I wanted to go for a walk on the street, but the capital is still a little cold now, so I didn't go out. I just bought some snacks for you sisters to try."

Zhang Jinyu shouted to the soldiers outside the screen,

"Come here, bring the things."

I saw only a few soldiers coming in with a lot of snacks wrapped in oil paper, and then they built a table and put the things on it. It was full of things. Sanchun's eyes were shining brightly, and even Li Wan had a happy face.

After putting the things away, he left. Zhang Jinyu walked over, took out the meat cakes wrapped in oil paper, walked over and handed them to Lin Daiyu, then turned around and shouted, "What are you waiting for? Eat, don't let it get cold."

Seeing this, Sanchun was not polite. They all stood up and gathered around, picking and choosing excitedly. Li Wan also moved a stool and sat over, grabbing some snacks and started eating.

Jia Mu was even more happy,

"Young Master, you are thoughtful. You have bought all the snacks and food in the whole street."

"No, the old lady is still awesome. As for the market to the east, the boy was also thinking about what to eat. I thought I would only get a few things, but when I got there, there were so many stalls. I was spoiled for choice. , I didn’t know what the sisters in my family liked, so I walked directly from the street to the end of the street and bought some of what I could buy. There was also a venison seller, so I also bought one for Daiyu, just to keep it fresh."

Zhang Jinyu didn't care about these things. The venison was really rare. It seemed that there were many good hunters among the people. But Daiyu didn't know whether to eat it or not. After taking a look, Lin Daiyu ate some in a small bite. His face is rosy and he looks like he is in good health.

At her current age, Jia's mother could not remember the affairs of her younger generation. Apart from worrying about the Jia family and the two kingdoms, she didn't care about other things. Looking at Luo Yunhou, she suddenly thought of Jia Lian. During this time in the capital, Something always happens every once in a while, but there is nothing to find in this Beijing camp. I haven't seen Jia Lian for a long time.

"Little Marquis, I would like to ask you something, please."

Zhang Jinyu sat there, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. The tea was good, and it still tasted like this. When the old lady asked, she answered,

"Old lady, please tell me,"

Seeing that Marquis Luo Yun didn't care, Jia Mu asked, "It seems like nothing serious happened."

"I'm also asking on behalf of Feng Yatou. The wind in the capital is not calm during this period. Do you think there will be any movement from Jia Lian? If so, do you want to go?"

Zhang Jinyu was stunned for a moment while holding the tea bowl. Good guy, it is indeed the Dinghai Shenzhen of the Duke's Mansion. This is a fair question. What Jia Lian moved was not because the Beijing camp wanted to move. Besides, this matter was also mentioned by His Majesty just last night. How did the old lady know? It was Wang Ziteng who told her. That's not right. Could it be Jia Mu herself who guessed it? If so, this old lady is really powerful.

"That's a good question, the old lady. Did the old lady guess this matter, or was someone informed?"

"Hey, no one has said anything to me, an old woman. I'm just upset. I thought about Lian'er going to Beijing Camp for so long and there was no reply, and I felt uneasy, so I asked this question."

Jia Mu also told the truth. After all, it was a whim today. If Luo Yunhou hadn't come, he might not have remembered it. Zhang Jinyu looked at Jia Mu's face carefully and saw that Jia Mu's face was rosy and she was calm. She didn't look like that. As if I had been prepared for a long time, I felt a little unsure.

"Then the old lady hopes that Brother Lian can achieve meritorious service and be promoted to a general, or that it would be better to stay in the capital camp."

These words were meant to be a test. Mother Jia sat there and did not answer in a hurry. Instead, she pondered for a while. At this moment, outside the door, Wang Xifeng led Mrs. You into the inner hall and shouted from afar. ,

"Yeah, the Marquis is here too. What did you just say? Who wants to be a general?"

Sure enough, before anyone arrived, I heard the crisp sound first.

Two beauties with beautiful faces walked in quickly. After Wang Xifeng walked in, he and Mrs. You greeted Mrs. Jia one after another. I don’t know whether it was intentional or forgotten. Wang Xifeng ignored Zhang Jinyu. Mrs. You wanted to salute the Marquis, but Knowing that Wang Xifeng exerted her strength, she pulled Mrs. You to the table and sat down, took something to eat. Mrs. You was a little embarrassed and didn't know what to do. When Jia Mu saw it, she cursed,

"What's going on? You, a shabby person, can't learn from me, so why are you kidnapping Sister-in-law You to imitate you?"

