The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 269 Xifeng: Aren’t we now dependent on others?
As Jia Cong suspected, Mu Yongzhen originally planned to facilitate Emperor Taiqi's marriage grant to Jia Cong and Xian Ning. In this way, both the Zhongshun Prince's Palace and the Ning Guohou Palace owed him a favor.

Unexpectedly, he just opened his mouth and said that Jia Cong had already made immortal contributions and Xianning was still in Liaodong. It was inappropriate. Before he finished speaking, the emperor took over his words and said that it was indeed inappropriate. It is better to let Xian Ning come back as soon as possible.

It can be said that Mu Yongzhen stole the chicken without losing the rice. When he came out of Linjing Hall, he saw King Zhongshun walking in front. He chased after him and wanted to explain to King Zhongshun, but King Zhongshun did not listen to him. He just said, "I still have something to do, so take the first step!"

After that, he left in a hurry.

Jia Yucun was originally Shui Rong's staff. After being appreciated by Mu Yongzhen, Shui Rong asked Jia Yucun to defect to Mu Yongzhen. Because of his status as a second-ranked Jinshi, he was quickly reused under Mu Yongzhen. Mu Yong Zhen also promised him that he would definitely revive him again at the right time in the future. This greatly encouraged Jia Yucun and spared no effort in making plans.

Originally, it was Jia Yucun's strategy for Mu Yongzhen to facilitate the emperor's marriage. Unexpectedly, this strategy failed and backfired.

"It's the students who are incompetent!" Jia Yucun was able to bend and stretch.

"It's not your fault. In the early morning, I didn't speak clearly enough, and my father misunderstood me!" Mu Yongzhen couldn't say that the emperor did this deliberately. Once the rumors about father and son's suspicion leaked out, he would become the same. A waste, maybe Jia Yucun will leave him too.

However, Jia Yucun thought that Emperor Tai Qi was so kind to Jia Cong. This was obviously because he was afraid that Mu Yongzhen would be too involved with Jia Cong and that Jia Cong would fall to the side of the third prince in the future, so he did this deliberately.At the moment, I'm afraid Jia Cong hates Mu Yongzhen to the core.

And this situation was caused by himself. Jia Yucun knew it well and just thought that he must not make other plans, but must help the third prince to the throne. Otherwise, he would fall into the hands of Jia Cong in the future, fearing for his life. No guarantee.

Not long after, good news came from Liaodong. Nuerhaci was captured alive by Jia Cong, and his son and generals would also be sent back to the capital. The situation in Liaodong had been calmed down. In theory, Jia Cong had contributed to the destruction of the country. The good news came to Beijing. The ruling and opposition parties were shocked.

Emperor Taiqi's health seemed to be getting better. Mu Yongzhen was summoned to the palace to discuss matters. In the side hall of Linjing Hall, Emperor Taiqi was sitting on a dragon chair with a bright yellow quilt on his legs.

His body lost weight immediately, and his whole body was as skinny as bones. His cheekbones also appeared to be very high, and his eye sockets were sunken. Wisps of light shot out from them, and the thoughts of the people in the palace seemed to be seen in his eyes.

"Jia Cong has made great achievements again. The so-called Jin Kingdom by Nuerhachi will no longer exist...ahem..." Emperor Taiqi coughed, covered his lips with a handkerchief, and wiped it hard. Bundle.

Mu Yongzhen glanced at his lips secretly, but didn't see any clues. He didn't know the extent of his father's illness, but he knew that the Emperor's time was probably running out.

Yesterday, he went to the Daming Palace and saw that there was no trace of blood on the Emperor's lips, which were glowing blue, which made him very scared.

"I should do something!" Mu Yongzhen lowered his head, an idea emerged in his heart, and he was deeply shocked by this idea.

"Third brother, please tell me what kind of reward should be given to Marquis Ning Guo?"

When Mu Yongzhen heard that he was called, he raised his head in shock, looked around, and then glanced at Emperor Taiqi's face and said, "Father, my son is stupid and I really don't know how to reward him!"

"You don't know how to award a reward?" Emperor Tai Qi asked in disbelief, his eyes seeming to show disappointment, "Are you really not sure how to award a reward, or do you dare not tell the truth in front of me?"

"My son, my son... I really don't know how to reward him!" Mu Yongzhen said bravely, how could he go back on his word? If so, his father would be even more afraid of him.

He had just offended Jia Cong and did not dare to do it again.

At this moment, Mu Yongzuo stepped forward and said, "Father, I have an idea."

"Say it!" Emperor Tai Qi's expression became much gentler, and there seemed to be admiration in his eyes.

"I was a classmate of Marquis Ning Guo in the past, and I knew him somewhat. He was not a greedy person, but valued friendship. I believed that the reward that Marquis Ning Guo wanted most was nothing else, but his relationship with Xian Xian. Ning’s marriage.”

