Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 717 I went out without reading the almanac
Ningrong Street Hutong Alley,
At the tea shop in the east,
The White Lotus sect members sat there drinking tea, gathered around a table in the corner, and ordered a plate of golden beans, a plate of crispy meat, and a pot of Shaodaozi, and actually drank it there.

As the saying goes, great people hide in the city. Since the news of the imperial army's southward march came, they have not done anything big. They just keep an eye on their respective locations every day. When they have nothing to do, the hall master and his friends sit on the street stalls, drink wine, chat and laugh, and ask the passing caravans about what happened in the capital.

Not long after they sat down, they ate a few chopsticks of crispy meat and drank a few rounds of wine. Just as they swallowed the wine, they looked up and saw many people rushing to Ningrong Street in a hurry. They didn't pay much attention to it.
The hall master Cui Yu now had some time to rest. He had been lazy for many days. He felt uncomfortable without drinking wine. He picked up the chopsticks and put another piece of crispy meat into his mouth. It was crispy and tender, very delicious.

"It's still an old street food, just for drinking. These days, I feel uncomfortable if I don't eat a plate of it. I haven't had this for a long time."

Master Cui couldn't help but feel a little emotional. After hiding for so many years, he thought that the White Lotus Sect would have a hard time in the future. He never thought that the two masters of the Holy Sect were so powerful. It seemed that the Holy Sect had doubled in size overnight. If it weren't for the Taiping Sect that stole the limelight, everyone in the world would know the power of the Holy Sect.

Sitting opposite was Master Ren Xiang, who held the wine jar and poured another bowl of wine for Master Cui, saying with a smile:

"Who said it wasn't? I thought I would just wait for a few more years, but who knew that this year, the two masters, with their great talents and strategies, would make such a shocking move. It's really unbelievable. However, brother, the Taiping Cult in the south may be a serious threat to us."

Director Xiang placed the jar of wine on the table, and spoke with some worry. In the past, the White Lotus Sect was the only dominant sect, but now the Taiping Sect in southern Beijing seems to be catching up. The old men in the sect are worried. After all, there is no room for two tigers in one mountain. After dealing with the imperial court, the rest will be difficult.

Cui Yu also understood Master Ren's worries and suddenly smiled.
"You are just worrying about nothing. What you are thinking about are things for the future. Besides, the Saint Girl is sitting in the Marquis' Mansion. If something goes wrong, the imperial court's troops will be the target of the young master's complaints. When the troops come to suppress the rebellion, they will only target the Taiping Cult. Even if they can hold on, they will be seriously injured."

Looking at the hall master's mysterious smile, Ren Ze suddenly felt a chill down his spine. No wonder the leader didn't take any action. That was to let the Taiping Cult's people take the lead while he would reap the benefits from behind. At that time, the leader would have the final say.

"The leader is wise,"

He replied angrily.

"You, to be honest, let's not worry about that. The brothers in the church are not as prejudiced against the court as before. Nowadays, we have people among the officials and servants in various places. In addition, many helmsmen and hall masters are preparing to take the provincial examinations in various places. It is not a bad idea to follow the path of the saint."

Cui Tangzhu used to be firmly opposed to it. The imperial court and the White Lotus Sect are irreconcilable, so how could he work for the imperial court? But now, he doesn't think so. The saint girl used the imperial court to accumulate such a huge fortune, and took care of the leader openly and secretly. There is a saying that it is easy to be an official if you have someone in the court, and it is easy to do things if you have someone in the officials. Many things are just a matter of a word, which is better than them taking many detours.

Therefore, the scholars and learners in the sect all looked for other paths. Finally, the sect leader no longer cared about this matter. Those who could not become officials became clerks, yamen runners, etc.

Master Ren Xiang also smiled bitterly in silence. He couldn't understand why the current situation of the Holy Church was a little confusing. In the end, was it the leader who had the final say, or the saintess? Thinking of the two protectors, each supporting one of them, he suddenly shook his head. As long as they did not separate, the White Lotus Sect would be the largest sect in the world.

"Come on, brother, let's have a drink."

"Okay, let's do it,"

The two had complicated expressions on their faces. They had been in the capital for nearly twenty years, and every tree and grass in the capital was imprinted in their minds. Unfortunately, they could not help the church much.

