A stew of the Red Chamber

The small courtyard on the east side of the back gate of Rongguo Mansion.

An old woman came to the front of the main room and said with a smile, "We didn't know you were going to move in, sir, and we weren't prepared. We're just serving you simple food, and we're afraid you won't be used to it. Would you like to go out to eat, or have someone buy some food?"

Wang Qing waved his hand: "No need, I brought some side dishes, we can make do with these later."

Upon hearing this, the old woman snorted coldly and turned to leave.

Once outside the backyard, Fang shook his head at the group of people who were eagerly waiting for him.

The servants immediately scattered, their disappointment evident on their faces.

The wealthy servants in the Rongguo Mansion certainly lived a life of luxury, but those who were sent to this remote corner were the marginalized members of the mansion.

They originally thought that even if Wang Qing wasn't as good as the Xue family next door, he was still a relative of the Rong family, and even if he leaked some money, it would be enough for them to eat and drink their fill.

Unexpectedly, they couldn't even afford to prepare a dinner.

Wang Qing didn't care about the servants' attitude, nor was he aware that he was not only being targeted by Wang Xifeng, but also being used by her as a tool in her power struggle with Jia Lian.

Although the outcome was less than ideal due to Madam Xing's interference, it was still a crucial step that was completed, and she was able to establish herself in the Rongguo Mansion.

Jia Lian, after all, was in charge of the general affairs of the Rongguo Mansion, so his evaluation of the Five City Garrison was basically correct. The Five City Garrison was indeed mostly composed of people who received salaries but did not perform their duties, and they could not even be considered regular troops.

But Wang Qing had his reasons and difficulties in choosing to start from here.

To get ahead in the military, besides connections and relationships, military merits and seniority are also essential.

Military positions in the capital were already extremely limited, and all were held by the Emperor Emeritus's confidants. Even if Wang Qing didn't mind spending a few years on the border to accumulate military merits and seniority, it would be highly unlikely that he could be transferred back to the capital.

Unfortunately, the Beijing garrison and the Imperial Guards rarely had the opportunity to accumulate military merits.

As for accumulating seniority, given Wang Qing's age, it would be better to let the emperor and the retired emperor compete in terms of lifespan.

Therefore, if we want to see results in the short term, we have to find another way.

Furthermore, is the emperor's practice of placing his cronies in the army an attempt to emulate Prince Yizhong?

Leaving aside whether the emperor is now on the throne and whether this is necessary, even if he has such thoughts, can he really overthrow the Heavenly Gang with just a few hastily placed middle and lower-ranking confidants?

According to Wang Qing's judgment, the emperor was not trying to seize power, but rather worried that without military power, his throne would be unstable once the retired emperor passed away.

At the time, the retired emperor was unwilling to damage the imperial family's reputation, and also believed that the law could not punish the masses. He favored Prince Yizhong, and many people were flirting with him. As a result, the purge of Prince Yizhong's vassals was not thorough enough.

Once the retired emperor is gone, will those people worry that the emperor will settle scores with them later?

Even if no one dares to rebel, they would certainly be happy to sideline an emperor who has no troops to command.

Because he saw through the emperor's true needs, Wang Qingcai proposed to start with the Five City Garrison and formulated a series of plans.

Just as he was lost in thought, he suddenly heard a voice from outside: "Uncle Qing, Miss Ping is here!"

Wang Qing hurriedly went out to greet her and saw a group of maids and servants, all smiles, surrounding Ping'er like stars around the moon.

He glanced at the food box carried by an old woman and asked, feigning ignorance, "What brings Miss Ping'er here?"

"I was worried that Grandma might have something to tell me, so I left in a hurry. Now that Grandma has eaten, I guess there hasn't been time to prepare anything here. It just so happens that Second Master has something to do. It would be a waste not to eat these ham and pork knuckles, so I took the liberty of bringing them to First Master. Please don't be offended, First Master."

"I'm sorry to have troubled you, young lady."

Wang Qing quickly ushered Ping'er into the house.

Ping'er entered the house, pointed to the small table in the main room, and waited for the old woman to place the food box on it before stepping forward and saying, "Let me do it!"

Wang Qing then grabbed the tea canister that had just been cleared from the small table and handed it to the old woman who had come to report, saying, "Quickly go and brew a pot of tea."

The old woman paused for a moment upon hearing this, then chuckled and said, "The master just moved in and is in a flurry of activity. He hasn't even had time to boil the water yet. Please wait a moment, young lady."

Ping'er's expression darkened slightly upon hearing this.

Instead of complaining, Wang Qing smoothed things over, saying, "I was busy packing my luggage and just caught a break."

After saying this, he waved to the servants, who quickly took their leave with a sigh of relief.

After the servants left, Ping'er served the steaming hot braised ham hock, two side dishes, and a large bowl of white rice to the table.

He then took out a pair of chopsticks from the food box and handed them to Wang Qing, saying, "Uncle Qing, please eat!"

Wang Qing took the chopsticks and hesitated before asking, "Has the young lady eaten yet?"

"Master Qing, please use it as you see fit. This servant..."

Ping'er was about to find an excuse to brush it off, but when she remembered Wang Xifeng's instructions, she changed her mind and said, "I'll eat when I get back."

How could Wang Qing not hear her wavering?

He shoved the chopsticks in his hand into Ping'er's, saying, "Please wait a moment, miss!"

He then ran out.

A moment later, he came in carrying a large bowl of roughly the same size and a pair of chopsticks.

"Girl, save as much as you eat, and give me the rest."

