Red Mansion: Bastards rule the roost

"Will this ensure their loyalty?" Cheng Lingsu said.

"And the most important thing is to give them glory and make everyone rush to work for you."

Jia Cong said: "For ninjas, gold, silver and money are not important to them. Only reputation and glory are more important than life."

Cheng Lingsu nodded thoughtfully and said, "Master is right. I have understood ninja thoroughly."

Jia Cong blew a breath into her ear and said teasingly, "I have been playing with you for so long, but I still can't figure you out. Am I not too incompetent?"

"Master..." Cheng Lingsu said in a tender voice.

Jia Cong laughed and carried her into the inner room.

As the Emperor's surrender edict was delivered, daimyōs from all over the country surrendered. Since even the Emperor had surrendered, it did not seem too difficult to accept their own surrender, and it would not damage the honor of the samurai.

Moreover, surrendering to the Celestial Empire cannot be considered a disgrace.

A month later, Jia Cong received an audience at the Kyoto Imperial Palace with dozens of larger feudal lords brought by Tokugawa Munemasa and Matsudaira Terutaka from Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu.

As for the small daimyo under them, they were roughly equivalent to the level of town mayors in the Celestial Empire and were not qualified to meet His Royal Highness Prince Jing.

Jia Cong asked Emperor Yoshihito to sit side by side with him, and looking at the daimyos below, he said: "The Tokugawa shogunate is disloyal and unkind, looting the country's grain ships in the first place, and then making wild remarks that angered the emperor, so I personally led the army to conquer them.

My Emperor Yongkang said, Japan is a wonderful land overseas, how can we allow these villains to occupy it?
Therefore, I will obey the will of Heaven and follow the will of the people to incorporate Japan into the territory of the Celestial Empire so that you and the people of various vassal states can share in the Emperor's grace. Isn't this a good thing?

His Majesty the Emperor is kind and virtuous, and understands justice. He is concerned about the well-being of hundreds of millions of Japanese people and wants to bring your entire country into the Celestial Empire. What do you think? "

After listening to Cheng Lingsu's simultaneous interpretation, all the daimyos looked at Emperor Yoshihito sitting on the throne.

Emperor Xiaren felt bitter in his heart. He coughed lightly, raised his hand slightly, and said, "Announce the decree."

The eunuch beside him hurriedly picked up an imperial edict and read: "The ancient authority is so far away that its details cannot be heard.

So the emperor is the master of all things; the ruler is the most impartial person in the world. In the past, our ancestors were wise and bright, and the stars were at their peak, but the brightness and darkness changed in turn, and the gains and losses had their due dates.

When the Tokugawa shogunate became arrogant and refused to submit, they violated the law and let people go, committed rebellion and treason, and occupied a thousand miles of territory. Their crimes were so heinous that they were too numerous to list. Finally, the emperor changed his face and struck him with thunder. The nine ways of punishment were implemented, and the eight methods of transformation took care of themselves.

Today, the Holy Son of Heaven was born, a wise and wise man, a powerful and virtuous man, with great merits and achievements. He stopped the rampant tyranny and saved the people from suffering.

The winds are rushing across the sea and the wheels are exhausted to herald the new moon. The eight directions are auspicious, and the five spirits are bringing blessings. It is more than just the auspicious scales and feathers, and the auspicious colors of the clouds and stars!
His merits are greater than those of hundreds of kings, and his virtues are known to all generations. He is brighter than the Heaven and more glorious than the sun and the moon. He is truly worthy of being the common ruler of all nations.

How can I bear to put the people of Japan in danger just for the honor of one family?

Therefore, I have observed the general situation and examined public opinion. I have led the people of the country to submit to the Celestial Empire and to admire the Emperor's grace. I will follow the example of Goryeo. You should all follow suit and submit sincerely. If you disobey, both heaven and man will kill you. I decree this."

The daimyo hurriedly knelt on the ground and kowtowed, saying, "We obey your order."

Jia Cong said with a smile: "Stand up, everyone. We will serve as ministers in the same palace from now on. I hope you will put aside your past grudges and help me with all your strength."

