Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 365 Secretly assassinating Chen Cang

Zhen Yingjia smiled and invited tea, and Jia Cong responded vaguely, talking about the reason for his departure.

"My good nephew is here. He has the emperor's mandate. If he can be used by our family, it doesn't matter. He is all serving the imperial court and must not be separated." Zhen Yingjia said with a smile.

Jia Cong smiled and said: "Tan Mansion has been in the south of the Yangtze River for a long time. It has deep connections and great prestige. From now on, I will be in trouble to help you."

"Okay." Zhen Yingjia smiled and said, "But if it's useful, just send someone to spread the word. Shibo is old, and it's time to pave the way for you young people."

"Xie Shibo is so righteous."

Zhen Ji smiled at the right time and said: "Brother, I want to ask you something. Yesterday, I had a drink with several senior brothers, and I heard that Tiqi arrested many children from the four families.

Because you are now in charge of Jinyiwei, I agreed to inquire for them. If you are the emperor's messenger, just pretend that I didn't say anything. "

Zhen Yingjia frowned and said, "You are too ignorant. You can inquire about Jin Yiwei's affairs? There is no need to embarrass Brother Cong."

Jia Cong smiled and waved his hands, saying: "Shi Bomo, if you want to blame the eldest brother, it's not a big deal, let alone the emperor's emissary.

But a report came from below, saying that the four great families of Jinling had been really dishonored in recent years, and many of their disciples had committed evil deeds. How could Cong An, who was in charge of the Jin Yiwei, know the truth without correcting them, and treat relatives and friends well? So he sent someone to arrest the person who had committed the crime. "

"I see, the national law is ruthless. What you did above is in line with God's will and below the people's sentiments. Well done. The emperor really saw you right." Zhen Yingjia twisted her beard and smiled.

Zhen Ji said: "That's true, but how do they say it's for the purpose of implementing the new law?"

"Oh? My nephew is here for the new law?" Zhen Yingjia said.

When Jia Cong saw the father and son singing harmony and making up his own words, Jia Cong secretly laughed in his heart. He really regarded me as an ignorant child.

Yin waved his hands and said: "How can this matter? The new law is a major political policy of the imperial court. It is a matter for consideration by military ministers, court princes, and local governors. What does it have to do with Cong?"

Cong was just a garrison officer in Liaodong, and he implemented the new method for a few days, which had some effect.

So when I came back yesterday, I mentioned this matter to the relatives and family friends of the four families. I said that our family has received favors from the emperor for generations, and we usually suffer from being unable to repay the favor. Now that we have this method, wouldn't it be a good way to repay the imperial court? Chance? "

Zhen Yingjia nodded and said, "That makes sense. What do you all the family friends say?"

Jia Cong smiled and said: "The elders of each family are kind and say that this matter is of great importance and we need to go back to discuss it. Cong is just making a suggestion. Whether the new law is feasible or not is not up to each family to decide for themselves. How can Cong dare to force it?"

This was one of the strategies Gu Tao wanted to break the situation, to build plank roads openly and secretly attack Chen Cang.

Let Jia Cong not mention the new law publicly, but secretly use other reasons to coerce the families and officials into submission, so as to avoid a strong backlash due to the implementation of the new law and force the wealthy families to swallow this dead fly.

Zhen Yingjia nodded repeatedly and said: "My nephew's words are reasonable and reasonable." But he felt very troubled in his heart. If Jia Cong was stunned and carried the banner of the new law, arresting people and killing people, he would not be afraid. In this way, he would become the leader of the Jin Yiwei. Daily cases would be difficult to handle.

Zhen Jiwei pondered for a moment and said: "That's it. Brother Shi, Brother Yu has some shallow opinions and doesn't know whether to talk about it or not."

"Brother, it's okay to say it. Cong is all ears." Jia Cong cupped his hands and said.

"Then I'm not telling you what I'm saying, so please listen to me. Now that you are the admiral of Jinyi, these four families are close friends with your family. Since you have committed a crime, you should avoid suspicion, so as not to be criticized and get some praise.

