Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 771 How did she do it?
The backyard of Hanyuan Hall,

I don’t know if it was because God knew that Zhang Jinyu had returned to the yard, or if it was just a coincidence, but the rain suddenly stopped in a strange way.

"Damn, this is really interesting. It doesn't stop in the morning or at night, but it stops as soon as I get back."

Zhang Jinyu touched the corner of his trouser leg, which was wet as hell. In addition, the cloud boots he was wearing were covered with a thin layer of mud, and he almost slipped.

The two men leading the way in front of us, holding lanterns and umbrellas, felt like the ghosts in the ghost movies. In order to keep the lanterns from going out, they used their umbrellas to mostly cover the lanterns. They were almost half wet, and I don’t know how they could bear it.
"My Lord, the weather in early summer is like this. As the old saying goes, the weather in June is changeable among children. It's not like outside the Great Wall, where there is not much rainy season. You'll get used to it in the future."

The eunuch walking in front said with a smile, and the eunuchs behind him also smiled.

"My Lord, please go slowly. The road is slippery. Our capital is better. We have An Lake on the side. Even if it rains heavily, there will be no flooding. In the northwest where there are many mountains and no lakes, mountain floods are common."

Zhang Jinyu deliberately rubbed his feet hard on the bluestone road to get rid of the mud on the bottom of his feet. Finally, he felt better. Looking at the two men, they seemed to be old hands. He knew that there were more mountains than lakes in the northwest. However, how big was the northwest? Was it just the territory of the Xiwang Palace family, or the entire northwest?

"My two eunuchs, you seem to be old men in the palace. I cannot hide the things happening in the inner city from you. I would like to ask you one more question: how large is the area of ​​the flood in the northwest?"

There is no such thing as too much good words, and who doesn't want to hear compliments? The leading eunuch laughed, knowing that the Marquis had something else in mind.

"My Lord, the northwest is so big. Whenever it rains there, these things will happen. After all, there are many poor places, so it's okay to be able to have enough food. The guy following you is from Hanzhong."

He casually introduced the eunuch holding the lamp behind him. It seems that the people in the palace, even the eunuchs, did not come from the same place.

"Then in the northwest Gong family, in Liangshan, are there any floods?"

The person who asked this question clearly was the Gong family of the Western Palace. At this time, the two people leading the way slowed down, and the person behind him had a slightly changed expression and lowered his head and whispered,
"My Lord, even if you ask, if someone else asks, no one will say anything, regardless of whether they know the answer or not."

Zhang Jinyu also knew that what he had just said was too much, but since there was a chance, he still had to listen. He reached into his arms and took out two hundred-liang silver notes, and handed them to the two eunuchs respectively.

"My two eunuchs, you left in a hurry and didn't take anything with you. I'll give you some change to buy some wine."

With just this one action, the two eunuchs' faces turned over with joy, and they reached out their hands and took one each. It was pitch dark, and in the blink of an eye, there was no trace of the banknotes. However, the lanterns lighting the way remained there steadily. It was obvious that the eunuchs' skill in collecting money was something that not ordinary people could master even in half a lifetime.

"My Lord, you are really generous. The rumors in the capital are indeed true. I won't hide it from you. As long as you inquire carefully, you can really find out some things. If you want to know if there is any flood in Liangzhou in the northwest, I will tell you that there is really no flood. After all, it is a drought. There is also a river in the Liangzhou corridor. Some flooding is not a big deal."

The father-in-law in front of him still had a smile on his face, but it sounded a bit harsh to Zhang Jinyu. It was just nonsense, which was equivalent to not saying anything. Everyone in the northwest was suffering from drought. Damn, it seemed that he had forgotten it. There was little rain all year round, so there was no flooding. It was nothing more than wind and a sandstorm. I don't know if there was a sandstorm at this time.

Perhaps he felt that what he said was a bit too much, so the father-in-law who was leading the way walked slower, passed the corner, and looked at what he said. Zhang Jinyu walked over, and after thinking about it carefully, it was not right, there must be something else behind his words, so he asked;
"I won't talk about things that are well known to everyone, but what are some things that are unknown? It's impossible that there is no wind or snow in the northwest."

The question was asked casually, but the eunuch behind him responded.
"My Lord, you understand. It doesn't rain in Liangzhou, but it snows. Especially in the Liangzhou Corridor, in October, the wind is so strong that people can't walk. Before November, the mountains are covered with snow, and even the shadow of a wolf can't be seen."

