Red Mansion: Fuyao River and Mountain

Jinling, Xinglongfang, the old residence of the Jia family.

The sun gradually sets in the west, fading away the scorching sun, casting its light on the grass and houses in the inner courtyard, creating a warm and peaceful atmosphere.

In the small kitchen of the inner house, Lingguan rolled up her sleeves, revealing two crystal white arms.

Her black hair was like clouds, her face was pretty and charming, and a pink and white sweat towel was tied around her slender waist, making it look like a hand.

She held the kitchen knife in her right hand and pinched a handful of fresh green vegetables in her left hand.

The kitchen knife and chopping board collided with each other, making rapid and fine sounds, and cut the green vegetables into even sizes.

Then a cleaned fresh fish was marinated with various spices and neatly placed in the steamer, but it was not steamed or cooked.

In the yard of the small kitchen, Dou Guan was holding a small axe, preparing to split a piece of dry wood into two pieces. However, he was small and weak, and it seemed that he could never succeed. It was more of a playful move.

Two kitchen maids came into the small kitchen carrying bags of rice and many fresh ingredients.

Seeing Lingguan busying around, he said flatteringly: "Young lady is a delicate lady, how can she mess around in the kitchen? Let us do it, otherwise the housekeeper will scold us for being lazy."

Lingguan smiled and said, "I am not a pampered person. I used to do kitchen work. Today, when the Third Master comes back, I will cook for him. I will tell Butler Jin that it is none of your business."

The two cooks apologized a few more times and left the kitchen.

One of them looked back and saw the pretty girl at the stove, busying back and forth with an innocent and touching smile on her face.

He said to the other cook, "Don't people in the mansion say that this little girl is a little opera singer bought by the Third Master?

It was said that she often sang songs for the Third Master in his yard, and her singing was better than that of any famous actor in the city.

Aren't those actors all seductive and charming, and only know how to dress up and flirt with men all day long? But this little girl is different. She can even cook and wash clothes for the Third Master. She is a real person."

Another said, "Just shut up. You are just an actor, how dare you talk like that? If Butler Jin hears, he will definitely punish you.

I heard from Jin Cai's family that the Third Master used to be busy with government affairs and rarely came back home, but now that this little girl is here, the Third Master will definitely come back every other day.

Do you know why the Third Master came back so quickly? He taught this little girl how to read and write, and he doted on her a lot on weekdays. Don’t you think it’s strange? If he had just bought a little actor, he would have paid so much attention to her.

Jin Cai's family said that after the Third Master finishes his work in Jinling, he will take this girl back to the Earl's Mansion in Shenjing. Look at this little girl, she looks like a fairy, and she will have a bright future in the future..."

……

Ever since the direct descendants of the Jia family moved to the capital, the inner house behind the second gate of the old house has been vacant, with only the servants going in to clean it regularly.

When Jia Cong came back this time, Jin Cai re-tidied up the second gate and not only assigned four maids to Jia Cong's courtyard.

In addition, two cooks were specially hired in the small kitchen in the inner courtyard to prepare Jia Cong's daily meals.

Lingguan and Douguan moved into Jia Cong's courtyard. Although Jia Cong was not at home most of the time, everything was normal. Every time it was time for dinner, the cook would deliver the meals to the courtyard.

But every time when the day came for Jia Cong to return home, Lingguan would bring Douguan to help and personally cook for Jia Cong.

When she first joined the troupe, she was assigned to do odd jobs such as washing clothes and cooking. Her cooking skills were quite good, and doing these tasks was very common for her.

She was just a young girl, and she still didn't quite understand some things. It wasn't that she was simply in love with Jia Cong.

However, she had gone through too many days of poverty and hardship, and Jia Cong's care and love for her was very special. She felt particularly safe and secure with him.

Whenever Jia Cong was scheduled to return home, she would start busying herself in the kitchen in advance. She always felt that he was good to her, and she also wanted to do something to help him.

At the beginning, the cooks in the kitchen were all worried. After all, she was a woman in the man's yard, and it seemed inappropriate to let her be busy in the kitchen.

