King Xiang of the Red Chamber

Chapter 736 Yuanchun: We don't have much time left

When Zhu Jinghong returned home, the Jia family was in chaos. Jia Zheng, the head of the family, was furious and immediately ordered Jia Rong to be called in for questioning.

The news soon reached Jia Jing's ears. The old Taoist priest was in good health after taking elixirs every day, so he asked someone to drive him to his mansion.

Although he was devoted to Taoism, he was not oblivious to worldly affairs and had a deep understanding of the situation in the court.

Therefore, Jia Jing knew very well that even if he handled the situation well this time, his Ningguo Mansion would basically be ruined.

But if it's not handled properly...

After returning to the Jia family, Jia Jing learned that Jia Zheng had been summoned to the palace, which made him even more anxious.

Holding the whip, the old Taoist priest entered the mansion. Looking at his grandson who came out to greet him, Jia Jing whipped him directly.

In those days, the old Taoist priest was also selected into the Dragon Guards. During these years of practicing Taoism, he never forgot to exercise his body, and his martial arts and strength have not deteriorated much.

The whip tore Jia Rong's clothes so much that blood could be seen through the holes.

"Grandpa, your grandson is innocent..."

Although Jia Jing was not in charge of the affairs of the mansion, he had heard about the absurd things happening in the mansion, so he did not believe Jia Rong's explanation at all.

In the past, when Jia Rong came to pay a visit, Jia Jing often warned him to cultivate his character, but it was obvious that the boy did not listen.

That would have been fine, but what made him sad was that this kid was so stupid that he dared to do such a ridiculous thing during the Queen's mourning period.

Thinking of this, Jia Jing slapped him a few more times, then scolded Jia Rong to follow him into the house.

After sending away the others and closing the doors and windows, Jia Jing called Jia Rong to his side.

"Are you really having an affair with Youshi?"

Seeing Jia Rong's evasive gaze, Jia Jing immediately understood what was going on.

"Grandpa, grandson...grandson..."

Seeing the boy's panic, Jia Jing knew that he was a loser, so he reached out and grabbed his collar, and whispered, "Listen carefully, no matter who asks you, you must not admit it, and you must refute it immediately!"

"Yes... yes!" Jia Rong answered tremblingly.

Incest is a serious crime, and you must never admit to it. Of course, you cannot admit to anything else either.

Jia Jing explained everything one by one and reminded everyone from all aspects.

Normally, when someone beats the drum to file a complaint, it would be heard by the Ministry of Justice or even the three judicial departments together, and a series of procedures would have to be followed during the trial. Therefore, Jia Jing had this window of opportunity to give Jia Rong some advice.

Of course, it is also because the Jia family is involved in the Eastern Palace that the emperor's decision-making process becomes much more cautious and will proceed according to normal procedures.

Otherwise, based on his previous behavior, if he had known that someone was doing something improper during the Queen's mourning period, he would have ordered the Imperial Guards to arrest that person and put him in jail.

After explaining everything to Jia Rong, Jia Jing summoned Youshi and also had a conversation in a locked room.

Half an hour later, news came from Ningguo Mansion that Youshi could not bear the slander and hanged herself to death out of shame.

As the saying goes, there is no evidence of a crime after death. Yu died a martyr's death and proved her chastity with her life, so the crime of incest was self-defeating.

However, it is not easy to whitewash the matter of sexual pleasure, because Jia Rong brought You Erjie into his house and even had a conflict with others over this.

The person who started the conflict was none other than the second-class male Zhao Jin, and the incident caused quite a stir.

In other words, it is impossible to justify engaging in sexual activities during a period of national mourning.

When Jia Jing was feeling worried, he suddenly heard that Jia Zheng had left the palace and returned home, so he hurried over.

At Rongguo Mansion, Jia Zheng and Jia Lian were talking, and Lady Wang, Lady Xing and Wang Xifeng were also there.

Jia She was working as an official outside the city, and his mother Jia had kept her old age a secret from her, so he did not appear at this moment.