When the two were feeling sad,
Suddenly, people on Ningrong Street shouted loudly.
"Someone's been beaten to death, someone's been beaten to death,"

Many women and children were so frightened that they fled in all directions. Coincidentally, the Shuntian Prefecture yamen runners who were patrolling in the East City were also at the intersection. Hearing the noise, they did not hesitate. The chief constable and a group of yamen runners followed the sound and entered Ningrong Street.

Seeing this, the two looked at each other.
"Brother, something happened over there. I just saw a lot of people running in. After drinking two bowls of wine, someone was beaten to death. Who did it?"

Ren Ze pursed his lips and asked, urging the hall master to take out a few big coins and put them on the table.

"Who else could it be? On Ningrong Street, it must be people from the Ning and Rong mansions who are causing all the commotion. The Ningguo mansion is in turmoil now, so it can only be the Rongguo mansion. These noble families, tut tut."

Then he stood up and shouted to the shopkeeper;
"Boss, pay the bill and leave."

"Okay, sir. Take care."

Then,

The two of them led a few trusted people, pretending to be ordinary people watching the fun, and mixed in with the crowd.

Ningrong Street,
At the entrance of the alley,

Many members of the Jia family also came out to watch. When they saw that it was a young member of the Jia family who was lying there, they couldn't help but exclaimed in surprise. When they heard these secrets, it was even more unbelievable. They whispered to each other and talked about it. Although they didn't know whether it was true or not, it was common knowledge that the Rongguo Mansion stopped the family members from taking the special examination and did not give them letters of recommendation. After all, there were two taels of silver to be gained, and who wouldn't be jealous.

Jiang Yanlin, the head of the Shuntian Prefecture, came over from the street corner with a group of yamen runners, and shouted,
"What's going on? Someone was killed somewhere."

This voice,

The people at the entrance of the alley immediately calmed down.
Looking up,

The person who came was the leading captain, who was wearing an old official robe, a silk turban on his head, a brocade belt around his waist, and black soft-soled boots on his feet.

He was holding a long knife in his hand, with a full beard on his face, looking ferocious, and leading a group of yamen runners. He happened to see several people lying on the road. Three of them were still able to move, while the other two were motionless.

Although the man was fierce, Jia Qiang didn't care about much at this time and said:

"I have seen the captain of the police, but he didn't kill anyone. He just fainted. It was that one who insisted on beating them to death. That's why several people fought back. If they didn't fight back, they would have no breath left."

Captain Jiang was not a brainless person. When he saw these well-dressed young men, he felt a pang in his heart. He should not have entered Ningrong Street. Who else could cause trouble on this street except the children of the Jia family? That's why he pretended to be aggressive when he came.

They were told to retreat when they saw the difficulty. Since it was just a fight, it would be fine as long as no one died. Looking at the two people lying on the ground, Captain Jiang walked over, squatted on the ground, reached out and touched their necks. They were still beating. Although it looked scary, it was okay.

"He's fine. Since it was a fight, there's no limit to how hard they hit each other. Hurry up and carry him back. Let's get a doctor to take a look. If it's too late, there's no guarantee of his health."

Captain Jiang had originally intended to make a big deal out of a small matter, so he shouted and wanted to drive everyone back.
Jia Qiang was dumbfounded. The person was in such a state, and they could carry him back home. If they carried him back, he would probably die at home. What should they do? This was not acceptable. It had come to this.
He immediately pulled the people around him, knelt on the ground and cried.
"Captain, if a person is in such a state and has no money for medical treatment, he is just waiting to die. Jia Rui, relying on the prestige of the master's family, beats and scolds us concubines at will, and does not allow us, the students of the Jia family, to participate in the special examination. He even threatens to kill us. Scholars like us have no way to serve our country. Alas!"

When the others saw this, they also knelt on the ground and cried bitterly. Many people rolled on the ground and howled, as miserable as they could be.

