Chapter 1056
No Visitors Today
Chapter 1056 No Visitors Today
Youlai Restaurant
The courtyard was in chaos, with the servants and coachmen from Qinglian Academy fighting with the slaves from the Imperial Academy.
Inside the restaurant
The place was already a mess. Many students had torn clothes and disheveled hair. Some had bruises and blood at the corners of their mouths, looking like street thugs with their hair all over the place.
The soldiers from the Military Command had already rushed in, and the clanging of armor was the first thing to calm everyone in the courtyard down.
Standing in the courtyard on the left, he shouted,
"Stop! Anyone who dares to lay a hand on you will receive thirty strokes of the cane. Now, go inside and see what's going on!"
They weren't slow either, leading their men as they rushed in.
As soon as I entered, I was greeted by the aroma of food filling the room. At my feet were broken plates and spilled soup.
One of the people on the left stepped on it and almost slipped, his face darkening.
Looking at the students lying on the ground, groaning in pain, he was surprised. They had actually fought. Looking at their clothes, he realized they were students from the Imperial Academy and Qinglian Academy. He felt a headache coming on. How did they end up together?
"What are you waiting for? Separate them, then take them all back to the military headquarters, and then go and ask the doctor to come and take a look."
"Yes, sir,"
Upon hearing this, the captain waved his hand, and all the soldiers behind him rushed in, separated the people, and then pulled them up one by one, and hurried them outside.
Many students covered their mouths, muttering curses, creating a commotion, especially the leaders, Hua Congyun and Li Chongwen, who both looked defiant.
"My lord, this person struck first. We came here to congratulate Master Bao of the Rongguo Mansion, but we never expected that the people from Qinglian Academy would be so unreasonable and start a fight."
Regardless of the circumstances, let's first establish our position of reason.
"Yes, sir, we were dining here when we suffered an undeserved calamity,"
“My lord, the disciples of Qinglian Academy are being unreasonable and even trying to occupy the hall. How can we submit to them?”
The students of Qinglian Academy could not accept such an explanation from the students of the Imperial Academy, and Hua Congyuan shouted loudly.
"Nonsense, Your Excellency, please see the truth. We came here to hold a banquet first, and these unruly people rushed in and made a ruckus. We only asked them to keep their voices down, but these cowards were so rude. How could we be afraid of them?"
"Yes, sir, the students of the Imperial Academy are arrogant and unreasonable, and prejudiced against their own kind,"
“My lord, how can the way of the sages be trampled upon by them?”
The conversation got more and more chaotic, and the two groups even started pushing and shoving each other again.
Seeing this, Zuo Fangzhong was already furious. He drew his riding whip and lashed it hard against the pillar in front of the gate. The loud "crack" silenced everyone.
"Very well, very well. Listen up, all of you. To be involved in a brawl in the capital, especially at night, is punishable by three days of disciplinary action according to the law. Go to jail now."
Without waiting for their reaction, he waved his hand, mounted his horse, and the military officer beside him led his soldiers to guard the students and take them back to the military office, where they were all locked up.
"Sir, with so many people, are we really going to lock them up for three days?"
Outside the cell,
The captain hesitated for a moment, then walked up to Zuo Fangzhong and asked in a low voice, "The people here are no ordinary people."
"What you're thinking is beyond our control. We'll deal with tomorrow's matters tomorrow. Besides, we're acting in accordance with the law, so who can say anything about it?"
Thinking of this, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his buttocks, the spot where Marquis Luo Yun had ordered his men to strike. He glanced at the captain on the left, said nothing more, and went back to his office, where he slept fully clothed.
Meanwhile, at the restaurant...
Only the servants and young men inside and outside the courtyard remained. When they saw their master being taken back to the yamen by the military officers, they dared not linger. With a shout, they all ran back to the mansion to report.
Especially Mingyan, who came to pick up Master Bao, covered one eye and sat in the carriage, constantly urging him on.
"Hurry, hurry up, or something terrible will happen!"
The carriage sped down the street, its wheels kicking up clouds of dust. Inside, Mingyan sat, covering her face, which was covered in bruises, clearly badly beaten. Anxious and frantic, she kept urging the driver on.
"Hurry up, hurry up, or you'll regret it."
