Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jinling, Qingyin Pavilion.

Zou Miner came back from Xinghua Lane. The carriage took half an hour to arrive at the gate of Qingyin Pavilion, but she was still uneasy.

What Xu Qinnan told her about the past of the Jinling Du family really gave her a great shock and impact.

Even she herself couldn't tell whether she hoped Jia Cong was related to the Du family, or hoped that he would be safer and have nothing to do with the aristocratic family whose entire family was destroyed.

From beginning to end, she could not find any evidence to support her wild guesses.

And the fact that there are still surviving descendants of the Du family was also completely beyond her expectations...

When the carriage arrived near Qingyin Pavilion, she took a veil from the carriage and put it on before getting off.

Since she returned to Jinling, she has developed this habit. She would prepare a veil every time she goes out and rarely reveals her real face in public.

After all, her current identity is special, and even the name she claims to use is a pseudonym.

There is the music lady in Qingyin Pavilion and the guests coming in and out of the pavilion.

All they knew was that she was Madam Zhou from the Shenjing Jiaofang Bureau, and that she was the apprentice accepted by Pavilion Master Madam Qing in Shenjing, but they didn't know that this Zhou was not that Zou.

As the daughter of a fourth-rank military officer, she had always lived in seclusion in her boudoir, and few outsiders, except her family members, had seen her appearance.

However, the matter she was going to Nanjing for this time was deeply related to the major case of the Water Supervision Bureau that year. In an old place like Nanjing, it was always a good idea to be more careful.

……

Qingyin Pavilion is a famous folk art music hall in Jinling. It is frequented by wealthy and elegant people from Jinling, all of whom are wealthy.

Such a place naturally attracts many merchants to make profits.

There are many shops on the street in front of Qingyin Pavilion, and many vendors are selling their goods on the roadside. Many of them make a living by relying on the wealthy customers who come in and out of Qingyin Pavilion.

Therefore, there was a huge flow of people at the entrance of Qingyin Pavilion, and carriages generally could not stop there. Just now, Zou Miner also asked the carriage to stop far away and walked into Qingyin Pavilion by herself.

Just as Zou Min'er was about to step into the gate of Qingyin Pavilion, a summer breeze blew by, blowing away the white gauze on her veil, revealing her pretty and charming face, which was instantly eye-catching.

On the street in front of Qingyin Pavilion, a middle-aged woman with tattered clothes and a sleepy look, with an unfolded box hanging on her chest, was selling rouge and silk flowers for women.

When the strong wind blew away the white veil on Zou Min'er's hat, the middle-aged woman just happened to see her true face. She seemed to be a little bit unbelieving of her own eyes and murmured to herself, "Miss!"

……

Jinling, Rongyufang, Zhen’s House.

Although the Zhen family mansion is not as majestic as the one built by the Jia family of Rongguo, it is also a large house passed down from generation to generation in the Zhen family.

As the Zhen family became wealthy in the maritime trade business over the years, the Zhen family mansion was renovated and expanded several times. It has a deep gate, is magnificent and spectacular.

In the Yuhe Hall of the Zhen Mansion, there was an old lady dressed in silk, pearls and jade. She was over sixty years old, with a kind demeanor and a head of hair mixed with black and silver, which was neatly combed.

Nestled beside her was a boy of about thirteen or fourteen years old. His face was like a full moon, his complexion was like spring flowers, his eyebrows were as sharp as a knife, his skin was fair, and he had a good-looking appearance that showed he was rich and handsome.

At this moment, Mrs. Zhen's face no longer had the grace of the past, and her expression was filled with a hint of anger and anxiety.

He asked a maidservant standing below him, "The Jinyiwei people really went to the shop to search. Shiwen is also an official, so he didn't have the social skills to deal with it.

Just let the Jinyiwei people come and make trouble, what on earth is going on! "

Old Madam Zhen was quite ambitious. The Zhen family was one of the most prestigious families in Jinling City. Her eldest son was a hereditary third-rank official, and the maritime trade business started by her second son made the Zhen family wealthy.

Moreover, the Zhen family has an old empress dowager of respected status, who has raised the current emperor. The emperor must observe the filial piety of a junior in front of the empress dowager.

Therefore, the officials in Jinling City were very respectful to the Zhen family. Some minor matters that were not publicized could be resolved peacefully by spending some money and favors.

However, they did not expect that the Jinyiwei, who had no connection with the Zhen family before, actually did not take the Zhen family seriously and brazenly brought people to search the Zhen family’s shops. If the news got out, the Zhen family would lose all face.

……

The maid was the wife of Chen Xun, the manager of the Zhen Mansion. Chen Xun originally worked under Zhen Yingquan, but ever since Zhen Yingquan disappeared at sea, Chen Xun changed his mind and sided with the third son of the first wife, Zhen San.

Now, both of Chen Xun's sons were placed by Zhen Shiwen to work in the old shops to serve as his eyes and ears, because the managers of the five old shops were originally cultivated by the second wife.

Chen Xun's family replied, "We will never lie to the old lady about this. My two sons are working in the shop. They just came back at noon to tell our boss.

