Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 834: Lord Wen of the Honglu Temple
Beijing,

At the Marquis of Xiangyang's Mansion, at this moment, Marquis of Xiangyang Bai Guangju put his thoughts aside, stood up to change his clothes, and specially changed into a dark suit, looking extremely capable.

Tian Xianglan, the wife of the Marquis, was adjusting her sleeves beside him. She felt that her husband had suddenly changed a lot today. She thought of her noble old relatives who always came to her husband to discuss problems and asked him to solve them, making him like a peacemaker. It was a disadvantage no matter how you looked at it. Not only was he worried and exhausted, but he was also suspected by many people. Why did he do such a thankless job?

"My dear, although there is an invitation, you don't have to go. With Luo Yunhou there, you won't suffer any loss. You have been busy for so many days, why bother to wade into muddy water again."

Mrs. Tian blinked her eyes. She saw clearly what was going on inside, but she was afraid that her husband would not give up. Bai Guangju put on his clothes, paused, and sighed.
"I understand what Madam said. Let's not talk about the clear water and muddy water for now. Right now, the nobles and old relatives in the capital are all safe. There are many things that other families cannot do. I don't want to interfere in those things, but the palace still needs a messenger. It's okay to suffer some losses."

Bai Guangju knew all this very well. It was all due to the instructions of the Duke of Zhenguo that among the four kings and eight dukes, there were fewer and fewer people who could take charge of things, so this was the only way.

After getting dressed, I took the honey water on the table and drank it carefully. I felt refreshed and was ready to go out.

"It's good that you know. Now that the prince of a vassal state has entered the capital, you need to pay more attention. There's news from Ningguo Mansion that Jia Jing will be buried tomorrow. I don't know why they are so anxious."

She waved her hand, arranged for someone to prepare the carriage for her husband,

Bai Guangju did not say much. Ningguo Mansion had no choice but to do this. They had to save face but also consider the palace. They were faced with a dilemma and could only avoid the important issue. They still had to go tomorrow. They didn't know whether the two princes would go or not.

"Okay, Madam, don't worry. If there is anything that needs to be prepared at Ningguo Mansion, please prepare it for me. I will definitely go and send it off after breakfast tomorrow. One reason is to take into account the friendship of the nobles, and the other is to show it to the people of the capital. I know what you are doing."

Seeing her husband's order, Tian Xianglan curled her lips and responded.

"Yes, my husband, I have prepared it for you. But a few days ago, the third brother came to your house and said that he bought some shops in Dongcheng, but he found something strange."

"Oh? What's so strange? Could it be that those people from the Ministry of Internal Affairs could give it to him?"

Bai Guangju was about to leave the house, but when he heard that it was about the third son Shaofeng, he took a step back. The shops in the Dongcheng Town were the businesses of the merchants that had been confiscated by the Imperial Stables a few days ago. All of them had been used as wages and food for the army heading south. What could be strange about that?

"It's strange. I didn't notice it. Some shops along the street were bought directly by others, and the owner couldn't find out. It seems that it was the third brother, and he didn't compete with others."

He laughed, it was a little funny, they were already married and had a career, but they were still acting like kids. Bai Guangju didn't care, it was just a small matter, he took a step forward and opened the door,
"If you can't buy it, then you can't buy it. Harmony brings wealth. Next time you come, tell him not to waste money without consideration."

After saying this, he walked out of the house and headed straight towards the yard and out of the mansion.

On the other hand, the other marquisates all felt a little awkward after accepting the invitation. Unfortunately, the invitation said that several marquises in the capital were present. If they did not go, they would lose face. If they went, they would be walking into a trap. After all, there is no good banquet.

Therefore, after receiving the invitation, Jinxiang Hou Liao Daping was gloomy and didn't know what to do. After all, the prince came to the capital to show filial piety, and he looked like the emperor, but His Majesty was in high spirits now, and every time he saw him, his legs trembled. The welcoming banquet at the Honglu Temple seemed to be a welcome banquet, but if Prince Zhongshun was there, it might be a Hongmen Banquet. Holding the invitation in his hand, it seemed like a hot potato and he was a little uneasy.

Seeing that the sky was gradually getting darker, I had to go. If I accepted the invitation and didn't go, I didn't know what rumors would spread tomorrow.

"Get ready for the carriage and go to the Honglu Temple."

"It's Master."

