Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 844: No Peace
That is, at Second Grandma's place,
Even if Jia Rong said clearly that he wanted to take all the people in the backyard, it would be more than enough to support these people if he was frugal by collecting money from a few shops. Compared with when he was in Ningguo Mansion, he could save a lot. He could live a little more frugally and buy more income when he saved some money. He just wanted to live comfortably. After all, he was alone and didn't need to worry about other things. Even if it was Jia Qiang, there were still many broken courtyards in the alley, so it would be fine to give it to him. As for making a living, it all depended on his luck!
Jia Rong made up his mind to wait for Jia Qiang to come back, and then give him a hundred taels of silver and a shabby yard, and then send him away.

This is what Jia Rong can think of now. As for the future title of Ningguo Mansion, that is not something he can think about. He will talk to the old lady the day after tomorrow. Even if it is sold, you have to take the silver, right?
I was thinking about good things in my heart and didn't notice that Second Grandma's expression became a little strange!
Wang Xifeng's face turned red and then white. The red part was what Rong'er had said, that even now she had fallen into such a situation, she was still thinking about those concubines. The white part was, that it was already such a time, and the titles and important matters in the mansion were not taken care of, but some vixen, especially women with beautiful faces, would not let go of the scent, just like Jia Lian, who would bring people into the house, no matter they were good or bad!

"Then tell me, what kind of girls are there in the yard? There are quite a few of them."

"Aunt, I want all of them. Some of them came into the mansion earlier and stayed to serve as maids. There are also some prostitutes. Aunt, please be gracious. My nephew is not young anymore, so I want to keep someone in the room."

Jia Rong's words were sincere and well-reasoned, but Wang Xifeng was not willing to believe them. The concubines taken in by Brother Zhen were not bad-looking and young, but who could believe that they could be kept as maids in the mansion? If they were kept and raised, and then ended up serving in bed, it would be troublesome with too many people and too many gossips.
"That's right. There are at least 20 people in the backyard. How can you keep them all? Besides, if the concubines you have already taken in live with you in your room, won't there be gossip?"

Obviously he disagreed, but Jia Rong was not angry and continued to explain.

"What my aunt said makes sense, but my nephew's words make more sense. Those people in the backyard have been in the mansion for so long, it is inevitable that they know some things. If they are let out, I don't know how the word will spread. If we let a clan member into the house, outsiders will know that it is not appropriate to give the master's woman to them. "

At some point, Jia Rong also became eloquent and eloquent. Wang Xifeng blinked an eye and looked down on him.

"You are quite eloquent. I have thought about these things. As long as no one tells others, no one else will know. If I follow you and return to the mansion, I have served your father after all. If any bad rumors spread, it will be troublesome."

Sister Feng pointed out directly that human ethics cannot be dealt with casually. Although there are many dirty things in the rich and powerful families, none of them are spread outside.
"Aunt, you misunderstood. If you go back with me, I will take care of them and serve them. I will take the prostitutes into my room. I will not ask for anything in the future. If I go to Ningguo Mansion, I am afraid that there will be no young lady in the capital who dares to marry me. So I will keep them here, hoping to leave a legacy for the Ningguo Mansion. I hope you will show some mercy, aunt."

After saying this, his eyes turned red, and he knelt on the ground and started crying.

This also caught Wang Xifeng off guard.
: "Get up, let me think about it,"

"Thank you, Auntie,"

Wang Xifeng softened her tone, and Jia Rong thanked her and stood up. His pitiful appearance made the people in the room feel sorry for him.
"Don't tell anyone about what you said. When the sun is shining, the rich families won't look down on you, but there are still many in the small families. They will give you all the prostitutes, but they will always find an excuse to send away the young girls. Then you can take them back at night and tell others that they have been sent back to their hometowns. However, the old lady still needs to nod her head. So, after tomorrow, find a time to go to the old lady to pay her respects and tell her about it."

Wang Xifeng actually had no good compromise plan. She couldn't let her go, nor could she marry her off to her relatives. There were too many gossips, so only Jia Rong's way of dealing with her was safe. As long as she changed her tone and treated her as a servant, as for what was going on inside, whether she was kept or served, out of sight, out of mind.

"Thank you, auntie. I am very grateful. From now on, if you need anything, just send someone to tell me. It's late at night, and I won't disturb you to rest. I will leave now."

