Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

The women gathered around and saw that there were more than ten wounds on his chest and back. Although they had long since healed, one could imagine how brutal the battle was. They all asked distressedly, "Does it still hurt?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "It doesn't hurt anymore. Do you understand?"

"Understand what?" the girls asked curiously.

Baochai, Daiyu, Chuchan and other smart ones had guessed something, so they just rolled their eyes at him and said nothing.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Think about it, even a warrior like me who was born as a martial arts champion and wears precious armor and is invincible, has been injured repeatedly, let alone Hua Mulan? If she was injured... hehe, could she hide it from others? The military doctor must have feasted his eyes."

"Ah, shameless!"

"Dirty!"

Ruyi, Daiyu, Xiangyun and others blushed in anger and hit Jia Cong with their fists.

Jia Cong gently stretched out his arms and embraced the three girls, saying with a smile: "Why do we need to fight when we are discussing academic matters? If you have any profound ideas, I am all ears."

"Who wants to discuss academic matters with you? I am too lazy to pay attention to you and you won't let go." Daiyu said angrily, knowing that when it comes to these "academic matters", they are no match for Jia Cong.

Jia Cong shrugged, secretly pinched Xiangyun's waist, and said, "Forget it. My eagerness to learn and make progress has been in vain. I'll go in and change my clothes. I was ambushed by Qiaojie today.

Come with me, Yun'er. I have a new set of clothes. You will look very handsome in them."

The girls rolled their eyes at him. Everyone knows what you are up to. What new clothes? If you want new people, just say so.

Qingwen and Jin Chuan'er had already pulled Xiangyun in with a smile.
-
The next day, there was a court meeting.

Because Jia She was seriously ill, Jia Cong naturally took leave and stayed at home to "attend to his illness."

Today's court meeting started normally. Various civil officials reported on their affairs. Li Meng reported on the progress of the military in suppressing the rebellions of the chieftains in Qinghai, Hunan and Guangxi. Wang Ziteng reported on the progress of the war in the Western Regions and the transportation of money and grain on behalf of Jia Cong.

When Emperor Xifeng heard that the money and food were abundant, morale was high, and the transportation was going smoothly, he smiled and nodded in praise: "If we win this battle, Qiu Qing and Jia Qing will have made great contributions.

Send an order to the soldiers on the Western Expedition, hoping that the army will fight bravely and advance forward. I am waiting for the news of victory in the capital."

"I obey your order." Wang Ziteng bowed.

Dai Quan sneered and winked at someone.

Then an imperial censor came out and said, "I have a memorial to report."

"Accurate."

"Someone threw this thing into my house last night. I was horrified after seeing it, but because it concerns the safety of the country, I dare not not report it." The man said as he took out a thin envelope from his sleeve.

The ministers were startled, and they keenly realized that something big was going to happen! They all looked at the envelope. Needless to say, what was written inside must be earth-shattering, otherwise it would not be called "the safety of the country".

Emperor Xifeng looked gloomy and said, "What's the matter? Report it to me."

"Yes. In my hand is a letter from an important official in the court who is making friends with a general at the border with the intention of doing something bad. The letter asks him to train the troops and win over the people's hearts and wait for the right opportunity, and also gives him 100,000 taels of silver. Attached to the letter is a poem of rebellion."

When Emperor Xifeng glanced around, all the ministers lowered their heads, secretly wondering who had such courage.

"Humph, I didn't know there was such a powerful figure in the court. Who wrote the letter and who did he associate with?"

"Your Majesty, this is... this is a letter written by Grand Tutor Jia Cong to Liaodong Jiedushi and General Yang Xiong. Please read it." The censor said in a deep voice.

Dai Quan hurried down to take the letter and presented it to the emperor.

"That's nonsense. If it was written by Jia Shaobao, how did it end up in your hands?"

"If there really was such a big event of killing nine clans, would Yang Xiong leave a handle for you to report him? Who would be so stupid to rebel?"

