Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 726: King Wei is helpless
Outside Rongguo Mansion,

Still noisy,

suddenly,

The gate of the Duke's Mansion opened, and a group of strong men who were guarding the house surrounded the second wife of the Rongguo Mansion and came out of the gate. Although some people in the crowd outside were still making a fuss, the main people in front of the door, the people of the Jia family, immediately stopped talking.
After all, most of the people in the Jia family's side rooms still depended on the Second Mistress for their livelihood, so as soon as Wang Xifeng came out, the quarrel between the two sides immediately stopped. That is, Jia Dairu, the leader, was still crying and wailing.

When Wang Xifeng saw this, she knew what was going on, and she was even more grateful to Lady Wang of the Marquis's Mansion. If her aunt had not arranged the situation for her in advance, she would be in a difficult situation now.

"Oh my, it's so lively today. Why are there nothing to do at the Chamber of Commerce and the dock? Are you guys free or have nothing better to do? You're just standing here, not even bothered by the embarrassment, huh!"

It seemed like he was talking about something, but in fact he was scolding. After looking around, most of them were helpers from the Chamber of Commerce. Some of them even lowered their heads, not daring to let the Second Grandma see them, but were unwilling to leave, so they could only stand there in silence.

Seeing this scene, the people watching outside were a little scared. She was indeed the woman in charge of Rongguo Mansion. Even Cui Tangzhu and Ren Xiangzhu looked at each other in the crowd. They felt a little unbelievable. She was indeed a woman from the Wang family. It was as if they saw the shadow of the saint.
"Go and inform our people not to act rashly. The second wife of Rongguo Mansion is not easy to deal with. Don't let your people get involved."

"Yes, Master, I understand. We should stop while we are ahead. Anyway, the news has been leaked."

Master Ren Xiang nodded and disappeared. The White Lotus Sect nowadays is very slippery and can bend and stretch. They know when to stop, which is also the experience they have accumulated over the years. But he doesn't know how it will end in the end. I think Shuntian Prefecture will suppress this matter, after all, the size of the Duke's Mansion is there. Thinking of this, he raised his eyes and continued to look.

But Jia Dairu, leaning on a cane and wiping his tears, shouted to Feng Yatou,
"Hello, Second Madam. I'm here to greet you."

After saying this, he really wanted to kneel down and worship, which frightened Wang Xifeng. Her face turned cold, and she quickly asked the servants beside her to go over and support him. Several servants with good sense ran over and supported the elder on both sides, so that Jia Dairu could not continue to worship, so he had to give up.
Seeing this, Wang Xifeng smiled.
"Elder, we are all family, there is no need for all this etiquette. Besides, if we need to pay respect, it is the juniors who pay respect to you, not you who pay respect to the juniors. Don't be in a hurry, come into the mansion and talk slowly."

Then, he winked at the two servants and wanted to help Jia Dairu in. However, the people around Jia Dairu refused to let him go. They surrounded him and refused to let him go. After all, the clan elder was the elder of their family. How could they treat him like this?
The two servants did not dare to pull too hard, and at this moment, Jia Dairu suddenly broke free and said angrily:

"Why, the Second Madam is so powerful now, and she won't even let me wait for the Jia family to speak. Are you trying to take my life by force?"

"Oh, what are you talking about, elder? It's all the fault of those two blind servants. Why don't you two get out of here and go back?"

Wang Xifeng knew that she could not take Jia Dairu away, so she scolded the two servants. The two servants ran away as if they had been pardoned, without any hesitation, because they knew that the Second Mistress was trying to save them.

"Everyone says that Second Madam is majestic, and today I see that her reputation is well-deserved. My grandson Jia Rui has been helping me look after the clan school, and he has always been conscientious and taken good care of the people of the master's family, especially Second Master Bao. Today, he was beaten by those ignorant young people. What do you think about this matter, Second Madam?"

Jia Dairu also knew how powerful Wang Xifeng was at this time, so he did not give her a chance and directly questioned her in front of everyone.

Wang Xifeng blinked her eyes, pretending to be confused, and said in surprise:

"What? Rui Ge was beaten. Could it be that they were just playing around with each other? It's normal to have some bumps and bruises."

"Hahaha, yes, if it was really a fight, it would be fine, but in this fight, the person is almost dead, and the doctor was also taken to Shuntian Prefecture, and it is not known whether he is alive or dead. Today, I want the master to give an explanation. The clan school is run by Rongguo Mansion, how do you solve this matter?"

