Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jinling, Yuminfang.

Those who live here are the few wealthy people in the city. Although they are not the wealthy class, they all live a comfortable and healthy life.

When Qu Hongxiu first arrived in Jinling two years ago, he was attracted by the quietness and uniqueness of this place.

He bought a spacious and exquisite three-story courtyard as his and Keqing's residence.

The exquisite door platform, the blue-grey stone steps, the shiny black door, the flying eaves, and the top are paved with black-grey carved tiles.

Tall snow-white walls surround the entire property, and the undulating walls that wind up and down like waves add a unique beauty to the house.

In Yuminfang, where the wealthy gather, a three-courtyard house like this is considered to be quite large.

The original owner of this three-courtyard house was an official of the Maritime Customs. However, he was later involved in a major case involving the Water Inspectorate and was arrested, imprisoned, and lost his life.

In short, those who can live in such a three-courtyard house are either rich or noble, and are not comparable to the merchants with little wealth in the market.

When Qu Hongxiu first moved in, he attracted some attention in the neighborhood, and some curious people wanted to know the background of the owner of the house.

Only then did I know that the new owner of the house was the head manager of Xinchunhao and the only female imperial merchant in the Ministry of Internal Affairs.

For a woman to be registered in the Imperial Household Department, it was either because she had an extremely noble family background, or because she had a powerful person backing her.

No matter which possibility it is, it is not something that ordinary people can easily approach and touch.

Moreover, Jia Cong and Liu Yong, a captain of the Jinling Jinyiwei, have a close relationship.

The Jinyiwei Hundred Households Office in charge of the nearby Yuminfang also spread the word that this three-courtyard house was inhabited by the rich and powerful, and no outsiders were allowed to disturb them.

Being personally endorsed by the Jinling Jinyiwei, all the crows and rats in the nearby towns knew that a person with a remarkable background lived in this district, and they dared not even have the slightest covetousness.

Even the few petty thefts in Yuminfang that had been going on for a long time suddenly disappeared.

……

Jia Cong found the door early in the morning before the third hour.

Baozhu was seen sitting on the doorstep cracking melon seeds. She was wearing a pink embroidered vest, soft silk bloomers, a pleated skirt tied around her slender waist, and a pair of green embroidered shoes on her feet.

I haven't seen the little girl for more than a year. She has grown a lot. Her facial features are becoming more distinct and beautiful, her face is fair and rosy, her figure is slim and flexible, and she has the pretty charm of a young girl.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "Why are you sitting at the door so early in the morning?"

When Baozhu saw Jia Cong, her eyes lit up and she said with a smile, "Brother Cong, you are here. Sister Xiu said that you will come here every day in the future. Today is your first time, so she asked me to wait and show you the door."

Jia Cong followed Baozhu into the gate, looked up and saw a screen wall, then walked in through the hanging flower gate and entered the inner courtyard.

Passing through the wind and rain corridor, there are east and west wing rooms on both sides of the inner courtyard, an ear room next to the hanging flower gate, and the main house further in. The courtyard is surrounded by beautiful trees, flowers and plants planted in an orderly manner, and it looks full of vitality.

Baozhu's footsteps were bouncing. As soon as she entered the inner courtyard, the people inside seemed to have heard her. The door of the right wing opened, revealing Keqing's beautiful and pretty face.

The morning sun was warm and bright, shining on her graceful and charming figure, which was very moving.

Qu Hongxiu walked out from the left wing, dressed neatly, extremely beautiful, with a flexible waist, restrained heroic spirit, and dazzling.

She glanced at Jia Cong with a half-smile, then glanced at Keqing, who had a happy look on her face, her eyes moving around, not knowing what she was thinking.

When the flashes of swords began to flash in the yard, Baozhu sat aside, supporting her little face with her hands, watching Jia Cong and Hongxiu practice martial arts.

Keqing took Ruizhu into the side room next to the hanging flower gate.

After a while, milky white smoke came out of the chimney on the roof of the annex.

Baozhu watched Jia Cong practice swordplay for a while and felt a little bored. Then, when she smelled the fragrance in the ear room, she rushed in to help.

Today is the first time that Brother Cong comes, and she knows that the girl will definitely cook for herself.

In the ear room, Baozhu grabbed a piece of steamed bun, put it in her little mouth, and chewed it comfortably.