Why not transfer them to Jinling Mansion? In this way, you can abide by the national laws, avoid suspicion, and take care of the friendship of the family. Wouldn't it be the best of all three? "Zhen Ji said.

Zhen Yingjia looked at Jia Cong with burning eyes and said slowly: "Stepbrother's words are quite mature." This sentence actually euphemistically expressed the Zhen family's attitude.

Jia Cong pondered for a while and said: "Cong is deeply grateful for the great virtue that my eldest brother has planned for me, but I have heard people say that you should not avoid enemies when doing things externally, and you should not avoid relatives when doing things internally. It is also the same thing if you want to handle a case.

As long as you have a steelyard in your heart and are worthy of the court, worthy of the country's laws, and worthy of the people, you can do whatever you want, and there is no need to avoid anything.

The four families have been entrenched in Jinling for many years and are deeply rooted. Jinling Mansion may not be able to handle their cases, so I will handle them myself. Even if some people praise or criticize them, let them go. "

Zhen Ji glanced at Zhen Yingjia and sighed: "What Brother Shi said is correct, but we are old friends after all. Can we give him a small punishment or a big warning? It won't hurt the harmony."

Jia Cong said: "Brother, what I'm saying is that Cong is not an unkind person. Yesterday, I gave an order to let those with minor crimes go free. The rest of them are all involved in murder cases, and Cong really can't help."

Zhen Ji wanted to say more, but was interrupted by Zhen Yingjia raising her hand.

"Stepbrother, there's no need to say it. How can the state's laws be different from person to person? What my nephew did was fair and strict, combining leniency with severity. No one would be dissatisfied even if he thought about it." This sentence means that the Zhen family will no longer interfere in this matter. thing.

"Shibo is overly praised." Jia Cong cupped his hands and said.

Zhen Yingjia smiled and said: "There is no serious business in inviting my nephew over today. I just want to say farewell. Since you left last year, the old lady and their sisters have always talked about you and asked me to invite you to come."

I said that you were guarding the border for the country in Liaodong. How could I say that you would just come back? When you returned to the court after your term of office, you were busy with official duties and couldn't leave. Finally, you went south this time, which was convenient for both business and private matters. "

Zhen Ji also smiled and agreed.

Jia Cong smiled and thanked him, thinking that he owed him a favor, so he said: "Last year, thanks to the help of Uncle Lin, Uncle Lin's salt business was able to go smoothly. Cong has always been aware of this in his heart. Today, I have a few words to say. I speak from the bottom of my heart to my uncle."

Seeing his serious expression, Zhen Yingjia hurriedly said: "What kind of advice does my nephew have, but it doesn't matter."

Jia Cong paused for a moment, glanced around, and Zhen Yingjia hurriedly retreated.

"Shibo, do you know why I went south this time?"

Zhen Yingjia hurriedly said: "I would like to hear the details."

Jia Cong whispered: "A few days ago, I handled a short-term corruption case in Beijing. Does Shibo know about it?"

Zhen Yingjia said: "I learned about it from the residence newspaper."

"Well, because of this case, the Emperor remembered the empty warehouse case again, saying that all the warehouses in Shenjing were in deficit, so how could the local government be spared?

Those with the most abundant warehouses naturally prefer Jiangnan. Therefore, I was sent south to investigate two things thoroughly. One was to investigate the deficits of all levels of government offices in Jiangnan, and the other was to investigate the lawlessness of various aristocratic families. "Jia Cong said seriously.

"Is this true?" Zhen Ji asked hurriedly. If you talk about the word "deficit", the Zhen family is doomed.

The four pick-ups that year cost a lot of money, and I don't know how much money was lost. A small part was spent on the Supreme Emperor, and most of it was embezzled by the Zhen family and officials at all levels. In addition, in the past few decades, the Zhen family has been a powerful figure in the Jiangnan officialdom. Even the governor's office has given him three points. In the salt business, weaving, sea trade and other industries where he has made a fortune, he has also been eating and drinking freely. If we want to seriously talk about his losses, Come, it will definitely be a disaster.

