Chapter 1115
Water Dissolving Technique Too Hasty
Chapter 1115 Water Dissolving Technique Too Hasty
Inside the teahouse,
The heat hadn't dissipated, and even the aroma of the food and wine from before lingered; one could faintly smell it in the air. The wine that Marquis Luoyun had been drinking was a strong liquor from beyond the Great Wall.
Zhang Jinyu let out a burp, feeling quite puzzled. What was this talk of Xihe County being "a scene of devastation"? If it referred to the area south of the capital, there would be some explanation, since it was a vast, uninhabited region with very few birds and beasts. But Xihe County was crisscrossed by waterways, with numerous mountains and rivers, and countless martial arts sects. Everyone knew how bustling the city was. Where did this "scene of devastation" come from?
The strange look in his eyes made Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, feel somewhat embarrassed.
"My lord, as you know, many people in Yangping and Shizhou have fled, especially after the White Lotus Sect ravaged the area. Nine out of ten people in both places have already fled. Those who have survived are nothing more than those martial arts sects and gentry. I think we should restrain them a little. What do you think, my lord?"
As Shui Rong concluded, he emphasized the importance of martial arts sects and local gentry. Zhang Jinyu seemed thoughtful; it appeared Shui Rong intended to establish a foothold in Xihe County. If he truly absorbed the martial arts sects and local powerful figures, Xihe County, with its advantageous location, would be a force to be reckoned with. This meant Shui Rong had long planned ahead, but alas...
"Oh, Your Highness, you are making things difficult for me. If it's about military campaigns, I can say a thing or two. But if it's about the people's livelihood, how would I know anything about that? It's said that Xihe County is a place where bad people come from poor mountains and bad waters, and that's always been true. Over the years, there have been countless river bandits and thieves. Even the imperial court can't manage it. How could I possibly have the ability to deal with that?"
He waved his hand, emboldened by the alcohol, and shook his head repeatedly, even his eyes were filled with confusion. But Shui Rong was not about to give up, and said again.
"My lord, please do not underestimate yourself. I have heard that things have returned to normal beyond the Great Wall, which shows that you are a capable leader. Xihe County has suffered from poverty due to a long period of disrespect for the king's rule. That is why we must take swift and decisive action to resolve this crisis. I wonder if the Jianghu retainers in your household can lend me a hand?"
It was almost a direct hit to the point; the true intentions were revealed: what they wanted were Luo Yunhou's retainers in the martial arts world. With those major sects around, things might be much easier.
Speaking casually, Prince Bei Jing's demeanor was truly remarkable. At this point, Zhang Jinyu suddenly grinned.
"Hehehe."
"Ahem, Your Highness, there are some things you can think about but not do. Xihe County may seem chaotic, but as far as I know, it has made a lot of money, especially from trade routes, most of which went to the capital. You say Xihe County has always been like this, the court is not unaware of this. If Your Highness really wants to establish yourself on this basis, can you really do it? Ahem."
After a few more rapid coughs, Zhang Jinyu suddenly covered her mouth, took a sip of tea, and then stopped. Ning Bian seemed to understand and quickly asked.
"My lord, are you alright?"
"Oh dear, I've had too much to drink and I'm feeling quite unwell. Your Highness, there's an Emperor Emeritus's birthday banquet tomorrow, so I dare not linger. I need to give my instructions to the brothers, so I won't keep you company any longer. Farewell."
He stumbled as he rose, and Ning Bian and Zhao Wu quickly supported the Marquis. The group, swaying unsteadily, led the soldiers down from the pavilion, leaving behind Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, with an uncertain expression. What were the meanings of Marquis Luo Yun's last words? Recalling his conversation with Prince Dongping, Mu Shi, it hadn't gone well either. Could it be...?
His gaze swept over the old man beside him.
"Sir, what do you think Marquis Luo Yun meant by these words?"
Old Master Leng stood to his side, a solemn expression flashing across his face, and bowed deeply.
"Your Highness, Marquis Luoyun's words are excellent!"
This bow caused Shui Rong to visibly tremble, and he hurriedly asked;
"Why?"
"Your Highness, Marquis Luoyun's last words sounded like drunken ramblings, but upon careful reading, they may be unpleasant to hear. Although Xihe County is not close to the capital, it is near Jiangnan and Fuling County, covering a vast area with abundant resources. Although arable land is scarce, it connects the north and south. If Your Highness were to take it over, the court would surely become wary. In that case, Your Highness might no longer be able to control Xihe County, putting you in a dilemma."
This should be the true meaning of Marquis Luo Yun's warning. After losing its fiefdom, the Northern Prince's Mansion has no chance of recovering. Xihe County was already a mess. After the rampage of the White Lotus Sect and the plundering by various Jianghu sects, the people fled and were already living in misery. If the prince were to restore order, the final result would be to benefit the court, which would be a loss for the emperor.
