Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 825: Invitation from Lord Lu

The Hall of Nourishing Heart,
In the East Warm Pavilion,

The atmosphere was quite tense as the king and his ministers discussed the matter together. Marquis Baoning tilted his face and looked at Marquis Luo Yun suspiciously. How could he be a different person? The army was heading south, and the plan could not be changed at will.

There are more than 100,000 troops, and the daily consumption is huge, but all of it is funded by the money from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was obtained from property confiscations. I don't know how long it can last. You can even say these flattering words.

"May I ask Marquis Luo Yun, how should I respond to what Your Majesty just asked?"

Just a reminder.
Zhang Jinyu glanced at the old fox and said, "You are the one who talks too much. Of course we have to fight. Otherwise, why would you stay here and eat dry food?"

"Your Majesty, if we encounter the Taiping Cult's troops in Linshan County, we will fight them. If we cannot defeat them, we will retreat. The same goes for Runan City. We just need to defend it. I am afraid that the Taiping Cult will make a feint and the main force will move eastward. If we cannot defend it, it will be troublesome."

In this way,

Emperor Wu's face tightened. Runan City was a strategic gateway connecting the east, west, south, and north. If it was lost, Jiangnan would be in trouble.
"How to save?"

"Your Majesty, don't worry. Even if the Taiping Sect transfers its main force, there won't be many troops in the north. The imperial army can deal with them from behind. As for Runan City, 30,000 troops can defend it for half a month. If it can't be defended, the imperial court should immediately mobilize the Jiangnan camp, deploy defenses on the east bank of the canal, and guard the gateway Tang County, so that they dare not invade Jiangnan. The defenders of Weicheng can lead their troops to break through to the north, enter Shizhou and Yangping areas of Xihe County, and hold on step by step, waiting for reinforcements."

Zhang Jinyu was not panicked. When two armies were fighting, they could not care about the gains and losses of a single place or a single city. They had to arrange the overall situation and annihilate the enemy's main force. The rest would be easy to deal with. However, these words made Emperor Wu and Marquis Baoning frown at the same time. The idea was a good one, but it was inappropriate. They could not come up with any good ideas at the moment, so they could only take one step at a time.

"Marquis Baoning, have the military equipment and food supplies for the Imperial Army and the Beijing Camp been fully prepared?"

"Your Majesty, it will take another week. We need to consult with the Armory and the Ministry of Revenue. All of this will take time."

Baoning Hou wiped the sweat from his forehead. Military equipment is easy to deal with. Food and military pay are under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Revenue. Now the Ministry of Revenue is also checking the accounts, and the handover cannot be completed in a short time. When Emperor Wu heard this, he looked a little angry.
"You should replenish the military equipment, food, and salaries, and use the Ministry of Internal Affairs' account first. If you really want to send troops, Marquis Luo Yun, you must be prepared."

When the two heard this, they stood up and bowed at the same time;
"Yes, Your Majesty, I obey your command."

"Marquis Baoning, go back first and count the expenses of the Beijing camp as soon as possible. Go ahead."

After giving the order, Emperor Wu waved his hand and decided to send troops to mobilize the soldiers of the Beijing Camp. Naturally, he would use the soldiers of the Beijing Camp first. He wanted to conduct a thorough investigation, but time was running out, so he did not keep the Marquis of Baoning.

"Yes, Your Majesty, I will go right away."

Kang Guichen knelt down and kowtowed again, then turned around and left. Before leaving, he winked at Luo Yunhou.
Zhang Jinyu also knew that the Emperor and Empress were both here, and they must have something to discuss. It would be difficult to stay any longer, so he had to say goodbye and leave.
"Your Majesty, I will take my leave now. I will take some time tomorrow to inspect the Beijing camp."

He wanted to go out with Marquis Baoning, but just when he took a step, Emperor Wu asked him to stay.

"Wait, Marquis Luo Yun won't leave yet,"

Zhang Jinyu took back the step he had taken, and then the figure of Baoning Hou disappeared.

"Your Majesty, do you have anything else to ask?"

Zhang Jinyu didn't understand why he was not allowed to leave. After all, the preparations for the Beijing camp were not complete, and it would take another seven days to send out troops.

"Why are you in such a hurry, kid? After all, you have two days off after the imperial examination. It's time to relax. I want to ask you, I heard that my two sisters will return to the capital tomorrow and each of them will host a banquet for many people in their homes. Have they sent you an invitation?"

Emperor Wu slowly sat down, stretched out his hand to comfort Empress Jiang's jade hand, and smiled. The emperor and the empress looked at each other, obviously with a hint of deep meaning.