Wang Xifeng took the cake and put it in her mouth.

"Is the food in the palace still delicious? Old lady, please don't accuse me unjustly. I have been busy all morning and now I am very hungry. As for being rude, there are people in the house who are more rude than me. Isn't it Hou? Lord."

Zhang Jinyu looked at Wang Xifeng, who was covered in fire, and thought of what happened last night. She was too cautious.

"It doesn't matter whether it is yes or no, but Brother Lian replied to the letter?"

When Wang Xifeng heard that it was Jia Lian's business, she became concerned. What did she just say? She hurriedly put down the cake in her hand and asked,

"Master Marquis, what did you mean by what you just said about becoming a general?"

With this remark,

Everyone in the room looked over. Zhang Jinyu touched her nose and asked instead, without answering directly,

"There is a rule in the border army and the Beijing camp. This rule was established by the Duke of Ning Rong's Second Mansion. I think the old lady should know something about it."

Mother Jia's eyes narrowed, and she thought for a while. There were many rules under the old government, and they are still used by the frontier army and the Beijing camp. What are they? Is it that one? Those who have not made military achievements cannot be made generals. This matter, It was obvious that something was going to happen in the Beijing camp, and I was surprised why Wang Ziteng and Jia Lian didn't tell me.

Only Wang Xifeng and the other girls were confused, and Wang Xifeng was even more worried.

"Master Marquis, what kind of riddle are you trying to solve? There are too many rules. Who can remember them?"

Looking at the somewhat difficult Wang Xifeng, Zhang Jinyu remained silent. It was true that a villain and a woman were difficult to raise.

"Master Marquis, Master Marquis, someone is coming to the palace. I want you to change your clothes and enter the palace."

"Do you know who is here?"

"Back to the Marquis, it's Miss Chunhe."

When Zhang Jinyu heard that it was Miss Chunhe, she knew in her heart that it was the Queen who had summoned her. Suddenly, she was shocked and secretly thought that she had forgotten about the three princes leaving the palace. What time had it been? They must have left.

"Did you tell me what happened?"

"When I returned to the Marquis, I didn't say anything. I just wanted the Marquis and the county lord to enter the palace."

"I got it, prepare the car and get ready to go back,"

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

After seeing the soldiers leaving, Zhang Jinyu straightened her clothes, stood up and said goodbye to Jia Mu and others.

"Old lady, there's been a lot of trouble today. The boy has something to do, so I won't stay any longer. Yu'er still needs the old lady and the sisters to take care of her."

Jia Mu also knew that it was the palace that summoned the queen, it must be something important and she was envious.

"Young Master, there is no need to be polite. I love Yu'er, so there is no need to be polite to anyone else."

"Thank you, Mrs. Madam. I take my leave."

Zhang Jinyu didn't dare to stay any longer. The queen was really angry and didn't know what was going on. After speaking, she walked out anxiously.

Only Wang Xifeng hadn't asked about Jia Lian yet, and wanted to chase after her in a hurry. Jia's mother scolded her when she saw it.

"Girl Feng, how handsome are you? No matter how big or small you are."

"Old lady, the Marquis has just left before he said anything about Jia Lian. How can this be done?"

Wang Xifeng was really anxious and spoke without restraint. Mother Jia frowned, knowing that Wang Xifeng was worried about Lian'er. Although they were related, she still needed to pay attention to what she should have.

"You, you need to change your temper. If it weren't for the face of the Marquis and the Prince, do you think you can do this? Besides, who told you what the Marquis didn't say."

Mother Jia's last words made Wang Xifeng and everyone turn around and look over. Did the old lady know, but she didn't say anything just now?

"Old lady, my granddaughter-in-law doesn't understand."

"Oh, I don't understand. There are many rules in the Duke's Mansion, but few people remember them now, let alone the rules in the military, yes or no."

Jia Mu also lamented that things in the Duke's Mansion had long been changed. Wang Xifeng blushed with embarrassment. Could it be that the old lady blamed herself for not taking care of the house?

"My ancestors blamed me."

"Hmph, what does it have to do with you? It's gone a long time ago. As Marquis Luo Yun said just now, one of the rules in the army is that in the border army and the capital camp, those who have not made military merits are not allowed to be generals. Now you understand! "

"Ah, how could it be!"

(End of this chapter)