Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 781 Most of them are just watching the fun
A corner of Lanting,
Liu Yue pursed her lips and chuckled. Her apricot-yellow dress tightly wrapped around her voluptuous figure. As she chuckled, her prominent parts trembled unconsciously, causing Wei Shuyun to shift her gaze over.

Then he reacted, his face turned red, and he spat secretly. Liu Yue was still so dissolute.

"Sister Wei, don't worry. The so-called folk songs are deliberately made up by the people behind the scenes. The general risked his life and returned with his body wrapped in a shroud. This is referring to Wang Ziteng of the Wang family. He is still leading troops south. The children of the family are implicated. This is referring to the relatives of the Jia family. If we take action against them now, no one knows whether they will be implicated."

Having said this, he paused for a moment, his face looked a little ugly, after all, the next sentence was a little disrespectful, but he didn't know that the eldest princess Zhou Xiangxue continued to speak,
"It's easy to understand that a tyrant believed rumors, forced nobles to death, and took away their titles. My brother heard rumors, forced Jia Jing to death, and even wanted to take away the title of Ningguo Mansion. This is a move that touched the foundation of nobles and is life-threatening."

at this time,

It was quiet in the Lanting Pavilion. Only the eldest princess dared to say these words unscrupulously. She was a little awakened in her heart, as if the nursery rhyme was true. The emperor's brother should be trying to test the bottom line of the nobles. What he did was so reckless. It was not like the emperor's usual method. There must be an oversight, and it was known to everyone. This time, it was all in vain.

Wei Shuyun and Liu Yue lowered their heads quickly, not daring to speak. When it comes to the current emperor, there are some things that cannot be said about the royal family.

"Shuyun, send someone to keep an eye on the Rongguo Mansion's funeral procession, especially the Imperial Palace, to see what to do, especially the reaction of the palace!"

"It's the master."

Wei Shuyun clasped her fists, turned around and left.

Only Liu Yue, who was left to serve, still followed him and asked;

"Master, do you want our people to take action on this matter? It's such a big fuss, His Majesty must be a little anxious. If this matter can be resolved, your position with the Emperor will be secure."

"Hmph, you are quite clever. This is a good opportunity, but you have to know that since the emperor has taken action, he must have left room for maneuver. This matter may seem simple, but it involves the nobles and warriors. If the titles are affected, it will be a situation of life and death. This palace cannot avoid it."

The eldest princess finally shook her head. She must not do such a thankless task, especially at this time, when people behind the scenes were fanning the flames. Whoever jumped in first would naturally be the target of public criticism and would be afraid of not being able to extricate himself in the end. She wondered if Marquis Luo Yun, who was hiding in Hanyuan Palace, knew about it.
"Yes, Master, I have said too much. So we won't move?"

"It's not that we won't do anything. We'll send someone to keep an eye on Marquis Luo Yun and find a way to find out his whereabouts. I feel uneasy without any information about him in the capital. The same goes for the Northern Palace and the Eastern Palace."

"Yes, Your Highness."

At Prince Beijing's residence,
In the attic in the back garden,
Beijing Prince Shui Rong sat there quietly listening to the music. The graceful erhu, with a hint of water-grinding sound, made people linger. This was the Jiangnan Kunqu Opera that was popular in Beijing, the water-grinding tune. Nowadays, the dignitaries in Beijing are proud to listen to the water-grinding tune.
Sitting beside him was still his trusted military advisor, Leng Lao.
The two drank tea and listened to music. It had been a long time since they had such a pleasant scene. Now the spies planted in the south have arrived and found traces of people from the East Palace in Jiangnan. Based on this point, the East Palace cannot be separated from the affairs of Jingnan.

"Old Leng, since we have found out that the people from the East Palace are in Jiangnan these days, should we make some preparations? For example, we need to prepare some soldiers from Ping'an Prefecture."

Prince Beijing finally calmed down and listened to the song, but unfortunately, after only a short while, the thoughts from the bottom of his heart still surged into his mind.

Leng Shiwen beside him shook his head and advised;

"Your Highness, don't rush. Since someone from the East Palace has contacted us, it can only be said that he has a hand behind the scenes. If I'm not mistaken, there are many people in the whole Jingnan who are trying to fish in troubled waters. At the beginning, the water is not muddy. If you act rashly, you will catch no fish. It would be good if you don't get hurt. Even if there is any action, you have to keep an eye on the movements of Luo Yunhou and Wang Ziteng."