Later, Jin Cai asked her wife to go into the inner courtyard twice. The couple originally felt that it was a bit absurd for Jia Cong to bring back a strange girl.

Now that I see Lingguan is diligent and thoughtful, I feel that the Third Master is not reckless and the girl he brought is reliable.

Therefore, Jin Cai instructed the cook in the inner courtyard that when the third master returned home, the kitchen matters would be handled by Lingguan.

……

After Jia Cong received a letter from Miss Zhen San, it was natural for him to go to the Jinyiwei Qianhu Office.

Ge Zhicheng, a captain of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, was a prudent and experienced man. He had heard Liu Yong's report about the search of the Zhen family's shop.

The commander of the Jinyiwei in Shenjing issued a secret message, saying that the above-mentioned new-style muskets were stolen at Yafu Pass in Liaodong, and the current emperor was furious. The incident and the situation are still fresh in our ears.

At a time when the issue of smuggling firearms is at the center of controversy, a large amount of Ottoman fine iron that can be used to forge musket barrels was discovered in the shop of the Zhen family, a prominent family in Jinling.

The chief officer of the Jinling Jinyiwei had to treat this matter with caution.

The foundation of the Jinling Zhen family is different from that of other aristocratic families.

If it is really verified that the Zhen family privately manufactured firearms with ill intentions, it could be a great achievement or a disaster for Ge Zhicheng, the leader of the Jinling Jinyiwei.

However, when the Water Conservancy Bureau case broke out, the former Jinyiwei Captain Feng Fengnian was implicated in the case and was dismissed.

Ge Zhicheng took over the mess of Jinling Jinyiwei and not only made a smooth and peaceful transition, he also managed the Jinling Jinyiwei Qianhu Division flawlessly.

In terms of courage and talent, he is much better than his predecessor Feng Fengnian, and he understands the principle that wealth and honor can only be achieved through risk.

Encountering such a thing as the Zhen family, although he was afraid of the respected old Concubine Zhen in the palace, Ge Zhicheng was not going to become a coward.

Two years ago, Jia Cong was assassinated in Gusu. Ge Zhicheng had had official dealings with Jia Cong, so they were old acquaintances.

After listening to Jia Cong's explanation of the cause of the matter and his plans, the two naturally hit it off. The Jinyiwei made some superficial preparations and released Zhen Shiwen from the Qianhu Suo.

Ge Zhicheng also sent out capable personnel from the Jinyiwei to place several secret agents in the Zhen family's shops, waiting for something to happen.

……

However, for Jia Cong, his responsibilities during his trip to Nanjing this time were to arrest Zhou Zhengyang and bring him to justice, clean up the troubles caused by the major case at the Water Supervision Bureau, and eliminate the worries of the maritime administration of the Great Zhou.

The issue of the private investigation of firearms in Nanjing was not the focus of his attention when he went to Nanjing.

It was just that he happened to be in this position at the right time and took advantage of the situation as the Director of the Firearms Bureau.

Now that the handover with the Embroidered Uniform Guard has been completed, it has come to an end.

As for the Zhen family's involvement in the crime of smuggling or manufacturing firearms, and the troubles that resulted from it, he didn't take it too seriously.

Although the Jia and Zhen families are old friends, Jia Cong has no connection with the Zhen family at all, and he doesn't even know a single member of the Zhen family. He has a somewhat indifferent attitude.

Moreover, everything in this world is self-inflicted. If the Zhen family really does something like that, they must bear the corresponding consequences.

……

After he came out of the Jinyiwei Qianhu Residence, he went straight back to the old house in Xinglongfang.

As soon as I entered my own yard, I didn't see Lingguan and Douguan. The maid in the yard said that Miss Lingguan was cooking in the small kitchen.

Jia Cong smiled when he heard this. In fact, it was not the first time.

Although the little girl is a bit stubborn and arrogant, she is also well-behaved and sensible, which is very heartwarming. Every time he comes back, she cooks for him herself.

Jia Cong persuaded her twice but it didn't work, so he just let her do what she wanted. Besides, the girl was very good at cooking, almost as good as Mrs. Liu in the Earl's Mansion. Lingguan cooked for Jia Cong several times, and Jia Cong seemed to have cast a spell on her. She kept thinking about the taste in her heart, and she would remember to go back to the mansion when the time came.

