Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Chapter 665 Intrigue
The three of them discussed for a while, and then Jia Cong sent Niu Jizong out and returned to the garden.

Everyone was still feasting and chatting happily in the Grand View Tower, admiring the lanterns, guessing lantern riddles, and watching the fireworks. It was quite lively and festive.

When they saw Jia Cong coming in, they all stood up to greet him.

"Has the reward from elder sister been distributed? Cong missed it last time when he was in Liaodong, and he will not miss it today." Jia Cong said with a smile.

Everyone laughed.

Grandmother Jia laughed and scolded: "You monkey, you only know how to talk nonsense, where is missing you."

Princess Yuan smiled and said, "I was negligent last time. Today I have prepared two points for my third brother." Then she ordered the palace servants to check and reward them.

The eunuch knelt and said, "All the gifts are here. Please check them and I will reward you according to the rules." Then he presented a brief summary.

After reading it, Princess Yuan said, "Do as you wish."

"Yes."

All the rewards were distributed at once. In addition to the masters of the two mansions and the prominent figures, the managers, daughters-in-law, old women, servants, kitchen servants, actors, acrobats, and miscellaneous people in the garden all received rewards. There was immediately thunderous cheers and everyone expressed gratitude in unison.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have also prepared a small gift for you, big sister." As he spoke, he waved his hand, and Qingwen came up with a tray of books, smiling.

Princess Yuan asked curiously, "What book?"

"These are some stories that I thought of when I was free. My sisters have also contributed a lot. They may help me relieve my boredom when I am bored in the palace." Jia Cong said with a smile.

Princess Yuan smiled and said, "My brother actually has such talent. Show them to me. The Return of the Condor Heroes and The Smiling, Proud Wanderer, eh? They don't seem like ordinary novels. I'll take them back and take a closer look."

Jia Cong glanced at Baochai and the others, and said with a proud smile: "How dare Cong present such ordinary stuff to my elder sister?"

"You are thoughtful." Princess Yuan said with a smile.

Grandmother Jia glared at Jia Cong and scolded him with a smile, "Since you have such a good story, why don't you ask someone to tell it to me? It shows that you are a monkey who only knows how to climb up the social ladder."

All the girls covered their mouths and laughed.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I heard that the old lady likes to listen to festive and lively stories. Cong's story is thrilling and full of love, and it talks about the underworld. I'm afraid the old lady doesn't like it."

Grandmother Jia waved her hand and smiled, "Those stories about women are always about talented scholars and beautiful women. They are forced and full of loopholes. There are thousands of them and they all follow the same story. What's the point? Since there is a new story, it's worth listening to it."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Since the old lady is so interested, please ask Sister Feng to go and talk to her when she is free. She is just as good at speaking as the maiden."

All the girls smiled and said yes.

Wang Xifeng gave Jia Cong a blank look and gladly accepted the order.

Suddenly, the eunuch in charge said, "It is already three quarters past midnight. Please return to the palace."

When everyone heard this, their expressions darkened.

Princess Yuan couldn't help but burst into tears again, but she forced a smile, held Lady Jia's hand and couldn't bear to let go, repeatedly admonishing: "Don't worry, take good care of yourself!

If you miss me, just look inward. Now that my third brother is on the rise and is favored by the emperor, there is no need to worry about not having a day to visit you, so there is no need to be sad. "

Grandmother Jia and others were crying so hard that they were choking with sobs.

Although Princess Yuan was reluctant to leave, she had no choice but to get on the carriage as the royal rules could not be violated.

The crowd here finally managed to persuade Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang to stay and helped them out of the garden.

As soon as the phoenix carriage left, Wang Fei flashed out from the side and whispered: "Master..."

Jia Cong tilted his head slightly and whispered, "What did you find out?"

"I just talked to the eunuch and learned that things are not going well in the harem. Chief Steward Dai has been less concerned about Concubine Yuan and has turned his attention to several other young concubines and noble ladies..."

Wang Fei quickly reported the intelligence he had just received, and added at the end: "I have already arranged a contact method with him, and there will be information every day."

