Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 779 Discussing a Strategy for Appeasement
The front yard of Rongguo Mansion,
There were many people coming.
Even the clan elders, Jia Daixiu and Jia Dairu, who had always been at odds with each other, found their way in with the help of two young men.

At this time in the hospital,
The women of Rongguo Mansion, as well as the servants and maids, have all helped their master change into mourning clothes.

The old lady herself had already changed into the formal attire of the imperial edict, and Madam Xing followed behind her in the first place, also wearing the imperial edict robe. The others were in mourning clothes, including the second wife. After all, she was the wife of the second house and had no imperial edict, so she naturally stood at the back. However, a closer look revealed that her face was gloomy and she was obviously unwell. On the contrary, the first wife, Madam Xing, stood in the front with a rosy face.

in the yard,
The two elders were the concubine's younger brother's wife and maids waiting in the yard, while the young men were waiting outside.

Walking closer,
Jia Daixiu walked over shakily with a cane and asked;

"Old lady, is Jing'er really gone just like that?"

His face was full of disbelief. How could he just leave like that? Hadn't he, Jia Jing, been practicing Taoism at the Xuanzhen Temple outside the city? How could he come back and lose his life?

Jia's eyes were red. How could she tell him what was going on? She could only nod and say some important things.
"Jing'er died unjustly. This morning, I wanted to go to the palace to plead for Jia Zhen and his son to save their lives. When I left, he was fine.
Who would have thought that he would end up like this? His body is still under the drum in front of the Meridian Gate. I can't wait any longer, so I'm telling you two to at least bring Jing'er's body back for burial. It can't be left exposed outside. I also want an explanation for how such a healthy person could die."

The words were extremely serious, and they were also spoken for many clan members to hear. The two clan elders nodded repeatedly. The Jia family had never suffered such humiliation.

"What the old lady said is that we should bring back Brother Jing's body first. We cannot leave it outside. We should also tell my parents and see what to do. The internal matters still need the old lady's consideration."

At this time, Jia Dairu no longer had the attitude of trying to get close to others as before. He knew that if the nest is destroyed, all the eggs will be broken. Without the grace of heaven, the Jia family would really have no blessings in the future. No one knew whether Jia Rui could get out. If the grace of Rongguo Mansion was still there, Shuntian Mansion would naturally release the people. Therefore, this time, he brought a lot of people with him.

"Well, in that case, I won't wait any longer. The two elders will stay at the mansion, and the rest of you, go to the street and call Jia Huan and Jia Zong over to pick up sticks and wear mourning clothes!"

"Yes, old lady."

The maidservants had already pulled Jia Huan and Jia Zong, who were hiding in the back, over. Although they were reluctant, they still moved to the front. Only Aunt Zhao had a look of uneasiness in her eyes and wanted to step forward to speak, but was stopped by Tanchun.

A few steps away, I saw people in the courtyard start to move forward.
The gate of Rongguo Mansion was also opened, and a group of people in mourning clothes, their wailing voices could be heard far away, and they took to the streets and headed towards the Meridian Gate of the Imperial Palace.

The news spread out in an instant, starting from Ningrong Street. The eyes of the entire capital were focused on this. Jia's mother had a heavy face, and she was supported by Yuanyang and Amber. She was actually walking in the front, followed by a large group of mothers-in-law and wives. Behind her, there was a long line of people, with mourning cloth banners and paper money scattered all the way.

The onlookers were not afraid of any accidents. They even followed the team and hung behind them. As they walked along, more and more people came.

Liu Chen, who was watching from Zuixian Tower, saw what was happening here and happened to lead his troops into a confrontation.

The west intersection of Ningrong Street,
At the corner,
Liu Chen led the soldiers of the Imperial City Bureau and prepared to retreat to Zuixian Tower for rest. In the past few days, although they deployed troops and defended the place strictly, they still failed to catch the real culprit.
Today we will withdraw our troops.

All because of the people captured in the previous ambush, they followed the clues and arrested many secret agents of various forces, which can be regarded as making up for their mistakes.

When they were about to pass Ningrong Street, they saw a long mourning procession coming out of Ningrong Street.
I saw it from a long distance away, and saw the crowd crossing the street first.
Liu Chen raised his hand, and a group of people stopped. Since ancient times, people have given way to the dead and let them go faster.
The funeral procession in front was not moving very fast, and the crying and shouting in the crowd was intermittent, just like that of everyone else. There were quite a few white sails standing along the way.

Because of the fatigue of the past few days, although Liu Chen was walking in front, he was still thinking about the affairs of the Taiping Sect. Although he had made many arrangements in these days, unfortunately, he didn't even see the shadow of the Taiping Sect. It was really puzzling. How could he have the mind to watch the funeral procession?

