Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 365 Feng Zao Sends a Message

Jinling, Xinchunhao Jiangnan Head Office.

It was almost August, the hottest time of the year in Jinling. The several thick sycamore trees in front of the store did not look wilted under the scorching sun, but were still lush and green.

Xinchunhao has been building trade routes in Jiangnan over the past two years, and has now established a considerable presence in Jinling and surrounding prefectures.

The land of Jinling, the secondary capital of the Great Zhou, is full of government offices, has a vast territory and a large population, and its people are wealthy. It has always been a golden place for business.

In addition to the Jiangnan main store in Jinling, Xinchunhao has opened four branches in various busy streets. Although the stores are not large, business is very prosperous.

In addition, after Daiyu wrote a letter to her father, under the promotion of Lin Ruhai, Su Yang and Lin.

Xinchunhao opened branches in Suzhou, Yangzhou and other places, and the trade routes slowly extended to Lianghuai, which has become the second silver flow focus in Jiangnan after Jinling and Ningbo.

With the promotion of the Imperial Household Department, Xinchunhao opened branches in Ningbo and Fuzhou. All kinds of goods produced were continuously sent from Shenjing and Nanjing to these two coastal ports.

With Jia Cong's various creative ideas, rare items such as perfume diffusers, perfume soaps, chicken wing wood bristle toothbrushes, and green salt toothpaste began to take the route of maritime trade...

The reason why Xinchunhao was able to become popular within a few years was not only because of several shrewd and capable helmsmen, as well as imaginative product creation and business skills, but also because of its unique background.

To the outside world, Xinchunhao is a royal merchant of the Imperial Household Department, but internally, the newly-appointed Earl of Weiyuan of the Rong State Jia family stands behind it.

Jia Cong was awarded the title for his military merits and is currently favored by the emperor. He comes from a family of noble birth, and has Emperor Wenzong as his teacher. His talent and reputation are renowned throughout the south of the Yangtze River.

Since entering the officialdom, he has had close relations with new nobles such as the Minister of War Gu Yangui, Marquis of Zhongjing Shi Ding, and Marquis of Pingyuan Liang Chengzong.

Although he is only a fifth-rank official at present, he has gradually become a foundation both in the new and old lords and in the civil and military fields.

Although due to his age and short experience, he has not attracted much attention and has not yet become a big name, but he is more than enough to provide shelter for an emerging business.

In several states in the south of the Yangtze River, the Jia family is a prominent family in Jinling with deep roots.

Due to Jia Cong's unique network of contacts, Ge Zhicheng, a captain of Jinling Jinyiwei, Liu Hai, a captain of Jinling Jinyiwei, and Lin Ruhai, an imperial censor of the Lianghuai Salt Patrol, became the arms of Xinchunhao's rapid development in Jiangnan for various reasons.

With so many factors at play, the prosperity of Xinchunhao in the south of the Yangtze River is a natural thing.

Compared with the booming business of several branch stores in Jinling City, the main store of Xinchunhao seems to be a little less popular, and has a rare sense of leisure and quietness.

The main responsibilities of the head office are to manage the workshop, distribute goods, coordinate resources, and sell things on a daily basis, which are not the main business of the head office.

At this time, a nimble girl walked quickly into the hall on the first floor. Her pretty face was slightly flushed.

Perhaps it was because of the hot weather, a thin layer of sweat appeared on the fair and delicate forehead.

Hongxiu and Keqing, who were on the second floor, heard a series of crisp and rapid thudding sounds coming from the stairs.

Both of them couldn't help but smile at each other. Apart from Baozhu, no one else in the store would make such a noise walking up the stairs.

Baozhu entered the room on the second floor, took out a small and exquisite bamboo tube, and said with a smile: "I just received a message from Feiyu in Shenjing. Brother Cong has received the imperial decree and will soon go to Jinling on a royal mission."

After hearing this, Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing both looked happy. They took out the letter from the bamboo tube, which only said that Jia Cong would go to Nanjing soon, but did not explain the purpose of his trip.

Qu Hongxiu smiled at Keqing and said, "You are right. The emperor must have asked him to investigate Zhou Zhengyang's case, otherwise he would not have come to Nanjing at this time."

……

An official ship of the Ministry of Rites and the Jiaofang Division.

