Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 586 How long do we have to wait?
"Second Master Bao, Second Master Bao, please get up quickly. What time is it?"

"That's right, Mr. Bao, my wife just sent someone to ask if Mr. Bao had gotten up to have a meal. As for matters outside the city, I still need you to go there, Mr. Bao."

"These are my clothes. Second Master Bao, get up and change."

Rongguo Mansion,
In the courtyard of "Bisha Cupboard",

Jia Baoyu lay on the bed and turned a deaf ear. He turned over and wanted to continue lying down to sleep for a while. Who knew that as soon as he turned over, he was pulled up by the quilt.

Xi Ren, She Yue and others hurriedly pulled Jia Baoyu up from the bed, put her clothes on without any explanation, and surrounded her with a cloak.

But there was something inexplicable today. Jia Baoyu felt sore and weak all over, and his eyelids were sparse. He could tell at a glance that he had not slept well, and he had no idea what he was thinking about last night.

"Why are you so noisy? I still want to sleep a little longer. I read a book late last night and haven't reviewed the Book of Songs yet. If I go somewhere outside the city, I can just send a boy there."

Jia Baoyu was upset. Ever since he signed up for Encore, he had been reading every day, and he had to read at night with the help of an oil lamp. He had never been so wronged, but his father kept a close eye on him and had to take exams on schoolwork every day. , there is no time for sleeping and playing. Next time, I will never do this, and I will never take the scientific test again.

Thinking of this, he still wanted to lie down and rest, but Xiren and Sheyue's two girls were not willing. They endured their shame and sat directly on the bed, hugging Jia Baoyu's arms on the left and the right. Jia Baoyu blushed and felt a little numb.
"Sisters, what do you mean?"

Jia Baoyu asked casually, then picked up the bowl and sipped the porridge, but Xi Ren and She Yue, as well as several other girls, remained silent. Ning Guo Mansion was still surrounded by people from the Imperial City Department. There was no way in or out, only Mrs. You was led out by the Second Mistress, otherwise I don’t know what would have happened.

"Can I tell you when to go?"

After Xiren tidied the bed, he took out a letter from his pocket and put it on the table. She Yue did not dare to say anything. This matter was important, and she was afraid that Mr. Baobao would be distracted and remember the words wrongly.
Jia Baoyu looked unhappy. He was usually bothered by these trivial matters. How could he send letters by himself? He could just send a servant.

"What nonsense are you talking about? I scold you all the time. It's just a joke. Just wear it."

Xiren's face turned slightly red, but when he thought of the second wife's instructions, he hurriedly replied,

After eating for a while, his stomach became full. He put down his bowl and chopsticks, looked at the attacker and asked,

She Yue spoke unforgivingly, while complaining about her sufferings, she hugged one of Baobao Erye's arms tightly with the other hand, her breasts never leaving. Jia Baoyu seemed to like this too, and said coquettishly,

"In that case, let's go."

Xiren and Sheyue looked at each other with a smile, then let go of Jia Baoyu's arms, got down from the bed, then brought a plain clothes and a thick cloak, put it on the baby's second master, and tried their best to tidy it up. After a while, I put on my clothes.

After rinsing his mouth and cleansing his face, he came to the table, picked up the letter and fumbled around with it. He sealed it with red paint. After a slight hesitation, he put the letter into his arms. Knowing that Brother Ningguofu Zhen had caused trouble, he was at least okay. Also want to help.

Jia Baoyu thought for a while, he really didn't have anything else to do today, so he might as well go early and come back early, so he stood up, took his cloak, and walked out. Xiren and Sheyue quickly followed, and they went to the front yard together. There was a carriage, and a dozen guards were waiting beside the carriage.

"Back to Mr. Bao, the carriages, horses, and escort boys are all waiting in the front yard. You can go there after you finish your meal."

"I know, I will remember it. What happened to Brother Zhen at Ningguo Mansion today?"

Jia Baoyu looked a little shy and felt a little uncomfortable, so he had no choice but to agree.
"Good sisters, I just need to change my clothes. Please let me go."

"My dear Mr. Bao, please get up quickly. If my wife knows that Mr. Bao hasn't gotten up yet, then we girls will be scolded again. Do you know that the old lady is waiting for a reply? "

"Second Master Bao, please have your breakfast today and stop reading. The second wife told me that today the old lady's letter must be sent to Master Jing from Xuanzhen Temple outside the city. When the message from Master Jing comes back, , I have to report it to the old lady word for word, and I must not remember it wrong, but my wife has told me that when you come back, go to the second wife first."

Seeing Mr. Bao coming over, the young man Mingyan took the lead and saluted Jia Baoyu.

"I have met Mr. Bao."

Second Master Bao asked, how to answer? Xiren watched Second Master Bao while he was eating, then glanced at She Yue, shook his head slightly,
"Second Master Bao, you eat first. We maids don't know anything about Ning Guo Mansion. But Mrs. You from Dong Mansion brought many maids and maids. She came to the house yesterday and stayed in Grandma's courtyard. , As for the others, there is still some chaos outside and there are many rumors, so how can we know."

