Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 705: What a coincidence that we came to the East City
Mr. Chu's house,

In the flower hall,
When Madam Chu heard that her husband had returned, she stood up hurriedly to greet him. Lin Changhua, who was sitting below her, also stood up and followed her sister to pay her respects.

Chu Nian had just stepped into the flower hall when he saw his wife coming over, followed by a man. He paused and looked over. It turned out to be Changhua. He then walked over again.
"Changhua is here?"

"Greetings, brother-in-law. I just arrived today to send Bochuan to Beijing for the imperial examination."

Lin Changhua stood aside respectfully, bowed with his hands clasped, and was very polite.
Seeing this, Mrs. Chu smiled and explained;

"My dear, my brother came to your house to deliver the money and account books to the manor and to send Bochuan to take the imperial examination. Also, I thought that we must be on guard against what happened last year, so I hired a bodyguard to have my brother personally send the two children to Hanyuan Palace. Do you think it's okay?"

Chu Nian, who was originally anxious to bathe and change clothes, stopped and thought about what his wife said. He still didn't understand what the escort meant, so he asked;
"What happened last year? We still needed to hire an escort. Why not just let Changhua drive the carriage to deliver it?"

Seeing that her husband was being so frivolous, Mrs. Chu looked a little unhappy. Why was he being so frivolous? She repeated what she had just said.
"You are busy, so of course you don't know. Last year, many students who were taking the exam were robbed on the way to the Imperial College. They didn't even get into the Imperial College. It's better to be safe than sorry. If they missed the exam time, wouldn't that be a huge injustice?"

"It seems that this happened, but I forgot about it when I was busy. I should remind the Marquis of this matter. Well, go and prepare hot water, dry food and pickles. I will go to Hanyuan Palace tonight. The day after tomorrow, you should find more servants in the mansion to go with Changhua. Be careful on the road."

Chu Nian frowned, this was a big deal. He had studied hard for several years just for this year's imperial examination. If he was delayed because of these things, it would be a real regret in his life. What was more, he was worried that there might be someone behind this, alas!
He thought a lot at once, and his forehead hurt. His face was exhausted. Seeing this, Madam Chu understood what was going on. She turned to look at her brother and ordered;
"Changhua, go clean up the room first and take a rest. Come over for dinner in the evening."

"Yes, sister, brother-in-law, Changhua is leaving."

Lin Changhua also had a look in his eyes, knowing that his sister had something to discuss with her brother-in-law, so he said goodbye and left. As soon as he left, Chu Nian slumped in his chair and let out a sigh.

"Madam, you have thought it through. This matter will be decided according to your wishes. The provincial examination is not difficult, and I don't know how the imperial examination will be. You must not listen to those rumors. I guess that Marquis Luo Yun and His Majesty may know about it. I don't know who is so bold as to sell the examination questions privately."

Madam Chu blushed, her beautiful eyes blinked, and she sat down next to Chu Nian and asked;
"Don't worry, my dear. We didn't do it. I don't know how much the Taoist priest who sold the exam questions made. I'm just curious. It's only a few dozen taels of silver. If it's true, at least I've taken up a position. Even if it's not, this money can buy peace of mind. I asked Changhua to buy it with makeup. I can rest assured that it's my own people."

"You, why are you still thinking of these crooked ways? Last year's imperial examination was invalidated because of this incident. This year's special examination, I don't believe that the court and His Majesty have no response. Luo Yunhou is not someone who can be easily messed with. He really dares to kill people. If those people fall into his hands, it will be the end. I hope they are not from Lord Nan's side. But now I don't know the questions of the special examination. How do they know? It's confusing."

Chu Nian was also puzzled. He had thought about these things, but after thinking about it, no one suspected him. He wanted to tell Lord Nan, but his wife would not let him. As the saying goes, less trouble is worse than more, so he kept it in his heart and wanted to see if the test questions were really the same.

As he thought about it, he suddenly felt his arms soften. It turned out that the lady's eyes were as charming as water, and her face was slightly red. Chu Nian's heart moved. It would take seven or eight days to enter the Imperial Examination Hall.

"Madam, please go back to your room first, okay?"

"Well, I will listen to you, my lord."

