The Concubine Wushuang of Red Mansion

Chapter 88 Self-destruction of the Great Wall
Outside the door, a maid shouted, and then a burst of noise came in.

When the old lady saw the fire outside the window, she stood up in fear and felt dizzy. Fortunately, Xifeng stepped forward and supported her.

"Old lady, don't worry, I'll go and see what's going on?"

"Come on, come on, it's still snowing outside, why is the water gone!" The old lady was so anxious that she burst into tears. The ancestral hall was still there. If it was burned down by a fire, she would be under the Nine Springs. How to go to see the Duke?

At this time, Mrs. Wang did not care about the lawsuit between Baoyu and Daiyu, and hurriedly got up and rushed people to take a look and report.

Jia Zheng was still in the study room outside, discussing the present and the past with a group of Qing guests. Lai Da walked in quickly and reported, "Master, something happened over there in the East Mansion. The troops and horses of the five cities and the Jingwei have all gone to take the people." The locks are taken, and there are a lot of men and women, and they are going to be sent to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment!"

Jia Zheng was so shocked that he couldn't speak. His guests hurriedly asked, "For what?"

Jia Zheng also woke up and asked, "Tell me, what's the reason?"

Lai Da knelt on the ground and was speechless for a long time. He was anxious to be asked, "Gather a crowd, gather a crowd... lust... lust... lust!"

Lai Sheng of Dongfu is the younger brother of Lai Da. They are the biological brothers of Aunt Lai. Because Aunt Lai was the maid brought by the old lady from the Shi family's childbirth. When the old lady became the maid of this house, Old Feng Jun, two brothers, one is in charge of the East Mansion, and the other is in charge of the West Mansion.

For such a thing!
Jia Zheng felt as if he had been stripped naked. His vision went dark and he fell forward.

There were so many people in front of him, but they wouldn't let him throw himself on the ground and hurriedly supported him.

Jia Zheng's legs were weak, his whole body was limp, and a mouthful of blood spurted out.

All the Qingqing guests were so frightened that they were asked to go in to report, to ask for a doctor, and to support Jia Zheng to comfort him, all of them were in a hurry.

"You don't need to say anything. You actually did such a thing. What will your ancestors think when they see it in heaven? How come my Jia family has such unworthy descendants!" Jia Zheng's face was pale, and two lines of tears fell.

When such a scandal broke out, it was hit by the two yamen of Wucheng Bingmasi and Jingwei at the same time. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't cover it up.

"I heard there are still refugees here!"

"Refugees? How come there are refugees coming in?"

"There were two groups of people, the people led by Lu Qianhu of the Beijing Guards and the people led by Deputy Commander Zhou of the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses. When they saw the refugees entering the courtyard of Dongfu, they guarded the door. They originally planned to talk to Dongfu first. I said hello from the other side of the mansion, but no one was in charge there. Later, when I saw a fire in Tianxiang Tower, the two adults led the people and rushed in."

Jia Zheng simply couldn't imagine the situation over there and asked, "Speak quickly!"

"The people from Lu Qianhu arrested the refugees and identified them on the spot. They said that Yu Lu gave them money and asked them to hunt down Mr. Cong. By some mistake, Mr. Cong ran into the east yard. I hid in the house and brought them in, just in time to see something happened at Tianxiang Tower, and ended up falling into the hands of the imperial court."

Lai Daxin said, these refugees are really unlucky!

Jia Zheng spat out another mouthful of blood, "Yu Lu gave them money and asked them to hunt down Mr. Cong? Are these words serious?"

"I don't know whether I take it seriously or not, but those refugees identified Yu Lu as the real one."

"What about Brother Cong?" Jia Zheng asked.

"Originally, the matter involved Third Master, who was going to the Yamen to be questioned. Third Master is an official. Lu Qianhu only asked Third Master if he was being hunted by refugees? Third Master said yes. Third Master's The carriage was still parked at the back door of Dongfu. The carriage was blocked by a crossbar and could not move before it was caught up by the refugees. The people who were with Third Master were also found for questioning. Lu Qianhu asked Third Master Cong to go back. ”

This is a done deal!

