Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

Wang Ziteng smiled and said, "In this way, you are in me and I am in you, and we can check and balance each other. Your Highness can feel more at ease when he enters the palace. Since Your Highness does not object to the appointment of the four imperial generals, I think the Grand Empress Dowager will return the favor."

Jia Cong said: "Of course, I have reassured the Empress Dowager, so she should also reassure me, right? This is called political mutual trust. I don't want to be Han Xin or He Jin."

The two laughed and said, "Your Highness, that's a good idea. I wonder who will be sent to lead the Imperial Guard?"

Jia Cong thought for a moment and said, "I remember that Xie Jing has a brother named Xie Ao, who is loyal and brave, and has made many military achievements over the years. He is now a guerrilla in the Beijing camp. I think we should promote him to be the commander of the Imperial Guards."

Niu Jizong said with a smile: "Xie Ao is the right person. The Xie family must be so happy that he can be promoted by the prince."

Jia Cong said: "There will be plenty of positions in the future. As long as you have the ability, you don't have to worry about not having an official position."

"We are all willing to follow you till death."

After sending the two away, Jia Cong called Wen Youfang over again and said, "The four imperial generals have been replaced. Send people to keep a close eye on them and try to capture the middle and lower-level officers and schools to prevent the Donghua Gate Incident from happening again."

"I humble my duty and obey the decree."

The next day, Jia Cong went to the palace to report Sun Chi's incident to the Empress Dowager. As expected, her face darkened when she heard it, and she scolded, "What a troublesome bastard!
The late emperor had just passed away, Can Ge'er had just been killed, and his nephew was still crying for food, but he didn't care about the country or his family anymore and just wanted to fly away and live a happy life. How ridiculous!

"I'm really ignorant of the matter. Someone, tell me that I want to go to the mansion of the Tenth Master and give him twenty strokes of the cane."

"Yes. I obey your order." An Wenyao bowed hurriedly and was about to go down to convey the order.

Jia Cong hurriedly stopped him, bowed and said with a smile: "Mother, please calm down, don't you know what kind of temper Chi Ge'er has?
He is a man of many talents but has no place to use them. He is eager to serve his country and is not without loyalty, filial piety, benevolence and righteousness. In my humble opinion, it would be a good idea to let him go out and relax.

Firstly, he watched his second brother being murdered, and he was powerless to do anything about it, which was more painful for Chi Ge'er than killing him;
Secondly, the heir to the throne is young, and urgently needs the support of loyal ministers and brave generals. I want to entrust him with a battalion of new troops so that Can Ge'er can take charge of the military power. Then he and Cong can work together to protect the Great Wu Kingdom, which will be safe and secure.

Even if Cong was in trouble, he could lead his army back to the capital to purge the emperor and punish the disloyal officials.
Third, as the saying goes, don't put all your eggs in one basket. If there is another rebellion or plot to assassinate the emperor, or an epidemic breaks out, it will be unbearable. With Chi Ge'er here, the country will have support. Please think twice, mother."

The Empress Dowager glanced at Jia Cong and nodded slowly. She didn't take the first reason seriously, but the second and third reasons just hit the spot.

It would naturally be a good thing for the royal family to let Sun Chi take control of some military power. Besides, Sun Du is so young now, and misfortunes may happen at any time. No one can say for sure whether he can grow up smoothly.

If Sun Du unfortunately dies young, Sun Chi can be summoned back to inherit the cause.

Yin sighed and said, "Brother Cong, you can think of this, which shows that you are loyal to the country and sincere, without any selfish thoughts. The Queen Mother is very pleased."

Jia Cong said hurriedly: "This is my duty as a son. If I don't do this, I won't be able to repay my mother's kindness in the slightest."

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Forget it, let him go. It's good for him to gain some experience. But he is impulsive and stubborn. I am always worried about him."

Jia Cong understood what she meant. She wanted him to ensure Sun Chi's safety, so he cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, mother. Cong and Chi'er have fought side by side and they are as close as brothers. How could you not know what kind of person he is?"