Jia Dairu pressed on step by step, making Wang Xifeng angry. She turned her head to look at the clan members and elders in Ningguo Mansion, and asked, "

"What do you mean? There must be a reason for that. It's impossible that he beat him for no reason. I heard that he beat others and blood was shed. But that's right."

Wang Xifeng said this to the clan members in Ningguo Mansion. Jia Daixiu had long been fed up with the old man Jia Dairu's behavior of taking advantage of his age and pretending to be a learned man, and always looked down on them, the children of the side branch.

"Second Madam, you are right. His grandson Jia Rui has been taking advantage of the master's family and bullying these young people. They are angry but dare not speak out. It was also his grandson Jia Rui who beat Jia Qin, leaving him unconscious with blood all over his face. If he was forced to fight back, if you ask why, I will also lower my face to question the master's family."

Jia Daixiu looked gloomy and heavy, and shouted loudly to the people around him;

"We are all from the Jia family. Although we are all concubines, we cannot write two Jia characters with one stroke. After the Second Madam took charge, she took care of us and gave many of us a future. The head of the family also set up a clan school. Which clan member would not be grateful? However, I would like to ask the Second Madam, as we are also from the Jia family, why did you not allow us, the younger generation, to sign up for the imperial examination this time? It is not a big deal to suppress us. They are full of passion to serve the country, but they have no way to do so."

For a moment, tears streamed down his face. The people around him felt the same way and shouted,
"Second Madam, why do you want to stop me and other children of the side branches? Is there any rule for the nobles and officials?"

"Yes, Second Madam, since you don't allow children from other branches like me to take the imperial examination, why do you still need to run a clan school?"

"Is it the master's intention?"

Wang Xifeng's face changed drastically when the discussion started. She thought quickly in her heart that this matter was all arranged by the Second Wife. The key point was how did Jia Rui and the others know about it? How could a woman like her respond to these words? She must not say anything nonsense.

"Be quiet, let Second Grandma speak."

Ping Er, who was standing beside them, saw this and stood up to scold them loudly. Many people were still afraid, but gradually, everyone quieted down.

Wang Xifeng narrowed her eyes and smiled.
"Everyone, I really don't know about this. The clan school is run by Rongguo Mansion, and all the expenses are handled by me, Wang Xifeng. If there is money missing in any month, ask yourself, it's yours. Have I, Wang Xifeng, ever taken a tael of silver from you? You asked me to do something for you, and I promised you everything. Or am I just a bad-hearted person and don't do it for you? Ah!"

Almost shouting, Feng Lazi's aggressiveness came up all of a sudden. Many clansmen lowered their heads when they heard it. Seeing this, Wang Xifeng also had an idea. She couldn't let others take all the good things and let herself take all the bad things. She knew the second wife's thoughts and the situation of her eldest sister-in-law.
"As for what you said, whether the Duke's Mansion really suppressed the students of the academy and did not allow them to participate in the special examination, this matter still needs to be investigated in detail. Elder, I don't know about this matter and cannot answer it."

Wang Xifeng's words were well-reasoned and no one could find any evidence against her. Jia Daixiu seemed to take a closer look at the head of the Rongguo Mansion and smiled.
Suddenly he asked again;

"Since Second Madam doesn't know, we must investigate it thoroughly. There is another matter that should also be investigated. A few years ago, Master Zhu of Rongguo Mansion passed the imperial examination. Why did he die overnight on such a happy day? The master did not give an explanation and the funeral was hastily held.

If it weren't for Jia Rui's matter, it would be easy for him to kill us. We, the clansmen, really didn't know about these things. So, we asked about it in front of everyone. As for the gate of Rongguo Mansion, I am not feeling well, so I won't go there. The old lady is a blessed person, and she will not fail to ask. Whether it is the descendants of Rongguo Mansion or Ningguo Mansion, we are all members of the Jia family. We can't be oppressed just because something happened to the head of Ningguo Mansion. If it really doesn't work, we ask the government to give us justice. "

Jia Daixiu's face turned pale. He said all the good and bad things. He would not stay any longer. He would send someone to the Shuntian government office to see how Qiang Ge'er was doing. This child was so reckless. If Master Jing stayed, they would be ashamed for not taking good care of Jia Qiang.

Jia Dairu looked unhappy, and knew that he would not gain any benefit if he went into the master's house again. He did not know what had happened to Jia Rui, and he needed to go and take a look, so he turned around and left with his men.
Wang Xifeng was a little surprised that the old lady was still waiting there. But even if everyone had left, it would be useless to stay.

"Ping'er, let's go back too," "Yes, Grandma."

After she responded, the servants and guards around followed the Second Madam into the yard. The people around dispersed when they saw that they were no longer making fun of themselves. However, the discussions could be heard from far away, and who knew how the rumors would spread tomorrow.