The fire alarmed the neighbors. Most of the people living around were nobles. In the past, they would not look up when they looked down. But when they saw a fire in the East Mansion, the flames shot up to the sky. They could even be seen in the imperial city. The fire armor nearby and the people from the two mansions were visible. The servants rushed over to put out the fire, and everyone was dumbfounded when they saw the men and women enclosed by the Jingwei and the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses, shivering in the cold wind.

As the saying goes, good things don't go out, and bad things spread thousands of miles. The news that Jia Zhen, the Duke of Ningguo, gathered people for promiscuity and caused the fire, spread throughout Kyoto in less than a cup of tea.

In the palace, in the Dongnuan Pavilion of Linjing Hall, Emperor Taiqi was still reading the terms prepared by the Ministry of War.

He did not expect that Nurhachi was just the commander of the Jianzhou Left Guards appointed by Dashun. In the tenth year of Wanqing, he raised the army with his ancestors and father's [-]th deputy. In a few years, he unified all the Jianzhou ministries and a small tribe. It turns out that "Dajin" has now been established and it is its own Khan.

Is this a way to compete with Dashun?
The policy of the Ministry of War is naturally to focus on attack. If they cannot take the initiative to attack now, Nurhaci will soon rebel, which will grow step by step and cause catastrophe.

In fact, Nurhaci's power is not small anymore, and the entire Jurchen Department is under his control.

However, before the troops and horses move, the food and grass go first. Once the troops move, the money will flow out like water. Emperor Taiqi is not a stingy king, he just has no money in his hands.

According to the memorial issued by the Ministry of Household Affairs yesterday, officials will have to rely on in-kind salary deductions to tide them over this month.

Dashun also has more than 20 treasury offices in the capital. The warehouses containing silver are empty. However, the physical goods paid by various states and counties now fill the treasury, ranging from pens, inks, paper, inkstones, pots and pans, to firewood, rice, oil, salt, sauce, vinegar and tea. , everything you need.

These things were originally for the daily needs of the court, but the supply exceeded the output. The accumulation over the years has resulted in a considerable amount.

Zhao Songcai, the first assistant and minister of household affairs, came to see Emperor Taiqi. He asked him to select a few items in stock and distribute them at a discount as salary to the officials. This not only reduced the pressure on inventory, but also solved the problem of making food without rice.

Song Hong tiptoed in and placed a cup of tea on Emperor Taiqi's hand. Emperor Taiqi put the note on the table and asked, "Has Zhao Song left the Daming Palace?"

When Song Hong heard this, his heart skipped a beat. How did the emperor know that Zhao Song had gone to the Daming Palace?He quickly replied, "It's time for a cup of tea."

"Hmph, you dog slave, do you think I don't know what you are thinking? You must be thinking, how did I know that Zhao Song went to the Daming Palace?"

"Your Majesty is wise, strategizing within the walls, and has a keen eye like a torch. Naturally, this slave's thoughts cannot be hidden from His Majesty!" Song Hong was so frightened that his legs trembled and he was unable to speak. Accompanying the emperor is like accompanying a tiger. If he wants to live a long life, If you don't understand it at all, you won't be able to figure out the holy will.

Emperor Taiqi was naturally in a very bad mood. The Ministry of Household Affairs only had 20 taels of silver. The Supreme Emperor did not leave any of it for him. He appropriated it all for the Holy Shou Festival next year. Now the officials in the capital depend on it for their salaries. If the real thing is discounted, what will the officials think of him as the emperor?

What prestige does he have?

In this matter, the chief assistant and the minister of household affairs blindly obeyed the emperor and did not think about the country and the country. He was afraid that he had forgotten that he was the chief assistant of Dashun, not the emperor.

Presumably, just now in the Daming Palace, the Supreme Emperor and Zhao Song were still deciding how to ridicule him as an emperor!
Emperor Taiqi closed his eyes, unable to drain away the anger in his heart. Is there any emperor as aggrieved as him from ancient times to the present?

At this moment, Dai Quan of the Daming Palace arrived. Although Emperor Taiqi was extremely angry, he did not dare to neglect the first minister in front of the Supreme Emperor. He kicked Song Hong and said, "I'm blind." My slave, Eunuch Dai is here, please come in quickly!"

