Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 782 The Majesty of the Old Lady
In the capital,
There are many forces that take action upon hearing the news!

Following the actions of the Jia family, the noble families in the capital became restless. People passing by the gates scattered, and the person who was contacted to report the news had long disappeared.

Almost all the heads of the mansions, whether they knew about it or not, sent people to follow behind the team and watch. As a result, the Rongguo Mansion's mourning team seemed to have a lot more people. This was because among the people following behind, some of the spies mixed directly into the crowd and disguised themselves as ordinary people.

Sitting in the carriage, Jia's mother had already taken off the lady's headdress and breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing this, Mrs. Xing was also surprised. She seldom wore it on weekdays, and when she put it on for the first time, it felt so heavy.

When she put down her headdress, the second wife's eyes trembled slightly, and she glanced at him with a little jealousy in her heart.

Jia's mother looked exhausted and didn't notice any of this. She lifted the curtain and looked out. Many people followed blindly. It was unclear whether it was a blessing or a curse to have so many people.
"This time, one of our missions is to collect Jia Jing's body, and the other is to ask for an imperial decree from the palace to save the lives of Jia Zhen and his son from Ningguo Mansion. You must not make any unnecessary moves. The carriages are parked there, and people will take turns getting off to mourn. The first to go will be the old woman, followed by the eldest wife, and then the second wife. They can only leave after receiving an imperial decree, so everyone should get ready."

Grandmother Jia also knew that the opportunity was rare. If she didn't seize it, she might have no chance. Of course, she was doing it for the noble relatives and the civil servants. The Jia family in the capital was willing to risk their reputation by taking the lead. Finally, she wanted to see if the Jia family still had the favor of the emperor in the palace.

"Yes, old lady, my daughter-in-law knows."

The first wife, Madam Xing, and the second wife, Madam Wang, each nodded in agreement, but their faces looked unhappy and uneasy. These were the first time they had encountered such things. It was already inappropriate to show up in public, and they had to lead the clansmen in mourning. Wouldn't that be embarrassing? But when it came to this, they had no choice but to do so.
The second wife was already feeling a little regretful in her heart. If Baoyu could go and inherit the title and Ningguo Mansion, wouldn't that be a happy ending for everyone?
When I regretted it, I couldn’t help but ask;

"Old Madam, if the title of nobility is to be retained by the Ningguo Mansion in the future and Madam You gives birth to a girl, what will happen to the title?"

The Second Lady asked knowingly, and Mrs. Xing immediately became alert. Mrs. Wang thought that she had changed her mind, and before Lady Jia could speak, Mrs. Xing spoke first:
"Why? Could it be that the Second Madam has changed her mind? The mother and son of the Zhu family have already been drawn over to Ningguo Mansion. Even if Madam You gave birth to a girl, it would be Jia Lan who inherited the title as designated by Master Jing. Could it be that the Second Madam doesn't like Jia Lan and wants to give up the title to Jia Zong? This is not impossible to discuss."

Mrs. Xing did not give the second wife any face. She spoke bluntly and even pushed Jia Zong out. Her words were just sarcastic.

The second wife was angry and sneered.
"He is just a bastard, with no future. It would be a joke if he could inherit the throne. Madam, don't expect him to be filial to you in the future. You may even have to rely on the Duke's Mansion to make a living in the future."

The Second Wife did not spare any shame and responded bluntly, which made Mrs. Xing blush. The property of Rongguo Mansion was all in the hands of the Second Wife. If they really wanted to divide the family, I'm afraid that the huge Duke's Mansion would not be able to survive in an instant.
Grandmother Jia was sitting in the back and understood what was going on. It was all about the title.

"Stop talking. The Ningguo Mansion matter has been decided and there will be no changes. The second elder family only wants Baoyu to inherit. But you have to know that going to Ningguo Mansion means adoption and inclusion in the family tree. I will read out Jia Jing's decision later. If you want to keep Baoyu and not let him go to Ningguo Mansion, the clan affairs office will not agree. How can human ethics and morals allow you to do as you wish?"

The old lady's words were very serious. It was also the first time she was angry with the Second Wife. Yesterday, she left herself a chance and made the decision after careful consideration. It was good that Li Wan and her son were gone, so that the Second Wife would have less to worry about. Now you want to go back on your word. Do you still have the dignity to spare?