Compared to the panic of the Ningguo Mansion's grandparents and grandchildren, Jia Zheng and his companions felt more at ease. After all, although the Ning and Rong mansions both had the surname Jia, they were still two families in the final analysis.

At least at this time, they have to split into two families.

"Your Majesty asked... about the Ning Mansion. I know!"

"I replied that I was busy with official duties and although I asked about it, I didn't know everything..."

"Your Majesty also said that I have issued many edicts, ordering the people in your house to cultivate their moral character, but you have repeatedly violated the edicts... Are you looking down on me?"

With an embarrassed look on his face, Jia Zheng lamented, "I don't know how to answer..."

"Then His Majesty gave me a light rebuke and let me out!"

Today, Jia Zheng is a Langzhong in the Ministry of Works, a fifth-rank official.

Officials of this level basically have no chance to meet the emperor alone, so even if this incident did not happen, Jia Zheng would be extremely nervous when meeting the emperor.

His performance today was actually quite good. At least he still said a few coherent words despite the emperor's anger.

At the same time, Jia Lian also talked about Jia Jing's return home, and then talked about Youshi's martyrdom.

"Martyrdom is good... Martyrdom is good. Such chaste deeds should be publicized!"

After muttering a few words, Jia Zheng immediately ordered: "Hurry up and have the East Mansion prepare for the funeral, and then inform all the other mansions!"

Jia Lian replied, "Uncle Jing has arranged everything!"

While they were talking, someone outside announced that Master Jing had arrived, so Jia Zheng and his companions went out to greet him.

Everyone here discussed for a while, but Jia Jing could clearly feel that the Rongguo Mansion wanted to make a separation.

Everything is about the East Mansion, and they never look at the problem from the perspective of the Jia family.

The final result of the discussion was that You Erjie must also be dealt with, and there would be no evidence to prove her wrongdoing.

Of course, someone like You Erjie who cannot stand the light must be dealt with quietly.

After this matter was agreed upon, all the specific operations would be handled by Jia Rong, and the Rongguo Mansion would basically not get involved, and would only focus on public opinion.

When it comes to public opinion, it is not actually them who are initiating the effort, but the Eastern Palace will try to speak for them.

There is no way. Although the emperor and Zhu Jinghong both said that the Jia family is the Jia family and the Eastern Palace is the Eastern Palace, the prince himself would not think so.

Back inside the East Factory, Cheng Ying came here in person.

When Dai Quan was moving jars at Jiucu Mian Ju, he was already emptying the chamber pot at Prince Jing's mansion. In comparison, Cheng Ying had more seniority than Dai Quan.

Now that he is the commander-in-chief of the East Factory, everyone, from top to bottom, is convinced by him.

"Godfather, why are you here in person? If you have something to say, just send someone to pass on the message!" The eunuch in charge, Liu Zhao, stepped forward to greet him.

Cheng Ying is fifty-two this year, and Liu Zhao is thirty-seven. With a difference of fifteen years, it is appropriate to call him godfather.

Behind Liu Zhao were a group of foreman eunuchs, and after them were the various heads of the team (Qian Hu).

Glancing at the crowd, Cheng Ying said with his hands behind his back, "What are you all doing here? Disperse, disperse..."

"Everyone go and do your own things!" Liu Zhao turned around and instructed everyone.

The crowd then dispersed. It was no wonder that they were so flattering, but the people in the East Factory had been in a panic recently.

The downfall of Dai Quan was not just his own fault. Seven or eight eunuchs, including the head eunuchs and the chief eunuchs, have been demoted.

Normally, there are two to three people in charge of the East Depot, but now there is only Liu Zhao left.

"Bring Zhao Jin here, I have something to ask him!"

"Yes!"

After accepting the offer, Liu Zhao smiled and said, "Godfather, it's sunny outside, you can take a rest inside, your son just happened to get some good tea, you can have a taste of it..."

As they were talking, the two of them entered the East Factory, and Cheng Ying also drank Liu Zhao's tea.

It was an extremely rare event for the drum to be struck, so the court would definitely hold a public trial.

