Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 518 Summoned by the Queen

In Rongqing Hall,

As Wang Xifeng screamed, his face turned pale with fright and he could not speak. The others were puzzled. Only Li Wan was thoughtful and thought about it for a while. As the old lady said, this was going to be a war. In addition to military achievements, How can we get it in a war, but the Beijing camp has not been moved for so long, how could it be possible?

Mrs. You was even more confused. What could happen? She was talking about Jia Lian, but didn't Jia Lian stay well in Beijing?

She didn't even understand the so-called military merits. After all, she was from a womanly family and had almost no involvement in major affairs in the capital. She didn't even know what matters involved the family, so Mrs. You was inevitably a little confused.

But Jia's mother and Li Wan, how can they be confused? These words are obvious. If Jia Lian needs to lead troops into battle, it is good to win, but it does not matter if he cannot win.

Wang Xifeng, thinking back on it, she always felt satisfied these days. Now after listening to what the old lady said, she realized the crux of the matter. It was just that her daughter's family had never been to the battlefield, but she also knew that the battlefield was cruel, especially the frontier army. At the border, when Zhuangzi was still outside the border, something happened. The entire Zhuangzi was plundered and those who resisted were killed. Although it was impossible for the Beijing camp to go to the border, who could guarantee that the interior of the pass would be safe?

"Ancestor, what should I do? The battlefield is dangerous and the sword is silent. What if something happens?"

"Bah, bah, what if? If there is no such thing, this matter must not be spread. Feng Yatou, then you send someone to the capital camp and find a way to send a letter to Jia Lian to ask what is going on. What if we really leave? , where are you going, it’s best to let him come back, do you understand?”

"Yes, ancestors, grandson's wife knows what to do. Ping'er, go back."

He didn't care about his elder sisters-in-law, Mrs. You and Li Wan, who were anxious to go back and arrange for Lai Wang to take someone to the camp.

Although Jia Mu is also anxious, it may not be an opportunity. The Duke's Mansion still needs a general to support its appearance, so this matter still needs to be discussed.

Mrs. You was dumbfounded. She saw Feng Yatou leading the girl away. She didn't have to talk about her own affairs. When she got anxious, she stood up and chased her out.

"Girl Feng, we haven't said anything yet, how can we leave?"

Wang Xifeng, who had not yet gone out, heard her sister-in-law's shout, stopped at the door and stamped her foot.

"Oh, I forgot about my sister-in-law. Look at me, Ping'er. Go find Lai Wang and send a message to the second master of Jingying to ask him if he has a chance to come back. We have something to discuss. As for the rest, the second master When asked, just say it was said by our ancestors.”

"Yes, grandma,"

Ping'er leaned forward, agreed by his side, and then walked out by himself. Wang Xifeng turned back, then took Mrs. You's hand and comforted her,

"Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will definitely tell the old lady about this matter."

"That's good."

Mrs. You's face was relieved.

The two of them set off back to the inner hall again. Jia Mu and the people in the room looked at her and the two of them strangely. This time it was even more strange.

"Girl Feng, tell me what happened? What happened to Dong Mansion?"

Mother Jia didn't need to ask Brother Zhen's family to know that something had happened in Ningguo Mansion, and it was difficult to tell her. Then she asked Wang Xifeng to talk to her. She thought something had gone wrong. It was true that one family was not as good as the other, and it was not up to expectations.

Mrs. You glanced at Wang Xifeng worriedly, who grinned and said,

"Oh, the old lady is still wise. I can't hide anything from you. Sister-in-law, come and sit down here."

Wang Xifeng was confused, and pulled Mrs. You to sit down next to the old lady. Mother Jia sneered with narrowed eyes,

"What does it mean to be wise? It's an obvious thing. It belongs to Brother Zhen's family. Please tell me if Jia Zhen did something else. I'll see if this will embarrass you."

When Jia Mu entered the house from Mrs. You, she saw no smile on Mrs. You's face. She must have been bullied. Who else is there besides Jia Zhen in the Ningguo Mansion?

"Go back to the old lady. I didn't want to disturb the old lady, but things are getting worse and worse these days. I was afraid that something might happen, so I asked Feng Yatou to come over and help me."

