Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 580: Morning as usual
Beijing,

Luoyunhou Mansion in Dongcheng,

In a wing room in Dongyuan, where I lived alone for a few days, it was a bit shabby earlier, but now it is still simple, like a guest room. The bed in the back room,

Zhang Jinyu still wakes up naturally after falling asleep. As the saying goes, counting money until your hands cramp, sleeping until you wake up naturally is one of the great joys in life. This habit has been maintained in two lives. It is a little regrettable that the hands in the previous life were I didn't get cramps from counting the money, but I got numb from the electricity.

I got up and changed my clothes, but of course there was no one to wait on me. I got home late last night, so I didn't go to the main room to sleep. I was afraid of disturbing Qin Keqing, so I found a wing room at the east end and slept in a hazy night.

Yawning and fastening his belt.

at this time.

Ning Bian came in with a basin of water.

"Master Marquis, wash up first. Last night, the girl from grandma's house came over to ask why the Marquis came back so late. The general replied, saying that the Marquis was busy with official duties, so he came back late. Miss Baozhu went back to report to the county master without saying a word. ”

Zhang Jinyu stretched out her back and washed her face, still a little confused. What about grandma? She just turned around and said it was Qin Keqing. When did she learn from Wang Xifeng of Rongguo Mansion? Grandma is longer than grandma is.
"Well, let's just say that I was a little tired last night, and I haven't had a peaceful day at all."

After saying that, he stretched out his hand to greet Baozhu girl behind him. He saw that Baozhu was carrying a small cloth bag. From it he took out large and small greeting cards and letters. They were all sent by the servants of various noble families in the past few days. of.

Zhang Jinyu wiped her face with a brocade cloth and looked at the gentle Qin Keqing. Her face turned slightly red. It was her own fault.

"It's a waste to throw it away. Check the kitchen to see if there is any fire starter. This thing has been burned. Why do I need them to tell me what to do? If I really had that ability, I would have fought hard with the civil servants."

Qin Keqing led Baozhu in, followed by a row of little girls, carrying food boxes and placing them on the table. Qin Keqing walked over personally, brought out the breakfast meals, and then asked the little girls to go out.

Without any explanation, he put the chopsticks into Qin Keqing's hand, pressed his hand hard, picked up a bun and put it into his mouth, making all the maids and guards around him lower their heads.

She was still a little angry in her heart, and some words had not yet been spoken. The so-called next time would be to really confiscate the family and exterminate the clan. If Lin Daiyu hadn't lived in Xifu, why would she have thought so much? But Qin Keqing didn't understand it, and thought that Lang Jun was worried about it. Thinking about what happened back then, his face turned red and his eyes felt a little aggrieved.

Although this remark was a bit of a change of topic, it was not wrong. It was Jia Zhen who was always looking for trouble. Now that the offense and defense have shifted, she must not let it go.

"You, you have such a relationship with the Jia family of Rongguo Mansion, how can you go to find out about Ningguo Mansion? Ning Rong is one, and both have the surname Jia. The old lady is not going to give you the face. Come and have something to eat after washing up. .”

Zhang Jinyu wiped her hands, threw the brocade cloth to Ning Bian, then put down the sleeves rolled up in her hands, walked to the table without being polite, picked up a bun, gulped it down, and drank a bowl of porridge.

Qin Keqing put the dishes and chopsticks in place, and thought of the previous affair of snatching the bride, which was always hard to talk about. There had been a lot of gossip for a while, and there were always some unpleasant things to say, but the old lady was sensible, and she didn't make amends, and she didn't go to her mother twice at a time. This time, it is always bad to add insult to injury and let outsiders see you.

"Where did you want to go? Come and have something to eat together."

His eyes turned red and he said sadly. Zhang Jinyu was a little stunned. Where are you?

"You are still too soft-hearted. If you kill a tiger, you will suffer endless disasters. If it were someone else, I would not be like this. Jia Zhen must not show mercy. This person is a dog. Keep him until next time. I don't know what to do next time. Who are you trying to pull into trouble? It’s our business. I can see clearly the appearance of these nobles in the capital."

"But you have said it before, what is the purpose of crossing the threshold? Although I often go there, it may not be without purpose. You see, the opportunity will come about the Ningguo Mansion."

Looking at so many letters of greetings, Zhang Jinyu's eyes were full of surprise. Good guy, he can light a fire to keep warm. He took out a few letters at random. They were all from the Duke's Palace, and there were also unknown nobles who appeared from nowhere. Yes, without even looking at it, he stuffed it back into the bag of the orb.

As he spoke, his waist was still a little sore, but after a night's rest, he felt much better. Unexpectedly, Qin Keqing's soft voice came from outside,
"The slave family doesn't know that they are living in peace and quiet. The Marquis always cares about the beauty wherever he goes. The threshold of the gate of the Rongguo Mansion was also broken by the Marquis. He doesn't know who he is thinking about."

