Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Chapter 370: Plum Blossoms in the Mysterious Tomb

Luocang Mountain, Liu’s House.

Because Jia Cong would be traveling south to Nanjing soon, he came to visit Mr. Liu Yanxiu before leaving.

Since the once-in-three-years Spring Examination would be held next year, after returning from Liaodong, he would go to Kuocang Mountain every few days to listen to the lectures of Mr. Liu Yanxiu.

In the past two years, he devoted himself to study and was taught by Liu Jing'an, who was known as the literary saint. He immersed himself deeply in the study of classics.

Last year, he was able to win the title of Jieyuan in the special examination. He has a solid foundation in calligraphy, policy essays, and current affairs, and is quite proficient.

Now we just need to continuously consolidate the foundation, revive the old and bring forth the new, draw inferences from other instances, integrate them into one, and be original and we will be able to move to a higher level.

Therefore, when Liu Jing'an taught him now, he no longer just gave simple explanations of scriptures.

Instead, they start from the aspects of theory, brushstrokes, intention, discrimination, current affairs, etc. The master and the apprentice not only give guidance but also have alternative exchanges and collisions.

Liu Jing'an was known as the Saint of Learning. After retiring, he taught at home for more than ten years and produced seven Jinshi (imperial examination candidates) from among the Liu family members, shocking the world. It was no exaggeration to say that his ability in teaching was unmatched in the world.

Jia Cong was accepted as his last disciple by chance in his later years. He was gifted beyond ordinary people and had high expectations for him.

For Liu Jing'an, the subject of the imperial examination was profound, and Jia Cong was young after all, so he needed time to accumulate his knowledge. He just had to do his best and give him some guidance.

However, Jia Cong was even more talented in making decisions and making plans, and he seemed to have an innate wisdom and sharpness that could not be acquired through inheritance.

This is what Liu Jing'an cares about the most, but he is also worried about it.

Jia Cong was ordered to go to Nanjing on official business. Ostensibly, he was going to Nanjing to set up a branch of the Firearms Bureau, promote firearms training, and recruit Western Yi talents. In fact, he was ordered to assist in the investigation of Zhou Zhengyang's major case.

He did not mention this matter to his family and colleagues, but he did not hide it from Liu Jing'an.

He also revealed the true purpose of going to Jinling to Liu Jing'an, and asked: "Zhou Zhengyang is the third-rank chief officer of Jinling Guards, with a high position and power, holding military authority. Not only was he involved in a huge case, but he was able to escape easily after the incident.

I have a lot of doubts here. Sir, you have experienced a lot of things in the world. I wonder if there is anything you can teach me?"

He knew that this gentleman had experienced the ups and downs of officialdom, had held a high position as one of the Nine Ministers when the Emperor was retired, had broad knowledge and far-reaching strategies, and he also wanted to hear his opinion.

Liu Jing'an said: "Jinling is the birthplace of the Great Zhou Dynasty. When Emperor Taizu established his rule over the country, although he moved the capital to the capital, Jinling is the key place for half of Jiangnan and the source of Jiangnan's prosperity. It has always been valued by the court.

During the Hongxuan period, the late emperor ordered the establishment of the Jinling Commandery in the area formerly under the jurisdiction of Nanzhili, which controlled the five prefectures of Jinling, Zhenjiang, Changzhou, Gusu, and Songjiang, and consolidated the garrison in the core area of ​​Nanzhili.

In recent years, Japanese pirates have often committed crimes in the waters near Suzhou and Songjiang.

The Suzhou Guard and Songjiang Guard under the Jinling Command held their ground and repelled the enemy. Although there was no great victory, they resisted the enemy, protected the people, and held the river defense, achieving some gains, which can be considered as fulfilling their duties loyally.

But now, the most important Jinling Guard under the Jinling Commandery has caused such a big incident. The third-rank guard commander was actually the mastermind of the major case in the Water Supervision Division.