"We will obey your highness's order." The daimyo hurriedly expressed their opinions.

Jia Cong nodded and said, "This is the general trend, and you don't have to bear any grudges. Under the mighty power of heaven, those who follow it will prosper, and those who go against it will perish.

Now all parts of Japan have been pacified, except for Edo Castle which is still resisting stubbornly. The city will be captured soon, so there is no need to worry.

What I want to talk to you about today is the governance strategy for Japan in the future, which of course also concerns your future. "

Everyone pricked up their ears and said, "We are all listening attentively."

Jia Cong smiled and said, "As you all know, the laws and regulations of the Celestial Empire are very different from those of Japan. For example, the Celestial Empire is a centralized dynasty system, while Japan is a shogunate system.

Since they were incorporated into the Celestial Empire, it was natural that the old system would be abolished and a new one established. In the future, the shogunate, shogun, daimyo, and feudal domain would no longer exist, and would be replaced by the Celestial Empire's system of official titles.

For example, when I was young, I was only granted the rank of seventh-rank cavalry lieutenant. Later, I was gradually promoted to earl, marquis, duke, and king. Why? Only because of my military achievements!
You are all talented and wise men, and you have many soldiers under your command, but I don’t know who should be awarded what title. What should I do? "

Everyone sensed something and hurriedly said, "Your Highness, please give us your orders. We are willing to serve you at your service."

Jia Cong said: "Now that Japan is almost pacified, there are not many opportunities to make achievements. The only thing left is Edo Castle... Of course, if you find it difficult to face your former master, I will order my own army to capture it without any trouble."

"I am willing to go!"

"I am now a minister of the Celestial Empire. What do I have to do with the Tokugawa Shogunate?"

"I only know loyalty and will never associate with rebellious people like Tokugawa Ieshige."

"I swear to kill the traitor Jia Zhong, and I am willing to fight bravely for the Heavenly Dynasty."

"I am willing to lead the troops as the vanguard to attack Edo Castle!"

...Everyone rushed to express their opinions, ready to grab the first political qualifications after surrendering.

Jia Cong smiled and raised his hand, saying: "I am very pleased with your loyalty and bravery, but it does not take too many troops to capture Edo, about 60,000 to 70,000 will be enough.

Let's do this. Send someone to announce that we will meet at the foot of Edo Castle in twenty days. If you arrive on time, you can have a share of the spoils. If you miss, you can't blame me."

"We obey your order." Everyone was busy calculating in their minds that if they used fast horses to send messages and then used ships to transport the troops, they might be able to catch up. The size of the credit would obviously depend on who brought more troops.

The daimyo of distant domains such as Mutsu, Ugo, Satsuma, and Ōsumi all looked distressed. Twenty days was too short and there was not enough time to mobilize many ships.

The inland daimyo were even more distressed. If they took the land route, the war would probably be over before they reached Edo. They could only select some elite troops to come and show their loyalty.

Everyone knows that whether or not to come is a matter of ability, and whether or not to come is a political issue. If you don't come to the last battle, do you mean that you are loyal to the shogunate? Isn't this courting death?
After dismissing all the daimyo, Jia Cong stayed in Kyoto for more than ten days. After confirming that the situation in various places was stable, he left Peng Cheng to guard the city, and took his own 3,000 soldiers and half of the warships, crossing the sea and heading straight for Edo Bay.

As soon as I arrived, I received good news from Yan Shuangying.

"Master, a few ninjas from Koga and Iga just came and presented the head of someone they claimed to be the current shogun, Tokugawa Ieshige. I am not sure, so please make a decision." Yan Shuangying said.

Jia Cong looked at the wooden box presented and smiled, "What a coincidence! I brought two professionals with me. They must know each other when they go to Edo every year to attend the military mission."

Soon, Tokugawa Munemasa and Matsudaira Terutaka were sent for identification.

The two men were shocked when they saw the head pickled in lime powder in the wooden box. They took it out and examined it carefully, saying, "Your Highness, this is indeed a precious head."

"Good!" Jia Cong laughed and said, "Koga and Iga are indeed as famous as they are said to be. Bring them here so I can meet them."

