Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 675 What a coincidence
The hunting grounds to the west of the palace,
In Changle Palace,

The messy scene during the previous earthquake is no longer there, especially the extravagant decorations have been removed. Instead, the hall seems simple and peaceful, which makes people feel comfortable.

Towards evening,

Emperor Zhou Shengzhuo was sitting at the table eating his dinner, with three side dishes and a bowl of ginseng soup. Empress Dowager Lu and Old Concubine Zhen were sitting beside him. The three of them drank the soup in their bowls in silence. After swallowing a bowl of ginseng soup, it seemed like a panacea.
The emperor now had a ruddy complexion, and was obviously much better, but his body was a little thin, and he seemed a little frail, proving that his previous illness was not fake. However, it seemed that his health had improved.

It seems that the people around you really care about me.
"Your Majesty, you are feeling better now,"

Putting down the bowl and chopsticks in her hands, Empress Dowager Lu still asked with concern. She was not pretending. After all, if the retired emperor really passed away at this time, many arrangements would be wasted. How could her son Zhou Yongxiao come back?

Upon hearing this, the old concubine also looked up and saw that the emperor had also put down his bowl and chopsticks, wiped the corners of his mouth with a brocade cloth, and his voice was a little hoarse, but he spoke clearly and it seemed that there was no problem.

"Ahem, I'm much better now. I need to take care of my body. After a few days of rest, my appetite is good and I can eat. I'm sorry to have troubled you two sisters."

Zhou Shengzhuo waved his hand, picked up the tea bowl again, took a few sips of hot tea, and seemed to have regained his spirit. He did not say anything extra. At the critical moment, there were only the two of them by his side. He was filled with emotion. In addition, the emperor was much calmer and did things just right. It was worth it for him to temper his temper in the past few years. Until this time, Zhou Shengzhuo's intervention in the government affairs of Changle Palace was still considered by him to be tempering the emperor's temper.

"That's good. I've been worried about the health of the Emperor. After coming back from burning incense at Jing'an Temple, I don't know if it was a dream from the Buddha or a kind-hearted Bodhisattva. I've been worried about something, but I don't know whether I should tell you or not."

Empress Dowager Lu sighed, her face looking a little ugly. It had been a while since Xiangxue had asked her to do this, and it would be better to do it today than today. Today, the emperor was in a good mood, so he might as well tell the matter. It was just a matter of whether he would agree or not.

As soon as this word comes out,
Obviously, it attracted the attention of the old Concubine Zhen. She was just concerned about the health of the retired emperor, but why did she bring up the matter of burning incense in Jing'an Temple? What could make the Buddha appear in your dream? No matter what, she interrupted the conversation and said;
"Oh, sister, what you said is a bit mysterious. What kind of thing can make the Buddha appear in your dream? Could it be that you are still worried about those traitors who disturbed the emperor's carriage? Sister is still a little scared. Otherwise, build a Buddhist temple for you in the Cining Palace so that you can worship Buddha and cultivate your mind."

"Ah, sister, what you said is wrong. You are just a traitor, and you don't even take her seriously in my eyes. What I sympathize with is that when I was going down the mountain, I looked at the pavilion next to the lake at the foot of the mountain. I accidentally glanced at Xiangxue, a lonely figure, standing by the lake in a daze. There was not even a servant around her. It has been ten years, and she is still a widow!"

Empress Dowager Lu did not beat around the bush at all. She said what she wanted to say based on her imagination. There were a few tears in her eyes. It was not true sympathy, but rather empathy. Yongxiao had been gone for nearly ten years, and no one knew how much suffering and hardship he had endured.

The retired emperor beside him had a dazed look in his eyes, thinking of his own daughter, Xiangxue, that girl, it has indeed been ten years, I don't know how she is doing, Jingnan Hou Su Yuankui, such a handsome talent, it's a pity, he sighed;

"If you hadn't told me, I wouldn't have been able to remember her face. Leaving the capital and living in seclusion in the Beishan Summer Palace for ten years must have been difficult for her. Alone? Did she see you?"

The emperor suddenly became suspicious. What a coincidence that you saw him. Did you meet and talk when you were going down the mountain?

"No, because there was a war going on down the mountain, and I was in a hurry to return, so I didn't go down the mountain to see her. I got on the carriage and rushed back to the capital. I didn't see her come out when I left. I thought I could meet her and talk to her, but I missed it."