"Nonsense, he already has a wife. Xianning is a royal daughter, how can she be his concubine!" Emperor Taiqi pretended to be angry.

King Zhongshun stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, earlier Ning Guohou went to Liaodong, and Xian Ning went with him. Although he had the duty of supervising the army, people didn't understand it. There was a lot of gossip in the capital. Fortunately, the emperor was considerate and recalled Xian Ning. I am very grateful!"

Emperor Taiqi couldn't help feeling very ashamed of his younger brother, and said, "Between you and me, there is no need to say such things. Xianning is working for me, and she has also made great contributions this time. I want to name her The princess of Zhenguo enjoys the princely salary!"

As a result, Prince Zhongshun received the royal salary of his parents. Mu Yongzhen couldn't help but become more and more jealous when he saw Prince Zhongshun. Mu Yongzuo must also have tried to win over Jia Cong and Prince Zhongshun, but he failed.

The two hit a tie!
Emperor Taiqi looked at Gu Mingchen and said, "Gu Qing, please tell me how to reward Ning Guohou appropriately?"

This should be the job of the Minister of Rites. Fortunately, he had already anticipated this move before he came and discussed it with Nie Wenda in advance. At this time, he stepped forward and said, "In response to the emperor, I believe that Marquis Ning Guo has contributed to the destruction of the country this time." , if you are promoted to a noble title based on merit, if you are promoted to a marquis, you should be a duke. I think that I can restore the glory of my ancestors, which is what Marquis Ning Guo wants!"

At that time, Emperor Taiqi had said that if Jia Cong had made great contributions, he would not be stingy with a county king. But when it came to this day, Emperor Taiqi was still reluctant and finally pulled the Shui family from the title of county king. After Geng Xi dies, the title of the county prince will be almost gone. Is it necessary to grant a prince who is not as good as a weak crown to create obstacles for the new emperor in the future?
At this moment, there was another little eunuch shaking his head at the door, and Wu Ji hurried over. It turned out that it was Jia Cong's memorial that had arrived, only one day later than the previous good news.

Emperor Taiqi suppressed his itchy throat and coughed a few times. There was a fishy-sweet taste in his throat. He swallowed it hard, took the memorial, and after reading it again, a smile finally appeared on his face. The memorial was handed to King Zhongshun and said, "Look at this kid!"

It was a memorial to ask for marriage, but the whole article did not suggest that he should stop his wife and remarry. Instead, he emphasized the relationship between himself and Xian Ning. They were deeply in love because they were from the same family, and he did not want to live up to his poor wife. He couldn't bear to let go of his feelings for Xian Ning, so he was willing to use half of his body to enter Prince Zhongshun's palace. If Emperor Taiqi agreed, he would smear his liver and brain on the ground to thank the emperor for his kindness.

The word "boy" means that the emperor is very fond of this marriage.

King Zhongshun was very moved after seeing this, and a huge stone was relieved in his heart. He knew that Emperor Taiqi refused to issue a decree to grant the marriage. First, he did not want to give Mu Yongzhen an advantage and make Jia Cong owe Mu Yongzhen a share. Favor, this is what King Zhongshun does not want; secondly, Emperor Taiqi still cares about the face of the royal family, so there is no way he would rush to marry his daughter to someone else, and ordinary people would not have such a thing.

Now that Jia Cong has made great contributions, Emperor Taiqi is reluctant to reward him with a royal title. If Jia Cong refuses to be rewarded, this problem will be difficult for Emperor Taiqi to solve, but it will be solved now!
"Your Majesty, if that's the case, I have nothing to say! As the saying goes, you can't keep a good girl!" King Zhongshun said with half joy and half reluctance.

Emperor Taiqi laughed and coughed, "In this case, I have no choice but to give up this jewel in my palm. Gu Qing's suggestion is also very good. Let's promote Ning Guohou to Ning Guo Gong. Speaking of Ning Guo Gong, I Then I remembered Duke Rong Guo. When I was young, I learned riding and archery from Duke Rong Guo. Who would have thought that his descendants would be so unsatisfactory. "

As soon as these words came out, Gu Mingchen was a little confused. He didn't know what Emperor Taiqi's intention was, but King Zhongshun knew it and said, "Your Majesty is kind. After thinking about my old minister, I have a selfish intention, so please fulfill it!"

After saying that, King Zhongshun bowed down.

Emperor Taiqi hurriedly bent down to help him up, but he was a little unable to do so. He told Wu Ji, "You can't see anything, please help me help the prince up!"