But Zhang Jinyu's heart tightened. What was going on? Could it be that the emperor knew about his secret meeting with the two princesses? He secretly glanced at the emperor and empress, but found nothing unusual. He calmed himself and replied;

"Your Majesty, I did receive invitations from the two princesses, but I didn't agree to any of them. They were both for lunch, so how could I go alone? Besides, there is a funeral at the Jia family, and my wife Lin Daiyu is also half a member of the Jia family, so I must go to pay my respects. In addition, I am concerned about the Beijing camp, so even if I don't go tomorrow, I will definitely go to inspect it the day after tomorrow, or today is also fine!"

Zhang Jinyu told the truth and said that as for the princess's mansion, it was not something that could be easily visited. It was a place of trouble, so it was better to meet her in a brothel.
"That's right, Jia family. Well, when you go there, you can lead the troops to show your support. It will be a token of my gratitude to the ancestors of the Jia family for their contributions. It's time for me to go to the Beijing camp. Oh, and there's one more thing. I heard that the capital is going to hold a poetry conference and a beauty pageant. Do you know about this?"

"I know, and I have received an invitation. It says that the six major academies in Dawu are preparing a poetry contest in the grand event of the imperial examination. The other flower contest is just to add to the fun. I accepted it voluntarily. If there are good poems, I will definitely leave them and announce them to the world to encourage the flourishing of Dawu's literary style."

After racking his brains for a long time, he finally gave the eldest princess some face. However, he didn't know that these words made Empress Jiang look strange. Everyone knew that Yanchun Tower was the property of Xiangxue. Could it be that...

"Marquis Luo Yun said it well. In my opinion, the poetry contest is just to liven up your mood. You are quite enthusiastic about watching the courtesan."

"Your Majesty, everyone loves beauty. I also like to look at it, but I only look at it. I have never been to a brothel and done anything reckless. I compare myself to Liu Xiahui."

Not knowing what the Queen meant, Zhang Jinyu answered truthfully, saying that he was indeed Liu Xiahui, and every time he went to a brothel, he had never touched a prostitute. Such a bold statement made not only the Emperor and the Queen, but even Dai Quan opened his mouth, not knowing what to say.

"You are quite eloquent. It is better not to go to such places as much as possible. However, I will allow you to go this time. Look for clues about selling the exam questions. Are there any more? Dai Quan, have you found anything about the Imperial City Division?"

Suddenly being questioned by the Emperor, Dai Quan hurried over, lowered his head and replied;
"Your Majesty, this case is under the charge of the Southern Pacification Office. The thief is cunning and has evaded capture several times. We have been investigating for half a month, but I am helpless. The old Taoist priest died in a temple outside the city, and the clues are gone. Now the Southern Pacification Office has deployed surveillance throughout the city, but has not found any clues. Only the spies from Yanchun Tower reported that there is a shopkeeper of a carriage and horse shop in the capital who often rents out the small courtyard west of Yanchun Tower. However, I have conducted a thorough investigation and found nothing. It should be a cover-up."

Dai Quan explained in detail and scolded everyone in the Southern Pacification Division several times. It's not that there is no clue, but the other party has not revealed any flaws. How to act?

Zhang Jinyu rolled his eyes. How could he investigate a case that even the Imperial City Bureau couldn't investigate? Besides, going to a brothel would be very unfair to him.
"Your Majesty, Madam, there is nothing I can do about this matter. I can only keep time and watch those suspicious people for clues. As for my going to the brothel, it is absolutely innocent. If it is really impossible, the invitation says that there will be a poetry competition in the evening of four days. Your Majesty and Madam will go together. I heard that there will be not only poetry, but also Kunqu opera and acrobatics. It will be fun to watch."

Not knowing whether he was anxious or confused, Zhang Jinyu spoke nonsense and wanted to invite His Majesty and Empress to go and watch together. Emperor Wu and Empress Jiang were both stunned, and Dai Quan's face changed drastically. Marquis Luo Yun was really bold. How could he let the emperor and empress go to such a place of fireworks?

"Lord Luo Yun, how can you speak nonsense!"

Listening to Dai Quan's reminder, Zhang Jinyu felt cold in his heart. Oh no, I said something wrong. He quickly bowed his head and admitted his mistake.

"Your Majesty, Your Majesty, I was anxious just now and spoke nonsense for a while. You must not believe it."

