Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 810 Bald Donkey is Really Arrogant
inside the house,

The second wife was so angry that she trembled and could not utter a word.

Seeing this, Wang Xifeng immediately went back to her original position and started to speak harshly.

"The Marquis is so majestic that I can't ask any more questions."

Zhang Jinyu didn't mean to make her angry, but she just couldn't stand her arrogant look. The second wife originally had a good hand, but in the end she lost miserably, and her temper was also one of the reasons.

Looking back, he saw the old lady, who was also thinking about something, so he replied;

"Old lady, I'm not being nosy. I found Baoyu's writing and took a look. His poems are OK, but he can't write eight-part essays at all. I don't know whether the father and son in your house have submitted them. Another thing is that the top three candidates in this special examination will be granted official positions. The list will be submitted, and the answer papers will also be sent to the cabinet, whether they pass or not."

This is also clearly stated. It's not that I don't want to help, but I'm powerless. It's too badly written, and no one can help it up. Jia Mu was stunned when she heard this. She didn't expect that Baoyu's essay would be so badly described by Luo Yunhou. Thinking of the candidates in Hanyuan Palace, she understood it a little.

"Let the past be the past. If you can't learn well, you can learn it again. I have to thank the Marquis. Lang'er ranked third in the first-class list, which also made Rongguo Mansion proud. It was also the Marquis's advice. In the future, Lang'er will still need the Marquis's care."

Zhang Jinyu nodded in agreement. He was indeed an old and experienced man. His words were so beautiful that you had no choice but to agree. It was only right that you take care of Li Wan's son.

"Don't worry, old lady. Jia Languan is a ninth-rank official and still young, so it's not appropriate for him to be sent out. There happens to be a position available in the Imperial College, so we can place him there. It would be a good story for him to study and serve as an official at the same time. He can go there as soon as the affairs at the mansion are finished."

"That's good. Thank you for your concern, my Lord."

In just a few words, he forgot the unpleasantness just now and even thanked him profusely.
On the official road outside the city,

Zen Master Wuxin, along with his disciple Fajing and nearly a hundred monks, headed for the capital on foot.

I saw the person was still far away, but in the blink of an eye, he was close, obviously using his legs and feet to get there.

"Master, why do you want to go to the capital in person today to perform a ritual for Ningguo Mansion? Isn't this too much?"

Fa Jing, the orphan of the Wang family in Jiangnan, was puzzled. Jing'an Temple was the leader of Buddhism, with countless masters and monks. Why did the abbot insist on coming here in person?

Wu Xin Chan Master smiled.

"Just follow me. I am going here for one reason: to repay the kindness of Mr. Jia Jing. I will stay for three days to perform rituals and bury him on the seventh day. Another reason is that I found out that my useless junior brother dared to attack Marquis Luo Yun in the capital. Not only was he so audacious, but he was also captured. How can I turn a blind eye to this?"

Master Chan's eyes were full of wisdom. He was going to explain things to Marquis Luo Yun so that he would not let any misunderstandings remain in his heart. Moreover, once Jia Jing died, the Jia family would lose their think tank. Not to mention that the road ahead would be dangerous, the only ones they could rely on would be themselves.

"Master, what if Luo Yunhou disagrees?"

Fa Jing was a little scared, and there was a hint of evasion in her eyes. After all, Luo Yunhou's ferocious appearance had always remained in her mind.

"Amitabha, Buddha has mercy on me. Marquis Luo Yun will not refuse."

After chanting the Buddha's name,
The team moved a little faster.

Here

Zhang Jinyu was inside the house, chatting with Jia's mother and second wife, and asked;
"Old Madam, how are things arranged at Ningguo Mansion? Are there any more troubles?"

Grandmother Jia was shocked. What did Marquis Luo Yun mean by asking this question? Could it be that he still cherished his brother's father and son?

"Does your Majesty have any advice? According to custom, the body should be kept for three days and buried on the seventh day. If it is faster, it can be brought forward two days. Everything in the mansion will remain the same as before."

Zhang Jinyu nodded. In fact, what he wanted to ask was about Jia Zhen and his son. Now Jia Rong was mourning in front of the door, but he was just a useless person and there was no need to worry. There was still the daring Jia Zhen. He didn't know where he would be exiled by the Ministry of Justice and when he would leave. It would be a bad idea to keep this scourge. If you don't kill the tiger, you will be harmed by it. As long as you get out of the city, it will be easy to deal with.

Wang Xifeng was worried that the Marquis and the old lady might notice something, so she smiled and said:

"Oh, what else can we do? Just arrange the funeral affairs for Master Jing, and leave the rest as usual. The old lady will take charge of the affairs in the mansion, so you don't need to worry about it."

Come to think of it, why would he care about other people's affairs?