After a long while, I don't know if it was because the line was too long, but they had only walked halfway. I saw the elderly people in the line taking out paper money from the baskets and throwing them out frantically. A gust of wind blew by, and it felt a bit eerie.

Suddenly, the deputy captain beside him, Gu Xuanji, suddenly spoke up.
"Sir, I feel something is wrong. Not only is the funeral procession so long, but I don't see where the coffin is."

The reason for the doubt is that according to the folk custom, the person in front would cry, followed by the coffin, and finally the people crying. However, after the team had walked most of the way, there was no sign of the coffin lid. Isn't this unusual?

Gu Xuanji's words caught Liu Chen's attention. He looked carefully and found that it was indeed the case. Looking at the team, there were more female relatives and servants. Which mansion was this funeral?
"Go, send someone to ask who is carrying the funeral procession."

"Yes, sir, I will go and take a look myself."

Seeing something strange in the team, Gu Xuanji became interested and led a few people to look back in the direction the team came from. As soon as they entered Ningrong Street, they saw something strange in front of them.
After walking a few more steps, I found a white cloth hung in front of the gate of Rongguo Mansion, and there were servants outside the door distributing mourning clothes. What was going on?
With doubts, Gu Xuanji came to the tea stall owner on the street to ask,

"Shopkeeper, let me ask you something. Whose funeral was held at Rongguo Mansion?"

When the stall owner saw that it was a military officer, he did not dare to neglect him.

"This military officer seems to have done it for Ningguo Mansion, but I don't know who it was for."

Gu Xuanji frowned. He was organizing a funeral for Ningguo Mansion. Jia Zhen and his son were imprisoned in Zhaoyu, and there was no news of their death. What was going on? He felt something was wrong, so he immediately led his people back.
He returned to the corner of the street, trotted a few steps, and hurriedly brought people back to Liu Chen.
"Sir, I inquired and found out that it was a funeral held by Rongguo Mansion on Ningrong Street. But when I asked the stall owner across the street, he actually said that it was held for Ningguo Mansion. I don't quite understand."

Gu Xuanji hasn't reacted yet. If the funeral is to be held at Ningguo Mansion, who will be the one?

Hearing Gu Xuanji's words, Liu Chen first thought of the people from the Ningguo Mansion's main family. But then he thought it was not right. Jia Zhen and his son had seen them in prison yesterday and they were fine.
By this calculation, could it be that she is the lady of Ningguo Mansion? After all, her status as a royal concubine has been taken away, so it is true that she is depressed.

As he watched the group going away, he suddenly saw a number of Jia family concubines following behind him, and they were heading in the wrong direction.

Isn’t that the way to the palace?

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
In the imperial study room,

Emperor Wu had a gloomy face, thinking about the Ningguo Mansion case. He didn't expect that Jia Jing would do this. The censor, that useless guy, couldn't even stop people. How would he end the incident?

The Prime Minister, Lord Li, was also restless at this time. He guessed that the Ningguo Mansion incident was caused by Yan Cong, who was Lu Wenshan's man, and Gu Yichen was fanning the flames. Maybe it was the intention of the two of them.
Just when the king and his minister were suspicious of each other,
outside the door,

The servant, Eunuch Yun, came in, bowed and knelt on the ground.

"Your Majesty, Liu Chen from the Northern Pacification Division of the Imperial City Division has sent someone to deliver news that a funeral procession has been sent from Rongguo Mansion and is heading towards the Imperial Palace."

It turned out that Liu Chen had sensed something was wrong and personally led people to inquire about the news. He found out that Jia Jing from Ningguo Mansion had died in front of the Meridian Gate. Seeing the funeral procession, he realized that things were going to be troublesome, so he sent the news to the palace first.

"Haha, the Jia family's reaction is not slow. They arrived so quickly. What do they want to do? They can't force the emperor to abdicate."

Emperor Wu was still furious. Besides being angry, he also felt a little embarrassed. Things had come to this point, how would they end? He glanced at Prime Minister Li who was sitting in the hall. Perhaps there were some things that still needed his help to stabilize the political situation.

In addition, my younger brother, Prince Zhongshun, came to the palace for a night talk a few days ago and said that the Ningguo Mansion issue needs to be dealt with as soon as possible and that severe punishment should be given. Now that I think about it, I feel that something is not right. Prince Zhongshun is quite anxious.

"Your Majesty, the Jia family doesn't have the guts to force the emperor to abdicate. They just want an explanation and to vent their anger. I think the most important thing about this incident is to stabilize the nobles."