Thinking of all this, Old Man Leng's eyes darkened. The court had considered these things as well. If that was the case, why keep the prince here to prevent the rebels from making a comeback? If that was the case, why not nurture the rebels to enhance their own power?
Soft words lingered around Shui Rong for a long time. Then, Shui Rong's expression softened, and she gave a bitter smile.
“What you say makes sense. If it weren’t for the chaotic situation in Xihe County, how could it have fallen into my hands? Compared to the Prince of Dongping, who governs all the counties south of the capital, I am much better off. If I can restore order and revitalize Xihe County, then even if the court issues a mere empty document, I will not dare to refute it.”
His eyes narrowed as he thought of the Li family in the county town—those opportunistic opportunists. How could he not be in a good mood? But how could he give up an opportunity that was already in his grasp?
Perhaps it was the prince's gloomy mood, for Elder Leng quickly interjected.
"Your Highness, since that's the case, why not nurture a bandit to enhance your own prestige? Besides, the table in the county town is too crowded, but once it's occupied, so be it. In Xihe County, Yangping is the money bag, Your Highness must keep it in your hands. Shizhou City has long been in ruins. Transfer the disobedient people from the county town there, and in this way, the county town will fall into Your Highness's hands, while the rest will remain as they are."
Since the imperial court is not at ease, why should Your Highness bother? You might as well raise an army in secret. With such a large area, finding a mountain to raise a private army is a piece of cake.
Perhaps it was Elder Leng's words that opened her mind; Shui Rong's face lit up with joy, and she immediately thought of many things. However, this was not the place to talk, so she nodded.
"Alright, let's do as you say, sir. Let's go back to the manor and discuss this in detail."
Footsteps sounded; the teahouse was finally closing.
At the north street entrance,
After Zhang Jinyu hiccuped and left the teahouse, he immediately gave instructions.
"Someone, tell the brothers to go back to the manor to rest, take a bath, and change clothes. It's so hot, they're suffering."
"Yes, my lord,"
Although Ningbian hesitated somewhat, he did not stop at all. He sent his personal guards to relay orders, and soon, five thousand armored soldiers, dressed in their finest attire, emerged from the shops at the north entrance of the street and lined up in formation. Zhang Jinyu mounted his horse and, without pausing, led his troops away from the north street.
On the way, Ningbian asked with some concern;
"My lord, the Imperial Guards at the Meridian Gate, along with those from the Military Command, have not yet left. Let's go first, but what if they don't leave?"
Ningbian was also worried that if these people didn't leave after nightfall, and if there was any disturbance during the night, and the Marquis arrived with his troops, wouldn't it be too late?
"If you don't leave, you'll just be feeding the mosquitoes here. Now that the princes have presented their congratulatory messages, the show is over for today. What are you still doing here? As for what you're thinking, as fellow members of the Imperial Guard, Marquis Baoning should know what's going on. Don't be fooled by the fact that the commanders of the left and right guards are following you closely. Without orders from Chang Le Palace, how dare they act recklessly? Go back and get some rest."
It's not that Zhang Jinyu looks down on them, but if the Emperor Emeritus really had such intentions, he wouldn't have acted this way. Perhaps the nobles, or even the Beijing Garrison, would have already been tempted. And the princes wouldn't have stayed obediently in the Court of State Ceremonial. Now it seems that the Emperor Emeritus is old. If it weren't for his still-powerful authority suppressing the Emperor, the Left and Right Imperial Guards wouldn't have been interested.
"Yes, my lord, I understand."
Ning Bian's expression froze for a moment, then returned to normal. He gave Zhao Wu a wink, and the returning troops quickened their pace. A cool breeze finally sobered Zhang Jinyu up. Recalling the visit of Prince Bei Jing, Shui Rong, he sighed inwardly. It seemed that he still harbored some obsession. Even after so many years, he still couldn't let go. He was not as good as the Eastern Prince's Mansion, which kept various Jianghu factions under its control.
"Whether you understand or not, you need to observe and think more. The reason why Prince Bei Jing came to visit today is simply because he wants to restore the fiefdom of the Prince Bei's Mansion. Xihe County is in dire need of reconstruction, which is indeed a good opportunity to intervene. Who do you think that scholar with him is?"
Recalling when Shui Rong came up, there was an old scholar behind him, dressed in coarse gray clothes, with a long beard, and a sharp glint in his eyes, clearly not an easy person to deal with.
"Reporting to the Marquis, if this humble general is not mistaken, this person is Mr. Leng, an advisor to the Northern Prince's mansion. According to secret reports, he is the trusted strategist of the Northern Prince and has intelligence on all the shadow guards in the mansion."
