The destiny of all heavens begins in the Red Chamber

Unless the Great Qian Dynasty truly has no external threats and no major wars are likely to occur in the short term, the current emperor must be out of his mind to manipulate the brothers Jia Huan and Jia Cong.

However, something happened when the master's coffin was temporarily placed at the Iron Threshold Temple.

Because the Iron Threshold Temple is a Buddhist temple, it is not appropriate for women to stay there for long, let alone stay overnight.

Similar to the original novel of Dream of the Red Chamber, the women of the Ning and Rong mansions went to the nearby Shuiyue Nunnery to rest temporarily.

Anyone familiar with the original story of Dream of the Red Chamber knows one of the most famous tales: Wang Xifeng's involvement in a lawsuit led to the deaths of a star-crossed couple in Chang'an.

The middleman who asked Wang Xifeng to "settle the matter" was the abbess of Shuiyue Nunnery.

Of course, this case is not from Chang'an, but it still involves wealthy families.

Indeed, the abbess of Shuiyue Nunnery seized the opportunity to approach Wang Xifeng, hoping that Wang Xifeng would help 'settle the matter'.

The reward given was similar to that in the original Dream of the Red Chamber, which was three thousand taels of silver!

Wang Xifeng was somewhat tempted!

After all, in her view, it was too good to be true to earn three thousand taels of silver just by helping to "settle things".

But she hesitated, because such a thing could easily backfire.

After all, the person she was helping to "settle things" was already quite capable!

Although it can't compare to the Rong Mansion, it's not so easy to control if they go to any lengths.

At this time, she was not troubled by the matter of money, and having moved to the East Courtyard early on, her thoughts and ideas were not seriously disturbed by Madam Wang.

If it were Madam Wang in this situation, she would agree without hesitation, regardless of the consequences.

It wasn't that Madam Wang was brainless, but rather that she lacked the necessary understanding and reverence for the Great Qian Law.

Wang Xifeng has made considerable progress in wielding power both inside and outside the East Courtyard.

In addition, Jia Lian, having served as an official in the local area, should have some understanding of officialdom, unlike the brainless servant Jia Lian who looked down on officials below the third rank.

Unable to make up her mind, she confided in her trusted maid, Ping'er.

Ping'er was somewhat surprised and hurriedly told Jia Lian what had happened, and then Jia Huan found out.

"If we don't want Second Brother Lian to have a chance to be promoted to the capital, or even lose his official position because of it, then it's no big deal for Sister Feng to earn money by 'settling things' for others!"

Jia Huan didn't say anything harsh, but he clearly explained the consequences.

"so serious?"

Wang Xifeng was taken aback and exclaimed in disbelief, "It can't be that bad!"

"Why not?"

Jia Huan chuckled and said, "They're willing to take out three thousand taels of silver, plus the abbot of Shuiyue Nunnery's intermediary fee, so it'll probably be over four thousand taels of silver in one go!"

"So much money, just to 'settle' a lawsuit!"

"What if the official in charge of handling the case also wants to make a hefty profit?"

Jia Huan laughed and retorted, "Isn't Sister Feng cutting off someone's livelihood by doing this?"

Since Wang Xifeng didn't quite understand the intricacies of officialdom, he simply spoke more bluntly, making her understand whether her actions would offend anyone.

"Most of the local officials nowadays are graduates of the imperial examination system!"

"It may not be anything special in itself; the Rong family could easily crush it!"

"But that fellow has his classmates and mentors, which constitute a considerable faction of civil officials!"

"Once they've got their eye on him, there'll be no hope for Lian Er Ge to get promoted or transferred to the capital. He might even face their overt and covert suppression!"

"As for how to choose, that's up to Sister Feng herself, and I can't say much about it!"

There are just too many tempting things to do, and he simply can't keep up with them all.

He had clearly explained the pros and cons, and he really didn't care how Wang Xifeng ultimately chose.

Some things simply cannot be stopped.

Even if we manage to stop them this time, can we really stop them next time?

He didn't even intend to target the abbess of Shuiyue Nunnery. As long as there were no obvious problems at Shuiyue Nunnery, or if they directly fell into his hands, there was no need to pay much attention to them.

In the capital, there are many people like the abbot of Shuiyue Temple!

Some of them are engaged in high-end business, while others are less respectable.

In comparison, the abbess of Shuiyue Nunnery is far more competent than Granny Madao.

To be honest, I don't know what happened.

