The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

It was already October. After taking the medicine prescribed by Li Yuanzheng of the Imperial Hospital, Emperor Yongchang felt much better after replenishing his energy and strengthening his body. At this moment, he was sitting on a couch under the north window of the west warm pavilion of the Hall of Mental Cultivation, letting Li Yuanzheng take his pulse.

It was a common practice for famous doctors to take the patient's pulse with their eyes closed and their mind focused, and they could not be disturbed at all, let alone when they were taking the emperor's pulse.

Dai Quan walked in quietly, holding an urgent package with chicken feathers stuck on it. He stopped when he saw Li Yuan sitting there with his eyes closed while taking his pulse.

Emperor Yongchang took one look at the urgent package in his hand. There were three feathers stuck on it. It was an express delivery over six hundred miles!
"Your Majesty, please calm down." Li Yuanzheng said softly with his eyes still closed.

Emperor Yongchang could not sit still and said to Li Yuanzheng, "Send six hundred miles quickly."

Li Yuanzheng opened his eyes, quickly stood up, bowed to Emperor Yongchang, and then walked out.

Dai Quan came over holding the urgent document and said, "It's from Anhui."

Emperor Yongchang's eyes lit up: "Li Hu won another victory?" As he said that, he took the urgent letter, tore open the seal and read it, then stood up suddenly and said loudly: "Well done!" Then he coughed loudly.

Dai Quan quickly pounded Emperor Yongchang on the back, shouting, "Medicine! Bring me medicine!"

There was the sound of footsteps, and Li Yuanzheng walked in personally carrying a bowl of medicine.

Dai Quan took the medicine bowl, took a sip himself as usual, and then said, "Your Majesty, drink the medicine."

Emperor Yongchang sat up straight, took the medicine and drank it in one gulp.

Dai Quan brought another bowl of warm water and handed it to Emperor Yongchang's mouth.

Emperor Yongchang took a sip of warm water, rinsed his mouth, and spit it into the medicine bowl, then heaved a long sigh of relief.

Dai Quan took the medicine bowl and said with a smile, "The prescription written by Li Yuanzheng is good. The emperor has taken three seven-dose doses of medicine and has gotten much better. If he takes another four seven-dose doses, the emperor's dragon body will be completely healed before the weather gets cold."

Emperor Yongchang smiled and said, "If I get two more good reports like this, I will be cured of all my illnesses!" Then he handed the good report to Dai Quan, "Take a look." Then he turned to Li Yuanzheng, "Take a look too."

Li Yuanzheng smiled and replied, "I am also happy to share in the good news." Then he walked to Dai Quan, but he did not glance at the good news.

After reading this, Dai Quan was somewhat excited: "If we continue to fight like this, we can wipe out the White Lotus rebels in Anhui before the end of the year! The traitor Shui Rong is like a grasshopper in autumn, he will be dead in a few days!"

Emperor Yongchang rolled his eyes at him and said, "It's not as simple as you say! Shui Rong not only led tens of thousands of White Lotus rebels to retreat to Shucheng, but also took with him the young and strong men in Hefei, and left hundreds of thousands of the elderly, weak, women and children to the court."

After a pause, he said, "This battle is of great significance. It not only stabilizes the situation, but also allows the court to regain the advantage."

At this moment, a red-robed eunuch from the Imperial Household Department came in holding a locked box and said softly, "It's from Anhui."

Li Yuanzheng picked up the medicine bowl on the table and walked out.

Emperor Yongchang took the key from the large cabinet in the corner, opened the secret box, took out the official documents inside and read them.

After reading it, Emperor Yongchang seemed a little excited. He put the document in his palm and clapped it twice: "This is a loyal minister of my Dashun. Unlike some people, they only care about personal interests. For the sake of military merit and title, they wantonly slaughter the people and ruin my reputation!"

Dai Quan was secretly shocked. What kind of crazy thing was this?

Emperor Yongchang thought for a moment and shouted, "Come on."

The eunuch on duty came in in response.

Emperor Yongchang: "Go to the Imperial Household Department and send a portion of the treasures, silks, furs, ginseng, tea and other items that have been newly presented to the Li family."

The eunuch on duty was stunned for a moment. The scope of this "etc." was too wide. After all, he had worked in the palace for decades, so he immediately replied, "Yes. I will go to the Guangchusi and select one item from each of the six warehouses and personally deliver it to the Mansion of the Loyal and Brave Marquis."

Emperor Yongchang: "Go ahead."

The red-robed eunuch spoke again: "Your Majesty, there is news from Baoding Prefecture. There is a rumor that Prince Zhongshun is colluding with the White Lotus Rebellion and is nurturing the enemy to protect himself."