When Jia Cong arrived at the small kitchen, Douguan in the yard was sweating profusely and finally chopped a pile of firewood with a small axe.

Because Lingguan said that only by using this kind of chopped firewood can you produce a suitable low fire, steam out fragrant fresh fish, and stew out a clear and thick soup.

When Jia Cong entered the kitchen, he saw Lingguan putting pieces of firewood into the stove under the steamer.

The bright red firelight flickered, illuminating her pretty and delicate face, as beautiful as a flower.

Lingguan's profile had such beautiful and smooth lines that Jia Cong was in a trance for a moment. The outline of the profile was really becoming more and more similar.

But Daiyu is the daughter of an official who has never been involved in worldly affairs. There is no way she would appear in front of him like this.

Although the two look similar, the girl in front of me has her own brilliance after all.

Lingguan turned around and saw Jia Cong Jinling, and said happily: "Third Master, you are back. You have to wait a little longer. The food will be ready soon."

Then he pushed Jia Cong out of the kitchen and said with a smile: "How can a man enter the kitchen? The book you showed me last time said 'A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen'.

Look, the saints have said this, how can you come in?"

Lingguan had an excellent talent for reading. After Jia Cong taught her for a period of time, she could recognize the words and read common books roughly. However, when she encountered new words, she still needed Jia Cong to teach her.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "You have only learned to read and write for a short time, but you already know that 'a gentleman should stay away from the kitchen'. It's a pity that you were born a girl, otherwise I would have taught you for a few years and it wouldn't be difficult for you to pass the examination to become a scholar."

Lingguan was very happy to hear his praise, and smiled beautifully: "Then I will learn to read more with Third Master in the future. Even if I can't pass the exam to become a scholar, I will at least learn the knowledge of a scholar, so that Third Master won't praise me in vain."

The two walked to the threshold of the yard and sat down casually, from where they could just see the fire in the kitchen.

Jia Cong laughed and said, "'A gentleman should stay away from the kitchen' could be your interpretation, but there are two more sentences after it: 'One should not touch anything that has blood and flesh.

What the sage really meant was that he told gentlemen not to go near the kitchen because he was worried about seeing blood and killing, which would violate the virtues of a gentleman.

Lingguan exclaimed, "Today I made chicken stewed with mushrooms. There was blood in the kitchen. In the past, the opera troupe was not well-off and did not have such good ingredients. This dish is so delicious.

If the Third Master enters the kitchen now, it will make it difficult for you to be a gentleman."

Jia Cong smiled nonchalantly and said, "It's okay. In order to eat the food cooked by Lingguan, Third Master, I won't be a gentleman. What's so worth it?"

Lingguan found what he said so interesting that she couldn't help giggling. The sound of silver bells was as melodious as pearls falling on a jade plate.

Two people were sitting on the doorstep, talking aimlessly. The fire in the earthen stove in the kitchen was glowing red, and milky white smoke began to emerge from the steamer, exuding a pleasant and fresh aroma.

……

Jinling, Rongyufang, Zhen’s House.

The old lady and the eldest wife of the Zhen family breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Zhen Shiwen return safely from the Jinyi Guards.

They thought that Zhen Fangqing had just said in the morning that he would write a letter to Jia Cong for help, and in less than half a day, Zhen Shiwen would be able to escape from the Jinyiwei.

I don’t know whether it’s because the third girl in the family is capable, or because the young Earl Weiyuan is so powerful that he can easily rescue people from the Jinyiwei.

At this time, the third girl, Zhen Fangqing, stood beside the old lady and gently massaged her back.

A pair of beautiful eyes glanced at Zhen Shiwen who was kneeling on the ground, and then looked at a middle-aged man sitting on the left.

This man was in his forties, with an elegant appearance, an official look, and strict and cautious manners. He was the head of the Zhen family and the president of Jinling Tirenyuan, Zhen Yingjia.

He received a message from his servant at home saying that his son had been captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guards, so he hurried back home.