He would have ordered him not to fight in person. Moreover, the new army's tactics had changed greatly and there was no need for brave generals to charge into battle. Plus, with General Liu, the Protector General of the Western Regions, looking after him, he should be safe.

In addition, if we dispatch a veteran general from the capital to accompany us and give us advice and assistance, then we will be safe.”

The Empress Dowager said, "That makes sense. Who should we send to accompany him?"

Jia Cong said, "I think it would be more appropriate to send General Wang Ning to accompany him. He is well versed in military tactics, loyal and reliable, and has a high reputation in the army. He is capable of advising Chi Ge on the gains and losses, and there will be no mistakes."

The Empress Dowager's eyes narrowed, knowing that Jia Cong was going to take this opportunity to exile Wang Ning, and then deal with the generals from poor families to seize military power. She subconsciously refused and said, "General Wang has an important responsibility, and it may be difficult for him to leave the capital easily."

Jia Cong insisted, "My Queen Mother, although General Wang is not here, it is not a big deal for me, Li Meng and other generals in the army to share the responsibility. The most important task now is to ensure the safety of Chi Ge'er. If someone else is not powerful enough, he will not be able to persuade Chi Ge'er."

The cunning little devil, no wonder she was willing to send a new army to Chi Ge'er, it turns out she was waiting here. The Empress Dowager knew that there would be no free lunch in the world, and she thought that even if she didn't agree, Jia Cong would find another way to get rid of Wang Ning, and Chi Ge'er would not get this new army.

I could only nod and say, "That makes sense. Let's do it this way."

"Yes, your son obeys your order." Jia Cong bowed.

The Empress Dowager suddenly asked, "How is the investigation going into the last case of Huo Dong, Dai Niu and others coup treason?"

Jia Cong was slightly stunned. Why did you suddenly ask this? He pondered and said, "My mother, because the case is complicated and of great importance, the Jinyiwei dare not neglect it and are investigating it with all their strength. At present, all the criminals have confessed many accomplices, but I don't know whether they are true or not. We still need to identify them one by one."

What this means is that no matter who you want to deal with, just tell us directly and the Jinyiwei will be able to satisfy your requirements.

The Empress Dowager hummed and said calmly, "I've heard some rumors circulating in the capital these days about Lao Wu. I guess you've heard about it too. Is he related to this case?"

Jia Cong suddenly realized that you were going to do something to him. Now that you said so, it doesn't matter whether it's okay or not.

Yin saluted and said, "My Queen Mother, Dai Quan has indeed confessed. He and Prince Beijing conspired to pledge loyalty to the Fifth Prince. In order to gain credit for following the Emperor, they forged an imperial edict to launch a coup and murder the late Emperor and the three princes."

His subtext is very clear: I will eliminate the potential threat for you, and you have to let me wipe out the entire family of Prince Beijing.

The Empress Dowager naturally understood and said with a cold smile, "What a bunch of bastards! Investigate and report back as soon as possible, and I will make the decision."

"My son, I obey."

The two reached a series of political agreements without making any noise. The Empress Dowager suddenly smiled and said, "The other day your elder sister said she wanted to see you. You can go see her when you have time. She has been dealing with the late emperor's affairs these days and she is exhausted."

Jia Cong hurriedly said, "Thank you, mother, for your care. I am grateful." He knew that she meant this to remind him that Concubine Yuan was still living in the palace.

The Empress Dowager smiled and said, "Why are you being so polite? Go ahead."

"Yes." Jia Cong bowed and stepped back, a smile on his face.

There are not many things that the Grand Empress Dowager can control me now, and Concubine Yuan is one of them. However, if I think that Concubine Yuan can make me submit, it would be naive.

Comparing his own core interests with Concubine Yuan, Jia Cong chose the former without hesitation. Moreover, if the Empress Dowager used Concubine Yuan as a raft, the Chen family of Yingchuan might want to become extinct.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong burst out laughing. If political enemies could be defeated by kidnapping hostages, Xiang Yu should have defeated Liu Bang. The court struggle would be too much of a joke. The Empress Dowager was such a person, how could she come up with such a bad idea?