Since Qin Keqing escaped death, the core members of the Ning and Rong mansions, although they have encountered some calamities, have all been in good health except for the eldest master who succumbed to his illness.

Jia Jing, the cultivator who should have died, is still alive and well.

This fellow must have been influenced, or perhaps stimulated, by Jia Huan to switch to practicing internal alchemy.

In other words, he stopped taking so-called elixirs and instead focused on practicing breathing exercises.

The breathing and meditation method he practiced was provided by Jia Huan himself.

I originally thought this guy had close ties with the Taoist sect, but who knew he was just a show-off?

The Taoist priests in Xuanzhen Temple were second-rate members of the Taoist sect, and they couldn't even get a few powerful family members from their masters to come over, which infuriated Master Jing.

And so it was; after practicing the breathing techniques provided by Jia Huan for several years, along with proper diet and care, Jia Jing, though nearing seventy, remained healthy and robust.

Even at the master's funeral, this fellow made a surprise appearance, startling all the guests.

Even Jia Zhen, who was paralyzed on one side, was still alive and well at this time.

This guy has a pretty good physique. Even though his temper has become increasingly volatile and irritable since he stopped indulging in alcohol and women, his health is still quite good.

At this time, even Jia Dairu, who was almost as old as the old lady, was still alive and well.

This was also the main reason why the abbot of Shuiyue Nunnery was able to contact Wang Xifeng.

Wang Xifeng didn't believe in gods or Buddhas, and would never come to Shuiyue Nunnery to burn incense and worship Buddha for no reason.

In the end, Wang Xifeng wisely abandoned the business deal without causing any ripples.

At this time, Wang Xifeng valued the power of managing the household much more than money!

Having plenty of money on hand, there's naturally no need for them to get involved in such trivial matters as soliciting lawsuits.

Although Wang Xifeng and Jia Lian had a significant conflict because Wang Xifeng refused to go to the local area with Jia Lian.

But Wang Xifeng wasn't stupid. How could she knowingly get involved in a lawsuit, knowing it would cause Jia Lian a lot of trouble, and think that the couple's relationship could withstand a lot of hardship?

Of course, this was a reminder to Jia Huan!

He, along with Master Zheng and Qin Keqing, had all advised him to pay attention to this matter.

The current civil service system is probably full of resentment and wants to cause trouble. Don't give them any ammunition to cause trouble!

The reason I think this way is simply because I'm putting myself in someone else's shoes.

If Jia Huan were an important member of the civil service system, or even a high-ranking official in the cabinet, he would certainly be very dissatisfied with the current situation and would want to cause trouble for the royal family and the nobility.

These guys want to use their enormous power and influence to continuously provide various supplies and resources to the outer sea territories. If we don't make a big fuss about it, wouldn't it be too easy for them?

If we want to transform the power and strength of the Great Qian Dynasty into tangible territories and benefits in the outer seas, and even establish vassal states in the outer seas, have we asked these civil officials for their opinions?

If you don't even know how to share the profits from something that's beneficial, do you even want a good life?

Chapter 384 Hidden Arrow (Please Subscribe)

"Are those guys crazy?"

From the study of the Prince Zhongshun's residence came the Prince Zhongshun's furious roar.

It's no wonder he's like this; things have been quite strange lately.

People from all over the country came to report that the prices of all kinds of supplies they collected had increased significantly.

This situation is naturally quite unusual.

The men under Prince Zhongshun's command mainly collected daily necessities and production materials.

These items, it should be said, have relatively stable prices over a certain period of time.

For example, various grains, as well as hoes, baskets, and other such items, are purchased in large quantities, so the prices are naturally much lower than the normal market prices; this is the rule of the market.

What is commendable is that the procurement personnel responsible for collecting various supplies did not use the name of the Prince's Mansion to engage in forced buying and selling, but instead followed normal business procedures.

In the past, the procurement of these supplies has always gone quite smoothly!

The Prince's Mansion has put out real money and hasn't resorted to any underhanded tactics. No businessman would be so foolish as to refuse such a safe business deal.

However, recently, news from various places has not been very smooth!

All the bad news is about rising prices for various procurement materials!

Before Prince Zhongshun could even speak, his men immediately began investigating, trying to find out what was going on. Wasn't this an attempt to embarrass the Prince's Mansion?

This sudden surge in prices of basic necessities and production materials across various regions is not surprising; there must be something strange about it, but figuring it out is quite simple.

Soon, the detailed information was placed on the desk of Prince Zhongshun.