The steward beside him agreed and lowered his head to leave the room. At this time, Liao Daping suddenly thought that Chuan Ning Hou and Dong Chuan Hou were also going to go. He and Miao Dayong had a good relationship, so why not discuss it first? Thinking of this, he quickly changed his words.
"Quick, prepare the carriage and go to Chuan Ning Marquis's Mansion."

"Yes, sir."

There was a sound of footsteps outside.

Then there was the squeaking sound of the carriage wheels.

The two prefectures are not far apart.
When they arrived at the gate of Marquis Chuan Ning's residence, Miao Dayong, Marquis Chuan Ning, happened to be walking out of the gate. Before he could get on the carriage, he was stopped by Liao Daping, Marquis Jinxiang.

"Brother Miao, get on my carriage first and let your carriage follow. Hurry."

Before Miao Dayong could come to his senses, he heard Brother Liao's call. He had an idea in his mind and realized it was about the invitation. Seeing that there was no one on the street, he quickly got on the carriage.

After entering and sitting firmly,
Liao Daping grabbed his sleeve and asked;

"Brother Miao, do you have any plan for going to Honglu Temple?"

Miao Dayong obviously didn't react to the sudden question, and he looked a little dazed, and asked back;

"Brother Liao, why do you say that? Isn't it the prince of a vassal state who invited us to a banquet? It's nothing more than a welcoming ceremony."

The frank words made Liao Daping a little confused about what Brother Miao meant. Did he really not know, or was he doing it on purpose?

"Brother Miao, it's already this late, and you're still playing dumb. You're going to a banquet to welcome the guests, and the one who's receiving you at the Honglu Temple is probably Prince Zhongshun, who's from the palace. You know that, right?"

Without daring to speak out, he pointed in the direction of the palace.
At this time, Miao Dayong finally understood what Marquis Jinxiang meant. This was a dispute between the Emperor and the Emperor.
I dare not think about it anymore. I just feel confused. Why did I get on the carriage to attend the banquet? Come to think of it, it makes sense. Even if there is nothing wrong with the prince of a vassal state coming to the capital, he will go to the banquet. Even if there is mud in his crotch, it is shit. Not to mention that he can't explain it clearly, if there are more concerns in the palace, then the idle marquis will no longer be able to be idle.

"This, this is what to do, Brother Liao, you see, we went to the banquet, and only invited our families. I think that since we have sent invitations to the mansion, it would be unreasonable not to go. I didn't think about it, but after what you said, we are on the way and can't turn the carriage around. Let's go back?"

When people are anxious, they tend to stutter when speaking. This way, the whole thing is a bit awkward. Jinxiang Hou did not reply first, but lifted the curtain and looked out. He saw that the people outside were gradually decreasing. When he walked to the south end of the street, no one paid attention to him. He was relieved and replied;
"Brother Miao, don't worry. Since we have invited several families, we are not going alone. If you accept the invitation, you have agreed to attend the banquet. If you break your promise and don't go, that would be a joke. Since you are going, you and I can help each other and tell some interesting stories. This way, we can't make any mistakes again."

The strategy of Jinxiang Hou Liao Daping is nothing more than pretending to be a coward. There must be spies from the Imperial City Department at the banquet. Whatever is said and done will be presented to Your Majesty's ears one by one after the banquet tonight. If he is too nosy and makes mistakes, it will be troublesome.

"Yes, yes, Brother Liao is right. The more you do, the more mistakes you make. The more you talk, the more mistakes you make. In this case, you and I might as well pretend to be deaf and dumb and get away with it. Even if we have to talk, we can just help each other get through it."

Obviously, the two of them had the same idea, and they finally felt relieved. After thinking about it, it was right. What could be said about having a meal? A few young princes were just there to prepare for the event. If the princes came here, it would be difficult for them to attend the banquet.

Now, there shouldn't be any accidents, so the two of them felt relieved and drove the carriage a little faster.

At the foot of Yunshan Mountain,

Qiushui Lake,

There was a slight breeze blowing, and in the evening, there was still some clouds and mist on the western hilltop. The afterglow of the setting sun sprinkled on the mountains, shining with golden light, like a moving landscape painting.

The sound of pine trees accompanies the newly constructed official road. It is full of royal style. Zhang Jinyu is secretly shocked. He gets angry with anyone who says that there is no money in the palace.
"Look, everyone says that the treasury is poor, but I didn't expect that a small palace where the Honglu Temple stayed was comparable to the palace. Look at that observation tower, wow, I like it just by looking at it."