"There is no such thing as Mr. Lang. The Marquis has just taken care of this matter. When you were not here, there were many dignitaries from the capital paying their respects to the house. They all wanted to ask you to excuse Ning Guo's house. , the letter was delivered to me, I wanted to give it to the Marquis, but I won’t be able to see the Marquis for a few days.”

The tone that seemed to be complaining and distressed made everyone in the room stunned. Ning Bian immediately lowered his head and performed a military salute.
"General, I have met the county lord,"

"Mr. Lang dislikes me for causing trouble and ruining my reputation."

Qin Keqing blushed and took a small bite.

After saying that, he picked up the bowl and continued to drink the porridge. Qin Keqing could not help but waved his hand to ask Baozhu to step back and persuaded,

"What Mr. Lang said is not bad, but everyone's mouth is worth money, and the honorable face must still be given. The slave family went to my mother and asked about what happened that day. My mother said one thing, people can be destroyed, but titles cannot. Throw it away, I’ll leave it up to you, but I don’t know how people can still not lose their titles when they have all been deprived of their titles.”

Qin Keqing spoke tactfully beside her, as if talking about family matters, and she also had some doubts in her heart. After all, she was the head wife of the Marquis Mansion, and the title was concerned with the issue of direct heir inheritance in the future. Even a generous woman would have to consider it. After all, Sister Lin's position as a common wife already has the title of earl. As for Xue Baochai, the merchant's family elevated her to the position of a common wife, which does not threaten her. Yang Hanyu is also a member of the palace, so it is not her turn anyway. The remaining two were not in the mood to compete.

"Okay, this is not something you should worry about. You must not lose your title. I understand what mother means. Don't worry, I know what I know."

As Zhang Jinyu said this, she was thinking rapidly in her heart, if Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion was really deprived of her title, who would inherit it? Jia Baoyu must be in the candidate's position. Who else besides him, Jia Qiang of Ningguo Mansion?
He is not young anymore and is difficult to control. In the end, there is only one candidate, Li Wan's son Jia Lan. As the eldest grandson of the second wife, he is naturally qualified. He is thinking about the candidate who can take over the title of Ning Guofu. There is no one to choose from, but the brother who favors the house, the old lady cannot pass that test, so just take it one step at a time.

Anyway, no matter who he is, he will be better than Jia Zhen, who is as vicious as a poisonous snake. As for Jia Rong, Zhang Jinyu no longer thinks about it. Like father, like son, this time he was convicted and sentenced.

Just thinking about this.

Outside the gate of Hou Mansion,

The same carriage as last night slowly stopped in front of the gate. The driver was still Feng Yuancheng.
"Uncle, the Hou Mansion has arrived,"

"Well, okay, I'll wait here and I'll go see the Marquis."

"Yes, uncle."

While talking, I saw a middle-aged man, dressed in cloth, slowly getting out of the carriage. He was wearing gray clothes and long trousers. He looked like a member of the family, but his temperament could not be concealed.

After getting off the carriage, I walked up the steps to the main entrance of the Marquis Mansion. The steward had already seen him and greeted him. When he saw whether it was Mr. Feng who came last night or in this outfit, he asked in confusion,
"Master Feng, what are you doing?"

"Haha, don't say it, don't say it. The Marquis is at the house. The official has made an appointment with the Marquis."

Feng Yongwen waved his hand and asked if the Marquis was still in the house. The steward immediately shut up. He was not the only servant to take care of the Marquis's affairs. He nodded and made a gesture of invitation.
"Master Feng, don't be surprised. I just talked too much. The Marquis is in Dongyuan. Please come."

"nothing."

Why does Feng Yongwen care about such trivial matters? Today he begged the Marquis to resolve the matter of his daughter so that he can marry another family. In the past few days, his daughter Taiying has lost a lot of money because of this matter, which hurts the boss. People have always been complained by their wives.

Thinking of last night, Madam was looking for life and death. How could she sleep peacefully last night if she had not found a solution for her daughter? Early in the morning, Madam woke her up from bed and urged her to come over. She didn’t even take a few bites of food.
Thinking of her daughter's indifference, she changed her outfit and came to the Marquis Mansion to look for the Marquis. My heart was anxious, and I walked much faster. I followed the path last night and arrived at Dongyuan. I saw a lot of guards in the courtyard. I sighed in my heart that the Marquis was still so majestic. He wanted to go in but was stopped by the school captain at the gate of the courtyard.

"Who are you here for?"

Feng Yongwen bowed his hands and replied,

"Feng Yongwen, the Prime Minister of Dali Temple, has made an appointment with the Marquis and will come to see the Marquis today."

When the captain heard that it was the appointment made by Lord He, he looked at the person in front of him and saw that there was no sharp weapon on him. He nodded.

"Wait here, someone is here to send a message to the Marquis."

"Yes, Captain."

The soldiers behind him took the order and left, and Feng Yongwen saluted again.

"Report, Lord Marquis, a man came from the courtyard, saying that it was Feng Yongwen, the Prime Minister of Dali Temple, who had made an agreement with Lord Marquis."

The guard who delivered the order ran into the house, knelt down on one knee, and talked about what was going on in the courtyard.