The Imperial Guards brought people from the Firearms Bureau into the shop and searched everywhere, turning the warehouse upside down and scaring away all the customers.

In addition, the other four old shops were also searched by the Jinyiwei. Now there is a lot of talk in the market, saying that our Zhen family has committed a crime and something bad is going to happen!"

When Mrs. Zhen heard this, her face changed color. The wealthy young man sitting next to her frowned, his eyes full of disgust. He hated to hear these worldly matters the most.

The eldest wife of the Zhen family looked unhappy and asked, "Why did the Jinyiwei suddenly want to search the Zhen family's shop?"

Chen Qianjia hesitated for a moment and said, "I shouldn't have told you about this, but since the old lady and the madam asked me, I had to tell you.

The Jinyiwei people said that the court had issued an imperial decree to punish the smuggling of firearms by civilians in Nanjing City. Our third master once smuggled three muskets on a sea vessel, but was seized by the people of the Maritime Customs and had a criminal record.

Although the smuggled guns were confiscated and a fine was paid, the Jinyiwei said that the Third Master had smuggled guns and was a suspicious person, so the store owned by the Third Master must be searched. "

When Old Lady Zhen heard this, she was shocked and asked anxiously, "What did you say? Shiwen actually dared to smuggle firearms. This is a serious crime that can send you to jail!"

Although Old Lady Zhen usually spent her days enjoying herself in the backyard, she was born into a wealthy family after all, and was not completely ignorant. She knew that smuggling firearms was a serious crime.

After hearing these words, the eldest wife of the Zhen family felt even more ashamed.

It turned out that the second uncle of the family died while he was out at sea, and the master and I had to spend a lot of time and effort arguing about it.

By taking advantage of the second wife's weakness of not having any children, the old lady was persuaded to let the first wife participate in the family business.

Jia Cong from the Jia family happened to come to Jinling on business. Seeing that the third girl's marriage was about to be arranged, he decided that as long as the girl got married, all the family business would be handed over to the first wife.

His son was so ignorant that he caused such a thing at this critical moment, which gave the eldest wife a lot of gossip.

The eldest wife of the Zhen family looked unhappy and asked Chen Xun's wife, "Where is Shiwen? He is in charge of the family business now. When something like this happens, send a servant to call him back.

Baoyu is still young, and among the younger generation, Shiwen is the only man who can set up a household in his place. I want to ask, how could you have caused such a mess and brought trouble to the court for nothing? "Although the eldest wife was blaming her son, she said the phrase "a man who can set up a household in his place" with great pride and loudness. Old Lady Zhen turned around and glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law.

……

Chen Xunjia's face looked a little embarrassed. He didn't know how to respond. He had to say something, otherwise he would embarrass the first wife.

The eldest wife of the Zhen family, Chen Xun, hesitated and said impatiently: "I am asking you a question. Shiwen is there. Please arrange for someone to summon him back to the mansion. The old lady wants to ask some questions!"

Seeing the eldest wife's anger, Chen Xun didn't care about much and said, "The third master can't come back all of a sudden. The Jinyiwei searched our shop but found nothing.

They took our Third Master to the Qianhu Police Station. They said he had a history of smuggling firearms and wanted to bring him to the Qianhu Police Station for questioning. They didn’t say when he would be released.”

When the eldest wife of the Zhen family heard this, her face turned pale. How could she be taken to the Jinyiwei territory like this? The Jinyiwei prison is a haunted place where one can enter but not leave.

The old lady of the Zhen family was also shocked when she heard this. The eldest wife said in a tearful voice, "Old lady, Shiwen has been taken away by the Jinyiwei. What should we do?"

Old Mrs. Zhen was also dumbfounded. As an old woman who enjoyed herself in the inner palace, how could she know what to do?

The eldest wife of the Zhen family said to the Chen family, "Tell the servant outside the second gate to go to the government office to ask the master to return home. Now only the master can make a decision."

Everyone in the hall was panicking when they heard the maid at the door say, "The third young lady is here."

The door curtain was lifted, and a slim and graceful figure walked into the hall. It was Miss Zhen San, who was dressed in a blue shirt and had replaced her hairpins with a hat.

When the old lady saw her come in, she quickly asked, "Qing'er, do you know that your third brother was captured by the Jinyiwei?"

Miss Zhen San replied, "I just came back from outside, and heard from Uncle Xian that the Jinyiwei searched our five old shops and took my third brother to the Qianhu Suo for questioning.

But the old lady and the mistress don't need to worry too much, just let the third brother go and question him. As long as the third brother has not done anything against the rules, there won't be any big problems."

The old lady said: "That useless evildoer, how come he didn't do anything against the rules, but he actually helped people smuggle firearms? He should be sent to prison!

Qing'er, you are now in charge of the family business. You have always been a smart person, but you never keep an eye on your third brother, never try to persuade him, and just let him do whatever he wants outside."

When the eldest wife of the Zhen family heard this, she felt a little embarrassed. Just now, in order to make up for her son, she specifically said in front of the old lady that her son was the only one among the younger generation of the Zhen family who had set up his own household.

