Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 689 The wedding banquet finally ends
In the inner hall,
The Li party gathered together, although it was not that they had not seen each other for many years, but it seemed like many years ago that they could gather together openly at the teacher's house and drink and chat. Now in the court, they were very careful in everything, for fear of causing unnecessary trouble.

I also hope that my dear teacher can retire peacefully, return to his hometown and enjoy his old age. Unfortunately, it is always far less than I wish. Today, my dear teacher spoke out of character and his tone of voice obviously changed. I don't know what he is thinking in his heart. My eldest son, have you made another step forward?

Several people suppressed their thoughts and toasted each other repeatedly, as if they had forgotten many of their troubles, and there was constant laughter and joy.

Outside,

Many court officials were in doubt and were wondering what the Prime Minister's intention was. Could it be that he wanted to return to the court to take power? Many idle officials in the capital had vague eyes and looked around, not knowing what they were looking at. They had many concerns in their minds. They were afraid that the affairs of the court would be in turmoil again. They might need to go back and think carefully about the interests involved. If there was a chance, they would take advantage of it and join his camp, which might make their official career smoother.

Sitting at the outermost table, Lu An and Qi Liang from the Hanlin Academy, the two of them let go of their stomachs and swallowed without thinking. After a while, they were full. Looking at the strange movements in the inner hall, Lu An lowered his head and whispered,
"Brother Qi, what do you think the Prime Minister means? Will he leave the court again? Look at those people, they are all old members of the Li Party."

Qi Liang also glanced over there, and it was true. He lowered his head and replied,
"Maybe. Look, the Prime Minister is still alive, and the eldest son Li Chaosheng is the left chancellor. With a little effort, he can enter the cabinet. If he really wants to seize power, it depends on whether the eldest son can do anything."

Qi Liang obviously realized this. This might be an opportunity to get closer to the eldest master. It just required some preparation.

"You mean, the Prime Minister needs to move,"

"more or less."

After they finished talking, they looked at each other and saw the selfishness in each other's eyes, as if they had the same idea.

The other officials at the table were whispering to each other, as if they were afraid that others would hear something important.

suddenly,

The Kunqu opera in the room stopped, it turned out that the segment of listening to the piano from The West Chamber had been finished.

moment,

Many people who liked the music shouted loudly,
:"it is good."

Before he finished speaking, he saw the chief steward of the Li Mansion hurried over, leaned down beside the Prime Minister Li, and whispered;
"Master, someone came from the palace and said that there will be a grand court meeting tomorrow. All civil and military officials, nobles and generals, should go there."

"Oh, I see,"

Prime Minister Li's expression remained unchanged, and he still looked calm and composed. Only the people at the table looked a little nervous, wondering what had happened.
"Dad, what happened?"

Li Chaosheng had some doubts and couldn't help but ask first.

But my father's face darkened.
"If you don't have a clear mind and are so impatient, how can you shoulder the great responsibility?"

"Well, father, please don't be angry. Your son is anxious."

Seeing that his father was angry, he quickly admitted his mistake.
"Master, the eldest son also has the intention of loving and protecting you, so you must not punish him."

Master Yang quickly advised, and Sun Boyan also continued;
"Teacher, it is understandable, but you must not get angry."

"Master, is there something going on in the court?"

Luan Gongfu used this opportunity to change the subject. Although the three senior brothers did not make any achievements, they spared no effort in maintaining the reputation of the Li family.
See here,

The Prime Minister's face also improved a lot. Seeing that he was surrounded by his confidants, he finally spoke out.

"Just now, someone from the palace came with a message that there will be a grand court meeting tomorrow and all civil and military officials must be present. I think there is an important agenda. Tell me, what is so urgent?"

Li Chonghou actually used the word "urgent", which shows that he already had a premonition in his heart.

But no one present could say it. They all frowned and thought hard. The eldest son Li Chaosheng drank a sip of tea and thought of the previous incident with Luo Yunhou Enke. He thought that His Majesty must have given instructions, so he hesitated and said;
"Father, fellow students, could it be about the special examination? It seems that the examination will start in two days. Tomorrow, the presiding official will enter the examination room to prepare. Could it be because of these?"