Zhang Jinyu just looked up and saw that on this side of the lake, there seemed to be a viewing platform built. The white marble platform was eye-catching. There were also rows of palaces of the Honglu Temple built on the top of the mountain. The glazed tiles were golden under the sunlight. Damn, why didn't I see it before. "My Lord, we used to go through the South Gate and the East Gate. The last time we went through the West Gate was at night, so we couldn't see it. However, there must be a reason for arranging the Honglu Temple there. You can see that there are many palaces at the foot of the mountain. It can be seen that ordinary people can't go up there."

Ning Baiyi stretched out his hand and pointed to the area at the foot of the mountain.
Zhang Jinyu took a look and found that it was indeed the case. There were indeed quite a few of them. Even though he was far away, he could still see many people coming and going. Even if he could stay there, it would be at the foot of the mountain, where no one lived, so he could not stay there to admire them.

"Okay, it doesn't matter whether you stay or not, the key is to go there. Maybe we can have a meal there tonight. After all, we are all family members here. How can the uncle, Prince Zhongshun, be stingy?"

Zhang Jinyu smiled, he really had no idea what tonight's banquet would be like. Among the marquises, except Bai Guangju and Kang Guichen, the rest were not well-known, but they were not easy to deal with either. Add to that the host and guest princes who all had their own ulterior motives, it would be a good show to watch.

He squeezed his legs together and rode over on his horse.

At the foot of the West Mountain,
Wen Shengshen, the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple, was wearing a brand new official robe and had been waiting outside the gate of the Honglu Temple with several officials. Several princes led the team to the gate of the temple and looked at the majestic palace with a strange light in their eyes.
I haven't thought about it yet.

Wen Shaoqing smiled widely and clasped his fists.
"I am the Junior Minister of the Honglu Temple, Wen Shengshen, and I am here to greet all the princes. The resting palaces have been arranged, and the overnight troops have been prepared in the courtyard at the foot of the mountain. After you go up, you can rest for a while. Then, Prince Zhongshun will welcome you in the main hall."

His voice was steady and his words were clear, which made several princes look at him more. He was indeed Wen Shengshen, the Junior Secretary of the Honglu Temple, known as the "Jing Gongzi" in those days. Now he looked gentle and elegant, and was truly a scholar like a teacher.

The prince of Zheng, Zhou Zhengbai, returned the greeting with a fist.
"Please Sir Wen, please wait here. In this case, we will follow your instructions. However, there are some small matters that I still need to tell Sir Wen. Is that okay?"

Zhou Shengbai spoke, and the princes behind him were not idle either. They stared at Lord Wen to see his reaction. Whether it was a place to live or a place for the banquet, everything had been arranged long ago. It would not be excessive to give it a try.

Wen Shaoqing bowed again, performing all the formalities, and asked in return;
"You are too polite, my lord. What do you want me to do for you?"

"I haven't given any instructions. Today, there may be more people attending the banquet. I have also invited several marquises from the capital to come here. I wonder if Lord Wen can make it convenient for them."

While asking the question, his eyes never left, wanting to see how Lord Wen would answer. The trap set by Prince Zhongshun would certainly not have occurred to him that he would be so bold as to invite several marquises to the banquet together. In this way, they would disrupt Uncle Wang's plan and would have the initiative.

Unexpectedly, Wen Shengshen bowed slightly, smiled, and replied;

"Since the prince has already called people, it's nothing more than adding a few more sets of bowls and chopsticks. It's not a big deal. I will tell them to prepare them right away. Please come in and rest."

Seeing that this test did not yield any results, Zhou Zhengbai was not without gain. After all, just now, Lord Wen's hand had moved, and this might have made him feel confused.
"Okay, thank you for your kindness, Master Wen."

He looked back at the team and shouted;

"Everyone dismount, go to the Honglu Temple to put away your things, and choose a courtyard to rest first."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

After saying that, the convoy behind him slowly entered the side door, while at the main door, several princes, accompanied by their personal guards, walked in with their carriages.

Once you get started,

There was a person in charge, waiting inside with his men.
"Your humble servant greets the prince. The prince lives on the top of the mountain. I hope you can work hard."