Keqing, still wearing an apron, stuck her head out of the ear room and looked into the yard.

But Jia Cong had stopped practicing swordplay and was talking to Qu Hongxiu. Under the morning light, the two of them had an indescribable tacit understanding and harmony.

Keqing had already learned from Baozhu that Jia Cong had known Qu Hongxiu when he was ten years old, which was much earlier than herself.

In the following years, the two learned martial arts together, opened a incense shop together, and had a very close relationship.

Jia Cong handed over the business to Hongxiu and never asked any questions. This trust he showed was extraordinary.

Ever since Keqing and Hongxiu came to Jinling to run the Xinchunhao, the two of them had been able to talk about almost anything, except for Qu Hongxiu, who rarely mentioned the matter between herself and Jia Cong.

The two of them moved into the house in Yuminfang, living in the left and right wing rooms respectively. Qu Hongxiu left the main room empty. Although she did not say it explicitly, Keqing understood what she meant.

She had no idea what the strange relationship between Qu Hongxiu and Jia Cong, which was neither teacher nor disciple, neither relative nor friend, was like.

But Keqing knew in her heart that Jia Cong was very important to Qu Hongxiu's heart, probably just like how she felt about Jia Cong...

At this time, Keqing saw two people talking in the yard, while Qu Hongxiu was tapping and caressing several places on Jia Cong's body with her fingers.

Seeing this, Keqing's pretty face flushed with shame. She suddenly remembered that day in the backyard of Xinchunhao's main store, when these two people were so presumptuous. How could they do this in broad daylight?

Keqing glanced at Baozhu, whose cheeks were bulging with food, and asked unwillingly, "Baozhu, what are brother Cong and sister Xiu doing? It's very weird."

Baozhu glanced into the yard and said nonchalantly, "They are practicing."

Keqing looked puzzled: "This is also called practicing martial arts?"

Baozhu said: "Miss, you don't know that Brother Cong is practicing Sister Xiu's family martial arts.

The sword skills that Brother Cong practices must be supplemented by the secret Qi-circulating method of the Qu family in order to be practiced to perfection. Brother Cong has not yet learned all of the Qi-circulating method, and he still needs Sister Xiu to continue teaching him.

This Qi circulation method requires practicing according to the acupuncture points. Sister Xiu just pointed out several points on Brother Cong's body, which are all Qi circulation points. If you don't teach him this way, Brother Cong will not know. "

Baozhu looked at Keqing's expression and saw that her pretty face was flushed and the corners of her mouth were slightly raised. She seemed a little unconvinced. Her big eyes rolled around and she roughly knew what Keqing was thinking.

So he joked, "Girl, you don't know that this method of Qigong is very intimate to teach. Male teachers don't teach female students, and female teachers don't teach male students.

But Sister Xiu's father died early, and there was no male in the family. Without a suitable person to pass on the skills, the kung fu was doomed to be lost.

Sister Xiu did teach me a little, but I thought it was too difficult and I was too lazy to learn.

Brother Cong has known Sister Xiu since he was very young. He is a rare martial arts talent and is diligent in practicing martial arts, so Sister Xiu taught him martial arts. After teaching him, Sister Xiu will not teach others. "

When Keqing heard Baozhu say that female teachers don't teach male disciples, she understood it. But the two people in front of her were obviously learning very hard, and they still said that female teachers don't teach male disciples...

He then asked, "Why did Sister Xiu teach it to Brother Cong and not to anyone else? If she was afraid that it would be lost, she would let more people learn it."

Baozhu chuckled and said, "Family heirlooms can only be passed down to males, but the Qu family has no descendants.

Moreover, when teaching this Kung Fu, all parts of the body have to be touched, so there is a rule that female teachers do not teach male disciples.

Unless there is an exception, that is, Sister Xiu passes it on to her husband or son in the future, then it is not a big deal, and the kung fu will be passed down from generation to generation.

But Brother Cong is not much younger than Sister Xiu, so he can never be her son, and he ended up like this.

That’s why Sister Xiu taught Kung Fu to Brother Cong and will not pass it on to others. "

When Keqing heard this, she knew what he meant and felt sad.

She blushed and glared at Baozhu, saying, "I usually teach you needlework, but you are never so smart. You can't twist the needle or thread the thread. You are such a fool.

You remember all these twists and turns very clearly."