Then, he bowed again, and when Wang Xifeng nodded, he turned around and left the house and returned to Huifang Garden.
People just left,
Wang Xifeng looked at the servants in the room with a cold face. She said coldly;

"We just talked about this, so keep it to yourself. If there are any rumors out there, don't blame me for the punishment."

"Yes, grandma,"

"go out."

The maids and servants around hurriedly agreed, and then carefully left the room, leaving Ping'er to serve them.
"Hey, what sin have you committed? You are all worried about me."

Wang Xifeng sighed. The trouble was about the affairs of the two mansions. Good, bad, nasty, and rotten things were all passed on to her.

"Grandma, wasn't the matter just now handled very well? The people have been dealt with, and no one has complained about the estate in the mansion. Why are you sighing?"

After saying that, he went to the bed and remade the bed for grandma. Wang Xifeng raised her eyebrows and wanted to scold her, but when the words came to her lips, she couldn't say it. This kind of thing, how could she say it?
"Okay, go to bed early, serve as a maid, and make less trouble in the future. Get up early tomorrow."

"Got it, grandma."

As footsteps were heard, the lights in the main house went out.

The next morning,

The sky is still bright,
Luoyunhou Mansion,

In the main house on the east side, Zhang Jinyu arrived late last night, so he found a side room and lay down in it.

The room was simply furnished with a table, a few stools, and a vertical screen. Most of the beds were larger,
There is a painting hanging on the north wall. The brushwork and color reveal a sense of tranquility. Next to the painting is a copybook. I don't know who made it.
There was no movement in the house.

Outside the house, Baozhu brought a few little maids and knocked on the door carefully. Seeing no one answered, she pouted and looked unhappy. What a son-in-law. Why does he change his sleeping place so often? He used to sleep in the west room, and now he is in the east room, which is grandma's room. There is no one there. But when she thought about the fact that the marquis didn't come back until midnight last night, and the young lady had already gone to bed, she got used to it.

He looked at the girls behind him and gave orders;

"You guys, follow behind carefully,"

"Yes, Manager Bao."

Several maids agreed, which made Baozhu feel much better.

With a strong push, a crack was made in the door, and the man walked in first.

inside the house,

Zhang Jinyu had just woken up when he heard the noise of the door. Perhaps he had eaten too much last night, so he got up lazily.
Knowing that it was still Baozhu who came to serve, he asked;

"What happened at your house yesterday?"

I was asking about the situation. I just wanted to know what was going on in the mansion. Especially in the past few days, I didn't hear any movement from Yang, nor did I see anyone. It was a bit strange.
Baozhu came in from outside and brought in the maid behind her. She placed the toiletries and the food boxes on the table.
"Son-in-law, wash up first, then eat. General Ning said that we have to go to Ningguo Mansion to attend the funeral today. He also said that people from Beijing Prince's Mansion and Dong Prince's Mansion will also go there."

Baozhu told General Ning what she had heard on the road.

When Zhang Jinyu heard this, he realized that he had almost forgotten the important matter of today.
"Oh no, I almost missed something. Hurry up!"

He hurriedly stood up, wiped his face, cleaned it, sat down at the table, picked up his chopsticks and started eating. He didn't expect that the two princes would go. Perhaps, those people in the Duke's Mansion would not lag behind. As for how to go, there is a plan.
Zhang Jinyu must join in the fun to see what the two princes are planning. After all, the four princes and eight dukes, as well as the princes and sons of the inner court, are all very interested in their movements.

As for the matter in the mansion that he had just asked about, he threw it behind his mind. However, Baozhu would never forget it. She served a bowl of porridge to her son-in-law and handed it to him. Her mouth was not idle.

"Son-in-law, Madam Yang has not been idle these days. She has been in the yard every day, making noises and making other noises. And, and,

Baozhu suddenly blushed and stammered, unable to speak. Zhang Jinyu was eating buns and drinking porridge when she noticed that there was no more talking next to her. She looked over curiously and saw Baozhu blushing and not speaking.

"What else? It's not dancing."

I just said it casually. After all, Yang Hanyu told me that she would train the palace maids to dance. But now, there is still no movement.
But the little girl Baozhu cried out in surprise.