"Yes." Yan Shuangying ordered the irrelevant personnel to leave and called the person over.

Not long after, two old men and two young men came in. They looked at the dozen or so personal soldiers standing in the tent with their swords drawn. They looked calm and bowed, saying, "The headmaster of the Koga-ryu school, Wakata Shinichi, and the headmaster of the Iga-ryu school, Yuexi Sosora, pay their respects to His Royal Highness Prince Jing."

"Stand flat, please sit down."

"Thank you, Your Highness." The two old men leaned over and sat in the chairs on the left and right, with two great Chunins, Aoi Tsubasa and Furukawa Tsuyoshi, standing behind them.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You two took the head of the shogun as easily as taking something out of a bag, which gave me a surprise. It is not a fluke that Koga and Iga have been the dominant powers in Japan for hundreds of years."

"It is an honor for us to serve Your Highness."

"I heard that ninjas are absolutely loyal to their masters, so why can they take the general's head as easily as slaughtering pigs and dogs?" Jia Cong said with a smile.

This involves the issue of the ninja's stance, which is also the issue that the superiors are most concerned about. Wakata Shinichi was well prepared and said, "Your Highness, the Koga ninja school has a long history and there are dozens of branches, collectively known as the 'Koga Fifty-three Families'.

There are a total of 21 strongest families among them, and I am honored to be elected as the head of all families. Those who pledge loyalty to the family are from individual schools and families, and cannot represent the Koga school."

Yuexi Cangkong said: "Your Highness, the Iga-ryu and Ieshige only have an employment partnership, not a master-servant relationship. Ieshige provides the funds, and we send ninjas to swear allegiance to them until death. Their loyalty is limited to the ninja himself and Ieshige, and does not represent our school.

Since we are willing to submit to the Celestial Empire, we can also send other ninjas to kill him. This will not affect the previous employment agreement or our integrity.

In this operation, our clan and Koga clan sent out ten top Chunins and more than thirty elite Genins, but more than half of them were killed by the ninjas around Ieshige. Once a ninja pledges loyalty, it is never false, so Your Highness can rest assured."

Jia Cong looked at Cheng Lingsu and saw her nod, so he clapped his hands and smiled, "Good! I only knew about Kii school before, but now I know the style of Koga and Iga."

Ruotian and Yuexi knew that Cheng Lingsu was from Kii and was now the most capable ninja under Jia Cong. They did not want to offend him, so they said with a reserved look, "Your Highness, thank you for your praise. The only thing that we cannot compare to Kii is that we have foresight and were not able to join the prince's army earlier. In terms of other means, we may not be inferior to Kii."

Although he said it politely, the expression on his face clearly said "He must be above Kii".

Jia Cong laughed, and when he saw Cheng Lingsu glaring at the two of them indignantly, he said, "The government affairs of the Celestial Empire are very busy, and I will leave Japan soon. In the future, all matters concerning ninjas will be in the sole charge of Lingsu. What she says is what I say, do you understand?"

The two men hurriedly bowed and said, "We understand and will never cross the line."

Jia Cong knocked on the table and said, "There are many Japanese ninja schools, and it has never been determined who is strong and who is weak. I intend to hold the 'World's No. 1 Ninja Conference'.

All schools and factions can send their best to participate. Those who win the title of "World's No. 1 Ninja" will be recruited by me and given important tasks. Those who perform well will also be given important positions."

Ruotian and the other man's eyes lit up. This was a good opportunity to clear their names. They hurriedly asked, "Your Majesty is wise. When will it be held?"

Jia Cong smiled and said, "We will do it after we take over Edo Castle and stabilize the situation in Japan. Lingsu, I'll leave this matter to you. Make sure the first conference is a success."

"I obey your command." Cheng Lingsu bowed hurriedly.

Ruotian and Yuexi looked at each other. Although they felt that Cheng Lingsu would definitely favor the Ji Yi School, the strong never expect fairness, so they just smiled faintly and did not argue.

With the foundation of Koga and Iga, they could never compete with the upstart Kii-ryu.