"The emperor calmed down because of the war in Liaodong, right? The Supreme Emperor also didn't sleep a wink all night. Who would have thought that Li Qian just died and such a big thing happened in Liaodong. However, the Supreme Emperor also said that it was not a big deal. , Then wasn’t Nurhachi once a shrimp soldier under Li Qian’s command? No matter how long he grows, can he still grow into a carp? "

Li Qian was the former Commander-in-Chief of Liaodong. After his death, the Commander-in-Chief's son was succeeded by his son Li Haopu. In less than half a year, Nurhaci refused to accept his blame and started a rebellion.

"What Eunuch Dai said makes sense! Father, have you rested?" Emperor Tai Qi was very polite. At this time, he had to stay calm.

He was able to fight his way out of a group of princes and sit on the throne during the Iron Web Mountain Incident, which was beyond the expectations of the Supreme Emperor. His ability to cultivate Qi was certainly first-rate.

"I haven't rested yet. Something happened again. How can I sleep?"

When Emperor Taiqi heard that something had happened, his heart skipped a beat and he smiled, "Even if something happens again, how big of a deal can it be, and can it disturb his old man's Qingxiu?"

"If other things can no longer disturb the Supreme Emperor, he will become a god in the future. Only if the capital is in trouble, it is of great importance, so it will disturb the Supreme Emperor."

Emperor Taiqi's eyes were as sharp as lightning, and he glanced at Song Hong. Song Hong's legs trembled, and he gently stepped back, telling the young eunuch, "Why don't you go and take a look, where did the water leak out?"

After Dai Quan finished speaking, he left. He could also see that up to this moment, the emperor had not received any news. If he stayed too long, wouldn't he cause trouble to the emperor?
"Your Majesty, it's the people from Ningrong Street who have gone into the water. Prince Zhongshun, the commander of the Beijing Guards, Xia Jin, wants to see you!"

"Xuan!"

Hearing that the fire on Ningrong Street was not that big, Emperor Taiqi was relieved. It was just a matter of leakage, and it was not an exaggeration for the Supreme Emperor to intervene.

In the 19th year of Yongjia, a fire in Fengtian Hall burned down the first three halls; in the 16th year of Wanqing, the three main halls that were just built caught fire again, burning from Fengtian Gate to the left and right corridors outside the Meridian Gate. Until now, the three main halls have been burned to the ground. None have been built yet.

When Emperor Taiqi ascended the throne, he still made do with it in Linjing Hall. Therefore, Emperor Taiqi originally told Dai Quan that he came because something had disturbed the Supreme Emperor, and felt that he was adding fuel to the fire.

He, the emperor, didn't even know about things outside the palace, but the Supreme Emperor knew about them.But since it was a matter of cheating, the little firemen in his palace could see it, so they didn't think it was strange.

After heaving a sigh of relief, King Zhongshun and Xia Jin came forward. Emperor Taiqi was in a much better mood. When the two of them bowed, he asked, "Why are you so late?"

"Your Majesty, the Tianxiang Tower in the back garden of Ningguo Mansion has burned down!" King Zhongshun said with a somewhat mysterious tone.

"The fire was not big. I saw it in the palace. Since it was extinguished, forget it. Although I asked the Beijing Guards to strengthen patrols, it was because the New Year is approaching and there are many refugees this year. I don't want to disturb the security of the capital and cause trouble. It doesn’t look good.”

King Zhongshun was one of the few close ministers and brothers of Emperor Taiqi. He thought that King Zhongshun came in to apologize for the fire, so he comforted him with good words.

"Brother Imperial, if it was just because of the burning of a building in Duke Ning's Mansion and the fire did not spread, how could I dare to come in so late and disturb Brother Imperial!"

"What's the matter?"

King Zhongshun's face was filled with a smile, and he said, "Just then, when the Jingwei and the Wucheng Military and Horse Division were fighting the fire in Ningguo Mansion, they arrested a group of refugees and obtained evidence of the Ningguo Duke's collusion with the refugees to commit murder. There was also a Qian Xungui gathered a group of people for lewdness and was caught doing it."

Emperor Taiqi's eyes widened, "Who are the nobles?"

