Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Outside the Yangxin Palace, Prince Beijing came out to meet the emperor. Dai Quan winked at him and said with a smile, "Your Highness, you have worked hard. Let me see you off."

Prince Beijing hurriedly bowed and said, "I dare not trouble the old internal minister."

"Hey, what kind of labor is this? It's tiring to stand in one place for a long time. I'll evacuate too, please." Dai Quan said with a smile.

"Your Excellency invites you." Prince Beijing said respectfully.

The two walked a few steps, and Dai Quan saw that there was no one around, so he whispered, "Now that the man is stuck with Concubine Yuan's case, we should prepare for a few other things."

Prince Beijing nodded and said, "The old Prime Minister has a perfect plan. He is secretly repairing the plank road and marching through Chencang. I admire you. I will do it when I return."

Dai Quan shook his head and smiled, "It's just a trifle, not worth mentioning. The case of Princess Yuan was investigated clearly, and it was not difficult for the Jinyiwei. To deal with an important official like Shao Bao, you must do something that is difficult to explain and makes things worse."

Prince Beijing said with a smile: "The Prime Minister has a good opinion. I am grateful for your advice. I hope you can give me more advice in the future. I will follow your instructions."

"Your Majesty, you're welcome."

Dai Quan smiled complacently. Now that he was gaining more and more power, except for Duan Zhun and Jia Cong who were not easy to deal with, who else in the court would dare not give him some power?

Even a natural noble like Prince Beijing had to bow down in front of him.

“I don’t mean to be polite. I am young and inexperienced. I still need to learn more from the eunuch in all matters, so as not to go astray.” Prince Beijing said sincerely, with a very respectful attitude.

"Okay, okay. If Your Majesty needs our products, just let me know." Dai Quan smiled and stopped when he saw an official walking quickly towards him.

"Your humble servant greets Prime Minister Dai and greets His Majesty."

Dai Quanen sighed and nodded.

Prince Beijing saw that he was busy, and hurriedly said: "Thank you for the grace of the old minister. The minister is busy with many things every day. Please stay, I will leave. Goodbye, Master Tu."

"My lord, walk slowly."

"Lord Tu, are you here to see the emperor? Did you see the celestial phenomenon clearly the other day?" Dai Quan said indifferently.

"Replying to the Minister, I have seen it clearly and I am here to report it to His Majesty."

"Is it good or bad?" Dai Quan asked.

Tu Fa looked around and whispered, "Reporting to the Prime Minister, this is a sign of great disaster, as it will shake the government."

Dai Quan laughed and nodded, saying, "I've heard that Lord Tu is very good at predicting fortunes and astrology, and his eyes are as sharp as a torch, and he can see through things like seeing through fire, but I didn't believe him. Now I see that his reputation is well-deserved, and it shows that there is no false reputation."

Tu Fa waved his hand and smiled, "It's all because of Prime Minister Dai's care and my colleagues' kindness. There's nothing I can do."

Dai Quan said, "I noticed something was wrong the other day. It's not a good sign. Lord Tu, just go in and report it."

Tu Fa hurriedly said, "Prime Minister Dai, rest assured. How dare I lie to you? I will report the truth."

"Come with me."

"Your Majesty, the Imperial Observatory's Director Tu Fa has requested an audience, saying he has something urgent to report."

Emperor Xifeng raised his head from the pile of documents and said, "Announce."

"Xuan."

"Your Majesty, I, Tu Fa, pay my respects to you. May your Majesty be well and safe."

"Stand up. What's the matter, Mr. Tu?"

"Your Majesty, I observed the celestial phenomena last night and saw Mars guarding the heart, the Purple Star was dim and unclear, and there was a demon star lurking nearby, occasionally emitting bloody light and invading the imperial palace, turning the world upside down and it was a sign of rebellion. It is really not a blessing for our country." Tu Fadao said.

Emperor Xifeng frowned and asked, "What does the celestial phenomenon indicate?"