Unexpectedly, before the Prime Minister Li Zhonghou spoke, Dai Quan, who was standing at the side of the desk, spoke first. As he spoke, the whisk in his hand, with thousands of white silk threads, trembled slightly.
"Yes, we need to stabilize the court first. Those old nobles have their own way in everything. Prime Minister Li, what do you think we should do? They are almost outside the palace gate."

Emperor Wu Zhou Shihong was also somewhat helpless and regretful that he had acted too hastily.

"Your Majesty, what Eunuch Dai said is absolutely right. No matter what, Jia Jing died outside the Meridian Gate. We must give an explanation to the court officials and the Jia family. Let the Jia family make a fuss to vent their anger and make them feel relieved. The rest is nothing more than a strategy of appeasement."

Prime Minister Li was stroking his white beard, a trace of nostalgia flashed across his old face. With the death of Jia Jing, the Jia family really lost a pillar, and the rest of the people were just living a life of idleness and waiting to die. When the emperor was emeritus, Jia Jing was so talented that he followed the former crown prince and relied on his confidants. Unfortunately, he made one wrong step after another, and ended up committing suicide at the Meridian Gate despite his talent.

Hearing Prime Minister Li's words, Emperor Wu nodded, and his previous anxiety disappeared. However, he was still hesitant when thinking about the final comfort.
"It's okay to make a fuss. Only then can I understand the old lady's grievances. But how can I appease her in the end?" How to grasp this measure is what troubles Emperor Wu. Although he has sentenced Jia Zhen and his son to death, it was just a test. In the current situation, he cannot show leniency even if he wants to.

Li Shoufu cried out, and moved his body to a different seat to make it more comfortable.
"Your Majesty, please forgive me for saying so much. Your Majesty has been too hasty in this matter. Although I don't know who instigated it, Your Majesty probably doesn't realize that there are still brave people in the Jia family. You know, the foundation of military honors is the title, which must not be touched lightly. If you want to appease them, you need to start with Ningguo Mansion. I just don't know if Your Majesty will deal with Jia Zhen and his son?"

The Prime Minister spoke the matter clearly and calmly. More importantly, he pointed out the person behind the scenes who was careless and made mistakes.

"Ahem, I don't intend to put Jia Zhen and his son to death. After all, they are the head of Ningguo Mansion, and their ancestors have made contributions to the court. They will not be killed no matter what."

Emperor Wu coughed awkwardly, trying to cover up a little, but he actually told the truth. At that time, he was thinking about waiting for Old Lady Shi from Rongguo Mansion to enter the harem and ask to see the old concubine. It would be best to wait for the message from the retired emperor of Changle Palace, and then issue an imperial decree to reduce the guilt of Jia Zhen and his son from Ningguo Mansion. On the one hand, he wanted to test the favor of the Jia family, and on the other hand, he wanted to see the reaction of the retired emperor of Changle Palace. Who knew that now, none of the goals have been achieved and a mess has been made.

From the bottom of his heart, Emperor Wu had an idea. He needed to have a few trusted ministers around him to help him with the sword. Unfortunately, Li Shoufu was old. Then it would be his son Li Chaosheng who was quite ambitious.
"Since Your Majesty has already made this intention, then it should be handled accordingly. Jia Zhen can be spared the death penalty, but he cannot escape the punishment of life imprisonment. He will be exiled. His son Jia Rong will be stripped of his title, spared his life, demoted to a commoner and sent back.
As for Jia Jing, he was a righteous and upright minister. Your Majesty, please give him a respectful burial. If you still need someone to leave an excuse, this matter is all due to the fault of the Imperial Censor Zhong, and he should be investigated. "

Li Chonghou raised his head and spoke in a loud and decisive voice, causing the other two people in the room to look at him sideways. Dai Quan smiled slightly, and he understood the intention of the Prime Minister. It was the Censor Zhong who should take the blame. How could Jia Jing be killed by just a few words from you? Anyone would be confused.

"Yes, Your Majesty, what the Prime Minister said makes sense. I am still wondering if it was because the Censor Zhong said something he shouldn't have said that made Jia Jing angry for a moment, and in anger, he stabbed the drum for hearing the news. Knowing that he had made a big mistake, he didn't think it through and crashed into the stone platform, which led to serious consequences. Otherwise, if Lord Zhong had stopped him, this would not have happened."

The crime was committed by the censor Zhong Yugu. If he had not understood the emperor's will, this would not have happened.

Emperor Wu, who was standing behind the imperial desk, nodded. This was all he could do.
Hanyuan Hall,
It was unknown how long it had been before Zhang Jinyu and the three princes, who were basking in the sun in front of the palace gate, took a nap in a daze.