The White Lotus Sect's Cui Tangzhu was also among the crowd and went back to Zuixianlou. He continued to feed the horses in the backyard. In the front yard, Ren Xiangzhu led a horse-drawn carriage and began to unload wine jars, as if he had just gone out to buy some things, and no one noticed.

At the gates of the three princes' mansions, the eunuchs from the palace brought their men to the palaces and delivered the emperor's order, requiring the three princes to pack their bags immediately and go to Hanyuan Hall to supervise the examination. The three princes, who were still playing in their mansions and not sleeping, howled in their hearts when they heard the letter.
Especially Wei Wang Zhou Chong, who had loved cockfighting when he was in the Imperial College in the palace. Now that he had built a government office outside the palace, he let himself go even more. In the center of the courtyard alone, he actually built ten corridors, filled with roosters bought at a high price, and raised them in them, waiting for the winner to become a true "great general."

However, Qiu Ye, the lady-in-chief of Kunning Palace who was in charge of the inner palace, had always disagreed. After much persuasion from the King of Wei, she finally allowed him to be kept for the time being. As for the deputy commanders of the imperial guards and the people from the Imperial City Bureau, they were all on standby in the outer courtyard and had no part in these matters.

It was not until someone from the palace came to deliver a message outside the palace that the deputy commander of the Wei Palace led his troops into the inner courtyard, arrived at the gate of the main hall, and bowed;
"King Wei, someone from the palace has sent a message!"

At this time, Wei Wang Zhou Chong was still having a meal. When he went to see the chickens just now, it was past dinner time. He sat down at the table and ate for a while. Qiu Ye led the maids to serve him.
Hearing the shouting outside the palace, King Wei Zhou Chong, who had just taken a mouthful of rice, was obviously very impatient. He hated being disturbed while eating. Without putting down his bowl and chopsticks, he asked outside the door,
"It's so late, what could happen in the palace?"

He mumbled and took a large piece of meat into his mouth. After swallowing it, he said:

"Did the emperor send someone to call him, or did the queen mother send someone to call him?"

I don't know if it's because he's used to being lazy at home, but his chopsticks never stopped moving while he was talking. When he saw something he liked to eat, he asked Qiu Ye to bring the plate to him, stretched out his chopsticks, and started to eat. He no longer had the gentlemanly demeanor he used to have in the palace.

Although Qiu Ye, who was serving, tried to advise the prince, he did not listen, so the prince did not dare to ask any more questions. The other palace maids did not dare to say a word.

that's it,
The sound of confused speech,
Commander Guo, who was standing outside the door, could not hear clearly. He had to move closer to the door and put his ear close to it. Only then could he hear the prince's voice clearly. Although it was still intermittent, he finally heard it clearly.
Answer quickly,

"Your Highness, the eunuch who delivered the message was sent by the Emperor. He said that Your Highness should pack your bags and report to the newly built Hanyuan Hall in the palace tonight to wait for the arrangements of Luo Yunhou of Datong Road. It seems that he is assisting the Grand Commander in the special examination inspection."

Commander Guo dare not act presumptuously now, because the commander-in-chief is Marquis Luo Yun. The reputation of Zhang Jinyu is well known to everyone in the imperial guards, and no one dares to touch the marquis, especially people like them, who have worked hard to get to this position. Everyone knows clearly in their hearts who can be provoked and who cannot be provoked.

"Cough, cough, cough!"

Inside the house, there was a cough, and Qiu Ye, who was serving, hurried over with some tea.

"Your Highness, eat slowly, drink some tea, and calm down."

His Royal Highness the Prince of Wei didn't care about anything else. He quickly took it and drank it all in one gulp. He felt much better after calming down. He put down his chopsticks. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat. It was just that it was a bit sudden. He had to go to Hanyuan Hall for no reason and do some inspection. Wasn't that the examiners' responsibility? How could it be their turn? Besides, how would they sleep there? There was no one to serve them.
"Well, Commander Guo, was this matter proposed by Marquis Luo Yun or by our father? Will my eldest brother and the others go?"

As if complaining, he asked again, and Commander Guo bowed outside the door and said;

"Your Highness, please inform the eunuch who came that this is the Emperor's intention. In addition, all three princes must go there, and there must be no mistakes."

It was not something Guo Yulai fabricated. The eunuch from the palace made it very clear, asking the three princes to pack up and go immediately. He did not say anything else, including how they would go and how many days they would be away.