Zhang Jinyu's heart moved. Isn't this the same as outside the Great Wall? It is bitterly cold outside the Great Wall. The same is true in the northern border. Only the area near Pingyang City is closed in early December, which is a month later than the northwest.

"What's so strange about this? It's the same outside the Great Wall. Whenever winter comes, it's not a place for people to stay."

Therefore, the further north you go, the more solid the houses are built, and the more food and firewood you need to store, just to survive the cold winter.

"My Lord, the area outside the Great Wall is outside the Great Wall. We servants have never been there, so we don't know and can't say much. But many people have been to the northwest, and many things can't be hidden. Liangzhou is close to Beiyun County and Qingyang County. Beiyun County is also in the northern border of the Great Wall, with many mountains and little water. It can be regarded as a poor and bad place. But Qingyang County is different. It is the only way to enter the Great Wall. It happens that a river gathers at a bend of the Black Water River. Whenever it rains, the river overflows, and the official road that connects may be flooded, making it difficult for people and animals to travel."

Hmm? It's really eye-opening to see such a thing. The official road is basically like the actual highway of the Qin Dynasty. It's a pity that the previous dynasty spent manpower and material resources to build it, and there is no money to repair it now. But after all, it is a road, and it is flooded every year. If something happens and the military situation is urgent, wouldn't it delay the military operation?
"How could this happen? Since there is flooding every year, why don't they build a dam beside the lake? Even if it is to block it, it won't be like this."

Zhang Jinyu was only thinking about these things, and before he could think about it in depth, he asked slowly,

"My Lord, isn't this an obvious matter? The road can be repaired and the dam can be built, but they also need the approval of the court. Qingyang deliberately didn't repair it. The West Prince's Mansion submitted a memorial to report this matter a long time ago, but it has never been heard from. So much time has passed, so they simply haven't made any moves and just leave it there."

The eunuch at the back muttered a few words, and then the back door in front became visible. We were almost there.
He thought to himself, how could they have forgotten? It was obvious that the imperial court did it on purpose. If the Western King's army entered the pass, Qingyang would only need to defend the county city. Once the river water limit is reached, it would be no less than a catastrophe. No wonder the Western King's Palace Gong family is so honest. Knowing this weakness, they dare not build a dam privately. If the imperial court knew, wouldn't this be a sign of rebellion?

It is equivalent to telling the world that I have no worries, but I have some ideas. Tsk tsk, a lake has trapped the imperial court and the Western Palace, the imperial court's trade route, and the Western Palace's road to enter the pass.

"My Lord, we have arrived at the place ahead. Please go in."

"Also, my Lord, the Minister of Internal Affairs has something to tell you. This time the imperial examination is different. Those who are on the top list will be given a special gift by the court. The top three will be granted official positions according to the palace examination standards. Please consider this, my Lord."

One of the two eunuchs walking in front suddenly said this,
A call,
Zhang Jinyu came back to his senses. Wow, a provincial examination could actually lead to the granting of an official position. In this case, those people had taken great advantage in this provincial examination. The key point was that he could decide the top three. His Majesty's gift was really generous.

Looking up again, I saw that the back door of Hanyuan Hall was guarded by imperial guards and the door was already open.

Zhang Jinyu saw it and thanked him with a double meaning.
"Thank you for leading the way, sir. I am very grateful."

"My Lord, you are too polite. You look up to me. That is a honor for me. I cannot be so arrogant. How dare I ask you to thank me?"

The two eunuchs saluted in return, which made Zhang Jinyu smile inexplicably. The eunuchs were really weird, but they were all pitiful people. After thinking about it, he nodded and turned to leave.
But just as he turned around, he saw a figure flashing on the other side of the corner wall of the North Palace. Isn't this the main gate to the harem? There are still people coming in and out so late at night. Without thinking too much, he turned around and went in through the back door. With a squeak, the back door closed, and the two eunuchs who stayed there also went back.
Instead, it was completely quiet. Zhang Jinyu didn't think much about it. He walked a few steps and saw Ning Bian with his soldiers below Langfang. It seemed that they had been waiting for a long time.

"Master Hou, are you okay?"

"What could be going on in the palace? Can the examinees in the palace go back and rest?"

Zhang Jinyu frowned, feeling extremely uncomfortable with the wetness under his feet.
"My Lord, the meeting in the hall has not ended yet. Lord Chu said that we can only close the meeting according to yesterday's time."

"Well, fine, let him be. Let's go back and change our clothes. It will be uncomfortable in the rain. Arrange someone else to stay here. The eldest prince should be back soon."