Zhang Jinyu, who was eating, drank the last bit of porridge, wiped his mouth with a brocade cloth, and looked back out the window in surprise. The sky had just lighted up not long ago. Your mother, it’s so early.

"I know, you lead him to the west wing and ask him to wait for a while."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The guard stood up and prepared to run out. Before leaving, Zhang Jinyu ordered again,
"Wait a minute, let someone serve tea and some cakes. Don't slack off in your hospitality."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The guard responded and ran out of the room.

Qin Keqing was a little confused. It was strange for a civil servant to come to his door.
"Mr. Feng, Mr. Feng came to visit you early in the morning if there was something urgent."

"What else can happen? It's about Ning Guo Mansion. You don't know how fast Jia Zhen acted. She had already asked a matchmaker to go to Mr. Feng's house to talk about matchmaking. The key is that the old man agreed without knowing what he thought. Now, Jia Zhen committed a crime, don't you think this is sending your daughter to a pit?"

Zhang Jinyu was also convinced by Feng Yongwen. No one else could complain about this operation. The key point was that the matchmaker didn't know if he was really the eldest princess. If it was true, the affairs of the capital must not be hidden from her.

When I thought that two days later, the Queen Mother and the Empress were going to take the courtiers and their families to that Jing'an Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings, I suddenly felt like my head was spinning.

You should pay homage to the gods and Buddhas to get rid of bad luck, but in Beishan Summer Palace, the eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue lives there in seclusion. If she really doesn't care about worldly affairs, it's okay. If she pretends to confuse the world and doesn't cause trouble, she will be killed. Zhang Jinyu didn’t believe it either.

"How could this happen? Once the engagement is made and one party wants to terminate the engagement, if one party disagrees and refuses to cancel the engagement letter, and a quarrel breaks out, there will definitely be gossip. To a woman, words are like swords and guns!"

When Qin Keqing heard this, his face was full of worry. After all, he had experienced it himself. Thinking of the father and son Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion, they bullied the weak and were extremely domineering. It would not be so easy to break off the engagement.

"What are you worrying about? If there is a marriage certificate, you can just burn it if you find it. Now it's because there is a matchmaker stuck here, so the people here are anxious."

Seeing Qin Keqing's worried face, Zhang Jinyu actually pointed out the key point because of his sentimentality for a woman he had never met before and who had not yet left the court.

When Qin Keqing heard this, she was so thoughtful that she didn't even write a marriage letter. So, there was something fishy about the matchmaker.

"Lang Jun, if the Nu family's guess is correct, then there must be something fishy about the matchmaker, otherwise Mr. Feng would not come back."

"Madam, she has a keen eye and can guess right. It's amazing. The matchmaker seems to be the eldest princess's man."

Zhang Jinyu raised her thumb and then secretly revealed the identity of the matchmaker. Qin Keqing's eyes widened. The eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue was no stranger. In the harem, she had heard of this girl from the Queen Mother. How could it be her?
"Two days later, it will be the day when the Queen Mother and the Queen go to Jing'an Temple to offer incense. You need to be more careful when accompanying your mother."

Zhang Jinyu warned him worriedly, and Qin Keqing nodded obediently and replied,
"Yes, I know that I will definitely stay with my mother. Sir, I'd better hurry over and don't lose etiquette."

Zhang Jinyu stood up, straightened her clothes, waved her hand to Ning Bian, and walked out of the room.

After the person left, Baozhu took the cloth bag behind him and asked at a loss,

"Grandma, do you send letters and greetings to the kitchen to light the fire?"

Qin Keqing looked at Baozhu with a silly look on his face, reached out and patted Baozhu's head.

"You damn girl, what are you thinking about? You can really set it on fire. Put it all away and put it in Lang Jun's study."

"Yes, grandma."

Baozhu's face was full of reluctance, and his eyes were full of grievances. Why didn't he send it back if he didn't let it burn just now?

"Come here, clean up the house. Baozhu, let's go back."

"Yes, grandma!"

Qin Keqing took the orb and the maid and hurried to Dongyun Tower, hoping to discuss with the old lady the incense burning at Jing'an Temple in two days.

forecourt,

Zhang Jinyu led his soldiers and entered the living room of Dongyuan at a fast pace. As soon as he pushed the door open, he saw Feng Yongwen in gray clothes, sitting in the room drinking tea. As soon as he put on this clothes, he really didn't know anything about it. People come out.

laughed,
"Master Feng, you are here so early and you are wearing gray clothes. Could it be that you are repenting?"

Hearing the voice, Feng Yongwen saw that it was Mr. Hou who had come in. He looked excited, opened his mouth, and sighed as if he had a thousand words to say,

"Hey, Mr. Marquis, if you can really regret it, I will definitely be willing to do so. This gray suit certainly means repentance. I am not afraid of Mr. Marquis's jokes. Last night, my wife complained about me all night."

After finishing speaking, he unconsciously covered his neck with his hands. He only saw a few red and swollen scratches on Mr. Feng's neck. Unexpectedly, his wife was still the "Hedong Lion"!
(End of this chapter)