The Soldier of the Red Mansion

Chapter 177 One Night at the Mountain Villa

Rongguo Mansion.

Mengpo Studio, Jia Zheng's study.

Liu Tong and Zheng Hao arrived at the Jia family mansion in the capital. Jia Zheng was shocked to receive the news they brought and dared not delay. Knowing that this matter was of great importance, he kept the two men at the mansion. However, the two men still had a letter to deliver to someone. After learning that it was Lu Zhongheng, Jia Zheng immediately sent someone to invite him.

Lu Zhongheng served as an official in the Hanlin Academy. Since the Ming Dynasty, the imperial examinations had been presided over by Hanlin officials. Although Lu Zhongheng was only a newcomer to the Hanlin Academy and was not qualified according to seniority, he knew the importance of his position.

Liu Tong was alright, but Zheng Hao was extremely polite. When Lu Zhongheng arrived at the Jia residence, Zheng Hao treated him with the respect due to a disciple.

"What does Master Jia plan to do?" Lu Zhongheng asked Jia Zheng directly without exchanging pleasantries.

Jia Zheng knew that Lu Zhongheng was not at ease with him, but he did not show any dissatisfaction. Lu Zhongheng was Lin Ruhai's favorite student. In terms of status and future prospects, he was no less than himself. In terms of nobility and prestige, he had already surpassed him.

"According to Wang Xin, this man killed innocent people and claimed credit for them, deceived the court, formed cliques and monopolized power, and was like a regional warlord. He also raised a tiger that would cause future trouble, allowed the enemy to gain momentum, and was corrupt and tyrannical, poisoning the army and the people. He covered up defeats and mistakes, neglected the war and caused trouble on the border. He has committed ten major crimes."

Jia Zheng felt he had done a thorough job, and then said, "This man's crime is unforgivable."

The other party was the military governor of Yongxing. This was the first time Jia Zheng had faced such an enemy, which reminded him of his childhood memories, but he was also a little apprehensive. What if he lost if he broke off relations with someone like this?

Lu Zhongheng smiled and said, "Master Jia's words are meticulous and detailed, truly showing his steadiness."

Hearing the other party's exaggerated words, Jia Zheng felt smug.

Liu Tong had no say in the matter and sat upright in his chair. He didn't understand the impeachment process and its intricacies. Although the young Zheng Hao had been to the capital before, he was just an ordinary scholar. He was very excited but dared not utter a single word.

"Does Zhongheng have anything to say?" Jia Zheng asked.

As soon as Jia Zheng finished speaking, Lu Zhongheng said, "Just add one sentence." Before Jia Zheng could ask, Lu Zhongheng said in one breath, "In the past, seven out of ten Hu people who knocked on the gates in the Datong area were fake. Therefore, we cannot easily trust Governor Feng Yong. The court should select another reliable person to inquire about border affairs."

Jia Zheng paused, then exclaimed in surprise, "Isn't that too fast?"

Wang Xin was a third-rank military officer. Did Lu Zhongheng want him to replace Feng Yong? Jia Zheng felt that the chances of this were slim, and it might even lead to the memorial being rejected.

Lu Zhongheng shook his head. "I was chatting with someone before and inquired about the Censorate. It's not that there haven't been memorials impeaching Feng Yong over the years. What Lord Jia said is all there, but the court has remained silent."

"Huh?" Jia Zheng asked incredulously, "Since the court knows about it, why doesn't it do anything and let this matter fester?"

Lu Zhongheng glanced at Jia Zheng and, recalling his mentor's assessment that Jia Zheng was a bit slow-witted, realized that his mentor's evaluation of the man was indeed correct.

Censors aren't gods; they impeach countless people every year. What matter in the country hasn't been impeached? Even the Wokou pirates—so many people have clearly explained the causes of the Wokou problem, yet the court hasn't dealt with it.

I won't deal with it, because I can't.

Helpless, Lu Zhongheng could only carefully explain to his disciples: "Impeaching Feng Yong is not the key. The key is how to make the court believe that Wang Xin can solve the problem of the Hu people in Datong."

After he finished speaking, Liu Tong, who was sitting to the side, hesitated, but then remembered his lowly status and suppressed his doubts.

Lu Zhongheng, with his keen senses, noticed Liu Tong's actions and politely asked, "Am I wrong?"