"That's right, Second Master Bao, you should also be considerate and considerate of us current people. You serve the master every day. If the master goes well, he can leave a good word for the slave. If the master doesn't go well, you can't scold him and complain every day. Come on, come and go, you are just a slave, how can you feel better in your heart, you say so, hurry up, get your clothes."

Xiren talked about the matter in a trivial way. Jia Baoyu drank a bowl of porridge and ate a few mouthfuls of steamed buns. Hearing Xiren's words, he felt that he was making a fuss out of a molehill. He just wanted to raise an alchemist to practice Taoism and build a noble family. There are quite a few, it’s not a big deal, it’s just fine if it’s out of the limelight.

"Everyone, get up. Let's hurry up and go back early."

"Yes, Mr. Bao, don't worry,"

After saying that, Mingyan helped Jia Baoyu get on the carriage, then sat at the front to drive the carriage, raised the whip and whipped the horse,

"drive!"

A group of people followed them out of the main gate and headed towards the east city gate.

After passing Ningrong Street,
There were more and more people on the street as they approached the market place, but the pace of the people was not as hurried as before. This may be due to the great changes in Beijing in the past few days.

The convoy continued to move forward,

Passed by Zuixian Tower,

There were waiters shouting in front of the restaurant, and at the door window, several people were sitting around the table, drinking and talking. One of them looked a little young.

"Teacher, you said that there have been so many things happening in the capital these days. How should we act? My father is still waiting for a letter." The speaker held the wine, looked at the old man opposite, and carefully asked for advice. This person was exactly Zhou Xingshan, the son of Zhou Lingguang, the king of the Han Dynasty in the southwest, and the old man was Xu Liangcai, the military advisor of the Han Dynasty.

The old man took a mouthful of fat and thin meat with chopsticks and put it into his mouth. He chewed it slowly twice and then swallowed it.

"Oh, the roast pork in Beijing is really delicious. It tastes authentic, hot and cold and fragrant. I like it best."

After saying that, he stretched out his chopsticks, picked one up, and swallowed it in one gulp.

The young prince who looked across from him felt a little helpless. The teacher was famous in the palace for being wild and unruly, but when he arrived in the capital, he was afraid of causing misunderstandings.

"Teacher, if you want to eat, we have it for every meal, and the students will prepare it for you."

Zhou Xingshan glanced at the plate of meat on the table. Although it was well cooked, as the heir apparent, he had nothing to eat. He prepared every meal for the teacher and ate enough.

Unexpectedly, the old man shook his head, put down his chopsticks, and sighed,

"Your Majesty, I have told you something many times. Don't be alarmed. Stay calm. Don't be anxious when things happen. If you are anxious, you will easily make mistakes. Let me just say that this meat has just been served. No matter how delicious it is, it will burn your mouth and make it difficult to eat it. Swallow it, but you have to wait for a while, then it will be the best delicious food.

What you asked is also the purpose of my waiting, but the forces in the capital have not yet figured out how to act."

"Teacher, we can't wait forever. The Emperor is now, cough."

Zhou Xingshan was a little anxious. He reacted immediately, coughed and lowered his head.
"It's not that I'm not feeling well. I need to contact my old relatives and write a letter to ask my father to fulfill his filial piety."

Xu Liangcai shook his head, picked up the wine cup, took a sip, and asked,
"Your Majesty, do you know why Prince Zheng, who came first, is not in a hurry? Or, why are the people secretly sent to the capital by other princes not in a hurry?"

"Here, they are here too,"

Zhou Xingshan was shocked. He thought he was the first to come to the capital secretly, but he didn't expect that Prince Zheng had already arrived. His purpose was the same as his.

"Teacher, as you wish, they are all here."

"Haha, it's almost the same. If I guessed correctly, it will be in the next few days. Your Majesty, at this time, you must not be anxious. The situation in the capital is changing day by day. The Jia family, which was so glorious in the past, now looks at it. The Ningguo Mansion has been surrounded. If you look at the carriage outside the window, it must be the Jia family who are out to find Jia Jing. This will lead to a civil and military fight, and chaos will continue for a while. We are looking for opportunities in the chaos."

Xu Liangcai squinted and looked at the carriage outside the window, reminding the prince that he was still a little excited and desolate in his heart. The descendants of the Jia family really failed to live up to expectations. A single official could make Jia Zhen of the Ningguo Mansion guilty. It was a great shame and humiliation.

The Prince of Han hurriedly looked outside, and sure enough, a group of carriages was coming from Ningrong Street. The guards looked strong. Looking at the carriages, they were extremely luxurious, and there were some ornaments hanging on them.

