Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 835 This is the Honglu Temple
Prince Zhongshun's Mansion,
In the main hall, only Prince Zhongshun and Mr. Mo Yutian were sitting inside, while the rest were waiting outside.
Inside the hall, there is a golden tripod sitting on the east side, with expensive ambergris burning on it. The pillars below are made of golden nanmu wood, with carved beams and painted rafters, and dragons and phoenixes flying, which are lifelike.

There is also a huge mahogany screen in the front hall, with a landscape painting engraved on it. The ink color is thick and thin, and it seems that it will jump out at any time.

Behind the main seat, paintings and calligraphy by famous artists are hung on the wall. The brushstrokes are vigorous and the style is lively. They must have been written by masters. All of this demonstrates the grandeur of Prince Zhongshun's Mansion.

The prince just admitted his mistake, but how could Mo Yutian really make the prince admit his mistake? So he said;
"Your Highness, please be patient. Some things cannot be rushed. Since Lord Jing has already taken action, we will get all the benefits no matter what happens. If the Weaving Bureau only wants raw silk, we can also purchase the raw silk and send it to them. The profit margin is also enough."

After listening to Mr. Mo's words, Zhou Jianan finally felt relieved. He liked these gold and silver jewelry. He said so much. Who wouldn't feel bad if they lost money? If they had a chance to make up for the treasury, why would they be afraid of these things?
"That's good, Mr. Mo, please do as you wish. At least the loss of the palace will be reduced. In addition, I have arranged a banquet at the Honglu Temple tonight to welcome my good nephews and to test their opinions. Those brothers are not staying in their fiefdoms and just thinking about bad things all day long."

"Your Majesty, you'd better be careful in this matter. Although the princes are young, the gentlemen who follow them are all talented people. Don't fall into their trap. Today, I'm afraid that these princes will do something weird."

Mo Yutian's face was solemn. It seemed that the princes were dreaming, but they also had to consider the emperor's intention. Although the imperial guards were under the control of His Majesty, there were soldiers and generals in the imperial guards, who were controlled by the emperor's trusted generals. If there was a palace incident, not to mention which side the nobles of the Beijing camp would stand on, even the imperial guards could not be sure who those generals were.
Thinking of this, Mo Yutian couldn't help but think of Luo Yunhou, who left only 10,000 cavalrymen in front of the palace gate to fight against the left and right guards of the imperial army. The corner of his mouth twitched. This was the biggest variable.

"Hmph, what can these youngsters do? I sincerely entertain them. What else can they say when they come to the banquet?"

Prince Zhou looked nonchalant. If it was someone from his fiefdom, it would be difficult to deal with him if his brothers were here. However, those who came now were all his nephews and nieces. If they had the courage, they would not hum in front of him.
Seeing that the prince was confident, Mo Yutian didn't know what to say. At the banquet, only the prince and the prince were present, and those gentlemen were not allowed to follow. It seemed that those aides probably didn't even go to the Honglu Temple and left halfway. Who knows what they were thinking secretly, so, they shouldn't be able to find out anything about the banquet in the evening.

"In that case, Your Majesty, just be careful. As long as there are no outsiders around, you can ask some questions."

Upon hearing this, Prince Zhou laughed heartily. He hadn't laughed so happily in a long time. He stood up, straightened his robe, touched his stomach, took in his abdomen, and replied confidently;

"Haha! They are all young people. If I really force them, it will seem like I am bullying them and losing face. It will not look good. Tonight is purely a family dinner."

As Prince Zhongshun felt relieved, he strode out of the flower hall. The sound of footsteps could be heard in the courtyard.

Only Mo Yutian's eyes were left flickering. The prince's so-called family dinner was not simple at all.

West City in the evening,
The place was still bustling with people. People who were working were returning home one after another. Some people who had free time also went out in groups to stroll along the streets.

After the five princes had arranged everything, they took the palace guards and went up the mountain. Walking on the jade steps, they couldn't help feeling a little nervous. Since they had entered the game, there were some things they had to do.
"Brother Yewen, what do you think Uncle Wang will say today?"

The Prince of Han, Zhou Xingshan, suddenly asked, leaving the Prince of Song, Zhou Yewen, at a loss for words.