It is conceivable how deep the doubts and fears in His Majesty's heart are.

In that year's major case at the Water Conservancy Bureau, Captain Zou Huaiyi was executed, and everyone thought the case was finally settled.

But less than two years later, a third-rank official who held military power was implicated again.

Any case involving military generals and high-ranking officials has always been dangerous and unpredictable, and will definitely make His Majesty deeply fearful.

Who can guarantee that after Zhou Zhengyang is arrested, he will not be involved in other cases? And Jinling is an important place in Jiangnan...

You must not be careless when you go to Nanjing this time. Investigate in secret and thoroughly. If you find something, keep it secret and don't be alarmed. Report it to the Empress immediately and wait for the emperor's judgment. Don't act rashly or you will be implicated and suffer the consequences!"

Jia Cong was shocked when he heard this. He had been with Liu Jing'an for several years and knew this gentleman's temper very well, although he just warned himself to be careful.

But there seemed to be more to his words than that. Given the tacit understanding between them as master and disciple, there was no need for Liu Jing'an to be vague.

Although I was a little confused, I thought that maybe I was too sensitive...

……

Earl's Mansion, Jia Cong Courtyard.

When Jia Cong returned, he did not come back empty-handed, but brought back two newly bound books.

For one volume, Liu Jing'an spent half a month collecting the classics, current affairs and policy essays that won the first place in the imperial examinations in the past six years, and organized and commented on them.

The other volume contains topics he wrote himself, including excerpts from book classics, current affairs essays, and policy essays, all of which are marked with directions for solving the topics and reference books.

As Jia Cong's teacher, Liu Jing'an can be said to have worked hard, had good intentions, and was very responsible.

These were all prepared for Jia Cong to study on his own when he had free time. After all, his trip to Nanjing would take at least several months.

As soon as I entered the yard, I heard the sound of chirping in the room, as if all the sisters were there.

Zhishao came out when she heard the footsteps. She was wearing a lavender floral double-breasted bodice, a white round-neck crepe lining, and a moon-white floral long skirt. She was slender, graceful and pretty.

Jia Cong gave her a few instructions about the two books, and Zhishao quickly put them away properly so that Jia Cong could use them at any time.

Baochai was sitting at a round table talking to Yinglian. On the table was a brown package with jade patterns.

When he saw Jia Cong, he smiled and said, "I know that Brother Cong will be going to Jinling soon. I would like to ask you to help me take a letter and something to my cousin Xue Ke."

Jia Cong was naturally familiar with the name Xue Ke, but he didn't care about it.

When she entered the inner room, she found Yingchun and Daiyu were there, helping Zhishao pack her clothes and luggage for the trip.

As Daiyu arranged the luggage in the boxes, she teased Zhishao, "My dear sister-in-law, I envy you for being able to go south with my third brother.

It’s a pity that it’s midsummer now, and the plum blossoms on Xuanmu Mountain are not in bloom. They are said to be extremely beautiful, but I’ve wanted to see them for years, but never had the chance to see them.”

Zhi Shao blushed and said, "Young lady, don't talk nonsense. Where did my sister-in-law come from? This time I went south because the Third Master took me to see the master."

Two years ago, when Zhishao followed Jia Cong back home, there was quite a stir. After hearing the gossip from outsiders, Jia's mother thought that Jia Cong's behavior was improper, so she sent people to stop him outside the second gate.

Later, Jia Cong went to the palace to present his proposals on firearms and camp building strategies, which won the praise of Emperor Jiazhao.

Because of his grudge against the Jia family of Rong State, the Emperor asked the Empress to give Zhishao a palace flower hairpin and skirt as a reward for Jia Cong, to support him and to suppress Rong State.

At that time, Grandmother Jia thought that the gift was given to her by the palace, but she didn't expect that the one who was honored was Zhishao. Grandmother Jia lost a lot of face that time.

From then on, Grandmother Jia was wary of all matters related to the palace and was cautious in everything she did.