She lowered her head and dared not raise it. Unexpectedly, there was no movement in the direction of the dragon couch. She took a quick look and saw Emperor Wu looking at her with a smile on his face. Empress Jiang blushed slightly, with the corners of her mouth slightly raised. She replied;

"It's rare for Marquis Luo Yun to invite me. Last time, Marquis Luo Yun said he would treat me to a meal. This time, it would be nice to go to Xiangxue's place to watch the fun. He also said he hasn't left the palace for a long time. Your Majesty, what do you think?"

"Well, yes!"

Seeing that the emperor and the queen had made the decision in just a few words, Zhang Jinyu and Dai Quan were at a loss. They stared at each other blankly. It was just a joke.

"Your Majesty, I think that it is better for you not to go to a place full of smoke and foul smells," Empress Jiang touched her hand with a smile in her eyes.

"That's better than when Marquis Luo Yun went to the brothel with his wife."

In the entire capital, Marquis Luo Yun was the only one who dared to take his wife to visit a brothel. Only he knew whether it was ridiculous or not.

A light and flirtatious remark put Zhang Jinyu in a dilemma. He felt a chill on his back. His every move was in the eyes of the Heavenly Family. It seemed that he had not brought it many times.
I secretly glanced at the empress, but she wasn't angry. I'll go anyway, since the emperor was there.
"Well, since your Majesty and the Queen want to go, then go ahead. It's only trouble for Eunuch Dai."

The ball was kicked to Dai Quan. It was Eunuch Dai who arranged this matter. When Dai Quan was in a dilemma, Emperor Wu spoke up.

"Boy, this matter is settled. When the time comes, the Queen and I will go there in disguise. You must not leak the news. Go back now."

"Thank you, Your Majesty. I will take my leave now."

Zhang Jinyu wiped the sweat off his face, ran out quickly, and left Dai Quan alone, not knowing how to persuade him.
"Your Majesty, Madam, Yanchun Tower is crowded with people and it is also a brothel, how can we go there?"

"You, please disperse your guards and bring more with you. Yuqing and I will change our appearances and just ask for a private room. I am going here just to see what my two sisters are up to. After all, the tribute teams of the vassal kings are almost here."

Emperor Wu narrowed his eyes and looked silent, obviously thinking for a long time. Dai Quan understood that His Majesty wanted to...
Dai Quan stood solemnly aside and bowed in agreement!

"Yes, Your Majesty, this old slave accepts the order."

outside the palace,

Zhang Jinyu walked quickly and soon arrived outside the palace, with a look of regret on her face. You said you had nothing to say, but now you are going to Yanchun Tower for a banquet and you are still causing so much trouble. How can I explain this? It is said that the queen is virtuous, how could she be so reckless?
He could only wait for that day and bring his wife over. As for whether to inform the princess, Zhang Jinyu didn't have that thought in mind. He just felt that there were many spies around him. Although there were none in the mansion, there might be someone like a spy outside the mansion, in the streets and alleys, in the wine shops and teahouses. He needed to be more careful in the future.

Yes, what about the Marquis of Baoning?
Looking around, he didn't see even a sedan chair. Baoning Hou ran fast. He didn't know whether the military equipment and food supplies of the Imperial Guards and the Beijing Camp could be replenished in a short time. Zhang Jinyu really didn't believe that the current general of Dawu would make a move in other places even if he didn't suck the blood of the soldiers. He cheated the military equipment supply with the people of the Imperial Household Department's Weapon Shop. How fat is this meat?
If you don't suck the blood of the soldiers, don't cheat, and even pay money to them, then you are just like the Four Kings and yourself, and there is something fishy in your heart, Tsk tsk!

It is better to wait for a few days and let Marquis Baoning fool around for a few days until the hole is patched up first.

"My Lord, where are we going?"

Ning Byeon led the horse over and asked,

Zhang Jinyu took the reins, turned over, got on the horse, looked around, and suddenly felt a little hungry. There were not many places to go. He wanted to go to Rongguo Mansion, but the funeral in Ningguo Mansion was very lively, and there were many people and eyes. It was not a good idea. In addition, Baoyu's failure to pass the imperial examination was a bit embarrassing, so he decided to wait a few days before going there.
Thinking of the invitations from the two princesses tomorrow, my head hurts. But when I think of the huge amount of silver and food that they send every year, I can't not go just for the sake of face. Otherwise, I'll go and give a gift in advance.
While I was daydreaming, a carriage came from a distance, followed by many servants and guards. When it passed by me, it suddenly stopped.

An old voice came from inside.

"My Lord, would you please do me the honor of speaking to me?"

The voice sounded familiar at first. I looked back and saw the carriage. It was gray with cloud patterns carved on it, but it was not colorful. Wasn't this the carriage of Lu Wenshan, the Minister of Personnel?