Tu Fa kowtowed and said, "The will of heaven is vast and obscure, and it is difficult to judge clearly. I have worked hard to get only two prophecies."

"explain."

"The wind blows thousands of miles westward, and in spring, war breaks out in Beique."

Emperor Xifeng's eyes fixed, and he asked in a deep voice, "What do you mean?"

Tu Fa hurriedly said, "Your Majesty, these two sentences are what the celestial phenomena indicate. I have not yet figured out what exactly they refer to, so I dare not speak rashly."

"Go back."

"My minister retire."

Emperor Xifeng knew that the Imperial Observatory was always wise after the event and never wanted to explain what they said, for fear of being held responsible for saying something inaccurate. Afterwards, they could find hundreds of pieces of evidence to prove that their foresight was accurate.

However, these two sentences touched him deeply, and he did not dare to take it lightly, so he raised his hand and wrote the prophecy on paper, pondering for a moment: Xidu, does it mean that the Western Expedition is not going well?

War broke out in Beiquechun. Could it be that someone else will rise up in rebellion and attack the imperial city?
Thinking of this, Emperor Xifeng had already guessed something in his mind. He circled the words "Xi" and "Bei" with a pen and said casually, "Dai Quan, what do you mean by these two sentences?"

Dai Quan bowed in panic and said, "Your Majesty, I have not read much, so how can I guess the riddle of the Imperial Observatory? Please forgive me."

Emperor Xifeng glared at him and said, "Just speak when I tell you to."

Dai Quan said hurriedly, "Yes, yes, I am a humble servant. I heard that there is a word "Xi" in the first sentence and a word "Bei" in the second sentence. Together, they form a word "Jia..." Could it be a metaphor for someone with the surname Jia? It seems to be in line with what happened to Concubine Yuan the other day."

Jia? Emperor Xifeng's expression darkened. He also noticed this. Concubine Yuan was not worthy of the words "the wind blows westward" and "the war breaks out". Only the other "Jia" fits this meaning.

Jia Cong!

He is currently leading the rear army of the Western Expedition, in charge of transporting baggage and food supplies, and has also been involved in attacking the imperial city.

Dai Quan secretly glanced at the emperor's expression and knew that he had doubted Jia Cong. He laughed in his heart, "Jia Shaobao, oh Jia Shaobao, no matter how great your ability is, can it be greater than that of the emperor?" Little did he know that wisdom will lead to harm. How many child prodigies throughout history have had a good end?
-
"Ling'er, Cang'er, there are many strange flowers and plants in the valley below Tuobi Villa. Let's go to the garden and play with the plants. Look."

"I can't go today. I have to clean my study." Ling'er pouted her lips slightly and looked at the bunch of flowers and plants in Jing'er's hand, saying with a little envy.

Jing'er smiled and said, "Is your study room big? I have nothing to do, how about we clean it up quickly and then go play in the garden? Anyway, your master is not at home."

Cang'er hesitated and said, "The master's inner study has always been cleaned by only the two of us, and no other maids are allowed to enter."

Jing'er smiled and said, "I think you are afraid that the girls are not clean. Don't you trust me? Let's go in and out together and clean up quickly. Who knows?"

Ling'er's eyes lit up and she said, "This is a good idea. Since the master is not around and there are no personal soldiers guarding him, we just need to be quick and it should be done in half an hour." Since Pang Chao was handling all of Jia Cong's important documents and intelligence, all of them were kept in the outer study. The inner study was of little use. It was only used as a place for Jia Cong to receive guests and discuss secrets, and no one was usually assigned to guard it.

Dang'er thought about it and nodded.

In the past six months since Jing'er was given to Tanchun by Mrs. Wang, she "accidentally met" Ling'er and Cang'er in the garden. Because she was a little older, straightforward in dealing with people, generous, sweet-talking, and good-looking, she became good friends with the two of them. They often played together and their friendship grew stronger.