At the end of July, dusk fell on the sky and the earth. The boat cut through the surging river. The cities and towns on both sides of the river turned into vague shadows in the night, constantly receding and completely swallowed up by the darkness.

The slightly bumpy cabin was filled with an unusual silence. Zou Miner packed her belongings and placed three things on the table.

A gray-white secret note, a stamped bill, and a handwritten letter from the Ministry of Railways.

She looked at these things with crystal eyes and her thoughts churning.

Suddenly I remembered the young man who gave his jade leather belt to me in Ziyun Pavilion in Jinling.

Lang Lang is as handsome as the moon, with unparalleled grace and elegance. He once gave a carefree and graceful girl the most hazy and beautiful reverie.

Who could have imagined that behind all this lay a bloody conspiracy, the humiliation of broken families and the death of loved ones.

The fate of a spoiled official daughter was changed in an instant, and her leisurely and noble youth was trampled upon at will.

Perhaps Du Qingniang was right, Jia Cong just happened to be there, and it was his father who really changed his destiny.

When the Longtangang case broke out, the military and civilians in Jinling were killed and injured in large numbers, which attracted worldwide attention; the Shicaowozi case of murder and silencing of witnesses left 61 bodies, shocking the government and the public.

Officials from the capital swarmed into Nanjing, conducting inspections and searches everywhere. Sooner or later, what my father had done would be discovered.

Du Qingniang once asked a similar question: Even if Jia Cong had not appeared, would her father have died? Zou Min'er could not answer this question, nor did she want to answer it.

When Du Qingniang saved me from despair, it was out of pity, but also because she saw in the great potential that could be unleashed by people who were living a life worse than death, and in the midst of filth and madness.

Just as Du Qingniang said, in this world, no one is more persistent and dedicated than herself to the crimes arising from the major case of the Water Supervision Bureau.

Back then, his father committed suicide by stabbing his mother, and he himself was cast into the ranks of a lowly servant in the Music Bureau, but he hid many people from the incident.

If Zhou Suqing had not been arrested, how could someone like Zhou Zhengyang be implicated?

Her life was ruined. No matter what happened in the future, she could not wash off the stigma of being a slave in the music school. For a woman from an official family, it was tantamount to eternal damnation.

The greatest pleasure of living is to let someone who deserves to die be buried with your father and pay the price for the humiliation you have suffered...

The gray-white secret note consisted of only two thin pages, recording the names, identities, and communication methods of six secret agents of the China Railway Corporation in Jinling City.

One of the six people was serving in Jinling Guard and was even a captain of the guard who had been in office for two years.

The other five are all engaged in various industries in Jinling, and their industries are also diverse.

It is unknown whether there are other branches below these six people.

This secret personnel list was handed to her personally by Du Qingniang before she set out, and it was also her support and eyes and ears in Jinling.

Zou Min'er read the secret note five or six times, memorized it firmly in her heart, and then burned it over the candlelight.

She privately asked someone knowledgeable about the business to look at the stamped bill, and it turned out to be a bill from a money house called Sihai Money House.

Jiangnan is a prosperous and wealthy place, with countless private banks of all sizes.

Money shops can not only store and exchange gold and silver, but also charge different management fees and store other valuables.

The wealthy merchants in Jiangnan all made their fortunes in different ways, so they always had some strange and private assets, most of which they had the habit of keeping in the archives of money shops.

However, Zou Min'er used to be the daughter of an official and lived a comfortable life. She was not familiar with money, so naturally she had never been to or had contact with a money shop.

According to the old servant in the family, this stamp note was carefully entrusted to him by his father for safekeeping.

What this bank note represents may be the property that my father left for himself as a retreat.

However, his father had been arrested and executed. Whether the things stored in the bank were still safe or not, he would have the chance to find out only after he arrived in Nanjing.

However, the handwritten note from the Imperial Vehicle Commissioner was what surprised her the most, and its content was beyond her expectations...

...Rongguo Mansion, Rongqing Hall.

It is now the end of July, and the third day of August is Grandmother Jia's birthday.

In the past few days, Rong State has been decorated with lights and colors, and the festive atmosphere is becoming increasingly strong.

Last year, the Ningguo Jia family collapsed, but the Rongguo Jia family not only remained standing, but Jia Cong of the Rongguo mansion was also newly conferred the title of Weiyuan Earl.

Among the two nobles in one family, who are all the nobles in the capital, only the Shi family of Baolinghou has had such an honor.