Liu Tong quickly shook his head, and after a moment of nervousness, said, "No, no, I only heard the two gentlemen mention the barbarian threat, and I have experienced the Japanese pirate threat myself, so I think the barbarian threat and the Japanese pirate threat are not much different. But the court was not in a hurry to deal with the Japanese pirate threat back then."

The unfinished words made a clear meaning: Lu Zhongheng believed that the court's concern about the barbarian threat might be a miscalculation.

Lu Zhongheng smiled, not angry. Unlike his attitude towards Jia Zheng, he knew that the man in front of him was a military man. Instead, he smiled and said, "Times have changed. During the Japanese pirate raids, the main problem was the conflict between the two emperors. Now, the problem of the barbarians is a conflict between the local authorities and the imperial court."

Liu Tong was still somewhat confused, but he was relieved to know that the high-ranking official in front of him had not overlooked the Japanese pirates, so he said no more.

Lu Zhongheng arrived only briefly, but quickly became the leader after a few words.

Young Zheng Hao looked at Lu Zhongheng with admiration; this was his true goal. Meanwhile, Jia Zheng, who had initially been at a loss but had been reluctantly supporting the plan, was now happy to step back and become a hands-off manager, now that Lu Zhongheng was in charge and his decision was firm.

Lu Zhongheng had been to the Jia family mansion before. In recent days, he had been working his way up in the Hanlin Academy, building up his seniority and familiarizing himself with the relationships. He didn't want to cause trouble, but being calm and composed was one thing, and being mediocre was another.

"Silent until the moment of truth, then a stunning performance." The Wang Xin affair gave Lu Zhongheng even more opportunities.

At the same time, he gained a clearer and more intuitive understanding of the Jia family. As expected, they were unreliable, and he could only take the lead himself. Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder that his mentor, Lin Ruhai, said that Wang Ziteng's strategy of "replacing the cage with a bird" was not entirely Wang Ziteng's fault.

Such a major event is both a crisis and an opportunity. If the Jia family isn't at the forefront, they should at least be strategizing behind the scenes or making decisions in private. How could they act like Jia Zheng, treating it as a troublesome situation and avoiding it?

The ways of officialdom are like rowing against the current; if you don't advance, you fall behind, so there's no reason to back down. Indeed, he's a son of a noble family, lacking any ambition, only possessing the seeds of greed and laziness. Yet, one can't help but sigh.

If one can break free from the gentle land of nobility, one must possess great perseverance, just like one's mentor, who is extraordinary and should not be underestimated.

After leaving the Jia family mansion, Lu Zhongheng sat back in his sedan chair, his expression unpredictable. He would use this incident to make a name for himself and officially enter the world of scholars.

Jia Zheng saw Lu Zhongheng off and settled Zheng Hao in. As for Liu Tong, Lu Zhongheng arranged for him to return to Yanmen Pass and deliver a message to Wang Xin, telling him to prepare to return to the capital to report on his duties.

This was one of Lu Zhongheng's strategies.

Lu Zhongheng sat in the sedan chair, recalling all the details and what might happen in the future.

If Wang Xin could voluntarily return to the capital to explain himself, it would be clear who was more worthy of the court's trust compared to Feng Yong's memorial defending himself. Of course, whether or not to accept his return to the capital would depend on Wang Xin's abilities.

If they left and Feng Yong captured Yanmen Pass the next day, it would be better not to return at all, because there would be no use in coming back. Wang Xin's abilities are still trustworthy. Lu Zhongheng smiled. Just as his mentor said, one force can overcome ten, and a pawn that has crossed the river can overturn the enemy's men and horses.

Back at the yamen, Lu Zhongheng began making connections.

Back in his study, Jia Zheng still felt uneasy and somewhat fearful, so he had someone prepare pen and ink to write a letter to Lin Ruhai.

Although Lin Ruhai was far away in Jinling and there was no time to negotiate, Jia Zheng felt at ease after writing a letter. As he wrote, he thought to himself, "If only Lin Ruhai could return to the capital."

After a while, the butler announced, "Madam has arrived."

"Why is she here?"

Jia Zheng packed the letter, got up and went to the door, where he saw Lady Wang with her maid.

Lady Wang never came to her own study. Jia Zheng knew something must be wrong, so he led her in. The two had been married for a lifetime but had nothing to say to each other. Lady Wang had no expectations and brought up a matter.

"what?"

Jia Zheng was stunned after hearing this.