A few days later, it was the hunting date agreed upon by Jia Cong and the daimyo. The daimyo hurried and finally arrived in Edo on the designated date. The daimyo nearby took advantage and brought many troops with them, while the daimyo far away had to bring hundreds of elite troops and just show up.

Jia Cong stood on the reviewing platform and looked at the densely packed banners and heads of people below the city. He roughly estimated that the troops brought by the various vassal states were no less than 70,000 or 80,000 people. He smiled and said, "Generals, you must have suffered a lot on the way to bring your troops here on time, right?"

Everyone hurriedly said, "It is our honor to serve the Heavenly Dynasty. We dare not complain."

"Yes." Jia Cong nodded and said, "I will report your loyalty to the emperor when I return."

"Thank you, Your Highness." Everyone said in unison.

Jia Cong pointed to Edo Castle not far away and said, "Everyone, Tokugawa Ieshige is dead, the city is leaderless, and the army is demoralized. This is the right time to attack the city!
Whoever dares to climb the wall first will be awarded the first merit! The first person to climb the wall will be granted a title of nobility! The rest of those who have made great contributions will be granted titles. "He then ordered his men to bring Jiazhong's head to show everyone.

Everyone was delighted and said, "I am willing to go!" Who wouldn't want to fight such a favorable battle? The reputation of the Marquis of the Celestial Empire is a hundred times more glorious than that of the Japanese.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "You are all eager to fight, so I won't say more. Your achievements will be revealed on the battlefield. Now listen to my orders!"

"Please give me your orders, Your Highness!"

"These days, General Yan has built many siege weapons, which are enough for the army to attack from three sides. The heavenly soldiers will provide artillery support for your siege. So, please give it your all!" Jia Cong said.

"I obey your orders!"

"Okay! All troops, listen up! Mikawa, Totomi, Kai, and Ueno, you four domains, lead 20,000 men and attack the southern wall."

"Hi!"

"Iwashiro, Shimotsuke, Iwaki, and Hitachi, the four feudal domains, lead 20,000 men and attack the eastern wall."

"Hi!"

"Iga, Ise, Harima, and Awa, you four domains, lead 20,000 men and attack the western wall."

"Hi!"

"Owari, Mino, Echizen, and Kaga, you four clans will lead the remaining troops to serve as the supervisory team and reserve force, ready to be deployed to attack the city at any time!"

"Hi!"

After Jia Cong finished his assignment, he said, "Everyone, you must win this battle and not lose. I will ask again, is there anyone who wants to preserve his strength and is afraid of the enemy and afraid of fighting? If so, you can leave immediately. I will not force you."

The daimyos looked at each other awkwardly. Everyone wanted to preserve their strength, but since they were on Jia Cong's boat, how could they get off so easily? If they didn't contribute today, they would be kicked out tomorrow, so they kept silent.

"Okay! Beat the drums, attack the city!"

"Hey!" The daimyos made up their minds, roared, waved their hands and took their men there. Anyway, they didn't need to attack the city themselves, so it didn't matter if they suffered some losses, as long as they could get credit.

Boom, boom, boom! Dozens of cowhide war drums resounded throughout the heavens and earth, signaling a full-scale attack and making the defenders in the city tremble with fear.

Tens of thousands of Japanese pirates carried countless crude ladders, placed them on the moat, laid wooden boards on top, and then shouted wildly as they launched a desperate charge from three directions towards Japan's most powerful city.

Seeing that the strategy of using Japan to attack Japan was working, Jia Cong had a hint of a sinister smile on his face.

Yan Shuangying laughed softly and said, "Your wisdom is better than Zhuge Liang's, and your ideas are extraordinary. I am far behind you."

Jia Cong laughed, put down the telescope, and said, "I hope that Edo Castle can hold out longer and become a meat grinder, crushing all the elite daimyo here, which will also make it easier for the imperial court to take over in the future."

"Your Highness is wise. He uses Japan to control Japan and makes them grateful." Yan Shuangying admired sincerely.

Jia Cong sneered, "The situation is on my side. Do they dare to resist? After we take down Edo Castle, I will go back. You stay here and take charge of the situation."

"Yes, please give your orders, sir." Yan Shuangying bowed.