"Brother Shi, since you are the uncle's guest, what you are talking about is nothing more than some matters of the palace. We are here to show our filial piety to the palace. Even if we want to ask something, we won't be in a hurry."

Zhou Yewen thought about it and only thought of these. In fact, he had something else in his heart that he hadn't said. It was also possible that Uncle Wang was trying to intimidate them, but of course he couldn't say these out loud.

The Prince of Han, Zhou Xingshan, laughed and replied;

"Okay, well said. Brother Yewen now has a new respect for you. This is our first time in the capital, so even if we are considering the face of the palace, we will not be too harsh. Otherwise, Uncle Wang's reputation will be lost. Since we are here together, we need to discuss many things and advance and retreat together."

He was talking to the three people behind him, but his eyes were always fixed on Zhou Zhengbai, the prince of Zheng Palace. These people were the leaders of Zheng Palace.

"Yes, Brother Shi."

The three of them clasped their fists in response. Except for Zhou Yunfu, the prince of Chen Palace, who was a little unwilling in his heart, Zhou Lianghao, the prince of Wu, was willing from the bottom of his heart. Seeing that the situation was confusing, how could they dare to take risks? Stability was the first priority.

Seeing that everyone agreed, he turned to Zhou Zhengbai and asked;

"Brother Shi, what do you think?"

"Well, my dear brother, you have made all the arrangements. Since we are at someone else's place, we can't be too careful. You don't have to worry too much about tonight's banquet. I have already sent out invitations. The marquises of several marquisates in the capital should be coming one after another. With them accompanying us, even if Uncle Wang does something out of line, he still has to consider his face."

Zhou Zhengbai took out his folding fan, smiled confidently, made some backup plans, and arranged the overall situation. One more idea meant one more way.

The gains and losses here all depend on the heart. It depends on how Uncle Wang makes his move.

After hearing the explanation from Prince Zheng, Zhou Xingshan paused, with a strange look in his eyes. He was worthy of being a prince from Prince Zheng's mansion, his talent and skills should not be underestimated.

"Brother Chengshi, please."

"please!"

Each of them led the way to the top of the mountain and entered the inner hall. Outside the hall gate, there were stewards to receive and make arrangements.

"My lords, would you like to go to the side hall to rest and wait for the prince to arrive, or should we go to the main hall and wait first?"

The officials who were left behind by the Honglu Temple inquired at the door. They looked at each other and made a decision.

"No need to rest. We are here to wait for Uncle Wang to come here."

Zhou Xingshan spoke first and made the decision, asking everyone to go in and sit down and wait. No one cared, as they came here to attend the banquet, so what could they do by going to the side hall to rest?

Seeing that no one objected, he simply took the lead and walked in.

"Lead the way and bring up some refreshments."

"Yes, my lords, please come in."

He waved his hand casually, and the servants inside and outside began to walk in one after another, carrying food boxes.

At the foot of the mountain,
To go to Xishan, Zhang Jinyu had to take a detour and go down the slope.

Walking along the bank of Qiu Shui Lake, the water vapor rises, the breeze blows, and a cool feeling comes over you, making you feel refreshed.

Then,
After walking a few miles, we arrived in front of the large courtyard of the Honglu Temple.
At this time, the gate of the Honglu Temple was wide open, and there was a lot of noise inside. Hearing this, it was obvious that the real owners were inside. Zhang Jinyu smiled, looked at the magnificent building, and admired it in his heart, it was worthy of being designed by the retired emperor, and one move calmed the hearts of the princes of the world.

If I were in his place, I would also like to stay here. After all, the royal mansion was taken over by the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and there is no place to stay. I can't just stay in an inn.

Only the two princesses were favored, and the princesses' palaces and properties remained unchanged.

Seeing that the people at the gate were standing still, Zhang Jinyu led his men and rode in straight ahead. As soon as he entered the gate, a steward stopped him and asked with a smile;

"May I ask which sir is here? Today, the Honglu Temple has a distinguished guest, so it is not convenient to receive him."

Not only did he have a big smile on his face, but he also bent his body slightly, appearing extremely respectful. It was obvious that he was an expert at receiving and entertaining guests.

"Lou Yunhou, I am here to attend the banquet at the invitation of the Prince of Zheng,"

He replied casually, but his eyes looked around. It was true that the courtyard of the Honglu Temple was not only large, but also surrounded by walls. Behind it were palaces. From the front courtyard, one could not see what was going on inside. Moreover, there were gardens separating the courtyards. No one knew who designed it and whether it was kept secret was well done.