Baozhu stuffed a piece of steamed bun into her mouth and said nonchalantly, "Miss, you are so heartless. I know it clearly, but I just don't want you to suffer. I still have good words to say. Do you want to hear them?"

Keqing blushed, probably guessing what Baozhu meant by "suffering a loss", but she said, "You little girl, I don't want to hear any good words you have to say." After a while, the ear room was silent. Keqing saw that Baozhu stopped talking and felt a little disappointed. She didn't know what Baozhu's good words were, but it must be related to my brother Cong.

When he looked back, he saw Baozhu's pair of bright eyes, flickering and looking at him strangely, as if she could see through his thoughts.

Keqing took out a plate of hot fruit and honey cake from the steamer and brought it to Baozhu. It was so sweet and fragrant that Baozhu's pretty face showed an adorable expression of greed and intoxication.

Baozhu grabbed a piece of honey cake, blew it to cool it down a little, and then stuffed it into her mouth and chewed it. While looking at the two people in the yard from the window, she said, "Brother Cong is actually very good to Sister Xiu..."

Qin Keqing was angry and put the cake into the steamer.

Baozhu swallowed a mouthful of cake and said, "But I think Brother Cong seems to be better to girls."

Qin Keqing: “…….”

Baozhu added: "Although Brother Cong is good to Sister Xiu, Sister Xiu travels all over the country and Brother Cong never cares or asks about her.

He treats girls differently, if a girl has any problems, Brother Cong will be very nervous and always come up with a bunch of tricks to help the girl solve the problem.

The girl is in trouble in Shenjing, and he has used up all his magic weapons, so he is eager to send you to Jinling.

He has never been too concerned about Sister Xiu. I think Brother Cong will definitely marry her in the future..."

Baozhu didn't get to say anything else because Keqing quickly blocked her mouth with a honey cake.

Keqing's face flushed red. Although she felt happy, she also felt disappointed.

Jia Cong's status is very different now. He is a hereditary earl. The laws of the country and the world are under the scrutiny of everyone. As a divorcee, how can he deserve all that? Just treat it as a child's good words...

But on second thought, I felt a little awkward. Sister Xiu is very capable and really never needs Brother Cong to worry about her.

But Baozhu is right, Brother Cong has not always been nice to me.

Thinking of this, his mood improved again. He took out a plate of osmanthus thousand-layer pastry from the cupboard and placed it in front of Baozhu with a smile.

Baozhu's eyes sparkled and she took the plate of Osmanthus Thousand Layer Pastry in her hands with a smile, but she felt quite proud in her heart, women are really so easy to please.

……

After Jia Cong finished practicing his martial arts, he went to the back room to wash up, changed into the clothes that Keqing had prepared for him, and went to the courtyard to have breakfast.

This yard is not small, but there are not many people living there, so it seems a bit empty.

In addition to Qu Hongxiu and Qin Keqing, there are Baozhu and Ruizhu, as well as two maids and a cook.

After living here for almost two years, Jia Cong is still the only outsider in this house.

There aren't as many strict rules here as in the Jia family of Rongguo. Five people sit around a table and eat breakfast. The atmosphere is very peaceful.

Baozhu was still concentrating on the plate of osmanthus thousand-layer pastry, eating it with gusto.

But he did not forget to say: "Brother Cong, you have already arrived in Jinling. It is too troublesome to run back and forth every day. Just live here and it will be more lively for everyone."

As soon as these words were spoken, everyone at the table was visibly stunned.

Ruizhu looked happy and glanced at her daughter. The daughter and the Third Master had met in Jinling, and then something happened in Shenjing. She knew her daughter's concerns best.

Her daughter would be with the Third Master sooner or later in her life, so Ruizhu naturally hoped that they could be closer.

Keqing's face flushed uncontrollably. She lowered her head and drank a mouthful of porridge before saying, "Baozhu is right. There is a lot of space here."

Qu Hongxiu glanced at Keqing, smiled and said to Baozhu: "Keqing really loves you for a good reason."

Then he said to Jia Cong, "That's what I meant. The main house is still empty. It's rare for you to come to Jinling. You can stay here and talk to us more. It will save you from running back and forth."

The breakfast didn’t take long, but it was unusually warm and everyone was in a good mood.

It was like something that was originally blurry suddenly became clear, just like a room that had been empty for a long time was suddenly filled with the simple happiness that had been long awaited.