Seeing the second wife, Madam Wang's ashamed face, her tone softened again.
"Yesterday, I gave you the opportunity to choose, but you didn't choose. Since there is no legitimate child in the old family, it can only be him. Lang'er is a good child, but he is two generations younger than you. Baoyu has his own wealth and status. If he stays with you, he will always have someone to take care of you in your old age.
As for Ningguo Mansion, after this departure, only women will be left, and we don’t know what will happen in the future. There is also a troublesome Jia Qiang in Shuntian Mansion. I will make the decision. After this, Jia Qiang and Jia Rong will survive and return, and we will divide the family, and the titles will still be as Jia Jing said.

"Yes, daughter-in-law, listen."

Since Lady Jia had made the decision, no one could say anything. The Second Wife could only nod her head in grievance, thinking that what the old lady said was right. She was the only one left to take care of her in her old age and see her to the end of her life. If she were to be adopted into the Ningguo Mansion, there would be no one left in the Second House in the future. After all, Brother Lan was still young and not close to her.

Seeing that the Second Madam's plan had failed, Madam Xing showed joy in her eyes and said no more words, but she was also alert in her heart. She still had to keep an eye on the Ningguo Mansion and must not let the Second Madam take advantage of any opportunity. If Li Wan had any problems, she would need her help.

Seeing that the matter at hand had been settled, and seeing that they were almost at the palace, he gave the order;

"Pack up, and when we get to the street ahead, we'll go down. You two can follow us and cry first."

"Yes, mother."

As the voice in the car fell,
outside the car,

Wang Xifeng, who was leading the group, saw that they were about to reach the corner of the street where the palace was turning. She immediately asked Lai Wang to pass on the message, telling everyone to start crying and not to stop.
It was at this time that cries of grief were heard from the front to the back of the team, adding an inexplicable atmosphere to the already bustling street. The tavern at the corner of the street had already been booked by some civil servants. The first to arrive was Yang Shao Shi, the Minister of Guanglu Temple, with an excited look on his face, as he wanted to see how the Jia family would get into trouble.

Afterwards, many members of Li's party followed one after another, as if they had discussed it beforehand.
"Brother Yang, why are you here so quickly?"

Li Chaosheng, Luan Gongfu, and Sun Boyan, who were in disguise, arrived one after another. Seeing Senior Brother Yang standing in front of the window with an excited look on his face, muttering something, they all shook their heads. Senior Brother Yang was a little too excited.

"The eldest master is here. What else could it be? Seeing that the Jia family is in trouble, although we won't add insult to injury, we feel refreshed and relieved."

Young Master Yang spoke frankly without any pretense. He waved his hand and a servant brought a table and chairs and placed a table of snacks in front of the window. Young Master Yang stretched out his hand.

"Master, two junior brothers, please take a seat. I have managed to reserve this restaurant with great difficulty. Today, just watch happily as the Jia family also has this day."

Several people looked at each other, shook their heads helplessly, and sat down. Senior Brother Yang had an impatient and straightforward personality, and he was outspoken and talkative, which easily offended people.
"Brother Yang, please sit down too. I know your sufferings, but please consider the overall situation and don't worry about small things. I think that it is better for Ming'an and others to enter the officialdom later. People are treacherous, so it is better to learn for a few more years than to plunge in. After all, the Jiangnan area has just been laid out."

Li Chaosheng was very considerate of Brother Yang's inner feelings. There were some things that could not be said directly, so he could only comfort him a little. As for the crying outside, everyone knew that it was the Jia family crying to the court. In the end, it all depended on the grace of the royal family.

However, once Jia Jing left, the lives of Jia Zhen and his son were saved.

"Brother Yang, don't worry. Relax. Boyan and I have discussed this. It would be good for them to study in the academy for a few more years. If that doesn't work out, they can get married first to settle down. It's possible that a disaster could turn into a blessing."

Luan Gongfu stretched out his hand, took the teapot, and poured tea for the few people. His mouth was not idle either, as he gave some words of comfort. He had discussed this matter with the eldest son, and the most important thing now was to let the eldest son enter the cabinet. After the eldest son entered the cabinet, the children of the several families could take the exams, and they would be appointed as officials after they came out, which was much better than waiting in the Hanlin Academy.

"Yes, Senior Brother Yang, who can really predict what will happen in the future? Misfortunes may bring blessings. Sit down."