Therefore, both of them did not doubt this close friend and took her with them to clean Jia Cong's inner study.

"Let's hurry up. Ling'er wipe the shelves, Dang'er wipe the doors and windows, I'll wipe the tables and chairs, and sweep the floor later." Jing'er entered the study and started making arrangements casually.

The two knew that she was a favorite of Tanchun and had learned many skills from the Third Girl. They were convinced by her and agreed and went about their business.

Jing'er wrung out the rag and wiped the chair skillfully. Seeing that the two were not paying attention, she gradually wiped Jia Cong's large lacquered Huanghuali desk with gold-inlaid cloud and dragon patterns.

Taking a peek, I saw the four treasures of the study on the desk, including a jade incense burner, an agate brush washer, a brass paperweight, and a rosewood pen holder. Next to them were a cloisonné seal box and two gold-painted mahogany seal boxes with exquisite brass locks.

Jing'er was secretly delighted, and seeing that Ling'er and Cang'er were not noticing, she quietly took out a thin wire from her sleeve, twisted it into a special shape, and while wiping the table and moving things around, she gently opened the lock, quickly wiped it with her fingers, fished out the gold seal inside, and hid it in the palm of her hand.

He squatted down to wipe the legs of the table, then reached into his arms and took out a small box, which turned out to be a box of glue that had been prepared long ago. He pressed hard on it, and when he saw that the mark was deep and clearly visible, he returned the gold seal and locked it.

Her movements were so light and fast that Ling'er and Dang'er didn't notice anything.
-
In the inner study of Prince Beijing's Mansion, Shui Rong and Ma Shang were having a pleasant conversation.
Ma Shang smiled and said, "This is not difficult. Marquis En has had this idea for a long time, but he is worried about the reputation of the old lady and the clan. Now that the prince has made all the plans, he will gladly obey.

But I guessed what he was thinking, and it seems he wanted to ask for mercy from the prince."

Prince Beijing smiled and asked, "What does he want?"

Ma Shang glanced at the stunning woman who brought in the tea and said with a smile, "Your Highness knows Marquis En's temper. He has been so astonished by Miss Jinse since he last saw her that he has lost his appetite..."

Jinse's hands trembled and she almost knocked over the tea tray.

Prince Beijing glanced at her, laughed, and said, "Marquis En is indeed a man who cherishes women.

Please tell my brother Shi that after the matter is completed, I will not only give him the brocade harp, but also more than ten ancient fans passed down from my ancestors as a dowry. Wouldn't he like this?"

Ma Shang laughed and said, "In this way, he will have nothing to object to, and he will have no right to be angry. Since ancient times, fathers have always been in charge of their sons. How can it be the other way around?"

Prince Beijing nodded slightly, glanced at Jinse, and said, "Is there something wrong?"

Jinse forced a smile and said, "Bao Er from Rongguo Mansion is visiting us. Master, please see..."

"You can go and talk to him first, and tell him I'll be leaving after seeing the guests."

"Yes." Jinse Fuli withdrew, her heart having already fallen to the bottom and shattered. Thinking of Jia She's old face with dim eyes and sparse yellow teeth, she almost felt like vomiting.

Jinse was cold all over, and walked to the outer study like a zombie. A young man wearing a gold crown and jade belt hurriedly stood up and bowed, saying, "Baoyu greets Sister Jinse."

Baoyu was a frequent visitor to the palace. Because Prince Beijing knew that Baoyu did not like dealing with vulgar people, especially middle-aged and elderly men, he often sent Jinse to receive him, and the two of them became familiar with each other.

Jinse tried to cheer herself up and forced a smile, "Hello, Master Bao. Please take a seat. The prince is meeting a guest and will be out soon." After saying that, she sat blankly in the chair, just feeling sorry for herself.

Baoyu did not blame her for being rude. Seeing her distraught look, he hurriedly asked with concern: "Sister, are you worried? You may as well tell me and relieve your worries. Maybe I can help you with some advice."