Old Leng understood the prince's feelings, but there was no point in being anxious. Since these two people were silent, no matter how anxious others were, it would be in vain. The people in the East Prince's Mansion must have realized this, so there was no movement since they arrived in Jiangnan.

"Old Leng's words make sense. I am anxious. Now that the capital is peaceful, it is time for us to take a break. Have the gifts been delivered to the two generals in the north?"

Prince Beijing Shui Rong leaned back and found a comfortable position to lie there. The so-called Northern Generals were the two Generals Zhaowu and Zhaoyong whom he had met before. The most important supplies and silver had already been sent over.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. The most important things have already been delivered. With the new supplies sent by the court, not much is needed. I have instructed them to deliver all the gifts Your Majesty has given. The two generals are in a good situation now, Your Majesty, don't worry."

Old Leng was still in a leisurely manner, holding the tea bowl and sipping the tea carefully, the fragrance lingered on his lips and teeth. The more he drank the prince's tea, the more delicious it became. He took another sip.
"Good tea, Your Majesty. The tea in your mansion is still fragrant and delicious. It's just like Your Majesty used to drink tea and listen to music. His elegance remains the same."

Shui Rong understood the hidden meaning in the words. Thinking of the past battles with the King of the East and the King of Zhongshun in the capital, his heart trembled. At that time, he was full of vigor and power, so he retained some of his competitive character. It seems that it is time to hide it.
"Leng Lao's words are about being mature and prudent in planning for the country. I am the king who is anxious. The King of the East has been in hiding for so long, hiding his incompetence and deceiving the world. I am not as good as him."

Leng Shiwen's hand trembled slightly as he picked up the tea bowl. It had been a long time since the prince had spoken like this.

"Your Majesty, there is no need to belittle yourself. The East King has his own difficulties, and we have our own advantages. For the nobles, your words are more useful than those of the East King's Palace."

This is also why after the East Palace went into hiding, the North Palace became the leader of the nobles. In some things, blessings and disasters are interdependent.

"Hey,"

With a sigh, the only sound left in the house was the singing of the singing girl.
Suddenly, the housekeeper knocked on the door.
"Master, something happened in the capital."

Just one sound,
The singing in the house suddenly stopped.

"Come in,"

"Yes, Master,"

The butler heard the call and carefully pushed the door open.

He walked into the inner room, walked around the screen, and stood there.

"Tell me, what could happen in the capital today?"

Prince Beijing Shui Rong touched his sleeves and quickly recalled the events of the past few days in the capital. There seemed to be no turmoil in the court, just some trivial matters. If there was any turmoil, it would be the son of the Prime Minister, Li Chaosheng, who was appointed as the cabinet writer, which was considered a step into the cabinet.

Come to think of it, the Prime Minister, who has experienced ups and downs for more than ten years, is still so "old but strong", which is not easy.

Then he looked at his trusted butler standing there, and saw that the man seemed a little hesitant, and replied;

"Your Highness, the people who came are from the Jia family of Rongguo Mansion. They said they wanted your help. In addition, the secret agent from the capital also came back to report the news." "Oh, Rongguo Mansion wants me to help?"

Obviously, Beijing Prince Shui Rong was very surprised. Looking at Leng Lao, he was the same. The Jia family only cared about eating, drinking and having fun. How could they have such thoughts?
"There's a big problem at the Jia family!"

"Yes, Your Majesty, it is a coincidence that today, Jia Jing of Ningguo Mansion went to the Wumen Gate of the Imperial Palace and beat the drum for hearing news. But not long after, when the censor came out, Jia Jing did something out of character and directly broke the drum for hearing news. He then hit his head on the stone platform and died. Rongguo Mansion received the news, and the mourning procession was about to arrive at the palace. There were countless people watching."

The butler carefully explained the news from his men, causing Prince Beijing to laugh out loud.
"Haha, this is really interesting. The Jia family, who have always been honest, have been forced to do such shameless things. If this really happens in the palace and the royal family loses face, I really don't know what will happen. It seems that the Jia family still needs to take the lead."

Shui Rong originally thought that among the old Duke's Mansion, the most useless one was the Jia family. Among the younger generation, there was no outstanding person, and only Jia Zheng was the only one holding up the facade. This could be considered the beginning of decline. Now it seems that there are still many brave people in the Jia family, and many of them understand things. Sure enough, it is not easy to achieve the foundation of the Duke's Mansion.