Sun Boyan was angry before, but he got the promise from the eldest son that several people could take the next imperial examination, so he was no longer anxious. After all, Luo Yunhou was in power and no one could do anything about it.
Seeing everyone saying this, Master Yang suddenly felt relieved. He pulled over a chair and sat down, sighing.

"It's a pity that the eldest master and two junior brothers have to laugh at me. Ming'an has such a miserable life."

Thinking of his son and wife, Master Yang was so distressed that he was furious. Li Chaosheng hurried to comfort him.

"Brother Yang, don't worry. Ming'an will be able to pass the next imperial examination. Don't worry."

The reason why Li Chaosheng was so sure was because the cabinet had the right to pardon scholars. As long as the cabinet issued a memorial, these things would not be a big deal. He just considered the attitude of Marquis Luo Yun. Therefore, the memorial could not be sent to the cabinet openly. He needed to talk to Marquis Luo Yun first.
"There's no rush. After Marquis Luo Yun finishes supervising the exam, we'll host a banquet for him."

As soon as this word comes out,
Master Yang was a little shocked. It seemed that the eldest son wanted to cooperate with Luo Yunhou on Jiangnan affairs. Is it feasible? He asked doubtfully.
"My Lord, will Marquis Luo Yun agree to this?"

"Haha, even if he doesn't agree, he has so many students, how can he not agree? The top three in this provincial examination will be promoted to official positions. The cabinet will report to the government. Senior Brother Yang, if it were you, what would you do?"

Li Chaosheng laughed, picked up the tea bowl and took a sip, then turned his head to look out the window. The Jia family's mourning team had already reached the street corner and was heading north towards the Meridian Gate. Paper money was scattered and drifting in the wind. It was not a coincidence that the sun was shining brightly just now, but now it was overcast. I don't know if it was the work of Jia Jing, the Taoist monk, who was so weird and eerie.

"This, the eldest master said it very well. If we unite, we both benefit; if we divide, we both lose. If we don't seize the opportunity, the northern and southern gangs will react and squeeze our people. If we place Marquis Luo Yun's people in the south of the Yangtze River, the water will be muddied." Young Master Yang was not a fool. After thinking over the conspiracy that day, they decided to share the profits. The forces in the south of the Yangtze River were complicated and difficult to fight for, so it was better to introduce foreign aid to solve the dilemma before making plans.

"That's right. Come, let's drink tea instead of wine. The Jia family's troops are about to arrive at the Meridian Gate."

After hearing this, several people quickly drank a sip of tea, and then stretched their heads to look outside.
really,

The marching team went towards the Dengwen Drum, and the imperial guards also lined up in front to block them. For a moment, when they arrived at the place, everyone cried loudly and knelt down, and the crying sounds could be heard from far away.

Hanyuan Hall,
Zhang Jinyu, who was still eating in the corridor, moved his ears for some reason.
"Brother Bai, did you hear anything wrong?"

Bai Guangju, the Marquis of Xiangyang, who was enjoying his meal, raised his head, looked around, and replied;
"What's wrong? There's nothing wrong. My Lord, you are thinking wrongly."

"No, wait."

Zhang Jinyu pressed his hands, and the people around him immediately fell silent. At this time, a soft cry came from somewhere. This time, Xiangyang Hou also heard it and asked uncertainly;

"My Lord, I heard some crying sounds, it seemed to come from the south."

Bai Guangju pointed to the south, which should be the direction of the Meridian Gate.

Zhang Jinyu turned around and looked towards the south. It was strange. Could it be that the team had gathered at the Meridian Gate today? Only a few hours had passed and someone else was making trouble.
"It's really interesting. There was a lot of activity in front of the Meridian Gate today. One person beat a drum, and the other cried. Could it be that it wasn't just one person who came, but two people who came one after the other, or they were not the same group of people?"

Because he didn't know what was going on outside, Zhang Jinyu was just guessing. It looked like the area in front of the Meridian Gate should be very lively. Just as he finished speaking, the crying and shouting there became louder. The sound was clearly audible. Wow, there were quite a lot of people.

He turned his head back and looked at Bai Guangju and asked;

"Brother Bai, did you hear clearly, who should it be this time?"

Marquis Xiangyang opened his mouth several times and thought a lot in his mind, but he just couldn't figure out what had happened that caused people to cry and complain at the Meridian Gate. Given the time before and after, could it be possible that there was an injustice?