There was a slight tremor in response, and Chu Nian could no longer hold back, so he picked up the person in his arms and ran to the inner room, followed by a burst of exclamations.
Beijing,

In the East Market, there were so many people coming and going, it was bustling with people and traffic, and it was difficult to find a place to rest, not to mention those places selling pancakes, which had long been surrounded by people and had long queues. Needless to say, they were all here to buy dry food.

Looking at the huge earthen oven, hundreds of naan breads came out and were snatched away as soon as they came out. Those who didn’t get any were still squeezing forward. It seems that this shop will have to stay awake all night tonight.

Zhang Jinyu saw them from a distance, but he didn't join in the fun. It was just some food and naan bread, so why bother to fight with these students? So he took his personal soldiers and rode his horse through the city without panic. As soon as he entered the gate of the city, the guards on duty saw him from afar.

Lead people to come and pay respects;
"Your humble servant greets the Marquis."

He actually knelt down on the ground, and all the yamen runners behind him lay on the ground obediently. They had heard that all the runners of the previous shift had died here. That night, not a single person was left alive. They didn't know which thieves had done it. The key point was that there was no explanation until now. It was just that the city ward chief had obtained compensation money from the higher authorities and had given it to him, which was some comfort.

Zhang Jinyu was in a good mood when he saw that this person was understanding.

"Well, get up, you know the rules, Ningbian, reward!"

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Ning Bian didn't waste any words and threw a silver ingot weighing ten taels to him. The head of the pavilion quickly caught it in his hand, his face full of joy, and he kowtowed again.
"Thank you, Lord Marquis."

The head of the pavilion took the silver into his arms, then stood up, stood there flatteringly, and said in a flattering manner;
"My Lord, why did you come to the East Market today? Have you found those evil thieves?"

The head of the pavilion couldn't help but think that if he hadn't been lazy and returned to his mansion early that night and went to bed with his beautiful wife and concubines, he would have died long ago if he had stayed in the market. It was a pity for those brothers, but he had also submitted a memorial to the court and asked for more compensation. This was all he could do.

These days, as soon as evening came, he would leave a message, lock the doors and go back home early with his servants. He could not stay every day, hoping that the thieves would be caught. However, after so many visits from the Imperial City Bureau, they didn't even catch a single person, which made him even more nervous.

Seeing the Marquis coming today, I can tell that I have some clues.

"What thieves and bandits? This marquis has no interest in this. The Imperial City Department is investigating this matter, and he will definitely not get away. Don't worry, those thieves here will not dare to come again."

Zhang Jinyu looked at the headman and thought he was a mean person. However, mean people also have their advantages. They know when to advance and when to retreat. So he tried to comfort him. As for whether he really left, who knows.

The pavilion chief heard this.

The smile on his face gradually froze, which meant that he had not found any clues. He would still have to be on tenterhooks in the future. So, why did the Marquis come here? He bowed and asked;

"Then, Lord, what is the purpose of your coming here today? If you can use me, please let me know!"

"Yes, it is true. The Enke is coming soon, and I want to buy some food for a week, for about a hundred people."

Zhang Jinyu calculated and it was about the same. If the people from Ningbian followed, plus the more than one hundred personal guards, it would be about the same.
The head of the pavilion grinned, forgetting that the Marquis was also the chief examiner of this year's special examination. Naturally, he had to prepare dry food. It would take seven days for each examiner and eight days for the chief examiner. The workload for one hundred people was not small, and there was really no manpower in the East Market right now.

"My Lord, you came at an unfortunate time. The people who make dry food and pancakes are all too busy. You need too much and we don't have the manpower. Otherwise, I will send someone to make some for you first. Then you can go to Rongguo Mansion. Many cooks there can make pancakes and other things for you. There should be enough time.
I will find an old store for you and buy some pickles and cooked food. It should be enough. You can eat cooked food for the first two days and pickles for the next few days. It will only take a few days to get through it."

The head of the pavilion thought about it and decided that it was not nonsense. He had been in the East Market for a long time and knew everything he needed to know about what happened on Ningrong Street. Although Ningguo Mansion didn't dare to say anything, Rongguo Mansion could definitely do it. If they were faster now, they could make some dry food quickly. As for the dishes, they were nothing more than pickles and some cooked food. Pickles could be stored for a long time, but cooked food could not, two or three days at most. As it was getting hotter today, and they couldn't use a big pot to cook at the Imperial Examination Hall, so they could only eat first.