The steward was stunned when he heard this. Why did Marquis Luo Yun come here? He remembered that Shangguan Wen Shaoqing had just instructed him to tell the steward in the inner court that there should be several distinguished guests at the banquet tonight. Marquis Luo Yun was one of them. According to the instructions of Lord Wen, he invited the person to come up as soon as he arrived, so he greeted him with a smile.
"It's the Marquis. I'm sorry for not welcoming you in person. Lord Wen has already told us that since the Marquis has arrived, we can just go to the main hall upstairs."

Pointing to the building on the top of the mountain, fortunately, it was not far away. Zhang Jinyu nodded, turned over and got off the horse.
"Leave a few of you to watch the horses below, and the rest of you, go up and take a look."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

Ning Bian, who was behind him, responded with his personal soldiers, and then all dismounted, put on armor and swords, and followed Zhang Jinyu up the jade steps. Only the steward who had just stood there opened his mouth and whispered;

"How can you lead troops there? This is the Honglu Temple."

But the sound was too soft and no one heard it.

Zhang Jinyu stepped onto the jade steps and stomped on them vigorously. The solid part was pleasing to the eye. It was not common to see such a thing except in the palace.

I walked up. There were quite a few steps, but they were not far. After all, there were no hills in the capital city that were higher than those in the capital. It took me nearly an incense stick of time to reach the top of the hill. The palaces that came into view were large and small, located on the top and hillside of the hill. Looking back, I could see Qiu Shui Lake and two academies. It was truly a wonderful place.

Looking at the main hall on the top of the mountain, there is a plaque hanging on the hall with three large characters "Honglu Temple" inscribed on it. Outside the main hall, servants come and go, and no one knows what they are busy with.

"My Lord, the hall ahead should be the venue for the banquet. I wonder if Prince Zhongshun has arrived?"

After Ning Bian went up to the front yard of the stone platform, he looked around and found nothing wrong. Only the guards of the prince's mansion were waiting outside the palace. It seemed that several princes had already entered.

"Of course they haven't come yet. Look around. If the King Zhongshun's men were here, they wouldn't be so quiet. Let's go in and see what's going on first. You guys follow behind."

"Yes, Lord Marquis,"

This was Zhang Jinyu's first time here, and everything he saw was curious. Not to mention, he felt it was more comfortable than the palace, except that it was a little smaller.

Walk towards the main hall, follow the steps, and push the door open. You will see the inner corridor. Follow the corridor and walk to the left.
There was also a slightly sloping staircase. When I walked up it, I felt my feet go soft. I looked down and saw that it was a top-quality cashmere blanket with a huge landscape painting screen standing inside.

Wow, it's like a maze. Could there be something else going on inside?

After calming down, he walked around the screen and suddenly saw that the room was unusually spacious and bright. There was a main seat in the main hall, and separate tables on both sides of the room. The tables were already filled with fruits and snacks. Several princes who had come in earlier were sitting there chatting.

As soon as Zhang Jinyu entered, Wu Wang's son Zhou Lianghao, who had sharp eyes, noticed someone coming in first. Seeing that it was Luo Yunhou, he quickly stood up and greeted him.
"So it's the Marquis who's here. Come on, please take a seat."

The seat of honor Zhou Lianghao mentioned was the third seat on the left. In front of him were the seats of the prince of Zheng, Zhou Zhengbai, and the prince of Han, Zhou Xingshan. He himself was the third seat on the right opposite.
Seeing this,
Zhang Jinyu bowed slightly to these people.
"Greetings to the princes. I am a little late."

"Lord Luo Yun is too polite. It's not too late. Please come in."

Zhou Zhengbai stood up and bowed, returning the greeting, and the others did the same. After being polite, Zhang Jinyu took a big step, walked to the third seat on the left, and sat down on it. The personal soldiers who followed him dispersed behind him.
The maids serving at the entrance came in one after another, served tea and snacks, and then left without making any sound.

Zhang Jinyu was not polite either. He picked up the tea bowl and took a sip of the tea. It was the top-quality Jiangnan Yunwu Tea. Seeing that the Honglu Temple had used up all its family resources to entertain him, it could be seen how much face the princes had.