As a result, Zhishao, who had received a gift from the Queen, became special in the Jia family. Because of concerns for the dignity of the palace, no one in the mansion dared to treat Zhishao as a maid.

Later, it was Wang Xifeng who came up with the idea. Because Zhishao had served Jia Cong since she was a child, and Jia Cong treated her differently, she was given the same monthly allowance of two taels of silver as a young lady, which was considered a decent salary in the palace.

Even when the women in the family went to watch operas or hold religious ceremonies, they would ask Zhishao to come out and show her face, so that outsiders would not say anything disrespectful.

In fact, both Lady Jia and Mrs. Wang knew in their hearts that the monthly allowance set by Wang Xifeng for Zhishao was not just for the sake of maintaining dignity in the palace.

This was also because of an old rule in the Jia family that when a young master turned fifteen, two servants would be arranged to serve him before he got married.

It is also to let the decent children and grandchildren know about the affairs of the family before they get married, so as to prevent them from going out and having affairs, being seduced by indecent vixens and causing unrest in the family.

This is how Jia Zheng, Jia Lian and other male members of the family came to be.

The two people in Jia Zheng's room later became Aunt Zhou and Aunt Zhao.

Jia Lian was more miserable. He met a shrew like Wang Xifeng. When he was young, he had two roommates in the same house, but after Wang Xifeng came into the house, they were driven out of the house for various reasons.

One of them later married the family slave Bao Er, and until now, Jia Lian is still secretly having an affair with Bao Er's family.

Wang Xifeng was a thoughtful and meticulous person, and she followed the old family rules and considered internal and external factors before setting such a monthly allowance for Zhishao.

Because, in the Jia family, not only girls like Yingchun and Tanchun received a monthly allowance of two taels of silver, but also concubines like Aunt Zhou who had not given birth also received a monthly allowance of two taels of silver.

Wang Xifeng has always been very familiar with the twists and turns of the big mansion. This not only allows her to deal with the dignity of the palace outside, but also prevents anyone in the house from gossiping.

In fact, Grandmother Jia had done this once. When Xue Pan harassed Yinglian, Grandmother Jia knew that Yinglian was entrusted to Jia Cong by Feng, which was tantamount to the words of a matchmaker.

As Jia Cong became more and more outstanding, Grandmother Jia began to want to win him over, and thus awarded Yinglian a red gold necklace suitable for young ladies, which was equivalent to Yinglian gaining recognition from the elders of the Jia family.

Therefore, there were already two fair and honest people in Jia Cong's room, but Jia Cong himself was not yet old enough to dance with elephants and had not yet been involved in matters between men and women.

Zhishao is older than Yinglian. She has served Jia Cong since she was a child and is increasingly different in the eyes of others.

Yingchun, Tanchun, Daiyu and other girls in the Jia family all know the basic rules of the family and know that Zhishao will be given to Jia Cong sooner or later.

Women who come from noble and aristocratic families are accustomed to such things and don't care about them, so Daiyu teases Zhishao like this.

Zhishao had a rough life and practiced in Panxiang Temple for two years. Although she was confused about her past, her attachment to Jia Cong came from the ordeal of life and death.

She is deeply in love, focused on her love, and behaves in a non-confrontational manner in her daily life. She is very popular in the mansion, and sisters such as Yingchun and Daiyu are close to her.

Seeing that Zhishao was shy, Jia Cong stepped forward to help and said with a smile: "Sister, if you want to see the plum blossoms on Xuanmu Mountain, it is not difficult. When I go back this time, I will bring back some plum roots from Xuanmu Mountain. Planting them in the East Palace will definitely help them survive.

My sister doesn’t have to travel through mountains and rivers to see it.”

Zhishao's pretty face was still flushed, and she said, "Miss Lin, I have lived in Panxiang Temple for a few years. The plum blossoms on the sunny slope of the south of Xuanmu Mountain are the most beautiful. I will help you pick some of the best plum roots.

