Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 728: Shocked by the Mausoleum
Night in Beijing,

It is noisy and quiet, the moon is bright and the stars are sparse, magpies fly south, everything is normal,
There were noises coming from the gates of the three princes' residences one after another. Each of them had a carriage escorted by the Imperial Guards and the Imperial City Bureau, and drove towards the palace.

Among the three princes, except King Zhou Long of Chu, as soon as he got on the carriage, he spread out bedding and pillows, and fell asleep in the carriage. The other two always had some thoughts in their minds. As they grew older, they were not as clear-minded as before.

Passing by the south bank of Qing Lake,

When approaching Feng Yongwen's residence, Lord Meng, who was the first to leave, suddenly turned a corner in his carriage, went around a street corner, and passed by the door of Lord Feng's residence. For some reason, he suddenly changed his mind when he arrived at his destination.
Not long after the people left, Feng Yongwen just went out and got on the carriage, ready to drive to the palace. When he saw them off, he also saw Mrs. Feng and her daughter, who looked a little worried, so he got off the carriage to comfort them.
"Don't worry, you two. We are not going to do anything. We are just going to be examiners with the Marquis to mark the papers."

"My dear, please don't interfere with where you are going this time. I don't care about other things. If you meet a candidate you like, please pay more attention to him. It will also be good for Taiying to find a husband."

Mrs. Feng looked haggard. These days, she was busy with her daughter's affairs. However, matchmakers from near and far did not dare to take on this matter. After all, there is no wall that is impenetrable. Somehow, the news of the trial in Shuntian Prefecture Yamen spread among the dignitaries.

Although no one dared to speak in front of Lord Feng, they all told the matchmaker that if the blind date was a girl from the Feng family, then forget it.

Therefore, matchmakers from near and far were unable to find a marriage for the daughter of the Feng family with an ordinary family, but Mrs. Feng was not willing to do so, so the matter was delayed.

"Madam, rest assured. I have discussed this matter with the Marquis. We will select the candidates with red slips from Hanyuan Palace. If there is someone I like, I will ask the Marquis to find a match for Taiying even if it means risking my reputation."

Feng Yongwen was really prepared to do this. He was a little worried if he relied on himself. If the Marquis helped, this would surely be accomplished. However, he didn't know the origins and details of those candidates.

"Master, it's fine if you want Taiying to marry, but she must be of clean family and have a promising future. Otherwise, my daughter will never marry."

Mrs. Feng's determined face also made Feng Taiying beside her red-eyed. She was so aggrieved that she couldn't speak. Lord Feng couldn't feel good when he saw his daughter's sad look. He nodded heavily and returned to the car alone.
"Yuancheng, let's go,"

"Yes, sir."

With the nephew's assent, the carriage moved slowly forward. After a while, it disappeared. When the carriage frame could no longer be seen, the mother and daughter returned to the inner house and had many personal matters to talk about.

After walking for a while,
At the intersection on the south bank of Qing Lake, there was a carriage parked.
Lord Meng was standing in front of the carriage at this time, as if waiting for something, until the sound of carriage rutting came from behind him.

Then he smiled, stretched out his hand and waved to the carriage behind him.
Long ago,

Feng Yuancheng, the driver, saw a carriage parked in front of him. He knew something was wrong, so he looked over there. Under the moonlight, he saw that it was Lord Meng Li. He quickly pulled the reins and

"Oh, sir, it's Lord Meng!"

"Hmm? It's Brother Meng, why is he here?"

Feng Yongwen felt something was wrong, so he raised his hand and opened the curtain. He saw that the person standing next to the carriage was Meng Li himself, so he asked hurriedly:

"Why is Brother Meng here?"

"Ahahaha, Brother Feng, Meng Li has been waiting here for a long time,"

A chuckle,
Lord Meng bowed to the carriage, this time to thank Brother Feng for recommending him to be the inspector of Hanyuan Palace, and the other was that he felt guilty for his daughter's matter.

"Oh, Brother Meng, how can you be so polite? Come up quickly and talk slowly. It's too late to go to the Marquis' place."

Feng Yongwen also felt emotional. Among the Jinshi from the same palace, only he and Brother Meng had a closer relationship. After a few visits, they became close friends.

"Listen to Brother Feng."