The newly-appointed Weiyuan Earl Jia Cong is not yet twenty years old, and his future potential is certainly no less than that of the Zhongjing Marquis who had made great contributions to following the emperor.

In the eyes of outsiders, this was an undoubted signal of the resurgence of the Rongguo Jia family, so the people who came to celebrate the birthday this year were particularly enthusiastic and attentive.

So these days, Grandmother Jia sat in the hall early in the morning, and female relatives such as Lady Wang, Wang Xifeng, Daiyu, and the Sanchun sisters came to Rongqing Hall every morning to sit and talk with her.

One is to chat with the old lady, and the other is to receive visiting female relatives from various families.

Because in the past few days, the elder relatives of various families have sent birthday gifts one after another, and even the Jia family, Shi family, and Zhen family in Jinling have sent birthday gifts from afar.

All noble families naturally have ways of communicating and connecting with each other. Giving birthday gifts to their homes is an excellent opportunity to build closer relationships.

In addition, Lady Jia was a high-ranking lady of the state, so it was understandable that the guests were treated with more formality.

Therefore, those who came to send birthday gifts these days often included the wives of wealthy and powerful families, who came in person to chat with Lady Jia in Rongqing Hall, and some even brought their unmarried daughters with them...

The reason why Daiyu and the three sisters were allowed to sit in the hall together was also for this reason, so that the daughters who came with their wives to give gifts could have sisters to chat with.

If it were a few years ago, most of these thoughtful wives would have been after Baoyu, who was born with a jade in his mouth. But nowadays, no wife in charge is so short-sighted.

A leader in the harem like Lady Jia could naturally see what these noble ladies were thinking.

Those who came to the mansion to present birthday gifts today included Chengyang Marquis Xu and her unmarried third daughter.

Marquis of Chengyang Liu Xingwen was also a founding marquis, and his family background was passed down from generation to generation. Although his family background was not as prominent as that of the Rongguo Mansion, it was also one of the most prominent noble families in the Shenjing City.

Moreover, this unmarried Miss Liu is pretty and is a legitimate daughter, so her appearance and family background are both good.

Although Baoyu was always the one that Grandmother Jia loved the most in her heart, she also knew that this talkative and cheerful woman and the shy girl in the boudoir were definitely not after her Baoyu.

There was a kind smile on Grandmother Jia's face, but this smile always made the visiting ladies feel distant and unfathomable.

Grandmother Jia's heart is as clear as a mirror. Although she and Jia Cong are not close, the scar left by Jia Cong's biological mother Du Jinniang will probably remain in her heart for the rest of her life.

But whether she was willing to admit it or not, she knew clearly that to outsiders, Jia Cong was the Jia family's gold nugget, not her most beloved Baoyu.

Since this is the fact, Grandmother Jia is not a fool and naturally understands the principle of keeping things within the family.

The efforts of the two nieces-in-law of the Shi family were not in vain. They also aroused the thoughts of Grandmother Jia. Regarding Jia Cong's marriage, the person she was thinking of was Shi Xiangyun.

Shi Xiangyun is the direct descendant of her Shi family. If she could marry the grandson of her hereditary Earl Wangti, the Jia and Shi families would be even closer and their blood would blend together, which she would be very happy to see.

And there is another deeper reason for Lady Jia. If her own niece marries Jia Cong, she will have a greater say in the Weiyuan Marquis's Mansion, and even the possibility of controlling it.

Grandmother Jia has been the helmsman of the inner palace for half her life. How to control the power in the house has almost become her habitual thinking in managing the household. She agreed to Yingchun moving into the East Palace because of this idea.

Since Grandmother Jia had such a delusion in her mind, she was naturally not moved at all by the actions of these noble ladies. Yesterday, she asked Lin Zhixiao's wife to go to the Shi family to pick up Xiangyun to stay for a while.

……

Grandmother Jia could see the intention of the noble ladies bringing a large sum of money to celebrate the birthday, and of course Mrs. Wang could see it clearly too. Moreover, these women kept praising Brother Cong every other sentence, which made her feel extremely disgusted.

Even if Mrs. Wang was wishful thinking, she couldn't put other people's thoughts on her Baoyu, so she was depressed and resentful, and the Buddhist beads in her hand spun faster and faster, as if they were about to spark against her skin.