"I intend to promote you to be the first governor and commander-in-chief of Donghai Province, in charge of military and civil affairs.

Remember, the Japanese are the same as the Hu people. They fear power but not virtue, they are polite but not righteous, they appear humble and tolerant on the outside but they are like tigers and wolves on the inside, with the heart of beasts in human form.

So you must first capture the poor and the lower-middle-class samurai, then get rid of the messy daimyo, completely abolish the shogunate system, and then establish the Celestial Empire system, following the example of Goryeo, and Japan will be under the Celestial Empire forever." Yan Shuangying listened carefully, nodded repeatedly, and said, "Master, I don't understand one thing. If you talk about the poor, you only need to give them land and reduce taxes to win their hearts. The lower-middle-class samurai are all loyal to the lords, how can you win them over?"

Jia Cong said: "It's simple, just give them a way to rise, just like the military examinations in the Celestial Empire.

Lingsu will also stay in Japan to prepare for the 'World's No. 1 Ninja Tournament'. You can then join forces with her to separate the samurai group from the ninjas, and bring them out for individual competitions. Those who pass will be granted military titles.

For the first time, it would be better to appoint more low-level positions such as sentinel commanders and captains, so that the best warriors can be used by me. If they can become military officers of the imperial court, who would still work for the daimyo?"

Yan Shuangying's eyes lit up and he said, "Your Highness is wise. What about those many great names? If they are suddenly eliminated, Japan may be unstable."

Jia Cong sneered and said, "How difficult is that? When I return, I will take Xia Ren and other 'meritorious' people away on the pretext of meeting the emperor. Then they won't be able to come back."

You can let go of your hands and feet in Japan, and you won't be unable to handle the other small fiefdoms, right?"

Yan Shuangying was overjoyed and said hurriedly, "Don't worry, Your Majesty. If you still can't do it well, I will bring my head to you."

Jia Cong patted him on the shoulder and said, "Do your best. I will send Yang Ling to stay and help you govern this place."

"Thank you, Your Majesty." Yan Shuangying bowed down.

"Rise up. Although there are many stubborn people in Japan, the common people are very hardworking and patient, and have a high degree of obedience. As long as they are given food to eat, they will not rebel. They are easier to govern than the people of the Celestial Empire.

In the future, I hope that Japan can continuously contribute high-quality soldiers and gold and silver minerals to the expansion of the country's territory." Jia Cong said, in his mind, he had already regarded this place as a consumables base.

Yan Shuangying bowed and said, "I will obey your order and will not disappoint your Majesty's high expectations."

After two days and two nights of bloody fighting, the daimyo coalition forces finally broke into the Japanese city gate at the cost of more than 20,000 casualties, and then engaged in tough street fighting.

After another three days of fierce fighting from house to house and alley to alley, the daimyo coalition forces finally broke through the Tokugawa shogunate's large and small castle towers, leaving bloody marks with every step, and completely occupied the entire city.

Jia Cong led his troops into the city and sighed as he looked at the broken walls and ruins all over the city. Although the Japanese pirates were short, their courage to kill and fight was much stronger than the tall and strong Western barbarians. They were indeed useful.

Looking at the bloody wounded soldiers on the ground, Jia Cong said emotionally: "Pass on my order! All the soldiers who participated in this battle will be compensated with 100 taels of silver for the dead, 50 taels for the wounded, and each will be granted 10 acres of land."

When the soldiers heard the interpreter's loud order, they were so moved that tears welled up in their eyes. They had fought for the daimyo for so many years, but they had never heard of such a high pension, and even land was given. They all fell to the ground and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Your Highness, for your grace."

"Everyone, get up. I am also a military man. I recognize heroes and respect heroes. I will never let the warriors shed blood and tears!" Jia Cong helped a wounded soldier up with tears in his eyes and performed a crazy political show.

"My men! Victory belongs to the Celestial Empire, and glory belongs to the warriors!" Jia Cong shouted loudly.

After hearing the translation, the warriors were immediately excited. Even such a noble prince of the Celestial Empire recognized us, so they shouted in unison: "Victory belongs to China, and glory belongs to the warriors!"

