The Military Governor in Dream of the Red Chamber

Chapter 118 Newlyweds

After the eunuch finished speaking, the servants delivering the reward carried three large wooden boxes into the room.

The neighbors peeked around, whispered among themselves, their eyes full of envy, and exclaimed in quiet amazement.

When the emperor bestowed gifts upon his subordinates, the occasions were usually quite grand. He would announce the gifts in front of the neighbors to further demonstrate the emperor's boundless benevolence.

The bigger the commotion, the more the emperor values ​​this minister.

Of course, sometimes the opposite may be true.

For example, if you are a powerful minister, and even one whom the emperor fears, the emperor will shower you with various rewards and make a big fuss if he wants to keep you in check. However, your final fate may be tragic.

Without batting an eye, Jia Chen slipped some silver to the eunuch. The eunuch, feeling the weight of the silver, beamed with delight: "Congratulations, sir!"

The procession delivering the rewards soon left, and Jia Chen returned to the courtyard, where he opened the box in front of his mother and wife.

The two boxes contained three thousand taels of silver, and the other box contained ten bolts of brocade.

"Ke'er, look how beautiful this brocade is. I saw it from afar in the Jia mansion, but I never thought I'd get to touch it in person."

Jia Shen sighed.

The Jia family naturally possessed imperial brocade. Previously, Jia Shenshi had only worked there and thus had seen it, but never up close.

Now the emperor is bestowing gifts upon his own son; what an honor this is!

"Yes, this is the first time I've ever seen it," Qin Keqing said with a smile.

Her father had never received such a reward before.

"We'll find a tailor to make a few dresses for Mother, so she'll look good in them," Jia Chen said with a smile.

"Nonsense, there are rules for making any kind of robe, you can't be too casual about it." Madam Jia Shen said to Jia Chen, "Also, if this old woman wants anything nice, make a few more outfits for Ke'er, so she can fit in them."

Compared to silver, Jia Shenshi felt that the brocade was more precious.

Because wearing robes made of brocade was a symbol of status.

It is generally made into formal attire or auspicious clothing, and worn on major festivals or during court ceremonies.

How could I bear to make ordinary robes?

Jia Chen smiled and decided to leave those matters alone.

He left the household affairs to his mother and Qin Keqing to handle.

After Jia Chen left, Jia Zheng went to find Jia She.

He recounted Jia Chen's situation.

When Jia She heard that Jia Chen wanted to expand his mansion, and that Jia Zheng was prepared to give him several plots of land in the surrounding area, Jia She became reluctant.

"Second brother, we already gave you a house last time, why do we have to give you land again? Giving it today and then again tomorrow, when will this ever end?" Jia She said with displeasure.

"That's His Majesty's decree," Jia Zheng said.

"The Emperor's decree? What does that mean?" Jia She was taken aback. This matter involved the Emperor, so it was no small thing.

Before Jia Zheng could answer, a servant rushed in to report that the emperor had bestowed a reward upon Jia Chen.

"Another reward?" Jia She was somewhat bewildered after hearing this.

Last time, the emperor immediately bestowed titles and honors upon Jia Chen's mother and wife.

Unexpectedly, upon his return this time, he was rewarded with wealth and gifts, which shows that Jia Chen is truly valued by the emperor.

Just as the second son said, this is a good thing for the Jia family.

"Brother, this is what I was just saying. The three thousand taels of silver were used by His Majesty to expand Jia Chen's residence," Jia Zheng said.

"Three thousand taels?" Jia She frowned. "How much expansion can that make? I'm afraid not much. Huh?"

Land in Beijing is incredibly valuable, especially around Ningrong Street, which is considered the core area of ​​the city, where land and housing prices are even higher.

Jia She's eyes suddenly widened: "Oh no, we're going to have to pay a hefty price again this time."

Jia Zheng shook his head speechlessly and said, "Brother, are you still haggling over such a small amount of money at a time like this?"