Meng Li was not polite either. He walked along the side of the carriage and got on, sitting opposite Feng Yongwen. As soon as he got on, Feng Yuancheng continued to wave the whip and drove the carriage forward.

In addition, Lord Meng's carriage was slowly following behind him, accompanying him all the way.

inside the car,

The two of them were silent, each thinking about their own things, until they were not far from the palace, Meng Li asked;

"Brother Feng, has everything been better at home these days?"

Obviously,

It was my sister-in-law and her daughter Taiying who were asking about this. As if feeling guilty, Lord Meng blushed slightly.
Feng Yongwen shook his head and sighed. There was no need to hide it. It was obvious.

"How can it be good? You know, the Ningguo Mansion incident will have an impact after all. Although Jia Zhen's words may not be spread to the people, there is nothing new in the officialdom. What should be known has already been known. The only thing I am worried about is my little daughter Taiying."

"Brother Feng, are you really planning to pick a son-in-law from the list? If so, wouldn't it be known to everyone? If you really want to do that, Brother Feng, please ask the Marquis for help. Taiying is also my brother's since he was a child. It's just that Jia Zhen of Ningguo Mansion is not a good son."

Meng Li's curse was sincere. After all, he almost got his beloved daughter into trouble, so it was no exaggeration for him to grit his teeth in hatred.

Although he felt relieved after scolding, Feng Yongwen had lost his energy after all. It was useless to say more. Ningguo Mansion was already in such a state. Instead, he said some comforting words.
"Brother Meng, please stop scolding me. Things have already come to this. It's nothing more than making amends. I have always felt guilty and sorry for my daughter Taiying. Today is also a good time. Enke is here. As long as the Marquis is willing to help, we will definitely gain something."

This time, Feng Yongwen really placed his hopes on Marquis Luo Yun. Seeing this, Meng Li, who was sitting opposite him, could only do so. No wonder Brother Feng really voted for Marquis Luo Yun. The Marquis really helped him. It was a pity for himself, alas!

A heavy sigh in my heart!

Hanyuan Hall,
Zhang Jinyu and the other two, who were still waiting for the officials to arrive, were leaning back in their chairs, yawning. As the saying goes, a full stomach makes one think of lust. When one is full, one becomes lazy and thinks a lot. He didn't know what was happening with the Marquis of Xiangyang and the other two, but Zhang Jinyu suddenly thought of the figure of the eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue and the face of the woman named Wei beside her. The thought made him itchy. If he had known this earlier, he would have taken her in that day in Yanchun Tower. As for the famous prostitutes in Yanchun Tower, they were beautiful, but he didn't know if he had seen them too many times or if he had no feelings for them. Anyway, they were not as attractive as them.

Just as Zhang Jinyu was leaning there thinking about good things, a group of people came from the backyard. Many of those leading the way were elderly men who walked in a swaying manner, as if they could be blown away by a gust of wind.

When they got closer, everyone knelt on the ground and kowtowed as if they were meeting a great master. This movement obviously woke up the three people.
"My Lord, the twenty craftsmen in the backyard have all arrived."

Ning Bian's words were still ringing in his ears. Zhang Jinyu rubbed his sleepy eyes, opened them and looked over. They were all craftsmen wearing coarse cloth clothes. To put it nicely, they were craftsmen, to put it bluntly, they were laborers. The so-called master craftsman should have become a contractor, and he needed to have some skills.

"You have been working hard these days. I should say thank you."

Zhang Jinyu didn't have any prejudice against them. They were all trying to make a living. In his previous life, he also moved bricks at a construction site to earn a few days' food money. If he hadn't worked too slowly and been disliked by the foreman, he might have earned more.
The artisans who were kneeling on the ground all bowed down, and the old man who was leading them quickly replied;
"I am not worthy of being a marquis. Thank you. We are all lowly people. It is only natural."

"Are you the master craftsman?"

Staring at the leader, Zhang Jinyu asked.

"Yes, Lord, I am." There was nothing special about this. Those who could be called master craftsmen were all treasures of the Ministry of Works. They were the main force responsible for drawing the plans and building the mausoleum, but it had nothing to do with him. He waved his hand and said;

"Since it's hard to say thank you, then give some silver for your hard work. It's also a token of appreciation from us examiners. Come on, give the chief craftsman 100 taels of silver, and the rest 10 taels of silver each. Send them out tomorrow morning."