That's it,
"Mr. Leng, what do you think?"

Leng Shiwen sat aside, listening to the prince's conversation, thinking.
"Your Highness, this matter came suddenly. You can't take action directly. Instead, you have to consider the attitude of the palace. At least if the Grand Emperor doesn't show up, the Emperor also has to consider his face. So, you have to be patient. If something unexpected happens, you will need Your Highness to work with the old Dukes to act together."

Leng Shiwen thought for a moment before speaking, but he was also puzzled. Why would the emperor take such a risky move at this juncture? Bringing up the case at this time was he trying to test the Changle Palace or was there someone else behind the scenes, a civil servant or a vassal king? You have to know that the convoys of the vassal kings from all over the country are all close to the capital. They say they are paying tribute, but they may also be trying to find out the truth.

"Your Highness, please wait. These past few days, the actions of the palace have always seemed unexpected. The first thing I thought of was that it was a trap set by the civil officials, but after thinking about it, it doesn't make sense. Instead, I suspect that it was the hands of those vassal kings, or another person, such as Prince Zhongshun."

Prince Beijing Shui Rong narrowed his eyes, extremely surprised. The princes of the inner border are now a force that cannot be ignored. Ever since his own Northern Palace and Eastern Palace lost their military power, the power of the princes of the inner border has gradually become more prominent. Although their right to speak is not yet prominent, their status cannot be ignored.

Especially the King of Zheng and the King of Han, who lived south of the Central Plains, had well-trained soldiers and sufficient food supplies, and were surrounded by wealth and riches, which only aroused envy. Although they only had one county, they were much stronger than those Jiedushi.

The last Prince Zhongshun was an extremely tolerant person who forgot his principles when he saw small gains. He had great ambitions but little talent, but was sometimes extremely shrewd and full of contradictions. However, it was possible that the affairs of Ningguo Mansion were caused by him.

"The tribute convoys from the vassal states in the inner Guan area are about to enter the capital. The princes of the various palaces will follow the convoys. I think the capital will be in turmoil in a few days. The Ningguo Mansion incident has reached this point. Jia Jing is dead, and the Jia family has made contributions to the court. Jia Zhen and his son will not die, and their titles will not be affected at all. Otherwise, the nobles will all be in danger, and the court will never have peace."

It's not that Prince Beijing Shui Rong is exaggerating. For nobles, the title is the bottom line of hope for a family. Even if there are unfilial descendants, as long as there is one who has a promising future, the family can be revived with the title. Therefore, the title is more important than life. The emperor will understand this. Even if Prince Zhongshun is instigating, His Majesty will surely know his limits.

"Your Highness is right. The capital seems calm now, but it is just a moment before the storm, a little peace. For the court, an event in the south of the capital or a prince's son coming to the capital will involve a lot of the emperor's energy. So, Your Highness, we just need to arrange people steadily and systematically, and use calmness to control movement. In addition, there is an unexpected surprise in the south of the Yangtze River."

Leng Shiwen raised the corners of his mouth. He had originally sent spies to investigate the affairs of the Prince of East's Mansion. Unexpectedly, after arriving in Jiangnan, he came into contact with many things one after another. What was particularly important was that there were many interesting things in the officialdom of Jiangnan.

Shui Rong smiled again, looked at the butler who was still serving him, and ordered,
"Go back and tell Rongguo Mansion that I will not sit idly by and watch this matter. Tell Jia Cunzhou to rest assured. Send someone to keep an eye on the funeral procession and see how they act. I think the palace has already thought of a plan to appease them. Besides, isn't it good to make a fuss?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your orders!"

The butler bowed and agreed, then slowly retreated.
As the door closes,
Shui Rong raised his arms and clapped his hands. After a moment, the sound of bamboo and ink came from the green gauze of the water curtain in the west. The singer started singing again, not affected by the person who had just arrived.

Leng Lao also leaned on the table, closed his eyes and listened quietly. The Kunqu Opera was melodious and graceful, and the water-grinding tune from Jiangnan eliminated the dust of the misty rain in Jiangnan. Therefore, the winding path led to a secluded place, which was really top-notch.

