Jinling, Xue Zhai
And when Jiayu Village was struggling with whether to handle the "favor case" for the Xue family's case, the Xue family was already filled with sorrow. In the backyard room, a woman with a head full of pearls and emerald silk was crying. Wipe away tears and sigh.
The woman has fair skin and a plump figure. Although she is well-maintained, the crow's feet at the corners of her eyebrows and eyes still silently accuse the cruelty of time.
Sitting on a chair with a backrest beside her was a young girl with plump appearance and smooth muscles, comforting Aunt Xue.
The girl wears a green and yellow silk skirt, a small lotus-colored jacket, and a beaded flower hairpin between her gloomy temples. This girl's eyebrows are green without painting, her lips are red without dots, her face is like a small moon, and under her curved and thin eyebrows, A pair of bright apricot eyes, as moist as water.
"What should we do now? Everyone has filed a lawsuit with the prefect's Yamen." Aunt Xue looked anxious. She turned her head and looked at the chair on the other side, where a dejected young man was sitting.
Xue Pan is wearing a tawny silk shirt and has a tall and majestic figure. At this moment, he has one arm on the table, sitting sideways, his big head drooped, and the pink scarf on his bun is brightly colored.
"I asked you to buy things for your trip to Beijing. It's better for you to go and buy something. Now that such a disaster has happened and you have been sued for life, what do you think we should do?" Aunt Xue cried with tears in her eyes. .
Xue Pan was obviously offended for a while, and said angrily: "Beat him to death, I will just pay for it with my life. Mom doesn't have to cry anymore."
When Aunt Xue heard this, she felt like she was struck by thunder. She shook her body, looked up at Xue Pan, and said: "My son, what bastard nonsense are you talking about? What will happen to you? What will happen to your sister and me?" ?”
Baochai frowned, and her plump, pear-white face also had a worried look. She stretched out her hand to caress Aunt Xue's back, comforting her.
The mother and son were bickering, and suddenly, the mother-in-law's voice came from outside, saying: "Madam, young master, officials from the Jinling government office are here."
Aunt Xue was startled when she heard this, her hands and feet felt cold, and she said in panic: "You're not here to catch Pan'er, are you?"
When Xue Pan heard this, he jumped up from his seat, with an earthy face, and crawled towards the wardrobe on the side, shouting: "Mom, sister, I'll hide it first."
Aunt Xue and Baochai: "..."
Fortunately, at this time, the woman said anxiously: "That person said he was a clerk from the Jinling Prefecture's Yamen. He said he had a case to discuss with my wife."
Hearing this, Aunt Xue suppressed the fear in her heart, looked at Baochai beside her with a puzzled expression, and asked, "My dear, this..."
Baochai's watery apricot eyes were full of thought, and after a while, he said softly: "Mom, I think if they came to arrest my brother, they should have sent Jinling officials instead of appointing a clerk to come here. What are you talking about for discussion?"
When Aunt Xue heard this, her eyes lit up and she asked, "That's right. You wait here, and I'll go to the front and have a look."
After saying that, he called the maids to share the joy and honor, walked around the screen, came out of the wing, and went to meet the gentleman of Jinling Mansion.
Xue Pan listened to the noise outside and stuck out his big head. His black and white eyes, the size of copper bells, were spinning around.
Baochai knitted her beautiful eyebrows, looked at her brother quietly with her crystal clear apricot eyes, and sighed quietly.
Ying'er on the side held a cup of fragrant tea and whispered: "Girl, drink tea."
Baochai whispered: "Ying'er, go and call that girl over."
Ying'er said yes, and then went to call Xiang Ling.
Xue Pan opened the closet and said hesitantly: "Sister, isn't this official arresting me?"
Baochai raised his apricot eyes and looked at Xue Pan across from him. After a long moment of silence, he said softly: "Brother, please come out first."
Xue Pan lowered his big head, opened the wardrobe, took a cup of fragrant tea poured by Ying'er, and drank it all.
Not long after, Ying'er led a slender little girl in a green pomegranate skirt into the inner hall. The girl was about eleven or twelve years old, with a timid temperament, and the rouge marks between her eyebrows were as bright as peach pistils.
Baochai looked the little girl up and down and saw that her eyes were blank and there were tears on her pale face. She took her arm and said, "Where are you from?"
"I don't remember." The little girl looked up at the girl opposite and shook her head gently.
"How old?"
"Can not remember."
"Where's the name?"
"Can not remember."
Xue Pan smiled and said: "Sister, she has been sold here and there by kidnappers. How can she remember those things? Look at her color and figure. Is my money worth it?"
Baochai turned his head and glanced at Xue Pan with an annoyed look in his apricot eyes.