Before he knew it, he had arrived at the gate of Fengzao Palace. After the palace servant informed him, Jia Cong went in. Seeing two beauties in phoenix crowns and gorgeous clothes sitting opposite each other in the palace, he was slightly startled and bowed, saying, "Your servant Jia Cong pays respects to the Empress Dowager and the Grand Consort Dowager."

"Prince Jing, there is no need to be so polite. I am a guest just like you. I took some time today to come and sit with the Concubine." Queen Mother Han smiled and raised her hand.

"Thank you, Queen Mother." Jia Cong said politely. "Sit down, Cong. Someone bring tea." Princess Yuan smiled.

"Thank you, big sister." Jia Cong bowed slightly and sat down, recalling the information about Queen Mother Han in his mind.

This girl is now in her early twenties. She was born in the Han family of Changli, Hebei Province. She is a descendant of Han Yu, a great writer in the Tang Dynasty. She is definitely a member of a prominent family with a good pedigree. Therefore, she was betrothed to Sun Can by the Empress Dowager, who hoped that she would become the mother of the country in the future.

I had visited Sun Can's house with Yan'er before and had met her several times. She was well-educated, gentle, and elegant in conversation, which was very impressive. She was also good at managing the household and was knowledgeable and wise. Sun Can always respected and loved her, and Jia Cong also had a high opinion of her.

"How come Cong-ge has time to come visit the Concubine today?"

Before Concubine Yuan could say anything, Queen Mother Han took the lead in the conversation.

Seeing that she took the initiative to bring up the topic, Princess Yuan stopped talking.

Jia Cong glanced at her and said, "My Lord, I just went to Changchun Palace to pay my respects to the Grand Empress Dowager. I heard that the Grand Concubine missed her family, so I came to visit her according to your order."

Queen Mother Han sighed, "I still hope that Brother Cong can address me by my old name, so that I can feel that the Second Prince is still here."

Princess Yuan was slightly startled, glanced at her, and secretly observed and pondered.

Jia Cong was stunned and said hurriedly: "The situation is different now. How dare I overstep my authority? This is extremely disrespectful."

Concubine Yuan nodded slightly. Cong'er was still sober and did not call the Queen Mother "Second Sister-in-law" directly.

Queen Mother Han sighed, "From now on, I have no intention of returning to the world! It's just a title, but an empty reputation. Why should Cong take it to heart?"
Could it be that when your second brother was here, you recognized me as your sister-in-law, but now that your second brother is gone, you no longer recognize me?"

Princess Yuan frowned slightly, her good eloquence put Congge in a dilemma.

But Jia Cong sighed, bowed and said, "Cong pays respects to my second sister-in-law. The deceased is gone. Please mourn and take care of yourself. Cong will do his best to help the emperor rule the world and live up to my second brother's kindness."

Queen Mother Han's beautiful eyes were filled with tears as she said, "On behalf of my brother Du, I would like to thank my uncle for his kindness." As she spoke she stood up and bowed.

Jia Cong was startled and quickly jumped up, reaching out his hand to help, but then he felt something was wrong and quickly retracted his hand. He was so uneasy and at a loss what to do that stood there stiffly.

Concubine Yuan was also shocked and hurriedly helped her sit down, saying, "This is his duty. Why does the empress dowager have to do this? It's embarrassing for him." After saying that, she waved her hand, Baoqin and the palace maids hurriedly retreated.

"Big sister is right." Jia Cong said hurriedly.

Queen Mother Han shed tears and said, "Please forgive me, my dear consort. The reason I have waited on for the rest of my life is to teach my son and hope that he will grow up. I am afraid that his fate is small and his fortune is poor. I can't look forward to the future, and I will regret it endlessly."

Jia Cong was shocked and said, "Second sister-in-law is in her prime, why would she say that?"

As he spoke, he looked her up and down. Although she looked sad, her face was rosy and her skin was plump and moist. She was obviously in good health. How could she be so pessimistic?