He had already figured it out: it was obvious that the emperor wanted the Jia family to provide land for Jia Chen to expand his mansion. Otherwise, three thousand taels of silver wouldn't even buy much land, let alone allow for expansion.

Jia She understood Jia Zheng's meaning; at this time, they really couldn't be reluctant to part with the money.

"Second brother, we need to discuss how much to expand that house. Sigh... His Majesty hasn't given any clear instructions. If it's too big, it'll cost too much money. If it's too small, what if His Majesty asks about it someday? We'll be in trouble..." Jia She's face was full of dilemma.

Jia Zheng also harbored such concerns.

This is a difficult balance to strike, and the emperor hasn't given any hints.

If they wanted to please the emperor, they would definitely want to expand Jia Chen's mansion as much as possible, as this would be the Jia family's way of showing their loyalty to the emperor.

But how could he not know the current situation of the Jia family?

Spending money is like water flowing away, but income is decreasing.

They may appear glamorous to others, but only those in charge know the pressure they face inside.

"Someone, go and invite Master Zhen," Jia Zheng called out.

This matter needs to involve Jia Zhen; no matter how much is involved, the Ningguo Mansion should also share the burden.

Jia Chen had already tidied up the silver and brocade that had been bestowed as a reward.

Madam Jia Shen spent more time with Jia Chen and Qin Keqing, allowing the young couple to stay a little longer.

Since that day they consummated their marriage, the two young and vigorous people have been making love almost every night.

Newlyweds inevitably indulge in the pleasures of the bedroom.

To Jia Chen's surprise, Qin Keqing had become much more proactive in the past two days.

A few days ago, he wanted Qin Keqing to change her appearance, but Qin Keqing was shy and unwilling to cooperate.

Now, even before Jia Chen has mentioned it much, Qin Keqing has already agreed.

This made Jia Chen very proud.

However, he quickly realized that Qin Keqing was acting this way because he was about to return to Datong Town and didn't know when he would be able to come back.

Such an understanding woman made Jia Chen cherish her even more.

On the morning of January 28th, Jia Chen got up early.

Qin Keqing's eyes were slightly red as she helped Jia Chen put on his robes.

"Don't worry, Master, I'll take care of things at home," Qin Keqing said softly.

"Thank you for your hard work." Jia Chen gently hugged Qin Keqing.

After spending some time together, seeing that it was about time, Jia Chen bid farewell to his mother and led Wei Dao and the others to Abunai's residence.

Hu Youcai arrived shortly after, accompanied by two hundred other people.

Hu Youcai had fifty guards of his own, and the rest were troops from the capital city prepared to escort Abunai.

To Jia Chen's surprise, Hu Youcai brought him 30 fine bird guns.

According to Hu Youcai, he obtained these items when he went to the Bureau of Military Equipment.

Jia Chen was deeply moved.

Hu Youcai really did go to the Bureau of Arms and Weapons to ask for help.

These 30 bird-shaped weapons were indeed of high quality, and Jia Chen naturally had them taken with him. When they returned to Datong Town, they would further enhance the strength of the Fortress.

Bird-shaped weapons are extremely rare, especially considering that the conditions of the Fortified Wall make it impossible to manufacture them.

It can only be obtained from other places, and it is extremely difficult to obtain.

Even if he obtained some bird-shaped birds, most of them were of poor quality, which gave Jia Chen a big headache.

Six days later, the group arrived at Xuanfu Garrison City, which is where the Xuanfu Garrison Commander-in-Chief is located.

The garrison commander of Xuanfu and the eunuch in charge of the garrison personally came out to greet them.

The main issue is the identities of Abunai and Hu Youcai. Abunai is, after all, the youngest son of Ligdan Khan, and Hu Youcai is a garrison eunuch.

Furthermore, they also wanted to send Abunai back as soon as possible to ensure the peace and tranquility of Xuanfu Town.

Think back to before the New Year, when Ligdan Khan led a large army south to besiege Xuanfu, which terrified them.