Jia Cong sneered after listening to this, and said calmly: "It doesn't matter, just protect the Empress Yuan and don't ask for the emperor's favor."

Today, the Jia family is no longer a declining family that relies on the protection of a noble concubine. Concubine Yuan’s favor is just icing on the cake and is not necessary.

"Yes."

After seeing off Princess Yuan, Jia Cong led everyone back home and quietly got into Baochai's carriage on the way.

"Is there something wrong, Cong'er?" Baochai asked hurriedly when she saw that he seemed to be worried.

Jia Cong nodded and whispered, "I will arrest Shi Nai in a few days, confiscate his property and exile him. You should give Sister Yun some advice."

Ah? Baochai was startled and said, "What happened? How did it come to this?"

Jia Cong sneered, "Shi Nai bullied the people in Shandong, abused his power for his own benefit, and made the people live in misery and resentment. He brought this upon himself!"

Baochai said worriedly, "What about the old lady..."

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "Just push it onto me, I will explain it to the old lady."

Baochai sighed, "Cong'er, I know you have the right idea, but Jia, Shi, Wang, and Xue have been relatives for a hundred years after all. Isn't this destroying your own Great Wall?"

Jia Cong smiled and pinched Baochai's cheek, saying, "I know that Sister Bao is virtuous, but the situation has changed now, and I can't afford to consider our friendship.

To tell you the truth, the Shi family has already sided with the prince's lineage, and they dared to go against me. Not only Shi Nai, but also Shi Ding will be eliminated sooner or later, otherwise how can I convince others? Sister Bao just needs to know this."

Baochai saw his eyes gradually turn cold, and knew that he had made up his mind, so she nodded and said, "I understand. Since Zhilan is in power, we have to get rid of her.

I don't understand the affairs of the court, I will do whatever you say. I'm just afraid that the old lady and Yun girl can't bear it."

Jia Cong pondered and said, "Yun'er lost her parents when she was young. She didn't have a comfortable life in the Shi family for a few days. She may not have any feelings for these two uncles.

Besides, I have many sisters to accompany me at home, and I am happy, so I am not afraid of anything. As for the old lady... I will rely on you, Sister Bao, to help me out."

Baochai sighed softly, "The old lady is already old, if she suddenly hears bad news..."

Jia Cong said calmly: "Don't worry, I won't do it myself. If the old lady is obsessed with this, there is nothing we can do.

I can't just hold back just because I'm her family and leave such an obvious loophole for my political enemies."

Baochai nodded slowly. Cong'er was indeed not the type to be bound by others. Last year, when he promoted the new law in Jiangnan, he killed many people from the four major families without showing any mercy. Only people like him could accomplish great things.

Jia Cong glanced at her and sighed, "Sister Bao, I am in the court and have no choice. I hope you don't blame me."

Baochai hurriedly held his hand and said softly, "I naturally understand your difficulties. Now that you are in a high position and have many heroes under your command, you are no longer alone and can do whatever you want. Sometimes you have no choice but to do many things you don't want to do."

"Baochai is truly a virtuous wife." Jia Cong sighed.

Baochai smiled and said, "Do we still need to be polite to each other?" Jia Cong smiled and said, "I can only talk to you about these things."

Baochai's eyes flashed with joy, and she pursed her lips and said, "Could it be that Ruyi and Pin'er would not understand you? I don't believe it. Stop saying nice things to scare me."

Jia Cong smiled bitterly and shook his head. Only the Xue family had few people who could be completely controlled by him without any unexpected changes.

As the struggle in the court became increasingly fierce, the princes began to get deeply involved in politics. He was also suspected by the current emperor. He was afraid that he would inevitably have some conflicts with the two of them in the future. How could he dare to create trouble? He should be thankful that there was no fire in the backyard.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong's heart suddenly moved. This time Sun Qiu was striving to join the army in the Western Expedition, which might be a tacit understanding reached with the four kings.

Another inference almost immediately emerged in his mind: the four kings supported Sun Qiu to take over the sacred weapon, and Sun Qiu broke the convention and gave the four people more military power, using them to control the military, so they hit it off.