"The Duke of Repair, the Duke of Xiu, the Duke of Zhen and the Marquis of Jinxiang. These families have always had close ties with the Duke of Ning. These are the leaders. Xia Jin has already drawn up the specific list."

Xia Jin took out the fold from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

Emperor Taiqi read the ten lines at a glance, and he was immediately elated. Four princes and eight princes gathered in a group. All the inheritors of these four families came, and people from the other three families, Liguo Gongfu, Qiguo Gongfu and Zhiguo Gongfu also participated.

The only one where no one is involved is the Rongguo Duke's Palace. Unfortunately, it is the same as the Ningguo Duke's Palace. Even if the Rongguo Duke's Palace wants to stay out of this matter, it is impossible.

This is a big case and a scandal.

Emperor Taiqi couldn't help but asked with interest, "What have you done? Why did they gather so completely all of a sudden? Are they still exposed to the public?"

Prince Zhongshun smiled and had to say, "Brother, it all starts with the twelve fans. There is a shop specializing in selling paintings on Qipan Street. The boss is good at painting flowers, birds and figures. , I heard that he started out as a painter of erotic palaces. A few days ago, by chance, he painted twelve fans, which depict a story..."

"Brother Huang also knows that the imperial court has been in peace for a long time, and these noble disciples have nothing to do. They look for some new and obscene things every day. It just happens that the stories on these twelve fans are so well told that everyone wants to know them. One person got one, so Jia Zhen posted a message in the name of enjoying the fans. On the day of Laba, they all went to Tianxiang Tower of Duke Ning's Mansion. "

King Zhongshun stopped talking about the next words and looked at Xia Jin.

"I have accepted a disciple, Jia Cong, the grandson of Rongguo. Every day after he goes to school in the palace, he will go to my house to practice kung fu for a while. Yesterday, I gave him a few more pointers, and it was snowing heavily. When he went back, It was already dark. When Jia Cong was in the back street of Duke Ning's mansion, he encountered a group of unruly people."

Emperor Taiqi's expression turned a bit bad. Nowadays, there are already so many refugees in the capital, and you can imagine it outside.

"Those refugees set up obstacles on the street to block carriages, and Jia Cong's carriage was stopped. Although I asked the Jingwei to strengthen patrols, they could not cover everything. Those refugees were so audacious that they chased Jia Cong all the way. Jia Cong Entering from the backyard of Duke Ningguo's mansion, they actually followed him closely.

The gate of the backyard was not far from Tianxiang Tower, and it was only a few steps away. Just in time, there was a fire inside. The Jingwei and the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division arrived. They saw those people coming out to avoid the fire, so they caught up! "

King Zhongshun took over and said, "The commotion was too ugly. A bunch of men and women came out naked. If they were just let go, where would the dignity of the court be? As a last resort, Jingwei imprisoned them all in the prison of the Ministry of Punishment, waiting for the emperor. Holy Inquisitor!"

Even though Emperor Taiqi's heart is as deep as the sea and his power is unpredictable, he can't help but feel happy at this time. The four kings and eight princes are hugging each other. In the army, as an emperor, he can't put his hand in or splash water. Now, Destroying the Great Wall, what will happen to them?

This time, even if Emperor Tai Qi wanted to be noble and let them go, it would be difficult. Who made Ning Rong's second house have a big feud with Gu Mingchen first?

"Last time, how was the investigation in Dongshanyuan? Did Mr. Gu say anything?" Emperor Tai Qi asked.

"Back to the emperor, Mr. Zhao has said that they originally wanted to make Jia Cong look good!"

"Why do those refugees want to shout and kill Jia Cong?"

King Zhongshun knew that the emperor was suspicious of Jia Cong again. It had to be said that he was also suspicious, but there was currently no evidence linking Jia Cong to this matter.

"Your Majesty, the leader of the refugees also recruited them. He said that a steward of Duke Ning's Mansion found them and paid 100 taels of silver to kill Jia Cong, so they set up an ambush on the road. Who knows, Jia Cong can also run fast? , entered the back yard of Duke Ning’s Mansion, and ran all the way to Tianxiang Tower, it was just a coincidence!”

"You also think this is a coincidence. There are not so many coincidences in this world!"

