King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 633 High-End Game
After leaving the Ningguo Mansion, Liu Xiang solemnly thanked Feng Yongcheng.

"Thank you, eunuch. These... are just some gifts from me!"

As he spoke, Liu Xiang took out a silver note and handed it to Feng Yongcheng who was standing in front of him.

Although the other person was just following orders, he helped him after all, so Liu Xiang was naturally grateful in private.

The silver note he handed over was worth fifty taels, which was not a small sum.

"Brother Liu, this is too formal!" Feng Yongcheng declined.

"It's just a little gift from my heart. My lord, please accept it. I left in a hurry today and didn't bring any gifts. I will definitely reward you handsomely in two days!"

Liu Xiang was telling the truth. In addition to the silver note, he also had a few taels of silver and dozens of copper coins with him. The latter were certainly not suitable to be taken out now.

"Brothers, you are so polite!" Feng Yongcheng said with a smile.

"In that case, we will accept it so that you won't feel uneasy!"

After Feng Yongcheng finished speaking, he signaled the eunuchs on his left and right to take it.

"Tomorrow, I will formally thank you, sir!" Liu Xiang spoke again.

Feng Yongcheng was really happy now. He stepped forward and patted Liu Xiang on the shoulder, gave him a thumbs up and said, "You are a very nice person. I will make friends with you!"

The two chatted for a few more sentences before going their separate ways.

About a quarter of an hour later, Liu Xiang returned to his home.

This is the old house passed down from his great-grandfather's generation. Originally, it was a large house with four courtyards in the middle and two courtyards on the left and right. After being dilapidated from generation to generation, only the first two courtyards in the middle are left.

Even so, this is considered a well-off standard in the capital, and it is enough for Liu Xiang to live alone.

But he was often not at home in the past two years, and the yard became old and messy with no one taking care of it.

But when he entered and opened the door, he found something different.

Although it is still very old, it is kept in good order, and the most important thing is that the lights are on in the main room.

The lights were on when I returned home. This scene happened when Liu Xiang's parents were still alive, which was seven or eight years ago.

At this moment, a warm current surged from his heart.

After standing at the door for a while and calming down, Liu Xiang finally stepped into the courtyard.

Inside the room, Third Sister You, who was holding a sword, let down her guard when she saw through the crack in the window that it was Liu Xiang.

The sword was passed down from Liu Xiang's family and was hanging on the wall in the inner room of the main hall. In order to protect herself, Third Sister You took it down herself, and now she put it back quietly.

"You're back!"

"Ok!"

"Haven't you eaten yet? I made porridge for you!" Sister You San continued.

Liu Xiang was very surprised. He didn't expect that this girl could cook, even the simplest porridge.

"Thank you very much!"

After a while, Third Sister You brought the porridge and two side dishes she had made.

Having lived a hard life before, Third Sister You had cooked a lot, and her cooking skills were not bad.

Liu Xiang was stunned for a moment. When the chopsticks were handed to him, he reached out to take them and started eating.

"I'm really sorry for causing you trouble... I've made up my mind. I won't let you down. I'll go back to Ningguo Mansion tomorrow..."

Gritting her teeth, Third Sister You continued, "In order to repay you..."

But before she could finish her words, she heard Liu Xiang say, "The matter has been resolved. You don't have to worry about it anymore!"

"Solved...solved?" Third Sister Yu couldn't believe it.

After drinking a mouthful of porridge calmly, Liu Xiang said, "There is something I forgot to tell you..."

"What's the matter?"

"I'm working for the Prince Xiang's Mansion!"

"what……"

Third Sister You was confused at first, then surprised, and finally understood.

Although she was a woman who never left her house, she was aware of the great reputation of King Xiang.

What she didn't expect was that the person in front of her was actually working for King Xiang, and his identity was definitely extraordinary.

While Third Sister You was thinking, she heard Liu Xiang say, "No, no, give me another bowl... I'm really hungry!"

In the blink of an eye, another two days passed, and several major events that took place in the capital city dominated the public opinion.

The first one was the agreement on the Korean monarch. The emperor appointed Li Hui as the new King of Korea.

The second major event was the peace talks with the Dzungars, which were finally scheduled for February 20, nearly ten days later than originally scheduled.

The reason for the postponement was that the imperial court was going to organize a joint examination, the so-called "Spring Examination".

On the eighth day of February, only one day away from the Spring Examination, Jia Baoyu will also set off for Jinling.

After sending him out of the city, the Jia family members returned one by one, and only Feng Yuan stayed to see him off.

After the two of them walked several dozen feet together, Jia Baoyu finally stopped and said, "Brother Feng, let's stop here!"

"Tomorrow is the exam. I wish you success and a place on the list!"

Almost all the successful candidates in the world will come to the imperial examination, and they are regarded as the best in the examination field.

Feng Yuan was actually not absolutely sure whether he could pass the imperial examination.

Every year, there are at least 2,000 candidates taking the examination, but only 200 at most can pass. The elimination rate is very high.

