Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 755: Lord Song's Advice
In Hanyuan Hall,

On the high platform,
Zhang Jinyu asked for a brush. Chu Nian didn't know what he meant, so he picked up the brush from the table behind him, dipped it in ink, and handed it to him.

Zhang Jinyu then took it in his hand and slid it across the essay on the man's answer sheet, leaving a long black line on it.
"Master Hou, what are you doing?"

Chu Nian was shocked. Did the Marquis go too far?
"Well! That's great. This person's paper is dirty, so he doesn't need to be included in the list. This person will not be hired."

Then he slid over another answer sheet in the same way, covered it, and threw it aside. He put down his pen, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip. He finally felt better. Only Master Chu Nian was fidgeting.

"My Lord, although this man is a bit arrogant, he still has talent. My Lord, will you give him a chance?"

Chu Nian was a scholar after all, and he knew that the imperial examination was not easy, so if he really couldn't do it, he would give him a chance, call him back, and ask him to answer the questions again.
Zhang Jinyu turned to look at Mr. Chu's pretentiousness and smiled;

"Master Chu has softened his heart. Everyone has a love for talent, and I am no exception. Otherwise, I would not have let him in when he entered the examination room."

"So, what is this time, Lord?"

Chu Nian was puzzled as to why he suddenly became so strict.

"That's saving him. This man's personality aside, he's involved in the Jingnan Marquis's Mansion and the Princess. I can't appoint him. He's outspoken in the officialdom. By then, more than a few people will be implicated. If I'm here, I'll stop him. If I'm not here, let others do whatever they want. If something goes wrong and they're involved, it's not something I can control. This term of the Masters, at least the people sitting here, are all like that."

This is what Zhang Jinyu just thought of. Not only that, he also thought of the Princess's Mansion. Although the princess is beautiful, he really doesn't want to get involved in the Su family's affairs. It is possible that they are the ones who are in chaos in southern Beijing.

"That's fine."

Chu Nian frowned, he really couldn't get involved. The Marquis could see it clearly, after all, he had a share in the position of the seat master. Traditionally, the chief examiner was the seat master, and the deputy examiner could also be the seat master. Once they paid a visit, the title would be decided. As for other people, they did not have this right, and few candidates broke the rules, so what the Marquis thought was right.

"Okay, Master Chu, don't be anxious. Relax your mind. Come on, let's have dinner with me. I'm hungry."

"Uh. Yes, sir."

Shuntianfu Yamen,
In the prison, Jia Qin's wounds, which had been medicated after being beaten, had scabbed over and he had woken up, but he was still dizzy and uncomfortable. The others were overjoyed to see that he was finally out of danger, but now they didn't know what to do in prison.
"Brother Qiang, what should we do now? I wonder how the master will deal with us?"

Jia Fang couldn't help showing a timid expression, and so did the others.
Jia Qiang was lying there, not showing any sign of panic. When he heard the crying of several people in the school, he stood up and scolded them.

"Why, you regret it now? Now that you have done it, you have to continue. If you give up halfway and wait for Jia Rui's revenge, you will be even more upset. I think it's time for Jia Rui to wake up."

After hearing this, everyone felt that it made sense. They had to do something. They had no choice but to go all the way. After all, the clan elders had sent people to check on them before, and their words were full of warnings. Jia Qiang thought about the implied meaning and realized that the clan elders' wish was for the title of the Ningguo Mansion lineage. In this case, he was afraid that he really had to think about it. Not to mention other things, the only thing was who would be the clan leader and who would be the heir to the title.

As for Jia Rui, everyone inside the wooden bars of the prison cell crowded together to look over there.

Jia Rui was seen lying on the ground, turning over, and then reaching out to touch a steamed bun on the ground at the door, and began to eat while lying down. It was obvious that nothing had happened. People on both sides were silent, knowing that some things needed to be confronted in the hall.

So let's just stop talking.

In the Yamen,
Xu Jiaqing sat on the high platform with a sullen face, and was also thinking about how to try the case. Lord Song, the governor beside him, saw this and was quite puzzled as to why Lord Xu did not accept the visiting invitation from the Rongguo Mansion. Everything seemed strange. Could it be that Lord Xu really wanted to try the case?

"Sir, the jailer came to report that all the Rongguo family members who were imprisoned in the jail can have their meals."