Up to now, apart from the northern dialect, the most popular opera in Beijing is Jiangnan Kunqu Opera. Taoyuan, the most famous opera in Beijing, is always packed with people as long as a opera is staged.

Moreover, Mr. Leng has no other hobbies except this one. Unfortunately, the affairs in the palace are confidential, so it is difficult for him to listen to music.

Today, I am able to listen to music with the prince, which is a great favor from my lord and is very rare.

After a pause,
As if he had heard enough, Leng Lao opened his eyes, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, and said softly,

"Your Highness is right. Sometimes, a little commotion is good. It can help us see each other's attitudes clearly and alert the people in the palace not to be too drastic. In addition, Your Highness also knows that the inspector general Jing is in trouble in Jiangnan. Eunuch Yang in the palace has already arrived in Jiangnan. It is possible that the drama in the capital has not started yet, but it may have already started in Jiangnan."

What he meant was that even if there was a commotion in the capital, it would have to wait until the two things mentioned above were resolved. But in Jiangnan, after Eunuch Yang entered Jiangnan, he would definitely take control of the Suzhou Weaving Bureau and produce silk for the Ministry of Internal Affairs. In this way, Lord Jing would have a strong supporter, and the conversion of farmland to mulberry trees would be able to continue. Even if Lord Zhuang, the governor of Jiangnan, tried to stop it, it would be of no avail. Perhaps, he could really stop it.

Beijing Prince Shui Rong's eyes lit up, and he instantly thought of the East Palace. Jiangnan was the old land of the East Palace, and there were so many students and former officials. The matter of converting fields into mulberry trees would affect the interests of the East Palace the most. After all, when the East Palace moved to the capital,
The old prince ordered that large tracts of land of the East Palace be distributed to his soldiers. Therefore, to this day, in Jiangnan, there is almost no open influence of the East Palace. In fact, in some places, the words of the court may not be as effective as those of the East Palace.

"Old Leng, you mean that the people from the East Palace in Jiangnan will stop them. As for how they will stop them and whether they can succeed, it doesn't matter. But if something goes wrong, there will be something to worry about."

"Your Highness has a keen eye, that's true. In addition, Your Highness should not forget that Jing Cunliang is Prince Zhongshun's man. But Your Highness must know that before, this man was a retainer of the Prime Minister. Now that Prime Minister Li has returned to the court, the identity of Lord Jing is unclear."

Leng Shiwen carefully explained Lord Jing's background, and focused on Lord Li, the Prime Minister. In the past, people from the Li Party either served in local positions, resigned and returned home, or were transferred to the Ministry of Personnel. Only those few people were left to hold up the court, and the rest had all given way to the northern and southern factions.

Therefore, the Prime Minister Li Zhonghou left the court, and the situation of two strong contenders turned into a three-way confrontation. It is unknown what changes will happen in the future. It is also unknown whether the former members of Li's party can come back.

but,

It seems that the emperor wants to support the Li family. Li Chonghou also has an eldest son, Li Chaosheng. His Majesty's intention is to let Li Chaosheng enter the cabinet. When will he really enter the cabinet? I think it will be this year. After all, the emperor can't wait and needs someone to act as a knife. I think this reason is the fundamental reason why the Li party can make a comeback.
The Prime Minister Li Chonghou is worthy of being a veteran of two dynasties. He is shrewd and cunning. At this age, he has paved the way for his retreat.

Considering what the Prime Minister had done in the past, there were many people who wanted to take advantage of the situation and wait for an opportunity to take revenge. At that time, it was hard to say whether the Li family could be saved. It seemed that the Prime Minister had planned this step carefully.

"Well, it's all good news. No matter who he is, no one can get around the fact that farmland must be converted into mulberry trees. Someone in the court is watching. Even if the East Prince's Mansion wants to stop it, it can't. In this way, the cause of disaster will eventually sprout. I just don't know how to deal with it. Send troops to suppress it and force the conversion of farmland. No way."

If the people are unwilling, even if the change is forced, the output cannot be guaranteed. At that time, tax revenue will not be collected, and the officials in charge will be implicated. If it is not enforced, they will certainly be promised huge profits. I don’t know if there is enough silver in the city treasury. If not, then it will be interesting.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Since Lord Jing has gone to Jiangnan, he must have a plan in mind. Just wait for the news. If it is confirmed, we will send someone to contact him. It is safer to go slower."

"Haha, okay, let's do it!"

(End of this chapter)