"Master, what the eldest son said is right. The capital has been peaceful recently. I haven't heard of any major events. The army heading south has already left. There is no movement from Ningguo Mansion either. The only thing left is the special examination. There are so many people, and the number of examiners is also the largest ever. I heard that Marquis Luo Yun directly asked for half of the censors to go there. It is simply unheard of."

Young Master Yang's face turned red from drinking. He hadn't been so happy in a long time. As long as his mentor returned to the cabinet, no one could rival him. And with a push from the eldest son, he would be able to enter the cabinet within two years. By then, all the people from the north and south would be nothing but passing clouds.

The rest of the people seemed to be thinking about something, recalling what had happened in the capital these days. However, as Master Yang said, Chang Zuo interrupted with some uncertainty.

"Lord Yang is right. After all, the imperial examination is a major event for the court. We can't be too careful. But yesterday, the Ministry of Justice received the case file of the Jingcang case, saying that Cui Dehai and others confessed their crimes, and there were signatures of Shen Zhongxin, the assistant minister of the Ministry of Revenue, and Luo Yunhou. The case is considered closed, but I don't know if there is any connection."

Everyone was confused again when they heard this.

Prime Minister Li's eyes narrowed instantly. The case of the Jingcang was closed so quickly. That meant that the official warehouse in Jingnan would not be investigated. If it was not investigated, the old fox Yu Shiyuan, the Jingnan governor, would not be restrained. Gu Ping would be in trouble. If he had known earlier, he would not have placed him in the deadly place of Jingnan. There was no news about the 30,000 elite troops. Was it because the Taiping Cult was really powerful, or was it because they were harmed by traitors? They should have prepared for the back-up plan in the early years.

"Alright, no matter what the matter is, we will just work hard to thank the emperor for his kindness. Today, I am very happy, but now I am a little tired. You can do whatever you want. I will go back first."

After saying this, he asked his son Li Chaosheng to support him and went back to the backyard, leaving everyone in the yard staring at each other in amazement until the atmosphere became dull. Many officials stood up to say goodbye and left in a hurry, no one knew what they were thinking about.

Zhang Jinyu and the others had almost finished eating, and without saying goodbye, they followed the others out of the mansion, turning left and right, and finally out of the gate;

"My Lord, thank you so much today. I will give you the gift money in advance in a few days."

outside the door,

Marquis Xiangyang clasped his fists and thanked Zhang Jinyu. It was worth the trip today as it was truly an eye-opener.

"Brother Bai, you are being polite. These are nothing to worry about. But Brother Bai, I feel that the court will not be peaceful anymore. I won't say more. I have drunk too much. I will go back now."

Zhang Jinyu climbed onto the horse, not knowing why he was so drunk. He felt a little confused, dizzy, and uncomfortable. As soon as he sat down, he bowed to Shen Zhongxin and Jia Zheng and said goodbye.

"Sir Shen, I'll see you tomorrow, no, the day after tomorrow, at Hanyuan Palace. Master Zheng, take care."

"Let's go."

Zhang Jinyu bent over and half-lay on his horse, with his personal guards on both sides, and left drunkenly. The remaining three people stood there, shook their heads, talked to each other, and left in a hurry with their hearts full of worries.

After leaving Li's house,
Zhang Jinyu was half-lying on the saddle, looking back and seeing that no one was following him, he wiped his face with his hand, stood up, picked up the water bag hanging on the saddle, and took a few gulps.

"Damn, I'm really enlightened. They say that old people who refuse to die are thieves. It seems that our Dawu's Prime Minister has returned to the underworld."

Ning Bian, who was following him, was a little surprised when he heard this.
"My Lord, you are drunk!"

"Humph, he is drunk. He has been drunk for quite some time. If he is not drunk, how can he get away? It seems that what the butler just said must be very important, otherwise Prime Minister Li would not react so strongly."

During the last moments of the banquet at the Li Mansion, Zhang Jinyu's eyes never left the main seat. At that time, the faces of the people present were not very good, all because after the housekeeper of the Li Mansion came, he said something in the ear of the Prime Minister, which led to that scene. His face looked like a magic trick, it seemed that something had happened, and it was unknown whether it was a good thing or a bad thing.

"My Lord, I should know something. After you went in, I saw the butler whispering with the eunuchs outside the gate while I was guarding the gate. I don't know what they were talking about."