Xue Pan smiled and said: "Good sister, how did I know that that man Yazi sold her twice. I also spent money. I should have taken the person first, but the man named Feng insisted on it. He was so stubborn. Give whatever you want."
Baochai sighed and didn't want to talk to Xue Pan at all. He just looked at the little girl with a pair of silent eyes, thought for a while, and said softly: "Call me Xiangling from now on, and follow me."
Xue Pan was anxious and said: "Hey, sister, what do you say? She is the one I want to use to fill my house!"
Baochai turned around with a face with smooth skin and as white as snow. Although her voice was soft, it contained a bit of firmness and said: "I will tell my mother later that I am in need of someone to help me. Besides, what are you doing?" She has caused such a big disaster, so I will let her follow me for a while first, and I will talk about the rest in a year or two."
When Xue Pan heard this, his big face suddenly fell down. He was dejected and unhappy, but he couldn't say no.
"Little beauty, I will give you a favor in another year or two." Xue Pan thought for a while, looked up at Xiangling, giggled, and wanted to reach out and pinch Xiangling's pouty face.
However, Xiang Ling dodged aside in fear, as if avoiding a snake or scorpion. Under her curved brows, her eyes were as soft as water, as if she were a frightened deer.
Baochai frowned and pretended not to hear Xue Pan's "nasty words", but called out: "Ying'er, look after her."
Ying'er pulled Xiang Ling behind her and turned to Xue Pan with a serious face.
Xue Pan snorted, turned his head to the side, and sulked.
After waiting for a short while, I saw Aunt Xue coming in from the outside with a happy face, pronouncing the Buddha's name in her mouth, and said to Xue Baochai: "God and Buddha bless you, your brother's case has been settled."
Xue Baochai's apricot eyes moved slightly and asked, "What should I say?"
Xue Pan was already scratching his head and ears with joy, grabbed Aunt Xue's arm, and said anxiously: "Mom, what did the clerk in front say?"
"The prefect of Jinling, Jia Yucun, is from your aunt's family and your uncle's family in Beijing. They came to Jinling to serve as governor together. They have a lot of affection with us. People say that we are here, so we will report Wenlong This guy is so sick... He said that if the person is gone, we should give the family a lot of money for the purpose of burning and burying him. There is no owner of that family, it's just the servants who are making trouble. Just to get a few more silvers, let's give up some more money. That's it." Aunt Xue said with a smile as the worry in her eyes disappeared.
When Xue Pan heard this, his face lit up with joy, he put his hands on his hands and said with a smile, "Okay, Mom, you will just treat me as dead from now on."
Aunt Xue: "..."
Baochai's almond-shaped eyes flashed, and she sighed softly in her heart.
Xue Pan smiled and said: "Mom, you said not long ago that our business in Nan Province is not easy to do. My uncle has just been promoted to the capital of nine provinces. We just happened to move our business to Beijing. We can go there this time." Get out of the limelight.”
It turned out that when the Rongguo Mansion was inspecting the property of Wu Xindeng, Shan Daliang and other evil slaves, because Jia Heng was using the accountants of the Jinyi Mansion, he had to borrow some accountants from the Xue family's shop in Shenjing City, and the two parties corresponded. As soon as this matter was mentioned, Aunt Xue took notice.
In addition, I heard rumors from the Zhen family, the president of Jinling Provincial Tiren Academy, that in the next year, the court's Ministry of Etiquette will select the daughters of living eunuchs and famous officials, all of whom will be given the name of Dabu, in preparation for selection, to serve as the princess and princess's escort to the school, and to serve as talents. It is the duty of people to praise goodness.
Speaking of which, this was also the strategy that Empress Song came up with to choose concubines and heirs for these princes when King Chen Ran of Wei and King Chen Wei of Liang were about to leave the palace and open their mansions. Female origin.
If you say you are choosing a concubine for the prince, it would be too public and not so smooth and silent.
"Even when we go to Beijing, our relatives are also there. Your uncle has been promoted to the capital of nine provinces. A cousin of yours in the Ning Mansion has also been granted the title of third-class Yunhui General. Now he seems to be in charge of the troops in the five cities. Horses Division." Aunt Xue said briskly, and suddenly asked Baochai beside her, "What does the Five Cities Soldiers and Horses Division do?"
She didn't know much about the official affairs in Beijing.
When Xue Pan heard this, he also cast expectant eyes on his sister.
Baochai thought for a while and said softly: "According to the Han Dynasty ceremony, the Wucheng Army and Horses Division is a third-grade military attache under the emperor. He is responsible for public security and anti-theft matters, and has thousands of people under his command."
She was also a little curious about this elder brother named Jia Heng. She heard that he was not very young, just like her elder brother, and was working as a third-grade military attaché.