Ningbian had an impression of this person. Although he had never met him, his aura was unmistakable the moment he appeared.
"Oh, it's this person. It seems that Prince Bei Jing is really anxious. Unfortunately, the time is not on his side. How can those people in the court just watch him sit on the throne? Especially the Western King and Southern King families, who turned back halfway and damaged the face of the imperial family. In this way, the court will be even less at ease with them. Or rather, I am among them."
Considering that the situation outside the Great Wall is now back on track, if it weren't for the chaotic situation inside the Great Wall that kept the court preoccupied, the military governors of the entire country would likely be in dire straits. Therefore, knowing how to cultivate a powerful patron is a complex art in itself, and Prince Bei Jing should be able to grasp that.
"My lord, then why did you remind Prince Bei Jing?" If the goal was to quell the internal strife, shouldn't the Prince Bei Jing have consolidated power in Xihe County? Why offer such a suggestion? Zhang Jinyu, however, did not shake his head.
“If the Prince of Bei Jing acts hastily, the court can at most replace him under appropriate circumstances. Shui Rong’s foundation is currently shallow, so he can only surrender. If he proceeds step by step and subtly influences him, with his methods, Xihe County will be nothing more than meat in his hands. Even if the court finds out in the end, there will be nothing they can do. Look at how the Eastern Prince’s Mansion is acting. Which of those people in Jiangnan can be trusted? It’s hard to guess who is who. The court doesn’t dare to let go.”
This is the way to employ people. Everyone says that the officials in Jiangnan are wealthy, but they don't know that while these officials receive salaries on the surface, they also receive tributes from the Eastern Prince's Mansion in private. Regardless of whether it's a pretense or not, who wouldn't accept the money they receive? As a result, it's not easy for the court to handle the situation.
"Your Excellency's thinking is indeed insightful. I have learned a great deal. With this, it will be difficult for the region to stabilize. Moreover, the three counties of Lingnan are still in the hands of the rebel sect. This makes Your Excellency's position even more secure."
That's practically killing three birds with one stone. The Marquis truly lives up to his title.
Zhang Jinyu took the riding whip in her hand and lashed it out at the air several times.
"Now we can only look at the present. We need to speed up the stockpiling of grain and winter clothing outside the pass, and strengthen the defenses of Pingliao City. I think the Jurchens are probably not going to hold out. We need to find out how many Jurchens lost in the Battle of Hanhai, and whether Huang Jitai is still alive."
More than a month had passed, and there had been no news from the Jurchens, which was extremely unusual. Ning Bian's expression turned serious; he also sensed something was wrong and immediately clasped his hands in obeisance to accept the order.
"Yes, my lord, I obey your orders."
And so, the five thousand men entered the Marquis of Luoyun's residence one after another. After the gates of the residence were closed, the many spies who had followed behind them stopped and immediately returned to report.
On the east side of the Meridian Gate, He Xiaocheng, the Right Commander of the Imperial Guards, stood in full armor, his clothes soaked with sweat. He looked towards the west side of the gate with a frustrated expression. Kang Mengyu's five thousand troops were already arrayed on the west side, facing each other from afar. Just then, a scout rushed over.
"Report, Commander-in-Chief, Marquis Luoyun has returned to his residence with five thousand men, and the military corps is already packing their armor; it seems they are also preparing to return."
Upon hearing the scout's report, He Xiaocheng's spirits lifted. Marquis Luo Yun had actually returned! This greatly reduced the pressure on them. Furthermore, as evening approached and the brothers hadn't yet eaten, the shrewd shopkeepers on North Street had already closed up shop and fled.
With the remaining shops empty, which restaurants are available?
“Alright, in that case, tell the brothers to get ready. If Kang Mengyu on the west side also sets off, we’ll go back and rest.”
"Yes, Commander-in-Chief,"
After a long day, everyone was exhausted and starving, having not even seen a single naan bread. Just as the various units of the Imperial Guard were packing up, Kang Mengyu's troops on the west side, including Kang Mengyu himself who was already drunk, finally couldn't hold on any longer and waved his hand...
"Reorganize the troops and return to the main camp,"
"Yes, General,"
The deputy general didn't hesitate and immediately blew the whistle. The five thousand troops lined up in formation slowly retreated and headed back to the northwest camp. This movement was noticed by He Xiaocheng, who had been waiting impatiently. He waved his hand and also began to slowly retreat. In this way, the Meridian Gate, which was bustling during the day, became deserted.