He was filled with regret and secretly blamed himself for not bringing a servant with him. He suffered a great loss when he made a move. He was attacked by some monkey and fell to the ground in pain, and was kicked a few times.
The people on the street all turned their heads to look at the carriage, wondering what had happened. When it passed the intersection of the market street, the crowd was so large that it was extremely crowded. Seeing that the carriage was slowing down, Mingyan anxiously stuck her head out and scolded it.
"Get out of the way, get out of the way, all of you get out of the way."
Finally, after a few scoldings, the carriage swayed and rattled onto Ningrong Street. Soon, the imposing gates of the Jia mansion came into view. Without waiting for the carriage to come to a complete stop, he jumped down and ran into the mansion.
"Something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened to Master Bao!"
Inside Rongqing Hall,
Now that it was time, Grandmother Jia didn't want to keep everyone waiting any longer. She instructed Sister Liu from the kitchen to leave some food and invited everyone to eat. The meal was set out in the room, and after everyone was seated and Grandmother Jia picked up her chopsticks, everyone began to eat.
Perhaps because of Baoyu's absence, Grandmother Jia didn't have much of an appetite. After drinking a bowl of porridge, she put down her chopsticks and began to talk.
"Why is there so much homework at the Imperial Academy? Baoyu is coming home later and later every day."
Everyone says the instructors at the Imperial Academy are strict, but now I realize they are incredibly strict. The Second Madam, sitting beside her, also showed some unusual expression, but remained silent. Madam Xing wanted to speak, but seeing that the Old Madam was in some discomfort, she didn't dare to say anything.
After Wang Xifeng finished eating a spring roll and drinking some porridge, she finally smiled.
“Look at what the old lady is saying. You know how high the threshold is at the Imperial Academy. It is said that strict teachers produce outstanding students. If it is not strict, what will happen to the face of the Imperial Academy if no one passes the imperial examination next year? I have heard that the Imperial Academy is always studying policy essays in the evening. The reason you are back late now is probably because of this.”
Wang Xifeng didn't care about any of this. She felt that those who could pass the exam could still pass it, and those who couldn't pass it would find it difficult to pass anyway.
"You're quite the talker. It's true, Baoyu is studying diligently now, which has fulfilled my old woman's wish. By the way, keep an eye on the front yard. Don't take the garden renovation lightly. I know that the other families have already started repairing their mansions."
A strange look flashed in the old lady's eyes. Apart from the Wu Guifei's family, which had made a big fuss, the other families had not carried out any major construction projects. It seemed that they had given up on competing. Even so, sometimes, not competing is also a form of competition.
"I understand, Grandma. I haven't missed a single day in the front yard, and I even go over to check on it at night. Master Song's work is progressing well too. The back gardens are almost finished. All that's left is the location for the main hall. They say they need to take another look at the location."
It was unclear what location it depended on, but the area that had been demolished and rebuilt had been filled in again. Just as everyone was wondering what was going on, a commotion broke out outside the door, and an old woman was there trying to stop people. But after a bit of pushing and shoving, Mingyan ran straight inside.
"Grandma, Grandma, something terrible has happened! Master Bao was hosting a celebratory banquet for his classmates at a restaurant when he got into an argument with people from Qinglian Academy, which escalated into a fight. Now he's been arrested by the military police and thrown into jail."
He rushed over in a panic, unable to explain what had happened, and barged in, startling everyone in the room. This shocked Grandmother Jia, who turned pale and cried out for Baoyu. The bowls and chopsticks on the table were knocked to the ground.
Seeing this, everyone quickly tried to comfort her, but Wang Xifeng raised an eyebrow and scolded;
"You dog of a servant, talking nonsense! After the Imperial Academy, I was taken back to your mansion by you. What kind of celebratory banquet is this? You're just making things up."
Perhaps it was because the Second Madam usually held a great deal of authority, but this shout startled Mingyan so much that she quickly knelt down and kowtowed, explaining herself.
"Reporting to Second Madam, this servant was waiting outside for Second Master. After school, Second Master got into his carriage and instructed this servant to go to the newly opened Youlai Restaurant at the south end of Qinghu Lake, saying that he was hosting a banquet to celebrate with his classmates from the West Dormitory. He ordered more than a dozen tables. However, there were also people from Qinglian Academy in the same hall, and for some reason, an argument broke out and a fight started inside."