Zhang Jinyu wanted to leave, but then he remembered that the eldest prince Zhou Ding had not arrived yet. It would have been great if he had come all the way back.
"Uh, yes, Lord Marquis,"

He responded, left two personal soldiers behind, and then led the way.

In the palace,

It was relatively quiet. Many examinees were still sitting there answering their questions carefully, not daring to slack off in the slightest. Only Lord Chu Nian looked up at the entrance outside the hall from time to time with worry. It was estimated that Marquis Luo Yun had been gone for an hour and a half.

I don't know why the Minister of Internal Affairs went to look for the Marquis. Is it because of the test? But after careful thinking, I think it shouldn't be the case. Even if it is, don't we have to wait until the Dragon Gate opens? Why do we need to call someone now?
It seems that His Majesty has encountered some difficult problems. I think only the problem of the army heading south could be involved.

It is not known whether Wang Ziteng's troops will get what they want. By then, the rewards for the meritorious generals and the pensions for the sacrificed soldiers will be a considerable expense. The civil officials will make a fuss again. After thinking about it, I thought a lot more.

unfortunately,

Looking around, none of the inspectors noticed anything unusual. Did they really not notice, or did they do it on purpose? Censors are the ones who would avoid the important issues and focus on the trivial ones.

At this time, Zhang Jinyu changed his clothes and walked in. Seeing that everything in the hall was the same as before, he nodded with satisfaction. It was still easier to manage the civil servants.

"Tell people to continue slaughtering sheep. Kill all the remaining sheep and give each of you a bowl of mutton to satisfy your cravings."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Ning Bian wanted to persuade him again, but when he thought that the Marquis came from Yangxin Palace, he must have important things to do, so he should not stay in Hanyuan Palace for long, so he simply agreed.
It would be good to ask all the adults to make more efforts to help. He turned around and told someone to go. Zhang Jinyu did not go to the high platform in the hall. Instead, he moved a stool and sat down at the entrance of the hall. Looking from behind, he could see the actions of many candidates. It seemed that with only one day, many candidates' writing skills were not good and they answered the questions too slowly.

Rongguo Mansion,
Xiyuanli,
Grandmother Li Wan was in charge of Suyun and Biyue, as well as the two maids brought by Wang Po, in the attic, packing up things in the inner and outer rooms.

It looked like they were packing up, but in one room there were bundles of all sizes that had been tied up.

The other one was filled with some useless bedding and clothes scattered around.
The remaining room is filled with books packed in wooden boxes.

Obviously,

Li Wan had already made up her mind to pack up her things and find an opportunity to leave the house and return to the old house.

"Suyun, pack up all the books in the study. Don't damage them."

"Yes, miss,"

Suyun put the book inside and closed the box. She was still a little worried, so she stood up and walked to the door.
"Miss, we are cleaning the house so early now. If you can't get out, it will be a waste of time."

Suyun knew what the young lady meant, but the second mistress had already told them not to return to the old house at any time. After all, some things had been agreed upon and could not be changed.

Li Wan frowned, stared at Su Yun's worried face, and knocked on the door frame.

"What are you worried about? I can say it, but I can do it. I'm not going back right away. I'm just waiting for the letter from Feng girl before deciding whether to stay or not. Whether Lan Ge'er graduated from high school or not, she has disobeyed the second wife. I contradicted her a few days ago, and I'm afraid she will cause trouble for me in the future."

Li Wan had a complicated look on her face. She touched her belly and found it was slightly bulging.

"You know, the most important thing is this,"

Suyun knew what the young lady meant. Her future wealth and prosperity would depend on the young master, so nothing could happen to her.

Just as he was about to agree, he heard a woman in the courtyard shouting,
"Grandma, Grandma, the old lady is anxious to see you. She has something important to discuss with you."

The shout startled everyone in the attic. Suyun was so frightened that she dropped the books in her hands to the ground. Li Wan paused, wondering why she was so anxious. She looked out the window again. Fortunately, the rain had stopped.
"I know, let's get over it."

"Grandma, please don't neglect me. We have already arrived at Rongqing Hall."

The old woman's reminder shocked Li Wan. Could it be that this was the opportunity Feng Yatou was talking about? Seeing this, the old woman Wang from the Marquis's Mansion beside her whispered,
"Master, I will accompany you there."

"That's fine too, Suyun, let's go."

