The Red Mansion

Chapter 146 Let's Watch the Storm Rise Again (Part 2)

Feng Liujin, Ge Laishun, and Xu Shuangquan were imprisoned in the infantry camp's jail.

Jing Qing and her servant Lü Yi were placed in a superior room at an inn called "Baojia Old Shop" in the western part of Shenjing, and were looked after by Meng Xiong and two servants from the Jiang family.

Firstly, Jing Qing was not a criminal in Lai Shangrong's case; secondly, according to Emperor Taishun's decree, Jing Qing might belong to Jiang Nian, and Jiang Nian was amazed by Jing Qing's beauty, so naturally she would not let Jing Qing be imprisoned.

It was noon, and the autumn rain was still falling.

Jiang Nian, holding a blue cloth umbrella, entered the Bao family's old shop, passed through the courtyard, and her boots were covered with a few wet sycamore leaves. She saw Meng Xiong and two servants from the Jiang family standing guard under the eaves, raindrops dripping from the roof tiles onto the stone steps, pattering like a water clock.

When Meng Xiong and the other two saw Jiang Nian arrive, they hurriedly stepped forward to greet her and led her into an upper room.

Inside the main room, Jing Qing and her maid, Lü Yi, sat by the window. Jing Qing was still dressed simply and without a veil, revealing a beautiful face that was naturally radiant without any makeup.

Although Jiang Nian had seen it before, she was still amazed and her heart stirred when she saw it again.

Jing Qing and Lü Yi quickly stood up and performed a curtsy to Jiang Nian.

Jing Qing then personally moved a chair for Jiang Nian.

Jiang Nian sat down in the chair and deliberately began interrogating Jing Qing with a stern face...

It turns out that Jing Qing's father, Jing Yunduan, was originally the prefect of Suzhou.

In the first year of the Taishun reign, Gu Xu, the Suzhou textile commissioner, secretly reported that the Suzhou government's treasury had a deficit of 50,000 taels of silver.

In fact, in the winter of the sixty-first year of Jingning, the Taihu Lake basin suffered a frost disaster, destroying mulberry fields and causing widespread suffering. Before Jing Yunduan could report to the Ministry of Revenue, he urgently diverted 50,000 taels of silver from the treasury: 30,000 taels to purchase charcoal and grain, 10,000 taels to repair collapsed houses, and the remaining 10,000 taels for distributing porridge and cotton clothing.

Jing Yunduan planned to use the fire loss silver from the following year to make up for it. However, in the first year of Taishun, the fire loss silver was returned to the public treasury, and the fire loss silver was directly sent to the Ministry of Revenue. The taxes of the affected prefectures and counties were also exempted. Ding Wenhuan, the assistant prefect of Suzhou, deliberately delayed the verification of the accounts.

Therefore, Emperor Taishun ordered the confiscation of Jing Yunduan's property. Jing Yunduan's wife and daughters were sent to Jiangning and given to Tang Ji, the military governor of Jiangning, as maids. Jing Yunduan was sentenced to death with reprieve and was to be executed in September of this year.

Tang Jina's principal wife, Madam Xiao, had a similar personality to Wang Xifeng. She could not tolerate having such a beautiful young maid as Jing Qing in the house, so she sold Jing Qing into the Qimeng Courtyard, whereupon Jing Qing became a courtesan.

As a result, Lai Shangrong went to Jiangning, became infatuated with Jing Qing, and conspired with Wang Long and Tan Fengchi to seize the Xue family's gold. He then bought Jing Qing with eight hundred taels of gold and escorted her to the capital.

Jing Qing burst into tears halfway through her story, and Lü Yi quickly handed her a handkerchief, the hibiscus flower embroidered on it soon soaking through with her tears.

A sudden downpour swept past the window, the raindrops pounding on the tiles as if lamenting her fate.

After listening to Jing Qing's account, Jiang Nian pondered for a moment and asked, "Does Gu Xu, the Suzhou textile commissioner, not know the truth about your father's embezzlement of treasury funds? Does Chen Bina, the Governor-General of Liangjiang who thoroughly investigated this case, also not know the truth?"

Jing Qing lowered her head, her slender fingers twisting her handkerchief, remaining silent as if she had something difficult to say.

Jiang Nian's gaze was sharp, and she said in a deep voice, "Please speak freely."