"Don't misunderstand me, old lady. I was just asking you a question. Since you are here, there won't be any trouble. In this case, it's almost time. I will take my leave and go back."

Seeing that Luo Yunhou was about to leave, the old lady did not try to stop him. After all, the Luming Banquet in the evening could not be delayed and time was tight, so she asked Wang Xifeng to see him off. Wang Xifeng happened to have something else to ask, so she bowed and accompanied Zhang Jinyu out of the house. As soon as they reached the door,
Zhang Jinyu asked first;
"Sister Feng, how is my sister-in-law now?"

This question immediately made Wang Xifeng feel aggrieved. After all the trouble, you only asked this. You didn't ask about Sister Lin and Sister Xue, but you worried about your eldest sister-in-law first.
"Oh, what a coincidence, sir. When you arrived at the Jia family, you didn't ask about Sister Lin and Sister Xue's situation first, nor did you ask about the common women and whether it was hard for them to take care of them. Instead, you asked about your eldest sister-in-law first. How can that make sense?"

Zhang Jinyu was a little embarrassed. It was a bit rash, but it was a subconscious behavior. What he said was not wrong. If a guest asked the eldest sister-in-law how she was as soon as she entered the house, even if the suspicious person did not think too much, it would cause criticism. Fortunately, it was Sister Feng who heard it.
"Sister Feng, please bear with me. This is not a momentary confusion. I just said something wrong. Don't think too much about it."

Zhang Jinyu tried to cover up and apologize, which made Wang Xifeng feel very uncomfortable and a little jealous.

"Then you should be more careful in the future, and don't be so bold, especially in the daytime, when there are many people and eyes, and walls have ears. You might be seen and heard by others. Okay, you are a busy man, come back if you have something to say. I just don't know if the Marquis's caravan can go outside the pass smoothly?"

Her tone was a little sour, but when she thought about the time the caravan had been gone for some time, she couldn't help but feel worried. After all, all her own private money was put in it. If something went wrong and they were robbed by the Jurchens, losing the goods would be a small matter, but losing the people would be something she couldn't explain. And Jia Yun didn't even bother to reply to her letter.

Zhang Jinyu finally understood that Feng Jie’s love of money was really like this: “A dog can’t change its nature.”

"Don't worry, Sister Feng. As long as you have the Marquis's token, you will be safe outside the borders. Even if something is lost, Sister Feng's share of the income will be covered by the Marquis's Mansion. It's feasible."

Wang Xifeng was startled, and suddenly her face turned red. She spoke so blatantly, not afraid of being misunderstood by others, and quickly replied;

"You are so generous, my Lord. How could I dare to take your money? I am afraid that something will happen to someone from the clan. As the head of the family, I am afraid that I will not be able to save face."

"Nothing will go wrong, rest assured, Sister Feng. The journey will be safe. My confidant is stationed in Pingyao City to guarantee safety. This matter is settled. Daichai and Chai will still need Sister Feng to take care of them."

Zhang Jinyu didn't care about the little money the Chamber of Commerce made, but for Feng Jie at the moment, it was life-saving money. After all, Feng Jie gave up the loan sharking. In addition, she got a commission from the purchase spread of the Duke's Mansion. She had prestige but no profit. If the caravan continued to lose money, I'm afraid that the Duke's Mansion would not be able to maintain its dignity. It was obviously not in the interests of the Marquis' Mansion and the nobles. After all, the Jia family was still of great use in these few events.

As the saying goes, don't give face to the monk, give face to the Buddha. Dai and Chai are still living in someone else's house, so they still have to pay for their food and drink.

"That's fine. My Lord, you insisted on giving it to me. Don't accuse me of being a long-winded woman."

Wang Xifeng finally felt relieved. During this period, what she was most worried about privately was this matter. It was not convenient for her to go to the Marquis' Mansion to ask the old lady, so she kept it in her heart, but it was still a problem.

After the two finished talking,
Zhang Jinyu glanced at the sky. It was getting late. The light in his eyes was fading. He wanted to go back. When he turned around and arrived at the main gate of Ningguo Mansion with his personal soldiers,
outside the door,

A group of bald monks approached quickly. They seemed to be walking slowly, but in a flash, they were right in front of us.
Ningbyon quickly drew his sword and stood guard.

"stop."

Just after hearing the Chan Master on the opposite side chant a Buddhist name, the monks who came stopped. Zhang Jinyu saw that the leader looked familiar and was still wondering who he was.
The Wuxin Chan Master on the opposite side smiled and put his hands together.
"Amitabha, Lord, I hope you are well!"

Listen to the voice,

Zhang Jinyu suddenly realized that it was an old acquaintance.
"Haha, I was still guessing who was coming. I didn't expect it to be Master Wuxin. No, Abbot Wuxin. How come the Ningguo Mansion, which is so prestigious, invited monks to perform rituals, and you, the abbot, actually came in person? This is incredible."