"Who said that? Has he been arrested?" Emperor Yongchang's face turned pale.

The red-robed eunuch said: "It seems to have been spread by a passing merchant. We are still investigating the details."

Emperor Yongchang: "Investigate carefully and find the one who spread rumors and caused trouble for me!"

The eunuch in red said, “Yes.” He bowed and walked out.

Emperor Yongchang looked at Dai Quan and asked, "When will Zhongshun come to the capital?"

Dai Quan: "Prince Zhongshun changed to an official ship in Xuzhou, and it will take more than a month to reach Beijing." "He still has the nerve to take a ship and show off all the way?!"

Emperor Yongchang's face turned very ugly. "Isn't he afraid that those people in Zhili who lost their loved ones will tear him to pieces alive?"

Dai Quan understood: "I will send an urgent message right away, asking Prince Zhongshun to change to a carriage and travel to the capital day and night." After saying this, he bowed and walked out.

With a "humph", Emperor Yongchang sat down on the couch.

At this time, Li Yuanzheng walked in quickly and silently, and said softly: "Your Majesty, it's time to take your pulse."

Emperor Yongchang hummed, and placed his hand on the small pulse pillow.

No banquets or entertainment were allowed during the national mourning period, so the teahouse business became booming, and some restaurants even temporarily switched to the tea business.

Taihelou also started a tea business, which was still booming. Military officers from inside and outside the Great Wall who came to Beijing for work drank tea and ate snacks here while waiting for news from the Ministry of War.

Some idlers with good intentions would also come to Taihe Tower to join in the fun. They would spend a copper coin and buy a bowl of tea, and sit around a table with three or five people, chatting about gossip they had heard while listening to other people's conversations with their ears tilted, trying to find out gossip they didn't know.

At this time, the light at the door dimmed and a tall figure walked in. He was a big man who looked to be in his twenties. At first glance, he was the kind of person who should not be easily provoked.

The waiter obviously knew him and immediately greeted him with a smile: "Master Sun, you are here. Good luck. Would you like a seat upstairs?"

Lord Sun: "No." He walked to a table near the door and sat down, "Old rules."

The waiter smiled and said, "I understand."

Lord Sun took off the heavy bag from his waist and threw it on the table. He secretly glanced at the tea drinkers in the hall and the people going up and down the stairs, and shook his head in disappointment.

The waiter came with a tray on which were placed an official kiln teapot, teacups, and four plates of exquisite snacks. He then poured tea attentively.

Lord Sun took out a silver coin from his bag and threw it to the waiter.

The waiter hurriedly took it with both hands and said with a smile, "Thank you for the reward, Lord Sun." Then he was about to leave.

"Wait." Lord Sun stopped him and asked, "When do the officials from the Ministry of War usually come here?"

The waiter smiled and replied, "Master Sun, according to the rules of the restaurant, you are not allowed to ask about the government affairs, let alone talk about the officials' affairs."

Lord Sun was silent for a moment, then asked, "When will your third uncle from the Marquis' Mansion come over?"

The waiter said, "You must be joking. People like us are not supposed to know about this. Sir Sun, it's all right. I'll go and help myself."

Lord Sun had no choice but to nod.

The waiter walked up to the counter and said to the shopkeeper, "Shopkeeper, Sun Shaozu wants to know when Uncle San will come over?"

The shopkeeper: “Oh?”

The waiter said, "He also asked about the officials in the Ministry of War. Do we need to inform them?"

The shopkeeper thought for a moment and said, "Forget it. He is a disciple of the Jia family. If he causes trouble, everyone will lose face. Send someone to tell Third Uncle about this."

The waiter said, "Yes." and turned to go into the backyard.

"Big news! Big news!"

An idle man rushed in excitedly and shouted: "Great victory in Anhui! The Marquis has won another great victory. In addition, the emperor has rewarded the Li family with many things. My goodness, there are carts full of boxes that are endless."

The whole house was in an uproar!

"Li Hu has won another great victory!"

Sun Shaozu's eyes gleamed. Li Hu wanted to expand his army by 30,000, and he needed a young and capable general like him. With the connections with the Jia family, he would definitely be able to become a lieutenant general, or even a guerrilla general.

Li Hu is a famous general who always wins. If you win a few beautiful battles under his command and spend some money to make things happen, you can stay in the wealthy southern country after the war and become a deputy general. Then you will have plenty of money and beautiful women in your arms.

When thinking of money and beauties, Sun Shaozu's eyes immediately flashed with greed, and then he swallowed hard, bleed a little, and sent some good things to the old man of the Jia family. (End of this chapter)