"Ah, son-in-law, how did you know? Madam Yang is doing this. She is so shameless. The dowry girls from the palace don't even wear outer clothes. They are showing their skin and flesh. How shameful." After saying this, Zhang Jinyu almost vomited the porridge in his mouth. Damn, who did you learn this from? You said you can just do it in your own courtyard. It would be bad if it gets out.
"That's right, it's immoral. Next time you see her, let her do it in the house and don't let anyone know. It's embarrassing."

"Yes, sir, next time I see this, I will tell Madam and give her a good scolding."

Baozhu was using chicken feathers as a token of authority. Zhang Jinyu knew she was up to no good and advised her;

"You must not let Madam know about this. Just keep it to yourself. If Yang wants to see these, ask her to lock the gate."

"Yes, sir, I will keep an eye on it."

As soon as Zhang Jinyu saw Baozhu's excited face, he knew that the little girl didn't listen to him, but he was slightly relieved for Yang. She was still a good person. Last night, he watched the dancers arranged by Prince Zhongshun's palace dance. Not only was it refreshing, but the feeling was also amazing.

After chatting and talking for a while, I finished my breakfast in a few bites, rinsed my mouth, and looked outside. It was still early.

I was about to go to Dongyun Tower to pay my respects to my mother, but things got busier and busier. Ning Bian came in with the doorman.

"Greetings to the Lord."

Seeing someone coming in, Zhang Jinyu knew something was going to happen. He sighed in his heart, "There is no peace every day.
"Who's here again?"

"My Lord, this morning, servants from the Princess Chang's residence and the Princess Yongcheng's residence came to the residence and told you that they wanted to invite you to a banquet at noon. They said that the two princesses said that it is not easy to return to the capital, so they invited old relatives and friends in the capital to come to the princess' residence for a chat."

Before the steward finished speaking, Zhang Jinyu interrupted him in annoyance. What old friends? If they didn't come to the capital, who knew who?

"Alright, these are just trivial matters. I don't believe that with so many old relatives, they can go to two mansions at the same time. Oh, by the way, how did the Marquis of Xiangyang go there?"

Having said this, something occurred to me. Since they were old friends and relatives, they must have received two invitations. So how did they go?

The doorman was also confused. The Marquis asked, and he, a servant, didn't know.

"My Lord, I don't know, but someone from the Marquis of Xiangyang's residence has come, saying that you must remember what happened at the Ningguo Mansion. Today, people from the four princely mansions in the capital have all arrived."

Ningbian also knew this and spoke up immediately;

"My Lord, Jia Jing of Ningguo Mansion will be buried today. I don't know who will go there in person, Prince Beijing or Prince Dongping. The other two palaces will send people to follow. The specific movements will require my Lord to go there to know. The secret agent reported that the old lady of Rongguo Mansion sent a letter to Baoling Mansion, and then Baoling Mansion sent people to deliver the letter to other palaces."

Ning Bian's reminder also made Zhang Jinyu ponder for a while. Old Madam Shi was a heroine. Everyone said that the old madam was confused, but she was the one who supported everything in the two mansions. Speaking of the Baoling Marquis Mansion, wasn't it the people of the Shi family who had two marquises in one family? It seemed that the quarrel between Old Madam Shi and her natal family was just a smokescreen.
I remember that the wife of the Shi family was from the Nanwang Lang family. So, the Lang family, which has always been stable, is not so pure in heart.
After thinking about it, it makes sense. Among the four kings, they are the only two whose military power and fiefdoms have not been taken away. If they don't think of a solution, maybe they will be the next ones to have their fiefdoms reduced.

The most important thing is the Palace Family of the Western King. They are the most powerful, and their every move will attract the attention of the court. As the saying goes, a tall tree attracts the wind. However, given the Western King's sophisticated means, it is unknown whether this move is for the emperor to see, or for the emperor emeritus and the princes of the interior.
A group of old foxes are fighting each other. The unlucky ones should be those who are watching the show. I don't know who will be unlucky.

"In that case, prepare the carriage. I will be there soon. Also, prepare gifts and send them to the two princesses' residences. There are some rare items, send them all over."

"Yes, sir, I will prepare it right away."

After I finished explaining everything, I saw that it was getting light outside, so I decided not to go over to pay my respects to my mother.
"Baozhu, clean up the room. Madam said she is busy today and cannot come over for the time being."