Mrs. You looked embarrassed, and then continued,

"The old lady also knows that since Jia Zhen hired a Taoist immortal master last time, he has become obsessed with practicing Taoism and refining elixirs. All the furnishings in the house have been replaced by Taoist ornaments, and the servants, even the maids, have all changed them. I wore a Taoist priest's costume, and in order to make elixirs, I needed to absorb Yang Qi and some luck. I asked everyone in the house to go and burn incense every day. I was afraid of something happening, so I closed the door tightly and asked the stewards to just deal with purchasing. But after so long, refining elixirs consumed a lot of money. There is too much money, the government treasury has just paid off the money owed to the household department, and there is still money there to make elixirs, but the expenses for Master Xuanzhen Temple have not yet been paid, how can I take care of it as a woman who is a Taoist?"

After speaking, her eyes turned red and tears flowed out. Lin Daiyu couldn't believe it. The majestic Duke's palace was so obsessed with such a thing of worship. If the court officials knew about it, they would definitely read it in a book. ,

After hearing this, Jia Mu was even more furious and cursed,

"It's useless. Is the Grand Duke's Palace used by him to cultivate Taoism? What kind of luck and yang energy are there? If the Imperial City Secretary and Yan Guan find out, does he still want the title of Ningguo Palace?"

Jia's mother was shocked and angry. If you want to practice Taoism, why don't you go and follow Mr. Jing to Xuanzhen to practice Taoism? No one will care about it and no one will ask. If you do this in the Duke's mansion, the palace may know how you miss the Jia family.

Seeing Jia Mu's anger, Wang Xifeng quickly spoke out,

"Don't worry, old lady. There are no rumors outside now. The mansion has already told the truth. All the Taoist priests' uniforms have been taken off. All the side and corner doors of the mansion are locked. Only the front door is left under strict guard. As for Brother Zhen's cultivation of Taoism and alchemy, it's over. Liangdou, go ask again. If you really want to practice Taoism, go to Xuanzhen Temple outside the city. I also told Jia Rong that if you go to make offerings this year, you should ask Mr. Jing what he wants."

After hearing Wang Xifeng's explanation, Jia Mu felt at ease, but she still felt that something was wrong, but the people in charge of the Rongguo Mansion were not here. How to deal with it?

"Girl Feng, let Jia Lian come back first to get rid of this matter, and then go and talk to Jia Zhen. If it doesn't work out, find a way to take the so-called immortal master into custody. I will shamelessly go to the palace and hand it over to the internal minister. After checking, I still feel something is wrong. What kind of immortal master? I think it’s the Taoist priest from You Fang, and the alchemist. What kind of yang energy and luck are they sucking? It’s not a good thing to hear, so stabilize them first and let Jia Rong Prepare early and ask Mr. Jing how to deal with it."

"Yes, old lady,"

Seeing that Mrs. Jia was so solemn, Wang Xifeng and Mrs. You also put away their smiles and agreed,

"Old lady, are you making a fuss out of a molehill?"

Mrs. You still didn't understand that it would be such a big deal if Yan Guan really knew about it.

Before Jia Mu could speak, Wang Xifeng smiled bitterly and said,

"Sister-in-law, this is not a trivial matter. Now in the court, it is well known that the nobles and civil servants are at odds with each other. They are all looking for faults in each other and want to impeach them. Therefore, they cannot expose their flaws at this time and worship Buddhism. Although the court There is no prohibition, but every family is secretive, so how can they make a big splash and let outsiders talk about it."

Mother Jia glanced at Mrs. You, and then at Wang Xifeng. Sure enough, she came from a big family, but she was far from a small family. She was good at keeping the house, and she was still a lady in trouble. Thinking of this, she couldn't help but think of Baoyu. This daughter-in-law still needs to get married.

"Girl Feng is right. Sister-in-law You, don't be careless. Deal with it as soon as possible before the outside world notices it."

Li Wan actually spoke up, not worried about Ningguo Mansion, but worried about whether something happened to Ningguo Mansion, which would affect Lan'er's Enke. Don't mess with officials. Although their rank is small, their power to oversee the world's affairs can be great or small. Even in the court, it is no small matter.

"understood!"

Outside the house,

Zhang Jinyu hurriedly got on the carriage,

Then he rushed back to the Hou Mansion. Fortunately, he was close. He arrived in a moment. Before he got out of the car, he saw the curtain of the carriage opened. Qin Keqing and Chun He got on the carriage and sat in. Chun He was even more rude. Sitting down next to Zhang Jinyu, Qin Keqing smiled and said, "Go to Da Nei, quickly!"

"Yes, ma'am."

The carriage that had just stopped continued to move forward. Zhang Jinyu looked confused and asked,

"But Qing, what's going on? You're in such a hurry and you haven't changed your clothes yet."