The implication was simply to remind the old lady that even if her son made a little mistake, he was still the backbone of the Zhen family's bloodline.

No matter how capable the third girl is, she is just a girl and will marry someone from another family sooner or later.

However, he didn't expect that the old lady still loved the third girl and was waiting for him here to speak.

The old lady has loved her smart and capable youngest son since he was a child. Now that her youngest son is gone, all her love has shifted to her granddaughter.

Perhaps the old lady didn't want only one branch to be in charge, and now there is only a maid left in the second branch, so the old lady became partial to her.

This was due to the face of the old empress dowager in the palace, as well as the third girl's usual good behavior.

Most of the time the old lady also hopes that the first and second wives are equally matched, so that she, as the old lady, will be more valuable.

……

Miss Zhen San said, "I also didn't expect that Third Brother actually smuggled firearms before. I heard that Third Brother was entrusted by a friend. Does the First Madam know who entrusted him?"

After she said this, her beautiful eyes were full of life as she stared at the eldest wife's expression, not missing even the slightest detail.

The eldest wife of the Zhen family looked confused and said, "Shiwen never told me about this. How could he do such a foolish thing? If the master knew, he would definitely teach him a lesson."

Miss Zhen San did not notice anything unusual on the eldest wife's face, and she was sure that she was telling the truth, so she lowered her eyes slightly.

The third brother did not tell the first wife, and naturally he would not tell the eldest master who held an official position and had a somewhat old-fashioned temperament.

Then, the smuggling of firearms was most likely a conspiracy between him and outsiders and had nothing to do with his family.

The eldest wife of the Zhen family suddenly asked Chen Xun's family: "I just heard you say that the Jinyiwei went to investigate the old shop together with the people from the Firearms Bureau.

I have heard a long time ago that Jia's brother Cong was ordered by the emperor to go to Nanjing to set up the Firearms Bureau of the Secondary Capital. He is the director of the Firearms Bureau, and all the people in the Firearms Bureau are under his jurisdiction.

How could it be his people and the Jinyiwei who arrested Shiwen? We are all old relatives from aristocratic families and have been friends for several lifetimes. How could this happen? "

The Chen family hesitated for a long time before saying, "I heard from my boy that the Jinyiwei came to our house and brought people from the Firearms Department.

As for whether it was the young master of the Jia family's intention, I don't know."

Miss Zhen San said, "I know some of the details of this matter. When the Jinyiwei came to Haiyun Pavilion for a search today, Uncle Xian was also in the store.

He also thought this matter was a bit strange, so he asked someone to find out the reason. He said that the Jinyiwei was investigating the smuggling of firearms among the people, but the people in the Jinyiwei were not familiar with firearms.

So Jia Cong was asked to send out subordinates from the Firearms Supervisory Department who were proficient in firearms to cooperate with the Jinyiwei to search for suspicious persons, so they showed up together. "

When Mrs. Zhen heard this, a hint of joy appeared on her face, and she said to Old Lady Zhen: "Old Lady, our family has never had any connection with the Jinyiwei, and we don't know anyone who can be used there.

Now, according to what the third girl said, since the Jinyiwei has come to seek refuge with Congge'er, Congge'er must have some face in front of the Jinyiwei.

Why don't we ask Cong'er for help to get Shiwen out as soon as possible? There's no way this kid could survive the Jinyiwei prison. I'm afraid if he stays in that hellhole for too long, something bad might happen to him. That would be terrible!"

When the eldest wife of the Zhen family finished speaking, her face changed. The Jinyiwei did not have a good reputation among the people. It was said that anyone who entered the Jinyiwei prison would be skinned and bones removed, and would not die a good death!
Although his son is the legitimate son of Jinling Zhen's family, the Jinyiwei would probably have some concerns and would not dare to be so presumptuous.

But since he has entered the Jinyiwei prison, it would be difficult to get out with his body intact. These men are always arrogant and brutal, and it is inevitable that his son will be humiliated and beaten.

My son is a spoiled child from a wealthy family. He has never suffered such hardship since he was a child. If he is injured, I will be heartbroken.

Old Madam Zhen was also afraid that her grandson would have an accident if he stayed in a haunted place like Jinyiwei for too long, so she quickly said, "Then take Ying Jia's invitation and invite Congge to come to our house.

My old lady personally begged him to save my grandson. The Jia and Zhen families are old friends, and I think Cong will definitely give me this honor."

Miss Zhen San said, "What the old lady said is correct. According to common sense, the Jia and Zhen families have been friends for several lifetimes.

Besides, the matter concerning the third brother is not a life-threatening one, Jia Cong will definitely help.

But it just so happened that due to a recent incident, I'm afraid that Jia Cong will develop a rift with my third brother. If I ask him to save my third brother at this juncture, I'm worried that there will probably be some unexpected changes.

Mrs. Zhen was surprised and said, "Third girl, what are you talking about? Your third brother doesn't even know Jia Cong, so how could he have offended him?" (End of this chapter)