"Just do your best!" Feng Yuan replied calmly.

He had already prepared himself for failing the exam and only regarded this examination as an experience to test the shortcomings of his own learning.

If you have a calm mind, you won’t be nervous.

"If I fail, I will return to my hometown in Jinling and study hard... If you are still in Jinling by then, we can meet again!"

Jia Baoyu smiled, then cupped his hands and said, "Compared to a reunion... I'd rather hear about your high school studies!"

Both of them laughed, and then they exchanged some instructions before they said goodbye.

On the ninth day of February, the imperial examination began.

In Prince Xiang's mansion, Sun Shaozu was allowed to enter again. This time he was extremely excited.

In the small parade ground of the palace, Zhu Jinghong walked in front and Sun Shaozu followed carefully.

"I went to the palace yesterday and learned that the emperor has made up his mind to promote you to the position of deputy commander of the Andong Xingdusi, commanding the Korean garrison in Seoul!"

Compared with the rank (i.e., informal official), promotion to an actual position is undoubtedly much more difficult, simply because the latter is a one-to-one job.

He was promoted to assistant commander-in-chief just the year before last, and in just over a year, he was promoted to deputy commander-in-chief. Sun Shaozu's promotion speed was indeed outrageous.

Even among the old nobles such as the Four Kings and Eight Dukes, or the sons of the current marquises and earls, very few could rise to the top as he did.

As the person involved, Sun Shaozu was particularly clear about how much Zhu Jinghong had supported him. This kindness could never be repaid in a lifetime.

Zhu Jinghong suddenly stopped while walking in front, then turned around and said, "The Ministry of War is currently making a report, and the decree will be issued soon!"

"Your Majesty, I will never be able to repay your kindness even if I die!"

Sun Shaozu not only knelt down, but also kowtowed three times on the sandy and gravel ground of the training ground.

Because this guy really used a lot of force, blood even seeped out of his forehead.

Zhu Jinghong actually had no feelings about this, because he knew what kind of person this guy was. If he lost power in the future, the so-called great favor might not be a great revenge.

Continuing to walk forward, Zhu Jinghong said slowly: "Li Hui from Korea once promised me... that he would pay me 200,000 taels of silver every year. When you go there, you have to do me a favor and keep a close eye on this matter!"

Two hundred thousand taels of silver, leaving aside North Korea's local consumption, was close to the limit of its annual revenue surplus.

In other words, after deducting necessary expenses, North Korea would only have about 200,000 taels of silver left.

"The Thirteenth Master is so cruel..." Sun Shaozu sighed in his heart.

"Don't worry, Your Majesty. I will never let Li Hui deceive you!" Sun Shaozu promised, patting his chest.

"Don't worry about what to do...someone will make the decision for you when the time comes!"

The person who makes the decision is the eunuch sent from Prince Xiang's palace, but Zhu Jinghong has not yet decided on the candidate.

The two chatted for a while, and then a eunuch came over and reported, "Your Majesty, the Chief Clerk Wang Pei'an wants to see you!"

"Who?" Zhu Jinghong thought he had heard wrongly.

"Wang Pei'an, the chief historian of the royal palace, requests to see you!" the young eunuch repeated.

"When will he come back?" Zhu Jinghong looked at Sun Shaozu while speaking.

"Your Majesty, I am following the Anxi Xingdusi in the battle. Wang Changshi is either in Gansu or Hami. I have no idea where he is..."

Now Wang Pei'an is already the Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate, but he also serves as the Chief Clerk of the Prince of Xiang's Palace.

Although the former has a higher rank, the "Chief Historian of Xiangwang Mansion" is more useful on the front line, so Wang Pei'an can accomplish many things.

This was Wang Pei'an's first time back to Beijing since he went to the northwest with Zhu Jinghong, and he had been gone for almost two years.

"Please ask him to wait in the Hall of Devotion!"

"Yes!" the young eunuch responded and left quickly.

Seeing that Zhu Jinghong wanted to see Wang Pei'an, Sun Shaozu said, "Your Majesty, I will take my leave now!"

He didn't want to see Wang Pei'an. To be more precise, no one wanted to see him.

In the past two years in the northwest, Wang Pei'an was in charge of military rations, military pay and other matters, and he was really meticulous and demanded perfection.

During this process, he captured at least twenty or thirty civil and military officials, and this move won unanimous praise from the military and civilians in the Northwest.

Of course, Wang Pei'an offended many people because of this, but he enjoyed it.

"You go first!" Zhu Jinghong understood Sun Shaozu very well.

"I resign!"

After Sun Shaozu left, Zhu Jinghong went to Cunxin Hall.

A few minutes later, he entered the main gate of Cunxin Hall and saw Wang Pei'an already waiting inside the hall.

"Sir, why didn't you tell me in advance that you were coming back?" Zhu Jinghong asked with a smile.

Wang Pei'an was thinking, and when he heard this, he immediately looked up and bowed: "Greetings, Your Highness!"

