Pingyang Fu of the Red Chamber

Chapter 848: Every Banquet Is a Bad Banquet
"Drive, drive, law"

In front of the gate of Luoyunhou Mansion,

Zhang Jinyu had just returned home and was feeling unwell. He had gone there for no apparent reason and came back for no apparent reason. He had gone for a long time just to watch the fun and hadn't even had a bite of food. As for the female members of the family, he didn't see Lin Daiyu and Xue Baochai, and even Wang Xifeng wasn't seen at all.

They should have followed the team, after all, they were still needed for mourning. Thinking of this, he felt bored, got off his horse, and prepared to return home.
Don't know,
Just after getting off the horse, he was stopped by someone.

"How can you be so slow, Lord? The time is almost up, and you don't even bother to get ready and go to the banquet with His Highness."

The voice was clear and natural. I looked up and saw a beautiful figure standing in front of me. Her beautiful hair was tied up with a hairpin, and she had a fit body and exuded a fragrance. Who else could it be but Wei Shuyun? But you are standing in front of the gate of the Marquis' Mansion, blocking the way. Is this how you invite people?

"Who am I? I am the consort of the princess's mansion, and yet I am blocking the door. If you don't know, you might think I owe you money and I'm here to collect the debt."

He was joking, but more of a caution. He had been busy for a while and hadn't asked much about the two princesses, what they were plotting in private. Seeing that he was entangled in court affairs, he was careless for a while. If he really wanted to go to the banquet, there is a saying that no banquet is good.

Wei Shuyun smiled, took back her hand that was blocking the way, and asked in a sarcastic tone;

"My Lord, are you afraid? I know whether I owe you money or not."

Seeing this woman like this, even Zhang Jinyu was a little confused. Could it be that he really owed her money? But where did he owe her money?
"Young lady, you are joking. I don't interact much with the princess's mansion. We have only met a few times. How could I owe you money?"

I don't know if there is any explanation here.
Wei Shuyun pursed her lips and glared, then rolled her eyes;
"My Lord, you are so forgetful. The 200,000 taels of silver that year were all given to you, but you have two businesses, so this silver is not hot in your hands."

Wei Shuyun had been thinking about this matter for a long time. She asked for so much money, and the matter was not very difficult. It would be best if she did not give him the money for next year.
Zhang Jinyu smiled and waved her hand.
"I understand your feelings, but I have to ask you in all honesty, I have promised Your Highness, but I have not done what I promised. Since I have done it, I must abide by the agreement. I feel at ease with this money. I heard that there will be a banquet at Yanchun Tower, a poetry meeting in the capital, and an election for the most beautiful lady in two days. I think Your Highness will also be there. I wonder who will support Your Highness in the officialdom?"

Seeing Luo Yunhou being so arrogant, Wei Shuyun stamped her feet in anger and did not spare his words.
"Then don't bother your Majesty. When the time comes, the people who come will definitely surprise your Majesty. Today, your Majesty, will you go to the mansion for the banquet?"

"Of course I won't go. If one of us goes, the other one won't go, which would naturally offend the other one. As it happens, I am a little tired today, so I have to go back and rest for a while."

After saying this, he prepared to enter the palace.

Wei Shuyun saw that Marquis Luo Yun didn't seem to be joking, so she got anxious and reached out to grab the Marquis's sleeve, questioning him aggrievedly,

"My Lord, are you unhappy? My master asked me to invite you. If you don't go, how can I explain to you when I go back?"

I don't know whether it's true or not. Seeing Wei Shanggong's hand tightly holding my own, my eyes were red. Could it be that the Princess would really punish me? However, pulling and tugging at the gate, even if there was no reason, would definitely attract attention.
"Alright, stop arguing. This is not a good time to go. So, follow me in and go out through the back door. Where is the Princess's Mansion? I will not go through the front door. Enter through the back door. If Your Highness has something to say, we can talk in private. If not, I will send my regards."

Just sit for a while and leave, just be polite.
Seeing this, Wei Shuyun blushed and nodded, quickly retracted her hand, followed Luo Yunhou into the mansion, and Ning Bian waved and asked the steward to arrange the carriage at the corner gate of the backyard.

After a while,

Zhang Jinyu absentmindedly entered the gate of the Marquis' Mansion, passed by the front yard, and heard the sound of drums and harps outside Yang's yard in the northwest corner. He was moved, and it seemed that the girl was trying hard, but he didn't know that Wei Shuyun beside him was a little confused and asked;
"My Lord, why is there the sound of a zither coming from here, and the sound of many women's footsteps inside?"