But when he heard this, the captain turned pale with fear. The imperial examination will start the day after tomorrow. If someone were to use the scholars to make trouble, what if, what if it caused rumors among the candidates in the capital, he would be dead or skinned. Damn it, I didn't check the almanac before going out today, how could I encounter such a thing?
Now, every government office, upon hearing the word "scholar", was terrified, fearing that something might happen and bring disaster upon themselves. Looking at the two people lying on the ground, it seemed that what they said was true. If they didn't save them, they would be gone. For a moment, they were at a loss.
Jia Qiang, who was kneeling there, was delighted when he saw that the captain did not speak. His face was grim, and he felt resentful. This was a rare opportunity.
He immediately kowtowed and shouted,
"Captain, I want to sue Jia Rui, a member of the Jia family, for oppressing his own clan and persecuting scholars. Also, from his words, I know that the death of Jia Zhu in Rongguo Mansion was strange. He was murdered. Please investigate thoroughly. Brother Zhu was a successful candidate in the imperial examination. Jia Rui said that Brother Zhu was dead. How arrogant he is! Brother Zhu's death was unjust."

"Wow, Brother Zhu died unjustly,"

"My dear brother Zhu, were you murdered by someone?"

The others followed suit and cried together. At this time, many people came to the alley. They were obviously members of the Jia family. Many elders were walking towards this side with crutches, looking like they were here to call for justice.
The captain was in a state of panic, and the group of yamen runners behind him saw this and felt that something was wrong. One of them stepped forward and
"Captain, I'm sorry, the Jia family's affairs are not ours to take care of."

"Nonsense, how could this captain not know about this? Now they want to sue us, and we can't leave, what should we do?"

Captain Jiang was now in a dilemma, with large beads of sweat on his anxious face.
in the crowd,
The onlookers were all excited, talking about the Jia family's affairs and the strangeness of Jia Zhu's death. Cui Tangzhu and Ren Xiangzhu, who were mixed in, stepped back a few steps and disappeared into the crowd.

"Master, is what the younger generation of the Jia family said true or false? It's so weird. Jia Zhu of Rongguo Mansion had passed the imperial examination, but he was still killed. Rongguo Mansion wouldn't be so unwise, right?"

Master Ren Xiang's face was full of disbelief. Generally, noble titles were inherited by the eldest son, and the rest had to be divided up. The better ones lived a rich life, and the ambitious ones started over again. Many of them took part in the imperial examinations. That Jia Zhu should be the eldest son of the second branch of the Rongguo Mansion, and he could not threaten the people in the first branch. How could he die? It didn't make sense.

But Cui Tangzhu narrowed his eyes and thought about it carefully. He was not unfamiliar with Jia Zhu. This man was indeed gentle and elegant when he was alive, and was a good material for studying. At that time, he often met this man to drink at Zuixianlou. However, later, he heard that he passed the imperial examination and became a juren. A few days later, he heard that he was dead. At that time, he was very sad for a few days.
Now that I think about it, there really is something behind this, and it may not be groundless. It is such a coincidence that he died just after passing the imperial examination.

"You think too simply. I am familiar with Jia Zhu. He is kind to others and has a good reputation for his work. Otherwise, how could so many people still remember him after he died for so long? At that time, I also thought his death was strange. How could he die on the same day after passing the imperial examination? It doesn't make sense."

"Could it be that he has been suffering from a serious illness for a long time and has no choice but to die?"

Master Ren thought for a moment and continued to ask,

Cui Tangzhu touched his chin, thought about it again, and shook his head.

"Impossible. The Autumn Examination lasted for three days. One day before the exam, he came to Zuixianlou for a drink. I remember he ordered three dishes: a roast chicken, crispy pork, and a plate of fennel beans. He also asked for sake. At that time, he was in high spirits and full of confidence.
Sure enough, within a few days, the list was published and I won, but the person was never seen. A few days later, it was reported that the person was dead. Tell me, how can there be such a coincidence. "

After Cui Yu finished speaking, Ren Ze also remained silent. He thought that what the hall master said was right. Even if it was a serious illness, it would take time for it to be known. It was impossible that he knew nothing about it.
Could it be that he was really harmed by someone? It seems that these wealthy families are not living in peace.

The two continued to look forward.

So many people came out of the alley, led by an old man in a long blue robe. His hair was gray and his face was covered with wrinkles. This was Jia Rui's grandfather, Jia Dairu. As soon as he arrived at the alley, he saw his grandson Jia Rui unconscious on the ground. Not only was his nose and face bruised, but there was also blood on his forehead. This appearance frightened many people.

Jia Dairu threw away his crutches and knelt down crying.
"My dear grandson, whoever did this will kill you."