King Zhongshun could not answer this. Even if Xia Jin knew something about his disciple, he would not confess it in front of the emperor.

In the Daming Palace, the Supreme Emperor sat on a futon cushion, squeezing the sword in his hands and closing his eyes tightly.

He had just taken the elixir and was dissipating heat. Although it was a very cold day, all the doors and windows were open. The heavy curtains and gauze curtains were dancing in the cold wind. The rolling wind was rolling up in the huge hall. His Taoist robe was blowing in the wind. But he is extremely docile and has an air of immortality.

Dai Quan had to do something, so he didn't wear mink fur. He was shivering from the cold, and he didn't dare to show off his partiality.

"Gathering a crowd...for lewdness?"

In order to cultivate Taoism and become an immortal, the Supreme Emperor, who had not touched women for a long time, only felt that the words "promiscuous" and "promiscuous" were far away from him. After hearing Dai Quan's words, he could not believe his ears that there was still such a way in the world.

And these nobles who he relies on have fallen to this point?

A huge sense of crisis arose, and he, who had no mood swings for a long time, threw out the copper chime and pestle in his hand, "You bastards, you bastards, who gave them such courage?"

It is conceivable that this time, how big a deal they handed to the emperor. Would the emperor let go of such a good opportunity that could uproot the four kings and eight princes?

"Your Majesty, I'm afraid this matter cannot be covered up. The movement was too big and there were many people who saw it with their own eyes. The Jingwei and the Wucheng Army and Horses Division were working at the same time. Many nobles were captured from Ningguo's mansion. The seven great princes The government has a share."

"You bastard!" the Supreme Emperor said angrily, "Where's Jia Jing? He has raised such a thing that corrupts the foundation of his ancestors. How can he survive in Xuanzhen Temple?"

Dai Quan was also trembling with fear, "Your Majesty, the last time Ning Rong and his subordinates, General Ci Fu, were offended, and the civil servants and military generals have always been at odds with each other. Tomorrow in the court, those censors will not let it go!"

They are a bunch of picky people, a lampstand that is eight feet long - it shines on others but not on their own.

In Duke Ning's Mansion, Jia Zhen, Jia Rong, and a group of nobles were carried like carrots. After the locks were taken, they were rushed one by one, in the ice and snow, along the street to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment. Lost face.

Without the old man, Youshi came to Xifu crying again.

In the Rongqing Hall, even if Jia Zheng vomited two mouthfuls of blood, he could not lie down to rest. His face turned the color of gold paper, and he sat on a chair with a finger-width smear on his forehead. ,moan and groan.

The old lady was sitting on the Arhat's bed with a livid face. She pointed at Youshi who was kneeling on the ground and cursed, "Normally, I don't even say a few words of advice to your master. Let him do such a thing. If it's for other reasons, I've killed a few people, but as long as they don't rebel, it doesn't matter to people like us. But where can I put my old face in this matter?"

"It's all my fault!" Youshi covered her face and what else could she say. She had never thought of such a thing. How could she advise him in advance?But the old lady scolded her and she could only listen.

Jia Lian stood on the ground, looking at Youshi's enchanting figure, his eyes felt hot, and he was a little lucky that he couldn't let go of his family affairs today and didn't go east. Otherwise, if he went, he would be trapped.

He also thought that Brother Zhen, who has the character of his sister-in-law, always keeps it at home and does not use it. He only makes trouble with a group of concubines and plays such tricks, so he is not afraid of hurting his sister-in-law's heart.

Suddenly, Xifeng glanced over with a sharp look, and Jia Lian felt a sudden tightening on the tip of his tail. He cleared his throat, looked away, and gave up the random thoughts in his mind.

"Have you told me to send someone to Xuanzhen Temple?"

"Not yet. The city gates are closed today. Even if we send people, we can't get out of the city."

The old lady had no choice but to order, "Send someone to tell us tomorrow morning. Who can we trust if this happens now? Everyone is trapped. Even if there is still someone who can say a word to the palace, it is not easy to use this kind of thing." To put it bluntly, wouldn’t this have brought shame on several generations of our ancestors?”

Jia She said from the side, "I heard that those people were led in by Jia Cong. What's going on?"

　I’ve been really busy lately, so there’s only one big chapter.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)