Looking carefully at the group of bald donkeys on the opposite side, each wearing a cassock, I thought they were monks chanting sutras, but after careful identification, every one of them was big and strong, obviously not ordinary monks, but first-class warrior monks. These 100 people, not too many, not too few, and it is really uncertain if they attack at this time. If they are blocked, do they know that they have caught a flower monk? "Amitabha, Lord, it is fate that we are here. I believe in cause and effect, and have formed causes with you many times. The result at this time is also due to fate. Lord, what do you think?"

Wu Xin Chan Shi always had the same face. He replied calmly and calmly. His Zen-like expression made Zhang Jinyu's eyelids twitch. What a fellow, he is pretending in front of me.
"Since the abbot can come, then please go in. I have something else to do, so I will leave first."

After giving Ning Bian a signal, a group of people walked out first. Unexpectedly, just as they stepped out of the threshold of Ningguo Mansion, Master Wuxin suddenly moved, followed Zhang Jinyu's figure, and turned in front of him. His speed was so fast that it was only a blink of an eye. It was obvious that he was a master. When the personal soldiers behind him saw him, their faces changed and they all drew their swords.

Even Zhang Jinyu looked unhappy and questioned;

"Master Chan, what do you mean?"

"My Lord, please don't leave in a hurry. I have something to ask of you. I heard that you arrested a monk in the inn. This man is my junior fellow apprentice. Please show mercy and release him. Your kindness is remembered by Jing'an Temple."

Wu Xin Chan Shi gave a bitter smile. Luo Yunhou was indeed different from others. If it were someone else, they would have agreed to this matter long ago and formed a good relationship.

Zhang Jinyu's face changed slightly. If that's true, it seems that the Flower Monk has a background. You let him go just like that. Do I still have any face left?

"Oh, so the assassin was from Jing'an Temple. You know that assassinating an official appointed by the imperial court is a crime punishable by death. You let him go just like that. Do you have the imperial court in your eyes?"

To put it in a serious way, I don't know how the bald monk in front of me will deal with it. Jing'an Temple is not a small temple. It is the leader of Buddhism in the north. Can these people ask for some benefits? After all, a flower monk eats a lot, wastes food, and keeps it useless.

"Amitabha, the Marquis is in a serious situation. I wonder what conditions the Marquis has to release the person. As long as I can do it, I will never refuse."

Master Wu Xin put his hands together, clearly indicating that whatever he asked for would be granted.
Seeing this, Zhang Jinyu took out the three old things, coughed twice cautiously, covered his mouth with his sleeves, and said a few words.

"Since Master Chan has said so, I am not an unreasonable person. I heard that Jing'an Temple is very popular, and it is not easy for me to raise troops. I don't want much. Two hundred thousand taels of silver. In addition, Jing'an Temple needs, well, you need to agree to three requests of mine in the future, okay?"

This was a huge demand. How could a person be worth two hundred thousand silver coins? It was also a trick by Zhang Jinyu. Who would have thought that as soon as he finished speaking, Master Wuxin nodded.

"My Lord, you are straightforward. As long as I can do it, I will definitely not refuse. I agree to several conditions."

Seeing that Master Wuxin agreed so readily without even frowning, Zhang Jinyu was surprised. No wonder he said he had money but didn't. He looked at the temple and asked for too little. He didn't even blink an eyelid for two hundred thousand taels of silver. He was too arrogant.

"Since Master Chan has agreed, I will naturally keep my word. Once the silver arrives, I will release the person. By the way, the food expenses for the past few days are one thousand taels. Damn, we eat so much. You have to pay for the food."

"Amitabha, it is settled,"

Master Wuxin chanted a Buddhist name, stepped back, and immediately returned to his previous seat, leading a group of monks into the front yard of Ningguo Mansion. Zhang Jinyu followed, waved his hand, and his personal soldiers put away their weapons, followed closely behind him, and hurried back to the mansion.

Once in the yard,
The monks who came started to perform the rituals. The Buddhist monks were prescribing methods to break the prison, passing on the lamp to illuminate the dead, visiting the King of Hell, arresting all ghosts, inviting Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, opening the golden bridge, and raising banners. When some of the original Taoists saw this, they also started to bow down and submit petitions in the back hall, worship the Three Pure Ones, kowtow to the Jade Emperor, and join the Zen monks outside in burning incense, performing the Yimakou ritual, and performing the Water Repentance. There were also thirteen nuns in embroidered robes and red shoes, silently chanting various mantras to guide the spirit in front of the coffin. It was very lively.

Others couldn't figure out what was going on, so they gathered around and talked about it. Seeing this, Wang Xifeng asked Lai Sheng's wife to quickly prepare a vegetarian meal, as this was a matter of honor and could not go wrong. She also asked Ping'er and the servants to clean up the guest rooms in the west courtyard and prepare them for the guest to stay overnight.