Only Zhang Jinyu, who was riding on a horse, raised his eyes and looked at the head of the examination hall seriously. He was a talented person with some knowledge. He knew everything about the food in the examination hall. He could arrange for him to go in and provide logistical support. However, when he thought of those old antiques in the Imperial Examination Hall, Zhang Jinyu's face darkened and he shook his head. He couldn't convince those people.

"How do you know so much about it? You even know the time when the examiners come in and out of the Imperial College, and you arrange their food and drink expenses clearly?"

The pavilion chief smiled bitterly, with a look of grievance on his face, and replied;
"My Lord, it's not that I want to know. It's that the examiners all sent their managers to come directly to me and arrange things according to my requirements. Over the years, even if they didn't tell me, I would have memorized it."

He is not exaggerating. All the university scholars in the Hanlin Academy come to him for things. He has even booked an entire shop to make this year's products and is working overtime to make them. The key is that there are so many people, it's really worrying.

Seeing that his expression was sincere and that he didn't seem to be lying, Zhang Jinyu suddenly realized that being a small official also has its advantages and difficulties. The reason why he could continue to manage the East Market was that he had someone to protect him.
"What's your surname, Chief?"

"I dare not let you address me with that title, Your Majesty. My surname is Jin, and my given name is Da Biao. It was given to me by my mother. I dare not change it, or you will embarrass me." Chief Jin Ting's face flushed slightly. Many people thought that this name was not very good, but after all, it was given to me by my mother. My father died early, and my mother raised me with great difficulty. So this name...

Absolutely not replaceable!

"What's so funny about that? Names are for people to call you. I think it's good. It's loud and catchy. It's pleasing to the ear. I didn't expect you to be such a filial son."

Zhang Jinyu then looked at the man squarely. He had misjudged him just now. Although he looked like a villain, he might not be that way. He was still better than those hypocrites who were well-dressed and sanctimonious. They were like the people in the cabinet, who were sweet-mouthed but had evil hearts and would stab people in the back without even blinking an eye. That was fatal!
"My Lord, you are praising me. I lost my father when I was young, and my mother raised me all by herself. She worked hard for me, so how can I forget my roots? That's why I keep my name until now."

Jin Tingzhang's words sounded somewhat melancholy. He still needed to live well, after all, he had a large family to support.
"It's good not to forget your roots. I like people who do not forget their roots, and you are one of them. So, today, buy some rice cakes and other things. Buy as much as you can. I don't have any strict rules. Buy more vegetables, fruits, and live yellow sheep. You can also prepare a few large carts of refined rice. It will be enough for a few days."

Zhang Jinyu was thinking as he spoke, these should be enough to eat, buy a few more yellow sheep, some vegetables, fruits, and some pickles, just in case they are all gone, they can serve as a backup.
"Oh, by the way, you should also buy a truckload of pickles. That's it for now. When you get back, we'll see if there's anything missing and you can buy more."

"Uh, Lord, you said you want to buy some yellow sheep, alive, and some fine rice. If you want to cook, you need a big pot and a fire. Lord, is this okay?"

The head of the pavilion, Jin Dabiao, was a little stunned and asked stutteringly, "This doesn't look like a tribute hall, but rather like a march to a war. By the way, these things can be used to make fire and cook in the palace. Is this a new rule of the imperial examination? I have never heard of it before."

"Stop talking nonsense. Just go if I tell you to. Ningbian, give him three hundred taels of silver. We can move a table and have some wine at the entrance of the Shifang Yamen and wait. You must be tired after walking all the way."

"Uh, yes, sir."

Several people took orders one by one.

Jin Tingzhang reluctantly took the silver, led the yamen runners, and went into the inner part of the market with a bitter face, looking for the location of each store, and went to buy things.

Zhang Jinyu and his party turned right and arrived at the entrance of the government office. They got off their horses and saw a simple shed next to the government office.

Ning Bian immediately led his men over and tidied up the place.
"My Lord, please sit down and rest for a while. I will go buy you some food to kill time."

"Well, that's fine. If you see something delicious and pleasing to the eye, just buy it. Buy more, and the brothers can come and taste it together."

Zhang Jinyu twisted his waist and sat down on the stool, facing north, just in time to see the entrance of the city gate. It was clear at a glance. Not to mention, it felt really good. "Going to work" like this every day, and with so much money, for these small officials, it's not too much to live like a god.