Ningrong Street,
At the side gate of Rongguo Mansion, the bolt had just been fastened, and the copper ring on the door was still trembling slightly. The young eunuch sent by Yangxin Hall was already standing inside the hanging flower gate. The visiting card, personally escorted by Zhou Xianzhe, the councilor of the Court of State Affairs, was wrapped in a bright yellow envelope and was particularly eye-catching under the light of the palace lanterns in the corridor.
Steward Lai Da had already opened the side gate, bowed to accept the visiting card, and ran off to deliver the message. His cloud-patterned boots kicked up clouds of dust as they trotted on the bluestone pavement.
"Grandma, Grandma, there's a message from the palace outside. It's also that Zhou, the Councilor of the Court of State Affairs, has come to visit. This is his visiting card."
inside the house,
Inside, the Jia family's wives were chatting idly. They had just finished their meal and were still discussing Baoyu's time at the Imperial Academy. They had barely begun when Steward Lai interrupted them from behind the curtain. The Second Madam clearly looked displeased. Only Wang Xifeng's eyes narrowed, a thought flashing through her mind—someone from the palace had arrived.
"Bring it in quickly! They just said someone from the palace has arrived, it's Lord Zhou from the Office of Transmission."
There were too many people around, and it was all too noisy to hear clearly. Lai Da walked in quickly with his head down and placed the visiting card on the table.
"Replying to Second Madam, it's someone from the palace, accompanied by Lord Zhou."
Upon hearing this, everyone in the room was visibly surprised. Looking again at the visiting card on the table, wrapped in bright yellow silk, they realized it was from the palace. Grandmother Jia was startled and immediately exclaimed in surprise.
"Quickly, invite them in. Feng'er, quickly send someone to call the eldest master and the second master. Clear everything out of this room and set up an incense table."
Seeing the old lady's slightly flustered expression, most of the people in the room were startled, knowing that something extremely serious had happened. They all stood up; those who needed to leave and those who needed to stay did so without further instruction.
In just a short while
The main gate of Rongguo Mansion was open.
The eunuch from the palace and Lord Zhou entered together and led the way to Rongqing Hall. At this moment, the eunuch Xiao Luzi called out in a high-pitched voice.
"Zhou Xianzhi, Councilor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, was appointed by Li Dequan, a eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, to come to the Rongguo Mansion to deliver an oral message."
Upon hearing the shout, Wang Xifeng quickly lifted the curtain. Grandmother Jia, supported by Yuanyang, led Jia Zheng and Jia She to the hall entrance to greet them. Zhou Xianzhe was still wearing his peacock-blue rank robe, with a gold fish-shaped pouch hanging from his waist. Behind him was a pale-faced, beardless eunuch from the palace, not Li Dequan, the former eunuch. The two of them also bowed to Grandmother Jia.
"Greetings, Madam. I have come here on imperial orders to discuss the gift-giving ceremony for tomorrow's birthday banquet. However, my godfather is preoccupied with official business and can only send his 'son' to convey the message."
Lord Zhou didn't change his address at first, but it was Eunuch Xiao Lu, who came with him, who spoke first and explained their purpose. Grandmother Jia was immediately relieved. Since this was the arrangement, it meant it wasn't a big deal. She gave the two of them a helping hand and smiled.
"Lord Zhou, Eunuch Lu, please come in. It's so hot today, it's kind of you two to come all this way. Yuanyang, please serve tea to the two gentlemen."
"Yes, old lady."
After some polite politeness, once everyone had entered the inner hall and taken their seats according to their status as guests and hosts, Wang Xifeng had an incense table brought in. However, Zhou Xianzhe, upon seeing this, suddenly spoke up to stop them.
"Grandma, this is the Emperor's decree; the incense table is unnecessary."
"this,"
Grandmother Jia was taken aback, then realized what was happening.
"As you command, Lord Zhou, what are the orders from the palace?"
Since they had come, and only entered at dusk, they must have something to say. Zhou Xianzhe and Eunuch Lu exchanged a glance, their expressions becoming even more solemn. Truly befitting the Old Madam of the Rongguo Mansion.
"As the old lady knows, tomorrow is the Emperor Emeritus's sixtieth birthday. Everything in the palace has been prepared. I have come today to tell you about two great joyous occasions."
Xiao Luzi nodded in agreement and added;
"Grandma, His Majesty reviewed the congratulatory messages submitted by the princes in the Imperial Study today, and then decided that three princes would present gifts to the princes tomorrow to show their filial piety. Secondly, the Duke of Zhenguo and the Rongguo Mansion would take the lead, with the other dukes' mansions assisting. Finally, the Ningguo Mansion would be chosen by Grandma."
"this."
Grandmother Jia hesitated. It would be against protocol for the princes to present their congratulatory messages today; it would be better to do it tomorrow.
(End of this chapter)