Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 756 This is considered a promise
Rongguo Mansion,
In the pear garden,
Seeing Captain Jiang leaving in a hurry, Wang Xifeng finally breathed a sigh of relief. She had been feeling aggrieved for the past few days, and with her temper, she could no longer bear it.
"Grandma, everyone has left. Should we go to the alley now? The guards are waiting outside."

Ping Er followed beside him, but she couldn't persuade him or ask him questions, so she could only remind him.
"Why go? Now that we've come to this point, just go and do whatever you want to do. No one can stop you."

After saying some angry words, Wang Xifeng waved her hand and asked the people outside the yard to disperse. Then she turned around and went back to the house, leaving Ping'er helpless. She stomped her feet and followed her.

In Jiajia Hutong, many family members of students went to the Shuntian government office in groups of three or five and knelt in front of the government office, wanting their students back. Their cries were deafening and could be heard from far away. The onlookers were watching the excitement from both inside and outside.

The wine shop not far from the government office was filled with people watching the fun. The White Lotus Sect's leader Cui took a sip of tea and sighed;

"Look, only the Jia family dares to make such a fuss. If it were anyone else, they would have been imprisoned long ago."

"Master, why did this happen today? Logically speaking, Xu Jiaqing of Shuntian Prefecture has a good relationship with Rongguo Prefecture. He should have put this matter aside earlier. Why did this happen? Who is he showing it to?"

Ren Xiangzhu was simply unbelievable. This matter had even reached the government office. Shouldn't the old sly guy from Shuntian Prefecture have been suppressed long ago? How could he have provoked these people? He couldn't hit them, and he couldn't touch them. If he wasn't careful, he would get into trouble.

Cui Yu took a sip of tea and felt refreshed. He didn't know why, but wherever he went, there was always trouble. This place was the old place they had observed in the past, changing every three days. Damn, what a coincidence.

"What you said is true. It seems that there have been changes inside. The Shuntian Prefecture government has eaten the material and wants to hold on, or it is entrusted by others to test the Rongguo Mansion. We don't know."

Ren Xiangzhu touched his head. These officials have many tricks, which ordinary people cannot figure out. It seems that the Dawu court has run out of luck. Even such a small matter can lead to many twists and turns, not to mention other things. For example, in the south of Beijing, the relief money and food from the court, the people did not see even a grain of food, and all of them were transferred from one place to another and put into the pockets of the officials.
"Brother, this is a good thing. If everyone is an honest official, then we won't have any problems. It's a pity that every official is greedy. It doesn't matter how much they are greedy. Let's not worry. I heard from the master that there must be some movement in the south. It seems that it won't be long before we get a letter from home, brother."

"Ahahaha, that's great, but I don't know if the court is happy or not."

Cui Tangzhu narrowed his eyes. A letter came from Jingnan saying that the Taiping Sect's nearly 300,000 troops had already reached Chenzhou. On the contrary, the leader had already taken over Qiongshan County and had a foothold. Now he led the main force back to Qinzhou. Once the imperial army went south, he would definitely besiege the important town of Runan.
The whole world was shaken by the fall of Runan City, which was the news that the White Lotus Sect was making a comeback.

Excitement flashed in the eyes of the two men. They said something that they had been holding back for many years, and this was the only chance they had. Then, seeing the commotion in front of the Shuntian government office, they thought the bigger the commotion, the better.

"Old Ren, is there any movement from the Beijing camp? That is of utmost importance."

Cui Tangzhu couldn't help but be alert. People said that the Beijing Camp was unfit to be trained, but that was just talk. As one of the elite troops that the court could mobilize, they had sufficient food and fodder, and no shortage of military equipment. They were not comparable to ordinary government troops. Even Wang Ziteng's army heading south was mostly composed of elite government troops, but they were government troops after all. On the other hand, the Beijing Camp was the main force in suppressing the rebellion back then. If the young master, Marquis Luo Yun, was the commander and hundreds of thousands of troops rushed down, it would be troublesome.

Suddenly, he felt a little uneasy. If the imperial army was defeated, wouldn't Luo Yunhou be the next commander? Thinking of this, he immediately asked in a low voice:
"Old Ren, write back to the leader. If the imperial army is defeated, then the next commander will undoubtedly be Luo Yunhou. What should the leader do?"

Cui Tangzhu's meaning couldn't be clearer. If the imperial court's army returned without success, they would certainly gather again and march south. By then, the defeated general would certainly not lead the army again. The commander-in-chief of the imperial guards almost never left the capital, so there was only one person who could be the commander, and that was Marquis Luo Yun. How would they respond then?