Then, with a mournful face, he pointed to his own face, which was already bruised and swollen, and continued;
"This servant thought of going in to protect Master Bao, but who knew that the coachmen and servants in the courtyard would also start fighting. Just then, the waiter reported it to the authorities, and when the officers from the Military and Horse Bureau arrived, they took everyone back to the Military and Horse Bureau."
I don't know if it was because I spoke too fast or because of the pain, but tears came out.
Wang Xifeng was puzzled. She didn't know anything about this so-called congratulatory banquet. She did know about the restaurant south of Qinghu Lake, which had unique food and was very popular. She had even thought about opening a restaurant there. But that wasn't the point. A banquet of more than ten tables must cost a lot of money.
"According to you, even the people from Qinglian Academy and the Imperial Academy were all taken away." "Yes, Grandmother, I saw it with my own eyes. One of the officials, I think his surname was Zuo."
Mingyan thought about it and realized that they had indeed taken the person away, and that Lord Zuo seemed to be of high status.
"Grandma, don't worry. It's not just one person they've arrested. There are so many students from the Imperial Academy, plus those from Qinglian Academy, there are at least a hundred people. Those people can't sit still. And that Lord Zuo, he should be Zuo Anhe's relative, the Assistant Magistrate of the Eastern City Garrison. I'll send someone to check on him later."
Since the people were arrested by the Military Command, it's easy to talk about. After all, they are old relatives and nobles, so we have to give them some face. It's just a matter of spending some money.
"Alright, I see. It's not a big problem. Send someone to ask if Baoyu has suffered any injustice."
As for the rest, let's not inquire about it for now.
"Yes, madam,"
Wang Xifeng agreed and went to the front yard, intending to have Steward Lai go and take a look. She was also a little puzzled; how could it be such a coincidence?
As the fighting spread throughout the capital, every household learned of it. Many mansions sent people to the military headquarters to retrieve the missing person. However, upon arriving at the headquarters, they were turned away by the soldiers on duty. A large group of people blocked the entrance, but no matter what they said, the soldiers inside refused to let them in.
This action clearly angered the visitors, and many people stepped forward, pounding on the mansion gates, making a deafening racket as they knocked on the bronze and iron doors. The clanging of chains mingled with shouts and curses. Many stewards wearing square headscarves, accompanied by their servants, surrounded the mansion gate, their faces etched with rage in the firelight.
"Open the door! Open the door now, Lord Zuo! My young master just went out for a meal and got into a fight. Is it really necessary to lock him up in jail?"
"Yes, Lord Zuo, it was nothing more than youthful impetuosity that led to the attack. What's wrong with that? Release him immediately."
"Lord Zuo, you should think this through. You have quite a few people imprisoned. Tomorrow morning at court, my master will definitely demand an explanation from the Emperor."
The crowd was practically a cacophony of voices, and a steward, dressed in opulent robes, led a dozen or so servants in, bursting in and shouting.
"Lord Zuo, my young master is a tribute student personally selected by the Emperor. If such an injustice reaches the palace..."
It's noisy outside.
The many officers and soldiers inside the gate were also filled with unease, especially the captain who had been patrolling tonight. He stood there with a grim expression, knowing that arresting someone would cause trouble, but he hadn't expected so many people to come.
"Captain, if we really don't open the door, should we ask Lord Zuo for permission? These people are not easy to deal with."
A sergeant behind him looked uneasy. The Military Command had always been a subservient government office; when had it ever become so assertive?
"Enough with the nonsense, close the door. Lord Zuo has ordered that no one be seen tonight."
"Yes, Captain."
The soldiers bowed their heads and answered, but they couldn't hide the unease in their hearts. Some wanted to ask more questions, but little did they know that the captain had already slipped away and made a hasty escape, leaving only a few soldiers staring at each other in disbelief.
Outside the house,
The stewards had been pounding on the door until their hands were red, but the large iron gate in front of them remained unmoved, and there wasn't even a sound coming from inside. Could it be that the officials had locked the gate and left?