……

Jinling, Taiping Gate.

Early that morning, Jia Cong came out of his residence in Yuminfang and went directly to Taiping Gate in the north of the city.

The five improved red cannons that were escorted from the capital to Jinling will enter the city today.

Although these five improved red cannons left Shenjing a few days earlier than Jia Cong, pirates and Japanese pirates have often caused trouble along the coast where the Yangtze River meets the sea.

For safety reasons, these five improved red cannons were transported by land, and because the cannons were large and heavy, the journey was much slower than normal escort.

It is even more convenient than Jia Cong's way to reach Yangzhou by water, and then take the convenient waterway from Yangzhou to Jinling from Suzhou.

In addition to the 300 musketeers from the Fifth Army Firearms Battalion, those responsible for escorting the artillery this time also included Madelen, the artillery instructor of the Firearms Department, who was responsible for maintaining the artillery along the way.

Three hundred musketeers lined up in neat rows, escorting five majestic red cannons, and marched through Taiping Gate in a mighty procession, attracting the attention of many passers-by along the way.

At this time, the story of how artillery had demonstrated its power in the battle against the Jurchens in Liaodong had already spread throughout the world, and even the common people and peddlers were all aware of the artillery's great reputation.

However, although Jia Cong's Firearms Bureau was well-known in the capital, it was not as famous in southern places like Nanjing.

The people in the South had mostly seen small firearms like muskets, and very few had seen large artillery.

At most, people would just hear rumors among the common people that the power of the artillery was comparable to the punishment from the god of thunder in heaven.

It is said that in the Liaodong War, a young master of the Jia family of Rong State killed tens of thousands of Jurchens with only a few cannons and wiped out the area outside the Great Wall in one fell swoop.

Absurd legends like these are often talked about by the common people.

Therefore, as soon as the team escorting the artillery entered Taiping Gate, the news spread quickly in Jinling City, and many scholars and civilians rushed along the way to see this rare sight.

Upon hearing the news, the Jinling Military Command Office was afraid that too many onlookers would cause unexpected accidents to the artillery escort along the way, so it specially dispatched 500 soldiers from the Jinling Military Command Office.

Join the artillery escort team and escort these five cannons to the destination as quickly as possible, namely the regular arsenal of the Jinling Duzhisi Yamen.

Now both the officialdom and the military know that this improved red cannon is the latest development of the Shenjing Firearms Bureau and is considered to be the most powerful firearm in the Great Zhou.

It is said that it is much more powerful than the Portuguese cannon that demonstrated its might at Yafu Pass in Liaodong. It is no exaggeration to call it a national treasure.

A more important meaning is that His Majesty was concerned about the rampant Japanese pirates along the coast of Southern Zhili, and the soldiers fought bloody battles, their courage and love are commendable.

Only then was a special decree issued to equip the two garrisons in Gusu and Songjiang under the Jinling Commandery with five powerful new cannons, first in order to prevent theft and resist the Japanese pirates.

Therefore, these five new cannons are not only five powerful firearms, but also represent the emperor's great grace and the emperor's earnestness and attention to the coastal defense along the rivers of Southern Zhili.

Therefore, Jia Cong would personally rush to Taiping Gate early in the morning to welcome the artillery escort team to show solemnity.

When the artillery was approaching the Jinling Military Command Office, a large number of Jinling's local civil and military officials had already walked half a mile to welcome the firearms escort team.

Among these officials, there was one person walking in the front of the crowd whose description caught Jia Cong's special attention.

Jia Cong had only met him once two years ago. Normally, if the two parties were not close friends, after two years, he would probably not even remember the other person's name.

But this person made such a deep impression on him that even though he had only met him once, he was still engraved in his heart.

I can still vividly remember the scene at the Zou family’s birthday banquet that year, when the soldiers were so brave and captured the thief in the hall.

This person once sincerely advised Zou Huaiyi to accept the punishment so as not to implicate his family.

But his persuasion seemed to have no effect. Instead, Zou Huaiyi committed suicide in court, leaving a mystery in the Water Supervision Bureau case that has remained unsolved to this day.

This person was Zhang Kangnian, who was the deputy commander of the Jinling Military Command at that time and was now transferred to the right assistant minister of the Ministry of War in the secondary capital. (End of this chapter)