After hearing this, Master Ren Xiang was so frightened that he quickly picked up the tea bowl and drank a few sips of water to calm down. What his elder brother said was right. The young master was good in everything else, but he was really fierce in leading troops to fight. The Jurchens were so arrogant, but they were defeated. How could those shrimp soldiers and crab generals in the pass be their opponents? Why not find a way to find something for the court to do? His eyes rolled.
"Brother, we really need to discuss this matter carefully. I think that the matter of the imperial examination is related to the imperial court's major plans. Should we make some trouble for the imperial court and the young master and delay it? Didn't the captain also participate in the imperial examination? He must understand the matter. When the time comes, we can find some students who are causing trouble and spread rumors in the capital, which will always delay it."

"Well, that's feasible. Let's prepare now. Many of us have participated in the special examination. It will be easy to find some failed candidates. Let's see if there are any unexpected changes in the three-day imperial examination. It would be good to make some noise."

Cui Tangzhu thought about it and thought it was feasible, but it could only be delayed temporarily. What if the imperial court was really defeated? The most important thing would be that it would still fail. He could only take it one step at a time.

Without further ado, the two of them calmed down, put a few big bucks on the table, and went back to make preparations.
"Son, check out."

"Here comes the guest."

In front of the Shuntian government office,

A crowd of people knelt down, and the yamen runners had already gone in to report.
"Report, sir, many members of the Jia family have gathered in front of the government gate, crying and begging for the release of the prisoners. What should we do?"

In the Shuntian government office, Song Changping, who had just gotten some peace and quiet, hadn't even taken a break when he heard a burst of crying outside the hall. A yamen runner came in to make an announcement, and his good mood instantly changed.

“How many people are there?”

"Your Excellency, there are many people, they are all kneeling outside the main gate."

The bailiff clasped his fists and replied that all the brothers knew what happened in the Rongguo Mansion and no one dared to beat, scold or yell at them. After all, some things could be let go if one turned a blind eye.

"Alright, stop the man, I'm going to go look for Lord Xu."

"Yes, Lord Song."

Seeing the bailiffs leave, Song Changping looked embarrassed. He stood up and went back to the backyard, thinking that he should sentence some of the people first, release them, and keep those few people as a backup. Otherwise, if there was a commotion, it would be embarrassing.

When I get anxious, my steps become much faster.
When he entered the backyard, he saw Lord Xu sitting alone in the pavilion drinking, so he hurried over and shouted;
"Oh, sir, the situation is urgent, and you still have the mind to drink here. Outside the government office, all the Jia family members are kneeling on the ground."

"What's going on? They didn't go to Rongguo Mansion to cause trouble, but came to Shuntian Mansion to cause trouble instead. Do they think that I, the governor of Shuntian Mansion, am easy to bully?"

Xu Jiaqing's words were a little stammering, and it was obvious that he had drunk too much. Lord Song felt a little distressed when he saw this. Lord Xu was afraid that he had encountered some difficulties.
"Sir, we have no choice but to come to the government office. Rongguo Mansion doesn't care about the matter. The people are detained here. Naturally, they come here to ask for their release. Now it is still during the special examination. If there is a commotion, it may not be good. So I dare to advise that these insignificant people should be beaten with a big stick each and released. The two people who made the complaint should be kept for the time being. I will think about what Captain Jiang will say when he comes back."

Song Changping was also having a headache. He didn't know which lord had sent a message to Lord Xu. If he made a noise during the special examination, wouldn't that mean the death of the government?
There was a moment of silence,
Lord Xu took a sip of tea, sobered up, frowned, and was obviously upset. To put it nicely, Shuntian Prefecture is in charge of all matters in the capital, but to put it bluntly, it is a government office that is bullied and has a hard time working. That is why he got his position. Therefore, he has been enduring all the years and always got A grades in the assessments. If it were not for that woman, how could he have gotten into this matter with a grudge in his heart? He really didn't know whether Rongguo Mansion would give him this face. If they didn't, would he really have to write a letter to the emperor? Wouldn't that be a catastrophe? It would be inappropriate!

"You decide. Jia Qiang from Ningguo Mansion and Jia Rui from Rongguo Mansion will stay for now. The rest will be sentenced after being given a light punishment. Let's release them first."