If someone like Zhao Jin, who holds a title, wants to sue the Jia family, he can go to the Ministry of Justice and the Dali Temple. Beating the drum to report the case will make people think that he intends to make a big deal out of it.

Therefore, before the formal trial, Zhao Jin was invited to the East Factory in order to find out his motives.

Prior to this, the emperor had summoned Prince Xiang and Prince Rui for questioning, and of course the crown prince himself had also gone to see the emperor. Recalling what happened in the afternoon, even though Cheng Ying had experienced many storms, he still felt uneasy at this moment.

The matter of fighting for the throne involves too many things. If today's matter is not handled properly, it will be a disaster for him.

Soon, Zhao Jin was brought over. He was a man in his thirties and looked to be in good spirits.

"Meet Eunuch Cheng!" Zhao Jin took the initiative to salute.

After sending Liu Zhao away, Cheng Ying said, "Sit down!"

"Thank you, eunuch!"

"Don't be afraid. I asked you to come here because I want to ask you a few questions. You must answer truthfully!"

"I will tell the truth!"

"The Jia family is a big family with deep roots. You are beating the drum to report them. Aren't you afraid of hitting a rock with an egg?"

"To answer your question, of course I am afraid, but the Jia family is too bullying. I have been forced into a corner. Now I can only fight to the death!"

"Do you have a grudge against them?"

"There is a big grudge!" Zhao Jin gritted his teeth.

Cheng Ying observed Zhao Jin carefully, and noticed every slight reaction in the latter's expression.

"tell me the story!"

"The Jia family..."

Zhao Jin was truly bitter and vengeful, and he talked endlessly about the grievances with the Jia family, and the hatred in his expression could not be concealed.

The so-called grudges were actually about land and properties, and even involved cemeteries in Beijing.

The Zhao family and the Jia family not only lived close to each other, but their land outside the city was also adjacent to each other, so conflicts were inevitable between them.

Over the years, the Zhao family had to swallow their anger and endure these things because their title was too low.

It happened that in May of this year, Zhao Jin's mother fell ill and passed away. He wanted to bury her at home, but was stopped by the servants of the Jia family.

It was said that the place where the Zhao family was buried destroyed the feng shui pattern of the Jia family, and this forced the Zhao family to change the location.

Zhao Jin had no choice but to endure this loss, which also put him on the verge of exploding.

The fuse of this incident was You Erjie who was toyed with by Jia Rong.

Zhao Jin's first wife died early, and he only had a few concubines at home. Over the years, he devoted himself to fame and fortune and had no thought of remarrying.

He happened to meet You Erjie, and the two of them happened to be attracted to each other. Thinking of taking revenge on Jia Rong, Zhao Jin began to have an affair with You Erjie.

But he could not have imagined that Zhao Jin would fall in love with You Erjie over time. However, before he could find a way to bring this woman home, their affair was discovered by Jia Rong.

Then, Zhao Jin was severely humiliated, in front of his beloved woman.

He was so humiliated that he was filled with rage. Just a few words of instigation from others made him beat the drum to report all the bad things he knew about the Jia family.

"Who instigated you?" Cheng Ying grasped the key.

Zhao Jin shook his head and replied, "I was drinking alone in a brothel when someone next door called out to me, but I didn't know who it was!"

After listening to this long story, more than ten minutes had passed.

Cheng Ying reminded him again: "Do you know that this matter is of great importance? If what you said is even slightly untrue, your family will be confiscated and your clan will be exterminated."

Zhao Jin has two sons and one daughter, the oldest of whom is only nine years old. He is not a man without concerns.

Honestly speaking, after his emotions had passed, Zhao Jin felt a little regretful and thought that he shouldn't have been so impulsive.

But the problem is that if he withdraws the appeal now, the Zhao family will still face a bad ending. It is better to muster up the courage and give it a try.

After thinking for a while, Zhao Jin said with a firm look, "Every word I said is true. If you don't believe me, you can send someone to check it out!"

Of course Cheng Ying will investigate this matter, and the East Factory and the Northern Pacification Office are already investigating it, so what Zhao Jin said can be verified soon.