"Yes, sir, I understand."

Ning Bian took out the banknotes skillfully and distributed them to these people. Many craftsmen looked overjoyed and knelt down to express their gratitude. Only the chief craftsman did not reach out to take the banknotes, which made Zhang Jinyu and the other two puzzled.

The Marquis of Xiangyang was sitting nearby, and seeing the strange behavior of the person in front of him, he asked:
"Why, do you feel that the money is insufficient?"

This question also attracted the attention of Luo Yunhou and the other two. The leader was timid, but he never reached out to take the banknote handed over by Ning Bian. There was a hesitant look on his face, as if he had something to say, which made the three people suspicious. Chu Nian immediately thought of the reconstruction of Hanyuan Hall. Was there a problem? He asked;

"What's going on? Tell me if there's anything wrong. Is there something wrong with the renovation?"

Hearing Chu Nian's question, Zhang Jinyu couldn't sit still any longer. Damn it, if you dare to cheat and mess up the exam room, I will burn you to death.

"Say it."

Shouted harshly,

The master craftsman was so frightened that he trembled for a while, and shook his head without thinking.

"To answer you gentlemen, it is absolutely impossible. I have been fed by these craftsmen for my whole life, how can I ruin my reputation? This is just what I have hidden in my heart. I still want to ask the gentlemen to save my life."

After saying that, he immediately knelt on the ground and kowtowed. The craftsmen behind him also followed suit, leaving the three confused. Even Zhang Jinyu didn't understand. Since there was nothing wrong with the reconstruction of Hanyuan Hall, what else could it be? Could it be that they stole the valuables in the palace? However, they didn't have a chance to leave the palace, so how could they steal it?

"I understand. You don't want money, and you haven't done anything wrong, but you want me to save your life. So tell me, what is it that scares you? I want to hear it, too. Please tell me."

This question also revealed the intentions of the Marquis of Xiangyang and the other two. Looking at the palace, there were imperial guards guarding outside, and the security was tight. Even if they wanted to do something, they couldn't hide it. It couldn't be something outside the palace. Obviously, the Marquis of Xiangyang and Chu Nian both guessed this.
Until the people below spoke, their faces changed drastically. As expected, the secrets of these people were revealed.
"To answer the three masters, I come from a family of craftsmen. My ancestors were the masters who built the mausoleum for the Heavenly Family. I was originally in charge of the construction of the underground palace at the mausoleum. Unexpectedly, when the earth dragon turned over last time, the mausoleum collapsed on a large scale, trapping the craftsmen and many masters in the underground palace. There were heavy casualties, and the entrance was buried and could not be dug out in a short time.

But those who guarded the mausoleum killed all the outside helpers to prevent them from escaping. But in this way, the people inside could not be rescued. Although the imperial guards participated in the excavation, they were not good at it. So many days have passed, and almost all of my fellow villagers have died. So I beg the master to save us and don’t let me go back."

He spoke till he was hoarse and burst into tears. The craftsmen behind him cried even more painfully. Not to mention them, Zhang Jinyu and the other two had stiff faces after hearing this. This matter had made a big splash. The mausoleum that was built must be prepared for the retired emperor. If the retired emperor knew about it, who knows what would happen. His Majesty should know about it. If this matter was suppressed, these people would have a headache.
"Do you two know who is responsible for the construction of the mausoleum?"

Helplessly, Zhang Jinyu turned around and asked in a low voice, thinking that every wrong has its perpetrator, building a mausoleum is a big deal, there are many officials in charge and supervisors, and there are so many officials who can be found after a round of discussion.

Hearing Marquis Luo Yun's question, Marquis Xiangyang turned pale, opened his mouth, and replied,
"Prince Zhongshun is in charge, and the supervisors are all from the palace."

"Yes, my lord, the guards outside are also from the Imperial Guards."

Chu Nian did not mind the trouble and brought in the imperial guards as well.

Got it!
Zhang Jinyu immediately understood what they meant. His Majesty should know about this. As for why the mausoleum collapsed, it was nothing more than a natural disaster or a man-made disaster. It seemed that the man-made disaster was more serious. After all, Prince Zhongshun loved money and was famous for "getting it in a proper way". It was really like throwing meat buns at a dog, which was gone but never returned. The emperor was also old and confused. He actually left his affairs after his death to such a son. It was also a waste of his life.