"How ridiculous! Last year, Tu Fei, Zhong Shun and others plotted a rebellion. The Jinyiwei searched their homes but didn't find any letters. How come you can produce letters when Jia Shaobao is plotting a rebellion?"

"Today, the world is peaceful and prosperous, and the people are all loyal to Your Majesty.

Although Shao Bao has some military power, he cannot cover the sky with one hand. After Tu Fei's rebellion, the capital is on high alert. Shao Bao is not a fool who doesn't know military affairs. Why would he rebel?"

"This is clearly a frame-up, and the means used are clumsy. Your Majesty, please look into this matter!"

Because Jia Cong was not there, Niu Jizong, Wang Ziteng, Feng Yuan and others all spoke up to refute.

The censor sneered, "What you say is true, but the letter has the signature and seal of the Grand Protector, and such a secret letter must be written by hand. The three departments and the factory guards are all experts in investigating cases. We only need to compare the handwriting and seals to know the right and wrong."

Everyone was slightly stunned. There was nothing wrong with what he said. If Jia Cong really wrote this letter, it would be troublesome.

Another imperial censor came out and said, "I think this letter must have been sent by someone with ulterior motives, perhaps someone close to Yang Xiong, who stole it out of loyalty and sent it to the palace censor through someone else.

As for the reason why Yang Xiong left this letter, it was naturally to leave a backup plan, fearing that Jia Shaobao would not admit it in the future and think it was a threat. This also makes sense. "

"That's right. This is common sense. Your Majesty, please make the decision." Several ministers echoed.

Emperor Xifeng slowly scanned the letter and saw that it was exactly as the censor had reported. The text was obscure and contained double entendres, implicitly expressing the intention of recruiting.

Thinking that Yang Xiong was originally from the Jia family and had long been on good terms with Jia Cong, he had already believed it to some extent. Then, when he read the anti-poem at the end, he could not help but snorted coldly and said, "Tell Jia Cong to come to the emperor immediately."

"Tell Jia Cong to come to the emperor immediately..."

Several eunuchs, carrying the emperor's oral order, whipped their horses and quickly left the palace to deliver the message.

Jia Cong was having fun in his house when he suddenly heard the angel coming and hurried out to greet him.

The eunuch delivered the order, saying indifferently, "Young Master, please."

Jia Cong glanced at Pang Chao and said with a smile, "Thank you for your hard work, angels. Please sit for a moment. I'll go after I change my clothes." He waved his hand and Wangcai hurriedly handed over a big red envelope.

Several eunuchs' expressions suddenly improved, and they smiled and said, "Young Master, please do as you please. I'll be waiting."

Jia Cong asked, "I wonder why His Majesty has summoned me so suddenly?"

The leading eunuch looked around and whispered, "At the court this morning, someone brought out a letter written by Shao Bao to Yang Xiong, the general of Liaodong, saying that Shao Bao had rebellious intentions and even wrote some rebellious poems."

Jia Cong nodded slightly, went in and had a quick discussion with Pang Chao, then changed his clothes and followed the eunuch into the palace.

Baohe Hall

Jia Cong walked in slowly amid the worried, mocking, encouraging, or gloating gazes of the civil and military officials on both sides, and bowed with his clothes lifted.

"Your servant Jia Cong has been summoned to come and see the emperor."

Emperor Xifeng looked at Jia Cong with a cold gaze and said, "Mr. Jia, someone has taken out this letter, accusing you of colluding with generals at the border and intending to rebel. My ministers have different opinions, and I find it difficult to make a choice. Take a look at it yourself and see if you have anything to say." After that, he waved his hand and ordered someone to give the letter to Jia Cong.

"I obey your order." Jia Cong looked calm. He took the letter from the eunuch and read it carefully. Pang Chao had already taught him how to deal with such fake letters.