Jia Cong sighed: "If this were not the case, why would Cong have to operate on his close relatives? He really endured the heartache and scraped the bones and cured the poison for his family friends and family in order to avoid catastrophe. It is sad that he couldn't express his painstaking efforts, but he suffered. A thousand people can point it out.”

Little fox, the acting seems real. According to what you said, the four families should be grateful to you, but the shortfall is also a bit troublesome.

Zhen Yingjia's expression did not change, and she raised her hands to the sky and said: "My emperor is wise, these two things are really stubborn local problems and should be thoroughly investigated. My good nephew has a heavy responsibility, so he must be careful."

Jia Cong said: "What Shibo said is absolutely true. If Cong thinks about the deficit, if he takes it seriously, I'm afraid it will involve too much, which will not be a blessing to the country. Not to mention Jiangnan, the provinces are not afraid of the same. As long as they can wake up in time and make up for it. , that’s all.”

Zhen Yingjia said: "The words of my wise nephew are very good, which cannot be understood by the noble man. I wonder if you can teach me?"

"I don't dare. Cong thinks that if local officials can repent, make amends in time, and make up for the lost money and grain, neither Governor Gu nor Cong will seek blame and get to the bottom of it, and everyone will be happy. Wouldn't it be great?" Jia said. Cong cupped his hands and said.

Zhen Yingjia said: "My good nephew has a kind heart, and I admire him. To be honest, back then, the Supreme Emperor made six southern tours, and my family picked them up four times. Our financial resources were not good, and we also lost some money and food. I wonder if my good nephew has any good ideas?"

Jia Cong smiled and said: "Back then, before the new law was implemented, the local financial resources were meager, and the emperor's travels were carried out with great pomp and expense. How could he not be short-changed? Shibo didn't have to worry too much.

It's not a big deal for Governor Gu to come. If Shibo has raised money and food, he can just discuss it with Governor Gu directly. Cong only cares about investigating the case, not collecting money. "

"Thank you, my dear nephew, for your kind words." Zhen Yingjia smiled and cupped her hands. Her thoughts changed quickly. Jia Cong's words had two meanings. He talked openly about making up for the shortcomings, but secretly stood up for the new law. It seems that he is going to fight with Gu Tao this time. Joined forces.

"Since the Holy One has an edict, how can I not obey it? I will go and talk to Governor Gu now. Stepbrother, take Brother Cong to see the old lady and the others.

Dear nephew, please forgive me for being with you. "Zhen Yingjia didn't want to miss this opportunity to join the new party, so she stood up and said.

"It's not like I'm an outsider, and I still care about these false etiquette. Uncle Shi has something to do, so you can go and do it. Cong being here is no different than going home."

Jia Cong smiled and said that he had already revealed the secret, and it was up to Zhen Yingjia to listen or not. If he could return the stolen goods honestly, even if he failed to become an official, there was still hope of keeping his family safe, and it would be a favor to him.

"Okay, Shibo will be happier if you can call this place your home." Zhen Yingjia smiled and nodded.

"Brother, please come with me." Zhen Ji led Jia Cong in.
-

In the inner hall, the old lady of the Zhen family was talking to several daughters-in-law and grandchildren. She knew that Jia Cong was visiting the house today, so the topic always revolved around him.

The second wife smiled and said: "Rongguo Mansion has really produced a remarkable young man. He earned an earl's hat for the family at a young age, and he was highly regarded by the saints. He is in charge of the Royal Guards. It can be said that he has achieved great success at a young age and has brought glory to his family."

Everyone said so.

The third wife smiled and said: "It doesn't matter whether you are a high official or a small official. It's just that this kind of talent is rare. He is a heroic young man with a handsome appearance. His literary ability is comparable to that of Li Du, and his martial ability can win decisively on the battlefield. It would be great if such a handsome man could become our son-in-law." .”