Wu Ji hurriedly stepped forward to give him a hand, and King Zhongshun got up. Emperor Taiqi said, "Between you and me, brothers, if you have anything to say, just say it. No matter how difficult it is, I will try my best to help you achieve it!" "

"Your Majesty, although I have no children behind me, having this daughter will be enough for the rest of my life. I only wish her well, and if that's the case, I don't want to keep Xian Ning at home to recruit a son-in-law. She and Jia Cong are from the same family. Over the years, We also know each other very well, and we will definitely have a good marriage in the future. I want to marry Xian Ning to the Jia family, but Jia Cong already has a legitimate wife, which is inconsistent with the etiquette."

Hearing these words, Gu Mingchen and others' hearts trembled, thinking that King Zhongshun wanted to force Jia Cong to divorce his wife, right?
Mu Yongzuo had already stepped forward and said, "Father, Uncle Wang, this must never be done. Jia Cong is an upright man, and he will never do anything to ask him to divorce his wife and remarry. "Emperor Tai Qi glanced at Mu Yongzuo, and King Zhongshun ignored him, but continued, "Jia Cong was originally from Rongguo Mansion, but now the title of Rongguo Mansion has been lost, and the emperor is a sage and wise monarch. In order to win the hearts of the people of the world, I sincerely ask the emperor to show mercy and allow Jia Cong to serve as the successor. In the future, can the lineage of Rongguofu be inherited by Xian Ning?"

Emperor Taiqi's eyes lit up, and he suddenly became enlightened and said, "I have been looking for someone suitable to inherit the title of Rongguo Mansion. Unfortunately, the Jia family has eight rooms, but there are no outstanding descendants. Xianning was raised by me and the queen. He is a great person, and his character is valuable. If Jia Cong falls down, I don't know how to reward him. What you said is really a win-win situation, and it couldn't be more appropriate."

After saying that, he looked at Mu Yongzhen and said, "You can rest assured in the future. The title of Rong Guo Mansion has a successor, and you are not afraid that Duke Rong Guo's spirit in heaven will be uneasy."

An alarm bell rang in Mu Yongzhen's heart. Over and over again, he felt his father's malice toward him. Could it be that his father's favorite candidate for crown prince was the fourth child?

Shui Rong didn't expect such an operation. He knew that the title of Jia She and Jia Zheng in the Rongguo Mansion was hopeless, but he should help fight for it both in public and private matters. He said, "Your Majesty, the lineage of Rong Guogong "Although Jia She is innocent, his brothers and sons are both virtuous people..."

The emperor looked at him coldly, his eyes colder than ever before. Shui Rong shuddered and heard Mu Yongzhen sternly say, "Marquis Beijing, do you want your father to renege on your promise?"

Shui Rong hurriedly knelt down, "I deserve to die. I'm guilty. Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

"Get up! It has been nearly three months since Wang Ziteng led his troops to suppress the rebellion. He has only fought less than five times, all of which were to wipe out small groups of rebels. So far, not a single leader has been seen. Shui Rong, do you think that when how?"

Shui Rong said, "Returning to the emperor, the Beijing camp was pulled out before it was completely reorganized. Wang Ziteng's opinion was to reorganize the military camp during the counter-insurgency, to survive the fittest, and to take advantage of this opportunity to develop a strong army. Wang Ziteng Being able to fight steadily and steadily, I think it is the style of a veteran general. Although he did not wipe out a large number of rebels, it frightened those rebels and made them unable to live peacefully in Henan.

I believe that the imperial court should order the surrounding commanders to organize their armies and prepare for war. Once there are rebels fleeing, they should join forces to surround them and annihilate them in one fell swoop. Then the Central Plains will be at peace. "

At this time, Emperor Taiqi felt that he had been deceived. This is what the so-called rectifying military affairs during the war means. If it succeeds, it will be a great achievement. If it fails, is this an excuse?

Without Jia Cong Zhuyu in front, Emperor Taiqi might have thought that this was a good idea, but with Jia Cong in front of him, the situation in Liaodong was calmed down in less than a year, and Jianzhou was wiped out in one fell swoop. Nuerha Chi was also sent to the capital, causing the Yi people outside the Great Wall to tremble and be in panic all day long.

According to the news obtained from the Jin Yiwei, Wang Ziteng was unable to restrain his generals at all. Those old oil men wanted food, wages, ordnance, but they were unwilling to lead their troops to fight. When Wang Ziteng was kidnapped by him, he had no choice but to obey his orders and even annihilate them. Some of those rebels were refugees who had not rebelled, and they were used to claim credit!
Emperor Tai Qi nodded slowly, "According to what you said, how long will it take for Wang Ziteng to quell the rebels?"

Shui Rong had never thought about this question and couldn't answer it for a while.

Emperor Taiqi of the Nan'an County Dynasty took a look, stepped forward and said, "Your Majesty, I think that giving the prince another half a year will be enough to make him meritorious!"