The crowd shouted wildly for more than ten times before gradually stopping and looking at Jia Cong eagerly.

The daimyos looked at each other and felt that something was wrong, but they couldn't put their finger on it, so they could only shout a few times.

Jia Cong said, "Come here! Open the treasury of the Tokugawa family, take out the money and food, and reward the three armies! Order the people in the city to kill pigs and sheep, I want to get drunk with all the warriors!"

"Long live His Royal Highness Prince Jing!" The warriors cheered in unison.

A few days later, Jia Cong packed up Xia Ren and the leaders of dozens of powerful vassal states and took them away on the pretext that they had made outstanding contributions and were granted the right to go to the Celestial Palace to pay homage to the Emperor and receive rewards.

With hope and longing for the future, the daimyos boarded the Celestial Empire's warships and returned to the Central Plains with Jia Cong.

When the ship reached Wusongkou, Jia Cong ordered Peng Cheng to lead the people from Japan back to the capital, saying, "After returning to the capital, ask the Military Affairs Office to find a house for Xia Ren to live in. The rest of the daimyo will be given empty titles and sent to the Western Regions to fight and serve the Celestial Empire. I don't want them to return to Japan in their lifetime. Do you understand?"

"I understand." Peng Cheng bowed and said, "War in the Western Regions is dangerous, and it is not uncommon for these people to sacrifice their lives for their country in the past."

Jia Cong nodded slightly and said, "I understand. Tell Liu Duhu what I mean."

"The minister obeys the order."

After entering Wusongkou, Jia Cong and Jia Huan got off the big ship and landed at Fushan Town, Changshu. They changed to a light boat and fast ship that had been arranged by the Jinyiwei in advance, and headed towards Wu County, the seat of Suzhou Prefecture, along the dense water network in the south of the Yangtze River.

It took only two days to travel over a hundred miles by water, and we arrived in Suzhou City on the third day of August.

The Suzhou wharf was already being guarded by Jia's personal soldiers, servants, and royal guards sent by the Suzhou Thousand Households. When they saw the ships flying the flags of Prince Jing and the general approaching, they hurriedly drove away the pedestrians and boats on the wharf, occupying a large area.

"Oh, my Lord, you are finally back. The princess, the wives, and the grandmothers have been waiting anxiously, and the old lady has also asked many times.

We dare not reply without your news. If you don't come back, we will jump into Yangcheng Lake." Wangcai saw Jia Cong coming down from the boat and hurriedly knelt to greet him.

Jia Cong said, "Why are you in such a hurry? Can't you say that I was busy with official business and was delayed on the way?"

Wangcai said, "I would like to say so, but Her Royal Highness Princess has sent her invitation to the Governor-General's Office of Liangjiang and the Governor's Office of Huguang. They all said that they didn't know about my inspection tour to Jiangnan. The princess and the others are anxious, but they dare not tell the old lady. If I can't pick you up today, I will be in trouble."

Jia Cong secretly thought that this was a bad idea. He had never expected that Ruyi and the others would interrogate the local government. He smiled and said, "What a fuss! I am fine, right? Lead the way!"

"Yes." Wangcai hurriedly helped Jia Cong get into the car. After entering the city, they went straight to a newly renovated five-courtyard compound by the Shihu Lake.

"Master is here. This is Grandma Miao's house." Wangcai nodded and bowed.

Jia Cong looked up and saw the words "Palace Mansion" written on the lintel. He was slightly stunned. He actually forgot to ask Miaoyu what her secular surname was. Damn it.

Qingwen, Qianxue, Jinchuan'er and others had received the news long ago and were waiting at the second gate. When they finally saw Jia Cong coming back, they hurried over to him and complained, "You should have told the princesses and ladies the truth wherever you are going, so as to avoid making them worry."

Jia Huan smiled and poked his head out from behind Jia Cong, and said with a bow, "My younger brother greets all the sisters-in-law."

"Bah." The three girls blushed and spat at him.

Jia Cong waved his hand and said, "I never tell lies. Where are they? I will talk to them later."