Jia Cong sneered slightly. He had some ideas. He knew how to pull the four princes onto the chariot. Unfortunately, you were not the only smart person in the court. Who could you deceive with such a trick? At least, he could never deceive Empress Chen.

"Cong'er is thinking so deeply about something." Baochai asked curiously when she saw the mocking look on his face.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "I think the Queen must have been like you when she was young, smart, sensible and beautiful."

Baochai blushed and spat, "I'm going to die. How dare you gossip about the queen behind her back! Be careful, someone might hear it."

"Your Majesty has a mind as vast as the ocean, how could you care about these things?" Jia Cong smiled and hugged Baochai.

"Stop talking."

"Okay, let's talk about how to play tonight."

"Pooh."
-
When Concubine Yuan returned to the palace, it was already the hour of Yin. When the ceremonial procession passed through the corridor outside the Yiku Palace, it alarmed Concubine Wu inside.

"But has Princess Yuan returned from her visit?" Concubine Wu asked, lifting the soft silk curtain with a pattern of the rising sun and the singing phoenix.

The two palace maids who were on night watch beside the bed went out to ask and came back to report, "Your Majesty, it is Concubine Yuan who has returned to the palace."

There was a hint of coldness in Concubine Wu's bright eyes. She snorted coldly and put down the tent.

Among the first batch of concubines who came to visit their parents, there were several others besides Concubine Yuan, including her and Concubine Zhou.

This time the Emperor only showed grace to Concubine Yuan. How could the concubines in the harem not be jealous? However, since Jia Cong was in the limelight and had great power in the court, they had to suppress their resentment and even put on a smile and congratulate him.

Sure enough, at daybreak, Concubine Zhou came to walk around the Yiku Palace.

"Sister, did you sleep well last night? I came to pay my respects to you." Concubine Zhou was in her prime, and there was a hint of resentment in her beautiful big eyes.

Concubine Wu smiled and exchanged a few pleasantries with her, ordered the palace servants to serve tea and snacks, and jokingly said, "Sister, you didn't come here so early just to say hello to me, did you? We sisters should just talk if we have something to say, why beat around the bush."

Concubine Zhou was not very shrewd. She smiled and said, "I really have a few words in my heart that I can't help but speak out. Looking at the harem, only my sister can speak out her private words."

Concubine Wu waved her hand to dismiss the people around her, saying, "Sister, you can speak freely. It comes out of your mouth and enters my ears, and no third person will know."

Concubine Zhou lowered her voice and said, "Yesterday, the lady from Fengzao Palace went to visit her parents again. She was so grand that even the Empress gave her half a set of ceremonial guards. She is the only one in the palace who has such honor and favor. Why?
In terms of hard work, moral character, family background, talent and appearance, poor people like us naturally cannot compare with her. However, if compared with her sister, she may not necessarily have the upper hand.

Not only did my elder sister give birth to the Fourteenth Prince, but your father also came from a family of scholars, and was a successful candidate in two imperial examinations. He has now been promoted to the Right Hall of the Ministry of Rites.

As for her, she had been in the palace for many years but had no children. Although she was born in a duke's mansion, she was not the eldest wife.

His father is just a minister of the Ministry of Works, but he relies on Jia Cong's influence and ignores everyone in the palace except the Empress. It's really infuriating!"

Upon hearing this, Concubine Wu's polite smile faded and she said, "Sister, it's fine for you to say this here, but be careful with your words outside. That person has many eyes and ears in the palace, and I'm afraid he could cause trouble if he speaks out loud."

Lady Zhou sighed, "I understand this, but it's just a thorn in my throat, so I came to you to talk about it.

Now, from the Empress Dowager down, the four imperial concubines are the most honorable in the palace. Imperial Concubine Fei and Imperial Concubine Li are old and ugly, and the Emperor's favor fades. However, since the mother's sons bring honor to her, they just rely on their positions and are not worth mentioning.