When did the younger sister's family start targeting Wang Xin? Moreover, Jia Zheng glanced at Madam Wang suspiciously; hadn't she always wanted to matchmake Bao Yu and Bao Ya Tou?

To be fair, Jia Zheng wasn't a blockhead; he knew a lot of things.

For example, the old lady wanted to matchmake Daiyu and Baoyu, while the lady wanted to matchmake Baochai and Baoyu.

The old lady wanted to strengthen the family ties through marriage, but the lady, besides wanting to strengthen the family ties, also had a falling out with her sister.

Back when my younger sister was in the household, she had many unpleasant encounters with the madam. Because my sister was a young lady of the household, how could a wife bully a young girl? Plus, there was the old lady around, so she suffered for many years.

"You've changed your mind?" Jia Zheng couldn't help but ask.

Madam Wang nodded without speaking, and had no intention of telling Jia Zheng about Wang Ren's visit. As for whether Jia Zheng would find out later, she didn't really care.

With so many things happening today, Jia Zheng rubbed his temples and sent someone to invite his elder brother.

Whether it's Wang Xin's matter or the marriage between the two families, the eldest brother must know, even if the eldest brother doesn't care about Wang Xin and is even a little disgusted by him, because Wang Xin's surname is Wang.

But the elder brother couldn't deny that the child born to Jia Lian and Feng Yatou would ultimately bear the Jia surname. It's better to accept things as they are than to suffer more later.

Jia Zheng instructed his steward Zhou Rui to find Jia She, but Zhou Rui couldn't find the master; he only found Jia Lian.

"Second Master Lian, where did the First Master go?"

"I do not know."

Jia Lian shook his head. He was trying to avoid her as fast as he could. Wang Xifeng was avoiding him. He couldn't get money from Wang Xifeng, so how could he dare to see the master?

Zhou Rui had no choice but to go look again. Jia Lian was about to go out, but Zhou Rui's interruption made him turn back. He couldn't help but think of the beautiful figure he had seen at Tu Bi Manor, which he could never forget.

"Why should all the good things be reserved for the Wang family?" Jia Lian cursed.

The Wang family is already finished, otherwise the master wouldn't have forced him to ask Wang Xifeng for money. So what if they're bullying the Wang family because they're no longer capable? Thinking of this, Jia Lian felt an irresistible urge and cursed inwardly, "I don't believe they can hide there forever. I'll go and drag them out myself."

Having made up his mind, Jia Lian walked inside.

Grand View Garden.

Tubishan Villa.

Ping'er moved in for no apparent reason, and Qingwen was happy to have a companion. But Qingwen wasn't stupid; she was a clever girl who was as innocent as a blank sheet of paper when it came to matters between men and women, but she had her own insights into other things.

I didn't sleep a wink all night, and the next morning...

Qingwen was originally a maid in the Jia family. Later, she was sent to Wang Xin's side. With the care of several people and now Wang Xifeng's meticulous attention, Qingwen's living conditions are not bad, not much worse than those of the young ladies in the mansion.

Ping'er was a maidservant who shared a room with a concubine. She was similar to a maidservant, but not an ordinary one. The two had similar statuses and experiences, so they had a lot to talk about and slept in the same bed.

The glow of dawn shone through the window into the room. A cloud-patterned canopy hung from the carved golden nanmu bed. The curtains, woven from soft, sky-blue gauze, were half-open. Qingwen, sleeping restlessly, revealed a patch of white skin beneath her pale pink brocade bodice as she tightly embraced the slender Ping'er.

Ping'er also embraced Qingwen, the two beauties hiding under the jade-colored silk quilt that spread out like snow in spring.

Qingwen was really restless, touching and groping all night long. Her little hands were on Ping'er's body, waking Ping'er up. Ping'er couldn't sleep anymore. She opened her eyes sleepily and felt that her breath was as fragrant as orchids. When she looked again, she saw a beautiful face.

It was so small and exquisite that Ping'er couldn't resist giving it a kiss.

But the kiss woke Qingwen up, reminding her of the past when she slept with Mushe and the others. They would often make a ruckus at night, kissing each other like little girls.

Now that he's grown up, he was suddenly kissed by Ping'er. Instead of being angry, he found it amusing and wanted to get revenge. So he rolled over on top of Ping'er and kissed her back.

Amidst the laughter and playfulness, the blankets had already slipped off.

(End of this chapter)