Jing Qing raised her eyes, her gaze brimming with tears. She gently bit her cherry lips, as if she had made a great decision and was finally going all out. She whispered, "Gu Xu, the Suzhou textile commissioner, knew about it. It was only because he was related to... to the former Eighth Prince by marriage, and had... had strongly supported the former Eighth Prince. After the current emperor ascended the throne, he was afraid and, in order to please the emperor, disregarded the truth and only exposed my father's embezzlement. As for whether the Governor-General of Liangjiang, Chen Bina, knew about it, I have no idea."

Having said that, her heart trembled slightly, knowing that her words might bring disaster. However, she had already fallen to this state, what did she have to fear? The man before her was an imperial guard, and this time he was ordered to investigate the case; perhaps he could bring this injustice to the ears of the emperor. In any case, the Jing family was already in dire straits, so she might as well take a gamble.

After Jiang Nian left, Lüyi hurriedly stepped forward and asked in a low voice, "Miss, since this Guard Jiang serves in the Imperial Guard, I wonder if he can help you seek justice?"

Jing Qing sighed softly and said quietly, "He may not be willing to help. Even if he is willing, how easy is it to do this? Although he is a royal guard, he is young and probably does not have the ability or the courage to do so."

Even so, a glimmer of hope remained in her heart. Thinking about how she had wandered from place to place, and how she had ended up in the capital at this time, meeting Jiang Nian, an imperial bodyguard, and with her father scheduled to be executed next month, could it be that fate had brought her this opportunity, and perhaps she could save the Jing family from their dire straits?

Jiang Nian left Baojia Old Shop in a horse-drawn carriage. The carriage curtains were lowered, and the sound of rain gradually began to fall.

He closed his eyes and pondered, recalling what Jing Qing had said, and considered whether to report the hidden details of the case to Emperor Taishun.

Reporting this to the emperor could put him in danger, as the matter involves Gu Xu, the Suzhou textile commissioner, and also implicates the former eighth prince, Yuan Si. Although Yuan Si failed in his bid for the throne, the "Eighth Prince Party" still wields considerable power. Furthermore, this matter also involves Chen Bina, the Governor-General of Liangjiang.

In Jiang Nian's view, even if he reported to Emperor Taishun and it was confirmed that Jing Qing's words were true, Jing Yunduan's crime would still be difficult to forgive. This was because Jing Yunduan had indeed misappropriated treasury funds, causing a deficit. Emperor Taishun was known for his strictness, especially in investigating deficits, and those whose homes were confiscated due to deficits were extremely difficult to exonerate.

After much deliberation, Jiang Nian's gaze sharpened, and she finally made up her mind—to submit a memorial!
It wasn't that he was infatuated with Jing Qing.

Rather, he knew that Emperor Taishun favored ministers who were not afraid of powerful figures and were dedicated to their duties, and that he was at odds with the "Eighth Prince Party".

Furthermore, he felt that if he was afraid of even such a thing, he was not worthy of vying for the throne and becoming the emperor.

Strive hard and you will have good fortune.

Why should he be afraid of such things?
……

……

Jiang Nian arrived at the infantry camp prison and interrogated Feng Liujin, Ge Laishun, and Xu Shuangquan.

The interrogation continued into the afternoon when suddenly, the Imperial Guard Ren Pijiang arrived and delivered an imperial edict to Jiang Nian, summoning him to Changchun Garden for an audience immediately.

Jiang Nian would not delay, and immediately boarded the car and sped off towards Changchun Garden.

He then straightened his clothes and entered the residence of Dan Ning.

Looking up, I saw Emperor Taishun sitting cross-legged on the daybed, his expression serene, with the Thirteenth Prince sitting beside him.

Whenever Jiang Nian went to see Emperor Taishun, the Thirteenth Prince would usually be present. This was both a coincidence and because the Thirteenth Prince often worked at Changchun Garden, and also because the Thirteenth Prince was the liaison between Emperor Taishun and Jiang Nian.

After Jiang Nian finished bowing, Emperor Taishun asked, "How did your ambush and capture of people go today?"

Jiang Nian then recounted in detail the ambush and capture of Feng Liujin and others.

Upon hearing this, Emperor Taishun smiled slightly and praised, "Although you are young, your ability to capture bandits is quite remarkable."

Jiang Nian hurriedly bowed and declined.