The Queen Mother shook her head. How could she admit it? Even if she did say it, she couldn't say it. Besides, she didn't see it. Only the old Concubine Zhen looked at her suspiciously, full of disbelief. However, under the watchful eyes of the public, she hadn't heard of the two of them meeting. She probably didn't see it, but you mentioned her.
The retired emperor thought about it and remembered that the secret guard came to report that day that the two of them had not met. There were only two monks in Jing'an Temple, the abbot and his disciple. All the noble ladies in the capital could testify to this. Perhaps it was really the blessing of the Bodhisattva.

"Since you haven't met her yet, it's time to meet her. Xiangxue is a stubborn girl. Well, tell the emperor about this and ask her to pack up and come to Beijing. She should still live in her princess mansion and everything should be the same as before."

The retired emperor suddenly had a melancholy look on his face. Thinking of Xiangxue, the girl, he actually missed her in his heart. Now, the retired emperor looked like an old man in the folk, which made Empress Lu and Concubine Zhen who were accompanying him silent. Especially Empress Lu, she looked down at the seat and her filial son seemed to be smiling at her.

It would be great if the prince was here. Yes, prince, the throne belongs to Xiaoer.

"That's good. With her in the palace to take care of the emperor, I feel relieved."

Empress Dowager Lu thought about a lot, and finally settled Xiangxue's matter. When she came back, she could attract the attention of so many people in the capital.
I thought they would just leave, but unfortunately Concubine Zhen would never let the Queen Mother leave like this. Although I don't know what she is up to or what agreement she has reached with Princess Yueru, there must be a place for her, and Princess Yongcheng should also be with her.

The two of them were enemies, fighting for so many years. Now one of them returned to the palace, and the other didn't. Isn't it like something is missing? The old concubine thought that it was just to contain her and not let her get the upper hand in her life. Now it was impossible, so she said;

"Your Majesty, what my sister said is right. The eldest princess is a little pitiful, but I want to say that Princess Yongcheng is also the most beloved by Your Majesty. The two of them have long wanted to return to the capital to fulfill their filial duties. Since Your Majesty asked Xiangxue to come back, shouldn't Ying'er come back as well? The two of them have been teasing each other for a lifetime, it's time for them to reconcile."

Empress Dowager Lu paused, naturally understanding what the old concubine meant. This woman was still so perceptive, but this time she guessed wrong. I promised Zhou Xiangxue to let her return to the capital, but I did not promise her to stop Zhou Ying from coming back. There are too many gossips in the capital, and it is easier to fish in troubled waters when there are too many gossips.

The Emperor didn't seem to think about this, and with a look of reminiscence on his face, he sighed;
"Hey, Yongcheng, okay, let them all come back together."

"Yes, Your Majesty,"

Old Concubine Zhen narrowed her eyes and agreed. She quickly aimed her eyes at Empress Dowager Lu, trying to see something on her face. Unfortunately, it was in vain. Empress Dowager Lu looked normal, as if nothing had happened.
The old concubine thought to herself, could it be that she guessed wrong? But when she thought about what she had just said, she always felt that something was wrong.

"Since we have finished eating, please rest early and take care of yourself. I will take my leave now."

Empress Dowager Lu felt a little tired these days, and her energy was not as good as before. She felt tired after talking, so she stood up and left with the help of her personal maid.

The emperor nodded, feeling a little tired, and with the help of Xia Shouzhong, he returned to his bedroom to rest.
inside the house,

The old concubine is left alone here.
Looking at the empty space around me, I also said,
"Someone, come back to the palace."

"Yes, Princess."

The moon is high in the sky,

A night of silence,
The next morning,
The light of dawn illuminated the earth, reflecting the prosperity of the capital's city streets. Even in the East City, the people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs had already cleaned up the East City. There were also many confiscated businesses along the way.

There was a seal on it. Many nobles and aristocratic families sent people to the Ministry of Internal Affairs to get their properties back. For example, Song Daichun, the Earl of Chengyi, came to the Ministry of Internal Affairs with his housekeeper early in the morning.

He was carrying two jars of good wine. As soon as he entered the door, he saw someone coming out of the government office. He looked familiar. Who was it? He was nervous for a moment and couldn't remember who it was.
In a daze, I had already entered the government office.