"Yes, sir, please wait a moment."

Ning Bian asked someone to tie up the horse, then called two personal soldiers and squeezed into the crowd. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared, leaving Zhang Jinyu alone. He took out the water bag out of boredom, opened the lid, and took a big gulp of tea. Refreshing!
Just after covering the water bag and putting it away, I saw a place selling pancakes not far away. It was crowded with people. The people in the front were probably arguing over a few pancakes. They were so red in the face that they were almost cursing. Zhang Jinyu found it a little funny.

at this time,

Occasionally, a few figures appeared at the street corners, standing there.

"Master, look at those people who just passed by. They should be Luo Yunhou's men."

"Oh? No way, what a coincidence, what are they doing here at this hour?"

The princess was wearing men's Confucian clothing, and was in the inn at the corner. She looked out and saw several big men in full armor passing by the inn. They were indeed the personal guards of Marquis Luo Yun. It seemed that Marquis Luo Yun should be nearby.
"Wei Shuyun, you are right, it is Marquis Luo Yun's personal guard. Pack up and let's go to the East Market Gate to meet him."

"This, Your Highness, there are too many people outside, it's not safe, and Luo Yunhou is greedy and lustful. A few days ago, he also went to Manchunyuan and met Princess Yongcheng. Not long after, two imperial edicts were issued from the palace, one to our princess's mansion, and the other to ours."

Wei Shuyun's face was filled with indignation. In her opinion, since she had promised her master, how could she sell out two families? Princess Yongcheng had obviously bribed Marquis Luo Yun, otherwise, how could she come back.

"The other is Princess Yongcheng's Mansion. It's expected. Marquis Luo Yun can get benefits from it. Why not do it? Let's go down and take a look."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Zhou Xiangxue led Wei Shuyun alone out of the inn, and walked to the street corner in the direction where the soldiers had just come from.

Not far away, we arrived at the East Market, the main gate of the market square. There was a shed in front of the government office. Luo Yunhou was sitting there with his soldiers, looking like a soldier. No one seemed so arrogant and domineering.
"Look, only Marquis Luo Yun can be so ostentatious. There is no other person like him in the entire capital. Let's go!"

The eldest princess shook her head helplessly. The place was too conspicuous, and only Marquis Luo Yun had no scruples.

I walked over to see what Luo Yunhou was doing here.

Coincidentally,

Zhang Jinyu looked at the candidate who was buying steamed buns in front of him, cursing because of a few steamed buns. He felt happy listening to him and was delighted watching him.

suddenly,

Not far behind me, a crisp voice came from a shop on the street.

"It seems that Marquis Luo Yun is still so leisurely. After all, the chief examiner will enter the hall tonight. Why is the Marquis still here to watch the joke?"

The voice was clear, with a hint of charm, and sounded quite familiar. It should be a woman. Before he could react, the soldiers around him immediately reached for their swords and stood guard.

Following the voice, Zhang Jinyu looked towards a shop not far away, and saw two men dressed in green Confucian robes, swinging folding fans and walking over. They were "pale, handsome and elegant," and there was a faint orchid fragrance.

Isn't this the smell of Princess Zhou Xiangxue of Dawu? Looking closely, the two of them are handsome under their robes, a little swaying, and there is a tiny gap at the neck. Damn, they have changed their appearance.
How did His Highness get into the East Market? I thought too much at once and stood there in a daze.

Until the two of them came closer, she laughed softly.
"What is the Marquis thinking about? Can't you recognize this?"

The guards around him were about to draw their swords, but Wei Shuyun, who was protecting His Highness, immediately rebuked them;
"My Lord, this is not the way to entertain guests!"

Zhang Jinyu was yelled at, and seeing the situation around him, he immediately shouted;
"Everyone, put away your knives,"

Upon hearing this, the surrounding soldiers immediately stepped back and put away their swords.

"Oh, Your Highness, please forgive me. I was a little angry just now. I was wondering whose son this was. He is even more handsome than me. What if he was snatched away by a landlord with some fetishes and kept in the inner chamber? That would be a pity!"

Zhang Jinyu stood up, clasped his fists and spoke in a low voice, but he felt something was wrong and took his outstretched hand back. His words were inappropriate, but he couldn't take back what had been said, so he had to say it.

Princess Yueru blushed and uttered foul language.
(End of this chapter)