After questioning, Cheng Ying asked Zhao Jin to leave. Zhao Jin would stay in Dongchang until the case was over, mainly to protect him.

After giving some instructions to Liu Zhao, Cheng Ying set out to return to the palace to report.

Zhao Jin's appeal caused a great disturbance in the officialdom, and You's suicide to prove her innocence brought the matter to a climax.

As the sun set, Prince Rui Zhu Jingyuan returned to the palace. He had been in Jixian Hall these days.

Now he is in charge of the duties of editing books and the Maritime Customs, and is much busier than Zhu Jinghong, the "idle prince".

Not everything that happened today was within his expectations, and he couldn't accurately grasp how things would develop next. He could only grasp the general outline.

After dinner, Zhu Jingyuan went to the back garden of the palace and took a walk with Chen Zhi to digest the food.

"Why did our father summon you today?" Chen Zhi asked.

"The old man suspected that it was me who ordered it!" Zhu Jingyuan replied indifferently.

Seeing his calm demeanor, Chen Zhi asked, "Are you really not worried at all?"

"Even Zhao Jin himself doesn't know. We are the ones who are involved, so why should I worry? This matter has nothing to do with us!"

"On the contrary, although Old Thirteen has nothing to do with Zhao Jin, he has worked for him after all, so it is inevitable that he will arouse the old man's suspicion!"

After thinking for a while, Chen Zhi said, "I wonder... what the situation is like when Old Thirteen was summoned today!"

"This kid is very smart, he must have a way to distance himself from the matter!"

As soon as Zhu Jingyuan finished speaking, he heard Chen Zhiyin and Yang say, "Your Majesty has to be willing to believe it!"

This made Zhu Jingyuan feel very uncomfortable, so he simply stopped talking.

"Forget it, forget it. Originally, this time we were trying to force the Fourth Brother. The most important thing is to get this done!"

"I got the news that Mrs. You has been forced to death, and her sister has disappeared. Now there is no witness. I'm afraid this case will be difficult to handle!"

Hearing Chen Zhi's concerns, Zhu Jingyuan said nonchalantly: "It doesn't matter if this matter cannot be thoroughly investigated. As long as the reputation of the fourth brother is ruined, the people below are already doing it!"

In the field of public opinion, Zhu Jingyuan was very powerful and had more than enough power to do bad things to the prince.

"What's more, Jia Zheng was also summoned to the palace today and was scolded by the old man. They have offended the emperor repeatedly over the years. No matter what the result is this time, I'm afraid they will be severely punished!"

"Let's just... just watch the show. Even if it doesn't work this time, we can still keep trying next time!"

When it comes to these conspiracies and intrigues, Zhu Jingyuan can truly be called an expert, and he can explain them in great detail at this moment.

Of course, this is also due to his planning in recent years, and the Jia family is an important part of his work.

As for the East Palace, the prince's mood was fluctuating. He was happy to hear that the Jia family handled the matter quickly, but he got angry when he heard someone denounced the Jia family.

"Your Highness!"

Yuanchun appeared outside the study. Her left cheek was abnormally red, and if you looked closely you could see the print of her palm.

That’s right, half an hour ago, Zhu Jingyuan slapped Yuanchun hard in desperation.

But he regretted it after the fight, but couldn't say it out loud due to his face, until Yuanchun came to him.

After entering the hall, Yuanchun walked slowly to the prince's side and knelt before him.

"Your Highness, no matter how wrong you are, it's all my fault. I hope Your Highness won't get so angry that you get sick!"

Hearing Yuanchun's words, Zhu Jingyuan just wanted to slap himself hard twice, and at this moment he felt more and more regretful.

"My beloved, what happened just now... was my fault. I hope you can forgive me!" Zhu Jingyuan stood up and solemnly apologized to Yuanchun.

After the two of them expressed their innermost feelings to each other, Yuanchun finally started talking about business.

"Your Highness, they are pushing us too far. We don't have much time left!"

(End of this chapter)