Emperor Taishun asked again, "Has the interrogation been completed?" Jiang Nian replied, "Your Majesty, the three survivors have all been interrogated. Feng Liujin and Ge Laishun are tight-lipped and refuse to tell the truth. Only Xu Shuangquan confessed that they were ordered by Tan Fengchi to escort the courtesan Jing Qing and five hundred taels of gold to the capital to give to Lai Shangrong."

When Emperor Taishun heard the name "Tan Fengchi," his brows furrowed and a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

After a moment's thought, Jiang Nian reported again: "In addition, I have already interrogated Jing Qing. She told me about a matter concerning the embezzlement case of Jing Yunduan, the former prefect of Suzhou."

He then truthfully reported what Jing Qing had said, without avoiding mentioning the former Eighth Prince Yuan Si.

Unexpectedly, Emperor Taishun said calmly after hearing this, "I already knew about this matter; someone had secretly reported it to me long ago."

Jiang Nian was taken aback upon hearing this, thinking to herself, "Who has already gotten there before me?"

Seeing his silence, Emperor Taishun revealed a hint of approval and said, "You were able to report the truth without fear of powerful figures, which shows that you are dedicated to your duties. I am very pleased."

Changing the subject, Emperor Taishun's expression darkened slightly as he slowly said, "Even if Jing Yunduan's embezzlement of treasury funds was not for his own personal gain, the fact remains that the deficit is unacceptable under the law, and this matter cannot be changed."

He actually wanted to punish Gu Xu, the Suzhou textile commissioner, and also his eighth brother, Yuan Si. However, with the retired Emperor Jingning still alive, he could only hold back for the time being.

Upon hearing this, the Thirteenth Prince rose and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty is wise. Although Jing Yunduan has made mistakes, he is still an honest and benevolent minister. Your Majesty, could you... spare his life?" After speaking, he glanced at Emperor Taishun's expression and then whispered, "Jing Yunduan is sentenced to death with reprieve, and his execution will take place next month..."

The autumn execution was a major court ceremony, usually held in September. The Ministry of Justice would request the execution, and once the emperor approved it, the head would fall, with no turning back.

Emperor Taishun tapped his knuckles lightly on the imperial desk, remained silent for a long time, and finally nodded, saying, "In that case, the sentence of execution shall be changed to exile."

Seeing that the emperor's mood had softened slightly, Jiang Nian seized the opportunity to ask, "Then what should be done with Jing Qing?"

Emperor Taishun pondered for a moment and said, "I have already said that the gold lost by the Xue family will be recovered and given to you. Since Jing Qing was purchased with the Xue family's gold, she will be your maid." At this point, Emperor Taishun's tone softened slightly, "This woman has a tragic past and is a wronged person. Even as a maid, you must treat her well."

Actually, he had another thought in his heart, but he couldn't say it to Jiang Nian in person. That was, "If she is still a virgin, you might as well take her as a concubine." He would have the Thirteenth Prince convey this to Jiang Nian privately later.

After Jiang Nian finished his report, Emperor Taishun suddenly picked up a secret memorial from his desk and handed it to Jiang Nian, saying, "Take a look at this urgent secret memorial."

Jiang Nianxin was puzzled, but quickly took the book with both hands and respectfully read it.

It turned out that Emperor Taishun had previously issued an urgent imperial edict, ordering Chen Bina, the Governor-General of Liangjiang, to arrest Wang Long, Tan Fengchi, and their accomplices. This secret memorial was precisely the urgent report that Chen Bina had rushed to deliver overnight.

The densely packed memorial was presented in meticulous regular script:
"Your humble servant, Chen Bina, Governor-General of Liangjiang, kneels to submit this memorial, detailing the situation regarding the suppression of the rebels. I humbly request Your Majesty's consideration:"
Your humble servant was previously ordered to investigate and prosecute Wang Long and Tan Fengchi of Jiangning, and I have been vigilant day and night without daring to slacken my efforts. However, Wang Long and Tan Fengchi are exceptionally cunning and have managed to escape, leaving me filled with fear and trepidation.

It was discovered that Tan Fengchi, under the guise of a martial arts instructor, ran a martial arts school, but secretly gathered fugitives, established a secret gang, and even secretly allied with the Luo Cult. When I dispatched the elite troops to encircle and suppress him, this traitor, along with Wang Long and over sixty armed henchmen, resisted arrest. In the midst of the fierce battle, over a hundred members of the Luo Cult also rushed out to provide support. Although we fought valiantly and captured thirty-three traitors, my elite troops also suffered the loss of one captain and eleven soldiers. The two traitors, Tan and Wang, have vanished without a trace…”

This secret report was quite long, exceeding six hundred words, each word like a knife, each sentence startling.