Jinse glanced at him and shook her head silently. Just you? It would be better if it was your third brother.

Seeing that she was silent, Baoyu began to blame himself, folding his hands and stamping his feet, muttering to himself, "Oh, it's all my fault that I'm tongue-tied and can't help the girl to resolve her troubles. Damn it, damn it.

It would be nice if Brother Cong was here, um, no, no, it’s better if he doesn’t come.”

Seeing his stupid look, Jinse sneered and said, "You idiot, what's wrong with others? It has nothing to do with you. Why do you blame yourself? Why do you say it's good one moment and bad the next?"

When Baoyu saw her jade-like face thawing, it was as if the spring wind had broken through the ice and rippling the spring water. He was so stunned for a moment that he forgot to answer.

"Idiot." Jinse rolled her eyes at him and sighed.

Baoyu was startled, his soul returned to its place, and he said hurriedly: "I feel sad when I see that the young lady is unhappy. I wish I could beat and scold myself to make her feel relieved."

Jinse pursed her lips and smiled, saying, "What does that have to do with your third brother?"

Baoyu said, "Brother Cong is very sweet-tongued and knows how to please girls. If he is here, he will definitely make the girl happy instead of sad."

Jinse thought of her last encounter with Jia Cong, shook her head and smiled, "He's not as sweet-talking as you. Why can't you say it well again?"

Baoyu smiled and said, "If he were here, Miss would not talk to me, so it is better for him not to come. If Miss has anything to say, please let me tell you."

Jinse covered her mouth and laughed, "You are quite clever."

Baoyu smiled bitterly and said, "As the saying goes, every failure makes you wiser. I have failed many times and have become a little smarter."

Jinse had heard of Jia Cong's "heroic deeds". Suddenly, she had an idea and thought about what Prince Beijing and Ma Shang had just said, which seemed to be related to Jia Cong.

Yes, yes, when the prince asked Jia She to do something, Ma Shang said, "He has no choice but to be angry. Since ancient times, fathers have been in charge of their sons, how could it be the other way around?" This clearly means that Jia She is resentful of Jia Cong.

Could it be that the prince and Ma Shang are plotting to use Jia She to deal with Jia Cong?
Yes, that must be the case! As long as I tell Shao Bao this news, he will return the favor and save me from suffering.

Yes, he will definitely save me. He is a man who values ​​friendship and loyalty. In order to save a concubine, he even disregarded the imperial edict. What is the King of Beijing in his eyes? And the person in front of him is the perfect person to pass on the message.

In an instant, many thoughts flashed through Jinse's mind. Her eyes moved and fell on Baoyu's face. Seeing his infatuated look, she laughed in her heart. How could brothers with the same roots be so different?
"Master Bao, I do have a favor to ask of you." Jinse pretended to be sad.

Baoyu hurriedly said, "Sister, please tell me what you want. As long as I can do it, I will do it even if I die."

"This is not difficult to do. I just ask you to give a message to Jia Shaobao for me. Make sure you deliver it to him today."

"What did you say? I will tell you." When Baoyu heard that it was Jia Cong again, he became angry. So all the beautiful girls in the capital were related to him?
Jinse bit her lip, looking as if she couldn't speak anymore.

It was not until Baoyu repeatedly asked that she shyly said, "Please tell the Shaobao that Jinse is pregnant with his child and ask him to take me out immediately."

"What?" Baoyu was shocked. The bastard Jia Cong had actually come to cause trouble in Prince Beijing's mansion.

"Shut up." Jinse said hurriedly, "I would be dead if people knew about this. Master Bao, the lives of my mother and son are in your hands." After saying that, Yingying stood up and bowed.

Although Baoyu was angry at Jia Cong's shamelessness and vulgarity, he felt more pity for Jinse and said hurriedly, "Don't worry, I will go back and tell her."

"Thank you, Master. I will report back someday."

Jia Baoyu bowed slightly and hurriedly left. (End of this chapter)