But I can only complain about these things in my heart, and I definitely can't say them out loud. And these people are really troublesome.
"Brother Chu, Brother Bai, how should we arrange for these people?"

"This, sir, is a serious matter, we cannot ask about it."

The Marquis of Xiangyang looked grim. How could he interfere in these matters? If the emperor knew about it, no one would be able to withstand his wrath.

Only Chu Nian, looking at the person kneeling on the ground, didn't know what he was thinking, and said:
"Otherwise, they can stay here. After the imperial examination is completed, the Imperial Examination Hall will need to be rebuilt and repaired. This will require quite a few people. It would be better to detain them directly and then let me take them to the Imperial Examination Hall and arrange for Lord Nan."

Even Zhang Jinyu looked at Lord Chu Nian in disbelief. He was trying to stir up trouble. It was really a headache for a moment. It was not that he could not give it, but he had heard the words, so how could he turn a blind eye and a deaf ear? Even if it was His Majesty's test, he could not pass it. After all, the tribute convoys of the princes were halfway to the capital, and that Prince Zhou was going to lead the royal family to fight against them. Besides, he didn't know whether those princes had surrendered themselves. It was a worry when he thought about these.

If he really gave these craftsmen to Lord Nan, the civil servants would probably make a big fuss. But sending these people back to die was not his style. After all, when he thought of Prince Zhou, he knew that he was Zhang Jinyu's benefactor. Meeting him was like meeting the captain of the transport team. He couldn't miss the opportunity.

"There is no rush for this matter. Since the work has been done, it is only natural to get the money. Even after the imperial examination, it is not good for the Hanyuan Hall to be in a mess. We still need their manpower to work on it. In addition, the construction of the Dongyun Tower in my mansion is not satisfactory, and we also need help. Lord Chu, I am afraid you will not leave these people."

After politely rejecting Lord Chu's idea, Marquis Xiangyang's expression became much better, knowing how serious the situation was.
Chu Nian also thought about these things. It would be better not to do it, so as to avoid unnecessary trouble, but it also lost a good opportunity.

"Haha, Lord Marquis, please make the arrangements. I just saw that Lord Marquis didn't say anything, so I just thought that Lord Marquis didn't have any place to make the arrangements, so I spoke first. Now that Lord Marquis has spoken, I will follow his instructions."

Zhang Jinyu smiled when he saw that Lord Chu was so sensible. He said that these craftsmen would be detained first, and what to do with them would be decided after the imperial examination was over, or he could ask the emperor privately. If it really didn't work out, he would take them back to build his own yard. The craftsmanship of the master craftsmen was unparalleled in the world.

Thinking of this,
Zhang Jinyu waved her hand.

"Your lives will be saved for now, but remember, keep your mouth shut. Do you understand?"

"Thank you for your kindness, sir."

When the craftsmen heard this, they wept with joy and thanked the master.

Zhang Jinyu nodded, then glanced at Ning Bianshi and instructed,
"Find a marching tent and keep an eye on them,"

"Yes, Lord, you guys, take the man away."

Ning Bian also pointed at a few people and took these craftsmen away.

After all this tossing and turning, the three of them seemed to wake up and feel sleepy, but they also lost their sleepiness. Things in the world are unpredictable. People can't sleep well when they want to, and can't sleep when they have time to sleep.

The bonfire in front of them was fueled by more firewood, and it burned more vigorously. Just as the three of them were silent, a figure vaguely appeared at the gate of Hanyuan Hall. It was obvious that someone had arrived.

Zhang Jinyu and the other two all looked up, but it was too dark to see clearly, and they didn't know who was coming. After all, the previous bet was interesting. However, it was a bit unexpected that it was not just one person who came. Who could it be?

"My Lord, it seems that there are two people coming. How do we calculate this?"

Chu Nian didn't see it clearly either.
"Ahaha, that's easy. Let's go together, but one after the other. The one who comes in first is first, and the one who comes in later is second. This way, the bet won't be delayed."

Zhang Jinyu laughed, there is a first come first served rule everywhere, who’s first!

Naturally it is obvious.
(End of this chapter)