"Mr. Lang is at ease, and he went to the Rongguo Mansion early. Today is the day when the three princes leave the palace to build a mansion. You can forget this,"

After saying that, he looked over with a smile and winked at Chunhe. Zhang Jinyu knew in his heart that he was here to cause trouble. Looking at the expressionless Chunhe, he didn't know where to start. Take out the oil paper, open it and put it in the car.

"But you misunderstood me. I went to Rongguo Mansion just to drop off some snacks. You see, I just bought everything in the car. I wanted to go after a meal, but I was so busy yesterday that I forgot. Sister Chunhe, I still need to trouble you to help my queen."

After Shu finished speaking, he handed over these snacks. Chunhe saw that there were actually a lot of oil paper bags in the car, and they were fragrant, so he believed them.

"How dare I trouble the Marquis to make a big fuss? Now, I want to see you, the commander-in-chief, but I can't find anyone. Your Majesty is a little angry today. She also asked whether Marquis Luo Yun has any prejudice against the three princes. She hasn't seen you in the past few days. When I see people, I don’t know what they are busy with.”

Chunhe also deliberately pinched his throat and said without knowing whether it was true or false. After hearing this, Zhang Jinyu reacted faster,

"How is it possible? I love the three princes very much, and my loyalty to your majesty and empress can be learned from heaven and earth. There is absolutely no prejudice. It's all because I am stupid and forgot about it."

Zhang Jinyu denied it and said it seriously, which frightened Chunhe and made him look better.

"The Marquis would rather say that you can talk about this matter when it comes to the Queen. The Queen has also said that she is anxious to enter the palace today, so I want you to think of a reason to go to the harem to see me."

Zhang Jinyu was stunned. Isn't it difficult to go to the harem? How can I pay homage to my outside husband? Isn't it necessary to ask His Majesty for instructions and let me find a reason? Could it be that I didn't see clearly when I went to the harem last time? Isn't it nonsense to go there again? , in the midst of trouble,

Qin Keqing, who was beside him, slightly opened her red lips and helped Lang Jun get out of the way.

"Husband, since the queen said this, she must have something important to discuss. The three princes left the palace, and the queen is naturally worried. The two of us have received the queen's love and did not thank her for the marriage. Why don't we go and give it to the queen this time? How about thanks.”

Good idea, good words, it turned out to be Qin Keqing, scheming and talent are the best choice, Zhang Jinyu thought secretly, but as Qin Keqing said, the queen needs to thank you properly, so she will go to Yangxin Hall to tell the emperor and accuse her.

"What the madam said is absolutely true. This is how we will handle this matter. We will go to the Yangxin Palace in the palace to explain it to His Majesty. Your Majesty will still need to give you some instructions then. Sister Chunhe, does your Majesty have anything else to say besides this?"

Although Zhang Jinyu said so, she didn't believe it in her heart. The chance of entering the harem was so slim simply because the three princes left the palace to open a mansion. This was something that had been arranged long ago. Even the mansion was checked thoroughly. Today, Even if everything comes naturally, no matter how much effort is needed, it must be explained. The harem is nothing more than a circle of women fighting in the ring, and it is exhausting.

"As expected of the Marquis, your Majesty did not misjudge the person. It is indeed not because of the three princes. The Marquis came to the capital and has a thorough understanding of the capital."

Chun He sat there with a smile on his face, as if he wanted to ask for a hint. Zhang Jinyu was confused as to what it means to be able to see through. He took a look at Chun He's palace clothes, which were quite big, but not see-through. He couldn't see clearly inside and stared for a while. Chunhe's face turned red with embarrassment and his whole body felt hot. It was really annoying that the Marquis was so frivolous in front of the county lord.

Seeing Chunhe's look, Zhang Jinyu obviously misunderstood. She turned back and glanced at Qin Keqing, her eyes were indescribably weird.

"Ahem, I was just thinking about what Miss Chunhe said. The capital is so big that you can't even walk around it. I can't say anything about it. I can only say that the general location can be distinguished. As for the rest, I'm sorry that I can't do anything about it. "

Zhang Jinyu shook his head. Who can say that he has a thorough understanding of the capital? He means that he has not understood the Jia family thoroughly. Not to mention others, ordinary people cannot fool people like today's old lady.

Chunhe's face returned to normal. Seeing the Lord Hou's humility, he felt relieved. This did not stop the Queen's painstaking efforts. This time, the Queen had intended to let Marquis Luo Yun lead the troops to protect the Jing'an Temple.

"The Marquis is too modest. Since the Marquis is not familiar with him, I will just tell you something."