He thoughtfully left the bowls and chopsticks he had brought for Ping'er, and then brought the bowls he had taken to her.

Ping'er quickly scooped most of the rice into Wang Qing's bowl.

After the food was served, the guests and hosts took their seats.

Wang Qing didn't rush to pick up his chopsticks. He waited for Ping'er to pick up two small pieces of ham and some side dishes from the other two plates before he picked up his bowl and began to eat heartily.

Ping'er's bowl didn't have much food to begin with, and although she didn't wolf it down like Wang Qing, she finished it quickly.

He put down the bowl, took out a handkerchief, gently wiped his lips twice, and slowly said, "I just heard Second Master say that the task of capturing the thief has been assigned to the Five Cities Garrison..."

"Huh?" Wang Qing was taken aback.

He wasn't surprised that this hot potato had fallen on his head; on the contrary, it was part of his plan all along.

Even the gang of thieves were actually people the emperor arranged to impersonate.

Otherwise, given the frequency of those thieves' crimes and their tendency to target wealthy and powerful families, even if Yingtian Prefecture was incompetent, they might still have stumbled upon this by sheer luck.

It was precisely because of the emperor's inside man that they were able to easily obtain information about the defenses of Yingtian Prefecture and the patrol camp, allowing them to repeatedly evade the center of defense and escape with ease.

The reason for doing this was to make Yingtian Prefecture feel that this was a hot potato, so that it would delegate power and thus control the security of the capital.

However, this matter was decided five days ago.

In order to increase his standing in the eyes of Grandmother Jia, Wang Qing deliberately delayed for a few days so that the Jia family would not be kept in the dark. He even sent people over last night, causing a lot of trouble. Unexpectedly, the Jia family only just received the news.

No wonder Grandmother Jia and Wang Xifeng were unmoved when they heard that he was going to the Five Cities Military Command.

Even when he declared he would ensure the thief never returned, he held that attitude.

Thinking that all his hard work had been for nothing, Wang Qing couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time.

He secretly grumbled to himself, no wonder Leng Zixing commented on the Jia family: "Masters and servants alike are mostly living in comfort and wealth, but not a single one is capable of strategizing or planning."

They not only stopped planning, but they also showed no interest in news concerning themselves.

If it weren't for the commotion last night, I probably wouldn't even know now.

Ping'er took Wang Qing's expression to heart and thought that his bravado in front of Grandmother Jia had been exposed, causing him unease.

He quickly comforted him, "Don't worry, sir. Just now, my grandmother said that Yingtian Prefecture failed in its own affairs and that's why it threw this hot potato out. Even if the court really blames us, the responsibility will be shared among the five cities."

Grandma has always been very clear about right and wrong. She was just telling me that the eldest master helped her out in front of the old lady, and if I put in a good word for her then, she certainly wouldn't refuse.

Although she dared not disobey Wang Xifeng's instructions, she was also embarrassed to take all the credit for herself.

In any case, winning Wang Qing's favor for Wang Xifeng would be beneficial in obtaining information about Huiwen.

Wang Qing thought to himself, "Would Wang Xifeng be so kind?"

He had some guesses about Ping'er's arrival, but said aloud, "Miss, you misunderstand. This group of thieves has repeatedly come to the manor to cause trouble. I couldn't be happier to accept this job."

It wasn't that Wang Qing was concerned about saving face and deliberately trying to act heroic or pretentious in front of Ping'er.

Instead, he was planning to make a big fuss about the thief, but now he's acting timidly, which makes no sense.

Just as he boasted to Grandmother Jia, he was merely looking for a plausible motive for his subsequent actions.

Ping'er assumed the young man was just being impulsive and acted rashly, so she quickly advised, "Although that gang of thieves hasn't killed anyone yet, they're still doing business that could cost them their lives..."

"Thank you for reminding me, young lady!"

Wang Qing knew she meant well, and after a pause, he said, "Wang Qing is not a reckless person, but I just want to do what I can for the household. I will do what I can."

Hearing this, Ping'er finally calmed down.

Huiwen already felt guilty for cooperating with Wang Xifeng in scheming against Wang Qing. If she were to cause him to put himself in danger because of her words, she would be committing a grave sin.

Afraid of saying too much and making a mistake, she glanced at the food that had been scrambled to the ground in front of Wang Qing and quickly changed the subject, saying, "Master Qing is a martial artist, so his appetite must be better than that of ordinary people. I will go back and tell Grandma to add some extra food."

Wang Qing deliberately feigned a flattered expression, saying, "I've already troubled you by staying here; how could I possibly add to your burden, young lady and sister-in-law?"

Ping'er, however, thought he was just being polite and quickly said, "It's nothing at all. There are nearly a thousand people in the manor, so one more won't make a difference..."

Fearing that Wang Qing was too young and impetuous to accept favors, she earnestly advised, "Living in the capital is not easy. The Five Cities Garrison is not a lucrative department. If you want to establish yourself in the officialdom, you will inevitably have to make connections. Why not save your money and use it wisely?"

Wang Qing had no sense of obligation to those who accept his food or gifts, and he certainly wouldn't save money for the Rongguo Mansion. His earlier refusal was merely a pretense.

Although he didn't care about the expense, there was no need for him to put on a show and refuse Ping'er's kindness.

Instead, I saw it as an opportunity to get closer to them.

Then, flashing a bright smile and revealing a full set of white teeth, he said to Ping'er with a sincere grin, "Sister Ping'er, you're such a kind person!"

……