The old lady smiled and said, "That's right. I've long thought that Brother Cong is a good person."

Everyone laughed and looked at Zhen Yuan.

Zhen Yuan's pretty face immediately turned red, and she turned away, feeling ashamed and angry. This bastard was greedy for sex, showed no mercy at all, he was really a playboy.

In the past few years, Jia Cong's love poems have been heard from time to time. Zhen Yuan has already seen what kind of person he is, secretly resenting the wrong love and vowed to forget it.

However, Jia Cong's poems were so moving that they left traces in her heart time and time again. Even now, they are already unforgettable in her mind. How can she forget that bold erotic act.

The eldest lady glanced at her and said with a smile: "In the past few years, I have asked people to inquire carefully, but the Rong Mansion has not yet appointed anyone. I think Mrs. Shi will treat him as a treasure, so she must choose a good one. "

The old lady smiled and said, "This is natural. Now that the girl Xiu has come out of the palace, the girl Chuo has settled on a family, and the girl Xian is still young. I think there are only three girls in our family who are a good match."

"What the old lady said is absolutely true." Everyone agreed with a smile.

"Third girl, do you want your sister-in-law to be a matchmaker for you?" Chu Chan said with a smile.

Zhen Yuan couldn't pretend any longer, stamped her feet and said angrily: "You know how to make fun of people, so I'm too lazy to care about you." After saying that, he threw himself into the old lady's arms and said coquettishly: "Old lady, look at my sister-in-law, they know how to make fun of you." You don't care if you bully me."

The old lady hugged her and said with a smile: "When men get married, women get married, there's nothing to be embarrassed about. I think Brother Cong is good. If you don't like it, I'll ask your wife to choose another one for you. How about that?"

"Old lady...you are laughing at me too." Zhen Yuan was so ashamed that she twisted her body to act coquettishly, how could she dare to deny it.

Everyone laughed.

Chu Chan secretly sighed in her heart, "Third girl, you are so blessed that you don't know how to be blessed. You are still being pretentious here. Now that the right man in heaven and earth comes to your door, why didn't I meet him back then? If I did, I would have eloped." I'll go with him too.

The second wife suddenly said: "Last year I heard that Brother Cong had some relationship with the girl from Lin Yanyuan and the girl from the Xue family, and he also wrote several wonderful love poems, one "Magpie Bridge Immortal" and one "Yanqiu Ci" , the commotion has become known to the whole world, I’m afraid Mrs. Shi has already made plans.”

Suddenly the hall fell silent, and everyone was silent.

Zhen Yuan's expression was even more gloomy. Compared with these two poems, his "Happy Meeting" was far behind. It was obvious that in Brother Cong's heart, he was not as good as these two people.

The old lady was someone who had come before. She smiled slightly and waved her hand and said: "Young and handsome young man like this, he comes from a wealthy family and he is very talented. How can he not be romantic? What girl doesn't love him?"

Therefore, what is the value of some romantic affairs and a few confidante? If not, it would be strange. Brother Cong is also seventeen or eighteen years old. If these two girls are interested in Mrs. Shi, why have they never decided to marry him? "

Everyone nodded, and Chu Chan smiled and said: "The old lady is still well-informed, I think Mrs. Rongguo wants to find a girl with first-class family background, appearance, and character.

If you think about it carefully, Miss Lin has lost her mother since she was a child. The Lin family is not prosperous and has a weak foundation. The Xue family is just an imperial businessman with a lower background, so how can it compare to our third girl. "

Everyone laughed and said yes.

After being analyzed by everyone, Zhen Yuan felt a lot more at ease. She just blushed and spat, but did not refute.

The old lady smiled from ear to ear and said, "My stepbrother and daughter-in-law are right. I will give you an errand. You can mention it to Brother Cong in private later to see what he means."

"Yes, old lady." Chu Chan agreed with a smile, feeling secretly happy in her heart.

(End of this chapter)