Ning Bian thought about it and realized that when he was standing outside, he did see the butler hurried back after he finished speaking.

"Oh! Someone from the palace,"

Zhang Jinyu followed up with a few words. Since they came from the palace, it must be the will of His Majesty. What could it be? They came to congratulate, which was unlikely. Not to mention the ugly faces of the people in the room, even if it was the son of Prime Minister Li, he was not qualified to marry a concubine. Even if it was to congratulate, Prince Zhongshun had already come, so it might not be the will of His Majesty.

By this calculation, could it be a warning from the palace, a warning on a happy day, that Your Majesty can do it.

For a moment, Zhang Jinyu had no idea. It seemed that everyone had taken action, except for the nobles who were cowards. Wang Ziteng, who represented the interests of the Eight Lords, had already led his army south. The right thing to do was to accumulate merits. No wonder they had been keeping a low profile these days.
Forget it. You will know what you should know, but you probably won’t know what you shouldn’t know.

As they walked, they arrived at the gate of the Marquis's mansion. Before they dismounted,

I saw the chief guard Wei Yong standing outside the mansion. When he saw the Marquis had arrived, he hurried over and led the horse.
"My Lord, please come back. Someone just came to the palace and said that there will be a grand court meeting tomorrow, and all civil and military officials will be present. I am afraid that my Lord may have missed something, so I will stay here and wait."

"What? There will be a grand court meeting tomorrow. Have you asked the messenger what the grand court meeting is about?"

The day after tomorrow is the day when the imperial examination examiners will enter the court. Why is there a sudden court meeting? Could it be that someone has committed a crime? There is no need for that.

Zhang Jinyu scratched his ear and thought about it. He didn't know what else was going on in the capital that was worth His Majesty's big fight. Could it be something outside the capital? He turned around and looked at Ning Bian and asked;
"Is there any urgent news from other places today or yesterday?"

"My Lord, no, our people are all at the gates of the capital, and there are special people watching. As long as urgent reports from all over the country pass by the city gates, they will definitely know."

Ning Bian clasped his fists and answered in a firm tone that the Marquis had spent a large sum of money to bribe many spies. The four city gates of the capital were of top importance. As long as there was any movement, the Marquis' Mansion would receive the news immediately.

"Okay, if that's the case, don't think about it. Let's go back and have a good rest today. Also, pack up our tents and move them all over tomorrow. By the way, bring the yellow sheep and vegetables and fruits we bought tomorrow as well."

Zhang Jinyu was drunk again and felt sleepy. He said something and prepared to go back to rest. Just as he took a step, Ning Bian behind him said:

"My Lord, are you still going to Rongguo Mansion?"

"not going!"

He paused and replied, "The court affairs were too busy, and he couldn't worry about the love affairs every day." He was a little worried, and he didn't know how Lin Daiyu and others were doing, especially Lin Daiyu's fairy spirit, which he missed very much.

The grand mansion of the Prime Minister,
Soon, under the order of the butler, the lanterns, red cloths, and festive decorations hanging outside were taken down one by one, as if they were avoiding something.

"Everyone, be quick and clean the floor outside the door and take down all the hanging things."

"It's the butler."

Many managers brought their men and quickly moved ladders to climb up and pull those things down first, as if they should not be seen by others.

The chief steward looked at the gatehouse and found that it had been cleaned up. Then he left his words and turned back to report to the master.

In the backyard study,
There was a long recliner, exquisitely carved from pear wood, with a thick layer of bedding spread on it. Next to it was a shorter, square table, on which was a set of the finest celadon from the south of the Yangtze River, as well as tea, pastries and the tea in the tea bowls was still steaming.

In the center of the room, there is a cauldron. Green smoke rises from it, emitting bursts of faint fragrance. One smell of it makes one feel refreshed. It is the best ambergris, which is as precious as gold.

Looking around, I saw that the bookshelves were filled with books, and there were also many rare books scattered on the desk, untended.

Li Shoufu waved his hand and said;

"Everyone, go down. Steward Li, go call Chaosheng over. Then you just stand guard outside the door. No one is allowed to come in."

"Yes, sir."

Butler Li nodded, and drove out the maids who were serving around him. Then he carefully left the study and closed the door.

Out the door,
Without even turning his head, he hurried to the East Garden to look for the eldest son Li Chaosheng.