Song Changping's face lit up with joy. This matter was solved. As long as the people outside the door were dealt with first, the remaining two people, even if Jia Zhu really died unjustly, wouldn't it be the government's own business? He immediately clasped his fists and responded;

"Don't worry, sir. I know what to do. I will definitely not leave any evidence. I will wait for Captain Jiang to come back and ask the Rongguo Mansion about their attitude before making any plans. I think the old lady and others in the Rongguo Mansion will not be confused."

This was just a way to save face. The old lady of Rongguo Mansion was a kind person. If you had a request, as long as it was reasonable, she would definitely respond. In the past, many government offices had dealt with the old lady and received a lot of benefits.

The governor Song Changping bowed and left.
Lord Xu was left with a look of disappointment. The Marquis was really something. The wives and concubines in his house were all stunning beauties. How could he fall in love with the woman left in his house? Could it be a misunderstanding?
Like the previous times, the Marquis had looked for many courtesans, but he hadn't touched them. Could it be that there was something he hadn't figured out, or maybe he wanted to change his taste? That wasn't right. If he wanted to change his taste, Marquis Luo Yun wouldn't be able to find any of them. Could it be that they had been abducted? Thinking of this, he became even more anxious.
"Come here, gather the yamen runners of Shuntian Prefecture and have a few captains lead them to check the gambling houses and brothels, and look for women who can sing northern folk songs. Wait, go to the brothel and ask a painter to come over. I want them to draw a portrait of a woman, and then look for someone based on the portrait."

"Yes, sir, I will go right away."

After the sound of footsteps left, Xu Jiaqing looked at the wine jar on the table. When he thought about how his beloved had gone to these unclean places and been toyed with by some patron, he could no longer hold back his anger. He swept the wine jar away, got up and went to the inner hall to wait.

Front Palace Yamen,

After hearing what the master said, Song Changping knew what was going on. He immediately asked the yamen runners to bring Jia Qin and the others out. In the hall, he severely reprimanded them. Then, he asked the clerk to write a closing letter and handed it to the others for them to sign.
"Don't be ungrateful, you guys. Lord Xu has shown mercy and will treat this as a fight. You won't be punished. Just press your fingerprints and go back." Everyone was happy when they heard that they could go back, but Jia Qin and the others looked around. Because they were brought out in batches just now, they didn't see Jia Qiang and Jia Rui, and they immediately felt uneasy.
"Sir, if you are releasing the prisoners, why didn't Jia Qiang come with us? Why is that?"

The others also made some discoveries and echoed them;

"Yes, sir, since it is a fight, there are still people who have not been released."

Lord Song's face turned pale and he scolded;
"Why, do I need you to teach me how to do things? Don't you think that the two of them are the ones who filed the complaint, and they also took action. There are still things that need to be investigated. How can we let them go so easily? So, you go back first. As for the two of them, wait until Shuntian Mansion has investigated them thoroughly. Don't make a fuss again, otherwise, don't blame me for not remembering our friendship and arresting you for offending Rongguo Mansion."

Song Changping threatened and intimidated everyone, making them silent. They didn't know what to do. Only Jia Qin had an idea. It was useless to stay any longer. It would be better to go back and think of a solution.
"Okay, thank you, Master Song."

Then he pulled everyone's sleeves, walked over first, and signed. Although they didn't understand what it meant, they thought Jia Qin had some ideas, so they followed him and pressed their fingerprints.

Seeing this, Song Changping nodded with satisfaction.
"Someone, come and send these gentlemen out."

"It's an adult."

It wasn't that Lord Song was in a good mood, but because the matter was settled, several people unexpectedly became young masters,
After leaving the government office,

Seeing many family members here, everyone suddenly realized what was going on. There was some regret in their eyes. Jia Qing rushed over and asked;

"Where's Brother Qiang?"

"Jia Qing, let's talk about this when we get back. This is also a place to talk."

After a few people persuaded them, they all nodded and asked to take the person back first.

After the Jia family members left the yamen gate, there was no more excitement to watch, so the onlookers dispersed. However, the rumors inside became more and more outrageous. What's more, there were people with ulterior motives who added fuel to the fire. As a result, the head of Ningguo Mansion was still imprisoned in the imperial prison, and the reputation of the Jia family declined a lot.

"My Lord, I am back."

As soon as the people left, Song Changping hadn't even had a sip of tea to rest when he saw Captain Jiang coming back in a hurry.
"Come in quickly, who did you meet at Rongguo Mansion?"

"Your Excellency, I went to Rongguo Mansion to see their second wife and told her about this matter. I also brought back your words."

Captain Jiang hadn't even had time to catch his breath when Lord Song asked him hurriedly. He didn't dare to neglect the question and quickly replied.
"What did their second grandmother say?"