Sure enough, it was the carriage of the Honorable Mansion. It looked like it was heading to the East City Gate. The only choice was to go to Jia Jing. But it was a little strange. How could a small official shake up the situation in the court? I'm afraid the things inside were not simple.
"Teacher, it seems that the Rongguo Mansion sent someone to look for Jia Jing. I think the Ningguo Mansion is in a bad situation. The students don't understand why Yan Cong is so outstanding that he can bring down the Jia family."

"Haha, that's a good question. A small public official is nothing to worry about, but there is a master behind him. He is Lu Wenshan, the leader of the Southern Township Party. The prince said, how could Jia Zhen of Ningguo Prefecture escape?"

Xu Liangcai laughed. On the surface, the people he recommended were just small roles, so there was nothing to worry about. However, the plans of the people behind them were very big and had to be guarded against. The most important thing was to contact the people in the clan and several princes together. The right way is to work hard and strive to go to Beijing together as soon as possible, and to fulfill our filial piety to the Supreme Emperor.

"Your Majesty, these are trivial matters. It is useless for us to talk about them. Two days after hearing this, the Queen Mother and the Empress led the ladies of the capital to go north to Jing'an Temple to offer incense. The escort was from Luo Yunhou's subordinates. , In this way, the capital's attention will be focused on Beishan, and we will have a chance in the city,"

"Incense burning in Jing'an Temple,"

week .

The most important thing is the summer palace in Maple Leaf Valley at the foot of the North Mountain. The eldest princess and her aunt is living in seclusion there. Looking back, it seems that there has been no news about her for more than ten years. Why did the Queen Mother suddenly appear? I'm going to burn incense. It's strange.

"Teacher, why would the Queen Mother think of going to Jing'an Temple to offer incense at this time of year? She has never been there before."

Xu Liangcai touched his beard. It is difficult for outsiders to know about the inner harem, but what is certain is that there is no one who goes there without any reason.
"Your Majesty, I think it was because this year there was a disaster in the capital, so the Queen Mother thought of going to Jing'an Temple to pray. But I don't understand. Usually it is the Queen's suggestion, but this time it was the Queen Mother who suggested it. How strange!"

Seeing that the teacher was also confused, Zhou Xingshan's suspicion became more and more intense. He couldn't help but leaned forward and whispered,

"Teacher, at the foot of Beishan, there is the Maple Leaf Valley Summer Palace, where my aunt the emperor lives in seclusion."

"what!"

Xu Liangcai screamed inaudibly, and many thoughts flashed through his mind. The eldest princess actually lived in seclusion there. What a coincidence. Did she have any hidden secrets when she offered incense and prayed for blessings two days later? What did the Queen Mother mean? flashed in his mind. I have many ideas, but I can’t verify them all.

"Your Majesty, please be still and don't make any moves in the past few days. I'm sure that the Queen Mother and the eldest princess must have some plans. No wonder they are so coincidental that they go there to offer incense at this time of year. There is also the Marquis of Luo Yun and one of his subordinates. Thousands of elite cavalry, with heavy armor and face protection, spread to the west after the great competition in the capital. They are all called ghost-faced cavalry. They are extremely elite. It depends on what the eldest princess thinks. Those old troops of Jingnan Marquis will not be so. opponent."

Why didn't Xu Liangcai know about the eldest princess's back-up plan? After Jingnan Hou Su Yuankui's death, those old troops headed north. When crossing the border, several vassal princes turned a blind eye and wanted to cause some trouble for the current emperor. It was strange. Yes, more than ten years have passed, and the eldest princess seems to have disappeared from the world. There is no news, which also makes the princes everywhere a little disappointed. Unexpectedly, they heard the news about the eldest princess again. It seems that the eldest princess has taken action.

"Ghost Face Rider, the title of the world's best army won by the Great Martial Arts Competition, Luo Yunhou's strength is unpredictable and should not be underestimated. The current Holy Emperor trusts him very much and considers him to be his right and left arm. There is nothing he can do."

Zhou Xingshan was a little disappointed. The battle outside Luoyunhou Pass shocked both the government and the public. It seemed that there were not many generals in the court and generals in the frontier army who could lead an army to defeat him.
"Your Majesty, everything must not be absolute. Marquis Luo Yun is a person from outside the customs. He is free and easy by nature. He is much easier to get along with than those civil servants in the court. Besides, it is difficult for a hero to be a beauty. Everyone knows that Marquis Luo Yun is lustful. But start from now on. Your Majesty, you don't have to worry. , wait a few days and see what the Queen Mother and the eldest princess want to do. If I guessed correctly, they went to Jing'an Temple because of the dead former prince, hey."

Xu Liangcai sighed. If the former prince Zhou Yongxiao ascended to the throne, few vassal princes from all over the country would really care about it. Who would have thought that the Supreme Emperor would dare to kill the prince and let a powerless prince ascend to the throne? How can the rest of the princes be convinced? The secret battle for the right to inherit the throne has begun.

"Yes, teacher, students understand."

(End of this chapter)