With his ears moving, he could sense the footsteps of many women in the room with the keenness of a martial artist. It was very strange. Only Zhang Jinyu seemed a little embarrassed.

"It's nothing, it's just that Yang likes these things. I'm not a demanding person, and it's good to have some hobbies."

Zhang Jinyu lied with his eyes open. It was all because of what he wanted to see. Yang did all this. It should be rehearsed in the house. Anyone else would know the inner meaning. Unfortunately, Wei Shuyun smiled and nodded. I didn't expect Luo Yunhou to be so generous.
"It seems that the Marquis is really kind to women,"

"Of course, Miss Wei, I am not bragging, but you know that outside the Great Wall, there is no etiquette. Even if there is, it is just some folk customs, not as many ordinary etiquette as inside the Great Wall. Therefore, the Marquis's Mansion does not have so many rules."

Zhang Jinyu didn't think much of Wei Shuyun's praise. It wasn't bragging, it was just the way it was. In the places outside the Great Wall, people couldn't even get enough to eat. If they messed around with all these fancy etiquette, they would starve to death.

"Your Majesty, what you said makes sense. It is said that people outside the Great Wall are bold and unrestrained. It seems to be true. I just wonder if Your Majesty knows that the Western Prince Gong Huaiyu and the Southern Prince Lang Lin have already arrived in the capital. Does Your Majesty have any thoughts?"

Listening to Luo Yunhou's explanation, Wei Shuyun's attitude obviously changed. People who practice martial arts are not particular about details. What they care about is ambition and lofty sentiments. Some sentimental things are annoying.

It seems that I was prejudiced in the past. Thinking of His Highness' attitude, he was helpless in the capital. Perhaps Marquis Luo Yun was easy to rely on, but it was troublesome to have wives and concubines in one mansion. But when I thought of Princess Yongcheng's consort, I did feel a little happy. If Princess Yongcheng hadn't robbed someone and His Highness hadn't set a trap, how could the consort He Yisheng leave?

I guess Princess Yongcheng regretted her decision and didn't even bring him back with her when she returned to the capital. Does this count as a divorce?

The two continued to move forward.

Even Zhang Jinyu was a little surprised at how big the mansion was. After all, he had been busy with foreign affairs and had not been around the mansion. He had always been in the East Garden and the West House, and at most he had been to Yang's house. He did not expect the backyard to be so spacious. Not to mention the pavilions and towers, there was also a small lake, the water should come from Qing Lake, and there was a lush forest. There were also many side rooms, but looking over there, they were all the residences of his personal soldiers.

The backyard corner door is not far away.

I remembered what the maid said, the two most powerful kings, the West King and the South King, have their legitimate sons here, won't the capital be more lively?

"Look at what the young lady said. Since you can come, wouldn't it bring joy to your master? I heard that Gong Huaiyu is the head of Qinglian Academy, and Lang Lin is also the head of Qiushui Academy. This poetry gathering, wow, should be a gathering of dignitaries, which will bring honor to His Highness."

As he said this, he asked someone to open the back door.

Outside, the carriages were already ready, along with the personal guards and everything else.
"The Marquis knows it very well. It's not like he hasn't been involved before. Wasn't it the Marquis who messed up the incident in Jiangnan? Besides, the Marquis's mansion is much larger than your Highness's princess's mansion."

"please."

Zhang Jinyu ignored her and got on the carriage. With a single word of "please", he let Wei Shuyun get on.
Wei Shang Gong had no choice but to take a deep breath and jump onto the carriage. As the driver waved the whip, the convoy slowly moved towards the back door of the princess's mansion, and the corner of the West City Square.

Youlai Inn,

In the attic,
There were two elegant gentlemen sitting in a window seat, drinking wine and chatting. They were gentle and well-mannered, and the men sitting at the next tables behind them were all strong and muscular. It was obvious that they were not ordinary people.

"Brother Huaiyu, it's rare for us to have such a good time. We haven't been together for a long time."

The person sitting to the west was Lang Lin, the prince of Nan'an County. He was dressed in a green Confucian robe, a square hat, and a beautiful jade hanging from his wide belt. The noble air of the prince of Nan was overwhelming. The other person sitting opposite him was dressed in a white suit, the finest Su brocade, and the famous cloud-bottomed boots in the capital. The domineering air of the Xiping County Prince's Mansion was spontaneously present.

It was the two princes who, after leaving Ningguo Mansion, made an appointment to go to the most popular restaurant in the West Market to taste the delicacies of the Western Regions. It was strange to say, how could the Gong family not know what delicacies there were in the Western Regions?
"Haha, Brother Lin, you are too polite. I am so busy and time flies. It is rare to have this leisure time. This restaurant is said to have Western cuisine. I have always heard of it but have never had the opportunity to taste it. Therefore, I see that Brother Lin has time, so I will make an appointment with him. It will be convenient for both our families."