Bring them back to Dongfu to plant, and the girl will be able to see the plum blossoms bloom during the New Year this year."

Daiyu pulled Zhishao closer, and seeing that her blush had not faded, she stopped teasing and said with a smile, "My dear sister, you must remember this. I will wait for you to bring back the plum blossoms from the mountain."

……

Jinling, Longtan Port Terminal.

The sky was like a blood-red sunset, illuminating the vast river outside the pier, radiating dazzling waves.

Two years ago, the Longtan Port case that shocked the world took place here.

Two Japanese merchant ships fought over tribute due to unfair handling of the Maritime Customs, resulting in the killing of the crew of one of the Japanese merchant ships and the deaths of dozens of dock guards and garrison officers and soldiers.

Now, two years have passed, and Longtan Port has long returned to its former tranquility.

Many of the merchant ships traveling back and forth at the dock, as well as their owners and crew members, do not even know that a bloody catastrophe had taken place here a few years ago.

Two years ago, a bloody incident at Longtan Port led to the detection of a major case involving the Water Inspectorate. The Jinling Maritime Customs and the Water Inspectorate, as the main government offices involved in the case, were thoroughly purged.

The main officials of these two government offices were killed, committed suicide, were convicted and sentenced to death, or were demoted and transferred. Almost one in ten survived.

The vacant official positions were divided up in various ways by powerful officials in Shenjing and Nanjing.

These newly appointed officials were frightened by the crimes committed by their predecessors and the terrible consequences they suffered, so when they first took office, they were able to perform their duties loyally, conscientiously and without making mistakes.

But in a wealthy and luxurious city like Nanjing, tycoons, wealthy businessmen, and powerful families flocked to it. Overseas trade and foreign goods were exchanged with many countries, and gold and silver flowed everywhere, and people were blinded by greed.

These officials who are trembling with fear when they take office, because of the power they hold, countless wealthy businessmen and powerful people with vested interests will use all kinds of means to curry favor with them and corrode their bottom line.

Two years is not a short time, enough time for the rebuilt dam to grow countless ant holes again.

After ten years of hard study and thousands of miles of service as an official, there are only a few people who are truly as clean as water and have a firm mind and will.

People like Jia Cong, who come from a wealthy family, are full of creative ideas and never bothered by money, are even more rare among the rare.

Most people cannot withstand the constant temptations of gold, silver, beauty, power, money and glory.

They may not have the courage to do what Zou Huaiyi did, who destroyed ships and looted goods, and treated human lives as nothing, and committed countless crimes.

However, the ceremonial guards have the power to collude with merchants, be lenient with the law for personal gain, and enrich themselves. Who wouldn't do such a thing?

After the major case of the Water Inspectorate was uncovered two years ago, the new officials of the Maritime Customs and the Water Inspectorate were very strict in their initial inspections.

Within a year, this pragmatic and rigorous atmosphere was quickly eroded by various factors, and the entire Longtan Port became harmonious with merchant ships coming in and out and officials and directors conducting inspections.

How many official corruptions are happening at the docks every day.

However, ever since Emperor Jiazhao issued an imperial decree to conduct a large-scale rotation of officials in relevant government offices in Nanjing, the atmosphere in Longtan Port suddenly became tense.

Many officials from the Nanjing Maritime Customs and the Waterway Supervision Bureau were removed from their posts during this controversy, and the original connections between officials and businessmen were abruptly severed.

The entire Jinling Longtan Port has tightened the reins of strict inspections on civilian ships, merchant ships, and tribute ships.

In recent days, there have been many ships entering the port, which have been found by officials from the Maritime Customs and the Water Surveillance Department to be carrying prohibited items or having incomplete identification documents for the crew members entering the port.

Just now, a ship that was inspected by officials from the Maritime Customs was found to have violated regulations again, which made the inspecting officials feel a little tricky.

Because this merchant ship belongs to the Zhen family, a wealthy family in Jiangnan.

(End of this chapter)