Song Changping asked anxiously;
"My Lord, the Second Mistress of Rongguo Mansion said that if it is a matter of public affairs, then let him do it. If he wants to suppress it, just state the amount and have someone send it over. Rongguo Mansion is not something that can be manipulated casually."

Captain Jiang wiped the sweat off his forehead and repeated what he had said. Only Song Changping squinted his eyes and thought for a moment before he realized that this was truly the style of the Rongguo Mansion. It was difficult to deal with!

Things in the capital,

It wasn't a big deal, but the gossip about the Rongguo Mansion spread to every street, alley, wine shop, teahouse, and most of it was on the roadside stalls. Many idle people would talk about it while drinking tea.

As for the people from the Bingmasi, it was Captain Ji who led the soldiers. They deliberately avoided Ningrong Street, made a circle in the Shifang, went out of the Shifang gate, turned around and went back to the yamen. How could they not hear the gossip on the way?

People just left,
At the restaurant at the entrance of Dongcheng Town Square, a waiter's eyes flickered, and he shouted and went back to the back hall.
"Boss, the troops have left, and many things about Rongguo Mansion have been leaked. Please send someone to inform His Highness immediately. I think His Highness has finished packing in the palace, but I don't know when His Highness will return."

"Write it right away. I didn't expect the Jia family to cause so much trouble. Poor old Duke of the Jia family who passed away. The descendants are really not worth raising."

The shopkeeper was inspired to think of the old Duke of Jia's family and the Marquis of Jingnan, who were known as the two pillars of Dawu and were famous for their suppression of the White Lotus Sect. But later, one died in an unclear manner and the other died tragically at the city gate, ending up in disgrace. It was really a pity for the shopkeeper.
The waiter rolled his eyes and complained;

"My old shopkeeper, these are all old things. Why think so much about them? Let's pass this matter on to His Highness first. Also, be ready at Yanchun Tower. His Highness wants to prepare a poetry gathering after the results of the special examination are announced. He also wants us to prepare only one dish, Jiangnan. Isn't this embarrassing for me? I've never heard of it."

"Humph, there are times when you are in trouble. You have been promoted by your master, so why do you become confused? A dish is nothing more than steaming, boiling, frying and stir-frying. Jiangnan, just think about what is wrong with Jiangnan."

The old shopkeeper shook his head, said nothing more, turned back to the backyard, arranged for someone to prepare the letter, and the waiter who stayed at the shop looked a little confused, thinking back to what the old shopkeeper said, what is there in Jiangnan, nothing more than fish, tea, and local snacks, is there anything else, by the way, there are many Jiangnan delicacies left over from the Song Dynasty,

His eyes lit up and he immediately had an idea. He turned around and went into the kitchen and told the cook to try making it right away.

At first glance, it looks like just an ordinary restaurant, and the aroma of food wafts from far away.

In the capital,
On the other hand, Captain Ji led his soldiers and hurried back to the Bingmasi Yamen.

As soon as he entered the gate of the yamen, he asked his soldiers to go back and rest, and he trotted into the hall.

Inside,

Zuo Tongzhi of the East City Military Department was still lying on the chair with his eyes half closed, and it was unknown whether he was asleep or not. His son Zuo Fangzhong did not come. After all, the government offices were all idle, so Lord Zuo asked him to go to the East City Gate to help watch it for a day, and let Lin Ping go back to deal with his personal affairs. This made Lord Zuo famous in the Military Department.

At this moment, when I was half asleep and half awake, I heard footsteps coming. Before I opened my eyes,
There was a report from the captain Ji.
"Sir, sir, there is news from Rongguo Mansion. I just came from Dongshifang and heard rumors from the people that the Jia family went to Shuntian Mansion to make a fuss and took someone back. They also told me that Captain Jiang went to Rongguo Mansion in person and didn't come out for a long time."

Zuo Anhe woke up immediately after hearing this. Captain Jiang went to Ronggu Mansion, which meant that Lord Xu gave in first.

After staying for a long time,

That's the end of the discussion. I thought that old wily Xu Jiaqing had become tough, but he's still a weakling. Humph.

"Oh, I was hoping to see a big show, but it seems that Lord Xu from Shuntian Prefecture doesn't have the courage. Who is the one who instigated this?"

"Sir, I will still send someone to keep an eye on them. It seems that the two masterminds have not been released yet, but some of their followers have gone back."

"Oh, according to what you said, the matter is not over yet, which is interesting."

(End of this chapter)