The two of them came here to discuss important matters under the pretext of tasting delicious food. On the table, a plate of crispy roasted whole lamb had been served. It was shiny and had a rich aroma that whetted people's appetites. It was sprinkled with many spices. This plate cost a lot of money.
Lang Lin carefully cut a piece of meat and put it into his mouth. He felt that it was crispy and delicious. It was indeed a delicacy from the Western Regions. He said,
"Brother Huaiyu is very generous. Such delicacies from the Western Regions can be introduced to the capital. Speaking of which, the Western Palace has a lot of industries."

Lang Lin was a little envious. Although the northwest trade route was blocked, the private property of the Western Regions and the Western Palace had made a lot of good things. If someone said that the trade route was cut off, only a fool would believe it. The 400,000-strong army was not boasted about, but was supported by silver.

Think about the imperial court's fear and lack of troops, so he could only end up being kept in captivity in the capital like the Northern King and the Eastern King.

After just two bites, Gong Huaiyu was startled, and then he was thoughtful. This taste is really the taste of the Western Regions, especially the spices. Although they are available in the Central Plains, they are not easy to grow and ordinary people can't afford them. Only in the Western Regions, where there are so many spices, people dare to waste them wantonly. The key is that many things, as Lang Lin said, are controlled by the Western Palace. Now, where do these come from? He is confused.
But there was still a smile on his face.

"Brother Lin, you also have the habit of praising others. The food here tastes great, and is from the Western Regions. But it is definitely not from the royal palace. I am also curious about who is behind this. It is a place that makes a lot of money."

He shook his head, his face full of regret, not knowing whether what he said was true or false. Lang Lin would not be fooled by him.

"Brother Huaiyu, it doesn't matter whether it is or not. I came here today, in addition to reminiscing about the past. May I ask Brother Huaiyu, the Ningguo Mansion incident was a minor matter that resulted in a major punishment. The punishment was just like this, but I don't know about the rest, such as the gathering of princes and princes of the inner vassal states in the capital. What is their plan?"

Lang Lin ate and talked, and cut off another plate of meat. He swallowed it in big mouthfuls without caring about elegance. However, those who were careful could notice that Lang Lin's eyes were fixed on Gong Huaiyu.
Perhaps he was also a little hungry, so Gong Huaiyu also cut a plate of meat, placed it in front of him, and started eating with chopsticks. However, he was a little wary in his heart. It was said that the son of the Lang family was cautious, but this rough look must be fake.
"Brother Lin, you are asking questions even though you already know the answer. Now that we are here and the convoy from Prince Nan's Palace has arrived, if you continue to ask about this, aren't you asking about me?"

"Haha, Brother Huaiyu, don't think too much. I'm just asking a few questions. It is said that all the princes in Guannei want to return to the capital to show their filial piety. Filial piety is commendable. In this case, shouldn't we, the princes of different surnames, also show our filial piety, right, Brother Huaiyu?"

Lang Lin suddenly stopped and laughed. He had only been testing the subject before. Now that time was running out, he should get down to business.

"Well said, we are not afraid of comparison, but we are afraid of being criticized. Since we are filial, we, the Four Princes, should also show some respect. The birthday banquet of the retired emperor is only a few days away."

This was exactly the purpose of the two royal palaces coming here. They came to Beijing to present gifts under the pretext of the emperor's birthday banquet. They wanted to know how much favor the court and even the palace would still have for them, and whether it would be based on the previous conditions. After all, there was a Marquis Luo Yun outside the Great Wall, who was so young and ignorant of the importance of the situation. After he attached himself to the court, the troops from the north entered the Great Wall and merged with the court's army. Then, Your Majesty, could you still tolerate the four of them?
"Brother Huaiyu is right. Although there is still more than a month left, we should prepare early and show filial piety to the emperor. Once the southern part of the capital is in chaos, the imperial army has already arrived. We don't know what the result will be. If we win, it's not a big deal. What if the imperial army loses?"

Lang Lin paused for a moment, with mixed feelings in his heart. He was going to fail, and the whole world was shaken. For the two royal palaces, there was chaos in the pass, and they would be in trouble.

"If we lose, even if we can't hurt the imperial court, people's minds will change, and those princes who have come to the capital will be restless."

"Brother Lin is right. For our two families, it would be best if everything inside the Great Wall remained the same. Now the border is unstable. The Xianbei people in the west are ready to make a move. They seem to be dragged down by the power struggles among the Western Regions and the royal court. The newly appointed Xichanyu Tanshi of the Xianbei people seems to be making some moves. I'm sure the same is true in the south."