"They are all in the garden." Qingwen smiled and said, "The officials in Suzhou are really thoughtful. They brought a large amount of fresh water from Shihu Lake and built a garden that is several times larger than the Grand View Garden."

Jia Cong frowned slightly and said, "Wangcai, send someone to calculate the cost of renovating the palace and return the part subsidized by Suzhou Prefecture to them. I am the richest man in the world, how could I be greedy for such a small profit."

"Yes." Wangcai hurried away.

Qingwen smiled and said, "My Lord is still so incorruptible."

Jia Cong said proudly: "I am an honest official."

"Master, please come in quickly and don't make people wait anxiously." Qianxue said.

Jia Cong asked jokingly, "Are you guys in a hurry?"

"Master, the Third Master is still here." Qingwen said in a low voice.

Jia Cong looked back, coughed dryly, and said, "Brother Huan, have you given up on training your muscles in Liaodong these years? How many crossbows can you shoot and how many jins of spears can you wield now?"

Jia Huan hurriedly said, "Brother, I can now fire two stone bows and use a spear weighing more than ten pounds. Seven or eight ordinary people cannot get close to me."

Jia Cong glanced at him and said with a smile: "After we have eaten and drunk enough, I will test you myself."

Jia Huan smiled and said, "That's exactly what I meant. Master Wang Jin has taught me everything he has learned in his life, saying that I can be called the Luo Cheng of the modern age, and am no less than Zhao Zilong."

Jia Cong heard him bragging and laughed, "Okay! Let's see how good you are later. I want to see how good you are."

While chatting and laughing, they entered the large flower hall in the garden. Everyone was gathered around the old lady and joking. When they saw Jia Cong coming back, they hurriedly stood up to greet him.

"Greetings to the old lady. I wish her good fortune as vast as the East Sea and a long life as great as the Southern Mountains." Jia Cong and Jia Huan lifted their clothes and bowed.

The old lady was so happy that she couldn't stop smiling. "Good, good, get up quickly. I heard that you were busy with official duties, but it's rare that you came back to wish me a baby. Well, when did Huan Ge'er come back? He's grown taller and stronger."

Aunt Zhao and Tanchun, who were standing by, were so excited that their eyes were filled with tears when they saw that Jia Huan had grown up, handsome and tall, and no longer looked as wretched as he did in childhood. They covered their mouths with handkerchiefs for fear of crying out loud.

Jia Huan smiled and said, "I just came back from Liaodong the other day, and came here to celebrate the old lady's birthday. I found this by accident in Liaodong, and thought it would be a perfect birthday gift. I hope the old ancestor will not dislike its simplicity."

As he spoke, he took out a square mahogany box from his bosom. Inside was a large, round oriental pearl, which was much larger than the one Jia Cong had given to Feng Jieer.

"Very good." Grandmother Jia smiled. Although she had never liked this grandson, after all, she had not seen him for several years. Now that she had suddenly seen him and saw that he was in good shape, she was very happy and said, "Yuanyang, go back and give the fox-armpit white fur coat to Huan'er as a reward."

"Yes." Yuanyang smiled.

"Thank you, old lady, for your grace." Jia Huan bowed. Now he was in charge of a region and held military power. He was no longer the little boy who would be overjoyed over a few gold and silver ingots.

Jia Cong smiled and said, "Now that everyone is here, let's start the feast. I'm hungry too."

"Okay." Grandmother Jia nodded with a smile, and sat at a table with Aunt Xue, Mrs. Xue, Mrs. Zhen, and several old ladies from the four major families in Jiangnan. Baoyu, Jia Huan, Jia Lian and others sat at another table.

Sister Feng hurriedly ordered someone to serve the meal.

Jia Cong slipped over to his wife's table and sat between Ruyi and Miaoyu. Seeing that the ladies looked unhappy, he laughed dryly and said, "Why are you all looking at me?"

Ruyi said coldly, "Where did your Highness Prince Jing go on this incognito tour? I didn't know you were inspecting the grain transport business, but you didn't even know about the local government. What were you inspecting?"

Jia Cong said hurriedly: "Yan'er, you don't know, if I go south with great fanfare, the local officials will just cover up and draw the curtains, and will not see the suffering of the people.