When Xue Pan heard this, he was already happy.
He couldn't help but think about how happy it would be if he arrived at Shenjing City and not only could see the most prosperous place in the world, but also be protected by his uncle and brothers!
It's like being on tenterhooks now.
At this moment, Xue Pan's heart has drifted to Shenjing City.
Aunt Xue let out a sigh of relief and said with a smile: "Uncle Fu, the housekeeper, will take care of this matter. Let's set off for Beijing now."
Xue Pan happily responded and said, "Then I'll go pack my luggage."
With that said, without waiting for Aunt Xue to call, she ran away happily.
Baochai's apricot eyes flashed and she said softly: "Mom, this is the Xiangling that my brother bought."
Aunt Xue also looked at Xiangling beside her at this time, and saw that the girl had a graceful figure, soft eyebrows, and a smooth jade-like forehead. There was a little rouge mark as red as a peach pistil, which was quite flattering, but she had a sad little face. He couldn't help but sigh: "Your brother is going to be involved in a lawsuit over the life of such a girl."
Baochai said softly: "Mom, I just told my brother to let Xiang Ling stay in front of me first to avoid causing trouble again."
Aunt Xue nodded with a smile and said: "Yes, yes, I just said that you can't let this girl live in your brother's house for now. Let's talk about it in a year or two."
Baochai nodded and said nothing more.
Aunt Xue sighed and said, "When we get to Beijing, his uncle will be here and he should be able to restrain him a little."
Baochai said softly: "Mom, my uncle's last letter said that he went to check the border?"
Aunt Xue smiled and said: "Yes, your uncle served as the military envoy in Beijing last year. This year he went to check the border. This trip back will be of great use."
This is not Aunt Xue's inference, but something that the Wang family brothers and sisters mentioned when they exchanged letters.
"The person from the Dongfu that mom just mentioned was not the direct descendant of the Ningfu? But now... I thought about going to Beijing, not knowing what was going on, so as not to offend other people's taboos." Baochai's apricot eyes were as bright as water. , asked in a clear voice with a bit of coquettishness.
When Aunt Xue heard this, the smile on her face slowly faded, and she said, "I'll tell you. I'll have to tell your brother later. The correspondence was vague. It probably means that the man in Dongfu is Ning Guogong." The concubines of that generation..."
With that said, he briefly told Jia Heng's deeds. With Aunt Xue's knowledge as a housewife, she couldn't tell much about it.
"I don't know how he got into the eyes of the officials in the court. I used to meet Brother Zhen from Dongfu when I followed your father to Beijing in the early years. But for some reason he lost his title, and then He was exiled... Remember, dear girl, when we get to the capital, don't ask about this in public."
"Mom, how can I not open a certain pot and pick up a certain pot?" Baochai said at a loss of whether to laugh or cry.
Aunt Xue took Baochai's slender hand and said with a smile: "I am confused too. My dear girl is smart and smart, which makes me relieved the most. Your brother is the one who doesn't make people worry."
At the end of the sentence, he sighed and looked sad again.
Baochai said with relief: "After my brother gets married in two years, I think he will be more stable."
When Aunt Xue heard this, she also smiled and said: "I think so, dear girl, I heard that there is a man in your aunt's family who was born with a jade in his head. The old lady in their family loves her as much as anything. The Jia family is now very powerful and is an official. There are several butlers.”
At the end, I felt a bit envious.
When Baochai heard this, her cheeks were a little shy. With her inner beauty hiding her heart, she naturally heard some hidden meanings.
Moreover, this is not the first time Aunt Xue has talked about it. Aunt Xue often mentions Baoyu at home.
Aunt Xue chuckled and said: "I'd better prepare for the Ministry of Etiquette next year. I'm thinking that if it's not the draft, it will be the same as what the Zhen family did a few years ago."
What happened to the Zhen family a few years ago was definitely related to Princess Chu.
Baochai pursed her lips, unable to answer, but raised her head, looking into the distance with a pair of eyes as moist as water, as if the heavy smoke and clouds passing through the mountains and rivers of the southern country fell on the Shenjing City thousands of miles away.
Not to mention the plans of the Xue family mother and daughter in Jinling City——
But on the second day, Jia Heng felt refreshed, changed into regular home clothes, had breakfast, and received the imperial edict in the hall soon after.
"Eunuch, why did you come to convey the order in person?" Jia Heng looked at Dai Quan and asked in a clear voice.
Dai Quan smiled and said, "You lead the troops to go on an expedition, and others are passing orders. The Za family is worried. You can make preparations in the past two days, and then you can go to suppress the bandits."