With shaking hands, he touched Jia Rui's forehead. It was sticky and bloody. Jia Dairu was so frightened that he didn't know what to do.
Then he looked at the group of young people fiercely and cursed;
"You, you are such a heartless villain, how dare you do such a cruel thing."

In his excitement, he wanted to hit him with his cane, but on the other side, he was stopped by Jia Daixiu. It turned out that Jia Qin, the son of his family, was more seriously injured, and asked;

"Who beat Jia Qin?"

"The Hui elder was beaten by Jia Rui. If we hadn't risked our lives to save him, he would have been beaten to death. He is almost dead now. Everyone present has seen it."

Jia Qiang knelt there and shouted, and everyone around him nodded. Jia Rui was too cruel. If they hadn't come, Jia Qin might really be doomed.

"How dare you slander my grandson? I will never let this go."

Jia Dairu's eyes were red, and he stared at them as if he had a deep hatred, and said hatefully.

"Whether it is nonsense or not, we will know it after checking. Although we are descendants of the Jia family's side branch, we are also members of the Jia family. Jia Rui relies on the power of the master's family to bully us at will. This is intolerable. The master's family is unkind, how can we treat him with kindness and righteousness? A scholar should have the character of a scholar. The imperial examination is coming soon, and we have no way to serve our country. Why don't you let us die?"

Jia Qiang's face flushed red, and he spoke angrily, almost pointing at Jia Dairu's face and cursing him. Jia Dairu was so angry that he kept scolding him.

As a result, Captain Jiang didn't know what to do.
"What do you propose?"

"Captain, if the quarrel continues, more people will gather. If something happens again, it will be difficult to deal with. It is better to take them all back and save the people. Let the adults find a solution. I think there is no way to suppress it now. Tomorrow, rumors will spread."

The yamen runners behind him all had bitter faces. How could they be so unlucky to have to patrol Ningrong Street?

"That's the only way. You guys, bear with the hard work and carry the people to the government office first and take them back."

"Yes, Captain."

Captain Jiang has no other choice but to settle the people first.

"Alright, stop talking. Since you want to sue, then there are rules. Take the people back. Take these two back to the government office and ask a doctor to treat them. They are not dead."

"Yes, Captain."

The yamen runners behind him immediately surrounded him as if they had discussed it beforehand. A few of them stretched out their hands and lifted the man up. Seeing the damaged table over there, they simply took it and put the man on it, one on each side, and lifted him up. The rest of the people did not run around.

Then they went to Shuntian Prefecture. Jia Dairu wanted to stop them, but was stopped by Captain Jiang.

"Old man, you'd better find someone quickly."

It wasn't that he wanted to intervene, but he had to intervene. Otherwise, he didn't know what kind of trouble he would get into. As soon as he left Ningrong Street, he saw the patrolmen from the East City Army and the two teams were facing each other, staring at each other.
Seeing the people from Shuntianfu Yamen, La hunched his head and followed a group of people. He immediately knew that there was a crime. The leading lieutenant shouted without thinking;

"Hurry, turn right and run forward."

"Yes, Captain."

As if they had discussed it beforehand, the people in front turned around and ran north without stopping, leaving the group from Shuntianfu with red faces.
"Damn it, we are all born in the year of the cat. Let's go to the government office."

Captain Jiang felt uncomfortable and had no place to vent his anger, so he had to ask everyone to leave quickly.

After the officials left, the people on Ningrong Street were talking about it. They didn't shy away from it. Jia Dairu only had this one grandson. Not only was his life or death uncertain, but he was also captured by the officials. How could he return safely? There were many descendants in his branch, so they cried out;
"God is so unfair. Let's go to the master's house and seek justice."

Many people followed him immediately, and Jia Daixiu was also very angry.
"You old fool, this is not the way to bully people. If you want to leave, go and ask the old lady for an explanation. Are the children of our Ningguo Mansion no longer members of the Jia family?"

This shout filled the Ningguo Mansion's clansmen with righteous indignation. They gathered together and went to the gate of the Rongguo Mansion, crying and shouting all the way to intimidate others.

There were at least several hundred people, not to mention the onlookers. The scene was so chaotic that even the Imperial City Department of Zuixianlou was alarmed.

"Sir, something happened on Ningrong Street!"

"what?"

(End of this chapter)