If they were robbed, the imperial court would inevitably hold them accountable, and the two of them would be the first to be implicated.

Jia Chen followed Hu Youcai and noticed that the garrison commander and the eunuch in charge of the Xuanfu garrison were openly enthusiastic towards Hu Youcai.

Thinking back on it, Jia Chen could probably guess some of the reasons.

The garrison commander and the eunuch in charge of the Xuanfu garrison have been here for more than ten years.

In other words, they existed during the reign of the retired emperor, so they are mostly from the retired emperor's side.

Hu Youcai was different; he was clearly promoted by the emperor.

In terms of seniority, he is actually quite inexperienced.

The garrison commander and the eunuch in charge of Datong Town have both been replaced.

It's impossible that people in Xuanfu Town don't have any ideas.

Judging from the current situation, they are still on the side of the retired emperor.

Jia Chen didn't dwell on it any longer; these power struggles in the court were still far removed from his life.

Their mission was to bring Abunai here; now it's time to deal with Xuanfu Town.

In other words, Jia Chen and his team's escort mission has ended.

Officials in Xuanfu Town couldn't help but take a few more glances at Jia Chen.

They had also received the news and knew that Jia Chen was performing exceptionally well in Datong Town.

However, since Jia Chen was from Datong Town, they could only feel some emotion.

Before leaving, Abunai had a separate talk with Jia Chen.

Jia Chen was speechless; those were just empty words.

Abunai was basically just making threats at himself.

To this, Jia Chen only replied with one sentence: "Bring it on!"

I am no longer that little mound head of Qianshan Mound.

Even if Abuna leads tens of thousands of troops, it would be highly unlikely that he could capture the fortress.

Jia Chen originally thought that Hu Youcai would rest in Xuanfu Weicheng for a day or two before setting off, but unexpectedly, after Hu Youcai dropped off the people, he told Jia Chen and the others to set off immediately, as he did not want to stay a moment longer.

"Hmph, I'll remember this humiliation." Hu Youcai, mounted on his horse, was furious and kept cursing.

Jia Chen, who was standing beside him, knew what was going on.

Just now, when the Xuanfu General and the garrison eunuch were hosting a welcome dinner for everyone, they were subtly mocking Hu Youcai, which infuriated Hu Youcai.

This is also why Hu Youcai set off immediately.

The more than one hundred people who came out of the capital to escort Abunai will not go to Datong Town; they will return to the capital.

So Jia Chen's group consisted of Wei Dao and his thirty men, and Hu Youcai's fifty guards.

"Father-in-law, don't get upset and harm your health," Jia Chen said.

"One day, I'll make them pay," Hu Youcai said coldly. "Jia Chen, how long will it take us to reach Datong Town?"

"Father-in-law, we will travel along the Yanghe River Valley and reach Xinping Road, the easternmost part of Datong Town, in about three days. Then, we will reach Datong Prefecture in another two or three days." Jia Chen had naturally made detailed preparations and knew exactly how to travel and how long it would take.

"Then hurry up! We don't want to stay in Xuanfu Town for even a second longer," Hu Youcai said. "Giddy up!"

"Keep up!" Jia Chen ordered.

Not everyone has a horse. There are only ten horses in the team. Hu Youcai, Jia Chen, Wei Dao and others ride horses, and a few others who serve as vanguard scouts are also equipped with horses. The rest of the team walks.

Horses are highly valued in the military.

When Jia Chen and his group went to the capital, they had plenty of time, so not everyone rode horses.

Hu Youcai rode his horse a few steps faster, and the others had to jog to keep up.

A day later, Jia Chen suddenly raised his hand and shouted, "Stop!"

Two riders were seen speeding towards them, and they quickly reached Jia Chen and the others.

"Report! Reporting, sir! There are thieves lying in ambush ahead!" one of them reported, panting heavily.

"On alert! Protect Father-in-law!" Jia Chen immediately shouted, "Turn back!"

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