As noon approaches,

A group of people were busy in the yard.

The personal soldiers were at the east side of the yard, setting up a pot to rebel. They mixed the dishes they had brought with them, as well as some mutton, into a stew. The marquis brought the kitchen and several other people to watch over the pot.

A voice called out from down the corridor in front of the palace door;
"My Lord, my Lord,"

Zhang Jinyu stirred and woke up in shock. He looked around and saw Ning Bian calling him softly. He asked;

"What happened?"

"My Lord, lunch is ready. You and the three princes can enjoy your meal now."

Ningbyon pointed to the east.
The guards had already finished cleaning up, and the fire in the fire was mostly out, leaving some ashes for warmth.
"Well, bring the food for the three princes. Also, notify Xiangyang Hou and others to take turns eating some hot food. There is only one day left, so use up what you need to eat and drink."

Zhang Jinyu gave orders, after all, they had to mark the papers overnight, and seven days' worth of food would not be enough to finish in one day.

"Yes, Lord, I understand. All the big pots have been used."

"That's good."

As Ningbian led his men away, his personal guards entered the palace to pass on the message.

The first person to run out was Bai Guangju, Marquis of Xiangyang. He walked out of the palace gate without any hesitation, turned a corner and walked into the corridor, pulled out a chair and sat down.

"The Marquis really knows how to live. Everyone is in the room supervising the exam, but the Marquis is the only one here sipping tea and enjoying himself. Tsk tsk."

Bai Guangju, Marquis of Xiangyang, shook his head and said with admiration.
This made it difficult for Zhang Jinyu to pretend to be asleep.

He opened his eyes and sat up, took the teapot and teacup, poured a bowl of tea for Xiangyang Hou, and pushed it over.

"Brother Bai, you are wrong. It may seem like you are enjoying yourself, but you may not be helpless. At the beginning, Brother Bai was asked to accompany the three princes, but in the end, Brother Bai was nowhere to be seen. Is it comfortable to sleep in that carriage?"

Zhang Jinyu also shook his head and sighed, causing Bai Guangju to blush slightly. It was his fault.
"Why did you bring this up, my Lord? I was just complaining. I just wanted to borrow some land and eat a meal. The three princes are still asleep, and you won't send them back, my Lord."

Changing the subject, Marquis Xiangyang winked at the three princes who were still sleeping on the table.
Look at the three troubles,
Zhang Jinyu gave a bitter smile. It was better to see it in front of him than to run around.

"Let's eat later and then wake them up. Brother Bai should know what is more important."

"That's true."

The voice just fell,

Ningbian came over with his men, bringing stew and steamed buns, and placed the food on the table.
He handed over the bowl and chopsticks, and seeing that the Marquis of Xiangyang was also there, he asked;

"My Lord, do we need to wake up the three princes?"

"Wait a moment, let me and Brother Bai finish eating first."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The two of them didn't hesitate and started eating with chopsticks.
period,

The Marquis of Xiangyang asked;
"My Lord, did you hear the drums coming from before?"

"Yes, I heard it coming from the south. There were also trumpet sounds. It didn't sound like the Imperial Guards were training. Lord Chu Nian also said that someone was hitting the drum for reporting."

Zhang Jinyu didn't care about these things. Who knocked and who didn't was all caused by the civil servants. It seemed that most of the censors were invigilating in the Hanyuan Hall. If there were any problems, it would not be their business.

Little did he know that these words made the Marquis of Xiangyang's face darken, and he stopped using the chopsticks that were picking up the food.

"Since you heard the sound, what do you think?"

Zhang Jinyu was puzzled. Looking at Brother Bai's expression, could there be some hidden story? After thinking for a while, he realized that everything in the court had been stable these days, and he hadn't heard any rumors.

"Brother Bai, do you know something? As far as I know, the one who beats the drum for reporting must hold an official position. The censors are all in it. Tell me, who can cause trouble?"

It's a rhetorical question.
Bai Guangju, Marquis of Xiangyang, swallowed the food in his mouth, and had a vague guess in his mind, but he was trapped in the examination room, and no information came, so he couldn't make an accurate judgment. In the court, it was relatively calm, and no incidents occurred.
The only cases kept by the Ministry of Justice are those from Ningguo Prefecture. Although they have been tried in Shuntian Prefecture, I don't know what the civil officials will do. It couldn't be that the case of Ningguo Prefecture was closed by the Ministry of Justice, and His Majesty has already issued an edict.

With this guess, Xiangyang Hou's face suddenly changed, and he said in a lost voice;

"Master Hou, something happened!"

(End of this chapter)