Li Wan took a slight step and thought to herself, "That's a good idea." She called out to them and did not bring anyone else with her. Only Wang Po and Su Yun supported her all the way to Rongqing Hall.

In Rongqing Hall,

Grandmother Jia was also unambiguous. She asked Yuanyang to grind the ink, then took the brush and dipped it in the ink, looking at everyone in the room, and said,
"It's not that I'm cruel, nor am I partial. The Ning and Rong mansions prosper together and suffer together. Now that it has come to this, I have no choice but to do this.

The eldest son has the Rongguo Mansion as his successor, and the second son has only one son, Jia Baoyu. Fortunately, the daughter-in-law of the Zhu family is very capable, so Jia Lan was born. Compared with others, Lan is more willing to make progress, so let's do this."

Without waiting for others to think about it, under the complicated gaze of the Second Madam, in the family tree, under Jia Jing of Ningguo Mansion, he filled in Jia Lan and his mother Li, and in the lineage of Jia Zhu of Rongguo Mansion, he filled in the reason for adoption.

Once it is written, there is no way to change it. In other words, Li Wan and Jia Lan will be members of the Ningguo Mansion from tonight on.

The Second Wife's eyes were a little evasive. Although Mrs. Xing felt a little sorry, she felt very happy when she saw the Second Wife's worried look.

After a while,

From outside, the voice of the old woman came.
"Madam, ma'am, grandma is here."

Everyone in the room had not yet recovered from Grandmother Jia's resolute words. When they heard the eldest grandmother come in, they all turned their heads to look.

Li Wan was seen in a grey cloth dress, supported by a maid and Su Yun. If it weren't for her charming face, it would be hard to tell that she was the eldest lady of Rongguo Mansion.

Li Wan entered the room,
Then he bowed to Lady Jia.
"Greetings to the old lady, the madam, and the three masters,"

It's just a false gift.
Grandmother Jia didn't care. Business was more important.
"Sit down first, I have something to tell you."

Seeing Li Wan's expression, Jia's mother knew that she had been wronged. She couldn't say what she wanted to say, so she asked her to sit down first.

Li Wan bowed and nodded, then walked towards the available seats at the west side. She sat down and happened to see Feng Yatou across from her, winking at her. She asked Feng Yatou, "Have you finished your work?"
"Madam, are you in trouble?"

Li Wan had some guesses in her mind and asked first.
Hearing this, Jia's mother looked at Li Wan's face and could hardly conceal her haggardness. Thinking back to the time when Li Wan was the housekeeper, it seemed like a long time had passed.
"Yes, Zhu's daughter-in-law, no matter what happened in the past, you have been wronged. Now the Jia family has encountered something. I wanted to tell you in advance, but time is urgent. I have no choice but to go ahead."

Grandmother Jia paused to see Li Wan's reaction.
These words were specifically said to her. Li Wan was very smart and knew that the inner matters had probably been discussed thoroughly. She replied casually:
"What are you saying, old lady? My granddaughter-in-law has entered the Rongguo Mansion, and all her food and drink expenses are paid by the Duke's Mansion. I am very grateful. I have never been wronged. If you have anything to say, just speak up."

Li Wan's words were just right, and she took care of both her appearance and her appearance.
Grandmother Jia suddenly felt a little regretful from the bottom of her heart. It was a pity that Rongguo Mansion owed Zhu Family so much.

"There is only one thing. You know about the Ningguo Mansion. Just now, an imperial decree came. Zhen Ge'er and his son are in trouble. In order to continue the Ningguo Mansion, I have discussed with Master Jing and found someone from the main line to inherit the title.

Madam You is pregnant, but it is still unknown whether it is a boy or a girl. In order to be prepared for any eventuality by adopting someone, I will do my best to guarantee the title of Ningguo Mansion. Brother Lang is filial, so let him be. How about you follow him?"

Li Wan was shocked after hearing this. Feng girl actually managed to do this. Shouldn't the title of Ningguo Mansion go to Uncle Bao? Why did it suddenly go to Lang Ge'er? As for Madam You, they had already discussed it. The key was how she did it.
Most of them were puzzled and shocked. This reaction was not hidden from Grandmother Jia, the Second Mistress, Jia She, Jia Jing, and Jia Zheng.

Especially Jia Zheng, his face was red with shame, almost without any face, and suddenly he said,
"We can discuss this matter further,"

"What discussion is there? It's all already been written down in the family tree."

Jia She, on the side, spoke bluntly, without any regard for Jia Zheng's face.

(End of this chapter)