The letter was not long, only two or three hundred words. When Jia Cong read to the end, he found a poem in opposition, which read:

The kite flies to the sky, the fish leaps in the abyss

You guard the border, I stay in Chang'an

The common people are in dire straits, and the heroes are heartbroken

Xiao Xiao sword energy, depressed and unhappy

Where can I find a brave warrior to cleanse the mountains and rivers?

The poem is ordinary and the language is simple, but the intention of calling on Yang Xiong to work with him is clear. It is clearly an anti-poem.

After reading it, Jia Cong flicked the letter and sneered, "Your Majesty, this letter paper and envelope are what I am used to. The handwriting and seal are so real that they can be mistaken for real ones. The most amazing thing is that the tone and wording in the letter are exactly the same as mine.

If I didn't know in my heart that this letter was not written by me, it would be difficult to tell the authenticity. There is also my seal of the Duke at the end of the letter. I ask the Ministry of Rites to take my seal and keep it on file for comparison."

Emperor Xifeng nodded and said, "Yes."

Not long after, an official from the Ministry of Rites came in with a file. After the meeting, Jia Cong handed him the letter and said, "Check to see if the seal on this letter is real or fake."

The official took it and opened the file of Jia Cong's seal. He compared it carefully in the hall and said, "Your Majesty, the 'Dingguo Seal' on the letter is exactly the same as the one on file at the Ministry of Rites, without a single mistake."

These words resounded like a thunderclap throughout the Golden Palace. Jia Cong's party was greatly shocked, while all the New Party members, except Lin Ruhai, sneered.

Only Jia Cong looked calm, standing with his head held high, without any fear at all.

Emperor Xifeng asked, "Does Mr. Jia have any objection?"

Jia Cong bowed and said, "Yes. Just now, this gentleman compared the seal on the letter and said it matched my seal. I have no objection to this. However..."

He glanced at everyone in the hall and sneered, "This letter is a forgery. Fake things can never be real, just like fake antiques and calligraphy and paintings. No matter how realistic they are, they are still full of flaws in the eyes of experts."

Emperor Xifeng said calmly: "Do you have any explanation?"

"Your Majesty, this letter has three major flaws. First, the title is wrong. The letter says 'Your Excellency the General Military Governor' which is too formal and polite.

"I have always been very casual in writing letters, and General Yang is an old friend of my family. I usually address him as 'Uncle' when writing to him, so why would I address him as 'Jiedu General'? If I want to persuade him to rebel, wouldn't it be more intimate to address him as 'Uncle'?"

"That makes sense." Feng Yuan and others saw that there was a way, and hurriedly spoke up to express their support.

"Secondly, the seal is wrong. Cong never used the seal of the Duke when writing letters, but the forger did not know it and was afraid that he would put me to death, so he deliberately used this seal. If it was a private communication, why would he use the official seal?
My Lords, do you also use official seals when writing letters? Lord Feng, you use the seal of the Minister of Revenue when writing letters? Jiang Zhongtang, you use the seal of the Grand Secretary of Wenyuan Pavilion when writing letters to others? Isn't this a joke? "Jia Cong laughed.

Jiang Feng and Feng Yuan also waved their hands and laughed, "How can this be absurd? When we write to friends, we always use our private seals to sign and stamp our letters. This is not an official document, so why use the official seal? It will make you laugh."

"That makes sense." All the officials nodded in agreement.

Everyone in the New Party looked gloomy. This was indeed illogical, but it was difficult to refute.

"Third, the poem is wrong. Look at the anti-poem at the end. Those who are familiar with Cong should know that Cong only wrote poems to give to beautiful women. Apart from his two brothers, he never wrote poems to other men.

Even if he was plotting a rebellion, why did he write such a ridiculous poem and send it to General Yang? My Lords, is this the limit of Cong's poetry?

Forgive Cong's wild words, it is easy for a forger to imitate Cong's handwriting, but it is difficult to imitate Cong's poetic talent! "Jia Cong shook his head and laughed, it seems that being the most talented person in the world also has its advantages.