Seeing so many guards in the lobby, she smiled secretly. The real boss, Eunuch Wang, was right there. She took a breath and walked over with her belly bulging.
Entering the lobby,

In the hall, the eunuch Wang Xiu of the Ministry of Internal Affairs was sitting there sipping tea with an account book in his hand. He shouted from a distance,
"Oh, the eunuch is here. I have been looking for him so hard, but I finally found him."

Eunuch Wang had just sent away Pei Shaoqing's housekeeper. He was holding a stack of banknotes in his hand. When he heard someone shouting, he hurriedly put the banknotes in his arms. He also specifically instructed the people around him to go to Luo Yunhou's mansion and ask the marquis to come over to see what property was needed.

After he finished explaining, he looked up and saw a fat figure moving in. At first glance, it turned out to be Uncle Chengyi, Uncle Song.

"Oh, how come Mr. Song has the leisure to come to the Ministry of Internal Affairs? You are such a distinguished guest. Quick, serve the tea."

"You are too polite, eunuch. I am not a distinguished guest. As the saying goes, no one comes to visit you for no reason. I am here today to ask for a favor from you, eunuch."

Song Daichun came up with a bitter face, as if he had been wronged.
Eunuch Wang smiled slightly. Who would come here without grievances? From the moment he saw Marquis Chengyi, Eunuch Wang knew clearly that it was all for the wealthy merchants under the mansion and the income from the industries.

"Song Boye, what are you talking about? I am a rootless person, how can I ask you to ask for help?"

"Hey, eunuch, you must not say this. Let me get straight to the point. I'm begging you to show some mercy. The Ministry of Internal Affairs arrested the Zhang family in the south of the city a few days ago. I wonder how they are doing now?"

Song Daichun was still thinking about asking about the Zhang family. After all, most of the expenses of the Earl's Mansion were paid by the Zhang family. If the Zhang family went bankrupt, the Earl's Mansion would be in trouble.

Eunuch Wang's face straightened and he said, "Master Song, what are you talking about? The wealthy Zhang family bullies men and women and controls the grain prices in the capital. They are guilty of heinous crimes and are all in the imperial prison, waiting for the Ministry of Justice to interrogate them. We don't know whether they will be killed or cut into pieces."

Marquis Chengyi's face turned pale. It seemed that the Zhang family could not be saved. It would be great if those properties could be returned.

"What the eunuch said is absolutely right, but some people are short-sighted. But, eunuch, can we get some of those properties back?"

"Why are you replying? Those are all dirty things."

The eunuch tilted his head, not knowing whether it was true or not. A trace of pain flashed across the face of the Earl of Chengyi. He took out a stack of banknotes and handed them over.

"Grandpa, please help me. All the assets in the mansion are there."

Eunuch Wang glanced at it and didn't take it. He wanted to go back with just these, so he shook his head.

"My Lord, you have misunderstood me. This matter is not decided by me alone. All the properties that have been confiscated are sold by the Ministry of Internal Affairs. If you want them, you can just buy them back with silver. Just now, before you came, Pei Shaoqing's housekeeper left and bought a lot of properties. Don't you agree?"

"This"

Uncle Chengyi hesitated for a moment. Should he buy it or not?

Luoyunhou Mansion,

Zhang Jinyu didn't get up late today. He had spent half the night hugging Qin Keqing and felt refreshed. He got up early in the morning and practiced a set of boxing in the yard after having a meal.
Baozhu and Ruizhu were standing by with hot water, occasionally handing over a piece of brocade cloth to wipe Zhang Jinyu's sweat.
"Ningbian, do you have any plans for today?"

"My Lord, Lord Chu Nian sent someone to report to Hanyuan Palace that the craftsmen from the Ministry of Works have arrived and the project will be completed in three days."

"Well, there are still capable people among the civil servants. Lord Chu Nian is one of them. He works vigorously and decisively. If the reconstruction is completed in three days, it can be used within five days. Can the army of the Beijing camp move south?"

Zhang Jinyu has been concerned about the movements of the Beijing Camp, but it's a pity that Wang Ziteng is too slow and doesn't know what he is doing. He just keeps his troops in place. With such an opponent, the enemy should have laughed at him long ago.
They don't know that speed is of the essence in war,
"Well, send someone to Anhu Camp to keep an eye on it. I think the Beijing Camp should leave today."

"Yes, Lord Marquis, we have people watching there all the time, and they will report any movement. By the way, Lord Marquis, Eunuch Wang from the Ministry of Internal Affairs has also sent someone to ask if you would like to buy some property. He said that there are quite a few properties that have been confiscated. What do you think?"