Queen Mother Han shook her head and said nothing, only shedding tears.

Princess Yuan hurriedly held her hand and comforted her softly, wiping her tears. At the same time, she winked at Jia Cong and glanced in the direction of Changchun Palace.

Jia Cong suddenly realized that it was a conflict between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law.

He had no good solution to this eternal contradiction. His family did not have this worry because the eldest wife was of humble origin and depended on him for her livelihood, so Baochai, Daiyu and others were at ease.

However, Queen Mother Han was facing the Grand Empress Dowager, and she was bound to be crushed.

The Empress Dowager probably still thinks that it was Han who brought bad luck to Sun Can's early death. If it weren't for the fact that she gave birth to a son, she might have deposed her long ago. Naturally, she would not be treated well by her now.

Thinking of this, Jia Cong sighed inwardly. It is difficult for an honest official to judge family affairs, and this is a royal family affair, so it is even more difficult for him to judge clearly.

I could only comfort her symbolically: "Don't worry, my second sister-in-law, the queen mother is wise and kind. If you have any questions, you can tell her and it will be helpful.

Now you are all Du Ge'er's closest people, so why can't you say anything?"

He himself didn't believe what he said. How could a woman who could poison her husband with her own hands show mercy to her widowed daughter-in-law?

If he was outside the palace, he could still send people to protect Queen Mother Han, but inside the Forbidden Palace, what could he do? Unless he became Dong Zhuo and slept in the palace every day.

When Jia Cong saw her sad look, he suddenly remembered the charm of his other second sister-in-law. He couldn't help but compare them. It was hard to tell the difference. The only difference was that Sister Feng was bold and sexy, while Queen Mother Han was gentle and soft, which made people want to protect her even more.

As soon as I thought of this, I took a deep breath to suppress my lustful thoughts, secretly blaming myself for thinking about my friend's wife. How could I think about these things right after my second brother left? It was too shameless. Then I comforted myself, it seemed that it was not a crime to think about it, anyway, no one would know.

Queen Mother Han only sighed and said, "It is difficult for me to see Du Ge'er nowadays. I don't know whether he eats well or sleeps well." After saying this, she began to sob again.

Jia Cong was stunned. The Empress Dowager was indeed cruel to separate the mother and son abruptly. However, the royal family could not be judged by common sense. There was no point in listening to such palace secrets. He stood up and wanted to leave.

"Uncle, take care." Queen Mother Han hurriedly called out to him.

Jia Cong smiled bitterly and bowed, saying: "Please give me your instructions, sister-in-law. For the sake of my second brother, I will never refuse as long as Cong can do it." What he meant was that if there is something I can't do, then don't ask for it.

Queen Mother Han stepped forward and whispered, "You and the Second Prince are as close as brothers. I always taught Du'er to treat you like a father. If you can reunite me and my son, I will give you what I am unwilling to give you. This will also be the case when Du'er grows up."

Jia Cong was shocked. This sentence was earth-shattering and contained so much information that he was stunned.

The first sentence means that Jia Cong should obtain the same status as Zhuge Liang. Zhuge Liang is the prime minister's father, and he can be the king's father. His words are law and his words are enforced.

The second sentence "mother and child reunited" does not mean a literal reunion, but rather it means replacing the Empress Dowager.

Only by kicking out the Grand Empress Dowager could Empress Dowager Han be "reunited" with the young emperor and truly become the lofty, respected and dignified Empress Dowager.

The conditions offered were also very generous. No matter how Jia Cong asked for them, in addition to fame, wealth and power, he would probably also get her, the empress dowager herself.

The third sentence promised that this was a long-term agreement, even after the emperor grew up and took power.

Princess Yuan heard something vaguely and was so frightened that her face turned pale and she quickly covered her mouth. If the Empress Dowager knew that everyone was discussing such "treasonous" things here, she and the Empress Dowager Han would probably end up in a bad way.

Seeing Jia Cong remained silent, Queen Mother Han suddenly whispered in his ear: "Uncle, am I not as good as your sister-in-law?" (End of this chapter)