The secret memorial introduced the Luo sect, and at the end of the memorial, Chen Bina nervously asked the emperor: Should the entire Wang family be thoroughly investigated? Should the Luo sect be banned?

The Governor-General of Liangjiang, Chen Bina, knew Emperor Taishun's temperament well. This matter was of great importance. If he took the initiative to report it urgently, he would only be blamed for his incompetence. However, if he concealed it and someone else reported it secretly, he would most likely be punished.

After reading it, Jiang Nian felt a murderous aura emanating from the words, and the phrases "Luo Sect" and "loss of one captain and eleven soldiers" seemed to be poisoned and glaringly obvious.

The Luo Sect is a cult similar to the White Lotus Sect.

The sect was founded during the Zhengde period of the Ming Dynasty and worshipped the fictional deity "Eternal Mother" of the White Lotus Sect.

Today, the Luo sect has a large number of followers in the Jiangnan region, mainly consisting of canal boatmen. The sect's leaders use its followers to control the water transport industry and thereby accumulate a great deal of wealth.

Jiang Nian never expected that Lai Shangrong's case would involve the Luo Cult. She sighed inwardly, "It seems that not only will the Lai family be destroyed this time, but the Wang family may also suffer a great calamity."

Just as he was pondering this, he suddenly heard Emperor Taishun say in a deep voice: "Jiang Nian, a third-class imperial guard, listen to my decree."

Jiang Nian hurriedly knelt down on the ground.

But Emperor Taishun decreed: "I hereby promote you to Second-Class Imperial Guard and appoint you as Imperial Commissioner to handle the investigation and suppression of the Luo sect. Strictly investigate the Wang and Lai families' collusion with the Luo sect. If the Rongguo Mansion is involved, investigate it strictly as well. No favoritism shall be tolerated. This is my decree!"

The Governor-General of Liangjiang, Chen Bina, was incompetent, which displeased Emperor Taishun. Therefore, he specially appointed Chen Bina as an imperial envoy to assist Jiang Nian.

Catching bandits is something my commoner son, Yuan Yi, excels at!
Jiang Nian kowtowed solemnly: "Your subject Jiang Nian obeys the imperial decree and expresses his gratitude!"

……

……

It was already afternoon, the time for license application.

The rain stopped, the clouds dispersed, and the sky cleared.

A ray of sunlight peeked through the clouds, illuminating the grass and trees outside Changchun Garden, where dew dripped from the eaves.

Jiang Nian left Changchun Garden with four guards by her side: Ren Pijiang, a second-class guard, and Qi Jianyu, Dai Shijiao, and Zou Jianyuan, third-class guards.

Jiang Nian and Ren Pijiang, old acquaintances, are finally working together on a mission, with Ren Pijiang serving as Jiang Nian's attendant. However, Emperor Taishun is intentionally promoting Ren Pijiang, granting him this opportunity to distinguish himself.

Qi Jianyu and Dai Shijiao had previously accompanied Jiang Nian in investigating Zhou Sankui's case in Laizhou, Shandong, and had each been commended once. If they could make new contributions this time, they would be promoted.

Zou Jianyuan was a "newcomer" to Jiang Nian. Jiang Nian was not familiar with him yet, but felt that he was taciturn and had a sharp edge between his brows.

Jiang Nian did not ride in a carriage, but instead rode on horseback with the others.

Horse hooves pounded the wet road, splashing mud everywhere.

Jiang Nian's mind was in turmoil. Just now in the garden, the Thirteenth Prince had conveyed to him the unspoken meaning of Emperor Taishun—saying, "If Jing Qing is still a virgin, you might as well take her as a concubine." Upon hearing this, Jiang Nian was secretly delighted, but hesitant.

It would be wonderful to have a woman like Jing Qing in my household.

However, this matter also had its downsides for him. First, taking a woman who had been a courtesan as a concubine would inevitably attract criticism and damage his reputation. Second, since Emperor Taishun had made such an arrangement, it was clear that he had no intention of letting him succeed to the throne; otherwise, why would he have allowed him to do such a thing?
Now, Jiang Nian is going to the city to interrogate the Wang family members in Beijing, including Madam Wang and Wang Xifeng...

(End of this chapter)