So, if you answer truthfully,
The King of Wei, who was still feeling a little uncomfortable, suddenly felt much better. It seemed that the attack was not directed at him alone. His eldest brother and third brother also did not run away.

Looking at the food in front of him, his appetite suddenly returned. He picked up his chopsticks again and swallowed the crispy meat in the bowl in a few bites. He was afraid that if it got to the other side, he would not be able to eat it.

"Sister Qiuye, please take a look at what you need to bring. Since the emperor said that we have to go to Hanyuan Palace, if we don't go, Marquis Luo Yun will come to visit us, and no one will be able to resist."

He didn't know whether he was really scared or pretending to be scared. Thinking of how Marquis Luo Yun was not afraid of anything, the King of Wei still felt a little scared.

Lady Qiuye smiled. She had been out of the palace for so many days, and she didn't know how Sister Chunhe was doing in the palace. Also, when she mentioned the Marquis, she suddenly felt a little nostalgic. Why didn't Marquis Luo Yun come to the palace?
"I understand, Your Highness. The things you have prepared are nothing more than some clothes to change into, which can be packed at any time. However, Your Highness, when you arrive at Hanyuan Palace, you need to control your temper. I think His Majesty must have a deep meaning for this arrangement, so you must not act rashly."

Qiu Ye suddenly raised a rare suggestion, which made the King of Wei startled and a little uncomfortable. He couldn't help but look at Qiu Ye more. He didn't know why Sister Qiu Ye said these words, and he felt annoyed. He replied,

"understood."

"Your Highness, you should call yourself Gu."

Qiu Ye seemed to feel nothing and corrected him once again, which made the King of Wei feel uncomfortable. It was not Qiu Ye who wanted to do this, but the Queen had specifically told him in private that no matter who would be the crown prince, they had to learn the rules. Of course, in private, the four sisters were of one mind, but after they were divided into different government offices, they also had their own selfish desires. Whoever became the crown prince could not satisfy everyone.

"Yes, yes, I understand. Go pack your things quickly. It's better to go early than late. I don't know what the commander-in-chief has set. Oh, and bring some food with you."

King Wei Zhou Chong was sitting there, and suddenly he lost his appetite. He was not stupid. He knew that Qiu Ye must have become like this because of his mother's order. So he simply went to Marquis Luo Yun's place, there must be something interesting there. He stayed in the mansion, listening to the teacher's lectures, but his ears were dull. He was helpless!
"Got it, Your Highness. I'll go right away. Someone, help Your Highness change clothes."

Qiu Ye responded,
She asked the maid to serve His Highness, smiled slightly, and went to arrange the carriage.
-
Hanyuan Hall,
It was still a little chilly at night. Zhang Jinyu wrapped himself in a robe and lay on a chair. He felt sleepy and dozed off for a while. Perhaps he fell asleep. The wind blew and he opened his eyes again.
In the courtyard,

A big bonfire was lit, shining on people and making them feel warm. When people are full and warm, they feel sleepy. No one can resist it. Looking at the two people beside him, they are also like him, with drooping eyes and feeling sleepy. It is not bad for Marquis Xiangyang. After all, he has been in the mansion these days, sleeping as much as he wants, eating and drinking well.
Lord Chu Nian was not doing well. He had been enduring for many days, not eating enough and sleeping well. He was already mentally exhausted. Now that the reconstruction of Hanyuan Hall was finally completed, he relaxed and obviously could not hold on any longer. He leaned back in his chair and even started snoring.

Although there was warmth from the bonfire, the cold wind at night was still not enough.

Upon seeing this, Zhang Jinyu immediately asked his personal guards to fetch three large blankets from inside the tent and cover the two of them.
"Ningbyon, have someone bring three cashmere blankets."

Ning Bian understood, waved his hand, and asked the guards beside him to get a blanket. Soon, the blanket was brought back.
Zhang Jinyu did not ask anyone else to help him, and covered Chu Nian and Marquis of Xiangyang with the blanket one after another. The two of them became alert, looking at the blanket on their bodies and Marquis Luo Yun who had just sat down, they knew that it was the Marquis who covered them. For a moment, they were moved beyond words.
The Marquis of Xiangyang didn't know whether he was wearing too little or was really cold, so he used his hands to pull the blanket closer, wrapped it around himself, and said;
"Only today do I realize that the Marquis is a true gentleman."

"Yes, I agree with what Brother Bai said. Although I am a civil servant, I have worked with the Marquis these days and found that he is a true person. The officials in the capital are especially grateful to him. All the poor scholars in the world are happy. This will be passed down through the ages."

Although Chu Nian looked exhausted, his voice was firm.
(End of this chapter)