Ning Bian asked beside him. After all, it was the good intention of the eunuch.
Zhang Jinyu wiped his face with a brocade cloth and felt much better.
"Buying properties, are they the ones that were confiscated that night? You have to bother me with such a small matter. I still need to pay tribute to the emperor. Send someone to talk to him. I will go there when I return from the palace. If it doesn't work, tell my wife and let her handle it. Keep all the good properties. A lot of shops in the East City were burned down. Keep them all for me. We can also build a large Chamber of Commerce headquarters. The place in the south of the city is too small."

Although Zhang Jinyu complained, who would complain about having too much money? There were many shops in good locations in the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and he could buy things himself, but he would have to choose carefully. It was difficult to find a shop in the east market, so he had to buy more this time.

"Yes, Lord, I will send someone to reply right away. Lord, you should change your clothes first. The carriage and horses are ready."

"Okay, Baozhu, change your clothes. I will go to the palace."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Baozhu grumbled, turned back to the main room, and took out the robes that had been washed a few days ago.

"Sir, should I wear this robe or the official uniform?"

Zhang Jinyu wiped the sweat off his face and looked at Baozhu, who only had one piece of clothing in her hand. She asked herself, what was the reason?
"You are so interesting, girl. You only have one piece of clothing in your hand. How can you choose? Come and change your clothes. I have something else to do."

Baozhu felt a little aggrieved, so she came over and put the robe on Zhang Jinyu. At the door of the main hall, Qin Keqing came out in a red dress with a wooden hairpin on her head and no makeup on. She looked at Zhang Jinyu bullying Baozhu in the yard and smiled.
Come over and help me dress the Lord.
"My dear, you are bullying Baozhu. I have seen it all. Baozhu has said nothing wrong. If you are wearing official uniform, I will give it to you."

Zhang Jinyu's body stiffened, and he felt the warmth and size behind him. He cursed inwardly, "You monster!" Who could withstand this? He fought for three hundred rounds last night, and he couldn't hold on any longer. He was defeated. By the way, he hasn't taken the medicine that Zixiang prescribed yet.

"Hey, I was just kidding. Madam was exhausted last night and needs to rest for a while. I have some things to do. Baozhu, you stay with Madam and make sure nothing goes wrong."

After saying that, Zhang Jinyu put on his clothes, tightened his belt, and walked out. The personal soldiers around him followed closely in silence.

As soon as people leave,
Baozhu came over shyly and shouted,
"Miss."

: "You are always worrying."

In the Yamen of the Ministry of Internal Affairs,

The sincere Earl was still a little entangled, sitting in the lobby, still a little hesitant, when suddenly, a eunuch came running from the gate, kowtowed and said;

"Your Excellency, the steward of Wen Shaoqing from the Honglu Temple wants to see you. He said he wants to discuss something with you in detail."

"Okay, got it. Let him wait outside first."

"It's the eunuch."

The eunuch responded and stood up to go out. This scene was clear to the Earl of Chengyi. They were all here to ask for money from Eunuch Wang. No, to buy properties. His properties were in great demand in the capital. Although he could not make a lot of money, he had a steady stream of money. It was a golden nest. How could he bear to give it up?

He quickly spoke out;
"Oh, eunuch, it's my fault. I have wasted your time. Now, I don't dare to hope for anything else. I will just redeem the ones from the Zhang family. Here are the banknotes. Please give me some."

finished,

He took out a hundred thousand taels of silver from his pocket and placed it on the table, and also presented another two thousand taels of silver on top.

Seeing the flattering smile of the Earl of Chengyi, Eunuch Wang was all smiles. This was more appropriate, so he didn't hesitate. He rolled up the banknote and took it. Then he took the brush, wrote a note, and handed it over.

"Master Song, take this signature and go to the account book behind the Ministry of Internal Affairs to record the account, and take back the properties."

"Thank you, Grand Master,"

Uncle Chengyi's face was filled with joy. He took the signature and hurriedly got up to go to the backyard. His movements were as swift as a cunning rabbit, and he didn't look like Uncle Chengyi at all when he first arrived.

Eunuch Wang smiled and gave instructions to the eunuch:

"Go, call Wen Shaoqing's housekeeper in,"

"Yes, Grand Eunuch."

(End of this chapter)