At this time, the women of Rongguo Mansion had also arrived. The time had come, and the servants in Ningguo Mansion had already started to light the candles. Ping'er also brought a number of women and wives, who followed behind with lanterns in their hands.

"Grandma, everyone is here,"

"Got it, go ahead,"

Sister Feng went out to the front of the hall and straightened her clothes. The person leading the way in front of her lit a pair of bright corner lanterns, wrote the three big characters "Rongguo Mansion" on them, and then walked slowly to Guifang Garden.

There were bright lanterns on the gate, and lights on both sides, making it as bright as day. Servants in mourning stood on both sides. They were invited to the main gate, and the servants left. The wives came up and lifted the door curtain, and Fengjie entered, holding Feng'er with one hand, and the two wives held the lampshades and surrounded Fengjie.

The wives of the Ning family came to greet and receive the deceased. At this time, the maid Sanchun followed Fengjie and slowly walked into the Dengxian Pavilion in Huifang Garden in front of the coffin. When she saw the coffin, her tears rolled down like beads from a broken string. Many servants in the courtyard waited on her with their hands down to burn paper.

Sister Feng ordered:
"Offer tea and burn paper."

Suddenly a gong sounded and various kinds of music began to play. Someone had already brought a large round chair and placed it in front of the coffin. Fengjie sat on it and burst into tears. Then, men and women inside and outside, upon hearing Fengjie's cry, they all hurriedly followed suit and cried.

Even Youshi, who was ill in the back, sent people to persuade her, and only then did Fengjie stop. After Laiwang's wife offered her tea and rinsed her mouth, Fengjie got up, said goodbye to the people in the clan, and went into the porch.

First he asked the maid Sanchun to go back, and he asked Ping'er to hold the lamp and check the names one by one. First, he went to Rongguo Mansion, where everyone had arrived. Then he looked at Ningguo Mansion and found that only the two people who were welcoming and seeing off the guests had not arrived.

He immediately ordered people to look for him. After a while, Lai Wang came back with a group of servants and brought two people with him. The man was already panic-stricken and frightened.

Sister Feng smiled coldly. He dared to fool around right under her nose. He really didn't take her words seriously.

"I was wondering who made the mistake. It turned out to be you two! You two are more respectable than them, so you didn't listen to me. Or you think I am in charge of Rongguo Mansion but not Ningguo Mansion."

The people who came were none other than Xi'er and Shou'er, two of Jia Zhen's trusted servants. They were now in charge of the back hall, managing an acre and three mu of land in the backyard. They wanted to wait for the master to come back, but the situation changed in the past few days, and they were caught red-handed.

"Second grandma, I always come early, but today, I woke up and thought I was early, but I fell asleep again and came a little late. Please forgive me this time."

"Yes, grandma, the gate to the backyard was locked. We didn't dare let anyone in. We were confused for a moment, so we were delayed."

Xier and Shouer quickly knelt down and begged for mercy.

As they were talking, no one in the room dared to speak.

But he only saw Wang Xing's wife from Rongguo Mansion coming and sticking her head in front.

Sister Feng did not release the two men, but left them there on purpose, and asked first:
"Wang Xing's wife, what are you doing standing there?"

Wang Xing's wife was eager to ask her first so that she could get back home soon after finishing her work. She hurried in and said:

"Second Madam, please get the license plate and the line, and pay for the taxi rental."

As he said this, he handed over a note.

Sister Feng casually ordered Caiming to read:

"Two large sedan chairs, four small sedan chairs, and four carriages. They use a certain number of large and small cords and a certain amount of beading thread. The carriage and horse shop does not sell on credit."

When Feng Ji heard that the numbers matched, she ordered Cai Ming to register, take the Rongguo Mansion's pair of cards and throw them, and let Wang Xing's wife go first.

Just as Fengjie was about to speak, she saw four stewards from Rongguo Mansion follow in. They all came to get cards to withdraw things. Fengjie asked Caiming to read the cards. After hearing that there were four items in total, she pointed to two and said:
"These two expenses are wrong. Come back and collect them after the accounts are settled. Grandma, I want the accounts. If anyone dares to take money from them, I will make his whole family uneasy."

After he said this, the four managers were so frightened that they knelt on the ground and kowtowed to apologize.

"Grandma, I made a mistake in my calculations. There are a few things that don't conform to the rules. I'll remove them now. The ones left behind will need to be used tomorrow. Grandma, please see if it's okay."

A clerk crossed out the last two items and then closed the account book. Wang Xifeng looked at it coldly.
"Okay, you are responsible for this matter. The three of you have been appointed as managers and are responsible for cleaning the front yard. Get out of here!"

"Thank you, grandma."

The four of them didn't dare to say anything more, they just bowed and left!
(End of this chapter)