Being able to eat is just like the folk saying, eating won't make you sick, not eating will make you sick like a mountain, so Xu Jiaqing knew it in his heart, and he didn't hesitate to try him. As for how to try him, it was difficult. It involved Rongguo Mansion, so there was no way these things would happen.

"Bring the people up,"

"It's an adult."

Lord Song had no choice but to send the officer away, and then hurriedly told his story;

"Sir, it is better to have less trouble than more at this time. Rongguo Mansion is not Ningguo Mansion. It involves many things. Now it is at a critical juncture. The court is strange. If you open a door, it will be difficult to stop. It will definitely involve the court. Sir, it is not easy for you to sit in this seat. I am afraid that you will stir up a hornet's nest."

It's not that Lord Song is exaggerating. They are all difficult people. If a big case is uncovered from them, it will be all over. Jia Zhu was a juren during the time of the retired emperor, just before the current emperor ascended the throne. At that time, the prime minister was still in charge of the cabinet. It happened that the last imperial examination was conducted by Prime Minister Li as the chief examiner. As the teacher, what would happen if Jia Zhu was really killed?

Just one sentence made Lord Xu silent for a long time. He knew all this, but that little girl from the north was his favorite, so how could she be gone?

"I have my thoughts and know the seriousness of the situation. I will write a petition first and interrogate him. I will sort out the matter after Marquis Luo Yun comes out."

Xu Jiaqing has made preparations for both scenarios. He has a plan in hand and a basis for his actions.

"This is an adult."

Lord Song, the governor, was helpless. Now that things had come to this, it would be useless to persuade him further.

Wait a minute,
The yamen runners called up a group of people from the Jia family. Both sides glared at each other and stood in the hall, neither willing to give in.

Lord Xu held the shocking wood in one hand and slammed it hard.

"Be honest, this is the government office, and I know something about your affairs. Since you have grievances against each other, then each of you should write down your complaint. Come, give them pen, ink, paper and inkstone."

"Yes, my lord."

The clerk at the side had already handed the prepared paper and pen to both parties.

The two sides looked at each other. Jia Qiang took the pen and said to himself, "Let's write it.

He directly wrote two petitions, one was that the master's family sent people to oppress the concubine's son and deprive him of the quota for the special examination, and the other was to seek justice for Jia Zhu.

As for Jia Rui, he was also a bachelor. He sat down and wrote a petition with a pen, saying that the people in the school were ungrateful and ignorant, and they spread rumors about the master's family. The other one was not to be outdone. They wrote two petitions, and he followed suit. After thinking for a while, he wrote about the Jia family members who were disloyal, worked for outsiders, and slandered the master's family. Both sides wrote about all the things that had happened to the Jia family. There were four petitions in total.

The clerk picked them up, glanced at them, and swallowed his saliva unconsciously. He had no choice but to put the four petitions on Lord Xu's desk and arranged them neatly.
As soon as he put it down, Lord Song came over curiously to take a look. He saw so much written about all kinds of dirty things. It was like the Jia family's past was exposed. What should he do?

Xu Jiaqing was also troubled. These people really didn't know what was good for them. Could they write about some of the things they wrote?

"What you wrote has a basis,"

"Your Excellency, yes, you can ask the Jia family about everything. They all know. The elders also have the account books."

Jia Qiang did not flinch and shouted loudly. Jia Rui did not wait for Lord Xu to ask and stood up as well.

"Sir, everything I wrote is true. We have the account books as well. The families of these people all work at the docks and the Chamber of Commerce, helping others. They have not done any work for the clan."

The two sides disliked each other, which made Lord Xu feel overwhelmed and he shouted at them;

"Go, take them all away,"

"Yes, sir." The bailiff hurriedly took the people away. Only Sir Song looked embarrassed.

"Sir, both parties' complaints have evidence to support them. We can verify them by asking. But there is one thing. Jia Zhu's death is a big deal. The deprivation of the quota is a small matter. After all, they have only studied for a few days and may not pass the exam. They must be jealous of the two taels of silver issued by the court. Jia Rui's complaint is just a sale. It is irrelevant and cannot be investigated."