Gong Huaiyu frowned. It was strange. Normally, the White Lotus Sect was the cause of the civil unrest in the south of Beijing. Why did the Taiping Sect come? Could it be that they were members of the White Lotus Sect who just changed their clothes?

"Brother Huaiyu, the three southern countries are relatively honest. We are not afraid of one country alone. Unfortunately, the three countries are united, and the pressure on the Southern Palace is not small. I heard in the capital that Marquis Luo Yun has temporarily led the Beijing camp army. It seems that the palace is still prepared."

At this point, I felt a little relieved. Even if the south was defeated, Luo Yunhou would not be afraid. He might even lead his army south to attack us.

He picked up the wine cup in his hand, clinked it with Gong Huaiyu's glass, and drank it all in one gulp. He hadn't felt so happy in a long time.
"Dry,"

Immediately following the sound, Gong Huaiyu also drank the wine cup in his hand. Since the palace had thought of letting Luo Yunhou lead the troops, they were prepared. However, they were unsure of Luo Yunhou's attitude. It was impossible for a marquis with a fief to mingle with those idle marquises in Guannei in the capital. It was said that Luo Yunhou liked cooperation, so perhaps they could have a talk.
"Brother Lin, since that's the case, I'll tell you what's on my mind. In fact, I want to invite someone here today, Luo Yunhou. It's said that cooperation is beneficial to both sides. We may not be unable to do business with the outside world. There are some things that we know very well. For example, when the outside world was not wreaking havoc, the entire border's grain and grass supply was provided by the outside world. Now that the outside world has been initially stabilized, all of this will come back. At that time, there will be many jealous people."

Gong Huaiyu was somewhat emotional. Although the area outside the Great Wall seemed to be a barren land, as long as he was willing to put in some effort, there might be great changes in the near future. The prerequisite was to resolve the threat posed by the Jurchens.

Unfortunately, the biggest trouble is not easy to solve. Just like the Western Palace, the Xianbei people are not easy to deal with. Looking at the Western Regions countries like a golden nest, they can only swallow their saliva. If there were no Xianbei people, relying solely on the strength of the Western Palace, the Western Regions countries would be in their hands.
"Well, what Brother Huaiyu said makes sense, but it's all speculation. In the early years, many people were jealous and spent a lot of money to go outside the Great Wall to buy some farms. Later, these people either lost their lives or couldn't stand the bitter cold, didn't they all spend a lot of money to come back? I heard that many caravans went outside the Great Wall. It was okay for those who took the official road, but many teams with smuggled goods were attacked by the Jurchen cavalry and never returned. When they thought about returning to the past, they didn't know when it would be. Didn't you see that Marquis Luo Yun was "happy and didn't miss Shu"? "

Lang Lin did not take these seriously. Even if the area outside the Great Wall was stabilized and the trouble caused by the Jurchens was solved, it would take more than one or two years to restore the former granary.

Even if the strength is restored, the food and grass grown cannot be transported to the south. We can only say that by taking advantage of the convenience of the Black River, if there is food and grass to be transported, it is also what the West Palace needs. In this way, we can get rid of the food and grass supply of the capital and have an additional way.

but,

Although there is hope for this, I don’t know when it will be realized.
Looking at the prosperity of the capital, the Central Plains, with its abundant rivers and fertile fields, is a place of great Feng Shui. As the saying goes, whoever controls the Central Plains controls the world, who wouldn't be envious? Having said so much, I wonder what other plans the West King's Mansion has.
"Brother Lin, you can say that Marquis Luo Yun is still young, and it is human nature for him to covet beauty and enjoy fun, but you can't underestimate him. It is said that Marquis Luo Yun spent a lot of money in Jiangnan to buy food and send it to the outside of the pass to restore the vitality. The officials here are still focusing on Jiangnan. I wonder what they are focusing on?"

Gong Huaiyu was slightly embarrassed. This idea was just his own and a bit hasty. Marquis Luo Yun's large-scale purchase of grain and cloth should be allowed by the court and provided great convenience.

"Brother Huaiyu, let's not talk about this. Eat. Don't waste it."

Lang Lin smiled, picked up the chopsticks, and started eating. After testing each other, both of them gained something. Unfortunately, the distance was too far. Apart from cooperating in the capital, they could only watch from the fiefdom. The two seemed to have forgotten all this. After drinking and chatting, no one spoke.

"Don't forget the poetry gathering at Yanchun Tower the day after tomorrow!"

(End of this chapter)