At this point, the two of them were stunned, while the three princes opened their eyes and yawned. After standing up, they looked at the two marquises in front of them and listened to something. The second prince wanted to make a joke, but he heard crying and shouting in his ears. He felt something was wrong and looked around quickly, but found nothing. Then he realized that the crying and shouting came from outside.
Just when the few people were silent, the Second Prince pulled the sleeves of the First Prince and the Third Prince from behind, pointed inside the palace, and shouted;

"Why are there cries coming from here? Could it be that the emperor has passed away?"

Outside the Meridian Gate,
Jia's mother, dressed in formal attire, brought her three daughters-in-law and her family members, and walked forward crying. When she arrived in front of the drum, she ignored the imperial guards.

Seeing the Imperial Guards Captain leading his men to stop them, he suddenly shouted:
"I am a lady of the first rank of the Rongguo Mansion. I have come to collect the body of Jia Jing from the Ningguo Mansion and report to Your Majesty that he was wrongly convicted. Who dares to stop me?"

I don't know whether it was due to sadness or real momentum, but as soon as he said this, he silenced the captain of the imperial guards who were blocking the way. Thinking of the prestige of the Jia family in the past, he looked around and saw that not only the officials, but even the censor and the eunuchs in the palace did not come. Instead, there were people watching the excitement, surrounding him in a circle in the distance.
moment,

The captain understood that this should be a tacit approval of the Jia family's behavior. He stayed here, and it was probably arranged long ago. Now he was in trouble. Jia Jing's body was here, and the general guarding the gate had also hidden himself.

In this way, all the responsibilities fell on him. How could he not be anxious? Seeing someone coming over, sweat broke out on his forehead. At this time, his confidant whispered,
"Captain, the Jia family is not easy to mess with. Since they are hiding, shouldn't we hide as well?"

"Nonsense, I don't know how to avoid it?"

Seeing someone talking, the captain became anxious and asked;
"We are here to guard the Dengwen drum, not the corpse."

It was not known whether it was a complaint or a reminder, but the captain of the imperial guards suddenly realized that, yes, no one had told him that the body had to be kept, so it didn't matter whether he cared about it or not.

Think of this,
cried out immediately;

"Order, withdraw to your respective positions."

With a roar, the imperial guards dispersed at once, and when they returned, they went to the stone platform to hear the drums and took out Jia Jing's body.

But to outsiders, it looks different.
They all thought it was Grandmother Jia's scolding that frightened the imperial guards so much that they scattered in all directions.

On the attic of the tavern at the corner of the street, the eldest son and his companions looked at it for a while, and just at this moment, they couldn't help but gasp.

"As expected of the old lady Shi from the Rongguo Mansion, she has indeed seen many storms and waves. She retreated the imperial guards with just one cry. How amazing!"

He sighed from the bottom of his heart. There was hardly a single person in the military family who could do this. The other three brothers who were sitting with him were also very depressed after seeing this. It seemed that they still underestimated the foundation of the Jia family. As long as that old woman was there, the Jia family would not fall.
Look again,
I saw that Jia's mother called out to the steward behind her to go over and collect Jia Jing's body and carry it back to the carriage that had been prepared. Then she knelt there and continued to cry.

Wang Xifeng was shocked. She had never expected that the usually kind old lady could be so powerful. Even Lady Xing and the Second Lady followed Lady Jia closely. It was only their tightly clenched hands that showed their inner restlessness.
Hold on tight for a while,
There was a young eunuch watching from behind the Meridian Gate, who hurried back to report. After an unknown amount of time, there was still no movement in the palace. The people kneeling outside were also somewhat exhausted, and Grandmother Jia probably couldn't stand it anymore.

"Old lady, why don't you get in the car and take a rest? Your granddaughter-in-law is watching over you here."

Wang Xifeng saw that Jia's mother's forehead was covered with sweat, so she hurried to comfort her. After all, she didn't know how long it would take.
Mrs. Xing was also pale at this time, sweating, and looked at Lady Jia with eager eyes, but she saw that the old lady's face was condensed and she shouted;

"Okay, help me up first."

The Second Madam and Madam Xing were delighted when they heard this. They quickly stood up and helped the old lady up. They thought the old lady was going back to the carriage to rest, but as soon as she stood up, she walked towards the drum not far ahead.

I took the drumsticks.

Looking at the broken drum in front of him, he walked behind it and hit the other drum head hard.

The surrounding imperial guards were so frightened that their faces turned pale. The captain actually closed his eyes and turned away.

Just for a moment.
The drums sounded,

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

(End of this chapter)