Hearing that they were going to live on the top of the mountain, Zhou Xingshan and Zhou Yewen looked at each other. It seemed that they would be separated from the team. Some things were not passed smoothly when they were up and down. However, there was nothing wrong with this arrangement. After all, only the princes could enjoy such treatment. They still exceeded the rules.
"Okay, lead the way,"

Prince Zhou Zhengbai of Zheng nodded and knocked on the carriage, which then moved and stopped below. The two gentlemen inside had already gotten off the carriage and mingled among the personal soldiers, then left the team somewhere and disappeared without a trace.

Since we are here, we should make the best of it. Several princes followed the officials and climbed up the stone platform. At this time, Lord Wen in front of the door did not move. He thought for a while and gave instructions to the people behind him;
"Add more seats to the banquet tonight and a few more dishes. Also, except for the waiters, no officials, big or small, are allowed to go up."

Ignorance is not a crime. No matter what happens above, as long as the officials of the Honglu Temple do not go up, they will turn a deaf ear and a blind eye. The Honglu Temple has made all the arrangements as ordered by the prince, but the person in charge behind him is a little hesitant.

"Sir, the princes have been arranged, but those marquises, should you tell the prince to avoid being in trouble?"

The chief opened his mouth but did not dare to speak.

Wen Shengshen stood up, turned around, and smiled;

"The things that the prince instructed have been arranged. As for whether these marquises will come, how they come, and what they do, it is also their business. Our Honglu Temple can only provide these. The less you know about the rest, the better."

Seeing Lord Wen's answer, the chief hurriedly lowered his head, sweat on his forehead.

"Thank you for your advice, sir. I just said something wrong."

"Well, just work hard and don't ask anything else."

"Yes, my lord."

Seeing that the convoy had already entered the Honglu Temple, Wen Shengshen shook his head. What everyone in the world was thinking was all there. Unfortunately, the wheel of fate was unpredictable. So he followed the convoy into the Honglu Temple.

At this time,
Beicheng Zhongshun Palace,

At this time, Prince Zhongshun Zhou Jianan had just taken a bath and burned incense. He saw that many people had been arranged at his father's mausoleum to dig out the craftsmen. Although many died, the people from the Ministry of Works were only injured.
Then, he sent his confidants to appease and threaten, and finally managed to fool them. However, where would the money come from to rebuild the mausoleum? He could only dig out money from his own treasury.

Seeing that most of the silver in the treasury was gone, he couldn't help but feel anxious. Thinking about Jiangnan, all the benefits had been distributed, and who would want the leftovers?
"Mr. Mo, Wang Mengshan sent a letter from Jiangnan saying that after Eunuch Yang from the palace went there, he teamed up with Jing Cunliang to arrange the conversion of farmland into mulberry trees. However, the weaving bureau fell into the hands of Eunuch Yang. Is it worth it for us to do such thankless tasks?"

At this point, Prince Zhou still thought Jing Cunliang was a guest official under his tutelage, and did not care at all. However, Mo Yutian shook his head slightly.
"Your Highness, the resistance in Jiangnan comes from the governor Zhuang and the East Prince's Mansion. If you want to implement the court's policies, you must unite with Eunuch Yang. The Weaving Bureau is not under the jurisdiction of the government, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs is always keeping an eye on it, which is a good thing. After all, some silver is hot to the touch."

Seeing Mr. Mo shaking his head, Prince Zhongshun knew that he was too impatient. It was all the fault of those lowly people. If they had planted mulberry trees earlier, these things would not have happened. Speaking of the East Palace, Mu Shi, that guy, changed his temperament for some reason. Instead of recuperating in the West Hill, he returned to the capital and began to meddle in the government with his ambitions.

"In that case, Mr. Mo will still be needed to keep an eye on Jiangnan. As for the money, you can use it as you like. Also, you need to keep a tight grip on the news regarding my father's mausoleum."

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. Just spend more money to keep the people quiet, keep them under guard, and rebuild. Even the wood and stone materials used are better from Jiangnan. If Your Majesty can intervene, the lost money can be offset."

Mo Yutian only found out today that the prince actually listened to the words of the chief secretary Zhou Liang and embezzled the money for building the mausoleum. How could he be so bold? The prince didn't even discuss such a big matter with him.

"Well, thank you Mr. Mo for your help. I am ashamed and should not have listened to you earlier."

(End of this chapter)