From this passage, we can see Lord Song's ability. He has analyzed the matter thoroughly. I think it is basically the same. After all, the mentality of villains is similar. There is another point that he dare not say, which is the title of Ningguo Mansion. It is true that money is tempting, and it is the hereditary title that can be killed. However, he is a small governor and must not say a word. The entire noble family is watching. If outsiders touch it, there will be no hope.

Lord Xu sat there, thinking for a moment, and was really in a dilemma. Apart from anything else, he just wanted to meet with the Marquis and ask some questions. However, the complaint in his hand not only dealt with the affairs of the Jia family, but also involved old events. He was no stranger to Jia Zhu, as he was a scholar in the 30th year of Tianbao. At that time, Jia Zhu was quite famous in the capital, and his teacher was, um!
Xu Jiaqing was stunned. It seemed that during the last imperial examination when the emperor was in power, Li Shoufu was the chief examiner and the teacher.
It seems that my previous thoughts were a bit rash.

"Sir Song, could you please copy the complaint and send someone to Rongguo Mansion to give it to the old lady to see what they say?"

"Yes, sir, I will copy it right away. However, sir, I think that the Rongguo Mansion may not take this matter seriously now. Apart from other things, after the Rongguo Mansion sent people to check on them that night, no one came to the door. The old lady let us judge. The key is that the Jia family is involved in many cases. If we really want to judge, we have to submit it to the Dali Temple, which is impossible."

After thinking for a while, Lord Song came closer and said;
"Sir, why not take this opportunity to sell yourself out, take the silver and close the case. Jia Zhu's case happened too long ago, there is no evidence, so forget it."

This can be considered as a way to settle the matter peacefully. It not only saves face but also benefits people, and it does not give people a chance to criticize. Moreover, these people are bullies who only bully the weak and fear the strong, so they can just be punished.

But Lord Xu did not agree. He could not get rid of the beautiful figure in his mind. He did not know where the girl was enjoying herself. How could he stop when he thought about losing her again? Even if he sentenced her, he would enforce the law impartially.
"Sir Song, just do it. You don't have to worry about the rest."

After replying coldly, he stood up and went back to the backyard, leaving Lord Song dumbfounded. Why did Lord Xu take on the challenge? There was another hidden story behind this.
Looking at the complaint on the table, he had no choice but to take the clerk's pen, ink, paper and inkstone and re-copy the complaint.
"Captain Jiang, take the complaint and go to the Rongguo Mansion. Give it to the Second Mistress of the Household and see what the Rongguo Mansion has to say about it."

It's not that Lord Xu said we shouldn't worry about this matter, so we can just stop worrying about it. After all, we are in the same government office, and we all prosper together and suffer together.

We need to wait and see about this matter.

"Yes, sir, I will go there right away. But, sir, what if the Rongguo Mansion ignores you?"

Song Changping's eyes narrowed and he ignored her. He could only follow what Lord Xu said and handle the matter impartially. The person should be sentenced according to how he was beaten. As for other things, he would not be involved. In the case of Jia Zhu, the person had been dead for so long that if they really investigated, there would be no evidence. They could only report it.

"Then let's do business."

"Yes, my lord."

Captain Jiang's face darkened. He knew what the adults meant. He knew he could go this time. He took the copied complaint and walked out of the government office.

And Rongguo Mansion,

Only Wang Xifeng kept sending people to the clan elders to negotiate, giving them money and saying nice things, and finally she managed to persuade many people. Unfortunately, the two clan elders still refused to give in. So, she had to make some moves herself. As for the mansion, because of this incident, only Sanchun was there to accompany the old lady in the usually bustling Rongqing Hall. The rest of the people stayed in the courtyard as if they had agreed on it, and never left the courtyard.
"Ping'er, take the people and go to the alleys again. It's strange to say that people who usually don't care about things are now one after another. If the men in the Jia family are like this, why do we women need to care about these things?"

Ping Er was tidying up the outer room when she heard her grandmother's complaints. She replied,
"Whether he is a man or not, only grandma knows the truth. Isn't this also a way to enter the Jia family?"

"Okay, you little bitch can actually start to call me grandma, are you thinking about love? I'll find you a man from the Jia family, so you can be content and have a taste of what it's like."

After saying that, the man walked out and touched Ping'er's front fiercely, splashing water all over her body. Ping'er dodged with a red face.

"Grandma, why are you doing this? I dare not."