"But Lord Lu is here!"

"Haha, I am not worthy of being called the Lord. I happened to pass by here and found that I had nothing to do. I would like to invite you to the restaurant at the corner of the street to have a chat. Is that okay?"

Lu Wenshan in the carriage laughed, stroked his beard with his right hand, and smiled. With his left hand, he opened the curtain and saw Luo Yunhou riding on the horse. His polite words made Zhang Jinyu feel uncomfortable. He was a little alert. What a coincidence that he ran into him when he came. He must have been waiting for a long time.

"Since the elder has invited me, how dare I refuse to accompany you? Please."

"My Lord, please."

The two agreed to each other, and Lu Wenshan lowered the curtains. His face returned to normal. This was not a coincidence, but Lu Wenshan was on duty at the cabinet last night.

In the morning, when he was leaving the palace, he happened to see Marquis Luo Yun and Marquis Baoning entering the palace. He guessed in his heart that something must have happened in the south, but he didn't care about military affairs. What he cared about was the Jiangnan area. This was because a letter came from Jiangnan last night. This letter was not written by someone else, but was written by Zhuang Shouzhi, the governor of Jiangnan.

The reason was that after the eunuch Yang of the Ministry of Construction went south, he took over the Suzhou Weaving Bureau and joined hands with Jing Cunliang. The transformation of farmland into mulberry trees was bound to be implemented, so Zhuang Shouzhi avoided the edge and gave up the crucial position of Chunyang County Magistrate.
Thinking of the vacant positions of county magistrates in several counties in Wuzhong in Suzhou, if he wanted to fill the positions, he had to observe the candidates carefully. After thinking for a long time, he realized that the idle officials in Beijing were involved, and his students should not be involved. On the contrary, the two top candidates in this year's special examination were of the seventh rank, and their ranks were high enough to get the official positions. It happened that Chunyang still had several counties in Wuzhong with vacant positions of county magistrates. Nan Zixian and Luo Yunhou, the new students, also needed a good place to go and try their luck.

So, this is why this trip happened today. Nan Zixian, that old fox, would naturally understand as long as the Ministry of Personnel issued an official document. However, Marquis Luo Yun was young and energetic, so he still had to explain himself.

Let the driver go faster and lead the way.

Zhang Jinyu followed behind on horseback, full of suspicion. Why did two people come to look for him today? It was a bit unusual. He became suspicious and didn't say much.

The restaurant in front is not far away. It is just around the corner after crossing the street. It is not an elegant place. The restaurant here looks quite run-down. The attic on the second floor looks very old. The sign hanging on it is already tattered. There are three words written on it:

"Sanshanju."!
This is quite interesting. Where are the three mountains in Sanshanju? How is the definition of Ju? I stepped onto the stairs and heard a creaking sound. It was a bit shaky.

The steps at the door were originally covered with wooden planks, and the original threshold has long disappeared. It looks like it has been there for some time.

Once we got inside, we found that the restaurant occupied a large area, but there were so many people there, in groups of three or five, or two, sitting around a table and starting to eat.

Zhang Jinyu never expected to choose this place.

Inside the hall, the waiter was serving a dish.
Seeing the distinguished person coming, he hurried to greet him. As soon as he got close, he looked up and saw that the distinguished person had come. He bowed his head and chatted with him.
"Master Lu, you are here, or is it the same as before?"

"Well, a seat by the window on the second floor. The dishes remain the same. Bring three more meat dishes and a pot of good wine."

This was obviously not Lu Wenshan's first visit here. Not only was he familiar with the place, but he also seemed to have reserved a seat.
"Okay, sir, please take your time and take a seat."

With a loud shout, he hurried back to the back hall and told the shopkeeper.
Just as Zhang Jinyu was looking around, Lu Wenshan had already gone up the stairs with his old servant. Zhang Jinyu couldn't tell what the place was like, what Sanshanju was, where was the mountain, so he followed behind and asked,
"Excuse me, sir. The signboard here says Sanshanju. I looked around and the furnishings inside are just like those in an ordinary tavern. Not to mention the mountains, I can't even see any soil or rocks."

"Haha, Lord Marquis, you are joking. The so-called Sanshanju is not just the rocks outside. How can you cook with rocks? No one will eat it. Now we are here, Lord Marquis, please come in."

Lu Wenshan went up to the second-floor attic. There were fewer people here. There were dignitaries there, but most of them were wealthy merchants from the capital. The tables and chairs were spaciously spaced, and he sat in a seat by the window on the east side!

(End of this chapter)