"Miss Chunhe, please speak, I am all ears,"

Even Qin Keqing was curious about what the empress had to say.

"Well, Lord Marquis, listen up. It stands to reason that Enke is coming soon and His Majesty's birthday is approaching, so he will not make a big deal. However, the empress and the Queen Mother are not willing, so this time they still have to hold it in the palace, so Enke The matter may be postponed further. The Queen Mother wishes and the Emperor approves it. Therefore, the Queen Mother wants to go to Jing'an Temple in Beishan to pray for His Majesty before His Majesty's birthday. By then, there will be many imperial concubines in the palace and imperial concubines in the capital. If you want to go, in addition to being accompanied by the imperial army, your Majesty’s intention is to ask the Marquis to lead the army to protect you, and of course it is His Majesty’s order.”

Zhang Jinyu looked at Chunhe who kept talking with wide eyes, with a look of reluctance on his forehead. He had never heard of Beishan. It was also the first time he had heard of Jing'an Temple. Although it was not the first time to go to Buddhist temple to offer incense. , but with so many people, especially women, gathering together, it’s really not easy to cause trouble, and it’s also weird. It’s the emperor’s birthday, that is, his birthday, and other people insist on making it big. What does it mean? To accept gifts, there is still another reason. , I’m afraid it’s not simple inside.

Moreover,

Why can't he pray in the capital? He didn't say where he was going, but he named himself to lead the troops there. The queen was worried about the imperial army, but she was still worried about the queen mother. As for Beishan,

"I would like to ask first, where is Beishan and how far is it from the capital?"

"Beishan is naturally located in the north of the capital. It is not too far away. It is about less than fifty miles away from the capital. It is high and very close to De'an River. It is known as a lookout place in the north. There is a maple forest at the foot of the mountain. Every day In autumn, the mountains and fields are ablaze, and it is known as the Red Maple Valley, and the scenery is one of a kind."

Chunhe only went there once with his mother-in-law, which happened to be in autumn, so he left a deep impression. Now after so many years, he doesn't know how much it has changed.

Thinking about it, the scenery is still the same.

Zhang Jinyu curled her lips secretly. She wasn't going on a trip, so she introduced her. She wanted to say a few words about her, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Qin Keqing, with a delicate face and a hint of yearning.

"Husband, Beishan is indeed famous, especially the Red Maple Valley. It is a famous place for collecting folk songs in the capital, but it is a bit far away. Only wealthy families can take a bus back in one day, while others have to stay for a few days before they can return. , I have never been to the slave family."

Hearing Qin Keqing's voice, Zhang Jinyu smiled bitterly. Come on, I still have to go there. I still have to go through the water again. I can't hide even if I want to.

Rather than saying that it was the Queen who asked her to accompany her, it would be better to say that it was His Majesty’s wish.

"Please rest assured, my Majesty, I will definitely lead troops to protect you that day. Miss Chunhe, what do you think?"

"The Marquis is still happy. Apart from this matter, it is the matter of the three princes. When the empress returns to the palace today, she is always worried about the safety of the three princes. Therefore, how to resolve this matter requires the Marquis to find a solution on his own. "

Chunhe is inevitably a little anxious. Today, I miss you very much. My breakfast has not been used yet. It is almost noon, how can my body bear it?

"Master Marquis, when you get there, try to find a way to comfort your mother-in-law. She hasn't even eaten breakfast yet. How can you do that?"

"I understand, I'll leave it to you. I'll just tell you that my mother is worried after my son has traveled thousands of miles, and I don't feel at ease even if I go in. I can understand your miss, and there is a way to solve this matter. When we get there, the medicine will definitely cure the disease."

Zhang Jinyu smiled and replied confidently. The two girls looked over curiously. This matter was so easy. Chunhe himself didn't believe it. No matter how he tried to persuade him in the morning, it was useless.

"Master Hou, you are serious. What method is so effective?"

"Mr. Lang, don't make promises casually,"

Qin Keqing didn't believe it either, so he warned her, causing Zhang Jinyu to roll her eyes.

"This method cannot be said, it will not work if it is said. Besides, it is a trivial matter. If the worry is solved, the disease will be cured naturally. There is no medicine or stone to cure. The heart disease still needs heart medicine to cure it. Don't ask any more questions. , really."

Seeing that the Marquis was unwilling to reveal anything, with a look of reluctance on his face, the two girls, although curious, stopped asking questions. Even Chunhe was a little unconvinced and said secretly,

"Mysterious!"

(End of this chapter)