Many acquaintances simultaneously raised their hands in a fist salute and greeted each other.
"Steward Zhao, the officials from the yamen aren't coming out. What are we supposed to do? The master is still waiting at the manor."
"Who says otherwise? There is a morning court session tomorrow. If the young master does not return today, it will be our fault."
"Yes, why would they fight at this time? Qinglian Academy is becoming more and more outrageous."
These people who came were all stewards from the households of students who were supplementary students of the Imperial Academy. Strangely enough, since the people from Qinglian Academy were also arrested, why didn't anyone from that side come?
It was at this time,
At the northern street corner, the men sent by the Crown Prince of the West did not approach; instead, they remained at the distant corner, watching from afar.
All that could be seen at the place where the military command was smashing down the gate was a densely packed group of official sedan chairs, servants carrying torches, and carriages turning around, the sound of wheels rolling over gravel, all conveying a sense of panic.
The carriage curtain moved, and voices could be heard coming from inside.
"It's already packed, let's go back."
"Yes, Steward."
The driver agreed, pulled on the reins, and the carriage slowly started moving, heading back the way it came.
Almost an hour passed, and the gate still hadn't opened. Many people were getting impatient, and someone somehow found a lot of wooden sticks and had the servants take turns banging on the gate. The noise was much louder than before.
The soldiers on guard inside looked frightened. The sergeant couldn't help but shout out to the outside.
"Please calm down, stewards. We have been ordered to close the yamen tonight. Please come back tomorrow."
"Bullshit! Let me tell you, if anything happens to the young master, every single one of you will be killed."
It seemed that this one sentence ignited the anger.
Many managers joined in the shouting.
"Break down the door! Break down the door!"
"Find the Censorate,"
“Burn down his gate.”
Everyone was banging on the door with a loud crash. The wooden railings and other things at the entrance had already been dismantled. Even the stone lion bases were being toppled over by people using ropes.
In the shadows around the corner, a guard from the Western Prince's mansion, wielding a knife, followed behind the carriage. Perhaps having heard the commotion ahead, he secretly wiped away a cold sweat and spoke to the carriage window.
"Old steward, those people from the Imperial Academy are making a big fuss ahead. I don't think it's easy for us to get through."
Please wait a moment.
The people in the car
He also sighed.
"Fortunately, the young master is wise and told us to wait until the appointed time before going. If things can be accomplished, we can bring the person back; if not, we should give up. Otherwise, if we had arrived earlier and been trapped there, we might have been torn to pieces by those people."
The steward lifted the carriage curtain, gave a cold laugh, and the guard understood yet didn't.
"Manager, shall we leave or not?"
"Let's go, let them fight like dogs, we'll talk about it after tomorrow's court assembly."
"Yes, Steward."
After a few words were spoken, the carriage immediately turned around and left, as if it had never been there at all.
Little did they know, this commotion had already spread throughout the capital, causing even those who had remained somewhat at ease to feel uneasy. These matters would be discussed at tomorrow's grand court assembly.
Marquis Luoyun's residence,
Zhang Jinyu stayed in the room with Qin Keqing and talked to her for a while. Then he let his wife go to bed to rest, while he went to the study, lit an oil lamp, and took out a few memorials.
First, I opened the envelopes, then arranged them from left to right according to the time the letters arrived in Beijing. That's how I started by reading the first letter.
The gist of what was written was that they had gone to the county town for disaster relief, but the name of one person was mentioned three times: Shen Wanhe of the Textile Bureau, or rather, Shen Wanhe, the richest man in Jiangnan. Stroking his chin, he thought carefully. While in Jiangnan, someone had mentioned this person, but he had never seen him. Was it deliberate avoidance, or just a coincidence? He wasn't in Jiangnan, so this person seemed quite extraordinary.
As for the last two letters, they are about accusing Magistrate Ma Guangcheng, but why does the last one mention Jiangbei, and what exactly is the "birthday tribute"?
Zhang Jinyu was somewhat confused. Wasn't this a practice used by the Song Dynasty to plunder the people's wealth? How could it appear on a memorial? Just then, there was another knock on the door.
"My lord, my lord, there's been a disturbance at the Military Affairs Office."
(End of this chapter)