Then look at the princes,

Sitting upright in his seat, his eyes were fixed on him, and he smiled self-deprecatingly at Zhang Jinyu's discomfort;
"Don't be surprised, my lords. I have been living outside the Great Wall for many years. I have never seen the world. When I arrived in the glamorous world of the capital, I was like a country boy entering the city. Everything I saw was good, just like these cakes."

Zhang Jinyu pointed to a plate of pastries on the table. There were all kinds of pastries in it, especially the cloud cake from Yaoji Shop, which was very popular. He picked it up with one finger and put it in his mouth. It was soft, glutinous, sweet and very delicious.

But the way he ate was like that of an ordinary person in the market, which made the princes dumbfounded for a moment. He really was like a country boy.

Zhou Yewen opened his mouth at this time. When he met such a person, the words he used to treat nobles would definitely not work. Last time, the three of them were blackmailed for so much money and had no place to complain. Now, he couldn't be ignorant.
It was rare for Zhou Yewen to be able to remain calm, so he kept silent. The Prince of Chen, Zhou Yunfu, bowed and smiled.

"My Lord, you are joking. People who are truly affectionate do not need those empty formalities. It is hard for you to guard the border in the bitter cold land outside the Great Wall. You fought against the Jurchens and became famous all over the world. This prince admires you very much. Now that my uncle is not here and the banquet has not started, I can only use tea instead of wine. Drink it first as a sign of respect."

The words sounded pleasant to the ear. Zhang Jinyu looked over and saw that this person was the prince of Chen Wangfu, who was also the one who didn't like to talk the most. But once he opened his mouth, he knew that this person was not simple. He picked up the tea bowl calmly, raised it in the air, and drank it all in one gulp.

After this, the atmosphere became much more cheerful.

Zhou Zhengbai, the prince of Zheng Wangfu, who was sitting in the first seat on the left, stood up, holding the teapot in one hand and the tea bowl in the other, and walked over to fill the empty tea bowl of Luo Yunhou first, then raised the tea in his hand and said;

"Come on, everyone. Tonight, the Marquis is here to give us face. We must express our affection. Brother Fu just said that since Uncle Wang is not here and the banquet has not started, we can only use tea instead. I hope the Marquis will not blame me. Cheers."

The rest of the people also stood up, picked up their tea bowls and drank them all. Only Zhang Jinyu squinted his eyes and looked at them. He started to speak kindly. It was unknown what he was up to. He also picked up his tea bowl and drank it all.

"You princes are all noble men. Drinking tea is boring. I just wonder when Prince Zhou will come. Or is he staying at home with his beautiful wife and concubines? Will he come after he has eaten his fill?"

He changed the subject deliberately, and it was not without reason. It was unreasonable for the host to keep the guests waiting. I think Prince Zhongshun relied on his status to suppress the arrogance of these princes. I just don't know if the prince knew that these people from the marquis' mansions in the capital came to accompany him. I vaguely felt that something was wrong. Would he be confused by these princes in front of him?
Then he asked again;
"Sir, I wonder who else he has invited here."

Zhou Zhengbai's eyes were wide open at this time, and he was a little stunned. Looking around, no one in the entire capital dared to speak out against Uncle Wang in public. Luo Yunhou was really powerful.

"You are joking, my Lord. Uncle Wang must have been delayed by something. How could he have eaten at home and then come to the banquet? That would be a joke."

After hearing this, several people smiled slightly, and Zhou Zhengbai said;
"As for who to invite, this prince has already sent invitations to several marquisates in the capital. Except for the commander of the imperial guards, Marquis Baoning, the rest have been sent."

In this way,
It was Zhang Jinyu's turn to be a little surprised. It was true that one cannot judge a person by his appearance. Although he was young, he had a big heart. Several marquises from the marquisates were here, and the Marquis of Xiangyang would not be left behind. As a representative of the nobles, his words could be regarded as the opinions of several old dukes. In this way, even if Prince Zhongshun really wanted to say something that exceeded the rules, he would have to think about it.
The several dukes who received the invitation must have guessed this. They knew it was muddy water, but they would jump in. After all, the entire capital and the nobles were watching. In addition, the emperor and the emperor in the palace would definitely keep a close eye on this place.

It's obviously a fire pit!
(End of this chapter)