"Humph, you still dare not do that, what a joke, come on, follow me to see what's going on."

Wang Xifeng's pretty face turned slightly red. She couldn't help thinking about Jia Lian. He had been gone for many days and she didn't know where he was. But there was danger. When she thought of this, she felt quite uneasy.

He took a look at Ping'er's plump breasts, glared at her fiercely, suppressed his thoughts, and was about to go out. But as soon as he reached the yard, he saw Lai Wang running in hurriedly, shouting anxiously,

"Grandma, Captain Jiang from Shuntian Prefecture is here. He said that Mr. Song from Shuntian Prefecture is coming to deliver something to you."

"Oh, what?"

Wang Xifeng immediately thought of Lord Xu. Didn't he ignore Rongguo Mansion? What did he mean now?
"Grandma, I don't know."

Lai Wang bowed his head and said he didn't know, which made Wang Xifeng so angry that she cursed him.
"You little dog slave, I wonder if you can go and invite someone over."

"This. Is, grandma."

Lai Wang hurriedly responded and left again. After he left, Ping Er came closer and whispered:
"Grandma, could it be that Shuntian Prefecture has released the person?"

"Hmph, that's what you think. We don't know what's going on inside. Lord Xu's attitude has changed drastically, which has never happened before. To say that Rongguo Mansion has offended him, that's not the case. It can only be said that someone instructed them to do so, or someone stopped them. So, if those people want to come back, I'm afraid it's impossible."

Wang Xifeng snorted coldly. Just like the old lady said, these are matters, but they are not matters either. It all depends on how some people think.
If the person does not put the matter under pressure, then there is a problem. It is useless to look for the person who caused the problem. It is better to let him handle the matter impartially. The Jia family should bear the consequences of their own misfortune.

In private, I also said that it would only take a few days of detention. As for Brother Zhu, whoever has the ability can do it.

"Then why did Captain Jiang come this time?"

"What do you think? It's nothing more than testing the waters. The people behind this can't sit still any longer."

Wang Xifeng didn't care. It was none of her business after all. Who knows, she might end up well because of this matter.
I thought to myself, could it be because of the people in Ningguo Mansion? I didn't think about it carefully, but Lai Wang found Captain Jiang.
"Oh, it turns out that Captain Jiang is here in person. I have to walk a little further, please forgive me!"

Wang Xifeng spoke first, but she showed no sign of letting anyone in. Captain Jiang did not dare to look at them again. One of the two beauties in front of him was the second wife of the housekeeper of Rongguo Mansion. She was not something that petty officials like them could imagine. He had seen all the methods used by the so-called wealthy families.
"How dare I trouble the Second Madam to come and greet you personally? I am just running errands for you, so I don't deserve your courtesy."

He returned the greeting, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over.

"Second Madam, this is from Mr. Song from the Yamen. He asked me to bring it to you. Mr. Song said he wanted you to personally review it."

Ping'er, who was beside her, had already gone over and returned with the rice paper. She first looked it over for Grandma and found that it was actually a petition.

"Grandma, this is a complaint filed by Jia Qiang and Jia Rui. They are both suing each other for the same things."

Wang Xifeng's mind moved. After hearing Ping'er's words, she thought that the government office had other intentions.
"Captain Jiang, let's not beat around the bush. What does Lord Xu from the yamen mean by this matter? If it's a public matter, then let him do it. If it's suppressed, just tell me the amount and I'll have someone send it over. How do you think?"

It was Captain Jiang's turn to not know how to respond. After all, Lord Song only mentioned passing on the message, but did not explain how to solve it. After hesitating for a moment, he clasped his fists and replied;

"Second Madam, at the government office, Mr. Song did not tell us what to do, and I did not see anyone at Mr. Xu's place, so I do not know how to answer."

"Oh, Captain Jiang is an honest man. Forget it. Just pass the message back and see what they will do. The Rongguo Mansion is not something that can be manipulated by anyone who wants to."

Wang Xifeng laughed, then her face turned cold again. Nowadays, every official wanted to get close to Rongguo Mansion, and she would not succeed if she didn't show some disrespect.

"This is, Second Grandma. I have no other intentions. I will definitely take back what Grandma said."

I don’t know what Captain Jiang was thinking, he was so scared that he quickly replied, even changing the way he addressed people.

(End of this chapter)