Only my elder sister and the Imperial Concubine Yuan are favored by the emperor and are in their prime, so they have a chance of taking that position."

Concubine Wu's eyes fixed, she glanced at Concubine Zhou, and whispered, "What do you mean, sister?"

Concubine Zhou covered her mouth and laughed, "Sister is the smartest person. How can you tease me? That position has been vacant for a long time. Now is a golden opportunity."

Concubine Wu waved her hand and said, "I don't understand what my sister means."

Concubine Zhou simply asked, "Sister, are you interested in the position of Imperial Concubine?"

Concubine Wu felt warm in her heart, took a deep breath, and shook her head, saying, "Your Highness is a great ruler both at home and abroad, and a model for the whole country. Everyone in the court and the country admires and respects you. How dare I have such unreasonable thoughts?"

Lady Zhou said, "As the sage said, one should not shirk one's responsibilities. If you keep being too modest, I'm afraid that this position will be usurped by someone with bad intentions, which will not be a blessing for the country."

"Since the Emperor ascended the throne, this position has been vacant until now. It is out of respect for the Empress Dowager. How could he give it to anyone easily?" said Concubine Wu.

"Sister, you don't know. This is a different time." Concubine Zhou said with a smile.

Concubine Wu had guessed a little bit in her heart, and she smiled and said, "My sister is well-informed, but I am not as good as her. Please give me some advice."

"I dare not. I also heard it from Little Li, who is next to Dai Zongguan, the other day.

Sister, think about it, the Jia family is too prosperous now. Jia Cong is not even twenty yet, but he is a Duke, in charge of the military power and the imperial prison, and a royal consort. He was also given the title of Grand Guardian the other day, and your sister is a royal concubine. Won't he be a powerful official in the future?

The most important thing is that he has always been doing business with Chen Guojiu, and he calls the Second Prince and the Tenth Prince brothers. If something unspeakable happens in the future, who can stop it?
Could it be that Your Majesty can watch a Dong Zhuo or Cao Cao appear in the dynasty? Therefore, it is only natural to establish an imperial concubine to contain the queen. "Noble Lady Zhou whispered.

Concubine Wu nodded gently and said, "That makes sense. Is this what Your Majesty meant?"

Lady Zhou said, "It was Chief Steward Dai who guessed what Your Majesty meant, and Little Li guessed what Chief Steward Dai meant. I think it's not 100% accurate, but it's about 70% accurate."

Concubine Wu was very clear in her mind. She knew that Concubine Zhou was trying to sow discord between her and Concubine Yuan. She was just waiting for the two tigers to fight and one of them would be injured so that she could fish in troubled waters.

There is no need to pay attention to her at the moment, it is better to keep her to charge into battle.

Yin deliberately sighed and said, "What my sister said does make sense, but we are alone and powerless, so what can we do even if we know?
Everyone knows that the Queen Mother treats Jia Shaobao as her own son, and she also cares for Concubine Yuan very much.

Dai Neixiang is as close to him as a brother. I think we should just let this happen naturally. We'd better be prudent and protect ourselves, and not get involved in this muddy water."

Concubine Zhou hurriedly said, "Sister, what you said is wrong. It is precisely because the Empress treated the Jia family too well that His Majesty is wary and thinks that she has the intention of competing for the throne.

Dai Neixiang, who was in charge of the East Factory, had already had a grudge against the Jinyiwei, and he was His Majesty's man. If His Majesty wanted to deal with someone, would he still help that person? He would definitely be the first to take action.

If my sister can join hands with Dai Neixiang, wouldn't it be easy for her to become the vice queen?"

Concubine Wu smiled faintly and said, "Since my sister said so, you must have a plan in mind. I would like to hear the details."

Seeing that she was interested, Concubine Zhou hurriedly whispered, "I have a crude method, but it's unpleasant to hear. Please give me some advice, sister.

Your father is now in charge of the Ministry of Rites... Why not do this and that, and Prime Minister Dai will make more efforts. If they collide, it will be a torment both inside and outside. Even if the Jia family is powerful, I am afraid they can't bear it."

(End of this chapter)