"Yes, uncle,"

Baozhu was somewhat reluctant. The young lady had not seen the Marquis for a whole day, and now she had to go out again. She reluctantly agreed. Zhang Jinyu also had a headache when he saw this.
"What to say and what not to say, pay more attention to it in the future, business is more important,"

Still worried, he remembered to bring a sentence, so he stood up and led his people out of the house, leaving Baozhu pouting and looking at the people around him angrily.
"What are you looking at? Why don't you clean up the house?"

"Yes, Manager Bao."

Honglu Temple,
Early in the morning, the princes were called by the guards and entered the palace early. They first had a meal.

I haven't said anything yet.

Some of the guards outside followed closely, walked in, and whispered to their respective masters,
"Sir, the master said that today, Jia Jing of Ningguo Mansion will be buried, and we must go to see him off. The four kings and eight dukes have all gone."

Although others could not hear this, the words conveyed by the princes were very different. Therefore, when they were eating, they looked at each other and understood. Prince Zhou Zhengbai of Zheng smiled and asked;

"Everyone, it's nothing serious. Jia Jing is being buried at Ningguo Mansion today. I'm going to go take a look. What do you think?"

"Ahahaha, brother Shi, you are quick to speak. The person who just came here also reported these things. Of course, we will go together."

The Prince of Han laughed and agreed, and cast his eyes on the three people from Duomian. Zhou Yewen, Zhou Yunfu, and Zhou Lianghao knew what had just been said. They all nodded in agreement.
"Brother Shi, I still don't understand. The body of Jia Jing from Ningguo Mansion should be kept for three days and buried on the seventh day. Why are they so anxious today when only four days have passed? What's the reason? In addition, the four kings and eight dukes are all rushing over. These..."

After saying it, he shut up.

Zhou Yunfu was also curious. It was reasonable for the two kings to go to the capital, so why did the West King Gong family and the South King Lang family also send people there? Is there any explanation for this?
"Yes, Brother Shi, the West King Gong family and the South King Lang family are also going there. Could it be that they have discussed it in advance?"

This question,
The room was quiet for a while. In the past, people said that the Four Princes became much quieter after their fiefdoms were reduced. But when they came to the capital, the Four Princes' Palace seemed to be haunted. Their presence was everywhere. It seemed that the influence of the Four Princes' Palace was deeply rooted.

"Whether it was a pre-arranged plan or not, the barking dog never bites. Now the Four Princes' Palaces are making a lot of noise, and we must have a way to deal with it. It's much better than them hiding in the dark. This time, going to the capital to pay tribute is a secret matter. The Western King and the Southern King haven't had a convoy to the capital for many years. This time, they followed us to join in the fun. Who would believe that they were showing filial piety?"

The prince of Han, Zhou Xingshan, had long been on guard against them, and did not know their purpose in coming to the capital.
"Let's clean it up for now. It's better to see it for ourselves. They should be here today. When they come, we will be able to see it. We will know whether it is a human or a ghost at a glance."

Zhou Zhengbai's face condensed. He thought that with the help of the retired emperor and many noble relatives, he could have a safe trip. Unexpectedly, the capital has changed so much. There is Marquis Luoyun, Marquis Xiangyang, and the civil officials. The chief minister of the cabinet, Li Chonghou, the leaders of the two parties of the civil officials, and countless students who are officials. Even the four princes' palaces are not easy to worry about, and they have also reached out.

The most important thing is that the one in the palace has not really made a move yet. He only sent a loyal prince, which made it difficult for them to cope with it. These things made them a little overwhelmed and looked down on the people in the world. They didn't know whether their father could return to the capital as he wished.
"Since that's what Brother Shi said, let's go and take a look. I thought everything would go smoothly after coming to the capital, but I didn't expect so many unexpected events to happen. I wonder what the future holds?"

The others were surprised to hear these words coming from the mouth of Zhou Yewen, the prince of Song. Could it be that he was afraid?
"Brother Yewen is scared?"

Zhou Xingshan raised his lips, showing some interest. Zhou Yewen shook his head. He was not afraid, but there were many things that were beyond his control.

"That's not the case. I'm afraid! I won't come to the capital. There is one more thing. Our two aunts are going back to the capital, and they will hold a banquet at the Princess's Mansion at noon, at 15:30!"

"what!"

(End of this chapter)