Among the people in the hall, apart from Mrs. Wang, the one who felt the most uncomfortable was Daiyu. She had always been smart and intelligent, so she could naturally see that there had been some evil winds in Rongqing Hall in recent days.

Whenever a delicate daughter of a noble family came to visit Lady Jia, and the mistress of the house spoke eloquently and with witty remarks, Daiyu would have a tense face, look at her nose and pretend not to see anything.

Yingchun was the kindest person, and she knew a little about Daiyu's feelings for Jia Cong's daughter, so she chatted with her from time to time to ease the atmosphere.

Only Tanchun stood aside, as if she was out of the matter. Her pretty eyes were full of charm and she looked elegant and graceful. She often looked at the daughters of wealthy families who came to pay their respects, and then at Sister Lin who was suddenly full of charisma beside her.

I felt somewhat proud, somewhat disappointed, but more of a sense of luck. Fortunately, my third brother is my cousin, otherwise I would have had a lot more troubles...

……

At this time, the maid at the second gate came to report that the eldest daughter in the palace had sent her servant girl holding the zither to bring a gift to the old lady.

When Lady Jia heard this, she stood up, and Mrs. Wang also looked surprised.

Ever since Yuanchun was selected to enter the palace eight years ago and was later appointed as a female historian of Fengzao Palace, the palace rules have always been strict and women in the palace are not allowed to send items outside the palace.

Yuanchun had been in the palace for eight years, and such a thing had never happened before. Why would her personal maid be allowed to leave the palace alone to deliver birthday gifts to the Jia Mansion today?

Grandmother Jia and Mrs. Wang were surprised and suspicious, and quickly asked someone to bring Baoqin into Rongqing Hall.

After a while, Baoqin entered Rongqing Hall with a young eunuch following behind.

If Jia Cong were here, he would recognize the little eunuch holding the zither as Xiao Fuzi, who had been following Yuanchun since he first met her in the palace.

Even though the palace was gracious and Baoqin was just a little palace maid, letting her out of the palace to give gifts was not without scruples, and this little eunuch also followed her closely.

When Baoqin followed Yuanchun into the palace eight years ago, she was still a childish girl. Now she has grown into a graceful and elegant lady with skin as white as clouds and bright eyes.

Naturally, Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang had seen what she looked like when she was a child, and they had also seen her several times when they visited the palace during the past two years.

Baoqin greeted Lady Jia and Lady Wang with a smile, and also greeted all the girls present. Yingchun and Tanchun were people Baoqin had met when she was a child.

However, she was unfamiliar with Daiyu and Xichun, because eight years ago, Daiyu had not yet entered the Jia Mansion and Xichun was still in her infancy.

Baoqin followed Yuanchun into the palace, and became a palace member. Her status was no longer the same as that of a maid in the Jia family. If Yuanchun were to be honored by the emperor's grace, Baoqin, as Yuanchun's personal maid, would be worth twice as much.

Therefore, neither Lady Jia nor Mrs. Wang dared to treat her as a maid in the Jia family anymore.

Madam Wang asked in a gentle tone, "I know that the palace has strict rules in the past, so why would they let the young lady leave the palace to deliver the birthday gift today?"

Baoqin smiled and said, "In recent years, Third Master Cong has been awarded a title for defeating the enemy in Liaodong, and has also developed and manufactured firearms. He has made contributions to the emperor many times. The Empress is grateful that Third Master is so young and dedicated to the country, and she is very appreciative.

He also felt pity for the eldest daughter who had been in the palace for many years and had been diligent and hardworking, and had neglected family affection, so he allowed the third master and the eldest daughter to meet in the palace several times to express their sisterly love.

This time, the eldest girl knew that it was the old lady’s birthday, so she asked the Queen Mother for help. The Queen Mother showed her favor again and allowed me to leave the palace to deliver the birthday gift.”

After hearing these words, Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang were both shocked.

They never expected that Yuanchun, who had been in the palace for eight years and was unknown, was unexpectedly favored by the Queen because of Jia Cong's several meritorious services. To put it bluntly, she was doing Jia Cong a favor.

Was this the emperor's intention or the queen's own thought? Grandmother Jia was confused and doubtful.

But Mrs. Wang’s thoughts were a little more explicit. She wondered if the emperor would show favor to her daughter. That would be like a gift from heaven...

(End of this chapter)