So this prince consort disguised himself, did a surprise inspection without any prior notice, and indeed found many problems. When he returned to the capital, he asked the Military Affairs Office to rectify them. This is outrageous!"

The women were stunned by his powerful acting skills. They never expected that he would take time out to fight a war at sea. They all said, "You worry too much. Can't the Censorate and the Imperial Guard handle such a small matter?

A prince of high rank actually imitates the way in operas to go on incognito visits, and he is not afraid of being laughed at for his frivolous behavior. "

Jia Cong said with emotion: "If it is beneficial to the country, I will do it regardless of life or death. I will not avoid it because of misfortune or fortune."

All the ladies covered their mouths and laughed, saying, "The country is counting on you, the prince, to fill in the gaps."

Jia Cong laughed and said, "I was born to be busy. What can I do? I work hard at home and in the court. Being a man is tiring."

"Pah, you're fat and you're out of breath." Daiyu spat, "When have you ever been asked to work hard at home?"

Jia Cong pointed at her slightly bulging belly and said with a smile: "Isn't this the proof of my hard work?"

The women could no longer control themselves and laughed in shame, then quickly covered their faces with their handkerchiefs.

"Disgusting!" Daiyu cursed, feeling ashamed and annoyed.

Jia Cong was very proud and said, "Who dares to say that I haven't worked hard now?"

Miaoyu blushed as she glanced at him, put a peeled hairy crab into his bowl, and said, "You still say you're hungry, aren't you? Try some crabs from Yangcheng Lake."

Jia Cong said with a smile, "Why are you standing there? Let's eat. Miaoyu is the host this time. It would be a shame if you don't eat. You won't be able to eat it when you return to the capital."

"You just talk nonsense." The girls laughed and scolded, inviting each other to pick up their chopsticks.

While they were eating, they heard a maid come to report that Master Yun had returned from overseas.

Jia Cong's eyes lit up and he said, "Call him in."

Soon, Jia Yun came in, kowtowed to the old lady, wished her a happy birthday, then walked over to Jia Cong and knelt down, saying, "I, your nephew, pay my respects to your third uncle, the princess, and all the ladies and grandmothers."

The girls hurriedly called him to get up.

Jia Cong looked at him and said with a smile, "You have been gone for more than a year and finally came back. Did you gain anything from this trip? How did you know I was here?"

"Thanks to my third uncle, I have gained a lot. When we docked in Taicang for supplies, I heard that the old lady was going south to celebrate her birthday and that my uncles and aunts were accompanying her, so I hurried here." Jia Yun said.

"Okay!" Jia Cong said with a smile, "Go sit at Baoyu's table and we'll talk after dinner."

"Yes." Jia Yun thought for a moment, then said, "This time, my nephew has invited many scholars and professors from the Western Barbarians to come to the Celestial Empire to give lectures. They are now staying in the inn. I wonder if my uncle would like to meet them?"

Jia Cong took a bite of crab roe and asked casually, "What kind of scholars are there? Who are they?"

Jia Yun said, "My nephew cannot explain it clearly. According to my uncle's instructions, the people invited are all the most famous people in mathematics and...natural science."

"Tell me a few."

"There is a Frankish gentleman named Laplace."

"Laplace? Never heard of it."

"There is an English gentleman named McLaughlin."

"Have not heard."

Baochai laughed and said, "Cong'er, these gentlemen have never set foot in China, how can you have heard of them?"

Baoqin laughed and said, "Even I haven't heard of it."

Jia Cong shook his head and said, "Let's talk about it later."

Jia Yun said hurriedly: "Yes, there is also a professor from the Prussian Academy of Sciences, his name is Leonhard..."

"Never heard of it." Jia Cong frowned. Why wasn't there a single familiar name? Were they all minor characters? Where did all those great people in the middle school textbooks go?
"...Ola." Jia Yun whispered the last two words, feeling anxious, fearing that the person he brought from thousands of miles away might not be to Jia Cong's liking.

"What?!" Jia Cong was startled and threw the crab away. "Say it again!" (End of this chapter)