The New Party members' faces turned even darker. You shameless bastard! We called you here to defend yourself, not to brag.

Everyone in the hall laughed. Although this sentence was crazy, it was natural for Jia Cong to say it. Compared with Jia Cong's previous poems, this anti-poem was indeed far different.

Feng Yuan smiled and said, "I bet that even if this letter was written by Jia Shaobao, this poem was definitely not written by him! Do you agree with me, colleagues?"

Everyone agreed, "That's very true." As they were all successful candidates in the two imperial examinations, they had some basic judgment.

Emperor Xifeng glared at Jia Cong unhappily, but he had to admit that he was right. Who in the world could imitate this crappy poem?
Jia Cong smiled and said, "I have not only written to General Yang, but also to other old friends in the capital. Please ask General Dai to send someone to General Niu and General Wang's homes to get them and compare them."

Niu Jizong, Wang Ziteng and others all laughed and said, "That's right. Please approve it, Your Majesty." They were not afraid. The letters Jia Cong wrote to them were mainly to maintain relationships and greet each other. There was nothing important, and the really important things would not be written down.

Emperor Xifeng glanced at Dai Quan and said, "Go and get it."

Dai Quan hurriedly bowed and left.

Jia Cong bowed again and said, "Your Majesty, such forged letters and frame-ups are not surprising. The biggest flaw is that the forger is not familiar with my letter-writing habits. How can it be easy to pass off fake letters as genuine?
The person who designed the letter knew that the letter was poorly written and would hardly gain the trust of the court. It was nothing more than a plot to sow discord between the emperor and his ministers. Regardless of whether it succeeded or not, it would make the emperor suspicious of his ministers, thus achieving their goal.

My family has enjoyed the emperor's favor for generations, but I was born in a humble family. If the emperor had not bestowed me with a name and made an exception to grant me a title, I would never be where I am today. Therefore, I serve the emperor with nothing more than loyalty and respect.

Now that I have been slandered, I think it is because my virtue is not worthy of my position and my power is too great, so I would like to resign from my current positions and go home to study. Please grant me your permission, Your Majesty."

Hearing his sudden resignation, the whole hall was in an uproar, and all the ministers began to whisper and discuss the matter.

Niu Jizong, Feng Yuan and others also frowned when they heard this. If it wasn't in the Golden Palace, they would have definitely spoken up to stop it.

Emperor Xifeng took in the reactions of the people in the hall and said calmly, "Since it is a frame-up, it has nothing to do with Jia Qing. Besides, the court is in need of talents right now. As a general, how can you take off your armor so suddenly? No."

Jia Cong said: "Your Majesty, I am also at fault in this matter and I deserve to be punished.

The seal on the letter is exactly the same as my own seal. I guess it must be because I am not good at managing my household, and one of my servants stole my seal, leading to this disaster.

As an official appointed by the court, I should be severely punished for losing the seal. I ask the emperor to punish me."

Emperor Xifeng said, "As the commander of the Jinyi Guards, you should quickly investigate this matter and report it to us for further discussion."

"The minister obeys the order."

Not long after, the people sent by Dai Quan came back and retrieved several letters written by Jia Cong to Niu Jizon, Wang Ziteng and others. As expected, the headings of the letters all addressed them as "Uncle", and the signatures were also stamped with a private seal, and there was no poem at all.

Now all the ministers were speechless. The New Party members smiled at each other. Although Jia Cong had escaped a disaster, the emperor would probably feel uneasy.

After reading it, Emperor Xifeng said calmly, "The so-called conspiracy between Jia Cong and Yang Xiong to plot a rebellion is completely false. Let the factory guards conduct a thorough investigation to see who is so bold as to carry out such a vicious plot to alienate the emperor and his ministers and frame loyal officials!"

"The minister obeys the order."

"I obey your order." (End of this chapter)