In Dongyuan,
The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, drank too much and felt dizzy. He asked the maid to bring him some water to wash his face. After all, he drank a lot of wine in the front yard and smelled a little drunk.

As soon as the people in the front hall left, Mr. Li hurried back to the East Courtyard and entered the bridal chamber. Without saying a few words, he immediately picked up the bride's veil.

Suddenly, I felt my eyes light up.
Looking at the gorgeous woman in front of him, shy and about to bloom, with rosy cheeks and snow-white skin that seemed to be able to squeeze out water, Li Chaosheng's eyes lit up. She was indeed a beautiful girl from Jiangnan. The "thin horses" of Yangzhou were famous all over the world. The person he married was a formal native of Yangzhou. He wondered if she was a "thin horse". He glanced at the front of the "wife". It was extremely large, not like what a thin horse could have. Seeing this, he was happy in his heart. He wanted to ask something, but he heard the voice of Li Butler outside the door.

"Young Master, Young Master!"

Li Chaosheng's face turned red, and he immediately retracted his outstretched hand and shouted to the outside of the door;

"what's up?"

"My Lord, the Master is calling you from the study."

"I know, let's get over it."

Li Chaosheng looked embarrassed, thinking that his father was too inconsiderate. He only cared about trivial matters. Looking at the woman sitting on the bed with the lid lifted, he felt itchy.
"Madam, I have something else to do. I'll be back soon."

"My dear, please do as you please. Don't delay the important matter."

A soft Jiangnan accent was spoken, causing the eldest son Li Chaosheng to tremble instantly. He suppressed his thoughts, turned around and left in a hurry.

As soon as I walked out of the room, I saw Butler Li standing outside the door, waiting, and asked impatiently;
"My father doesn't care about the time of day when he wants to talk to me."

Manager Li bent down and stretched out his hand to help the eldest master straighten his robe.

"Young Master, please be patient. A night of spring is worth a thousand gold coins. I know this. But since I have called you over, I must have something to tell you. Please be patient."

The breeze blows gently, and it feels warm on my face.
Li Chaosheng calmed down and thought about what he had said before. Could it be these things that will happen at the grand court meeting tomorrow?

"Let's go, we'll be there soon."

"Yes, eldest son."

The two walked towards the study room in the back hall, one in front and one behind.
Arriving at the place,

Butler Li opened the door and let the eldest son in, while he himself stood guard outside the door.

Li Chaosheng, who had just stepped into the study, felt nervous, thinking that his father must have something confidential to discuss with him.

Walked in slowly,

What caught my eye were rows of bookshelves, but I couldn't see what was inside because they were filled with books. I could only carefully walk around a few corners and pass through the screen before I saw my father sitting behind a desk sorting books.
"Dad, Dad, you called me!"

Li Chonghou did not answer and continued to tidy up the desk. Seeing this, Li Chaosheng hurried over to help his father sort out the books. After sorting them out, he rolled up his sleeves and moved the books one by one to the bookshelf.
I ran several times over.
Li Zhonghou sat behind the desk and poured ten thousand cups of tea.
"Chaosheng, don't rush to move. First wipe your face, drink some tea, and take a rest."

Mr. Li tiptoed and laboriously moved the last book to the third shelf. He wiped the sweat off his face with his sleeve and turned around to reply,
"Dad, I'm not tired. I'll be done moving in a little while."

But Li Chonghou did not give in. Instead, he narrowed his eyes and stared at his son, wondering what he was thinking.
After a while,
Seeing that most of the books had been moved, Li Chonghou said:
"Chaosheng, there is a box over there, the one that Han Changli Jice got, help me find it."

The eldest son was stunned. He had just finished moving it. He seemed to have seen it. He was holding it just now. He estimated that it was on this bookshelf. He answered while searching;

"Oh, I saw it just now."

really,

On the far right of the third shelf in front of him was a thick bookcase. He reached out and took it out, then turned back to the desk and placed the book on the table.
"Dad, I found it and brought it to you."

The eldest son, Li Chaosheng, still doesn't know what his father means.
"Well, now that you have seen it, don't put it down. Open it and look for it. Find the volume that was dedicated to Longwen, the 12th year of his reign."

"I don't want to read it anymore. Please read it to me."

(End of this chapter)