"I have made great achievements in my secret investigations this time. I plan to submit a memorial to the Ministry of Public Administration tomorrow to impeach the illegal activities I have seen along the way!"

So the reason why this person came back in a low-key manner was to secretly visit the local government and investigate its illegal activities.

Motioning Wang Pei'an to take a seat, Zhu Jinghong said with a smile: "Sir, you are so diligent and conscientious. I really admire you!"

This is by no means a joke. Zhu Jinghong really admires this person. After all, not everyone can do this.

To be more precise, Wang Pei'an is a unique person in the Ming Dynasty who is dedicated to the public.

"Your Highness, there is something...I have to report to you!" Wang Pei'an said solemnly.

"Please speak, sir!" Zhu Jinghong put away his smile.

"In the past few months, the censors in Gansu and Shaanxi have been conducting strict inspections of military discipline everywhere..."

The censors stationed in local areas, even if they were not full-time censors of the Qing army or military supervisors, could exercise general supervisory functions. In simple terms, everything could be supervised.

After listening to Wang Pei'an for a while, Zhu Jinghong was curious but failed to grasp the main point.

Seeing Zhu Jinghong's doubts, Wang Pei'an finally said: "Your Highness... As far as I know, among the nine censors involved, seven were sent out from Jixian Hall!"

After hearing this, Zhu Jinghong instantly understood the situation and his face turned ugly.

If these people were acting on the instructions of Prince Rui's Palace, then they were most likely targeting Prince Xiang's Palace.

Three or four months ago, he had just won a great victory in North Korea, which means that Lao Liu was already planning a counterattack.

Strictly enforcing military discipline is indeed a good starting point.

In today's era, the military, as a violent collective, is the most difficult to control. No matter how strict the military discipline is, it cannot control everyone.

At the same time, for generals, military discipline is only a means to control the army, and winning the battle is the only goal.

Therefore, when Zhu Jinghong led his troops to fight, there were indeed cases of corruption in military discipline, and these could not be avoided at the moment.

Wang Pei'an continued, "I returned to the capital today and reported to the Censorate. I learned that those people had also returned and arrived in the capital three days ago!"

"Well... I understand. Thank you sir for the reminder!" Zhu Jinghong thanked him solemnly.

Although Lao Liu came with bad intentions, Zhu Jinghong would not be afraid of him. After all, these little things were not enough to bring him down directly.

Of course, the same is true in reverse. Even if one knows about many cases of corruption and abuse of power among the Sixth Elder's disciples, it is impossible to bring them down in one go.

Only by using these methods and constantly wearing away the other party's favor can the effectiveness be seen over time.

This is a high-end game. Zhu Jinghong and Lao Liu have already joined the game, but the prince has just entered and his mind has not yet caught up.

The two chatted for a while and discussed some situations in the northwest before Zhu Jinghong let Wang Pei'an go home.

First go to the Tongzhengsi, then to the Duchayuan, and finally to the Wangfu...

Thinking of Wang Pei'an's actions when he returned to Beijing, Sun Shaozu, who went straight to Prince Xiang's mansion, seemed even more flattering in Zhu Jinghong's eyes.

After Wang Pei'an left, Zhu Jinghong ordered someone to find Deng An and instructed him to investigate the details of those who returned to Beijing, especially whether these people had submitted impeachment documents.

It was not too difficult for Zhu Jinghong to investigate this matter. After all, Chen Yuntai was now the commander of the North City Thousand Households Office, and all the government offices of the Ming Dynasty were in the North City.

Only one day later, Deng An received a reply that those people had indeed submitted impeachment documents and attached a large amount of evidence.

In the Tongxin Hall of Prince Xiang's Mansion, Zhu Jinghong sat on the main seat in the side hall and said solemnly: "Old Sixth... really came prepared this time!"

There was a box for the evidence, which showed that these people had made adequate preparations.

The problem now is that Zhu Jinghong still doesn't know where they are aiming, so it is difficult for him to prepare in advance.

"No matter what, it can't be an impeachment against you!" Baochai analyzed.

"I actually hope he impeaches me!" Zhu Jinghong sighed.

If he was impeached directly, it would be a waste of effort. Obviously Zhu Jingyuan has learned his lesson.

Picking up the teacup, Zhu Jinghong lifted the lid and blew a sip of hot air, then said: "The Tongzhengsi and the Nei Ke Zhongshu all have people sent out from the Prince's Mansion, and there is no news from the East Palace. The fourth brother is really cruel!"

It was obvious that the two brothers had formed an alliance, but when the sixth brother attacked, the prince was unwilling to even give him a warning, which really made Zhu Jinghong very unhappy.

Of course there is another possibility, that is, the prince may not know about it, but the result is the same for Zhu Jinghong.

“How are you going to deal with this?”

Putting down the teacup, Zhu Jinghong replied: "Let's take it one step at a time and see how we can deal with it!"

Baochai smoothed her hair and consoled her, "You don't have to worry too much. Since I'm not trying to make things difficult for you, you can protect whoever is involved in this matter!"

(End of this chapter)