Although his official position was not low, it was a noble position without real power. He was mostly a mascot in the officialdom and did not have much say or real power. He had no dealings with the Jinyiwei.

When he heard that his son had fallen into the hands of the Jinyiwei, he was thinking about how to rescue him, but he didn't expect that his son would come back soon after he returned home, and it was the young Weiyuan Earl of the Jia family who helped him.

They are all fathers. Their own sons will only cause trouble and embarrass themselves. But other people's sons are famous at a young age, have been granted the title of earl, and have connections and connections, and can easily rescue people from the Jinyiwei.

Comparing people will make you die, comparing goods will make you throw them away, which made Zhen Yingjia feel frustrated.

So, he seemed to scold his son who was kneeling on the ground more harshly: “You are such a useless beast, you actually dared to smuggle muskets outside.

This is a crime punishable by imprisonment and the crime could get you beheaded. You have also reported this to the Imperial Guards. If the news gets out, you will bring disgrace to our Jinling Zhen Family.

Tell me, why did you smuggle guns? What did you do outside? "

Zhen Fangqing, who was standing behind Old Lady Zhen, lit up her bright eyes when she heard Zhen Yingjia ask this question, and stared at Zhen Shiwen who was kneeling on the ground.

Zhen Shiwen said: "They are two friends from Huizhou. We have some business dealings. They are wealthy families in Huizhou. They have the custom of hunting in the mountains. They want a few Ottoman muskets.

Our ship happened to be sailing down the West Coast, so I brought a few over for them. This was a common thing on the market in the past.

As long as the amount was not large and some benefits were given, the government would turn a blind eye, so the son did not take it to heart.

Little did they know that the Maritime Customs had a new person, who didn't know the old rules at the dock and just seized the fines, which is why there was a criminal record."

Zhen Yingjia snorted coldly: "You are really incapable of accomplishing anything, but more likely to cause trouble!"

Old Madam Zhen and the first wife in the hall were both people who had lived in the south of the Yangtze River for generations, and they knew that what Zhen Shiwen said was indeed true.

Some wealthy businessmen in the south and north of the Yangtze River did have a hobby of hunting in the mountains for fun, and it was not uncommon for people to privately possess and use muskets.

Even poor hunters who make a living by hunting often have a homemade musket in their hands.

What Zhen Yingjia meant by his words just now was that although his son did not know the seriousness of the situation and acted rashly, he did not do anything wrong. It was just bad luck that he fell into the hands of the Maritime Customs.

However, Zhen Fangqing, who was standing behind Old Lady Zhen, had a look of sarcasm in his eyes and did not agree with the conversation between the father and son.

Although his uncle is a noble official without real power on the surface, he is actually a very serious person and cannot be fooled by just a few words from his third brother.

When the second sister of the eldest wife was married, although the first wife was eager to curry favor with the powerful, the ability of a woman in the inner house was really limited.

In the final analysis, it was because of his uncle, relying on his official position and the influence of the head of the Zhen family, that he was able to marry into the Beijing Palace.

The second sister of the eldest wife became the Princess of Beijing, and became another powerful backing that the Zhen family could rely on besides the old Concubine Zhen.

I don’t know if my uncle is covering up for his son.

The truth of the matter cannot be as simple as Third Brother said.

Others thought that Zhen Shiwen had only smuggled muskets once, but Zhen Fangqing knew that he had smuggled them twice, but he got away with it the first time and was not seized by the Maritime Customs.

The smuggling once could be said to be occasional smuggling for a friend, but was it the same twice? How could one justify this?

More importantly, this third brother has hidden a lot of high-quality Ottoman iron in the shop that can be used to make musket barrels.

Originally, Zhen Fangqing wanted to question Zhen Shiwen about this matter in court to see how his third brother would respond.

But when I think about how easily Jia Cong got Zhen Shiwen out of the Jinyiwei Thousand Households Unit, it always seems a bit unreasonable. There must be another reason.

So she swallowed the words she wanted to ask. She felt that in this matter, at least on the surface, being an outsider who didn't know about it might be more beneficial for her. (End of this chapter)