Jia Heng said: "We have made preparations before. We can order our troops and set off tomorrow. We will go to the palace to meet the Holy One in the afternoon. I need to trouble my father-in-law to inform the Holy One in advance."
Dai Quan smiled, patted Jia Heng on the shoulder, and said: "Zi Yu, although the Holy One has not given you a time limit to prevent us from rushing you, we still have some expectations. The three auxiliary thieves should be put down as soon as possible. Your Majesty." We can also feel at ease earlier. Seeing that the Holy One cannot eat because of these scabies diseases makes the Za family feel uncomfortable."
Jia Heng cupped his hands and said, "Don't worry, father-in-law, I will do my best."
"The Zajia family admires your Jia Ziyu's abilities." Dai Quan laughed, trying to sound cheerful and heroic, but his laughter was thin and soft.
"Eunuch, why don't you go inside and have a cup of tea before leaving?" Jia Heng's expression paused and he raised his eyes and asked.
Hearing this, Dai Quan chuckled, understood, and followed Jia Heng to the side hall.
Jia Heng asked: "Last time, what happened to my father-in-law?"
As he said that, he stuffed a wad of banknotes in his hand, which was exactly ten thousand taels.
Dai Quan had a smile on his face and said softly: "I'm trying to figure out a solution for the matter you asked me to do. The empress seems to be very concerned about that person, but it doesn't look like that. The Zajia thought about it, maybe Is it...because of you? I heard that there are rumors in the palace that the third prince will leave the palace next year to open a palace, and it seems that he will go to the Five Cities Military and Horse Department to observe the government."
The last sentence was said in a lowered voice.
When Jia Heng heard this, he had some guesses in his mind and whispered: "My father-in-law, thank you for your trouble."
"What trouble is this?" Dai Quan smiled, as if he felt a little sorry. After all, he didn't get the job done, and even collected money twice in a row. He just said in a low voice: "Dongcheng's industry has failed. Over there at the Ministry of Internal Affairs." It's a bit unpleasant, and there are also some complaints from the Ministry of Finance, but you did the job really beautifully, and there's nothing weird to say."
Jia Heng understood it and knew that Prince Zhongshun was slandering him, but he...had the eldest princess of Jinyang.
Dai Quan smiled and said: "Ziyu does his job well, as long as he is loyal to the king, no matter how evil he is, he is like a rock, and no one can shake him."
Jia Heng looked solemn, cupped his hands and said, "Thank you very much, father-in-law for your advice."
Dai Quan smiled, hesitated for a moment, and said slowly: "One more thing. You transferred a member of the Jinyi Mansion's Qianhu to Liaodong. Qiu Liang and Lu Jingyao started to report that you interfered in Jinyi Mansion's personnel affairs. The Holy Master said you He attached great importance to spying on military intelligence, and said that it was a good idea to draw up a strategy and appeasement department to establish a military intelligence department. Instead, he reprimanded Lu Jingyao and Qiu Liang for not understanding military affairs and being short-sighted."
When Jia Heng heard this, he said ok in his heart.
This is exactly what he intended.
He borrowed the help of Qu Lang to transfer a Jin Yiwei named Lan Qianhu who was sent to Jiangxi Prefecture by Lu Jingyao, and sent more people to Donglu to investigate. This was a flaw he deliberately left, and he even pretended to be busy and forgot about it afterwards, and did not report it to the emperor. .
The purpose is fishing.
If he can't catch it, then put this patch on when he meets the emperor. If he catches it, that's even better.
When Lu Jingyao impeached him for meddling in Jinyi's personnel affairs, and he again spoke of valuing intelligence, this created a strong psychological implication for the emperor.
The current people at the helm of Jinyi Mansion do not pay much attention to the collection of enemy intelligence and the coordination of military intelligence.
And he, Jia Heng, paid special attention to intelligence, whether he established a separate military intelligence department within the divisional structure of the Economic Strategy and Appeasement Department, or worked in conjunction with the Jinyi Mansion.
That creates an impression.
Emperor Chongping's decree just now was for him to use the Emperor's Sword to control the Jinyi Mansion. Originally, this sentence did not need to be mentioned, because he had already used the Emperor's Sword to regulate the Jinyi Mansion's affairs when the Sanhe Gang was wiped out.
But I had to add a sentence to the edict. This was actually a subconscious recognition of his leadership of Jinyi Mansion, which made it easier for him to act.
"So this time, if we can make Jinyi Mansion shine again and sell my theory of intelligence warfare to the emperor, Jinyi Mansion can easily fall into the trap." Jia Heng's mind was spinning, and his face remained calm.
When facing an emperor, the more you want a certain position, the less impatient you are, because the more urgent you are, the more the suspicious emperor will suspect that you have other agendas and evil intentions.