Emperor Taiqi fell down in anger, and that feeling came back. Back then, he was forced by the cabinet and refused to leave the Linjing Hall with government orders. Now, he was surrounded by these military generals again, and the same military orders prevented him from leaving the Linjing Hall.

"As the saying goes, a gentleman is a courtier. Geng Xi, do you think that I can only live for half a year?"

Geng Xi knelt down and said in fear, "Your Majesty, how dare I have such rebellious and unethical thoughts? Although I am not talented, my loyalty to the Emperor can be seen from the sun and the moon. I pray for the Emperor at home every day. I dare not one day If you are slacking off, please let the emperor show you clearly!"

Emperor Taiqi waved his hand. Seeing that he was tired, Wu Ji hurriedly made a gesture of invitation and ordered the ministers and princes to leave. The emperor only left King Zhongshun to speak.

"After all, I have softened my heart. I don't want the history books to criticize me verbally and write me down as a foolish king. But I didn't expect that I can live up to my own conscience, but I can't live up to the people of the world. How can I dare to close my eyes with peace of mind when the state affairs are like this!"

He was talking about the previous blockade of the Daming Palace. It was originally discussed by the two brothers. Only in the end, because the Daming Palace gave in in advance and closed the door, Emperor Taiqi stopped halfway.

Jiang is still too old. The Supreme Emperor no longer communicates with the courtiers, but he tinkers with his grandson and still opposes Emperor Taiqi.

King Zhongshun felt uncomfortable when he heard this, "Brother Huang's body is so worried and toiled, but it's not out of control now. Brother Huang should pay more attention to his health, listen to the doctor's words, and rest well."

King Zhongshun did not say a word about establishing the crown prince.

Emperor Taiqi had to evade, "I heard from the imperial doctor yesterday that my father's health has improved again. I am worried! If I make the third son the prince, he may not be willing to follow my advice in the future; I am worried. Si Dunhou, I am worried that he will not be able to deal with the courtiers and these generals. I have been hesitant in my heart and dare not make a decision prematurely.

But I am really worried about my body. If I fall asleep one day, I will never wake up again.I'd like to hear your opinion. "

How dare King Zhongshun get involved in these things, but the country of Dashun is also the country of the Mu family. His surname is Mu. When the real matter comes, he has no choice but to shoulder his responsibilities. He said, "Brother, who is suitable and who is not? My brother also I don’t know, but the reason why I chose to follow Brother Huang back then was because following Brother Huang would make me feel more at ease. I thought, maybe this is God’s guidance!”

Emperor Tai Qi closed his eyes, thought silently for a while, and said, "You have been the only one who has helped me the most. In the next life, I hope we can still be brothers!"

King Zhongshun said in his heart that he did not want to be reborn in this royal family in the next life, but he said, "In the next life, I still just want to follow my brother. The emperor can protect me. I have a request!"

"No matter what your request is, I will grant it, except for Xian Ning's title!"

King Zhongshun couldn't help but smile bitterly, "Since the emperor knows my brother's thoughts, why bother doing this?"

"Don't worry, I will choose a good prince who can protect her. She will not be wronged in the future."

After saying that, Emperor Taiqi stretched out his hand and held King Zhongshun's hand tightly. King Zhongshun felt grateful in his heart, and two lines of old tears fell down, dripping on the hands of the two of them. Emperor Taiqi lay on his back, with his eyes There were also two tears oozing out.

The news of Jia Cong's promotion to the nobility had spread throughout the capital. When the Ministry of Rites came to replace the plaque on the lintel of the Marquis of Ning's Mansion, Jia Zheng also came to see it, greeted the people from the Ministry of Rites, made arrangements to treat the guests to wine, and ordered Jia Ping to serve Got a big red seal.

In Rongqing Hall, Jia Mu heard the noisy sounds outside, and with a gloomy old face, she asked Mrs. Wang, "Is this really what people outside say?"

Xifeng's face also looked a little bad. She would feel uncomfortable if anyone took away the title that should have belonged to her husband. Even if this person was Jia Cong, who already had the title of Duke of Ningguo, he also took the title of Rongguofu. Occupying, one person occupies two titles, while the brothers have none. Is this fair?

Mrs. Wang said, "This will never be false again!"

After saying that, Mrs. Wang sighed and glanced at Baoyu sadly and distressedly. She pitied her Baoyu, who was born with a jade in his mouth, and all his good fortune was taken away by that bitch.

Jia Mu snorted coldly, "Jianzuo, your eldest master doesn't have only one son. Why do you want him to have Zongzuo?"

Xifeng said, "Old lady, if you put it this way, now that we live in this Rongguo Mansion, aren't we becoming dependents?"

(End of this chapter)